they that die in the Lord for they rest from their labour But we haue also Chariots which our eldest Brother hath sent to attend vs and conuey vs in our iourney these are his holy Angels who conueyed the Soule of Lazarus from the dunghill vnto Abrahams bosom euen these same fierie Chariotes which tooke vp Elijah into heauen waite vpon vs also to carie vs vp when the time of our Transmigration shall come Besides that we haue also with vs the holy Spirit of promise who as he is sent in our harts to witnesse the loue of God vnto vs so doeth he remaine with vs in the troubles of our life hee comforts vs in the terrours of Death hee strengthens vs and in al the way wherein wee haue to walke he guides and conducts vs till atlength he put vs in possession of that inheritance whereunto hee hath Sealed vs wherof then shall we bee afraide Seing then wee are compassed with so many and great comforts let vs in time transport our affections vpward towards heauen where Christ is at the right hand of God let vs liue in the body ready to go out of the body when God shall call vs watching and praying continually for we know not the hower Beware that wee lie not downe into the hollow of our hearts to sleepe in carelesse securitie as Ionus sleeped in the sides of the Ship least the fearefull tempest of Gods wrath come vpon vs vnwares to wallow vs and wrap vs vp in endlesse confussion woe be to him that shall bee found sleeping in his sinâ—es when the Lord cals vpon him to come out of the body But let vs stand prepared like Israel at the Passeouer with our loynes girded vp and our staffe in our hand waiting when the Lord shall warne vs to remooue As the Birds which are desirous to flie stretch out their wings so the Soule that would be with the Lord should first stretch out her affections toward him Or as Abraham sitting in the doore of his Tabernacle when the Angels came to him and Elâ—iah standing in the mouthe of his Caue that hee might meete with the Lord so should we soiourn in the body that we come out to the dore to the mouth of the borders of it ready alway to remoue out of it that wee may be with the Lord Blessed are these seruants whom the Lord when hâ—e comes shall finde waking And thus much concerning these reasons which makes the Godly willing to remoue out of the body haue wee obserued not onely for the comfort of Gods children but aâ—so to distinguish the death of the worldling from the death of the Christian for oftentimes in naturall men there is seene a carnall boldnes to die by which they enforce themselues to dye couragious and as they cal it like men which neither workes in them for the present any inward contentment nor yet assures theÌ„ of any greater comfort when they goe out of the body it is no more but the last puffe of their naturall pride which soone euanishes and is not Christian Magnanimitie flowing from inward consolation of the Spirit Surely neither in suffering nor in doing doth the Lord regard the outward shew of Godlines but the power Non enim florem interrogat sed radicem Neither are we to thinke much of those who being but Martyrs Satanice Virtutis doe in externall appearance dy with boldnes as may be seene in many who being of an euill conuersation die for the maintenance of an euill cause neither ashamed of the one nor the other these may pretend courage in the face but be sure can haue no comfort in the conscience VER 9. Wherefore also wee Couet that c. WE come now to the 3. conclusioÌ„ which the Apostle inferres vpon his former ground of coÌ„fort which is that the certain knowledg of the glory to com wrought in him a care both in life and death to be acceptable to god and this conclusion is very well annexed to the former they cannot be seperat he that loues to dwell with the Lord no doubt will haue a care to please him wee see by experience how carefull we are to please those with whome wee are to dwell but a short while vpon earth much more will we be careful to please the Lord if so be we desire for euer to dwell with him and againe where there is in the life a care to please the Lord there is also in death a boldnesse to go to him whereas an euill conscience desires not to heare the Lord farrelesse dare it â—ee bold to see him We Couet The word which here the Apostle vâ—es commonly signifies an ambitious coueting of honour but here the Apostle vses it to the best to expresse his most earnest and sincere affection which caried him to loue this honour that he might bee in fauour with the Lord his God esteeming it the highest honour to bee acceptable to the Lord his God not to be greatwith men ofworldly power which is the greatest designe of those who can mount no higher then the earth bâ—t to bee â—â—eat with God therefore protests hee that where away soeuer the affections of other men goe this is the honour which hee loued that both in life and death he might be acceptable to God As to that honour which may come to vs from the countenance ofman by courting with them it is but an euâ—nishing shadow they themselues in their best estate are altogether vanity they are but like vnto grasse and their glory fades as a flower of the field and what true honour then can they communicate to vs let the most glorious Monarch who euer liued in the world be presented to vs let him bee placed in his Chariot of Triumph decked in most gorgeous maner with all magnificence that can be devised two questions propounded to him shall quickely discouer his vanitie First what hath he here which is his owne let that which â—ee borrowed from the creature to make vp his begged glory bee taken from him and what behinde shall remaine vnto him Next that state ofhonour wherein he stands how long shal he continue in it that Samaritan Prince who this day leaned on the KINGES shoulder and the next day was trampled vnder the peoples feete may serue among many other inumerable examples to shew how short and vaine the glory of flesh is as Nebuchadnezarsâ—mage â—mage had a head of Gold but feere oâ— yron and clay so is it with all the glorious pompe of worldlings golden in the beginning but the ende thereof is dust and ashes If wee compare the Christian the worldling together wee shall see that both of them shoots at life riches and honour these are the common endes of all mens actions but where the one pursues after apparens bonum the other foâ—lowes after Reuer a bonum they folow shewes the other â—â—e substance they are busied about
must looke to other of the Fathers who dâ—ed the common course of death Gen. 27.1 Gen. 49.33 The godly also aliue at Christs comming shal not be dissolued But we haue no warrant that wee shall be of that number For before Chriâ—ts comming the Iâ—wes must be recallâ—d Rom. 11.24 It is out of al doubt our bodies must be dissolued by death Heb. 13.14 Al fortification against death is in vaine Deu. 28. marg As Adam was the first liuing man so the first that died by the course of nature But now so many haue gone through death before vs that it is a shame for vs to scare at it Seneca By the earthly house our body here is to be vnderstood For two causes is our body called an house I For the câ—mly and orderly workmanship thereof Other creatures were made by the word of God but to the making of man God put too his hand also And consultation among the persons of the blessed Trinity goes before Basil hexam hâ—m 10. Tortul de resur car This preparation before shewes that some great thâ—ng was to follow as it did indeed Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 10. cap. 12. Man an excellent workmanship euen iâ— respect of his bodie Gregor mâ—ral l. 32. Sect 13. Bernard A short view of the excelleÌ„t workmanship of mans body as it is giuen by Salomon Psal. 139. Man euen in regard of his body is a world of wonders Eccles. 12. VVe should not dâ—shonour the bodie which God hath honouredso highly 2 The bodie is called a house in respect of the soule dwelling in it Man for his two substances whereof he consists is a compend of all Gods creatures But the coniunction of these two substances is more marueilous Bern. in die â— Natal dom er 2. Nazian That flâ—sh and spirit should agree so well together That the soule shâ—uld be kept in the bodie by blood and breth yet not liuing by them Carnal men so liue as if they were nothing but flâ—sh onely Ierem. 15. VVhâ—reas the body is but the house the man is he who dwels in the bodie Let vs so care for the house that much more wâ—â—â—re for him who dwâ—ls in it The bodie is called an earthly house First because it was made of the earth And herein appeares Gods power and wisdome that of so base a matter hath made so excellent a creature Tertul. de resurrect car Gen. 2. Ambros. hexam l. 6. cap. 6. The soueraignty of God ouer man is more thâ—n that which the Potter hath ouer his clay 1. Cor. 10.22 Therefore wo to him who liues in â—nmity with God Act. 12 20. The consideration of our originall does leâ—rne vs humility They who will not learn it by their originall â—et them looke to their end and they shal see no cause of pride Gen. 23.4 Greg. moral l. 16. sect 105 Neither is there strength nor beauty nor stature of the body to be delighted in Esa. 40.6 The body like a wall of clay plastered ouer and painted with colours Esa. 14.11.19 Remâ—mbrance of that which we haue bin should keepe vs from waxing proud for that which we arâ— Secondly the bâ—dy is called an earthly house because it is vphoâ—den by earthly meanes Our body is called a Tabâ—rnacle first because we haue here a couering but not a foundation Ber. parui Sermones Esa. 4.6 Heb. 11. Ibid. Sâ—condly because we should vse it as a Sconse or Tent for the warfare Basil. ser. 10. in Psal. qui habitat Thirdly because it is not fixed in one place as an house but is made for transporting That death whâ—rein all deaths concurre is the proper punâ—shment of sinne Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 13. cap 12. Of the two kindes of death mentioned in holy scripture Eph 4. Eph. 2. 2. Tim. Reuel 3. Death of the whole man what it is It is demanded seeing the soule and body of the wicked shâ—ll be vniâ—ed in the resurrectâ—on how shall they be punished with the second death Gregor moral l. 15. Sect 55. It is answered that this â—nion of their â—oule and body is for their greater punishment Aug. de ciuit dei l. 13. c. 13 A great difference betweene the death of the Christian and the wicked The Christian shall neuer die that death which is the punishment of the wicked And the wicked cannot free themselues of that death which they inflict on the godly â— beside that a worse abides them By death we get deliuerance from our present euils Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 9. cap. 10. VVhat a great benefit it is that our bodies are mortall By death we are set at libertie to enioy our greatest good Aug. de ciuit dei l. 9. c. 20. Athanas in qâ—estionibus quaest 18. Many lookes to the dissolution but not to the coniuction made by death and therefore are affraid at it Two things remoued which make death fearefull 1 The feare of punishment after death Ambr. de bono mortis c. 8 But indeede death is not to be blamed for thatwhich comes after it 2 An apprehension that death destroyes man Ambros. ibid. Death it self is not terrible but the opinion of death Nazian orat de funere patris Greg. moral l. 4. sect 47. Death should not be looked vpon in the glasse of the law but in the mirrour of the Gospell Comfortable phrases by which death is described by the spirit of God Gen. 25.8 Deu 31.16 Psal. 16.9 Luke 2. Pet. 1.14 S. Paul expresses the nature of our death by thrâ—e similitudes 1. He compares it to the changing of a garment To the sowing of seed in the earth thaâ— it may grow againe 1. Cor. 15. 3 To a flitting from one house to another Albeit death be certaine yet the time place and kinde thereoâ— is vncertaine Many dreame of more daies theÌ„ they haue are far deceiued at the length Aug. Ber. de fallatia vitae praesentis Time of our death left vncertaine to make vs the more vigilant Gregor The life of man is but a life that turnes vpon seuen daies and in one of them man must die Therefore shâ—ld he take heed to them all The place of death vncertaine VVe can come to no place in the which some haue not died before vs. Bernard The kinde of death is also vncertaine that for all deaths we might be prepared VVe come all into the world by one way but we go out of it by many VVe should not much care for the kind of death but for the way we goe after death Aug. de ciuit dei l. 1. c. 11. Men should not be violeÌ„t actors of their owne death but patient sufferers Gen. 9. 2. Mac 14. A selfe murtherer neuer allowed but condemned in holy scripâ—â—re The second parâ— oâ—â—he verse conteynes the vantage we â—aue by death The comfort giuen here against death concernes the soule onely Comfort concerning the losse of our bodies by death is to be sought â—n other places of Scripture The Lord will noâ— forsake that body whiâ—h was
