for transgression of her precepts requiring that the wicked may be put to death for their most vnreasonable disobedience her commandements for number being but ten and so not burdenable to the memorie for vnderstanding plaine written in the heart of euery man â—or equity not contradictable for the Law craueth nothing of man but that which by the holinesse of his nature receiued by Creation hee was able to performe neither doth the law command any thing profitable to God who gaue it but vnto man who receiued it And for holinesse euery precept of the law when God proclaimed it on mount Sinai was assisted with a thousand of his Saints as witnesses of the holinesse thereof all these circumstances doe aggrauate the waight of that iudgement which the law shall giue out against the transgressors thereof Then from the Law iudgement shall proceede How they shal be conuicted by the booke of conscience to Conscience and Conscience shall witnesse against them of their transgressions against euery precept of the law wherein they shall be so cleerely conuinced that their particular sinnes with the circumstances thereof time and place though now they haue cast them behind their backs shall then be set in order before them and so iustly euery manner of way shall iudgement goe out against them Eliphaz spoke it faslie to Iob thy owne mouth and not I Iob. 15. 6. condemnes thee but most iustly shall the ruler of the world lay it vpon the wicked out of thy owne mouth I iudge thee Luke 19. 22. O thou euill and vnfaithfull seruant the voyce of thine own conscience and no other shall condemne thee And as this condemnation will be most righteous so This iudgmeÌ„t shall also be most terrible shall it be also most fearefull not onely in regard of the manner of the Lords proceeding in that last iudgement but chiefly in regard of that irreuocable sentence of damnation Exod. 19. 16. which shall be executed without delay The Law Moses trembled for feare at the giuing of the law what will the wicked doe at the execution therof was giuen with Thunders and Lightnings and a thicke cloud vpon the mount with an exceeding loud sound of the Trumpet so that all the people were afraide yea so terrible was the sight that Moses said I feare and quake The lawes of mighty Monarches are executed with greater terror then they are proclaymed what then shall we looke for when the God of glory shall appeare to iudge the world according to his law the Heauens shall passe away with a Reuel 6. 14. noyse the Elements shall melt with heate the Earth with the workes which are therein shall be burnt vp the Archangell shall blow a Trumpet at the voyce whereof the dead shall rise If Moses the seruant of the Lord quaked to heare the first Trumpet how shall the wicked condemned in their owne conscience tremble and quake to heare the second Then shall the Kings of the Earth and the great men and the Reu. 6. 15. rich mâ—n and the chiefe Captaines and the mightie men hide themselues in the Dennes and among the rockes of the Mountaines for what strength is there in man who is but stubble to stand before a consuming fire and or euer their doome be giuen out they shall crie Mountaines and Rockes fall vpon vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the Throne but when they shall heare that fearefull sentence Depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared Mat. 25. 41. for the Diuell and his Angels O how shall the terror thereof confound their spirits and presse them downe to the bottome of hell O fearefull sentence depart from me what shall the creature doe when the Creator in his wrath commands it to depart and by his power banishes it from his presence O man wilt thou consider in time who shall receiue Remembrance of this last iudgment is a preseruatiue against sinne thee when God casts thee out from his face or who shall pittie and be able to comfort thee when God shall persecute thee with his wrath assure thy selfe euery creature shall refuse her comfort to thee if a drop of cold water might be a reliefe vnto thee thou shalt not get it Happie therefore are they who in time resolue themselues with Peter Lord whither away shall we goe from thee thou hast Math. 10. the words of eternall life For they who doe now goe a whoring from the Lord wandring after lying vanities shall in that day receiue this for a recompence of their errour Goe to the Gods whom ye haue serued Your whole life was but a Iud. 10. 14. Math. 25. 41. turning backe from me now therefore depart from me and whither into fire and what fire euerlasting fire and with whom with the Diuell and his Angels thou hast forsaken me thou hast followed them goe thy way with them a companion of their torment O fearefull sentence Quae Augustine cum ita sint bene nobisâ—um agâ—râ—tur si iâ—m nunc sic nos paeniteret super malis nostris qâ—omâ—do tunc sine vllo remedio paenitebit It were good therefore sayes Augustine if now all men could so repent of their sinnes as it is certaine in that day they shall repent without any remedie for then the wicked will shed teares aboundantly but they shall be fruitlesse And if all this cannot waken thee to goe to the Lord The day before the last iudgement Mercie shall be offered but none after it Iesus vpon the feete of faith and repentance that in him thou mayest be