[Of the Vessels.]

Seeing the Lord hath made Angels and Men, ( rationis participes, Bernard Serm 1. Adu. beatitudinis capaces) only par­takers of reason, capable of blessednes, it follow­eth, that whatsoever receiveth oyle or grace un­to salvation, must be called the soule and body of man: and therefore as I called our lampes, so must these Vessels be likewise, observing onely this difference; that whilst we are in this life, Vessels are now vsed, but Lampes shall be used at our Lords com­ming we are in respect of Gods grace as vessels are to oyle, for we have this treasure in earthen vessels. 2. Cor. 4.7. But when wee meet our Lord, our Lampes shall onely be in request, no neede of our vessels. Luke 12.35. This is expressed in the words of this Parable, the Oyle was in their vessels as yet, the [Page 42] light of their Lamps was not seene. Gods giftes in us are as the pitchers and lampes were in the hands of Gideon and the Israelites: Iudg. 7.16. when they were to fight against the Midianites, their lampes were burning and yet not seene, because they were in the pitchers, untill their pitchers were broken, and the light on a sodaine terrified their enemies: For Gods gifts are now hid­den in us. Matth. 5.16. So are the gifts of Gods servants in this world, they are in a manner shut up and not seene; or if any mans good workes so shine, that the spectatours are moved to glorifie our heavenly Father, yet their gifts are not fully seene, but ap­peare as glances of the hidden power of Gods Spirit. Rom. 7.19. The power of regeneration is much hin­dred by the appetite of nature, that they cannot doe the good that they would; loe here the Spi­rit of holinesse is constrained to hide it selfe in the Vessells of our body, O who shall deliver us from this body of death! when our pitchers shall be broken, our lampes shall shine as starres in the firmament.

Beloved, observe here that by the appointment and working of God, his servants in this life are more in substance than in show. When they fast, Christ saith, Matth. 6. that they are to anoint their faces, when they give almes, Wherefore we ought to doe all good as in secret. Let not thy left hand (saith hee) know what thy right hand doth, be even as if thou would take no notice what good thou doest: Good actions are not rewarded here, and there­fore in vaine doe men muster and set them out upon beadroles in this life; but labour to get the approbation of God, and so doe good, that thy [Page 43] conscience may be well stored in Gods sight, who seeing thee in secret may reward thee open­ly, and make thy light shine cleare as the perfect day. Thus doe the wise Virgins, they have store of Oyle, but they shut it up in their Vessels, Bern. in locum. (Pe­rire existimant omne illud quod cernitur) Whatsoe­ver is seene they account it lost. The practise of vaineglorious men is contrary to Gods dealing, his Angel would bury Moses that no man might know it, the Divell strove with him, Compare Deu. 34 6. with Iude 9. that he might be openly buried, that Israel who was bent to I­dolatry, might have occasion to adore his dead body: To avoid hy­pocrisie and vaineglory. So doe hypocrites that the world may adore them, that all men may admire and looke at them. And this greedy desire of the praise of men hath led away many noble Spirits, (so they call themselves) from the onely love of goodnes, that they leave many good things undone, be­cause they feare it will not be enough taken no­tice of, and they had rather doe no good at all, before they would lose the fame and honour of it. Thus men labour more for a good thought of their equalls and inferiours, than they doe for the approbation of God; And that we be not hindred with by res­pects from do­ing good. and therefore the reason why they want these blessings which they most desire, is, for that either they doe not that good which they may doe, or what they doe, they are hindred & furthered with by-respects, & Gods ho­nour never respected in it. Beloved, as these Vir­gins prepare to meet their Lord, so doe wee see every day the Lord call some olde, some young, some kindred, some acquaintance, some noble, [Page 44] some poore; and whilest we stand as dead ima­ges, beholding these presidents, we are on a so­daine caught and presented before God, to give account especially of what we left undone; Did you see the hungry, and gave him no meate? (Si quem pascendo salvare potuisti, Gregor [...] si non paveris, occi­disti) If thou couldest save any man by feeding, if thou feede him not, thou hast killed him: Doe you see the naked and cloathe him not? Hadst thou them at thy command, who with blasphe­my and contempt of Sabbath have offended God, and corrected them not? Didst thou heare the afflicted soule crying day and night unto thee, and with thy silence made his affliction more? What shall we answere the Lord in these or any the like demaunds? no place for our by respects, when the Lord sheweth no respect of persons. Even of these whom we daily exhort, some are sodainly called to give this account, who cannot deny lawfull warning. Many would doe thus when it is too late: Labour therefore that your zealous actions in Gods glory, may shew how o­bedient you were when he commanded you.

The worthines of Gods ser­vants cannot be seene in this life.Secondly, observe, that seeing the wise Vir­gins have their Oyle in their Vessels, that is, have their holinesse and beauty hidden, and their acti­ons onely to be taken notice of by God; it fol­loweth by good reason, that the Saints of God are not seene nor truely knowne so long as they are in this life: they come to be knowne by de­grees; in this life by repentance, faith, good workes, and humility, in all these we know that [Page 45] we are the children of God, 1 Iohn 3.2. Attendis quasi aridas arbores per hiemē. Qui non novit vide­re, aridam pu­tat vitem et for te iuxta est quae vere aruit. Si­miles sunt am­bae per hiemem illa vivit, illa mortua est, sed illius vita et il­lius mors in ab. scondito est: ae­stas procedit, vita illius clari­ficatur, mors il­lius manifesta­tur. Procedit honor foliot [...] ̄, faecunditas fru­ctuum, vestitur vitis in facie ex eo quod habet in radice. Ergo modo fratres tales sumus quales & alii, &c. August. in Psal. 148. but what we shall be is not yet knowne; that is, the glory of these children cannot now be seene, as the Israelites could not be espied by the Midianites, whilest their lampes were hidden, untill they appeared upon a sodaine, no more can their worth be: It appeareth somewhat better when the soule goeth to glory, but the full shew of it is kept for the judgement day, at which time the sonnes of God shall be revealed, Rom. 8.16. And no wonder, for wee cannot be truly joyfull, untill wee see our Lord upon whom all our desire hangeth, we can never be glorious, untill we be in company with Christ who is our glory, we cannot shew the a­ctions of holinesse, untill we be fully freed from sinne and corruption, and restored to the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God. Saint Paul tolde the Colossians, In this world you are in a manner dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God, when Christ who is your life shall appeare, then shall you also appeare with him in glory, Col. 3.3.4.

Therefore no marvaile if these whom God re­spects most, are but despised of the world. Christs glory was hidden within the vessell or veile of his flesh, 1 Cor. 2.8. Acts 3.17. and therefore because the Iewes knew not, they crucified the Lord of glory. But as he (saith the Apostle) indured the Crosse, Heb: 12.2. and despised the shame, care not you how men account of you, if you be sure that God respects you; Psal. 40.20. I am poore and in miserie, (saith David) but the Lord careth for me; and if by shame and misery our life be lost, yet this is the way to make our glory the better to appeare.

[Page 46]Thus leaving their Oyle inclosed and hid in their vessels untill the Bridegroomes comming, let us consider the Vessels, being our soules and bodyes according to phrase of Scripture. David in his conference with the high Priest at Nob, cal­led the bodies of his followers, the vessels of the young men. 1 Sam. 21.5. St. Paul tels the Thessalonians, that it was the will of God, 1 Thess. 4.4. that every man should know, how to keepe his vessel in holinesse and honour; and speak­ing of himselfe and his gift of preaching, sayd, that that treasure was in weake and earthen vessels. But seeing the Scripture speaketh most of these vessels, 2 Cor. 4.7. Every one is to consider wherein he ex­celleth all his other gifts and labour to exer­cise it most. in two considerations, to wit of their mat­ter and use, these two I will briefly touch. If I consider the matter, I finde them all (de communi limo) that the Potter hath made all of clay, or of earth; yet if I compare these vessels among them­selves, I shall finde that as the earth hath some parts of dust and filth, and in other parts are the minerals and plants, as gold, silver, wood, &c. So hath the Lord made us all of earth, but some more refined as the quality and force of the ves­sel doth evidently declare. Saint Paul saith, that in a great house, 2 Tim. 2.20. are vessels of gold, silver, wood, and earth, so are the differēces among men; some seem to be made of gold, for their patience, who are continually bettered by the fire of trouble & ad­versity, the more they suffer the faster they cleave to God; some seeme to be as of silver, in whom the knowledge of Gods word dwelleth plenti­fully, Psal. 12. which is as the silver purified seven times; some are as vessels of wood & earth, who are so lowly, & their looks so dejected, that they thinke [Page 47] it fitter to sit in dust & ashes, and count the earth, Sumpsit Deus limum terrae Gen 2. Quan­do tandem tui oblivisci potes? tu deniq, tui obliviscere cum disiunctus eris a terra; sin nun­quam a terra disiungeris, etc. haud procul de­missionis tuae proposita ima­go et signifi­catio est Basil. Hexam. Ser. 11. dust and wormes their mother brethren and sist­ers, nor to looke up to heaven, or with conceited toyes to abase the brightnesse of the Sunne. Let euery man therefore try himselfe, what power or gift the Lord hath indewed him with, and in that exercise himselfe, seeing 1 Cor. 7.7. Cic. lib. 2. de Nat. deorum. every man hath his proper gift, he ought to search & find out wherin he excelleth his other gifts; he that knoweth not this much of himselfe, nor labours to make use of Gods benefite, wise men have compared his soule to salt, onely to keep the body from sowr­ing or stinking, Cicero calleth them (animae porco­rum) soules or rather pearles cast out to swine.

The use of all these vessels or of all mankinde, is, that some are appointed to honour some to dis­honour, this is finis vltimus. But while all men doe hope to be of the number that shall be honoured with salvation, we are to consider how to use our selves. Vnto some are given gifts more then to o­thers, but unto all the occasion of using what gifts so ever: therefore he that hath wisdome to what purpose hath he it, if he be not an earnest student of Gods word, the meanes to eternall life? Why hath any man power to rule himselfe, if he bee a slave to his lust? What use is there of charity, where a man labours not to doe good? and so of other gifts: God leaves none without occasion to use every vertue, we may be idle, but God be­stoweth nothing without use, nor gift without oc­casion of exercise, Ambros. de Vo­cat. Gent. lib. 2. cap. ult. (cum laudabilius atque faelicius sit pugnantem non potuisse vinci, quàm desidem non potuisse tentari) seeing it is more praise-worthy [Page 48] and happy, that the fighter could not be over­come, than that being idle, he could not be tried; let every man put himselfe to use, and not be as an empty or unused Vessell in the sight of God. It is for them that have no use at all, that Christ hath an iron rod, Psal. 2. to breake them as the potter doth his vessell.

[Of the Oyle.]

Gifts of Gods Spirit compa­red to Oyle.Now we are come to speake of the Oyle, and what is meant by it. All our treasures of riches which are in Christ are comprehended in the name of Oyle, 1 Iohn 2.27. all the graces of Gods Spirit in us are meant by annoynting, and when Moses would set downe the outward and inward blessings to be bestowed upon the Tribe of Asher, he saith, He shall dip his foote in Oyle. Deut. 33.24.

But as there are many sorts of Oyle, as of Ro­ses, Spikenard, Myrrhe, &c. whereof each hath his proper vertue and operation: So saith the A­postle, 1 Cor. 12.4. There are diversity of gifts, but the same Spi­rit, so al receive the name of Oyle. As the vertues of Oyle are peculiar either in health or sicknesse, some cooling, others heating; some binding, o­thers loosing; some cause ripening, others cause rotting: In like manner the graces of Gods Spi­rit, one vertue heates and warmeth us, as chari­ty, another is cooling, as chastity; one ripeneth, as Christian discretion, another bindeth, as tem­perance and abstinence; one looseth the palsie of sluggishnesse, as labour, another driveth away the fever and heat of avarice, as devotion and compassion; one breaketh the impostume of pride, [Page 49] as humility, &c. But in generall, Oyle is noted in the Scriptures to have 3 properties. First, to che­rish & make a man joyfull, and this is supposed, Psal. 104.15. And Oyle to make him of a cheerefull countenance; and therefore it was a signe of glad­nesse, as Christ appointed his Disciples to anoynt their faces with Oyle. Mat: 6, 17. So hath God appointed gifts of his Spirit to make his servants joyfull, Gods gifts make his ser­vants not to feele worldly sorrowes. Acts 5, 41. al­though all the world would heape sorrowes up­on them: when the Iewes laboured to breake the Apostles hearts, they went rejoycing to and from the Councell. And this is done either by taking somewhat away, or by giving. By taking away, when we are made not to feele the evills that are on us, as the Oyle of Poppie causeth sleepe, and the Oyle of Mandrakes makes us insensible, though a legge or arme were cut off us, so hath the Lord made his servants, who by contempla­tion had onely their mindes in heaven, that they felt not what was doing to them on earth; as is principally to be seene in our Arch-type Iesus Christ, who of all men was the man of sorrowes, Esay 53, 3. yet hee in a manner felt not nor cared what the world did to him, Psal: 45. for hee was anoynted with the Oyle of gladnesse: and many Martyrs burning in fire, in stead of crying, rejoyced and sung Psalmes, because they truly had received what Christ had promised to his Disciples, Iohn 16.22. Your hearts shall rejoyce, and your joy shall no man take from you. Partly, the Lord doth it, by making them feele causes of joy and gladnesse: when our conscience doth testifie our love to God, and hatred to sin, 2 Cor: 1.12. [Page 50] our joy is herein more than our sorrow can be for any thing in the world; when we are assured that our sinnes are forgiven us, then the Lord maketh us heare the voice of joy and gladnesse, Psal. 51.8. & 63.4. and his loving kindnesse is sweeter than life it selfe. We learne then, that it is one effect of Gods Spirit to deliver us, that worldly sorrowes break not our hearts; Rom. 5.3. Psal. 23. We rejoyce in tribulation, said Paul, and David, thy rodde and thy staffe comforteth mee: Whereby it appeareth, that they whose hearts are cast downe for the world, the envious, rage­ing and desperate, have not this spirituall an­noynting; this comfort the Lord hath holden from them, and left them to be tormented by their owne thoughts, as an evill Spirit to vexe them: an example of all which (I meane envie, anger, melancholly, and finally despaire) wee finde in King Saul, which made David sing his funerall Elegie according to this doctrine, The shield of the mighty is cast downe, 2 Sam. 1.21. even the shield of Saul, as though he had not beene annoynted with Oyle.

To comfort others.The second property of Oyle, and effect of Gods Spirit is, that as Oyle is a nourisher of the poore, and asswager of hurts: So Gods Spirit worketh the same effects in us: The widow of Sarepta was long sustained by the little Oyle she had, 1 Kings 17.16 Luke [...]0.34. and the Samaritan powred Oyle into the hurt mans wounds; where the Lord giveth a compassionate spirit, it both maintaineth others in necessitie, and comforteth them in their sor­rowes. It appeareth hereby that covetous, cruell [Page 51] and hard-hearted men have never beene molli­fied by grace, nor have interest in Gods Spirit.

The third property of Oyle is to give light, And to shew us our way to heaven. Papia [...] citatur a Pet. Beveborio in Indice, voce O­leum. especially if it touch fire, and of this I have read a wonder, (I know not how true) that if a man fill his mouth with Oyle, and were let downe into the bottome of the sea, if hee put it out of his mouth, it will make light, and give him roome to breathe about him; howsoever, the Spirit of God giveth light in the darknesse of nature, and of this world, by which wee are directed to hea­ven, Psal. 143.10. Let thy good Spirit leade mee into the land of righteousnesse, said Davih, which he doth by his word, and given us understanding to conceive it. This is the third effect of Gods Spirit, (who as Christ tolde his Disciples, Iohn 16.13. should leade them in­to all truth) and therefore all ignorant soules have not the Spirit, nor are come within the way of salvation.

As the effects of Oyle are proportionably seene in Gods servants, Wicked men have some pro­perties of Oyle so are wicked men pos­sessed with the vices of our time in some things like Oyle. The lightnesse of Oyle is fully repre­sented by the proud, inconstant, malicious and wicked hearts, who are full of malice, Psal. 109.18. and drinke it up as Oyle powred into their bones: and for the smoothnesse and softnesse of Oyle flatterers and dissemblers have appropriated it to themselves: Davids enemie had words softer than oyle, Psal. 55 21. and the conversation of the effeminate is accordingly; Prov. 5.3. when the Israelites flattered the Aegyptians, they presented them with smooth words, Hos. 12.1. & abundance of oyle.

[Page 52] Conditions of good Oyle.Finally, (because wee are not to beleeve every Spirit, but try them) if you would try whether the oyle that you have be good, or how we may know it in time to come, the properties of good oyle are three. 1. That it be new and fresh; Gods gifts must be daily renewed by prayer and me­ditation. 2. That it may be easily powred out, what good we doe must be willingly and cheere­fully done, Senec: in Pro­verb. Beneficium qui citò dat indigenti, bis dat, One good deed done in season, is a double kind­nesse. Thirdly, that it be not earthy or mixt with slime, so true graces must not be defiled with o­stentation and worldly glory.

The foolery of the TemplariesI must not omit the foolishnesse of some, who have by practise shewen how they expound this verse: the Romish Leigers at the Sepulchre in Ie­rusalem, Musculus in la­cum. have made it a materiall businesse in their preparation to heaven-ward, to have lampes in that Church continually burning and maintained with oyle: The Greeke Church follow the same superstition, but increased more than the former, who comming in multitudes to the Sepulcher, Sandes travell, pag: 173. compasse it often, and in the end following an Aethiopian Priest, and some of their owne Bi­shops, rush in confusedly to get fire to lighten their lampes, which remaine unlighted, with o­ther fire untill that day twelve-moneth. This fol­ly more heathenish than Christian-like, deserveth more pity, than refutation.

☞ Of Afflictions.

HItherto is shewen the stay of Christ from death and judgement: Let us now consider [Page 65] another stay of this spirituall Bridegroome. E­very faithfull soule hath his meetings with Christ, both in this life and after: in this life he is to expect that Christ should come as a visiting Father, to correct him for faults hee hath fallen into, or to bestow his blessings and gifts upon him.

The first is one of Gods favours shewen to his children, God visits his servant here with correcti­ons. Heb. 12, 6. for he chasteneth every sonne whom he re­ceiveth: and where the Lord doth promise bles­sings, this is one, that of all he most accounteth: in King Davids graunt, 2 Sam 7. Psal. 89, 31, 32. this promise is mentio­ned; If thy children forsake my law, I will visite their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with strokes: for they are chastened of the Lord, 1 Cor. 11, 32. lest they should be condemned with the world. Iob. 33.16. Elihu giveth a reason, that when the Lord doth often exhort us, yet our eares are sealed, untill the Lord use the last remedie, which is, to open them with his corrections. It is a marke to spie out the men whom God hateth, that they Psal. 73.4, 5 are not in bonds like other men, and certainly they are most pu­nished, when they feele themselves not punished at all, for then they are given up to the desires of their owne heart, to live so wickedly as they list. It is both doubtfull and dangerous for Gods ser­vant to be without the use of the rod, for looke and thou shalt finde that all Gods Saints (saith Quis Sancto rum sine certa­mine corona­tus est? Abel in­stus occiditur, Abraham uxo­tem periclita­tur amittere, & ne in immen­sum volumen extondā, quaere et invenies san­ctos omnes ad­versa perpessos, solus Salomon in delitiis per­petuo fuit, & forsan ideo cor­ruit. Hieron. ad Eufloch. Ierome) suffered adversity, onely Salomon lived continually in pleasures, and therefore it so pro­ved with him. Now whilest God suffereth his children to fall, and to be long uncorrected, this [Page 66] is his delay, as when David without a checke for three quarters of a yeare, continued in his sinnes of Adultery, Murther, and Hypocrisie. Mora hec Domini longanimitas est, quia non statim, et è vestigio poenam imponit: In Mat 24. As Salomon Eccles. 8, 11. Bern in Cant. Ser. 42. This stay of the Lord (saith Theophilact) is his long-suffering, when he apprehends not the sinner in the fact, nor sodain­ly inflicts punishment: Misericordiam hanc nolo, God deliver me from this mercy, by which the Reprobates without bit or bridle spurre on to e­ternall destruction. Try therefore your selves, if you be thus acquainted to meete your Master, and consider all the children of God, and finde out but one sonne, Heb. 12, 7. that our heavenly Father chaste­neth not. If wee thus expected the comming of our Lord, we would beleeve this to be true of every Christian, August. de Past (Si exceptus est à passione flagel­lorum, exceptus est de numero filiorum) That he who is freed from suffering the rod, is blotted out from the number of Gods sonnes; and be rather afraid to be cast out of our heavenly inheritance, than to be a sufferer of profitable correction.

And sometime with temporal blessings.But lest the feare of Gods heavie hand should be a thraldome to Gods servants, hee visits them in this life with gifts, comfortable both to soule and body. David (who the most time of Saules reigne was a sufferer) looked for this favour, that God would yet at length give him some ease and visit him with some worldly comforts, and there­fore waited when God would be pleased to come unto him. Psal 101, 2. But because his servants are not to ex­pect their felicity to be here, of a certaine they [Page 67] must looke for sorrow and trouble: Psal. 34, 10. and for pro­sperity, onely so much as may ease them a little, and as God (in his wisdome) knoweth to be for their good.

[All slumbered and slept.]

