concurrence betweene the action and the affection with conformitie to the Rule First there must be actions It is not speaking good nor meaning good only but it is doing good Saith the Apostle If a brother be naked or hungrie or cold and you say to him goe in peace warme thee but you give him no fire and goe and cloath thee but you give him no apparell and goe and feed thee but you give him no meate Here are good words now but the deedes are not answerable here are no good deedes at all Solomon compares such complementall charitie that is only verball and in outward expression to Cloudes and windes without raine Not much unlike the boxes of Apothecaries that are adorned with glorious tytles without but open them and examine the insides you shall finde nothing but emptinesse Well that is the first thing there must bee good actions Againe secondly these must have a good rise they must proceed from a good affection too or else they lose the name of good actions Make the tree good and the fruit shall bee of the same condition the actions are not good if the affections bee naught and therefore the same God that requires beneficence hee commands benevolence also and would have men become tender-hearted and put on the bowels of compassion that they should Sympathize with others and be like affectioned to them to mourne with those that mourne and to be with those that are bound as being bound with them This is that which our Saviour calls being mercifull Bee mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull Hee saith not only doe workes of mercie but be mercifull doe them from a mercifull heart from bowels of compassion that yearne towards those that are in necessitie That is the second thing But then thirdly these actions and these affections whence they rise they must hold conformitie with the Law There is no good but what is conformable to the rule of goodnesse that is the written word of God and therefore all those will-worships and idle ceremonies made according to the inventions of man as a thousand devices in Poperie wherein they intimate a show of great Liberalitie they are not good deedes because they want that good rule that should uphold and make them so So much shall serve for the opening of it Good deedes then are such actions as rise from a sanctified affection and receive ground and warrant from Gods will revealed in his Word to men Againe there is a third terme yet Doe good to all men What doth the Apostle meane that every man should receive the fruits of our Beneficence There are some men notoriously wicked and rather to be punished than relieved The Apostle meanes not such for hee gives you a Caution If any man worke not let him not eate Relieve him not that hath abilitie to get and will live idlie and unprofitably But doe good to all men that is to all men so farre as you see them in extreme want unable to helpe themselves if their lawfull necessities call upon your charitie in this respect all men must be looked unto but especially To the houshold of Faith By houshold of faith here he meanes the multitude of beleevers and not only those that dwell neere us and about us but those that are dispersed throughout the whole earth the Churches of God The dispersion spoken of through all the parts of the world are this houshold of faith all the Saints of God in what difference or distance soever one from another yet they are of the same houshold together of the same Church of God So the Church of God is called the house of God and sometime it is understood of the Church militant and sometime of the Church triumphant Of the Church triumphant In my Father 〈◊〉 many mansions There it is heaven the place of the blessed Then for the Church militant Moses was faithfull in all his house saith the Text. And Paul exhorts Timothie how hee should carry himselfe in the house of God that is in the Church militant As for those that live above us they need not our good workes and actions therefore it is intended of those that are here in the Church militant that is called Gods houshold because there is such a communion amongst beleevers as amongst those that live in the same house that abide under the same roofe that live under the same government that eat at the same Table c. So then you have the meaning of all which is no more but this Take those advantages of times which you can obtaine or elâ—… many will slip unprofitablie to bee conversant in such actions of mercie which tend to the reliefe of thoâ—… that want them If there be extreme necessitie doe good to all but if you may make choyce of persons to whom you may doe good choose the houshold of faith Thus you have the substance and the meaning of the words In them you may observe briefly these three parts The first is a determination or limitation of time to which the Saints are tyed in the performance of the duties that are injoyned them as you have opportunitie and while you have time Secondly there is a declaration of dutie doe good Thirdly there is a description of the persons to whom this good must be done first more generally Doe good to all and then more particularly and with an especiall note Especially to those of the houshold of Faith Of these in order First for the determination of time to take the words as they lie while you have time therefore or as you have opportunitie the words themselves doe render the maine point It is the dutie of Christians to take their advantages of times to take the best opportunities of their life to doe good I will speake somewhat by way of Explication of the point and something by way of Application and so proceed to what followes First for the Explication what is intended or meant in it when we incite you to embrace times and opportunities Briefly these two things are meant in it First that you should bee sure not to lose the time of life And Secondly that you should not forgoe the advantages and opportunities of estates You shall not alwayes have life to doe good and it may bee if you have life you â—…all not alwayes enjoy meanes and abilitie to doe good Whâ—…â—…ou have life therefore and time doe good or while you enjoy meanes and so power to doe good embrace these opportunities That is the meaning of the Apostle in this place First then there must be a doing good while you have life let your good workes goe before you doe things while you live and deferre not the performance of them till your death Make you friends of the unrighteous Mammon that when you want they may receive you into everlasting habitations Hee calls that unrighteous Mammon not that it is unrighteously gotten only though
