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
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.
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
yet they might feele having this ability in every joynt of the least member but such shall this security be that as a man fast on sleepe hath his life and all his senses yet is as an Image that neither sees feeles heares nor smells and hath no part of a living man in use excepting onely his breath so this finall security shall be such that though it were no wonder that most men neglect to heare their danger and oftentimes neglect to see unavoidable evills before their eyes yet shall they not be able to perceive and feele these burthens under which they groane That those things shall so be all prophecies of the last judgement have confirmed with manifold exhortations unto watchfulnesse for death and judgement And though wee have heard of divers examples of wonderfull security yet if we consider the great light of the Gospell which shall shine more and more towards the end it maketh security to shew it selfe the greater He that in this light of the Gospell hath this lethargie let him know that his destruction is hard at hand when the Lord cast Adam into a dead sleepe it was to take a rib out of him the sound sleepe of Sisera was that he might not feele the naile entring into his temples and Physitians thinke that this dead sleepe is onely fittest to cut away a leg or an arme from a man and hee not to feele it Certainly there are too many neere destruction by this marke that every day gives us example that security is onely fit to make them feele their paine whom no meanes in the world besides could perswade to thinke upon their perill God can and will provide meanes to save his elect from security What shall we now say of the elect that they likewise shall be senselesse and carelesse of the wrath to come God forbid Saint Peter gives vs a comfortable instruction herein that if we appertaine to God this securitie that goes before destruction cannot be able to chaine us in his words are 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished Hee brings in two examples when all were past feeling before the Flood yet the Lord saved Noah and some others and quickned his Spirit that hee preached the way of righteousnesse to the rest when Sodome was to be made example to all generations for an ungodly secure life hee so sanctified the heart of Lot that hee was grieved and mourned for their wickednesse Likewise our Lord Iesus when he sheweth his Disciples of this fearefull security and threatneth that it shall be punished with his fearfull and hasty comming Compare Mat. 24.42 43. with Luke 12 38. hath in his threatning enfolded a secret comfort for his servants hee saith You know not at what watch he will come Souldiers camping or keeping upon life and death divide the night into certaine watches that although all the army be asleepe yet are the Sentinels and watchers awake who by usuall notice of the howers from one another keepe many awake raise some from sleepe and cause numbers to be in readinesse at all times So God who best knoweth the dangers of his owne doth raise up his zealous servants and makes their voice effectuall to adde into and keep in the Church from day to day such as should be saved Acts 2.47 their voice though not heard by the deafe and secure world is yet the voice of a cryer in the wildernesse Revel 14.3 Math. 3. to forewarne others to fly from the wrath to come and as the voice of a trumpet sounding terribly in the silent time of sleeping Esay 58.1 And so the Lord that hath his eyes on them that feare him watcheth his owne in all such dangers that hee may save them they awake to prevent their destruction Thirdly the Scripture useth to call the death of his servants yea and of reprobates a sleeping and thus you shall finde at Christs comming the most of Gods Saints will be in the grave or as Daniel saith sleeping in the dust and so Augustine expoundeth this place of bodily death Dan. 12 2. Epist 120. ad Henoratum The Fathers say thus concerning the wise Virgins Dormicrunt quidem sed suavâ—ter in Domino They sleept indeed but sweetly in the Lord Bernard in locuÌ„ and therefore expectantium somnus Hilarius in locuÌ„ Dormire est mori dormitare est languescere quia per pondus aegritudinis pervenitur ad somnuÌ„ nortis Greg. in Evang HoÌ„ 12 Hieron in locum credentium quies est the sleeping of those that waite for him is the rest of them that beleeve in him And justly is death by the Scripture called a sleepe because at judgement the dead shall be awaked as men out of sleepe Consequenâ—er dicitur dormierunt quia postea suscitandae sunt For good reason is it said that they slept because that afterwards they are to bee awaked againe Indeede the Fathers have herein spoken truely but they have not fully answered the question for the Lord shall have