in the body c. He cometh with cloudes and every eye shall see him Rev. 1.7 He is call'd The judge of the whole earth Gen. 18.25 All men are divided into two sorts or ranks 2 Tim. 4.1 1 Pet. 4.5 Apoc. 20.12 living and dead and both these shall Christ judge Act. 19.42 Who hath power over all flesh Joh. 17.2 Who shall reward every one according to his works Mat. 16.27 And to whom God hath sworn every knee shall bow Isai 45.23 Rom. 14.11 So that if there should but one be exempted from appearing before Christ at the last day the oath of God should be broken which is impossible If God number all the hairs of our head how much more all the persons whose those hairs are Mat. 10.30 Psal 56.10 Joh. 5.24 If he number all our steps how much more all those who take those steps And whereas it 's said that the Beleevers shall not come into judgement Psal 1.5 and that the wicked shall not stand in the judgment the former is to be understood of the judgement of condemnation and Joh. 5.24 condemnation it is translated or rather expounded saith one in our ordinary Bibles The later of prevailing in judgement Causâ cadent by receiving a judgement of absolution men may hide themselves and flie from mens Courts and Tribunals but the judgement seat of Christ cannot bee avoided It will be in vaine to call for the Rocks and Mountains to fall upon them and hide them for the mountains shall melt like wax at the presence of the Lord. There 's no flying from this Judge but by flying to him and death it self which prevents judgment among men shall give up its dead to this great judgement 2. The day shall be great in respect of the judged as they are considered in the greatnesse of their ranks and degrees Among men not the judging of every meane contemptible person but of Noble men Princes of the blood or great Monarchs makes the day of their judgment great How solemn in this world is the judiciary tryall of a King But how glorious and magnificent shal be the arraignment of great and small persons Rev. 20.12 of all ranks and degrees at that great day Angels and Principalities as at large hath been shewed before as well as men Luk. 21.36 good as well as bad Watch and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to stand before the Son of man He that judgeth me is the Lord 1 Cor. 4.4 and Every one of us must give account of himselfe to God Rom. 14.12 They who have been high and mighty Emperors as well as the poorest outcasts The tallest Cedar the stoutest Oak must bend yea break at that great day Psal 110.5 Christ he shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath The grave and the Judgement-seat put no difference between Monarchs and vassals The grave-dust of a Queen smels no sweeter then that of a beggar none can difference between the ashes of an Oak and those of an humble shrub There will be no other crowns worn at that day but the Crownes of righteousnesse no other robes but those wash'd in the blood of Christ and these will better fit the head and back of a Lazarus than a rich Glutton True greatnesse goodnesse I meane will be the onely greatnesse at that truly great day The glorious sunshine of this day will extinguish the Candle of worldly glory Oh great day wherein majesty shall lye and lick the dust of the feet of Christ the stiffest knee bend before his majesty and the strongest back of sinners break under his wrath when the great sword-men and Emperors the Alexanders the Caesars who once made the earth to tremble shall now tamely tremble before him 3. The day of judgement shall be great in respect of the judged if we consider them as great offenders When men are tryed before humane Judicatories for common crimes as for pilfering or stealing some small or inconsiderable summe the day of their tryall is soon forgotten and not greatly regarded but when they are arraigned for such horrid and heinous offences as the ears of the hearer tingles to hear and his heart trembles to think of some Sodomiticall villany wilfull murder of some good King the blowing up of a Parliament c. the day of their judgement is great and greatly observ'd there is great admiration at their boldnesse in sin great indignation against them for it great joy when they are sentenced and greater when they are executed How great then shall this judgement day be for how great at that day shall every sin appear to be Sin can never bee seen to be what it is or in its due dimensions but by the light of the fire of Gods wrath In the dim and false light of this world it 's nothing it 's nothing a trick of youth a toy a trifle but at the appearing of the light of divine disquisition when conscience shall be search'd with candles and all paint pretexts and other refuges swept away the least sin will appear infinite The cloud a while since no bigger then a mans hand will overspread the face of the heavens The least breach of a law infinitely holy and the smallest offence unpardoned against a God infinitely both just and powerfull will then appear unconceivably more heinous then any breaches of the peace or offences against the greatest of men there 's nothing little which as sin doth kils and damnes the soul yea Omne peccatum est deicidium the least sin will then be look'd upon as striking even at God himselfe But how great shall that day be made by the judging of those prodigious abominations the commissions whereof the earth groaned to bear Scarlet Crimson transgressions at which even naturall conscience is affrighted as blasphemies murders open oppressions unnaturall uncleannesse c. How greatly shall the justice of God be magnified in the punishing of them How great the joy of the Saints when the enemies of that God whom they so dearly love and highly admire shall be sentenced against whom the soules under the Altar have so long prayed when every Divel Rev. 6.9 who hath here so often tempted them and every adversary who for their profession of Christ have so cruelly persecuted them shall be condemned 4. Lastly This day shall be great in respect of the judged if we consider the greatnesse of their rewards and recompences The setencing to a slight punishment as that of a small fine a few stripes burning in the hand c. is not regarded greatly even by the sufferers or spectators but the sentencing to a losse of all even of life it self a terrible death as burning pressing rending limb from limb starving hanging in chaines makes the judgment great The sentence whereby a man for a while is reprieved recovers a little losse or hath small damages given is little regarded and soon forgotten but that whereby a man hath his
showre of tears Isa 38.3 God puts not the oyle of peace into a crack't Vial Heart-peace is a Companion only of Heart-purity 4. Love not the world for t is enmity with God The Sun-shine of earthly enjoyments puts out the fire of spirituall peace the thornes of worldly cares make the peace of many a Saint to goe but with a scratch't face They who have suffered with joy the spoyling have suffered sorrow for the loving of their goods when men sweat in outward imployments their peace is coldest inwardly 4. Holinesse makes no man unpeaceable and turbulent The more God quiets us the lesse shall we sinfully discontent men The world condemns the Godly as authors of dissension but the true reason why they are accounted unpeaceable by the world is because they will not lose their Peace with God to finde trouble in the world is their portion but to cause trouble in the world is not their property They are wont indeed to disquiet mens lusts but are wicked men and sin so neer that the one cannot be distinguish'd from the other The will of a Saint is for peace but 't is necessity that makes him contend Peace rules in his heart Col. 3.15 it doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it sits as the Judge or Umpire was wont to do in the publick games of wrastling or running Apostolus innuit hoc esse hujus virtutis officiū ut agat brabeutem sive agonothetam inter caeteros affectus nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id significat Cum igitur insurgunt in cordibus nostris turbidi affectus irae odii vindictae haec pax Dei debet suum officium facere id est instar agonothetae lites dirimere tumultuantes affectus compescere omnia ad pacem deducere Davenant in Col. who did rule and order the runners or wrastlers deciding their controversies and giving rewards to the best-deserving so this peace of God when the troublesom affections of anger hatred and revenge arise in our hearts appeaseth strifes ends controversies and renders us peaceable As for wicked men who seem sometimes to be very peaceable among themselves in sin they must know that agreement against God is not Peace but Conspiracy and such a rotten peace makes way for a real war both with others and within themselves 5. It s most sutable to a Ministers Function to further and pray for the peace of others As they are Christians Obs 5. they are cald to peace Col. 3.15 and as Ministers they are cald to be Ambassadors of peace The bodily peace of others