Now followeth the effect of the Bride­groomes staying, even all slumbered and slee­ped. As the time for solemnization of a mar­riage is deferred and proposed unto a nominate time, to this end, that all who are bidden may be ready for the meeting: But if fooles were invited, they (not understanding what concerned their profit and honour) would neither prepare nor ex­pect the appointed time, or others though wise enough to provide, and yet with watching and expectation, should be weary, heavy, and so slum­ber and sleepe; the Bridegroome should finde them all short of their intended readinesse: So when our Saviour commeth to his judgement, many shall be altogether unready, and even of his deare servants, some shall be weary and hea­vie, and those that are dead, found sleeping in the dust. And therefore where God is liberall of time, some are carelesse, some faint in it, most men are prodigall of it.

Herein we see the right use of the time that God lends us, The right use of time. and the abuse unto which the sinfulnes of men turnes it. Our time is bestowed upon us, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome, Psal. 90 12. that we may recover out of that weaknesse, Psal 39.13. whereinto sinne hath cast us, 2 Pet 3, 9. 2 Cor. 6, 2. and that we may come to re­pentance, and make it the day of purchasing sal­vation. [Page 68] It is not for small consequence, that daies, moneths and yeares are bestowed upon us; seeing that all the worth and friendship the world can afford, cannot procure one weeke or a day to be added, to make up a mans life to be the full summe of an hundred yeares. The heavens serve for the framing of time, and God giveth life, that wee should not lose the use of it. The Philosophers searching out what time was, found it to be ( nume­rus motus) the counter of celestiall motions; Arist. Phys. acro. lib. 3. so the Lord accounteth the time of our life, not the time of his lingring from judgement, but of his stay, that all may come to repentance, & so to number their dayes, that they may finde them so many steps of our motion heavenward. And thus Hilary tels us what is the stay of the Bridegroome, Mora sponsi tempus poenitentiae est, even the time of re­pentance. And this blessed benefit doth the Lord bestow upon his servants, so much as needes for their spirituall preparation; and upon the repro­bate, as may make them inexcusable, and a mea­surer of the wrath they have heaped upon them­selves: his elect have an acceptable time, a day of salvation; the reprobate a time to disobey his voice, to harden their hearts, and so spend forty yeares or more, as in the provocation, and day of temptation in the wildernesse: this is the abuse of time, which of all things that are consumed should be most grievous unto us, Heres si scires unum tua tem­pora mensem: Rides cum non sit forsitan una dies. Th. Mor. if wee knew how precious and short it were. Hee that were certaine to live no more but a moneth, or at most a yeare, would be sure to spend his apparell in [Page 69] mourning, and yet it may be his life prove not so long as the length of a day. As God gave Iezabel the meanes of repentance, 1 Kings 21, 23 by the preach­ing of Eliah, so as a speciall benefit, hee gave her time to repent, (even fourteene yeares after the death of Ahab) but she would not, and there­fore the promised wrath of God lighted upon her: Christ in his Epistle written from heaven unto the Church of Thyatira, Revel. 2, 21. desires them to consider her fearefull example, in abusing the time. When God taketh account of all, he recko­neth for the time too, and therefore (beloved) strive to buy time by all labour and industry, and for what we have or may lose, let vs redeeme, by making double use and profit of it.

But such is the miserable estate of our sinfull na­ture, that our eye is evill, because God is good, We abuse time as we do other blessings. in our actions we are prodigal, because God in boun­ty is liberall; God giveth good things cheerefully, we receive them grudgingly, & use them cursedly. And although all his benefits be good, yet wee cannot use them so, for all our imaginations and intentions are evill; and therefore this great bene­fit in sparing us, and giving us time of repen­tance, and preparation for death and judgement, brings (by our crossenesse) a contrary effect, as appeareth by example both in elect and repro­bate men. Gods long-suffering from correcting of his owne servants, causeth them to be slacke in his service, what shall wee then thinke of others? If for a few yeares wicked men goe uncurbed, they say the words of the Psalme, [Page 70] God neither seeth, Psal. 10.11. neither is there knowledge in the Almighty: and how farre Gods children goe a­stray, may appeare in the behaviour of that some­times flourishing Commonwealth of Israel, in e­very time, when they had most of Gods tempo­rall blessings, of whom Moses in his death-song both by experience and prophecy said, that when they were full, Deut. 32, 15. they waxed wanton; and Davids fearefull fall, and Salomons idolatry, sheweth the danger of his children when God stayeth long from correcting them.

But seeing in this sleeping and slumbering the blessed or miserable estate of these Virgins is set downe, we are to consider how farre faulty each of them shall be found at the comming of Christ; for the Parable saith generally, all slumbered and slept, which is to be considered as the Scripture doth take the name of sleepe, either for sinne, se­curity, or naturall death.

☞ Of the daily increase of sinne, and the fulnes thereof at Christs comming.

FIrst, the Scripture useth the word sleeping for sinning, 1 Cor. 15, 34. Rom. 13.11. as in these places, Awake truly out of sleepe and sinne not; The houre is that wee should rise from sleepe, where the Apostle expoundeth it of sinne; and in Eph. 5.14. it is named for sinne, which is also there called a death, (as 1 Tim. 5, 6) to teach us, Esay 59.2. that sinne separateth us from God, who is the life of the soule; And that as he that sleepeth wanteth use of his senses, and is not ca­pable [Page 71] of the actions which concerne reasonable men to doe; so the sinner, The abundance of sinne before the great day, may appear by the daily in­crease of it. untill he be awaked by repentance, is not able to doe these things which God requireth of an understanding man. In sleep the senses leave their proper use, but then the na­turall powers are busiest, as appetite, digestion of meate, concoction, and feeding of the body: so in sin the soule is made without feeling of God, or its owne state, but for the powers of corrup­ted and sinfull nature, they receive strength, and are busie to fulfill the sinfull lusts of the flesh. And thus we finde, that Gods servants doe often slumber, but after they be effectuallly called, sel­dome doe they sleepe in sinne, but so soone as they slumber, they are affrighted by Gods angry threatnings, and awaked by repentance. As for the Reprobates, God giveth them over unto the spirit of slumber, Esay 29, 10. & 6, 9. without feeling of what they doe, or being able to heare any call of God for their awaking, because the Lord intendeth to de­stroy them, 1 Sam 2, 25. as is evident in the sonnes of Eli. Therefore in Christs Church immediatly before his comming, his true servants shall (as men pos­sessed with a sleepy heavines) wrastle against the heavines and importunity of naturall concupis­cence, and continue the battell betweene the spi­rit and flesh, as all the godly before them have done in the dayes of their flesh. But for the Ves­sels of wrath, as in the olde world, they waxed worse and worse, more cruell, beastly, sensuall, and profane; and the Sodomites wickednesse for guilt reached heaven, yea and in the end they of­fered [...] [Page 74] shutting eares, eyes, bookes, shunning the com­pany of them who are likeliest to mark or admo­nish them; like those who affect to be sleepy in­deed, to shut doores, windowes, avoid noise and company, and finally draw curtaines over their eyes, and commit their heads to the company of a pillow, untill God from heaven reade their dreames with a hasty mischiefe. Wee see many to have particular experience of this, and it shall be the awaking at the last day, for men shall bee playing the Epicures, Luc 17.26, 27, 28.30. 2 Pet 2, 7, 8. 1 Thess. 5.3. as in the dayes of Noah, vexing the few righteous, as the Sodomites did Lot; crying peace, peace, when on a sodaine, in the twinkling of an eye, God shall send the flood of his wrath, fire from heaven, and eternall de­struction, to bring all foregone conceited plea­sures to nothing.

No age of the world wherein religion flouri­shed, hath beene free from this sleepinesse of se­curity (except the rodde of persecution or affli­ction were above them to teach them how dan­gerous their state were, if once they slumbred) but above all, the security that shall generally be at the last day, could never be exemplified in any former experience; for all their senses shall be bound, and without power of feeling the force of religion, or understanding the terror of Gods wrath; therefore our Saviour compareth this deadnesse to sleepe, for if men were awake, there were hope, that (though they were blinde) yet they might heare, if they wanted both senses, yet they might feele, having this ability in every [Page 75] joynt of the least member: but such shall this se­curity be, that as a man fast on sleepe hath his life and all his senses, yet is as an Image, that neither sees, feeles, heares, nor smells, and hath no part of a living man in use, excepting onely his breath; so this finall security shall be such, that though it were no wonder that most men neglect to heare their danger, and oftentimes neglect to see una­voidable evills before their eyes, yet shall they not be able to perceive and feele these burthens under which they groane. That those things shall so be, all prophecies of the last judgement have confirmed, with manifold exhortations un­to watchfulnesse for death and judgement. And though wee have heard of divers examples of wonderfull security, yet if we consider the great light of the Gospell, which shall shine more and more towards the end, it maketh security to shew it selfe the greater.

He that in this light of the Gospell hath this le­thargie, let him know that his destruction is hard at hand; when the Lord cast Adam into a dead sleepe, it was to take a rib out of him; the sound sleepe of Sisera was that he might not feele the naile entring into his temples: and Physitians thinke that this dead sleepe is onely fittest to cut away a leg or an arme from a man and hee not to feele it. Certainly there are too many neere de­struction by this marke, that every day gives us example, that security is onely fit to make them feele their paine, whom no meanes in the world besides could perswade to thinke upon their pe­rill.

[Page 76] God can and will provide meanes to save his elect from security.What shall we now say of the elect, that they likewise shall be senselesse and carelesse of the wrath to come? God forbid. Saint Peter gives vs a comfortable instruction herein, that if we ap­pertaine to God, this securitie (that goes before destruction) cannot be able to chaine us in; his words are, 2 Pet. 2.9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished: Hee brings in two examples, when all were past feeling before the Flood, yet the Lord saved Noah, and some o­thers, and quickned his Spirit, that hee preached the way of righteousnesse to the rest; when So­dome was to be made example to all generations, for an ungodly secure life, hee so sanctified the heart of Lot, that hee was grieved and mourned for their wickednesse.

Likewise our Lord Iesus, when he sheweth his Disciples of this fearefull security, and threat­neth that it shall be punished with his fearfull and hasty comming, Compare Mat. 24.42, 43. with Luke 12 38. hath in his threatning enfolded a secret comfort for his servants, hee saith, You know not at what watch he will come. Souldiers cam­ping or keeping upon life and death, divide the night into certaine watches, that although all the army be asleepe, yet are the Sentinels and wat­chers awake, who by usuall notice of the howers from one another, keepe many awake, raise some from sleepe, and cause numbers to be in readi­nesse at all times: So God (who best knoweth the dangers of his owne) doth raise up his zea­lous servants, and makes their voice effectuall, [Page 77] to adde into and keep in the Church from day to day such as should be saved: Acts 2.47. their voice (though not heard by the deafe and secure world) is yet the voice of a cryer in the wildernesse, Revel. 14.3. Math. 3. to fore­warne others to fly from the wrath to come, and as the voice of a trumpet sounding terribly in the silent time of sleeping. Esay 58.1. And so the Lord (that hath his eyes on them that feare him) watcheth his owne in all such dangers, that hee may save them, & they awake to prevent their destruction.

Thirdly, the Scripture useth to call the death of his servants, yea and of reprobates, a sleeping, and thus you shall finde at Christs comming, the most of Gods Saints will be in the grave, or as Daniel saith, sleeping in the dust; and so Augu­stine expoundeth this place of bodily death. Dan. 12 2. Epist 120. ad Henoratum. The Fathers say thus concerning the wise Virgins, Dormicrunt quidem, sed suav [...]ter in Domino, They sleept indeed, but sweetly in the Lord: Bernard in locū. and there­fore (expectantium somnus, Hilarius in locū. Dormire est mori, dormita­re est langues­cere, quia per pondus aegri­tudinis perve­nitur ad som­nū nortis. Greg. in Evang Hō. 12 Hieron. in locum. credentium quies est) the sleeping of those that waite for him, is the rest of them that beleeve in him: And justly is death by the Scripture called a sleepe, because at judge­ment the dead shall be awaked, as men out of sleepe: Consequen [...]er dicitur (dormierunt) quia po­stea suscitandae sunt, For good reason is it said that they slept, because that afterwards they are to bee awaked againe. Indeede the Fathers have herein spoken truely, but they have not ful­ly answered the question, for the Lord shall have his Saints at his comming, who in stead of death shall be (as Henoch and Elias were) changed, [Page 78] and so meete the Lord in the Ayre, who cannot be found sleeping in the grave.

Christ saith, that (all slept) that every one may tremble & prevent it.And therfore to answer this question, we must consider, that the Scripture nameth the word [All] for the greatest part of men, as in these like places, 2 Cor. 5.17. Coloss. 1.20. Iohn 12.32. Esay 40.4. Ambros. de Vo­cat. Gent. lib. 1. cap. 2. Ioel 2.28. Sicut etiam cùm de impijs sermo est, ita loquutionem suam divinus stilus ordinat, ut ea quae de quadam parte dicuntur, ad omnes homines pertine­re videantur: In like manner when speech is made of wicked men, the holy stile is so framed, that the things which are spoken of a certaine part, doe seeme to pertaine to all men generally, as Ioh. 3.32. Philip. 2.21. In like manner Christ saith, All slept, because few would be found otherwise; the dead that died in the Lord, would be found in their graves, most of men alive would be sens­lesse of the wrath to come, the godly minished from among the children of men, and those that were so, would be as eight persons saved of a whole world, as Lot and three more of fiue flou­rishing Citties; as a very small remnant, like as when the Iewes in Iudea were carried away to Babylon, Esay 1.9. or as the number of Christian Iewes in St. Paules dayes: Rom. 10, 5. All which considered wee un­derstand that Christs words are meant (universa­liter in toto, non communiter in singulis) universally of all men, that all slumbered and slept, not com­monly of every particular man, for the Lord knowes how to awake and save his owne, and of all committed to Christ not one can be lost, ex­cept he be a child of perdition.

[Page 79]Finally, our Lord said, All slept, (few doing o­therwise) that all may tremble, and feare lest the Lord come upon them by death and judgement, as a thiefe in the night.

Tremble therefore before death, that you trem­ble not in it, watch for that houre, lest it watch for you, and finde you asleepe; make ready for judgement, for feare it be heaped up for you; ex­amine your selves, if you be some of them whom Christ saith are now asleepe; and consider the fearefull taking you would be in, if in this instant death should apprehend you, and bring you to judgement, as who knowes but it may, or at some other time, when you are as unresolvedly prepa­red, found carelesse of heaven, fearelesse of hell, slacke in religion, dead and buried in wickednes: all that are thus found, shall a thousand times curse father, mother, friends and acquaintance; the world and all that were their helpers and comforters in this mortall life.

[And at midnight.]

As Christ when he speaketh of the time of his comming, usually doth it by the signe; so here when hee saith [at midnight] hee continueth the Parable according to the former particulars, be­cause it is the usuall time, in which all men betake them to their naturall rest, and are found asleepe in their beds. So that Christ meaneth not here­by to point out any time, in an age, yeare, or na­turall day, at which he would come: but thereby doubleth his former words, to shew, that the se­curity of the world at his comming shall not be, as an ordinary sleepe, but as the dead sleepe in the night, in which many are (according to their owne confession) so without sense, that you may beat drums by them, and cary them whither you will.

Gods word hath not set downe the time of Christs comming.As for knowledge of the time of Christs com­ming, the word of God hath shewen us nothing, which may make us certaine of the age, yeare, or day; Christ giveth a reason to his Apostles, be­cause it doth not concerne you, [...]. Non est vestrū, &c. Acts 1.7. or it is not profi­table for you. If every mans death, or the gene­rall judgement were knowne to be farre off, it would make his servants faint and weary, and [Page 81] wicked men would be more dissolute and ungod­ly, The reason hereof. who (for all their conterfeiting) are often compelled to tremble, Vigilate quia nescitis diem ne (que) horam, &c. Crebro id repetit, ut ig­norantiam exi­tus ab hac vita utilem esse o­stenda [...]. Chry­sost. in Mat. Hom. 79. doubting the fearefull ap­proach of that day. If these times were knowne to be neere, his servants would be troubled with naturall feare of death, which is a greater paine when we feare it, than when we feele it: & wick­ed men would be tormented with desperate feare of worse than a thousand deathes, which would make them leape into hell sooner than need were. Our Saviour (as he said in the forenamed place, that the Father had put up the times and seasons in his owne power, so he) had answered this que­stion to his Disciples before, Admonet ne discere tentent quod Angeli ignorant. Theo­philact. in Mat: 24, 36. Marke 13, 32 as unwilling to shew it, and unwilling that either they should thinke it possible to be knowne, or fitting ever to be demanded of againe: For of that day and houre (saith he) knoweth no man, no not the Angels of hea­ven, neither the Sonne, but the Father. It is cer­taine that Christ knew it, Pet: Mart: in 1 Cor: 10, 11. although not as he was man, but as his divine nature shewed him: but he saith, he knoweth it not, Theophilact in Marke 13, 32. even as a loving Father unwilling either to deny his childe, or to grieve his tender heart, when hee is asking some thing which the father will not give, he hideth it in his hand, and afterwards sheweth him his empty hand for satisfaction: so Christ hideth it from his Apostles and us with a reason, that we grieve not because wee cannot know it, seeing the An­gels in heaven know it not, and yet are not the lesse blessed, because they doe not know it: nor the blessed humane nature of Christ lesse glori­ous, [Page 82] though nature hath not affoorded the know­ledge thereof unto him. And though Christ in this Parable name midnight, yet it cannot be to point out the time, seeing every place in the world as it differeth from other in scituation, east or westward, differeth also in houres, there can no houre be given which is the same in halfe a quar­ter of the earth; Exod 12, 29. Traditio ludae­orum est, &c. Vnde reor tra­ditionem illam permansisse, ut in die vigiliarū Paschae, ante noctis dimidi­um populos di­mittere non li­ceat, expectan­tes adventum Christi. Hieron. in Matth. 25. See more of the time upon Verse 13. and though the destroying An­gel came at midnight among the Aegyptians, yet was it an idle tradition, that the convert Iewes (in Saint Ieroms time) had, that Christ should come at midnight. Onely I wish that wee were so of this conceit, that every day past were the last of our life, then would we enter our bed, as wee would wish to goe to our grave; for many goe sound to their bed (as wee commonly say) who are found dead in the morning: and it is cer­taine that it must be midnight in some part of the world at Christs comming.

By these things we should learne how unpro­fitable their curiosity is, We ought to leave curiosity in searching of it. that labour to know this day of judgement, and how blinded wee are, in neglecting what is set downe and profitable for us, and to hunt with sorrow and trouble for the thing that is not to bee had: Saint Augustine said truly, Prophetiae citiùs implentur quàm intelli­guntur, That Prophecies are sooner fulfilled than understood. And therefore we are not to enquire for that day, but how ready we are for it; and as wee perceive by signes the approaching of that wrath, so we may call to the mercifull God to be delivered from the terrour of it.

[Page 83]Our Saviour by naming the time of his com­ming (midnight) teacheth us two things. First, Security a fore­runner of destruction. that security or carelesnesse is ever the last fore­runner of destruction, and the greater it wil be, Cum fatali [...] e­quus saltu super ardua venit Pergama, Tum me confectum curis, somno (que) gravatum; In­felix habuit thalamus, pressit (que) lacentem [...]uicis & alta quies, placidae­ (que) similllima morti Virg. 6 AEneid. The greater se­curity the grea­ter iudgement followeth. it sheweth that the greater vengeance is to follow, as appeareth in all written examples of Gods wrath; and when any are so farre past, as to con­temne Gods justice, and thinke that hee will not punish, or regardeth not the warning of it, destru­ction is neere unto them.

Secondly, wee are taught that when Christ commeth, for all the labour that can be taken to awake them, yet shall the world be in dead sleepe of ungodlinesse and carelesnesse, as they were in Noahs time, and in Sodome unto the houre that Lot went out of it. When Cyrus his army besie­ged Babylon, Belshazzar gave his subjects (of the Citty) notice, how little he feared any threatned danger, by his publicke feasting and drinking, Dan. 6.1.3. and almost the whole Citty blinded with the same impiety, Herodot. lib 1. followed his example of drunken­nesse; the enemies entred the City in the night, Invadunt ur­bem somno vi­no (que) sepultam, Virg. and killed them whom they found buried in drunkennesse and sleepe; notwithstanding that Daniel had expresly forewarned both his prede­cessour and himselfe of it. So the day of Christ shall come as a snare upon the inhabitants of the earth, when labour shall be little profitable, or seasonable to awake them. The same cause gi­veth us occasion of the same complaint in our time; many continue in a seene and knowne care­lesnesse and contempt of God, all forewarning is [Page 84] to no purpose, 1 Sam. 15.35. Non in solis divitiis est mi­sericordia, sed & in sermone, & si nihil ha­bes, etiam in lachrymis. The­ophilact. in Mat. 5, 7. untill they fall into the hands of an angry God. But as Samuel did for Saul, so must we bemoane their misery, if our example cannot move them: then they can witnesse, that God sent his children who mourned for and unto them, who would not lament for themselves, this is all the helpe that we can bestow upon them, who neither can nor will be helped.

[There was a cry made.]

When no meanes can a­vaile to awake security, the last cry shall doe it.As mariages in solemnizing have divers sights for delight, the voyces of singers and instru­ments, to give content to the eare, and variety of meates to please the taste and stomacke; and if the Bridegroome be of the Nobility he wanteth not the voice of a Trumpet to proclaime the greatnesse of his person: So our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming to judgement, shall send in stead of a cry, the voice of a Trumpet before him, with terrour whereof heaven, earth and hell shall have notice of the power and greatnesse of his Majesty.

