come Rom. 8. Rom. 8.18 2 Cor. 4.17 The griefe may be great but the glory will be greater For what comparison is there betweene a thing finite and a thing infinite Tell me my brethren how many stripes is heauen worth Nay what is a few drops of blood to the kingdome of heaven how much lesse then can a word or two of reproach be worthy of that glory Lastly from thence we may conclude that certainely the wicked shall not escape in the end howsoever they may for a time True it is the ungodly abuse his patience because sentence is not speedily executed against an evill worke Eccl. 8.11.12 therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to do evill but though a sinner doe evill an hundred times and his daies be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that feare God which feare before him Hence it is 1 Pet. 4.17.18 that the Apostle concludeth the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God and if it first begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God c. So the Prophet Ieremy fortelleth the destruction of Babylon the rod of his wrath and assureth them thereof because he would chastice and correct his owne people can he then let them alone or shall they escape no doubtlesse for loe saith the Lord I begin to bring evill on the City which is called by my name Ier. 25.29 and calleth upon my name and should ye be utterly unpunished ye shall not goe unpunished c. When we see how God hath delt with his owne servants whom he tendereth as the apple of his eye as we see in the examples of David for his uncleannesse 2 Sam. 12.10.11 Psal 106.33 Luc. 1.20 2 Chro. 32.25 19.2 of Moses Aaron for their disobedience of Zachariah for his unbeleefe of Hezekiah for his unthankfulnesse of Iehoshaphat for his affinity with Ahab may we not be assured that he will visit with grievous plagues the rebellion of such as are strangers to him nay his utter enemies Nay his little finger in the latter end shall be heavier upon the reprobate then his whole loines have beene upon his owne deare children He chastised poore Lazarus in this life with penury and much misery while the rich man was clad in purple and fared deliciously every day but what was the end and issue of them both the poore man was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome and the rich man lay in torments in hell This made Abraham say when he desired to find some ease or release Lu◠16.25 Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evill things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Whose blood Pilate had mingled with c. the tower in Siloe fell and slew them The Galileans about their best actions are suddainly taken away by the sword when they thought themselves most in safety For where and when should we judge our selves more in safe-gard then when we are about the service of God and in the house of prayer And the Iewes that lay under the towre were pressed and crushed to death in like manner both examples joyntly shewing both that God hath many wayes and weapons to take away the life of men and to consume them at a suddaine and in a moment even while they perswade thēselves to be safe in a Sanctuary or priviledged place and to be without all feare of death or of danger This teacheth us Doct. God hath many wayes to take away many mans life and can doe it suddenely that the Lord hath variable and infinite wayes to take away mans life and it is offentimes suddainly taken from them even while they say peace and safety suddaine destruction commeth upon them There are two points to be marked in this doctrine and both offered unto us in these examples the first is the variety and manifold meanes the Lord hath in store to cut off our dayes the second is the uncertainty of our life which is soone gone and taken away Touching the variety read Deut. 28. Deut. 28.20.21.22 c. Ezek. 14.13.15.17.19 where the point is handled at large See Ezek. 14. When the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously I will stretch out mine hand against it and will breake the staffe of bread and will send famine upon it I will bring a sword upon the land and say sword goe through the land and cut them off I will send the pestilence into the land and poure out my fury upon it to cut them off What should I speake of the overflowing of waters Gen. 7.4 of the violence of fire Gen. 19.24 Psal 106.18 of the opening of the earth Numb 16.31.32 of the stinging of Serpents Numb 21.6 of the eating of Wormes Act. 12.23 of the destroying of the destroying Angel 2 King 19.35 and what not Nay he can make the meanes and instruments ordained to preserve life to be meanes to shorten our life And touching the second point to wit the suddainnesse of death and the uncertainty of our life nothing appeareth more evident though we be active young strong fresh lusty and