Mixture of Scholastical Divinity with Practical Part 2, Treatise 3 (3 of 3)

Mixture of Scholastical Divinity with Practical Part 2 · Treatise 3 (3 of 3)

p. 226To quicken unto all possible diligence herein I shall propound three motives, and that out of the parable of the talents. 1. The Universality of the accomptants. 2. A specialty remarkable under this universality. And 3ly, The proportion, that shall be observed in the passing of their accounts.

1. The universality of the accomptants: those that have the fewest, and meanest talents must come to an audit for them: he that hath but one talent must reckon for that: to whom God giveth any thing of them he will require something: now God giveth to p. 227all men liberally, Jam. 1. 5. and therefore God expects from all men a gratefull, and plentifull returne: as God hath distributed to every one, so let him walke, 1 Cor. 7. 17. Now God hath distributed to every man some gift, and therefore he hath really called every man unto some worke and imployment: omne beneficium propter officium: you know what Mordecai said to Hester concerning her preferment, Esth. 4. 14. Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdome for such a time as this? and we may apply the saying (mutatis mutandis with due change) unto all ranks, and conditions of men: we may say to the Judge: who knoweth whether thou art come unto the tribunall for such a time as this? to rescue such a poore innocent from oppression, to deliver such a wronged party from injury? to curb such a mighty oppressour? to check such a litigious, and vexatious plantiffe? to represse, and moderate the overbold vociferations of such, and such Lawers, who otherwise would bassle an unconfident witnesse, and puzzle an ignorant Jury? nay we may goe farre lower, and apply it unto those, that move in inferiour orbs: we may say unto a Constable, Tythingman, or Church-warden, who knoweth whether thou art come to thy office for such a time as this? to suppresse such a disorder? to convict such a grandee of swearing, drunkennesse, uncleanesse, profanation of the Sabbath &c. who thinks that his birth, allyance, riches, power, and reputation will shelter, and secure him from all pursuits of Justice? we may say unto a juror; who knoweth whether God hath called thee to serve for such a time, and cause as this? to prevent that partiality, and injustice, which is intended by some crafty, and false companions, who are for the nonce packed into the Iury?

2. Under this Universality there is aspecialty, some whom God will reckon with in a more speciall manner then with the rest of mankind: and they (as you may see in the parable) are Christs own Servants, Matth. 25. 14. the members of his Church visible, those that professe service to him: for their receipts are farre greater then those of Pagans, and infidels: and therefore they shall undergoe a more severe account.

3. Come we to the proportion, that God will observe in this account: he will proportion his reward, not unto the nature, or number of mens talents, but unto their diligence, and fidelity in the use p. 228and imployment of them: well done thou good and faithfull Servant, Matth. 25. 21: not well done thou wise, learned, rich, powerfull, valiant servant. Now a man may be as faithfull over few things as another over many: he that hath but few and meane talents, talents of silver, may be as faithfull a steward of those, as he that hath more, and richer talents, talents of gold: in the parable he that had but two talents, had the same reward with him, that had five talents: and Interpreters give this reason; because there was no unequality in their labour: he that had two talents laboured as much in the imployment of his two, as the other in the imployment of his five; and therefore he, as well as the other, was to be ruler over many things, to enter into the joy of his Lord, Matth. 25. 20, 21, 22, 23.

Inferiour persons may, in their place, glorifie God, and serve their Country, as faithfully, and diligenly, as the justice of peace upon the bench, the Judge upon the Tribunall, the Prince upon the Throne, and therefore may shine out all as gloriously in Heaven: a plaine Country man, that hath but a little knowlege, and meane gifts, may doe his utmost in the communicating of them, and then his happinesse may not come short of that of the greatest Schollar: the Widdow, that cast into the treasury but her two mites, was more accepted with, and shall more bountifully be rewarded by God, than those that threw in farre larger summes, Luk 21. v 1. 2, 3, 4. Mark. 12. 41, 42, 43, 44: for though her talent was smaller, yet her fidelity was superiour, and that, by the testimony of our Saviour himselfe: he, that praiseth God only upon a … instrument, (his authority extending but to his family, and his example but unto his neighbour-hood) may have as thankfull a heart here, and as high a place in the celestiall Quire hereafter; as the greatest Monarch, that praiseth God upon a ten thousand (m)(m)Mr. SamuelWard of Ipswich in his Epistle dedicatory to his Peace offering.string'd instrument, upon the loud sounding Organs; having so many millions of pipes, as there be men, to whom his authority or example reacheth.

But, though God will not proportion mens rewards unto their talents; yet he may be said to observe aproportion betwixt their talents, and accounts; because he expects that mens use, and imployment of their talents should be answerable unto the nature, and number of them: unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: p. 229and to whom men have committed much, of him they will … the more, Luk. 12. 48: and is it not as equitable for God to doe so too? … …, crescunt rationes donorum, faith Gregory; as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every …, … him walke, 1 Cor. 7. 17: where we may observe; that God's call, and man's duty in walking hold proportion with the gifts that God hath distributed; and therefore those, unto whom God hath distributed more, and greater gifts, for them he hath cut out more, and greater worke: men then should make their gifts, and talents a rule unto themselves in working; for it will be a rule, unto which God will have an eye in judging: we should therefore conclude; that we have never done our full duty, as long as we have not done all that we can, as long as we have not laboured with all our …, with all our soule, might, and strength: as every man (saith Peter)**1 Pet. …. 10. hath received the gift, even sominister the same one to …, as good Stewards of the manyfold grace of God: here you see, that our layings out in ministring unto others must answer our Intrado; our harvest must be suitable unto our seed: where God hath sowne bountifully, he will expect to reap bountifully: woe therefore be it unto you, if the accounts you bring in, be not in some reasonable fort proportionable unto your receipts: if thou hast a greater income, a more plentifull estate than others, more raised intellectualls than others; if thou enjoyest more spare time than others; if thou hast a vaster power, and authority than others if thou sittest under a better ministry, conversest with more able, and knowing company than others, and if withall thou doest not doe thy master more service than others; thy stripes will be the more, and thy Condemnation the greater.

A third sort of duties, unto which the day of judgment is a provokementThe third sort of dutis unto which the day of judgment … regards others 1: all men & they are … 1: … the. regards others: and they may againe be subdivided; they respect either all men, or bad men, or ….

1. All men: and they are two; humility towards them, charity in our censures of them.

1. Humility towards them: the day of judgment diswades, 1: from all pride in temporals; because then there will be an utter abolition of them, 2. from all pride in spirituals; because … then, there will not be a perfect consummation of them.

1. From all pride in …; because then there will be an p. 230an utter abolition of them; at least as to the use of putting a difference betwixt men in point of degrees, for before Christ's tribunall there will be no respect of persons, Colos. 3. 25. foreign, that is; there will be no respect of the face, or outward appearance, no regard had unto externals: God will then sentence all men according to their workes; and he will put no distinction betwixt the free and the bond; the most redoubted Emperour, and his lowest vassal; betwixt a Craesus and an Irus; the rich glutton, and beggar Lazarus; betwixt the spruce and complementall Courtier, and the plaine and blunt Peasant; betwixt the learned Criticke, and the illiterate Swaine; the gallant Lady, and the homely milk-maide, her that grindeth at the mill. It would be little better than madnesse for a stage-player, that personates a King, to be proud over his fellowes who act inferiour parts, when he knoweth, that the tiring house and the Conclusion of the play will end all this disparity: and is it not as ridiculous a folly, to pride it over others, in regard of those transitory things, in which the Charnell house, and the day of Judgment will take away all inequality?

