shall rule in it 5. to take away all doubt of a day it shall not consist of the parts of a naturall and created day not night and day which by the ordinances of heaven are perpetual but this shall be a voluntary and arbitrary day depending upon the will and motion of Christ and no measure of starres 6. contrary to all the dayes of the creation this shall bee light at the evening yea then shall bee the greatest light in the regression of the kingdome triumphantly from Christ to his and our Father The light of grace breaks forth into the light of power and the light of power into the light of glory What then shall be the glory of this day called the great notable and terrible day of the Lord Ioel 2.32 Iude vers 6. Rev 16.14 c. shall it vanish in the twinckling of an eye and that mystery Rev. 10.7 passe in a moment No assuredly wee are resolved by Christ that it shal be a day comprehending dayes Luke 17.22 26. many dayes that shall affoord times of refreshing and restitution Act. 3.19 dayes and times shall be upon this great day and reason is faire to favour this sense Christ takes his kingdome and power upon this day to reigne and rule and therefore it is reasonable to yeeld him some time before the delivery of it up to his Father to shew the glory and the excellency of it It agrees well with the regression to perfection that some stay should bee made for the honour of Heber and glory of the King Shall I offer other texts and tell you what they teach you to beleeve I will not command your faith where it is fit for me to suspend my owne It were presumption to resolve before the issue and reade the ridle before it be plaine in the action and event as well as in the prophecy and prediction Zech. 14.8 the Prophet seemes to describe unto us the day of judgement and to compute it by a day in summer and in winter and then the great day will mount to a yeere at the least Isa 65.20 If the new heavens and the new earth fall out upon this great day as Peter seemes to expound it 2 Pet. 3.13 then Isaiah will seeme to speake of an hundred yeeres at the least 2 Pet. 3.8 Rev. 20.4 If one day in Peter bee a day of judgement as the verse upon which it is inferred seemes to speake plainely then such a great day with the Lord Christ or to the Lord Christ as Zechary phraseth it is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as such a day One day saies Zechary one day saies Peter and both seeme to say one thing But a thousand yeeres will be put for eternity and so no time is expressed but that which waits upon God and sheweth him to be eternall but yet S. Iohn will answer this and by an invincible argument take it from us if his thousand yeeres have relation with Peter to the same day for after eternity there is no history of time or relation of any succession but S. Iohn placeth a little season after the thousand yeeres and that wipes out the opinion of a thousand yeeres to be put for ever I will neither dispute nor relate any more wee have too many new opinions this is old enough and by carnall Chiliasts made both odious and erronious It is fittest wee bee silent and prepare for this great day let it bee of what sength the author pleaseth for to his liking must it last not in living to carnall lusts but heavenly joyes God give us grace to looke for it and inlarge our petition with calling for the perfection of grace in the perfection of power Wee live God knowes as if we were some seven months birth vitall but weake The kingdome of power will rouze us up for Christ takes it not onely to destroy our enemies but to stirre up our graces In the new heavens and new earth righteousnesse shall dwell it is now banished from kingdomes Chittim oppresseth it and a few sons of Iaphet are perswaded to imbrace it but the time shal come when it shall possesse mankinde plentifully and not Shem but all the sonnes of Seth shall imbrace it Numb 24.17 Moab as an enemy perisheth Sheth as a friend is subdued that Christ may have subjects I will touch the great change that Christs kingdome shall make in the world at his comming and so hasten the returne of it to the Father Alterations by Christs comming Isa 32.15 16 17. c. The Spirit that now is come to the Gentiles and departed from the Iewes must againe be powred on them then is wrought in the world wonderfull change 1. The field of Chittim that now flourisheth in the hands of wicked men shall bee turned into a forrest and made as barren and desolate as the wildernesse 2. The forrest of the Iewes shall alter into a fertile field and by Christ himselfe shall be made giorious Thirdly this goodly and flourishing field shall be planted and sowne with judgement and righteousnesse they shall even dwell in it and take up the whole possession of it Fourthly the fruit shall be peace and quietnesse no warre no molestation shall disturbe them Fiftly this Harvest of happinesse shall be with assurance for ever When Christ takes his power to reigne none shall any more rule over him or his Both hee and his Saints have suffered of this wicked world but the woe thereof commeth quickely and speedy vengeance will pay for all delayes Be admonished my brethren you are by the consent of Divines come to the second woe Rev. 9.13 above 300 yeeres agoe The next is the day of judgement and is ever delivered with this Item Behold it commeth quickely Rev. 11.14 adde to this Luke 18 8. Revel 3.7 and 16.15 and 21.12 Other woes linger and last long as being executed by men but this will be speedy as being immediately done by Christ himselfe who will not stand long about his enemies though his friends may enjoy a longer time of rejoycing in his presence The delivery up of his Kingdome to his Father 1 Cor. 15.24 compared with 2 Tim. 4.1 teach us the Epiphany and end of Christs administration and wee have heard what falls out betweene these two termes I must needs conceive it absurd till better reason convince me to conceive of an Epiphany of a kingdome and an end together let who will so conceive and conjecture I am not as yet of their minde some duration and succession of time will be from the Epiphany to the end when the end is come best knowne to Christ hee will returne all to the Father but you will object Revel 11.15 Hee shall reigne for ever and ever I answer the delivery up of the Kingdome is not an exclusion of Christ from reigning for as the Father reigneth in the Sonne and both of them in holy Ghost so in the regression the holy Ghost reigneth in the Sonne and both
