and derive the Truths which though they are very many yet I shall contract or rather extract the vertue of these five parts into this quintessential Doctrine Doct. That God hath given that man Christ Jesus the power and prerogative for the judicial transactions of the day of judgement In the profecution of this Point I shall shew you 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it is so 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why it is so 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How he is so First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it is so And here I shall summon both Law and Gospel to give in their evidence to confirm this Truth I. The Law which saies it can witness that Enoch the seventh from Adam prophecied Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all Jude 14. Give me leave to make the best of my witnesses evidence and this I shall do in four particulars 1. Observe the antiquity of this Truth Enoch the seventh Omne vetustum venerandum from Adam i. e. in that particular direct line who lived as Chronologers affirm 306 years in Adams daies Obs The end of the world was preached and prophesied in the beginning of the world 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ecce behold particula inserviens ad indicandum incitandum Ravan 1. Not only for admiration of a thing as most wonderfull Isa 7. 14. Behold a Virgin shall conceive a child 2. But also for attention to a thing as most certain Matth. 28. 7. Behold he goeth before you into Galilee So here 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord Personally not Essentially See who this Lord is 2 Thess 1. 7. The Lord Jesus Christ who shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He comes the present for the future tense to intimate saies Mr. Perkins to us the certainty of his coming the sense is he shall as certainly come as if he were now a coming II. The Law justifies that Solomon the wisest Prince and Preacher avows and avers it in his recantation Sermon Eccles 11. 9. Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the daies of thy youth and walk in the waies of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement Verba haec valde emphatica The words are ironical and are Lavater a smart jeer to the Hectors and Ranters of his age He does as Hosts serve in great cheer but withall sends after a sawcy reckoning Venite ad judicium 2. Crier Call in the Gospel that that may testifie or rather terrifie with its witnesse 1. That affirms it is one of the first principles in every beleevers Catechism Heb. 6 2. and of eternal judgement Contra principia negantem non est disputandum Now to deny a principle in the Schools much more in the Scriptures is a grosse and grievous Solecism 2. It can testifie that its a Statute-Law that was never yet repealed nor ever shall be Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgement This Statute stands in force as much for Judgement as for Death Judgement is as sure as death Perhaps you will say this witnesse speaks not home to the point and purpose It speaks enough to prove a day of judgement but nothing to prove Christ to be Judge in that day Though Judge and day of judgement be relata and one doth necessarily imply the other Posito uno relatorum ponitur et alterum so that I should not need to produce farther testimony yet to let you see what a full witness the Gospel is you shall have it proved totidem verbis Rom. 2. 16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel 2 Tim. 4. 1. I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why so here passing by many reasons drawn 1. From the pleasure of God to conferre this royalty 2. From the excellency of his person 3. From the fitness of his spirit 4. From the conveniency of his affinity 5. From the end of his death and resurrection 6. From the rectitude of his vision 7. From the merit of his desert appretiativè all which you may finde in Aquin sum part 3. quest 59. art 2. in conclus 8. I shall only insist on the equity of it why this man should be Judge he hath suffered and susteined infinite and unparralleld injuries and indignities 1. He was all his life slandred scorned scoffed persecuted 2. He was basely barbarously falsely unjustly ignominiously put to death by the High Court of Justice where of Pontius Pilate was Lord President 3. He hath ever since his resurrection and ascension been kept from his throne in Kingdomes and Consciences 1. Kingdomes 1. Tartaria puts up the Divell 2. Turkey Mahomet that impostor 3. Jewes their Moses 4. Rome and the greatest part of Europe Antichrist Rev. 13. 13. 