bodies bee raised O then let vs so prepare for death by a good life that the day of our resurrection may bee a day of refreshing to vs from the Lord. Act. 3.19 When the wicked as seede that rotteth in the earth which God doth not blesse shall arise without comfort let vs endeuor to lie downe in that fauour of God wherein who so falleth a sleep shal out of the same be sure to awake comfortably and ioifully hauing no more woe nor sorrow And as Christ is the first fruits of them that sleepe 1. Cor. 15.20 there resurrection beeing yet in the blade and greene eare and their bodies at rest in their graues as it were beds of peace in which they sleepe quietly till he shal raise them who raiseth the Sunne daily from his den So let vs so liue in Christ by our good consciences that when the night shall come that night or hour in the night whereof our Sauiour spake when hee said the night commeth when no man can worke Ioh. 9.4 we may goe down peaceably to our sepulchers as into our beds with confidence to stand before God in the resurrection of the iust The day will come let vs thinke of it earnestly when we must meete the Lord face to face It is good therefore to meete him heere in his word and in our honest conuersation seeking the things aboue Col. 3.1 that when we shall goe forth to meet him with the Virgins that had oile in their lampes and store of oile that is grace in their hearts wee may not bee ashamed Math. 25.1.10 If we will attaine to the resurrection of the iust we must begin it here in the New birth of a Christian and new life of one that is so borne For as in the first birth man is brought forth consisting of soul and body so in this second of our spirituall resurrection wee must haue a new soule and bodie as it were new heauen and earth created in vs. Of flesh we must be made spirit and of fleshly diuine so wee may comfortably looke for the last resurrection or our parts in it a day that sweeteneth more then sugar the crosses and miseries of our hard life here The comfortable day of the Saints and Christs glorious and welcome day after which he will raigne in the middes of the people for euer Againe shall the iudgement be of all men good and bad then it concerneth vs all if we meane to receiue from Christ the Iudge a comfortable sentence in that day to looke well to our estate and matters here that we bring a good cause and the witnesse of a good conscience to that iudgement seat He that hath a matter to be heard before some earthly Iudge and vpon some certaine day will at the time and about the day appointed be in some good readinesse That is He will bring his sufficient counsell to the barre be sure that his matter be good and euâ—dence without exception haue his witnesses to speake for him and the truth of the cause to speake for it selfe And shall we negligently deale in so waighty an action as that which must come to hearing before so great a Iudge of quicke and dead The day is set and we know not how suddenly it will come and in how short time Besides the matter to be heard concerneth not lands or goods but life or death eternall Christ is our onely Counsellour or Aduocate in that court our good deedes are our good euidence The witnesses are the word that must iudge vs and our owne consciences And shall we now despise the Son of God and count his couenant a prophane thing shall we crucifie by our sinnes Christ our Aduocate and thinke to haue him on our side and part or dreame that he will be for vs whom we haue crucified should we not rather kisse the Sonne with the kisse of our reconcilement to Christ who must speake for vs and be for vs if euer we be saued our good deedes are our best euidence and shall we follow after vnrighteousnesse doe bad deeds with greedinesse and shew no good euidence why we should not be damned our witnesses are the word and our owne consciences and shall we make a mocke of the word and not regard the witnesse of our conscience whether it be with vs or against vs if we despise the Gospell it cannot speake for vs and if we goe against our conscience it will surely be against vs. And should not man feare to bring a witnesse specially in such a court that will fearefully speake against him Let vs therefore endeuour by making much of the word by preferring it to our chiefe ioy by hearing it diligently by being moulded in it and fashioned like vnto it to get one witnesse for vs that is more worth then all the pleasures and profits of sinne that wretched men so admire And for the waies of our heart and actions of our life let vs so approue them to God who will giue an vpright sentence vpon them and vpon vs for them and doe them in such an integrity before God and innocencie before men when we either deale with God or haue dealing with our Neighbor that wee may haue two witnesses clearely for vs in that great day of hearing Lastly Vse 3 if all matters and persons must be iudged by Christ they are here reproued who take from God his seat and iudge their brother that is iudge him to condemnation For this Christ hath forbidden who is Iudg. Math. 7 1. And the Apostle Saint Paul would not haue vs thus to iudge our brother giuing this for a reason for we must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ Rom. 14.10 as if he should haue said by iudging in this manneâ— we would seeme to step before God and to preuent his sentence exposing our brother with great wrong to a double iudgement one which we pronounce another which Christ will giue at the last day So our brother shall be twice iudged once by vs who are vsurpers and againe by Christ who is Iudge indeed or by such manner iudgement we argue Gods righteous iudgement of insufficiencie and iudgement seat of corruption and so wrong the Lord and not only our brother when we so iudg him But though rash iudgement be forbidden yet all iudgement is not For the Iudge may censure a fault that deserueth death with death and may condemne a malefactor to the gallowes whom he may not condemn to hell The Minister may censure faults by the doome of the word of God and by ecclesiasticall correction Nay the priuate man may iudge a wicked person by his life so farre as he may know him by it and iudge him by the word though he may not iudge him to hell nor iudge him before the time 1. Cor. 4.5 we may iudge the tree by the fruit because by the fruit we may know it Math. 12.33 and so as farre as we know we may speake so we speake charitably