First by way of comfort Against the feare of Death or against over-much sorrow for those that Death takesaway It is true Death is an Enemie But to whom only to the wicked that are out of Christ to those that have no benefit at all by his Death and Resurrection and ascension When Death commeth and findeth out these they may say as Ahab did to Eliah and more truly a great deale hast thou found me oh mine Enemie It is the worst Enemie they have in the world It is a cruell Sergeant that catcheth them by the throat and arresteth them for a debt that they are never able to pay It dragges them to the Jayle casteth them into the Dungeon to the chaines of Darknesse I have not a word of comfort to say to them They have no more comfort in Death then they have in Hell where though they shall lie in torments and paine they shall not have a drop of water to coole their tongue But to the faithfull in Christ there is comfort upon comfort For though Death be an Enemie yet remember first it is a subdued Enemie Secondly a reconciled Enemie Thirdly and lastly an Enemie that one day shall not be at all It is a subdued Enemie that is one comfort The strength and sting of it is gone When a Bee hath lost his sting and is a Droane it can hurt no more So Death is a Droane to a Christian it hums and buzzeth it doth no hurt it cannot sting the sting is gone Against all those Enemies that I formerly told yee of that are attendants on Death here is comfort First it is true Death commeth with ill Harbingers it bringeth sicknesses and aches and paine but there is comfort against this For when God sendeth paine remember hee promiseth to send patience too that he will put his hand under to helpe His left hand shall bee under us and his right hand over us to catch us hee hath promised comfort upon our sicke beds to make our bed in our sicknesse Wee need not make such an Allegorie as Ambrose doth this sweet flesh of ours the Bed of our soule it is under infirmities and weaknesses God helpeth us he makes our bed hee saith to the sicke of the Palsey Take up thy bed hee turneth our bed in our sicknesse either he sends us health so some expounds it hee turnes the bed of sicknesse into a bed of health or God turneth our bed for us in our sicknesse that is he refresheth us giveth us ease when we lie upon our sicke beds It is a Metaphor borrowed from those that attend sicke persons that helpe to make their Beds easie and soft and turne them that they may lie at ease So God hath promised his children in the painfull time of sicknesse to make their Beds easie and soft to cause them to lie at ease by the Patience that he will give them Secondly it is true Death bringeth dissolution and dissolveth the frame of nature it separateth and divorceth those two loving companions the Soule and the Body But there is comfort in this For though it divorce the Soule and the Body yet it cannot destroy the soule and the body even the body is in the hand of God when it is rotting in the earth as the Soule is translated to heaven Againe though they be separated yet it is but for a time one day they shall meet more joyfull and glorious then ever before and after that they shall never be separated againe Lastly though he separate the soule from the body and the body from the soule yet neither from Christ nor Christ from them Nay it is so farre from separating that it helpeth to unite us to Christ as I said before the dissolution of those shall bee the conjunction with him I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. Thirdly it is true the horrour of the Grave attendeth Death and the putrifaction of this flesh of ours that must turne to corruptnesse it makes it terrible and fearfull But there is comfort against this For after that time of putrifaction there shall bee a time of restitution and though the wormes devoure this flesh of ours yet in that very flesh of ours wee shall see God another day These eyes shall see him There is comfort in that that when God shall come to restore us with himselfe what the Grave hath clothed with corruption he will cloath with glory these vile bodies hee will make them like the glorious body of Christ without all corruption Fourthly it is true Death depriveth us of worldly friends of worldly imployments this makes it terrible Yet there is comfort against this Though we be deprived of worldly friends it carries us to heaven to better company to Angels to the spirits of just and perfect men to God the Iudge of all to Iesus the Mediatour of the New Testament Nay besides one day hee will restore againe those very friends of which here we are deprived though wee lose them for a time in heaven wee shall meet againe and there renew a perpetuall league of societie and love So though it deprive us of worldly benefits it cannot of heaven and those are better they are not pleasures of sinne that last for a season but at the right hand of God that endure for ever So though it deprive us of worldly services it carrieth us to heaven to those that are better that are high and proper to the Church triumphant such as befit the Church to sing Hallelujahs and such as are profitable to the Church militant by the memorie of good examples and by the prayers they offer to God not in particular for they know no mans particular wants yet for the generall and common good of all Fifthly and lastly It is true the consideration of sinne and of Judgement and our uncertaine estate after death makes it terrible like the face of an Enemie Yet there is comfort against these For sinne I told you that though there bee a sting in the Serpent yet Christ hath drawne out that sting so that being a Serpent without a sting we may doe as Moses take it in our hand put it into our bosome and it will never doe us hurt to them that die in the Lord Death rather came by sinne then for sinne It is not betweene sinne and damnation but betweene sinne and salvation For judgement It is true Death presenteth judgement but it presenteth it with comfort for the day of Judgement is the day that the godly looke for and long for as the day of redemption not of confusion when they shall receive the sentence by which they shall bee absolved and not condemned For they know when God shall come to be their Judge hee shall come to be their Saviour And so for the uncertaintie of our future estate after death It is true the state of the dead in regard of naturall understanding it may be a thing
thoughts of Gods displeasure and thinkes it is at peace with God it is an evident signe that wrath is a comming Nay beloved in that measure you are in carnall securitie in that measure you are under wrath let that therefore be enough to awaken you and say thus with your selves It were better for me a great deale to be among the number of those that complaine and are mourning Christians then to bee in the number of those that are full of jollity and Joviality that rejoyce and sport themselves that put farre from them the evill day I might then escape the wrath of God as they doe Who are they that escape wrath See in Ezekiel 9. Those that were awake when others slept those that mourned when others laughed those that humbled themselves before God when others hardned themselves those were the men that were marked in the forehead by the Angel and they escaped And in the third of Malachie Those that feared the Lord and thought upon his name in those evill times that spake oft one to another there was a booke of remembrance of them and they are Gods jewels he will be sure to keepe them safe But how shall wee come to be awakened I should have told you some helpes for this I will but touch upon a few in a word First I will propound sobrietie as a maine helpe Would you be watchfull and kept from spirituall slumber take heed that you keepe your selves sober I speake not of sobrietie as it is opposed to drunkennesse though that be one thing Bee not filled with wine wherein is excesse but bee filled with the holy Ghost Ephes. 