blasphemers of the holy Spirit who doe not onely fulfill the full measure of those Pagans sinnes but contemne also the Graces given vnto them the knowledge whereto they haue beene called and that good Spirit whereof the Pagans were never made partakers Now looke we backe for a while to those markes wherewith they are noted against whom our Apostle in this place denounceth If they bee duely considered they will moue our hearts to wisdome One is they haue beene once lightned that is they haue been endued with the knowledge of God and that not onely by the heavens though they b Psal 19 ◠declare Gods glory nor only by the firmament though that sheweth his handy worke nor onely by other his creatures though in them also his eternall power godhead appeareth and shineth for of this light all nations are made partakers but they haue beene lightned also with his holy word This hath beene a c Ps 119 105. lanterne to their feet and a light vnto their paths When they found it they did greedily tast of it and it was vnto them the ioy and reioycing of their hearts And can we think that any thus lightned are neere vnto cursing Yea the d Heb. 6.7 Scripture telleth vs that they may so fall away as that it shall be impossible for them to be renued againe by repentance Heb. 6.6 Indeed the earth which drinketh in the raine that commeth oft vpon it and bringeth forth hearbes meet for them by whom it is dressed shal receaue a blessing of God but that earth which beareth thornes and briers is reproued is neere vnto cursing the end thereof is to bee burned Presume wee not then beloved in the Lord. Whosoever 1. Cor. 10.12 thinkes he standeth may fal O! worke we out our salvatiō with feare trembling An other marke of theirs is they haue tasted of the heavenly gift This heavenly gift is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.23 It is that great salvatiō that is in Christ Iesus so called by Christ himselfe speaking to the woman of Samaria Iohn 4.10 This gift they haue not only knowne but haue also tasted of it Would you know what taste this is One expounds it thus Suppose a banquet provided wherein are many sweet pleasant and dainty meates At this banquet the bidden guests must be set downe they see the meats they taste thē they eate them they disgest them they are nourished strengthened by them The vnbidden guests it is not so with them They indeed may see the meates yea more then so happyly they may be permitted to handle them and taste of them to feele how good they are but eate or feed of thē they may not Apply this and in the vnbidden guests tasting of those dainety meates you shall perceiue this taste of the heavenly gift resembled They haue tasted of the heavenly gift that is they haue gladly sometime receaved it and reioyced in it like Herode who did gladly heare Iohn Baptist preaching Mark 6.20 like the second kinde of naughty ground that ioyfully receaved the seed Mat. 13.20 Herod may willingly heare the preaching of the word and yet be accursed the naughty ground receiving the seed with ioy in the end may be burned Many may haue a taste of eternall life of that great salvation which is in Christ Iesus and yet may finally fall away Presume wee not then beloved in the Lord. Whosoever thinkes he standeth may fall O! worke we out our salvation with feare and trembling Their third marke is they haue beene made partakers of the holy Ghost that is many graces of the spirit of God haue beene given vnto them They may repent like Iudas Mat. 27.3 confesse their sinnes like Pharaoh Exod. 10.16 loue God as Saule did 1. Sam. 10.9 They may desire to be like Gods children in happinesse as Balaam desired when he said O let my soule die the death of the righteous let my last end be like his Num. 23.10 They may shew liking to Gods Ministers reverence them and feare to displease them as Simon Magus did who at Philips preaching beleeved wondred at his miracles and kept cōpany with him Act. 8.13 They may be zealous in the profession of the gospell as the Galatians were who receaved Paule as an Angell and if possible would haue plucked out their eies to haue done him good Gal. 4.16 Thus may they be qualified yea much better then thus and yet may finally fall awaie Presume we not thē beloved in the Lord. Whosoever thinkes he standeth may fall O! worke we out our salvation with feare and trembling Their last marke for I omit the rest as being all reducible to these fowre their last marke is They haue receaved the knowledge of the truth that is they haue caused their f Ezech. 