watch-word Nothing is able to kill the soule Mat. 10. And Martin Luther going to give up his account before the Emperour received this Eccho from the people feare not them that cannot kill the soule Mundus minetur aestuet Death by all its pyoning takes but a fort of clay Animus ad sedes suas cognata sydera recurrit the spirit as new hatched goeth forth to live still like as the light issuing from the Sunne dieth not at Sunsâ—…ing but goeth some whither else with the Sunne so life that issues from the soule goes with its owne principle and abides with it so Saint Iohn the divine to be better enabled to his banishment he had a vision of this by speciall privilege a sight of the immortall safe subsistence of the soule after death under the altar the custody of Christ Jesus Rev. 6.9 And thence is Saint Pauls Ne contristemini sorrow not as hopelesse men 1 Thess 4. Yea bee we nured to a certaine faith and frequent thought of this and a fairer flower the booke of God yeeldeth not than the immortality of Saints in blisse Hence the great patience of the Saints hence the challenge of death Vbi mors victoria O death thou wilt take away our breath Alas how small a losse seeing no death can divide us from Christ Rom. 8.38 and spiritus exit seeing the spirit doth but migrare it goeth untouched in essence and inviolate The maine issue of this first point is that seeing our breath our spirit goeth forth that wee make sure provision therefore of some harbour or sanctuary that we get us into the Arke before the flâ—ud that we gather our Manna and prepare to our eternall Sabbath now in the Even of this life Qui laborat in vespâ—re Sabbati vesce ur in Sabbato say the Rabbines and what an exceeding strength will it be to us when we are weake in minde and body that our spirit is to passe safely and comfortably that we have a refuge a terminus ad quem for our spirit so let us forecast for it by a true apprehension and faith of the loves and promises of God in Christ Jesus O my Dove that art in the clefts of the rock saith our Saviour Cant. 2.14 The wounds of Christ are the clefts of the rocke therein let us cove r hide us over soule and body let us make sure of a rightfull hold in that rocke of our salvation through faith and repentance and so our spirits will grow acquainted with the peace of conscience and the joyes of the Holy Ghost and the sense and hopes of the promised recompence and so shall also we be well composed and fortified for our migration or passage even that our spirit goeth forth of an earthly vessell but into an eternall and blessed receptacle I come to the second branch of the text the second note of mans imbecillity from the matter that he is made of Et revertetur in terram suam and he returneth to his earth He returneth The body of man before his fall was beautifull and amiable in the eye of God and awfull in the eye of the creature and exacts in its owne temper and immortall by privilege sealed in the tree of life but since that sinne came into the world the body of man incloseth a death a selfe-ruining beside outward violence and perills of contagion none of which were incident to his pure estate so man returnes to his earth without contradiction hee hath no helpe for it The spirit which holdeth up the elements together in a body when that goeth forth each of them fall backe to their owne principles earth goeth to its earth according to God his ordinance dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne Gen. 3. Nicodemus thought it strange but in this sense it is true we re-enter the bowels of our mother The sonne of Syrach calleth the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother of us all Ecclus. 40. So Brutus wisely tooke the Oracle when being warned to kisse his mother kissed the earth His earth Earth we see goeth very nigh us it is our earth not onely the matter or rocke out of which wee are hewen but the matter whereof wee consist our ingredient and co-essentiall with us that I may say with the Prophet Ieremy O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord. Trim wee never so nicely we are earth Lutea progenies an off-spring of earth yea pulvinaria as the Romans stiled their Temples vessels or beds made up or stuft with dust and shall we dote upon our earth Shall we suffer our immortaâ—… spirit to goe out like a starveling and over-care for what â—…cernes the bodie and over-decke the daughter of roâ—…ennesse know we not that our very make is such that earth that the chambers of death stand like the houses of the Roman Tribunes wide open for us night and day and very usually man sleepeth and never riseth againe and walketh but never returneth againe unlesse it be into his earth The men of Anathoh said to the Prophet Ieremie Prophesie not in the name of the Lord that thou dye not Ier. 11. But to you my fellow-labourers I say prophesie in the feare of God for