thoughts of sin and holiness then now ye have Sin will not be so pleasant and lovely nor holiness so mean and unworthy as now it is in your eyes Probably you can hear of death by the reports of others and be little troubled ye can stand it out stiffly against such false fire with We must all die and Nothing so sure God knoweth who shall go next and the like all this while the heart not with seriousness considering of it so as to be preparing for it The soul as much neglected God as little regarded and the affections as much inslaved to fleshly lusts as before But when Death * climbs up to your own windows and entereth into your Chamber and comely with its pale save to your bed side and boldly arresteth you with a warrant from Heaven assuring you by its symptoms on your body that you must in good earnest into the other world and there have all your walkings and workings interpreted and examined by the infinitely pure and righteous God and your souls according to your deeds sentenced impartially and sent immediately to Heaven or Hell then surely your apprehensions of a new Nature and strict Conversation will change and you will wish with all your souls for a little of others oyl for your Lamps will go out The stoutest unregenerate heart alive will droop at last when God cometh to take away his soul then his crest falls and his plumes flag Now possibly thy Cup overfloweth thou hast a large portion of the good things of this world and they have so much of thy heart that thou art little troubled about the things of the other world the Table of thy life now is richly spread with honours pleasures relations possessions and these have the largest share in thy heart in these thou solacest thy self desiring no other Heaven But what wilt thou do when Death shall come with a Voider and take all away even all thy treasure on earth then thou wilt wish thou couldst find a treasure in Heaven that thou mightest die the death of the Righteous and have thy latter end like his But oh Friend thou shouldst then have lived their lives and have had thy conversation like theirs as the Crab in the Fable told the Serpent who when she had received her deaths wound for her crooked conditions stretched out her self straight At oportuit sic Vixisse that she should have been straight in her life time The way to make thy death comfortable is to make thy life serviceable to God and thy soul He that would enjoy true rest when he dyeth must labour faithfully and diligently whilst he liveth It will be like a dagger at the heart in an hour of death to reflect upon the talents misimployed and opportunities misimproved which free grace afforded you for the honouring of God and furthering of your own salvations Sins of omission will wound deeper at a dying hour then most are aware of God hath committed a great trust to you and the day of your lives is the only time of discharging it besides ye know not how few hours ye may have to your day whether it shall be a Winter or a Summer day the shadows of the evening may suddenly stretch themselves upon you and then it will be no longer day therefore work the work of him that sent you into the world while it is day for the night cometh wherein no man can work John 9.4 Is it not sad that our common observation should he so much verified in the practices of great men That Bells strike thick while they are rising but stand still and give no sound at all when they are at full pitch That Magistrates should like the Sun the higher in the Zodiack move the slower The more noble creatures are the more active they are Men more active then Beasts Angels then men One I remember observeth that God would not accept the first-born of an Ass because it was a a dull slothful creature The Spirit of God which is in all that are sanctified is compared to fire Acts 2. therefore they that would not grieve it must not be slothful in business but fiery fervent seething hot as the word signifieth in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 Hence it was that the Church of Ephesus got letters testimonial from Heaven Revel. 2.2 I know thy works and thy labour how thou canst not bear them that are evil And indeed the more good a Justice hath in himself the less he will bear with evil in others Augustine hath a true saying Qui non zelat non amat He that is not zealous for God hath no true love to God For though love be a passion yet it delighteth to shew it self in acting for the party beloved When Calvin grew sickly some friends disswaded him from hard studying but he gave them this answer Vultisne Christum me invenire otiosum would you have Christ when he comes to me by death to find me idle So do ye think that when sinners Jehu-like drive furiously ye should not like Aegyptians go heavily least death find you idle Observe what became of the idle servant that hid his talent in a napkin Matth. 