deliuered from this fearefull damnation yet remember that seeing this iudgement is supreame and the last from which will be no recalling most foolish art thou if in time thou doe not foresee and prouide how thou mayest stand in it Now if thy conscience condemne thee thou maist get if thou seeke absolution in Christ but in that day if the Lord condemne thee thou shalt neuer be absolued the day before the Trumpet sound mercy shall be preached to the penitent and beleeuers by the Gospell but from the time that once the sentence is giuen out there shall neuer be more offering of mercie the doore shall be closed though the wicked crie for mercie and with Esau seeke the blessing with many teares yet shall they neuer finde it Of all this now it is euident what an excellent benefit By Christ wee haue deliuerance from this threefold condemnation wee haue by Iesus Christ in that wee are deliuered from this three-fold condemnation For first being iustified by faith we haue peace with God in our consciences that holy spirit of adoption testifying vnto vs that our sinnes are forgiuen vs whereof arises in our heart an vnspeakable and glorious ioy which ioy notwithstanding cannot be full nor perfect vntill the former sentence of our absolution be also pronounced in the other two iudgements that in the
Abraham There is nothing colder than Ice yet saith Augustine it is melted and made warme by the help of fire A thorny ground saith Cyril being wel manured yet becomes fertile Ciril catec 2 Psal 107. and the Lord saith the Psalmist turneth a barren wildernes into a fruitfull land he rayses the dead he makes the blind to see and the lame to walke he causes the Eagle to renue Psal 103. his youth shall we then close his hands and thinke it impossible for him to make the sinner conceiued and borne in sinne to cast the ould slough of nature and become a new creature And this haue I marked to keepe vs from that presumptuous Iudge not rashly of any mans reprobation iudging as to conclude any mans reprobation because of this present rebellion thou knowest not what is in the councell of God though in regard of his conuersation for the present hee be a stranger from the life of God And againe for our selues that we may magnifie the mercie of the Lord our God who hath done that vnto vs by grace which nature could neuer haue done that is hath made our rebellious hearts subiect to his holy law and wee are sure he will also performe that good worke which he hath begunne in vs. The word which the Apostle vseth here to expresse The rebellion of the wicked against God exempts them not from his dominion mans natural rebellion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noteth such a rebellion of mans corrupt nature as is not subiect according to order we are not to thinke that any rebell were hee neuer so stubborne can exempt himselfe from subiection doe what he can he bides vnder the Lords dominion but a naturall man saith the Apostle giueth not orderly subiection vnto God Ieroboam shooke off the yoke of his lawfull Lord and Rehoboam was notable to controll him But let man repine as he will can he cast off the yoke of the Lord No no if man refuse to declare his subiection by an humble submission of his spirit to the Lords obedience the Lord for all that shall not lose his superioritie but shall declare his power vpon man by controling him he shal bruise him like an earthen pitcher with a scepter of iron that refuseth to bowe his heart vnder the scepter of his word Let the wicked cry in the pride of their nature wee will breake the bonds and cast off the yâ—ake of the Lord yet hath hee Psal 2. them fast bound in chaines goe where they will his hand is stretched ouer them and they shal not be able to eschew it O foolish and most vnhappie condition wherein man How miserable the wicked are who being subiect to God by necessitie refuse voluntary subiection Psal 18. liueth rebelling against the will of his Superiour and it profiteth him not for by no meanes can he exempt himselfe from his power surely all the vantage that the wicked reapes by repining against the Lord is that they multiply moe sorrowes vpon their owne head for with the froward the Lord will shew himselfe froward he wil walke stubbornly against them who walke stubbornly against him and adde seauen times more plagues vpon them As the Bird snared in the grin the more she struggleth to escape the more shee is fastned so the wicked the more they rebell the hardlier are they punished the faster they flie from the hand of Gods mercie the sooner they fall into the hand of his iustice It is further here to be obserued that the Apostle sayth carnall wisedome â—◠〈…〉 ties with God the word he vseth Nature vnregenerate doth not onely sin but multiply sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the plurall number otherwise it could not agree with the Substantiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof we learne how our nature not renewed by grace doth not onely sinne but multiply sinnes and transgressions against the Lord. O how this should humble vs that we haue not onely sinned but also multiplyed sinnes If any one sinne be enough to condemne man in what estate doth he stand who hath gathered against himselfe such a heape of transgressions more in number then the haires of his head If Adam for one transgression Psalm 40. 