and fight for his truth It is not our goods and lives that our enemies seeke for it is our God and Religion that they thrust at so to make roome for their owne Oh how should me◠fit themselves for this service and give over their drunken quarrels veneries and other effeminate courses which have almost enfeebled our English nation and disabled our bodies to fight or brooke the open ayre Iust it is with God to make us dye before our enemies that will not dye to these sins nor seeke to live according to the ancient discipline and example of our worthy progenitors who have beene ranked with the best and ablest soldiers in the world when now being soaked in ease and disused to labour wee are thrust downe to the lowest forme and reputed of small esteeme amongst our Neighbours 3. God is often a moth in our Counsels Counsell and wisedome direct men to the fayrest and most hopefull meanes of their security Therefore to be smitten in the braine Deut. 28.28 Zach. 12.4 viz. either not to see the way or in the event and issue of good Counsell not to prosper is one of Gods sorest judgements and the truest forerunner of ruine Our sinnes saith the Prophet with-hold good things Ier. 5.25 Even our best consultations are blasted with the noysome and pestilent breath of our sins Oh that wee were sensible of this judgment could mourne for it Who seeth not in this this Gods hand against us yet alas how few lament it We laugh at our Sorrowes and lay nothing to heart This is the way to make him that was a moth unto Ephraim a moth unto us to smite us even in our Counsells and make them fruitlesse in their hopefullest and best proceedings and thus may God make the best of our Counsells consultations rotten and moatheaten 4. God is often a moth in our courage It was the high dignity of Ephraim to speake with majestie in the midst of all the tribes and to cause trembling round about him Hos 13.1 But when he offered in Baal he died Sinne is the dampe of courage and the death of the heart and decay of all excellency And here wee finde God againe smiting Deu. 28.28 Zach. 12.4 who as he takes away Counsell by blindnesse and madnesse so doth hee take away courage by astonishment and amazement of heart 5. God is often a moth in our Religion Religion of all blessings is the greatest and yet in this we are often secretly smitten of God This whole land hath great cause to prayse God that the truth of the Gospell is so publikly mainteined This blessing we would learne to esteeme if wee were in the skins of our forefathers or neighbour brethren abroad The time was when wee would gladly have served God in Woods and Caves and secret Cells and how glad would our brethren abroad be to see but one of our dayes yet we enjoying full liberty of profession practise under good and wholesome lawes wee nothing answer Gods goodnesse unto us but live as if we wanted these inestimable priviledges and shew plainely the secret curse of God upon us Errors and evills such as Poperie and Idolatrie may steale and creepe in at a posterne gate but blessed be God at an open and wide gate they finde no entrance The sword of authority like the Cherubims stands at the gates of our Eden to keepe out the rebellious Would God to our lawes there were the like execution and happie successe in the meanes The neglect in these may cause God to bee a moth in the rest secretly to withhold from us the blessed influence of a Blessed Religion and of our blissefull lawes Thus much of Gods secret judgements upon his house The more open and apparant judgements Gods secret judgements consist rather in the privation of good things than in the sensible smart of positive plagues But when we are not apprehensive of the moth then he roares as a Lyon teares and rends in peeces takes away his prey and suffers none to rescue When the good gifts of God want their blessing when in our estates wee become poore in our bodies weake and in our soules blind fearefull and unholy these wants should stirre us up to seeke God but if we like senselesse people move not God to make us more sensible inflicts upon us sorer judgements and makes us feele our losses in our lives and our blowes in our bloud and smites us as hee once smote the Philistims first a farre of in laying some Dagon which we adore flat on the ground then striking off hands and head wherein wee trust for helpe he leaves it an useles stumpe When blockish men regard not this The Lord drawes nearer and smites their bodies with sharpe paynes and yet proceeding farther he take away their lives with the sword Easy warnings neglected end in greater woes God that at first would faine be heard at last will worke his pleasure and will not heare Ezoc 14.21 tells us of foure sore judgements the Sword Famine Pestilence and noysome Beasts Some of these have raged in this Land and wee may feare the rest will follow unlesse we prevent them by our repentance The Lyon hath rored who will not feare The Lord God hath spoken who can but prophecie God in judging his house makes choyce of a fit time The originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imployeth rather the convenience of season than the continuance of time As God knoweth when to deliver his so he hath his season wherein to punish and chastize them and that first to revenge the quarrell of his covenant Lev. 26.25 It is ill contesting with God especially for them that are linked in covenant with him You have I knowne of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities Amo. 3.2 Secondly in respect of the Gospell which cannot bee preached without opposition of outward violence Matth. 11.12 Luk. 16.16 violent men will prey upon Gods kingdome and every wicked man will have ablow at it Like Kites upon a Carkeise so are Gods enemies upon his Church Luke 17.37 Thirdly this season here poynted at fulfills the prophecie of Christ Matth. 24.9 For here Peter writing to the dispersed Iewes five yeares before the destruction of Ierusalem tells them that now is the time to deliver them up to be afflicted killed and hated as his master Christ foretold before his death Fourthly Christiās are too great strangers in their afflictions as in an estate unwonted therefore Peter bringeth this reason to bring Christians to themselves for the time is come c. that is God hath sent you the fittest season of your tryall and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be not strangers in things familiar and seasonable and wherein you ought to bee the best studied Fiftly the season bids you expect the harvest you sow in teares and shall reape in joy When others that sowe in joy shall reape in sorrow Philip. 1.28
