opposed to all Gods commandements Psal. 119. 36. Pray for wisdome to conceive thy selfe a stranger and pilgrime here so to intend principally thy departure hence for ere long gather as fast and as dangerously as thou canst the poorest mans Omer shall be as full as thine So of the former point of instruction 2. Many Christians do not only endanger but even lose their soules for the world so our Saviviour implyeth Numbers of men to winne the world do lose their soules And though a man would thinke that no man were or could be so mad as to part with his soule on such base termes yet millions of men exchange heaven for earth and barter away their soules not for the whole world but for an handfull of earth As for example 1. He that loseth Christ loseth his soule But for the winning of the world many lose and forgoe Christ. The yong man left Christ because hee had great possessions Mat. 19. 22. Many of the Jewes heard Christ knew him and beleeved in him but durst not confesse him for that they feared to be losers in the world Joh. 12. 42 43. And thus doe all they who being convinced in themselves and having some good affections joyned to illumination yet give the day to the world and the night to Christ. Great and rich men dare not be seene in the profession when poore fisher-men come by day they dare not come by night 2. Hee loseth Christ for the world that giveth priority to the world above Christ as the Gadeâ—ens preferred their hogges before the presence of Christ and as Esau preferred the broth before the blessing He onely hath wonne Christ that esteemes all things as drosse and dung in com parison of Christ Phil. 3. 7 8. The wise Merchant that found the pearle lost all to buy it The Disciples left all for Christ. But easily may we see how millions of men undervalue Christ in comparison of the world for First what is the chiefe labour studie time costs and paines of men employed upon is it not for the food that perisheth and profits of the world in the meane time the labour for that durable food and the Manna that came downe from heaven is either none or formall sleight seldome Secondly how are the affections of men generally bent is Christ their chife joy or treasure hath Shee gained their thoughts delight they in his love more than in life Or see we not the multitude preferre the world before their chiefe joy set their hearts upon it doat upon it their thoughts runne first and last and all day long after it with unwearied delight and comfort when in the meane time they banish thoughts of Christ of their treasure portion and country in heaven How doe most men feare the losse of the world more than the losse of Gods favour their soules and salvation How doe they more grieve and sorrow in a trifling losse of the world than when by sinne Gods favour and the grace of Christ is forfeited Thirdly how do the speeches of men bewray them to bee worldlings and if the speech be according to the abundance of the heart Christ hath small roome there Esa. 32. 6. the niggard speaks of niggardlinesse and 1 Joh. 4. 5. They speake of the world and the world heareth them But how long should a man watch in vaine for a â—avorie word concerning Christ or the salvation of their soules or speake to them the language of Canaan it is Hebrew or thrust in a savory speech of God his word or grace how strange and unwelcome is it their pennes tell us that their hearts indite no good matter Is not this to undervalue Christ in comparison of the world or is this to be a pilgrim or to possesse or rather to bee wholly possessed of the word Object There is no man whose ordinary theme is not more of the world than of GOD or Christ and will you therefore conclude that there is no man but loves the world better than Christ Answ. 1. Wee are all more carnall than spirituall and therefore our thoughts and speeches will be wandring but wee must not please our selves herein but mortifie and subdue carnall words as well as desires and groane under this corruption for is it not a wofull and wonderfull errour that earth and perishing things should more affect and possesse us than the great things given us of God in Christ Secondly I grant wee have callings and earthly affaires which tye us ordinarily to speak and thinke of such things but the speciall calling of a Christian must bee ever subordinate to the generall and in all earthly businesse a man must carry an heavenly minde God gives no leave to be earthly-minded even while a man is earthly-employed Thirdly the speaking and thinking more of a thing upon necessitie doth not ever argue more love unto it but the speaking and thinking of things out of the valuation of judgement for instance A workeman thinkes more of his tooles and an husbandman speakes more of his husbandrie than of his wife or children because these are the object of his labour but it followes not hee loves them better because he doth not in his judgement esteeme these better Now let a Christian preserve in his judgement a better estimate of Christ and heavenly things and his speeches in things earthly will still preferre that and runne upon it So of the two former proofes Thirdly he loseth his soule for the world that for wealth or by wealth hinders his owne salvation as numbers doe by unlawfull getting the world falling downe before the divell for it wealth is even the divels wages for some sinne committed being either gotten or kept by evill meanes or against good conscience viz. either in the use of an unlawfull calling or by the abuse of a lawfull Of the former sort are such as live by dicing houses filthy houses and the like places of hellish resort which may be rightly called the divells houses of office And those that live by unthriftie gaines by usury magicke making the instruments of pride and sinne or a calling to which they are not fitted as insufficient Ministers who runne but are not sent because they are not gifted God need not send a message by the hand of a foole Of the latter sort are first those that enrich themselves for doing a dutie which they doe not as grosse Non-residents that feed themselves but not the flocke or for doing that they ought not to doe as Lawyers who take reward for pervertings equity and right or perhaps are fee-ed on both sides by one to speake by the other to hold their peace or as good Secondly tradesmen that use false weights measures words wares sophisticall and insufficient as many who rise by cousenage and the craft of their trades by lying or swearing or by trickes in bargaining abuse the simplicitie or necessitie of
and holiest men can make attonement but onely his blood which removeth the curse of the Law by satisfying for our sins which opens heaven now shut upon us and obtaines a perfect redemption Heb. 9. 2â— Next the Vertue and Preciousnesse of this Cure Oh it was a powerfull and precious blood and that in five respects 1. In respect of the quality it is the blood incorruptible All other diseases are cured with corruptible things but this is opposed to all corruptible things in the world 1 Pet. 1. 18. Yee are not redeemed with corruptible things but with the precious blood of Iesus Christ. 2. In respect of the person it was the blood of God Act. 20. 28. and therefore of infinite merit and price to purchase the whole Church 3. In respect of the subject of it no other cure or remedy can reach the soule All others drugs conduce for healthfull life and worke upon the body but this makes for an holy life and workes upon the soule the sicknesse whereof the most precious thing in the world cannot cure Minister to a wounded spirit Aurum potabile Bezoar Alchermes dust of Pearles all is in vaine it is onely this blood which heales soules and spirits 4. In respect of the powerfull effects of it above all other cures in the world for first they may frame the body to some soundnesse of temperature but this makes sound soules according to the conformity of Gods Law Secondly they may preserve naturall life for a while but this brings a supernaturall life for ever Thirdly they may restore strength and nature decayed but this changeth and bringeth in a new nature according to the second Adam Fourthly they cannot keepe away death approaching but this makes immortall Fifthly they cannot raise or recover a dead man but this raiseth both dead in sinne dead in soule and dead in body Lastly in respect of time All other physicke is made of drugs created with the world but this was prepared before the foundation of the world 1 Pet. 1. 