Eighteen Choice and Useful Sermons, Sermon 18
The Eighteenth SERMON.
1 THES. 5.2.
For you your ſelves know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night.
THe firſt coming of Chriſt may well put us in mind of his ſecond coming, his coming as a Lambe, of his coming as a Lion, his coming in humility, of his coming in glory. The day of his firſt coming ye know is paſt, and yet ſo paſt, as that we are ſtill to call it to mind, and muſt never forget it: the day of his ſecond coming is yet to come, yet ſo to come, as that it will come we know not how ſoone, and we muſt alwayes expect it. And therefore as it hath been a Cuſtome in ſome Countries, that when they kept a feaſt, after other diſhes, a deaths head was brought in, and ſet upon the Table before the gueſts, to teach them while they were feaſting, to remember their ends: So I thought it not unfit at the time of this feaſt, which we celebrate in remembrance of Chriſts firſt coming, to bring in as it were a deaths head among you, by chooſing ſuch a Text as may put you in mind of his ſecond coming at the day of judgement, becauſe that is a day which is alwayes to be expected: whereof the Apoſtle in the words which I have read, gives a double Reaſon.
Firſt, becauſe it is certain, that this day is coming. For you your ſelves (ſaith he) know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes.
Secondly, becauſe it is uncertain when it will come. For it ſo (ſaith he) comes as a thief in the night, whoſe coming is uncertain, and upon the ſudden. So that the points to be handled in theſe words are theſe, the day it ſelf, and the coming of it, and in the coming of it, that it is certain that this day will come, though when it wil come, it is uncertain. And firſt, concerning the day it ſelf: The day of judgement is here called, the day of the Lord, & ſometimes in the Scripture, the great & notable day of the Lord. It is called the day of the Lord, to put a difference between that day and all the dayes, while we live in the world. While we live in the World, the dayes in the Scripture are called ours. For though all dayes indeed be the Lords, becauſe he made them, as the Prophet David ſaith,Pſal. 74.16. The day is thine, and the night is thine, thou haſt prepared the light and the Sunne; yet in the Scripture they are ſaid to be ours, becauſe they were made for our uſe. Therefore God ſpeaking of the time of mans life, Gen. 6. His dayes, ſaith he,Gen. 6.3. ſhall be an hundred and twenty years. Thus Job ſpeaking of the proſperity of the wicked, They ſpend, ſaith he, their dayes in welthineſſe. Job. 21.13. Pſal. 90.12.Thus David ſpeaking of the uncertainty of this life, Pſal. 90. Teach us, ſaith he, to number our dayes. Thus the dayes while we live in this world, are called ours. But the day of judgement is alwayes called,Eſay 13.7. Joel 2.1. 2 Pet. 3.10. the day of the Lord. So Eſay 13. Behold the day of the Lord comes. So Joel, The day of the Lord comes, and is nigh at hand. So St. Peter, 2 Pet. 3. The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. Thus ſtill it is called the day of the Lord, becauſe though all other dayes be ours, yet this day he hath wholly reſerved to himſelf, to call us to an account of all our dayes. To ſome of us he hath given ten thouſand dayes, to ſome twenty thouſand, to ſome thirty thouſand; and all the dayes from the beginning of the World to the end thereof, he hath divided amongſt us, giving more unto ſome, and ſewer to others; to himſelf he hath reſerved but one day onelyonly, and the laſt of all, yet ſuch a day, as wherein he will call us all to an account, of all things that we have done in all our dayes.
At this day the Drunkard ſhall be called to an account of all the dayes he hath ſpent in drunkenneſſe.
At this day, the idle perſon ſhall be called to an account, of all the dayes he hath ſpent in idleneſſe.