be quite gone which out of temptation and in a calme time shineth wonderfully in our eyes Besides for these outward things whether they befall a man in life or death all things come alike to all Eccles 9.2 And so one may die like a lambe and goe to hell and another die in exceeding torments with lamentable vnquietnesse and shrikes of slesh and goe to heauen But you will say They both say and thinke that God hath cast them off And I say againe that it may be their speech and opinion and yet nothing to the preiudice of their saluation by Christ For when and why doe they so speake and thinke It is not then and because they are sicke of that despaire which ariseth either of the weakenesse of nature or of the conscience of sinne toward death And what maruell if then in that taking they vtter some distempered words and haue strange and vnquiet thoughts Therefore though they should thinke they are damned and speake it in such a disturbance and at such times it can be but the voice and opinion of their sicknesse and a sick mans iudgement of himselfe is not to be regarded So much for the act of walking the obiect before whom followeth Before him The obiect of our conuersation is God the righteous walk before him or haue him before them in all their life looking vpon him as vpon a God of glorious maiestie that wil not iustifie the wicked of gracious mercy that pardoneth sinners of speciall prouidence that numbreth our steppes and of infinite knowledge that seeth all our waies or they haue God before them in Christ and Christ in God beholding his iustice behind the skreene of his mercie and perceiuing his mercie through the darke cloud of his iustice And they who so doe Doctr. cannot but do that which is good in his sight The doctrine then is The best meane of a good conuersation is to set the Lord alway before vs. This hath beene partly spoken of in the first sermon and first doctrine The way to walke aright is to behold the Lord in all our waies So did Eliah who therefore saith to Ahab As the Lord lineth before whom I stand 1. King 17.2 Where hee confirmeth his speech with an oath and lest Ahab should thinke he made no conscience of what he said addeth this clause that he stood in the presence of God As if he should haue said I set God before me in my sayings and therefore make conscience of that I say Cornelius in like manner considering that hee was before God in Peters ministery prouoketh himselfe and others with him to a solemne hearing of what shold be spoken from God vnto them and therefore said Wee are all here present before God to heare all things that shall be commanded vs of God Act. 10.33 His meaning was as if he should haue said to Peter though wee much reuerence thee yet wee more reuerence a greater in place then thou art to wit that terrible God and consuming fire that speaketh by thee And indeed who is he that setting alway before him the God who is of pure eyes and cannot behold euill Habac. 1.13 will not loth the practising of iniquitie if he haue any sparke of grace in his heart or blood of shame in his face for what Subiect would dare to walke vndecently and not feare to doe euill in the eye of his Prince or would a man steale in the presence and before him that must iudge him for his theft And how then can we sinne presumptuously if we set him alway before vs Qnest who is iudge of quicke and dead But how shall we set the Lord before vs that we may liue so as is here required and bridle sinne that it haue not the head among vs I answere Answ We must set him before vs in his last assise remember him as our dreadfull iudge and this will much restraine vs from sinning against him The euill Steward when he remembred that hee had a Master who wold shortly take his office from him did wisely though not iustly in it Luc. 16.4.8 The contrary for getting of the iudgement to come and Iudge that will come is the cause why so many so much differre to knocke at the gate of Heauen with the hand of repentance and voice of their praiers putting off till there be no opening Math. 25.11 And therefore as riotous persons who hauing little in their purse doe in their Inne call for all sortes and varietie of Cates forgetting that a reckoning and shot will come so these gracelesse spenders in their Innes of ease forgetting or putting off the shot and doome of the last day doe nothing but bath themselues in the delights of sinne and put inough vpon the reckoning account to come that they may walke securely acording to the course of this world in all manner lusts and vnrighteousnesse contemning God Am. 6.3 Secondly we must set the Lord befóre vs in his word for so shall we doe wisely and not goe out of the good way till he come vnto vs in our death or at his great day Ps 101.2 Ios 1.8 and largely in the 119. Psalm throughout For this cause the word is called a treasure Mat. 13.44 A treasure which is to be found onely in the field of the scriptures of the old and new testament that we may hide it in our hearts as we safely lay vp a treasure Papists therefore who walke in their owne inuentions as in by-waies and Protestants that walke not in the way of Gods commandements but in the blind-way of their ignorant and foolish hearts that are full of darkenesse Rom. 1.21 Set not the Lord but all manner sinne and concupiscence before them to worke the same with all greedinesse Eph. 4.19 Thirdly we must set the Lord before vs in his mercies and louing kindnesse and this will bridle a good nature from sinning against him For the kindnesse of a father manie times ouercommeth a bad nature and then what is it not able to doe with a good nature Gods kindnesse to vs and tendernesse of vs is more then the kindnesse of any father and tendernesse of any mother to the child whom they dearely loue Esay 49.15 And if we doubt of this remember we the stories of Dauid and of the prodigall sonne For how did the fatherly compassion and motherly pitty of the Lord worke nay exceed toward both of them Dauid committed two great sinnes not repenting for them but lying in them and adding diuers other great euils vnto them The Lord did not for all this reiect him but had great care of him and when he sought not his pardon sent it home vnto him by Nathan in these words The Lord hath put away thy sinne thou shalt not die 2. Sam. 12.13 The prodigall sonne had run a long and wild course of errour yet did the pittifull father at his comming backe not driue him away but meete him in the way nor speake roughly to
