cum gemitu fugit the life which is the light of men goeth likewise away with a groane Virg. AEneid 12 Iohn 1 4. In the last day all the elements shall be confused leave their naturall operations so in death the parts of the elements whereof we be made shall be confused and all dead without operation In the last day the earth which shall be the remainder of the world must be overrunne with fire to purifie it so in death the carcasse all the remainder of the whole man must be purified by rotting from the drosse of corruption Lastly in the judgement day the soules are brought before the Lord in the ayre to be tryed for all they did so in death the soule is presented before the Lord where the Lord hath set up his seate of judgement and therefore after tryall and sentence given is sent either to heaven or hell Both unknowne both have signes going before Besides as death doth shew thee the state of the world so the knowledge that wee may have of death sheweth what knowledge we may have of the judgement day As the Lord hath hidden the knowledge of that day from men and Angells so is the day of our death hidden from men and Angells but as the Lord hath prefixed signes and markes to know when it approacheth if wee have eyes to see them so the Lord hath foreshewen signes in our bodie and behaviour if wee marke and observe them which prophecie our mortalitie And as blindnesse shall overcome men in the end of the world and they shall cry peace and safety when sodaine destruction is comming so when men are surest to live long to enjoy the world and improve it to the most then are they caught away and we see them no more I therefore intreate that all men would provide and study what concernes their death when they thinke of the last comming of Christ according to both which this doctrine is to bee applied First The reason of Christs stay in both wee see ofttimes the Lord tary long Saint Peter tells us the reason not that hee is slacke or desirous to put off the time but that hee is patient towards us and would have no man to perish but that all should come to repentance the Lord hath some chosen to salvation that are either unborne or uncalled and therefore the judgement day cannot come untill this bee done Againe seest thou a wicked man to live long the Lord stayes to give him time to repent which he not doing is made inexcusable if God gave him repentance then for this did the Lord suffer him to live Know the reason why the Lord preserves your life even that you may have time to turne and amend beware therefore that this time given for repentance be not used to the hardning of your hearts and heaping up of judgement And this was the cause why the great judgement came not long agoe Time uncertaine that we may prepare Secondly you see that the Lord will have the time of death and judgement uncertaine lest we conceiving the Lord giveth us time of repentance should convert and use it to our destruction that being certaine that they shall come but uncertaine of the time wee may prepare our selves shake off sinne more speedily and avoid it more carefully Are we then uncertaine of the time when we shall die and be brought to judgement First then let us be ever prepared Christ compareth the uncertainty of them to a snare Luke 21 35. Mat 24 43. that shall come upon the inhabitants of the earth likewise Christ 2 Pet. 3 10. 2 Thess 5 2. Peter and Paul compare them to the unexpected comming of a theef Christ compareth them to the flood in Noahs time Mat 24 37. O then how prepared ought we to be For if the bird feared the snare if the goodman feared the theef if the world would feare an universall flood to drowne them what providence how many lockes how many watches would be used and how many prayers would be said When the Spouse is uncertaine of her husbands comming how is her sleepe broken in the night her labour hindred in the day with thinking on him So saith Christ Luke 21 35. Watch therefore for the day when you shall goe to your Lord or your Lord come to you that you may be accounted worthy to stand before the Sonne of man in his comming Secondly And shake off sinne seeing the time of death and judgement are uncertaine take the Wisemans Counsell Make no delay in turning to the Lord and put not off from day to day c. Ecclesiasticus 5.7 If the King were to give one pardon for life or a grant for preferment upon condition to have his patent ingrossed in one day what haste would he make It may be that thou seest some live long and therefore thou presumest for the like Who would not beware of a mad man who killeth all before him as we see death doth every day But as hogges stand by whilest some of themselves are a killing cry for company with that which is killed and so goe away without any care or feare of the like so it is with most of us wee lament and bemoane for our friends whom the Lord calls but never consider that the next day the like is to befall us Seeing therefore we must goe out of the world to make account let us not deferre time to cast off sinne lest wee be forced to carry it to judgement A ship may be overloadened and overburdened so may the soule be if a man heape up sinne never so fast it may be the Lord will never punish in this life that after death he may be damned Israel hath sinned Esay 1 5. Ezek 16 42. I will smite him no more he will free him from dangers that destruction when it commeth may be the more intollerable Theramenes got our and escaped killing Aelian de var. hist lib. 9. when his house in Athens fell sodainly he crying out Iupiter for what time doest thou keepe mee when shortly after thirty robbers compelled him to eate and drink of the hemlock till it killed him Therefore let the uncertainty of the time and feare of greater judgement move you to turne truely to God And prevent it in time to come Finally the uncertainty of the time of death and judgement are soveraigne helpes to make us feare sinne and prevent it if the Ninivites had not feared they had perished as did Lots sonnes in law that feared not Iacobs sonnes at their first going into Aegypt feared little and fared ill at their second going they were in great feare and fared the better Hosea 13.1 When Ephraim spake as trembling the Lord exalted him but when he committed idolatry without feare the Lord destroyed him Sozom. lib. 7. ca. 31. Chrysostome counseiling the people of Antioch to call upon God to remove his anger lest Theodosius should destroy
