else that speech could not stand what ye lease on earth shall be loosed in heaven and what ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven We bind when by declaring of mens sins we denounce the judgment of God against such sins and so pronounce men to stand under the wrath of God that remain in those sins saith Christ what you thus bind on earth shall be bound in heaven that is Gods act shall ratifie and confirm the same sentence in heaven which we denounce here upon earth by vertue of this word So when we come to distressed souls and declare to them that they stand acquitted and that by the Word of God and so as Ministers of the Gospel by vertue of the truth revealed to us declare that they are freed from the bond and guilt of their sins upon those evidences of repentance that they manifest I say it is ratified in heaven Therefore you see there is no other way of proceeding but look as Christs own words when he was upon the earth so the same that are as his own words that is those truths that are drawn from Christs truths have the same power upon the hearts and consciences of men now to cammand them and shall have after to judge them as ever they had But here it may be objected it should seem that all men shall not be judged by the Law because there are some men to whom the Law hath never been published for what shall we say to a great part of the world that have not yet received the Scriptures we know that the Scriptures have not been published to a great part of the world at this day there are many Heathens many Pagans that never had the Scriptures therefore how shall they be jndged by the Law except you say that only those shall be judged by it that have been under the preaching of the Gospel and have had the help of the Scriptures We answer that all man-kind and every particular man is under the Law only the Law is not alike expressed to them it is not revealed alike to all sorts All have the Law and the Law written too but either it is written in the hearts of men and so it is naturally in the hearts of all the Sons of men Or else in the Scrptures and so it is more clearly and evidently manifested in the Churches but yet nevertheless in the hearts of men is the Law written as much as shall be sufficient to condemn them as we see Rom. 2.14 saith the Apostle If the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law they having not the Law are a Law to themselves and shew the effect of the Law written in their hearts their consciences accusing or excusing them before God The Gentiles that had not the Law that is not the Law written in the Scriptures yet nevertheless they are a Law to themselves that is they have certain principles certain rules which remain in their natural consciences whereby they either accuse or excuse as they do good or evil And even these do shew that they have a Law that doth bind them and shall condemn them because that when they would not obey even that Law that is even those principles whereupon their consciences wrought to accuse or excuse they were sinners against the Law So that we see no man shall be condemned at the day of judgement but by vertue of the Law and however all have not the Scripture yet they have a natural conscience and the Law written there whereby it accuseth or excuseth Howsoever it be true that things are not alike expresly manifested to other people and to us that have the Scriptures yet they have so much manifested to them as shall condemn them And the reasons of it are these why it must be so First because the Law of God is Gods Scepter whereby he governs and rules the Church Psal 110.2 he shall bring the rod of thy power out of Sion The rod of thy power that is the Scepter of thy power that Scepter whereby thou dost authoritatively and by power rule over the Churches and what is this Scepter It is the Word as we shall see Isa 2.3 4. The Law shall come out of Sion So then the Scepter the rod of the word that is brought out of Sion is the Law that comes out of Sion the word of God the Law of works and the Law of faith for both these come out of Sion the Law of works as far as it is the rule of life and then the Law of Faith both come in to rule the Church of God Yea this is the rod of Christs power therefore he will manifest his power and make all men subject to it What power There is a power of Christ such a power whereby he manifests his own greatness and soveraignty over all his creatures over those creatures that have not sence that have not reason that is not this Law But this power here the Scepter of his power is that whereby he manifests his soveraignty over reasonable creatures Angels and men therefore if they will not obey him yet it shall be a Scepter of Iron to crush them in peeces Therefore we see the very Angels themselves that would not obey the directing commandement of God the rule of life in that particular place wherein they were they found it a Scepter to crush them down and they were cast out of their place for their sin So likewise men you see what the Apostle Peter speaks of those that perished in the time of Noah because they would not receive the Word preached to them but they would be lawless and disobedient or like men that would be under no Law therefore they felt the force of it in the effect of the Law in the fruit and penalty of the Law upon them So I say Christ still rules by power in the Law in so much as that when the Law and command prevails not then the punishment prevails and they that will not subject themselves to the Law they shall be subdued under the punishment of the Law that is the first thing Again secondly it must be that Christ must proceed in judgement according to the Law because the Law is the rule Now you know a rule is a note of distinction it is that that being straight right in it self which doth distinguish and discover things that are crooked So the Law of Christ it is a straight rule in it self therefore whatsoever is contrary to it is crooked and perverse And he will declare a righteous proceeding contrary to the unrighteousness of men How by that rule that discovers unrighteousness How shal Christ appear to be righteous in his Law except he have a rule whereby unrighteousness shall be discovered Now that is discovered by the Law the right rule as it is Psa 19. The statutes of the Lord are right Now rectum is index sua oblique
rise out of the grave of sin and to lead a new life a spiritual life the life of grace this is the resurrection of the soul Now that Christ is the Author of this Resurrection also of this spiritual Resurrection we may demonstrate this by a multitude of Divine testimonies but we will single out some few of the chiese we need go no further then this Evangelist which affords plentiful testimony for the confirmation of this truth As in Joh. 4.10 There Christ speaking to the woman of Samaria he said unto her If thou haddest known the gift of God and who it is that said unto thee give me drink thou shouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Here the Spirit of Christ it is compared to living water by an allusion to the water that continually springeth out of a Fountain And the Spirit of grace is compared to living water from the effects of it because the Spirit of grace restoreth spiritual life to the soul and then preserveth this life therefore it is living Water and Christ is as the Fountain of this water that yeeldeth and giveth this living quickning water of the Spirit Again in Joh. 5.21 there Christ challengeth this power to himself As the Father raised up the dead and quickneth them so the Son quickneth whom he will As Christ when he was upon the earth he raised whom he would from the death of the body so now being in heaven he raiseth whom he will from the death of the soul Yea the voyce of Christ sounding in the ministry of the Word accompanied with his quickning Spirit is of power and efficacie to raise those that are dead in sins as we may see Joh. 5.25 Verily verily I say unto you faith Christ the hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voyce of the Son of God and they that hear it shall live Again in Joh. 6.35 there Christ stileth himself the Bread of life and the Living bread Jesus said unto them I am the bread of life and in verse 48. I am the bread of life and again verse 51. I am the living bread Christ is the living bread the bread of life who as he hath life in himself so he communicates spiritual life to all those that seed upon him And here is a broad difference between this Bread of life and ordinary bread ordinary food for though ordinary food can preserve natural life where it is yet it cannot restore life where it is not but Christ is such living Bread that he restores life to those that are dead in sins and preserves that life that he hath restored thus he is the living Bread Again Joh. 15.1 there Christ compares himself to a Vine and the faithful to so many branches I am the true Vine faith Christ and my Father is the husbandman And in verse 5. I am the Vine ye are the branches Now as the branch of the Vine sucks juyce and sap from the stock and root of the Vine so all the faithful receive spiritual juyce and life from Christ their head As Adam he is a common root of corruption and spiritual death to all that come from him so Christ is a common root of grace and spiritual life to all those that are his members And in this regard Christ is compared to a head and the faithful to his members Collos 1.18 Christ is the head of his body the Church Christ is the head and the faithful are his members therefore as in the natural body the head that is the principium the fountain of sence and motion it is the head that by certain nerves and sinews conveyes sence and motion to all the members of the body so in the mystical body the Church Christ is the head that conveyes spiritual life and motion to all that are his members to all the faithful Thus you see the second conclusion explained and proved also that as Christ is the Author of the resurrection of the body so he is of the resurrection of the soul too it is he that raiseth the soul to spiritual life Now in the third place we are to shew the reason why this double quickning power is here comprehended under one term I am the Resurrection Now that this double power of quickning is to be understood here under this one term we need not I hope spend time to prove for that Christ speaks here of the spiritual resurrection and the spiritual life this I take to be evident from Christs own exposition in the words following He that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live He that believeth in me though he were dead in sins and trespasses before yet he shall live the life of grace therefore I am the Resurrection Again that the resurrection of the body is not here excluded it may appear from the scope and intent of these words of Christ for the scope of these words here is to perswade Martha that he was able of himself by his own power to raise up her dead brother to restore him to life saith he I am the resurrection I have power to restore spiritual life to the soul that is dead in sin and this is the greater work therefore I am able to restore natural life to the dead body to restore the body that is dead in the Grave to life again Now the reasons why this double power is here comprehended under one term I am the resurrection the chiefe reasons I take to be these two First this double quickning power is here comprehended under one term in regard of the Analogie and proportion between these two between the restoring of the body to life and the restoring the soul to life Secondly in regard of the certain inseparable connexion between these two First I say in regard of the Analogie and proportion between these two the resurrection of the body and of the soul now the proportion and analogie consists especially in these four things First as in the resurrection of the body the living soul must first return to the dead body and quicken it before it can rise again so here in the Resurrection of the soul the Spirit of grace must return to the soul that is dead in sins and quicken it before it can rise again so that there is a similitude in regard of the first beginning and principle of this Resurrection Again secondly there is an analogie and proportion in regard of the point and term the state from which the Resurrection is for as in the resurrection of the body the body riseth from the state of corruption from the bondage of the Grave So here in this resurrection of the soul the soul and the whole man riseth from the state of spiritual corruption from the bondage of sin The third proportion is in regard of the estate to which a man riseth for as in the resurrection of the body a man shall rise again without those
effectually but God alone no man can shew us the right way to heaven but God Therefore let us pray So teach us c. We now come to the end wherefore Moses begs of God to teach us to number our dayes That we may apply c. In which we meet with three particulars 1. The kind and nature of this wisdome wherein it consists and it is in making the best provision we can for the eternal welfare of our Souls 2. The Subject of it our Hearts 3. The means of obtaining this wisdome and that is by the meditation of Death 1. Of the kind and nature of this wisdome wherein it chiefly consists that is in having an eye to heaven in looking after the eternal welfare of our Souls Our next Conclusion is this It is the only true wisdome of a Christian to provide for his Soul Then are we wise indeed when we are wise unto Salvation when we know how to provide for Eternity True wisdome consists not in gathering riches but in living in the fear of God and ordering our steps so as that we may make sure of heaven another day It is our obedience to Gods Commandments which cries us up for wise Christians in the repute of God and man Deut. 4.6 Keep therefore and do them for this is your wisdome and your understanding in the sight of the Nations which shall hear all these statutes and say Surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding people What is it for a man to be wise for the world and a fool for heaven what 's the wealth and honour of the world to the happiness of the Soul what 's a man the better for being rich and honourable in this world if in the end his Soul be lost Mat. 16.26 What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own Soul What the people said of David 2 Sam. 18.3 Thou art worth ten thousand of us the like I say of the Soul It is more worth than a thousand worlds and the Salvation of thy Soul is more to thee than the gaining of many worlds What the man pleaded to Joab for not slaying of Absolom 2 Sam. 18.12 Though I should receive a thousand shekles of Silver in my hand yet would I not put forth my hand against the Kings Son The like maist thou reason within thy own breast Though I might purchase the riches of a thousand worlds yet would I not seek the destruction of my Soul whatsoever thou dost still have an eye to thy Soul that that perish not in another world what if all other things go amiss with thee in this life â—…f thy Soul be in safety It is wisdome I confess to provide for the world for the body but the main wisdome is to provide for the Soul Be careful of the outward man but be sure thou dost not neglect the inward man Provide for both the body and Soul but let thy chief care be for the Soul which is thy better part It was the Symbol of Rodolphus the second Emperour of Rome who gave an Eagle with a double Head with the one he lookt upwards to the Sun and with the other downwards upon the Earth with this Motto Utrumque I have an eye to both Thus it is Lawful for a Christian to look downwards to the Earth and provide for the body but he must have one eye chiefly sixt upon the Soul and in the first place provide for it we must look directly to heaven obliquely upon the earth fix our eyes upon the one cast a glance upon the other It becomes a Christian to consider what may become of him hereafter and whither he is going Consider thy beginning from whence thou camest and consider thy end what will befal thee hereafter He cannot be a wiser man faith the Healthen wo does not know either from whence he came or whither he must go Sure enough he cannot be a wise Christian that knows not what will become of his Soul It is by way of just Reproof of such as are wise for the world but meer fools for heaven The wisdome of the flesh is meer folly in the sight of God Some men would be reputed wise in the world and yet know not which way to take for the gaining of heaven Such a man passeth in the world for a crafty subtile worldling that knows how to mannage his affairs with the best advantage to himself and yet he knows not a step of the way to heaven It is a Maxime amongst the Jesuites Uti scientia to live by their shifts so do many in the world who have only a little wit to carry them out in secular affairs and their brains serve them to gather a little wealth and muck but they are meer Idiots in all that concerns heaven and salvation and the purchasing of the true riches of the Soul And yet see the fondness of these men that though they know not which way to take to get heaven yet they make themselves sure of it as if Salvation and eternal life were within their reach and power to command it when they please Papyrius Massonus writes of the Jesuites that count themselves so wise ut se putant soelo vel ipsi quandoque imperaturos as that they think they shall one day have the command of heaven it self The like presumption is in many Christians at this day that they believe heaven is at their command and they shall easily obtain it though they do nothing for it Oh shake off this folly make what provision thou wilt for other things thou art but a fool if thou dost neglect thy Soul As provident as the rich man was in the Gospel God gave him the title of a Fool and Cajetan gives the reason of it because he did not provide for himself in such things as were needful for the Salvation of his Soul He is a fool that prefers and Apple before a piece of Gold who keeps those things that are to be cast away and neglects such things as are to be preserved who heeds not his house where he must abide for ever and beautifies that place where he is to lodg but for a night Such an one is he that forgets his Soul and is careful for all other things Give me leave to speak the truth and not alwayes to drop oyl into your ears and speak unto you smooth things Where shall we find the man that desires to save his soul that would willingly part with this world to gain a better We daily hear the word of God we talk much of Religion we boast of our interest in heaven but when the matter comes to decision when we are put to our choice whether Heaven or Earth whether we will forego the profits of this world for the love of heaven this is the fiery Chariot which divides between Elijah and Elisha which parts us and God and makes us to cast away our hope
they mistake Gods wayes and that very way that he intendeth them good in they complain of as if it were their utter undoing Again thirdly another way whereby men increase their impatience and distemper is when they will not give way to comfort they will not only be exceeding vehement and intent upon their Passions but besides stop all passages and in-lets against comfort It was Iacobs fault concerning the death of Joseph When he heard that Joseph was dead not onely his heart sunck within him but he rends his garments and covereth himselfe with sack-cloth he takes on so that when his sonnes and children rose up to comfort him he would not be comforted Why Because Joseph was not and I will go to the grave to Joseph nothing would comfort Jacob but he would goe downe to the grave to Joseph by all means What a great matter was this He only heard that Joseph was dead he was alive he knew not so much but he heard a present sound of fear and he was carried away with that So it is with us the very apprehension of our feares are as bad to us as the things themselves could possible be Nay we multiply upon our selves our fears and we will not hear counsel and comfort as Rachel that mourned for her children and would not be comforted because they were not Again a fourth thing whereby men increase impatience in themselves and aggravate their sorrowes is this when men look only upon the present afflictions and not upon the mercies they have as if they had but one eye to behold all objects with as if they could look but upon one thing at once there should be a looking upon the affliction and there should be a looking upon the mercy too This was Hamans case when he was vexed that Mordecay did not do him reverence all his wealth and his honours could do him no good he had much wealth and the glory of his house was increased he had the favour of the King and was inclining to have the honour of the Queen put upon him yet all this availeth me nothing saith he so long as I see Mordecay the Jew sitting in the Kings gate He looks only on this particular that vexed and grieved him and not upon the rest So it is with us if there be but one particular affliction upon us we fix our eyes upon that Like a Flie that flieth about the glass and can stick no where till she come to some crack or as a Gnat that cometh about the body of a beast that will be sure to stick on the galled part or some sore or other So it is with these disquieted thoughts of men that are of no other use but to further Sathans ends to weaken their faith and discourage their own hearts men stick on the gall on the sore of any affliction there they will rest It is true God hath given us such and such favours and mercies hath offered us such and such opportunities but what is this this and that particular affliction is upon me This is that that increaseth impatience when a man will not look on the mercies he receiveth but only looks on that that he wanteth Again a fifth course that men take to aggravate their sorrows and increase impatience in themselves is this They look upon the instrument of their sorrows and afflictions but never look up to God that ruleth and over-ruleth these things Men look upon such a person such a man and no more Ye see how David was disquieted at this If it had been an enemie that reproached him then he could have born it but it was thou my freind my equall my guid my acquaintance that sate at my table we took sweet counsel together and walked unto the house of God in company This troubled him and see how he multiplied his sorrows when he looked upon the instrument till he looked upon God and then I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it There is no quiet in the heart when a man looks upon man till he looks upon God that ordereth all things by his wisdom and counsel Lastly men aggravate their sorrows and increase their impatience by another course they take that is when they look on their sorrows and afflictions only and not upon the benefit of affliction they look only upon that that flesh would avoyd but not that which if they were spiritual and wise they would desire No affliction faith the Apostle is joyous for the time that is to flesh and nature but grievous nevertheless afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them which are exercised thereby Now men look upon that only which is grievous in affliction upon the smart of it but not upon the profit of affliction the quiet fruit of righteousness that cometh by it As a man when he hath a Corroding plaister put to a sore he cryeth and complaineth of the smart it putteth him to but takes no notice of the healing that cometh by it and the cure that followeth Thus it is with men they complain of God as if he envied them the comfort of their lives as if he intended to rob them of all conveniencies and to make them utterly miserable to begin a Hell with them on earth when they never look how God by this means fitteth them for heaven by this means purging out corruption and strengthening grace in them We are afflicted of the Lord that we may not be condemned of the world Men look upon the affliction not upon their freedom from condemnation So much for that I come now to a second use You see here the way whereby men aggravate affliction and get causes of impatience in themselves and if we seriously consider it we shall find one of these the ordinary causes of all distempers and impatience in losses in sicknesses in distress of mind in crosses upon a mans name or whatsoever befalleth him amiss in the world that which makes him flie out that which makes him that he cannot submit unto God it is some of these particulars here spoken of Let it therefore in the second place stir us up evety one in the presence of God to set our selves upon this task of Christianity to labour for Patience that we may be perfect Christians and to be perfect in Patience Let Patience have her perfect work But all the question is how a man may get it As there are two sorts of afflictions in a mans life so Patience hath two offices One affliction is those present evils that a man undergoeth and suffereth Patience is to support him in those present miseries and calamities Another sort of tryal is when the good that a man expects is delayed and is not presently granted and here patience is necessary in this case also I will shew ye how a man may set patience a work in both these and so conclude First for the
give attestation to the sentence that he pronounceth and say Amen to the condemnation of the wicked So that the difference is easily reconciled and we see how God and Christ and the Saints are said to judg The Authority is Gods The Execution Christs The approbation the Saints The Apostle in Rom. 2.16 makes the point plain he telleth us that God shall judg by Christ In that day God shall judg the secrets of all hearts by Jesus Christ So Christ himself Joh. 5. The Father Judgeth no man but hath committed all power to the Son He hath given him power to execute judgment as he is the Son of man Why to him For this Reason That his second coming may be in glory to make amends for his first coming in humility Christ at his first coming into the world he came meanly and homely at his second coming he shall come triumphantly and gloriously Before he came like a Lamb then he shall come like a Lyon Before in the forme of a servant then in the form of a Lord. Before Pilate sate upon the Bench and Christ stood as a malefactour but then Pilate shall stand at the Barr as a Malefactour and Christ shall sit on the Bench as Judg. He shall then openly come to shew himself a just Judg amongst men as before he came to be Judged when he came privately he was Judged of them that were unjust It was once a scorn that he the Son of man should be Judg of the world therefore God will have him come and appear in that very form he was scorned in that now they may behold him in his Majesty that before would not take notice of him when he appeared in humility that they who the more contemptuously before esteemed him in his baseness may now more severely taste of his justice God then is Judg. Not men Not Angels but God himself Had men been our Judges we might not fear the face of men because they are vessels of the same earth as we took out of the same pit hewen out of the same rock If Angels had been our Judges we should not have stood in so much fear because though they be Spirits more glorious then we yet by their own confession they are our fellow creatures and our fellow servants therefore we after a sort participate with them in some degree of nature But neither men nor Angels shall be Judges then but Almighty God that as much excelleth men and Angels as the heavens do the earth And look what is necessarily required to the office of a Judg it is incomparably found in him To the office of a Judg there are three properties specially required Knowledg to discern Power to determine Justice to execute In God these are all of them transcendent and eminent For Knowledg he is the most wise For Power most absolute For Execution most just Knowledg to discern that is the first He that assumeth the person of a Judg must needs be one of wisdom and understanding Though he have the Scepter of authority in his hand if he have not the eye of wisdom in his head if he be not able when men plead their case before him as the two Harlots before Solomon to decide to whom the right of the case belongeth as he to whom the living child pertained he is as unfit to be a Judg as an illiterate Ignaroe is to be a Priest The Judges ignorance is the honest mans overthrow We commonly paint Justice blind not because he should be so that sits in Gods seat of justice to decide Cases but only in respect of persons Blind Isaac was fain to put forth his hands to feel whether it were Esau or no that came to ask the blessing it is a hard case when Judges have sore eyes that they cannot discern the right Case but only by feeling But it shall not be so here God is the Judg that is of infinite wisdome and understanding that is able to discern right and wrong Of necessity it must be so because he is Omniscient he knoweth all things he hath the true understanding of them it is impossible to deceive him Earthly Judges they somtime are blinded in the hearing of Cases that are brought before them for what their eyes see not they are not able to discern there are no glass windows into the bosoms and breasts of men by which they are able to come into their hearts all the information they have is from Evidences and Witnesses the hear-sayes and reports of others where if any thing be concealed or mistold how easily may they miscarry But Gods knowledg is not so unsound or uncertain because he himself is an eare and an eye-witness of all things that are he knoweth whatsoever is done he beholdeth not the actions only but the very intentions he is able to judg of the thoughts and intentions of the heart It is but folly to think to hide any thing from him heaven is not so high but he can reach it hell is not so deep but he can search it the earth is not so wide but he can spanit the night is not so dark but he can see it the chamber the bed the closet is not so close but he can pierce it He that sitteth upon the circle of the heavens and whose eyes are as flames of fire seeth every thing Heb. 4. There is no creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open like an Anatomized body for thence the Metaphor is drawn where the bowels are laid open and every nerve and muscle and ligament every Atome discovered so that we may take a full view of it In a word if it were Davids commendation that he was wise as an Angel of God how wise must God be that infuseth wisdome into the Angels and in whose sight the Angels are foolish That is the first thing requisit in a Judg he must have knowledg to discern In the second place He must have power to execute he must have authority to command and not be as an Image set against a wall for if he be so Abjects will insult over him though peradventure some may regard him because he hath eyes to see yet others will contemn him because he hath no hands to punish so innocency shall be hopeless of recompence and the wicked of their desert Again if he have not power if he have power only to hear and not to determine or if his power be restrained to some petty Cases and not also extended to matters of greater consequence and moment Appeals will be made as commonly they are from inferiour Courts to the higher But it is not so here God is the Judg who as he is infinite in knowledg so he is in power and authority We stile the King Supream head over all persons and in all causes in his Dominions but God is over all the Dominions of the earth supream over all not only
avenge our blood on those that dwell upon the earth All the Saints departed their souls cry to God to finish these dayes of sin and hasten the coming of Christ And besides this this further benesit we have that we are all members of the same body there is a gathering under one Head as the Apostle calleth it under Christ they are the superiour members we the inferiour all joyned under one common Head Lastly the Saints on earth have interest one in another by vertue of this communion they have interest in the prayers in the gifts in the wealth one of another sofar as necessity and love requireth Fifthly and lastly as in earthly Cities and Corporations there is trading and traff quing buying and selling c. So here this heavenly conversation consisteth in a kind of heavenly traffique as the word importeth We either are all or should be all heavenly merchants even here upon earth The kingdome of heaven is compared to a treasure hid in a field which when a man findeth he hideth it and for joy departeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field It is compared to a Pearl which when a man descrieth the excellency of it he giveth all that he hath to possess that Pearl There is a heavenly thing that is worth all that we can give and it must be bought too It is our Saviours counsel come buy of me yea come buy wine and milk without money without price It must be bought but bought without money there is nothing that is subject to corruption that can buy heavenly things Buy of me eye-salve that you may see and gold that you may be made rich and garments that your nakedness may not appear This must be bought but what must we give for it Christ tels us he saith that he himself is the Pearl the treasure and that which we must give for him is no more but this Let a man deny himself and take up his cross and then follow him He must deny his worldly pleasures his carnal affections the love of his lusts he must renounce his sins If thy right hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee if thy right eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee What is that that a man should dismember himself No such matter What then To do that which a man accounteth as harsh a peece of work as to pluck out his eye or cut off his hand that is to mortifie his carnal affections to part with his sweetest lusts which a man holdeth as dear and sets as high a rate upon as on his right hand or his right eye there should he no sin so precious no gain so sweet no pleasure so delightful but a man should be willing to let it for Christ there should be no worldly thing whasoever that a man should so set his heart upon but if persecution for the Gospel should come he should be contented to leave it for Christ and in the mean space to let his affections hang loose to it that whensoever Christ shall call him to part with his estate with his contentments with himself he may let all fall for his sake and the Gospels This is the heavenly traffique of a Christian I might here lay down some tryals by which men may be able to judg of themselves in this particular whether their conversation be in heaven I will instance but in some generals because I hasten to that I principally intend See how thy affections stand such as is a mans mind such is the man such as is a mans affection such is his conversation a heavenly affection argueth a heavenly conver sation a heavenly conversation presupposeth a heavenly affection for it is impossible for any man to walk in a heavenly course but he that is of a heavenly mind It sheweth the errour of those men that think that that pitch of holiness and careful walking with God in newness of life is too strict a point to be pressed what say they will you have us to be Saints are we not men shall we not have infirmities still Yes that thou wilt when thou hast done what thou canst But here is the thing What is the bent of thy heart what is the strength of thy mind what is the endeavour of thy whole man which way are thy affections carried What dost thou mourn for most what dost thou rejoyce in most what dost thou hope for most According to thy affections so will thy labour and endeavour be A heavenly heart sorroweth most for sin a heavenly affection rejoyceth most in Christ Many say who will shew us any good but Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us thou hast given me more joy of heart then they had when their corn and wine and oyle abounded A heavenly affection hopeth most for heaven and that not so much that thereby he way be released from worldly troubles as that he may be possessed of those heavenly joyes that are to be had in the presence of God and in a perfect communion with him that he may be freed from sin and fully brought into the glorious liberty of the sons of God And this is that which stirreth him up with all industry and endeavour and carrieth him along mainly and chiefly to seek after not the wealth and honour and pleasure of the world but how he may get into the Covenant of grace and an interest in Christ how he may attain evidences of heaven and testimonies of the love of God He speakes of heaven as the worldly man speaks of the world A worldly man speaks of the world and the world heareth him faith Christ every table ringeth of his worldly talke every company soundeth of his worldly affections in every meeting he sheweth his worldly disposition So a heavenly-minded man is alwayes talking of heavenly things alwayes labouring to draw heavenly uses out of earthly things let crosses come he can draw comforts from thence he makes them means to take off his heart from the world to set it more toward heaven as Noahs Arke the more the waters increased the neerer it was raised to heaven so a heavenly man the more worldly crosses come the higher his soul riseth toward heaven the worldly man sinketh under afflictions but he is lifted up neerer to Christ This is a heavenly conversation But I will not stand on this The second thing which I told you was observable from the first part of the Text was this That in this very life the children of God are stated in a heavenly condition Our conversation is now in heaven faith the Apostle When a man is brought by repentance and faith unto Christ he is brought into a heavenly state actually possessed of heaven And that in two respects In respect of right and title In respect of possession First in respect of right and title and that also first in respect of