2. Our spirituals are unapt fuell for pride; because their full consummation will not be untill the day of judgment: for here, in this life, they will still be defective; and so present a continuall argument for our teares, and humiliation: the Corinthians were enriched by Christ Jesus in every thing in all utterance, and all knowledge, so that they came behind in no gift: but yet, they waited for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. 1. 5, 7. (r)(r)Dutch Annotations.as knowing, that then alone they should be made perfect in all that which was yet wanting to them: indeed, presently upon separation from the body, the spirits of just men are made perfect: Heb. 12. 23. intensively their graces then arrive unto their highest, and utmost degree: but this intensive perfection of their graces doth not extend it's operation, and influence unto their bodies, untill the comming of of our Lord Jesus.

2. Charity in our censures of them (especially if they be professors2 Charity in our censures of them. with us of the same true religion) in our censures of their state, and of their actions: it will be one great torment of reprobates that day to review their miscensures of the Godly: how will it vex them to behold them their Judges, whome by their rash judgment they branded as scelestique hypocrites? how will they be confounded p. 231to heare all their black jealousies of them pronounced to be groundlesse, and injurious? nay the Godly themselves (though their glorifi'd Condition be uncapable of shame and blushing) will have cause to retract their over censoriousnesse: God will then own many Sons, unto whome they would not vouchsase the respect of brethren; they shall meet those, intermix'd wth the Angels in the glorious traine of Christ, whome their uncharitable rigour alwayes condemned unto the pit of Hell, as gracelesse; & shall heare their actions cleared from those crimes with which their bitter, and unjust censures charged them. There be two places, in the Apostle Paul, wherein the day of judgment is used as a reason to dehort from rash, and nncharitable judging.

The first is, Rom. 14. 10, 11, 12, 13: Why doest thou judge thy brother? or why doest thou set at nought thy brother? we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ: for it is …, as I live saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall … to God: … us not therfore judge one another any more. The things, for which the Apostle would not have the weake to judge the strong, as irreligious, and profane, or the strong to despise the weake, (and despising is a kind of judging) as ignorant, and unnecessarily scrupulous in the use of their Christian liberty, were matters of an indifferent nature: and here (to passe ab Hypothesi ad Thesin) we may hence inferre, that in indifferencies, wherein there is no outward and visible failings, we are not to judge or condemne one another, because Christ hath reserved the judicature of such matters unto himselfe, for he alone knows how they are in all particulars circumstanced, and therefore, for us here to be peremptory in censuring is a presumptious usurpation, and invasion upon the royall prerogative of Christ.

A second place is the 1 Cor. 4. 4, 5. He that judgeth me is the Lord, therefore judge nothing before the time, untill the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and … shall every man have praise of God. The Corinthians it seemes had passed a very hasty, and headlong censure upon Paul in comparison of others, and that unto his injury, and disparagement; from them therefore he appealeth unto the unerring tribunall of Heaven: he that judgeth me is the Lord, he alone is my supreame, and infallible Judge, others may take upon p. 232them to judge me, and to call in question the uprightnesse, and the fidelity of my heart in the worke of the Ministry: but, alasse! they have no commission for such an act, and besides, they are utterly unqualified for it, for how little can they peirce into that privy closet of man's soule, the heart, and conscience? hereupon the Apostle dehortes them from the like rashnesse, and precipitancy for the suture, therefore judge nothing, (to wit, that is hidden and unknowne) before the time untill the Lord come, wherein alone there will be a perfect discovery of all secrets: this the Apostle affirmeth: first, in the generall he will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse: some understand the passage only concerning evill actions, because darknesse in scripture is usually taken in an evill sense: but (as Estius well observeth) it else where signifies only privacy, and …, and is applyable to both good and evill actions: for it, he cites two places, Matth. 10. 27: what I … you in darknesse that … ye in light, Luk. 12. 3: whatsoever you have … in darknesse shall be heard in the light: that darknesse is here taken in this latter sense he confirmteth from the context, which agreeth in cómon unto both sorts of actions: he will then bring to light both, he will then manifest the good, as well as the bad … of the hearts: in these latter words he exemplifieth by a particular what he had said only in generall in the former: and he instanceth in, what is inwardest, and secretest in man, the counsels of the heart: mens outward actions lye open unto our view; but the counsels of mens hearts, the purposes, intentions, ends, aimes, and motives whence their actions spring are of themselves invisible, and no created understanding can have of them an immediate, and infallible intuition, and therefore, we must referre them unto the judgment of the last day: then indeed … man (to wit, that hath done well) shall have praise, and his praise shall be proportioned unto the degree of his well doing: They, that will adventure to anticipate the divine retribution, will be very lyable to mistakes, they may, ere they are aware, detract from the most praise-worthy, and crowne those with praises that are of all others most undeserving: that which Paul here speakes to the Corinthians (and in them unto all private Christians) may be pressed, in a more speciall manner, upon publique judicatories, they should judge nothing secret before the time, untill the Lord come: indeed, that which Job professeth of himselfe, Job. 29. 16: the cause which I knew not I searched p. 233out, is the duty of every magistrate: a Judge should doe his best for the bolting out of the most hidden truth, and to search into the bottome of the darkest cause; but, if when in this search he hath proceeded with his most diligent care, and greatest caution, he yet hath no convictive prooses, but only meere … presumptions, and probabilities to guide him, which can beget only a conjecturall knowledge, and that is full of uncertainty, here he may guesse, but cannot properly judge: he, that in this case will peremptorily judge either way, may soon wrong the generation of the upright, & condemne as frequently the innocent as the guilty: the hidden things of darknesse are to be put over unto the final, & infallible judgment of the great day, which will bring them all into the open light.

Proceed we next unto those duties that regard wicked men; and they are two, … from them, patience towards them.

First, we may hence be exhorted unto an estrangement from all unnecessary,Secondly, the duties unto which the day of judgment perswades regarding wicked men are two. delightfull, intimate fellowship with them, not that we may not at all converse with such; for then (as the Apostle saith, 1 Cor. 5. 10.) we must … goe out of the world: such a doctrine hath attendancy to the putting of the world into a mutiny, and the dissolving of all humane societies, our callings, relations: and necessities will many times enforce us to have commerce with the worst of men; but to enter into any league of familiarity, amity, and inwardnesse with persons notoriously; or professedly impious, and prophane1. Estrangement from them. is a thing disagreeable unto that finall separation, which Christ shall make the last day, of the sheep from the goates, the godly from the ungodly, Matth. 25. 32, 33: shall they only be our intimates, and confidents here in this life from whom in the next life we are like to be everlasting separatists? shall they now alone have our hearts, and bosomes, unto whose curse, and condemnation we shall (without God give them repentance) give our vote, and suffrage? shall they have our most intimate, and friendliest conversation, that are as yet the professed enemies of Christ, and his Church? seeing, if they continue so still, we shall in the last day rejoyce, and triumph in their eternall ruine, and damnation.