should be pray'd for by them Jam. 5.14 Brotherly peace should they promote among their people An unpeaceable people among themselves will be an unprofitable people under him Jam. 3.16 Ministers should endeavour the civil peace put people in mind to be subject to Principallities and Powers Tit. 3.1 and to take heed of Treason and Rebellion To revile them for this is to be angry with the fift Commandement But especially should Ministers labour to bring people into peace with God and to pray them to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.27 and by Ministerial directions to help them to attain peace of Conscience within themselves Confident I am That while mens lusts speak Ministers contentious their Consciences speak them peaceable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur vel ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. seipsum toto animo in rem dilectā vel ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est valdè in re amata acquiescere Ita 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat vehementem affectū ardentemque amorem quo quis alicui sese intimè adjungit et in eo totus quiescit unde et pater Caelestis de filio suo hic est inquit filius meus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et mox quasi etymologiam subdens in quo mihi complaceo Zanc. de na dei l. 4. c. 3. Amicitia est quasi habitus Amor autem et dilectio significant actum vel passionem Charitas autem utroque modo accipi potest defferenter tamen significatur actus per ista tria nam amor est aliquid communius inter ea omnis enim amor dilectio est vel charitas sed non è converso Addit dilectio super amorem electionem praecedentem unde dilectio est in sola voluntate rationalis creaturae charitas autem ultra amorem addit perfecttionem amoris in quantum illud quod amatur carum i. e. magni pretii aestimatur Tho. 1.2 qu. 16. Art 3. The third and last Blessing desired by this Apostle for these Christians is Love Of which likewise By way of 1 Exposition 2 Observation For the Expository part I shall 1. Specifie the several kinds of Love principally that at which the Apostle seems most to aim 2. Set down the excellent Properties of this kind of Love which make it so desirable Not to stay upon the consideration of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Love Amor aliarum rerum est charitas inter solos homines dilectio ad Deum spectat diligimus Deum charos habemus parentes liberos c. amamus omnes Aret. in Probl. or of its agreement with those other Expressions ordinarily used to set forth after a sort the same thing as charity friendship c. This Love in the general being that inclination or tendency of any thing to the good beloved or that principle whereby one joyns himself to and resteth in an object is of sundry sorts Not to speak of those which are either far from or contrary to the Scope of the Apostle as of natural love which is that quality in any thing following its form by which it tends to and resteth in what is agreeable to it Nor of animal love whereby the sensitive appetite in men or beasts tends to its good and resteth in it Nor of love meerly rational or intelective whereby the will freely embraceth any object presented to it by the understanding Nor of Angelical love Nor of that love which God hath towards himself as the chief good There are Three sorts of Love any of which may be desired from God as a blessing Namely a love of 1 God to man 2 Man to God 3 Man to man himself or others I yet conceiving since the Apostle had desired that these Christians might receive mercy from God and that every particular Beleever might have peace in himself that he seemeth now in the last place to pray That they might again both return love to God and render it also to one another 1 There is a love of God to man though without passion sympathy or any imperfection or weakness these being attributed to him only to relieve the weakness either of our Faith or apprehensions And this love is 1 Considered as a love of desire as love desireth to be carried to the union of the thing beloved This desire of union with man God sheweth many ways as 1 By being neer
lesse beloved endeavouring to do people good though against their will As Job's record so such a Ministers recompence is on high This for the first reason of the Apostles sending the following Exhortation to these Christians they were beloved The second follows The carefull diligence of the Apostle to further their spiritual welfare When I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation And in that 1. First of the first particular With what mind and disposition he endeavoured their good or how he was affected in endeavouring to do them good I gave all diligence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Explication whereof Explicat 1. I shall give the force and meaning of the words Diligence and all diligence 2. Gather from thence what kind of diligence and how qualified this of the Apostle here was The Apostle expresseth the forwardnesse of his minde and disposition in furthering their good by two words by his giving 1. Diligence 2. All diligence Diligence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Studium Solicitudo Diligentia Festinatio in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Vulgar here translates it solicitudinem solicitude or carefulnesse Beza studium study or earnest intention of mind Our new Translation renders it diligence as it doth also the same word Rom. 12.8 2 Cor. 8.7 Heb. 6.11 2 Pet. 1.5 Sometimes again it renders it carefulnesse as 2 Cor. 7.11 and forwardnesse as 2 Cor. 8.8 and earnest care as 2 Cor. 8.16 and haste as Mark 6.25 Luke 1.39 The Greek word comprehends all these significations for it signifieth an earnest and serious bending application and intention of the mind about the things which we are doing and this is study It importeth also such a serious bending of the mind as is with a fear of the future event and this is care carefulnesse or solicitude It also signifieth a speedy and chearfull putting of a thing in execution and this is diligence and festination forwardnesse hast The other word all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle useth to expresse his forward disposition to do them good increaseth and enlargeth the former He gave not some part of but all or his whole diligence For the Apostle doth here as the Scripture often else where put all for whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Rom. 10.18 2 Tim. 3.16 his whole diligence was bent this way and other things in comparison of this he neglected In this channell did run as it were the whole stream of his diligence 2. From this force and meaning of the words it may plainly be collected what kind of diligence this of the Apostle here was 1. It was a solicitous carefull diligence He resented the danger of these Christians and feared their spirituall losse and hurt by Satan and his instruments The care of these faithfull ones was upon him as upon holy Paul was the care of the Churches Gal. 4.19 2 Cor. 8.16 2 Cor. 11.28 Paul was afraid of the Galatians of whom he travelled in birth till Christ was formed in them Love is ever solicitous doth its best and fears the worst Titus had an earnest care for the good of the Corinthians and among them none was offended but Paul burned 2. It was a studious and an intentive diligence It set his head and heart a working to do them good There was an earnest and vehement application of both to this imployment Faithfull Ministers are laborious they are peculiarly called labourers and they labour in the word and doctrine Paul laboured more abundantly than they all Timothy was to shew himselfe a workman All their titles as Fishers Souldiers Watchmen Labourers c. bestowed upon Ministers commend Jude's diligence 3. It was a chearfull willing diligence Studium est animi vehemens ad aliquam rem magna cum voluptate applicatio Bez. This he fully discovers both by the word diligence and giving diligence He was not forced to this imployment Paul 1 Cor. 9.17 tels us his reward came in a way of willing doing Jude had the constraint of love upon him his service was not like honey prest but of it selfe dropping His feeding the Church was his meat and drink This good worke was not done with an ill will 4. It was a speedy ready diligence it was with a holy haste The Seducers were already entred among these Christians There was now no room for delayes The beginnings of this mischiefe were to be crush'd While Ministers are lingring and doubting Satan is devouring They are souldiers and Victory loves to flie upon the wing of Expedition 5. It was his whole utmost entire diligence Such a diligence as Paul professeth he used when he said As much as in me is Rom. 1.15 I am ready to preach the Gospell This work he made his businesse and to it he gave himselfe in comparison of this his diligence for other things was but negligence For three years he warned every one night and day with tears Act. 20.31 Nay he was glad to spend and be spent 2 Cor. 12.15 