to make the straight wayes of God crooked to make that that God accounts straight to be crooked this is a setting against God therefore Peter saith to Simon Magus pray if it be possible that the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee So you see Saint Paul speakes to Elymas the sorcerer upon the same ground Act. 13. Thou child of the divell and enemy to all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to pervent the right wayes of God Now I say here are the words and speeches that men speake against the wayes of God these are speeches that argue men in a state whereby they are lyable and open to judgement and exposed to wrath therefore wee should take heed of such words The use may be to condemne those that make light account of words they thinke they may speake it may bee in rashnesse and hastinesse and they may be excused for uttering them it is their hastinesse and their passion and it was done unadvisedly c. I but the Law of God is transgressed the Majestie of God is offended the anger of God is provoked You know what old Eli sayd to his sonnes My sonnes if a man sinne against a man man may plead for him but if he offend against God who shall plead for him I say who shall take up the matter with God in such a case as this when the offence strikes against God and his ordinances and his worship Therefore take heede there is much evill there is life and death as Solomon saith in the power of the tongue that is a man may utterly destroy himselfe by the very words he speakes unadvisedly as hee thinkes and will plead for himselfe or passionately and rashly Againe much more doth it concerne those that proceede to other kinds of wickednesse in the tongue we instanced in some particular instances then that we cannot now stand on We came to direct men to carry themselves in their speech as David to set a watch before the doore of their lippes he prayed to God to doe it And Psal. 39. I sayd that I will take heede to my wayes that I offend not in my tongue And then he prayes to the Lord Psal. 131. to keepe a watch before the doore of his mouth Hee knew well enough that there will be a time when the words that we thinke are sleight and vaine shall be brought to judgement idle unprofitable frothy talke much more rayling and reviling speeches most of all the highest blasphemies and execrations these shall most certainly be brought to a greater censure at the day of judgement But I will not stand on that I then handled Now there remaines three things more The first is this that in the day of judgement God will proceed according to his Law So speake and so doe as those that shall bee judged by the Law I say In the day of judgement God will proceede with men according to his Law Hee will proceede according to his word written therefore labour that your speeches and actions may bee such that they may be agreeable to that Iohn 12. 48. The word that I speake to you saith Christ shall judge you at that day There is not a word that Christ speakes but it shall judge he speakes not in vaine he is the judge that speakes Now you know Christ speakes two wayes Eyther in himselfe Or by his Ministers In himselfe and so eyther that that hee spake when hee was on earth in his his owne person then all the words that hee spake at that time are those words by which he will judge men as farre as they concerne morrall actions by those words he will judge men at the great day for he spake nothing but what was according to his Law Or else that which he spake in his Apostles immediatly by a certaine and infallible worke of the Spirit directing them to such truth as that they could not erre in speaking now in this Christ still spake in them The same way Christ hath in speaking to this day therefore saith he he that heareth you heareth me and he that heareth me heareth him that sent me That which he spake to them hee spake in them concerning all the Ministers of the Gospel What we speake as Ministers that is as men that looke to the direction of our Lord for we are but Embassadours and our words are so far of value and power as they are the speeches of our Lord and as we speake the word of him whose Embassadours we are Now I say looke what the Minister thus speakes as the Embassadour of Christ to the people that Christ will confirme at the day of judgement Now it will appeare what wee speake as Embassadours if we speake nothing but what is agreeable to the text of Scripture rightly understood Therefore marke it whatsoever sinne wee denounce the judgement of God against and urge Scripture for it it is the very rule that Christ will observe in judging men Or else that speech could not stand what yee loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven and what yee bind on earth shall be bound in heaven Wee bind when by declaring of mens sinnes wee denounce the judgement of God against such sinnes and so pronounce