Ohs. 2. Prophecy or preaching ; the word is ancient, for * Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied.' Still some have been set apart for this woi-k ; Enoch was a prophet, and Noah a preacher of right- eousness. It is sad that in the latter end of six thousand years, we should be rooting up an ancient ordinance that hath stood from the beginning of the world till now. In the old time before the law there were some to teach, every master in his family, churches were then in houses, and some special prophets to instruct in public, and continue the tradition. Under the law also there were some solemnly set apart for the work of the tabernacle, and prophets immediately called to deliver the special messages of God, not only for the instruction of the present age, but to increase the canon or rule of faith and manners, even for our comfort. And in Christ's time apostles were added to unveil the figures of the law and deliver the gospel more clearly ; and when once the canon was settled, and enough delivered to make us wise to salvation, some were set apart by the constitution of Christ as ' pastors and teachers ' to explain and apply scripture ; and though all the saints be ' kings and priests to God,' yet the office ministerial must not be invaded ; for as spiritual kingship is no warrant to dis- turb the magistrate, or to wrest the exercise of authority out of his hands, so spiritual priesthood doth not lay the ministry in common ; but still there must be some set apart for that work. If we grudge at the institution, we repine at Christ's bounty to us, and in effect bid him take his gift to himself, for in the day of his royalty or ascension ' he gave gifts to men, some to be apostles, some prophets, some pas- tors, some teachers,' &c., Ej^h. iv. 11.
Ohs. 3. That the doctrine of the day of judgment is ancient, long since foretold. Enoch prophesied of it, yea, the sentence of death pro- nounced in paradise did imply it, and the Lord's messengers have ever urged the terror of it. Many passages in Moses may be applied to this purpose. Dent, xxxii. David clearly saith, Ps. 1. 22, ' I will set thy sins in order before thee ; now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.' So Solomon, Eccles. xi. 9, ' Remember that for all these things thou shalt come to judgment.' It were needless to tell you of Daniel, Joel, Malachi, Christ, Paul, Peter, John, Jude. Still this truth was pressed in the church ; nay, the Lord was pleased to grant some intimation of it to the heathens, 7/^et 6' cvpavodev ^acriXevi;, &c., in the fragments of the sybils in Eusebius ; by the light of nature the philosophers had some dark and uncertain guesses at such a thing. Conscience is soon sen- sible of the truth of it; as ' Felix trembled ' when it was mentioned,
1 Qu. ' all ' ?— Ed.
292 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 14.
Acts xxiv. The ancient judgments of drowning the world and burn- ing Sodom were types and forerunners of it. Well, then, entertain this doctrine with the more certainty: verum quodprimum — that which is first is true. We are secret atheists ; can a man believe judgment to come that wallowetli in sin and profaneness ? Our actions are the best image and expression of our thoughts. The apostle saith, * The latter days shall yield scoffers and mockers,' 2 Peter iii. There may be atheists in the church, but there are none in hell. We deny and doubt of that at which the devils tremble. If the Spirit, scripture, conscience, reason will not teach men, there is no other way of learn- ing but by feeling and experience.
Ohs. 4. Enoch prophesied, the man that walked with God ; he could see the day of judgment, though so far off.
Those that have most communion with God do most discern his mind. Let a man walk humbly and closely with God, and he is near, not only the root of life, but * the fountain of light : ' Ps. xxv. 14, ' The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him.' When the disciples doubted of anything, they pointed to him whom Jesus loved, and who leaned on Jesus' bosom, John xiii. 23. Those that are in Christ's bosom know his mind. Well, then, if we would pry more deeply into the things of God, walk humbly and closely with him. There is a promise, John vii. 17, ' He that will do the will of God, shall know what doctrine is of God.' Pure souls are soonest enlightened,^ and they discern most of the Lord's counsel who are not darkened with lusts and interests.
Ohs. 5. From that heliold. He speaketli of this day of the Lord, as if it were instant and before their eyes.
We should always realise the day of the Lord, and represent it to our thoughts as near at hand. It is the work of faith to give things ab- sent and at a distance a present being in the heart of a believer, Heb. xi. 1. Six thousand years ago Enoch said, ' Behold, he cometh,' It is not for us to fix the seasons which the Father hath put in his own hands, there may be much of snare and temptation in that ; therefore the apostle Paul reproveth them that confidently gave it out that the day of the Lord was at hand, 2 Thes. ii. 2, iveaTr]Ke, instantly to come. Austin giveth a reason of it thus, Ne forte cum transisset tempus quo eum credehunt esse veiituruvi de ipsa mercede jidei desperarent — lest they should question all, when deceived in the time of their foreset- ting, which indeed experience hath verified. In the year of Christ 1001, when many vain oi3inions and conceits of the end of the world were disappointed, men began publicly to assert, mundus est incorrwptihilis {Bar. ad annum 1001). The faith of all truths is shaken by the disappointment of a rash confidence ; but thougii we are not punctually to state the time, yet the thing being certain, faith should represent it to the thoughts as actually present, and we should live as if the trumpet were always sounding in our ears, and the judge were set, and the books opened. To put off the thought of that which will one day, and within a short time, come about, is a spice of atheism, Amos vi. 3 ; for things foretold in the word should be as certain, and have a like influence upon us, as if they were already accomplished : ' Behold, the Lord is come.'