5. England and those places that have cast off all these yet doe not set up Christ but doe in some sence worse than they for many defie Christ deny Scripture breake Covenants abuse liberty slight Magistrates despise Ministers contemne Ordinances hate the godly live as if hell it selfe were broke loose or as if this were the time of Sathans being loosed from his thousand yeares confinement and imprisonment to be their deare and dread Soveraigne Rev. 20. 3. 2. In Consciences how is Christ put by his throne in every mans heart what strange Soveraignes doe they serve and submit to Sin Sathan World Haec tria pro trino numine How daily is Christ crucified by sin Heb. 6. 6. how often is his blood shed profanely by unworthy receiving the Sacrament Therefore it is but just and equitable that that man and Master that supreame Soveraigne should come to account with the world in generall and with every person in particular for these affronts and insolencies that those his enemies that would not have this man to reigne over them should be brought forth and slaine before his face Luk. 19. 27. It is most just that those who would not be ruled by his Scepter should be ruined by his Sword Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How so or what manner of Judge he will be such a Judge as never rode Circuit in the world before 1. He is the supreame Judge Rev. 19. 16. King of Kings and Lord of Lords the Lord Cheife Justice of the King of Heavens Bench that sheafe in Josephs vision unto which all the rest give obeysance 2. Sole Judge none joyned in Commission with him John 5. 22. The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to the Son It is true God the Father judges autoritativè Saints interpretativè but Christ only executivè 3. Universall
happiness so to live as you may be judgement-proofe what a glory will it be for you in such wicked and wretched times as these are to be Noahs Lots Joshuahs Calebs I dare boldly say that Religion was never more owned and honoured in England by the publique Magistrate both in precept and practice and yet I must say never was there more prophaneness vileness wickedness then now is in the Land not only swarmes as ever with drunkards swearers slanderers murtherers whoremongers c. but also with such unheard of sinners who have taken the highest degrees and have commenced Ranters Hectors Trappans and words of Art that all the Logicke I have cannot helpe me to understand so farre as I can conceive they are such as challenge God defie Christ deny Scripture scoffe heaven deride hell Now what an honour will this be for you to be heavenly tapers burning in the damps of sin starres shining in the dark night of prophanness to be like the river Arithusa to run through the brackish Ocean and yet to retaine your sweetness and freshness Laus tribuenda Muraenae and if Cicero commended Muraena that he had lived chastly in incontinent Asia how much more will Christ commend you for living purely and piously in a prophane world Inter malos bonum esse est immensae bonitatis Greg. in Job 1. 1. To be bad in any times is a sin to be bad in good times is a shame to be good in good times is no praise to be good in bad times is a glory Vse 5. To direct you to some means whereby you may be able to stand before this Judge in judgement 1. Repent for all your sins Acts 3. 19. Repent you therefore and be converted that your sins may he blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Those mens sins shall never be sealed up in Gods bag whose repenting teares have been put up into his bottle If one teare of Alexanders Mother would wipe away all her faults then much more will penitent tears all the failings of Christs Saints 2. Get you garments made of the wooll and dyed with blood of the Lamb of God be sure to appeare in your Pontificalibus on that day you are then to be Judges bring your scarlet robes along with you Matth. 22. 11. 3. Daily arraigne your soules at the barre of your own conscience passe sentence of death and damnation on your selves 1 Cor. 11. 31. If we judge our selves we shall not be judged Those that judge themselves in their own private Sessions shall not be judged by Christ in his publique Assizes Amat deus seipsos judicantes non judicare Aug. Christ loves to judge them that judge others rashly but not those that judge themselves religiously The Patriarch of Alexandria asked the Hermite how he spent his life who answered Indesinenter culpando judicando meipsum who replyed This is the only way to life and salvation 4. Make Blastus the Kings Chamberlaine your friend keep good correspondency with your own consciences do you what God said to Abraham about Sarah Listen to it whatsoever it sayes to thee Maxima est vis conscientiae in utramque partem Cicero 1 John 3. 