men to stand under the wrath of God that remaine in those sinnes saith Christ what you thus binde on earth shall bee bound in heaven that is Gods act shall ratifie and confirme the same sentence in heaven which we denounce here upon earth by vertue of this word So when wee come to distressed soules and declare to them that they stand acquitted and that by the Word of God and so as Ministers of the Gospell by vertue of the truth revealed to us declare that they are freed from the bond and guilt of their sinnes upon those evidences of repentance that they manifest I say it is ratified in heaven Therefore you see there is no other way of proceeding but looke as Christs owne words when hee was upon the earth so the same that are as his owne words that is those truths that are drawne from Christs truths have the same power upon the hearts and consciences of men now to command them and shall have after to judge them as ever they had But here it may be objected it should seeme that all men shall not be judged by the Law because there are some men to whom the Law hath never beene published for what shall wee say to a great part of the world that have not yet received the Scriptures we know that the Scriptures have not beene published to a great part of the world at this day there are many Heathens many Pagans that never had the Scriptures therefore how shall they be judged by the Law except you say that onely those shall bee judged by it that have beene under the preaching of the Gospell and have had the helpe of the Scriptures We answer that all mankinde and every particular man is under
sobrietie Every sinne beginneth in impatience when a man cannot beare with that abstinence and forbearance as formerly cannot keepe that strict course in his wayes but groweth impatient against the rule of God he runneth into a course of sinne presently So you see that for the very preserving the soule the subject of grace and grace the treasure of the soule it is necessary that wee should have patience And then againe thirdly It will appeare thus to you that a Christian cannot be perfect without patience because hee cannot doe his worke without Patience he cannot doe the workes of Religion the taske that God layes upon him without Patience Looke in what measure Patience is defective in that measure hee halteth in his dutie in the very actions of Religion hee goeth about Take any one duty of Religion that you can name see whether a man can doe that without Patience Suppose it be Prayer How can a man goe on in the duty of prayer without Patience Sometime God delayeth the grant of a mans petition A man will now sinke and give over in discouragement if hee have not Patience to support the soule The Canaanitish woman when shee came to Christ and spake once to him and hee did not answer a word she had so much Patience as to make her speake the second time to him then he answered her but churlishly but yet her Patience held her to the third tryall at last she received her desire had she not beene patient to goe on with her request shee had lost her petition The Apostle Paul in 2 Cor. 12. for this thing saith he I besought the Lord thrice Hee would have given over at the first seeking of the Lord if he had not had Patience to uphold him to the second and third petition to the renewing of his suit twice nay thrice Come from praying to hearing the Word preached how can a man heare the word profitably without patience therefore the good ground is said to heare the Word and to bring forth fruit with Patience and it is the commendation of the Church of Philadelphia Thou hast kept the word of my Patience There is a necessitie of Patience if a man will profit by the Word For first if a man will obey the Word he shall be sure to have many set against him in the world he had need of patience then or else he will leave the rule of the Word because of the reproaches of the world Againe there are many secret corruptions in his owne heart that will be met with in the preaching of the Word which a man cannot abide to heare of but hee will be vexing and fretting and discontented at it as we see in Ahab and divers others unlesse hee have Patience to keepe him from raging against the Preacher and preaching of the Word You have need of Patience then â—…as the Apostle saith that you may beare the reproofes and exhortations of the Word Therefore saith the Apostle Iames Receive with Patience the ingraffed Word or receive with meeknesse the ingraffed Word that is able to save your soules There is no ingrafting the Word in the heart except those formes of impatience those hinderances of the growth of the Word be taken away But further there is yet a further end the whole life of a Christian is a continuall exercise of Patience there is a necessitie of it for he cannot persevere without Patience it is impossible for a man to begin in the spirit but he shall