are as corrupt by nature as the rest vntill they be reformed by the santified meanes ordained of God 15. Mans sinne maketh his life a due debt to death 17. The Diuell is the father of Sinne and Sinne the mother of Death ibid. The corruption of our flesh did not make our soules sinfull but the sinne of our soule did make the flesh corruptible ibid. CHAP. V. DEath is threefold corporall spirituall and that which is common both to body and soule Sect. 2. The description of Death according to the seuerall parts 3. The soule cannot properly dye being life it selfe illustrated by examples 4. How the soule is said to dye 5. The seperation from God is the death of the soule as the departing of the soule is the death of the body ibid. The nature of Death 6. Gods Spirit is the soule of our soules ibid. Man by sinne lost his life and found out death 7. It is agreeable to Gods iustice that a spirituall death should beget a corporall ibid. So soone as man had sinned so soone did the armies of death besiege his life 8. The very life of sinners is a death 9. Gods spirit must quicken and reuiue the soule or else it must needes dye and be damned 10. The degrees of the spirit in Gods elect 11. The wicked in this life doe liue in death and conuersing in earth they are bondslaues of hell 12. An effectuall faith in Christ is the life of the soule 13. What it is to be dead in sinne 14. Death is diuersly deriued with the reasons thereof 15. CHAP. VI. IT is enacted in heauen that all men must dye Sect. 1. The Registers of the death and buriall of men from the beginning witnesse the execution of Gods decree herein 2. Death is the way of all the world and the house of all men liuing ibid. Death is the Lady and Empresse of all the world 3. Balthasers Embleme is written vpon euery mans wall 4. Death respecteth no mans person place or qualities 3. Dayes and yeares and times no plea against the graue but a fitter prey for Death ibid. Death as Dan the gathering hoast sweepes all away 4. Mercilesse Death doth exercise her cruelty vpon all alike 5. Nothing can preuaile against Death or ransome our life 6. Gods hand a man may escape but Deaths dart no man can shunne 7. No force can resist it nor meanes preuent it ibid. Death is the common road-way of all the world 8. We must needes yeeld our selues to the law of Death ibid. Men may be distinguished by times but all are equall in the issue 9. As we grow our life decreaseth This whole life is but a death ibid. Man cannot be ignorant of his death since all creatures and actions proclaime his mortalitie 10. Experiments of death on euery side most apparant 11. The law of Nature conuinceth it amongst all nations 12. Our liues as our garments weare of themselues they are eaten with the Moaths we with the Time ibid. The course of our life runneth without pause to the period and end 13. An exclamation against Death most hideous and pittifull 14. 15. The Christian vse of our mortalitie with a reproofe of the carelesse Christian 16. 17. Death to the faithfull is as an hackney to carry and hasten them from earth to heauen ibid. CHAP. VII SInne brought in a sea of miseries Sect. 1. Life and misery are two twinnes which were borne together and must dye together 2. A description of infancy and old age with their miseries 3. The miserie of all estates Here death is liuing and life dying 4. There is no contentment in this wretched life 5. A description of mans sinfull mortall body 6. The frailty and brittlenesse of mans body with the reason thereof 7. See the manifold dangers of our life and how easily it is lost 8. The mutabilitie and inconstancie of mans life 9. This life is little better then hell were it not for the hope of heauen 10. This world is an Ocean sea of troubles See how fitly it resembleth it hauing a mercilesse maw to swallow vp all 11. It is a dungeon of ill sauours and a puddle of vices 12. Mans life is short and swift like a poste a ship and a shadow ibid. Our dayes passe swiftly as the Eagle to her prey and all mortall men are a prey to death 14. We are as flowers and grasse and Death in the hand of God as a sythe to cut vs downe ibid. All things dye but our sinnes which reuiue and grow young againe in despight of nature ibid. The cares of this life are like the Flyes of Egypt which giue men no rest neither day nor night 15. They are like mercilesse Tyrants which take away our peace ibid. Man and his labour are fitly resembled to the Spider and her web 16. All things are as snares to sinners to draw them to destruction 17. The meanes for Christians to auoid the snares of this life 18. It is as naturall for corrupt man to sinne as for water to run downe the channell or a Coach downe a hill 19. The best men liuing amongst the wicked are aptly resembled to Colliers and Millers ibid. The manifold engins of Sathan to enthrall vs. 20. No man can liue peaceably in this world among so many enemies of peace ibid. The warfare of Christians both outward and intestine with the occasions thereof 21. 22. Our life is as a tempestuos sea and death the onely port of tranquilitie and rest 23. CHAP. VIII MEN by dying proue they had sinned and sinne conuinceth there is a Law Sect. 1. The Law conuinceth man of sinne who without it knew not sinne 2. Sinne by the Law grew out of measure sinful with the reason thereof 3. The Law detecteth sinne as a hidden sicknesse that so we may seeke to Christ the Physitian 4. It is holy and righteous in it selfe though an occasion of euill to those that are corrupt ibid. How sinne is said to be dead without the Law 5. The Law anatomiseth sinfull man and setteth him out in his colours 6. The Law slayeth the sinner before Gods Spirit quicken him 7. Sinne and the Law are the strength and sting of Death 8. The Law not onely conuinceth man of sinne but iustifieth God in the punishment thereof 9. The horror of death with the reason thereof 10. CHAP. IX GReat and heauy was the tribute which God imposed vpon man for sinne Sect. 1. The death of the body is nothing to the damnation of body and soule in hell 2. As diseases are the maladies of the body so death is the maladie of diseases ibid. The death of the reprobate is a liuing death and a dying life 3. The life of the damned is an immortalitie of torments and euill 4. The torments of hell are vnspeakable 5. They are euerlasting and endlesse 6. Death to the vnregenerate is the very gate of hell 7. Death cannot be so feared as it ought of wicked men 8. CHAP. X.
Christ Except yee shall eate the flesh of the Sonne of man you shall haue no life in you Againe Hee that eateth my flesh dwelleth in mee and I in him Now it is all one to say that Christ is in vs and that hee abideth in vs and to say with the Apostle that Christ dwelleth in our harts by faith Hee is therefore in vs and abideth in vs and is vnited to vs by a liuely Faith And as wee eate the true and naturall flesh of Christ so wee are vnited to the true flesh of Christ but the former is by Faith therefore the latter also section 14 Againe wee are not vnited but to a liuely and quickening flesh and this is the end why wee are vnited thereto that being quickened thereby wee may liue eternally But the flesh of Christ is not a quickening flesh of it selfe but so far forth as it was taken of the Son of God into the vnitie of the person Our soule is ioyned to the soule of Christ and our naturall flesh with the flesh of Christ and therefore like vnto ours in all things sinne only excepted which teacheth vs to fasten the eyes of our mindes immediately and first of all vpon the humane flesh of Christ as it were vpon the vayle by which the entrance was into the most holy place where the glory of God most clearly shined and then after that to enter into the Sanctuary it selfe to behold his Deity section 15 Furthermore as Christ by the communication of his Spirit vniteth himselfe vnto vs so we by Faith are ioyned to him For the first By this wee know saith S. Iohn that Christ is in vs euen by the Spirit which hee hath giuen vs. Hee that hath not the Spirit of Christ saith S. Paul hee is none of his For the second saith the same Apostle that Christ dwelleth in our hearts by Faith Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood saith Christ abideth in me and I in him but hee is eaten and drunke by faith as in the same place Christ expoundeth He that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst We therefore are vnited to Christ by a liuely faith The knowledge and apprehension of which vnion with Christ by a true and liuely faith not onely ministreth a section 16 true euidence of our right and interest in Iesus Christ but putteth vs in possession of all his benefits purchased to mankinde Hence commeth assured remission and forgiuenesse of sinnes and by a necessary consequence perfect deliuerance from eternall Death by Christs obedience in Death and likewise full and perfect possession of eternall life following his obedience in fulfilling the Law For both the parts of that obedience which was really performed by Christ is communicated to vs by imputation and is truely made ours by the right of this spirituall vnion seeing while Christ how great soeuer hee be is made one flesh with vs and we with him and in regard thereof by imputation also we as the members together with Christ the head are now crucified are dead are buried are raised from death haue ascended into heauen doe sit with him in the highest heauens are blessed with Christ with all spirituall blessings and that not onely in hope but already in Christ our head wee are reputed for such in heauen with God the Father Againe two things necessarily concurre to the iustification section 17 of life First remission of our sinnes that we be not found guilty of eternall death Secondly the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ that we may be thought worthy of eternall life and neither of these can be without the other and both of them we haue of Christ For the Lord Iesus of his grace and fauour towards vs maketh that what things soeuer wee doe by this his inherent righteousnesse communicated vnto vs to make vs continually fruitfull both to our selues and others although they be most imperfect workes and stained with the corruption of the flesh yet hee I say maketh that they be pleasing and acceptable to God all our spots and blemishes being couered in the robes of Christs righteousnesse And as Adams eating of the forbidden tree was imputed to all his posteritie though they neuer tasted of the fruit with their lippes So the righteousnesse and obedience of Christ shall make all faithfull men righteous before God though they themselues as yet haue tasted no righteousnesse For God hath made him sinne for vs that knew no sinne that wee should be made the righteousnesse of God in him As therefore Christ was made sinne for vs not by infusion of sinne into his person but by imputation of our sinnes vnto him so must wee be made righteous before God not by infusion of righteousnesse into our owne persons but by imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs. As the Moone and Starres borrow all their light from the Sunne so the Church and euery member of the same borrow all their righteousnesse from Christ the Sonne of righteousnesse And as for the sinnes of the faithfull howsoeuer they section 18 cleaue vnto their bones yet if they hate them as hell from whence they are the Diuell working them they neede not care for them being heauy in waight and many in number for they haue their hope not in their own person but in the body of Christ into which they are grafted and in which there is no spot but perfection of righteousnesse euen before God himselfe Their sinnes by his meanes are put vnder their feete and they are rulers ouer them They are not imputed vnto them but vnto Christ The punishment of them is forgiuen vnto the faithfull but not forgiuen to Christ Righteousnesse is freely giuen vnto vs but it was not freely giuen vnto him he obeyed the law of his Father euery iot and tittle that he might fulfill all righteousnesse He bore the condemnation of hell and death that he might abolish it So that in him is life in him is righteousnesse in him is immortalitie and in him is the reconciled good will of God to man And that excellent wisedome which hath made vs by faith one with him the same hath made vs partakers of all his honour and blessed immortalitie If we be ingrafted into the body of Christ wee be his section 19 and he liueth in vs his victory ouer all is ours we see it by faith and all things are in subiection vnder our feete The Diuels doe challenge no good by Christ but disclaime his mercies person and all his meanes Oh what haue wee to doe with thee but euery good Christian may claime him as his due with blessed Paul and say that Christ is his righteousnesse wisedome sanctification and redemption and be bolde to affirme that though his body be in heauen yet shall I there finde it mine his diuinity on earth yet there shall I feele it mine c. All is for mee since Christ is mine
Things present things to come Life Death the world it selfe all is ours and we are Christs Christ in regard of this our vnion with him is not ashamed to call vs Brethren who yet made heauen and earth section 20 and is an immortall and glorious God one with his Father to whom all Angels doe obeysance and the most glorious Princes are but dust and ashes It was a rare thing in Moses being so high in fauour with Pharao that hee would vouchsafe to visite his poore brethren such slaues and bond-men It was singular loue in Ioseph being next to the King in honour and place yet not to be ashamed of his Fathers house being herd-men and sheepe-herds But this is nothing to the kindenesse of Iesus Christ the very shining brightnesse of that most glorious God and his onely begotten Sonne before all eternitie who yet was not ashamed of vs miserable wretched sinners but of his free grace acknowledged vs that were his very enemies in whose person he should suffer a most shamefull and slanderous Death And is it not trow you a iust condemnation if wee wretched men should be ashamed of him who being the God of glory was not ashamed of vs And as they are naturall brethren which are borne of the same Parents so all wee are brethren with Christ which are borne of God through the same spirit by which we cry Abba Father and exercise our loue one towards another in the vnitie of Christian faith section 21 Wee wrastle here with sin as though the steppes of our strength were restrained and looke euen fully vpon death as the Ialour that committeth vs to our graue as a dungeon how be it euen in this doth the Lord reach forth a most approued cordiall to reuiue the faintnesse of our hearts for through the vnion and communion we haue with Christ the vncleanenesse of our birth is washed away in the sanctification of his nature Our transgression remoued in his innocencie our rebellion discharged in his obedience and the vtmost farthing paid in his sufferings And hauing the Image of God which we lost in Adam not renewed onely but a fairer and deeper stampe thereof ingrauen and set vpon vs we may in a Christian resolution challenge at the gates of Hell and Death that nothing can be charged vpon vs as a debt and therefore nothing can light vpon vs as a punishment Wherefore though we mingle here our bread with care and drinke with weeping and haue our lodging in the bed of darkenesse and discomfort it is but to weane vs from the flesh-pots of Egypt till in the heauenly land of Canaan we haue our hearts desire section 22 And though our bodies seeme to perish for euer in in the iudgement of men yet still they haue a being in the sight of God and are members of Christ For the vnion as I haue said betweene Christ and the faithfull is not onely of our soules but of our bodies also all the bodies of the faithfull being vnited to the bodie of Christ And this is such a coniunction as Death can neuer dissolue For though it doth breake the knot betweene Man and Wife yet cannot it infringe the bond betwixt Christ and the faithfull As Death did not make a separation betwixt the two natures of Christ at the time of his suffering though his soule and body were then farre distant in regard of place the one being in heauen and the other in the graue yet were they at that time and in that case personally vnited vnto his god-head no more can Death make a diuision betwixt Christ and the faithfull though there bodies putrifie and rot in their graues yet still they remaine true members of his body And as the Husbandman doth make as great reckoning section 23 of that corne which he hath sowen in his Field and lieth vnder clods as hee doth of that which lieth safe in his barne or garner because he assureth himselfe it will come vp againe and yeelde encrease So Christ our Sauiour doth as highly esteeme of those bodies which are dead and buried as of those which remaine aliue because hee knowes that one day they shall rise againe in honour Their life is but hid for a time and will be found out againe for Christ is able to restore that which nature hath destroyed And God doth deale herein no otherwise with the bodies of his children then Goldsmiths with their old peeces of plate long agoe out of fashion who cast them in the Furnace to refine them and to bring them to a better forme according to his minde Therefore let not the wofull condition of our bodies discourage vs any whit or lessen our hope being ready to die For though the graue deuoure them wormes doe eate section 24 them fire consume them or sea swallow them vp yet being ioyned to Christ in his death and resurrection as Christ and Christians are made one indiuisible body by the bond of Gods spirit they can neuer be seuered from him And although their bodies be as it were rent from the soule by the violence of Death yet in regard of this coniunction with Christ their head neither death nor the graue can separate them from their head For though our bodie be buried in the earth yet our head is in heauen And as one that swimmeth though his body diue and sinke vnder the water yet his head being aboue the streames the whole man is sure and safe from perishing So sure are the faithfull from euerlasting death and destruction though their bodies be entrenched and enterred in their graues being members of their head Iesus Christ ascended aloft aboue the highest heauens to whom they are vnited still by an inseparable bond of his spirit which death can neuer breake CHAP. IIII. The combat and conflict of Christians with Sinne Flesh Death Law and Diuell with their heauenly conquest and triumph ouer them all through Iesus Christ section 1 SVch is the enmitie of the old Serpent in the iust iudgement of God set betweene him and Adams seede that though his head be broken yet still he will labour to bruise their heele Like a coward ouercome he lags behinde for aduantage and not daring to shew his face any more in the field hee dragges in the way and lieth aloofe vpon euery occasion to take them in a trappe Though he cannot preuaile yet prouoke vs still hee will to fight and try our manhood neither can wee otherwise be conquerours then was Christ our Captaine and head who by dying in the field recouered life both for himselfe and his Souldiers for nothing but Death can end this combat Our life is a warfare and that most strange for any section 2 other warre may haue an end either by a conclusion of peace with the enemie or by flying farre from him or by ouercomming him in fight But in this spirituall warre we cannot lawfully make any peace with these our enemies the
within the lists of heauen he neuer came thither to assaile any since he was first cast out Death therefore is the day of triumph to the faithfull ouer all their foes section 22 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is Death to shew vs that till Death be commed and gone an end of enemies will neuer come When we see so many fall in the field by fight we perceiue there is no peace to be looked for with this enemie but blessed be the dead which die in the Lord they rest from their labours as if the Saints neuer rested vntill rest and blessednes and dying in the Lord meete together Here fraile nature is the field wherein we must be euer toyling and Death as it entred by Sinne so is it the end of Sinne for for feare lest if life had beene prolonged sinne might haue more increased the Lord suffered Death to enter into the world that Sinne might cease and to preuent that nature might not end in Death God hath set downe a day when all shall rise againe so that Death in the end doth extinguish Sinne endeth our warfare and maketh our nature durable CHAP. V. The faithfull redeemed by Christ are still subiect to corporall Death and all other crosses of this life yet being sanctified vnto them they are furtherances and helpes to a blessed life section 1 NEither yet are Gods elect so redeemed from Death as that they shall not taste thereof at all for though Christ hath drunke the dregs of that cup yet euery one must haue his draught It was enacted of old as we heard that all men must die that all must goe to deaths prison without bale or maine-prise No remedy can begot no dispensation purchased Death must giue vs all our last purgation But his strength and sting is gone there is our comfort Death now is but a Physition to cure our maladies and all Deaths factours as crosses and afflictions shall but further and fit vs to a better life And why should this poynt seeme so strange and so section 2 mightily moue and amaze so many millions of men as it doth that mortalitie and death crosses and all calamities in this world are common to good men as well as to bad to the dearest Saints of God as to the vilest sinners for besides the common guilt of sinne which is cause sufficient what thing in this world haue they not common with other men with whom they haue a communitie of flesh and blood Barrennesse and penurie dearth and famine drougth and deluge warres and hostilitie shipwracke and sinking dolours and diseases with all other miseries and maladies in this world doe betide them yea many times here they shall weepe when the wicked laugh till hereafter that their sorrowes be turned into ioy and their teares wiped away Herein is the patience of the Saints the tryall of their faith and exercise of their hope seene and approued of God Christ indeede hath altered the nature of the first Death section 3 to the faithfull but not taken it quite away first it was ordeined as a punishment for sinne now it is made a passage into heauen then it was inflicted as a curse now Christ hath turned it to a blessing It did at the first depriue men of good but now it putteth them in possession of eternall happinesse Iacob not long before his death pronounced this as a curse from the Lord vpon the tribes of Simeon and Leui for their crueltie against the Shichemites that they should be diuided in Iacob and scattered in Israel yet when the children of Leui shewed their zeale and obedience in killing the Idolaters at Moses commandement the Lord turned this curse into a blessing This scattering was a furtherance vnto them to make them more fit to teach the people in euery citie and so to receiue the Tithes of euery Tribe So at the first the Lord threatned death as the punishment of sinne but by faith in Christ it is made the end of sinne and the beginning of glory He that could at the first bring light out of darknes could after bring a blessing out of a curse If Physitians by their art can extract an Antidote or preseruatiue against poyson out of poyson it selfe why may not God by his infinite wisedome and power draw good out of euil mercy out of iudgement and a blessing out of a curse Death saith a learned Father as yet remaineth for the righteous to exercise their faith withall for if immediately vpon remission of sinne there should follow immortalitie of the body faith should be abolished which wayteth in hope for that which is not yet enioyed yea the Martyrs could not testifie their faith and patience their courage constancie and loue to Christ in suffering Death for his sake section 4 Nothing is more grieuous to a Christian heart then the practise of sinne but death destroyeth them all Sinne brought in Death and Death must driue out Sinne. After death our Sanctification shall be perfect and not as here in part Faithfull men shall be like Angels in heauen readily willingly and chearefully to doe the will of God As hearbs and flowres breede wormes by nature yet wormes at length doe kill both hearbs and flowres So Sinne breedeth Death in it selfe and Death at last shall proue the bane of Sinne. As Sampson could not kill the Philistims but by his owne death no more can Christians get the conquest of sinne but by the losse of their liues At the first as was said before Death vvas ordayned as a punishment for sinne now God doth vse it as a meanes to stop the course of sinne It was said there vnto man If thou sinne thou shalt dye the death but now it is decreed thou must dye lest thou continue in sinne That which then was to be feared that men might not sinne must now of necessitie be suffered that they may be freed from sinne Sinne hath taken such a deepe roote in our bodies that it cannot be destroyed without the destruction thereof Like the Leprous houses strongly infected nothing would serue to purge them but needes they must be pulled downe Our corrupt flesh and nature must quite be plucked vp by the rootes lest any spur or sprig remayning the buds of sinne doe sprout afresh from the same our olde house must be plucked downe that so they may be built againe as new Temples to the Lord. Sinne saith one neuer ceaseth to be in our bodies vntill we come to be blessed with a shuffle If there could any humane receipt be prescribed to auoid all crosses and afflictions with death it selfe it would section 5 be purchased of some at any rate but both it is impossible that earth should redresse that which is sent from heauen and if it could be done yet the want of miserie would proue miserable vnto vs For the minde of man being cloyâ—d with continuall prosperity would grow