5. As if he should say you cannot be filled with the holy Ghost and with excesse of Wine persons that take liberty in excessive drinking certainly they are destitute of the holy Ghost and so of life and salvation But I meane a further sobriety that is as it is opposed to worldly-mindednesse Take heed that you plunge not your selves too much in the world and worldly pleasures and cares for these are against the rule of sobriety Be sober in your diet in your apparell in your gaining in your spending in your mirth in your company in every thing that is moderate your selves and your affections in these things A man may soone grow to such a drunkennesse by excesse in worldly affections that he may bee in a dead sleepe neglecting Gods judgements and his owne estate as wee see men that plunge themselves in worldly businesse are It takes away the thoughts of those things that concerne our spirituall good I say not that you should leave off the businesse of the world for every man must continue in the calling that God hath set him But I say moderate your affections to the things of the world Doe worldly businesses with heavenly mindes in obedience to God Doe them with waking hearts to repent for the sinnes of your callings to avoide the sinnes of your callings And that that I say of labouring in your callings I say of pleasures and of every thing else we should be watchfull and sober as S. Peter saith Bee sober and watch Secondly if you would be free from security which is a forerunner of judgement be sure to keepe your selves in exercise A man that would keepe himselfe awake will busie himselfe in some exercise and imployment or other What exercise should a Christian use The exercise of grace and of the duties of obedience Be sure to keepe your selves in the exercise of all the advantages that God giveth you in your lives to imploy your graces in In difficulties and straites exercise your faith In provocations to anger and discontent exercise meeknesse In crosses and troubles and afflictions exercise patience In the miseries and wants of others whether spirituall or corporall exercise mercy And what I say concerning grace I say concerning duty Keepe your selves in the exercise of prayer and reading and meditation and conference some one thing or other some holy employment or other that may keepe the soule waking For I tell you you shall find that whensoever you let fall spirituall exercise you will at that very instant fall into carnall securitie in some kind or other Thirdly would you keepe your selves from this dead sleepe of carnall security then keepe your spirits in feare Sorrow and griefe makes a man heavy but feare keepes a man waking when Iacob feared Esau he kept a watch that night Sampson feared the Philistims and it wakened him out of his sleepe Feare makes a man watchfull You may perceive it in your owne experience In that measure that the feare of God prevaileth securitie is expelled Keepe feare therefore Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes but he that hardneth his heart falleth into evill Marke how he opposeth the hardning of a mans selfe in carnall securitie to the feare of God Keepe your heart in a constant feare Reason thus Alas shall I doe this thing and sinne against God Will not God be offended and displeased Shall I goe on in this vanity Would I have the judgement of God find me in this company would I have it seise upon mee in this imployment in this businesse in this action Feare lest God should strike thee in such an act lest Death should seize upon thee in such a place and let that make thee keepe a constant watch against the snares that are in those places Fourthly keepe good company Company you know is a good meanes to keepe men awake Two are better then one and woe to him that is alone saith Solomon I say good company for there are a company that will infect you Keepe not company with a froward person lest thou learne his frowardnesse So keepe not company with drunken and swearing persons these are the Divels instruments to keepe a man in carnall security No keepe company with those that have a charge given them to exhort one another daily and to consider one another to provoke to love and good workes Keepe company with the Saints and make use of all opportunities to provoke others and to be provoked by others That is the fourth helpe Fifthly would you bee kept from this sinfull security then keepe God alwayes in your sight It is a good way for a man that would keepe himselfe awake to fix his eye upon some object Fix your eye upon this maine object God Whether shall I depart from thy presence saith David This is that the Lord would have his people to consider to keepe them from sinne in Ier. 23. 23. Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God a farre off Doe not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord Can a man hide himselfe from God in any secret place Thinke in thy chamber in thy parlour in thy shop in thy house in thy friends house in the street in the Church in every place wheresoever thou art that there God is also If
of Records as it were wherein are written the names of as many as God hath appointed to life Rejoyce not saith our Saviour in this that the divels are subdued unto you but rejoyce that your names are written in heaven And all that are not found written in the booke of life are cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 20. 15. God in his secret counsell and purpose in his speciall providence and love takes notice of all his servants even of their names and he hath them as sure as if they were written downe in a booke there is not one man that commeth to heaven but the Lord knowes him already to be a man ordained to that estate and condition Secondly as in all Cities and Societies there is a certaine law whereby they are all governed in obedience to which they live So there is a law whereby all the Citizens of heaven all the houshold of God are governed that law which the Apostle Saint Iames calleth the royall law a law which commandeth the very spirits of men a law that disposeth the whole man to a heavenly frame and subjection to the will of God the great King of Heaven so that a man while he is here below by degrees is drawne off from the world in his affections and disposition and carriage and made sutable and conformable to the rule of righteousnesse Thirdly as in all Cities there is a kind of safety and securitie to those that dwell there not onely as they are incompassed with walls but also as there is watching and warding some wakinâ—… while others sleepe to keepe the rest in safety So in this heavenly societie the Angels pitch their Tents about those that feare God nay the Lord himselfe is the Shepheard of Israel that neither slumbereth nor sleepeth while men oppose them God defends them while men are labouring and plotting and devising against them and they it may be are secure and feare no danger God disperseth and disappointeth a thousand projects intended against his servants It was so with his owne people Israel while they were in the plaines securely lying in their tents there is Balack and Balaam consulting upon the mountaines how to curse them but the God of Israel that is above the mountaines that sitteth on the highest Heavens hee ordereth the matter so that Balaam for his life though hee might have had all the wealth and honour of the Kingdome could not pronounce one curse against Israel because God had said to him that he should not curse Fourthly As