their bed of death they go to it in vtter darknesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth So farre for the time which is called largely dayes that which is limitted called the appointed time followeth Of mine appointed time c. By appointed time Iob here meaneth his bounded life which can no more be extended beyond the appointed time then the Sea can passe her bounds Ps 104.9 Doctr. From whence this doctrine may be gathered that we liue by Gods decree not at our owne pleasure So Paul told the men of Athens for hauing taxed their superstition who wold bound the boundlesse presence of God to a temple made with hands and to Idols the worke of mens hands he she wecht hat the Almighty Maker of this Worlds-masse is not to be straitned who hath shut in with the straites of time fore-seâ— by himselfe all men and creatures hauing assigned their times and the bounds of their habitation Act. 17.26 And in this Booke of Iob it is moued by a question but taken for granted that there is an appointed time to man vpon Earth Iob 7.1 or a set time of mans warrefare here that is he is a Souldier and his life militant but how long and for how short a time he shall be and continue in this field of his bodie vnder corruption fighting against the strangelusts that are in the world it is ordered by him who hath summed vp all the number of his daies and measured his short time with a decree or Law which he cannot passe after it is said that God hath set Mans daies and numbred his moneths and limited his time that is that he hath set bounds to all the moments of his life here Iob 14.5 By which it is plaine that the maker of man hath in his hand the whole number of mans time such as it hath pleased himselfe to adde to the Moneths and yeeres that he hath giuen him in this vale of miserie The reasons First if God had not numbred the daies of man vpon earth they who loue the world would neuer leaue it nor they who suffer in it without speciall grace waite till God should worke their deliuerance from it They who liue in pleasure would neuer resolue to die and they would presently seeke their owne death and find it who liue in paine Secondly as wee are not borne at our owne pleasure so it is reason we should liue and die at his pleasure who hath formed vs in the wombe Thirdly God taketh small matters into his hands to order them Mat. 29.30 and shal we think that he hath not taken to himselfe the great matter of life and death to dispose of it A confutation of those who think that man can either shorten his owne life Vse 1 or draw it beyond the Lords score to make it longer Indeed man may by offering violence to himselfe become an vnnaturall instrument of the Lords iustice to cut of those daies that God hath finished but no man can later or sooner die then the Lord of death and time hath set his end Quest But hath not the Magistrate power ouer the life of a Malefactor and is it not in his hand to giue him his life or to take it from him when his sinne hath giuen him into the power of the Law and of the Magistrate vnto death Answ In this case the Magistrate hath no power but what is giuen him as when either the spite of time or sinne of Man shall accomplish what God hath purposed Ioh. 19.11 So Christ told Pilate who because he had the soueraignty of iudgement thought he had also the soueraigntie of life verse 10. But he had no power but what the decree of God and determined moment of mans saluation had then giuen vnto him If then the Magistrate saue a man who is iudged to die it is secretly to fulfill Gods time concerning him which is not yet come or if he cut him of it is because the time appointed to him by God is first come and he is Gods Minister to doe what God hath purposed to be done An instruction Vse teaching vs patience and contentment when any of our friends shall be taken from vs for God hath taken them from vs their time was come which as we cannot preuent so we may not enuie 2. Sam. 12.20.21 c. So for our own death we must willingly beare it seeing that God hath appointed that we shall once die and that once must once come Hebr. 9.27 It is I confesse naturall to all to be loth to lay downe this tabernacle but our obedience to the will of God must correct nature in so direct an opposition to his decree that hath made vs we must call to our remembrance not what we could wish but God hath purposed reasoning euerie man apart and priuately in his heart thus I must needes die because it is Gods ordinance and I will willingly die that I may shew my obedience to his will I must needes die to put of corruption and I will willingly die that I may see God Or I must needs die Looke Deerings 11. Lecture on the Epistle to the Hebrues that sinne may haue his pay the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6.23 and I will willingly die that sinne may be no longer and death may loose his sting and power So much for the mid-times of that naturall life in which Iob became attendant and did waite for a better life the period of time which he expected followeth Till my change were come Here Iob sheweth how long hee would waite by hope in his afflicted estateâ— euen till that period of time should come which he calleth the time of change when hee should finish the daies of his warre-fare on Earth and receaue the Crowne of his sufferings in glorie And here by the day of change he meaneth the day of death which is therefore called a change because it is the remoue of the faithfull from labour to rest in their bodies and from an Earthly to an Heauenly life in their soules which are taken vp to God Somewhere it is called the losing as of a Prisoner from the Prison and fetters of the flesh that hee may be with Christ Philip. 1.23 Also the godly in their blessed death are for this said to be taken away Esa 57.1 In their bodies from their house to graue from feare to security from sense of paine to ease and from their bodies of labour to their beds of rest in their soules from an house of clay to an house not made with hands from Men to Angels from Earth to Heauen from prison to libertie from mortalitie to immortall and from death to liue And we reade of the gathering of the righteous as of things scattered and straying from home to their people fathers Gen. 25 8. Iudg. 2.10 Thus we haue heard why Iob and other scriptures call the death of the godly a change From whence the doctrine is Doctr. That there is nothing in
the good mans death but what is profitable and excellent In the third to the Philippians vers 21. the Apostle calleth this alteration by death not the losse of our body but the change of our vile body that it may bee facioned like to the glorious body of Christ And is there any thing in this but what is excellent and worthy if any thing be worthy our trauell best paines here Iohn speaking of the Saints glorified saith All teares shall be wiped from their eyes Apoc. 21.4 His meaning is that as soone as death shall let them out of the world they shall haue no more sorrow that is sorrow that causeth teares And the same Iohn saith Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord Apo. 14.13 that is they who hauing liued righteously die wel in him are in the hand by the helpe of death leade presently to blessednesse The Saints militant did alwaies with the eyes of faith in the Gospell behold this great honour and preferment by death in the happy ends of the righteous and therefore sighed desiring their house from Heauen 2. Cor. 5.2 for they knew that if it were an honour to be remoued from a base cote to a Princes court it could not but be a double that is singular honour to bee translated from the Cotes of the Earth to the Court of Heauen Therefore they sighed that is could not be merrie till that change should come Paul saith that to be losed to wit from the bonds of his corruptible bodie was best of all Philip. 1 23. which hee would not haue said if any preferment had beene better then that by death which is from basenes into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God The reasons And further that there is so much good in the godlie mans death which is his change may be and is euident First by the things to which that their happie and blessed change by death is compared as to a hauen that after they haue passed the troublesome waues of the sea of this world carrieth them to their owne key or backe in the which they ride safely to their iourneys end after which they come home to their owne house being strangers here 1. Pet. 2.11 to the medicine that cureth most perfectly the sicknesse of life to the messenger that biddeth them to the marriage dinner of their great King Mat. 22.2.3 to their returne from banishment into their owne countrey and naturall land to their deliuerance from the gaole of sorrow where they are taken with Ioseph out of prison to be set with Princes to the laying downe of their tabernacle and to the putting on of their house from Heauen to a deliuerance like that out of Egypt from the bondage of corruption to the libertie of saints from a land of darknesse to a land where the sunne neuer goeth downe and from a land of destruction to the land of the liuing Now what is there in all these that is not perfitly good and desirable Secondly death abolisheth in the faithfull departed all power of sinning and sting of sinne Thirdly the bodie feeleth no more paine nor shal euer againe be sensible but of that which is excellently good desireable and comfortable and for the soule it shall presently be glorified Luc. 16.22 Fourthly death is but the dore of the soule out of an earthly dungeon such as the bodie is that must be destroied before the wormes into an heauenly kingdome or passage from death to life from a short death to a long life Lastly God executeth his iudgements vpon the damned and purgeth his Church by death An instruction to correct all vnreasonable and faithlesse weeping for our godly friends and brethren departed in the faith of Christ Vse 1 The Apostle to the Thessalonians exhorteth Christians if they sorrow for such not to sorrow for them as men that haue no hope 1. Thes 4.13 When Hester was taken from Mardochay who had brought her vp as his owne daughter to be married to King Assuerus and to receaue the crowne of Queene in the kingdome did he either bewaile or enuie that her great preferment the faithfull are taken from sorrowfullmen to be espoused to Christ and to receaue the crowne of glorie and shall they that liue by such vnmeasurable sorrow and taking on as is too commonly vsed at the graues of their friends vnwish to them in a sort so great happinesse Will a father be sorrie or can he without imputation of enuie repine that his sonne or daughter is with Ioseph taken out of prison to be set with Princes when thou giuest forth thy child to nurse and shee hath kept it long inough should shee because thou takest it home againe complaine thou wilt say she hath no reason for it Then what reason hath any father to murmure against the owner of the child hee taketh for taking of his owne Parents that so lose their children if they may be called lost that are so found are but nurses to them in their absence from their owne fathers house to nurse them with the milke of the Gospel and religiously to nurture them for the Lord who by death sends for them home to himselfe when he seeth time and when he so doth haue they cause to complaine of wrong father mother sonne wife husband brother are but lent goods which we must restore when the creditor and hee that owneth them calleth for them And shall we count our selues spoiled or vndone because they are required If one should lend vs a thing of price or thing that is costly would wee for a recompence of the vse of it vpbraid the owner because he sendeth for it or if we should might not he who was the lender iustly say is this my thanks and shall I be recompenced with so great impatiencie for my so great good will So if God should lend vs tenne deare children as he did to Iob and we should be made to part with them all in one day would it become vs with rough words to receaue that supposed losse or would we complaine of wrong where none is offered and where our good is sought and our childrens gaine be vnthankfull if we should may not the Lord of them and of vs iustly taxe our vnthankfulnesse and complaine of wrong May he not say did Iob my seruant so from whom I tooke ten children in one day and in a few daies all the honour and substance that he had did he not rather confesse my vnquestionable right in such moueables and say the Lord giueth the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. Iob 1.21 If a great Lord should call vs and our child promising to both much honour and great wealth would we weepe and take on because our child is gone before and we our selues must shortly follow after would we not rather with much ioy so order our iourney and affaires that we also might with as great dispatch as might be receaue such preferment as wee know
our child hath entred on alreadie And why are we vnquiet seeing the Lord of Heauen and earth hath called our child from a base condition to noblenesse to bestow honours vpon him and ritches that shall not faile promising the like to vs by the way of death should we not rather so dispose our occasions and life that we may ioifully follow him whom wee haue not lost but sent before But you will say my child was young and died in his flowers well be it so yet they who die young so they die well are old inough to goe to God besides did not Ieroboams childe in whom were found good things die young 1. King 14.13 And did not Iosiah die old whom the Lord in a battle at Megiddo tooke from the filthy will of Iudah to plant him before himselfe in the garden of his owne presence in glorie 2. King 24.29 Neither can they be said to die yong whose perfection is growne to a blessed ripenesse before the Lord. But young or old if you haue reioiced in your child as in the Lords interest you will not think it much and why should you that the Lord should haue his owne or will you with Phurao offer to hold in the prison of life as in Egypt any seruant of his whom hee shall send for by death his last messenger and that aâ— supper time when all things are ready Luc. 14.17 While he liued God gane him to you as a pledge of his fauor now that he is taken away you must freely resigne him as a pledge of your obedience But you wil say He was my onely child Indeed the death of an onely childe is very greeuous to the Parents Zechar. 12.10 Am. 8.10 yet Abraham was readie to haue sacrificed his onely sonne Isaac at Gods commandement Gen. 22.3.10 and God gaue his onely sonne Christ to death for our salâ—ation Ioh. 3.16 wherefore as Elkanah said to Annah so and much more may the Lord say to vs am not I better to you then ten sonnes 1. Sam. 1.8 or are not our ten sonnes and all the children of the wombe his gift Ps 127.3 Then though he be your onely child and all you haue whom God thus by death taketh from you there is no cause of griefe or of complaint seeing the Lord hath but his owne when he hath taken him and seeing also that he taketh him and you giue him but as your pledge and earnest to binde vnto you the right of that inheritance that you looke for or as your Feof-fee of trust gone before to take the possession for you A reproofe to those Vse 2 who can see nothing in the death of their friends or in their owne deathes but what is dreadfull beyond measure and simply the end of man Such conceiue death not as he is to the righteous and as Christ hath made him to bee by his glorious death but as fooles iudge of him who behold him through false spectacles as he is in his owne vncorrected nature considered out of Christ that is vgly terrible and hideous So did they behold him in Amos who put the euill day of his comming that which they iudged to bee euill and the godly iudge to bee happie no day happier as far from them as they could by carnall delicacie and wantonnesse Amos 6.3 So did Belshazzar looke vpon him whose heart would not serue him to reade the hand-writing of his owne end so neare Dan. 5.5.6.30 And Nabal had no heart to die who when he must needes die died as a stone that is died blockishly and so faintly that he was as good as slaine before death slew him 1. Sam. 25.37.38 He had no comfort in death which hee could not see one that was as righteous but as churlish and prophane And no maruell for this Aduersarie death armed as Goliah and vaunting as that proud Gyant of Gath commeth stalking toward such in fearefull manner infulting ouer weake dust and daring the world to giue him a man to fight with Therefore at the sight of him the whole hoast of worldlings bewray great feare turning their backes and going backward as men readie to sinke into the earth with abated courages and lookes cast downe stained with the colours of feare death trembling like leaues in a storme and striken with the palsie of a sudden and violent shaking through all the bodie 1 Sam. 17.10.11 But the true Christian armed as Dauid with trust in God and expectation of victory by the death of Christ who by death ouercame death as Dauid cut off the head of Goliah with his owne sword dares and doth boldly encounter with this huge Philistian death supposed inuincible and seeming great but neither with sword nor speare but in the name of the God of the hoast of Israel by whose might onely hee woundeth and striketh him to the earth trampling vpon him in the returne of his soule to the place out of which it first came and singing ouer him this ioiful and triumphant song of victorie O death where is thy sting 1. Cor. 15.55 Hee hath Steuens eyes to looke into heauen and therefore cannot but haue the tongue of the Saints who say Come Lord Iesu come quickly Apoâ— 22 2â—â— For the ioy that is set before him he with his good Sauiour endureth the crosse of death and despiseth the shame of corruption to which the dust of his bodie must bee turned Heb. 12.2 Ob. Quest But you will say Is not death to be feared that worketh so fearefully beeing also enemie to nature and the wages of sinne Rom. 6.23 Ans Answ Indeede death is dreadfull out of Christ and in it selfe and wee haue reason to feare it as it is an effect of sinne for so God setteth his angrie countenance in it and so Aristotle it is simply fearefull and euill Which made an heathen man to say that of all terrible things death was most terrible Hee saw in the darke that death had much euill in it and that it was properly euill and but accidentally good but he could not see through the dark cloud that which made it so euill Therefore euill it is I confesse and fearefull And to this we haue a greater witnesse then the witnesse of man For the Apostle saith the sting of death is sinne 1. Cor. 15.56 Now so farre as it hath a sting and is in it strength it is to be feared The reason is so it is properly death and death in kinde But we speake not of death considered out of Christ or considered in it selfe but of death altered by the death of Christ and which by such a change is made our passage from death to life for so it is no dreadful thing but a thing desireable and so the sting is taken from it which is of force and carieth an edge of second death against all the workers of iniquitie who dying out of Christ die miserably hellishly and with horrible feare By Christ the doore death is made a doore out
