see his face no more It parteth those friends who were so united together in love as if they had but one soul in two bodies see it in the separation that was made by death between David and Jonathan that were so knit together in their love that he bewaileth him Woe is me for my brother Jonathan This is a necessary consideration for us that live that we may learn to know how to carry ourselves towards our wordly friends and how to moderate our selves in our enjoyment of these worldly comforts Look upon every worldly thing as a mortal as a dying comfort Look upon children and friends as dying comforts Look upon your estates as that that hath wings and will be gone Look upon your bodies that now you make so much of as a thing that must be parted from the soul by death and that ere long See what advice the Apostle giveth 1 Cor. 7.19 the time is short saith he therefore let those that marry be 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 he looks upon these things as things that he shall enjoy alwayes But if we would use it aright look upon things as things that we shall enjoy but for a short time This body that seemeth now to have some beauty in it yet it must die be laid in the dust these friends that seem now to have some pleasure and delight in them yet I must die and be took from them this estate and wealth that now I set so much price upon I must die and death will part me and it So I say look upon every thing as separable from us Moderate your affections likewise to them Use them onely as comforts in the way as a traveller doth the pleasures of his Inn he stands not to build himself houses against every pleasant walk he looks upon he stands not to purchase lands and to lay them to every Inn he comes to lie at No he knows that he is now but in his passage in his way he knows that he is not at home that is the place he is going to and after a time he shall come thither So make account that you are not now at home it is death that must help 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 souls in getting the world Alas Death will part soul and body them and their wealth and all Do we 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 do with him he cannot dispose of one penny of his estate now it is left he knows 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 he 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 we are so apt to dote upon The third special 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 liberty to every family to every place that it seizeth upon every person What 's the reason of it You shall see in the several deaths of men several causes There is judgement and mercy sometime a mixture of both and sometime but of one of these Sometimes we 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 eat and drink 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 sick and weak and some slept they died they were judged of the Lord that they might not be 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 fearful of sinning against God lest you provoke against your selves the same warth in the very act of sin Sometimes again 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 mercy to them God in mercy taking of them away from the evil to come and from the evil present A judgement of God to others that are udworthy of them A mercy to themselves that they are took away from their own evil from sin from temptations from all the effects and fruits of sin and taken away from the evil that is to come upon others An act I say of mercy to them So it was to the child of Jeroboam 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 Josiah He should be gathered to his fathers in peace and his eyes should not see all that evill which the Lord would bring upon Jerusalem and upon the inhabitants thereof An act of judgement to others Righteous and merciful men are taken away and no man layeth it to heart they consider not the causes wherefore God takes away those good men A Land a Kingdom a State a People a place is much weakned when those that are righteous and merciful men when those that stand in the gap and use their endeavours to prevent judgments are taken away The house will certainly fall when the Pillars are removed They are the people of God only that hold up a state that hold up the world Assoon as Noah is put into the Ark presently cometh the deluge upon the World Assoon as
it is you do not know when your consciences a little awaked shall make report of your life past how in matters of God you have been ignorant superstitious careless neglecting his worship despising his Word blaspheming his Name mispending his Sabbaths in dealing with men you have been cruel false unmerciful oppressing in the usage of your own bodies unchast vicious lustful proud wanton wallowing in excess what peace can your souls have when these things be thought upon what calmness of spirit what hope of entring into rest how can you think that the end can be comfortable when the life hath been abominable What answer made Jehu to Joram when he demanded Is it peace Jehu What peace said he so long as the whoredomes of thy mother Jezabel and her witchcrafts are so many So when Death comes like Jehu marching furiously against you and you enquire of him whether he comes with peace or no he will answer what peace when your whoredoms and your gross and crying sins are yet in great number What peace when these make a partition betwixt your souls and the Lord Certainly there can be no peace but a fearful expectation of judgement and violent fire to devour Suffer me then to conclude this exhortation as Daniel did his speech to Nebuchadnezzar O King break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor So say I break off your sins by repentance your ignorance by seeking after knowledge your contempt of Gods word by a reverent yeelding to it your security by a standing in awe of God your neglecting the exercises of Religion by careful using of them your whoredom by chastity your drunkenness by sobriety your malice by charity your oppression by mercy your falshood by fidelity this is the way that will bring peace at the last thus and thus only you may find rest for your souls THE VITALL FOUNTAIN OR LIFES ORIGINAL SERMON XXXV JOHN 11.25 26. I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die THese Words that I have read to you they are part of the conference between Martha and Christ when Christ was coming to Bethany to awake Lazarus from the sleep of death The conference is laid down from the beginning of the 21. Verse to the end of the 27. and Martha meeting with Christ begins the conference as we may see verse 21 22. Then said Martha to Jesus Lord if thou haddest been here my brother had not died but I know that even now whatsoever thou wilt ask of God God will give it thee Here Martha manifests her affection to her dead brother and her faith in her living Master she manifests the strength of her natural affection and the weakness and imperfection of her faith The strength of her natural affection appears in this that she was perswaded if Christ had been there present her brother Lazarus had not died he would not have suffered Lazarus to have dyed which for ought we know is more then she had sufficient ground for Then the weakness and imperfection of her faith appears in this that she rested too much upon the corporal presence of Christ that she ascribed no more power to Christ then that by his prayer he could attain at Gods hands as much as ever any holy man did namely the life of her brother I know saith she that ever now whatsoever thou askest God will give it Whereas Christ being true God was able to work any miracle by his own power Now the answer of Christ is laid down verse 23. Jesus said unto her thy brother shall rise again Christ to comfort Martha passeth by her infirmity and promiseth to her that he will restore her brother to life again that she shall enjoy her brother again but this promise is only laid down in general and indifinite termes Thy brother shall rise again Christ doth not say expresly I will raise up thy brother to life but he speaks only in general terms Thy brother shall rise again which we are to ascribe to the modesty and humility that alwayes may be observed in the speeches of Christ Thy brother shall rise again Then we have the reply of Martha laid down in verse 24. Martha said unto him I know he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last day Martha was not satisfied with this promise of Christ for it seems she durst not take it in the full extent of it therefore she replies that as for the last Resurrection she knew indeed that her brother and all others that were dead should then rise again this did comfort her but for any other matter of comfort she could not gather any from the answer of Christ and his promise therefore Christ replies again in the words of my Text And Jefus said unto her I am the Resurrection and the life he that believes in me though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die Christ would have Martha know that he was true life yea the fountain of all life and such a fountain of life that whosoever did believe in him and cleave to him nothing should hurt him no not Death it self 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 down a compound proposition And then the distinct Exposition or explication thereof First here we have laid down a compound Axiome or Proposition a copulative Proposition wherein Christ affirms two things of himself First I am the Resurrection Secondly I am the Life I am the Resurrection I am the Life Now the difference between these two we may conceive with reverend Calvin to be this I am the Resurrection That is I have all quickning power in me I am able to restore and give life to those that are dead And then I am the life I have such quickning power in me that I am able to preserve and continue the life that I have given or restored to any I am the Resurrection and the life And then follows the Exposition of this Proposition and of the several members of it for the truth of a copulative Proposition depends upon the truth of both the parts and members of it therefore there followes the Explication and confirmation of both the parts of this Proposition First of the first part I am the Resurrection this is explained and comfirmed in these words He that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live I have such a quickning power in me faith Christ that I am able to restore spiritual life to that soul that is dead in sins therefore I am able to raise up the body that is dead in the grave I am able to give spiritual life to the soul which is greater
telleth us that as the Spirit and the Bride say come so he that heareth saith come that is not only the Church of God that is now present here upon the face of the earth but the successive parts of the Church in all future Ages they are all of the same mind having received the same Spirit they all say come Whosoever heareth this Prophesie whosoever heareth of these promises in any Age or Country of the World all they having the same spirit they must needs say come he that heareth saith come he that is acquainted with the promises that cometh to the knowledge of them and doth mingle them with the faith of his soul this man must needs say come to the accomplishment of them And lastly He that is a thirst saith come too that is whosoever hath tasted of the sweetness of Christ in any measure whatsoever and thereby hath wrought in him a vehement thirst after more this man will say come Whosoever hath such a sense of Christ in his promises as to taste of the sweetness of these never so little as he that hath tasted a drop of hony wisheth for more so he that hath tasted of the sweetness of Christ a drop of his grace and mercy this setteth upon his spirit a heavenly thirst he saith come he would have more he is never quiet till he have the promise accomplished to him These are the persons every particular member of the Church that hath the Spirit the whole Church in general not only the particular part of the Church now in the World or in any Age but the several parts of the Church in several Ages whosoever is a thirst that hath tasted of Christ must needs say come Even so come Lord Jesus 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 happy return in these words Amen even so come Lord Jesus 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 Jesus It is infolded I say in the word Amen This word signifieth in the Scripture either the Author of the truth himself or else it is an affirmation of the truth In the Revelation thus saith the Amen the faithful and true witness here Christ himself is called Amen because he is the Author of all truth and verity the faithful and true witness 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 ye or verily verily I say unto ye this is a vehement asseveration and a witnessing to the truth which a man ought to believe or would have to be believed Or otherwise for a wishing and earnest desiring of the truth to be accomplished So in the conclusion of the Lords prayer and all our prayers we add this word Amen that is so be it or Let it be so we wish it with earnestness of affection and desire and with a confidence and faith of our hearts we hope and believe that this shall be so This is that we profess when we 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 certain hope and expectation of faith that all these promises and good things shall be accomplished to the soul of a Christian Again the matter of this Acclamation is unfolded and explained in the latter words Come Lord Jesus Where there is both the Action and the person to be considered The Action Come Christ cometh to his Church many wayes He cometh in his Word He cometh in his Spirit He cometh in his mercies He cometh in his Judgments and Justice None of these are here meant But he cometh to his Church in person and appearance even in the appearance of his body and humane nature Thus Christ cometh two wayes to his Church in person First in his Incarnation he appeareth to the world in the similitude of sinful flesh he came in humility he came to suffer to die That is not here meant for that was past when as the Evangelist Saint John wrote this prophesie But the Second coming in person of our Lord and Saviour Christ is his coming in the flesh in glory in exaltation to judge the quick and the dead to shew himself a mighty God from heaven This is the coming which is here meant Christs second coming to Judgment in glory That is the Action The person is described by these two Titles Lord Jesus Wherein the Church desireth that he may come both as a Lord and as a Jesus That he may come as a Lord to vindicate the Church and revenge him upon his enemies to destroy the kingdome of darkness the kingdome of the Devil the kingdome of Antichrist which hath been a great argument in this book of the Revelation And not only come thus as a Lord but as a Jesus to save his Church to vouchsafe to her comfort and peace and joy that he would come to cloath her with immortality and glory which she cannot expect on earth in a mortal state This is the sum and substance of this Petition and request that the Lord would come in majesty and glory both 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 mercy of everlasting blessedness that is not mixed with sin and corruption that is not mixed with any infirmity and defect whatsoever This is the sum and substance of the Text which I have in few words shortly explained to ye Whence the point I observe wherein we will insist by the grace of God at this time is this That it is the nature and property of every true member of the Church of God earnestly and longingly to desire the second coming 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 caste of Jesus Christ every one of these must necessarily say Come Even so Come Lord Jesus This is so proper to believers and to every one of them as they are all of them described by this property in Scripture 2 Tim. 4.8 The Crown which the righteous Judge shall give me 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
's the reason of this but that man may come to this conclusion with himself that he may bring his own heart to a reckoning for his former carriage This is that the Apostle faith for this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep some were taken with sickness upon others there was a consuming weakness and others were strucken with death what is the end that God propounds in all this For this reason that we should judge our sevles for if we judge our selves wee shall not be judged of the Lord but when we are judged wee are chastned of the Lord that we should not be condemned of the world As if he 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 prevail not God hath spiritual afflictions to awaken men Thus David when he was in a deepe sleep of securitie God awakned him with a spiritual judgment see his speech in the 32 Psal When I kept close my sinnes my boues were consumed and I roared for the disquietnesse of my soul what followed God by this means 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 the preaching of the Word sometimes by judgments 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 he must abide the sentence of the Judg that would not prevent it before That there is such a Judgment to come it appeareth By the Equitie of it By the Necessitie of it In respect of God In respect of the Saints In respect of the wicked First I say in respect of God there is a necessitie of it That his Decree may be fulfilled and executed Hee hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousnesse And his counsell shall stand and he will doe all his pleasure Secondly it is necessary that Gods honour may be vindicated Now things seeme to go in some confusion and disorder in the world good men the children of God are not alwayes best in the place of judgment I have seene saith Solomon an evil under the Sunne that in the place of judgment 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 work and every purpose God hath a time to doe that great work that he hath now purposed What is that work that is to bring every work to judgement whether it be good or evill I say if we consider this it is necessary that there should come a judgment 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 judgment of God There is a necessitie of it in respect of them in two regards First that there innocencie that is traduced here may be manifest They undergoe many disgraces and hard censures amongst men the world accounts them proud hypocrites 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 be judged of you or of mans judgment he that judgeth me is the Lord. The Word in the Greek is mans day as if he should say Men have their day here but God hath a greater day after the Lord will judg in another manner and upon other grounds than men doe Secondly it is necessary also That their works may be rewarded When we speak 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 fatt 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 down shaken together and running over When God shall make up his jewels as he saith in Malac. 3. then shall yee discerne between the righteous and the wicked between 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 he makes up his jewels that not withstanding his servants are dispised 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 Judgment in Rom. 2.5 is called a day of wrath and revelation of the righteous Judgment of God As if he should say As God will manifest his wrath against the vessels of wrath so he will make it appear to the world that he proceedeth in a right manner and by a right rule in judging For wee must know that howsoever God cannot bee unjust and how soever 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 judgment by an intelectuall elevation of it that it may receive the sentence of the Judge by an illumination and by such a spiritual and contemplative discourse and observation and understanding of Gods actions as that by reflection upon it selfe it may know it selfe to be accursed or acpuitted 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 shall be made manifest and things that have beene done in darknesse shall appeare before men and Angels Secondly Gods justice must be cleared and fully manifested so the wicked and unrighteous must be 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 be 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 therefore it cannot serve the turne that the soule is punished and the body lie in the grave no but those that have joyned in sin must also joyne in Punishment Secondly howsoever the sinfull actions of the wicked are transcient and seem to die with them yet in respect of the contagion and evill effects these actions worke upon others and upon posteritie bp the ill example of their predecessors the actions I say of those wicked men continue to the day of Judgement Thus wee shall see the Iewes in Ierem. 44. revived the sinnes of their fathers Our fathers say they made cakes to the Queene of heaven and so will wee 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 goe 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 Judgment therefore their must be a judgment then that may fill up a measure proportionable to their sin This was that that Dives feared in Hell and that made him crie out as he did that one might goe and tell his bretheren upon earth that they might not come into that place Why would he 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 souls of his brethren that he would not have them damned no such matter neither What then Certainly it was nothing else but a sence of his own guilt he knew what evill example he had given and what a counseller he had been to his brethren and if they should go 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 be joyned together to make up the full measure of their torment For this reason I say it is therefore necessary that their should be 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 Judge but he saith come give an account of thy Stewardship I answer There are four things implied in this all shewing the manner of Gods proceedings at the day of Judgment with his Stewards that it shall be like the proeedings of a Master with his servants in an account and reckoning The first is this that it shall be a proceeding in particulars God shall then proceed not by grosse sums and in the total ye have done evil in the general none will deal thus with an Accountant but he will run over the particulars and Account for pounds for pence for every thing Thus God will deal with all his Stewards when he bringeth them to a reckoning he will reckon on particulars for all things that he 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 Job speaks that is raised their estates to the hurt of others as men do that raise themselves by usury and oppression and fraud and bribery and such like courses Secondly how they have kept their wealth whether with the injury of others with-holding the goods from the owners thereof from the poor 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 mark how Saint James expresseth it Go to now yee rich men weepe and houle why so your riches are corrupted and your garments moth eaten your gold and silver is cankered c. As if he should say you have been hoarding up your treasures you had rather be laying of it up then laying of it out and therefore because you have not laid out your estates for the service of your master rust is come upon your gola and the moth hath eaten into your garments ye have heaped treasure together for the last day Thirdly how they have spent what they have had whether on their lusts or no Ye ask and have not faith S. James because ye ask amiss to spend it on your lusts so ye lay out amiss ye spend it on your lusts When men for pride in apparel for excesse at their tables for vain buildings for sinfull upholding of wickednesse for unnecessary and injurious proceedings in law sutes or in what soever indirect course men lay out their estates it is a mis-spending of their Masters goods And as he that hath got his wealth unjustly and he that keepeth it unjustly shall give an account so he that layeth it out in a confused sinful profuse way shall be called to give a reckoning for that And not only for matter of a estate but besides for matter of place and authority Moses knew this well enough and therefore when he was to go out of the world he first cleares all reckonings with the people of Israel I have been a Ruler thus long let any man come and stand up and say I have done him wrong let every man come clear 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 he died that he might lift up his head with comfort in the day of the Lord. Thus it must be with you ye 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 Mark the speech of the Wise man to the young man Rejoyce faith he in the dayes of thy youth as if he should say Doe if thou wilt do if thou dare but know that for all these things thou must come to judgment Now thou hast a great deale of health a great deal of strength but hast thou been the better for Gods service hast thou imployed it fot 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 faith Christ that men shall speak they shall give an account of at the day of judgment 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 cometh out of thy mouth Thou must give an account for thy
they declare the inward truth of the heart and the inward sense of our wants and the weight of the petitionâ—… we put up to God Such were these tears here I fasted and wept I will not stand upon this The reason of this action why he fasted and wept I did it for this end for saith he I said who knoweth whether the Lord will be gratious to me that the child may live A man may wonder if he read the former part of the chapter whence this perswasion and hope should come into the heart of David that there should be a possibility of having the life of this child by his prayer whereas the Lord had said before by Nathan to him that the child should die Nathan had told him in expresse terms that the child should die yet he putteth up his prayer for it and said Who knoweth whether the Lord will be gracious to me that the child may live We must know therefore that God sometime even in those sentences that seem absolute implies and intends a condition David had respect to such a course as God ordinarily took he knew well that God at other times had threatned things yet neverthelesse upon the repentance and prayers and tears upon the humiliation and contrition of the hearts of his servants he hath been pleased to alter the sentence to suspend nay it may be wholly to take away and change the Execution Thus it hath been It was so in the case of Hezekiah The Lord sent as express a message by Isaiah the Prophet to Hezekiah as he did by Nathan to David Set thy house in order for thou shalt die and not live Yet neverthelesse Hezekiah turneth his face to the wall he wept and laid open his request before the Lord Remember now oh Lord I beseech the how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart c. Ye see the Lord presently sendeth the Prophet to tell him that he had added fifteen years to his life and yet the message was carried in expresse words and in as peremptory terms as a man would have thought it had been absolute and no condition intended The like in the case of Niniveh Jonah cometh to Niniveh and began to enter the City a dayes journey and he cried and said Yet forty dayes and Nineveh shall be destroyed Here was the time limited the judgement declared and no condition exprest yet the King of Nineveh humbleth himself and the people they fast and pray and go in sackcloth c. and the Lord was pleased to alter this sentence But some will say these Examples were after Davids time What were these to him upon what ground did he take this course had he any promise or example before time of any such thing as this that did give him incouragement to fast and pray in hope that though God had said the child should die yet it should live Certainly David had examples before time of the like nature when God had threatned judgements and they did not know whether the issue would prove or no as they desired yet they sought God As in the case of Saul When the Lord sent an expresse message by Samuel that the kingdom should be taken from him and given to another because he had not dealt faithfully in the execution of Gods command concerning Amaleck yet saith the text Samuel mourned for Saul still Insomuch as the Lord questioneth him How long wilt thou mourn for Saul seeing I have rejected him from raigning over Israel Yet Samuel continued in seeking God as if he should say Who knoweth what the Lord will do But more expresly David had examples before his time not only of seeking the Lord but of a gracious successe and answer that those had that sought him As in the case of the Israelites when there was a discontent among the people because of the ill report that the Spies put upon the good land the people began now to murmur against God Well saith the Lord to Moses let me alone and I will destroy this people at once Moses setteth himself to seek the Lord and prayeth and presseth the Lord with many arguments for his own glory for his peoples sake for his Covenant sake and many other wayes to spare them What was the issue of it He was heard the Lord told him that he had heard his prayer and granted his request though he would fill the earth with his glory and all the world should know what a jealous God he was another way yet in this particular he had granted his request they should not be cut off at this time So that David had good experience that though judgement hath been threatned before yet neverthelesse courses have been taken that the sentence hath been altered with a change of Gods purpose at all For God ever intended it to be understood with a condition if they returned not to him he would go on if they returned to him he would not go on So the purpose of God 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 these threatnings in Scripture that seem 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 himself giveth At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it If that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil I will repent of the evil that I thought to doe unto them Whatsoever I threatned in my Word if they turn to me by true repentance I will turn all that evil 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 discouragments that lie upon the hearts of many When they find themselves guilty of a sin against God when they see that sin threatned with severe punishment and judgement in the word of God now they conclude their case to be disperate it is in vain to seek further to use the means the Lord will proceed in judgement and there is no stopping of him This is an addition to a mans other sins to conclude thus Mark how the Lord expresseth himself in Ezekiel 33. The people were much troubled about such things there say they Our transgressions and our sins
place as it falleth out with a woman with child her travel may come upon her in the street at the table when she is talking c. So shall destructiou come suddenly upon them they shall have no more warning then these general warnings that they have in the preaching of the Word Secondly it shall be a painful destruction full of misery and sorrow as travail on a woman with child And then thirdly It shall be an inevitable destruction such a destruction as they shall never avoid All their wit friends power strength wealth or whatsoever else they have cannot put off the stroke of Judgment that shall come upon them as all the devices a woman hath cannot make her escape her travail when it cometh So then the meaning of the words are as if the Apostle should have said When wicked and ungodly men in a course of sin shall crie peace to themselves and flatter themselves in their rebellious courses then shall a sudden a painful an inevitable destruction of all their comfort of all their props and hopes and helps 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 Judgment He shall find all the world at rest As the Angel that stood among the myrtle trees spake in the 1 Zachar. 11. We have walked to and fro through the carth and behold all the earth sitteth still and is at rest He shall find all the men of the world in peace every man applauding himself in some vain conceit in some hope and considence or other They shall cry peace Secondly here is the consequent that followeth upon the vain flattery of themselves Then shall destruction come upon them And that destruction is farther described and amplified by a comparison taken from a woman with child to declare the suddainness the painfulness the unavoidableness 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 runs may read it that They are most secure that are in least safety A man is in the greatest danger when he is in the greatest security Then a mans Judgment is neerest when he least thinks of it when he least freareth 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 sins applauding of their own estate living under the power and guilt of sin then cometh the destruction upon them and they shall not escape Thus far the text That we may make the point clear before we come to prove it give me leave first briefly to tell you what we mean by that security which is upon men even in their chiefest dangers Know therefore that there is a twoford security A holy spiritual Security A sinful carnal Security There is first a holy and spiritual security and that even in this state where into we are fallen which consisteth in a mans reconciliation with God when he is in termes of peace with him having obtained remission of his sins 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 he must be so in a spirituall manner Confidence upon the goodness of God in Christ upon the promises of God in the Gospel is that which is requisite in every Chriistian it is that which God commandeth Fear not saith he in one place And again Trust in the Lord. The Scripture is full in a calling for such security 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 be troubled about success 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 soul about the event of things This was that which David had and rejoyced in I laid me down in rest and peace for the Lord keepeth me in safety 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 doors about thee hide thy self c. He would have them secure themselves under his protection and in his ordinances This is such a security as draweth men neerer to God bringeth them to further acquaintance with God keepeth them in a constant communion with God causeth them to walk in Gods presence c. This is a good security But then secondly there is a sinful carnal security that is when a man yet living in a course of sin he beareth up his spirit against all fear either of judgments threatned or judgments approaching upon him under a vain 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 own heart Here is now a sinful carnal security 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 judgment to fall upon that person in whom it is This is the security that we have now in chase First then we will make it appear that it is an infallible sign of Gods Judgment 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 war with them You shall see this in instances and examples See it in particular persons and in States and Kingdoms and you shall generally find it that before the destroying judgment came upon them they have been given up to this security we speak of this crying of peace upon a false ground See it in Agag 1 Sam. 15.13 The bitterness of death is past But was it past Nay at that very time the bitterness of death was upon him for the very next thing that we meet withall in the Story is that Agag was hewen in pieces before the Lord in Gilgall Ye have Belshazzar in Dan. 5. wondrous secure carrowsing and quaffing in the holy vessels that were taken out of the Temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem 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 hour faith the text verse 5. came forth
to the rest of our sins that in the middest of our sins and impenitency we are secure and therefore that destruction is coming upon us What are the signs whereby we may be convinced of security I will give you a few that by those you may see whether the Land the City your families your selves and all be not asleep and at rest this day The first sign shall be this When men profit not by the judgements of God Certainly it is an evident sign of a deep sleep in sin when neither the afflictions that are upon others or upon our selves do any good upon us Look how God hath smitten others Hath that awakned us You will say that it is a secure child that seeth his brother beaten for the same fault before his eyes and yet goeth on in it you will say that that is a secure malefactor that seeth such a person executed before his face and yet goeth on in the same fellony and thest And must we not say that we are a secure generation when we can see our brethren in other Countries how they have suffered and yet go on in the very same fins that we our selves think the hand of God is upon them for We can talk of their sins of their unrighteousness and in justice we can talk of their neglect of the Lords day and other holy duties and for these we judge them smitten of God How is it then that we are such our selves how is it that we go on in unrighteousness in prophaning the Lords day in neglecting the house of God and our own families have they found such sweetness in these sins that we walk on in the same Is it a pleasant and comfortable thing to be driven from Gods house and from our own houses to be a reproach to all the world If we think that the hand of God is upon them for these sins how is it that we are not awaked I remember Daniel in the fifth Chapter of his Prophesie taxeth Belshazzar for this though thou knowest saith he how 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 kown what God hath done to your brethren in other Countries yet you do still the same your selves for the which they have been punished Is not this security Look likewise upon our selves and we shall see a general neglect of those judgements of God that have been upon our selves How hath God smitten this Land this Citie eipecially with the Pestilence and may we not say we have been smitten and yet have not felt it is not this security and a dead sleep God threatneth those in Jer. 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 fear lest we fall into the hands of the sword of some Nebuchadnezar or other when the pestilence hath done no more good amongst us when it hath not awakened reformed us Look upon our selves upon your houses upon your dealings your company your conversations see if there be any reformation since there was such a mortal calamity as drove you from the Citie and frighted you from your own houses and from the house of God Well these are fearful presages that when former Judgements prevail not worser are a coming I have smitten them saith God in the fourth of Amos with cleanness 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 me What then I have smitten them with the pestilence after the manner of Egypt and yet they have not returned unto me What then Therefore I will come against them and because I will do this prepare to meet thy God Oh Israel As if he should say I have now stood out and tryed you at one or two weapons and found you obstinate and rebellious I have stroke at you with the sword of Famin I have shot at you the Arrows 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 battel against you and it shall appear 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 own bodies you have escaped the Pestilence already but you shall find it a hard taske when God biddeth battel to escape his last stroke if you will not now be reconciled and come in and seek his face This is the first demonstration whereby it appears 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 sign is this The contempt of Gods ordinances the slighting of the Prophets This is an evident demonstration that we are under this carnal security I now speake of Mark 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 ears that they should not hear Yea they made their hearts as an Adamant stone lest they should hear 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 He cryed and they would not hear so they cryed and I would not here saith the Lord of Hosts Well beloved little do you know what time and wayes God hath to make you cry and roar in the anguish of your hearts because of Judgements and afflictions when you will not now hear 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 hear 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 he had used many means for their reclaiming but nothing would do them good well now saith he hear the rod and him that hath appointed it As if he 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 he did of the people in Jeremies 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 own heart And then what follows Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts Behold I will
