So did the Apostle Paul wish vnto himselfe when hee expressed his minde in these words Desiring to be loosed and to bee with Christ which is best of all And the same Apostle speaking of the death of all the faithfull saith in this wise Wee know that if our earthly house of this Tubernacle be destroied wee haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens Here is the change of the soules dwelling from a ruinous house on earth to an eternall house in heauen Afterward the same Apostle saith Wee are bold and loue rather to reâ—…one out of the body and to dwell with the Lord. Here is the change of the soules company on earth it conuerseth with mortall men in heauen it dwelleth euer with the immortall God This is all the hurt that death can doe vnto vs if this were to be called hurt it bringeth the body to rest in the graue and it bringeth the soule to present glorie with God and all the dangerous deadly and killing power that originally it had by any confederacie with sinne all that is taken away by the death of Iesus Christ. And if it were sometime to be feared as a poisoned serpent of the olde serpents brood yet it is so spoiled by that serpent that was lifted vp vpon the crosse that it hath neither tooth nor sting nor any poison left to hurt any beleeuer Heare to this purpose the words of Saint Paul O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. Death therefore cannot be hurtfull to the beleeuer And if while he liue he take such order and find such fauour that God will be pleased in Iesus Christ to send him a discharge of his sinnes by faith in his sonne he hath no cause after death to feare the reuiuing of his accusation though the legions of lying diuels whose malice makes them accusers of the Saints before God should altogecrie out against him as Saint Paul teacheth vs saying Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs. Thou hast no cause to feare death or any thing that followeth death if while thou liue thou returne to God and recouer his fauour in Iesus Christ for there is full discharge against accusation condemnation both in this life and after this life in the free loue of God and most meritorious intercession of our Lord Iesus Christ. CHAP. XXXI THE storme is ouer our afflicted sinner by this time seeth no cause any longer to dreame of terrifiing death and were it not that one dâ—…am of bitternes disseasoneth the comforts of life that God hath lent vnto him he should grow to some reasonable temper But one thing hee hath cause to complaine of and let vs heare him that we may vnderstanding his griefe be the better able to helpe him Hee telleth vs of a heauie case his sleepe he saith is not quiet but mixt with fearefull dreames at his table his minde taketh in more sad thoughts then his mouth doeth bits of meate the voice and face of his old acquaintance and former friends doeth now reuiue his greefe so oft as he doeth either see them or heare them the fairest roomes of his house which he had trimmed vp for his delight if hee come into them doe strike him with grieuous terrour and all those things that hee delighted in before are new matter of sorrow and heauines vnto him and it is his onely content though without to sit alone in darknesse This hee taketh to be some curse of God folowing him and an euident signe of Gods iust and fearefull anger following him for what should make Gods good creatures other mens comforts to be discomforts to him but the onely displeasure of God To this I answer that it is very likely that it is so and will continue to bee so with him so long as this burden of accusing thoughts lies heauy remaining vpon his wounded conscience It is a very kindly effect of it that hath growen out of it and wil vanish with it Thou sleepest catest with a wounded heart and hence it is that while thou sleepest and eatest thou still feelest the smart of thy wounded heart Thy ancient friends and former woonted delights appeare vnto thee now when thou art not fit to take pleasure in them as before time thou didst and that maketh thee at the present to be the more troubled thinking vpon thine old liberty now lost And the things prepared for thy pleasure while thou wert capable of pleasure in the contrary disposition of thine heart bent altogether to feare and sorrow doe now bring â—…orth a contrary effect vnto thee euen increase of sorrow And a desire of shaddow and solitarienesse though they be hurtfull doth follow a grieued minde as Ieremy saith of the man that beareth the yoke in his youth Hee sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath borne it vpon him And this desire of darknesse and solitarinesse either is an effect of mortification in him that is crucified to the world seeing the world crucified to him or else it groweth partly out of shame and partly out of anger that things are in no better tune and vpon the