senectute confectum in sempiternae beâ—titudinis portum paradisum perducat Couentriae Ian. 1. 1608. Tuae dignitatis studiosissimus Thomas Drâx The Lambes Spouse or the Heauenly Bride Math. 25. 10. And they that were ready went with him to the wedding and the gate was shut OVr Sauiour Christ the onely head Brâ—de-groome of the Church hauing in the former part of this allegorie vnder the metaphoricall borrowed termes of Wise Virgins that were inwardly called furnished with sauing faith and godlinesse and watchfully expected his comming and vnder the appellation of Foolâ—sh virgins that were hypocrites and temporizers called onely outwardly and contenting themselues with the outward profession and blaze of faith and godlinesse the pith and substance whereof they wanted described and depainted vnto vs the estate and condition of the visible Church wherein amongst the beleeuers are intermingled hypocrits and onely seeming Christians he doth in this tenth verse set downe their contrary euents and iudgements for the Wise Virgins the sincere and vndissembling Christians went with Christ to the wedding that is they were receiued into heaven vnto the immediate fellowship presence of Christ but the foolish virgins voide and destitute of iustifying faith and inward holinesse were shut out that is debarred from entring into the kingdome of heauen and consequently adiudged and cast into hell Wherevpon our Sauiour exhorteth all men to watch and carefully to waite for his comming to iudgement least being vnready at his comming they be shut out from the heauenly marriage vnto which dutie they are so much more to attend because that they know not the day nor the houre wherein hee will come Thus much of the dependance and order of the text Now according to the difference and diuersity of persons viz. the wise virgins and the foolish their diuers and different euents and iudgements are to be obserued and handled In the wise virgins three heads or points are to be considered First their contract with Christ in these words wise virgins Secondly their readinesse and fitnesse therevnto in these termes they that were ready Lastly the consummation of the marriage in these words Went with him to the wedding Of all these points I will speake in order and afterwards God assisting proceed to propound and handle the most different estate iudgment of the foolish virgins In the coÌ„tract diuers points are contained As first that there is such a contract betwixt Christ and his Church Secondly the forme nature of it Thirdly the benefits prerogatiues of it lastly the vses of the doctrin Touching the contract that there is such a contract betweene Christ and the Church it is plaine and demonstrable by sundry places of Scripture The Lord by the ministery of Esaias the Prophet whom he sent vnto Ezechies to comfort him and his people against the blasphemies and threatning speeches of railing Rabsaketh the seruant of the King of Assur thus stileth and saluteth the Church This is the word that the Lord hath against him The virgin the daughter of Syon hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorne the daughter of Ierusalem hath shaken her head at thee Isay. 57. 22. The Church is distinguished and adorned with the title of Virgin Because shee was consecrated and espoused to God alone and his true worship as a virgin to her onely bridegroome or husband Likewise Psal. 45. 10. Hearken O daughter and consider incline thine eare c. So shall the King haue pleasure in thy beauty for hee is thy Lord and worship thou him Heere Solomon representeth Christ and King Pharaoes daughter that was married to him the Church of the Gentiles espoused and affianced to Christ. Thirdly the Lord by Hosea speaketh I will marry thee vnto me for euer I will marry thee vnto mee in faithfulnesse Hos. 2. 19. 20. In the Canticlâ—s the Church by force of this contract maketh claime to Christ saying My beloued is mine and I am his c. Cant. 2. 16. Paul shewing his vnfeigned affection to the Corinthians who in part missed by false Apostles began without cause to distaste him maketh this protestation I am iealous ouer you with a godly iealousie for I haue prepared you for one husband to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 2. Cor. 11. 2. In the Apocalyps the Church is called Virgins that are not defiled with women Apoc. 14. 4. and the Lambes Wife or Bridâ— Chap. 19. 7. and Chap. 21. 2 All these places euince and demoâ—strate a spirituall coniunction and contract betweene Christ and the elect Lastly not to dwell long vpon authorities Saint Iohn most notably manifestly in the allegorie of the Vine and the branches Iohn 15. 