feete and foundation even the ten divided toes in the bottome of that terrible image are crushed and conquered by the victorious stone whose kingdome becomes a mountaine filling the whole earth Hee must then take place when the last beast is slaine his little horne having eyes to watch the ten hornes and to speake blasphemies against God is consumed Vtter ruine must befall all Christs enemies before he take from the Ancient of dayes his dominion and universall command over all the world Hence they would conclude against Christians that their Messiah is not come for they urge us by our owne confession that hee came in the dayes of Augustus Caesar when the last beast flourished most was farre enough from chaffe or clay it was not then come to the tenne toes or ten hornes in which it hath held to this day and therefore as yet Messiah is not yet come Stay stubborne Iewes wee will not take these texts from you but grant them and yet deny your consequent for Messiah by the testimony of the same Prophet must first come to redeeme Dan. 9.24 Your weekes are gone and might assure you Messiah is come and hath made reconciliation for you us He is gone to heaven and hath left his kingdome in the hands of his Spirit against him you have rebelled and brought upon your selves the end in my text repent and hee will returne to you and you shal see him as Daniel hath delivered unto you and witnessed by an Apostle of Christ Act. 3.19 20 21. and is the onely and last reason of the stay and slackenesse of his comming and performance of his promise to you in special 2. Pet. 3.9 Would God you were at as good agreement with our holy Apostles as wee are with your Prophets we should soone and suddenly both meete in this kingdome of power Balaams prophecie Numb 24.15 to the end Of this kingdome Balaam is forced to speake and by a starre and his shadowes gives in parables an excellent prospective for the view of things a farre off but not nigh at a great distance of time but not present in this age The star smites Moab in the shadowes of it but it shall unwall all the sonnes of Seth immediately by it selfe and last appearance Amalecke the first of Nations is destroyed by the prayers of Moses and sword of Ioshua true types of Christ and Chittim the last of Nations shall by Christ himselfe immediately perish Of both these it is said more than of all the rest They shall perish for ever The reason is plaine Amaleke was the first that fought with the ancient Israel in the wildernesse to hinder their passage into Canaan and therefore must be smitten for ever Now is the surrogate Israel of God in the like wildernesse Rev. 12.6 14. and Chittim onely makes warre with it and therefore as Amalek of old must perish for ever To Ashur all Nations were smitten by the shadowes of the rising starre but from Ashur to Chittim the starre Christ by conjunction and secret influence makes one Starre smite another and as he sets the. Egyptians against the Aegyptians Isa 19.2 so be sets Ashur against Ashur Chittim against Chittim both against Heber till his honour come by Christ Ashur is the land of Assyria Chittim is put for the Iles of the Gentiles Ashur begins with Nimrod Gen. 10. a sonne of cursed Cham. He is the first mighty hunter after honour and begins his kingdome with Babylon the building of confusion both for religion language and love From Babylon hee hunts into Ashur or the land of Assiria and builds Nineveh and at length fils the great Continent of the world with his Monarchy The Babylonians take it and hold it till the Medes and Persians become Lords of their kingdome and Continent Thus the Lord dasheth kingdome against kingdome and like a potters vessell breaketh them one upon another From the Continent to the Iles of the Gentiles the same Christ translateth the Monarchies and ends them in the Sonnes of laphet Chittim a sonne of Iaphet Gen. 10. being divided from the Continent by the Seas finds posterity in time to passe the Seas and by ships from his Coasts carrieth Alexander the Great Dan. 2.32 and 7.6 and 11.3 1 Maccab. 1.1 with his Army who killeth Darius and from Ashur to Chittim translateth his kingdome The rising starre knowes how by his secret opperation to stirre up Chittim against Chittim and to punish the Iles for Idolatry and tyranny he sets the inhabitants thereof together by the eares for their sinnes and by the Romanes at length brings the Monarchy from the Graecians to us and settles the glory of it in Rome where it slourished to the birth of Christ and long after At length this massie monarchie drencht in blood even the best blood the blood of Saints began to reele and totter and from one Caesar fals to ten Kings from yron legs strongly united to ten toes weakely divided they hang upon the same feet of the Image but their division is fatall to the Empire These toes in the Image and ten hornes on the head of the last beast are the last of Chittim and remaine to this day for perdition by Christ as farre as Iaphet is not perswaded to dwell in the tents of Shem Gen. 9.22 what now remaines but that the third Sonne of Noah alwayes chosen of God for his chiefe servant should obtaine the kingdome and that Heber hitherto afflicted by Ashur and Chittim should be made glorious at the comming of the Lord Iesus The promise of the new heavens and the new earth is made to them Isa 65.17 18. and 66.22 this quoted by S. Peter 2 Pet. 3.13 applyed by him to the Iewes and by them to be expected in the day of judgement when hee takes his great power to reigne The same is repeated Rev. 21.1 and applyed to Ierusalem vers 2. of this as a mystery S. Paul speakes Rom. 11.25 and quotes Isaiah who Isa 59 18. brings it in with the subversion of Chittim or the Ilands What shall I say more let Peter expound Isaiah and Isaiah Peter and we shall quickly resolve of this mystery Of the length of the day of Iudgement Zech. 14.7 Having spoken of Ierusalems desolation as Christ did Math. 24. comes in the like manner to their consolation and saies The Lord my God shall come and all the Saints with thee then describes the day of judgement 1. by light to manifest all deeds of darknesse 2. by the purity of this light it shall not be cleare and darke that is one part light and another darke like a day of creation but it shall be light without darknesse 3. the unity of this day it is to be one how long soever Christ will not be interrupted in his kingdome or stayed in his judgement 4. the knowledge of this day both when it shall begin how long it should continue and when it shal end is onely belonging to the King that