destruction that security or carelesnesse is ever the last forerunner of destruction and the greater it wil be Cum fataliâ— equus saltu super ardua venit Pergama Tum me confectum curis somnoque gravatum Infelix habuit thalamus pressitque lacentem â—uicis alta quies placidaeque similllima morti Virg. 6 AEneid The greater security the greater iudgement followeth it sheweth that the greater vengeance is to follow as appeareth in all written examples of Gods wrath and when any are so farre past as to contemne Gods justice and thinke that hee will not punish or regardeth not the warning of it destruction is neere unto them Secondly wee are taught that when Christ commeth for all the labour that can be taken to awake them yet shall the world be in dead sleepe of ungodlinesse and carelesnesse as they were in Noahs time and in Sodome unto the houre that Lot went out of it When Cyrus his army besieged Babylon Belshazzar gave his subjects of the Citty notice how little he feared any threatned danger by his publicke feasting and drinking Dan. 6.1.3 and almost the whole Citty blinded with the same impiety Herodot lib 1. followed his example of drunkennesse the enemies entred the City in the night Invadunt urbem somno vinoque sepultam Virg. and killed them whom they found buried in drunkennesse and sleepe notwithstanding that Daniel had expresly forewarned both his predecessour and himselfe of it So the day of Christ shall come as a snare upon the inhabitants of the earth when labour shall be little profitable or seasonable to awake them The same cause giveth us occasion of the same complaint in our time many continue in a seene and knowne carelesnesse and contempt of God all forewarning is to no purpose 1 Sam. 15.35 Non in solis divitiis est misericordia sed in sermone si nihil habes etiam in lachrymis Theophilact in Mat. 5 7. untill they fall into the hands of an angry God But as Samuel did for Saul so must we bemoane their misery if our example cannot move them then they can witnesse that God sent his children who mourned for and unto them who would not lament for themselves this is all the helpe that we can bestow upon them who neither can nor will be helped There was a cry made When no meanes can availe to awake security the last cry shall doe it As mariages in solemnizing have divers sights for delight the voyces of singers and instruments to give content to the eare and variety of meates to please the taste and stomacke and if the Bridegroome be of the Nobility he wanteth not the voice of a Trumpet to proclaime the greatnesse of his person So our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming to judgement shall send in stead of a cry the voice of a Trumpet before him with terrour whereof heaven earth and hell shall have notice of the power and greatnesse of his Majesty This voice shall be that which the Scripture calleth the sound of the Trumpet as shall appeare yet our Saviour sets it out by the name of a cry because of the former security wherein the Lord shall be carefull to give forewarning according to the capacity of every one The Lord suffereth not the deafe to be without warning for as wee expresse our selves to the deafe by signes and tokens so doth the Lord foretell the end of the world by signes of particular wrath in some when others for a time goe free by the weakning of nature in diverse creatures diverse prodigies and wonders of natures imperfection by weaknesse of the operation of heaven by subversion of worldly power and glory and the increase of iniquity beyond measure which being compared with the relation and experience of former times Bern. in Fest Pentet Ser. 3. ut ex praeteritis fidem astruat futurorum that from things by past he may understand the certainty of what is to follow These that have eares to heare let them heare Mat. 13 9. for the Lord sends to them the admonitions of his word But they that have hearing and yet are so thicke that no counsell can reach so deepe as their dulnesse is or are so asleepe that common calling cannot awake them nothing will prevaile but a voice loud as a Trumpet Esay 58.1 to make the earth shake and the ayre to be resounder of terrour So at the last day there can be no place for a secure deafnesse when the heavens go away with a noyse the elements melt and the earth burneth with fire who shall not heare and feele the power of this Cry this will end their sleepe with the beginning of endlesse torments Now for the greatnesse and terrour of this cry which shall summon all men to judgement The greatnes of the cry neither can it be sufficiently expressed nor understood If the Trumpet Exod. 19 16. that called the Israelits to heare the Law was a terrour unto them how terrible shall that voyce be which shall call all men to account for not keeping of it If the noyse of thunder which is not farre heard be so terrible that it allayes the courage of the proudest and is even a terrour to the fishes of the Sea Psal 104 7. and sheweth a power in the waters what may we thinke of this voyce Contents of Psal 29. Vere vox magna vox tubae terribilis cui omnia obediunt elementa quae Petras scindit inferos aperit portas aereas frangit vincula mortuorum difrumpit c. Chrysost in 1 Cor. 15. 