howsoever they are the necessary parts of a good creature and therefore by nature good yet the immoderate desire of them is to be abridged 1 Cor. 9. St. Paul claimed all liberties of a Christian 2 Cor. 11.27 due to himselfe as well as to others yet he chastised his body and kept it under In labour travell in watching often in hunger thirst in fasting often and if our desires had scope they would carie us quickely to destruction and therefore they must bee holden in with bitt and bridle By considering Gods wrath his mercy and our mortalitie Now the meanes which are to be used or instruments for doing of these are in the word of God plentifully to be found The meanes to cut off all that is contrary to God is to consider Gods command Rom. 7. and his unspeakeable wrath against offenders Paul thought it nothing to covet his neighbours goods untill the commandement thou shalt not lust checked him Rom. 7. 2 Sam. 25. this hindred David from killing Naball and Theodosius the Emperour from destroying the Antiochians Secondly the infusers are the word of God by which the knowledge of the misery that we are in the love of God towards vs his unspeakeable mercy and such like are powred into the soule Thirdly the best correctors of our naturall desires is to consider that wee are dust pampered for destruction Non poterit melius caro luxuriosa domari Quam bene qualis eris post mortem remeditari There is no better meanes to daunt our wanton flesh then to consider what wee shall bee after death In the last verse of this Parable cited out of Augustine which hereafter in another place is described at large So much concerning the lampes of the wise Virgins Of the Vessels Seeing the Lord hath made Angels and Men rationis participes Bernard Serm 1. Adu beatitudinis capaces only partakers of reason capable of blessednes it followeth that whatsoever receiveth oyle or grace unto salvation must be called the soule and body of man and therefore as I called our lampes so must these Vessels be likewise observing onely this difference that whilst we are in this life Vessels are now vsed but Lampes shall be used at our Lords comming we are in respect of Gods grace as vessels are to oyle for we have this treasure in earthen vessels 2. Cor. 4.7 But when wee meet our Lord our Lampes shall onely be in request no neede of our vessels Luke 12.35 This is expressed in the words of this Parable the Oyle was in their vessels as yet the light of their Lamps was not seene Gods giftes in us are as the pitchers and lampes were in the hands of Gideon and the Israelites Iudg. 7.16 when they were to fight against the Midianites their lampes were burning and yet not seene because they were in the pitchers untill their pitchers were broken and the light on a sodaine terrified their enemies For Gods gifts are now hidden in us Matth. 5.16 So are the gifts of Gods servants in this world they are in a manner shut up and not seene or if any mans good workes so shine that the spectatours are moved to glorifie our heavenly Father yet their gifts are not fully seene but appeare as glances of the hidden power of Gods Spirit Rom. 7.19 The power of regeneration is much hindred by the appetite of nature that they cannot doe the good that they would loe here the Spirit of holinesse is constrained to hide it selfe in the Vessells of our body O who shall deliver us from this body of death when our pitchers shall be broken our lampes shall shine as starres in the firmament Beloved observe here that by the appointment and working of God his servants in this life are more in substance than in show When they fast Christ saith Matth. 6. that they are to anoint their faces when they give almes Wherefore we ought to doe all good as in secret Let not thy left hand saith hee know what thy right hand doth be even as if thou would take no notice what good thou doest Good actions are not rewarded here and therefore in vaine doe men muster and set them out upon beadroles in this life but labour to get the approbation of God and so doe good that thy conscience may be well stored in Gods sight who seeing thee in secret may reward thee openly and make thy light shine cleare as the perfect day Thus doe the wise Virgins they have store of Oyle but they shut it up in their Vessels Bern. in locum Perire existimant omne illud quod cernitur Whatsoever is seene they account it lost The practise of vaineglorious men is contrary to Gods dealing his Angel would bury Moses that no man might know it the Divell strove with him Compare Deu. 34 6. with Iude 9. that he might be openly buried that Israel who was bent to Idolatry might have occasion to adore his dead body To avoid hypocrisie and vaineglory So doe hypocrites that the world may adore them that all men may admire and looke at them And this greedy desire of the praise of men hath led away many noble Spirits so they call themselves from the onely love of goodnes that they leave many good things undone because they feare it will not be enough taken notice of and they had rather doe no good at all before they would lose the fame and honour of it Thus men labour more for a good thought of their equalls and inferiours than they doe for the approbation of God And that we be not hindred with by respects from doing good and therefore the reason why they want these blessings which they most desire is for that either they doe not that good which they may doe or what they doe they are hindred furthered with by-respects Gods honour never respected in it Beloved as these Virgins prepare to meet their Lord so doe wee see every day the Lord call some olde some young some kindred some acquaintance some noble some poore and whilest we stand as dead images beholding these presidents we are on a sodaine caught and presented before God to give account especially of what we left undone Did you see the hungry and gave him no meate Si quem pascendo salvare potuisti Gregorâ— si non paveris occidisti If thou couldest save any man by feeding if thou feede him not thou hast killed him Doe you see the naked and cloathe him not Hadst thou them at thy command who with blasphemy and contempt of Sabbath have offended God and corrected them not Didst thou heare the afflicted soule crying day and night unto thee and with thy silence made his affliction more What shall we answere the Lord in these or any the like demaunds no place for our by respects when the Lord sheweth no respect of persons Even of these whom we daily exhort some
of common light Math. 8.12 Math 22.13 for they shall be cast into utter darknesse insteed of quicknesse for motion they shall be bound hand and foote and the soule clogged to the body and lastly their bodies and soules are capable of nothing but sufferings and torments Mar 9.44 for their worme dyeth not and their fire never goeth out So when all arise the godly and wicked shall differ more then the blacknesse of a blackamore from the brightnes of the Sunne Consider these things and so behave your selves as you wish in the Resurrection to be a vessell of honour or dishonour according as you shall to your unspeakable joy or sorrow finde it in that fearefull day And trimmed their Lampes Lest Virgins appointed to be attendants at mariage be unfitt for the honour that becommeth their place it is requisite that they be adorned with wedding garments furnished with lampes or wedding Torches for preparing whereof they have an appoynted and competent time So the Lord hath granted unto us such competency of time as in his wisdome he knoweth is sufficient for our preparation to meet him when he shal call by death or the last judgement Now when the Bridegroome is coÌ„ming and the Virgins on foote to meet him it onely remaines that they trimme their Lampes as they are in meeting of him So when in death and judgement we are meeting the Lord we shall turne our mindes to the consideration of what state our soules and bodyes were in and whether in our life time we were prepared for meeting him or not this is the meaning of trimming their lampes aptaverunt lampades suas id est rationes reddendas operum which is August de Temp. Ser. 23. that they were to addresse them to give account of their works This is the busines that every one shall take in hand both after death and the Resurrection Our lampes for this spirituall and everlasting imployment are our soules and bodies which are never knowne how ready they were untill they bee brought in examination and tryal before the Lord reade Math. 22.11 which must be in death when we goe to the Lord or in the generall judgement when he commeth to us in both which this trimming and addressing our selves to account shall be used In death Heb. 9. â—9 the soule must be brought to this account for after death commeth judgement after it hath left the body then doth it call it selfe to account how it may answere at the tribunall seate of Gods justice unto which it is then conveyed In the great Iudgement both soule and body doe joyntly returne to consider what they shall answer to the great and fearefull reckoning they shall be charged withall For we must all appeare before the judgement seate of Christ 2 Cor. 5.10 and give account of whatsoever we have done The prodigall Sonne was long before he studied an answere and account of his life yet he did it when he was to meet his Father All this doctrine may be read as it is set downe in Esay 29. vers 15.18.19.20.21.22.23.24 so though men be now coÌ„tent to forget their owne experience and to counterfeit the ignorance of their owne knowledge in all things that concerne themselves yet when they are comming to the judgement seate of Christ they shall search for some answere which may prove most currant for their delivery This shall be done by two helpes first all men shall examine themselves how prepared they were when they were in this world and that this may the more truely and speedily be performed Revel 20.12 the booke of the conscience shall bee opened wherein is written all that ever men have done for as men have bookes to this purpose that they put in them the treasury of things which the memory cannot containe so shall the consciences of all men shew at one fearefull sight unto every man Math. 12.36 the Legend of their life and actions with all the circumstances of them every idle word shall be remembred Ecclesias 12 14. and every worke shall bee brought to judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or evill then shall this power of Conscience Rom. 2.15 shew it selfe either in accusing or excusing all eyes shal be opened to see if they be naked or clothed in the sight of God Our sinfull actions in this life are they which make up this large booke of reckoning against vs for both it is our owne actions and it shall be our owne knowledge and memory that shall witnesse against us If therefore this debt of ours doth daily increase with which we shall accuse our selves in Gods presence let us like wise debters looke our count booke often and be ever discharging some by often examining what our conscience can witnes against us when we finde our faults cry according as our Saviour instructed us Lord forgive us our debts if we doe thus often our conscience shall have the lesse to accuse us of and the more easily shall our lampes be trimmed in the judgement day Secondly the servants of God had other lampes in this world then wicked men had and therefore they shall finde it in trimming and addressing themselves to give account Gods servants for their lampe vsed their soule and body which they offred as a quicke and lively sacrifice unto God Rom 12.1 and therefore in the Resurrection they find them ready to give account for which they laboured so much all their life time and are found ready to goe in with the Lord of glory into his heavenly habitation as will appeare verse 10. Reprobate men in their life labour only wearying theÌ„selves in the wayes of wickednes some are so sensuall that they distast all things except pleasure untill they surfet of it and by bodily weakenes their mindes grow queasie as formerly their stomacks were Dissidet ambiguis semper mens obvia votis Nee voluisse homini satis est optata recusat Auson Elyâ— 15. others for their lampes are enamoured with the lustre that the deceiving world hath and toyle as much to fill the belly of their chests with trash as the sensuall do to stopp their belly full of detestable doung Both these kinds of men of which kinds most Reprobates are have mistaken their lampes and insteed of making soule and body ready for account labor to fatten and make delicate their body to feast wormes withall or to fill all their stores with riches which proves often times fewell to unexpected fire a sword for robbers to kill them withall but sure in the end a barre to shutt them out of heaven and to hinder them from preparing for judgement and therefore how can these bee ready who never prepared themselves Thirdly by trimming of their lampes is understood the framing of them to that readinesse they were in when they layd them downe to sleepe So when all men shall addresse them to goe to judgement
when we have no enemies at all This union with Christ is only compared to the solemnizing of a marriage But because long life without separation proveth not a happinesse to all that are married for we see the disordered and discontented lives of many that they would be glad to be ridde of marriage so they could save their life yea even in them that agree best the godly life cannot set them free of all troubles 1 Cor. 7 32. for every sort of life is intermixed with its owne griefes and inconveniences therefore we may observe that our eternall joyes in heaven are not compared to the best life in marriage that ever was led but only to the solemnizing and time of it that as the time and day of marriage is an image of honour joy and pleasure of all kindes that this earth can give insomuch that both opinion and experience hath framed the Proverbe that the day of marriage is the onely joyfull day in a mans life which incontinent hath its owne changes as all things else have so our eternall glory shall be as a solemnizing of a marriage the joy and pleasure of it cannot passe away but continually remaine unchangeably with us and we with it Esth 1 4. When Ahasuerus did shew the riches and glory of his Kingdome and honour of his Majesty he did it in feasting the Nobles Commonalty of two Kingdomes both which feasts continued above halfe a yeare what shall we thinke of him who counteth the heaven with the spanne Esay 40 12. Verse 22. comprehendeth the dust of the earth in a measure Verse 23. counteth all the inhabitants of it as grashoppers and bringeth Princes to nothing Shall not he shew it to be everlasting Psal 145.10 11 13. when his Saints shall blesse him and shew the glory of his Kingdome and speake of his power which is saith David everlasting and enduring for ever Psal 102.27 Stat unus dies quia nec habet ortum nec occasum nec inchoatur ab hesterno nec excluditur a crastino August in Psal 122.3 cuius participatio in seipsum This everlasting is as one yeare that faileth not yea this yeare is as one day because it changeth not it never hath Sun-set nor can it give place to the morrow even this is the day which the Lord hath ordained for us that we should everlastingly rejoyce and be glad in it So it appeareth wherein our eternall glory is like unto the solemnity of marriage As I have compared our eternall union with Christ unto a marriage so is it fit that I should compare marriage unto our union with Christ This union is not an imitation of marriage but marriage is an imitation of it Exod 25 40. What ever Moses did it was according to the Arch-type and patterne shewed him in the Mount so whatsoever is here taught us to practise it is that by earthly rudiments wee may ascend higher and consider heavenly things in them And therefore many things are taught us to be read in the plaine letters of our owne actions that as children are taught to act those things which may teach them to know what men doe and what they shall doe in mens estate that they may frame themselves accordingly so doth the Lord teach us many things that they may be glasses for our instruction and that we may though in earthly manner frame our selves for a prepared state of glory The dealing of Christ with his Church is the patterne and direction of marriage Eph 5 22. of which marriage is one and drawn out after the heavenly patterne for it is the Lord that framed both and our practise is no rule to direct the Lord but from the Lords dealing towards his Church and the Churches towards him the Apostle drawes instructions to teach husbands and wives how to behave themselves one to another The maker time place forme matter and end of marriage First what account wee should have of Mariage if we looke to the originall of it it is framed to the similitude of Gods eternall purpose of uniting man to himselfe an extract copyed out of the heauenly Paterne by the hand of God himselfe For the forme of it the most excellent union that we sinfull men can claime or wish for is to be knit to the man Iesus Christ and to be of his body so mariage is according to this paterne to make the strictest bonde that the soule can admit on earth and to unite them in one who were severall bodyes before For the matter of it of all mortall creatures the excellency pertaineth to man and therefore this union the more excellent and lastly for the end of it the preservation of man is better than of any other mortall creature which cannot be without confusion if marriage were wanting And therefore if you respect the time and place the maker the matter the forme and end of marriage you may see how honourable it is and how reverently to be accounted of Paul calleth it a doctrine of divels to forbid marriage 1 Tim 4.1 3. because none else would be an enemie to make it dishonourable in some which God hath pronounced honourable among all Heb. 13 4. or take away the lawfull imitation of so heavenly a patterne and they are the children of Satan that dishonour it either in their owne person or in the practise of others by fornication adultery contempt of the lawfull liberty of it or unadvised undertaking of it I would gladly wish the Church of Rome to aske St. Paul whether it is God or the Divell that would have us teach such doctrine as to forbid marriage unto any The common ends of marriage Secondly we are taught what use to make of marriage The common ends for which marriage was ordained were 1. The conservation of mankinde from utter decay by procreation of children Malach 2.15 to be the seed of the Church 2. The bounding and limiting of wandring lusts and affections 1 Cor. 7.2 that men should not become like beasts the Lord hath ordained lawfull meanes to preserve them from falling into unlawfull 3. That two being together Eccles 4 10. Gen 2.18 the one might be company and helpe unto other Yet are wee to make further use of it that when we either reade or heare the institution of marriage our hearts may ascend higher The spirituall uses of marriage and consider the union betweene Christ and his Church what it is in this life and how our love shall increase when wee are possessed of glory And when we are invited to a marriage to remember the day of the marriage of the Bridegroome when his friends shall enter in and foolish men be shut without doores These things Christ teacheth under the similitude of a mariage that in all such wee may call to minde that mariage which sinne cannot divorce nor death make void And that we may doe this the
