unto him in heaven and in Earth The exercise of which power he would first have to be manifested in discipling whole Nations of the Gentiles Matt. 28.18 19. receiving them into Covenant by the Sacrament of Baptisme as the Jews were by the Sacrament of Circumcision Where the word Nation in order to the Gentiles must without controversie be taken in the same sense as it was with a reference unto the Jews for as the Nation of the Jews was made up of all sorts and sexes old and young so in like manner are the Nations of the Gentiles And because his commission which he then gave unto his Apostles was not formed according to the erroneous fancy of these deluded people who in effect render it thus Go and Disciple all men But thus Go and Disciple all Nations baptising them in the name c. And Children being a part of the Nations we may conclude without any hesitancy that the intent and purpose of the Lord in this commission to his Apostles was that they should wheresoever they came baptise the Children as well as the Parents And seeing he came to break down the wall of partition that was between Jews and Gentiles which was actually done in the execution of this Commission It is not to be imagined that he would by it set up a partition-wall between Parents and their Children so as that they should be at as great a distance the one from the other in point of eternal Salvation as Heaven is from Hell A thing he never did in all the Ages before and undoubtedly whatsoever these Dreamers may blasphemously prate against him He hath not done it now because he is still the Same I will not dwell any longer upon the Conviction of these obstinate people least the more reason be shewed unto them out of the Scripture to lead them into the way of truth they be thereby according to their usual wont the more hardened in their errour The Lord open their eyes that they may see betimes what dishonour they bring unto Jesus Christ in the diminution of his power by their frantick Opinions What disturbance they create unto his Church and consequently what hazard they run notwithstanding their conceited assurance of their own everlasting Salvation We have now done with this second particular viz. Jesus Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Same to day which he was yesterday that is The Same to his Church in the time of the gospel which he was in the time both before and under the Law CHAP. III. Sheweth how JESUS CHRIST shall continue to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Same for ever Vnto his Church WE should now according to our prescribed method come to speak of the third course or computation of time here mentioned in the Text and of that which is predicated of it viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ the Same or the onely He for ever But to avoid Prolixity which hath already spun out the former parts into a greater length then was intended we shall not distinguish this into several propositions as hath been done with those before Neither indeed can we be able to speak of what shall come upon the Church in the continuation of this day of the Gospel to the end of the world Onely this we can say because the Holy Ghost witnesseth it That persecutions and Afflictions do abide it but withall that Jesus Christ will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto it which he ever hath been Hereupon therefore shall we fix the short remainder of our discourse deriving some inferences from it for the further edification of those that take pleasure in beholding the immutability of the Lord Jesus Observe then In the midst of all the various changes and chances that may come upon the Church to the end of the world Jesus Christ will be unto it still The Same No variableness nor shadow of turning shall ever be found in him either in his Mediation with the Father or in the dispensation of his power among his people But he will be Semper idem Alwayes the Same Now herein we can but speak of the exercise of Christs Mediatory office as we have already done and therefore it will be needless to spend many words about it As he began so he will continue to be the Prophet Priest and King of his Church The same word of truth which he hath revealed he will still continue no addition unto it or diminution from it will he ever suffer his Gospel is an everlasting Gospel Rev. 14.6 1 Pet. 1.25 His word abideth for ever And if an Angel from Heaven should come and preach any other we must therefore much more will he ho'd him accursed Gal. 1.8 He is a Priest for ever according to the oath of God not to be retracted saith the Prophet Hath an unchangeable Priest-hood saith the Apostle Ps 110.4 Heb. 7.24 A Priest established in his Dignity as master and Lord by virtue of his Son-ship not like unto the servants the Priests of Aaron's order Who when they entred into the most Holy place were not there to sit but otherwise to execute their office according to the order prescribed unto them by Moses Heb. 10 11 They stood as became servants saith the Apostle ministring before the Lord. But Jesus Christ when he had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever and according to the Law entred into the holy place to finish the Atonement Sat down on the right hand of God noting the perpetuity of his office according to the dignity of his person and that he ever liveth which was not possible for any other to do to make intercession Dan. 7.14 Mach. 4.7 His Throne in like manner is for ever and ever His Kingdom an everlasting Kingdom and his Dominion endureth throughout