avoids the corruptions that are in the world through lusts But this looking for the second coming of Christ This Argument John the Baptist used to press upon his hearers the Doctrin of repentance because the king dome of God was at hand This is that upon which Saint Peter groundeth his exhortatoin unto the people Acts 3.18 Repent saith he and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Therefore repent and return unto God do away your sins because there will a time of refreshing come and you had need then to be found in another hue in another state then in your old rotten withered condition and sinful lusts This is the Argument that the Aposte used to the Athenians to bring them from Idolatry to serve the living God because God hath appointed a time to judg the world in righteousness by that man whom ho hath ordained Even for that reason because God hath appointed a time to judg the world in righteousness therefore they should turne from their Idols to serve the living God There is nothing that doth so unbottome the heart nothing so shakes and looseneth a mans hold of sin and unrighteousness as the consideration of Christs coming to Judgment What will it boot me will the soul reason to keep my sins when Christ will come to judg me for my sins What shall I get by going on in a course of sin when I can look for nothing then but a sentence of wrath to be denounced against me This then is that that doth settle a man in a holy conversation in that respect Nay fourthly this is that also which quickneth a man to the practise of all holy duties in his place both in his general and particular Calling It is the very argument which the Apostle Saint Peter useth to stir us up to holiness of conversation Seeing saith he that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness looking for the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat As if he should have said Look now about the whole world and see what it is that now can comfort you if you be such as go on in a course of sin It may be you will say I fear not much for I have many friends Yea but all these shall die It may be thou hast store of lands but all that shall be burnt with fire It may be thou hast many pleasures but then there shall be nothing but Judgment The coming of the Lord that shall then put an end to all these and turn the course of things the expectation thereof is a special means to take us off from a course of sin and put us on to a course of obedience to make us walk in another kind of fashion while we are in the world Therefore the Apostle Saint Paul when he would â—…ir up Timothy to the work of the Ministry what is the Argument that he useth I charge thee before Christ who shall judg the quick and the dead As if he should say there shall be an appearing before the Lord and therefore if thou wilt give thy account up with joy at that day I charge thee to look to thy Ministry So may I say to every man in his place I charge thee that art a Master of a Family look to the business of thy family to the salvation of the souls of thy people I charge thee that art a father or a mother to look to the salvation of the souls of thy children I charge thee that art a Christian to look to the salvation of thy own soul And how is the charge I charge thee before the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judg the quick and the dead Because there shall come a time when both thou and they shall be present before Christ at his appearing therefore if thou wilt have comfort in them and in thy self and in Christ be careful to do the duty that concerns thy place Looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus So then you see in this respect also there is nothing so forcible an Argument to settle a man in a holy conversation in a heavenly course as this for a man alwayes to look for the second coming of Christ Lastly there is nothing fixeth a man so constantly in a holy course as this Our conversation faith the Apostle is alwayes in heaven We alwayes walk on earth as those that aspire to heaven because we alwayes look for the coming of Christ Wert thou carefnl to serve God yesterday do it to day also it may be Christ may come now and take thee away by death to day and there is no preparation for judgment afterward Little children saith Saint John now abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming What is it that giveth a man boldness and takes away shame from him at the coming of Christ What is the reason that a man hath not that spirit of fear and trembling upon him that shall be upon the hearts of all those that go on in sin when they shall cry to the mountains to fall upon them but this that he hath continued in a holy conversation and constantly walked before the Lord with an upright heart I have finished my course saith the Apostle I have fought a good fight I have kept the faith hence-forth is layd up for me a crown of righteousness which Christ the righteous Judg shall give to me and to all them that love his appearing Still the servants of God have incouraged themselves to persevere in a holy course from the expectation of the coming of Christ that will give them a reward for their constancy in his service It is the Argument that the holy Ghost useth to the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3.11 Hold fast that thou hast and let no man take thy crown As if he should say There is a time coming when Crowns shall be given but to whome to those that hold out that persevere in a godly course Be thou faithful to the death and thou shalt receive a crown of glory This is that I say that will make a man go on will make him that is good in youth be good in age also because whensoever he dieth he shall receive his Crown This will make a man that he shall not begin in the spirit and end in the flesh this will make him that having put his hand to the plough he will not look back because he no further looks for comfort in the appearance of Christ then he hath had care to walk on constantly in a good course Thus you see the point proved to you that a Christian soul hath a main benefit by his looking for the second coming of Christ
and that this is it that makes him careful to mortifie his secret lusts that this is it that makes him careful to purge himself from worldly affections that this is it that makes him industrious to avoid evil courses that this is it that makes him diligent in good actions that this is it that makes him constant and to persevere to the end in all holy wayes and in avoiding of all evil because he looks for and waites for the coming of Christ Now then take this for a main tryal of your selves concerning the former point Whether you can with comfort looke for the coming of Christ or no There shall be abundance at that day that shall hang down their heads I saw saith Saint John the Divine the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chief Captaines and the mighty men and every bond-man and every free-man men of all sorts hide themselves in the dens and in the rock of the mountians and said to the mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Would you therefore hold up your heads with comfort and with joy that when you hear a Funeral Sermon it might comfort you to think It will not be long before my time shall come before my time shall be would you in truth have freedome from the fear of death which Christ hath purchased for he tooke upon him the same nature because the children were partakers of flesh and blood that he might free them who for fear of death were hold in bondage all their life Would you have comfort in Christs coming to Judgment See how effectually this works in you Is it thus effectual that because you look for Christs coming therefore you prepare your selves therefore you purge out your lusts and corruptions because there shall be nothing then when the secrets of all bearts shall be manifest that shall be displeasing to him when he shall come Are you careful to let fall worldly affections because you have a comfortable apprenension of heavenly joyes Are you careful to turn your course from sin because you would not lie open to the judgement of condemnation Are you careful to do good to persevere in the practise of godliness because he that shall come will come and will not tarry If it be thus with you then you may with comfort think of that day then you may with chearfulness look upon the day of death the day of death then is better then the day in which thou wert borne It is better to thee then the day of thy marriage it is the day of that great Marriage that shall be made between Christ and thy soul to all eternity It is better then the day that thou obtainest thy freed one then the day that thou comest out of thy Apprentiship it is the day wherein thou art set free and brought unto the glorious liberty of the sons of God It is a day that is better then the day of the enjoyment of the greatest comforts of this life because it sets thee in the possession of pleasures that are at Gods right hand for evermore Take this consideration therefore to heart and that you may walk in a holy course the better and with more constancy keep the object alwayes close to your eye Think with your selves and say If we would walk as Saints in heaven we must live as Saints on earth But how shall we do this Be often thinking of the coming of Christ often put this question to your souls What if Christ should now come If he should come now I am in the Church am I hearing the Word with that affection that I ought to here it with If he should come now I am in my calling in my world business do I follow it with a heavenly disposition as I ought to do What if he should come now while I am feasting should he take me as one feasting with fear lest I should sin against God in my mirth What if he should come and take me asleep have I made my peace with God before I went to rest Work these considerations upon thy soul When the morning cometh think it may be Christ will come and take me away before evening how shall I walk this day that I may have comfort in the coming of Christ When the Evening is come think it may be I shall never see morning before the great day of the Resurrection what now shall I do that if I die in my sleep I may rest in the Lord and so may have comfort in his appearance Either this moment either this minute settle thy comfort and peace with Christ or it may be the next hour it will be too late And remember that if ever you will live a holy life if ever you will have a heavenly conversation on earth you must be much and seriously settled in this meditation slight it not pass it not in your thoughts as a matter of discourse but let it be a working meditation let it be effectual to produce somewhat in you that may warm and heat your hearts and to set on fire the whole soul and to purge out the dross of corruption that remains in you Thus you see what it is that the Apostle here undertakes for himself and for as many as walked as he did they had a heavenly Conversation and that which made them have a heavenly conversation was the looking for the coming of Christ This was the fruit of their looking for the coming of Christ it made them walk in a heavenly conversation on earth There is another fruit of this by their looking for Christ they shall find him to be a Lord and Jesus We look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Which word sheweth that all that Christ did for the purchase of our redemption he did it by price and by power He did it by price he satisfied his Fathers Justice and so he is a Saviour We wait saith the Apostle 1 Thes 1.10 for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come And by power to over Sathan so he is a Lord the Lord of might Thou shalt find at the day of Christs that he will both be Saviour and Lord to thee A Saviour to free thee from sin and condemnation A Lord to bestow upon the heaven and glory with the Saints This is another benefit of our looking for Christs coming in the manner before spoken of we shall find him then to be a Lord and Jesus one that will save us from our sins and one that hath power to bestow heaven upon us Wouldest thou then have this comfort at that day Let him be so here to thee in this life let him be thy Lord and commander of all thy
receive the sentence either of Come ye blessed or go ye cursed After which sentence once pronounced there shall never question be made of the end of the joy of the one or the ease of the torments of the other But here ariseth a question you know the world consists but of two sorts of persons beleevers and unbeleevers For the beleever it is evident and plain Joh. 5.24 He is passed already from death to life he hath everlasting life already he shall not come into judgement And for the unbeleever it is as plain Joh. 3.18 that he is already condemned even already both are judged already both the beleever and unbeleever the beleever is saved already the unbeleever is damned already what need therefore a general a second Judgement To this I answer that there is a very great need of it both in respect of the justice and of the mercy of God whose property it is alway to reward the godly and to punish the wicked which seeing he doth not to the full in this life it must needs be that a day will come that he will fully do it You know the course of the Lord as David speaks good men have bands in their death and wicked men are lusty and strong good men are in evil condition and wicked men in prosperity Diogenes the Cinnick seeing Harpalus a thief long in prosperity he was bold to say that wicked Harpalus his living long in prosperity it was an argument to Diogenes that God had cast off his care of the world that he respected not mens affairs And indeed the prosperity of the wicked hath brought the Saints of God to a stand Davids foot slipped almost in seeing the prosperity of the wicked It made Job to say Job 24.12 Men groan out of the City by reason of oppression and the souls of the slain cry out and yet God chargeth them not with folly This made Jeremiah to expostulate his cause with the Lord Jerem. 12. Let me talk with thee of thy judgments Why doth the wicked prosper and they that transgress thy commandements This makes the godly take up that passionate complaint Psal 73.11 How doth God know it is there any knowledg in the most high Certainly we have cleansed our hearts in vain in vain we have washed our hands in innocency in vain we labour to live godly lives Why Every day we are chastened for the Lord corrects us every morning And these have the wealth of the world they have the world at will We in Christianity know this to be true Dives hath the world at will while poor Lazarus is shut out of doors hungry and thirsty cold and naked full of necessity every way This being so the day must needs come that the one shall have fulnesse of glory and the other of misery But to answer those places before cited To the former Joh. 5. where it is said The beleever is passed already from death to life he hath everlasting life already It is true he is passed already from death to life by faith he hath it already and by hope he shall not come into judgement that is of condemnation so we must understand it but there is a judgement of absolution that is to be executed and so when the Lord Jesus Christ shall descend from heaven with the sound of a Trumpet and the voyce of the Archangels then the dead in Christ shall rise first and be caught up in the clouds to meet Christ and then they shall be set at his right hand and hear that heavenly sentence Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the beginning of the world You see the answer to that that beleevers shall not come into judgement that is not the judgement of condemnation but of absolution at the last day Now for the other place where it is said Joh. 3.18 the unbeleever is condemned already It is true he is condemned already and that three wayes First of all he is condemned already in the counsel of God Secondly he is condemned already in the word of God Thirdly he is condemned already in his own conscience First in the counsel of God God hath made an eternal decree of Predestination whereby he hath elected some to salvation and predestinated them thereto and others to damnation In this Gods eternal decree the unbeleever is already condemned nay before ever he came into the world as you have it in the example of Jacob and Esaâ—… Rom. 9. before ever they had done good or evil God hated the one and loved the other Secondly in the word of God he is condemned Jo. 3.18 Why because he hates the light and loves darkness Thirdly in his own conscience he is condemned for the continual horrour thereof gives him no rest day nor night there is a worm continually gnawing there and a sting tormenting him but the full execution thereof is to be in the day of wrath when he shall be set at the left hand of Christ and hear the sentence Goe ye cursed into eternal fire prepared for the divel and his Angels O what a terrible day will this be to all the wicked workers of iniquity for Christ Jesus the Judge shall come then to give them their reward This shall be a black a sad a woful dismal day to them they shall not be able to look on the Judge he shall be so terrible to them You see the terriblness of the Judge set down by Saint John Revel 20.10 11. where it is said he saw a great white throne and one sitting thereon from whose face fâ—…ed heaven and earth and their place was no more found Heaven and earth are great and mighty creatures insensible creatures that have not sinned they flie and tremble and hide themselves at the coming of the great Judge and shall man silly sinful man think to stand before the Judge without trembling Indeed if a man could present himself spotless without blame he needed not to fear but alas it is far otherwise there is none that doth good and sinneth not saith Solomon The most righteous before men are stained and poluted in the sight of God and may cry with the Leper Unclean unclean what is man that he should be pure or the son of man that he should be just with God The Angels of heaven are impure in his sight how much more filthy man that drinketh iniquity as water Job 15. So in Psal 14.2 When God looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there were any that would uuderstand and seek after God Will he find any that frames themselves according to the rule of perfection that he requires surely no but this he finds they are all corrupt and abominable in their doings there is none that doth good no not one so sinful is man in his whole race sinful in his conception he is conceived in sin before ever he sees light in this
soul is heavy unto death yet be not troubled was he so careful when he was in his own troubles on earth to comfort them and will he not now be so in heaven when he is in blessedness certainly the soul that hath recours to Christ shall not return empty therefore see how Christ is exprest in heaven Matth. 25. Come ye blessed c. For what you have done to these you have done to me he is in heaven and so Saul why dost thou persecute me he is in heaven yet in respect of his Church he is below therefore be assured that Christ hath not put off the bowels of love to his people he will be the same if thou receive him as a Lord and Saviour as ever he was to his Disciples But it may be objected we are exposed to many uncertainties though we beleeve in Christ and we find not the comfort of it here Therefore Christ saith rest not upon things present here you are in Tents but you shall come to your fathers house there is a place provided for you between which and this there is as much difference as is between a house and a Tent between a mans own mansion and an Inn. And though you have hard entertainment in the world yet you shall have an abiding place after But you will say indeed there are mansions but there are abundance to receive them what shall we do There are many masions therefore look as there are many children to be brought to glory so there are many places to receive them in glory and to settle them there we see what a vast body the Sun is and the Stars are yet they seem but little sparks in comparison of the heavens above us but what is the heaven of heavens that contain all these infinitely beyond in its own compass there are many mansions But how shall we come to heaven Saith Christ I go to prepare a place for you as if he should say all that I have done is for your sakes I die and ascend and sit at the right hand of God for your sakes I will come at the day of judgment to bring you to glory all that Christ doth now as God-man as Mediator between God and us all is for our sake But when Christ is taken from us how shall we get thither Saith he I will come and bring you with me I will come in glory at the day of Judgment in the clouds and inable you to meet me and thence bring you to those heavenly mansions in my fathers house never doubt how these things shall be done I will do them all Thus Christ would confirm their faith there is the greatest happiness and comfort in this wherein he would have them setled this should stir us up to settle our hearts this way But the time is past this shall be sufficient for this time FAITHS TRIUMPH OVER THE GREATEST TRYALS SERMON XXXII HEB. 11.17 By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up his son Isaac and he that had received the promise offered up his onely begotten son THis Chapter doth speak in the commendation of the Faith of many of the Patriarchs and Abraham among the rest is brought in with a manifest testimony of his Faith there be two things observable which Abrahams Faith strengthened him to act one was to give up his Country the other was to give up his Son to give up his Country in verse 8. By Faith Abraham when he was called of God to go out in a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whether he went To leave our friends our parents to take our journey we know not whither to live among we know not whom and all this upon a bare word this was not an easie thing to part with good Land for some good words this was a hard matter sence derides it and reason contemns it and will not hearken to it but Faith can see more in Gods promise than sence can find Abraham will leave his Country when God calls him to it but never shall lose his inheritance by beleeving and obeying no man did ever yet hazard his estate who could part with it upon obedient terms A second thing that he is to part with is with his Son his only son his first begotten son in this Act of faith Abraham sails against wind and tide where he breaks through the contentments of the world not only of sence and reason but of natural affection The story in a word is this God after many years patience at length gave Abraham a son in his old age he was the child of many prayers and of many teares the parents delight and to Abrahams thinking an heir of life because a child of the Promise he had not long spent his gray hairs in a strange land but God on a sudden calls upon Abraham to give back his son his very son Isaac as we may read in the 22 of Genesis Now what doth Abraham do how doth he behave himself doth he expostulate with God Any thing Lord but spare my son Isaac Nay the Text saith he offered up his son Doth he murmure and grumble against God in this manner Lord why dost thou single out this delight of mine why dost thou seem to envy this blessing of mine No he offered up his Isaac as if the Text had expressed Ahrahams language thus O Lord my God what is it that thou callest for whom is it that thou callest for is it for my only son Isaac the son of my love the son of thy promise the son of my age verily Lord thou shalt have him it is true I love him dearly well but I love thee better I got him by beleeving and I shall never lose him by obeying if Isaac were a thousand sons thou shouldest have them all though I am a father yet Lord thou art a God if I give him he is a sacrifice acceptable and though I kill him yet thou canst quicken him and raise him again I shall never lose my Isaac though I part with my son for thou hast said in Isaac shall thy seed be called Now the parts of these words are two First we have Abrahams great tryal Secondly we have Abrahams acquitment First his tryal Abraham was tried when he offered up his son Secondly his acquitment by Faith Abraham offered up his son In the former we may observe three particulars First the person that is tried Abraham Secondly the Person that tried him God Thirdly the thing wherein he was tried it was no ordinary thing it was to part with a part of himself to offer up his dear son Isaac In the latter part two things are observable First his quickening up himself in his obediential act he offered up Isaac saith the Text. Secondly the powerful cause which did inable Abraham to so difficult a work By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up his
their patience to endure for Gods cause whatsoever man or divel can inflict upon them to part with any limb for their head Christ Jesus gladly to forfeit their estates on earth for a crown in heaven chearfully to lose their lives in this vail of tears that they may find them in the rivers of pleasures that spring at Gods right hand for evermore Here is work for their faith also to see heaven as it were through hell eternal life in present death to beleeve that God numbreth every hair of their head and that every tear they shed for his sake shall be turned into a pearl every drop of blood into a Ruby to be set in their crown of glory To confirme both their faith and patience Christ proclaimeth from heaven that howsoever in their life they seemed miserable yet in their death they shall be most blessed and that the worst their enemies can do is to put them in present possession of their happiness Blessed are the dead c. So saith the spirit whatsoever the flesh saith to the contrary Here we have 1. A proposition De fide of faith 2. A Deposition or testimony of the spirit A Proposition of the happy estate of the dead A deposition of the holy Ghost to confirm our faith therein 1. Saint John sets down his relation 2. A most comfortable assertion 3. A most strong confirmation The relation strange The assertion as strange of a possession without an owner a blessed estate of them who according to the Scripture phrase are said not to be The Confirmation as strange as either by an audible testimony of an invisible witness So saith the spirit Or because this asseveration concerning the condition of the Saints departed is propositio necessaria as the Schools speak we will cloath the members of the division with terms apodictical and in this verse observe 1. A conclusion sientifical whereof the parts are 1. The subject indefinite mortui the dead 2. The attribute absolute beati blessed 3. The cause propter quam the Lord or dying in the Lord. 2. The proof demonstrative and that two-fold 1. A priori 1. By a heavenly oracle I heard a voyce c. 2. A divine testimony So saith the spirit 2. A Posteriori by arguments drawn 1. From their cessation from their work They rest from their labours 2. Their remuneration for their works Their works follow them Where the matter is pretious a decision of the least quantity is a great loss and therefore as the spie of nature observeth the Jewellers will not rub out a small clowd or speck in an orient Ruby because the lessening the substance will more disadvantage them then the fetching out of the spot advance them in the sale Neither will the Alcumists lose a drop of quintessence nor the Apothecaries a grain of Bezar nor an exact Commentatour upon holy Scriptures any syllables of a voyce from heaven the eccho whereof is more melodious to the soul then any consort of most tuneable voyces upon earth can be In which regard I hold it fit to relinquish my former divisions and insist upon each word of this verse as a Bee sitteth upon each particular flower that we may not lose any drop of doctrins sweeter then the honey and the honey comb any lease of the tree of life any dust of the gold of Ophir 1. J there were three men in holy Scripture termed Jedidiah that is Beloved of God Solomon Daniel and Saint John the Evangelist and to all these God made known the secrets of his Kingdome by special revelation and their prophecies are for the most part of a mystical interpretation This Revelation was given to John when he was in the spirit upon the Lords day and if we religiously observe the Lords day and then be in the spirit as he was giving our selves wholly to the contemplation of Divine mysteries we shall also hear voyces from heaven in our souls and consciences Heard with what ears could Saint John hear this voyce sith he was in a spiritual rapture which usually shutteth up all the doors of the sences I answer that as spirits have tongues to speak withall whereof we read 1 Cor. 13.1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and Angels so they have ears to hear one another that is a spiritual faculty answerable to our bodily sense of hearing The Apostle saith of himself that he was in the spirit and as he was in the spirit so he saw in the spirit and heard in the spirit and spake in the spirit and moved in the spirit and did all those things which are recorded in this Book When Saint Paul was wrap'd up into the third Heaven and heard there words that cannot be uttered and saw things which cannot be represented with the eye he truly and really apprehended those objects yet not with carnal but spiritual sences wherewith Saint John heard this voyce A voyce from Heaven The Pythagoreans taught that the Coelestial sphears by the regular motions produced harmonious sounds and the Psalmist teacheth us that the Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work and that there is no speech nor language where their voyce is not heard but that was the voyce of Heaven it self demonstrately proving and after a sort proclaiming the Majesty of the Creatour But this is vox de coelo a voyce from Heaven pronounced by God himself or formed by an Angel so Gasper Melo expresly teacheth us Saint John heard a voyce not sounding out wardly but inwardly framed by that Angel who revealed unto him the whole Apocalypse Saint John here heard a voyce from Heaven commanding him to Write and Saint Austin heard a voyce from Heaven commanding him to Read Tolle lege and most requisite it is that where Heaven speaks the earth should hear and where God writes that man should read There never yet came any voyce from Heaven 〈◊〉 did not much import and concern the earth to hear The first voyce that came from Heaven was heard on Mount Sinai and it was to confirm the Law to be of divine authority and establish our faith in God the Creator A second voyce from Heaven we hear of in Saint Peter on the holy Mount when the Apostles were there with Christ and it was to confirm the Gospel and to establish our faith in Christ the Redeemer A third voyce or sound was heard from Heaven in the upper room where Christs Apostles were assembled in the day of Pentecost and it was to confirme our faith in the holy Ghost the Comforter A fourth voyce that came from Heaven was heard by Saint Peter in a vision and it was to confirme our faith in the Catholike Church and the Communion of Saints and the incorporating both Jewes and Gentiles in one mystical body Lastly a voyce was heard from Heaven by Saint John in this place to establish our faith in the last Article
are required at our hands we may be sure that we have spiritual life in us we may build upon it that Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith and that we live in him by grace 3. Our benefit by them is manifold in this life and the life to come In this life peace of conscience their soul shall dwell at ease 2. Good success in all we undertake what soever we do it shall prosper 3. The service of the creatures for all things work for the best to them that love God Lastly a comfortable pass out of this world we are sure our end shall be peace In the life to come the benefits are such as never eye hath seen nor ear hath heard nor ever entred into the heart of man God grant therefore our heart may enter into them quia Aristoteles non capit Eurispum Eurispus capiat Arist otalum because we cannot comprehend the joyes of heaven let them comprehend us You expect something to be spoken of our dear Sister deceased and much might be said and should by me in her praise but that one of her chiefest commendations was that she could not endure praise Laudes quia merebatur contempsit quia contempsit mag is merebatur becanse she deserved praise she desp ised it and because she despised it she the more deserved it Silent modesty in her was her crown in her life and modest silence of her was the charge at her death Her life was well known to most of this place and her death was every way answerable to her life all that visited her in her sickness might behold with sorrow a pittiful anatomy of frail mortality and yet with joy a perfect pattern of Christian patience and a heavenly conversation and though she were full of divine conceptions and she had a spring by her of the waters of life in the devotion of her dearest helper especially in the best things yet when I came to her she desired she might be partaker of some of my meditations they were her own words and when I prayed with her and for her she joyned not so much with me with her tongue as her affections and answered more in sighs and tears then in words often she complained of her tuff heart that would not yeeld to her dissolution and long long she thought it till she should come to appear before the God of Gods in Sion Her last words were sweet Father help me and she had her request for presently he helped her both by the zealous and most feeling prayers of her Husband and by the holy spirit assisting her in her own prayers with sighs and groans that cannot be expressed and immediately her sweet Father released her of her pangs and received her to himself on his own day On the Lords day morning before the morning watch I say before the morning watch she entered into her rest and began to keep her everlasting Sabbath in heaven where she reapeth what she sowed and seeth what shebelieved and enjoyeth what she hoped for and is now entred into those joyes which never entred fully into the heart of any living on earth nor shall into ours till we with her be made perfect and all of us come to Mount Sion and the heavenly Jerusalem and innumerable company of Angels and to the Congregation of the first-born whose names are written in heaven and to the spirits of just men and women made perfect Whither the God of peace bring us in our appointed time who brought again from the dead the great shepheard through the blood of the everlasting Covenant To whom with the holy Spirit c. FAITHS ECCHO OR THE SOULES AMEN SERMON XLVI REVEL 22.20 Amen Even so come Lord Jesus THese words they afford to us a comfortable and sweet argument to be conversant in From the sixt verse of this Chapter is set down to us the confirmation of the whole Prophesie and Book of the Revelation partly by the affirmation of God as likewise of Jesus Christ and of John himself that heard and saw all these things and likewise of the Church of God in verse 17. It is likewise confirmed by the promise of Blessing and Happiness pronounced upon them that shall do all these things and shall faithfully expect the accomplishment of them This Verse a part of which I have read to you is the Repetition in few words of all that matter that goeth before from verse 6. to it and hath in it First an attestation of our Lord and Saviour Christ in the former part of the Verse Behold I come quickly Secondly an acclamation of the Church in the latter part these words I have read to ye Amen even so come Lord Jesus In the attestation of Christ he promiseth he will come to his Church he will come shortly both for the accomplishment of all his promises and likewise for their safety and deliverance from all enemies and all miseries and molestations whatsoever To this the Church makes an acclamation and saith Amen even so come Lord Jesus In this acclamation of the Church to which we must now come we are to consider First the person of the Speaker whose words they be Secondly what is the matter or substance contained in them Ye shall see whose words they be if ye look back but to the 17. verse of this Chapter there ye shall find that first it is said the Spirit saith Come By the Spirit is not meant the third Person in Trinity the holy Ghost because he is not subject to these passions to these desires but he resteth himself in the execution and present disposing and dispensing of things according to his own will and pleasure Neither by Spirit here is meant any wicked spirit or Angel for they do with fear and horrour expect the same coming of our Lord and Saviour Christ because his coming shall be the accomplishment of their misery and eternal infelicity But by Spirit here is meant the spirit in all the Elect and holy people of God in whomsoever the Spirit of God is that Spirit doth say come and doth wish the accomplishment of all these most gracious promises For this is not the desire of the flesh or of nature but an earnest and vehement desire of the Spirit of God in the Elect that saith come Again secondly the same verse telleth us that the Bride saith come That is the Church of God in general the Catholick Church the whole Church of God being now hand-fasted to Christ and entred into a spiritual contract with him She desireth the consumation of the Marriage the solemniation of the Marriage which is already begun in the contract of it and not only every particular member of the Church in whom the Spirit of God is saith come but the Church of God in general the Bride saith come the whole Church saith come wishing and desiring the accomplishment of the Marriage which is already begun In the third place the same verse
