of common light Math. 8.12 Math 22.13 for they shall be cast into utter darknesse insteed of quicknesse for motion they shall be bound hand and foote and the soule clogged to the body and lastly their bodies and soules are capable of nothing but sufferings and torments Mar 9.44 for their worme dyeth not and their fire never goeth out So when all arise the godly and wicked shall differ more then the blacknesse of a blackamore from the brightnes of the Sunne Consider these things and so behave your selves as you wish in the Resurrection to be a vessell of honour or dishonour according as you shall to your unspeakable joy or sorrow finde it in that fearefull day And trimmed their Lampes Lest Virgins appointed to be attendants at mariage be unfitt for the honour that becommeth their place it is requisite that they be adorned with wedding garments furnished with lampes or wedding Torches for preparing whereof they have an appoynted and competent time So the Lord hath granted unto us such competency of time as in his wisdome he knoweth is sufficient for our preparation to meet him when he shal call by death or the last judgement Now when the Bridegroome is coÌ„ming and the Virgins on foote to meet him it onely remaines that they trimme their Lampes as they are in meeting of him So when in death and judgement we are meeting the Lord we shall turne our mindes to the consideration of what state our soules and bodyes were in and whether in our life time we were prepared for meeting him or not this is the meaning of trimming their lampes aptaverunt lampades suas id est rationes reddendas operum which is August de Temp. Ser. 23. that they were to addresse them to give account of their works This is the busines that every one shall take in hand both after death and the Resurrection Our lampes for this spirituall and everlasting imployment are our soules and bodies which are never knowne how ready they were untill they bee brought in examination and tryal before the Lord reade Math. 22.11 which must be in death when we goe to the Lord or in the generall judgement when he commeth to us in both which this trimming and addressing our selves to account shall be used In death Heb. 9. â—9 the soule must be brought to this account for after death commeth judgement after it hath left the body then doth it call it selfe to account how it may answere at the tribunall seate of Gods justice unto which it is then conveyed In the great Iudgement both soule and body doe joyntly returne to consider what they shall answer to the great and fearefull reckoning they shall be charged withall For we must all appeare before the judgement seate of Christ 2 Cor. 5.10 and give account of whatsoever we have done The prodigall Sonne was long before he studied an answere and account of his life yet he did it when he was to meet his Father All this doctrine may be read as it is set downe in Esay 29. vers 15.18.19.20.21.22.23.24 so though men be now coÌ„tent to forget their owne experience and to counterfeit the ignorance of their owne knowledge in all things that concerne themselves yet when they are comming to the judgement seate of Christ they shall search for some answere which may prove most currant for their delivery This shall be done by two helpes first all men shall examine themselves how prepared they were when they were in this world and that this may the more truely and speedily be performed Revel 20.12 the booke of the conscience shall bee opened wherein is written all that ever men have done for as men have bookes to this purpose that they put in them the treasury of things which the memory cannot containe so shall the consciences of all men shew at one fearefull sight unto every man Math. 12.36 the Legend of their life and actions with all the circumstances of them every idle word shall be remembred Ecclesias 12 14. and every worke shall bee brought to judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or evill then shall this power of Conscience Rom. 2.15 shew it selfe either in accusing or excusing all eyes shal be opened to see if they be naked or clothed in the sight of God Our sinfull actions in this life are they which make up this large booke of reckoning against vs for both it is our owne actions and it shall be our owne knowledge and memory that shall witnesse against us If therefore this debt of ours doth daily increase with which we shall accuse our selves in Gods presence let us like wise debters looke our count booke often and be ever discharging some by often examining what our conscience can witnes against us when we finde our faults cry according as our Saviour instructed us Lord forgive us our debts if we doe thus often our conscience shall have the lesse to accuse us of and the more easily shall our lampes be trimmed in the judgement day Secondly the servants of God had other lampes in this world then wicked men had and therefore they shall finde it in trimming and addressing themselves to give account Gods servants for their lampe vsed their soule and body which they offred as a quicke and lively sacrifice unto God Rom 12.1 and therefore in the Resurrection they find them ready to give account for which they laboured so much all their life time and are found ready to goe in with the Lord of glory into his heavenly habitation as will appeare verse 10. Reprobate men in their life labour only wearying theÌ„selves in the wayes of wickednes some are so sensuall that they distast all things except pleasure untill they surfet of it and by bodily weakenes their mindes grow queasie as formerly their stomacks were Dissidet ambiguis semper mens obvia votis Nee voluisse homini satis est optata recusat Auson Elyâ— 15. others for their lampes are enamoured with the lustre that the deceiving world hath and toyle as much to fill the belly of their chests with trash as the sensuall do to stopp their belly full of detestable doung Both these kinds of men of which kinds most Reprobates are have mistaken their lampes and insteed of making soule and body ready for account labor to fatten and make delicate their body to feast wormes withall or to fill all their stores with riches which proves often times fewell to unexpected fire a sword for robbers to kill them withall but sure in the end a barre to shutt them out of heaven and to hinder them from preparing for judgement and therefore how can these bee ready who never prepared themselves Thirdly by trimming of their lampes is understood the framing of them to that readinesse they were in when they layd them downe to sleepe So when all men shall addresse them to goe to judgement
cum gemitu fugit the life which is the light of men goeth likewise away with a groane Virg. AEneid 12 Iohn 1 4. In the last day all the elements shall be confused leave their naturall operations so in death the parts of the elements whereof we be made shall be confused and all dead without operation In the last day the earth which shall be the remainder of the world must be overrunne with fire to purifie it so in death the carcasse all the remainder of the whole man must be purified by rotting from the drosse of corruption Lastly in the judgement day the soules are brought before the Lord in the ayre to be tryed for all they did so in death the soule is presented before the Lord where the Lord hath set up his seate of judgement and therefore after tryall and sentence given is sent either to heaven or hell Both unknowne both have signes going before Besides as death doth shew thee the state of the world so the knowledge that wee may have of death sheweth what knowledge we may have of the judgement day As the Lord hath hidden the knowledge of that day from men and Angells so is the day of our death hidden from men and Angells but as the Lord hath prefixed signes and markes to know when it approacheth if wee have eyes to see them so the Lord hath foreshewen signes in our bodie and behaviour if wee marke and observe them which prophecie our mortalitie And as blindnesse shall overcome men in the end of the world and they shall cry peace and safety when sodaine destruction is comming so when men are surest to live long to enjoy the world and improve it to the most then are they caught away and we see them no more I therefore intreate that all men would provide and study what concernes their death when they thinke of the last comming of Christ according to both which this doctrine is to bee applied First The reason of Christs stay in both wee see ofttimes the Lord tary long Saint Peter tells us the reason not that hee is slacke or desirous to put off the time but that hee is patient towards us and would have no man to perish but that all should come to repentance the Lord hath some chosen to salvation that are either unborne or uncalled and therefore the judgement day cannot come untill this bee done Againe seest thou a wicked man to live long the Lord stayes to give him time to repent which he not doing is made inexcusable if God gave him repentance then for this did the Lord suffer him to live Know the reason why the Lord preserves your life even that you may have time to turne and amend beware therefore that this time given for repentance be not used to the hardning of your hearts and heaping up of judgement And this was the cause why the great judgement came not long agoe Time uncertaine that we may prepare Secondly you see that the Lord will have the time of death and judgement uncertaine lest we conceiving the Lord giveth us time of repentance should convert and use it to our destruction that being certaine that they shall come but uncertaine of the time wee may prepare our selves shake off sinne more speedily and avoid it more carefully Are we then uncertaine of the time when we shall die and be brought to judgement First then let us be ever prepared Christ compareth the uncertainty of them to a snare Luke 21 35. Mat 24 43. that shall come upon the inhabitants of the earth likewise Christ 2 Pet. 3 10. 2 Thess 5 2. Peter and Paul compare them to the unexpected comming of a theef Christ compareth them to the flood in Noahs time Mat 24 37. O then how prepared ought we to be For if the bird feared the snare if the goodman feared the theef if the world would feare an universall flood to drowne them what providence how many lockes how many watches would be used and how many prayers would be said When the Spouse is uncertaine of her husbands comming how is her sleepe broken in the night her labour hindred in the day with thinking on him So saith Christ Luke 21 35. Watch therefore for the day when you shall goe to your Lord or your Lord come to you that you may be accounted worthy to stand before the Sonne of man in his comming Secondly And shake off sinne seeing the time of death and judgement are uncertaine take the Wisemans Counsell Make no delay in turning to the Lord and put not off from day to day c. Ecclesiasticus 5.7 If the King were to give one pardon for life or a grant for preferment upon condition to have his patent ingrossed in one day what haste would he make It may be that thou seest some live long and therefore thou presumest for the like Who would not beware of a mad man who killeth all before him as we see death doth every day But as hogges stand by whilest some of themselves are a killing cry for company with that which is killed and so goe away without any care or feare of the like so it is with most of us wee lament and bemoane for our friends whom the Lord calls but never consider that the next day the like is to befall us Seeing therefore we must goe out of the world to make account let us not deferre time to cast off sinne lest wee be forced to carry it to judgement A ship may be overloadened and overburdened so may the soule be if a man heape up sinne never so fast it may be the Lord will never punish in this life that after death he may be damned Israel hath sinned Esay 1 5. Ezek 16 42. I will smite him no more he will free him from dangers that destruction when it commeth may be the more intollerable Theramenes got our and escaped killing Aelian de var. hist lib. 9. when his house in Athens fell sodainly he crying out Iupiter for what time doest thou keepe mee when shortly after thirty robbers compelled him to eate and drink of the hemlock till it killed him Therefore let the uncertainty of the time and feare of greater judgement move you to turne truely to God And prevent it in time to come Finally the uncertainty of the time of death and judgement are soveraigne helpes to make us feare sinne and prevent it if the Ninivites had not feared they had perished as did Lots sonnes in law that feared not Iacobs sonnes at their first going into Aegypt feared little and fared ill at their second going they were in great feare and fared the better Hosea 13.1 When Ephraim spake as trembling the Lord exalted him but when he committed idolatry without feare the Lord destroyed him Sozom. lib. 7. ca. 31. Chrysostome counseiling the people of Antioch to call upon God to remove his anger lest Theodosius should destroy