daies long continue wherein charity is waxen so cold and faith so scant In men there is not the mercy that hath beene No man almost will speake in a good cause without a fee and without a gift in the hand there is no hearing for it Sinne ranckleth in the bosome and ratleth in the bones of the inueterate adulterer The aged drunkard pleadeth vnto and prescribeth for his sinne wrong sentence is good iudgement in some earthly courts And men hold their peace of these things but will God doe so will not he speake will he keepe silence for euer will he not by the writ of his last great sessions remoue all these matters to his owne court of audience shortly Let vs not therefore too much presume or thinke that God is like vs because he holdeth his tongue while we doe such things for he will reproue vs and set them in order before vs. Ps 50.21 But must a iudgement bee Vse 3 Let vs then while we are here vse all good meanes for abating the edge and seueritie of this iudgement toward our selues And that we may not enter vpon the sharpe of it it shall bee good to practise that lesson of the Apostle where hee telleth vs that if wee would iudge our selues we should not be iudged 1. Cor. 11.31 As if he should haue said if we would examine our selues of our sinnes confesse them before God the Iudge giue sentence against them or as a iudge vpon the bench condemn them and our selues for them wee should not come into condemnation Or if we would iudge our selues God would not iudge vs and if wee would condemne our selues God would deliuer vs. For wee shall not receiue a double iudgement nor double sentence from him that iudgeth righteously When Dauid iudged himselfe God forgaue him 2. Sa. 12.13 When Iob confessed against himselfe God accepted him Iob. 42.6.8 and when the lost sonne came vnto himselfe the father presently receiued him Luk. 15.17.18.19 20. So shall it be with vs in the day of Christ if we will accordingly humble our selues in our day With earthly Iudges the more is confessed by a malefactor the worse it may be for him but so is it not with Christ the Iudge For the more wee aggrauate our faults the more will he lessen them the more wee lay vpon them the more will hee take from them the more wee mislike them the lesse will hee iudge them Let vs learne then to auoide the common fashion and errour of the world in lessening hiding excusing and iustifying of our faults because wee would not bee shamed nor condemned here For here we must be ashamed if hereafter wee would not take shame and here we must be condemned if hereafter we would not bee condemned of the Lord. And better now suffer a little that is in this life then after it suffer with sinners in torments and woe endlesse So much for the certaintie of the iudgement it followeth to shew with how great a traine and solemnitie it shall be performed With thousands of Saints c. Or with his holy thousands These thousands of Christ are the royall hoast of his Angels and the glorious company of his Saints all which shall attend their Lord vnto iudgement The meaning is that Christ shall bee brought with great glorie and attendance to the throne of his last Sessions The doctrine is Doctr. The second comming of Christ shall be manifest and will bee glorious Daniel the Prophet hath a singular place for this purpose where speaking of God the Father Christ his Sonne and of their state and magnificence which was that they sate in thrones shining bright like the flame of a fornace and therefore called thrones of fire the wheeles of which were as burning fire Dan. 7.9 He saith that the ancient of daies meaning Christ who is the same and his yeares shall not faile Heb. 1.12 sate on his throne where thousand thousands ministred vnto him and ten thousand thousands stood before him or attended vpon him ver 10. al which is spoken to shew with what a Court of attendance and traine of glorie Christ shall as it were bee brought to the hall and iudgement place at the last great day And further to make manifest so solemne a Session it is added that the bookes shall be opened meaning chiefely by these bookes as Saint Iohn doth Apoc. 20.12 the booke of Life which is the booke of the law written and the booke of conscience in euery mans heart The booke of the law sheweth what we should haue done and the booke of conscience what we haue done And against these there is no exception For the booke of the law is a booke of commandements that are all holy and righteous Psal 19.9 And the booke of conscience a booke of euidence that cannot lie He that is iudged by it is iudged by a booke that was euer in his owne keeping and is written with his own hand and how can that bee falsified For God will iudge no man by another mans conscience but by his own So manifest and glorious shall Christs comming be Saint Paul speaking of this second comming of Christ sheweth that it shall be manifest For hee saith it shall be with a shout 1. Thes 4.16 Meaning by it aloud and vehement crie such as Mariners nake who doing some businesse in the ship make a very strong and common shout And this is further shewed by that which followeth of the trumpet the shrillest and lowedest of all musicall instruments The Euangelists speaking of the same comming of Christ vnto iudgement say it shall bee glorious There words are The Sonne of Man shall come in his glorie and all the holy Angels with him Mat. 25.31 Mar. 8.38 Mat. 16 27. Or the Sonne of Man shall come in a cloud with power great glorie Luk. 21.27 Their meaning is that as at the setting forth of his Gospell all the hoast of heauen did assist him so comming to reuenge and visit for the contempt of that same Gospell all his Saints Angels and seruants shall attend vpon him As therfore earthly Iudges are brought with great pompe and terrour to the hall or place of sitting the Sheriffe the Iustices and many other gentlemen attending them to the court and the halbards going before So here the sonne of God the great Iudge is said to come with his holy thousands whose Sheriffe is powers principalities thrones and dominions whose followers are the Patriarkes and Prophets with the twelue Apostles and with Disciples innumerable whose guard are the Angels and not a few bil-men whose troupes are the blessed Martyrs the fourtie and foure thousand who haue his fathers name written in their forheads Apoc. 14.1 Whose throne is of fire and seate of burning Iasper whose garments are not of scarlet but of vengeance whose head is like wooll and feete like vnto sine brasse and voice as the sound of many waters Apoc. 1.13.14 15. Thus shall his comming be manifest and thus
