them hereafter Text. And one of the euill doers that were hanged This impenitent Thiefe howsoeuer he had escaped long in a course of sinne at last comes to shame and to a miserable end And indeed God hath ioyned these two together Sinne and shame and will in this example teach all men vnto the end of the world That Sinne and shame are companions Doct. 2 and go not farre asunder Sinne and shame go together Howsoeuer a sinner for a time may thriue and prosper in a course of sinning yet this is but for a time the Lord at last will ouertake them with his iudgements Howsoeuer a wicked man may prolong his life in wickednesse Eccl. 7.15 yet destruction at length shall ouertake the sinner Sinne and the punishment of sinne are inseparable companions if the one go before the other will follow after The Lord threatned Adam Gen. 2.17 that if he transgressed the commandement he should dye the death As God had a time to threaten he found a time to execute the punishment We may see this in Cain Gen. 4.7 If thou doest well saith the Lord shalt thou not be rewarded If thou dost euill sinne lyeth at thy doore The old world that lay weltering in all manner of abhominations the Lord at last remembred them with a iudgement from aboue Gen. 19 5. The like of Sodome and Gomorha The people in the wildernesse murmured against Moses and Aaron Numb 21.5 6. the Lord therefore sent fierie Serpents and Scorpions amongst them Yea Gods Church and people themselues when they haue sinned against God the Lord hath visited their iniquities with the rod and their sinnes with scourges Dauid numbred the people in the pride of his heart 1. Sam. 24. God meetes with Dauid in the same in weakening the number of them 1. Sam. 12. So are Dauids sinnes of adultery and murther punished with seuerall punishments from the Almightie But why should I spend time in so cleare a truth God hath sent his Iudgements vpon men Angels kingdomes and commonwealths houses and families persons and places all haue tasted of the Lords rodde when once they haue sinned against him And this proceeds First of all from that holinesse Reas 1 that is in God who is indeed holinesse it selfe and therefore cannot but punish sin that is so opposite vnto that pure nature of his the more holy iust and righteous God is the more is he displeased with the sinnes of men and his Iustice calls for vengeance vpon transgressours Though the Lord delighteth not in the punishment of men yet he delighteth in his owne Iustice according to which punishment is due It is not euill in God to punish the wicked for the loue of Iustice but euill in the wicked to deserue punishment for the loue of sin Gen. 18.25 for God forbid but that the Iudge of all the world should do right Secondly it is grounded vpon Reas 2 the prouidence of God he suffereth no disorder to be in the whole vniuerse Now sinne is nothing else but a swaruing from order therefore it is brought into order by punishment The inequalitie and disorder that is in sinne being made equall and orderly thus It is equall and orderly that he that will needs taste of the sweetnesse of sinne against the will of God should be constrained to taste of the bitternesse of punishment against his owne will Aquin. Thirdly in regard of the good of Gods Church it is necessarie Reas 3 that God should thus punish sin for otherwise if God did not cut off and restraine offenders in a course of sinning by his iustice men would liue like Beasts Lyons Wolues and Tygers Yea these ravenous Beasts would not make more hauock then wicked men Exo. 14.25 if God had not met with Pharaoh what had become of Israel if God had not met with Haman Hest 7 6. what had become of the Iewes But wee see that wicked men doe not alwayes come to shame for their sins here in this life Obiect It is their greatest punishment not to be punished Nihil est infoelicius fâ—â—licitate peccantium c. Aug. Secondly wicked men are punished whilest they are spared for what greater punishment then to bee giuen ouer to their owne hearts lusts Thirdly it is a signe that God reserues such for a more fearefull punishment after death Seeing then that shame doth Vse 1 thus accompany sin as an inseparable companion howsoeuer God many times suffereth long This sheweth in the first place the lamentable estate of all wicked and impenitent sinners who lye in sin and wallow in all manner of vngodlinesse their condemnation doth not sleepe Howsoeuer the wicked now are secure and put from them the thoughts of sin the punishment due for the same yet so long as the sinner stands guiltie of sinne before the Lord there is a most certaine expectation of iudgement Indeed such is that euill disposition in the heart of man that as Solomon saith Because sentence against an euill worke is not presently executed Eccl. 8.11 therefore the heart of the Sons of men is fully set in them to doe euill But what followeth ver 12. though a sinner doe euill an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged c. it shall not be well with the wicked And againe Woe to the wicked Esa 3.11 it shall bee ill with him for the reward of his hands shall bee giuen him There is nothing more certaine then punishment to the sinner Secondly this