all Generations No Salvation then to be expected for ever Act 4.12 but onely by him No other Name under Heaven given among men from the beginning of the world to the end of it whereby we must be saved For before him as he saith of himself there was no God formed Es 43 10 or rather as it may be rendred nothing formed of God for any such purpose as to be a Saviour Ec. 2.12 Ps 145.11 12. neither shall there be after him What alas can the man do that cometh after the King What He may speak of the glory of his Kingdom and talk of his power to make known to the Sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious Majesty of his Kingdom But to imitate him in his power and his mighty Acts or to compare with him in the Majesty of his Kingdom would not onely be a contempt cast upon his Crown and Dignity but an utter impossibility and a meere vanity for men or angels to attempt it They poor Creatures being infinitely unfit and unworthy must let that alone for ever and they that will expect it of them will finde it to be folly
of love which was foretold to be in the last times and is now too palpably to be discerned in the World doth plainly demonstrate the setting of our Sun to be very neere Yea and Satan also hath great wrath because hee hath but a short time to work for his Kingdom knowing well that the end of this day will be concluding of his whole design against the Kingdom of Christ Do not these things I say signifie to us that the day goeth away and that the shadows of the evening are stretched out That our Sun is declining and his race even almost at an end Work therefore now for your lives if ever you will do it the night cometh wherein no man can work Could we speak to the light of this day as Joshua did unto the Sun to stand still and make it slay our leisure we might then take our own time But as all our times so especially this is in the hand of God and as no worldly or infernal power can precipitate this day or cut short the hours thereof so can none protract it beyond that measure which the grave and wise antient of dayes hath appointed unto it The day is his and the night is his saith the Psalmist the day I say of the gospel and the expiration of it as well particular to some Persons and Nations as universal at the end of the World are in his power under his irreversible decree to be ordered according to the good pleasure of his Will and therefore out of our reach to be interrupted in their course by any thing that we can do Arise then and walk Up and be doing least dreadful darkness seize upon you before you be aware It is reported by Historians of Titus Vespasianus entituled by them deliciae humani generis because he delighted to do good unto all that when he had spent a day without doing somewhat whereby the Common-wealth or some private persons might be benefited by him he was wont to say Diem perdidi the day is lost O let us consider the day is well nigh spent and the night is at hand If now we stand idle and will do nothing or if we be slothful in the multitude of businesses Rom. 12.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Lord hath set us not Serving the time with that fervency of spirit as is fit for the day we also may say hereafter when it will be too late Perdidimus diem we have lost the day and are lost in the night without any remedy What therefore the Preacher saith in his sense Ec. 9.10 the same say I in this Whatsoever thine hand findeth in the word to do do it with all thy might for there is no work nor device nor Knowledge nor wisdome in the grave whither thou goest That being as one saith Seculum Mercedis not Seculum Operis not a time of work but of wages and your wages shall surely be according to your work To Conclude Let us according to the Advice of the Apostle walk honestly Rom. 13.13 that is Decently as in the Day in all the Commandments of the Lord doing that which is good in his sight for this is indeed that honest decency which adorns a believer and sets a beautiful lustre upon his holy profession In which Adviso the Apostle seems to allude to the civil Customes and Manners of people that are modest in the World who are wont both in their apparel and deportment to demean themselves decently in the day time and will while they are in the light be ashamed that any thing dishonest and unseemely should be found upon them or acted by them whereupon he would have us also that believe to learn and remember to bear such a respect unto this day of the Gospel and the light shining about us as to have our Conversation honest and to do nothing uncomely in it No Rioting or drunkenness no Chambering or Wantonness nor other the like dishonest works of Darkness should be seen amongst us which in this day will cover us with shame to the loathing of our persons in the Eyes of God and his Holy angels Away with them therefore and let us walk honestly And now for a close of this Exhortation I shall take liberty to speak a word unto you in season If you be Children of the day beware of the deeds of darkness in this time wherein you pretend to remember the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ It is not my work to argue against the solemnity which Yesterday to Day and some Dayes following is still held up and continued among us neither will I undertake as the manner is to judge any man here present in the freedom of his Conscience for his observing this Anniversary Festival yea though his observation of it be accompanied with a more then ordinary use of the good Creatures of God provided that he doth as the