in Cities and societies on earth men have communion and societie one with another the lesse have interest in the greater and the greater in the lesse and all have interest one in another the inferiours receive from the superiours protection and provision and the superiours receive from the inferiours subjection and submission So it is in this heavenly Corporation in this spirituall Hierusalem Ierusalem is a Citie at unitie in it selfe There is a communion and fellowship that the Saints have with God the Father with Christ with the Angels with the Saints in heaven and one with another on earth With God the Father they have an interest in him as subjects of his kingdome as servants and children of his family there is not the meanest subject in this kingdome but he may make his request knowne to this Prince there is not the least servant in this Family but he may make his complaint to this Master they may as children goe boldly to the throne of grace and make their request knowne unto him though it be but in sighes and groanes Hence it is that God takes notice of them your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things and therefore hee will supply them If you that are earthly can give good things to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them that aske him They have interest in Christ also he is their Intercessour therefore hence it is that he is said to sit at the right hand of God making intercession for us Hee is their Advocate if any man sinne wee have an Advocate with the Father even Iesus Christ the righteous Hee is their Lord and Captaine the Captaine of the Lords Armie to defend his Church Michael the great Prince standeth up for the children of his people They have interest also in the Holy Ghost the third Person in Trinitie they have not only the love of God the Father but the communion and fellowship of the Holy Ghost as the Apostle wisheth for the Corinthians Hence it is that the Holy Ghost is ready to helpe their infirmities to inable them to put up their requests when they know not how to pray as they ought Hence it is that hee sanctifieth them and therefore they are said to bee Borne againe of water and of the spirit that hee comforteth them therefore hee is called the holy Ghost the Comforter As the Saints have interest in the three Persons in the Trinitie in respect of their dependance upon them so the blessed Trinitie hath an interest in them also If I bee a Father where is my honour if I bee a Master where is my feare Because they acknowledge God to be their Father they honour him because they acknowledge him to betheir Lord they feare him c. They have interest in the Angels also Hence it is that they are called Ministring spirits sent forth for the good of the Elect They were Christs messengers his Angels and now they are made Messengers Angels to the Saints therefore saith Christ Offend not one of these little ones for I tell you that their Angels behold the face of my father in heaven They have interest in them not as worshippers of Angels which the Apostle condemneth Coll. 2. as foreseeing to what a height Popish superstition would rise in this kind I say not to worship them to invocate them to pray to them we know no such will-worship which is without the rule Wee have an Angell comforting Hagar we have an Angell defending Elisha we have an Angel incouraging Iacob wee have an Angell carrying Lazarus into Abrahams bosome But wee never had any Angell that stood in this place to have worship and adoration This indeed the Angels have from us imitation of their obedience we pray thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven They have interest in the Saints also yea in those that are dead not as though they praied for us yet they have a common desire of the welfare of the whole Church The soules under the Altar cry How long Lord holy and true wilt thou not avenge our bloud on those that dwell upon the earth All the Saints departed their soules crie to God to finish these dayes of sinne and hasten the comming of Christ. And besides this this further benefit wee have that we are all members
this is it that makes him industrious to avoide evill courses that this is it that makes him diligent in good actions that this is it that makes him constant and to persevere to the end in all holy wayes and in avoyding of all evill because he lookes for and waites for the comming of Christ. Now then take this for a maine tryall of your selves concerning the former point Whether can you with comfort looke for the comming of Christ or no There shall bee abundance at that day that shall hang downe their heads I saw saith Saint Iohn the Divine the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mighty men and every bond-man and every free-man men of all sorts hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountaines and said to the mountaines and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall bee able to stand Would you therefore hold up your heads with comfort and with joy that when you heare a Funerall Sermon it might comfort you to thinke It will not be long before my time shall come before my time shall bee would you in truth have freedome from the feare of death which Christ hath purchased for hee tooke upon him the same nature because the children were partakers of flesh and blood that hee might free them who for feare of death were held in bondage all their life Would you have comfort in Christs comming to Judgement See how effectually this workes in you Is it thus effectuall that because you looke for Christs comming therefore you prepare your selves therefore you purge out your lusts and corruptions because there shall bee nothing then when the secrets of all hearts shall bee manifest that shall bee displeasing to him when hee shall come Are you carefull to let fall worldly affections because you have a comfortable apprehension of heavenly joyes Are you carefull to turne your course from sinne because you would not lye open to the judgement of condemnation Are you carefull to doe good to persevere in the practise of godlinesse because hee that shall come will come and will not tarry If it bee thus with you then you may with comfort thinke of that day then you may with cheerefulnesse looke upon the day of death the day of death then is better then the day in which thou wert borne It is better to thee then the day of thy mariage it is the day of that great Mariage that shall bee made betweene Christ and thy soule to all eternitie It is better then the day that thou obtainest thy freedome then the day that thou commest out of thy Apprentiship it is the day wherein thou ait set free and brought into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God It is a day that is better then the day of the enjoyment of the greatest comforts of this life because it sets thee in the possession of pleasures that are at Gods right hand for evermore Take this consideration therefore to heart and that you may walke in a holy course the better and with more constancie keepe the object alwayes close to your eye Thinke with your selves and say If wee would walke as Saints in heaven wee must live as Saints on earth But how shall wee doe this Be often thinking of the comming of Christ often put this question to your soules What if Christ should now come If hee should come now I am in