TheSöuls //men. 53 7 man hath no fuch fpirit in him ; with his tongue he may fay came fomerime, when he is forced, but he hathnotthe fpirit tofay come. Here is the difference inthei,r prefent efface, but afterward the difference is greater ; when the evil fervant will not wait for his Maflers coming,but fits with the drunken,and Libertincs,he all be madea fpe&acle ofhis Mattersfury ; TheLord ofthatfervant willcome in a daywhen he1ooketh notfor hint, andat an hour when be is not aware, and »illcut. him infunder, and. willappoint him hisportion with unbelievers. There's then .anotherdifference. Again, confider though thecomingofour Lord Chrift becertain,yet the parti- cular time toour knowledge is uncertain; burthough the particular time be uncer- tain, yet it is battening, it is not far off.'in the timeof the4poflle,there was butan hour, faith SaintJohn; now is the1afHour : if it were the lafthour in the Apoflles time ; certainly it is the laft minute now, thevery laft minuteofan hour now. And I befeechyou,let usconfider the promi(e that is made toperlons that expe& the comingof Chrift, Bleffed is' that fervant, whomhis Muller when he cometh/hall frndfodoing: howdoing ? watching,and preparing for;andexpe&ingofhis Mailers coning ; Bleffedis thefervant that his Yaeger /ballfindfo doing : he (peaks there in thefrngular number,` there are not many that he (hall find fo doing ; therefore he (peaks ofone that is Welled, .one ofmany that fhall be found fo doing. Pleßed are they that watchand keep their garments clean, that purge themfelves as he is pure, that labourto be holy ashe is hdly bleffe(lis hethat dothfo. If it were not for their prinlifes; host sacre ii able-'for Chriftians toget over the rubbs and hinderances that lie in the way ofthis expe&ation? howwert it pohlc for a Chriftiantoleapover the brunt ofreproaches, the execution of (ententes, and perfecutions that the Saints of God go iinder? only becaufe they havean eye upon this White, the expe&ationof the coming of,Chrifl: The faithful Martyrs in this Kingdom, and in other Countries,; what did drive them to embracethe flames, and the cruellefl death and torments that Perfecutors could devil ? but only this was in their eye, this bore them out againfl all the threatnings,and fufferingsof theWorld, this was that that did give them encourage- ment and comfort above all difcouragementss And to conclude,aboveall fetus encourage ourfelves,by the fruit and recompence ofall this expe&ation;whatis that? theApoflle Saint John faith,thit when this hope (hall come into our hand; when our faith (hall meet with fruition,ihen we :(hall fee Chrift fo as tobe like him : hereis filch a fightofChriff,as never the eye of Beth law, nor can fee; to feeChrill and to be like him,to tee himashe is here is fucka fight as would ravi(h us ifweknewwhat it was, and we cannot know while we are on earth; eye hathnot Peen thatwhichwe fhatffee in Chrift : But when we ¿hall.enjoy this expe&ation, we (hall fee himas he is, and fee him fo as to be like him, Fa. ther (faith he, John i7. z4,) 1 willthatwhere., am she, May 6e, that they mayfee my glory. Wickedmen ice hisglory,what priviledgc then between them and the godly it is true indeed wicked Men fee the glory ofChrifts perfon, and they fhall-lee and feel theglory ofhis juftice ; but the godly fee the glory not Onlyofhis perfon, not only of his juffice;' but the glory that no wicked man ever (hall fee, the glory of his Mercy, and goodnefs, andgrace; here is the difference. Godgetteth himfelf glory,upon Pharaoh in drowningof bins ; but God gettethhimfelf the glory of his Mercy inMad, infaving them in thebottom of th'e Sea : fo the godly, they fee the glory not only of the perlon ofChrift ( and that is infinite and furpaffeth' apprehenfr'on) but they fee the glory of his Mercy; of his eternal goodnefs, and they fee it fo as to be like him,to b'e tranlated into thatglory, to get a part and(hare of it (as muchas they arecapableof )' they make thenfelves-all glorious with his glory,andChine withhis brightnefsand beauty. Alas brethren,all thefight wecanget ofChrift in this world,iiis like thefight of the blindman that Chriflcured, hebad himlookup,and lift uphis eyes, and he law menwalking as trees,animperfet& fight;fo we have here bit an-imperfect k glimpfe of Chrift, we fee him through a glafs, through theWord and Sacraments; and there Means that he hath appointed; an impeded fight, till Chrift give ns a cleartight, and makes us fee jrerfe&ly, and this is in theday ofhis return. All the fight and Z2 z ;. vif*on ' htat.l í.4S,46
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=