and is freed from all miseries of this life and enjoyes the honour of all good workes Rev. 14.13 the bodie resting in the grave from all paine and labour as in a bed of rest till the resurrection Esa. 57.2 And into this degree of life eternall wee enter in by the gate of death The thirddegree of life eternall beginnes at the resurrection of our bodies at the last day and is enjoyed by body and soule for ever comprehending all possible consummation of felicity and glory in the heavens And into this wee enter by the gate of resurrection which is a kind of new begetting of us and therefore is called the resurrection of life Ioh. 11.25 and so the blessed in heaven are called the children of the resurrection and by that way the children of God Luk. 20.36 In the first degree life is imperfect in the second it is perfect in the third it is consummate And the use of this first point should be to warne men to looke to it that they enter into the first degree of eternall life while they are in this world or else they shall never get to heaven when they dye and therefore should strive for saving knowledge and to become new creatures or else it is in vaine to hope for heaven 2 For the second which is the originall of life it is greatly for the praise of it that it flowes from that life which is in God himselfe which is an unspeakable glory to the creatures that enjoy it With thee is the fountaine of life saith David Psal. 36.9 So he calls him the God of his life Psal. 42.8 Naturall life is but a sparkle that flowes from the life of our parents but spirituall and eternall life is kindled from that infinite light and life in God But yet not as Christ received we this life for he had it by naturall generation wee have it by a way unspeakeable from God but yet by Iesus Christ In him was life as the life was the light of men Iohn 14. He that hath the Son hath life Iohn 5.12 and he it is that is eternall life viz. to us vers 20. As there is no light in the visible world but from the Sunne in the sirmament so there is no life in the spirituall world but from God in Heaven which hath caused it to shine in our hearts by the Son of righteousnesse Christ Iesus Thus our life is called the life of God Ephes. 4.18 and Christ is said to live in us Gal. 2 20. Which should teach us greatly to admire and adore the excellency of Gods goodnesse and make us to rest our selves for ever under the shadow of his wings Psal. 36.7 8 9. But that this point may be more clearly understood we must consider of the originall of this life from God three waies First in respect of Ordination and so it flowes from Gods decree Hee hath ordained us unto life Acts 13.48 and our names are written in the booke of life Phil. 4.3 Secondly in respect of Merit it was bought of God by the death of the flesh of Christ. I give my flesh for the life of the world Iohn 6.51 This life will not be had without his death that we might live in eternall life hee must dye a temporall death And shall not this greatly inflame our hearts to love the Lord Iesus that gave himselfe for us that we should not perish but have everlasting life Thirdly in respect of operation or inchoation and so the fountaine of life is either without us or within us without us is the Word of Christ that is the immortall seede by which we are begotten unto life 1. Pet. 1.24 and so is called the Word of life Phil. 2.15 And the word is so as it is the word of Christ that is Gospel My words saith he are spirit and life Iohn 6.63 And that word considered as it is preached to the dead soules of men the dead shall Hear the voice of Christ and live Shall heare it note that Iohn 5.25 which should make us greatly to esteeme the preaching of the Gospel Within us the fountaine of life is the Spirit of Christ which is called the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.2 Now the Spirit of Christ that wee may live doth two things viz. it quickens the seed of the Word and unites us unto Christ as members of the mysticall body and then looke how the soule of man doth give life to every member of the body so doth the Spirit of Christ to every soule as a severall member of the mysticall body 3 For the third We shall not exactly know what the nature of eternall life is till it be perfected us or consummate yet by diverse words God hath let fall in Scripture we may ghesse at the nature of this life and in generall I thinke it is a kinde of celestiall light falling into the soule that doth to it that which naturall life doth to the bodie This S. Iohn shewing how Christ was the life of men saith hee was the light of men Iohn 1.4 And David having said With thee is the fountaine of life adds And in thy light wee shall see light Psal. 36.8 And so the promise to the penitent sinner was that his life should see the light Iob 33.28 So Christ saith he that followeth him shall have the light of life Mark it the Light of life Iohn 8.12 So that the life of our minds is knowledge in generall and in particular it is the saving knowledge of God and Iesus Christ as our Saviour saith expressely Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to know God and whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ. And the reason why this knowledge doth most inlive quicken our hearts is because God in Christ is the most glorious subject of contemplation as being that highest good a very Ocean of goodnesse onely able to fill and ravish the heart of man and besides because God as our chiefe good can alone make the ravishment of the heart perpetuall and so last for ever which nothing else can doe But because everie knowledge of God hath not this effect to breed everlasting life in the heart of a man therfore I wil distinctly set downe what kind of knowledge it is that hath this effect and what is required that it may be right 1 It must be such a knowledge as discernes God to be the only true God and this rule excludes the Pagans from eternall life who though by the light of nature they might discerne the invisible things of God by the workes of the creation yet they so shut up those principles of naturall truth in unrighteousnesse that they set up creatures as God and gave the glorie of the true God to them Rom. 1. 2 It must be such a knowledge as ascribes into the Nature of God such an excellencie as can be exprest by no likenesse of any creature in heaven above or earth beneath or the waters under