beautifull and promise to our selves many dayes and yeares yet our life is fraile and speedily gone Iob. 14.1 Psal 49.11.20 1 Pet. 1 24. Luc. 12.20 Act. 5 5.10 Eccl. 9.12 The reasons first for the variety Reas 1 Esay 7.18.19 he is the Lord of hostes and hath every creature as his servants and souldiers even a royall army or campe to employ them if he bid them goe they goe if he bid them come they come if he say doe this they do it We see this in the plagues of Egypt Psal 105.31.34 Psal 105. He spake and there came diverse sorts of flies and Lice in all their coastes he spake and the Locustes came and Caterpillers and that without number c. Secondly for the suddaine fading and vanity of our dayes the Scripture expresseth it by comparisons to shew the shortnesse thereof Hence it is that our life is compared to the swiftnesse of the weavers shittle Psal 103.15.16 Iob. 9.25 7.6 to a wind that passeth away to a swift post that tarrieth not long in one place but soone departeth to an other to a Flower of the field which quickly wasteth and withereth to a shadow which easily vanisheth 1 Chro. 29.15 Iob. 8.9 Psal 90.4.9.109.23 2 Sam 14.14 Iob. 13.28 to a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Iam. 4.14 The Prophet Dauid compareth it to an hand-breadth and to vanity and what is lighter then vanity to a watch in the night to a tale that is told so that our life is soone gone and we fly away and we are carried away as with a flood to water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered up againe and to a garment that
Thou shalt not lust how heinous must the sinnes of our nature and the transgressions of our life be wherein we have yeelded full consent to rise up and rebell against God And Iesus answering said vnto them Suppose ye c. It seemeth by this answer of Christ that these men justified themselves because they suffered not as the other did and condemned them as notable notorious wicked men which rash judgement as a false sentence and censure in them Christ condemneth Doct. This teacheth that outward judgements and calamities that befal the children of men Outward judgements doe not alwayes befall the worst neither free the best men doe not alwayes seize upon the most wicked and worst men neither do they free the most righteous from them It is the corrupt judgement of corrupt men to jmagine that such as are sharpely corrected and extraordinarily visited and chastened are the greatest sinners of all and on the other side such as escape and live in health in wealth in glory in favour in peace in honour and inprosperitie are highly in his favour A common errour of the world and no marveile For first being blinded with the disease of selfe love few looke upon themselves and enter into a search of their owne hearts and wayes or consider what they doe themselves deserve They turne their owne sinnes behind their backes where they are sure they cannot see them but other mens they hang before them to have them alwayes in their sight Secondly by escaping without punishment and having freedome from scourges they flatter themselves with a vaine perswasion and presumption that God approveth and is delighted with their workes whereas we should learne that God by such examples stirreth up all men every where to repentance This errour we see in Iobs friends who beholding the suddaine calamity into which he was fallen tooke occasion to condemne him of Hypocrisie impiety that because he suffered much they judged he had offended much and therefore suffered more then others and more then themselves Chap. 22. This we see in the Disciples of Christ Ioh. 9. Ioh. 9.2 When they saw the man that was blind from his birth they asked him Master who did sinne this man or his Parents that he was borne blinde They never consider the secret causes of Gods judgements but as if there could be no other cause but this one they enquire whether he or his Parents deserued by their sinnes that he should be so borne The like we see in the Barbarians of Melita Act. Act. 28.4 28. When they saw the viper upon Pauls hand they sayd amongst themselues Doubtlesse this man is a murtherer whom though he hath escaped the sea yet vengeance suffereth not to live So in this place these men would have coÌ„cluded these Galileans to be desperate sinners who happly might be better then themselves because they were suddainly and savagely slaine with the sword but Christs answere teacheth that outward afflictions and chasticements doe not evermore seaze upon the worst and wickedest men neither are the better sort freed from them but they oftentimes lye open to them more then others as we see in Iob Chap. 1. and 2. and 1 Pet. 4. judgement beginneth at Gods house the wicked abound in all things Psal 17. Whiles David lay under persecutions Psal 73. The reasons Reas 1 first all outward things fall out alike to all as David saith â— Sam. 11.25 The sword devoureth one as well as an other So affliction meeteth with one as well as with another There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked as is the good so is the sinner and therfore no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them Eccl. 9.1 Secondly the wicked are oftentimes as it were stalled and fatted to the day of slaughter like fedde beasts appointed to be killed Iam. 5.5 Deut. 32.15 Iam. 5. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and beene wanton Yee have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter Thus he letteth them alone to worke out their owne destruction that they forsake God which made them and lightly esteeme the rocke of their salvation Thirdly he chastiseth his owne children that he may bring them nearer to himselfe and that they should not be condemned with the world as 2 Cor. 4. We alwayes beare about in the body 2 Cor. 4.10.11 1 Cor. 11.31.32 the dying of the Lord Iesus that the life also of Iesus might be made manifest in our mortall body for we which live are alway dilivered vnto death for Iesus sake that the life also of Iesus might be made manifest in our mortall flesh When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world if then we would judge our selves we should not be judged 1 Cor. 11. Vse 1. Vse 1 Seing God layeth outward afflictions upon his owne children and letteth the wicked goe free we may gather and conclude from hence that no affliction whatsoever shall separate from him those that are his nor death nor famine nor nakednesse nor sword nor perill nor pestilence nor persecution can divide and divorse betweene God and us his love is so sure and steadfast like mount Sion which cannot be removed Psal 125.1 the Lord standeth like a buckler round about his people Rom. 8.28 that all shall worke for the best to them that love him This is a singular comfort that he will make not onely his blessings to turne to our good but he will sanctifie all our afflictions and adversities and make even them blessngs also and further our salvations yea oftentimes more then the other It is not so with the vngodly not only their crosses are curses but all their blessings are turned into judgements and nothing shall be able to doe them Indeed the faithfull must suffer they are called unto it 1 Pet. 2.21 The Crosse is the calling of a Christian and the badge of Christianity Christ hath left us an example that we should follow his steppes therefore though they suffer yet their sufferings cannot take them from God nor God from them The foundation of God remaineth sure and his giftes are without repentance They then are justly to be reprooved that conceive and judge hardly and harshly of them that have beene taken away by the plague and pestilence in this heavie visitation nay the dayes may hang over out heads and we may see them with our eyes when we may pronounce them happy that died of this contagious sicknesse and gaâ—â— up the Ghost in their beddes no doubt many of our deare brethren in other places that are pursued by the rage of cruell enemies daily in danger of the sword at their throates that are constrained to keepe garrisons in their townes and Cities yea billit mercilesse Souldiers in their houses as it were vipers in their owne bosoms desire with all their hearts that they were striken by
their synagogue yea the time commeth that whosoever killeth you will thinke that he doth God service The Apostle Paul was no sooner converted but by and by he was hated reviled and persecuted who before lived in peace and preferment in credit and countenance in favour and friendship with the greatest men Whereupon he saith 1 Cor. 4. 1 Cor. 4.9 13. 2 Cor. 11.23 24 25. I thinke that God hath set forth us the Apostles last as it were appointed to death for we are made a spectacle unto the world and to Angels and to men even the off-scouring of all things unto this day And thus it is with others also And no marvaile For first they follow goodnesse Reas 1 which the men of this world cannot abide but hate unto the death and therefore how can it be otherwise The Prophet saith Psal 38. Psal 38.19 20. They that hate me wrongfully are multiplied they also that render evill for good are mine adversaries because I follow the thing that good is If hee had followed evill hee had beene loved of the evill Secondly they refuse to follow wicked men in the workes of the flesh so that they thinke it strange that they runne not with them into all excesse of riot 1 Pet. 4.4 5. and they speake evill because they are evill of such as are better then themselves but they shall give an account to him that is ready to judge the quicke and the dead 1 Pet. 4. If wee were of the world the world would love his owne but because we are not of the world but we are chosen out of world therefore the world hateth us Iohn 15.19 Iohn 15.19 As then the friends of the world are the enemies of God so the enemies of the world are the friends of God Jam. 4. Thirdly the servant is not greater then his Lord nor the Disciple then his Master neither hee that is sent Iohn 13.16 15.20 Luke 11 18. Matth. 