recouering of thy peace and ceasing of thy temptation this trouble will certainly vanish away In the meane time giue place to this griefe as little as thou canst and striue to reioyce in the Lord and in the good blessings hee hath bestowed vpon thee pray him that bestowed good things vpon thee to giue thee a free heart to take comfort in his guiftes that thou maiest be prouoked to praise his name And withall craue and vse the counsell and helpe of some learned and skilfull Physician for there is somthing in this griefe that hath neede of his iudgement and diligence And the God of hope fill thee withal ioy and peace in beleeuing that thou maiest abound in hope thorow the power of the holy Ghost Amen And now after some delay in answering such obiections as the vnquiet soule hath made out of his grieuous feare let vs grow vnto a conclusion concerning this burden of accusing thoughts and let vs gather together briefly orderly the scatterd grounds of hope that this burden may be cast off when God shall be pleased to giue his blessing and the scattered rules of aduice that teach how to cast it vpon God And for grounds of hope that this burden of accusing thoughts may bee cast off vpon God for the sinners â—…ase it hath beene shewed and proued First that his sinne not being that
I haue prouoked him to anger and by his iust sentence I must not liue Also I haue spent the daies of my life on earth so wickedly that I must liue no longer There the earth is ouer-loaden with my transgressions and refuseth to beare the burden of them And as for the life of heauen it were folly and madnes in mee yea it were shameles presumption in me to hope for any fruition of iâ—… I know no other place of life but these two earth where life is mortall and heauen where life is immortall and heauen will not admit me to liue there and the earth hath indured my life too long Therefore I must die This is the sentence of God The Prophet Ezekiel saith The soule that sinneth it shall die And the Apostle Saint Paul saith The wages of sinne is death Who can controule this iudgement of God who shall open his mouth against it I doe my selfe approue it And therefore I am become my selfe an enemie to mine owne life yea heauen doeth abhor it the earth doeth loath it it must not continue to the offence of God and his Angels to the greefe of the Church and all true members of it And therefore I â—…hat heitherto haue had no care to serue and glorifie God wiâ—…h the continuance of my life will yet at the least and at the last serue and glorifie God with the end of my life intending to be the executioner of Gods holy sentence vpon my selfe So shall I cease to sinne any longer against God As the dead cannot praise him so the dead can not blaspheme him and as they haue no place to doe well so I thinke they haue no place to doe euill and by such course I shall deliuer my selfe from this violent temptation I shall obtaine an end of my feare Doth not Iob say of death and of the graue The prisoners rest together and heare not the voice of the oppressor there are small and great and the seruant is free from his master There shall Ireâ—… hauing put off this heauy burden What greater oppressour can there be then an accusing and condemning conscience And there he saith I shall not heare the voice of the oppressor O place to be desired O sweet graue I long to be laied vp in thee and am I not a seruant and a slaue to sinne is it not now a most cruell and tyrannous master to me and there I shall be freed from his tormenting power This being so iust in regard of God so full of aduantage and ease vnto my selfe it must be done it shall be done and I must doâ—… it yea I wil doe it disswade mee not from so iust and so gainefull a course wherein I am resolued O malice of Satan this is thy voice this is thy counsell in all the former obiections wherein thou hast beene a medler thou hast shewed thy selfe but in this thou exceedest thy selfe Hee that knew thee not before by this obiection may know thee to be as saint Peter calls thee A roaring lion that walketh about seeking whom hee may deuoure Heereby thou maiest be knowne to be as S. Iohn calls thee the great dungeon that olde serpent called the diuell and Satan which deceiueth all the world In this temptation thou seekest to deuoure but the prey shall be plucked out of thy iawes in this thou thinkest to deceiue but thy dangerous falshood shall be discouered and auoyded The victorious Lion of the tribe of Iudah the roote of Dauid shall rescue and deliuer his seely sheepe The Serpent that was lifted vp vpon the crosse shall bâ—…uise thine head and heale the wound that thou like a fiery serpent hast made The Lord rebuke thee Satan The Lord tread thee downe vnder the feete of this afflicted sinner and that shortly But thou O sorrowfull sinner hearken to the councell of God let not the serpent