the earth God must not be conceived of by any Images Images in the Church shut out the Papists from eternall life and Images in the heart to conceive of God by excludes the ignorant and carnall Protestants In the right conceiving of Gods Nature we must adore him that is like nothing in heaven or earth 3 It must be such a knowledge or vision of God as discernes him to be the chiefe good and onely happinesse to be desired and so all those persons that behold any thing in this life to be sought after as the chiefe felicity of their lives are excluded from eternall life And the things so esteemed the Scripture calls their gods so some make their bellies their gods some their riches some honour and the favour of men 4 It must be such a knowledge of God as conceives of him in Iesus Christ that is that sees the way how Gods infinite justice provoked by many sinnes is pacified by the attonement made by Iesus Christ as the Mediatour betweene God and man Ioh. 17.3 else the knowledge of God in respect of the contemplation of his justice will be so far from inliving our hearts that it would kill them if they had life and this rule excludes all such from eternall life as live in despaire of Gods mercie as Cain and Iudas These knowledges are such as without which life cannot bee had but yet in themselves doe not quicken the Soule and inspire it with life 5 It must be such a knowledge as doth nor only discerne aright the doctrine of the Nature of God and of the person and offices of Christ but doth discerne that God is ours in particular in Iesus Christ and fully reconciled to us and our portion for ever To know God to be our God in Christ is the very life of our soules Now because we discerne this in God two waies viz. by the light of faith beleeving the promises of the Word though we see him not and by the light of vision when we shall see him in his goodnesse face to face therefore is the former light called the light of faith and belongs to this life and the later light belongs to another world Hence our justification which is by faith is called The justification of life Rom. 5.18 This is a point which should bee of unspeakable comfort to the weake Christians that have attained to this knowledge for certainly this is eternall life in them as true as if they had thâ— glory of heaven already But now that true Christians may be the more infallibly setled in the knowledge of their interest in eternall life as it lyeth in the right knowledge of God to be ours in Iesus Christ I will adde certaine effects of this knowledge which shew not onely that it is right but also that it is very eternall or spirituall life for if it be a right knowledge 1 It raiseth in the dead heart of man spirituall senses that were never there before It makes the soule of a man able to heare Gods word that could never doe it before It gives sight in spirituall things and sense and feeling and spirituall tasts of Gods goodnesse and a favouring of spirituall things more than earthly 2. Cor. 2.15 Rom. 8 5. Psal. 36.8 Phil. 1.9 2 It is a knowledge with admiration it sets a mans heart upon a constant wondering at the glory of the things revealed He that hath this knowledge sees in a Mirrour he sees and wonders Nothing more ravisheth the heart than doth the word when it shewâ— him the glory of Gods grace to him 2. Cor. 3.18 Wicked men see but they see not in a Mirrour 3 It is a knowledge that works transformation it changeth a man into the likenesse of that it sees even from glâ—ry to glory by the power of the spirit of Christ. The light comes into wicked men but leaues them the same men it found them for disposition and conversation but this light humbles the heart of a man for his sinnes and purifieth him from his most secret sinnes Act. 15.9 and besides prints upon him the Image of God and stirres him up to all the motives of life in doing good workes 2. Cor. 3.18 Col. 3.10 1. Ioh. 2 3. 3.24 4 It is such a light as is indelible and will abide the triall of manifold afflictions and gives life and joy still to the soule It doth not onely comfort in Gods house but will support us when we are gone home under the miseries of this present life 1 Pet. 1.7 The use should be to teach us all to blesse God for the Gospell that brings life to light and shewes us the love of God to us in Christ and for all the meanes by which the Gospell is preached to us in the life of it Oh how should wee bee beholding to them that helpe us to eternall life by leading us unto God this Ocean of goodnesse And withall wee should be wonderfully thankefull to God and for ever comforted if we can finde that wee have attained to the assurance of Gods love to us in Christ. Though our knowledge here bee but small and weake yet it is so rich as the tongue of man cannot utter if it be in any measure true and sincere Besides how should this fire our desires after wisdome and spirituall understanding in the word of Christ seeing it is our life and in the same degree wee encrease in