Commentary on 2 Peter, Commentary on 2 Peter volume 1 · Chapter 2 · Verse 9 (2 of 3)
7 It is Glorious and bleſſed: he is the chiefeſt good, and he enjoyes himſelfe, therefore is perfectly and infinitely bleſſed. Our bleſſedneſſe conſiſts in enjoying him, his, not enjoying us, but himſelfe. The Hebrew ſpeakes of Bleſſedneſſe in the plurall, Beatitudines: as the latines call wealth, Divitiae, Opes: becauſe …a…y things concurre, as to make up a rich man, ſo to make one bleſſed. There is … them both, Objectiva pars; as gold, ſilver, lands, houſes be the materialls of …ches. And Formalis pars, the free and certaine poſſeſſion of theſe things; for if they may be gone, a man is poore in poſſibilitie; when they are gone, he is po… … deed. Mans bleſſedneſſe is from another, the Lords is from himſelfe: m… … grace, Gods in nature: mans temporall, Gods Eternall: mans voluntary, Go… neceſſary, it cannot be otherwiſe: mans changeable, Gods alwayes the ſame. The greateſt and ſtatelyeſt monarch puts off his glory and robes at ſome times; … when he goes into the Bath, the bed, the grave. He carries no Scepter in the … yet may he then have a Crowne on his head: he hath neither ſcepter nor Cro…e in his bed, yet even then he is knowen a King by his attending guard: but in … grave he leaves off all. Now Gods glory is never left off, there is no interu… on of his bleſſedneſſe, not a moment wherein he is leſſe happie.
His bleſſedneſſe is Internall or externall. Internall conſiſts. 1. In the c… templation of his owne ſufficiencie: thus he ſaw all to be very good which he … and tooke pleaſure in his owne wiſedome that made them. 2. In the compre… ſion of all happineſſe; for it is nothing to be bleſſed, and not to underſtand it: … ny were faelices, bona ſi ſua norint: Gods omniſcience is his bleſſedneſſe. 3. … the delectation taken in this comprehenſion, when he knowes there is nothing … offend him: whereas Kings may be free from danger, not from feare. 4. … contentation taken in this delight; having all things ſo fully in himſelfe, th… … needs no addition. Many men think not themſelves happy in the much they ha…, becauſe they want ſome thing they would have: but there is nothing more … God to deſire. He comtemplates his owne goodneſſe, and reſts in himſelfe … a ſweet complacencie,Pſal. 148. Rom. 9.5. as the infinite fountaine of all bleſſedneſſe. Externall bleſſedneſſe is that he receives from the creatures, every one, ſenſible and inſenſible, eſpecially, Angels and men. He is bleſſed in himſelfe, yet he will alſo be bleſſe… … us. We can adde nothing to him, nor may we take his due honour from him. H… lookes for praiſes for electing us, creating us, &c. We diſcourſe our bleſſings … an annuall commemoration, rejoyce and ſolace our ſelves in them; but ſtill let … reflect all by praiſes to our Maker. A King will take a preſent of a beggar, … by this occaſion he may (not enrich himſelfe, but) reward the poore man. G… needs not this outward clothing, yet he is pleaſed to weare it for our ſakes. 1 C…. 1.3. Bleſſed be God, &c.
Nazian.Thus far I thought good to meditate on the ineffable Majeſtie of God. It is … poſſible to drinke up all the ſea, to ſucke in all the aire, much leſſe to compreh… God. When a man conſiders himſelfe in relation to the reaſonleſſe creatures; … the beaſts doe him homage, the earth yields him her fruites and metalls, the… brings him in merchandiſe, the aire provides breath for his noſtrills, and … for his table, the Sun miſſeth not his houre to enlighten him; he may then th… himſelfe ſomething:Bern. but when he conſiders the Lord, he is ſwallowed up, … thinkes himſelfe nothing. Now though a man cannot drinke up all the river, y… he may taſt it: though not ſpanne the Sun, yet looke upon his beames: though … cannot take in all the aire, yet enough to fill us. Let us get enough of this L… fill our hearts, we need no more. When a man thruſts his hand into the fire, it burnes him: when he comes but neare it, it warmes him: let us come with a purpoſe to partake,Aug. not to comprehend the Lord. Origen on Levitic. The two daies offering are the two Teſtaments; theſe eate and feed upon: what is reſerved for the third day, is for the world to come; it will fire us to ſearch that. Not is th… point barren, but hath the comfortable uſe, and that even appliable to our p… poſe. Doctrine being like the Sun, not only to delight us with the contemplatio…, but alſo to warme and quicken our affections.
This Lord being the Supreme, and all other Powers ſubordinate to him, and dependant on him, let this encourage our faith to truſt him with our deliverance. … Trouble not your ſelves with your enemies, nor yet ſay Manus noſtra excelſa, lExod. 14.13.our owne hand ſhall deliver us: Kings are men of might, yet but men of duſt: without this Lord their power cannot ſave themſelves, much leſſe us. Angels are mighty, but cannot come unleſſe this Lord ſend them;mMat. 26.53. I could aske my Father, …d he would give me Legions of Angels; ſaith Chriſt: we muſt aske our Father, or …ot have one Angell to doe us good. He ſhall look his eyes out, that truſts to any other deliverer than the Lord.
His Dominion being ſo abſolute, let men ceaſe to rebell againſt it.nPſa. 46.10. I will bee …xalted, not only in my Iſrael; but in Gentibus, among the nations: if they receive …ne, volentibus, with their good contents: if they refuſe me, Invitis, againſt their wils. And if there be any ground, whoſe lines are extended farther than people …nd nations inhabite, there alſo will I be exalted, in univerſa terra. We feare Kings …nd take their wrathfull lookes as meſſengers of death; and we doe well tooRom. 13.7. Iob 13.23. Give feare, to whom feare belongs. But here is a Power we cannot reſiſt, a Wiſdome we cannot delude, a Iuſtice we cannot corrupt. Locks, and ſtocks, and trebble bar…ed doores, a darke dungeon, and a cruell Gaoler, all cannot keep them in,pActs 16.26. whom …his Lord will deliver. His power ſhall ſhake the foundations of the earth, that earth-quake the foundations of the Priſon, that trembling (as in the body) diſ…oynt and unfaſten the doores, and looſe all their bands. There is no knot but he can untie it; let us at once feare and truſt him.
This being univerſall over all times; the God of Abraham, and of his ſeed; qHeb. 13.8.Ieſus Chriſt yeſterday, and to day, and the ſame for ever; the God of our fathers that were, of our ſelves that are, of our poſterity that ſhall be, then our enemies ſhall never finde time, wherein he ſhall not find meanes to deliver us. Over all places, Coelum & terram impleo, rPſa. 139.whither ſhall we goe from his preſence? Whither? That place was never yet diſcovered. He is preſent even to thoſe that ſhun his preſence; that ſay to him, Depart from us: how much more to us? Dominus nobiſcum; yea he is not onelyonly with us, but for us; Nobiſcum & pro nobis: Immanuel, God in our nature, God in our fleſh.ſPſa. 46.11. The Lord of hoſts is with us, the God of Iacob is our refuge. Dominus virtutum, there's his power: Refugium noſtrum, there's his favour. The Load of Hoſts, ſtrong: the God of Iacob, ſweet. The one Virium, the other Voluntatis: the one Roboris, the other Foederis: one of puiſſance, another of promiſe.tExo. 34.6. The Lord, the Lord; whatſoever belongs to Power, Majeſty, Governance: mercifull, what ever belongs to election, dilection, compaſſion, covenant, ſacrament: both together a juſt aequilibrium betweene greatneſſe and grace; a faire and ſweet harmony. Over all creatures; as heaven is his throne, the earth his foot-ſtoole, and the ſea his waſh-pot; ſo all creatures in them are at his beck; none can ſay, Ego ſolus aufugi, I have eſcaped. He can make the very flies and inſects, thoſe ſcornes of nature, executioners of his vengeance. Over us, in a gracious and ſpeciall maner; which affords us a challenge and defiance againſt all adverſary forces: we feare not armies of men, legions of devils, nor the gates of hell: Dominus Deus noſter, The Lord is our God: which are not onelyonly voces charitatis, comprehending in a community all chriſtians; but voces fidei, when we take this great Lord for our proper and peculiar God. That he can deliver us, this we preſume: that he will deliver us, this we aſſume: from that principle or Theſis, we derive this Hypothis, and appropriate it to our ſelves. Therefore we ſay not onelyonly with the Leper;uMat. 8.2. Lord, if thou wilt, thou canſt make me cleane: but we know thou canſt, and we beleeve thou wilt, and we beſeech thee to doe it.