of the Benediction If Esau lift up his voyce and wept because he was defeated of the blessing while Isaac lived Joseph might well have made a mourning had he been prevented of the Benediction by an unexpected or a distant death But Jacob blessed them and with his blessing gave order for his burial and with that blessing and that order dyed And as his death was no way prejudicial to the spiritual so was it not at all disadvantageous to the temporal condition of his Son He suffered loss of no enjoyments by his Fathers death Jacob had lived long by the favour and the care of Joseph his filial gratitude alone preserv'd his life but no such narrow thoughts abated the freeness of Joseph's forrow And he made a mourning for his Father If none of these considerations which work so powerfully on other persons did move this Mourner to express such sorrow what were the Motives then which caus'd so deep a sense what meditations wrought so powerfully on the heart of Joseph I answer they were but two Mortality and Paternity the one supposed the other expressed in the text Jacob was the Father of Joseph and that Father dead and therefore Joseph mourned for him Mortality is a proper object to invite our pity and privation of life alone sufficient to move compassion in the living Weep for the dead faith the Son of Sirach for he hath lost the light If for no other reason yet because a man is dead and by death deprived of those comforts which those that live enjoy they which survive may providently bewail their future privation in his present loss Thus every Grave-stone bespeaks or expects a tear as if all those eyes which had not yet lost their light were to pay the tribute of their waters to the dead Sea This Fountain Nature never made in vain nor to be alwayes sealed up that heart is rock which suffers it never to break forth and be it so yet if the rod of Moses strike an affliction sent from God shall force it Let us therefore be ready with our sorrowful expressions when we are invited by sad occasions especially when a Father who may command them calls for them as that Wise man did My Son let tears fall down over the dead And if paternal authority demands them at the death of others it is no filial duty which denies them to attend upon a Fathers Funeral Joseph a man of a gracious and a tender heart moved with common objects of compassion had a vulgar forrow arising from the consideration of mortality Joseph a Son full of high affection and of filial duty and respect was touched with a far more lively sense by the accession of paternity And he made a mourning for his Father he made a mourning for his Father which begat him for his Father which loved him for his Father which blessed him for his Father which had mourned for him for his Father which came down to die with him First he made a mourning for his Father who begat him had there been no other but that naked relation it had carryed with it a sufficient obligation There is so great an union between the Parent and the Child that it cannot break without a deep sensation He which hath any grateful apprehension of his own life received cannot chuse but sadly resent the loss of that life which gave it If the fear of the death of Croesus by a natural miracle could unty the tongue of his Son who never spake before that man must be miraculously unnatural the flood-gates of whose eyes are not open'd at his Fathers Funerals though he never wept before The gifts of grace do not obliterate but improve nature and it is a false perswasion of Adoption which teacheth us so far to become the sons of God as to forget that we are the sons of men Joseph a person high in the esteem of Pharaoh higher in the favour of God great in the power of Egypt greater in the power of the Spirit yet he forgets not his filial relation yet he cannot deny his natural obligation but as a pious Son he payes the last tribute of his duty to Jacob And he made a mourning for his Father who begat him Secondly he made a mourning for his Father who loved him Love when in an equal commandeth love and this is so just that fire doth not more naturally create a flame In this the similitude is so great that there is no difference in the nature of the love produced and that which did produce it But when it first beginneth in a superior person the proper effect which it createth in an inferior is not of a single nature but such a love as is mingled with duty and respect The love of God to man challengeth love from us but that of such a nature as cannot be demonstrated but by obedience and that of a Father to his Son is of the same condition though not in the same proportion The Father loveth first with care and tenderness with a proper and a single love the Son returns it with another colour mingled with duty blended with respect Now Jacob had many children and as an eminent example he lov'd them all but among the rest there was one clearer and warmer flame for be loved Joseph more then all his children the off-spring of Rachel the Son of his old age the Heir of his Vertues the Corrector of his Brethren the Beloved of God had a greater share in Jacobs affection then the rest of his issue He did not so much prefer his wives before his hand maids he did not so highly value Rachel before Leah as he did esteem Joseph before the off-spring of them all This was the paternal love of Jacob and this was answered with as high a filial respect in Joseph which after death could not otherwise be expressed then in tears And therefore he made a mourning for his Father who loved him Thirdly he made a mourning for his Father who had blessed him Blessing is the soveraign act of God and the power of benediction like the power of God He delegateth this power unto his Priests who stand between God and Man and bless the Sons of men in the name of God He derives the same upon our natural Parents that children honoring them may expect his blessing upon their desires and prayers And what greater favour could we ask of God then that those persons who have the most natural affection toward us should also have the greatest power to bless us Now when the time drew nigh that Israel must die when his body drew nearer to the Earth and his soul to Heaven when his desires were highest and his words of the greatest efficacy he called unto his Sons and blessed them every one according to his blessing he blessed them But as he loved Joseph more then all his Brethren so he blessed him above them all he made one Tribe of every
continual readiness that which may furnish us abundantly with meditations in this kind It was a custome in former times for men to make their Sepulchres in their Gardens to mind them of death in the midst of the pleasures of this life This present Work may not unfitly be termed a Garden wherein whosoever takes a dayly walk may gather in the several beds thereof those wholsome flowers and hearbs which being distilled by serious meditation will prove water of life to a fainting spirit in some he shall find instruction in some incitation in others consolalion in all profit Here thou shalt find that Lethall Gourd sprung up by Adam his trausgression that makes all his posterity cry out There is Death in the Pot. There thou mayst gather Hearbs of Grace as a counterpoyson against the malignity of death in a third there is the spiritual Heliotropium opening with joy to the Son of Righteousness the hope of a blessed Resurrection Do the glittering shews of outward things make thee begin to over-fancy them here thou shalt find how little they will avail in death the consideration whereof will make them like that precious stone which being put into the mouth of a dead man loseth its vertue art thou over-burthened with afflictions here thou art supported in the expectation of a far more exceeding weight of glory art thou ready to faint under thy labours here thou shalt find a time of rest and of reaping doth the time seem over-long that thy patience begins to flag here thou hast a promise of thy Saviours speedy coming In a word be thy estate and condition what it will be here thou mayst have both directions to guide thee and comforts to support thee in thy journey on earth till thou arrive at thy Country in Heaven Certainly there is no man can sleight and undervalue so deserving a Work but he shall discover himself either to be ignorant or idle or ill affected especially when so judicious and learned men have thought it a fit concomitant for their several Labours which they have added for the accomplishment of it Therefore take it in good worth improve it for the good of thy Soul that being armed and prepared for death when it shall approach thou mayst have no more to do but to die and mayst end thy dayes in a stedfast assurance That thy sins shall be blotted out when the time of Refreshing shall come from the presence of the LORD Thine in Him who is the Resurrection and the Life H. W. THE TABLE THE Stewards Summons Page 1. TEXT LUKE 16.2 Give an Account of thy Stewardship for thou mayst be no longer Steward The Praise of Mourning Page 17. ECCLESIASTES 7.2 It is better to go to the House of Mourning then to the House of Feasting for that is the end of all men and the living will lay it to his heart Deliverance from the King of Fears Page 33. HEBREWS 2.14 15. 14. For as much then as the Children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil 15. And deliver them who through the fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage The Perfection of Patience Page 47. JAMES 1.4 But let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and entire wanting nothing A Restraint of exorbitant Passion Page 61. 2 SAM 12.22 23. 22. And he said while the Child was yet alive I fasted and wept for I said who can tell whether God will be gracious to me that the Child may live 23. But now he is dead wherefore should I fast Can I bring him back again I shall go to him but he shall not return to me The Sting of Death c. Page 73. 1 COR. 15.56 The sting of Death is Sin and the strength of Sin is the Law The Destruction of the Destroyer c. Page 81. 1 COR. 15.16 The last Enemy that shall be destroyed is Death The Worlds Losse and the Righteous Mans Gain Page 91. ISAIAH 57.1 And merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come The Good-Mans Epitaph c. Page 107. REVEL 14.13 I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their Works do follow them The Christians Center c. Page 117. ROM 14.7 8. 7. For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself 8. For whether we live we live to the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords The Improvement of Time c. Page 129. 1 COR. 7.29 30 31. 29. But this I say Brethren the time is short it remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none 30. And they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as if they rejoiced not and they that buy as though they possessed not 31. And they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away Security Surprized c. Page 143. 1 THESSAL 5.3 For when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape A Christians Victory or Conquest over Deaths Enmity Page 159. 1 COR. 15.26 The last Enemy that shall be destroyed is Death The great Tribunal or Gods Scrutiny of Mans Secrets Page 171. ECCLES 12.14 For God will bring every work into Jungement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evill A Tryall of Sincerity c. Page 181. ISAIAH 26.8 9. 8. Yea in the way of thy judgments O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee 9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early for when thy judgments are in the earth the Inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness The Expectation of Christs Coming c. Page 195. PHIL. 3.20 21. 20. For our conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ 21. Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself Christs Precept and Promise or Security against Death Page 211. JOHN 8.51 Verily verily I say unto you if a man keep my saying he shall never see Death The Young-mans Liberty and Limits c. Page 223. ECCLESIAST 11.9 Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the dayes of thy youth and walk in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these
not rightly apprehend the thing Other things I should have added but I am loth to hold you too long A word for the occasion and so I will conclude the departure of our Sister here was the occasion as of this meeting here so of this Text in particular She gave good evidence to those that knew her more inwardly that she was in Christ that the was delivered not onely from eternal death but from fear of tempor all death too It pleased God to exercise her a great while under the fear of death the apprehension of it was of some terrour to her but neverthelesse when God called her to it indeed then the fear of death was hid from her and Christ then applied the fruit of his death in freeing her from those fears She was not freed from them out of a Stoycal Appethy or want of natural affection and passion but out of a spiritual and faithful application of Christ to her selfe upon good grounds She looked upon God as her Father and much delighted to expresse her apprehension of him under that notion and she very often manifested her rejoycing in that interest she had in God as his child no marvel then if the fear of death were taken away we see here in the text that they are children that are delivered from the fear of death When we are in the state of Gods children by adoption and grace then there is rather a desire then a fear of death It is but as our Fathers white Horse so it is called in the Revelation A child at school when he seeth one riding post through the streets as if he would run over him or tread upon him he cryeth out But if he sees that it is his fathers man sent to bring him from school to his Fathers house all his fear is past and he laugheth and rejoyceth So when we are the sons and daughters of God by adoption we apprehend Death as our Fathers pale Horse sent by him to bring us from a place of prison on earth home to our Fathers house a place of liberty in heaven So it was with her She looked upon Christ as her Husband and though she left a husband upon earth yet it was her owne expression she was to go to her Husband in heaven which was farre better for her And therefore I say having these apprehensions of God as her Father and that she was adopted to the estate of a child by grace and looking upon Christ as her husband no marvel she was freed from the fear of Death And that these were upon good grounds those that knew her course best knew that she expressed it by her abundant care to please God by her desire to serve God by her endeavour to mortifie and subdue ill in her selfe by her growth in grace in her latter times these good evidences did shew that it was not a rash and groundlesse perswasion but a true and real apprehension of God and Christ that freed her from this Fear of death Beloved many times the life of Gods servants is uncomfortable to them because for some of those reasons I have spoken of before they are afraid of Death and they apprehend it not with comfort and this they doe because they see not the interest they have in better comforts then Death can take from them I have the rather therefore spoke this of her that you may take notice of it and apply it to your selves And to conclude make this use of all to grow more humble and watchful and holy to strengthen faith more and by dying daily to prepare more for Death For faith is the rectified apprehension of things Death it is not so fearful as you think it is you lose not so much as you think you lose Nay again because this trouble and this fear dishonoureth God therefore when God calleth us to Death he hideth these fears from us as he did from this servant of Christ at this time before us though she were fearful before yet she was exceeding comfortable all the time when the apprehension of Death approached upon her So it shall be with thee if thou be careful to use the means to prepare for Death mind thou the dutie that God enjoyneth thee in thy life and leave the event and issue to him either he will glorifie himself by thy fears or else he will glorifie himself by delivering thee from thy fears THE PERFECTION OF PATIENCE OR THE COMPLEATE CHRISTIAN SERMON IV. JAMES 1.4 But let Patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and intire wanting nothing IN the second verse of this Chapter the Apostle perswadeth the distrest servants of God to bear their afflictions chearfully My Brethren saith he count it all joy when you fall into divers tentations This Exhortation he presseth in the third verse by shewing the gracious effects of tentations when God sanctifieth them Knowing this that the tryal of your faith worketh patience Yea but if this be all the fruit of our afflictions and tentations that we shall be made patient what great matter is that what great advantage cometh by patience It is but a dull grace it is meerly passive He telleth them that it is such a grace as is necessary to the beeing and perfection of a Christian in the words that I have now read to you Let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and intire wanting nothing I shall speak something for the explication of the terms and phrases used here and then come to elect such points as shall offer themselves to us from them First I will shew what is meant by patience Secondly what is meant by Patience having her parfect work Thirdly what is meant by this that doing of this they shall be perfect and intire wanting nothing Patience in a word it is a grace or fruit of Gods spirit whereby the heart of a beleever willingly submiteth it self to the will of God in all afflictions and changes in this life I say it is a work or fruit of Gods spirit In respect of this work the efficient is called The God of Patience and long suffering which is the same with Patience is made a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 The subject of this is the heart The act of this Patience is to submit a mans self willingly to God in afflictions I say willingly for there is a submission which is by force when God subjects a man to himselfe not by a gratious and sweet inclining of the will but by a powerful subduing of the person Now when I say there is such a willing submission to God in afflictions the meaning is thus That there may be in a believer in a child of God a Velietie an inclination of the will a natural desire to be freed from Afflictions yet nevertheless there is in him that willingness that is here the Patience of a Christian There may be a willingness an unwllingness in one
commanded fire from heaven yet you see how he bore with them and rebuked his Disciples You know not of what spirit you are He was lead as a lambe dumb before the shearers and he opened not his mouth Again you have the examples of the servants of God Take my brethren faith Saint James the Prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an ensample of suffering affliction and of Patience The Prophets suffered long and endured the frowns of the world and the rage of Princes they endured a thousand miseries and all to discharge their duty But amongst all the servants of God You have heard of the Patience of Job and what end the Lord made with him Every man can speak of the patience of Job but this was written for our ensample to teach us to be patient as he was Whatsoever things were written afore-time were written for our learnings that we through Patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Again secondly as it is necessary for a Christian to strive for the perfection of Patience in the degrees of it because of the conformity that should be between him and those examples of God of Christ and of the Saints between God the Father and beleevers his children between Christ the head and beleevers his members between the Saints of God children of the same Father and servants of the same Master that should honour him in the same grace of Patience So There is a necessity likewise of it in respect of the tryals whereunto a Christian may be put you had need to strive that you may be perfect in Patience because you know not what tryals ye shall be put to what times ye are reserved to Every man must expect troubles and afflictions they are called Tribulations and you know what Tribulum was the Iron ball that was full of pikes round about so that wheresoever it was cast it did stick and Engine used in war Tribulations are unavoydable they will fall and stick ye cannot escape them on any side by any turning to the right hand or to the left It is the will of God that through many tribulations we should enter into the kingdome of heaven and whosoever will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution Now beloved is this so that this is a Statute in heaven decreed and ordained by God and will not be reversed like the lawes of the Medes and Persians that every man must passe to heaven through tribulation and affliction upon earth then it concerns every one to be armed to get such a measure of patience as may support him in such afflictions Ye know not what afflictions ye may have what particular tryals God may put ye to In what a miserable case then is a man if he be to seek of his armour when he is in the middest of the pikes if he be then to get patience when he is in the middest of tryals when he is disturbed and distracted with vexation of spirit What foolish disorderly speeches proceed from men in the time of affliction We may see it in David so foolish was I and ignorant and in this point a beast before thee What foolish sensual beastly speeches unreasonable absurd passages proceed from men in those times of trouble if they have not got to themselves before hand this grace and are not fitted to a Christian carriage in time by patience Thus ye see the necessity of patience to the perfection of a Christian and the necessity of the perfection of patience to the ornament of a Christian Now we come to make use of both these together First it serveth for the just reproof of Christians that are careful for other parts and acts of religion and are not so seriously mindful of this duty of patieuce as they should be but are so farre from striving for patience that they seem rather to strive for impatience that make their crosses more heavy and their afflictions more bitter then they would be Indeed we make Gods Cup that of it self is grievous enough to nature and to sense by putting into it our own ingredients that are inbred in our own passions and pride and self-will and our own earthly minds farre more bitter then else it would be But how doth a man make afflictions worse There are divers wayes that men take wherein they are so far from perfecting Patience in themselves that they wholly destroy Patience The first is by their agravating of their afflictions by all the several circumstances that possible they can invent All their eloquence is used in expressing the grievousness of that cross and affliction that is upon them They that in the times of mercy could scarce ever drop a word in thankfulness and acknowledgement of Gods goodness to them now they can pour out flouds of sentences in expression of Gods bitter and heavy dealing with them in such afflictions and crosses and distresses that befal them As the Church speaks in the Lamentations Consider all that pass by is there any affliction like my affliction wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me The like speech you have ordinarily in the mouths of persons Is there any affliction like mine there is no body so wronged in their name as I nor hath such pain in their body nor never went with such an heavy heart as I never any man suffered so many injuries by freinds and enemies and all sorts of people as I have done at if all the afflictions in the world the flouds and waves of tryalls were all met upon one person This is the language of men whereby they aggravate their afflictions and increase impatience in themselves Again another way whereby they do is is this By giving vent and free course to their passions Passions are like a wild horse if they have not reines put upon them if they be not pulled in they will flie out to all excesse If once we give our Passions vent there is no stoping of them David we see checks himself he had a curb to bridle his passions Why art thou cast downe oh my soule But otherwise when men give the reines to their passion and doe not stop their course but think they have reason for it they break out into all exhorbitancie Ionah when the Lord challenged him for his anger Dost thou well to be angry I saith he I doe well to be angry even to the death So David Oh Absalom my sonne would God I had died for thee Oh Absalom my sonne my sonne What hurt was done to David what wrong had the man to take on thus his sonne was tooke from him but it was Absalom Absalom died but it was Absolom that would have killed his father and yet he takes on as if the father could not live because the sonne that sought his death was tooke from him Such unreasonable Passions such causelesse distempers oft-times are in the soules of men that
God the glory of his mercy And so much for the first direction that is to acknowledge God in all the changes of life that befalleth thee Secondly look to sin as that deserving cause that draweth on all the afflictions of this life Consider thou hast fallen by thy sin into Gods displeasure therefore whatsoever affliction befalleth thee thy sin hath deserved that at the hands of God The Lord now dealt with the as a just God though not in the extermity of rigor yet neverthelesse there is a righteous proceeding in it as the Church confesseth Righteousnesse belongeth to thee O Lord though they were in great affliction yet God was righteous in it It is profitable to consider this nay and not only that thou sufferest righteously as the Theif on the Crosse said We suffer according to our deserts but thou sufferest not so much as thy sins deserve thy sins deserve greater things at the hands of God then yet he hath infflicted on thee We see that a commutation and change of punishment a less for a greater hath the place of a mercy upon a malefactor that deserveth greater when he deserveth to be executed and to die he is not only content to be burnt in the hand but the confesseth it to be a mercy of the Prince So it is with us whatsoever affliction God hath laid on thee thou maiest conclude I have deserved greater Therefore saith the Church Why is the living man sorrowful Man suffereth for his sin let us search and trie our wayes and turn again to the Lord. So let this be the main businesse of thy life in this case rather bethink thy self how to get the favour of God then to be eased of such a trouble Let a man look to sin in all this Lastly consider the gratious and comfortable fruit of Affliction that is born with patience For first patience lesseneth the judgment impatience increaseth it on a man The strugling child hath more stripes A man in a Fever the more he strugleâ—…h and striveth the more he increaseth his pain The more patiently a man yeeldeth himself to the hands of God the more by the mercy of God he findeth ease and mitigation of the affliction And this God promiseth Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I will deliver thee in the time of trouble God will take off the affliction when once he hath perfected Patience by affliction for you must know this that all that God aymeth at in all afflictions that he layeth on men is to perfect patience in them therefore the issue will be good There will for the presene be more ease to the heart and afterward a gracious issue and deliverance from trouble when thou art exercised by patience Secondly there are other afflictions of our life and that is not only in those cases wherein some positive evil as we account it naturally some affliction grievous to nature and sense are upon a man but mercies are delayed and hope deferred maketh the heart faint It is an affliction to a man to be kept and delayed in the expectation of that good he hath not if he seem to catch at it it is drawn from him further and further There are many men that have sent many a prayer to God yet the thing they ask is not granted to this day Many a man hath waited long and sought the Lord yet he hath not that his soul desireth How shall a man come to exercise patience in such a case as this In such a case when God delayeth know first that Gods delayes are not danyals though God delay the thing he may and will in time certainly grant it yea though he delay it a great while As we see in other servants of God we may see it in David in Job in Paul in the Canaanitish woman and in others The Vision is for an appointed time saith Habakkuk wait for it it will come and it will not tarry it will not lie God will be known a God of truth what he hath promised he will performe in due time only what doth he expect of thee to wait for the present Now this is an act of faith He that beleeveth will not make hast Glorifie God by beleeving put to thy seal that he is true Whatsoever God hath promised in the Word and thou hast a warrant to beleeve wait for it Secondly Gods delayes are not only not denials but improvements of Gods favour God increaseth and commendeth the excellencies of his mercies by delayes he recompenceth our expectation and waiting for them with putting in greater sweetness into those favours when they come I say God increaseth the comfort answerable to the delay as in the 61. Isa 7. God to comfort the distressed Church in the time of calamity for their affliction faith he they shall have double Double what Double comforts for their tryals Our light afflictions faith the Apostle that are but for a moment cause us a farr more excellent and sxrpassing weight of glory A weight of glory for light Afflictions an eternal weight of glory for momentary afflictions Here is the issue As our afflictions have abonnded so our consolations abound much more This is the course of God Thirdly know that Gods delayes are never long at the longest they are but for a short time what if he delay a year what if twenty thirty forty years what if the the life of a man this is no great delay Compare this time of thy waiting for mercy with the time to come of thy enjoying of mercy A small time of waiting on earth to an eternity of recompence in heaven Compare eternity with the time of thy suffering Alas how little what a small or no agreement is between them A moment to eternity If the life of a man should extend to a hundred years to a thousand yeares to which age never man yet lived yet that is but a point a moment to eternity A thousand years past and to come they are but as yester-day to God Take the eternity past in God himself that is without all beginning and the eternity to come that shall be without all end and put the life of man in the middest of these two and we will conclude it is as a point in the middest of a circumference it is but a moment nay not so much as a moment of time Stretch out the duty of Patience then hast thou waited a week wait a month a year seven years seventy years nay seventy Ages all the ages of the world if it were possible All these are but a moment to eternity And where is there a man that hath waited so long but God that his servants may not faint in their expectation either supports them with other comforts lest they should faint in their desire or else giveth them that which they desire before their hearts faint Know therefore that it is no such great matter for
why is thy conntenance fallen Or as that great King said to Nehemiah Why is thy countenance sad So if men would put the question to themselves concerning their affections as concerning love why do I set my heart upon such and such things and so likewise concerning their sorrow and anger and every thing Why is it thus As Rebecca said when the children did strive in her womb so when there is a conflict of passion in the soul against reason since it is so why am I thus Who art thou that fearest mortal man saith Isaiah to the Church If men I say did thus they would not break out into such exorbitancy of passions as commonly they do The way then to order any affection aright is to reduce it to the principles of sanctified and rectified reason and judgement Let reason be guided by the Word of GOD and let the affections be ordered by that reason so rectified Thus it was with man in the state of innocency and experience telleth us that in the state of corruption all disorder cometh from the want of this subordination of the affections to reason in their several actions and motions When a man goes hood-wink'd up and down he is in danger of stumbling and falling into one hole or other this is for a man to walk in darknesse then a man-walketh in darknesse when he is not guided in all his actions and affections by the light of truth shining in his understanding A man should therefore strive to check himself and to suffer others to check him Why is it thus If a man cannot give a cause and a reason it is a passion to be rejected a distemper o be repented of This is the first thing He saw no reason therefore he would not do it The second is this It was altogether bootlesse Why should I fast I cannot bring him back again He meaneth bring him back again to live on the earth So Job meaneth when he speaks in the same manner If a man die shall he live again he cannot be brought again to live and converse among men The point I note hence is this That all the actions and opportunities of this life cease in death There is no calling of them back again No bringing of a man back to take new opportunities to enioy the comforts he hath lost and to make use of the means he hath neglected and to redeem the time he hath slackly let passe When the request was put to Abraham by Dives that some might come from the dead to tell his brethren upon earth where he was No faith he that request shall never be granted that a man should come from the dead to give warning to the living much lesse that a man himself should return from thence to begin upon a new score a new reckoning to have a new time appointed when that time is past over They have Moses and the Prophetes let them hear them God hath appointed the means and a time to use the means Now they have Moses and the Prophets After this life they shall have none of these means no time of using them The child shall not come back again nor the man shall not come back again Death is a strict door-keeper all that passe out that way the door is shut on them they shall never return back We read of many several Ages that have gone to the place of silence we never read of any that came thence to tell what is done there we never heard of any yet that came back again to reform his course A friend with all his prayers and tears cannot bring back a friend that is dead It teacheth us a point of wisdom to make good use of our time the time of grace we have We draw neerer death every day then other and when once we are dead we shall never be brought back again upon the earth If a man had all the world and would give it to obtain an hours time upon earth to do what he neglected before he cannot have it therefore while it is called to day harden not your hearts yet a little while and you shall have the light saith Christ while ye have the light walk in the light Make use of the means of grace the time may come when ye may wish as Dives is described to wish that some body much more that you your selves might come from the dead Certainly if those in Hell were to come from the dead again though it were to live a hundred years on earth a holy strict and concionable life to watch over all their wayes to keep a good conscience towards God and men they would not omit a duty nor slight a duty they would not omit an opportunity a minute but spend their whole life in working out their salvations with fear and trembling they would sleep and awake with fear lest they should sin they would be careful that they had no sinful thought they would be patterns of the strangest expressions of conformity to the rule that can be imagined if it were possible to be granted You may easily be perswaded of this do you that now which they wish for and wish in vain make use of the time of grace now there is no coming back again afterward Thirdly A third reason is this I shall go to him As if he should have said I have another business in hand now the child is dead it is not for me to stand blubbering and spending my time for a dead Child I am going to him The word here is I shall return to him Return signifieth to go back to a place where one was before So David shall return to his Child for he was there before there in respect of his body the principles of that is in the earth where the Child is and in heaven in respect of his soul where the Child is The Body returneth to dust whence it was taken and the soul to God that gave it The body is of the dust and returneth to dust the soul cometh from God and returns to God again Therefore he saith here I shall return to him because I came from him When things are reduced to their principles the body to the earth and the soul to God they are said to return Ye see the phrase then The point briefly is this That the greatest care of a mans life the greatest business he hath to do on earth is to prepare for death His business is not to care for his children that are dead and to spend unprofitable sorrow for them the main business of my life is how I shall make my peace with God and be fitted for death for I am going thither We should observe the death of others to stir us up to a serious preparation for our own death the Father should be stirred up by seeing his Child dead before him the elder by seeing the younger die before them we see how death hath shot his arrowes