At this day the voluptuos liver ſhall be called to an account of all the dayes he hath ſpent in pleaſure. For this is the day which the Lord hath appointed for the examination of all our dayes. The dayes which he hath given us are dayes of mercy, wherein he offers grace unto all, and invites them to repent: this day is onelyonly a day of judgement, wherein he will execute his juſtice on thoſe that are impenitent. Therefore it is that the time of this life is called in the Scripture, Eſay 49.8.Dies ſalutis, the day of ſalvation, as Eſay 49. I have heard thee (ſaith God) in the time accepted, in the day of ſalvation have I ſuccoured thee. Which the Apoſtle expounds, 2 Cor. 6.2 Cor. 6.2. of the time of this life, while grace is offered. Behold (ſaith he) now is the accepted time, now is the day of ſalvation. But the day of judgement is called in the Scripture, dies irae, the day of wrath,Zeph. 1.15. Zeph. 1.15. That day (ſaith the Prophet) is a day of wrath. And Revel. 6. The great day of the wrath of the Lord is come. And therefore God, who for the time of this liſe, is called by the Apoſtle the father of mercies. yet after this life, when he ſhall judge the World,Pſal. 49.1.2. he is called by the Prophet David, a God of revenge. For be that is ſo mercifull to all in this life, that he makes the Sun to ſhine, and the rain to fall both on the good and the bad; yet after this life, at the day of judgement, he will rain ſnares on the wicked, fire and brimſtone, and an horrible tempeſt, this ſhall be their portion for ever to drink.Pſal. 11.6. We ſee then the reaſon, why it is called the day of the Lord? becauſe in that day he will call us all to an account of all our dayes, that ſuch as in their days have done their own will, might therefore in his day ſuffor his will, & becauſe they would not imbrace his mercy, while he offered them grace, in ſtead of mercy, they might feel his juſtice. His power had a day when he created the World, & all things therein, and by ſpeaking the word made them all of nothing. His mercy had a day when he redeemed the world, by giving his only Son to ſuffer death for man that had ſo highly offended him. And his juſtice ſhall likewiſe have a day when he ſhall judge the World: at which day he will appear ſo terrible to the wicked,Revel. 6.16. that when they ſee him, they ſhall cry to the mountains to fall upon them, and to the rocks to hide them from the preſence of him that ſits upon the Throne, & from the wrath of the Lamb. But all in vaine, becauſe as they in their own dayes might have found life, but would not ſeek it, ſo then in his day, they ſhall ſeek death, but ſhall not find it.
And as here it is called the day of the Lord, Acts 2.20.ſo elſewhere it is called the great & notable day of the Lord, Joel 2.11.and the the great & terrible day of the Lord; becauſe on that day, more great & terrible things ſhall come to paſſe, then ever came to paſſe in the World before. The Prophet Eſay was ſhewed a viſion which did ſo greatly aſtouiſh him, that he ſaith, his heart panted, and fear came upon him, Eſay 21.3.that it made him to ſtoop when he heard of it, and diſmayed him when he ſaw it. What was that viſion which was able to affright ſo great a Prophet? He ſaw the fall of Babylen, how that mighty City, the glory of Kingdoms, as the Scripture calls it, ſhould be overthrown, and all the ſtately buildings thereof ſhould be brought to ruine. But on this day which is here mētioned, there ſhal be a matter which is far more fearfull, not the deſolation of one City or Kingdom, but the finall overthrow and utter ruine of all the Kingdoms and buildings in the World together. For on that day the very foundation of the earth ſhall be ſhaken, ſo that all the buildings thereof from the leaſt to the greateſt ſhall be ſhivered aſunder, and quite overthrown. Though our walls were as ſtrong as the walls of Nineveh, which as Authors write of them, were made of that thickneſſe, that three Carts might go ſide-long together upon them: though our Turrets were as high as the Spires of Egypt, or the Tower of Babell, whoſe top they would have made to have reacht up unto heaven: though our houſes were as ſumptuous as the Pallace of Alcinous, where the walls were of braſſe, the entries of ſilver, and the gates of gold; yet on this great day, if they continued ſo long, they ſhould all be overthrown. For what ſhall be able to ſtand on that day, when there ſhall be earthquakes on the one ſide, and fire on the other, which