This voice shall be that which the Scripture calleth the sound of the Trumpet, (as shall ap­peare) yet our Saviour sets it out by the name of a cry, because of the former security, wherein the Lord shall be carefull to give forewarning according to the capacity of every one. The Lord suffereth not the deafe to be without war­ning, for as wee expresse our selves to the deafe by signes and tokens, so doth the Lord foretell the end of the world by signes of particular wrath in some, when others for a time goe free; [Page 85] by the weakning of nature in diverse creatures, diverse prodigies and wonders of natures imper­fection; by weaknesse of the operation of hea­ven, by subversion of worldly power and glory, and the increase of iniquity beyond measure: which being compared with the relation and ex­perience of former times, Bern. in Fest. Pentet Ser. 3. ut ex praeteritis fidem a­struat futurorum, that from things by past he may understand the certainty of what is to follow. These that have eares to heare, let them heare, Mat. 13 9. for the Lord sends to them the admonitions of his word. But they that have hearing, and yet are so thicke, that no counsell can reach so deepe as their dulnesse is, or are so asleepe, that common calling cannot awake them, nothing will prevaile but a voice, loud as a Trumpet, Esay 58.1. to make the earth shake, and the ayre to be resoun­der of terrour: So at the last day there can be no place for a secure deafnesse, when the heavens go away with a noyse, the elements melt and the earth burneth with fire, who shall not heare and feele the power of this Cry? this will end their sleepe with the beginning of endlesse torments.

Now for the greatnesse and terrour of this cry which shall summon all men to judgement, The greatnes of the cry. nei­ther can it be sufficiently expressed nor under­stood. If the Trumpet, Exod. 19, 16. that called the Israelits to heare the Law, was a terrour unto them, how ter­rible shall that voyce be, which shall call all men to account for not keeping of it? If the noyse of thunder (which is not farre heard) be so terrible that it allayes the courage of the proudest, and is [Page 86] even a terrour to the fishes of the Sea, Psal. 104 7. and shew­eth a power in the waters, what may we thinke of this voyce, Contents of Psal 29. Vere vox mag­na, vox tubae terribilis, cui omnia obedi­unt elementa, quae Petras scindit, inferos aperit, portas aereas frangit, vincula mortu­orum difrum­pit &c. Chrysost. in 1 Cor. 15. 1 Thess. 4.16. Psal. 50.1. which shall be heard in heaven, earth and hell? The 29 Psal. extolleth and sheweth the power of Gods voyce, for feare whereof all Creatures tremble, that the securitie of men may be thereby shaken; but at this last voyce all crea­tures shall declare the terrour of it. Lastly, if we consider whose voyce it shall bee, we shall con­ceive it the better: St. Paul tells us, The Lord him­selfe shall descend from heaven with a shoute, for hee himselfe shall call his people: loe this is the Trumpet, even the voyce not of Angell, but of him who is Lord and Master of the Angells, the voyce of the Sonne of man, [...] but sounding with the power of the Sonne of God; and because the secure world would never heare him nor the voyce of his servants, he saith, That the houre shall come, in which, all that are in the graues, shall heare his voyce, and come out either to salvation or damnation. It is the voyce of Christ him­selfe. The Scripture calleth this voyce of Christ, the sound of the last Trumpet. Mar. 14 62. Iohn 5.28. 1 To shew the power and majestie of his comming, as he shewed in his as­cending, prophecied of in the Psalmes, who being exalted above all when he went to heaven, Psal. 47.5.7, 8, 9. in his comming hee shall shew that all his enemies are trod under feete. Secondly, to shew the great and fearefull things that are then to be done, thus a Trumpet sounded before the Law was given: and in the Revelation, the great alterations of the Church, and judgements upon the enemies thereof, Revel. 8, 6, 7.8. from the time of Christ unto the last [Page 87] day, are foretolde by the blowing of Trumpets, which notwithstanding was never heard by them who felt the fearefull events. Thirdly, to shew that the cry is for the assembling of his people, Ioel 2.15. & Psal 81.3. not an uncertaine sound, but a certaine, that all may prepare and appeare, 1 Cor. 14.8.

Hence wee understand the diverse effects of this Cry; The effects of it. When the destroying Angell came downe to Aegypt in the night, Exod. 12.30. the terrour of God caused them to make an outcry over all the land: How many voyces of Lamentations shall be heard at once, when the generall Cry shall be, Hills and mountaines fall upon us, Rev. 6.16. and hide us from the presence of him that sitteth upon the throne, for the great day of his wrath is come, who can stand? They that were never moved with the words of Christ now tremble at his voice, and their hard hearts shall make unseasonable lamentation. But with the servants of God it is not so, for as the same voice of Christ before his suffering which made his enemies fall as dead to the ground, yet incou­raged Peter and others of his Disciples: Iohn 18, 6. so this voice of Christ at the great day, though it shall be the most terrible that ever wicked men heard, yet it shall be the most joyfull that ever Gods true servants heard, Iohn 3, 29. (for he that is the friend of the Bridegroome, must needes rejoyce greatly because hee heareth his voice) for thereby their bodies shall receive life and immortality. Psal. 91.1.5. As in their life time they betooke themselves unto the shadow of the Almighty, and therefore when wicked men (af­fraid with the terrours of the night) made an Ae­gyptian [Page 88] outcry, Psal. 118, 15. his servants finde that the voice of joy & gladnes is in the dwelling of the righteous, be­cause prosperity is within their gates, Quanta crit e­lectis laetitia, in adventu Domi­ni, quem com­parat adventui Sponsi? Mus­cul. in Mat. 25 1 Looke Ier. 33.10.11. no evill can come unto them, nor any plague neere unto their dwelling: Much more shall they be glad at the voice of Christ, in that day for which their soules and bodies have waited long in hope to heare.

Would you know if the voice of Christ shall be joyfull to you in that day, or not? The Pro­phet Esay from the Lords mouth tells us, Esay 66.2. They who tremble at Christs voice now, shall re­ioyce hereafter that if we tremble at his words in this life, he will looke upon us, and we shall rejoyce to heare his voice in the fearefull day, calling us the blessed chil­dren of his Father; if with humility and feare we draw neare to heare what the Lord saith now in his word, we shall not appeare in judgement to be censured, but commended: And this is most certaine, that seeing all the creatures tremble at the Lords voice, we must either doe so in this life when God commands us, or in the life to come when he condemnes us.

[Beholde the Bridegroome commeth.

Here is the first part of the Proclamation, be­ing a notice given of the Bridegroomes coming.

If these that were prepared for a mariage so­lemnity, heard a warning given without certaine notice for what purpose, how could they under­stand that it concerned them? So if in the great day the voice of the Lord shewed not the parti­cular person that came, it could not be the trum­pet of the Almighty: but his voice shall declare, [Page 89] that the Bridegroome commeth, because the power of God shall goe along with it, the dili­gence of the Angels shall second the sound of it, in gathering his Saints unto the great assembly.

The Scriptures say that Christ shall come; for although he filleth all places, being God infinite and incomprehensible, yet because of his humane nature he shall shew a locall descent, The glory of Christs person is now hid. and set his throne in the ayre: But for his divine nature, it filleth the world; and of it I say, Bern. Ser. 3. Advent. as Bernard said of Christs incarnation, that he was in the world, and the world was made by him, but the world knew him not, Non ergo veniet qui aberat, sed ap­parebit qui latebat, He shall not therefore come as one that was absent, but appeare as one that was hidden before, and shew the glory of his Maje­sty shining in his humane nature, the glory of both which is now hidden from our eyes, for the clouds & spheares of heaven have taken him out of our sight; and according to the Psalme, Psal. 18, 11. Compare 1 Tim. 6.16. with Act. 22, 11. Hee hath made darkenesse his pavilion and secret place; which though it be in it selfe a light inaccessible, yet it darkeneth our sight. Thus our Lord as a Bridegroome is entred into his chamber, and there he stayes untill the day come, and then shall he come out of his chamber, as a mighty man, and shew himselfe before all mankinde; and as nothing is hid from the heate of the naturall Sunne, so no man shall be able to hide himselfe when the Sunne of Righteousnesse shall declare his glory and power; for every eye shall see him, yea even they that pierced him through, Revel: 1, 7. and all [Page 88] [...] [Page 89] [...] [Page 90] kindreds of the earth shall waile before him.

This doctrine is of great antiquity, for when the olde world by their impieties began to be the first presidents of this last vengeance of God, Henoch terrified them with this doctrine, Beholde the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints, Iude verse 14. to be revenged on them: but their gracelesse hearts tooke no notice of it: so while we have the same Proclamation giving us warning so long before hand, who are moved to prepare and attend? But as often as we reade or heare these words (Behold the Lord commeth, or the Bridegroome com­meth) so often is this voice either in characters or sounds, sent from heauen to our eyes and eares, to give us warning of this last meeting. When Moses forewarned Israel of their ensuing calamities, Deut. 4, 26. and the cause of them, he called heaven and earth to be witnesse that he had given them warning, and left it registred to be read to all po­sterity, & so if they perished their owne neglect should be the cause of it; so in the day of judge­ment the Lord shall call heaven and earth before him to judge his people: Psal. 50, 4. and to prove how often we have heard the Proclamation, though we for­get and be carelesse, yet the Sunne and Moone that give us light, Psal. 89, 37. are faithfull witnesses in hea­ven, and the rest of the creatures are able to wit­nesse against us. Let every man therefore remem­ber how often hee hath received warning of Christs comming.

[Goe out to meete him.]

Now followeth the notice given to all the Vir­gins, [Page 91] to goe out to meete the Bridegroome. See­ing at Christs comming the voice shall declare his greatnesse, and the matter in hand, it may be demanded, What shall be the words that shall be uttered in that cry? I answere, the Scripture hath not named them particularly, but in all rea­son they are like to be these, or surely to the same effect. Also St. Paul longed for it, and yet trem­bled to thinke on it. 2 Tim. 4.8. & 2 Cor. 5.11. Hieron in Reg. Monach. [...].30. Miserum me dum haec co­gito & scribo, cor timore pal­pitat, hum [...]nt oculi, & tribu­later nimium si nescirem mi­scricordiam Domini. Bern. in hanc Para­bolam. Saint Ierome a man much desirous to have that blessed day once come, and yet trembled when he thought on the terrour of it, by his of­ten meditating on it, apprehended these to be the words, witnessing thus, Sive edam, sive bibam, sive aliud aliquid agam, semper insonat auribus me­is vox illa horrifica, Surgite mortui, venite ad judici­um: Whether I eate, drinke, or whatsoever else I doe, this fearfull voice sounds ever in mine eares, Rise dead and come to judgement. But what­soever the words be, the effect shall be to call us to judgement.

The use hereof is the same which the aforesaid Doctour maketh of it, for he exhorteth others to thinke continually upon this voice. It is without question a great bridle even to the wickedest men, that they must come to a reckoning for all; Salomon exhorteth us almost with Saint Ieromes words and meaning, Eccles. 11, 9. Remember that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement: and layeth them in the wayes of these who leade their life as they list. When Gods servants thinke on it, it makes them tremble, 2 Cor: 5, 11. (this sentence) We must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ to give ac­count; Saint Paul calleth it the terrour of the [Page 92] Lord which moveth him and others to be care­full in their calling. Would to God that this sen­tence would often, yea ever sound in our eares, (Rise dead and come to judgement) it were not to be doubted, but it would make us more carefull in e­very thing we doe, remembring that shamefull and sorrowfull account, that we must giue of them: which would make us often to conclude, that we would not buy this Repentance so deare, as with the greatest pleasure the world can give, Sperne volup­tates, necat empta dolore voluptas. Horat. 1. Epist 12. nor so make our markets in this world, that wee should lose in our reckening all our labours, Gods favour, and eternall happinesse.

[And trimmed their Lampes.]

Lest Virgins appointed to be attendants at ma­riage, be unfitt for the honour that becommeth their place, it is requisite, that they be adorned with wedding garments, & furnished with lampes or wedding Torches, for preparing whereof, they have an appoynted and competent time. So the Lord hath granted unto us such competency of time, as in his wisdome he knoweth is sufficient for our preparation, to meet him when he shal call by death or the last judgement. Now when the Bridegroome is cōming, and the Virgins on foote to meet him, it onely remaines that they trimme their Lampes, as they are in meeting of him. So when in death and judgement we are meeting the Lord, we shall turne our mindes to the considera­tion, of what state our soules and bodyes were in; and whether in our life time we were prepared for meeting him or not: this is the meaning of trim­ming their lampes, (aptaverunt lampades suas, id est, rationes reddendas operum) which is, August. de Temp. Ser. 23. that they were to addresse them, to give account of their works.

This is the busines that every one shall take in hand, both after death and the Resurrection. Our lampes for this spirituall and everlasting imploy­ment, are our soules and bodies, which are never knowne how ready they were, untill they bee [Page 107] brought in examination and tryal before the Lord; reade Math. 22.11. which must be in death when we goe to the Lord, or in the generall judgement when he commeth to us: in both which, this trimming and addressing our selves to account shall be used.

In death, Heb. 9. [...]9. the soule must be brought to this ac­count, (for after death commeth judgement,) after it hath left the body, then doth it call it selfe to ac­count, how it may answere at the tribunall seate of Gods justice, unto which it is then conveyed.

In the great Iudgement, both soule and body, doe joyntly returne, to consider what they shall answer, to the great and fearefull reckoning, they shall be charged withall: For we must all appeare be­fore the judgement seate of Christ, 2 Cor. 5.10. and give account of whatsoever we have done. The prodigall Sonne, was long before he studied an answere and account of his life, yet he did it, when he was to meet his Fa­ther; All this doc­trine may be read, as it is set downe in Esay, 29. vers. 15.18.19.20.21.22.23.24. so though men be now cōtent to forget their owne experience, and to counterfeit the ignorance of their owne knowledge, in all things that con­cerne themselves, yet when they are comming to the judgement seate of Christ, they shall search for some answere, which may prove most currant for their delivery. This shall be done by two helpes; first, all men shall examine themselves how prepa­red they were, when they were in this world, and that this may the more truely and speedily be per­formed, Revel. 20.12. the booke of the conscience shall bee o­pened, wherein is written all that ever men have done: for as men have bookes to this purpose, that they put in them the treasury of things which [Page 108] the memory cannot containe; so shall the consci­ences of all men, shew at one fearefull sight, unto every man, Math. 12.36. the Legend of their life and actions, with all the circumstances of them, every idle word shall be remembred, Ecclesias. 12 14. and every worke shall bee brought to judgement, with every secret thing whether it be good or evill: then shall this power of Conscience, Rom. 2.15. shew it selfe either in accu­sing or excusing, & all eyes shal be opened to see, if they be naked or clothed in the sight of God.

Our sinfull actions in this life, are they which make up this large booke of reckoning against vs, for both it is our owne actions, and it shall be our owne knowledge and memory that shall witnesse against us. If therefore this debt of ours doth dai­ly increase, with which we shall accuse our selves in Gods presence; let us like wise debters, looke our count booke often, and be ever discharging some by often examining what our conscience can witnes against us, & when we finde our faults, cry (according as our Saviour instructed us,) Lord forgive us our debts: if we doe thus often, our conscience shall have the lesse to accuse us of, and the more easily shall our lampes be trimmed in the judgement day.

Secondly, the servants of God had other lampes in this world then wicked men had, and therefore they shall finde it, in trimming and ad­dressing themselves to give account. Gods ser­vants for their lampe, vsed their soule and body, which they offred as a quicke and lively sacrifice unto God; Rom, 12.1. and therefore in the Resurrection, [Page 109] they find them ready to give account, for which they laboured so much all their life time, and are found ready to goe in with the Lord of glory, in­to his heavenly habitation, as will appeare, verse 10. Reprobate men in their life, labour only wea­rying thēselves in the wayes of wickednes: some are so sensuall, that they distast all things except pleasure, untill they surfet of it; and by bodily weakenes their mindes grow queasie, as former­ly their stomacks were: Dissidet ambi­guis semper mens obvia votis. Nee vo­luisse homini satis est, optata recusat, Auson. Ely [...]. 15. others for their lampes are enamoured with the lustre, that the deceiving world hath, and toyle as much, to fill the belly of their chests with trash, as the sensuall do, to stopp their belly full of detestable doung. Both these kinds of men (of which kinds most Reprobates are) have mistaken their lampes, and insteed of making soule and body ready for account, labor to fatten and make delicate their body, to feast wormes withall; or to fill all their stores with ri­ches, which proves often times fewell to unex­pected fire, a sword for robbers to kill them withall, but sure in the end, a barre to shutt them out of heaven, and to hinder them from preparing for judgement: and therefore how can these bee ready who never prepared themselves?

Thirdly, by trimming of their lampes is un­derstood the framing of them to that readinesse, they were in, when they layd them downe to sleepe; So when all men shall addresse them to goe to judgement, it shall bee by calling before them, the state they were in, when life left them; for as life leaves us, in the same state judgement [Page 110] findeth us. When men awake from sleepe, they betake them to their actions & labours they were in when they lay downe, and beginne where they left off, so shall we do in the Resurrection. Happie therefore is that seruant, Math 24. whom in his death, his Ma­ster shall find him so doing, that he may be prepared to goe into glory with the Sonne of man: Numb 23 10. Balaam or any wicked man may well wish, Let me dye the death of the Righteous, and let my last end be like his. But we see (besides their wicked life) how many dye drunke and loose their lives in quarrels, of robbery, extortion, of pride and vaine glory, and so sacrifice the last day of their life, to most abo­minable courses. In what fashion can these, in their death or in the great judgement addresse themselves for account? And therefore, in that day, the trimming of their lampes shall only be, that they would prepare themselves, but shall be altogether unprepared: for it followeth in the text.

[Give us of your Oyle.]

As it were folly for one to demand that which another hath for necessitie and present use: So shall it be to no purpose, that at Christs comming wicked men shall wish for that grace which can­not be had: but seeing necessity makes the beg­gar, their Lampes are out, and therefore they must begge Oyle.

Wherein wee may observe the strange altera­tion which the Lord brings upon wicked men, The punish­ment of the hard-hearted. and how they are forced to seeke and wish for helpe of them, whom they hate most. In this world wicked men, if they know the man that feareth God, of all men they will have least con­course or intermedling with him, they have a hundred reasons, whereas their owne conceit is [Page 114] cause enough to hate him. If Iohn Baptist had li­ved a delicate and licentious life, his time had beene spent in Kings pallaces. But specially if they be driven to begge of them, Give us for Gods sake of your oyle, meale, or corne, scarce will they bestow the words of this Parable on them, (Goe to them that sell) but stand afarre off, and look over the other shoulder. The rich Glut­ton starved Lazarus at his doore; such measure must Gods servant expect, if onely a wicked man must helpe him.

But seeing it falleth often out by the hardnesse of mens hearts, that the poore messengers of God are contemned and denied, God in his just judge­ment so overturnes them, that they are glad to crave helpe of them whom they have despised before in their necessity: Luke 16. Dives epulo se­ro oculos ape­ruit, compulsus in damnatione cognoscere quid perdidit quando Laza­rum non agno­vit. Iuste au­tem qui de a­bundantia pec­cavit, aestuanti crematur ino­pia; guttam a­quae petiit, qui micas panis negavit Greg. Mor lib. 18. cap. 10. Christ in another Pa­rable hath a passage like unto this, the rich glut­ton being in hell, desireth that he might be a little refreshed by Lazarus helping him to a little wa­ter to coole his tongue which was tormented in the flame: I thinke he wished hereby, that whilest he was alive, he had beene so charitable to Laza­rus, as to have refreshed him with a cup of colde water, when he was tormented with the heate of boyles and sores: yet when neither Lazarus can helpe him, nor he be capable of helpe, he knowes what comfort a little charity would doe unto him, and now he begges droppes of water, who before refused the crummes of his bread. Thus the eternall wish of the damned shall be, that they had never extorted nor devoured the poore, [Page 115] and that they had beene more charitable unto them. Sometimes the Lord plagues cruell and hardhearted men, even in this world, that they are glad to begge helpe of them, to whose cryes they shut their eares before: Ioseph could scarce begge or obtaine his life, to be saved from the cruelty of his brethren, who were afterwards constrained to begge bread of him to save their lives, and offer money for it too. And of this kinde every age and place hath examples, that e­very one may learne so to behave himselfe hum­bly and charitably, that he despise the estate of no man, nor harden his heart at the case of the af­flicted, (especially if it be one that feareth God) lest God turne his hand, to set him in the same misery, or make him in hell to doe eternall and unprofitable pennance.

[For our Lampes are out.]

This is the reason of the former words, where­in we may observe, that Satans servants are never brought to understand themselves, untill they are brought to give account before the Lord. Reprobates la­bour to hide their estate in salvation from all men. Esay 19, 15. Rev. 3. In their life time, as they labour to conceale their e­state in salvation from others, so they bring it to passe, that they live unknowne to themselves, and so conceive themselves to be as they imagine, and wish they were. The people of Laod [...]cea sto­red their braines full with false conclusions, that they were enriched with all gifts and graces need­full for soule and body; but soone after, they felt by experience, that their lampes were out, that both in soule and body they were miserable, na­ked [Page 116] and blind; Calvin. ex Oros. Praefat, ad Colos when by an earthquake they were bereft of their lives, and spued out of Gods mouth; then were their eyes open, when their lives were shut up. Life is the naturall light of men, which if it be not seconded with the spiri­tuall and heavenly life, it shall prove but as dark­nesse, when it commeth to be examined in the presence of God: if therefore the light that is in reprobates be darknesse, how great is that dark­nesse? It shall be best knowne, when all their lights are extinguished, and they entred into ut­ter darknesse.