1. 2. 3. 4. shadoweth and setteth out vnto vs the nature of the coniunction for as the Vine doth yeeld and communicate life and nourishment to the branches and the branches receiue and partake it from the Vine so Christ the noble Vine that hath life in himselfe and of himselfe and that is full of grace and truth doth infuse and communicate spirituall life comfort and grace vnto his seuerall members and the Church being ingrafted into him draweth and receiueth the same from him by the hand and instrument of faith Whereas therefore the true Church of God consisting aswell of marryed persons as vnmarried yea for the greatest part in all times and ages of those that bee marryed thus the holye scriptures and experience and practise of all pure and holye Churches doe testifie is in respect of their sound faith onely and firme hope in Christ and sincere loue stiled by the name of Virgins it serueth to check and condemne the error of the Church of Rome who from these and like places of Scripture taketh occasion and would needs prooue that virginitie and single life is a state in it selfe farre more holy and acceptable before God theÌ„ mariage yea that it is meritorious and a type of the perfection of eternall life and here-vpon they forbid their Bishoppes Ptiests Deacons Monkes Iesuits c. to marry tollerating notwithstanding and allowing the Stewes concubines hatlots and all manner of vncleannesse They vrge and commend Virginity with as much conscience and equity as the theefe doth truth the drunken man sobriety and the glutton abstinence For it is notoriously knowne to the world not onely what vnchaste hearts they carry and in what lusts they burne but how filthily they liue that amongst the rest would be accounted the most holy exquisite But briefly to refute their error wee thus prooue that virginity is not a state more holy in it selfe before God then marriage much lesse meritorious First God in the old Testament and Christ in the New allowed and permitted marriage to Priests Prophets Patriaâ—kes Apostles Euangelists and Ministers aswell as any others If there had beene any vnholinesse in their marriage or virginity estate for them so incomparably better or more necessary God in his wisedome would haue otherwise ordered
to induce and perswade her hereunto are these first the transceudent and incomparable dignity and maiesty of the person to whom she is contracted and to whome she is to bee married and that is Iesus Christ the Kings sonne the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the naturall heire of heauen and earth the mighty Iehoua the euerlasting father he that hath all power in heauen and earth and God hath so he ighly exalted him at his right hand and giuuen him a name aboue all names that at the name of IESVS should euery knee bow of things in heauen of things in earth and things vnder the earth Philip. 2. vers 9. 10. Wherefore if King Pharaoes Daughter being wedded to earthlye Salomon must hearken vnto him consider and incline her eare Yea forget her own people her Fathers house Psa. 45. verse 10. how much more must euery good Christian espoused affianced to the heauenlye Salomon IESVS CHRIST our Sauiour performe these duties And if the Maides and Virgins that went in by course and appointment to great King Ahashuerash that raigned from India vnto Aethiopia ouer a hundred and twenty seauen Prouinces Hester 1. verse 1. were before hand sixe moneths purified with Oyle of Myrrhe and sixe moneths with sweete odours Hester 2. vers 12. So much more must the members of the Church before they shall or can enioy CHRIST IESVS his presence in glorye not for a fewe dayes or moneths but all the dayes of their life they must purge sweeten and prepare them-selues for hee alone is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and no power or Maâ—estie in earth can compare with him And by our coniunction and marriage with him wee shall bee exempted and freed from all euills what-so-euer and possessed with all good things vnspeakably for euer-more Secondly by the strange iudgements of Almighty GOD especially in the foure or fiue yeares last past whether generall or more particular wee ought as by so many voyces and signes of our omnipotent GOD preaching from heauen vnto vs and almost at the end of the world teaching and exhorting men to seious repentance and to bee mooued and stirred vp more speedily and specially to prepare our selues to meete GOD in the waye wee must submit and humble our selues before him forsake our sinnes giue glory to him and entreateth him by prayer and by repentance to quench the fire of his begun wrath and indignation For it is an vndoubted truth that if to all our other sinnes there be adioyned security and deadnesse of heart that punishments from God are both hastned and doubled and the remouall and ceasing of one plague is nothing else but the occasioning and beginning of another as we may read in Exod. against Pharao and the Aegyptians in the 4. of Amos against the Israelites and in the 15. 