end in the flesh if he have not Patience to persevere in well doing Therefore saith the Apostle You have need of Patience that after you have obeyed you might receive the promise You have need of Patience for betweene the time of the making of the Promise and the time of the accomplishment of the Promise to the soule there is a great distance many times therefore yee have need of Patience to waite that after you have obeyed the Word you might receive the promise Let us runne with Patience the race that is set before us looking to Iesus the Authour and finisher of our faith Our Lord Jesus himselfe had not perfected the worke of our redemption if he had wanted Patience neither can we finish our course of Christianity wherein we must follow Christ and runne the race that is set before us except we have Patience added to other graces You see then a Christian cannot be perfect without Patience First because he cannot have all the parts of Christianitie that is one thing Secondly because he cannot keepe and preserve the graces he hath that is another thing Thirdly because he cannot act and worke according to the rule that is the third Lastly because he cannot persevere in the course he is in except hee have Patience There is a necessitie of Patience to the perfection of a Christian. Secondly the second point was that it is the duty of a Christian to strive to bring patience to the uttermost perfection to be as perfect in the degrees of patience as he can attaine to to make this the strife of his life that patience may have her perfect worke that there may be no defect in it The Apostle prayeth for the Collossians that they may be strengthned in the inward man to all long suffering And when our Saviour setteth God as a patterne before men Bee you perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect What aymeth he at in that place but this that we should strive to the uttermost extent and highest degrees of Patience for our Saviour intendeth of patience in that place This then is the dutie of a Christian. Why so First because a Christian is to follow the best patterne the best patternes are propounded in the Scripture And God doth not propound examples and Patternes to men in vaine but as he giveth them rules to tell them what they should doe so he giveth them examples and patternes to lead them to that degree and direct them in the manner of doing Therefore yee have God himselfe set as a patterne of Patience Follow God as deare children wherein In all those examples wherein you have a rule For all the examples of God and Christ and the Saints binde no further then there is a rule in the Word There are many things wherein we cannot follow God and Christ and we need not follow every one of the Saints but those things that are injoyned by the rule these examples are set to direct us in obedience to that rule Among other things the Patience of God is set forth as a patterne for us to follow In that glorious proclamation made of him in Exod. 34. 7. 8. Among other of his attributes hee is set out to bee a God long suffering and Patient You see how patient God is saith the Apostle And God that hee might shew his long-suffering and Patience bore with the world saith Saint Peter With
Christ that causeth him to become a member of that misticall body whereof Christ is the head and that causeth him to be one with the Father and to be the child of God for by faith wee are become the children of God This Faith in Christ the Law doth not teach the former Covenant would not accept What to bring to the Law the Righteousnesse of another the satisfaction of another and to trust upon that to be entertained and received the Law rejects it Thou must pay thy selfe in thy owne person and with thy owne goods thou must yeeld perfect obedience to the Law and fully accomplish it in thy owne person it will not receive payment of another for thee it will not accept satisfaction of the righteousnesse of another on thy behalfe But oh the sweetnesse of the Doctrine of the Gospell If we have a Treasurer that is able and willing to pay the debt that will tender and make payment of it we shall be accepted for his sake so that we give him the glory of resting upon this payment and be not so absurd as to mixe any action of our owne to that payment that he hath made fully and compleatly for us This is a Doctrine of sweetnesse and favour and great compassion that though we cannot doe it of our selves we shall be accepted if our Suretie will doe it for us so that wee give our Suretie the glory of being a perfect and able pay-master and relie wholly upon his satisfaction The last part of the condition on our side is that we yeeld New obedience to the Law Perfectly to obey it to which wee are tyed by the former Covenant But now this is the obedience of the Gospell a thing farre different from the obedience of the Law that was formerly required in the old Covenant there a man was tyed and bound to obey perfectly fully compleatly without any defect In a word hee must pay the uttermost farthing hee must doe his dutie his whole dutie in all the parts and degrees with all fulnesse of perfection absolutely without any defect or want without any imperfection at all An impossible labour for corrupted man a service that none all having lost those abilities that God gave man at the first can ever reach to But then commeth the sweet Gospell the Doctrine of grace and favour of tender compassion and saith thus If thou wilt consent to obey thou shalt eate the good things of the Land If you mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit you shall live Rom. 8. 