better the Scripture hath laid lessons in our way which we stand in neede of by seeking of which wee may finde somewhat for our eternall comfort The duties required of man and wife may be learned by the actions of God his Church the love of the man to the wife is taught by the love of Christ to his Church Ephes 5.22 23 c. when he gave his life rather than it should be lost how tenderly they should shew themselves in all their actions is taught by Christs nourishing and cherishing the Church And on the other part the subjection and reverence the woman ought to have towards her husband is taught by the subjection of the Church unto Christ who onely hath an eye to him and desireth to be governed according to his direction It is an heavenly patterne so to governe our selves as we have Christ for an example and on the other part we wrong our selves in mariage when we bereave our selves of this heavenly comfort for this is onely the way to make our mariage comfortable and heavenly often to call to remembrance the union of Christ to his Church and especially to our soules and according as we are dealt with and behave our selves in the spirituall mariage so to frame our lives and actions in the duties of mariage according to the same example I dare boldly promise in the name of God Gal. 6.16 that he who sanctifieth his mariage in walking after this rule peace shall be on him in this life and mercy shall be his portion in the life to come in being admitted to that society of mariage with Christ in heaven which hee so much loved and imitated whilest hee remained upon earth If I should take a survey of many maried persons and enquire if they learne and practise any thing according to the rule of Christ and his Church I should finde them of another spirit that where Christ appointeth their life according to the rule of heaven they live in imitation of hell as if they were bound together to be tormenters one to another The unquiet lives of many doe shew that Satan hath gotten power to curse them and when all things else doe pleasure both they finde want of nothing but love and quietnesse Is the God of peace and love dwelling with such a couple No sure it is the enemy of peace Or can we exhort them to love their neighbour and be tender-hearted to him when they hate and torment their owne flesh Love is a marke of Christs scholler and it is certaine that he must be taught and led by Satans overruling hand that beginneth hatred so neere home as to be enemie unto their heart which God hath appointed to lye in his owne bosome No fault but it can pretend just ground and married couples can pretend reason too But will a man be angry if the one hand cut the other seeing they are both alike his owne and should hee be angry though faults happen among them must he fall at variance for every fault What should become of him if the Lord should for every fault shew his wrath against him Or if there were cause given should hee then be angry and shew hatred This is not the example of our Saviour who loved every member of his Church and gave his life for them even when they were enemies and did what they could to offend him If the fault be in the wives carriage St. Paul counsells Col. 3.19 yet to love them and be not bitter unto them alwayes remembring the example of Christ who laboured to cleanse his Church and to make it without spot or blame Eph 5 26 27. If the fault bee in the men and they be untoward Saint Peter counselleth the women 1 Pet. 3.1 that by all meanes they subject themselves to their husbands that though they were infidels yet they might be wonne by the conversation of their wives There is no place for contention betweene man and wife all should be love and if the maried would take care to behave themselves like Christians in their houses towards themselves wee should not see or heare them so often in the streets behaving themselves like Turkes towards others nor suffer Satan to goe betweene them and the blessing of their mariage ☞ Of the joyes of heaven it is said They that were ready went in with him to the Mariage THE mariage entertainment is now to be spoken of whereof all the prepared Virgins shal in the glorious day of Christs comming be made partakers True it is that Gods servants after death shall be followers of Christ into the glory of heaven and there are in blisse glory and joy which is not possible to be conceaved But in this Parable I must direct my speech unto that felicity which we are to have both in body soule after the day of judgement because the text tendeth that way and Christ in it respecteth the question that was propounded unto him concerning his comming Math. 24.3 and now applyeth and in this Parable concludeth the doctrine of his comming with an exhortation to watching Notwithstanding whatsoever can be said of the glory both of body and soule miseries there Math. 6.20 so saith the Scripture that in heaven neither the moth nor canker corrupteth neither theeues dig through nor steale Revel 21.4 and God shall wype all teares from their eyes there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither any more paine for the sorrowes of this world shall be gone In manner of excellency when wee see any thing good comfortable profitable or honourable for us we straight conclude a greater excellency of all such things to be desired are in heaven the onely seate of felicitie Quotiescunque saith Hierom. te vana seculi delectabit ambitio Ad Eustoch quotiescunque in seculo videris aliquid gloriosum ad paradisum mente transgredere Whensoever the vaine desires of this world doth delight thee whensoever thou seest any thing in the world glorious then let thy minde mount up to Paradise and in this kinde excellent things are spoken of heavenly Ierusalem Psal 87.3 The thing that all men account best and sweetest is life therefore the Scripture hath promised us a life in heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for excellency whereof it may be justly sayd to us Cic. in som Scip. Vestra verò quae dicitur vita mors est that our life is but a death Nothing more comfortable to them that liue then assurance of long life from whence we conclude that in heaven which hath fulnes of all comfort we shall haue eternall life The most profitable life that we can desire is to have all things that can make us happie of which we finding some things in this life for our comfort and refreshment wee conclude that in heaven are all things that need to make us perfectly blessed the greatest honour this world hath is to be head of one
the third time and by a common comparison labours to imprint it in the mindes of his hearers Iob 33 14.29 30. The Lord saith Elihu speaketh once or twice and a man perceiveth it not yea and being abundant in compassion will labour twice or thrice with a man that he may turne backe his soule from the pit to be illuminate in the light of the living As a carefull Captaine before hee betake him to rest considering the great danger of his army if they become sleepy and carelesse will give charge that the watches be placed and not contented with direction and intreaty will goe in person to see his owne satisfaction and their security So our Lord Iesus Christ being to leave this world and considering the watchfulnesse and labour of our spirituall enemies seeking to devoure us which may hastily be done if once we be taken at unawares he often exhorts us to stand to our guard and at last in his owne person sets the watch and seales it with a charge of punishment to be inflicted upon those that neglect And as a man going into a strange Country and leaveth his house Marke 13 34. giveth authority to his servants and to every man his worke and commandeth the porter and all to worke and watch that upon his uncertaine time of returne they may be upon an instant ready to give account of their charge So our Lord before his going into our heavenly Country prescribed and delivered to every man his charge and because not onely the Disciples but every other soule standeth at the gate of heaven untill it be open and our Saviour meet us he therefore gave charge and exhorted all to watch lest they be found sleeping and negligent Matth. 25.30 and with the sloathfull servant be cast into utter darknesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Consider how carefull Christ is to preach and beate this doctrine into our eares and make use of it for the more carefull the Lord is to give us warning the more severe shall he be in judgeing if we neglect This exhortation Watch therefore springeth from many rootes each wherof leadeth us to this fruite even from every maine particular in this Parable which proceeding along by the uncertainty of time are as so many motives and counsellers that wee watch and awaite for the comming of Christ to us The great River Nilus receiveth water and strength from many springs all which concurring overflow much of Egypt and causeth fruitfulnesse So the former doctrines of this Parable all concurre in one and taking their current through the uncertainty of our life or Christs comming doe overflow the soule and make it fruitfull causing us to walke worthy of our calling and to watch for Christs comming The greatest argument to move us to watchfulnesse and carefulnesse of a Christian life is the uncertainty of our life and the continuall danger we stand in to be arrested by death and so brought presently to a fearefull account He that feareth the thiefe to come at every houre of the night will be sure to spend the whole night in watching Wee are ever in danger yea in the midst of life we be in death and therefore while we live our soules should continually watch for the time that our Lord Iesus shall appeare for our deliverance out of this mortall life Therefore when our Lord exhorteth us to watch he giveth this for a reason We know not the day c. And because of all the foolishnesse and miserable estate of the foolish Virgins this is most lamentable that beginning and labouring for the marriage they should notwithstanding allow a purposed prodigality to consume an uncertaine time and so be taken at unawares in carelesnesse lose their expected credit and benefit to their great shame and confusion so should we stand in awe and watch lest that day come upon us as a snare when we least thinke of it For we know not the day c. And this is the particular that Christ urgeth out of this Parable and which hee maketh expresse use of But seeing there are many other circumstances in it which doe urge this exhortation and by good consequence conclude the same doctrine it is not unfitting to set them downe as so many hands laying one and the same burthen of necessary watchfulnesse upon us but so as they may be linked with this maine reason of the uncertainty of the time to give greater strength unto them When all our reasons are seasoned and salted with the uncertaine time of death they give no other relish nor bring out any other effect in an understanding soule than warinesse and watchfulnesse in all things according to the wise mans saying Remember death and thou shalt never sinne Ecclesiasticus 7.36 There have been six principall doctrines in this Parable which all concurre to teach us this exhortation These reasons I have set down thus for brevities sake which may be easily drawne into syllogismes From the first Verse Heaven is our native Country for which wee are brought up now we are children of the kingdome and are pilgrims in another Countrey and have no certainty when the Lord will translate us from this miserable estate to receive our mercifull expectation and therefore wee should watch seeing we know not the day c. From the second Verse We heard that few were to be saved and the power of damnation is an equall enemy to all and at all times ready to take holde of us therefore we should be watchfull seeing we know not c. From the third Verse We finde it true that most of men content themselves with a shew of grace and preparation and so labour with cunning and industry that they may be damned and with this shew consume the time which they neither know nor have power of and therefore we should give labour that we prove not of this gracelesse number but watch for we know not c. From the fifth Verse The time of our life and of Christs stay is bestowed upon us to the end that we may make ready against he come which if it be within a day or an houre we know not and therefore we should watch seeing we know not c. From the fift and sixt Verses Security is a common forerunner of danger and the usher which maketh way to destruction which is commonly nearest when it seemeth to be furthest off but when it comes is uncertaine but ever doubtfull and therefore we should be ever upon our guard and watch seeing we know not c. From the following Verses is by reasons concluded that there is neither time to provide and prepare nor any helpe to be hoped for from God or man after the day of death which is ever waiting to carry us to judgement And therefore we should ever prepare and watch seeing we know neither the day nor houre when the Sonne of man commeth Now we are in particular to consider the main reason
consider the foolishnes of the damned and the wisedome of the elect because Christ sets out the foolishnes of the one to be in two particulars that they did not rightly weigh how much oyle or grace they wanted neither did equally and proportionably provide for what they knew they did or might want these must be urged that wee may know how much oyle to carry in our lampes and how much to provide in our vessells besides Manifold are our miseries by nature sinne death and iudgement That I speake not too mystically lest the miseries of our soules be not beleeved for few beleeve our report I will set downe our miserie as the most ignorant men either sensibly feele or by naturall inclination doe feare Bern. Meditat. cap. 2. almost set down word for word We are come of such parents qui priùs fecerunt dānatos quā natos by whom we were sooner condemned than brought into the world and if wee consider the first stocks from whence wee all sprung we may say to them as the same Father saith Idem Ser. 2. super Missus est ut fuistis parentes ita omnium fuistis peremptores as you were the bringers out so you were the destroyers of all et quod miserius est priùs peremptores quà m parentes and which is more miserable sooner destroyed than brought us forth into the world sinners have begotten us sinners and in sinne have nourished us miserable creatures have led us that are miserable into this miserable light of whom wee have gotten nothing but sinne misery and this corruptible body wee beare about us which as they have brought them into dust and corruption at last so doe they drive us forward to follow them when we looke into their graves wee see nothing but ashes wormes filthinesse and feare as they were so are we now as they are so shall we shortly be conceived we were not without them yet without their knowledge with weeping and sorrow are we sent out to be banished in this world in which we stay full of iniquities from which banishment wee are in a haste apprehended and presented to give a strict account of all wee have done when it shall be said Behold the man and his workes with what fearefull and shamefull countenance shall wee looke or speake when without speaking our conscience and countenance shall utter so much as might condemne a thousand and how long soever the Lord deferre this that wee may amend the more strictly and severely shall he judge if we neglect it notwithstanding the longer we live our sin growes greater this debt of judgement increaseth Hitherto St. Bernard I need not urge this any more he that least beleeveth it shall feele it most Mat 24.51 his portion saith Christ shall be with the unbeleevers and hypocrites But as Augustine saith Epist ad Hieron if one see his brother in a ditch and aske how he came thither his best answer is For curing of which all the faithfull finde Christ a sufficient salve that he thinke not so much how he came thither but how he may be relieved so my best describing of our miserie is not to discourse that man is so or how he became so but how I may cure or comfort him or get oyle to powre in his wounds or to suffice his Lampe Whilest by Oyle we understand all grace needfull to salvation we know where to finde it Coloss 2.9 even in Christ Iesus for in him dwelleth al the fulnes of the Godhead bodily and we are compleate in him he hath the Oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes Psal 45.7 His head is anoynted meeting vers 6. etc. The preparation is set down of all the Virgins first in similitude then in dissimilitude In similitude all prepared their lampes but in this they were unlike for the foolish prepared no oyle for the darkenesse of the night the wise filled their lampes because they feared the length of the night and long tarying of the Bridegroome they filled their vessells also First then that I may speake of their lampes we must remember somewhat spoken of before that this life is the time and place in which some professe that they are meeting Christ and others are truely upon their journey looking and longing for his comming either by their departure to him or his comming to them by iudgement It is