eternall life that we encrease in acquaintance with God in Christ and therefore aboue all gettings we should be getting understanding And finally it shews the woful estate of ignorant persons that are careless of the study of the word of God and of hearing of the Gospel preached This is their death wil be their eternal death if they prevent it not by repentance and sound redeeming of the time for the service of the soule about this sacred knowledge 4 Now for the fourth point the things that nourish life are greatly to be heeded both to shew us what we should apply our selves to and with what thankefulnesse to receive the meanes of our good herein 1 Wee must know that the principall cause of the nourishment and encrease of spirituall life is the influence of vertue from Christ our mysticall head by the secret and unutterable working of the spirit of Christ which is therefore called the Spirit of life because it both frees us by degrees from the feares of death and from the power and blots of sinne Rom. 8.2 and withall it quickens and encreaseth life in us for the better exercise of righteousnesse Rom. 8.10 2 The contemplation of Gods favour and presence doth wonderfully extend and inflame life in us To marke God any where or by any experience to finde effectually his loue and to taste of the sweetnesse of his goodnesse this is life from the dead better than all things in naturall life It doth a godly mans heart more good than all things in the world can doe as
not be satisfied with silver Man walketh in a vaine shadow and disquieteth himselfe in vain Eccles 1.9 5.10 Psal. 39. A shadow is something in apparance but nothing in substance if a man would seeke to claspe it or receive it to himselfe 5 All these things are transitory and uncertaine and mutable which may be considered of three waies First if thou love these things thou art not sure thou canst keepe them they may be lost suddenly and fearefully for either they may wear out of themselves or they may be taken from thee they are liable to vanitie in themselves or to violence from others Matth. 6.19.20 1. Pet. 1.24 Secondly if thou be sure to enjoy them yet they will be suddenly lost to thee because thou canst not make thy heart to take delight in the same things still for not onely the world passeth away but the lusts therof also 1. Iob. 2.15 Eccles. 6.1 7. 9.3 Thirdly if neither of these befall thee yet thou art mortall thou must be taken from them and thy life is short like a dreame and passeth away like the winde and thou art but a stranger and pilgrime here and thou must carry nothing out of the world but in all points as thou camest into the world so must thou goe hence Psal. 90. Iob 7.7 Eccles. 5.13 14 15. All flesh is grasse Esay 40.6 6 That a man may receive much hurt from them they may steale away our hearts from God The amitie of the world is the enmity with God Iam. 4. They are like pitch to defile there is a snare and temptation in all of them they fill mens hearts with foolish noysome lusts and a man may damne his soule for too much loving of them 1. Tim. 6.9 Phi. 3 18. and they may serve to witnesse against a man at the day of judgment Iam. 5.1 Lastly consider that there is no comparison betweene the commodities of this life and the commodities of the life to come There are rivers of pleasures for evermore Psal. 16. ult There are Crownes of honour and glorie such as will neither be held with envie nor lost with infamie there shall men possesse enduring substance Heb. 11. treasures not liable either to vanity or violence Matth. 6.20 an inheritance immortall and undefiled and that withereth not and lieth in heaven 1. Pet. 1.3.4 Thus of the second doctrine A third Doctrine may be gathered out of these words and that is That in some cases there is a permission of the love of life In that he gives rules to such as will love life it imports that God is contented to suffer or tolerate that humour in men Now this toleration may be considered of as it is granted to some men or as it extends in some sort to all sorts of men Some men that are in high place and have publike imployments and are about some speciall service for the glory of God and good of the Church or Common-wealth in these men the desire to live longer in it selfe is not sinfull This was the case of David and Hezekiah Now further unto all sorts of men the Lord doth allow a certaine kinde of liking of life so as they observe such cautions and rules as he appoints as namely that the cares of this life hinder not the preparation for death or the provision for a better life and withall that they limit not God for the time of life but be willing to dye when God calls for their lives Now for a conclusion to this point I would advise those that have such a minde to live here to looke to certaine rules which will prevaile with God to grant them long life if any thing will prevaile as first they must bee exhorted to take heed of overmuch desire of life they must moderate their desires after life If they could once attaine to it to bee content to die when God will it may bee they should finde life prolonged according to that of our Saviour Hee that will lose his life shall finde it Secondly such as have parents in nature or religion must be verie carefull to give them due honour for to such God hath promised long life in the fift Commandement Thirdly godlinesse hath the promises of this present life as well as of the life to come and therefore ever the more godly we are in all manner of conversation the longer wee may be likely to live and contrariwise a prophane man hath no assurance to live out halfe his daies Thus of the first forme of speech The second forme of speech by which