that deceiued our first parents deceiue thee stoppe thine eare against his lying words and be ready to heare what shall be taught thee in the name of God God saith by the Prophet Heare your soule shal liue Heare that thy soul may liue Thou art vrged to desire deser ued death thou art vrged yeldest with thine owne hands to hasten his death Thy resolution to hasten it seemeth to be grounded vpon these reasons First thou hast wronged and prouoked to anger the Lord of life and therefore deseruest in his iustice to die Secondly thou hast burdened the earth the place of mortall life with thy sinnes and art not worthy to liue any longer vpon the face thereof and then to thinke that thou maiest liue in heauen the place of immortal life thou holdest to be shamlesse presumption Thirdly thou holdest thy life to be loathsome it is so to thy selfe because it is offensiue to God and to his Angels to the church and members thereof Fourthly because thou hast not serued and glorified God by the continuance of thy life thou wilt serue and glorifie him by hastening the end of it Fistly thou hast multiplied sinne all the daies of thy life and thou thinkest that thou shalt cease to sin if once thou be dead Lastly whereas thy life is full of feare sorrow and bitternesse thou thinkest by death to be freede at once from all These are the reasons vpon which thou groundest thy resolution to hasten thy death with thine owne hands they may preuaile as reasons with them whom God hath left in the power of him whom the Lord Iesus calleth a murtherer from the beginning But whosoeuer remaineth in the protection of the Lord and giuer of life to him these allegations cary not the estimation of perswading reasons oâ—… if they beare any such estimation with them yet God wil nâ—…uer suffer them so to preuaile that they shal take effect but he will preuent their execution as â—…e did with the affrited Gaoler of Philippiâ—…â—…hom â—…hom being ready to fall vpâ—… his sword when he perceiued the effects of the earth-quake and feared that his prisoners were â—…led the mercifull GOD preserued him by the voice of Paul My heart trembleth to thinke of this obiection and it breaketh out beyond the bounds of my conceit that thought the precedent obiection to haue beene the height of Sathans malice and of this poore afflicted sinners danger But this exceedeth all height heere is extremity of malice in the tempter heere is extremity of danger in the tempted If the Deuill preuaile in this temptation hee xedeth not to vse any other And if the â—…ner giue place to this temptation it is â—…othing worth to 〈◊〉 and ouer come â—…lother In answering this temptation â—…il first examine the point that he saith â—…is resolued vpon and then the reaâ—…ons vpon which hee groundeth his resolution The thing that he is resolued vpon is â—…o cut the threed of his own life in plain â—…ords he intendeth to kill himselfe In the whole history of the Bible that conâ—…neth the
or denouncing iudgement to the impenitent and vnbeleeuers Whatsoeuer yee binde on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer yee loose on earth shal be loosed in heauen Wherefore doeth hee speake thus of their determination and of their word but that according to that good hope which thou hast gathered vnto thy soule from the word of God in the writings of his Prophets and Apostles and in the mouthes of his faithfull witnesses on earth according to that good hope hee will doe vnto thee in heauen And in his iudgement both at thy last day and in the worlds last day he will not varie one iot from the straight rule of his word whereon thy recouered peace is grounded Indeede if thou shouldest recouer thy peace and remoue thy accusing thoughts with the remedie of Atheists that like Dauids foole Say in their hearts there is no God that is there is no diuine power gouerning the world in iustice and rewarding euery man according to his workes If thou shouldest shake off thy temptation with that conceit of wicked men recorded in the booke of wisedome that say Wee are borne at all aduenture and wee shal be â—…ereafter as though we had neuer beene for the breath is a smoke in our nosthrilles and the words are a sparke raised out of our heart which being extinguished the body is turned into ashes and the spirit vanisheth as the soft aire our life shall passe away as the trace of a cloud and come to â—…ought as the mist that is driuen away with the beames of the Sun and cast downe with the heate thereof That is no hand of God made vs at the first to be serued with the obedience of our life and when we leaue the world we shall not appeare before the face of any God to giue account for our liues for wee were borne by no prouidence and appointment of any higher power but euen as it happened such a man to beget such a boy such a mother to beare such a child and when wee die wee