Unlesse God worke a change in their hearts, after death we shall never come into their company againe; and after the day of judgment never so much as see them againe, and therefore why shall they now ingrosse, if not all, yet the greatest part of our p. 234intimate, and familiar society? betwixt us then there will be an impassable gulph, and that unto all eternity, and therefore why now is there such a nearnesse betwixt us? the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the Congregation of the righteous, Psal. 1. 5: the goates shall not so much as come nigh the sheep, and therefore now the righteous should not stand in the way of …, Psal. 1. 1: they should (as … exhorts) not enter into the path of the wicked, nor goe in the way of evill men, … should avoid it, &c. turne from it, and passe away, Prov: 4. 14, 15.

…, we may hence be exhorted to patience under their injuries, 2. Patience towards the.and at their …, Jam: 5. vers. 7. 8, 9. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord: behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, untill he receive the early and latter raine: be ye also patient, stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, …, lest ye be condemned; behold the Jugde standeth … the doore. Here we have an … unto patience, vers. 7. 8: and a … from the effects of impatience, vers. 9.

1. An … to patience; and this is addressed unto the poore Christians oppressed, and persecuted by the wicked rich, and so much may be collected from comparison of vers. 7: with …. 6: unto which, the illative particle [therefore] carrieth us: ye have condemned and killed the just, and he doth not resist you, be patient therefore brethren; your unjust and unavoidable sufferings are, not only the matter, or object of, but a motive unto patience; ye are just, and innocent, and yet condemned, and killed, and you can make no resistance; therefore be patient, therefore you have need of the buckler of patience, and indeed without it the persecutions, that you are to suffer, will, not only ruine your states, and bodies; but even sinke your soules: the word is, foreign; and (in the margent) it is render'd be long patient, or suffer with long patience; let patience have her perfect worke, (Jam. 1. 4.) let it be parallel unto your sufferings, be as lasting, and as durable as they can be; and with them you must expect no truce here in this life, be patient therefore unto the coming of the Lord, that is, to judgment, untill that time you will dayly meet with matter for the exercise of your patience. In the words there may be both the extension, and the limitation, or restriction of our patience: be patient unto the coming of p. 235the Lord, and when he comes there will be no further need of your patience: indeed, the habit of patience will still remaine, but there will be no objects wherewith to exercise it: the Apostle exhorts, as to patience it selfe, so also to the cause of it, stablish your … (be firme, and unshakeable in the faith:) and be rooted and grounded in love: (Eph. 3. 17.) & in all other practical graces: unsetlednesse in the faith, temporary graces, that have no firme, or deep rooting in the soule, will soone betray a man unto impatience, and unto it's usuall sequele Apostacy: some thinke, that the Apostle urgeth the fortification of our hearts with courage, and resolution, against the most bloody, and violent persecutions, that are one of the strongest temptations unto impatience: Christian fortitude will even steele, and (as it were) harden the soft spirits of women with an all-conquering patience, and enable them quietly, and composedly to encounter such dangers, as a stout Souldier would tremble to thinke of, whereas, on the other side, from the want of spirituall valour, you may expect nothing, but such impotent whining, and puleing language, and behaviour, as expresseth a lower impatience, then a man shall meet with in poore children. Hitherto we have a … of the patience exhorted to, 1: From it's … of the bloudy persecutions of the ungodly rich, …. 6. 7. 2. By it's …, and limitation unto the coming of the Lord, be patient untill then, and afterwards there will be no further tryall of your patience, 3. By it's cause establish your hearts.

In the next … consider we the arguments, by which the Apostle enforceth this his exhortation unto patience, and they … two, 1: A … of it: 2. A promise of reward unto it. 1. A … of it, behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it untill he receive the early, and latter raine, … ye also patient: With a comparison in point of quality, similitude, there is joyned another in point of quantity, a comparison of unequals: so that the argument proceeds, à minori ad majus, from the lesse unto the greater: if husbandmen wait, with such long patience for the precious fruits of the earth, how much more should Christians wait, with all possible patience, for the farre more precious objects of their faith and hope?

But the second argument is more to our purpose, and that is the promise of reward unto this patience in the day of judgment: for the p. 236coming of the Lord draweth nigh, and he when he cometh will recompense your patience with such a glorious crowne, as shall make a whole age of affliction, and misery spent in expectation of it to seeme but a few dayes; as Jac. b's time of service seemed unto him for the love of Rachell, Gen. 29. 20.

The very same motive is used in the next verse to … from the effects of in patience: Grudge not one against …, …, lest ye be condemned, behold the Judge standeth before the …: the latter words are a … expression of the neernes of a thing; so likewise ye, when you shall see all these things, know that it is neare, even at the doores. Matth. 24. 33: the words, read in our translation, grudge not one against another, are in the originall, foreign, and in the margent it is thus varied, groane, or grieve not; to wit, either out of …, or envy. Unto both sortes of groanes, I shall shew how, the neare approach of the Judge is suited, as a disswasive.

1. Groane not against others out of a desire of revenge for injuries received from them; for behold the Judge standeth at the doore: Vengeance is one of God's royall prerogatives, Rom. 12. 19. Deut. 32. 35: and the day of judgement is the time, which he hath set apart in a more speciall manner, for the compleat inflicting of it; God will recompense, when he judgeth his people, Heb. 10. 30. It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you, who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire, 2 Thes. 1. vers. 6. 7, 8: avenge not your selves therefore, but rather give place unto wrath, Rom. 12. 19: and commit your cause unto him, whose insinitenesse will have a more tender resentment of your wrongs, then your owne narrow hearts arecapable of.