ordered bring forth the greatest Masters of vice and Guides to wickednesse and as a weede if it grow in a ranke soile will grow out of measure noisome so the tender youth of great families brought vp in ease and pampered with the delights of gentry if they prooue weeds must needs riot most vnmeasurably and prooue most hurtfull members in the Commonwealth and not members but diseases in the Church Lastly to excite our gentry to traine vp their yong Gentlemen to the feare of God and to good sciences let them remember that a gentleman without vertue learning is like a darke heauen in the night without moone or starres and let them not forget that if they would haue the blessing of being blessed fathers of a blessed seed they must bring them within the couenant endeuouring to make their sonnes by nature the sons of God by grace The like for their daughters if they would haue their daughters by birth to become the daughters of Abraham by new birth and godlinesse An admonition to yong persons Vse 2 to striue against all impediments of godlinesse in yong yeeres For are parents bound to teach youth then are youth bound to learne of their parents or must al feare God yong then young and all must learne betimes to feare him and can none feare him but such as arme against the impediments of his feare then where are most as in youth and where most are hindered as tender youth there must this armor chiefly be put on The first impediment of early godlines in yong men is a reckoning but without their host that they shall liue to be old which causeth theÌ„ to say peace peace Iâ—r 8.11 til with Sisera they fal into their last sleep of destruction Iudg. 4.21 go from their house to graue Psal 49.14 But who can be ignorant that on the stage of this world some haue longer and some shorter parts and who knoweth not though some fruits fall from the tree by a full and naturall ripenes that all doe not so nay that more are pulled from it and wither vpon it in the tender bud or young fruit then are suffered to tarrie till they come to their perfect ripenes and mellowing so do not mo without comparison fall from the tree of time young either violently plucked from it by a hasty death or miserably withering vpon it by a long death perishing in the bud of childhood or beaten downe in the greene fruit of youth then come to their full age of ripenesse by a mellow and kindly death Further doth not God call home from his worke some in the morning some at noone and some at night For as his labourers enter into his vineyard so they goe out that is in such manner and at such houres Math. 20.1.2.3 c. Some dye in the dawning of their life who passe but from one graue to another Some dye in youth as in the third houre some at thirtie and some at fiftie as in the sixt and ninth and some very old as in the last houre of the day Yet more dye young then old and more before tenne then after threescore Besides all this the fresh life which the youngest haue here is cut off or continued by the same decree and finger of God that the oldest and most blasted life is prolonged or finished For say that a man had in his keeping sundrie brittle vessels as of glasse or stone some made fortie fiftie yea threescore yeares age and some but yesterday we will agree that that vessell wil soonest be broken not that is made first but which is first striken or first receiueth a knocke So for these brittle vessels of our earthly bodies they that soonest receiue the blow of death though but made yesterday first perish not that were first made and haue longest liued What then is our life and how vaine and false is our hope of long life seeing no man can tel who hee is that shall receiue the first stroke or knocke to the destroying of this his mortal tabernacle In a prison where are many condemned should some riot and forget death because they first are not drawne out to die or because one goes before another to execution shall he that comes last come forth pleasantly with Agag and say Surely the bitternes of death is past 1. Sam. 15.32 because we die not so soone as others and we shall not all die at once shall we therefore count our selues immortall If we be old wee may bee sure our turne is neere and if we be young it may be as neere for they that be old may trauell longer but we that are yong may haue a shorter way home Seeing then this hope of liuing till we be old is so vaine and deceitfull wee should make as great haste to God at twenty as at fourescore When we heare a solemne knell we say some bodie is departed and why should we not thinke that the feet of them who carried out that bodie is at the doore readie to cary vs out also Act. 5.9 He was not an old man and he had much peace in his dayes to whom it was said O foole this night they will fetch away thy soule Luc. 12.20 So death worketh in vs whether we prepare for it or no. a Mr. Perk. in his right way of dying well A certaine writer vseth this comparison A man pursued by an Vnicorne in his flight fals into a dungeon and in his fall hangs by the arme of a tree as he thus hangeth looking downeward he sees two wormes gnawing at the root of the tree and looking vpward he sees an hiue of sweet hony which makes him to climbe vp vnto it to sit by it and to feed vpon it While he thus feedeth himselfe and becommeth secure or carelesse of what may come the two wormes gnaw in sunder the root of the tree which done both man and tree fall into the bottome of that deepe pit This Vnicorne is swift Death the Man that flieth is euerie sonne of Adam the pit ouer which he hangeth is hell the arme of the tree is his short life the two wormes are day and night which without stay consume the same the hiue of honie is the pleasures of this world to which while men wholly deuote themselues not remembring their last end the root of the tree that is temporall life is spent and they fall without redemption into the pit and gulfe of hell Another impediment of godlinesse in a young man is his strong constitution which perswades him that he shall liue long that therefore he may at leasure inough turne to God hereafter but no constitution in man can enlarge his Charter of life one poore houre Indeed the good complexion of a man may be a signe of long life but he that prolongeth our daies on Earth he onely can make vs to liue long Exod. 20.12 A third impediment of godlinesse is parentage abused For some thinke that God neuer required
such to bee renued in their mindes reformed in their liues Eph. 4.14 And though they haue beene children long hauing so long and much forgotten God in the ignorance of childhood and vanitie of youth should they alwaies be so or should they not grow to be men in Christ and strong men in the saluation of God wisdome being their gray haires and an vndefiled life their old age 1. Cor. 16.13 The Israelites gathered twice as much Manna the day before the Sabbath as they did any day before because on the sabath they might gather none Exod. 16.22 and should not the hoare head that looketh euery day for the last sabbath of mortalitie and long sabbath of glorie in an age and day so neare vnto it heare twice as much pray twice as much do twice as much good be more fruitfull then in all his life before vsing not legs as youth but wings of repentance yet as young men think they haue a long time so put off remembrance so old men doe hardly beleeue that their time is so shoâ—â— or end so neere but that they 〈◊〉 take leasure and doe that hereafter which they should doe presentlie And who is there almost though hauing liued verie long alreadie that thinketh not hee may liue one yeer longer we read that threescore and ten is a great age Psa 90.10 but when we our selues are past it we forget what we haue read and look not to that which is gone but as couetous persons who onely liue vpon that which they expect not which they haue doe onely number the yeeres to come and build vpon seuen yeeres when perhaps there are not seuen months behind peraduenture not seuen daies not houres Little thought hee to die before the morrow who promising many yeeres of ease to himselfe said hee would pull downe his old barnes and build new Luc. 12.18.19 The like condition in sudden death may steale vpon the like foolish numberers of their daies For hee â—as a young man that so reckoned â—misse and shall they that be old so â—ckoning thinke to reckon well We say commonly Yong men may â—e and when we turne it to old â—en we say with good warrant Old â—en must die And yet as men by â—a thinkes anothers ship goes fast â—nd their owne stands still where â—eirs maketh as great hast to the â—ort as the others doth so old men â—inke that other old men weare aâ—ace and goe a maine to death as if â—eir owne yeeres did neuer a whit â—reake nor moue to the waine of â—se where the truth is that they â—aue as swift a gale and flight to the â—ort of all the liuing as the other â—aue who seeme in their eyes not â—o moue softly but to flie to their â—nd So much for the first reason â—he second followeth Nor the yeares approach wherein â—hou shalt c. This secoÌ„d reason giâ—en for remembrance is drawne froÌ„â—n age in a neerer degree to death by â—oÌ„mon course then the age that was spoken of though it may wel be called old age coÌ„pared to the times 〈◊〉 yong men childreÌ„ For these yeeâ— take all pleasure from our life wheâ— in affliction followeth affliction 〈◊〉 the clouds returne after the raine Eâ—cles 12.2 The reason may be drawâ— from the lesse to the more thus 〈◊〉 if Salomon had said It is an vâ—â— time in old age to begin repeÌ„tance much more at these stooping yereâ— where euerie step is in death aâ—â— they may say with Barzillat whâ— are come vnto them How long hâ—â— I to liue Doctr. 2. Sam. 19.34 The Doctrine is If in old age then mucâ— more in that age it is verie late 〈◊〉 consecrate our time to God wheâ— our houses are turned into our prisons and we haue no taste in that 〈◊〉 eat or in that we drinke 2. Sam 19.35 Of Ephraim it was said Thâ— gray hayres were here and there vpâ—â— him yet he knew it not Hos 7.9 thaâ— is hee had the markes of age in 〈◊〉 face and vpon his head and yet 〈◊〉 one that would still be young heâ— considered not that hee drew neeâ— â—o the graue and had tokens vpon â—im of a blasted life What would â—t haue beene said if being readie to â—ye downe in the graue he had fared â—s one that had come into the world but yesterday And that he thought not of putting off sinne and putting on holinesse in an age when he could neither put off nor put on his owne clothes The reasons This â—s the last time or rather houre and how shall we hope to be good if we begin but now And if it be somewhat late where memory is stronger how can it bee but verie late where memorie is quite gone Secondly repentance should bee voluntarie not extorted as at these yeares by bitter griefe and the feare of hell Thirdly our repentance then will be late repentance and late repentance is seldom or neuer true repentance Also those repentances that men frame to themselues at the last houre are but false conceptions that come not to bearing For in such repentances men forsake not their sinnes but their sinnes forsake them A reproofe to those desperat sinners Vse who put off all care of turning to God by repentance till the graue be readie for them and till they be readie to make vp their bed in the darke But many deceiued with this charme sorcery of the last hours repentance haue knocked when there was no opening Luc. 13.25.28 The foolish Virgins that came not for mercy whiles the Lords doore was open that is whiles hee was before the doore to giue it and they in the way to receiue it did stand without had none to open vnto them Matth. 25.10.12 So he was taken away to damnation that prepared not his wedding garment before his comming to the wedding feast Matth 22.11.13 Let these examples of reprobate putters off mooue vs to preuent the diuels houre of turning to God which is the last houre of life an houre when Gods doore of mercy is made fast and all hope is cut off for entring It is an euâ—ll seruant that putteth off all his worke to the last houre Eccles 12 And who knoweth not that hath vnderstanding that when those yeeres approach and that gastly houre is come there is businesse and worke enough in the mind and externall man of deaths condemned prisoner to resist and prepare against the extremitie of that combat which because it is the last of the day is like to be the sharpest Besides the last sicknes bringeth trouble inough with it when death the diuell mans vnremitted sinnes Gods intolerable wrath and the gaping pit and deepe lake of hell doe altogether with greatest terror astonishmeÌ„t present themselues to mans sorrowfull and sore incumbred soule Obiect You will say that a theefe was saued at the very last cast of life or some short time before hee departed from the Crosse to Paradise Luke 23.43 Answ I confesse that the
not when they shall die and if they cease from attendance the Master will come in a day when they thinke not Math. 24.50 Therefore they should alway looke for that which whether looked for or vnexpected will most certainly though stealingly come Secondly Christ appeareth vnto saluation onely to those that looke for him Hebr. 9.28 that is that so liue as whether hee come in the second watch or in the third he shall find them waiting in their doore for Him by continuance in well doing But doe they looke for him who continually serue sin in their mortall bodies and continually and ordinarily are holden in those cursed lusts of the world and flesh wherein is nothing but death and hell I speake of fornicators couetous drunkards daily swearers and other monstrous sinners doe they looke for him or would they curse and sweare and riot on the Sabbath and steale and whore as they doe and drinke so many healths till they haue left no foundnesse in them if they thought presenttly to die and presently to come to their terrible account they may presently come vnto it Thirdly wee serue a prentiship of attendance for our worldly freedome and to reason from the lesse to the greater will we not attend seuen yeres perhaps we shall not wait seuen dayes to be free for euer For by the portall of death the godlie passe from bondage to libertie from the land of Aegypt to the land of righteousnesse from the vale of tears to mansions of glorie An instruction to keepe alwayes in mind the day of our death Vse 1 that it preuent vs not by carnall forgetfulnesse or come vpon vs vnlooked for as Iehu furiously came vpon Iehoram 2. King 9.23.24 bee made with al speed to his charet thinking to flie but the arrow that Iehu shot preuented him So some thinking to flie from the flying arrow of death by running to their accustomed refuges as it were Charets of vaine delayes and hopes further to auoide it haue presently receaued into their bodies the fatall dart of death and haue presently died That we may thus remember death we must not be carelesse to spend our short time well as they are whose comfort standeth rather in an vncertain delay of death then in anie certainety of life eternall after death Our care must be to liue well so shall we without our care haue good assurance to die wel If we continue and increase in goodnesse we are well prouided for death and need not to feare the bitter effects of second death Blessed is that Seruant whom the Master when hee commeth shall find so doing Mat. 24.46 The Apostle Paul might well say he was ready to be offered to wit by that end of all the liuing death seeing he had fought a good fight in the battell of his life finished a good course in the race of his pilgrimage and kept faith in a good conscience 2. Tim. 4 6. Hee considered his life as a woman with child reckons her time as neere as shee can because then shee hopes for deliuerance the nerer the day of his last Iubilee or last breath drew the more his ioy increased being sure that then he should goe out of prison Leuit. 25.41.54 Thus had he ioy in death who had so well and long prepared himselfe to die A charge therefore vpon carelesse persons who Vse 2 as if they should say with the euill Seruant spoken of Math. 24.48 My Master doth differre his comming fall into a deep sleepe of false peace without all regard of awaking to righteousnesse 1. Cor. 15.34 till death come to cut them off with sinners Christ speaking of the dayes of Noah doth not say that the Men then were vnmercifull extortioners or idolatours but that they are they drank they married till the flood came that is were first drowned in securitie and after in water Luc. 17.26.27 Further speaking in like manner of the daies of Lot he saith of the men of that time that they ate they dranke they bought they sould they planted they built verse 28. but were these things vnlawfull No not in themselues but in their manner of vsing them for they entended nothing else till God rained fire and brimstone from Heauen vpon them and destroied them verse 29. That is nothing could warne them till death came that giues no warning And here our Sauiour setteth downe three sorts of men the first followed their pleasures onely they ate they dranke The second followed their profit onely they bought they sould The third and worst of all followed both their pleasure and profit for they builded for their pleasure and planted for their profit And doe not some of these or all of these lusts of the world hold carelesse Christians if we may call such Christians so in the loue of earthly things at this day that there is no remembrance of death in their waies Doe not worldlings entring into a dreame of an Heauen vpon Earth dote so vpoÌ„ things that perish with the vse that they neuer thinke of things eternall whether life or death euerlasting till they must no remedie passe from this world to another The foolish Virgines thought not of their oile till the Bride-groome came and there was no opening Mat. 25.8.11.12 And foolish sinners so flatter themselues with a slumbering opinion of preparing time â—inough for death when they goe on their last houre that they will know nothing till the flood come Mat. 24.39 nor looke toward heauen till they bee in hell Luc. 16.23 nor haue oile in their vessels and repentance in their hearts with it to meete the bride-groome Christ till the gate of mercie and of all hope be shut Math. 25.10 Meane while what doe they but follow the pride couetousnesse whoredome drunkennesse and lusts of their owne heart not remembring Ioseph But pray we beloued for a waking conscience and let not this keeper of the house in a heart past feeling so drowse and sleepe in vs that our house be broken digged through and rifled before we haue time or will to say Lord haue mercie on vs. So much for the attendance spoken of the term or continuance followeth Al the daies of mine appointed time c. The time of Iobs attendance or waiting on God for his helpe is the whole terme or act of his life which he calleth not yeeres but daies So hee measureth his short time by the inch of daies rather then by the span of moneths or long ell of yeeres Doctr. Which is to teach vs that the daies of man are few his life short vpon earth And that it is so experience and that which we see in daily vse doth shew besides the word which for this speaking of mans short time vseth to take the shortest diuision in nature to expresse it by as that it is the life of yesterday Ps 90.4 A life which is gone as soone as it comes vers 9. a life of few houres as a watch in the night vers 4.