2. Thess 1.6.7 Little doe the Iewes know their approching miseries their perdition hastneth and you shall be cōforted when you see Christ as good as his word Vpon this ground I verily beleeve is that to the Hebrewes Heb. 10.36 37. Yet a little while and hee that shall come will come and will not tarry You have a promise that Christ will come upon the unbeleeving Iewes and destroy them bee you patient and waite live by faith and the Lord will come and save you when that disobedient nation perisheth Iames 5.1 Goe to now ye rich Iewes weepe and houle c. The Apostle fetcheth his reason from their last dayes and miseries neere at hand that is the very periode of your kingdome and policye is now approching c. It shall bee a comfort to us to see the downefall of Rome according to holy prophecie as it was to the beleeving Iewes to see Christs promise fulfilled upon Ierusalem hee had threatned and in time executed his decree in punishing the ungodly Vse 1. To teach us that afflictions should not bee strange to the godly that live at home in their Fathers familie and make his word their stay For what can be strange that falls out seasonably Yee and Snow in winter thunder and lightening in Sommer are no wonders no more can afflictions seeme strange seeing they are alwayes fitted to their owne proper time Vse 2. Afflictions are not dangerous nor hurtfull howsoever sharpe and bitter because seasonable Many a thing is undone by missing its owne season If sowen corne be not buried with winter snow and nipped with frosts whereby wormes and weedes are destroyed it will not flourish afterward no not in the strength of Sommer The want of seasonable correction hazardeth many a soule thousands perish because they know not even this their acceptable time But those happie crosses that fall seasonably upon us never departe without a blessing This makes a Christians chaines to bee chaines of gold and the markes of the Lord Iesus to be glorious Vse 3. Afflictions are glorious and beautifull in the eyes of the Lord. Every thing saith the wise man is comely in his season then it flourisheth and floureth and expresseth beauty to every beholder The scars of a souldier received in the field are ensignes of valour and the wounds which a Christian suffereth in fighting the good fight are impressions of honour Vse 4. Afflictions are profitable time and season make for the good of all things The poore woman of Edessa fearing to come too late to suffer with Christians forgets her selfe and with her child in her arines and her clothes halfe on meets the Deputy in the face and feared not to tell him the cause of he haste to wit least he should have made an end before her comming who desired as well to dye as to live with Christians Vse 5. Afflictions are changeable No season will last alwayes there will bee an end of the Saints sufferings the rod shall not alwayes rest upon them Psal 125.3 God knowes how to take off and lay on his owne blowes how to bring in and bring out his owne seasons Sommer it selfe would bee teadious if Winter should not follow it out and bring it in Afflictions should never have an after fruite were they ever grevious for the present and had no change They are but an exercise which without change cannot bee endured God having a fit time doth but begin with his house In these words is expressed the measure and method of afflictions the beleeving Iewes have the first hansell Their share is the first and least but not the last of the cup Psal 75.6 The best of good and the worst of ill doth alwayes settle to the bottome Hence it is that wicked men sip of the cup of pleasure before the godly but the godly tast of the cup of sorrow before the wicked Isa 49.12.34.5 Rom. 2.9 Heaven first endures the sword then the earth Ier. 25.17 18 19. All Nations Egypt and the mingled people must pledge in that cup wherein Ierusalem begins Every soule must smart for sinne but the Iew first and then the Gentile Rom. 2.9 Vse 1. Learne Gods severity that will not spare sinne in his owne no not when he spares it in a wicked man A maister of a family will often winke at the misbehaviour of stangers but will not suffer his children to looke awry Vse 2. See Gods mercy that having tempered the bitter cup of his wrath appoynts his owne to tast the top reserving all the dregs for the wicked who must wring them out whiles his owne servants do but wash their lips and let downe some drops to know how bitter sin is in the bad fruites of it Vse 3. This helps to plead the cause of Gods house against the enemies thereof Papists vpbraide Protestants with their calamities as a curse upon their cause affirming that our Churches if true would flourish and appeare by those visible signes which accompany the glorious monarchy of the Catholick Church But stay there Romanists reckon without their host and take an intruder for the maister of the house Their holy father hath played the false Prophet and healed the wound of the Romane Monarchy with a plaister of new Idolatry so that all the world wondereth after him Rev. 13.3 No marvaile then if their Church flourish having such a wicked throng to defend it whose portion is the botome of the cup in Gods hand and therefore in order of time the last Bohemia the Palatinate Churches of Germany and France have drunke and begun to others yet never the lesse pretious in Gods eye because the first in trouble Let others expect that time when the Lord Iesus shall arme himselfe with that power which as yet stirs not and reigne not onely in his owne but over his enemies by making them angry when the time of his wrath commeth to recompence his servants for their sufferings and sinners for their wickednesse That the one may glory in the perfection of their blessednesse and the other pine under the pressure of their miseries They that now destroy the earth must themselves be destroyed Rev. 11.17.18 The times for persecution ratified by an oath Dan. 12.7 are by the oath of the same Angel proclaymed to continue no longer Rev. 10.6 The continuance of Antichrists succesfull tyranny is the lesse to be admired seeing Christ hath sworne that the Romane monarchy in the ten hornes shall enjoy so long a terme to doe mischeife both to the naturall few and to the surrogate Israel of God Luk. 22.24 Rev. 11.2 But when the time times and halfe a time shall be no longer and the oath of the 42. moneths shall expire then the latter end of Antichrist shall be worse than his beginning Pleade therefore the cause of Gods people and let the world take notice that these judgements begun in the Church will end in her enemies Vse 4. Let every Christian learne hence to plead his owne