leasure to liue well but flit from sinne to sinne as the flye skippeth from dish to dish till they be taken with the sweet meate of sin in their mouth and there bee no place to repentanâ—â— Let such consider that the custome of sinne causeth a hardning in sin For so the Apostle speaketh thou after thine hardnesse and heart that cannot repent heapest vnto thy selfâ— wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 and let them remember that custome will adde to nature and turne it vnto it selfe Which is the cause that a Preacher shall as soone take Nature from a man by his words as sinne to which hee is accustomed Besides Sathan is not easily cast our where hee hath long dwelt and if Sathan be in sinne will not be out if Sathan haue possession sinne that attends vpon him will not loose possession if one dwell in vs both as well as one wil and must dwell in vs. So much for the Wisemans exhortation his reasons follow Whiles the euill dayes come not c. These are the reasons for which Salomon would haue his young man not to put of in the age of youth which is most prime and teachable the remembrance spoken of And they are taken from the many infirmities and withdrawings that are to bee found in old age when youth is abused as much as if Salomon should haue said Well my sonne thou art now yong lustie and actiue of good apprehension and sharpe conceite indued with fresh and strong faculties of wit and remembrance thy feete are nimble thy sight is good and thy hearing perfect now therfore serue God whiles thou maist the time may come when thou wilt be old weake and sickely dull in apprehending and of bad capacitie and remembrance without a good legge to bring thee to church without a good eare to heare at Church and either without all eies or darke sighted and so not able to reade or not able to reade long nor a good letter but through spectacles then it will be too late to doe any good seruice to God thy Creator This I take to be the Wise 〈◊〉 meaning in these words and the doctrine from hence is Doctr. Old age is no fit time wherein to begin godlinesse when the gay and fresh age of youth hath beene consumed in vanities The Israelites are complained of by the Lord in Malachy That they offered the blind for sacrifice and the lame and sicke for aâ— hallowed thing Mal. 1.8 He that would not haue a beast that had no eyes in his seruice would haue theâ— whiles thou hast eyes to serue him The sicke and the lame were no good offerings then and bee they good ware now in the sicke and lame bodie of a man that hath desperately put off his turning to God till he can neither draw winde nor legge Moses knew this and therefore bore this burthen yong and while his legges were able to beare him For the Text saith That when he was come to age hee refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter that is would not liue in delicacies while he had strength to liue vnto God Heb. 11.24.25.26 Ioseph also in his beautie and faire person turned his back to his tempting Mistresse and his face to the Lord. Gen. 39.10.12 He would not put off to serue God till old age had made choppes to his beautifull face and till his skin was withered Iosiah a good King in the eight yeare of his raigne and sixteene of his age when he was yet a Child began to seeke after the God of Dauid his Father and in the twelfth yeare of his raigne and twentieth of his age made a famous reformation 2. Chro. 34.3.4.5.6 What so soone and so young So saith the Scripture and so it was without controuersie For Gods Children take the good daies of youth for good duties and not the euill of sickly and saplesse old age for them as commonly the worlds children doe Samuel serued God in his minoritie and grew in spirit as hee shotte vp in yeares Samuel was a good man and the better beâ—â—â—â— a good yong man The reasons Repentance as it can neuer come too soone where sinne is gone before so it must needes with much adoe and not without some speciall worke of God ouertake so many sinnes of youth and manhood so farre and much before it Secondly old age is full of wearinesse and trouble and where wee haue elbow-roome in youth we cannot turne vs in old age Perhaps wee shall neither heare nor see nor go nor sit without paine and torment in all parts and is this a fit condition of life and age of time to serue God in Or doe we thinke seeing wee will not know God in youth that he wil know vs at these yeares and in this case and state A reproofe therefore to those who bestow on Sathan the beauty Vse 1 strength and freshnesse of youth and offer to God the wrinckles weakenesse and foule hue of old age Or when they haue giuen away the flower of their yong yeeres to Gods enemie offer to God who will haue the first and deserues the best the dregges and leauings To such I say if thou wilt not know God in thy youth hee will neuer know thee for ought thou knowest when thou art gray-headed If as hath been said thou wilt not giue him the yong and sound and that which is without blemish he will neuer take in good part the old and sicke and euill fauoured which no man will giue to his friend nor dare offer to his Prince If thou wilt not when thou art quick-witted when thou art come to yeares of dotage hee will not If thou wilt not beare him in his day thou shalt cry in thy day that is in the euill day and not be heard Prou. 1.28 It is too late to sowe when thy fruit should be in and no time to leaue sinne when sinne must leaue thee An instruction Vse 2 not to trust to the broken staffe of old age for being holy as wee are called to holinesse 1. Thess 4.7 but in the daies of our youth as the yeares of plentie to prouide with Ioseph in Egypt for a famine of hearing a famine that may come by infirmitie of yeares Gen. 41.49 For holinesse is a gift and the grace of holinesse is the gift of God Psal 51.10 Now a gift must bee taken when it is offered It is offered to day to day if you will heare his voice Psal 95.7 And therefore we may not come for it many yeares hence being promised to day What folly is it to challenge it thirty or forty yeares hereafter But if men haue neglected in their youth thus to remember God it is high time in their age to remember him Which would bee considered of those who haue already put foot within the dores of that age in the which the Almond tree flourisheth the haires are turned white to the haruest of death Eccl. 12.5 For is it not time for