20 21. If our heart condemne us God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things if our heart condemne us not then have we confidence towards God Conscience is Custos Rotulorum who shall produce and preferre all the bils of indictment against sinners and read all the pardons signed and sealed by the blood of Christ to Saints 5. Get bowels of mercy to the afflicted members of Jesus Christ Matth 25. 31. I was an hungry and you gave me meate c. Christ releived in his members Come you blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Non habebit guttam qui non dedit micam Aug. As he shall not have a drop that gave not a crumb so he shall have an Ocean that gave a drop 6. Live in print keep the copy of your lives free from blots and blurs that the characters thereof may be read by all Tit. 2. 11 12 13. The grace of God that hath appeared to us teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ Let righteousness and religion holiness and honesty which God hath united together in his Word appeare together in your workes live and lead Evangelicall yea Angelicall lives 1 John 3. 3. As having hope causes us to purifie our selves for that day so purifying our selves causes us to have hope in that day 7. Let the meditation of this rigid and righteous Judge be fixed in your hearts before every action this will wonderfully perswade you to be prepared for this Judge and Nihil est quod magis proficiat ad vitam bonestam quà m ut credamus eum judicem futurum quem occulta non sallunt indecora offendunt honesta delectant Amb. lib. de Offic. Judgement It makes the young man to rejoyce moderately in his youth Eccles 11. 9. It makes the Minister serious and sedulous in his ministry 2 Cor. 5. 11 13 14. It makes the Magistrate diligent in his place as it did the Emperour Constantine Euseb lib. 4. cap. 29. Yea it hath an influence on all M. Perkins reports of a gratious Gentlewoman much sollicited to be a strumpet by an importunate suitor who promised her to do any thing for her sake she desired him to put his hand into the fire and hold it there a quarter of an houre to whom he replyed oh that is an unreasonable request to whom she retorted how much more unreasonable is your request that would have me to satisfie your lust to burne in hell fire to all eternity Holcot reports of two Souldiers coming to the valley of Jehosaphat in Judaea that said one to the other this is the place where the geuerall judgement shall be therefore I will take up said one of them my place before hand and so taking up a stone sate downe upon it but before he arose such trembling seazed upon him that he remembred the day of Judgement unto his dying day So that we see thoughts of judgement have been advantageous to all sorts of persons and I am sure they would be a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to heale all diseases distempers If we Ministers would read every morning a Chapter in this booke of Judgement and write it downe in the common place booke of our consciences with the pen and inke of meditation and prayer it would keepe us from laziness in our places and lewdness in our practises If you Souldiers would anoint your swords with the sword-salve of judgement it would heale all the wounds in your consciences and keepe you from wounds for ever If you Ladies would dress your selves every
nothing but dogs and Crocodiles within 1. The privative benefits that shall accrue to our soules are 1. Freedome from sin that great troubler of our spirituall Israel the bane and burthen of our soules Hic praeceptum est ut non peccemus ibi praemium est non posse peccare Aug ad Bonif lib. 7. cap. 7. tom 7. 1. Our hearts those bottomless Oceans of pollution and prophaness shall be emptied we shall never be more troubled with hardness of heart with straitness in duties with hypocrisie in our actions with unbeleife in the promises but our hearts shall be Camaerae regis the Courts of God and presence Chambers of Jesus Christ 2. Our understandings shall be freed from mists and fogs of ignorance those Israelites shall be delivered from Egypt Ignoramus shall never be acted more by them 3. Our judgements shall be freed from errors it shall be truly said of them which is falsly said of Popes they cannot erre 4. Our wills shall be freed from all impurity imperfection unability unwillingness heaven will make us all conformists the wheels of our wills shall sweetly and swiftly move about with the primum Mobile of Gods will 5. Our memories shall be freed from oblivion amongst all the rivers in Paradize there shall be no amnis oblivionis amongst all the Lawes of heaven there shall be no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all good things shall be so imprinted with indeleble characters in our memories