contrary to the world for so the world is conquered and hee that suffers becomes subject to another but we are slaine saith the Apostle and our slaughter is our victory nay more than victory in so doing we conquer the conquerours and command our oppressors More than conquerours is more than any Caesar achieved unto or ever Monarch effected in his greatest victories Who can say so but Christians Emperours have conquered with difficultie and lost with greater facility all their kingdomes They have beene lesse than conquerours and never gotten victory but left it to others to gaine it from them O the honour of this spirituall kingdome and excellency of grace that even thriveth best vnder oppressions and worldly violence The regression of the Kingdome All the honour of this Kingdome redoundeth unto Christ and shall then appeare when he appeares to take his Kingdome great dominion He should have had no subjects but for the Spirit and none so victorious but for Martyres who as they have first honoured Christ by death shall of him againe bee first graced with life Those that are alive and converted shall bee a glory to Christ as hee will bee a glory to them It is for the persons in the sacred Trinity mutually to raise glory one to another Wee are therefore ordine retrogrado come from the kingdome of grace to the Kingdome of power from the administration of the Spirit to the administration of the Son and seeke after three things as glorious as the former and yet more outward but not lesse spirituall for perfection in the Trinity is both wayes obserued and effected in progression the Father perfects his worke in the Sonne and the Sonne in the Spirit so in regression the holy Ghost perfects grace in power and the Son perfects power in glory We will speake of the Sons taking ruling and delivering up of this kingdome of power Christs taking of the Kingdome of power Heb. 2.5 mention is made of a world to come and the subjectioÌ„ thereof to Christ This wee see not saith the Apostle as yet accomplished but wee see Iesus Christ crowned and made a King in heaven His presence on earth as yet wee have not save in the holy Ghost But hee will appeare in his body and take this Kingdome and whole world to himselfe and turne out of it all the ungodly in the earth His enemies that would not suffer him to reigne over them by his Gospell are then to bee brought before him and slaine in his presence The taking of his great power Revel 11.17 At the last trumpet and the last woe all Kingdomes fall to Christ But how I pray you marke the text He shall take to himselfe his great power and reigne To himselfe immediately to himselfe for forme and manner of government He left it in the hands of the Spirit and now takes it againe to himselfe no more depriving the Spirit of the honour of it in the re-assumption than hee did himselfe when he deposed it into the hands of his Spirit Now the question will bee how this is done The answer is with great power greater than ever before for it destroyes them all that now destroy the earth How is it taken Daniel assoiâ—es this doubt and makes it glorious and wonderfull in his extraordinary description of it Dan. 7.9 10. c. First the Lord Iesus takes it from his enemies and casts downe their thrones and makes them seates for his Saints Rev. 20.7 he takes it from the last beast even because of the little horne and his blasphemous and bloody words Secondly hee takes it from the Ancient of daies who in a glorious and most illustrious manner installes the Lord Iesus into his kingdome Thirdly he is attended and waited upon by the innumerable company of Angels by whom hee is brought to the Ancient of dayes Reade the rest and admite at this inauguration and solemnization of the day of Christs coronation upon earth who now in heaven is crowned with glory and immortality When it is taken 2 Tim. 4.1 At the Epiphanie of his kingdome Marke 13.26 Luke 21.27 when the powers of heaven are shaken and the starres that shine in them are humbled to the ground Earthly potentates that are advanced above others shall bee made low The fall of such starres will not hinder the sight of Christ but honour it Other starres being bigger than the earth would overlay it and men and suffer no man to stand upon earth to see the Lord Iesus come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory Hee must bee seene of all eyes and therefore it is most safe to give the sense of the Scriptures by the Scriptures and to say of this day as of the former shadowes of it in Babylon and Aegypt Isa 13.10 and 14.12 13. Ezek. 32.7 8. The starres of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light The Sunne shall bee darkned in his going forth and the Moone shall not cause her light to shine the bright lights of heaven are put out when Pharaoh falleth by the Babilonians and Lucifer sonne of the morning ascended into heaven above the heights of the clouds and starres themselves to bee like the most High comes downe to the ground when by the Medes and Persians Belshazzar is pulled from the orbe of his height and honour Christ the bright shining starre of Iacob and the advanced Scepter of Israe is risen and shall rise to smite all corners and subdue all Nations Let us therefore advance him from the taking of the kingdome to the ruling of it Christs ruling and reigning in his kingdome Dan. 7.14 On this day dominion is given to Christ Zech. 14.9 One Lord one name and that over all the earth In this day will hee reigne in and over all mankinde Rev. 11 15. Now the world does not acknowledge him for one Lord as being ruled by many neither does it worship him by one name as being distracted into many religions but this will Christ remove at his day and rule by a more equall power and uniforme worship Paul is our witnesse 1 Cor. 15.24 25 26. c. that the end and delivery up of this kingdome to God even the Father cannot be till rule authority and power of devils in hell men upon earth and even death the last of enemies be fully vanquished and subdued and for this purpose I might produce all the Prophets and holy Apostles speaking glorious things of Christs reigning and ruling at the sound of the last trumpet and comming of the last woe Rev. 10.7 All the Prophets are witnesses and St. Peter speaking of the same thing adds to them all the Apostles 2 Pet. 3 2. They have ill done that have muzled up the mouthes of the Prophets with a Consummation and conclusion in Christs incarnation The Iewes dispute Dan. 2.35 and 7.11 That Messiah must come when the Monarchies are as chaffe before the winde and quite blowne out of the world When the