things consist A Stone cast out of a sling neuer resteth vntill it come to his centre so God whose centre is euery where and circumference nowhere is our onely rest and without him who is onely infinite our desires are neuer replenished which are infinite and endlesse We must therefore passe through this world as the Israelites passed through Edome who onely desired to goe through and to make no stay at all what should we set our delights in this Edome of the world our passage through it is all we should require we spend our goulden daies of prosperitie as ill husbands waste their substance we know not how and are in a manner so carelesse as if God were bound to bring vs to section 8 heauen whether we will or no. God hath set the earth vnder our feete that it should not be too much esteemed The world it selfe is of a round figure saith one but the heart of man is triangular and so comprehends more then the world Our bodies walke on earth but our soules should be in heauen by heauenly desires and we should frame our affections in forme of a Ship that is closed downeward and open vpward in a hearty desire of happy state Let my minde saith Augustine muse of it let my tongue talke of it let my heart loue it and my whole soule neuer cease to hunger and thirst after it Gods children in this world with their tryals and troubles are tilled and manured as the ground to be made section 9 fruitfull and fertill and are here proued with Symon of Syrene euery one with his crosse and must thus be contented to accompanie Christ to his Kingdome Manifold troubles are incident to all who are departing from the myre durt of Egypt to doe sacrifice to God who yet will bring them into a good land that floweth with milke and hony Here we are a flying before many Iesabels here we sit in darkenesse and see not the true light which shineth in glory Here wee are poore captaines as in Babilon how should we sing and reioyce in this vale of teares in so low and marshie a soyle naturally so subiect vnto moysture This farre Country is full of penurie and sorrow no plenty no musicke vntill wee returne vnto our fathers house while wee are on this side Iordane wee are amidst many troubles and tryals we must looke for no other vntill we come into the heauenly land of rest and what is it to liue long but to be troubled long Noahs Doue at her first flight from the Arke fetched many retyres but could finde no resting place till Noah opened the window to take her in againe So may our poore soules soare a time by lifting vp many a sigh and supplication to God who at last will open the window of his heauenly Arke and then and not before they shall finde safe footing after these worldly flouds for sure repose and rest Here we doe but sowe with teares there we shall reape in ioy Here our earthly houses are like the Tabernacles that were moueable there they shall be like the glorious Temple sure fixed Blessed are they indeed that dwell in thy house O Lord of Hosts Those that at mid-day desire to see the superiour planets section 10 and lights must goe downe into a wonderous deepe pit from the light of the horizon wherein they liue This is an Astronomicall experiment so to behold the light inaccessible and ioyes of heauen wee must be farre remoued from the loue and delights of this inferiour world whilst we set our affections on earthly things wee seeke for no better for wee looke for no higher So long as Zacheus abode in the preasse among the other people hee was vpon to low a ground to looke on Christ till hee climbed higher Seafaring men that haue long beene weather beaten in the surging Seas are wont to showt for ioy when they discerne the shoare So should Christians reioyce after so manifold stormes of this raging world to draw so neere by death and by faith to see a farre off their heauenly harbour and place of endlesse rest Worldlings are like the Reubenites content to stay on this side Iorden because it was a place fit for their Droues and cattell and nothing regarded the promised land so many desire to stay here and goe no further esteeming the profits and pleasures of this temporall life more then of the incomprehensible ioyes of life eternall They are so satisfied with earthly things that they sauour not heauenly c. men led captiue into a forraine Country from their infancie doe not onely forget their naturall language but euen the desire of returning home but to the truer Israelites all is wearinesse vntill they come into the land of rest section 11 Augustine writeth of certaine beasts that are so patient of thirst that seeing many puddles and other waters will yet neuer drinke till they come to a fountaine that is very cleare and cleane so should the faithfull stay their desire till they come indeed to the true waters of comfort so fresh and cleare Here we must but recreate our selues retaining still our thirst vntill wee come to drinke our fill at the true fountaine of blisse and happinesse The worlds manner saith one is the Iewes manner who were wont to bring the best wine first but Christ obserues his old manner and keepes the best wine last The Israelites many and often times murmured in the wildernesse thinking that after their deliuerance out of Egypt they should presently haue all sweetnesse and abundance But they were deceiued God kept that vntill they came into the land of promise wee must not looke for our happinesse here God reserueth that till hereafter Here euery day we must be gathering Mannah but when the high Sabaoth commeth then wee shall cease Ioseph gaue his brethren prouision for the way but the full sackes were kept in store vntill they came home to their fathers house God giues vs here a taste and assay of his goodnesse but the maine sea of his bountie and store is horded vp in the kingdome of heauen In this life Adam shall eate his bread in the sweate of his browes in labour and sorrow shall he eate thereof vntill he returne vnto the earth out of which he came as if the daies of man by reason of sinne were nothing else but the daies of sorrow because euery day hath her griefe and euery night his terrour The Christian soule shall neuer sing her sweetest song vntill she come to beare her part with the Saints in the ioyfull quire of heauen Wherefore if our inheritance be that wee shall raigne as kings why put we our selues in such slauerie of creatures If our birth allow vs to feede of bread in our fathers house why delight we to eate huskes prouided for the swine If a golden prize be propounded to such as winne
God then what will it be one day to be ioyned with that celestiall societie to know with them to see with them to loue with them Now what a ioy is it to consider the ioy of this most ioyfull day to all faithfull beleeuers in Iesus Christ who shall be quit by proclamation Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen How shall their hearts exult when those that were not worthy to be seruants shall be made as Gods sonnes and coheyres with Iesus Christ of euerlasting glory True happinesse saith one is to haue present all good things that the heart loueth and to haue absent and banished whatsoeuer the soule loatheth when a man both loueth that which is best and enioyeth it when a man enioyeth all that hee willeth and willeth nothing but that which is best section 5 Hee which cleaueth to the Lord is one spirit with him for true loue is the vnion of louers Such is euery one as his loue is So great then shall be our loue to God and heauen as that wee shall desire to loue nothing else For with him in his Kingdome wee shall haue perfect health without infirmitie health and saluation shall be the wals of Gods elect they shall alwayes flourish as in youth without any danger of withering old age yea they shall be of the measure of age and fulnesse of Christ wee shall haue saturitie without loathsomnesse Here the eye is neuer satisfied with seeing nor the eare with hearing but then our desire shall be replenished with all good things I shall be full with thy image saith the Prophet They shall not hunger nor thirst any more yet being full they shall still affect and in affecting shall be satisfied that their fulnesse cloy them not and that they feele no want in their desires Wee shall haue beauty without any blemish or deformitie the iust shall be as the Sunne in Gods Kingdome they shall be like Christs glorious body Our image shall be heauenly as now it is earthly We shall haue all abundance without any want for God will giue his people a place where there is no penury There shall be nothing without them which they shall neede to desire nor any thing within them which they neede to abhorre Mortalitie shall be abandoned Death shall be destroyed for euer Gods Children shall liue in safety without feare haue perfect knowledge without ignorance for now we doe but see in a glasse and then shall wee shee with open face and know as wee are knowne Wee shall haue glory without reproach ioy without sadnesse for God will then wipe away all our teares griefe and sorrow shall flye away when we shall enter into our masters ioy They that come to the maine Ocean Sea finde water section 6 enough if they come by millions to take handfuls of it So be there a multitude which no tongue can number God yet hath Crownes for their heads and Palmes for their hands when they shall follow the Lambe whither soeuer he goeth If there were so great Faith in the earth as there is most sure reward in heauen what loue should wee haue to the life to come Seeing Christ therefore hath prepared heauen for vs let vs prepare our selues for heauen What pleasure then shall wee haue when we shall be in the company of Angels when we shall see our blessed Redeemer with our eyes and the infinite brightnesse of Gods diuine light What a glory shall it be to behold that vniuersall Goodnesse in whom are all good things that greater world in whom all worlds are contained What a ioy shall it be to see him who being one is all things and yet being one and most simple in himselfe comprehendeth the perfection of all things This is the essentiall glory of the Saints this is the centre of their desires Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God This is a vision that maketh vs happy a vision that passeth the beauty of all earthly things of Gold Siluer Pearles and precious Stones of woods of fields of Sea of ayre of Sunne of Moone of Starres of Angels and all creatures for all these things haue their beauty from hence This sight of God is the full beatitude and totall glory of man to see him that made both heauen and earth to see him that made thee that redeemed thee that glorified thee For in seeing him thou shalt possesse him in possessing him thou shalt loue him thou shalt praise him for hee is the inheritance of his people he is the possession of their felicitie and the reward of their expectation section 7 Mans soule was made according to Gods image therefore it may be imployed with other things but satisfied and filled it cannot be for it being made capable of God whatsoeuer is lesse then God cannot suffice it and when it hath God it hath her hearts desire neither is there any outward thing besides that it would wish But while it desireth any outward thing it is a manifest argument that God is not within for if God be possessed it can desire no more For in as much as God is the soueraigne good yea all that good is the soule hath nothing it may wish for more but inioyeth him who is all that good is As long as the soule desireth any creature it is alwaies hungry for although it haue what it can desire of creatures yet remaineth it emptie for there is nothing that can fill it but him alone after whose Image it was created And those O Lord saith Augustine thou onely fittest who desire nothing besides thee which iudge al earthly things as dung in regard of thee and heauenly things section 8 Oh that is a happy and glorious day lasting euer and neuer at an end wherein I shall heare the voyce of ioy and thankesgiuing when I shall heare it said enter into thy Masters ioy which is perfect ioy without all sorrow There shall be the liuing life the sweet life the louely life There shall be no enemie to assault no inticement of the flesh to alure but soueraigne and sure securitie and quiet ioyfulnesse and ioyfull and blessed euerlastingnesse and euerlasting happinesse The happy Trinitie and vnitie of Trinitie and deitie of vnitie and blessed sight of deitie this is the Masters ioy O ioy aboue ioy besides which there is no ioy when shall I enter into thee that I may see my God who dwelleth in thee Blessed are they that haue escaped from sea to shoare from exile to their Countrie from the prison of this wretched life to that surpassing Pallace enioying this wished-for rest Their comfort is endlesse their mirth without mourning health without sicknesse way without wearisomnesse light without darknesse where we shall be rich without couetousnesse aduanced without pride and shal possesse all things without desire and shall liue eternally without dying any more I can sooner tell saith one what there is not in
that section 9 blessed life then what there is There is no feare no sickenesse no death no heauinesse no infirmitie no hunger no thirst no heate no cold no warre no contention no want no woe no paine no pouerty no corruption no temtation c. I haue now partly told you what there is not there will you know what is there I can say nothing but with the Apostle No eye hath seene no eare hath heard neyther hath it entred into the heart of man what vnspeakable ioyes God hath prepared for them that loue him If it be so what can I doe else but lift vp mine eyes to heauen mine eares to God and my heart to Paradise to see and vnderstand what I can comprehend vpon earth and therefore my soule longeth after thee O God and sigheth till it see the brightnesse of thy face O Kingdome of euerlasting blisse where thou O Lord the hope of all Saints art reioycing them on euery side with thy blessed sight If the wise men of the East came so farre off and reioyced to see Christ in the manger what will it be in the sight of his Elect to see him in his glory If Iohn Baptist a babe sprang in his mothers wombe for ioy of Christ so newly conceiued and not yet seene what shall his reall presence doe in his royall Kingdome but euen rauish with ioy our very hearts and soules when we shall continually enioy his most glorious sight For it passeth all other glory that the Saints haue in heauen to be admitted to the inestimable sight of Christ his face in heauen and to receiue the beames of glory from the brightnesse of his Maiestie If Solomons seruants were accounted happy of Sheba the Southerne Queene for their daily liuing and residencie in his Court and hearing of his exquisite wisedome so admirable to all the world how happy then and thrice blessed shall the Saints and seruants of God be accounted that liue continually in the Court of heauen the very Paradise and Pallace of God himselfe Blessed indeed are they that enioy the pleasures of his house in whose sight is the fulnesse of ioy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for euermore section 10 It was Moses honour to see Gods hinder parts though possibly he could not see his face and liue and shall it not be then in incomparable ioy and felicitie to the faithfull to see his glorious face in heauen If the presence of God saith one were vpon hell it would become the port of Paradise So on the contrary if the presence of our sins miseries and woes should pester heauen and reach vnto the Saints then should heauen be turned into hell rest into toyle peace into warre life into death c. To conclude as beautie seemes more excellent when it is paraleld with deformitie so will heauen shew more glorious when it is compared with hell Oh how happy and blessed is hee which with the onely desire and loue of eternitie pyneth away Such a one is neither proud with prosperitie nor cast downe with aduersitie for as hee hath nothing in this world that he loueth so is there no losse of any thing in this life that he feareth Sweete is the fountaine to the weary traueller and rest to the tyred seruant Comfortable is the coole euening after a hot sunny day yet much more sweet will it be to the Saints of this heauenly citie to haue peace after warre pleasure after paine ioy after trouble and constant securitie after their so long indured sorrowes That Citie saith Augustine is scituate aboue all the elements where no flouds can arise no stormie windes can blow no tempestuous waues can beate c. CHAP. X. The assurance and certaintie which Gods Children haue of their saluation and heauenly blisse HItherto wee haue heard of our comfortable section 1 redemption by Iesus Christ from Sin and Death and of the heauenly fruits and effects that accompany the same euen ioy and happines heauen it selfe and vnspeakable blessednesse It now remaineth that nothing may be wanting to our harts desire to set downe in few words the ground and assurance that the godly haue for the vndoubted fruition of the former blessed estate For it is not the bare knowledge of these things which the very Diuels and damned may haue but the sound euidence and the demonstratiue and infallible conclusions that the faithfull finde and feele in their soules to conuince the certaintie hereof to themselues that supporteth their Faith and Hope till they inioy their expected happinesse hereafter It might be sufficient in this respect to perswade vs if our faith were not so weake that God hath promised the performance of these things that the ground of his promise is his written Word which cannot deceiue vs no more then God can deny himselfe which word the faithfull beleeuing haue enioyed the promise and had the end of their faith euen the saluation of their soules yet for our further resolution herein I will dwell a little longer on this poynt One demanding the proofe of another life was asked section 2 for his answere whether hee beleeued there was a God which being granted it sufficeth said the answerer for if there be a God hee is righteous if hee be righteous hee must in iustice reward the good and punish the wicked Now wee know that many naughty men liue here in pompe and pleasure and seeme to dye in peace and likewise many good men in continuall anguish and affliction consuming away with sorrow and griefe to death it selfe If therefore there be a righteous God it cannot be chosen but there is another life when these good men shall rest in blisse and wicked men in woe For it is a righteous thing with God to recompence their tribulation which trouble his children and to giue rest to his that are troubled which though many times it be not executed in this life yet the Apostle concludeth it to be certainly accomplished at the comming of Christ the righteous Iudge section 3 It cannot be wee should know the grace and loue of God which is our Faith but wee must know the fruit of his loue that is his glory and eternall life which is our Hope If therefore wee be sure that God doth loue vs in Iesus Christ wee are also as sure that God will glorifie vs through Iesus Christ And as our Faith reioyceth in Gods fauour so our Hope reioyceth in Gods glory And as our Faith is sure that nothing shall separate the loue of God from vs so our Hope longeth after the incorruptible inheritance which wee feele and know to be laid vp for vs in heauen So that this constancie and boldnesse of our hope without wauering laid vp in our hearts cryeth still within vs come quickly Lord Iesus and this hope is our warrant that we are the sons of God which confuteth all such as conceiue no other thing of hope then