that no aqua fortis shall be able to eat them out 6. Our consciences shall be freed from all impurity and unquietness Bernards fourfold conscience shall be abbreviated into one the bad and quiet the bad and unquiet the good and unquiet into a good and quiet conscience that which is not only the heaven upon earth but also that heaven of heavens 7. Our affections shall be freed from all distemper and disorder they shall never more make our soules Bedlam-houses those untamed horses shall not overthrow the Chariots but those strings shall be so well tuned that they shall make melodious musick 2. Freedome from Sathan and his temptations no Devil shall ever stand at our eare or elbow to inspire wicked motions or to incite us to vaine actions he shall never rub our temples with his Opium of poysonous suggestions Rev. 12. 7 8. He was once sued with an Ejectione firma out of heaven he can never gaine possession againe 3. From the feare of hell and damnation you shall have an eternall acquittance and discharge given you under the hand of Jesus Christ 4. From the feare of Gods displeasure that inferni limen God will for ever lift up the light of his countenance upon you nothing but smiles from God 2. Positive mercies to your soules 1. Your soules shall be filled with perfect knowledge scibilia in quantum scibilia all the essences and first qualities of things which now are hidden from us all the riddles in Scripture shall then be resolved yea the whole Arke which now is dangerous to pry into shall then be open'd and we shall know all that is needfull and comfortable for us to know about Gods councel of election and reprobation the Trinity in Unity the hypostatical union c. 1 Cor. 13. 12. 2. With perfect holiness and sanctity of our natures happiness is nothing else but holiness compleated and crowned 3. Enjoyments joyntly to soules and bodies 1. We shall sit Judges upon them that have slurd and slanderd us 1 Cor. 6. 2. The Saints shall judge the world 1. Comparativè Matth. 12. 41. 2. Interpretativè they shall approve of the sentence Psal 119. 137. 3. Accessoriè they shall sit on the bench with him Matth. 19. 28. 2. You shall enjoy the company of Christ and Saints 1. Christ you shall obtaine that which was Austin's desire viz. to see Christ in the flesh John 17. 24. 2. Saints you shall see and know all the Saints from Adam to the last that entred into heaven Heb. 12. 23. 3. All the treasures and pleasures of heaven set forth and shadowed out to you from sundry similitudes and comparisons as crowne of life power over nations feasting marrying summ'd up in the joy of the Lord Matth. 25. 23. 4. The presence and person of Almighty God Matth. 5. 8. You shall see God not only with a mental but also with a corporal vision which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of heaven and happiness 5. The continuance and duration of all this happiness which is for ever Psal 16. 11. In thy presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore 2 Cor. 4. 17. A more exceeding and eternall weight of glory The words in the Original are so full that we can scarcely render them in English so nigh as we can come is that if Aeternitate magis aeterna Bez. in loc there be an eternity more then eternal this is it As it adds much to the misery of the damned that their torments are eternal so it adds infinitely to the comfort of the Elect that their joyes are eternal and everlasting And thus have I done with my Text in general to come to the occasion of this Assembly in particular 1. To you much honoured Lords It is the honour of To the Judges this people that Judges of such integrity and ability should come this Circuit It is the happiness of the Preacher to have such Judges eares and hearts to speake to that have alwayes been observed for their devotion and piety in their attention to retention of the Word which emboldens me to spread these four Petitions humbly before your Honours 1. When you are in the place of temporal thinke often on eternal judgement let your heart be the true Philosophers stone which turns all these earthly matters and mettals into golden meditations such thoughts will warne and warme your hearts quicken and carry on your spirits in your weighty affaires comfortably and couragiously 2. Execute temporal as this Judge will execute eternal judgement Fiat justitia ruat mundus give me leave thus to English it so execute judgement as if the world were now a ruining that so spectators may learne alphabetum judicij extremi as Luther phrases it 3. Maintaine the honour of that Potentate from whom you have your Commission Prov. 8. 16. By me Princes rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the earth Let your lips speake plead pronounce sentence even to death for Christ if the offence demerit it If any should be brought before you for saying the Protector were a a Reader judge whether here be any thing spoken against the Lord Protector as some obtrectators have falsly accused mee whose unjust calumny did occasion the printing this Sermon Hi mala de dulci flore venena legunt traytor a tyrant an usurper would you not severely punish him and that very justly If any shall be brought before you for calling Christ a bastard impostor no God a cursed b Coppin was