13. But if you though never so much in shew under the Covenant of Grace live after the flesh you shall die Yee see New Obedience is required absolutely as a Condition of the Gospell for the obtaining of everlasting happinesse for the escaping of Death and Saint Iohn saith If wee walke in the light wee have fellowship â—…ne with another and the bloud of Christ shall purge us from all sinne so that this walking in the light and New Obedience is absolutely required of all those that intend to bee made partakers of Christ and his benefits they must give up their soules and bodies as instruments of his glory and not serve sinne any longer in the lusts thereof they must not give their members as weapons of unrighteousnesse to sinne but live as becommeth them that are one with Christ mortifying all the lusts of the flesh and quicken themselves or being quickned with him to practise all good things required in his word and to obey all his commands which was first written in Adams heart and then in Tables of stone This New Obedience is the same in substance that was required in the former Covenant but now with a gracious acceptation of endevour after perfection in stead of perfection the former tyed us to the obedience of all that was required in all fulnesse and then promising acceptance but the obedience that the Gospell requires is striving to this perfection in truth and sincerity desiring and labouring after it in putting out our selves towards it and then promising acceptance through the perfection of Christ in and by which our imperfections are done away Now Brethren you understand what this saying of the Lord Christs is by vertue of the keeping of which we must be secured if wee be secured from the hurt of Death What is it now to Keepe the saying of Christ It is to informe our Judgements in the understanding of these truths and assent to them as truths and to practise and follow them to doe the duties which wee have heard to practise the Doctrine of Repentance and Beleeving and Obedience I confesse our Saviour doth proclaime it thus Repent and beleeve the Gospell but for the more cleere explaining of it we make new Obedience a thing of it selfe and not included in the Doctrine of Repentance for it is an act of that whereof Repentance is a resolute wishing and desiring A man cannot possibly rest on Christ for salvation till hee hath so asked pardon as hee resolveth an amendment and when hee hath this resolution and relyeth on Christ for the pardon of his sinne then from him hee receiveth power to amendment of life and so his purpose commeth to action and his desire to execution Thus alone these two things differ as farre as I conceive Now I say this is the Doctrine of the Gospell and to keepe it is to know and beleeve and follow it to beleeve and obey as Christ saith If you know these things there is one part of the duty happy are you if you doe them there is asecond for they can never be done except they be done as knowne And thus I have interpreted the first part of the proposition namely the Antecedent Let us say somewhat of the latter too the benefit that followeth upon the former duty and for the obtaining of which the former duty is necessary namely that hee shall never see death What is it to see Death And what Death is meant here To see good things in the Scripture phrase is as much oftentimes as to enjoy them to have the benefit and commoditie of them to receive them to entertaine them Without holinesse no man shall see God that is no man shall enjoy God Blessed are the poore in spirit for they shall see God that is they shall enjoy God On the contrary to see a thing that is tearmed Evill is to bee annoyed with it to have the hurt of it lying upon a man and pressing him downe as they in Ieremy said Let us goe into Egypt where wee shall not see sword or famine meaning that they should not be pursued by warre and want of things needfull so that by seeing evill is meant the evill lying upon one and annoying and hurting one and so I suppose it is meant here And by Death is meant Naturall and as we may tearme it supernaturall and eternall Death For the keeping of Christs sayings