25.30 He was punished with an eternal long night who would not work in his short day 3. Consider the day of Judgement God will then search and sentence you discover and reward you according to your works Ye that examine and try others shall then be examined and tryed your selves and ye that acquit or condemn others shall then be acquitted or condemned your selves How should this thought move you to walk exactly since your hearts shall be anatomized and your lives manifested before God Angels and men Could ye but as Jerom hear the sound of the last trump always in your ears Arise ye dead and come to judgement surely ye would he holy Judges and Justices indeed Peter maketh this argument a strong enforcement to holiness 2 Pet. 3.10 11. The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works therein shall be burnt up seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness Observe the certainty of it The day of the Lord will come If it were doubtful it would not be so dreadful but it will come surely though it come slowly therefore men had need to be holy Tertullian observed of all those that profest Christianity in his time none lived so loosely as those that did not believe the certainty of the day of judgement But observe 2. the suddenness of it The day of the Lord will come as a theif in the night when men at midnight are securely sleeping they dream not of nor prepare for a theif It is sometimes called a day Matth. 25.13 propter revelationem secretorum
but with Kings are they on the throne Job 36.7 He is totus oculus all eye he seeth you through and through his eyes are with Kings on the throne to observe what the King doth there to see whether Justice and Judgement are the habitation of his throne whether the Scepter of his Kingdom be a righteous Scepter whether he be cloathed with grace as with a garment and arrayed with purity as well as purple to see whether the zeal of Gods house do eat him up Psal. 69.9 and he prefer the Spiritual before the Temporal good of his people to see whether he will suffer them to be lawless in Religion and allow out of hellish policy that which is destructive to Piety even a cursed Toleration Gods eye Sirs may well make you look well to your walking to your hands and hearts Are uncleanness injustice oppression lukewarmness atheism bribery fit objects for Gods eye It was ordered in the Law of Moses that when any went forth of the Camp to ease Nature they should dig an hole with a Paddle and cover it and the reason is given For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy Camp therefore shall it be holy that he see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee Deut. 23.13 14. This Law noteth how the presence of God should keep us from polluting our selves Sin is the souls execrement Gods walking among us should work in us an hatred of such defilements Gods eye may make you work as gods among men Cesars Souldiers were prodigal of their blood when he beheld them How bold should ye be in the discouraging the sturdiest stateliest Offenders How forward in the countenancing the poorest pious Christian considering that God beholdeth you Epaminondas rejoyced much that he had done noble exploits his Parents being alive to take notice of them What noble acts soever are done for the promoting Godliness for the stopping the mouth of wickedness by the children of the most High are all known to the everliving Father who recordeth them faithfully and will reward them bountifully be therefore exact in your walkings and zealous in your working since your labour shall not be in vain for the Lord 1 Cor. 15. ult. Secondly Consider the day of your dissolutions is hastening While ye are creeping only in Gods way or doing negligently Gods Work death is posting with speed towards you Consider the verse following the Text though he hath said Ye ars Gods and called you children of the most High yet ye must die like men Your honours and your worships your Majesties and your Highnesse must shortly lie in the dust and be as low as the meanest Diseases spare none for their fine Cloaths high Places or great Estates And the Cannon of death doth as soon hit the great Commanders as the Common Souldier it maketh no difference Charles the great Pompey the great and Alexander the great were all little in Deaths hands Men in places of greatest power are not persons privileged from the Arrest of this surly Sergeant Ye that are Divine in name have human mortal natures and as ye are Shields of the earth so ye are earthen Shields What is said of the Duke of Parma's Sword is true of Death it maketh no difference between Robes and Rags between Prince and Peasant It is the way of all the Earth Josh. 25.14 The great Road in which all Travell and the end of all the living Job 30.23 The great Inn to which all travell There is no man saith Solomon that hath power of his Spirit to retain it neither hath he power in the day of death there is no discharge in that war Eccles. 