leaue our worldly beeing therefore to know our selues well we had neede to make some tryall and who can doe this that neuer came to proofe Vertue desires danger and obserues to what it tends what the scope thereof is and not what shee must endure for to attaine to the same for euen her very endurance is a great part of her glory A Pilot may be well knowne in time of a tempest a Souldier in the heate of battell It is alwayes best fighting with a knowne enemie and what shall an vnskilfull warriour doe that knowes not the nature subtilly weapons and policie of his aduersary A good House-holder maketh prouision for himselfe section 5 and family and buyeth before hand all necessary prouision according to his power much more ought a Christian to prepare before for that life that endureth to all eternitie Some doe as the wife that would giue none of her pottage to any till her pot was ouer-throwne and then calleth in the poore With this penaltie saith Augustine is a sinner punished that when hee dyeth hee forgetteh himselfe who in his life time thought not vpon God If a theefe be brought from the prison eyther to the Barre to be arraigned before the Iudge or to the place of execution hee will bewayle his misdemeanour past and promise reformation of life if so be hee might be deliuered In this case we are as fellons for wee are euery day going to the barre of Gods Iudgement-seate there is no stay or standing in the way Euen as the ship in the sea continues in her course day and night whether the Mariners be sleeping or waking therefore let vs prepare our selues betimes that in death we may make a happy end section 6 Many thousand soules as rockt asleepe in the cradle of securitie in this seducing world doe sodainly finde themselues within the gates of hell yet liuing on earth before they be aware For they are led through the vale of this present life as it were blindefolded with the vizard of sensuall lusts like beasts to the slaughter-house and neuer espie their dangerous estate before it be too late And most men are ready to take their farewell of the world before they thinke of their condition in the world and then they would beginne to direct their course aright when the time requireth them to make an end But one saith otherwise of himselfe drawing towards the period of his life When I was a young man my care was how to liue well since age came on my care hath beene how to dye well In this life said Augustine nothing is so sweet vnto me as to prepare for my peaceable passage from this pilgrimage of sinne to life and happinesse Alas wee encumber our selues with many things as Martha did not regarding as wee should that onely needfull thing to serue our God in life and death The tempest before expected doth lesse amaze vs when the storme shall arise Hee that leaues the world before the world leaues him and thinkes of his death as the sicke man harkneth to the clock shall say with Simeon Now let thy seruant depart in peace That which foolish men would gladly doe in the end section 7 should wise men doe in the beginning It is best with Noah to build an Arke while the season is faire and calme with prouident Ioseph to lay vp store of prouision in the dayes of plenty before the time of dearth and penury come to pinch vs while the weather is faire to thinke of a strome and when opportunitie is offered to follow our thriuing husbandry still sowing the seede of godly actions in the field of a repentant heart that so in the Autumne and end of our age we may reape the fruit of euerlasting comfort for our happy haruest and prouision to come It falleth out to vaine men many times in their death as to Pages and Seruitors in the Court who being allowed a candle to light themselues to bed doe spend it in playing and vngodly sports are afterwards constrained to goe to bed darklings So wicked men do waste the light of life by sinne and vanitie and at last are void of comfort and knowledge at the houre of death Therefore as our whole life is a passage to death so should wee make it a preparing for death that how soone soeuer the body returneth to the earth the soule may be as sure to goe to heauen Let vs doe that before death which may doe vs good after death and then sooner or later death shall not hurt vs which is only euill to the euill and good to the good If God offer grace to day thou knowest not whether he will offer the same to morrow and therefore now vse it if thou wilt be sure to vse it at all The light will shine when we shall not see the closing in of the day the euening will come when we shall not see againe the breaking forth of the morning light It behooueth euery one not so much with Ezekiah to set section 8 his houshold in order for that hee must dye as to set his soule in order his conuersation in order for that after death there is somewhat more behinde and that is called a time of iudgement Elisha could say to his seruant Is this a time to take rewards and amidst the pangs of death is that a time to thinke of amendment of life Saint Peter saith Be sober and watch for your aduersary the Diuell goeth about like a roaring Lion c. As if hee should say Watch for you haue a watchfull aduersary if yee respect his old experience hee was in Paradise if his nature a Lion if his cruelty a roaring Lion if his diligence hee seeketh if his intent that is to deuoure we had need then to watch hauing so watchfull an enemie Watch saith Christ because yee know not the houre when the Sonne of man will come As if he had said Because yee know not the houre watch euery houre because yee know not the month watch euery month because yee know not the yeare watch euery yeare Why doe wee not then keepe a continuall watch ouer our soules since we know not at what houre Death will assaile vs section 9 Carnall men are so inchanted with the harlot-like allurements of sinne and so carryed away by the violent streame of sensuall securitie as that they quite and cleane forget all remembrance of their end and become worse then Idols which haue eyes and see not yea a reasonable soule and vnderstand not But this is Sathans slight whose businesse was and is at and since the fall of the first man with this bloudy sword to slay mens soules Tâ—sh you shall not dye at all As if hee would haue vs to thinke the remembrance of death but a melancholy conceipt and lest it should make too deepe an impression of the feare of God in mans heart hee will haue the
will set vs all at rest in his due time section 12 Wee must therefore neyther hate this life for the toyles therein for that is sloath and cowardlinesse nor loue it for the delights for that is folly and vanitie but serue our selues of it to serue God in it who afterward shall place vs in ioyfull rest and replenish vs with pleasures which shall neuer more perish Againe to flye it is childish and in flying from it wee meete it Much lesse ought wee to seeke it for that is temerâ—tie nor euery one that would dye can dye It is enough that constantly wee waite for deaths comming that shee neuer finde vs vnprouided Wee must not fall sodainely vpon death but march valiantly towards the same by little and little wee must not rashly or vnaduisedly leaue our life like one that takes his runne to fetch the better rise CHAP. VII Consolations against the agony of Death and horrour of the Graue and Corruption THE very remembrance of Death is bitter section 1 enough to frayle and mortall man but the agonies and bickerings wee haue in the flesh are farre beyond the conceit of men For such is the weaknesse of our nature and the guiltinesse of sinne making warre in our flesh that without especiall aide and helpe from heauen wee shall be swallowed vp of griefe And what man is hee so strong in Faith that can contayne himselfe in this pittifull tryall of deaths combat It made Christ himselfe to sweat and cry and pray before he got the victory Although I confesse the burden of our sinnes and Gods wrath were importable to any but himselfe yet was hee fitted with grace and power without measure and for all that felt this horrour and therefore the best and strongest regenerate men cannot goe free but are made conformable to the sufferings of Christ in a measure Besides the corruption of sinne remayning in vs which finally must be purged by the bitter pill of death Ezechiah after the sentence of death pronounced section 2 against him by the Prophet complayneth how his dayes were cut off that he should goe to the gates of the graue to the pit of corruption where hee could not see the Lord any more in the Land of the liuing nor the inhabitants of the world to confesse and prayse God as the liuing doe and hope for his truth He cryes out that his habitation is remoued like a Shepheards Tent and his life cut off as the weauers webbe that God brake all his bones like a Lyon and so made an end of him This made him in his prayer to chatter like a Swallow and mourne like a Doue Hee saith hee was oppressed and walked to his graue in the bitternesse of his soule c. What should I speake of many other of the faithfull which cry out aliue as men free among the dead drawing neere to the graue and going downe to the pit who are remembred no more but cut off by Gods hand lying in a place of darknesse and in the deepe feeling Gods wrath lying vpon them being vexed with all his waues and stormes How doe they stretch out their hands with lamentable complaints saying Shall thy louing kindnesse be declared in the graue or thy faithfulnesse in destruction Shall thy wondrous workes be knowne in the darke and thy righteousnesse in the land of obliuion I omit to speake of Iob of Ionah and many of Gods children who haue rufully complained in this case section 3 If the parting company of one way-faring man with another when they haue trauelled but for a time together doe cause such sorrow and solitarinesse what a griefe then will it be to thinke that two such friends as the Soule and Body haue beene shall be separated and singled one from another which so long haue trauelled together euen from the mothers vvombe vntill the instant moment of death Betweene whom there hath beene so many knots and bands of mutuall loue O Death how imperious art thou to carnall mindes aggrauating their other miseries not onely by expectation of future payne but by the remembrance of wonted ioyes not suffering them to see ought but what may torment them Great no doubt are the horrours of death when the sicke man shall see the world his friends and all earthly things forsaking him but farre greater is the horrour of iudgement to consider hee is now going to answere for all that hee hath done in his body whether it be good or ill If the countenance of an earthly Iudge be fearefull to a guilty prisoner how much more shall the beholding of an eternall Iudge amaze all such who finde a thousand witnesses in themselues to giue in euidence against them But as hee that is to passe ouer some great and deepe Riuer vpon a narrow plancke and straite passage must not looke downeward to the streame of the water but for preuenting of feare must set his foote sure and cast his eyes to the bancke on the further side So must hee that draweth neare to death as it were looke ouer the waues thereof and fixe the eye of Faith vpon eternall life If in the time of temptation wee looke to sayle a right course neyther sincking nor slipping into the gulfe of desperation neyther battering our Barke against the rocke of presumption let vs in a contrite spirit cry to the Lord our God and say Heale my soule for I haue sinned against thee for thou healest those that are broken in heart and bindest vp their soares I see and that with ioy how my flesh must decay for looke what freshnesse soeuer was in it at the first diminisheth day by day And I neede not goe farre to seeke for death for I feele not so small an infirmitie in my body but the same is vnto mee a messenger of dissolution Yet for all this I shall see my God and when I am couered in the belly of the graue I am assured hee will reach mee his hand to raise me vp againe to immortalitie and life so that this base cottage and shade of leaues being brought to dust shall yet in the end be conuayed vnto my incorruptible house in heauen That dissolution is well bestowed that parts the soule section 4 from the body to vnite them both to God All our life here is but a vitall death How gainefull therefore is that death that determines this false and dying life and beginnes a true and happy life Hee that hath Stephens eyes to looke into heauen cannot but haue the tongue of the Saints to say Come quickly Lord Iesus Such a man seeing the glory of the end cannot but contemne the hardnesse of the way but who so wants these eyes though hee say and sweares hee feares not death beleeue him not But is thy soule sorrowfull vnto death Remember Christs prayer in his Agonie Father not my will but thine be fulfilled Teaching vs what to doe in the time of distresse what wee should thinke
violence of affliction though it soundly beat vs can separate vs from the loue of God nor the league with his creatures Into what fond vanities are we fallen if we would still be hedged in and enthralled in this vale of teares and not desire to ascend on that ladder which Iacob knew to be the gate of heauen the skirts whereof but seene and felt of the Apostles did so rauish all their sences with delight as that they onely vaunted in the crosses of Christ which was also their preseruatiue against the feare of death and their spurre and preparatiue to set the houses of their hearts in order before they descended to the graue We may learne by the very foode that nourisheth vs section 10 euen our meates and drinks to what loathsomnesse they come before they worke their perfection in vs. From life they are brought to death being dead to the fire so clean altered from that they were aliue from the fire they come to the trenchers and knife all to hackt and cut and from the trencher to the mouth and there be ground as small as the teeth can make them and so from the mouth to the stomacke there to be boyled and dressed before they be fit for our nourishment Is it then any maruell if Christians who are to be as Gods delicates and dainties in the life to come be now so defaced and deformed in this world as in a Kitchin and Mill to boyle and grinde them should by death and the graue be quite altered and changed for a time till they atchiue their happie perfection in the world to come And as we looke for no nutriment of our meate before it be digested So must we not expect for our happy state of heauenly blisse before the corruption of the world and flesh be first swallowed vp of immortalitie Raw flesh is not fit meate for the stomack nor vnmortified men meete for God and heauen till by death and graue they be altered and by Gods spirit renewed as fit Citizens for his kingdom Let vs therefore waite for sicknesse as the fore-runner of sleepe and welcome death as the sickle of the Lords haruest beholding our graue as the faithfull treasurie of our bodies and look vp to heauen as the vndoubted Paradise of our soules CHAP. VIII In what things our Christian preparation to Death doth chiefely consist section 1 HAuing indeauoured to remoue such impediments as hinder preparation and warned Gods children to auoide some dangerous rocks in this their narrow nauigation towards the hauen of death it seemeth now as necessarie for their better encouragement to set downe some safe directions to guide them in this perillous way that chearefully they may passe on without any stay till they ioyfully arriue at the land of heauenly rest Great prouision I confesse would be made for this long and waightie voyage but so many things being obserued by others I will briefely passe by them and come to the principall prouision it selfe And as for the disposing and well ordering of our goods section 2 and worldly state it is best to dispatch this businesse in the time of our strength and health before we be bound to our beds and haue to deale with sicknesse which troubleth all our senses with Physition with Death and Sathan himselfe which then will be most busie to molest vs neither will this so short a time suffice for so many waightie imployments Remember thy Creatour in the daies of thy youth saith the wise man Much more then ought we wholy to thinke on him in the time of sicknes when euery day is suspected to be the last day we haue to liue Many are affraide to make their Testaments betime as things infortunate and presaging euill but this is their ignorance and infidelitie For the disposing of our worldly goods and exempting our selues from earthly cares maketh none die more quickly but more quietly So had Ezechiah counsel from God to put his house in order Abraham deuided his goods to Isaac the rest of his Sons So Isaac dim sighted yet in good and perfect health tooke order for his children before his death So did Iacob for his Sonnes after his Fathers example Which duetie is very fit to be seasonably performed of euery Christian of any state or wealth for the cutting off of contention betweene brethren and kinsfolkes Besides that many diseases are so sharpe and sodaine they giue men small leasure to dispose of themselues much lesse so large a time as to order their goods and familie As he that dreamed of long life had suddenly his answere thou foole this night shall they take away thy soule Sodainely came the flood vpon the wicked world being eating and drinking and sodainely was Sodome consumed with fire amidst their fleshly pleasures Sodainly fell the Tower vpon the eighteene men in Syloah not expected and sodainely will Christ come in the cloudes as a theefe in the night But because all men for the most part are prouident inough for these worldly matters and meanes of state family friends Physicke c. I come to more necessarie matters concerning the soule against the time of neede section 3 The chiefest furniture and best prouision therefore for a Christian man against his death and departure out of life are faith hope and a conscience vndefiled Faith in Christ is as Noahs Arke to saue vs from drowning in the flood of our sinnes and from the deuouring of the dangerous gulfe of death amidst the proud waues and bottomelesse sea of our innumerable transgressions able to sinke and swallow vs vp with the wicked world And hope in God is as the vnmoueable anchor fastned to the almighty power of God as to the most strong and vntwineable cable ready prepared to keepe vs from Shipwrack of our soules in all the raging stormes fearefull tempest and rough passages of Death and Hell For albeit Death be a fray-bug to all faint-harted Souldiers and faithlesse men not built vpon Christ the corner stone by a liuely faith and vndoubted hope threatning and fearing them with the losse of life worldly wealth and all things else Yet the flocke of Christ doe scorne and despise her who account all the world with his wealth and pleasures but dung and drosse yea all things losse to win the loue of Christ Their riches and treasures are placed on high whither their affections and delights were sent before not basely groueling and crawling vpon this filthy earth below but aspyring and climing to the heauen of heauens whither long before they were ascended and setled All earthly things to them are but as toyes and trifles their inheritance is in heauen there is the true portion of their cuppe there be the Iemmes and Iewels that they affect euen such as are safe from rust and free from corruption And thither they are assured by death to be speedily conuayed section 4 He that hath not
of all misery and the beginning of all blessednesse It is the very bed of Downe saith one and therefore well compared to a sleepe for the dolefull bodies of Gods seruants to rest on out of the which they shall arise and awake most fresh and lusty to euerlasting life It is a passage to the Father a chariot to heauen the Lords messenger a leader vnto Christ a going to our home a deliuerance from bondage and prison a dimission from warre a securitie from all sorrowes and a manumission from all miseries It is the fulfilling of our pilgrimage the laying downe of our burden being loaden the lighting from a wilde and furious horse a dispossessing of our selues from an old ruinous house it is the escaping of all dangers the wasting and diruption of all euils the payment of our naturall debt the end of our race and iourney and our entrance into glory Wherefore though Death in it selfe be as a fiery Dragon section 13 venemous Cockatrice and stinging Serpent for poore Christians to behold in outward shew and shape yet now through Christ who hath conquered it it can neuer preuaile against vs to ouercome vs. For as a Bee without a sting may be put into the bosome so need wee not to feare to meete with death Serpent still shee may seeme in sight to the outward man yet voyd of poyson shee is to the man of God Fight it may against vs but neuer be able to foyle vs nay rather it deliuereth vs from a thousand dangers The Souldier though hee be neuer so expert in his weapons yet still hee desireth the end of warre to inioy the triumph of his fight and alwayes preferreth the comfortable league of peace before the Pikes The Mariner though hee delight and loue to saile on the seas yet still hee perswadeth himselfe the shoare to be the safest and there is no Countrey so comfortable to the traueller as is his natiue soyle If a man were shut vp in a miserable darke prison with condition hee should not come forth till the wals of the tower were fallen downe would hee not reioyce to see them ruinous and ready to fall Now our soule is kept in the body as in a prison in captiuitie and bands and when by death it beginnes to be shaken and cannot choose but fall shall we be sorry For then indeede approacheth our deliuerance and freedome from all sinne and misery and presently wee are brought to the ioyfull fruition of God himselfe and all happinesse So that this day of death is better then the day of birth yea this day which thou fearest to be thy last shall be thy natiuitie to euerlasting life And indeede we cannot make the world to dye in vs section 14 except we dye our selues Sinne which is in vs liueth in vs and fighteth against vs vntill we dying it also dye with vs and by death alone the deadly assaults of Sathan our chiefe enemy dye forthwith Yet for all this the last day of our life is vnto vs alwayes the first day to life though we neuer account the first day to be the last The things that God will haue come to passe saith one are alwayes springing and things present doe alwayes decay and perish Those things that are past are cleane dead and consumed We then are dying while we liue and then doe we cease from dying when we doe cease to liue Therefore it is better to dye alwayes to liue then to liue to dye euer One saith well to this purpose that life and death haue deceiuable vizards but let vs cast them off and wee shall change our mindes when vnder the fayre forme of life there is nothing but matter of griefe and vnder the foule and hideous maske of death such beauty and felicitie as we shall presently be taken with her loue The way of this life is straite and narrow full of thornes section 15 and bryers that we cannot escape scratching The way to Canaan is cumbersome ouer hils and mountaines and lyeth through the wildernesse where we shall finde many wants yet may we not be discouraged but the rather be assured wee are going to the promised Land We must all arriue at the port of death and land at his stayres when wee passe from this life to our graues where the body abideth the time of the restauration of all things that with all the coheyres of Christ we may enter into the Land of promise And who being a traueller in forraine parts would not gladly hasten homewards who would not willingly sayle to his friends and desire a lusty gale of winde to speede him that he might sooner see the faces of his dearest kindred If wee looke for our felicitie here we are deceiued Elias must goe to heauen in a whirle-winde God will send Iacob an Angell of comfort in his iourney after all his troubles with Laban and God will bring him home with abundance of increase at the last When old Iacob saw the chariots of Egypt then he perceiued section 16 his sonne Ioseph was aliue then his fainting spirit reuiued I will goe see him said hee before I dye Our true Ioseph liueth euen Iesus our Sauiour and seeing wee can not see him liuing let vs willingly goe by the chariots of death Since man cannot see God and liue let me dye O Lord that I may see thee When we are borne saith one wee are mortall but when wee are once dead wee become immortall We are aliue in the wombe to die in the world but wee are dead in the graue to liue in heauen Here the soules of Gods children are pent and pind within the clayie wals of their corruptible bodies where they may looke as it were thorow the yron grates of their busie thoughts but can neuer quite be released till that God who gaue vs our Mittimus into this layle send vs our deliuery with a Returne yee sonnes of Adam To be short what other thing is this death but after a section 17 long conflict the day of victory the birth of a blessed soule after a great trauell as it were in childe-birth the healing of all wounds and sicknesses the deliuerance from all feare the accomplishing of our sanctification the day of our marriage with the Lambe and the enioying of our desires Who is it then among vs who feeling with S. Paul the bondage of sin would not also cry out with him Who shall deliuer mee from this body of death And feeling the good that death bringeth vnto vs will not also desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ Death and Life are as two twins vnited and knit together vntill the seperation of the soule and the body which seperation is called Death and is rather indeede the deadly stroake of death the body being then exempted from paine and the soule from corruption and sinne waiting vntill the remnants of death be swallowed vp in victorie at the day of
