England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 65
COLOS. 1.24.
And fill up that which is behind, &c.
THe afflictions of Chriſt are twofold: in his perſon, in thoſe which hee perſonates; the former are accompliſhed, the latter are yet accompliſhing. Chriſts will and himſelfe are one; ſuch as ſtrike his will, any part of this, or any lover of this, would ſtrike Chriſt himſelfe, if hee were now preſent. Chriſt is plaine, hee cals actions as intended, not as pretended. The ſecond Adam names things as the firſt when he ſtood, according to their nature; what is againſt truth, is in the nature of it againſt Chriſt, who ever be the profeſſor of it, and therefore ſo accounted, yea, and ſo openly called. And fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Chriſt.
And fill up] the word in the originall is compounded,foreign. and full of emphaſis; it ſignifies re-action or re-paſſion, the doing or ſuffering of a thing againe, to doe over that which ſome others have done already; readimplere, as one tranſlates. The meaſure of ſuffering, that tendeth to ſatisfie for offence, and ranſome man from the wrath of God, Chriſt hath fild up to the brim; the cup was big, but Chriſt poured out blood enough to fill it: one would have hoped that all ſuffering worke belonging to a Chriſtian, had been done then. No, 'tis not, ſaith the Apoſtle, I doe iterum implere, rurſus implere, fill up againe, the ſufferings of Chriſt. Malice lives ſtill, Chriſt is crucified afreſh in his members: Chriſt doth bleed in my veines afreſh, ſaith the Apoſtle; if there were any drop of blood left behind, when he bled upon the croſſe, now tis fetcht out through my ſides.
How implacable is the fury of man! the fury of God was ſtopped when Chriſt had bled to death, and 'twas not his will that ever Chriſt ſhould die any more, or that any one ſhould die more for Chriſts ſake; but yet the fury of man lives, and that would have Chriſt die over and over, iterum iterumque, againe and againe; 'twould have every houſe pulled downe and burned, that Chriſt gets into: 'twould crucifie his image, his picture; 'twould make him bleed as long as this world laſts, yea, to all eternity, therefore doe wicked ſpirits in hell blaſpheme and teare his name, a worke which they will never leave, though it continually adde to their plague; and yet theſe doe but ſhew the nature of all malicious men on earth, which are everlaſting blood-hounds, which ſpend perpetually upon the ſent of Chriſtians, upon the ſent of Chriſt, in any earth.
Malice ſhould be looked upon as tis an implacable thing; and men in whoſe breaſt it is, ſhould be looked upon as they are, fire-ſhovels fetched from hell, to carry everlaſting fire from houſe to houſe, from place to place, where ever Chriſt is, to burne him out of this world quite; to burne him againe and againe, till there be none of him left, not a finger, not a toe, not a haire. We are much given to wondring, we know the reaſon of things ſo little: to ſee a man drinke blood, and never be weary of drinking ſuch a fulſome drinke, tis ſtrange to us: yet tis the property of that fire that burnes in the breaſt of the man, to make an unquenchable thirſt after this red Wine; tis a damnable diſeaſe that the man cannot helpe, nor no man upon earth for him; every good body muſt keepe out of his way as well as they can, I know no other remedy; the man will ſet abroach any ones blood, Pauls, Chriſts, any one that lookes like either. Chriſtians have a bleſſed keeper, or elſe how rare would they be in the world? Bleſſe God that there is a good man left in the land at this day, in the middeſt of ſo many blood-thirſty. O how much are good hearts put to it every where, by this generation! Mourne over both perſecutors and perſecuted, they are both in hell fire.