ſhall overthrow and conſume whatſoever is before them. On that day there ſhall be ſo great an earthquake, as Saint John tells us Revel. Rev. 6.12.14.6. That all mountains and iſtands ſhall be moved out of their places: On that day there ſhall be ſo great a fire all over|the World, that Saint Peter tells us,2 Pet. 3.10. The heavens being on ſire ſhall be diſſolved, the elements ſhall melt with fervent heat, and the earth and all the works therein ſhall be burut up. On that day there ſhall be the greateſt number aſſembled together that ever were. For then heaven and earth, as it were, ſhall meet together, on the one ſide Chriſt and his Angels ſhall come from heaven, thouſand thouſands ſhall attend upon him, and ten thouſand thouſands ſhall miniſter unto him: on the other ſide, ſhall be Adam and Eve, with their whole of-ſpring, even all that have lived from the firſt to the laſt in all ages, from one end of the world to the other in all Countries they ſhall all appear on that together.Gen. 13.16. God promiſed Abraham the father of the faithfull, that his ſeed ſhould be as the ſtarres of heaven, Gen. 15.5.& in number like the ſand on the ſea-ſhore, which ye know is innumerable: yet all theſe in compariſon of that infinite multitude which ſhall be aſſembled together at the day of judgement, are no more then an handfull. For then all without exception, both Jewes and Gentiles, beleevers and infidels, even every one in his own perſon ſhall appear on that day, and not one ſhall be wanting. Therefore, ſaith the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 5.2 Cor. 5.10. We muſt all appear before the judgement-ſeat of Chriſt, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that which he hath done, whether it be good or evill. All and every one, to ſhew the generality, that none are excepted, and we muſt appear, to ſhew the neceſſity that it cannot he avoided. When the King in the Goſpell invited many to the marriage of his Sonne, Luke 14.they pretended excuſes for their not coming, one ſaying, that he had bought a piece of ground, another, that he had bought five yoke of oxen; another, that he had married a wife, and could not come: ſo that of thoſe which were invited, there were many wanting. But no excuſe ſhall be taken at the day of judgement, but as all ſhall be ſummoned to appear on that day, ſo none ſhall be abſent. There ſhall not any be permitted to appear by his Atturney, but all muſt come in their own perſons, and none be ſuffered to put in ſureties. We ſee many times that ſuch as are to come before earthly Judges, do break out of priſon, and eſcape the judgement that ſhould paſſe upon them: but there can be no hope for any to eſcape at the day of judgement, for indeed the whole World, is as it were, Gods priſon-houſe, every part whereof on that day, ſhall bring forth their priſoners.Rev. 20.13. The Sea, ſaith Saint Iohn, Revel. 20. did yield up her dead that were therein, and death and hell delivered up the dead that were in them, and they were judged every man according to his works.
Laſtly, On that day there ſhall a finall ſeparation be made between the godly and the wicked. While we live in this world, the good and the bad, the elect and the reprobate, do live, ye know, promiſcuouſly together. And therefore the Church is compared in the Scripture, ſometime to a floor, ſometime to a field, and ſometime to a fold: to a floore, wherein is both come and chaffe, to a field, wherein is both wheat and cares, and to a fold, wherein are both ſheep and goats.Mat. 25.32. But on this great and notable day of the Lord they ſhall be diſtinguiſht, and an everlaſting ſep… ration ſhall be made between them. For then Chriſt ſhall place the ſheep on his right hand, and the goats on his leſt: the wheat and the corn ſhall be carried into his barn, the chaffe and the tares ſhall be caſt into the fire; the godly ſhall be taken up into heaven, the wicked thrown into hell. And in theſe reſpects, it is called the great and notable day of the Lord, becauſe ſo great and notable things ſhall come to paſſe on that day. And thus much concerning the day it ſelfe.
The ſecond thing to be conſidered, is the coming of |this day; and therein two things are ſet down, that it is certain this day will come. For you your ſelves (ſaith he) know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes. And that it is untertain when it will come, It comes (ſaith he) as a thiefe in the night, Whoſe coming is uncertain, and not known when he comes.