OR THE DESIRE OF THE FAITHFUL SERMON XV. ISAIAH 26.8 9. Yea in the way of thy Judgements O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy Name and to the remembrance of thee With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early for when thy judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness THis Chapter is a sweet Song of the Prophet if I mistake not concerning the restauration of the Jews And the words of the Text are the sweet Swan-like Song of our deceased Sister which she desired might be her Funeral Song her Funeral Text at this time and desired it long ago before any thing that is now fallen out came to pass And I have accordingly pitched upon it not onely to satisfie her desire in a just thing but especially because I approve her choice of a fit Text there being not in the whole Scripture a portion that will afford a fitter Character in my apprehension for her person as you shall understand in the close to which therefore I shall deser the speaking to the present occasion The truth is I have handled a good part of this chapter formerly and in this place but now we shall clean go another way than then I did and than I usually do I shall only desire to present so much one of these words without any curious observation or division as may represent to us a perfect character of a sweet Christiin-minded man or woman which may be of singular use and very profitable There be only two things that I shall observe in the whole words I shall but go them over briefly taking out the main points as I conceive for that purpose I shall mention them We have here propounded to to us the compleat duty of a Christian And we have here some effectual motives intimated to stir Christians up to the preformance of that duty There is a general duty to begin with that first that belongeth to Christians at all times And there are some special duties which concerne Christians in some special times Both contained here The general duty I shall not as I said handle it in my former way of observation but only explicate the very words of the Text and that will be enough for me The general duty I say of a Christian and what should be the temper of his heart and spirit at all times we may find expressed at least intimated very sweetly with some excellent directions in the Text in the so thâ—…e circumstances First we may see here what is the true Object upon which a Christian soul should be fixed Secondly we may see the Latitude of the Acts which a Christian must exercise upon that Object Thirdly we may take notice of the manner and of the degree in which every one of these Acts must be exercised I shall but touch these briefly out of the words and then come to the special duties belonging to special times First to begin with the Object The desire of our soul is toward thee and to the remembrance of thy Name God and the name of God is that which should be printed in the heart of a Christian 〈◊〉 should be that to which the Byâ—… and stâ—…am of his whose soul runs First I say it should be fixed upon God We are here in the world placed as it were between heaven and earth Now all the manner is how our Byas is set which way that turns As the Byas is of the heart so the man is Our hearts may be turned downwards to the earth and to earthly things and so we shall run a course of ruin and destruction our hearts again the Byas of them may be settoward heaven and heavenly things and so we shall run the right course that we ought It is God that our souls should breath after Fecisti nos Do nine propter te faith a Father thou hast made us O Lord for thy self and our souls are restless till they return again to thee As they say of Circles The Circle the round figure is the most perfect figure and the most capacious figure because there the line that beginneth in one point goeth round till it return into the same again So this is the greatest perfection of a man when he returneth to his beginning he had all from God and when he reflects himself altogether back again unto God he attaineth his greatest perfection And indeed there will be no more rest for the soul in any thing out of God then there is for a stone or a weighty body in the liquid ayre Hang a stone in the Ayre and do but once remove the force that holds it there will it nill it give but a way to it and it will cut through and never rest till it come to a sollid substance till it come to the earth if it may to the Center of the earth It is so with the soul of man try it in all the fortunes and states and conditions in the world as a great Emperour said I have run through all things and my spirit will rest in nothing and as Solomon giveth us this observation out of all his travel and experiment that he had made Vanity of vanity all is vanity and worse then vanity too vexation of spirit this is the sum of all fear God and keep his commandenents as he concludeth This is the Object upon which our soul should be set we should have an eye to God labouring to approve ourselves to him making our approaches and adresses and returns to him that our soul may rest with him that we may enjoy the light of his countenance here and the fulness and brightness of his glory hereafter This is the first thing in the Object Now if a soul be carried toward this Object toward God and we can out-go and out-grow these worldly things look above them and look down upon them with scorne then the very name of God will be sweet and precious to us To thee and to thy name Every thing which is a memorial a remembrance of God Every thing by which God may be known will be taken notice of All his Attributes his Word and Ordinances and all other things which come within the compass of his Name as I suppose there are not many here but know according to the ordinary explication of Divines of the third Commandement Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain and the first Petition hallowed be thy name What is meant by the name of God When the heart I say is set upon God it even will leap for joy at the very name of God the very name of God will be sweet to him To enjoy God is sweet and to have but a glimpse of him to have him but represented by name is sweet too As it is reported of a
whose trade and imployment of life it is every cloud and wind doth not make him to return back again to shoare and to give over but he goeth them through so it is in this case one that is not indeed and in earnest travelling toward heaven he will be easily off upon a little storm arising if God do but frown if there be but a wrinckle in his brow all his pleasure in religion is gone for it was some other things he aymed at it was but for pleasure he came in here but a godly Christian who is bound for heaven whose voyage is set for heaven and his course and the bent of his soul lyeth that way that like a Ship with full Sail is carried toward heaven storms will not beat him off but he will persevere Secondly there is a necessary use as there should be perseverance so that there should be a kind of excellency and precellency of all holy duties which I mentioned in the general before which a man should exercise so much the more industriously and painfully in storms 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 be pretious to us at all times but specially in times of stress and difficulty Oh then we should cleave close to them then multiply 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 excel our selves or else it will not countervail and be an Antidote against the evil and bitterness of the times Thirdly there should be shewed patience in the time of affliction in the time of Gods Judgment we should not mutter against God nor struggle nor be violent against him but humbly and meekly lay our selves down before him It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good in his eyes And Lastly there should be a proficiency that the inhabitants of the earth will learn righteousness we should patiently wait upon God in the way of his Judgments and withall we should be good proficients then to learn righteousness 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 learn and take notice of I had never known 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 duty if God had not brought me under some affliction affliction was a Commentary 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 sum of a Christians duty which I have recommended to you out of the words of the verses read partly general duties that belong to all Christians in all times and partly some particular duties which concern them more specially in some special times There is a motive or two to press and stir us up to the performance of these duties There is one in a verse before those I have read the seventh verse The way of the just is uprightness thou most upright dost 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 do carry our selves and approve our selves to him God is not only a spectatour and an overseer of our wayes but he is an expencer a weigher and Judg-of our wayes to reward every man according to his works and we 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 break out against God not daring to do evil in the presence of that holy God which one day we know we must be brought to account for at the great Judgment 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 own expression in their name but the wicked men they are clean otherwise they do not perform these duties neither the general nor the particular Now it bohoveth every one to take care to depart from the tents of those wicked men that shall be swallowed up and go down quick 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 be 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 do lest they perish as they do 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 himself to them if he shew his favour or send his Judgments it is all one in the land of uprightness they will do wickedly and when Gods hand is lifted up they will not see nothing will do them good no way of working upon them neither by fair nor by foul means And we must be unlike them therefore every way we must take every dealing of God by the right care 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 himself it is not a vain thing to serve God nor a cheap nor a safe thing to rebel against God for his hand shall be lifted up and he will break 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 grinds to powder as the ancient saying is the more God is long-suffering and long lifting up his hand to lay his stroak the heavier stroak he layes upon them and crusheth all to peeces at last But there is another thing too even those wicked men that are so stubborn and refractary and scorn Gods word that lift up the heel and kick against him and it may
there shall be a Judgement For let a man commit secret sins that none knoweth but God and he yet many times he feeleth hellish horrour which is a manifest proose that conscience seeth and apprehendeth God as the supream Judge that will call all men to an account for their sins Thus you hear the reasons why there must be a Judgement The manner of this Judgment consisteth in these particulars First it shall be the last Judgment after which there shall be no other which declareth the terribleness of it In this life while there is life there is hope Let the wicked forsake his wayes and turn to the Lord he will be gracious to him But then the sentence shall not be reverst then there can be no appeal from that Judg and judgment Again it shall be a General Judgment which is the second thing God judgeth in this world and that both in life and in death He judgeth in life by chastising his children for their faults and avenging himself upon his enemies He judgeth every man at death But then there shall be a General Judgment of all 2. Cor. 10. We must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ In the third Place It shall be a manifest Judgment Sometime the Lord Judgeth men secretly by raising up in them fears and horrours in their hearts causing his curse in theâ—… as water in their bowels and oyl 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 be a sudden Judgment Even as the flood came upon the old World when they were sporting themselves and deriding Noah that preached to them of the flood so shall the fire come upon the World that shall pass before the face of Christ when he shall judg the quick and the dead As asnare saith Christ shall it come upon all that dwell upon the earth When the Fowler layeth a snare to take a Bird he giveth not warning to the Bird but surprizeth it suddenly so will Christ Jesus surprize the sons of men suddenly beyond their expectation The Evangelist faith he shall come as a theef in the night A theef knocks not he giveth not warning so Christ Jesus beyond the thoughts of men will be on them suddenly before they are aware by his dreadful Judgement Fifthly it shall be a most righteous Judgment Then God as the Apostle saith Rom. 2. will render to every man according to his deeds He will not regard the face of any He will not be bribed by wealth or reward He will not heare the testimony of the world for the wicked or against the godly but deal impartially and give to every one according to his doings Lastly It shall be an Eternal Judgment 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 Eternal weale and happiness of the godly and the eternal wo and misery 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 judgment saith he and let me make it so to you When Sathan tempteth you to sin remember God will call you to Judgement even for those faults for which you may possibly escape the penalty of men yet not withstanding is is impossible for you to avoid the righteous Judgment of God If Sathan would have thee do any thing that the word of God and thy own conscience sheweth thee to be hateful and wicked in the sight of God say to him No no God will bring me to Judgment This is the pollicy of our Adversary when he induceth us to evil he makes sin sweet and pleasant to us but it should be our wisdome to make sin bitter and loathsome even in this meditation God will bring us to Judgment for the same The Apostle saith Resist the divel and he will fly from you But how must we resist him not by arguments of our own making but by arguments of the word of God and amongst other weapons remember to list up this when Sathan would have thee sin say No no God will bring me to Judgment When the Divel solicited Eve and circumvented her she spake in the Serpent to Sathan concerning the Judgment of God We may eat saith she of all the trees of the Garden but not of the tree in the middest of the Garden least we die here she brought an argnment from the judgment of God but here was her weakness she presently let it fall It should be otherwise with us when Sathan tempts us let us say we shall die and be condemned for sin say so and continue in it If any revolt from the truth he professeth he shall die in his sin If any man disquiet the people of God by vexation or oppression he shall die in his sin If any man be a drunkerd or Epicure he shall die in his sin If any man be a whoremonger or adulterer he shall die in his sin If any man be a swearer God hath vowed he will not hold him guiltless he shall die in his sin If any man be an ignorant person disobeying godliness and obeying unrighteousness he shall die in his sin If any man continue in gross wickedness in any wickedness without repentance he shall die in his sin Oh remember this Judgement of God this death that God will inslict on sinners for sin For the wages of sin is death and arm your selves with this when Satan tempteth you if you forget Death and Judgement you are naked and unarmed your spiritual Adversary may hit you on the bare and spoil you as he will The second use is for instruction Will God bring us to Judgment for our sins Oh then let us hast to repentance Beloved this is one of the last things that God will do and this is the greatest thing that Ministers can say God will judge you for your sins The Apostle Saint Paul he moveth the Atheniaus Acts 17.31 to repentance upon this very ground because God hath appointed a day in which he will Judge the world in righteousness And surely if this will not awaken us nothing will nothing can What do we mean beloved to suffer our sins to stand upon the score Where is our wisedome Our grace Are we able to stand before God when he is angry with us Why do we not take off our sins by godly sorrow If a Judge should say to a Malefactour except thou mourn for thy offence thou shalt die and be execnted Doe we not think he would mourn to save his life Behold God faith to you except you mourn for your
not so to be accounted slack but saith the Apostle He is patient toward us and would have none perish but come to repentance Then the slackness of Christs coming is his patience because he would give us time to repent and have us prepared before he come O! then beloved let us not make a mock as others do 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 contrary to this set abroach by certain false teachers who taught the Thessalonians that the day of Judgement was so neer that it should happen in their age Where by the way you may take notice of the exceeding great subtilty of the Divel that labours by all means possible to bring men to one of these extreams 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 years after the Creation 2000. before the Law 2000. under the Law and 2000. under the Gospel But Saint Paul answers these false teachers among the Thessalonians and all of the like opinion therefore to arm them against their assaults he bids them for a certainty beleeve it 2 Thessal 2. that the day of judgement was not at hand And he gives the reason vers 3. For saith he that day shall not come except there he a departing first and that man of sin the son of perdititon be revealed But how is it that the Apostle tells the Thessalonians that the day of Judgement was not at hand seeing it is plain 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 himself for our sins 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 natural to the place for say they in all those places where it seems to be avouched that the day of the Lord is at band they understand the word in the Original to signifie generally a time drawing neer 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 speaks truly the day of judgement is not at hand so as that any man can say it shall be this hour or this day or this month or this year or this age This is no more but the doctrine of Christ Of that day and hour no man knoweth no not the Angels in heaven no not Christ himself as man but the Father only So you see it is plain and evident that the day of Judgement is at hand but in what precise limits of time or age it shall happen it is uncertain 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 ear to hear where God hath not a tongue to speak Let it suffice us to know that it is at hand which if we make good use of it will make us wary and watchful and Vigilant over all our wayes that we say not with the evil servant Our Master defers his coming let us eat and drink and beat our fellow servants but betake our selves to the good servants duty to watch Watch we therefore we know not the day and hour when the Son of man cometh But when he cometh and finds us doing well dealing faithfully and living holily happy nay thrice happy shall we be we shall be sure to partake of the blessing of those upon mount Gerrazim we need not fear the curse of those upon Mount Ebal We need not be afraid of the Thundering and lightning on Sinai nor the fire and tempest nor smoak 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 beauty of a rent for a girdle whatsoever becomes of our garments assuredly our hearts shall be rent in sunder Watch we therefore we know not the day and hour when the Son of man will come In the second place that the children of God may be armed and prepared for his coming he hath set down in his Word certain signs which being effected and come to pass they may easily judge that then the day of redemption draweth nigh Now these signs are of three sorts Some are in respect of us a long time before he comes to judgement A second sort are imediately before his coming The third in his coming The signs that prognosticate his coming long before are these First of all the preaching of the Gospel to the whole world which is set down by Christ Mat. 24.14 The Gospel of the kingdome shall be preached to the whole world for a testimony to all Nations then shall the end be Which words of our Saviour Christ we are not so to understand as that the Gospel should be preached to the whole world at any one time for that never was nor I think never will be but if we so understand it that the Gospel shall be preached to all Nations successively and at several times then if we consider the times since the Apostles we shall find that the sound of the Gospel hath gone out to all the Nations of the world as it was spoken by the Prophet so that this first sign is already past the end cannot be far The second sign is the revealing of Antichrift saith the Apostle 2. Thessal 2.3 That day shall not come except there be a departing and that man of sin the son of perdition which is Antichrist be revealed Concerning this sign in the year of our Lord 602. after Christ S. Gregory seemeth to avouch that whosoever taketh the name of universal Bishop and Pastor of the Church that was Antichrist Five years after Boniface succeeding him by Phocas the Emperour had the title of Universal Bishop of the Church and ever since all their successours have taken that name so that it is evident that at Rome hath been and now
is the Antichrist so that the second sign being fulfilled the end cannot be far The third is the general departure of the most from the Faith There hath been a general departure in former times when Arrius spread his heresies almost all the whole world became an Arian and for the space of 500 years 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 handful of wheat to a great deal of chaff so that this sign 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 sign stands in exceeding great corruption in the manners of men And the Apostle makes this a sign of Christs last coming to judgement 2 Tim. 3. This know that in the last dayes perrillous times shall come men shall be lovers of themselves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unholy without natural affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce dispisers of those that are good traitours heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God The Apostle makes this a sign and mark that shall be in the last dayes Beloved if ever this were fulfilled in these dayes of ours for there is a general corruption in the manners of men It is very hard to find those that in all truth and sincerity labour to discharge a good conscience towards God and men And Christ hath said himself that when he comes to judgement he shall scarse find faith on earth such a general corruption there shall be in the manners of men so that this fourth sign being already past the end cannot be far The fifth sign is exceeding great persecution and affliction of the Church and the Saints of God This hath been fulfilled in former times You know there were ten fearful persecutions in the Primitive Church And so it is fulfilled even in these dayes of ours for the Whore of Babylon that spotted beast she laboureth to make her self drunk with the bloud of Gods Saints There are but few years nay months 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 sign be fulfilled the end cannot be far The sixt is a general security 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 dulness and deadness 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 famin and pestilence and invasion of forrein enemies inundation of waters thunder and lightning from heaven but all these will not work 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 mollified 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 crusty and so hardned that the seed of Gods word it lies uncovered it takes no root at all in the heart it works no reformation at all so that if ever this sign were fulfilled it is in these dayes It shall be saith Christ speaking of the general security that shall be when he 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-flowled the world so that this sixt sign being past the end cannot be far The seventh and last sign of Christs coming 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 be called again but of the time and the manner and number the word of God doth not reveal it so that it is likely this sign is yet to come all the rest are fulfiled and therefore the end cannot be far The second sort of signs are such as are immediately before Christs coming to Judgement and that is the darkness of the Sun Moon and Stars The Sun shall be darkned the Moon shall lose her light the Stâ—…rs shall fall from heaven the very powers of heaven shall be shaken the foundations of the heavens shall tremble Alas what shall the little shrubs in the Wilderness do when the tall Cedars of heaven shall be shaken what shall poor sinful man do when the Angels shall be afraid The last sign shall be in Christs coming to Judgement Mat. 24.29 it is called the sign of the Son of man Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man and then all the tribes of the earth shall mourn What this sign of the Son of man is Divines do vary Some hold it is the sign of the Cross which all eyes shall behold even they that pierced him as John saith Revel 1. Some others which I rather assent unto take it to be the glorious beams of Christs Majesty immediately before his personal appearance to enlighten the world being darkned by reason of the want of the light of the Sun and Moon So you see what these signs shall be The signs that prognosticate Christs coming 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 oyl in our lamps that when our Bride-groom Christ shall come we may be ready to enter into eternal joy So we come from the signs that prognosticate the judgement to the judgement it self Concerning the judgement it self You must know that after death there are two judgements There is a particular and there is a general Judgement The particular Judgement is immediately as soon as ever the breath is gone out of the body As soon as ever the soul is gone out of the body it is conducted by the Angels before the Tribunal 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 speak of this we have example for the proof 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 general judgement so called because it shall be of all men in general that ever lived and breathed upon the face of the earth men women and children all shall be presented before the Tribunal seat of Christ all must hold up their hands at the Bar of his judgement all must give an account of all their words thoughts and actions all must
him And in Levit. 24.11 The word there translated to blaspheme it is in the original that the man stabbed God or did pierce God he offered a kind of violence to the holy name of God Such sinful speeches as are forbidden in the third Commandment and do concern 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 said to be a stabbing of God in the Hebrew phrase or a piercing of God a wounding of God doing some violence to God himself Now I say when such wrong and injury is done to God shall not God take a time to right himself 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 penalty 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 be suffered to go into the Land So I say when men bring an evil report upon the duties of godliness they shut themselves out of the kingdom of God So likewise when men make that which is straight become crooked It is said of Simon Magus that he perverted the straight wayes ef God that is he did as much as lay in him to make the straight wayes of God to seem crooked that as a man that puts a stick in the water though it be straight when it is put in yet it seems crooked when it is in So when a man puts colours and shews upon good actions and courses as if they were folly and indiscretion and unadvised and hypocrisie and vain or whatsoever is ill this is 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 for given thee So you see Saint Paul speaks to Elymas the sorcerer upon the same ground Act. 13. Thou child of the divel and enemy to all righteousness wilt thou not cease to pervert the right wayes of God Now I say here are the words and speeches that men speak against the wayes of God these are speeches that argue men in a state whereby they are liable and open to judgment and exposed to wrath therefore we should take heed of such words The use may be to condemn those that make light account of words they think they may speak it may be in rashness and hastiness and they may be excused for uttering them it is there hastiness and their passion and it was done unadvisedly c. I but the Law of God is transgressed the Majesty of God is offended the anger of God is provoked You know what old Eli said to his Sons My sons if a man sin 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 heed there is much evil there is life and death as Solomon saith in the power of the tongue that is a man may utterly destroy himself by the very words he speaks unadvisedly as he thinks and will plead for himself or passionately and rashly Again much more doth it concern those that proceed to other kinds of wickedness 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 door of their lippes he prayed to God to do it And Psal 39. I said that I will take heed to my wayes that I offend not in my tongue And then he prayes to the Lord Psal 131. to keep a watch before the door of his mouth He knew well enough that there will be a time when the words that we think are sleight and vain shall be brought to judgement idle unprofitable frothy talk much more railing 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 judgment But I will not stand on that I then handled Now there remains three things more The first is this that in the day of judgment God will proceed according to his Law So speak and so do as those that shall be judged by the Law I say In the day of judgment God will proceed with men according to his Law He will proceed according to his word written therefore labour that your speeches and actions may be such that they may be agreeable to that John 12.48 The word that I speak to you saith Christ shall judge you at that day There is not a word that Christ speaks but it shall judge he speaks not in vain he is the judge that speaks Now you know Christ speaks two wayes Either in himself Or by his Ministers In himself and so either that that he spake when he was on earth in his own person then all the words that he spake at that time are those words by which he will judge men as far as they concern morral 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 certain and infallible work of the Spirit directing them to such truth as that they could not err 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 he spake in them concerning all the Ministers of the Gospel What we speak as Ministers that is as men that look 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 speak the word of him whose Embassadours we are Now I say look what the Minister thus speaks as the Embassadour of Christ to the people that Christ will confirm at the day of judgement Now it will appear what we speak as Embassadours if we speak nothing but what is agreeable to the text of Scripture rightly understood Therefore mark it whatsoever sin we denounce the judgement of God against and urge Scripture for it it is the very rule that Christ will observe in judging men Or
that that not only declares its own excellency but the unrighteousness and obliquity of the contrary therefore Christ shall proceed by the Law because that shall most clear his proceedings For all the world will grant that that is a righteous rule Therefore Micah 6.8 when the Prophet would deal with men that were unrighteous that would walk wilfully and rebelliously against God and then serve him with outward performances wherewith shall I come before the Lord and how before the high God he hath shewed thee O man what is good that is to do justly and to walk humbly with thy God So that now look what rule it is that shews what is good that is the rule whereby the righteous Judge will proceed in judgement Now the Law shewes what is good he hath shewed in his Law what is good therefore he gives a brief sum of the Law there to walk humbly with God that is the substance of the first Table of the Law and to do justice that is the substance of the second Table of the Law therefore saith he he hath shewed thee what is good this is a righteous rule that discerns between good and evil Look what that is that in the directions of life discerns between good and evil that also in the proceeding of the Judge will clear his justice either in rewarding the good or in punishing the evil therefore Christ must needs proceed according to his own Law in judgement Thus the point is opened Now a word or two for application Is it so that Christ will proceed in judgement by his own Law then it serves in the first place for the just reproof of those that neglect the Law that neglect this direction that Christ gives them Alaâ—… is it a small matter thus to slight the Law of God the Word of God why you shall be judged by this God shall judge the secrets of all men saith the Apostle in that day according to my Gospel Rom. 2.16 not only that look what he hath spoken of the judgement shall prove true but that in the judgement there shall be a proceeding proportionable and agreeable to what he hath spoken in that word that he calls his Gospel Therefore take heed how you slight this Word it is a dangerous thing Saith Solomon Pro 13.13 he that despiseth the cammandement shall perish He that despiseth the commandement when God hath revealed his will in matter of duty for the direction of life for that he calls the Commandement there now if a man come to despise this he shall certainly 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 less acknowledgement then it is worthy of As if a man come to buy a Jewel or a Pearl in the Market and offer a sleight and small matter for it he had as good bid nothing the undervaluing of a commodity is as the accounting of it worth nothing In spiritual things when a man accounts the Law of God below it self that is when he makes it not the chief direction of his life then he 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 we give it not any esteem according to the appointment of God but according to our own Fancy I say if we give the Law esteem according to Gods appointment and by vertue of his Word then we will give it the esteem that God hath put upon it that is that it shall rule us in all our actions and that it shall be our supream 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 prefer their own opinions before the Law when they will prefer the opinion of other men before the Text of Scripture when they prefer the customes of the world before the rule of the Word This is now to despise the Law to make it as a thing of nothing As you see it plain it is ordinary in Scripture thus to tax men as when they would account the traditions of men above the word In vain they worship me saith God they become vanity themselves for accounting the Law vain So when they preferred the customes of their fore-fathers equal 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 be your Judge that is the rule whereby the Judge shall proceed You know it is the aggravation of the fault of a Malefactor that he not only transgresseth and sinneth against the Laws of the Kingdome but that he hath despised the Law if he have been heard to speak any speeches to the contempt of the Law this is a great aggravation of his sin how much more shall it be 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 be 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 himself That as a man might say of the Jews when Christ came amongst them he offered himselfe to be their King but being they would not take him for their King who if they had taken him so would have been their Saviour therefore the time shal 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 find it then to be their condemner If this be a harsh saying as they speak of the command of Christ Joh. 6. This is a hard saying who can bear it If the Commandment of Christ concerning obedience seem harsh then how harsh a saying shall that be depart ye cursed into everlasting fire If it be so hard a thing to stand to the command of the Law how hard a thing will it be to stand under the penalty and censure of the Law Therefore I say let men take heed they shall find that even that very faith commanded that they have slighted it shall prove heavy they sleighted it in obedience it shall prove heavy in the judgement and punishment Secondly it may
are without we leave them they are condemned in the sight of all the world but we speak of those that are now in the Church of those that go somewhat 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 between God and themselves but though such and such actions be condemned by the Law yet they hope that there is a general mercy that will pardon it though they never sue out their pardon I say the Law shall pass on thee till thou do that that concerns thee to be released from the rigour and sentence of the Law he that confesseth and forsakes his sins shall find mercy Prov. 28.13 This must be done and so in other particulars the Scripture is large in these things and 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 be done by us to sue out this pardon for our selves or else we 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 be brought to account therefore The consideration of the day of judgement should be an effectual insentive and provocation to stir men to a holy and conscionable walking in this life So speak and so do 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 learn hence that the consideration of the judgement to come wherein Christ will proceed according to the Law it should be an effectual means to make us careful of holiness and new obedience so to speak and so to do 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 rank and order the proof under these heads First I will shew you how this hath been a means to draw some to the wayes and duties of obedience Secondly how it hath been the way to direct and guide others in those actions Thirdly how it hath confirmed and strengthned them in those actions and by this we shall see what it should be to us Frst we shall see how it hath been a way to draw men to the actions of obedience How are men drawn to be obedient First they are drawn from their own sins from their own evil wayes Now the consideration of the judgment to come it hath prevailed and been used for this purpose to draw men from their sins As we see in Eccles 11. saith Solomon to the young man Rejoyce now in thy youth it is Ironnically spoken but now saith he that for these things thou shalt come to judgment That is let this cool thy courage and moderate thy excessive joy know that thou shalt come to judgment Act. 17.30 Now saith he God calls upon all men every where to repent because he hath appointed a time in which he will judge the world He calls men to repentance by this argument because he will judge the world and hath appointed a time for it You know repentance it is nothing else but to forsake our former evils Now he calls them to repentance because he will judge the world and so calls as he draws men from sin First he draws men from the world to God by this You know that even worldly affections hinder men from coming 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 he vers 20. our conversation is in heaven from whence we look for the Lord Jesus Christ Therefore we are drawn to this holy course of obedience because we look for Christ from heaven And then again in the disposing of men to new obedience there is not only a forsaking of sin and the world but besides that there is an inward qualifying of the heart Now the heart is qualifyed that is it is fitted by certaine qualities to the service of God by the help of this consideration as we see Eccles 12.10 You see the sum of all fear God and keep his Commandements for God will bring every work to judgment Upon this ground he minds them to fear God which is that quality that disposeth a man to keep his Commandements he perswades them upon this ground because God will bring every work to judgement Let us have grace in our hearts to serve the Lord with reverenee and fear Heb. 12. I say this qualifies and disposeth us to the service of God and we are fitted to seek and to serve God with due reverence and fear by the consideration of the judgment to come that he is a God that will judge the world So in Revel 14. he would have the Nations to fear God because he will come to judge the world So much for the first thing you see the consideration of the judgment to come prepares men to holiness 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 seek God aright yet nevertheless there are many temptations and many corruptions that sometimes indispose and unfit his heart again Now then the consideration of the judgment to come it serves to revive and quicken the heart to these actions too Those of a mans particular Calling Those of his general Calling For his particular calling the Apostle exhorts Timothy and charged him before God and Christ that shall judge the quick and the dead to be faithful in his ministery He would have him faithful in his ministery upon this ground because Christ will come with his elect Angels to judge the quick and the dead And so for our general Calling Act. 24. I desire to keep 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 we to be in all holy conversation and godliness Why all these things shall be dissolved therefore we had need to be other manner of persons then we are to be better kind of persons then we have been Thus I say the servants of God quicken themselves to more holiness upon consideration of the judgment to come Thirdly they have been confirmed and strengthened upon this ground for when the heart of man is brought to this plight that he must be ever chearful and