Vtter darknes what.In this life reprobates are in darknesse, because the Sunne of righteousnesse never shineth upon them, yet are not they in utter darknesse, because they may (so long as life remaines) be converted and inlightened, Theophilact. in Mat. 25, 30. (Porrò ubi mortuus fuerit, et insti­terit examen factorum, excipiunt eum exteriores) but when life is gone, and the party approaching to judgement, then entreth he into utter darknesse, because there is no hope that ever the Lord will give light to his soule or body any more. This is the fearefull state prepared for reprobates; If we wanted the light of the Sunne, what pleasure could the whole world doe unto us? much more they who are cast into utter darknesse shall have weeping and wailing, when they finde themselves deprived of light for ever. Happy are they that labour to understand themselves in this life, and to be enlightened with knowledge, and furnished with graces and good workes needfull for salva­tion.

[They that were ready.]

Concerning the second, which is, the readi­nesse of the Virgins, the day of examination and tryall doth declare it: the wise were found ready, the foolish began to prepare, for then they went to buy.

Seeing we are to use traffique for obtaining sal­vation, wee may understand, that the readinesse of Gods Saints to meete the Lord, stands in this, that wee doe account and discharge whatsoever may hinder us, and provide for whatsoever wee neede.

We have a reckoning with God, that wee be not unready when we should meete him, and an­other with the world, lest it should detaine and hinder us.

Wee must rec­kon with God for our sinnes.We must account with God for our manifold debts of sinne, which for payment require our e­verlasting [Page 137] damnation, or else some satisfaction, which is infinite in price, to countervaile the in­finitenesse of time which justice requireth in our punishment, for offending an infinite God. But to the end that we may have the meanes for this satisfaction, our mercifull God hath set before us the death and sufferings of his owne Sonne, e­quall to himselfe in majesty; the worth of whose sufferings doth in justice make more than equali­ty to whatsoever we can be charged withall.

The Lord having made so easie a way for our discharge, now laieth the charge upon us, that we count and summe up our misdeedes in his pre­sence, and when we have so done, to present (in stead of our personall satisfaction) the satisfaction that his Sonne (in whom onely he is well plea­sed) made to obtaine a pardon and discharge un­to us.

First then wee must call our selves to account before the Lord, If wee iudge our selves wee shall not bee iudged of the Lord. and truely without hiding from him any thing, to whom nothing can be secret, and bewaile our estate before him, otherwise we can never be ready. The wise man counselleth us, As we take physicke to prevent sicknesse, so we ought to examine our selves before wee be judged, that in the day of visitation we may finde mercy, Ecclesiasticus 18.18, 19. And Saint Paul assures us, that if we judged our selves, 1 Cor: 11, 31. we should not be judged of the Lord. Now because most men neg­lect to take this course, the Lord entreth into judgement with them, Psal: 50, 21. layeth their misdeedes in order before them, chastneth some in this world, and [...] [Page 140] be so respective, From Pithago­ras many lear­ned & thought the wisest man to be, he who iudged him­selfe every day Vir bonus et sae pieas, qualem v [...]x repperit v­num, Millibus emulti [...] hominū consulius Apol­lo, Iudex ipse sut etc Sic dicta & facta per omnia Ingrediens, orto­ (que) a vespere cun­cta revoluens, Offensus pravis, det palmam & praemia rectis. Auson. Edyll. 16. What is requi­red in a Iudge. Cic. Offic. lib. 3. to repent and amend every par­ticular fault done to our neighbour, how care­full should we be, that no sin (which we can know of) passe unreconciled; for with our heavenly Fa­ther, we finde the proverbe true, That oft recko­ning keeps long friends, but there is no meanes to obtaine or be sure of Gods friendship, except we make often account with him for them.

As we must respect the times of examinyng our selves, that we use it often, so must we the manner, If we would free our selves from accoū ­ting with the dreadfull Iudge, we must be judges of our selves, that is, as wee make a partie in rec­koning our sinnes, so must we be as judges in cal­ling our selves to account, in receiving the recko­ning, in justlie condemning our selves who are the offenders, remembring that it is the part of a Iudge, (qui ponit personam amici, cum induit judi­cis) that he then layeth downe the person of a friend, when he taketh on him the person of a judge. If we forsake our selves, or our frindship with sinne, when we confesse our sinnes to God, we shall finde it to encrease the sorrow of our repentance, and help us to be readier for a dis­charge, when God seeth how we condemne and hate our selves, for the wrong we have done un­to him.

Secondly, there is another thing, without the which, Christs satisfa­ction makes vs ready. our repentance cannot make us ready. Though we repent, yet God lookes for satisfact­ion, or one to suffer the punishment due unto us; which being performed by our Saviour, and the [Page 141] Covenant of Gods mercy confirmed unto us by the sheding of his blood, we may justly disclaime the guilt of our sinnes, which he was charged withall; and for full satisfaction unto God, and discharge of our selves, cry unto God in these words of David, Psal. 84.9. Iustus advoca­tus noster, iu­stos nos defen­det in Iudicio, quia & nosmet ipfos cognos­cimus & accu­samus iniustos. Non ergo &c. Greg. in Ezech. lib. 1. Hom 7. Regard o Lord and looke upon the face of thine Annoyneed. And therefore as Gregory saith, Our just Advocate shall defend us, as iust in judgement, because we know & accuse our selves as unjust, Non ergo in fletibus, non in actibus no­stris, sed in Advocati nostri allegatione, confidamus; and therefore let us not trust in our weeping or in our deedes, but in the defending which our Ad­vocate maketh: and by consequence (qui se cae­lesti precio vident redemptos, ad caelestia non dubitent praeparatos) They who see themselves redeemed by an heavenly price, Euseb. Emiss. de Pasch. Hom. 1, 3. neede not doubt but that they are prepared for heavenly things. Thus are we at all times to doe, and at all times the Lord shall finde us ready to be called to judgement.

When the account is past, Gods servants find it easie to reckon with the world, and consider what interest they have in it, or it in them: That which maketh us cleave so much to the world, is the separation that our sinnes make betweene vs and God; when this partition wall is taken away, the world can give no relish unto us, who seeke our comfort from above. Philip. 3.8. St. Paul counted the best of it, doung and losse; Eliah who tasted but litle comfort of it, 1 King 19, 4. said (long before he did leaue it) Lord it is enough. Thus Gods servants loath the world, because so long as they are in it, they are kept [...] [Page 144] recourse unto the Lord, that is, they shall well understand, how good it had beene for them, if in their life time they had sought unto the Lord, and amended their life, which they shall then desire to doe, when they can neither doe other wise, nor gaine any profit by it. Christ hereby would teach us, that after death, and in the generall judgement wicked men begin to repent heartily, and when all teares are wiped from the eyes of others, Repentance of Reprobates in this, and the life to come. they begin their eternall lamentations. In this life Reprobates may repent, but in sorrow­ing they are either too severe, that when they feele it, they shun comfort and aggravate it, untill it overcome them, and proves to be despaire, which is that eternall worme that possesseth the soule after unseasonable repentance: but most commonly their repentance is too slacke; Ahab repented, but sorrow pearced not his heart, o­therwise he would have amended his idolatry. And so, many bowe the bodie, who have bowed little at the heart; and therfore though they seeme to repent, yet they shall in the day of judgement repent, because they repented no better before. Labour therefore to end your repentance with your life, and let death which cureth all sores, bring also an end to your sorrowes, and labour to repent to salvation, which never needeth to be repented of. 2 Cor: 7, 11. This, saith Paul, causeth us to have great care to cleare our selves, and to be more zealous of our life in time to come.

[They that were ready went in with him to the Marriage, and the gate was shut.]

Now followeth the effect of their readinesse, some were admitted and went in, some were ex­cluded. As a Bridegroome in solemnizing his marriage hath just reason to take notice of them, that tooke notice and prepared for his com­ming; and without regard of others, stoppe all wayes for their admittance: So shall our Lord in his comming take into his owne company and fellowship them that loved and longed for his comming, 2 Tim: 4, 8. where wicked men shall not come in the assembly of the righteous, Psal 1, 5. 2 Thess. 1, 9. but shall bee ba­nished away from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power.

After judgement is the Marriage betweene Christ and his servants, who in this life stand es­poused unto him by faith and truth, and waite for the joyfull meeting; after which they shall not be longing in love, nor separate for a time, but shall enjoy his blessed presence and company, and (as husband and spouse) love and live together for e­ver. Gods Saints acknowledge this, for they finde the experience of sorrowes, that they have in their spirituall love, for they sigh and are bur­dened with sorrow, 2 Cor: 5.4, 6. because they are absent from the Lord: But at Christs comming, they shall rejoyce and be glad, crying with glory unto God, The marriage of the Lambe is come, Revel. 19, 7. his Spouse hath made her selfe ready. Our union with Christ compared to a marriage. Our everlasting remai­ning with Christ, is compared to a marriage so­lemnizing.

First to teach us, that then onely beginneth 1 our perfect union with Christ, when we are fully [Page 146] delivered from sinne and corruption, and resto­red to righteousnesse and immortality. In this life we are one with Christ, and Christ with us; but the tye of this union is faith and love, where­by we desire none but him, and hereafter are cer­taine to be joyned to none other but himselfe. It is true that he who joyneth himselfe by love unto the Lord is one spirit with him; 1 Cor: 6, 17. but at the marri­age our union shall be such, that we shall be de­clared to be members of his glorious body, Ephes: 5, 30. flesh of his flesh, bone of his bone.

2 Secondly to teach us, (if it were possible) how great the bond of this union is, neere is the con­junction of friendly love, yet naturall love is a stricter bond, which maketh us to account the flesh and blood of our kindred, as if it were our owne: But above all, the love betweene man and wife must cause to relinquish and quite the society and company of all others, that they may shew that all pleasure the world can give or friendship of all others, are onely as salves for necessitie, and to be despised in comparison of this bond betweene man and wife. True it is, that there is no bond of love, but the Lord hath by example of it expressed his love unto us. Christ called his Disciples servants, Iohn 15.13, 14, 15. in respect that they knew not their Masters will, but considering his love to them, he calleth them friends; and yet with such a bond of friendship on his part, that was rare to be seene, that he should give his life for his friends. Also by the example of parents (who are nearest of our kindred) saying, Psal: 103, 13. As the father [Page 147] loveth and hath compassion on his sonne, so hath the Lord on those that feare him: The Lord thinketh the love great which the mother hath to the childe, asking, if she can forsake it, Esay 49, 15. though many both fathers and mothers have fulfilled the pro­phecy of the last time, 2 Tim: 3, 3. Psal: 27.10 (in being without naturall affection:) and though father and mother may forsake the childe, yet the Lord will take up his owne. But a­bove all, Christ compareth the bond betweene him and us, to love betweene the husband and the wife, for as the highest of his ho­nour is shewed by being head of the Church, Ephes 1, 22. Chap 5, 23, 30, 31. which is his body, so the inexpressible love betweene him and us, is set out unto us by the example of the love of husband and wife, in respect of which we must forsake (if need require) the friendship of fa­ther, mother, or any friends whatsoever. In this life we love the Lord, but in the great meeting and marriage our love shall increase to such a height, which now passeth our understanding. Such as our knowledge is, such is our love, here we know in part, and therefore our love is the lesse; 1 Cor. 13, 12. but when we shall know as we are knowne, what mortall man is able to imagine how dearely wee shall love the Lord? And then shall wee under­stand how dearely the Lord hath loved us, and comprehend that for which wee are comprehen­ded of Christ. Philip 3, 11. The manifestation hereof doth better befit the solemnity of our spirituall marri­age; for as the personall meeting of lovers increa­seth love, and the aptest time that their love should shew itselfe to the beholders; so in our meeting of Christ, our love shall be greatly in­creased, [Page 148] and it is the fittest time in which the mu­tuall love of Christ and his members shall be de­clared; which love, how great it is now on Christs, and shall be then on our part, is not pos­sible to be understood, because love cannot bee understood, but in such measure as it is felt.

3 Thirdly, our remaining with Christ in glory, is compared to a mariage solemnitie, to teach us that the joyes of heaven are communicate, and many made partakers of them. In Mariages, all the friends and guests are partakers of the same intertainment with the Bridegroome, (and com­monly honoured with his service,) partakers of showes made to delight the eye, of voyces and melodious harmonies for the eare, with other de­lights that are knowne to give most pleasure and content, for such loving societies; but aboue all, the particular love, they have unto the Bride­groome, whose voyce they rejoyce to heare, and whom they both honour and delight to see, ad­vanced to that solemne honour and publick res­pect. In like manner, after the great judgement, we shall goe into eternall joy, and all be parta­kers of the same glory: and to reach the similitude further, Christ saith to them that he shall find rea­dy with their Lampes, Luke 12, 37. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he commeth shall finde waking; verily I say unto you, he will gird himselfe about, and make them sit downe at table, and will come forth and serue them. And to the end, that his Disciples might reiect the ambitious conceites of worldly honour, Luk, 22, 27. he saith unto them, Who is greater, he that sitteth [Page 149] at table? And I am among you, as he that serveth, 28. and ye are they which have continued with me in my tentations, therefore I appoynt unto you a Kingdome, 29.30. as my Father hath appointed to me, that ye may eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome. No delight shall be wanting either to soule or body, God shall be all in all, 1 Cor. 15.28. Psal. 16.11. in whose presence is fulnes of joy for evermore. But aboue all, the love we shall have to our Lord and Saviour, and the unspeakable glory he is in, shall be as a heaven of joyes, to every glorified soule, which he himselfe saith, shall bee our chiefe happinesse, that we may be where he is, and behold his glory; he said not, that they may enjoy my glory, but see my glory: Iohn 17.24. Homini enim maxim [...] requi­es videre filium Dei. Theophil. and David said the same Psal. 17.15. 2 Cor. 3.18. and indeed as S. Paul saith, by seeing the Lords glory, wee are changed into the same image, by the Spirit of the Lord, as is evident, by the shining of Moses face, before he was freed from his corruptible body.

Fourthly, by this comparison; is shewed the e­ternitie of those joyes, which we shall possesse in this spirituall Mariage. The Lord hath made a 4 hedge to inviron & defend his ordinance of Mari­age, against all debate of policie, Math 19.6. that no man put asunder those, whom God hath coupled together. So that whatsoever devideth man and wife, must be the enemy of God or man: if sinne doe it, yet sin not being imputed, becommeth as no sinne; so though adultery is one of the enemyes of Mari­age, yet if be not imputed, it causeth not a separa­tion: but the last enemy of man which is death, is only the unremediable breaker of Wedlocke, and freeth the one from the law of the other. Of [Page 150] all our comforts and pleasures in this life, the gall and bitternesse is inclosed in death, the remem­brance of it, before it approach neare, is bitter unto us, Ecclesiasticus 41.1. the comming terrible, no fence is able to holde it out, so long as the gappes of sinne attend to receive it; when it com­meth, it divideth us from friends, goods, acquain­tance, pleasures, and so maketh a separation be­tweene man and wife, yea betweene soule and body, body and life. But while they both live, the law hath dominion of both, (saith the Apo­stle) meaning that death onely doth make sepa­ration, Rom. 7.1, 2. without hope of dwelling together any more as husband and wife. So in our spirituall marriage, (whilest it receiveth this name) it shew­eth our state to remaine immutable for ever, be­cause there shal neither be sin nor death to annoy us, or threaten to separate us from him: and see­ing all the enemies of our salvation are not able to separate us from the love of God in Iesus Christ, what then can hurt us, Rom 8, 35. when we have no enemies at all?

This union with Christ is only compared to the solemni­zing of a mar­riage.But because long life without separation, pro­veth not a happinesse to all that are married, (for we see the disordered and discontented lives of many, that they would be glad to be ridde of marriage, so they could save their life) yea even in them that agree best, the godly life cannot set them free of all troubles, 1 Cor. 7, 32. for every sort of life is intermixed with its owne griefes and inconveni­ences: therefore we may observe, that our eter­nall joyes in heaven are not compared to the best [Page 151] life in marriage that ever was led, but only to the solemnizing and time of it; that as the time and day of marriage is an image of honour, joy and pleasure of all kindes that this earth can give, in­somuch that both opinion and experience hath framed the Proverbe, that the day of marriage is the onely joyfull day in a mans life, which in­continent hath its owne changes as all things else have: so our eternall glory shall be as a solemni­zing of a marriage, the joy and pleasure of it can­not passe away, but continually remaine unchan­geably with us, and we with it. Esth. 1, 4. When Ahasuerus did shew the riches and glory of his Kingdome, and honour of his Majesty, he did it in feasting the Nobles & Commonalty of two Kingdomes, both which feasts continued above halfe a yeare; what shall we thinke of him who counteth the hea­ven with the spanne, Esay 40, 12. Verse 22. comprehendeth the dust of the earth in a measure, Verse 23. counteth all the inhabitants of it as grashoppers, and bringeth Princes to nothing? Shall not he shew it to be everlasting? Psal 145.10, 11, 13. when his Saints shall blesse him, and shew the glory of his Kingdome, and speake of his power, which is (saith David) ever­lasting, and enduring for ever: Psal: 102.27. Stat unus dies, quia nec habet ortum nec oc­casum, nec in­choatur ab he­sterno, nec ex­cluditur a cra­stino. August. in Psal. 122.3. cu­ius participatio in seipsum. This everlasting is as one yeare that faileth not, yea this yeare is as one day, because it changeth not, it never hath Sun­set, nor can it give place to the morrow, even this is the day which the Lord hath ordained for us, that we should everlastingly rejoyce and be glad in it. So it appeareth wherein our eternall glory is like unto the solemnity of marriage.

As I have compared our eternall union with [Page 152] Christ unto a marriage: so is it fit that I should compare marriage unto our union with Christ.

This union is not an imitation of marriage, but marriage is an imitation of it. Exod: 25, 40. What ever Moses did, it was according to the Arch-type and pat­terne shewed him in the Mount; so whatsoever is here taught us to practise, it is that by earthly ru­diments wee may ascend higher, and consider heavenly things in them: And therefore many things are taught us, to be read in the plaine let­ters of our owne actions, that as children are taught to act those things which may teach them to know what men doe, and what they shall doe in mens estate, that they may frame themselves accordingly: so doth the Lord teach us many things, that they may be glasses for our instru­ction, and that we may (though in earthly man­ner) frame our selves for a prepared state of glo­ry; The dealing of Christ with his Church is the patterne and direction of marriage. Eph: 5, 22. of which marriage is one, and drawn out after the heavenly patterne; for it is the Lord that fra­med both, and our practise is no rule to direct the Lord, but from the Lords dealing towards his Church, and the Churches towards him, the Apostle drawes instructions to teach husbands and wives how to behave themselves one to ano­ther.

The maker, time, place, forme, matter, and end of marriage.First, what account wee should have of Mari­age, if we looke to the originall of it, it is framed to the similitude of Gods eternall purpose, of u­niting man to himselfe, an extract copyed out of the heauenly Paterne by the hand of God him­selfe; For the forme of it: the most excellent uni­on [Page 153] that we sinfull men can claime or wish for, is to be knit to the man Iesus Christ and to be of his body; so mariage is according to this paterne to make the strictest bonde that the soule can ad­mit on earth, and to unite them in one who were severall bodyes before. For the matter of it, of all mortall creatures, the excellency pertaineth to man, and therefore this union the more excellent: and lastly, (for the end of it) the preservation of man, is better, than of any other mortall creature, which cannot be without confusion, if marriage were wanting. And therefore if you respect the time, and place, the maker, the matter, the forme and end of marriage, you may see how honoura­ble it is, and how reverently to be accounted of. Paul calleth it a doctrine of divels to forbid mar­riage, 1 Tim: 4.1, 3. because none else would be an enemie to make it dishonourable in some, which God hath pronounced honourable among all; Heb. 13, 4. or take away the lawfull imitation of so heavenly a patterne: and they are the children of Satan, that dishonour it either in their owne person, or in the practise of others, by fornication, adultery, contempt of the lawfull liberty of it, or unadvised underta­king of it. I would gladly wish the Church of Rome to aske St. Paul, whether it is God or the Divell, that would have us teach such doctrine, as to forbid marriage unto any.

The common ends of mar­riage.Secondly, we are taught what use to make of marriage. The common ends for which marri­age was ordained, were, 1. The conservation of mankinde from utter decay, by procreation of [Page 154] children, Malach 2.15. to be the seed of the Church. 2. The boun­ding and limiting of wandring lusts and affecti­ons; 1 Cor. 7.2. that men should not become like beasts, the Lord hath ordained lawfull meanes, to preserve them from falling into unlawfull. 3. That two being together, Eccles. 4 10. Gen 2.18. the one might be company and helpe unto other. Yet are wee to make further use of it, that when we either reade or heare the institution of marriage, our hearts may ascend higher, The spirituall uses of mar­riage. and consider the union betweene Christ and his Church, what it is in this life, and how our love shall increase when wee are possessed of glory. And when we are invited to a marriage, to remember the day of the marriage of the Bridegroome, when his friends shall enter in, and foolish men be shut without doores. These things Christ teacheth under the similitude of a mariage, that in all such wee may call to minde that mariage, which sinne cannot divorce, nor death make void. And that we may doe this the better, the Scripture hath laid lessons in our way, which we stand in neede of, by seeking of which wee may finde somewhat for our eternall com­fort. The duties required of man and wife may be learned by the actions of God & his Church; the love of the man to the wife is taught by the love of Christ to his Church, Ephes 5.22, 23, &c. when he gave his life rather than it should be lost: how tenderly they should shew themselves in all their actions, is taught by Christs nourishing and cherishing the Church. And on the other part, the subje­ction and reverence the woman ought to have to­wards [Page 155] her husband, is taught by the subjection of the Church unto Christ, who onely hath an eye to him, and desireth to be governed accor­ding to his direction. It is an heavenly patterne so to governe our selves as we have Christ for an example; and on the other part, we wrong our selves in mariage, when we bereave our selves of this heavenly comfort; for this is onely the way to make our mariage comfortable and heavenly, often to call to remembrance the union of Christ to his Church, and especially to our soules; and according as we are dealt with, and behave our selves in the spirituall mariage, so to frame our lives and actions in the duties of mariage accor­ding to the same example. I dare boldly pro­mise in the name of God, Gal. 6.16. that he who sanctifieth his mariage, in walking after this rule, peace shall be on him in this life, and mercy shall be his por­tion in the life to come, in being admitted to that society of mariage with Christ in heaven, which hee so much loved, and imitated whilest hee re­mained upon earth.

