already in the fourth verse should perish being fore-written to condemnation As if he should haue said God will giue iudgement to destruction against all vngodly men And of this number are these deceiuers Therefore they also shall perish and be damned This is the Apostles drift in the allegation of the prophecie Wherein to say nothing of the preface to it wee haue speech of the last generall iudgement ver 14. and of the ends of the Iudges comming ver 15. In the first the Apostle speaketh of the certaintie of the thing and with what solemnitie it shall be performed The ends of the Iudges comming are general surely as concerne the wicked first in their deeds whereof they shall be iudged and secondly in their words for which they shall giue answere In the certaintie of this last iudgement two things may bee considered as first who shall be Iudge the Lord and secondly the manner of propounding this iudgement in the word commeth Hee that is iudge is the Lord to wit the Lord Iesus Christ who shall hold the Court of assise in the clouds and cite all nations before him with the sound of the last trumpet Hee shall be iudge who is of pure eyes and cannot behold euill Habac. 1.13 Who iudgeth the world with righteousnesse and his people with equitie Psa 98 9. And who is gracious to his seruants and terrible to Sinners From whence this point is taught Doctr. that the day of the last iudgement is kept by Christ onely who will come both as a Sauiour and as a Iudge and in a day of as great ioy as may be and feare as euer was Christ himself saith the father iudgeth no man Ioh. 5.22 To wit directly but by the sonne to whom he hath committed all iudgement that is to whom onely he hath giuen the hearing of the last day Peter in his Sermon to Cornelius and his company saith as much saying that Christ is ordained of God a iudge of quicke and dead Act. 10.42 His meaning is it was the decree and will of God from eternitie that Christ properly should be iudge and that hee should condemne the world who was condemned in the world and saue his owne who died for his owne And the Apostle Paul charging Timothy by the charge of an adiuration to preach the word giueth him a commandement so to doe before God and before Iesus Christ whom he describeth by a proper effect which is that hee shall indge the quicke and dead at his appearing and in his kingdome that is in that day of his great glorie 2. Tim. 4.1 Also the same Apostle Paul telleth the men of Athens that God will iudge the world by that man to wit Christ God and Man whom hee hath appointed or whom by a decree elder then the world hee hath made iudge And hee saith the Apostle shall iudge the world in righteousnesse Act. 17.31 Others may sell iudgement but he wil giue true iudgement and execute iudgement with righteousnesse Quest You will say Must not the Father and holy Ghost be Iudges as well as Christ Answ I answere that iudgement is an action belonging to all the three persons in Trinitie but the execution of it is proper to the Sonne by whom the Father and holy Ghost doe iudge the world Quest But what say you to those places of Scripture where it is said that the Apostles shall sit vpon Thrones and iudge the tribes of Israel Mat. 19.28 and that the Saints shall iudge the world 1. Cor. 6.2 Answ I say that the authoritie of iudgement doth not belong either to Apostles or Saints and that in their manner of iudgement they resemble Iustices who at an assise are in a manner Iudges and yet giue no sentence but onely approue the sentence that is giuen The Iudges for the time haue the whole authoritie Iustices on the bench are but assistants and witnesses So here the definitiue iudgement is proper to Christ who is Iudge himselfe The Saints and Apostles are not Iudges but as Iudges hauing no voices of authoritie but of assent Thus it hath been shewed that Christ onely is iudge it must be further shewed that he is both a Sauiour and a Iudge Our conuersation saith the Apostle is in heauen He speaketh of himselfe and of the Saints whose conuersation and life is not carnall but spirituall And from thence we saith the same Apostle that is all the godly looke for the Sauiour meaning Christ the Lord who is a Sauiour to the righteous and a Iudge to the vngodly Phil. 3.20 Also the grace of God that hath appeared as the bright sunne-shine in our saluation teacheth vs to liue soberly righteously and godlily as they that looke for the appearing of their Sauiour Tit 2.13 that is for the comming of Christ who will saue his people and iudge the wicked and sinners So he is called the Sauiour of his bodie which is the church Ephes 5.23 because at the last day and at his last comming hee will come as a Sauiour to it as a Iudge to the enemies of it And that this will be a terrible day to the wicked and day of as great reiolcing to the righteous appeareth in Psal first verses 3. 4. Where that Prophet speaking of the different estates of the godly and sinners in their apparances at the great Sessions of the last iudgement saith that the leafe of the righteous shall not fade but the chaffe of the vngodly shall be driuen away Christ saith that it shall be a day of such tribulation to the vngodly men that their hearts shall faile them for feare when they thinke of it or looke after it Luke 21.26 But speaking of and to the righteous by shewing what manner day it shall bee to them hee biddeth them for the peace it bringeth and ioy it promiseth to all such to looke vp and to list vp their heads for it is the day of their redemption saith he draweth neere ver 28. And the Prophet Daniel aimeth at this where speaking of the diuers manners and ends of their rising who sleep in the dust of the earth saith that some shall awake to euerlasting life some to shame and perpetuall contempt Dan. 12.2 as if hee had said all the dead shall not haue a like resurrection for some shall be raised to life some to condemnation some shall haue a ioyfull some a dreadfull rising to some it shall be a bitter day to some their marriage day Ioh. 5.29 Thus the righteous shall reioice when hee seeth the vengeance Ps 58.10 But the strange children shall shrinke away and feare in their priuie chambers Ps 18.45 saying to the mountaines fall vpon vs and to the hils couer vs. The godly shall appeare with boldnesse comming before Christ who will be their aduocate not Iudge except to acquit them and to giue them the crowne of righteousnesse The wicked not so for the wicked shall not stand in iudgement nor sinners in the assemblie of the righteous