are reputed seruants in Egypt and strangers in the wildernesse being vnhappy to wit in the opinion of worldly men till they come into their happy land and receiue those mansions which are prepared for them The wicked because they serue sinne in their members and short time are happie till they die being for that Lords in Egypt and Citizens here Here in pleasures after death in torments Here Lords of the earth hereafter brands of hell No maruell then if short life trouble the wicked as it comforteth the godly That which is added by Iob to his time of attendance followeth All Iob saith that hee would waite all his daies because he knew not the day nor houre when God would command his apparence by death and send him to his dust As if he should haue said Of my departure hence I know not the day nor houre or I know not when I shall die 1. Pet. 1.17 and therefore euery day shal be as my dying day and I will liue in continuall expectation of that which will come I know not how soone Doctr. This is the meaning And the point taught is though there bee nothing more certaine then death yet nothing is more vncertaine to vs then the houre in which we shall die For this cause the day of the generall as likewise the day of our particular iudgement in death is said to come suddenly vpon worldlings as the snare vpon the bird which commeth when it is not looked for Luke 21.35 And Mathew to shew how little wee know the comming of it till it come compareth it to a Master from home who returneth to his house in a day that the seruants looke not for him and in an houre that they are not ware of Mat. 24.50 And in the 43. verse of the same Chapter he compareth it to a thiefe in the night For as a thiefe giueth no warning so no more doth stealing death He that keepeth the house knoweth not when the thiefe will come and hee that looketh for death knoweth not when he shall die 1. Thes 5.2 The reasons If we knew the day of our death we would put off all till the comming of that day Secondly as it is the glorie of a King to know some things that no man else can know so it is a part of Gods glorie to hide from men and Angels the particular houres of mans death and this worlds doome which hee hath closed vp with the seale of secrecie and put in his owne power Now God will giue no part of his glorie to 〈◊〉 Thirdly if we knew the houre or certaine time of our death it would giue vs too great boldnesse to wallow in sinne till that time or houre came The whorish woman because she knew the rust time when her husband would returne who went into a far countrie did by such a certaine knowledge of the appointed time of his comming backe the more liberally poure out her soule to vice wantonnesse Prou. 7.20 Therefore it is counsell to vs when wee shall die that all the dayes of our appointed time we may wait for this day and in all our time looke for this last time To make good vse of this point Vse we must account of euery presēt day as the day of our death so liue now as if we were now dying doe those good duties euery day that wee would bee found doing at our last houre of the day Death doth come suddenly to many so it may to vs and some who haue promised to themselues many yeeres and long life haue not had a minute of warning giuen them to cal for mercie The houses of their bodies were presently digged thorow when they iudged their time endlesse and when they thought to haue runne a long race of scores Iob. 21.23.24.25 their graues haue met them in their setting out and they haue ended their act before they had plaide one full part on their stage The consideration hereof should make vs carefull to doe good while we haue time seeing we are so vnsure of it Gal. 6.10 The time of making peace with our Aduersarie is while wee are in the way Math. 5.25 And because we know not the day we should watch by doing good euerie day sitting with Abraham in our Tent doore Gen. 18.1 And watching death that watcheth vs. One light before doth more good then many carried after So one fore-thought is better then twentie after wits Death looketh for vs euerie where therfore as one saith wee should euery where looke for him Luke 12.35.36 But further to incite vs to this Christian watch let vs remember that where the tree falleth there it lieth in the East of life or West of second death where the Sunne of peace setteth vpon reprobates for euer Eccles 11.3 As the last day of our life leaueth vs so shall that last day the day of Christs comming August finde vs. How good were it therefore before we runne into desperate arrierages to cast our billes of account the rather because wee shall bee warned out of our office we know not how soone Luke 16.2 Some Emperors among the Heathen were woont as bookes say to bee crowned ouer the sepulchers and graues of dead men to teach them by the certaine but vnknowne end of their short life to vse their great roomes as men that must one day be as they then were whose graues they trode vpon The old Saints who liued in a continuall meditation of their short and vncertaine time were wont alway like wise Merchants to thinke of their returne homeward And therefore tooke vp their treasure by billes of paiment not where they were but where they would bee and meant to make their long aboad that is meant to be for euer And the Philosophers who saw not beyond the clouds of humane reason when they perceiued how much men did decline by course of yeares and wastes of time were woont to say that the life of a wise man was nothing but a continuall meditation of death And were it no more but that it is enacted as by an euerlasting Parliament that all must once die Heb. 9.27 This were inough to cast a cloud yea a whol dark sky ouer the fairest day we see here and passe in our fairest pleasures But when we shall consider that after death commeth the iudgement it must needes moue vs to turne our laughter into mourning and to thinke how to liue and die well in so short and certaine but vncertain time of our expectation of such a day a day of such dread and tertour to carelesse liuers a black hideous and dismall day But carelesse persons like those officers in the Kings house who hauing their allowance of lights consume them in wantonnesse and goe to bed in the dark doe consume on their lusts those good graces as it were lights which they haue receiued for saluation from the father of lights Iam. 4.3 which is cause that when their bodies must goe to