the persons hee adviseth are described are such as will see good daies And see good daies Before I come to the observations here is worke of large enquiry and consideration about the sense for these words import That in the life of man there be some good daies and some evill daies Physitians tell us in their profession of some daies in the yeare that bee good daies and some that be evill daies for their directions and superstitious and idle people in the world tell us that there are some good daies to beginne businesses in and some evill It seemes here the Prophet David in Theologicall contemplation findes that in the life of man some daies be good and some bee evill This would be enquired into And that wee may finde out which bee good daies wee must first enquire which be evill daies and that by Scripture account And that wee may distinctly understand this wee must enquire which be evill daies 1 For wicked men 2 For godly men The daies of wicked men must bee considered more generally or more specially generally all the daies of the wicked are evill both because hee is a transgressour every day and because the curse of God is upon him all his daies even then when hee lives longest and enjoyes most prosperous times Esay 65.20 Every day the wrath of God hangeth over his head and every day God judgeth him Psal. 7. either in soule or body or name or estate either by withholding his blessings or by mingling the curse with the good things hee enjoyeth Psal. 78.33 as the Israelites under censure of death from God More specially the daies of the wicked man are evill eiin this life or after this life In this life his daies are evill in two speciall senses either in respect of the shortning of them or in respect of the afflicting of them It is a speciall evill to some wicked men that their daies on earth are shortned Some men live not out halfe their daies and dye in the middest of their daies Psal. 55.24 Ier. 17.11 and so it is a curse that his daies are few Psal. 109.8 Eccles. 8.13 Againe the daies of wicked men are said to bee evill in respect of some speciall judgements of God to bee powred out upon them for their sinnes These daies are called the daies of Gods wrath and anger and daies of Gods visitation Isa. 10.3 the day of
vengeance Esay 61.2 which God proclaimes against all wicked men and by an excellency The evill day Amos 6.3 And these daies are in speciall called the daies of wicked men and they are theirs because properly no day is theirs till it bee evill Ier. 50.31 After this life comes that most speciall evill daies even that day of eternall misery in hell of which Salomon said God made the wicked for the day of evill Prov. 16.4 This doctrine of their evill daies should much affright wicked men not onely with the consideration of what they suffer now but of what they are liable to in the daies to come Little doe they dreame of the misery may befall them such daies may come as will burst their hearts with exquisite griefe their hearts shall not bee able to endure Ezech. 22.14 and therefore they should take heed of putting farre from them the evill day Amos 6.3 and in time repent and reconcile themselves to God in Iesus Christ that they may prevent the evill daies may yet fall upon them and know that their uncircumcised heart is the cause of all the evill brought or to bee brought upon them Ier. 9. ult Thus of evill daies in the life of the wicked The godly mans daies are evill divers waies 1 The daies of spirituall famine are evill daies when a man cannot enjoy the meanes of Salvation in the life and power of them In this case David said his teares were his meat day and night Psal. 42.2 2 The daies in which God is displeased with them or hideth himselfe so as he will not heare their praiers or not let them discerne it These are bitter daies to the godly Psal. 102.2 3. 90.9 3 Daies of temptation in which they are to wrestle with principalities and powers are evill daies Eph. 6. 4 All daies of trouble are in some respect evill daies Psal. 49.5 50.14 41.1 2. especially those daies are evill when the Lord turnes wicked men loose upon the godly and leaves them as it were in their hands to bee reproached and oppressed all the day especially when himselfe will not appeare to helpe them Psal. 102.8.10.11 Esay 37.3 and most of all when the just man seemeth to perish in his righteousnesse Eccles. 7.15 But yet here is a great deale of difference betweene the evill daies of godly men and the evill daies of wicked men because God sanctifies the evill of his daies to the godly man so as he is blessed when God chasteneth him for hee thereby teacheth him his law Psal. 94.12 Heb. 12. Secondly God will deliver him out of evill if he call upon him Psal. 50.15 yea though his troubles seeme desperate Ier. 30.7 Thirdly though God may seem to delay for a time yet he wil make hast to performe his deliverance After two daies hee will returne and the third day he will revive them Hos. 6.3 Fourthly God will make them glad according to the daies hee hath afflicted them hee will make them amends for all their evill daies Psal. 90.15 To conclude this point there be daies that are called evill which are common both to good and bad and such are the daies of old age Eccles. 