8.8 It is storied of Alexander that having heard of Paradise he was very eager of seeking it out and for that end came into the East part of the Earth where an old man meeting some of his Souldiers bad them tell Alexander that he sought Paradise in vain For the way to Paradise was the way of Humility which he did not take but saith he Take this stone and carry it to Alexander and tell him that from this stone he shall know what he is Now the stone was a precious stone and of such a quality that whatsoever thing was weighed with it that was still the heavier only if it were covered with dust then it was as light as straw thereby signifying that though Alexander and men in Authority out-weigh others in life yet when they are covered with dust when death cometh they are as light as others all their greatness cometh to nothing O how little Earth containeth Great Men when they die who will not be contented with much while they live If then ye must die shortly doth it not behove you to live strictly If your time be little should not your work be great for God and your souls Whether thou wilt think of it or no death is approaching thee the Sun doth not move faster in the Heavens then thou art moving to the earth The glass of thy Life for ought thou knowest is nigh its last sand Sure I am thou art now nearer thine unchangeable estate then ever thou wert and doth it not concern thee to walk exactly among men and to work industriously for God! O how much wilt thou wish at an hour of death that thou hadst walked humbly with God and wrought hard for the Lord all the time of thy life T is observed among the Papists that the Cardinals who think their Cowle and other Religious Habits ill becoming them in their health yet are very ambitious to die and be buried in them And I have taken notice in several Churches where are the Monuments of great persons that their Effigies must be erected kneeling with a Bible in their hands holding their hands up to heaven and looking very devoutly with their eyes up to the same place when I have heard of some of them how Prophane and Atheistical they were in their Lives that they used the name of God often in swearing but seldom in praying and prized a Romance or a Play Book above and read them oftner then the Bible Truly thus it is Piety that is trampled under feet by you now in your health and life believe it will be a pearl of great price with you in your sickness and death then you will think the holiest man the happiest man the Precisest Christian in the most blessed condition then you would willingly change states with them which are now Objects of your scorn then you will wish that you had denied your selves crucified the flesh glorified God and walked after the Spirit that you had spent that time in Praying and Reading which you have spent in Carding or Dicing or vain Recreations that you had improved that wealth and strength in the Service of your Saviour for the honour of God and welfare of your soul which have been laid about the World and your lusts O Sirs when this time cometh you will have other
a Magistrate that neglecteth his duty herein is like a Winters Sun glorious for Majesty but yielding no warming or refreshing influences to them that are under him or like the Kings head on a sign-post only for shew The God of heaven doth not cast away the perfect man nor help the evil doer Job 8.20 He beholdeth the righteous with favour he woundeth the heads of sinners Psal. 68.21 He cutteth off the workers of iniquity He killeth and maketh alive with him is the fountain of life Psal. 39.9 as waters flow from Fountain so doth life from God And he can easily slay men Job 4.9 By the blast of God they perish To save and kill is a God-like priviledge The power of life and death is in the hands of these earthly Gods they enliven with their smiles their favour or the light of a Kings countenance is life they kill with their frowns The wrath of a King is the messenger of death Prov. 16.14 15. Herein their dignity and civil God-ship appeareth that they can give by reprieve or pardon or take away a life which is forfeited to the Law Caesars speech was high when he was opposed by Metellus in his takeing away the mony out of the Romane Treasury Let me alone or I will kill thee presently and then to qualifie his threat and magnifie his strength he told him Young man thou knowest it is harder for me to speak it then to do it But this is certain Rulers are not for nothing called Powers Tit. 3.1 It is in their power though not to Tyrannize at their pleasure yet to execute the Laws even to the death of the offendor 2. Magistrates are called Gods not only in regard of ther dignity but also in regard of their duty They ought to resemble God in their execution of Justice amongst men God administreth Justice impartially and so should the Gods The Judge of all the earth doth right and the Judges that are on the earth should do right God doth judge the world in righteousness and ministreth judgement to the poor in uprightness Psal. 9.8 And they who rule over men must be just ruling in the fear of God 2 Sam. 23.3 Justice and Judgement are the habitation of Gods Throne Psal. 89.14 The holy Ghost alludeth to the Thrones of earthly Princes which were under-propped with Pillars as Solomons Throne with Lions 1 Kings 19 20. that were both a support and an ornament to it Now saith the Psalmist Justice and Judgement are the Pillars upon which Gods Throne standeth or as Calvin expoundeth it the Robe and Diadem the Purple and Scepter the Regalia with which Gods Throne is adorned Thus Magistrates ought to make good their pattern and to take heed what they do because they judge not for man but for the Lord who is with them in the Judgement 2 Chron. 