that we can do our enemies more hurt then God can and will if we leaue the reuenge vnto him vnto whom indeed it appertaineth The second ground of the former Assertion is this that as it stands with the iustice of God to punish them that afflict persecute his seruants So it stands no lesse with his iustice to giue vnto his seruants which are troubled and molested rest and quiet of which the lesse hope and assurance there is in this life the more cause there is to assure themselues of it in another life and therefore to expect that day wherein they shall be put into a full and eternall possession thereof It is no such comfort to the soule of an afflicted Christistian to be perswaded that God will render vnto the wicked enemies affliction for affliction more comfort it would bee vnto them to see some signes and tokens of their repentance and forgiuenesse But this is the strength and life of Christian consolation that the more sorrow and trouble that they sustaine for Christs sake and his kingdome the more pledges and demonstrations they haue therein of their owne eternall rest and happinesse for howbeit our sufferings as is formerly declared are farre from meriting any such matter yet it is iust with God to giue them rest and quiet which haue beene content patiently to suffer for his sake no man shall suffer in vaine for Christ but the more he suffereth if hee suffer for the kingdome of Christ the more securitie and assurance hee hath of eternall rest in heauen which all those want which want that grace neuer looke thou to enter into this rest except thou canst with patience and faith indure trouble and disquiet for the kingdome of heauen He sheweth what manner of rest this shal be by way of comparison in these words with vs .i. It shall be such a rest and quiet as is prepared for vs that are Apostles and Euangelists and such as together with vs you shall certainely enioy This must needes increase their consolation exceedingly there are no true Christians but are perswaded the Apostles and Euangelists shall in this great day be in most happy condition neither can they desire to be in better estate wouldst thou then be sure to rest with Paul Siluanus Timothie and the rest of the Apostles and Euangelists thou must learne with patience and in Faith to suffer persecution and tribulation when the Lord shall call thee thereunto for that Faith and Religion which thou hast learned of them for the Lord hath not prepared a higher heauen for them and a lower for vs but we shall rest together with them in the same heauen if together with them we shall suffer in this life for that kingdome which they in the Gospell haue called vs vnto When the Lord Iesus shall bee manifest from heauen with his mightie Angels 8. In flaming fire That the consideration of the day of doome the manifest signes whereof they were to behold in their patient induring of persecution might the more comfort them and strengthen them in their troubles The Apostle concludeth this second part of their consolation with a digression into a description of that day of iudgement euery part whereof containeth great matter of comfort to all the afflicted and persecuted seruants of God and no lesse matter of feare and horror to all their enemies if they had grace to apprehend the same The first part of the description declareth who shall be the Iudge euen our Lord Iesus himselfe in his owne Person euen he who loued his Seruants so dearely that he gaue his life for them yea did vndergo his Fathers wrath for them which was for the time a Hell of Hells vnto him and therefore the more gracious and louing and mercifull he hath shewed himselfe vnto them the more mercilesse and cruell will he in this iudgement shew himselfe vnto their aduersaries Whom could the afflicted Seruants of Christ more desire to sit in iudgement then their owne deare Sauiour for whose sake they haue suffered so many indignities Whom can the enemies of the Gospell more feare then him whom in his Seruants they haue most dishonoured and despighted No doubt but in this day they would rather choose any to be their Iudge then Christ yea they would hope for more fauour and mercy from the Diuels themselues then from him Let vs then if euer the Lord shall exercise vs in the same manner comfort our selues in this That Christ himselfe will in his owne Person in this day come to iudge the cause betwixt vs and our enemies It were great matter of consolation if we were assured but of this That Christ would raise vp some iust man vpon earth to doe it or send a Saint or an Angell from heauen for that purpose but this must needs be an exceeding comfort That Christ in his owne Person will come to sit in iudgement vpon our aduersaries and will not put the matter ouer to Vnder-Commissioners Let vs then take heede lest in our sufferings for Christs sake we breake not out through impatiencie or distrust into any sinne against Christ for this is the greatest aduantage that we can giue to our aduersaries and a signe that we doe