lively and active in the service of God yet there are many discouragements and temptations to draw him out of the way again that it may be he may fall if he have not somewhat to support him and hold him up therefore the consideration of the judgment to come it hath kept the hearts of Gods servants in a good frame when they have been in it Saith the Apostle be constant and immovable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. As if he had said You know this that there will a time come when it will appear that you serve not God in vain therefore for the present be 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 crown Rev. 3.21 Christ will come and it is but holding fast a-while and then the Church shall have a crown and the servants of God shall have a crown of glory an abundant recompence of all that they have done in the service of God therefore hold fast Hereupon Jam. 5. the Apostle exhorts co patience because they should meet with many persecutions and oppositions be patient for the coming of the Lord draws neer Bear the injuries that you suffer for the present and the indignities and the unkind usage of men for the coming of the Lord draws neer when you shall have a plentiful harvest so he goes on illustrating this by a comparison taken from a Husbandman that waits for a harvest and then he shall have a plentiful crop and increase for all his pains in Winter and in seed time so saith he the Lord will come and then you shall have a plentiful increase A word or two for the Use of this Since this is the Use that the servants of God have made and that we should make of the Judgment to come therefore to be more careful in the duties of obedience and holiness so to speak and so to doe as those that shall be judged It first shewes the cause of the discouragements of Gods servants and the prophaneness of the world is because they perfectly beleeve not the judgment to come The hearts of Gods servants would not droup so they would not be so faint so dejected and discouraged if they beleeved that there were such a judgment to come wherein Christ will abundantly recompence all their sorrows and labours wherein he will bring his reward with him plentifully Again 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 sin as they do if in truth they did perfectly beleeve there were a judgment 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 prohaneness is this here it begins men beleeve not the judgment to come The Apostles were troubled with these kind of scoffers Where is the promise of his coming 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 slack as men count slackness but is patient and forbearing that men may repent but at the last he will come and come with flaming sire So this is certain whatsoever you think and put the evil day far off from you yet there is a judgment coming 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 think that the law is a dead letter I mean in respect of the directing use of it that it is of no use to direct them it is a device of Satan to put them off for they shall find that that law will judge them that now should direct them And then again for men to think that there shall be no Judgment or not such proceedings according to the law this is a trick of the Divel to keep men in prophaneness and hardness of heart Therefore secondly if we would grow up in holiness in the fear of God Let us prefect and strengthen our faith in assenting to this truth that there is such a judgment to come wherein our words and actions and all shall be brought to account Therefore so speak and so do as those that shall be judged Thou art now in company and thou speakest amongst men but thy words are with God they are written in thy conscience as it is in Jeremy upon the Table of thy heart there they are written the words that thou hast for gotten seven years agoe it may be twenty years agoe and never tookest a course to get them blotted out by repentance there they are written and these words shall be brought to judgment and so many actions as thou hast neglected therefore look to it First bewail those words and actions past as things that else will come to judgement if thou judge not thy self before-hand And then again for the time to come set on a resolution to walk daily as one that may die every day and then shall be brought to judgment Therefore judge thy self daily renew thy Covenant settle thy peace on a right ground daily and perfect holiness in the fear of God daily as one that expectest a Judgment Saint Jude condemns those that feasted without fear They were at their Tables companying and feasting as men without fear S. Jerome speaks of himself that whatsoever he was doing he had a fearful apprehension of the day of Judgment Alwayes saith he whether I eate or drink or whatsoever I do I here the Trumpet and the voyce of the Arch-Angel saying Arise ye dead and come to judgment Well I say do thou so let this be thy serious thought and do it not slightly but think that this may be thy last word and thou must be brought to judgment for it this may be thy last opportunity and thy last action and thou must be brought to judgment for that Do things in this manner as those that so speak and so do that they must be judged Wouldest thou be content to have thy oaths brought before Christ in judgment if not take heed of swearing for it is judged already by the law therefore judg and condemn thy sins in thy self and forsake them that thou maist find mercy Wouldest thou be found guilty of Sabbath-breaking at the day of Judgment if not repent of thy former guilt and be more conscionable of sanctifying the Sabbath after And so I may say of every sin Wouldest thou be found an Usurer a Deceiver unrighteous in any course a scoffer a prophane person Wouldest thou appear
being so common and we apt every moment to fall under some trial or other There be four vertues and special effects that faith works in the soul which will inable us to go through great trials and therefore we should labour to get this grace of faith into our souls 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 storms be very great yet God can quiet it When a man though he sees his outward comfort dead yet Faith sees it in the hand of a living God Faith assures the soul God will put an end to the trial though there be a changeableness in the outward condition yet there is safety in God and setledness in God Though a man may look with a dull eye upon his loss yet if he can look upon God with the eye of faith as his God the absence of a poor 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 works in the soul 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 murmur and quarrel 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 stoop to our burthen it is the Lord saith Eli. 1 Sam. 3. let him do what seems good unto him and in the 39. Psal saith David I was dumb and opened not my mouth because the Lord did it Observe this unbelief makes a man dumb and faith made David dumb Zachary because he beleeved not the word that the Angel spake he was dumb and David because he beleeved the word of the Lord he was dumb unbelief procures dumbness as a judgment from God but faith makes a Christian dumb from complaining it quiets the soul in silence from murmuring against God it doth not make a person dumb as not to pray and to praise God but dumb 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 he 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 loss may come yet Faith can make it up in God in the want of an outward comfort it will trust God Lord what wait I for saith David truly my hope is in thee Though the Christian estate may be at some time moanful yet at no time it is hopeless A fourth effect that Faith works is conveyance it can convey something to inable the soul to bear it up in all trials as Faith is an active grace to inable the soul to the performance of duty so Faith is a passive grace to strengthen the soul to suffer and bear affliction To you saith the Apostle it is given not only to beleeve but also to suffer for his Name Faith will call in strength enough to bear affliction we see many times a poor Christian by the strength of faith is able to bear a great loss and undergo a great trial God is pleased to exercise a Christian with great affliction but Faith carries the soul along through all remember this Faith bears Gods trials with Gods strength there is a power in Faith which exceeds all outward crosses and losses Faith draws strength from the Promise for there is no cross 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 soul 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 personal good if thou couldest get but a sensible denyal of thy self and by faith see all things measured out by the Lord this would make us with patience take from God what he imposes upon us Faith will make a man conquer himself it will silence all murmuring and make the Soul bear its cross with patience THE PRIVILEDGE OF THE FAITHFUL OR The Joint-Inheritance OF ALL BELIEVERS SERMON XXXIII 1 PET. 3.7 As Heirs together of the grace of life TO let pass 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 self as at the first view of the Text may appear to you affordeth a fit Theam for such an occasion as this is which is the solemnization of the Funeral 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 she 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 self forth into two parts One setteth out the priviledge it self 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 Joynt-heirs Co-heirs heirs together having relation to Women The simple consideration of the Word shews the right they have to the forenamed priviledge they are heirs The compound shews the extent of it Co-heirs one with another Men and Women heirs together of the grace of life That yet you may a little more distinctly discern 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 Vessels they are therefore capable of that which God shall be pleased to infuse into them his grace they are weak vessels so are men also they are earthen vessels these are the weaker these comparatively may be said to be as glassie vessels and yet notwithstanding you have a common saying that a glass with good keeping may last as long as an earthen Pot but both brittle Now notwithstanding this Sex be brittle and the weaker yet to be honoured and that upon this ground because partakers with Men and as well as Men of the greatest priviledge the grace of life Were
Scriptures pretended for his conceit Apostolical Traditions and by reason of the venerable name of Antiquity it is not to be denyed but that some of the ancient Fathers received some tang of the same opinion from him as may be seen or collected of Justin Martyr and in the end of Trajans time Apollinarius Tertullian too much misled by Montane and Lactantius who were in part spiced with this Millenarisme so perilou a thing it proves to the Supine and out of a secure or careless disregard to suffer Humane Tradition to become a Diotrephes and to have the preheminence above the infallibity of the undoubted Scriptures which sacred and unerring written Word of God doth hold forth as of certaine credibility inspired by the Divine and first verity that can never deceive no such clear truth that the Lord Christ shall in Person before the General Resurrection come visibly and corporally upon the earth and as by a first resurrection cause all those who died in and for him to arise and with him in a peaceful tranquility and glory to reign and to beare sway over the wicked as Vassals for a thousand years which date of time being expired immediately shall ensue the General Resurrection and the day of the last Judgement No such evidential verity is demonstrated in Holy Writ as of Absolute Necessity to be believed unto salvation But whatsoever is alledged out of the propherick Scriptures for the stablishing of that opinion is to be understood either of the first coming of Christ in the flesh or of the state of the N.T. in general or else of the glorious estate of the Church triumphant to be expected hereaster in the eternal Kingdome for ever in Heaven as Gerard judiciously I have not time to alledge or you patience to hear on this occasion the several Texts cited by the Chiliasts or of the Orthodox many reverend and renowned Divines have eased us all of that labour let it suffice at the present to take notice from our Saviours own lips that his Kingdome is not of this world John 18.36 but within us Luke 17.21 and from Heaven and besides we find in our Creed which is founded on the Scriptures and may in every article thereof be proved by them we find I say in our Creed mention made but of two visible comings of Christ the first in Humility to suffer and to be judged the other at the end of the world but not before in the glory of his Father to judge the world both quick and dead in righteousness and unto them that look for him faith the great Apostle shall he appear the second time without sin that is without suffering any more as a sacrifice for sin unto salvation Heb. 8.28 Leaving then those Millenarian conjectures to such as abound with leisure rest we in the solid determination of Orthodox and stable judgements who resolve by the day and by the appearing here mentioned in this text to be meant the last great day of the general Judgement according to that Scripture Acts. 17.31 and the Lord Christ his second coming upon that day in glorious Majesty unto the judgment of all the world so that however those who labour in the Word and Doctrine meet often with so great discouragements that they seem to labour all in vain and spend their strength for nought as the Prophet speaks Isa 46.4 yet surely their Judgement is with the Lord and their work that is the reward of their work is with the Lord his goodness is laid up for them O how great Psal 31.19 In the mean time let it be our delight and contentment that we do our Masters work not as by constraint but willingly sith indeed such a vertuous service ever carryeth its own reward with it as being a thing to be desired and embraced for its own worth and certainly that sweet comfort and complacency that a righteous soul findeth in the sincere discharge of this duty within its proper station in conscience of God is infinitely more valuable than all the treasures the earth can afford without it only as the Husbandman we may not anticipate the season of the Harvest but we must wait and then in due time we shall reap if we fant not Gal. 6.9 Heb. 10.36.37 and when the reward actually cometh it being so large will abundantly recompence all our work yea end all our patience too sith the manner of it will be the more manifest and conspicuous before all in that great day when all of all sorts both great and small shall upon the general summons stand before the last Tribunal and then upon the appearance of the Chief Shepheard we shall raceive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5.4 Hereof S. Paul had a particular assurance in his own person when he faith Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness and if for him why may it not be also possible for others to be in like manner assured of the same especially provided that we are such as do love his appearing This question I confess is solid yet such as wanteth not its intricacies The Roman Catholicks in this controversie are wont to resolve thus that indeed for so great a Saint as S. Paul was this assurance might be possible yea was attained to by Revelation extraordinary by means of his sides privilegiata his special and priviledged faith which as an Apostle and a chosen vessel of honour he was endowed and adorned withall from Heaven for that God had a great service for him to do who was selected as it were to take up the Gauntlet in the quarrel of the Gospel against the manifold fierce and potent Adversaries of the same so that as I said in the beginning to steel his resolution with the greater courage he was fortifyed before-hand and armed with an extraordinary assurance of a glorious reward after his work and warfaring therein was over But now whether this assurance be possible for an ordinary Christian by the use of ordinary lawful means to attain is the next disquisition To which the resolution is affirmative the thing is possible though confessedly very difficult and this possiblity is both Certitudine Objecti and also Certitudine Subjecti both as it is sure in its self as it is determin'd by God and likewise in the particular evident and special experience of the same in the soul of a true believer and this is proved partly from those Scriptures which exhort unto a diligent endeavour after it 2 Pet. 1.10.2 Cor. 13.5 Now the nature of Evangelicall precepts and exhortations in a contradistinction to those of the Law is that they carry a spirit a secert energy vertue and power with them inabling through grace unto observation therefore the Gospel is called life and spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 and I can do all things
through Christ that strengthens me Phil. 4.13 partly also this is proved from one principal end of the spirits Donation his being given us namely That we may know the things that are freely given unto us of God and to co-witness with our spirits that we are his Sons and Daughters 1 Cor. 2.12 Rom. 8.16 1 John 5.13 Thirdly from the duties required of us upon this account as Thank fulness Ephes 1.3 Col. 1.12 13. What wise man will give thanks for that which he hath no certainty that he doth enjoy this were for a man to boast of a false gift as of a cloud without water so likewise of Love we love God because he first loved us 1 John 4.19 in so freely giving his Son to us John 3.16 and together with him all things that do accompany salvation Rom. 8.32 even to the Author of life and salvation unto all that obey him Heb. 5.9 And how come we to know of all this love but by that experimental proof thereof that is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Rom. 5.5 And lastly by the examples of Saints that have had this assurance in themselves as Job 19.25 〈…〉 and here in my Text Saint Paul which eminent Saints were not set forth in Holy Writ as Wonders meerly to be gazed at but as Patterns of imitation and though ordinary Christians and Saints cannot reach to the same steps yet they may walk in the same path and may possibly attain though not to the same measures yet to the same soundness of perswasion and indeed as a reverened Divine observes its firmness rather than fulness of assurance namely in respect of adherence or of recumbency that the Saints in this life arrive unto but to this firmness they may come by the use of the ordinary and of the right means as here St. Paul did by fighting the good fight by finishing his course and by keeping the faith hereby as by the ordinary means be concluded therein likewise shewing us an example that from henceforth there was a Crown of Righteousness laid up in Heaven for him yea and for all others with himself who loved the appearing of the Lord Jesus But though it be cautionately understood thus possible notwithstanding it is very difficult and hard to be attained and that for many weighty and important reasons As First in regard of the difficulty to put a distinction between seeming Vertues and real Graces which are the signs and fruits of Election and which give the best evidence of glory so that there needs much discussion and an exact Spirit of Discerning to put a Difference and to discriminate the one from the other yea we are to take notice that there are many Vices neer of kin to many Vertues and carry in semblance a near affinity as it were with them There is faith devout Bernard à à minium vertutis a certain kind of Vermilion wherewith Satan paints over the outside of Vices and makes them shew like Vertues and but by an Eâ—… and an Heart exercised in piety hardly discernable each from the other thus â—…ttery sometimes carries the stile of affability Covetousness of Frugality Rashness of Fortitude a Divellish Matchiavelisme of a lawful policy excess and ryot of good fellowship and under this mistake of judgment that is taken for zeale which is nothing but an impetuous headiness or a fiery kind of vehemency that instead of heating the house is apt to burn it Thus in short presumption passeth often for Faith this being the guile of our hearts and Satan complying with it who can tansform himself into an Angel of Light and set a fair gloss upon naughty wars making the tinsel of Hypocrisie to pass for the Silver of sincerity we must not too much â—…ely upon our own Judgments in this matter but bring things to the beam of the Sanctuary and there prove and weigh them the Word of God ever giveth a right Judgment the searching hereinto John 5.39 and examining of these matters hereby requiring great deliberation this makes the assurance difficult when the Evidence is perplexed and not presently cleared Secondly its hard in regard of the plenty of Lusts and of the works of the flesh which too much over-grow and abound in every mans Heart but graces are but rare and come up thin much chaff and little solid grain our graces are like Gidâ—…ons Army but a handful in comparison but our fins are like Midianites Innumerable as Grashoppers Hipps and Hawes faith one grow in every hedg when choycer fruits are but in some few Gardens and every soyle almost yeilds stone and rubbish but Gold and precious stones are found in very few places now Saint Peter who exhorts to give diligence to make Election sure exhorts also 2 Pet. 1.5 6. to add to Faith Vertue to Vertue Knowledge c. a large enumeration induction of graces is required to clear up this assurance and certainly that is a matter of no ease Thirdly that I may hasten this is difficult in regard of the great progress that an Hypocrite or a Cast-away may make in the wayes of Christianity and yet never attain to this assurance He may have some degrees of Illumination Heb. 6.4 much like a Coruscation that a suddain flash of Lighting maketh in the Ayre He may have good wishes as Balaam Numbers 23.10 A sight of sin as Cain had Gen. 4.13 Confess sin as Judas did Mat. 27.4 have zeal as Jebu had 2 Kings 10.16 in these and in like other gifts may a very Cast-away make a great progress But no child of God can have any real comfort in any thing wherein he cannot say he hath yet therein gone beyond a Cast-away and yet but in the ground or rule or end of doing these things are hardly discernable each from other All which and much more that might be added to the same purpose shew though not the utter impossibility yet surely the very great difficulty of attaining unto the assurance that a man can say as S. Paul doth here in a particular application unto his soul Christ loved me and gave himself for me and henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness There yet remains but one Pearl more in the Cabinet of this Text which I shall onely offer to your short notice and so conclude it is that due qualification which renders other Christians as well as it did S. Paul capable of the Crown of Righteousness they must be such as who do love the Lord Christ's second appearing in the day of Judgment And indeed it is the property of none but Saints to love it and long for it See Phil. 1.23 Rev. 22.20 Amen even so come Lord Jesus Some cautions notwithstanding must be here remembred sith it 's possible that times may fall out when we tremble at the thought or mention of it as when conscience is
continual readiness 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 Work may not unfitly be termed a Garden wherein whosoever takes a dayly walk may gather in the several beds thereof those wholsome flowers and hearbs which being distilled by serious meditation will prove water of life to a fainting spirit in some he shall find instruction in some incitation in others consolalion in all profit Here thou shalt find that Lethall Gourd sprung up by Adam his trausgression that makes all his posterity cry out There is Death in the Pot. There thou mayst gather Hearbs of Grace as a counterpoyson against the malignity of death in a third there is the spiritual Heliotropium opening with joy to the Son of Righteousness the hope of a blessed Resurrection Do the glittering shews of outward things make thee begin to over-fancy them here thou shalt find how little they will avail in death the consideration whereof will make them like that precious stone which being put into the mouth of a dead man loseth its vertue art thou over-burthened with afflictions here thou art supported in the expectation of a far more exceeding weight of glory art thou ready to faint under thy labours here thou shalt find a time of rest and of reaping doth the time seem over-long that thy patience begins to flag here thou hast a promise of thy Saviours speedy coming In a word be thy estate and condition what it will be here thou mayst have both directions to guide thee and comforts to support thee in thy journey on earth till thou arrive at thy Country in Heaven Certainly there is no man can sleight and undervalue so deserving a Work but he shall discover himself either to be ignorant or idle or ill affected especially when so judicious and learned men have thought it a fit concomitant for their several Labours which they have added for the accomplishment of it Therefore take it in good worth improve it for the good of thy Soul that being armed and prepared for death when it shall approach thou mayst have no more to do but to die and mayst end thy dayes in a stedfast assurance That thy sins 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 LUKE 16.2 Give an Account of thy Stewardship for thou mayst be no longer Steward The Praise of Mourning Page 17. ECCLESIASTES 7.2 It is better to go 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 Fears Page 33. HEBREWS 2.14 15. 14. For as much then as the Children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil 15. And deliver them who through the fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage The Perfection of Patience Page 47. JAMES 1.4 But let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and entire wanting nothing A Restraint of exorbitant Passion Page 61. 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 again I shall go to him but he shall not return to me The Sting of Death c. Page 73. 1 COR. 15.56 The sting of Death is Sin and the strength of Sin is the Law The Destruction of the Destroyer c. Page 81. 1 COR. 15.16 The last Enemy that shall be destroyed is Death The Worlds Losse and the Righteous Mans Gain Page 91. ISAIAH 57.1 And merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come The Good-Mans Epitaph c. Page 107. 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 Works do follow them The Christians Center c. Page 117. ROM 14.7 8. 7. For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself 8. For whether we live we live to the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords The Improvement of Time c. Page 129. 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 weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as if they rejoiced not and they that buy as though they possessed not 31. And they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away Security Surprized c. Page 143. 1 THESSAL 5.3 For when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape A Christians Victory or Conquest over Deaths Enmity Page 159. 1 COR. 15.26 The last Enemy that shall be destroyed is Death The great Tribunal or Gods Scrutiny of Mans Secrets Page 171. ECCLES 12.14 For God will bring every work into Jungement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evill A Tryall of Sincerity c. Page 181. ISAIAH 26.8 9. 8. Yea in the way of thy judgments O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee 9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early for when thy judgments are in the earth the Inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness The Expectation of Christs Coming c. Page 195. PHIL. 3.20 21. 20. For our conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ 21. Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself Christs Precept and Promise or Security against Death Page 211. JOHN 8.51 Verily verily I say unto you if a man keep my saying he shall never see Death The Young-mans Liberty and Limits c. Page 223. ECCLESIAST 11.9 Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the dayes of thy youth and walk in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these
as these were to be slighted he telleth them how the unjust steward having received this summons and warning from his Master that he must come to a reckoning he forthwith for his own temporal good casteth about that he 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 own temporal benefit was thus careful to prepare himself how much more should they and every one be careful 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 darkness In these words ye have two things considerable A Narration and An Application of the Parable The Narration is two-fold Of the Persons Of the Proceedings 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 he had wasted his goods calleth him to an account Give an account of thy Stewardship for thou maist be no longer Steward The Steward in the third and fourth verses upon his summons falleth first to consult and after to resolve as we 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 Sammons for thou mayest be no longer Steward The day is ended now give an account of thy work thou must go out of thy office now give an account how thou hast behaved thy self 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 ye have clearly offered to ye these two Propositions Considerations of Conclusions First That every man in the World is Gods Steward Secondly That every one of Gods Stewards must be brought to a reckoning First I say Every man in the World is Gods Steward If ye ask me who it is that is called a Steward The text tels ye that it is he that must give an account to his Master If you ask 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 We must all appear before the Judgement seat of Christ to give an account of the things me have done in this life whether they be good or evil All men That which is here expressed by the Apostle in plain terms 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 clear 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 appear if we 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 he may be of use for such a place as the Master shall set him in the family All the World is but Gods great Family 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 authority 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 policy and to all these some have spiritual graces According as men are furnished with these gifts and according to their several qualifications with these endowments they all receive them from God as Stewards Secondly if we consider what God expects from men he expects that which a Lord doth from his Steward First that they acknowledge him to be the chief 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 he committeth his treasure And this would God have all men do God speaks 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 fulness thereof He is the great possessor of all things God as he possesseth all things so he letteth out parcels of his possessions to the sons of men To some a larger portion of the earth than to others yet they are but Tenants at will and Tenants upon certain conditions and reservations wherein this great Lord bindeth those that hold any thing of him And the first Condition or Reservation that he 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 he relieveth not the poor a man that hath authority and helpeth not the oppressed a man that hath wisdome and instructeth not the ignorant In a word A man that hath any abilities if he be not of use unto others with it this man scattereth 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 darkness This was the accusation that was brought against this Steward here that he had wasted the goods of his Lord that is that he 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 do 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 own weapons and that use all their strength and wisdome and power to maintain a faction of rebellion against him that side with the wicked of the world against his Laws and Ordinances and this is the greatest unthankfulness that can be If a King should raise a servant to honour and bestow offices and dignities upon him and yet if he should raise an Army against him and set himself against all his Laws What greater
tongue And so for every member and for every sense I cannot stand upon particulars Thou must give an account likewise for the gifts of thy mind how thou hast imployed thy wisdome and learning and experience c. For all thy passions he that is angry with his brother unadvisedly is in danger of judgment For all the disposition and inclinations of thy heart for out of the heart cometh thefts and murthers and adulteries In a word whatsoever ability thou hast whereby thou mightest have been benificial and serviceable to the Church and Common-wealth thou must give an account of it in particular unto God he will call thee to a reckoning of every parcel by it selfe The Master in the Gospel that gave the talents to his servants he called them to an account for every talent he gave them so there must be a particular enumeration to God of all those severall abilities wherewith he hath fitted thee for his service how thou hast behaved thy selfe in matter of health strength and time in thy senses in the members of thy body how with thy mind how with the dispositions of thy soule how in all the gifts and endowments he 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 go by a method keep an order such an order as men doe in reckoning with their accountants every thing hath his due place God will proceed to give every one in the day of judgment his due place and ye shall find then many sinnes that ye have accounted the lightest of all will be the most heaviest and grievous at that day I will set thy sinnes in order before thee saith God in Psal 50. He 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 posterity are guilty This David saw and therefore when he judged himselfe he judged himselfe as one born in sinne I was borne in sinne and in sinne hath my mother conceived me In the next place shall bee that concupiscence that depravation of nature from whence all actual sinnes proceed This Saint Paul knew and therefore he bewaileth it as the original and root of all other actual sinnes Rom. 7. God will begin first with the sins of the heart because thence cometh all the outward actions of the whole man Then all the outward actions Hee will begin first with those against the first Table Atheisme Infidelity Prophanenesse contempt of God and his service neglect of his glory and the opportunites he hath given us And when the Law and the Gospel come together he will proceed more severely for the sinnes against the Gospel then the Law That is the reason that our Saviour telleth us that it shall be easier for Sodome and Gomorah then Capernaum at the day of Iudgment Why so Sodome and Gomorah had the Law but Capernaum had the Law and the Gospel too And faith the Apostle Heb. 10. If they that obeyed not Moses law died of how much sâ—…rer judgment shall they be guiltie of that disobey the Gospel of Christ the Law of faith Thus God will proceed And therefore when ye would exercise repentance follow Gods order mourn more for impenitency and infidelity then for other things Be more humbled for sinnes against the first Table for prophannesse for Atheisme and neglect of God then for sinnes against the second though these must be lamented and repented of too Againe be more in lamenting the inward sinful disposition of thy heart then thy outward sinful actions and forget not the original root of all which we brought with us into the world I say mark Gods method and his order that which he takes most notice of at the day of judgment 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 actual sinnes to that it is more grievous For a man to sinne in thought and in heart is grievous but to adde actual 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 mark Gods order that he 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 books In the tenth of Daniel the booke was opened and in the 20. Revel there is mention made of bookes that should be opened God will proceed with all his Stewards upon books that shall be opened The bookes are either the book of the law that shewes what wee should have done The words that I speak faith Chirst 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 book of conscience that shewes what wee have done here God will put the memories of men to the taske as Abraham did Dives Son 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 Authority and office and place in the Church of the Common-wealth but what service didest thou doe to God remember that thou haddest wisedome and learning and knowledg but what good had the Church or Common-wealth by it God I say will put every mans memory to the task what opportunities are lost carelesly nay what opportunities he avoyded wilfully when he might have done God better service yet lest he should be disadvantaged in his by-respects in the world he bauked them remember this The sins of Judah saith God are written with a pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond they are graven upon the table of their hearts God hath the sins of men graven on the table of their hearts Little dost thou that art an old man think of a thousand things that God will bring against thee that were done in thy youth Job little thought till the day of his affliction when God made him possesse the sins of his youth that there was such aboundance of guilt against him as there was God will remember that that thou hast forgot God will proceed by bookes and this will clear 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 goe about it now Reckon with others also for works of mercy what thou hast been wanting in to thy brethren thou hast lived thus long in a plentifull estate what hast thou done wich thy estate Josephus reckons up three several tenths that were expected and exacted of the Jews Wouldest thou be less liberal now in the time of the Gospel then they were under the law Is God lesse merciful or hath he less interest in thy estate Thou hast so many thousands What hast thou done out of this to releeve the poor or to set up those in a course of traffique and trade that want a stock Beloved you cannot if you look about you want objects of mercy and means to further your reckoning at the day of the Lord. And if you would be faithful stewards to God say thus I have been thus much behind-hand in paying the due I owe to the poor to the Church c. I will pay it while I live and if that be not enough when I die I will pay it But I hasten That is the second thing Let every man reckon thus with his own 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 he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness Let this then stir us up to repentance God expects that men should judge themselves now Fourthly If you would stand at that great day of Judgement when there shall be 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 Judge now There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus This was prefigured in the Mercy-seate that was to be compassed about with the wings of the Cherubins all covering the two tables of the Testament one Cherubin to look toward another shewing us thus much that there is no covering of our transgressions committed against the commandements of God the tables of the Testimony but by the great Mercy-seat the Lord Jesus Christ upon whome the Fathers of the times before Christ and Beleevers since look expecting the covering of the guilt of their sins from the wrath of God by no other means but by this propitiator or Mercy-seat that covereth the Arke of the Testimony 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 Doctrin of the day of Judgement Seeing saith he that we locke for these things what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godlidesse Alas beloved little do 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 fearful dissolution and destruction of all things that you see There shall be a naked appearance made before the Judge at that day of reckoning let every man therefore say within himself How shall I stand at that time at that Judgement All our care should be that of the Apostle Pauls Whether we be absent from the body or present in the body we labour that we may be accepted of the Lord Whether we live a day longer or die this day before the morrow that we may be found acceptable before the Lord. And for this cause saith he in another place because there shall be a resurrection from the dead both of the just and unjust I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men Look 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 books are opened it be found that your reckonings are even and the accounts clear between you and your Master by obedience and repentance by works and by faith happy shall that servant be whome his Master at that day shall find so doing The last Use is a use of comfort to all the servants of God Let them quietly and cheerfully 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 variety of changes that themselves are exposed unto because there is a day of reckoning and account when all things shall be made even The Apostle Saint James 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 be not troubled at the matter A man doth not much envy an enemy that is now in prison though he have some good chear there though he have some friends that come and see him there because he knows he is but a Prisoner and he shall be brought out at the Assizes and then he shall be righted The world is the common Jayle whereinto Adam was cast after he had sinned and we 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 chains are upon them and he will bring them to an account before his Judgement 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 he will call all his Stewards to an account the fore-runners of this great account shall be in this life and after death when God strikes men down by death it is that they may be brought into his presence and there receive the sentence either of absolution or condemnation as I shewed you before concerning the soul o man in that intelectual manner receiving the sentence It is appointed to all men once to die and after that the Judgement You have now a spectacle of mortality before you one of Gods stewards took away and called by death to give up his account Concerning whom it cannot be expected that I should say much or any 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 Country For his dying He was here but a day or two before he was taken hence Hee came to the Citie in the extremity of his weaknesse and it took 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 change more then we looked