No injuries cut deeper in mens spirits, than those of tribunals; for what greater aggravation almost can there be of a man's wrongs, than to have them to be authorized by the abused Law, and cloaked with a pretence of Justice? and yet this is a mischiefe, that sometimes Judges, of the greatest, both ability, and integrity, may be unable to prevent; for unto the administration of Justice there be very many, that have a concurrence; and therefore it may be hindred by the default of the least, and lowest instrument: even as the motion of a clocke will prove irregular, if the least wheele, p. 237or but pin be out of order: alse witnesses may misguide both Jury, and Judge, nay suppose the witnesses give a true, and full testimony, and the Judge be (as the woman of Tekoah said of David, 2 Sam. 14. 20.) wise according to the wisdome of an Angell of God, and discharge his part exactly, in directing the evidence, in recapitulating, selecting, and collating the materiall points of that which hath been said; yet one crafty, and willfull knave in a tame Jury may pervert, or disturbe Justice: but now, against the perjury of witnesses, the unjustice of Judges, Jurers, Counsellers, Attourneys, Clarkes, there is not the poorest wretch, but may enter his appeale unto a Judge, that can neither deceive, nor be deceived, and this should make him in patience to … his soule, and take up such an estimate of the unrighteous, both verdict, and sentence of men, as Paul had of humane unjust judgments in the generall, private, as well as publique; with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment, 1 Cor. 4. 3: in the Greek it is, foreign, of man's day, or a humane day; man's day (by a metonymy of the Adjunct) is put for man's judgment; and it is a phrase taken from ordinary Courts, in which set dayes are appointed for judgment: Hierome thinketh, that it is a forme of speech proper unto the Cilicians, among'st whom Paul first learn'd his Greek, as being borne at Tarsus a City in Cilicia: others take it for a Hebraisme, for with the Hebrewes (say they) the day of the Lord signifies the judgment of the Lord, and so man's day may, in like manner, signifie man's judgment: the like also is in use among'st the Latines, with whom diem dicere, is in jus …: here is an opposition imployed betwixt man's day, and the Lord's day. Paul knew that in the Lord's day he should be acquitted, and so long it was a matter of light moment with him to be condemned in man's day, if a man can say as Job; … hold my witnesse is in Heaven, and my record is on high, why then he is beyond the reach of a slavish feare, or a distempered sorrow; that may arise from the falsenesse of testimonies, from a pack't jury, a Corrupt Judge, an unfaithfull Lawyer, God knoweth thine innocency, and he both can, and will cleare it, if thy cause be just, and yet miscary here, … it unto the Lord, and he will (in his day) bring forth thy … as the light, and thy judgment as the noone-day, Ps. 37. v. 5. 6 … having shewn how prone men are to abuse authority unto oppression, p. 238he comforteth, and encourageth those that are oppressed, with a consideration of Gods future judgment, Eccles. 3 16, 17. And moreover I saw under the Sun the place of Judgment, that wickednesse was …, and the place of …, that iniquity was there, I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the …: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every worke. That worldly power, and authority is no branch of true happinesse, but a meere vanity, the Preacher proves from its being subject to be abused unto wrong, and injustice; for let men have what opinion they will of it, yet, because it is liable to so great a mischiefe, the utmost it can render (if severed from the feare of God) is a glorious infelicity: Now the Preacher observeth, that this abuse of Magistracy was a thing very rife, and usuall; and in all likelyhood he speaks, not only of forraigne nations, but of the Kingdome of Israel, the only Church of God at that time, wherein righteousnesse should, if in any place, reigne, and flourish: not only of the former times under David, Saul, Samuel, and the Judges, but even of the very daies wherein he himselfe lived: he was a very prudent prince, and his peace gave him leasure to looke after the execution of his Lawes; and withall, we may well presume, that his utmost vigilancy, and circumspection were not wanting; but notwithstanding all this injustice too too frequently crept into his very courts of Justice: Moreover I saw under the Sunne the place of Judgment, that wickednesse was there: and the place of righteousnesse, that iniquity … there. The offence is aggravated from the circumstance of place, wherein it was committed; the place of righteousnesse, the place of Judgment: to violate justice any where is naught, but to do it in the Courts of Justice is extremely odious and abominable: for they, by their institution, should be Altars of refuge unto the wronged, and distressed: and therefore, when they prove unto them a rock, against which they split, and ship-… all their hopes, and fortunes, the disappointment of their just expectation, cannot but adde exceedingly to their injury, and vexation: as the Temple was consecrated wholy unto Gods worship, so that no vessell, but what was holy, was to be brought therein: even so places of judgment are to be sacred unto justice, and nothing unjust should dare appeare there: and p. 239if it do the frown of the Judge should soone scatter it. Solomons great Throne (and it was a throne whereon he executed judgment, 1 King. 7. 7. was made of Ivory, and overlaid with the best gold, 1 Kings 10. 18. and this(n)(n)… … … Solomon …, & … justitiae ex … … purissimo ab ducto, in altum … gradibus …, … … huic inde … …. … … magnificentià quid … … …, quàm pretium quo Deus jus, & justitiam … voluit, quàm purgatissima, & … … oportere judicia quae indè feuntur, & …, indignum … ut …, aut plubeae sententiae ex tam augusto loco prodeant, … ū ut ex … suggesto … …, &c. …. (thinke some) was to signifie, that from it nothing was to proceed, but what was white, … Ivery, sound, and uncorrupt, … precious as the best gold: the morall may be applyed unto the tribunals of subordinate Judges; for, let them consist of whatsoever matter, yet their use, and end is not only innocent, white, like ivory, but also …, and glorious, like … gold: and from a throne of ivory overlaid with the best gold, no drosse should be heard, no lead, no sentence of ignorance, no iron, no sentence of violence: hereupon is it (as Mr Cartwright observeth) that the Prophet Esaiah thus describeth the corruption of publique Iustice in Judah, Esai: 1. 22. thy silver is become drosse, thy wine mixt with water (and how he explaineth this Allegorie you may see in the next verse) thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after …: they judge not the fatherlesse, neither doth the cause of the widdow come unto them.

But the Preacher (having shewn the disease of his times, publique unjustice) in the next place points unto the remedy of the wronged against it vers. 17. and that sometimes is only a patient waiting for Gods last judgment, that will review, correct, and redresse all the miscarriages of humane judicatories: I said in my heart God will judge the righteous (to wit, by a sentence of absolution) and the wicked (to wit, by a judgment of condemnation) for there is a time there (that is, with God, in the judgment to come) for every purpose, and for every …: if men be overthrown in one court, and there lie an appeale unto another, where there sits a Iudg of known, and unquestionable uprightnesse and incorruption, they will hopefully, and cheerfully fly unto that other, though the prosecution of their appeale be very chargeable: The lowest vassall, that is upon the … of the earth, hath liberty to appeale, from the highest court upon earth, unto one that is far higher, that which the Lord will hold in the day of judgment; the pursuit of thy appeale thither will cost thee nothing, but thy teares, & prayers; & there, God will Iudg over thy cause again, p. 240& do thee all the right, that thou canst desire, & assurance of this should (one would thinke) exclude, all excesse of sorrow, faintnesse of courage, and despondency of spirit for the misiudgings of the highest of men: If thou seest the oppression of the poore, and violent, perverting of Iudgment, and Iustice in a Province, … not at the matter: for he that is higher then the … regardeth, and there be higher then they, Eccl: 5. 8.