12. fled away from Gods presence what meruaile if horrible feare and perturbation possesse the sonnes of Adam who haue multiplyed against the Lord so many transgressions If the earth once cursed for Adams sinne was cursed the second time for Caine his sinne how oft is it cursed Gen. Heb. 2. 2. now If iudgement grow like wormewood and euery disobedience and transgression hath it owne iust recompence of reward what a treasure of wrath hath man now stored vp against himselfe who hath multiplyed so many sins against the Lord An arme of the body once broken saith Augustine August de temp ser 58. is not restored without paine and dolour to the patient but if it be after broken it is hardlyer cured a Conscience once wounded is confounded at the light and presence of God what then shall be to them who haue wounded themselues so often to death and stabbed through their soules with innumerable transgressions Let no man therefore flatter himselfe because his sinnes Though our sins were neuer so small this should humble vs that they are many for in any thing many smales make a great are small but let him be humbled and mourne considering that they are many It may be thou art not guiltie of the grosest actuall sinnes shall this diminish thy contrition Is there any thing smaller then a pickle of sand yet many of them collected become a heauier burthen then man is able to beare and drops of water though they be small yet if they be multiplyed becomes great riuers It is not alwaies the great waues of the Sea that ouerturneth the ship but the drop that sipes in at the leake shall sinke her also if it be neglected let vs not then neglect to purge our soules because we are not stained with grosse sinnes considering that the smallest sinnes often multiplyed are waightie enough to presse downe our soules to the lowest hell if we goe not to Christ to be eased of our burden And last we learne here that the cause of inimitie between Cause of inimitie betweene God and man is in man God and man is not in God but in man who will not ranck himselfe in the roome of a subiect giue to the Lord the place of a commaunder there is no question betweene the Lord and man but this onely whose will should be done the Lord craues that man should subiect himselfe to the will of God but man aspires to make his owne will the rule of his actions In this miserable estate liues man not renewed by grace hee hath set vp within himselfe a will contrary to Gods most holy will Woe be to him that striueth Isay 45. 9. with his maker If the will of God be
for hee speaketh this by way of supposition if there be yet any other creature than those vvhom I haue named I am sure be vvhat they will they cannot seperate vs from the loue of Christ Here in the last roome vvee doe obserue the suretie of a Christian aboue all other men in the world onely the Christian is sure his estate shall neuer be changed Worldlings may Esay 47. 7. Luke 12. 19. No worldling shall abide in the state wherin now hee stands Esay 22. 18. thinke with Babel in her prosperitie I shall neuer be moued and vvith the rich Glutton promise to themselues many yeeres to come but they shall be deceiued none of them shall continue in that state vvherein presently they stand the Lord shall driue them from their station as it vvere vvith vvheeles and shall roll them like a ball as hee threatned to Shâ—bna Pharaoh his pompe shall perish in the Red Sea Nabuchadnezzar shall be changed from a Monarch of men vnto a companion of Beasts Manasses from the Pallace shall goe to the Prison and all the men of the vvorld shall goe from the house to the graue their beautie and royall pompe shall consume as a Moth onely the Christian shall stand for euer in that happy vnion and fellowship with God this is the state of the Christian this is his life this is his glory and from it nothing present nor to come shall euer be able to transchange him Euerlasting praise therefore be to the Lord our God through Iesus Christ. Amen FINIS A TABLE DIRECTING THE Reader how to finde out the principall points of Doctrine contained in these Treatises A ABraham and the rest of the Fathers shall not be perfected without vs pag. 213 Accusations of all sorts vsed against Christians 416. 417. Accusations of Sathan made against vs for sinne past should be preseruatiues against sinne to come 329 Accusation of the carelesse Christian 166 Adam had Euah for a wife a sister and a daughter 23 Admonition with a comfort for weak Christians 208 Adoption naturall and spirituall 194. how the Spiritual excels the Naturall 194. 195. by adoption the sons of God know that God is their Father 195. Adoption two-fold 276. Affections of the Christian and carnall man how different 85. except wee slay inordinate affections wee cannot suffer affliction 218. if we slay not them they will slay vs. See sinne Affliction abhorred by nature 219. It is Gods wine-presse 230. 