returne into earth and aire ourbodies become dust our spirits vanish as a puffe of winde there is no difference after death betweene man and beast both vanish and come to nothing as we were not before we were borne so wee shall not be when we are dead Iâ—… with these wicked conceites we seeke to stifle and choke our owne conscience or falsely flatter our selues with the securitie of contemners despising all the threatnings of God So that when they heare the words of the curse they blesse themselues in their heart saying we shall haue peace although we walke according to the 〈◊〉 of our owne hearts that is the threatnings of Gods displeasure are not to be regarded I esteeme them no more then the winde that breatheth ouer mine head and I shal be well inough whatsoeuer God say and I will hold on my course without any feare of God If vpon any such sandie and deceitfull ground thou shouldest builde thy peace and by such deuice should make dull rather then quiet thy troubled conscience verily thy accusing thoughts would returne like so many furies after death charging thee with all thine impieties before the face of thy Iudge The Atheist shall knowthat there is a God as it is said in the Psalme Doubtles there is a God that iudgeth the earth The Sadduce shall know that there is a life after this when he shall be called to answere as it is said of the â—…uill steward Giue accounts of thy stewardship for thou maist bee no longer steward And the contemner shall know the power of Gods displeasure when the wrath of the Lord and his iâ—…alousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses written in Gods booke shall light vpon him But if thy accusing thoughts be put to silence by the knowledge and faith of Gods mercy and of Christ his merit accompanied with repentance and true conuersion to God as hath beene said if by the promises and rules of Gods word thy peace while thou liuest be recouered assuerdly thy sinnes shall neuer be laid to thy charge after death for otherwise there were no faithfulnes in God nor trueth in his word wherein he hath thus spoken I will rememher their sinnes no more And in another place All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned vnto him Theresore if it shall please God by the meanes that is applied vnto thee out of his word to deliuer thee froÌ„ the storme of this temptation whilest thou liuest thou hast no cause to feare the renewing of it after death nor in that name to feare death And because thou art troubled with such fantasticall feares of death that indeed is naturally fearefull to all men let â—…e acquaint thee with the condition thereof to a Chistian it came indeede into the world by the sinne of our first parents and by the holy and iust iudgement of God it was imposed vpon vs as a punishment of sinne depriuing vs of all present good things and plunging vs into eternall euils But when the sonne of God suffred death for our sinnes and by his suffring gaue satisfaction to the iustice of God he then slew destroied death it selfe by that death of his and tooke away all deadly killing power from that dissolution of ours which we call death and made it vnto all beleeuers a gate and passage into life putting an end vnto all their present troubles â—…nd bringing them to the possession of endles happines So that it is to them as the euening is to the labourer when he both resteth from his former wearie worke and also receiueth the reward for which he wrought For the body henceforth is laied vp in the graue as vpon a bed of ease where it shall â—…euer after either shake for colde or faint for heate where it shall neuer after feele either hunger or sicknes or be wearied any more with painfull labour That is it that the Prophet meaneth when hee saith Peace shall come they shall rest in their beds euery one that walketh before him That is the righteous man that treading in the paths of Gods commandements walketh with him in his holy obedience heâ—… at his iournies end in his body shall lie downe to rest in his graue as on his bed and much peace shall be his portion and as for the soule from thenceforth being vnclothed of his earthly couering and remoued out of his Tabernacle and house of clay it ascendeth vp vnto Iesus Christ and being clothed with glory it hath an happy abiding with him in heauen where it inioyeth the most comfortable presence of Christ his redeemer and the desired fellowship of those redeemed that are alreadle passed out of the wildernes of this wicked world into the paradice of eternall delight So did the Lord Iesus promise to the dying theese when hee said vnto him This day thou shalt bewith mee in paradice