his Saints at his comming who in stead of death shall be as Henoch and Elias were changed and so meete the Lord in the Ayre who cannot be found sleeping in the grave Christ saith that all slept that every one may tremble prevent it And therfore to answer this question we must consider that the Scripture nameth the word All for the greatest part of men as in these like places 2 Cor. 5.17 Coloss 1.20 Iohn 12.32 Esay 40.4 Ambros de Vocat Gent. lib. 1. cap. 2. Ioel 2.28 Sicut etiam cùm de impijs sermo est ita loquutionem suam divinus stilus ordinat ut ea quae de quadam parte dicuntur ad omnes homines pertinere videantur In like manner when speech is made of wicked men the holy stile is so framed that the things which are spoken of a certaine part doe seeme to pertaine to all men generally as Ioh. 3.32 Philip. 2.21 In like manner Christ saith All slept because few would be found otherwise the dead that died in the Lord would be found in their graves most of men alive would be senslesse of the wrath to come the godly minished from among the children of men and those that were so would be as eight persons saved of a whole world as Lot and three more of fiue flourishing Citties as a very small remnant like as when the Iewes in Iudea were carried away to Babylon Esay 1.9 or as the number of Christian Iewes in St. Paules dayes Rom. 10 5. All which considered wee understand that Christs words are meant universaliter in toto non communiter in singulis universally of all men that all slumbered and slept not commonly of every particular man for the Lord knowes how to awake and save his owne and of all committed to Christ not one can be lost
great labour yea when it is bought it is freely bestowed It is a Iesuite who writeth thus if he had or if others would consider the words they should have litle reason to name the word of merit any more 2. While the Lord calls us buyers it is a great honour and comfort unto us David bestowed much upon the building of the Temple 1 Chron. 29.14 but who did owe the silver and gold David said he had given to God that which was his owne so whilst we are bidden buy that wherwith we are bidden buy the Lord lends us for we cannot have so much as a good thought of our selves 3. When we pay in any thing to the Lord quod datur melius nobis retinetur that which we give is kept in store for us Gen 42.25 and the price is returned unto us againe with profite as Ioseph returned his brothers monyes in their sacks againe 4. Whatsoever wee pay the Lord it is rather an increase then diminishing of our substance the Widowes Oyle increased the more she gave to Eliah of it 1 King 17.16 Who can say that he is poorer for any thing he giveth to the poore or that hee loseth so much of his life time in which hee tendeth the service of God yea or rather is not that day multiplyed that is bestowed on the Lord When we count all that we can all that we haue the Lord giveth us freely yea when we bestow it upon the Lords service hee returnes it with profit into our bosomes againe So much for the sellers Seeing many who are foolish in spirituall matters obtaine praise enough for their wisdome in the world Worldly applause shall be no comfort in the feare full day we must consider with whom they traffique in their liues and actions These wordes goe to them that sell are onely a reproach to reprobate men and therefore their miserable comforts in the day of the fearefull account are no where to be found I observed upon verse 4 that if the foolish Virgins had any oyle they had it in their Lampes exposed to the view of the world but the wise who had Oyle sufficient put it in their vessels untill they had neede of it So that if wicked men doe any good actions it is to make flatterers bestow praise enough upon them and to gaine that favour of men to be tossed up and downe in the ayre as children blow bubbles and to be accounted to have some happinesse in themselves whose felicity hath onely the dwelling in the braine or wandreth up and downe with the opinion of others The speciall respect that such men have in all their doings is that to use their owne words the world may give expect or are least prepared The day that Adam brake Gods command it was said thou shalt die the death to dust shalt thou returne yet though he lived 930 yeares after hee could not conclude that his life should be crowned with immortality Methusalem who lived longer yet at last met the Bridegroome And to be briefe Who is hee that liveth Psal 89 48. and shall not see death So then let us deceive our selves as wee will and make a covenant with life and death once wee must meete the Bridegroome nay rather twice we must meete him at our death and when hee commeth to judgement to take account of all men together They that were ready Concerning the second which is the readinesse of the Virgins the day of examination and tryall doth declare it the wise were found ready