the Church am I hearing the Word with that affection that I ought to heare it with If hee should come now I am in my calling in my worldly businesse doe I follow it with a heavenly disposition as I ought to doe What if hee should come now while I am feasting should he take mee as one feasting with feare lest I should sinne against God in my mirth What if hee should come and take mee asleepe have I made my peace with God before I went to rest Worke these considerations upon thy soule When the morning commeth thinke it may be Christ will come and take mee away before evening how shall I walke this day that I may have comfort in the comming of Christ When the Evening is come thinke It may be I shall never see morning before the great day of the Resurrection what now shall I doe that if I die in my sleepe I may rest in the Lord and so may have comfort in his appearance Either this moment either this minute settle thy comfort and peace with Christ or it may bee the next houre it will be too late And remember that if ever you will live a holy life if ever you will have a heavenly conversation on earth you must be much and seriously settled in this meditation slight it not passe it not in your thoughts as a matter of discourse but let it bee a working meditation let it bee effectuall to produce somewhat in you that may warme and heat your hearts and to set on fire the whole soule and to purge out the drosse of corruption that remaines in you Thus you see what it is that the Apostle here undertakes for himselfe and for as many as walked as hee did they had a heavenly Conversation and that which made them have a heavenly conversation was the looking for the comming of Christ. This was the fruit of their looking for the comming of Christ it made them walke in a heavenly conversation on earth There is another fruit of this by their looking for Christ they shall find him to bee a Lord and Jesus Wee looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Which word sheweth that all that Christ did for the purchase of our redemption hee did it by price and by power Hee did it by price hee satisfied his Fathers Justice and so hee is a Saviour Wee waite saith the Apostle 1 Thes. 1. 10. for his Son from heaven whom hee raised from the dead even Iesus which delivered us from the wrath to come And by power too over Sathan so hee is a Lord the Lord of might Thou shalt find at the day of Christ that hee will both bee Saviour and Lord to thee A Saviour to free thee from sinne and condemnation A Lord to bestow upon thee heaven and glory with the Saints This is another benefit of our looking for Christs comming in the manner before spoken of wee shall find him then to be a Lord and Jesus one that will save us from our sinnes and one that hath power to bestow heaven upon us Wouldest thou then have this comfort at that day Let him bee so here to thee in this life let him be thy Lord and commander of all thy affections of the wholeman yeeld obedience now to his will and thou shalt find him a Jesus then Hee is not a Jesus a Saviour except
faithfully and living holily happy nay thrice happie shall we be we shall bee sure to partake of the blessing of those upon mount Gerrazim we need not feare the curse of those upon Mount Eball Wee need not bee afraid of the Thundering and lightning on Sinai nor the fire and tempest nor smoake of the furnace nor of the sound of the Trumpet for all our joy shall be in Sion But when he comes if he find us living wickedly dealing unfaithfully cursed nay thrice cursed we be we are sure to partake of mourning for joy of ashes for beautie of a rent for a girdle whatsoever becomes of our garments assuredly our hearts shall be rent in sunder Watch wee therefore wee know not the day and houre when the Sonne of man will come In the second place that the children of God may bee armed and prepared for his comming hee hath set downe in his Word certaine signes which being effected and come to passe they may easily judge that then the day of redemption draweth nigh Now these signes are of three sorts Some are in respect of us a long time before he comes to judgement A second sort are immediatly before his comming The third in his comming The signes that prognosticate his comming long before are these First of all the preaching of the Gospell to the whole world which is set downe by Christ Mat. 24. 14. The Gospell of the kingdome shall bee preached to the whole world for a testimonie to all Nations then shall the end bee Which words of our Saviour Christ we are not so to understand as that the Gospell should be preached to the whole world at any one time for that never was nor I thinke never will be but if we so understand it that the Gospell shall be preached to all Nations successively and at severall times then if wee consider the times since the Apostles wee shall find that the sound of the Gospell hath gone out to all the Nations of the world as it was spoken by the Prophet so that this first signe is already past the end cannot be farre The second signe is the revealing of Antichrist saith the Apostle 2 Thessal 2. 3. That day shall not come except there bee a departing and that man of sinne the sonne of perdition which is Antichrist bee revealed Concerning this signe in the yeare of our Lord 602. after Christ S. Gregorie seemeth to avouch that whosoever taketh the name of universall Bishop and Pastor of the Church that was Antichrist Five yeares after Boniface succeeding him by Phocas the Emperour had the title of Universall Bishop of the Church and ever since all their successours have taken that name so that it is evident that at Rome hath beene and now is the Antichrist so that the second signe being fulfilled the end cannot be farre The third is the generall departure of the most from the Faith There hath beene a generall departure in former times when Arrius spread his heresies almost all the whole world became an Arian and for the space of 500 yeares together from the time of Boniface the world was so infected with Popish heresies that the faith of Christ could scarsely be discerned they were as a handfull of wheate to a great deale of chaffe so that this signe it is already fulfilled in part but there shall alway be a falling away and a departing from the faith till Christ come to judgement The fourth signe stands in exceeding great corruption in the manners of men And the Apostle makes this a signe of Christs last comming to judgement 2 Tim. 3. This know that in the last dayes perillous times shall come men shall be lovers of themselves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unholy without naturall affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traitours headie high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God The Apostle makes this a signe and marke that shall bee in the last dayes Beloved if ever this were fulfilled it is fulfilled in these dayes of ours for there is a generall corruption in the manners of men It is very hard to find those that in all truth and sinceritie labour to discharge a good conscience towards God and men And Christ hath said himselfe that when hee comes to judgement hee shall scarse find faith on earth such a generall corruption there shall bee in the manners of men so that this fourth signe being already past the end cannot be farre The fift signe is exceeding