And firſt, concerning the certainty of the coming of this day, Saint Peter tells us of ſome that make but a mock of Chriſts coming, or the day of judgement.2 Pet. 3.3. Know this (ſaith Saint Peter) that there ſhall be ſcoffers in the laſt dayes, Walking after their own luſts, & ſaying, where is the promiſe of his coming; for ſince the Fathers fell aſleep, all things continue (ſay they) as they were from the beginning of the creation. And thus many becauſe the World hath continued ſo long a time in the ſame ſtate, do perſwade themſelves that it ſhall continue ſo for ever, and that there ſhall be no end of the World, nor day of judgement. Theſe Saint Peter in the ſame place confutes by this reaſon, That though the World have continued in the ſame ſtate for a long time, yet it followes not from thence, that therefore the World ſhould continue ſo for ever: for it wa a long time from the Creation of the world till the coming of the floud, yet the world was then deſtroyed by one of the elemente whereof it was made, namely, by water: and ſo though it ſeems a long time till the end of the world, yet in the end it ſhall be deſtroyed by another element, namely, by Fire. And as they who lived in the time of Noah, would not be perſwaded that the world ſhould be drowned, till the floud came ſuddenly, and ſwept them away; ſo the end of the world, and Chriſts coming to judgement, ſhall as ſuddenly come upon unbelievers, while they think not of it. Chriſt indeed, doth deferre his coming in divers reſpects, As that the number of the elect may be fulfill'd, whom God hath decreed from all etermity to call in all ages by the preaching of the Goſpel, till the end of the world, that the patience of the faithfull, who waite and long for the coming of Chriſt may be tried and exerciſed, and that the wicked may be left without excuſe, being forborne ſo long, and having had ſo large a time of repentance.
In theſe reſpects Chriſt defers his coming, but though his coming be deferr'd for a time, yet in the end he will not faile to come, as the Scripture aſſures us by evident teſtimonies, by viſible ſignes, and by inviſible reaſons. The teſtimonies are divers, The Propheſie of Enoch which is alleadged by Saint Jude is plaine and evident,Jude 14.15. Enoch (ſaith he) the ſeventh from Adam propheſied, ſaying, Behold the Lord comes with ten thouſand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all, and to convince all the ungodly among them of all their wicked deads. Where ye ſee the world was no ſooner made, but that the end thereof was preſently fore-told; for Enoch was but the ſeventh from Adam, and yet he propheſied of Chriſts coming to judgement, and that ſo plainly as if he had ſeen him coming, Ecce venit, Behold (ſaith he) he comes. Dan. 7.9.10.So Daniel propheſied of the day of judgement, I beheld (ſaith he) till the thrones were prepared, and the auncient of dayes did ſit, there iſſued forth a fiery ſtream, and came forth from before him, thouſand thouſands miniſtred unto him, and ten thouſand times ten thouſand ſtood before him, the judgement was ſet, and the books were opened. I ſaw (ſaith Saint John) the dead, both ſmall and great ſtand before the Lord, Revel. 20.12.and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which was the book of life, and the dead were judged, &c. Where to ſhew the certainty of Chriſts coming to judgement, he ſpeaks (ye ſee) thereof as if it were paſt, becauſe he ſhall come at the time appointed, as certainly as if he were come already. I might alleadge many other places, wherein the coming of Chriſt to judgement is plainly fore-told. And as the Scriptures have fore-told Chriſts coming to judgement; ſo to aſſure us the better thereof, it hath likewiſe given us many ſignes which go before it, whereby we may know that it will not be long before he come. When the King, ye know, is come to a Town, he commonly ſends his harbingers before him, and when they ſee his harbingers, they ſay the King is coming becauſe they know by the coming of his harbingers, that it will not be long before the King himſelfe comes. Chriſt hath given us many ſignes of the end of the world, and his coming to judgement, which are as his harbingers ſent before his coming: and theſe ſignes which go before his coming, are of two ſorts, either ſuch as go longer before his coming, and are further