the foolish began to prepare for then they went to buy Seeing we are to use traffique for obtaining salvation wee may understand that the readinesse of Gods Saints to meete the Lord stands in this that wee doe account and discharge whatsoever may hinder us and provide for whatsoever wee neede We have a reckoning with God that wee be not unready when we should meete him and another with the world lest it should detaine and hinder us Wee must reckon with God for our sinnes We must account with God for our manifold debts of sinne which for payment require our everlasting damnation or else some satisfaction which is infinite in price to countervaile the infinitenesse of time which justice requireth in our punishment for offending an infinite God But to the end that we may have the meanes for this satisfaction our mercifull God hath set before us the death and sufferings of his owne Sonne equall to himselfe in majesty the worth of whose sufferings doth in justice make more than equality to whatsoever we can be charged withall The Lord having made so easie a way for our discharge now laieth the charge upon us that we count and summe up our misdeedes in his presence and when we have so done to present in stead of our personall satisfaction the satisfaction that his Sonne in whom onely he is well pleased made to obtaine a pardon and discharge unto us First then wee must call our selves to account before the Lord If wee iudge our selves wee shall not bee iudged of the Lord. and truely without hiding from him any thing to whom nothing can be secret and bewaile our estate before him otherwise we can never be ready The wise man counselleth us As we take physicke to prevent sicknesse so we ought to examine our selves before wee be judged that in the day of visitation we may finde mercy Ecclesiasticus 18.18 19. And Saint Paul assures us that if we judged our selves 1 Cor 11 31. we should not be judged of the Lord. Now because most men neglect to take this course the Lord entreth into judgement with them Psal 50 21. layeth their misdeedes in order before them chastneth some in this world and be so respective From Pithagoras many learned thought the wisest man to be he who iudged himselfe every day Vir bonus et sae pieas qualem vâ—x repperit vnum Millibus emultiâ— hominuÌ„ consulius Apollo Iudex ipse sut etc Sic dicta facta per omnia Ingrediens ortoque a vespere cuncta revoluens Offensus pravis det palmam praemia rectis Auson Edyll. 16. What is required in a Iudge Cic. Offic. lib. 3. to repent and amend every particular fault done to our neighbour how carefull should we be that no sin which we can know of passe unreconciled for with our heavenly Father we finde the proverbe true That oft reckoning keeps long friends but there is no meanes to obtaine or be sure of Gods friendship except we make often account with him for them As we must respect the times of examinyng our selves that we use it often so must we the manner If we would free our selves from accouÌ„ting with the dreadfull Iudge we must be judges of our selves that is as wee make a partie in reckoning our sinnes so must we be as judges in calling our selves to account in receiving the reckoning in justlie condemning our selves who are
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
Revel 3.3 If thou wilt not watch I will come on thee as a theefe and thou shalt not know what houre I will come upon thee This comming of Christ we expect and are certaine of yet we are not afraid nor watch because we see not the glory of that power which others feele which commeth and dispossesseth them of life The other comming of Christ to judgement even the very word of it is terrible because of the fearefull sights we shall see and the glory which Christ shall shew that reprobate men shall feare nothing so much as the presence of him who sitteth upon the throne This comming of Christ is chiefly meant of by Christ as appeareth by the purpose of this and the chapter going before But seeing that death and judgement doe goe together and that the preparation for the one is for both let us take consideration of that which commeth first Of all things onely death is certaine Psal 89.48 In Psal 38. in Hebr. 39 11. surely every man is vanity The certainty of Christs comming by death is the onely thing that we are all sure of Who is hee saith Ethan that liveth and shall not see death Or what is sure saith Augustine in this life except death Consider all whether good or bad things of this life righteousnesse or iniquity what is certaine except death Hast thou profited well what thou art to day thou knowest what thou shalt be tomorrow thou knowst not Lookst thou for money it is uncertaine to come Thou lookest for a wife this is uncertaine or what an one thou shalt have thou hopest for childrē they are uncertain to be born are they borne their life is uncertaine if they live their thriving is