therefore agreed vpon by the consent and practise of all both the servants of God and the servants of sinne that lampes are needfull to be prepared for their journey to inlighten them in this world untill Christ who is the true light appeare when wee shall not need Sunne Moone lampes nor candles to direct vs. As the maides of the holy Land even the unwisest of them had this wit that for celebrating a wedding they had need of a lampe that the Bridegroomes should according to custome come in the night-time the naturall darkenes of the Creatures So all the Virgins The practise almost of all men sheweth that our way to heaven is dark I meane all that are called by the name of Christians doe shew by their actions that our journey and way to meet Christ is naturally darke and that we have neede of some light to shew vs the way But that I appropriate not this truth only to true Christians who best know how darke this way is I finde all except them that are truely Atheists to pronounce the same and by their deedes shew that nature doth darken vs in some errand which the soule of man of it selfe naturally intendeth Our profanest sort of professed Christians prove it who have taken and professed Baptisme and all the conditions of it they avouch that Christ appertaineth to them so much as to any they say that Gods word is true and that of their owne knowledge they knowe well enough both what it and the Minister can say these therefore doe confesse the darknes and imperfection of Nature in this businesse and to have taken Lampes Pagans also have espyed this for to what purpose should Turke or any Savage cary the love of any Religion with him if hee thought not that common naturall knowledge were imperfite herein and that it were not able to direct and conduct the soule so farre as it is to goe for he that would onely live and dye with this life needes not any sort of Religion at all But none of all this kinde are so blinded but that they scorne to remaine content with the light of nature and therefore will take one sort of Religion or other by the end as a lampe to direct him some way he should go but he knowes not whither Onely the Atheist that is sure as he conceives that there is no God neither seeketh or professeth any Lampe because he hath none that made him to whom he should goe except Nature with whom he already remaineth of all men his case is the strangest for hell which is
utter darknesse to all that are damned is the brightest Lampe that ever hee saw for nothing could ever shew him that there was or where there was a God untill hell made him sensible of it But all others professe that either they would have Lampes as Turkes and others the like or that they have them as the foolish Virgins or Christians or that they have them and Oyle in them as Gods true servants declaring the want of light they conceive in the way betweene Christ and us The use hereof is that wee consider how our soules bend further then this world and further they will goe either right or wrong and that we are not able by our owne judgements to enlighten or direct our selves in the way and therefore wofull and miserable is their case that see or know no more concerning their estate than their bodily eyes doe shew them for know no more of the way to heaven or of meeting Christ than they did when they were children The Heathen would gladly have Lampes but God hath denied them the foolish Virgins have Lampes but have no Oyle Take therefore this holy intent and let it never goe out of your minde that you are desirous to meete Christ and call to God to inlighten and direct you untill you come and appeare in the presence of God But tooke no Oyle with them Here is the dissimilitude the foolish tooke no Oyle with them As it were folly in whosoever would thinke that the candlesticke were the cause of light and not the Oyle so are they who thinke the outward profession without the inward spirit of sanctification to be more requisite or onely sufficient to the obtaining of salvation And therefore the helpes of Gods servants for salvation These things that are helpes to Gods children do hasten the wicked to destruction are the instruments and helpers of wicked men to damnation for Lampes are profitable if Oyle be with them if not they are without their proper end or profitable use As meat drinke and all other things are pure and sanctified to them that are sanctified so unto the ungodly even good things are helpers of their mischiefe Ecclesiasticus 39.25.26.27 That table which is a comfort and refreshment to a good man if it be set before a wicked man Psal 69.23 Rom. 11.9 David and Paul say that it is turned to a snare a net and a stumbling blocke to catch fall and keepe him in gluttony drunkennesse blasphemous and filthy carriage In like manner if the lampes of the foolish were set in a gracious hand they would helpe them to heaven For as Lampes for the most part are of brittle and weake substance filled with Oyle which is apt to be set on fire so this world which is the light and joy of foolish men doth betray her lovers with uncertaine prosperitie with carnall lust and the fiery burnings of many covetous desires and as a lampe or candle by the brightnesse of it entiseth the butterfly to embrace it which by that meanes is either drowned in the oyle or burned in the flame so the showes of sin and of the pleasures of the world entice the mindes of men that their hearts are drowned in many feares and sorrowes 1 Tim. 6.10 and when they suppose they have catcht all they themselves are caught when they thinke that fortune riches the world and all are fallen in love with them they are deceived for it is their heart that is fallen in love with the world finally corruption and destruction the naturall ends of all things under heaven layeth hold upon them qui lachrimarum causas tripudiantes peragunt Greg. Moral lib. 20. cap. 8. et ridentes mortis negotium exequuntur who goe dauncing through the causes of their mourning and with laughter act the tragedy of their owne death And thus doth this world which is their Lampe leade them to their overthrow Where on the contrary the blessings of this world are a furtherance to the servant of God to sustaine his wants to be his servants to teach and instruct him that he is in his journey meeting Christ if they entertaine him kindly he thanks God and is glad that he is refreshed in his pilgrimage if this world crosse him yet he rejoyceth because he knoweth that hee would not be so used if hee were in his owne Countrey Wee ought to beware lest we make the world our lampes That the blessings of this world may be profitable for us we must make uses of them thus first that we make not our lampes or preparation of the pleasures of our owne will which is commonly the deceitfulnesse of sinne nor the entising goods of this world which are no preparations in our journey towards heaven but the greatest cloggs and hinderances that can be the abundance of sinne weigheth and presseth down the soule out of Gods favour the deceitfulnes of worldly felicity maketth the heart insensible of greater happinesse and so blind that it cannot see nor beleeve that there is any eternall miserie to follow after These are the two which doe hinder most men from heaven Ob has duas causas potissimum excluduÌ„ tur vel propter corporales voluptates vel avaritiae morbuÌ„ Theophylac in Math. 22. Deut. 32.29 as our Saviour sheweth plainely in the parable of the great Supper Luk 14.18 19.20 This was the crosse and curse of the Israelits in the wildernes when they possessed Canaan Deut. 32.13.14.15 and therefore as Moses wished to forewarne them so wish I for all others O that they were wise then would they understand this they would consider their latter end Secondly 2 We must use the world warily Muâ—emuscuÌ„peos Danaum in figniaque nobis aptemus let us make better use of the lampes of foolish Virgins and make the world profitable for our salvation which is an hinderance unto theirs the Trojans made use of the Grecians bucklers to make them ensignes of glory and victory so let us use this world as we may thereby shew that we have overcome the world or so to place the goods of it as they may help vs Sublimabunt Euseb Emiss de ascen Domini Serm. 1. nos si fuerint infra nos if we set them under us they shall be as ladders helping vs to mount vpwards Care not how little friendship this world shew you if you prosper in it looke it betray not your soule and withdrawe your affections beware least any thing in this world be better loved by you then you know to be loved by God as God hath made the earth his footstoole let it be your footestoole and Iesus Christ advantage unto you both in life and death VERSE 4. But the wise tooke Oyle in their Vessells with their Lampes IN these words is the dissimilitude the wise furnished their Lampes with Oyle and prepared store besides As the deceits of the world are the Lampe which the worldlings provide themselves withall The soule
howsoever they are the necessary parts of a good creature and therefore by nature good yet the immoderate desire of them is to be abridged 1 Cor. 9. St. Paul claimed all liberties of a Christian 2 Cor. 11.27 due to himselfe as well as to others yet he chastised his body and kept it under In labour travell in watching often in hunger thirst in fasting often and if our desires had scope they would carie us quickely to destruction and therefore they must bee holden in with bitt and bridle By considering Gods wrath his mercy and our mortalitie Now the meanes which are to be used or instruments for doing of these are in the word of God plentifully to be found The meanes to cut off all that is contrary to God is to consider Gods command Rom. 7. and his unspeakeable wrath against offenders Paul thought it nothing to covet his neighbours goods untill the commandement thou shalt not lust checked him Rom. 7. 2 Sam. 25. this hindred David from killing Naball and Theodosius the Emperour from destroying the Antiochians Secondly the infusers are the word of God by which the knowledge of the misery that we are in the love of God towards vs his unspeakeable mercy and such like are powred into the soule Thirdly the best correctors of our naturall desires is to consider that wee are dust pampered for destruction Non poterit melius caro luxuriosa domari Quam bene qualis eris post mortem remeditari There is no better meanes to daunt our wanton flesh then to consider what wee shall bee after death In the last verse of this Parable cited out of Augustine which hereafter in another place is described at large So much concerning the lampes of the wise Virgins Of the Vessels Seeing the Lord hath made Angels and Men rationis participes Bernard Serm 1. Adu beatitudinis capaces only partakers of reason capable of blessednes it followeth that whatsoever receiveth oyle or grace unto salvation must be called the soule and body of man and therefore as I called our lampes so must these Vessels be likewise observing onely this difference that whilst we are in this life Vessels are now vsed but Lampes shall be used at our Lords comming we are in respect of Gods grace as vessels are to oyle for we have this treasure in earthen vessels 2. Cor. 4.7 But when wee meet our Lord our Lampes shall onely be in request no neede of our vessels Luke 12.35 This is expressed in the words of this Parable the Oyle was in their vessels as yet the light of their Lamps was not seene Gods giftes in us are as the pitchers and lampes were in the hands of Gideon and the Israelites Iudg. 7.16 when they were to fight against the Midianites their lampes were burning and yet not seene because they were in the pitchers untill their pitchers were broken and the light on a sodaine terrified their enemies For Gods gifts are now hidden in us Matth. 5.16 So are the gifts of Gods servants in this world they are in a manner shut up and not seene or if any mans good workes so shine that the spectatours are moved to glorifie our heavenly Father yet their gifts are not fully seene but appeare as glances of the hidden power of Gods Spirit Rom. 7.19 The power of regeneration is much hindred by the appetite of nature that they cannot doe the good that they would loe here the Spirit of holinesse is constrained to hide it selfe in the Vessells of our body O who shall deliver us from this body of death when our pitchers shall be broken our lampes shall shine as starres in the firmament Beloved observe here that by the appointment and working of God his servants in this life are more in substance than in show When they fast Christ saith Matth. 6. that they are to anoint their faces when they give almes Wherefore we ought to doe all good as in secret Let not thy left hand saith hee know what thy right hand doth be even as if thou would take no notice what good thou doest Good actions are not rewarded here and therefore in vaine doe men muster and set them out upon beadroles in this life but labour to get the approbation of God and so doe good that thy conscience may be well stored in Gods sight who seeing thee in secret may reward thee openly and make thy light shine cleare as the perfect day Thus doe the wise Virgins they have store of Oyle but they shut it up in their Vessels Bern. in locum Perire existimant omne illud quod cernitur Whatsoever is seene they account it lost The practise of vaineglorious men is contrary to Gods dealing his Angel would bury Moses that no man might know it the Divell strove with him Compare Deu. 34 6. with Iude 9. that he might be openly buried that Israel who was bent to Idolatry might have occasion to adore his dead body To avoid hypocrisie and vaineglory So doe hypocrites that the world may adore them that all men may admire and looke at them And this greedy desire of the praise of men hath led away many noble Spirits so they call themselves from the onely love of goodnes that they leave many good things undone because they feare it will not be enough taken notice of and they had rather doe no good at all before they would lose the fame and honour of it Thus men labour more for a good thought of their equalls and inferiours than they doe for the approbation of God And that we be not hindred with by respects from doing good and therefore the reason why they want these blessings which they most desire is for that either they doe not that good which they may doe or what they doe they are hindred furthered with by-respects Gods honour never respected in it Beloved as these Virgins prepare to meet their Lord so doe wee see every day the Lord call some olde some young some kindred some acquaintance some noble some poore and whilest we stand as dead images beholding these presidents we are on a sodaine caught and presented before God to give account especially of what we left undone Did you see the hungry and gave him no meate Si quem pascendo salvare potuisti Gregorâ— si non paveris occidisti If thou couldest save any man by feeding if thou feede him not thou hast killed him Doe you see the naked and cloathe him not Hadst thou them at thy command who with blasphemy and contempt of Sabbath have offended God and corrected them not Didst thou heare the afflicted soule crying day and night unto thee and with thy silence made his affliction more What shall we answere the Lord in these or any the like demaunds no place for our by respects when the Lord sheweth no respect of persons Even of these whom we daily exhort some