16. 17. chapters of Iohns Apocalips against Antichrist and the experience of former and later times in many countries doth verifie it Herevpon Gods destroying Angell and his killing Arrowe the consuming pestilence hath not long sithence destroyed so many thousands in this Iland and yet is not ceased All the foure Elements which otherwise would fight for vs haue beene armed against vs First the ayre partly by his often Eclipses portending perhapps the eclipting and darkning of the glory and soundnesse of the truth and other temporall euils partly by prodigious and vnvsuall stormes and tempests giuing warning of the wrath to come Secondly the fire by consuming and burning so many houses and habitations within these few yeares seemeth to presage eyther the fire of the last iudgement or else some fearefull and strange euent Thirdly the Seas and waters in diuers parts of the kingdome haue most horribly roared swelled broken their banckes and encroached vpon the maine land and firme continent so terrified the people the beholders and done so much harme Adde herevnto the vnwonted sudden and wonderfull invndations of Riuers and Brookes as though like vnto the men of the olde world wee all deserued to bee drowned Lastly the earth by his moouing and shaking sensibly perceiued in many places hath declared the Lord to bee angrie and seemeth to proclaime against vs that wee are vnworthy to liue vpon it wee must generally and particularly returne vnto him by vnfained repentance and then they shall bee but fatherly corrections and gentle warnings vnto vs. But if wee persist and insist in our sinne and securitie then let vs beware and feare least they bee but the beginning of further euills And euen Herodotus an heathen historian diuinely speaketh Cùm Deus puniturus est gentem vel vrbens prodigiis id priùs solet significare That is when God will punish a Nation or Cittie he vseth to giue significatioÌ„ of it by prodigies this doth the destructioÌ„ of Icrusalem and the dispersion of the nation of the Iewes witnesse and warrant plainely vnto vs. Thirdly the approaching and neernesse of the day of the LORD must bee a Trumpet to fore-warne and waken vs and as the voyce of thunder to terrifie vs from our securitie and to compell vs to watch and pray that wee may bee accompted worthy to escape all these things that shall come and that wee may stand before the sonne of man Luk. 22. verse 36. Signes and fore-runners of our Sauiour IESVS CHRISTS second comming already fulfilled are these not onely the destruction of Ierusalem and the Temple of GOD manye hundred yeares agoe accomplished but more specially the discouerie reuealing and the decaye of the Romish Antichrist that false Prophet and King of the Locusts within this foure score and sixteene yeares last expired 2. Thessalon 2. verse 8. Apoc. 17. verse 16. and his ruine and the ouerthrowe and vtter desolation of his Babylon and Metropolis surelie is at hand as the Scriptures foreshew it to come to passe Apoc. 18. verse 8. For their sinnes of Idolatry of filthy and abhominable liuing of the bloud-shed of so many millions of GODS elected saints of most horrible and vnmatchable conspiracies and treasons against Christian Kings and states as their most execrable and damnable plot of powder treason wherein they purposed at one blowe to haue blowne vp and destroied both our most excellent and mightie Soueraigne the most hopefull Prince Henry together with all the honorable personages and the state of the kingdome there assembled doe to their publike and eternall shame amongst infinite other their villanies demonstrate are as it were come to the full and GOD hath in part and will remember their iniquitye Adde herevnto their shamelesse corrupting and mangling of the writings and volumes both of the ancient Fathers and also later writers yea those of their owne faction as Iansenius Ferus Bertram c. togither with the burning of so many olde copies both of the ancient and also of the later writers of their owne that in ought made against them Lastly their late yet most lewd lying sophisticall and hellish doctrine of Aequiuocation shifting