uncertaine Whatsoever way thou turnest thee all is uncertaine except death Art thou poore it is uncertaine if thou shalt be rich art thou unlearned it is uncertaine if thou shalt be learned art thou sicke it is uncertaine if thou shalt recover art thou borne thou art sure to die This is the enemy that as the Prophet saith Esay 28.15.18 wee make a covenant with making falshood our refuge and hiding our selves under vanity which notwithstanding is and must be disanulled as all experiences doe confirme An Archer shootes sometimes beyond the marke sometimes comes short of it now on the one side then on the other but though hee misse the marke for a time at length hits it so we see death strike at great ones above us sometimes at children and servants under us on the right hand it taketh our friends on the left hand our enemies shall we thinke to escape seeing he hath so long aimed at us We are al entring into death and this is the difference onely who shall take the way every one whom he taketh leaveth the Wisemans counsell unto us Remember my judgement so shall thine be to mee to day to thee to morrow Ecclus. 38.22 Make use of this certaine misery O man remember thy end August in spec hum mis remember what thou shalt be and when thou shalt goe out of this life Naked camest thou out of thy mothers wombe and naked under the earth shalt thou goe wormes shall consume thy body why should the flesh rejoyce which is prepared to be wormes meate rejoyce not to day lest thou dye to morrow why labourest thou to stretch out the belly with variety of dishes thinke I pray thee for whom thou doest prepare this fatnesse seeing as a bagge thou shalt be cast out to the wormes Why gloriest thou that thou art a precious vanity compassed with golde and precious stones and so despisest others The day shall come when thou shalt therefore if we know not but he may come within a day or an houres space much lesse are wee certaine that he shall stay a moneth a yeare or more yeares before he come I suppose that whosoever knoweth Gods word will acknowledge these to be true in doing of which they cannot but utterly condemne their curiosity who labor to determine or know when Christ shall come to judgement being quite contrary to his word and intent of doctrine and now a knowne foolishnes in many learned and godly men among the ancient Fathers Quae sermone omnium celebratur Astrologia stultitia multo labore constans Basil in Hexam Orat 1. The foolery I neede not the counsell of judicious Astrologians to know the truth of our ignorance herein their much admired labour and fooleries are contrary to the studie of Christians we are forbidden to meddle with secrets which only belong to God especially with the knowledge of the times for God hath put them in his owne power but wee are commanded to provide for them which at all times expect us we should desire to be of Gods Court but not presume to be of his Councell they on the contrary strive to be of his Councell and not of his Court labouring by all meanes to know the particulars of Gods providence and time of their death and punishment of Astrologians The Lord gives just reward for their presumption for we may observe that when they have obtained as they thinke some knowledge hee crosseth them in what they desire most If they finde out a long life they rejoyce but the Lord never commonly suffers that to be performed which the starres promise them but takes them away in some hasty and visible judgement If they finde death at the doores and appoint a day for the approach of it these are fearefull newes which the Lord brings commonly to passe upon them for a recompence of their errour It remaineth therefore that we remember that death tarrieth not and that the covenant of the grave is not shewed thee Ecclesiasticus 14.12 And seeing the first comming of Christ is revealed unto us for it concernes us to know the day of our visitation that we labour that his second coming be not at unawares on us or as a snare that we never looked for by making profitable use of his first comming to make our salvation sure and for his comming by death or judgement to watch for we know not the day nor the houre when the Sonne of man commeth Secondly to the end that we may continually watch for the time when our Lord Iesus shall come he saith not you know not the yeare Our life-time is measured out unto us by daies hours but you know not the day nor the houre teaching us thereby that our lives are measured out by dayes and houres and not bestowed at randome upon us or squared out by the great but are numbred out by little and little unto us Iob 14.5 Are not the dayes of man saith Iob determined the number of his moneths are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds which he cannot passe When God set the time to Noah that hee would destroy the world with a flood he measured it out by dayes Gen. 6.3 The dayes of man shall be an 120