are reputed seruants in Egypt and strangers in the wildernesse being vnhappy to wit in the opinion of worldly men till they come into their happy land and receiue those mansions which are prepared for them The wicked because they serue sinne in their members and short time are happie till they die being for that Lords in Egypt and Citizens here Here in pleasures after death in torments Here Lords of the earth hereafter brands of hell No maruell then if short life trouble the wicked as it comforteth the godly That which is added by Iob to his time of attendance followeth All Iob saith that hee would waite all his daies because he knew not the day nor houre when God would command his apparence by death and send him to his dust As if he should haue said Of my departure hence I know not the day nor houre or I know not when I shall die 1. Pet. 1.17 and therefore euery day shal be as my dying day and I will liue in continuall expectation of that which will come I know not how soone Doctr. This is the meaning And the point taught is though there bee nothing more certaine then death yet nothing is more vncertaine to vs then the houre in which we shall die For this cause the day of the generall as likewise the day of our particular iudgement in death is said to come suddenly vpon worldlings as the snare vpon the bird which commeth when it is not looked for Luke 21.35 And Mathew to shew how little wee know the comming of it till it come compareth it to a Master from home who returneth to his house in a day that the seruants looke not for him and in an houre that they are not ware of Mat. 24.50 And in the 43. verse of the same Chapter he compareth it to a thiefe in the night For as a thiefe giueth no warning so no more doth stealing death He that keepeth the house knoweth not when the thiefe will come and hee that looketh for death knoweth not when he shall die 1. Thes 5.2 The reasons If we knew the day of our death we would put off all till the comming of that day Secondly as it is the glorie of a King to know some things that no man else can know so it is a part of Gods glorie to hide from men and Angels the particular houres of mans death and this worlds doome which hee hath closed vp with the seale of secrecie and put in his owne power Now God will giue no part of his glorie to 〈◊〉 Thirdly if we knew the houre or certaine time of our death it would giue vs too great boldnesse to wallow in sinne till that time or houre came The whorish woman because she knew the rust time when her husband would returne who went into a far countrie did by such a certaine knowledge of the appointed time of his comming backe the more liberally poure out her soule to vice wantonnesse Prou. 7.20 Therefore it is counsell to vs when wee shall die that all the dayes of our appointed time we may wait for this day and in all our time looke for this last time To make good vse of this point Vse we must account of euery presēt day as the day of our death so liue now as if we were now dying doe those good duties euery day that wee would bee found doing at our last houre of the day Death doth come suddenly to many so it may to vs and some who haue promised to themselues many yeeres and long life haue not had a minute of warning giuen them to cal for mercie The houses of their bodies were presently digged thorow when they iudged their time endlesse and when they thought to haue runne a long race of scores Iob. 21.23.24.25 their graues haue met them in their setting out and they haue ended their act before they had plaide one full part on their stage The consideration hereof should make vs carefull to doe good while we haue time seeing we are so vnsure of it Gal. 6.10 The time of making peace with our Aduersarie is while wee are in the way Math. 5.25 And because we know not the day we should watch by doing good euerie day sitting with Abraham in our Tent doore Gen. 18.1 And watching death that watcheth vs. One light before doth more good then many carried after So one fore-thought is better then twentie after wits Death looketh for vs euerie where therfore as one saith wee should euery where looke for him Luke 12.35.36 But further to incite vs to this Christian watch let vs remember that where the tree falleth there it lieth in the East of life or West of second death where the Sunne of peace setteth vpon reprobates for euer Eccles 11.3 As the last day of our life leaueth vs so shall that last day the day of Christs comming August finde vs. How good were it therefore before we runne into desperate arrierages to cast our billes of account the rather because wee shall bee warned out of our office we know not how soone Luke 16.2 Some Emperors among the Heathen were woont as bookes say to bee crowned ouer the sepulchers and graues of dead men to teach them by the certaine but vnknowne end of their short life to vse their great roomes as men that must one day be as they then were whose graues they trode vpon The old Saints who liued in a continuall meditation of their short and vncertaine time were wont alway like wise Merchants to thinke of their returne homeward And therefore tooke vp their treasure by billes of paiment not where they were but where they would bee and meant to make their long aboad that is meant to be for euer And the Philosophers who saw not beyond the clouds of humane reason when they perceiued how much men did decline by course of yeares and wastes of time were woont to say that the life of a wise man was nothing but a continuall meditation of death And were it no more but that it is enacted as by an euerlasting Parliament that all must once die Heb. 9.27 This were inough to cast a cloud yea a whol dark sky ouer the fairest day we see here and passe in our fairest pleasures But when we shall consider that after death commeth the iudgement it must needes moue vs to turne our laughter into mourning and to thinke how to liue and die well in so short and certaine but vncertain time of our expectation of such a day a day of such dread and tertour to carelesse liuers a black hideous and dismall day But carelesse persons like those officers in the Kings house who hauing their allowance of lights consume them in wantonnesse and goe to bed in the dark doe consume on their lusts those good graces as it were lights which they haue receiued for saluation from the father of lights Iam. 4.3 which is cause that when their bodies must goe to
of spirituall death into spirituall life out of vnhappinesse and paines mortall into all happinesse and ioyes eternall Further they who are set in Christ in whom they liue to whose glorie they desire to liue and die seeing they behold death not with carnall eyes but with the eyes of faith in the Gospell doe as hath beene said get heart and reioyce against death in their good consciences and all the terrour of it and so to them it is a disarmed enemie or enemie of no power and hurt For how can that Scorpion hurt that hath no sting Or why should that enemie be feared that hath neither hand to strike nor weapon to kill Such a Scorpion is death when we take sinne from it and death is such an enemie when once wee haue set it downe by reformation of life Contrarily naturall men feare death exceedingly death that bringeth so much good to the righteous and taketh so much euil from the Saints because death in them is not ioined with a godly and well reformed life They haue not done the good for which they came into the world and therefore they feare to diâ— They apprehend death as a strong enemy finding in it through their continuall wickednesse no likelihood of saluation nor signe of peace and therefore desire not to be dissolued but feare to bee dissolued nor thinke death to bee a change but a plague Or they haue all their pleasure and peace in their dayes here nor caring for the dayes of heauen nor fearing the long night of hell Here they are well and they know not where is better Therefore not hoping for a better life no maruell if they leaue this against their will Death to such is the beginning of eternall death and no port-way to Christ but a portall-doore to destruction Let vs therfore so liue that we may not feare death and so learne to die that wee may liue euer not with Diuels in torments but with God in his kingdome That wee may so doe wee must remember how it was said that death as it is an effect of the fall hath a sting which sting of death is sinne This sting we must pull from it by taking sinne from it in our daily repentance and daily turning to God by newnesse of life Hee that hath an enemie will doe what he can to weaken him and if he be fearefull because he is well armed hee will doe what lieth in him to disarme him that he may not feare him This enemie is death the last that shall be destroyed Let vs therefore doe all we can by putting off sinne and putting on righteousnesse to bring downe his strength and by taking away from our hearts and the conuersation of our liues the sinne and sting of drunkennesse whoredome blasphemie pride lying and other abominable lustes let vs put no weapon of malice or edge into deaths hands to feare vs with when wee should leaue this world with comfort and goe to God in peace So shall we neither feare death nor feele the gripes of second death Obiect But the godly haue feared death else why did Eliah flye from it in the persecution of Iezabel 1. Kin. 19.3 and Christ teach his to decline it in the persecutions of men Math. 10.23 and Christ himselfe pray against the bitter cup of it in in his agonie and before his apprehension Mat. 26.39 Ans I answere briefely These Saints did not nor were to fly from death as it is the end of life and blessed end of a good life but vsed the meants of flight onely to preuent violent and hastie death till the houre appointed should come that they were to giue their spirit in peace into the hands of him that made it And because such vntimely death was enemie to the good they had to doe and course they were to finish therefore they went aside by flying for some time and till the time of their departure came that they might do the good to which they were appointed and finish the course for which they were sent But where it is alledged that Christ himselfe prayed against the cup of death I answere two waies And first that hee prayed without sinne and without hauing sinne against it seeing that in that his supplication of teares and much feare he submitted alway to his fathers will and seeing also death was not to him as it is to vs. For to vs the sting of it is conquered and the force broken but to him it was in full power He felt the sting of it and wrastled with the force of it in soule and bodie Secondly I say that it was not meerely a bodily death though vnsubdued saue where himselfe subdued it that he trembled at but by the burden of our sinnes which hee was to vndergoe in which he beheld the whole There hee saw his fathers countenance turned against him and there knew that he must beare his wrath because hee bore our sinnes Besides Christ feared death beeing clothed with our flesh to shew that hee tooke our infirmities and bore our sorrowes and was perfect man And so death in some case may bee feared and at some time prayed against but euer vnder the correction of Gods will Esay 38.2.3 For the rodde of death turned into a Serpent made Moses to feare Exo. 4.3 and the best haue moderately declined and shrunke at the stroke of death when it came in some tempest And who doth not dread all Gods terrours wherof death is one And feare that which is the punishment of sin and curse of sinners And decline that which is the destruction of humane Nature and shrinke at that which hath made the strongest the wisest the richest the greatest to fall downe flatte before it Therefore the feare of death thus reproued is not the naturall feare of it which is in all but the seruile feare of it proper to euill doers and common to those who can haue no hope in death because they neuer cared to liue till they were compelled to die And now that wee haue heard what feare of death it is that Gods children must not bee stained with as namely that which is seruile and cowardly wee will shew and that briefely why such feare of death should fall vpon none of Gods seruants who in so great peace leaue this world and for so precious a crowne of glorie For if wee haue no better resemblance of death then when we sleepe nor better rest then at that time why should it be counted so hydeous a thing when the bodie is toiled and much spent with labour to send it to the sweet and deepe sleepe of death or to lay it in the quiet bed of the earth where no sounds or feare can disease it And if to Gods Children death bee not onely a departing from paine and euril but an accesse to all good nor the end of life but the end of death and beginning of life eternall can Gods children thinke it any disaduantage to exchange the sense
of paine for the fruition of that which is perfectly pleasing and good Or to change death for life Or to passe from a wearie pilgrimage to their desired homes where they shall not onely neuer feele miserie but bee euer happie and blessed with the full sight of that the glimpse wherof shining vpon the face of our Sauiour in his transfiguration made Peter to say Master it is good to be here Math. 17.4 Salomon saith Better is the day of death then the day in which wee were borne Eccles 7.3 And why better except because when we are borne we come into misery when we die we goe out our death beeing changed by the death of Christ and made vnto vs not a death as the Law maketh it but our path and mid-way betweene this life and the other which is eternall or our doore and little wicket out of this world into that world and kingdome which is prepared for the Saints inhabited of the Angels and receiueth honour from God who is the light and temple of that Cirie Lastly death hath lost his sting his hell his victorie I speake in regard of the righteous that which remaineth if wee liue in the spirit and die in the Lord is profitable for vs. For it shall bring an end of all our labours and giue vs vp into the hands of Iesus Christ Now what feare is in all this Let them feare therefore who haue giuen vnto them a spirit of bondage and of feare in which they tremble at their owne estate and which maketh them to carrie in their breast tormenting furies that hold them day and night in the feare of endlesse death Let them feare who rest in sinne liue in errour and ignorance follow the lustes of the world and walke in all the waies of death but let not them feare who are at a couenant with themselues to haue no pleasure in such fond courses and direct waies of death but to haue their pleasure onely in the word of God to vnderstand it and in the mysterie of Christ to bee lightened with it who hate sinne that they may haue hope and walke in righteousnesse that they may walke with Christ Let not such feare for the power of death Satan is broken before such and such may haue boldnesse when they goe out of the world that they shall goe to God A comfort therefore to the faithfull Vse 3 who haue born the brunt of life for such may be comforted in death as a Souldiour who hath endured the skirmishes and scarres of warre is glad and may haue ioy that the enemie is spent and the warre ended where others because they haue spent no time or so little in the Lords seruice and giuen so few strokes if any in the cause of his truth and glorie may feare at the approach of death and iustly complaine of that day as of a day of death indeede and that eternall In the eleuenth Chapter to the Hebrewes the Apostle sheweth what great troubles the seruants of God endured and how ioyfull they were as at a royall feast in all those troubles and sufferings for Christ that they might enter vpon the comfortable death of the righteous They were so farre from fearing death as worldlings feare it that they ranne gladly to it in their hope of the resurrection and reioiced in the welcome day of death as in a day of the greatest good that could befall them The reasons were they knew with Sampson that they should slay moe at their death then they slew in their life Iudg. 16.30 As first that they should slay their last enemie by death which is not slain but by dying And secondly that they should kill the spawne of all enmitie sinne 's sinne which bred death 〈◊〉 4.7 and the miseries of eternall death Which death in the Saints bred by sinne as the worme in the flower killeth the corrupt flower that bred it that is that sinne that caused death And this made c I doubt not but the Prophet here sinned by impatiencie but his hope was in death Eliah to desire death not life and rather to die then to liue saying It is enough 1. King 19.4 It made Dauid to lay vp his flesh in hope Psal 16.9 It made Paul to say I am readie not to bee bound onely but to die at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus Act. 21.13 And as Simeon said Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace Luke 2.29 So the godly haue such comfort in death that they say with old Simeon and all Saintes Come Lord Iesu come quickly Apo. 22.20 apprehending death as their onely way to Christ and guide to happinesse and applauding death as Iacob applauded the Chariots that Ioseph his sonne sent for the bringing of him out of a land of miserie into a land of plentie and fulnesse where hee should haue foode inough the best in the land Gen. 45.27.48 The hope of Iob and expectation of the Saints is that they shall see God and come to Christ by death presently in their soules and in their bodies at the last day when all the bones in Golgotha shall rise at that voice that shall say returne yee sonnes of Adam Psal 90.3 For though death shall swallow them vp as the Whale did Ionah and shall binde them as the Philistims did Sampson and the shroude did Lazarus hand and foote Ioh. 11.44 yet the Whale of the earth shall not hold them nor the snares of death and shroude of darknesse preuaile against them when God shall speake by his last trumpet to the graues of the earth and they shall cast out all the Lords Ionahs Ion. 2.10 The bands of death shall fall asunder as corruption and rottennesse in that day in which Christ shall command the holds of darkenesse to deliuer his Saints saying loose them and let them goe Ioh. 11.44 This then beeing all that the righteous shall loose by their gainfull death For they shall loose a short miserable life and receiue a long euer blessed life in glorie what losse can there be in death and what greater aduantage then by dying This the godly know and therefore reioyce in death as they that finde great spoiles They finde that their bodie such as it is now in the estate of corruption is an image of golde which is disfigured that it can be brought to no shape till the owner melt and refound it to a new similitude Euen so the bodie that at first was beautifull hauing such a grace and maiestie set in the face of it that after a sort and outwardly it resembled the Creators image fairer then any of Gold they finde so to bee troden in the mire and so mishapen by sinne that it can neuer receiue the beautie and condition of the first worke till it bee dissolued and new-moulded by the hand of GOD at the resurrection of all bodies and therefore they desire death as the first necessary and blessed work-house of this their
