A TREATISE OF CONTENTMENT Leading a Christian with much patience through all afflicted Conditions By sundry Rules of heavenly wisedome Whereunto is annexed First a Treatise of the Improvement of Time Secondly The Holy Warre in a Visitation Sermon Greg. Moral. l. 5. Si mens forti intentione in Deum dirigiter quicquid in hac vitâ sibi amarum sit dulce aestimat omne quod affligit requiem putat By T. T. D. D. c. LONDON Printed by R. H. for Iohn Bartlet and are to be sold at the Signe of the Gilt Cup neere S. Austins Gate in Pauls Church-yard 1641. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Sir FRANCIS DARCY Knight my much honoured friend All happinesse in Christ IESUS SIR not having of mine owne wherewith I might tell the world of your great and continuall favours unto me by such a pubâ—ke testimony I thought good to doe it by publishing this worke of another whose Person and Doctrine you well knew and respected Which I doe the more willingly because it is sutable to the Contentment here treated of I am well contented with that mediocrity of gifts and abilities which God hath bestowed on me I hold it better in this life to be faithfull in a little then ruler over much No doubt but some are Masters of great parts and estates and faithfull too rich in this world and rich in good workes too high in place and respect among men and high in the favour of God too But both such have their hazzards and temptations against which they need to be watchfull and the brother of low degree hath cause in God and his love to rejoyce and be contented And oh how happy were it with godly Christians if they had taken forth this lesson of Contentment How comfortlesse would their lives then be How blessedly free from those torturing passions of emulation envie murmuring impatience and the like wherewith the spirit is too often and too much disquieted Godlinesse with Contentment is great gaine saith the Apostle as if the purchase were small where Contentment is wanting And indeed much of the benefit and advantage is taken away where this lesson of Contentation is not taken forth perfectly And how unbeseeming is it to an heire of the promises to be Malecontent for worldly wants or afflictions How thwarting to the wisedome of God as if he knew not best to make allowance to his children How terrible to lie disconsolate in death or any deadly trouble moaning as that great Emperour when he lay dying at Yorke In my life time I have been all things and now nothing doth me good I wâ—sh to your Worship all the comforts and mercies of God in Christ both in life and death and therunto at this time I commend to your reading this little Treatise of Contentment resting ever Your Worships much obliged W. JEMMAT A Table Alphabeticall of the chiefe things in this Booke A ADaâ—s sin had many sinnes in it pag 35 Afflictions foyled by Contentment 3. the necessity of them in three respects 6 disposed of God for time measure and end 4 Age the incommodities of it 114 priviledges of it 115 comforts of it 116 Aged people called on to prove time well 179 B Barrennesse to bee quietly endured how 105 Bernards discription of worldly pleasure 92 C Callings crosses in them to be borne contentedly how 77 Common-wealth evills in it how to be borne 24 Comparisons two fold use of them 192. Contempt of the world how to be born contentedly 52 Contentation the daughter of godlinesse Praef. meanes and motives to work it 131 power of godlines to breed it whence 139 Countrey and friends left comfort in it 62 D Death terrible 118 comforts in it 119 necessity of dying 121 utility 123 Death of friends comfort in it 73 Deformity of body to be borne quietly how 100 E Estates we live in yeelds discontents yet be comforted in them how 85 Examples of holy men perswading Contentment 136 Experience without grace availeth not 107 F Friends unkindnesse comfort in it 70 and in their death 73 G Glory obtained by afflictions how 14 Godlinesse what it doth to breed Contentment 145 Goods lost comfort in it 64 Graces bred beautified and exercised by afflictions 8 Grave terrible comfort in it 127 Great sins should not overtrouble the soule 38 H Happinesse of Saints raised by certaine staires 127 Heavenly happinesse attained in death 125 Honor from above how to be getten 98 Honor due to Ministers threefold 210 Honors of the world lost or not had comfort in it 94 I Iudgement at the last day not dreadfull to beleevers why 129 all imperfections and blemishes then done away 101 Iustification the ground of Contentment 143 L Liberty lost comfort in it 61 Life lost comfort in it 66 Lingring sicknesse how to be borne contentedly 111 why suffered by God 113 M Martyrs very forward to suffer 69 Ministers calling most crost comfort for them 83 they are Christs souldiers in two respects 197 their weapons 198 204 their enemies 199 cause of warre 200 Ministery no easie calling but dangerous 201 Misery