great persecution and affliction of the Church and the Saints of God This hath beene fulfilled in former times You know there were ten fearfull persecutions in the Primitive Church And so it is fulfilled even in these dayes of ours for the Whore of Babylon that spotted beast shee laboureth to make her selfe drunke with the bloud of Gods Saints There are but few yeares nay moneths or weeks wherein some of the bloud of Gods Saints is not sacrificed to appease the wrath of the Persecutors Then if in these dayes this signe be fulfilled the end cannot be farre The sixt is a generall securitie so that men will not be moved neither with the preaching of the word of God nor yet with judgements from heaven they have such exceeding dulnesse and deadnesse of heart that neither of these will move them For the former you know God hath sent many judgements amongst us we have had fire and famine and pestilence and invasion of forreine enemies inundation of waters thunder and lightning from heaven but all these will not worke upon our hearts The Lord he hath scourged us oft but yet we set light by his corrections we harden our hearts against all his judgements our hearts will not be softned and molified what effect hath all these wrought where is our humiliation our repentance and reformation And for the preaching of the word of God alas that can get no entrance at all mens hearts are so crustie and so hardened that the seed of Gods word it lies uncovered it takes no roote at all in the heart it workes no reformation at all so that if ever this signe were fulfilled it is in these dayes It shall be saith Christ speaking of the generall securitie that shall bee when hee comes to judgement as in the dayes of Noah and of Lot they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage till the fire came from heaven and burned them and the water over-flowed the world so that this sixt signe being past the end cannot be farre The seventh and last signe of Christs comming to Judgement is the calling of the Jewes which the Apostle Rom. 11. 25. calls the fulfilling of the Gentiles When God hath the number of his Elect among the Gentiles then the Jewes shall bee called againe but of the time and the manner and number the word of God doth not reveale it so that it is
hath beene and feare for what hee shall bee mingles and sowers all the joy and delight in that hee is And what is hee at the best a poore tennant â—…t â—…ill of a ruinous cottage of loame or house of clay readie to fall about his eares with a Grashoppers leape in a spot of ground His apparell is but stolne ragges his wealth the excrements of the earth his dyet bread of carefulnesse got with the sweat of his browes and all his comforts and recreations rather as Saint Austine tearmes them solati a miserorum quam gaudia beatorum sauces of misery then dishes of happinesse For albeit a good conscience bee a continuall feast and the testimonie of the Spirit an everlasting Jubile in the soule yet the most righteous man that breathes mortall ayre either by frailty or negligence or diffidence or impatience or love of this present life or suttletie of perswasions or violence of temptations so woundeth his conscience and grieveth the Spirit of grace that this feast is turned for a time into a fast and the Jubile into an ejulate or howling All things therefore layd together the scornes of the World assaults from the flesh temptations from the Devill rebukes from God checks from conscience sensible fayling of Grace spirituall dissertions with many a bitter agonie and conflict with despaire I cannot but perfectly accord with the Poet in his dolefull note Faelices nimium quibus est fortuna peracta jam sua they are but too happie whose glasse is well runne out and with the Evangelist in my Text beati mâ—…rtui blessed are the dead for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them they rest from those labours which tyreus that live and the workes which wee are to follow follow them A threefold cable saith the Wiseman is not easily brokn and such is this here in my Text on which the anchour of our hope hangeâ—…h 1 The testimonie of Saint Iohn Yea 2 The testimonie of the Spirit so sâ—…th the Spirit 3 A strong reason drawne from their rest and recompence they rest from their labours and they receive the reward of their labours they are discharged of their worke and for their worke If they were discharged for their worke and not discharged of their worke they could not bee said blessed because their tedious and painefull workes were to returne And much lesse happie could they bee tearmed if they were discharged of their worke but not for it for then they should lose all their labour under the Sunne they should have done and suffered all in vaine but now because they are both discharged of their worke for they rest from their labour and discharged for their worke for their workes follow them they are most blessed The Spirit here taketh the ground of this heavenly musick ravishing the souls of the living and able to revive the very dead either from the labourers pay or the racers prize If the ground be the labourers joy for their rest and pay the descant must bee this our life is a day our calling a labour the evening when wee give over our death the pay our penny If the ground be the racers joy for their prize the descant may bee this the Church is the field Christianitie is the race death is the last poste and a garland of glory the wager let us all â—…o run that we may obtaine Yea sayth the Spirit Wee read in the Law and the Prophets Thus sayth Iehovah the Lord in the Gospell Thus spake Iesus But in the Epistles and especially in the Revelation thus sayth the Spirit now the Spirit speaketh evidently heare what the Spirit sayth unto the Churches hee that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit sayth unto the Churches and the Spirit and the Bride sayth come While Christ abode in the flesh hee taught with his owne mouth the Word of life but now since his Ascention and sitting in state at the right hand of his Father hee speaketh and doth all by his Spirit By the Spirit hee ordainâ—…th Pastours furnisheth them with gifts enlighâ—…h the understanding of the hearers and enclineth their wills and affections and so leadeth the Church into all truth In which regard Tertullian elegantly tearmeth the Spirit Christi Vicarium Christ his Vicar preaching in his stead and discharging the Cure of the whole World Secondly so sayth the Spirit not the flesh the earth denies it but Heaven avereth it when a man removeth out of this World the flesh beholdeth nothing but a corpes brought to the Church and a coffine layd in the Grave but the spirit discerneth an Angel carrying the soule up to Heaven and leaving it in Abrahams bosome till the Father of spirits shall give her againe to the bodie arrayed in glorious apparell There is no Doctrine the Devill the flesh and the World more oppose then this here delivered by the Spirit concerning the blessednesse of the dead for all Atheists all Heathen all carnall men all Saduces and sundrie sorts of Heretickes deny the Resurrection of the bodie and the greater part of them also the immortalitie of the soule A wicked and ungodly person beleeveth not his soule to bee immortall because hee would not have it so hee would not that their should be another World because