19.6 Magistrates are therefore called Gods because they should as God doth do impartial justice without respect of persons protecting the godly as being the Ministers of God for their good Rom. 13.4 and punishing the wicked which are malignant enemies to God and them Now the impartiality of the Gods as of God in executing justice appeareth in these three particulars First in not favouring any for their neerness Magistrates must imitate God in this who is no respecter of persons but judgeth every man according to his works 1 Pet. 1.17 Though Coniah be to me saith God as the Signet on my right hand yet I will pluck him thence Jer. 22.24 That is though he were as near and dear to me as a Kings sealing-ring which is most carefully kept and tenderly preserved worn commonly yea continually on some finger yet I would do justice in plucking him off and casting him from me Nay when Gods own Son who was the Son of his infinite love and choicest delight became liable to the lash of the Law as being a sinner by imputation God would not spare him in the least but made him bear the curse of the Law Rom. 8.32 Zaleucus the Law-giver having enacted that every person guilty of adultery should lose both his eyes did yet when his own Son was found guilty of that fault put out one of his own eyes and one of his Sons But the great God was more just when his Son was a Surety for sinners he caused him to pay the utmost farthing he suffered the law to have its full stroak at him O how just was God that rather then violate the least Tittle of his Law would sign a warrant with his own hand and confirm the Commission with his own Seal for his dearest Sons execution Thus should Magistrates hear and determine without any respect to friends or relations Prov. 24.23 To have respect of persons is not good yea it is very evil Magistrates must hear the cause not the person and mind not the man but the matter which is brought before them David was faulty and he smarted sharply for it in sparing Amnon guilty of Incest and Absolom guilty of Murder because they were his Sons But Levi did nobly who said to his Father and to his Mother I have not seen him neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor knew his own children Deut. 33.9 Pompey aspiring to the Roman Empire and perceiving that Cato was against him sent his friend Minucius to Cato to demand his two Nieces One for himself the other for his Son But when the Messenger had delivered his errand Cato gave him this Answer Go tell Pompey Cato is not to be won by women as long as Pompey shall deal uprightly I shall be his friend and in a greater degree then any marriage can ever make me Surely this Moralist will condemn many Christian Rulers of whom it is said that the Sun might assoon be hindred from running his race as he from doing what was just and upright God will not upon any pretence whatsoever have his own person accepted Job 13.8 much less the persons of men Secondly In not sparing or fearing any for their greatness Rulers ought to be men of courage Exod 18.21 The fear of man bringeth a snare Prov. 29.25 and is often the cause why justice is perverted Pilate feared Caesar John 19.12 13. and therefore against his conscience condemned Christ The great God of heaven feareth none spareth none for their glory or greatness He putteth the mighty out of their Seats Luke 1.52 He bindeth Kings in chains and Princes in Fetters of Iron Psal. 149.8 The day of the Lord shall be upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oaks of Bashan and upon all the high Mountains and upon every high Tower and upon every fenced Wall Isa. 2.12 13 14. He is the Almighty Al-powerfull God and therefore cares not for any might or power of man Thus the Gods on earth should do justice on all great as well as small fearing none but the God of heaven Deut. 1.17
such will your practices be water riseth no higher then its Fountain If therefore you would walk as God and work for God you must both walk and work from God If ever the hand of the dial point and go right without the wheels and poises must be right within It is noted of true and sincere Saints that acted for God in the Regal Office That their hearts were perfect with the Lord 1 King 15.14 Isai. 38.3 This spiritual life in their souls made them warm and zealous for their Saviour Caleb that followed the Lord fully had another spirit a different principle from the ten carnal Princes Numb. 14.24 Mens actions will then be sacred when their affections are sanctified He that followeth God he knoweth not why will forsake God he knoweth not how A Magistrate that is zealous for God only because the times favour such may soon be brought to be as zealous against God He that is not knit to his service with the heart-strings of love spun out of a renewed nature will easily be parted from his service Such slavish spirits will serve God no longer then they can serve themselves of God When Jehu's interest Gods are conjoyned as in rooting out the idolatry of Baal how fiery is Jehu how furiously doth he drive