resurrection And shall we so lament our death which is so gainefull The very Pagans in some places as it is recorded did celebrate the day of their death with mirth melodie and minstrelcie and shall wee that are Christians be so dismaid and cast downe should such a friend as it is be vnwelcome shall the foulenesse of his face feare vs from his good conditions shall the hardnesse of the huske hinder vs from the sweetnesse of the kirnell shall the roughnesse of the tide feare vs from the banke and shoare and so hazard our drowning rather then the desire of our home driue vs to the land with all expedition shall the hardnesse of the saddle set vs on foote to slacken our voyage rather then wee will leape vp and endure the same a little and so come swiftly to the place wee doe desire section 18 Lastly touching the heauenly life prepared for the faithfull after death if I should goe about to expresse it the more I should so doe the further I should be from it so farre exceeding the sight thought or conceit of man or any creature Behold saith Saint Iohn the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and he their God and he shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor paine for the former things are past O most blessed tabernacle O most safe refuge O region most resplendant and glorious All thy inhabitants weare crownes of glory sit in thrones of maiestie liue in life eternall and possesse a paradise of infinite pleasures Which as Saint Bernard saith are so many that they cannot be numbred of such eternitie that they are endlesse so precious as they cannot be estimated and so great as they cannot be measured This Citie is made of pure gold the very wals of precious stones hauing twelue foundations made of twelue distinct precious stones hauing twelue gates set with pearles the very streetes paued with gold interlaied with precious stones The light of this citie is Christ in his shining brightnesse sitting in the midst thereof from whose seate proceedeth the water of life and there growes the tree of life bearing continuall fruit for the continuall refection of the Saints There is no night in that citie nor any defiled thing but they which are within shall raigne for euer in vnspeakeable glory who shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father If one Sunne can lighten and fill the whole world with section 19 his brightnes if the Maiestie glory of his beames be such and so great that some Ethnicks haue worshipt him for a God and haue called him the father of gladnes the eye of the world and the fountaine of light What shall so many glorified bodies of the blessed appeare that shall be as so many Sunnes so many Lampes and so many shining lights in heauen Then shall we be blessed indeede when we shall be like vnto God which by nature is blessed and we shall be like vnto God when we shall see him as hee is For this onely sight of God is our whole happinesse O what a ioy shall it be when at one view we shall behold the most high and hidden misterie of the inseparable trinitie and of the loue of God therein For what shall not he see who seeth him that seeth all things Then shall mans minde haue perpetuall rest and peace neither shall it desire any further vnderstanding when hee hath all before his eyes that may be vnderstood Then shall mans will be quiet when he enioyeth that felicitie wherein all other good things as in the fountaine of all happinesse are contained Then shall Faith haue her perfect worke Hope shall inioy that which she long desired but Charitie shall indure for euer Then shall be sung continuall praises vnto the Lambe the song although it be alwaies sung yet it shall be euer new The ioy mirth melodie pleasure power wealth riches honour beautie fellowship dainties odors glory wisedome knowledge treasures securities peace quietnesse and eternall felicitie is beyond all vnderstanding and comprehension of man which the faithfull shall haue and inioy world without end with God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost with Angels and Arkangels Patriarks and Prophets with the Apostles and Euangelists with the Martyrs and Confessors and with the Saints of God in the pallace of the Lord in heauen the kingdome of God the glory of the Father Where there shall be an euerlasting Saboath which no euening shall end section 20 There we shall rest and we shall see we shall see and we shall loue wee shall loue and wee shall praise Behold saith Augustine that which is in the end is without end for what other end is there ordained for the godly but to attaine to that kingdome which hath no end Wee call Paradise our Country and the Patriarks our Fathers and the Saints our brethren and friends Why runne we not then with all speede to enioy our Country and to salute our Parents A great number of our friends and kinsfolkes brethren and children already assured of their immortalitie and desirous of our good doe there attend wishing and expecting our comming What ioy will it be both to them and vs there to renew our acquaintance and meete one another What pleasures are there amongst the inhabitants of heauen which now feare death no more and are sure to liue for euer Woe to the blindnesse of our eyes that see not this woe to the hardnesse of our hearts that feele not this woe to the deafenesse of our eares that heare not this in such wise as we should do where through we might be so farre from fearing death that rather wee should wish it with old Simeon Now let thy seruant depart in peace and with Dauid when shall I come and appeare before thee section 21 If true knowledge and faith possest our hearts as they should feare and doubtfulnesse would vanish quite away For assurance of heauenly things maketh vs willing to part with earthly Hee cannot contemne this life that knoweth not the other If wee would dispise this world we must thinke of heauen If wee will make death easie we must thinke of the glorious life that followeth it And if we can endure paine for health much more should wee abide a few pangs for glory How foolish are wee to feare a vanquished enemie Christ hath triumphed ouer death it bleedeth as it were and gaspeth vnder vs and yet doe we tremble It is enough that Christ died neither would he haue died but that we might die with safetie and pleasure How truely may wee say of this our Dauid thou art worth ten thousand of vs yea worth a world of Angels yet he died and died for vs. Who would therefore liue that knowes his Sauiour died Who can be a Christian and would not
world euen so long there is betweene them a certaine equalitie in the flesh though alwayes an euident distinction in the spirit So that vntill this mortall body hath put on immortalitie and the spirit of Christ which dwelleth in Gods children hath brought them to God in heauen all discommodities and casualties with Death it selfe must needs be incident to all men alike Besides that our earthly prosperitie so dulleth our spirituall senses and our great imployments in the world so carry away our affections and so hinder the remembrance of our latter end that the greatest men many times both for place and gifts doe mightily forget themselues herein and knowing it to be so haue had their speciall Memorandums I omit to speake of the preparing of their Sepulchres in their life time and the purposed placing of them in their common walkes with their set salutations of some seruant to that purpose Thus most humbly supplicating your Honour to be well pleased with this my honest purpose and christian indeuour in the fauourable acceptance thereof I commend your Honour to the gracious protection and direction of the eternall and euer liuing God who euer guide you with his spirit in all your weighty imployments to his glory and the good of his Church c. From my poore Study at Shearsbie in Leicestershire February 21. 1616. Your Honours in all Christian duties wholy deuoted in the Lord Iesus IOHN MOORE AN ABRIDGEMENT OF THE WHOLE Bookes substance OR A GENERALL TABLE of the principall poynts thereof according to the CHAPTERS and SECTIONS The first BOOKE CHAP. I. GOD in his incomprehensible Wisedome Goodnesse and Loue created man at the first as a Chrystall glasse of his glory and a liuely resemblance in a sort of his Maiestie Section 1. Mans body a briefe map and abridgement of the whole worlds perfection 2. Mans excellency and maiestie in his first Creation ibid. Man in his body resembled his Maker and in his seuerall members expressed the varietie of his perfections 4. The very Pagans admired the portraiture of mans body and preferred it before the worlds curious creation ibid. Man especially in his soule resembled God with the manner how 5. Gods Image in man appeared especially in the regiment of the creatures 6. It consisteth principally in righteousnesse holinesse and knowledge ibid. The Image of God in man is to haue the same Will Knowledge Iudgement and Reason with God in humane and heauenly things in a measure with the reason thereof 7. The difference betwixt the Image and Similitude of a thing 8. Christ is the very ingrauen forme of God and the true patterne and type of our first created image ibid. Reason and Will as two wings to the Soule did at the first guide it aright to God that so it might soare aloft with her affections to heauen and heauenly things 9. The excellent harmony in all the faculties of the Soule before Adams fall with the exquisite reason and knowledge thereof 10. CHAP. II. GOD alone is vnchangeable and all creatures haue their being standing and vpholding by him who onely is Sect. 1. Gods name and nature ibid. Adam was mortall by creation yet had he not sinned he neuer had dyed 2. Man was made of a mutable nature in power of standing and possibilitie of falling 3. The reason why God alone is vnchangeably good and all other creatures subiect to decline ibid. Three things requisite for Adam and the Angels to perseuere in goodnesse 4. Why the good Angels fell not but keepe still their standing ibid. Adam if hee would had grace sufficient to haue kept himselfe from sinne and death illustrated by examples 5 6. Adam could fall of himselfe but hee could not stand or rise againe with the vse thereof 7. Why man was made of a changeable nature 8. Man was subiect to death by nature but not of necessitie with the reason 9. CHAP. III. SAthan enuying at mans glorious estate laboured by temptations to supplant him and so preuailed Sect. 1. The manner and degrees of Sathans proceeding 2. Adam by yeelding procured his fall and so sold himselfe to Sinne and Sathan to the iust destruction of himselfe and all his seede ibid. The greatnesse of Adams sinne and the equitie of Gods Iustice in the manner of punishment 3. See the further inlargement of Adams rebellion by the degrees thereof 5. God not onely commanded his obedience but threatned his rebellion 6. Adam by his fall lost Gods Image and contemning life hee found out death ibid. The cursed fruits and effects of his fall 7. Adam procured the practise of euill before he could attaine to the knowledge thereof 8. In searching for knowledge he met with error and blindnesse both of soule and body ibid. Originall sinne as a pestilent poyson infected euery part of man 9. It is deriued from Adam by propagation and by imitation confirmed and multiplyed in all mankinde ibid. The fruits and effects of originall sinne ibid. It maketh man more degenerate then all the rest of the creatures 10. Mighty is the power and raging is the strength of originall sinne ibid. Though sinne be the greatest bondage yet wee are willingly led to the practise and obedience thereof 11. Sinne breedeth in our hearts as wormes in the wood ibid. Concupiscence the fruit of Adams transgression is the Tyrant of the flesh the Law of the members the nourishment of Sinne the feeblenesse of Nature and food of Death 12. Before wee can sinne we are lincked to sinne and before wee offend we are bound with offence ibid. CHAP. IIII. THough the cause of death be iust yet the originall thereof seemeth doubtfull Sect. 1. God is not the author of Death with the reasons why 2. The Diuell is the author of Death proued at large 3. Sathan was created an Angelicall Spirit by sinne hee made himselfe a Diuell and falling from God hee fell from goodnesse 4. Causa causae est causa causali Sathan being the cause of Sinne caused Death ibid. Man and Diuell are partners in Sinne and so in Death 5. Sathan tempted and man consented ibid. The Diuell is not the absolute cause of Sinne and Death with the reasons why 6. Sollicite he may to sinne but force he cannot ibid. Man by nature might haue declined and should in himselfe haue had the cause of sinne and so of death 7. Death hath no proper efficient cause but rather deficient 8. It is a priuation of life onely hauing a name and no nature and substance with the vse thereof ibid. Sect 9. Adams sinne was hereditary to his posteritie and so the punishment proued at large from 10. to 13. The naturall condition of mans soule by originall sinne 13. Though in the iust iudgement of God mens soules be defiled with sinne being ioyned to their bodies yet it is not of compulsion 14. God doth incline the wils of men eyther to good or euill according to his mercy and their iust deserts 16. The children of the regenerate
had not perished with the floud if the flouds of teares for sinne had flowed from mens eyes 15. Hope is the piller sustaining the building of our faith which fainting our faith falleth into the gulfe of dispaire 16. All things are possible to him which beleeueth ibid. Hope to a Christian is as a staffe to a traueller who resteth vpon it shall hardly fall 17. Despaire is a bottomelesse gulfe out of which none returneth that fall into it ibid. CHAP. IX WIthout the vndoubted hope of the resurrection Christ died in vaine our faith hope and all religion is in vaine Sect. 1. Infallible proofes of the resurrection by scriptures which are of God and cannot lie 2. Reasons drawne from the Scripture to confirme the same 3. Naturall reason and experience of the creatures conuince the truth hereof 4. Why should not our bodies rise againe from the dust as well as the seede sowne harrowed and hidden in the ground 5. Excellent resemblances and allusions of the resurrection of our bodies 6. Christ hath caried our flesh into heauen to put vs in possession and giuen vs his spirit as an earnest to seale his promises that we shall raigne with him in glory 7. Our bodies in the graue shall againe be quickned in Christ and rise againe to life carrying with them the warmenesse of Gods spirit which cannot die 8. Though our flesh doe rot yet shall the spirit of God deliuer it from corruption by the vertue of him that raised vp Christ from the dead 9. CHAP. X. THe godly groane that this mortalitie may be swallowed vp of life Sect. 2. They loath this wretched life to be vnloden of their sins 3. Our life is like a stage on which men play their parts and passe away ibid. A Christian needeth not feare the violence of death whose force is broken in Christ 4. Death as a Tailor putteth off our ouer-worne rags to apparell vs with the royall roabes of immortalitie incorruption and endlesse glory 5. A description of this sinfull wretched and miserable life 6. 7. Euery mans life is like a rocke in the Sea beaten vpon with waues on euery side and like vnto a Butt or marke at which sorrow c. shootes and at last Death that most sure Archer shootes and strikes it dead 8. The state and condition of all flesh is to be miserable and mortall 9. All kinde of miseries hunt after sinfull man and Death at length doth greedily deuoure him 10. Very fit resemblances of this wretched life 11. While we reside in the world death euery where lyeth in ambush for vs but when wee are in heauen it shall haue no place ibid. The comfortable death of Christians through Christ 12. 13. It is better to dye alwayes to liue then to liue to dye euer 14. If wee looke for our felicitie here wee are deceiued Eliah must goe to heauen in a whirle-winde 15. When we are borne we are mortall but when wee are once dead we become immortall 16. Death is as it were the birth of a blessed soule after a great trauell 17. Death and life are two twinnes inseparable vntill the diuision of soule and body ibid. It is a deliuerance from all sinne and the accomplishment of sanctification ibid. All the inhabitants of heauen weare crownes of glory sit in thrones of maiestie and possesse a Paradise of infinite pleasures 18. All glorified bodies shall shine as so many Sunnes and lamps in Gods kingdome 19. The incomparable ioyes of the kingdome of heauen shadowed out ibid. What heauenly societie and company of Saints are in Gods Kingdome 20. If we will make our death ioyfull and easie we must thinke of the glorious life that followeth it 21. If we would despise this world we must thinke of heauen ibid. Christ himselfe dyed that we might dye with more patience and pleasure ibid. It is a token of little loue to God to be so loath to goe vnto him 22. God reacheth out his hand to conduct vs but we draw backe our owne and runne away ibid. If God be our guide we must follow him to arriue in his house 23. FINIS THE FIRST BOOKE What DEATH is in it selfe CHAP. I. Of mans Creation and excellent estate before his Fall OVr most gracious God infinite in section 1 wisedome and incomprehensible in loue towards mankinde hauing before all worlds decreed to make himselfe most glorious in his Creation did in his appointed time effect the same For hauing made the world in wonderfull manner and furnished it with all varietie of creatures both for profit and pleasure deuising in his wisedome and vnspeakable loue a perfection of happinesse for man vpon the earth at last after a most exquisite manner consulted with himselfe for the shape of man and finding no creature fit enough for a patterne of his portraiture concluded with himselfe to make mankinde as a Chrystall glasse of his glory and a most liuely resemblance after a sort of his Maiestie section 2 And that not onely in the frame of his body to be as it were a briefe Map and abridgement of the whole worlds perfection which hee made as a most glorious Theatre fully replenished with most admirable sights of all sorts but which is more both in body and soule to represent his Creator as his Vicegerent and petty Monarch on the earth and seating him here as it were in his Throne and putting his owne Scepter into his hand and his Crowne of glory vpon his head gaue him dominion and rule ouer all the workes of his hands so that well may the Prophet with wonder exclaime and cry out Lord what is man that thou art so mindefull of him c. section 3 Now that this Image of God was liuely expressed in whole man resembling his Maker both in his body and in his soule doth plainly appeare by the renuing of man in Christ who is not onely sanctified in the one alone but in the other section 4 And first for mans Body it did resemble God in that immortalitie wherein it was first created as also in the seuerall members thereof expressed the varietie of his perfections and therefore in respect of Gods diuers employments in a borrowed speech are ascribed to him as the hands and armes to shew Gods omnipotencie and power his eyes and eares his piercing prouidence and sight c. I omit mans face and comely countenance in which principally doth shine a certaine imperious maiestie and grace most conspicuous causing all liuing creatures to stoupe vnto him and besides the goodly order of all his outward parts set and disposed in admirable sort a glorious beauty spreading it selfe throughout with wonderfull strength agillitie and nimblenesse of all his members made him most famous that very Naturalists and Pagans anatomizing his very body not onely preferred the frame thereof before the worlds whole curious creation but rauished in their senses with the consideration of the same deified and preferred it aboue all measure