1 Thess 4.16 Psal 50.1 which shall be heard in heaven earth and hell The 29 Psal extolleth and sheweth the power of Gods voyce for feare whereof all Creatures tremble that the securitie of men may be thereby shaken but at this last voyce all creatures shall declare the terrour of it Lastly if we consider whose voyce it shall bee we shall conceive it the better St. Paul tells us The Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven with a shoute for hee himselfe shall call his people loe this is the Trumpet even the voyce not of Angell but of him who is Lord and Master of the Angells the voyce of the Sonne of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but sounding with the power of the Sonne of God and because the secure world would never heare him nor the voyce of his servants he saith That the houre shall come in which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce and come out either to salvation or damnation It is the voyce of Christ himselfe The Scripture calleth this voyce of Christ the sound of the last Trumpet Mar. 14 62. Iohn 5.28 1 To shew the power and majestie of his comming as he shewed in his ascending prophecied of in the Psalmes who being exalted above all when he went to heaven Psal 47.5.7 8 9. in his comming hee shall shew that all his enemies
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
quà m desidem non potuisse tentari seeing it is more praise-worthy and happy that the fighter could not be overcome than that being idle he could not be tried let every man put himselfe to use and not be as an empty or unused Vessell in the sight of God It is for them that have no use at all that Christ hath an iron rod Psal 2. to breake them as the potter doth his vessell Of the Oyle Gifts of Gods Spirit compared to Oyle Now we are come to speake of the Oyle and what is meant by it All our treasures of riches which are in Christ are comprehended in the name of Oyle 1 Iohn 2.27 all the graces of Gods Spirit in us are meant by annoynting and when Moses would set downe the outward and inward blessings to be bestowed upon the Tribe of Asher he saith He shall dip his foote in Oyle Deut. 33.24 But as there are many sorts of Oyle as of Roses Spikenard Myrrhe c. whereof each hath his proper vertue and operation So saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.4 There are diversity of gifts but the same Spirit so al receive the name of Oyle As the vertues of Oyle are peculiar either in health or sicknesse some cooling others heating some binding others loosing some cause ripening others cause rotting In like manner the graces of Gods Spirit one vertue heates and warmeth us as charity another is cooling as chastity one ripeneth as Christian discretion another bindeth as temperance and abstinence one looseth the palsie of sluggishnesse as labour another driveth away the fever and heat of avarice as devotion and compassion one breaketh the impostume of pride as humility c. But in generall Oyle is noted in the Scriptures to have 3 properties First to cherish make a man joyfull and this is supposed Psal 104.15 And Oyle to make him of a cheerefull countenance and therefore it was a signe of gladnesse as Christ appointed his Disciples to anoynt their faces with Oyle Mat 6 17. So hath God appointed gifts of his Spirit to make his servants joyfull Gods gifts make his servants not to feele worldly sorrowes Acts 5 41. although all the world would heape sorrowes upon them when the Iewes laboured to breake the Apostles hearts they went rejoycing to and from the Councell And this is done either by taking somewhat away or by giving By taking away when we are made not to feele the evills that are on us as the Oyle of Poppie causeth sleepe and the Oyle of Mandrakes makes us insensible though a legge or arme were cut off us so hath the Lord made his servants who by contemplation had onely their mindes in heaven that they felt not what was doing to them on earth as is principally to be seene in our Arch-type Iesus Christ who of all men was the man of sorrowes Esay 53 3. yet hee in a manner felt not nor cared what the world did to him Psal 45. for hee was anoynted with the Oyle of gladnesse and many Martyrs burning in fire in stead of crying rejoyced and sung Psalmes because they truly had received what Christ had promised to his Disciples Iohn 16.22 Your hearts shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you Partly the Lord doth it by making them feele causes of joy and gladnesse when our conscience doth testifie our love to God and hatred to sin 2 Cor 1.12 our joy is herein more than our sorrow can be for any thing in the world when we are assured that our sinnes are forgiven us then the Lord maketh us heare the voice of joy and gladnesse Psal 51.8 63.4 and his loving kindnesse is sweeter than life it selfe We learne then that it is one effect of Gods Spirit to deliver us that worldly sorrowes break not our hearts Rom. 5.3 Psal 23. We rejoyce in tribulation said Paul and David thy rodde and thy staffe comforteth mee Whereby it appeareth that they whose hearts are cast downe for the world the envious rageing and desperate have not this spirituall annoynting this comfort the Lord hath holden from them and left them to be tormented by their