all ended in death foure wayes 123 Molestation Satanicall how to be borne quietly 28 Multitude of sinnes should not too much trouble 32 Mystery in godlinesse and in Contentment 152 N Nature content with little Grace with lesse 136 Nature teacheth not the price of time 168 O Opportunities of good nine Instances 156 Orbity uncomfortable comforts in it 105 P Persecution to be endured contentedly how 57 Pleasures lost or lacking comfort therein 90 Poore men how profitable in their times 184 Preparation to death what and how 121 R Redeeming of time what 161 Relapses comfort in case of them 44 Repentance two effects of it furthered by afflictions 10 Rich men should be specially carefull of spending their time 182 S Scandals and Schismes foretold turned to good c. 18 Sicknes to be born coÌ„tentedly how 107 Sinnes merit afflictions and are purged by them 6 Sinnes multitude greatnesse relapse how answered 32 T Temporals mercifully withholden 137 Time to be wholly improoved for good 155. Motives 185 preciousnesse of time in six things 162. 165 skill to prize it comes of God 168 be sparing of time 7 Motives 172 Theeves that steale time away 174 V Vnion with Christ not dissolved in the grave 128 Unite forces against the common enemy 208 Uses of sicknesse sanctified six 108 W Warre of Christians especially of Ministers 193 Wealth lost or not had comfort in it 85 Works good mentioned to the Saints in the last judgement not bad 131 Worlds hatred contentment in it 47 Y. Yong people admonished to spend their time well 177 FINIS THE AVTHORS PREFACE AFter we have shewed the gaine of godlinesse out of 1 Tim. 6. 6. now we come to speake of the priviledge of it that it brings Contentment with it whereby the heart of a godly man is stayed and resteth in God well apaid with that estate and measure of goods which the Lord
frighted with the name of terrible things and at the sight of some disguised person but when they come to riper age and yeares of discretion contemne them Wee are frighted as the Midianites with the sound of broken pitchers voyces and lamps and cowardly fly before we see any apparent danger 2 It seeth the death of Beleevers not onely altered but sanctified by Christs death that it becomes of a curse a blessing and as a stage whereon a Christian manifesteth his faith fortitude love patience and constancy and openly triumpheth over death as his Head hath done before him 3 It seeth Christ in Heaven in glory who is our Head and Husband from whom while wee live here we are strangers and pilgrims separate from that happy society which wee shall enjoy with Him and all our fellow members in the Kingdome of Heaven Whereupon it doth desire his presence and is not onely contented but willing to bee dissolved and bee with Christ Paul considered that he was now absent from the Lord and desired to bee present Simeon having Christ in his armes said Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Steven in the middest of the stones saw the Heavens open and the Son of man standing at Gods right hand and so slept quietly A sweet death if Christ be in sight Let him feare death that would not goe to Christ So of the second ground 3 It looketh upon death it selfe and seeth in it First the necessity of it It is appointed for all men once to dye a statute-law of Heaven inevitable Heb. 9. 27. And seeing it knowes it to be so it rather fits it selfe cheerefully to beare it then fearefully to decline it Quest How may that bee done Answ. 1 We must deal with this Giant and mighty Sampson who slayes heapes upon heapes as the Philistims did with him 1 Sift out where his strength lyes and finding it lye in his lockes cut them off The strength of thy death is thy sinne these are his strong lockes cut them off by repentance and death shall be too weak to hurt thee 2 Labour to dye in faith as the Saints Heb. 11. 13. all these dyed in faith Let thy faith fasten upon Christ as himselfe did in his extreme agony fixe his confidence upon his Father saying My God my God and Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Another necessity of death is because without it wee can never attaine immortality and eternall life The seed is not quickened unlesse it dye first neither can eternall life be had but by the passage of this wicket Wee have here no abiding City our houses are rather Innes in which wee sojourne our bodies Tabernacles ready for removall and shifting And the condition is that when this earthly house shall bee dissolved wee shall have a building eternall in the heavens Secondly godlinesse seeth the advantage and gaine by death that it is no detriment to the faithfull but a gaine as saith the Apostle Christ is my life and death is to mee advantage Phil. 1. 