therefore he in the Prophets complaineth that they had committed adultery against him in stead of the living and true God they bowed kissed and offered sacrifice to Idols consecrated to the honour of Divels or damned men so they who before wanted spirituall Virginity fell from matrimonial chastity Christs Spouse to be free from Idolatry The Christians hath hee betrothed unto himselfe for his Spouse as Virgins because hee tooke no notice of the olde Gentiles Idolatry as Saint Paul tolde the Athenians of their Idolatry Acts 17.30 that the time of that ignorance God regarded not Therefore are they all Virgins because they worship God in truth Another condition is required of the spirituall Virgin And free from pride Esay 66.2 that he be humble Vpon whom will I looke saith the Lord Even upon the lowly in heart This the blessed Virgin knew wel when she said that God looked upon the lowlinesse of his handmaid Luke 1. Ser. 1. super Missus est Respexit humilitatem potiùs quà m virginitatem saith Bernard He beheld her humility rather than virginity By which every soule may examine himselfe if he be a spirituall Virgin or no. Secondly we have to observe that the faithfull soule is espoused or betrothed to Christ Iesus St. Paul saith Eph. 5 23. that as the husband is to the wife so is Christ to his Church that is he is husband it is true in effect The faithfull soule is betrothed to Christ But if wee consider what is to come our great Marriage which beginneth to be solemnized at the day when our soules goe to glory and consummate when both soules and body goe thither and our dwelling for ever in his house we are but espoused or betrothed unto him Ioh. 14.2 for as yet he is gone before us to prepare a place for us This the name of Spouse doth declare Bern. in Locum for Sponsus is à spondendo from promising that either shall keepe themselves for other Finally as Christ did to the faithfull Corinthians so he doth to all other his faithfull servants whom by the ministery of St. Paul he betrothed to himselfe 2 Cor. 11.2 The use of this doctrine may be knowne That hee may love and long for Christ the more by the use of betrothing that a certaine time sometimes more sometimes lesse being set betweene it and the Marriage day the love of both might be increased by the earnest desire of their meeting Cupienti animae nihil satis festinatur Salust Nothing can hasten enough to a longing soule Institutum est ut iam pacta spousae non tradantur statim ne vilem habeat maritus datam quam non suspira verit sponsus dilatam Aug. Confess lib 8. cap. 3. sect 3. and this was that which made Iacob love Rachell the better who for seven yeares together after betrothing was sometimes faint with extreme worke now burnt with the Sunne another time frozen with colde most time pined with scarsity all times tormented betweene love to Rachell and feare of Labans subtleties So is it between Christ and us we are by faith in espousage joyned unto him to the end that our desire and love unto him may more earnestly wish for the full enjoying of him This longing in love David felt Psal 84.2 when hee said Phil. 1.23 My soule longeth and fainteth for the Courts of the Lord and Saint Paul when he wished to be dissolved and be with Christ Blessed were wee if this desire were in us Bern in Locum ex Poeta and if we sighed and groaned because we are absent from our Lord Palleat omnis amans Prov. 13.12 Every true lover hath for signes in him palenesse and leannesse for when hope is deferred it maketh the heart to faint that no pleasure can make thee body well liking Are these signes in thee of thy love to Christ Away with delicate and dainty meates the desire of wines the pleasures of worldly riches and honour the love of these better fit him that never lookes for any comfort by Christ If thou sigh and be pale and leane for desire of that blessed day he shall send to thee his comforting Spirit and afterward hasten his comming Happie is this desire for though the deferring of our meeting with Christ is a sorrow in the soule yet is the hope of enjoying it aboue al pleasure the world can yeeld both which may bee seene in this saying of David I should haue fainted Psal 27.13 except I had beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the living Ten Virgins went out to meete the Bridegroome As for the number of the Virgins ten we are not to trouble our selves to enquyre The curiositie of some have given a reason though very fruitlesse because there are ten Commandements to be observed by Gods servants I thinke hee understood according to sobriety and edification who sayd Non est curiosé serutandum quare decem sunt Virgines Euthym. in locum etc That we are not to search curiously why there are ten Virgins c. But in Parables some things are set to for framing the comparison some for expressing the intended purpose whereof this number ten is to continue an apt similitude of the Iewes Mariages wherein eight nyne or ten were appoynted attendants according as was fit for the estate and degree of the parties to be maried Went out c. We goe out to meete Christ when leaving Nature Sinne and Sathan What it is to meet Christ and denying and disclaiming them wee professe our selves to attend the service of Iesus Christ Abraham was called out to meete his Master by this charge Get thee out of thy Countrey Gen. 12.1 from thy kindred and from thy Fathers house Likewise Lot was called out of Sodome Gen. 19. and charged not to looke backe The Spouse of Christ is called out Psal 45.10 Esa 52 11. Forget thy owne people and fathers house Depart ye depart ye touch no uncleane thing yea Christians are called out from the love of father mother and friends or else they cannot be worthy of Christ Mat 16.24 yea from their owne will that they may submit themselves unto the will of God If we either stay in our naturall state Wee cannot meete Christ untill we goe out of Nature or in our selves we cannot meet Christ in our dwelling of nature remaineth the anger of God bent against the inclinations of the soule that even in birth Saint Paul calls us Children of wrath Eph. 2.2 In our common naturall state we have Satans craftinesse encompassing against us with secret suggestions and occasions of sinne our friends and neighbours with their practise to teach and countenance it we have the deceits of the world upon our right hand to seduce us from the love of God the miseries and terrours of this world to draw us from the onely fearing of God that
better the Scripture hath laid lessons in our way which we stand in neede of by seeking of which wee may finde somewhat for our eternall comfort The duties required of man and wife may be learned by the actions of God his Church the love of the man to the wife is taught by the love of Christ to his Church Ephes 5.22 23 c. when he gave his life rather than it should be lost how tenderly they should shew themselves in all their actions is taught by Christs nourishing and cherishing the Church And on the other part the subjection and reverence the woman ought to have towards her husband is taught by the subjection of the Church unto Christ who onely hath an eye to him and desireth to be governed according to his direction It is an heavenly patterne so to governe our selves as we have Christ for an example and on the other part we wrong our selves in mariage when we bereave our selves of this heavenly comfort for this is onely the way to make our mariage comfortable and heavenly often to call to remembrance the union of Christ to his Church and especially to our soules and according as we are dealt with and behave our selves in the spirituall mariage so to frame our lives and actions in the duties of mariage according to the same example I dare boldly promise in the name of God Gal. 6.16 that he who sanctifieth his mariage in walking after this rule peace shall be on him in this life and mercy shall be his portion in the life to come in being admitted to that society of mariage with Christ in heaven which hee so much loved and imitated whilest hee remained upon earth If I should take a survey of many maried persons and enquire if they learne and practise any thing according to the rule of Christ and his Church I should finde them of another spirit that where Christ appointeth their life according to the rule of heaven they live in imitation of hell as if they were bound together to be tormenters one to another The unquiet lives of many doe shew that Satan hath gotten power to curse them and when all things else doe pleasure both they finde want of nothing but love and quietnesse Is the God of peace and love dwelling with such a couple No sure it is the enemy of peace Or can we exhort them to love their neighbour and be tender-hearted to him when they hate and torment their owne flesh Love is a marke of Christs scholler and it is certaine that he must be taught and led by Satans overruling hand that beginneth hatred so neere home as to be enemie unto their heart which God hath appointed to lye in his owne bosome No fault but it can pretend just ground and married couples can pretend reason too But will a man be angry if the one hand cut the other seeing they are both alike his owne and should hee be angry though faults happen among them must he fall at variance for every fault What should become of him if the Lord should for every fault shew his wrath against him Or if there were cause given should hee then be angry and shew hatred This is not the example of our Saviour who loved every member of his Church and gave his life for them even when they were enemies and did what they could to offend him If the fault be in the wives carriage St. Paul counsells Col. 3.19 yet to love them and be not bitter unto them alwayes remembring the example of Christ who laboured to cleanse his Church and to make it without spot or blame Eph 5 26 27. If the fault bee in the men and they be untoward Saint Peter counselleth the women 1 Pet. 3.1 that by all meanes they subject themselves to their husbands that though they were infidels yet they might be wonne by the conversation of their wives There is no place for contention betweene man and wife all should be love and if the maried would take care to behave themselves like Christians in their houses towards themselves wee should not see or heare them so often in the streets behaving themselves like Turkes towards others nor suffer Satan to goe betweene them and the blessing of their mariage ☞ Of the joyes of heaven it is said They that were ready went in with him to the Mariage THE mariage entertainment is now to be spoken of whereof all the prepared Virgins shal in the glorious day of Christs comming be made partakers True it is that Gods servants after death shall be followers of Christ into the glory of heaven and there are in blisse glory and joy which is not possible to be conceaved But in this Parable I must direct my speech unto that felicity which we are to have both in body soule after the day of judgement because the text tendeth that way and Christ in it respecteth the question that was propounded unto him concerning his comming Math. 24.3 and now applyeth and in this Parable concludeth the doctrine of his comming with an exhortation to watching Notwithstanding whatsoever can be said of the glory both of body and soule miseries there Math. 6.20 so saith the Scripture that in heaven neither the moth nor canker corrupteth neither theeues dig through nor steale Revel 21.4 and God shall wype all teares from their eyes there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither any more paine for the sorrowes of this world shall be gone In manner of excellency when wee see any thing good comfortable profitable or honourable for us we straight conclude a greater excellency of all such things to be desired are in heaven the onely seate of felicitie Quotiescunque saith Hierom. te vana seculi delectabit ambitio Ad Eustoch quotiescunque in seculo videris aliquid gloriosum ad paradisum mente transgredere Whensoever the vaine desires of this world doth delight thee whensoever thou seest any thing in the world glorious then let thy minde mount up to Paradise and in this kinde excellent things are spoken of heavenly Ierusalem Psal 87.3 The thing that all men account best and sweetest is life therefore the Scripture hath promised us a life in heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for excellency whereof it may be justly sayd to us Cic. in som Scip. Vestra verò quae dicitur vita mors est that our life is but a death Nothing more comfortable to them that liue then assurance of long life from whence we conclude that in heaven which hath fulnes of all comfort we shall haue eternall life The most profitable life that we can desire is to have all things that can make us happie of which we finding some things in this life for our comfort and refreshment wee conclude that in heaven are all things that need to make us perfectly blessed the greatest honour this world hath is to be head of one
and body of man is onely capable of spirituall grace and in it consume themselves like Oyle so on the contrary the Lampes of Gods servants are their soules and bodies the Oyle wherewith they are filled are the graces of Gods Spirit as shall hereafter evidently appeare Seeing that God hath onely made Man and Angels participes rationis Born Ser. 1. Advent capaces beatitudinis partakers of reason and capable of happinesse it followeth The spirit of man is the Lampe of the Lord c. Prov 20.27 that nothing can be meant by our Lamps but soule and body the faculties and powers whereof are onely capable of the grace that leadeth and directeth us to glory Saint Paul exhorteth us to offer up our soules and bodies unto God as a living and acceptable sacrifice Rom. 12.1 his reason is that this onely is our reasonable serving of him he that would prepare and offer all things else to receive Gods benefits in and not himselfe is without understanding and sheweth not himselfe a reasonable server of God Christ held himselfe unfit to meete both with God and man in the office of a Mediatour untill hee had an humane soule and body made as his Lampe wherein hee should receive the Oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes which soule and body being given him he said Psal 40. Hebr. 10. A body hast thou given me I come to doe thy will ō God You learne therefore both what your Lampes are and how you are forewarned to prepare them And therefore God must bee served with them or els all wee doe is in vaine it is onely your selves that are capable of Gods grace and that are to be prepared for receiving and enterteining Christ King Balak was not capable of a blessing who prepared dumbe beasts enough for offering to God but never meant to prepare himselfe yea the first mercenary Prophet Balaam though the spirit of prophecy came upon him yet there was no grace in him his Lampe was counterfeit it had no place to receive and containe this Oyle his heart was so filled with ambition and covetousnesse that hee could not cease from perverting the straight way of the Lord he had a body for the outward service of God but hee had no soule for him Whilest wicked King Saul in bodily humility and consonancy of words prophecied with the Schoole-Prophets at Ramath 1 Sam. 19.24 his heart was filled as Samuel had tolde him before with rebellion against the manifest will and commandements of God from which it appeareth 1 Sam. 15 23. that all