may bee a loud Vse 2 call vnto vs all vnto repentance for those former sinnes we haue commmitted Sithence sin is so displeasing vnto God and draws after it such a tayle of iudgments And that wee take notice of his patience and long-suffering towards vs who hath spared vs so long a time Indeed if sinne were an indifferent thing with God that he were neither pleased nor displeased with vs for the same then to repent or not to repent were a thing likewise indifferent But sithence sinne brings with it shame and punishment it is time for vs to looke about vs and let vs take heede of securitie and labour to please God with reuerence and feare For our God is a consuming fire Rom. 12.29 Vse 3 Thirdly as this may terrifie all wicked and vngodly men to consider the most vndoubted certaintie of Gods wrath and vengeance against sin so it may minister matter of comfort vnto the godly for their reward is likewise with the Lord and their recompence with their God For can the Lord be more iealous of his iustice then hee is of his mercy will hee pay tribulation and anguish to euery soul that doth euil and shall the labours of his servants in his seruice be in vaine it is farre from the iudge of all the world to doe vniustly Say ye saith the Lord by his Prophet to the righteous Esay 3.10 it shall be well with him
The Lord declared by his Prophet how detestable the sacrifices of the people were vnto him Isa 1.14 My soule hateth your new Moones and your appointed feasts c. What then must they obserue these solemne feasts no more because the Lord hated them No. What then Take away the euill of your doings from before my eyes Vers 16. Repentance will remoue the cloud and that partition wall that is betwixt God and vs and giue our prayers accesse before him Secondly this shewes the misery Vse 2 of those who trust onely to their prayers and other good deeds as they say to pacifie Gods wrath to escape the vengeance to come and to make amends for all their euill wayes Though in the meane time their consciences are defiled their conuersations are sinfull and which is worst of all their hearts are no way humbled for the same Poore soules doe they thinke the Lord will be beguiled thus Thinke they that the Lord is driuen to such a necessitie that either he must take their seruice or not to bee serued at all No no the Lord hath Angels and Saints to doe him seruice though thou serue but for his iustice vpon whom he may glorifie himselfe in thy euerlasting confusion and so will the Lord be glorified by the wicked at last Vse 3 Thirdly this may serue to admonish vs all in the feare of God that as we desire to bee heard in prayer and to auoid this fearefull curse to haue our prayers turned into sinne that wee lay a good foundation with this Penitent here By confessing our sinnes vnto God by giuing good testimonie of our vnfained sorrow and repentance for them with a godly resolution of newnesse of life That wee first wash our hands and so come to his Altar For if wee regard wickednesse in our hearts the Lord will not heare vs. Sinne stoppeth Gods eares that he cannot heare and is that cloud that hindereth the accesse of them into his presence Now what can be more vncomfortable vnto the soule of man then this Not to be heard in misery when Sathan shall tempt vs sinne disquiet vs troubles oppresse vs death affright vs what is now the last refuge of a poore soule but to flie vnto God by prayer Now alas when our prayers shall become abhominable and turned into sinne who is then able to put to silence the voice of desperation And on the contrary part what can bee more comfortable then when troubles and miseries shall come sicknesse and death it selfe shall approach that we may haue free accesse vnto the throne of grace there to powre out our soules into his bosome The very thoughts hereof comforted Dauid ouer all his sorrowes I shall saith he finde trouble and heauinesse but I will call vpon the Name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliuer my soule Vse 4 And last of all this may teach vs how to esteeme of godly and righteous men howsoeuer the world esteemeth of such doubtlesse they are in high esteeme with God they are the Lords Fauourites they are seldome or neuer denyed in their suites vnto God they haue euer accesse into the presence chamber of the Almightie they preuaile for themselues and others being in grace and fauour Surely howsoeuer the world doth iudge and esteeme of Gods people there is not a wicked man liuing but fareth the better euery day for their sake They are they that with Moses and Aaron are euer and anon readie to stand in the gap to turne away the Lords wrathfull indignation against a Land and people Thus much for the generall Instruction Lord remember me when thou commest c. Text. The next thing we are to obserue is the Prayer it selfe Lord remember me c. Though faith which is the life of the soule be hidden in it selfe yet it is perceiued by the fruites thereof As we see the naturall life is a secret in nature yet perceiued by the Symptomes of life such as are motion breathing c. And as the sappe in the root is secret yet perceiued by the blossomes and fruite that the same sends forth Euen so is that