He was fervent in spirit but in serving the Lord. 1. Observ 1. Greatest diligence is alway to be used about the best things about matters of greatest concernment The custom of the world is to use substantiall endeavours about circumstantiall and circumstantiall endeavours about substantiall imployments A holy remisnesse befits our care about the things of this life A Christian should keep his sweat and industry for the things of heaven when he useth the world it should be as if he used it not He should not pray or hear as if he heard or prayed not It 's madnesse to make as great a fire for the rosting of an egge as for the rosting of an oxe to follow the world with as much fervency as we do holinesse and about trifles to be imployed with vast endeavours It 's impossible to be too diligent for heaven and difficult not to be over diligent for the earth 2. Observ 2. All that Ministers even the best of them can do is but to be diligent to take pains and endeavour Paul can but plant Nostrum est dare operam Dei dare operationem Apollos waters God it is that gives the increase It is our part to be diligent it 's God that blesseth that diligence Aliud est docere aliud flectere One thing to preach another to perswade The organ-pipes make no musick without breath He that teacheth the heart sits in heaven God must have the praise in the successefulnesse of the Ministry Non scoundum profectum sed laborem non secundum quod valuimus sed quod voluimus his glory must not cleave to our fingers nor must Ministers be discouraged in the want of successe God never required that at their hands He accepts of their willing mind nor doth God reward them according to peoples proficiency but their own industry 3. Observ 3. Diligence in duty is the commendation of Ministers
Ministers whom he hath appointed to be Stewards therof to the end of the world partly by qualifying them with gifts and Ministeriall Abilities and partly by appointing and setting them apart for the Ministry by those whom he hath authorized thereunto 2. To his people by the Ministry of his fore-mentioned servants who have instructed the faithfull sometime by preaching with a lively voice and afterward by committing the doctrine of faith to writing And Ministers shall to the end of the world be continued to deliver this doctrine of faith to the Church for their edification in holinesse And among those people to whom Ministers deliver this faith externally some there are to whom it is delivered also effectually by the internall revelation of the Spirit which so delivers this doctrine of faith to all the Elect that they themselves are delivered into it Rom. 6.17 their understandings being savingly enlightned to see that excellency in it which by the bare Ministry of it cannot be perceived and their wils perswaded to imbrace it as that rule of life according to which they will constantly walk 2. What need there was of the delivery of this faith 1. In regard of the Insufficiency of all other doctrines or prescriptions in the world to lead to life Only this doctrine delivered is the rule of faith and manners Peace internall and eternall is only afforded to them who walk according to this rule Gal. 6.11 God brings to glory only by guiding by these counsels All other lights are false are fools fires which lead to precipices and perdition This is the light which shines in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.20 to which who ever gives not heed can never find the way to heaven Learned Ethnicks never wrote of eternall happinesse in their Ethicks 1 Cor. 1.21 The world by wisdome knew not God 2. In regard of the totall insufficiency of man to find out this doctrine of himself The things delivered in this doctrine are mysteries supernaturall and depending on the meer will and dispensation of God The incarnation of the Son of God Col. 1.26 expiation of sin by his death justification by faith could never have entred into the mind of man unlesse God had revealed them They depend not upon any connexion of naturall causes Though there be a kind of naturall Theologie yet there 's no naturall Christianity Also the und erstanding of man is so obscured by the darknesse of sin that in spirituals it is purely blind The naturall man perceives not the things which are of God 1 Cor. 2.14 2. This delivering of faith comprehends the keeping and holding it by those to whom it was delivered This is done therefore 1. by Ministers 2. by every Christian 1. This duty is incumbent on Ministers who must keep the truth hold fast the faithfull word and be tenacious Tit. 1.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holding it as the word signifieth against a contrary hold with both their hands with all their strength Jer. 10.27 Amos 7.14 holding it in their understanding in their affections in their preaching and delivery in their life and practice not parting with it for fear or favour either to Sectaries or Politicians rather parting with their lives than their sword 2. The faith is kept by every Christian by persevering in the knowledge love and practice of it Every Saint must keep it in his head in his heart in his hand this he must do though for keeping the truth he lose his life 'T is not the having but the holding the truth Rev. 2.13 which is a Christians crown He who lets it go never had it truely and effectually in the love of it nor shall ever enjoy it in the recompence of it Of this more afterward 1. God was the Authour of the doctrine of life Observ 1. though by men yet from him hath it alwayes been delivered it 's his word and revelation The word of the Lord and thus saith the Lord is the Scripture stamp and superscription When the Patriarchs and Prophets preach'd it it was from him when holy men of old time wrote it it was from him though he hath spoken in divers manners yet 't was he that spake When the doctrine of life was committed to writing he commanded it He moved and inspired holy men to write 2 Pet. 1.21 2 Tim. 3.16 Exod. 17.14 chap. 34.27 Isai 8.1 chap. 30.8 Jer. 36.2 They were his Organs and Instruments of conveying his mind to the world The Spirit of the Lord saith David 2 Sam. 23.2 spake by me and his word was in my tongue And Acts 28.25 The Holy Ghost spake by Isaiah Quicquid Chri. stus de suis dictis ac factis nos scire voluit ipsis scribendum tanquam suis manibus imperavit Aug. l. 1. de cons Evang. c. 35. And 1 Pet. 1.11 The Spirit of Christ in the Prophets fore-told his sufferings These and the other holy men were the Scribes the Pens the Hands the Notaries of the Spirit They wrote not as men but as men of God when any book is called the Book of Moses the Psalms of David the Epistle of Paul it 's in respect of Ministry not of the principall cause 2. Great is the necessity of Scripture The doctrine of life could never without a scripturall delivery have been found out without it indeed this doctrine was between two and three thousand years preserved by the delivery of a lively voice but afterwards when their lives who were to deliver the word grew short men numerous memory frail the bounds of the Church inlarged corruptions frequent and therefore tradition an unfaithfull keeper of the purity of doctrine as appears by Tharah's Jos 24.3 Gen. 35.2 Apostoli quod primum praeconiaverunt postea per Dei voluntatem in Scripturis nobis tradi derunt fundamentum columnam fidei uostrae futurae Iren. lib. 3. adv haeres c. 1. and Abram's worshipping of other gods the idolatry in Jacob's family c. God appointed that the doctrine of life should be committed to writing and upon supposition of the will and pleasure of God whose wisdome hath now thought fit to give us no other rule and foundation of faith the written word is now necessary as the means of delivering faith to us Had not the faith therefore been delivered in Scriptures whence should it have been found how retained The written word is the cabbinet wherein lies the jewell of faith the starre which shews where the Babe lodgeth the light which discovers the beauty of salvation A Book of Apocalyps or Revelation of Christ 3. Strong is the engagement upon us to be thankfull for Gods discovering to us the doctrine of faith It was above the compasse of Reason and Nature ever to have found it out by their own inquiry Rom. 16.25 Ephes 1.9 Ephes 3.9 neither men nor Angels could have known it without divine revelation It was a mystery a great an hidden mystery which was