all Weepe and howle Iam. 5.1 ye rich Iewes for your miseries ready to come upon you You have but gathered your wealth for your enemies and such canker and rust of sinne cleaves unto it that it will witnesse and worke against you Your pleasures profits preferments and wantonnesse have fed and filled your hearts for the day of slaughter You have killed the just without resistance but by their patience and your persecution you are now to perish and the Lord is nigh to execute the same upon you I touch still what I have taught before because I would be remembred and made fruitfull to my Reader The losse of their lives and liberties Never died people more desperately and the market they had made to sell the bloud of Gods servants for nothing is now made for them The Romans buy theirs as cheape as ever they sold Christs Never Tragedy more lamentable and if Iesus Christ had not taken some pitty upon them there had not beene left one piece of their flesh untorne in pieces Mat. 24.22 Neither was captivity better than death Ier. 22.10 That was never more verifyed thā now for to this day have they lived in their remainders as the most remarkeable wretches in the world Let this end of the Iewes be our instruction and admonition that we may be wise and not perish for the contempt of the Gospel Their misery in the world to come The bloud of Christ pursues them to Hell It is not satisfied with the bloud in their bodies but deservedly makes them a prey to Divels as well as men It were an harsh censure to say they went all to Hell that perished by the Romans We will examine their case by Scripture and a fearefull presage thereof in the Revelation The eternall end of the Iewes Matth. 24.13 Hee that shall endure to the end the same shall be saved Men even amongst you will apostatize and fall to the Iewes againe but whosoever shall hold out till their end come shall not perish with them v. 15. Men are bidden reade with understanding An Item set upon no other signe but this When you see the Roman Army placed in the Mount of Olives escape for your lives But how shall they escape when the Army lies in their way and a watch against them on every side the City I answer God raised the first Army and gave liberty to all that would reade and understand to be gone and now went the Christians to Pella as I have shewed this prophecie for their safety being seconded with a sound from heaven saying Goe to Pella goe to Pella The promise is that Christians sound and sincere in faith to the end shall escape History tels us they escaped who then perishes but rebels to the Gospel The Text tels us that the beleeving Iewes had the beginning and that the end was for all those that obeyed not the Gospel It give men leave to be charitable but I desire sinne may have his due and especially Gospel-sinnes Let men tremble that have a minde to treate more favourably of this end and see what it is to call for the bloud of Christ to be upon them The presage of their eternall woe Saint Iohn lived to see it and penned his Revelation after the destruction of the Citie He alters the style of Hell and gives it a name that no Prophet or Apostle did before him Hee deserves to be named that helped me to this knowledge Master Ioseph Mede whose praise to Gods glory bee it spoken I can never blazen too much I shall recall what I quoted in one place for the style of Hell Rev. 19 20. The Lake of Sodome or fire and Brimstone A new appellation of Hell upon this accident as that judicious and industrious man relateth it Multitudes of Iewes being met withall by the Romans upon the banks of Iordan are miserably slaughtered as formerly was touched and their dead bodies buried in the River But GOD will not suffer them there to rest but by the strength of the streame tumbles them from place to place till hee plunge them into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone for their buriall and graves A sad spectacle in my judgement and no small conjecture that their soules were buried in hell Saint Iohn seemes to intimate so much to me I will not bind any man to the strict observation of it still my desire is to presse the punishment of disobedience to the Gospel Such notes I am sure thou mayest credite better than Popish legends and fables to make men feare hell into which by Idolatry they teach them to leape and never listen after any legend or reading to prevent that I will now wholly leave the instance of the Iewes and teach all the misery of Hell in the lamentable extremity of it and extreame lamentation Matthew 13.42 A furnace of fire there is the lamentable extremitie wailing and gnashof teeth there is extreame lamentation The extremitie we will expresse in foure termes first fire secondly darkenesse thirdly worme fourthly perdition The fire of Hell Fire and water as they are of best use so wee say of them they are without mercy It is their nature to doe what they doe but it is the nature and property of God to have mercy and therefore most unnaturall to be without mercie It is just with God to change his mercy into justice and kindle for the damned an unmercifull fire Wee can quench our unmercifull fires with water but in hell no water no not a drop will bee allowed not to quench but not so much as to coole the heate of that flame upon the tippe of the tongue The fire is a fearefull extremity that nothing can allay it Spirits are agents too subtile to be patients in our fire they are more quicke in avoyding than that element can smite them It hath beene much questioned by Schoolemen what we might deeme hell fire to be If corporall how shall it torment spirits and soules of men If spirituall how bodies and the flesh of men It were casie to answer by adding to fire the breath of the Almighty who is able to extend or contract any creature to touch bodies or spirits with what torments he pleaseth I had rather rest in some lively example than busie my selfe with rules of uncertainties Our blessed Lord and Saviour is best able to tell us by experience what fire that is that God kindles against sinne and with what extremitie it scorcheth and scourgeth the poore soule that must buckle and bend under it I will present unto you for an example Iesus Christ in the Garden and upon the Crosse Christs agony in the Garden Feare and sorrow begin his Passion The objects that feare Christ and worke him to sorrow are no easie scarcrowes and spectrums of men Nay all the Devils in hell are not able to put Christ into a Passion To make him heavy in heart and soule is no small weight of woe to complaine it presseth him to the very