The neceſſarineſſe of this Lordſhip gives us experience, experience confidence, and confidence will bring deliverance. How eaſily would the thunder ſtrik us dead, the ſea breake in upon us, theeves ſpoile us, the whelpes of Rome worry us, the fiends of hell ruine us; but that our Lord ſits in the chaire of omnipotency and protects us: Many are the dangers which we ſee and feare; innumerable thoſe, we neither ſee nor feare: therefore to take away all attribution to our ſelves, even when we know not,xPſal. 104.24. the Lord delivers us. How manifold are thy workes O Lord▪ How manifold, if we ſaile in the maine Ocean, and put not into ſome arme or cree… we never finde an end.Auguſt. But that Conſuetudinis perſeverantia amiſit admiratio…: we wonder not becauſe they are common. Abundantia contumelioſa in ſeme…pſam: Tertul.of fulneſſe comes loathing. It is not magnitudo, but novitas; that drawes our eyes and obſervations. But he that conſiders his owne weakeneſſe and impotence; how he was made in the wombe, and knew it not; taken from the wombe and not able to helpe himſelfe: that God muſt now give him his daily bread to feed him, his daily breath to quicken him, or he periſhes: or that conſiders the power of his enemies, with the implacable fury of their malice, the bloud-hounds of hell: and yet that he is delivered; muſt confeſſe, A Domino, factum eſt, This is the Lords doing. That Siſera ſhould fal by a woman, Pharaohs hoſt ſinke like ſtones into the bottome of the ſea, an invincible Navy periſh by a few rotten ſhips on fire:yPſa. 107.8. O that men would therefore praiſe the Lord for his goodneſſe, and for his wonderful workes to the children of men: that our childrens children to the laſt period of any generation in this Iland may ſay, O God we have heard with our eares, our Fathers and Grand-fathers have declared to us, that noble worke of thy deliverance.
The immutability of it gives us further cauſe to truſt in him. Laban may love Iacob well, but his countenance will change upon him: Amnon will hate Th… mar more than ever he loved her: Pharaohs Officer forgets Ioſeph when his tu…e is ſerved: there is no conſtancy in man, but Ego Iehovah non mutor, I the L…d change not. The World changeth, the Vines caſt off her grapes, the tired ea…th growes dull in encreaſe, mans ſtature is leſſened, his length of life leſſe than th…, his honeſty little or nothing at all: the ſea encroacheth upon the land, Springs lock like Autumnes: States change, policies change, governments change, all the materials of nature change: we ſee it, we need not preach it: it is matter of fight …o… of faith. Every mans mouth is full of this complaint. The world is fickle: wh… ſoever is delectable, vaniſheth like ſmoke; Nocturnum ſomnium. That medici…e helpes to day,Auguſt. which doth not to morrow: God is alwayes helpefull. That … ceit helpes one which helps not another; God helpes all. The hoarder adores his money; yet is his wealth but like an Inheritance on Salisbury plaine; he may robbe many Paſſengers for a time, at laſt ſome body will rob him. Set not your heart o… riches, leſt you be driven to ſay, as Laban to Rachel, Thou haſt ſtollen away my he…. And when they are gone, Plus cruciant amiſſa, quàm delectant poſſeſſa. Contra…ly, Gods love encreaſeth;August. though not formaliter, in it ſelfe, yet effectivè, to us. Frie…s are mutable, Paul had many adherents, yet at laſt complaines,a2 Tim. 4.16. No man stood … me, but all forſooke me. Indeed Alexander oppoſed his words: ſome withſtood h… but none ſtood with him. Yet then he finds this Lord to ſtand for him, he deliver… him. Ver. 17.Peace changeth into warre, diſcord thruſts out amity; but in God is conſt… peace.bEſa. 57.19. I create the fruits of the lips, peace, peace, &c. Where we find; 1. Certit…tnem, Paraohs dreame is doubled for the ſureneſſe; 2. Magnitudinem, no peace … our reconciliation wth God, it is paſt all underſtanding. 3. Multitudinem all kinds of peace that may ſtand wth goodnes.c2 Cor. 1.5. If ſufferings abound for Chriſt, conſolations … alſo: if the exuperance be in either ſcale, it is in the comforts. Ro. 8. we read of ſe… enemies: and v. 38. of ſeven victories. And if there be any other obſtacle, from the height of heaven to the depth and bottome of hell: or further malignity in a…y creature, it ſhall be removed. Whom God loves he loves to the end: and if he have once given us an earneſt of his favour, we ſhall be ſure of the whole bargaine.
The incomprehenſibleneſſe of this power, ſo far tranſcending anguſtias h… ni cordis, and yet ſo viſible to the eye in the great and wondrous effects; may wel further ſhew us where our deliverance lies. Howſoever the nobleſt demonſtration of things be from their cauſes and principles; yet the neareſt to us ward, a…d moſt apprehenſible is from the effects and performances. At Senacheribs army Iudah hung downe the head, rent her clothes, and hid her face; nothing was left her, but Lord bow down thine eare and heare, open thine eye and conſider: yet in this extremitie they found the Lord a Deliverer: an Angell ſlew in one night 185000 of them. Here was an inviſible hand, but a mighty one: a power not comprehenſible, yet diſcerned in the worke. If any object, We ſee not our ſignes, not one finger of this hand appeares: we are in diſtreſſe, and the Lord hath thruſt his working arme into his boſome, buried his mercies in forgetfulneſſe: yea hee does that which ſeemes contrary to his workes of favour; not diverſa, ſed adverſa, which the Prophet calls Opera peregrina, dEſa. 28.21.ſtrange and unproper workes, almoſt aliene from his nature, troubling his owne people; that the very wicked inſult, Where is now their God? yet even then is an inviſible hand working for us; and when the Devills conſpiracie is come to the birth, it ſhall be abortive, or ſtrangled in the wombe; the God of our ſalvation will deliver us.