3.3 bellies to eate and haue filled their bowels with that sweet roule as sweet as any hony in their mouthes they haue receaved the word of God in their hearts in such abundance as that they are become preachers of the word for they haue g Heb. 6.5 tasted of the good word of God and of the power of the world to come they haue tasted it indeed but only haue they tasted it Here let me once more remember you of the resemblance of tasting You know that Cookes which are busied in preparing of banquets haue commonly as much feeling and seeing of the meates as any other and yet there is none that eateth lesse of it then they their stomackes are so cloyed with the smell taste thereof so is it here it may come to passe that the preacher which dresseth and provideth the spirituall food may eate least of it himselfe so labouring to saue others himselfe may proue a reprobate It hath beene thought that some of them which built the Arke were not saved in the Arke but certaine it is not only thought so certaine it is that diverse spirituall builders of Christs Church shall not be saved with the Church They may by vs be takē for Gods sheepe because they are kept in the same pastures and folded in the same fold with vs they may by vs be taken for Gods sheepe though indeed they be very Goates There is a day to come wherein the h 2. Pet. 3.10 heavens shal passe away with a noise and the elements shall melt with heate the earth with the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp then may Demas alleage for himselfe his old and once-true religion and Iudas for himselfe his Apostleship and many others for themselues their prophecying in Christs name but al in vaine For that iust Iudge will professe vnto them i Mat. 7.23 Luk. 13.27 I never knew you depart from me yee workers of iniquity Presume wee not then beloved in the Lord. Whosoever thinkes he standeth may fall O! worke we out our salvation with feare and trembling Having thus considered their markes finding that they haue
teeth of wild beasts hot glowing fornaces caldrons of boyling oyle fiery braseÌ„ bulls powning to death in morters rouling in barrels of nayles roasting vpon spits boring with augers parting the nayles from the fingers ends with needles nipping the flesh with pincers renting asunder the ioynts with wild horses can we I say thinke of these and the like most mercilesse and pitilesse torments and not be moved Could we Our hearts certainely should be harder then the hardest yron Yet behold my text leadeth you to the sight of farre more grievous torments in regard of which all those foresaid agonies and as many besides as ever haue wrested or may wring the spirit of man are only shadowes and counterfeits It sheweth you though there be never so many already in the bowels of Hell to empty her storehouses and to part her punishments among them yet hath shee in store an vnmeasurable portion to bestow vpon her children that now liue or are yet vnborne such a portion as may not be refused a patrimonie of howling weeping and gnashing a patrimonie of darknesse blacknesse and obscuritie a patrimonie of fire brimstone and the wrath of God There shall they be tormented before the Holy Angels and before the lambe and shall bee a gazing stocke vnto the blessed Saints who shall not pitie them but reioyce to see their coÌ„fusion And the c Rev. 14.11 smoake of this their torment ascends for evermore giving them rest neither day nor night and it continueth for a time and times and no time even when time shall bee no more Rev. 10 6. When time shall bee no more yet then continueth their torment and that in such a measure as no eye hath ever seene the like no eare hath ever heard the like no tongue hath ever vttered the like no heart hath beene is or shall bee ever able to conceaue the like And this I hope may suffice for the explication of my text Now that we doe not like sleepy Adders passe our times in a dreame let vs awake our selues Why should wee bee that ground by the d Mat. 13.4 highway side or that e Vers 5. stony or that f Vers 7. bushie ground The good g Vers 8. ground it is that receaues the seed beares brings forth fruit Since we haue brought our eares to heare the word let vs keepe our hearts here also It is not meete our hearts should be like many of your waiting men who thinke their dutie fully done if they wait vpon their Masters to and from the Church though they heare not one word of the sermon themselues But so they shal never learne Christ Nor we if when we present our bodies in this and the like places wee send our hearts vpon other businesses to attend our private affaires Let vs therfore lay these things whereof we haue heard to our hearts and be assured they will be for our profit The consideration of the terror of the Iudge of Hell fire and of the torments there to bee endured may moue vs to thinke with our selues how neere that day of iudgement is and therevpon to provide our selues against the comming of the Iudge Touching this point if the day of iudgement were at hand sixteene ages since as the Crier in the wildernesse proclaimed Mat. 3.2 as the Disciples taught according to their charge Mat. 10.7 and as Christ himselfe preached Mat. 4.17 if in those daies the end of the world were come as S. Paule saith 1. Cor. 10.11 if then was the last time as S. Iohn tels vs 1. Iohn 2.18 