21. And it is a great gaine in two respects 1 Because it is an end of all evils and wretchednesse 2 Because it is a beginning of heaven and happinesse For the former 1 It is an end of misery sorrowes cares feares teares an end of sicknesse paine poverty shame persecution and the like for in death attended with teares God wipeth away all teares from the eyes of his children and then shall bee no more death neither sorrow nor wecping nor paine Rev. 21. 4. 2 It is an end of temptations by Satan The soule in this world is in the bonds and snares of temptations and the law of sinne in the members ministreth strength to Satan against our selves But in death the soul is loosed from that bondage and the body ceaseth to be an instrument either active or passive in sin What a gaine is it never to sin more against God yea to be wholly out of danger of sinning 3 It is an end of wicked mens molestation for death delivers the godly out of this evill world 〈◊〉 Lot out of Sodome whose righteous soule was vexed amongst them day by day They are safe from seducers and deceivers who in these last ages come so armed as if it were possible they would deceive the very Elect. They are got without the reach of Persecutors and those enemies their eyes shall never see more 4 It is an end of our owne pilgrimage and absence from the Lord wherein wee stand in so doubtfull and dangerous a battell not onely with enemies without us but within our owne bosome our owne covetousnesse wrath ambition voluptuousnesse lust envy and not a head can bee cut off from this Hydra but another riseth in the roome and no watch can be sufficient against them Now what man being absent from his owne house doth not long to dispatch his businesse so to returne home And thus the Saints 2 Cor. 5. 2. Wee sigh desiring to bee clothed with our house which is from heaven It is our haven and an end of our dangerous voyage upon the troubled sea of this world a passage from corruption and mortality to immortality and incorruption a sweet sleepe after our travell and labours and an end of all the toyles of our lives Ioh. 11. 11. our friend Lazarus sleepeth But more then this It is a beginning of happinesse the entrance to Heaven the Evening wherein the Labourers receive the penny of perpetuall joy and glory a repossessing of Paradise lost by the first Adam won againe by the second By it wee come to the company of Saints and the first borne written in heaven Wee come into the bosome of Abraham even to our deare friends who are gone before us to Heaven But above all wee come to Iesus Christ the Mediator into the house of our heavenly Father wherein heâ—e hath prepared us mansions whither the forerunner is for us entred in Even Iesus Heb. 6. 20. And wee have boldnesse to enter into the holy place by the new and living way which hee hath prepared for us through the vayle that is his flesh cap. 10. 20. And by Iesus Christ wee come to behold the face of God being made like unto Christ in holinesse and honour and shall for ever with him inherite the Kingdome prepared from the beginning of the World CHAP. XIX Of Grave and Iudgâ—ment and Contentment therein THe last personall evill which is horrible to nature is the grave and last judgement But godlinesse quieteth the heart against all such terrors thus First that by these two wee are raised as by two stayres to the fruition of full happinesse For whereas there be three degrees of life eternall The first when wee begin to repent and beleeve which is the beginning of it The second at the day of death which entreth the soule into eternall happinesse and prepareth the body to be partaker also of it The
the living God This blood is never dry the vertue of it never wasted the good Samaritan will pay all 3 The promise of God is that upon our repentance the multitude of our sinnes shall be no barre to his mercy Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked man shall turne from all his wickednesse all his transgressions shall not be mentioned unto him Nay rather where sin abounds grace shall superabound Rom. 5. 20. 4 Mercy pleaseth him yea unstinted mercy when Peter asked our Saviour how oft his brother offending should be pardoned whether unto seven times our Saviour answered I say not unto thee till seven times but unto seventy times seven times that is so oft as he repenteth If God require in man in whom is but a drop of mercy that he should not pardon by tale and number but so oft as the brother returneth he must have all forgiven how much more must the Lord whose wayes are above mans and with whom is the Ocean of mercy and who delighteth in nothing more then mercy be infinite and unstinted in pardoning when we truely returne Indeed the number of our sinnes is such as may well set us in a maze and astonish us and when wee see them grow to so great a reckoning if the Lord did pardon by number and not beyond such a number wee might sinke under them But when when we see him a Chirurgion that hath salve enough for all wounds and infinite playsters of compassion to heale all our sinnes this upholds us