Ex foreign pro & foreign.The word may ſignifie to ſuffer for another, pro-implere, to fill up in anothers ſtead, according to his appointment. Chriſt is gone out of this world, and he hath left Chriſtians in his ſtead, and all his prime truſt and buſineſſe with them, to doe it for him, to accompliſh his will, to walke in his ſteps, and to take in good part what befals them in this way; Chriſts buſineſſe left to Chriſtians, is compriſed in that expreſſion of bearing his croſſe: he did beare his croſſe himſelfe when he was on earth; now he hath left it to his people to beare it for him, to tread in his paths, and take ſuch lodging and fare at night as fals out. When Chriſt died, he left but one child to keepe for him, but that one a precious child, to wit, Truth; and this ſo to keepe as never to let it die, what ever die. I can doe nothing againſt the truth, but for it. I can doe any thing, ſuffer any thing, that truth may live, I can die, I can drinke off a cup deadly full, deadly big, which will hold all my blood to fill it. This is our preſident in the Text. I fill into the ſame cup that Chriſt did, ſaith Paul, and the ſame liquor, red Wine, the blood of a brave Grape, the blood of an upright heart, and this for his ſake. At what heighth we are to be for Chriſt is conſiderable, at the ſame heighth that Chriſt was at for us; we are to riſe to the loſſe of eſtate, honour, life; Neither count I my life deare. Life is the prime Jewell of nature, tis the union of two great eſtates, body and ſoule; tis of more worth than rayment, i. then all outward things: and yet this of no worth, and of no price in order to truth. I account not my life deare. I am about the worke which Chriſt was, filling a cup that is deadly big, that will hold my life-blood to fill it, and yet it is nothing to me, no griefe; if it be any matter to me, it is matter of joy. Now I joy to fill up that which is behind, &c.
Thinke how brave you ſhould be, and how neere you are to it, or how much you are below it. Pauls triall is at the doore, God hath armed your enemies, they have inſtruments of death in their hands; tis your goods, your houſes, your Cities, yea this is not all, tis your blood too that they thirſt after. Can you proffer your breaſt to the Speare, to ſave truth alive therein? ſad things at a diſtance are made nothing of, this is the ſtrength of our miſery: death may goe up and down in the Weſt, but it cannot come this way. Why ſhould any one dreame ſo? Sinne and juſtice will meet any where: in a City walled with Braſſe, up among the Starres, if ſinners can ſeat themſelves there. Hath all the provocation been among poore blinde ſoules, which never had the knowledge of God, nor ſcarce any meanes to attaine it? And is there no provocation to be found among you, children of light? There be ſtrange lightnings before death: people will ſit up in their beds and call heartily, and talke cheerfully, as if there were no death neere, and it may be at the ſame time death in their extreame parts, in their feet, and in their noſe. Thou art in thy ſicke bed London, and art thou ſure it ſhall not be a death-bed to thee? death is upon thy extreame parts, upon this County, upon that County, upon this towne, and that City, is there no danger of the heart? The evill day is not farre from men, becauſe they doe put it farre from them. Death is in all our ſoules, can it be farre from our bodies? ſo farre as never to come at them? What man among us hath life for Chriſt as he ſhould? is not death ſeized upon our extreame parts, thoſe perſons that ſhould be as our noſe to ſmell for us, in things of weight, dead; thoſe perſons that ſhould be as hands and feet for us, in matters of weight, dead ſpirited? examine your ſelves all in this point, and from hence, prophecie (if you will needs) peace, or warre, to your ſelves, and from nothing elſe; though this way of propheſie be not infallible, yet it is as likely to foretell what is to come, as to prophecie from ſuch and ſuch events paſt.
foreign viciſſim & foreign.The word ſignifies viciſſim implere, to doe a thing in ones turne. Chriſt hath taken his turne, and ſuffered his part in the will of God, and now my turne, as if the Apoſtle had ſaid, is come, to doe that which belongs to me. The cup is very big, it will hold Chriſts blood, and the blood of many more, to fill it up: Chriſt hath poured in his ſhare, and now I am to come next and powre in mine, and who is to come next after me, Chriſt knowes. The word ſo read, the order of divine triall is hinted unto us. Gods people are not all in priſon at once, ſome are in at one time, ſome at another; ſome are in for ſo many daies, and then let out againe, and then comes in others. The devill ſhall caſt ſome of you into priſon, and ye ſhall be there for ten daies. The cup of affliction goes round the Table, every one drinkes of the water of affliction in his courſe. Chriſt is not every day about ſad worke,Job 7.1. but takes ſet daies. Is there not an appointed time unto man, ſaith Job? Tſaba, Militia, a warfare to every man? a bloody ſeaſon for every man? ſo it is read by ſome. Miſery hereafter, comes like a deluge, drownes a world together at once, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye; but evils here, goe forth in forme of a viſit, viſits are at ſet times, and to ſet perſons, now to ſome, now to others, we doe not uſe to viſite all our acquaintance at one time. Nevertheleſſe in the day when I viſite I will viſit [their ſinne] upon them, Exod. 32.34. Here is time and perſon ſingled out, every day is not a blacke bloody day to every one: we doe not all roare together here as they doe below, but ſeverall daies are divided among ſeverall perſons, and ſeverall yeares among ſeverall Kingdomes: now tis a day of evill to one man, to morrow to another; ſo many yeares bloody to one Kingdome, ſo many to another. Bitters are as ſweets, diſhed out by courſe.