18. Againe all the worke of all other physicke is done in death but the perfection and most powerfull worke of this is after death By all this take we notice of our extreme misery by sinne seeing nothing else can cure us but the blood of the Sonne of God Gold enough can ransome the greatest Potentate on earth but here nothing can doe it but the blood of the Kings sonne If we had such a disease as nothing but the heart-blood of our dearest friends alive suppose our wife husband mother or childe could cure us what an hopelesse and desperate case were it it would amaze and astonish the stoutest heart But much more may it smite our hearts that we have such a disease as nothing else but the heart-blood of the Sonne of God can cure Looke upon the execration of thy sinne in this glasse If any thing can worke the hatred of sinne this may 1. To see the fire of Gods wrath kindled and nothing but this blood can quench it 2. To see the deadlinesse 〈◊〉 the disease in the price of the physicke and the dearenesse of the remedy 3. The danger of sinning against so precious a blood for if Abels blood being shed cryed from earth for vengeance much more will this blood trod under foot But those never saw their sinne in this glasse who conceive the cure as easie as the turning of an hand a light Lord have mercy or an houre of repentance at death and have lived in sinne and loved their sinne as if there were no danger in it passe away their daies and live in ignorance swearing cursing Sabbath-breaking lying covetousnesse filthinesse and all unrighteousnesse whereas had they eyes to see they might out of the price and greatnesse of the remedy gather the danger and desperatenesse of the disease For all the earth affords not any herbe or simple nor drug of this vertue but the Sonne of God from heaven must shed his blood Nay all the men on earth and all the Angels of heaven could not make a confection to cure one sinne or sinner Neither any of Salomons fooles who make a mocke of sinne ever saw it in this glasse Is it not extremity of folly to make a tush of sinne and to take pleasure and delight in it O consider in time that the sinne thou makest so light of cost Christ deare and the least sinne thou delightest in must either cost Christ his blood or thee thine in endlesse torments It is no safe jesting with edged tooles and to east darts and fire-brands and say Am I not in jest In this Cure we may observe a world of wonders First wonder and admire this Physician who is both the Physician and the Physicke Was ever the like heard of in all nature Secondly admire the confection that the Physician must temper the remedy of his owne heart-blood He must by passion be pounded in the mortar of Gods wrath he must be beaten smitten spit upon wounded sweat water and blood be trodden on as a worme be forsaken of his Father the Lambe of God must be slaine the just suffer for the unjust Doest thou not here stand and wonder 〈◊〉 there ever such a Prece 〈…〉 〈◊〉 the world that the wo 〈…〉 〈◊〉 one man should heale ano 〈…〉 〈◊〉 â—ound or that the wo 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Captaine should heal 〈…〉 souldiers The 〈◊〉 suffered darkenesse the earth quaked the rockes rent asunder the graves opened the dead arose to shew the admirable confection of this Cure and are we senslesse still Thirdly admire the power of weaknesse and the Omnipotent worke of this Cure by contraries as in the great worke of Creation there the Sonne of God made all things not out of something but out of nothing so in this great worke of our Cure by Redemption he works our life not by his life but by his owne death he makes us infinitely happy but by his owne infinite misery he opens the grave for us by his owne lying in the grave he sends us to heaven by his owne descending from heaven and shuts the gates of hell by suffering hellish torments He honours us by his owne shame he breakes away our temptations and Satans molestations by being himselfe tempted Here is a skilfull Physician tempering poyson to a remedy bringing light out of darkenesse life out of death heaven out of hell In the whole order of nature one contrary refisteth another but it is beyond nature that one contrary should produce another Wonder Fourthly admire the care of the Physician who provided us a remedy before our disease before the world was or we in it together with his bounty who bestowed on us so precious a balme when there was none in Gilead when neither all the gold in India nor all the metals or minerals in the bowels of the earth could save one soule nor all the wealth in the world oure one
a thousand worlds of men and Angels could not redeeme God set it at the highest rate and the divell would give a whole world for one soule but thou countest it not worth any thing Hell shall be filled with soules at a cheaper rate than one soule can get to heaven by So of the first meditation The second is this For a lost soule there is no remedy nor recompence all the world cannot redeem a lost soule for a soule not yet quite lost may be a recompence by the blood of Christ but for a soule lost is no remedie nor ransome no not in Christ himselfe To conceive this consider 1 What is the estate of a lost soule 2 What it is that being once lost makes it irrecoverable 3 The worthlesnes and impotencie of all earthly things to help it For the first of these see what goeth to the losse of a soule 1. There is the losse of Gods favour fellowship and presence whose favour and presence is better than life for with him is the Well of life And not that onely but the soule is thrust under Gods most heavie displeasure and his hot wrath which is a consuming fire 2. The losse of Jesus Christ and all the benefits of his redemption and so the soule is cut off from remission of sinne to which onely belongeth blessednes from imputation of righteousnes which only entitleth to life from the dignitie of adoption to which only belongs the inheritance from the benefit of Christs intercession that hee will not so much as pray for such Now the soule lying without Christ lyeth under the whole rigour of the Morall Law under the curse and sentence of condemnation and malediction for provoking so high justice and under the power of Satan as a Jaylor holding the sinner unto execution in everlasting chaines 3. The lost soule hath lost the blessed presence of the Spirit of God which is the soule of the soule and as the Sunne to the world so is hee to the Elect for light and comfort There is a losse of the Spirit in all his saving offices his illumination further than to make them unexcusable his consolation and joy having left them to eternall horrour and heavinesse and his assistance of leading them into all truth or raising requests in them Thus wanting the spirit they want all degrees of mortification from first to last in life and death They are layd under the whole power of their vain conversation under all the corruption of the present evil world that they may eternally lye under as much power as guilt of sinne 4. There is the losse of heaven and happinesse and that eternally and not that onely but the sense of horrible torment expressed in Scripture by unquenchable fire which notes them infinitely miserable in the eternitie and durance of most exquisite torments for their worme dyeth not and their fire goeth not out Esa. 66. 24. and they have no rest but the smoake of their fire ascendeth continually Rev. 14. 15. so as they shall seeke death but shall not find it their very being is a punishment Next what is it that makes the soule once lost irrecoverable 1. An invincible wicked and hard heart setled upon sin and sending out all cursed practises of lying swearing despighting grace in the means and bringers crueltie injustice vaine confidence and all manner of sin They that doe such things are shut out of the kingdome of God and of Christ 1. Cor. 69. Gal. 5. 21. For such be wray themselves given up of God to a reprobate minde calling good evill and darknesse light whose consciences are seared against all goads and prickings of the word no counsell or admonition toucheth them nor troubleth them all the threats and menaces of the law are to them as iron-weapons to Behemoth esteemed as straw Here is a man in a lost estate Judas is a lost son of perdition how know you him all the counsels and admonitions of Christ are lost upon him nothing workes upon him for reformation and obstinate Pharaoh will be broken all to pieces before the powerfull ministerie of Moses and Aaron can bend him If we meet with such knottie pieces on whom in vaine wee breake many wedges who if Moses and Aaron were immediately sent with as many miracles as messages or if Christ himselfe in person should perswade with them yet still would remaine obstinate alas what remedie who can save a lost man a man that will not bee saved A man that chuseth death must dye he will not live 2. This also makes the lost soule irrecoverable for that it hath trod under foot the blood of Christ so as there is no more price or sacrifice for his sin Heb. 10. 