repaire from deformitie to fashion and from corruptible to eternall So death was Saint Pauls aduantage and how can it bee our losse if wee make Saint Pauls end If we had no hope after death wee might feare indeed But GOD hauing made their first Adam a liuing soule not a dying soule and all the sonnes of the second glorious soules not reprobate spirits Why should wee dread or feare to receiue our crown and glorie Or why should we be vnwilling with a ioyfull shout to salute our port and hauen after so many tiring stormes as wee haue endured vpon the raging sea of this world And why be sorie that we are going to our house of peace and home of long life which is at the right hand of God where is fulnesse of ioy and pleasures for euermore Psal 16.11 Doth any man feare to fall a sleepe at night that hath laboured hard all day What is the death of the faithfull but their sleepe of refreshing after the toiles of their life when the night is come in which no man can worke Ioh. 9.4 To this blessed sleepe of peace the Lord for his mercies sake lay euerie one of vs whom hee hath purposed to take to rest from labour in his time appointed Amen The end of the second Sermon THE THIRD SERMON ESA. Chap. 57. Vers 2 He shall enter into peace and they shall rest in their beddes euery one that walketh before him or that walketh in his righteousnesse THis scripture is a scripture of much comfort bringing a Gen. 8.11 an oliue leafe of peace in the mouth of it to the righteous that perish and to mercifull men that are shut vp with the flood of death in the Arke of their graues that they might not see the euill the great euill to come when they should see their enemies in the habitation of the Lord and Iuda with her King and inhabitants lead in Chaines of bondage to Babylon The words particularly and those of the fiue verses immediately before foure of them in the former Chapter the fift and sixt at the beginning of this containe two things as a complaint and comfort The complaint which is ioined with a threatning concerneth the vngodly that liued in their sinnes the comfort pertaineth to those that should be taken away in peace walking before the Lord that is in pathes of righteousnesse before him In the complaint the Prophet speaketh of a lamentable and very vniuersall destruction or plague that the Lord was preparing to send shortly vpon that wicked Rebell Iudah which was come to such a brimme of sinne and senslesse wickednesse and that is he would call for the wild beasts of the field and forrest of Babel meaning those Gentils and Nebuchadnezar their King to deuoure them and to execute the Lords iudgements vpon them eating their flesh and inuading their land Therefore where in a figuratiue speech at the 9. verse of the former chapter he calleth the beasts together as to some royall feast hee meaneth to forwarne the people of some grieuous iudgement prepared for them and comming toward them euen a iudgement of desolation and slauerie entended against them by the King of Babel and his great hoast The like we reade Ier. 9.22 Ezech 39.18.19 And because it might appeare that the Lords iudgements are euer righteous as he himselfe is most righteous and holy in the three verses that follow he speaketh of one maine cause that moued the iust God to send so great a storme of affliction and death in the captiuitie then threatned and that was their watchmen who should haue told them of their sinnes and giuen them warning with the Lords trumpet at their mouth of a plague so neere neither kept watch nor gaue warning but liued delicately and fed without feare being also couetous and greedie dogges that could neuer haue inough And indeed when a kingdome is ouer-runne by such in the forme and calling of Teachers it is a blazing-starre to that people and kingdome of some alteration at hand For if the Sun be set vpon the Mountains what shew can it make in the valleys or if the blind lead the blind must not both of them by the darknes that is in them of sinne and ignorance fall into the ditch of the condemnation of the Lord. Mat. 15.14 But all the fault though the greatest was not in those dumme and greedie Dogs the not teaching and ill ruling Ministers of that time the people them selues had their sinne also spoken of in the first verse of this Chapter and that was a carelesse regard of the deaths of the righteous beside their festrednesse and more then stand in sinne and wickednesse wherein they continued and went on carnally not feeling any stroke of Gods hand in that iudgement which he begunne at his owne house by taking away suddenly his best men And now if this complaint may bee vrged against vs and our coldnesse in a like case at this day as it was against them and if it shall make vs no wiser to God nor more carefull of our last end then it could them let vs prepare our selues to a like iustly deserued miserie and to pledge these in the cup in which they haue drunke before vs or begun vnto vs to destruction Thus farre the complaint The comfort entended only to those who should walke before God in their goodnesse fidelitie and truth for such should be sure vpon the remoue of their soules in soule to enter possession of an euerlasting and present peace and in bodie to rest most sweetly in the common bed and house of the earth till the last great day hath two things to be considered in it as a promise made and the persons to whom the promise is made The promise is in two things peace to the soule and rest to the bodie so soone as the soule goeth out of the bodie The persons to whom this promise is made are iust men and mercifull men that walke before the Lord that is that doe his commandements that they may liue Luc. 10.28 and keep his sayings that their part may bee in the tree of life Apoc. 22.14 The text may be resolued thus as a learned man resolueth it He that is the righteous shal enter into peace or vpon peace and they namely the godly shall rest in their beddes to wit immediately and presently vpon their deaths for as their bodies goe to rest so their soules shall enter into peace as Apoc. 14.13 Luc. 16.22 Euerie one that is euery godly one God is no accepter of persons and there is a generalitie of giuing in him as their must be a particularitie of receauing in vs that walketh before the Lord that is that hath his conuersation in the Lord walking in no way but by him nor in any course but after him This being as I take it the true both resolution and sense of this verse the first thing in it promised to the righteous is peace by which as was said
Rahel and life to come So much for the first of those comforts that are promised namely peace that properly concerneth our soules The second which is rest and belongeth to our bodies followeth And they shal rest in their beds c. By beds the Prophet vnderstandeth the places into which the Lord bestoweth the bodies of his seruants in or after their death whether water or fire or the panches of wilde beasts or the chambers of the earth or sea or aire And these he calleth beds because they shall rest quietly in them as men in their beds till the morning bell or loud trumpet of the last great day warning all flesh to rise shal raise them Therefore it is an vsuall thing in the scriptures so soone as men die to say they fall a sleepe Whereby is meant that they are laid in their beds of peace whether Churchyard or Church and that before their bodies are carried forth for buriall thither the places in which God taketh their soules to his presence are their beds and so the beds of their death are the beds of their peace Beds made for them by God himself in the which after their last long sleep of death they presently enter into their last sweet sleepe of peace The Papists say otherwise who hold that the righteous take no possession of their beds of rest till the Priest haue put them into their beds of earth Indeed men giue them burials then but God doth prouide for them their bed of burial lat their death And they are called beds of rest to put difference betweene these beds of our nights-sleepe and those of our sleepe in death For here bee our beds neuer so soft or well made we often take no rest by reason of some disorder in our bodies or fancies in our head but in these sleeping places which the Prophet calleth beds of rest wee may lay vs downe and sleepe in peace Psal 4.8 the Lord of life being our keeper who will make vs dwell in safetie Indeed in it own nature the graue is an house of perdition rather then bed of rest but being altered to the Iewes in promise to vs in performance by Christs graue who was buried in the earth to change the nature of it it is made to vs a chamber of rest and bed of Downe The point here taught is Doctr. The graues of the righteous which by nature are houses of destruction and chambers of feare are by Christ and the graue of Christ made to them chambers of safetie and beds of rest Christ by his buriall hath consecrated and perfumed our graues making them which were prisons to hell gates to heauen Which made the Apostle speaking of the dead in Christ to say they sleepe not they die As if hee should haue said they goe to their beds and not to destruction 1. Thes 4.15 And the same Apostle speaking of the death of the righteous calleth it not a death but a sleepe 1. Cor. 15.51 as if hee had called it not rottennesse but rest For this cause also is our death in heathen Authors called a sleepe as the Scriptures call it and our graue our bed At night wee take our chambers and lie downe in our beds so when death comes which is the end of life as the night is of the day we goe to the chambers of the earth and there make our beds or lie downe in bed till the day of refreshing which is the day of rising come that commeth from the Lord. The reasons are This was figured in the embalmings which the Iewes vsed And this figure as al other figures of the old Testament must bee performed in one which one is Christ As therefore their embalmings did perfume the graues in which they laid their dead for a season so the most precious blame of Christs buriall did for euer sweeten to the Saints their graues of corruption Secondly as the end of Christs death was that he might vanquish death so it was one end why hee was buried that he might after the manner of conquerours subdue death at his own home and as it were pluck him out of his owne den and cabbin Thirdly the bodies of the godly are parts of Christs mysticall bodie while they are in the graue and when they are turned to corruption and therefore cannot but bee precious in his eyes and grauen vpon the palme of his hand till they be restored For as the Husbandman doth make no lesse reckoning of that corne which he hath sowne in his field and lies vnder the clod of the earth then he doth of that which he hath brought into his barnes So Christ doth as highly esteeme of those bodies as it were graines of corne that are sowne in corruption as of those that yet neuer saw corruption nor came to the graue Therefore wee shall not rest in death though we rest in our graues For that God who raiseth the Sunne daily out of his den will one day raise vs out of our graues to stand before him for euer A confutation of that fancie that hath so long deluded the simple world Vse 1 which is that dead bodies walke after their death and appeare to men For how can that be when the bodies of Gods children rest in their beds so soone as their breath departeth and the bodies of the wicked are in their prisons till the day of assise Whereof if any make question let him open their graue and see And seeing the soule returneth not after it hath left the bodie how can the body walke that wanteth a soule or soule be seene if it should walke that hath no bodie Or if death bee a loosing of our soules from our bodies Phil. 1.23 How can there be any death when soule and bodie are not parted and when the man is not dead but liueth But this fancie came from Pithagoras a Philosopher and is but a Philosophers dreame Pithagoras told his dreame to the world which was that the soules of men departed did enter into the bodies of other men good soules into good mens bodies bad into bad mens The world then beleeued him And since that time Satan who can turne himselfe into all formes did in the darke night of Poperie to deceiue that ignorant age change himselfe into the similitude and forme of some person that was lately or had beene long dead and was beleeued by such a transformation to bee the partie man or woman that hee made resemblance off So entred the errour that Spirits did walke and that dead bodies came out of their graues and haunted sundry houses in the night which were not the bodies of the dead but the Diuell in those bodies or shapes as is to be seene in Samuels counterfet shape raised by the Witch at Endor 1. Sam. 28.8.14.15 And this errour as it deceiued the blind world and somewhat troubled the seeing Math. 14.26 Act. 12.15 So it is still in the mouth and faith of credulous superstition at this day But
fill in them they haue Gods blessing inwardly in the peace of a contented minde outwardly in so much as is sufficient The wicked who haue them in greater measure haue them not vnder Gods hand nor as his blessings but as stolne wares that they shall answere for because they haue no right vnto them by Christ nor hold them in Capite that is in him Therefore their table is a snare vnto them and their prosperitie their ruine They liue to the encrease of their damnation and they die to take possession of it Fourthly they who with the glorified virgins wait for Christ in the life of the righteous are alway prepared for death when it knocketh Mat. 25.10 to open vnto it And what is a prepared death but an happy death And what followes an happie death but an happy life neuer to die againe Such goe in with Christ to his marriage of euerlasting life We see then that the last houres repentance the common refuge of worldlings as it commeth short of a sanctified life Vse so it seldome reacheth to an happy death or life after death For as the tree boweth before it bee cut downe so it falleth and in the place where it falleth there it shall be Eccles 11.3 That is as we liue so wee commonly die Or shall we thinke that men can easily begin righteousnesse at their last houre and that repentance in that houre is ordinarily good and sound repentance Let them well consider this who put off their conuersion to God and send away by hope of repenting old all those good motions that knocke at the doore of their hearts for a sanctified life One saith well While the Lord speaketh to thee make him answere and while he calleth let there bee an eccho in thy heart such as was Dauids who when God said seeke yee my face presently answered thy face will I seeke Psal 27.8 The Lord hath promised pardon to him that repenteth saith another but that hee or any other shall liue till to morrow he hath not promised Many in their puttings off fare as if they should say Lord let me sinne in my youth and pardon me in mine age But where in the meane season is their walking before God yong that peace may come when they are old And is it not a iust thing that men dying should forget themselues who liuing neuer remembred God Surely let them looke for no better who watch not the stealing steps of death in their tower of repentance in the life of the righteous And if moe things belong to repentance then can bee done in an houre and well in a mans life as to bring forth the buds of it young to beare fruits of it at more yeares to ripen it being man and to gather it toward death in the autumne of fruits how can they thinke one poore houre to be sufficient to bring the seednesse the spring the summer the autumne and full crop of these things together in so short time and how can they hope in such a span of life to prepare themselues for the Lord when so many els of long lâ—fe afford so scant measure to the best men to set them in a readinesse for him Let vs therefore while wee haue time laying vp treasures in heauen for our soules store vp in the summer of life for the winter of death which will come Prou. 6.8 In our last sicknesse and vpon our death-bed we are fitter to seeke ease for our bodies then mercie for our faults and grace for our soules Besides how fearefull will it be to be taken then by sudden death as by some vnexpected Officer without baile or warning and by it to bee brought to the goale of the earth in the bodie and in the soule to perpetuall prison in the torments of hell Of this more was spoken in the first Sermon and vse of the last doctrine there But shall they who liue well here Vse 2 liue well hereafter that is blessedly then their desperate and cursed errour is confuted who blaspheme the way of righteousnesse saying that it is to no purpose to bee so deuout godly and that they are most wise who giue themselues most libertie in the pleasures and iollitie of life So say the wicked in Malachy it is invaine to serue God Mal. 3.14 And the wicked in Iob say what profit to pray vnto him Iob 21 15. As if they should haue said we may serue God and we may pray to God but there is nothing gotten by it or they speed as well and are as wise that are cold in these matters as they who kindle and are hottest in them But they Prophet here saith that peace shall come that is they shall see the peace of God in heauen who make peace with God here and they that serue him shall raigne before him The wicked are as the chaffe which the wind driueth away Psal 1.4 That is so soon as God punisheth them with the wind of death their hope is gone But the godly haue a sure foundation and no storme either of death or of mans ill will can blow them to destruction whose house beeing builded by God not on the sand of time but vpon a rocke vnmoueable standeth fast in all changes Math. 7.25 The builder vp of Sion is the wise God whose worke abideth for euer Let the vngodly oppose themselues neuer so much they shall not be able to beate down Gods house and death is their aduantage Phil. 1.21 Or if the Princes Palace be safely guarded we must not think that any of Gods houses shall be left without their keepers sufficient watchmen and the righteous shall flourish when the hornes of the vngodly shall be broken And thus it is no vaine labour nor gamelesse seruice to serue the Lord. Doth a good life bring a good death Vse 3 Then the despairing words of Gods children in a troubled skie and when the waters enter into their soul as that God hath forsaken them that God hath cast them off in displeasure that God will not saue them and such like are words of distemper not of reason and iudgement For will God cast away his people The answere is Godforbid The meaning is hee will not Rom. 11.1 Neither can mans changeable tongue alter the decree of God that is vnchangeable Rom. 3.3.4 And we must not iudge of the estate of any man before God by his behauiour in death or in a troubled soule For there are many things in death which are the effects of the sharpe disease he dieth of and no impeachments of the faith he dieth in And these may depriue his tongue of the vse of reason but cannot depriue his soule of eternall life Which may bee spoken also of a troubled soule For as in a troubled water the face in the water cannot bee perceiued which when it commeth to be cleare is manifest so in a troubled spirit the face of Gods mercie seemeth to be changed against vs and to