life Onely in name to professe him is the part of dead men for as whosoeuer beleeueth not remaineth in death and hath the wrath of God still staying vpon him so none beleeueth in Christ that loues him not and none loueth him that keepeth not his commandements Hereof saith Saint Iohn to the Angell of Sardis thou hast a name that thou liuest but thou art dead so Christ called the Scribes and Pharisees painted sepulchers whose soules were dead in their bodies for want of faith Hence it was that he said to the young man let the dead burie their dead and Paul of the wanton Widdow that being aliue she was but dead Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light you hath he quickned that were dead in your trespasses and sinnes As the soule infused into the body quickeneth a massie piece of flesh which had no motion before so the soule to make it a liuely and a good soule must haue as it were a soule powred into it that is the Spirit of God and if this Spirit be absent wee are but dead from all holy motions as the body naturall is from outward actions by absence of the soule So that a man may liue a life in the flesh and yet be dead in respect of the life of God Againe as the body while it hath a soule is but a naturall body wasting it selfe like oyle in the Lampe and cannot choose but in the end to dye yet after this life shall be called a spirituall body not in substance but in qualitie because in the resurrection it shall be quickened by the spirituall power of Christ So a man that hath but simply a soule if hee haue not the true soule of the soule which is the Spirit of God to quicken and reuiue it hee is but a meere naturall man and must needes be damned Furthermore as a body raised vp and quickened by the power of God can neuer dye againe so the soule of a faithfull man being a spirituall soule hauing once receiued the earnest of Gods Spirit and a measurable power of true Sanctification from the holy Ghost can neuer dye Now the life of Gods Spirit hath three degrees in Gods elect Regeneration in this life when we are renued in our affections and doe feele a true change of minde within vs the second after this life when the soule shall be separated from the body which being once as it were released from the fetters of the flesh shall swiftly take her flight to heauen and then shall the soule liue indeede a heauenly life being altogether freed from the temptations of the Diuell and all allurements of the flesh But the highest degree of all of the soules estate is at the generall day of resurrection when the world with the lusts thereof shall passe away like a cloud and be sodainely wrapped vp like a scrole for then both the body and soule of man shall not onely enioy the presence of God but liue also with him for euer in heauenly blisse So likewise the reprobate in this life and in the life to come haue double miseries coupled to their double deaths For first while they liue they want Gods grace and fauour being strucken with terrour in their conscience as Cain that runnagate and vagabond not onely fearing their liues but being frighted at their shadowes And they haue the Diuell who is the God of this world possessing them and still leading them captiues by the cords and chaines of all manner of wickednesse towards hell and damnation and in the life to come they are not onely depriued of the presence of God but suffer and endure all endlesse and vnspeakable torments with the Diuell and his Angels As Gods Children therefore being crucified to the world and the flesh haue the life of God liuing in them which will most perfectly appeare and shew it selfe at Christs comming so all fleshly and wicked men who haue giuen themselues to the Flesh World and Diuell doe presently liue the life of hell which they carrying about in their bodies will clearely shew it selfe to their shame and confusion at the latter day So that the wicked in this life doe liue in death and conuersing in earth they are the bond-slaues of hell And as Faith in Christ as I said before is the life of the soule in Gods elect so no faith can quicken vs which is not liuely in it selfe which apprehendeth not Christ aright which worketh not by loue which flourisheth not with fruits for Faith without good workes is dead And therefore to the end wee may be reuiued being dead and buryed in our sinnes we must first beleeue in Christ which is our life and if our beliefe be liuely wee must shew it forth by our fruits otherwise we may haue a name to liue and yet be dead Now to vnderstand this poynt the better let vs obserue what it is to be dead in sinne They are said to be dead in their sinnes whom Death still holdeth in the cords and bonds thereof such as are strangers from the life or God that haue neyther sense nor feeling of their sinnes nor any motion to godlinesse to whom all goodnesse is vnsauory whose bodyes and soules are holden captiue of the Diuell whom they serue as slaues such as are void of Gods Spirit wedded to their owne wicked wils whom the God of this world hath blinded that they can neyther see nor beleeue the truth whose conuersion is as hard as to raise vp Sonnes of Stones vnto Abraham Who is more dead then hee that carryeth fire in his bosome sinne in his Conscience and doth neyther feele it nor shake it out nor tremble at it for Sathan hath gotten quiet possession and hee is carelesse in assaulting of such in whom he hath gotten a quiet dwelling Hence we may learne to loath our selues for our sinnes which bring vs into such thraldome to Death and Diuell which cut vs off from God shut vs out of heauen rob vs of saluation and bring the euerlasting wrath of God vpon vs which is vnmeasurable infinite and vnportable neuer able to be sustained of any but of Christ our infinite God and Sauiour who in maiestie and power is equall with his Father Thus we haue heard the nature of death common vnto all by the meanes of sinne without exception Well therefore is Death deriued from a word that signifies to to diuide not onely for that it maketh diuision where it comes but that without exception it equally diuides to all alike Some thinke that it proceedes from bitternesse for that the sweetnesse of the forbidden fruit proued bitter to Adam and his brood And Augustine not vnwittily deriueth Mors à morsu for that our first parents in biting the Apple were bitten of death Whence hee also alludeth to that of Osea 15. O death I
not cast our accompt that we must die There is no action without pause no warre without truce the weary workeman hath his day of rest Musicke hath her stops the Scriuen or his points we do not alwayes eate and drinke we doe not alwaies walke nor sleepe yea we doe not alwaies breath although we cannot liue without breathing but concerning our life there is no truce no pause no rest no delay but hourely yea euery moment in all places and actions we hasten to our end Whether we eate or drinke or sleepe or wake or goe or stand still the course of our life runnes out as the houre-glasse and neuer rests till it hath finished his course They which come hereafter shall march vpon our graues as we doe now vpon the sepulchers of our fathers they shall remaine in our houses as we doe now in theirs that were before vs they shall possesse our goods our lands our gold and siluer our Iewels and treasuries as we at this day enioy theirs whom we haue succeeded But I will hasten to an end though the experience be endlesse which confirmeth this point One rufully thus exclaimeth of Death How quickly and sodainely stealest thou vpon vs how secret are thy paths and waies how doubtfull is thy houre how vniuersall is thy kingdome The mighty cannot escape thy hands the wise cannot hide themselues from thee and the strong are weakened before thy face Thou accountest no man rich for that no man is able to pay the ransome for his life Thou goest euery where thou searchest euery where and thou art euery where Thou witherest the hearbes thou wastest the windes thou corruptest the aire thou dryest the waters thou changest the ages thou alterest the water and suppest vp the sea All things doe decrease and diminish but thou still remainest and raignest in the world Thou art the hammer that alwaies striketh the sword that neuer blunteth the snare that alwayes catcheth Thou art the prison whereinto euery man entreth thou art the sea wherein euery one drowneth thou art the paine that euery one suffereth O cruell Death thou snatchest vs away in our ripest age thou many times interruptest our best affaires thou robbest vs in one houre of all the gaines we euer got Thou cuttest off succession of kinreds and families thou bereauest kingdomes of their naturall heires thou fillest the world with widowes and orphanes thou breakest off the studies of the learnedst Clearks thou ouerthrowest the finest wits and best conceits in the ripest age thou ioynest the end with the beginning without giuing place to the middle thou art such a meanes as God neuer created but thy comming was by the Diuels enuie and malice Now that wee may profit by this experience of our mortall estate and not forget our selues so grosely vpon euery occasion as we doe it is necessary to haue this holy Meditation still fixed in our mindes that since we liue moue and haue our being of God that therefore our liues are not our owne but lent vs for a time we must remember that we are borne to die and must liue to die for the forgetfulnesse of Death and hope of long life makes vs so secure and carelesse as that we desire no other heauen but earth Many make a couenant with Death and clap hands with the graue hoping thereby to escape or for a time to solace themselues in the forgetfulnesse of their latter end and so bathe themselues in their fleshly pleasures and wallow like fatted Swine in the filthy stie of all vncleanenesse still following things apparant to their eyes and neuer regarding the time to come till death preuent them on a sodaine and summon them to appeare before their Iudge So it commeth to passe that as they liued wickedly they die most fearefully their hope is as the winde and their confidence like the cobwebbe Death is a terrour and a torment both to their soule and body and this is the reason they haue not learned to die Death is strange vnto them he seemes an vgly monster they dare not once behold him True it is that Death in it owne nature as partly wee haue heard is most terrible to behold that the horror thereof amazeth all our senses yet he that is armed with faith is well assured that it is sent for his profit to be as his hackney to carry and conuey him from earth to heauen from paine to pleasure from misery vexation griefe and woe to endlesse mirth melody and ioyes vnspeakeable with God for euer And seeing the sentence of death is gone forth against vs and that our soules remaine in our bodies attending the day of execution let vs detest to heare of our former wicked life as prisoners condemned to die and humble our selues in prayer vnto God reprouing the vanities of this wicked world and aduertising our friends and familiars to doe the like c. CHAP. VII Of the miserable life and wretched state of man by the meanes of Sinne and Death INfinite are the miseries of mortall men their sinne brought in a sea of euils and iust is Iobs complaint that man borne of a woman is full of wretchednesse from the day of his birth till the day of his death a whole armie of euils besiege him Tormented he is in his soule and afflicted in his body in euery part from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foote he is full of infirmities sores and maladies no place is free The first day of the life of man is a beginning of conflicts Our ingresse and egresse and whole progresse of life is set about with seuerall signes of sorrow The tender babe new borne and not yet able to speake saith Augustine doth by his teares prophesie and foretell the manifold sorrowes that are incident to this miserable life of man We enter this life with teares we passe it in toyle and end it in sorrow and torment Great and little rich and poore not one in the whole world that can pleade immunitie from this condition Life and misery saith one are as two twinnes which were borne together and must die together From the wombe to our winding-sheete our life is a warfare vpon earth no age no condition of life no day no night but brings his enemy with him as well against the man of an hundred yeares olde as against the babe new borne How full of ignorance is the time of our infancie how light and wanton are wee growing to be striplings how rash and headlong in the time of our youth how heauy and vnweildy when we come to olde age What is an infant but a bruit beast in the shape of a man and what is a young youth but as it were a wilde vntamed Asse-colt vnbridled and what is an aged heauy and crooked old man but euen a sacke and fardell stuffed with griefes and diseases He is forsaken of the world his kinsfolk friends and acquaintance his owne members and
rageth and is as restlesse as the troubled sea If hee be poore hee liueth in trauell if rich hee is proud and licentions c. The Sea changeth not but when the windes turne contrary vnto it but mans life whatsoeuer the weather and seasons are eyther calme or windy is continually troubled with alterations and stormes No man is contented with his owne estate but desireth to exchange it with another The King feeleth the weight of the Crowne and desireth to be a subiect for his safety the Subiect not content to be ruled would be a King c. Thus men vexe themselues and like vnto sicke men doe nothing else but tosse and tumble vpon their beds thinking to finde the better ease and rest and yet are deceiued seeing the cause of disquietnesse is within themselues which is their griefe and disease Great and heauy is the yoake of the Sonnes of men from the day of their birth till the day of their death the mother of all Therefore Bernard was not afraid to say that he thought this life little better then the life of hell were it not for the hope to attaine and come to the Kingdome of heauen Wee liue here as in an Ocean Sea of troubles wherein wee can see no firme land one waue falling vpon another ere the former haue wrought all his malice and spight Mischiefes striue for places as if they feared to loose their roomes if they hasted not So many good things as wee haue so many euill threaten their losse and depriuation besides many reall and positiue euils that afflict vs. Our life is lent vs as a ship to transport vs to the hauen of rest From the Cradle to the Graue we liue as it were vpon the stormy Sea neuer long quiet and at rest but troubled and tossed with the troublesome waues of this world which is a sea of hurtfull bitternesse it hath many waues of tribulations and tempests of temptations Men are here floating like fishes following and swallowing many hurtfull baites to their bane and destruction nay deuouring one another as the greater fishes doe the small It is a Sea swelling with pride blewish with enuy deepe and profound in couetousnesse no Plummet being able to sound the bottome of it casting out all that commeth in the way through excessiue miscarriage hauing a mercilesse man to swallow vp all it can get with insatiable oppression very dangerous to saile in by reason of the pernitious rockes of Desperation and Presumption lofty through the reciprocall waues of mens passions ebbing and flowing in inconstancie terrible salt through sinne very brynish are the waters thereof not to be brooked of Gods Children As in the sea are all sorts of fishes and that great Leuiathan that hath his pastime therein so there be in this world men of all natures and affections Wee can name no creatures of inclination neuer so cruell filthy and abhominable but here will be a copesmate of like qualitie and condition amongst the crowd and company of men This transitory world is a dungeon of ill sauours where vertue is poysoned with the puddle-water of vice where ranckor and despight chiefely raigne and all goodnesse is ouerwhelmed with malice where Heresie is an handmaide to sugred Hypocrisie where smooth hatred hidden ambition smiling enuy and wicked tyranny shrowd themselues Our life is encountred with capitall enemies Paine Care and Sorrow Paine bids the body battell Care continueth the skirmish and Sorrow giueth the victory This life is but a borrowed dreame of pleasure a vision of ioy a pageant of transitory delights What should I speake of the shortnesse and swiftnesse of the same It is like a Post saith Iob swiftly galloping away yet sometime hee that rideth so fast resteth and breatheth but our dayes passe away still without ceasing till wee come to our graues Our dayes passe away as the Barke of hasty messengers A ship is not made to rest but continually to sayle thorow the tempestuous sea and to set forward to the long desired hauen So are we not created to rest but to labour as the bird is made to flye vntill by Death wee be brought home to our happy Port of rest As the ship passeth thorow the Sea not leauing so much as any tracke in the waues so our life goes away swiftly and scarce leaues any signe thereof A ship is subiect to many dangers for it may be suncke by the least leake it may be ouerwhelmed with the waues it may be shiuered against the rockes it may perish by tempests it may be spoyled by Pirats so is our life subiect to many perils and may be taken from vs by a thousand dangers Our dayes flye away like an arrow and wee are kept vnder as a fogge chased by the Sunne beames and beaten downe by the heate thereof When the Sunne is at the highest the shadowes are the shortest but when it beginnes to decline and set then the shadowes well-neare change euery moment vntill they slip away with the darknesse that ensues So the dayes of all men passe away as a shadow at night which appeares the longest when it is nearest to an end Our dayes goe as an Eagle to her prey and what are men but the prey of Death which soareth after vs with an open mouth to deuoure vs Wee are as flowers and grasse and why doe wee not thinke when wee walke in the fields that Death in the hand of God is like vnto a Sythe in the hand of a labourer attending to cut vs downe euery houre Wee gather flowers in our garden and they fade presently and though wee leaue them there they wither before the euening and doe wee thinke to flourish alwayes and to haue our Spring-time continuall in this world Our dayes slide away like the winde and fayle without hope our bodies ebbe and turne backe like the course of waters all the time which thou seest flyes away with the time it selfe Nothing remaines of all that wee see Euen I while I am now writing that all things are changed am changed my selfe See therefore our folly that wee should so dearely loue a thing that so quickely leaues vs for euery moment of this life is the death of the other There is nothing in vs that will not by and by be dead onely our sinnes liue yea reuiue and grow young againe in despight of Nature Our Spring is fading our Lampe is wasting and the tyde of our life is drawing by degrees to a very low ebbe Whatsoeuer we doe our wheele whirles about apace and we must learne to know that euery one of vs hath a poore soule to saue And not to forget the cares of this life How doe they swarme about vs like the Flyes of Egypt Of all the plagues this was most loathsome for they neuer suffered men to rest but the more they were beaten off the more they came vpon them so of all miseries and vexations of mortall men this is
earth with as great violence as Ioab from the hornes of the altar whither he fled for a refuge to saue his life What will the wicked doe in the extremity of Gods iudgement whither will they turne them whose helpe will they craue when all things shall cause them to feare and proclaime open vengeance against them Aboue them shall be their Iudge offended with their sinnes beneath hell gaping to deuoure them on their right hand shall be their sinnes accusing them on the left hand the Diuels as tormentours ready to receiue them within them their conscience grieuing without them infinite damned soules wailing weeping and gnashing their teeth Good Lord what will wretched sinners doe inuironed with all these miseries how will their hearts sustaine these anguishes what way will they take to goe backe is impossible to goe forward is intollerable What then shall they doe but as Christ foretold desperately seeke for Death and shall not finde it cry to the Mountaines to couer them who yet shall not stirre to hide them they shall stand forlorne as miserable caitifes to their dreadfull and deadly doome Goe yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell and his Angels For in that man offendeth the Lord and creatour of all things he offendeth also all the creatures together in him whither therefore may he goe for as much as he hath made all things become enemies vnto him There is nothing now left to take his part euen so much as his owne conscience within him barketh out against him yea it is the duetie also of the faithfull to reioyce in the damnation of the wicked as well as to be glad for the saluation of Gods elect and howsoeuer to magnifie the righteousnesse of God The Rauens must haue Hogges garbages Partridges must be set vpon the board before Lords and great men A Murtherer must be laid vpon a Hurdle And it is as meete for Iudas to sit in Hell as for Saint Peter to sit in Heauen And vessels of dishonour are as necessarie for the glory of Gods house as precious vessels of gold for the honour of his seruice Yet this is the height of their horrour when the wicked had rather be tormented in hell then to see the face of Christ their fearefull Iudge wishing the very Mountaines to hide them and the Hils and Rockes to couer them from the glory of his presence Hitherto what Death is in it selfe Now it followeth to shew what it is through Christ to the faithfull The end of the first Booke THE SECOND BOOKE What DEATH is in Christ CHAP. I. Christ alone and none other can and doth redeeme vs from death and damnation WHat our fearefull estate is without Christ we haue heard before being holden in the shadow of death by the chaines of our sins the weight and burthen whereof is the law of God laid vpon vs Hell is our prison and Death is our Gaolor to hold vs. See how fast we are locked from God and his Saints in the dungeon of Death by the meanes of sinne which is a sword to the heart a serpent in the bosome poyson in the stomacke a thiefe in the house It woundeth Nature stingeth the conscience killeth charitie and depriueth vs of Gods fauour which is the worst of all Now in this distresse Christ came to visite vs in his due time euen God and man a right redeemer for vs he tooke our cause vpon him and wrestled with the Diuell that held vs by our sinnes in Death This mighty Sauiour tooke flesh and blood to take our part none could be our Mediatour but he alone none amongst the Angels for they are no men not any amongst the Saints for they were all sinners neither any amongst the other creatures for they were all corruptible so that we can neither giue gold nor siluer for the redemption of our soules neither can wee trust in the merits of Angels and Saints who all want vertue for this worke but onely in Christ the Sonne of God and man a meete redeemer for vs who is our Priest alone abiding for euer because he liueth for euer neither can his Priesthood be translated to another and as the sacrifice is his owne so hee is Priest alone to offer it to his Father which he did once for all vpon the Crosse for all belieuers All promise and hope of life is in Christ alone who hath alone the word of life who is alone the bread of life the water of life the author of life yea life it selfe he that beleeueth in him hath euerlasting life and hee that dwelleth not in him shall neuer see life but abideth still in death Take hold of Christ and take hold of life if thou reach out thy hand to any other thing thou catchest for the winde Looke not for life but where it dwelleth in the flesh of Christ alone there it resteth Death hath reigned in all the world beside and ledde euery creature into bondage If thou lookest to the heauens there is but clouds and darknes if to the earth there is but sorrow and sadnesse If thou callest to Abraham he knoweth thee not if thou cry to Angels they cannot comfort thee if thou looke into thy workes they are vncleane if thou trust in thy prayers the Lord hath no pleasure in them call for the helpe of all creatures they are subiect to vanitie there is no life nor rest but in Christ alone The elders and Angels the beasts and all creatures they giue this honour vnto Christ alone Saluation is to him that sitteth vpon the throne and of the Lambe and they all shoute together and say Amen He that would not wander and goe astray should know both whither and which way to goe Now both of those we haue in Christ alone very God and very man for in that he is God and consequently life to him wee must goe and in that he is man by him wee must come vnto God and be vnited with him that we may obtaine euerlasting life and be freed from death If he be the life then is he the place to whom we must goe if he be the way by him we must trauell to attaine eternall life and if he be the truth that is the accomplishment of the law and Prophets concerning both the shadowes and substance of Gods promises then also is he the onely meanes of our redemption God was so gracious and mercifull vnto mankinde that he bestowed not onely his goods but himselfe to redeeme vs and that not so much for his owne sake as for mans behoofe That man might be borne of God God was first borne of Man Who can hate man whose nature and likenesse hee beholdeth in the humanity of God Doubtlesse who so loueth not man hateth God and so abideth in death God became man for mans sake that he might be a redeemer as he was before a creatour that men not