2. Groane not against the wicked, out of envy at their prosperity in this life; for, … the Iudge standeth at the doore, and when he cometh, men will diseerne, … the righteous and the wicked, between him that … God, and him that serveth him not, Mal. 3. 18. The Lord knoweth how to reserve the unjust unto the day of iudgment to be punished, 2 Pet. 2. 9. and their punishment then shall be such, as shall throw them below all envy: it will then be plainly seen, that innocent Paul, at the barre, had no reason to looke with an envious eye at his uniust Iudge, Felix, upon the tribunall: that Lazarus the beggar, in his rags, … of sores, and wants, had no ground to repine at the pompous attire, and sumptuous fare of the rich glutton: that the poore Martyrs, in their deepest, and darkest dungeons, loaden with irons, and chaines, upon the rack, in their greatest tortures, at the stake, amidst their flames were in a farre happier condition, than their cruell persecutors in the height of all their power, pomp, and glory: the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning (to wit, in the resurrection) Psal. 49. 14. here the wicked flaunt it, domineer, and tyrannize it over the godly: but these, in the last day shall enjoy a full victory, and triumph over them: Ye that feare my name shall tread down the wicked (saith God, in the Prophet Malachie) for they shall be … under the soles of your seet, in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of Hosts, Mal. 4. 3. Now they trample, upon the godly and make up the upper end of the world: but then, they shall be the vilest, and most contemptible of men: they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet to tread upon: the present selicity of the wicked was a great stumbling block even unto a David, untill he went into the Sanctuary, then he understood their end, Psal. 73. 2. 3. 17. when he understood their end, their novissima, what happened unto them after death, and judgment, this calmed, and composed his p. 241spirit: for then he saw, that they were not to be envied in their highest glories.

To goe unto the last sort of duties: to wit, those which regard good men, both ordinary Christians, and Ministers, and they are two. 1. The reall expressions of a cordiall love of them in …. 2. All actions of Christian Communion with them in particular.

First, the day of judgment should provoke unto reall expressions A third sort of duties unto which the day of judgment perwades, regards good men: and are two.of a Cordiall love of them in generall: In the prayer of the Apostle for the Thessalonians (in the 1 Thes. 3. 12, 13.) you may observe: that growth in this love will be attended with such an unblameable holinesse, as will stand before God at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: the Lord make you to increase, and abound in love one towards another, and towards all men, even as we do towards 1. Reall expressions of a cordioll love of them in generall.you: to the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holinesse, before God, even our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints.

Now love, is not sincere, unlesse it be fruitfull and expressive; and the very omissions of the expressions of charity will be, by Christ himselfe, put into the bill of endictment against reprobates in the day of Judgment, Matth. 25. 41, 42, 43, 44, 45. and therefore, much more, their injurious, and cruell acts of persecution, and oppression of them: men dare not affront, and wrong those, that are neare in place, and favour unto a Judge, before whom they are to be tryed for their lives: the generall tryall, at the last day, will concerne mens eternall life, and happinesse, and unto the Iudge Christ Iesus none are so nearly related, as the Godly; for they are his servants, favourites, intimates, members, spouse, and …: and yet, there are none among the sons of men, that have so much contempt, so many, and so great injuries, and abuses heaped upon them, as they: nothing so much distasteth carnall men, as strictnesse in the service of Christ; nothing amongst them exposeth unto so much scorne, and obloquie, as to be a faithfull Embassadour unto Christ: and is not this an evident argument of disesteeme of, and disaffection unto his person, and office? the guilt hereof may sufficiently instruct such malignant enemies, that they are not to expect any good, or favour from him, when he shall sit upon the throne of his glory in judgment. John Damascene relates this following story of a certaine great and powerfull p. 242king,ooQuidam Rex … … & gloriosus: & … est procedente illo in curru deaurato cum … …, obviasse illi duos viros, … & sor did is indutos …, attenuatos …, & pallidas facies habentes. Rex aute millico cognovit eos …, & exercitii sudoribus … … …. Ut ergo vidit illos, … … decurru, & in terram procidens, adoravit & surgens … est eos, & … osculatus. Magnates vero illius, ac proceres de hoc valdè … sunt, … cum fecisse indigna … gloriâ, non tamen ausi illum in … reprehendere, … fratriejus suggesserunt, ut … loqueretur, ne … … … tantam inferret contumeliam. Qui cum … ista dicerer, & regis inutilem, (ut sibi videbatur) humiliationem …, ei … responsum dedit, Quod tamen … non intellexit. Consuetudo autem erat illi Regi, quando … … contra aliquem …, praeconem ante januam illius cum tuba … officio deputatâ mittere, cujus voce … … mortis reum illum existere. Vespere … veniente, misit Rex buccinam … tubicinare … … domus … sui. Ut ergo audivit ille tubam mortis, de suâ salute … & … nocte sua disposuit. Summo vero dilutulo nigtis, ac … … vestibus, cum uxore, & filiis pergit ad fores …, …, & lugens. Quem Rex ad se ingredi fecit, & videns eum ità lugentem, ait illi, O stulte, & insipiens, si … sic … … germani … tui ad versus quem … … deliquisse cognoscis: quomodo mihi reprehensionem intulisti, qui in humilitate …, & osculatus sum praecones Dei mei, sonorabiliùs tubâ mortem mihi significantes, & terribilem Domini occursum cui multa & magna … … … …? … denique tuam arguens insipientiam, isto usus sum modo. … … & … qui te ad … … reprehensionem stultitiam omnibus mod is aperte arguere curabo. Et ita … … suum domum remisit. In Historia … … de …, & … pag. 280. riding in a chariot overlaid with gold, and waited on by his Royall guard, he met with two Ministers well known unto him, who were very meanly habited and in a poore plight of body: He no sooner saw them but he forthwith leapt down from his chariot and in reverence of them prostrated himselfe upon the ground, and afterwards arising he embraced them, and affectionately kissed them. The nobles that attended him, deeply resented this his carriage as unbecoming the glory and majesty of a king. Hereupon they addressed themselves unto his brother, and he by their instigation tartly admonished him, that in this strange veneration of two such contemptible wretches he had forgotten his dignity, and dishonoured his Crown. The king for the present said little unto him, but the next evening he returned him a reall and sharpe answere. It was the custome of that Country (where the kings power was, it seemes, …) for the king to denounce the sentence of death without farther processe, by a trumpet sounded by an officer appointed for that purpose, so that all the neighbourhood lookt upon him, before whose gate this trumpet was sounded, as a condemned man: when the night came, the king commanded this trumpeter to sound before the gates of his brothers house, who no sooner heard it, but he look't upon it as the messenger of his unavoydable death. And this despaire p. 243made the Remainder of the night … unto him, and all his family. As soone as it was day he went in … apparrell with his Wife and Children unto the Court-gates, … … expecting every minute the Executioner. The King hearing … … elently commanded him to be brought unto his presence; and … … in this mournfull posture, thus he … him: … … … tremble at the trumpet of thy naturall Brother, though thine … be not privy unto any signall offence against him, what a … part then was it in thee to reprehend me for … … and reverentiall salutation of the trumpets of my great God, which … me unto his tribunall, that is insinitely more …, than mine, seeing mine heart is conscious of great and in numerable transgressions against him. There was doubtlesse an imprudent excesse in this action, which I may excuse; but shall not undertake to justify, much lesse shall I presse to the practise of the same. God forbid, that any Protestant minister should accept so profound a respect from the people of his Congregation: But yet however the example may make those blush, (if their cheekes were capable of such a colour,) who have the ministers of Jesus Christ, by whom God will judge the secrets of men in such an horrible contempt, as that to use the expression of Job in another case; They disdaine to set them with the doggs of their slocke, Job. 30. 3.