and make us sue to him for pardon We have a sea of rebellions but he hath a farre more bottomelesse sea of compassions to drowne them in 5 Oppose the examples of great sinners readily received to mercy As of Adam in whose one sinne were couched many first contempt of Gods Commandement who charged him not to eat of the forbidden fruit secondly incredulity not beleeving that word In the day thou eatest thou shalt dye thirdly unthankfulnesse not contented with their good estate fourthly pride desiring to be like unto God and know good and evill fiftly presumption that they should not die though they did eate sixtly murder and homicide bringing death upon themselves and all their posterity In a word this one sinne was the breach of all Gods Commandements and was a sinne out of measure sinfull First in regard of the fruits of it the contagion of all mankinde secondly of Adams person whose excellent gifts might easily have resisted thirdly of the facility of the Commandement it was no hard one fourthly of the place Paradise where he wanted no content and had no provocation And yet Adam thus tumbling in a multitude of sinnes had mercy offered before he required and a gracious promise of the like to all his posterity Here we see the father of the Prodigall childe running to meet his sonne a farre off even before he say I will returne to my father Consider also the example of David who sinned grievously 1 Against God who had done many things for him above other as he confesseth Against thee against thee have I sinned Psal. 51. 4. 2 Against Uriah by defiling and dishonesting his wife more deare to him then all his substance by making him drunke and taking away his sobriety and by taking away his life being so faithfull and good a subject adventuring his life for the safety and honour of his Countrey A bloody sinne 3 Against Bathsheba whose sober and formerly chaste minde hee had corrupted and whose body hee defiled 4 Against his owne house and family by bringing into it dishonor uncleannesse death and sword Dishonour by bringâ—â—g in a bastard by which he made the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God to blaspheme Vncleannâ—sse and fâ—â—lenesse by the sinne so much the fâ—uler as the person was higher Death of the childe borne in adultery and the sword which never departed out of his house This sin was every way odious and yet see the readinesse of God to pardon this multitude of sinnes Nathan comes and tels David of it David said I have sinned and Nathan saith presently The Lord hath put away thy sinne 2 Sam. 12. Whereunto adde that God by forgiving many sinnes as to Mary will be loved so much the more Luke 7. 47. And let this stay and content the heart laden with many sinnes if repenting beleeving and saying There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared CHAP. VI Of the greatnesse of sinne trouble and Contentment AGainst the greatnesse of sinne a penitent and godly heart quieteth it selfe by these Meditations 1 The promise of God to them that returne and repent Esay 1. 18. If your sinnes be as red as scarlet and as crimson I will make theâ— as white as snow What offences can be more hainous or enormities more capitall then these bloody scarlet sinnes and yet God offereth mercy for them But that Text hath more comfort for he doubles the words scarlet and crimson sins which notes the reigne and dominion of sinne and the doubling of their sinnes for these colours are not made without a double tincture in the wooll and cloath of a double die and deeper colour So though a man be died in grain with a double die of sin originall and actuall and so resemble scarlet yet upon his repentance here is an offer of free grace Beside the doubling of the promise should double our hope and confidence in the certainty of this grace and favour of God that our sinnes of a double dye seeming hard to be washed out yet shall not foyle the gracious promise of mercy The like is that of Christ Matth. 12. 31. Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men onely excepting the sinne against the Holy Ghost which is joyned with finall impenitency 2 The merit and price of Redemption which is the Blood of Christ the Sonne of God God shed his Blood and was this onely to get remission of smaller sinnes that had beene but a small thing to us and not of greater But herein is this blood preferred above al the blood of Buls and Goats that what that could not put away this precious blood of the unspotted Lambe washeth as white as snow This was notably figured in the sacrifice of the red Cow offered for a sinne-offering for the Congregation of Israel Numb. 19. 6. The Cow must be red whole burnt and in the â—urning the Priest must cast into the midst of the fire Cedar-wood Hyssope and Scarlet Lâ—ce Christ was figured by this Cow red as shee strong and fresh without blemish as she or spot of sin on Wch never came yoake as she not subject to any commandement of men slaine without the gate as she that is crucified without Ierusalem Hebr. 13. 12. burnt whole as she that is as it were consumed with the hoâ—e wrath of God due to sinne an Holocaust With Cedar-wood and Hyssope as shee to be a sacrifice of sweet smell