owne thoughts as an evill Spirit to vexe them an example of all which I meane envie anger melancholly and finally despaire wee finde in King Saul which made David sing his funerall Elegie according to this doctrine The shield of the mighty is cast downe 2 Sam. 1.21 even the shield of Saul as though he had not beene annoynted with Oyle To comfort others The second property of Oyle and effect of Gods Spirit is that as Oyle is a nourisher of the poore and asswager of hurts So Gods Spirit worketh the same effects in us The widow of Sarepta was long sustained by the little Oyle she had 1 Kings 17.16 Luke â—0 34 and the Samaritan powred Oyle into the hurt mans wounds where the Lord giveth a compassionate spirit it both maintaineth others in necessitie and comforteth them in their sorrowes It appeareth hereby that covetous cruell and hard-hearted men have never beene mollified by grace nor have interest in Gods Spirit The third property of Oyle is to give light And to shew us our way to heaven Papiaâ— citatur a Pet. Beveborio in Indice voce Oleum especially if it touch fire and of this I have read a wonder I know not how true that if a man fill his mouth with Oyle and were let downe into the bottome of the sea if hee put it out of his mouth it will make light and give him roome to breathe about him howsoever the Spirit of God giveth light in the darknesse of nature and of this world by which wee are directed to heaven Psal 143.10 Let thy good Spirit leade mee into the land of righteousnesse said Davih which he doth by his word and given us understanding to conceive it This is the third effect of Gods Spirit who as Christ tolde his Disciples Iohn 16.13 should leade them into all truth and therefore all ignorant soules have not the Spirit nor are come within the way of salvation As the effects of Oyle are proportionably seene in Gods servants Wicked men have some properties of Oyle so are wicked men possessed with the vices of our time in some things like Oyle The lightnesse of Oyle is fully represented by the proud inconstant malicious and wicked hearts who are full of malice Psal 109.18 and drinke it up as Oyle powred into their bones and for the smoothnesse and softnesse of Oyle flatterers and dissemblers have appropriated it to themselves Davids enemie had words softer than oyle Psal 55 21. and the conversation of the effeminate is accordingly Prov. 5.3 when the Israelites flattered the Aegyptians they presented them with smooth words Hos 12.1 abundance of oyle Conditions of good Oyle Finally because wee are not to beleeve every Spirit but try them if you
yet they might feele having this ability in every joynt of the least member but such shall this security be that as a man fast on sleepe hath his life and all his senses yet is as an Image that neither sees feeles heares nor smells and hath no part of a living man in use excepting onely his breath so this finall security shall be such that though it were no wonder that most men neglect to heare their danger and oftentimes neglect to see unavoidable evills before their eyes yet shall they not be able to perceive and feele these burthens under which they groane That those things shall so be all prophecies of the last judgement have confirmed with manifold exhortations unto watchfulnesse for death and judgement And though wee have heard of divers examples of wonderfull security yet if we consider the great light of the Gospell which shall shine more and more towards the end it maketh security to shew it selfe the greater He that in this light of the Gospell hath this lethargie let him know that his destruction is hard at hand when the Lord cast Adam into a dead sleepe it was to take a rib out of him the sound sleepe of Sisera was that he might not feele the naile entring into his temples and Physitians thinke that this dead sleepe is onely fittest to cut away a leg or an arme from a man and hee not to feele it Certainly there are too many neere destruction by this marke that every day gives us example that security is onely fit to make them feele their paine whom no meanes in the world besides could perswade to thinke upon their perill God can and will provide meanes to save his elect from security What shall we now say of the elect that they likewise shall be senselesse and carelesse of the wrath to come God forbid Saint Peter gives vs a comfortable instruction herein that if we appertaine to God this securitie that goes before destruction cannot be able to chaine us in his words are 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished Hee brings in two examples when all were past feeling before the Flood yet the Lord saved Noah and some others and quickned his Spirit that hee preached the way of righteousnesse to the rest when Sodome was to be made example to all generations for an ungodly secure life hee so sanctified the heart of Lot that hee was grieved and mourned for their wickednesse Likewise our Lord Iesus when he sheweth his Disciples of this fearefull security and threatneth that it shall be punished with his fearfull and hasty comming Compare Mat. 24.42 43. with Luke 12 38. hath in his threatning enfolded a secret comfort for his servants hee saith You know not at what watch he will come Souldiers camping or keeping upon life and death divide the night into certaine watches that although all the army be asleepe yet are the Sentinels and watchers awake who by usuall notice of the howers from one another keepe many awake raise some from sleepe and cause numbers to be in readinesse at all times So God who best knoweth the dangers of his owne doth raise up his zealous servants and