we know not the day nor the houre when the Sonne of man commeth Secondly as a conclusion to all this Parable to expound and urge this exhortation Watch. The reason imports two things First the certainty of Christs comming secondly the uncertainty of the time to our knowledge The first is taken as granted beleeved being promised by Christ oftentimes before The second on which we presume most though wee know it least is proved by this comparison in the unexpected coming of the Bridegroom in the chapter before by the example of the sodaine overtaking the world by the flood not looked for even untill the day that Noah entred into the Arke and by the sodain destructiō of Sodom Gen. 19.23 not likely nor looked for an houre before it came for the Sunne shined brightly upon it And lastly in all the said places our Lord promiseth that his comming shall be for sodainnesse in the same manner that as the world had not a dayes knowledge of the flood before it came nor the Sodomites an houres warning of their destruction before it came so no man shall know the day nor the houre when the Sonne of man shall come When the Sonne of man will come This is a name of comfort unto us In the way let us comfort our selves amidst this fearefull doctrine wherein though Christ doth preach of death and judgement yet to his Disciples and us who have laid all our hopes of comfort upon himselfe he hath interlaced a word of comfort in preaching of generall judgement to others he preacheth particular mercy unto us He calleth himselfe the Sonne of man to remember us of the interest wee have in his nature his person his deedes and sufferings and by this name of humility and affection to mankinde we may be incouraged to draw neare to him who is so neare to us and to put our trust in him whose love we are so assured of As this name Sonne of man is comfortable to us so is it a name of instruction for us And a patterne of wonderfull humility for in it we see a wonderfull humility It was the common name that Christ continually called himselfe by Christ never called himselfe Sonne of man after his death reasons in all his teaching before he suffered But we may observe that after his death hee never called himselfe by that name First because as the Apostle saith by the resurrection from the dead he was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God Secondly Rom. 1.2 after his resurrection he was not any more subject to humane infirmities but was as a glorified soule and body Examples are in Luke 24.16 Ioh 20 14. 21.4 though by his power he held the eyes of all that beheld him that they should onely see him as a man conversing upon the earth Thirdly and lastly because hee was to converse no more as a mortall man but onely by his actions Acts 1 3. hee vouchsafed to doe these things which might assure us of the truth of his resurrection and therefore when Mary Magdalen would have fallen on his feete as shee used before his death hee saith Touch me not but when Thomas distrusted Iohn 20.17 27 he bid him feele his hands and his side Wee never reade that the Apostles called him Sonne of man for questionlesse they were astonished at this name of wonderfull humility When the Lord had shewed his glory to the Prophet Ezekiel hee called him ever after Son of man Marginal note in Ezek. 2 1. to remember him that he was dust and ashes and so to humble him ever when hee remembred his owne estate and Gods grace But after the Lord had witnessed from heaven in the hearing of Iohn and his followers that he was his welbeloved Sonne in whom hee was well pleased yet ever after would call himselfe the Sonne of man as professing himselfe to be come of the mortall and corrupted stocke of Adam as miserable men were yea and to descend lower he thought it no disparagement that he was not equall in state and condition with others though above all by nature but framed himselfe to the forme and fashion of a servant to serve Ioseph and Mary and his Disciples to claime no higher honour in this world than to be called the Sonne of man that is by nature bound a servant to man for though the sonne differ from a servant in this Gal. 4.1 that he is heire of all yet so long as he can be called a sonne both nature and Gods law bindes him service and obedience Bern. Ser. 1. super Missus est O wonderfull example of humility hee went saith the Gospell to Nazareth and was subject unto them to wit to Ioseph and Mary choose of both which you will wonder at either the bountifull vouchsafing of the Sonne or the most excellent honour the parents have both amazefull both wonderfull that God should become obedient unto men an humility beyond all example that men should be commanders of God an highnesse beyond all comparison Idem Ser. 3. Advent Certainly the Angels are amazed at this to see him so farre lower than themselves and yet crowned with such glory and worship that he is God above all blessed for ever and doe now manifestly ascend and descend unto the Sonne of man Vbi superius Disee homo obtemperare disce terra subdi c. O man learne to obey O earth learne to be subject Of thy Maker the Gospell saith he was subject unto them be ashamed O dust God humbleth himselfe and thou exaltest thy selfe hee makes himselfe subject to men and thou desiring to have rule of men settest thy selfe to take place of God Learne of Christ Matth 11. that he is meeke and lowly in minde doe you the like and you shall finde rest in your soules Having now heard a wonderfull example of Christs humility let us now returne and take a view of his glory If any wonder with Caiphas that a man of so meane estate can be the God of glory let him receive Christs answer I am he Marke 14.62 and ye shall see the Sonne of man sit at the right hand of the power of God and come in the clouds of heaven The glory of Christ in his comming according as he meaneth in this text is partly invisible partly visible When he calls us to death and particular judgement his person is not seene with our eyes though his power be felt Acts 3.15 Revel 1.18 so that he who is Lord of life and death worketh in us Gen. 28.16 and wee may say with Iacob Surely God was in this place and I was not aware That our Saviour doth in this exhortation meane also of his comming at the day of our death appeareth by example for unto the Church of Sardis he sendeth the meaning of the same words in which he punished many by death and temporall punishments his words are these
CHRISTS VVATCH-VVORD BEING THE PARABLE OF the Virgins expounded and applyed to these times of security Or an Exhortation of our Saviours to us that we may watch and prepare our selues for the unknowne times of death and judgement MATTH 25.13 Watch for you know not the day nor the houre when the Sonne of man will come LONDON Printed by W. J. for John Bartlet and are to be solde at his shoppe at the signe of the Golden Cuppe in Cheapeside 1630. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD DOCTOR THEOPHILVS BVCKVVORTH by the providence of God Lord Bishop of Dromore my singular good Lord and Patron THE manifold exhortations of Christ and his Apostles considered with the security of these times are reasons sufficient both to command and encourage his servants to be watchfull and to awaken others both by voice and writings that they hold the times of death and iudgement before their eyes yet for mine owne particular J have reasons leading me unto this forwardnesse not onely excusing but also enforceing me to the publishing of this present Treatise First J was not able by writing to satisfie the importunity of those who heard some of it delivered nor of those unto whom upon intreaty some of it was communicated except it had beene published Secondly I considered that the same Scripture was not particularly handled by any either ancient or moderne so farre as J can learne though Commentatours have given briefe notes upon it which moved me the rather to communicate this Exposition or by my rashnesse to stirre up others more learned to give sufficient contentment unto such who by this motion may be set on longing Thirdly the disposition of men requires that in so necessary a subiect they have not onely admonition in words but that there remaine a daily admonisher standing in sight yea they who loathe repetition of one thing yet love to reade often over such things as they finde to move their consciences unto which may be added Saint Peters example who endeavoured not by word alone 2 Pet 1 13. but by writing also to put his heareres in remembrance Lastly J alwayes desired as both my duty first and your Lordships unexpected bounty in the next place tyed mee to render account of my labour unto you and to expresse my thankefulnesse both to God and to the world for your ordinary encouragements of Gods servants your favours in particular to me and your willingnesse to have the flocke of Christ exhorted by these my weak endeavours who are bounden to returne prayers to God for your Lordship onely for whatsoever benefit they may reape reape hereby J dare not as building a stately gate for lowly cottages invite the Readers with goodly promises seeing I am conscious of mine owne weaknesse and unability to performe neither need I intreate the zealous Christian seeing the title the subiect and his owne desire to Gods word are incitements sufficient unto him And I doubt not but the countenance of you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who in name Luke 12 35 c 17 24. c 21 17. c. honour and religion are the same with that honourable Christian to whom this subiect was commended by S. Luke at the beginning will make it to have better acceptance at all their hands who are according as your name imports the friends and lovers of God So praying God long to continue you an instrument of his glory I take leave acknowledging my selfe ever Your L pps most bounden Chaplaine THOMAS IOHNSTON AN EXPOSITION OF THE FIRST PART OF THE XXV CHAPTER OF SAINT MATTHEW Being an exhortation of our Saviour to vs that we may watch and prepare our selues for the unknowne times of death and judgement OF all Doctrines to be Preached that great and fearefull day of account ought never to be forgotton when the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heaven Our Saviour his Messengers have been carefull to remember the trumpet that shall call vs to iudgement 2 Thess 1.7 with his mightie Angels In flaming fire rendring vengeance to them that doe not know God and which obey not unto the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ which shall bee punished with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his power Whosoever beleeveth and remembreth the terrour of the Lord and the strict account that he must make will be carefull to walk the more honestly and so frame his life as he wishes to have favour in judgement Therefore the holy men of God have beene carefull to remember vs of the fearefull sound of the Trumpet calling vs to judgement Ecclesiast 11.9 Salomon sounds this Trumpet in young mens eares saying Remember for all this that God will bring thee to judgement He sounds it in the eares of all men Chap. 12.14 that God will bring every worke to Iudgement and every secret thing whether it be good or evill Saint Paul is a fearefull sounder of it to the Corinthians and Thessalonians when he considered of it he trembled knowing the terrour of the Lord. 2 Cor 5.11 In Reg. Monach. Cap. 30. Ierome said that whether he eate or dranke or whatsoever he did he thought that he heard this Trumpet sounding in his Eares Rise dead and come to Iudgement And the Church of God hath laide before vs in our Creede to be said every day that Christ shall come againe to iudge the quicke and the dead Most of all our Lord Iesus Christ who best knew both our danger and remedy is carefull to put us in remembrance of it who in this sermon preached it three times twise in the former Chapter and proved it by the example and experience of the world in the dayes of Noe vers 42.44 and of the common carefulnesse of men in lesse dangers Vers 43. for who would sleepe and suffer his house to bee digged through Now because it stands every one vpon the damnation of his soule that labours not to prevent it and men are carelesse of unseene and unfelt dangers therefore our Saviour preacheth it the third time and labours to imprint it in our hearts by the comparison and successe of wise foolish Virgins But why doth he repeate this matter so often and insist in it so much Barnard Serm. 1 super Missus est Credo quia noluit nos negligenter audire quod tam diligenter studuit enarrare I beleeue it is because hee would not haue vs carelesse to heare that which he is so carefull to set downe and that we may know Idem cap. 2 meditat quanto diligentior est Deus admonendo tanto strictior erit judicando si neglexerimus that the more carefull the Lord is to admonish vs the more severe shall he be to punish vs if we neglect This Chapter is the History of Christ his second comming comprehending in it Division of the Chapter First his vnexpected comming in the Parable of the Virgins Secondly
common-wealth florished Iansenius in hunc locum Mat. 1. that the parties to be maried were by promise and oath bound each to the other as we reade that Ioseph and Mary were betrothed and the Mariage at more convenient time to be solemnized which was done most in the night the fittest time for mirth and banketting as St. Paule saith Rom. 13.12.13 Now while the Bridegrome was at hand the Bryde with a company of virgins met him with lamps torches who all entred into the mariage-house with the Bride Brydgrome Whē David prophesieth of the mariage betweene Christ and his Church he describeth it in the foresaid manner saying Psal 45.14.15 The Bryde shall be brought unto the King in rayment of needle worke the Virgins that follow after her and her companions shall be brought unto thee with joy gladnes shall they be brought and shall enter into the Kings Pallace Thus much for Historie In which we are to consider the Bridgrome the Virgins their lampes their oyle their going out and meeting the Bridgrome of which particulars some appertaine to the second part of the Parable But for the comparison obserue that Christ saith it shall be likened In Math 22.2 he saith it is like unto a wedding where servants were sent out to invite guests in this Parable he saith It shà ll be so likened in this there is no diversitie Gods Kingdome according to diverse states and times may have severall comparisons in this life God is preparing these things for vs This life is only for preparing our selves and by his word and servants inviting vs vnto this Mariage but in the life to come it shall be like unto another comparison to a mariage in the solemnizing that is all time and meanes of preparation shall be past that they who lose this day of Salvation shall be as foolish virgins and said unto that the Lord knowes them not The Bridgrome and Virgins Who is the Bridgrome SAint Iohn Baptist sheweth vs who is the Brydgrome in these words He is the Brydgrome that hath the Bryde the friend of the Bridgrome is he who heareth his voyce Iohn 3.29 and rejoyceth greatly But who is this that hath the Bride St. Paul tells the Corinthians 2 Cor. 11.2 I have betrothed you to one man to present you a pure virgine unto Christ. And by the other marke Christ is the Bridegrome for all his servants shall rejoyce to heare his voyce at the great day at which Iohn 5.28 Who is the Bride the dead shall come out of their graves The Bride must bee these Virgins that go out to meete him Observe by the way that where certaine virgins did present themselves in one company to the Bridgrome that mariage is then most honorable in the fight of God and men When is mariage truely honourable when it is of such as have beene Virgins that is to say have for their actions ben honest Heb. 13.4 for their cariage modest and shamefast Paul saith that mariage is honourable among all and the bed undefiled but whooremongers and adulterers God will judge besides the weight of this judgement of God the mariage is greatly dishonoured when it is of shamelesse unhonest persons And although mariage be a preventing from sinnes of that kinde to come therefore in that case is honourable among all yet it is not a pardon for wickednes past before mariage but as Iacob said of his sonne Reuben for this fault so doth God esteeme of others that fall in the like Gen. 49.4 that their dignitie and excellencie is gone because they darken the honour of their mariage-day The Divell who is a lyar from the beginning hath blinded the eyes of many young persons to esteeme these trickes of their youth which by God are condemned and by all civill and honest men abhorred and it hath so prevailed that the men cannot be securely received into mariage who have not approved their abilitie in begetting Bastards Whooremongers and adulterers God will judge O when God shall either judge or punish this no Crosse can prevent it no Priests Commission absolve it nor holy water is able to wash it away Remember Christs Spouse is a Virgin If you demand why these that are to meete Christ are called Virgins I answer because this is a comparison of Marriage in which onely Virgins chosen and appointed went out to meet the Bridegroome But if you aske which of all them that shall meete Christ is his Spouse I answer Who is the Spouse of Christ Every soule that hath in this life washed himselfe from sinne by repentance and calling on the name of the Lord and prepared himselfe with a confidence in the sweete love and mercy of God shall be the spouse of Iesus Christ But to speake as the Scripture doth all the Elect servants of God who agree in unity of one faith and love to Iesus Christ are his one and undivided Spouse from which notwithstanding we may not conceive an equality of dignity and love to be in the Church to be worthy the uniting unto the glorious God who for worth is Lord of heaven and earth and of love beyond all comparison Ioh 15 13. for no man can shew greater love for his friend than to give his life for him Christ shewed greater Rom. 5.10 in giving his life for his enemies And though all the faithfull cannot bee sufficiently meet for to be his Spouse yet are they counted worthy Philip. 3 9. when they are considered as joyned to Christ and one with him and are seene of God not with their owne righteousnesse but cloathed and overshadowed with the worth and righteousnesse of Christ We are to observe two things 1 Christs servants called Virgins that the faithfull soule is called a Virgin Christ a Virgin the Sonne of a Virgin will have a Virgin to his Spouse But what kinde of Virgin Hieron in Epist Virginis definitio est sanctam esse corpore mente A Virgin is one that is holy both in minde and body in minde because the Lord doth in this Parable condemne the corrupted mindes of the foolish Virgins whose bodies were not corrupted in body 1 Cor 6.15.19 because an uncleane body cannot be the Temple of the holy Ghost nor member of Christ But if wee consider why Gods Church was called a Virgin wee shall the better understand what is here meant by a Virgin God from the beginning ever shewed himselfe unto the people that were his as if he had beene their husband or spouse unto the Iewes he shewed himselfe as a husband unto the Christian Church he shewed himselfe a spouse the Iewes he tooke to him when their fathers were Idolaters Iosh 24.2 and themselves too hee married himselfe to them who by Idolatry had lost their Virginity who notwithstanding after they came to serve God fell to Idolatry many times againe provoked him to wrath