not so much suffer how iust soeuer the cause be for Christs sake as for our owne fancie for how can that man say that he suffereth for Christs sake when in his suffring for his sake he will not for his sake forbeare such and such sinnes which Christ forbids Can he in his suffrings comfort himselfe in the consideration of this iudgement when in and by occasion of those sufferings he rebels against the Iudge The second part of the description of the latter day followeth wherein is set forth the glorious manner of Christs comming to iudgement consisting of three parts First he shall manifest himselfe from heauen i. shall appeare to the eyes and senses not onely of the godly but the wicked and they with these eyes of theirs shall behold him comming from the highest heauens in that maiestie and glory wherein he now sitteth at the right hand of his Father and not in that base and contemptible estate wherein he first shewed himselfe when he tooke our nature vpon him So that Christ will sit visibly in iudgement in this day and that in all the sensible glory that may be he shall then shew himselfe in all his maiestie to euery mortall eye then shall the godly behold and see that their trust and confidence in him in the midst of all their greatest afflictions was not in vaine they shall then haue cause to triumph and glory that they haue though through many reproches and contempts serued so honorable and glorious a Lord. How then shall the wicked enemies of Christ hang downe their heads that haue scorned and disdained his Seruants as if they had serued some base and contemptible Master Verily so vile and base is the seruice of Christ in the eyes of some yea and
first part of their consolation wherein the Apostle taketh notice of their persecutions and troubles praising them for the Graces of God manifested therein The second part followeth taken from the happy issue and consequent which these patient sufferings of theirs did portend These sufferings saith he of yours are an infallible signe or demonstration of the great day of Iudgment wherein the more patiently you haue suffred for the kingdome of God the more you shall be reputed and declared worthy of that kingdome for which you haue suffred What an vnspeakable consolation would the due consideration of this be vnto all that shall suffer for righteousnes sake that the more they suffer the more they may assure themselues of a day of publique hearing before the Lord who will thorowly debate all those iniuries and wrongs that haue bin offred vnto them and that not in a corner but in the face of the world that this iudgement wherein this cause of theirs shall be heard shall be a righteous iudgement not corrupted by bribes and ouer-swaid by partiall affection but proceeding according to the equitie of the cause without respect to the qualitie of Persons that in this iudgment shall be called into question especially their suffrings for the kingdom of God and that which they haue indured for righteousnes sake in obedience to the Gospell that in this iudgement the more it shall appeare that with Patience and Faith they haue suffred for the kingdome of God the more they shall be accounted and reputed worthy thereof in Iesus Christ insomuch as they shall with that praise and glory before the face of their enemies be put into the eternall possession thereof as if they had merited and deserued the same by their suffrings though the greatest suffrings that euer any Christian hath or can indure are in deed and truth in themselues no wayes worthy that glory which shall be bestowed vpon them Rom. 8.18 and it being giuen is an inheritance Matth. 24.3.4 and therefore not of desert What an vnspeakable comfort must this needs be in the midst of all persecutions whatsoeuer when euery particular wrong and iniurie which here a man shall indure for the kingdome of God are so many infallible signes and demonstrations of this iudgment so that the more they suffer and indure at the hands of men and the more the Consistories and Iudgement Seats are shut against them the more cause they haue to be certaine and assured of this iudgement and the more to reioyce in it It would be great consolation vnto a Christian heart and a meanes of much patience and constancie in suffering if he might be assured that his cause should come to indifferent hearing but before men yet there is far more cause of comfort in the certaine assurance of this iudgement and so much the more certaine assurance there is of this by how much the more vncertaintie doubt and despaire there is of the other But this is no matter of Consolation to them that suffer though with neuer such patience and confidence for the fancies and inventions of their owne braines or the superstitious inventions and traditions of men which appertaine to the kingdome of Sathan and Antichrist They which will reap this consolation in their sufferings must look to this that they suffer for the kingdom of God i. for their obedience and subiection vnto the lawes of