shall liue together with my dead bodies shall they rise Esa 26.19 where the Prophet testifieth without any figure his hope in the resurrection both of his owne bodie and the bodies of all beleeuers His drift is to proue that same thing whereof we spake before out of Ezechiel namely the restoring of Israel after their long captiuitie in Babylon where he sheweth that as herbs which in winter seem dead are fresh again in the spring so the people who seemed to die as winter herbs in their captiuitie shall in the spring of their return rise as it were from death to life And yet hee plainely sheweth that the bodies of the faithfull though they seeme vtterly to porish when they are in the earth shall rise at the last day through that seed which they haue in Christ Daniel speaketh yet more plainely and saith Many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake Dan. 12.2 He saith many as if he should say an infinite number shal awake an infinite number of the iust and an infinite number of the wicked Or by many hee vnderstandeth all as the Apostle in a like case doth Rom. 5.15.19 Where speaking of many dead by the sinne of Adam he sheweth in the 18. verse that by those many hee meaneth all The Iewes gather from the text in Daniel that there shall be no resurrection of the wicked which also they doe from the first Psalme But they gather that the holy Ghost neuer scattered And they may as well say that all the godly shall not rise because it is said many not all as that the wicked shall not be raised But to proceed wherefore did Dauid lay vp his flesh in such hope but because hee had greater faith in the resurrection Psal 16.9.10 Martha neuer staggered at the resurrection but confessed it as a doctrine of the faith of those times For when Christ had said thy brother shall rise againe shee readily answered I know that hee shall rise againe in the resurrection at the last day Ioh. 11.23.24 As if hee had said I doubt nothing of that Saint Paul in the whole 15. chapter of his former Epistle to the Corinthians maketh the resurrection the subiect of all his disputes there And this was his hope that he had toward God that the resurrection of the dead should bee both of the iust and vniust Act. 24. The Epistle to the Hebrews speaking of the manifold martyrdomes of the Saints sheweth that they quietly endured al those sharpe stormes in their faces because their hope was to receiue a better resurrection that is better then any deliuerance here Heb. 11.35 Also how could Christs argument hold that God is the God of the liuing being the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob if Abraham Isaac and Iacob should not liue as now in their soules which are before God so hereafter in their bodies which are in Gods keeping Mat. 22.32 Neither doth the Lord say I am the God of Abrahams soule but the God of Abraham that is of Abrahams whole man Thus the point of the resurrection is plaine by Scripture It followeth briefely to shew what euidence it hath in reason that we may take heauen earth to witnesse against the oppugners of it Deut. 30.19 It is sufficient to weigh these matters in the weights of the sanctuarie and not needfull to trie them at the bulke of humane reason yet to giue them ouer measure that will not receiue this truth Let it first bee considered that as the soule of the righteous did not please God without the body nor the soules of the wicked sinne against him but in their bodies so it is requisite that as the soule of the one is glorified and the soules of the other are condemned to hell that I say their bodies also should in Gods time bee brought to pleasures or torment Secondly without the bodie the soule is imperfect And beeing imperfect how can it enter into an entire estate of happinesse till the body bee raised that the bodie may bee ioined to it Thirdly if the bodie should not bee raised the fulnesse of grace should not be shewed to the Saints nor the fulnesse of wrath to sinners Fourthly if there were no resurrection God shold promise that which he minded not to giue who promiseth a reward to the iust but it is at the resurrection Luke 14.14 Fiftly the reuolutions of so many springs summers haruests hard winters as it were so many deaths and resurrections the dying of the day in the night the graue of that day and the vprising againe of it in the morning from that den of darknesse are and doe become so many liuely testimonies to the world of the generall great resurrection of all bodies at the last day Sixtly doe we not see in the spring how that from a dead dry tree leaues proceed and sprout forth by a kinde of resurrection And doe wee not see the same tree to beare further fruit and to be adorned with a new rinde as it were fresh and beautifull skin do wee not fee in a small seede a tall and great tree is that which is sowne quickened except it die 1. Cor. 15.36 Doe not our Meddowes pastures and pleasant gardens which in the winter appeare dead without all beautie returne with the returne of the Sunne to their former full life and glorie This winter is our death and this spring our rising from death to life Seuenthly the swallowes wormes and flies which lie dead all winter doe with the returne of the Sunne and comming of Summer receiue a new life Now shall the force of this earthly Sun worke so in birds and wormes and shall the Sunne of righteousnesse be lesse able to giue life then the sunne of the heauens And if it was an easie thing with God at first to make man of nothing is it a lesse easie thing with him to make him againe though he be as nothing seeing hee is not meerely nothing but nothing out of that which was before Before we were borne where was our forme and matter Yet wee feee to what bignesse wee are come and what forme wee haue and what being Where was the seede of Leui when to speake as the Scriptures do hee was in the loines of Abraham his great grand-father Heb. 7.20 Many alterations corruptions and changes came between yet God purposed that Leui should be so borne that is of the feede of Abraham and not all the corruptions that came betweene could alter his purpose Lastly all the resurrections that we reade of in the Scriptures of the old and new testament as of the Shunamites sonne 2. Kin. 4.33 Of the body that was cast into the Prophets graue 2. King 13.21 of Lazarus Ioh. 11.43 of Iairus daughter Mat. 9.25 yea of the bright Sunne himself and of many Saints with him Mat. 27.52.53 are as so many pledges to vs of the resurrection that shal be of all dead bodies at Christs comming But must all
as the darkning of the Sunne and Moone the roaring of the Sea and waters not by an ordinary but strange vnquietnesse the failing of mens hearts the generall palsey or shaking disposition that shall be in all the heauenly powers which shall be so violent and with such perturbations of all lights and elements that the starres shall fall that is shall seeme to fall from heauen and the signe of the Sonne of Man which I take to be the burning of the high heauens and this lower earth which at the instant of his comming shall be set on fire these and the like signes not of peace but of warre to the world and not of fauour but of great wrath to sinners how can they but pierce with feare all such as shal come before the Lord in their sinnes without repentance at this day If the winds keepe vs in some awe when they be high and loud and if we feare the sea when it is but a little mooued if euerie sudden noise and cracke at mignight fright vs and if the thunder make vs afraid what shall their feare be and how great the confusion of their faces who shall stand in no faith and therefore with no boldnesse before the Sonne of God when all these matters of intolerable feare shall come together and meete vpon the then firie stage of this world and be ready to execute in their fiercest wrath and greatest power the law and will of their most excellent Creator against all faithlesse reprobates Fourthly this will be a day not of mercie but of rebuke to all Gods enemies and therefore intolerable to such For if the Lord doe straitly marke what is done amisse who shall abide it Psal 130.3 An admonition Vse 1 seeing it shall be thus to all the enemies of Christ presently to make our peace with Him while we are in the way Mat. 5.25 Our Sauiour doth exhort all the faithfull to this wisdome by the example of a King going to warre who being wise confidereth if hee be able with tenne thousand to meere him that commeth against him with twenty thousand or if he be not will send an ambassage and desire conditions of peace Luc. 14.31.32 Haue we our ten thousands to incounter with Christ who commeth that is will come with thousands of his Saints to giue iudgement vpon all men Surely as the men of Samaria reasoned concerning Iohn two Kings could not stand before him how then shal we stand 2. King 10.4 so we may more truly and better say concerning Christ not two Kings but not all the Kings of the earth though they banded themselues and assembled in troupes against him could yet euer preuaile or stand before the fierce wrath of his comming Psal 2.2.4.9 and shall we poore wormes when Christ will come to rebuke sinners thinke to abide or stand against the chiding voice of his iudgement so intolerable and righteous therefore yeeld we must or be broken in peeces Should we not therefore while this King is I cannot say a great way off for he may be neeter then we are aware but in his way yet toward vs by his singular patience send forth an ambassage of humble supplication and teares and present amendment of life desiring peace and that he would not turne against vs but to vs in mercy that we may be saued Therefore while our feet are at libertie and before wee bee bound hand and foot let vs runne the way of the Lords commandements while we haue tongues and before we become speechlesse Mat. 22.12 let vs vse our tongues well and not suffer our mouthes to sinne and while we haue hands and before our hands fall from our arme and arme rot from our shoulder let vs worke with our hands the thing that is good Ephes 4.28 and procure things that bee honest in the sight of all men and while wee haue breath before God stop our breath let breath and all praise the Lord and while we haue eares and before our eares these daughters of singing bee abased Eccles 12.4 let vs lift vp our eares to the word and not vnto vanitie For if here we stop our eares against the trumpet of the Gospell we shall heare to our griefe the trumpet of the last iudgement which whether wee sleepe in the ayre or fire or sea or holes of the earth will awake vs. Some nay many like some players at the game of cardes who though the night be farre spent will not giue ouer till their candle faile them will not leaue off to doe wickedly till the candle that Iob speaketh of bee put out And some flatter themselues with an imagination of a longer day then God hath set vnto them or perhaps to the world for the last houre thereof But let such know that thogh the day of iudgement were far of yet the day and houre of euery mans particular iudgement in death cannot be it being a common and true saying to day a man to morrow none And for the day of the generall death of this languishing world he that wisely considereth the waines and declinings that haue been found in it within these few yeares and how like a woman with child which hath many panges fits before the throwes of her great labour come it is now in paine till it be deliuered hauing much complained in those signes and alterations that are gone before I say hee that well obserueth to the true purpose of his saluation these such like throws or rather downe throwes of things in the womb of this old and sickly world so neare to the trauell and time of her appointed end by fire cannot but say that it cannot continue long and that the Lord will come shortly among vs. When wee see a man in whose face wearing age hath many wrinckles and deepe surrowes we say This man can not liue long so when we see the furrowes of old age to appeare and bee manifest in so many wastes and consumptions as this feeble world is entred into why doe we not see that the death of it is neare More particularly and specially as there is no greater signe that a man is drawing towards death then that hee is alway catching at the sheetes and blankets and alway snatching and pulling at somewhat so seeing that euerie one catcheth what hee can in this griple and couetous age and seeing that there is so insatiable a minde of hauing in all conditions and callings of people now it is a sure signe to the heart of a wiseman that this world is sicke vnto death and so as it cannot hold out long And if there be no greater signe of death then that the bodie is so cold that no heate will come vnto it surely the cold charitie of the world mens no zeale to religion our nullitie of faith or poore growth in faith insomuch as Sermons are seldom heard or with small amendment can not but testifie that the world it selfe came to be of no long life
and before vs by remembrance is a notable spurre to vertue and godlines and strong bit from vice and prophanenes The reasons As the wicked are said not to serue God because they forget Him Ps 9.17 106.21 so the godly are said purely to worship Him because they remember His name Also the remembrance of the end maketh wise as the forgetting of it causeth sollie Secondly the Masters eye keepeth the Seruant in awe so while God is remembred wee liue in feare as on the other side when He is out of our mindes wee runne into sinne By this it appeareth that memory holily emploied is a most excellent facultie Vse 1 a facultie wherein wee excell the Beasts and imitate the Angels for the beasts haue an instinct which some call memorie but properly no remembrance And for the Angels that stand in Gods presence continually they haue their excellent knowledge of God by that which is alwaies before them in the mirrour of the Deitie we by calling backe some prints and formes of things perteining to God and religion gotten from vs by forgetfulnes but recouered by meditation and reasoning doe get and increase the knowledge of Him that is of His mercie iustice goodnesse loue truth power c. where we doe noâ— behold Him neare as the Angels who see Him in the glasse of His preseÌ„ce but further off in his word and the large Table of His workes And yet by this blessed facultie of remembrance He is after a sort present to vs as to the Angels in His great workes and properties which is the cause that in the reckoning vp of those scruices which are taken vp and commanded for God in the scriptures remembrance is the first and the first commanded Deut. 8.2 9.7 11.2 25.17.19 Hebr. 10.32 Iude 17. A reproofe to those who quell memorie vnder the burthen of worldly cares Vse 2 or oucrcharge it with the remembrance of those things which they should forget for they who stall memorie in these vnprofitable matters cannot but find want of memorie to remember better things Men would haue God to remember them in trouble who but in trouble neuer remember Him But if thou wouldst haue God to remember thee in the euill day forget Him not in thy good daies nor what He did for thee in the day of thy affliction The godly in the captiuitie wished that their tongue might cleaue to the roofe of their mouth if they forget Ierusalem Psal 137.6 what punishment then doe they deserue who forget God the King of Ierusalem And what are they worthy who striue to forget Him lest the remembrance of His great power should awake them in their sinnes and hinder them in their pleasures being like vnto sleepers who would heare no noise lest they should take no rest Men would sinne without feare which they cannot do so long as God is remembred therefore God must be forgotten that they may securely offend More particularly Doctr. 2 the word remember here signifieth a premeditation of death or wise numbring of our dayes that we may remember our end From whence we learn to spend well our short time and to remember wisely our certain death Moses the man of God in that this excellent petition Teach mee so to number my dayes that I may applie my heart vnto wisedome Psal 90.12 What meaning can hee haue but to beg grace of God so to consider the shortnes of his time and transitorinesse of his short time that hee may take all occasions and omit no meanes for the bending of his heart to the true knowledge of God and of himselfe wisely to lead it in the wayes and true feare of the Lord which is the beginning of wisedome For shall we thinke that by the numbring of his daies he meant the numbring of them after the account of the Church-booke and not a holy and fruitfull consideration and premeditation of the shortnesse frailtie and vncertaintic of them that so he might cast how and which way he might best passe them to Gods glorie and the good and profit of the Church and Common-wealth wherein he lined The want of this husbandrie of pretious time Christ doth mournfully pitie in the inhabitants of Ierusalem saying O if thou hadst euen knowne at the least in this thy day those things that belong to thy peace Luc. 19.42 as if he should haue said Though thou hast biâ— a great vnthrift of time a great waster of good houres heretofore yet if thou hadst held precious this last parcell and commoditie of time offered to thee for repentance and turning to GOD thou mightest haue auoided these miserable calamities and deathes that will most surely come and seuerely execute vengeance in thy streetes or thou mightest haue had peace but now thou shalt haue warres Neither did Ierusalem onely in the dayes of Christ thus let time goe which she should haue redeemed but long before in the daies of Ieremie the Prophet it was obiected that shee remembred not her last end and forgat her account and that therefore she came downe wonderfully Lamen 1.9 that is because shee grewe worse and worse therefore was she punished more more The reasons 1. We liue no longer theÌ„ we liue well and wise men regard not how long they haue liued but how well and profitably Dauid desired to liue that hee might so liue Psal 71.18 and Hezekiah is bold because hee had so liued Esay 38.3 Secondly we must not onely die in the world for so doe naturall men and beasts without reason but wee must die vnto it by our dying to the world Christ liueth in vs Gal 2.20 and by our dying in the world wee goe to liue with Christ We must die to the world that we may die Christians and we shall die in the world whether we forget death as Naturall men or remember our end that we may die in Christ It is therefore necessarie soberly to apply our mindes to the numbring of our dayes which is the wisedome that teacheth vs to liue here and hereafter Thirdly that which foolish Men doe in the end wise men doe in the beginning and therfore with Noah they prepare the Arke of repentance while the season is calme Gen. 6.12 but fooles neglect it till the waters enter and storme come and that of despaire that carieth them from first death to second death It was a good saying being the speech of one that was forth of Christ who drawing to his end Senâ—â— Epist 62 said when I was yong my care was how to liue well now that I am old my care is how to dee well A reproofe to those Vse who neither old nor young number their dayes till their dayes bee numbred as his were who faw the fingers of a mans hand-writing thus vpon the plaister of the wall God hath numbred thy kingdome and hath finished it Dan. 5.5.26 Now to number our dayes or by numbring of them wisely to prepare for our end is to feare the
Lord and in his feare and word to serue him Iob 28.28 to loue the good and hate the euill that oursoules may liue Am. 5.15 wee can encourage one another in wickednesse and say let vs eate and drinke for to worrow we shal die Esay 22.13 that is we remember our end but we remember it not wisely but as beasts to eate and drinke or we put off and make our end long but who prepareth for it and who is wise and of an vnderstanding heart Deut. 32.29 to consider it The rich man maketh his small barnes big as if he would make his short life endlesse Luk 12.18 The euill seruant saith my master deferreth his comming as if that which is put off would neuer come Math. 24.48 Nabal he that yet liueth in the carnall churles of this age applieth all his mind to riches and forgetteth his sudden end 1. Sam. 25.10.11.38 Absalons whol studie is to mount neuer thinking of his destruction so neare whose bodie though it stand at the lower end of the presence yet heart sitteth vnder the cloth of estate practising for the kingdome 2. Sam. 15.1.2.3.4.5 c. In the daies of Noah they eate they dranke they builded and remembred not the flood Luk. 17.27 In our daies men feede themselues without feare and forget their end Let vs therefore be warned better to remember our few and euil daies Gen. 47.9 to do the workes of God while it is day Ioh. 9.4 before the long night of sleepe come out of which there is no awaking till the last great trumpe call vs vp to iudgement Behold now is the accepted time behold now the day of saluation 2. Cor. 6.2 the rich man in hell once might and would not heare Moses and the Prophets afterward that is too late hee would and could not Luke 16.25.29 The enemie that is prepared for hurteth lesse and hee that maketh himselfe readie for the last enemie which is death neede not feare to such it bodeth no danger for such it hath no sting nor breath that can doe hurt If we first see this Basiliske death armed with repentance and with the shield and target of faith in our last houre by preparing for our end there is nothing in it that shall not be for our preferment and the full conquest of our troublesome life for then we may take it by the hand as a most welcome guest and as that last seruant whom the Master will send to bring vs to his great Supper and that at supper time when all things are readie Luke 14.17 when our warrefare is accomplished and our iniquities are pardoned when our weary course is finished and ioy commeth after the night of life which life was not properly nor can be truely called life but the shadow of death The person to be remembred followeth Thy Greatour c. The person in whose eye Salomon exhorteth his young Man to walke reuerently is God his Maker By which name or title hee doth secretly imply the great power of the Maker of all things and of mans Creatorr and sheweth that the end of Mans creation is to glorifie continually God his Creator as if hee should haue said Hee that gaue vs breath is Mightie and if he take away his breath by stopping our mouth and nosthrils we are gone and wherefore did he put his spirit of life into vs Was it to giue vs some large libertie to liue as wee list or was it not rather to prouoke vs to seeke his glorie that made vs This is Salomons meaning where we first are taught that the Al-mightinesse of the Creator and the worke of our strange and fearfull creation should make vs feare to liue in any forgetfulnesse of God by an impenitent and obdurate heart By such an argument the Prophet Amos stirreth vp a carelesse people to turne to God by repentance saying He that formeth the Mountaines and createth the winde which maketh the morning darknesse and walketh vpon the high places of the earth the Lord God of hosts is his name Ames 4.13 as if hee should haue said if God who is your mightie Lord and shall be your righteous Iudge bee able to create the windes to forme the Mountaines and to turne the morning into darknesse then is he able to persecute you with his storme to tumble the Mountaines vpon you and to couer you with the darknesse and shadow of death and to prepare an eternall iudgement of confusion for you to the destruction of soule and bodie For hee that made hell can cast into hell and he that causeth darknesse punish with vtter darknesse Dauid by a like argument inureth himselfe to the feare and reuerence of his wonderfull Maker saying I will praise thee that is I wil acknowledge thy goodnesse in all my life for I am feare fully and wonderfully made Psal 199.14 the meaning is if he should goe on in sinne the God who is fearefull can open hell to deuoure him and can shew himselfe as mighty in his iudgement to his destruction as hee was great in his loue to giue him being when before he was not So in Psal 119. ver 37. the Prophet hath these words thine hands haue made mee and fashioned me giue me vnderstanding therfore that I may learue thy commandements and he reasoneth thus Lord thou hast made mee in thy image therefore new-make me by thy word and as thou hast giuen me the shape of man so by teaching make me a new-man in the shape and soundnesse of a true worshipper Our Creation therefore should teach vs the life not of libertie but of repentance and holinesse in the feare of God The reasons Our life is nothing but a little breath and how easie is it for God to take away our weake life when weake man by stopping our breath is able suddenly and most certainely to send vs to our dust Gal. 2.22 Psal 104.29 And should not this weake and poore life fed with a little breath breath forth continually the praises of that God that so feedeth it from the shop of his prouidence Secondly God hauing greater power ouer vs then the Potter hath of the clay which he fashioneth who yet hath power to put it to some seruice or if it content him not to breake it to fitters Rom 9.21 Esa 45.9 should not this Clay Dust Man striue to please him in newnesse of life who hath power to bring him to glorie in his presence or if he be in no conformitie with his righteous will hath like power to breake him in peeces like a Porters vessell This condemneth those who set out no time for the dutie of meditating on their fearefull creation that the strange worke thereof may warne them to feare alwaies to doe euill Vse One cause why the people of Israel did so often and presumptuously prouoke God was because they forgate his wonderfull workes Psal 78.10.11 And it is said that the workes of God are sought out of all that loue them Psal 111.2.5