whateuer it be cannot be euill Nunquam mala mors putanda est quam bona praecessit vita and if the life be euill to the end it is certaine the death cannot be good for euen that Thiefe who was crucified with our Lord before he got comfort in his death was first amended in his life â—or vpon the Crosse was he conuerted incontinent brought out the sweet fruite of righteousnes accusing himâ—elfe for his sinnes rebuking the railing of his companion pleading the innocency of our Lord giuing to God the glory of iustice and praying to Christ for mercie that he would remember him when he came to his Kingdome As it is comfortable in death to think vpon life looking to Iesus who for vs died before vs and hath left this comfort to vs who through death are to follow him I am the resurrection and the life And againe He that beleeues in mee hath past from death to life So is it very profitable in our life to thinke vpon death in our youth to remember the euill dayes and yeares approaching vppon vs wherein euery worke and secret thing must be brought to iudgement Our Sauiour at the Banquet in Bethania had his conference of his death and burial and Ioseph of Arimathea had his Sepulchre in his Garden both of them teaching vs to season the pleaâ—ures of our life with the remembrance of our death for Meditatio mortis vita est perfecta quam dum iusti sollicite peragunt culparum laqueos euadunt The meditation of death is perfite life which while the godly carefully practise they eschue the snares of sinne and for this same cause Bernard commends the meditation of death Tanquam summam Philosophiam as the most high and profitable Philoâ—ophy that wee can learne in our life To this purpose the Apostle in this Treatise deliuers to vs a most wholsome preseruatiue against the feare of death set down summarily in the first verse and then drawes out of it three notable conclusions which if wee can lay vp in our hearts shall learn vs to order our life well and so serue as preparatiues to make our harts readie and capable of this comfort in death The preseruatiue giuen vs in the first verse is the certaine knowledge of a better estate into the which we shal be translated by death In handling of this he first sets downe the losse wee haue by death it is no more but a dissolution of our earthly Tabernacle and then subioynes the vantage we get by it to wit that wee are entred into a better building giuen of God not made with handes but eternall in the heauens and so lets vs see that the vantage wee receiue by death doth farre exceede the losse that we susteine by it We know He first affirmes it as a thing not doubtsome but certaine and well enough knowne that by death wee are translated into a better estate the warrants of our knowledg are two for first wee know it by the reuelation of the worde In my fathers house are many dwelling places I goe to prepare a place for you Our soiourning place is on earth our Mansion place in heauen And next we know it by the perswasion of faith which is proper onely to Gods elect children effectually called And of this we learn how the ChristiaÌ„ man onely walketh in light where al the rest of the world are groping in darkenesse in their life wandring after vanity and in their death departing comfortles or at least doubtsome and vncertain where-away to goe Something they knew by experience of the vanity of this life for the which some of the naturall Philosophers did think it was Optimum non nasci and others as Heraclitus was moued to mourning by euerie thing which hee saw but certaine knowledg of a better life to come they haue not therefore in their best estate goe doubting as I said lamenting out of the bodie as did that Emperor Hadrian like a wilsome man not knowing whither to goe Animula Vagula blandula quae nunc abibis in loca And no maruell he being destitute of the light of the word and taught by his Master Secundus the Philosopher that death was incerta peregrinatio an vncertaine peregrination And truely no better is the coÌ„fort which that Step-mother the Church of Rome giueth to her children for shee sendes them away out of the world without any assurance of saluation and keeps them in suspence with a vaine hope of helpe to bee sent vnto them for their deliuerance from the paines of Purgatorie by soule Masses and such like rotten caddle as must be made for them when they are dead vppon their owne or their friends expences And in this all the bastard Religions of the world are alike that they render no solide comfort to their professours in death Neither can it bee otherwise for seeing they are not vpon the Foundation Iesus Christ in whose merits onely wee get life who are dead in our selues what maruel if they die oppressed with doubtings and fearefull despaires But as to vs we know whoÌ„ we hauebeleeued that wheÌ„ our course is finished our battel ended a crown of righteousnes shall be giuen vnto vs we know that the day of our death is but the day of our chaÌ„g from the worse to the better And this should animate vs to coÌ„stancy perseuerance in godlines because wee goe not like vncertain men carried vpoÌ„ vaine hope to an vnknown end but before haÌ„d we are both forewarned certified of the'nd wherunto we are called why then shall wee linger in the way and suffer our spirits to bee discouraged with doubting of the euent It is the praise of Abraham the father of the faithfull that albeit hee knew not the land whereunto God called him yet he obeyed the calling and willingly forsooke his natiue countrey and kindred being assured the word of God could not beguile him and that the Lord neuer biddes his children exchange but for the better And we certainly are vnworthy to bee accounted the children of Abraham if wee refuse ioyfully to follow the heauenly vocation considering the Lord hath foretold vs or euer we goe out of the body of a better building into which we shall bee translated Let them doubt and feare who knowe not of a better let vs giue glory to him that hath called vs and through the valley of death hee shall lead vs to eternall life That if The Apostle speakes not this doubtingly as if it were vncertaine whether our bodies were to bee dissolued or not but by way of concession hauing in it a stronge affirmation as if hee did say albeit it bee so that the earthly house of our Tabernaclâ— must bee dissolued yet are wee sure of a better It is true that in the ages before vs there hath beene some of Gods Saints whose bodies were not
dissolued by death after the common manner before the flood HENOCH was taken away and hee sawe no death after the flood ELIIAH was transported into a Chariote of fire and strange is it that is written of MOSES that when hee died on the toppe of Pâ—sgah beeing an hundred and twentie yeare olde his eye was not dimme nor his naturall force abated But we haue not vppon these to fansie vnto our selues a priuiledge whereof God hath not assured vs neither are wee to thinke wee are the lesse beloued of God because after the same singular maner he takes vs not away out of the world but we must looke on the other hand to the remanent Patriarches Prophets and worthie Apostles who finished their daies as Ioshua speakes after the way of all flesh so Abrâ—ham the father of the faithfull died being worne with the infirmities of his age and Isaac thorough weaknes waxed blinde before he died and Iacob that famous Patriarch being in his bed by ordinary death pulled vp his feet vnto him and we must bee content after the same manner to suffer the dissolution of our bodies by diseases which are the Sergeants and officers of death It is true also that they who shal be found aliue at the second comming of Christ shall not be dissolued but suddenly transchanged but this priuiledg in like maner we are not to looke for hauing no warrant that we shall continue alike vntill that day for that man of sinne is not yet so weakened by the Gospell as hee must bee Neyther are our eldest brethren the Iewes conuerted to the faith of Christ as in likelihood they wil be before Christs second appearing Sixteene hundred yeares were they in the couenant when we were strangers from it During that space sundrie of the Gentiles in sundrie partes of the World became Proselytes as Naaman in Syria and Ebedmelech in Ethiopia but that was not the accomplishment of the promised calling of the Gentiles till the bodie of IAPHETS house were perswaded to dwell in the Tentes of SEM. And now other sixteene hundred yeares haue wee beene within the couenant they strangers from it in which space sundry of them also haue embraced the faith of the Gospel but that as wee conceiue is not the performance of the promised recalling of the Iewes but the body of that people shall be conuerted that the prophecy may be fulfilled And there shall be one Shepheard and one Sheepe folde then shall our Lord appeare the second time for our full redemption So that these words of the Apostle doe not make any peraduenture of our death farre lesse doe they giue vs any exemption from death but rather assures vs that our bodies must be dissolued Our life on earth is no inheritance our breath is but a vapour wee haue heere no continuing Citie Men may preasse to repine and sit the summonds of death made by sundrie diseases as long as they can and do all they may to fortifie themselues against the dart of death but it shall not bee eschued These daintie women which wil not suffer so much as their soles to touch the earth must at length lay down not the soles of their feete onely but the Crowne of their head also to be couered by it The labour of man in his life is to turne ouer the earth in the sweate of his brow seeking in her bowels food and fewell materials for building and Mineralles of sundrie mettals for his other vses in all which shee renders to man her seruice receiuing at leÌ„gth for a recompence man in her bosome to fil vp her wants whose finest flesh is turned by her without difficulty into dust If we were as AdaÌ„ who neuer saw one die before him by the course of nature for Abel was takeÌ„ away by violence it were somwhat more tollerable then now it is to doubt whether if or not wee shall bee dissolued It was threatned against him that if he brake the commandemeÌ„t he shold die yet after the transgression he liued a bodily life I meane nine hundred and thirty yeares euen to the eight generation a father of many children in both the houses of Caine and Seth as he was the first man that liued in the world so it seemeth he was the first that died by the ordinary course of nature But now death is become Via trita a paide gate All generations of men since the beginning of the world haue walked through it Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and all that Congregation of the first borne who stand as witnesses that there is no danger in death and shal we onely scare at it and stand affraid as though it would deuoure vs yea euen the very Ethniks esteemed death to bee Non supplicium sed tributum viuendi Not a punishment but a tribute which euery man must pay for his life and therefore said one of them Quod debeo paratus sum soluere vbi me faenerator appellat I am ready to pay my debt when he who lent mee it shall call vppon me and require it And if notwithstanding oâ— al this we liue in securitie as if we were in couenant with death and it would not long come neere vs in verie truth wee deserue that we should perish in it Our earthly house Somtime both the soule bodie of man are compared to an house and that is in regard ofGod dwelling in them by his spirit but heere by thâ— house the bodie alone is to bee vnderstood in regard of the soule that soiournes in it and this is cleare in that also he calles it an earthlyhouse And here wee haue three things to consider First that the bodie is called a house next a house of earth and thirdly a Tabernacle and the reasons why Our bodie is called an house for two respects first in respect of the comely and orderly work-manshippe thereof for as Artificers out of an inordinate heape of things amassed together do rais vp most pleasant buildings by walling out one of them from another by preparing theÌ„ and placing euery thing in the owne roome and making them by line and measure one of them proportionall and answerable to anoâ—her so that now they make vp a comely house pleasant to looke vnto wher before they were a dissordered masse So is it with the body of man which of a confused lumpe of clay without forme God hath builded vp in this pleasant forme and comely order wherein now it stands It is true al the works of God are very wonderfull what euer is done by him cannot bee but very excellent and good hee himselfe being most excellent and infinitly good But a singular wisedome goodnesse hath God showne in the creation of man for hee came out in the last roome as the perfection of Gods workes and last design of the thoughts of God and therefore was he not created after the