respect of the metaphor the Apostle aludeth unto it is taken from the sting of a Serpent and so Sin is a sting in a double respect First in respect of the fearfulness and then in respect of the hurtfulness of it First in respect of the fearfulness It is Sin that makes Death fearful to a man Indeed I confess that in the best Christian though Christ have pulled out the sting of death yet there are natural grudgings and shruglings As to a Serpent though the sting be pulled away yet there are some abhorrings and dislikes in a man But then how terrible is Death when it cometh in a compleate Armour as it doth against a person in whom Sin remaineth in its full power it must needs then be terrible See the differences between two persons the one is afraid of every one he meeteth the other is not what is the reason the one is greatly indebted and ingaged the other is free So it is with a Christian and another man the one cannot hear of Death but his heart breaks he is full of fear and horrour the other heareth of Death and is only somewhat affected in the hearing of it but not possessed with that fear as is the other what is the reason the sting of death remaineth in one and not in another Sin therefore is a sting in that respect Secondly it is a sting in respect of hurtfulness The sting of the Serpent is a hurtfull thing it poysoneth the vitall parts it takes away life it self All the evill that cometh to us by death cometh by sin Man need not complain of the ilness of the prison so much as of his own folly that he ingaged himself in debt whereby he is cast into prison Why complainest thou of the misery in Hell rather labour to break off thy sins that are the cause of all that misery all the hurtful quality and miserable condition that befalleth a person in Death and Hell is for Sin the eternal separation of the soul from God and all punishment that follows after in Hell are the fruit of mans sin Hell had not been Hell without Sin it is Sin that causeth it to become hurtfull Thus I have explained these inquiries Now I come to make Use and application and so conclude the Point The first Use of this point shall be this If Sin be the sting of death let it be our wisdom to get this sting pulled out in the time of our life Oh that this people were wise faith God then would they consider their latter end If you were wise that hear me this day you would consider that Death will come and if it be not taken away before-hand with a sting upon the soul My brethren we have many enemies to deal with even now at this very instant but there is yet an enemy as the Apostle faith The last enemy to be subdued is Death he his behind and here is the difference betwixt Death our last enemy and some other of our enemies some other of our enemies cannot be subdued but by their presence but let me tell you this Death is such an enemy as is never subdued but by his absence thou canst never overcome Death in death thou must not reserve this combat till thou come to the field but thou must overcome this enemy before he cometh thou must overcome him in thy life How is that Pull out the sting of him now then Death is conquered How will you disarm the tongues of malicious slanderous persons and deprive them of their viperous speech by an innocent life So how will you take away the sting of death watch against Sin take away sin and you take away the power from Death set upon Sin and Death is overcome so much sin as is now dead so much is Death conquered I beseech you seriously consider these particulars First that it will not be long ere Death knock at these doors of ours these houses of clay must shortly be ruinated we must certainly be resolved into dust What is this life of ours but as a ship that is driven by a gale of breath When the breath of man ceaseth the ship lieth in a dead calm Man goeth to his long home saith Solomon and the mourners follow in the streets Death is our long home we all are the mourners we follow in the streets This dead carcass is an example that leads us to our home and a sermon to tell us that we must follow we follow now in a charitable expression but we shall follow one day in paying of the same debt Look over all the times of the world and the dispositions of persons look over learning and folly greatness or poorness find me a man that escaped Death Die we must and we have need to have this much pressed upon us for it is a hard matter to beleeve that we must die that I must be the man that must die common notice of Death are granted but that I must die and lie in the dust and stand before God it is a hard matter to beleeve this And consider this secondly that Death will be terrible to thee if he knock and find a sting in thee Thou that now wilt not be reclaimed from swearing Alas what will become of that blaspheming soul of thine when death shall come and find a sting of blasphemy in thee How darest thou think of giving up that swearing soul of thine to the Judge of heaven and earth Thou unrighteous person that wilt not sanctifie the Lords day how darest thou give up that unholy soul of thine to the holy God Dost thou think to have an eternal rest in heaven and wilt not give God a rest here So I might say for all kind of sinners Think of this take heed lest Death find a sting in thee for all the sting that Death hath it findeth in thy self look to it thy condition will be fearful if Death come and find Sin unmortified unrepented of in thee God will certainly bring thee to judgment for every thought and word and action Thirdly consider this that naturally we are so tempered that if Death come he shall find his weapons and strength in us in every man of us I mean considered naturally But how shall I know whether Death when he cometh shall find a sting in me or no I will only give you two tryals you shall know it thus First if thy conscience now sting thee for some approved sin if thou repent not Death will assuredly meet thee with a sting that approved sin of thine will be the â—…ting of death Conscience will sting a man either for the act done or for the approbation of the act if conscience sting a man for his approbation of a sinful quality or for a sinfull course if a man continue in that course surely that will be the sting of death to his soul therefore look to thy self perhaps thou art convicted of such a sin perhaps thy
the gap that he may unwind his hands of this burthen of the prayers of his servants he removeth them by death he saith to them as he did to Moses let me alone that I may destroy them And then as it is with the Husbandman when the corn is gotten into his Barn he burneth up the stuble till the Wheat be gathered the Tares are not turned up God will not pour his plagues untill he have removed the impediments those that are merciful men when they are taken away he poureth down his judgements Therefore he takes them away that they may not see it nor suffer it that is the second Thirdly he takes them from the Evil of sinning that is a greater blessing and in two senses from that He takes them from it that they shall not see sin for that is a great Corrosive to a godly man It was one point of Davids grievance that he saw wicked men suffer I humbled my soul with fasting and I behaved my self as one that mourned for his Mother David humbled himself even for his enemies when they were afflictied that was one part of his sorrow But the chief part of his sorrow was to see them commit sin Mine eyes gush out with rivers of tears because men keep not thy law That was a great affliction Therefore that they may be eased of that evil God takes away merciful men that they shall not see sins committed they are offensive to chaste eyes He takes them to heaven that their ears may not be filled with hellish blasphemies and damnable oathes that overburthen the ground that ring their peals in every street as a man passeth by there is no hearing such things in heaven That is one thing he takes them away that their eyes may not be glutted with beholding extortions oppressions murthers contentions revilings and other sins in the world It is a great ease to a godly man to be took out of evil times when God leaveth him in times and places that are evil he shines as a light when God takes him away he hath the reward of his sorrow it cost him grief to see it therefore to reward him God takes him away that he may not see sin committed Fourthly God takes them away that they may mot sin themselves for heaven is a place as of no sorrow so of no sin though we be unsatiable of sin now then there is an end put to it It pleaseth God so to deal in his providence to order it that sin brought in Death and Death carrieth out sin that as a skilful Chimmick distilleth an Antidote out of poyson so doth God Death that was the reward of sin God setcheth the translation out of it to eternal happiness the Mother sin brought forth Death and Death the daughter carrieth out sin That is it that is the great comfort of a man in death as now I shall cease suffering so here is my comfort too I shll cease sinning though my purposes and endeavours be bent upon piety yet I am overtaken I could not tread so strait but I did often tread awry now there shall be a new plain path provided for my feet there is no sin in heaven That is a great point of wisdome that God destroyeth sin with the body and raiseth the body again without sin if the body should live alwayes how should sin end sin will not be rooted out as long as we are in the body while we carry about us this vaile of flesh we shall carry about us also another vaile of sin therefore faith Epiphanius God dealeth with us as a skilful houshoulder with his house Look as it is in building an old house if there grow a Fig-tree or Ivy out of the house that it spred the root through the chincks and partitions of the wall a man that cuts down the Fig-tree shall not profit for it is so fast rooted in the wall and in the chincks that either he must pull down the wall or else it will not die Therefore a wise man will pull down his house and root out the Fig-tree and then set up stones and there erect the house beautiful and so both are preserved he hath his end in both both the house is rebuilt and the Ivy consumed and rooted out So it is in case of sin there is the house we carry about us the building the temple of our body the house is man himself sin is the fig-tree it is such a fig-tree as insinuateth it self between every chink and partition in our nature there is somewhat corrupt in every faculty of the soul and it sheweth the fruit in every part of the body that is an instrument of sin it hath so wound it self in that the fig-tree cannot be destroyed cannot be pulled out except the house be dissolved there must be a pulling down of the Temple therefore God in wisdome by Death he takes the Temple the house in peeces and then the fig-tree may be pulled out and then he erects the wall of that house more glorious then before it was thrown down while the fig tree was in it while sin was in it it is raised up without it that is that the Apostle faith Corruption shall put on incorruption and mortality shall put on immortality the body that is sown a naturall body it shall be raised a spiritual it is sown in dishonour it shall be raised in glory God therefore takes them away from the evil of sin he dissolved the body that he may purifie it and cloath it with immortality that it may be a purer body then when it was first presented in nature at the first Creation We see hereby what those good things are that Death bringeth It bringeth immunity from the evil of suffering God takes away merciful men that they see not that they suffer not And it bringeth immunity from sin that they do not see it that they do not commit it The use is a Pillar of considence not to be afraid of Death who would fear that which makes for his perfection that is the means of his translation of happiness And in respect of others not to mourn for them that are took away out of this world as those that are without hope they are not took away but translated they are removed for their advantage for the better Elijah was removed from earth to heaven in a firie chariot shall Elisha weep because he enjoyeth him not No he is took from earth to heaven Joseph was sold into AEgypt but it was to be a Ruler God intended that it is the same reason God translates us out of the world to give us the end of our hope even the salvation of our souls Shall we mourn as men without hope God takes them out of a valley of tears shall we mourn unsatiably for those that are took out of the valley of tears Let us not bring their memory to the valley of tears they are past it God takes them from
my son would God I had died for thee my son All conditions that live find tears in mens eyes and consideration of their departure only the godly and the righteous man findeth none Here is their stupidity Can there be a greater stupidity then to make a man die twice as they die the death of their bodies so to make them suffer a death in our memories as they perish to the world so to perish also in our thoughts and meditations We owe God so much we owe piety so much we owe the memorial of many so much we owe our selves so much as to take it into consideration And yet no man considereth This is the fault which we may examine our selves of For if we now make reflection of all this upon our selves we must find a conformity with our times There is never a word of this Scripture but it is true now I will now take the parts in order First we cannot deny that evil is to come upon this place Nay it were well if it were to come it is come already it hath overtaken us If we load the earth with the evil of sin it is impossible that God should forbear long The evil of sin that surchargeth the earth must be unloaden again by this burthen by the burthen of punishment one burthen must justle out another Evils there have been impendant that we have seen Evils there are now present that we begin to groane under and no man can tell where that evil will stay There is evil present and evils to come because our evils are still multiplying the beginnings of sorrows and sufferings and fears God grant it may stay But our state and condition is like them in this that they are yet impendant We see the heavens grown black judgments are a ripening When ye see the sky red when ye see the skie black judgment is beginning not only beginning to bud but it beginneth to spread and inlarge it selfe Thus farr there is a correspondency There is evil that we have cause to fear and suspect yet further to come on this place Secondly there is a conformity with the other too in our negligence The world sendeth forth men now void of natural affection It was never so before For if before they neglected others yet they were careful of themselves But men now desperately neglect their own salvations There is no respect to God no pitty of others no not of themselves I do not wonder that men heretofore considered not when they loved their lives better then their sins because they had some sensible taste of that that was temporal when they loved their lives better then heaven But now men love not their lives best but their sins better for though their lives be in danger yet their sins are kept It is an admirable thing to consider how every way we are given to plenty to ryot to security notwithstanding God cometh neer and bringeth his judgment even to the door and makes it swell He forbeareth a long time to trie us with mercies and then he takes a severe course Where shall men see the face of an alteration our lives are the same our delights the same our vanities and follies the same we keep the same sins still as if we were bent to provoke God further to see what he will do That is an evident sign we consider not for what purpose God sendeth his plagues we consider not what he doth when he takes away others for our example none lay it to heart and take it into consideration it swimmeth not in his brain We begin to tremble and we think our selves well if we provide a countrey house but God hath beset us in the Countrey and in the City There will be no flight but to repentance there is the City of refuge and there is no way to repent but by consideration these must be took to heart before there can be amendment and till there be amendment there will he no removing of judgment It is plain then that we are conform able in that part of the Text. And in the first too That merciful men are taken away experience sheweth it daily they are taken so frequently that there is hardly any left they are not only taken away but swept away And if there were no other proof this representation this sad spectacle before our eyes that is an argument to make the proof of the conformity of the first part of the text with us In the text there is mention made of a righteous man of a merciful man The Spirit of God bringeth in all the parts by pairs It is fulfiled in the solemnity and occasion of this day by pairs God calleth us to piety by pairs he giveth us spectacles of mortality I thought I had come to do the duty for one to performe the solemnity of one Funeral but after I perceived I was called to do the office for two It was not so from the beginning it falleth not out so every day Here is the true proof that these are the times of mortality set the pairs any way and we shall see that there is one free none can secure himself from the stroke of death One a vertuous ancient Gentlewoman the other a grave learned minister but of younger condition here are both ages took away and both presented not only so but here are both conditions of life and both presented together and here are both sexes and both presented together to teach us that no sex no condition no age can secure themselves I will smite the Shepheard saith Christ foretelling the Disciples what should befal them Here is the smiting of the Shepheard and the sheep too But both together and I beleeve this place cannot send such another pair For the one He was the most eminent for his place For the other she was the most eminent for her piety I was not acquainted with the conversation of either and therefore I shall not speak much and the information I had it was not much for it was needless I may save a labour for both for if I speak any thing false ye are able to refute me if I speak any thing true as all must be true that is spoken here yet ye are able to prevent me and I can say nothing that ye know not For the one I here that he had the report of a man that was conscionable in the discharge of his place And all that I shall say of him shall be only this there is cause that ye should take to heart his death For what is the reason that in this little Parish that is as healthful as another But God is wounderful in his wayes and we must not search into the judgments of God that it is not full eight years but there have three succeeded that have been commended to this place and have died one after another Is it so that ye kill them with unkindness the world saith so I tell ye I know
rotten name that stinks while he liveth yet he would live still Yea and not only wicked men do make many base shifts to live they have their portion in this life no wonder therefore they do it but even Gods best children that look for a better life then this when this ended are not willing to part with this life if they could keep it Do you not remember how David pleaded for life Oh let me live that I may praise thy Name oh spare me a little before I go hence and be no more Hezekiah turneth his face to the wall and wept oh shall the grave give thanks unto thee or shall the dead celebrate thy praise No Vivens vivens it is the living it is the living that must praise thee as I do this day I know indeed that sometime you shall find some of Gods children wishing for death Job My soul hath chosen strangling and death rather then my self Lord I pray thee saith Moses kill me out of hand and let me not see my wretchedness Elijah when he fled from Jezable for his life Lord quoth he take away my life for I am not better then my fathers He was not willing that Jezable should take away his life but he would have God to take it away You know Jonah his pettish mood that he was in when he would needs think to know what was better for him then God himself doth Lord take I beseech thee my life from mee for it is better for me to dic then to live These men of God they were sons of men they had their passions as other men have and passion was never good judge between life and death I know again that there is question made by Job Wherefore is light given to a man that is in misery and life to the bitter in soul Such a man I confess that hath bitterness of soul he may happily seek for death as for treasures and be glad when he hath found the grave But let God be but pleased a little to allay that bitterness let him but lay up that bitter pill in sugar a little and then he will like life well enough Why do we all this while go from my Text Surely there be so many voyces upon earth against it that if there were not a voyce from heaven to say Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord we should scarce beleeve it But then if the dead be blessed why do we not die that we may be blessed There is such a like Question of Scipio in that same book of Tullies Somnium Scipionis Scipio asked his Father when his father had told him of those glories that the soul enjoyed in immortality Why saith he do I tarry thus long upon the earth why do not I hasten to die The schollers of Eugesius when they heard their Master dispute of the immortality of the soul went and laid violent hands upon themselves that they might go to that immortality And so Cato Uticensis after he read Platoes books of the Immortality of the Soul made away himself Many such examples there have been And I find often-times in your bills many that have laid violent hands upon themselves some that cut their own throats and some that hang themselves I pray give me leave a little to speak upon this Saint Austin tells me of five causes for which persons do usually lay violent hands upon themselves The first is this Some do it to avoid some shame or some dishonour or misery or beggery that shall befall them Thus did Achitophel when he saw that his counsell was defeated he went home and hanged himself Thus have many done to avoid shame and dishonour Alas poor wretches While they seek to escape temporal punishment they run into eternal like our fishes in the proverb out of the frying-pan into the fire into hell fire where the worm dieth not and where the fire never goeth out Secondly some have done it to avoid the terrors of a guilty conscience Thus Judas troubled in conscience after he had betrayed Christ he went and hung himself Poor wretch He had more need he had lived that he might have healed that sin of his by repentance This is not a way to expiate thy sin this is a way to increase it Judas when he killed himself he killed as wicked a man as was upon the earth and yet he shall answer to God aswell for that nocent bloud of his own that he spilt as he shall for the innocent bloud of the Son of God that he betrayed Thirdly we find some that have done this to avoid some villany that they feared should be offered them As for example Pelagia a noble Lady that we read of in Ecclesiastcall stories when she was followed by some barbarous souldiers that would have abused her she speaking nothing but never a villain of them all shall touch me threw her self over a bridge and drowned her self Some of the Fathers do little lesse then commend her for this Saint Augustine condemnes her so should I. For why should she that had done no hurt do hurt to her self why should she to escape the hands of the Nocent lay violent hands upon her self that was innocent Our chastity of body is not lost when the chastity of our mind remaineth inviolated Fourthly Some have done this to purchase to themselves a name of valour Rasis in the book of the Machabees did thus And if there were no other thing in the world to shew that book to be Apochriphal Scripture this is enough in that the Author of that book commendeth Rasis for it It is not valour for to flie a danger it is valour to bear it If any example can be alledged to this purpose that of Sampsons may But Saint Austin he answereth The Spirit of God secretly commandeth him to do it And we may verily beleeve it for if the Spirit of God had not commanded it yea and assisted him in it too he had never done that he did in pulling down the house upon himself and the Philistims Lastly some have done it or they might have done it because Blessed are the dead Some will die that they may be blessed Poor wretches They that diprive themselves of this life may not look for a better when this is ended I will not judge particulars I leave them unto God But in the general Considering that life is Gods blessing it is he that giveth it and it is he that must take it away Considering that man is not lord of his own spirit Considering that God hath set us here in our stations and we may not move out without leave from our General Considering that we are set here to serve God and we must serve him as long as he will and not as long as we will Or specially considering that God hath forbidden us to kill others therefore forbidden us much more to kill our selves therefore surely except Gods mercy
be straitned and because the Apostle intends it not as the main thing I do but only name it The second thing and that which Saint Paul mainly intends is that because we have but a little time we are even ready to strike sayle and to go to the Harbour presently therefore he that had a wife should be as if he had none and he that used the world as if he used it not c. And there the Lesson that I noâ—e is this That the serious meditation of the little and short time that we have to remain in here below should be a great means to cut us off from the world and to put us upon thoughts and actions concerning heaven I shall not need to give you a better ground of the point then is in the Text. The time is short saith he the time is contracted you are ready to strike sayle therefore do this I might give you a world of Scripture to prove this But I will satisfie my self in laying you down two or three grounds of it First we know that all things that ever a man can enjoy in this world they all die assoon as ever this time is gone Mark it All things here below let a man dote never so much upon them let him have wife and children and beauty and credit and pleasures and learning or whatsoever it is if his glass be out if his time be gone ther 's is an end of all those to him Now the soul of man careth not for that happiness that hath no continuance at all in it Yea the rarest thing that mortal men seek if they should know before hand that they should enjoy them but a little time the soul careth not for pitching upon it If a man were offered the goodliest woman for his wife that ever lived in this world if God should send him this message there take her I bestow her freely upon thee but to morrow thou shalt die who would care for marrying To be a King we know is simply the greatest thing that men seek after in this world yet among the Grecian Cities as that of Sparta because one was but to have the Kingdome but for a year and then to lay down his Crown and become a private man all the wisest men of the City strove as much not to the King as we to get great places Why because they knew that that honour was but for a year and that would be gone presently therefore they cared not for it So the Apostle teacheth in this place Though thou shouldest have a wife that thou shouldest love mightily though thou shouldest have pleasures that thou takest full content in Why doest thou so We are ready to strike sayle we have but a little time to continue So that because all the blessedness of this life let them be never so many never so great yet they all die with us when our time is ended he that could but seriously think that he hath but a little time to continue below he will never let his heart be set violently upon them that is the first Argument The second and principle Reason why the meditation of the shortness of our time should be such a marvellous means to take us off from all the things of the world is this Because we shall find work enough in this short time for things that more concern us Now the very nature of our soul that God hath put into us is this that a man cannot intend earnestly and violently two things at the same time Let a man for a certain hour wholly be took up with some business though there were a great many other things that be could find in his heart to think upon yet the soul intends that one mainly and can find no time for the other This is our case We have but a little time but in that little time admirable is the work we have to do before this time be spent if we would give a comfortable account What have we to do I tell you in a word The main and needfull thing of all that we have to do in this little time here allotted us is How to shoot the gulph of hell how to make our peace with God how to get his favour in Christ how to have the corruptions of our soul cured and healed how to grow up in grace and to get sure evidence against that day when all shall stand naked before him that then we may be found in Christ Have I ever heard that I have a great work to do and that I have but a little time to do it in Surely then if I seriously think of it I cannot find in my heart to let my soul pitch earnestly upon the things below Beloved our time here is the only time we have to make heaven sure It is the most precious thing that ever we have in the world Now if a man have such a precious thing and but a little of it will he go and spend it for toyes and baubles It is a thing that the Emperour Caligula is laughed at for in all Stories There was a mighty Navy provided admirable and strange and all trimmed and every one expected that with it the whole countrey of Greece should be conquered and so it might have been But he imploped his souldiers to gather a company of Cockleshells and Pibbles and so sayled home Had not every one cause to laugh at the folly of this Emperour Verely such a fool is every man and so we would acknowledge if we would but weigh this God hath given thee but thus much time it may be twenty years it may be but a day or two more in this time he hath furnished thee with that which may be a means to conquer heaven it self now if â—…hou lay out this little about wife or children or to purchase a little wealth or chese things here below is it not the greatest folly that may be Suppose that a servant hath a great deal of work to do and knows that he must give an account to his Master thereof and that if all be not done that should be done he can never appear with comfort before his Master and he sees also that the Sun draws low and the day hastneth to an end do you think that this servant can find time to play If a man have much to write and but a little paper to write in he must write small and thick and close as ever he can So it is with every one of us â—… warrant you there is not any soul of us but we shall find so many thousand things to repent of so many graces to obtain that we stand in need of so many evidences or heaven to get that yet we have not got sealed so many particulars concerning better life that a man may wonder that ever any one should find one half day to 〈◊〉 any thing else Thus you see the reasons why the serious meditation of
as it is in the Revelation that the time is now come too neer He that is filthy let him be filthy still that is let him go on to the end It is evident and apparent that sin is increased since the sickness it is apparent that our sins are aggravated though they are dayly cryed down And now at this time as if we would defie God to his face and call upon him to hasten his judgments upon our Land upon our Families and persons every one strives as it were who shall outdare him most in our excesses in impenitency in hardning our selves in a course of sin These things convince us of our security There are many more that might be named if the time would permit But put these together and they may shew us our wretchedness When we consider how little we have profited by judgments how little we have profited by the ordinances how full of vain confidence and idle dreames how notwithstanding all these we abound still in wickedness and there is no reformation of our hearts and lives what may we not conclude against ourselves If ever people were drowned in a drunken security we of all people under heaven are at this time For of all people under heaven we are in a manner the last God hath spared us to the last We have had warning by judgments inflicted upon others for many years together It hath come neerer to us hy degrees it began a far off in Bohemia and then in the Phalatinate and in Germany The Lord would have us see how he cometh to us by degrees by steps that at the last we may meet him by repentance But where is the man that yet gets out of the bed of security that cometh out of his sleep to meet the Lord that comes with a broken heart to beg for forgiveness of his sins past and to beg for mercy for the time to come Well now since it is so that we are convinced by these signs that we are in a carnal and sinful security we see then so many of us at least that are children of the light and of the day what cause we have to be awakened and to do that for others which they will not do for themselves to be more earnest in prayer more frequent in humbling our souls for our own sins and theirs that God may lay aside and cast away his judgments and displeasure that either are feared or lie upon us Is it not a fearful thing that when the Lyon roareth the beasts of the Forrests tremble Yet the God of heaven roareth against the world at this day and the proud hearts of men do not tremble before him Shall the beasts of the forrests be afraid of the Lyon more then the poor worms of the earth of the mighty God of heaven and earth But this is the horrible Atheisme and Infidelity that is in the hearts of men that they beleeve not Gods power and justice nor his threatnings I beseech you let every man be exhorted to stirre up his soule to this business to awaken himselfe in his own particular person Consider that there are others that are awake that may bring you sorrow enough be you awakened to prevent those miseries Sathan is awake to tempt you Be sober and watchful saith Saint Peter for your adversary the devil goeth about seeking whom he may devoure Sathan is busie and watching to make you his prey watch you therefore that you enter not into tentation Your own Corruptions are alwayes awake The concupisence and depraved disposition of the soul it is awake still to further every evill motion to draw you aside by its tentations Therefore saith the Apostle I beseech you abstain as pilgrims and strangers from fleshly lusts that war against the soule Do as men in warre when they know that they have a waking enemy against them they will be sure to keep their Watch. Beloved you cannot but know that your corruptions are awake you may perceive it in your sleepes and dreames take heed that you be not found in a spiritual sleep that corruption prevail not over you Besides these the enemies of the Church are awake Heretiques are awake every where to bring men from the faith to pervert the faith of many oh be awake to prevent those Besides others are awaken to ransack houses to destroy Cities oh be awake that you may be at peace with the Lord of Hosts the God of Armies that hath all power in his hand to keepe you safe Againe secondly consider the evil of this security you are in of this disposition of heart when you cry peace peace to your selves in the middest of Gods displeasure It is an evil disease a spiritual lethargy That disease we know in the body it takes a man with sleep and so he dieth Oh how many are in this spiritual lethargy in this deep sleep of sin at this day the Lord awaken them It is the more dangerous because it is a sensless disease a disease that takes the senses from the soul and diseases we know that take away the senses are dangerous for it is not only a sign that nature is overcome by the disease but besides it draweth men from seeking for cure Thus it is with the spiritual lethargy it shews not only that sin hath prevailed in the heart that it hath overcome grace and thereupon you have yeelded unto it to your pride and covetousness and vanity as those that are subdued under a disease but it hindreth you from seeking the means to escape out of it Thou saist saith Christ to the Church of Laodicea that thou art rich and needest nothing and that was the reason she sought not to Christ It is our condition we have knowledg enough therefore we care not for the Ordinances of God We have faith enough and therefore we care not for increasing it though none of us say thus with our tongues yet most of us beleeve thus with our hearts As David saith of the ungodly man the wickedness of the wicked saith in my heart So may I say the neglecting of the ordinances the carelesness of men in the use of the means of salvation saith in my heart that there is abundance of security that they are in a spiritual lethargy that leadeth to death As it is an evil disease so it causeth much evil It is that which driveth away the Spirit of God It is the counsel of the Apostle Grieve not the Spirit quench not the Spirit When we neglect the motions of the Spirit the Spirit withdraweth it self Doth not your own experience tell you this Consider a little what motions you have had how God by the checks of your consciences somtime by secret incitements as it were a spur upon your hearts hath moved you to duty and to leave your sins How have these moved you you have had purposes it may be to perform these duties to walk in the wayes