in the good way young that they may sucke the milke of the Gospel with the milk of their Mother But to moue such to doe this dutie with more thankfulnesse let it be considered first that such instruction so giuen by Parents is more naturall and kindly then that which is giuen by strangers For as a tender plant will sooner take nourishment thriue better in the soile wherein it first grew and sprung vp then in any other ground because it liketh it owne soile best so tender children will sooner take instruction and good teaching from the Parents with whom they best agree as with their best and most naturall soile in whose loines they seeded and tooke their first roote then they can or are like to doe from strange Teachers when they shall be transplanted as it were into an other stocke and family or be exposed to grow vp in another soile of people then that in the which they had their first nature and sap of being Secondly who but Parents haue such as bee very young and tender vnder their charge and direction Now while they are yong one may work in their youth as in the day Ioh. 9.4 but when the night of their stubborne yeares commeth that season for good things is commonly lost Thirdly as Plants set in the Spring grow and prosper better then they which are set in Winter or Autumne so the instruction that is giuen in the spring of youth better prospereth and doth more edifie then that which is giuen in the Autumne of manhood or winter of gray haires Fourthly as Parents haue brought forth their children the children of wrath by nature So it concerneth them by the doctrine of Regeneration as by a second better nature in all good conscience to help to make them the sonnes and daughters of God by faith Fiftly Parents will betimes put their children forth to good trades And is there any trade of their life for honour delight or riches comparable to the trade and way of godlinesse Is the trade of wisdedome as other common trades which is a tree of Life to all that lay hold of it Prou. 2.18 The meaning is it increaseth strengthneth life where worldly trades if they be wel followed spend and diminish it and where other trades are vncertaine it hath the promises of this life and of that which is to come and where other trades are subiect to the course of this world being sometimes better and sometimes worse this is not so but alwaies good for God hath sealed vp his promise to it that it shall neuer faile which being so how carefull should Christian Parents be not to put off to put out their children carely and as it were at breake of day to such a profitable certaine and happie trade of life by which they shall be sure to liue euer with the Lord But if Parents will not betimes bind their youth by precept vpon precept Esay 28.10 as by Indenture and by Christian discipline as by Indenture sealed to so good a trade I beseech their Christian youth to offer themselues vnto it Sixtly Parents should remember that they help to build or pull downe the Christian world for in their children they beget and beare Parents to posteritie And if they learne no good while they be children how shall they teach it when they be fathers Seuenthly Parents are Gods Husbandmen and their children his seed and husbandrie 1. Cor. 3.9 as therefore in the husbandrie of this world the good Husband before he reape or inne one crop will plow and prepare for another yea and get the best and purest seede that at the time of haruest he may receiue some good increase So God hauing made religious Parents his husbandmen and their children his seede and husbandrie they should see that the haruest of Gods church be in some good proofe and well comming forward in their seede and posterity before their owne croppe be inned in their owne blessed death For Gods husbandrie must not die nor be giuen ouer till death bee vanquished which is the last enemy they must deale with Hee that hath or meaneth to haue and preserue a good Orchard will haue a nurserie also of young trees to feede it with and of these tender trees hee will be more carefull then of those elder in his Orchard of fruits The reason is they may sooner be bitten or nipped or the canker may sooner take them then the other trees God loueth and maketh much of the Orchard of his Church in the old store but hee is tender of it in the nurserie and new store that consisteth of babes in Christ growing to holinesse because the canker of euill things may soonest breed in them heards not of Beasts but of Diuels may soonest bite and nip them and so the Vineyard that God loueth so well may for want of supplies from the seminarie of young men and children begotten to the Gospell become desolate and wast for euer Now is God thus tender of his spirituall Nurserie and shall Christian Parents his husbandmen neglect it Doe they not know that the old trees cannot stand alwaies and that sooner or later they must be cut downe with the axe of death should they not then looke well to the nurserie of the younger impes in their charge by hedging with good nurture and discipline the young men and young women whom they meane to set as trees of righteousnesse in the Orchard of the Lords Church should they not water them with good teaching dresse them in good and due manner paring away their riot and superfluities of apparell of pleasures of play and prouide that no dangerous worme eat into them by any carely habit in euill vnmet with or if they shall despise or post of this so important a dutie what can we call them but prophane and such as leaue Gods Church in worse case then they found it The hope of the Church is in the youth that now haue being for if they be well brought vp they will be carefull that such as proceed from them shall haue good bringing vp also that age will commend this good education to another the next to them that follow and they to others by an inuiolable tradition till there be an end of all generations on Earth And as this is a lesson for all Parents so specially for Parents of great Families for the greater the ship is and the better merchandise it carrieth the more neede it hath of an expert and carefull Pilot. And so the greater a childe is by blood possessions the more need he shall haue of some speciall Ouerseer and one that greatly feareth God to be guide to his youth The contrarie carelesse nursing vp of such in vice and idlenesse is cause of these great wasts that wee find to be made so ordinarily in the best patrimonie of the common wealth for as the fattest soile bringeth forth the rankest weedes when it is not plowed so great houses not well
Scripture speaketh of such an one crucified at the right hand of the Sonne of God who crauing with faith mercy to saluation receiued this answer To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise But it speaketh but of one that was so saued And it speaketh of another in that very place and at that very time that was damned And here a Father saith Wee reade of one that no man should despaire and but of one that no man should presume This example therefore is a medicine against desperation no cloake for sinne Let vs therefore passe the time of our dwelling here in feare seeing wee are redeemed from our vaine conuersation not with corruptible things as with gold and siluer but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot 1. Pet. 1.17 To whom with the Father and Holy-ghost be all glory for euer Amen The end of the first Sermon THE SECOND SERMON IOB Chap. 14. Vers 14. All the daies of my appointed time I would waite till my change were come THese words were spoken by Iob of whose patience and prouocations to impatiencie this whole booke and the testimonie of Saint Iames are liuely proofes Iam. 5.11 In the thirteene verse of this chapter Iob hauing as it seemed to him beheld Gods anger in the chastisements that his soule felt wherein as hee said the Lord wrote bitter things against him desiring to bee hid in some secret place of the earth till the Lords face were changed toward him and till hee might see those frownes to goe out of his countenance that had cast such knots vpon his soule In this verse he professeth that if he could perperswade himselfe of any hope yet behinde God shewing himselfe to be an enemie and setting him vp as a marke for all his arrowes he would wait for it euen till death And this I take to bee the occasion of these words of Iob in this Scripture Where it may be thought a strange thing that a man commended for such patience should so distemperately plead the cause of his affliction with God But no man meerely man and clothed with the garment of mortalitie could euer so wait vpon God as not to be led aside from his attendance for a season when he saw the Lord to fasten in him his sharpe arrowes and to let him vp as a Butt to shoote at And in this respect it is that this glorious patterne of patience could not beare his griefe in a minde so battered with sorrowes For the bodie of sinne which in our weakest times and estate thrusteth into the motions of our minde diuers carnall distrusts and fleshly feares will neuer cease to molest keep vs downe so long as we liue here and a wounded spirit who can beare Pro. 18.14 Neuerthelesse Iob stil waited on God for a good end in these matters and lost not his hope as appeareth by the last chapter of this booke where hee receaueth the crowne of his patience and is exceedingly blessed in his person and children And therefore though in the storme he spake with some distemper yet his meaning was that he did and would wait for Gods help and deliuerance though it should bee deferred till hee must put off this tabernacle and change mortalitie for immortall Where let vs consider the attendance spoken of and the terme or continuance The terme is expressed by the mid-times or extremitie of naturall life The mid times are called largely daies and with limitation the appointed daies The extreame point of this is called a change The attendance is in respect of the season wherein hee attended or of the attendance it selfe The attendance was in a time of trouble and much anguish which he quietly endured Doctr. Which doth teach vs in euery hard estate patiently to beare what commeth relying on God and waiting for his word The Prophet was in great miserie who praying to God said My soule fainteth for thy saluation Psal 119.81 His affliction was great and through the infirmitie of the flesh he fainted yet he waited on Gods promise for deliuerance and beleeued his word by which he was deliuered Dauid opened not his mouth in great troubles to any impatience because God had sent them Ps 39.9 The same Prophet Psal 37.5.7 exhorteth others to a like silence and yeelding in trouble because God hath done it and therefore saith Commit thy way to God and trust in him And againe Wayt patiently on the Lord and hope in him His meaning is reason not in your affliction with God but in patience possesse them vnder his mighty hand seeing you haue sinned against him then shall you see your hope and God will surely bring your soule out of aduersitie Also the speech of Moses to the Israelites at the red sea and when they had the sea before them the Egyptians their enemies behind them and steepe mountaines and high hils on euery hand side of them was Stand still and you shall see the saluation of God Exod. 14.13 As if he had said Go not backe by despaire nor forward by presumption and though you see nothing but death in men and destruction in creatures you shall see life in God and the saluation of God for life to euery one of you in your present helpe and deliuerance if you faint not The reasons further prouing this doctrine are first we haue deserued the paines of Hell by our sinnes much more the sharpest paine temporall Now if God inflict a light chastisement and we deserue the chaines of hell if he punish for a short time we deserue for euer to be afflicted haue we cause to complaine though the arrowes of the Almighty sticke in our flesh and his hand lie heauy vpon vs Psal 38.1.2 c. Secondly it is the Lord and we must patiently attend his worke He doth not deuise and leaue the execution to another but whatsoeuer is done he doth it himselfe in the point of correction and sense of paine his head and hand goe together Act. 4.28.2 Sam. 16.10 Thirdly we must be followers of Christ in affection to Gods will Now Christ seeing his father had so appointed desirously entred into his bath and passions for our sakes yea thought the time long and was greeued till he fell into his last agonie and cold sweat in the which he was couered after a sort with clodded blood that ran abundantly from his face downe to the ground Luc. 12.50 22.44 and shall a little so trouble vs who as the theefe said to his fellow receaue things worthie of that we haue done where Christ suffered innocently and so much for vs Luc. 23 41. or shall we see the sonne of God all in goare blood and all in a sweat though no man touched him though no man came neere him and in a cold night when he lay out in the open aire and vpon the cold earth to sweat so plentifully not a thin faint sweat but a sweat of great droppes and those
is caught with the Lime-rodde and the Fish that is taken in the Net the more they striue the more they entangle themselues So the more impatient men are of Gods corrections the more stripes they purchase to themselues in the snare and vnder the net of that their humiliation the more intolerable also they make the tie of their crosse and the more improbable their issue and going out Hee that carrieth a weightie burthen the more he stirres and moues it the more it oppresseth him and so the more vnquiet and vnruly we are vnder the heauy burthen of the Lords chastisements for sinne the more we gall our soules and bruse our flesh in vaine where by our patience wee may auoide such needelesse vexation and tirings out it being truly said which is commonly spoken that of sufferance commeth ease Some haue no faith more then sense teacheth them who beleeue as farre as they can see and further then their sight leadeth them they will not set one foote downe toward faith Some know not the word neither what God hath promised in it to those that feare him and therefore when they come into trouble they despaire of help themselues with shifts and fetches of their owne head not attending the Lords help because they know not his power by his word nor what mercie hee will shew to those who put trust in his saluation as the word doth teach Iob knew his mercie and power and therefore did not fume against the Caldeans nor murmure against the Lord but bore his losse quietly and thankefully trusting in God Iob 1.21.22 Dauid meditated much often in the Lawe and therefore fretted not against Shimei who railed against him but searched his conscience and went vnto his sin making the Lord his hope 2. Sam. 16.10.12 And He who was like a bottle in the smoke forgate not Gods statutes that is knew Gods promises in his word and truth in his righteous testimonies and therfore receiued comfort that is that word or rather the truth of God in that word sustained him in all troubles Psal 119.147 So much for the season of his attendance The attendance it selfe followeth I would wait c. The action of Iobs attendance is deliuered by a word that signifieth to wait or to wait by hope for a thing or to tarie and abide the deferring of it till it come and to looke as seruants for their Master when hee will returne in the euening His meaning therefore is that he will wait and be ready alwaies for his happy death till it come how long soeuer it bee in comming Doctr. The point here taught is Christians must bee alwaies in a readinesse to receiue their change or to speake plainly Christians must euer bee prepared for their death Something hath been spoken of this already in the first Sermon and second doctrine but it is a matter worthy our further search Our Sauiour Christ therefore to shew that this should be the expectation and mind of Christians exhorteth them to bee as men that wait for their Master when hee will returne from the wedding which was in the night as is euident by their receiuing of him with lights and by the custome that was obserued in mariages then which was to bring the Bride from her fathers house to the mans house in the night Luke 12.35.36 And so modestie was the mufler of the maids of those daies Now they that wait for their Master that is that wait diligently for his comming home in the night will set vp lights in the house haue some in their hands These lights are the Word which as a light shineth in a darke place This world is a wildernesse and we naturally blind that is without vnderstanding and therefore we must haue the light which is put in the lanthorne of the Law to guide and direct vs stil in the dangerous waies of it Psal 119.105 and this light must be burning in vs that is wee must adde zeale to our knowledge for it is of no vse if it want fire and burning And it must bee in our hands our hands must handle the word of life 1. Ioh. 1.1 and we must not bee hearers onely but doers Iam. 1.22 Secondly they that wait for their Master stand at the gate or before the doore looking for his returne So they that wait for the day of their redemption must stand with Abraham in their tent doore and with Eliah in the mouth of the caue waiting for it Gen. 18.1 1. King 19.9 that is they must dwell in the world as in tents and as strangers in these caues of the earth wait for their house aboue Thirdly they that looke with attendance for their Masters comming will haue his house in a readinesse against his comming to it and whatsoeuer may offend shall be taken out of the way so they that looke for Christ and wait by hope for the day of his comming will purge by repentance all the roomes of his spirituall house put away sinne and bring in righteousnesse into euerie power and member of soule and bodie Fourthly they that wait for their Master with a louing and chearefull desire of his comming will take vp the time with talking and thinking of him so they that looke for Christ will reuerently talke of Christ and as Christians thinke thoughts of Christ and haue Christian musings or thinke much of death and often that they shall die which must needes keepe them in a continuall loue and expectation of Christ and of death In the booke of Esay one of the exercises of the godly is said to be their waiting for God or which may haue this meaning their waiting for his saluation by death that they may goe to God Esa 25.9 where it is entended that they did not onely reioice in his saluation but so liue that death might bring them in the Charet of their godly life to the God of their saluation Thus did Simeon that embraced Christ and thus did Ioseph that embalmed Christ waite for the kingdome of God Luc. 2.25 23.51 and their saluation by death Luc. 2.25 23.51 They liued not contented with their present estate but waited for a better and as Elijah came out of the caue when the Lord came to him so they were ready alwaies to come out of the caue of their bodies to meet the Lord. 1. King 19.11 And thus they stood in their dore who waited for the appearing of the Lord Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 1.7 that is thus they waited who waited for the day of their death wherein they might goe to the Lord and for the day of the Lords appearing wherein he would come to them Lastly this is the propertie of the sonnes that they waite for the adoption that is looke for the fulfilling of it in death by their owne full redemption Rom. 8.23 The reasons And that the faithfull ought thus to waite and bee prepared for death at all houres may further be proued First they know