29. And they doe this saith Ambrose who sin voluntarily without feare not regarding the blood that was shed for them nor fearing Christ the Judge who somtimes shed his blood for their redemption This is to crucifie Christ againe daily to themselves and to put him to death daily who having dyed once can dye no more Slight this blood of Christ and sin against it what can save thee 3. The Spirit of grace in the Ministery hath beene despighted his motions and knockes all rejected himselfe grieved and banished And now that he is driven out with despight hee never comes more let that soule sinke or swim the Spirit of life is gone 4. The day of mercy hath beene despised the season of grace hath beene slipped the doore of grace is now shut a world of teares and sorrow cannot now quench the fire of wrath kindled against the sinnes and soules now the blessing is too late sought with teares teares of horror and despaire a full sea of them cannot wash the guilt of one sin repentance is now unseasonable Time was when Christ called Jerusalem with tears would have gathered her as the hen gathers her chickens but she would not the things of her peace were then hid from her eyes and afterward all her sorrow was too late Next see the worthlesnesse and impotencie of all earthly things to recover a lost soule First in their rankes Whatsoever is in the world is reduced to one of these three heads 1. John 2. 16. Lust of the flesh voluptuousnesse pleasures wherein if there be any excellency the brute beasts led with sensualitie enjoy it above men for they enjoy their appetite without all restraint and checke of reason or religion Lust of the eye desire of wealth riches abundance whereof worst men are greatest gainers and those that have no true treasure abound in these beside the Scripture calls them shadows lyes thicke clay uncertaine and deceivable riches And pride of life honor ambition preferment estimation of men which are so much the more worthlesse because they depend upon other mens breath and opinion beside the whole world is witnesse to the levity and
inconstancie of them And can these things so vaine in themselves recover so infinite a losse Secondly see them in their properties As they are vaine in themselves so are they not ours but some from parents as inheritances some from Princes as honors some from people as praise name reputation and all in other mens power so long as they will conferre or retaine them But our soules are properly ours as also our sinnes and no man can redeeme the soule of his brother Psal. 49. 7. Againe they are changeable and temporarie For wealth a man may out live a world of it and dye a begger Mens favors are no inheritance Beautie will not stand before one fit of sicknesse nor strength the shake of one ague One snuffe of a candle may suddenly overmaster the greatest estate and the greatest pleasures are but for a season Whereas the soule and faculties of it are immortall and capable of eternall weale or wo. Thirdly that which must ransome the soule must appease the infinite wrath of God which all finite creatures are not able to doe Pro. 11. 4. they avayle not in the day of wrath Only the blood of Christ is a plenarie expiation Againe that which must ransome a soule must buy backe the sentence and procure a righteousnesse answerable to the law but the whole world cannot do that onely Christ frees from the sentence of condemnation and his blood onely obtaines for us better conditions by vertue of a new covenant than the law affords us Lastly that which ransomes a soule must help us out of corruption pull us out of the power of Satan keepe the soule from hell and invest us into life and immortalitie But a world of worlds cannot doe the least of all these and therefore can be no proportionall recompence for a lost soule Fourthly all the world cannot offer a recompence to God of any thing which is not his owne whereas our ransome must be of a thing undue an offering above that the law requireth a free-will offering so that no sinner can offer a ransome of sin And by all this it appeareth that the whole world cannot afford a recompence for one lost soule Which serves to condemne the extreme blasphemie of the Romish Church teaching that masses pardons indulgences satisfactions humane merits pilgrimages and a thousand such toyes can become a recompence for a lost soule whereas no man nor Angell can become a recompence for a lost soule it is too great a price to pay the person must be no lesse than GOD and man 1 Pet. 1. 18. Yee are not redeemed with corruptible things 2. Let such rich men as to whom our Lord directeth this speach consider of their wofull estate while they abound with wealth trustin nothing so much as that A broken reed and for all their wealth being wicked they must to hell their riches cannot ransom thē yea they rather plunge them into the pit than help them out as a wedg of gold helps more to drowne a man that is cast into the sea thā to save or deliver him Which should be of use to all the more willingly to want them the more weinedly to hold them to grow into an holy contempt of them and to raise our desires to better more durable riches 3. It may humble us for that it imports the extreme miserie into which wee have plunged our selves by sin we have lost our soules and cast them into so ruinous a condition as the whole world is not sufficient to ransom them The greatness and desperateness of the cure amplifies the greatnesse and desperatenes of the disease What earthly danger is it which the world cannot buy out but gold and silver cannot purchase a Church no not one soule It must be an infinite ruine and breach the repaire whereof must be of such infinite value and sufficiency 4. It calls us to behold the excellencie of Christ and fixe our eyes upon the wonderfull vertue of his precious blood which did redeeme our lost soules when all corruptible things in the world could not How should it excite us to love him and admire his goodnes and raise the price of grace which is beyond all treasures yea and teach us to esteeme the rebukes of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt Paul would bee set downe a nothing in himselfe that he might finde the vertue of Christ his death and resurrection the worth and value wherof is beyond the worth of many worlds even so farre as infinite is beyond finite which holds no comparison Lastly it may raise in us the true valuation and respect of our owne soules Is the soule at such a rate as being lost a whole world cannot redeeme it what an extreme madnesse then is it for men so to live as if they had no soules or if they have they are but as salt to keepe their bodies sweet void of all care either to keepe or save them never an horse or hog about their houses but their lives are more regarded than their precious soules Certainly there is nothing of price no pearles no grace nothing worthy of care where men are so carelesse Let us bee exhorted to looke better to our soules than to lose them for any baites which the divell or the world layes in our way Prize them above all the world as Christ doth Be serious in the saving of thy soule above the winning of the world Use the ordinary means diligently Get the Spirit of faith love prayer c. which are utterly contemned by the most too much neglected by the best And with thine owne soule pitie and prize the soules of others especially such as are committed to thee as a Pastor as a Parent as a Master lose them not for want of instruction esteeme the soules of thy wife children precious things bring them to the means of salvation teach them pray for them help them out of danger of perdition if by thy default one soule be lost all the world cannot make up the losse either to thee or to that person Verse 27. For the Sonne of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angells and then shall hee give to every man according to his deeds OUr Saviour having enforced his doctrine of selfe-deniall by two strong arguments already the inevitable danger of fayling herein and the unprofitablenesse of that unhappie match of winning the world with the losse of the soule in these words addeth another of no lesse force than the former drawne from the consideration of the last judgment wherein all those his sayings shal be fully accomplished for howsoever he was now abased and rejected as not worth the following and owning yet the time commeth that hee will come in the glory of his Father attended with his most glorious Angells and then shall hee give to every man according to his workes that is to say to the wicked