thee Let it therefore bee farre from vs to glorie eyther in the strength or beauty or stature of our mortall bodies they are but rotten and ruinous habitations nothing is there in them to puff vp our pride if we consider them aright but much matter to humble vs. It is written of Agathocles who of a Potter was made a King that he caused to furnish his table with vessels some of Golde and some of Loame that by the one he might be serued as a King and by the other admonished that hee was once a Potter and it much more becomes vs who now are called to the high dignity of the sonnes of God to remember what wee were before that so we may bee humbled in our selues be thankfull to our God Secondly the bodie is called an earthly houâ—e because by earthly meanes it is susteyned and vpholden so that the verie food by which we liue dooth warne vs of the fragility of our mortall bodiâ— the fowles of the ayre and beastes of the earth are slaine to feed vs they must quit the silly life they haue before they can bee conuenient foode for vs And I pray you what enduring life can they cause vnto vs which must die before they can helpe our life yea within short time if they bee let alone they corrupt and putrifie of their owne accord thus euerie creature that feedes vs testifies to vs in their kinde that our life is but a silly life the ende whereof is death and filthy rottennesse Of this Tabernacle the third generall point we marked heere is how our body is called a Tabernacle And that first for some similitude of the building a Tabernacle being such a soiourning place as Tectum habeat non fundamentum hath a couering but not a foundation to warne vs that how euer in this life wâ—e haue aboue vs the protection of God as a Couert for the storme and for the raine yet beneath there is heere no foundation whereon we may rest and settle our selues but we are with Abraham Isaac and Iacob to looke for that Citie aboue hauing a Foundation that is our Temples building in which without danger wee may lay vp our treasure hauing both a roofe a foundation fundamentum est stabilitas aeternae beatitudinis tectum consummatio perfectio ipsius Secondly our bodies care called Tabernacles in regard of the vse of them since our life is a warfare wee should soiourne in the body as souldiers in their Sconses Tents that out and in them wee may watch for vantage ouer our enemies to annoy them and defend our selues from them but it is to bee lamented that our bodies which should be vsed as Tabernacles for warre are turned in domicilia turpissimae captiuitatis in little houses of seruitude bondage And thirdly to shew their mortality they are compared to Tabernacles for they are moueable at the will and arbitrement of God who hath pitched them we haue here no continuing City but should liue in the body as ready euery houre to bee transported for wee know not when it shal please the Lord to pull vp the stakes of our Tabernacle to slake the cordes and folde vp the couering therof which shortly must bee done to euery one of vs but our comfort is that as the Arke of God which in the Wildernesse dwelt in a moueable Tabernacle was afterward placed in a fixed and stablished Temple in Canaan so our soules shall bee translated from this earthly Tabernacle to haue their dwelling in that Temple of God in heauen Great ioy was in Ierusalem when Salomon transported the Arke from the Tabernacle to the Temple but greater ioy shall be to our soules when God shall carrie them from this earthly Tent to that heauenly and eternall habitation Be dissolued Heere we see that in the Christian death dooth no more but dissolue his earthly Tabernacle It is demaunded by Augustine what kinde of death it was which God denouÌ„ced to man in paradise if he did eat of the forbidden tree Vtrum corporis an animae an totius hominis an illa quae dicitur secunda And he aunswers that into that death which is the proper punishment of sinne all kinds of death concurres for as the whole earth coÌ„sists sayes he of many earths the Catholike Church consists of many particular Churches so vniuersal death which is the proper punishmeÌ„t of sin consists of all sorts of death Now the Scripture makes mention chiefly of two sorts oâ— death the first and second the first death hath in it two deaths the one of the soule the other of the body the death of the soule is when the soule quickening the body is not quickened of God but is as the Apostle speakes a straÌ„ger froÌ„ the life of God by this death many are dead who in regard of their bodies seem to be liuing as is spokeÌ„ of the Ephesians before their calling of the waÌ„toÌ„ widows who liuing are dead of the Angel of Sardis the death of the body is the separatioÌ„ of the soule from the body So then the death of the whole maÌ„ is Cum anima sine deo corpore ad tempus paenas luit but the second death which is so called because by many degâ—ees it is greater then the other and there is not any other behinde it is Cum anima sine Deo cum corpore aeternas paenas luit Where that we may yet more cleerely distinguish the death of a Christian from the death of the wicked it is to be enquired seeing in the resurrection the wicked shall haue their soules and bodies vnited together how shall they be punished with death The aunswer is that this vnion of their soules and bodies shall be with such a fearfull diuision from God among themselues that they shall rather wish to be extinguished and turned into nothing then be vnited againe Ad augmentum tormenti hic de corporenolens educitur impius illic in corpore tenetur inuitus In this life the wicked is taken out of the body against his will and in the life to come hee is kept in the bodie against his will and by both of these his torment is encreased In the first creation God conioyned soule and body that they might be a mutuall comfort one to other but in the second death by the coÌ„trary they are vnited for the mutual punishment one of another so that the body shall bee for no other ende quickened by the soule but to make it feeling and sensible of horrible paine for if euen now in this life it bee come vpon man as a iust punishment of his rebellion against God that the body is not so seruiceable to the soule as it was in the beginning Anima quippe quia supâ—riorem DominuÌ„ suo arbitrio deseruit inferiorem famulum sibi subiectuÌ„ non habet how much
more shall it bee so in the last recoÌ„pense that either of themshal become a griefe and burden to others Here is then to bee taken vp that greate difference which is between the death of the Christian and of the worldling in the death of the wicked all sorts of deathes concurres â—hereas the Christian suffers but Aliquid mortis a peece of death to wit the dissolution of his earthly house the Serpent can doe no more to him but manducare terram eius fasten his teeth vpon his earthly parte as to the heauenly soule it falles not vnder the danger of death So that the vantage is greate which the Christian hath ouer his enemies in that the death which the wicked shall die the Christian is exempted from it but that parte of death which hee shall suffer and they are able to inflict vpon him they themselues shall shall not escape it Iezabel may make her vow to haue the head of Elijah but how little effect there is in such furie of flesh is manifest in that same example for God preserued his seruant safe and her own head was giuen in a prey to the dogges and they like the Burrios of the Lord deuoured her leauing nothing but the skull of her head and palms of her hands why then shall we bee affraid of them who are not exempted from that doome which in their greatest anger they giue vpon vs when it was tolde Anaxagoras the Philosopher that by his enemies meanes he was condemned to die he neuer troubled himself for the matter but made this answere Iam olim istam sententiam tulit natura in illos aeque ac in me that long since nature had giuen out the sentence of death vppon them as well as vppon him If such strength was in any Ethnik what should there bee in any Christian But beside this the excellent benefits wee receiue by death should confirme vs against all the terrors and paines thereof for first it relieues vs of much euill for by it our dayes of sinne are finished and wee are deliuered from the miseries of this life If wee had beene immortall in this this miserable mortality our estate had been most lamentable euen the Ethniks by the light of â—ature vnderstood that it was a great benefite that the bodie was but Mortale vinculuÌ„ animae a temporal or mortall band of the soule and they gaue the reason Ne semper huius vitae miserijs anima tener etur least the soule should be for euer deteyned vnder the miseries of this wretched life but praised bee God this comfort is made sure to vs by a clearer light that our soules shall not for euer be deteyned in the bodie as in a house of bondage but that shortly they shall bee deliuered and that in so wonderfull a manner that death which is the daughter of sinne shall become the destroyer of her owne mother for vnto the Christian death is a perfite mortification of all his earthly members Neither are we by it onely deliuered from euill but also entred to the fruition of our greatest good for as a cloud dissolued giues vs cleare sight of the Sun which before was obscured froÌ„ vs or as the doors of the prison being opened by the Angel made a faire way to Peter to come out and enter into IerusaleÌ„ so is it dissolutio corporis absolutio est animae the dissolution of the body is the absolution of the soule as the snare being broken the bird escapeth so the body being dissolued Euadit reclusa intus columba hoc est anima the soule hath a readie way to the face of God There is wrought by death as saith the Apostle both a dissolution and a coniunction The cause why death seemes terrible to many is for that they look to the dissolution and not to the coÌ„iunction the dissolution is of the soule froÌ„ the body the coniunction is of the soule with Christ if theÌ„ we be affraid when wee looke to the dissolution let vs also looke to the coniunction and be comforted I desire to bee dissolued there the dissolution and to be with Christ there the coniunction VVe vse commonly to call death a departure and so it is a departure from them who are deere vnto vs but to them who are more deere and therefore should we not so much be grieued at our departure from that company we leaue behinde vs as reioyced by thinking of that blessed fellowship which is before vs for we returne to our father from whom we came to our eldest brother whom we haue not yet seene but long to see him because we loue him to the company of innumerable Angels to the Congregation of the first borne and to the Spirits of iust and perfite men But here two things must bee remooued which impaire this comfort and makes death seeme much more terrible then it is indeede The first is the fear of punishment after death but in verie deede quid hoc ad mortem quod post mortem est Why shall death bee blamed for that which falles out after death Acerbitas non mortis est sed culpae the bitternesse is not in death but in sinne let a man therefore purge his conscience and death shall neither bee fearefull nor bitter vnto him As a Serpent wanting the sting may be put in our bosom without perrill so if sinne which is the sting of death be taken away wee may boldly welcome death yea embrace it without feare it cannot hurt vs. The other cause is that men apprehend death to be the destruction of man but in very truth it is not so but rather as I said the absolution of man it is neyther totall for it onely dissolues the bodie nor yet perpetuall Some Ethnikes falsly called it Aeternus Somnus it is a sleepe indeed but not eternall for in the resurrection the body shall bee wakened and raised vp againe so then Non mors ipsa sed opinio de morte est terribilis it is not death it selfe but an opinion of death which is terrible for since it translates vs from this present euill world vnto euerlasting life I know not said Nazianzen how it can be called death it being Nomine magis quaÌ„ re sormidabilis fearefull in name rather then in deede The separation of the soule from God that is death the separation of the soule from the body Vmbra tantummodo est mortis is onely the shaddow of death and therefore such as are dead not in â—he soule but in the flesh non vera morte sed vmbra tantum mortis oâ—eriri dicuntur are not said to be truely dead but only couered with the shaddow of death VVe are not then to looke vpon death in the glasse of the lawe but in the mirrour of the Gospel life looked vpon with the eyes of nature seemes a better thing then it is couered as it
of a wall as those eighteene men slaine by Siloam Tower some by the cast of a stone as Abimelech some of a paine in their head as the Shunamits sonne some of a paine in their belly as Antiocâ—hus some of a Gowte â—n their feete as Asa â—ome by the priuate corruption of their owne distemperate humors some by distemperature of publicke humours which are corrupt lawes In a word so fraile a vessell is man that easily by innumerable wayes hee is broken and all these haue we seene before vs that for aâ—l them wee might be prepared making readie our selues to die referring the kinde of our death to the good pleasure of God Non est multum curandum necessariò morituro qua morte moriatur sed quò post mortem ire Compellatur since of necessity wee must die let vs not care much for the kinde of death but rather of the way which after death wee are to goe And for this cause did our blessed Sauiour vndergoe a cursed death that euery death might bee made blessed to them who die in the faith of the Lord. Be dissolued Last of all wee obserue here that the word which the Apostle vses being passiue wee are taught that men shold not bee violent Actors of their owne death but patient sufferers at the good pleasure of God In all the Booke of God there is not asillable allowing selfe-murther The law which forbids to kill dooth first of all forbidde to kill thy selfe I wil require saith the Lorde your bloode at the handes of Beastes at the handes of a man himselfe at the hands of euery brother will I require it And heereby that storie of the Maccabâ—es commending RAZIS for selfe murther may bee knowne to bee but a bastard breath being so discordant fâ—om the rest of Scripture breathed by diuine inspiration of the holy Ghost Ethnikes counted it magnanimity in desperate troubles to dispatch themselues but indeed it is pusillanimity that is a great mind which can endure trouble with patience and it is but a feeble spirit which being impatient of trouble seekes by selfe-murther to eschue it Properly did Ierome call such Martyres slultae philosphiae As to Samsons fact it was singular no more to bee followed then Abraham his offring of his sonne or Israels policie in spoyling the Egyptians which had their owne warrants but cannot warrant vs to transgresse the knowne and common commaundements of God Wee haue a building Now followes the second part of