our eyes bee vpon Christ and vpon those whom God hath scaled to be faithfull and we shall not be confounded in the perilous day Let vs but say with Isaac my father Gen. 22.7 And though we can say no more God will presently answere Here I am my sonne For this is a trne saying and worthy of all men to be receiued that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners The Apostle saith it is worthy the marking and let us marke it well 1. Tim. 1 15. For it is as true as worthy to bee receiued and teacheth that though we be sinners and great sinners or chiefe of sinners yet if as repentant sinners we can beleeue the remission of sins by Christ not too popishly harpe vpon a satisfaction for sin by our owne doings our part is in his great saluation For Christ came to saue sinners and the chiefest sinner There wanteth not a hand to giue but wee want hands who should receiue his gift The bloud of Christ is able to cure as most soueraigne physick all infirmities and sinnes repented off If we be neuer so great sinners and haue a hand of faith in our harts to receiue that grace of God that hath brought saluation Tit. 2.11 neither wee nor our sinnes can disanull the promise of God which is that he will be mercifull to our sinnes Then let our sinnes be neuer so many and those many sinnes neuer so great being truely repented off God is greater who hath forgiuen vs all our sinnes The voice that saith to all come Apoc. 22.17 excludeth none and shall wee being bidden to the great Kings wedding by turning the point of crueltie vpon our selues strike our owne names out of the roule of the guests that are bidden to the Lambes feast Math. 22.4.5 Therefore sinne doth not simply hurt vs but impenitencie in sinne hurteth the wicked For Herod had rather loose Iohn then his brothers wife Mat. 14.3.5 And some had rather part with their preachers then with their sinnes So they hinder the effect of the physick which in mercie by good application is appointed to heale them Saluation is come to their houses and into their houses but they iudge themselues vnworthy of euerlasting life Act. 13.46 Thus the godly in temptation dare not apply Christ and the wicked in sinne cannot But Vse 2 doth not God accept mens persons Then his Magistrates on earth which are called Gods Psal 82.6 should not in causes be partiall betwixt man and man For they execute not the iudgements of man but of the Lord who is with them in the matter of iudgement 2. Chro. 19.6 The Magistrates seat must bee the throne that iudgeth right and when he giueth sentence in a matter he must lay iudgement to the rule and righteousnesse to the ballance Esay 28.17 as if hee would waigh out an equall euen proportion of iustice to rich and poore Deut. 1.17 And this measure must bee scaled at the Lords standard with testimonie of an vpright conscience Therefore one setteth forth a good Iudge with a sword in the one hand and a paire of scales in other The meaning is that hee must not strike by iudgement til the cause to bee iudged haue receiued an indifferent ballance in hearing Though a Noble man speake by a letter and a rich man intreat by a gift hee must not heare to peruert the straight steps of iustice To be short as God is no respecter of persons so these Gods should know no difference of person wher right is one nor bend their cares to credit a tale that first is d Prou. 18.7 told them nor corrupt their iudgement with their censure before they hear the cause nor seperate betweene their verdit and the truch of their knowledge which should goe together nor vse sudden resolutions nor be hastie in iudgement So shall iustice be free not partial nor hired which God detesteth A reproofe of those proud christians who grace religion in a veluet hood Vse 3 but scorne it in vile raiment hauing the faith of the Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons Iam. 2.1.2.3 or who bid rich religion home vnto them but will not take poore religion by the hand for either they turne from it as strangers or against it as enemies So the poore is seperated from his neighbour Pro. 19.4 that is his carnall friends will not helpe him the godlie that are poore cannot And hence it is that they who want wealth and countenance though neuer so religious are despised as abiects They who haue riches and fauour though neuer so prophane are admired as Angels But it is a marke of the heire of life to respect the vertue not the riches or person of a man Ps 15.4 And he who is such an one will bee affected towards men as he perceiueth men to bee affected towards God if they contemne God hee will not regard them though neuer so honourable and if they feare God he will make much of them though neuer so vile This is to iudge righteous iudgement and not according to the appearance which iudgement Christ the Iudge hath forbidden Ioh. 7.24 So S. Paul chargeth Timothie in his ministrie to do his duetie without preferring one to another to wit for outward matters and to do nothing partially 1. Tim 5.21 that is not to spare to reproue for affection nor to rebuke bitterly for displeasure and euill will A good item for the partiall in the ministrie among our selues at this day who will scarce giue counsel but such as shal please where they loue and yet drawe out reproofs as salt as brine the same many times causelesse where they spleenishly hate Which what is it but to make God himselfe their officer to reuenge their quarel and to scrue their malicious humor To spare some for great faults and bitterly to inuey against others for no fault because they bee our carnall friends whom we spare and suspected foes whom we so fiercely prosecute and falsly reproue Is it not to make the word it selfe and the author of it God himselfe partiall and to prophane that which is holy Which may bee spoken of priuate persons as well as of publike ministers who in their enemy can see the mote of a small fault and haue no eyes to see the beame of a great one in their friend and louer Math. 7.3 If he offend whom we malice or like not it is horrible but if hee greatly offend whom for kindred or wealth or acquaintance wee esteeme of it is nothing What is this but to affect for respects not of vertue or vice but of kindred or person A comfort to the poore that bee godly Vse 4 For pouertie doth not make a man lesse accepted of God or of good men The Prophet Dauid saith That God hath chosen to himselfe a godly man Psal 4 3. he saith not a rich man if he be not godly And he further saith be sure of this as if hee should say beleeue it