these holy Angels nor drive them from about us whose protection under God is safer than if wee lay under shield and speare Psal. 91. 4. 11. While wee desire they should stand for us at that day beware of ministring matter to them to witnesse against us Yea let us furnish them with matter of our defence as those that have beene both witnesses and defenders of our pure conversation 1. Cor. 11. 10. Women must bee seemely in the Congregation because of the Angels And because of the Angels both in Gods house and our owne houses and all meetings the Saints must walke holily and reverently a◠those that have not onely Gods eye and the eye of Christ upon us as Judges but the Angels as witnesses Let no sinner that shall stand in need of so much comfortable service from them goe on to grieve or offend them but rather afford them matter of rejoycing in their sound conversion and daily renewing of their repentance Luk. 15. 7. 7. Learne to imitate the Angels in their service and ministerie as it hath beene described First they honour Christ in all their ministerie so all the scope and aime of our lives and labours must bee the glory of our head Secondly they are expedite and readie they have besides the agilitie and swiftnesse of their nature wings to flie withall let their wings speed us in his service who are nearer than they should the members be heavie and uncheerefull in the service of the Head Thirdly they are in all things ruled and moved by his mouth and spirit they doe none of their owne but his will Ezek. 1. 20. Whither the spirit led them they went Let us in all things give up our selves much more to the leading of his Spirit not running in any businesse unsent or without our warrant doth the member any thing or move any way without the heads direction Fourthly they rejoyce in all good things in the glory of Christ in the victory of Christ in the conversion of sinners in the eversion of all wicked enemies in the finall salvation and glory of all Saints and doe promote all these But why doe not wee more rejoyce in these things the benefit of which more redoundeth to us than to them How unlike is it to the Angels to rejoyce in evill in sinfull courses and companie why hate wee and scorne such as most partake in Christs victory and are set out of the divels power Fiftly they are unweariable in performing their service to Christ and much lesse should a member be wearie of being officious to the head When did any good Angell shrinke and recoyle from the commandement of Christ or account any thing too much he could doe for Christ or his members as many Christians be Therefore my Beloved 1 Cor. 15. 58. Be stedfast unmoveable unweariable and abundant in the worke of the Lord. The time comes when we shall be in our condition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like or equall to the Angels Luk. 20. 36. and when we shall be children of the resurrection Let us frame our selves to the good Angels before-hand in this first resurrection that we may have comfort and glory in that second And then hee shall give to every man according to his workes Here is the fift and last point namely the end of Christs comming to judgement where are five things to be considered 1. A just retribution in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies both a returne of justice and a gift of favour Matth. 20. 8. Call the worke-men and give them their wages returne both to those that came into the vineyard first and seeme to have deserved it as also those that came in last to whom it was given of favour For it is observable that the compound is changed into the simple vers 14. I will give to this last as unto thee and therefore is most fitly used here in respect of the two sorts of subjects to bee judged The wicked who must receive a just retribution according to their workes and desert of them And the godly who are to receive life everlasting of the free favour of God in Jesus Christ. And this is the end of Christs comming that secondary and subordinate end in the felicitie of the Elect and just damnation of reprobates which promoteth that chiefe and primary end of all his great workes even the praise of the glory of his grace in the consummation of that his kingdome which hee set up in this world 2. The person retributing Hee the just Judge of all the world hee that loveth righteousnesse and hateth iniquitie hee that exercised and fulfilled all righteousnesse in his humilitie shall now much more exact it in his glory And here in is the difference between this Judge and other judges First hee is appointed to bee judge of all the world and now to come to destroy and revenge all unrighteousnesse they not so Secondly the Lord is with them in their passing of righteous sentence but he is the Lord God sits with them hee sits as God Thirdly they may be mis-led for they often passe sentence before due hearing and triall but not so He as in Adams case first all were examined Or they when they have heard the right may be carryed away by affection petition money importunitie or the command of a superiour as in Naboths case this Judge not so most righteous and will deale righteously 3. The persons to whom To every man he saith not to all men in generall but the word noteth the particular judgement of every singular man none shall avoid judgement Kings nor subjects rich nor poore the greatest Monarch that ever was must appeare if his power be not superiour to Christs The poore soule shall not bee neglected nor forgotten None shall answer by Proctours but every man shall receive according to that he hath done in the body be it good or evill Hence the Scripture that it may omit none rangeth them into sundry rankes namely of just and unjust Act. 24. 15. of quicke and dead Act. 10. 42. of great and small Rev. 20. 12. Christ now calls and men will no◠come but then they must come in 4. The time then shall he give to every one now is not the time or place in which dwelleth righteousnesse now it is well with the wicked and not so well to the godly now in mens tribunals many things are carried unjustly and partially but we know that then the judgement of God shall be according to truth Rom. 〈◊〉 2. Now in this world a man may see a just man to whom it is according to the worke of the wicked A poore wise man by his wisedome delivering the Citie and none remembreth this poore man The best worke receiving the worst wages and iniquitie in the place of justice But then is the time when the godly shall have a full reward
and though his greatest glory should bee deferred till the last judgement yet would he before that time shine out in brightnesse and glory to the whole world And whereas they as his nearest and most faithfull servants might earnestly desire to see him their loving Master thus exalted and grieve that it should bee so long deferred as that they might be worne out of the earth before that time hee meetes them in their desire and tels them it is not so farre off but some of them should behold it before their death For the meaning Amen or verily a forme of speech or asseveration which Christ the true and faithfull witnesse often used to avouch the truth and he that saith here Amen is called Amen Rev. 3. 14. these things saith the Amen to shew that whatsoever hee saith is yea and amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. that is most firme certaine and constant I say unto you Our Lord propoundeth his doctrine in his owne name that hee may bee knowne the chiefe Doctor of his Church even that Doctor of the Chaire whose voyce alone must be heard of Pastors and people Thus did none of the Prophets but onely verbum Domini the word of the Lord none of the Apostles but delivered what they had heard and seen 1 Joh. 1. 1. and what they had received of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 23. Nor none of the Pastors of the Church but as good Stewards they dispensed their Masters allowance And further this being a prophecie uttered in this forme hee showes himselfe the chiefe Prophet of the Church prophecied of by Moses Deut. 18. 18. like unto Moses Act. 3. 21. and like him in 5. things 1. As the truth hath a likenesse with the shadow the mediation of Moses betweene God and his people being a shadow of Christs mediation 2. Like him in respect of divine calling to his office 3. In respect of his faithfulnesse in his calling being faithfull in all the house of God as the Sonne Moses as a servant 4. Like him in his authoritie he being appointed to teach us all things we to heare him in all things 5. In the event or sanction whosoever will not heare him must dye the death But superior to Moses as being the Lord of the holy prophets as being God the seer of things properly and à priori as being faithfull in the house as the Sonne as onely able to say I say unto you preaching in his own name which none but the head of the Church can doe and none but hee that hath power in the heart and conscience Some that stand here shall not taste of death This is an Hebrew phrase not to taste of death is not to die but alluding to the cause of death which was tasting of the forbidden fruit this was the first tasting of death So in Joh. 8. 51. He that keepeth my word shall not see death and Heb. 2. 9. Christ tasted death for all the Elect. Till they see the sonne of man come in his Kingdome Here is some difference and difficultie in the interpretation 1. Some referre it to the last judgement of which Christ had spoken immediately before and erroneously conceive that Christ meant of John who they thought should not die till Christ came againe to the last judgement And no marvell though sundry have beene over-carried in this error seeing the Disciples themselves till the sending of the Spirit to lead them into all truth were wrapped in it But this is sufficiently confuted in the Text Joh. 21. 