and wisely of our brother we may not iudge of the tree by the sappe neither may we iudge our brothers heart but must leaue that to his iudgment seat who knoweth it and the secretest walkes of it Neither is rash iudgement onely here forbidden but much more all lying iudgement as to say a man doth euill when he doth well or when he doth euill to say he doth worse then hee doth When a thing is doubtfull to take it in the worst part and when it is plaine to obscure it This meteth also with a kind of people who blow abroad vncharitably the faults which they should couer and haue their tongues alwaies vpon their neighbours sores setting their small faults vpon tenters and great vpon the stage of the wide world But the time that such spend in censuring of others they should bestow in amending of themselues remembring that they haue a Iudge and that that Iudge is the Lord who is full of eyes and lacketh not power to thrust into hell all such vsurping Iudges who speake cruelly and without respect either of their owne frailtie or their brothers amendment But more of this in the place thereof hereafter Here also they are reproued who giue a fauourable sentence not so much vpon euill doers as vpon their euill deedes calling their euill good Esa 5.20 For these doe not onlie preuent but flatly crosse Christs righteous iudgement Of these saith Salomon He that iustifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the iust euen they both are an abhomination to the Lord. And let them consider this who will be sure to speake for or to speake well of a wicked person or excuse him in his boldnesse with a lying tongue Men may commend such as charitable but God will condemne them as vnrighteous they may bee welcome to men but they are an abhomination to God You will say Christians must iudge charitably Charitably I grant but not falsely Charitie must neither bee too quicksighted nor blind And here wise iudgement is not forbidden but rash iudgement So much for the general end of Christs second comming the particular followeth And to rebuke all the vngodly among them c. The particular end of Christs comming concerneth the vngodly among men and that is to rebuke them to damnation and to set their doings in his angry countenance Where the Apostle setteth down two things as the forme of iudgement in the word rebuke or conuince and â—ow farre it exceedeth in the letter he speaketh of the persons who and the matters where of they shall be iudged The forme is by a iudgement of rebuke or conuiction wherein the Lord will proceede against all vngodly persons seuerely and terribly by his word and their owne consciences For God rebuketh two waies either in mercy when he correcteth his children Haâ— 3.2 or in iustice without mercie when he destroyeth his enemies Psal 6.1 Of the latter it is meant where it is said that the Lord will rebuke all the vngodly among men as if it had beene said he wil rebuke them to a perpetuall destruction or poure out his furie vpon them The doctrine here taught is The day of Christs comming against his enemies will be intollerable and full of wrath So the word sheweth whereby the Apostle doth expresse their igtollerable iudgement to come For he saith the Lord will rebuke Meaning that in his iudgement of rebuke he will reproue them by the booke of theirown wicked hearts which shall be so touched as it were opened euerie leafe of it and worke in it that all shall come forth Apoc 20.12 and they shall bee able to deny nothing that shall bee obiected against them and being thus laid open in their own consciences he will presently execute his fierce anger vpon them by punishing them with hell fire Esay the Prophet saith speaking of the Lords comming to iudgment against vngodly men that he will stretch out his hand as one that swimmeth his meaning is His iudgement shall so extend to them all that no one shall escape it Esay 25.11 Yea as an ouerflowing riuer so shall it be and shall goe ouer all their bankes and with such force break into their soules that they shall bee able no more to auoide this destruction of fire then the old world could that of the floud Esay 8.7.8 Now will not this be an intollerable iudgement that thus shal single out euery vngodly sinner as it were by the Pole to perishment It shall not be auoided and it cannot be abidden so terrible to all the Lords enemies shall the Lords comming be But this is set downe more fully by Saint Mathew where shewing how Christ in his last iudgement shall seperate his own people from strangers as a Shepheard separateth the sheepe from the goates he saith he will call to saluation the righteous whom therefore hee will set on the right hand of his fauour but for the wicked whom therefore he will set as on his left hand before the face of his rebuke in all their sinnes hee will in the chiding voice of that his last iudgement send them from his own comfortable presence to haue company with the Diuell his Angels of darknes in the lowest hels The words are Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Diuell and his Angels Math. 25.41 One writing vpon these words doth thus amplifie As if the damned should say Lord let vs be in thy presence though vnworthy to sit downe vpon seates in thy kingdome No saith the Lord but depart from me that is out of my sight and presence for euer Yet say the damned if thou put vs out of thy sight blesse vs before we goe Gen. 27.38 No saith the Lord but depart yee cursed And must wee goe with a curse say the damned yet send vs into some place of ease and comfort No saith the Lord but goe into a lake of fire Yet let this fire haue an end might the damned say No saith the Lord but goe into euerlasting fire If wee must depart into euerlasting fire might the damned say yet let vs haue some good company there No saith the Lord but goe into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Diuell and his Angels hauing the Prince of Diuels for your King and the rest of the Diuels for your companions And thus after this second Noah hath blessed the seed of the righteous as is said before in this Chapter vers 34. he will curse all the Chams of the earth Gen. 9.24 And now that the blessing is past which not Iacob alone but the seede of Iacob hath gotten though they would say with Esau yet blesse vs euen vs also before we goe hence they shal heare not from Isaac but from him that is iudge in the clouds who hauing made an end of blessing shall say Iacob haue I blessed and hee shall be blessed the godly are with me and shall euer remaine with mee but for you the workers of iniquitie
daies long continue wherein charity is waxen so cold and faith so scant In men there is not the mercy that hath beene No man almost will speake in a good cause without a fee and without a gift in the hand there is no hearing for it Sinne ranckleth in the bosome and ratleth in the bones of the inueterate adulterer The aged drunkard pleadeth vnto and prescribeth for his sinne wrong sentence is good iudgement in some earthly courts And men hold their peace of these things but will God doe so will not he speake will he keepe silence for euer will he not by the writ of his last great sessions remoue all these matters to his owne court of audience shortly Let vs not therefore too much presume or thinke that God is like vs because he holdeth his tongue while we doe such things for he will reproue vs and set them in order before vs. Ps 50.21 But must a iudgement bee Vse 3 Let vs then while we are here vse all good meanes for abating the edge and seueritie of this iudgement toward our selues And that we may not enter vpon the sharpe of it it shall bee good to practise that lesson of the Apostle where hee telleth vs that if wee would iudge our selues we should not be iudged 1. Cor. 11.31 As if he should haue said if we would examine our selues of our sinnes confesse them before God the Iudge giue sentence against them or as a iudge vpon the bench condemn them and our selues for them wee should not come into condemnation Or if we would iudge our selues God would not iudge vs and if wee would condemne our selues God would deliuer vs. For wee shall not receiue a double iudgement nor