are sodainly called to give this account who cannot deny lawfull warning Many would doe thus when it is too late Labour therefore that your zealous actions in Gods glory may shew how obedient you were when he commanded you The worthines of Gods servants cannot be seene in this life Secondly observe that seeing the wise Virgins have their Oyle in their Vessels that is have their holinesse and beauty hidden and their actions onely to be taken notice of by God it followeth by good reason that the Saints of God are not seene nor truely knowne so long as they are in this life they come to be knowne by degrees in this life by repentance faith good workes and humility in all these we know that we are the children of God 1 Iohn 3.2 Attendis quasi aridas arbores per hiemeÌ„ Qui non novit videre aridam putat vitem et for te iuxta est quae vere aruit Similes sunt ambae per hiemem illa vivit illa mortua est sed illius vita et illius mors in ab scondito est aestas procedit vita illius clarificatur mors illius manifestatur Procedit honor foliotâ—Ì„ faecunditas fructuum vestitur vitis in facie ex eo quod habet in radice Ergo modo fratres tales sumus quales alii c. August in Psal 148. but what we shall be is not yet knowne that is the glory of these children cannot now be seene as the Israelites could not be espied by the Midianites whilest their lampes were hidden untill they appeared upon a sodaine no more can their worth be It appeareth somewhat better when the soule goeth to glory but the full shew of it is kept for the judgement day at which time the sonnes of God shall be revealed Rom. 8.16 And no wonder for wee cannot be truly joyfull untill wee see our Lord upon whom all our desire hangeth we can never be glorious untill we be in company with Christ who is our glory we cannot shew the actions of holinesse untill we be fully freed from sinne and corruption and restored to the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God Saint Paul tolde the Colossians In this world you are in a manner dead and your life is hid with Christ in God when Christ who is your life shall appeare then shall you also appeare with him in glory Col. 3.3.4 Therefore no marvaile if these whom God respects most are but despised of the world Christs glory was hidden within the vessell or veile of his flesh 1 Cor. 2.8 Acts 3.17 and therefore because the Iewes knew not they crucified the Lord of glory But as he saith the Apostle indured the Crosse Heb 12.2 and despised the shame care not you how men account of you if you be sure that God respects you Psal 40.20 I am poore and in miserie saith David but the Lord careth for me and if by shame and misery our life be lost yet this is the way to make our glory the better to appeare Thus leaving their Oyle inclosed and hid in their vessels untill the Bridegroomes comming let us consider the Vessels being our soules and bodyes according to phrase of Scripture David in his conference with the high Priest at Nob called the bodies of his followers the vessels of the young men 1 Sam. 21.5 St. Paul tels the Thessalonians that it was the will of God 1 Thess 4.4 that every man should know how to keepe his vessel in holinesse and honour and speaking of himselfe and his gift of preaching sayd that that treasure was in weake and earthen vessels But seeing the Scripture speaketh most of these vessels 2 Cor. 4.7 Every one is to consider wherein he excelleth all his other gifts and labour to exercise it most in two considerations to wit of their matter and use these two I will briefly touch If I consider the matter I finde them all de communi limo that the Potter hath made all of clay or of earth yet if I compare these vessels among themselves I shall finde that as the earth hath some parts of dust and filth and in other parts are the minerals and plants as gold silver wood c. So hath the Lord made us all of earth but some more refined as the quality and force of the vessel doth evidently declare Saint Paul saith that in a great house 2 Tim. 2.20 are vessels of gold silver wood and earth so are the differeÌ„ces among men some seem to be made of gold for their patience who are continually bettered by the fire of trouble adversity the more they suffer the faster they cleave to God some seeme to be as of silver in whom the knowledge of Gods word dwelleth plentifully Psal 12. which is as the silver purified seven times some are as vessels of wood earth who are so lowly their looks so dejected that they thinke it fitter to sit in dust ashes and count the earth Sumpsit Deus limum terrae Gen 2. Quando tandem tui oblivisci potes tu deniq tui obliviscere cum disiunctus eris a terra sin nunquam a terra disiungeris etc. haud procul demissionis tuae proposita imago et significatio est Basil Hexam Ser. 11. dust and wormes their mother brethren and sisters nor to looke up to heaven or with conceited toyes to abase the brightnesse of the Sunne Let euery man therefore try himselfe what power or gift the Lord hath indewed him with and in that exercise himselfe seeing * 1 Cor. 7.7 Cic. lib. 2. de Nat. deorum every man hath his proper gift he ought to search find out wherin he excelleth his other gifts he that knoweth not this much of himselfe nor labours to make use of Gods benefite wise men have compared his soule to salt onely to keep the body from sowring or stinking Cicero calleth them animae porcorum soules or rather pearles cast out to swine The use of all these vessels or of all mankinde is that some are appointed to honour some to dishonour this is finis vltimus But while all men doe hope to be of the number that shall be honoured with salvation we are to consider how to use our selves Vnto some are given gifts more then to others but unto all the occasion of using what gifts so ever therefore he that hath wisdome to what purpose hath he it if he be not an earnest student of Gods word the meanes to eternall life Why hath any man power to rule himselfe if he bee a slave to his lust What use is there of charity where a man labours not to doe good and so of other gifts God leaves none without occasion to use every vertue we may be idle but God bestoweth nothing without use nor gift without occasion of exercise Ambros de Vocat Gent. lib. 2. cap. ult cum laudabilius atque faelicius sit pugnantem non potuisse vinci
would try whether the oyle that you have be good or how we may know it in time to come the properties of good oyle are three 1. That it be new and fresh Gods gifts must be daily renewed by prayer and meditation 2. That it may be easily powred out what good we doe must be willingly and cheerefully done Senec in Proverb Beneficium qui citò dat indigenti bis dat One good deed done in season is a double kindnesse Thirdly that it be not earthy or mixt with slime so true graces must not be defiled with ostentation and worldly glory The foolery of the Templaries I must not omit the foolishnesse of some who have by practise shewen how they expound this verse the Romish Leigers at the Sepulchre in Ierusalem Musculus in lacum have made it a materiall businesse in their preparation to heaven-ward to have lampes in that Church continually burning and maintained with oyle The Greeke Church follow the same superstition but increased more than the former who comming in multitudes to the Sepulcher Sandes travell pag 173. compasse it often and in the end following an Aethiopian Priest and some of their owne Bishops rush in confusedly to get fire to lighten their lampes which remaine unlighted with other fire untill that day twelve-moneth This folly more heathenish than Christian-like deserveth more pity than refutation VERSE 5. Now while the Bridegroome tarried long all slumbred and slept HItherto hath beene their preparation for this great Wedding now the Bridegroomes comming is to be considered of and their meeting of him But that we may be the better prepared to meet Christ he tells us that we must be watchfull to attend his pleasure and appointed time As the Virgins of Israel attendants on their Marriages knew certainly that the Bridegroome would come but were uncertaine at what precise houre he should come So we are certaine that Christ shall come but what yeare moneth or day we cannot imagine Therefore wee are to provide for his staying as well as his comming This Verse containeth Christs stay and the effects of it the Verses following have his comming and effects thereof Christ in his comming is said to stay long Christ seemeth to stay long 1. In respect of his Saints first in respect of his Saints who in the miseries of this world and desire of eternall life are ever crying Come Lord Iesus and knowing that the day of his comming to judgement is the first day of their true perfection both in body and soule they sigh in themselves Rom. 8 23. waiting for the redemption of their body and this Christian Religion teacheth us that we waite for that blessed hope Tit 2 13. and the practise of the Saints Iob 14 14. the soule of Iob in glory is still waiting till his renewing doe come and not Paul onely shall receive the Crowne of glory but all that love Christs appearing 2 Tim 4 8 Now because hee commeth not so soone as they desire rather than faile his servants in this life would take up the matter with the day of their death Philip. 1.21 and wish to bee dissolved to bee with Christ 2 In respect of wicked men Secondly the stay of Christ is thought long in respect of wicked men both by the opinion of Gods servants and their owne opinion Gods servants doe wonder that God should suffer the Sunne to give light the ayre to give breath or the earth to beare his enemies and that he suffereth Satans Kingdome to be so long without finall destruction Rev. 6 10. their bloods and oppressions to be so long unrevenged with the infinite wrath of God And in the opinion of wicked men Christ stayes long from judgement for some will not beleeve it 2 Pet 3 2. but mocke to heare of it others as Salomon saith put the day of evill farre from them Mat 24. and doe plainly resolve that their Master doth deferre his comming to judgement and that their life is for many yeares and therefore they play the tyrants and doe what they list but the Master shall come in the day when they look not for him and at the houre that they are not aware of if many thought the day of their death was so neere or judgement presently to follow they would not live as they doe 3. In respect of the creature 3. Christs coming is thought longby the instinct nature of the creatures though they be not chained to sinne as we are yet they are sometimes partakers of the punishment of our sinne that the heaven is sometimes hard as brasse for want of moysture Deut 28 23. other times the sea seemeth to be above because of raine and waters all times the heavens waxe olde as a garment Psal 102. the powers of it grow weake that in stead of distinguishing they often confound the seasons now they are subject to change and weaknesse but the day of Christs comming shall releeve them and restore them to the liberty of Gods children which is both to be free from sinne and corruption the punishment of sinne and the creatures seeme to travaile in paine being subject to vanitie Rom 8 20 21 22. desiring to be delivered from that bondage unto the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God What is the meaning of Christs stay Long staying may be either in respect of appointed or expected time although the time of Christs comming is not set downe yet because there were certaine marks given before he come which some observing others mistaking yet most of all inquirers could never imagine that he should have stayed so long therefore not comming as he was expected hee is thought to stay long In all the times when the Gospell flourished When Christ was expected and the curious fouly deceived there were some that enquired for it and some concluded the time which came not to passe the Lord thereby shewing the folly of their curiositie In St. Paules dayes as the Grecians in all manner of learning were curious so at Thessalonica especially they began to beate their braines about this and because St Paul had written in his first Epistle chap. 4. vers 15. For this I say by the word of the Lord that wee who live shall not prevent them that sleep they presently concluded that his comming was at hand for repressing of which opinion Paul wrote his second Epistle unto them 2 Thess 2 1 2. some said that they knew it by revelation others avouched that they heard it from Saint Paules mouth others that they could shew his letters for it A little after the Apostles dayes it was a common opinion among unconverted Gentiles August de Civit. Dei lib 18 cap 53. that the world should stand 365 yeares About the yeare of Christ 250 Cyprian writeth to a friend of his Epist ad Fortunatum that the common opinion was that the end was at hand and
in another letter saith his owne minde with application of it Ad Cecili lib 2 Ep 3. Et quia jam secundus adventus nobis appropinquat magis ac magis benigna ejus dignatio corda nostra illustrat c And because his second comming commeth neere Instit lib 7 cap 25. c. In the yeare 317 Lactantius saith that all expectation was of no more time than 200 yeares at most After the yeare 400 Augustine and Ierome say that many were of Lactantius minde that even in their owne time Christ would come to judgement and that St. Ierome was of this minde appeareth by his fearefull words In Regist Monach cap 30. Sive edam sive bibam aut aliud quid agam semper insonat auribus vox illa horrifica Surgite c. Whether I eate drinke or whatsoever I doe that fearfull voice sounds ever in mine eares Rise dead and come to Iudgement Hesichius a Bishop wrote to Augustine that Christ should come in the yeare 700 because of Daniels Prophecy of 70 weekes which was onely concerning the first comming of Christ Augustine answereth him in the words of Christ that of that day knoweth no man nor the Angels but onely God himselfe All these expectations and conjectures proving false Christ is said to stay long I have further observed diverse who being curious to know and determine the time of the great Iudgement were sodainly themselves taken away by death Wherefore wee are to retaine onely the signes and that modesty to be beleeved and daily expect it But seeing many have beene deceived even by mistaking the signes themselves it may be asked Which of them may wee take holde of as a marke and not to be mistaken concerning his comming I answere The plainest and surest marke of Christs coming the surest of all is the conversion of the Iewes But when shall this be I answer they are letted by Daniels Prophecie chap. 2. for seeing the Roman Empire as yet stands in the Pope they cannot beleeve that Messiah is come and therefore untill this power of his be beaten to powder they cannot see how the King of Kings can reigne and whosoever doth this as they thinke is their saviour and deliverer then shall their hearts be turned to the Lord and be opened to see the hardheartednesse of their forefathers in crucifying the Lord of glorie and their owne blindnesse that so many hundreth yeares could not espie the day of salvation What doe the Iewes see in the Christian Churches The many thousands that are tributaries in Rome Naples All this mischiefe is set downe particularly in Muscul com plaâ— de Ministris verbi under the name of Nundin Pont. Venice Spaine and other places see that they directly stand against the holines of Gods law in commanding publike Idolatry dispensing with blasphemies treasons rebellions murthers and sometimes commanding and authorizing them in countenancing incests adulteries fornication receiving rent for stewes selling soules and bodies and making lawfull and unlawfull what they will commanding people to beleeve and yet they may not enquire what The bookes of Corn Agrippa Ioan. Baptistae poreae Iohan. Tâ—itenemius de occult Scripturis doe plainely shew this and chiefly this last author who upon his salvation protests the said booke may bee used with a safe conscience c In Prafat 〈◊〉 finally admitting Iewish superstition to be mixed with their own permitting witchcraft and conjuration which is the invocation of Satan to be accounted so lawfull as either of them Whilest this Babel and kingdome of confusion doth stand how is it possible that a Iew should be converted or beleeve that these are the true servants of God As for such Iewes as are in Germany or other places neere the reformed they see few visible Churches and know that all of them are farre from the large extent spoken of Dan. 2.35 But when once this is taken away and they converted their learning and devotion shall be the riches of the world that the secure and carelesse shall by their example be pierced with sorrow and turne unfeinedly unto the Lord after which time both they and other Nations shall fall in a dead security and lose the power of religion that Gods particular punishments nor the cry of Preachers shall be little able to awake or make them looke about them Then on a sodaine shall the Lord come the heavens goe away with a noise the elements melt with heate the earth fall a burning the quicke and dead mount up to meete the Lord in the ayre But when shall those things come to passe It can not certainely be knowne but if it be asked When to come to passe unknowne yet as appeareth by example may soone come how soone all this may be I pray you consider what alteration the Lord hath made in Christendome since Luther was taken notice of but 112 yeares agoe especially what God hath done in Great Britaine in lesse time turned out the Prince of Babell indued olde and young with knowledge and other gifts of God especially inflamed their hearts with zeale that they were readier to suffer torments than their enemies were to impose them upon them filled all with knowledge that none were hidde from the sound of Gods word and finally hath cast them into such a security that most have lost the power strength of religion that no sinne wants actours no wickednesse but it hath excusers patrons and defenders hundreds of Preachers are become dumbe and these best heard and befriended that either cannot or will not speake a word in Gods name and these who forewarne men of this state never taken notice of what they say or command O what a security is this Certainely if the great Iudgement day were farre off God could not suffer this so long He therefore that considereth how God hath wrought these things in so short a time may easily see how soone the Lord can bring all the aforesaid to passe and hasten the Iudgement day Now we are to make use of this Death and Iudgement go together I cannot think or speake of this great day but I must needes continually thinke of death and therefore if any say that it is neare at hand then I answere that death must bring him thither If he say that it is farre off and shall not be these many hundred yeares I answere that death shall presently apprehend him and pull him unto Iudgement The world may stand long but how knowest thou but thou maist fall before to morrow the great judgement may be farre but thy judgement may be this night and as death leaveth thee the great judgement shall finde thee Death a prophecy of iudgment Finally so oft as thou seest one die so many prophecies the Lord shews thee foretelling the ruine of the whole world in which the heaveÌ„ which is the light of the world shall goe away with a noyse 2 Pet 3. in death Vitaque