It is bleſſed, and that which bleſſeth us, and all things to us: the Sun doth not ſo neceſſarily lighten the aire, as God doth bleſſe them his favour is pleaſed to ſhine upon. CHRIST is his principally Bleſſed Sonne. Matth. 26.23. Sonne of God. Mark. 14.61. Son of the bleſſed. This bleſſedneſſe comes downe from him to the reſt of his children: all bleſſings come from God, but by the hand of man, even that man of God, and hand of his Father; Chriſt. That bread ſhould not choake, rather than nouriſh; it is bleſſing. That garments, which are cold of themſelves, ſhould keepe us warme: but eſpecially, that we periſh not in our ſins, that we are delivered from the power of death, and pawes of the Dragon; this is his extraordinary bleſſing. Bleſſedneſſe is every mans deſire; now he that hath God, hath bleſſedneſſe: whoſoever hath the Sun, hath the light of the Sunne; he cannot want water, that hath the fountaine. Saint Augustine hath the ſtory of a hiſtrionicall Mounte-banke, that to get ſpectators, and money by them, promiſed to tell them the next day what they all moſt deſired. The Theater being full of people, and their minds full of expectation; what was the Device? Vili vultis emere, & charè vendere: you would all buy cheape and ſell deere. But this holds not; for the good man in a famine will buy corne deere, and ſell it to the poore cheape. And on the other ſide, the unthrift will ſell his inheritance cheape, to buy vanities deere: therefore he failed of his promiſe. But if he had told them, Beati vultis eſſe, you would all be happy, this had beene a full ſatisfaction. Let us cleave to this bleſſed God, and he will deliver us from ſin and hell, which is bleſſedneſſe begun; and bring us to ſalvation and heaven, which is bleſſedneſſe perfect and conſummate.
Let this teach us to bleſſe him, that bleſſeth us. A man drinkes of a river, he addes nothing to it, but takes ſomething from it: when we offer to God our praiſes, we give him nothing, we receive ſomething from him. Pſal. 116.13. It is but thankes we give, but we take the cup of ſalvation. We ſend up praiſes, as a man throwes up flowers, that fall downe backe upon his own head: ſo the ſhowers of our free-will offerings fall downe upon our ſelves in ſhowers of mercies.
Let it alſo invite us to love him, as being moſt bleſſed and lovely. Looke what foundation there is in any other, why thou ſhouldſt love, feare, ſerve, honour them all theſe are a thouſand times more in God. Thy Prince hath honour, thy father reverence, thy Maſter ſervice, thy wife love: all theſe are due to God in a tranſcendent meaſure. He that is thy King, is but Gods ſervant; and ſpiritually we are all kings, in Chriſt: and when all the confederate kings of the earth cannot deliver thee this Lord can ſave thee. Thou loveſt thy countrey, it is well: thy countrey gave thee not being & life: to diſpleaſe God is the way to make thine own countrey ſpew thee out. If therfore Curtius in a vain-glorious love to his countrey, threw himſelfe into the gulfe, becauſe the oracle ſaid, whom the people loved beſt, he muſt be caſt in to ſtop it. How are we bound to love God even above our own lives, that hath preſerved us here, and provided a better countrey for us hereafter! Thou reverenceſt thy father, thou doeſt well;
nature it ſelfe would rebuke the contrary. But if ſuch awe be to the father of thy fleſh, what humble reverence is due to the Infuſer of thy ſoule, the father of thy father and of all mankind? Thou ſerveſt thy maſter, well done: that God which alwayes commands, not ſeldome commends this obedience. But if a Maſters reward be ſuch an encouragement, what is it to heare from heaven, Well done good ſervant? Thy wife hath thy heart, it is fit, you are one fleſh: but be not ſo uxorious to thy wife, as to be injurious to thy husband, Chriſt. Of all places, remember Salomon, and let not thy wife have Gods place. The love of a brother is great, of a friend greater, of a wife above that: but the love of God muſt be above all.eMatth. 8.22. Let the dead bury their dead, follow thou me: forſake thy father living, much more dead, to follow CHRIST. If the wife of thy boſome alienate thy affection from him, ſhe is a Traitor to thee and to him. Now if luſt or profit comes in competition with God, examine thy conſcience, which preferreſt thou? Gold many goe to the Devill for, yetfPſal. 119.72. Thy Law is better to me, than thouſands of gold or ſilver. How many of all theſe things do poſtponere curam, make it their laſt and leaſt care! many mens ſhooe-tyes coſt them more in a yeare than God and their ſoules: ſo unmindfull are we of thee, O Lord!
The Lord knoweth how.] I have held you long in this point of deliverance, and you ſay it is high time to deliver you from it: one circumſtance more, and you have your wiſh. This laſt concernes the wiſedome of God: it is enough that he promiſes deliverance, he keeps the Quomodo to himſelfe. It is ſet down indefinitely: no man, no Apoſtle, no Angell, can know all the meanes of Gods delivering his: it is enough, Novit ipſe, himſelfe knowes. This gives a checke to all ſawcy Inquirers, that will not beleeve helpe from the Lord, unleſſe he tells them How. It hath ever beene the fooliſh ambition of man, to be moſt prying into concealed things: deſiring to know what he is forbidden, and ſlighting that he is charged to learne. It was not the thirſt of gold, that was the fall of mankind; the earth and all her metalls were his: not of honour, he had ſoveraigntie over all the creatures: not of pleaſure, he wanted none: Satan had another baite, a forbidden knowledge. How Divine a thing is knowledge, whereof even Innocencie it ſelfe was ambitious! Adam looked for ſpeculative knowledge, he ſhould have looked for experimentall. Hee thought it had beene good to know evill, whereas good was ample enough to have made up his perfect knowledge and bleſſedneſſe. He that knew all other things, knew not this one thing, that he knew enough. All that God made was good, the Maker being much more good: they good in their kinds, he good in himſelfe. Adam knew the Creator, and his creatures, yet this could not content him: he would know that God never made, evill; evill of ſinne, evill of death: both which himſelfe made by deſiring to know them. Ever ſince, we know evill too well, and ſmart with knowing it: how deare hath this leſſon coſt us, that it is ſafe to be ignorant, where God hath not bid us know. Yet ſtill are we tranſported with this ſawcy appetite of our Grandmother, and run our ſelves a ground with the curious affectation of forbidden knowledge. For the things revealed, Lord give us a ſober knowledge for the things concealed, give us a contented ignorance. There is more manifeſted than we can know, enough to make us happy by knowing. Deliverance we looke for: how or when the Lord will deliver thee or me, that is in his owne boſome, and the breſt of his privy Councell, Ieſus Chriſt.
The Lord knoweth how.] As there is nothing unpoſſible to his might, ſo there is nothing concealeable from his underſtanding. Gods wiſdome and providence is like the eye of a well-drawne Picture; that lookes upon all and every one, as if every one were all. Take an eye and draw never ſo many lines from it, it ſees all alike, and at once: the Center is preſent to every point of the circumference. This is a threefold comfort to us.
1 He knowes our tentations before they be upon us: he ſees the preparing of the potion, weighes the ingredients to a ſcruple, qualifies the malignity of th… purgatives with ſweet conſolations. Satan, that bloudy Apothecary, mindes nothing but the drugs and dregs of poiſon; but God puts in an Antidote that he knowes not of: he meanes to doe hurt, but the Lord knowes how to convert it to good. Thus tota miſeria Chriſtiani eſt dolor medicinalis, non ſententia poenalis. Auguſt.Now he that lookes to our affliction, will looke to our extrication. …e would never ſuff…r Satan to aſſault us, but that he knowes how to deliver us. It Pharaoh had kept himſelfe at home, Gods honour had not bin ſo great at the red Sea: he knowes as well how to get himſelfe honour of Satan, as he did of Pharaoh.
He knowes them when they be upon us.gExod. 2.25. The Lord looked downe upon the affliction of Iſrael: Pharaoh plagues them, he ſees it, and therefore plagues Pharaoh. hPſal. 31.7.Thou haſt conſidered my trouble, thou haſt knowne my ſoule in adverſities. Now he that knowes the ſoule in adverſity, knowes how to deliver it out of adverſity. Videat Dominus, ſayes dying Zechariah; i2 Chr. 24.22.The Lord looke upon it: yes, hee did ſee it. The wronged childe hopes to relieve himſelfe, by making moane to his father. The Eagle, though ſhe flies aloft, hath ſtill an eye to her young ones: if any danger approach, ſhe ſwiftly ſtoopes to defend them.Plin. Thus Chriſt in heaven hath an eye to his darlings on earth: if any Saul be riding with a bloudy Commiſſion againſt them; downe he comes from his Emperiall throne to their reſcue. Why doeſt thou perſecute Mee? Me; doſt thinke Saul, that Chriſtians have no Patrons upon ea…th.