and yet he needs no informer but knows what every servant doth in his absence and will manifest every ones work to all the world His eyes are as a flame of fire and clearer then ten thousand Sunnes Heb. 4.12 all things are naked and open before him Exod. 3.7 Nor doth he lesse observe the wants and troubles than the wayes and workes of his servants He hath an eye therefore as pittying as it is piercing For 2. He is the most gracious Lord and Master No Lord ever bought servants so dear he having bought them from slavery by laying down his dearest and most precious blood for them never such a price He hath given not his mony but himself for them 2. No Lord ever fed his servants so highly and so plentifully The servants of Christ have various and sumptuous dishes First the word after that the Sacrament The table of the Lord is furnish'd with the body and blood of the Lord to nourish the servants not only to labour but also to eternall life 3. No Lord ever clothed servants so sumptuously their garments are made of that web which was woven out of his own bowels they put on the scarlet of his righteousnesse and the merit of his death The fine linnen of holinesse and sanctification yea the beautifull robes of glory and immortality which they shall change for the filthy raggs of sinne and mortality 4. No Lord ever used his servants so gently and mercifully He puts them only upon honourable safe comfortable imployments He puts no more upon them than they can go through He is not only their Lord and Master but their helper and fellow worker when they grow faint and weary Phil. 4.13 Psal 25.4 5.9 Hab. 1.12 he strengthens them when doubtfull he teacheth them when slothfull sometimes indeed he corrects them yet not to kill but quicken them and not to destroy them but their slothfulnesse when they are sick he pitties and spares them when old he turns them not out of his service but the longer they live in it the more they love it yea the more able they are to perform it In a word when they die he neither suffers them to lie still nor sends them to seek another master for then they change not their master for another but their work for a better or rather for their wages For 5. No Master ever rewarded his servants so bountifully As Christ gives more for so more to his servants than any master That happinesse which Christ gives his servants in this life is unspeakable their work seems to have more of wages than work but in the next life their joy will be so great as that it cannot so well be said to enter into them as they to enter into it Mat. 25.21 For why it is the joy of their Lord whose bosome is the hive and center of all goodnesse and that in which all the scattered parcels of blessednesse are bundled up Study but yet expect not to understand either the comfort or condescension of that promise made Luke 12.37 to the faithfull servants of Christ He shall gird himselfe and make them sit down to meat and come forth and serve them Lord did I not think that the chear and the attendance were both one I should say the attendance were infinitely better then the chear Think what it is for Christ himself to serve at the table What is it but infinite delight for the guests to have him set himselfe to sollace them who is infinite as in sweetnesse so in knowledg to make his sweetnesse please them Nor will the dignity of those servants be lesse then their delight who have majesty it self to serve them Certainly in heaven there shall be as many kings as subjects 6. He is the only Lord for the duration of his dominion Of his government there shall be no end Luke 1.33 He is the King immortall 1 Tim. 1.17 He only hath immortality 1 Tim. 6.16 To other Potentates though they be called Gods yet he who is the true God saith that they shall die like men Psal 82.7 Of our twenty five Monarchs since the conquest thirteen taking in three who are thought to be poisoned are said to have had violent and untimely deaths Few earthly Monarchs there are whose lives are not tyrannicall and their deaths untimely Who ruling by the sword commonly die by it And should they escape the ponyards the poysons the powder-plots bullets axes which have swept away the most one disease or other will lay all their glory in the dust In an evening a mid-day yea perhaps a more early cloud shall be the sun-set both of their lives and raigns But Jesus Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever his throne is for ever and ever Death it self the King of terrours and the terrour of kings is subdued by Jesus Christ and that not only so as it shall never touch him but also never hurt any of his servants OBSERVATIONS 1. Observ 1. All our obedience to earthly Lords must bee only such as this only Lord allowes and only in the Lord. We must take heed of the sinne of the Israelites Hos 5.11 Regula regulans Regula regulata willingly to walk after the Commandment and of that of the Papists blind obedience to any superiour The greatest Lords in the world are but rules ruled Jesus Christ is the only rule ruling 2. Observ 2. Mat. Rom. 12.11 The greatest diligence and servency of spirit is requisite in the service of this only Lord. Wee must not do the work of this great Lord negligently nor offer him a female in stead of a male This only Lord must have as it were our only service Wee must not serve him as if we served him not Though the best servant of this Lord be but an unprofitable yet the least must not be an idle servant Wee must not offer to this Lord that which cost us nothing The blind and the maimed are too bad for our ordinary Lords Our Only Lord must have our best our hearts our all even the whole of our created abilities This great Lord hath much more businesse than all the time and strength of his servants can bring about If every hair of the head were an hand we might have our hands full of work Our Lord requires the service of thoughts 2 Cor. 10.5 of words Ephes 4.29 of works 1 Cor. 10.31 Of body and spirit 1 Thes 5.23 A vast deal of diligence is requisite about the honouring of God the attending of our own heart and wayes the helping and edifying of others 3. Observ 3. How warily and conscionably should all other Lords govern They are Lords but not only Lords they are but servants to this only Lord and must as well be accountable to him for their commanding as others must be responsible to them for their obeying They must remember they have a master in heaven with whom there is no respect of
commanded back to the sandy and scorching wildernesse there to spend the residue of their few and evill dayes Oh sorrowfull stupendions disappointment II. And yet secondly even in this destruction of Israel the mercy of God was more remarkeable then his severity If Israels scourge be compared with Israels sin they had no cause to complain They might rather wonder at what did not than at what did befall them rather at the mercy which was left than at what was removed Ezra 9.13 Well might Israel say with Ezra The Lord hath punished us lesse then our iniquities and with the Church afterward It is the goodnesse of the Lord that we are not consumed Look upon Israels provocations in Egypt at the sea in the wildernesse their murmurings idolatry their unthankfulnesse for and sorgetfulnesse of Gods multiplyed mercies their rebellion against their godly Governours their hypocrisie Covenant-breaking lingrings after their old Egypt unreformednesse under all the dealings of God with them especially their distrust of Gods power and goodnesse after frequent and abundant experience of both Look I say upon all these and then wonder that this destruction should be 1. So slow and not more speedy 2. But in part and not totall and universall 1. It was a destruction mercifully mitigated in respect of the slownesse and deferring thereof How much longer was God about destroying a handfull of sinners than he was in creating the whole world Israel a people that could not be kept from sinning had a God that could hardly be brought to punish them Had the fire of Gods wrath been proportioned to the fuell of their sins he would have destroyed them inâ—al moment Forty yeers long was I greived saith God with this generation Psal 95.10 Act. 13.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so long endured he their manners in the wildernesse daily suffering that which he beheld abhorr'd and was able to have punish'd every moment in those forty years in stead whereof all that while he waited for their repentance and was at the expence of supplying them with mitaculous provision direction protection feeding them and attending them as carefully as doth the nurse her froward infant 2. The destruction of the Israelites was but in part not totall For besides the sparing of Caleb and Josuah who beleeved the promise of God all who beleeved not were not destroy'd for all under 20 years were exempted from the forenamed destruction and reserved Num. 14.19 that God might still have his Church among them and that there might be of them a people left to possesse the good land according to the promise Num. 14.13 And in this respect it was Non personis sed gencri data venia Calv. in loc that upon the prayer of Moses for the pardoning and sparing of the people God answers that be had pardoned them according to the word of Moses For although he spared not the persons of the elder and rebellious multitude yet he spared the stock of Israel remitting the punishment of present and universall death and not blotting out their memory lest the seed of Abraham being extinguish'd his Covenant should have fail'd and faln to the ground The distrustfull refusall of the parents to accept of the promised land made not