time they are sorrie for the losse and confesse it And thus great difference is to be put betweene the fals of Gods children and the breake neckes of the wicked who fall into death A comfort to repentant sinners Vse 2 For though their sinnes haue hurt them their repentance may heale them Ier. 18 8. Though they haue beene great sinners as Saul and Manasses were Yet if they bee repentant sinners neither they nor their sinnes can change the new testament that God will be mercifull to their sinnes and blot out all their transgressions Though their sinnes were many the matter is not how many their sinnes are but how penitent they be that are sinners and the more they are the greater is his mercie who hath forgiuen them But is this for the worke of repentance No but because the repentant soule doth by faith apprehend Christ in his promises and beleeue that vpon his true conuersion or comming home God will receiue him and the father welcome home his straying sonne Luk 15.20.22.23 Quest Some will say My sinnes were committed vngodlily Answ and with purpose of heart Say they were so now that you are sorie for them it is not iudged so and your mercifull God will take you as you are not as you haue beene A repentant sinner you are and as a repentant sinner you shall haue mercie at Gods hands Onely look that your repentance be sound so you may haue confidence for pardon that God will bee mercifull to your vnrighteousnesse and forgiue you your sinnes Ezech. 18.21.22.23.32 Luc. 17.4 Though your conscience be full of wounds the Lord who is your Surgeon hath plaister inough of his tender mercie and long compassions to heale them Though the debts you owe bee great summes Gods mercie is not stinted to any number and he that is infinite in his pardons will as soone and doth as graciously pardon many as few sinnes yea when the summe of them is growne to a great reckoning and maine totall And though like a wretched subiect you haue raised against Christ many commotions in his owne kingdome yet the King of the Kings of Israel is a mercifull King and when you come to him with true submission as Benhadads seruants did to the King of Israel with signes of submission 1. King 20.31.32 he will be as readie to grant your pardon as you to aske it Of all their vngodly deedes c. Secondly where the vngodly shall be called to their answere for all that they haue done we learne that all the deeds of the wicked shall be rebuked to damnation So saith the Apostle S. Paul where he sheweth that in the day of wrath the wicked shall be rewarded according to their deeds meaning by their deeds their euill deeds Rom. 2.5.6.8 And the same Apostle saith we shall receiue according to that wee haue done the godly for the good they haue done in Christ the wicked out of Christ for the euill they haue done in their owne bodie 2. Cor. 5.10 And S. Mathew the Euangelist saith as much where speaking of the comming of the Sonne of Man he saith when the Sonne of Man commeth in his glorie he shall giue to enerie man according to his deedes His meaning is the godly shall beare vnto iudgement the good deeds of Christ imputed to them and the wicked bring into iudgement the bad deedes of sinne properly theirs Math. 16.27 The like we read in the booke of the Reuelation or rather the same where it is said that all the dead shall be iudged according to their works The good for Christs righteousnesse and by it shall liue the wicked shall be damned for their owne vnrighteousnesse Quest Apoc. 20.11.12 But some may say if euill deeds deserue damnation why should not good deeds merit life I answere Answ It followeth not seeing that here good and bad workes cannot be opposed directly For our good workes are imperfitly and faultily good but our bad deeds are perfitly naught our good deedes are Christs in vs our bad are our owne and Satans our bad deeds because perfectly bad iustly deserue hell our good because so mixed with infirmities cannot merit heauen And now that bad deedes shall be rebuked in iudgement may further appeare by the reasons which follow As first The deeds of the wicked more harme the Church then words doe or thoughts can but words and thoughts shall be iudged therefore deeds much more els why doth Christ say that God will auenge his elect that crie day and night vnto him Luc. 18.7 Secondly these things saith Amen now if Amen say it the same Amen who is faithfull will doe it Apoc. 3.14 Amen hath said by his Seruants and in the Scriptures that he will bring euery work vnto iudgement Eccles 12.14 And therefore euerie vngodly worke deed of euery vngodly man shall be ludged Thirdly for this cause as hath been said the Lord will stretch out his hand in the rebuke of the vngodly as one that swimmeth spreadeth his armes abroad to enclose all before him The meaning is God will enclose so in the fadome of his second comming euery work of wicked man that no one shall escape the seuerity of his throne Esa 25.11 Fourthly if any wicked worke should not be iudged it were either because God could not and then were he not almighty or would not iudge it and then should he loose his righteousnesse But none can stand before his great power Ier 49.19 And he that is Iudge of the world wil iudge it with righteousnesse Psal 98.9 An instruction to doe good deeds Vse 1 seeing bad deeds shall be iudged to hell For though good deeds may not sit in the chaire of merit yet we must giue them their proper place They are not merits of eternall life yet they must be witnesses of our being in Christ Good workes cannot saue vs and yet if we doe not good workes we cannot be saued I speake according to the ordinary rule and of persons able to doe good workes not of infants nor what God doth extraordinarily as when he saued the confessing thiefe at the last houre and yet he not onely had faith but shewed it by diuers testimonies and effects of grace Luc. 23.40.41.42 Therefore though good workes cannot saue vs yet bad workes and the want of good may damne vs. They be euidences of our saluation though not causes As therefore he who holdeth a peece of land holdeth it by his euidence his euidence was not that that procured it but his mony so the good euidence of our saluation is in our sanctified liues the cause of it in Christs merits no other coine either of gold or siluer could purchase it at the hands of Gods iustice in our redemption 1. Pet. 1.18 wherefore as S. Iames saith If thou hast faith shew it by thy workes Iam. 2.18 so with the Apostle S. Iames I say If thou hast this hope let me see it in that euidence of thy good conuersation in Christ A terrour