why is thy conntenance 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 do 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 strive in her womb so when there is a conflict of passion in the soul against reason since it is so why am I thus Who art thou that fearest mortal man saith Isaiah to the Church If men I say did thus they would not break out into such exorbitancy of passions as commonly they do 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 innocency and experience telleth us that in the state of corruption all disorder cometh from the want of this subordination of the affections to reason in their several actions and motions When a man goes hood-wink'd up and down he is in danger of stumbling and falling into one hole or other this is for a man to walk in darknesse then a man-walketh in darknesse when he is not guided in all his actions and affections by the light of truth shining in his understanding A man should therefore strive to check himself and to suffer others to check him Why is it thus If a man cannot give a cause and a reason it is a passion to be rejected a distemper o be repented of This is the first thing He saw no reason therefore he would not do it The second is this It was altogether bootlesse Why should I fast I cannot bring him back again He meaneth bring him back again to live on the earth So Job meaneth when he speaks in the same manner If a man die shall he live again he cannot be brought again to live and converse among men The point I note hence is this That all the actions and opportunities of this life cease in death There is no calling of them back again No bringing of a man back to take new opportunities to enioy the comforts he hath lost and to make use of the means he hath neglected and to redeem 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 faith 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 himself should return 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 Prophetes let them hear them God hath appointed the means and a time to use the means Now they have Moses and the Prophets After this life they shall have none of these means no time of using them The child shall not come back again nor the man shall not come back again Death is a strict door-keeper all that passe out that way the door is shut on them they shall never return back We read of many several 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 back again to reform his course A friend with all his prayers and tears cannot bring back a friend that is dead It teacheth us a point of wisdom 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 back again upon the earth If a man had all the world and would give it to obtain an hours time upon earth to do 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 ye have the light walk in the light Make use of the means of grace the time may come when ye 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 again though it were to live a hundred years on earth a holy strict and concionable life to watch over all their wayes to keep a good conscience towards 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 fear and trembling they would sleep and awake with fear lest they should sin they would be careful that they had no sinful thought they would be patterns of the strangest expressions of conformity to the rule that can be imagined if it were possible to be granted You may easily be perswaded of this do you that now which they wish for and wish in vain make use of the time of grace now there is no coming back again afterward Thirdly A third reason is this I shall go to him As if he should have said I have another business 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 return to him Return signifieth to go back to a place where one was before So David shall return 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 soul where the Child is The Body returneth to dust whence it was taken and the soul to God that gave it The body is of the dust and returneth to dust the soul cometh from God and returns to God again Therefore he saith here I shall return to him because I came from him When things are reduced to their principles the body to the earth and the soul to God they are said to return Ye see the phrase then The point briefly is this That the greatest care of a mans life the greatest business he hath to do on earth is to prepare for death His business is not to care for his children that are dead and to spend unprofitable sorrow for them the main business of my life is how I shall make my peace with God and be fitted for death for I am going thither We should observe the death of others to stir us up to a serious preparation for our own 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 forts he will strike us at last this thing I say should stirr us up to prepare for our own dissolution A man would think that there were no need of such a thing the very bare sight of a Corse or a Hearse the bare sight of a deed corpse the bare ringing of a bell or a Funeral 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 grave he should say to himself It may be the feet of these may carry me next But how cometh it to pass hat it is not thus Certainly there is not power in all examples to work this it is the work of Gods spirit Though a man observe the death of never so many before him yet his cannot work in him a serious care to make preparation for his own death except God adde a further work to it We may see this in the expression of Moses when so many died in the Wilderness Lord teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts to wisdom As if he should have said Though so many thousands died in the Wilderness and that by so many several kinds of death yet we shall never apply our hearts to wisdom by those examples except God teach us that wisdom Therefore we should pray to God to teach us by his Spirit to make use of Examples Men must give account for examples as well as for rules men must give account for examples of mortality as well as for Sermons of mortality therefore let the example of others mortality stir you up to prepare for your own and that you may do so be much in calling upon God Lastly He shall not return to me that is in this sense to converse on earth as he had done before I shall return to him but he shall not return to me 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 we should rest in that will of God This is the thing that David aymed at Gods will was not only to take away his child but so to take him away as never to return to him again 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 main business of a christian is not to expresse sorrow but submission and subiection to God to exercise and inure his heart to patience and to rest in Gods good pleasure and will As Eli though he failed in his carriage to his sons yet he shewed a dutiful 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 do what seemeth him good in his own eyes though it were a heavy judgement such as whosoever should hear of it both his eares should tingle yet it is the Lord let him do what seemeth him goad As if he should say I have nothing to do in this business but to subject my self with patient submission and contentedness to his will it is the Lord it becometh not me to contend with him and to reason with God concerning his work I confess he is righteous let him do what see meth him good in his own eyes And so Aaron There was a heavy judgement befallen him his sons 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 sons 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 Job he 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 be the name of the Lord. Whereas a carnal worldly man would have fallen to strugling and contending and quarrelling against God and so trouble and perplex his own spirit We do exceedingly imbitter Gods cup by mingling with it ingredients of our own passions and so make the affliction more heavy and grievous then God intends it Here is the reason we possess not our souls with Patience When we are sensible of the losse of friends and children c. let us learn to make it our business to think I have a greater work to do to prepare for my own death God in the death of this man speaks to me to prepare for my own And then to glorifie God by submission to his will make it appear that thou acknowledgest a power in God to dispose of thy house to do every thing by patiently resting in his will And yet this comfort is added though children be took away that they shall not return in an earthly manner yet they shall in a better manner Parents are contented to part with their children for a time for their preferment Children though they are very young that are commended by the prayers of the godly Parents into the hands of God these whose hearts God hath inlarged and quickned fervently and faithfully to pray in the besalf of their children they may rest in this assured that they shall meet at the Resurrection in a better manner their children shall be better preferred then if they were on earth and shall be raised up to perfection Here you see there is not a tooth bred in a child without a great deal of pain and every tooth cost some pain but this mortal body shall put on immortality and this corruption shall put on incorruption This weak body shall be made strong weak children strong without pain Death endeth these things and the Resurrection shall present him in a perfect measure of strength in a glorified estate So much for this text and for this time THE STING OF DEATH OR THE STRENGTH OF SINNE SERMON VI. 1 COR. 15.56 The Sting of Death is Sin and the Strength of Sin is the Law SOlomon telleth thus that there is a season for every thing there is a time to be born and a time to die These two are the two great seasons of all men we are as sure to die as we are sure we have lived and every degree of our life is but a step to our death Every man of us hath but a part to act here in the world when we have done that that God hath appointed us we are drawn off from
respect of the metaphor the Apostle aludeth unto it is taken from the sting of a Serpent and so Sin is a sting in a double respect First in respect of the fearfulness and then in respect of the hurtfulness of it First in respect of the fearfulness It is Sin that makes Death fearful to a man Indeed I confess that in the best Christian though Christ have pulled out the sting of death yet there are natural grudgings and shruglings As to a Serpent though the sting be pulled away yet there are some abhorrings and dislikes in a man But then how terrible is Death when it cometh in a compleate Armour as it doth against a person in whom Sin remaineth in its full power it must needs then be terrible See the differences between two persons the one is afraid of every one he meeteth the other is not what is the reason the one is greatly indebted and ingaged the other is free So it is with a Christian and another man the one cannot hear of Death but his heart breaks he is full of fear and horrour the other heareth of Death and is only somewhat affected in the hearing of it but not possessed with that fear as is the other what is the reason the sting of death remaineth in one and not in another Sin therefore is a sting in that respect Secondly it is a sting in respect of hurtfulness The sting of the Serpent is a hurtfull thing it poysoneth the vitall parts it takes away life it self All the evill that cometh to us by death cometh by sin Man need not complain of the ilness of the prison so much as of his own folly that he ingaged himself in debt whereby he is cast into prison Why complainest thou of the misery in Hell rather labour to break off thy sins that are the cause of all that misery all the hurtful quality and miserable condition that befalleth a person in Death and Hell is for Sin the eternal separation of the soul from God and all punishment that follows after in Hell are the fruit of mans sin Hell had not been Hell without Sin it is Sin that causeth it to become hurtfull Thus I have explained these inquiries Now I come to make Use and application and so conclude the Point The first Use of this point shall be this If Sin be the sting of death let it be our wisdom to get this sting pulled out in the time of our life Oh that this people were wise faith God then would they consider their latter end If you were wise that hear me this day you would consider that Death will come and if it be not taken away before-hand with a sting upon the soul My brethren we have many enemies to deal with even now at this very instant but there is yet an enemy as the Apostle faith The last enemy to be subdued is Death he his behind and here is the difference betwixt Death our last enemy and some other of our enemies some other of our enemies cannot be subdued but by their presence but let me tell you this Death is such an enemy as is never subdued but by his absence thou canst never overcome Death in death thou must not reserve this combat till thou come to the field but thou must overcome this enemy before he cometh thou must overcome him in thy life How is that Pull out the sting of him now then Death is conquered How will you disarm the tongues of malicious slanderous persons and deprive them of their viperous speech by an innocent life So how will you take away the sting of death watch against Sin take away sin and you take away the power from Death set upon Sin and Death is overcome so much sin as is now dead so much is Death conquered I beseech you seriously consider these particulars First that it will not be long ere Death knock at these doors of ours these houses of clay must shortly be ruinated we must certainly be resolved into dust What is this life of ours but as a ship that is driven by a gale of breath When the breath of man ceaseth the ship lieth in a dead calm Man goeth to his long home saith Solomon and the mourners follow in the streets Death is our long home we all are the mourners we follow in the streets This dead carcass is an example that leads us to our home and a sermon to tell us that we must follow we follow now in a charitable expression but we shall follow one day in paying of the same debt Look over all the times of the world and the dispositions of persons look over learning and folly greatness or poorness 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 notice 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 knock and find a sting in thee Thou that now wilt not be reclaimed from swearing Alas what will become of that blaspheming soul of thine when death shall come and find a sting of blasphemy in thee How darest thou think of giving up that swearing soul 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 soul of thine to the holy God Dost thou think to have an eternal rest in heaven and wilt not give God a rest here So I might say for all kind of sinners Think of this take heed lest Death find a sting in thee for all the sting that Death hath it findeth in thy self look to it thy condition will be fearful if Death come and find Sin unmortified unrepented of in thee God will certainly bring thee to judgment 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 mean considered naturally But how shall I know whether Death when he cometh 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 sin if thou repent not Death will assuredly meet thee with a sting that approved sin of thine will be the â—…ting 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 sinful quality or for a sinfull course if a man continue in that course surely that will be the sting of death to his soul therefore look to thy self perhaps thou art convicted of such a sin perhaps thy
and now will be finished in a time of Mortality certain And that there should be no part of correspondency wanting this latter part of the Verse is answerable to the former it is but the same again in other words In the former part there is mention of the righteous man here of the mercyful man they are both one In that he is said to perish here to be 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 look upon the whole both parts joyn together they walk on by pairs two and two as the living creatures into the Ark Male and Female The first pair sets forth to you the state and condition of a godly man he is righteous and merciful those are the male and female of Piety The second sets forth to you the state and condition of a dying man he 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 carnal security And that all the pairs should now be made up the former part was handled at the burial of a good old Man this latter now at the burial of an old and vertuous 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 Commentary to the first this latter part is as Eve created as a help to Adam for every word in this latter helps to expound some word in the former The first word in the latter part tâ—… us of the merciful man that is the Exposition of the first word in the former part the righteous man Lest any man should make question who this righteous man was that the Prophet speaks of how we should know him and define him and find him find me a merciful man and he 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 harshness of the former there it is said The righteous man perisheth but lest any man should scandal at this word shall we think that he perisheth whose life is hid with Christ in God Shall the Scripture say that he 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 he 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 ask the reason how it comes to pass that people should be without natural affection that they take it not to heart that they are not grieved for Joseph that they are not striken with any sense of their own 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 therefore not their hearts with it That it may make an aggravation of that They were so far from taking of it to heart that they never propounded it to the examination and scanning of their judgment 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 he will stile holy men that are so imperfect in holiness yet because of their holy endeavours to walk in the wayes of God blamelesly the Spirit stiles them Righteous men Secondly I shewed how this Righteous man is said to perish and it what sense and how it is impossible they should perish and why the Holy Ghost chooseth this word which is more then death to set out to us the death of the Righteous man And then the last considered in particular how it is lawful to 〈◊〉 for the departure of those that are gone how that God alloweth that how that God blameth for the neglect of it Men are to lay it to heart to grieve How 〈◊〉 this griese is to extend These were the heads of those things that concerne the first part I now go on forward to the second And that is a complaint as the former was that the Prophet takes up over the people of the Jewes for their great stupidity in that they considered not any work of God toward them And it hath these two parts There is the complaint he takes up over the dead Merciful men are taken away from the evil to come And the other complaint he takes up over the living those that are living and survive them they care not though heaven and earth be mingled together though they lose all their props whereby the earth is supported they never consider it I begin with the first of these And that is The complaint that is taken up over the Righteous mans departure In that I consider two things First looke to the meaning of the words And then see what were the motives that made the Prophet take up this complaint and lamentation that whereas others wanted it the Prophet should supply it and should give testimony to their departure The righteous are taken away First for the meaning of the words It is a proposition and there are three parts of it The subject of the proposition Merciful men The Predicat Are taken away The Affix anexed to it from the evil to come Briefly look upon the meaning of all these and they will all afford us some instruction The First is the subject of this proposition It is said here and it varieth from the former Merciful men A man would wonder why he should alter the stile except it were because the Spirit of God delighteth to set out godly men according to the multitude of their titles the righteous and mercyful men Otherwise the same terme might have been kept in the latter part for they are both the same in effect He that is a merciful man is a Righteous man and he that is righteous will be merciful yet the Prophet varieth it righteous men perish and merciful men are taken away There is some special reason of the variation I conceive it is one of these three or all The first reason why he useth this word merciful men in the latter part is For the greater conviction of their stupidity They were such as were not affected with the condition or loss of righteous and holy men nay they were so stupid that they were not affected with the loss of mercyful men that is more If there were any sense of piety they should for Gods cause grieve at the loss of godly men but if their were any sense of their own good there should be grief for the loss of merciful men Generally
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 express it in our translation then for God to take him away Job and Moses expressed it so and so Isaiah here to shew that Death is never sudden to the merciful and righheous man Why because he is alwayes prepared It may be sudden in respect of others but not to himself The stroke of Death may be the same to a righteous man as to an impenitent man they may both fall by the prevalency of the same disease the same duration of sickness the same warning given them the same sympathy but there is a difference in regard of the suddenness 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 cometh not to a prepared man because he looks for it it may as I said be sudden to others but it is not to himself Why because he expects Death he dieth dayly he dieth in his thoughts before he dies in act he dies in meditation before he dies in passion I die daily faith the Apostle Death when it came to the Apostle it found him dying it could not come suddenly to him Death finds him setting open the doors therefore though it seem 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 himself 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 look for it therefore when Death comech though sooner or later it doth but take him it shatcheth him not away that is the meaning of the second The third word is the extent of this act from the evil 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 goodness he is not only merciful in taking away but he takes away from that that is evil he takes from a bad estate to a better An evil that is present that is simply so an Evil for the time to come God takes righteous and merciful men from both That I may lay a sit path for my proceeding in it Saint Aust in devideth the nature of Evil well to those two heads there is the Evil of doing and the evil of suffering that is the evil of sin and of punishment The first of these the Evil of sin is opposite faith Aquinas to the increated good The second the Evil of punishment is opposite to the created good God takes away merciful men from both these First from the Evil of suffering Two wayes he is took from that He is took away from the Evil of suffering that he shall not see it and that he shall not undergo it and endure it First that he shall not see it that he shall not be a sepectator that is one part of taking away For righteous and merciful men have tender affections and yearning bowels when they see Gods judgements extended over any place or person they sympathize with them they weep with those that weep and mourn with those that mourn God takes them from this sorrow and mourning It hath alwayes been accounted one part of the happiness of a godly man to be taken from the Evil of the place he liveth in God takes Josiah from the evil to come Saint Jerom sheweth it well in Nepotian he makes this as an Argument amongst others that his departure was a comfort and happiness to him because saith he Nepotian is happy that he sees not those Evils and calamities and miseries that are now come on the Church that we see Nay not only in the esteem of godly and righteous and Christian men but in the esteem of the Heathens it was accounted a happiness to die before a man see the miseries on the place he wisheth well to Virgil in the eleventh of his AEniads bringeth in Vandall making a lamentation over his son Pallas that was slain after many tears that were shed over him and doleful words that were past the Poet bringeth in his wife and faith it was her happiness to die before him that she saw not this misery the Poet accounted her happy that she died before and saw not the misery that was brought on that place and her husband In his esteem then it is one point of happiness to be taken away before that Evil come upon a place we wish well too He expresseth himself in another place in the first of his AEniads They are happy that die before their Country before they see the ruin of that Therefore it must needs be a great happiness for a Christian to be taken away before misery come upon the Church Here is one respect the Lord hath he takes them away that they do not see the Evil he bringeth on a place Secondly That they should not suffer it that is a further degree and a greater So we see that it is the happiness that is intailed on other servants of God Though it is not a course that God alwayes constantly keepeth sometime he suffereth godly men to live and to be swept away in common calamities as the Plague Famine Sword and the like even righteous men perish in these times that is the course that God sometimes takes On the other side sometime he takes this course that he will preserve them in the middest of danger he will keep them alive he sendeth calamities and plagues and yet he preserveth the righteous So in the Revelation he commandeth the Angel to seal his servants on the forehead when he poureth his curses on the Earth so in the ninth of Ezekiel he speaks to the man with a slaughter weapon to mark those that mourned to passe them by So in Exod. 12. he commandeth the bloud to be sprinkled on the posts of the doors that the Angel may passe by So God when he seeth his mark the bloud of the Covenant on the head of his servants he passeth them by in common calamities sometimes I say he takes that course But he is not tyed to one course alwayes sometimes he takes away his servants from the Evil to come he doth not suffer them to have the sorrow of seeing or feeling of it God when he intendeth to smite the Earth with plagues and curses he will make this way for his course he will remove the obstables the Saints that are the impediments they hold Gods hands they wrestle by prayer they prevaile by humiliation they cast down themselves and stand in
be greater then I can give warrant for they that die thus die eternally And we had need beseech God with all earnestness of spirit to keep us from such a fearful temptation as this for they that die thus die not in the Lord and therefore cannot be 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. 16.1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister that you would receive her in Domino in the Lord that is for the Lords sake as becometh 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 again Say to Archippus look to the ministery that thou hast received In Domino that is for the Lord for the Lords service for his work 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 Greek 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 Judicious Beza to whose judgment I attribute much in translations he readeth it so Blessed are the dead qui moriuutur 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 far from making a question that they set it down as a Rule Injuriam facit Martyri qui orat pro Martyre A man doth wrong to a Martyr that prayes for a Martyr their blessedness is so sure for He that loseth his life for my sake and the Gospels shall find it saith Christ If he loseth a temporal life he shall find an eternal If he lose a life accompanied with sorrow he shall find another life that is with joy such joy as cannot be 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 pretious death that hath both a good life before it and a good cause coming next The Matyrs 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 reason and some for sowing of sedition some for absolving subjects from the oath of Alleageance some for attempting to blow up Parliament houses Such as these are not Martyrs It is not the punishment it is the cause that makes the Martyr Our blessed Lord himselfe that never did evil was crucified between two evil-doers there was an equal punishment there was not an equal cause It must be the cause that we must look to if we look to be blessed But I cantot stand upon that Here is the first interpretation To die in the Lord is for the Lord. But there is a second and that is more large die in the Lord that is die in the faith of the Lord. Salute Andronicus and Junius my fellow prisoners which were in the Lord before me Saith S. Paul that is that were Beleevers that were in the faith before me And to let pass many other places if there be no resurrection of the dead saith the Apostle then we that are asleep in Christ c. If we beleeve that Jesus died then those that sleep in Jesus shall he bring with him c. and Again He shall descend from heaven with a shout and they that are dead in Christ shall rise first Now what is it to die in Christ in a large sense I will tell you He that would die in Christ first he must die in obedience There are many works of obedience that we are to doe Our last and greatest act of obedience is to resign up this same spirit of ours willingly chearfully into the hands of God that gave it If we have not attained to that strength that some have done that is to live patiently and die willingly yet we should labour to attain to thus much strength to live willingly and to die patiently So as Christ may be magnified in my body saith the Apostle I pass not it makes no matter let it either be by life or by death When we have done the work that God hath set us to do we must be gone and thus must every one say with himself Lord if I have done all the work thou hast appointed me to do call me away at thy pleasure Here is the first In obedience Secondly Die in repentance I remember what Possidonius said of Saint Augustine a little before his death that it was necessary that men when they died they should not go out of the world absque digna competenti resipiscentiâ without a fit competent repentance He himselfe did so for he caused the penitential Plalmes to be written and they were before him as he lay upon his bed and he was continually reading those penitential Psalmes and meditating upon them with many tears he died even in the very act of contrition I do love to see a man chearful upon his death-bed but I do more love to see a man penitent There is a day indeed when God will wipe away all tears from our eyes When that cometh then he will wipe away these tears of repentance too these tears of godly sorrow But the Lord grant he may find me with tears in mine eyes Thirdly Die in faith Indeed if ever Faith had a work to doe it bath then a work to do when all other comforts in the world fail us and freinds go from us then faith to lay hold on the promises I know that my Redeemer liveth and that I shall rise again at the last day and be covered with my skin and shall see God with these same eyes Thus faith And then fourthly Die with Invocation calling upon the name of God Thus have all the Saints of God done continually commending of their souls to God in prayers Saint Paul would have us commend our souls to God in well-doing And it is a necesary thing every morning
Lord the Lord that sheweth judgment and righteousness upon the earth there is a mercy shewed to the creature but it is I that do it faith the Lord. If you meet with a merciful man God is merciful in that man If you meet with a bountiful man God is bountiful in that man If you meet with a man whose lips 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 goodness and mercy to men yet nevertheless it is in God and from God we receive all let us therefore look upon every creature as instruments in Gods hand that can do us neither good nor hurt without him What good it doth it doth by the influence of the supream cause working by that creature let us so look upon and conceive of every creature Thus the Saints have done in all times Jacob when he saw Esau I have seen thy face as the face of God saith he He 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 seek themselves not to study men more then God not to study gain with men with the loss of God to please men with the displeasing of God but to venture the loss of all men that they may please God if they cannot keep men and God together For the affections of men are in Gods hand and he fashioneth and frameth them according to his own pleasure either to love or hatred as David observed in the case of Shimei God hath bid him curse Be convinced I say of this that if we get all the men in the world to be our freinds with the neglect of God if we get all the treasures and wealth of the world if a man were advanced to the Monarchy 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 own keeping riches have wings When a man hath favour God gives it not into his own keeping whatsoever we have it is secured to us by Gods protection and made good to us by his blessing Let this be our care and work therefore how we may live to God how we may enjoy God in the things we enjoy and possess God in all things we possess in the things we have still to keep God and that will keep our estates and names and comforts and lives and all That is the first Again secondly There are certain graces to be exercised if a man would not live to himself for indeed it is the property of a Christian and none else to live to God and not to himself and he doth it by vertue of those graces in his heart that empties him of himself and draws him to God therefore I say there are certain graces that every one should exercise if he would not live to himself What are those First the knowledg of God in Christ Get a more full and particular and experimental knowledge of God All our looking to the creature is because we know not God perfectly if we did know him we would account him the chiefess of ten thousand the Church when she knew Christ said so we would account him as Elkanah said to Hannah Am not I better to thee then ten sons better then ten friends then ten worlds Get therefore a more full knowledge of God that all power is in him One thing have I heard once and twice that power belongeth unto God saith he Psalmist Secondly Get faith in the exercise more All the worthies of the Lord in Heb. 11. What made them live so to God and not to themselves as they did because they beleeved they did it by faith by faith Abraham denied himself by faith Moses for sook the pleasures of Egypt by faith those Worthies of whome the world was not worthy wandred up and down in sheeps skins and goats skins and would not be delivered When a man getteth interest in Christ by faith he shall see that in him that will satisfie all his desires and answer all his losses Thirdly exercise Love Faith works by love The more we love God in Christ the more perfectly we shall cleave to him Love is a uniting grace that uniteth the soul to Christ The love of Christ constraineth me faith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. for we thus judge if one died for all then it is fit they that live should not live to themselves And the truth is the more a soul loveth Christ the more it will live to him Lastly a word of the last Use and that for instruction Being convinced that such is the estate of most men that they live to themselves and that whose estate soever it is it is a sinful estate and argueth a man out of Christ and that there is a possiblity of getting out of this estate Let it be for instruction to all those that in some measure live to God and not to themselves let it be to teach them and perswade them more fully to live to him and less to themselves A man simply censidered without any relation to others or dependance upon an another man he may please himself but when a man is considered in his dependance upon God and his relation to men he must then observe the will of his Creatour in that relation God hath set him he must carry himself as his creature and observe the end that the creature is appointed to Nay he must carry himself as a Christian and observe the good of the body he must carry himself as a member to do good to the whole Let every Christian labour to do this if he would have comfort to his soul that he doth not live to himself that he is of the number of those that are accepted of God in life and death Labour to imploy his time and strength and gifts and whatsoever he is and hath to the good of others As every man hath received the gift let him minister to others as faithful dispencers of the manifold grace of God If you have received gifts you have received them from God you have received them for the good of others you have received them as dispensers let every man faith the Apostle dispense the manifold grace of God if the Apostle had said be dispensers of the grace of knowledge that you have for the feeding of the souls of many and not of your estates or relieve as many as you can with your estates but take no care for their souls but when he saith be dispensers of the manifold gifts of God his meaning is that whatsoever I have wherewith I am able to do men good with whether it be inward or outwards gifts the gifts of the mind or of the outward man any thing whereby I can be advantageous to others I must serve God and men in improving of that He that will not