then to be tryed for such like blasphemies go are at the left hand and many such like which I tremble to name least Christ should strike me dead for repeating such blasphemies Let Christ who is your Lord Protector now and shall be your Judge one day finde as much favour from you stand you as much for Christ now you judge as you would have Christ stand for you when he is your Judge you must shortly come to your verse Nuper eram judex jam judicis ante tribunal As your grey-hairs are ornaments to you as you are Judges Judge Aske dyed before the next Assize so they are warnings to you as you are men Psal 82. 8. 4. Countenance and encourage the painfull and faithfull Ministry be to them as the Oke to the Ivy support them by your power that they may shade and shelter you by their prayers I have three things to press upon your Honours to this end 1. The neare relation between Magistrate and Minister Primum in unoquoque genere est mensura caeterorum at first Exod. 4. 14. Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother And God commands fraternall care and correspondency v. 16. He shall be to thee in stead of a mouth and thou shalt be to him in stead of God Though you are the elder brethren and carry away the honour and inheritance and we only have an annuity for terme and time of life yet we are your brethren Dat Justinianus honores At genus species cogitur ire pedes 2. Your deare concernments I may say of your lives and livelihoods as Judah said of Jacobs Benjamin Gen. 44. 30. are bound up in the lives and liberties of the Ministers Magistracy and Ministry are to the body politicke as the two legs are to the body natural upon which Common-weales stand by which they goe if one of these be broken or cut off the other must needs faile and the whole body fall Yea the blinde Sampsons for zeale lay hold on both these pillars and pull them downe together 3. The famous and flourishing state of that Nation where the Magistrate and Minister mutuall support one the other the Magistrate by his person and power the Minister by preaching and prayer it is a more hopefull and happy Asterisme to a Land than Castor and Pollux appearance together is to the Sea When more holy and happy dayes in Israel then in Davids and Hezekiahs reignes who encouraged the Seers and listned to their voyce though reproving for sin and particularly Thou art the man 2 Sam. 1â—â—7 When more flourishing times for Church and State then in Constantines and in England then in Q. Elizabeths I shall conclude all with Jehosaphat his charge to his Judges 2 Chron 19. 6 7. Take heed what you doe for you judge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in judgement Wherefore now let the feare of the Lord be upon you take heed and doe it for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts 2. You worthy Patriots the fixed Stars in the Orb of To the Justices this County whose sweet and gratious influences we the inferiour bodies have often received and doe with all humble thankfulness acknowledge especially those three late ones 1. The cleering the County of vagrants the pest and shame of England 2. The suppressing the multitude of Alchouses those nurseries of vices and villanies yea the very shops and Synagogues of the Devill Surely your actions if Reverend and religious Mr. Bolton were living would cause him to recant that saying of his in his Sermon before the Judges at Northampton Anno 1630. that it was not so hard a work to win Dunkirke as to get downe an Alchouse Oh that Dunkirke could now be so easily taken 3. Your pressing the Acts and Statutes against the prophanation of the Lords day I see you have found out that Law which Solon could never finde viz. a Law to put all good Lawes into execution you are truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are living Lawes and make the Lawes to live you have put clappers into those bels which make musick in the ears of Gods people but ring a dolefull knell to the hearts of the wicked Worthy Sirs Quo pede cepistis goe on and give me leave to adde my mite to your treasury 1. Have a very vigilant eye over the inferiour officers a fault in the first concoction can hardly be rectified by the other digestions 2. Be very impartiall in your justice let that never be said of your justice Dat veniam corvis vexat censura columbas You have heard of Rete Vulcanium which caught great ones as well as meane ones Oh when scarlet drunkards and worshipfull swearers are brought before you do not receive them with Your Servant Sir nor dismisse them with such another Complement as their greatest punishment but let it be said of your tribunal what was said of L. Cassius Val Max lib. 3. cap. 7. Praetor of Rome Scopulus reorum a rock to break all proud and prophane waves and wayes Oh remember the charge God gives you Deut. 16. 