23. 2. Others both ancient and new writers as Hilary Bullinger Chytreus and Piscator understand it of Christs Transfiguration which immediately followed as if hee had said Some of you as Peter James and John shall shortly see mee so farre as you can comprehend in that forme and habit wherein I will thus come to judgement as sixe daies after they saw him on mount Tabor in great glory But first the speech yee shall see it before your death seemes to carrie it to something beyond the compasse of so few dayes Secondly wee doe no where reade that the transfiguration is called the comming of Christ in his Kingdome Thirdly in so short a time none of the disciples were to taste of death Therefore 3. We shall best finde out the sense by enquiring What is meant here by the Kingdome What is meant by the comming of this Kingdome and Seeing the best interpretation of a prediction is the accomplishment we shall enquire how some of the Disciples did see the comming of this Kingdome before they tasted of death For the first the Kingdome of God is twofold Generall and Speciall The former is called the Kingdome of power whereby the Lord powerfully governeth the whole world and every particular to the very sparrows and the haires of our head unto which kingdome of power all creatures men and Angels yea devils themselves are subject The speciall Kingdome of God is his gracious rule and governement over his Elect called the Kingdome of Christ because he is the head of it and the Kingdome of heaven because it tends directly thither and the Kingdome of the Sonne of man Of this Kingdome are two degrees of grace of glory The difference of these two is 1. In time the former is begun on earth the latter is consummate in heaven 2. In manner of government the former is governed mediatly by his servants and ministers the latter immediatly by himselfe when he is all in all 3. In the manner of subjection the former in the militant estate is environed by enemies and assailants the latter is triumphant in perfect rest and peace without all assault Quest. Of whether of these doth our text meane Answ. Our Saviour here speaketh of the former Kingdome of grace here in this world which is an estate wherein men are brought to be subjects to Christ in this life being enlightned guided and effectually moved to beleeve the promises of salvation and obey the will and lawes qf God For it is a comming into the kingdome before the disciples decease For the second what is meant by the comming of this Kingdome Answ. The comming of the Kingdome is nothing else but the erecting of it by the powerfull means of it in the hearts of men where it is not begun and a continuance of it with much successe and increase where it is begun being all one with that petition Thy Kingdome come And thus many Interpreters Calvin Beza Bucer Tossanus fitly applie it to the power and efficacie of the Gospel by which the Kingdome of Christ was farre and wide with great power propagated after the time of Christs Ascension but yet in the dayes of some of the Apostles And to this interpretation the change of the phrase Mark 9. 1. giveth light some that are here shall not taste of death till they have seene the Kingdome of God come with power Now
pleasures and sweet profits which are as neare as right hands and eyes can the worldling who esteemes his profits before his profession and therefore turnes a deafe eare to such voyces no onely he that made the affections at first can thus renew them change them at his pleasure 4. An embracing of all truths one as well as another because all are from the same fountaine and a constant cleaving to all truth in judgement and practise then when reason custom practice sense and common opinion crosse and contradict it Now who can teach wisdome in a mysterie but God alone 1 Cor. 2. 〈◊〉 that a Virgin should beare a Sonne that a Sonne should be eternally begotten that all things should bee made of nothing that life dyed upon the Crosse and fetched life out of death that heaven must be had out of hell and death swallowed up by death and the same body arise againe Who can give simple and shallow wits capacity to reach these high mysteries which Festus accounteth madnesse and Iewes thinke the Apostles out of their wits to utter them and the great wits of the world account foolishnesse and fables Is it not hee that chooseth weake things to confound the mighty Nay who is it that can perswade these high and strange things with such certainty as the simple Beleever-dares and doth dye in defence of them Surely as Christ said to Peter Flesh and bloud reveales it not but the Father that is in heaven This is the second signe of saving knowledge The third is a conscionable and fruitfull following of the means of knowledge as 1. An humble sitting downe with many at the feet of Christ. 2. Binding the Word to our eyes by frequent constant and orderly reading 3. Whetting it on the heart by deepe meditation so to make it our owne 4. Tying it to the hands and fingers by practising it If yee doe these things yee shall know the Doctrine a good understanding have all they that doe thereafter 5. Prayer to be continually taught of God as in the Text and Iam. 1. 5. Aske Wisdome of God 6. Teaching strengthning and comforting of others this returne increaseth thy Talent as oyle in the Cruise increased by imparting Adde hereunto a fruitfull use of the meanes prospering and profiting daily in the Image of God and conformity with God in true wisdome holinesse and righteousnesse 2 Cor. 3. 18. We behold i◠a mirror and are changed from glory to glory This is to be taught by Christ as the truth is in Christ. To be led by God in the way of God is to get nearer God every day than other We must walke in the light as hee is light and so have communion with him To walke in light is in regard of God to walke in the light of his directions in regard of our selves to walke in truth and light of sincerity in regard of our brethren to walke in love as the Apostle Iohn expresseth it here by the vision of faith and hereafter by the vision of fruition And I will keepe it unto the end Here is the second part of the Text containing a religious vow or promise of David in case the Lord will vouchsafe to teach him Where consider 1. Why he voweth 2. What he voweth For the former 1. He voweth to shew his resolution and forwardnesse to keepe the way of God A maine helpe of godlinesse is to resolve to be godly and the beginning of goodnesse are good purposes and resolutions to be good which if wee find we must cherish and if they faile renew them 2. He voweth to move the Lord after a sort to grant his desire because he desires it for a right end if God will make him know his way he will keep it so Hanna moved for a sonne which if God vouchsafe to her she will dedicate him to his service and God heard her 1 Sam. 1. whatsoever we aske of God it will be an easie suit if we resolve to referre it to his glory 3. To shew his thankfulnesse for the blessing received as also Hanna did which cannot better be expressed then in an obedient and holy course which is the tribute and returne the Lord expecteth for all his goodnesse received And actuall mercies call for actuall thankfulnes 1 Thes. 5. 17 18. Pray continually In all things give thankes 4. To binde himselfe more firmely to duty and service which is not superfluous though we be tyed already as Bellarmine affirmes For as it is contrary to Christian liberty needlesly to bind our selves where God hath left us free so in things commanded and necessary directly and immediately concerning the worship of God we may binde our selves more straightly For first we are bound by the law of Creation to serve God and is therefore the vow and promise of Baptisme superfluous Secondly looke to the practice of the Saints Iacob was bound by Creation and by Circumcision and yet Gen. 28. 20. he vowed a vow that the Lord should be his God David here having made the Covenant in Circumcision renewes his uow and Psa. 119. 106. I have sworne and will performe that a threefold cord might not easily bee broken Thirdly in the defiance of evil and strife against the lusts in the members resisting the law of God besides the generall bond of Baptisme a Christian may advisedly and profitably lay on himselfe a particular vow as a remedy and helpe against some evill or a furtherance to some good As for example a man subject to be drunke with wine or strong drinke may vow for a time to abstaine from it and so cut off an hand or eye offending One finding the stirring of concupiscence may solemnly vow to refraine the company and presence of wanton women and make a covenant with his eyes as Job not to looke on them Or finding dulnesse slacknesse or distractions hindering prayer reading or other dutie he may vow to bestow some time thereupon For the latter 1. In generall David vowes a lawfull thing 2. In speciall to keepe the way to the end In generall he vowes a thing commanded and acceptable to God a thing within the compasse of his calling and not against Christian liberty Hee vowes not perpetuall single life for it is better to marry than to burne Nor voluntary poverty for the Commandement is Let there be no begger in Israel Deu. 15. 4. Nor to goe to Rome or Compostella to worship an Image against the Commandement Nor to visit the holy land or kisse the Popes feet in all which the calling is laid aside for idle and impious devices Nor to revenge an injury which is against the Commandement of charity Nor impiously not to eat or drinke till they have slaine Paul Act. 23. 12. Nor any such sinfull thing whereof the rule is good In case of ungodly or dishonest vow alter thy purpose And a vow must never be the bond of