the race and winne the goale why step wee aside to follow flies and feathers in the ayre CHAP. VII The faithfull in this life are subiect to manifold infirmities their bodies and soules are vnder the thraldome of Sinne and corruption but Death breakes their bonds and setteth them at libertie section 1 MOst lamentable and fearefull is Saint Pauls complaint in the person of the faithfull that he is carnall and sould vnder sinne doing those things which he hateth and omitting the good things he willeth that in his flesh dwelleth no good thing and therefore crieth out as a miserable caitiue to be deliuered from the body of this death For as man at the first by sin rebelled against his maker so all things while he liueth shall rebell against him euen man against himselfe the flesh against the spirit yea both of them doe what wee can are lyable to the tyrannie of sin which as a soule and an vncleane spirit hauing entred will not againe without much renting and torment be driuen out a doores And were it not that our strong man armed far greater then sinne had dispossessed him with violence desperate and forlorne had beene our estate yet here in this life the battell is but begun and must continue all our tearme as we haue heard onely death must end the wars and make our conquest pleasant God here will haue vs humbled all our daies before he will fully exalt vs when all times and daies shall cease section 2 The corruptions of this life and manifold infirmities of our nature shall be as gyues about our legs and fetters about our feete to shew our guilty condition and what we are He therefore that desireth so greatly to liue is like a foolish prisoner delighting in his bolts that may be free from his fetters and careth not that may goe out of the Iayle and will not Shall the bruite beasts and senceles creatures being subiect to vanitie grone in their kinde for the redemption of Gods Sonnes when they shall be freed from the bondage of sinne and shall wee that are Christians endued with reason yea and aboue reason inlightened with Gods holy Spirit especially when it standeth vpon our ioyfull being and euerlasting dwelling with God in heauen shall wee not I say lift vp our mindes beyond this rottennesse of earth Surely the very creatures shall condemne our backwardnesse herein that we are worse then beasts bereaued of sense and reason Wee may say of our vnruly flesh as one said once of a troublesome neighbour Neyther can I liue with thee section 3 neyther yet can I be without thee Here our nature like Hagar the bond-woman is very disdainfull toward Sarah the free-woman where the rebellious appetites striue against the regiment of Reason where our wit like another Heuah still prouoketh vs to reach of the forbidden fruit where Sinne like Tarquinius the proud would tyrannize challenge so a perpetuall Dictatorship We must not therefore commit the guard of our selues to this body of sinne nor mingle our soules with the corruption therof Ioyne with thy friends not with thine enemies the flesh is thine enemy because it contradicteth the vnderstanding and contends after nothing but to sow enimities and troubles Mingle not thy soule therewith for feare thou confound and defile it together for making this commixtion thy flesh which should be a subiect comes to contemne the soule which ought to command as a Soueraigne seeing shee giues life to the body and the flesh on the contrary effects the death of the soule Though the soule be infused into the body yet wee may not thinke that shee is confounded with the body Consider the light for an example though it peirce into euery place yet is it not mixed therewith wee must not therefore confound the office and effects of so different substances but let it reside in the body to quicken lighten and gouerne the same section 4 Wee see by experience when wee muse and meditate on a matter wee would not willingly see any body wee like not to heare any noyse about our eares hauing sometime our minde so fixed on our thoughts that wee see not that which is before our eyes And in the night our cogitations are more firme and wee conceiue the better of that in our hearts which serues for our learning and instruction Oftentimes many men close their eyes when they would profoundly consider of any affayres auoyding at such times the impediments of sight otherwhiles seeking out some solitary places to the end no company may hinder their contemplations For this body of ours procureth diuers imployments which dulleth the soules poynt and slackens our intentions Well therefore said Iob Thou hast made me of the clay and slime Our soules are as it were plastered with the flesh but they dissolue not into it Thou hast apparelled mee with skinne saith hee and flesh thou hast enterlaced mee with bones and sinewes so that our soule is confined and extended through the sinewes that many times shee is made stiffe as it were thereby and sometimes crooked by the heauy affections thereof section 5 Wee must therefore rouze vp our soules aboue the bed of our flesh and rise out of this rotten sepulchre of the body of sinne that wee may the more nimbly mount aloft towards heauen and so retyre from this dangerous coniunction of the body Let vs chearefully martch forwards towards our happy home for what other thing is Death to the faithfull but the funerall of their vices and the resurrection of their vertues Let vs therefore swiftly ascend with the flight of loue to that high and happy hill where wee hope to rest Let our soules soare aloft like the Eagle who flyes aboue the clouds shee glisters and shines afresh by the renewing of her plumes shee raises her flight to the skyes where she cannot be intrapped by the snare like other foolish Fowles which descending downeward are intrapped by the Fowler So take wee heede lest our soules groueling on the earth be insnared with Sathans gyns and worldly baites Now the better to discerne the state of our soules let section 6 vs learne of the Musitian who according to the songs that he singeth or playeth vpon the Lute Harpe or Recorder hath his countenance and passions accordingly framed and affected So the soule which vseth the body and playeth vpon it as an Instrument of Musicke if she be sage wise and godly will expresse as it were with her fingers ends the most inward parts and passions so that a pleasant harmony of good manners will redound thereof and we shal see her obserue such melody in her thoughts and affayres as that her deliberations and executions will most sweetly accord It is the soule therefore that needeth the body but as an instrument and therefore soueraignetie is one thing and seruice another and there is great difference betweene that which wee are and that which wee ought to be As
the Bee doth fall among the weedes which seeme section 7 sweet flowers and lights on this and sits on that and tasting all is pleased with none but flyes away so here the faithfull soule findes no delight in these flowers of sinfull flesh and worldly weedes but like Noahs naked doue returnes againe whence she was sent and soares to heauen No more then shall Gods Children paine themselues in heaping together these exhalations of the earth for the heauens shall be ours and this masse of earth which euer draweth vs to the earth shall be buryed in the earth No more then shall wee weary our selues with mounting from degree to degree and from honour to honour for wee shall highly be raised aboue all heights of the world and from on high laugh at the folly of all those wee admired who fight here foolishly for lesse then a poynt or an apple like little children No more then shall we haue such combats in our selues for our flesh shall be dead and our spirit in full life our passions buryed and our Reason freed in perfection Our soule deliuered out of this foule and filthy prison shall againe draw her owne breath recognize her ancient dwelling and againe remember her former glory section 8 This flesh which wee feele this body which we touch is not properly man Man is from heauen heauen is his Countrey and his Ayre That hee is in his body is but by way of exile and confinement Man indeede is soule and spirit man is rather of celestiall and diuine qualitie wherein is nothing grosse or materiall This body such as it is is but the barke and shell of the soule which must needes be broken if wee will be hatched for a heauenly life if wee will truely liue and see the light Wee looke but through false spectacles wee haue eyes but ouer-growne with pearles wee thinke wee see but it is in a dreame wherein wee see nothing but deceit All that wee haue and all that we know is but abuse and villany Death onely can restore vs both life and light And yet so blockish are wee that wee thinke shee comes to rob vs of them Though our soule now for a while be bound to our bodies as Isaack was tyed to the Altar yet so soone as the bonds are loosed it mounteth vp to heauen a place of ioy and blisse Death depriues the soule of no good but freeing it from the burden of the flesh makes it fitter for goodnesse It is the very graue of sinne to the faithfull and the instrument and meanes to raise them vp to the life of righteousnesse through it the sinfull bodies are resolued to dust that so defiled the soule and so the soule once separated aspireth to the heauenly Spheares section 9 The nature of the earth saith one is cold and drye so are our earthly affections to deuotion and pietie The earth stands still without motion and hath the circumference carryed round about it so Gods benefits compasse earthly men and yet they are nothing moued The earth doth often extinguish hot and fiery exhalations which otherwise would ascend so doe earthly affections many holy and heauenly motions of remembring our latter end But the qualitie of the earth which wee should imitate for our good is to be fruitfull after tilling because that the ground which bringeth forth bryars and thornes is subiect to a curse The dearest children of God here in the flesh are as section 10 poysoned vessels washed by the holy Ghost wherein notwithstanding there rests some taste and tallage of the former corruptions But the reprobate and wicked are as barrels full of poyson infused of the Diuell wherein the spirit of God neuer shewed his power Sinne in the regenerate hath a deadly wound and is like the Sun faintly appearing through a thicke cloud but in the wicked it hath a full and violent course Yet if wee haue receiued but the earnest-penny of Gods Spirit in this life wee shall be sure to receiue our full wages and pay in the life to come Neyther neede wee be dismaid that we limpe with Iacob and be imperfect in this life for if wee had no infirmities wee should be as proud as the Diuell whereas now they serue to humble vs and make vs thankfull vnto God so mercifully restrayning them and so fatherly passing by them and so they serue to multiply our grones vnto God the sooner to be freed from this body and bondage of sinne God doth here buffet his children with their imperfections as he did Paul lest they should grow insolent Now the Lord will trust vs no more with perfection since Adam lost it in Paradise but will exercise vs with our weaknesses lest wee should step into our old mothers conceipt to thinke our selues Gods And thus the Lord cureth our grosse sinnes by our infirmities euen as the best Triacle is made of poyson and the skinne of a Viper is the best cure against the sting of a Viper And though our infirmities be simply euill yet qualified and tempered with God our Physitians hand they are turned to our good If God be on our side who can be against vs Nay rather section 11 saith Chrisostome who is not against vs But howsoeuer they are against vs they shall not long trouble vs for God is a recorder of our patience and Death the finisher of our paine And though the heauy burden of our sinfull flesh doe load vs yet lightsomnesse it is to a Christian to thinke that the way is not long The traueller thinking of his Inne but especially of his home which is the end of his trauell goeth more chearfully on to the end of his iourney The bond-man calling to minde the yeares of Iubilee endureth with more patience the yeares of his bondage Great are our troubles and trauels in this life but saluation will one day make amends for all when wee shall once be landed on the shoare of perfect securitie and be deliuered from all toylesome labours c. Happy yea thrice happy and blessed shall the faithfull be being departed from a shadow of life to true life it selfe from darknesse to light from trouble to rest from sinfull men to the most holy God when the battell of their warfare shall be ended and they quite freed from al the throes of Sinne and Death section 12 One faith well that the word of God is swift and it requireth a speedy follower if speede in following much more in attayning if speede in the body which is a burden of sinne much more when the soule hath put it off if vnder the crosse wee groane and yet goe forward with how much more speede shall wee haste to the Crowne when all teares shall be wiped from our eyes And if it be true of a glorified body as Augustine speaketh that the body is straight where the minde will how much rather shall a sanctified soule disburdened of the body
holy life heauenly conuersation chearefull death and blessed daparture of the faithfull redeemed by Christ section 1 GOds children now being redeemed from Sinne and Death and truely vnited to Christ by his spirit whom they apprehend by an vnfained faith cannot chuse but shew forth the fruits of this their high calling to the glory of him that hath chosen them And being partakers of the diuine nature they flye from the corruptions of the world and giue all diligence to ioyne vertue with their faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindenesse and with brotherly kindenesse loue and these things being among them and abounding will keepe them from being idle and vnfruitfull The grace of God to them appeareth not in vaine but teacheth them to denie all vngodlinesse and worldly lusts to liue soberly righteously godly in this present world c. and being risen with Christ from the graue of corruption they euery day more and more seeke those things which are aboue setting their affections where Christ sitteth and not on the things that are on the earth for they are dead to the world and their true life is hid with God in Christ therefore they labour to be holy as he that hath called them to his kingdome and glory is holy They daily imploy themselues in reading and meditating of the word of God in prayer and religious exercises of holy deuotion loathing still this world and sinfull life daily growing to be spirituall and heauenly hauing their affections and zeale inflamed with the loue of God They say with Augustine O Lord I delight to heare of thee to talke of thee to write of thee to deuise of thee and in my heart to print whatsoeuer I learne of thee So must wee walke in these holy paths with all Gods Saints Godly deuotion and holy meditations saith one are section 2 as brine and pickle to keepe and preserue this corruptible flesh of ours from the euill scent that breedeth in our nature by originall sinne They are as faggots and firebrands that enkindle and inflame the loue of God in our hearts And as the fish out of the water die forthwith and the drops of raine distilling from the clouds vpon the ground doe quickly dry and drench vp and the fire without fuell is soone extinguished So our faith and loue c. without these sanctified meanes doe suddenly decrease They are as precious perfumes burnt in a polluted house and sick-mans chamber The sweet incense of prayer and the sauory smell of that odorifferous balme of a liuely faith and effectuall knowledge of God purge and clense the corruption of our liues and vncleane desires God hath chosen vs to be his glorious temple in whom hee dwelleth by his spirit therefore wee must haue our hearts purified by faith and clense our selues from all filthinesse and vncleanenesse both of bodies and soules and so adorne the place of his presence and habitation with all vertue and holinesse Hee that destroyeth the Temple of God him will God destroy for the Temple of God is holy which you are Saint Peter willeth vs to gird vp the loynes of our mindes teaching vs that as they which weare long garments when they come in the foule wayes doe take and gird them vp lest they should tag in the way So we whose mindes and affections doe traile as it were vpon the earth trudging through this foule and filthy world must heaue them vp towards heauen lest they should touch the damnable filth of sinne and wickednesse It is in vaine to boast of iustification without the vnfained sanctification of Gods spirit For as there can be no fire section 3 without warmth and light so neither can God by his spirit be in vs of with any of vs but he will also purifie vs from vice and corruption therefore wee must follow peace and holinesse without the which no man can see the Lord. Christ hath crucified our old man and put to death our vice and corruption and shall wee reuiue the same Shall we maintaine our Sauiours enemies and giue life againe to these deadly poysons of our soules If wee will be Burgesses of heauen we must be strangers to the earth Where is the house of our Father but in heauen and there dwelleth our eldest brother Iesus Christ and all our christian friends and kindred Heauen then is our true Country and on earth we are but trauellers section 4 When Moses had conuersed with God but fortie daies vpon the Mount-Oliue at his comming downe his face shined and glistered with heauenly glory So must we beholding in a mirror the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ in his word and Gospell as it were with open face and not with a vaile as did Moses be changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. If I say but this short time while we liue we be conuersant in heauen by our most holy faith and fruits thereof in all holy affections thoughts words and meditations we shall in the end become heauenly and spirituall both in word and deede As wee see by experience when a country-man hath beene trayned vp sometime in the Court he forgetteth his clownish kinde of life and becommeth a Courtier Let vs therefore leaue the speaches habit fashions and manners of this wicked world wherein we liue and inure our selues with the customes and course of the court of Heauen Let all our thoughts words and communication testifie that in spirit wee are already there section 5 Christ Iesus whom all true Christians haue put on by baptisme as a garment is a most royall robe of grace holinesse and sanctification and shall we be so sloathfull to traile and trample him in the dyrt of filthinesse and sinne or putting him off to put on the vile and spotted garment of the flesh by following the lusts thereof When winter is once ouer the nearer that the Sunne draweth vnto vs the more doth the earth being warmed with the heate thereof fructifie and increase and the longer the daies are the more worke we may doe euen so the nearer the kingdome of heauen doth approach vnto vs by the comming of Iesus Christ the sonne of righteousnesse or the nearer we draw to death the more we should be inflamed in the loue of God and all good workes As the Sunne beames doe come to the earth and yet are in the region from whence they are sent so the mindes and soules of Gods children though conuersant in the earth are truely seated and setled with God in heauen from whence they came Let vaine-glorious worldlings who with the Camaelion section 6 liue by the ayre and therefore are alwaies found gaping and who haue with the Moone but a borrowed light in the world and no true light of
which were lost by sinne returne againe vnto vs as soone as we leaue this world section 12 Now where coelestiall things succeede terrestriall great and inestimable things those that are small and base eternall and euerlasting such as are transitorie and fraile is there any occasion so to waile and weepe It belongeth to him to feare death that would not goe to Christ which beleeueth not that then hee begins to reigne in heauen when hee leaues the earth wherefore wee must iudge of death not as it seemeth in it selfe but as it is in Christ Naturally we desire to be and consequently wee shunne death which depriues vs of our being heere Death I confesse is fearefull to the dearest children of God for a while because it is repugnant to their nature yet notwithstanding we see our estate being holden as prisoners in this body of sinne so long as wee liue and therefore we ought to long for the euerlasting life which is promised vs after death For when wee draw nigh towards death then come we neere to it and death is the very gate of life assuring our selues that since Iesus Christ himselfe hath passed that way we neede not be dismayed that death shall conquer vs for it is now through him but as a rebated sword and blunted knife whose edges and points are bowed and broken which albeit they draw some bloud yet serueth it but to purge vs. Neyther doth God euer suffer his Elect to depart this section 13 life without great comfort vntill they haue seene their Sauiour with old Simeon eyther in soule or Spirit The life of this perswasion is the death of sinne and such hope of eternitie is the reuenge of iniquitie Fye vpon sinne whilest I behold my Sauiour fie vpon shame whilest I behold my glory Heauen is my hope the spirituall visions of my heart are the impressions of my ioy Therefore let vs shake off feare and arme our selues to runne this race not seeking any by-way but keeping on the high-way to heauen whither Christ our captaine hath already conducted vs in his flesh CHAP. IX The blessed and vnspeakable happinesse ioy and immortalitie of the faithfull after this life ended NOw that our desires may be further inlarged section 1 towards heauen and our affections the better with-drawne from the loue of this deceitfull life and world of vanities it will not be amisse at the least to meditate on those compleat ioyes which no tongue indeede is able to expresse or heart of man conceiue which Christ by his bitter death and sufferings hath full dearely purchased for vs. Saint Paul counteth all the afflictions of this life that men can suffer not to be worthy of the glory which shall be shewed which he calleth an eternall waight of glory Our afflictions here are but momentany and temporall but the ioyes of heauen are eternall not possible to be expressed It is a shew beautifull in sense wonderfull in waight excessiue in measure without bounds in dignitie without comparison and in continuance without end yea it is such and so great that as one torment in hell shall make a reprobate to forget all his worldly pleasures so the least taste of this glory shall make the heyres of God to forget all their former miseries This glory is like God the giuer of it that must be imbraced for the excellencie of it and thirsted after for the eternitie of it The ioyes of heauen as farre exceed these prison-ioyes section 2 on earth as Mannah in the Wildernesse did the flesh-pots of Egypt and the bread that the lost sonne ate in his fathers house the huskes he ate abroad with Swine They are so great saith one that they cannot be measured so long that they cannot be limited so many that they cannot be numbred so precious that they cannot be valued yet wee shall see them without wearinesse loue them without measure and praise them without end God in creating this transitory world which yet is but a poore cottage to his eternall habitation what power what magnificence what maiestie hath he shewed therein what glorious heauens and how wonderfull hath hee created what infinite Starres and other Lights hath he deuised what Elements hath he framed and how strangely hath hee compact them together The Seas tossing and tumbling without rest so well replenished with all sorts of fish the Riuers running incessantly through the earth like veynes in the body and yet neuer to be empty or ouer-flow the same The Earth it selfe so furnished with all varietie of creatures as that the hundred part thereof are not imployed by man but remaine to shew to man the full hand and strong arme of his Creator And all this was done in an instant with one word and that for a small time in respect of the eternitie to come What then shall wee conceiue of the house of God that glorious heauen it selfe If the cottage of his meanest seruant and that made for a time to beare off as it were a showre of raine be so princely so glorious so gorgeous so full of maiestie as wee see this world is what must we think that the Kings Pallace it selfe is appoynted for all eternitie for himselfe and his friends to liue and raigne in for euer O Lord saith Augustine if thou in this vile body of ours giuest vs so great and innumerable benefits from the firmament section 3 from the ayre from the earth from the sea by light by darkenesse by heate by shadow by dewes by showres by windes by raines by birds by fishes by beasts by trees by hearbs by plants and by such varietie and ministery of all thy creatures Oh sweet Lord what manner of things how great how good and how infinite are those which thou hast prepared in our heauenly Countrey where we shall see thee face to face If thou doe so great things for vs in our prison what wilt thou giue vnto vs in our Pallace If thy enemies and thy friends be so well prouided for together in this life what shall thy onely friends receiue in the life to come If our Iayle containe so great matters what shall our Countrey and Kingdome doe O my Lord and God thou art a great God and as there is no end of thy greatnesse nor measure of thy wisedome nor number of thy mercies so is there neyther end number nor measure of thy rewards towards them that loue thee But these ioyes alas can we not comprehend whilest we liue in loue with this world no more then a prisoner shut vp in a dungeon can know what is done in a Princes pallace or a banished man in a forraine land can learne what is done in his Country from which he is exiled If the very remembrance of the ioyes of heauen so affect section 4 Gods Children what will the fruition doe Wee are somewhat moued when wee call to minde that all the Saints in heauen doe know God all see God all loue