servers of God by goods deputies or mustering shewes shall be banished from Gods favour Mark 7. The young libertine Iewes in Christs time thought that they had honoured their parents well enough when they offered any thing in sacrifice or to the Temple-Treasurie for their health and prosperity though notwithstanding they neither supplyed their wants nor obeyed them in any lawfull demand whatsoever in no better fashion doe they serve God who prepare with their goods their friends servants to serve God yea or their bodies when their hearts are the most gainsayers of his will the first ought to be done but the second must not be left undone God must be served with all but especially with a sincere and unfeigned heart which is more than all as himselfe saith Prov. 23. My sonne give me thy heart Remember the miserable examples of many like Salomons Proverbiall adulteresse Prov. 7.14 who had done well enough when all her vowes and sacrifices were performed and offered her duties and offerings paid to the Priest yet went she to her old wickednesse for that was next her heart God saith that she made swift pace to destruction Prov. 2.18 Balaam before named for this fault hath a pittifull complaint Numb 24.2 He was by prophecy blessing Israel who standing afarre off from them even by this action confessed that he was not in the number and company of the blessed so he said that his state should be at the comming of Christ Verse 17. I shall behold him but not neere so all whose heart and affections are now estranged from God he shall be estranged in the end from them and shall say Depart from mee but in this life and day of salvation hee exhorteth you saying Iam. 4.8 Draw neere to God and hee will draw neere to you This can neither be urged nor considered of too much As the Israelites were to carry the Candlestickes and Lampes of the Tabernacle with instruments sitting for their keeping and use For the right ordering of soule and body so wise Christians must have with them such things as be usefull for the orderly keeping of soule and body The Lampe in Moses Tabernacle had two necessary instruments the snuffers and receiving-pipe in which they powred the Oyle and that nothing be wanting I make bold to adde a third A manuscript to which the Author set not his name In Prafat after the example of one who wrote the life of St. Patrike out of diverse uncertaine and fabulous scattered legends at the request of Hugh de Lacy Earle of Vlster Thomas Archbishop of Ardmagh and Malachy Bishop of Doune who said that he behooved to use the instruments appointed for Lampes in Moses law which were emunctorium infusorium extinctorium snuffers infusers extinguishers Exod 25. Gods word onely nameth the first two for it was commanded that the Lampe should continually burne because saith hee the idle and superfluous things are to bee snuffed away the things that were true to be received into the worke the things that were altogether false were to be cleane put out So Christians in their soules and bodies must have sinne put out vertue cherished and superfluities snuft and cut away The Prophet Esay saith Esay 40.4 that Christ came to this purpose into the world and St. Iohn Baptist before him that every valley should be exalted here are the receivers when the foule empty of knowledge and comfort is filled up that every hill should be made low here are the extinguishers where every sinne whatsoever is exalted or stiffenecked against the Majesty of God is Gods Word approved Non negligenda sunt ea bona August per quae ad meliora pervenire possumus We are not to neglect these good things by which we may come to better yea our Saviour compareth the first begining of grace unto a graine of mustard-seed Math. 13 31. which hath need of cherishing before it come to the bignesse of a tree And some things moderated and corrected Thirdly some things must be moderated and corrected but not put cleane out these are our naturall affections and the entiesements of this world Our naturall desires would bee satisfied with things naturall but there is a covetise inclosed in it that insteed of satisfiyng is ever in dāger to drawe a surfett vpon us and therefore our naturall desires
wrath they have heaped upon themselves his elect have an acceptable time a day of salvation the reprobate a time to disobey his voice to harden their hearts and so spend forty yeares or more as in the provocation and day of temptation in the wildernesse this is the abuse of time which of all things that are consumed should be most grievous unto us Here 's si scires unum tua tempora mensem Rides cum non sit forsitan una dies Th. Mor. if wee knew how precious and short it were Hee that were certaine to live no more but a moneth or at most a yeare would be sure to spend his apparell in mourning and yet it may be his life prove not so long as the length of a day As God gave Iezabel the meanes of repentance 1 Kings 21 23 by the preaching of Eliah so as a speciall benefit hee gave her time to repent even fourteene yeares after the death of Ahab but she would not and therefore the promised wrath of God lighted upon her Christ in his Epistle written from heaven unto the Church of Thyatira Revel 2 21. desires them to consider her fearefull example in abusing the time When God taketh account of all he reckoneth for the time too and therefore beloved strive to buy time by all labour and industry and for what we have or may lose let vs redeeme by making double use and profit of it But such is the miserable estate of our sinfull nature that our eye is evill because God is good We abuse time as we do other blessings in our actions we are prodigal because God in bounty is liberall God giveth good things cheerefully we receive them grudgingly use them cursedly And although all his benefits be good yet wee cannot use them so for all our imaginations and intentions are evill and therefore this great benefit in sparing us and giving us time of repentance and preparation for death and judgement brings by our crossenesse a contrary effect as appeareth by example both in elect and reprobate men Gods long-suffering from correcting of his owne servants causeth them to be slacke in his service what shall wee then thinke of others If for a few yeares wicked men goe uncurbed they say the words of the Psalme God neither seeth Psal 10.11 neither is there knowledge in the Almighty and how farre Gods children goe astray may appeare in the behaviour of that sometimes flourishing Commonwealth of Israel in every time when they had most of Gods temporall blessings of whom Moses in his death-song both by experience and prophecy said that when they were full Deut. 32 15. they waxed wanton and Davids fearefull fall and Salomons idolatry sheweth the danger of his children when God stayeth long from correcting them But seeing in this sleeping and slumbering the blessed or miserable estate of these Virgins is set downe we are to consider how farre faulty each of them shall be found at the comming of Christ for the Parable saith generally all slumbered and slept which is to be considered as the Scripture doth take the name of sleepe either for sinne security or naturall death ☞ Of the daily increase of sinne and the fulnes thereof at Christs comming FIrst the Scripture useth the word sleeping for sinning 1 Cor. 15 34. Rom. 13.11 as in these places Awake truly out of sleepe and sinne not The houre is that wee should rise from sleepe where the Apostle expoundeth it of sinne and in Eph. 5.14 it is named for sinne which is also there called a death as 1 Tim. 5 6 to teach us Esay 59.2 that sinne separateth us from God who is the life of the soule And that as he that sleepeth wanteth use of his senses and is not capable of the actions which concerne reasonable men to doe so the sinner The abundance of sinne before the great day may appear by the daily increase of it untill he be awaked by repentance is not able to doe these things which God requireth of an understanding man In sleep the senses leave their proper use but then the naturall powers are busiest as appetite digestion of meate concoction and feeding of the body so in sin the soule is made without feeling of God or its owne state but for the powers of corrupted and sinfull nature they receive strength and are busie to fulfill the sinfull lusts of the flesh And thus we finde that Gods servants doe often slumber but after they be effectuallly called seldome doe they sleepe in sinne but so soone as they slumber they are affrighted by Gods angry threatnings and awaked by repentance As for the Reprobates God giveth them over unto the spirit of slumber Esay 29 10. 6 9. without feeling of what they doe or being able to heare any call of God for their awaking because the Lord intendeth to destroy them 1 Sam 2 25. as is evident in the sonnes of Eli. Therefore in Christs Church immediatly before his comming his true servants shall as men possessed with a sleepy heavines wrastle against the heavines and importunity of naturall concupiscence and continue the battell betweene the spirit and flesh as all the godly before them have done in the dayes of their flesh But for the Vessels of wrath as in the olde world they waxed worse and worse more cruell beastly sensuall and profane and the Sodomites wickednesse for guilt reached heaven yea and in the end they offered shutting eares eyes bookes shunning the company of them who are likeliest to mark or admonish them like those who affect to be sleepy indeed to shut doores windowes avoid noise and company and finally draw curtaines over their eyes and commit their heads to the company of a pillow untill God from heaven reade their dreames with a hasty mischiefe Wee see many to have particular experience of this and it shall be the awaking at the last day for men shall bee playing the Epicures Luc 17.26 27 28.30 2 Pet 2 7 8. 1 Thess 5.3 as in the dayes of Noah vexing the few righteous as the Sodomites did Lot crying peace peace when on a sodaine in the twinkling of an eye God shall send the flood of his wrath fire from heaven and eternall destruction to bring all foregone conceited pleasures to nothing No age of the world wherein religion flourished hath beene free from this sleepinesse of security except the rodde of persecution or affliction were above them to teach them how dangerous their state were if once they slumbred but above all the security that shall generally be at the last day could never be exemplified in any former experience for all their senses shall be bound and without power of feeling the force of religion or understanding the terror of Gods wrath therefore our Saviour compareth this deadnesse to sleepe for if men were awake there were hope that though they were blinde yet they might heare if they wanted both senses
of common light Math. 8.12 Math 22.13 for they shall be cast into utter darknesse insteed of quicknesse for motion they shall be bound hand and foote and the soule clogged to the body and lastly their bodies and soules are capable of nothing but sufferings and torments Mar 9.44 for their worme dyeth not and their fire never goeth out So when all arise the godly and wicked shall differ more then the blacknesse of a blackamore from the brightnes of the Sunne Consider these things and so behave your selves as you wish in the Resurrection to be a vessell of honour or dishonour according as you shall to your unspeakable joy or sorrow finde it in that fearefull day And trimmed their Lampes Lest Virgins appointed to be attendants at mariage be unfitt for the honour that becommeth their place it is requisite that they be adorned with wedding garments furnished with lampes or wedding Torches for preparing whereof they have an appoynted and competent time So the Lord hath granted unto us such competency of time as in his wisdome he knoweth is sufficient for our preparation to meet him when he shal call by death or the last judgement Now when the Bridegroome is coÌ„ming and the Virgins on foote to meet him it onely remaines that they trimme their Lampes as they are in meeting of him So when in death and judgement we are meeting the Lord we shall turne our mindes to the consideration of what state our soules and bodyes were in and whether in our life time we were prepared for meeting him or not this is the meaning of trimming their lampes aptaverunt lampades suas id est rationes reddendas operum which is August de Temp. Ser. 23. that they were to addresse them to give account of their works This is the busines that every one shall take in hand both after death and the Resurrection Our lampes for this spirituall and everlasting imployment are our soules and bodies which are never knowne how ready they were untill they bee brought in examination and tryal before the Lord reade Math. 22.11 which must be in death when we goe to the Lord or in the generall judgement when he commeth to us in both which this trimming and addressing our selves to account shall be used In death Heb. 9. â—9 the soule must be brought to this account for after death commeth judgement after it hath left the body then doth it call it selfe to account how it may answere at the tribunall seate of Gods justice unto which it is then conveyed In the great Iudgement both soule and body doe joyntly returne to consider what they shall answer to the great and fearefull reckoning they shall be charged withall For we must all appeare before the judgement seate of Christ 2 Cor. 5.10 and give account of whatsoever we have done The prodigall Sonne was long before he studied an answere and account of his life yet he did it when he was to meet his Father All this doctrine may be read as it is set downe in Esay 29. vers 15.18.19.20.21.22.23.24 so though men be now coÌ„tent to forget their owne experience and to counterfeit the ignorance of their owne knowledge in all things that concerne themselves yet when they are comming to the judgement seate of Christ they shall search for some answere which may prove most currant for their delivery This shall be done by two helpes first all men shall examine themselves how prepared they were when they were in this world and that this may the more truely and speedily be performed Revel 20.12 the booke of the conscience shall bee opened wherein is written all that ever men have done for as men have bookes to this purpose that they put in them the treasury of things which the memory cannot containe so shall the consciences of all men shew at one fearefull sight unto every man Math. 12.36 the Legend of their life and actions with all the circumstances of them every idle word shall be remembred Ecclesias 12 14. and every worke shall bee brought to judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or evill then shall this power of Conscience Rom. 2.15 shew it selfe either in accusing or excusing all eyes shal be opened to see if they be naked or clothed in the sight of God Our sinfull actions in this life are they which make up this large booke of reckoning against vs for both it is our owne actions and it shall be our owne knowledge and memory that shall witnesse against us If therefore this debt of ours doth daily increase with which we shall accuse our selves in Gods presence let us like wise debters looke our count booke often and be ever discharging some by often examining what our conscience can witnes against us when we finde our faults cry according as our Saviour instructed us Lord forgive us our debts if we doe thus often our conscience shall have the lesse to accuse us of and the more easily shall our lampes be trimmed in the judgement day Secondly the servants of God had other lampes in this world then wicked men had and therefore they shall finde it in trimming and addressing themselves to give account Gods servants for their lampe vsed their soule and body which they offred as a quicke and lively sacrifice unto God Rom 12.1 and therefore in the Resurrection they find them ready to give account for which they laboured so much all their life time and are found ready to goe in with the Lord of glory into his heavenly habitation as will appeare verse 10. Reprobate men in their life labour only wearying theÌ„selves in the wayes of wickednes some are so sensuall that they distast all things except pleasure untill they surfet of it and by bodily weakenes their mindes grow queasie as formerly their stomacks were Dissidet ambiguis semper mens obvia votis Nee voluisse homini satis est optata recusat Auson Elyâ— 15. others for their lampes are enamoured with the lustre that the deceiving world hath and toyle as much to fill the belly of their chests with trash as the sensuall do to stopp their belly full of detestable doung Both these kinds of men of which kinds most Reprobates are have mistaken their lampes and insteed of making soule and body ready for account labor to fatten and make delicate their body to feast wormes withall or to fill all their stores with riches which proves often times fewell to unexpected fire a sword for robbers to kill them withall but sure in the end a barre to shutt them out of heaven and to hinder them from preparing for judgement and therefore how can these bee ready who never prepared themselves Thirdly by trimming of their lampes is understood the framing of them to that readinesse they were in when they layd them downe to sleepe So when all men shall addresse them to goe to judgement