freely He will doe it for asking and for all that aske it Psal. 30. 2. O Lord J cryed and thou didst heale me Thirdly he attendeth his Patients most diligently other Physicians visit their Patients sometimes in expectance of good reward but he onely out of his wonderfull care and compassion is ever present and about his Patient Psal. 34. 18. he onely is neare to the afflicted in spirit and will save the contrite heart Now if Christ be the Physician Christ must be magnified for our health We may say of our sicknesse by sinne as himselfe did of Lazarus his sicknesse This sicknes is not unto death in all but that God may be glorified For no man can cure himselfe our owne merits workes or free-will cannot cure us we can poyson our selves daily but cannot helpe our selves O Israel thy destruction is of thy selfe but in me is thy helpe We can surfet our selves in sinne and breed sicknesse but cannot helpe our selves The Pope by his pardons masses pilgrimages and the like cannot cure us It is too great a price to pay No supererogations or satisfactions can doe it Who can forgive sinnes but God onely Who can remit a debt but he to whom it is due Nay the Angels can conferre nothing to this cure The Lord reserves the honour of this mercy to himselfe to whom it is proper to say I will forgive sins and heale rebellions freely The very name given to Christ by the Angels and in his circumcision by his Parents was Iesus and there is no other name to be saved by Acts 4. 12. Obiect Was not Peter a good Physician when he healed the lame man Act. 3. and Philip Act. 8. and Paul who cast out divels Act 16. 18. Are not Ministers good Physicians who remit and absolve men from their sinnes and save themselves and others Answ. The Apostles in all those places did what they did in the name and by the power of Christ as is sometimes expressed In the name of Iesus Christ I command thee come out of her c. but Christ did all by his owne divine power And Ministers are Gods Physicians for his people but onely ministerially by power and direction from him but hee by proper authority Againe if Christ be the Physician of soules let every one seeke to this Physician seeke to have the presence and helpe of Christ. If the body be sicke unto death there is running and riding to the Physician and no man is so welcome as he is The world is as a common Spittle every man is deadly sicke it stands us now in hand to get Christ to cure us Israel stung with the fiery Serpents must only looke to the brazen Serpent Numb 21. 8. We are all as the man fallen among theeves deadly wounded It is onely this good Samaritan that can binde up the wound Or as the poore man that lay at the poole of Bethesda 38. yeares and could never find cure till Christ came Ioh. 5. 5. And if we would be cured we must doe as the Inhabitants of Genezareth when they heard Christ was there they ranne about all the region and carried after him in beds all that were sicke and diseased and he healed them all Goe any where else and it will be fall you as that woman Mark 5. 26. that spent all shee had on Physicians and was as far from cure as at first till Christ came and healed her But Christ is in heaven how shall I have his presence His promise is to be with his Church by his Spirit and grace to the end of the world But where may we have him Thou shalt not misse of him in the midst of the seven golden Candlestickes thou shalt finde him in the Temple teaching as his parents having lost him get thee to the steps of the flolkes Cant. 1. 7. there thou shalt finde him at noone The Word and Sacraments holily received afford his speciall presence And as the poore Cripple got cure from Peter and Iohn lying at the beautifull gate of the Temple so must we Act 3. But I am so weake and sicke I cannot get to Christ. The poore man who lay bound on his bed sicke of the palsie not able to stirre himselfe got others to bring him to Christ and when they could not come neare they uncovered the house and let him down with cords before Christ so doe thou in the great weaknesse of thy soule and of thy faith commit thy selfe to some faithfull men who by their strength may helpe thee by their counsels comforts and prayers as by cords may let thee downe before Christ and thou shalt get helpe Luk. 5. 20. If Christ be the Physician then being come unto him we should daily lay open our sinnes and our very hearts before him with earnest intreaty to heale us and helpe us Wee lay open all our sores and sicknesses to the Physician be they never so foule and shamefull in themselves or in shamefull parts with the causes occasions and effects we hide nothing dissemble nothing but confesse all against our selves we put our selves into the Physicians hands with earnest suit and large rewards to helpe us And so ought we here for cure doe unto Christ confesse all against our selves entertaine no secret and close sin for that may be the cause of our griefe and never cease importuning him for mercy till we feele some cure to eternall life If we were in danger to be eaten up with wormes as Herod was we would spare no cost no paines no prayers but would have the counsell of the whole Colledge of Physicians before we would so wretchedly end our dayes Yet our case spiritually is farre worse sinne is a worme in the conscience and hath a poysonfull sting which will gnaw in the soule to eternal death This worme is in every man comming of Adam and none can cure it but the second Adam for none but he knowes to make the confection to kill this worme And whosoever goes on carelesly in sinne suffers this worme to eat out the bowels of his soule and there is no way but death with him Suppose a man had the falling-sicknesse what would he not doe or suffer to be cured of that desperate disease rather then be in continuall danger of falling into the fire or water or other mischiefes But the most dangerous falling sicknesse is to fall into sinne the impenitent sinner knowes not when or where he shall fall every moment he may fall into the deepe waters of Gods wrath or into the fire of hell Oh then come in time to Iesus Christ fall downe before him in confession of thy deplored estate mourne under thy sicknesse as Hezekiah in his sicknesse turne thee to thy Physician confesse thy blindnesse as the blind men in the Gospell and begge as they Lord that our eyes may be opened Cry out of the stone of thy heart and of the running issues
Secondly to be perhaps witnesses and give evidence against the ungodly of many secret sinnes sure wee are they attend our Congregations 1 Cor. 11. 10. and why not in our private chambers Thirdly to be instruments of Gods vengeance on the wicked Mat. 13. 41 42. the reapers shall gather the tares and cast them into unquenchable fire So of the third 4. Their service and Ministry shall notably serve for the comfort and salvation of the Saints in that day for first they shall with admirable expedition gather the Saints out of their graves from all the foure windes and bring them into the presence of Christ secondly as they attended them in their humilitie so now shall their service be exceeding comfortable in that day never was Hagar so comforted by an Angell in her distresse when hee refreshed her with water as they shall be by the Angels in this day of refreshing for 1. These Angels which had carried their soules into heaven as Lazarus Luke 16. shall now bring their bodies out of the earth As the Angell loosed Peters chaines and brought him out of prison Act. 12. so now shall not one living body as his but all the dead bodies of the Saints bee brought out of their prisons and set into perfect freedome All stones shall bee rolled away and all chaines of corruption broken asunder 2. When all elements shall bee dissolved and set on â—ire the Angels shall helpe and hide them that the fire shall not hurt them that looke as the three servants of GOD walked in the midst of the fire and had no hurt onely their chaines were loosed because God sent his Angell among them Dan. 3. 