If I should take a survey of many maried per­sons, and enquire if they learne and practise any thing according to the rule of Christ and his Church, I should finde them of another spirit; that where Christ appointeth their life accor­ding to the rule of heaven, they live in imitation of hell, as if they were bound together to be tor­menters one to another. The unquiet lives of many doe shew that Satan hath gotten power to curse them, and when all things else doe pleasure [Page 156] both, they finde want of nothing but love and quietnesse: Is the God of peace and love dwel­ling with such a couple? No sure, it is the enemy of peace: Or can we exhort them to love their neighbour, and be tender-hearted to him, when they hate and torment their owne flesh? Love is a marke of Christs scholler; and it is certaine that he must be taught and led by Satans overru­ling hand, that beginneth hatred so neere home, as to be enemie unto their heart which God hath appointed to lye in his owne bosome. No fault, but it can pretend just ground, and married cou­ples can pretend reason too. But will a man be angry, if the one hand cut the other, seeing they are both alike his owne? and should hee be an­gry though faults happen among them? must he fall at variance for every fault? What should be­come of him, if the Lord should for every fault shew his wrath against him? Or if there were cause given, should hee then be angry and shew hatred? This is not the example of our Saviour, who loved every member of his Church, and gave his life for them, even when they were ene­mies, and did what they could to offend him. If the fault be in the wives carriage, St. Paul coun­sells, Col. 3.19. yet to love them, and be not bitter unto them, alwayes remembring the example of Christ, who laboured to cleanse his Church, and to make it without spot or blame. Eph 5 26, 27. If the fault bee in the men, and they be untoward, Saint Peter counselleth the women, 1 Pet. 3.1. that by all meanes they subject themselves to their husbands, that [Page 157] though they were infidels, yet they might be wonne by the conversation of their wives. There is no place for contention betweene man and wife, all should be love: and if the maried would take care to behave themselves like Christians in their houses towards themselves, wee should not see or heare them so often in the streets behaving themselves like Turkes towards others, nor suf­fer Satan to goe betweene them and the blessing of their mariage.

☞ Of the joyes of heaven it is said, [They that were ready went in with him to the Mariage.]

THE mariage entertainment is now to be spo­ken of, whereof all the prepared Virgins shal in the glorious day of Christs comming be made partakers.

True it is, that Gods servants after death shall be followers of Christ into the glory of heaven, and there are in blisse, glory and joy, which is not possible to be conceaved. But in this Parable I must direct my speech unto that felicity which we are to have both in body & soule after the day of judgement; because the text tendeth that way, and Christ in it respecteth the question that was propounded unto him concerning his comming, Math. 24.3. and now applyeth, and in this Parable conclu­deth the doctrine of his comming, with an exhor­tation to watching. Notwithstanding whatso­ever can be said of the glory both of body and soule, [...] [Page 160] miseries there, Math. 6.20. so saith the Scripture, that (in hea­ven) neither the moth nor canker corrupteth, neither theeues dig through nor steale; Revel. 21.4. and God shall wype all teares from their eyes, there shall be no more death, nei­ther sorrow, neither crying, neither any more paine: for the sorrowes of this world shall be gone.

In manner of excellency, when wee see any thing good, comfortable, profitable or honoura­ble for us, we straight conclude, a greater excel­lency of all such things to be desired are in hea­ven, the onely seate of felicitie. Quotiescunque (saith Hierom.) te vana seculi delectabit ambitio, Ad Eustoch. quo­tiescun (que) in seculo videris aliquid gloriosum, ad para­disum mente transgredere: Whensoever the vaine desires of this world doth delight thee, whensoe­ver thou seest any thing in the world glorious, then let thy minde mount up to Paradise, and in this kinde excellent things are spoken of heaven­ly Ierusalem. Psal. 87.3. The thing that all men account best and sweetest, is life, therefore the Scripture hath promised us a life in heaven, ( [...]) for excellency whereof, it may be justly sayd to us, Cic. in som. Scip. Vestra verò quae dicitur vita, mors est, that our life is but a death. Nothing more comfortable to them that liue, then assurance of long life; from whence we conclude, that in heaven which hath fulnes of all comfort, we shall haue eternall life: The most profitable life that we can desire is, to have all things that can make us happie, of which (we finding some things in this life, for our com­fort and refreshment,) wee conclude that in hea­ven are all things that need to make us perfectly [Page 161] blessed: the greatest honour this world hath, is to be head of one or moe Kingdomes; from which we conclude, that heavē (the true place of glory) hath kingdomes for us; and such that for glory, so far surpasse the glory of an earthly kingdome.

We may know what is not there, rather then what is there. What things are not in hea­ven. This world is full of miseries and sorrowes, sure there is none in heaven, it is a place of rest. A necessity of supplying our naturall wants, is upon us in this life; we are grieved with the miseries and necessities of others, but most of all, for the sinnes of our selves and others, Non arant, non seminant, non molunt, non coquunt: opera enim sunt ista neces­sitatis, ibi ne­cessitas non est. &c. August in Psal. 148 6 pra ceptum posuit et non praeteri­bit. and the inconveniences that follow them: but in hea­ven it is not so, for they till no ground, they sowe not, they neither grinde nor boyle for meate, these are onely works of necessitie, but in heaven there is no necessitie. They break no bread to the hungry, they cloathe not the naked, they take not the stranger in, they visite not the sicke, they make no peace, they burie not the dead; these are the workes of mercy, but in heaven there is no mise­ry on which mercy should be showen. There is no oppression, stealing or uncleannesse, these are the workes of iniquity and darknesse, Nuptiae sunt auxilium vitae mortalis & im­pletio cius quod defecit: ibi autem nihil deficit, quid ergo opus im­plente? Throph. in Luc. 20.35. Math. 22, 30. which have no place in heaven. This life is cut off by death, which soone would bring mankind to an end, if remedy were not provided, to supply that which decayeth; but in heaven there shall nothing bee lost, none can die, so that they need no supplying, therefore in the Resurrection (or in heaven) they neither marrie wiues, nor wiues are bestowed in Ma­riage, but all are as the Angels of God.

[Page 162] What things are in heaven. 1 Cor. 2.9.Now if we desire to know what is in heaven, the Apostle tells us, that, Neither hath eye seene, nor eare heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man, what good things God hath prepared for them that love him: that is, neither can his senses feele, nor his understanding comprehend, the joyes and contenment that they are able to give. If entertainment of mens devising be able to over­joy us in conceit, and to translate our spirits from midst of worldly sorrowes, as if we had obtained some happinesse indeed: What happinesse is it, to be partaker of the everlasting table, of the in­expressible harmony of Angels and glorified soules, singing praises to God? We count it the greatest honour that can be given to a subject, to sit at his Soveraignes table: What honour shall it be to have fellowship with God and our bles­sed Saviour? 1 Kings 10.8. The Queene of Sheba pronounced Salomons servants happy, that might alwayes be hearing the words of wisedome; What happines shall it be, to stand alwayes in the presence of One greater than Salomon, Luke 21.36. even our Lord Iesus Christ, In whom dwelleth all the treasures of wisdome bodily? Col. 2.3. If God (saith Augustine) doth give unto wicked men the common benefits of heaven and earth, August in Psal. 85. in Hebraeo 86 5 Tis Domine misericors. health, children, riches, plenteousnesse; what doth he keepe for his faithfull servants? Even not earth but heaven; and that I speake not too base­ly, when I say heaven, even he that made heaven keepeth himselfe for us, Si enim ea quae ad exiguum tempus durant ciusmodi sunt, cuiusmodi e­runt illa quae nulla tempora delebunt, &c. Basil. in Hexa. mer. Orat. 6. the heaven is glorious, but more glorious is hee that made it. If these things are such, which endure for a little time, [Page 163] what shall those things be, which no time can bring to an end? And if such be the beauty of things that are seene, how glorious is the Citty of God? When Peter saw a sight of Christs glo­ry, and of Moses and Eliah, Matth: 17, 4. and desired to con­tinue there, without desire of any sight of this world after, what contentment hath hee now to see Christ, and other blessed Spirits in glory? Christ saith, Matth: 5, 6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnesse: which an holy man applyeth thus, O quàm faelicem facit ipsa plena refectio, Episcopus Lin­coln. cujus sola esuries facit beatum! O how happy doth the full refreshment make us, of that, whereof the onely hungring maketh us blessed! David saith, O Lord how amiable are thy Tabernacles, Psal. 84.1, 2. My soule longeth, yea and fainteth for the Courts of the Lord, my heart and flesh rejoyce in the living God. If his desire was so sweete, how sweete is the enjoy­ing? if he rejoyced onely seeing in a glasse, what joy hath he in seeing face to face? if the Courts of Gods house gave such delight, what is the house it selfe able to give?

These are but generall, as all that can be said concerning the joyes of heaven; but every soule shall wholly possesse the pleasures and joyes of heaven, neither is it hindrance to one, what is be­stowed on another. Gods mercy is infinite, Greg. Mor. l. 4. Et tanta vis amoris in illa pace nos sociat, ut quod in se quisquis non acceperit, hoc se accepisse in alio exultet: And so great power of love maketh our fel­lowship in that everlasting peace, that whatso­ever every one hath not received in himselfe, [Page 164] hee rejoyceth, because he hath received it in an­other.

Difference of earthly and heavenly ioy.In all earthly joy we have sorrow intermixed, that we may the rather labour for this sweetnesse, which deceives us not. When we have all the joy we can conceive by worldly pleasure, it never sa­tisfieth us, untill it cloy with boysterous abun­dance, and cause us to surfet, and then it satisfieth least of all, and yet our desires are not satisfied, when we have obtained more than we were capa­ble of: therefore all that the world can give can­not bring the soule to contentment, or set it be­yond the region of wishes and wants, or free it from the tyranny of feare or desire. This is one­ly to be expected of the joyes of heaven, Lib. 1. de doct. Christ. for be­tweene them (saith Augustine) and temporall things, this is one difference, that a temporall thing is more loved before it be obtained, but is contemned when we have got it; aeternum autem ardentiùs diligitur adeptum quàm desideratum: that which is eternall, is more loved being obtained, than it was when it was desired. We cannot con­ceive joy without feare of distaste to ensue, but in heaven we shall be so filled with the sweetnesse and delight of God, and the glory wee shall re­ceive, Greg. that we shal be far frō loathing, (quia sitien­tes satiabimur, & satiati sitiemus) for in thirsting af­ter the same wee shall be filled, and being filled we shall thirst. What shall wee doe in heaven? (saith Augustine: Psal. 84.4.) The Psalme saith, Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they will be alwayes prai­sing thee; this shall be our eternall action. Thou [Page 165] ceasest to praise him, if thou cease to love him; but thou shalt not leave loving of him, for hee whom thou seest can never be too much looked upon, (his presence causeth fulnesse of joy) nor offend thee with loathing. Et satiat te & non satiat: Mi­rum est quod dico; si dicam quia satiat te, timeo ne, &c. August. in Psal. 85 in Hebr. 86.17. Adiu visti me & consola­tus es me. Hee both filleth and filleth thee not: this is a wonder that I say, for if I say he filleth thee, I feare thou shouldst con­ceiue it in earthly manner, that thou shouldest depart as one filled with a dinner or supper; if I say hee doth not fill thee, I feare thou shouldest seeme to want, and be empty in some part which should be filled: why then shall I say that which cannot be uttered, cannot be conceived?

It is easier to obtaine than declare the joyes of heaven, whatsoever wee can conceiue or speake, we shall to our great comfort finde it true, which is written, As we haue heard, Psal. 48.8. so haue wee seene in the Citty of the Lord: but what we shal heare and see cannot come by report. Wonderfull things were tolde the Queene of Sheba, 2 Chron. 9.6. of Salo­mons wisedome, and glory of his Kingdome, she beleeved them not, untill she saw and heard them, and then she confessed that the one halfe was not reported unto her. Glorious things are spoken of heaven unto us, and such as wee shall under­stand, could not be delivered and conceiued with words: Let us therefore beleeue the Lord, and rely with hope, untill that blessednesse be shewen upon us: he hath done a harder thing than bring­ing us to immortality; For it is harder to beleeue (saith Aug.) that he who is eternal should die, In Psal 148.6. Posuit manda­tum, &c. than that a mortall man should live for ever. We be­leeue [Page 166] the death of the Sonne of God; if God died for man, shall not man live with God? or hee live eternally, for whom one died who liveth for ever?

Vses of this doctrine.The use the Scripture teacheth us of this do­ctrine 1 is, first, that considering what entertain­ment the Lord hath prepared for us in heaven, we should winde our hearts from the love of the shadowes which the world presents unto us. We are here like the poore estate of the prodigall childe; if we considered how many were in our Fathers house in full felicity, we would wish to be removed from this place, where hogges have as much to maintaine their life, as we can obtaine to maintaine ours. St. Paul who once tasted of this joy, sighed and groaned ever after to bee gone out of the world, and little reason have we, (if wee appertaine unto God) to be in love with our worldly estate, for it hinders us of a bet­ter.

2 Secondly, what labor should we take to obtaine unspeakable joyes, or to purchase a heavenly kingdome? August. in Psal. 93. in Hebr. 94.20. Nunquid sedes iniquitatis &c. If we speake the truth, eternall rest is worthy to be bought with eternall labour; yet the Lord is mercifull in hastening us to get pos­session. Let us therefore consider at what rate we would sell those joyes, if once we had them, and we shall the better know what labour and paines is worthy to be payed for them.

3 Thirdly, this doctrine is set downe to com­fort and ease all that suffer misery in this life, that they looke not on the things which are seene, but [Page 167] the things which are not seene, that nothing prove so intollerable, which they feare to suffer, that they may see Christ in glory; In Manual. therefore Au­gustine did encourage himselfe against miseries, and meditated thus: O soule, if we behooved to suffer daily torments, if to suffer hell it selfe a long time, that we might see Christ in glory, and be fellowed with his Saints: were it not worthy to suffer all that is painfull, that we may be parta­kers of so great a glory? Let therefore the infer­nall spirits beset us, let them prepare their temp­tations, let fasting breake the body, let labours burden, watching dry up, let whosoever disquiet me, let my conscience murmure, heate burne me, the body sicken, the breast be enflamed, the sto­mack swell, let the countenance grow pale, let all be weake, let my life end in sorrow, and my yeares in mourning, Habac: 3, 16. let rottennesse enter into my bones, so that I may have rest in the day of tribu­lation.

[And the gate was shut.]

Now followeth the reward of foolishnesse, the foolish are kept without doores, and not ad­mitted to the company of the wise, nor accoun­ted worthy that the same place should receive the carelesse and improvident, which is appoin­ted as a reward unto the understanding and in­dustrious. The greatest punishment that could be imposed upon the unprovided for a common wedding, was to be exposed to shame, and shut out of doores; Therefore Christ according here­unto saith, that the Reprobate shall be shut out [Page 168] from partaking the felicity of the elect: when not­withstanding this is not their greatest sorrow, for if they were neither capable of joy, Pana damni. nor sorrow, their estate might seeme more tollerable: but their misery can never be enough pitied, for they shall be punished with everlasting perdition from the pre­sence of the Lord: 2 Thess. 1. if once their misery could come to an end, it were some hope of comfort; but e­ternally, this word is more painefull then all the paine besides, that so long they must suffer tor­ment as God is God: And so everlastingly they shall be banished from the presence of God who is mercifull, and chained in the land of forgetfull­nesse.

When our Saviour sheweth, that they shall be deprived of a glorious inheritance, and expresseth no more, he would have us thereby to understand that there is no man so forgetfull of salvation, if he knew how great good he were to have, need­ed to be threatned with any further punishment. The like is set downe in the Revelation, that the punishment of filthy and wicked men shall be, to be without the gates of heavenly Ierusalem. Revel, 22, 15. St. Paul in punishment of diverse kinds of wickednesse pro­nounceth, 1 Cor. 6.10. Gal, 5, 21. Ephes, 5, 5. that they shall not inherite the kingdome of God; who is able to abide such a doome? To bee sure that others in our presence, shall enter to pos­sesse unspeakable joyes, and our selues receive a­shamefull repulse? Who can patiently abide to be disinherited? When Caine was banished from the Lords presence & favour, he complained in this life, Gen. 4, 13. That his punishment was greater than hee could [Page 169] could beare: and Absolom desired to be killed, 2 Sam. 14.32. if he could not have leave to enjoy the Kings pre­sence: the childe shut out of the fathers doores is in a miserable estate, or the subject excluded from the Kings defence and protection. There­fore now consider how grievous it will be to you to bee thrust out of our heavenly Fathers house; and so walke now to please him, that in that day, when you are to be possessed of that long expected inheritance, others, and not you, may be shut out of dores.

But if this punishment is not effectuall to move you, Poena sensus. then the Lord declareth his wrath from hea­ven, that he hath prepared unquenchable fire to be their portion, that will upon such faire intrea­ty neglect to prepare for a heavenly inheritance, August. in spec. hum. mis. there is utter or most extreme darknesse, hunger and thirst, extremenesse of colde and heate, no­thing is heard but curses, lamentations & grones, no company but tormenting divels, and cursing soules, they shall seeke for death and not obtaine it; and this is their estate for ever. It shall be a miserable sight, that the body shall continually burne, and not be consumed; who could thinke this possible, if the Lords word had not said so? And besides he hath confirmed it with our expe­rience; The stone Asbestus, August de Civit. Dei l. 21. c. 5. if once it be set on fire, it can never be quenched, [...]. Math 3.12. and yet it never consumeth; and therefore hath the name. When Iohn Baptist expresseth the durance of hell fire, he useth the same word, unquenchable fire. Were it not good to be delivered from this eternall woe? [Page 170] and not to be disappointed of an eternall and un­speakable good; yet weigh both now, that you be not compelled to suffer both hereafter.

Secondly, our Saviour doth hereby teach vs, that as unmercifull men deale with others, Vncharitie re­quited. so shal they be dealt with: when they goe to meate, the poore are cast out, and lest they should gett to reach the crummes of their table, the dore must be shutte. In like manner, when our Lord shall convey his servants into Abrahams bosome, the gate shall bee shutte, and these who held out o­thers in this life, God shall hold without the gates of blisse in the life to come. This is the third rea­son we have found in this Parable, to moue us to be mercifull to the distressed: for first, in the be­ginning of eternall woe and necessitie, the hard hearted shall wish if it were possible, that they might be helped by others: Secondly, their for­mer cruell dealing, shall be cast in their teeth, and their owne answers meet them in judgement: and Thirdly, with anger thrust from the presence of God, and the gate of glory shutte upon them. He that expecteth to sit on a throne in Gods compa­ny for ever, must cause the distressed to sit at his table. Gods word hath often commanded, and commended hospitalitie; I meane not common feastings of them that are able to double it in the like againe, Abrahams cha­ritie requited. but to call the sicke, naked, and blind, the lame, the stranger and the prisoner. Abraham 1 hath a threefold reward and commendation, for his hospitality in this world, Heb. 13.2. Gen. 18.22. besides his eternall reward in heaven. 1. In lodging strangers, he re­ceived [Page 171] Angells, yea the great Angell of the Co­venant, even the Sonne of God. Malach 3.1. 2 That none shall be accounted to be a true Israelite to God, 2 Iohn 8.39. except he doe the works of Abraham, of which this is a chiefe: And therefore, Theophilact in Luke 16.23. for good reason doth Christ in the Parable call the rich glutton to be judged by Abraham, who compelled those that were strangers on the way, to receive entertain­ment of him, where the rich Glutton starved them that lay continually within a call to his table. 3. 3 Heaven hath received the name of Abrahams bo­some, because his heart & bosome was open to all the distressed, who received heate, cōfort, & nou­rishment in this life: and shall (though all the un­mercifull in the world would starve thē at their gate,) be received into the hospitalitie of heaven, with as great compassion and comfort, as ever the distressed was received into the house or bosome of Abraham. As the Lord hath made the faith of Abraham an example of beleeving to all the faith­full, so hath he commended his hospitalitie, that all who desire to follow him to glory, may imi­tate him in his charitie.

But as God dealeth with the hard hearted, ac­cording to their workes in shutting doores on them, as they doe vpon others; yet there is a diffe­rence, when the poore is denyed or shutte out at one time, yet he hopes he may be helped at ano­time, Heavens Gates once shutt can­not be open. and therefore wailes and importunes for help and reliefe though it stay long; because hee that hath shutt his doore may open it, and the hard hearted may at length be moved with com­passion: [Page 172] compassion: but when the Lord shutteth the gate of mercy, it is never opened againe; there is no waiting, nor hope of any comfort to ensue: for (clauditur, Bern. in hunc. [...] janua audiendi, respondendi, miserandi) the Lord hath shut the gate of hearing, of answe­ring, or taking compassion.