double sentence from him that iudgeth righteously When Dauid iudged himselfe God forgaue him 2. Sa. 12.13 When Iob confessed against himselfe God accepted him Iob. 42.6.8 and when the lost sonne came vnto himselfe the father presently receiued him Luk. 15.17.18.19 20. So shall it be with vs in the day of Christ if we will accordingly humble our selues in our day With earthly Iudges the more is confessed by a malefactor the worse it may be for him but so is it not with Christ the Iudge For the more wee aggrauate our faults the more will he lessen them the more wee lay vpon them the more will hee take from them the more wee mislike them the lesse will hee iudge them Let vs learne then to auoide the common fashion and errour of the world in lessening hiding excusing and iustifying of our faults because wee would not bee shamed nor condemned here For here we must be ashamed if hereafter wee would not take shame and here we must be condemned if hereafter we would not bee condemned of the Lord. And better now suffer a little that is in this life then after it suffer with sinners in torments and woe endlesse So much for the certaintie of the iudgement it followeth to shew with how great a traine and solemnitie it shall be performed With thousands of Saints c. Or with his holy thousands These thousands of Christ are the royall hoast of his Angels and the glorious company of his Saints all which shall attend their Lord vnto iudgement The meaning is that Christ shall bee brought with great glorie and attendance to the throne of his last Sessions The doctrine is Doctr. The second comming of Christ shall be manifest and will bee glorious Daniel the Prophet hath a singular place for this purpose where speaking of God the Father Christ his Sonne and of their state and magnificence which was that they sate in thrones shining bright like the flame of a fornace and therefore called thrones of fire the wheeles of which were as burning fire Dan. 7.9 He saith that the ancient of daies meaning Christ who is the same and his yeares shall not faile Heb. 1.12 sate on his throne where thousand thousands ministred vnto him and ten thousand thousands stood before him or attended vpon him ver 10. al which is spoken to shew with what a Court of attendance and traine of glorie Christ shall as it were bee brought to the hall and iudgement place at the last great day And further to make manifest so solemne a Session it is added that the bookes shall be opened meaning chiefely by these bookes as Saint Iohn doth Apoc. 20.12 the booke of Life which is the booke of the law written and the booke of conscience in euery mans heart The booke of the law sheweth what we should haue done and the booke of conscience what we haue done And against these there is no exception For the booke of the law is a booke of commandements that are all holy and righteous Psal 19.9 And the booke of conscience a booke of euidence that cannot lie He that is iudged by it is iudged by a booke that was euer in his owne keeping and is written with his own hand and how can that bee falsified For God will iudge no man by another mans conscience but by his own So manifest and glorious shall Christs comming be Saint Paul speaking of this second comming of Christ sheweth that it shall be manifest For hee saith it shall be with a shout 1. Thes 4.16 Meaning by it aloud and vehement crie such as Mariners nake who doing some businesse in the ship make a very strong and common shout And this is further shewed by that which followeth of the trumpet the shrillest and lowedest of all musicall instruments The Euangelists speaking of the same comming of Christ vnto iudgement say it shall bee glorious There words are The Sonne of Man shall come in his glorie and all the holy Angels with him Mat. 25.31 Mar. 8.38 Mat. 16 27. Or the Sonne of Man shall come in a cloud with power great glorie Luk. 21.27 Their meaning is that as at the setting forth of his Gospell all the hoast of heauen did assist him so comming to reuenge and visit for the contempt of that same Gospell all his Saints Angels and seruants shall attend vpon him As therfore earthly Iudges are brought with great pompe and terrour to the hall or place of sitting the Sheriffe the Iustices and many other gentlemen attending them to the court and the halbards going before So here the sonne of God the great Iudge is said to come with his holy thousands whose Sheriffe is powers principalities thrones and dominions whose followers are the Patriarkes and Prophets with the twelue Apostles and with Disciples innumerable whose guard are the Angels and not a few bil-men whose troupes are the blessed Martyrs the fourtie and foure thousand who haue his fathers name written in their forheads Apoc. 14.1 Whose throne is of fire and seate of burning Iasper whose garments are not of scarlet but of vengeance whose head is like wooll and feete like vnto sine brasse and voice as the sound of many waters Apoc. 1.13.14 15. Thus shall his comming be manifest and thus
bee without their honour whom Christ will bring with him and whom hee will make to sit with him on thrones in the ayre The Iudges of assise haue much honour And therefore the Iustices that sit with them sit downe on an honourable bench So Christ being exalted Shall not his Saints reioice When Dauid was made King all Dauids children sate neere the throne though not in the throne His sonnes were the kings sonnes and the posteritie he had the Kings children Thus Dauids honour honoured those that come of him And such honour haue all the Saints Such Nay greater For they all are Kings all sit on thrones who come with Christ 1. Cor. 6.2 More is spoken of this in the next doctrine But the Saints are a part of Christs company attendance that is he will bring them with him when hee commeth to giue iudgement against the world of the vngodly Doctr. From whence we learne that the faithull though despised here shall haue the honour from Christ at his comming to bee companions with him in the last Sessions This is the prerogatiue of the Saints and their proper glorie They shall meet Christ in the clouds and raigne with him for euer in heauenly places When the wicked shall stand vpon the earth as vpon a burning floore the fire flaming high about their cares they shall bee receiued into fellowship with Christ and then shall the iudgement begin The Prophet aimed at this Psa 50.4 5 who speaking of this great day of the Lords comming sheweth whom the Lord would call vnto it either to stand before him as witnesses or to be ioined with him as companions The witnesses are heauen and earth They whom Christ will haue in company with him are the Saints And therefore hee saith Gather my Saints together vnto mee Psal 50.5 Math. 24.31 As if hee had said Let heauen and earth come to iudgement but let my elect come to the bench And Dauid speaking of the Saints glorified doth not set them in the outward courts of Gods house but in the presence Psal 16.11 In thy presence saith hee that is in place where thou art This is resembled in the Lambes standing on mount Sion and in those hundred fourtic and foure thousand that were with him hauing his fathers name written in their forheads Apoc. 14.1 For by the Lamb is meant Christ and by the hundred fourty and foure thousand the company of the Saints who shall be with Christ So in