would try whether the oyle that you have be good or how we may know it in time to come the properties of good oyle are three 1. That it be new and fresh Gods gifts must be daily renewed by prayer and meditation 2. That it may be easily powred out what good we doe must be willingly and cheerefully done Senec in Proverb Beneficium qui citò dat indigenti bis dat One good deed done in season is a double kindnesse Thirdly that it be not earthy or mixt with slime so true graces must not be defiled with ostentation and worldly glory The foolery of the Templaries I must not omit the foolishnesse of some who have by practise shewen how they expound this verse the Romish Leigers at the Sepulchre in Ierusalem Musculus in lacum have made it a materiall businesse in their preparation to heaven-ward to have lampes in that Church continually burning and maintained with oyle The Greeke Church follow the same superstition but increased more than the former who comming in multitudes to the Sepulcher Sandes travell pag 173. compasse it often and in the end following an Aethiopian Priest and some of their owne Bishops rush in confusedly to get fire to lighten their lampes which remaine unlighted with other fire untill that day twelve-moneth This folly more heathenish than Christian-like deserveth more pity than refutation VERSE 5. Now while the Bridegroome tarried long all slumbred and slept HItherto hath beene their preparation for this great Wedding now the Bridegroomes comming is to be considered of and their meeting of him But that we may be the better prepared to meet Christ he tells us that we must be watchfull to attend his pleasure and appointed time As the Virgins of Israel attendants on their Marriages knew certainly that the Bridegroome would come but were uncertaine at what precise houre he should come So we are certaine that Christ shall come but what yeare moneth or day we cannot imagine Therefore wee are to provide for his staying as well as his comming This Verse containeth Christs stay and the effects of it the Verses following have his comming and effects thereof Christ in his comming is said to stay long Christ seemeth to stay long 1. In respect of his Saints first in respect of his Saints who in the miseries of this world and desire of eternall life are ever crying Come Lord Iesus and knowing that the day of his comming to judgement is the first day of their true perfection both in body and soule they sigh in themselves Rom. 8 23. waiting for the redemption of their body and this Christian Religion teacheth us that we waite for that blessed hope Tit 2 13. and the practise of the Saints Iob 14 14. the soule of Iob in glory is still waiting till his renewing doe come and not Paul onely shall receive the Crowne of glory but all that love Christs appearing 2 Tim 4 8 Now because hee commeth not so soone as they desire rather than faile his servants in this life would take up the matter with the day of their death Philip. 1.21 and wish to bee dissolved to bee with Christ 2 In respect of wicked men Secondly the stay of Christ is thought long in respect of wicked men both by the opinion of Gods servants and their owne opinion Gods servants doe wonder that God should suffer the Sunne to give light the ayre to give breath or the earth to beare his enemies and that he suffereth Satans Kingdome to be so long without finall destruction Rev. 6 10. their bloods and oppressions to be so long unrevenged with the infinite wrath of God And in the opinion of wicked men Christ stayes long from judgement for some will not beleeve it 2 Pet 3 2. but mocke to heare of it others as Salomon saith put the day of evill farre from them Mat 24. and doe plainly resolve that their Master doth deferre his comming to judgement and that their life is for many yeares and therefore they play the tyrants and doe what they list but the Master shall come in the day when they look not for him and at the houre that they are not aware of if many thought the day of their death was so neere or judgement presently to follow they would not live as they doe 3. In respect of the creature 3. Christs coming is thought longby the instinct nature of the creatures though they be not chained to sinne as we are yet they are sometimes partakers of the punishment of our sinne that the heaven is sometimes hard as brasse for want of moysture Deut 28 23. other times the sea seemeth to be above because of raine and waters all times the heavens waxe olde as a garment Psal 102. the powers of it grow weake that in stead of distinguishing they often confound the seasons now they are subject to change and weaknesse but the day of Christs comming shall releeve them and restore them to the liberty of Gods children which is both to be free from sinne and corruption the punishment of sinne and the creatures seeme to travaile in paine being subject to vanitie Rom 8 20 