But what gate is this? Even the gate that is now open unto all that come from the east and west to sit with Abraham, Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heaven: the gate of him who saith, He that commeth to me I will not cast out. Iohn 6.37. The mur­therers come and are admitted, the Publicans and sinners are received, the wanton, adulteresse, for­nicators, theeves, blasphemers, and oppressours, and the open gate is not denied unto them. Be­holde how the gate is now open, which shall be shut for ever, even that which is open to teares, sighes, and grones of sinners, which received Aaron after his idolatry, David after his mur­ther and adultery, Peter after his denying of Christ, now it is shut for ever. If the Lord open our eyes to make use of this, wee may perceive with Iacob the gate of heaven; Gen. 23.17. Acts 7, 56. or with Steven see the heavens open; because it is the occasion and time to heare our prayers, to answer our calls, and have mercy upon us. And therefore, to day if you will make use of it, harden not your hearts, but strive to enter in at this gate, before it be shut upon you.

[Verily I say unto you.]

These words containe the Lords deniall of all favour unto the damned after death and judge­ment: And to make us assured of it, he hath not spoken it onely, without further confirmation, but added an oath, Verily I say unto you. The word (verily) is often used by Christ, in the Greeke it is Amen, which Christ taketh to bee his owne name, These things saith Amen, Revel. 3.14. the true and faithfull witnes; for he is the way, the truth, and the life,: As if he had said, as the truth is truth, I say unto you: and so having no greater to protest, witnes and seale this doctrine with then himselfe, Verbum con­firmationis praemittitu, magnum no­veris esse quod sequitur. Bern Declamat. confirm­eth it with his trueth. Wheresoever this word is used in Scripture, it sheweth a vehemency and earnestnes of the affection of him that speaketh, and doth import some great consequence. So [Page 178] that wheresoever it is pronounced by Christ, it should be unto us, as a marke vpon that Scripture, to move us to consider the weight of it, because hee would not have us negligent to heare, that which he is so carefull to teach. Now, he saith (verily,) to shew, that as he is true, this is the an­swer they may looke for, I know you not. If words were taken hold of, and beleeved, the Lord need­eth not thus to add an oath for confirmation; We will hardly beleeve any thing to hurt us. and because we will never beleeve any thing that will hurt vs, the Lord ingageth his truth, that so it shal be, if we labour not to make our acquaintaince with him in time; and all this is to drawe us out of the snare of presumption, that we passe not our life so idly, Examples. or according to our owne phantasie, 1 that we looke for favour after death, when none is to be had. How apt we are to conceive so, ap­peareth 2 by divers experiences; the cōmon voyce of the ignorant is, This is the hope of Papists to be released out of Purga­torie, by the prayers of the living. that sure God will be merci­full unto all men, and it were a sinfull conceite to thinke otherwise. Others more grossely, have laid it as a ground to all their hopes, that when the paines of hell have taken hold on their soule, that 3 then others may knocke at the gates of blisse for them; Theophilact. in Math. 25.46. Setteth downe this errour of the Originians, contrarie to Christs owne words: and like to this is the Papists delive­rance from Purgatorie, both smelling of the Stoicks conceits, of which Cicero, Neither the soules in [...]unc lo um nisi mul­tis exagitati se­culi [...], reverun­tur. in Som. Scip. and that after they regarded not to heare the Lord all their life time, yet he will heare o­thers for them, and recall them for their torments they suffer. And because errour hath no bridle to it, nor end at which it doth determine; even mercy hath been preached by some, to be grant­ed to the Divells and other damned Spirits, after that the world doth end, and they have suffered [Page 179] the torments of hell a little after. So that all these onely give leave, that men may leade what life they will, or never expect to have, or see heaven open, whilst they are in this life, and have occa­sion to have it open: wherefore all these give no credit to this protestation that Christ maketh, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

[I knowe you not.]

As Christ hath forewarned (us in this Para­ble) what part Reprobates shall haue in his favor; The meaning and truth of the words. so in other places, he tells us, that whē the matter shall come to open triall in judgement, when they shall claime familiaritie and acquaintance with Christ saying, Lord, Lord, open to us, Luk 13.25.26. and he shall answere and say, I know you not; then shall they say, we haue eaten & drunken in thy presence, Math 7.22.23. and thou hast taught in our streetes: By thy name we haue prophecyed, and cast out Devils, and done many workes; Not­withstanding all this, Theophilact. in Math. 7.23. Christ will professe & say unto them, I never knewe you, Neque tunc quando miracula faciebatis, diligebam vos; even then when you preached, and did miracles in my name, I lo­ved you not: by which appeareth the same is the truth of God for ever. This concernes all that are in Gods imployments, to consider for all that they doe, if the Lord hate them, or if he be pre­paring eternall wrath for them. He makes wick­ed men to doe him good service, Ioh. 6.70. Iudas preached saluation to others and ouercame the power of Sathan in them, who was no better than a Diuell himselfe. He calleth Nebuchadnezer his servant, Ezech. 29.18. Esay. 44.28. and Cyrus his Sheepheard, and many other to doe [Page 180] him service, whom he will protest in the great day that he never loved.

The words have a reason in themselves. The foolish Virgins desire him to open heaven unto them, his answere is, I know you not; according to the rest of this Parable: for at solemne feasts they that desire entrance, but ought not to be ad­mitted, the common answere is, I know you not, and therefore there is no reason I should open un­to you. Especially this is the reason of the un­charitable, who being by the command of God to open their dores to strangers, they doe no good, except they know well to whom, and to the poore and distressed they answer, I know you not. Even so shall their answer be from the Lord, as they answered others, and as they did good to none but whom they loved, so the Lord will not heare them, because he never loved them. The meaning of the words [I know you not] is, I will take no notice of you: for as these that are pro­moted to honour, when their olde acquaintance would claime interest in them, The elect & re­probate known to God, but di­verse wayes. use to say, I doe not know you: So Iesus Christ in the great judgement, when Reprobates would claime some interest in him, shall say the like, I know you not, that is, I will have no commerce nor fellowship with you. August de verb. Dom, Ser. 22. Quid est Nescio vos? Est improbo vos, re­probo vos: What is, I know you not? It is, I refuse you, I cast you off. The Lord knowes both the godly and reprobate, but after diverse manners; love is joyned with the knowledge of the one, and hatred with the knowledge of the other. Of [Page 181] the elect it is said, The Lord knoweth who are his: 2 Tim. 2.19. Rom. 8.29. and, Those that he had knowne before, he elected to salvation: And of the Iewes, Rom. 10.2. that hee knew them before: that is, he loved them before: and in this respect it is true that the Lord knoweth not wic­ked men, for he loves them not. But otherwise he knoweth all their thoughts and deedes; happy were they if they knew themselves in some mea­sure, with that pure and holy knowledge that the Lord hath of them, it would make them take some more labour for his love and acquaintance, which seeing they doe not, they fulfill the Lords threatning to their shame, seeing they are fore­tolde of it, and care not to prevent it. Christ foretolde us, that hee who confessed him, Matth: 10 32. Marke 10.38. hee would acknowledge him before his Father and the Angels; but he that would be ashamed of him, hee would deny him. Loe now he maketh it good, for he professeth o­penly, I know you not. What meaneth to confesse or to be ashamed of Christ. In this life our Saviour cal­leth for our friendship and acquaintance, in his faire offer of salvation: if we will thinke it an ho­nour for us, that Christ was once in misery and poverty for our sake, and account this our grea­test glory; he sendeth his messengers, the poore and distressed, who are his brethren, Fratres vocat omnes simpli­citer pauperes; Omnis enim pauper frater est Christi, quandoquidē & Christus in egestate vixit. Theophylact. in Mat. 25.40. to be ac­quainted with us in his name, to see how wee would like of their friendship, or how we would entertaine Christ, if he himselfe came to us in that fashion, as indeede once he did. If we rejoyce to be thus acquainted with Christ, and confesse him in this life, then shall he openly acknowledge us, and to our glory pronounce before God, and all [Page 182] that shall be gathered in the great judgement, how we loved and respected him and his messen­gers. He that is ashamed of the poverty of Christ, the misery and tribulation of a Christian, or the distresse of the poore, or to professe love and ac­quaintance to them, they shal be rewarded accor­dingly. Idem in Iuc. 9.26. As he that hath an evil servant is ashamed to call him his servant; so Christ shall deny them, and say, I know you not. Happy is the soule that hath a part in the commendation and prayer of Paul for Onesiphorus, whose service and confessi­on he prayeth the Lord to remember in the great day; in these words, The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus, 1 Tim. 1.16, 17, 18. for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chaine; but when hee was at Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me; the Lord grant unto him that he may finde mercy with the Lord in that day; and in how many things he hath ministred unto mee at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.

Lastly, these words [I know you not] shew us, that not onely Christ shall take away his compassion from them, but shall be their enemy to be avenged on them. Theophilact. in Marc. 8.34 He that denieth another, if it be his familiar friend, his brother, or father, although he see him whipt or killed, he taketh no notice, he laments not, he hath no compassion or suffering with him, being once estranged from him; so when Christ hath denyed the reprobate, they must looke for no compassion, but (which is worse) they must expect punishment. When some of the Levites were killing of their owne [Page 183] kindred for their idolatry; of Levi it is said in their name, Hee said unto his father and mother, Deut. 33 9. I have not seene you, neither knew he his brethren, nor knew he his owne children: So when the date of ac­quaintance and mercy is past with Christ, then there is nothing to be expected but the execution of vengeance, for hee will not know one more than another: When his wrath is kindled, Psal. 2.12. it will be knowne how happy they are that put their trust in him.

Now there is a question to be answered: See­ing Christ both exhorteth and promiseth, Knock and it shall be open unto you, how is it that hee saith he will deny them that both knocke and call up­on him in the day of judgement? I answer, they defraud themselves of the benefite of this pro­mise, Two things to be observed by all that would knocke at hea­vens gate. for obtaining whereof two conditions are required of us: First, that wee knocke and call while it is the time and day of salvation, which day is the time of our life, because that life and 1 time is given unto us to this end, that wee may labour for the life that never hath an end. August. in Ioh. 6 Ad hoc debet prodesse unicuique vivere, ut detur ei semper vivere: And indeede life is onely a benefit to eve­ry man, that he may thereby obtaine the benefit of living eternally. Secondly, we must in requi­site 2 manner call and knocke; some onely knocke with words, and honour God with their lippes, Esay 29.13 [...] but their hearts are farre from him, yea and will aske of God with teares, yet they aske not aright, be­cause it is not with heart, word and deed; of which they want two; for their hearts call not to him [Page 184] for love of him or of eternall life, but other by-respects are cause of their complaints, neither doe their deedes concurre, to knocke and move the Lord. These who would enter into life, must open their hearts to let the Lord in, and dwell in them, Psal. 24.7. according as David exhorteth, Lift up your heads, you gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting dores, and the King of glory shall come in: Psal. 118.20. for this is the gate of the Lord, onely the righteous shall enter into it; who onely may truely say, Verse 19. Open mee the gates of righteousnesse, that I may goe into them, and praise the Lord for ever; no uncleane or wicked person dare say this, their deedes can neither knocke nor en­ter. Acts 10, 4. Cornelius prayer appeared in Gods presence, but his fasting and almes went up to heaven: heaven can­not be purchased with bare words, we must make friends of worldly riches, to gaine everlasting habitations, and make treasures in heaven, yea and have our hearts there also, or else our calling cannot be taken notice of, nor be able to unlocke the inaccessible place of glory.

[When the Sonne of man will come.]

This is a name of comfort un­to us.In the way, let us comfort our selves amidst this fearefull doctrine, wherein though Christ doth preach of death and judgement, yet to his Disciples and us, (who have laid all our hopes of comfort upon himselfe) he hath interlaced a word of comfort, in preaching of generall judgement to others, he preacheth particular mercy unto us. He calleth himselfe the Sonne of man, to remem­ber us of the interest wee have in his nature, his person, his deedes and sufferings; and by this name of humility and affection to mankinde, we may be incouraged to draw neare to him, who is so neare to us, and to put our trust in him, whose love we are so assured of. As this name [Sonne of man] is comfortable to us, so is it a name of instruction [Page 191] for us, And a patterne of wonderfull humility. for in it we see a wonderfull hu­mility. It was the common name that Christ continually called himselfe by, Christ never called him­selfe Sonne of man after his death; reasons. in all his teaching before he suffered. But we may observe, that af­ter his death hee never called himselfe by that name. First, because (as the Apostle saith) by the resurrection from the dead he was mightily declared to 1 be the Sonne of God. Secondly, Rom. 1.2. after his resurre­ction he was not any more subject to humane in­firmities, 2 but was as a glorified soule and body, Examples are in Luke 24.16 Ioh 20 14. & 21.4. though by his power he held the eyes of all that beheld him, that they should onely see him as a man conversing upon the earth. Thirdly and 3 lastly, because hee was to converse no more as a mortall man, but onely by his actions, Acts 1, 3. hee vouchsafed to doe these things which might as­sure us of the truth of his resurrection: and there­fore when Mary Magdalen would have fallen on his feete, as shee used before his death, hee saith, Touch me not: but when Thomas distrusted, Iohn 20.17, 27 he bid him feele his hands and his side. Wee never reade that the Apostles called him Sonne of man, for questionlesse they were astonished at this name of wonderfull humility. When the Lord had shewed his glory to the Prophet Ezekiel, hee called him ever after, Son of man, Marginal note in Ezek. 2, 1. to remember him that he was dust and ashes, and so to humble him ever when hee remembred his owne estate, and Gods grace. But after the Lord had witnessed from heaven, in the hearing of Iohn and his fol­lowers, that he was his welbeloved Sonne, in whom hee was well pleased, yet ever after would call him­selfe [Page 192] the Sonne of man, as professing himselfe to be come of the mortall and corrupted stocke of Adam, as miserable men were; yea and to de­scend lower, he thought it no disparagement, that he was not equall in state and condition with o­thers, (though above all by nature) but framed himselfe to the forme and fashion of a servant, to serve Ioseph and Mary, and his Disciples; to claime no higher honour in this world, than to be called the Sonne of man, that is, by nature bound a ser­vant to man: for though the sonne differ from a servant in this, Gal. 4.1. that he is heire of all, yet so long as he can be called a sonne, both nature and Gods law bindes him service and obedience. Bern. Ser. 1. su­per Missus est. O won­derfull example of humility, hee went (saith the Gospell) to Nazareth, and was subject unto them, to wit to Ioseph and Mary: choose of both, which you will wonder at, either the bountifull vouch­safing of the Sonne, or the most excellent honour the parents have, both amazefull, both wonder­full: that God should become obedient unto men, an humility beyond all example; that men should be commanders of God, an highnesse be­yond all comparison. Idem. Ser. 3. Advent. (Certainly the Angels are amazed at this, to see him so farre lower than themselves, and yet crowned with such glory and worship, that he is God above all blessed for e­ver, and doe now manifestly ascend and descend unto the Sonne of man. Vbi superius. Disee homo obtemperare, disce terra sub­di, &c.) O man learne to obey, O earth learne to be subject. Of thy Maker the Gospell saith, he was subject unto them: be asha­med, O dust, God humbleth himselfe, and thou [Page 193] exaltest thy selfe, hee makes himselfe subject to men, and thou desiring to have rule of men, settest thy selfe to take place of God. Learne of Christ, Matth: 11. that he is meeke and lowly in minde, doe you the like, and you shall finde rest in your soules.

Having now heard a wonderfull example of Christs humility, let us now returne, and take a view of his glory. If any wonder with Caiphas, that a man of so meane estate can be the God of glory, let him receive Christs answer, I am he, Marke 14.62. and ye shall see the Sonne of man sit at the right hand of the power of God, and come in the clouds of heaven.

The glory of Christ in his comming, (accor­ding as he meaneth in this text) is partly invisi­ble, partly visible. When he calls us to death and particular judgement, his person is not seene with our eyes, though his power be felt, Acts 3.15. Revel. 1.18. so that he who is Lord of life and death worketh in us: Gen. 28.16. and wee may say with Iacob, Surely God was in this place, and I was not aware. That our Saviour doth in this ex­hortation meane also of his comming at the day of our death, appeareth by example; for unto the Church of Sardis he sendeth the meaning of the same words, in which he punished many by death and temporall punishments; his words are these: Revel. 3.3. If thou wilt not watch, I will come on thee as a theefe, and thou shalt not know what houre I will come upon thee. This comming of Christ we expect and are certaine of, yet we are not afraid, nor watch, be­cause we see not the glory of that power which others feele, which commeth and dispossesseth them of life. The other comming of Christ to [Page 194] judgement, even the very word of it is terrible, because of the fearefull sights we shall see, and the glory which Christ shall shew, that reprobate men shall feare nothing so much, as the presence of him who sitteth upon the throne. This com­ming of Christ is chiefly meant of by Christ, as appeareth by the purpose of this and the chapter going before. But seeing that death and judge­ment doe goe together, and that the preparation for the one is for both, let us take consideration of that which commeth first.

Of all things onely death is certaine. Psal 89.48. In Psal. 38. in Hebr. 39 11. surely every man is vanity.The certainty of Christs comming by death, is the onely thing that we are all sure of. Who is hee (saith Ethan) that liveth, and shall not see death? Or what is sure (saith Augustine) in this life except death? Consider all whether good or bad things of this life, righteousnesse or iniquity, what is certaine except death? Hast thou profited well? what thou art to day thou knowest, what thou shalt be tomorrow, thou knowst not: Lookst thou for money? it is uncertaine to come; Thou lookest for a wife, this is uncertaine, or what an one thou shalt have: thou hopest for childrē, they are uncer­tain to be born; are they borne, their life is uncer­taine; if they live, their thriving is uncertaine. Whatsoever way thou turnest thee, all is uncer­taine except death: Art thou poore? it is uncer­taine if thou shalt be rich; art thou unlearned? it is uncertaine if thou shalt be learned; art thou sicke? it is uncertaine if thou shalt recover; art thou borne? thou art sure to die. This is the enemy, that (as the Prophet saith Esay 28.15.18.) wee make a covenant [Page 195] with, making falshood our refuge, and hiding our selves under vanity, which notwithstanding is and must be disanulled; as all experiences doe con­firme. An Archer shootes sometimes beyond the marke, sometimes comes short of it, now on the one side, then on the other; but though hee misse the marke for a time, at length hits it: so we see death strike at great ones above us, sometimes at children and servants under us; on the right hand it taketh our friends, on the left hand our e­nemies: shall we thinke to escape, seeing he hath so long aimed at us? We are al entring into death, and this is the difference, onely who shall take the way; every one whom he taketh, leaveth the Wisemans counsell unto us, Remember my judge­ment, so shall thine be; to mee to day, to thee to mor­row, Ecclus. 38.22.

Make use of this certaine misery. O man remember thy end, August. in spec. hum. mis. remember what thou shalt be, and when thou shalt goe out of this life. Na­ked camest thou out of thy mothers wombe, and naked under the earth shalt thou goe, wormes shall consume thy body; why should the flesh re­joyce, which is prepared to be wormes meate? rejoyce not to day, lest thou dye to morrow; why labourest thou to stretch out the belly with vari­ety of dishes? thinke I pray thee, for whom thou doest prepare this fatnesse, seeing as a bagge thou shalt be cast out to the wormes? Why glo­riest thou, that thou art a precious vanity, com­passed with golde and precious stones, and so despisest others? The day shall come when thou shalt [...] [Page 198] therefore if we know not but he may come with­in a day or an houres space, much lesse are wee certaine that he shall stay a moneth, a yeare, or more yeares before he come: I suppose, that who­soever knoweth Gods word, will acknowledge these to be true, in doing of which they cannot but utterly condemne their curiosity, who labor to determine or know when Christ shall come to judgement, being quite contrary to his word, and intent of doctrine, and now a knowne foolishnes, in many learned and godly men among the an­cient Fathers. Quae sermone omnium cele­bratur Astrolo­gia, stultitia multo labore constans. Basil. in Hexam. O­rat. 1. The foolery, I neede not the counsell of judici­ous Astrologians, to know the truth of our igno­rance herein; their much admired labour and foo­leries are contrary to the studie of Christians; we are forbidden to meddle with secrets which on­ly belong to God, especially with the knowledge of the times, for God hath put them in his owne power; but wee are commanded to provide for them which at all times expect us: we should de­sire to be of Gods Court, but not presume to be of his Councell: they on the contrary strive to be of his Councell, and not of his Court, labou­ring by all meanes to know the particulars of Gods providence and time of their death. and punish­ment of Astro­logians. The Lord gives just reward for their presumption, for we may observe, that when they have obtained (as they thinke) some knowledge, hee crosseth them in what they desire most. If they finde out a long life, they rejoyce, but the Lord never commonly suffers that to be performed which the starres promise them, but takes them away in [Page 199] some hasty and visible judgement: If they finde death at the doores, and appoint a day for the ap­proach of it, these are fearefull newes which the Lord brings commonly to passe upon them for a recompence of their errour. It remaineth there­fore that we remember, that death tarrieth not, and that the covenant of the grave is not shewed thee, Ec­clesiasticus 14.12. And seeing the first comming of Christ is revealed unto us, (for it concernes us to know the day of our visitation,) that we labour that his second coming be not at unawares on us, or as a snare that we never looked for, by making profitable use of his first comming, to make our salvation sure; and for his comming by death or judgement, to watch, for we know not the day nor the houre when the Sonne of man commeth.