God to be unfaithfull in regard that the blessing which they rejected was performed to their children God reserving a seed to propagate his Church and tempering his severity inflicted upon some with mercy afforded to others though deserved by none OBSERVATIONS 1. Observ 1. The most numerous company of sinners are unable to withstand an angry God He can easily destroy six hundred thousand persons in a few years and an hundred four score and five thousand Assyrians in one night Though hand joyn in hand yet shall not the wicked go unpunished 2 King 19.35 Prov. 11.21 He to whom it is all one to save by a few and by many can as easily destroy many as one Numbers are nothing with God The whole old world of sinners are no more in the hands of God than an handfull of worms The greatest combination of sinners are but stubble to the flame and but as snow-balls to the sun He can as easily cast down multitudes of sinning Angels as they nay he can crush an Ant upon a mole-â—ill There 's no proportion between created strength and increated omnipotency The powers of all the world are but borrowed of him and as purely dependent upon him as the stream upon the fountain the beam upon the sun How can that power be too hard for him who gave it and can withdraw it at pleasure Never let multitudes dare to oppose him nor one poor weak Saint fear to trust him 2. Observ 2. The worst cause commonly hath the most abettors Had this been put to the question whether will God keep his promise in giving to Israel the land of Canaan Caleb and Josuah would have been over-voted by almost six hundred thousand Israelites who nevertheless would have as much fail'd in their cause as they exceeded in their numbers The multitude is but a weak argument to prove a strong cause The most have ever been the worst Righteous Noah stood in a manner by hmselfe against the whole world of ungodly The Prophet Elijah was not the worse for being opposed by four hundred Baalites nor they the better for having only one Elijah to withstand them Let us walk by rule not example Numbers commonly do no more please God than they can oppose him It s better to go to heaven with an handfull than to hell in a croud and to enter in at the strait gate with a few than at the broad with many to go into Canaan with Caleb and Josuah than to fall in the wildernesse with six hundred thousand 3. No priviledges abused Observ 3. Jer. 6.8 Isa 29.1 Jer. 7.12 Ps 78.60 61. Jer. 22.24 can exempt from punishment The soul of God may depart from Jerusalem and Ariel the city where David dwelt hath woe denounced against it God may forsake his tabernacle in Shiloh deliver his strength into captivity his glory into the enemies hand and pluck the signet from his right hand 1 Cor. 10.5 With many of the Israelites God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the wildernesse To him that breaks the law Rom. 2.25 Matth. 11.23 circumcision is made uncircumcision Corazin Bethsaida Capernaum get nothing by the mighty works of Christ and their Elevation to heaven but greater woes and falls Job 4.23 God delights not in outward priviledges but in inward purity The new creature worship in spirit and truth a Jew inwardly Gal. 6.15 an Israelite indeed circumcision and brokennesse of the heart only please the eye of God and without these externall service is but painted Atheism As the pure in heart shall only see God Matt. 5.8 so God only sees the pure in heart with contentment God loaths sin where-ever he sees it but
life and with that his estate and liberty and all that is dear and desirable granted unto him this his sentence and judgment I say is great and makes the day wherein it passeth deservedly to bee accounted such What are all the losses susteined by or fines imposed on any in comparison of the loss of Gods presence He who loseth God hath nothing besides to lose He who is doom'd to the pains of those fires prepared for the divell and his angels hath nothing left him more to feel The torments of the body are no more comparable to those of the soul then is the scratch of a pin to a stab at the heart nor can there possibly be an addition made to the blessednesse of those who shall be sentenced to enter into the joy of their Lord whose presence not only is in but is even heaven it selfe in a word there 's nothing small in the recompences of that great day great woe or great happinesse and therefore 't is a great day in either respect But of this at large before 3. This day of judgement is great in respect of the properties of it As 1. It s a certaine day were it doubtfull it would not be dreadfull were it fabulous it would be contemptible 1. Naturall conscience is affrighted at the hearing of a judgement day Act. 24.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazian Sua quemque fraus sua audacia suum facinus suum scelus de sanitate ac mente deturbat hae sunt impiorum furiae haeflammae hae faces Cicer. in Pison Eccl. 1.2 Hab. 1.13 Fâ—lix trenâ—bled when Paul preached of it and though the Athenians mocked when they heard of a Resurrection of the dead yet not at the hearing of the day of judgement The reason why men so much fear at death is because they are terrifyed with the thoughts of judgement after death were it not for that supreme and publick the inward Tribunall of conscience should be in vaine erected 2. The justice of God requires that every one shall receive according to his works In this life the best men are of all men most miserable and sinners oft most happy All things fall alike to all The wicked saith Habbakuk devoureth the man that is more righteous then himselfe There must come a time therefore when the righteous Judge will like Jacob lay his right hand upon the younger the more despised Saint and his left hand upon the elder the now prosperous sinner There is now much righteousnesse and oppression among Magistrates Gen. 18.25 Job 34.10 11 12. Isai 3.16 11. but it would be blasphemy to say that injustice shall take place to eternity Every unrighteous Decree in humane Judicatories must be judged over againe and from the highest Tribunall upon earth the Saints of God may joyfully and successfully appeal to a higher Bar. Jud. 14. Rom. 2.15 Eccl. 11.9 2 Thes 1 6 7. Mat. 7.22.25.41.10.15 2 Cor. 5.10 Rom. 14.10 Luk. 21.34 Luk. 9.26 2 Pet. 3.9 Tit. 2.13 1 Pet. 4.5 Omnia alia quae futura praedixerat Spiritus Sanctus in Scripturis evâ—nerunt ut de primo Christi adventu c. Cum ergo idem Spiritus Sanctus praedixerit secundum Christi adventum utique certo eveniet Aug. Ep. 42. Luk. 21.35 Mat. 25. The day of judgement shall set all things strait and in right order It is a righteous thing with God saith Paul to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you that are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed c. To conclude this The Scripture is in no one point more full and plentifull then in assuring us that this day shall certainly come and if the other predictions in Scripture particularly those concerning the first coming of Christ have truly come to passe why should we doubt of the truth of Christs second appearance and if the mercy of God were so great that he should repent of the evill intended against the wicked yet even that mercy of his would make the judgment so much the more necessary for the good of the Elect 2. The judgement of this great day shall be Sudden Christ will come as a thief in the night who enters the house without knocking at the door The judgement will come upon the secure world as the snare doth upon the bird The greater security is at that day the greater will the day and the terror thereof be to sinners the noise of fire is neither so usuall nor so dreadfull as in the night The approach of the Bridegroom at midnight increased the cry of the foolish and sleeping Virgins Sudden destruction or that which befals them who cry peace is destruction doubled 3. The judgement of this great day shall be Searching exact and accurate There shall be no causes that shall escape without discussion notwithstanding either their multiplicity or secrecy their numerousnesse or closenesse The infinite swarmes of vain thoughts idle words Psal 50.21 Mat. 12.36 Eccl. 12.14 2 Cor. 5.10 and unprofitable actions shall clearly and distinctly be set in order before those who are to be tryed for them God shall bring every work to judgement and every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evill 1 Cor. 4.5 He will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and make manifest the counsels of the heart But of this before 4. It shall be righteous As every cause shall be judged so rightly judged Christ is a righteous Judge 1 Tim 4.8 Psal 72.2 Act. 17.31 Rom. 2.11 2 Chron. 19.7 Psal 82.2 Job 34.19 In righteousnesse doth he judge Revel 19.11 The scepter of his kingdome is a right scepter he loves righteousnesse Psal 45.6 7 The day of judgement is a day of the revelation of the righteous judgement of God Righteousnesse shall be the girdle of his loyns it shall stick close to him This Judge cannot be byass'd by favour There is no respect of persons with God The enemies of Christ justified him in this particular that he regarded not the persons of men Mat. 22.16 Kindred Friend-ship Greatnesse make him not at all to warp and deviate from righteousnesse He is not mistaken with error he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes Isai 11.3 Joh. 7.24 2 Cor. 10.7 Jer. 17.9 10. Gal. 6.7 neither reprove after the hearing of his ears This Judg shall never be deluded with fair shews and out sides or misled by colourable but false reports as earthly Judges may be because they cannot pierce into mens hearts to discerne their secret intentions as Christ can do whom no specious appearance can deceive he shall never acquit any who is in truth faulty or inwardly unsound nor upon any flying report or forged suggestion proceed to the censure of any He shall never be in danger of being mis-informed through untrue depositions but he shall alwayes proceed upon certain knowledg in passing of his own sentence upon any 5. This judgement shall be open