12.1 when the Sunne Moone and Starres are darkned that is all sense of prosperity is removed and the infirmities of old age come thicke one upon another like cloudes after raine Vers. 2. when the armes which are the keepers of the house shake and the thighs and legs which were like strong men now bow and bend under them and their teeth which were the grinders or chewers of their meat now cease working because they are few and the eies which are the windowes of the body grow darke Vers. 3. when the doores shall be shut in the streets that is when upon the losse of his appetite hee shall have no delight in any thing at home nor minde to goe abroad but his owne house shall be his prison and when hee shall bee so unable to rest in his bed that he shall rise with the first voice of the bird and be waked with the least noise that is and that have no delight in musicke of any kinde as Barzillai said 2. Sam. 19.36 when they shall be affraid of every straw in their way they shall goe so weakely and their Almond tree shall flourish that is their heads shall bee white as the blossomes of the Almond they shall be so fore that a very Grashopper shall be a burthen to them to touch them shall be grievous and all the things they were wont to love they cannot now finde any comfort in and thus they are passing to their long-home which is the grave and they are so neare as if their very mourners were ready in the streets to carry them to their graves Vers. 4 5. yea they will not continue long but the silver cord will be loosened that is the marrow of their backs be consumed and their golden Ewer which is the brain-pan be broake and so will the pitcher at the Well that is the veines at the liver and so will the wheel at the Cisterne be broken that is the head which drawes the powers of life from the heart Ver. 6. and the dust returns unto the earth as it was and the spirit to God that gave it Vers. 7. Thus of the daies that be evill daies Now it remaines that wee enquire which be good daies and so wee shall finde that there bedaies that bee good in the judgment of the inward man and sometimes daies that be good in the judgment of the outward man onely thus much wee must know that in the first sense none enjoy good daies but good men Now good daies in the sense of the Scripture must bee considered either in generall or in particular In generall and so first all the daies of Christ after hee is revealed in a Christian are good daies and so all the daies of a true christian from his conversion to his death are good daies Which appears thus Saint Paul saith that Christ is our Passeover amd the Passeover is a feast which we must keep 1. Cor. 5.8 and such high festivall daies are good daies especially the first and last daies of the Passover were good daies in a special solemnity that is the day of thy conversion to spirituall life and the day of thy death which is the beginning of the day of eternall life Secondly all the daies in which Christians enjoy the preaching of the Gospell in the power of it and other ordinances of Christ in their glory all these daies be good daies for they are daies in which God makes rich feasts unto all Nations as is effectually described in the Allegory Esay 25.8 Thus David saith One day in Gods courts is better than a thousand any where else Psal. 84.10 The righteous flourish when Christ comes downe upon their soules as rain upon the mowen grasse Psal. 72.6 7. Thirdly those be good daies in which wee see
out of the house yet the sonne abideth for ever Iohn 8.35 Lastly we should the lesse feare death seeing hence wee learne that wee have many things that will last with us even after our bodies be rotten in the grave Thus of the third doctrine Doct. 4. Now a fourth point is also cleare and that is That incorruptible things doe wonderfully adorne and make men comely This is the maine scope and drift of the Text. and therefore wee should the more seeke after these things for if wee could see the beauty of the inward man as it is adorned with grace we would bee wonderfully ennamoured and in love with it No comelinesse of the body can so allure as would this inward beauty of the man of the heart and therefore againe we should hence learn to make the more account of poore Christians There are no persons in the world so comely as they if wee knew the worth and ornament of true grace And so in generall wee should love the godly above all people because they are the fairest and best adorned of all the men and women in earth and in particular those husbands that have gracious wives should learn so much religion as to love them entirely even for the beauty of the man of the Heart though they wanted the outward ornaments of riches or extraordinary comelinesse of the outward man Women also should especially hence learne to get grace and knowledge and holinesse into their hearts for their best handsomnesse is in their qualities and gifts 'T is not their cloathes but their manners disposition that becomes them or disgraces them A faire body doth commend little if the heart bee fowle It is a small praise to have a good face and an ill nature Some women are like Helen without and like Hecuba within Thus of the adorning of the man of the Heart in generall Now followes the particular ornament which the Apostle commends by name and that is a meek and quiet spirit Of a meeke and quiet spirit Quietnesse is added to Meeknesse lest by mistaking the definition of Meeknesse they should not understand the Apostles meaning Now the doctrine hence to bee gathered is That amongst all the particular vertues required in Christians meeknesse and quietnesse of nature and spirit is a speciall vertue and carefully to bee sought and in particular by Christian wives as this and other Scriptures shew Eph. 4. 