we shall die because we shall be dissolved and returne to our earth wee know not how soone and if this doth not quicken our account being so nigh at hand what will And of all Gods Officers we his especiall Embassadours how shall wee turne us on the bed of death if we have betrayed the immediate worke and businesse of our Soveraigne The Indian Priests or Brachmanes so verie separate were they from the body that they are said Interrâ esse non in terrâ esse To be and not to bee on the earth A Minister of Christ his Gospell much rather hee should bee unglued and abstracted from this earth the body like a starre already fixed in Heaven But wee care what wee can for our body and so tender it oft times that wee forget our God and yet neverthelesse wee shall returne to our earth and when our turne commeth what a crowne of rejoycing should it be to thinke that we have wasted in body by winning soules and have truly sought to turne men to God though it turne us into the earth stantem praedicantem mori But beside counsell the Lord hath comfort for this point in the issue namely that thus God ordaineth by his returne into earth to refine and turne our vile bodies to bee like the glorious bodie of Jesus Christ Hee that was wrapt up into the third Heavens and knew what he saith S. Paul speakes it Yea saith hee as the corne liveth not except it die and be cast into the earth so wee are not clarified not made blessed bodies but by a returne into the earth So then with an Eagles eye by faith pierce wee thorow and looke beyond the grave and wee shall discerne and see an incomparable light of grace to
which the Lord worketh our returne into earth our verie dissolution But if the spirit of him that raised Jesus from the dead be in you he that raised Christ from the dead shall quicken also your mortall bodies by or because of the Spirit that dwelleth in you Rom. 8.11 our earth is Christs body know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ 1 Cor. 6. Dead and withered as we be wee are still united to Christ it is not death that can separate us from him for I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. Rom. 8. and by vertue of this mysticall conjunction with Christ even according to our whole man doubt we nothing but our first resurrection by the same spirit is an earnest and certaine pledge of a better resurrection for that same quickening spirit of Christ which now dwelleth in us and uniteth us to him it is hee that made our bodies out of the earth at first yea which made the earth it selfe and the whole world out of nothing and therefore hee can and will as hee hath witnessed fetch our bodies backe from the earth to which they are returned and that because they are yet the members of Christ Jesus though the same spirit and his owne temples God will surely reare them up againe yea though they lye in the dust and the latter temples shall have farre more beautie than the former according to his word I proceed to the third and last note of humane weaknesse from the effects that which man purposeth or produceth In illo die peribunt omnes cogitationes eorum In that verie day his thoughts perish The night commeth that no man can worke Iohn 9.4 The dead are out of office so it is of our nature to leave our humane purposes crackt and broken in the verie midst my dayes are past my enterprises are broken off Iob 8. In that verie day our life is defined to bee a vapour that appeares a little time and then vanisheth Iam. 4. My dayes are a span long saith David Fecisti dies meos palmarios Psal 39. and wee are but as yesterday Iob 8. So though we make a bustle for a life time in this world that is all our projects go not on into another world and life is such a minute such a drop of the bucket Gutta è situla as the Prophet speaketh that our terrene thoughts perish all in that ve-day that they were hatched as it were Alexander had not elbow-roome not space enough in the world for his thoughts Xerxes had such thoughts against Greece that he undertaketh an expedition so huge and great that seas and mountaines are even spurned out of his way And Iulian madly projects a finall and utter extirpation of all Christendome Vast and high thoughts all yet a bubble no sooner up than deaded dasht that verie day that they were conceived as it were The Parable of that certaine rich man Luke 12. sheweth how verie perishing is the figure and thought of this world and it is well shadowed at the Coronation of the Popes when hee that is new called passeth on the Master of the Ceremonies holds up an handfull of flax at the end of a dry reed and setting fire to it saith aloud Pater sancte sic transit gloria mundi Holy Father so passes the worlds glorie Fortuna vitrea It is a glassie condition as that noble Lady the Lady Iane Gray admonished the Lieutenant at her death now let us not bee too eager on it therefore but keepe in