of sinne in the cause of it And when we feele sorrow thinke here is a harbinger of death I feele paine in me ere long I must surrender to the stroake of Death And as oft as wee see spectacles of mortalitie to reade a lecture of Death And when we lay our selves downe in our beds thinke of Death And upon all occasions come to the house of mourning and thinke of Death If the Serpents sting bee plucked out a man may handle it hee is shie at the first but after finding it cannot hurt him he feares it not So we have cause to thanke God for death as well as for other things thus farre because hee hath changed the nature of it and made it a sweet passage to another life And then though God take Children or friends or goods or any thing in this world hee will be our exceeding great reward hee will be All in all to us here and hereafter FINIS THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE OR THE RULE OF IVDGEMENT GEN. 18. 25. Shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right ROM 2. 12. As many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. THE RIGHTEOUS IVDGE OR THE RVLE OF IVDGEMENT SERMON XXVIII IAM 2. 12. So speake yee and so doe as they that shall bee judgedby the Law of Libertie VPon the like sad occasion I have already handled something out of these words The last thing that I came to was that In the day of judgement God will call both the words and actions of men to account He will bring their words and their actions to judgement not onely their workes 2 Cor. 5. 10. God will bring every worke to judgement and so Eccles. 12. Hee will bring every thing to judgement whether good or evill But besides that hee will bring every word to judgement too even the very vaine words of men of every idle word men shall give account Matth. 12. 36. And the very rash and passionate speeches of men what they speake in passion and repent not of even those passionate speeches that they thought might have easily beene passed by He that cals his brother foole shall be in danger of hell fire Matth. 5. 22. Then much more those evill speeches against God Iude 13. 14. He shall come with thousands of his angells in judgement against all those that have spoken against him They have spoken against God they have reviled him he shall judge them for all their evill and cursed speakings against him saith the Apostle They in fury and madnesse fell to evill and cursed speaking and slighted God and despised him therefore he shall come in great glory with thousands of his Angels to make it appeare that he is more glorious then they thought him to be and he will now stand for the vindicating of his honour and the manifesting of his glory in such a terrible appearance at that day Against all those that speake evill and against all their cursed speakings against him saith the Text evill speaking against God is cursed speaking Because it exposeth a man to a curse it leaves him under a curse that shall appeare at that day to bee just against him so wee see God will bring both words and workes to judgement at that day And the reasons are First because the Law of God binds men in their speeches as well as in their actions I say the Law that shall judge them doth now binde them in their very speeches as well as in their actions You have two commandements expresly taking notice of the words of men The third commandement of the words of men cercerning God he that takes the name of God in vaine he will not hold him guiltlesse And then the ninth commandement of the words of men concerning men Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour Now God that hath made a Law to bind and to order men in the matter of speech certainly he will judge men by that Law You know that Kings and Princes and Parliaments and Kingdomes they make not Lawes in vain but they are the directions wherby the judges proceed in their course of judgement upon malefactours So I say Gods Law it is not in vaine it is not a bare direction onely to us in point of obedience but also the expresse rule whereby Christ himselfe will proceede in matter of judgement Againe secondly there is great reason that words as well as actions should be brought to judgement because God and men are injured by words as well as by actions First concerning God you reade of some Psal. 73. that set their mouthes against God and against heaven Indeede they can doe no more hurt to God then a man that shoots an Arrow at the Sunne can hurt the Sunne by shooting at him but in their intention they set themselves against God in as much as their tongues are set against him And in Levit. 24. 