Apostle speakes observe it to the Lord. But I beseech you Is this to celebrate the Nativity of the Lord to run into excess of Riot and to let loose the reins into all manner of disorder and Licentiousness Is this to Commemorate the Birth of Christ to spend the time in gourmardizing and swinish Drunkeness Siccine exprimitur publicum gandium per publicum dedecus Haeccine solennes dies decent quae alios non decent Will you so testisie your publick rejoycing as to make your selves a publick shame Do such things become these festival dayes which are scandalous and unbecoming those that profess the name of Christ upon other days It was the complaint of Tertullian in his time and we have too much reason to make use of it now O my Brethren beware I fay again of the unfruitful works of darkness at this time if you be the Children of the Day And a needful Caveat it is for I think it hath been too truely said God hath been more dishonoured in many places of this land by Rioting and Drunkenness and other Abominations in the twelve dayes then in all the twelve months following Let us therefore I say again walk honestly as in the Day and as becomes Children of the day in all the Commandments of the Lord. I have I confess been somewhat large in handling this subject But the day will not fail us though we take a turn or two more then ordinary in walking this round I mean in meditating upon this holy walk and in exhorting one another while it is called to day to bestir ourselves in it Let us now pass on to the other side of this walk that is the ordinances of the Lord for they indeed are the excellency and glory of this day and methinks it should be our endeavour yea it should be our Ambition to exercise our selves in this walk also more frequently then we do What greater happiness can there be in this world then to walk with God and to hold a sweet correspondency with him To pour out our complaints before him to
upon reason and was never before heard of as that a part should signifie the whole when that part which should express the whole is not included but shut out from it doubtless in all Synechdochichal speeches the part set down for the whole must be always a part of it as when Saint Paul said Yee shall see my face no more Act. 20. His face is a part of him And thus must all other Synechdoches whatsoever be understood the part signifying the whole must of necessity be included and contained in it If therefore all the Nation of Israel here be put for all the Nations of Believers in the World as a part of the whole then it must certainly follow that the Nation of Israel according to the flesh was included apart and not excluded from the whole Let us go on omitting for brevities sake what might be more added out of the Prophet Esay to this purpose wherein he hath abounded Consider how Jeremiah keepeth also in the same track For thus saith he in the Name of the Lord. Jer. 3 18. In those dayes the house of Judah shall walk with or to the house of Israel and they shall come together c. And again I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all Countryes wither I have driven them and will bring them again to their folds Jer. 23.3 4. and they shall be fruitful and encrease and I will set up Shepheards over them which shall feed them and they shall fear no more nor be dismayed neither shall they be lacking saith the Lord. Add hereunto Loe the dayes come saith the Lord Jer. 30 3.9 that I will bring again the Captivity of my people Israel and Judah saith the Lord And they shall serve the Lord their God and David their King whom I will raise up unto them The like also is prophecyed by Ezekiel Thus saith the Lord Ezek. 37.21 22 23. c. behold I will take the Children of Israel from among the Heathen whether they be gone and will gather them on every side and I will make them one Nation in the Land upon the Mountains of Israel and one King shall be King over them and they shall be no more two Nations neither shall they be divided into two Kingdoms any more at all and my servant David shall be their Prince for ever Moreover I will make a Covenant of peace with them it shall be an everlasting Covenant with them and I will place them and multiply them and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore My Tabernacle also shall be with them Yea I will be their God and they shall be my people and the Heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctifie Israel when my Sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore Again Jer. 31.1 4. At the same time saith the Lord that is Jer. 31.1 4. in the later dayes as appears Jer. 30.24 I will be the God of all the families of Israel and they shall be my people Again I will build them and thou shalt be built O Virgin of Israel thou shalt be again adorned with thy Tabrets and thou shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry I willingly pass by many other places that might be alledged for it would be too much to insert all that is written thereof But I demand Hath any of these things as yet come to pass When was it that the house of Judah did walk with the house of Israel together since the time they were divided one from the other in the days of Rehoboam Hath the Lord as yet gathered the remnant of his flock out of all Countryes whither he hath driven them or set up shepheards over them to seed or to defend them so as they should fear no more nor be dismayed Do Israel and Judah this day unanimously serve the Lord their God and David their King that is the Messiah David's Son as Interpretersiboth Jewish