faith inexpugnable They may be slaine but not overcome Enemies may kill the body but withall they free the spirit from the burthen of it Neither can they keep the body ever in dust and ashes no more then by all their strength and policy they could the body of Christ in the grave but it shall rise out of the ashes to a glorious and everlasting life in which faith it is content the life bee laid downe for Christ Hence the Disciples were glad they were accounted worthy to suffer for Christ Hence the Martyrs in the Primitive Church were so forward to offer their lives to Christ as the woman of Edissa came running with her young childe in her armes left the Christians should be burned before she came and shee not burned with them The like of Polycarpâ— of Blanditta a peerelesse woman of Acolus a mirrour of patience and others And what of our owne Martyrs who could sing to God in the midst of the flames By these and the like Motives a godly heart becomes not onely contented to dye for Christ but joyfull and desirous CHAP. XI Of friends unkindnesse or death and Contentment therein WEe have spoken of private evils in the first kind namely more spirituall against all which we have heard how godlines fenceth the heart with contentment Now we are to proceed to temporall and they respect either others or our selves The former is especially when we are afflicted in our friends and that two wayes either in the unkindnesse of them living or losse of them by death Godlinesse contenteth the Christian man in the former upon these or the like grounds 1 It lets him see how unkinde himself hath bin to God and well deserved that his friends should use him as he hath done his best friend 2 It hath this good use to draw neer unto God grow up into familiarity and acquaintance with him as David Ps. 27. 10. my father mother forsooke me but the Lord tooke me up And a faithful heart knows that Gods love is not so flitting but loving once he loveth to the end Al they who were bound in bonds of nature and other offices to David were forced by Sauls malice and tyranny to leave him to himselfe but then God stuck to him 3 It seeth it self in no worse condition then the Saints of old Who slew Abel but his own brother who mocked Noah but his own son Cham who sold Ioseph hated him but his brethren who unjustly blamed our Lord Iesus Christ but his brethren kindred according to the flesh Ioh. 7. 3 4. Who betrayed him but one whoÌ„ he had chosen to be his Disciple he that ate bread with him at his table It was thou my friend and familiar Oh but this is a great crosse out of mine owne bosome from husband or wife or out of my own bowels from childe where should I looke for comfort but from hence True but first So long as the combate is not with God if he looke graciously on thy soule if Christ thy husband smile upon thee thou mayest beare the frownes of a froward husband or wife the better 2 This is a great outward tryall but perhaps other inferior ones have been neglected and small things will not make great hearts stoupe Besides crosses of another kinde would not smart so much nor sticke so long Here is a continuall dropping Bee sure to bee well softened 3 It is neverthelesse no other then the deare Saints of God have bin humbled bettered by Was not Iobs greatest trouble out of his owne bosome Was not his breath strange to his wife who would not be intreated for their childrens sake Was it not Sampsons overthrow Was not David mocked by his Michal Besides had not Iacob his greatest exercise from his own bowels his only daughter defloured one sonne banished another an adulterer another incestuous another yea sundry of them murtherers Was not David exercised by his rebellious Absalom See we not at this day most gracious Parents tryed shamed with most gracelesse children wherein is seene that men beget children in their owne image in corrupt nature not according to grace and that every good childe is of God In the losse and departure of our friends by death godlinesse quieteth the Christian by these Motives 1 The decease of our friends is not by chance but by Gods disposing who turneth man to dust and saith againe Returne ye sons of men And herein we must imitate holy Iob who blessed God as well in taking away his children as in giving them 2 Our good friends perish not neither have we lost them but sent them before unto the Kingdome of Heaven Their death is not an end but a passage They are blessed that are dead in the Lord or rather sleep in the Lord Ioh. 11. 