and limit our terrene thoughts and purposes yea let us trample the Moone the world under our feet give it the lowest place in our affections as the Lord represents it in the twelfth of the Revelation Everie Christian man like young Hannibal tactis sacris hee voweth no lesse in baptisme se cum primum posset hostem fore even to hate the world in comparison and not to spend a thought for it if it lay in his way to God and his grace But by thoughts not only the worldly but the verie quintessence or most excellent effects of the minde of man are meant namely that all which is not above humanitie is most perishing The best humane good is the rich furniture of Wisdome Arts and Sciences and Let not the wise glorie in his wisdome saith the Lord Esay 9. and God knoweth the thoughts of the wise are but vaine 1 Cor. 3. uneffectuall to salvation should any creature swell or presume on this good The depths of the Schooles or State what are they An anchor pitched in the aire a wall of breath about us which if the Lord but push at us are gone verso pollice with a wet finger as they say and when the darts of temptation and the furie of disease and the fearefull wan lookes of death and judgement come to us in that verie day these thoughts perish O fallacem hominum spem ô inanes nostras contentiones Thus the Oratour laments the death of his learned Hortensius But ô the buckler of faith the helmet of salvation at other times we may talke and say our wits have made us at the evill houre nothing but God can ease us no skill can cure us but of God his mercie in Christ Jesus and Luther therfore said well that men were best Christians in death because when learning policie friends and breath and all goe from us if we be wise we then goe from our selves our owne abilities and with all our strength and might rest and repose on God and his especiall favour and mercie in Christ Jesus revealed in the word againe it is a comfort at this verie day that In illo die peribunt omnes cogitationes eorum the Devill and the world league and set in together and worke their spleene out against the Church of Christ and even plow it up before them fierce and cruell be their thoughts but they are fraile the Holy Ghost resembleth them to grasse on the house tops Psal 129. one would thinke they were good corne by their growing they are vile grasse and such as is without blessing Iulians thoughts against the Church were nubiculae citò transiturae clouds soone over as Athanasius prophesied They gave up the ghost in one day as it were The end of the upright God sets a marke upon it that it is peace Psal 37. but the union of his enemies God will disjoynt it and they shall walke as wee hope at this day in Baal-perizin in the valley of division 1 Chron. 14. Counsels against God shall not stand not laste not a day in comparison In that very day his thoughts perish But are the thoughts of men so perishing it is matter of advice then that we redeeme the spanne of time wee have husband it well and on good thoughts and to good purposes and there be thoughts as wee see in Maries choice which shall not perish with our dayes and of which no time shall bereave us Blessed are they that
the joyes of heaven yet we rebell against the most high and lightly regard his counsels if we looke up to heaven we see the seat indeed of a tender Father but infinitely have we sinned against him and it if wee gaspe in our trouble for the comfort of Christ his merits the Redeemer of the world wee see how vilely our owne evill words and deeds crucifie him daily and put him to open shame grieving his spirit quenching his gifts and abusing his very grace Now the Adamant softens when warme bloud is shed on it and the bloud of the Lord Jesus so graciously effused on us and for us the riches of this goodnesse should lead us to remorse and to repent of our sinnes even in love of the Lord for his mercies yea no slight affection no cursory Lord have mercie upon us should suffice us with Ieremy we should call for a cottage in the wildernesse and then broken to water wash with teares the day wherein wee were borne And O that the precious balmes the mercies of our Lord Jesus the sense of what he hath done and suffered for us should not mollifie us and make us relent yea let us bee sicke with his love the loves of Christ constraine as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 5. And if before time we have served and loved the Lord even for feare of wrath henceforth let us feare God for love and repent and sorrow for our sinnes in love and so our contrition will become entire and of the whole heart because the love of God is absolute and infinite Now there bee who make a trade yea a sport and a merriment of their sinnes who can count and chronicle their dissolutenesse with delight so farre they be from contrition and remorse and they no doubt will laugh in their â—leeves to