Dead-sea having neither fish nor any living creature therein Called also Joh. 3.16 The salt sea Ezek. 47.8 And this is confirmed by the Prophet who foretelling how these waters should be healed by the waters running out of the Sanctuary eastward on which side this lake is situate and that then the creatures should live therein that there should be a multitude of fish and that the fishers should stand upon it from Engedy even unto Eneglaim the two cities at either end of the lake doth hereby imply that for the present before this healing the waters were dead that no fish nor any creatures lived therein and that no fisher man did frequent the same as they did the lake of Genezareth and other places Olet adhuc incendio terra Tert. Apol. c. 40. Penpetuo poenas luere videtur Brocard 1 p. c. 7. thorow which the River Jordan did run 6. The punishment by this fire is lasting ever lasting a standing monument of Gods displeasure in Mosee's time it was so Deut. 29. and the Lord never repented him of this overthrow It is under a perpetuall destruction recorded by Authors of great credit and reputation Strabo Solinus Tacitus Josephus Plinius Tertul. c. 40. Augustin de C. D. c. 21. Adrichomius Brochardus and it shall continue as long as the world shall last or there shall be any time or age in allusion whereunto when the enemies of the Church are destroyed it is foretold that their Land shall become burning pitch It shall not be quenched night nor day the smoak thereof shall go up for ever 3. The fire of Hell and this some think the Apostle only here intends because he calls it Eternall fire I acknowledge that these Sodomites were punished with the eternall fire of hell Gods dealing with some infants or aged I dare not determin but 't is sure their children were part of their parents enjoyments by nature the children of wrath and that God is an absolute Lord and the Lord saith concerning Sodom remarkably Ezek. 16.5 I took them away as I thought good Christ saith it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of Judgment then for Corazin c. but a more tolerable condition in regard of degrees takes not away but implies the kind of the condition the temporall punishment of the impenitent Sodomites was but a degree to the eternall and in regard of the suddenness of their destruction they might want time of repentance Notwithstanding all which with submission to better judgements I conceive that the Apostle doth not in this place intend primarily much lesse solely the destruction of these Sodomites by hell-fire Inclusively and secondarily I suppose he doth as the fire of hell was typified by that which fell upon them from heaven Nor do I clearly understand how these cities can be set forth as an example to sinners by suffering the punishment of hell-fire when of that the History of Genesis doth not speak at all and the example saith * Quomodo civitates illae per hoc quòd sustinent poenam ignis aeterni sunt peccatoribus in exemplum propositae cum de poena ignis aeterni Genesis historia non loquatur exemplum autem ab historia petatur Ut omittam quod exemplum sumi debeat à re not â notum autem non crat peccatoribus adversus quos hic agitur Sodomitas igne aeterno cruciari Estius in loc Sic Lorinus Probabilior expositio quod ignis aet crnus dicitur quia civitates igne deletae nunquam restituendae sunt effect us illius perseverat nec unquam cessaret si mundus uunquam desineret Sci Rivet 97. exerc in Gen. Ignis aeternus intelligi potest cujus effectus in illa regione perpetuò manent Heb. 5.6.7.17 Gen. 48.4 Exod. 32.13 Jer. 7.7.25.25 Psal 74.1 Illud ignis aeterni etsi jungi potest cum illo paenam sustinen tes commodius tamen aptatur illi voci exemplum ut sit sensus Sodomiticum illud incendium fuisse exemplum ignis aeterni Peter in Gen. 19. Vid. Estium quoque in Judam Estius should be taken from the History which sinners may read and hear And although it be said the fire wherewith these Sodomites were punished was eternall yet is it not necessarily to be understood of hell fire for even that fire which consumed these Cities may be called eternall 1. Because the punishment by this fire is rreparable to last to the end of the world these cities being never to be restored and in this sense eternall is often taken in Scripture where we read of the eternall hils Deut. 33.15 Psal 74.3 Perpetuall desolations That the land of Canaan was given to the seed of Abraham for an everlasting habitation Gen. 17.8 and for ever Gen. 13.8 That the Leviticall Ceremonies are for ever Lev. 6.22 2. Because these cities suffering the punishment of fire and brimstone described in Genesis are a type or figure of Everlasting fire and of the eternall punishment of wicked men therein And this some learned men seem to make good out of the text they reading these words as referring eternall fire to example thus are set forth for an example of eternall fire suffering vengeance not as here our Translators do who refer Eternall fire to Vengeance thus are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternall fire by which construction they gather that the fire which irreparably hath destroy'd Sodom was a figure or type of that eternall fire reserved for wicked men in hell and by which sinners ought to be warned And as Learned Paget in that Treatise of his called Meditations of death observes Hell is denominated from the similitude of this place * The lake of fire burning with brimstone And of the Great Whore it is said Her smoke rose up for ever and ever And God saith he hath made a visible hell in that great lake which had once been a pleasant plain And Brochardus who spent ten yeers in the viewing of the Country saith That the Dead-sea is alwayes black smoaking and the very face of hell Nor yet do I conceive because in these words Eternall fire Jude may also include the punishment of the Sodomites in hell fire that therefore they are there tormented with materiall or bodily fire it is sufficient that the torments of the damned are set out by the paines of fire then which no creature is accounted by men more tormenting so that undoubtedly they are unconceivably greater and more exquisite then are any which can be caused by materiall fire and they are more tormenting in sundry respects Hell fire burns the soul Christ bids us fear none but soul-torments Mat. 10.28 and indeed if we can bear them least we should fear them most Hell fire though it burns yet it consumes not the wicked shall be its perpetuall fuel and it shall be a living death preying upon them not making an end of them Hell fire cannot as
how unsupportably shall his wrath wrack and torment the creature How great and how inexcusable is the stupidity of every sinner the fire on earth is but painted and imaginary in comparison of that of Gods wrath If he who cryes Fire Fire at midnight at once both wakens and affrights us how amazingly should they affect us who know and denounce the terror of the Lord Psal 90.11 Who knoweth the power of his anger even according to his fear so is his wrath What interest have we in the world comparable to that of making him our friend in Christ he is the severest enemy but the sweetest friend Psal 2.12 When his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him Greater is the disproportion between the pleasure and paines of sin then between a drop of honey and an Ocean of gall Consider O sinner when thou art bathing thy soul by the fire of lust how thy soul shall burn in the flames of hell and remember that fire and brimstone lye under the skin of every Sodomiticall apple and are in the belly of every lust Meditate Oh Saint of the love of Christ in delivering thee from this eternall fire this wrath to come in becoming a skreen between that flame and thy soul in cooling of thee thoughby scorching of himselfe To conclude this If he hath delivered us from this eternall how patiently should we endure any trying fire and how cool should we account the hottest service in which God imployes us in this life All is mercy