and Christian expound it of whose government and peace there shall be no end Hath God set his Sanctuary in the midst of them or pitched his Tabernacle among them so as the Heathen do take notice of it that it is the Lord that doth sanctifie Israel If his Sanctuary hath been among some of them it hath been again removed but here it is said his Sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore In fine Hath God as yet in these latter dayes declared himself to be the God of all the families of Israel since their defection from him and own'd them again for his people Is this Virgin as yet repayred since she was stript of her ornaments or hath she yet furbisht over and trimmed up her Tabrets that she might rejoyce at her restauration If none of all these things I say be yet come to pass and the word of God cannot be retracted they are yet to be fulfilled and shall in time most certainly have their due accomplishment Yea more that neither their divisions amongst themselves Israel against Judah and Judah against Israel nor their inveterate stubbornnes against the Lord might be any hinderance unto them the Lord promiseth by the Prophet Jeremy in these words Jer. 32.39 I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and of their Children after them And by the Prophet Ezekiel in these words A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them Oh blessed and thrice happy shall this people be when these things are fulfilled I deny not but these promises have a measure reaching to us Gentiles even all among us that are interessed in the new Covenant But I say again the people that are mentioned cannot without violence done to the sense of the Holy Ghost be excluded from them in the dayes of the Gospel I omit what might be further added out of these Prophets to this purpose As the vision of dry bones in the Prophecy of Ezekiel restored to life again And that of two sticks made both one in the hand of the Prophet with sundry other discoveries of the minde of God concerning this truth which upon an unprejudicate perusal even by those that are contrary-minded would appear unto them to carry in them this sense viz. That this first-born of the Almighty this people so entirely beloved of the Lord shall not at this day be quite forgotten as dead men out of minde nor be ever divided one from another as they have been but shall restored again notwithstanding the seeming impossibilitie of it to their pristine glory and shall be happily re-united together into one as becometh brethren In the next place let us try whether the Prophecy of Daniel
the Chapter Now comes he vers 11 12 c. with variety of Arguments to shew the Probability Afterwards vers 25 c c. he proveth the Certainty thereof In the end applauding and magnifying the Wisdome and Knowledge of God his stupendious Wisdome in making the Desertion of the Jews and occasion of calling the Gentiles and his profound knowledge farre beyond the reach of all the heavenly Intelligences in knowing how to work upon the most obstinate Jews by bringing them to the obedience of the Gospel through their envy and emulation towards the Gentiles This in short is the summe of the Apostles undertaking And should we now follow his track throughout his whole Discourse upon this Subject though possibly some wou'd account it tedious to afford us their company yet we should not be found guilty of an inexcusable digression from the subject that we have before treated of in so doing For the Text being directed to the Hebrews to assure them of Christs immutability towards them which argues clearly that he would not finally forsake them though for the present they were as strangers scattered about the world 1 Pet. 1.1 The explicating therefore of these parallel Scriptures which the holy Ghost hath recorded for our confirmation therein cannot with any shadow of reason be reckoned as an impertinency especially when a point so material to the honour of the Lord Jesus Christ is called in question as it is this day Neither indeed could that which hath been here done in order thereto have been omitted unless we should have betrayed the Text to the gain-saying of men which God forbid And let this serve for a vindication against all those cavillers who are ready to object impertinencies unto me in the allegation of those Scriptures which have here been made use of to this purpose Nevertheless to avoyd more prolixity we shall not exactly trace the Apostle in the pursuance of this argument concerning the Probability of the reâ—ingrafting of the Jewish Nation into the Church of God onely give leave in the behalf of Gods glory and the special interest of his Church to put a Quaere or two which are the fruit and off-spring of an astonishing admiration The Resolution whereof shall be left unto the adversaries of this poor despised people to be determined by them either with a retractation of their errour here and repentance for it or hereafter before the Tribunal of the righteous Judge when he shall appear in his glory First then I demand 1. Quaere Whether it be not just and meet that God should obtain his end which he hath proposed unto himself concerning both Jews and Gentiles in the dispensation of his mercy He hath saith the Apostle vers 32. concluded them all in unbelief that is in his just Judgement shut them all up together as in the very verge of hell under the dominion of sin which misery nevertheless they had brought upon themselves by their contumacy against him but to what end Was it that he might destroy either one or the other No