cum gemitu fugit the life which is the light of men goeth likewise away with a groane Virg. AEneid 12 Iohn 1 4. In the last day all the elements shall be confused leave their naturall operations so in death the parts of the elements whereof we be made shall be confused and all dead without operation In the last day the earth which shall be the remainder of the world must be overrunne with fire to purifie it so in death the carcasse all the remainder of the whole man must be purified by rotting from the drosse of corruption Lastly in the judgement day the soules are brought before the Lord in the ayre to be tryed for all they did so in death the soule is presented before the Lord where the Lord hath set up his seate of judgement and therefore after tryall and sentence given is sent either to heaven or hell Both unknowne both have signes going before Besides as death doth shew thee the state of the world so the knowledge that wee may have of death sheweth what knowledge we may have of the judgement day As the Lord hath hidden the knowledge of that day from men and Angells so is the day of our death hidden from men and Angells but as the Lord hath prefixed signes and markes to know when it approacheth if wee have eyes to see them so the Lord hath foreshewen signes in our bodie and behaviour if wee marke and observe them which prophecie our mortalitie And as blindnesse shall overcome men in the end of the world and they shall cry peace and safety when sodaine destruction is comming so when men are surest to live long to enjoy the world and improve it to the most then are they caught away and we see them no more I therefore intreate that all men would provide and study what concernes their death when they thinke of the last comming of Christ according to both which this doctrine is to bee applied First The reason of Christs stay in both wee see ofttimes the Lord tary long Saint Peter tells us the reason not that hee is slacke or desirous to put off the time but that hee is patient towards us and would have no man to perish but that all should come to repentance the Lord hath some chosen to salvation that are either unborne or uncalled and therefore the judgement day cannot come untill this bee done Againe seest thou a wicked man to live long the Lord stayes to give him time to repent which he not doing is made inexcusable if God gave him repentance then for this did the Lord suffer him to live Know the reason why the Lord preserves your life even that you may have time to turne and amend beware therefore that this time given for repentance be not used to the hardning of your hearts and heaping up of judgement And this was the cause why the great judgement came not long agoe Time uncertaine that we may prepare Secondly you see that the Lord will have the time of death and judgement uncertaine lest we conceiving the Lord giveth us time of repentance should convert and use it to our destruction that being certaine that they shall come but uncertaine of the time wee may prepare our selves shake off sinne more speedily and avoid it more carefully Are we then uncertaine of the time when we shall die and be brought to judgement First then let us be ever prepared Christ compareth the uncertainty of them to a snare Luke 21 35. Mat 24 43. that shall come upon the inhabitants of the earth likewise Christ 2 Pet. 3 10. 2 Thess 5 2. Peter and Paul compare them to the unexpected comming of a theef Christ compareth them to the flood in Noahs time Mat 24 37. O then how prepared ought we to be For if the bird feared the snare if the goodman feared the theef if the world would feare an universall flood to drowne them what providence how many lockes how many watches would be used and how many prayers would be said When the Spouse is uncertaine of her husbands comming how is her sleepe broken in the night her labour hindred in the day with thinking on him So saith Christ Luke 21 35. Watch therefore for the day when you shall goe to your Lord or your Lord come to you that you may be accounted worthy to stand before the Sonne of man in his comming Secondly And shake off sinne seeing the time of death and judgement are uncertaine take the Wisemans Counsell Make no delay in turning to the Lord and put not off from day to day c. Ecclesiasticus 5.7 If the King were to give one pardon for life or a grant for preferment upon condition to have his patent ingrossed in one day what haste would he make It may be that thou seest some live long and therefore thou presumest for the like Who would not beware of a mad man who killeth all before him as we see death doth every day But as hogges stand by whilest some of themselves are a killing cry for company with that which is killed and so goe away without any care or feare of the like so it is with most of us wee lament and bemoane for our friends whom the Lord calls but never consider that the next day the like is to befall us Seeing therefore we must goe out of the world to make account let us not deferre time to cast off sinne lest wee be forced to carry it to judgement A ship may be overloadened and overburdened so may the soule be if a man heape up sinne never so fast it may be the Lord will never punish in this life that after death he may be damned Israel hath sinned Esay 1 5. Ezek 16 42. I will smite him no more he will free him from dangers that destruction when it commeth may be the more intollerable Theramenes got our and escaped killing Aelian de var. hist lib. 9. when his house in Athens fell sodainly he crying out Iupiter for what time doest thou keepe mee when shortly after thirty robbers compelled him to eate and drink of the hemlock till it killed him Therefore let the uncertainty of the time and feare of greater judgement move you to turne truely to God And prevent it in time to come Finally the uncertainty of the time of death and judgement are soveraigne helpes to make us feare sinne and prevent it if the Ninivites had not feared they had perished as did Lots sonnes in law that feared not Iacobs sonnes at their first going into Aegypt feared little and fared ill at their second going they were in great feare and fared the better Hosea 13.1 When Ephraim spake as trembling the Lord exalted him but when he committed idolatry without feare the Lord destroyed him Sozom. lib. 7. ca. 31. Chrysostome counseiling the people of Antioch to call upon God to remove his anger lest Theodosius should destroy
them for defacing his wives Image Chrysost hom 15 ad Popul Antiochen the whole Citty seemed rather to be religiosorum Coenobium quà m congregatio Civium an Abbey of religious people than a meeting of Citizens So if the terrour of death and the judgement day goe to our hearts it will worke strongly against sinne and make us shew another manner of life ☞ Of Afflictions HItherto is shewen the stay of Christ from death and judgement Let us now consider another stay of this spirituall Bridegroome Every faithfull soule hath his meetings with Christ both in this life and after in this life he is to expect that Christ should come as a visiting Father to correct him for faults hee hath fallen into or to bestow his blessings and gifts upon him The first is one of Gods favours shewen to his children God visits his servant here with corrections Heb. 12 6. for he chasteneth every sonne whom he receiveth and where the Lord doth promise blessings this is one that of all he most accounteth in King Davids graunt 2 Sam 7. Psal 89 31 32. this promise is mentioned If thy children forsake my law I will visite their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with strokes for they are chastened of the Lord 1 Cor. 11 32. lest they should be condemned with the world Iob. 33.16 Elihu giveth a reason that when the Lord doth often exhort us yet our eares are sealed untill the Lord use the last remedie which is to open them with his corrections It is a marke to spie out the men whom God hateth that they * Psal 73.4 5 are not in bonds like other men and certainly they are most punished when they feele themselves not punished at all for then they are given up to the desires of their owne heart to live so wickedly as they list It is both doubtfull and dangerous for Gods servant to be without the use of the rod for looke and thou shalt finde that all Gods Saints saith * Quis Sancto rum sine certamine coronatus est Abel instus occiditur Abraham uxotem periclitatur amittere ne in immensum volumen extondā quaere et invenies sanctos omnes adversa perpessos solus Salomon in delitiis perpetuo fuit forsan ideo corruit Hieron ad Eufloch Ierome suffered adversity onely Salomon lived continually in pleasures and therefore it so proved with him Now whilest God suffereth his children to fall and to be long uncorrected this is his delay as when David without a checke for three quarters of a yeare continued in his sinnes of Adultery Murther and Hypocrisie Mora hec Domini longanimitas est quia non statim et è vestigio poenam imponit In Mat 24. As Salomon Eccles 8 11. Bern in Cant. Ser. 42. This stay of the Lord saith Theophilact is his long-suffering when he apprehends not the sinner in the fact nor sodainly inflicts punishment Misericordiam hanc nolo God deliver me from this mercy by which the Reprobates without bit or bridle spurre on to eternall destruction Try therefore your selves if you be thus acquainted to meete your Master and consider all the children of God and finde out but one sonne Heb. 12 7. that our heavenly Father chasteneth not If wee thus expected the comming of our Lord we would beleeve this to be true of every Christian August de Past Si exceptus est à passione flagellorum exceptus est de numero filiorum That he who is freed from suffering the rod is blotted out from the number of Gods sonnes and be rather afraid to be cast out of our heavenly inheritance than to be a sufferer of profitable correction And sometime with temporal blessings But lest the feare of Gods heavie hand should be a thraldome to Gods servants hee visits them in this life with gifts comfortable both to soule and body David who the most time of Saules reigne was a sufferer looked for this favour that God would yet at length give him some ease and visit him with some worldly comforts and therefore waited when God would be pleased to come unto him Psal 101 2. But because his servants are not to expect their felicity to be here of a certaine they must looke for sorrow and trouble Psal 34 10. and for prosperity onely so much as may ease them a little and as God in his wisdome knoweth to be for their good All slumbered and slept Now followeth the effect of the Bridegroomes staying even all slumbered and sleeped As the time for solemnization of a marriage is deferred and proposed unto a nominate time to this end that all who are bidden may be ready for the meeting But if fooles were invited they not understanding what concerned their profit and honour would neither prepare nor expect the appointed time or others though wise enough to provide and yet with watching and expectation should be weary heavy and so slumber and sleepe the Bridegroome should finde them all short of their intended readinesse So when our Saviour commeth to his judgement many shall be altogether unready and even of his deare servants some shall be weary and heavie and those that are dead found sleeping in the dust And therefore where God is liberall of time some are carelesse some faint in it most men are prodigall of it Herein we see the right use of the time that God lends us The right use of time and the abuse unto which the sinfulnes of men turnes it Our time is bestowed upon us that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome Psal 90 12. that we may recover out of that weaknesse Psal 39.13 whereinto sinne hath cast us 2 Pet 3 9. 2 Cor. 6 2. and that we may come to repentance and make it the day of purchasing salvation It is not for small consequence that daies moneths and yeares are bestowed upon us seeing that all the worth and friendship the world can afford cannot procure one weeke or a day to be added to make up a mans life to be the full summe of an hundred yeares The heavens serve for the framing of time and God giveth life that wee should not lose the use of it The Philosophers searching out what time was found it to be numerus motus the counter of celestiall motions Arist Phys acro lib. 3. so the Lord accounteth the time of our life not the time of his lingring from judgement but of his stay that all may come to repentance so to number their dayes that they may finde them so many steps of our motion heavenward And thus Hilary tels us what is the stay of the Bridegroome Mora sponsi tempus poenitentiae est even the time of repentance And this blessed benefit doth the Lord bestow upon his servants so much as needes for their spirituall preparation and upon the reprobate as may make them inexcusable and a measurer of the
yet they might feele having this ability in every joynt of the least member but such shall this security be that as a man fast on sleepe hath his life and all his senses yet is as an Image that neither sees feeles heares nor smells and hath no part of a living man in use excepting onely his breath so this finall security shall be such that though it were no wonder that most men neglect to heare their danger and oftentimes neglect to see unavoidable evills before their eyes yet shall they not be able to perceive and feele these burthens under which they groane That those things shall so be all prophecies of the last judgement have confirmed with manifold exhortations unto watchfulnesse for death and judgement And though wee have heard of divers examples of wonderfull security yet if we consider the great light of the Gospell which shall shine more and more towards the end it maketh security to shew it selfe the greater He that in this light of the Gospell hath this lethargie let him know that his destruction is hard at hand when the Lord cast Adam into a dead sleepe it was to take a rib out of him the sound sleepe of Sisera was that he might not feele the naile entring into his temples and Physitians thinke that this dead sleepe is onely fittest to cut away a leg or an arme from a man and hee not to feele it Certainly there are too many neere destruction by this marke that every day gives us example that security is onely fit to make them feele their paine whom no meanes in the world besides could perswade to thinke upon their perill God can and will provide meanes to save his elect from security What shall we now say of the elect that they likewise shall be senselesse and carelesse of the wrath to come God forbid Saint Peter gives vs a comfortable instruction herein that if we appertaine to God this securitie that goes before destruction cannot be able to chaine us in his words are 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished Hee brings in two examples when all were past feeling before the Flood yet the Lord saved Noah and some others and quickned his Spirit that hee preached the way of righteousnesse to the rest when Sodome was to be made example to all generations for an ungodly secure life hee so sanctified the heart of Lot that hee was grieved and mourned for their wickednesse Likewise our Lord Iesus when he sheweth his Disciples of this fearefull security and threatneth that it shall be punished with his fearfull and hasty comming Compare Mat. 24.42 43. with Luke 12 38. hath in his threatning enfolded a secret comfort for his servants hee saith You know not at what watch he will come Souldiers camping or keeping upon life and death divide the night into certaine watches that although all the army be asleepe yet are the Sentinels and watchers awake who by usuall notice of the howers from one another keepe many awake raise some from sleepe and cause numbers to be in readinesse at all times So God who best knoweth the dangers of his owne doth raise up his zealous servants and makes their voice effectuall to adde into and keep in the Church from day to day such as should be saved Acts 2.47 their voice though not heard by the deafe and secure world is yet the voice of a cryer in the wildernesse Revel 14.3 Math. 3. to forewarne others to fly from the wrath to come and as the voice of a trumpet sounding terribly in the silent time of sleeping Esay 58.1 And so the Lord that hath his eyes on them that feare him watcheth his owne in all such dangers that hee may save them they awake to prevent their destruction Thirdly the Scripture useth to call the death of his servants yea and of reprobates a sleeping and thus you shall finde at Christs comming the most of Gods Saints will be in the grave or as Daniel saith sleeping in the dust and so Augustine expoundeth this place of bodily death Dan. 12 2. Epist 120. ad Henoratum The Fathers say thus concerning the wise Virgins Dormicrunt quidem sed suavâ—ter in Domino They sleept indeed but sweetly in the Lord Bernard in locuÌ„ and therefore expectantium somnus Hilarius in locuÌ„ Dormire est mori dormitare est languescere quia per pondus aegritudinis pervenitur ad somnuÌ„ nortis Greg. in Evang HoÌ„ 12 Hieron in locum credentium quies est the sleeping of those that waite for him is the rest of them that beleeve in him And justly is death by the Scripture called a sleepe because at judgement the dead shall be awaked as men out of sleepe Consequenâ—er dicitur dormierunt quia postea suscitandae sunt For good reason is it said that they slept because that afterwards they are to bee awaked againe Indeede the Fathers have herein spoken truely but they have not fully answered the question for the Lord shall have his Saints at his comming who in stead of death shall be as Henoch and Elias were changed and so meete the Lord in the Ayre who cannot be found sleeping in the grave Christ saith that all slept that every one may tremble prevent it And therfore to answer this question we must consider that the Scripture nameth the word All for the greatest part of men as in these like places 2 Cor. 5.17 Coloss 1.20 Iohn 12.32 Esay 40.4 Ambros de Vocat Gent. lib. 1. cap. 2. Ioel 2.28 Sicut etiam cùm de impijs sermo est ita loquutionem suam divinus stilus ordinat ut ea quae de quadam parte dicuntur ad omnes homines pertinere videantur In like manner when speech is made of wicked men the holy stile is so framed that the things which are spoken of a certaine part doe seeme to pertaine to all men generally as Ioh. 3.32 Philip. 2.21 In like manner Christ saith All slept because few would be found otherwise the dead that died in the Lord would be found in their graves most of men alive would be senslesse of the wrath to come the godly minished from among the children of men and those that were so would be as eight persons saved of a whole world as Lot and three more of fiue flourishing Citties as a very small remnant like as when the Iewes in Iudea were carried away to Babylon Esay 1.9 or as the number of Christian Iewes in St. Paules dayes Rom. 10 5. All which considered wee understand that Christs words are meant universaliter in toto non communiter in singulis universally of all men that all slumbered and slept not commonly of every particular man for the Lord knowes how to awake and save his owne and of all committed to Christ not one can be lost