Secondly, we may from the day of judgment be pressed unto all obliged acts of communion with them, let us consider … another, to prevoke 2. All actions of Christian communion with them in particular.unto love, and to good workes: not for saking the assembling of our selves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another, and so much the more as ye … the day approaching, Heb. 10. 24, 25: here the Apostle call's upon the Hebrewes for both private, and publique acts of Christian Communion; and he makes the neare approach of the day of judgment a speciall incentive unto both.

1. It is an incentive unto private acts of Christian communion; let us consider one another to provoke unto love, and to good workes; … one another, and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching; for, when that day cometh, it will be to no purpose to exhort one another; and therefore as the …, chap. 3. vers. 13: Exhort … another dayly, whil'st it is called to day: what the … speakes of exhortation, I may say of private prayer for one another pray for one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching; p. 244for, when that day cometh, prayers for one another will be in vaine, the efficacy of the prayer or petition is proper unto the time of this life, now the effectuall … prayer of one righteous man … much, and that for others, … 5. 16: but … the prayers of millions will be of no availe.

2. VntoUnto publique acts of Christian communion; not forsaking the assembling of our selves together, as the manner of … is: and so much the more as you see the day approaching. At that day all the Saints will concurre unto the making up of the generall assembly and Church of the first borne, Heb. 12. 23: and therefore, why should any of them, that live here together, forsake the assembling of themselves together? then they shall for ever associate in the praises of God; and why then shall they not in the interim joyne in all other parts of God's worship? and walke hand in hand together, friendly, and fruitfully in all the ordinances of Christ? then shall there be a perpetuall, and uninterrupted union, and communion betwixt them; and is it not a thousand pities, that there should be in the meane time betwixt them a separation? then they shall all stand together in one … at the right hand of Christ; and why now should there be such distances, and divisions betwixt them? nothing shall then breake off that happy fellowship, in which they shall everlastingly embrace one another; and what is there now then, that should make them to refuse to reach out to one another the right hand of fellowship? O beloved! the animosities, sidings, factions, schismes, and bandings, that are among st Protestants (betwixt Lutherans, and Calvinists; Presbyterians and Independents; and betwixt both, and some moderate persons for Prelacy) are unmeet qualifications for that blessed unity, agreement, and harmony, which shall be betwixt all the Godly at the day of judgment, and from that unto all …: there is nothing almost more opposed unto this communion of Saints, then their condemning, and … one another: and from both those the Apostle dehortes upon the account of the generall judgment, Rom. 14. 10, 11, 12, 13. But why doest thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ: for it is written. As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall … to me, and every tongue shall confesse to God. So then, every one of us shall give account of himselfe to God; let us not therefore … one another, any p. 245more. Why doe Christians judge one another, seeing they shall all be associated with Christ, as assessors in judgment? why doe they set at nought one another, seeing they shall all stand upon the same levell before the judgment seat of Christ? and at this generall appearance; the weake must give an account, for judging of the strong, and the strong for their despising the weake; and both for their rending the Church of God, and disturbing the peace thereof: however their persons may be acquitted, yet their actions shall be condemned, and discovered to be nought. Contests between brethren are very unsutable unto their worke in the day of judgment; for then they shall all joyne in the worship of God: as I live saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confesse to God, vers. 11: and unto this sacred conjunction how unfortable is it for them here to be snarling one at another, to be judging and despising one another?

There is another opposite of Christian fellowship mentioned by James; and his dissuasive from it is, the nearnesse of the great Judges coming, grudge not one against another, brethren, behold the Judge standeth before the doore, Jam. 5. 9: in the Greeke it is, foreign, groane not one against another, brethren: it is very probable, that he speakes of the dissenting Christians of those times, that went under the names of the circumcision, and uncircumcision: in the two next foregoing verses he exhortes them to patience towards persecuting enemies, and in this he dissuades them from the effects, and fruits of impatience one towards another; to wit, contentious groanes, groane not one against another (out of contention) for behold the Judge standeth at the doore; and he disalloweth all such groanes, and will put an utter period unto them: as he will wipe away all teares from the eyes of brethren, Rev. 21. 4: so he will suppresse all their groanes: we shall all be perfect friends at our journeyes end; and therefore, why doe we fall out by the way? God will reconcile all the brethren at the last day; and therefore it is folly for any of them to jangle in the meane while? they shall not then so much as harbour an ill thought one of another; and therefore why should they now thinke so uncharitably of, and speake, and write so bitterly one against another? that persecuters should condemne, and kill the just is no wonder, vers. 6: but that brethren should thus sigh, groane, and pray one against another, especially p. 246seeing the Judge standeth at the doore, is very strange.

Thus, having seen how the day of judgment is an inducement unto the matter of the forementioned duties; I shall only crave thy patience, Reader, to shew, how it hath the same use, as touching the manner requisite in the performance of them; which standeth especially in foure things; fervency, frequency, sincerity, and constancy.

The two … I shall joyne together: the day of judgment is an aptDay of judgment an inducement unto a due and requisite mā ner in the performance of the forementioned duties which stands first in fervency. motive unto fervency and frequency in the foregoing duties, 1 Cor. 15. 58. Be ye alwayes … in the worke of the Lord; estote eminentes in opere …, as Beza reades it, be ye alwayes eminent, or excelling in the worke of the Lord; for as much as you know that your labour will not be in vaine in the Lord: for, in the day of retribution, he will render unto every man according unto his …, according unto the degree, and measure, and according to the number of his workes: the harvest of our glory will be proportioned unto our seed of grace, and good workes: he which soweth spareingly, shall, reape spareingly, and he which soweth bountifully, shall reape bountifully, 2 Cor. 9. 6: those that out-shine their brethren here in holinesse, shall hereafter out-shine them in …: and this our Saviour2. Frequency expresseth metaphorically, in conformity unto the guise of prudent Princes; who preferre their Servants proportionably unto the degree of their service: he that gained ten pounds, had authority … him over ten Cities; and he that … but five pounds, was placed but over five Cities, Luk. 19. 16, 17, 18, 19.