10.25 Luke 7.34 23.32 greater then him that sent him John 13.16 15.20 If then they have called the master of the house Beelzebub a Samaritane a Wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners Luke 7.34 How much more shall they call them of his household And if they doe these things to the greene tree what shall bee done to the dry and barren Luke 23.32 and if they have persecuted him they will also persecute them that belong unto him Fourthly they know not the Father neither his Sonne Iesus Christ and therefore no marvaile if he will not know them no marvaile if they doe not know his Children The world doth not know the Sonnes of God neither the love of the Father toward them neither their love toward the Father because they know not the Father himselfe Ioh. 15.21 16.3 Joh. 15.21 1 Joh. 3.1 God is not their Father neither they his children and therefore his children are strange to them Lastly the ungodly are the seed of the Serpent that is Iohn 8.44 the children of the Devill and he their father whose lusts and will they performe and whose expresse Image they represent Joh. 8. This the Lord saith Gen. 3.15 I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele To this purpose Salomon speaketh Prov. 29.27 Prov. 29.27 28.4 28.4 An uniust man is an abomination to the iust and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked The wicked hate the godly wrongfully and without cause the godly hate them worthily not simply their persons but so farre as Gods Image is defaced as the old Serpents brood and therefore account of them no otherwise then they doe of their Father For as every one that loveth him that begate 1 Iohn 5.1 loveth him also that is begotten of him so they that hate him that begetteth to his corrupt image hate them also that are begotten of him The hatred of the ungodly whereby they abhorre the faithfull for their faiths sake which is good nay for their Fathers sake which is God is implacable and never can they be reconciled it may not therefore seeme strange if the godly doe not onely hate ungodlinesse but the desperate ungodly also themselves for their ungodlinesse as we hate not onely the poison of the Serpent but the Serpent for the poisons sake But it will be said Obiect We are commanded to love our enemies to blesse them that curse us to doe good to them that â—ate us and to pray for them that persecute us Matth. 5. If then we must love them Matth. 5.44 we may not hate them I answer It is true Answ wee are charged to love our enemies but not Gods enemies nor the enemies of godlinesse so farre as they may bee discerned so to be For we must make a difference betweene his enemies and ours Wee must love them that are enemies to our persons but not those that are enemies so farre as they are enemies to our profession and for the profession sake It will be objected further Obiect Are we not bound to love every creature of God Gen. 1.31 seeing hee saw them all to be very good and are we not charged to love all men as they are men 2 Pet. 1.7 and not onely to embrace brotherly kindnesse but love in generall I answer It is true Answ we are commanded to love all men as men and every creature as it is a creature created of God and not to hate and abhorre any of them as they are the worke of his hands but so farre as the Image of God is deformed and disfigured in them wee may hate them and we ought to hate them Nay the more this Image of God is stained and corrupted the more we are to dislike them and detest them Rom. 9.13 Mal. 1.3 God himselfe hateth the wicked with a perfect hatred Rom. 9. Mal. 1. Now we are entred into a covenant with God to have the same friends and the same enemies his friends must be our friends and his enemies must bee our enemies This made the Prophet say Doe not I hate them O Lord Psal 139.21 22. that hate thee and am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with perfect hatred I account them mine enemies Psal 139. Wee must therefore be at peace with them that are at peace with him and wee must have continuall warre with them that are at warre with him even as the Lord himselfe professeth to Abraham Gen. 12 3. that he will blesse them that blesse him and curse them that curse him Gen. 12.3 First Vse 1 conclude from hence that we must take heed we despise not one of these little ones For though they be little yea nothing at all and lesse then nothing in the eyes of the world yet we may not set them at nought whom the Lord Iesus will