spirituall life in the soule made manifest by the blessed fruites and effects thereof such as are affiance in God prayer c. The faith of the Penitent admirable in two respects Now the faith of this Penitent is admirable in two respects First in respect of the things beleeued Secondly in respect of the circumstances thereunto belonging which makes the same so much the more admirable The things he professeth here to beleeue touching Christ are 1 That he is a Lord. 2 That he is a King howbeit that his kingdome be not of this world but spirituall in the hearts of men Secondly the circumstances thereto belonging serue much to commend the excellency thereof 1 In respect of the Petitioner First in respect of the Petitioner such a one that had not beene brought vp in the schoole of Christ but rather in a den of theeues hauing none to instruct him hauing not heard Christs heauenly doctrine nor seene those glorious miracles that hee wrought and yet notwithstanding to acknowledge him thus to be a Lord and a King this serues greatly for the commendations of his faith Secondly 2 In respect of the Petitioned in respect of the Petitioned and that is Christ now at this time so much abased despised forsaken yea of his owne Disciples themselues Now there is no healing of the sicke no giuing sight to the blinde no raising vp of the dead At this time I say to acknowledge Christs Deity and to seeke at his hands for a kingdome must needs shew his faith to be admirable Lord Christ a Lord two wayes The first title that hee here assigneth vnto Christ is he calleth him Lord. Now Christ is a Lord 1 In himselfe 2 In his relation to vs. 1 In himself Ioh. 1.3 Heb. 1.3 First in himselfe and so is hee Lord ouer all blessed for euer Both in respect that he giueth essence and being vnto all things sustaining all things by his Almighty power As also for that he is the Soueraigne Lord of all Luke 2.11 Acts 10.36 and therefore called Lord of the Angels much more of all other inferiour creatures Yea the title of Soueraigntie to be called Lord is so proper vnto Christ as that many times in the Scriptures he is called by no other name As that of the Apostle Saint Paul God hath raised vp the Lord 1 Cor. 6.14 1 Cor. 12.3 and no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost and againe 1 Cor 8.6 Vnto vs there is but one God which is the Father in whom are all things and one Lord Iesus Christ Yea this is that title which Christ doth assume and take vnto himselfe as a proper name by the which he will be knowne of vs. Ye call me Lord and Master Ioh. 13.13 and ye say well I am so Now
3 The time when As this Penitent Theefe at this time acknowledgeth Christs Deity that hee was Lord and King and desireth as we haue heard before principally mercy for his soule that it might goe well with it in death or after death So now he comes to the time wherein especially he desired to bee remembred of Christ â— when Christ should come into his kingdome Q.d. O Lord now is the time of thy humiliation wherein thou art pleased to vndergoe the punishment for the sinnes of all the elect and to beare the burthen of thy Fathers wrath and all to free thine from the wrath to come I know this price will be payd and this misery thou now sufferest for sinne will be ouer and thou thy selfe againe restored into thy glorious kingdome there to liue and raigne for euer I beseech thee now heare mee against that time Doct. 1 and remember mee in mercy The happinesse of a Christian not to be looked for here but hereafter when thou commest thither Note we hence That the happinesse of a Christian is not to be looked for here but hereafter The fruit of repentance of righteousnesse and of holinesse is not to bee looked for here but hereafter The Christian hath not his happinesse in present possession but in reuersion In hope and expectation are they kept here liuing by faith as the Heyre being not of ripe yeares is not possest of the inheritance but after death they come then to bee possest of that glorious inheritance layd vp for the Saints This doth this Penitent Theefe acknowledge here in this his request to Christ as if he should say O Lord it is not life for a time which cannot be long that I so much stand vpon since death I haue deserued I am willing to dye but it is this I specially desire aboue al the world besides that when this life shall haue an end I may haue a resting place in thy kingdome If in this life onely wee haue hope in Christ 1 Cor. 15.19 wee are of all men most miserable And this the holy Ghost obserueth as an admirable fruit of the admirable faith of the Primitiue Fathers Heb. 11.13 14. who albeit they receiued not the promises but saw them a farre off were perswaded of them and imbraced them and confessed that they were strangers and Pilgrims on earth declaring plainely that they seeke a Country 1 Ioh. 3.2 Now we are the Sonnes of God saith the Apostle But it doth not appeare what we shall be It is true the Lord giues vs now the first fruits of the spirit the earnest of our inheritance which is peace with God and peace in our owne consciences and ioy in the holy Ghost to comfort the hearts of his seruants and to cheare them vp in their pilgrimage But the