11. The word there translated to blaspheme it is in the originall that the man stabbed God or did pierce God hee offered a kinde of violence to the holy name of God Such sinfull speeches as are forbidden in the third Commandement and doe concerne the name of God or any of his attributes or ordinances any thing that is spoken against them or without due reverence and respect to them they are there sayd to bee a stabbing of God in the Hebrew phrase or a piercing of God a wounding of God doing some violence to God himselfe Now I say when such wrong and injury is done to God shall not God take a time to right himselfe of those that injure him Secondly it is an injury done to men You know it is a common thing in Law to have actions against men for speeches they make speeches actions they make them lyable to the penaltie and censure of the Law for speeches So the Law of God proceeds according to the very speeches of men whereby they have discouraged his servants in any kind at any time in any duty of Religion and course of his worship or whereby they have brought an ill report on it As those spies did upon the Land therefore they might not bee suffered to goe into the Land So I say when men bring an evill report upon the duties of godlinesse they shut themselves out of the kingdome of God So likewise when men make that which is straight become crooked It is sayd of Simon Magus that hee perverted the straight wayes of God that is hee did as much as lay in him to make the straight wayes of God to seeme crooked that as a man that puts a stick in the water though it bee straight when it is put in yet it seemes crooked when it is in So when a man puts colours and shewes upon good actions and courses as if they were folly and indiscretion and unadvised and hypocrisie and vaine or whatsoever is ill this is
assurance that the sting of Death is plucked out that Gods wrath is appeased that sinne is pardoned that Heaven gate is opened whence shall wee fetch these but from the Scripture the directions for a holy life which is the best preparation for Death where shall we find them but in the Scripture Here then we see is a Caveat to all that have no will nor desire to be acquainted with the Scripture Divers thinke they should have done well enough though wee had no such Booke as we call the word of God To bee a Scripture-man is a by-word a reproach a matter of disgrace and sooner will men listen to some idle Pamphlet then to a matter of Scripture Well beguile not your soules with these vaine conceipts with your Popish and carnall imaginations I say and testifie from this place that that man or woman which careth not to be taught out of Gods booke cannot die like a Christian Who can teach thee the way to dye well but God And where doth God teach but in the Scripture If our thoughts of Death if our provision and preparation for Death be not warranted and guided by Gods word it is all in vaine Lord saith Simeon my desire of dissolution is according to thy Word my care to be prepared hath beene ordered by thy Word hee cannot die with comfort that cannot make the like profession And this may serve for the next generall part the the ground of this desire and preparation for Death it is Gods word Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart according to thy Word The third and last part followes the nature and qualitie of the death of the Righteous A departure in peace or a peaceable dismission Here are two things first a dismission secondly a dismission accompanied with peace The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated Let thy servant depart may well be Englished thus Let thy servant loose Lord free mee enlarge mee set mee at libertie Hence wee learne that The servants of God doe by Death receive a finall discharge from all manner of miserie This is evident out of the force of the phrase here used Simeon knew that so long as hee lived his soule was as it were imprisoned in his body and in it hee was held in bondage under the remnants of Originall corruption subject to the assaults and temptations of Satan in continuall and daily possibilitie to trespasse and sinne against God beside other afflictions and grievances in the body and estate but hee had withall this knowledge and understanding of the nature of Death that it was an enlargement to the soule and a freeing of it utterly and finally from all those and the like incumbrances The same may be gathered from the phrase used by Saint Paul I desire saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee dissolved and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read the time of my departure the words shew that there comes a liberty by death to the soules of Gods servants The phrase that Saint Peter useth is worthy our observation for this purpose First hee tearmes death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the laying downe of a burden and by that meanes the soule is lightned and eased Secondly he tearmes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a going out from a place and condition of hardship The second booke of Moses which relates the departure of the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage hath