on themselues but on those that heare them on themselues to destruction and on their hearers to infection and malicious tongues doe not onely destroy the soule that vseth them but wound the innocent name of those against whom they are bent and vsed So they are to giue a double account for their wicked speeches one for hurting themselues another for harming their brethren So much for the last of those things that are to be iudged which is further amplified and that by two properties as first that those speakings are cruell and secondly that they are spoken against Christ Cruell speakings c. The speakings of the wicked are said to be cruell speakings because by them they cruelly raged against the righteous and after a sort drew blood from them in the point of their credit and sometime in the case of their life bitterly accusing or tauntinglie mocking them And now where these things are stiled with the name of crueltie The doctrine is Doctr. That the scornes and reuilings of the wicked incident to Gods children are persecutions Among the grieuous trials of the Saints this that they were tried by mockings was reckone one Hebr. 11.36 And thus was Isaac persecuted by scoffing Ismael Moses saith no more but that Sarah saw the sonne of the Egyptian mocking her sonne Gen. 21.9 yet S Paul speaking to that point saith He persecuted him Gal. 4.29 Saint Pauls meaning is that scoffes and girds at men for good waies are sore afflictions and the point of cruelty at their heart It was not the least part of Christs suffering that the instruments of his death and many limmes of the Diuell so despitefully wagged their heads at him in great disdaine and that they spate upon him and spake vnto him so disgracefully and so cruelly saying Thou that destroiest the temple and buildest it in three daies saue thy selfe c. Math. 27.40 A great portion of the cup of his bitter Passion consisted in this that hee was mocked for his confidence in God For they said He trusteth in God let him deliuer him now if he will haue him Psal 22.8 Math. 27.43 The reasons First it is a degree of murder thus to speake Math. 5.22 For to speake cruelly is to speake wrathfully with despitefull tongues and goomes in blood Secondly such speeches proceed from a contempt of the grace of God in those who so suffer And it greeueth them more and they set it more to heart that God is contemned then if themseles were to suffer reproch and contempt yea losse of their goods and that which is dearer to them their life Hebr. 10.33.34 Act. 20.23.24 Lastly that which sauoureth of cruelty must needs be an affliction But cruel speakings are such for they are cast vpon the righteous with terrible indignities and therefore cruell speakings are afflictions First Vse 1 this doctrine doth teach vs to feare to be scorners of our brethren as we would be afraid to be persecutors of them The practise of godlinesse which standeth by the law of God and the good lawes of this land is called Puritanisme and the professours of it in a by-name Puritans But let such reprochers of the good way of the Lord in their fellow-christians bewaile such cruell speeches lest proceeding so to doe the Lord rebuke them at his comming And for the Papists whose bitter railings we haue heard and rancor against the truth of Christ we know let them learne here that they are right Ismaelites and therfore bound ouer to condemnation for their cruell speakings against Christ and the Church of Christ Like iudgement is to be giuen of all filthy speeches of vncleane Sodomites which gall the simplicitie and very soules of the righteous Secondly Vse 2 true christians here learne to prepare for to bear the scourge of tongues For among other persecutions that they must looke for persecution by euill tongues is one The Disciple is not aboue his Master Math. 10.24 Thus men dealt with Christ and they must expect accordingly to suffer that are in Christ It is our Masters reproch and we must beare it Hebr. 13 1â— or properly our own reproch and good reason wee should beare it So much for the first propertie of the wiâ—ked the second amplified propertie followeth Which wicked sinners haue spoken against him That which was spoken against the godly is here said to bee spoken against Christ For hee taketh the iniuries of his Saints to bee iniuries done vnto himself they that deale despitefully with them deale contemptuously with him The point taught is Doctr. Whatsoeuer is spoken or practised against the godly for their righteousnesse is esteemed as spoken and done vnto Christ for whose sake and cause they so suffer The people had cast off Samuel whom God had chosen Therefore the Lord counted himselfe despised because they had despised him whom he had chosen 1. Sam. 8.7 Saul persecuted the church and Christ saith I am Iesus whom thou persecutest to wit not in my person but in the church my members Act. 9.4.5 Also concerning his Disciples Christ saith and concerning all the godly in them Hee that despiseth you despiseth me Luc. 10.16 The reasons That which is done against the bodie concerneth the head but Christ is the head of his church and the church is his bodie Ephes 1.22.23 And therefore what is done against the Church is done against Christ Secondly It is not we that are hated but the cause of Christ in vs when we suffer for righteousnesse And wil not he reuenge his owne abuse and desend his own glorie He that spurneth against his truth spurneth against him And shall not the Lord turne to confusion all his despisers A terrour to those who reproch a good man for his goodnesse Vse 1 and a religious man for the truth For the Lord will proceede against such not onely for their iniury to man but for their blasphemie to God So they that smite his seruants shall be as they that smite himselfe For as hee that beateth a mans scruant abuseth the master So he persecuteth Christ that vexeth his seruants Pharao Saul Senacherib Herod and others found the truth of this in their fearefull destruction because like desperate wretches they fought against God in his Saints A comfort to those who defend a good cause Vse 2 For they stand not alone but hee standeth with them who is stronger then all men And of God bee on our side who can bee against us Rom. 8.31 If wee haue such a cause as Hezekiah had we may say with like confidence as Hezekiah didâ— there be 〈◊〉 with vs then are with them 2. Chron. 32.7 2. King 6.16 Dauids cause was the Lords and hee found that God would bee neare to auouch his owne truth in the middes of his enemies Therefore was hee deliuered from the battell that was against him for many were with him Psal 55.18 To conclude therefore let vs prouide our selues of a good cause and wee shall be sure of a strong