we carry in our bosomes The Divell is a Serpent in Hell the world is a Serpent in our hand the flesh is a Serpent in our bosome We carry it with us where ever we go It is a con-natural concorporate Enemy All our other enemies could do us no hurt if it were not for that if this enemy that cohabiteth with us did not combine against us Know who ever thou art there is no Enemy like thy self thy self is the worst enemy of all All the sparks that slie out of Sathans engines could never sindg a hair of our heads if our flesh were not as tinder All the winds that blow in the four corners of the world could not make shipwrack of us if our flesh were not a treacherous Pilot. Death that gnaweth the thread of our soul and body asunder could not separate them or them from God if the flesh did not what the teeth of it and sharpen it with a sting So then we see we have a great many Enemies more to encounter us besides Death some without some within Therefore how should this teach us circumspect walking to behave our selves wisely in every thing as David when he knew Saul was his Enemy and had an eye upon him to do him mischief How should it teach us to pray with David Lord teach me thy way and lead me in the right path because of mine enemy That is one thing I have to note Again another thing I have to note If Death be the last enemy then in all probability it is like to be the worst Of the Divels regiment it is I told ye before He is the General of the Army And beloved beleeve it the Divel is very politick and subtile in marshalling his forces he will not place his best Souldiers in the forefront of the battel but keeps them in the Reare he puts them behind that when all the rest have wearied and tired us they should set on us afresh He is so cunning a disputant that he reserveth the best arguments for the last A cunning Gamester that plaies his best play at the last A cunning Archer that shoots his best shaft at the last So since Death is the last Enemy it is like to be the sorest Now the sorer we are like to find him the carefuller we should be to arme against him alwayes to put our selves in a readiness that whensoever he cometh he may find us weaponed that if it were possible we might be alwayes doing as if we were dying it being the height of the perfection that any soul can attain to as the heathens themselves well obierved for a man to spend every day as if it were his last day That is one reason why the Apostle here calleth Death the last Enemy because the last is like to be the worst Again another reason As it is the last by which we are assaulted so it is the last that shall be destroyed That the Apostle principally meant here as Interpreters commonly understand it when he saith the last enemy that shall be Destroyed is Death he meant that Death is the Enemy that shall be destroyed last And this leadeth me to the last point I propounded to speak of That Death is an enemy and the last enemy and at last shall be destroyed It shall be destroyed that is one thing Who undertakes the doing of it Our selves In likelihood Death is more likely to destroy us then we it But as it is said of the seven-sealed book in the Revelation when there was none in heaven or in earth or under the earth that was able to open it the Lion of the tribe of Judah prevailed to open the book So the Lion of the tribe of Judah prevaileth to destroy this enemy that none in heaven or in earth or under the earth but only he is able to destroy He saith of him as David of Goliah when he defied the host of Israel and all men ran away Let no mans heart fail him So saith the son of David The Lord of David let no mans heart fail him I will go to fight with yonder Philistim Oh Death I will be thy death It is spoken in the person of Christ whom Saint Peter calleth the Lord of life He subdueth all Enemies and it is he that will destroy Death he will not leave him till he have trod him under foot But when will Christ do this We see Death playes the Tyrant still it killeth and spoyleth as fast as it did his sickle is in every ones harvest as fast as the corn grows up he cuts it down he leaveth not an ear standing How long Lord how long before this that the Apostle tells us of will be At last His meaning is at the general day of the Resurrection when the end of the world shall come then Christ shall destroy him And he bringeth it in the rather to assure the Corinths of that that some of them doubted of namely that there should be a Resurrection For unless the dead should arise how can Death be destroyed But Death shall be destroyed therefore it is out of question that the dead shall rise again But what comfort have we in the mean time if Death be not destroyed till then if till then it play the domineering Enemy No not so neither We have comfort enough in that that Christ hath already done Though it be not already destroyed yet it is already subdued It is not only subdued but disarmed and not only so but captivated and triumphed over He subdued it when he died in suffering death he overcame Death he beat him in his own ground at his own weapons in his own hold he disarmed him When he rose again then he spoyled him of his power and took his weapons away and triumphed over him in the open field When he ascended into heaven then he carried those spoils with him in token of conquest as Sampson took the Gates of Gaza on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill Christ by Death took the sting of Death away by his Resurrection he took the strength of Death away by his Ascension he took away the hope of Death for ever conquering or prevailing more finally at the last Judgement he will take away the name and Being of Death so that it shall never be more remembred but mortality shall be swallowed up of life I Christ hath done this for himself perhaps but what is this to us Nay Christ hath done it not only for his own victory but he hath given us victory he is not only a conqueror but he hath made us conquerors thanks be unto God that hath given us victory In a word Christ hath and will do by Death as he doth by our sins he hath subdued them already at the last he will utterly destroy them sin and Death both of them are already subdued at last they shall be abolished and destroyed that they
shall he no more As there shall be no more sorrow and pain so there shall be no more death and sin All tears shall be wiped from our eyes I will ransom them from the power of the grave and redeem them from death More then this This yet addeth to our comfort Christ will so destroy Death as be will not only subdue him for us but also reconcile him to us not only foil him as an Enemy but propitiate and make him our friend We have all our enemies subdued to us but some are so subdued that they are reconciled Death is one of them it is a reconciled as well as a subdued enemy Instead of bringing forth children for bondage it becometh a purchaser of our freedom it is so far from plucking us from Christ as rather it letteth us into Christ so far from being a loss as it bringeth gain so far from being a dammage that it is part of our Dowry therefore the Apostle reckoneth it as a prerogative as he saith that the world and life and Christ is ours so Death is ours Indeed if Death were not ours life were not ours for our only way to life now is by Death Such a friend is this Enemy become that it is a Bridge to pass to heaven the Chariot that we are took up to heaven in What we get of life toward life we lose in death but what we get in death toward life we never lose Now for the Application and conclusion of all Something I have to say by way of comfort and something by way of counsel First by way of comfort Against the fear of Death or against over-much sorrow for those that Death takes away It is true Death is an Enemy But to whom only to the wicked that are out of Christ to those that have no benefit at all by his Death and Resurrection and Ascension When Death cometh and findeth out these they may say as Ahab did to Eliah and more truly a great deal hast thou found me oh mine Enemy It is the worst Enemy they have in the world It is a cruel Sergeant that catcheth them by the throat and arresteth them for a debt that they are never able to pay It draggs them to the Jayl casteth them into the Dungeon to the chains of Darkness I have not a word of comfort to say to them They have no more comfort in Death then they have in Hell where though they shall lie in torments and pain they shall not have a drop of water to cool their tongue But to the saithful in Christ there is comfort upon comfort For though Death be an Enemy yet remember first it is a subdued Enemy Secondly a reconciled Enemy Thirdly and lastly an Enemy that one day shall not be at all It is a subdued Enemy that is one comfort The strength and sting of it is gone When a Bee hath lost his sting and is a Droan it can hurt no more So Death is a Droan to a Christian it hums and buzzeth it doth no hurt it cannot sting the sting is gone Against all those Enemies that I formerly told ye of that are attendants on Death here is comfort First it is true Death cometh with ill Harbingers it bringeth sicknesses and aches and pain but there is comfort against this For when God sendeth pain remember he promiseth to send patience too that he will put his hand under to help His left hand shall be under us and his right hand over us to catch us he hath promised comfort upon our sick beds to make our bed in our sickness We need not make such an Allegory as Ambrose doth this sweet flesh of ours the Bed of our soul it is under infirmities and weaknesses God helpeth us he makes our bed he saith to the sick of the Palsey Take up thy bed he turneth our bed in our sickness either he sends us health so some exponds it he turns the bed of sickness into a bed of health or God turneth our bed for us in our sickness that is he refresheth us giveth us ease when we lie upon our sick beds It is a Metaphor borrowed from those that attend sick persons that help to make their Beds easie and soft and turn them that they may lie at ease So God hath promised his children in the painfull time of sickness to make their Beds easie and soft to cause them to lie at ease by the Patience that he will give them Secondly it is true Death bringeth dissolution and dissolveth the frame of nature it separateth and divorceth those two loving companions the Soul and the Body But there is comfort in this For though it divorce the Soul and the Body yet it cannot destroy the soul and the body even the body is in the hand of god when it is rotting in the earth as the Soul is translated to heaven Again though they be separated yet it is but for a time one day they shall meet more joyful and glorious then ever before and after that they shall never be separated again Lastly though he separate the soul from the body and the body from the soul yet neither from Christ nor Christ from them Nay it is so far from separating that it helpeth to unite us to Christ as I said before the dssolution of those shall be the conjunction with him I desire to be dessolved and to be with Christ Thirdly it is true the horrour of the Grave attendeth Death and the putrifaction of this flesh of ours that must turn to corruptness it makes it terrible and fearful But there is comfort against this For after that time of putrifaction there shall be a time of restitution and though the worms devour this flesh of ours yet in thâ—… very flesh of ours we shall see God another day These eyes shall see him There is comfort in that that when God shall come to restore us with himself what the Grave hath cloathed with corruption he will cloath with glory these vile bodies he will make them like the glorious body of Christ without all corruption Fourthly it is true Death depriveth us of worldly friends of worldly imployments this makes it terrible Yet there is comfort against this Though we be deprived of worldly friends it carries us to heaven to better company to Angels to the spirits of just and perfect men to God the Judge of all to Jesus the Mediatour of the New Testament Nay besides one day he will restore again those very friends of which here we are deprived though we lose them for a time in heaven we shall meet again and there renew a perpetual league of society and love So though it deprive us of worldly benefits it cannot of heaven and those are better they are not pleasures of sin that last for a season but at the right hand of God that endure for ever So though it deprive us of worldly
services it carrieth us to heaven to those that are better that are high and proper to the Church triumphant such as befit the Church to sing Hallelujahs and such as are profitable to the Church Militant by the memory of good examples and by the prayers they offer to God not in particular for they know no mans particular wants yet for the general and common good of all Fifthly and lastly It is true the consideration of sin and of Judgement and our uncertain estate after death makes it terrible like the face of an Enemy Yet there is comfort against these For sin I told you that though there be a sting in the Serpent yet Christ hath drawn out that sting so that being a Serpent without a sting we may do as Moses take it in our hand put it into our bosome and it will never do us hurt to them that die in the Lord Death rather came by sin then for sin It is not between sin and damnation but between sin and salvation For judgement It is true Death presenteth judgement but it presenteth it with comfort for the day of judgement is the day that the godly look for and long for as the day of redemption not of confusion when they shall receive the sentence by which they shall be absolved and not condemned For they know when God shall come to be their Judge he shall come to be their Saviour And so for the uncertainty of our future estate after death It is true the eâ—…t ate of the dead in regard of natural understanding it may be a thing uncertain and obscure yet from the secret revelation of Gods Spirit the Saints in some measure know how it will be with them after death We know though our earthly tabernacle be destroyed we have a building given us of God All these things are helps to give us comfort against the fear of Death and those Enemies that Death comes attended with that though it be an Enemy yet it is a subdued Enemy Secondly it may comfort us to consider that death is not only a subdued but a reconciled Enemy of an Enemy it is made to be a friend it is so to all the faithful such a friend as they have not a better in the world It is most certain the wicked have not a worse enemy in the world then death and the godly have not a better friend so ye should see if I had leisure to shew you on the one side from what labour and care and misery it helpeth to free them and on the other side to what comfort and rest and peace and joy it helpeth to bring them Lastly it may comfort us to consider that as death is an enemy a subdued enemy a reconciled enemy so it is an enemy that at last shall be destroyed The time shall come when death and Hell shall be cast into the lake of fire the meaning is I think they shall be shut up in the bottomless pit where they shall only have leave to exercise their power on the Divel and damned reprobates that lie there in torments Death on the one side still gnawing of them that they ever die and yet Hell on the other side still preserving of them that they shall everlastingly live But the godly and the faithful shall have their part and portion given them in the resurrection to life where they shall never taste of death more What the Apostle saith of Christ is true of all those that are in Christ when they are once dead they shall die no more Death hath no more dominion over them But I cannot enlarge those comforts Yet beloved I have a word or two of counsel I pray harken to it Birefly thus Christ though he have overcome and destroyed both death and sin for us for ever yet notwithstanding he will have us exercised also in subduing and overcoming them Christ hath not so fought for us but he will have us also fight for our selves as he hath over come death so must we for our parts that we may have he comfort of that that Christ hath done death being an enemy to us we must prepare and arm our selves against it that it may not be an Enemy too strong And for your better direction take these few heads First Remember that death is the wages of sin It is sin that lead death into the world it is in respect of that that death is an Enemy to us and were it not for that it would be no Enemy at all Now then beloved if ye will not die in your sins let your care be to die to sin labour to have sin die in thee and then thou shalt not die in that When thou hast committed drunkenness or prophaneness c. think with thy self this is pleasant and sweet now but how will this taste another day when I shall come to lie upon my death-bed and my soul shall set on my pale lips ready to take her flight and be brought before the Judgement seat of Christ What fruit will these things bring then What comfort and peace and joy will it procure to the conscience then Oh saith Abner to Joab knowest thou not that this will be bitterness in the end It will be as gall and wormwood therefore if ye would not have death be bitter then let not sin be sweet now part with sin betime That is the first Secondly learn to walk humbly with God betime and betime put your selves in a way of repentance and new obedience take heed of dallying with God and procrastinating and putting off the time What is the reason why a sort die as Pline saith some do that are stung with the Serpent Colemion some laughing some raging some sottish and secure others hoping some dispairing They have not been careful to walk with God while they lived because they wanted care then they want comfort now They that remember not God in their life saith S. Austin it is just with God to forget them in death The Apostle S. Peter would have us look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness But never look thou to dwell in that heaven where righteousness dwelleth except righteousness dwell in thee And he exhorteth us that we be found of God in peace at that day that is sweet and comfortable indeed but remember Peace and holiness go together if we would be found of God in peace we must be found of him in holiness Walk in holiness and uprightness and then peace shall kisse thee on thy death-bed Mark the upright and just man the end of that man is peace Thirdly the better to subdue Death be willing to meditate and think oft of Death learn the Art of dying practise the way of it betime learn to die daily How shall we do that I will shew you Consider we have many little deaths to undergoe in the world as whave many delights Learn to inure and acquaint thy self
in all causes and over all persons but over all causes too even Kings are subject to his regiment He bindeth Kings in chaines and Nobles in fetters of Iron Psal 149. The Kings of the earth saith Saint John and the rich and the great men and the great Captains and the mighty men they shall all hide themselves in the caves and rocks and mountains Revel 15. crying to the mountains and rocks to cover them from the face of the Judg and from the wrath of the Lamb because the day of desolation is come Nay God is not only over all the Kings of the earth but he is Potentate of heaven and hell too He hath a commanding power over all the Angels fear the Divels tremble when they come to stand before God In a word as Saint Paul saith all power is of God then of necessity followeth that God himself in his power is most absolute That is the second thing belonging to the office of a Judg as he must have knowledg to discerne so he must have power to execute Thirdly there must be Justice in the execution therefore the Grecians were wont to place justice between Libra and Leo to signifie indifferency in weighing causes and strictness in executing the sentence So the Egyptians signified as much by their Hierogliphical purtraicture of an Angel without hands wincking or without eyes such a one a Judg should be he should have no hands to receive bribes nor no eyes to respect persons the person of a Judg must not take the person of a friend A man must not personate a friend in justice but as Levi he must know neither father nor mother nor brother Justice amongst us is purtraicted holding a Ballance in one hand and a sword in another the Ballance sheweth the upright weighing of causes and the Sword sheweth the strictness of the execution of the sentence And if this Execution be wanting both the other are to no purpose It is to no purpose to know and to have power if their be not Justice But God is a true and just Judg Howsoever it be amongst the Judges of the earth yet unworthy is he of the place of a Judg and fitter to stand at the Barr then to sit on the Bench that suffereth himself to miscarry by friendship or love or bribes or sutes or favour or envie when either of these prevail they tie the tongues of men to plead for wrong causes Shall a Traytour presume on the Kings favour and Mordecai be out of the Kings grace But there shall be no such thing here God is the Judg of all the earth and shall not he do right Gen. 18. Doth God pervert judgment or doth the Almighty pervert Justice Job 8.3 When thou standest before the Judgment seat of God thou shalt neither be elevated with vain hopes nor dejected and cast down by sinister and wrong fears but assure thy self such as thy cause is such shall thy sentence be as Saint Bernard well a pure heart shall prevail more with God then a smooth word good consciences shall speed better then full purses for he is an upright and just Judg with whom no fair words nor friends shall prevail So I have done with the first thing The Judg. Secondly something of the Judgment and therein two things First that it shall be Secondly in what manner it shall be First that it shall be The text is plain God shall bring to Judgment There might many Texts besides this be alledged consonant and agreeable to this but it is superfluous Besides Texts of Scripture we have Types also to prefigure it and reasons also to prove and confirm it Two Types of the last Judgment our Saviour himself propoundeth Luk 17. One was the destruction upon Sodome the other the destruction that God brought upon the old world Look as Christ saith how it was with them of Sodome in the dayes of Lot they did eat they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded and look how it was with the men of the old world in the dayes of Noah eating and drinking and sporting and marrying until the very day that Noah entred into the Ark and the flood came and destroyed them all So it shall be at the last day when the Son of man shall come The Apostle Saint Peter speaking of the latter of these telleth us of mockers in those times that scoffed when they heard of the Judgment there hath been talk a great while of such things promised but when will it come Where is the promise of his coming There are scoffers in these dayes but such if there be any cannot but speak against their own consciences and knowledg they cannot be ignorant both of the Judgments that have been and shall be or if they be they are wilfully ignorant That God did once wash away the sins of the world with a Flood of water and that the time is coming that God will purge the sins of the world with a flood of fire the Rainbow in the clouds as it is a Monument of the one so it is a fore-runner of the other The two principal colours of the Rainbow are blew and red the blew and waterish colour of the Rainbow is an evidence of that Judgment that is past when God washed the sins of the world away by Water the fiery colour is a prediction of a Judgment that is to come when God shall purge the world by a Flood of fire But besides these Types there are divers reasons that may be given to assure us that we have reason to expect this day Those five Attributes of God afford five reasons to confirm it His Power his Wisdome his Truth his Justice his Mercy First his Power God will have it be thus for the manifestation of his Power A work of great power it will be indeed All must be brought before Gods judgment seate every one as the Text saith after It may seem strange peradventure incredible to here that all the men and women that ever lived in the world that so many multitudes and millions of thousands of all kindreds and nations should all be summoned to appear before one Judgement seat But as Saint Austin faith Consider who is the doer and then thou wilt not doubt It is true indeed with men such a thing as this is impossible but with God all things are possible Could God at the first draw all things out of nothing and cannot God as well bring together all again when they are turned to nothing Could he make that body of thine out of the dust of the earth and cannot he raise that body when it is turned to dust Could he unite that body to the soul in the time of the Creation and cannot he unite it at the time of the Resurrection Certainly there is nothing impossible too hard to the great and terrible voyce of God as Saint Chrysostome saith to that voyce of God that cleaveth the
OR THE DESIRE OF THE FAITHFUL SERMON XV. ISAIAH 26.8 9. Yea in the way of thy Judgements O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy Name and to the remembrance of thee With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early for when thy judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness THis Chapter is a sweet Song of the Prophet if I mistake not concerning the restauration of the Jews And the words of the Text are the sweet Swan-like Song of our deceased Sister which she desired might be her Funeral Song her Funeral Text at this time and desired it long ago before any thing that is now fallen out came to pass And I have accordingly pitched upon it not onely to satisfie her desire in a just thing but especially because I approve her choice of a fit Text there being not in the whole Scripture a portion that will afford a fitter Character in my apprehension for her person as you shall understand in the close to which therefore I shall deser the speaking to the present occasion The truth is I have handled a good part of this chapter formerly and in this place but now we shall clean go another way than then I did and than I usually do I shall only desire to present so much one of these words without any curious observation or division as may represent to us a perfect character of a sweet Christiin-minded man or woman which may be of singular use and very profitable There be only two things that I shall observe in the whole words I shall but go them over briefly taking out the main points as I conceive for that purpose I shall mention them We have here propounded to to us the compleat duty of a Christian And we have here some effectual motives intimated to stir Christians up to the preformance of that duty There is a general duty to begin with that first that belongeth to Christians at all times And there are some special duties which concerne Christians in some special times Both contained here The general duty I shall not as I said handle it in my former way of observation but only explicate the very words of the Text and that will be enough for me The general duty I say of a Christian and what should be the temper of his heart and spirit at all times we may find expressed at least intimated very sweetly with some excellent directions in the Text in the so thâ—…e circumstances First we may see here what is the true Object upon which a Christian soul should be fixed Secondly we may see the Latitude of the Acts which a Christian must exercise upon that Object Thirdly we may take notice of the manner and of the degree in which every one of these Acts must be exercised I shall but touch these briefly out of the words and then come to the special duties belonging to special times First to begin with the Object The desire of our soul is toward thee and to the remembrance of thy Name God and the name of God is that which should be printed in the heart of a Christian 〈◊〉 should be that to which the Byâ—… and stâ—…am of his whose soul runs First I say it should be fixed upon God We are here in the world placed as it were between heaven and earth Now all the manner is how our Byas is set which way that turns As the Byas is of the heart so the man is Our hearts may be turned downwards to the earth and to earthly things and so we shall run a course of ruin and destruction our hearts again the Byas of them may be settoward heaven and heavenly things and so we shall run the right course that we ought It is God that our souls should breath after Fecisti nos Do nine propter te faith a Father thou hast made us O Lord for thy self and our souls are restless till they return again to thee As they say of Circles The Circle the round figure is the most perfect figure and the most capacious figure because there the line that beginneth in one point goeth round till it return into the same again So this is the greatest perfection of a man when he returneth to his beginning he had all from God and when he reflects himself altogether back again unto God he attaineth his greatest perfection And indeed there will be no more rest for the soul in any thing out of God then there is for a stone or a weighty body in the liquid ayre Hang a stone in the Ayre and do but once remove the force that holds it there will it nill it give but a way to it and it will cut through and never rest till it come to a sollid substance till it come to the earth if it may to the Center of the earth It is so with the soul of man try it in all the fortunes and states and conditions in the world as a great Emperour said I have run through all things and my spirit will rest in nothing and as Solomon giveth us this observation out of all his travel and experiment that he had made Vanity of vanity all is vanity and worse then vanity too vexation of spirit this is the sum of all fear God and keep his commandenents as he concludeth This is the Object upon which our soul should be set we should have an eye to God labouring to approve ourselves to him making our approaches and adresses and returns to him that our soul may rest with him that we may enjoy the light of his countenance here and the fulness and brightness of his glory hereafter This is the first thing in the Object Now if a soul be carried toward this Object toward God and we can out-go and out-grow these worldly things look above them and look down upon them with scorne then the very name of God will be sweet and precious to us To thee and to thy name Every thing which is a memorial a remembrance of God Every thing by which God may be known will be taken notice of All his Attributes his Word and Ordinances and all other things which come within the compass of his Name as I suppose there are not many here but know according to the ordinary explication of Divines of the third Commandement Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain and the first Petition hallowed be thy name What is meant by the name of God When the heart I say is set upon God it even will leap for joy at the very name of God the very name of God will be sweet to him To enjoy God is sweet and to have but a glimpse of him to have him but represented by name is sweet too As it is reported of a
share wherein being exercised with many years weakness as those that knew her knew very well but yet in such fatherly dealings she shewed her patience her perseverance her prosiciency and being a Mourner for the stobbornness of the wicked she was a gainer likewise by them too and all because she looked up to God who sees and weighs all our paths In which I have briefly recollected upon the matter the sum of the whole things contained in the text so that so long as this Text is in the Bible and so long as the Bible is in the Church and so long as any thing though unworthy of this Sermon remaines in your memories she cannot want either a sweet memorial of her vertues in the book of God or a stately Monument in the Church and in your hearts too Happily some may scoffe and some may doubt as though this commendation flew too high or out of sight To whom I shall briefly answer both For the former It is reported of two great Tragedians learned and famous in their time Sophocles and Euripides Euripides presented upon the Scaene all naughty women and Sophocles presented all vertuous women and the ordinary observation of the wits of the times was as men are apt to be vainly witted in these things they thought that Euripides that presented them bad presented women as they were and Sophocles that presented them good presented them as they should be If I had nothing else to say to the scoffs of any but only this I suppose it will be sufficient I do beleeve fully that I have presented her as she was but howsoever you can take no hurt if you do but consider that it is spoken as what you should be I am sure and I know I have presented what you should be And for any that shall doubt yet that it may seem to high I would desire them only to consider this I describe in the Text the very temper and character of one that is truly godly such as I conceive her to have been and the truth is there is none that is truly godly but in some degree or measure must attain and do attain to participate in a conformity with this Character and therefore I have neither done you as I conceive any wrong and yet done her right too And to draw to an end She hath left this honour behind her that she lived beloved and died desired And who is there here almost that suffereth not a loss in her Her Husband hath lost a loving wife that honoured him highly Her children have lost a loving Mother that loved them tenderly that tendered them duly Her servants have lost a loving Mistress that governed them gently and was every way beneficial to them Her Brothers and Sisters have lost a loving Sister that answered them in their loves sweetly Her Neighbours have lost a loving neighbour full of courtesie to the rich full of charity to the poor And my self have lost I hope there is none here so weak to suspect that I blast the living to blazon the praise of the dead or that I do rob or strip the living to cloath the dead with their spoyles but I think I may truly say I have lost as truly and cordially a loving friend as any she hath left behind though I esteem many her Peeres and I cannot complain of any But to end all Her gain in Christ countervaileth and sweetneth all our losses She was a disciple of Love she loved her Lord and loved all his Saints and servants and therefore I doubt not that she was a beloved disciple and resteth in the bosome of her Love where not to disquiet her happiness and detain your patience any longer I shall leave her in that blessed place and commend you to the blessing of God THE EXPECTATION OF CHRISTS COMING OR A MOTIVE To a Holy Conversation SERMON XVI PHIL. 3.20 21. For our Conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself IN the seventh verse of this Chapter the blessed Apostle Saint Paul exhorteth the Philippians to be followers together of him and to mark them which walk so as they had him for an ensample And that he might the better direct them in the duty the imitation of his ensample he sheweth that there is a great difference between others that pretended themselves to be the Apostles of Christ and indeed were not and himself Many saith he walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you weeping that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things These ensamples he would have them to avoid follow not such but be ye followers of us for our conversation is in heaven from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ c. and follow those which walk so as ye have us for an ensample This is the example he would have them imitate In the words you have these things considerable First What the conversation of these men was whom the Apostle would have the Philipians to follow Their conversation was a heavenly conversation Our conversation is in heaven Secondly the reason or incouragement that they had to this imitation to walk so heavenly while they were on earth because from thence we look for a Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Thirdly the benefit by that Saviour whom they look for from heaven He shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body Fourthly the means by which this great work shall be effected According to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself For the first to touch it only in a word there is from that these two Observations clearly arising First That there is a heavenly conversation of the Saints on earth Secondly That while they are on earth they are now stated in heaven Our conversation is in heaven He saith not only it shall be in heaven though there it shall be perfected but it is now in heaven in regard of our present state and possession Concerning the first that the Saints on earth have a heavenly conversation You must know that the word here Politeuma translated conversation signifieth such a course of life and of traffique as is in Cities and Corporations where many are knit and united together in one common society in one common freedome Our conversation is in heaven that is we have a kind of heavenly traffique a heavenly trade while we are upon earth There are divers things wherein there is an agreement between the carriages and conditions of men in Cities and Societies here on earth and this of the Saints of God that have their conversations in heaven I will