or friendship of all others are onely as salves for necessitie and to be despised in comparison of this bond betweene man and wife True it is that there is no bond of love but the Lord hath by example of it expressed his love unto us Christ called his Disciples servants Iohn 15.13 14 15. in respect that they knew not their Masters will but considering his love to them he calleth them friends and yet with such a bond of friendship on his part that was rare to be seene that he should give his life for his friends Also by the example of parents who are nearest of our kindred saying Psal 103 13. As the father loveth and hath compassion on his sonne so hath the Lord on those that feare him The Lord thinketh the love great which the mother hath to the childe asking if she can forsake it Esay 49 15. though many both fathers and mothers have fulfilled the prophecy of the last time 2 Tim 3 3. Psal 27.10 in being without naturall affection and though father and mother may forsake the childe yet the Lord will take up his owne But above all Christ compareth the bond betweene him and us to love betweene the husband and the wife for as the highest of his honour is shewed by being head of the Church Ephes 1 22. Chap 5 23 30 31. which is his body so the inexpressible love betweene him and us is set out unto us by the example of the love of husband and wife in respect of which we must forsake if need require the friendship of father mother or any friends whatsoever In this life we love the Lord but in the great meeting and marriage our love shall increase to such a height which now passeth our understanding Such as our knowledge is such is our love here we know in part and therefore our love is the lesse 1 Cor. 13 12. but when we shall know as we are knowne what mortall man is able to imagine how dearely wee shall love the Lord And then shall wee understand how dearely the Lord hath loved us and comprehend that for which wee are comprehended of Christ Philip 3 11. The manifestation hereof doth better befit the solemnity of our spirituall marriage for as the personall meeting of lovers increaseth love and the aptest time that their love should shew itselfe to the beholders so in our meeting of Christ our love shall be greatly increased and it is the fittest time in which the mutuall love of Christ and his members shall be declared which love how great it is now on Christs and shall be then on our part is not possible to be understood because love cannot bee understood but in such measure as it is felt Thirdly our remaining with Christ in glory is compared to a mariage solemnitie to teach us that the joyes of heaven are communicate and many made partakers of them In Mariages all the friends and guests are partakers of the same intertainment with the Bridegroome and commonly honoured with his service partakers of showes made to delight the eye of voyces and melodious harmonies for the eare with other delights that are knowne to give most pleasure and content for such loving societies but aboue all the particular love they have unto the Bridegroome whose voyce they rejoyce to heare and whom they both honour and delight to see advanced to that solemne honour and publick respect In like manner after the great judgement we shall goe into eternall joy and all be partakers of the same glory and to reach the similitude further Christ saith to them that he shall find ready with their Lampes Luke 12 37. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he commeth shall finde waking verily I say unto you he will gird himselfe about and make them sit downe at table and will come forth and serue them And to the end that his Disciples might reiect the ambitious conceites of worldly honour Luk 22 27. he saith unto them Who is greater he that sitteth at table And I am among you as he that serveth 28. and ye are they which have continued with me in my tentations therefore I appoynt unto you a Kingdome 29.30 as my Father hath appointed to me that ye may eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome No delight shall be wanting either to soule or body God shall be all in all 1 Cor. 15.28 Psal 16.11 in whose presence is fulnes of joy for evermore But aboue all the love we shall have to our Lord and Saviour and the unspeakable glory he is in shall be as a heaven of joyes to every glorified soule which he himselfe saith shall bee our chiefe happinesse that we may be where he is and behold his glory he said not that they may enjoy my glory but see my glory Iohn 17.24 Homini enim maximâ— requies videre filium Dei Theophil and David said the same Psal 17.15 2 Cor. 3.18 and indeed as S. Paul saith by seeing the Lords glory wee are changed into the same image by the Spirit of the Lord as is evident by the shining of Moses face before he was freed from his corruptible body Fourthly by this comparison is shewed the eternitie of those joyes which we shall possesse in this spirituall Mariage The Lord hath made a hedge to inviron defend his ordinance of Mariage against all debate of policie Math 19.6 that no man put asunder those whom God hath coupled together So that whatsoever devideth man and wife must be the enemy of God or man if sinne doe it yet sin not being imputed becommeth as no sinne so though adultery is one of the enemyes of Mariage yet if be not imputed it causeth not a separation but the last enemy of man which is death is only the unremediable breaker of Wedlocke and freeth the one from the law of the other Of all our comforts and pleasures in this life the gall and bitternesse is inclosed in death the remembrance of it before it approach neare is bitter unto us Ecclesiasticus 41.1 the comming terrible no fence is able to holde it out so long as the gappes of sinne attend to receive it when it commeth it divideth us from friends goods acquaintance pleasures and so maketh a separation betweene man and wife yea betweene soule and body body and life But while they both live the law hath dominion of both saith the Apostle meaning that death onely doth make separation Rom. 7.1 2. without hope of dwelling together any more as husband and wife So in our spirituall marriage whilest it receiveth this name it sheweth our state to remaine immutable for ever because there shal neither be sin nor death to annoy us or threaten to separate us from him and seeing all the enemies of our salvation are not able to separate us from the love of God in Iesus Christ what then can hurt us Rom 8 35.
far frō loathing quia sitientes satiabimur satiati sitiemus for in thirsting after the same wee shall be filled and being filled we shall thirst What shall wee doe in heaven saith Augustine Psal 84.4 The Psalme saith Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be alwayes praising thee this shall be our eternall action Thou ceasest to praise him if thou cease to love him but thou shalt not leave loving of him for hee whom thou seest can never be too much looked upon his presence causeth fulnesse of joy nor offend thee with loathing Et satiat te non satiat Mirum est quod dico si dicam quia satiat te timeo ne c. August in Psal 85 in Hebr. 86.17 Adiu visti me consolatus es me Hee both filleth and filleth thee not this is a wonder that I say for if I say he filleth thee I feare thou shouldst conceiue it in earthly manner that thou shouldest depart as one filled with a dinner or supper if I say hee doth not fill thee I feare thou shouldest seeme to want and be empty in some part which should be filled why then shall I say that which cannot be uttered cannot be conceived It is easier to obtaine than declare the joyes of heaven whatsoever wee can conceiue or speake we shall to our great comfort finde it true which is written As we haue heard Psal 48.8 so haue wee seene in the Citty of the Lord but what we shal heare and see cannot come by report Wonderfull things were tolde the Queene of Sheba 2 Chron. 9.6 of Salomons wisedome and glory of his Kingdome she beleeved them not untill she saw and heard them and then she confessed that the one halfe was not reported unto her Glorious things are spoken of heaven unto us and such as wee shall understand could not be delivered and conceiued with words Let us therefore beleeue the Lord and rely with hope untill that blessednesse be shewen upon us he hath done a harder thing than bringing us to immortality For it is harder to beleeue saith Aug. that he who is eternal should die In Psal 148.6 Posuit mandatum c. than that a mortall man should live for ever We beleeue the death of the Sonne of God if God died for man shall not man live with God or hee live eternally for whom one died who liveth for ever Vses of this doctrine The use the Scripture teacheth us of this doctrine is first that considering what entertainment the Lord hath prepared for us in heaven we should winde our hearts from the love of the shadowes which the world presents unto us We are here like the poore estate of the prodigall childe if we considered how many were in our Fathers house in full felicity we would wish to be removed from this place where hogges have as much to maintaine their life as we can obtaine to maintaine ours St. Paul who once tasted of this joy sighed and groaned ever after to bee gone out of the world and little reason have we if wee appertaine unto God to be in love with our worldly estate for it hinders us of a better Secondly what labor should we take to obtaine unspeakable joyes or to purchase a heavenly kingdome August in Psal 93. in Hebr. 94.20 Nunquid sedes iniquitatis c. If we speake the truth eternall rest is worthy to be bought with eternall labour yet the Lord is mercifull in hastening us to get possession Let us therefore consider at what rate we would sell those joyes if once we had them and we shall the better know what labour and paines is worthy to be payed for them Thirdly this doctrine is set downe to comfort and ease all that suffer misery in this life that they looke not on the things which are seene but the things which are not seene that nothing prove so intollerable which they feare to suffer that they may see Christ in glory In Manual therefore Augustine did encourage himselfe against miseries and meditated thus O soule if we behooved to suffer daily torments if to suffer hell it selfe a long time that we might see Christ in glory and be fellowed with his Saints were it not worthy to suffer all that is painfull that we may be partakers of so great a glory Let therefore the infernall spirits beset us let them prepare their temptations let fasting breake the body let labours burden watching dry up let whosoever disquiet me let my conscience murmure heate burne me the body sicken the breast be enflamed the stomack swell let the countenance grow pale let all be weake let my life end in sorrow and my yeares in mourning Habac 3 16. let rottennesse enter into my bones so that I may have rest in the day of tribulation And the gate was shut Now followeth the reward of foolishnesse the foolish are kept without doores and not admitted to the company of the wise nor accounted worthy that the same place should receive the carelesse and improvident which is appointed as a reward unto the understanding and industrious The greatest punishment that could be imposed upon the unprovided for a common wedding was to be exposed to shame and shut out of doores Therefore Christ according hereunto saith that the Reprobate shall be shut out from partaking the felicity of the elect when notwithstanding this is not their greatest sorrow for if they were neither capable of joy Pana damni nor sorrow their estate might seeme more tollerable but their misery can never be enough pitied for they shall be punished with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord 2 Thess 1. if once their misery could come to an end it were some hope of comfort but eternally this word is more painefull then all the paine besides that so long they must suffer torment as God is God And so everlastingly they shall be banished from the presence of God who is mercifull and chained in the land of forgetfullnesse When our Saviour sheweth that they shall be deprived of a glorious inheritance and expresseth no more he would have us thereby to understand that there is no man so forgetfull of salvation if he knew how great good he were to have needed to be threatned with any further punishment The like is set downe in the Revelation that the punishment of filthy and wicked men shall be to be without the gates of heavenly Ierusalem Revel 22 15. St. Paul in punishment of diverse kinds of wickednesse pronounceth 1 Cor. 6.10 Gal 5 21. Ephes 5 5. that they shall not inherite the kingdome of God who is able to abide such a doome To bee sure that others in our presence shall enter to possesse unspeakable joyes and our selues receive ashamefull repulse Who can patiently abide to be disinherited When Caine was banished from the Lords presence favour he complained in this life Gen. 4 13. That his