the Virgens that went to meete the Bridegroome Math. 2â— 1 But more specially in those who being ready when the Bridegroome went in went in with him to the wedding ver 10. But the Apostle S. Paul speaketh plainely and not in a figure where speaking of the great honour that the Saints shall haue in the sight of the damned he saith They shall be caught vp in the cloudes and meet Christ in the aire 1. Thes 4 17. And addeth So they shall euer be with the Lord. The meaning is and it is as if he had said they shall neuer be strangers but companions Christ himselfe hath said it who speaking to his Disciples and in them to the rest of the thousands of his Saints that haue followed him in the regeneration promiseth that they shall sit on seats or rather on glorious thrones Math. 19.28 Luc. 22.30 Now he is faithfull who hath promised and will surely doe it Therefore shall the righteous abide with Christ for euer The reasons The Saints are Christs seruants Now where the Master is there must the seruants bee that waite vpon him Ioh. 12.26 nay they are Christs friends Ioh. 15.5 and where should a friend be but in the presence of his friend or they are Christs court Therefore where he is there must they be for where the King is there the court is And they be more then of his court for they are of his court and counsell too Ioh. 15.15 And so Christs presence is not only where they are as the Kings is at court but they be his counsell-table or court of power wherein he sitteth gloriously as the King in his throne Secondly and to reason from the lesse to the greater If a good Master will preferre his good followers when himselfe is preferred Christ being so highly exalted in glorie will much more honour those thousands that haue beene of his company and attendance here And so they who haue had fellowship with Christ in his afflictions shall haue fellowship with him in his glorie and they who haue suffered with him shall raigne with him 2. Tim. 2.12 Thirdly Luc. 12.32 this is the hope of the faithfull and shall the hope and patient abiding of the faithfull deceiue them Vse 1 This teacheth the righteous to beare the iniuries of the world quietly and willingly For the day will come when their persecutors shall be troden downe to hell and second death and they presently receiue the crowne of their sufferings who haue suffered for Christ Here hee that refraineth from euill maketh himselfe a prey Esa 59.15 and it is safer to doe wrong then to complaine of an iniury we but let me not too much discourage Gods children for that which is thus and so here shall bee contrary hereafter when the Lord shall requite the furie of his aduersaries with a recompence verse 18. then they who here despised the righteous mans life will say that they whom they thought to bee fooles and their end without honour are now counted among the children of God and their portion among the saints Wisd 5.4.5 what though the companions of the diuell set themselues as in battell array against those whom it pleaseth Christ in a gracious fellowship thus to call his and the companions of his comming after a while they shall be gathered to Christ and be free from all wrongs of men and at Christs comming see the iust iudgement and vengeance of all those who cruelly hurt them themselues sitting on the bench and giuing a kind of iudgement against them with Christ and the thousands that are with him But shall the Saints be in company with Christ at his comming Vse 2 and bee made a part of his attendance Then let vs consider our high calling and not company with sinners that must haue fellowship with Christ We cannot alway auoide those that be such yet we must in affection seperate from them when we cannot in place and not delight to sit down with them on one stoole There is a large fellowship of men in the world whose whole studies and desires are bent to passe the time in drinking gaming rioting and other beastly exercises and hee that will not be combined in fellowship with such loose mates is counted no bodie but Gods children and they who meane to haue fellowship with Christ must abhorre this vngodly fellowship of lewd men and not haue one purse or communion with them who beleeue the communion of saints not communion of light with such darknesse Prou. 1.14 2.
him but deale kindly with him nor run from him but towards him to bid him welcome not to bid him be gone Luc. 15.11 c. His very miserie was sufficient matter to worke vpon his fathers heart would not this ouercome a man the Lord is kinder to vs and how can we setting him before vs in so great loue but breake of the course of sinne and with a yeeding heart returne to our father Fourthly we must set the Lord before vs in his prouidence not onely generall to all but particular to vs which being well considered must needs doe something with vs for a better course For who will not seeke to please him or her vpon whom he must rely for al the turnes of life Seeing then wee depend on God for all things and that our life is at his only pleasure who breath in the aire of his mercies how can we thinke of this and thinke indeed and earnestly thereof and not striue to obey him in his word of whose prouidence we moue and haue beeing Acts 17.28 Fiftly and lastly for it were infinite to speake of all we must set the Lord before vs in Christ in whom he so loued vs not then friends but enemies Ro. 5.8.10 that he gaue his Son to death for vs Ioh. 3.10 Now what enemie will not bee reconciled and dearely loue him who shall but offer to die for him Christ died and made not an offer onely to die for vs and is not this sufficient beeing well and deepely thought of to reconcile vs to God by submission to Christ by spirituall life By all this wee may easily iudge why God is so little regarded among vs. Vse For we set him seldome before vs and as seldom we appeare before him rather we say Depart from vs wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies Iob. 21.14 So did Dauids enemies of whom hee maketh complaint in diuers Psalmes For he saith they sought not God and which made them more securely to doe euill they thought there was no God And after he giueth this for a reason of their so desperate and bold madnesse The iudgements of God were high aboue their sight that is they set them so farre off that they neuer looked after them nor did remember them Ps 10.4.5 Further speaking of strangers that rose vp against him and of tyrants that sought his life that which made them so cruell as he saith was they set not God before them Ps 54.3 86.14 God was not in their thoughts nor the feare of God before their eies therefore they kept no measure in sinning Let vs for our selues remember this who haue the Lord set before vs in the preaching of the Gospell euerie sabbath day Let vs remember him in his Sonne and not forget him in his iudgements specially in his last iudgement The end of our daies and the beginning of that draweth on the Sun is long since past the meredian line and death we know will not be answered with an I pray thee haue mee excused Luc. 14.19 Let vs not therefore put off till the flood come not of waters but of insufferable fire or till the Lord come with deuouring fire and with his tempest of the last iudgement to kindle it Let vs rather frame that course for our selues now that hereafter may proue in our dying houre