hee can have hope of no good there having carried himselfe so ill in this faine hee would stifle the light in his conscience which if hee would open his eyes would clearly discover unto him a future tribunall yet sometimes hee cannot smother it and therefore as Tully who saw a glimering of this truth observeth hee is wonderfully tormented out of a feare that endlesse paines attend him after this life Well let the flesh and fleshly minded men deeme or speake what they list concerning the state of the dead the Spirit of truth sayth that all that dye in the Lord are blessed But where sayth the Spirit so In the Scriptures of the old and new Testament and in this vision and in the heart and conscience of every true beleever First in the Scriptures let mee dye the death of the righteous and let my last end bee like unto his refraine thy voyce from weeping and thine eyes from teares for thy workes shall bee rewarded and there is hope in thine end saith the Lord precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints the righteous shall wash his foot in the bloud of the wicked so that a man shall say verily there is a reward for the righteous Christ is in life and death advantage for I am in a straight betweene two having a desire to depart and to bee with Christ which is fâ—… better Secondly in this vision for Saint Iohn heard a voyce from Heaven saying Write it as it were with a Penne of Iron upon the Tombe of all that are departed in the Lord for so saith the Spirit Lastly the Spirit speaketh it in the
at her death Her life was well knowne to most of this place and her death was every way answerable to her life all that visited her in her sicknesse might behold with sorrow a pittifull anatomie of fraile mortalitie and yet with joy a perfect patterne of Christian patience and a heavenly conversation and though shee were full of divine conceptions and shee had a spring by her of the waters of life in the devotion of her dearest helper especially in the best things yet when I came to her shee desired shee might be partaker of some of my meditations they were her owne words and when I prayed with her and for her shee joyned not so much with me with her tongue as her affections and answered more in sighes and teares then in words often shee complained of her tuffe heart that would not yeeld to her dissolution and long long sheethought it till shee should come to appeare before the God of Gods in Sion Her last words were sweet Father helpe me and shee had her request for presently hee helped her both by the zealous and most feeling prayers of her Husband and by the holy spirit assisting her in her owne prayers with sighes and groanes that cannot be expressed and immediatly her swâ—…et Father released her of her pangs and received her to himselfe on his owne day On the Lords day morning before the morning watch I say before the morning watch shee entered into her rest and began to keepe her evarlasting Sabbath in heaven where shee reapeth what she sowed and seeth what shee beleeved and enjoyeth what she hoped for and is now entered into those joyes which never entered fully into the heart of any living on earth nor shall into ours till wee with her be made perfect and all of us come to Mount Sion and the heavenly Ierusalem and innumerable company of Angels and to the Congregation of the first-borne whose names are written in heaven and to the spirits of just men and women made perfect Whether the God of peace bring us in our appointed time who brought againe from the dead the great sheepheard through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant To whom with the holy Spirit c. FINIS FAITHS ECCHO OR THE SOVLES AMEN ISAY 64. 1. Oh that thou wouldest rent the Heavens that thou wouldest come downe IER 11. 5. So bee it O Lord. Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. FAITHS ECCHO OR THE SOVLES AMEN SERMON XLVII REVELA 22. 19. Amen Even so come Lord Iesus THese words they afford to us a comfortable and sweet argument to bee conversant in From the sixt verse of this Chapter is set down to us the confirmation of the whole Prophesie and booke of the Revelation partly by the affirmation of God as likewise of Jesus Christ and of Iohn himselfe that heard and saw all these things and likewise of the Church of God in the 17. verse it is likewise confirmed by the promise of blessing and happinesse pronounced upon them that shall doe all these things and shall faithfully expect the accomplishment of them This verse a part of which I have read to you is the repetition in few words of all that matter that goeth before from the 6. verse to it and hath in it First an attestation of our Lord and Saviour Christ in the former part of the verse Behold I come quickly Secondly an acclamation of the Church in the latter part these words I have read to ye Amen even so come Lord Iesus In the attestation of Christ hee promiseth hee will come to his Church hee will come shortly both for the accomplishment of all his promises and likewise for their safety and deliverance from all enemies and all miseries and molestations whatsoever To this the Church makes an acclamation and saith Amen even so come Lord Iesus In this acclamation of the Church to which wee must now come we are to consider First the person of the speaker whose words they bee Secondly what is the matter or substance contained in them Yee shall see whose words they bee if ye looke backe but to the 17. verse of this Chapter there ye shall finde that first it is sayd the Spirit sayth come By the Spirit is not meant the third Person in Trinitie the holy Ghost because hee is not subject to these passions to these desires but hee resteth himselfe in the execution and present disposing and dispensing of things according to his owne will and pleasure Neither by Spirit here is meant any wicked spirit or Angell for they doe with feare and horrour expect the same comming of our Lord and Saviour Christ because his comming shall bee the accomplishment of their miserie and eternall infelicitie But by Spirit here is meant the spirit in all the Elect and holy people of God in whomsoever the Spirit of God is that Spirit doth say come and doth wish the accomplishment of all these most gracious promises For this is not the desire of the flesh or of nature but an earnest and vehement desire of the Spirit of God in the Elect that saith come Againe secondly the same verse telleth us that the Bride sayth come That is the Church of God in generall the Catholike Church the whole Church of God being now hand-fasted to Christ and entred into a spirituall contract with him Shee desireth the consumation of the Marriage the solemniation of the Marriage which is alreadie begun in the contract of it and not onely every particular member of the Church in whom the Spirit of God is saith come but the Church of God in generall the Bride sayth come the whole Church saith come wishing and desiring the accomplishment of the Marriage which is already begun In the third place the same verse telleth us that as the Spirit and the Bâ—…ide say come so hee that heareth saith come that is not onely the Church of God that is now present here upon the face of the earth but the successive parts of the Church in all future Ages they are all of the same minde having received the same Spirit they all say come Whosoever heareth this Prophesie whosoever heareth of these promises in any Age or Countrey of the World all they having the same spirit they must needes say come hee that heareth sayth come hee that is acquainted with the promises that commeth to the knowledge of them and doth mingle them with the faith of his soule this man must needs say come to the accomplishment of them And lastly Hee that is a thirst sayth come too that is whosoever hath tasted of the sweetnesse of Christ in any measure whatsoever and therby hath wrought in him a vehement thirst after more this man will say come Whosoever hath such a sence of Christ in his promises as to taste of the sweetnesse of these never so little as hee that hath tasted a droppe of honey wisheth for more so hee that hath tasted of the sweetnesse of Christ a