whose danger must be prevented by watching Souldiers Shepheards Seamen and Citizens Souldiers beset with their enemies 1. Souldiers how great their danger is every man doth conceive even to be no lesse than their life if at any houre they watch not So are we who are Christs souldiers in this life if ever we be carelesse of sinne fearelesse of Satan our soules wil presently be betrayed if not altogether destroyed In warre a league may be made betweene enemies or a time of truce because of some common inconvenience but betweene Satan and every soule there is such a hatred that though we would wish sometimes for ease and rest yet unlesse Satan hath taken and possessed the soule Mat. 12 43. he goeth through dry places seeking rest and findeth none Theophilact in Matth 8 29. yea he thinkes it a torment unto him not to be tormenting or betraying the poore souldiers of Christ 2 Cor 6 14. There can be no agreement betweene the Prince of darknesse and children of light And if peace were possible with Satan yet were it more dangerous than open warre for he destroyeth none but those to whom hee seemes a friend and is at peace and league with none can perish that stands on his guard Saint Iames who was not ignorant of his practises Iam 4 7. saith Resist the Divell and he shall fly from you Now because the Divell is never weary but is ever assaulting Gregor ut saltem tedio vincat quos vi vincere non potest that hee may at least overcome them with wearinesse whom hee could not by violence therefore every soule should watch and looke about him St. Paul when he appoints every Christian soule with armour he exhorts them to consider what power what despitefulnesse and cunning they have to deale withall ends all his instruction with setting a sure watch in these words Ephes 6.18 And watch with perseverance All of us are sworne souldiers and therefore all must watch or else perish 2 Shepheards 1 Sam 17 34. Secondly Shepheards must watch or they can not prevent danger David was a good watcher of his flocke and thereby saved them from the Lion and the Beare So the Lord hath appointed everyone to take care of the soule committed unto him lest the Lion or Beare take it from him This is like the charge of Vriah the Hittite 2 Sam 12.3 4. Wee have one little sheepe which wee nourish up with us it eates of our bread drinkes of our cup sleepes in our bosome now one that had many more must needes have this one which was all the man had The covetous and malicious hearts are never filled Sathan being chained to eternall darknesse with the legions of his damned fellowes are not satisfied with their owne torments but labour to catch one of Christs flocke from every one that hath it committed to his charge and therefore it stands every man upon it to looke to that one soule a member of the Flocke redeemed with the blood of the Sonne of God that Satan devoure it not Acts 20 28. St. Peter hath given this charge of Christs in this manner exhorting every man to beware of the enemy of Christs flocke in these words Watch 1 Pet. 5 8. for your adversary the Devell goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devoure Thirdly Seamen must be watchfull 3 Seamen Navis enim sive lignum cum quo transimus hoc mare est hoc corpus quod est vas fragile c. Helwici◠lib. de similitud lib. 1. cap. 51. Sic pereunt in mari hoc magno spatioso sic pereunt miseri c. Bernar. Ser. 1. Advent who in stormes are in danger to be swallowed in the deepe or burst asunder upon Rockes yea though it were calme they are in danger that the Vessell receive not in water and though they have past many dangers yet they are not safe So we live as upon the broad sea ready at all times to bee drowned in sinne and swallowed up by destruction no man can assure himselfe to be free from danger The great nets of Satan are continually open his secret baites are ever in our way And though we were not loaded with occasions nor entised by sundry devices to undoe our selves by sinne yet the inward corruption wee have is enough to keepe us in continuall feare lest wee draw in iniquity like water and so sinke downe to destruction And though wee have escaped long yet we may not adventure to sleepe for in one houre we may perish Vltima me perdunt imoque sub aequore mergit incolumem toties una procella ratem Ovid. Trist lib. 3. and make the lamentation of many that our last deedes have undone us who have escaped Satans fury so long as a shippe that hath long travelled safely is devoured in one storme And therefore seeing our spirituall danger is no lesse than our bodily danger who are ever upon sea wee have reason to be watchfull and expect the same time of our arrivall in the Haven where we would be 4. Citizens Masters of Housholds Lastly Citizens and Masters of housholdes ought to be watchfull common dangers are incident to both theeves are busie to take advantage of time and fire may then most prevaile if it be not carefully heeded All of us claime to be Citizens of heaven we have the treasure and dispensation of grace kept in earthly vessels our houses are of clay theeves may easily breake through and robbe us We are likewise Masters of a house our house the Apostle calls our earthly body 2 Cor 5 1. in which are placed our senses wherein dwell the powers of the reasonable soule Our senses are weake to resist the darts of the Divell or power of Satan and which is worse they are as so many open gates which are ready to receive all uncleannesse and so overthrow the soule Satan is ever busie to steale away all the remainder of grace that is in us and if wee sleepe but a little he will sow his tares among the good corne the Lord hath sowne in us before And besides there is no Citty nor house more subject to be destroyed by fire than we are by our owne lusts which Satan taking the best advantage of if wee neglect but a little is blowne and kindled up that hardly can they be quenched againe repentance and floods of teares are little enough to allay the fury of them but before they be put out we must be sprinkled with the blood of Christ David fell to be carelesse sinne entred into his soule his concupiscence gave flame wherein he dangered the soule of himselfe and destroyed the lives of many so that the saying of Iob is true Iob 3◠12. that our lust is a sire that shall devoure to destruction and root out all our increase or as the translation called Ieromes hath it omnia virtutū genimina eradicans that is
of charge must be thus prepared appointed or in kind answerable hereunto which by comparison herewith may easily appeare Much more the servant of Christ who hath the Image of God in custody a soule body appointed for a heavenly kingdom continually assaulted in danger to be taken by Satan detained by wickednes to be coÌ„mitted unbaleable unto the torments of hell for ever 1. A watchman must have a good eye 1 A good eye the light of the body is the eye saith Christ yea the sight of the whole Army for the time is the eyes of sentinels watchmen from this they have the name of watchmen Esay 21 6. according to the words of the Prophet Goe set a watchman to tell what he seeth So every Christian must have a good eye to spy out the devices of our spirituall enemy Satan comes privately then is neerest when we think him to be farre off assailes us by those meanes which we least suspect It is all one to him what sin it is that overthrow us so he be sure we be detained in his power by one or other hereby he deceiveth many thousands who are watchfull in some things and esteeme Satan to lie hid in some sinnes but account other wickednesses to be the lawfull actions of a Christian wherin Satan hath no hand at all Thus having lost the right eye as Nahash would have pickt out of the Israelites and accounting Satan an enemy when he commeth in the grossest fashion 1 Sam 11. but a friend when hee comes as an Angel of light their soule is betrayed and in the end they finde that they were in the way of destruction The common religion professed and practised in these places and times may give godly hearts great occasion of mourning to see how many soules Satan hath in captivity by this unwatchfulnesse These words are out of Oliver Pigg on Psal 101. pag. 4â— which book was printed at London Anno 1591. They wil be the zealous professors of religion abhorrers of leud persons who only make conscience of murther theft adultery fornication drunkennes open blasphemy but they are profaners of the Sabboth by journeyes markets accounts casting and sending servants here and there they be cruell and oppresse they extort draw out the lives of the poore they be proud they make no scruple at all to spend that riotously and in vaine unnecessary pompe which ought to be laid out to maintaine Gods service I speake what I know and daily see I measure not the consciences of any by my private judgement nor speake these words as mine owne but thinke him a true Christian in whose life wee finde not these latter and common faults of the professours of our time but walketh with a straighter foote in the way of godlines Satan knew Eve to be the weaker of the two and therefore laid battery at the salvation of man rather in her than in Adam So where Satan spies thee weakest holde thine eye to that place there he intends to surprise thee knowing it a fruitlesse labour to assault thee with those vices of whose beastlinesse thou art ashamed Art thou given to covetousnes beware that thou hunt not after all occasions prosecute all meanes of catching riches by which thou shalt fall into the snare of the Divell and so of other particulars in which Satan takes advantage where wee are least circumspect Yea even the most holy men are to be watchfull least they be surprised by that same vertue in which they labour most no godly action but it hath a sinne that carrieth shew of it We see craftines and deceit to draw neare to wisdome cruelty to justice rashnesse to fortitude prodigality to liberality superstition to religion presumption unto hope cowardlines unto feare negligence sluggishnes to humility that the servant of Christ must be watchfull in all his actions that he receive not the poyson whilest hee labours for the honey This in particular St. Paul expresseth as a most necessary part in a watchman beseeching the Romans to marke diligently Rom 16.17 18 20. and avoid their enemies who with faire and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple to the doing whereof he promiseth that the God of peace shal tread Satan under their feet 2 A good eare 2. A watchfull Christian must have a good eare to discover thereby what he cannot perceive with his eyes The watchmen of the Midianites could not perceive the Israelites come upon theÌ„ for the darknes Iudg 7 11. nor espy Gideon that was among their tents because their eares were dull or rather stopped by God they had no meanes to prevent their destruction A watchman therfore must listen give eare that by noise he may discerne the approach of the enemy if he cannot plainly see him The seede of sin entreth into the soule by the eyes and eares as two gates into which the blasts of Satan do enter which set our corruption on fire This eare was the part by which sinne entred into mankind by which he overcommeth unstable soules plying them with wicked counsels with malicious and bitter words lying reports filthy and corrupt communications that though men were blind Satan hath this way to come into the soule to overcome it We ought to learne to discern the voice of the enemy Satan is a lying Spirit 1 Kings 22 22. and dwells in the mouth of false Prophets counterfeit Christians as well as he did sometimes in the mouth of the Serpent Iohn 8 44. We must not therfore beleeve every one that speaks but try their spirits whether they be of God or not 1 Iohn 4 1. Many speak with the voice of Satan but they themselves know not what spirit they are of Marke 8 33. Peter spake as if Satan had possessed him when hee counselled Christ to avoid death Iames and Iohn spake cruelly Luke 9 54 â—5 when they desired Samaria to bee burnt Christ saith to Peter Get thee behinde me Satan to teach us how to use the counsell of Satan for our eares are framed to heare what is spoken before our face and therfore whatsoever hath an other voice than the word of God to reject it and give it no hearing because that Satan is aiming in it to betray the soule 3. The Christian souldier must have a good tongue to give warning when danger is at hand 3 A good tongue that is he must have meanes to awake both soule and body to stand to defence to resist sinne entring into the soule The voice that is best heard is the feare of Gods wrath and eternall death to ensue therefore we ought ever to have before our eyes Rom 1 18. that the wrath of God is declared from heaven against all ungodlines Psal 50 21. and that he will lay our sins in order before us and give us a portion with Satan his Angels
utter darknesse to all that are damned is the brightest Lampe that ever hee saw for nothing could ever shew him that there was or where there was a God untill hell made him sensible of it But all others professe that either they would have Lampes as Turkes and others the like or that they have them as the foolish Virgins or Christians or that they have them and Oyle in them as Gods true servants declaring the want of light they conceive in the way betweene Christ and us The use hereof is that wee consider how our soules bend further then this world and further they will goe either right or wrong and that we are not able by our owne judgements to enlighten or direct our selves in the way and therefore wofull and miserable is their case that see or know no more concerning their estate than their bodily eyes doe shew them for know no more of the way to heaven or of meeting Christ than they did when they were children The Heathen would gladly have Lampes but God hath denied them the foolish Virgins have Lampes but have no Oyle Take therefore this holy intent and let it never goe out of your minde that you are desirous to meete Christ and call to God to inlighten and direct you untill you come and appeare in the presence of God But tooke no Oyle with them Here is the dissimilitude the foolish tooke no Oyle with them As it were folly in whosoever would thinke that the candlesticke were the cause of light and not the Oyle so are they who thinke the outward profession without the inward spirit of sanctification to be more requisite or onely sufficient to the obtaining of salvation And therefore the helpes of Gods servants for salvation These things that are helpes to Gods children do hasten the wicked to destruction are the instruments and helpers of wicked men to damnation for Lampes are profitable if Oyle be with them if not they are without their proper end or profitable use As meat drinke and all other things are pure and sanctified to them that are sanctified so unto the ungodly even good things are helpers of their mischiefe Ecclesiasticus 39.25.26.27 That table which is a comfort and refreshment to a good man if it be set before a wicked man Psal 69.23 Rom. 11.9 David and Paul say that it is turned to a snare a net and a stumbling blocke to catch fall and keepe him in gluttony drunkennesse blasphemous and filthy carriage In like manner if the lampes of the foolish were set in a gracious hand they would helpe them to heaven For as Lampes for the most part are of brittle and weake substance filled with Oyle which is apt to be set on fire so this world which is the light and joy of foolish men doth betray her lovers with uncertaine prosperitie with carnall lust and the fiery burnings of many covetous desires and as a lampe or candle by the brightnesse of it entiseth the butterfly to embrace it which by that meanes is either drowned in the oyle or burned in the flame so the showes of sin and of the pleasures of the world entice the mindes of men that their hearts are drowned in many feares and sorrowes 1 Tim. 6.10 and when they suppose they have catcht all they