3 He knowes how to rid them from us: they are often ſo perplexfull and intricate, that neither we ſee, nor the world ſees, nor reaſon apprehends how, yet the Lord knoweth. Aegypt afflicts Iſrael through many degrees: Pharaoh ſuſpects them for purpoſe of revolting, impoſeth on them heavy burthens: ſtill God looks on, and lets him alone. To the name of ſtrangers is added the name of ſlaves: Iſrael had gathered ſome ruſt in Aegypt, and now muſt be ſcoured: it is well they bore their burdens, who elſe had borne the burden of God. When like Palme trees, they flouriſh with their burdens; Midwives are ſuborned to deſtroy their male children; and they whoſe office is to helpe the birth, muſt murther it. Still the Lord knowes, and holds his peace. From burthens they proceed to bondage, and from bondage to bloud; from vexation of their bodies, to deſtruction of the fruit of their bodies. If the Midwives refuſe, the multitude ſhall doe it: cruelty had but ſmoked before, now it flames up. It is rare tyranny that findes no villany for an executioner. Laſtly, impoſſible labours are laid upon them, the Tyrant requires taskes not faiſible: they could neither make ſtraw, nor finde it, yet they muſt have it. Doe what may be, is tolerable: but doe what cannot be, is cruell. Yet thus doth Pharaoh pick a quarrell to puniſh: and if they doe it not, they are beaten. Now God begins to looke downe, and ſpight of all he delivers his people. No armes ſhall keepe them longer in Aegypt, no armies ſhall hurt them out of Aegypt. Pharaoh or the ſea lookes for their conque…t: to ſcape is beyond all hope, all thought: yet both ſhall be diſappointed; The Lord knew how to doe it. So that they did not cry ſo loud before, as now they ſin: not faith, but ſenſe teacheth them to magnifie that God after their deliverance, which they ſcarce truſted for their deliverance.
The Antichriſtian enemies of Gods Church and truth, after the infatuation of ſo many trecherous conſpiracies, found out at the laſt a ſpeeding one: ſuch as in ſo many thouſand yeeres, from the fall of the reprobate angels, never came into the head of any divell, to put into the head of any man▪ or if the head could deviſe it, yet to find a heart to receive it, or a hand to act it, would have beene thought impoſſible. But decreed it was in the Senate of Rome, in the boſome of that man of ſinne, who turnes the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven, into the keyes of the Kingdomes of the Earth. Adviſed by that family of malice, who of all the world, Soli inventi ſunt dogmatizare mendacium; as Auguſtine ſaid of the Priſcillianiſts. Thus far God lets them alone. Executioners muſt be found, there muſt be hands as well as heads; Vliſſes may contrive, Diomedes muſt thorow with it. Still the Lord ſaies nothing: their ſecrecy makes them confident, dejerated with a trebble bond of counſell-keeping; Religion, Oath, Sacrament: You ſhall ſweare by the bleſſed Trinity, and holy Sacrament, not to reveale it: thus they eate their God upon a bargaine of bloud. Still the Lord is ſilent. They build the foundation of their deſigne under the foundation of the Parliament houſe; Inſidiantur in abſcondito, and ſay to the ground, cover us: they truſt not the aire, but lay up their treaſon in a… ſubterraneous vault, with great improbity of labour. Who ſhould diſcover thoſe Penetralia mortis? Thoſe inward chambers of death: Yes, the Lord knowes how. Their catholick doomeſday is now at hand, and their wants nothing but a hand to act it: they ſay of our ſoules, there is no helpe for them in their God. Then was Gods time and hint, and in a Parable, by a Miracle, we are delivered. Their ſtratagem is defeated, their dungeon and hell of ſecrecy opened, the deeper hell of their hearts eviſcerated, their vault of moſt barbarous villany ranſacked, to convince them and all the world, that novit Dominus, the Lord knowes how to deliver his. Alas, we were like men that dreamt, nay we dreamt not of this: the noiſe of mill-ſtones, light of candles, bread and wine, bride and bridegroome, were our ſong: the plot of ruine came not within the reach of our thoughts. Bleſſed be that God who onelyonly delivered us.
Thus he can deliver with equall meanes, with ſmall meanes, with no meanes. Novit Dominus, he can tell how. Midian comes againſt Iſrael; they like the ſand by the Sea, covered all the Valley: the Iſraelites were two and thirty thouſand ſtrong. They thinke we are too few: God ſayes, the people are too many. They ſay, the Midianites are too many for us: God replies, you are too many for them. Indeed, if Iſrael had expected the victory from their owne fingers, they had bin too weake for Midian: but ſeeing God will give the conqueſt, and have the glory; they are too ſtrong. Where humane ſtrength is oppoſed, there needs an equality: but now God will fight, and he knowes how to doe it with a few, with none, as well as with many. His care is not how to get the victory, but how to preſerve the glory of it gotten. Therefore he chuſeth to ſave by few, that all the honour may redound to himſelfe. So jealous is he of his glory, that though he give deliverance to Iſrael, yet the praiſe of the deliverance he will keepe to himſelfe. Therefore he ſhortens their meanes, that they may not ſhorten his mercies. Now if he will not allow lawfull meanes to darken his honour, how untolerable is unlawfull meanes? He that remembers the yeare eighty eight; (and what true Engliſh ſpirit can forget it, or forbeare to report it to his children?) An invincible Navy, an implacable fury, furniſhed with inſtruments of murther and torture, confident of our utter deſolation: and conſiders how they were all deſolated, and we delivered, when no arme nor finger of fleſh was for us: muſt needs confeſſe, that Novit Dominus, the Lord knowes how: he uſed no helpe in the delivery, let him have no partner in the glory. There is leſſe danger in ſtealing any thing from him, than his honour. If men ſteale the Princes tribute, or clip his coine, he may pardon it: but not if they goe about to rob him of his Crowne. No, but ſtill let him be praiſed, both in our chambers at home, and abroad in our Churches, for our time, and throughout all the generations of our childrens children after us, till Chriſt appeare in the cloudes; and then in the Kingdome of Heaven for ever and ever, Amen.
And to reſerve the unjuſt unto the day of judgement to be puniſhed.] We have ſeene how the godly ſpeed, now let us marke the end of their perſecutors. The wicked keepe ſuch a noiſe in the world, that a poore mans tale can no more bee heard, than the humming of a Bee in a clap of thunder. So head-ſtrong and uncontrouleable is the precipice of ſin, that when the righteous would withſtand it, they are borne downe by it. Virtutibus ſemper contradicitur. The Church ſhould never finde ſo many ſtratagems directed ex profeſſo againſt her, but that ſhe takes a courſe which the world diſlikes.kIn Ezek. Hom. 9. Perverſorum derogatio, vitae noſtrae approbatio, Greg. In all ages, the rebuke of Chriſt, hath bin the religion of Chriſtians. The reaſon is, our ſingularity and diſcent from their cuſtomes: which as it makes them hiſſe like ſerpents, becauſe we trouble their neſts: ſo like an Antipariſtaſis, it ſhould inflame our zea…. We have read of Heathens that would ſhunne the popular current. Phocion had not ſuſpected his ſpeech, had not the people applauded it. Antiſthenes miſtruſted ſome ill in himſelfe for the vulgar commendation. And ſhall we be brutiſhly driven with the drove? Or rather like nailes in a wheele, turne as we are turned, without either conſcience of ſin, or guidance of reaſon? If we live like them that are reſerved to Iudgement, how ſhould we thinke our ſelves not reſerved with them? This is their time to perſecute, ours to ſuffer: their time will come to ſuffer, ours to triumph. Let me rather feele their malice, than be wrapt up in their vengeance. Recuſat eſſe de corpore, qui non vult mundi odium ſustinere cum capite, lTract. in Ioh. 87.Auguſt. They are our corroſives, corraſives, uſed onelyonly to pare off our excrements, and eate out our dead fleſh by their tentations: but the patient is preſerved, when the plaiſter is throwne into the fire.