and said vnto me Goe prophecie to my people Israel That is I haue in those sermons which you call Conspiracie faithfully followed the commandement of the God of Israel So also did Ieremy when the Priestes and false Prophets and the multitude of the people had laid hands vpon him in the Temple and went about to kill him for his preaching he protested his innocencie saying The Lord hath sent me to prophecie against this house against this Citie all the things that you haue heard And thine innocency being thus protested made knowne then secondly turne thee vnto God appeale to his iudgemē◅ rest vpon him He is the true discerner of all mens doings to whō it is manifest both what things are done and with what mind they are done and he is the iudge of all men and of their doings and he will reward them that truly serue him therefore taking no discomfort at the vniustice and vnthankfulnes of men pray God to iustifie thy well doing against misreporters Thou hast a promise of such mercie made by the Prophet saying He shall bring forth thy righteousnes as the light and thy iudgement as the noone day and pray him to remember thee and giue thee thy reward in heauen because on earth good seruices are not worthily valowed and in expectation of that reward at Gods hands comfort thy soule in this case And thus haue we spoken of the fower secular burdens wherein immediately we haue to doe with men in matters concerning this life and shewed how the burdens may be ought to be cast vpon God for the ◅ase of our soules CHAP. XII THere are diuers troubles wherein the man that is troubled hath to doe immediatly and at the next hand with God and the things wherin he hath to doe with God and looketh directly vpon him do concerne our soule and inward man and the good estate therof for holinesse and happinesse both now and hereafter And in regard hereof those troubles I call spirituall troubles And those I reduce to two heads The first of these spirituall burdens is the powerful lusts of the flesh enemies to the holinesse of the soule The second is the feareful accusing thoughts that are enemies to the happinesse of the soule The first is the burden of the lusts of the flesh fighting against the soule The multitude of our corruptions and the law of sinne in our members so potent and strong that we cannot doe the good we would in doing whereof God should be serued and the euil we would not that we doe by doing whereof the diuell is serued This is a grieuous burden to an honest minded man that is desirous to please God and keepe a good conscience Hee considereth who made him and desireth to glorifie his creator He considereth the manifold mercies of God towards him and desireth to approue himselfe a thankfull man He respecteth the end both of his creation and of his regeneration and desireth to come neare vnto God and to haue fellowship with his redeemer and to resemble him in holinesse and righteousnesse hee seriously thinketh vpon the end of vertue and reward of vice the first to be eternall life the other to be eternall destruction and with his whole heart and soule he desireth and striueth to auoid euill which hee abhorreth and to do good which he loueth And while he striueth to goe on in this course nothing hindereth him more then the root of sin that is deeply fastened in his owne flesh The Diuell offereth a temptation and his false flesh yeeldeth presently vnto it The flattering world presenteth showes of vanity and the flesh greedily imbraceth them Occasions are offered and presented to our eies and our traiterous flesh suddenly apprehendeth them and our actions fall out to be sinfull and euill sometime at vnawares before wee haue leisure to consider what we ought to doe Sometime against fore-fight yea against repugning will For that corruption that is in our flesh which for the authority that it vsurpeth and for the power that it exerciseth in vs the Apostle calleth the law in our members that corruption rebelleth against the law of our minde and leadeth vs captiue into all actuall sinne And wee are compelled in the campe of our enemies to serue against our beloued Lord. And this is no small griefe vnto a sanctified soule that desireth to serue and worship God in spirit and truth How heauy this burden is the Apostles words doe teach vs crying out by reason of it in this manner O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body of death It was vnto him more bitter then death that sinne was of such power in his mortall body Vpon men groaning vnder this burden compassion ◅is to be taken both in regard of God whom it grieueth them to offend and dishonour and also in regard of themselues so intangled and indangered not by any fo◅aine malice but by their owne inbred sinfulnesse Therefore for the case of such ouercharged soules to giue them some comfort notwithstanding the continuance of their burden these things are to be considered First that where God hath giuen an heart grieued for these infirmities he neuer imputeth vnto them the sinnes that they so vnwillingly and grieuedly commit their broken