makes their voice effectuall to adde into and keep in the Church from day to day such as should be saved Acts 2.47 their voice though not heard by the deafe and secure world is yet the voice of a cryer in the wildernesse Revel 14.3 Math. 3. to forewarne others to fly from the wrath to come and as the voice of a trumpet sounding terribly in the silent time of sleeping Esay 58.1 And so the Lord that hath his eyes on them that feare him watcheth his owne in all such dangers that hee may save them they awake to prevent their destruction Thirdly the Scripture useth to call the death of his servants yea and of reprobates a sleeping and thus you shall finde at Christs comming the most of Gods Saints will be in the grave or as Daniel saith sleeping in the dust and so Augustine expoundeth this place of bodily death Dan. 12 2. Epist 120. ad Henoratum The Fathers say thus concerning the wise Virgins Dormicrunt quidem sed suavâ—ter in Domino They sleept indeed but sweetly in the Lord Bernard in locuÌ„ and therefore expectantium somnus Hilarius in locuÌ„ Dormire est mori dormitare est languescere quia per pondus aegritudinis pervenitur ad somnuÌ„ nortis Greg. in Evang HoÌ„ 12 Hieron in locum credentium quies est the sleeping of those that waite for him is the rest of them that beleeve in him And justly is death by the Scripture called a sleepe because at judgement the dead shall be awaked as men out of sleepe Consequenâ—er dicitur dormierunt quia postea suscitandae sunt For good reason is it said that they slept because that afterwards they are to bee awaked againe Indeede the Fathers have herein spoken truely but they have not fully answered the question for the Lord shall have his Saints at his comming who in stead of death shall be as Henoch and Elias were changed and so meete the Lord in the Ayre who cannot be found sleeping in the grave Christ saith that all slept that every one may tremble prevent it And therfore to answer this question we must consider that the Scripture nameth the word All for the greatest part of men as in these like places 2 Cor. 5.17 Coloss 1.20 Iohn 12.32 Esay 40.4 Ambros de Vocat Gent. lib. 1. cap. 2. Ioel 2.28 Sicut etiam cùm de impijs sermo est ita loquutionem suam divinus stilus ordinat ut ea quae de quadam parte dicuntur ad omnes homines pertinere videantur In like manner when speech is made of wicked men the holy stile is so framed that the things which are spoken of a certaine part doe seeme to pertaine to all men generally as Ioh. 3.32 Philip. 2.21 In like manner Christ saith All slept because few would be found otherwise the dead that died in the Lord would be found in their graves most of men alive would be senslesse of the wrath to come the godly minished from among the children of men and those that were so would be as eight persons saved of a whole world as Lot and three more of fiue flourishing Citties as a very small remnant like as when the Iewes in Iudea were carried away to Babylon Esay 1.9 or as the number of Christian Iewes in St. Paules dayes Rom. 10 5. All which considered wee understand that Christs words are meant universaliter in toto non communiter in singulis universally of all men that all slumbered and slept not commonly of every particular man for the Lord knowes how to awake and save his owne and of all committed to Christ not one can be lost
are trod under feete Secondly to shew the great and fearefull things that are then to be done thus a Trumpet sounded before the Law was given and in the Revelation the great alterations of the Church and judgements upon the enemies thereof Revel 8 6 7.8 from the time of Christ unto the last day are foretolde by the blowing of Trumpets which notwithstanding was never heard by them who felt the fearefull events Thirdly to shew that the cry is for the assembling of his people Ioel 2.15 Psal 81.3 not an uncertaine sound but a certaine that all may prepare and appeare 1 Cor. 14.8 Hence wee understand the diverse effects of this Cry The effects of it When the destroying Angell came downe to Aegypt in the night Exod. 12.30 the terrour of God caused them to make an outcry over all the land How many voyces of Lamentations shall be heard at once when the generall Cry shall be Hills and mountaines fall upon us Rev. 6.16 and hide us from the presence of him that sitteth upon the throne for the great day of his wrath is come who can stand They that were never moved with the words of Christ now tremble at his voice and their hard hearts shall make unseasonable lamentation But with the servants of God it is not so for as the same voice of Christ before his suffering which made his enemies fall as dead to the ground yet incouraged Peter and others of his Disciples Iohn 18 6. so this voice of Christ at the great day though it shall be the most terrible that ever wicked men heard yet it shall be the most joyfull that ever Gods true servants heard Iohn 3 29. for he that is the friend of the Bridegroome must needes rejoyce greatly because hee heareth his voice for thereby their bodies shall receive life and immortality Psal 91.1.5 As in their life time they betooke themselves unto the shadow of the Almighty and therefore when wicked men affraid with the terrours of the night made an Aegyptian outcry Psal 118 15. his servants finde that the voice of joy gladnes is in the dwelling of the righteous because prosperity is within their gates Quanta crit electis laetitia in adventu Domini quem comparat adventui Sponsi Muscul in Mat. 25 1 Looke Ier. 33.10.11 no evill can come unto them nor any plague neere unto their dwelling Much more shall they be glad at the voice of Christ in that