verily but rather that he might have mercy upon them all both Jews and Gentiles To the Gentiles who were first in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pertinaciously set against the Lord and his Anointed he would make known the riches of his Grace and take them into his Covenant as well as the Jews But because the Jews indignation was so great against the Gentiles that they would not vouchsafe to own them as brethren and co-partners with them in the same grace though they themselves also most unthankfully rejected this grace when it was offered unto them resembling thereby as the proverb is the Dog in the manger who would neither eat of the fodder himself nor suffer the poor hungry Ox standing by to eat of it that would therefore did God leave them to a woful blindness and hardness of heart that through their fall salvation might come to the Gentiles wherein notwithstanding God had a favourable respect unto the Jews likewise viz. That they seeing the Gentiles taken into his bosome enjoying the priviledges of children farre beyond their expectation and themselves despised of God and dispersed over the world might be provoked to emulation that is to an earnest desire of reconciliation with God as disdaining to be a Nation inferiour to any other Nations in his love and willing to be like unto them yea to surpass them in all things that might endear them unto him Now consider when God shall in the depth of his Wisdome contrive a glorious design for the exalting of his grace so glorious that next to the sending of his onely Sonne into the world would be the greatest that ever should be acted upon the Theater of the world and withall give notice of it in his Word to the children of men that they might wait for the accomplishment thereof Is it not an affront offered to the Wisdome of God and a check given unto his Grace for any to doubt whether it should come to pass or no Secondly 2. Quere Since not onely the glory of God but the interest of his Church is herein highly concern'd I demand in the next place Whether it be not very requisite that they who profess themselves children of the Church should rejoyce in those discoveries of Divine Providence that may any way tend to the promoting of that interest Saint Paul here who was called to be an Apostle of the Gentiles accounts it a magnifying of his office to make his boast of the great encrease of those spiritual riches which he fore-saw should be the portion of the Churches of the Gentiles upon the reception of the Jews in the latter dayes Hear how he argues If the fall of them that is the Jews be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles how much more their fulness And again If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world what shall the receiving of them be but life seem the dead Words indeed of an irresistable conviction unless we will say with the Laedicean We are rich and encreased in goods and have need of nothing Alas we have need of more grace because Satan now hath more wrath then ever having but a short time to work for his kingdome we have need of more holiness because the pollutions of the world are grown more filthy we have need of more acquaintance with our God because our hearts are grown more deceitful doubtless we are not so full but we have yet need of more at least we have need of more brotherly love and Christian unanimity then is at this day to be found amongst us and that those schisms and divisions under which the poor Church of Christ lyeth struggling as it were for life should be taken out of the way True it is we Gentiles who were before a beggarly people have upon the Jews falling into poverty been enriched by Divine bounty but have
make known our requests unto him and to receive instruction and benedictions from him what a priviledge is it peculiar to this day to finde the Lord Jesus Christ in his Regal and Pontifical attire walking in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks that is in the assemblies of his people breathing upon them with his spirit and insinuating himself kindly into their hearts by his word and Sacraments Are not the goings of the Lord the Lord I say our God and our King in his Sanctuary worthy to be traced by us especially when the savour of his Oyntments doth so spread it self that it is sensibly to be discerned What do not the words of God do good to those that walk uprightly Shall God all the day long from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same stretch out his hands unto us filled with the choicest of his blessings that ever he did hold out to the Children of men And shall not we put forth our hands to receive them Is it nothing to have Satan fall down like Lightning before us in the powerful dispensations of Gospel-Ordinances O how happy were we if we knew our Happiness But since I am fallen upon a serious expostulation in this case suffer me I beseech you good brethren that belong unto this Congregation to bring it home to your Consciences by a particular application and without offense bee that speech which is intended not to offend but onely to affect with a clear Truth Yesterday it is like if there had been a Sermon in this place here would have been a full Congregation To day also it appeareth our Assembly is greater then it was wont to be upon these dayes yet yesterday and to day and all our dayes what do we that are your Ministers but work the work of him that sent us preaching peace by Jesus Christ he is Lord of all Whence is it then that our Message is despised That the holy