431. Inward outward and their comforts 225. Good to looke to the end of affliction 226 Afflictions for sinne past are medicinall restoratiues 440. For sinnes to come are wholesome preseruatiues 441. Causes of affliction would be marked 440. What is required in afflictions for Gods sake 442. Not euer inflicted for sinne 441. How profitable 330. Afflictions of the godly and wicked how different 431. See Crosse See suffering Allegorie vsed by Christ Luke 11. exponed 285 Angels and men Apostates only false witnesses against God 38. the fall of Angels of man and of the creature compared 259. Angels and men Apostates how miserable 260. how reprobate Angels hath names of power giuen them 454. how they are Gods messengers and to what end 453. Anger of God toward his Children how to be thought of 327 Apparell of worldlings how it hides not but shewes their nakednes 435. Aquila and Priscilla how they were Martyrs for Christ 444 Assurance of saluation 449. it is no presumption in the Christian to be assured 451. that the christian may be and is assured is proued 119 comfort against the want of feeling of this assurance in the godly 449. It is an euill religion that learnes doubting 450. Papistry can make no man sure of saluation 451. B Battell Christian what it is and how Naturalists haue a battell betweene flesh and flesh not betweene flesh and the Spirit 40. Battell must goe before triumph 415. Difficultie of the christian Battell 41. Our best estate is to fight 42. And how we should help that partie in vs which we would haue victorious 42. Why Sathan sights against vs. 48. And what comfort we haue therein 483. The last battell is the greatest 454 Banishment secludes not the children of God from his familiaritie 432 Benefits of God are obligations 157. they encrease our debt and therefore should humble vs 158. but they are abused by the wicked against God 163 Bondage of sinne how intolerable 50 three things to be considered in it 51. 52. 53. a three-fold meditation to make vs weary of it 53. 54. Bodies are to be humbled in publique exercise 114. how some abuse this 115 Bookes of law and conscience how they shall be opened in the day of iudgement 12 Brotherhood Christian how strait it is 378 C Calling is the first manifestation of our election 382. what inward calling is 382. how it makes a difference betweene man and man 383. it is a new creation 385. wrought without man 385. Calling and conuersion are from Gods purpose 356. it diuides betweene vs and our old sinnes 339. it makes a wonderfull distinction betweene man and man 386. miserable are they who are not seperate by it 387. time of our calling 384. it is short 388. no calling after this life 388. If he cease to call it is one token of his anger 360. the calling of God findes euery man euill exercised 367 Care should be moderate 410. care without Gods blessing is vaine 411 Two sorts of care 412 Carnall professors how miserable 91. 294. they professe friendship to Christ but keepe couenant with Sathan 404. See Professors Carnall presence improued 122 Certaintie of saluation See assurance Communion three-fold betweene Christ the Christian 27. 28. 29. Comforts against the remanents of sinne 102. 105. against the fruit of sinne 121. against death 138. no comfort gotten without the annexed condition 140 Condemnation of the wicked threefold 10 Conscience her terrours 61. a wounded Conscience desires not death 275. The book of Conscience 12. errour thereof 420 Concupiscence euen without consent proued to be a sinne 33. 34. 35. Confidence in God 336 Conformitie with Christ wherein it stands 372. reasons mouing vs to a conformitie with him 375. Some workes wherein wee should not proser to conforme our selues to Christ 372. 373. Contentment of our estate and reasons mouing vs vnto it 411 Chaine of Saluation what sure comfort it renders 362 Christian and carnall men how different euen vnder one Crosse and in doing one worke 131. as different as men and beasts 82. wherefrom comes this difference 84. they are compared in their affections and vnderstanding 85. in speaking and hearing 86. 87. eyther of them counts others fooles 89. but not vpon like warrants 90 Christian how farre hee exceeds the Worldling 108. his glorious priuiledges 211. his prerogatiues 380. Worldlings can not match him in glory 108. his end is better then his beginning the Worldling is the contrarie 221. hee is sure neuer to change his state not so the worldling
Disciples condemned and iudged worthy of stripes stand as so many examples to confirme vs that we faint not when we are condemned of men yea with the Apostle we must learne to passe little for mans iudgement and striue in a good conscience to be approued of God for sure the Lord will not peruert iudgement it is farre from the Iudge of all the world to doe vnrighteously he will at the last plead the cause of his Seruants and bring their righteousnesse to light This condemnation then from which wee are deliuered But from the condemnatory sentence of God is the sentence of God th righteous Iudge by which finding man guiltie of sinne for sinne he adiudgeth him vnto eternall damnation from this all they who are in Christ are deliuered He that beleeueth in him who sent Iohn 5. 24. mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life In this condemnation Three sundry times the Lord keepes against the wicked in the processe of their condemnation Psal 50. 