Thirdly, the day of judgment is an apt motive unto sincerity, because3. In sincerity. then there will be a perfect, and full disclosure of all hypocrisy, and dissimulation; God will then judge the secrets of …; God will then bring every secret thing unto judgment, Eccles. 12. 14: he will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse, the bidden things of …; he will make manifest the counsels of the hearts, 1 Cor. 4. 5: unto this some apply that of our Saviour, Luk. 12. 1, 2, 3. Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is, hypocrisy; for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed, … hid; that shall not be knowne: therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darknesse, shall be heard in the light, and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets, shall be proclaimed upon the house tops: the 2. and 3. verses are (by Cajetane and others) understood of the life to come, to wit, in the day of judgment. The designe of Pharisaicall hypocrites is to cloake, and conceale their p. 247vices, and sinnes with shewes, and professions of religion: but this will be a vaine, and fruitlesse designe; for, in the day of judgment, the craftiest hypocrite shall be unmasqued; his most concealed, covered, and hidden actings shall be displaied, revealed, and made knowne; darknesse shall be no shelter to him, and the greatest privacy cannot prevent detection: what he hath done in darknesse shall be made visible to all the world: his most private whispers, and that in the closet, shall become audible to all the world, shall be as it were proclaimed upon the house tops: he respecteth the manner of the Jewish buildings, which were slat rooft, whence they might speake to multitudes in the streets: the bookes of mens consciences, that were here perhaps clasped, and tyed, shall then be open'd, Rev: 20. 12: and the contents of them shall be plainly legible by men, and Angeis. Ottocar (P)(P)M. Thomas Fuller.King of Bohemia, refused to doe homage to Rodulphus the first Emperour, till at last chastised with war, he was content to doe him homage privately in a tent, which tent was so contrived by the Emperours servants, that by drawing one Cord it was all taken away, and so Ottacar presented on his knees doing his homage to the view of three armies in presence. Thus God at last shall uncase the closet dissembler to the sight of men, Angels, and …, having removed all vailes and pretences of piety, no goat in a …'s skin shall steale on his right hand at the last day of judgment. … relates a story of a counterseit, who pretended that he was … the Son of Herode he was saith he, so like unto Alexander, that they who had seen Alexander, and knew him well would have sworne he had been Alexander himselfe; but he could not deceive Augustus, who by the hardnesse of his hands and roughnesse of his skinne soone found out the Imposture: it is no difficult matter for hypocrites to cheate men with Semblances of piety; but let them not be deceived for God will not (in their day of tryall) be mocked; but will clearly evidence their hypocrisy unto all, by the hardnesse of their hearts, and brawninesse of their consciences: the most discerning eye can hardly peirce into the hypocrisie of some Professors: they may be Virgins incorrupt, and sound in point of doctrine, and opinion, they may be Virgins true, and faithfull unto Christ, by dedication in Baptisme, as also by their voluntary Covenant, nay they may be …-like in respect of their externall conversation, and untainted with the grosser pollutions of the world, they may have lamps of outward, and visible p. 248profession, and they may trimme these their lampes, they may pretend to wait for the coming of the Bride groome, and be reputed to doe so by even the wise Virgins themselves: but the coming of the Bridegroome will make an evident, and through discovery, that they were but foolish Virgins, that they had no oile in their vessels, no saving grace, no sound faith, no unfeigned repentance in their hearts, they had not received an unction from the … one, 1 …. 2. 20: and hereupon, they will be excluded the celestial Bride-chamber, and be disowned by the Bridegroome. QQSed quinque fatuae acceptis lampadibus, non sumserunt oleum secum: hoc est, sumserunt oleum in lampadibus tantum, & non sumserunt oleum secum: hoc est, in … suis ultra illud quod erat in lampadibus: prudentes autem ultra oleum in …, acciperunt in vasis suis. Istae enim cogitaverunt id, quod evenit, scilicet quod oleum lampadum non sufficeret. Illae autem … sunt in … … tanquam sufficiente. Et significatur per oleum testimonium bonitatis, seu charitatis. In hoc differunt operantes bona opera, quod aliqui habent testimonium suae bonitatis foris tantum in ipsis operibus bonis, intus enim non sentiunt se diligere Deum in toto corde, se poenitere peccatorum, quia sunt offensae Dei, se diligere proximum propter Deum. Alii autemoperantur sic bona, ut & ipsa opera … testimonium foris reddant boni animi, & intus in conscientiâ propriâ iplespiritus sanctus testificetur spiritui eorum quòd … Dei sunt. Sentiunt enim in corde toto se diligere Deum, poenitere propter Deum, diligere proximum & seipsum … Deum, & breviter Deum … sibi rationem amandi, sperandi, timendi, gaudendi, tristandi, & breviter operandi intus & extra, hoc est enim oleum in vasis propriis.Cajetane observeth that they had oile in their lamps, but not in their vessells: they could produce, as a testimony of their goodnesse, and sincerity, the blaze of outward good workes: But, alas! this will never passe with God in the day of judgement, as long as there is wanting; in their hearts, and consciences the inward testimony of uprightnesse, and that is wanting in them, they have no oyle in their vessells; for God is not the formalis Ratio, the ground, and principall inducement of their good workes, and duties: they are not performed for his sake, from a love of him, in obedience to4. In constancy and perseverance. his command, and out of respect unto his glory.

Lastly, the day of judgment is a strong and powerfull incentive unto Constancy, and perseverance, and that both in faith and obedience.

1. In faith and the profession thereof: Now we beseech you brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gath ring together unto him, that ye be not soone shaken in mind, or judgment [or from your mind & judgment,] 2 Thes. 2. 1, 2. The Apostle speakes of a particular errour concerning the day of judgment: but, we p. 249may inlarge what he saith unto instability of judgment in all matters of faith whatsoever, & shall glosse the words by these following Scriptures, Eph. 4. 14. Be not children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of …, and cunning crastinesse whereby they lye in waite to …, Heb. 10. 23: Let us hold fast the … of … faith without wavering, Heb. 13. 9. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines, for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace.

But you will demaund why he adjures them hereunto, by the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him?

The reason is, because, when the Lord Jesus Christ commeth, when we shall be gathered together unto him, we shall all then come in the unity of the faith, and knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, Eph. 4. 13: then we shall all attaine a firme immobility in the truth, and for this, not only a revolt or dissent from, but even a doubting or unsetlednesse in any part of the doctrine of faith meritoriously unqualifieth: Christ promiseth when he cometh to make him that overcometh a pillar in the … of his God, Rev. 3. 12: and for such a place in the Heavenly structure how unfit are those, that by every blast of false doctrine are transported from the truth of the Gospel? for every storme of persecution slip anchor and … cable? he that denyeth any parcell of Evangelicall doctrine doth in part deny Christ, and how can such expect, but to be disowned by Christ, when he cometh to judgment? how esfectually this meditation wrought with à Persian Eunuch (one Usthazanes that had been Governour unto Sapores King of Persia in his minority) you may reade in Sozomene, lib. 2. cap. 8: this man for feare denyed the Christian faith, and worshipped the Sun, but was … … by a strange providence: Simcon Arch-Bishop of Seleucia and … was for his constany in the faith drag'd unto … by the Courtgates where Usthazanes then sate, who, though he durst not make any profession of Christianity, yet he could … but arise and expresse his reverence unto the aged Arch-Bishop iu a respective and an honourable salutation, but the zealous good-man frowned upon him, and turned away his face from him, as thinking him for his Apostacy, unworthy of his notice, and acquaintance: this forthwith stroke Usthazanes unto the heart, and … from him store of teares, and groanes: and thus he … with himselfe, p. 250Simeon will not owne me, and can I expect any other but that God should disclaime me when I appeare before his tribunal? Simeon will not speake unto me, will not so much as … upon me, and can I … for so much as a good word or a good look from Christ, whome I have so shamefully betraied, and denyed? hereupon he threw off his rich, and courtly garments, and put on mourning apparrell, and profissed himselfe a Christian, & so, of a Cowardly …, he became a resolute, aud glorious Martyr.