25. so here all the godly shall bee safe in that fire which shall drive the wicked to desperation not able to stand before those terrible burnings And that fire shall resemble the waters of the red sea which was a wall to Israel but a well and pit to drowne Egypt Yea and as that fire of Nebuchadnezzar that sheltred Gods servants from the Tyrant but licked up and devoured the enemie 3. Whereas Satan at that day being at his last most desperate assault shall bee most raging against the Saints they shall stop the mouth of this raging Lion as once they did for Daniel and by their power quell the forces of the divell And their very multitude shall afford this comfort that there shall appeare infinite more with us than against us 2. King 6. 16. 4. As they shall bind the tares to cast them into the fire so shall they carry the wheat into the garner and so appeare glorious ministring spirits for the good of the heires of salvation Hebr. 1. 14. Thus the office and ministrie of the Angels shall marvellously set out the glory of Christ promote the worke of the great day bee serviceable for the finall ruine of all enemies and happily advance the comfort and salvation of the Saints in these particulars But I read not in the Scripture a word of those childish and ridiculous conceits of Petrus Thyreus a Jesuite who in the description of Christs glorious appearing appoints some Angels to beare up the cloud and hold up the seat of the Judge and some to beare the crosse before him others the crown of thornes others the nailes others the speare and other instruments of his passion Which he hath gravely confirmed because hee hath seene these things finely artificially painted upon tables Sound proofes of Jesuites when they want grounds from Prophets and Apostles they can supply them out of Poets and Painters to both whom was ever granted equall leave to devise what they listed But how can the Angels come with Christ seeing they are no bodily substances in their nature being without magnitude figure or sense and seeing they occupie no place how can they move locally from heaven into the aâ—re and into the earth Ans. The Angels being creatures though they fill occupie no place yet must needs be definitively in some place now in one and then in another and sometime locally ascend and locally descend after a manner unknown to us Hence in Jacobs ladder the Angels are said to ascend and descend and not onely in vision but actually Luk. 1. 26. Gabriel was sent from GOD to a Citie in Galilee So our soules are spirituall substances and yet they locally ascend to heaven and at the resurrection descend from heaven to be united to their bodies In like sort the Angels are described to be of most quicke motion and for their celeritie and swiftnesse are compared to the windes and have wings ascribed to them as flying with most swift motion about their Lords commands And so must it needs bee for 1. Their motion is without all resistance of bodily substances no body can resist an unbodily substance and all resistance is betweene bodies 2. Being without resistance their motions are without all labour or wearinesse they are restlesse in their motion 3. It must be most speedy because by no meanes hindred so as in a short time above that wee can perceive they can move betweene heaven and earth I say not in a moment for Angels cannot locally move betweene extremes as from heaven to earth but by passing the meane which is to be done in time though very short Thus wee conclude that the spiritual nature of Angels though it occupie and fill no place as bodies doe nor hath any circumscriptive place assigned them as they and though by their motion in place they neither expell nor move any body out of place yet are they moved locally and shall descend with Christ to judgement and quickly expedite all things belonging to it by their Ministrie Observe hence a difference betweene Christs first and second comming For first hee comes now with another manner of traine than hee had following him upon earth Then he had twelve poore fishermen despised persons following him for his Kingdome was not of this world but now his traine are all the Angels of heaven Secondly hee was then to shew himself the son of man and in the form of a servant but now hee will shew himselfe the Sonne of God and the Lord of glory Thirdly he was then to preach righteousnesse and to suffer for sin but now he is to judge righteously and to revenge sin Fourthly he was ever the Lord of the holy Angels and therefore in his temptations and agonie they were readie to comfort him and when hee was at the weakest hee was of power to command many legions of them but that was not the time to shew forth his Majestie by their attendance as this appearing is Fiftly those Angels which ministred unto him in his incarnation and birth in his life and death were Angels of grace Preachers to shepheards Disciples women and others appearing sometimes by one or two to one or two persons But these are Angels
of power appearing in millions to all the world who in their wonderfull glorie shall behold the glory of their Lord. Again the Lord Jesus is hence proved the Lord of glory in that the holy Angels serve him as their head King of the Church so the Apostle Phil. 2. 9. proveth him to have a Name above all names because all things in heaven and earth and under the earth shall confesse him and Christ himselfe to prove his headship useth the same argument Joh. 1. 52. Hereafter shall yee see the Angels ascending and descending on the Sonne of man that is ministring to him as the head of the Church as was figured in Jacobs ladder Gen. 28. 1â— for Christ is the ladder by which onely wee ascend to heaven this ladder reached from heaven to earth noting his two natures divine from his Father in heaven and humane from Jacobs loynes on earth Angels ascend and descend on it noting their emission and admission descending to their office and ascending to give account Besides he must be greatest of all who is honoured of all and so Christs eminencie above all creatures is proved because all the Angels of heaven must honour him Heb. 1. 6. And the more and more honourable the Attendants and Ministers be the greater is the personage so attended but the Angels are every where spoken of as the excellencie of the Creation and in the glory of these servants behold the glory of their Lord. Againe their incessant service to Jesus Christ advanceth his glory Exod. 26. 31. the vaile of the Tabernacle which covered the most holy expresly signifying the flesh of Christ which hid and covered his Deity must bee made of broydered worke with Cherubims not without Cherubims which noted the multitude of Angels serving Christ. Exod. 25. 20. The Cherubims signifying the Angels must lift their wings on high as attending Christ and their faces must bee to the Mercy-seat which lively resembled Christ on whom their eyes must still be cast as the eye of the handmaide to the hand of her Mistresse Thus wee shall see how they served Christ as man even in his lowest estate as well as in his highest In his birth they sang glory to God and were preachers of him to shepheards After his temptations they ministred to him spreading a table for him in the wildernesse and waiting at his table Mat. 4. 11. In his agonie in the garden they comforted him Luk. 22. 43. In the grave they roll away the stone for his resurrection Mat. 28. 2. In his ascension they waite upon him and lead him to the Ancient of dayes of whom he received a kingdome over all creatures Dan. 7. 13. But much more now they attend him and assist him in the judgement of the great day wherein hee is to put forth his greatest power and glory in the most glorious worke that ever was or can be 3. Here is matter of terror to the enemies of Christ even all wicked and impenitent persons in that Jesus Christ commeth armed with such power and glory against them for now he rideth in his chariot of triumph against all his enemies and now all the mountaines in the world cannot hide them from the Judge but the power of the Angels shall present them Neither can the sentence bee avoyded nor the execution reprived for if heaven and earth bee mingled together whatsoever sentence of death is pronounced on them the Angels shall speedily execute How comes it then to passe that men are so carelesse and passe over these great woes as a tale that is told shall this Judge pronounce the sentence and the Angels undertake the execution and yet the thing falle of execution Wo worth the deadnesse and securitie of wilfull sinners that dare contemne so dreadfull a sentence as shall eternally torment them 4. Here is assured comfort for the Saints that all this glorious attendance of the Head shall bee the glory of the members What a great comfort shall it be to see the Angels mustered together to become our servants also and performe the greatest service to us as ever was performed by them While the Saints lived here the good Angels attended them and kept them in their hands when they dyed the Angels carryed their soules to heaven which was no meane service But now in this great day they shall reunite the soules and bodies of the Elect they shall separate the