them for defacing his wives Image Chrysost hom 15 ad Popul Antiochen the whole Citty seemed rather to be religiosorum Coenobium quà m congregatio Civium an Abbey of religious people than a meeting of Citizens So if the terrour of death and the judgement day goe to our hearts it will worke strongly against sinne and make us shew another manner of life ☞ Of Afflictions HItherto is shewen the stay of Christ from death and judgement Let us now consider another stay of this spirituall Bridegroome Every faithfull soule hath his meetings with Christ both in this life and after in this life he is to expect that Christ should come as a visiting Father to correct him for faults hee hath fallen into or to bestow his blessings and gifts upon him The first is one of Gods favours shewen to his children God visits his servant here with corrections Heb. 12 6. for he chasteneth every sonne whom he receiveth and where the Lord doth promise blessings this is one that of all he most accounteth in King Davids graunt 2 Sam 7. Psal 89 31 32. this promise is mentioned If thy children forsake my law I will visite their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with strokes for they are chastened of the Lord 1 Cor. 11 32. lest they should be condemned with the world Iob. 33.16 Elihu giveth a reason that when the Lord doth often exhort us yet our eares are sealed untill the Lord use the last remedie which is to open them with his corrections It is a marke to spie out the men whom God hateth that they * Psal 73.4 5 are not in bonds like other men and certainly they are most punished when they feele themselves not punished at all for then they are given up to the desires of their owne heart to live so wickedly as they list It is both doubtfull and dangerous for Gods servant to be without the use of the rod for looke and thou shalt finde that all Gods Saints saith * Quis Sancto rum sine certamine coronatus est Abel instus occiditur Abraham uxotem periclitatur amittere ne in immensum volumen extondā quaere et invenies sanctos omnes adversa perpessos solus Salomon in delitiis perpetuo fuit forsan ideo corruit Hieron ad Eufloch Ierome suffered adversity onely Salomon lived continually in pleasures and therefore it so proved with him Now whilest God suffereth his children to fall and to be long uncorrected this is his delay as when David without a checke for three quarters of a yeare continued in his sinnes of Adultery Murther and Hypocrisie Mora hec Domini longanimitas est quia non statim et è vestigio poenam imponit In Mat 24. As Salomon Eccles 8 11. Bern in Cant. Ser. 42. This stay of the Lord saith Theophilact is his long-suffering when he apprehends not the sinner in the fact nor sodainly inflicts punishment Misericordiam hanc nolo God deliver me from this mercy by which the Reprobates without bit or bridle spurre on to eternall destruction Try therefore your selves if you be thus acquainted to meete your Master and consider all the children of God and finde out but one sonne Heb. 12 7. that our heavenly Father chasteneth not If wee thus expected the comming of our Lord we would beleeve this to be true of every Christian August de Past Si exceptus est à passione flagellorum exceptus est de numero filiorum That he who is freed from suffering the rod is blotted out from the number of Gods sonnes and be rather afraid to be cast out of our heavenly inheritance than to be a sufferer of profitable correction And sometime with temporal blessings But lest the feare of Gods heavie hand should be a thraldome to Gods servants hee visits them in this life with gifts comfortable both to soule and body David who the most time of Saules reigne was a sufferer looked for this favour that God would yet at length give him some ease and visit him with some worldly comforts and therefore waited when God would be pleased to come unto him Psal 101 2. But because his servants are not to expect their felicity to be here of a certaine they must looke for sorrow and trouble Psal 34 10. and for prosperity onely so much as may ease them a little and as God in his wisdome knoweth to be for their good All slumbered and slept Now followeth the effect of the Bridegroomes staying even all slumbered and sleeped As the time for solemnization of a marriage is deferred and proposed unto a nominate time to this end that all who are bidden may be ready for the meeting But if fooles were invited they not understanding what concerned their profit and honour would neither prepare nor expect the appointed time or others though wise enough to provide and yet with watching and expectation should be weary heavy and so slumber and sleepe the Bridegroome should finde them all short of their intended readinesse So when our Saviour commeth to his judgement many shall be altogether unready and even of his deare servants some shall be weary and heavie and those that are dead found sleeping in the dust And therefore where God is liberall of time some are carelesse some faint in it most men are prodigall of it Herein we see the right use of the time that God lends us The right use of time and the abuse unto which the sinfulnes of men turnes it Our time is bestowed upon us that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome Psal 90 12. that we may recover out of that weaknesse Psal 39.13 whereinto sinne hath cast us 2 Pet 3 9. 2 Cor. 6 2. and that we may come to repentance and make it the day of purchasing salvation It is not for small consequence that daies moneths and yeares are bestowed upon us seeing that all the worth and friendship the world can afford cannot procure one weeke or a day to be added to make up a mans life to be the full summe of an hundred yeares The heavens serve for the framing of time and God giveth life that wee should not lose the use of it The Philosophers searching out what time was found it to be numerus motus the counter of celestiall motions Arist Phys acro lib. 3. so the Lord accounteth the time of our life not the time of his lingring from judgement but of his stay that all may come to repentance so to number their dayes that they may finde them so many steps of our motion heavenward And thus Hilary tels us what is the stay of the Bridegroome Mora sponsi tempus poenitentiae est even the time of repentance And this blessed benefit doth the Lord bestow upon his servants so much as needes for their spirituall preparation and upon the reprobate as may make them inexcusable and a measurer of the
wrath they have heaped upon themselves his elect have an acceptable time a day of salvation the reprobate a time to disobey his voice to harden their hearts and so spend forty yeares or more as in the provocation and day of temptation in the wildernesse this is the abuse of time which of all things that are consumed should be most grievous unto us Here 's si scires unum tua tempora mensem Rides cum non sit forsitan una dies Th. Mor. if wee knew how precious and short it were Hee that were certaine to live no more but a moneth or at most a yeare would be sure to spend his apparell in mourning and yet it may be his life prove not so long as the length of a day As God gave Iezabel the meanes of repentance 1 Kings 21 23 by the preaching of Eliah so as a speciall benefit hee gave her time to repent even fourteene yeares after the death of Ahab but she would not and therefore the promised wrath of God lighted upon her Christ in his Epistle written from heaven unto the Church of Thyatira Revel 2 21. desires them to consider her fearefull example in abusing the time When God taketh account of all he reckoneth for the time too and therefore beloved strive to buy time by all labour and industry and for what we have or may lose let vs redeeme by making double use and profit of it But such is the miserable estate of our sinfull nature that our eye is evill because God is good We abuse time as we do other blessings in our actions we are prodigal because God in bounty is liberall God giveth good things cheerefully we receive them grudgingly use them cursedly And although all his benefits be good yet wee cannot use them so for all our imaginations and intentions are evill and therefore this great benefit in sparing us and giving us time of repentance and preparation for death and judgement brings by our crossenesse a contrary effect as appeareth by example both in elect and reprobate men Gods long-suffering from correcting of his owne servants causeth them to be slacke in his service what shall wee then thinke of others If for a few yeares wicked men goe uncurbed they say the words of the Psalme God neither seeth Psal 10.11 neither is there knowledge in the Almighty and how farre Gods children goe astray may appeare in the behaviour of that sometimes flourishing Commonwealth of Israel in every time when they had most of Gods temporall blessings of whom Moses in his death-song both by experience and prophecy said that when they were full Deut. 32 15. they waxed wanton and Davids fearefull fall and Salomons idolatry sheweth the danger of his children when God stayeth long from correcting them But seeing in this sleeping and slumbering the blessed or miserable estate of these Virgins is set downe we are to consider how farre faulty each of them shall be found at the comming of Christ for the Parable saith generally all slumbered and slept which is to be considered as the Scripture doth take the name of sleepe either for sinne security or naturall death ☞ Of the daily increase of sinne and the fulnes thereof at Christs comming FIrst the Scripture useth the word sleeping for sinning 1 Cor. 15 34. Rom. 13.11 as in these places Awake truly out of sleepe and sinne not The houre is that wee should rise from sleepe where the Apostle expoundeth it of sinne and in Eph. 5.14 it is named for sinne which is also there called a death as 1 Tim. 5 6 to teach us Esay 59.2 that sinne separateth us from God who is the life of the soule And that as he that sleepeth wanteth use of his senses and is not capable of the actions which concerne reasonable men to doe so the sinner The abundance of sinne before the great day may appear by the daily increase of it untill he be awaked by repentance is not able to doe these things which God requireth of an understanding man In sleep the senses leave their proper use but then the naturall powers are busiest as appetite digestion of meate concoction and feeding of the body so in sin the soule is made without feeling of God or its owne state but for the powers of corrupted and sinfull nature they receive strength and are busie to fulfill the sinfull lusts of the flesh And thus we finde that Gods servants doe often slumber but after they be effectuallly called seldome doe they sleepe in sinne but so soone as they slumber they are affrighted by Gods angry threatnings and awaked by repentance As for the Reprobates God giveth them over unto the spirit of slumber Esay 29 10. 6 9. without feeling of what they doe or being able to heare any call of God for their awaking because the Lord intendeth to destroy them 1 Sam 2 25. as is evident in the sonnes of Eli. Therefore in Christs Church immediatly before his comming his true servants shall as men possessed with a sleepy heavines wrastle against the heavines and importunity of naturall concupiscence and continue the battell betweene the spirit and flesh as all the godly before them have done in the dayes of their flesh But for the Vessels of wrath as in the olde world they waxed worse and worse more cruell beastly sensuall and profane and the Sodomites wickednesse for guilt reached heaven yea and in the end they offered shutting eares eyes bookes shunning the company of them who are likeliest to mark or admonish them like those who affect to be sleepy indeed to shut doores windowes avoid noise and company and finally draw curtaines over their eyes and commit their heads to the company of a pillow untill God from heaven reade their dreames with a hasty mischiefe Wee see many to have particular experience of this and it shall be the awaking at the last day for men shall bee playing the Epicures Luc 17.26 27 28.30 2 Pet 2 7 8. 1 Thess 5.3 as in the dayes of Noah vexing the few righteous as the Sodomites did Lot crying peace peace when on a sodaine in the twinkling of an eye God shall send the flood of his wrath fire from heaven and eternall destruction to bring all foregone conceited pleasures to nothing No age of the world wherein religion flourished hath beene free from this sleepinesse of security except the rodde of persecution or affliction were above them to teach them how dangerous their state were if once they slumbred but above all the security that shall generally be at the last day could never be exemplified in any former experience for all their senses shall be bound and without power of feeling the force of religion or understanding the terror of Gods wrath therefore our Saviour compareth this deadnesse to sleepe for if men were awake there were hope that though they were blinde yet they might heare if they wanted both senses