from it, or ſuch as go but hard before, and ſhall be nigh unto it. Of the former ſort are divers ſignes as the preaching of the Goſpell all over the world, foretold by our Saviour Mat. Mat. 24.2. Theſ. 2. Rom. 11. Luke 17.24. The revealing of Antichriſt that man of ſinne, and ſonne of perdition, fore-told by the Apoſtle, 2 Theſ. 2. The calling of the Jews, fore-told by St. Paul. Rom. 11. The great ſecurity & want of faith which ſhal be found in many, foretold by Chriſt, Luke 17. And many other ſignes which the Scripture mentions many whereof are already paſt, and are fore-runners of the end of the world, and ſhall continue and prolong their courſe till the very day of Chriſts coming to judgement. Of the ſecond ſort are thoſe fearfull ſignes which the Scripture mentions in divers places, as that the earth ſhall tremble, and move out of her place; Mat. 24.29. Acts 2.20.that the ſeas ſhall roare, and make an hidcous noiſe; that the powers of heaven ſhall be ſhaken, that the ſtarres ſhall fall from heaven, that the Sunne ſhall be turned into darkneſſe and the Moon into bloud, before that great and notable day of the Lord come. Theſe things ſhall come to paſſe at the end of the world, and when theſe things come to paſſe, they are evident ſigns that the end of the world is then hard at hand. For like as it is in the body of man, when the eyes waxe dimme, and the ſight failes, when all the joynts waxe weake, and the whole body trembles, it is a ſigne of old age, and a manifeſt token that he in whom theſe ſignes are to be ſeen, is very near his end, and cannot hold out long. So it is likewiſe in the great Body of the world, when the eyes of the world, the Sunne and the Moon begin to wax dim, and their light failes; when the heavens ſhall be ſhaken as it were with a palſie, and the earth ſhall tremble, and move out of her place, as the Scripture ſpeaks, it is a manifeſt ſigne that the world is ending Laſtly, As the Scripture hath foretold the end of the world, & Chriſts coming to judgment, both by evident teſtimonies and viſible ſigns, ſo likewiſe by divers invincible reaſons. For firſt, all other things which the Scriptures have fore-told, are come to paſſe, as namely, of Chriſts firſt coming in the fleſh, of the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, of the diſperſion of the Iows, of the coming of Antichriſt; all which, and many other, as they have been fore told, ſo they have been likewiſe accompliſht: and therefore the Scripture having likewiſe fore-ſpoken of the end of the world, and of Chriſts ſecond coming, they ſhall alſo be fulfilled in their due time. For Gods will is immutable, and what he hath ſaid muſt needs come to paſſe at the time appointed.
Secondly, Gods juſtice requires, that all men ſhould be rewarded according to their works; and therefore that the wicked ſhould hereafter be puniſht, and the godly comforted: We ſee many times that the wicked do perſecute and oppreſſe the godly, and ſuch as are great do wrong the poor, and defraud them of their right, and yet in this world they eſcape unpuniſht: It remaines therefore, that if God be juſt, their judgement is reſerved till another world, that the wicked howſoever they live here in proſperity, may there be puniſht, and that the godly who live here in affliction and miſerie, may be refreſht, and comforted. For it is a righteous thing with God (as the Apoſtle ſaith) to recompence tribulation to them which trouble you, 2 Theſ. 1.and to you which are troubled reſt with us, when the Lord Ieſus ſhall ſhew himſelfe from heaven with his mighty Angels.
Thirdly, If there ſhould not hereafter be a day of judgement, then many ſinnes which have been committed here in ſecret ſhould never come to light, and ſo Gods juſtice in puniſhing offenders could not ſo well be made known and manifeſt; and therefore that hypocrites may be known and diſcovered, and the very thoughts of their hearts, and their moſt ſecret ſinnes, which have been concealed from the eyes of the world, may be laid open, it is neceſſary that there ſhould be a day of judgement, that ſo Gods juſtice may the better appear in their condemnation. I might alleadge other reaſons, but I think it needleſſe, ſeeing the coming of this day is ſo certain, that the Apoſtle ſaith here, You your ſelves know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes.