upon the haters of it and gives the true distinction of the beginning and end thereof That judgement that begins with Gods people fals heavily in the end upon their enemies J may seeme in the middle of this Treatise to forsake my Text to seeke out the Commentary but J shall intreat my Reader for a favourable exposition of my minde and meaning The Text toucheth the sinne that ought to bee taught with all exactnesse and therefore J to helpe my Reader the better have bent my strength the more to deale thorowly with it in all the branches J shall easily render my account and by that other Text cleare my selfe of all unnecessary digressions and unprofitable searches of such secrets as that place J now mention will allow me Ioh. 16.7 8. It is a truth that Christ insists upon that his departure is as expedient and necessary as his comming into the world He came into the world to redeeme it and hee leaves the world that his Redemption may be preached and applyed This application is the worke of the Spirit and by conviction is to be wrought upon the world The things of which the world is convinced are all Evangelicall and essentially differ from things legall First in commands the Law commands us to doe and live the Gospel to beleeve and live The Law bids us looke to our owne righteousnesse The Gospel to the righteousnesse of Christ The Law does charge us with holinesse according to our own righteousnesse The Gospel with holines according to the Spirit Which being more exact is the cause that it is so much spurned at and contemned by the world Legall purity is not persecuted like Evangelicall purity A man may bee a Pharisee and favoured by the world but a strict Christian is out of hope to farewell even by the best worldlings Persecution hath waited more upon the Gospel than the Law The light of the one is farre too cleare for worldly eyes to behold it Jt is strange with the world to deny it selfe and beleeve in another Jt is hard to forsake a morall righteousnesse and seek to be justified by another Who can indure to have Satan so judged in him as quite to forsake all Lawes as to live by the new Commandement This is a large difference of legall and Evangelicall commands yet let them be accursed that so farre set at oddes Law and Gospel as either like Iewes doe reject the Gospel to defend the Law or like Familists renounce the Law to maintaine the Gospel Love and no Law is the lewd learning of our new Gospellers Duty say they is not worth the name of a Christian that must doe all of meere love Loose love that likes of nothing but free will offerings Such licences are not granted by Law or Gospel They both agree in the command of our lives and yeeld us liberty to obey no licence to live as wee list The Law will send us to Christ and the Christian being justied will be sent backe againe by the Gospel to walke unblameably by the Law Legall comminations follow our workes and curse us for our deedes but legall comminations follow our saith and where that is wanting tell us wee are condemned and as sure to goe to hell as if wee were there already Legall promises of life depend upon our merits and tell us we shall bee rewarded for our well-doing But Evangelicall promises depend upon our faith and Christs merit and tels us it shall be onely well with us in him Sinnes wee have against the Law and every booke intreats of them Sinnes wee have against the Gospel and it were well every Writer would in these dayes insist upon them J have ventured farre into their discourse and wish all Christians by the example of the Iewes in my Text to take heed of them There is one thing will bee admired at both for the Method and matter how J come to speake so much and in such a manner of the glorious kingdome of the blessed Trinitie My answer will be speedy having granted me the Commentary for my Text. The holy Ghost comes in the absence of Christ and by applying his redemption administers first in the kingdome of God taking possession of those subjects that God the Father hath chosen and whom JESVS Christ hath redeemed by his precious blood The Spirit workes for the Sonne and therefore returnes the Kingdome to him againe at his second comming The Son works for the Father and therefore so takes the Kingdome from the Spirit that in the end he gives it up to the Father for the full perfection of glory This mutuall working sends me in my discourse from one person to another and to all the world to let them see what may be gained or lost by obeying or disobeying the Gospell I have wondred in reading the most ancient Fathers what they meant by urging so frequently men to Martyrdome that they might not lose the honour of rising and reigning with Christ at his second appearing Surely they saw and beleeved that the Spirit of grace did not in vaine perswade them They shall have honour according to their hope and as above others they gave their lives for Christ so before others they seeme to live againe Rev 20.4 Let the meaning in that place be what it will for J will not determine thereof yet the age of the ten persecutions so conceived of it as by plentifull testimonies might appeare Jt is agreeable with Christs proceedings to honour them that honour him and as they are before others in their zeale and service so to be above others in their dignity and desert though not of merite and for their workes yet according to his mercy and their workes J could not well leave untouched with the comming of the holy Ghost upon Christs departure the returne of him againe and delivery up of all to the Father that the Family and Houshold in my Text might see their patience perfected in power and their power consummated in glory The Kingdome of God in the divers administrations of it will bee worthy the contemplation and Gods House shall bee most happy in their thoughts of it All their enemies most miserable in the losse and deprivation thereof Their ends shall be augmented in misery as many degrees as that Kingdome shall bee advanced in glory But J will stay my Reader no longer in the Preface but wish him good successe in the substance of that which followeth THE SAINTS Sufferings 1 PET. 4.17 For the time is come that judgement must beginne at the house of God and if it first beginne at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God WHen Samuel had finished his speech to Israel God himselfe secondeth the Prophet with a voyce from heaven and then the people tremble 1 Sam. 12.18 wee never have our hearers at an advantage till God make their eares to tingle with some judgement then they stoup with Samuel and say Speake Lord for