except he be a child of perdition Finally our Lord said All slept few doing otherwise that all may tremble and feare lest the Lord come upon them by death and judgement as a thiefe in the night Tremble therefore before death that you tremble not in it watch for that houre lest it watch for you and finde you asleepe make ready for judgement for feare it be heaped up for you examine your selves if you be some of them whom Christ saith are now asleepe and consider the fearefull taking you would be in if in this instant death should apprehend you and bring you to judgement as who knowes but it may or at some other time when you are as unresolvedly prepared found carelesse of heaven fearelesse of hell slacke in religion dead and buried in wickednes all that are thus found shall a thousand times curse father mother friends and acquaintance the world and all that were their helpers and comforters in this mortall life VERSE 6. And at midnight there was a cry made Behold the Bridegroome commeth goe out to meete him NOw followeth this solemne meeting and the marriage day which beginneth with a Proclamation containing a publike notice a general command Go ye c. As it concerns the honor of the married that so honourable a work should be accordingly performed to the degree and estate of the parties espoused So seeing Iesus Christ who is Lord above all blessed for ever is the Bridegroome it standeth with his honour that his comming personally and bodily should be with the fight of Majesty voice of heavenly Heraulds and attendance of all his creatures which with the time wee are now to consider of And at midnight As Christ when he speaketh of the time of his comming usually doth it by the signe so here when hee saith at midnight hee continueth the Parable according to the former particulars because it is the usuall time in which all men betake them to their naturall rest and are found asleepe in their beds So that Christ meaneth not hereby to point out any time in an age yeare or naturall day at which he would come but thereby doubleth his former words to shew that the security of the world at his comming shall not be as an ordinary sleepe but as the dead sleepe in the night in which many are according to their owne confession so without sense that you may beat drums by them and cary them whither you will Gods word hath not set downe the time of Christs comming As for knowledge of the time of Christs comming the word of God hath shewen us nothing which may make us certaine of the age yeare or day Christ giveth a reason to his Apostles because it doth not concerne you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non est vestrū c. Acts 1.7 or it is not profitable for you If every mans death or the generall judgement were knowne to be farre off it would make his servants faint and weary and wicked men would be more dissolute and ungodly The reason hereof who for all their conterfeiting are often compelled to tremble Vigilate quia nescitis diem neque horam c. Crebro id repetit ut ignorantiam exitus ab hac vita utilem esse ostenda◠Chrysost in Mat. Hom. 79. doubting the fearefull approach of that day If these times were knowne to be neere his servants would be troubled with naturall feare of death which is a greater paine when we feare it than when we feele it wicked men would be tormented with desperate feare of worse than a thousand deathes which would make them leape into hell sooner than need were Our Saviour as he said in the forenamed place that the Father had put up the times and seasons in his owne power so he had answered this question to his Disciples before Admonet ne discere tentent quod Angeli ignorant Theophilact in Mat 24 36. Marke 13 32 as unwilling to shew it and unwilling that either they should thinke it possible to be knowne or fitting ever to be demanded of againe For of that day and houre saith he knoweth no man no not the Angels of heaven neither the Sonne but the Father It is certaine that Christ knew it Pet Mart in 1 Cor 10 11. although not as he was man but as his divine nature shewed him but he saith he knoweth it not Theophilact in Marke 13 32. even as a loving Father unwilling either to deny his childe or to grieve his tender heart when hee is asking some thing which the father will not give he hideth it in his hand and afterwards sheweth him his empty hand for satisfaction so Christ hideth it from his Apostles and us with a reason that we grieve not because wee cannot know it seeing the Angels in heaven know it not and yet are not the lesse blessed because they doe not know it nor the blessed humane nature of Christ lesse glorious though nature hath not affoorded the knowledge thereof unto him And though Christ in this Parable name midnight yet it cannot be to point out the time seeing every place in the world as it differeth from other in scituation east or westward differeth also in houres there can no houre be given which is the same in halfe a quarter of the earth Exod 12 29. Traditio ludaeorum est c. Vnde reor traditionem illam permansisse ut in die vigiliarū Paschae ante noctis dimidium populos dimittere non liceat expectantes adventum Christi Hieron in Matth. 25. See more of the time upon Verse 13. and though the destroying Angel came at midnight among the Aegyptians yet was it an idle tradition that the convert Iewes in Saint Ieroms time had that Christ should come at midnight Onely I wish that wee were so of this conceit that every day past were the last of our life then would we enter our bed as wee would wish to goe to our grave for many goe sound to their bed as wee commonly say who are found dead in the morning and it is certaine that it must be midnight in some part of the world at Christs comming By these things we should learne how unprofitable their curiosity is We ought to leave curiosity in searching of it that labour to know this day of judgement and how blinded wee are in neglecting what is set downe and profitable for us and to hunt with sorrow and trouble for the thing that is not to bee had Saint Augustine said truly Prophetiae citiùs implentur quà m intelliguntur That Prophecies are sooner fulfilled than understood And therefore we are not to enquire for that day but how ready we are for it and as wee perceive by signes the approaching of that wrath so we may call to the mercifull God to be delivered from the terrour of it Our Saviour by naming the time of his comming midnight teacheth us two things First Security a forerunner of
are trod under feete Secondly to shew the great and fearefull things that are then to be done thus a Trumpet sounded before the Law was given and in the Revelation the great alterations of the Church and judgements upon the enemies thereof Revel 8 6 7.8 from the time of Christ unto the last day are foretolde by the blowing of Trumpets which notwithstanding was never heard by them who felt the fearefull events Thirdly to shew that the cry is for the assembling of his people Ioel 2.15 Psal 81.3 not an uncertaine sound but a certaine that all may prepare and appeare 1 Cor. 14.8 Hence wee understand the diverse effects of this Cry The effects of it When the destroying Angell came downe to Aegypt in the night Exod. 12.30 the terrour of God caused them to make an outcry over all the land How many voyces of Lamentations shall be heard at once when the generall Cry shall be Hills and mountaines fall upon us Rev. 6.16 and hide us from the presence of him that sitteth upon the throne for the great day of his wrath is come who can stand They that were never moved with the words of Christ now tremble at his voice and their hard hearts shall make unseasonable lamentation But with the servants of God it is not so for as the same voice of Christ before his suffering which made his enemies fall as dead to the ground yet incouraged Peter and others of his Disciples Iohn 18 6. so this voice of Christ at the great day though it shall be the most terrible that ever wicked men heard yet it shall be the most joyfull that ever Gods true servants heard Iohn 3 29. for he that is the friend of the Bridegroome must needes rejoyce greatly because hee heareth his voice for thereby their bodies shall receive life and immortality Psal 91.1.5 As in their life time they betooke themselves unto the shadow of the Almighty and therefore when wicked men affraid with the terrours of the night made an Aegyptian outcry Psal 118 15. his servants finde that the voice of joy gladnes is in the dwelling of the righteous because prosperity is within their gates Quanta crit electis laetitia in adventu Domini quem comparat adventui Sponsi Muscul in Mat. 25 1 Looke Ier. 33.10.11 no evill can come unto them nor any plague neere unto their dwelling Much more shall they be glad at the voice of Christ in that day for which their soules and bodies have waited long in hope to heare Would you know if the voice of Christ shall be joyfull to you in that day or not The Prophet Esay from the Lords mouth tells us Esay 66.2 They who tremble at Christs voice now shall reioyce hereafter that if we tremble at his words in this life he will looke upon us and we shall rejoyce to heare his voice in the fearefull day calling us the blessed children of his Father if with humility and feare we draw neare to heare what the Lord saith now in his word we shall not appeare in judgement to be censured but commended And this is most certaine that seeing all the creatures tremble at the Lords voice we must either doe so in this life when God commands us or in the life to come when he condemnes us Beholde the Bridegroome commeth Here is the first part of the Proclamation being a notice given of the Bridegroomes coming If these that were prepared for a mariage solemnity heard a warning given without certaine notice for what purpose how could they understand that it concerned them So if in the great day the voice of the Lord shewed not the particular person that came it could not be the trumpet of the Almighty but his voice shall declare that the Bridegroome commeth because the power of God shall goe along with it the diligence of the Angels shall second the sound of it in gathering his Saints unto the great assembly The Scriptures say that Christ shall come for although he filleth all places being God infinite and incomprehensible yet because of his humane nature he shall shew a locall descent The glory of Christs person is now hid and set his throne in the ayre But for his divine nature it filleth the world and of it I say Bern. Ser. 3. Advent as Bernard said of Christs incarnation that he was in the world and the world was made by him but the world knew him not Non ergo veniet qui aberat sed apparebit qui latebat He shall not therefore come as one that was absent but appeare as one that was hidden before and shew the glory of his Majesty shining in his humane nature the glory of both which is now hidden from our eyes for the clouds spheares of heaven have taken him out of our sight and according to the Psalme Psal 18 11. Compare 1 Tim. 6.16 with Act. 22 11. Hee hath made darkenesse his pavilion and secret place which though it be in it selfe a light inaccessible yet it darkeneth our sight Thus our Lord as a Bridegroome is entred into his chamber and there he stayes untill the day come and then shall he come out of his chamber as a mighty man and shew himselfe before all mankinde and as nothing is hid from the heate of the naturall Sunne so no man shall be able to hide himselfe when the Sunne of Righteousnesse shall declare his glory and power for every eye shall see him yea even they that pierced him through Revel 1 7. and all kindreds of the earth shall waile before him This doctrine is of great antiquity for when the olde world by their impieties began to be the first presidents of this last vengeance of God Henoch terrified them with this doctrine Beholde the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints Iude verse 14. to be revenged on them but their gracelesse hearts tooke no notice of it so while we have the same Proclamation giving us warning so long before hand who are moved to prepare and attend But as often as we reade or heare these words Behold the Lord commeth or the Bridegroome commeth so often is this voice either in characters or sounds sent from heauen to our eyes and eares to give us warning of this last meeting When Moses forewarned Israel of their ensuing calamities Deut. 4 26. and the cause of them he called heaven and earth to be witnesse that he had given them warning and left it registred to be read to all posterity so if they perished their owne neglect should be the cause of it so in the day of judgement the Lord shall call heaven and earth before him to judge his people Psal 50 4. and to prove how often we have heard the Proclamation though we forget and be carelesse yet the Sunne and Moone that give us light Psal 89 37. are faithfull witnesses in heaven and
herein hath two helpes Now because the possibility of it hath caused many to erre the Scripture hath given us two helpes to underprop our weaknesse First that we beholde the resurrection of Christ to be a glasse 1 Pet 1 21. wherein we may see and behold our owne who passing through this mortall life purchased immortalitie that he might be a pledge of the like unto us that wee who in suffering miseries beare about in our bodies the dying of the Lord Iesus 2 Cor 4 11. may also have his life manifest in our mortall bodies When Ioseph was committed to prison Gen 39 22. the keeper of the prison committed to his hands all the prisoners that were in holde Mors ipsa in sua regione captiva expavit subito talem mortuum quem debitorem suum putabat creditorem atque exactorem esse cognovit Euseb Emiss Hom. 7. de Pascha and whatsoever he pleased he did with them So Iesus Christ being buried made death it selfe a prisoner and in stead of a debter death found him a commander and one that called him to account of all that was committed to his charge Christ is our head and his death and rising was in our behalfe and he is the beginning of our resurrection so as the body cannot be drowned so long as the head is above water neither can our bodies be lost seeing Christ hath risen from corruption so that the Scripture concludeth that although our bodies remaine as yet in the dust Ephes 2 5.6 Coloss 3 1. notwithstanding we are risen with Christ. This is the victory of faith when we beleeve that as Christ was raised up even so shall we that are his body and he that considereth that all our sinnes imputed to Christ could not holde him within the power of death shall see our resurrection more easie seeing our sinnes are not imputed unto our selves But with this experience the Scripture would have us to consider the power of God Matth 22 29. and Saint Paul when he speaketh of the changing of our vile body saith Philip 3 21. it shall be by the mighty power whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe Indeede if our resurrection were in the power of any except God himselfe we had reason to doubt it because wee could see no likelihood of it Luke 1.34 37. The Virgin Mary wondered how she should conceive not knowing a man the Angel answered that with God nothing is impossible When the Lord promised that Abraham should have a sonne Rom 4.19 20 21. hee neither feared the deadnesse of himselfe nor the barrennesse and age of his wife but was strengthened in the faith and gave glory to God being fully assured that he who had promised was able to performe it and the reason which made Abraham so ready to offer up his sonne and yet to beleeve the promised blessing to be performed in him was saith the Apostle because he considered that God was able to raise him up from the dead Heb 11 19. from whence both in his conception and birth he received him also after a sort So whilest the Lord saith that hee will raise up thy body in the last day doubt not of it Euseb Emiss Hom. 2 de Symbolo for though it be a great worke yet qui magna credere jussit Omnipotens est hee that bids thee beleeve great things is Almighty and the Lord that created thee it is even he that hath taken in hand to raise thee up againe So then we see the resurrection possible to him to whom