only in brief run them over this being not the thing that I purposely aym at First in Cities and Corporations there is a Register wherein the names of the Free-men are inrolled So in heaven also there is a Register a certain book of Records as it were wherein are written the names of as many as God hath appointed to life Rejoce not faith our Saviour in this that the divels are subdued unto you but rejoyce that your names are written in heaven And all that are not found written in the book of life are cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 20.15 God in his secret counsel and purpose in his special providence and love takes notice of all his servants even of their names and he hath them as sure as if they were written down in a book there is not one man that cometh to heaven but the Lord knows him already to be a man ordained to that estate and condition Secondly as in all Cities and Societies there is a certain law whereby they are all governed in obedience to which they live So there is a law whereby all the Citizens of heaven all the houshold of God are governed that law which the Apostle Saint James calleth the royal law a law which commandeth the very spirits of men a law that disposeth the whole man to a heavenly frame and subjection to the will of God the great King of Heaven so that a man while he is here below by degrees is drawn off from the world in his affections and disposition and carriage and madesutable and conformable to the rule of righteousness Thirdly as in all Cities there is a kind of safety and security to those that dwell there not only as they are incompassed with walls but also as there is watching and warding some waking while others sleep to keep the rest in safety So in this heavenly society the Angels pitch their Tents about those that fear God nay the Lord himself is the Shepheard of Israel that neither slumbereth nor sleepeth while men oppose them God defends them while men are labouring and plotting and devising against them and they it may be are secure and fear no danger God disperseth and disappointeth a thousand projects intended against his servants It was so with his own people Israel while they were in the plains securely lying in their tents there is Balack and Balaam consulting upon the mountains how to curse them but the God of Israel that is above the mountains that sitteth on the highest Heavens he ordereth the matter so that Balaam for his life though he might have had all the wealth and honour of the Kingdome could not pronounce one curse against Israel because God had said to him that he should not curse Fourthly As in Cities and societies on earth men have communion and society one with another the less have interest in the greater and the greater in the less and all have interest one in another the inferiours receive from the superiours protection and provision and the superiours receive from the inferiours subjection and submission So it is in this heavenly Corporation in this spiritual Jerusalem Jerusalem is a City at unitie in it self There is a communion and fellowship that the Saints have with God the Father with Christ with the Angels with the Saints in heaven and one with another on earth With God the Father they have an interest in him as subjects of his kingdome as servants and children of his family there is not the meanest subject in this kingdome but he may make his request known to this Prince there is not the least servant in this Family but he may make his complaint to this Master they may as children go boldly to the throne of grace and make their request known unto him though it be but in sighes and groans Hence it is that God takes notice of them your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things and therefore he will supply them If you that are earthly can give good things to your children how much more shall your heavenly father give good things to them that ask him They have interest in Christ also he is their Intercessour therefore hence it is that he is said to sit at the right hand of God making intercession for us He is their Advocate if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ the righteous He is their Lord and Captain the Captain of the Lords Army to defend his Church Michael the great Prince standeth up for the children of his people They have interest also in the holy Ghost the third Person in Trinity they have not only the love of God the Father but the communion and fellowship of the holy Ghost as the Apostle wisheth for the Corinthians Hence it is that the Holy Ghost is ready to help their infirmities to in able them to put up their requests when they know not how to pray as they ought Hence it is that he sanctisieth them and therefore they are said to be Born again of water and of the spirit that he comforteth them therefore he is called the holy Ghost the Comforter As the Saints have interest in the three Persons in the Trinity in respect of their dependance upon them so the blessed Trinity hath an interest in them also If I be a Father where is my honour if I be a Master where is my fear Because they acknowledg God to be their Father they honour him because they acknowledg him to be their Lord they fear him c. They have interest in the Angels also Hence it is that they are called Ministring spirits sent forth for the good of the Elect They were Christs messengers his Angels and now they are made Messengers Angels to the Saints therefore faith Christ Offend not one of these little ones for I tell you that their Angels behold the face of my father in heavenâ—… They have interest in them not as worshippers of Angels which the Apostle condemneth Coll. 2. as foreseeing to what a height Popish superstition would rise in this kind I say not to worship them to invocate them to pray to them we know no such will-worship which is without the rule We have an Angel comforting Hagar we have an Angel defending Elisha we have an Angel incouraging Jacob we have an Angel carrying Lazarus into Abrahams bosome But we never had any Angel that stood in this place to have worship and adoration This indeed the Angels have from us imitation of their obedience we pray thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven They have interest in the Saints also yea in those that are dead not as though they paayed for us yet they have a common desire of the welfare of the whole Church The souls under the Alter cry How long Lord holy and true wilt thou not
Election God hath elected them to it Secondly in respect of vocation they are begotten again to a lively hope They have now the Word which giveth them a promise of heaven They have now the spirit which is the seal of their inheritance you are sealed by the spirit of Promise to the day of redemption Eph. 1.13 Secondly in regard of possession they are now already in present possession not in full possession but in present possession A possession not in themselves but in Christ by vertue of the union and communion they have in him By the union and contract that is between Christ and the soul Christ is become the Husband the Christian the Spouse So that as a Wife if her Husband should travel into a far Countrey and in her name should take possession of those lands that were left her by her Father the Wife now is possest of those lands in her Husband who in her name hath taken possession of them so Christ entring into heaven hath took possession of heaven which is given to us by the will of God It is your Father pleasures to give you a kingdom Christ hath possessed it in our name I go faith he to prepare a place for you and it is my will that they be where I am I go to my Father and your Father to my God and your God All that Christ hath in heaven He hath it for us He is gone before that we may follow after we cannot possibly lay claime to heaven we cannot hope hereafter fully and personally to possesse it if Christ had not first taken possession of heaven for us The Use of this in a word shall be to stir up every one to look to his hope of heaven It is usual for men to profess their hope to be saved and scarse any but they will say they hope if they die they shall go to heaven Yea but thou must now possesse it if ever hereafter thou mean to enjoy it and thou must possesse it first in Christ thou must be united to him by faith and love those are the bonds whereby the Spirit of God tyeth us unto Christ therefore Christ is said to dwell in our hearts by faith Which shewes the horrible presumption of many and how they add to their other sins this that they presume that they have right and title to heaven and yet are not united to Christ by faith as if a man should give out that he were the heir apparant to a Crown or the son of a King and yet nevertheless should indeed be the son of a Beggar and have nothing to shew for his pretended title to the Crown and Kingdom what would this be accounted but high treason against the King What a height of sin is this that is in many men which to their other sins add a presumptuous claim to heaven when they have no right to it I Remember that in the time of Ezra we shall read of many that laid title and claim to the Priest-hood but Ezra searched the book of the Genealogies and finding none of their names Registred there he presently concluded that they were none of the Priest-hood therefore they were accounted polluted and put from the Priest-hood If any man lay claim to heaven God will search his book of Genealogies as it were he will search the Register of heaven and if he find that his name be not inrolled there if he be not found to have interest in Jesus Christ all will be nothing he shall be cast out to his greater confusion This should therefore stir up every one to make good his claim to heaven now either now to be possest of heaven now to sit in heavenly places with Christ ore lse look not to come to heaven afterward But to leave this and to come to that I mainly intend namely the Argument or reason or ground of the Apostles heavenly conversation Our conversation is in heaven from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ The Apostle observeth here a kind of speech and that which seems not so Gramaticall that he may thereupon build a sound and substantial truth in Divinity He had said before Our conversation is in the heavens in the Plural number but now when he speaks of Christs coming thence he speaks of it in the Singular number Our conversation is in the heaven from whence from which particular place We look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Of purpose to shew us thus much that though Christ in respect of his Deity and divine nature he be in all places filling heaven and earth yet in respect of his bodily presence he remaineth now and so will till his second coming which the Saints look for in heaven Against those Ubiquitaries that will have the body of Christ to be every where In Heaven say they visible in this place invisible The Papists hence build the Doctrine of Transubstantiation they will have the body of Christ even that very body that was born of the Virgin to be now Bread and the bread turned into it The Lutherans will have the same Body about the bread No faith the Apostle there is no such matter from thence from that very place that very individual particular single place from the third heavens where the body of Christ is We look for the Saviour he remaineth there and so will continue till his coming to Judgement So again in another place Collos 3.1 Set your affections on things above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Above that is in heaven where Christ sitteth and continueth and will remain till his second coming Our Saviour told his Disciples in the dayes of his flesh that the poor they should have alwayes with them but me faith he you shall not have alwayes If this be true that they say then Christ hath not said true for he is still in respect of his bodily presence and hath been alwayes with us But I let pass that The thing I note hence is this That that which most soundly and effectually settleth the heart of a man in a heavenly conversation upon earth is the looking for the Saviour of the world even the Lord Jesus Christ to come from thence I say there is nothing that so settleth the heart of a man in a heavenly conversation upon earth nothing that makes him so heavenly minded nothing that ordereth him in so heavenly a course as this if he rightly look for Christ to come from thence That you may conceive this the better you may please to take notice that there are two things included in this point First that all the Saints of God while they are on earth their continual expectation is for Christ to come from heaven Secondly that nothing is so effectual to settle a man in a holy course while he liveth on earth as this expectation These two things I will open to you at this time The
first I say is that the Saints and servants of God while they are on earth do continually expect and look for the Saviour of the world even the Lord Jesus Christ to come from heaven By the coming of Christ you must understand his second coming to judgement For there is a threefold coming of Christ A twofold coming in his Body and one by his Spirit The first was the coming of Christ in the flesh when he came to take our nature upon him and to be born of a Virgin The second is the coming of Christ by his Spirit so he cometh continually and daily in the hearts of men in the preaching of the Gospel in vertue and efficacy His last coming and his second coming in respect of his body is when he shall come to judgement Never look for the coming of Christ in his body upon earth in the sight of men till that great day come when the Lord Jesus shall come with thousands of his Angels in the glory of his Father Now then this being the meaning of it we will prove it And first that it is the continual expectation of all the Saints of God and the continual desire of their hearts their continual waiting is for the second coming of the Lord Christ As it was before the first coming of Christ in the flesh so it shall be before his second coming Before the first coming of Christ after the promise was made to Adam all the expectation and hope of the Fathers and Beleevers was this when the great Messias would come and therefore faith Jacob I have waited for thy salvation and David I have longed for thy salvation meaning Christ the Saviour of the world and the Church groweth to a kind of holy impatiency Oh that thou wouldest break the heavens and come down And immediatly upon the time of Christs coming there were alwayes holy men in those times that were stirred up with a continual expectation of it and therefore it was made a mark of a good man in those dayes It is said of Joseph of Arimathea and Simeon and of divers good women as of Anna and others that they waited for the consolation of Israel they continually waited and expected when the great comforter and Saviour of his people would come So shall the second coming of Christ be from the very time of his Ascension into heaven to the time now and to the time of his last coming to Judgement all the eyes of men will be towards him When I am lifted up faith our Saviour I will draw all men after me which though it be there particularly understood of his lifting up upon the Cross yet it is intended in general of his Ascension into heaven So that as after the promise was given of the Spirit The Disciples waited for the receiving of the gift of the holy Ghost So it is now and will be since the holy Ghost is already given there remaineth nothing to be looked for but Christ himself in his second coming to finish all these dayes of sin And that this is the disposition of all the servants of God appears by divers places of Scripture 2 Tim. 4.8 faith the Apostle there Hence forth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto them also that love his appearing The Apostle here makes a description of all those that shall be saved and he faith they are such as love the appearing of Jesus Christ now that which a man loveth he desireth and looks and longs for And in Heb. 9.28 Christ died once for many and unto them that look for him shall he appeare the second time unto salvation Salvation is brought to whom to all those and only to those that look for the appearance of Christ Therefore it is said of all the Beleevers in Heb. 12. That they saw things that were invisible and that they had an eye to the recompense of reward and that they saw the promise a far off They looked still for those things that were to appear by Christ This I suppose is sufficiently confirmed by the Scripture let us therefore make some use of it Try now what comfort thou hast in the expectation of that great appearance of the Lord Jesus here spoken of This is the most infalible ground and undoubted evidence and testimony of the truth of grace now and assurance of glory hereafter if God have now stirred up thy heart in faith and holy affection to look for and to long and waite for the appearance of Jesus Christ Without this there is little love to Christ The Church in Cant. 1.2 sheweth her love to Christ Draw me saith she and we will run after thee And chap. 2.4 Stay me with flaggons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love and chap. 5. If you find him whome my soul loveth tell him I am sick of love If thou be of the disposition of the Church thou wilt out of love to Christ desire nothing so much as to enjoy the presence of Christ The Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that heareth say come the Spirit faith come and the Bride because she is stirred up in the same affection by the Spirit she faith come too Christ faith to his Church I come and the Church she faith again Come Here is the agreement between Christ and his Church and the same disposition is in all the members of Christ a waiting and longing and desiring for the coming of Christ There are many that pretend they wait and desire for the coming of Christ When a man is under any affliction or in any trouble then Oh that Christ would come and end these troubles You shall here a man that is abused and wronged by the oppressions and injuries of others and by the unrighteous dealings of wicked and ungodly men crying out Oh that Christ would come and put an end to these evil times Yea but if thou hast this desire of Christs coming that is in a man of a heavenly conversation It will appear in these three things First it will appear by the Ground of it What are the grounds of thy desire what are the motives that incourage thee to long for the coming of the Lord Jesus That which is the ground of faith is the ground of hope that is the promises Faith is the ground of things hoped for and the Word and Promise are the warrant of Faith Faith and Hope look both on this the free promise of God so it is said of Abraham that be beleeved above hope because be knew that be that promised was able to do it There is the first thing then Faith is the ground there is none but a true beleever that can indeed aright wait for and desire the coming of Christ But this will appeare more in the second thing and that is by the companion
the Gospel and you shall prove your selves to have begun to have kept Christ saying if you be thankful for his making of it known unto and for writing of it in your hearts This is the first Vse Next I beseech you let me take boldness to reprove I fear a great number of you of a sin whereof I will make it appear you are guilty Men there are that make large promises to themselves that they shall never be damned they shall not go to Hell they hope Death shall not have power to dragg them from this world to the place of darkness Thou hopest so Come render a reason of thy hope To hope without a ground is to deceive ones self with extream folly As for example there are a number of prisoners in New-gate or in some other Prison should they hope for some man of great wealth to pay their debts and save them from hanging should they not be arrant fools to hope except they could shew some ground for their hope and some evidence for their expecting of such a kindness Thou that hopest thou shall never see Death come answer God in thy conscience dost thou keep the saying of Christ or no Where is the knowledge of the Doctrine of the Gospel Dost thou beleeve that which concerns thee touching thy misery and so apply that to thy self to make thee a penitent sinner Dost thou beleeve the Doctrin concerning the Remedy and so apply that to thy self to make thee perfect thy repentance by being not only grieved for sin but taking boldness to confesse it and ask pardon and by framing thy self in thankfulness to amendment of life and new obedience Dost thou I say know this Doctrine and so know it as to practise it Hope and spare not the more thou hopest the better thy hope is the stronger and surer it is the more thou glorifiest God and the more it shall comfort thee But oh unhappy man if thou findest not in thy self the care and power in some measure to do these things cursed be thy hopes because they be disgracefull to Almighty God tending to make him a lyar and an unjust person and because they are dangerours to thy own soul tending to rock thee asleep in the cradle of security Cursed be those unsound and sandy-built hopes of most men that never yet applied themselves to confesse and lament their sins that never applied themselves to crave pardon and to resolve upon amendment that never studied to throw themselves into the Armes of Gods mercy in Christ for pardon that never intended to mortifie the deads of the body and to subdue the flesh with the lusts thereof and yet they hope they shall not be damned thou maist as well hope that the Divel shall come out of Hell into Heaven as thou to go out of earth into Heaven If thy hope be not grounded upon the workings of these graces because thou findest thy self penitent because thou findest thy self careful to strive to rest wholly upon Christ for salvation because thou findest thy self industrious in the study of newness of life except I say thy hope be thus grounded it is the vainest thing in the world and it will never do the good at the last hour Brethren give me leave to tell you that there are two Gospels in the world the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Gospel of Belzebub as I may call it the Gospel of the Divel that comes from Hell and tendeth to bring men thither Christs Gospel is Repent and beleeve and obey and be saved The Divels gospelis say you beleeve make your selves imagine that you have faith and then never care for repentance and obedience and you shall be saved Christs Gospel is summed up thus by the Prophets Return to him and live But the Divils goeth thus Assure thy self thou shalt live though thou care not for repentance Oh let not the Divel beguile you with that false and counterfeit Gospel of his whosoever leaneth to it shall find it like the Authour of it a Lyar and when he hath trusted to it that confidence and hope of his shall be as the Spiders web the Beesome of destruction shall sweep it and him down to the depth of Hell Death shall have dominion over him and carry him from this present world to the region of darkness into eternal torment he shall see Death in the grimness and terribleness of it he shall feel it in all the extremity that the wrath of God can inflict upon the children of disobedience Thirdly I have to command and require you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that you apply your selves to a thing tending so much to the honour of him and to the commodity and comfort of your own souls I have shewed you that Jesus Christ hath revealed a way how you should escape the danger of Death eternal and the hurt of Death natural I beseech you now fall a doing one while as you have been busied in hearing To what purpose is it that you flock to hear Sermons and throng to receive the Word except you lay it up in your hearts and apply your selves to practise If thou hast not begun before now begin if thou hast begun before now resolve to proceed with more life and courage Either begin or persist in the practise of the Doctrine of the Gospel If thou hast not repented I require thee in the name of the living God to make this hour the first beginning of thy repentance and apply thy self to lay the foundation of that work before thou lay thy head to sleep Go and call to mind thy sins and make thy cheeks wet at least thy heart heavy for the multitude of thy great offences down on thy knees in thy Closet make thy confession of them to God sigh for them mourn for them labour to weep for them afflict thy soul with great sorrow and remorse then cry for pardon and remission as the thiese begs at the bar for mercy so do thou for the forgiveness of thy sins through Christ Jesus and put upon thy self a firm resolution and stedfast purpose to go on no more in the wayes of wickedness to practise grosse sins no more nor no more to allow any sin that thou knowest to be a sin though it be never so small Doe thus my brethren and then you may and will it will follow almost of it self rest on Christ for salvation He that so seeth his own sins as unfeignedly to lament for them and to judge himself before God if he apprehend the truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel he cannot for his life but come on amain and throw himself down before Christ to imbrace and receive and entertain him and lie in his Bosome And that man cannot for his life when he seeth the sweetness of the grace of God in Christ but resolve to obey him and determin to walk in the wayes of holiness and take pains and use industry for the
mad merrimemt he is a mad man that rejoyceth in that for which except he betake himself to serious and bitter mourning he cannot be saved Thirdly the inordinateness of the joy of young men may appear in this because they rejoyce excessively in lawful things for any joy when it is inordinate and excessive it is carnal It is lawful to rejoyce in recreations a whetting is no letting as the Proverb goeth But for a man to let out himself to the hinderance of the service of God to the disturbance of his duty to men it is unlawful It is lawfull to delight in the blessings and comforts of God that he affordeth us we read of the Joy of harvest in Isa 9. But for a man to delight in the gifts of God more then in the giver it is unlawfull Now if young men examine themselves they shall find their hearts mount not up to God in their joy and jollity and that they are excessive in the joy of the creature but altogether cold without joy of the Creatour Fourthly the carnalness of the Joy of young men may well appear in this because they terminate and conclude not their joy in God This followeth on the former for it is impossible that what beginneth not in God should end in God Now when Joy beginneth in sin it cannot end in God but in the Divel Secondly let young men take notice of themselves how they walk after their own hearts The heart that saies Come put away pensive thoughts trouble not your self about the day of reckoning and Judgement enjoy the time present what need this strictness of conversation zeal is but rashness there is no need of it take thy sill of pleasures thou hast goods laid up for many years Thus they Judge and thus they walk after their carnal heart This heart is as no heart as we read of Ephraim in Hosea 7. He was a silly dove that had no heart Certainly the heart that doth not guide men in the right way and direct men to the fear of God it is no heart For as the eye that will not lead us in the right way that performs not its office is no eye so the heart that leadeth not men to God and to goodness it is like the heart of Ephraim it is as no heart Again in the third place Let young men take notice of themselves how they walk after the sight of their eyes That is they stand gazing on things temporal and neglect things eternal they see a beauty and lustre in these outward things and perceive no glory and brightness in Christ Jesus and in his precious Ordinances Beloved if we follow our own heart and our own eyes it will be thus We should rather labour with Job to make a covenant with our eyes Oh how few young men are there that make a bargaine and agreement with their eyes that they Oh how few young men are shall not be as open Casements to let sin into the soul there that like Jeremy have their eyes as fountains of water to weep day and night for the afflictions of the people of God Oh how few yonng men are there that with Moses have an eye to the recompence of reward that they may suffer affliction with the people of God rather then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Now I beseech you take a survey of your selves in these things These are the vices and sins and deformities of young men to be seen and lamented by all those that hope to dwell in Gods holy Hill The second use of this point is for exhortation to young men they should labour to be reformed in their affections and hearts And away away with this carnall joy we ought to cast it out of us Carnal Joy will you know what the event of it will be It will end in carnal sorrow and without repentance in hell it self Wo unto you faith our Saviour Christ that laugh now you shall weep and mourn The triumphing of the wicked saith Zophar in Job is short and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment though his excellency mount up to the heavens and his head reach unto the clouds yet he shall perish as his own dung they which have seen him shall say where is be He shall fall away as a dream and shall not be found yea he shall be chased away as a vision of the night But not to give you this only in Precept but also to shew you how to reform your selves in these vices that Solomon speciâ—…eth bo bear sway in young men let me lay you down these few directions First you must betake your selves to mourning for you sins as Saint James saith Be afflctied and weep and mourn let your laughter be turned into heaviuess If we be not reconciled to God if we have not assurance that we are interested in Christ there is no time for us to rejoyce we should rather betake our selves to bitter mourning for the wrath of God is due unto us and we know not how soon it may fall upon us In the second place Consider how vain all things are in which youthfull persons rejoyce If young men rejoyce in human wisdome and understanding this is a vain thing For first it is gotten with a great deal of trouble and vexation of spirit so faith Solomon Eccles 1.13 I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven this sore travel hath God given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith And verse 18. in much wisdome is much grief and he that increaseth knowledg increaseth sorrow God doth so punish the pride and boldness of the wit of men even from the fall of our first Parents Secondly this human wisdome it must needs be a vain thing for Eccles 1.15 that which is crooked cannot be made straight and that which is wanting cannot be numbred by human wisdome The meaning is this that the natural wisdome of man cannot supply the defects of nature which are innumerable much lesse can it furnish the soul with grace or salvation Thirdly it is but vexation of spirit Solomon though he had gotten wisdome and understanding and had experience more then all the Kings of Jerusalem that were before him yet faith he Behold this is vexation of spirit Again God will abolish this human wisdome 1 Cor. 1.19 I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent Where is the wise where is the Scribe where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made foolish the wisdome of this world Besides all your human wisdom it shall not go down to to the Grave it shall leave you when you die There is no work nor device nor knowledg nor wisdome in the grave whether thou goest Eccles 9.10 This is the first thing in which young
those that were without God in the present world as the Apostle saith Now for this there is no distinction in our time for Christ being made the Corner stone hath made both walls one the Jewes and Gentiles being built upon himself all this difference is taken away But at that time it was fit to maintain a distinction to keep a note of difference As God set a mark upon the flesh of Abraham and upon the houses of the Israelites in Egypt so they kept this in all points even in their very Graves that a difference might be maintained between the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent to the uttermost Give me a possession a burying place Here is the end why he would have this Pessession A strange kind of Possession a thing that every one is born to no man will deny this we say the land in the Church-yard is every mans every man is born to that land Behold such a land such an inheritance this Father cometh to begg He hath not a foot of ground in all the whole land no place to dwell in but by their leeves no place to feed on but with there consent he is content thus to possesse to have it upon their hand to have his house upon their liking and his field and grass upon their affection and content to be gone and depart upon their bidding but when it cometh that his dead must be buryed there is no dislodging then no removing then that is a Possession he makes not other things his Possession but useth them in a transitory manner So that the holy Ghost would teach us this that a mans Grave is his strong hold his Possession And indeed there is no Possession so durable and certain as the Grave all the lands and all the means that a man hath in this world it may in the course of time either by the misguidence of the party or the succession of prodigals be made away that he that hath had full possessions may not have a foot of land to call his own so Possession are alterable sometime one mans sometimes anothers and again anothers no man knoweth whose because they are still removing But when a man is possest of his Grave that is a long Possession that Lease is time out of mind and it holdeth to the coming of Christ to Jndgement Though there be a sort of covetous men in the world that care not for lucre and gain to remove dead bodies to make men pay dear and yet presently when the memory of that payment is gone in this base respect to remove them from their natural rest and to put new bodies in their room Though this I say be practised by some yet notwithstanding the Lord hath ordered this that a man should have his Grave for ever and that all Christian men should know that they have no such true inherent Possession sticking to them and they to it as the Grave Thus the great God bringeth us to life by death making us possesse the Grave here for a time and after possesseth us with life and glory and joy in the highest heavens Behold Abraham see how he beginneth to possesse the world by no land pasture or earable Lordship the first thing is a Grave So every Christian must make his resolution The first houshold-stuff that ever Seleucus bought in Babylon was a Sepulchre stone a stone to lay upon him when he was dead that he kept in his garden So we should begin to make that our chief utensill it should teach every Christian much more to be mortified so to the world as to be settled upon nothing for a Possession so as the ground where his flesh shall rest in hope till the Lord receive him and give him his Spirit again A strong kind of entrance this holy man made into the holy Land that the first thing he takes possession of should be a place of burial for the dead Even so wondrously God useth to work the promised seed it came of the dead womb of Sarah and accordingly it is in this great and famous History that out of these dead ones the Lord takes such a firme possesson of this Land that when four hundred years were come about there was such a quick issue that it drove all the Inhabitants out of the Land for out of Sarah that was now dead and Abraham and the Partiarchs that were interred in his Cave out of their dead loynes the Lord raised a living issue of six hundred thousand foot-men besides women and children that came under the conduct of Joshua and discomfited the Captains of the Land and took possession The gracious God out of dead and poor things in the world raiseth strength and Majesty that those that they trampled upon and accounted as dead men the Lord made out of them such a living stock that all the poor of Canaun was not able to hold up and make head against them they were such a powerful Army but hid themselves in Caves and became as dead men to give place to these dead men Here is the wonderful great glory of the Almighty out of meer nothing to work all things and as he made all things that are seen out of nothing for by faith we learn that things that are seen were made of things that are not seen so he still continueth to lay his foundation in baseness and humility in a ridiculous manner to flesh and bloud yet out of that he bringeth large and infinitie majesty and glory such as no man can aspire in his thoughts to think sufficiently of Give me a burying place to bury my dead Behold he calleth her Sarah his dead he calleth her not Wife though it is said after in the Text that Abraham buried Sarah his wife yet that is in respect of the time of her life when they lived together and in respect of the former society and converse they had but now he speaks to the point she is no more his Wise but his dead It is translated by all in the Neuter Gender not my dead she but my dead simply in the Neuter gender as a thing which now had not so much relation So it is true when men and women are severed by Death they are no more man and wife but one anothers dead For as the Apostle saith Do you not know that as long as a man liveth his wife is subject to him and she must not couverse with another So likewise for men again but when God dissolveth the contract by Death then as she is free for another man so she is no more his Wife so long as she was alive upon the ground she was his Wife but now when she is to go into the ground he calleth her his dead but not his Wife The substance and sum is this That Matrimony is Gods blessing for present use of mankind for the propagating of the Species to continue the seed of man to the worlds end that there may be