and doe our vtmost endeuour to mortifie and ouercome all worldly desires and earthly pleasures for otherwise we cannot addict and wedde our selues to these and withall truely prepare our selues for the comming of Christ for touching riches and worldly cares there is such an antipathy an opposition betweene them and grace that the one cannot consist without the other for as the eye cannot at one instant beholde heauen and earth euen so a man cannot serue GOD and the world together they are so aduerse and contrarie And as those places where gold and siluer growe are in all other respects most barraine and fruitlesse so where the loue of money riches and the world doe beare swaye and preuaile there true zeale and sincere godlinesse can neuer bee found and as touching pleasures they are the matter and fewell of euill desires they are honey mixt with poyson and they are as Haw-thornes and bryers which albeit some-times they beare goodly leaues and flowers yet if a man gripe them hard they will pricke and wound him wherefore it standeth vs vpon to be wary of them and when wee vse them to vse them charily and moderately Vse 2. Secondly wee must learne hence to bee forward and constant in well-doing and still to repaire our ruines and prepare our selues vntill the last breath for hee onely that continueth in godlinesse and patience to the end hee shall bee saued hee that is found watching and wakefull at his maisters comming shall be blessed Luk. 12. 36. 37. and he that fainteth not in weldoing shall in due time reape Math. 24. 13. Luke 12. 38. Gal. 6. 9. Otherwise we if we faile neuer so prosperously and sinke at the Hauen mouth if we trauell directly to Heauen and turne backe almost at our iorneyes end if wee doe God good and faithfull seruice in our youth and afterwards proue faithles and prefidious in our elder yeares and finally if we begin in the spirit and end in the flesh all our former endeuours labours and sufferings are to noe purpose all our righteousnes shal be forgotten and we shall die in the sinnes and transgressâ—â—ns that we haue committed Eze. 18. 24. Wherefore if the hope of Ransomming worke patience in the captiue assurance of liberty and freedome constant labour and faithfulnes in the prenrise and seruant and expectation of victory and spoile constant resolution and valowrous courage in the souldier why should not much more the certaine and vndoubâ—ed hope and assurance of this happines and eternall coniunction with Christ make moue vs to be constant vnmoueable in all duty of piety charity Iustice knowing that our workes are not in vaine in the Lord 1. Cor. 15. 58. Vse 3. Thirdly the assured expectation of this Heauenly and glorious vnion must teach vs with the patriarks Prophets Apostles Martirs Confessors and with all the Saints of God both of former and also of later time to endure and vnder goe all sicknesses trials afflictions losses contempts and persecutions ioyfully and patiently Heb. 11. 25. 2. Cor. 4. 16. 17. 18. and Heb. 11. 8. 9. For first they are but momentary and neuer beyond the date and terme of this life secondly Christs yoake is easie and his buâ— then light Mat. 11. 31. he wil lay vpon his no greater burden then he will make them able to beare 1. Cor. 10. 13. But will giue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idest an issue and euasion with the temptation Lastly GOD will recompence and reward these temporary and transitory euills and sufferings with an infinite waight of glory in all his Saints 2. Cor. 4. 17. 18. Vse Fourthly the vse of this doctrine serueth notably to mollifie and mitigate the sorrowes of death and all the paines and pangs of it for the stinge of it viz. eternall condemnation is taken away 1. Cor. 15. ver 55. 56. Secondly it is not a plague vnto vs but onely a temporary correction nay a narrow wicket or gate to intromit and send vs forthwith into the possession of eternall life Apoc. 14. 13. for if wee bee loosed then we goe straitly to the Lord. Phil. 1. 23. if wee remoue hence wee dwell with the Lord are married vnto him 2. Cor. 5. 8. and to end the poynt wee rest from all the labours of this life and our workes First the rewarde of them in mercy and fauour follow and attend vpon vs as an honourable guard Apoc. 14. 