nothing is impossible now if we consider the experience of former times and Gods daily workes Gods workes like the resurrection wee shall finde it easie to him that doth it He translated Henoch and Eliah to heaven a hard and rarer worke than raising the dead he caused Aarons Rodde Numb 17 8. which was dry and withered in an instant to bud raised the daughter of Iairus from death the widowes sonne of Naim and Lazarus that had lyen foure dayes in the grave Auson Eclogariū Accipe quod mirere magis tenuissima tantis principia nostros non admittentia visus c. Iob 10 10 1 Cor 15 36. and by his servants did the like Eliah raised up the Shunamites childe and Peter raised Dorcas from the dead What power then hath hee who gave so much to others We see the Lord daily make men of such beginnings as men would not beleeve if they saw it not with their eyes even saith Iob of a little seed which is as water powred on the ground And whilest the Apostle Paul considereth the growing of the corne he calleth him a foole who denieth the resurrection And the like we see in trees and hearbs for what is it that we see daily in the world but examples and imitation of the resurrection The trees lose their greene leaves they leave giving of fruite Quid enim quotidie nisi resurrectionem nostram in elementis suis mundus imitatur Nam per momenta temporum cernimus arbusta viriditatem foliorum amittere a fructib cessare et eccesubito quasi ex arescenti ligno velut quadam resurrectione veniente videmus folia crumpere fructus grādescere totam arborem redevivo decore vestiri Et sequitur Confideremus parvum cuiuslibet arboris semen quod in terram iacitur ut arbor ex illo producatur comprehendamus si possumusub in 〈…〉 cortex ubi viriditas foliorum ubi ubertas fructuum 〈◊〉 in famine 〈…〉 batur cum in terram iaceretur Greg Mor. in Iob 19 25 and beholde on a sodaine as it were by a new resurrection comming we see leaves come forth the fruite grow bigge and the whole tree cloathed againe with a fresh and lively comelinesse If wee consider the little seede of any tree how the tree commeth out of it and let us comprehend if we can how in so little a seed the huge tree did lurke which came out of it where is the stocke where the barke where the greene leaves where is the great plenty of fruites Was there any such thing seene in the seed when it was cast into the ground We see likewise diverse sorts of living creatures breede of corrupt and rotten earth the light is buried in darkenesse and the next morning sheweth it selfe againe yea in our sleeping and awaking there is shewed unto us a shadow of the Resurrection and the relation of the Heathen historians make good to us how the young Phaenix riseth out of the ashes of the olde Now to all these examples which we daily see this may be added and * Greg Mor. lib. 6 id omnibus constare debet longè difficilius esse creare quae non fuerant quà m ea reparare quae fuerant it is manifest to all men that it is a farre harder thing to create these things which were not than to make up again the
his doore such measure must Gods servant expect if onely a wicked man must helpe him But seeing it falleth often out by the hardnesse of mens hearts that the poore messengers of God are contemned and denied God in his just judgement so overturnes them that they are glad to crave helpe of them whom they have despised before in their necessity Luke 16. Dives epulo sero oculos aperuit compulsus in damnatione cognoscere quid perdidit quando Lazarum non agnovit Iuste autem qui de abundantia peccavit aestuanti crematur inopia guttam aquae petiit qui micas panis negavit Greg. Mor lib. 18. cap. 10. Christ in another Parable hath a passage like unto this the rich glutton being in hell desireth that he might be a little refreshed by Lazarus helping him to a little water to coole his tongue which was tormented in the flame I thinke he wished hereby that whilest he was alive he had beene so charitable to Lazarus as to have refreshed him with a cup of colde water when he was tormented with the heate of boyles and sores yet when neither Lazarus can helpe him nor he be capable of helpe he knowes what comfort a little charity would doe unto him and now he begges droppes of water who before refused the crummes of his bread Thus the eternall wish of the damned shall be that they had never extorted nor devoured the poore and that they had beene more charitable unto them Sometimes the Lord plagues cruell and hardhearted men even in this world that they are glad to begge helpe of them to whose cryes they shut their eares before Ioseph could scarce begge or obtaine his life to be saved from the cruelty of his brethren who were afterwards constrained to begge bread of him to save their lives and offer money for it too And of this kinde every age and place hath examples that every one may learne so to behave himselfe humbly and charitably that he despise the estate of no man nor harden his heart at the case of the afflicted especially if it be one that feareth God lest God turne his hand to set him in the same misery or make him in hell to doe eternall and unprofitable pennance For our Lampes are out This is the reason of the former words wherein we may observe that Satans servants are never brought to understand themselves untill they are brought to give account before the Lord. Reprobates labour to hide their estate in salvation from all men Esay 19 15. Rev. 3. In their life time as they labour to conceale their estate in salvation from others so they bring it to passe that they live unknowne to themselves and so conceive themselves to be as they imagine and wish they were The people of Laodâ—cea stored their braines full with false conclusions that they were enriched with all gifts and graces needfull for soule and body but soone after they felt by experience that their lampes were out that both in soule and body they were miserable naked and blind Calvin ex Oros Praefat ad Colos when by an earthquake they were bereft of their lives and spued out of Gods mouth then were their eyes open when their lives were shut up Life is the naturall light of men which if it be not seconded with the spirituall and heavenly life it shall prove but as darknesse when it commeth to be examined in the presence of God if therefore the light that is in reprobates be darknesse how great is that darknesse It shall be best knowne when all their lights are extinguished and they entred into utter darknesse Vtter darknes what In this life reprobates are in darknesse because the Sunne of righteousnesse never shineth upon them yet are not they in utter darknesse because they may so long as life remaines be converted and inlightened Theophilact in Mat. 25 30. Porrò ubi mortuus fuerit et institerit examen factorum excipiunt eum exteriores but when life is gone and the party approaching to judgement then entreth he into utter darknesse because there is no hope that ever the Lord will give light to his soule or body any more This is the fearefull state prepared for reprobates If we wanted the light of the Sunne what pleasure could the whole world doe unto us much more they who are cast into utter darknesse shall have weeping and wailing when they finde themselves deprived of light for ever Happy are they that labour to understand themselves in this life and to be enlightened with knowledge and furnished with graces and good workes needfull for salvation VERSE 9. But the wise answered saying Not so lest there be not enough for us and you but goe yee rather to them that sell and buy for your selves HEre is a wise answer to a foolish petition Though the carelesse shewed their folly in not providing for themselves yet the wise account it both shamefull and hurtfull to disfurnish themselves Non minor est virtus quam quaere parta tu cri Horaâ— for it is as great vertue to shew wisedome in keeping as to shew diligence in getting As I said that in the resurrection reprobate men shall not have time occasion or reason to intreate helpe of the elect so neither shall the elect answer them but as Christ named their petition to teach us what sorrow and shame with desire of amendement they shall have so by this answer he would teach us that there is neither mercy nor helpe kept in store for them that in this life waite upon lying vanities Ionah 2 8. and forsake their owne mercy and that therefore their repentance is to no purpose and their amendement impossible If therefore the Reprobate would become so wise to cry to the Elect for helpe when they are going to answer in the presence of their fearefull and angry Lord they could have no other answere but these words No lest there bee not enough for us and you but goe and doe as wee did and in like manner provide for your selves words indeede which rather would increase the torment of the damned than any wise abate it This wise deny them Worldlings reason for uncharity they give a reason lest there be not enough for us and you The very answere and reason of a worldling that he will not helpe others fearing that he have not enough for himselfe We may observe that in this answer Christ hath painted out the covetous and uncharitable in their owne words and reason for they say still that there is not enough for themsemselves and all the comfort they give the distressed is that they have nothing but what they purchased with their owne money and therefore he that wants any thing let him as they did goe to them that sell and buy for themselves By which our Saviour teacheth us that Reprobates in the day of the Lord shall be answered in their owne cruell words which they may remember to
their greater griefe and shame August de Verb. Dom. Ser. 23. Non est consulentium sed irridentium est ista responsio This answer is not to give counsell but to mocke them and this is all they get for helpe or pitty To us therefore doth our Saviour speak these words to forewarne us that wee never cast our count so as to thinke that which wee have to be too little for our selves nor thus to answer the distressed lest the shame be shamefully cast in our teeth when wee hope for a more mercifull answere in judgement This reason of the covetous sheweth us what is the cause which maketh men so unwilling to helpe others who are in necessity because they cannot beleeve that ever they can have enough for themselves This is one of the greatest plagues that can fall upon a man to be insatiable in affecting a thing that is farre inferiour to the worth of himselfe The causes of covetousnesse uncharity This Covetice proceedeth from a great blindnesse of the minde which as it seemeth doth build it selfe upon these or the like divelish and darkened conceits First that it cannot possibly stand with his owne felicity that he should love any other or care to helpe him Secondly that there is no meanes to give his minde contentment or to make him happy except it be with worldly pelfe Thirdly that he must needs live many yeares as the rich man in the Gospell concluded and that therefore all he can get cannot be too much Luke 12 19 Fourthly he doth doubt that God will not be carefull to provide for him because he conceiveth that God is disposed as he himselfe is and not much carefull for others or if God were in disposing of goods that he would not be so just as to give him so much as were enough for him It is no wonder where ignorance and unbeliefe prevaileth so farre to bring a man to these conceites that hee presently bends all his wits to scrape together all he can possibly snatch to suffice for use and to satisfie his desire which indeede can never be satisfied No wonder therefore it is that the Lord abhorreth the covetous and cruell man Psal 10 3. and him that speaketh good of him Therefore if we would be mercifull to others and save our selves from the wrath to come man Ephes 4.7 even as he pleaseth and according to what measure hee will So that wee are hereby taught to whom we shall have recourse in all our spirituall necessities even to our blessed Saviour In whom dwelleth all the treasures of grace bodily Col. 2.9 who is able to bestowe this Oyle of his Spirit to enlighten our sinfull soules and bodies and to prepare us for his comming Now if Gods word in the aboue named places be true the works of supererogation cannot be found in any or though it were so Colos 1 19. none is communicable unto another except from Christ in whom onely it hath pleased God that all fulnesse should dwell 1 Cor. 1.30 Act. 4.12 and who only is made our Righteousnes and in whom only we have hope of salvation Goe ye rather to them that sell and buy for your selues In appliyng of these words we finde them to be a bitter mocke of the reprobate to bidde them in the day of account to goe and buy Some take the Kingdome of heaven by violence others steale it some begge it others buy it or provide grace for themselves for then there are no sellers nor meanes to be found We have in these words two things to be considered buying and selling how either of them can be applyed to our labour for salvation For buying It is to us that have meanes and time to provide for that fearefull account that our Saviour speaketh these wordes of seasonable counsell as he did to the Laodiceans to buy and store themselves with the treasures of spirituall life Revel 3.18 The summ of the counsell is that we vse traffique for salvation As there are diverse meanes used some lawfull some unlawfull to mainteyne this mortall life so doth the word of God use the comparison of them to exhort us unto all labour and diligence 2. Peter 1 10. Quis expedivit Psittacosuum Chaiâ—e Magister artis ingeniique largitor venter Persent Ecclesiast 6 7. Bernard in libro sententiarum to make our calling and election sure and to purchase an immortall life The belly saith a Poet makes Master of Art both gives cunning industry for satisfiyng wherof some robbe others steale some begg others buy all as Salomon saith is to content backe belly In like manner Gods servants if we looke unto their life and workes some robbe and take the kingdome of heaven by violence others steale it some begge it others goe to those that sell and buy it for themselves Christ told the Iewes Math. 11 12. that from that time Iohn Baptist began to teach the Kingdome of heaven suffered violence and the violent tooke it by force these are they whose breasts are inflamed with zeale and who either for feare of Gods anger or for love of his mercyes turne suddenly to the Lord The Publicans and sinners by this meanes wonne heaven who flocked about Iohn Baptist Luk. 3 10 12. Act. 2 37. Luk 19 6. and cryed Master what shall we doe and the hearers of Peters Sermon upon Whitsontide and Zaccheus who came downe from the tree quickly and received Christ joyfully and St. Augustine who in his conversion Lib. 8 Conf. cap. 3. sect 1. cryed unto God why shall I be converted to morrow why not to day unlearned men get up and take heaven by violence and we with our diversity of learning doe wallow in flesh and bloud And all whosoever turne with hast and fervency unto the Lord may be sayd to take heaven violently Grandis c. It is a great violence 〈…〉 11. to be borne on earth and to enter into heaven and to obtaine that by strength which wee cannot have by nature Theophylact. in Mat 11. or what greater violence can be than on a sodaine to forsake father and mother to quite all pleasure the world can give yea and contemne life it selfe rather than to want Gods favour or be disappointed of eternall life Horum figuraÌ„ tenuit mulier patiens fluxum sanguinis quae cogitavit intra se dicens si c Mar 5 28. Bernard ibid. 1 Kings 19 18. Others in a manner take heaven by stealth these are they that labour for heaven and yet so secretly that they are not espied by the common multitude they are farre from hypocrisie they have their oyle in their vessells as were the seven thousand in Eliah's time who worshipped the Lord so secretly that the Prophet could not espie them and I doubt not but every age hath of this kinde Iohn 3 2. that with Nicodemus come to the Lord in the night Some