Mercy is in this: Chriſt will have ſome to pity, when others need it; ſome out of bonds, to remember them that are in; if all the Saints had beene in priſon when Peter was, who ſhould have ſet daies apart to wreſtle for him? If all were an eye, then where would be hearing? ſo may I ſay in this caſe, if all Chriſtians were wounded at once, and killed at once, where would be Linen to binde up their wounds? where would be ſhrouds and coffins? and who would make graves, and carry them thither? The wicked will not; they know not to compaſſionate the righteous: they can wound the righteous, but they have no heart to binde them up: they have hearts to make them mourne, but none to wipe teares from their eyes; their very kindneſſe is cruelty. Tender goodneſſe orders the great hardſhips of Saints; when their cup is mingled by hard hearts, Chriſt hath one tender heart or other ſtanding under the devils elbow, which he ſees not, to drop in ſome ſweet to make the bitter goe downe; one Ebedmelech ſtands under the tyrants elbow, to moderate the miſerie of Jeremy. The over-ruling hand of God is in this, of which there can be no reaſon given but his tender goodneſſe; for every righteous man is abominable to the wicked, and when they fall upon one, they would fall upon all, and there is enough of them to diſpatch all, but that the Lord of his mercy hinders.
Juſtice is in this point, that hard hearts may be without excuſe. Every degree of unkindneſſe notes not a man without bowels; neither doth Chriſt write downe men as mercileſſe after this rate. A neighbour in good condition asketh ſuch a kindneſſe of ſuch a man, which might be done and no prejudice to himſelfe, and yet tis denied. I cannot write downe this man as mercileſſe yet, ſaith Chriſt. Another day a poore man comes to deſire ſuch a favour of this man, as tends much to his maine ſupport, and tis denied: yet I cannot write this man mercileſſe, ſaith Chriſt. But lay a Lazarus at his doore, a creature that hath his skinne full of holes, and an hundred hundred monthes crying all at once for mercy, in one man; lay a Souldier at his doore, which hath ſo many wounds in his head, ſo many in his backe, all gaping, crying and mourning, with teares of blood, for compaſſion; bring a priſoner to his doore, let him cry and gingle his chaines: Sir, I lie upon ſtones, and I muſt live upon ſtones too, if you give me no bread; my food is ſighing, my drinke my teares, my bed iron chaines, ſhew mercy Sir, ſhew mercy, or I periſh; let this man be in a Kingdome where there are many of theſe Golgothaes, and Aceldamaes, a field of blood, of skuls and broken bones, among many groning, and tumbling to and againe, with their bowels out, holding up their hands, Sir be mercifull, I beſeech you be mercifull, and doe what you can to relieve me: No, I will not. Now ſays Chriſt, write downe the man for mercileſſe. What ſhall I ſay of this generation? they are mourned to, and yet lament not, I have ſpoken to them, ſaies Chriſt, I have mourned to them, but words, teares, ſtirre not: when the moſt ſpeaking things to move compaſſion move not, then are a people written downe for mercileſſe. They have not remembred the afflictions of Joſeph, or condoled, gnal Sheber, over the breaking, or the tearing to pieces of Joſeph, ſo tis very lively alluding to the ſtate of Joſeph, whom his father thought to have beene torne with wild beaſts. When the extremity of miſery moves not the leaſt compaſſion, the tearings and rendings of Kingdomes, Townes, Eſtates, Perſons, then God writes downe men mercileſſe: Ye remembred not the tearings of Joſeph. When perſons ſee the anguiſh of the ſoule of Joſeph, as one with death-pangs upon him, and yet compaſſionate not, this is written down, We ſaw the anguiſh of his ſoule, when he beſought us, and we would not heare; we ſaw his heart-blood, as it were, ready to come out, and yet we had no heart to pity, ſurely we are judged as mercileſſe wretches, Geneſ. 42.31.