besides hell And how should we pity and pull back those who are posting and that painfully toward these pains of eternall fire 6. Gods anger changeth the use of the creatures Observ 6. It turns helps into plagues The fire which God appointed to warm and purifie shall if God be our enemy consume and burn us to ashes the air shall poyson us our houses shall be prisons to keep us for execution by flames The Sun shall hold or rather be the candle to give light to our slaughter as in Joshuabs time the earth which should bear shall devour us The seas which serve for conveyance shall swallow us up the Stars which at sometimes are sweetly influentiall shall if God be angry fight in their courses against Sisera the Heavens which are wont to afford ther fruitfull drops shall showr down fire and brimstone and by both barrennesse The usefullest creatures of God if hee bid them shall go upon errands of destruction in obedience to their Commander in chief who can commissionate and impower for services of bloodyest severity and revenge not only his chief officers the glorious Angels but even his Common souldiers the poorest of creatures If he be our foe even those shall hurt us from whom we have formerly received and now expect most friendship Our greatest comforts shall become our greatest crosses The wife of the bosom the children that came out of our loyns may become our butchers and traytors yea God can make our selves our own deadliest enemies Let none be secure in their freedom from enemies till God be their friend nor in the multitude of friends so long as God is their enemy God can punish unexpectedly even such a way as we never dream of Jerusalem saith the Prophet came down wonderfully Lam. 1.9 and what Sodomite ever heard before of a showr of fire but unheard of sins procure unheard of punishments 7. Observ 7. Most heinous is the sin of contempt of the Gospel These Sodomites were sinners and sufferers even to amazement Sodom was a hell for sin and typically a hell for punishment and yet Christ saith It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodome and Gomorrha in the day of judgement Mat. 10 15. then for the City which is guilty of this sin Vnbelief is worse then Sodomy Of all sins Gospel-sins damn most unavoidably The pollutions of Sodom defile not so deeply as doth the refusing of that blood which should eleanse us How dangerous is the condition of that man who pleasing himselfe in a civill conversation and freedome from those sins which bring him within the compass of mans law allowes himself in that one which concludes him under the curse of the law of God Of this before 8. Observ 8. God often proportions the punishment to the sin Sodoms sin was against the light and use their punishment against the course of nature they fetch up hell to the earth and God sends hell out of heaven Their sinne was notorious and proclaimed in the face of the Sun their punishment was nay yet is visible to all the world Their sin was universall and the raining of fire and brimstone saith Christ destroyed them all Luk. 17.29 Exod. 21.24 Psal 55.23 Mat. 26.52 Job 31.9 10. Judg. 1.7 Their sin was a flame of lust and their punishment a flame of fire Their sin was filthy not without abominating it to be named their punishment as by fire so by brimstone was so unsavoury to the smell as not to be endured How happy were it for us if as our sins lead God to inflict such a kind of punishment so that punishment may lead us back againe to find out the sinne But of this before ver 5. 9. Great is Gods care of mans safety Observ 9. and humane society How angry was God with the Sodomites for a sin committed against their own bodies and the honour of one another God hath appointed and executed punishments for upon any that shall abuse poor sinfull man and with whom is God so angry as with those who hurt themselves most How strong an hedge hath he set about mans welfare in his ten Commandments in them he distinctly provides for mans authority life chastity estate name and generally in them all for his soul All the rebellions murders rapes oppression defamations c. in the world whereby men suffer from men are from hence that God is not obeyed by men and all the violencies among men proceed from the violation of the law of God which were it observed what a face of calmnesse and comelinesse would be upon the whole earth God is infinitely better to us then we are to our selves to one another How observable is the difference between those places where the fear of God swaies and others even in respect of civill comely and honest behaviour To conclude Though God might have enjoyned us the worshipping and serving of himselfe without any regard of our own benefit yet such is his love to man that as no command doth hinder so most are intended for the furthring of mans outward welfare How strong an engagement lies upon us to be studious of giving him that honour which we owe who is so carefull to make that provision for us which he owes us not Thus far of the third particular the severity of the punishment inflicted upon the Sodomites viz. the vengeance of eternall fire The fourth
And custome without truth is at the best but the antiquity of error The old path and the good way are put for the same Jerem. 6.16 If the removall of the ancient bounds and landmarks which our fathers have set be a sin so frequently prohibited how heinous is the violation of the ancient boundary of holinesse which at the first was fixed by God himself 3. The depravation of nature Observ 3. introduceth all disorder in practice When these angels had left their originall purity they soon forsake their originall employment and Mat. 7.18 the divel abiding not in the truth becomes a murderer All the irregularities of life are but derivations from unholy principles The corrupt tree yeelds not good fruit Luk. 6.45 Out of the evill treasure of the heart are evill things brought forth The wheels of the Clock going wrong needs must the hand do so the Translation will be according to the Original We see at what door to lay all the prodigious impieties in the world which are but the deformed issues of corrupted nature How foolishly are men angry with themselves for outward and visible transgressions in their lives when they tamely and quietly endure an unchanged nature like men who dung and water the roots of their trees and yet are angry for their bearing of fruit How preposterous and how plainly begun at the wrong end are those endeavours of reformation which are accompanyed with the hatred of renovation If the tree be bitter and corrupt all the influences and showrs of heaven cannot make the fruit good When these angels had lost the integrity of nature even heaven it self did not help them to it How miserable lastly is he who hath no better fountain than corrupted nature for the issuing forth of all his services Even the best performances of an unrenewed person cannot be good coming not from a pure heart Phil. 1.11 Eph 2.10 a good conscience and faith unfained they are but dead carcasses embalmed and at the best but hedg-fruit sowre and unsavoury till they who bear them are ingrafted into Christ and partake of his life 4. Corrupt nature cares not for the joyes Observ 4. joyned with the holinesse of heaven As soon as these angels had left their first estate of integrity they forsook even that holy though most happy habitation Heaven it selfe was no heaven to them when they became unholy A sinner may not unfitly be compared to a common beggar who had rather live poorly and idly than plentifully in honest imployment How great is the antipathy of corrupt nature to heavenly performances when they will not down though never so sweetened The enmity of sin against God and holinesse is not to be reconcil'd How little are we to wonder that heaven is a place only for the pure in heart and that Christ at the last day will say to the workers of iniquity Mat. 7.23 Job 22.17 Depart from me since they not only in this life say to God Depart from us Job 21.14 but should they be admitted into that habitation of blisse with unholy hearts they would be unwilling there to continue with him Let it be our care to be made meet for the inheritance of the Saints in light if we expect to have nay to love the joyes thereof 5. Observ 5. How irrationall is every sinner There 's no person in love with any sin but is indeed out of love with his owne happinesse These angels for a meer supposed imaginary happinesse of their own contriving part with the reall blessednesse of enjoying the satisfying presence of the blessed God None can become a divell till first he become a beast A sinner can with no better plea of reason yeeld to any tentation of sin Jud. 16.6 then could Samson to that motion of Delilah Tel me where thy great strength lieth and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee Wicked men are rightly call'd unreasonable 2. Thes 3.