2. Mat. 11.28 Zeph. 2.3 Col. 3.12 Before I make use of this point I must consider what is comprehended in those tearmes of a meeke and quiet spirit and first we must know before hand what it doth not comprehend It doth not require that women or men should be so quiet as not to bee troubled for their sinnes or not to humble their soules for sinne or that they should be carelesse of their callings eyther generall or particular or that they should not admonish or reprove sinne in others when they have a calling and fitnesse But unto the constituting of true meeknesse and quietnesse of spirit is requisit 1 Freedome from the evills that disquiet and molest the spirits of men such as are first anger frowardnesse fretting and peevishnesse secondly worldly sorrow crying and aptnesse to take unkindnesse and fullennesse thirdly distrustfull cares of life arising from covetuousnesse 1. Tim. 6.10.11 fourthly rash zeale and fiercenesse or inordinate striving and wilfulnesse as may be gathered in the case of a Minister 2. Tim. 2.24 25. 26. fifthly contention and evill speaking or ill language as may be gathered from Tit. 3.2 and stirring up contention or brawles sixthly all inordinate desires and raigning heart-sinnes whether sinnes of ambition lust malice or the like Iam. 1.21 seventhly unconstancy and levity of minde Especially it crosseth those evills which are noted to be most usuall in women such as are fretting crying taking unkindnesses unconstancy wilfulnesse complaining on the husbands or the like 2 A kind of peacefull contentment when Christians are habitually well pleased with their condition 3 A gentle behaviour in case of wrongs or faults from or in others so as to be first able to beare them secondly not to render evill for evill but rather to overcome evill with goodnesse thirdly ready to forgive fourthly not provoked to anger 4 A harmelesse and innocent behaviour Zeph. 2.3 5 The fixing of the heart by trusting upon God and living without care like a little child that beleeves his father will provide for him Mat. 18. 6 Lowlinesse of minde thinking no great thoughts of our selves and esteeming the gifts of God in others and accounting others better than our selves and therefore is Lowliness so often added to the word Meeknesse to explane it 7 Silence from many words from vaine and rash speeches especially provoking tearms 8 Retirednesse when a Christian is no busie-body in other mens matters and his feete will bee kept out of his neighbours house and refuseth to have to doe with the strife that belongs not to him 9 Tractablenesse and easinesse to bee directed or appointed and governed as in relation to God it is meeknesse to take his zeale upon us Mat. 11.28 and so in a wife it is a property of a meek and quiet spirit to be easie to bee directed and advised and governed Obhect But is it not lawfull to be angry Sol. Yes it is at some times for some persons upon some causes and in some manner Anger is a tender vertue and such a one as by reason of our unskilfulnesse may be easily corrupted and made dangerous Object But we must reprove or correct Sol. You may doe so but that you must reprove with passion or unquietly I reade not but rather you must reprove with the spirit of meeknesse And besides many rules are requisite to the right use of reproofe and correction Object But can all this be attained Sol. It may or else it would not be required in the new Covenant so often and so vehemently urged and the Church of God is not without instance of such as have attained it and though in many things we may sinne all yet this vertue may bee had though not in the perfection of it Object But I have desired and endevovred to attaine to it and cannot Sol. 1. Vse the means to attain it yet still it may be had at length though not presently Secondly it may bee doubted of many that pretend this that they have not such desire nor use not such endevour in sincerity they are not watchfull and carefull to looke to the opportunities of this vertue or the occasions of the contrary vices Object But may not one have comfort of this vertue if he be at any time angry Sol. Moses the meekest man on earth was once angry and Christ himselfe we read was angry but where this vertue of anger is not habitually it raignes not and where it is it is bridled and ordered Or else I may answer that the act of meeknesse may be interrupted and yet the habite
with them as if they were guilty of murther To hate a godly man is murther in the sight of God and deprives a man of eternall life 1. Ioh. 3.14 15. and prooves him that is guilty of it to bee a person that abides in death And it is in vaine to plead that they love God for if a man say he loveth God and hateth his brother he is a lyar for hee that loveth not his brother whom he hath seene how can hee love God whom hee hath not seene And it is Gods peremptory commandement that hee that loveth God love his brother also â— Ioh. 4.20 21. Yea this Doctrine affordeth matter of reproofe to divers that goe for true Christians and so for many faults As first it reprooveth those that have the faith of Christ in respect of persons Iam. 2.1 c. This is a fault in the richer sort and such as stand upon their worldly greatnesse they rest in their shew of respect and love to some Ministers or to some great persons that answer to their owne ranke but wholly neglect the acquaintance and entertainement and fellowship of poore Christians and thereby not onely displease God but much darken their owne evidence in this signe of the love of the brethren because they shew not their love to all the Saints as they might and ought Secondly it reprooveth intemperate Christians that sinne against brotherly love by rash censuring and condemning of their brethren especially when they become divulgers of censure and stand out as accusers of their brethren This is a divellish sinne for it is the divells speciall sinne to be an adversary and an accuser of the brethren Rev. 12.10 so that hee is a divell incarnate that useth this course Rom. 14.3 10 13. Iam. 4.11 12. 