full fruition of their happinesse is not to be expected here but in heauen This made the Apostle Paul to say â—hil 3.3 â—3 14 I forgat that which was behinde and reaching forth vnto those things which are before I presse toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus as knowing that the happy recompence of reward was not to bee looked for here but hereafter And the reason is Reas 1 First we know but in part and therefore can beleeue but in part can be sanctified but in part and so cannot be capable of the perfection of our happinesse till all our imperfections be done away â— Cor. 13.9 and our sanctification shall bee perfected Reas 2 Secondly this is the time in this life of a Christians warfare where wee are to combate with sinne Sathan and the world Now as it was said Let not him that putteth on his Armour reioyce but him that putteth it off for this battell endeth not vntill death come when then we shal be out of the Gun-shot of Sathans temptations and set free from all the enemies of our peace Besides the Lord will haue Reas 3 the graces in the hearts of his seruants first exercised and made manifest to the praise of his owne Name and that in this life before he crowne them with glory hereafter Seeing then that the happinesse Vse 1 of a Christian is not to be looked for here but hereafter in the kingdome of heauen This may teach vs in the first place to vse the world as if we vsed it not and not to pitch our Tabernacle here but rather to resolue that heauen is our portion and our inheritance Heb. 11.13 and therefore as Strangers and Pilgrims we should seek and prouide for an abiding City Vse 2 Secondly seeing our chiefest happinesse and comfort is not to be looked for here nor in any sublunary thing vnder the Sunne but reserued for vs in Gods kingdome This should teach vs to lift vp our hearts thither Col. 3.2 and to set our affections on heauenly things and not on things below nothing can more dishonour a Christian then this to make the world his chiefest study and care whereas the Lord hath reserued vs for a more durable and lasting inheritance Text. When thou commest into thy kingdome This Penitent Thiefe albeit truely humbled for his sinnes and obtayning mercy at Christs hands in the pardon of them as we shall see hereafter yet is not freed from his temporall punishment but suffereth with Christ And herein will teach vs That release from temporall Doct. 2 afflictions doth not alwayes follow true repentance Release from temporall afflictions doth not alwayes follow true repentaÌ„ce but many are punished temporally that are not condemned eternally Wee may see this in that manner of the Lords dealing with Adam and Eue after they had sinned God made with them a couenant that The Seed of the woman should bruse the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 which was a cleare promise and prophecie of Christ by whom he was againe to bee restored into fauour Yet notwithstanding Cursed bee the earth for thy sake And In sorrow shalt thou bring forth c. This we may see in Moses Deu 34.5.10 an excellent seruant of God and so often stiled in Scripture a man highly in Gods fauour to whom God spake face to face a Ruler and Sauiour vnto his people Israel Yet for his sinne the Lord would not suffer him to go into the land of Canaan I do not doubt of the saluation of Miriam the sister of Moses that repined against Moses because she was no Prophetesse or at least in that authoritie as Moses himselfe was yet God stroke her with the Leprosie Though the Lord pardoned the sinne of Dauid vpon his true repentance 2. Sam. 12.10.11 yet the sword is sent against his house and his owne wiues are defiled We may see this in the Israelites in their iourneying towards the Land of Canaan for whose sinne of murmuring against Moses and Aaron Psal 90. the Lord brought heauie iudgements vpon them vntill they were almost wasted and consumed
are true beleeuers decked and trimmed with the white robes of Christs righteousnesse as a Bride suteable and fit for so pure and glorious a Bridegroome Vse 1 This lets vs see then in the first place the great aduantage that comes vnto euery true beleeuer by death here they sow in teares there they reape in ioy they liue here in this world as in a tempestuous sea there they lye at anchor and rest as in a Hauen Now is their time of seruitude bondage then is their yeere of iubile Here are they exercised continually with sorrowes feares cares buffetings within and fightings without There they shall rest from their labours and enter into the ioy of their Lord there to inioy him in whose presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at whose right hand there is pleasure for euermore such as the Apostle saith The eye hath not seene 1 Cor. 2.9 the eare hath not heard c. We haue in our times seene many glorious sights our eares haue heard of greater but our hearts are so large that they many times conceiue great things indeed and yet the happinesse of the Saints in heauen surpasseth them all And therefore what wonderfull thing thou seest at any time say that this is not it for the eye hath not seene it what wonderfull thing thou hast heard of say this is not it for the eare