if at that time the end of all things drew neere as S. Peter affirmeth 1. Pet. 4.7 Can we religiously thinke that yet this day of the LORD is farre of In the time of the Apostles there were two heresies concerning this second comming of Christ the one refuted by S. Peter the other by S. Paule S. Peter 2 Pet. 3.3 wisheth vs to vnderstand that in the last daies which then were come there shall be mockers walking after their own lusts and saying where is the promise of his comming For since the fathers dyed all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation Miserable men to bee perswaded that the day of the LORD shall never come because it is deferred But such iesting scoffing and mocking at that fearefull day vsed heretofore and hitherto practised by the whole progenie of vnbeleevers may be vnto vs a good argument that this iudgement shall speedely be hastned For so saith the Holy Ghost by the Apostle 1. Thess 5.3 when they shall say PEACE and SAFETIE then shall come vpon them suddaine destruction St Peter in his answere to such deceavers saith first that the LORD differeth not very long to come to iudgement For saith he verse 8. one day with him is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day alluding to the words in Moses prayer Psal 90 4. A thousand yeares in thy sight are as yesterday when it is past and as a watch of the night as if he should haue said were it possible for a man to liue a thousand yeares yet those thousand yeares are assoone passed over in respect of God as one day only is in respect of a so-long-living man Yea those thousand yeares are but as a watch of the night that is they are of very short continuance For the old Iewes divided the night into foure watches and appointed to every watch three houres as may appeare by the conference of these places Mat. 14.25 Luk. 12.38 Exod. 14.24 The words then suffering this exposâ—tion that a thousand yeares in respect of the Lord are but as a watch of the night but of three houres doe plainely shew that Peter meant not to speake any thing distinctly of a thousand yeares but of a long time so his meaning is that innumerable yeares are but as a short time with God He might as well and truely haue said two thousand eight or ten thousand years with God are but as one day And this is his first answere to such as aske where is the promise of his comming His second answere is verse 9. when he saith The LORD is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknes but is patient towardes vs and would haue no man to perish but that all should come to repentance Where it being manifest that the LORD differreth his comming only for our good to giue vs time to turne vnto him is it meete we should mocke at the slacknesse of his comming You see the first Heresie refuted The second is quite opposite to this set abroach by certain false teachers who taught the Thessalonians that the daie of the LORD was so nigh as that it should happen within their age Where by the way note the exceeding subtilty of Sathan slyly leading vs into one of the extreams to make vs belieue either that the day of the Lord shall never come or else that it shall come within such a
the LORD The third that God will severely punish his owne people also which is plaine by the second testimonie these wordes The LORD shall iudge his people Of the first of these three notes I spake in my last exercise I proceed Vengeance belongeth vnto mee I will recompense saith the LORD THese words in so many syllables are cited by St Paule Rom. 12.19 in a sense somewhat different from that they beare in this place There the Apostle following the naturall meaning of the words as they are vsed in the song of Moses by way of exhortation vnto patience adviseth vs to giue place vnto God in all matters of revenge it being a thing onely and properly belonging vnto him If it be possible saith hee as much as in you lyeth haue peace with all men Avenge not your selues but giue place vnto wrath for it is written vengeance belongeth vnto me I will recompense saith the LORD It is writtē Deut. 32. where Moses after that he had gathered together the elders and officers of Israel to speake in their audience had foretold them that after his death they would vtterly be corrupt and turne from the way of the LORD and that therfore evill should come vpon them at the length he sets downe that his most excellent and spirituall songe wherin his doctrine drops as the raine and his speech stills like the sweetest shewers vpō the hearbs In which his song he first makes rehersal of the inestimable benefits powred downe in great abundāce vpon that people then he speaks of their ingratitude Laden with fatnes they spurned with their heeles and regarded not the stronge God of their salvation After which he brings in God himselfe moued to ielousie and angrie with their provocatiō breathing forth threatning vpon threatning of plague vpon plague to light