The order of trialls, hintes the order of judgements: ſinners looke to your ſelves. If Saints have their ſad boutes, their bloudy dayes, ſurely you will have your turne too. Men that love their ſinnes, love not to heare that ever they ſhall be whipt for them. Evill is acted with confidence, that it ſhall never be judged, hee that ſits in Heaven doth not regard ſince the beginning all things are as they were; I have bin a ſinner this twenty yeares, and yet all is well: This is groſſe folly, Chriſt laughes at it, but we ſhould mourne, that men have no more grace, hee ſees that your day is comming, yea, hee ſees that you cannot avoid it, whileſt in this ſtate, and therefore makes no more haſte to take hold of you. A creature that is faſt in any Engine we lay, we make not haſt to come and breake the neck on't, and kill it outright, becauſe we know 'tis faſt, and therefore wee come ſlowly. Security is Satans deadly Engine, you are faſt in the bonds of iniquity, juſtice is ſure of you, therefore it doth not make haſte to come and break your neck, and to diſpatch you utterly. When your day comes it will be a bloudy day indeed, a day as long as a yeere, as long as eternity; a day that will never have night. When your priſoning and chaining time comes, your chaines will be everlaſting, your bout will be long, mercy makes Juſtice therefore the longer a comming, but if you preſumptuouſly abuſe this mercy, even this mercy ſhall be ſhortned; common mercy is ſhortened to deſperate ſoules, as it is lengthned to common penitents, when they do but commonly humble themſelves, that is, as poore brutes, as in the caſe of Nineve: And therefore you have a day of the Lord mentioned by the Prophet Zephany, as haſtened; the great day of the Lord, and haſtening greatly, to ſuch a Generation of ſinners, as now I am ſpeaking to, Zephany. 1.14. The great day of the Lord is neere, it is neere, it haſteth greatly, the mighty man ſhall cry there bitterly, tis a day of waſtneſſe, mens bloud ſhall be poured out as duſt, and their fleſh as dung the whole Land ſhall be devoured by the fire of his jealouſie, and hee ſhall make a ſpeedy riddance of all them that dwell in the Land. Your day when it comes will be like this day, a day of diſpatch that will make riddance of you wholly, body and ſoule, and if you ſlight this that I tell you now, and goe on in your ſinne, know that this great day of the Lord haſteth greatly: ſinners, tis neer, tis neer.
But ſinners, merry ſinners; can you tell how neere tis? How neere your ſad day is? No, you can looke up into the Heavens, and when the Skie lookes ſo and ſo, you can tell what the next day will be; and tis ſo, ſaith Chriſt. There will be ſtormes to morrow; and they are ſo; 'twill be a wet afternoone, and tis ſo. And obſerve how our Saviour makes uſe of all this, to a proud ſecure Generation, Yea, and why even [of your ſelves] judge you not what is right? Luke 12.57. you can judge thus and thus, and judge right, reſpecting the Heavens, why can you not judge thus of your ſelves? Intimating 'twere poſſible if men did but obſerve themſelves, their hearts; and their lives, as they do other things; men if they would do this, they might be able to give a neere gueſſe, when a ſtorme or a black gloomy day is neere them. Looke ſinners round about you, do you ſee nothing in your lives that lookes like bloud and death? Do you feele nothing in your conſciences that ſpeaks a ſtorme a breeding? The worme that never dies begins to live, crawle, and ſtirre, here: doſt thou feele it knaw terribly now and then? what and continue in thy ſinne? why, hell certainly is not far off. One may ſmell ſome fire, ſulphurous matter burning, one may ſmell it, and if in the next roome, one ſmells it ſo hot, that one can hardly indure the roome. The fire below is brimſtone: doſt thou not ſmell it in thy conſcience? How hot is the ſmell? ſo hot as thou canſt not indure that roome? why, then the fire is faſt by: thou art in the next roome to Hell.
Conſolation iſſues from this point to all godly people under the Lords hand: your turne is come now to pledge Chriſt; hee dranke to you in a bitter Cup a great while agoe, and a great many farre better then you have pledged him, and you are honoured to do the like. 'Tis a great honour to drinke of the ſame Cup that Chriſt did,Can yee be Baptized with the Baptiſme, that I am Baptiſed with? and this asked when they talked of great honour. to fill up that which is behind of his draught, let what will be in it, things never ſo bitter, tis wholeſome, tis healthfull; life is in our deadly Cup, the braveſt life ſprings out of our cruelleſt death. If this be not enough, think on this: tis but thy turne, 'twill be over quickly; the Cup will be taken out of thy hand and given to another. Thou art ſad but for a ſeaſon: And now for a ſeaſon, if neede be, you are in heavineſſe, ſaith Peter: there was neceſſity thou ſhouldeſt be in heavineſſe for a little time, and how long this time and ſeaſon is, the Scripture tells us; 'tis but a momens, and then it reſolves it ſelfe into everlaſting conſolation.