or at this worlds last houre an arke for our bodies and a tabernacle for our soules If we would set the word before vs or God in it we should see our dangerous waies and by so cleare a light better direct our steppes Ps 119.105 If we would well remember Gods prouidence ouer vs and care for vs we should not doe as we haue done we would beare euils more patiently and doe euill more vnwillingly seeing whatsoeuer commeth to vs commeth by his appointment and whatsoeuer euill is done against him by vs is done against his bounties and loue And if we would set him before vs in Christ how could we sinne against the sacrifice of such a Redeemer or if we wold set Christ before vs in that day wherein this world that must be destroied shall crackle about our cares being all on fire and the large Ierusalem of the earth be brought downe by him who will send forth his voice and that a mighty voice Ps 50.3.4 how little would we regard the short and deare-prized pleasures of this our momentany and fading life But because God is so farre out of our sight and so late in our hearts therefore doe offenders so multiplie among vs and sinne so abound that the regions begin to grow white and we cannot but thinke that the Angell will shortly thrust in his sicle Men are at no paines and bestow no care in Gods seruice Men are mercilesse without naturall affection false accusers and despisers of them which are good 2. Tim. 3.3 Men want faith and some goe cleane against it both in word and in bookes written Sin is full ripe now which in our fathers daies was but greene in the eare and iniquitie that then stroue with righteousnesse hath now gotten the vpper hand what doe all these shew but that God is forgotten and that the fearefull God is cast behind vs in this age of so great liberty and fulnes of sinne The Lord giue vs the due consideration of these things pardon our great sinnes for his owne great names sake to whom be praise and glory for euer The end of the third sermon THE FOVRTH SERMON IVDES Epistle verses 14.15 Vers 14 Behold the Lord commeth with thousands of Saints Vers 15. Togiue iudgment vpon all men and to rebuke all the vngodly among them of all their wicked deeds which they haue vngodlily committed and of all their cruell speakings which wicked sinners haue spoken against him THis prophecy was ancient for he to whom this testimonie is ascribed was the seuenth from ADAM And it is like it either passed as Enocks from hand to hand by tradition or was found in the daies of the Apostles extant in some booke bearing Enochs name For the Iewes had some vnwritten truths which were profitable and good for instruction and yet were not made articles or rules of faith to saluation This prophecie of Enochs and testimonie of Iudes might bee one yet was it as common water till it passed through the sanctuarie Ezech. 47.1 Till the Apostle Iude or the holy Ghost by him set it down in scripture it was to be receiued but as other truths which are to haue their allowance from the booke of faith But now that the Lord hath brought it into his treasurie among the other golden plates which beare for letters of credence the stampe of his Spirit wee must take it for his owne coine and sacred metall distinguishing it from baser metall that hath receiued but common impression and is marked with the finger of man That which the Apostle would proue by this testimoniâ— is that those seducers of Gods people of whom he had spoken
Psal 1.5 Thus the doctrine standeth fast being proued in euery part particularly Other reasons may be giuen for further illustration The reasons And first there is great reason that Christ should be Iudge himselfe For he alone is the Sauiour and therefore he alone must be Iudge He that saueth his elect must condemne the world Secondly he is the head of his Church to saue it from harmes and to wring out the dregs of his wrath vpon their heads that harme it Eph. 5.23 Esa 63.1.2.6 And how can he thus deliuer his Church if he be not her Sauiour and thus be reuenged on his Churches enemies if he be not there Iudge Thirdly it shall be a day of ioy vnspeakable to the godly and of terrour importable to the wicked For the godly shall meet the Lord in the 2 1. Thes 4.17 aire The fornace that is appointed to purge the world and to consume sinners shall haue no power ouer such nor the smell of it come vpon them Dan. 3.27 The Iudge will be their Sauiour The witnesses the Angels the Saints and the great inquest of all the creatures will cleere them And who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Rom. 8.33 The things that they shall be iudged off are condemned in Christ and the sting of conuiction is departed from them to his death who hath conquered all the power of the enemie The tribunall that face of it that is toward them shall put off feare and become a session-house of mercie and of plentifull redemption The sentence pronounced shall send them to their houses of ioy and blisse endlesse and their father will giue them the kingdome Luc. 12.32 But as the godly shal thus heare a most blessed sentence of absolution so the wicked shall then heare their iust sentence of seperation from God Where all things shall make them to melt away with an horrible dread and minister great matter of all feare and terrour in that day For first it shall be a most fearefull thing to see and consider the number of them without number that shall run hither and thither to hide themselues in the holes of the earth The place ground on which they must stand will be fearefull for it shall be all on a flaming fire The Iudge will be fearefull for God is Iudge himselfe The things that they shall be iudged off will be fearefull for their secret and darke vngodlinesse shall then euerie thought of it come to light and be iudged in the sight of fire in the sight of water in the sight of Angels in the sight of all the elements in the sight of men and presence of God the Iudge of quicke and dead on whose head are many crownes and who is clothed with a garment dipt in blood Apoc. 19.11.13 The witnesses will be fearefull which will be their owne griping conscience and Gods all-seeing prouidence the accusing Angels their offended brother and millions of creatures abused by them The bench will be fearefull for it shall be to them a tribunall of iudgment without mercie The sentence will be if any thing most fearefull as that which shall proceed against al vnrighteous persōs in the fearefull forme Go ye accursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuil and his Angels And the fire that to which they are appointed shall haue no end of feare For this fire is a far other thing then the fire of the chimney the fire of Gehenna then materiall fire The vses of this point concerne the godly and sinners Vse 1 It is comfortable to the godly that Christ shall be Iudge and they who haue followed him in the regeneration may lift their head to their redemption at hand when he commeth who will iudge his people with equitie that is with sauour For he must be Iudge who hath communicated to all his seruants the sweete and louing names of his a Mar. 33. mother sisters brethren b Cant. 4.9 10.11.12 spouse c Iohn 15.14.15 friends Now we are his mother if we beare him in the wombe of our hearts by faith as Marie bore him in the wombe of her bodie And we are his brethren and sisters