fingers of a mans hand and wrote upon the plaister of the wall of the Kings Pallace Mene Mene Tekell Upharsin Thou art laid in the ballance and art found too light thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians and immediatly In that very night vers 30. was Belshazzer King of the Caldeans slain he was took away from all his comfort and jollity See this in the Rich man Luke 12.19 Soul soul faith he take thine ease eat drink and be merry and why so was it because his sonl indeed was washed in the bloud of Christ Nothing less But take thine ease thou hast goods laid up for many years thou art well provided against a hard Winter against a dear year now take thine ease Well what of this had his soul any whit the more ease had he many years to enjoy that which he had laid up for many years Nay mark the answer of God verse 20. Thou fool this night thy soul shall be taken from thee then whose shall those things be that thou hast provided It is ordinary as Job noteth of worldly men thus to flatter themselves They spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment go down to the grave They spend their dayes in wealth this is that they resolve upon while they live upon earth they will be 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 happiness to themselves out of their worldly estate in the middest of these thoughts they go down 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 planting 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 Jeremy tells them Chap. 6.14 15. They heal 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 be cast down saith the Lord. Mark the Prophets cry peace It had been 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 reform did this make those that before were rebellious against God come in and accept of the conditions of peace and forsake their sins and turn to God No such matter nay though their sins were reproved by Jeremiah and other faithful 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 faith the Lord they shall fall amongst them that fall in that day at that time they shall be dostroyed they shall be cast down 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. ye have the Lord saying there that he will visit Jerusalem with lights and search it with candles What to do to find out the men that are frozen on their dreggs that are settled on their lees that say in their heart the Lord will not do good neither will he do evil Why will the Lord visit Jerusalem with lights to find out these men He meeteth with the conceit that such men as these have they think as the Athiests in Job that God is circled in the clouds and seeth not the things below or as those in this Prophesie of Zephany that said The Lord sees not neither doth he regard Why doth he not so Because he wants light Well then faith the Lord I will bring candles to see with and visit Jerusalem with lights and whosoever he spies out amongst all the sinners in Israel he will be sure to meet with those that say The Lord sees not that are settled on their dreggs that secure themselves under false perswasions they shall not escape his wrath Gods greatest quarrel is against those men that flatter themselves as if God did not take notice of their sins he will surely punish those it is for their sakes why he will bring candles to search Jerusalem with It was so with Babylon Isa 47.8 9. The Lord observeth her boasting I am saith she a Queen I sit as a Lady I shall neither see loss of children nor widdowhood Mark now what God saith Heare now this thou that art given to pleasures and dwellest carelesly both these shall come upon thee loss of children and widdowhood all thy props and all thy staies shall be taken from thee yea and that in one day in a moment when thou least thinkest of it suddenly thou shalt be husbandless and childless Nay it is that which the Lord speaks of Romish Babylon in the 18. Revel 7. She had heard of the pride and boasting of old Babylon and she would fain be like it I sit as a Queen saith she too and am no widdow and shall see no sorrow she stands upon her outward pompe and glory as worldly-minded men do specially when they come to greatness and eminency Well what will the Lord do Therefore verse 8. shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be 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 above all other places there shall be famine and death and burning Yea and it shall be done when all outward means that should bring this to pass seem to fail and when Babylon shall seem to advance her self like a Queen above all other Churches when there is nothing but strength and might on her side then shall God do it for strong is the Lord that judgeth her He bringeth in this strong is the Lord to answer an objection It shall be done for the Church even then when the advers party thriveth most then when it may be seen to be Gods own work then when men are taken off from self-confidence then when men have none to fix their eyes on but God then will God do this for his Church He saith plainly that Babylon shall be burnt with fire and at such a time when it appeares that it cannot be done except he put his strength to the work Thus ye see the security of a people or
Nation or Kingdom it is an infallible sign of judgement falling upon it And is must be so and there is great reason for it If we either consider the causes of security whence it cometh or the concommitants that accompany it or the fruits and events of it it must be that great judgements must befall men and places when they are under this carnal security First look to the causes Whence is it that men that are not at peace with God yet flatter themselves that they shall do well It proceedeth from that unbelief 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 sin should certainly fall upon the head of the sinner durst they go on in a course of sinning against God Durst they add drunkenness to thirst one wickedness to another No certainly In that measure a man hath faith in that measure he feareth God and his judgements that he hath threatned See it in Noah Heb. 11. By faith Noah being warned of God moved with fear prepared an Ark. He beleeved the word of God was faithful that had threatned a judgement upon the world he beleeved the word of God that commanded him to provide an Ark for the safety of him and his house and therefore he feared the Deluge to come and prepared an Ark. So likewise Josiah when he read the book of the Law and saw what was threatned against the sins of the people his heart melted within him and why because he 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 sins wherein the people had continued so long a time Nay it is made a discription of a beleever in Isa 61. That he is one that trembleth at Gods word On the other side what 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 judgments All the judgements of God are upon that place where Gods presence in his graces is not If I go faith David to the uttermost parts of the earth thou art there if I go into the deep 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 unbeleef is a drawing of the soul from God to the creature therefore it provokes God for it sets up an Idol in the heart of man and Idolatry 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 himself and saith I shall have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my own heart the Lord will not spare that man but the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against him and all the plagues that are written in this book shall be heaped on him When is that when is the time that the wrath of God shall smoak At that very time and instant when he flattereth himself with his vain 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 deal with the Israelites in Isa 6.9 10. Make the heart of this people fat make their ears heavy and why so that they may see and not perceive that they may hear and not understand lest they should be converted and I should heal 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 be regardless in hearing the Word that they hear and do not hear ken they hear and do not regard they do not comforme and reform according to the doctrine delivered then God intendeth to sweep 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 City or people or nation when they remain impenitent in their sins and yet cry peace Again secondly If you marke the concommitants what accompanies that carnal security in the heart of men and it will appear then that it must of necessity bring a judgement upon a Land and place What is that that accompanies it A disposition slighting of God himself When a man I say heareth the Word the judgements threatned heareth the Law warning him to take heed of wrath the Gospel alluring him to repent and yet all moveth him not but still he flattereth himself I say here is a disposition slighting God himself God in all his Attributes is slighted His power his wisdom his justice his truth is slighted yea his mercy and patience and long-suffering all are slighted when a man in the course of sin goeth on in carnal security Especially amongst the rest this is a slighting of Gods patience and long-suffering and forbearance of men Wherefore do men harden themselves against exhortation to repentance but because they presume upon the continuance of Gods long-suffering toward them Mark how the Lord takes notice of this The forbearance and long-suffering the goodness and mercy of God should lead thee to repentance and therefore God hath forbore thee all this while that he might bring thee to repentance But what if he do not Thou after thy hardness and impenitent heart heapest up as a treasure to thy self wrath against the day if wrath What day is that The day of the revelation of the righteous judgement of God As if he should say Now you obscure Gods justice and righteousness 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 sin against the long-suffering and patience of God it doth but add wrath to that day Thus it is when God hath borne with a man his own self So it is likewise when God warneth a man by his patience toward others What hardneth men in security Do we not see God hath been merciful to many sinners why may he not be so to me too He gave them repentance after many sins committed why may he not do so to me Mark what Solomon faith Eccles 8.11 Because sentence against an evil doer or an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is set in
feed this people with Wormwood and give them water of gall to drink and I will send a sword after them till I have consumed them Do not many cry out as they in Jer. 23.33 What is the burthen of the Lord Where is it that the Ministers have not been threatning judgement and telling you that God is coming out to be avenged upon a sinful nation have they not been crying thus this seven ten twenty years Where is that burthen of the Lord Well you shall find what it is when the day of the Lord cometh a day of blackness and terrour it hasteneth and this very security is an evident sign thereof even as in the dayes of Noah that Preacher of righteousness and in the dayes of Lot that vexed his soul with the unclean conversation of the Sodomites they would not beleeve their words but they seemed unto them as if they mocked and then came the judgment of the Lord upon them If this be not the estate of this Land at this day what means the complaints the heaviness of the spirits of the Prophets What means their tears and cries and prayers because of the obstinacy and hard-heartedness of people that will not be drawn from their sins by any means This is a second evidence or sign when all this crying and calling will not awaken that we are in a deep sleep of security Thirdly another evidence is the vain hopes of this Land It is a signe of carnal security and that we are all in a dead sleep when we have such idle dreams out of idle fancies and vain confidence that delude and deceive men What do men rest on to secure and perswade themselves of immunity from wrath and impunity 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 Ark and yet the Philistims took the Ark and slew the sons of Eli. Had they not the Temple and yet the Lord in Jer. 7.11 Sendeth them to Shiloh Go ye 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 wickedness of my people Israel And now because you have done all these works 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 do 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 Candlestick and yet are they not now tributary to the Turk The ordinances of God beloved are means to increase and hasten a judgment when we shut our eyes and will not open them but walk in darkness Oh but there was never so many Preachers nor so many means there seems to be a new spring of the Gospel there are abundance of men that come daily furnished for the Ministery and are zealous and forward and powerful Prophets and the like and therefore it is a sign that much good is intended towards us and that no judgment shall come But do we not read that immediatly before the seventy years captivity there were more Prophets then in many years before Why should we rest in such things as these But nevertheless we have many good people that are full of prayers and tears 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 Joshuah when he would have had him forbid Eldad and Medad that prophesied in the Camp of the Israelites Would God that all the Lords people were Prophets and that he would put his spirit upon them So we of such godly men that walk with an upright heart would God that there were many such But yet are not these as Lillies among Thorns 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 down 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 gap May we not rather fear that God will avenge the quarrel of his servants upon an ungracious and ungrateful people they live amongst What shall we speak of other things Did no Bozrah in Jer. 49.16 boast her self of her scituation that she dwelt in the clefts of a rock Saith God though thou hidest thy self in the clefts of the rock though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the Eagle I will bring thee down from thence It is not talking that our Island is scituate in the Sea and environed with walls Judgment can leap over the Sea as well as the pestilence hath done our walled Towns It is a vain thing and yet if you hearken to the discourse of most men you shall see that this is that that keeps them secure Or it may be as some in Isa 48.15 We say they have made a covenant with death and with hell are we at agreement when the overflowing scourge shall pass thorow it shall not come unto us Well saith the Lord your covenant with death shall be dissanulled and your agreement with hell shall not stand when the overflowing scourge shall pass thorow then you shall be trodden down by it When judg ment cometh of all the people in the world it shall certainly meet withyou What mean these idle dreams and vain-conceits that when we go on in an unreformed condition and in a course of sin 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 vain things they will do us no good at that time and for the present they shew our security our horrible security Fourthly take another evidence and that is the abounding of the sins of the Land Were it possible that at such a time as this of shaking the Rod the Sword over us when judgments are upon the Nation that there should be such abundance of iniquity in all places if men were not in a dead sleep How doth drunkenness stagger and reel in every street How doth pride vaunt and boast it self in every Church and Assembly though it be cryed down never so much Alas beloved are these times to pride up our selves in vanity Are these times to run after the sensual and sinful courses of an ungodly generation These are times wherein God calleth for fasting and brokenness of heart Lay aside thy fine apparrel saith God to the people that I may know what to do unto thee We shouldlay aside these things that we may shew our selves to be men awake But men generally do so abound in wickedness and ungodliness that we may rather conclude
of God to please him in all things the neglect of those purposes hath driven away the Spirit it may be God now leaveth you to finall hardness Again it lettethin Sathan When the unclean spirit is driven out he goeth about seeking rest and finding none at last be returneth from whence he went and findeth the house swept and garnished and he entreth in and bringeth seven spirits more worse then himself Alas how many men are there that for a sit in some particulars have altered their course and have thought to become new men yet rushing upon former occasions and temptations to sin they have grown secure and careless 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 asleep was in a spiritual slumber and Christ goeth away She seeks him whome her soul loved but she could not find him I speake now to those that were awake and are now asleep their hearts it may be are awake but they walk not with that watchfulness 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 thank themselves Christ hath hid himself to teach them to be more watchful And to conclude This is the cause of positive Judgments You know what came upon the old world and upon Sodome and Gomorrah for their security 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 coming and therefore he eats and drinks with the drunken what is the issue of it He 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 down with secure thoughts of Gods displeasure and thinks it is at peace with God it is an evident sign that wrath is a coming Nay beloved in that measure you are in carnal security in that measure you are under wrath let that therefore be enough to awaken you and say thus with your selves It were better for me a great deal to be among the number of those that complain and are mourning Christians then to be in the number of those that are full of jollity and joviality that rejoyce and sport themselves that put far from them the evil day I might then escape the wrath of God as they do Who are they that escape wrath See in Ezekiel 9. Those that were awake when others slept those that mourned when others laughed those that humbled themselves before God when others hardned themselves those were the men that were marked in the forehead by the Angel and they escaped And in the third of Malachie Those that feared the Lord and thought upon his name in those evil times that spake oft one to another there was a book of remembrance of them and they are Gods jewels he will be sure to keep them safe But how shall we come to be awakened I should have told you some helps for this I will but touch upon a few in a word First I will propound sobriety as a main help Would you be watchful and kept from spiritual slumber take heed that you keep your selves sober I speak not of sobriety as it is opposed to drunkenness though that be one thing Be not filled with wine wherein is excess but be filled with the holy Ghost Ephes 5 As if he should say you cannot be filled with the holy Ghost and with excess of Wine persons that take liberty in excessive drinking certainly they are destitute of the holy Ghost and so of life and salvation But I mean a further sobriety that is as it is opposed to worldly-mindedness Take heed that you plunge not your selves too much in the world and worldly pleasures and cares for these are against the rule of sobriety Be sober in your diet in your apparel in your gaining in your spending in your mirth in your company in every thing that is moderate your selves and your affections in these things A man may soon grow to such a drunkenness by excesse in worldly affections that he may be in a dead sleep neglecting Gods judgements and his own estate as we see men that plunge themselves in worldly business are It takes away the thoughts of those things that concern our spiritual good I say not that you should leave off the business of the world for every man must continue in the calling that God hath set him But I say moderate your affections to the things of the world Do worldly business with heavenly minds in obedience to God Do them with waking hearts to repent for the sins of your callings to avoide the sins of your callings And that that I say of labouring in your callings I say of pleasures and of every thing else we should be watchful and sober as S. Peter saith Be sober and watch Secondly if you would be free from security which is a forerunner of judgement be sure to keep your selves in exercise A man that would keep himself awake will busie himself in some exercise and imployment or other What exercise should a Christian use The exercise of grace and of the duties of obedience Be sure to keep your selves in the exercise of all the advantages that God giveth you in your lives to imploy your graces in In difficulties and straits exercise your faith In provocations to anger and discontent exercise meekness In crosses and troubles and afflictions exercise patience In the miseries and wants of others whether spiritual or corporal exercise mercy And what I say concerning grace I say concerning duty Keep your selves in the exercise of prayer and reading and meditation and conference some one thing or other some holy employment or other that may keep the soul waking For I tell you you shall find that whensoever you let fall spiritual exercise you will at that very instant fall into carnal security in some kind or other Thirdly would you keep your selves from this dead sleep of carnal security then keep your spirits in fear Sorrow and grief makes a man heavy but sear keeps a man waking when Jacob feared Esau he kept a watch that night Sampson feared the Philistims and it wakened him out of his sleep Fear makes a man watchful You may perceive it in your own experience In that measure that the fear of God prevaileth security is expelled Keep fear therefore Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes but he that hardneth his heart falleth into evil Mark how he opposeth the hardning of a mans self in carnal security to the fear of God Keep your heart in a constant feare Reason thus Alas shall I do this thing and sin against God
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 memory of good examples and by the prayers they offer to God not in particular for they know no mans particular wants yet for the general and common good of all Fifthly and lastly It is true the consideration of sin and of Judgement and our uncertain estate after death makes it terrible like the face of an Enemy Yet there is comfort against these For sin I told you that though there be a sting in the Serpent yet Christ hath drawn out that sting so that being a Serpent without a sting we may do as Moses take it in our hand put it into our bosome and it will never do us hurt to them that die in the Lord Death rather came by sin then for sin It is not between sin and damnation but between sin 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 look for and long for as the day of redemption not of confusion when they shall receive the sentence by which they shall be absolved and not condemned For they know when God shall come to be their Judge he shall come to be their Saviour And so for the uncertainty of our future estate after death It is true the eâ—…t ate of the dead in regard of natural understanding it may be a thing uncertain and obscure yet from the secret revelation of Gods Spirit the Saints in some measure know how it will be with them after death We know though our earthly tabernacle be destroyed we have a building given us of God All these things are helps to give us comfort against the fear of Death and those Enemies that Death comes attended with that though it be an Enemy yet it is a subdued Enemy Secondly it may comfort us to consider that death is not only a subdued but a reconciled Enemy of an Enemy it is made to be a friend it is so to all the faithful such a friend as they have not a better in the world It is most certain the wicked have not a worse enemy in the world then death and the godly have not a better friend so ye should see if I had leisure to shew you on the one side from what labour and care and misery it helpeth to free them and on the other side to what comfort and rest and peace and joy it helpeth to bring them Lastly it may comfort us to consider that as death is an enemy a subdued enemy a reconciled enemy so it is an enemy that at last shall be destroyed The time shall come when death and Hell shall be cast into the lake of fire the meaning is I think they shall be shut up in the bottomless pit where they shall only have leave to exercise their power on the Divel and damned reprobates that lie there in torments Death on the one side still gnawing of them that they ever die and yet Hell on the other side still preserving of them that they shall everlastingly live But the godly and the faithful shall have their part and portion given them in the resurrection to life where they shall never taste of death more What the Apostle saith of Christ is true of all those that are in Christ when they are once dead they shall die no more Death hath no more dominion over them But I cannot enlarge those comforts Yet beloved I have a word or two of counsel I pray harken to it Birefly thus Christ though he have overcome and destroyed both death and sin for us for ever yet notwithstanding he will have us exercised also in subduing and overcoming them Christ hath not so fought for us but he will have us also fight for our selves as he hath over come death so must we for our parts that we may have he comfort of that that Christ hath done death being an enemy to us we must prepare and arm our selves against it that it may not be an Enemy too strong And for your better direction take these few heads First Remember that death is the wages of sin It is sin that lead death into the world it is in respect of that that death is an Enemy to us and were it not for that it would be no Enemy at all Now then beloved if ye will not die in your sins let your care be to die to sin labour to have sin die in thee and then thou shalt not die in that When thou hast committed drunkenness or prophaneness c. think with thy self this is pleasant and sweet now but how will this taste another day when I shall come to lie upon my death-bed and my soul shall set on my pale lips ready to take her flight and be brought before the Judgement seat of Christ What fruit will these things bring then What comfort and peace and joy will it procure to the conscience then Oh saith Abner to Joab knowest thou not that this will be bitterness in the end It will be as gall and wormwood therefore if ye would not have death be bitter then let not sin be sweet now part with sin betime That is the first Secondly learn to walk humbly with God betime and betime put your selves in a way of repentance and new obedience take heed of dallying with God and procrastinating and putting off the time What is the reason why a sort die as Pline saith some do that are stung with the Serpent Colemion some laughing some raging some sottish and secure others hoping some dispairing They have not been careful to walk with God while they lived because they wanted care then they want comfort now They that remember not God in their life saith S. Austin it is just with God to forget them in death The Apostle S. Peter would have us look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness But never look thou to dwell in that heaven where righteousness dwelleth except righteousness dwell in thee And he exhorteth us that we be found of God in peace at that day that is sweet and comfortable indeed but remember Peace and holiness go together if we would be found of God in peace we must be found of him in holiness Walk in holiness and uprightness and then peace shall kisse thee on thy death-bed Mark the upright and just man the end of that man is peace Thirdly the better to subdue Death be willing to meditate and think oft of Death learn the Art of dying practise the way of it betime learn to die daily How shall we do that I will shew you Consider we have many little deaths to undergoe in the world as whave many delights Learn to inure and acquaint thy self
compleat Model Though I say much yet I know I say nothing but the truth I read of few excellent woman in the Scripture but she made them a pattern of one vertue or other For obedience she was a Sarah for wisdome a Rebecca for meekness a Hannah for a discreet temper an Abigal for good huswivery a Martha for piety a Mary a Lydia I know not any necessary thing that belonged to make up a good Christian but in some measure it pleased God to bestow it on her Thus she continued all her life in the time of her health and in sickness with so much patience as after a sort she endured a martyrdome and I see no reason but we may allow a Martyr of Gods making a swell as of mans I am sure if God make Martyrs I know not any fitter then she so meek and patient and constant Many daughters saith Solomon have done vertuously but thou surmountest them all I will not say so of her because I decline flattery But this I will say that I know not many excel her scarse any that come neer her She hath the reward of that she hath done given her of God and her works follow her We leave her to God and having committed her soul into his hands we beseech his gracious favour upon our selves THE GREAT TRIBUNAL OR GODS SCRUTINY OF MANS SECRETS SERMON XIV ECCLESIAST 12.14 For God will bring every Work into Judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil DEath and Judgement are two subjects about the meditation of which our thoughts should every day be conversant we 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 Judgement because as the day of Death leaveth us so the day of Judgement findeth us We had an occasion like to this not long since Then you may remember I discoursed of Death considered as an Enemy I shewed you what kind of Enemy it is it is a common Enemy a secret Enemy a spiritual Enemy Now at this time having the like occasion I thought it not amiss for me to discourse of that that cometh immediately after Death that is Judgment The Apostle saith Heb. 9.27 It is appointed to all men once to die and after Death cometh Judgment 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 book concerning the vanity of all earthly things and the vexation among those things that are under the Sun he telleth us where it is best for us to set up our rest that is in learning that one lesson Fear God and keep his commandements for this is the totall all that God requireth That we might the rather be stirred up to hearken to this counsel he telleth us that whether we do or no the day will come that we shall be called to an account when God will bring every one of us to Judgment and take a tryal of every work we have done and of every secret thing whether it be good or evil In handling of these words we have two things in general that Solomon speaks of First the person Judging Secondly the things Judged The Person Judging is God And there I will speak First of the Judg. And then of the Judgment The things that God bringeth to judgment and tryal he telleth us first every work every thing be it never so secret And then a more particular resolution those things that are good and those things that are evil God will bring every work to judgment and every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil I begin with the Person judging And here first of the Judge himself God shall bring to Judgment God essentially meant all the Persons in the God-head Father Son and holy Ghost For all concur in this work being as the School-men say Opus ad extra It is one of the External works of the God-head and it is an Axiome in Dviinity that the External works of the God-head are not to be divided It is true there are certain internal works of the God-head that are said by the Schools to be divided incommunicably proper and peculiar to every Person as it is proper to the Person of the Father incommunicably to have his Being of himself Of the Son to be begotten of the Father And it is the property of the holy Ghost incommunicably to proceed from both But those works that they call External that is those works by which the power and wisdome of the God-head are externally made manifest to the creature such as creation preservation redemtion those equally and indifferently proceed from all the Persons not from one in particular but from all in general and this of Judgment is one For as they all concur 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 speak otherwise though Judgment here be attibuted essentially to God in some places it is attributed personally to Christ He shall judg the quick and the dead and therefore oftentimes it is called in the Scripture the Judgment seat of Christ as 2 Cor. 5.10 Again somtimes this work of Judging is appropriated to the Saints Know yee not that the Saints shall judg the world 1 Cor. 6.2 and by and by again Know you not that we shall judge the Angels vers 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 we 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 we 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 at our common Courts of Assize here one is set upon the Bench as Judg 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 Judg the Saints they shall joyn as Commissioners Christ he alone pronounceth the sentence upon every one that is summoned there to the tryal 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
in all causes and over all persons but over all causes too even Kings are subject to his regiment He bindeth Kings in chaines and Nobles in fetters of Iron Psal 149. The Kings of the earth saith Saint John and the rich and the great men and the great Captains and the mighty men they shall all hide themselves in the caves and rocks and mountains Revel 15. crying to the mountains and rocks to cover them from the face of the Judg and from the wrath of the Lamb because the day of desolation is come Nay God is not only over all the Kings of the earth but he is Potentate of heaven and hell too He hath a commanding power over all the Angels fear the Divels tremble when they come to stand before God In a word as Saint Paul saith all power is of God then of necessity followeth that God himself in his power is most absolute That is the second thing belonging to the office of a Judg as he must have knowledg to discerne so he must have power to execute Thirdly there must be Justice in the execution therefore the Grecians were wont to place justice between Libra and Leo to signifie indifferency in weighing causes and strictness in executing the sentence So the Egyptians signified as much by their Hierogliphical purtraicture of an Angel without hands wincking or without eyes such a one a Judg should be he should have no hands to receive bribes nor no eyes to respect persons the person of a Judg 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 purtraicted holding a Ballance in one hand and a sword in another the Ballance sheweth the upright weighing of causes and the Sword sheweth the strictness 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 their be not Justice But God is a true and just Judg Howsoever it be amongst the Judges of the earth yet unworthy is he of the place of a Judg and fitter to stand at the Barr then to sit on the Bench that suffereth himself to miscarry by friendship or love or bribes or sutes or favour or envie when either of these prevail 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 Judg of all the earth and shall not he do right Gen. 18. Doth God pervert judgment or doth the Almighty pervert Justice Job 8.3 When thou standest before the Judgment seat of God thou shalt neither be elevated with vain hopes nor dejected and cast down by sinister and wrong fears but assure thy self such as thy cause is such shall thy sentence be as Saint Bernard well a pure heart shall prevail more with God then a smooth word good consciences shall speed better then full purses for he is an upright and just Judg with whom no fair words nor friends shall prevail So I have done with the first thing The Judg. Secondly something of the Judgment and therein two things First that it shall be Secondly in what manner it shall be First that it shall be The text is plain God shall bring to Judgment 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 confirm it Two Types of the last Judgment our Saviour himself propoundeth Luk 17. One was the destruction upon Sodome the other the destruction that God brought upon the old world Look as Christ saith how it was with them of Sodome in the dayes of Lot they did eat they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded and look how it was with the men of the old world in the dayes of Noah eating and drinking and sporting and marrying until the very day that Noah entred into the Ark and the flood came and destroyed them all So it shall be at the last day when the Son 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 Judgment there hath been talk a great while of such things promised but when will it come Where is the promise of his coming There are scoffers in these dayes but such if there be any cannot but speak against their own consciences and knowledg they cannot be ignorant both of the Judgments that have been and shall be or if they be they are wilfully ignorant That God did once wash away the sins of the world with a Flood of water and that the time is coming that God will purge the sins of the world with a flood of fire the Rainbow in the clouds as it is a Monument of the one so it is a fore-runner of the other The two principal colours of the Rainbow are blew and red the blew and waterish colour of the Rainbow is an evidence of that Judgment that is past when God washed the sins of the world away by Water the fiery colour is a prediction of a Judgment 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 confirm it His Power his Wisdome his Truth his Justice his Mercy First his Power God will have it be thus for the manifestation of his Power A work of great power it will be indeed All must be brought before Gods judgment seate every one as the Text saith after It may seem strange peradventure incredible to here 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 appear before one Judgement seat But as Saint Austin faith 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 again when they are turned to nothing Could he 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 he unite that body to the soul 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