the rest of the creatures are able to witnesse against us Let every man therefore remember how often hee hath received warning of Christs comming Goe out to meete him Now followeth the notice given to all the Virgins to goe out to meete the Bridegroome Seeing at Christs comming the voice shall declare his greatnesse and the matter in hand it may be demanded What shall be the words that shall be uttered in that cry I answere the Scripture hath not named them particularly but in all reason they are like to be these or surely to the same effect Also St. Paul longed for it and yet trembled to thinke on it 2 Tim. 4.8 2 Cor. 5.11 Hieron in Reg. Monach. â— 30 Miserum me dum haec cogito scribo cor timore palpitat humâ—nt oculi tribulater nimium si nescirem miscricordiam Domini Bern. in hanc Parabolam Saint Ierome a man much desirous to have that blessed day once come and yet trembled when he thought on the terrour of it by his often meditating on it apprehended these to be the words witnessing thus Sive edam sive bibam sive aliud aliquid agam semper insonat auribus meis vox illa horrifica Surgite mortui venite ad judicium Whether I eate drinke or whatsoever else I doe this fearfull voice sounds ever in mine eares Rise dead and come to judgement But whatsoever the words be the effect shall be to call us to judgement The use hereof is the same which the aforesaid Doctour maketh of it for he exhorteth others to thinke continually upon this voice It is without question a great bridle even to the wickedest men that they must come to a reckoning for all Salomon exhorteth us almost with Saint Ieromes words and meaning Eccles 11 9. Remember that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement and layeth them in the wayes of these who leade their life as they list When Gods servants thinke on it it makes them tremble 2 Cor 5 11. this sentence We must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ to give account Saint Paul calleth it the terrour of the Lord which moveth him and others to be carefull in their calling Would to God that this sentence would often yea ever sound in our eares Rise dead and come to judgement it were not to be doubted but it would make us more carefull in every thing we doe remembring that shamefull and sorrowfull account that we must giue of them which would make us often to conclude that we would not buy this Repentance so deare as with the greatest pleasure the world can give Sperne voluptates necat empta dolore voluptas Horat. 1. Epist 12. nor so make our markets in this world that wee should lose in our reckening all our labours Gods favour and eternall happinesse VERSE 7. Then all those Virgins arose and trimmed their Lampes HItherto hath beene the Proclamation now followeth the meeting which that it be accordingly performed two things are requyred 1. That they arise 2. That they trimme themselves in such decency as may become the friends and honourers of a mariage solemnitie the first is set downe in this verse the second partly in this verse partly in the 8.9 and 10. Verses In like manner when Christ shall come from heaven to us all must rise whether their sleepe be naturall death sinne or security and in hast addresse themselves for to give an account of all that ever they did and to be partakers of endlesse joy or everlasting torment The first we call the Resurrection of the body when God shall restore unto all mankinde The Resurrection comfortable to the godly In omni re aut actu virtus ageÌ„di spes est futuri Qui enim arat arat vt metat qui pugnat pugnat vt vincat etc. Ergo etc. Chrysost in Math. 22.23 Qui dicunt non esse resurrectionem that body which death bereft them of and which was detayned within the power of earthly corruption A great comfort to us who know it for as it would be a great griefe to the husbandman that all his store should be bestowed upon the ground only to rotte it who on the contrary commits it cheerefully to dust and corruption in sure certaine hope that it shall spring againe with triple reward for his wanting it for a season so it would be a great griefe to us if the bodies of our selves or friends committed to the dust should have an everlasting winter without a spring time who now reioyce Revel 1.18 knowing that as our Redeemer liveth who once was dead so shall we rise at the last day Iob 19 28. and be covered againe with our flesh and behold with our eyes Act. 17.28 the blessed body and person of him In whom we live move and have our being Philip. 3 21. and that he will change our vile bodyes which shame causes us now to hide from our owne eyes and make it like unto his owne glorious body To this purpose therefore the God of all comfort assures us of the Resurrection that as that day shall be the beginning of our endlesse happinesse so the knowledge of it should be a comfort to make us beare patiently all the sorrowes which we sustaine in our body which was as appeareth a great help to Iobs patience Iob. 19 26 27 28. Titus 3.12 and this S. Paul calleth the blessed hope of Gods servants wherein they shall be declared in presence of all creatures to be they that are honoured of the Almighty and their oppressours and enemyes in this world Psal 149 8. troden under feete Kings and Nobles which were their enemies chained and fettered by the power of God unto eternall woe after that the Saints themselves have censured the Divells and them 1 Cor 6 2 3. Wisd 3 8. and sentenced both to be worthy of everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power then shall the Lord Iesus be glorified in his Saints 2 Thes 1 9 10 and made marvailous in all them that beleeve this is the honour due unto all his Saints Psal 149 9. When wicked men shall see it they shall be vexed with horrible feare and with fruitlesse repentance confesse their justly deserved misery a patterne whereof is set downe in Wisdome throughout the whole fifth chapter Whereby we may see the joy and comfort Gods children have by the hope of their resurrection Ignorance of the resurrection causeth a wicked life fearful death But as other Christian comforts are assaulted by Satan and shaken by our weaknesse so our hope of the resurrection hath beene a fort for Gods servants against which Satan hath warred and prevailed against many and turned them into Atheists and Epicures in all ages who in their beleefe have but this one Article that they are bound to live and dye like beasts as indeed they
herein hath two helpes Now because the possibility of it hath caused many to erre the Scripture hath given us two helpes to underprop our weaknesse First that we beholde the resurrection of Christ to be a glasse 1 Pet 1 21. wherein we may see and behold our owne who passing through this mortall life purchased immortalitie that he might be a pledge of the like unto us that wee who in suffering miseries beare about in our bodies the dying of the Lord Iesus 2 Cor 4 11. may also have his life manifest in our mortall bodies When Ioseph was committed to prison Gen 39 22. the keeper of the prison committed to his hands all the prisoners that were in holde Mors ipsa in sua regione captiva expavit subito talem mortuum quem debitorem suum putabat creditorem atque exactorem esse cognovit Euseb Emiss Hom. 7. de Pascha and whatsoever he pleased he did with them So Iesus Christ being buried made death it selfe a prisoner and in stead of a debter death found him a commander and one that called him to account of all that was committed to his charge Christ is our head and his death and rising was in our behalfe and he is the beginning of our resurrection so as the body cannot be drowned so long as the head is above water neither can our bodies be lost seeing Christ hath risen from corruption so that the Scripture concludeth that although our bodies remaine as yet in the dust Ephes 2 5.6 Coloss 3 1. notwithstanding we are risen with Christ. This is the victory of faith when we beleeve that as Christ was raised up even so shall we that are his body and he that considereth that all our sinnes imputed to Christ could not holde him within the power of death shall see our resurrection more easie seeing our sinnes are not imputed unto our selves But with this experience the Scripture would have us to consider the power of God Matth 22 29. and Saint Paul when he speaketh of the changing of our vile body saith Philip 3 21. it shall be by the mighty power whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe Indeede if our resurrection were in the power of any except God himselfe we had reason to doubt it because wee could see no likelihood of it Luke 1.34 37. The Virgin Mary wondered how she should conceive not knowing a man the Angel answered that with God nothing is impossible When the Lord promised that Abraham should have a sonne Rom 4.19 20 21. hee neither feared the deadnesse of himselfe nor the barrennesse and age of his wife but was strengthened in the faith and gave glory to God being fully assured that he who had promised was able to performe it and the reason which made Abraham so ready to offer up his sonne and yet to beleeve the promised blessing to be performed in him was saith the Apostle because he considered that God was able to raise him up from the dead Heb 11 19. from whence both in his conception and birth he received him also after a sort So whilest the Lord saith that hee will raise up thy body in the last day doubt not of it Euseb Emiss Hom. 2 de Symbolo for though it be a great worke yet qui magna credere jussit Omnipotens est hee that bids thee beleeve great things is Almighty and the Lord that created thee it is even he that hath taken in hand to raise thee up againe So then we see the resurrection possible to him to whom nothing is impossible now if we consider the experience of former times and Gods daily workes Gods workes like the resurrection wee shall finde it easie to him that doth it He translated Henoch and Eliah to heaven a hard and rarer worke than raising the dead he caused Aarons Rodde Numb 17 8. which was dry and withered in an instant to bud raised the daughter of Iairus from death the widowes sonne of Naim and Lazarus that had lyen foure dayes in the grave Auson Eclogariū Accipe quod mirere magis tenuissima tantis principia nostros non admittentia visus c. Iob 10 10 1 Cor 15 36. and by his servants did the like Eliah raised up the Shunamites childe and Peter raised Dorcas from the dead What power then hath hee who gave so much to others We see the Lord daily make men of such beginnings as men would not beleeve if they saw it not with their eyes even saith Iob of a little seed which is as water powred on the ground And whilest the Apostle Paul considereth the growing of the corne he calleth him a foole who denieth the resurrection And the like we see in trees and hearbs for what is it that we see daily in the world but examples and imitation of the resurrection The trees lose their greene leaves they leave giving of fruite Quid enim quotidie nisi resurrectionem nostram in elementis suis mundus imitatur Nam per momenta temporum cernimus arbusta viriditatem foliorum amittere a fructib cessare et eccesubito quasi ex arescenti ligno velut quadam resurrectione veniente videmus folia crumpere fructus grādescere totam arborem redevivo decore vestiri Et sequitur Confideremus parvum cuiuslibet arboris semen quod in terram iacitur ut arbor ex illo producatur comprehendamus si possumusub in 〈…〉 cortex ubi viriditas foliorum ubi ubertas fructuum 〈◊〉 in famine 〈…〉 batur cum in terram iaceretur Greg Mor. in Iob 19 25 and beholde on a sodaine as it were by a new resurrection comming we see leaves come forth the fruite grow bigge and the whole tree cloathed againe with a fresh and lively comelinesse If wee consider the little seede of any tree how the tree commeth out of it and let us comprehend if we can how in so little a seed the huge tree did lurke which came out of it where is the stocke where the barke where the greene leaves where is the great plenty of fruites Was there any such thing seene in the seed when it was cast into the ground We see likewise diverse sorts of living creatures breede of corrupt and rotten earth the light is buried in darkenesse and the next morning sheweth it selfe againe yea in our sleeping and awaking there is shewed unto us a shadow of the Resurrection and the relation of the Heathen historians make good to us how the young Phaenix riseth out of the ashes of the olde Now to all these examples which we daily see this may be added and * Greg Mor. lib. 6 id omnibus constare debet longè difficilius esse creare quae non fuerant quà m ea reparare quae fuerant it is manifest to all men that it is a farre harder thing to create these things which were not than to make up again the
things which were decayed But that all of us may be the surer in faith of the Resurrection we have neede of the aforesayd two helpes and to pray the Lord to grant them unto us as St. Paule doth joyntly for both to the Ephesians Ephes 1 19 20. That the Lord would open the eyes of our understanding that we might know what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power in them that beleeve according to the working of his mighty power which hee wrought in Christ when hee raised him from the dead The Lord hath sufficiently assured us of the Resurrection All must rise when by such experiences he sheweth how easily he may doe it now therefore though wicked men would abandon all thoughts of it yet it is in vaine for all must rise both wise and foolish and present themselves before the Lord. Whereby it appeareth that whether men beleeve it or not yet they shall rise but when the Lord would have his servants to beleeve it it is to this end that they might know and be assured of the meanes whereby their bodies come to immortalitie and glory and only to them the Resurrection is a benefit and therefore Christ calleth it Luke 14 14. the Resurrection of the just unto the wicked it is a punishment and it were good for them they should never be raysed as it had been for Iudas if he had never been borne Our bodyes shall be immortall All therefore rise but there shal be great difference betweene the wise and foolish First the godly shall be immortall for this mortall shall put on immortality 1 Cor. 15 53. the body shall not bee bound to a necessity of dying as now it is nor shall it be possible that death should have power over it Adam indeed before his fall was not of necessitie subject to death yet was he mortall because he might dye but in the Resurrection we shall be free both of the power and possibility of the grave 2 Cor. 5 4. and mortality shall be swallowed up of life and by this immortalitie we shall be made capable of everlasting felicitie Secondly 2 Glorious their bodyes shall be glorious and shining for Christ shall change our vile bodies Philip. 3 21. and make them like his glorious body the body which is now sowne in dishonour it riseth againe in glory 1 Cor. 15.43 and such glory saith the Prophet as the starres of heaven appeare clothed withall Dan. 12 13. Math 13.43 or as Christ saith so bright as the Sunne by which comparisons the Scripture would raise up our understandings as by degrees to conceive in some part how great this glory shall be Some examples and shadowes hath the Lord showen us of it when Moses came downe from the mount Exod. 34.29.30 his face was so bright that the Israelites could not behold him Christ promised to his Disciples to give them a view of it within sixe dayes after The words there be some here which shall not tast of death untill c. are much mistaken by many for Christ meaneth not the Preaching of the Gospell though that also was true but that he would comfort them against the Crosse and confirme them concerning his glorious comming and finally shew them what glory they shall be in who beare the Crosse and follow him by one shew and sight of his transfiguration as Theophylact observeth upon Mathew and for truth of all we may marke in all the three Gospells the doctrine of the Crosse this promise and the transfiguration follow other see before and after Math 1â— 28 Marc. 9.1 Luc. 9 27. he was transfigured upon the Mount and his face was like the Sunne and his cloathes white as the light Likewise by Art wee have a view of glorie and brightnesse which our sight is not able without hurt to endure the clearest glasses are made of ashes and of the drosse of the earth and wreak of the sea yet if one of them being broad stand before the Sunne it is so bright and glorious that it seemeth to match the Sunne it selfe that we are not able to behold it 2 Cor 3 18. Quae nos sola cogitatione sâ—paramus etiam re ipsa ab effectore secerni possunt ad interitum inimicorum in aeternum lucem ab extremo calore ignis separabit ut coelestibus illam lucem communicet Basil in Hexamer Orat. 6. what then shall our glorie be when we shall behold the glory of the Lord with open face and be changed into the same image from glory to glory and though we shall be as light and shining yet not according as the fire is being of power to burne for wee see that precious stones give light and yet are without heate and the Lord whose voice divideth the flames of fire Psal 29.7 shall unto his servants give brightnesse without the great heate of fire and unto his enemies the burning and consuming without the brightnesse and light of the fire This then doth shew their glory 3. Spirituall 1 Cor 15 44. Thirdly our bodies shal be spirituall They are sowne naturall bodies they rise againe spirituall there shall be no change of the substance but the body shall shew it selfe in the actions with such agility and quicknesse for which it may justly be called spirituall In this life our bodies are naturall for as in other creatures so in them natura est principium motus nature maketh them because of their weight to bend downeward but in the resurrection they shall be spirituall for the soule or spirit shall cause the body to move as it will and as our Saviour before his death walked miraculously upon the water and after his resurrection shewed this spirituall motion by his sodaine appearings and departings Wisd 3.7 so shall the Saints runne through any space as the sparkles among the stubble and they shall shew it by their first action after the resurrection 1 Thes 4 17. for they shall mount up and meete the Lord in the ayre Lastly our bodies shall be free from suffering for they shall not bee subject to hunger thirst griefe sicknesse or the like and the delights which the senses shall have shall not be hurtfull but helpfull unto them And though wee gather these things out of Gods word concerning our bodies in the resurrection yet all that wee conceive or speake of them must come short for as it is written 1 Cor. 2.9 Neither hath eye seene nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath prepared for them that loue him On the other part Qualities of wicked mens bodies the Lord will make wicked men immortall that they may be capable of eternall misery for if once they could die againe then were their bodily misery at an end but as for the rest of the aforesaid qualities they shall have their contraryes insteed of a glorious brightnes they shall even be deprived