5 9. Thirdly it reprooveth the great worldlinesse that is discerned in divers Christians that are so hardly drawne to shew compassion and mercy to poore Christians when they are in distresse They have this worldly goods and yet shut up the bowells of their compassion from their brethren though they see they have need and therefore how dwelleth the love of God in them 1. Iohn 3.17 Fourthly it reprooves the great aptnesse to contention that appeares in many that easily fall into discord from thence into suites of Law against their brethren which is cleerely condemned in these Scriptures both by example and prohibition Gen. 13.8 Act. 7.26 1. Cor. 1.10 6.5 Fiftly it greatly reprooveth such as by their opinions or practise offend and grieve weake Christians and cause them to stagger or stumble or bee unsetled in the good way of God and so endanger not onely their present consolation but as much as in them lyeth their salvation also Mat. 18.6.1 Cor. 8 11 12 13. Thus of the use for reproofe Vse 2. Secondly this Doctrine may serve for instruction and so it should prevaile with us to desire endeavour to expresse and preserve amongst us brotherly love that it may be and continue and encrease amongst all such as feare God Heb. 13.1 And to this end divers rules are to be observed for that brotherly love may continue 1 We must not fashion our selves according to this world but avoide all needelesse conversation with wicked men Rom. 12.1 2. 2 Wee must take heede of and avoide such as sow difcord or cause diuisions amongst men whether they be such as goe about to seduce men in opinions Rom. 16.19 Gal. 5. 12 2. Pet. 3.16 or such as make contention in practise A little leaven of dissenting or discord may leaven the whole lumpe 3 Wee must take heed that wee be not ensnared or entangled with vaine glorious desires after worldly greatnesse whether in Church or Common wealth Therefore Christ chargeth his Disciples not to be called Rabbi because they and all the godly were brethren Mat. 23.8 Gal. 5. ult 4 If wee would preserve brotherly love wee must take heede of conceitednesse and wilfulnesse of judgement wee must not bee wise in our selves but rather in lowlinesse of minde esteeme another mans gifts and judgement better than our owne and shew it by making our selves equall to them of the lower sort Phil. 2.3 Rom. 12.10.16 Prov. 12.15 5 Wee must take heed of worldlinesse and selfe-love and the minding of our own things and studying of our ends in conversing 1. Cor. 13 5. Phil. 2.4 6 Wee must take heede of overmuch retyrednesse and neglecting of comfortable and profitable fellowship with our brethren Heb. 10.25 Phil. 1.6 Psal. 133.1 These are things wee must avoid There are divers things likewise to be done that we may preserve brotherly love as 1 Wee must provoke one another to love by all words and carriages that may bee without flattery or dissimulation Heb. 10.24 2 Wee should strive without complement to shew the sound proofe of our love in all our actions and by the fruits of it in all well-doing strive to approve our selves to God and before men in this thing 2. Cor. 8.24 3 In all things wee doe to or for the brethren we should strive to doe them after a loving and respective manner Let all your things bee done in love faith the Apostle 1. Cor. 16.14 4 Wee must strive to be rightly ordered towards our brethren in case of sinne against God or trespasse against us And that wee shall be if wee soundly practise these foure Rules 1 If wee know any fault by our brother and feele that it doth tempt us to alienation wee must then remember the charge given Levit. 19.17 which is not to suffer our hearts to hate him but give a vent unto our hearts by a plaine and discreet reproofe 2 Wee should be soundly setled in judgment that there are infirmities in the best though wee know them not and so to looke for it as when they doe breake out wee should shew our selves ready to beare their infirmities and forbeare them if they bee meere frailties choosing rather to crosse our selves than to irritate or provoke them in their weakenesse Rom. 15.1 2. 3 If any brother trespasse against us we should shew our sâ—lves easie to be entreated and willing to practise the rule given by our Saviour even to forgive him if he offend unto seventy times seven times when he saith it repenteth him Mat. 18.21 4 If wee have done any wrong we should make hast to be reconciled and seeke it with willing acknowledgement and readinesse to make satisfaction Mat. 5.23 24. Onely wee must remember about this doctrine of the love of the brethren that there are three caveats to be looked to 1 That wee misplace not our affections upon false brethren for there are false brethren that will creepe in privily many times for corrupt ends Gal. 2.4 2. Thes. 3.13 2 That if any brother be scandalous or walke inordinately or will not be subject to the forme of doctrine and the publike ministerie then such a one is to be avoided onely he must be
