A godly and learned exposition or commentary upon the three first chapters of the…A godly and learned exposition or commentarie vpon the three first chapters of the…

Here mark Christs order and dealing: having prescribed a remedy for their fault, he giveth them a direction to practise the same; and after addeth a most terrible threatening to drive them thereunto; as if he should say, if thou wilt not watch against sin, and against death, and for that end remember my word, hold fast the same, and repent; then look as a thief comes upon a man on a sudden, and spoils his goods and cuts the throat of his children; so will I come on thee on a sudden, and power upon thee my wrath, whereby I will […] cut the throat of thy soul, and thou shalt have no means to escape my punishment.

Here marke Christs order and dealing: hauing prescribed a remedie for their fault, hee giueth them a direction to practise the same; and after addeth a most terrible threatning to driue them therevnto; as if he should say, if thou wilt not watch against sinne, and against death, and for that end remember my word, hold fast the same, and repent; then look as a theefe comes vpon a man on a suddaine, and spoyles his goods and cuts the throate of his children; so will I come on thee on a suddaine, and power vpon thee my wrath, whereby I will 〈…〉 cut the throat of thy soule, and thou shalt haue no means to escape my punishment.

Here Christ threateneth sudden and speedy destruction, but yet with condition and limitation of repentance. Now, because we be like this Church (as hath been showed) by reason of the long peace which we enjoy: we may also use the same reason and threatening at this day to stir up our dead harts. We must watch against all sin, and against death: and for this end must have in memory the word of God, and hold fast the faith unto the end, and repent continually of all wants: but if we do not this, then are the vengeances and eternal punishments of God to be poured upon us without measure, and that suddenly, when we cannot prevent them. If a man have but a spark of grace, the consideration hereof will move him to repentance, and to watchfulness; but if this will not awake a man out of his sins, then nothing remaineth but a fearful expectation of the wrath of God, which shall be unavoidable, and endure for ever. Indeed if a man had some thousand years allotted for the punishment of his sins, there were some cause why he might continue in them: but seeing this punishment is eternal, and when many thousand years are expired, they are as far from the end of their woe as ever they were; therefore it must stir up all dead and drowsy harts unto repentance, and cause them to shake off security, ignorance, and coldness in Religion, and to break off the course of every sin.