to desire to haue a thing whereof we doubt for being demanded whither they be sure to be saued they answer they can haue no assurance for then how could they hope Thus they make hope a doubtfull desire of a thing they wish instead of a present feeling of the thing they long for But we are then indeede the children of God if we hold the reioycing of our hope stedfast and sure vnto the end section 4 Neither must Christians be discouraged though their hoped-for glory come not so soone as it is looked for for God giueth them the plastour of patience which shall suffice and support their hope for he is sure that hath promised but not to be prescribed a time by vs but he must take his own time our patience must preuent al distrust Faith is the foundation of our hope for what can we hope for except we beleeue it as the ground of faith is the word promise for why should we beleeue but in respect of Gods promise Faith telleth vs we beate not the ayre hope biddeth vs hold on our race finish the course fight the combat and then expect the crowne of glory yea Faith is fastened by hope that it doe not wander and is continued by hope that it doe not hasten but wait the time it is confirmed by hope that we may hold on the Faith Example we haue in the Cananitish woman who suffered three denials of Christ each of them doubled with seuerall reproaches yet her faith was relieued by her hope and she had her desire So Iacob wrestled with God by Faith and in an assured hope told him flatly to his face that he would not let him goe vntill he had blessed him Faith will not flye or yeeld a foot to her spirituall foes and hope will neuer be foyled It is the sure and certaine anchor of safety to keepe both ship and sailes from dangerous shipwracke The saile that maketh the Ship of our life to ride merily section 5 amidst the loftie surges of the Sea of this troublesome world is our apparant and stedfast profession of faith in Christ taking hold of the middle-mast of his promises and nestling it selfe in them as Doues in the holes of rocks hoysting vp rhe harts of the godly aboue al earthly things giuing them a safe thorow-fare and free passage through all the stormes and tempests of this wretched life The Apostle bringeth forth a cloud of examples of such who by the sailes of faith haue passed the pikes of this dangerous nauigation and haue happily arriued at the heauenly hauen of rest A faithfull heart is furnished like a Ship of warre with shot and powder and other strong munition which will surely make all hellish Pyrots and fleshly force either to pull in their heads or betake them to their heeles The Diuell and diuellish men can neuer sinke our Ship with all their subtilties so long as wee cast our faith and hope vpon Christ Iesus the corner-stone but if it dash vpon the rockes of sinne it is in danger Ionahs sin had welnigh sunke the Ship A Ship may more safely carry any Passenger then a fugitiue which is a vagrant and runaway from God so saith Epiphanius So long therefore as the rocke of sinne is in our way we can make no way towards heauen wherefore let vs cast away our sinnes into the Sea as Ionah was for with this sacrifice the Sea of Gods wrath was appeased section 6 Wee can haue no certaine knowledge of heauenly things but by faith for such is their nature that they can no otherwise be knowne for some of them are passed and some to come some in heauen some in hell Againe God whom our faith principally apprehendeth dwelleth in that light that none can attaine wee must therefore beleeue the Sonne speaking of his Father search to whom the Sonne hath reueiled him since wee cannot see him with our eyes God onely is to be beleeued touching himselfe who onely knoweth himselfe and he well beleeueth God who beleeueth his teachers in whom God speaketh Neither is it strange why wee should beleeue God alone concerning himselfe since we must credit a mortall man touching his owne secrets whose spirit next God knoweth best what is in him Humane vnderstanding in diuine things is as the sight of an Owle against the Sunne Such things are knowne by faith in Gods word Since God is the highest it is not possible to reach him by the ladder of our reason no more then a Dwarfe can reach so high as a huge and tall Gyant Now we cannot see Gods face but he is couered vnder something as with a vaile yea sometime in such things as are contrary to his nature As for vs to behold his mercy in his anger In bringing vs to hell Faith seeth him bringing vs to heauen in darkenesse it beholdeth his brightnesse in hyding his face it beholdeth his chearefull countenance section 7 And did not Iob see God as they say vnder Sathans cloake for who cast fire from heauen vpon his goods who ouerthrew his house and slew his children who stirred vp strangers to driue away his cattell but Sathan himselfe and yet Iob peirced with the sight of his faith through all these instruments and actions confessing plainely that as the Lord had giuen them so the Lord had taken them away and so praised his name And how often did holy Dauid amidst the shadowes of Death see life it selfe For Faith is of things absent of things hoped for of things desired and can wee desire any thing wee know not and is there of heauenly things any other true knowledge then by faith grounded vpon the word of God Let vs send then our faith in beleeuing and our hope in expecting as Iosuah sent messengers before to view that heauenly countrie that God hath promised to giue vs and these messengers will bring vs word that the eye hath not seene nor the eare heard nor heart of man conceiued the excellencie thereof which should moue all faithfull men to giue this world willing farewell He that is eternall hath promised these things and he is section 8 eternall through whom he hath promised them and the things that be promised are eternall bringing eternall felicitie to the beleeuers and euerlasting destruction to the infidels Againe the gifts and graces of God are not without delay no delay in the creation no delay in the redemption no delay in the comming of the holy Ghost for suddenly it fell and shall we surmise a delay after the desolution of our bodies by death when we haue fought a good fight finished our course and kept the faith No no Christ Iesus standeth ready with a crowne in his hand ouer the heads of all his Saints to put it on when they haue put off this flesh Our saluation in Christ is alwayes fresh and new If once I be within the
may the better moderate their desires section 10 Learne not so much saith Plato to increase thy possessions as to diminish thy lusts for the high-way to be rich is to be poore in coueting and hee is the richest that coueteth the least and is content with a little Now the way to cure this Feuer which causeth such a thirst of the world and worldly things is not to giue vs drinke and fill of our desires which increaseth the disease but by diminishing the immoderate loue and liking of the same Now one speciall meanes hereunto is to trust in God since the roote of this sinne is distrust in God Before the creation of man the world was made and replenisht with all things requisite for his vse and before the soule the body was created to receiue it Sith then God prouided for man before his creation and nourished the body in the wombe before it was borne and giueth care to the mother of sustayning and cloathing it before the birth shall wee call into question his fatherly care ouer vs Let not these things therefore hinder vs in the high-way to heauen but casting all our care vpon God let vs be packing on our iourney Let the messengers of death be welcome vnto vs and Death himselfe be imbraced when God doth send it For though they depriue vs of the world with his wealth and pleasures yet they put vs in possession of heauen itselfe and happy treasures And for these transitory things which are but as vapours and exhalations of the world A godly man saith Augustine neuer so fully enioyeth his desire as when hee is willing nothing at all to desire them Contentment saith one consisteth not in much yet he hath much that hath it and this is soone obtayned of God in a low estate Nature wee say is content with a little and onely contentation ministreth rest and peace vnto our mindes The Sea of this world saith a holy Father freezing vnto vs it hardeneth that wee may safely walke vpon it as Peter on the water CHAP. V. Of the great griefe of forsaking our wealth and worldly estate and leauing of our manifold friends and acquaintance in the world with the remedies thereof FEarefull is the consideration to flesh and bloud section 1 not indued with the comforts of Gods holy Spirit to thinke of our poore and naked estate at our latter end Death waiting vpon vs not onely to depriue vs of our life and beeing but of all such comfortable meanes and helpes which formerly wee enioyed taking from vs our houses goods and friends which Iob beganne to feele and confesse in his tryals with lowd exclamation Naked I came into the world and naked shall I returne God indeede made all these things for man yea the whole world it selfe of which hee tooke possession yet forgetting his homage to God and chiefe-rent of obedience hee forfaited all againe into his hands and from whence hee came thither sent he him againe giuing him iust as much with him as hee brought at first Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt dissolue And indeede this prouision is sufficient enough for the place whither hee goeth For what great matters should we looke for in the graue where rottennesse is our father and wormes are our mother When our breath once vanisheth and we shall be turned out of the house-roomes of this world repayring to our doomes-day house where the wormes the dead mens Lawyers shall take their fees out of vs their graue-clyents and our bodies with our bowels shall be their bread to satiate their hunger Then happy I say are those that by the wings of a liuely faith haue their soules flying vp to the heauenly habitations section 2 Hither we came as Iacob to Laban onely by Gods prouidence wee are that wee are If God will giue vs food to eate and cloathes to put on God shall be our God These heards and droues about vs they are from the mercy of God not plants growing in our owne soyle not vapours that did arise from vs but of the nature of influences from heauen are come vpon vs. Euery one sueth to God in forma pauperis for things necessary wee are poore Publicanes receiuers onely God is the giuer of all Wee cannot call any thing ours but Time While we haue time let vs doe good Nay this time it selfe is not in our hands but in the Lords All these temporall things come from the great store-house of heauen We may not say as the Tempter did All these are mine no all is Gods who is the best Land-lord Hee requires no more but our acknowledgement of his blessings with thankefulnesse in our obedience Wee may haue them wee must not be had of them wee haue had them to liue the end ceasing the meanes also cease concurring to the end Wee must not make Idols of them as the Egyptians did of their treasure section 3 Is it possible to forget whither wee are going Where should the members be but where the head raigneth where should the heart be but where our heauenly treasure is placed Christ who is our treasure is in heauen whither first our affections must ascend and then we follow after Riches saith the Wise-man helpe not in the time of neede they take them to their wings and flye away they are but straw and stabble no sure foundation to build on For all worldly goods are ebbing and flowing like the Sea and wee doe not possesse them as wee ought vnlesse at all times we be ready and willing when God seeth it good to forgoe and leaue them Let vs consider that when we dye wee depart from the world and therefore worldly affections should now depart from vs. Let vs betake our selues wholy to a better habitation better societies to better ioyes and so desire chearefully to be dissolued and to be with Christ God many times punisheth our ouer-louing of earthly things with their losse or great hinderance because he thinkes them vnworthy riuals to himselfe who challengeth all height of loue as his onely right So that the way to loose them is to loue them much and the largenesse of affection maketh an open way to dissipation The fayrer and higher in the world our estate shall be the fayrer marke hath mischiefe giuen vnto it and which is worse that which maketh vs so easie to hit maketh our wound more deepe and grieuous Neyther must wee thinke that wee hold any thing of section 4 right which wee enioy of Gods free mercy and grace neyther in our conceit to binde the Lord at his owne cost and charges as it were by Obligation to finde vs. And notwithstanding wee be but beggars as at whose gate of mercy wee receiue all our maintenance yet to make a rent-charge of all that which he giueth of his free liberalitie Thus proud men many times make a breach into the Lords possession and prouoke him to proue
vse God as that they may inioy the world If we loue God lesse then we ought when we loue many section 8 things besides him which we loue yet for his sake how much then a greater sinne is it when wee shall loue our goods and friends not for Gods sake but euen in spight of God in that we loue them more then God that calleth vs from them such Christ pronounceth not worthy of his glory Therefore happy is hee O Lord which loueth thee and his friends in thee and his enemies for thee for he can neuer be destitute of friends who inioyeth God which is neuer lost and esteemes all as friends Gods children and chosen can neuer be poore that are ioyned to so rich and glorious a head euen Iesus Christ the Lord Treasurer of heauen in whom all the riches of Gods wisedome mercy goodnesse c. are hid and god-head it selfe doth corporally dwell But alas thou wilt say it is hard to forgoe our sweet children and deare wiues our trusty and best beloued friends our pastures and tillage our grounds and sumptuous buildings our mannor-houses rents and reuenewes our great treasures and Iewels and other worldly wealth And what of all this to him to whom all things are counted losse and esteemed as dung in regard of Christ And haue not the true souldiers of Christ learned long agoe to despise all these assaults whose soules still watch in the ward and tower of this body expecting euery moment to heare the sound of the trumpet to follow their Captaine Christ Therefore they vse this body not as a home or strong hold but as a Tabernacle and pitched tent for a time to serue their turne in this field of their warfare They hoord not their treasures here but are content with their daily pay alwayes watching in the campe harnessed for the fight The souldiers of the world lie sleeping and snorting Christs souldiers are alwayes watching and waiting for his comming If we loue our friends too much and not God aboue all things then hath our sorrow no measure as it ought section 9 He cannot be said to flit that neuer changeth his host God alone is as a thousand companions hee alone is a world of friends and though we depart from our friends here we goe to more better and more louing As Iacob said when hee should die I shall be gathered to my people hereby declaring that death is a passage to many more folkes and greater friends then we leaue behinde There is God our Father his Sonne our brother his heauen our inheritance and all his Angels and Saints as our brethren sisters and kinsfolkes with whom we shall inioy eternall blisse That man neuer throughly knew what it was to be familiar with God that complaines of the want of his home and friends while God is with him If the Sonne naturally loue his Father of whom he hath his body how much more should the children of God loue him of whom they haue both bodies and soules Carnall Parents and friends are to be loued but the Creator to be preferd and double imbraced Loue him therefore most of all which thou canst not loose euen thy Redeemer who to draw thee vnto his loue and to deliuer thee from the loue of the world stretched out his armes vpon the crosse and suffered a most vile and cursed death to purchase for thee not an earthly but a heauenly and an euerlasting life CHAP. VI. Now Death is and may be feared of the faithfull and how of wicked Infidels No man is to be censured simply for the manner or suddennesse of Death We may not couet to know our death or for any thing to shorten our life THere is no one greater hinderance to the section 1 cheerefull resolution of our death and departure then the fore-conceiued feare of flesh and blood against the same And this is common to all men without exception of any in a measure and degree for so long as wee remaine in this body of sinne wee cannot choose but feare death the wages thereof which followeth and pursueth the sinner to his graue as the shadow doth the body till the Sunne be set And indeede it is both naturall in all to desire their being and so to hate Death depriuing them thereof in this world as also lawfull in Gods children for their true humiliation before they be exalted in the highest heauens It may be feared in regard it is the destruction of nature in a mans owne selfe and others and in this respect Christ feared it himselfe without any sinne But wee must not feare it otherwise then sicknesse pouertie famine with other calamities of body and minde which God will not haue vs to despise or lightly regard but to feele the paine thereof because they are sent as punishments for sinne and he doth therefore lay paines and torments vpon vs that they may be feared and eschewed and that by eschewing them wee may further learne to hate the causes of them which are our sinnes and by our experience in feeling paine to acknowledge that God is a iust Iudge and an enemie to sinne And albeit I grant that the most faithfull men haue their fits of feare yet are they euer free from the bondage section 2 and state of those that haue no hope For although they die in body yet are they free from eternall death And this is their blessing indeede not that they shall not die but that the snares of death cannot hold them not that they shall not feare but that feare shall not conquer them and he is a true christian man that neither refuseth to die nor yet fainteth for any feare of death Before iudgement it is good to be afraide that thou maist finde fauour at the tribunall of the Iudge Faith and a religious feare are alwaies friends in a Christian man The feare of Gods iudgement is as a needle the loue of God as a thread first the needle entreth and then followeth the thread Faith striketh Gods children with feare and terrour and anone vanquisheth and ouercommeth the same it feareth vs with the greatnesse of him whom we offend and yet ouercommeth the same by leading vs to Christ our attonement to God section 3 And as it is sometime no fortitude or man-hood to be afraide to die but a stupor and stoicall obstinacie So to feare death approaching is not alwaies a note of infidelitie and mistrust of Gods loue seeing feare many times proceedes from the infirmitie of nature or sexe Ezechiah was an vpright man yet feared he the sentence of Death his very bones did shiuer and all his ioynts did quake yea his tongue did chatter like a Swallow and Christ himselfe had his agonies and wrestlings The affections of nature are not simply euill in themselues but lawfull and tollerable when they are ordered by Gods spirit But if we feare death let vs seeke out the cause of this feare