the verse conteyning the vantage we get by that exchange wee make in death to wit that by it wee are translated into a better building where before we enter into the wordes if it bee demaunded what then Is there no more to bee done to the bodie When it is dissolued must it lie still in Dust and Ashes And haue wee no further comfort concerning it The aunswere is that the comfort which here is giueÌ„ doth only concern the soule but if we wil conioyne with this other places of Scripture wee shall finde full and perfite comfort both for body and soule For not only know wee that our bodies shall bee raised vp againe in the last day but that when they shall sleepe in the graue the holy Ghost who now dwelles in them shall watch ouer them to preserue them to immortality from the time wee be dead our bodies are neglected and forsaken of these who loued vs most deerly in our life after that they haue laid vs in the graue they returne to eate and drinke and in their wonted manner to refresh themselues and within short time they quit all remembrance of vs But as to the Lord our God he will neuer nâ—glect nor forsake nor forget that body which he honored to bee his owne Temple dwelling in it by his holy spirite but wil keepe the very dust thereof till he restore it againe to life An example whereof wee haue in the fauourable dealing of God with Iacob who dyed in Egypt and was conueyed to Canaan by Ioseph and Pharaoh his Chariots yet vnto none of them wil God giue the praise of the buriall of Iacobs corps hee is not ashamed to take to himselfe according to the promise hee made vnto his seruant that he would not onely go with him downe to Egypt but also would bring him vp againe to Canaan therby declaring how pretious in his sight the death of his Saints is and how honorable he esteemes these bodies which haue bin the Temples of his holy spirit Now in these words wee haue three things to be considered first what is meant by this building secoÌ„dly how saies the Apostle that we haue it Thirdly what are the properties by which it is described By this building some vnderstands that immortall and glorified body which shal be giuen vs in heauen the same body in substance which now wee haue but transformed and made like vnto Christs glorious bodie and indeede vnto it agrees this description for that body is of God not made with handes not preserued by the helpe of secondarie meanes as is this body which was begotten by our father conceiued by our mother nourished and brought vp to the state wherein now it is by the helpe of hands and again where this mortall body is a temporal Tabernacle the immortall shall bee an eternall habitation All these are true but because our soules shall not dwell in these bodies till the resurrection they cannot bee meant here by this building to the which wee are transported incontinent after death By this building then wee are to vnderstand that place of glory which in the third heauens God hath prepared for his children called in the Gospell the euerlasting habitations and by our Sauiour his Fathers house wherin are many Mansions called by Saint Paul a Citie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God and by Saint Iohn called the New Ierusalem a City hauing the glorie of God in it a Citie foure squared in leÌ„gth breadth and height equall a Citie wherein al the Citizens sees the face of God through the streets wherof runs the water of life and in euery side thereof the tree of life this is the glorious building into the which our soules are carried by Angels so soone as they depart out of the body The second thing we proposed here to speak of was how is it that the Apostle saies We haue this building hee saies not we shal get it but that presently wee haue it The reason is because presently wee haue the rights and securities If worldlings account theÌ„selues sure enough of earthly inheritances wheÌ„they haue the charter seazing coÌ„firmation and possession of them how much more arewesure of that heaueÌ„ly building who haue already receiued all these rights and securities thereof from the Lord our God The Charter of our heauenly inheritance is the good worde of God wherein the
is none but good and if the pasturage heere bee so pleasant where Goats Sheep feede together what pleasures are there where the Sheepe are gathered together by themselues and their Pastor lies with them and rests feeding them without feare in the noone tyde of the day And as the consideration of the place renders vs comfort so doth it also giue vs this instruction that we must be holy if we desire to dwell there for no vncleane thing can enter into heauenly IerusaleÌ„ we see that in the frame of this world thingsare placed according to their excellency the earth as grossest is set into the lowest roome â—boue the earth is the water as being purer then the earth aboue the water is the ayre which is purer then the water aboue the ayre is the fire aboue the fire is the Firmament with the celestiall spheres which ar purer then any of them and aboue them all is the third heauen wherein our building is situate excelling in purity all these things which are seene whereunto wee are admonished that we who by nature are not onely of the earth but are also earthly minded must be transchanged by grace and endued with a heauenly disposition before we can be admitted to these new heauens wherein as saies Saint Peter dwels righteousnesse and none but righteous and renued men can inherit them Ver. 2. Therefore we sigh desiring c. The Apostle hauing laid downe that solide ground of comfort which stands to all Christians as a strong preseruatiueagainst the feare of death comes now to build vpon it and drawes out of it a three-fold fruit of godlinesse which hee protests the certain knowledge of the glory to come wrought in his heart and which if wee also can feele wrought in our owne hearts by the spirit of God shall serue vnto vs as wholsom preparatiues to prepare vs in our life and makes vs capable of that comfort of all Christians in our death the first fruite is an earnest desire of that glorie to come the second a contentment with boldnesse to remooue out of the bodie the third a continuall care both in life and death to please the Lord. Heere first wee perceiue the nature of that true and liuely knowledge which by the Gospell is wrought in the minds of men not onely doth it let vs see high and excellent things but also carries our hearts affections after them for the Gospell is not onely a mirrour wherein wee behold the glorie of God with open face but also the power of God vnto saluation by which we are transformed into the selfe same Image similitude therefore the Apostle denies that they haue learned Iesus Christ who haue not learned to cast off the old man which is corrupted thorough deceiueablelusts and to put on the new which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse And if by this rule the meÌ„ of this generation be tryed many shal be found ignorant of Christ who seeme vnto themselues to haue learned him well enough In the heauens are two lights wherof the one to wit the Moone hath light without heat or chaunging vertue the other to wit the Sunne doth not onely shine but sends out such heate and vertue that by it things hard are mollified dead creatures are reuiued and fading hearbs and trees are made to flourish so is there in the minde of man two sorts of knowledge the one lets him see the good way and allures his heart to follow it the other giues him light whereby he may discerne things but allures allures him not to follow the best it encreases light in the minde but works not holines in the heart it doth not conuert but convince them so is it with many in this age whose knowledge is better then their conscience of whom wee may say with the Apostle it had bin better for them not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse nor after that they haue knowne it to turne from the holy commandement giuen vnto them We sigh The first effect which the certaine knowledg of the glory to come wroght in the Apostle is as we heard a feruent desire therof which caused him to breake forth in sighing for it for the man who knowes better things which are to come can not be coÌ„tent with the best of these which are preseÌ„t but doth in such sort vse theÌ„ that he declares he longs for better by sighing and lameÌ„ting for the long delay thereof as Iob protests that his sighing came before his meat and Dauid mingled his cuppe with teares so al the godly who know a better thinke long till they enioy it Non satis futura gaudia nosti nisi reâ—uat consolari anima tua donec veniant Thou knowes not rightly the ioyes to come vnlesse thy soule refuse all other comforts till thou obtaine them In the children of God desire goes before satisfaction but it is certaine what they desire according to Gods word they shall obtaine it It is the faculty of them who are in heauen that they are satisfied with the fulnesse of ioy which is in Gods face it is the felicity of them who are militant on earth to hunger and thirst for righteousnes with the which they shall be satisfied they haue obteyned in a great part that which they desired we ar made sure by Gods word to obtaine that which now we desire through his grace for his promise is The Lorde will fulfill the desires of them who feare him whether it be righteousnes here or glory hereafter If then we cannot do as we shold at least let vs desire to doe so tota vita boni Christiani Sanctum desiderium est the whole life of a good Christian is a holy desire yea the Apostle is not ashamed to protest of himselfe that his desires were better then his deede for hee desired to doe the good wherunto hee could not attain such is the fauor and indulgence of our God toward vs that our desires hee accepts them for deeds therfore should wee bee comforted against the conscience of our waÌ„ts insufficiency by the vnfeined desires of better which through his grace are in vs for true desire of grace and glorie is an vndoubted argument of grace receiued and glory to be receiued But this as I haue said is to bee vnderstood of true not of vain desires such as was the desire of Balaam who desired that he might die the death of the righteous Two wayes may the one be discerned from the other first these desires which are wroght in the soule by the holy spirite are ay the longer the more feruent wheras the other is but a false conception which incontinent dies and euanishes away Secondly true desire of the glorie to come vses carefully all those meanes which may bring vs vnto it such as are the exercises of the Worde
except they bee sent I will not so be content with preaching that I neglect prayer because the ministrie is of men but the grace is from God neither will I so depend on prayer that I despise preaching for hee can neuer receaue grace froÌ„ God who despises the means by which it pleases God to giue it Now as to the fourth whereof wee promised to speake it is a point most necessary to bee knowne for our comfort how we may know whether if or not wee haue receiued this spirit there are many in this age who haue heard the Testimony of God in his Gospell who as yet haue not receiued the seale and Testimony A very lamentable thing indeed for albeit the Gospell be a doctrine of ioyful tydings yet what comfort can it bring to theÌ„ who are not assured they belong vnto theÌ„ The Apostle writing to the Corinthians thaÌ„ks God not onely for that they had hard the word but because the testimony of God was confirmed vnto theÌ„ suchlâ—ke to the â— phefiaÌ„s he thaÌ„ks God not onely for that they heard the word of truth which is the Gospel of saluation but álso for that after they had beleeued they were sealed with the holy spirit of promise but truly as the disciples at Ephesus being asked if they had receiued the holy Ghost answered we know not if there be such a thing as an holy Ghost so is it with many in this age who haue heard the gospel which is the testimonie of Gods loue if they bee asked whether if or not they haue receaued the earnest of the Spirit which is the seale and confirmation of the testimonie shall bee found not to knowe what the earnest of the Spirit is But now to shew in one worde how it may be knowne wheâ—her if or not wee haue receaued him let vs remember that the same holy Spirit which is heere called the earnest of God is also called the seale of God Now the nature and vse of a seale is that it leaues behinde it in that which is stamped by it and impression of that same forme which it hath in it selfe Euen so also the Spirit of God imprints the very image of God in the hearts of so many as are sealed by him in which sense the Apostle sayes that the Romanes were deliuered vnto a forme of doctrine whereunto from the heart they had been obedient thereby declaring that euen as wax is made conforme to the print of the seale vnto which it is deâ—iuered so the hearts of the Godly are made conforme to the Image of God so soone as they are stamped with his holy spirit So that they who liue licenâ—iously after the lusts of the flesh declare themselues to be of their father the deuill because as our Sauiour said to the carnall Iewes they doe his workes and it is but a lying presumption when the like to these men dare say that they haue receiued the earnest of the spirit VER 6. Therefore we are bold FOllowes now the 2. conclusioÌ„ which the certain knowledge of that glory to come wrought in the Apostle to wiâ—te a contentment with boldnes to remooue out of the body that hee might dwel with the Lord and this hath in it more tâ—en is in the former for where in the 1. he protested