and divine Ordinance of preaching is so much sleighted by your absenting your selves upon such dayes of the week wherein Ministers come freely to impart unto you some spiritual gift such as they have received from the Lord If indeed we did preach any other Gospel then that which the Church of God hath received from the beginning or any other Jesus then him who is the same yesterday to day and for ever ye might have just cause to despise our ministery and to hold us accursed But when we bring unto you no other doctrine of salvation then that which hath been professed and maintained by the Church of God in all Ages sealed and confirmed by the bloud of Martyres yea by the bloud of God himself accompanied also with the mighty operations of the spirit of God to the conversion and salvation of multitudes that hear it how can you without contracting unto your selves an extraordinary guilt in the sight of God refuse as you do to resort to this place at such times when this word is faithfully preached having no lawful lett to hinder you and to keep you from it Do you not hereby openly proclaim unto the world that you have no care of your souls what becomes of them whether they sink or swim whether they saved or damned Pro. 15.32 He that refuseth instruction saith Solomon despiseth his own soul Nay is it not a plain demonstration of too great an impiety as that you care not for God himself that you regard him not fear him not nourishing in your hearts a secret atheism and enmity against him Where there is not a desire of the knowledge of Gods waies there is questionless a slender account made of the majesty of God and a secret if not an open separation from him To this purpose saith Job They that desire not the knowledge of his waies say unto him in their hearts depart from us Nay more Job 21.14 To refuse to hear the word preached when we may and God offereth it unto us at such a time I say to have no minde to it no love to it but disdainfully to turn our backs upon it is a greater sin according to the judgment of Christ himself then the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah Hear what he saith Matth. 10.14.15 And what he speaketh there to his Disciples Matth 10.14.15 he speaks to all his servants lawfully called to the work of the ministery into whatsoever City you enter and they receive you not shake off the dust of your feet Verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment then for that City Weâ—l be assured of it when all 's done and the time of reckoning shall come This will be found to be a very great sin It will not boot thee then poor man to say I have been careful to celebrate the commemoration of my Saviours Nativity at the usual time of the year no no thy observation of this Ecclesiastical Constitution will not by ten thousand talents counterpoize thy great sin in disobeying the commandment of thy God by so frequent refusing to hear him as thou doest at other time of the year when he speaks unto thee in the ministery of his word Whereas therefore you will do this from which I will not disswade you Do not leave the other undone which God hath so expresly commanded should be done but to day hear his voice and harden not your hearts There are sundry other Ordinances which the children of the day might here be exhorted to walk in But it will not be expedient now to insist upon them all severally onely let the Sacraments which are together with the word the prime Ordinances of this day have that regard which is due unto them The Lord we know hath commanded that we should walk in them For as he said of old under the Law Lev. 18.4 So hath he in effect spoken it again and again in the Gospel concerning his Sacraments especially Levit. 18.4 ye shall keep mine Ordinances to walk therein I am the Lord your God Observe It is not said to talk and discourse of them onely as the manner of some is now-a-daies much less to keep them closed up and confined within those narrow limits which our late upstart Anabaptistical Projectors have devised with whom there hath been too much tampering and compliancy even almost to the irrepairable ruine of that whole Evangelical Institute under which we have hitherto prospered but to walk in them that is to use them both for our incorporation into his Church and our corroboration in it Since then the Lord hath commanded us this service we had not best stand arguing still about the administration of it and in the mean time leave it quite undone But let Ministers and People look to it betimes least the anger of the Lord smoke yet more and more against them for their disobedience Thus much for that which concerns the children of the day and what
the day requireth of them In the next place seeing the Time of the Gospel is such a lightsome Day let this serve to awaken the World that lyeth asleep in the darkness of Ignorance and Profaness And oh that I were now a Boanerges that I might with the Thunder and Lightning of this day rouze and startle such Sleepers out of their sloth and security wherein they are willing to lie down like those the Prophet speakes of Es 56.10 Loving to slumber miserably stupified with the Delusions of the Noone-day Devil scarcely so much as dreaming of their imminent danger till it comes upon them with the dreadfull Alarmes of Gods Insupportable Vengeance Look up O ye poor Creatures behold and see the Night is past and the Day is come the Morning is not onely spread upon the Mountains and the Day Star in his Course driving before it the shadowes of the Night but the Sun hath shined out in