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jud. 10. Psal 49. ult or absur'd such whom no reason will satisfie and brute beasts led with humour and sense against all reason Who that had not laid aside even reason would lose his soul for a trifle a shadow and die as Jonathan said for tasting of a little hony He who accounts it unreasonable to part with the poorest worldly commodity without a valuable consideration much more to exchange a conveyance of a thousand pound per annum for a painted paper is yet much more absur'd in sinning against any command of God which is back'd with the very height of reason both in respect of our duty to the Commander and benefit by the command 6. It s a sin for any even the highest Observat 6. to exempt himselfe from service Angels have their tasks set them by God which they must not leave There 's no creature but hath an allotment of duty Though we cannot be profitable yet must we not be idle God allowes the napkin to none upon whom he hath bestowed a talent nor hath he planted any to cumber the ground and only to be burdens to the earth If wee are all of him we must be all for him It s not consistent with the soveraignty of this great King to suffer any subject within his dominions who will be absolute and not yeeld him his homage nor to his wisdome to make any thing which he intends not to use The first who adventur'd to cease from working was a divel and they who follow him in that sin shall partake with him in the sutable punishments of chains and darknesse It s a singular mercy to have opportunities of service abilities for it and delight in it at the same time It s the priviledg of the glorious angels to be confirmed in their work as well as in their happinesse God never is so angry with any as those whom he turns out of his service 7. The glorifyed are in heaven as in an habitation Observ 7. Luk. 16.9 Joh. 14.2 2 Cor. 5.1 Heb. 11.10 16 Heb. 13.14 Heb. 4.9 Omnis homo est advena nascendo incola vivendo quia compellitur migrare moriendo Aug. in q. 91. sup Lev. Heaven is in Scripture often set out by expressions importing it to be a place of stability setlement and abode as Everlasting habitations a Fathers house Mansions a building of God an House not made with hands eternall in the heavens A city a city which hath foundations a continuing city a Rest How sutable are fixed and immovable affections to this permanent and stedfast happinesse everything on this side Heaven is transitory The fashion of this world passeth away here we have no continuing city Our bodies are tabernacles and cottages of clay which shortly shall bee blown down by the wind of death * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid Pelus l. 1. ep 65. yea their falling begins with their very building and this whole world is an habitation which ere long will be
consumed by fire Let us love the world as alway about to leave it and delight in the best of earthly enjoyments only as refreshments in our journey not as in the comforts of our country only as things without which we cannot live not as things for which we do live not making them fetters but only using them as furtherances to our place of setlement Wicked Cain was the first that ever built a city and yet even then the Holy Ghost brands him with the name of a Vagabond The godly of old dwelt in tabernacles Heb. 11.9 and the reason was because they looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God To conclude Let the sin of these angels in leaving this habitation make us fear lest we should fall short of it let us be throughly sensible of our misery by nature in being born without a right to it and interest in it Let us speedily get into and constantly keep in the way that leads unto it Christ is that way let us by faith procure him as one who hath purchased it for us by the merit of his obedience and in him let us continue that he may prepare us for it by his spirit of holinesse Let us profitably improve those ordinances which are the gates of heaven let us content our selves with no degree of proficiency by them but proceed from strength to strength till at last we appear before God in this habitation The third branch of this first part of the text containing the sin of these angels is this Wherein this defection of the angels was seen and did consist This is expressed two ways 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gerh. in 2 Pet. 1. Negatively They kept not c. 2. Affirmatively They left their c. EXPLICATION The nature of the subject and indeed the very expressions of the Apostle of not keeping and leaving puts us upon explaining three particulars 1. What was the original cause that these angels made a defection or that they kept not their first estate 2 What was that first sin whereby this defection was made or their first estate not kept 3. In what degree and measure it was made it being here said they kept not their c. but left their own c. 1. For the first 1. God who is infinitely and perfectly good and holy the fountain of all goodnesse and goodnesse it self was not the cause of the sinfull defection of these angels nor had it been justice in God to have condemned them for that which himselfe had caused or to make them fall and then to punish them for falling And whereas it is objected that God might have hindred them from falling therefore he was the cause thereof I answer 1. Not every one who can hinder an evill is accessary to it unlesse he be bound to hinder it but God was not here so bound Angeli homines ex officio debeut Deo Deus nihil debet nisi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quum se ipse obstring it ultro ex promissionibus gratiae Illi ex natur â debent Deo natura debetur ipsa Junius in loc Asserunt malam esse naturā quae immutari nullo modo potest Aug. con 2. ep Pet. Nor oweth he any thing to any of his creatures further then he bindeth himselfe Angels and men are bound to God Ex officio by duty nothing from God is due to them but of his own good will and pleasure when freely and of his own accord he binds himself to them by his promise of grace Angels and men owe to God all they are all they have all they have lost they are debtors to God by nature and even nature it selfe is owing to God 2. Nor secondly Were the angels made to sin as the Manichees fondly and falsly imagined by some first evill cause which as they held was the original and fountain of all sin and whereby a necessity of sinning lay upon creatures from the very being of nature which therefore could not be changed from being evill but was so unavoidably unalterably 3. Nor thirdly Do I conceive that this sin of the angels proceeded from any error or ignorance in their understanding before their sin as if their understanding first judged that to be good which was not and therefore they afterwards sinn'd in willing and embracing that good for this were to make them erroneous before they were unholy miserable before they were sinfull whereas the ignorance of that which ought to be known is a part of sin and all misery is a fruit of sin * Illa ignorantia five error secundùm quem omnis peccans ignorat et errat propriè non est causa peccati sed potius aliquid peccati Peccat enim homo eo ipso quòd ratio pravè judicat Peccat inchoativè sicut consummativè peccat in eo quod voluntas malè eligit Nam omne peccatum quasi duabusillis partibus constat c. Error judicii non est separandus à peccato sed in plena ejus ratione includitur Estius in l. 2. sent dist 22. That ignorance or error saith Estius whereby he who sins is ignorant and erroneous properly is not a cause of sin but something of sin for a man who judgeth amisse sins inchoatively as he whose will chuseth wickedly sins consummatively and compleatly for all sin he saith doth as it were consist and is made up of two parts false judgement and evill election and the error of judgement is not to be separated from sin but to be included in and * Involvitur ignorantia malae electionis sub ipso malae electionis peccato tanquam aliquid ei intrinsecum propriè dicimus omnem qui peccat eo ipso quo peccat errare impropriè autem omnem peccantem ex errore peccare Id. ib. involved under the sin it selfe of evil election as something intrinsecall to it and that every one who sins properly is said to err in that he sins and improperly said to sin by or from error And thus the soundest among the Schoolmen answer the Objection against the possibility of the fal of the angels taken from this ground that every sin proceeds from ignorance which cannot say they be true of the sin of the angels 4. Fourthly I conceive that sin being a defect a privation of good and a want of due rectitude hath not properly any cause whereby it may be said to be effected or made Sin is not a nature or a being for then it should be a creature and appetible every creature desiring it's being and by consequence good Nor yet is it a meer negation of good for then the bare absence of any good belonging to another creature would be a mans sin But sin is a privation of that good which hath been and should be in one Now in regard sin is a privation and defect Let none they are the words of Augustine enquire after the