if we loue him as brethren and cherish him as sisters in his weake and despised seruants among vs. And if we keepe our selues to him alone by matrimoniall faithfulnesse we are his spouse wife And we are his friends if we doe whatsoeuer he command vs. We being these and doing thus what need we feare for if we be his mother may we not come to him with as great boldnesse and expectation of successe as did Bath-sheba to Salomon the naturall mother to her Sonne 1. King 2.19 If we be his spouse shall we feare to make him our Iudge who is one with vs in spirituall marriage and by the espousall of faith our husband and friend or will one kind brother feare to make another his Iudge Can he condemne vs to death who hath redeemed vs from death eternall He is our Iudge who also is our aduocate at his fathers right hand and maketh intercession for vs. Art thou afraide that thy Iudge will be vnmercifull O what a vaine feare is that seeing he is thy Iudge who condemned himselfe to saue thee from iudgement who emptied himselfe for thy filling bestowed and spent himselfe for thy restoring and gaue his life which passed out at all the gates of his bodic for the life of thy soule Can the sentence be sharpe that commeth from the throne of grace in the hand of a Redeemer from whom commeth saluation or will he who stood at the barre to deliuer vs go vp to the bench and sit downe in the throne to condemne vs Rom. 8.1 or shall we feare any longer when our aduocate is made our Iudge And when he who came to saue vs may saue or condemne But shall Christ bee iudge Vse 1 The other was not more comfortable to the Saints then this shall bee terrible to vngodly sinners For what a hart-breaking will it bee to the wicked and death beyond all kindes of death temporall to see him who is their chiefe enemie in chiefe place What comfort can it bee to a couetous man or woman to be iudged by him for auarice who limited all his cares to the present day and spake so much earnestly against the morrowes care Or to a proud person to haue him his Iudge who humbled himselfe as a child being God of maiestie and set the low doore of humilitie before the courts of his fathers house Or to fleshly persons to appeare at his barre of iudgement whose whole life was lead in temperance and commandement was that we should be sober Or to Whoremongers and Adulterers whom God will iudge Heb. 13.4 to receiue sentence of death or absolution from his mouth who himselfe was born of a pure Virgin and hath those for his followers who were not defiled with women Apoc. 14.4 Or to the vnmercifull to be
Cor. 6.14 Or shal they sit on the throne of iniquity who must sit on thrones with Christ And make a league with the world who must iudge it and the Angels 1. Cor. 6.2.3 That is shall they now iustifie the world with their talke and conuersation who must hereafter condemne it and the hels of the diuels with the sentence of their mouth and sinceritie of their waies That holy Author of the 119. Psalme had an eye to this blessed hope of being one of Christs attendants hereafter and therfore would not be for all companies but professed himselfe a companion onely to such as feared God and kept his lawes Psal 119.62 He would not hazard his fraile pot-shard vpon the rocke of euill company for any thing And wherefore did Dauid hate the assembly of the euill and not company with the wicked Psal 26.5 but because hauing fellowship with God he feared to haue any fellowship with Gods enemies and was perswaded that as God will not take a wicked man by the hand Iob 8.20 so none of Gods company should Also he was loth to make them his companions on earth of whom he could haue no hope that they should bee his companions in heauen Let them consider this who cast in their lots with a wicked generation for their ends in the flesh and mingle heauen and earth together in a sociâ—tie whereof wee may say the head is gold but the legges are yron and the seete stand vpon clay Dan. 2.33 I speake to the faithfull whom I would not haue to goe out of the world to auoide the wicked that are in it but entreat by the tender mercies of God to be as carefull as they can to auoide them and their assembly and if they must vse them for necessitie not to vse them as companions neither to draw with them in any yoke of affection but rather to draw back when the wicked are in place A comfort to the godly Vse 3 whom the wicked thrust out of their company and would thrust out of the world because of their conscience to God For though they bee not accepted where euill men beare sway which is no disparagement to them but glorie nor losse but gaine Yet they are esteemed of the good and admired of the euill though not followed of them Or doe the wicked hate them They shall loose nothing by such hatred for God good men will loue them Will not the vnrighteous haue any fellowship with them It is the better for them For they are in lesse danger of corruption and more possibilitie of grace And where men that be euill auoide them Christ and his thousands will stick vnto them Those worthies of whom we reade in the eleuenth to the Hebrewes were vilely and cruelly dealt with in the world But what saith the text The world was not worthy of them Heb. 11.36.37.38 The wicked drâ—ue them out of their companies by sharpe persecution into deserts and mountaines and holes of the earth But they were worthy and had farre better company hauing a kinde of fellowship with Christ and all the Saints that were gone before them ver 40. So for the faithfull that now liue if the vngodly make no more of them then of the filth of the world the of-scouring of all things 1. Cor. 4.13 It is because they are good to liue among them and too precious to be cast before Swine that so tread them vnder foote and rent them Mat. 7.6 And where they say Away with such fellowes from the earth Act. 22.22 Christ will in his time take them from the earth by a blessed sweet death to haue fellowship with him his thousands Wherfore let vs comfort one another with these sayings 1. Thes 4.18 A comfort against death Vse 4 or instruction not to feare death but rather to long for the houre of our happy death by which we shall haue so great preferment as to bee with Christ and his Saints Wee desire and greatly affect earthly preferments and shall this prerogatiue of the Saints get from vs so small affections and weake desires Shall wee not rather preferre to our chiefe ioy not Ierusalem onely the Church of Christ but Christ himselfe the head of his owne Church that he may be honoured in vs in the thousands of his Saints Againe if we be hated in a place we will long to goe out of it to a place where we know or hope to bee otherwise and better regarded Here the true Christian is hated for the name of Christ that hee loueth and few places shall he come into where the good course hee followeth and the profession hee is of is not spoken against What comfort then can we haue to remaine in the Meshech of those assemblies where such haters of God be Psal 120.5 And what great comfort must it needs be to him to remoue to that place and glorie where all loue the Lord Iesus with all their hearts which place is heauen and glorie in heauen and not in these tents of Kedar Therefore that wee may comfortably looke for this day of the Lord or day of our remouing to him and to the company of all his