only he had a desire to that glory yet so that he had no wil to want the body but now hee goes further considering that hee was not able to enioy them both together he protests he was gladly conteÌ„t to remoue out of the body that hee might dwell with the Lorde This meaning of the wordes shall bee cleare if after the sixt verse wee reade the eight passing by the parenthesis which is in the seuenth verse The word the Apostle vses heere signifies such a boldnes as stout-hearted men vse to set against great daungers for where there is no cause of feare where can the praise of boldnesse be there is then will the Apostle say matter of great feare in death I see before mee a terrible deepe and gulfe of mortality through which I must goe many fearefull enemies with whom I must fight before I wonne to my Lord yet am I not affraid to encounter with them Against me is Satan with his principalities powers and spirituall wickednesse but I know that the seede of the woman hath brused the head of the Serpent Against mee are a greate multitude of my sinnes â—nd the terrors of a gilty conscience but I know that Christ hath once suffered for sinnes the iust for the vniust that â—ee might bring vs to God so that now there is no condemnation to tâ—em which are in him Against me stands in my way dreadfull death with the horrors of the graue but I know my Lord hath taken away the sting of death and spoiled the graue of victorie Shall I then bee afraide No certainely but through the vally of death will I walke with boldnâ—s â—ill I come to the Lord my God And this boldnesse against death in the godly proceedes not onely from the sure knowledgâ— of a better life but from the present sense and feeling of the same life begunne in them which they know cannot be extinguished by death Notable examples haue we therof in all ages to proue that it is no vaine content but the effectuall power of God working in his children Ignatius Bishop of Antioch beiâ—g brought to Rome in the third persecution which was vnder Traian gaue a proofe of his boldnesse for being condemned to be cast to the beasts to bee deuoured by them hee gaue this answere nihil visibilium nihil inuisibilium moror modo Christum acquiram I stand sayes hee vpon nothing visible nothing inuisible so that I may finde and obtaine the Lord Iesus let fire come let the crosse let beasts let the breaking of my bones the convulsion of my members the grinding of my body yea let all the torments of Satan come vpon me I care not for them so that I may inioy the Lord Iesus And Policarpe who suffered in the fourth persecution vnder Aurelius Antoninus beeing brought to the place of execution and desired by the Emperours Deputy to blaspheme Christ and he would let him goe answered these fourescore and sixe yeares haue I serued Christ and haue found him a good Master to mee how then can I curse my king who hath saued me But if ye will not saide the deputy I will cast thee to wilde Beasts who shall teare thee Call them when thou wilt said the Martyr it is fixed and determinat with mee that from good thinges by repentance I will neuer goe back vnto worse But if ye feare not beasts said the Deputy I shall bridle and danton you with fire thou boasts me said the Martyr with a fire that burnes for an houre and shortly after will be extinguished but knowes not that fire of the iudgement to
presence of euill whereof now we would faine be releeued and yet it lyeth still vpon vs. Concerning this last it is a notable saying the Apostle hath we are now in heauines through manifold tentations that the tryall of our faith being much more precious then Gold when it is tryed by fire might bee found to our praise honour and glory at the appearing of Christ there we see that the end of euills which now are suffered to lie vpon vs is the tryall of our faith and thaâ— for our owne greater praise and glory for where no fire is how can gold bee purged where no trouble is how can faith be tryed and where faith is not yet tryed how can it be praised And as to the other when these good things which God hath promised are not seene of vs but hidden from our eyes and delayed to bee performed vnto vs this is also for the tryall of our faith for where we see saluation what praise â—s it to beleeue but where we can neither see nor feele thâ—â—e good things which God hath promised but rather are exercised with contrary terrours and feares if yet wee still cleaue to the truth of the wordofgod that certainely is an argument of a great faith and such was the faith of that woman of Canaan who beeing not onely refused but as it were disdainefully reiected by Christ did so trust vnto the truth of Gods word that constantly shee looked foâ— mercy at the hand oâ— Christ who strongly by word had denied it vnto her and therefore receiued this commendation in the end O woman great is thy faith Thus we see how in â—he children of God all these hinderances which wee hâ—ue to stay vs from beleeuing do so much the more commend and approue our faith vnto God Wee loue rather Of two loues wee see in the Apostle the stronger ouercomming the weaker he loued his body protested before he had no will to want it but he loued the Lord Iesus better then his body and therfore perceiuing that hee cannot now enioy them both together for while hee was in the body he was absent from the Lord he is now very wel content to remoue out of the body that he might dwell with the Lord there is nothing naturally a man loues more then his body nothing he feares more then death because it imports a dissolution of his body but where the loue of Christ is strong in the heart it casts out not onely the feare of death but ouer comes also all other loue whatsoeuer And here haue wee a point of holy wisedome discouered vnto vs by which we may cure that vnquietnesse of minde which arises in vs of the wandring of our affections after secondary obiects the best way to remedy it is to set our affections vpon the right obiects if the loue of the creature haue snared thee set thy loue on the Lord and bend thy affection toward him and the otheâ— shall not troble thee If the feare of men terrifie thee learne to sanctifie the Lord God in thine hart make him thy feare and and thou shalt not feare what flesh can doe vnto thee and if the care of the world disquiet thee cast thy care vpon God and labour by continuance in prayer how to feele the sense of his loue toward thee in Christ and thou shalt finde that where the one care like thornes did pricke thee with sorrowes the other shall bring contentment peace and ioy vnto thee But to returne when we consider this strong loue of Christ that was in the Apostle wee we haue great cause to be ashamed of that weak and little loue which in our heartes wee feele towardes our LORD how many this day professe that they loue him who for his loue will not want the superfluities of this life and what hope then is there that for his sake they will lay down the life it selfe if smaller crosses be vnpleasant to vs and his loue be not so strong in vs as to make vs reioice in them how shall death be welcommed of vs wherin there is a concurse of all crosses into one Wee must therefore learne for the loue of Christ to inure our selues with the beginnings of mortification not onely to slay the vnlawful affections but also to want ouâ— wills euen in those things which are lawful that so by degrees we may be inabled willingly to want the body and all that euer we loued in the body for Iesus Christs sake To remooue out of the body Two manner of waies in this treatise doth the Apostle discribe death first in regard of that which it doth to the body and then he calleth it a dissolution of our earthly Tabernacle Next in regard of that which it doth to the soule and so he calles it a remouing out of the body so that if we will think of death as the spirit of God doth teach vs there is no cause why wee should bee discouraged with it Againe we see heare that the death of the godly is a voluntary remoouing out of the bcdy to dwell with the Lord as to the wicked like as they liue in disobedience so they die in disobedience their death is involuntary that which is spoken of that one wicked rich man O foole this night they will take thy soule from thee is true in all the wicked their spirits are taken from them against their will exeunt istinc necessitatis vinculo non voluntatis obsequio whereas the Godly willingly commend their spirits into the handes of GOD offering vp both soule and body to him in death in a full free and voluntarie oblation This difference betweene the death of the Godly and wicked men may be commodiously shadowed by the fourth comming of Pharao his Butler and Baker out of prison whereof the one knew he shold be restored to serue the king his Master and therefore went out with ioy the other knew by Iosephs Prophesies hee should be hanged within three dayes and therefore if it had beene giue to his choice would still haue remained in prison rather then to haue come foorth to be hanged euen so is it with the godly who are certified before hand that they are receiued into fauor and after death shall haue plaâ—â— to stand about the throne of God there to serue him by praising him continually are well content wheÌ„ the Lord cals them to remoue out of the body whereas the other having receiued a sentence of condemnation within themselues no maruaile they go out of the body with feare and trembling like malefactors going from the prison to the place of execution vincti impliciti catenis variorum peccatorum ad terribâ—le illud iudicium trahuntur Or otherway if at any time the wicked bee willing to dye it is not for any loue or knowledge they haue that they shall be with the Lord but either els because they are impatient of
into the Riuer hee answered him Pray for me to morrow what a misery is this the plague of God is vpon him and God offers by his seruaÌ„t to take it froÌ„ him at such a time as hee himselfe shold appoint yet the blind hard hatred maÌ„ hath no grace presently to seeke the remedy but puts it of til to morrow but truely more miserable are they to whom God by his Gospel euery day offers mercy and grace saying as much to them in effect as when wilt thou that I shal take thy sins from thee when wilt thou that I deliuer thee from the death vnder which thou lyest but truely the answer which is giuen to the Lord is worse then that answere of Pharao for in effect this it is no till the morrow yea no till the next yeare and which is worst of al no til mine old age Let me first go and kisse my father then wil I come and follow thee let me first delight my selfe with the pleasurâ— of corrupt nature and then shall I amend my life and become godly â—issoluta certe paralytica vox est de crastina cogitare conuersione hodiernam negligere Our carefull expedition to preuent all euills may befal to our bodies may iustly conuict vs for this carelessnes that we haue of our owne saluation no man beares a burden longer then conuenieÌ„tly he may be quit of it no man is soonâ—r wounded in his body but incontâ—nent he cries for a Phisitian and if fire enter into the house there is hast made for water to quench it shall we be so wise in thinges pertaining to our bodies and prooue foolish as concerning our souls why delight we to beare the burden of our sinnes any longer since the Lord Iesus offers to reliue vs of it wee are wounded to the death and will not receiue the Oyle of that sweet Samaritan that we may be cured the fire of Gods wrath is kindled against vs and we make no hast to get water out of tâ—â— fountaine of Dauids house which only is able to quench slaken it So soone as the Angell troubled the waters of Siloam so soone such as were diseased hasted to step downe into it that they might be healed the liuely and wholesome waters of Shiloh able to curâ— all out sperituall diseases flowes aboundantly among vs but alas we delay to seek our health in them But if it bee so that thou liuest in hope thy dayes will be long why wilt thou not fall to in â—â—me and make them also good for if God make thy daies loâ—g and thou thy self make them euill by continuall sinning doâ—t thou not turn good into euâ—ll and so increaâ—eft double wrath and iudgment vpon thy selfe Take heed to thy selfe and consider how euery thing which is thine thou wouldst faine haue it good and preâ—sest dayly to make it better if thou haue children thou wouldst haue them good if thou haue land thou woulst haue it good thy house thy garments and all that thiâ—â— is thou wilt haue them good onely heere thou forgets thy selfe that thy owne life thou suffers to be euill and so Intâ—r omnia bona tua ipse malus es in the midâ—le of all thy good thinges thou thy selfe onely art found euill The late repentance of the wicked falles out commonly to bee like vnto that of Esau hee sought the blessing with teares but hee found it not â—and it is the common iudgâ—ment of all â—he wicked â—ee loued cursing and it shal come vpon him he loueâ— not blessing and it shall bee far from him they farre deceiue themselâ—s who tâ—inke they may when they will euen in an instant returne to the Lord Many knotts that are surely casten are not easily loosed the heart which Satan hath bouÌ„d of along time with the cords of manifold transgressions is not easily mâ—de free againe Ioseph and Mary lost Christ at Ierusalem and went a daies iournâ—y from him but sought him againâ— three daies before thâ—â— could finde him and thinkest thou who aâ—l thy daies hast liued in rebellion against God that it is easie in a moment to be reconciled with him Wee see by daily experience howe often it comes to passâ— Vt hac anim duersione percutâ—atur peccator vt morienâ— obliuiscatur sui qui dum viueret oblitus est Dei That with this fearefull iudgement a sinner is stricken that in death he forgets hiâ—â—elfe who in â—is life did forget the â—ord as we see many of tâ—em suddenly taken away in their sinnes in such sort that not onely sense but reson and memory also is taken from them Men for their pleasure do iâ— such fort diuide their life and death that they liue in that state wherein neither intend they to die neither dare they dye and God for their punishment forsakes them letting them die in that same sinful estate wherein they liued Thus betwâ—ene two they fall into hell whilâ— in their young yeareâ— they will not in theiâ— olde age they cannot repent But if we with the Apostle will not delay in our life carefully to please him then in our death shall we be acceptable to him If our life be the life of the righteous out of doubt wee shall dye the death of righteous and bee welcommed of God with that ioyfull sentence Come to me thou faithfull seruant which God of his mercy graunt to vs for Iesus Christs sake to whome be praise and glory for euer FINIS 1 Cor. 15.19 Psal. 17.14 Luk 6.24 Luke 16. Eccles. 