droppe of his grace and mercie this setteth upon his spirit a heavenly thirst he sayth come hee would have more hee is never quiet till hee have the promise accomplished to him These are the persons every particular member of the Church that hath the Spirit the whole Church in generall not onely the particular part of the Church now in the World or in any Age but the severall parts of the Church in severall Ages whosoever is a thirst that hath tasted of Christ must needs say come Even so come Lord Iesus These are the persons The second thing is the matter of this acclamation of the Church First the matter contained in it it is a vehement and earnest desire of the people of God after Christs most happie returne in these words Amen even so come Lord Iesus The matter of it therefore is either infolded and implicite in the word Amen even so or unfolded and explicite in the latter words come Lord Iesus It is infolded I say in the word Amen This word signifieth in the Scripture either the Author of the truth himselfe or else it is an affirmation of the truth In the Revelation thus sayth the Amen the faithfull and true witnesse here Christ himselfe is called Amen because he is the Authour of all truth and veritie the faithfull and true witnesse Sometime this word is used and most frequently in Scripture for the affirmation of the truth either witnessing of the truth or wishing the truth For the witnessing of the truth as in all those vehement speeches of our Lord and Saviour Christ Amen Amen I say unto yee or verily verily I say unto yee this is a vehement asseveration and a witnessing to the truth which a man ought to beleeve or would have to bee beleeved Or otherwise for a wishing and earnest desiring of the truth to bee accomplished So in the conclusion of the Lords prayer and all our prayers we adde this word Amen that is So be it or Let it be so we wish it with earnestnesse of affection and desire and with a confidence and faith of our hearts wee hope and beleeve that this shall bee so This is that wee professe when wee say Amen In this place this word is used both for affirmation and witnessing of the truth and likewise it is a vehement wish and desire of the accomplishment of these promises with an earnest and certaine hope and expectation of faith that all these promises and good things shall bee accomplished to the soule of a Christian. Againe the matter of this Acclamation is unfolded and explained in the latter words Come Lord Iesus Where there is both the Action and the Person to be considered The Action Come Christ commeth to his Church many wayes Hee commeth in his Word Hee commeth in his Spirit He commeth in his mercies He commeth in his Judgements and Justice None of these are here meant But he commeth to his Church in person and appearance even in the appearance of his body and humane nature Thus Christ commeth two wayes to his Church in person First in his Incarnation he appeared to the world in the similitude of sinfull flesh he came in humilitie he came to suffer to die That is not here ment for that was past when as the Evangelist Saint Iohn wrote this prophesie But the Second comming in person of our Lord and Saviour Christ is his comming in the flesh in glorie in exaltation to judge the quicke and the dead to shew himselfe a mightie God from heaven This is the comming which is here meant Christs second comming to Judgement in glory That is the Action The Person is described by these two Titles Lord Iesus Wherein the Church desireth that he may come both as a Lord and as a Iesus That hee may come as a Lord to vindicate the Church and revenge him upon his enemies to destroy the kingdome of darknesse the kingdome of the Divell the kingdome of Antichrist which hath beene a great argument in this booke of the Revelation And not only come thus as a Lord but as a Iesus to save his Church to vouchsafe to her comfort and peace and joy that he would come to cloath her with immortalitie and glory which she cannot expect on earth in a mortall state This is the summe and substance of this Petition and request that the Lord would come in Majestie and glory both as as a Lord against the enemies of the Church to destroy them utterly and as a Saviour to bestow upon the Church even all saving mercies especially that great mercie of everlasting blessednesse that is not mixed with sinne and corruption that is not mixed with any infirmitie and defect whatsoever This is the summe and substance of the Text which I have in few words shortly explained to yee Whence the point I observe wherein wee will insist by the grace of God at this time is this That it is the nature and propertie of every true member of the Church of God earnestly and longingly to desire the second comming of Christ for the full redemption of his Church The Spirit saith Come and the Bride saith Come and whosoever heareth saith Come whosoever is a thirst saith Come therefore every godly man that hath the Spirit of God that is a part of this Bride that is partaker of those promises that hath a taste of Jesus Christ every one of these most necessarily say Come Even so Come Lord Iesus This is so proper to beleevers and to every one of them as they are all of them described by this propertie in Scripture 2 Tim. 4. 8. The Crowne which the righteous Iudge shall give mee at that day and not only to me but to all them that love his appearing The Apostle he might have said to all Saints and godly whatsoever and to all faithfull beleevers but he makes choyce of this Epithite hee describeth them by this that they are such as love his appearance Heb. 9. 28. Unto them that waite for him shall he appeare the second time for salvation The godly are there described by this very propertie they waite and long and desire after his appearance the second time In the 24. of Saint Matthews Gospell it is made the propertie of a good and faithfull servant there that he waiteth for his Masters comming and prepareth all things in a readinesse it is opposed to the slothfull servant that doth cleane otherwise Yee see the truth of it in Scripture But yee will say Is this the propertie of the Elect and faithfull Doe not ungodly men and sinners beleeve the comming of Christ and that he shall come to judge the quick and dead Doth not every man make this profession of his faith I beleeve that Iesus Christ shall come to judge the quick and the dead Why then doe yee make it the propertie of Beleevers since every man beleeveth and lookes for it To this I answer There is a twofold expectation of Christ his returne to