the offenders remembring that it is the part of a Iudge qui ponit personam amici cum induit judicis that he then layeth downe the person of a friend when he taketh on him the person of a judge If we forsake our selves or our frindship with sinne when we confesse our sinnes to God we shall finde it to encrease the sorrow of our repentance and help us to be readier for a discharge when God seeth how we condemne and hate our selves for the wrong we have done unto him Secondly there is another thing without the which Christs satisfaction makes vs ready our repentance cannot make us ready Though we repent yet God lookes for satisfaction or one to suffer the punishment due unto us which being performed by our Saviour and the Covenant of Gods mercy confirmed unto us by the sheding of his blood we may justly disclaime the guilt of our sinnes which he was charged withall and for full satisfaction unto God and discharge of our selves cry unto God in these words of David Psal 84.9 Iustus advocatus noster iustos nos defendet in Iudicio quia nosmet ipfos cognoscimus accusamus iniustos Non ergo c. Greg. in Ezech. lib. 1. Hom 7. Regard o Lord and looke upon the face of thine Annoyneed And therefore as Gregory saith Our just Advocate shall defend us as iust in judgement because we know accuse our selves as unjust Non ergo in fletibus non in actibus nostris sed in Advocati nostri allegatione confidamus and therefore let us not trust in our weeping or in our deedes but in the defending which our Advocate maketh and by consequence qui se caelesti precio vident redemptos ad caelestia non dubitent praeparatos They who see themselves redeemed by an heavenly price Euseb Emiss de Pasch Hom. 1 3. neede not doubt but that they are prepared for heavenly things Thus are we at all times to doe and at all times the Lord shall finde us ready to be called to judgement When the account is past Gods servants find it easie to reckon with the world and consider what interest they have in it or it in them That which maketh us cleave so much to the world is the separation that our sinnes make betweene vs and God when this partition wall is taken away the world can give no relish unto us who seeke our comfort from above Philip. 3.8 St. Paul counted the best of it doung and losse Eliah who tasted but litle comfort of it 1 King 19 4. said long before he did leaue it Lord it is enough Thus Gods servants loath the world because so long as they are in it they are kept recourse unto the Lord that is they shall well understand how good it had beene for them if in their life time they had sought unto the Lord and amended their life which they shall then desire to doe when they can neither doe other wise nor gaine any profit by it Christ hereby would teach us that after death and in the generall judgement wicked men begin to repent heartily and when all teares are wiped from the eyes of others Repentance of Reprobates in this and the life to come they begin their eternall lamentations In this life Reprobates may repent but in sorrowing they are either too severe that when they feele it they shun comfort and aggravate it untill it overcome them and proves to be despaire which is that eternall worme that possesseth the soule after unseasonable repentance but most commonly their repentance is too slacke Ahab repented but sorrow pearced not his heart otherwise he would have amended his idolatry And so many bowe the bodie who have bowed little at the heart and therfore though they seeme to repent yet they shall in the day of judgement repent because they repented no better before Labour therefore to end your repentance with your life and let death which cureth all sores bring also an end to your sorrowes and labour to repent to salvation which never needeth to be repented of 2 Cor 7 11. This saith Paul causeth us to have great care to cleare our selves and to be more zealous of our life in time to come They that were ready went in with him to the Marriage and the gate was shut Now followeth the effect of their readinesse some were admitted and went in some were excluded As a Bridegroome in solemnizing his marriage hath just reason to take notice of them that tooke notice and prepared for his comming and without regard of others stoppe all wayes for their admittance So shall our Lord in his comming take into his owne company and fellowship them that loved and longed for his comming 2 Tim 4 8. where wicked men shall not come in the assembly of the righteous Psal 1 5. 2 Thess 1 9. but shall bee banished away from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power After judgement is the Marriage betweene Christ and his servants who in this life stand espoused unto him by faith and truth and waite for the joyfull meeting after which they shall not be longing in love nor separate for a time but shall enjoy his blessed presence and company and as husband and spouse love and live together for ever Gods Saints acknowledge this for they finde the experience of sorrowes that they have in their spirituall love for they sigh and are burdened with sorrow 2 Cor 5.4 6. because they are absent from the Lord But at Christs comming they shall rejoyce and be glad crying with glory unto God The marriage of the Lambe is come Revel 19 7. his Spouse hath made her selfe ready Our union with Christ compared to a marriage Our everlasting remaining with Christ is compared to a marriage solemnizing First to teach us that then onely beginneth our perfect union with Christ when we are fully delivered from sinne and corruption and restored to righteousnesse and immortality In this life we are one with Christ and Christ with us but the tye of this union is faith and love whereby we desire none but him and hereafter are certaine to be joyned to none other but himselfe It is true that he who joyneth himselfe by love unto the Lord is one spirit with him 1 Cor 6 17. but at the marriage our union shall be such that we shall be declared to be members of his glorious body Ephes 5 30. flesh of his flesh bone of his bone Secondly to teach us if it were possible how great the bond of this union is neere is the conjunction of friendly love yet naturall love is a stricter bond which maketh us to account the flesh and blood of our kindred as if it were our owne But above all the love betweene man and wife must cause to relinquish and quite the society and company of all others that they may shew that all pleasure the world can give
or friendship of all others are onely as salves for necessitie and to be despised in comparison of this bond betweene man and wife True it is that there is no bond of love but the Lord hath by example of it expressed his love unto us Christ called his Disciples servants Iohn 15.13 14 15. in respect that they knew not their Masters will but considering his love to them he calleth them friends and yet with such a bond of friendship on his part that was rare to be seene that he should give his life for his friends Also by the example of parents who are nearest of our kindred saying Psal 103 13. As the father loveth and hath compassion on his sonne so hath the Lord on those that feare him The Lord thinketh the love great which the mother hath to the childe asking if she can forsake it Esay 49 15. though many both fathers and mothers have fulfilled the prophecy of the last time 2 Tim 3 3. Psal 27.10 in being without naturall affection and though father and mother may forsake the childe yet the Lord will take up his owne But above all Christ compareth the bond betweene him and us to love betweene the husband and the wife for as the highest of his honour is shewed by being head of the Church Ephes 1 22. Chap 5 23 30 31. which is his body so the inexpressible love betweene him and us is set out unto us by the example of the love of husband and wife in respect of which we must forsake if need require the friendship of father mother or any friends whatsoever In this life we love the Lord but in the great meeting and marriage our love shall increase to such a height which now passeth our understanding Such as our knowledge is such is our love here we know in part and therefore our love is the lesse 1 Cor. 13 12. but when we shall know as we are knowne what mortall man is able to imagine how dearely wee shall love the Lord And then shall wee understand how dearely the Lord hath loved us and comprehend that for which wee are comprehended of Christ Philip 3 11. The manifestation hereof doth better befit the solemnity of our spirituall marriage for as the personall meeting of lovers increaseth love and the aptest time that their love should shew itselfe to the beholders so in our meeting of Christ our love shall be greatly increased and it is the fittest time in which the mutuall love of Christ and his members shall be declared which love how great it is now on Christs and shall be then on our part is not possible to be understood because love cannot bee understood but in such measure as it is felt Thirdly our remaining with Christ in glory is compared to a mariage solemnitie to teach us that the joyes of heaven are communicate and many made partakers of them In Mariages all the friends and guests are partakers of the same intertainment with the Bridegroome and commonly honoured with his service partakers of showes made to delight the eye of voyces and melodious harmonies for the eare with other delights that are knowne to give most pleasure and content for such loving societies but aboue all the particular love they have unto the Bridegroome whose voyce they rejoyce to heare and whom they both honour and delight to see advanced to that solemne honour and publick respect In like manner after the great judgement we shall goe into eternall joy and all be partakers of the same glory and to reach the similitude further Christ saith to them that he shall find ready with their Lampes Luke 12 37. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he commeth shall finde waking verily I say unto you he will gird himselfe about and make them sit downe at table and will come forth and serue them And to the end that his Disciples might reiect the ambitious conceites of worldly honour Luk 22 27. he saith unto them Who is greater he that sitteth at table And I am among you as he that serveth 28. and ye are they which have continued with me in my tentations therefore I appoynt unto you a Kingdome 29.30 as my Father hath appointed to me that ye may eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome No delight shall be wanting either to soule or body God shall be all in all 1 Cor. 15.28 Psal 16.11 in whose presence is fulnes of joy for evermore But aboue all the love we shall have to our Lord and Saviour and the unspeakable glory he is in shall be as a heaven of joyes to every glorified soule which he himselfe saith shall bee our chiefe happinesse that we may be where he is and behold his glory he said not that they may enjoy my glory but see my glory Iohn 17.24 Homini enim maximâ— requies videre filium Dei Theophil and David said the same Psal 17.15 2 Cor. 3.18 and indeed as S. Paul saith by seeing the Lords glory wee are changed into the same image by the Spirit of the Lord as is evident by the shining of Moses face before he was freed from his corruptible body Fourthly by this comparison is shewed the eternitie of those joyes which we shall possesse in this spirituall Mariage The Lord hath made a hedge to inviron defend his ordinance of Mariage against all debate of policie Math 19.6 that no man put asunder those whom God hath coupled together So that whatsoever devideth man and wife must be the enemy of God or man if sinne doe it yet sin not being imputed becommeth as no sinne so though adultery is one of the enemyes of Mariage yet if be not imputed it causeth not a separation but the last enemy of man which is death is only the unremediable breaker of Wedlocke and freeth the one from the law of the other Of all our comforts and pleasures in this life the gall and bitternesse is inclosed in death the remembrance of it before it approach neare is bitter unto us Ecclesiasticus 41.1 the comming terrible no fence is able to holde it out so long as the gappes of sinne attend to receive it when it commeth it divideth us from friends goods acquaintance pleasures and so maketh a separation betweene man and wife yea betweene soule and body body and life But while they both live the law hath dominion of both saith the Apostle meaning that death onely doth make separation Rom. 7.1 2. without hope of dwelling together any more as husband and wife So in our spirituall marriage whilest it receiveth this name it sheweth our state to remaine immutable for ever because there shal neither be sin nor death to annoy us or threaten to separate us from him and seeing all the enemies of our salvation are not able to separate us from the love of God in Iesus Christ what then can hurt us Rom 8 35.