Secondly, to the end that we may continually watch for the time when our Lord Iesus shall come, he saith not, you know not the yeare, Our life-time is measured out unto us by daies & hours. but [you know not the day nor the houre] teaching us thereby, that our lives are measured out by dayes and houres, and not bestowed at randome upon us, or squared out by the great, but are num­bred out by little and little unto us. Iob 14.5. Are not the dayes of man (saith Iob) determined? the number of his moneths are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds which he cannot passe. When God set the time to Noah, that hee would destroy the world with a flood, he measured it out by dayes, Gen. 6.3. The dayes of man shall be an 120 yeares: teaching, that although their generall destruction should bee then, yet each man should holde his life by name and [...] [Page 202] yet tolde his wives that he was able (according as he had before used) to kill the youngest and lustiest man that could be found. But if this were generally true, that onely naturall weaknesse and age were to bring death upon all men, then wick­ed men might have roome enough to turne them in, and laugh at death as an enemy standing with­out the reach of shot. But (ut omnis aetas peccato inquinata, ita omnis morti obnoxia) as every age is polluted by sinne, so is every age subject to death, (as the Apostle joyneth them) which needeth no other proofe, Rom. 5.12. than our common griefe for the losse of children, Servius Sulpiti­us Galba Empe­rour said, (be­ing 72 yeares olde, and lame both of hands and feete) Eta moi menos empe­don estin: (Hom. Liad. 5) I have strength at cō ­mand, Sueton. in vita eius. of men and women in their prime, of parents and friends who have lived many yeares with us. Therefore let us refraine the madnes of those that are past all feeling, who even are in opinion sure to live, when their life is at an end, and beleeve that death is farre away, even when they feele it. Let us therfore 1. imitate David, who commonly delivered up his spirit in tuition unto God, as if hee had beene instantly to die, although hee knew that both his life and time were in Gods hand: Psal 31, 5.15. Or as the Apostles Paul and Barnabas, Acts 15.16. who gave up their lives for our Lord Iesus, and behaved themselves as every day to depart the world. And though wee may live long, yet to account our selves to have received the sentence of death: Ezek. 18.20. (The soule that sinneth shall dye the death) and so trust no more in our selves, but in God who is onely able to deliver us from death, 2 Cor: 1.9, 10. and though we were already dead, shall raise us to life againe. A Heathen counsells us to [Page 203] thinke every day of our life the last, much more a Christian should thinke so, Greg. Mor. lib. 8. cap. 11. (quia enim vita in­desinenter labitur, spes ei vivendi amputatur) be­cause life doth goe away without ceasing, hee is cut off from hope of life.

Secondly, seeing our life is onely granted by a repreevall, and that during the pleasure of God, we know not what day or houre to be taken out; and therefore let us put off the love and immode­rate care of this world. As he that is condemned to die takes no pleasure in shewes or triumphes of joy, gives off all the former care he tooke of the world, to inrich himselfe, and be setled for many yeares: and so this I say brethren, 1 Cor 7.29, 30, 31. (saith Paul) because the time is short, that they that have wives, be as if they had none, and they that weepe, as though they wept not, and they that rejoyce, as though they re­joyced not, and they that buy, as though they possessed not, and they that use this world, as though they used it not, for the fashion of this world goeth away.

Thirdly, let us follow our Saviours example, While it is day let us worke, Iohn 9, 4. the night commeth where­in no man can worke: Or as Salomon exhorting us to the same purpose, Eccles. 9, 10. All that thy hand shall finde to doe, doe it with all thy power, for there is neither worke, nor invention, nor knowledge, nor wisedome in the grave whither thou goest. Our time is short, our businesse is great: When the Angel of God fed Eliah, it is written, that he did eate and drinke, 1 Kings 19.6, 7 and returned and slept; The Angel of the Lord came unto him, and said, Vp, for thou hast a great journey, even forty dayes and forty nights travell, to come to Horeb the [...] [Page 206] teach us how we should reckon our time, To teach us to account it so, and to measure it. and con­sequently to bestow our selves accordingly. Mo­ses reckoned thus, and prayed, that he and others might ever doe so: Psal: 90, 12 Teach us (O Lord) to number our dayes. Though Iacob numbred his yeares to Pharaoh, yet he subdivides them into dayes; Few and evill have the dayes of my life beene. Gen: 47, 9. David coun­ted by dayes, Psal: 39, 6. Lord thou hast numbred my dayes like a span. And because wee ought to reckon nearer, lest we lose a day idly, our Saviour hath divided our time into houres, Iohn 11, 9. Are there not twelve houres in the day? He reckoned his owne watching by the houre, Mark 14, 37. and reproved his Disciples for not doing the like, Could ye not watch with me one houre? Pe­ter counted thus, Acts 2, 15. when he tolde the Iewes, It was not the third houre of the day. And as men that get no rest, count all the houres of the night, so Paul and other Christians persecuted in his time, coun­ted their times into houres: 1 Cor: 4, 11. Vnto this houre we both hunger and thirst, are naked, and are buffetted, &c.

And our labors accordingly. Psal: 90, 12.And as the Saints of God did thus count their time, so they measured their worke by the time: Moses desired to count his dayes, that hee might ap­ply his heart unto wisedome: the instructing of the people, ministring of justice, providing materials for the Tabernacle, and sacrifices, penning of Scripture, and praying for himselfe and the peo­hle, suffered him not to make idle houres in the Wildernesse. Iob lost not a day for exercise of re­ligion, Iob 1, 5. besides his manifold worldly businesse, for he offered sacrifice every day. David (notwithstan­ding his great affaires in ruling a Kingdome, yet) [Page 207] often used at evening, Psal: 55, 17. morning and noone dayes to pray, Psal. 119, 164. and sometimes withdrawed himselfe seven times to prayer, and would rise at midnight to pray, Psal. 6, 6. or use his bed for a Chappell to weepe in Daniel, one of three for governing many kingdoms, used continually holy exercises of private prayer three times a day: And to be briefe, Dan: 6, 10. our blessed Saviour spent his time by day, teaching in the Temple, Luke 21, 37. and in the night on the Mount of Olives in pray­er: his Disciples spent day and night (as occasion caused) in labouring with their hands, preaching and prayer: Totum tempo­ris spatium quod inter au­roram & ves­peram interce­dit, in pia qua­dam exercitati­one collocant, &c. Cibum au­tem aut poti­onem ante solis occasum nemo illorum. capit. Quippe divinae sapientiae stu­dium, quo se involvunt lu­cem promereri iudicant: cor­poris autem necessitates te­nebras solum merito sibi vin­dicare. Philo uti citat. in Eu­s [...]t. Paw. Eccles. hist. lib. 2 cap. 16 And great is the commendation that Philo (the learned Iew) giveth to the Christians in Aegypt in Saint Markes time, how and in what holy exercises they spent the day onely for the good of the soule, accounting the necessities of the body to be supplyed and cared for rather in the night: which customes being used in other places, in processe of time they divided the night into severall watches, (of which I will speake hereafter) by all which appeareth, how carefull the true servants of God have beene to count and employ their time.

But ignorance being the mother of presumpti­on, it appeareth, that this is one of the markes of reprobate men, (because they know not how pre­cious the time is) to make a count of many yeares, but care not how they bestow them. If God gave time according to their desire, they would at least choose the yeares of Methusalah: The rich man counted not his life by dayes, but counted a part of his life to be the summe of many yeares: Luke 12, 19. [Page 208] and it is the property of an evill servant, to say, My master doth deferre his comming. Matth: 24, 48. As they count their time lightly gotten, so they intend to bestow it lavishly, in feasting, gameing and slee­ping; but most of them with the evill servant, to commit all manner of violence and oppression: and because they never counted their time by dayes and houres, they ever finde Christs pro­mise true, that their master will come in a day when they looked not for him, and in an houre that they are not aware of.

Learne therefore to number your dayes, and as the Wiseman saith, Ecclus. 14.14. Be not disap­pointed of the good day, but so employ it, that the time be not lost without some fitting gaine to soule and body, according as the times are con­venient. This is verba­tim out of Sue­tonius in the life of Tit. Flau. Ves­pas. Augus. Sect. 7. It is a memorable example of an Hea­then Emperour, Titus Vespasian, who calling to minde one time as he sate at supper, that hee had done nothing for any man that day, he uttered this memorable and praise-worthy Apophthegme, "My friends I have lost a day. O what lost time have we to answer for, wherein we have neither done good to others nor our selves! Let them that love glasses to see their faces in, looke also upon houre-glasses, to see how their time goes away and comes not againe.

[Watch therefore, for you know not the day nor the houre, &c.]

Lastly followeth the charge. Seeing we know all these things, how carefull should wee be that death and judgement overtake us not when wee [Page 209] are sleeping in sinne, and without thought of hea­ven or hell? Better it is to watch and to be saved, than sleepe and be destroyed.

We have herein to be considered three things. 1. The meaning of the word [Watch.] 2. The persons to whom this watch is spoken. 3. What is required for performance of it.

The word is used from warfare, in which the armie ever count themselves to be in danger, (if the enemie be not certainly knowne to be farre off,) and therefore adventure not to sleepe, with­out spies appointed and set in the most conveni­ent places, to perceive the approach of the ene­my, and with a loud voice, when danger is at hand, may sound an alarme to awake others to stand to their defence. So soone as any lessons of military discipline were given, this was ac­counted one most necessary of all. And for the better performance of the charge (which stood them all on their lives) it was counted dangerous to trust a whole nights watching to one man, they divided the night into foure parts, by the name of watches, though in these parts of the world it was necessary that the watches be changed oft­ner than foure times. This constitution hath been long used; for it is written, that Gideon came upon the host of the Midianites in the beginning of the middle watch: Iudg. 7, 19. 1 Sam. 11 11. and Saul upon the Ammonites in the morning watch. From hence it came to be used as a common division of the night; David saith, He waited on the Lord more than the morning watch did for the morning. Psal. 130 6. Mat 14, 25. Christ came walking on the [Page 210] sea in the fourth watch: and useth the same divi­sion in this exhortation, in these words, Watch therefore, Mark 13, 35. for ye know not when the master of the house will come, at even, or at midnight, at the cocke-crow, or in the dawning. This exercise was used by holy people in religion, 1 Sam: 2, 22. Pet. Mart. in Iud. 7, 19. In vita Hilariō. as by those women at the Ta­bernacle which the sonnes of Eli abused: And Ierome reports of the watches kept in his time, whole nights at the graves of holy men, which being intended for holy conference, meditation, and praising of God; by continuance in the time of darknesse, caused much intemperance, and gave way to lascivious persons for diverse sorts of wickednesse: whose effects are to be seene in the Wakes observed in some places, which are the fruites of the former superstition: Of which I say thus much, (though they were used as first intended, to the remembrance of holy men, that their life and actions might relish the better for i­mitation, yet) with the Apostle, that bodily exer­cise profiteth little: 1 Tim: 4, 8. and how little profit this kinde of exercise hath done to the Church, appeareth by the effects of it, which have beene no better than those among the Gentiles, Of Ianus is said Quam multas matres f [...]cerat ille Deus. Ovid. Trist. lib. 2. Ioseph: Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 4. in which diverse fornications and adulteries have beene commit­ted, and fathered upon the Idols; as one (which Iosephus named) with a Gentlewoman in Rome, had beene put and reputed to the kindnesse of the god Anubis, and the woman with her husband Sa­turnius, very thankfull to the Idol and the Priests of it, if Decius Mundus who had abused her, had kept his owne counsell, and not cast it despitefully [Page 211] in her teeth. A French man hath in this par­ticular unmas­ked their wic­kednes to the world. Certainly if a rabble who are cano­nized for Saints by the Romish Church, whose mothers were Nunnes, were duely enquired of, they shall be found (according as their friends and Confessours of their mothers avouched it to the world) to be the children of Ghostly Fathers indeede. But omitting these abuses, our watch­ing for Christ is onely our Christian preparati­on, by a holy carriage, and often remembrance, yea and longing for his comming, which is bet­ter understood by practise than preaching.

Now for the persons that should watch. No man is free from this charge: and lest any should conceive immunity, our Saviour tells us, Mark. 13, 37. That which I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch. From the highest to the lowest, none can have liberty to thinke himselfe out of danger, for the destruction of the soule, or preventing it, lyeth upon watch­ing. What persons should watch. There are foure sorts of persons in this world whose danger must be prevented by watching, Souldiers, Shepheards, Seamen, and Citizens.

Souldiers beset with their enemies, 1. Souldiers. how great their danger is every man doth conceive; even to be no lesse than their life, if at any houre they watch not. So are we who are Christs souldiers in this life, if ever we be carelesse of sinne, feare­lesse of Satan, our soules wil presently be betray­ed, if not altogether destroyed. In warre a league may be made betweene enemies, or a time of truce, because of some common inconvenience, but betweene Satan and every soule there is such a hatred, that though we would wish sometimes [Page 212] for ease and rest, yet unlesse Satan hath taken and possessed the soule, Mat. 12, 43. he goeth through dry places, see­king rest and findeth none; Theophilact. in Matth: 8, 29. yea he thinkes it a tor­ment unto him, not to be tormenting or betray­ing the poore souldiers of Christ: 2 Cor: 6, 14. There can be no agreement betweene the Prince of darknesse and chil­dren of light: And if peace were possible with Sa­tan, yet were it more dangerous than open warre, for he destroyeth none, but those to whom hee seemes a friend, and is at peace and league with; none can perish that stands on his guard. Saint Iames who was not ignorant of his practises, Iam: 4, 7. saith Resist the Divell, and he shall fly from you. Now be­cause the Divell is never weary, but is ever as­saulting, Gregor. (ut saltem tedio vincat, quos vi vincere non potest) that hee may at least overcome them with wearinesse, whom hee could not by violence; therefore every soule should watch and looke a­bout him. St. Paul, when he appoints every Chri­stian soule with armour, he exhorts them to con­sider what power, what despitefulnesse and cun­ning they have to deale withall, ends all his in­struction with setting a sure watch, in these words, Ephes. 6.18. And watch with perseverance. All of us are sworne souldiers, and therefore all must watch, or else perish.

2 Shepheards 1 Sam: 17, 34.Secondly, Shepheards must watch or they can not prevent danger. David was a good watcher of his flocke, and thereby saved them from the Li­on and the Beare. So the Lord hath appointed e­veryone to take care of the soule committed unto him, lest the Lion or Beare take it from him. [Page 213] This is like the charge of Vriah the Hittite, 2 Sam: 12.3, 4. Wee have one little sheepe, which wee nourish up with us, it eates of our bread, drinkes of our cup, sleepes in our bo­some; now one that had many more, must needes have this one, which was all the man had. The covetous and malicious hearts are never filled: Sathan be­ing chained to eternall darknesse, with the legi­ons of his damned fellowes, are not satisfied with their owne torments, but labour to catch one of Christs flocke from every one that hath it com­mitted to his charge; and therefore it stands eve­ry man upon it, to looke to that one soule, (a member of the Flocke redeemed with the blood of the Sonne of God) that Satan devoure it not. Acts 20, 28. St. Peter hath given this charge of Christs in this manner, exhorting every man to beware of the enemy of Christs flocke, in these words, Watch, 1 Pet. 5, 8. for your ad­versary the Devell goeth about like a roaring Lyon, seeking whom he may devoure.

Thirdly, Seamen must be watchfull, 3 Seamen. Navis enim si­ve lignum cum quo transimus hoc mare, est hoc corpus quod est vas fragile, &c. Helwici [...] lib. de similitud. lib. 1. cap. 51. Sic pereunt in mari hoc mag­no & spatioso, sic pereunt mi­seri, &c. Bernar. Ser. 1. Advent. who in stormes are in danger to be swallowed in the deepe, or burst asunder upon Rockes, yea though it were calme, they are in danger that the Vessell receive not in water; and though they have past many dangers, yet they are not safe: So we live as upon the broad sea, ready at all times to bee drowned in sinne, and swallowed up by destru­ction, no man can assure himselfe to be free from danger: The great nets of Satan are continually open, his secret baites are ever in our way. And though we were not loaded with occasions, nor entised by sundry devices, to undoe our selves by [Page 214] sinne, yet the inward corruption wee have is e­nough to keepe us in continuall feare, lest wee draw in iniquity like water, and so sinke downe to destruction. And though wee have escaped long, yet we may not adventure to sleepe, for in one houre we may perish, Vltima me per­dunt, imo (que) sub aequore mergit, incolu­mem toties u­na procella ra­tem. Ovid. Trist. lib. 3. and make the lamenta­tion of many, that our last deedes have undone us, who have escaped Satans fury so long, as a shippe that hath long travelled safely, is devou­red in one storme. And therefore seeing our spi­rituall danger is no lesse than our bodily danger, who are ever upon sea, wee have reason to be watchfull, and expect the same time of our arri­vall in the Haven where we would be.

4. Citizens, Masters of Housholds.Lastly, Citizens and Masters of housholdes ought to be watchfull, common dangers are inci­dent to both, theeves are busie to take advantage of time, and fire may then most prevaile, if it be not carefully heeded. All of us claime to be Ci­tizens of heaven, we have the treasure and dispen­sation of grace, kept in earthly vessels; our houses are of clay, theeves may easily breake through and robbe us. We are likewise Masters of a house, our house the Apostle calls our earthly body, 2 Cor: 5, 1. in which are placed our senses, wherein dwell the powers of the reasonable soule. Our senses are weake to resist the darts of the Divell or power of Satan, and which is worse, they are as so many open gates, which are ready to receive all un­cleannesse, and so overthrow the soule. Satan is ever busie to steale away all the remainder of grace that is in us, and if wee sleepe but a little, he [Page 215] will sow his tares among the good corne the Lord hath sowne in us before. And besides, there is no Citty nor house more subject to be destroyed by fire, than we are by our owne lusts, which Sa­tan taking the best advantage of (if wee neglect but a little) is blowne and kindled up, that hard­ly can they be quenched againe, repentance and floods of teares are little enough to allay the fu­ry of them, but before they be put out, we must be sprinkled with the blood of Christ. David fell to be carelesse, sinne entred into his soule, his concupiscence gave flame, wherein he dangered the soule of himselfe, and destroyed the lives of many; so that the saying of Iob is true, Iob 3 [...], 12. that our lust is a sire that shall devoure to destruction, and root out all our increase: or as the translation called Ie­romes hath it, omnia virtutū genimina eradicans, that is, it rooteth out all the buds of vertue, and ma­keth sinne flourish in stead of them. These dan­gers we have in us, either to lose the grace of God given us, or to have it burnt and choaked by Sa­tans cunning; and therefore no meanes to prevent and disappoint him, but to watch and resist him and the occasions of sinning. Our Saviour giveth this same exhortation of watching, with the same reasons of his sodaine comming, and our carefull looking that sinne surprise us not, and sheweth his blessednesse that doth accordingly, in these words, Behold I come as a theefe, Revel. 16, 15. blessed is hee that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walke na­ked, and men see his filthinesse.

Thus as a Commander chargeth all under his [Page 216] government to watch, and stand to their guard, under the paine of losing their life honour and all: So our Lord Iesus Christ who knowes our dan­ger, hath given us charge to watch, or else wee shall undoubtedly perish: wee are ever assaulted for our soule, and when our life shall be called for we know not; Horat. (Horae autem momento, aut certa mors venit, aut victoria laeta) and in a moment, either commeth certaine death, or a joyfull victory.

Now though every one be here charged to watch for themselves, The great charge of Mi­nisters of the Church. that they may he prepared to stand before the Lord in his comming: yet there are some that are both to watch their owne soules, and the soules of others, even those who are both to watch (ex officio) by charge and cal­ling unto it, and who have received their names, to put them in remembrance of their charge, the Watchmen of Israel, Ezek: 3, 1. 1 Sam: 9, 9. Ezek: 34, 2. Acts 20, 28. Seers, Shepheards, ( [...]) Bishops or Overseers of the flocke which God hath bought with his owne blood. Of all others their charge is heaviest in this watching, their account shall be most sharpely exacted; and as Christ lost not one of all them whom the Father committed unto him, so they shall be charged with every soule that perisheth by their negligence. The Lord chargeth Ezekiel to be a Watchman upon this perill, Ezek: 3, 18. that if he gave not warning to the wicked man, he should die in his iniquity, but his blood should be required of him: To whom much is committed, of him much shal be required: and when the Lord gives each one according to his workes, most se­vere judgement shall be unto them that are set o­ver [Page 217] others: Wisd. 6.5. And therefore Church­men are to consider what danger both their own and the soules of others are in, if once they grow carelesse, or sleepe in sinne without awaking, and if they be not ever careful to watch in prayer, and declare to their charge by crying and admoniti­on, what danger they foresee them in, and by their example leade them the way, by which they may escape the snares which Satan hath laid for them. Now if they faile in their watching, they may see their danger by example of others whose charges are lighter: Their danger in unwatchful­nes to be seene in the examples of Of all sorts of men sleeping is most dangerous in three; Shepheards, Pilots, Watchmen of townes, or those who keep Gates.