great labour yea when it is bought it is freely bestowed It is a Iesuite who writeth thus if he had or if others would consider the words they should have litle reason to name the word of merit any more 2. While the Lord calls us buyers it is a great honour and comfort unto us David bestowed much upon the building of the Temple 1 Chron. 29.14 but who did owe the silver and gold David said he had given to God that which was his owne so whilst we are bidden buy that wherwith we are bidden buy the Lord lends us for we cannot have so much as a good thought of our selves 3. When we pay in any thing to the Lord quod datur melius nobis retinetur that which we give is kept in store for us Gen 42.25 and the price is returned unto us againe with profite as Ioseph returned his brothers monyes in their sacks againe 4. Whatsoever wee pay the Lord it is rather an increase then diminishing of our substance the Widowes Oyle increased the more she gave to Eliah of it 1 King 17.16 Who can say that he is poorer for any thing he giveth to the poore or that hee loseth so much of his life time in which hee tendeth the service of God yea or rather is not that day multiplyed that is bestowed on the Lord When we count all that we can all that we haue the Lord giveth us freely yea when we bestow it upon the Lords service hee returnes it with profit into our bosomes againe So much for the sellers Seeing many who are foolish in spirituall matters obtaine praise enough for their wisdome in the world Worldly applause shall be no comfort in the feare full day we must consider with whom they traffique in their liues and actions These wordes goe to them that sell are onely a reproach to reprobate men and therefore their miserable comforts in the day of the fearefull account are no where to be found I observed upon verse 4 that if the foolish Virgins had any oyle they had it in their Lampes exposed to the view of the world but the wise who had Oyle sufficient put it in their vessels untill they had neede of it So that if wicked men doe any good actions it is to make flatterers bestow praise enough upon them and to gaine that favour of men to be tossed up and downe in the ayre as children blow bubbles and to be accounted to have some happinesse in themselves whose felicity hath onely the dwelling in the braine or wandreth up and downe with the opinion of others The speciall respect that such men have in all their doings is that to use their owne words the world may give expect or are least prepared The day that Adam brake Gods command it was said thou shalt die the death to dust shalt thou returne yet though he lived 930 yeares after hee could not conclude that his life should be crowned with immortality Methusalem who lived longer yet at last met the Bridegroome And to be briefe Who is hee that liveth Psal 89 48. and shall not see death So then let us deceive our selves as wee will and make a covenant with life and death once wee must meete the Bridegroome nay rather twice we must meete him at our death and when hee commeth to judgement to take account of all men together They that were ready Concerning the second which is the readinesse of the Virgins the day of examination and tryall doth declare it the wise were found ready the foolish began to prepare for then they went to buy Seeing we are to use traffique for obtaining salvation wee may understand that the readinesse of Gods Saints to meete the Lord stands in this that wee doe account and discharge whatsoever may hinder us and provide for whatsoever wee neede We have a reckoning with God that wee be not unready when we should meete him and another with the world lest it should detaine and hinder us Wee must reckon with God for our sinnes We must account with God for our manifold debts of sinne which for payment require our everlasting damnation or else some satisfaction which is infinite in price to countervaile the infinitenesse of time which justice requireth in our punishment for offending an infinite God But to the end that we may have the meanes for this satisfaction our mercifull God hath set before us the death and sufferings of his owne Sonne equall to himselfe in majesty the worth of whose sufferings doth in justice make more than equality to whatsoever we can be charged withall The Lord having made so easie a way for our discharge now laieth the charge upon us that we count and summe up our misdeedes in his presence and when we have so done to present in stead of our personall satisfaction the satisfaction that his Sonne in whom onely he is well pleased made to obtaine a pardon and discharge unto us First then wee must call our selves to account before the Lord If wee iudge our selves wee shall not bee iudged of the Lord. and truely without hiding from him any thing to whom nothing can be secret and bewaile our estate before him otherwise we can never be ready The wise man counselleth us As we take physicke to prevent sicknesse so we ought to examine our selves before wee be judged that in the day of visitation we may finde mercy Ecclesiasticus 18.18 19. And Saint Paul assures us that if we judged our selves 1 Cor 11 31. we should not be judged of the Lord. Now because most men neglect to take this course the Lord entreth into judgement with them Psal 50 21. layeth their misdeedes in order before them chastneth some in this world and be so respective From Pithagoras many learned thought the wisest man to be he who iudged himselfe every day Vir bonus et sae pieas qualem vâ—x repperit vnum Millibus emultiâ— hominuÌ„ consulius Apollo Iudex ipse sut etc Sic dicta facta per omnia Ingrediens ortoque a vespere cuncta revoluens Offensus pravis det palmam praemia rectis Auson Edyll. 16. What is required in a Iudge Cic. Offic. lib. 3. to repent and amend every particular fault done to our neighbour how carefull should we be that no sin which we can know of passe unreconciled for with our heavenly Father we finde the proverbe true That oft reckoning keeps long friends but there is no meanes to obtaine or be sure of Gods friendship except we make often account with him for them As we must respect the times of examinyng our selves that we use it often so must we the manner If we would free our selves from accouÌ„ting with the dreadfull Iudge we must be judges of our selves that is as wee make a partie in reckoning our sinnes so must we be as judges in calling our selves to account in receiving the reckoning in justlie condemning our selves who are
punishment was greater than hee could could beare and Absolom desired to be killed 2 Sam. 14.32 if he could not have leave to enjoy the Kings presence the childe shut out of the fathers doores is in a miserable estate or the subject excluded from the Kings defence and protection Therefore now consider how grievous it will be to you to bee thrust out of our heavenly Fathers house and so walke now to please him that in that day when you are to be possessed of that long expected inheritance others and not you may be shut out of dores But if this punishment is not effectuall to move you Poena sensus then the Lord declareth his wrath from heaven that he hath prepared unquenchable fire to be their portion that will upon such faire intreaty neglect to prepare for a heavenly inheritance August in spec hum mis there is utter or most extreme darknesse hunger and thirst extremenesse of colde and heate nothing is heard but curses lamentations grones no company but tormenting divels and cursing soules they shall seeke for death and not obtaine it and this is their estate for ever It shall be a miserable sight that the body shall continually burne and not be consumed who could thinke this possible if the Lords word had not said so And besides he hath confirmed it with our experience The stone Asbestus August de Civit. Dei l. 21. c. 5. if once it be set on fire it can never be quenched 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math 3.12 and yet it never consumeth and therefore hath the name When Iohn Baptist expresseth the durance of hell fire he useth the same word unquenchable fire Were it not good to be delivered from this eternall woe and not to be disappointed of an eternall and unspeakable good yet weigh both now that you be not compelled to suffer both hereafter Secondly our Saviour doth hereby teach vs that as unmercifull men deale with others Vncharitie requited so shal they be dealt with when they goe to meate the poore are cast out and lest they should gett to reach the crummes of their table the dore must be shutte In like manner when our Lord shall convey his servants into Abrahams bosome the gate shall bee shutte and these who held out others in this life God shall hold without the gates of blisse in the life to come This is the third reason we have found in this Parable to moue us to be mercifull to the distressed for first in the beginning of eternall woe and necessitie the hard hearted shall wish if it were possible that they might be helped by others Secondly their former cruell dealing shall be cast in their teeth and their owne answers meet them in judgement and Thirdly with anger thrust from the presence of God and the gate of glory shutte upon them He that expecteth to sit on a throne in Gods company for ever must cause the distressed to sit at his table Gods word hath often commanded and commended hospitalitie I meane not common feastings of them that are able to double it in the like againe Abrahams charitie requited but to call the sicke naked and blind the lame the stranger and the prisoner Abraham hath a threefold reward and commendation for his hospitality in this world Heb. 13.2 Gen. 18.22 besides his eternall reward in heaven 1. In lodging strangers he received Angells yea the great Angell of the Covenant even the Sonne of God Malach 3.1 2 That none shall be accounted to be a true Israelite to God Iohn 8.39 except he doe the works of Abraham of which this is a chiefe And therefore Theophilact in Luke 16.23 for good reason doth Christ in the Parable call the rich glutton to be judged by Abraham who compelled those that were strangers on the way to receive entertainment of him where the rich Glutton starved them that lay continually within a call to his table 3. Heaven hath received the name of Abrahams bosome because his heart bosome was open to all the distressed who received heate cōfort nourishment in this life and shall though all the unmercifull in the world would starve thē at their gate be received into the hospitalitie of heaven with as great compassion and comfort as ever the distressed was received into the house or bosome of Abraham As the Lord hath made the faith of Abraham an example of beleeving to all the faithfull so hath he commended his hospitalitie that all who desire to follow him to glory may imitate him in his charitie But as God dealeth with the hard hearted according to their workes in shutting doores on them as they doe vpon others yet there is a difference when the poore is denyed or shutte out at one time yet he hopes he may be helped at anotime Heavens Gates once shutt cannot be open and therefore wailes and importunes for help and reliefe though it stay long because hee that hath shutt his doore may open it and the hard hearted may at length be moved with compassion compassion but when the Lord shutteth the gate of mercy it is never opened againe there is no waiting nor hope of any comfort to ensue for clauditur Bern. in hunc 〈◊〉 janua audiendi respondendi miserandi the Lord hath shut the gate of hearing of answering or taking compassion But what gate is this Even the gate that is now open unto all that come from the east and west to sit with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heaven the gate of him who saith He that commeth to me I will not cast out Iohn 6.37 The murtherers come and are admitted the Publicans and sinners are received the wanton adulteresse fornicators theeves blasphemers and oppressours and the open gate is not denied unto them Beholde how the gate is now open which shall be shut for ever even that which is open to teares sighes and grones of sinners which received Aaron after his idolatry David after his murther and adultery Peter after his denying of Christ now it is shut for ever If the Lord open our eyes to make use of this wee may perceive with Iacob the gate of heaven Gen. 23.17 Acts 7 56. or with Steven see the heavens open because it is the occasion and time to heare our prayers to answer our calls and have mercy upon us And therefore to day if you will make use of it harden not your hearts but strive to enter in at this gate before it be shut upon you VERSE 11. Afterward came also the other Virgins saying Lord Lord open to us NOw the Parable sheweth us the last refuge of reprobate men even to the Lord but he shall not heare them We are very ready to deceive and beare our selves in hand with conceits beyond all reason and ground and therefore as by the former intreaty to the elect and their answere Christ taught us how little helpe the
measure with that pure and holy knowledge that the Lord hath of them it would make them take some more labour for his love and acquaintance which seeing they doe not they fulfill the Lords threatning to their shame seeing they are foretolde of it and care not to prevent it Christ foretolde us that hee who confessed him Matth 10 32. Marke 10.38 hee would acknowledge him before his Father and the Angels but he that would be ashamed of him hee would deny him Loe now he maketh it good for he professeth openly I know you not What meaneth to confesse or to be ashamed of Christ In this life our Saviour calleth for our friendship and acquaintance in his faire offer of salvation if we will thinke it an honour for us that Christ was once in misery and poverty for our sake and account this our greatest glory he sendeth his messengers the poore and distressed who are his brethren Fratres vocat omnes simpliciter pauperes Omnis enim pauper frater est Christi quandoquidē Christus in egestate vixit Theophylact. in Mat. 25.40 to be acquainted with us in his name to see how wee would like of their friendship or how we would entertaine Christ if he himselfe came to us in that fashion as indeede once he did If we rejoyce to be thus acquainted with Christ and confesse him in this life then shall he openly acknowledge us and to our glory pronounce before God and all that shall be gathered in the great judgement how we loved and respected him and his messengers He that is ashamed of the poverty of Christ the misery and tribulation of a Christian or the distresse of the poore or to professe love and acquaintance to them they shal be rewarded accordingly Idem in Iuc 9.26 As he that hath an evil servant is ashamed to call him his servant so Christ shall deny them and say I know you not Happy is the soule that hath a part in the commendation and prayer of Paul for Onesiphorus whose service and confession he prayeth the Lord to remember in the great day in these words The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus 1 Tim. 1.16 17 18. for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chaine but when hee was at Rome he sought me out very diligently and found me the Lord grant unto him that he may finde mercy with the Lord in that day and in how many things he hath ministred unto mee at Ephesus thou knowest very well Lastly these words I know you not shew us that not onely Christ shall take away his compassion from them but shall be their enemy to be avenged on them Theophilact in Marc. 8.34 He that denieth another if it be his familiar friend his brother or father although he see him whipt or killed he taketh no notice he laments not he hath no compassion or suffering with him being once estranged from him so when Christ hath denyed the reprobate they must looke for no compassion but which is worse they must expect punishment When some of the Levites were killing of their owne kindred for their idolatry of Levi it is said in their name Hee said unto his father and mother Deut. 33 9. I have not seene you neither knew he his brethren nor knew he his owne children So when the date of acquaintance and mercy is past with Christ then there is nothing to be expected but the execution of vengeance for hee will not know one more than another When his wrath is kindled Psal 2.12 it will be knowne how happy they are that put their trust in him Now there is a question to be answered Seeing Christ both exhorteth and promiseth Knock and it shall be open unto you how is it that hee saith he will deny them that both knocke and call upon him in the day of judgement I answer they defraud themselves of the benefite of this promise Two things to be observed by all that would knocke at heavens gate for obtaining whereof two conditions are required of us First that wee knocke and call while it is the time and day of salvation which day is the time of our life because that life and time is given unto us to this end that wee may labour for the life that never hath an end August in Ioh. 6 Ad hoc debet prodesse unicuique vivere ut detur ei semper vivere And indeede life is onely a benefit to every man that he may thereby obtaine the benefit of living eternally Secondly we must in requisite manner call and knocke some onely knocke with words and honour God with their lippes Esay 29 13◠but their hearts are farre from him yea and will aske of God with teares yet they aske not aright because it is not with heart word and deed of which they want two for their hearts call not to him for love of him or of eternall life but other by-respects are cause of their complaints neither doe their deedes concurre to knocke and move the Lord. These who would enter into life must open their hearts to let the Lord in and dwell in them Psal 24.7 according as David exhorteth Lift up your heads you gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting dores and the King of glory shall come in Psal 118.20 for this is the gate of the Lord onely the righteous shall enter into it who onely may truely say Verse 19. Open mee the gates of righteousnesse that I may goe into them and praise the Lord for ever no uncleane or wicked person dare say this their deedes can neither knocke nor enter Acts 10 4. Cornelius prayer appeared in Gods presence but his fasting and almes went up to heaven heaven cannot be purchased with bare words we must make friends of worldly riches to gaine everlasting habitations and make treasures in heaven yea and have our hearts there also or else our calling cannot be taken notice of nor be able to unlocke the inaccessible place of glory VERSE 13. Watch therefore for yee know neither the day nor the houre when the Sonne of man will come THese words are the 3. part of this Parable containing the application of it Wherin our Saviour sheweth plainly the great love and care he hath to his servants and his abundant mercy which he hath on all men that he desireh not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turne from his wickednesse and live giveth a generall cry forewarning their danger and preventing their destruction but in such particular manner that it is sufficient to move the most senseles heart to retreate Two times already as I said in the beginning hath Christ in this same Sermon given the same warning Now because the danger is great even the damnation of every soule that labours not to prevent it and men are carelesse and fearelesse of unseene and unfelt dangers therfore he preacheth it