Saint Ierome allegorically upon Ezech. 47.19. The poſſeſſion begins at Thamer, and reacheth along to the waters of ſtrife. Is there peace betweene Ioſuah and Gibeon? then there is quarrell enough for the Amorites againſt Gibeon. The heires of heaven can expect no better at the hands of the children of this world. A larger booke might be written of the Apoſtles Sufferings, than that of their Acts. And had not the Divine power given them a miraculous ſucceſſe, in the ſafe conduct of a Goſpell, thorow a world of tentations; it might have been entitled in a bloudy Rubricke; The booke of the ſufferings of the Apoſtles. m1 Cor. 4.9.God hath ſet forth us the Apoſtles laſt, as it were appointed to death; Paul might well ſay: laſt, with an Emphaſis: the former endured but the injuries of their owne countrey, the laſt, the malice of all the world; vying who ſhould multiply the moſt diſgraces upon them.nAct. 28.22. Concerning this Sect, we know it is every where ſpoken againſt. They might well affirme it, that were the firſt authors of it. As Caeſar wrote of thoſe battels, Quibus non ſolum interfuit, ſed & praefuit. But let us ſtand upon our guard,Tertull. Vrſin to Ferneſius. keepe to the liſts of our warfare, maintaine the fight wee have ſworne in Baptiſme me. Subtle arguments well anſwered, breed a cleare concluſion: our ſoules ſhall ſhine the brighter one day for this rubbing. Conſider we two encouragements. Firſt,oHebr. 12.3. Chriſt endured ſuch contradiction of ſinners: he is the commander and beholder of this combate: the Iudge and rewarder of this courage: the leader of the company, and conquerer of the enemie.pIoh. 16.33. Bee yee of good cheare, I have overcome the world. Next, their rage is but like their Generalls, ſharpe but ſhort; for a time: for they are reſerved to the day of Iudgement to be puniſhed.
The parts are foure, according to the proceeding of civill Iudicature: the malefactors; their binding over, the Aſſiſes, and the execution.
The
Malefactors; The unjuſt.
Binding over; are reſerved.
Aſſiſes; To the day of Iudgement.
Execution; To be puniſhed.
The unjuſt.] This terme muſt be conſidered in a threefold relation. 1. As it is a want of that righteouſneſſe which the Law requires. 2. As a want of that righteouſneſſe which the Goſpell accepts. 3. As it implies a habite of unrighteouſneſſe, ſuch as both the Law and Goſpell condemnes. Of all theſe a little.
1 For legall Iuſtice, how far ſhort is the beſt man of it! God requires a perfect fulfilling of the Law, becauſe he gave a perfect abilitie to doe it. If man would loſe wilfully this ſufficiencie, what fault is in God? Now the ſonne that inherites his fathers goods, is bound to pay his fathers debts: we have our fathers goods, naturall endowments, &c. Therefore bound to anſwer for his ſin: if ſo wee call originall ſin, not ours but His. But howſoever our parents conveyed unto us originall ſins, we our ſelves are the parents of actuals. All naturals are depraved, all ſupernaturals are deprived, by the firſt fall. Mans nature may be inclined to ſome morall vertues imperfect; as Truth, Iuſtice, temperance, chaſtitie: but not to ſupernaturall, as faith, hope, charitie, humility; theſe are quite out of natures orbe. So for that Iuſtice, which ſhould give abſolute obedience to GODS will, all men be unjuſt.
2 For Evangelicall Iuſtice, which is had by faith: this is a righteouſneſſe of Grace, to ſupply the defects of nature. We that had no righteouſneſſe of our owne, muſt be beholding to one that hath ſome to ſpare: ſuch a one, as though he give never ſo much, hath never the leſſe: an infinite and in exhauſtible fountaine of goodneſſe. Satan like a Chimicke, had extracted all the juyce and ſpirits of our grace: we have no way to enrich our bankerupt eſtate, but with the treaſures of CHRIST. He was not not only our brother by taking our fleſh upon him, but alſo our ſuretie by taking our debts upon him: not only naturam hominis, but formam ſervi. qPſal. 69.4.Reſtituli quod nunquam abſtui, may he well ſay; I paied that I never tooke. What man will give his rMic. 6.7.ſonne for his ſinne? Yet God did more: he gave his Son, for (not his owne, but) anothers ſin. Mans ſin was the cauſe of Chriſts death: Chriſts death the cauſe of mans life. He gave life to us, by giving his life for us. Had he bin meere man, this had done us no good; his Iuſtice had bin little enough for himſelfe. But the Son of God ſuffered, not in Proprietate Natura, yet in Vnitate Perſonae; Perſonaliter: and ſo he merited.ſZach. 13 7. The Sword of Iuſtice was awaked to be ſheathed in our bowels; the Shepheard interpoſed himſelfe to take the blow. By ſin we are indebted to God more than we are worth; now Chriſt undertooke for us. In his Circumciſion, he gave the earneſt, ſet his hand to the Obligation, to pay the whole debt. God is the Creditor, he payed him, and ſued out for his Church a Quietus eſt. Satan was the Gaoler, he payed him; death the executioner, he payd him too; though for their fees they parted his garments among them. tGen. 44.30.As Iacobs life was bound up in the life of Benjamin, without whom his gray haires would be brought to the earth in griefe. So our life is bound up in the life of IESVS, and if he be not with us, we ſhall dye with anguiſh, and goe to the grave in ſorrow.
This is a ſecond way to be juſt: the former we loſt by ſin, this we finde by faith: he that wanteth this is unjuſt and muſt periſh. Now reprobates cannot have this juſtice, by reaſon they lack faith: as he that is blinde hath no benefit by the light. Indeed the world thinkes this an eaſie attainement; but is quite miſtaken. A child cannot generate, nor a man regenerate himſelfe: the latter is as poſſible as the former. Mans nature being whole, could not preſerve it ſelfe: much leſſe being broken, can it repaire it ſelfe. He that cannot keepe himſelfe from death while he lives, will more impoſſibly reſtore and revive himſelfe to life being dead. Faith is a rare gift, though there be many Chriſtians: all thinke they have it; yet even CHRIST himſelfe ſayes, he ſhall ſcarce know where to finde it. How great a part of the world lies quite out of the orbe of faith! In Rome it is not they conteſt againſt it. In Courts it is rare, many live there rather by the favour of the Prince, than by the faith of God. In the Citie, the credit of faith is ſo weake, that it cannot be truſted without ready money. In the Countrey ſhe is likelieſt to be had; but the Tenant findes ſo little faith in the Land-lord, that he thinks it a needleſſe vertue in himſelfe. Among Lawyers there is juſt ſo much faith, as there is charity. Moſt men have ſo much, and ſo little, as to thinke they need no more. The profeſſors of faith are like Gideons army, two and thirty thouſand: but when the faithfull are ſeparated, as thoſe ſouldiers were muſtered, there is but three hundred left. Lord, encreaſe our faith, and the number of the faithfull: that we who cannot be juſt in our ſelves, may be juſt in Ieſus Chriſt.
