England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 69
COLOS. 1.25.
Whereof I am made a Miniſter.
DIaconos, a deacon] the word is a title given to all ſorts of Officers almoſt, in Gods new-houſe, as ſignifyng that which is behoofull to them all, eſpecially them that diſpence ſoule vitall things, diligence, promptneſſe, ſpeedineſſe. Soule dangers are all deſperate, whats done for reliefe in this kinde, muſt be without delay, or elſe all is eternally loſt; the Baſilisk blaſtes and burnes every greene thing it comes upon, and makes death to every creature in a moment, his poyſon is ſo fiery ſtrong: Satan is ſuch a Serpent; not a Dart hee throwes, but it is ſo fiery, that it's mortall preſently. [In the day] that thou eateſt thou ſhalt die: eateſt what? any of the Serpents poyſon. [Thou] ſhalt die, the long-liveſt creature in the World. [In the day] thou eateſt, (i) in the hower, in the preſent moment, although the long-liveſt creature, the Serpents poyſon will diſpatch thee. Our patients who are ſpirituall Phyſitians, are all poiſoned, ſtrongly poiſoned, their intrailes are afire, our worke is the giving of Antidotes, they muſt be ſpeedy, death is marching ſo ſpeedily and ſo directly to the heart. All this World is afire, it lies ſo neere that below it; every houſe in a blaze; there are ſuch lightnings and blaſtings from that region of darkneſſe, that not a ſoule upon earth but is black burnt, and in danger to be conſumed: they had neede beſtir them that worke about quenching internall flames, which take hold here: this is our worke to quench Hell fire.
Two things are incomparably ſwift in bringing forth, corrupt affection and Divine wrath. The time is ſo little betweene conception and birth, in order to ſinne, that it's not mentioned, Luſt when it hath conceived brings forth ſinne. The Apoſtle doth not ſay that it brings forth in ſo many Moneths, or in ſo many yeares, two yeares or the like, as Hiſtorians ſay the Elephant goes; but when 'tas conceived it fals in travaile preſently, and the ſoule cannot ſleepe till it bee delivered. The wrath of God is juſt ſuch another wombe, conceives and brings forth preſently, internally or externally, upon ſoule or body, or both; a ſparke of fire no ſooner takes, but it burns preſently within the houſe, though you do not ſee all the out-parts of the houſe in a blaze preſently; a houſe is a fire a great while, before all the Towne cry, Fire, fire. Wrath kindled but a little (as the Pſalmiſt ſpeakes) in Gods breaſt againſt any man, it burnes preſently againſt him, though not viſible preſently, it ſulters and takes more and more hold ſecretly, and breakes forth all in a blaze in a ſhorter or longer ſpace, as tempeſts and windes ariſe, and as wiſdome will. Spirituall Offices are ſhaped and injoyn'd in order to theſe nimble bearing wombes: Goe quickly make an atonement, wrath is begun, ſaid Moſes to Aaron. If wrath be begun, as if he had ſaid, I know the nature of it, 'twill quickly make a diſpatch of all, therefore beſtir thee, be a Diaconos, a diligent ſpeedy Officer, take a Cenſer and fire from off the Altar, and put out one fire with another.
The nature of our Office, hintes the nature of your condition, 'tis very dangerous; of a ſudden, ſinners, you are undone: it ſhould be laid to heart. Sinners are damnable venturous, not knowing the wayes of God; they make nothing of ſinne, and yet the wages of it is death, and paid preſently. The ſoule froward and wilfull, of a ſuddaine diſpatched. Say unto the children of Iſrael, Yee are a ſtif-neeked people. J will come up into the midſt of thee in a moment, and conſume thee, &c. Exod. 33.5. Chriſt is our Breath and Life, when reſiſted our Breath and Life departs, and leaves the dead corps to be ſtretched out, coffined and buried, when juſtice will. Chriſt and the ſoule parted, this is death; other things, as laying the man in his Grave, and ſuch like, theſe are but buſineſſes about the Funerall. Sinner, Chriſt woes thee, doſt thou regard him? He tels thee of the Harlot thou haſt in thy boſome: doth thy ſoule riſe againſt him? Why, turn thy face to the wall, draw up thy Legges in thy bed, thou wilt have a death-pull preſently; conſcience will ſting thee ere thou art aware; and now Chriſt is ſetting foot in ſtirrup to be gone, he is now throwing off the duſt of his feete, as a preparative to departure. Chriſt hath put the Knife now to thy throate, yea more, he hath ſtabbed thee to the heart, and thou bleedeſt inwardly, what wilt thou do to ſtop and heale this wound? Didſt thou dreame of a dart in thy heart, ere thou hadſt done thy ſport? to be ſhot from Heaven in the act of ſinne, in the boſome of Delilah?
But 'tis not ſo with mee: though I eate forbidden fruit now and then; yet it agrees well enough with me, it doth not make tumblings and ruptures in my bowels. Death ſeiſeth not upon all alike; ſome goe away in a ſwone. Inſenſibility is the deadlieſt condition of all. Chriſt diſregarded, the ſoule is diſregarded, in the hower that one is the other is; whether it now roare or bee ſtill, all is one, Chriſt is, departed, there is no divine Life in the man; you ſee but a corps, not a Chriſtian, which will be buried out of Gods ſight quickly. The winde blowes where it liſts, how it liſts; of a night, of an inſtant it turnes and blowes againſt one, that was with one, and drives the Veſſell upon Rockes, and ſplits all. A ſinner is nobly and ſweetly intreated for a ſeaſon, this deſpiſed, the old one leaves the neſt, hee cannot hatch what hee ſits upon, and therefore that ſtranger which hath blowne upon the egges, and chilled them with handling, let him ſuck them too now, or teare them, or do what hee will with them. I beſeech you ſinners know your day, your hower: if the Sunne would kiſſe you, kiſſe him; He wooes hartily, yet not in ordinately, as ſome Lovers doe, that will never give over, that die when they cannot obtaine. Chriſt kils others that will not love him, but never kills himſelfe with love; he can of a wooer, become a ſlayer of you, and all in one day, yea in one hower. Wherefore receive that holy word, Luke 12.36. Let your Loyns be girded about, ſaith hee, and your lights burning, and yee your ſelves like unto men that waite for their Lord, when he will returne from the wedding, and when he commeth and knocketh they may open to him [immediatly.] If you thinke out of pride and ſtoutneſſe to make Chriſt waite your leaſure, till you have taken your fill of forbidden things, and gone on as far as ever Nature and Life could let you goe, you will be deceived; Chriſt will in this caſe leave knocking, and only marke the doore, and be gone. Some are hard to vomit, there is ſuch a concinnity betweene the ſtomack and what filth is burnt to the coates of it; twill goe hard with ſuch. Some caſt up preſently as ſoone as nature is offended. So do you ſaith Chriſt, open immediately, what I knock for to be delivered up, deliver it up imediately, I will not waite. Chriſt makes ſhort quick worke in the Earth, when he hath to do with meer earth, that will be no more.