his full strength What Are you not ashamed thus to turne Day into Night and to lie snorting in your sinfull Security whiles so glorious a Light shineth round about you If you will still shut your Eyes let your Eares yet be open to that Gospel-Thunder clap Joh. 3.19 and let them tingle to heare it Joh. 3.19 This is the Condemnation the very damning Sin which sinkes men deepest into Hell that Light is come into the World and men love Darkness rather then Light But let us a little take these sleepers apart one from another and proclaime before them the Day of the Lord. First you that are wilfully ignorant who know not nor will understand but take Pleasure to walke on in Darkness and will not see the Light very apt to learn how to carry on a Design to your Advantage in things of this World but starke fooles in the mystery of Godliness Consider Is this a time to be Ignorant when the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God hath shined out not in the vailed face of Moses as it did Yesterday but in the glorious face of Jesus Christ Is this day of the great things of God so illustriously visible to be despised Or is there such Comeliness and Beauty in the Black hue and prodigious feature of darkness that men should so much delight in it The times of former ignorance God was pleased to wink at but now he commands all men every where to repent Awake Awake therefore you that have hitherto despised knowledge Awake I say open your eyes now if ever you will see for if this Gospel which this day hath so demonstratively made known to the World be as a Hidden thing unto you it is an evident token of your everlasting perdition But if this Day doth produce such Terrour and prove so Dismal for those that are ignorant oh what a black Day is it like to be unto those that are Profane Let Swearers and Liars and Drunkards and Oppressours and unclean Adulterers and cruel Mockers and Despisers of Gospel-Ordinances with all the rest of that Rabble that lie down in the Lethargy of Sin tremble and be horribly afraid at the Apparitions of this Day Since you will not open your Eyes to see the Light of it you must and shall abide the evil that attends upon it The evil I say how strange soever it sounds in the eares of men unacquainted with God and his Word who think of this Day as if there were nothing but calmnes and serenity in it And truely to a Believer that walks in the light of it It is a day as hath been said of rich and abundant Grace A joyful day Mal. 4.2 To such as fear the Name of the Lord saith the Prophet Malachy shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings bringing in his rayes the cheerful and comfortable light of life that health and salvation which shall keep them safe in the midst of all dangers But will it shine forth thus alike unto all to those that serve God and to those that serve him not hear the Prophet in the words before-going proclaiming the contrary Behold let the world take notice of it the Day cometh that is Mal. 4.1 this very Day we now speak of as appeareth clearly by the context that shall burn as an Oven and all the proud yea all that do wickedly shall be as stubble You 'll say perhaps as those Scoffers did 2 Pet. 3 4. Where is the promise of his coming So where is the terrour of this day For since we are fallen asleep in our sins as you tell us we are safe and secure even in this day that you would have us believe to be so terrible we see no sorrow at all but thrive and prosper in the World according to our hearts desire and to morrow shall be as this day yea much more abundant But O poor deluded people is this indeed your presumption Wo unto you that ever you were born if you suffer this delusion to prevail upon you What Do you think to be safe in the day of the Lord's Vengeance Es 61.2 For whatsoever you vainly dream of it such it is to all obstinate impenitent sinners as it will appear more hereafter For the present let me expostulate the Case with you Are you indeed so safe from the evil of this day as you do pretend If you be Scelus tutum aliquis nemo securum tulit Sen. Hyp. Tuta esse scelera secura non possunt Bern. yet as one said surely you cannot be secure Or rather secure say I with another you may sometimes be but you can never be safe A miserable safety that is surrounded with so much danger And the security that you boast of is a sure token of your imminent Destruction 1 Thess 5.3 You may I confess prosper in the World and encrease in riches yea you may come in no misfortune like other folke nor be plagued like other men and yet notwithstanding this day of the Lord's Vengeance have a terrible influence upon you There is an Vltrix misericordia an avenging mercy giving freedome from trouble in Anger and Displeasure Solo auditu contremisco saith Holy Bernard sweetly I tremble at the very hearing of it God keep me from such mercy These blessings are beyond all wrath But what talke you of prosperity and security Did you never hear that God rains down snares here upon his enemies as well as fire and brimstone storme and tempest And that the prosperity of fooles shall destroy them What advantage then have you by these outward things wherein you so much pride your selves and applaud your own happiness When they shall be instrumental in bringing you to utter ruine In the mean time oh how doth the Soul lie scorching under the burning heat of this day Which though it be by some but little felt yet it is the forest judgment of all other for as the Lightning never pierceth more fiercely then when it melteth the sword and