whole man from all corruption and communication with sin and sinners and gather out all that offend and shall not leave them till they be set quite free from all danger as the Angell did Peter Act. 12. no nor till they have placed them in the glory of God Now what an honour is it that these glorious spirits who dwell in heaven should serve them that dwell on earth yea dwelt lately in the grave that meere spirits should serve flesh and blood and creatures so elevated in their nature above all sin and mortalitie should stand charged with them who immediatly before were clothed with miserie and corruption Quest. How comes this to passe seeing they are his that is Christs Angels Answ. This must neither impeach Christs glory nor lift us up to glorie in any thing in our selves For they serve Christ and us but not after the same manner nor upon the same grounds 1. Their service to him is immediate as to the head of the Church to us mediate as members of this head 2. Their service is due to him as to their Creator and Lord of dutie to us as creatures of charge from him 3. Their service is proper to him and invested in him as in his own right to us communicated onely by vertue of our communion with him 4. They are his Angels by speciall proprietie and they doe him all homage and service by speciall prerogative as the authour and preserver of all their excellent gifts and condition but our Angels by speciall commission and direction from him entrusted to employ their gifts for our good In one word never did they minister to a member but for the honour of their head 5. It teacheth us to admire the surpassing love of our Lord in that hee tooke our nature and bound us straiter to him than hee did the Angels of heaven and hath vouchsafed us his owne speciall servants to attend us and charged them with our safetie in all our wayes in life in death in judgement till we be set out of the reach of all danger Well knew our Lord what weake creatures wee are in our selves what dangerous combats wee were to stand in with how many spirituall and invisible enemies we were to be beset and therefore out of his love and wisedom hath appointed us so many spirituall invisible and more powerfull ayders and assisters 6. If wee expect this happie ministery from the Angels let us beware that in the meane time wee grieve not by our sin
thou seest iniquitie in the place of judgement then thinke in thy heart that God will judge the just and the wicked and cap. 5. 7. If in a country thou seest the oppression of the poore and defrauding of judgement bee not astonied for he that is higher than the highest regardeth and there be higher than they Now bee patient and appeale to this day from all unjust sentences as John Hus Jerome of Prague c. so did Zachariah 2 Chron. 24. 22. The Lord looke on it and require it Fourthly this must teach us sinceritie and truth in all our wayes before God and men seeing this judgement is not according to outward appearance but according to the truth then shall all showes and powerlesse forms of godlinesse bee blowne off as leaves in Autumne by violent windes and thou shalt bee layd open as thou art and not as thou seemest thou mayest now be as Ananias among beleevers and as Judas among the twelve and carry it smooth away but this day will set thee among hypocrites and thou shalt stand among thy fellowes Then shall the hope of the hypocrite perish and onely soundnesse of heart shall abide this exact triall It must bee gold that must abide the fire of this day and not a gilded hypocrite Fiftly this must teach us watchfulnesse in all our wayes and see they bee righteous Eccles 12. 13. Feare God and keepe his Commandements for God will bring every worke into judgement feare God in his presence power and justice do nothing in secret which thou wouldest not have preached on the house-top And keepe his Commandements for whatsoever is not answerable to some commandement this judgment must condemne and disprove whatsoever the word now alloweth it will then justifie and then will condemne whatsoever it now condemneth Judge thy selfe afore-hand and put thy selfe upon the tryall 1. Of the word how will those words and actions abide that tryall which now it passeth sentence against 2. Of thine own conscience if now thy conscience have a voice against thee but thou wilt choake and stiâ—le it yet it shall bee heard at this day 3. Of thy experience if any action now bring guiltinesse feare shame or heavinesse what else shall it bring then when it shall set before the Judge thy oppressions cruelties usuries wrongs oathes revenges filthinesse drunkennesse contempt of the word of grace the day and meanes of grace and shall doe God good service in bringing backe all old reckonings not reckoned for by Christ 4. Of thine owne present apprehension of that day if now the mention of this day make thee out of guiltines to tremble what shall the day it selfe doe Sixthly out of this doctrine a man may gather evidence of his future estate whether he shall speed well in the last judgement For as the tree leaneth so it is likely to fall and as it falleth so it lyeth But to helpe this inquisition the Scriptures afford us some notes of triall 1. That in Gal. 6. 7. What a man sowes that shall hee reape Sowest thou cockle and wouldest thou reape corne sowest thou to the flesh and expectest to reape any thing but corruption To sow to the flesh is to live according to the lusts of the flesh and command of lusts as to sow to the Spirit is to live aftet the motions of the Spirit Thou art in GODS field either wheat or chaffe and the reapers of this great harvest shall gather the wheate into the garner but the chaffe shall be cast into unquenchable fire 2. Another note is in 2 Thess. 1. 8. in flaming fire rendring vengeance to them that know not God and obey not the Gospell All ignorant and disobedient persons that love not the knowledge of God nor obedience to the Gospell may now read their doome in that judgement nothing but timely repentance preventeth it 3. Another note is in 2 Thess. 1. 6. It is a righteous thing with God to trouble them that trouble you It shall then goe hard with those evill servants that beate their fellow-servants that revile Christ in his members or disgrace the profession of godlinesse whereas they shall finde it had beene their happinesse to have fed clothed comforted and honoured Christ in his members Mat. 25. 45. 4. Another note is in the parablâ— of the talents Mat. 25. 30. the faithfull servant having received talents used them and gained as many more was made ruler over much but the evill and sloathfull servant that hid his Masters talent and employed it not for his Masters advantage was taken and cast into everlasting darknesse What shall be their hope that are so farre from employing their talents that they declaime against them that doe and molest them for so doing Woe to such Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites that neither enter themselves nor suffer others but shut up the Kingdome of heaven before men Mat. 23. 13. What is the sound preaching of the Gospell but the key of the Kingdome given into the hand of Pastors to open the doore of heaven to beleevers Where then shall such Pharisees stand who not onely hinder others by their wicked example but wrest the key out of the Pastors hands and so bolt up the Kingdome of heaven that people should not enter Who sees not halfe the sentence executed on many such already even their talent already taken away and the other halfe remaines the taking away of the man himselfe the binding of him and casting him into the fire as a bundle good for nothing but for fewell of the fire of hell 5. The Apostle in Rom. 2. 7. gives other two certaine notes of him that shall speed well in judgement 1. Hee seekes glory that is by faith and repentance he seekes the kingdome 2. Hee perseveres in good and stands out to victory for good fruits from a sound roote abide and good works flowing from sound faith are not vanishing When those that are contentious against the truth and given up to unrighteousnesse shall meete with tribulation woe and anguish then shall these attaine glory and immortalitie Vers. 28. Verily I say unto you there bee some of you that stand here that shall not taste of death untill they have seene the sonne of man come in his Kingdome IN these words our Saviour partly to mitigate the former doctrine concerning self-deniall bearing the crosse and suffering for Christ partly to confirme what he had said concerning his glorious comming to judgment and partly to support and comfort his Disciples who by reason of his base and low estate could see nothing lesse than the great glory that hee speaketh of doth now make a gratious promise that although hee was now in an abject condition and after a while was to bee more humble and abased even to the death the shamefull death of the crosse and to be laid up a while in the house of death yet ere long hee should manifest his glory