themselves are caught when they thinke that fortune riches the world and all are fallen in love with them they are deceived for it is their heart that is fallen in love with the world finally corruption and destruction the naturall ends of all things under heaven layeth hold upon them qui lachrimarum causas tripudiantes peragunt Greg. Moral lib. 20. cap. 8. et ridentes mortis negotium exequuntur who goe dauncing through the causes of their mourning and with laughter act the tragedy of their owne death And thus doth this world which is their Lampe leade them to their overthrow Where on the contrary the blessings of this world are a furtherance to the servant of God to sustaine his wants to be his servants to teach and instruct him that he is in his journey meeting Christ if they entertaine him kindly he thanks God and is glad that he is refreshed in his pilgrimage if this world crosse him yet he rejoyceth because he knoweth that hee would not be so used if hee were in his owne Countrey Wee ought to beware lest we make the world our lampes That the blessings of this world may be profitable for us we must make uses of them thus first that we make not our lampes or preparation of the pleasures of our owne will which is commonly the deceitfulnesse of sinne nor the entising goods of this world which are no preparations in our journey towards heaven but the greatest cloggs and hinderances that can be the abundance of sinne weigheth and presseth down the soule out of Gods favour the deceitfulnes of worldly felicity maketth the heart insensible of greater happinesse and so blind that it cannot see nor beleeve that there is any eternall miserie to follow after These are the two which doe hinder most men from heaven Ob has duas causas potissimum excluduÌ„ tur vel propter corporales voluptates vel avaritiae morbuÌ„ Theophylac in Math. 22. Deut. 32.29 as our Saviour sheweth plainely in the parable of the great Supper Luk 14.18 19.20 This was the crosse and curse of the Israelits in the wildernes when they possessed Canaan Deut. 32.13.14.15 and therefore as Moses wished to forewarne them so wish I for all others O that they were wise then would they understand this they would consider their latter end Secondly 2 We must use the world warily Muâ—emuscuÌ„peos Danaum in figniaque nobis aptemus let us make better use of the lampes of foolish Virgins and make the world profitable for our salvation which is an hinderance unto theirs the Trojans made use of the Grecians bucklers to make them ensignes of glory and victory so let us use this world as we may thereby shew that we have overcome the world or so to place the goods of it as they may help vs Sublimabunt Euseb Emiss de ascen Domini Serm. 1. nos si fuerint infra nos if we set them under us they shall be as ladders helping vs to mount vpwards Care not how little friendship this world shew you if you prosper in it looke it betray not your soule and withdrawe your affections beware least any thing in this world be better loved by you then you know to be loved by God as God hath made the earth his footstoole let it be your footestoole and Iesus Christ advantage unto you both in life and death VERSE 4. But the wise tooke Oyle in their Vessells with their Lampes IN these words is the dissimilitude the wise furnished their Lampes with Oyle and prepared store besides As the deceits of the world are the Lampe which the worldlings provide themselves withall The soule
are sodainly called to give this account who cannot deny lawfull warning Many would doe thus when it is too late Labour therefore that your zealous actions in Gods glory may shew how obedient you were when he commanded you The worthines of Gods servants cannot be seene in this life Secondly observe that seeing the wise Virgins have their Oyle in their Vessels that is have their holinesse and beauty hidden and their actions onely to be taken notice of by God it followeth by good reason that the Saints of God are not seene nor truely knowne so long as they are in this life they come to be knowne by degrees in this life by repentance faith good workes and humility in all these we know that we are the children of God 1 Iohn 3.2 Attendis quasi aridas arbores per hiemeÌ„ Qui non novit videre aridam putat vitem et for te iuxta est quae vere aruit Similes sunt ambae per hiemem illa vivit illa mortua est sed illius vita et illius mors in ab scondito est aestas procedit vita illius clarificatur mors illius manifestatur Procedit honor foliotâ—Ì„ faecunditas fructuum vestitur vitis in facie ex eo quod habet in radice Ergo modo fratres tales sumus quales alii c. August in Psal 148. but what we shall be is not yet knowne that is the glory of these children cannot now be seene as the Israelites could not be espied by the Midianites whilest their lampes were hidden untill they appeared upon a sodaine no more can their worth be It appeareth somewhat better when the soule goeth to glory but the full shew of it is kept for the judgement day at which time the sonnes of God shall be revealed Rom. 8.16 And no wonder for wee cannot be truly joyfull untill wee see our Lord upon whom all our desire hangeth we can never be glorious untill we be in company with Christ who is our glory we cannot shew the actions of holinesse untill we be fully freed from sinne and corruption and restored to the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God Saint Paul tolde the Colossians In this world you are in a manner dead and your life is hid with Christ in God when Christ who is your life shall appeare then shall you also appeare with him in glory Col. 3.3.4 Therefore no marvaile if these whom God respects most are but despised of the world Christs glory was hidden within the vessell or veile of his flesh 1 Cor. 2.8 Acts 3.17 and therefore because the Iewes knew not they crucified the Lord of glory But as he saith the Apostle indured the Crosse Heb 12.2 and despised the shame care not you how men account of you if you be sure that God respects you Psal 40.20 I am poore and in miserie saith David but the Lord careth for me and if by shame and misery our life be lost yet this is the way to make our glory the better to appeare Thus leaving their Oyle inclosed and hid in their vessels untill the Bridegroomes comming let us consider the Vessels being our soules and bodyes according to phrase of Scripture David in his conference with the high Priest at Nob called the bodies of his followers the vessels of the young men 1 Sam. 21.5 St. Paul tels the Thessalonians that it was the will of God 1 Thess 4.4 that every man should know how to keepe his vessel in holinesse and honour and speaking of himselfe and his gift of preaching sayd that that treasure was in weake and earthen vessels But seeing the Scripture speaketh most of these vessels 2 Cor. 4.7 Every one is to consider wherein he excelleth all his other gifts and labour to exercise it most in two considerations to wit of their matter and use these two I will briefly touch If I consider the matter I finde them all de communi limo that the Potter hath made all of clay or of earth yet if I compare these vessels among themselves I shall finde that as the earth hath some parts of dust and filth and in other parts are the minerals and plants as gold silver wood c. So hath the Lord made us all of earth but some more refined as the quality and force of the vessel doth evidently declare Saint Paul saith that in a great house 2 Tim. 2.20 are vessels of gold silver wood and earth so are the differeÌ„ces among men some seem to be made of gold for their patience who are continually bettered by the fire of trouble adversity the more they suffer the faster they cleave to God some seeme to be as of silver in whom the knowledge of Gods word dwelleth plentifully Psal 12. which is as the silver purified seven times some are as vessels of wood earth who are so lowly their looks so dejected that they thinke it fitter to sit in dust ashes and count the earth Sumpsit Deus limum terrae Gen 2. Quando tandem tui oblivisci potes tu deniq tui obliviscere cum disiunctus eris a terra sin nunquam a terra disiungeris etc. haud procul demissionis tuae proposita imago et significatio est Basil Hexam Ser. 11. dust and wormes their mother brethren and sisters nor to looke up to heaven or with conceited toyes to abase the brightnesse of the Sunne Let euery man therefore try himselfe what power or gift the Lord hath indewed him with and in that exercise himselfe seeing * 1 Cor. 7.7 Cic. lib. 2. de Nat. deorum every man hath his proper gift he ought to search find out wherin he excelleth his other gifts he that knoweth not this much of himselfe nor labours to make use of Gods benefite wise men have compared his soule to salt onely to keep the body from sowring or stinking Cicero calleth them animae porcorum soules or rather pearles cast out to swine The use of all these vessels or of all mankinde is that some are appointed to honour some to dishonour this is finis vltimus But while all men doe hope to be of the number that shall be honoured with salvation we are to consider how to use our selves Vnto some are given gifts more then to others but unto all the occasion of using what gifts so ever therefore he that hath wisdome to what purpose hath he it if he be not an earnest student of Gods word the meanes to eternall life Why hath any man power to rule himselfe if he bee a slave to his lust What use is there of charity where a man labours not to doe good and so of other gifts God leaves none without occasion to use every vertue we may be idle but God bestoweth nothing without use nor gift without occasion of exercise Ambros de Vocat Gent. lib. 2. cap. ult cum laudabilius atque faelicius sit pugnantem non potuisse vinci
would try whether the oyle that you have be good or how we may know it in time to come the properties of good oyle are three 1. That it be new and fresh Gods gifts must be daily renewed by prayer and meditation 2. That it may be easily powred out what good we doe must be willingly and cheerefully done Senec in Proverb Beneficium qui citò dat indigenti bis dat One good deed done in season is a double kindnesse Thirdly that it be not earthy or mixt with slime so true graces must not be defiled with ostentation and worldly glory The foolery of the Templaries I must not omit the foolishnesse of some who have by practise shewen how they expound this verse the Romish Leigers at the Sepulchre in Ierusalem Musculus in lacum have made it a materiall businesse in their preparation to heaven-ward to have lampes in that Church continually burning and maintained with oyle The Greeke Church follow the same superstition but increased more than the former who comming in multitudes to the Sepulcher Sandes travell pag 173. compasse it often and in the end following an Aethiopian Priest and some of their owne Bishops rush in confusedly to get fire to lighten their lampes which remaine unlighted with other fire untill that day twelve-moneth This folly more heathenish than Christian-like deserveth more pity than refutation VERSE 5. Now while the Bridegroome tarried long all slumbred and slept HItherto hath beene their preparation for this great Wedding now the Bridegroomes comming is to be considered of and their meeting of him But that we may be the better prepared to meet Christ he tells us that we must be watchfull to attend his pleasure and appointed time As the Virgins of Israel attendants on their Marriages knew certainly that the Bridegroome would come but were uncertaine at what precise houre he should come So we are certaine that Christ shall come but what yeare moneth or day we cannot imagine Therefore wee are to provide for his staying as well as his comming This Verse containeth Christs stay and the effects of it the Verses following have his comming and effects thereof Christ in his comming is said to stay long Christ seemeth to stay long 1. In respect of his Saints first in respect of his Saints who in the miseries of this world and desire of eternall life are ever crying Come Lord Iesus and knowing that the day of his comming to judgement is the first day of their true perfection both in body and soule they sigh in themselves Rom. 8 23. waiting for the redemption of their body and this Christian Religion teacheth us that we waite for that blessed hope Tit 2 13. and the practise of the Saints Iob 14 14. the soule of Iob in glory is still waiting till his renewing doe come and not Paul onely shall receive the Crowne of glory but all that love Christs appearing 2 Tim 4 8 Now because hee commeth not so soone as they desire rather than faile his servants in this life would take up the matter with the day of their death Philip. 1.21 and wish to bee dissolved to bee with Christ 2 In respect of wicked men Secondly the stay of Christ is thought long in respect of wicked men both by the opinion of Gods servants and their owne opinion Gods servants doe wonder that God should suffer the Sunne to give light the ayre to give breath or the earth to beare his enemies and that he suffereth Satans Kingdome to be so long without finall destruction Rev. 6 10. their bloods and oppressions to be so long unrevenged with the infinite wrath of God And in the opinion of wicked men Christ stayes long from judgement for some will not beleeve it 2 Pet 3 2. but mocke to heare of it others as Salomon saith put the day of evill farre from them Mat 24. and doe plainly resolve that their Master doth deferre his comming to judgement and that their life is for many yeares and therefore they play the tyrants and doe what they list but the Master shall come in the day when they look not for him and at the houre that they are not aware of if many thought the day of their death was so neere or judgement presently to follow they would not live as they doe 3. In respect of the creature 3. Christs coming is thought longby the instinct nature of the creatures though they be not chained to sinne as we are yet they are sometimes partakers of the punishment of our sinne that the heaven is sometimes hard as brasse for want of moysture Deut 28 23. other times the sea seemeth to be above because of raine and waters all times the heavens waxe olde as a garment Psal 102. the powers of it grow weake that in stead of distinguishing they often confound the seasons now they are subject to change and weaknesse but the day of Christs comming shall releeve them and restore them to the liberty of Gods children which is both to be free from sinne and corruption the punishment of sinne and the creatures seeme to travaile in paine being subject to vanitie Rom 8 20 21 22. desiring to be delivered from that bondage unto the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God What is the meaning of Christs stay Long staying may be either in respect of appointed or expected time although the time of Christs comming is not set downe yet because there were certaine marks given before he come which some observing others mistaking yet most of all inquirers could never imagine that he should have stayed so long therefore not comming as he was expected hee is thought to stay long In all the times when the Gospell flourished When Christ was expected and the curious fouly deceived there were some that enquired for it and some concluded the time which came not to passe the Lord thereby shewing the folly of their curiositie In St. Paules dayes as the Grecians in all manner of learning were curious so at Thessalonica especially they began to beate their braines about this and because St Paul had written in his first Epistle chap. 4. vers 15. For this I say by the word of the Lord that wee who live shall not prevent them that sleep they presently concluded that his comming was at hand for repressing of which opinion Paul wrote his second Epistle unto them 2 Thess 2 1 2. some said that they knew it by revelation others avouched that they heard it from Saint Paules mouth others that they could shew his letters for it A little after the Apostles dayes it was a common opinion among unconverted Gentiles August de Civit. Dei lib 18 cap 53. that the world should stand 365 yeares About the yeare of Christ 250 Cyprian writeth to a friend of his Epist ad Fortunatum that the common opinion was that the end was at hand and