and displeased hearts being a pleasing sacrifice to him According to the saying of the Prophet The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a contrite a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise So that God taketh more pleasure to see them sorrow for their committing sinne then he doth displeasure for the sinne that they commit for to commit sinne is common to all mankinde and we cannot chuse but to doe amisse while we liue in this flesh but to mourne and to be grieued for sin to striue against it and not to commit it but with dislike offence taken for it is proper onely to them that truely loue the Lord. Secondly though they cannot attaine vnto such perfect holinesse vppon earth as they desire nor vnto such an absolute conquest ouer their corruptions and such a full measure of mortification that sin shal haue no life nor power of mou◅ng in them yet their good wil being true and vnfained and their holy desire beeing sound and not dissembled is before God as well accepted as if they were altogether without sinne Therefore is it that God requireth the heart saying My sonne giue me thine heart and let thine eies delight in my wayes He that can by the mercie of God attayne vnto this to delight in in the wayes of God and to haue a sound heart within his weake bodie he hath attained vnto as great perfection of holinesse as this present life is capable of if that desire and delight of his be ioyned with knowledge and vnderstanding so that hee be free from their errour whom the Apostle speaketh of saying They being ignorant of the righteousnesse
willing to lay downe and loose their liues in the seruice of God they did not kill themselues to be deliuered from the fury of tyrants but they yeelded themselues to the cruell will of tyrants As Ieremy saying to them that went about to kill him for preaching as god had commanded him As for me behold I am in your hand doe with me as you thinke good and right It was all one to him and equally welcome to die or liue so that he might faithfully doe his office of the like minde was S. Paul the Apostle saying to the elders of Ephesus Behol◅ I goe bound in the spirit to Ierusalem and know not what things shall come vnto me there saue that the holy Ghost witnesseth in euery Citie saying that bands and afflictions abide mee But I passe not at all neither is my life deare vnto my selfe so that I may fulfill my course with ioy and the minstration which I haue receiued of the Lord Iesus to testifie the Gospell of the grace of G◅d Heere was a godly contempt of fraile life with resolution to vse the benefit of it while it lasted in setting forward the seruice committed to him and to let it goe without shrinking whensoeuer the rage of men by the sufferance of God should by violent hands take it from him in the Lords quarrell If thou haddest resolution in any like quarrell to yeelde thy life when there should be any attempt made to take it from thee thou hast the Prophets of God and the Apostles of Christ thy example and thou hast also the promise of the Lord Iesus to recompence that losse of life with the gaine of eternall life saying He that will saue his life shall loose it and he that looseth his life for my sake shall saue it That is i◅ any shall to saue his life deny to confesse me before men his life shall bee taken from him by some such iudgement of God as that he shall haue no comfort in the losse of it and he shall after die eternally But if any constantly confesse mee putting his life in danger either God shall miraculously deliuer him and hee shall saue his life in this world or for the losse of his life here in which losse hee shall haue abundant comfort hee shall haue eternall life in the kingdome of heauen Here are comforts for thee if thou haue come or shalt come in these cases into danger if thou retaine this resolution to laie downe thy life for God and his glory for Iesus Christ and his truth But there was neuer in thee any such resolution thou diddest not loue God so well and thy selfe so ill to die for vertue to die for truth to die for the glory of God to die for the name of Iesus thou diddest neuer esteeme the Gospell true religion and righteousnesse at so high a price O vile man O vnworthy sinner wouldest thou not gratifie God with contempt of life and wilt thou gratifie the Deuill with it wouldest thou not loose it for him that is the truth wilt thou loose it for the father of lies was not he worthy in thy sight to be serued with this manly resolution that gaue thee this life and for the losse of it is ready to recompence thee with eternall life and is he worthy to be serued with it who was euer an enemy to thy life and when hee hath spoiled thee of this life makes thee ◅mēds with a higher mischife to plunge thee in eternall death O monstrous absurdity to be admitted among the professours of Christianity