Christ their Head and King manifested in his word vnto their soules and consciences VERS 6. For it is iust with God to render in like manner affliction to those which afflict you 7. And to you which are afflicted rest with vs FOr the further confirmation of them in the aforesaid comfort he here rendreth a reason why this Patience and Faith of theirs must needs be a manifest signe of the iust iudgement of God aforesaid because saith he it stands with the iustice of God to afflict them that afflict his seruants and to giue rest vnto them which are afflicted for his sake and therefore the more that any do suffer for the kingdome of God and the more that the wicked preuaile ouer them the more certaine and infallible signe it is of that great day So that in this reason he comprehendeth two grounds of the former assertion The first is this That it stands with the equitie and iustice of God to afflict and punish them which molest and trouble his children for righteousnes sake God hath stampt in man who is his owne Image the print of this iustice Can a Prince indure that his Seruant should be abused for doing his will and commandement Will he not take himselfe bound in equitie so far as his authoritie and lawes will stretch to call them into question that shall abuse him If he should carelesly suffer the same would it not be iudged an vniust thing Hath not the righteous God that care of his Seruants that an earthly man hath Is it possible that he that hath written this point of iustice in the brest of man should neglect it in his owne Person and suffer his owne Seruants for obeying his will to be persecuted and wronged and that before his owne face and put it vp Yet we see that for the most part in this life he doth so None more free from iudgement and vengeance then they that persecute Gods Seruants none liue more merily none dye with more ease Why then we must of necessitie conclude that therefore there must come a day of doome wherein they must answer it God must needs be a iust Iudge and therefore the fewer iudgements ouertake the enemies of the Gospell in this life and the more they triumph ouer Gods Seruants the more we must learne to comfort our selues in being so much the more assured and perswaded of this day of iudgement If there were no other cause to be heard but this it stands with Gods iustice to heare the same It would affect and comfort Gods children in their affliction to behold some present iudgement of God or man vpon them which persecute them and it much dismayeth them when they see no hope of helpe either from God or man in this life But this ought to strengthen and comfort them so much the more for this is so much the greater euidence and demonstration that in this great day of iudgement the Lord will render affliction to those which trouble his Seruants This then is the best reuenge that Christians can execute vpon their persecutors euen with faith and patience to suffer persecution and affliction at their hands for the more they suffer the more they binde the Lord in his iustice in this day to iudge and reuenge their cause so that if Christians by dint of sword could subdue all their enemies they haue not therein such iust matter of comfort as in their patient faithfull sufferings The lesse we reuenge the more hath God in iustice bound himselfe to be auenged of them and it is great folly to thinke
of some that would be reputed Christians that it were lesse disgrace for a man in their eyes to serue a hangman then to serue Iesus Christ. Iudge you how such will looke and what they will thinke when they shall behold Christ comming from heauen and reuealing himselfe in all his maiestie and glory and that to sit in iudgement vpon them Let this then be our comfort in all our tribulations that howsoeuer Christ now haue the heauens drawne as a curtaine or vaile betweene our eyes and him which is the cause that makes the enemies of his Gospell so bold and sawcie with his Seruants yet that the more he hides himselfe now from the eyes of persecutors and wicked men the more gloriously he will manifest and reueale himselfe vnto them in this day to the greater glory of his humbled Seruants and the greater shame and confusion of all their enemies The second degree of his glory consists in the traine that shall accompanie and assist him in this iudgement All the mighty and powerfull Angels of Heauen These shall be present as so many Sargeants Bayliffs Officers at Armes Sheriffs and Executioners in this great Assise If therefore it be so terrible to guilty prisoners to behold an earthly Iudge in his scarlet robes attended vpon with the Iustices Sheriff and other Officers of Peace how fearefull and terrible will the sight of this Iudge be manifesting himself from heauen with such a mighty host and glorious armie of Angels If the appearance but of one Angell and that in peace hath bin so terrible euen vnto Gods owne children as appeares Luc. 2.10 1.30 Iudg. 13.6 how terrible shall the appearance of all the Angels in Heauen