to all mens senses that are not bruitishly senslesse or at the least to make it cleare and out of question to the spirituall eye and vnderstanding of all beleeuers to whom onely it is giuen of God to be perswaded of this truth section 2 First therefore the resurrection of our bodies is most sure and certaine because the Scriptures euen the whole word of God contained both in the old and new Testament doe teach and conuince the same But because the places are so many I will but onely alledge some few very plaine and pregnant to this purpose First then I wil begin with that famous testimony of holy Iob who wisheth his words to be written in a Booke yea to be ingrauen with an iron penne in Lead or Brasse but more deseruedly in Gold I know saith he that my Redeemer liueth and though wormes destroy my body yet I shall see God in my flesh whom I myselfe shall see and mine eyes shall behold and none other for mee Thy dead men saith the Prophet Esay shall liue euen with my body shall they rise Awake and sing yee that dwell in the dust the earth shall cast out her dead Many that sleepe saith Daniel in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt The houre shall come saith Christ in which all that are in their graues shall heare his voyce The Trumpet shall blow saith Saint Paul and the dead shall rise I saw the dead saith Saint Iohn both great and small stand before God Now the Scriptures are not of man but of God who is true and cannot lye Besides there be many reasons deriued from the word of God to conuince the truth hereof If the dead be not section 3 raised then Christ is not risen who is the pledge and assurance that Christians shall rise againe and the Head of his Body the Church of which wee are members And as the body cannot dye nor the members of it if the head doe liue no more can wee dye if Christ liue Because I liue saith hee you also shall liue Secondly because the Spirit of Christ dwelleth in our body for our body is the temple of the holy Ghost therefore they shall rise againe For that same spirit which raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken our mortall bodies because it dwelleth in vs. If Gods loue be so great towards our bodies to haue his Spirit dwell in them he will not suffer them to perish Againe because the faithfull beleeue in God who also loueth them who loue and serue him therefore hee will raise vp their bodies For wee that haue giuen and committed our selues vnto God as the Apostle speaketh cannot perish because hee is able to keepe that which is committed vnto him and will because he loueth vs beleeuing in him If the dead should not be raised to life God should not be iust which cannot be For in this world it hapneth to him that serueth God as to him that serueth him not Then also the body wherein God was glorified as well as in the spirit should haue no reward Then did Christ take our nature vpon him in vaine and in it ascended into heauen in vaine for it had beene sufficient onely to take our spirit If the body must perish then the whole man cannot be saued which is contrary to the Scripture Then the most excellentest creature vnder the Sunne for whose sake all vnder the Sunne was created should with all the creatures be made for nought which is absurd section 4 Furthermore to helpe our naturall incredulitie and distrust in this point for the most sure resolution of our resurrection indeede is it not as easie for God who is almighty to command the sea and earth to giue vp their dead as it was to make the sea and earth and all that is therein of nothing and that only with a word It is a lesse matter saith one to bring againe vnto life that which is dead then it was to giue life vnto it before it was made When thou wast not thou wast made and when thou shalt not be thou shalt againe be made and liue Here is nothing strange or vnlikely Consider how thou earnest into this life before thou wert borne and thou needest not doubt how to be restored to life after thou art dead I omit here to speake of so many apt similitudes and fit resemblances of the vndoubted truth of this point which the best and greatest Diuines haue fetched and deriued from our meats and drinks from trees and plants from corne and grasse which in the winter seeme to haue neither sap nor shew of life yet when the winter is past and the spring-time comes doe liue againe and are most gloriously arayed section 5 How many things are and come to passe which ere they are and come to passe we would haue thought they could not be for that the workes of God are all wonderfull The Mustard-seede saith Christ when it is sowne is the least of all seeds and when it is growne it is a tree the greatest among all hearbs In one so little a graine doth consist the whole greatnesse of that tree which afterward commeth forth Now if that which we see to be true in the grasse of the field in the corne that is swone yea in the seede of the trees and wood which grow albeit they wither to nought they rot and dye yet liue againe why should wee not thinke it as true of men that albeit they dye and are turned to dust that yet they shall be raised to life againe For he that is Lord of the spirit and hath life in himselfe and in his owne power and will can as certainly giue life to the body which is vtterly without life as hee is able to giue life to a stone and so to a peece of earth to ashes or any other thing And as it is no harme for the seede to be harrowed and hidden in the ground for that it shall spring and flourish againe and bring forth fruit in due season no more is it any hurt to our bodies to be cast into our graues in weakenesse for they shall rise againe in power being sowne naturall bodies they shall rise againe spirituall being sowne in dishonour they shall rise againe in glory Thoufoole saith Saint Paul that which thou sowest is not quickned except it first die A little corne or wheate or other graine cannot haue vertue to become so fruitfull in bringing forth thirty or forty times better then it was being multiplyed to so many all as good as it selfe and bringing forth besides such fruitfull increase of straw and chaffe except it first be cast into the ground and die And therefore how shouldest thou enioy so good an exchange except thou first corrupt and die And how
much better art thou then a graine of corne when thorow corruption thou shalt come to incorruption thy glory then shall be vnspeakeable and all things shall serue thee Thy hope now if thou couldest in large it a thousand section 6 fold yet it shall be greater then thou canst imagine and thy faith if it could apprehend more assurance of immortalitie then the clearest eye doth of the light of the Sunne yet thou shalt finde the fruit of it aboue all thy thoughts This thou seest if thou see Christ by faith and this thou knowest to be true if thou knowest thy selfe to be one with him The keeping greene of Noahs Oliue-tree vnder the flood the budding againe of Arons rod the deliuerance of Ionah from the depth of the Sea the voyce that calleth come againe ye children of men the hope that Iob hath to see God with the selfe-same eyes the dry bones that should come bone to bone and be knit together with sinewes c. may stirre vp in vs a ioyfull hope and cheere our pensiue soules against the feare of death and doubt of our resurrection but aboue all the rising againe of Christ The voyce of Christ is thorow Christ the voice of Christians saith Augustine Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory If the sinne of Adam who was a liuing soule was the cause that Death reigned ouer all men much more the resurrection of Christ who is a quickning spirit shall be of power to raise vp all beleeuers to the hope of a blessed and eternall life section 7 As Christ in dying shewed what we should suffer so by his rising from death he declared what wee should hope for For all the bones in Golgatha shall rise and those that sleepe in the dust shall awake Wherefore though Death doe swallow vs vp as the Whale did Ionah and binde vs hand and foot as the Philistims did Sampson yea seale the Sepulcher vpon vs as the Iewes did vpon our Lord Iesus yet wee shall come forth and breake the bands as the bird out of the snare the snare shall be broken and we shall be deliuered Christ our head and Captaine raigneth now most gloriously in heauen and as a most victorious conqueror hath led away captiue Death Sinne and Diuell in shew and open triumph Wherefore we may no lesse assure our selues that we shall rise againe and raigne with God for seeing he hath taken our flesh and suffered for our sins and hath borne the iudgement and curse of God in himselfe and died for our redemption so may we be as sure and certaine our flesh shall rise againe in him and be exalted vnto the glory of God aboue the highest heauens And therefore hee is called the first fruits of them that sleepe in him the first borne among the dead so called indeede because hee is the first and onely one which is risen againe by his owne diuine nature and power As the onely spring and originall fountaine of the resurrection of life to all the faithfull which die and rise againe in him and onely by him Hee hath giuen vs a pledge and taken one of vs to put vs out of doubt He hath taken our flesh which hee hath carried into heauen to put vs in possession and he hath giuen vs his holy spirit for an earnest to seale his promises in our hearts witnessing to our spirit that we are the Sonnes of God and co-heires with Iesus Christ to raigne with him in glory Seeing then that wee are the children of God and haue section 8 the seede of God remaining in vs wee must not doubt but that as Christ hath made vs partakers of his diuine nature euen as it hath pleased him to take part of ours to become true man to make vs Gods that is diuine and spirituall that euen as the corne that is sowne in the ground doth die in the same and after groweth and taketh roote springeth eareth and bringeth forth fruit for the haruest so should wee be well assured that when wee die and haue our bodies sowne as it were as seede in the earth yet that they shall againe be quickned in Christ and rise againe to immortall life for as much as we carry with vs the warmenesse of Gods spirit which cannot die And though our flesh doe rot yet shall the spirit of section 9 Christ deliuer our bodies from corruption which shall againe be raised vp by the vertue of him that raised vp Christ from the dead and so shall our dead members be made aliue againe He that neuer saw a haruest seeing the Plow-man taking so much paines to till the earth to spread it with dung and after to cast faire Wheate into the field he would thinke that this man were mad but seeing after the happy haruest that should come of it he would change his minde and say that the husband-man had done an excellent worke Now this life is the time to till to dung and to sow the soyle but the happy haruest shall follow hereafter Let vs not change the course of the seasons neither yet let vs seperate them the one from the other But let vs ioyne the time of death with the glorious day of our resurrection and so assuring our selues that hauing sowed with teares we shall reape with ioy CHAP. X. Very fruitfull and necessary considerations much auailing to our Christian preparation for death section 1 ANd to the end that we may be most chearfully resolued to finish our course with ioy let vs alienate our affections and thoughts from the earth and worldly cares hauing our whole soules and senses as much as in vs lieth rauished with heauen and heauenly things Let them be the matter of our speech the subiect of our thoughts and our alone meditations So shall we in time become diuine and loath this sinfull life Let vs seriously make vse of our knowledge and godly readings ioyning our experience with the same in our selues and Gods Saints on earth Let our skill herein not onely be contemplatiue but practique for the good of our selues section 2 Let vs not descant and discourse as carnall men can doe for a time which often can say and confesse that they are mortall and sinfull that they are but dust and clay and that their bodies are as tabernacles set vp for a time and quickly to be remoued being without foundation Let vs not onely say for fashion sake that we are strangers vpon the earth and soiourners as all our Fathers were c. but be willing indeede with good Abraham when the Lord shall call and command vs to leaue our owne country and remoue our tents to pitch them where hee pleaseth And so to follow him with all obedience where he will leade vs. He abode saith the Apostle in the land of promise as in a strange country as one that dwelt in tents for he looked for a
citie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God And all the godly groane in these their earthly tabernacles being laden with corruption that this mortalitie may be swallowed vp of life for they know that corrupt flesh blood cannot enter into heauen Gods children I say are grieued not because they beare about their bodies for it is a griefe for them to lay them downe but they sigh to be clensed from their sinnes and corruption of their bodies which make them so wretched We ought not therefore to long so much for this present life which indeede is nothing else but an image of death but rather loath it to be vnloaden of our sinnes And as for Death it appertaineth to all men as we haue section 3 heard for neither rich nor poore old nor young prince nor people can escape it It respecteth no mans person no sexe no age no condition whatsoeuer No power no wealth no learning no wisedome art or skill can auoide it There is no salue to heale this soare no Physicke to be found for this sicknesse it is the way of all the world and the house appointed for all the liuing It is an Axe that heweth downe not onely the low shrubs and small Osiers but the great Elmes and huge Oakes yea all the high and tall Cedars of Libanon The daies of man are but as the winde and weauers shittle as grasse and flowers which in the morning are fresh and greene but anone towards the euening dried vp and withered We bring our yeares to an end as it were a tale that is told Our life is like a stage on which men play their parts and passe away Man is like a thing of nought his daies are like a shadow God bids Esay to cry All flesh is grasse and that all the grace and goodlinesse thereof is but as a flower of the field O that the Lord would open all our eyes that in this glasse wee might behold our estate What are we all but grasse and shall we wither like hay Alas wee cannot so perswade our selues for if we could it would plucke downe our pride and lay our lofty lookes it would then reforme our disguised ruffes and make our monstrous attire more modest it would mitigate our madnesse and make vs humble minded we would then throw downe our selues with Abraham and say to God we are but dust And to the end that our resolution to death may be more chearefull and this rough way as it seemeth to the section 4 flesh may be made more plaine Let vs comfort our selues with these meditations let vs say vnto our soule why art thou so sad why art thou so vnquieted within vs Put thy trust in God which is the helpe of our countenance and our God For why should a Christian man so feare the violence of Death whose force is broken Can Death depriue him of Christ which is all his comfort ioy and life No but Death shall deliuer him from this mortall body full of sinne and corruption which beareth and beateth downe the soule Faine would the flesh make strange of that which the spirit doth imbrace Oh saith a holy Martyr how loath is this loytering sluggard to passe forth and goe forward in Gods path to heauen So that were it not through the force of Faith plucking it forward by the bridle of Gods sweet promises and of Hope the anchor of saluation pricking still behinde great aduenture there were of fainting by the way section 5 Who would be sorry to forsake this life which cannot but be most certain of eternall life Who loueth the shadow better then the substance who can so loue this life but he that regardeth not the life to come who can desire the drosse of this world but such as are ignorant of the true treasure euerlasting ioyes in heauen I meane who is affraide to die but such as haue no hope to liue eternally A greater assurance next saith in Christ of our election cannot be found then not to stand in feare of Death which like a Tayler putteth off our ouer-worne rags to apparell vs with royall robes of immortalitie incorruption glory If the wals of thy house shake with age if the roofe thereof totter if the whole edifice not being able any longer to stand presage a meere downefall and ruine to approach wouldst thou not make more then ordinary hast to remoue and be gon If thou wert sayling in the maine sea and that a furious storme swelling the waues thereof with the blustering windes should threaten thy shipwracke wouldest thou not endeuour to recouer some cricke or hauen Behold this world how it shaketh and is ready to fall manifesting very shortly her vtter ruine Wherefore thinkest thou not on God why reioycest thou not at thy condition being ready to depart this world seeing thy selfe taken betimes out of those shipwracks warranted frō the blowes that threaten al such as suruiue thee Wherefore to the end that the former perswasions may section 6 better preuaile pierce the deeper let vs further consider for the same abridgement of all that hath been hitherto spoken what this life is which wee so loue what death is which we now so feare and what is prepared for vs after death which we so little regard First therefore concerning this present life we know and haue heard already that it is full of miserie vanitie vexation woe being a plaine exile from God For if heauen be our country what is this earth but a place of banishment If the departing out of this world be an entrance into life what is this world but a graue wherein we are buried what is it else but to be drowned in death If to be deliuered out of the body is to be set at liberty what is this body else but a prison a Iayle and a dungeon If to enioy the sweet fellowship of God be the highest felicitie why then to be kept from it is it not the extreamest misery for certainly til we be escaped out of this life we wander goe astray from the Lord our God If we consider that this vnstedfast faulty corruptible frayle withering rotten tabernacle of our body is shall therefore be dissolued by death that it may afterward be restored againe vnto a stedfast perfect incorruptible and heauenly glory shall not faith compel vs feruētly to desire that which nature feareth If we consider that by death we are called out of banishment to inhabit our country yea our heauenly country shall we not reioyce and be glad therefore Alas this our wretched life is a vapour a smoake a shadow a warfare a wildernesse and a vale of wretchednesse section 7 wherein wee are compassed on euery side with most fierce fearefull foes And should we desire to dwell here should we lust and long to liue in this loathsome and laborious life should wee wish to tarry in this miserable wretchednesse should
are but dead and damned vse 2 This word considered in the properties power and wonderfull effects thereof sheweth vs also the difference betweene it and the lawes of mortall men their doctrines and traditions their commandements and inuentions This word alone is the rule of faith and the resoluer of the conscience All other humane deuises are but as straw and slubble yea drosse it selfe to the purest gold This hath beene tryed to the vtmost in the furnace and is still more glorious The turning of mens deuises are but as clay Should not a people enquire at their God To the law and the testimony for shame if they speake not according to his word it is because there is no light in them And Ieremie reproacheth those that say they are wise Ye haue cast away the word of the Lord and what wisedome is in you Therefore the Prophet that hath a dreame let him tell a dreame and he that hath my word let him speake my word faithfully What is the chaffe to the Wheate Is not my word euen like a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh stones c. See more in the vses of the first doctrine The end of the first Sermon The second SERMON LAMENT 3.55.56.57 I called vpon thy name O Lord out of the low dungeon thou hast heard my voyce stop not thy eare from my sight and from my crie Thou drewest neare in the day that I called vpon thee Thou saidst feare not O Lord thou hast maintained the cause of my soule and hast redeemed my life THe Prophets meaning is that hee prayed heartily to God the ruler of the whole world from the place condition of greatest extremity when no meanes of deliuerance appeared resting still in the experience of Gods loue who heretofore had heard his petitions and now hopeth will not refuse them being earnest and hearty And though he seeme to be farre off will yet take notice of them in the manifestation of his loue in the meanes according to his gracious promise still encouraging his seruants in their greatest dangers Neither doubteth hee but God will defend both his life and good cause that procured the danger and will send deliuerance from the lands of all those that would destroy him and his Church The words containe first a description of the Prophets misery in times past Secondly the meanes hee vsed for his deliuerance Thirdly the fruits and effects thereof His misery is enlarged 1. In regard of the place being a low dungeon 2. In regard of his condition hee sighed and sorrowed he was full of feare and in danger of his life The meanes which he vsed was Prayer which is commended 1. For the faithfulnes 2. For the feruency thereof For the faithfulnes he called vpon God alone and grounded his prayer onely vpon his name and power For the feruency of his prayer he saith hee called cryed sighed and sorrowed 3. The fruits and effects of his prayer are noted by these circumstances 1. God heard him 2. Hee drew neare manifesting his care and prouidence towards him in the meanes 3. He freed him from feare maintained his cause and redeemed his life from the danger of death The summe is that as God heretofore had heard and deliuered him in and from such great dangers and distresse so he would still heare helpe and deliuer him and his afflicted Church in sauing him and redeeming him and it from their so great present dangers and afflictions Being in the low dungeon destitute of all worldly helpe hee called vpon the name of the Lord Teaching vs. That true faithfull prayer and inuocation of Gods name doctrine 1 is a most soueraigne means remedy for comfort and deliuerance in and from our greatest distresses when all other helpes doe faile vs this will serue our turne and is the onely refuge of all Gods children I looked vpon my right hand but there was none that would know me all refuge failed wee then cryed I to the Lord and sayd thou art my hope When the snares of death compassed me and the griefes of the graue caught me when I found trouble and sorrow then I called vpon the name of the Lord saying I beseech thee O Lord deliuer my soule reason 1 The reason hereof is that God hath commanded and ordained it so to be Call vpon me in the time of thy trouble so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me Come to me saith Christ all that trauaile and are laden and I will ease you Hee shall call vpon mee and I will heare him I will be with him in trouble I will deliuer him and glorifie him reason 2 Secondly God is the iudge reuenger and defender of all his that suffer wrong he heareth all causes and controuersies defendeth the cause of the widdow and fatherles he sitteth in the throne and iudgeth right O Lord God the auenger exalt thy selfe clerely exalt thy selfe thou iudge of the world How long shall the wicked triumph and so he concludeth that God is his refuge and rocke of his hope The vse hereof is to make vs feruent and forward in prayer Is any man afflicted let him pray for the prayer of a vse 1 righteous man preuaileth much if it be feruent heauen and the eare of God is open to him When Moses held vp his hand Israell preuailed That the Israelites might see that his hand had a greater stroake in the fight then all theirs the successe must rise and fall with it Therefore we must wrestle with Iacob who by his strength had power with God and striue with Paul and stand in the gap with Moses Secondly it condemneth all such as contemne this ordinance vse 2 and doe not preferre this meanes before all other without which indeed all other actions and instruments are vnholy and vnprofitable as Chariots Horsemen Money Bread Physicke which most excellent ordinance of God is yet least and last thought vpon by many For if men or diuells can sted them they will not be beholden vnto God when it is too late then will they send for the Priest as their Prouerbe is yet so will infidells doe Yea Pharoh himselfe with Ahab and the greatest Athiests vse 3 Thirdly it maketh for the consolation of Gods children that their case cannot be desperate or themselues destitute of helpe If they can but call and cry vnto God if they can but sigh and groane though they can but chatter like a Swallow with Ezekiah make a noyse in their prayers with Dauid and but euen mooue their lips with Hannah it is sufficient if thy soule bee powred out with hers for God knoweth the meaning of the spirit which likewise helpeth our infirmities So that when Gods children are in any danger faith doth accompany them and mooueth them to prayer and in praying they are still more feruent they can neuer be