6.63 Chap. 24. An E_spofttion upon the Rook of Jo s. Verf.z4, then the eafines oftheir death,when they are cut off. Haw quick. ly may an eare of cornebe cut off ? wicked men who feeme as ftrong as oakes, thall be cut offlike ftrawer, Secondly, It {heroes that wicked men are ufually cut off by a. violent death, caresofcorne are cut offby the reapers fickle, they doe not fall offalone and though a wicked man dye a natural!. death, yet there is a violence in it ; he is cut((when he dyeth in . his bed as well as whenhe dyeth upon the block; a naturali death, is a kindeof violent death to every man who is unwilling todye.. Such a man Both not refigne uphis foule into the hand of God, but his foule isrent and ravifhed from him. Chrift faith of the rich'man,though dying in his bed (for fo the parable is to be un derítood,Luk. i 2.20. ) Thoufoole,tbis night thyfoulePallbe re- quiredof thee, or this night doe they require thy foule from thee. It may bequellioned, who (hall require it ? he doth not meant, that murtherers fhouldkill him, but that when he dyed his foule fhould rather be taken by force, then quietly furrendred. Thirdly, He(ballbecut ,ff u the heads or tops of the eares of eorn,maynotehis deflrudionwhen fuilett and higheft. For as the Bares ofcorne are better then the ftraw ( what is the ftraw to the eare?)fo there be force cares ofcorne that be heador chiefe Bares; fo that to fay wicked menThal l be cut (jras the bends ofthe tares of eorne;is to fay they (hall be cut offin their fulneffe, in their highs and glory. When the wickedare not only eares,but heads of the cares ofcorne, when they are at the higheft, they (hall dye ; and this refemblance holds not onely becaufe fotne cares are head.. ears, fuller and higher then others, but becaufe all corne is cut,, when once it comes to a head,that is,toa perfect fullneffe. Fourthly, To be cut offao the tops ofthe cares ofcorn, may allo lgnifie that there is a fpecial time or feafon, when wicked men, are to be cut off , For as corn is not alwayes ripe for the fickle, fo wicked men (though they alwayes deferve,yet ) are not alwayes ripe for Judgment;Corne is not cat down when greene, orwhen grown high,but when it is ripe & fit for the flail,it is cut in its fea. fon ; wicked men shall be cut offin their feafon: And as there is a general feafon for the harveft ofthe whole world, fo for every man in particular.(Rev, z4.15.)Thrufi in thyfickle & reap,for the time is comefor thee to reap, for the harvef of the earth is ripe.God will not command theAngel to put in his fickle till the world be ripe
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