hath not heard Yea whatsoeuer thou art able to comprehend in thy heart say that it is not it for the heart is not able to conceiue Now what greater happinesse can betide any of Gods seruants then to be raised vp to such a state of glory as neither eye hath seene eare hath heard c. When the Queene of the South beheld the glory of Salomon his attendants the order of his house dyet seruants and the like she concludeth thus 2 Reg. 10.18 Happy are thy men and happy are these thy seruants that stand before thee alwayes c. Did shee pronounce such to be happy that stood continually before Salomon and heard his wisedome O how great then shall be their happinesse that shall come to behold the blessed Trinitie Father Sonne and holy Ghost what ioy will bee there when we shall see those ten thousands praise the Lord day and night And if Peter Iames and Iohn vpon Mount Tabor were so rauished as that they desired to pitch their Tabernacles there O what raptures and ioyes may the godly expect when they shall see and enioy the Lord Iesus Christ their beloued Bridegroom not vpon Mount Tabor but vpon Mount Sion not to be separated suddenly asunder as the Disciples were there but to enioy the full fruition of Christ for euermore 2 Cor. 12.2 Mat. 25. This is called the third heauen the Bridegroomes Chamber an euerlasting habitation lightened with the glory of the Lambe Reu. 19.5 Reu. 21.23 The company there Saints and Angels the time of their abode for euer and euer The happinesse of the soules of the Saints after this life Furthermore these things doe manifest the happinesse of the soules bodies of the S t s there First whereas here in this life we cannot but prouoke the Lord daily by our sinnes the very consideration whereof is a dagger to the hearts of Gods people and makes them to cry out with the Apostle and to say O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of sinne there they shall cease to sinne and shall bee wholly ioyned to the Lord in truth and righteousnesse neuer to displease him any more Secondly all the imperfections of the soule shall bee done away and our knowledge shall be perfect all ignorance shall bee done away infidelity distrust c. Thirdly wee shall not neede there the Word Sacraments prayer c. And for our bodies at that day they shall likewise bee freed from sinne from corruption and from all the miseries and infirmities that cleaue vnto them here And bee made like vnto his glorious body Phil. 3.21 O how may this affect our Vse 2 hearts with a longing desire of that time when we shall thus see the face of God in glory it should moue vs to long for that time when this glory shall be reuealed Rom. 8. Surely if wee looke for a part in this kingdome of heauen wherin is all perfection of happinesse wee cannot but desire the comming of the same and to cry and say with the Church Come Lord Iesus Reu. 22.20 come quickly This day Here wee haue the fift and last circumstance in this Text at first propounded Text. Time when and that is the time when this promise shall bee fulfilled This day Verily this day thou c. q.d. what though thy misery be great and torment grieuous that thou sufferest yet thy time is but short thy deliuerance is at hand verily this day c. Where wee may note first of all the Lords bountifull liberality towards his seruants that seeke vnto him in time of misery This Penitent desireth onely to be remembred of Christ when hee should come into his kingdome but Christ promiseth more This day shalt thou be with me Doct. 1 God giues more many times vnto his children God many times giues more then his seruants aske then they either aske or thinke hee is many times larger in giuing then they in desiring It was but to be remembred when Christ came into his kingdome that the Penitent requireth Christ promiseth him not onely to be remembred but also to bee with him to bee with him this day to bee with him this day in Paradice God is vsually more liberall in giuing then his seruants in desiring Gen. 32.9.10 Iacob desires onely food and rayment at Gods hands but God giues him more as Iacob himself confesseth God gaue him two bands and abundance of goods and cattell besides 1 Reg. 3.9.13 Salomon desires onely an vnderstanding heart at Gods hand to gouerne his people God giues him not onely wisedome according to his desire but abundance of wealth besides 1 Sam. 2. â— Hannah intreates the Lord to take from her the curse of barrennesse and to giue her a sonne the Lord granted her more then she desired he gaue her many sonnes afterwards How many came to our Sauiour in the dayes of his flesh some sicke of one disease and some of another desiring help whom our Sauiour did not only make whole of their infirmities but also pronounced that their sinnes were forgiuen them Luke 19. Zacheus came onely but to see Christ and hee obtaines not onely the thing hee desired in getting a full sight of Christ but he hath this honour to talke with Christ to inuite him to his house yea more then all this to haue his soule euerlastingly saued by Christ Reas Neither is this a thing to bee wondred at for such is the Lords bounty and goodnesse towards his seruants taking pleasure in their prosperity And hence it is that