And therefore I will come to the next point, That though it be certaine that this day Will come, yet when it will come it is uncertaine; as the Apoſtle here ſhews, by ſaying, it ſo comes as is thiefe in the night, Whoſe coming is on the ſuddain, and when it is not expected. Therefore the coming of Chriſt to judgement, is likened by him, ſometime to the coming of the floud that drowned the old world. So Mat. 24.Mat. 24.38. As in the dayes that came before the floud, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, untill the day that Noah entred into the Ark, and knew not untill the floud came, and took them all away; ſo ſhall alſo the coming of the Son of man be. Sometimes his coming is likened to a ſnare. So Chriſt having fore-told us,Luke 21.34.35. Luke 21. of his coming to judgement, Take heed (ſaith he) to your ſelves, leſt at any time your hearts be overcharged with ſurfeiting and drunkenneſſe, and the cares of this life, and ſo that day come upon you unawares: for as a ſnare ſhall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Snares, ye know, are laid for birds & wilde beaſts, while they do not ſuſpect them, they ſecurely ſeek their food, and follow the prey as they uſe to do, and are ſuddenly taken. So ſhall many be at the day of judgement, while they are following the profits & pleaſures of this world, as they are accuſtomed to do, this day ſhall come as a ſnare upon them, when they think not of it. And ſometimes his coming is reſembled to the coming of a thiefe in the night. A ſimilitude which is often uſed in the Goſpell, firſt, by our Saviour, and afterwards borrowed from him by his Apoſtles. Chriſt ſaith, Mat. 24.Mat. 24.43. know this, that if the good-man of the houſe had known in what watch the thiefe would have come, he would have watched, and would nat have ſuffered his houſe to be broken up: watch therefore, for ye know not in what houre your Lord doth come. So Revel. 3.Revel. 3.3. If thou ſhalt not watch, I will come on thee (ſaith our Saviour) as a thiefe, and thou ſhalt not know at what houre I will come. So Saint Peter, 2 Pet. 3.10.The day of the Lord comes as a thiefe in the night: and ſo Saint Paul here, The day of the Lord comes as a thiefe in the night. To ſhew that it will come at unawares, and when it is not expected. A thiefe, ye know, will not come openly to a houſe in the day when men may ſee him, but he will come in the night when candles are out, and men are aſleep, and think not of him. So will the day of the Lord come, it will not come on the ſudden before men be aware, and take them unprovided, when it comes upon them. If then the coming of this day be unknown, this argues their folly, who preſume to ſet down the particular time when this day will come; though our Saviour ſaith plainly, Mat. 24.Mat. 24.36. That of that day and houre knowes no man, no nor the Angels of Heaven, but his Father onelyonly. For other matters God hath revealed in the Scriptures the definitive time when they ſhould come to paſſe. So for the old World to repent before the coming of the floud,Gen. 6.3. Gen. 15.13. Jer. 25.11. Dan. 9.25. he ſet down an hundred and twenty years. So for the Iſraelites to be afflicted in the Land of Egypt, four hundred years. For the captivity in Babylon, he ſet down ſeventy years. And for Chriſt firſt coming, ſeventy weeks.
But for his ſecond coming, he hath not any where ſet down the time but concealed it from us: and therefore for any man to enquire thereinto, as many have done, is but vaine curioſity; becauſe it is not for us to know the times, and the ſeaſons which the Father hath put in his own power. For God hath concealed this day from us, that we might continually expect this day, leaſt it come upon us at unawares. Therefore our Saviour whenſoever he makes mention of his coming to judgement, he wills us to watch, that we may be prepared and ready at the time whenſoever he comes. And indeed great reaſon. If we have a cauſe to be tryed before an earthly Judge, eſpecially if it be in a matter of any great moment, as ſuch as concernes our Land and inheritance, ye know what great paines we will take beforehand, that we may be provided againſt our cauſe be handled, we will ſearch out our records, we will read over our evidences. We will make ready our Witneſſe, and not willingly omit any courſe we can take, that ſentence may be pronounced on our ſide, we have every one of us a cauſe to be tried at the day of judgement, even the weightieſt cauſe that ever was handled, not concerning our Lands or inheritance, but concerning a matter of farre greater importance, even the everlaſting ſalvation or damnation of our bodies and ſoules, and therefore it behoves us continually to watch, and to be alwayes in a readineſſe,Mat. 22.11. Mat. 25.3. that we be not found unprepared, like the gueſt in the Goſpel, without our wedding Garments, or like the fooliſh virgins without oile in our Lamps. To this end we muſt often think of the day of judgement, and remember that whatſoever we do, we ſhall be called to an account of it. Therefore the Scripture doth often propound the day of judgement unto us, and uſeth the ſame as a ſpecial Reaſon, to reclaime us from ſinne, and to move us to repentance.