7.8 Reu. 18.14 1. Pet. 1. As our death is so shall our estate be after it eternally Reu. 14.13 Eccles. 11.3 August Hesych Epist. 80 Our life shold make our death good and our death should make our resurrection happy Aug. de ciuit Deâ— l. 1. c. 11. If that our life be not first good our death shall neuer be good and be the contrary Luke 23.40 How the life and death of the godly each one of them helpe another Ioh 11.25 Ioh 5 2â— Gregor moral lib. 13. Bern. The Apostles purpose and manner of proceeding herâ— offers two things 1 Preseruatiues against the â—eare of death 2 Instructions for a godly liâ—e Two waies know we that a better estate abides vs after death â—oh 14.2 Onely the Christian walkes in light the râ—st of the world are in darkâ—nesse Naturalists knew some thing of mans misery in the body but had no certaine knowledge of a better life The doctrine of the Româ—sh Churchleaues her disciples comfortlesse in death It is otherwise with the Christian taught by the word os God Abraham followed God calling to a countrey which hâ— knew not How much more should we being called to â— Countrey which we know Some godly men beâ—ore vs haue been taken away and their bodies not dissolued by death after the common manner Deu. 34.7 But wâ—e must not dreame of any such priuiledge to our selues But
A DEFIANCE TO DEATH WHEREIN BESIDES SVNNDRY HEAVENLY Instructions for a godly life we haue strong and notable comforts to vphold vs in death BY Mr. WILLIAM COVVPER Minister of GODS WORD PHIL. 3.20.21 But our conuersation is in Heauen from whence also we looke for the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ. VVho shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie according to the working whereby he is euen able to subdue all things vnto himselfe LONDON Printed by I.W. for Iohn Budge and are to be sold at his shoppe at Britaines Bursse 1610. TO THE RIGHT Honorable Sir Thomas Stewart of Gairntilie and his vertuous Ladie Grizzell Mercer Grace and peace from God the father through our Lord Iesus CHRIST IT is a notable saying of the Apostle If in this life onely we haue hope in Christ wee are of all meÌ„ the most miserable For whereas others being ignorant of betâ—er things to come set their harts on these which are present if wee despising such comforts as now we may enioy should also be disapointed of those which afterwards we looke for Our case indeede were most lamentable but praised be God it is farre otherwise for where the comfoâ—t of the worldling ends there the greatest comfort of the Christian beginnes The men of this world saies Dauid haue their portion in this life yea our Sauiour saith They haue receiued their consolation here It was spoken in that Parable by Abraham to Diues Remember that in thy life thou receiuedst thy pleasures And it appertaines to all the wicked better things then these which prâ—sently they see neede they neuer to looke for And therfore no maruell that as the taste of the Coloquint or wilde Gourd made the children of the Prophets abhor theiâ— meat so the taste of death make all the pleasures refreshments of their life loathsome to them Or as the hand which wrote to Beltazar on the wall his imminent iudgment did in a moment turn all the solace of that house into sorrow for the Kings countenance was chaunged his thoughts troubled his Princes astonished his Musitians silenced his seruants amazed their delightfull drinking became despised and all the house disordered and in a worde his Banquet concluded with a cuppe of wrath sent to him from the Lord so is it vnto all the wicked the smallest signification of death interrupts their greatest ioyes and causes them with the Peacocke looking to his feet let fall the proude feathers of their hie conceâ—tes within their owne mindes what euer they pretend in countenance As is the noise of thornes vnder the potte so is the laughter of fooles saieth Salomon both the one and the other quickely vanishes and death like that worme which eated vp the gourd of Ionas deuoures at length all their Worme-eaten pleasures and then woe be to them When all these fat and excellent things after which their soule lusted are departed from them and not so much as any hope of better remaines vnto them But vnto the Christian death can doe no more but demolish this parpen wall of clay within the which the soule is captiued for a time it opens the doore of the prison and giues liberty to the soule to goe out and returne to her Maker as shal at greater length appeare in the Treatis following which I haue offered and presented to your Honour partly to testifie my vnfeined affection toward you in the Lord for that vnfeined and incorrupt loue which in so corrupt a time ye haue alway carried toward the truth of the Gospell and by which also ye haue liued as rare examples of pietie and loue godly liberality and partly that ye may be remembred of these instructions concerning life and death wâ—ich ye receiued from vs by hearing during your residence with vs and vnto the practise whereof shortly ye must be called for albeit it is not long since it pleased the Lord beyond all expectation of man to deliuer you out of the handes of the Sergeants officers of death which had violently seased vpon you and threatned to slay you both your selfe by sickenesse your Ladie by the sorrow of desolation more heauie then death vnto her yet are yee to knowe and I doubt not are preparing â—oâ— for it that the same battell will shortly bee renued against you wherin both of you must bee diuorced from other and diuided from your owne bodies that yee may bee married and conioyneâ— with your Lord whom ye haue not yet seene but long to see him because ye loue him and reioyce in him with ioy vnspeakable and glorious And herein if these little fruites of my Ministery may serue any way to confirme you in the end as some way they haue comforted you in the iourney and if for your sake they may bee profitable to others who coÌ„stantly keeps with you the same course toward the face of Iesus Christ it shall be no small comfort vnto me knowing thereby that I haue not runne nor laboured in vaine for there is no thing in the world I desire more then that I may put my talent to the vttermost profite fulfilling with ioy the Ministration I haue receiued and so may be welcommed of my Lord as one who hath beene faithfull in little But because all encrease comes from God I humbly commend you and alâ— that loue the Lord Iesus to the grace of God which is able to build you further and giue you inheritance among them who are sanctified by faith in Christ and so rest Your H. in the Lord Iesus M. William Cowper Minist at Perth A DEFIANCETO DEATH Mine helpe is in the name of the Lord. 2. COR. 5.1 For wee know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle be destroyed we haue a building of God an house not made with hands eternall in the heauens IT is appointed sayeth the Apostle for all men once to die and it is certain that in whatsoeuer estate we die in it wee shall remaine for where the tree falleth there it shall lie said Salomon He that dies in the Lorde is blessed for he rests froÌ„ his labours and shall remaine for euer in Abrahams bosom which is the Paradice of God hee that dies in his sins goes downe to the prison out of which is no redemption and shall neuer get licence to come backe to learn to die ouer againe Qualis in nouissimo vitae die quis que moritur talis in nouissimo mundi die iudicabitur such as euery man dies in the last day of his life such shal he be iudged in the last day of the world It is therefore a special point of wisedom so to liue that by liuing wee may learne to die that a godly life may prepare the way to an happy death and happy death may make vs sure of a ioyfull resurrection these three follow one vpon another inseparable if the life be good the death
were with a white vaile though in deede it bee very blacke for if the pleasures thereof be compared with the paines it will bee found that the paines exceede the pleasures both for their number greatnesse and continuance it being most certaine that no pleasure in the earth hath beene found to endure so long as the paines of a feuer whereas on the other hand if death bee looked vpon with the eyes of nature it seemes to be very terrible as it were couered with a blacke vaile but is white indeed being to the godly but a finishing of our miseries entrance to our endlesse glorie And this shall be euident if we mark these phrases by which the spirit of God describes death to vs in holy scripture the death of Abraham is called a gathering of him to his fathers the death of Moses a sleeping with his fathers Dauid calles the death oâ— his bodie a resting of his flesh in hope S. Luke calles the death of our Lord the time of his assumption S. Peter cals it the deposition of an earthly Tabernacle Now I pray you what here is terrible vnlesse to be gathered to our fathers to let our bodies sleepe for a time and rest in hope that our soules may be assumed vp into heauen be terrible to vs. But most cleerly doth S. Paul by three proper similitudes expressethe nature of death vnto vs for first he compares it to the laying aside of an old rotten garment in stead whereof wee put on a better teaching vs thereby that as no poore man will grudge to lay aside his contemptible garment when a better is offered vnto him far lesse shold a Christian murmure when God vncloths him of his corruptible bodie since he doth it that hee may cloth him with a more excellent garment of glorie and â—mmortalitie Secondly he compares the laying of our bodies in the graue to the sowing of seede in the earth teaching vs thereby that suppose our bodies being couered with moulds rot putrifie vnder the earth yet they shall spring vp again and theâ—fore we shold willingly render our bodies to the Lord that great husbandmaÌ„ to be dimpled like pickles of liuely seede by his owne hand in any parte of the earth hee pleases yea if it were in the bottome of the sea seeing the whole world is the Lords husbandry which he can cause to bring out fruite to him at his pleasure At his word both the earth and water brought out to him liuing creatures which neuer had been and shal we not thinke that at his word they wil render to him these creatures which haue bin before And thirdly he cals it here a flitting from one house to another a remoouing from our cot house on earth to a Palace of glorie in heauen Now this being spoken vpon the worde Dissolued for our comfort in death somthing further must we marke out of it for our preparation to death Howeuer death be most certaine yet the Apostle speaks indefinitly of it both in regard of the time the place and the kinde of death it is out of al doubt our bodies must bee dissolued but wee know not when nor where nor how in these three respects death is vncertaine As to the time of our death God hath hidden it from our eies Nihil certius morte nihil incertius hora mortis Many goe out of the body being disapointed as concerning the time lipning and looking in their owne thought for a longer time then they find ordeined for them In this folly by nature wee are all followers of that rich man who dreamed to himselfe that he had many daies to the fore when in very deed hee had not one for that same night his soule was taken from him Vita haec multipliciter illudit hominibus longam se simulat vt fallat Alway the vncertainty of death in regard of time God hath done it in wisedome to make vs the more carefull Ignoratur vnus dies vt obseruentur multi Hee hath made one day vnknowne that many daies may be obserued If the good man of the house had known what houre the thiefe would come hee would haue watched not suffred his house to be digged through Be ye therfore prepared the house is the body the theef that breakes it is death the treasure thou keepst in it is thy soule therfore watch pray the conclusion of the Parable telles vs that God hath hid the houre of death from vs not to snare vs but to stirre vs to vigilance Ideo voluit horam mortis incertam esse vt semper sit nobis suspecta God hath made the houre of death vncertaine because hee will haue it alway suspected The life of man on earth is but a life of seauen daies how manie yeares soeuer he liue yet hath hee but these same dayes multiplied vnto him As he therfore who hauing seuen seruants to serue him if he be aduertised that one of the seauen will slay him takes seruice from them with the narrower obserâ—ation of euerie one of them when they come by course to serue him so man whose life runnes vpon seauen dayes in the weeke which together with their shaddowes serue him by course since he is tolde that in one of them hee must die and he knows not which it is he shold the more carefully obserue them all to liue holily and godly in them let all of them be passed ouer in feare let none of them want their owne exercises of godlinesse so shall we die peaceably and with comfort in any of theÌ„ wherein it shall please God to call vpon vs. Secondly in regard of the place death is also so vncertain somehaue died in the wombe wherein they tooke life some in the Cradle as the infants of Bethlem some in the bedde as Ishboseth some in the Parlour as Eglon some on the stoole as Arrius some at the table as Ammon some in the Chappell as Sennacherib some in the Temple as Ioab In a word what place is there wherin we can come in the which or the like of it some men haue not died before vs and this to warne vs how in euery place we shold be prepared Vbique te expectatmors tu si sapiens fueris vbique cam expectabis Thirdly the kinde of our death is also left vncertaine vnto vs that against all kinds of death wee may be prepared there is one way by which we all come into the worlde but many wayes by which wee goe out of it for some die in the water as Pharao some in the fire as the King of Edom some by Lions as the disobedient Prophet some by Beares as the railing children some by dogges as cruell Iezabel some by vermine as proude Herod some by the sword as swift Azahel some smothered in the house as the children of Iob some by the fall