first I say is that the Saints and servants of God while they are on earth do continually expect and look for the Saviour of the world even the Lord Jesus Christ to come from heaven By the coming of Christ you must understand his second coming to judgement For there is a threefold coming of Christ A twofold coming in his Body and one by his Spirit The first was the coming of Christ in the flesh when he came to take our nature upon him and to be born of a Virgin The second is the coming of Christ by his Spirit so he cometh continually and daily in the hearts of men in the preaching of the Gospel in vertue and efficacy His last coming and his second coming in respect of his body is when he shall come to judgement Never look for the coming of Christ in his body upon earth in the sight of men till that great day come when the Lord Jesus 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 continual expectation of all the Saints of God and the continual desire of their hearts their continual waiting is for the second coming of the Lord Christ As it was before the first coming of Christ in the flesh so it shall be before his second coming Before the first coming 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 faith Jacob 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 impatiency Oh that thou wouldest break the heavens and come down And immediatly upon the time of Christs coming there were alwayes holy men in those times that were stirred up with a continual expectation of it and therefore it was made a mark of a good man in those dayes It is said of Joseph 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 coming of Christ be from the very time of his Ascension into heaven to the time now and to the time of his last coming to Judgement all the eyes of men will be towards him When I am lifted up faith our Saviour I will draw all men after me which though it be there particularly understood of his lifting up upon the Cross yet it is intended in general 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 be since the holy Ghost is already given there remaineth nothing to be looked for but Christ himself in his second coming to finish all these dayes of sin And that this is the disposition of all the servants of God appears by divers places of Scripture 2 Tim. 4.8 faith the Apostle there Hence forth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto them also that love his appearing The Apostle here makes a description of all those that shall be saved and he faith they are such as love the appearing of Jesus Christ now that which a man loveth he desireth and looks and longs for And in Heb. 9.28 Christ died once for many and unto them that look for him shall he appeare the second time unto salvation Salvation is brought to whom to all those and only to those that look for the appearance of Christ Therefore it is said of all the Beleevers in Heb. 12. That they saw things that were invisible and that they had an eye to the recompense of reward and that they saw the promise a far off They looked still for those things that were to appear 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 infalible 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 look 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 me saith she and we will run after thee And chap. 2.4 Stay me with flaggons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love and chap. 5. If you find him whome my soul loveth tell him I am sick 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 faith come and the Bride because she is stirred up in the same affection by the Spirit she faith come too Christ faith to his Church I come and the Church she faith again Come Here is the agreement between Christ and his Church and the same disposition is in all the members of Christ a waiting and longing and desiring for the coming of Christ There are many that pretend they wait and desire for the coming 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 here 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 evil times Yea but if thou hast this desire of Christs coming that is in a man of a heavenly conversation It will appear in these three things First it will appear by the Ground of it What are the grounds of thy desire what are the motives that incourage thee to long for the coming 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 look both on this the free promise of God so it is said of Abraham that be beleeved above hope because be knew that be that promised was able to do it There is the first thing then Faith is the ground there is none but a true beleever that can indeed aright wait for and desire the coming of Christ But this will appeare more in the second thing and that is by the companion
God for by faith we are become the children of God This Faith in Christ the Law doth not teach the former Covenant would not accect What to bring to the Law the Righteousness of another the satisfaction of another and to trust upon that to be entertained and received the Law rejects it Thou must pay thy self in thy own person and with thy own goods thou must yeeld perfect obedience to the Law and fully accomplish it in thy own person it will not receive payment of another for thee it will not accept satisfaction of the righteousness of another on thy behalf But oh the sweetness of the Doctrine of the Gospel 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 mix any action of our own to that payment that â—…e hath made fully and compleatly for us This is a Doctrine of sweetness and favour and great compassion that though we cannot do it of our selves we shall be accepted if our Surety will do it for us so that we give our Surety the glory of being a prefect and able pay-master and relye 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 we are tyed hy the former Covenant But now this is the obedience of the Gospel a thing far 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 he must pay the uttermost farthing he must do his duty his whole duty in in all the parts and degrees with all fulness of perfection absolutely without any defect or want without any imperfection at all An impossible labour for corrupted men a service that none all having lost those abilities that God gave man at the first can ever reach to But then cometh the sweet Gospel the Doctrine of grace and favour of tender compassion and faith thus If thou wilt consent to obey thou shalt eate the good things of the Land If you mortifie the deeds 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 Ye see New Obedience is required absolutely as a Condition of the Gospel for the obtaining of everlasting happiness for the escaping of Death and Saint John faith If we walk in the light we have fellowship one with another and the bloud of Christ shall purge us from all sin so that this walking in the light and New Obedience is obsolutely required of all those that intend to be made partakers of Christ and his benifits they must give up their souls and bodies as instruments of his glory and not serve sin any longer in the lusts thereof they must not give their members as weapons of unrighteousness to sin but live as becometh them that are one with Christ mortifying all the lusts of the flesh and quicken themselves or being quickened with him to parctise all good things required in his word and to obey all his commands which was first written in Adams heart and then in Tahles of stone This New Obedience is the same in substance that was required in the former Covenant but now with a gracious acceptation of endeavour after perfection instead of perfection the former tyed us to the obedience of all that was required in all fulness and then promising acceptance but the obedience that the Gospel 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 we be secured from the hurt of Death What is it now to Keep the saying of Christ It is to inform our Judgements in the understanding of these truths and assent to them as truths and to practise and follow them to do the duties which we have heard to practise the Doctrine of Repentunce and Beleeving and Obedience I confess our Saviour doth proclaim it thus Repent and beleeve the Gospel but for the more clear explaining of it we make new Obedience a thing of it self 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 he hath so asked pardon as he resolveth an amendment and when he hath this resolution and relyeth on Christ for the pardon of his sin then from him he receiveth power to amendment of life and so his purpose cometh to action and his desire to execution Thus alone these two things differ as far as I conceive Now I say this is the Doctrine of the Gospel and to keep it is to know and beleeve and follow it to beleeve and obey as Christ faith If you know these things there is one part of the duty happy are you if you do them there is a second for they can never be done except they be done as known 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 he 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 commodity of them to receive them to entertain them Without holiness no man shall see God that is no man shall enjoy God Blissed are the poor in spirit for they shall see God that is thay shall enjoy God On the contrary to see a thing that is tearmed Evil is to be annoyed with it to have the hurt of it lying upon a man and pressing him down as they in Jeremy said Let us go into Egypt where we shall not see sword or famine meaning that they should not be pursued by war and want of things needful so that by seeing evil is meant the evil lying upon one and annoying and hurting one and so I suppose it is meant here And by Death is meant Natural and as we may tearm it supernatural and eternal Death For the keeping of Christs sayings so freeth men from the latter as they never come neer it and so freeth them from the former as they never dread to be under the power of the latter And the first Death of
know this there is the cooling-card that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment In the words we will consider two parts First what young men do Secondly the Medicine of God to heal young men of their default That that young men do is this They give over themselves to an inordinate carnal Joy This Joy is set out from the time of it the dayes of their youth From the cause of it their hearts chear them From the kinds of it they walk in the wayes of their hearts and after the sight of their eyes Secondly the Medicine with which Solomon would heal young men of this inordinate carrâ—…al Joy is this Know saith he that for all these things God will bring thee into Judgment that is it is a most divine and infallible truth that every one should know and acknowledg that whatsoever sins they commit in their youth without repentance they must undergo the dreadful Judgment 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 not witstanding I will only handle these two The first shall be that which ariseth from the first part of the Text what young men do what their fault is For as I said it is an Ironnical concession not declaring what young men should do but what they do The doctrine is thus much That it is the sin of young men to rejoyce inordinately and carnally in the dayes of their youth to walk after their hearts and the sight of their eyes We read concerning the old world that they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage altogether sottish and sensual 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 eat and drink for to morrow we 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 caveat to the young man Eccles 12.1 to bridle and restrain him from his jollity and carnal mirth Remember now thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth while the evil day come not nor the years 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 carnal pleasures and pastimes in voluptuousness and sensuallity and the like And Tit. 2.6 Exhort young men that they be sober minded that is that they leave this drunkenness of understanding in being overcome with sensual carnal objects and pleasures Job in the first Chapter of that book when the young people his Suns and Daughters met together to feast he was afraid lest they should be misguided in this kind therefore the holy man in a godly care and thoughtfulness for their welfare sacrificed to God to make attonement for their sin 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 natural corruption that they have drawn by propagation from their Parents A spiritual leprosie and maladie and disease which as it prevaileth for the most part against age by covetousness so it getteth ground of youth by sensuallity and voluptuousness This dams up the eare against reproose this hardens the heart against instruction and makes many young men the souldiers of Sathan in sin Again in the second place Men in their youth forget the day of their reckoning and Judgment they are not mindful 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 run warm in their veins and they are full of spirits and vigour therefore they suppose that the Grave and the house of darkness is far off from them Again in the third place Young men are not broken by afflictions the fallow ground is not poughed up by the pressures of afflictons which through the grace of God are great means to tame nature and to subdue the pride of it and to bring it to a right frame and temper Before I was afflicted faith David I went a stray And Ephraim faith of himself Jer. 31. I was as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoak thou chastisest me and I was chastised I was ashamed because I bore the reproach of my youth But young men are free from aches and pains and sickness 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 carnal joy For sure it is that a man cannot live without joy and contentment if he have it not from the Wells of salvation he will drink it out of watery and slimy places Now because men in their youth cannot take in the spiritual joy of that clear fountain therefore they drink 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 spiritual diseases in themselves The first degree of our healing is to see that we are sick and till then Christ Jesus the Physitian of our souls hath no commission to do us good Let young men observe in themselves first their carnal joy Solomon here sheweth that they rejoyce inordinately This may appear to them first because they rejoyce not where they ought they solace not themselves in God in whom is the fountain of joy nor in Christ Jesus in whom is the spring of joy nor in the sacred Word where there is the Cistern 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 deal uprightly with themselves they should perceive that for the most part in their jollity and merriment they never think of God or dream of the world to come Nay the serious apprehension of God Almighty would quench their joy and make it altogether put out Secondly the carnalness of the joy of young men appeareth because they rejoyce where they ought not in riot in drunkenness in surfeiting in voluptuousness many times in obscenity of words and phrases in making jeasts of the word of God in deriding their superiours behind their backs As Solomon faith of laughter thou art mad so we may say of this merriment it is
growth in grace 3. In the promise of bringing the weakest 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 sinful and sottish joy whereto they are so adicted This is the means to be rid of it by getting into their souls the sence and feeling of the true Joy of the children of God Again in the second place Young men should be exhorted not to walk after their own heart which is the next thing that Solomon noteth as a fault in them The heart saith Jeremy is deceitful above measure and desperately wicked It is so deceitful such a Cheator that we are not able to comprehend it it is desperately wicked Who will follow a false guide and a disperate wicked guide so is the heart of man Lastly they should not walk after the sight of their eyes David prayed Turn away mine eyes that I regard not vanity and quicken me in thy Law And again 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 she looked upon the forbidden fruit and saw it beautiful 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 took them David was defiled by the eye He saw Bathsheba from the roofe of his house washing her self and then he lusted Holy men have prayed to God that he would keep their eyes in a right frame and temper These are the particulars that Solomon giveth to young men in direction to take heed of carnal 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 less may old men Youth may plead for it self in want of wisdome and gravity sobriety and experience better then those of age If young men may not have evil hearts and evil eyes much less old men Look to it you that hear me this day that are stricken in age as the Scripture speaks that are smitten in your limbs with age that you cannot walk with activity and nimbleness and are smitten in your senses with age that you cannot well see and hear and taste Oh that your hearts would smite you for your sins May not young men rejoyce in pleasures in friends in honours in wealth Much less may those of old age Must young men be careful to chase away all carnal joy and to get spiritual joy that beginneth in godly sorrow much more must old men It is no time for those that are old to rejoyce in carnal things a few daies will make an end of them and lay them in the Grace Oh then you that are of years break off your sins 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 corn 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 be transported to hellish torments Thus much for this first In the second place Solomon sheweth the remedy against this carnal Joy in young men which also may be a preservative against sin 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 sins 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 book of remembrance is written before God for those that fear the Lord and thought upon his name So the Lord hath a book of remembrance wherein he writeth down the sins of the sons of men and this shall be opened and unciasped in the evil day Eccles 12.14 God will bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil 2 Cor. 5.10 We must appear before the Judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that be hath done whether it be good or bad 1 Thes 4.16 The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Arch-angel and with the trump of God Epistle of Jude vers 14 And Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied of this saying the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints to execute Judgement 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 Judgment Even as it must needs be that man 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 do this in regard of his righteousness He is a holy God a hater of iniquity But many times in this world it is well with the wicked and ill with the godly Lazarus he is in woful misery and Dives he is in abundance of prosperity 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 family of Sathan should escape hereafter Thirdly God will by this means clear his wayes as the Apostle speaks Rom. 2.5 There are many wayes of God that are dark and cloudy to us but then God will manifest himself before men and Angels Then those wayes and works of God against which the hearts of unsanctified men have boyled shall appear 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 Gommorah the drowning of the old World the plaguing of Egypt and the desolation of Jerusalem These shew the insinite hatred of God against sin therefore no doubt he will take a time to revenge himself of the impenitent amongst the sons of men because of their sins Lastly the consciences of men may prove that
comparing it to a City built with precious Stones having twelve gates and twelve foundations wherein there is no darkness they needing no candle nor the light of the Sun for Christ Jesus the Sun of Righteousness is the continual light thereof And that therein is no misery no cross no imperfection no want no calamity but continual joy and rejoycing Where their songs are Halelujah and their shields felicity in the continual enjoying of the presence of Almighty God the glorious Trinity 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 City but are strangers and forreiners and pilgrims and travellers to another City and seek a Country And in this their travel they meet with many crosses and afflictions and miseries And likewise for the terrour of the wicked that make this world their kingdom and are the chief Lords and commanders of the same for the comfort of the one and the terrour of the other the Angel here in the person of Christ saith he will come and that shortly to be 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 coming of the great Judge bidding every one to fit and prepare himself to hold up his hand at the bar Behold Secondly the Person and that is the Judge himself speaking in the person of the Angel I Christ Jesus himself Thirdly his action I come Fourthly the speediness of his coming shortly Fiftly the end of his coming to Judgment and that is to reward every man according to his works Sixtly and lastly the quantity and the quality of the reward inclusively set down which is according to the quality of the works for if the works 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 me to run over all these particulars therefore my meditations and your attention shall be in one doctrine from the words in general and that is this that Christ Jesus will hasten his coming to Judgement to reward the godly with everlasting and eternal felicities but the wicked and ungodly with endless woe and perpetual misery For the proof of which doctrine you may consider these four things First of all the certainty and celerity of Christs coming to Judgement Secondly the signs that prognosticate his coming Thirdly the Judgement it self Lastly the end For the certainty of Christ coming to judgement I perswade my self that there is none here among you so ignorant that he doth not know or so Atheistical that he doth not beleeve you know it is an Article of our belief that he ascended into heaven and there he sits at the right hand of his Father in glory and from thence he shall come at the end of the world to judge both the quick and the dead Therefore I may spare the labour and the time in any further proof of that Now concerning the speediness of his coming to judgement If so be the day of Judgement was at hand sixteen 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 John faith 1 John 2.18 If then the end of all things were at hand as Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 4.7 can we think that now it is far off Nay so sure and so certain as God is God and his Word is truth and not one jott nor tittle thereof shall pass away he is neer at hand he will come shortly But before we proceed there lies two stumbling blocks in the way that we 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 living after their own lusts saying Where is the promise of his coming You preach so much that Christ Jesus is coming 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 coming for all things continue alike from the beginning of the Creation Miserable men that would be perswaded that the day of Judgment should never come because it was deferred but such jesting and mocking and scoffing at this great and terrible day heretosore used and indeed now practised in the whole progeny of unheleevers 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 safety then destruction shall come on them as travel on a woman with child they shall not escape But Saint Peter answers these scoffers that asked Where is the promise of his coming he gives them two answers The one in vers 8. the other vers 9. In the eight vers he saith Christ defers notlong to come to judgement for saith he one day with the Lord is as a thousandyears c. alluding to Psal 90.4 A thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday since they pass as a watch in the night As if he should say were it possible for a man to live a thousand years yet those thousand years in respect of God as soon 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 hours The old Jewes they divided the night into four Watches and appointed to each Watch three hours as may appear by comparing of these places of Scripture together Mat. 14.24 Num. 14.25 Luke 12.38 So then the words bear this exposition that a thousand years in respect of God are but as one day nay but as a Watch of the night that is but as three hours It doth plainly shew to us that Saint Peter meant not to speak distinctly of a thousand years but of a long time so that his meaning is innumerable years in respect of God are but as one day Saint Peter might as well have said 2000. or 3000. or 10000. thousand years 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 coming His second answer is in the ninth vers where the Apostle saith The Lord is not slack concerning his promise Where is the promise of his coming Why saith the Apostle The Lord is not slack as we account slackness For we account them slack that goe slowly about a work but God is
receive the sentence either of Come ye blessed or go ye cursed After which sentence once pronounced there shall never question be made of the end of the joy of the one or 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 plain Joh. 5.24 He is passed already from death to life he hath everlasting life already he shall not come into judgement And for the unbeleever it is as plain Joh. 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 general 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 mercy of God whose property 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 needs be that a day will come that he will fully do it You know the course of the Lord as David speaks good men have bands in their death and wicked men are lusty and strong good men are in evil condition and wicked men in prosperity Diogenes the Cinnick seeing Harpalus a thief long in prosperity he was bold to say that wicked Harpalus his living long in prosperity it was an argument to Diogenes that God had cast off his care of the world that he respected not mens affairs And indeed the prosperity of the wicked hath brought the Saints of God to a stand Davids foot slipped almost in seeing the prosperity of the wicked It made Job to say Job 24.12 Men groan out of the City by reason of oppression and the souls of the slain cry out and yet God chargeth them not with folly This made Jeremiah to expostulate his cause with the Lord Jerem. 12. Let me talk with thee of thy judgments Why doth the wicked prosper and they that transgress thy commandements This makes the godly take up that passionate complaint Psal 73.11 How doth God know it is there any knowledg in the most high Certainly we have cleansed our hearts in vain in vain we have washed our hands in innocency in vain we labour to live godly lives Why Every day we are chastened for the Lord corrects us every morning And these have the wealth of the world they have the world at will We in Christianity know this to be true Dives hath the world at will while poor Lazarus is shut out of doors hungry and thirsty cold and naked full of necessity every way This being so the day must needs come that the one shall have fulnesse of glory and the other of misery But to answer those places before cited To the former Joh. 5. where it is said The beleever is passed already from death to life he hath everlasting life already It is true he 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 be executed and so when the Lord Jesus Christ shall descend from heaven with the sound of a Trumpet and the voyce of the Archangels then the dead in Christ shall rise first and be caught up in the clouds to meet Christ and then they shall be set at his right hand and hear that heavenly sentence Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom 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 Joh. 3.18 the unbeleever is condemned already It is true he is condemned already and that three wayes First of all he is condemned already in the counsel of God Secondly he is condemned already in the word of God Thirdly he is condemned already in his own conscience First in the counsel of God God hath made an eternal decree of Predestination whereby he hath elected some to salvation and predestinated them thereto and others to damnation In this Gods eternal decree the unbeleever is already condemned nay before ever he came into the world as you have it in the example of Jacob and Esaâ—… Rom. 9. before ever they had done good or evil God hated the one and loved the other Secondly in the word of God he is condemned Jo. 3.18 Why because he hates the light and loves darkness Thirdly in his own conscience he is condemned for the continual horrour thereof gives him no rest day nor night there is a worm continually gnawing there and a sting tormenting him but the full execution thereof is to be in the day of wrath when he shall be set at the left hand of Christ and hear the sentence Goe ye cursed into eternal fire prepared for the divel and his Angels O what a terrible day will this be to all the wicked workers of iniquity for Christ Jesus the Judge shall come then to give them their reward This shall be a black a sad a woful dismal day to them they shall not be able to look on the Judge he shall be so terrible to them You see the terriblness of the Judge set down by Saint John Revel 20.10 11. where it is said he saw a great white throne and one sitting thereon from whose face fâ—…ed heaven and earth and their place was no more found Heaven and earth are great and mighty creatures insensible creatures that have not sinned they flie and tremble and hide themselves at the coming of the great Judge and shall man silly sinful man think to stand before the Judge without trembling Indeed if a man could present himself spotless without blame he needed not to fear but alas it is far otherwise there is none that doth good and sinneth not saith Solomon The most righteous before men are stained and poluted in the sight of God and may cry with the Leper Unclean unclean what is man that he should be pure or the son of man that he should be just with God The Angels of heaven are impure in his sight how much more filthy man that drinketh iniquity as water Job 15. So in Psal 14.2 When God looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there were any that would uuderstand and seek after God Will he find any that frames themselves according to the rule of perfection that he requires surely no but this he finds they are all corrupt and abominable in their doings there is none that doth good no not one so sinful is man in his whole race sinful in his conception he is conceived in sin before ever he sees light in this
deal less then a man For what was he hark what David faith in his person I am a worm and no man the very off-scouring of men the out-cast of the people there was no glory in his first appearing But now his second appearing shall be in glory it shall be every way glorious First his Person glorious And then his Throne glorious he shall come and sit upon the throne of his glory And then his attendants glorious the Angels thousand thousands ministring to him ten thousand thousands standing before him and all glorious Again his administration of justice shall be glorious for if he got himself glory on Pharaoh when he drowned him in the Sea What glory will he get when he shall throw the Divel and wicked men into hell fire there is glory in his administration of justice Then glory in his Saints as the Apostle I Thes 1.10 faith that God shall be marvellous glorious in his Saints For when Christ that is our glory shall appear then we also shall appear with him in glory Here is the glorious Epiphany of Christ a glorious appearing But of whom The great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Some there are that would make these two to be two persons The great God say they that is God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ that is God the Son Thus the Arrians thus the Semi-Arrians and thus which I wonder at Erasmus and thus some others But first of all you never find in the New Testament of the Epiphany of God the Father that same glorious Epiphany is ever of the Son Then the Greek makes it plain me-thinks for had there been two persons the Apostle should have said thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there should have been two Articles but here is but one Article it is apparant to them that understand the Greek it is but one Person that same person is the mighty God the great God and the Saviour Jesus Christ The great God First Christ is God I need not stand to prove that now among you And that same incommunicable Name of Jehovah by which I find him called in Scripture and those incommunicable properties of the Divine Nature Immortality Immutability Immensity Omnipotency Omniscience which are all ascribed to Christ And then those names that are proper only to God as The Creator The Governour of the World And then the worship that is due to God alone is given to Christ in the Scriptures ipsius est solus est all these being given to him prove him to be God And lest you should think he is God now by participation of the Divine Essence in which sence the Angels are called Elohim Or as Majestrates are Gods by representation you shall find by what Epithites he is called God The true God 1. Ioh. The mighty God Isa 9.6 God blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 and here the great God And so he is great God great not in bodily bulk but great in Essence Great in Majesty great in power And this may first be a wondrous comfort to Gods children Doth thy heart condemn thee hark what S. John faith God is greater then our he art Again doth the Divel terrifie thee hark what our Lord faith No man shall be able to take them out of my hand He is able to keep us to the day of Salvation a great comfort to Gods people A great matter of terrour to wicked men that this Judge shall be the great God for who is able to stand before him when he is angry Do you remember when the band of Souldiers came to apprehend him in the Garden he said no more but Ego sum it is I faith he and presently they fell down to the ground they were beat down with the very breath of his mouth as a man is sometimes with the wind of a bullet or as the walls of Jericho with the found of the trumpets of Rams horns The very word Ego sum it was no more they fell all to the ground Now I may say with that Father what shall he do when he comes to Judge that was able to do thus when he was to be judged Quid regnatores patuerit c. what shall he do when he comes to reign that was able to do thus when he was to die But alas you will say if he be so great a God so glorious how shall such a poor wretch as I stand before him I confess my self a poor wretched and grievous sinner how shall I stand before him Oh mark here he that is called the great God he is called the Saviour Jesus Christ Here is the comfort he is a Saviour he came to work the work of Redemption He was made like us in all things sin excepted that he might be mereiful And it is wondrous comfortable that in that very nature he shall be our Judge in which he stood before the Judge at the judgement seat of Pilate God hath appointed a day faith Saint Paul in which he will judge the world in righteousness by whom by the man Jesus Christ Act. 17.31 O but what a comfort of comforts is that indeed I pray mark our Lords words John 5.27 God the Father faith he hath given all authority to his Son to judge Why Mark his reason because he is the Son of man He doth not say he hath given him power to judge because he is his Son but because he is the Son of man It made sweet Saint Bernard cry out O verum Patrem misericordia c. O true Father of mercies that wouldest have men judged by man he hath been a man and lived he knew no sin he knew temptation he knew what is was to be tempted he knows that we are tempted and he knows that we are but men he remembreth that we are but dust Thus I have gone over the words briefly There is a general Doctrine to be touched which I can but touch in a word it is this Every true Christian must so live as a man that waites and looks for this blessed hope at that glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ The holy men that lived before Christs first Epiphany his first coming here in the flesh they are described thus to be men that looked for that coming After his coming Anna the Prophetess the Scripture faith she spake of Christ to all that looked for redemption in Jerusalem Luke 2.36 and in verse 25. it is said that old Simeon a devout man and one that looked for the consolation of Israel And the like is said of Joseph of Aremathea he was a just man one that feared God and looked for the redemption of the people of God he looked for the kingdom 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 coming of Christ Gods children
he was out of the way the Angel watcheth him and catcheth him in this corner and in that corner he could go into no corner but the Angel with his drawn 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 judgments are alway waking thou maist sleep on both sides in sin but Gods justice sleepeth not And thou that art the Lords if thou sleep know that correction and chastisement sleepeth not and they will awake thee thou wert better to awake by slighter means To conclude all consider that all of us there is no man upon the earth but we are all going to meet the mortal sleep of death and if we shall when that meets us have our own consciences tell us that we have also a spiritual sleep within us that we carry a spiritnal sleep to meet that mortal sleep what a miserable and mournful state will that be when the heart of man or woman that is coming to die shall say and speak aloud and witness against his Master O thou hast been a sluggish and sleepy Christian thou hast had good means but thou hast not kept thy watch thou wouldest sleep do what the exhortations of the Word could thou wouldest be a drowsie Christian Hence it comes to pass that so many when on their death-bed they come to grapple with that mortal sleep and then conscience porclaims against them then they cry Oh that I had but one day but one hour more that I might waken and strengthen the things that are ready to die and that it might be better with me then it is But alas now their short day is past and one perpetual night to come and now it is too late as it proves many times Therefore let not time go but know that that mournful day must come upon us we must meet that mortal sleep Let us labour to shake off spiritual sleep drowsiness of spirit and make our peace in the mean time that conscience may witness with us and for us at the day of death and judgment Let us labour to be watchful and desire to be ready for the Lord and to have our accounts ready 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 been in the course of my ministery so I shall be 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 experience every where how few there be that in their life time deserve the praise of Religion in their death For my part I never did nor never will gild a rotten post or a mud wall or give false witness in praising to give the praise of Religion to those that deserve it not I desire those of my congregation would make their own Funeral Sermons while they be living by their vertuous life and conversation As the Apostle saith He hath not praise that is praised of meh but he that is praised of God THE RIGHTEOUS MANS RESTING-PLACE OR AFENCE AGAINST UNNECESSARY FEARS SERMON XXVII GEN. 15.1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abraham saying Fear not Abraham I am thy shield and they exceeding great reward THe tender mercy of God is seen in nothing more than in afflicting his own people for he proportions his castisements not to our deserts but to our streugth and you shall ordinarily observe where Almighty GOD laies a heavy affliction he gives an extraordinary assistance when he leads any of his people through a hot fire he is with them in extraordinary manner This holy Saint Abraham as he was the Father of the Faithful so he was a pattern to all the faithful in both these both in his tryals and in Gods assistance There was never any man called to more tryals than he to leave his Country and his Kindred and his Fathers house and after to sacrifice his own Son And there was never any man more assisted from God as we see in those many apparitions that God vouchsafed him Comforting him sometimes in Dreams and Visions Sometimes he appeared to him in an admirable and most friendly manner talking with him as a man doth with his Friend One of them are in this Chapter The Lord appeared to Abraham and comforted him in the midst of his tryals and troubles Where you may see an admirable incouragement that God gives to his servant Abraham You may note First the incouragement it self that is not to fear Secondly note the time when God gave him this incouragement when he had encountred with those Kings immediatly before as we see in Chapter 14. And when he was to encounter with many evils and troubles after then the Lord appeared to him Thirdly note the manner how God is pleased to reveal this comfort that is by way of vision God appeared by vision Fourthly note the ground of this comfort and incouragemeat that God gives him and that is taken from a twofold Argument First what God was to him in regard of any evils that he did feel or fear he was his shield to bear them off Secondly in regard of all the good things that Abraham could lose in the world an exceeding great reward he would be to him all in all So you see this portion of Scripture affords plentiful matter for instruction and consolation All that I will speak of at this time I will wind up in this proposition that is that They that are in covenant with God and labour to keep his covenant as faithful Abraham was and did they may be a people without all carnal and inordinate fear For Abraham felt much and had just cause to expect more but in the middest of all God appeared to him and bid him he should not fear And what was spoken to Abraham is spoken to us for he was the Father of the faithful and they that are of the faith with Abraham are blessed with him So then the blessing of Abraham and all the incouragements that were given to him they belong not to him only but to all that are the spiritual seed of Abraham to all the faithful so that the Proposition is not limitted to him but extends to all A Doctrine if ever needful it is now We know how it is with all men that are out of Covenant with God Adam as soon as he had sinned he runs from God he was afraid and hid himself from the face of God so every unregenerate man is except his conscience be ignorant in a dead sleep and cauterized for he seeth God on the one side a revenging Judge and he knows himself on the other side to be guilty and