3 There is a third kinde of Iuſtice; actuall, practicall; inſeparably proceeding from the former: it is a ſanctified conformity to the will of God. This juſtifies all them to the world, whom faith hath juſtified to the Lord. When in all our earthly buſineſſe, we ſtill carry a heavenly minde. When our faith to God, is ſeene in our faithfulneſſe to men.uRev. 2.10. Be thou faithfull unto the death, and I will give thee the crowne of life. Continue in evangelicall faith, though you dye for it: continue in morall faithfulneſſe, til you dye in it. There is a faith of the Law, Mat. 23.23. There is a faith of the Goſpell, Mat. 25.23. Rom. 1.17. The one is fidelity in our promiſes, the other is confidence in the promiſes of God. If he covenant with us, I will be your God: we muſt reſtipulate, then will we reſt upon thee. Thou ſhalt be my people; then we muſt be faithfull. Secundum fidem quam credimus, Deus fidelis nobis: ſecundum fidem quâ credimus, nos fideles Deo. Both theſe together: for no man can deale faithfully with God legally, unleſſe hee beleeve evangelically that God will deale faithfully with him. Want of legall faith oppugnat Dei majeſtatem: want of evangelicall faith oppugnat Dei veritatem & miſericordiam. Be not falſe-hearted in the firſt, nor faint-hearted in the latter. In a word, he is a juſt man that doth good: and there is no ſap of life in the tree if no fruit appeare in the branches.
The unjuſt man wants all theſe three righteouſneſſes: he is not legally juſt, for he hath no purity of nature: he is not evangelically juſt, for he hath no ſanctity of grace: he is not practically juſt, for he hath no morality of life. The firſt wicked men cannot have, the next they will not have, and (without that) the laſt they ſhall not have.
Thus we ſee negatively who are unjuſt; but there is more than a bare privation in it; Quiddam poſitivum: it includes not onelyonly a defect and indiſpoſition to doe well; but alſo an actuall contrariety to Iuſtice, doing what is palpably evill. So there is a two-fold malignity in it; the tranſgreſſion, and the duration of it. For the former, the wicked are unjuſt to God, to men, to themſelves.
1 To God: righteouſneſſe is an obedience to the will of God; and injuſtice is no other than diſobedience. That wee may learne to judge our ſelves in this, conſider the infallible markes of obedience. Firſt, it muſt be Integra; reſpective of all the Commandements: he that tranſgreſſeth one, hath not obeyed. Saul kept part of Gods precept, ſlew the moſt, and worſt; yet God rejected him as diſobedient. Many peece their lives, as beggars doe their cloakes, here and there a new patch: an almes at Chriſtmaſſe, this is a patch of charity: communicate twice a yeare, two patches of faith. Diſobedient for all this. Secondly, Simplex, we muſt obey the law Intuitu legiſlatoris, without glance at our owne profit or credit or ſafety by it. If one eye looke one way, the other another way, the object will never be well ſeene. The ſervant would go to Church, to pleaſe his maſter; more faine another way, to pleaſe himſelfe: but he that lookes any other way in his devotion, than to the Lords precept; is unjuſt: he makes God the ſecond, himſelfe the principall. Thirdly, Prompta, ready: Angels have wings to flye about it. Abraham no ſooner received that ſtrange command, but he roſe early to obey it. A compulſory obedience the devils may give, but are never the nearer being righteous. He ſhall never be welcome to God, that comes on his feet, and leaves his heart behind him. Fourthly, Aſsidua, conſtant: that obedience which hath an end, had never any true beginning. If it fals it was never a fixed Starre, but a meere meteor. A man may loſe his Horſe, his Purſe, his Cloake; theſe be ſeparable: the grace that hangs on by tacks, like a mantle, ſoone drops off. Divers have a cruſt of profeſſion congealed by cold, deſirous to keepe themſelves warme by the fire of the Temple; which the ſummer of wantonneſſe thawes into fluid and ſpilt water.xNah. 3.17. The Graſhoppers campe in the hedges in a cold day, &c. In cold weather they lye in heapes and ſwarmes: in hot weather they ſcatter: when proſperity comes, their looſeneſſe appeares. In Gods Booke theſe are found unjuſt ſervants. Fifthly, Vera vel Iuſta, no trick nor equivocation in it. It ſeekes not to obey God for mans ſake, but man for Gods ſake: it obeyes men, but never againſt the Lord.
Diſobedience is called witch-craft, for it goes from God to the devill, and like a Witch intends miſchiefe and revenge. There be two parts of it; Cum non fit quod praecipitur, cum contra fit quàm praecipitur. Diſobedience materiall, when it breaks the Law: formall, when it ſcornes the Law-giver. Diſobedience did caſt Adam out of Paradiſe, Angels out of Heaven, Ionas out of the Ship, Saul out of his Kingdome, Iſrael out of Iſrael. Superiours complaine that others doe not obey them; but no wonder, when they obey not God. Shall any creature owe that man ſervice, that will performe no ſervice to his Maker? God for this often makes a tumult and rebellion in their owne boſomes; that reaſon, the Queene Regent of the ſoule, cannot be heard, nor any of her lawes be reſpected, becauſe the mutinous affections make ſuch a combuſtion, putting the whole man out of order and good diſpoſition. Diſobedience will not bow, but it ſhall be broken: as the thunder melts the ſtubburne metall, and ſpares the unreſiſting purſe. Thus is he unjuſt to God, that detaines his honour: that is fed and gives no thankes: ſuch an one ſteales his meat. He requires the ſeventh of our time, the tenth of our encreaſe: we are unjuſt that deny this. Theſe are thought honeſt men, yea thinke themſelves no leſſe: they goe as merrily with this profanation and ſacriledge at their heeles, as horſes with an empty Coach. Yea, the divell ſerves them, as Carriers doe their horſes; lay on them heavy loades, and then hang bels at their eares, to make them muſick. Theſe are reſerved to judgement, for no humane law takes hold of them. Where ſhould the poore Miniſter have the Tenths adjudged to him? And for making that day common to licentiouſneſſe, which God hath ſeparated for eſpeciall holineſſe; where is this cenſured? A good Lord gives his poore ſervant a farme to live on: for the Rent, he requires every weeke one dayes ſervice, and at the yeares end the tenth of his profits. Hee that returnes not this ſmall part, to that God who gives all, is moſt unjuſt, and will be ſo found at the day of ſentence.