we know not the day nor the houre when the Sonne of man commeth Secondly as a conclusion to all this Parable to expound and urge this exhortation Watch. The reason imports two things First the certainty of Christs comming secondly the uncertainty of the time to our knowledge The first is taken as granted beleeved being promised by Christ oftentimes before The second on which we presume most though wee know it least is proved by this comparison in the unexpected coming of the Bridegroom in the chapter before by the example of the sodaine overtaking the world by the flood not looked for even untill the day that Noah entred into the Arke and by the sodain destructiō of Sodom Gen. 19.23 not likely nor looked for an houre before it came for the Sunne shined brightly upon it And lastly in all the said places our Lord promiseth that his comming shall be for sodainnesse in the same manner that as the world had not a dayes knowledge of the flood before it came nor the Sodomites an houres warning of their destruction before it came so no man shall know the day nor the houre when the Sonne of man shall come When the Sonne of man will come This is a name of comfort unto us In the way let us comfort our selves amidst this fearefull doctrine wherein though Christ doth preach of death and judgement yet to his Disciples and us who have laid all our hopes of comfort upon himselfe he hath interlaced a word of comfort in preaching of generall judgement to others he preacheth particular mercy unto us He calleth himselfe the Sonne of man to remember us of the interest wee have in his nature his person his deedes and sufferings and by this name of humility and affection to mankinde we may be incouraged to draw neare to him who is so neare to us and to put our trust in him whose love we are so assured of As this name Sonne of man is comfortable to us so is it a name of instruction for us And a patterne of wonderfull humility for in it we see a wonderfull humility It was the common name that Christ continually called himselfe by Christ never called himselfe Sonne of man after his death reasons in all his teaching before he suffered But we may observe that after his death hee never called himselfe by that name First because as the Apostle saith by the resurrection from the dead he was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God Secondly Rom. 1.2 after his resurrection he was not any more subject to humane infirmities but was as a glorified soule and body Examples are in Luke 24.16 Ioh 20 14. 21.4 though by his power he held the eyes of all that beheld him that they should onely see him as a man conversing upon the earth Thirdly and lastly because hee was to converse no more as a mortall man but onely by his actions Acts 1 3. hee vouchsafed to doe these things which might assure us of the truth of his resurrection and therefore when Mary Magdalen would have fallen on his feete as shee used before his death hee saith Touch me not but when Thomas distrusted Iohn 20.17 27 he bid him feele his hands and his side Wee never reade that the Apostles called him Sonne of man for questionlesse they were astonished at this name of wonderfull humility When the Lord had shewed his glory to the Prophet Ezekiel hee called him ever after Son of man Marginal note in Ezek. 2 1. to remember him that he was dust and ashes and so to humble him ever when hee remembred his owne estate and Gods grace But after the Lord had witnessed from heaven in the hearing of Iohn and his followers that he was his welbeloved Sonne in whom hee was well pleased yet ever after would call himselfe the Sonne of man as professing himselfe to be come of the mortall and corrupted stocke of Adam as miserable men were yea and to descend lower he thought it no disparagement that he was not equall in state and condition with others though above all by nature but framed himselfe to the forme and fashion of a servant to serve Ioseph and Mary and his Disciples to claime no higher honour in this world than to be called the Sonne of man that is by nature bound a servant to man for though the sonne differ from a servant in this Gal. 4.1 that he is heire of all yet so long as he can be called a sonne both nature and Gods law bindes him service and obedience Bern. Ser. 1. super Missus est O wonderfull example of humility hee went saith the Gospell to Nazareth and was subject unto them to wit to Ioseph and Mary choose of both which you will wonder at either the bountifull vouchsafing of the Sonne or the most excellent honour the parents have both amazefull both wonderfull that God should become obedient unto men an humility beyond all example that men should be commanders of God an highnesse beyond all comparison Idem Ser. 3. Advent Certainly the Angels are amazed at this to see him so farre lower than themselves and yet crowned with such glory and worship that he is God above all blessed for ever and doe now manifestly ascend and descend unto the Sonne of man Vbi superius Disee homo obtemperare disce terra subdi c. O man learne to obey O earth learne to be subject Of thy Maker the Gospell saith he was subject unto them be ashamed O dust God humbleth himselfe and thou exaltest thy selfe hee makes himselfe subject to men and thou desiring to have rule of men settest thy selfe to take place of God Learne of Christ Matth 11. that he is meeke and lowly in minde doe you the like and you shall finde rest in your soules Having now heard a wonderfull example of Christs humility let us now returne and take a view of his glory If any wonder with Caiphas that a man of so meane estate can be the God of glory let him receive Christs answer I am he Marke 14.62 and ye shall see the Sonne of man sit at the right hand of the power of God and come in the clouds of heaven The glory of Christ in his comming according as he meaneth in this text is partly invisible partly visible When he calls us to death and particular judgement his person is not seene with our eyes though his power be felt Acts 3.15 Revel 1.18 so that he who is Lord of life and death worketh in us Gen. 28.16 and wee may say with Iacob Surely God was in this place and I was not aware That our Saviour doth in this exhortation meane also of his comming at the day of our death appeareth by example for unto the Church of Sardis he sendeth the meaning of the same words in which he punished many by death and temporall punishments his words are these
yeares teaching that although their generall destruction should bee then yet each man should holde his life by name and yet tolde his wives that he was able according as he had before used to kill the youngest and lustiest man that could be found But if this were generally true that onely naturall weaknesse and age were to bring death upon all men then wicked men might have roome enough to turne them in and laugh at death as an enemy standing without the reach of shot But ut omnis aetas peccato inquinata ita omnis morti obnoxia as every age is polluted by sinne so is every age subject to death as the Apostle joyneth them which needeth no other proofe Rom. 5.12 than our common griefe for the losse of children Servius Sulpitius Galba Emperour said being 72 yeares olde and lame both of hands and feete Eta moi menos empedon estin Hom. Liad. 5 I have strength at coÌ„mand Sueton. in vita eius of men and women in their prime of parents and friends who have lived many yeares with us Therefore let us refraine the madnes of those that are past all feeling who even are in opinion sure to live when their life is at an end and beleeve that death is farre away even when they feele it Let us therfore 1. imitate David who commonly delivered up his spirit in tuition unto God as if hee had beene instantly to die although hee knew that both his life and time were in Gods hand Psal 31 5.15 Or as the Apostles Paul and Barnabas Acts 15.16 who gave up their lives for our Lord Iesus and behaved themselves as every day to depart the world And though wee may live long yet to account our selves to have received the sentence of death Ezek. 18.20 The soule that sinneth shall dye the death and so trust no more in our selves but in God who is onely able to deliver us from death 2 Cor 1.9 10. and though we were already dead shall raise us to life againe A Heathen counsells us to thinke every day of our life the last much more a Christian should thinke so Greg. Mor. lib. 8. cap. 11. quia enim vita indesinenter labitur spes ei vivendi amputatur because life doth goe away without ceasing hee is cut off from hope of life Secondly seeing our life is onely granted by a repreevall and that during the pleasure of God we know not what day or houre to be taken out and therefore let us put off the love and immoderate care of this world As he that is condemned to die takes no pleasure in shewes or triumphes of joy gives off all the former care he tooke of the world to inrich himselfe and be setled for many yeares and so this I say brethren 1 Cor 7.29 30 31. saith Paul because the time is short that they that have wives be as if they had none and they that weepe as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as though they used it not for the fashion of this world goeth away Thirdly let us follow our Saviours example While it is day let us worke Iohn 9 4. the night commeth wherein no man can worke Or as Salomon exhorting us to the same purpose Eccles 9 10. All that thy hand shall finde to doe doe it with all thy power for there is neither worke nor invention nor knowledge nor wisedome in the grave whither thou goest Our time is short our businesse is great When the Angel of God fed Eliah it is written that he did eate and drinke 1 Kings 19.6 7 and returned and slept The Angel of the Lord came unto him and said Vp for thou hast a great journey even forty dayes and forty nights travell to come to Horeb the teach us how we should reckon our time To teach us to account it so and to measure it and consequently to bestow our selves accordingly Moses reckoned thus and prayed that he and others might ever doe so Psal 90 12 Teach us O Lord to number our dayes Though Iacob numbred his yeares to Pharaoh yet he subdivides them into dayes Few and evill have the dayes of my life beene Gen 47 9. David counted by dayes Psal 39 6. Lord thou hast numbred my dayes like a span And because wee ought to reckon nearer lest we lose a day idly our Saviour hath divided our time into houres Iohn 11 9. Are there not twelve houres in the day He reckoned his owne watching by the houre Mark 14 37. and reproved his Disciples for not doing the like Could ye not watch with me one houre Peter counted thus Acts 2 15. when he tolde the Iewes It was not the third houre of the day And as men that get no rest count all the houres of the night so Paul and other Christians persecuted in his time counted their times into houres 1 Cor 4 11. Vnto this houre we both hunger and thirst are naked and are buffetted c. And our labors accordingly Psal 90 12. And as the Saints of God did thus count their time so they measured their worke by the time Moses desired to count his dayes that hee might apply his heart unto wisedome the instructing of the people ministring of justice providing materials for the Tabernacle and sacrifices penning of Scripture and praying for himselfe and the peohle suffered him not to make idle houres in the Wildernesse Iob lost not a day for exercise of religion Iob 1 5. besides his manifold worldly businesse for he offered sacrifice every day David notwithstanding his great affaires in ruling a Kingdome yet often used at evening Psal 55 17. morning and noone dayes to pray Psal 119 164. and sometimes withdrawed himselfe seven times to prayer and would rise at midnight to pray Psal 6 6. or use his bed for a Chappell to weepe in Daniel one of three for governing many kingdoms used continually holy exercises of private prayer three times a day And to be briefe Dan 6 10. our blessed Saviour spent his time by day teaching in the Temple Luke 21 37. and in the night on the Mount of Olives in prayer his Disciples spent day and night as occasion caused in labouring with their hands preaching and prayer Totum temporis spatium quod inter auroram vesperam intercedit in pia quadam exercitatione collocant c. Cibum autem aut potionem ante solis occasum nemo illorum capit Quippe divinae sapientiae studium quo se involvunt lucem promereri iudicant corporis autem necessitates tenebras solum merito sibi vindicare Philo uti citat in Eusâ—t Paw Eccles hist lib. 2 cap. 16 And great is the commendation that Philo the learned Iew giveth to the Christians in Aegypt in Saint Markes time