Lord of his speciall grace fauour hath disponed it vnto vs Feare not little flocke it is the fathers will to giue you the kingdome besides that the same is left to vs in legacie by our elder brother Iesus Christ who before that hee offered himselfe in a Sacrifice for our sinns vpon the Crosse did first commend vs to his father by an euerlasting prayer Father I will that these whom thou hast giuen me bee where I am that they may see the glory I had with thee from the beginning O most sweete O most sure word What sweeter word can there be thâ—n this that the Sonne in his latter Will will haue vs to bee with him what surer word It is spoken by him in whom the Father proclaimes himselfe to be well pleased and who then will reuoke or annull it Surely most comfortable is it that we haue not onely the Father bidding the son aske what he will and promising to giue it but wee haue also the Sonne asking and in his asking crauing no other thing but that we may be with him Is not then our heauenly Inheritance sure enough vnto vs But we haue yet more beside this disposition made vs of God strong Confirmations thereof for the father hath coÌ„firmed the disposition made by him with an oath that as the Apostle saies to shew to the heyres of promise the stability of his Counsell Again the Legacy made by the sonne hee hath ratified by his owne bloode and the death of the Testator interuening hath made the TestameÌ„t vnchangable and both of them are sealed in our hearts by the holy Spirite of promise whom God hath giuen vs as his witnes his earnest and his seale to assure vs of that which hee hath promised And thirdly the Lord our God by his Stewards seruants whoÌ„ hee hath ordeyned to gouerne his house deliuering to vs in the Sacrament the Symbols of tâ—e body and blood of Christ Iesus hath thereby seazed vs and giuen vs inuestment of our heauenly Kingdome Last of all hee hath put vs in present possession thereof by deliuering vnto vs the keys of the Kingdom which are Faith and prayer by which euery Christian enters in at the doore of that building and gets familiar accesse to the Throne of Grace â—uppose he be on earth he hath his conuersation in heauen talkes familiarly with God his father and viewes to the great delight of his soule that glorious inheritance into the which after death hee knowes hee shall fully be perfited In all these respects it is that the Apostle here sayes not only we shal haue but wee haue alreadie a building in heauen The Third thing to be considered heere is the description of this building wherein first we see how the builder and maker thereof is said to bee God Secondly the maner therof it is not made with hands Thirdly the endurance thereof it is eternal and fourthly the place thereof it is in heauen First then that God is called the Author maker of this building it leades vs to forethink with our selues what a glorious and excellent building it must be Among men theirworks are according to their power and greatnesse â—f Kings goe to build they build Palaces if they prepare banquets they make them royal esteeming it no honourable thing for them to do that which without difficultie may bee performed by the common sort of people When King Ahasuerus made a banquet to shewe the riches and glory of his Kingdom and honour of his Maiestie hee prepared it in a very pleasant place the Court of the Garden of the Kings Palace was decked with Tapestrie of white greene and blew clothes fastned with cords of fine linnen and purple in siluer ringes and pillars of Mâ—rble the beddes were of golde and siluer vpon a pauement of Porphyrie and Marble and Alablaster in blew color the banquet was made to his Princes of an hundred and twenty Prouinces and it lasted one hundred and foure score daies Now if such prouision was made by a mortall man to shew his glory what shal we thinke of that preparation which the eternall God hath made for declaration of his glorie not into the vtter Court of his Palace which is this visible world but in the inner Court thereof the heauen of heauens not in a banquet to last for an hundred and foure score daies but for euer and euer Salomon built a Temple which was iustly counted the glory of the world but God furnished vnto him both the matter for in his dayes he made gold as rife as stones as also the engine for hee gaue vnto Hiram and other Artificers to worke all manner curious worke in Golde Siluer Brasse what euer was excellent in that building was done by the wisedome of God in the Artificer which is but a small sparkle of that infinite knowledge and wisedome which is in God himselfe yet seeing of these earthly materials with the small sparkles of his owne light such excellent workes haue beene done by men as drawes others in admiration of them may wee not thinke that it is a worke farre surpassing in glorie and aboue the reach of all our vnderstanding which hee himselfe without helpe of handes hath built in heauen for the comfort of his children and declaration of the honour of his Maiestie Beside this in iudging of the workes of God we must lay this for a sure ground that the inuisible works of God are alway most excellent In man there is a soule and body both of them very beautifull workemanshippes but that the invisible soule is a far more excellent workemanshippe then the visible body appears in this that whatsoeuer beauty sense agilitie or any other worthy commendation the body hath it hath it from the quickning vertue of the soule without which the most beautifull bodie is but for matter a lumpe of clay for forme like an Idoll hauing eyes but see not eares and hear not feet and walke not And so is it in all the rest of Gods workes the inuisible being euer more excelleÌ„t then the visible this Vniuerse with the plenishing and furniture therof is indeede a comely workemanshippe the Grecians called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the ornaments thereof the Latines called it Mundus for the cleanenesse and tightnesse thereof but the Apostle comparing it with that building which is aboue calles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is but a figure of a better and more enduring substance which is not seene The most pleasaÌ„t part of this lodging is the sylering thereof the firmament which God hath garnished with the Sun Moone and Stars as it were with shining pearles to giue light by course to all that dwell in it yet is it no more but the nethermost part of the Pauement of our heauenly Palace yea the Sunne which now is the most pleasant and profitable creature that
takes on it both the tast and colour of the Wine so shall all humane cogitation and affection cease from that which now it is the Lord shall so replenish vs that he shall become all in all vnto vs he shall make vs pertakers of the diuine nature and transchange vs into the similitude of his owne Image And this also should vpholde vs against our naturall feare of death Now we goe to life but through death and wee leaue behinde vs for a time a deere pledge in the power of death for death like vnto a cruell monsterâ— bytes from vs in the by-passing the halfe of vs to wit the bodie wherefore Mors a mor su nomen accepit â—aid Augustine because one part it bytes away and another it leaues behind it but at length when the day of our full victory shall come and the course of the battell changed not a part of death onely shall be deuoured but altogether it shall be swallowed vp in victory VER 5. And hee who hath created vs c. LEast it should seeme that the Apostle in that which he hath saide before were carried away with a vain desire of that which shall neuer come to passe hee doth now prooue by two arguments that it is no vaine desire but such as at the length shall bee fulfiled both in him all the rest of the children of God The first argument is taken from Gods ordinance and appointment the Lord saith he hath appointed vs to immortality and life therefore of necessity we must obtaine it for it is not possible that the Lord can be frustrate or diâ—apointed of his end If we looke to the first creation wee were created to the Image of God and consequently to be immortal for immortality is a part of the image of God and if we looke to the second creation this same shall bee more manifest for this cause did Christ die for vs that we might liue eternally with him and certainely his death was in vain if that life which he hath conquest vnto vs did not at the length ouercome all mortality and death in vs. But there is yet greater comfort in this argument as it is proposed by the Apostle for hee shewes vs that not onely are wee by Gods ordinance appointed to this end but that the Lord also by his effectuall working in vs aduaunces vs to the same ende for so the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which heere the Apostle vses imports a present action of our God perfiting in vs our saluation against all impediments In the first creation when once he began he continued working ay and while he finished it and no intervening impediment could stay him from the perfiting of his purpose it pleased him in six daies to absolue it in euery one whereof hee made something to bee which was not before but til he had done all which he would he rested not so is it in the worke of our new creation he hath begunne it and we may be sure hee wil make an end In one day he might if hee had willed perfetly haue regenerate vs but pleases him in many daies and by degrees to doe it alway we are sure that neither Satans malice nor corruption of our Nature can stay him from finishing that which he hath begunne The same God who first commandâ—d light to shine out of darkenesse is hee who hath shined in our harts to giue vs the light of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ and he first made vs of dust giuing life and beauty to that which was dead without forme hath taken in hand through death misery to perfit vs to eternall life The certainty then of our glorification stands neither in vs nor in our desires but in the stability of the purpose of the vnchangeable God of the which it is not possible that hee should be disappointed as to man many a time he proposes to himselfe an ende of his actions whereof he is frustrate hee builds a house and dwels not in it he plants a Vineyard and eâ—tes not the fruit thereof he betrothes a wife and another marries her but the counsel of the Lord shall stand The Lord of hoasts hath determined it and shall disanull it his hand is stretched out and who shall turne it away wil Satan wil sin will death keepe vs from that glory whereunto God hath appointed vs No no it is not possible what the Lord hath said he will doe blessed bee the holy name of the Lord for euer who hath locked vp our saluation and made it sure in his own vnchangeable purpose It is true indeede that Satan is a restlesse tempter of all the children of God he doth what hee can to impede the work of our saluation but let vs bee comforted hee fights not against vs but against the Lord let vs therfore in the strength of our God fight against him and we shal be sure to ouercome him onely remember that as in some temptations hee is to bee resisted as when he tempts vs to sinne either by presumption or desperation so in other temptations he is to bee despited and reiected as when hee dare suggest that vnto others the contrary wherof he beleeues himselfe as namely that there is not a God nor a iudgement to come in others againe hee is to bee sâ—orned as not worthy of an answere as when hee charges Gods children with those things which they neuer did as he can craftily abuse their phantasie to troble the peace of their minde for hee that will answere euery shamelesse assertion of Satan shall not haue leaue to doe any other thing But in all these as I said let vs hold fast our former ground of comfort that we feare not for him that is against vs but stand sure considering that the Lord is with vs he that is the enemy of our peace is also an enemy of the glory of God yea which is very comfortable hee was an enemy to God first ere euer he became an enemy to vs and it is onely for the hatred hee hath to the Lord our God that hee hates vs seeking to deface the glory of God which shined clearely in the first creatioÌ„ but more clearly in the second creatioÌ„ of man but all in vaine for the Lord shall confound him and trample him shortly vnder the feete of his Saints And hereunto also tends it that the Apostle as hee saide before that God is the builder of our house which wee haue in heauen so now he saith that God creats and perfits vs vnto it these two ioyned together ' render vs most sure comfort that the Lord hath not only prepared a Kingdome for vs but also prepares vs for it he reserues in heauen saith Saint Peter an inheritance for vs reserues vs also in earth for it thus all is of him both the place of our glory and