2 To man: ſuch are they that meaſure their right by their power, and therefore will do injurie, becauſe they can doe it. Vnjuſt. 1. To the common-wealth, as the golden extortioner. (I may ſo call him, becauſe he gets gold by Vſurie, as Babel is called the Golden Citie, becauſe ſhe is an exactreſſe of gold.) Let all the ſcribes in the Citie paſſe their words for him, yea ſet their hands to it; yet God will hold him unjuſt. 2. To the Church; that deny him reverence to their mother, and withhold her maintenance; and which is worſe, plead a cuſtome for it: as if it were a cuſtome for children to rob their parents. The Italians have a tricke in the art of rapier and dagger; they will teach a ſcholer with a traverſe or two, to get the point of his adverſaries weapon, and then to locke him up ſo ſute, that (turning away his face) he runs him thorow: and for-ſooth he turnes away his face, becauſe he will behold no crueltie. It is Cuſtome in England that lockes up our points; and the Law takes away the Churches weapons by a tricke of cuſtome: yea men ſtand ſtill, behold this, juſtifie it: but Gods Iudgement ſhall finde them unjuſt. 3. To private perſons; ſuch as ſteale away a mans good name with a felonious ſlander. Every one is bound to preſerve the reputation of his brother: he that abuſeth it, (colour his ſplene with what pretence he can) ſhall be condemned for unjuſt. Such a man is a monſter; his throat a ſepulcher, his tongue a ſword, his mouth a bagge of poyſon. I know in diverſe Courts, ſcandals have their juſt cenſures: but how if the Courts themſelves admit of ſcandals? By the Law of quittance, he that accuſeth another of crimes which blemiſh his credit, and cannot prove them; ſhould undergoe the puniſhment due to ſuch an offence.Act. 18.16. Gallio drove the railing Iewes from the Iudgement ſeat: he knew they had more malice than matter: a rare example! Thus Lawyers often hunt a man at his forme, and leave the cauſe at loſſe. A Captaine of Darius hearing a mercenary ſouldier raile upon Alexander, ſtroke him with his Iavelin: Ego te ut pug…s; I hired thee to fight againſt him, not to raile againſt him. Let Advocates plead the cauſe, not Petere adverſarium, inveigh againſt the adverſe party.
The great injuſtice of the world is oppreſſion; that dothaPſal. 10.9. raviſh the poore, not of their bodies, but of their eſtates. The hard heartedbLuk. 10.32. Levite did but paſſe by, without ſuccouring the robbed paſſenger: it is wicked miſerum relinquere, but worſe miſerum facere. If the Levite be taxed for not helping him, what is their puniſhment that rob'd him? Such are depopulaters, ruining people to feed beaſts that where before men devoured ſheepe, now ſheepe devoure men. This hath beene an old diſeaſe, complained of by our fore-fathers: there were oppreſſors in their dayes, but the ſucceſſors of them are now worſe. Antigonus was a Tyrant bad enough; yet being dead, and a more cruell one ſucceeding him: a Cynicke fellow falls every day a digging by the high way. The paſſengers asked him what be digged for: he anſwers, Antigonum refodio, I would have Antigonus againe. Rehoboams government made them ready to ſay, God be with Salomon. 1 King. 12.This cauſed the poore widdow, an old Tenanteſſe, ſo to pray for the life of her young Land-lord, who had now the third time racked her rent. This he hearing, demanded the reaſon why ſhe ſhould ſo bleſſe him, that had ſo curſed his father; ſeeing that he (in his modeſt phraſe of oppreſſion) had improved her rent. She anſwered; when your Grandfather dealt hardly with us, we wiſh'd him in his grave, hoping for ſome goodneſſe in the next. Your father was worſe than hee; ew longed to bee rid of him, our hopes looked on you; now you are the worſt of all. And ſeeing by experience, ſeldome comes the better, we deſire to keepe you ſtill: for certainely when you are gone, the next will be the Devill himſelfe. Innumerable other be the demonſtrations of Injuſtice; as the wicked borrowes, and payes not againe: the ſword-man wounds the Image of his Maker: the tradeſman abuſes the ſimplicitie of his cuſtomer: the laſcivious corrupts the wife of his neighbour: theſe be capitall unrighteouſneſſe, that bring men to Iudgement.
3 To a mans ſelfe: ſo is the unthrift, that ſpends himſelfe into povertie by pride and luxurie. His father went to hell with Carrets, and he followes after with Potatoes: out of a laborious ſilke-worme riſes often ſuch a painted butterflie. The drunkard is unjuſt to himſelfe; hath bloud, and he fires it; ſpirits, and he choakes them; drownes himſelfe on the dry land. So is the envious, that loſeth the ſweetneſſe of his owne, by grudging at his neighbours; that grinds himſelfe to powder with his neighbours milſtones: anothers fatneſſe ſhal keep him leane: and not being patient to tarry ſickneſſes leaſure, or (which is more diſpatching) his Empirickes; ſoone dies of the ſullens. The covetous of the unjuſt to himſelfe; what he ſhould adde to the content of his nature, he addes to the continent of his treaſure. It grudgeth his heart, that his heart ſhould have any good. If his body be not kept pining, his mind is repining. A ſecret and ſore Iudgement; that he who is unjuſt to all others, ſhould be moſt unjuſt to himſelfe. When pride, or luſt, or miſ-affection calls for the purſe; it is ready: let the ſoule call for it; that coſt may be ſpared. While you deny your ſelves for a whole yeare the body and bloud of your Saviour, are you not unjuſt to your ſelves? While you heare Sermons, the food of your ſoules, as if you had no ſtomach to them; your are more unjuſt to your ſpirituall life, than hee that wilfully famiſheth himſelfe, is accountable for his owne death. Oh heare your conſciences in time, and comfort them, leſt they be never able to comfort you.
Thus you have heard the nature and ſpecifications of Injuſtice; now looke upon the continuance of it; for ſo much the word imports. God will not caſt all ſinners into hell, who then ſhould goe to heaven? but the unjuſt: ſuch as practiſe unrighteouſneſſe without any recovery of repentance.c1 Cor. 6.9. Eph. 5.6. The unrighteous ſhall not enter into the kingdome of heaven: it is the continuance in ſinne that excludes from merciemercy. Two things throw men to perdition, without the intervention of extraordinary favour; malice in ſinne, and utter apoſtacie. Theſe be the ſymptomes of that endangered diſeaſe, for which there is no balme in Gilead; we call it the ſinne of the Holy Ghoſt. Not that it is againſt the third Perſon, as he is the third perſon, more than againſt the firſt or ſecond: but becauſe it is againſt the function or operation of that perſon, whoſe office is to illuminate the mind, and mollifie the heart with love: therefore himſelfe is called love. dHeb. 10.26.If men ſinne wilfully after that they have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more ſacrifice for their ſinnes: becauſe they maliciouſly have ſacrificed their ſacrifice, and ſplit the only veſſell that ſhould ſave them.e1 Sam. 3.14. The iniquity of Eli's houſe ſhall not be purged with ſacrifice for ever: never expiated.f1 Ioh. 5.16. There is a ſinne unto death, I doe not ſay he ſhall pray for it. Every ſinne is unto death, but this Emphatically; with a prohibition of interceeding ſet upon it; like the flaming ſword that kept Paradiſe; Pray not for it. Schoolemen give this reaſon, why the ſinne of malice is unpardonable. The defect may find remiſſion, where the will may pretend feare of exceſſe. A ſinne of ignorance is often forgiven, as wasg1 Tim. 1.13. Pauls; becauſe a man may affect too much knowledge; as Adam did. A ſin of infirmitie is oft forgiven, becauſe a man may affect too much power and dominion, as did the Angels. A ſinne of carnall feare is often forgiven, becauſe a man may affect too much zeale; as did two of the Apoſtles. A ſinne of partialitie is oft forgiven, becauſe a man may affecthEccl. 7.16. too much Iuſtice. But not a ſin of malice, becauſe a man can never affect too much charitie.
No leſſe doth Apoſtacie and falling off from God; Totus, a toto, in totum. A man may ſin beyond all comfort in his owne conſcience, till he cannot hope for himſelfe; as did Iudas. Beyond all intereſt in the Churches devotion, till their prayers cannot helpe them:iIer. 7.16. Pray not thou for this people. Beyond all claime to Chriſts ſatisfaction; the bloud of the Lambe ſhall not helpe them, Mat. 12.31. That which makes this ſin paſt all cure, is, becauſe it ſtrives againſt the cure: as a mad man wounded, will not ſuffer his wounds to be bound up, but rather ſeekes to wound the Chirurgion God hath mercy upon ſinners, Chriſt came to call and dye for ſinners, there be none now in heaven but they were once ſinners; which of all the holy Patriarchs, bleſſed Apoſtles, can excuſe themſelves that they never did act unjuſtly? But Injuſtice was none of their trade; they did not live in it, not dye in it. Zacheus was once unjuſt, but he teſtified his repentance by charity and reſtitution. But they that practiſe unrighteouſneſſe to the end, in the end ſhall finde judgement.