First, it is dangerous for a shepheard to sleepe, 1 Shepheards because theeves are ever watching opportunitie, and when others betake them to rest, (ut jugulent homines surgunt de nocte latrones) then theeves be­take them to their occupation. The flocke is also subject to be devoured, and dispersed abroad by wilde beasts, wherof are numbers of diverse sorts, for when it is night, Psal. 104, 20 all the beasts of the forrest creep forth, and hunt after their prey. If therefore the shepheard sleepe, (though while he wake he be as watchfull as Argus) yet he may lose some of his flocke, and his owne life too: and though in bo­dy he escape danger, yet having a charge what­soever is lost he must make it good, Iacob said to Laban, Whatsoever was torne of beasts, Gen 31, 39. I brought it not to thee, but made it good my selfe, of mine owne hands didst thou require it, were it stollen by day or by [Page 218] night. In like manner, when the shepheard of soules falls slacke or negligent over the flocke, then doth Satan fall on worke, beginneth to roare after his prey; some he drives before him in the way of all wickednesse, because there is none to rescue them, nor to turne the sinner from his evill way; others he bindes up in the bundell of igno­rance, because there is none to holde out a light unto their feet, nor a lanterne unto their steps; and to make all sure, he smites the shepheard, and then takes his time to gather the remainder, and makes the place where once Gods name was called up­on, to become a denne of theeves, the valley of darknesse, & shadow of death. Miserable expe­rience had the Iewes of all this proceeding, be­fore they were carried to Babylon; and the Chri­stian Church, when their watchmen fell to sleep, Satan came out among them, and raged many yeares, This is at large proved by the table of taxes in Muscul. com. plac. Nundin. Pontif [...]. de Mi­nistris verb. Dei. filled the world with olde wives fables, ghosts and apparitions, and made such way for his kingdome, that he obtained the Visible Chri­stian Church to be disposers of liberty for every kinde of sinne. Blessed be God, who hath delive­red us from the open power of darknes, and hath not left our salvation in the dispose of the confe­derates of darknes. We are therefore to beware, that he overcome us not againe; we are not igno­rant of his practises, how he laboureth in every private Congregation; Rev. 2, 13. hee had a throne in the Congregation of Pergamus, and in processe of time obtained all. Mat: 24. Who is that faithfull steward, whom God hath set over his house, to give them moate [Page 219] in due season, let him heare the last exhortation which Paul gave to Timothy a little before his death: But watch thou in all things, suffer adversity, 2 Tim: 4, 5. doe the worke of an Evangelist, cause thy Ministery to be truly liked of; according to his owne example, by which hee exhorteth the Elders of Ephesus, Watch, and remember, Acts 20, 31. that by the space of three yeares I ceased not to warne every one both day and night with teares.

Secondly, 2. Pilots. it is dangerous to have a sleepy Pi­lot in a shippe, whose negligence may be the o­verthrow of many others. It is all one to be with­out a Pilot, as to have one that is not watchfull: but to be without one, is to want the ordinary meanes to be saved, Acts 27, 31. according as St. Paul said to the Centurion, Except these abide in the shippe, you cannot be safe. But if (like Ionas) he be heavy and sleepy in time of danger, Prov. 23, 34. as it were in the Sea or top-mast, what hope have the company to bee saved? In like manner, the flocke of Christ in this world, is tossed betweene winde and wave, Satan buffets them with stormes, the gate of af­fliction is ever open to receive them; but if there be a Messenger amongst them, or an interpreter, one of a thousand, Iob 33.23, 24. to declare to them the way of righte­ousnesse, then will the Lord have mercy upon them, and say, deliver them that they goe not downe in to the pit, for I have received a reconciliation. Therefore there is a great charge laid upon a Pi­lot of the Church, that the Apostle saith, 2 Cor: 2, 16. Who is sufficient for these things? St. Augustine found a great weight of it in himselfe, who fled from ma­ny [Page 220] places, lest hee should be urged to take this charge upon him, and at length when hee could escape no longer, Gul. Paris. de vi­tijs par. 6. ut ci­tatur in destructor. vicior. part. 5. cap. 10. C. saith, In nullo sentio Deum mihi magis iratum, sicut in hoc, quòd cùm indignus essem poni ad remum, positus sum ad gubernandum in api­ce regiminis Ecclesiae: I feele not God more angry with me in any thing than this, that when I was unworthy to be set to an oare, I am placed to rule in the chiefe government of the Church. And these are the words of S. Bernard, Quid ego in­foelix, quo me vertam? &c. Bern [...]r. Ser. 3. Advent. What shall I doe unhappy man, whither shall I turne me, if I shall happen to be negligent in keeping that pre­cious thing which Christ hath judged to be more precious than his owne blood? If I had gathered the blood of our Lord, as it dropped from him on the Crosse, and it were kept by me in a vessell of glasse, which behooved often to be carried a­bout, what could I thinke in so great a danger? But certainly I have received that thing to keepe, for which a Merchant that was not unwise, (for it was even wisedome it selfe) gave the aforesaid blood; but I have this treasure in earthen vessels, unto which more dangers are imminent than to glasse. And which addeth unto the heape of my cares, and weight of my griefe, that being of ne­cessity bound, for the keeping of my owne, and the conscience of my neighbour, neither of both is well knowne unto me, both are a depth unsear­chable, both are as the darke night unto me: and notwithstanding the watching of both are requi­red at my hands; and it is cryed, Watchman, what seest thou in the night? Esay 21, 11. I must not say with Cain, [Page 221] Am I my brothers keeper? Gen 4, 9. But I must humbly con­fesse with the Prophet, Psal. 127, 1. Except the Lord keepe the Citty, the watcher keepeth in vaine, &c. Here is a wonderfull modesty and watchfulnes in these ho­ly men; what shall wee answer to God, who are puffed up as if we had all knowledge, and so care­lesse as if we had no charge to be required at our hands?

Thirdly, 3 Porters, Watchmen, Sentinells. it is dangerous for Porters of Cit­ties, or Watchmen of Townes, or of an Army to be given to sleepe. If while a Porter hath the gates open hee fall on sleepe, the enemies have way and time to take the Citty: So if the Minister is not carefull, Satan privily, sinne openly, instru­ments of heresies and divisions rush in upon their flockes. If the Porter shut the gate, and fall on sleep, then is the passage stopped, that they can­not goe to others, nor others come to them. The Stewards of Christ have the keyes of the king­dome of heaven, (the Word and Sacraments in their custody) if they take away the key of know­ledge, the people are barred; Christ is the Way, Ioh: 14. who is onely to be seene and found in his Word, which being kept from us, we are locked out of heaven: For as Eliah his word was a meanes (for a time) to open and shut heaven; so the word of God committed unto the Ministers, is the key whereby we see the heaven open, and Iesus at the right hand of God, and get way to goe unto the Holiest of all. If Watchmen sleepe, then is the Army or Citty betrayed, which they have in charge; and for their negligence (though no hurt [Page 222] ensue) if it be knowne, the law adjudgeth them to die: So if the Watchmen of the Church grow carelesse, they doe what in them lyeth, to betray the flocke of Christ, and therefore their security is the messenger of death. A wake therefore, belo­ved brethren, quite your selves like men, shew your selves leaders of your flocke through this worldly wildernesse, with watching and careful­nesse, untill you have placed them before the Lord in glory. Hebr: 12, 20, 21 The God of peace, that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus, the great shepheard of the sheepe, through the blood of the everlasting cove­nant, make you perfect in all good works, to do his will, working in you that which is pleasant in his sight, through Iesus Christ, to whom be praise for ever and ever, Amen.

☞ What is required for performance of this Christian Watching.

EVery Watchman must in the first place be a­ble for performance, and the next, faithfull in discharging the trust committed unto him. By these two doth Christ choose out his true watch­men, Mat: 24, 45. saying, Who is that faithfull servant and wise? Wisedome to enable, and faithfulnesse to make him carefull in his place. The want of either of the two, must be the cause of betraying all that he hath in trust. Many of Gods servants, faithfull to God in all their intents, have by weaknesse and unability fallen and given advantage unto sinne, as David and Peter. Others labour to make shew of their carefull serving of God, and able­nes in every worke of religion, but they deale not faithfully [Page 223] with God, nor with their owne foule, but are full of hypocrisie, & without contradiction, give way to all uncleannes to enter & overcome them. And therefore that the watchfull Christian may bee truely able, and truely carefull to keepe himselfe watchfull and undefiled for his Masters coming, Conditions re­quired in a Watchman. we are to consider wherein both of these consist.

The summe of the conditions are these. A watchman must be able in body, able in pre­paration. In his body he must have a good eye, a quick eare, a good tongue, & able hands. His pre­paration must be inward & outward. Inward, that the mind be not troubled with the cares of this life; that the body be not overcharged with ex­cesse of meate and drinke, which may make him heavie and sleepy. Outward, that he be well furni­shed with armour to defend himselfe, & be ready to joyne in the common defence. Lastly, in his charge hee must be faithfull, that is, diligent to mark & spye out all danger, & give true notice of it unto others. All sorts of persons who are char­ged to watch, in whatsoever kind of charge, must be thus prepared & appointed, or in kind answe­rable hereunto, which by comparison herewith may easily appeare: Much more the servant of Christ, who hath the Image of God in custody, a soule & body appointed for a heavenly kingdom, continually assaulted, & in danger to be taken by Satan, detained by wickednes, & to be cōmitted unbaleable unto the torments of hell for ever.

1. A watchman must have a good eye, 1 A good eye. the light of the body is the eye, saith Christ, yea the sight [Page 224] of the whole Army (for the time) is the eyes of sentinels & watchmen, & from this they have the name of watchmen, Esay 21, 6. according to the words of the Prophet, Goe set a watchman to tell what he seeth. So every Christian must have a good eye, to spy out the devices of our spirituall enemy. Satan comes privately, & then is neerest, when we think him to be farre off, & assailes us by those meanes, which we least suspect. It is all one to him, what sin it is that overthrow us, so he be sure we be de­tained in his power by one or other: & hereby he deceiveth many thousands, who are watchfull in some things, and esteeme Satan to lie hid in some sinnes, but account other wickednesses to be the lawfull actions of a Christian, wherin Satan hath no hand at all. Thus having lost the right eye, (as Nahash would have pickt out of the Israelites) and accounting Satan an enemy when he commeth in the grossest fashion, 1 Sam 11. but a friend when hee comes as an Angel of light, their soule is betrayed, and in the end they finde that they were in the way of destruction. The common religion professed and practised in these places and times, may give godly hearts great occasion of mourning, to see how many soules Satan hath in captivity by this unwatchfulnesse. These words are out of Oli­ver Pigg on Psal. 101. pag. 4 [...]. which book was printed at London, Anno 1591. They wil be the zealous profes­sors of religion, & abhorrers of leud persons, who only make conscience of murther, theft, adultery, fornication, drunkennes, & open blasphemy: but they are profaners of the Sabboth by journeyes, markets, accounts casting, and sending servants here and there; they be cruell and oppresse, they [Page 225] extort & draw out the lives of the poore; they be proud, they make no scruple at all to spend that riotously, and in vaine unnecessary pompe, which ought to be laid out to maintaine Gods service. I speake what I know and daily see, I measure not the consciences of any by my private judgement, nor speake these words as mine owne: but thinke him a true Christian, in whose life wee finde not these latter and common faults of the professours of our time, but walketh with a straighter foote in the way of godlines. Satan knew Eve to be the weaker of the two, and therefore laid battery at the salvation of man rather in her than in Adam: So where Satan spies thee weakest, holde thine eye to that place, there he intends to surprise thee, knowing it a fruitlesse labour to assault thee with those vices, of whose beastlinesse thou art asha­med. Art thou given to covetousnes, beware that thou hunt not after all occasions, & prosecute all meanes of catching riches, by which thou shalt fall into the snare of the Divell; and so of other particulars, in which Satan takes advantage, where wee are least circumspect. Yea even the most holy men are to be watchfull, least they be surprised by that same vertue, in which they labour most; no godly action, but it hath a sinne that carrieth shew of it: We see craftines and de­ceit to draw neare to wisdome, cruelty to justice, rashnesse to fortitude, prodigality to liberality, superstition to religion, presumption unto hope, cowardlines unto feare, negligence & sluggishnes to humility; that the servant of Christ must be [Page 226] watchfull in all his actions, that he receive not the poyson, whilest hee labours for the honey. This in particular St. Paul expresseth, as a most necessary part in a watchman, beseeching the Ro­mans to marke diligently, Rom: 16.17, 18, 20. and avoid their enemies, who with faire and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple; to the doing whereof he promiseth, that the God of peace shal tread Satan under their feet.

2 A good eare.2. A watchfull Christian must have a good eare, to discover thereby what he cannot perceive with his eyes. The watchmen of the Midianites could not perceive the Israelites come upon thē for the darknes, Iudg: 7, 11. nor espy Gideon that was among their tents; & because their eares were dull, (or ra­ther stopped by God) they had no meanes to pre­vent their destruction. A watchman therfore must listen, & give eare, that by noise he may discerne the approach of the enemy, if he cannot plainly see him. The seede of sin entreth into the soule by the eyes and eares, as two gates into which the blasts of Satan do enter, which set our corruption on fire. This eare was the part by which sinne en­tred into mankind, & by which he overcommeth unstable soules, plying them with wicked coun­sels, with malicious and bitter words, lying re­ports, filthy and corrupt communications; that though men were blind, Satan hath this way to come into the soule to overcome it; We ought to learne to discern the voice of the enemy; Satan is a lying Spirit, 1 Kings 22, 22. and dwells in the mouth of false Prophets, & counterfeit Christians, as well as he did sometimes in the mouth of the Serpent. Iohn 8, 44. We [Page 227] must not therfore beleeve every one that speaks, but try their spirits whether they be of God or not. 1 Iohn 4, 1. Ma­ny speak with the voice of Satan, but they them­selves know not what spirit they are of: Marke 8, 33. Peter spake as if Satan had possessed him, when hee counselled Christ to avoid death; Iames and Iohn spake cruelly, Luke 9, 54, [...]5. when they desired Samaria to bee burnt: Christ saith to Peter, Get thee behinde me Sa­tan, to teach us how to use the counsell of Satan, for our eares are framed to heare what is spoken before our face; and therfore whatsoever hath an other voice than the word of God, to reject it, and give it no hearing, because that Satan is ai­ming in it to betray the soule.

3. The Christian souldier must have a good tongue, to give warning when danger is at hand, 3 A good tongue that is, he must have meanes to awake both soule and body, to stand to defence, to resist sinne en­tring into the soule. The voice that is best heard is the feare of Gods wrath and eternall death to ensue: & therefore we ought ever to have before our eyes, Rom: 1, 18. that the wrath of God is declared from hea­ven against all ungodlines, Psal: 50, 21. and that he will lay our sins in order before us, and give us a portion with Satan & his Angels: and as we feare not him when we are to commit sinne, so he will not favour us when we are to be punished, at a day & houre when we looked least for his comming.

4. The Christian watchman must have good hands, he must be couragious & valiant, 4 Good hands. to fight as well as to watch: without this valour he can­not be a watchman, who must needs be a souldier: [Page 228] Quid praescire juvat, Sir Th: Moore Epigram. quae patiere tamen? what boots to know the evills we needs must suffer? All the servants of Christ must be valorous, to resist sin & Satan, & fight against thē so long as they live. Gaine and glory are most powerfull to increase valour against sin, Cic. Tusc. quest. lib. 1. Omnes incenduntur ad studia glo­riâ: Let us therefore set before us the high price of our calling, and the voice of Christ, saying, To him that overcommeth will I give, to sit upon a throne: 2 Tim: 2, 5. and seeing no man is crowned except he fight as he ought, let us search out sin in all the corners of soule and body, and prosecute it with the ter­rour of the Almighty, and fight against it with the word and command of God.

5. Not troubled with worldly cares. 2 Tim: 2, 4.The second part of our ability to watch consists in preparation, which must 1. be of the soule, that the mind be not troubled with the love & care of this world. No man (saith St. Paul) that warreth, in­tangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life, because he would please him that hath chosen him to be a soul­dier; much lesse he who is continually imployed both to watch and fight. So Christ exhorts us in our watching and preparing for his coming, Take heed to your selves, Luke 21, 34. lest at any time your hearts be oppressed with the cares of this life, and lest that day come upon you at unawares. He that hath his heart fixed on the cares of this life, can have no heart to watch for another life, neglecting this life which he loveth so well: For though the world obtained cannot fil the heart, nor content the desire of man, yet the love, desire & care of it being not obtai­ned, doth so take up and fill the heart, that he is in continuall heavines, & cannot think upon any [Page 229] thing, but how to satisfie his desire. Yea the love of the world is contrary to Christian watchful­nesse, for it inlargeth our heart unto all lust, and hath the object only fit, to make us increase more and more in sinne. St. Iohn by the same reason exhorts us to sequester our mindes from it, 1 Iohn 2, 15 Love not the world, neither the things, in the world, for all that is in the world, is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and pride of life. Therefore wee must con­clude a separation betweene our mindes and the transitory things of this world, and make them a ladder, upon which we may mount up to heaven, Euseb. Emiss. de Ascen. Dom. Ser. 1. (sublimabunt nos si fuerint infra nos) if they be un­der us, & not cared for, they will mount us up to heaven, and not burden us, or make us heavie in mind, or carelesse of the danger of sin, & sodain­nes of death, of which we are incontinual danger.

2. Our bodies must be prepared for watching, 6. No glutton nor drunkard. with needful nourishment. Old men because their strength failes them, must (as Iacob did) get a staffe to rest on; but in our nature there is such a weak­nes, that the youngest grow faint, weak, & wither away, as if they were blasted with old age, if they be not supported with the staffe of bread. An ar­my of Sauls, 1 Sam: 14, 31. that (in pursuit of the enemy) fasted one day, was exceeding faint: & Ionathan, though young and strong, yet his eyes waxed dimme as if he had beene old. Therefore they must be con­tinually enabled by the use of the creatures, by which the senses may be kept sound, & the spirits in continuall vigour. But in this necessity there is an ensuing danger, for nothing is more dangerous [Page 230] to a watchman, than too much of meat & drink, because it makes him heavie & sleepy, that he can not watch. Luke 21. So Christ exhorts us, Take heed lest at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennes, because they are the causers of sleepi­nesse, & send up such abundance of fumes & va­pours to the brain, which cooling, doe so possesse the place and first instrument of feeling, that the senses (for the time) are without any sense or fee­ling. And they that use either gluttony or drun­kennes, become dull & heavie, senseles & careles of their estate or honesty. Of al men this becomes not him who would watch & war against sin, A man that cannot rule his appetite, is as a Citty that hath no wall. Prov. 25, 28. be­cause even the actions of them are the wrath of God & punishment of former sinne, abominable sins in themselves, and a way made for the Divell to enter & possesse the soule, & make them ready for any wickednesse that can be devised. This is the way to betray Christianity, and to fight a­gainst all grace and good motions, and finally to laugh at the terrors of it, & make men go dancing through the causes of their mourning, and with laughter to act the tragedy of their owne destru­ction.

7 Furnished with armour.3. A watchman must have outward preparation. We are safest when wee are fully appointed and armed; it is dangerous to be a naked sentinell, whose life is most aimed at. St. Paul nameth the furniture to be a good and sincere conscience, Eph. 6, 14. a love to the Gospell, assured faith in the mercifull promises of God, knowledge & understanding of Gods word, & perseverance in prayers & suppli­cations: [Page 231] without this preparation it is in vaine to thinke that we can be able to resist in the evil day, or to prevent any never so well known danger.

Being thus prepared and furnished to stand a­gainst sin & Satan, 8 Faithfull and diligent. & to watch for our Lords cō ­ming, there only remaines, that the watchman be faithfull and diligent, to foresee all dangers, & to give a true & speedy notice of them. In all the for­mer conditions hypocrisie hath place in most men; but in this, hypocrisie is the direct enemie of our salvation, & the meanes by which multitudes are conveyed to hell, who make shew to be in continual guard against all manner of wickednes, & to be as ever standing and knocking at the gate of heaven, only to be so accounted of men: but in their secret actions they labour to goe to hell, without any knowledge or noyse of the world. And seeing the heart of man is deceitfull above all things, it stands every man upon it, to search and examine his heart, whether in his intents hee labour either to please the world, or to puffe up himselfe with a conceit of sincere life: or whether his eye be truly set upon the Lord, & the prise of glory. This is onely the meanes to draw us from deceiving our selves, and to prevent us, that wee labour not in vaine.

To conclude all, let us remember, that death is certaine, we must pleade no immunity; the time of it is uncertaine, we must not pleade security; it comes hastily, we must therefore be hasty in pre­paration; this life is for preparation, we must not plead inconveniency; and warning is given us of [Page 232] all these things, therefore no place remaines for ignorance.

Beloved, you hear your charge, you know your perill, now choose if you will heare the counsell of Christ and his Apostles, all giving the same voice of prevention; the labour is theirs, the pro­fit is yours: the glory (whatsoever you doe) ap­pertaineth to God, whose mercie is magnified in your salvation, and whose justice is exalted by your destruction. Draw neere (therfore) unto the Lord, proclaime enmity to sinne; if you cannot a­void all sin, yet stand to the hatred of all; frame your life as you desire eternally to be, and your workes according as you would have them ap­peare, and be rewarded in judgement: expect that death shal ever knock at your dores, & remember that though we be unreadie, yet death is ever rea­dy, the grave never out of season, nor hell & de­struction ever satisfied. It is long since eternall glorie was prepared for you, hasten thither, let your hearts be there, remember the glorie of Christ, and what it were to be made like unto him. Call unto God to end your miseries, to re­move you to glorie, and to be partakers with his Saints, of the blessed presence of God, and of our Redeemer, and of the God of peace and love. Now to him that is able to keepe you that you fall not, Iude verse 24, 25. and to present you faultlesse before the presence of his glory with joy; Even to God only wise, our Saviour, be glory and majesty, and dominion & power, both now and ever. Amen.