the beavens from this full perswasion did arise this heavenly affection in this we green earnestly But alas how different is our disposition from this heavenly temper how pale how wan is our countenance at the mention of Death at the least summons of our last accounts as vinegar to our teeth as smoak to our eyes as a sudden damp to our lights as an horrid crack of thunder in the middest of our jollities so is the mention of Death If any ask the reason of this it is too manifest Want of judgement what is the true good of the sons of men Want of apprehension of the happiness of the Saints Want of faith in God of Union with Christ our souls never make any holy peregrination from the body and seat themselves with Angels and Archangels and trace the streets of New Jerusalem we anticipate not the joyes of the life to come by devout meditations and contemplations we have not our conversation in heaven from whence we look for our Redeemer Our soul thirsteth not our flesh longeth not after the living God The reason of this is we hang upon the teats of the world like babes and children we suck venome out of it to our souls we walk upon our bellies as unclean beasts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we jutt against God and offend him our accounts are not streight and even therefore we are afraid at the appearance of our Saviour and of our citation to appear before his Tribunal we groan when we hear of death we groan not that we may die this is our condition and are not these different one unto another Doth not this stain the verdure of our countenances and cover us with shame and confusion to observe so manifest a declination of the fervor of the Spirit That you desire this heavenly temper I doubt not I should offer violence to Charity the Queen of Graces if I should think otherwise For this cause many of you are strict in the perforamnce of holy duties agreeable and convenient to this sacred time That your devotions may attain a happy end let me lend you a helping hand whilst I discourse these words which even now founded in your eares In this we groan earnestly c. Which I will resolve into three Propositions 1. That we are strangers in this life without our house 2. That the Saints desire their true and proper house 3. The intention of their desire In this we grown c. That we are strangers do not the sacred Oracles declare our conversation our polity is in beaven faith the Doctor of the Gentiles Our life it is hid up with Christ Col. 2. We are fellow Citizens with the Saints of the houshold of God Ephes 2. Doth not the chief of the Apostles intreat us as Pilgrims and strangers to abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soul and do not these and the like demonstrate unto us that a Christian lives with men yet above men in earth yet in heaven bound yet free detained with us yet far above us living a doubble life one manifest the other Hid with Christ one contemptible the other glorious one natural the other spiritual that his Parentage is from heaven that his Treasure is in heaven that his heart is in heaven that his root is fastened in the everlasting mountains though his branches are here below that his dwelling is in heaven though his peregrination be here on earth and did not these Oracles tell us thus much yet are there not enforcing arguments to convince us of this Truth Are not they strangers that are out of their proper place and are not Christians while they are here out of their place Is this world made for Man an Ark of travel a School of vanity a Laborinth of errour a Grove full of thorns a Meadow full of Scorpions a flourishing garden without fruit a fountain of misery a river of tears a feigned fable a detestable frenzy and is this the place of man What means the fabrick of our body lifted up to heaven our hands eyes head upward but to shew us as Chalcidius the heathen man observed that our Progenitors are from heaven that our place is in heaven Every place is adequate to the thing placed in it is this world adequate to man are not his desires infinitely extended beyond the same Every place hath a conserving vertue in it Doth this world Preserve man well may it minister a little food to this beast of ours which we carry about us but can it afford the least savory morsell to the soul it were to be wished that it did not poyson contaminate and desile the soul so that the safest way for the soul is to flie from the world as from the face of a Serpent Is this world the place of man why doth our tender Mother the Church assoon as we come into the world snatch us out of the world and as assoon as we breath in the ayre bury us by Baptism in the grave of Christ and assoon as we move in this world consigne us with the sign of the Cross to fight against the the world and all the pomps of the same and are not we strangers Are not they strangers that have different lawes and divers customs and another Prince to rule and command them You have heard of the Prince of the ayre and the Lawes of the flesh of the fashions of the world of the wisdome that is from below and earth-creeping Are Christians guided by these rules have they not the God of heaven and earth the Lawes of the Spirit and the wisdome that is from above and customes that are from heaven whereby to regulate them Who are the men of this world are they not those who have the God of this world to reign in their hearts who are led captive by him whose understandings are darkned their wills obfirmated their hearts hardned their consciences seared their conversation defiled with all uncleannesses their senses open breaches for sin to enter their tongues blaspheming the name of God and are these conversations fit for the Saints and are they not strangers Are not they strangers that are not capable of honours of possessions in the place wherein they live as being not free Denizens of the place and is not this proper to Christians whose duty it is to vilisie riches and honours and pleasures in themselves as much as they that have these do others that have them not to account riches the greatest poverty and pleasures the greatest torments and honours the greatest ignominy and power the greatest weakness not to possesse the world not to enjoy it not to account any thing good that maketh not the owner better not to admit any thing from the world but so far as it may advance the true Nobility of man the purity of the Image of God his restitution to his ancient descent his re-estating him in the possession of heaven and the society of Angels and Archangels to rise
up in Armes against this materiall world and to rend himself from this faecaelent matter and out of the greatness of his Spirit and nobleness of his disposition to be altogether ambitious of the presence of God and of these constant and unchangeable good things This is the duty of Christians and are not they Strangers Are not they strangers that have double Impost and double customes and the greatest taxations laid upon them is not this peculiar unto the Saints in this life have they not afflictions laid upon them in the greatest measure must they not through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of heaven Have they not tears and that in abundance for their meat and for their drink Have they not enemies from within and enemies from without Must they not be conformable to their head Christ their elder brother as he had his double portion in this life of afflictions and punishments so must they have as he was sanctified by afflictions so must they also The gold is not pure unless it be tryed nor the water sweet if it have not a currant nor the vessel bright unless it be scoured nor the Saints fit for heaven unless they be prepared by afflictions what man was there that ever set himself seriously either to reform himself or others that found not great opposition from himself and from others and are not these strangers Are not they strangers that are ad placitum Principis to stay in the Land or to be gone according as he shall manifest his royall pleasure by his Proclamation and are not we here in the world upon these termes how soon all of us or any of us shall be dismissed who knows who dares promise to himself the late evening or secure himself of the least atome or moment of time he that dreamed waking of long continuance had scarce liberty to dream sleeping for that night they took away his soul and he himself was branded to succeeding generations with the name of a fool and are not we strangers Did not the Saints of God whose judgements were most refined those that had the honour to approach most near unto God himself alwayes so repute themselves Doth not the holy Patriarch that wrestled with God and hath principality over him Did not he acknowledge that few and evil were the dayes of his pilgrimage Did not he that was a man after Gods own heart that had a special promise that his house should continue for ever Yet did not he acknowledg that he was a stranger as well as his fathers were is it not his earnest prayer unto God I am a stranger upon earth hide not thy Commandements from me as if he had said I am a Traveller upon earth I am speeding to Jerusalem which is above I am to passe through this dark calignous world thy Word is a light to my feet a lanthorn to my steps the rule the square the cannon of all rectitude hide not this light from me lest I run out of the way or linger in the way or stumble or fall in the way I am a stranger upon earth c. What should I instance in particulars are they not summed up to my hand by the Apostle Heb. 11.13 All these Patriarks Prophets Saints all of them did acknowledg themselves to be strangers Examples have in them an universality of Doctrine and instruction especially the examples of the Saints because Praxis Sanctorum is Interpres pracceptorum the practice of the Saints is the best interpretation of the precept Examples have in them a directive force because those that are best disposed in mind and body are a rule for the rest Examples have an incentive force to give life spirits vigour transmitting by a kind of Metem Psychosis the soul the spirits the resolutions the affections of the pattern to him that reads it extorting deep sighs and tears and groans and other alterations at their pleasure And if any Examples have this force have not these much more Other examples have the testimony of men these have the testimony of God himself he is not ashamed a wonderful condiscention of the one and the supream elevation of the other to be called their God the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob the Father of the faithful and the God of the beleevers There are examples whereof men boast but God is ashamed of them corrupt examples of wicked the imperfect examples of heathen men of these God is ashamed but of these God is not shamed and shall we be ashamed of them We are then strangers Let me instill into your ears the voyce of that was heard in the Temple before the ruin of it Migremus hinc Let us go from hence Let me say unto you with our Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us go from hence let us truss up our fardels and on with our sandals and promote our way to heaven Let us depose and lay down all burthens and impediments and make our selves expedite and fit for our journey we are in an Inne let us look about us and leave nothing behind but carry all with us or send it before us we have but an instant of our abode here let us imploy it to the best advantage It is the greatest loss it is the most shameful loss it is the most irrecoverable loss that may be to lose this instant upon which eternity depends eternity of misery or eternity of felicity let us follow our Saviour let us seek his face let us ascend with him let us not rest here Sleep may overtake us a false Prophet may deceive us the snare may intangle us the Armie of the enemy may fall upon us let us be above all these Let us seek those things that are above What where Sun and Moon are nothing less Where then where God is where Christ who is our house our temple our habitation that we may be cloathed with him this is the desire of all the Saints and this leads me to the second point That the Saints desire a true and proper house In this we groan earnestly c. What is meant by this house whether the Joyes of heaven or a Glorisied body is hard to determine by the context I incline to Calvins opinion that both are meant as making up that compleat house which the Saints desire the one as the introition the other as the consummation of their bliss and into both these houses I shall labour to introduce your spirits and affections The first house is the Joyes of heaven a kingdome else-where for the amplitude for the abundant sufficiency for the honour royalty of them yet because many in kingdomes see not the face of the King and of those that see his face few are of his house and family and of those that are of his Court few are familiar with him or converse with him and of those that converse with him few are his sons his heirs Therefore this kingdome is an house wherein all
see the face of God all are of his house all converse with him all stand in his presence all are his sons all are his heirs a house so scituated as never any upon the brow of that hill which is the beauty of perfection the delight not of the whole earth but of heaven it self in the purest ayre that ever was even purity it self free from all malignant vapour a place irriguous with the chrystal streams of Paradise it self a place inriched with all the precious things the heart of man can desire an house not built by man but by God himself not of terrestrial feculent matter not of gold or silver but that which excells all valuation whatsoever the hanging or or naments of which house are not of Arras or Tissue or cloth of Gold or whatsoever is more precious with men but far above these such and so excellent that Neither eye hath seen nor ear hath heard neither hath the like entered into the hearts of men The delights of this house are such that if all the contentments and delights that ever ravished the hearts of men in their private houses were put together yet were they but as a candle to the Sun as a drop to the Ocean Oh the stateliness and magnificence of the Hall of this house wherein are Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors Saints Angels the blessed Virgin especially all of them praising and lauding God! Blessed are they that dwell in this house they will be still praising thee Here in this life are variety of imployments according to the diversity of mens Callings and their necessities but there shall be no necessity there shall be but one work the work of Praise a duty which in this life is performed with fatigation and weariness but their it shall be done with all sweetness and delight increasing with the continuance of the same No vain thoughts to interrupt this duty no weariness of the flesh to weaken this duty no necessity or indigency to rend us from this duty but as it will be our happiness to love and see God so it will be the exercise of our happiness to admire and to laud God while we are here such is the weakness of our apprehension that we cannot with the same act conceive the work and the workman we cannot think of the benefit and the author of the same then we shall be enabled to joyn both these together so to admire the work as at the same time to praise the author so to contemplate the benefit as at the same time to fall down before the benefactor Oh the stateliness of this presence where the face of God the beauty of God the Majesty of God is seen in so glorious a manner that even Angels and Archangels cover their faces not being able to behold stedfastly the great lustre of the same Oh the loveliness of the chambers of the King made for the soul to repose her self in all spiritual delight after her labour and travel in this miserable world oh the beauty of the Mansions of this house prepared by Christ himself for the soul to refresh her self with all spiritual food and oh the variety and excellency of the food of this house the understanding shall have his food morning and evening knowledg a clear view of all things not in themselves or in their causes but in their exact Idea's subsisting in the essence of God but especially the radiant vision of the face of God the Essence of God the Sun of righteousness The will shall have her food goodness joy delectation not by measure but drowned in the full ocean of these with that stability and confirmation that she cannot will that which is evil The affectiens shall have their food being fully satisfied beyond their desires The Body shall have his food being made an impassible clarified Agil spiritual body defecated and purified from this feculent elementary food and all other alterations common to it with beasts and which is most wonderful the King of Kings shall gird himself to reach out these Joyes unto us they shall be administred unto us Ve jad Hammelek by the hand by the power of a King Did I say this of my self who would give credence unto me but Truth faith it Luke 12.37 Blessed are those servants whom he shall find watching verily I say unto you that he shall gird himself and make them sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them Oh wonderful dignation who ever heatd of the like Stat Cato dum Lixa bibit the Lord stands the servant sits the Lord is girt the servant is loosed the Master is reaching out full bowels and the servant is inebriated with the rivers of these pleasures once he girt himself to wash his Disciples feet and the servant was astonished to see so great a Majestie condescending to so mean ministery shall we not be much more ravished with this ineffable dignation when he shall again gird himself to supply the soul with unspeakeable delight as if God himself intended nothing in heaven but to heap content upon them that sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven This is the fatness the excellency of this house with the weak adumbration whereof I doubt not but that your hearts are so taken that ye have reduced all your desires to this one with the Psalmist One thing have I desired of the Lord which I will desire even that I may dwell in his house and behold the beauty of the Lord. And I wonder not when I contemplate the Mafesty of God I wish my self all fear and when I consider the power of God I wish my self all humility and when I meditate on the goodness of God I wish my self all Love and when I contemplate the Beauty of God and of this bouse I wish my self all desire and so do you also and therefore with unanimous votes you request me to conduct you to the gates of this house whereby you may enter into the same and according to the magnificence of this House so there are many gates whereby we may enter and all of these reaching even to the Earth with the foot of Jacobs ladder There is the gate of Faith by it we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 access unto God and that with boldness by this we lay hold on the Throne of Grace by this we prostrate our selves at his feet by this we adhaere and cleave close unto God by this we live in Christ and Christ in us by this our hearts are purified our conscience washed with the bloud of Christ and fitted to see God and to enter into the holy of holies unto which no unclean thing can be admitted This is one Gate Another is the gate of Hope which entreth within the Vail and bringeth us neerer unto God this grace taketh us by the hand and leadeth us through the streets of New Jerusalem and sheweth us the Temple of the Lamb and the Lamb sitting in his
Christ was placed in the summity and height of their souls and the desire of the full fruition of him caused that fainting that earnest longing in their spirits You will say if this be so what will become of the greatest part of Christians who are afraid to die who are so far from groaning to depose this Tabernacle that they groan at the least intimation of dissolution It is true that all men receive not this saying neither is it for every one to attain to this perfection As there are two forts of faith so there are two forts of Christians there is a strong faith and a weak faith and there are strong Christians and there are weak Christians the strong Christian is willing to die and patient to live the weak Christian is willing to live and patient to die he goes when God calls but he could wish that God would defer his calling he hath good hopes of heaven but he desires a little more to enjoy the earth he loves God more then all yet his affections are not fully taken off from all he is not perplexed with the fears of Hell yet he is not ravished with the joyes of Heaven he hath much strength but knows it not as many a Spectator of a prize is better able to performe it then he that undertakes it but either through faintness of heart or ignorance of his own strength dare not put it to the hazard but had rather commend another mans valour then trie his own whereas a strong Christian a man grown in Christ sends a challenge to this Gyant Death singles him out as a fit object of his valour grapples with him not as with his match but as his underling insulteth over him setteth his foot on the neck of this King of terrours and by conquering him captivates with great facility all other petty fears of ignominy poverty and the like which therefore are dreadful because they tend to Death the last the worst the end the sum of all feared evills this is the unconquerable crown of Faith this is the glory of a Christian this is the Diadem of honour wreathed about his Temples advancing him above all other men whatsover But you will say may a man desire death Is this now a question what means the agony of the Apostle I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ What means the earnest longing of the Spouse Apoca. 22. The Spirit faith come and the Bride faith come and let him that hears say come What means her fainting in the Canticles I am sick of love let him bring me into his chamber Let me see his face I am sick unto death Let me dy lest I dy that I may see him for ever What means the Character of a true Christian As many as love the appearance of the Lord which cannot be without death What means the incredible contempt of death in ancient Christians insomuch that it was a received Maxime with the Heathen Omnis Christianus est contemptor mortis What means the heroical incouragement of old Hilarion Egredere anima egredere quid times Go out my soul go out why tremblest thou What means the words of old Simion in the flames Thus to dy is to live What means the rapture of Saint Chrysostome that he would thank that man that would kill him as transmitting him more speedily to those unconceivable Joyes What means this groaning and thirsting in my Text Do not these demonstrate that it is lawful to desire death Not simply in it self or for it self it is the separation of those two whom God hath coupled it is a cessation of being it is an evil of punishment the daughter of sin to desire it simply were to desire evil which is abhorrent to nature much less ought we to hasten our death by violent means Let their memories be buried in perpetural silence as the botches and ulcers of Christianity who out of impatience have perpetrated this heinous sin a sin against God and man against nature against grace against the Church against the common-wealth against all things The Heathen man could say that we are the possession of God to be disposed of by him not by our selves the body is the structure of God the work of his hands the Tabernacle which he hath made and not to be removed or to be taken down but by his command while we live we may advance the glory of God the good of others we may impeople heaven make up the ruines of Angels to hasten our death were to envy this glory to God this good to others In that distraction of our Apostle between two good things his own glory and the good of others you know which way the scales inclined to the good of others as if he had said let my glory be deferred so Gods glory be increased let my joy be increased let my joy be sulpended so the joy of Angels and of the Court of heaven be intended by the conversion of sinners Nay more this is a small thing Let me be an Athema so Israel be blessed let me be blotted out of the book of life so thousands be inserted let the bowels of Christ be streightned to me so they be enlarged to others this is life indeed this is the end of our life this will comfort us in this life and crown us in the life to come He that can truly say that while he lived he lived to God not to himself that he sincerely propounded the glory of God and the good of others unto himself this man may write upon his Tombe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have lived take this out of the life of man and what is it but a meer death if not worse though it be protracted to the years of Methusalem twice told Thus simply to desire death is not good but cloath this with some circumstances and then to desire death is not only warrantable but commendable when we have done all the good we can when our lives will be no more serviceable to Church or Common-wealth when we have with all fidelity done our Masters work when we have the testimony of a good conscience that we have fought a good fight that we have kept the faith that we have finished our race then may we say with old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace then may we with our Apostle lift up our eyes to the crown of righteousness which the righteous Judge hath laid up for them that fear him then we may expect the Euge of the good servant Well done good and faithful servant enter into the joy of thy Master Again when we are called to be Holocausts or sacrifices oblations of sweet savours the Frankincense of the Church to perfume others to deliver up our lives unto God to seal his Truth with our bloud to encourage others then we ought to run unto death with all alacrity rejoycing that we are counted worthy to suffer for his Name to triumph to boast
equality with the Angels the glory of a Kingdome worthy a tear a groan a sigh a fast are they now so contemptible or mean that no violence is requisite with what face shall we appear before our Saviour at his Tribunal when he shall demand of us his tears his watchings and fastings when he shall say unto us were are my tears are they water spilt upon the ground not to be gathered up Where are my sighs and groans have they vanished in the ayr where are my watchings what not a tear for so many tears not a fast for so many fasts not a groan for so many miseries which I indured Had I shed but one tear should it not have broken up a fountain of tears in thee Had I setched but one sigh should it not have made thy life a perpetual sigh But when I have done so much for thy sake shall it be lost wilt thou do nothing for thy own self shall I cast so much seed into the ground and reap nothing again Oh my beloved what are all our afflictions what are all the afflictions of our selves to the least drop of gall that he tasted to the least scourge which he suffered how can we say that either we loved God or our selves if we do not these things in testimony of this If ye shall not perform these duties it is a small comfort for us that we have freed our souls it is your salvation we thirst after and say in a better sense then the King of Sodome Da nohis animas Give us your souls and without this we have no comfort we may be acquitted at the bar of God but we shall not be crowned in his Throne for what is our crown but you that hear us but if you shall thus groan as I doubt not but you do in secret it is not I but God himself hath promised that they that sow in tears shall reap in joy that they which mourn here shall be comforted hereafter that they which groan here shall be refreshed in their proper house In this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven Which God of his infinite mercy grant c. THE CARELESSE MERCHANT OR THE WOFUL LOSSE OF THE PRECIOUS SOUL SERMON XXII MATT. 16.26 What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his soul THe Patriarch Jacob in his vision at Bethel saw the Angels of God ascending and descending Gen. 28. So from the thirteenth verse of this Chapter we have the Disciples of Christ ascending and descending For first their general speaker Simon Peter had made a notable confession of our Saviours Divinity and had received for the further incouragement of himself and his brethren such an excellent testimony from our Saviour that the Angels of heaven might behold observe and imbrace Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee but my father which is in heaven and I say thou art Peter and on this rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Which words were not only appropriate to him they were spoken to him but they were common to all the Apostles For as Origen argues shall we think that the gates of hell prevailed not against Peter but did a gainst the rest Therefore that which was said to him was said to all and being such a glorious commendation behold the Angels ascend But secondly what if the earthly mind of man dream of a Messias temporal and that they must be promoted to places of eminency and stiled gracious Lords the case is too palpable for if Christ warn his Disciples and tell them of his approaching death at Jerusalem he shall be sure to meet with a check no such matter it shall not be so to thee Oh! here is a strange metamorphise a sudden alteration before a Confessor and now a controller there is no wisdome of the spirit in this and therefore no commendation for this but because he was somewhat too forward get the behind me for thou art an offence to me behold the Angels descend And surely this carnal wisdome had been able to weigh them down to the nethermost hell had not the wisdomâ—… of the wisest curbed and subdued and restrained it What not suffer Yes Peter also must suffer and all that will follow Christ must renounce all the inticements of the world and mortifie all the corrupt exorbitancies of the flesh and resist all the temptations of the Divel For what is a man profited if he gain the whole world and lose his soul Which words are an exaggeration of the woful estate of a temporizing Professor of a carnal Gospeller and they reach to our consideration these four generals First the excellency and worth of mans soul which is of greater value then the whole world Secondly the possiblity of the loss a man may lose his own soul Thirdly the compossibility of outward prosperity he may lose his soul in gaining the whole world And then lastly the woful bargain in such an exchange What is a man profited Of these in order First of the surpassing excellency and dignity of mans soul it is valued and prized here above the whole world It was the plausible conceit of certain Ehilosophers that the world was a great man and that man was a little world a little world indeed but as Saint 〈◊〉 rearms him a great wonder for within this little world there is a reasonable soul worth all the world To render an exact definition of the soul it requires the tongue of an Angel rather then of a man it passes the comprehension of travellers to apprehend the nature of the soul for these three God Angels and mans Soul they are unknown to us we may sooner admire their excellency then conceive their nature and argue of their opperations then attain their knowledge of such sublimity is the soul of man so Angelical and Divine the excellency whereof is commended to us by three distinct voyces of Nature Grace Glory For first in the order of nature it is the greatest thing saith Plato that we may conceive in a narrow room the most noble thing that all the frame of nature affords and that In respect of the Orignal In respect of the Image In respect of the Original the soul of man hath no beginning here 〈◊〉 there was no voyce directed to the earth or to the water for the production of 〈◊〉 soul but a serious confultation of the sacred Trinity and a breathing into his 〈…〉 the breath of life Saith Saint Austin he created it by infusion and 〈…〉 creation And the Philosopher well concludes that the soul as it is not from without it is only divine Therefore the Manichees extolled it too high when they deemed it a portion of Gods substance let not others abase and depresse it too low to think it is derived
from Parents it comes not of their substance it is enough for them to be the fathers of the flesh God alone is the Father of spirits as the Apostle makes the antithesis Heb. 12.9 Secondly for the Image the soul is most like God saith Plato saith Aristotle it is of the nearest kin of the greatest consanguinity as I may say and the Lord himself signifies so much After our Image let us make man Then the soul of man is not stamped with a Roman Caesar but with Gods own Image and superscription and that First in respect of the substance being not only a spiritual intellectual incorporeal invisible essence but explaining by the plurality of Powers in the unity of Essence the plurality of Persons in the unity of the Deity Secondly being furnished with singular indowments as in the state of innocency with perfect wisdome and holiness and righteousness Yea still in the state of sin some generals are lest some broken fragments of the creation moral qualifications that may lead us by the hand to the knowledge of our Master Lastly in regard of the comanding power it hath over the body It is to the body as Moses was to Pharoah a God to the body it actuates it and moves and commands and restrains it whereby next and immediately under God we live and move and have our being Seeing then the soul is the immediate work and character of God himself so excellent for the Original and for the Image let nature conclude that the soul in-these regards is of greater value then the whole world Secondly in the Kingdome of grace the price of the soul is far above the dignity of the world and that in the grace of Redemption and the grace of renovation For first in the souls redemption the soul amounts so high as that the whole Creation is not able to discharge it It is not gotten for gold nor silver is not weighed for the price of it it is not valued with the gold of Ophir or the precious Onix It cost more to redeem the soul of sinful man the precious bloud of the eternal Son of God he could only redeem it that at the first created it Ye are bought with a price the precious blood of Christ Secondly in the grace of renovation nothing is able to cleanse it from sin but the Spirit of God The spirit alone must enlighten the understanding and rectisie the affections and purisie the will and sanctifie the conscience and seal up the Image of God in righteousness and true holiness And the soul thus renewed is as a Garden inclosed a spiritual Paradise where the God of heaven delights to dwell the Spouse of the Beloved and in the phrase of the Church As the Lilly among the thorns so is my love among the daughters Seeing it appears that the universal World is not able to redeem or being redeemed to renew or renewed to parallel the soul let grace subscribe to that which nature concludes that the soul is of greater value then the whole world Lastly for the passage of glory the contents of the whole Universe are not able to come neer the soul Saith S. Bernard well well it may be busie and took up with other things but it cannot be satiate and replenished with them And Democrates imagined that if there were millions of worlds it were all one in comparison of the soul for blessedness The world is transitory like the dew of the morning it fades as the grass and as the flower of the field whereas on the contrary the soul of man is the subject of immortality capable of an exceeding surpassing eternal weight of glory For if in the time of grace we behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord and are changed into the same Image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord. How resplendant shall the soul of the righteous be in the beatifical vision of Gods excellencies How wonderful shall that divine capacity be that shall be capable of God himself for a perpetual residence Insomuch that the most ancient of dayes shall give fulness to the Soul of knowledg and wisdom and his sacred Spirit that shall fill it with the fulness of God with contentation and the sacred Trinity shall be all in all to it Seeing then the Soul is capable and is the subject of the happiness and joyes of heaven and partner with the glorious Angels in the fruition of the chief good let the sentence of glory joyn to Grace and nature that the Soul is of greater value then the whole world Behold then O man out of the mouth of three witnesses for I may say in this case as Saint John saith in another There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost Behold out of the mouth of three Witnesses the surpassing excellency and dignity of thy soul it is the breathing of God the Image of God he created it with his Word redeemed it with his Son and in whomsoever his grace abides he will crown it hereafter with his glorious presence What then remains but that we esteem our souls accordingly as God values them Let us not with the unhallowed voluptuous in these times make Lords of our bodies and slaves of our souls Let us not spend our dayes in providing for the lusts of the flesh Let us not in affectation of fair possessions of able servants of hopeful sons and good friends content our selves with bad souls A mans soul is himself saith Plato And O wretched wight saith Saint Austin how hast thou deserved so much ill of thy self as among all thy goods to be only thy self bad O remember the sublimity of thy precious soul thou knowest not what a precious pearle thou hast in thy body like the hidden treasure in the Gospel it is of greater worth than the whole field I say not as he did know that thou hast a God in thee yet know that in that better part of thy nature thou art like to God for he hath given thee a soul of his own breathing and stamped it with the impress of his own Image and created it capable of the fruition of his own presence in endless glory In the consideration whereof walk worthily of this precious divine inspiration Thy Soul is a spirit let thy thoughts be spiritual Thy soul is immortal let thy meditations be of immortality and renounce thy body and good name and gifts of the world for the gainig of thy soul for what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and to lose his own soul So much shall serve to be spoken of the first point the surpassing excellency and dignity of the soul it is vallued and prized here above the whole world Now the next is the possibility that a man may lose his own soul The mention whereof causeth me to remember that passage between Christ and his