vpon so froward a generation The fire was kindled in his wrath he threatned that hee would make his arrowes drunke with the blood and his sword to eate the flesh of rebellious ISRAEL Were it not for the furie of his enimies who seeing the desolatiō destructiō of his people would say our high hand not the LORD hath done all this Wherevpon the LORD protesteth that he reserueth revengement vnto himselfe and that assuredly in due time he wil break in peeces every vessell of dishonour will be a tower of defence vnto al that trust in him This his protestation we read vers 35 36. of that song Vengeance and recompence are mine their feete shall slide in due time for the day of their destruction is at hand the things that shall come vpon them make hast For the LORD shall iudge his people and repent towards his servantes Wordes of a double vse they yeeld matter of comfort to all the faithfull God will revenge all wrongs done vnto them for the LORD shall iudge his people repent towards his servants They yeeld also matter of fearefulnesse and horrour to al the wicked who must know that God is a revengefull iudge the day of their destruction is at hand the thing that shall come vpon them make hast their feet shall slide in due time For the LORD hath said and his sayings are immutable Vengeance and recompense are mine Now wee see the naturall meaning of these wordes as they are vsed Deut 32. and alleaged Rom. 12. They confirme that constant and eternall rule of right and wrong well knowne to the wiser of the Heathen by the light of nature Homer in the fourth of his Iliads Theocritus in his tenth Idyllium Pindarus in his Pythia and generally the residue of prophane writers all doe giue their assent to this that God finds out the wicked man wheresoever to be avenged on him I will not hold you with any recitall of their sayings for it is not the deliverie of a Latine or Greeke sentence out of such authors that will much edifie The word of God I knowe is liuely and mightie in operation in it is this eternall rule of right and wrong stablished mention whereof is made by Iunius Paral. 24. lib. 2. to this sence There is no cause why men should be carefull to procure revenge against or to take revenge vpon such as haue wronged them it 's their part rather to rest in God and to commit all their iniuries vnto him that hee to whom alone vengeance belongeth may at length shew himselfe It is an axiome among Schoole-divines Nihil obstat quo minùs speciales sententias transferamus ad doctrinam vniversalem A particular and speciall sentence may bee a good ground to an vniversall doctrine Albeit therefore it was MOSES his purpose in vsing these words and Pauls in citing them to disswade the godly from all private revenge by assuring thē that God will be the avenger of all their iniuries and wrongs yet may they well suting the analogie of faith afforde this doctrine more vniversall that it is proper vnto God to take vengeance vpon all the wicked Wherevpon wil follow that which the Apostle driues at in this place namely that the impietie of such as doe despite and make a mocke of God shall not for ever escape vnpunished Whosoever hauing receaued the knowledge of the truth shall sinne willingly only because he will sinne wilfully spitefully malitiously and so shall crucifie againe the sonne of God shall count his blood prophane shall tread him vnder foot shall make a mocke of him and shall despite the spirit of grace that is whosoever hauing receaued the knowledge of God and his Christ shall fall away from God and godlinesse from Christ Christianitie his root shall be rottennesse and his bud shall rise vp like the dust for the mightie one of Israel having put on the garment of vengeance for clothing and being clad with zeale as with a cloake will come neere to them in iudgement and will bee a swift witnesse against them For as the Prophet Ieremie chap. 51.56 speaketh to the confusion of idolatrous Babel The LORD God that recompenseth shall surely recompense so speaketh our Apostle to the astonishment of all back-sliders VVee knowe him that hath said vengeance belongeth vnto mee I will recompense saith the LORD Vengeance belongeth vnto me In speaking of the vengeance of God our first care must bee not to derogate any thing from his proclivitie and propensnesse vnto mercy Wee must breake out into the mention of his great goodnesse and sing aloud of his mercies saith DAVID Psal 145.7 For the LORD is loving good to all and his mercies are over all his workes The LORD strong and mightie blessed aboue all yea being blessednesse it selfe and therefore hauing no need of any man is loving and good vnto every man Our sinnes haue provoked his vengeance against vs yet he slow to anger and of great goodnesse reserueth mercy for thousands for all the elect and forgiueth all their iniquities transgressions and sinnes His goodnesse here resteth not it reacheth also vnto the reprobate though they