11. We must not envy their happinesse and quiet rest into which they are arrived out of the restlesse sea of this world nor immoderately mourne in blacke for them who are clothed in long white robes washed in the blood of the Lambe 3 They shall be restored unto us in their bodies glorified and made like the glorious body of Christ and joyned for ever unto us again in a better and eternall life 4 Our best friend never dyes nor failes us and therefore we may more contentedly part with other that are not so neer us neither can doe us so much good Strait is the knot between man and wife which so long as it lasteth other losses of acquaintance and kinsfolks are more tolerable if the loving husband and wife remaine together But the love of God cannot be broken there is a neerer and straiter bond betweene him and the godly then between man and wife If we can see this bond tyed between God and our friends and God and our selves we shall in decease of our dearest friends comfort our selves neither fearing to commit them into the hands of their best friend God the father of mercies nor yet our selves without them to be destitute of frieÌ„ds seeing our best friend stands by us in whom and for whom they are to bee loved This consideration may quiet those who are as impatient in the death of their frâ—ends as Annah was in the waÌ„t of children to whom Elkanah said Am not I better to thee then ten sons Say with Elkanah Is not God better to me then ten husbands or ten thousand children Simeon having Christ in his arms could dy in peace 5 We shall not want friends on earth in stead of them who are taken from us so farre as God seeth good for us His hand is not shortened â—ee can raisâ— us better friends and if men were wanting faith in his promises would make the bruit beasts friendly to us before we should faile The Lyons shall preserve Daniel The Ravens shall feed Elias The dogges of the rich glutton shall licke Lazarus sores and shew
Luk. 13. 8. Another whom Christ cured that had an issue twelve yeares c. 8. 43. Behold the man that was lame thirty eight yeres Iohn 5. 5. And Aeneas that was sick of the palsie eight yeares Act. 9. 33. and yet were respected and cured in due season But of all examples most comfortable is that of our Lord and Head Gods deare Sonne who was a man of sorrowes and his whole life nothing but a burthen of sorrowes and never was any sorrow like unto his and yet he ceased not to be deare to his Father And the same is the condition of the members Lastly God hath just causes to defer help and seem to hide himselfe 1 To try our faith love and patience and bring it forth into example as Iob David the woman of Canaan Mat. 15. 23. 2 To acknowledge the greatnesse and continuance in sin by continuance of his hand Were our correction alway short we would not be perswaded of the greatnesse of our sin 3 To make us more watchfull against sin for hereafter A disease soon cured is not much cared for 4 To keep our peace with God more carefully hardlier gotten surelier kept And to whet our prayers and means of fellowship with him 5 That we may acknowledge how heavy and continuall those torments are which be prepared for impenitent persons if repentant sinners bee layd under such lingring evils in this life 1 Pet. 4. 17. If judgement begin at the house of God what shall the end of the wicked be CHAP. XVII Of old Age and its evils and Contentment therein THe fourth personall evill is old age which is a continuall disease or dying and many burthens are in it which godlinesse perswadeth contentment in thus First although it must be granted that the incommodities of old Age are many both in respect of body and minde as the shaking of the head stouping of back trembling of joynts languishing of spirits decaying of vitall heat the lesse of all the senses the presence of many diseases which are the forerunners of death as palsies gouts cholickes and many moe Yet the weak and diseased body is no hinderance to the discreet and good mind Neither are these inconveniences alway appropriate to old Age but often the punishments of intemperate and disordered youth Abraham being 120 yeares old begate six children of Kâ—turah after Sarahs death Gen. 25. 2. Caleb was as strong in body and minde and as fit for want or government at eighty five yeares old as at forty Moses dyed at 120 yeares and yet his eyes were not dim nor his naturall force abatâ—d Deut 34. 7. Secondly old age is a thing which every one desireth and shall no man like it when it commeth Besides if a man live it is unavoydable for wee all waxe old as a garment the whole world all the parts and ages of it teach us this and the course of the yeare comming from Spring to Summer and from Summer to Autumne and ending in Winter is proofe enough Thirdly ther be sundry singular priviledges of yeares as 1 God hath commanded reverence unto it Levit. 19. 