2. The day of judgment is a congruent inducement unto Constancy in obedience: stablish your hearts (saith James) for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, Jam. 5. 8: not only stablish your heads in …, but also stablish your hearts in all morall virtues, graces, and duties; stablish your hearts … in …, 1 Thes. 3. 13: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh; and he when he cometh will give a crowne of life unto all those, and only those, that are faithfull unto death, Rev. 2. 10.

I shall conclude with Heb. 10. 36, 37, 38, 39. For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye … … the promise yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry: Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw backe my soule shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw backe unto …; but of them that believe to the saveing of the soule. The patience here spoken of differs but little from constancy, and perseverance; and it regardes in duties those difficulties, impediments, troubles, and molestations, that deterre from them, and tempt unto a desertion of them: these are so many, and great; that patience is necessary unto every Christian to keep him from backsliding: and this patience must be an active, and diligent patience; ye must doe the will of God; and without this patience there is no receiving of the promis'd reward; ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise: for the promise runs conditionally, upon condition we patiently persevere: God will render to them, who by patient continuance in well doing, seeke for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternall life, Rom. 2. 7. But now they may be ready to object, that the promise would not be fully accomplished untill the day of judgment, and that was a great wayes off, unto this Paul answers, that Christ's coming was neare at hand, if (R)(R)Cornelius Alapide.the distance were measured. 1. By God's eternity. 2. By Christ's vehement, and most intense desire to deliver, p. 251and reward all his people in the due, and appointed time: and this now he expresseth affirmatively, and ….

1. Affirmatively, and that, by a double Hebraisme.

1. By a double diminutive, foreign, that is a very little while: and the same thing is intimated by another gemination in the like imutation of the Hebrew, foreign, … … (S)(S)Adhucenim modicum aliquantulum; qui venturus est, veniet, & non tardabit. Occupatio est in his verbis. Nam dicere …: … … …: … … ad … nobis … in longum dilata promissio. Quibus obviat Apost. adducto Prophetae … quo doceat revera non longum esse tempus promissionis dilatae, sed brevae & modicum … quidem verba Apost. sunt; Adhuc enim modicum, aliquantulum. Pro quibus … …; foreign, i. e. Adhuc enim modicum quantum quantum. In hâc geminatione quaedam … est …. Nam Hebraei, … de quà sermo est, intendere volentes, gem. nant vocabulum, ut Psal. 86. Homo, & homo natus est in eâ, i. e. multi …, … post alios, in … nati sunt, & Gen: 17. secundum LXX. multiplicabo te valde, valde, & 30. Crevit vir valde, valde. Pro quo Hieronymus priori loco, … nimis: & posteriori, … modum. Tale etiam est illud Salvatoris, Amen, Amen, dico vobis, i. e. certissi … vobis …. … nunc Apostolus dicendo, modicum quantum quantum. Significare voluit tempus valde modicum: &, ut noster bene …, aliquantulum: ut Erasmus, temporis perpusillum: ut Anselmus legit & exponit, quantulum. Hieronymus autem dixit, Adhuc enim paululum modicúmque &c. … verba posteriora, qui … est veniet, & …, usque ad illud, Non autem, … sunt ex Habacuc …, cap. 2. juxta versionem, LXX. sed ordine sententiarum mutato. Nec … his, quod ad sensum attinet, discrepant Hebraea licet in verbis nonnulla sit diversitas, quam nos …. At primum pro … quod hic secundum, LXX, legitur, qui venturus est, veniet, in Hebraeo est, veniens veniet: vel, veniendo veniet. Quâ phrasi constat Hebraeis significari, … rei …, vel certitudinem, vel …, vel imperium, vel vehementiam, vel quid simile. Est enim phrasis cognata ei, de quâ paulò ante locuti sumus. Exempla passim obvia sunt, ut visitans visitavi vos. Exod. …. Expectans expectavi Dominum, Psal. 37. Gaudens gaudebo in Domino, Isa. 61. &c. Usus est & Lucianus Graecus in dial: … Videns equidem vidi. Hoc … loco apud … certitudo significatur: ut sensus sit, Omnino, & procul dubio …. Sciendum est autem in Graeco legi foreign cui Apostolus articulum praefixit foreign. Qua periphrasi Mesias designari solet. Ille nimirum qui venturus expectabatur, ut Matth. 11. Tu es qui venturus es?Ps 86Ps 37Isa 61Matt 11He that cometh will come, he will come as certainely as if he were come already, but, because flesh and blood, out of impatience, is apt to thinke, that the time is very long, he contents not himselfe with a vehement and earnest affirmation, that Christ will come shortly, and speedily, but goes yet further to put the matter out of all doubt by denyall of the contrary, and will not (T)(T)Quod sequitur, & non tardabit, hunc sensum habet: Non differet adventum suum ultra tempus constitutum. Tardat enim, non qui … non veniet: fed qui procrastinat ultra condictum. … dictum est à B. Petro secundo Epist. tertia. Non tardat Dominus promissionem suam, &c. …. 22. Decimas tuas, & primitias non tardabis … id est, reddes eas suo tempore. Aliud igitur est, tardare, aliud moram faccre: Nam … non tardet Christus, moram interim facit. Hoc enim praecedit apud eundem … Simoram secerit, … eum. Estius in loc.tarry, that is (as p. 252Diodati upon the place) beyond the time, which God hath prefixed, and beyond the tune as shall be necessary for the Church.

But, though Christ's coming be neare at hand in the above mentioned respects, yet in it selfe it is a long time off: and what shall poore and persecuted Christians doe in the meane while? why the Apostle tel's us (out of the Prophet Habakkuk) that untill that time the just shall live by faith, faith in the promise of Christ's coming will sustaine, and support the soule, and make to walke cheerfully and comfortably, But, one the contrary, the condition of the Apostate is very sad, and uncomfortable.

For. 1: he incurreth the hatred of God. if any man draw backe my soule shall have no pleasure in him, in the words there is a Litotes, so that more is understood, then is expressed: by the denyall of God's complacency, is signified his hatred of, …: so that it is, as if he had said; I infinitely detest, and abhorre all back-sliders: a slavish feare of the wrath of man, is that which makes many Apostates; but such shall find in the day of judgment; that the hatred of their Judge will be more dreadfull, than that of their most potent persecuters; who without repentance, will, as their fellow-prisoners, be arraigned with them at the same barre: men thinke, by their sinfull compliances with the times, to procure the favour, and approbation of great men; but, alasse … this is but a sorry designe, for withall they pull upon themselves the dislike of Jesus Christ: the foolish Virgins, whose lampes goe out, shall be rejected by the Bridegroome, Matth. 25. v. 10, 11, 12: and what good will the countenance of Princes doe a man, if he be rejected, and condemned by the Judge of all the earth.

Thou mayest by thine unconstancy preserve thy state, and the life of thy body; but then thou runnest upon the assured ruine, and destruction of thy soule: we are not of them, who draw backe unto perdition; all that draw backe, draw backe unto perdition: so that we may say of all Apostates, that are finally impenitent, what the Apostle speakes above, v. 26. 27: of the highest ranke of them, such as sinne against the holy Ghost, there remaineth no more sacrifice for their sins, but a … fearfull looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devoure the adversaries.