day for which their soules and bodies have waited long in hope to heare Would you know if the voice of Christ shall be joyfull to you in that day or not The Prophet Esay from the Lords mouth tells us Esay 66.2 They who tremble at Christs voice now shall reioyce hereafter that if we tremble at his words in this life he will looke upon us and we shall rejoyce to heare his voice in the fearefull day calling us the blessed children of his Father if with humility and feare we draw neare to heare what the Lord saith now in his word we shall not appeare in judgement to be censured but commended And this is most certaine that seeing all the creatures tremble at the Lords voice we must either doe so in this life when God commands us or in the life to come when he condemnes us Beholde the Bridegroome commeth Here is the first part of the Proclamation being a notice given of the Bridegroomes coming If these that were prepared for a mariage solemnity heard a warning given without certaine notice for what purpose how could they understand that it concerned them So if in the great day the voice of the Lord shewed not the particular person that came it could not be the trumpet of the Almighty but his voice shall declare that the Bridegroome commeth because the power of God shall goe along with it the diligence of the Angels shall second the sound of it in gathering his Saints unto the great assembly The Scriptures say that Christ shall come for although he filleth all places being God infinite and incomprehensible yet because of his humane nature he shall shew a locall descent The glory of Christs person is now hid and set his throne in the ayre But for his divine nature it filleth the world and of it I say Bern. Ser. 3. Advent as Bernard said of Christs incarnation that he was in the world and the world was made by him but the world knew him not Non ergo veniet qui aberat sed apparebit qui latebat He shall not therefore come as one that was absent but appeare as one that was hidden before and shew the glory of his Majesty shining in his humane nature the glory of both which is now hidden from our eyes for the clouds spheares of heaven have taken him out of our sight and according to the Psalme Psal 18 11. Compare 1 Tim. 6.16 with Act. 22 11. Hee hath made darkenesse his pavilion and secret place which though it be in it selfe a light inaccessible yet it darkeneth our sight Thus our Lord as a Bridegroome is entred into his chamber and there he stayes untill the day come and then shall he come out of his chamber as a mighty man and shew himselfe before all mankinde and as nothing is hid from the heate of the naturall Sunne so no man shall be able to hide himselfe when the Sunne of Righteousnesse shall declare his glory and power for every eye shall see him yea even they that pierced him through Revel 1 7. and all kindreds of the earth shall waile before him This doctrine is of great antiquity for when the olde world by their impieties began to be the first presidents of this last vengeance of God Henoch terrified them with this doctrine Beholde the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints Iude verse 14. to be revenged on them but their gracelesse hearts tooke no notice of it so while we have the same Proclamation giving us warning so long before hand who are moved to prepare and attend But as often as we reade or heare these words Behold the Lord commeth or the Bridegroome commeth so often is this voice either in characters or sounds sent from heauen to our eyes and eares to give us warning of this last meeting When Moses forewarned Israel of their ensuing calamities Deut. 4 26. and the cause of them he called heaven and earth to be witnesse that he had given them warning and left it registred to be read to all posterity so if they perished their owne neglect should be the cause of it so in the day of judgement the Lord shall call heaven and earth before him to judge his people Psal 50 4. and to prove how often we have heard the Proclamation though we forget and be carelesse yet the Sunne and Moone that give us light Psal 89 37. are faithfull witnesses in heaven and
it shall bee by calling before them the state they were in when life left them for as life leaves us in the same state judgement findeth us When men awake from sleepe they betake them to their actions labours they were in when they lay downe and beginne where they left off so shall we do in the Resurrection Happie therefore is that seruant Math 24. whom in his death his Master shall find him so doing that he may be prepared to goe into glory with the Sonne of man Numb 23 10. Balaam or any wicked man may well wish Let me dye the death of the Righteous and let my last end be like his But we see besides their wicked life how many dye drunke and loose their lives in quarrels of robbery extortion of pride and vaine glory and so sacrifice the last day of their life to most abominable courses In what fashion can these in their death or in the great judgement addresse themselves for account And therefore in that day the trimming of their lampes shall only be that they would prepare themselves but shall be altogether unprepared for it followeth in the text VERSE 8. And the foolish said unto the wise Give us of your oyle for our Lampes are out AS Virgins that had neglected the time for preparation untill the last momēt of time wherin it was too late to prepare should for shame complaine of their owne unfittingnes and cry unto others for help So when reprobates shall rise again from the dead they shall shew their shamefull and sorrowfull complaint and wish that it were possible for others