thousands Let vs loue the appearing of Christ here loue to goe out with the Saints to meete him in Christian assemblies loue his truth and brethren with all our hearts and decline the waies of the wicked that wee may escape their iudgement So much for the iudgement it selfe the ends of the Iudge his comming follow To giue indgement vpon all men c. Verse 15. The ends of Christs comming are to iudge generally all men particularly all vngodly men The generall is of good and bad the particular here mentioned is of bad onely The good shall receiue a sentence but it shall be of absolution the bad shall haue their iudgement but it shall bee of rebuke For the first which is the iudgement that concerneth all men it administreth this doctrine Doctr. That there must be an vniuersall iudgement or iudgement of all men iust and vniust So the Apostle S. Paul speaketh where he saith wee must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ He saith we that is the righteous and all that is both godly and sinners must appeareâ— and not by their Attourney but in their own persons No mans absence shall be excused by securitie or baile neither will any caution be receiued for an after-comming For the Apostle doth not say wee must appeare hereafter but wee must appeare that is presently appeare and without delay before Christ the iudge Saint Mathew saith that all nations shall bee gathered before him Mat. 25.32 His meaning is that in euery nation euery man Ioh. 5.28.29 woman little child high low poore and rich shall personally be cited to iudgement by the voice of the Sonne of God in the ayre But shall they be cited and shall they not come The Euangelist saith they shall bee gathered that is they shall not
chuse but come And the Euangelist Iohn the third witnesse of this truth vnto vs saw this in a vision wrote it in a booke His words are And I saw the dead both great and small stand before God Apoc. 20.12 Not some dead but all the dead little and great And they were iudged Not some men but euerie man according to his workes ver 13. But shall the dead onely stand before Christ not they who shal be found aliue at his comming Yes euen they shall stand before Him and the elect then aliue shall come vp vnto him 1. Thes 4.16 The elect shall be with him in the Mount the wicked and sinners shall stand at the foote of the hill The reasons First euerie thought and worke must bee brought into iudgement Eccles 12.14 11.9 and if euery secret thing and worke then the persons out of whose hearts those thoughts came and in whose hands those workes were must be iudged Secondly among the sonnes of Adam some are gold and they must be purged and some drosse and they must be burnt vp with the fire of the Lords comming Here goates and sheepe feede together as in one common pasture and here tares and wheat grow vp together as in one common field But when they come to the fold the Porter of heauen not Peter but Christ will open the doore of life to his sheepe and open hell for damned goates and reprobates and when they come to the haruest the Master of the field will command his Reapers the Angels to gather the wheate of his election into his garner but for the chaffe of his wrath he will scatter it with the wind of his iudgement and burne it vp with the vnquenchable fire of hell Math. 3.12 13.30 It is necessary therefore for the triall of euery mans worke and person that there should be a generall iudgement and a generall appearing at it Thirdly it is more for the glory of God and the solemnitie of the day that all without exception shall be cited to it and be present at it It is more to the glorie of God for then the glory of his iustice shall more appeare in the reprobation of sinners and the glorie of his grace be more and more gloriously manifest in the saluation of his people And for that daies magnificence what can be imagined to make it more solemne stately and glorious then to haue all countreyes tongues and kindreds of the earth to come together to it for what a great day will that be and how full of maiestie beautie and honour when the whole world shall appeare together at once that is at one session and iudgement If a King should marrie his eldest sonne and bid many Kings and some Emperours to the marriage would not that be a great marriage but at the day of Christs marriage wherein he shall be eternally espoused to his Church all the world shall be present all Kings and Emperors that euer were shall be at it some as guests to honour it some as enemies to be driuen from it Math. 22.11.13 Quest But if the godly shall be iudged and if all persons both the godly and sinners shall and must appeare before Christ in iudgement how is it true that the Saints shall come with Christ and that no iudgement shall passe by Christ against the saints and why doth Saint Iohn say that he who beleeueth in the Sonne shall not come into iudgement Ioh. 3.18 For answere I say that Answ though all persons must come vnto iudgement yet the righteous onely shall stand in the iudgment Ps 1.3 and with boldnesse before Christ the Iudge Luc. 21.36 who therefore shall receiue sentence with them not as the wicked against them and here the sentence of come yee blessed not the wofull sentence of goe ye cursed into euerlasting fire Math. 25.34.41 where it is said that he who beleeueth shall not come into iudgement the meaning is and so our bookes haue it into iudgement of condemnation Quest Answ But the text hath against all men I answere the me anng is and the greeke preposition may well be rendred vpon all men and so the last translated Bible copie hath it Will Christ giue iudgement vpon all men Vse 1 good and bad then the bodies of all men that sleepe in the dust good or bad must be raised For if they be not raised how shall they be iudged or shall they be iudged in their soules onely then not men but the soules of men onely are to be iudged This point of the resurrection is a point or article of faith to saluation wherein we professe to beleeue by the scriptures that when the soule goeth out of the bodie to rest or paine the bodie it selfe is laid in some graue till the day come wherein the Lord Iesus will raise it by his voice in an Archangell either to eternall happinesse or to eternall miserie I speake of the soules going out of the body For some haue thought that the soules of men which die not are kept in still within the body that dieth as in a sleepe or swoune till the last day But we reade to the contrarie in the word of God as of soules vnder the altar not still in the body and of crying soules not of soules asleepe or soules in a traunce Apoc 6.9 So Lazarus soule was carried to heauen Therefore not least in the bodie but taken out of the bodie Luc. 16.22 Other groser opinions of the soules estate after death I leaue to the Mowles and to the Backes from which they came Esa 2.20 My purpose being to speake of the bodies estate as it shall be at the last day not of the soules as it is at the day of our death And here for the resurrection of bodies which we beleeue with all the true Churches of Christ Satan hath raised some in all ages to cauill against it or flatly to denie it For all haue not altogether denied it who were enemies to it as Himineus and Philetus who granted there was a resurrection but said it was past 2. Tim. 2.17.18 And the Sadduces did not generally resist it but had their false glosses and diuers interpretations of it Indeed the Stoikes and Epicures among the Philosophers were peremptorie adâ—ersaries to it Act. 17.18 and Libertines among Christians doe in their liues denie it But the truth of it shineth brighter in scripture and reason then that it can be darkned by any cloude how blacke soeuer of humane opposition Iob saith that after the wormes haue done with his bodie yet euen in that bodie he shall see God Iob. 19.26 Ezechiel foresheweth the bringing againe of the people out of captiuitie vnder an excellent figure of the rising and restoring of our flesh at the last day Ezech. 37.5.6 as if he should haue said He that can restore flesh and breath to rotten bones can restore the Israelites to their country Esay speaketh plaine of this matter saying Thy dead men