13. Wherfore let vs not feare death daÌ„nation but let vs arme our selues with faith hope let vs often seriously meditate vpon the life to come the glory of it and wee shall when the time is come be willing to die die with much comfort and assurance Lastly amongst many other vses wee must not mourne vnmeasurably for our friends and kinsfolkes or any other that liue and die in the Lord for they are with God in perfect blisse And as any man will rather reioyce then sorrow if his sonne daughter friend kinsman bee happely worshipfully honourably preferred in marriage albeit hee is otherwise to want their ordinary company and presence so should wee rather reioyce that they now are perfited and most honourably and gloriously wedded to Iesus Christ their King and head then mourne as they that haue no hope It is indeede lawfull and fit to mourne for nature and religion warranteth it but it must bee in measure and for our sinnes that haue depriued vs of them for that the Church feeleth and findeth the losse of them then for any priuate and carnall respect and herein notwithstanding wee must submit our wills to Gods will and rather labour to imâ—sitate their excellent and manifold vertues then to lament immoderately or ouer-long for their departure but alas the world knoweth not nor acknowledgeth good and godly men The righteous and mercifull men as wee haue had lamentable experience within these few yeares of all rancks and callings dye they are taken away from the euill and rest in peace and no man considereth it in heart or vnderstandeth it Isa. 57. 1. and therefore because the world maketh no more account of them and is not worthy of them GOD most iustly depriueth them of their presence and comfort And thus much of the solemnization and the priuiledges and vses of it The fourth part of the deuision And the gate was shut NOw wee are come to speake and treate of the last branche and part of the distribution namely the contrary euent in respect of the foolish Virgins for they hauing onely common graces and a temporall faith which failes in time of necessitie and temptation and seeking for supply when the time was past were by the Bridegroome Christ repelled and put by from entring into the wedding chamber and kingdome of heauen In the vnfolding and explication whereof diuerse particulers are to bee discussed As first who shutteth the gate Secondly when it is shut Thirdlye who are shut out Fourthly the condition and miserable estate of them
in what horror vexation thinke we they shal be in when they shall suffer full and euerlasting shame and punishment Secondly they vpon the perfect sense of their infinite sinnes and vpon the full apprehension of Gods infinite indignation shall euerlastingly dispaire and shall alwayes desire to dye and shall not dye Apoc. 9. 6. Thirdly in their minds and wils being vnspeakeably infected and possessed with enuie and malice they on the one part seeing themselues depriued of so infinite glory and plunged into so endlesse miseries by reason of their sinnes and offences and on the other side either by present sight and view as some diuines collect out of Luk. 13. 28. Luke 16. 23. Apoc. 14. 10. or else which is an vndoubted truth by keeping in fresh and perpetuall memory the absolute and glorious estate glorification of the godly at the last day obseruing and perceiuing the godly whom they in their life time so scorned abused wronged persecuted to be so vnconceaueably blessed shall be tormented and vexed with an vncredible enuie Isa. 66. 23. 24. Psal. 85. 10. 11. Luk. 16. 23. We haue some instance hereof in proud Hamon that cursed Agagite that could in no wise endure the exaltation of Mordocheus but it was a sword to his heart and a vexation to his conscience And if the enuious in this life repine yea and pine away at the felicitie and fauours of others how much more will they then enuy when they themselues shal be incomparably more miserable and the godly vnspeakably more blessed Fourthly the reprobate shal be as wel tormented in their bodies which haue bin the vessels instruments of sinne and iniquity as in their soules for as their bodies shal be darke â—inglorious and deformed contrary vnto the glory of the elect so shall they be tormented not with any materiall fire for theÌ„ the worme of conscience the carcases of the slaine and the metaphoricall speeches especially in the Apoc. 22. 23 that describe and delineate vnto vs the ioy and glory of heauen should be litterally vnderstood which is very absurd to thinke but with that which is equiualent yea farre more extreame namely the full and finall wrath of God ceazing and inuading the soule and body as appeareth Apoc. 14. 