thy Servants heare The text I have now chosen toucheth upon the things which are both commoda and accommodata profitable and seasonable for these times wherein the house of God groaneth under affliction Two purgatories attend and waite upon Gods family in this world one of water another of fire and no sooner are Gods servants washed with the water of baptisme but presently they are cast into the fire of affliction and proved and tryed as gold Both are expressed in this Chapter the first to the 12. ver and the second from thence to the end That we may have the mind of Christ cease from sinne and live to the will of God the washing of the new birth is necessary only the second purgatory seemeth unquoth and strange that fyrie trialls should befall innocencie and the purity of Saints bee persecuted by sinners but the reasons of the Apostle will quiet this conceit and comfort them First with greater inward joy than any outward sorrow can command Vers 13. Secondly with a greater fulnesse of glory than any malice can obscure the very spirit of glory resteth upon them that the worst of tongues can never wipe off Vers 14. Thirdly with a better cause than contumelie can conquer Vers 15.16 Fourthly with a sweeter season than sorrowes can sowre Ver. 17. And this reason the text alledgeth out of which I will rayse these five propositions 1. God hath a house 2. God judgeth his house 3. God in judgeing makes Choyce of a fit time 4. God having a fit time doth but begin with his house 5. Where God begins to judge he makes there an end God hath a house The sense of this proposition is plainely and fully expressed in 1 Tim. 3.15 That thou maiest know how thou oughtest to behave thy selfe in the house of God which is the Church of the living God This house then is the Church a holy spirituall living and growing house 1. Pet. 2.5 Eph. 2.21 No house in the world that is honoured with these properties besides and therefore fittest for the holy spirituall and living God to dwell in Other houses are all materiall and corporall wherein God is neither included nor out of which he can be excluded in regard of his infinite essence though in the manifestation of his essence hee resideth ever in his Church after a transcendent manner Where shall a maister most delight to be but at home and what home hath God but his Church The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse of it but the Church is his speciall possession and the mansion of his glory The Church is Gods house because he is both owner and maker of it The Lord if you marke it is maister of his house not after the custome of men who first owne and then build for God should have nothing to owne did hee not first make Psal 100.3 He hath made us and not we our selves we are his people and the sheepe of his Pasture Beside this grand title God makes challenge to his Church by other rightfull claimes as election Amos 3.2 by redemption Tit. 2.14 Provision Psal 31.19.84.11 protection Isa 31.5 Vses in respect of the householder Vse 1. To cast our care upon God who being maister of his family will take care for it 1 Pet. 5.7 Casting presupposeth confidence for he that doubteth will scarce rest securely on God Like as a man that treadeth on the Ice and quaketh at the least cracking will bee loth to cast downe his body where he feareth to venture his foot But we need not be timorous when wee are to cast our care upon God but may trust him with our bodies and soules and then try him as the maister of that household whereof we are members Secondly It must also teach us holinesse for holinesse becommeth Gods house for ever Psal 93.5 Hence is it that the Lord lets the wicked lie uncleansed as habitations unfit for the majestie of heaven and therefore suffred to drop downe in their owne rottennesse and corruption but rather than his owne house should not be clensed hee himselfe will take his fanne and purge his sloore and handle the besome to sweep out every dirty and noysome corner yea hee will punish it that hee may refine and repaire it Isa 27.9 Our pollutions in this kingdome must have a sweeping for the Lord having begun with us if wee be his house hee will not give over untill hee hath searched every corner and hallowed us to his owne use Vses in respect of the family 1. It must perswade us to unity the very sight of two things in the house of God made Paul exceeding joyfull Col. 2.5 faith and order Faith makes fast God and his house so firme in societie that nothing can devide them Steadfastnesse of faith makes Gods house stand and rest immovable yet would it be as a confused heape if order should not beautifie it Order sets God in the family as Maister all other as servants and teacheth us hee must command and wee obey and happy is the family when it is so ordered True faith and right order are the two grounded pillars for this house to rest upon which reeleth and is ready to fall upon their first and least removall Wee must therefore take heed to the first and least disjoyning of these two admit error or evill in eyther and it will indanger the whole A house devided in it selfe cannot stand our devisions eyther in doctrine or discipline make a rent in the house of God By the one we weaken faith and by the other the beautie of order Peace which all men call for must bee grounded on these two pillars no truth no true peace no order no sure peace neyther is it enough to have them in the Lawes of the family but they must bee within even in the heart and soules of all those that will accord in one house Alas when we plead for peace wee observe not the rule Mar. 9.50 Have salt in your selves and peace one with another Vnseasoned and unsanctified men want the true ciment that should knit them into one building with the Saints of God As long as we are rotten within wee will rage without and cry out of the most innocent for the breach of peace Peace is lovely but where there wants the true love of God and his truth that sanctifieth the heart there is no roome for true concord The house of a wicked man saluted with peace repels it backe to him that offred it Math. 10.13 He must be a sonne of peace that will admit the salutations of Gods messengers Luk. 10.6 Filius Ecclesiae must be filius Dei He that is a stranger to the Lords tabernacle is most forward to disjoynt the frame of it and will prove in his maisters family that unruly servant that smites his fellow servants and first complaines of breach of peace Oh let truth and peace kisse each other and happy shall be the house of God Let every man say with David