the same name Exodus As for the point it selfe namely that the death of the Righteous is to them a discharge from all miserie the Scripture beares witnesse to it Blessed said he are the dead which die in the Lord even so saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours As long as they live here they are diversly troubled when they die their labours are at an end and they are received into rest Saint Iohn tells us that in his vision he saw the soules of them that were slaine lye under the Altar Now the Altar in the time of the Law was a place of refuge and safetie and thence it appeares that by death the servants of God are eft-soones received into a place of holy securitie where there is no expectation of any further miserie They are said to be received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into Abrahams bosome into the fellowship of the same happinesse with Abraham the Father of all true beleevers The Doctrine in the first place makes against those of the Church of Rome which maintaine a place of torment even for the servants of God after this life where they must bee tryed for a time before they can enter into Rest and happinesse This place they terme Purgatorie the torment here they hold to bee unspeakable and farre surpassing any torment which the wit of man is able to devise But this place among others is sufficient to overthrow this dotage for how were death to the Righteous a dismission a loosing a freedome from miserie if there followed after it a torment of farre greater extremitie then at any time before was ever tasted of So that the death of the servants of God being as I have proved it to bee an enlargement from misery certainly the soule is not bound in any new Prison whence it must expect and await and pray for a second dismission In the next place this Doctrine makes much for the comfort of Gods servants the face of Death to the wicked is very dreadfull the day of it is to them the beginning of sorrowes their soules are instantly arrested by the damned spirits and kept in everlasting chaines of darknesse but to those that are the servants of God it is otherwise I may by way of allusion to the phrase of my Text compare their day unto that which happened unto Ioseph in which hee was brought out of prison to bee Ruler over all the land of Egypt So is their death unto them a day of Bailement out of prison a day in which all teares shall be wiped away In which they shall have beauty for ashes and the oyle of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse and the long white robes of Christs Righteousnesse by which they shall be presented blamelesse unto God That day shall be to them even as was the day of escape to the Jewes a feast and a good day in which they shall see God as hee is and know him as they are knowne of him But hapily thou maist say how shall I know that the day of Death is the day of dissolution and this kind of dismission A very necessary quaere indeed this is for every man almost is ready to challenge to himselfe a part of this happinesse and it is a matter presumed upon by many which shall never enjoy it I will therefore give you one certaine marke by which wee may know assuredly that the day of our death shall be to us a day of enlargement and of finall discharge
Attendants 4. Administration 5. Saints 2 Thes. 〈◊〉 â—…0 Christ is God 〈◊〉 Ioh. Isay 9. 6. Christ a great God Vse 1. Comfort to Gods children 2. Terrour to the wicked Object Answ. Comfortthat Christ the Saviour is Iudge Act. â—…7 31. Doctr. Every Christian so to live as expecting the appearing of Christ. Luke 2. 36. Phil. 3. 20. Jude 21. 2 Pet. 3. 14. Observat. 1. Col. 3. 3. Vse Observat. 2 Observat. Vse 1. Vse 2. Observat. Vse 1. Aug. lib. 8. Confess Cap. â—…lt Parts of the Text unfolded Sleepâ—… threefold 1. Naturall Psal. 3. 5. 2. Morall Dan. 12. 2. Act. 7. ult 3 Spirituall compared to sleepe 1. For the time the night 2. Exposed to danger Deut. 32. 3. Willingnesse 4. Suddennesse Mat. 26. 5. Incensiblenesse and immoveablenesse 6. Vaine fancies 7. The continuance 2. What meant by waking 1. To open the eyes to see the light 2. To rouze the senses 3. Get out of bed 3. Who must awake Quest. Answ. 1. The naturall man 2. The regenerate Cant. 5. 2. Mat. 25. Rev. 3. 2. 4. Why the Apostle calls upon these that are asleepe Exhortations not invaine 1. To the godly 2. To the wicked The dead sleepe of the world 1. Idolaters Rev. 2. 2. Adulterers 3. Drunkards Prov. 23. 4. Sabbath-breakers 5. Oppressours 6. Securitie The sleepe of the Church Signes of sleepie Christians 1. Carelesnesse 2. When men intend nothing but sleepe 3. Wasting of time 4. Decay of naturall heate Exhortation to awake from sleepe 1. It is unprofitable 2. It unfitâ—… for dutie 1. Exercise 2. Combate 3. To waitâ—… our Masters comming 3. Our enemie sleepes not Mat. 13. Prov. 24. 