things which were decayed But that all of us may be the surer in faith of the Resurrection we have neede of the aforesayd two helpes and to pray the Lord to grant them unto us as St. Paule doth joyntly for both to the Ephesians Ephes 1 19 20. That the Lord would open the eyes of our understanding that we might know what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power in them that beleeve according to the working of his mighty power which hee wrought in Christ when hee raised him from the dead The Lord hath sufficiently assured us of the Resurrection All must rise when by such experiences he sheweth how easily he may doe it now therefore though wicked men would abandon all thoughts of it yet it is in vaine for all must rise both wise and foolish and present themselves before the Lord. Whereby it appeareth that whether men beleeve it or not yet they shall rise but when the Lord would have his servants to beleeve it it is to this end that they might know and be assured of the meanes whereby their bodies come to immortalitie and glory and only to them the Resurrection is a benefit and therefore Christ calleth it Luke 14 14. the Resurrection of the just unto the wicked it is a punishment and it were good for them they should never be raysed as it had been for Iudas if he had never been borne Our bodyes shall be immortall All therefore rise but there shal be great difference betweene the wise and foolish First the godly shall be immortall for this mortall shall put on immortality 1 Cor. 15 53. the body shall not bee bound to a necessity of dying as now it is nor shall it be possible that death should have power over it Adam indeed before his fall was not of necessitie subject to death yet was he mortall because he might dye but in the Resurrection we shall be free both of the power and possibility of the grave 2 Cor. 5 4. and mortality shall be swallowed up of life and by this immortalitie we shall be made capable of everlasting felicitie Secondly 2 Glorious their bodyes shall be glorious and shining for Christ shall change our vile bodies Philip. 3 21. and make them like his glorious body the body which is now sowne in dishonour it riseth againe in glory 1 Cor. 15.43 and such glory saith the Prophet as the starres of heaven appeare clothed withall Dan. 12 13. Math 13.43 or as Christ saith so bright as the Sunne by which comparisons the Scripture would raise up our understandings as by degrees to conceive in some part how great this glory shall be Some examples and shadowes hath the Lord showen us of it when Moses came downe from the mount Exod. 34.29.30 his face was so bright that the Israelites could not behold him Christ promised to his Disciples to give them a view of it within sixe dayes after The words there be some here which shall not tast of death untill c. are much mistaken by many for Christ meaneth not the Preaching of the Gospell though that also was true but that he would comfort them against the Crosse and confirme them concerning his glorious comming and finally shew them what glory they shall be in who beare the Crosse and follow him by one shew and sight of his transfiguration as Theophylact observeth upon Mathew and for truth of all we may marke in all the three Gospells the doctrine of the Crosse this promise and the transfiguration follow other see before and after Math 1â— 28 Marc. 9.1 Luc. 9 27. he was transfigured upon the Mount and his face was like the Sunne and his cloathes white as the light Likewise by Art wee have a view of glorie and brightnesse which our sight is not able without hurt to endure the clearest glasses are made of ashes and of the drosse of the earth and wreak of the sea yet if one of them being broad stand before the Sunne it is so bright and glorious that it seemeth to match the Sunne it selfe that we are not able to behold it 2 Cor 3 18. Quae nos sola cogitatione sâ—paramus etiam re ipsa ab effectore secerni possunt ad interitum inimicorum in aeternum lucem ab extremo calore ignis separabit ut coelestibus illam lucem communicet Basil in Hexamer Orat. 6. what then shall our glorie be when we shall behold the glory of the Lord with open face and be changed into the same image from glory to glory and though we shall be as light and shining yet not according as the fire is being of power to burne for wee see that precious stones give light and yet are without heate and the Lord whose voice divideth the flames of fire Psal 29.7 shall unto his servants give brightnesse without the great heate of fire and unto his enemies the burning and consuming without the brightnesse and light of the fire This then doth shew their glory 3. Spirituall 1 Cor 15 44. Thirdly our bodies shal be spirituall They are sowne naturall bodies they rise againe spirituall there shall be no change of the substance but the body shall shew it selfe in the actions with such agility and quicknesse for which it may justly be called spirituall In this life our bodies are naturall for as in other creatures so in them natura est principium motus nature maketh them because of their weight to bend downeward but in the resurrection they shall be spirituall for the soule or spirit shall cause the body to move as it will and as our Saviour before his death walked miraculously upon the water and after his resurrection shewed this spirituall motion by his sodaine appearings and departings Wisd 3.7 so shall the Saints runne through any space as the sparkles among the stubble and they shall shew it by their first action after the resurrection 1 Thes 4 17. for they shall mount up and meete the Lord in the ayre Lastly our bodies shall be free from suffering for they shall not bee subject to hunger thirst griefe sicknesse or the like and the delights which the senses shall have shall not be hurtfull but helpfull unto them And though wee gather these things out of Gods word concerning our bodies in the resurrection yet all that wee conceive or speake of them must come short for as it is written 1 Cor. 2.9 Neither hath eye seene nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath prepared for them that loue him On the other part Qualities of wicked mens bodies the Lord will make wicked men immortall that they may be capable of eternall misery for if once they could die againe then were their bodily misery at an end but as for the rest of the aforesaid qualities they shall have their contraryes insteed of a glorious brightnes they shall even be deprived
his doore such measure must Gods servant expect if onely a wicked man must helpe him But seeing it falleth often out by the hardnesse of mens hearts that the poore messengers of God are contemned and denied God in his just judgement so overturnes them that they are glad to crave helpe of them whom they have despised before in their necessity Luke 16. Dives epulo sero oculos aperuit compulsus in damnatione cognoscere quid perdidit quando Lazarum non agnovit Iuste autem qui de abundantia peccavit aestuanti crematur inopia guttam aquae petiit qui micas panis negavit Greg. Mor lib. 18. cap. 10. Christ in another Parable hath a passage like unto this the rich glutton being in hell desireth that he might be a little refreshed by Lazarus helping him to a little water to coole his tongue which was tormented in the flame I thinke he wished hereby that whilest he was alive he had beene so charitable to Lazarus as to have refreshed him with a cup of colde water when he was tormented with the heate of boyles and sores yet when neither Lazarus can helpe him nor he be capable of helpe he knowes what comfort a little charity would doe unto him and now he begges droppes of water who before refused the crummes of his bread Thus the eternall wish of the damned shall be that they had never extorted nor devoured the poore and that they had beene more charitable unto them Sometimes the Lord plagues cruell and hardhearted men even in this world that they are glad to begge helpe of them to whose cryes they shut their eares before Ioseph could scarce begge or obtaine his life to be saved from the cruelty of his brethren who were afterwards constrained to begge bread of him to save their lives and offer money for it too And of this kinde every age and place hath examples that every one may learne so to behave himselfe humbly and charitably that he despise the estate of no man nor harden his heart at the case of the afflicted especially if it be one that feareth God lest God turne his hand to set him in the same misery or make him in hell to doe eternall and unprofitable pennance For our Lampes are out This is the reason of the former words wherein we may observe that Satans servants are never brought to understand themselves untill they are brought to give account before the Lord. Reprobates labour to hide their estate in salvation from all men Esay 19 15. Rev. 3. In their life time as they labour to conceale their estate in salvation from others so they bring it to passe that they live unknowne to themselves and so conceive themselves to be as they imagine and wish they were The people of Laodâ—cea stored their braines full with false conclusions that they were enriched with all gifts and graces needfull for soule and body but soone after they felt by experience that their lampes were out that both in soule and body they were miserable naked and blind Calvin ex Oros Praefat ad Colos when by an earthquake they were bereft of their lives and spued out of Gods mouth then were their eyes open when their lives were shut up Life is the naturall light of men which if it be not seconded with the spirituall and heavenly life it shall prove but as darknesse when it commeth to be examined in the presence of God if therefore the light that is in reprobates be darknesse how great is that darknesse It shall be best knowne when all their lights are extinguished and they entred into utter darknesse Vtter darknes what In this life reprobates are in darknesse because the Sunne of righteousnesse never shineth upon them yet are not they in utter darknesse because they may so long as life remaines be converted and inlightened Theophilact in Mat. 25 30. Porrò ubi mortuus fuerit et institerit examen factorum excipiunt eum exteriores but when life is gone and the party approaching to judgement then entreth he into utter darknesse because there is no hope that ever the Lord will give light to his soule or body any more This is the fearefull state prepared for reprobates If we wanted the light of the Sunne what pleasure could the whole world doe unto us much more they who are cast into utter darknesse shall have weeping and wailing when they finde themselves deprived of light for ever Happy are they that labour to understand themselves in this life and to be enlightened with knowledge and furnished with graces and good workes needfull for salvation VERSE 9. But the wise answered saying Not so lest there be not enough for us and you but goe yee rather to them that sell and buy for your selves HEre is a wise answer to a foolish petition Though the carelesse shewed their folly in not providing for themselves yet the wise account it both shamefull and hurtfull to disfurnish themselves Non minor est virtus quam quaere parta tu cri Horaâ— for it is as great vertue to shew wisedome in keeping as to shew diligence in getting As I said that in the resurrection reprobate men shall not have time occasion or reason to intreate helpe of the elect so neither shall the elect answer them but as Christ named their petition to teach us what sorrow and shame with desire of amendement they shall have so by this answer he would teach us that there is neither mercy nor helpe kept in store for them that in this life waite upon lying vanities Ionah 2 8. and forsake their owne mercy and that therefore their repentance is to no purpose and their amendement impossible If therefore the Reprobate would become so wise to cry to the Elect for helpe when they are going to answer in the presence of their fearefull and angry Lord they could have no other answere but these words No lest there bee not enough for us and you but goe and doe as wee did and in like manner provide for your selves words indeede which rather would increase the torment of the damned than any wise abate it This wise deny them Worldlings reason for uncharity they give a reason lest there be not enough for us and you The very answere and reason of a worldling that he will not helpe others fearing that he have not enough for himselfe We may observe that in this answer Christ hath painted out the covetous and uncharitable in their owne words and reason for they say still that there is not enough for themsemselves and all the comfort they give the distressed is that they have nothing but what they purchased with their owne money and therefore he that wants any thing let him as they did goe to them that sell and buy for themselves By which our Saviour teacheth us that Reprobates in the day of the Lord shall be answered in their owne cruell words which they may remember to