32. thou shalt rise up before the hoare head and honour the person of the old man 2 Their experience and yeares have set them above the younger in wisedome counsell and government and their counsell neglected hath been the overthrow of Kingdomes as in Rehoboam 1 King 12. whence God sometimes threatened a great judgement that he will take away the aged Hence also hath God given them the first place in speaking which Elihu well observed Iob 32. 11. and the younger are to reverence their counsell and instruction and cap. 25. 15. to heare and wait and hold their tongue at their counsell 3 God hath set them as Copies and patternes to the yonger that they should expresse all good vertues which they have learned by the word of God or their owne experience in their lives and conversations in which sense properly their gray haires shall be a crowne of glory to themselves being found in the way of righteousnesse 4 There be also sundry comforts of old age as First as ripe fruit is most pleasant and old wines the best so is old age seasoned with piety What a comfort is it to a mans heart that he can say Thus long have I served God if he can say with Polycarpe the Martyr fourescore and six yeares have I served Christ How rich is such a one in his grace how happy in his account and in his reward Beside we like antient coynes and make much of old pictures And can we set small by a godly old man who carries an expresse image and stamp of Gods â—tâ—rnity Secondly aged persons have passed the troublesome and dangerous time of their life and are even in the haven and therefore have great cause to praise God no lesse then the Israelites did when they were were come over Iordan and entred the land of Canaan Thirdly as the Husbandman rejoyceth in his harvest when hee gathers in his corne and layeth it up safely in his barne so the godly man may in his old age which is as the harvest of a good life immediately after which hee shall enjoy the fruits of his faith hope and holinesse in the Kingdome of heaven CHAP. XVIII Of death and its terrors and Contentment therein THe fifth personall evill is death which of all evils is most fearefull and dreadfull to nature because it is the extinction of it and in it selfe a curse of sinne a passage to hell But godlinesse leaveth not the heart destitute of true content and comfort even in this great combate but stayeth the mind thus First it lifteth up the eye of the soule unto God of whom we first had our life and in whose hands our life is We had not our life by chance nor part with it by chance but by the gracious disposition of God Hee saith to Moses Goe up into the mountaine and dye and Psal. 90. 3. hee saith Returne againe yee sonnes of man and saith David My times are in thine hands Againe looking up to God it seeth how precious to him is the death of all his holy ones Psal. 116. 15. And further in that by death the godly soule is more neerely united unto God and commeth to the fruition of that pure chiefe and immortall good it can be contented to commit it selfe unto him to keep as Paul I know he will keep what I have committed unto him Secondly it looketh to Christ and seeth in him 1 Death changed and qualified by Christs death being in it owne nature a curse and the very suburbes of hell now it is disarmed and the sting of death pulled out It is a fiery serpent stinging deadly but a looke toward the brazen serpent is a ready cure Immoderate feare of death is a daughter of ignorance it being with us as with children who are
salvation that we should not consider it in the fleeting vanity of time but in the blessed use and imployment of it 3 In this short and painfull time we may as well treasure in heaven as rich worldlings doe in earth onely if in this our day we can know the time of our visitation 4 Acknowledging this our time by thrifty husbanding it we may gaine a great estate in grace to be rich in knowledge in faith and in all good workes to which we are invited by the parable of the Talents Matth. 25. Trafficke till I come And what thinke we is the Masters absence for eating drinking gaming and breaking out into all manner of ryot and not rather for imployment and occupying with the Talent that a man being faithfull a small time in small things may be made ruler of much 5 In this our seed-time wee may gaine the assurance of a blessed harvest If we sowe to the Spirit wee shall reape of it eternall life And what if wee goe forth in teares and tempests yet must we not neglect to sowe the Husbandman will sowe in a storme or shower the sorrow shall passe as a storme but he shall bring his sheaves with joy 6 Wee may gaine a ready and comfortable account to which we know not how soone we shall be called and our chiefe use of the present time must be to doe it with joy The unjust steward was commended who knowing he was to be no longer steward thought it time to provide for himselfe while he might His wisedome was commended not his injustice CHAP. III. Shewing whence the skill comes to prize and improve time aright TO number our dayes may seeme easie and soone done yet is no such plaine point of knowledge but of singular skill which none but God can teach Moses himselfe a man of greatest reach and learned in all the learning of the Egyptians the man of God an holy man a friend of God can neither teach himselfe this skill nor any other of Gods people but goes to God to be taught who challengeth to be the God hearing prayer and in the want of Wisdome hath appointed his servants to come and aske it of him Iam. 1. 