such heauy crosses as are vpon their bodies or else because they cannot endure the terrours of a iust accusing conscience for these causes oftentimes they haue beeene forced to seeke reliefe by making their refuge to the bosome of death as did Saul Achitophell and Iudas but all in vaine for by new sins the worme of conscience is further wakened but not extinguished the breath of naturall life thereby maybe suffocate but the giltinesse of an euill conscience is encreased so that in this their refuge of vanity they finde no more ease to their weary spirits then if a man to eschew death by water should leap into the fire which is no other thing in effect but to exchange a smaller paine with a greater it being most certaine that all the paines which wicked men sustaine in this life if they bee compared with the paines of Hell are but like vnto reeke or smoake which goes before the fire If in the body they may not abide the smoake of Gods wrath how shall they abide to bee burnt with the fire thereof in hell Yet in this confused and perturbed estate goe they out of the world finding and feeling they are not well where they are and forwarned by their conscience that a worse abides them Two things then are requisite to make vs willing with comfort to remooue out of the body The first is that the sense of our miserie makes vs wearie of this life seeing here wee are absent from the Lord the next is that the hope of a better makes vs willing to remooue knowing that we shall dwell with the Lord The one is as a hand behind vs to put vs out of the world The other is as a hand stretched out before to receiue vs into a better if the sense of misery put vs not out we shal be lik Israel delighting rather ot bide vnder banishmeÌ„t in Babell then to follow Gods calling to Canaan and againe if the sense of mercy make vs not certaine of a better we shall bee like them who finding a hand behind them to put them out but none before them to take a gripe of them and pull them ouer cannot but in most miserable manner fall downe into that pit and gulfe which is betweene the two prepared for the damned And dwell with the Lord. Here we see that the soules of the godly after their remoouing out of the body haue their dwelling with the Lord it is not then as some suppose that the soules haue any other resting place but heauen wherin they are till Christ his second comming with which wrong opinion some of the learned haue bin stained whose names with theiâ— nakednesse we delight not to discouer but as the Israelites did to the Egyptians wee will borrow their Gold and Siluer and vse it as our owne leauing their Claye and Bricke vnto themselues and will rest vpon this most sure word of the Lord that our Soules remoouing out of the body shall dwell with the Lord. What our Sauiour said to that Conuert on the Crosse belongs also after Death to all the rest of his children This night thou shalt be with me in Paradise Non enim propter solam latroniâ— animam Christus Deus noster paradis um aperuit Sed ob reliquas etiam Sanctorum animas Againe wee learne here that seeing Saints departed are but flitted to dwell wiâ—h the Lord we should so moderate our mourning for them that we lament not their estate seeing they haue changed for a better but our owne who sustaine by their departure a twofold losse First that such notable instrumeÌ„ts of comfort as haue bin pledges to vs of Gods fauour should bee taken from vs suâ—h was the mourning of the Faithfull for S. Stephen and of the Elders of Ephesus for Saint Paul when hee tolde them that they should see his face no more Secondly because the taken away of godly men is a forerunner of euill dayes to follow the godly are as Pillars in a Citie like as Lot was in Sodome to hold backe the iudgement of God from it thus wee see how in the death of others beloued of vs the causes of mourning should respect our selues and not them and as for that which may concerne them if any cause of mourning be it should bee before their death and not after it as Dauid did who when his child was stroken with the hand of God he fasted and mourned for him seauen daies together but when hee saw that the Lord would not bee intreated to spare him his seruants hauing tolde him that the childe was dead then he arose and refreshed himselfe with meate teaching vs that the best time of mourning for those whom we loue is to mourne for them while they are aliue that so we may entreat the Lord to spare them or then to receive them into his fauour and not to take them away in the continuance of his anger but the contrary commonly is done by vs for then doe wee begin our mourning wheÌ„ the time of mourning for them is past that is when the iudgement is giuen out both vpon their soules and bodies which by no intreaty of ours can be reuoked Last of all comfortable is it that our estate after this life is called a dwelling with the Lord it is not a soiourning in a tabernacle as heere we are but a dwelling in an euerlasting habitation the Lord Iesus shall stablish vs there as well grounded pillars in the temple of our God and we shal neuer any more goe out and againe seeing that is the place of the dwelling of God with his Saints and of them with him it offereth to our consideration that great variety of good without any want which there abydes vs for if vpon earth Men of power haue their dwelling places aboundantly furnished with all necessary good what shall wee looke for in the dwelling house of our God Blessed is hee whom thou chusest and causest to come to thee hee shall dwell in thy courts and we shall bee satisfied with the pleasures of thine house The best creatures which serue vs now shall not get that honour as to serue vs there There is no neede of the Sunne nor of the Moone to shine in that Citie for the glory of God doth light it and the Lambe is the light thereof The Lord himselfe shall bee all things in all vnto vs In a word then Anima Animae erit Deus God shall bee the soule of our soule he onely shall mooue it he only shall possesse it with him onely shall it be delighted filled and fully satisfied We conclude then with Dauid How excellent is thy mercy O God therefore the children of men trust vnder the shadow of thy winges They shall be satisfied with the fatnesse of thine house and thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuers of thy pleasures for with thee is
the Chaffe the Christian is seeking the Corne externall things cannot content him frumentum paâ—eis mensura minus est led natura pretio sius as Corne suppose it to be lesse iâ— measure then the Chaffe yet is it more pretious in Nature so doe they know that inward spirituall inuisible goods are the most excellent With me saies Wisedome are durable riches and honour this life is but a shaddow but Wisedome calles vs to the fellowsâ—ip of an euerlasting life all the honour that is from the worlds endes in shame but the honour which is from God is durable fugiamus ergo hinc vbi nihil est vbi inane est omne quod magnificum putatur vbi qui seputat aliquid esse nihil est let us therefore flie out of this world in the which there is nothing in the which that which is thoght to be most magnified is indeed but vanity and he who thinkes himselfe to bee something in very deed is nothing reliâ—quamus vmbram qui soleÌ„ querimus let vs forsake the shadow who seeke the Sun and follow those things which by true light are discouered to vs to bee best Againe we see here how religion takes not away from the ChristiaÌ„ naturall affections but only rectifies them the Lord who in the 1. creation made them in the regeneratioÌ„ doth renue them tempering theÌ„ in measure and setting â—heÌ„ vpon the right obiects for the affections so long as they are either distempered and out of measure or then diuerted from their own proper obiects they breed in vs manifolde restlesse perturbations euen as the strings of an instrumentpunc beeing distempered if ye touch them send out a very vngrateâ—ull sound where o her way being rightly set by the hand of the Musitian they end out most pleasant melodie so is it with the aâ—fections if they be temperedby the spirit of God and set vpon the right obiects they worke in vs a quiet meeke and peaceablâ— spirit and this is the great benefite wee haue by religion and godlines that our affections which are like to furious Beastes are tamed to our hand since by nature we are covetous of honour religion teaches how to câ—uet the best honour and where by nature we cannot be without care religion teaches vs how to bend our care to please God that godly care may cause coÌ„fort to vs where the carnal is thorny that doth but prick disquiet vs and so â—orth of the 〈◊〉 of the affections Now for this moderation of our affections because they are sooner commoued then water is with the winde Two things are most necessarie One is that we haue continually in our mind some short precepts of the word commanding vs how to temper them and next that with the precepts we bee instant in Prayer to God the whole nature of beasts hath beene tamed by the nature of man but the nature of man no man is able to tame what is spoken of the tongue is true of our whole nature it is an vnruly euill wee must therefore seeke it may be done by God which is not possible to bee done by man That both dwelling at home c. But now to returne The Apostle protests that both dwelling at home and remooving from home that is both in life and in death it was his greatest desire to bee acceptable to GOD. It is certaine that Ioab as prophane a man as hee was in his life yet when he was straited by death ranne to the hornes of the Aâ—tar so the most prophane and wicked men when they come to the point of Death would giue al the world if they had it for the favour of God then are they content to heare the Preacher then desire they some comfort of the word and that Prayers by the Church shold be made vnto God for them In a word those same meanes of reconciliation with God which they despised in their life they desiâ—â— them in death but here is wisedome in time to do that which we must bee faine to doe at the length I see no other difference betwene these wise and foolish Virgins in that Parable but that the one did that in time which the other would faine haue done out of time but in vaine And the Apostle here stands vnto vs for an example of this holy wisedome he offered vp himselfe in a whole burnt offering to GOD keeping nothing backe nor diuiding euill as the maner of foolish men is What greater folly then this that thy dying dayes thou resoluest to offer them vnto God and the dayes of thy life thou giuest them to the seruice of Satan and sin for euill diuiding Saule lost his Kingdome for euill diuiding Ananias and Saphira lost their liues but worse diuiders are they who will giue their young yeeres vnto Satan and their old and feeble age to the Lord this is to incurre that fearefull curse Cursed be he that hath a male in his flocke and vowes and Sacrifices a corrupt thing vnto the LORD Surely as the carelesse Husband-man whoe sowes nothing in spring time Reapes nothing in Haruest So he who in his life sowes not the seede of teares out of a penitent heart how shal hee gather in death the fruit oâ— ioy yea rather as the idolatrous Israelites when by many Apostasies they had prouoked the Lord to anger got this fearefull answere from him Goe to the gods whom yee haue chosen let them saue you in the time of your tribulation So may they looke for the like aunswere who in their life liue as Rebels vnto God and then in death wil pray the Lord to receiue them No goe your way to the Masters whome yee haue serued and let them receiue you Now all this delay of Repentance whereby men defer to doe that in their life which faine they would do in death comes to pâ—sse of Satans sinâ—gular Policie who craftily steales away from men the time of Grace he dare not be so impudent as to say plainely to the wicked man yee neede not repent at all he craues no more but a supersedere yee neede not to repent as yet euery day hee tempts thee with a new baite and so makes thee put off from day to day till the last day come wherein thou arT suddenly taken away before thou canst put order to thy thoughts for then a multitude of sins gathers against thee and confounds thee where if thou hadst fought against theÌ„ seuerally before thou mightst easilyhaue ouercome them As in bodily diseases protract of time makes them the more incureable so is it in the spirituall for no sinne ends there where it begins but if it bee suffered to continue makes a progresse alwayes to the worse It is written of Pharao that being plagued with Frogges that Moses offered to him Concerning me command when thou wilt that I shall pray for thee and the Frogges shall bee taken from thee and sent