10. They shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God yea of the pâ—re wine that is powred into the cup of his wrath and shal be tormented in fire brimston before the holy Angels and before the Lambe for euermore they shall drinke vp the dregs of Gods wrath which is their portion to drinke Psal. 74. 10. Psal. 11. 6. Lastly because they must in soule body suffer the vnsupportable indignation of the Lord are called and so indeed are vessels of wrath prepared to destruction Now if the anger of a Lion of a Beare robbed of her whelps much more of a mighty Monarch be so perniciousâ— and daÌ„gerous how much more incoÌ„parable then is the wrath and indignation of the Almighty and the most iust Lord who is to his enimies a consuming fire Hebr. 12. 29. and whose wrath burneth vnto the bottome of hell Deut. 32. 22. God giue vs grace by our godly feare true repentance and sound obedience in this life to preuent it Amen Thus much of the generall and particuler punishment of those that are excluded The last point and part to be handled and wherewith we will conclude the whole treatise is the manifold and wholsome vses that we are to make of this doctrine first therfore the serious consideration and meditation of the state paines of the damned must be a forcible motiue to diswade and reclaime vs from committing sinne and iniquitie for feare of falling into the same condemnation Chrysostome in his 13. Homilie or sermon vpon the Romaines saith well to this purpose Vtinam inquit vbique de Gehenna dissereretur non enim sinet in Gehennam incidere Gehennae meminisse c. that is would to God euery man would speake of hel for to remember hell will not suffer a man to fall into hell for if the due consideration of seuere humane lawes that shall be duly executed doe keepe the most vnruly from offending much more will the serious consideration of the paines of hell if men haue grace to thinke on them reforme amend men Iâ—de 23. Secondly the Preachers Ministers of the word of God when they see perceiue the deadnesse dulnesse â—and impenitencie of the hearers must labour by laying open the multitude and torments of the damned to draw men to feare God and to repent their sinnes Math 23. 33. Heb. 10. 27. Apoc. 14. 9. 10. 11. The third vse is to teach vs not to be enuious against the wicked nor to repine at their temporall dominion and prosperitie for first neither they nor their pompe nor prosperity shall continue long but perish suddainly Psal. 73. 18. 19. 20. Psal. 37. 12. Secondly they haue for the most part their portion in this life Psal. 17. 14. Lastly their damnation is iust sleepeth not 2. Pâ—t 2. 3. wherefore wee must rather commisserate and pitty them yea and pray God to conuert them for in so doing we shall please God discharge our owne duties perhaps in the end be a meanes to win and reclaime them Fourthly lastly finding in our selues by due examination that God hath deliuered vs from so great condemnation and made vs heires in hope of eternall life we must continually and from our hearts giue all glory praise vnto God Apoc. 5. 9. 10. Col. 1. 12. 13. 14. and hereby bee stirred vp to be stedfast vnmoueable aboundant alwayes in the worke of the Lord 1. Cor. 15. 57. 58. Now the Lord God the fountaine of mercies and the father of our Lord Iesus Christ grant wee may performe these duties and continue constant like pillars in his loue and seruice to the end for his beloued sonnes sake Iesus Christ our onely redeemer and mediator Amen AN APPENDIX or necessary addition touching the doctrine nature and vse of the Sacraments propounded in plaine and profitable Questions and Answeres very requisite and comfortable for euery Christian to know TO THE VVOR shipfull Learned and Religious Gentleman maister Thomas Gibbs of Watergaull Esquier Thomas Draxe wisheth encrease of grace and of all prosperity and for a monument of his loue and duetifull affection consecrateth this small adioynder following The Doctrine nature and vse of the Sacraments Qu. WHat signiâ—ieth this word Sâ—ments An. A â—ouldiers oath made to his Captaine whereby he is sworne to be true to and consecrated to the â—eruice of the generall and from that original signification it is drawne by the common consent of the Church to signifie the Holy Sâ—ales of Gods mercie For as the souldier by his oth administred and taken bindeth himselfe to the seruice of his generall so wee by the vse of the Sacraments binde our selues to God and to his worship Qu What is a Sacrament Ans.