Pause a while and consider of this point that if it be possible thou maiest be recouered from this desperate purpose Thinke what it is to haue held God off at the staues end and neuer to haue yeelded in thy heart die for his loue though he gaue thee life to loose one drop of bloud for his sake though he filled thy vein◅s to haue thy breath stopped for his glory though it was hee that breathed into thy nostrels the breath of life and made thee a liuing soule and now to imbrace the deuill in thy bosome as if hee were thy God to tell him that he shall haue thy life thy bloud shall flowe for his sake if thou get a sword or knife and thou wilt strangle thy selfe and stopthy breath for his loue if thou canst get a halter Where is thy wisdome that resoluest so foolishly where is thy iustice that resoluest so iniuriously where is thy loue either to God or to thine owne soule to whom thou owest thy loue to God to procure his glory to thy soule to procure the saluation of it that resoluest so hatefully for more foolishly for himselfe more iniuriously against God and more hatefully both against himselfe and God did any man euer conclude and resolue in any thing then thou doest in this Most foolishly thou determinest for thy selfe that runnest into that destruction from which thou shouldst flie with all possible speed as the Israelites fled from the tents of Korah his company when the earth swallowed them vp And most vniustly thou dealest with GOD to take that is his without his leaue for we are his and not our owne They are the words of the Apostle Paul Yee are not your owne And a little after speaking of our bodies and spirits hee saith they are Gods and before his face without any reuerence and feare of him to destroy them both at once for thou destroyest the body in killing it thou destroyest the soule that must perish for that murder And most hatefully thou proceedest both against God thy self in this resolutiō hatefully against God in destroying his creature and hatefully against thy selfe in destroying thy selfe The fact of the Philistims stopping vp with earth the wells that Abraham had digged to the end that Isaac his sonne should not vse them for his ca◅tell is interpreted to be an euidence of their hatred Isaac saying vnto them Wherefore come yee to mee seeing yee hate mee c. How much more must thy fact be interpreted to be an euidence of hatred both against God and thine owne soule that fillest vp and choakest the well of life that God digged and opened for thine vse and desirest to water at the piece of death and hell where thou shalt not obtaine one droppe of water to coole thy tongue when thou art in torments How commeth it to pas◅e among deceiued men that when as in the case of suffring for God where death is accompanied with comfort and rewarded with glorie they shrinke and feare withdrawing themselues shifting for their liues which then are sweet vnto them and death is bitter vnto them and in this case of laying violent hands vpon themselues where death is accompanied with terrour and shall be rewarded with eternal damnation heere they step foorth and are desperately bolde life now is bitter vnto them and death is sweet This is a dangerous errour wherein
dead should become free from sinne and holy Saints to please God by abstayning from euill and to merit fauour O most absurd imagination to think that a man should become holy in Hell that was profane vnto the last point of his life on earth Hitherto properly belong the words of Salomon saying If the tree doe fal toward the South or toward the North in the place that the tree falleth in there it shall be In that place he exhorteth to liberality and vertue while we liue because when death comes then there is no place of bearing after any fruits of goodnesse after death there followeth no alteration of this kinde to make either the good man worse then hee was or the euill man better then hee was if the tree fall toward the South it turneth not it selfe after to the North and if it fall toward the North it turneth not to the South The good mans goodnesse continueth with him and is increased rather then diminished because he then inioyeth the goodnesse of God in Heauenly maner to raise his loue vnto God to the highest degree and measure and the wicked mans wickednes after death continueth with him and is increased rather then diminished because he now feeleth the wrath of God in the heauiest manner to raise his hatred against God â—…nto the highest straine Death can make no such change in a man that hee that was a sinner vnto death and in death should cease to bee a sinner after death this reason will deceiue thee if earth was able to make the a contemner then Hell is able to make thee a blasphemer for if correction intended for thy amendment could not make the cease from sinning while thou didst liue How much lesse