when we have no enemies at all This union with Christ is only compared to the solemnizing of a marriage But because long life without separation proveth not a happinesse to all that are married for we see the disordered and discontented lives of many that they would be glad to be ridde of marriage so they could save their life yea even in them that agree best the godly life cannot set them free of all troubles 1 Cor. 7 32. for every sort of life is intermixed with its owne griefes and inconveniences therefore we may observe that our eternall joyes in heaven are not compared to the best life in marriage that ever was led but only to the solemnizing and time of it that as the time and day of marriage is an image of honour joy and pleasure of all kindes that this earth can give insomuch that both opinion and experience hath framed the Proverbe that the day of marriage is the onely joyfull day in a mans life which incontinent hath its owne changes as all things else have so our eternall glory shall be as a solemnizing of a marriage the joy and pleasure of it cannot passe away but continually remaine unchangeably with us and we with it Esth 1 4. When Ahasuerus did shew the riches and glory of his Kingdome and honour of his Majesty he did it in feasting the Nobles Commonalty of two Kingdomes both which feasts continued above halfe a yeare what shall we thinke of him who counteth the heaven with the spanne Esay 40 12. Verse 22. comprehendeth the dust of the earth in a measure Verse 23. counteth all the inhabitants of it as grashoppers and bringeth Princes to nothing Shall not he shew it to be everlasting Psal 145.10 11 13. when his Saints shall blesse him and shew the glory of his Kingdome and speake of his power which is saith David everlasting and enduring for ever Psal 102.27 Stat unus dies quia nec habet ortum nec occasum nec inchoatur ab hesterno nec excluditur a crastino August in Psal 122.3 cuius participatio in seipsum This everlasting is as one yeare that faileth not yea this yeare is as one day because it changeth not it never hath Sun-set nor can it give place to the morrow even this is the day which the Lord hath ordained for us that we should everlastingly rejoyce and be glad in it So it appeareth wherein our eternall glory is like unto the solemnity of marriage As I have compared our eternall union with Christ unto a marriage so is it fit that I should compare marriage unto our union with Christ This union is not an imitation of marriage but marriage is an imitation of it Exod 25 40. What ever Moses did it was according to the Arch-type and patterne shewed him in the Mount so whatsoever is here taught us to practise it is that by earthly rudiments wee may ascend higher and consider heavenly things in them And therefore many things are taught us to be read in the plaine letters of our owne actions that as children are taught to act those things which may teach them to know what men doe and what they shall doe in mens estate that they may frame themselves accordingly so doth the Lord teach us many things that they may be glasses for our instruction and that we may though in earthly manner frame our selves for a prepared state of glory The dealing of Christ with his Church is the patterne and direction of marriage Eph 5 22. of which marriage is one and drawn out after the heavenly patterne for it is the Lord that framed both and our practise is no rule to direct the Lord but from the Lords dealing towards his Church and the Churches towards him the Apostle drawes instructions to teach husbands and wives how to behave themselves one to another The maker time place forme matter and end of marriage First what account wee should have of Mariage if we looke to the originall of it it is framed to the similitude of Gods eternall purpose of uniting man to himselfe an extract copyed out of the heauenly Paterne by the hand of God himselfe For the forme of it the most excellent union that we sinfull men can claime or wish for is to be knit to the man Iesus Christ and to be of his body so mariage is according to this paterne to make the strictest bonde that the soule can admit on earth and to unite them in one who were severall bodyes before For the matter of it of all mortall creatures the excellency pertaineth to man and therefore this union the more excellent and lastly for the end of it the preservation of man is better than of any other mortall creature which cannot be without confusion if marriage were wanting And therefore if you respect the time and place the maker the matter the forme and end of marriage you may see how honourable it is and how reverently to be accounted of Paul calleth it a doctrine of divels to forbid marriage 1 Tim 4.1 3. because none else would be an enemie to make it dishonourable in some which God hath pronounced honourable among all Heb. 13 4. or take away the lawfull imitation of so heavenly a patterne and they are the children of Satan that dishonour it either in their owne person or in the practise of others by fornication adultery contempt of the lawfull liberty of it or unadvised undertaking of it I would gladly wish the Church of Rome to aske St. Paul whether it is God or the Divell that would have us teach such doctrine as to forbid marriage unto any The common ends of marriage Secondly we are taught what use to make of marriage The common ends for which marriage was ordained were 1. The conservation of mankinde from utter decay by procreation of children Malach 2.15 to be the seed of the Church 2. The bounding and limiting of wandring lusts and affections 1 Cor. 7.2 that men should not become like beasts the Lord hath ordained lawfull meanes to preserve them from falling into unlawfull 3. That two being together Eccles 4 10. Gen 2.18 the one might be company and helpe unto other Yet are wee to make further use of it that when we either reade or heare the institution of marriage our hearts may ascend higher The spirituall uses of marriage and consider the union betweene Christ and his Church what it is in this life and how our love shall increase when wee are possessed of glory And when we are invited to a marriage to remember the day of the marriage of the Bridegroome when his friends shall enter in and foolish men be shut without doores These things Christ teacheth under the similitude of a mariage that in all such wee may call to minde that mariage which sinne cannot divorce nor death make void And that we may doe this the
or moe Kingdomes from which we conclude that heavē the true place of glory hath kingdomes for us and such that for glory so far surpasse the glory of an earthly kingdome We may know what is not there rather then what is there What things are not in heaven This world is full of miseries and sorrowes sure there is none in heaven it is a place of rest A necessity of supplying our naturall wants is upon us in this life we are grieved with the miseries and necessities of others but most of all for the sinnes of our selves and others Non arant non seminant non molunt non coquunt opera enim sunt ista necessitatis ibi necessitas non est c. August in Psal 148 6 pra ceptum posuit et non praeteribit and the inconveniences that follow them but in heaven it is not so for they till no ground they sowe not they neither grinde nor boyle for meate these are onely works of necessitie but in heaven there is no necessitie They break no bread to the hungry they cloathe not the naked they take not the stranger in they visite not the sicke they make no peace they burie not the dead these are the workes of mercy but in heaven there is no misery on which mercy should be showen There is no oppression stealing or uncleannesse these are the workes of iniquity and darknesse Nuptiae sunt auxilium vitae mortalis impletio cius quod defecit ibi autem nihil deficit quid ergo opus implente Throph in Luc. 20.35 Math. 22 30. which have no place in heaven This life is cut off by death which soone would bring mankind to an end if remedy were not provided to supply that which decayeth but in heaven there shall nothing bee lost none can die so that they need no supplying therefore in the Resurrection or in heaven they neither marrie wiues nor wiues are bestowed in Mariage but all are as the Angels of God What things are in heaven 1 Cor. 2.9 Now if we desire to know what is in heaven the Apostle tells us that Neither hath eye seene nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what good things God hath prepared for them that love him that is neither can his senses feele nor his understanding comprehend the joyes and contenment that they are able to give If entertainment of mens devising be able to over-joy us in conceit and to translate our spirits from midst of worldly sorrowes as if we had obtained some happinesse indeed What happinesse is it to be partaker of the everlasting table of the inexpressible harmony of Angels and glorified soules singing praises to God We count it the greatest honour that can be given to a subject to sit at his Soveraignes table What honour shall it be to have fellowship with God and our blessed Saviour 1 Kings 10.8 The Queene of Sheba pronounced Salomons servants happy that might alwayes be hearing the words of wisedome What happines shall it be to stand alwayes in the presence of One greater than Salomon Luke 21.36 even our Lord Iesus Christ In whom dwelleth all the treasures of wisdome bodily Col. 2.3 If God saith Augustine doth give unto wicked men the common benefits of heaven and earth August in Psal 85. in Hebraeo 86 5 T is Domine misericors health children riches plenteousnesse what doth he keepe for his faithfull servants Even not earth but heaven and that I speake not too basely when I say heaven even he that made heaven keepeth himselfe for us Si enim ea quae ad exiguum tempus durant ciusmodi sunt cuiusmodi erunt illa quae nulla tempora delebunt c. Basil in Hexa mer. Orat. 6. the heaven is glorious but more glorious is hee that made it If these things are such which endure for a little time what shall those things be which no time can bring to an end And if such be the beauty of things that are seene how glorious is the Citty of God When Peter saw a sight of Christs glory and of Moses and Eliah Matth 17 4. and desired to continue there without desire of any sight of this world after what contentment hath hee now to see Christ and other blessed Spirits in glory Christ saith Matth 5 6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnesse which an holy man applyeth thus O quà m faelicem facit ipsa plena refectio Episcopus Lincoln cujus sola esuries facit beatum O how happy doth the full refreshment make us of that whereof the onely hungring maketh us blessed David saith O Lord how amiable are thy Tabernacles Psal 84.1 2. My soule longeth yea and fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and flesh rejoyce in the living God If his desire was so sweete how sweete is the enjoying if he rejoyced onely seeing in a glasse what joy hath he in seeing face to face if the Courts of Gods house gave such delight what is the house it selfe able to give These are but generall as all that can be said concerning the joyes of heaven but every soule shall wholly possesse the pleasures and joyes of heaven neither is it hindrance to one what is bestowed on another Gods mercy is infinite Greg. Mor. l. 4. Et tanta vis amoris in illa pace nos sociat ut quod in se quisquis non acceperit hoc se accepisse in alio exultet And so great power of love maketh our fellowship in that everlasting peace that whatsoever every one hath not received in himselfe hee rejoyceth because he hath received it in another Difference of earthly and heavenly ioy In all earthly joy we have sorrow intermixed that we may the rather labour for this sweetnesse which deceives us not When we have all the joy we can conceive by worldly pleasure it never satisfieth us untill it cloy with boysterous abundance and cause us to surfet and then it satisfieth least of all and yet our desires are not satisfied when we have obtained more than we were capable of therefore all that the world can give cannot bring the soule to contentment or set it beyond the region of wishes and wants or free it from the tyranny of feare or desire This is onely to be expected of the joyes of heaven Lib. 1. de doct Christ for betweene them saith Augustine and temporall things this is one difference that a temporall thing is more loved before it be obtained but is contemned when we have got it aeternum autem ardentiùs diligitur adeptum quà m desideratum that which is eternall is more loved being obtained than it was when it was desired We cannot conceive joy without feare of distaste to ensue but in heaven we shall be so filled with the sweetnesse and delight of God and the glory wee shall receive Greg. that we shal be
measure with that pure and holy knowledge that the Lord hath of them it would make them take some more labour for his love and acquaintance which seeing they doe not they fulfill the Lords threatning to their shame seeing they are foretolde of it and care not to prevent it Christ foretolde us that hee who confessed him Matth 10 32. Marke 10.38 hee would acknowledge him before his Father and the Angels but he that would be ashamed of him hee would deny him Loe now he maketh it good for he professeth openly I know you not What meaneth to confesse or to be ashamed of Christ In this life our Saviour calleth for our friendship and acquaintance in his faire offer of salvation if we will thinke it an honour for us that Christ was once in misery and poverty for our sake and account this our greatest glory he sendeth his messengers the poore and distressed who are his brethren Fratres vocat omnes simpliciter pauperes Omnis enim pauper frater est Christi quandoquidē Christus in egestate vixit Theophylact. in Mat. 25.40 to be acquainted with us in his name to see how wee would like of their friendship or how we would entertaine Christ if he himselfe came to us in that fashion as indeede once he did If we rejoyce to be thus acquainted with Christ and confesse him in this life then shall he openly acknowledge us and to our glory pronounce before God and all that shall be gathered in the great judgement how we loved and respected him and his messengers He that is ashamed of the poverty of Christ the misery and tribulation of a Christian or the distresse of the poore or to professe love and acquaintance to them they shal be rewarded accordingly Idem in Iuc 9.26 As he that hath an evil servant is ashamed to call him his servant so Christ shall deny them and say I know you not Happy is the soule that hath a part in the commendation and prayer of Paul for Onesiphorus whose service and confession he prayeth the Lord to remember in the great day in these words The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus 1 Tim. 1.16 17 18. for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chaine but when hee was at Rome he sought me out very diligently and found me the Lord grant unto him that he may finde mercy with the Lord in that day and in how many things he hath ministred unto mee at Ephesus thou knowest very well Lastly these words I know you not shew us that not onely Christ shall take away his compassion from them but shall be their enemy to be avenged on them Theophilact in Marc. 8.34 He that denieth another if it be his familiar friend his brother or father although he see him whipt or killed he taketh no notice he laments not he hath no compassion or suffering with him being once estranged from him so when Christ hath denyed the reprobate they must looke for no compassion but which is worse they must expect punishment When some of the Levites were killing of their owne kindred for their idolatry of Levi it is said in their name Hee said unto his father and mother Deut. 33 9. I have not seene you neither knew he his brethren nor knew he his owne children So when the date of acquaintance and mercy is past with Christ then there is nothing to be expected but the execution of vengeance for hee will not know one more than another When his wrath is kindled Psal 2.12 it will be knowne how happy they are that put their trust in him Now there is a question to be answered Seeing Christ both exhorteth and promiseth Knock and it shall be open unto you how is it that hee saith he will deny them that both knocke and call upon him in the day of judgement I answer they defraud themselves of the benefite of this promise Two things to be observed by all that would knocke at heavens gate for obtaining whereof two conditions are required of us First that wee knocke and call while it is the time and day of salvation which day is the time of our life because that life and time is given unto us to this end that wee may labour for the life that never hath an end August in Ioh. 6 Ad hoc debet prodesse unicuique vivere ut detur ei semper vivere And indeede life is onely a benefit to every man that he may thereby obtaine the benefit of living eternally Secondly we must in requisite manner call and knocke some onely knocke with words and honour God with their lippes Esay 29 13◠but their hearts are farre from him yea and will aske of God with teares yet they aske not aright because it is not with heart word and deed of which they want two for their hearts call not to him for love of him or of eternall life but other by-respects are cause of their complaints neither doe their deedes concurre to knocke and move the Lord. These who would enter into life must open their hearts to let the Lord in and dwell in them Psal 24.7 according as David exhorteth Lift up your heads you gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting dores and the King of glory shall come in Psal 118.20 for this is the gate of the Lord onely the righteous shall enter into it who onely may truely say Verse 19. Open mee the gates of righteousnesse that I may goe into them and praise the Lord for ever no uncleane or wicked person dare say this their deedes can neither knocke nor enter Acts 10 4. Cornelius prayer appeared in Gods presence but his fasting and almes went up to heaven heaven cannot be purchased with bare words we must make friends of worldly riches to gaine everlasting habitations and make treasures in heaven yea and have our hearts there also or else our calling cannot be taken notice of nor be able to unlocke the inaccessible place of glory VERSE 13. Watch therefore for yee know neither the day nor the houre when the Sonne of man will come THese words are the 3. part of this Parable containing the application of it Wherin our Saviour sheweth plainly the great love and care he hath to his servants and his abundant mercy which he hath on all men that he desireh not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turne from his wickednesse and live giveth a generall cry forewarning their danger and preventing their destruction but in such particular manner that it is sufficient to move the most senseles heart to retreate Two times already as I said in the beginning hath Christ in this same Sermon given the same warning Now because the danger is great even the damnation of every soule that labours not to prevent it and men are carelesse and fearelesse of unseene and unfelt dangers therfore he preacheth it