Are reſerved.] This is the binding over: God puts off many wicked men from the Quarter Seſſions, to the great Aſſiſes. There is a Reſervation that tendeth to good: as in the danger of wrack, much luggage is throwne over-boord, the precious things are reſerved. In the generall ſlaughter of Amalek, Saul reſerved Agog. kEſa. 1.9.Vnleſſe the Lord had reſerved a remnant, we had beene as Sodome. But here is a reſervation to puniſhment: whether they ſleep or wake, play or work, ſtand or walke, their time runs on, their judgement is neerer: and they are more ſurely kept unto it, than any dungeon with the thickeſt wals and ſtrongeſt chaines, can hold a Priſoner till his arraignement comes. This reſervation affords us a two-fold collection or obſervation.
1 Wickedneſſe hath but a time, but the puniſhment of wickedneſſe is beyond all time. The moſt raging ſea of malice hath the bounds, the uſque the devill himſelfe knowes that he hath but a ſhort time. Stay till the Amorites ſins be full, then comes their overthrow. The wicked are ſuffered to have their wils upon the righteous, their fils of unrighteouſneſſe; butlPſa. 73.19. How are they brought into deſolation, … in a moment! The manner is ſcarce viſible, the time ſcarce diviſible: H…, and in a moment. Impudent Pharaoh bloudied with this unreſiſted tyranny, can belch our defiance in the face of heaven; Who is God? It is too much honour for man to receive a meſſage from heaven; yet God ſends to Pharaoh, and is repulſed. Humility ſaies, What is man that God ſhould regard him? Pride ſayes, What is the Lord that I ſhould regard him? Thus he domineers for a while; but ere God have done with him, he will be knowne to him, and knowne by him to all the world. He could have ſwept him away ſuddenly, as a man moſt unworthy to live; who with the ſame breath he receives denies the giver of it. But he was reſerved to another purpoſe, he muſt rage a while longer, that his determined confuſion might be the greater. He ſees Iſrael croſſing the ſea, and wonders: yet hath neither the grace not wit to retire. He is angry at the ſea, thinkes not on the Lord: ſees not the plaine difference which he puts betwixt his Iſrael and the Aegyptians. He cannot now either conſider or feare, it is his time to periſh. Faire way he had, and ſmoothly ran on, till he came to the midſt; not ſo much as one wave to wet the foot of his horſe▪ When he is too farre to eſcape, then God begins to ſtrike. They know not why, but they wiſh themſelves but againe. Their Chariots grow heavy, when they had done them the ſervice to bring them to their perdition.
Wicked men run not faſter into ſin, than they would run from judgement. But they ſhall find, that it was never ſo eaſie to poſt into tranſgreſſion, but it will be more impoſſible to poſt from deſtruction. Sauls perſecution makes David take many a weary ſtep: he kils the Prieſts, conſults with Witches; what not? Hee hath his day, but in meane time is reſerved to the Lords day: the battell in Gilb…b ſhall pay for all. The people are ſlaine before his face, his ſons fall under the ſwords of uncircumciſed enemies, and the laſt ſcene of that tragicall field is reſerved for Saul himſelfe. GOD is long ere he ſtrikes, but when he doth, it is to purpoſe. The wicked man is not halfe ſo ſure of tranſient pleaſures, as he is of permanent plagues. Sin ſerves him as Abner did Iſhboſheth; put him on the challenge of the Kingdome, and there leave him miſerable: or as Tamberlaine helped Coſroe to the Kingdome of Perſia, and then tooke it away againe. It is like a boyes ſquib; flaſhes, and cracks, and ſtinkes, and is nothing. It ſerves him as Iael did Siſera; he asks water, ſhe gives him milke: he wiſhes ſhelter, ſhe makes him a bed: he begs but the protection of her Tent, ſhee covers him with a mantle: ſhe gives more than hee askes, but withall, more than he expects. When his troublous thoughts were pacified with the change, and he flatters himſelfe, It is better to be here, than in the whirling of Chariots, in the horror of fight or flight; among ſuch wounds, ſuch ſhriekes, ſuch carcaſſes. But as when Agag ſayes, the bitterneſſe of death is paſt, even then he feeles the ſword: ſo in theſe contentfull thoughts Siſera dies: the terror of Iſrael lies bleeding at the foot of a woman. Doe we ſee impudent ſinners flouriſh, awe the greateſt, confront yea controll Magiſtracy? It is their time, and they take it: doe what miſchiefe they can, anſwer it as they may.mPſa. 37.13. But the Lord l…ghes at him, for he ſeeth that his day is comming. There is a day of reckoning and that day is comming, and the Lord ſees it. He that may reckon with them at any time, will not reckon till that time.
2 The unjuſt are already reſerved, the decree is paſt againſt them. They are bound over to the laſt Aſſiſes by a threefold recogniſance, as it were with infrangible, though inſenſible chaines of Iudgement. The bond of their ſins, the bond of their conſcience, and the bond of omnipotent Iuſtice: and this threefold cable is not eaſily broken.
The firſt bond is their ſins;nProv. 5.22. He ſhall be holden with the cordes of his ſinnes. His owne ſhackles ſhall hold him faſt enough, he needs no ſtronger chaines than thoſe he makes for himſelfe. It may be asked the ſinner, what he meanes to make his fetters ſo ſtrong? Saul was ever from the beginning his owne enemie; neither did any hands hurt him but his owne. At laſt, his death is ſutable to his life; his owne hand payes him the reward of all his wickedneſſe: he that had beene ſo long a killing his ſoule, now makes as ſhort worke with his body; Satan needs not bind a reprobate faſter than he bind himſelfe. The wicked doe not, like temporall malefactors, goe under baile; where it is but forfeiting the recogniſance, and ſcape: for every ſtep they take in ſinne, brings them directly forward to their Iudgement.
Therefore is this bondage called a death: ſin being the death of life on earth, and the life of death in hell. There may be certaine degrees in this ſpirituall dying, as there are in a corporall diſſolution. There is a Syncope or ſwooning, an Epilepſ…e or falling ſickneſſe, an Apoplexie or cold palſey; which if it be to all, is alſo finall. The former are incident to the faithfull, but recoverable by their ordinary repentance: as a man in a ſwoone is reſtored by ſprinkling cold water, or bowing forward the body. The ſecond are greater crimes, deadly ſins; ſo expelling the Spirit of God, that no ſigne of his Preſence appeares. It muſt bee an extraordinary repentance, that recovers theſe offenders: as a man in the falling ſickneſſe, by ſtriving, ſweating, beating of himſelfe. No… they that are in a ſwoune, or foaming under a Epilepſie, are bound faſt enough, they cannot run away yet ſuch fits and fals may be recovered. But when it comes to an Apoplexie, a putrified cuſtome, a rotten obſtinacie in ſin; the grave does not ſurer bind a dead body within her mouldy barres, than theſe bonds of obdurateneſſe enchaine ſuch a ſoule. There may remaine a while ſome ſmale appearance of breath, a little naturall warmth: yet is it impoſſible, without a miracle, to recover that ſpirituall life, which is ſo long, ſo univerſally excluded.