can punishments laid vpon thee not by way of correction but by way of condemnation make thee cease from sinning the minde of the condemned how it stands affected toward God we may see by that which is written in the Booke of the Reuelations Men boiled in great heate and blasphemed the name of God which hath power ouer these plagues and they repented not to haue giuen him glorie When sinners are once tormented in those flames they are so farre from repenting of their sin to cease from it that their whole carriage is rage and blasphemy They can doe nothing else and therefore though being dead thou can doe no euill after the fashion of this world yet it followeth not that therefore thou shalt not sinne But say thou canst not commit any new sinne what aduantage is that vnto thee when thy olde sinne is vnforgiuen for want of repentance before thy death yea thy very death wrought by thine owne hands without warrant from God yea directly contrary to the commaundement of God addeth vnto thy condemnation deserued before Doth it helpe the thiefe fast shut vp in prison that he stealeth no more when for the olde theft vnpardoned hee must be hanged Surely no and his ceasing to steale while he is a prisoner will not bee interpreted to proceede from my new grace and purpose of amendment but to be want of libertie want of meanes and opportunitie Hee doth â—…ot steale because hee cannot steale it is no new mind in him but the streightâ—…esse of his imprisonment that maketh him for beare and though hee commit no new robberies yet hee must die for the olde And if thou couldest sinne no more after thy death the not committing of new sinnes would be as smal aduantage vnto thee that perishest for the olde vnpardoned and thy forbeating in thy graue will not be interpreted to be any fruit of repentance and a renewed heart but to bee a necessitie imposed vpon thee thy earthly members beeing tied and restrained by the condition of death and therfore thogh thou commit no new sinne thou must perish eternally for thy old not repented by thee and therefore not pardoned of God There shall not be laied to the charge of them that shall heare this sentence at the last day Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell and his angels Any other sinne then those which they committed vpon the earth where they liued among the little ones of Christ for thus shall it be said vnto them I was an hungred and yee gaue me no meate I thirsted and ye gaue me no drinke I was a stranger and yee lodged mee not I was naked and yee clothed me not sicke and in prison and yee visited me not These were no sinnes committed after they were gone out of the earth while their bodies were in the graue and their soules in hell fire Christ was not there among them in his members hungry thirsty wandring naked sicke and in prison and they there had neither bread nor drinke nor clothes not lodging chambers to relieue him withall they are their olde sinnes vnpardoned not any new sinnes after death committed that the wicked shall be condemned for at the last day And so much Saint Paul doth teach vs where hee saith We must all appeare before the tudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that hee hath doone whether it bee good or euill When thou shalt come to iudgement before Iesus Christ that shal iudge both quicke and dead at his appearing and in his kingdome thou shalt not be questioned for any thing done out of thy body when thou art dead but onely for those things which thou did dest in thy body while thou wert aliue Where is then that aduantage that thou dreamest of by not sinning any more after death Seest thou not by this time what a strange delusion it was that thou sholdest sinne no more after death and that ceasing from sinne should winne thee some fauour with God and be takeâ—… for true repentance and that therefore it should be a benefit vnto thee to cut off thine owne life that so thou mightest withall cut off the too long continued course and custome of thy sinne if thou haue any such purpose indeed to cease from sinne which I beseech God to giue thee if thou haue it not and to continue in thee if thou haue it nourish thy life that God hath giuen thee and while thou art in the bodie cease to doe euill and learne to do welâ—… make haste to turne to the Lord and put not off from day to day and whilest thou hast time bring forth fruits woorthy amendment of life This will be taken for true repentance this will cause all thy former sinnes to be put out of all remembrance And then whensoeuer God shall be pleased to call thee out of thee out of the world thou shalt end thy dayes in peace and comfort and then thou shalt indeede cease from sin and thy workes shall follow thee to the gaine of eternall life This doe and repent thee of thy former resolution for hitherto the reasons whereuppon it is grounded are vaine