19 20. Thou shalt not wrest judgement nor respect persons neither take a gift but justice justice shalt thou doe Oh imitate that admirable patterne Job 29. 12. 18. Deliver the poore that cry and the fatherless and him that hath none to help him cause the widdowes heart to sing for joy put on righteousness let it be your garment let judgement be your robe and diadem be eyes to the blind and feet to the lame fathers to the poore and break the jawes of the wicked make Kent as Villamont lib. 3. cap. 4. of his voyages Sardinall in Syria of which it is reported that no Turks Saracens Moores can dwell but dye before the years end Oh let no common drunkards prophane swearers or deboise wretches dwell here but make them depart before the yeare end that that scoffing Proverb of Kent and Christendome may be out of date For the Lords sake sinners sake yea your own soules sake put to your helping hand methinkes I see some dawnings of reformation againe there was a glorious Sun shined in our Hemisphere some ten yeares agoe but like Amos Sun it set at noone day some rayes seeme to appeare againe lay hold upon them lest we be left in Cimmerian darkness and it be said of England that its worse with her in the end then it was in the beginning 3. You eloquent Tertullus's whose tongues are like To the Lawyers so many Orpheus his pipes to allure the Judges Witnesses Juries auditors to you remember you shall be cald from the barre to the tribunall to give account to this Judge of all your pleadings before the Judges take a dram of the powder of Judgement and lay it upon your tongues every time before you plead it will be a speciall preservative to keep your tongues from blistering and your consciences from festering 4. You Witnesses and Jury men anoint your lips with To the Jurors the oyle of Judgement it will cure you of and keep you from the stinking breath of false witness or a false Verdict To close and conclude all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men of Athens not by nation but by nature you have itching eares after newes and novelties and it hath been the course and custome of Preachers to please you with such things that you might applaud them with Hic est ille Demosthenes but I better know the worth of yours and my soule then to foole and flatter them so away I have endeavoured so to preach this day not only as King James said of a conscionable Chaplain of his as if judgement were behind your backs but as if it were before your faces I should be glad so to defeat your soules I have read of a famous cheat that was put upon a Bulgarian King that was a Heathen by one Methodius a Painter who was a Christian he being desired to draw a rare peice of his art in this Princes Pallace promised he would and did accordingly which when he had finished the King came in full fraight with expectation to have seene his Hawkes flying Hounds running Forrests greene and flourishing c. But behold there was a hideous Map of the day of Judgement heaven in its blacks the earth on fire the Sea in blood men and women crying Devils roaring c. Which did so apale and amaze him that he presently turned from a Pagan to a Christian You have come this day with expectation to hear a Sermon garnished with streines of Rhetorick adorned with the flourishes of the Fathers crowded with invectives against the times stuffed with scoffs and jeers of Sectaries and Anabaptists the usuall stuffe of these Sermons but unexpectedly you meet with a Sermon of Judgement as lively drawne before your eyes as if it were pensilled upon the wall with a beame of the Sun Oh that it would amaze your hearts affright your spirits terrifie your consciences that of prophane people you would become pious and holy I should be glad with all my soule to put such a holy and happy cheat upon you to cozen you with heaven in stead of hell I have often admired at that place 2 Cor. 12. 16. Being crafty I caught you with guile I have endeavoured after some such cunning in catching your soules this day and if I have failed of my purpose yet I am satisfied In magnis voluisse sat est FINIS