21 22. desiring to be delivered from that bondage unto the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God What is the meaning of Christs stay Long staying may be either in respect of appointed or expected time although the time of Christs comming is not set downe yet because there were certaine marks given before he come which some observing others mistaking yet most of all inquirers could never imagine that he should have stayed so long therefore not comming as he was expected hee is thought to stay long In all the times when the Gospell flourished When Christ was expected and the curious fouly deceived there were some that enquired for it and some concluded the time which came not to passe the Lord thereby shewing the folly of their curiositie In St. Paules dayes as the Grecians in all manner of learning were curious so at Thessalonica especially they began to beate their braines about this and because St Paul had written in his first Epistle chap. 4. vers 15. For this I say by the word of the Lord that wee who live shall not prevent them that sleep they presently concluded that his comming was at hand for repressing of which opinion Paul wrote his second Epistle unto them 2 Thess 2 1 2. some said that they knew it by revelation others avouched that they heard it from Saint Paules mouth others that they could shew his letters for it A little after the Apostles dayes it was a common opinion among unconverted Gentiles August de Civit. Dei lib 18 cap 53. that the world should stand 365 yeares About the yeare of Christ 250 Cyprian writeth to a friend of his Epist ad Fortunatum that the common opinion was that the end was at hand and
far frō loathing quia sitientes satiabimur satiati sitiemus for in thirsting after the same wee shall be filled and being filled we shall thirst What shall wee doe in heaven saith Augustine Psal 84.4 The Psalme saith Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be alwayes praising thee this shall be our eternall action Thou ceasest to praise him if thou cease to love him but thou shalt not leave loving of him for hee whom thou seest can never be too much looked upon his presence causeth fulnesse of joy nor offend thee with loathing Et satiat te non satiat Mirum est quod dico si dicam quia satiat te timeo ne c. August in Psal 85 in Hebr. 86.17 Adiu visti me consolatus es me Hee both filleth and filleth thee not this is a wonder that I say for if I say he filleth thee I feare thou shouldst conceiue it in earthly manner that thou shouldest depart as one filled with a dinner or supper if I say hee doth not fill thee I feare thou shouldest seeme to want and be empty in some part which should be filled why then shall I say that which cannot be uttered cannot be conceived It is easier to obtaine than declare the joyes of heaven whatsoever wee can conceiue or speake we shall to our great comfort finde it true which is written As we haue heard Psal 48.8 so haue wee seene in the Citty of the Lord but what we shal heare and see cannot come by report Wonderfull things were tolde the Queene of Sheba 2 Chron. 9.6 of Salomons wisedome and glory of his Kingdome she beleeved them not untill she saw and heard them and then she confessed that the one halfe was not reported unto her Glorious things are spoken of heaven unto us and such as wee shall understand could not be delivered and conceiued with words Let us therefore beleeue the Lord and rely with hope untill that blessednesse be shewen upon us he hath done a harder thing than bringing us to immortality For it is harder to beleeue saith Aug. that he who is eternal should die In Psal 148.6 Posuit mandatum c. than that a mortall man should live for ever We beleeue the death of the Sonne of God if God died for man shall not man live with God or hee live eternally for whom one died who liveth for ever Vses of this doctrine The use the Scripture teacheth us of this doctrine is first that considering what entertainment the Lord hath prepared for us in heaven we should winde our hearts from the love of the shadowes which the world presents unto us We are here like the poore estate of the prodigall childe if we considered how many were in our Fathers house in full felicity we would wish to be removed from this place where hogges have as much to maintaine their life as we can obtaine to maintaine ours St. Paul who once tasted of this joy sighed and groaned ever after to bee gone out of the world and little reason have we if wee appertaine unto God to be in love with our worldly estate for it hinders us of a better Secondly what labor should we take to obtaine unspeakable joyes or to purchase a heavenly kingdome August in Psal 93. in Hebr. 94.20 Nunquid sedes iniquitatis c. If we speake the truth eternall rest is worthy to be bought with eternall labour yet the Lord is mercifull in hastening us to get possession Let us therefore consider at what