is meant the peace of their soules as by rest is vnderstood the resting of their bodies in their chambers of peace and this peace as by the knitting of this sentence to the former with the tie of reference may appeare doth come presently vnto them vpon their going hence The meaning is righteous persons so soone as they die and mercifull men vpon the instant of their change enter into a more excellent state both of peace and rest then euer they had here Doctr. The Doctrine gathered from hence is Vpon our going hence by death we are presently happie not before So saith the spirit blessed are the dead from that time that is they are immediately and presently vpon their death blessed not some time after nor at any time before but so soone as they die who die in the Lord or for the Lord. Apoc. 14 13. And this we haue confirmed by that which we reade of Lazarus Luc. 16.22 who was carried imme diately vpon his death into Abrahams bosom before his end no man regarded him at it the Angels came from Heauen to fetch him Iob calleth the daies of man that is his daies on earth the daies of an hireling Iob 7.1 as if hee should call them daies of labour and wearines and speaking of the life of man his life here he cals it a life of short continuance and much trouble Iob 14.1 Months of vanitie and nights of sorrow Iob 7.3 Salomon saith all things are full of labour Eccles 1.8 that is all things here And he that is greater then Salomon hath said speaking of the righteous in the world that is so long as yee walke in it as men and soiourne in it as Pilgrimes ye shal haue affliction Ioh. 16.33 The words are plaine and the meaning is there is nothing in it to or for Gods children but sorrow and misery The reasons of this doctrine are First the spirit saith so Apoc. 14.13 the spirit of truth and the spirit which is truth Secondly there is continuall enmitie as it were daggers drawing betweene vs and Satan and betweene Gods children and his cursed children Gen. 3 1â— Apoc. 12.13 Now what may be looked for in the field of a life full of deadly braules skirmishes and battels Surely as it is said there is no peace to the wicked Esa 57.21 So we may say truly nor peace to be had with the wicked Thirdly experience in all the ages of mans life teacheth this truth For from the first scene of our comming vp vpon the stage of this world to the last act of our going downe what part of our life is not full of vanitie and vexation of spirit Eccles 1.14 The first scene is of our infancie when we are in our nurses armes and doth not that beginne with teares and is not all that vnhappy saue that we want reason that is the vse thereof to apprehend that happinesse when we come out of our nurses armes to goe in our nurses hands or to goe by our selues in our next age doe we not weep long vnder the rod and presently fall into the subiection of a Teacher when we come out of the prison of boyes and girles and are set at some more libertie in a young mans life are we not tossed as vpon a sea of vnquietnesse sailing betweene reason and passion as betweene two contrarie waters and crosse winds then commeth perfect age or mans age and what haue wee here but blasts and stormes of greater vnrest then in any age before from one trauell we passe to another neuer ending but changing our miseries And when we come to old age or haue liued so long that we are come to dotage is there any thing in these ages exempt from miserie and the trauell that is vnder the Sun Surely our infirmities do now if in any age before come vpon vs in multitudes yea so load vs with their weight and number that they make vs to bend and goe double vnder them to the earth And can there be any comfort in these diseases as I may call them and daies of euill wherein doe meete and flocke together so many vultures of life the weakenesse of infancie the seruitude of childhood the sicknesse of youth the carkes of mans age all which come againe and come all together as so many stormes vpon one poore old house that is sore shaken already violently in death to ouerthrow it for euer Here the excesse and riot of youth is recompenced wiâ—â— goutes palsies and sundry fearefull aches the watchings and carkes of manhood are punished with losse of sight losse of hearing and losse of all senses except the sense of paine There is no part in man which death in that age of yeeres doth not take in hope to be assured of him as of a bad pay-master which greatly feareth and would put of his daies of payment and therefore it bringeth him lowe in all parts that he may haue power in none to auoid his creditor end so neere Quest But is there no peace in this life Answ Yes a kind of peace there is in this life but it wanteth two things which should make it sound and happy to wit perpetuity and wholenesse For it is not long not entire but by fits and with mixture of crosses and so may be called a kind of truce rather then true peace And good it is for vs that wee haue these outward good things thuâ— scanted and as it were weighed out vnto vs. For the mind cloyed with them would lothe euen the honiâ— combs of peace Besides all earthly things are full of variablenesse and change which hauing no peace in themselues how can they giue any to vs I speake of outward peace or peace in these outward thinges For the peace which the children of god haue is in inward matters and euery way sound though imperfect many waies This is that peace of their consciences whereby they receaue contentment and practise patience in all their troubles by it they are all one with God and with themselues at one with the good Angels and with good men and haue peace with all the creatures The reason is In the flotes of this life they cast their anchor as deepe as heauen finding no fastning for it vpon the earth The peace they haue or seek to haue is in God and from him in the comfortable testimonie and peace of their consciences which they desire to lay vp as a treasure in all the worlds frownes 2. Cor. 1.12 Therefore whatsoeuer commeth their heart is not moued And hereby they take sieson below of which they shall not fully be possessed of till they receiue their inheritance An instruction to the faithfull Vse 1 to looke for no peace here other then that they haue with God in the peace of their consciences with Gods people in the peace of his Church And here let it be noted that the drunken peace of hypocrites is a dreame of peace and no peace indeede For it can
peace they haue not knowne O we are men and not Angels say some A little to tread awry and a little to goe out of the way is but a humane frailtie and an inch breaks no square But to such we may say it may be our frailtie thus to doe But if wee presume we may so doe or if we striue not to doe otherwise it may bee our destruction that wee so did and the losse of our peace for euer Indeed we are men by nature but we must correct nature by grace and labour to be good men We are not Angels it is true yet wee must imitate the Angels and an inch in finne may so far breake square as it may send vs square and roundly to hell Be perfect saith our Sauiour Christ as your heaneuly Father is perfect Math. 5.48 It was spoken to his Disciples and it is spoken in them to vs. Wee can not neithes could they be perfect in the same measure yet as they were charged so are we commanded to be perfect in the like manner by a kind of conformitie and imitation The meaning is we must endeuour to be what perfectly we cannot be And how can we then iustifie any limping in the way or little going out of the way of grace by small infitmities It is pardonable in Christ but not iustifiable by vs. Therefore where we make such littles of sinne as a little oath a little meriment a little of the fashion and a little must be borne with let vs know that Satan by such littles maketh his kingdome great For as a couetous man gathereth by halfe pennies and by pence till he come to poundes so the diuell getteth his wealth from some by littles here a little and there a little Prou. 6.10 till finne be full and many litles in finne make a great totall There is no dalying with God nor playing out and in our progresse to saluation which is to heape wrath vpon wrath til it come to a mountaine or from some small heapes to come to a treasure Rom. 2.5 The way is to giue the water no passage to pound in sinne and to giue no way to occasion to take heed we be not led away from our stedfastuesse in knowledge and grace 2. Pet. 3.17.18 not to trip if we can chuse but to make straight steps in the way and to hold on our fellowship in the Gospell from this day and hereafter Philip. 1.5 Blessed is the seruant whom his Master when he commeth shall find so doing Math. 24.46 But it is said here that they enter into peace and come to rest that walke before the Lord as it were vpon two legs the right of sound religion and the left of an vndefiled life for where one of these is lacking there is halting in the way as also where they be seuered and where both goe not together The doctrine is Doctr. A good life hath a good death and they who liue well here shall liue well that is blessedly hereafter Dauid made this question Lord who shall rest in thy mountaine that is in heauen not as Pilgrims for a time but as heires for euer Ps 15.1 and God maketh this answere He that walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnesse verse 2. that is he that liueth holily shall die purely and liue for euer He that loueth the face of God in his Church shall see the face of his pleasures in his kingdome The same Prophet with some small alteration of the words asketh the like question to which the like answere is made The question is who shall ascend into the Lords mountaine Psal 24.3 that is who shall be taken from their pilgrimage to their countrey and from this mortall vale to the hils of immortall rest and the answere is He that hath innocent hands and a pure heart verse 4. The meaning is he that liueth charitably with men and holily with God or that is not vniust to men nor an hypocrite to God He that professeth the Gospell and is carefull of his waies not walking vpon a leg and a stumpe as they doe who seeme religious and liue ill or appeare righteous and are prophane hee shall stand before the Lord for euer Esay likewise maketh a question and answere to this effect Who saith he shall dwell with the deuouring fire who shall dwell with the euerlasting burning Esay 33.14 His meaning is who shall abide the presence of God who is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 and dwel safely before him This is the question and the answere is He that walketh in iustice and speaketh righteous things c. ver 15. that is whose waies are without offence and words without guile he that saith well and doth well shall dwell on high ver 16. or rest safely in the mountaine of peace And Christ our blessed Sauiour telling vs who shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen as the hypocrites of heart who make a stirre with their mouthes and put no good work into their hands who prophecie in Christs name and doe nothing for for his name and call him Lord but make their lusts their Lords telleth vs that they shall enter into heauen who doe his fathers will which is in heauen Math. 7.21.22 All desire to rest in the holy mountaine of God but few behaue themselues as Pilgrims in his tabernacle Yea all desire with Balaam to die the death of the righteous when there are few who take care to liue the life of the righteous that they may so die Num. 23.10 Therefore our Sauiour sheweth that our talking of saluation will not bring vs to it nor our wishing to bee in heauen send vs thither If we will be saued then we must liue as the heires of the grace of life that is as the sonnes of God not as brands of hell The reasons Though nothing be due to a good life by desert on our parts or by debt on Gods yet it being his merciful promise that all such shall be happie both here and hence in this world and in Gods kingdome Psa 112.16 c. 128.1.2 he will not and because it so pleaseth him cannot call backe his word whose promises are all yea and Amen that is no sooner made 2. Cor. 1.20 but as good as done Therefore they that liue godly shall die blessed Secondly they who liue well liue in obedience to God Now they who obey a good master are in fauour and encrease in wealth and shall the seruants of God liue in miserie and die vnrewarded Also they who conforme to Gods commandements are his faithfull scruants and loyall subiects whom a good master and gracious Prince must needs countenance Thirdly the Apostles words are plaine that godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of that to come 1. Tim. 4.8 As much as if hee had said They who walke according to this rule shall be blessed here and blessed in heauen Indeede the godly doe not alway prosper in these outward things yet wanting them or their
Psal 1.5 Thus the doctrine standeth fast being proued in euery part particularly Other reasons may be giuen for further illustration The reasons And first there is great reason that Christ should be Iudge himselfe For he alone is the Sauiour and therefore he alone must be Iudge He that saueth his elect must condemne the world Secondly he is the head of his Church to saue it from harmes and to wring out the dregs of his wrath vpon their heads that harme it Eph. 5.23 Esa 63.1.2.6 And how can he thus deliuer his Church if he be not her Sauiour and thus be reuenged on his Churches enemies if he be not there Iudge Thirdly it shall be a day of ioy vnspeakable to the godly and of terrour importable to the wicked For the godly shall meet the Lord in the 2 1. Thes 4.17 aire The fornace that is appointed to purge the world and to consume sinners shall haue no power ouer such nor the smell of it come vpon them Dan. 3.27 The Iudge will be their Sauiour The witnesses the Angels the Saints and the great inquest of all the creatures will cleere them And who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Rom. 8.33 The things that they shall be iudged off are condemned in Christ and the sting of conuiction is departed from them to his death who hath conquered all the power of the enemie The tribunall that face of it that is toward them shall put off feare and become a session-house of mercie and of plentifull redemption The sentence pronounced shall send them to their houses of ioy and blisse endlesse and their father will giue them the kingdome Luc. 12.32 But as the godly shal thus heare a most blessed sentence of absolution so the wicked shall then heare their iust sentence of seperation from God Where all things shall make them to melt away with an horrible dread and minister great matter of all feare and terrour in that day For first it shall be a most fearefull thing to see and consider the number of them without number that shall run hither and thither to hide themselues in the holes of the earth The place ground on which they must stand will be fearefull for it shall be all on a flaming fire The Iudge will be fearefull for God is Iudge himselfe The things that they shall be iudged off will be fearefull for their secret and darke vngodlinesse shall then euerie thought of it come to light and be iudged in the sight of fire in the sight of water in the sight of Angels in the sight of all the elements in the sight of men and presence of God the Iudge of quicke and dead on whose head are many crownes and who is clothed with a garment dipt in blood Apoc. 19.11.13 The witnesses will be fearefull which will be their owne griping conscience and Gods all-seeing prouidence the accusing Angels their offended brother and millions of creatures abused by them The bench will be fearefull for it shall be to them a tribunall of iudgment without mercie The sentence will be if any thing most fearefull as that which shall proceed against al vnrighteous persōs in the fearefull forme Go ye accursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuil and his Angels And the fire that to which they are appointed shall haue no end of feare For this fire is a far other thing then the fire of the chimney the fire of Gehenna then materiall fire The vses of this point concerne the godly and sinners Vse 1 It is comfortable to the godly that Christ shall be Iudge and they who haue followed him in the regeneration may lift their head to their redemption at hand when he commeth who will iudge his people with equitie that is with sauour For he must be Iudge who hath communicated to all his seruants the sweete and louing names of his a Mar. 33. mother sisters brethren b Cant. 4.9 10.11.12 spouse c Iohn 15.14.15 friends Now we are his mother if we beare him in the wombe of our hearts by faith as Marie bore him in the wombe of her bodie And we are his brethren and sisters if we loue him as brethren and cherish him as sisters in his weake and despised seruants among vs. And if we keepe our selues to him alone by matrimoniall faithfulnesse we are his spouse wife And we are his friends if we doe whatsoeuer he command vs. We being these and doing thus what need we feare for if we be his mother may we not come to him with as great boldnesse and expectation of successe as did Bath-sheba to Salomon the naturall mother to her Sonne 1. King 2.19 If we be his spouse shall we feare to make him our Iudge who is one with vs in spirituall marriage and by the espousall of faith our husband and friend or will one kind brother feare to make another his Iudge Can he condemne vs to death who hath redeemed vs from death eternall He is our Iudge who also is our aduocate at his fathers right hand and maketh intercession for vs. Art thou afraide that thy Iudge will be vnmercifull O what a vaine feare is that seeing he is thy Iudge who condemned himselfe to saue thee from iudgement who emptied himselfe for thy filling bestowed and spent himselfe for thy restoring and gaue his life which passed out at all the gates of his bodic for the life of thy soule Can the sentence be sharpe that commeth from the throne of grace in the hand of a Redeemer from whom commeth saluation or will he who stood at the barre to deliuer vs go vp to the bench and sit downe in the throne to condemne vs Rom. 8.1 or shall we feare any longer when our aduocate is made our Iudge And when he who came to saue vs may saue or condemne But shall Christ bee iudge Vse 1 The other was not more comfortable to the Saints then this shall bee terrible to vngodly sinners For what a hart-breaking will it bee to the wicked and death beyond all kindes of death temporall to see him who is their chiefe enemie in chiefe place What comfort can it bee to a couetous man or woman to be iudged by him for auarice who limited all his cares to the present day and spake so much earnestly against the morrowes care Or to a proud person to haue him his Iudge who humbled himselfe as a child being God of maiestie and set the low doore of humilitie before the courts of his fathers house Or to fleshly persons to appeare at his barre of iudgement whose whole life was lead in temperance and commandement was that we should be sober Or to Whoremongers and Adulterers whom God will iudge Heb. 13.4 to receiue sentence of death or absolution from his mouth who himselfe was born of a pure Virgin and hath those for his followers who were not defiled with women Apoc. 14.4 Or to the vnmercifull to be