This Saint Paul tells the Atheniant, Acts 17.30.Acts 17. That God admoniſhes all men every where to repent, becauſe he hath appointed a day, wherein he will judge the world in righteouſneſſe. Thus Solomon tells the young man,Eccleſ. 11.9. Eccleſ. 11. That though he rejoyceth in his youth, and followes the luſt of his eyes, and the wayes of his heart; yet he muſt remember withall, that God for all theſe things will bring him to judgement. Therefore Baſil gives us this Councel, to have alwayes the day of judgement as a Schoolmaſter before us, that ſo we might be kept from committing evil, by having this day before our eyes, as a ſcholler is afraid to do any thing undecent in his Maſters preſence. Damaſcen makes mention of a certain King, who having the day of judgement alwayes in his mind, he was ſo affected with the remembrance of it, that he wholly abſtain'd from thoſe pleaſures & delights, whereunto he had been before addicted. The Kings Brother ſeeing the King to be ſo ſtrangely altered, & knowing withal, the cauſe thereof, willed him not to think of the day of judgement, but to paſſe his time in pleaſure and recreation, as he had done before when he thought not of it.
The King to argue his Brothers folly, cauſed his Herald the very next morning to ſound a Trumpet a loud at his Brothers doore, which was a ſigne in that Countrey, that, he at whoſe door the Trumpet was ſounded, had offended the King, and was therefore to be led to execution.
His Brother as ſoone as he heard the Trumpet, came trembling to the King, and deſired pardon, and promiſed that he would never offend him again. Why ſaith the King, art thou ſo afraid when thou heareſt this Trumpet, and ſhould not I be afraid of that great Trumpet that ſhall call me to judgement? if thou be afraid, becauſe of this Trumpet, of offending me; much more may I by the laſt Trumpet of offending God. And indeed the moſt deſperate ſinner that is, if the day of judgement were alwayes in his minde, ſo that he were wholly poſſeſt with the remembrance of it, it would make him afraid to commit ſinne, and ſo haſten his Repentance, becauſe he may die and be called to judgement, he knows not how ſoone, and if he be impenitent when he dies, he will be found impenitent at the day of judgement. Hic hic amittitur vita aut recuperatur, ſaith Cyprian, In this life the life to come is either loſt or gotten, loſt by continuing impenitent in our ſinnes, or got by repentance. God made this Law, Levit. 25. That if a man had had a houſe in a walled City, and had ſold the ſame,Levit. 25.29. yet he might redeeme it within the compaſſe of a year; but if he redeemed it not within that time, it ſhould afterwards be too late to recover it again, which Origen expounding, he ſaith, that by this houſe is underſtood our heavenly Habitation; that houſe whereof the Apoſtle ſpeakes: We have a houſe not made with hands,2 Cor. 5.1. but eternall in the Heavens: by him that ſells this houſe is underſtood a ſinner, who ſells as it were and forgoes Heaven by his ſinnes, yet ſuch (ſaith he) is the mercy of this Law-giver, that he hath given a ſinner the whole year of this life for the recovery thereof, that what he ſold by his ſinnes, he might redeeme by repentance; which if he redeemed not before the year of this life be ended, it will be too late afterwards. He that repents not till this life be paſt, he knocks with the fooliſh Virgins, when the Gates are ſhut,Mat. 25.11.12. and then he cannot be let in,Luke 16.24. he that ſeekes not for mercy till after this life, like the rich man, he ſhall finde none, no not ſo much as a drop of cold water to coole his tongue. And therefore now while it is called to day, think thus with thy ſelf, God hath ſpared me hitherto, and not taken me away, that I might repent, how long he wil ſpare me I do not know, he may take me away before to morrow, & if he take me away before I repent. Chriſt will condemn me for my impenitencie when he comes to judgement: I will therefore now make a vow unto God, even now before I goe out of his houſe, that I will not ſuffer mine eyes to ſleep, nor the Temples of my head to take any reſt, till I turne unto God by unfained repentance, and reſolve with my ſelf to lead a new life, that ſo I may be ſure not to be found impenitent whenſoever he comes.
FINIS.
End of the text · Benjamin Hinton, Eighteen Choice and Useful Sermons (1650)