6. And if we consider we shall easily finde that nothing in the world can make men wise without the speciall teaching and grace of God Nature teacheth it not Never did naturall man attaine this skill to benefit himselfe by his owne or others frailty The voice of nature rather is Let us eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die And that speech of David in temptation is the speech of nature In my prosperity I said I shall never be mooved though it see taller and stronger oakes shaken and overturned every day Or how comes it to passe that children seeing their Fathers mortality can yet live in their Fathers sinnes Who is it that hath not something to shew of his deceased Parents either lands or houses or jewels or garments or some other remembrance by which he might be put in minde of their and his mortality And yet how few make this use of it for reformation of their lives or bestirre themselves to lay hold on this point of wisdome for their spirituall advantage And all because as nature cannot reach it so they goe not to the Sanctuary of God where onely this skill is attained Neither doth the sence and experience of a mans owne or others mortality teach a man thus to number his dayes if the Lord instruct him not For in Moses time the plague had oft broken out against the people and licked them up by thousands and ten thousands yet could not all this get within their hearts unlesse the Lord pleased to carry it deeper then the sense and impression could For if the Word without the Spirit cannot prevaile nor open the eare much lesse can the Workes of God And all see that if the Ministery bee not a Ministery of the Spirit it is not saving but a dead letter As for experience that may teach the shortnesse and uncertainty of life and make a man say as David I am a stranger here as all my fathers were and every man seeth numbers of his neighbours friends kindred and acquaintance laid up daily in the house of death and this which runneth into their senses can draw out thus much that we shall all dye and death is most certaine But where is this skill of numbring urging men by burials and executions to reforme their own lives where is the living man that layeth this to heart that hence laboureth to make God his portion before himselfe have no more portion of all things done under the Sun or that stirreth up himself to remember his Creator in the dayes of his youth before his sun be darke and his pitcher be broken at the Well What is the reason but because Gods Grace and teaching goeth not with sense and experience he hath spoken to the eyes and eares but not to the heart and nothing that a man seeth or heareth or that is before him can make him wiser unlesse God nurture him and teach him to profite thereby All which must draw us before God daily with that petition of Moses in our mouthes Lord teach us so to number our dayes that wemay apply our hearts unto wisedome Psal. 90. 12. CHAP. IIII. Corollaries out of things foregoing TIme being short and precious it were good to make account of it for which account must be made unto God and ever hold it in thy hand or let it goe for something better then it selfe as wise Chapmen part with their mony Or if thou hast lost any time redeeme it againe Eph. 5. 16. Recover it by a price as when we lose a thing of value we will give much to receive it againe Exchange those lusts by which thou hast lost thy time with better courses Christ mourned that Ierusalem had lost her day Luk. 19. 42. and how should we bewaile the losse of many dayes Be more carefull of time for the future and waste not prodigally so precious a commodity Consider and meditate First what reason to be niggardly of wealth and prodigall of time whereas all the wealth in the world cannot purchase one day to live longer Secondly why wilt thou not know the worth of time before the want of time as the most doe who let it run irrecoverably from between their fingers and never know what they lose till it be too late Thirdly why shouldest thou not spare before the bottome before the vessell be drawne out whereas thou canst as easily draw backe the sunne in his course as call backe an houre of time when it is past Fourthly were it not more wisedome to set an high price on time in earth then in hell Where as Bernard saith time were a good commodity and the trafficke of time most gainefull where for one