it rooteth out all the buds of vertue and maketh sinne flourish in stead of them These dangers we have in us either to lose the grace of God given us or to have it burnt and choaked by Satans cunning and therefore no meanes to prevent and disappoint him but to watch and resist him and the occasions of sinning Our Saviour giveth this same exhortation of watching with the same reasons of his sodaine comming and our carefull looking that sinne surprise us not and sheweth his blessednesse that doth accordingly in these words Behold I come as a theefe Revel 16 15. blessed is hee that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest he walke naked and men see his filthinesse Thus as a Commander chargeth all under his government to watch and stand to their guard under the paine of losing their life honour and all So our Lord Iesus Christ who knowes our danger hath given us charge to watch or else wee shall undoubtedly perish wee are ever assaulted for our soule and when our life shall be called for we know not Horat. Horae autem momento aut certa mors venit aut victoria laeta and in a moment either commeth certaine death or a joyfull victory Now though every one be here charged to watch for themselves The great charge of Ministers of the Church that they may he prepared to stand before the Lord in his comming yet there are some that are both to watch their owne soules and the soules of others even those who are both to watch ex officio by charge and calling unto it and who have received their names to put them in remembrance of their charge the Watchmen of Israel Ezek 3 1. 1 Sam 9 9. Ezek 34 2. Acts 20 28. Seers Shepheards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishops or Overseers of the flocke which God hath bought with his owne blood Of all others their charge is heaviest in this watching their account shall be most sharpely exacted and as Christ lost not one of all them whom the Father committed unto him so they shall be charged with every soule that perisheth by their negligence The Lord chargeth Ezekiel to be a Watchman upon this perill Ezek 3 18. that if he gave not warning to the wicked man he should die in his iniquity but his blood should be required of him To whom much is committed of him much shal be required and when the Lord gives each one according to his workes most severe judgement shall be unto them that are set over others Wisd 6.5 And therefore Church-men are to consider what danger both their own and the soules of others are in if once they grow carelesse or sleepe in sinne without awaking and if they be not ever careful to watch in prayer and declare to their charge by crying and admonition what danger they foresee them in and by their example leade them the way by which they may escape the snares which Satan hath laid for them Now if they faile in their watching they may see their danger by example of others whose charges are lighter Their danger in unwatchfulnes to be seene in the examples of Of all sorts of men sleeping is most dangerous in three Shepheards Pilots Watchmen of townes or those who keep Gates First it is dangerous for a shepheard to sleepe 1 Shepheards because theeves are ever watching opportunitie and when others betake them to rest ut jugulent homines surgunt de nocte latrones then theeves betake them to their occupation The flocke is also subject to be devoured and dispersed abroad by wilde beasts wherof are numbers of diverse sorts for when it is night Psal 104 20 all the beasts of the forrest creep forth and hunt after their prey If therefore the shepheard sleepe though while he wake he be as watchfull as Argus yet he may lose some of his flocke and his owne life too and though in body he escape danger yet having a charge whatsoever is lost he must make it good Iacob said to Laban Whatsoever was torne of beasts Gen 31 39. I brought it not to thee but made it good my selfe of mine owne hands didst thou require it were it stollen by day or by night In like manner when the shepheard of soules falls slacke or negligent over the flocke then doth Satan fall on worke beginneth to roare after his prey some he drives before him in the way of all wickednesse because there is none to rescue them nor to turne the sinner from his evill way others he bindes up in the bundell of ignorance because there is none to holde out a light unto their feet nor a lanterne unto their steps and to make all sure he smites the shepheard and then takes his time to gather the remainder and makes the place where once Gods name was called upon to become a denne of theeves the valley of darknesse shadow of death Miserable experience had the Iewes of all this proceeding before they were carried to Babylon and the Christian Church when their watchmen fell to sleep Satan came out among them and raged many yeares This is at large proved by the table of taxes in Muscul com plac Nundin Pontif 〈◊〉 de Ministris verb. Dei filled the world with olde wives fables ghosts and apparitions and made such way for his kingdome that he obtained the Visible Christian Church to be disposers of liberty for every kinde of sinne Blessed be God who hath delivered us from the open power of darknes and hath not left our salvation in the dispose of the confederates of darknes We are therefore to beware that he overcome us not againe we are not ignorant of his practises how he laboureth in every private Congregation Rev. 2 13. hee had a throne in the Congregation of Pergamus and in processe of time obtained all Mat 24. Who is that faithfull steward whom God hath set over his house to give them moate in due season let him heare the last exhortation which Paul gave to Timothy a little before his death But watch thou in all things suffer adversity 2 Tim 4 5. doe the worke of an Evangelist cause thy Ministery to be truly liked of according to his owne example by which hee exhorteth the Elders of Ephesus Watch and remember Acts 20 31. that by the space of three yeares I ceased not to warne every one both day and night with teares Secondly 2. Pilots it is dangerous to have a sleepy Pilot in a shippe whose negligence may be the overthrow of many others It is all one to be without a Pilot as to have one that is not watchfull but to be without one is to want the ordinary meanes to be saved Acts 27 31. according as St. Paul said to the Centurion Except these abide in the shippe you cannot be safe But if like Ionas he be heavy and sleepy in time of danger Prov. 23 34. as it were in the Sea
of charge must be thus prepared appointed or in kind answerable hereunto which by comparison herewith may easily appeare Much more the servant of Christ who hath the Image of God in custody a soule body appointed for a heavenly kingdom continually assaulted in danger to be taken by Satan detained by wickednes to be coÌ„mitted unbaleable unto the torments of hell for ever 1. A watchman must have a good eye 1 A good eye the light of the body is the eye saith Christ yea the sight of the whole Army for the time is the eyes of sentinels watchmen from this they have the name of watchmen Esay 21 6. according to the words of the Prophet Goe set a watchman to tell what he seeth So every Christian must have a good eye to spy out the devices of our spirituall enemy Satan comes privately then is neerest when we think him to be farre off assailes us by those meanes which we least suspect It is all one to him what sin it is that overthrow us so he be sure we be detained in his power by one or other hereby he deceiveth many thousands who are watchfull in some things and esteeme Satan to lie hid in some sinnes but account other wickednesses to be the lawfull actions of a Christian wherin Satan hath no hand at all Thus having lost the right eye as Nahash would have pickt out of the Israelites and accounting Satan an enemy when he commeth in the grossest fashion 1 Sam 11. but a friend when hee comes as an Angel of light their soule is betrayed and in the end they finde that they were in the way of destruction The common religion professed and practised in these places and times may give godly hearts great occasion of mourning to see how many soules Satan hath in captivity by this unwatchfulnesse These words are out of Oliver Pigg on Psal 101. pag. 4â— which book was printed at London Anno 1591. They wil be the zealous professors of religion abhorrers of leud persons who only make conscience of murther theft adultery fornication drunkennes open blasphemy but they are profaners of the Sabboth by journeyes markets accounts casting and sending servants here and there they be cruell and oppresse they extort draw out the lives of the poore they be proud they make no scruple at all to spend that riotously and in vaine unnecessary pompe which ought to be laid out to maintaine Gods service I speake what I know and daily see I measure not the consciences of any by my private judgement nor speake these words as mine owne but thinke him a true Christian in whose life wee finde not these latter and common faults of the professours of our time but walketh with a straighter foote in the way of godlines Satan knew Eve to be the weaker of the two and therefore laid battery at the salvation of man rather in her than in Adam So where Satan spies thee weakest holde thine eye to that place there he intends to surprise thee knowing it a fruitlesse labour to assault thee with those vices of whose beastlinesse thou art ashamed Art thou given to covetousnes beware that thou hunt not after all occasions prosecute all meanes of catching riches by which thou shalt fall into the snare of the Divell and so of other particulars in which Satan takes advantage where wee are least circumspect Yea even the most holy men are to be watchfull least they be surprised by that same vertue in which they labour most no godly action but it hath a sinne that carrieth shew of it We see craftines and deceit to draw neare to wisdome cruelty to justice rashnesse to fortitude prodigality to liberality superstition to religion presumption unto hope cowardlines unto feare negligence sluggishnes to humility that the servant of Christ must be watchfull in all his actions that he receive not the poyson whilest hee labours for the honey This in particular St. Paul expresseth as a most necessary part in a watchman beseeching the Romans to marke diligently Rom 16.17 18 20. and avoid their enemies who with faire and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple to the doing whereof he promiseth that the God of peace shal tread Satan under their feet 2 A good eare 2. A watchfull Christian must have a good eare to discover thereby what he cannot perceive with his eyes The watchmen of the Midianites could not perceive the Israelites come upon theÌ„ for the darknes Iudg 7 11. nor espy Gideon that was among their tents because their eares were dull or rather stopped by God they had no meanes to prevent their destruction A watchman therfore must listen give eare that by noise he may discerne the approach of the enemy if he cannot plainly see him The seede of sin entreth into the soule by the eyes and eares as two gates into which the blasts of Satan do enter which set our corruption on fire This eare was the part by which sinne entred into mankind by which he overcommeth unstable soules plying them with wicked counsels with malicious and bitter words lying reports filthy and corrupt communications that though men were blind Satan hath this way to come into the soule to overcome it We ought to learne to discern the voice of the enemy Satan is a lying Spirit 1 Kings 22 22. and dwells in the mouth of false Prophets counterfeit Christians as well as he did sometimes in the mouth of the Serpent Iohn 8 44. We must not therfore beleeve every one that speaks but try their spirits whether they be of God or not 1 Iohn 4 1. Many speak with the voice of Satan but they themselves know not what spirit they are of Marke 8 33. Peter spake as if Satan had possessed him when hee counselled Christ to avoid death Iames and Iohn spake cruelly Luke 9 54 â—5 when they desired Samaria to bee burnt Christ saith to Peter Get thee behinde me Satan to teach us how to use the counsell of Satan for our eares are framed to heare what is spoken before our face and therfore whatsoever hath an other voice than the word of God to reject it and give it no hearing because that Satan is aiming in it to betray the soule 3. The Christian souldier must have a good tongue to give warning when danger is at hand 3 A good tongue that is he must have meanes to awake both soule and body to stand to defence to resist sinne entring into the soule The voice that is best heard is the feare of Gods wrath and eternall death to ensue therefore we ought ever to have before our eyes Rom 1 18. that the wrath of God is declared from heaven against all ungodlines Psal 50 21. and that he will lay our sins in order before us and give us a portion with Satan his Angels