the third time and by a common comparison labours to imprint it in the mindes of his hearers Iob 33 14.29 30. The Lord saith Elihu speaketh once or twice and a man perceiveth it not yea and being abundant in compassion will labour twice or thrice with a man that he may turne backe his soule from the pit to be illuminate in the light of the living As a carefull Captaine before hee betake him to rest considering the great danger of his army if they become sleepy and carelesse will give charge that the watches be placed and not contented with direction and intreaty will goe in person to see his owne satisfaction and their security So our Lord Iesus Christ being to leave this world and considering the watchfulnesse and labour of our spirituall enemies seeking to devoure us which may hastily be done if once we be taken at unawares he often exhorts us to stand to our guard and at last in his owne person sets the watch and seales it with a charge of punishment to be inflicted upon those that neglect And as a man going into a strange Country and leaveth his house Marke 13 34. giveth authority to his servants and to every man his worke and commandeth the porter and all to worke and watch that upon his uncertaine time of returne they may be upon an instant ready to give account of their charge So our Lord before his going into our heavenly Country prescribed and delivered to every man his charge and because not onely the Disciples but every other soule standeth at the gate of heaven untill it be open and our Saviour meet us he therefore gave charge and exhorted all to watch lest they be found sleeping and negligent Matth. 25.30 and with the sloathfull servant be cast into utter darknesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Consider how carefull Christ is to preach and beate this doctrine into our eares and make use of it for the more carefull the Lord is to give us warning the more severe shall he be in judgeing if we neglect This exhortation Watch therefore springeth from many rootes each wherof leadeth us to this fruite even from every maine particular in this Parable which proceeding along by the uncertainty of time are as so many motives and counsellers that wee watch and awaite for the comming of Christ to us The great River Nilus receiveth water and strength from many springs all which concurring overflow much of Egypt and causeth fruitfulnesse So the former doctrines of this Parable all concurre in one and taking their current through the uncertainty of our life or Christs comming doe overflow the soule and make it fruitfull causing us to walke worthy of our calling and to watch for Christs comming The greatest argument to move us to watchfulnesse and carefulnesse of a Christian life is the uncertainty of our life and the continuall danger we stand in to be arrested by death and so brought presently to a fearefull account He that feareth the thiefe to come at every houre of the night will be sure to spend the whole night in watching Wee are ever in danger yea in the midst of life we be in death and therefore while we live our soules should continually watch for the time that our Lord Iesus shall appeare for our deliverance out of this mortall life Therefore when our Lord exhorteth us to watch he giveth this for a reason We know not the day c. And because of all the foolishnesse and miserable estate of the foolish Virgins this is most lamentable that beginning and labouring for the marriage they should notwithstanding allow a purposed prodigality to consume an uncertaine time and so be taken at unawares in carelesnesse lose their expected credit and benefit to their great shame and confusion so should we stand in awe and watch lest that day come upon us as a snare when we least thinke of it For we know not the day c. And this is the particular that Christ urgeth out of this Parable and which hee maketh expresse use of But seeing there are many other circumstances in it which doe urge this exhortation and by good consequence conclude the same doctrine it is not unfitting to set them downe as so many hands laying one and the same burthen of necessary watchfulnesse upon us but so as they may be linked with this maine reason of the uncertainty of the time to give greater strength unto them When all our reasons are seasoned and salted with the uncertaine time of death they give no other relish nor bring out any other effect in an understanding soule than warinesse and watchfulnesse in all things according to the wise mans saying Remember death and thou shalt never sinne Ecclesiasticus 7.36 There have been six principall doctrines in this Parable which all concurre to teach us this exhortation These reasons I have set down thus for brevities sake which may be easily drawne into syllogismes From the first Verse Heaven is our native Country for which wee are brought up now we are children of the kingdome and are pilgrims in another Countrey and have no certainty when the Lord will translate us from this miserable estate to receive our mercifull expectation and therefore wee should watch seeing we know not the day c. From the second Verse We heard that few were to be saved and the power of damnation is an equall enemy to all and at all times ready to take holde of us therefore we should be watchfull seeing we know not c. From the third Verse We finde it true that most of men content themselves with a shew of grace and preparation and so labour with cunning and industry that they may be damned and with this shew consume the time which they neither know nor have power of and therefore we should give labour that we prove not of this gracelesse number but watch for we know not c. From the fifth Verse The time of our life and of Christs stay is bestowed upon us to the end that we may make ready against he come which if it be within a day or an houre we know not and therefore we should watch seeing we know not c. From the fift and sixt Verses Security is a common forerunner of danger and the usher which maketh way to destruction which is commonly nearest when it seemeth to be furthest off but when it comes is uncertaine but ever doubtfull and therefore we should be ever upon our guard and watch seeing we know not c. From the following Verses is by reasons concluded that there is neither time to provide and prepare nor any helpe to be hoped for from God or man after the day of death which is ever waiting to carry us to judgement And therefore we should ever prepare and watch seeing we know neither the day nor houre when the Sonne of man commeth Now we are in particular to consider the main reason
how and in what holy exercises they spent the day onely for the good of the soule accounting the necessities of the body to be supplyed and cared for rather in the night which customes being used in other places in processe of time they divided the night into severall watches of which I will speake hereafter by all which appeareth how carefull the true servants of God have beene to count and employ their time But ignorance being the mother of presumption it appeareth that this is one of the markes of reprobate men because they know not how precious the time is to make a count of many yeares but care not how they bestow them If God gave time according to their desire they would at least choose the yeares of Methusalah The rich man counted not his life by dayes but counted a part of his life to be the summe of many yeares Luke 12 19. and it is the property of an evill servant to say My master doth deferre his comming Matth 24 48. As they count their time lightly gotten so they intend to bestow it lavishly in feasting gameing and sleeping but most of them with the evill servant to commit all manner of violence and oppression and because they never counted their time by dayes and houres they ever finde Christs promise true that their master will come in a day when they looked not for him and in an houre that they are not aware of Learne therefore to number your dayes and as the Wiseman saith Ecclus. 14.14 Be not disappointed of the good day but so employ it that the time be not lost without some fitting gaine to soule and body according as the times are convenient This is verbatim out of Suetonius in the life of Tit. Flau. Vespas Augus Sect. 7. It is a memorable example of an Heathen Emperour Titus Vespasian who calling to minde one time as he sate at supper that hee had done nothing for any man that day he uttered this memorable and praise-worthy Apophthegme My friends I have lost a day O what lost time have we to answer for wherein we have neither done good to others nor our selves Let them that love glasses to see their faces in looke also upon houre-glasses to see how their time goes away and comes not againe Watch therefore for you know not the day nor the houre c. Lastly followeth the charge Seeing we know all these things how carefull should wee be that death and judgement overtake us not when wee are sleeping in sinne and without thought of heaven or hell Better it is to watch and to be saved than sleepe and be destroyed We have herein to be considered three things 1. The meaning of the word Watch. 2. The persons to whom this watch is spoken 3. What is required for performance of it The word is used from warfare in which the armie ever count themselves to be in danger if the enemie be not certainly knowne to be farre off and therefore adventure not to sleepe without spies appointed and set in the most convenient places to perceive the approach of the enemy and with a loud voice when danger is at hand may sound an alarme to awake others to stand to their defence So soone as any lessons of military discipline were given this was accounted one most necessary of all And for the better performance of the charge which stood them all on their lives it was counted dangerous to trust a whole nights watching to one man they divided the night into foure parts by the name of watches though in these parts of the world it was necessary that the watches be changed oftner than foure times This constitution hath been long used for it is written that Gideon came upon the host of the Midianites in the beginning of the middle watch Iudg. 7 19. 1 Sam. 11 11. and Saul upon the Ammonites in the morning watch From hence it came to be used as a common division of the night David saith He waited on the Lord more than the morning watch did for the morning Psal 130 6. Mat 14 25. Christ came walking on the sea in the fourth watch and useth the same division in this exhortation in these words Watch therefore Mark 13 35. for ye know not when the master of the house will come at even or at midnight at the cocke-crow or in the dawning This exercise was used by holy people in religion 1 Sam 2 22. Pet. Mart. in Iud. 7 19. In vita HilarioÌ„ as by those women at the Tabernacle which the sonnes of Eli abused And Ierome reports of the watches kept in his time whole nights at the graves of holy men which being intended for holy conference meditation and praising of God by continuance in the time of darknesse caused much intemperance and gave way to lascivious persons for diverse sorts of wickednesse whose effects are to be seene in the Wakes observed in some places which are the fruites of the former superstition Of which I say thus much though they were used as first intended to the remembrance of holy men that their life and actions might relish the better for imitation yet with the Apostle that bodily exercise profiteth little 1 Tim 4 8. and how little profit this kinde of exercise hath done to the Church appeareth by the effects of it which have beene no better than those among the Gentiles Of Ianus is said Quam multas matres fâ—cerat ille Deus Ovid. Trist lib. 2. Ioseph Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 4. in which diverse fornications and adulteries have beene committed and fathered upon the Idols as one which Iosephus named with a Gentlewoman in Rome had beene put and reputed to the kindnesse of the god Anubis and the woman with her husband Saturnius very thankfull to the Idol and the Priests of it if Decius Mundus who had abused her had kept his owne counsell and not cast it despitefully in her teeth A French man hath in this particular unmasked their wickednes to the world Certainly if a rabble who are canonized for Saints by the Romish Church whose mothers were Nunnes were duely enquired of they shall be found according as their friends and Confessours of their mothers avouched it to the world to be the children of Ghostly Fathers indeede But omitting these abuses our watching for Christ is onely our Christian preparation by a holy carriage and often remembrance yea and longing for his comming which is better understood by practise than preaching Now for the persons that should watch No man is free from this charge and lest any should conceive immunity our Saviour tells us Mark 13 37. That which I say unto you I say unto all Watch. From the highest to the lowest none can have liberty to thinke himselfe out of danger for the destruction of the soule or preventing it lyeth upon watching What persons should watch There are foure sorts of persons in this world