He slayeth all the false Prophets he breaketh down the Images of Baal and the house Baal and maketh it a draught-house 2 King 10.25 26 27. But when Gods Interest and Jehus are divided as in the Calves at Dan and Bethel there Jehu must be excused he will uphold them as some do by that Monster of Toleration out of State policy expecting that they should uphold him 2 King 10.27 28. But what was the reason of this Surely the want of this divine principle the fire of Jehu's zeal was not lighted at the Altar for then it would have continued burning but kitchen fire kindled at a common hearth and therefore would burn no longer then it had such gross matter as his own credit or profit to feed it when this fuel was taken away his fire went out look in vers 31. Jehu walked not in the law of the Lord with all his heart his heart was not perfect it was not cast into the fire of the Word and new-moulded by the Spirit of God The want of this foundation over-turned all that beautiful building which Jehu had set up It is a question in Politicks Whether a wicked man may be a good Magistrate It is I suppose possible for a wicked man when he is in authority to do some good but I conceive he will hardly do the good he ought or like Caleb stand for God when the times are against God when the people talked of stoning him but like the king of Navarre he will launch no further into the Ocean then he can be sure to get back safe Such a man is like an Horse with a thorn in his foot which may go fairly on in good wayes but if he come to hard wayes he will halt and discover himself He that hath not gone through the pangs of the new birth and heartily taken God in Christ for his All and thereby secured his eternal estate will scarce hazard his name or estate much less his limbs or life for God as he must do that will be faithful unto the death For with what heart can he look that danger in the face which for ought he knoweth may kill both body and soul Or if he be very bold and venturous for God yet being an evil man he can never do good by all his activeness as a Ruler to his own soul God may give him parts and gifts and courage as a Noble man giveth dainty fare to his Nurse not out of love to him but for his childrens sake He may like a ship be instrumental to land others at some happy Port whereon it never entereth it self He may be very helpful to others temporal nay and eternal salvation and yet miss himself Jehu by acting for God got a lease of an earthly Kingdom for three or four lives but he lost the heavenly one for ever The most that I know that a civil yet unsanctified Magistrate gets by his forwardness and heat for God is only a cooler hell though your names are divine yet if ye be not partakers of the divine nature ye are lost for ever Now what advantage will it be to you like Noahs Carpenters to build an Ark for the saving of others and to perish your selves Believe it Sirs If ye would have good fruits in your lives there must be this root of holiness in your hearts A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things What water is in the Well such will be in the bucket and what ware is in the shop such will be on the stall therefore when God promiseth that men shall walk in his wayes and keep his judgements and do them he promiseth also to put his Spirit or a new spirit into them which should enable them thereunto Ezek. 11.19 Ezek 36.26 27. The flesh will serve to enable a man to walk after the flesh but the Spirit of God alone can enable man to walk after the spirit Natural light is not sufficient to mortifie natural lusts It may cover for some time but can never kill sin Some men may be like the Lyons in Daniels den chained up or restrained and yet have their ravenous dispositions their old carnal hearts still Civility though commendable yet without inward sanctity is not sufficient to prove one interested in a Saviour or in a state of salvation There is as much difference between a Moral man and a real Christian as between a liveless picture and a living person A Lion and a Lamb a Raven and a Dove darkness and light death and life do not differ more then a sinner and a Saint then a man only civilized and a sanctified Christian O Sirs think of it seriously the terms upon which salvation may be had are the same to you and the meanest beggar John 3.3 If heaven be not in you by the indwelling of Gods Spirit renewing you in the Spirit of your mind it is impossible that ever you should be in heaven The tide of your natures and the wind of your affections must be turned the clean contrary way to what they are by your birth if ever you sail to the Haven of Heaven Labour therefore as for life for this principle of spiritual life without which you cannot escape the second death Secondly If ye would walk and work as Gods among men then your rule must be divine as well as your principle Every calling hath some rule to go by in conformity to which their excellency consisteth The Lawyer hath his Littleton and Coke the Physitian hath his Galen and Hippocrates the Philosopher hath his Aristotle the Christian hath the Word of God a sure and a perfect rule to walk by Gal. 6.16 And this