rate we would sell those joyes if once we had them and we shall the better know what labour and paines is worthy to be payed for them Thirdly this doctrine is set downe to comfort and ease all that suffer misery in this life that they looke not on the things which are seene but the things which are not seene that nothing prove so intollerable which they feare to suffer that they may see Christ in glory In Manual therefore Augustine did encourage himselfe against miseries and meditated thus O soule if we behooved to suffer daily torments if to suffer hell it selfe a long time that we might see Christ in glory and be fellowed with his Saints were it not worthy to suffer all that is painfull that we may be partakers of so great a glory Let therefore the infernall spirits beset us let them prepare their temptations let fasting breake the body let labours burden watching dry up let whosoever disquiet me let my conscience murmure heate burne me the body sicken the breast be enflamed the stomack swell let the countenance grow pale let all be weake let my life end in sorrow and my yeares in mourning Habac 3 16. let rottennesse enter into my bones so that I may have rest in the day of tribulation And the gate was shut Now followeth the reward of foolishnesse the foolish are kept without doores and not admitted to the company of the wise nor accounted worthy that the same place should receive the carelesse and improvident which is appointed as a reward unto the understanding and industrious The greatest punishment that could be imposed upon the unprovided for a common wedding was to be exposed to shame and shut out of doores Therefore Christ according hereunto saith that the Reprobate shall be shut out from partaking the felicity of the elect when notwithstanding this is not their greatest sorrow for if they were neither capable of joy Pana damni nor sorrow their estate might seeme more tollerable but their misery can never be enough pitied for they shall be punished with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord 2 Thess 1. if once their misery could come to an end it were some hope of comfort but eternally this word is more painefull then all the paine besides that so long they must suffer torment as God is God And so everlastingly they shall be banished from the presence of God who is mercifull and chained in the land of forgetfullnesse When our Saviour sheweth that they shall be deprived of a glorious inheritance and expresseth no more he would have us thereby to understand that there is no man so forgetfull of salvation if he knew how great good he were to have needed to be threatned with any further punishment The like is set downe in the Revelation that the punishment of filthy and wicked men shall be to be without the gates of heavenly Ierusalem Revel 22 15. St. Paul in punishment of diverse kinds of wickednesse pronounceth 1 Cor. 6.10 Gal 5 21. Ephes 5 5. that they shall not inherite the kingdome of God who is able to abide such a doome To bee sure that others in our presence shall enter to possesse unspeakable joyes and our selues receive ashamefull repulse Who can patiently abide to be disinherited When Caine was banished from the Lords presence favour he complained in this life Gen. 4 13. That his
measure with that pure and holy knowledge that the Lord hath of them it would make them take some more labour for his love and acquaintance which seeing they doe not they fulfill the Lords threatning to their shame seeing they are foretolde of it and care not to prevent it Christ foretolde us that hee who confessed him Matth 10 32. Marke 10.38 hee would acknowledge him before his Father and the Angels but he that would be ashamed of him hee would deny him Loe now he maketh it good for he professeth openly I know you not What meaneth to confesse or to be ashamed of Christ In this life our Saviour calleth for our friendship and acquaintance in his faire offer of salvation if we will thinke it an honour for us that Christ was once in misery and poverty for our sake and account this our greatest glory he sendeth his messengers the poore and distressed who are his brethren Fratres vocat omnes simpliciter pauperes Omnis enim pauper frater est Christi quandoquidē Christus in egestate vixit Theophylact. in Mat. 25.40 to be acquainted with us in his name to see how wee would like of their friendship or how we would entertaine Christ if he himselfe came to us in that fashion as indeede once he did If we rejoyce to be thus acquainted with Christ and confesse him in this life then shall he openly acknowledge us and to our glory pronounce before God and all that shall be gathered in the great judgement how we loved and respected him and his messengers He that is ashamed of the poverty of Christ the misery and tribulation of a Christian or the distresse of the poore or to professe love and acquaintance to them they shal