to help them Notwithstanding they shall not at that time speake unto the true servants of God or thinke that they can help them neither can wicked men hope that counsell or help can be stedable but they shall rather seeke help at Mountaines and hilles if it were possible to hyde them Therefore we must remember as I sayd before that all the words of a Parable cannot be literally or historically applyed neither are propounded so to be made use of but some parts must be added for amplifiyng and adorning the comparison I doubt not but among the Iewes it hath fallen out that in meeting the Bridegroome some have proved foolish Virgins in not providing so as was expected of them and upon the instance of service have craved help from others that could not spare it have with shame been expulsed the place of solemnity as not proving of the acquaintaince and friendship of the Bridegroome so that these wordes of the foolish unto the wise and their answere againe agreeth well with the rest of the Parable and likewise for our application they are rightly placed to be considered of after the addressing of all to judgement because that wicked men never see their folly till then and also Christ would teach how willing and desirous they would be to amend if they might get time and occasion For the first it is alwayes the propertie of fooles to be wise behind hand serò sapere verò stultorvm est and it is the wretchednesse of wicked men never to call for grace untill the day of vengeance be fully come and then like fooles they learne the wit to call therefore the houre of death and day of judgement are the times to make mad men tame and the foolish wise who before in this world could not be ruled with bit or bridle Prov 27 22. Psal 92 6. nor made wise when God grinded them in the morter of affliction but an unwise man doth not know this and a foole doth not consider this Quis autem sit sapiens quis stultus audi cave tibi Insipiens est quise c. Bern. in spec peccat who is a wise man and who is a foole heare and beware of thy selfe that thou be not a foole he is an unwise man who considereth not that he is a stranger from heaven and as it were a banished man in this world He is a foole who though he know these things yet laboureth not to be delivered from this misery he is an unwise man who beleeveth not the eternall state of men either in glory or in misery he is a foole who beleeving these things yet laboureth not to be freed from the one and obtaine the other Psal 49 10. and therefore the Scripture hath well said that both the ignorant and foolish shall perish together Secondly Christ hereby sheweth us how willing and desirous damned men would be to amend and come to Gods favour What paines would the rich Glutton take if he could be released what sorrow would he make what almes would he give what labour and fasting would he undertake If Sodome were as yet undestroyed they knowing now what they know can wee thinke what meanes they would make to escape the eternall torments of fire and brimstone But it is too late they spend their eternity of time in repentance and teares all is in vaine they are in the harvest of sorrow and teares wee are in the springtime they may lament but their teares are fruitlesse God will never be moved nor take notice of them but now if wee sow in teares Psal 126.5 6. and turne to the Lord with all our hearts we shall afterwards reape in joy and bring the eternall sheaves of it with us when the irrevocable wrath of God shall seize upon others for ever Hee is both happy and wise that can take good counsell in seasonable time Tempus in quo peccata fugere non licet semper cogitare debemus dum peccata fugere licet and this counsell and instruction I recommend to all that while we have time to fly from sinne we ever consider and thinke upon the time when we cannot fly from it Give us of your Oyle As it were folly for one to demand that which another hath for necessitie and present use So shall it be to no purpose that at Christs comming wicked men shall wish for that grace which cannot be had but seeing necessity makes the beggar their Lampes are out and therefore they must begge Oyle Wherein wee may observe the strange alteration which the Lord brings upon wicked men The punishment of the hard-hearted and how they are forced to seeke and wish for helpe of them whom they hate most In this world wicked men if they know the man that feareth God of all men they will have least concourse or intermedling with him they have a hundred reasons whereas their owne conceit is cause enough to hate him If Iohn Baptist had lived a delicate and licentious life his time had beene spent in Kings pallaces But specially if they be driven to begge of them Give us for Gods sake of your oyle meale or corne scarce will they bestow the words of this Parable on them Goe to them that sell but stand afarre off and look over the other shoulder The rich Glutton starved Lazarus at