Revel 3.3 If thou wilt not watch I will come on thee as a theefe and thou shalt not know what houre I will come upon thee This comming of Christ we expect and are certaine of yet we are not afraid nor watch because we see not the glory of that power which others feele which commeth and dispossesseth them of life The other comming of Christ to judgement even the very word of it is terrible because of the fearefull sights we shall see and the glory which Christ shall shew that reprobate men shall feare nothing so much as the presence of him who sitteth upon the throne This comming of Christ is chiefly meant of by Christ as appeareth by the purpose of this and the chapter going before But seeing that death and judgement doe goe together and that the preparation for the one is for both let us take consideration of that which commeth first Of all things onely death is certaine Psal 89.48 In Psal 38. in Hebr. 39 11. surely every man is vanity The certainty of Christs comming by death is the onely thing that we are all sure of Who is hee saith Ethan that liveth and shall not see death Or what is sure saith Augustine in this life except death Consider all whether good or bad things of this life righteousnesse or iniquity what is certaine except death Hast thou profited well what thou art to day thou knowest what thou shalt be tomorrow thou knowst not Lookst thou for money it is uncertaine to come Thou lookest for a wife this is uncertaine or what an one thou shalt have thou hopest for childrē they are uncertain to be born are they borne their life is uncertaine if they live their thriving is uncertaine Whatsoever way thou turnest thee all is uncertaine except death Art thou poore it is uncertaine if thou shalt be rich art thou unlearned it is uncertaine if thou shalt be learned art thou sicke it is uncertaine if thou shalt recover art thou borne thou art sure to die This is the enemy that as the Prophet saith Esay 28.15.18 wee make a covenant with making falshood our refuge and hiding our selves under vanity which notwithstanding is and must be disanulled as all experiences doe confirme An Archer shootes sometimes beyond the marke sometimes comes short of it now on the one side then on the other but though hee misse the marke for a time at length hits it so we see death strike at great ones above us sometimes at children and servants under us on the right hand it taketh our friends on the left hand our enemies shall we thinke to escape seeing he hath so long aimed at us We are al entring into death and this is the difference onely who shall take the way every one whom he taketh leaveth the Wisemans counsell unto us Remember my judgement so shall thine be to mee to day to thee to morrow Ecclus. 38.22 Make use of this certaine misery O man remember thy end August in spec hum mis remember what thou shalt be and when thou shalt goe out of this life Naked camest thou out of thy mothers wombe and naked under the earth shalt thou goe wormes shall consume thy body why should the flesh rejoyce which is prepared to be wormes meate rejoyce not to day lest thou dye to morrow why labourest thou to stretch out the belly with variety of dishes thinke I pray thee for whom thou doest prepare this fatnesse seeing as a bagge thou shalt be cast out to the wormes Why gloriest thou that thou art a precious vanity compassed with golde and precious stones and so despisest others The day shall come when thou shalt therefore if we know not but he may come within a day or an houres space much lesse are wee certaine that he shall stay a moneth a yeare or more yeares before he come I suppose that whosoever knoweth Gods word will acknowledge these to be true in doing of which they cannot but utterly condemne their curiosity who labor to determine or know when Christ shall come to judgement being quite contrary to his word and intent of doctrine and now a knowne foolishnes in many learned and godly men among the ancient Fathers Quae sermone omnium celebratur Astrologia stultitia multo labore constans Basil in Hexam Orat 1. The foolery I neede not the counsell of judicious Astrologians to know the truth of our ignorance herein their much admired labour and fooleries are contrary to the studie of Christians we are forbidden to meddle with secrets which only belong to God especially with the knowledge of the times for God hath put them in his owne power but wee are commanded to provide for them which at all times expect us we should desire to be of Gods Court but not presume to be of his Councell they on the contrary strive to be of his Councell and not of his Court labouring by all meanes to know the particulars of Gods providence and time of their death and punishment of Astrologians The Lord gives just reward for their presumption for we may observe that when they have obtained as they thinke some knowledge hee crosseth them in what they desire most If they finde out a long life they rejoyce but the Lord never commonly suffers that to be performed which the starres promise them but takes them away in some hasty and visible judgement If they finde death at the doores and appoint a day for the approach of it these are fearefull newes which the Lord brings commonly to passe upon them for a recompence of their errour It remaineth therefore that we remember that death tarrieth not and that the covenant of the grave is not shewed thee Ecclesiasticus 14.12 And seeing the first comming of Christ is revealed unto us for it concernes us to know the day of our visitation that we labour that his second coming be not at unawares on us or as a snare that we never looked for by making profitable use of his first comming to make our salvation sure and for his comming by death or judgement to watch for we know not the day nor the houre when the Sonne of man commeth Secondly to the end that we may continually watch for the time when our Lord Iesus shall come he saith not you know not the yeare Our life-time is measured out unto us by daies hours but you know not the day nor the houre teaching us thereby that our lives are measured out by dayes and houres and not bestowed at randome upon us or squared out by the great but are numbred out by little and little unto us Iob 14.5 Are not the dayes of man saith Iob determined the number of his moneths are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds which he cannot passe When God set the time to Noah that hee would destroy the world with a flood he measured it out by dayes Gen. 6.3 The dayes of man shall be an 120
yeares teaching that although their generall destruction should bee then yet each man should holde his life by name and yet tolde his wives that he was able according as he had before used to kill the youngest and lustiest man that could be found But if this were generally true that onely naturall weaknesse and age were to bring death upon all men then wicked men might have roome enough to turne them in and laugh at death as an enemy standing without the reach of shot But ut omnis aetas peccato inquinata ita omnis morti obnoxia as every age is polluted by sinne so is every age subject to death as the Apostle joyneth them which needeth no other proofe Rom. 5.12 than our common griefe for the losse of children Servius Sulpitius Galba Emperour said being 72 yeares olde and lame both of hands and feete Eta moi menos empedon estin Hom. Liad. 5 I have strength at coÌ„mand Sueton. in vita eius of men and women in their prime of parents and friends who have lived many yeares with us Therefore let us refraine the madnes of those that are past all feeling who even are in opinion sure to live when their life is at an end and beleeve that death is farre away even when they feele it Let us therfore 1. imitate David who commonly delivered up his spirit in tuition unto God as if hee had beene instantly to die although hee knew that both his life and time were in Gods hand Psal 31 5.15 Or as the Apostles Paul and Barnabas Acts 15.16 who gave up their lives for our Lord Iesus and behaved themselves as every day to depart the world And though wee may live long yet to account our selves to have received the sentence of death Ezek. 18.20 The soule that sinneth shall dye the death and so trust no more in our selves but in God who is onely able to deliver us from death 2 Cor 1.9 10. and though we were already dead shall raise us to life againe A Heathen counsells us to thinke every day of our life the last much more a Christian should thinke so Greg. Mor. lib. 8. cap. 11. quia enim vita indesinenter labitur spes ei vivendi amputatur because life doth goe away without ceasing hee is cut off from hope of life Secondly seeing our life is onely granted by a repreevall and that during the pleasure of God we know not what day or houre to be taken out and therefore let us put off the love and immoderate care of this world As he that is condemned to die takes no pleasure in shewes or triumphes of joy gives off all the former care he tooke of the world to inrich himselfe and be setled for many yeares and so this I say brethren 1 Cor 7.29 30 31. saith Paul because the time is short that they that have wives be as if they had none and they that weepe as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as though they used it not for the fashion of this world goeth away Thirdly let us follow our Saviours example While it is day let us worke Iohn 9 4. the night commeth wherein no man can worke Or as Salomon exhorting us to the same purpose Eccles 9 10. All that thy hand shall finde to doe doe it with all thy power for there is neither worke nor invention nor knowledge nor wisedome in the grave whither thou goest Our time is short our businesse is great When the Angel of God fed Eliah it is written that he did eate and drinke 1 Kings 19.6 7 and returned and slept The Angel of the Lord came unto him and said Vp for thou hast a great journey even forty dayes and forty nights travell to come to Horeb the teach us how we should reckon our time To teach us to account it so and to measure it and consequently to bestow our selves accordingly Moses reckoned thus and prayed that he and others might ever doe so Psal 90 12 Teach us O Lord to number our dayes Though Iacob numbred his yeares to Pharaoh yet he subdivides them into dayes Few and evill have the dayes of my life beene Gen 47 9. David counted by dayes Psal 39 6. Lord thou hast numbred my dayes like a span And because wee ought to reckon nearer lest we lose a day idly our Saviour hath divided our time into houres Iohn 11 9. Are there not twelve houres in the day He reckoned his owne watching by the houre Mark 14 37. and reproved his Disciples for not doing the like Could ye not watch with me one houre Peter counted thus Acts 2 15. when he tolde the Iewes It was not the third houre of the day And as men that get no rest count all the houres of the night so Paul and other Christians persecuted in his time counted their times into houres 1 Cor 4 11. Vnto this houre we both hunger and thirst are naked and are buffetted c. And our labors accordingly Psal 90 12. And as the Saints of God did thus count their time so they measured their worke by the time Moses desired to count his dayes that hee might apply his heart unto wisedome the instructing of the people ministring of justice providing materials for the Tabernacle and sacrifices penning of Scripture and praying for himselfe and the peohle suffered him not to make idle houres in the Wildernesse Iob lost not a day for exercise of religion Iob 1 5. besides his manifold worldly businesse for he offered sacrifice every day David notwithstanding his great affaires in ruling a Kingdome yet often used at evening Psal 55 17. morning and noone dayes to pray Psal 119 164. and sometimes withdrawed himselfe seven times to prayer and would rise at midnight to pray Psal 6 6. or use his bed for a Chappell to weepe in Daniel one of three for governing many kingdoms used continually holy exercises of private prayer three times a day And to be briefe Dan 6 10. our blessed Saviour spent his time by day teaching in the Temple Luke 21 37. and in the night on the Mount of Olives in prayer his Disciples spent day and night as occasion caused in labouring with their hands preaching and prayer Totum temporis spatium quod inter auroram vesperam intercedit in pia quadam exercitatione collocant c. Cibum autem aut potionem ante solis occasum nemo illorum capit Quippe divinae sapientiae studium quo se involvunt lucem promereri iudicant corporis autem necessitates tenebras solum merito sibi vindicare Philo uti citat in Eusâ—t Paw Eccles hist lib. 2 cap. 16 And great is the commendation that Philo the learned Iew giveth to the Christians in Aegypt in Saint Markes time
and as we feare not him when we are to commit sinne so he will not favour us when we are to be punished at a day houre when we looked least for his comming 4. The Christian watchman must have good hands he must be couragious valiant 4 Good hands to fight as well as to watch without this valour he cannot be a watchman who must needs be a souldier Quid praescire juvat Sir Th Moore Epigram quae patiere tamen what boots to know the evills we needs must suffer All the servants of Christ must be valorous to resist sin Satan fight against thē so long as they live Gaine and glory are most powerfull to increase valour against sin Cic. Tusc quest lib. 1. Omnes incenduntur ad studia gloriâ Let us therefore set before us the high price of our calling and the voice of Christ saying To him that overcommeth will I give to sit upon a throne 2 Tim 2 5. and seeing no man is crowned except he fight as he ought let us search out sin in all the corners of soule and body and prosecute it with the terrour of the Almighty and fight against it with the word and command of God 5. Not troubled with worldly cares 2 Tim 2 4. The second part of our ability to watch consists in preparation which must 1. be of the soule that the mind be not troubled with the love care of this world No man saith St. Paul that warreth intangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life because he would please him that hath chosen him to be a souldier much lesse he who is continually imployed both to watch and fight So Christ exhorts us in our watching and preparing for his coming Take heed to your selves Luke 21 34. lest at any time your hearts be oppressed with the cares of this life and lest that day come upon you at unawares He that hath his heart fixed on the cares of this life can have no heart to watch for another life neglecting this life which he loveth so well For though the world obtained cannot fil the heart nor content the desire of man yet the love desire care of it being not obtained doth so take up and fill the heart that he is in continuall heavines cannot think upon any thing but how to satisfie his desire Yea the love of the world is contrary to Christian watchfulnesse for it inlargeth our heart unto all lust and hath the object only fit to make us increase more and more in sinne St. Iohn by the same reason exhorts us to sequester our mindes from it 1 Iohn 2 15 Love not the world neither the things in the world for all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and pride of life Therefore wee must conclude a separation betweene our mindes and the transitory things of this world and make them a ladder upon which we may mount up to heaven Euseb Emiss de Ascen Dom. Ser. 1. sublimabunt nos si fuerint infra nos if they be under us not cared for they will mount us up to heaven and not burden us or make us heavie in mind or carelesse of the danger of sin sodainnes of death of which we are incontinual danger 2. Our bodies must be prepared for watching 6. No glutton nor drunkard with needful nourishment Old men because their strength failes them must as Iacob did get a staffe to rest on but in our nature there is such a weaknes that the youngest grow faint weak wither away as if they were blasted with old age if they be not supported with the staffe of bread An army of Sauls 1 Sam 14 31. that in pursuit of the enemy fasted one day was exceeding faint Ionathan though young and strong yet his eyes waxed dimme as if he had beene old Therefore they must be continually enabled by the use of the creatures by which the senses may be kept sound the spirits in continuall vigour But in this necessity there is an ensuing danger for nothing is more dangerous to a watchman than too much of meat drink because it makes him heavie sleepy that he can not watch Luke 21. So Christ exhorts us Take heed lest at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennes because they are the causers of sleepinesse send up such abundance of fumes vapours to the brain which cooling doe so possesse the place and first instrument of feeling that the senses for the time are without any sense or feeling And they that use either gluttony or drunkennes become dull heavie senseles careles of their estate or honesty Of al men this becomes not him who would watch war against sin A man that cannot rule his appetite is as a Citty that hath no wall Prov. 25 28. because even the actions of them are the wrath of God punishment of former sinne abominable sins in themselves and a way made for the Divell to enter possesse the soule make them ready for any wickednesse that can be devised This is the way to betray Christianity and to fight against all grace and good motions and finally to laugh at the terrors of it make men go dancing through the causes of their mourning and with laughter to act the tragedy of their owne destruction 7 Furnished with armour 3. A watchman must have outward preparation We are safest when wee are fully appointed and armed it is dangerous to be a naked sentinell whose life is most aimed at St. Paul nameth the furniture to be a good and sincere conscience Eph. 6 14. a love to the Gospell assured faith in the mercifull promises of God knowledge understanding of Gods word perseverance in prayers supplications without this preparation it is in vaine to thinke that we can be able to resist in the evil day or to prevent any never so well known danger Being thus prepared and furnished to stand against sin Satan 8 Faithfull and diligent to watch for our Lords cōming there only remaines that the watchman be faithfull and diligent to foresee all dangers to give a true speedy notice of them In all the former conditions hypocrisie hath place in most men but in this hypocrisie is the direct enemie of our salvation the meanes by which multitudes are conveyed to hell who make shew to be in continual guard against all manner of wickednes to be as ever standing and knocking at the gate of heaven only to be so accounted of men but in their secret actions they labour to goe to hell without any knowledge or noyse of the world And seeing the heart of man is deceitfull above all things it stands every man upon it to search and examine his heart whether in his intents hee labour either to please the world or to puffe up himselfe with a conceit of sincere life or whether his eye be truly set upon the Lord the prise of glory This is onely the meanes to draw us from deceiving our selves and to prevent us that wee labour not in vaine To conclude all let us remember that death is certaine we must pleade no immunity the time of it is uncertaine we must not pleade security it comes hastily we must therefore be hasty in preparation this life is for preparation we must not plead inconveniency and warning is given us of all these things therefore no place remaines for ignorance Beloved you hear your charge you know your perill now choose if you will heare the counsell of Christ and his Apostles all giving the same voice of prevention the labour is theirs the profit is yours the glory whatsoever you doe appertaineth to God whose mercie is magnified in your salvation and whose justice is exalted by your destruction Draw neere therfore unto the Lord proclaime enmity to sinne if you cannot avoid all sin yet stand to the hatred of all frame your life as you desire eternally to be and your workes according as you would have them appeare and be rewarded in judgement expect that death shal ever knock at your dores remember that though we be unreadie yet death is ever ready the grave never out of season nor hell destruction ever satisfied It is long since eternall glorie was prepared for you hasten thither let your hearts be there remember the glorie of Christ and what it were to be made like unto him Call unto God to end your miseries to remove you to glorie and to be partakers with his Saints of the blessed presence of God and of our Redeemer and of the God of peace and love Now to him that is able to keepe you that you fall not Iude verse 24 25. and to present you faultlesse before the presence of his glory with joy Even to God only wise our Saviour be glory and majesty and dominion power both now and ever Amen FINIS