And if for should it not much concerne vs without putting off presently to turne vnto God presently to repent and beleeue the Gospell and presently to enter into and keepe the way of truth and vertue which are so seldome birds in our dayes A terrour to all the enemies of Christ Vse 2 who wil not haue him to raigne ouer them For now the Kings writs come forth for the execution of all vngodly men and of such he will say at his second comming bring them hither and slay them before mee Luk. 19.27 Then shall Kings be bound in chaines and the Nobles that would not be linked to Christ in linkes of yron till the appointed vengeance come And when that time is come the King will say Executioners doe your offices Bind these Kings and these great men binde them hand and foote that they may neither defend themselues nor flye and cast them into vtter darknesse that if they would flye they may not know whether to flye in the darke Mat. 22.13 They haue had their time and this is mine Men durst not rebuke them but I will rebuke them in iudgement And not them onely but all the vngodly of the earth This is my great day wherein I will burne with the fire of rebuke and perpetuall torment with the intolerable fire of hell all mine enemies Thus Christ will rebuke all the vngodly among men when hee sendeth the damned to their owne place At his comming when hee shall put on these garments of rebuke hee will sharpely reproue the world with a fire burning before him At mignight shal a cry be made by the voice of an Angell and trumpet of God Mat. 15 6. Now canst thou heare a sudden and long crie of fire fire at midnight and not be afraid Thou wilt be worse afraid if the fire shall be in thine own house and worse then that if it shall burne in the timber and along the floore of thy bed chamber But the vngodly shal suddenly and wofully heare a greater cry and cry of greater feare For the fire of hell and not the bare crie of fire shall be in their eares and begin to kindle in their bodies at their first rising out of their graues They shall see heauen and earth burning before their eyes and the chambers of their graues all on a fire They shall see the fire about them and flames of euer-burning fire ready to enter into them to torment them day and night So terrible shall this day of rebuke be to sinners and vngodly men And shall not the expectation of all this make the vnrighteous to melt with feare If the downefall of two or three houses can giue such a cracke what a terrible cracke and great burst will the heauens aire sea and all the elements with all the buildings and houses of this large and great frame make when they shall all runne togither like a scroule in the fire Therefore if wee would not haue this cry at midnight to condemne vs let vs now in this mid-day of the Gospell heare to obedience the cry of the word that we may liue If we would haue a comfortable rising let vs goe to our beds that is graues in the peace of faith and a good conscience And if we would not feare hereafter let vs feare now and now be Saints if we meane to be as the Saints then that is at that great day of Christs comming So much for the forme of the last iudgement the persons to whom it extendeth follow All the vngodly among them c. The persons who shall be rebuked in iudgement are the vngodlie yea all the vngodly none excepted By this propertie of vngodlinesse and by these persons who are called vngodly the Apostle vnderstandeth impenat◠wickednesse and the impenitent wicked against God and the people of God who shall rise to damnation Vngodlinesse is a sinne directly against God and vngodly men are fighters a-against him Either their thoughts are that their is no God Ps 10.4 or if they beleeue a God yet they denie his prouidence and distinguish of his presence they make an idol of his mercy and a sport of his iustice Or if they confesse that God is Ruler yet they will not confesse his rule by his word Iob 21.14 nor worship him as he hath commanded but as they themselues thinke good They neither pray for their necessities nor giue thanks for their receipts Iob. 21.15 They loue not the Lord and they abhorre his inheritance they make much of his enemies and smite downe his people liuing as if there were no God nor iudgement to come Ps 44.5 These are vngodly men and against these this iudgement of rebuke is threatned Doctr. From whence we learne That God will not iustifie the wicked though he beare with them nor count them innocent though he suffer them long When the Lord stood before Moses and proclaimed his name before him he speaketh of his mercie grace and slownes to wrath yet with a reseruation and prouiso of taking his iustice vnto him when he seeth time for he addeth that all this shall not make the wicked innocent as if he had said Indeed I am slow to anger but iust in my anger to all those who shall abuse these graces of my patience mercie and fauour to sinners Exod. 34 6.7 When the haters of God and they who cast his words behind them powred out themselues to all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse the Lord held his tongue that is seemed not to dislike so great disorder and excesse of wickednesse in vngodly men therefore they thought that he was like to them and liked 〈◊〉 sinne as well as they that he toke pleasure in wickednesse and would neuer punish those that did wickedly But God assureth them that all is contrarie telling them that he will reproue them as here and draw forth his hand to punish them as in a day of rebuke and make them ashamed of all their sinnes that he will bring in order before them and as they committed them before him not sparing any Psal 50.21 The sinner saith Salomon doth euill an hundred times that is makes no end and keepes no measure in sinning because God prolongeth his daies or is patient not cutting him off so soone as hee hath done wickedly But though God beare neuer so long presume neuer so much it shall not be well to him or it shall be farre otherwise with him at the last For as the shadow that flyeth away so shall hee post to his graue and his soule flye to destruction Eccles 8.12.13 The reasons If God should euer iustifie the sinner it were either because hee did want power to punish him or instice to punish sinne But neither is lacking to God who for power is almightie and for zeale against sinne of pure eyes that cannot see euill Habac. 1.13 That is cannot abide it Secondly if God should beare euer with sinners men would thinke that God delighted in them or made some