begge heaven these are they who are earnest in prayer and usually with sighes and petitions prostrate themselves unto God untill he be pleased to bestow it upon them David Daniel Cornelius and the like obtaine heaven by petition and this is a most sure way to obtaine it for as Christ saith our heavenly Father cannot choose but give good things to them that aske him Matth. 7.11 Others buy heaven who are charitable to the poore and distressed to feede the hungry to cloathe the naked lodge the stranger visite the sicke and prisoner and the like and for this cause doe bestow their goods to relieve others these have treasures in heaven and their mercifull deedes ascend before the Lord Acts 10.4 and declare that howsoever their state be in this world yet they lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come 1 Tim. 6.18 19 for obtaining of eternall life By all these meanes God would have us labor to obtaine spirituall grace Art thou rich Christ exhorts thee to buy heaven Give to the poore Luke 18 22. and thou shalt have treasure in heaven art thou strong in thy affections fervent in thy actions Ecclesiasticus 5.7 Take heaven by violence and make no delay by turning to the Lord Art thou slowe in thy faculties of soule body then use cunning steale heaven and in humility and quietnesse Heb. 10 22. approach neerer and neerer unto the Lord. But if thou neither have goods to buy it strength of spirit to take it by force nor the wisdome to take it secretly Psal 95 6. then be not ashamed to fall lowly before the Lords footstoole and begge of his Majesty what otherwayes thou canst not obtaine if thou canst not buy heaven with riches yet buy it with poverty and begging if thou wantest silver redeeme it with teares as Peter who said Acts 3 6. Silver and golde have I none when hee was to redeeme his Masters favour againe Mat. 26.75 he went out and wept bitterly yea even in begging be diligent and thy labour shall buy heaven as Christ both in Parables and plaine words hath promised us Luke 18 5. for as the widow asked justice against her adversary untill it was given her Luke 15.9 another sought a lost peece of silver untill she found it Luke 11.8 9. a man knocked at his friends doore for bread in the night untill he mandements though the Pharise blinded with ignorance thought so yet in stead therof do as Peter said Lord Matth 19 27 we have forsaken all and followed thee count nothing so deare unto you but that you be content to quite it to doe your soule good What haue you euer suffered in this world The Christian Iewes scattered abroad Heb 10 33 34 Christi sub nomine probra placebunt Et laus hic contempta redit mihi iudice Christo Paulinus Epist 1. ad Auson commonly lost all their goods some their blood many their liues if you haue not had the like occasions be thankfull to God and yet resolue your selfe if God so will to suffer whatsoeuer hee please If you haue not shewen your charity according as you saw others necessitie yet amend and buy heauen so long as you haue time and he that is poore and unable to helpe the distressed yet let him remember that Christ hath promised to reward the giuing of a cup of cold water Mark 9 41. to encourage him that if hee bee neuer so poore yet hee may get so much treasure as may buy the kingdome of heauen Who are the sellers Now we come to the sellers and to consider who they are This sale is onely to be had of God and the poore or distressed The Lord exposeth the treasure of his riches by the Prophet saying Esay 55 1. Every one that thirsteth come to the waters and ye that have no silver come buy and eate buy wine and milke without silver and without money so that the poorest may buy sufficient Christ counselleth the Laodiceans Revel 3. whom he calleth naked and blinde to buy golde rayment and eye-salve from him As for the poore they are sellers Quinam vendunt qui pauperie premuntur Who are they saith Chrysostome who sell Euen they who are oppressed with pouerty yet I count them not so much the sellers as receiuers of the price the poore receiue the almes but the Lord doth value it according to the heart of him that giueth it and he giueth that grace which the buyer desires to haue Luke 10. The Samaritan friendly and charitably powred oyle into the wounds of the traveller but it was the Lord that filled his lampes with oyle or his soule with grace euen whilest he was doing his charity Hee therefore that would buy grace let him have recourse to the Lord who calleth us in his mercy and to the distressed who calleth because of his misery If thou have sorrow for sinne a petition for mercy a thanksgiving for a benefit received an humble heart an obedient desire come lay them downe before the Lord and offer them for an inheritance in heaven if thou have an almes and power and desire to help a comfort a good counsel repaire to the poore or otherwise distressed distribute among them what thou hast and thou shalt not want thy reward If you consider these things A question why is eternall life the gift of God if c. you may aske how is eternall life the free gift of God seeing we buy it and purchase it with hardnes I answer Answ 1 1. That notwithstanding all our paines taken the Lord gives all his blessings freely Cant 8 7. for if love be of such value that all the goods a man hath is not able to requite it what can we thinke it can bee worth that can buy an eternall kingdome And therefore the Lord bids us buy it freely Esay 55 1. Quid autem est emere sine argento et sine commutatione Bernard de Resurr Dom serm 2. Non talis est emptio apud amatores huius seculi sed apud autorem seculi alia esse non potest What meaneth this to buy without money or exchange Indeed the lovers of this world can have no selling without money or exchange but with the Creator of the world there can be no other sale but this Baradius in Evang Concord Tom. 3. lib. 10. cap. 19. I thinke he borroweth these from Bernard who saith Gratia gratis datur etiam cum emitur gratis datur quia quod datur pro ea nobis melius retinetur Bernard ser 2 de Resurr Domini that what he gives must be freely bestowed for hee can have no neede of our goods But we are said to buy these spirituall blessings because without labour and paines we cannot have them Gratia gratis datur etiamsi magno labore ematur c. Grace is freely given although it were bought with