be vnto the wicked in this day when they shall come with Christ from heauen to be executioners of his eternall vengeance vpon them For their Office at this time is set downe in the Parable of the tares Mat. 13.41 It is not then possible for them to auoide the presence of this Iudge but they must needs appeare before him where there are such Officers as these to apprehend and attache them though they should run into the clefts and hollowes of the rocks or could cause the mountaines and hills to couer them these Angels could pull them out though they had wings like to an Eagle to flie away from this iudgement these winged Cherubims would ouer-flie them though all the wicked should conspire and band themselues as it were one man to resist the proceedings of this Iudge there is not the weakest of this heauenly armie but will be found strong enough to binde them hands and feet in chaines fetters of yron and therefore the Apostle calls them powerfull Angels how truly see 2. King 19.35 Act. 12.23 What an incouragement then would the consideration of this be vnto any that are vnder persecution for the kingdome of God if they had grace but to beleeue this If poore men suffring wrongs at the hands of great men that liue amongst them could be assured of this that the King himselfe taketh notice of those wrongs that are offred vnto them and will without faile vpon such a day come in his owne Person with all the Court and Councell Iudges and Officers of State to call the matter into question and to sit in iudgement vpon the same would they not thinke themselues happy yea and the more wrongs they haue sustained the more happy in regard that the more they haue indured the better they are sure it will be for them and the worse for their enemies What infidelitie then is this that we should haue so sure and certaine a word of Christs owne comming and of his comming accompanied with all the glorious and powerfull traine of heauenly Angels to sit in iudgement vpon them which shall persecute vs and to giue rest eternall vnto vs euen in regard of our troubles and yet we should murmure repine fret greeue yea and basely often denie and forsake the cause of Christ rather then suffer for it Is it possible beloued that any Christian that is perswaded of this truth and thinks of it seriously should be daunted or disquieted or put out of any of Gods wayes for the persecution of wicked men be they neuer so mighty and neuer such politicke aduersaries and be they able to set neuer so great a glosse vpon their proceedings It is to be feared beloued that many from time to time which seeme to be most forward in the profession of the Gospell that thinke this glorious comming of Christ with his mighty Angels to the end and purpose here expressed to be no better then some old wiues fable otherwise it were not possible that euery feare of trouble molestation should make so many start aside like a broken bowe from the profession or practise of that truth which formerly they haue giuen testimonie vnto but it would rather make them so much the more resolute and confident in the same by how much the more trouble they shall see to pursue the same or any part thereof The third degree of his glorious comming is in the manner thereof which shall be most fearefull and terrible euen in flaming fire which sheweth the extremitie of his wrath against them which he shall come to sit in iudgement against they are not in iest that fling fire-brands terrible euen to Gods owne people was his giuing of the Law in thunder lightning but a thousand thousand times more terrible will his comming in this fire be vnto the wicked transgressors of that Law To haue bin in Sodom and Gomorrah when fire and brimstone fell downe from heauen vpon them Gen. 19 could not be so terrible as this must be vnto those wicked men that shall stand vpon the earth in that day and behold this comming of his who would then if they might be put vnto it choose rather to leape into burning Aetna then stand in this presence Let the consideration of this make vs to run euen through fire and water rather then displease this Iudge Let vs the more fiery trialls and persecutions that wee shall indure for this Iudges sake the more rejoyce in the expectation of this his comming and be armed against the terror of it Let no flame kindled by the wrath of any man make vs doe any thing that may prouoke this irefull Iudge Rendring vengeance vnto them that doe not know God and which obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ. The third part of the description of the latter day of doome followeth wherein is set downe the end of Christs glorious comming in manner and forme aforesaid to iudgement which is twofold 1. To render vengeance or to be reuenged vpon some 2. To be in a speciall manner glorified vpon other some The first act then and end of Christs comming in flaming fire is to be reuenged vpon some sort of Persons .i. in that manner to proceed in iudgement against them that those men vse to doe which