the Church of God in generall to prosper Psal. 128.5 6. when God keeps his Church as his Vineyard and waters it every moment and watcheth it night and day and destroyeth every thing that might annoy it Esay 27.2 3. In particular a Christian finds divers sorts of good daies as first the Sabbath daies well sanctified are good daies above all other daies of the week when his body enjoyes rest his soule is blessed according to Gods promise with spiritual rest and grace in Iesus Christ. Secondly the dayes in which the soule of a Christian after sinne and the judgment of God for it is humbled soundly and anew admitted into Gods presence and reconciled to God those daies when God entertaines the repenting sinner that praies unto him especially at the first reconciliation are wonderfull good daies Iob 33.25 26. with the coherence 36.11 Psal. 90.14 Luk. 4.21 with Esay 61.1.2.10 Thirdly all the daies in which a Christian thrives and prospers in the knowledge of Gods word and growes in the spirituall understanding in the mysteries of Gods kingdome are all good daies for this knowledge is that wisedom Salomon speakes of whâ—ch makes a man so happy Pro. 3.18.2.16 Thus of the good daies that are so in the judgement of the inward man God is pleased also to grant such good daies as are or ought to be so accounted in the judgement of the outward man and so First the daies of youth in which a man hath strength of body and vigour of minde to fit him not onely for the comforts of life but for the service of his creator are good daies Eccles. 12.1 it being a blessed thing to beare Gods yoake in a mans youth Secondly the daies of speciall prosperity in the world which sometime God grants unto his people are also good daies when God gives his people abundance of blessings in their families and estates and withall publike honour and respect withall sorts even the great ones of the world as was in the case of Iob which hee describes in the whole 29 Chapter of his booke but then it must have this indeed that in this prosperity the godly man be imployed in all well doing and get himselfe honour by the flourishing of his gifts and good workes as is shewed in that Chapter by Iob. Thirdly such daies in which a man enjoyes a quiet estate free from all trouble or vexation or contumely at home or abroad being free from Gods aflicting hand or mans injurious dealing are good daies and such as perhaps are specially meant in this place Thus of the sense of the words Divers doctrines may bee observed from hence 1 That the daies of men usually are evill which is true not onely of the wicked but of the godly also This Iacob said long agoe his daies were few and evill Gen. 47.9 but of this point before Only this may serve for great reproofe of those that so little minde a better life and so wilfully love this life that though they live in much misery are loath to thinke of dying take no course to provide for a better life 2 It is evident from hence that the life of man is but short whether hee live happily or miserably yet his life is reckoned by daies not by longer measures of purpose to signifie the shortnesse of our lives This is expresly affirmed in other Scriptures Iob 10.20 Iob saith his daies were few and of all men that are borne of women that they have but a short time to live Iob 7.1 And this is resembled by divers similitudes so our life is compared to a Weavers shuttle Iob 7.6 to a Post for swift running out Iob 9.25 to the grasse of the field Iob. 7.12 Esay 40.6 to an hand breadth so as he saith his age is as nothing Ps. 39.5 to a watch in the night Psal. 90.4 to a sleepe vers 5. to a tale that is told vers 9. Thus the life of man is said to bee short either as he is in Gods sight with whom a thousand years are but as yesterday when it is past Psal. 90 4. or in his owne account if he measure time to come as hee measures time past and in plaine reckoning let the life of man be improved according to mans utmost strength ordinarily a mans yeares are threescore and ten and if hee live to fourescore it is but labour and sorrow to him Psal. 90. Quest. But what should bee the cause that mens lives are so short Ans. If there were no other cause but the will of him that hath the disposing of the times seasons in his owne power yet that might satisfie us but we may ghesse at other causes as both the mercy and justice of God This world is so bad to the godly that it is Gods mercie to take them quickly out of it and contrariwise it is so good to the wicked considering their deserts that it is justice in God to take them hence and send them to their owne place which is hell Besides many men bring speedy death upon themselves by their own il courses or by sinning against their own bodies by lewd courses by eating up their owne hearts with worldly cares and sorrowes or by living in any grosse sinne to provoke God to cut them off or by falling into such disorder as the Magistrate cuts them off or by laying of violent hands upon themselves or by getting their goods unlawfully to bring upon themselves that curse Ier. 17.11 Finally in this last age of the world there may bee this reason assigned that the Lord makes hast to have the number of his elect fulfilled and therefore he dispatcheth away the generations one after another and so shortneth the daies of man for his elect sake Now for the uses Are our lives so short then it should teach us divers lessons 1 To pray God to make us able to thinke so and so to number our daies that we may not make any reckoning of any long continuance here Psal. 39.3 90.12 2 To make hast and dispatch our repentance and all the businesses that concerne our sound reconciliation and so to walke while wee have the light and to use all good meanes while we enjoy them 3 To redeeme the time and save as much of it as wee can for the uses of a better life Ephs. 5. and to worke the harder to fulfil thy measure and dispatch that taske God hath set thee to doe 4 To lay fast hold upon eternall life 1. Tim. 6. and to make that sure 5 Every day to provide for our departure even all the daies of our appointed time to waite when our changing shall come Iob 14.14 FINIS An Alphabeticall Index of the most Principall things handled throughout the whole Booke A ADoption the glory of it 133 How it is attained 136 Markes thereof 136 Amazement in wives 109 Causes thereof 109 Antiquity when ill pleaded 91 Apparell See Attire Attire reasons against the vanity