And this will cut sore and lie heavy on our conscience and therefore let us do it betimes Not only to prevent the Divel and his temptations but because you see how suddenly they may be taken away from us in a moment So Children should be admonished to learn to know the Lord God in the dayes of their youth how soon that evil day may come we know not that the wise man speaks of therefore betimes while ye have opportunity do it And for our own part let us learn this First when God crops such flowers that rise in the bud when he takes away such Children be thankful to God that he hath given us a longer time that he hath enlarged our dayes and prolonged our years that he hath given us such a great deal of space and opportunity to glorifie him here to do him service in the land of the living to get evidence of our Calling and election and to get assurance of our peace with him Let us praise God for the length of our dayes a blessing of God in it self and a blessing to us if we improve it Again every one remember if Children do die old men must die any man may die For it Death strike such as do but begin to live then we that have lived long it is time and reason to expect death and not to fear it I speak not this as if we should be slavishly afraid of death while we are so our lives are not comfortable What is the reason that we fear it inordinatly because we love our lives we love our bodies and the world inordinatly and not in and for God And then by the continual spectacles of mortality let us be acquainted with death A vizour and apparition to a Child scares him and he runs from it at the first but at last he grows throughly acquainted with it and fears it not so it is in regard of death many men will not endure to hear of death they will not endure to think of it they will not endure to hear a Funeral Sermon or to come to the hous of mourning to be put in mind of their latter end Death is a strange vizour to these men and women they are afraid of it and run from it but if we did oft think of it as oft as we think of sin in the cause of it And when we feel sorrow think here is a harbinger of death I feel pain in me ere long I must surrender to the stroak of Death And as oft as we see spectacles of mortality to read a lecture of Death And when we lay our selves down in our beds think of Death And upon all occasions come to the house of mourning and think of Death If the Serpents sting be plucked out a man may handle it he is shie at the first but after finding it cannot hurt him he fears it not So we have cause to thank God for death as well as for other things thus far because he 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 he will be our exceeding great reward he will be All in all to us here and hereafter THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE OR THE RULE OF JUDGEMENT SERMON XXVIII JAM 2.12 So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the Law of Liberty 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 only their works 2 Cor. 5.10 God will bring every work to judgement and so Eccles 12. He will bring every thing to judgement whether good or evill But besides that he will bring every word to judgement too even the very vain words of men of every idle word men shall give account Matt. 12.36 And the very rash and passionate speeches of men what they speak in passion and repent not of even those passionate speeches that they thought might have easily been passed by He that calls his Brother fool shall be in danger of hell fire Matth. 5.22 Then much more those evil speeches against God Jude 13 14. He shall come with thousands of his angels 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 evil and cursed speakings against him saith the Apostle They in fury and madness fell to evil and cursed speaking and slighted God and despised him therefore he shall come in great glory with thousands of his Angels to make it appear 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 speak evil and against all their cursed speakings against him saith the Text evil speaking against God is cursed speaking Because it exposeth a man to a curse it leaves him under a curse that shall appear at that day to be just against him so we see God will bring both words and works 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 bind 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 commandment of the words of men concerning God he that takes the name of Godin vain he will not hold him guiltless And then the ninth commandment of the words of men concerning men Thou shalt not bear false witness 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 Kingdoms they make not Lawes in vain but they are the directions whereby the judges proceed in their course of judgment upon malefactours So I say Gods Law it is not in vain it is not a bare direction onely to us in point of obedience but also the express rule whereby Christ himself will proceed in matter of judgement Again 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 read of some Psal 73. that set their mouths against God and against heaven Indeed they can do no more hurt to God then a man that shoots an Arrow at the Sun can hurt the Sun by shooting at him but in their intention they set themselves against God in as much as their tongues are set against
before Christ so in judgment If not repent of thy guilt in this kind that thy sins may be done away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of Christ And in the mean time set thy self in a contrary course to that thou hast been do as one that would have Death find thee in a good course for as death leaves thee judgment shall find thee If Death find the in a state of repentance in a course of reformation of thy evil wayes judgment shall find thee so too Let Death therefore find thee as a man interest in Christ as a man humbling thy soul abhoring thy self for thy former sins let Death find thee as a man reforming all those evils that are condemned in the Word and in thy conscience Now when I say let Death find the so I mean set about it presently for how soon 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 be too late thou shalt have no more time therefore do that now and go on constantly after knowing that Death may find thee every moment Therefore it is that God keeps from us upon purpose as it were the certain knowledge of the time of Death that we may be alwayes prepared for Death SINNES STIPEND AND GODS MUNIFICENCE SERMON XXIX ROM 6.23 For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. THe latter part of this Chapter from the 12 Verse to the end is spent in a grave and powerful dehortation of the faithful from security in sin against which the Apostle useth sundry arguments That which he presseth most is drawn from the several ends to which sin and righteousness doth lead men The end of sin is death verse 21. therefore that is not to be served The end of righteonsness is life everlasting verse 22. therefore that is to be imbraced Because there is now difference in the manner of the proceeding of these two ends Death coming from sin as from the meritorious cause but life from Righteousness another manner of way therefore the Apostle adds this Epilogue and Conclusion in the last Verse plainly shewing and more clearly expressing the manner of them both For the wages saith he of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. In which words we have a description of a twofold service Of sin in the former clause And of God or righteousness in the latter And how both these are rewarded The one with death it payes us well And the other with life which is bestowed by the free gift of God through Christ These are the two parts the two general points that we are to consider First the wages of sin is death saith the Apostle Of sin That is of the depravation and corruption of our nature and so consequently of every sin that being not only it self sin but the matter and mother of all sin when sin hath conceived it bringeth forth death when sin is put forth whereby he signifieth the general depravation and corruption of our nature from whence all sin flowes So it is here The wages The word in the original signifieth properly victuals because victuals was that that the Roman Emperours gave their souldiers as wages in recompence of their service but thence the word extends to signifie any other wages or Salary whatsoever The wages of sin is death by death here is signified and meant both temporal and eternal death especially eternal death for it is opposed to eternal life in the next clause of the sentence therefore that is that that is principally meant The wages of sin is death that is eternal death This for the exposition of the terms The point to be observed from this first part of the Text is this that Death is due to sin as wages to one that earns it To such a one wages is due in strict justice if a man have a hired servant he may bestow a free gift on him if he will if he will not he may choose but his stipend or his wages he must pay him unless he will be unjust for it is the price of his work and so is due to him that he cannot without injustice with-hold it After such a manner is death due to sin the very demerit of the work of sin requires it as being eraned God is as just in inflicting death upon sinners for their sins as any man is in paying his labourer or hired servant their wages for this is the general plain scope of the Apostles words here So in the beginning God appointed Gen. 2.17 where he told Adam concerning the forbidden fruit in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shallt die the death As if he should have said when thou sinnest death must be thy wages The same is repeated Ezck. 18.20 where it is said the soul that sinneth shall die expressing the wages of sin it is death that is the recompence of sin if sin have his due then death must follow So the Apostle had shewed before in this Epistle Rom. 5.12 that by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin so death went over all men for as much as all men had sinned All had sinned therefore all are payed with death And Saint James shews the consequence and connexion between these two the work and the wages he tels us Jam. 1.15 that when sin hath conceived it bringeth forth death All these places are evidences that death by Gods ordinance by his appointment is the due of sin as due to it even as wages is to a hired servant or one that hath earned it What death is it that is due to sin Both temporal and eternal death I say both deaths concerning both which the truth is to be cleared from some doubts It was the Pelagians errour to think that man should have died a natural death though he had never sinned so they thought that the natural temporal bodily death was not the wages of sin Contrary to the Apostle in the place I speak of Rom. 5. where he makes that death that goes over all men which must needs be natural death to enter by sin sin brought in death no sin no death at all But it may be objected when God told Adam in the day that he eat the forbidden fruit he should die the death he meant not temporal death there as the event shewes for such a death was not inflicted upon Adam in the day that he sinned for after he sinned he lived still in the world naturally he continued living many years after I answer not withstanding all this Adam may be said to die a natural death as soon as he sinned because by the guilt of his sin he then presently became subject to it and God straight-way denounced upon him the sentence of death therefore it may
whipping his people to hold them under such sharp discipline it is for the profit of the children so the Text expresseth it but he for our profit Which first of all implieth that afflictions and chastisements are a means conducing to the profit of those that undergo them A point plain in the Text and the Scripture abundant in the proof of it and the experience of the Saints in a plentiful manner confirming it It is good for me saith David that I have been afflicted And Joseph giveth this honourable testimony of God The Lord saith he hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my afflictions and thereupon giveth his child a name sutable Afflictions and chastisements they become profitable as the furnace to the gold to purge out the dross to make a separation between the pure mettal and the ore Profitable as physick to the body to purge out the malignant humours Profitable as sope to the cloth to fetch out the stains to take out the greasie spots it is the Scripture expression their hearts are as fat as grease to make them white Profitable as the Thunder to the Ayr to purge it to make it more commodious to breath in Profitable as the wind to the water to make it the purer by its ventilation Profitable as the pruning knife to the tree to make it more fruitful These and the like metaphors we have and by them we 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 soul of the people of God by this means I can but name part of them Besides that which is exprest in the Text that we might be partaker of his holiness there are these gracious effects of afflictions Weaning from the world a bringing us into more acquaintance with God Manasseth when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers and prayed unto him and then saith the Text he knew that the Lord he was God God by this means makes us know our selves the vanity of the creature the sinfulness of sin the sweetness of the Word the excellency that is in the promises makes us more compassionate to others keepeth us from hell and many other fruits there are of afflictions But to pass this A second thing implyed in the Doctrine is this that as afflictions are means 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 wilderness wherein were fiery Serpents and Scorpions and drought where there was no water suffered thee to hunger brought thee into hard straits but what was Gods aim in this that he might humble thee and that he might prove thee to do thee good at the latter end By this saith the Prophet speaking of the afflictions of the Church shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin 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 been able to apprehend and to interpret the Lords meaning in all his sharp dispensations towards them As the Propbet Habakuk having made a terrible description of the Babylonish rod he concludes in the twelfth verse of his first Chapter Art not thou from everlasting O Lord my God We shall not die O Lord thou hast ordained them for Judgment and O mighty God thon hast established them for correction This is that likewise which the Saints of God have looked for and expected that while the winds of afflictions have been blowing some ship or other should come home richly fraighted So David when that storm of cursing came from the mouth of Shimei Oh saith David let him alone let him curse it may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction and that the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day So when Rabshaketh came up against Jerusalem Let him alone saith Hezekiah answer him not a word it may be the Lord will hear 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 ear upon this rage and blasphemy and consider his people and do 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 sharp and bitter potions It may serve to check and controul all those hard thoughts that we 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 been the frailty of Gods dearest servants in their affliction I shall one day said David perish by the hand of Saul Woe is me saith Isaiah for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips The Lord saith the Church hath broken my teeth with gravel stones and covered me with ashes he hath removed my soul far 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 me Job though for a good while he carried himself very fairly and demeaned himself very warily toward God yet when he began to be wet to his skin then he speaks foolishly and unadvisedly falleth to the cursing of his day not to the cursing of his God as Satan 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 over-shoot themselves in this case We should therefore humble our selves before the Lord for this distemper of soul and labour to keep down 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 own thoughts concerning us as he himself speaks in Jer. 29. howsoever saith he you may think that I intend to cut you off for ever yet I know my thoughts that I think towards you even thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end Again secondly it may serve to comfort the godly concerning all the means and instruments of their sufferings whether they be men or devils Wicked men and devils whom God useth as a Rod to chastise his people their malice is great and their
power of godliness spoken of in Scripture What powerful matter were there in Religion if a man might hold his sins and yet be a Christian and a beleever and be in Christ too a drunkard and yet be saved a prophaner of the Sabbath and yet be in Christ what great matter were there it were nothing to be a Christian nay who would not be one What need Saint Paul expose himself to such watchings and fastings and sufferings if he might have gone on in the way of the World and yet be in Christ too No beloved it is another-gates matter to be a Christian then for a man to hold his old customes and wayes and courses and yet hope to be saved too Let no man deceive himself with this the matter of Christianity it is a laborious work Religion is a very serious thing A man that indeed will be Religious he must follow Christs rule first deny himself and take up his Cross and follow him what need a man deny himself if he might hold his sins and yet follow Christ Well know this the ground is clear there must be a turning from sin as wel as a turning to God if a man have union with Christ Now to conclude with a word of application First if it be so It serves to convince us this day in the presence of God the multidude of us now before the Lord to hear the Word and profess our union with Christ and yet there is no such matter If we were united with Christ there would be living to God by vertue of that union with Christ It is living to God in the course of our life that gives us comfort of our union with Christ Deceive not your selves we may say of many as the Lord saith of Sardis Thou hast a name to live but art dead There are abundance that have a name to live but are dead A man wonld wonder at it that we should say to a Congregation of so many people that there were few alive among them all that the most whose eyes are now upon the Minister and whose eares are open to the Word yet they are but dead they are not alive though they walk and though they speak and do the actions of a natural life they live naturally but are dead spiritually they have a name to live but are dead The Lord tells Jeremy Jerem. 5. That there was such want of good men in Jerusalem that he might go up and down the Stteets of Jerusalem and not find a man A man would wonder that the Lord should use such an expression He might have said he should not find a good man a just man a godly man but not find a man saith he as if he were not worthy the name of a man in the Streets of Jerusalem that was not appliable and conformable to Gods will That a man should go in the Streets of London and not find a man that he should go into Moore-fields on the Sabbath day and see a multidude of dead Ghosts walking there that he should go in the Streets and see a multitude of dead persons sitting at their doors that he should go up and down to the houses of men and see a multitude of dead creatures talk of worldly things on the Lords day a man would wonder he should find so many dead men eating and drinking and talking and walking and yet dead still The Text makes it clear here If we be not dead unto sin we are not alive to God there is no being alive to God except a man be first dead to sin Shall we come to the trial Beloved there we shall find among the many of you that hear the Word many are dead in sin What means the prophanation of the Sabbath what means the great neglect of Family-duties Come to your houses there be not the prayers of living men there there be not the meditations and conferences of men that are spiritually alive in your Families and shall we think you are alive Come to men in their shops and dealings and see them dead in their worldliness and covetousness and shall we say they are alive to God Alas beloved go to the particulars of mens lives you shall hear them speak the words of dead men spiritually dead in swearing and cursing and reviling and blaspheming and bitterness and yet shall we say that they are alive Look upon all the actions of men it were an endless work where we find dead works we conclude there is a dead man when men do the things that are the actions of a man spiritually dead we conclude they are spiritually dead the Holy Ghost saith so for they are dead in trespasses and sins 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 sin What are your opinions and judgments concerning your own wayes those things that the Word of God condemns for evil those things that out of the Word are preached to you daily by way of reproof of sin that are spoken to you by Christian friends by way of admonition to bring you out of your sins how do you take them and digest them are they pleasing to you because they tend to the killing of sin or are they distasteful because they give you not rest in your sins What do you judge sin worthy to live and your selves not dead the while It is a note of a man that is alive in sin that hates reproof that hates him that reproveth in the gate he that hates him that reproves his ill works he is not dead to sin for he doth not judge his sin worthy to die Again come to your assections what is it you delight in When a man looks 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 dear in her life remove my dead out of my sight If sin in thee be as a dead thing how dost thou look upon it dost thou look 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 occasion of sin are presented to you how stand you affected then all that are dead in sin take thought to fulfil the lusts of the flesh as the Apostle saith they delight in it sin is sweet to them as Job saith but if on the otherside you look on it with indignation loathing and detesting and abhorring sin and your selves for sin then it is a comfortable sign of your death to sin Again when you do look on it do you look upon it as a ruler or as an enemy for there is a great deal of difference A theif was come into the house as well as the master of the house but they come not with the like authority nor with the like acceptance the thief comes but you
that way for which thou didst receive them The time may come wherein you may desire to do good but cannot wanting an estate and opportunities whereby to do it Mark what Solomon faith Wilt thou trust in a thing of nothing for Riches have wings as an Eagle and fly away toward heaven It is the vanity of men that they still forbear and stay while their estates increase pretending that then they shall be better able to do good and extend themselves more largely or that they may keep their wealth and wait for a better opportunity But why with thou trust in a thing of nothing Thou seest a fowl in her flight and now it may be thou perceivest it but instantly it vanisheth out of thy sight Why riches have wings faith Solomon Thou hast them now in thy possession and retainest them fast in hold but presently they are departed they fly as an Eagle out of thy sight And the same wise man when he exhorteth men to cast their bread upon the waters He gives them this reason Thou knowest not what evils thou knowest not what judgments and calamities God intends to bring upon that Nation where thou livest upon the City upon the Family 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 be not high-minded and that they trust not in uncertain riches but in the living God that they be ready to distribute and to communicate and to do good works What is it that hinders men from distributing and communicating Because they trust in uncertain Riches For if they would now learn not to trust in uncertain Riches but account them uncertain as they are and put confidence in the living God who can provide for them when those outward means which they so much rely on fail their expectations they would then be more liberal and bountiful and ready to do 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 do good and then take the means the wealth and estate which is the time of your means For this observe Jobs case he goes on discoursing of this very point he was now a man stript of all he had but the other day the Richest man in the East the Sabeans and Caldeans had carried away his goods his cattel and his children and all things were taken from him Yet there was one thing that administred comfort in the day of his adversity and his affliction And it was this faith he If I have made the eyes of the poor to fail or if I eat my morsels alone or if I have not relieved the fatherless c. If I have not done thus and thus then let the Lords fiercest judgment fall upon me But herein consists my comfort my conscience bears me witness that when I had wealth and estate and enjoyed the goods of this life I did good I was father to the fatherless a foot to the lame and eyes to the blind I did all the good that lay within the compass of my power to do when I had means to do it I say little do you know beloved whatsoever thou art whatsoever estate thou hast though thou be as a nail fastned in a sure place and thinkest thou shalt never be moved from this condition Thou knowest not how soon God may turn his hand upon thee when thou maist be as Job was on the dunghil deprived of all comforts What will be thy consolation then that when thou hadst wealth thou didst good with it It will add to thy affliction that thou hadst great possessions and didst neither glorifie God nor do good to men So much for the opening of the point I come to apply it First then it serves for the reproof of many to whom God hath given the price in their hands But they want hearts to embrace the opportunities of doing good They pretend to do good and have a mind inclining to good But they have no heart to take the opportunities and advantages of times and means which God hath bestowed on them for the same purpose they want hearts to embrace those Remember what Solomon faith Say not to thy neighbour go and come again to morrow If it be now in thine hands to give him The Lord will not only have a man not deny to do good but besides that he would not have him delay to do good put him not from thee till to morrow if his help remain in thine hands to day yea though thou have a purpose to do it to morrow if it be in thy power to day do it and defer it not till to morrow But what shall we say to those who do not only delay their purposes but by protracting lose their purposes There is nothing more ordinary then in some cases for men not only to purpose truly but to promise heartily to God that they will perform these and these acts of mercy if God will deliver them from such fears and dangers as they at such times are incompast with A man that endures extremity of weather in a tempestuous Sea if happily he may attain the land in safety a man that is diseased with sickness if now he may recover his health again or one that suffers imprisonment if he may procure his liberty or a man that is in fear of the loss of his estate by the means of some unhappy casualty if now he may escape that loss he will bestow a great deal on God and on the servants of God nay he promises and vows unto God in his extremity But how many of those promises as well as those other purposes come to nothing they have liberty they receive health they enjoy safety and have the full fruition of all their desires but alas how short come their vows of performance not one of many of them but turns God away without his bargain Remember how the Lord taxeth the people of Israel In the day of their distress and the Lord reckons up divers and sundry troubles they were in then they speak good words to God they would cleave to him and promised to do thus and thus But thus faith the Text They flattered the Lord with their lips and were false in the Covenant with God Is it not it so beloved with many of us Oh that your hearts might smite you this day before the Lord for many purposes and promises that you have made of doing this or that for the glorifying of God and the discharge of your duty One man hath promised restitution of unjust gain another to become more liberal and bountiful toward others And the Lord hath waited week after week moneth after moneth and year after year and yet nevertheless you continue the same men either unsensible or careless to accomplish your promise to God or
this life yet in death thy hands must open â—…emselves and let it go thou must not hold the world above thy life nor thy life beyond the day of death no we cannot alway have that which we desire we must certainly part with what we most esteem of Secondly what comfort is this to a good soul If we had hope only in this life faith Saint Paul we 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 oft doth it change sometime by joy and sorrow sometime by comfort and misery by health and sickness by abundance and want but when Death comes all sorrow shall fly away for ever thou shalt never be more troubled with a sick body with a sad estate with common losses but the change of a temporal 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 fear 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 sin and Sathan after death sin 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 fear of trouble in glory in felicity in eternity all the cruel insolencies of tyrants shall come short of thy soul thou shalt be above their malice and beyond thy self Secondly it is a change and no worse then a change just as Joseph changed his garments and went into Pharaoh so thou shalt put off thy body and go into glory put off thy mortality and go into immortality Oh what terrour to wicked men a day of change will befal 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 self Psal 73.4,17,18,19 and reported it to us that they are set in slippery 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 judgment the Children of God now but death will change this the unjust steward shall be called to a an account and he that beat his fellow servant shall be eternally judged by a righteous God and their honour shall sinck in the dust neither shall their riches deliver them from wrath but they shall see him whom they have peirced and persecuted and shall not be able to escape his presence A dismal thing will this be that a man shall have his honour die and the great God put disgrace upon him a dismal change indeed when a man shall see all his power changed into impotency his pleasures into torment and wrath put upon his soul when God shall seperate thee from his presence thou shalt not have a drop of ease nor any friend to assist thee nor any hope of comfort thou shalt be stript of them all in a monent shall a change of all this be O consider this if there be any here that forget God least he tear you in pieces and there be none to help remember and consider your latter end and apply your hearts to wisdome Last of all shall there be a change that shall befal every son of man then Oh that this people were wise as Moses faith that they would remember their latter end all the dayes of our appointed time to wait till our change come What do you think of servants to whom you had committed servile imployments till you came home and if when you come home they were absent and you found one in the street drunk another in a chamber with a strumpet how would you take this Brethren think upon it we are Gods servants or should be two things are imposed upon us one to honour God another to save our own souls if he find us doing the works of the Devil and the flesh and find us in the works of the world how will he take this Come faith God I have lent you a life thus many years I told you what you should be and what you should do and what have you been doing all this life what have your works been what courses have you taken are these the fraits of your wayes to have a life run over with ignorance with prophaness c. Alus when a man at that time shall have nothing to say but Loâ—…d I have lived in such a sin all my dayes I have fulfilled my own desires thou hast for me in this World and I have laboured to get a great estate all my dayes Another may say I have spent my time in 〈◊〉 society c. What will God say to these men are these the endings of thy life the fruits of thy opportunities where is the repentante I called for at thy hands where is that godly sorrow that I called for for the sins of thy life did not I send thee into the world for this end to get Grace to get Faith to make up thy accounts with me thy God and hast thou no regand to it Well thou hast been foolish inconsiderate for the time that is past yet now understand that a day of change will besal thee O let us be perswaded I beseech you be perswaded to it in this our day to know the things that concern our peace whilest it is called to day not to hearden our hearts whilest it is called to day not to deser our repentance thou art not assured of any more time then present Death may meet with thee as thou sittest in thy feat as thou goest out of the Church doer and thou knowest thy heart hath been wicked oh why wilt thou set thy eternal estate upon so small a point as it were the cast of a Die Remember what Daniel said to Nabuohadnezzar let it have acceptance with thee break off thy sine by repentance c. Seeing we must die and appear before the judgment feat of God what manner of persons ought we to be in all holiness of life and conversation as soon as we are we begin to sin and as soon as we are we begin to die let us look upon our account and be faithful to our souls perhaps thy accounts are yet to make oh be sure to let it be the first thing thou doest and give thy self no rest till thou hast done it and when thou hast done this labour to clear it with the bloud of Christ labour by humble confession and hearty repentance to turn unto the Lord go on
the Almond-tree but the Cypress nor think of the Grashopper but of the worm because they are far on in their way to their long home and the mourners are already in the streets marshalling as it were their troops and setting all in equipage for their funeral no dilectable objects affect their dull and dying sences but are rather grievous unto them as the Sun and Rain are to old stumps of trees which make them not spring again but rot them rather and dispose them to putrifaction And so I have past the first and am come to the second Post or standing The right Coherence When they shall be afraid of that which is high and fear shall be in the way and the Almond trce shall flourish and the Grashopper shall be a burthen and desire shall fail because man goeth to his long home If this Consequence be firth the Coherence must needs be good but if this be infirm and lame that must needs be out of joynt let us then Consider of the Consequence Surely Aristotle seemeth to be of another mind whose observation it is old men that have their foot on Deaths threshold would then draw back then leg if they could at the very instant of their dissolution are most desirous of the continuance of their life and seeing the pleasures of sin like the Apples of Tuntales running away from them they catch at them the more greedily for wants is the whestone of desire and experience offereth us many instances of old men in whom Saint Pauls old man grows young again who according to the corruption of nature which Saint Austin bewaileth with tears malunt libidinem explers quam extingai they are so far from having no lust or desire of pleasures as being cloyed therewith that they are more insatiable in them then in youth the flesh in them like the Peacocks 〈◊〉 coct a recrudescit which after it is sod in time will grow raw again so in them after mortification by diseases and age it reviveth Sophocles the Heathen Poet might pass for a Saint in comparison of them for he thanked God that in his old age he was free from his most Imperious Mistris lust these men on the contrary desir 〈◊〉 inthral themselves again in youthly pleasures and concupiscence in them is kindled even by the defect of fewel it vexeth them that their sins for sake them that through the impotency of their limbs and faculties they cannot run into the like excess 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 spur on their jadish flesh now unable to ran her for met Stages saying let us crown our selves with Rose-buds for they will presently wither let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die To reconcile the seeming difference between the miracle of humane wisdome Aristotle and the Oracle of divine Solomon two distinctions may be 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 be 2 As they are When Euripides was taxed as too great a favourer of the semale 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 he made this Apology for himself others faith he in their Poems set forth women as they are but I such as they should be Solomom words are capable of a like construction desire faileth 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 foot already in the grave and is drawing the other after to desire to cut a cross caper and dance the morice or for him that is neer his eternal Mansion house to hanker by the way and feast and revel it in an Inn. Moreover Solomon here speaketh of a Bâ—…rzillai who hath no taste of his meat no sence of delight no use in a manner of sense to whom dainties are no dainties because he cannot taste them musick is no musick because he cannot hear it sweet odours are no sweet odours because he cannot small them precious stones are no precious stones because he cannot value them the fairest becaues are no beauties because he cannot discern them In a word he speaketh of an old man in whom all carnal lusts are either quite extinct or happily exchanged into spiritual or swallowed up with sorrow and fear of death and a horrible apprension of judgment And so I come to the third Stage which is the litteral sence and genuine interpretation of the words As in Origen his Hexapla every word almost had an Asterisk or star upon it so there needs a star or some other light to be put upon every word of this Text for there is a mist of obscurity upon each of them and a man may well miss his way if he 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 be taken Collectivè for the whole kind or Species as the Logicians speak or Distributivè for every man in particular we shall seem to be at a loss Man taken Collectivè stirs not a foot to his long home for Philosophy reprieveth universal natures from death or dissolution and true it is though single men every day die yet mankind dieth not If man be taken Distributivè for all particular men of what rank or quality soever we shall have much to do 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 funeral then mourners themselves must have mourners and so either the train will be infinite or the lag will be destitute of mourners Secondly why useth he this phrase of going if it import death sith some expect death and move not at all towards it some run to it to some it is sent some leap into it as Cleombrotus some ride to it in state as Antioches Epiphanes some are tumbled down into it as S. Purius Melicus some are dragged to it as Seinus In a word when death surprizeth most men and that in all postures of the body why is dying here called going man goeth Thirdly where is this long home in Heaven or in earth Purgatory or Hell If we speak of Heaven or Hell the Epithet long fals short for they are eternal habitations of Purgatory or the grave suppose there were any Purgatory yet neither of them may be properly termed a long home fith neither the body stayes long in