be rewarded accordingly Idem in Iuc 9.26 As he that hath an evil servant is ashamed to call him his servant so Christ shall deny them and say I know you not Happy is the soule that hath a part in the commendation and prayer of Paul for Onesiphorus whose service and confession he prayeth the Lord to remember in the great day in these words The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus 1 Tim. 1.16 17 18. for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chaine but when hee was at Rome he sought me out very diligently and found me the Lord grant unto him that he may finde mercy with the Lord in that day and in how many things he hath ministred unto mee at Ephesus thou knowest very well Lastly these words I know you not shew us that not onely Christ shall take away his compassion from them but shall be their enemy to be avenged on them Theophilact in Marc. 8.34 He that denieth another if it be his familiar friend his brother or father although he see him whipt or killed he taketh no notice he laments not he hath no compassion or suffering with him being once estranged from him so when Christ hath denyed the reprobate they must looke for no compassion but which is worse they must expect punishment When some of the Levites were killing of their owne kindred for their idolatry of Levi it is said in their name Hee said unto his father and mother Deut. 33 9. I have not seene you neither knew he his brethren nor knew he his owne children So when the date of acquaintance and mercy is past with Christ then there is nothing to be expected but the execution of vengeance for hee will not know one more than another When his wrath is kindled Psal 2.12 it will be knowne how happy they are that put their trust in him Now there is a question to be answered Seeing Christ both exhorteth and promiseth Knock and it shall be open unto you how is it that hee saith he will deny them that both knocke and call upon him in the day of judgement I answer they defraud themselves of the benefite of this promise Two things to be observed by all that would knocke at heavens gate for obtaining whereof two conditions are required of us First that wee knocke and call while it is the time and day of salvation which day is the time of our life because that life and time is given unto us to this end that wee may labour for the life that never hath an end August in Ioh. 6 Ad hoc debet prodesse unicuique vivere ut detur ei semper vivere And indeede life is onely a benefit to every man that he may thereby obtaine the benefit of living eternally Secondly we must in requisite manner call and knocke some onely knocke with words and honour God with their lippes Esay 29 13◠but their hearts are farre from him yea and will aske of God with teares yet they aske not aright because it is not with heart word and deed of which they want two for their hearts call not to him for love of him or of eternall life but other by-respects are cause of their complaints neither doe their deedes concurre to knocke and move the Lord. These who would enter into life must open their hearts to let the Lord in and dwell in them Psal 24.7 according as David exhorteth Lift up your heads you gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting dores and the King of glory shall come in Psal 118.20 for this is the gate of the Lord onely the righteous shall enter into it who onely may truely say Verse 19. Open mee the gates of righteousnesse that I may goe into them and praise the Lord for ever no uncleane or wicked person dare say this their deedes can neither knocke nor enter Acts 10 4. Cornelius prayer appeared in Gods presence but his fasting and almes went up to heaven heaven cannot be purchased with bare words we must make friends of worldly riches to gaine everlasting habitations and make treasures in heaven yea and have our hearts there also or else our calling cannot be taken notice of nor be able to unlocke the inaccessible place of glory VERSE 13. Watch therefore for yee know neither the day nor the houre when the Sonne of man will come THese words are the 3. part of this Parable containing the application of it Wherin our Saviour sheweth plainly the great love and care he hath to his servants and his abundant mercy which he hath on all men that he desireh not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turne from his wickednesse and live giveth a generall cry forewarning their danger and preventing their destruction but in such particular manner that it is sufficient to move the most senseles heart to retreate Two times already as I said in the beginning hath Christ in this same Sermon given the same warning Now because the danger is great even the damnation of every soule that labours not to prevent it and men are carelesse and fearelesse of unseene and unfelt dangers therfore he preacheth it
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