tried by him who when many dogges come about him prayed for his persecutors saying Father forgiue them they know not what they doe Luke 23.34 Or to murtherers to stand in his presence who being reuiled reuiled not againe whose comming was to saue the life and not to spill it If thou hadst a cause to be heard in some court of iustice and it should be told thee that the like in that very Court had beene iudged against another that morning wouldest thou not rather agree with thine Aduersarie then aduenture thy matter in that Court wherin the presence of that Iudge before whom the very same matter had been already condemned in another mans case Euen so then seeing it is most certaine that sentence hath passed alreadie against all kindes of sinnes and degrees of sinners as it is to bee seene in the assise booke of the word of God Should not the wicked and sinners dread to appeare in their euils and those euils vnrepented of before that terrible iudge who hath already condemned to destruction so many millions of sinners and reprobates men women bond and free Should they not rather goe backe by confideration Entreat the iudge by prayers of repentance Submit by a better course be reconciled by amendment And please him by obedience who is Lord of all Men must not thinke to sinne and to bee called to no account for their sinnes or to offer wrongs to their innocent neighbour and not to suffer as wrong doers For Christ is Iudge And though all men were corrupt and seates of iudgement partiall yet there is a God that iudgeth right A day will come when Naboth shall haue his vineyard when the Martyrs who lost their liues shall finde them and they who are railed on for the name of Christ shall haue praise of their enemies Christ will honour those who haue honoured him raise vp those who died for him restore those summes which in deeds of charitie and workes of mercie haue been lent to him and liberally reward those who serued him But for the wicked though they were glorious in their life and pompous in their death they shall be nothing so in their rising and there shame shall come when their iudgement commeth He that hath so much pleasure here as to be clothed in purple and to fare well and delicately euery day Luke 16.19 could not haue in hell torments one drop of water to coole his tongue tormented in those flames vers 24. Neither could he haue the presence of Lazarus for a moment who cared not for the cry of Lazarus when he was in his ruffe and Lazarus in his ragges ver 26.29.31 A reproofe of their madnesse Vse 3 who goe on in sinne impenitently because here they answere not for sinne at the barre of man either because they haue great friends or because they haue a good purse or because the Iudge is their friend or because the countrey will sticke vnto them For what though no mortall Iudge condemne them The righteous Iudge will Though men execute partiall sentence hee who is iudge of all men will execute righteousnesse in the clouds from which there is no appeal On earth there are meanes to acquite and set free from bonds and death a guiltie prisoner as the abusing of the Iudge the corrupting of the witnesses acquaintance with the Iurors fauour with the Sheriffe and many such shifts The Iudge may bee deceiued by certaine pricks in the law that destroy iustice But there are no such either pricks or points in that vndefiled law by which both quicke and dead shall be iudged The witnesses cannot be stopt For the booke of our consciences will not lie and that booke of euidence which God himselfe keepeth cannot The Iurors the creatures are the Lords seruants to whom they shall giue glorie in their true and honest verdicts not respecting the arme of flesh or face of man No perswasions or windings will then serue For God is iudge himselfe and his Sherifs are the mighty Angels of his presence The high acts of God are in their mouth and a two edged sword is put in their hands to execute vengeance vpon the heathen and corrections among the people Psal 149.6.7 Or if the Sherifs Iurors and witnesses could be corrupted with mony which were vnspeakeable folly to thinke of what shal we haue to giue them when all shal be destroyed with fire And for fauour how can we looke for any in a day not of mercie but of iudgement Further to auoide an earthly sentence we plead an appeale or retraction but here can be no appeale For all appeales are to an higher But what Iudge is higher then God or court aboue this of the last day And for reuersing of iudgement once giuen there is as little hope For there shall not be any more sitting or second iudgement Let vs not think then because wee can escape mans sentence that no sentence to come shall condemne vs. Or that there is no iudgement but mans iudgement or Iudge but man For where men end God begins and where men are partiall he will doe iustice Here men breake the Sabbath and are drunken here they whore and sweare and deceiue and doe vilely and answere not vnto men for these riots of sinne Shall they therefore goe free O nothing lesse hereafter they shall answere them and in hell pay dearely for them except they repent So much for the person of the Iudge the manner of propounding the iudgement followeth Commeth with c. The tense or time that the Apostle speaketh in noteth the certaintie or as I may say presentnesse of the Iudges comming Where he vseth the time present for the future he commeth for he wil come And this is to teach vs that a iudgement wil and must most certainly be So it is said that the great day of the Lords wrath is come Apoc. 6.17 Not will come but is come as if that had beene come a thousand and siue hundred yeeres a goe that is not come yet The like speech we haue in the 13. of Esay and ninth verse when it was further off In the time of the Prophet Zephanie it is said to be neere Zeph. 1.14 and Malachi another Prophet and the last of the Prophets speaketh as Enoch here it commeth Peter saith it is at hand though no man can shew the fingers of this hand 1. Pet. 4.7 Christ saith he commeth shortlie Apoc. 3.11 nay that he standeth at the doore as if he were come already verse 20. And indeed as the day will most surely come so it cannot be long in comming It is not in the fadome of mans head to tell or heart to know how neere or farre off the day is onely God knoweth and Christ as God in what yeere month and day this frame shall goe downe In an age long since the day was neere now the houre is neere But curiosity is to be auoided in a concealed matter and in this forbidden tree of knowledge It
is sufficient for vs to know that such a day will come and it shall be our wisdome alwayes to be ready for it that it come not vpon vs as the snare vpon the bird The reasons of the certainetie of this day of iudgement are First it is the will and decree of God for the Apostle saith He hath appointed a day in the which hee will iudge the world in righteousnesse Act. 17.31 Now the wil and decree of God is vnchangeable His counsell shall stand Esa 46.10 Secondly it is an article of our faith grounded on the word of God But the articles of our faith are all certaine and most certaine Thirdly the scripture saith that God will make manifest euerie mans worke and iudge the secrets of men Eccles 12.14 Luc. 8.17 Rom. 2.16 This is not done here and here many matters are cloked and carried in a mist that deserue iudgement and merit condemnation Therefore and that God may be iust in his sayings there must be a sessions of gaol-deliuery which we call with the scriptures the iudgement of the last day Fourthly the godly doe here groane vnder many miseries and the vngodly wallow in delights the rich liue delicately and Lazarus is in paine therefore is it necessary as it is certain that a day should come wherein the Lord may make knowne his righteousnesse and magnifie his iustice before his glorious throne that they who haue liued merrily dishonouring God might liue in torments of fire and they whose life hath beene miserable seruing the Lord might be comforted for euer Some haue offended deepely and haue not beene touched by the Magistrate some haue suffered great rebuke somtimes death deseruing fauour therefore a day must come and is appointed wherein the Lord that is iust will recompence tribulation to all that haue troubled the righteous and to such as were troubled by them rest 2. Thes 1.6.7 On the other side would it not be hard for the godly who here haue endured the crosse for the ioy that was set before them if there shold not come a time of refreshing from God and would it not too much induâ—rate the wicked who drinke iniquity as water if they should escape all punishments and vengeance here and after death Fiftly this is shadowed out in that housholder who when euen was come called the Labourers and gaue euery man his hire and pennie Math. 20.8.10 And if a wise Master will reckon with his seruants Math. 25.19 shall we thinke that the wisest will not one day reckon with sinners and call them before him for his money that is precious graces of wit learning authoritie wealth and other ontward and inward ornaments of life which they haue consumed on their lusts Sixtly euery wicked mans conscience doth by a trembling feare as in Felix at one time or another iustifie this point of a iudgmeÌ„t to come Act. 24 26. And therefore as the flood of waters once drowned the world except a few who were saued in the arke Gen. 7 1.7.2 Pet. 2.5 So it is certain that the flood and tempest of the last daies fire shall burne it and all in it except such as Christ hath or wil then gather into the little arke of his Church In the euening of this world and when there shall be no more time he will call the labourers before him giuing them the pennie or pay of euerlasting life but for the idle and loiterers forth of the vineyard and out of Christ he will let them goe with sinners to the place prepared for them as they haue liued without the Church or idlie in it so when the labourers receaue their pennie they shall heare depart from mee ye that worke iniquitie I know you not Math. 7.23 Thus it is proued not onely to be certaine but necessarie that there should be a iudgment But some will say Quest seeing men come to their account at their death what needeth any other day of audit or hearing I answere Answ Men at their death receiue but priuate iudgement here they shall receiue publike sentence Then they are iudged in their soules onely here they shall bee iudged in soule and bodie that is but a close Sessions that an open or solemne assise There much of their shame is hid here they shall be shamed to the full And if our owne lawes doe not condemne and execute malefactors in prison but for their greater shame in open place and manner It is great reason that wicked sinners should not priuately in their graues as in prison bee iudged and led to execution but be brought to the publike scaffold and barre of solemne fession there to receiue their shame and sentence together and not to bee executed by a close death in the goale but be broght forth to suffer vpon the high stage of the world in the sight of Saints and Angels where all eyes may see them But is not Christ iudge in this life Quest And is there not a iudgement begun here Indeed Answ there is a iudgement begun already a iudgement that goeth before this of the last day For God hath erected in the consistorie of euerie mans heart a certaine iudgement seat where conscience is iudge The wicked securely despise or scornefully deride this iudge and iudgement seat but it giueth them many secret gripes though they profit not by them Oftentimes Gods children themselues because that the noises and sounds that the ring of the world maketh in them doe too much neglect these loude cals of their consciences to amendment of life But this is the iudgement that the Lord beginneth here with which they must well bee acquainted who meane to stand before Christ the iudge at the last day And this one well compareth to our quarter-Sessions which are kept for mulcts and meddle not in matters of life and death as Sessions of goale deliuerie doe For in this mid-space betweene these Sessions and that day of assise the Lord executeth a kind of iudgement among his houshould people and enemies by taking his grace from his seruants for a season from the wicked for euer Or by taking something from his children that they loued to much and did hurt them and that from the wicked that they seemed to haue The first to prepare the righteous for a better world the other to make the wicked readie for the sentence of their last and iust damnation begunne in this world That we may be fitted for this comfortable meeting of the Lord in the ayre and not liue in sinne as those workers of iniquitie doâ— vpon whom these mid-Sessions haue passed sentence binding them ouer to the close sessions of their death or more publike assise of the last day when all prisons must be rid and graues emptied let vs not sleightly passe ouer those seuerall penalties that the Lord inflicteth at his quarter-sessions in the twitches of our conscience for some good omitted or euill done But when he thus calleth vs let vs answere here am I. A
reckoning of them The godly would be discouraged from doing good and the wicked incouraged to doe euill Thirdly so God should condemne the generation of the righteous For he that iustifyeth the wicked condemneth the iust A man cannot take an euill mans part but he must by taking part with the euil take part against the good Esay 5.23 Fourthly Gods law condemneth the wicked Now shall his law condemne them and will hee cleere them Or shall his word send them to execution and will hee saue them from the hand of the Executioner Fiftly this were to bring sin into credit For the Magistrat that wil not punish sin doth countenance sinne And shall we think that hee who perfectly hateth euill aâ—… good men hate it but imperfectly will grace either it or the doers of it Lastly the word euery way threatneth finners and therefore if God should for euer spare them the word should not be true Will not God iustifie sinners Vse 1 then men must not and good men will not For this is a fault essentiall in the Diuell and his seede But Gods children will striue to bee like God and vnlike the Diuell Of this somewhat was spoken before the last doctrine but one and third vse And it would bee well considered of those flatterers who palpably iustifie the wicked saying they doe well when they doe euill that they offend pardonably when their offence is intolerable Magistratâ— also that are too sparing to malefactors are here admonished not to keep still in sheath the sword of punishment for euil deeds which they should draw vpon offendours For this were to incouragâ— not to reforme them or to 〈…〉 and let the disease 〈…〉 〈…〉 to Christians Vse 2 to deny vngodlinesse and to exercise themselues vnto godlinesse and the duties thereof that they may escape this sentence of the rebuke of vngodly men so much the grace of God that namely which hath appeared in our saluation teacheth vs. Tit. 2.11 Where the Apostles meaning is that we should forbeare not onely palpable Atheisme of an vngodly life in Christianitie and that we should auâ—ide not onely the vngodlinesse of despising God openly but the dissembling vngodlinesse of seruing him negligently Some will beleeue that what God hath promised in mercie to his people shall bee done who will not beleeue that what the same God hath threatned in iustice to sinners shall be performed This is open vngodlinesse So when we heare men say it were no 〈◊〉 iâ— there were on more going 〈…〉 seeing there is no more folloâ—â—â— this likewise is a speech of 〈…〉 For did euer any grow 〈…〉 sitting by the fire or more 〈…〉 eating of good meate So me will â—eare the word who yet despise him that teacheth it But how can this be lesse then a maine effect of vngodlinesse seeing that he who despiseth the teacher despiseth God Luc. 10.16 Some thinke if they frequent the assemblie with those foolish virgins that went out to meet the Bridegroom Mat. 25.1 or if they be at Church though they heare not at the Church and come to praier though carelesse how to pray and receiue the Sacrament though not Christ by faith in the Sacrament that their comming hither and being here is sufficient But he that resteth in these formes going no further is an vngodly man Some haue a forme of godlinesse and denie the power thereof who weare Christ in their mouths and haue not tasted of him in their hearts Some haue a polygamie of husbands their old husband the world is not dead and they will be married to Christ seruing God and ritches or they are not diuorced from the flesh and they will marrie with the Spirit seeming spirituall and seruing sinne These and such like are the vngodly men whom without repentance God will iudge It must be our care therefore not to walke in their waies and to decline their paths For their waies are contrarie to wisdoms waies of which it is said Her waies are waies of pleasure and all her paths prosperity Pro. 3.17 Indeed there is a way that seemeth right to a man the issues wherof are the waies of death Prou. 16.25 And so the broad and easie way to death and hell seemeth to haue much pleasure in it in the conceipt of worldlings But so many as feare the Lord will refraine their foot from such waies And seeing they onely shall stand in iudgement who take hold of the waies of life walking with God let vs keep the waies of iudgement and walke vprightly that the Lord may be our shield for euer Prou. 2.7.8 A reproofe of the worlds errour Vse 3 which thinketh that they onely are the happie men who liue in all pleasures and peace here But such for the most part serue not the Lord Iesus but their owne bellies Rom 16.18 and are sure to be damned being as Oxen that are made fat in the best pasture and therefore ready for the slaughter-house euery day And is there any happinesse in this or matter that we should enuie Ps 37.1.2 Say there were no knots in their death Ps 73.4 and that the web of their life should runne in an euen threed without any breakings concerning these outward things euen from their cradles to their graues though this be rather in opinion so then so indeed yet after this commeth the iudgement Eccles 11.9 and when they come downe who now are on horsebacke in their ruffe against Christ and christians their fall shall be great not to conuersion with Saul Act. 9.4.6 but into hell with all that forget God God will rebuke them and suddenly they shall be cut off in iudgement their beauty shall consume when they goe from house to graue Ps 49.14 Is there any happinesse in this or can a man be happie for this And yet the life that these wretched men haue here is not altogether so without twitches of sorrow as we thinke For when we suppose them most happie in their goods and most pleasant in their daies perhaps euen then there is a most bitter remembrance of death within Euen in laughing saith Salomon speaking of the wicked the heart is sorrowfull Prou. 14.13 His meaning is when you thinke them most merrie and past bitternes there are gripes of feare in their pleasures and sorrow of heart in all their mirth Faine would they cast out feare sometime with one pastime sometme with another but it will not goe out and though they would cast it out as out of a Cannon it will returne to vexe them Thus there is no peace to the wicked Esa 57.21 nor sound ioy in the wicked and what is it then that we thinke to be so full of pleasure in a life so vnpleasant tormented with the guilt of an euill conscience that like an vlcer in the body will put those to great anguish that are pursued of it in the middes of their feasting and not cease to torment them day and night though wrapped vpwith neuer so great brauery But