this experiment and cannot secure a corps from mouldering into it first matter Dust For proof hereof let us suppose first that which I may call an healthful corps viz. of one not weakned and wasted with a long lingering and languishing disease but of one cut off suddenly in the prime of his youth Secondly Suppose an Artist expert in his profession of Embalming no whit inferiour to them who made the last bed for the repose of King Asa's corps 2. Chron. 16.14 of sweet oders by the art of the Apothecary Thirdly allow him the most and best of spices not only a mixture of Myrrhe and alloes about an hundred pound weight the proportion assigned by Nicodemus for our Saviours body John 19.39 but as many as India and Arabia doth produce the Embalmer being stinted to no number but his own pleasure Lastly because moist Countries be accused to invite corruption let us lay the scene of this experiment in Egypt it self where the dryness of the clymates may contribute something to the affecting of the work The premises thus provided in matter and manner in kind and degree to the Chyrurgions full desire let him not begin his opperation and fall on working according to the rule of art Here I suppose he will with his instruments first take out the brains and bowels of both which conclamatum est it is granted on all sides that they cannot be preserved from putrefaction and juditious art will not adventure on a labour in vain Next I conceive he will curiously incorporate his spices into those vacuities and concavities out of which the brains and bowels those hags of corruptions were taken out Thirdly after the using of much art in order to his design he will build the body many stories high in perfumed Sear-cloaths Lastly he will deposite it in some dry place perchance where no earth shall touch it lest as ill company often solicite good natures to badness the corps may be tempted by contiguity to the earth the sooner to return to dust Now when all this is done all in effect is still undone as to the thing undertaken I deny not but that a corps may thus be preserved some hundreds or perhaps for some thousands of years And yet give me leave to say of such a body minima est pars sui ipsius there is the least of flesh and body in that flesh or body the matter thereof insensibly resolving into dust and that dust vanishing into nothing that doth appear so that the most of what remaineth is the substance of spice and flesh and that at last passeth to dust as its general matter Yea such prodigious cost of Embalming bestowed on bodies hath accedentally occasioned their speedier corruption Many a poor mans body hath slept quietly in his grave without any disturbance whilst the corps of some Egyptian Princes might justly complain with seeming Samuel to Saul 1 Sam. 28.15 Why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up their Fingers and Hands and Armes Toes Feet and Legs and Thighes and all their body tug'd and torne out of their tombs tumbled and tossed many hundred miles by Sea and Land bought and brought by Drugists for Mummy and buryed in the bellies of other men they it seems being canibals who feed on mans flesh for food though not for Phisick all which may seem a just judgment of God on the imoderate cost and curiosity in their embalming as if endeavouring thereby to defeat and frustrate Gods sentence and to consure the truth in my Text. Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return In a word as a loving child which is violently kept from his tender Mother will wait and watch his first and best opportunity to return to his Mother again So every mans body is a child of the Mother Earth and though the vigilant eye and powerful hand of art endeavoureth its utmost to detain this child from the arms of its Mother maugre all obstruction it will make its way unto her for dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return First Use this teacheth us what to think of Popish Reliques their Priest pretending many of their Saints bodies to remain in their shrines at this day uncorrupted thus they fabulously report that the hand of Saints King Oswald Nullo verme perit nulla putredine tabet Dextra viri c. That no worm or putrifaction tainted his right hand which had been so abundantly bountiful to the poor If so he had far better success then he who was a better Kind and Saint even David himself Acts 13.36 Who after he had served his Generation was laid to his fathers and saw corruption But most of these Popish forgeries were discovered at the desolution and such bodies found as rotten as their superstition who adored them Second Use Seeing it is impossible to preserve our bodies from returning to dust let us labour to keep our souls from being turned to damnation Eccles 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the Spirit shall return to God that gave it Wherein observe all Spirits both good and bad after death return to as to the Father of Spirits to do their homage unto him I say they all instantly return unto him from him alone to recerve new orders and instructions how and where he will have them for the future disposed of in an eternity of weal and woe God grant that our souls may so return to God as never to return from him but abide with him in endless happiness O consider the worth of your soul and value them accordingly Saint Matthew saith 16.26 What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole World and loose his own Soul But Saint Luke Chap. 9.25 hath it if he gain the whole World and loose himself His body is without him only an appendant and that seperable but his Soul is his very self loose that loose all There lived lately in the City of Exeter a person well known generally remitted by all a right religious man though in my mind more to be commended for his devotion then discretion his custome was to apply himself to strangers in all companies and sequestring persons by themselves demanded of them If you die at this instant what assurance have you of the eternal salvation of your Soul A question which hath posed many a great Scholar to give a good answer with truth and comfort thereunto I confess his Christianity was better then his civility in surprizing people with so sudden an Interrogatory However it is a question if not fit for him to ask of others fit for every man to demand of himself the Preacher in the Pulpit the People in their Pewes the Taveller on his Horse the decumbent in his bed every one at all times in all places Now it is not the least part of Gods mercy unto us that before our bodies after our deaths finally return to dust they even whilst we are living begin for to ungive and to
up and down disconsolate with soft paces sad looks and sorrowful hearts all their children they are ready to call and christen Ichobods the glory is departed from Israel being affected like the Citizens of Jerusalem besieged by Sennacherib their hearts are like the trees of the wood moved with the wind But let such droopers know that herein they offend God and wrong themselves and let them gird up their loyns and tie up their spirits at the serious consideration that God in due time will raise them out of the dust maintain his own cause and confound his enemies The third sort of people are the Arguers or Disputers who being of a middle temper neither haughty nor stomackful neither low nor dejected and withal being good men embrace a middle course neither to fret nor dispute but calmly to reason out the matter with God himself Of this later sort was the Prophet Jeremiah who thus addresseth himself unto the Lord Righteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper wherefore are they happy that deal very treacherously The good man could not conceive Gods proceedings and although he kept to the conclusion Righteous are thou O Lord yet his heart was hot within him and he would fain be exchanging an argument with God that all was not right according to his humane capacity Job also was one of these Arguers in the agony of his passion Oh that one might plead for a man with God as a man pleadeth for his neighbour But let flesh and blood take heed of entring the lists by way of challenge with God himself If the synagogue of the Libertines and Cyrenians and Alexandrians and of them of Silicia and of Asia disputing with Stephen were not able to resist the wisdome and the spirit by which he spake much less can frail flesh hope to make good a bad cause by way of opposition against God the best and wisest answerer Remember the Apostles question Where is the disputer But if we should be so bold in humility to examine Gods proceedings let us take heed lest whilest we dispute with God Satan insensibly prompts us such reasons as are seemingly unanswerable in our apprehensions so that instead of being too hard for God which is impossible men become too hard for themselves raising such spirits which they cannot quell and starting such doubts which they cannot satisfie Wherefore let not our ignorance be counted Gods injustice let not the dimness of our eyes be esteemed the durtiness of his actions being all purity and cleanness in themselves Let us if beaten from our out-works make a safe retreat to this impregnable castle Jeremiah his conclusion Righteous art thou O Lord c. Come we now to the good Uses that the godly ought to make of a righteous mans perishing in his righteousness And first when he finds such a one in a swoun he ought with all speed to bring him a cordial and with the good Samaritane to pour Oil and Wine into his wounds endeavouring his recovery to his utmost power whilest there is any hope thereof I must confess it is only Gods prerogative according to the greatness of his power to preserve those that are appointed to die However it is also the boundant duty of all pious people in their several distances and degrees to improve their utmost for the preservation of dying innocency from the cruelty of such as would murder it But if it be impossible to save it from death so that it doth expire notwithstanding all their care to the contrary they must then turn lamenters at the funerals thereof And if the iniquity of the times will not safely afford them to be open they must be close Mourners at so sorrowful an accident O let the most cunning Chyrurgeons not begrutch their skill to unbowel the richest Merchants not think much of their choisest spices to embalm the most exquisite Joyner make the coffin most reverend Divine the Funeral Sermon the most accurate Marbler erect the Monument and most renowned Poet invent the Epitaph to be inscribed on the tomb of Perishing Righteousness Whilest all others well-wishers to goodness in their several places contribute to their sorrow at the solemn Obsequies thereof yea as in the case of Josiah his death let their be an Anniversary of Mourning kept in remembrance thereof However let them not mourn like men without hope but let them behave themselves at the interment of his righteousness as confident of the resurrection thereof which God in his due time shall raise out of the ashes It is sown in weakness it shall be raised in power it is sown in disgrace it shall be raised in glory Lastly the temporal perishing of the righteous man in this world minds us of the necessity of the day of Judgment and ought to edge and quicken our prayers that God would shortly accomplish the number of his elect consummate this miserable world put a period to the dark night of his proceedings that so that day that welcome day may begin to dawn which is tearmed by the Apostle The day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God Five things there are besides many others in the primitive part of Gods justice which are very hard for men to conceive First How the sin of Adam to which we did never personally consent can justly be imputed to us his posterity Secondly How infants who never committed actual sin are subject to death and which is more to damnation it self Thirdly How God can actually harden the hearts of some as he did Pharaohs and yet not be in the least degree accessary to sin and the author thereof Fourthly How the Americans can justly be condemned to whom the sound of the Gospel was never trumpetted forth and they by their invincible ignorance uncapable of Gods will in his word Lastly How God as it in the Text can suffer righteous men to perish in their righteousness and wicked men to flowrish in their iniquity In all these a thin vail may seem to hang before them so that we have not a full and free view of the reasons of Gods proceedings herein yet so as that under and thorow this vail we discover enough in modesty and sobriety to satisfie our selves though perchange unable to utter what in part we apprehend we cannot effectually remove all the scruples which the pious nor all the cavils which the profane man brings against us But at the day of judgment at the revelation of the righteous judgment of God this vail shall be turned back or rather totally taken away so that all shall plainly and perspicuously perceive the justice of Gods dealing in the cases aforesaid Not that then or there any new essential addition or accession shall accrue to Gods justice to mend or make up any former desault or defect therein
we found it let it not be said that we willingly let the fair Fabrick of Faith and good life to run to ruine in our so that the next Age may justly sue us for Dilapidations When our Saviour said unto his Disciples Mat. 26.21 Verily I say unto you that one of you shall betray me they were exceeding sorrowful and began every one of them to say unto him Lord is it I yea Judas himself lagging at last with his Is it I Lord and was returned with Thou saist it Thus at the last day of judgment shall all generations be arraigned before God But to confine our Application only to those three within the last sixscore years if God should say unto them One of you have betrayed my truth how would it put them all upon their particular purgation Is it I Lord saith the first generation in the reign of King Edward the sixt surely they shall be acquitted who in the Marian dayes sealed the truth with their blood Is it I Lord saith the second generation lasting all the Reign of Queen Elizabeth to the middle of King James That also will be cleared as publickly preserving the purity of true Doctrine in the thirty nine Articles What a shame shall it be if when our age shall ask with Iudas Is it I we shall be returned thou hust said it Yours is the Age that hath betrayed my Truth to Errour Unity to Faction Piety to Prophaness sad when such a Fact shall be so clear that it cannot be denied and yet so foul that it cannot be defended However this my too just fear may consist with hope of better things of you and such as accompany salvation I must conclude with you Reverend Fathers whom my loyalty cannot pass by without doing my due homage to the Crown of your Age especially if it be found in the way of truth Give me leave to tell you belong to that generation which is passed out of this world not only the Van or Front and also the main body and battel of your Army are marched to their graves and their souls I hope to heaven whilst Divine Providence for reasons best known to himself hath reserved you to bring up as I may say the very rear of the rear of your generation O do not mistake this Reprieve for a Pardon and here give me leave to use a plain but expressive Similitude Have you never seen a wanton child run a firebrand against the Hearth or back of the Chymney and so on a suddain make a skie of sparks of which sparks some instantly expire others continue a pretty time and then go out others last a little longer whilest one or two as having a greater stock of soot to feed them hold out a good while but at last are extinguisht Man is born to labour as sparks do fly upward some presently go out wasted from the womb to the winding-sheet others live to ripe men others to be old men some whose temper and temperance are more signal then in others to be counted wonderous old but all at last die and fall to the earth We read Rev. 10.2 of an Angel who had his right foot on the Sea and his left on the earth This may seem a strange stride save that it abateth the wonder because Angels when pleased to assume bodies may extend themselves to a vast though finite proportion But you though meer men and weak men must stride a greater distance having your left foot already in the Grave endeavour to have your right foot in Heaven and waving all love of this world set your minds and meditations alone on God and godliness In a word whatever our Age be rising shining or setting Men Brethren or Fathers let us endeavour with David in my Text according to the will of God to serve our own Generation Come we now to the sad occasion of our present meeting to perform the last Christian Office to our Deceased Brother well known to many of you and to none better then to my self A child is like a man in the similitude of parts though not of degrees and in some measure he did sincerely with David serve his Generation He was a dutiful Son unto his aged Mother as she cannot but confess and will I hope as occasion is offered remember and reward it to his wife and children A loving Brother a kind Husband and I doubt not but his widdow will discharge her mutual affection to him in his relations Bathsheha thus describeth a good wife Pro. 31.12 She will do her Husband good and not evil all the dayes of her life It is not said all the dayes of his life but of her life What if he should chance to die and she to survive him yea after to marry again as God forbid any should be debarred marrying in the Lord especially for their own and childrens advantage yet still she would do good unto him all the dayes of her life To him that is to his memory mentioning with respect to him that is to his children and friends careful over the one and curteous over the other He was a tender Father and faithful Friend witness the many volunteer mourners an unusual proportion for a person of his quality who at their own charge have habited themselves that the outward sadness of their cloaths might express the inward sorrow of their hearts He was an excellent Master having bred many good workmen in his Vocation and I hope they will prove good husbands too Let me add he was an excellent subject for according to that which his conscience with many others conceived to be loyalty he lost much of and hazarded all his estate Lastly and chiefly he was a good Saint having more piety then he shewed and as daily he consumed in his body he was strengthened in his soul in Faith through Christ whereof he gave many testimonies before towards and at his death What shall I speak of his parts of Nature so far above his education and profession that he might have past for a Scholar amongst Scholars for his wit and pleasant expressions But God now hath made him his free-man and paid him his wages for so well serving his Generation THE CROVVNE OF RIGHTEOUSNES OR The glorious Reward of FIDELITY In the Discharge of our DUTY SERMON LIII 2 TIM 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that Day and not to me only but unto them also who love his Appearing I Shall not detain you by any impertinent Preface sith the shortness of time for this Service together with the indulgence of this so Learned an Auditory anticipates an Apology and gives hope of much Candor under so manifold Imprâ—…parations And so I address my self to the serious business of my Text The scope whereof amounts to
and perfection is not all at once nor altogether wherefore our very Apostle elsewhere Phil. 3.12 15. professeth though he were perfect in regard of sincerity and uprightness yet not so in regard of the full measure He was so in respect of Parts he was not so in respect of Degrees therefore he said that he had not as yet fully apprehended Fuit perfectus spe future glorificationis Fuit Imperfectus â—…nere Corruptionis Fuit perfectus expectatione muneris Fuit Imperfectus fatigatione Certaminis as most appositely to our present purpose p Fulgentius perfect he was in the Hope of future Glorification he was imperfect under the burthen of present corruption He was perfect in the expectation of his reward but yet imperfect being tyred under the great conflict and encounter that he had with the opposers of the Gospel of Truth compleat perfection he professed not much less may others so far inferiour unto so great and most illustrious a Saint as Saint Paul was 3. Works meritorious as they must be our own and perfect so also in their sense Indebita more than due super-erogatory transcending the Command whereas proud Catharists and brittle pot-sherds as they are they might observe what the great Law-giver hath declared in that Case Luke 17.10 When we have done all that we are able to do we remain still most defective and most unprofitable servants and have at the utmost if we could reach to that done but duty 4. Lastly Works meritorious must be proportionata ad mercedem exactly proportionable unto the just Reward but surely if as they cannot our Passions and Sufferings cannot equal the Reward much less can our Actions or our imperfect doings sweetly singeth the Psalmist God Crowneth indeed but it is in his own meer mercy and loving kindness not for any possible desert in the primest Creature yea it 's a maxime in the very Schoolmen themselves That Principium meriti prius est merito and that principlum is Gods free Grace Mercy favour So then yeild all this But How then is it free and yet a Reward of justice Answ Some answer thus namely by understanding Justice in this Text of Gods Fidelity and faithfulness in keeping promise as in that Text 1 John 1.9 where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are joyned together if we confess our sins God is faithfull and Just to forgive us our sinnes And in this sense rightly apprehended its true indeed to say that its Debita merces A reward of Debt because God hath after a sort bound himself by his own promise to give it unto us Promittendo se fecit Debitorem faith Augustine he hath made himself a Debtor to his Church by promise in which only regard it is that we may exigere Dominum as he speaks urge and press the Lord upon his word so we read the Church under affliction did Jer. 14.21 Remember break not thy Covenants with us 〈◊〉 are herewith Neh. 1.8 Deut. 9.5 Others more directly give us this answer AEternal life is in respect of us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a meer Gratuity or free gift But in respect of the personal merit of Christ it s a reward of Justice The Lord Christ Jesus having purchased unto all his true Believers by his Humiliation and Obedience this Crown of their Imputative righteousness how imperfect soever their own personal Righteousness was And from this title of the Lord his being a righteous Judge all his faithful Servants may assuredly rest upon the Infallibility of the reward of their Service and Fidelity sith the Lords own word Equity and faithfulness is ingaged for it surely he is faithful who hath promised Heb. 10.23 nor can he fail or deny himself 2 Tim. 2.13 Yea he himself is our shield and our exceeding great reward Gen. 15.1 and indeed in enjoying God we enjoy all happiness and soul-satisfying Contentation wherefore it s not impertinently observed by the Hebrews that in the Essential Name of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the letters are Literâ—…e quiescentes Letters of Rest to denote and without God there can be no solid joy or quietness of Soul which will still be tossed in a kind of restless inconsistency till it do indeed terminate at last in him which made that man so much after Gods own heart as in a flame of servent zeal experimentally to put the question Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee The next particular that fals under my consideration is the time of donation when this Reward is to be actually conferred expressed to be in that day and at the Lords appearing These latter times into which the ends of the world are fallen abounding as men in old age with variety of phancies have given us occasion to enquire what day of the Lords appearance it is which is here meant whether it be the great and notable day of the last general Judgment or else of some other manifestation of the Lord Christ upon earth before that last day of all doth come There are some otherwise abundantly knowing whose wits have herein proved more wanton than their Judgment sollid whose apprehensions have led them to conjecture if not to believe an appearance of the Lord Christ personally in a way of raign and triumph to be manifested upon earth a thousand years before the last day of the General Judgment such in the Greek expression are called Chiliasts and by the Latines Millenaryes some have fetched the name and conceit so high as from Cerinthus a Blasphemous Heretick even in the dayes of the Apostles themselves who daringly avouching the Lord Christ to be no more than a meer man and born after the common way of humane generation which gave occasion to Saint John that soaring Eagle to write that his so sublime Gospel wherein in the very entrance of it He proves his Divine Nature He gave out that after the resurrection there should be in the great City Jerusalem an outward way of pomp and a kind of voluptuous indulgence to corporal vanities and delights during the terme of a thousand years which opinion he was thought to have sucked from the breasts of the Jewish Synagogue that people mistaking the nature and quality of Christs Kingdome thinking it to be after an external glory and not as it is indeed consisting within in the soul after a spiritual manner ruling and raigning over the spiritual part of man but this Blasphemer being exploded and cryed down by all the Primitively-Orthodox Fathers and Christians as the Histories of those Times inform us The next who most clearly speak of it or was indeed supposed the first who more directly vented the opinion was one Papias Bishop of Hieropolis as Eusebius acquaints us a man of a weak and slender judgement who if not utterly neglecting yet but slightly valuing the Authority of the Holy
3.11 1 Pet. 3.4 Prov. 31.29 Coherence Division The person judging God Opera Triditatis ad extra suns indivisa Opera Trinitatis ad intra suns divisa cuique persona incommunicabiliter propria Object 2 Cor. 5.10 1. Cor. 6.2 Answ How Christ is said to be the Judg. Rom. 2.16 Joh. 5. Why God hath committed the power of the execution of Judgment to Christ Three properties requisit in a Judg. 1. Knowledg to discern Heb. 4. 2. Power to execute Psal 149. Rev. 15. 3. Justice in the Execution Gen. 18. The Judgment 1. It shall be Types of the last Judgment Luk 17. Rule 1. Reas 2. Reas 3. Act. 1731. Reas 4. 2. In what manner it shall be 1. The summons Job 5.28 Matt. 24.31.1 Cor. 15. 1 Thes 4 16. 2. The Appâ—…arance 2 Cor. 5 10. Rom. 14 12. 1 Cor. 1.7 3. The seperaration 4. The tryal Rev. 20.12 The books that shall be opened at the day of Judgment 5. The Sentence The general things observable in the words 1. The duty 2. The motives The duty exprest 1. Generally 2. Particularly The general duty 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 Cod. The Acts that are exercised on the Object 1. Of the understanding Memory 2. Of the will and affections Desires Desires an argument of a gracions heart Joyned with endeavours Desires without endeavours false The manner of exercising these acts 1. They must come from inward principles 2. They must he sincere Simile Simile 3. They must be pitched on God alone 4 They must be universal 5. They must be constant Simile The particular duties In times of mercy 1. Chearfulness 2. Fruitfulness In times of judgment Simile 1. Perseverance Simile 2. Diligent exercise of our graces Simile 3. Patience 4. Prosiciency The Motives to the duties God seeth and Judgeth all our wayes 1. This alone differenceth the godly from the wicked Division of the words 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 safety 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 the Saints that are in heavenâ—… That are on carte 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. Presumption to hope for heaven without union with Christ first on earth Ezra 2.62 Christ in respect of his bodily presence is only in heaven Transubstantiation Cell 3.1 Obser 3. Expectation of Christs coming to Judgement the best means to work a man to a holy conversation The continual expectation of the Saints is for Christ coming A threefold coming of Christ Proved 2 Tim. 4.8 Heb. 6.8 Vse For tryal How to know whether our expectation of Christ coming be right 1. By the ground of it Heb. 11.1 2. By the companions of it Which are 1. Patience 2. Love Manisested 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 coming the best means to procure a heavenly Conversation Proved 1. It is the worker of Mortification Collos 3.17 1 Joh. 3.2 3. Guilt of sin causeth the apprehension of death to be terrible 2 Subdues out worldly affections Collos 3 1. 3. Keeps us from sinful actions Act. 3 â—…8 Acts 17 30. 4 Quickness to holiness of life 2 Pet. 3 11 12. 5 Furthers our perseveranâ—…e in godliness 1 Iohn 2.28 Rev 6. Vse For tryal Rev. 6.15 Heb. 2.14 1 Thes 1 10. Division 1 The duty commanded Meaning of the worsd What is meant by the saying of Christ viz. The Doctrine of the Gospel Two parts of the Gospel 1. Shewing out raisery Rom. 3.63 2. The remedy against this misery 1 The Redemer 2. The manner how we are redeemed Rom. 3.24 3. The means how to enjoy the remedy 1. The Conditions of the Covenant of Grace 1 Repentance Mark 1.15 Heb 6. The parts of Repentance Godly sorrow for sin Psal 38. Jam 4.9 Confession of sin Pro 28. Psal 32 4. 1 Joh 1 9. Firme purpose of amendment Joh 5. Petition for pardon in the name if Christ Hos 14.2 Repentance only taught in the Gospel Mans repentance tends to the honour of Gods justice 2 Faith John 6 29. Desinit on of Faith Faith only taught in the Gospel 3. New obedience How differenced from that required under the Law 2. The benefit What it is to see Death What Death is here meant Joh. 6.68 Act 5.20 Acts 11.14 Reas 1. 1 Joh. 2.24 Reas 2. Vse 3. Incitatton to thankfulness 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 sin 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. Natural corruption Reas 2. Forgetfulness of Judgement Deut 32 29 Reas 3. Freedome from crosses Jer 31. Reas 4 Want of spiritual joy Vse 1. For Admonion 1. To take notice of their carnal joy Young mens rejoycing proved to be inordinate 1 Because it is not placed there where it should be 2 Because it is placed there where it should not be 3 Because it is excessive in lawful things 4 Because it terminates not in God 2 Of their walking after their own heart Hosea 7. 3 Of their walking after the sight of their eyes Iob 31.1 Ier 9. Heb 11. Vse 2. For Fxhortation 1 To abandon carnal joy Luke 6.26 Iob 20.6,7 Directions how to avoid carnal joy 1 To labour for sorrow for sin 2. Consider the vanity of things 1. Of humane wisdome Eccles 1 13. Eccles 1 15. 1 Cor 1 19. Eccles 9 10. 2 Of worldly honour and cred it Eccles 1 16. John 5 44. John 10 43. Gal. 5 26. 3 Of worldly pleasures Eccles 2 2. Vers 4. 1 Cor 7 19. Luke 8 4. 4 Of riches Jer 5 27. Eccles 5 12. Rev. 18.18 2 Tim. 1.16 Luk. 12.25 5 Of friends and Allies Psal 62 9. Psal 49 7. 3 Labour for spiritual joy Rom 5 1. A twofold ground of spiritual joy 1 The good things exhibied 2 The good things promised The second Exhertation not to walk after their own heart The third Exhortation not to walk after the sight of their eyes Joshu 7 21. 2 Sam 11 1. Vse 3. To old men Doct. 2. God will bring men to judgement for all their sins Masa 3 18. Eccles 12 14. 2 Cor 5 10. 2 Thes 4
fear is Kinds off fear 1 Natural 2 Carnal fear 3 Servile fear Act 2. 4 Filial fear Isa 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 self Vse 2. Possible to live without fear Psalm 23 Vse 3. Reproof for inordinate fear 1 We fear too soon 2 Too much 1 It brings a great deal of ill Isa 66.4 2 It unfits the heart to bear evils It hurts the body It doth hurt to the soul 1 Natural 2 Spiritually Fear the ground of most sins Vse 4. To sence our hearts against it No cause of fear 1 Of spiritual enemies 2 Of worldly evils Ier. 46.28 Object Answ Object Answ Quest Answ How to get the conquest of fear 1 Labour for the spirit 2 Keep covenant with God 3 Strengthen faith 4 To place our love aright August Simile Doctr. Both words and actions shall be called to account 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 Pal. 39. Psal 131. Doctr. God will proceed in judgement according to his Law Ioh. 12.48 Object 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 ruls by Reas 2. Because the law is a rule Vse 1. Reproof of those that neglect the law Quest Answ To despise Gods commandement what Matth. 25.41 Vse 2. Admonition to observe the Law 1. For direction 2. For tryal Doctr. The consideration of the day of Judgment should move to holiness 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. 14â—… 2 It quickens to actions of obedience 1 Of particular calling 2 General calling 3 It confirms in obedience Vse Shewing the cause of the worlds prophaness and the Saints dejectedness 2 Pet. 3. Vse 2. To strengthen faith of the judgment Jerome Parts of the Text. Meaning of the words Doctr. Death due to sin as wages Quest Answ What death due to sin 1. Temporal Object Answ How Adam died a natural death as soon as he sinned Object Answ How Christians freed from temporal death Christians undergo temporal death why Simile 2 Eternal death Answ Sin infinite three wayes 1 In respect of the object 2 The subject 3 The sinners desire Vse 1. Original lust a sin Basile Vse 2. Confuration no sin in it self venial 1 Joh 3.5 Sins mortal and venial how Vse 3. In spectacles of death to see the heinousness of sin Vse 4. To deterre us from sin Similles Joh. 2. 1 Sam. 14. Vse 5. To be humble and thankful Life twofold 1 Natural 2 Spiritual 1 In this life Job 17.5.2 In deathy 3 Afterth e Resurrection A thing eternal three wayes Doct. Salvation the feee gift of God Quest Answ Austin Quest Answ Joh. 3. Vse 1. Confutation of merit Rom. 8. Vse 2. To humble us Vse 3. Comfort Vse 4. Thankfulness Isa 45 24. The Analysis of the Chaper Propos 1. God is pleased to set himself 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 Unprofitable living under the ordinances a taking the name of God in vain 4 Sending of Christ into the world in our nature 2 In his command and injunction Deut 10 13. Matth. 5.29 3. In his several administrations 1 Permitting sin to remain 2. To prevail 3. Withdrawing his presence 4. Suspending his answer to their prayers 5. Denying their particular suites 6. Deprives them of their dearest blessings James 5.11 Use of exhortation Vse 2. Of instruction Propos 2. Gods aim in afflicting his children is their profit Gen 41.52 Afflictions they are profitable The blessed fruit of afflictions 2 Chron. 33.12 Deut. 8.15 Isa 27.9 Hab. 1.12 The Saints of God have walted for the profit of afflictions 2 Sam. 16.12 2 Sam. 16.12 Isa 37.4 Vse 1. For reproof 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 Vse 2. For comfort Isa 10.57 Simile Isay 12.12 Vse 3. Exhortation to a patient expectation of the fruit of affliction Object Answ Iob 17.4 The sum of the words Division Explication Simile Doct. 1. Ground 1 From God Psal 84. Why God withdraws the light of his counâ—eâ—ance from his people 1 For correction of their former abuse of his mercies 2 Of the neglect of their duty Cant. 5. 3 Of their carnal security 3 To teach them wherein their present comsort and happiness consifts Simile 3 For prevention 1 Of pride 2 Of considence in the creature or in habits of grace Ground 2 From Satan How Satan causeth trouble in the hearts of Gods servants 1 By stealing out of thest hearts the promises of the Gospel Heb. 12. Matth. 13. 2 By presenting to the soul the truths of God in false glosses Ground 3. From our selves From some distemper of the body 2. Prevailing of some strong lust Heb. 12.1 3 Inordinate passions Heb. 1. Vse 1. To teach us compassion toward those that are in trouble Isa 53.4 God suffers his servants to be in inward distress and why Doctr. 2. Faith is a special means to quiet the soul 2 Cron. 20.20 2 Tim. 1 12. Vse Doctr. 3. Faith that quiets the soul must be pitched upon God in Christ Doct. 4. Vse Quest Answ What it is to believe in Christ What it is to receive Christ as a Prophet As a King As a Priest Quest Answ Object Answ Quest Answ Quest Answ Quest Answ Devision of the words Doct 1. Strong trials befall strong Christians 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Job 1.8 Wherein the strength of a trial consists Why God laieth strong tryals on strong Christians Reas 1. Reas 2. Doct. Faith acquits a man in great tryals Reas 1. Reas 2. Reas 3. Reas 4. Reas 5. Vse 1. 1. 2. Vse 2. The sum of the words Parts of the Text Coherence The first branch of the Text Explication 1 What life it is that is here meant Eternal life proper to the Saints Begun in this world Gal 2.20 Heb 2 3. Consummated in the world to come Phil 1.21 1 Thes 4.17 Joh. 5.26 Joh. 6 33. Vse 1. For instructiou Vse 2. For demonstration 1 Tim 5.6 Ephes 2.1 Vse 3. For consolation 2 Tim 3.12 Act 14.22 Mark 5.26 Eccles 9 4. Job 2.4 Phil. 1.7 Rom. 14.17 2 Cor. 12.2 1 Cor. 2.9 Rom. 8.18 2 Cor 4.17 The second branch of the Text. Eternal life cometh from divine grace Tit. 3.7 Eph. 2.8 Reas 1. Reas 2.2 Cor. 3.5 Vse 1. For confutation Vse 2. For Consolation Vse 3. For Instruction Vse 4. For exhortation The third branch of the Text. The
the say this but Baruch When men cavil against any part of Gods word or hide any truth from themselves and with-hold the truth in unrighteousness Here is a man living to himself How many points are there in Religion that many men are willingly ignorant of And when they cannot but know them how do they labour for distinction how do they dawb over the matter that they may hide the truth from themselves that it may not work upon their consciences to make them leave their profitable fins Some would have the keeping of the Lords day according to Judaisme though it be revealed to them that there is a broad difference between the Jews observation and the Christians keeping of it Another man he will not understand Usury to be a sin because his course is usurious he will not know this willingly because he would not disadvantage himself Another will not understand what he is bound to do to the glory of God with his estate in what measure according to all the good that God hath blessed him with to honour God and give the first fruits of all his increase nor in what manner that he should be ready to every good work to contribute willingly to the necessities of the Saints what he should do to pious and merciful uses what for publike what for private occasions he would not willingly know these things he should have less ease he makes account Thus when a man is not willing to be informed in any thing to sift the truth to the bottome to the uttermost to know any thing concerning a duty in any kind when he laboureth not to convince his heart to this end that he may be brought in every thing to obey God when he standeth out with God in any one point this man liveth to himself and walketh not as he should according to the rule of God Now then beloved let us be convinced of it I beseech you take it home and let every man consider of it with himself Sometime in the actions of religion there cometh matter of glory in the world and this setteth me forward much when these things are spoken against and when I shall suffer disadvantages I cannot hold out At another time though all things be well yet if it cross me in such a course I murmure as if it were an unprofitable thing to serve God And then again when God revealeth his will my froward and rebellious heart hath hung back and been unwilling to submit to Gods will in this point all this while I have lived to my self And if it be true If a man be in Christ he liveth not to himself then it follows if a man liveth to himself he is out of Christ If the weakest Christian live to Christ then the best that liveth to himself is out of Christ 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 himself You see still it is the whole drift of wicked men to took to themselves Haman aimed at himself 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 himself He looked to himself Here was the difference between Haman and Mordecai both had honour in the world Haman seeks himself in all his honour Mordecai seeks God and his glory and the welfare of his Church in his honour A great difference Saith Nabal shall 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 Job He was a foot to the lame an eye to the blind he continually fed those that wanted food A great difference Job lived to God and therefore he honoured God in releeving many with the estate that God hath given him Nabal lived to himself therefore he regarded none hut himself and his own house and sheep-shearers and those that depended upon him This is the property of a man out of Christ to seek himself and live to himself in all things Again consider others that have gone further in matters of religion yet they have still turned out of the way as far 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 darkness A wicked eye is supposed to a single eye a double eye is a wicked eye What is a single eye That that looks 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 looks to God and do many things in obedience to God yet it looks to somewhat else and takes other things as greater incouragements this is a wicked eye and such a man walketh in darkness when he looks to God he hath light in the duty when he looks to men and other things then he 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 far as he 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 guilty 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 desrauded Christ of his due that hath puchased you with his bloud and not served him in holiness and righteousness so many dayes of your life Now for the time to come let us serve him better And that you may do thus I will give you two sorts of directions or helps 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 himself 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 lines should meet the mark whereto all our actions should aym Let not the strong man glory in his strength or the wise man in his wisdom or the rich man in his riches but he that glorieth let him glory in this that he knoweth me that I am the Lord. Jer. 9.24 What