5. the Lord proceeds at three sundry dyats against the wicked First he condemneth them in the Court of Conscience Next in the day of their particular iudgement Thirdly in the day of generall Iudgement First I say the Lord holdeth a Iustice Court against the wicked in his owne Conscience For the Lord iudgeth the righteous and him that contemnâ—th God euery day After 1 The first is kept against them in the Iustice Court of their owne Conscience sinne committed by him there ariseth in his Conscience accusing thoughts and there is a sentence within him giuen out against him The Apostle speakes it of Heretikes one sort of vvicked men and is it true in them all they sinne being damned of their owne selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by themselues Iudgement is giuen out against themselues which sentence albeit euery wicked man doe not marke the voyce of their disordered affections sometime being so loud that they heare not the condemnatorie voyce of their Conscience so clearely as it is pronounced yet doe they heare as much as makes them inexcusable and breedes in them a certaine feare and terrour which is but a fore-runner of a more fearefull iudgement to come which howsoeuer in time of their securitie they labour to smoother and quench by externall delights yet at the length affection shall be silenced and Conscience shall pronounce sentence against them with so shrill a voyce that their deafest care shall heare it This I haue marked that we may learne not to esteeme lightly the Iudgement of our Conscience but that so oft as wee are condemned by it wee may make our refuge to the throne of Grace to seeke mercie For if Conscience condemne 1. Ioh. 3. 20. vs God is greater then the Conscience and will much more condemne vs. Ascendat itaque homo tribunal mentis suae Aug. hom 50 si timet illud meminerit quod oportet eum ante tribunal Christi exhiberi Let therefore a man saith Augustine goe vp to the tribunall of his owne mind in time if he feare it let him remember that he must be presented before a greater tribunall The second time of iudgement which the Lord keepes 2 The second is kept against them in the houre of death against the wicked is in the houre of death wherein the Lord doth not onely repeat their former sentence of condemnation and that in a more fearefull and iudiciall manner but proceeds also to execution adiudging their bodies vntill the day of last iudgement to the prison of the graue to vnderly that curse pronounced on man for his Apostasie and condemning their spirits to be banished from the presence of God and cast into vtter darknesse Let not therfore the wicked man nourish himselfe in sinne with a vaine conceit of the delay of iudgement wherefore wilt thou put farre from thee the euill day what suppose the day of generall iudgement were not to come for many yeares is not the day of thy particular iudgement at hand vnto which thou shalt be drawne sodainely and perforce in the midst of thy deceiuing imaginations thou shalt be taken away in an houre wherein thou thought not to dye more miserable than that rich glutton who hauing stored his head with false conclusions dreaming of many dayes to come when hee had not one was that same day taken away to iudgement And this shall moue vs the more if we doe remember that such as we are in the day of death such shall wee be found in the day of iudgement In quo enim quemque Aug. epist ad Hesych inuenerit suus nouissimus dies in hoc cum comprehendet mundinouissimus dies quia qualis in die isto quisque moritur talis in die illo iudicabitur and euery man in the last day shall be iudged to be such as he is when he dyeth It would waken vs all more carefully to thinke vpon our end that so we might prepare our selues for this second dyat of iudgement But the third dyat of iudgement shall be most fearefull 3 The third dyat shall be kept against them in the day of generall iudgement when all the wicked being gathered together in one shall be condemned in that high and supreame court of iustice which the Lord shall hold vpon all that euer took life then shall the full measure of the wrath of God be powred vpon all those who are not in Christ Iesus both in soule and body they shall be punished with euerlasting perdition This iudgement shall be most equitable for when that Ancient of dayes shal sit down vpon his white throne before whose face heauen and earth shall flee away and Dan. 12. 6. when the Sea and the Earth hath rendred vp their dead then the bookes shall be opened according to which he shall Reuel 10. 8. proceed vnto iudgement And the bookes are two the This iudgemeÌ„t shall proceede by the bookes of Law and Conscience booke of the law which shewed to a man what he should doe and the booke of Conscience which shewed him what hee hath done by those shall the wicked man be iudged and he shall not be able to make exception against any of them against the booke of the law hee shall be able to speake nothing for the Commandements of the Lord are Psal 19. 9. pure and righteous altogether And as for the booke of conscience thou canst not denye it the Lord shall not iudge thee by another mans conscience but by thine owne that booke thou hast had it alway in thine owne keeping who then could falsifie it neither is any thing written in it of things thou hast done but that which thine owne hand hath written how then canst thou make any exception against it Thus the bookes being opened the iudgement shall How the wicked shall be conuicted by the booke of the Law proceede in this manner The Law shall pleade