4. Gods mercie sleepes not 5. Gods judgements sleepe not 6. We are all to meet death Parts of the Text. Propos. They that are in covenant with God may bee without carnall feare 1. What feare is Kindes of feare 1. Naturall 2. Carnal feare 3. Servile feare Act 2. 4. Filiall feare Isay 8. 12. Reas. We are delivered from our enemies either Luke 1. 47. 1. By reconciliation 2. By conquest Vse 1. The power of grace must reflect on a mans selfe Vse 2. Possible to live with out feare Psalme 23. Vse 3. Reproofe for inordinate feare 1. We feare too soone 2. Too much 1. It brings a great deale of ill Esay 66. 4. 2. It unfits the heart to beare evilâ—… It hurts the body It doth hurt to the soule 1. Naturally 2. Spiritually Feare the ground of most sinnes Vse 4. To fence our hearts against it No cause of feare 1. Of spirituall enemies 2. Of worldly evills Ier. 46. 28. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Quest. Answ. How to get the conquest of feare 1. Labour for the spirit 2. Keepe covenant with God Num. 14. 9. 3. Strengthen faith Psal. 112. 4. To place our love aright August Simile Doct. Both words and actions shall be called to account 2 Cor. 5. 10. Eccles. 12. Mat. 12. 36. Matth. 5. 22 Iude 13. 14. Reas. 1. The Law binds men in speeches Reas. 2. Words injure God and man Levit. 24. 11. Act. 8. Vse To condemn those that make light account of words Psal. 39. Psal. 131. Doctr. God will proceede in judgement according to his Law Ioh. 12. 48. Obiect Answ. All men judged by the Law The Law not alike expressed to all Rom. 2. 14 Reas. 1. The Law is Gods scepter that he rules by Psal. 110. 2. Isay 2. 3. 4. Reas. 2. Because the law is a rule Mica 6. 8. Vse 1. Repâ—…oofe of those that neglect the Law Rom. 2. 16. Prov. 13. 13. Quest. Answ. To despise Gods commandement what Ioh. 6. Matth. 25. 41 Vse 2. Admonition to observe the Law 1. For direction Matth. 5 2. For tryall Gal. 6. 3. 4. 1 Cor. 11. 32. Prov. 28. 13. Doct. The consideration of the day of judgement should moove to holinesse 1. It hath drawn some to obedience Eccles. 11. 9. 1. To forsake the world Phil. 3. 7. 2. Disposing the heart to obedience Eccles 12. 10. Heb. 12. Rev. 14. 2. It quickens to actions of obedience 1. Os particular calling 2. Generall calling 3. It confirmes in obedience Rev. 3. 11. Iam. 5. Vse Shewing the cause of the worlds prophanenesse and the Saints dejectednesse 2 Pet. 3. Vse 2. To strengthen faith of the judgement Ierome Parts of the Text. Meaning of the words Doct. Death due to sinne as wages Gen. 2. 17. Ezek. 18. 20. Rom. 5. 12. Iam. 1. 15. Quest. Answ. Whaâ—… death due to sinne 1. Temporall Rom. 5. 12. Obiect Answ. How Adam died a natural death as soon as he sinned Obiect Answ. How Christians freed from temporall death 1 Cor. 15. Christians undergoe temporall death why 1. 2. 3. 4. Simile 2. Eternall death Answ. Sinne infinite three wayes 1. In respect of the object 2. The subject 3. The sinners dâ—…sire Vse 1. Originall lust a sin Basile Vse 2. 〈◊〉 no sinne in it selfe veniall 1 Joh. 3. 5. Sins mortall and veniall how Vse 3. In spectacles of death to see the haynousnesse of sinne Vse 4. Todeterre us from sin Similies Ioh. 2. 1 Sam 14 Vse 5. To be humble and thankfull Life twofold 1. Naturall 2. Spirituall 1. In this life Job 17. 5. 2. In death 3. After the Resurrection A thing eternall three wayes 1. 2. 3. Doct. Salvation the free gift of God Quest. Answ. Austin Quest. Answ. Ioh. 3. Vse 1. Confutation of merit Rom. 8. Vse 2. To humble us Vse 3. Comfort Isa. 54. 2 Tim. 1. 12. Vse 4. Thankfulnesse Psal. 50 Deut. 30. 19. Isa. 45. 24. The Analysis of the Chapter Propos. 1. God is pleased to set himselfe to procure the profit of his people Proved by instances 1. In his instituting Ordinances in the Church 1. The preaching of the Word Act. 26. 18. 2 Tim. 3. 16. 2. The Sacrament of the Supper 3. Prayer Vnprofitable living under the ordinances a taking the name of God in vaine 4. Seâ—…ng of Christ into the world in our nature 2. In his command and injunction Deut. 10. 13. Matth. 〈◊〉 29. 3. In his several administrations 1. Permitting sin to remain 2. To prevaile 3. Withdrawing his presence 4. Suspending his answer to their prayers 5. Denying their particular suites 6. Deprives them of their dearest blessings Iames 5. 11. Use of exhortation 1. 2. 3. Vse 2. Of Instruction 1. 2. 1 Cor. 10. 33. Propos. 2. Gods ayme in afflicting his children is their profit Gen 41. 52. Afflictions they are profitable The blessed fruit of afflictions 2 Chron. 33. 1â—… Deut. 8. 15. Isa. 27. 9. Hab. 1. 12. The Saints of God have waited for the profit of afflictions 2 Sam. 16. 12. Isa. 37. 4. Vse 1. For reproofe Gods children prone to misconster the intent of God in their afflictions 1 Sam. 27. 1. Esa. 6. 5. Lam. 3. 16. 18 Isa. 49. 14. Jer. 29. 11. Vse 2. For comfort Isa. 10. 57. Simile Isay 10. 12. Vse 3. Exhortation to a patient expectation of the fruit of affliction Obiect Answ. 1. 2. 3. Iob 17. 4. The