heare of this bruising and maceration of spirit and let the deceived world take these for godly people jolly fellowes they shall die like men like the beasts that perish the Lord gave strength to the horse and clothed his necke with thunder saith Iob he mockes at feare and beleeves not the sound of the trumpet yet if the quiver of the Lord rattle against him he is afraid as a grashopper Obdurate godlesse spirits whose hearts like Prometheus grow fat and stupid in the night of their ignorance there is a day when the Vulture of feare and heavinesse of heart shall seaze and gnaw upon them death shall feed upon the ungodly Psal 49. and when they come indeed in sight of death and the fatall anchor beginnes to fall that can never be weighed againe and the lusty saylers the senses that rowed them over the streames of carnall pleasures stand amazed and faile and the waves of horror swell and breake upon the crackt vessell and the unwise Pilot reason as at the end of his wits cryeth out with him in Seneca Huc ego quemadmodum vens Lord how may this be yea their owne heart and conscience then amidst their other evills shall returne upon them like the Raven in blacke and sable weeds with the law the curse and all the aberrations of life in his mouth and what tongue can tell their sorrow Like as the chased Deere recovering about the end of the day some little breathing stands and listens unto the cries of them that seeke his bloud and seeing the way stopt pants and shuts his fearefâ—ll eyes and finding his legs faile him at last lies downe despaires and dies so they oft-times and amidst their agonie faine would give a thousand Rammes and a thousand Rivers of oyle and the fruit of their body the choicest goods they have to be assoyled from the sinne of their soule O consider we this that we doe not quite forget God without contrition and repentance the Lord wee see is a consuming fire and the impenitent sooner or later have there no peace their hell even upon earth and if so in the first day at the day of death at least what shall we say to the day of revelation the day of the generall judgement Surely Kings shall repine then at the beggers joy and mighty Emperours shall say with Theodosius how much better is it to have beene the true member of Christ his Church than the head of an Empire For the Angels shall bee seene then to gather up the scattered peeces of every contrite and broken heart and to draw out to their encouragement the teares of repentance which the Lord had treasured or put up into his bottle and to take quite from them the cup of trembling and to reach it forth into the hands of all impenitents and remorselesse sinners and so I have done with the sacrifice The broken and contrite hearâ— and proceed to the second branch of the text the Lords gentle acceptance O God thou wilt not despise If in the conscience of sin the broken heart tremble to appeare before the Lord and though humbled yet feareth lest God should not accept of him behold his Cordiall God will not despise him Not despise him Yea deare shall he be in Gods sight that the Sunne may not burne him by day nor the Moone by n ght For as in the Scripture there is an excesse of speech when more is spoken than is understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as cast out the beame that is in thine owne eye So there is also a defect of speech when more is understood than spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as despise not prophecie the Apostle meaneth we should honour that gift of the Holy Ghost much So here the words must be understood above the letter and meane much more than is spoken namely that God will highly esteeme and comfort and revive the spirit of the humble for Christ his sweet allures and invitations of the laden and contrite heart to come to him shew that it is no despicable matter a thing to be despised is fruitlesse and of small use but this oblation of David is of exceeding much validitie and therefore he cals it first A sacrifice an offering it is wherewith if we approach before the Lord we have a good evidence before us the pledge of our peace and remission of sins because God hath so promised to accept of us for Christ his sake Secondly David cals it Sacrificia in the plurall number Sacrifices because a penitent heart why this is one for all it includes and summes up all that whatsoever it is that God accepts it is in stead of all no single sacrifice Thirdly the Prophet cals it Sacrificia Dei the sacrifices of the Lord of the Lord by way of Emphasis or excellence as Nineveh the Citie of God or the exceeding great Citie Ionah 3. and the trees of God are goodly Cedars Psal 80. and Opera Dei the works of God or which God approves Iohn 6. So the contriâ—e heart is the sacrifices of God such as to God is verie pleasing an heart that repents and beleeves in Christs bloud and seekes mercie for