Lo this is the man that took not God for his strength but trusted in the multitude of his riches and strengthened himself c. Secondly having lost his supposed good he loseth the fruition of God the chief good the countenance of the beatifical presence the fellowship and melodious harmony of the glorious Angels his place and portion with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdome of heaven And all proportionable to his own deservings In his life-time he refused God being dead God refuseth him he turned his face from the poor and needy God in his affliction eternally turns his face from him A loss so exceeding great that whosoever descends deepest in the meditation of it yet he shall be at a loss and to seek for a full definition of it For as Chrysostome truly affirms though a man tell thee of ten thousand hells all is one in comparison of this misery to be discarded of blessedness and glory and to be hated of Christ But if this be so what shall we say to further misery having lost the chief good he receives his punishment with hypocrites and unbeleevers in the dungeon of extream ill A place where there is nothing but horrour of conscience and desperation a company of affrighting divels and with all this weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Instead of merriment and jovial laughter and scurrulous lascivious songs and wasting and abusing the creatures of God nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth So that having come into the chambers of death and closed in the straits of the grave the man like the hedg-hogg leaves the apples behind him and only reserves the prickles of a wounded spirit in that sentence of Babilon As much as she bath gloryed her self and lived delitiously so much terment give her Lastly that that is the hell of hells that nothing may be wanting to his diserved wo he is out of hope of all gracious means of deliverance he must never look for the revokation of Gods sentence though with Esau he seek it with tears he must never look for mittigation of his horrour though he heg with the unmerciful glutton for one drop of water The date of repentance is out the day of grace will never dawn again the justice is implacable the fire unquenchable the worm unsatiable and all continual without intermission for ever-more O! bottomless depth of horrour oh unexpressible torment of a forsaken soul what greater misery saith devout St. Bernard then alway to be wishing for that which shall never be and for the removing of that that shall never cease to be Therefore the sum is this Hath the covetous exchanged his soul for riches the ambitious for honours hath he lost it for the riches of Cressus the power of Alexander the Empireof Augustus the glory of the whole world yet in consideration of The end of his life The loss of his God The extremity of his pain The eternity of all What is a man profited Now then for some application and to draw toward a conclusion suffer the word of exhortation brethren and captivate your thoughts to the obedience of Jesus Christ You especially whom God hath blessed above others concerning the enjoyment of outward temporal things If ever you be desirous to escape the direful slaughter-house of Hell to escape those burnings and those everlasting yellings while you have time bethink your selves of some saving course to flie from the wrath to come And now in time cast up your accounts take heed lest for the love of this present world you lose your God the life of your souls There is a way that seems right to a man saith Solomon but the end of it is the manifold wayes of death Some Babilonish garment some Naboths Vineyard some sweet preferment but if the means be unlawful if it disturb conscience and prejudice the glory of God and occasion the destruction of thy soul then say What shall I doe when God shall rise up and when he shall visit what shall I answer This will be the reckoning of fools at the last What hath pride profited us and what hath riches brought us Surely the gain will be no other then what Promethius is fabled to have had by Pandora's box a place to be tormented Or what Hercules got by Dianira's garment Such will be the final issue of all Mammonists that live amongst Christians and under means of better reformation and more sanctification in their wayes I say this will be the final issue The worm of despair alway gnawing and never dying and the flames of eternal Tophet never to be extinguished Therefore in such a case if thou tell me thou knowest what thou dost and what thou gainest Let me tell thee thou little knowest thy dammage and what thou hast lost Alas what are the goods of this life when they are compared with eternal damnation and the sweetness of imaginary gain what proportion hath it with the bitterness of so great a loss Riches have wings they take their leave honour is transitory pleasures flie away whereas the soul of man is the subject of immortality And thy poor neglected soul must bide by it for an everlasting pledge and pay the debt O! then contemn this glory that is nothing First seek Gods kingdom and the glory of it suffer not heaven to stand at so great a distance to thy soul taste and see how gracious the Lord is by one drop of water from that celestial fountain by one crum from that heavenly table and then as concerning the things below thou wilt account them as dross and dung in comparison of that joy and peace of conscience Resolve as Themistocles when he saw a goodly booty he would not stoup to take it up leave these things for the Children of this world But let your care be to please the Lord and to gain the peace of a good conscience First seek the kingdom of God which consists not in meat and drink but in righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Remember the vanity of the things of the world remember how unable the soul is to enjoy hell and to lose heaven without eternal horrour and in consideration hereof Use the World as though you used is not and use this as a proof hide it in a sanctified memory and write it in the table of a sanctified conscience if it were possible with a pen of Iron and the point of a Diamond What is a man profited if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul CHRIST HIS SECOND ADVENT OR THE APPROACH OF The God of Recompences SERMON XXIII REVEL 22.12 Behold I come shortly and my reward is with me to give every man according to his works THe Angel having described to Saint John in the Chapter immediately before and in the former part of this Chapter the exceeding great joy and glory and felicity that all the godly shall have in the kingdome of heaven by
not so to be accounted slack but saith the Apostle He is patient toward us and would have none perish but come to repentance Then the slackness of Christs coming is his patience because he would give us time to repent and have us prepared before he come O! then beloved let us not make a mock as others do of this patience but while we have time let us take time that when he comes we may be worthy of him Thus you have the first heresie confuted The second was quite contrary to this set abroach by certain false teachers who taught the Thessalonians that the day of Judgement was so neer that it should happen in their age Where by the way you may take notice of the exceeding great subtilty of the Divel that labours by all means possible to bring men to one of these extreams Either that the day of Judgement shall never come or it shall come in such a limited time and age And indeed it is ranked among the opinions of some that held that the day of Judgement should be just 6000 years after the Creation 2000. before the Law 2000. under the Law and 2000. under the Gospel But Saint Paul answers these false teachers among the Thessalonians and all of the like opinion therefore to arm them against their assaults he bids them for a certainty beleeve it 2 Thessal 2. that the day of judgement was not at hand And he gives the reason vers 3. For saith he that day shall not come except there he a departing first and that man of sin the son of perdititon be revealed But how is it that the Apostle tells the Thessalonians that the day of Judgement was not at hand seeing it is plain in the places before recited that the end of the world was at hand and that now was the last times and Heb. 9.26 Christ appeared in the end of the world It was in the end of the world that Christ appeared to sacrifice himself for our sins how is it then that he tells the Thessalonians here that the day of the Lord is not at hand Master Calvin saith the answer is easie for saith he in respect of God it was at hand but as for us we must be continually waiting for it But Master Beza and Rollock give another Exposition which I take to be more natural to the place for say they in all those places where it seems to be avouched that the day of the Lord is at band they understand the word in the Original to signifie generally a time drawing neer As to say the day of judgement may be this day as well as to morrow and to morrow as well as this day and many dayes hence as well as now But in that place where he saith it is not at hand they understand the word precisely to be meant of a precise time so the Apostle speaks truly the day of judgement is not at hand so as that any man can say it shall be this hour or this day or this month or this year or this age This is no more but the doctrine of Christ Of that day and hour no man knoweth no not the Angels in heaven no not Christ himself as man but the Father only So you see it is plain and evident that the day of Judgement is at hand but in what precise limits of time or age it shall happen it is uncertain Our Saviour Christ tells his Apostles Act. 1.7 It is not for you to know the times and seasons that the Father hath put into his own hands It is not for you to know these times Then beloved why should we have an ear to hear where God hath not a tongue to speak Let it suffice us to know that it is at hand which if we make good use of it will make us wary and watchful and Vigilant over all our wayes that we say not with the evil servant Our Master defers his coming let us eat and drink and beat our fellow servants but betake our selves to the good servants duty to watch Watch we therefore we know not the day and hour when the Son of man cometh But when he cometh and finds us doing well dealing faithfully and living holily happy nay thrice happy shall we be we shall be sure to partake of the blessing of those upon mount Gerrazim we need not fear the curse of those upon Mount Ebal We need not be afraid of the Thundering and lightning on Sinai nor the fire and tempest nor smoak of the furnace nor of the sound of the Trumpet for all our joy shall be in Sion But when he comes if he find us living wickedly dealing unfaithfully cursed nay thrice cursed we be we are sure to partake of mourning for joy of ashes for beauty of a rent for a girdle whatsoever becomes of our garments assuredly our hearts shall be rent in sunder Watch we therefore we know not the day and hour when the Son of man will come In the second place that the children of God may be armed and prepared for his coming he hath set down in his Word certain signs which being effected and come to pass they may easily judge that then the day of redemption draweth nigh Now these signs are of three sorts Some are in respect of us a long time before he comes to judgement A second sort are imediately before his coming The third in his coming The signs that prognosticate his coming long before are these First of all the preaching of the Gospel to the whole world which is set down by Christ Mat. 24.14 The Gospel of the kingdome shall be preached to the whole world for a testimony to all Nations then shall the end be Which words of our Saviour Christ we are not so to understand as that the Gospel should be preached to the whole world at any one time for that never was nor I think never will be but if we so understand it that the Gospel shall be preached to all Nations successively and at several times then if we consider the times since the Apostles we shall find that the sound of the Gospel hath gone out to all the Nations of the world as it was spoken by the Prophet so that this first sign is already past the end cannot be far The second sign is the revealing of Antichrift saith the Apostle 2. Thessal 2.3 That day shall not come except there be a departing and that man of sin the son of perdition which is Antichrist be revealed Concerning this sign in the year of our Lord 602. after Christ S. Gregory seemeth to avouch that whosoever taketh the name of universal Bishop and Pastor of the Church that was Antichrist Five years after Boniface succeeding him by Phocas the Emperour had the title of Universal Bishop of the Church and ever since all their successours have taken that name so that it is evident that at Rome hath been and now
man that gives a thing upon merit he gives it not freely I answer it is free in respect of us whatsoever Christ hath done we did not merit it If it be replyed Christs merits are made ours and we merit in him and so it cannot be free I answer this reason were of force if we our selves could procure the merits of Christ for us but that we could not do but that also was of free gift Ioh. 3. God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that he that beleeves in him should not perish he gave him freely of free gift so that though eternal life be due to us by the merits of Christ yet it is the free gift of God I will stand no longer in proving the truth of the Doctrine I come to the application and use to conclude with the time First it serves to confute our adversaries of the Church of Rome in the point of merit They look for heaven and eternal life as wages we see the Apostle teacheth us otherwise that eternal life is not given in that manner but another manner of way It is not given as wages it is the free gift of God And in Rom. 8. he saith that the sufferings of this life is not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed all our sufferings all our works they are not worthy of the glory of God we connot properly merit them This was the constant Doctrine of the primitive Church that a good life when we are justified and an eternal life when we are glorified they all grant that all that is good in us is the gift of God that eternal life is not a retribution to our works but the free gift of God When God crowns our merits he crowns nothing else but his own free gift these and many other sentences we find among the ancient Fathers plainly convincing our adversaries that in this point they swerve not only from Scripture but from all sound antiquity Secondly then to come to our selves this should humble us in respect of our own deservings do all the good thou canst take heed it do not puff thee up think not to merit heaven alas thou canst not do it for what is it to the Almighty as it is said in Job that thou art righteous Thy well doing extends not to him thou canst do him no good therefore thou canst look for nothing at his hands since thou canst do him no good but all that thou dost in his service it is not for his but for thy good yet he commands thee and thou art bound to do it but all thou canst do is no more then thou art bound to do Therefore when thou hast done all that thou canst acknowledge thy self to bean unprofitable servant and thou hast done no more then thy duty If thou hast many good works yet thou hast more sin and the least sin of thine in the rigour of justice will deprive thee of thy interest in God Therefore thy appeal must be to the throne of grace and thy only plea must be that of the Publican every one of us God be merciful to me a sinner when we have done all we can it must be mercy and not any merit of ours that must bring us to heaven Thirdly here is comfort for the children of God in that this inestimable treasure of eternal life is not committed to our keeping but God hath it in his keeping It is his gist it is not committed to the rotten box of our merits then we could have no certainty of it the devil would easily pick the Lock yea without picking he would shake in pieces the crazy joynts of the best work we do he would steal it from us and take it away and deprive us of this excellent benefit but the Lord hath dealt better for us he hath kept it in his own hands he hath laid it up in the Cabinet of his own mercy and love that never fails for with everlasting mercy he hath compassion on us Isa 54. he loves us with an everlasting love It is his mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not and whom he loves he loves to the end It is laid up in the mercy of God he will have it his gift lest we should keep it and it should be lost he hath reserved it in his own hands Therefore in temptations when they drive us to doubt of our attaining of eternal life let us cast our eye upon the keeper of it it is the Lord he is wary to discern and faithful to bestow it therefore let us comfort our selves and say every one of us as Saint Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have trusted and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day Lastly seeing eternal life is the free gift of God it must make us thankful to him for it which we should never do if we deserved it doth a master thank his servant for doing his duty So if we did think heaven were our due we should never be thankful for it Pride is a great enemy to thankfulness therefore the way is to humble our selves and to consider that we deserve no good thing at Gods hands then we will take this great benefit at Gods hands most thankfully Especially when we consider it is all that God requires of us as he saith Psal 50. Call upon me in the day of trouble I will hear thee and deliver thee and what shalt thou do Thou shalt glorifie me Glorifying God and being thankful to him is all the tribute we are to pay to this our royal Lord and shall we deny him this It is a small benefit that is not worth thanks We set eternal life at too low a rate if we forget to be thankful There was never a precious Jewel afforded so cheap as eternal life for our thankfulness If we did know what it were to want it we would give ten thousand worlds rather then be without it Therefore as Naamans servants said to him concerning his washing in Jordan if the Prophet had commanded thee a greater thing wouldest thou not have done it So if God had commanded us a great matter for eternal life we should have done it how much more when he saith take it and be thankful be but thankful Thus I have described to you this twofold service the wages of sin that is death temporal eternal The service of righteousness the wages and reward of that eternal life which is not wages but the gift of God So that I may now say to you as Moses did to Israel Deut. 30.19 Behold I have set before you life and death cursing and blessing Therefore choose not cursing chuse not sin nor the wages thereof it is death but choose life that you and your seed may live If we follow sin the wages will be death if we apply our selves to righteousness in the
and remediless torment upon body and soul for ever Thirdly the Saints have here consolation against the mortality and corruption whereto they are subject here in this world wherein their condition is common with the condition of all for that that befalleth one may befall every one in regard of the outward estate and condition All must die Nay further here is consolation against the distresses and afflictions and pressures whereto the Saints are subject above others for their profession sake in this very respect they are hated they are persecuted all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution and through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdom of heaven Where is now there comfort surely this that is set before us you heard that natural men are dead while they live but those that are in Christ do live while they may seem to be dead Jonah lived when he was cast into the Sea swallowed up by a Whale and was even as it were in hell so the Saints though swallowed up as we may say in the tempestuous sea of this world by cruel Whales yet notwithstanding they stil live that life that is begun here in the world whereof you heard before And to this purpose the Apostle Saint Paul in 2 Cor. 4.9 10 11 12. sheweth plainly that though they are given up unto death daily for Jesus sake yet they are not destroyed not clean swallowed up but that they live in Christ and that Christ liveth in them We are perplexed but not in despair perseouted but not forsaken c. And this is it that doth comfort them both the fruition of that life that they have here and their expectation of the accomplishment and fulness thereof in the kingdom of heaven Now my brethren this is the rather to be observed of us because of all others the Saints seem to be most subject to death And the truth is here is matter of admiration in regard of their happiness that notwithstanding that condition whereto they are subject there is a life they enjoy in this world there is a better life prepared for them hereafter And what can be more desired Life of all things else is most esteemed Men are ready in sickness and in other distresses to spend all that they have as the Woman that was troubled with the bloudy issue spent all that she had upon the Physitians to preserve life to recover health Solomon speaking according to the conceit of men saith that a living Dog is better then a dead Lyon any life better then a death thus they imagine and Satan well knew mens account of life when he could say Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will be give for his life Now if so be that this temporal life here that is but a flower but a bubble but a blast but a breath yea that life that in the shortness thereof is subject to so much perplexity as it is be notwithstanding so highly esteemed what is the life here promised that while here in the enjoying in regard of the first fruits thereof is accompanied with such a peace as passeth understanding accompanied with the very joy of the Holy Ghost and in the consummation thereof such contentment such glory as the tongue of man cannot express the mind of man cannot conceive It is noted of the Apostle Saint Paul when he was caught up to the third heaven and saw but a glimps of this life he did there see they are his own words unutterable matter things that cannot be exprest And therefore in this respect he saith and that which he saith may be most fitly applied to this the things which eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath entred into the heart of man are such as God hath prepared for them that love him This is that Life which we are so to consider of as it may make us say with the Apostle I account that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be campared with the glory which shall be revealed in us for our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory It will be here said whence cometh this or what may be the ground thereof My Text telleth you It is stiled here Grace of Life Neither will I here insist upon the divers acceptations of grace as it is in man as it is Gratis data or as it is in God as it is Gratis faciens making us accepted with himself It is more clear then need to be proved that eternal life it cometh from divine grace Grace is the ground of it Being justified by grace saith the Apostle and again by Grace you are saved And indeed all things that bring us thereto are in Scriptures attributed to Grace And needs must it be so For First out of God there can be nothing done to move him to do this or that as if it should be done for our sakes either meriting or procuring of it He is independant and we are depending upon him and whatsoever we have is out of our selves and cometh from him Again in Man there can be nothing What is there in man but misery whatsoever man had or hath if there be any good thing he hath it from this fountaine of goodness all our sufficiency is of God And this is briefly to be noted against that proud and arrogant position of our Adversaries concerning the merit of mans works as if man by any thing in him could merit or deserve this life it is not the merit of life but the grace of life Surely they know not God they know not his infiniteness his all-sufficiency they know not man his emptiness his impotency his vileness his cursedness they know not this life they know not the reward the excellency of it the disproportion between any thing that man can do and this life that is thus graciously bestowed that have such a conceit Let them therefore pass with their foolish opinion For our own parts it affordeth to us another ground of comfort and that in regard of our unworthiness for as we are creatures we are less than the least of Gods mercies but as we are mortal creatures dust and ashes much more unworthy of any favour but as we are sinful creatures having provoked the Justice of God most most unworthy of any grace of any life most worthy of all judgements and vengeance of eternal death and damnation Where is now our hope what ground shall we have that have nothing in our selves surely this the ground of this life the grace of God What God doth he doth for himself for his own names sake Grace is free And these two joyned together give evident demonstration of God to be a God in the thing that he doth confer upon thee and in his dealing of it the greatness of the
all the Angels and Saints in Heaven the spirits of just men made perfect to Abrahams bosome to be with Christ Et quanta 〈◊〉 felicitas What greater happiness It was much that Moses obtained to see the back-parts of God but how much greater favour is it to see him face to face to have eternal fellowship with God the father with Christ the Redeemer with the Holy Ghost the sanctifier The knowledg of this benefit of Death makes the face of it comfortable to Gods servants and causes them to strive with their own natural weakness that so they may even long for their day of dissolution But now against this point divers Objections may be alledged For first the Apostle Paul sayes that Death is the wages of sin And else-where he stiles it Christs enemy the last enemy that he shall subdue is Death How should not death then be rather a day of misery to be trembled at then a day of happiness to be longed for To this I answer that we are to distinguish touching Death for it must be considered two wayes First as it is in its owe nature Secondly as it is altred by Christ in the first sence it is true that Death is the wages of sin and the very suburbs and the gates of hell But in the second taking of Death it ceases to be a plague and becomes a blessing inasmuch as it is even a door opening out of this world into Heaven Now the godly look not upon Death simply but upon Death whose sting and venome is plucked out by Jesus Christ and so it is exceeding comfortable But then secondly it is objected that we read of many that have prayed against death as namely first David Return O Lord faith he and deliver my soul oh spare me for thy mercies sake for in death there is no remembrance of thee Secondly Hezekiah when the message of death was brought to him Thirdly Christ himself Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me To all these I answer first touching David that when he composed that sixt Psalm he was not only grievously sick but also exceedingly tormented in mind for he wrastled and combated in his conscience with the wrath of God as appears by the first Verse of that Psalm therefore we must know that he prayed not simply against Death but against death at that time in asmuch as the coming of it was accompanied with extraordinary apprehensions of Gods wrath for at another time he tells us that he would not fear though he walked through the valley of the shaddow of Death And the like I say touching Hezekiah that his prayer proceeded not from any desperate fear of Death but first that he might do more service to God in his Kingdom And with such a kind of thought was Saint Pauls desire of dissolution mingled Secondly he prayed against Death then because he knew that his death then would be a great cause of rejoycing to evil men to whom his reformation in the State was unpleasing Thirdly because he wanted issue God had promised before to David that there should not fail a man of his seed to sit upon the throne of Israel so that his children did take heed to their wayes Now it was a great discomfort to him to die chidless for then he and others might have thought that he was but an Hypocrite in as much as God had promised issue to all those Kings that feared him and for this cause God heard his prayer and after two years gave him a son Manasseh by name And so I say the same touching our Saviour Christ that he prayed not against Death as it is the separation betwixt Body and Soul as appears by what the Apostle faith that he was heard in that he feared for he stood in our room and became a Curse for us it was the Curse of the Law which went with Death and the unspeakable wrath and indignation of God which he feared and from this according to his prayer he was delivered But thirdly we see in most good men a fear of Death and a desire of life and I my self may some godly man say do feel my self ready to tremble at the meditation thereof and yet I hope I belong unto God I answer that there are two things to be considered in every Christian Flesh and Spirit Corruption and Grace and the best have many inward perplexities at times and doubtings of Gods favour Now it is a truth which our Saviour delivers that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak And as in all other good purposes there is a combate betwixt the flesh and the spirit so is there in this betwixt the fear of Death and the desire of Death sometime the one prevails and sometimes the other but yet alwayes at last the desire of Death doth get the victory Carnal respects do often prevail far with the best care of wise children and the like These are their infirmities but as other infirmities die in them by degrees so these also at last are subdued and the servants of God seeing clearly the happiness into which their Death in Christ shall enter them do even sigh desiring to be clothed upon with their house which is from Heaven Here then is a good Mark by which we may know our selves to be Gods servants viz. by the state of our thoughts and meditations touching Death I will so deliver it as may be most for the comfort of those that truly fear God I demand therefore of thee Dost thou know that the confident and comfortable expectation of Death is the work of the Holy Ghost in Gods servants Dost thou desire unfeignedly that the same may be wrought in thy heart Dost thou labour to know what happiness comes by Death to those that feare the Lord Dost thou grieve at thine own weakness to whom the thought of Death is sometime troublesome and unsavory Dost thou pray the Lord so to assure thee of his favour in Christ that death may be desired before it comes and welcome when it is come Dost thou when thou hearest this speech of Simeon wish that thou wert able to use the like words with the like resolution Surely these things shew that thou art Gods servant and that by Death the Lord will draw thee to a place of rest If these thoughts which I have now named be strangers to thy heart and thou dost not love to trouble thy self to study about Death it is an evil sign The servants of God are not wont to be so secure in matters of this quality And thus much for the first particular in the first general part the desire in the godly of death the second is their care for it the point thence is that It is the care of Gods servants to be alwayes so prepared for death as at what instant soever the Lord shall send it they
may be comfortably ready to entertain it So much may easily be gathered out of Simeons words here Nunc dimittis Now let thy servant depart He did not as it were take a day over in which and against which to be provided as though he should have said Lord now will I settle my self to make provision for my last end but even now Lord at this very instant if thou wilt Death hath been my ordinary meditation and if thou wilt now call me home to thee I am ready to depart As in the former point I shewed you how Saint Pauls longing agreed with Simeons Oh let thy servant depart faith Simeon I desire to be dissolved faith Paul So here I will shew you that there was the same care in respect of Death in Saint Paul as in Simeon Now if thou wilt faith Simeon I am now ready to be offered faith Saint Paul And else-where I did daily I am ever thinking upon death and daily making provision for my end This was holy Jobs mind All the dayes of my appointed time will I wait till my change come there was a continual expectation So teach us to number our dayes prayeth Moses that we way apply our hearts to wisdome And what wisdome did he wish he might apply his heart unto but this a holy care to make provision for another world seeing in this there was no continuance The same in effect the Authour to the Hebrews professeth touching himself and those that were like to him that they had here no continuing City but did seek one to come We know faith he here is no abiding we dwell in tents which must remove in houses of clay which will be broken therefore we desire to be ever ready for that place which is of more perpetuity And so much may be gathered from that which is upon record concerning Joseph of Arimathca he did not only make ready his Tomb in his life-time but in his garden his place of solace and delight and how could so good a man so often think on death without labouring and caring to be ever provided for the same and therefore our Saviour Christ compares his faithful servants unto those which daily wait for their Masters coming Now the reason which so much prevails with the godly in this particular and which ought to be of sufficient force with every one is first the certainty and uncertainy of death Morte nihil certius As sure as Death is an ordinary Proverb What man is he that liveth and shall not see death faith the Psalmist That all must die it is Heavens decree and cannot be revoked The thing it self we see is most certain yet for some circumstances most uncertain for first Tempus est incertum No man knows when he shall die in the night or in the day in Winter or in Summer in youth or in his latter age Secondly Locus est incertus None know where they shall die whether at home or abroad in his bed or in the field who knows but that he may die in the Church of God even while he is asleep at the Word Thirdly Mortis genusest incertum No man can determine how he shall die whether suddenly or by a lingring sickness whether violently or by a natural course These things the servants of God know full well and seriously weigh the same and that makes them to make conscience of continual preparation that whensoever or wheresoever or howsoever they die they may with comfort commend their souls into the hands of God as into the hand of a faithful Creatour Secondly they know the misery of being taken by Death unprepared put case a man should die as Ishbosheth lying upon his bed at noon or as Jobs children while they are seasting or that a man like the rich man in the Gospel should have his breath taken from him at the very instant having made no provision for another world what hope can there be that such a one should be saved They know thirdly that the time of sickness is the most unfit time for this business of preparation the senses are then so taken up with the pain of sickness that a man cannot think seriously upon ought else and besides it is not in our own power to turn to God when he will ordinarily God forgets those in sickness that forget him in health And it is commonly seen that that preparation for Death that begins but in sickness is as languishing and faint as is the party from whom it comes And although Vera poenitentia be nunquam sera yet sera poenitentia est raro vera Though I say true repentance be never too late yet late repentance is seldome true when men leave their sins because they can continue to practise them no longer what thanks have they or what can that repentance be These things work with Gods servants to study to be ever ready for the Lord not to delay preparation but to seek continually to be provided My exhortation hence shall begin with that speech of Moses Oh that men would be wise to understand this and that they would consider their latter end I would there were a heart in us to entertain this doctrine in our best thoughts I remember the Complaint of old that men had made a Covenant with Death and were at agreement with Hell Death indeed will make truce with no man but here is the meaning Evil men perswade themselves that they are in no danger of hell or of the grave Death will not come yet thinketh the oldest man and when it comes I hope I shall do well enough thinketh the most godless man Thus men couzen themselves with their own fancies and so Death steals upon them at unawares and becomes Gods Sergeant to arrest them and to carry them away to eternal condemnation Who amongst us is able to say truly and upon good ground as Simeon Now Lord if thou wilt now command Death to seize upon me welcome shall it be unto me I am even now ready to receive it How many are there that are extraordinary ignorant in the means how to escape the sting of Death How many extreamly secure that never in their lives yet thought earnestly upon this how they may die with comfort and end their dayes in peace How many prophane ones that set light by Death being apt to say like those Epicures Edamus c. Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die How many that do put all to a desperate adventure God made us and he must save us and we shall do as well as please God and there is an end How many are there whose hearts albeit they be in the house of God and in his presence are notwithstanding fraughted with malice with envy with worldliness with disdain with secret scorning repining at the Word which they hear with wearisomeness with spiritual sleepiness and security You
that are such as I have now said think in your consciences what would you die if God should now stop your breath and ascite you by Death presently to appear before his Majesty being thus full of ignorance of security of presumption of unsanctified of vicious of malicious of covetous thoughts could you find in your hearts to say Lord now let us depart Sure we could not but Death must needs be to us as it is said to be to the wicked Rex terrorum the King of terrours if it should come upon us and find us in this case And yet what know we how soon how suddenly we may be overtaken some of us drop away daily some young some old some lie sick longer some lesser time and how soon it will be our turn we cannot tell Our hreath is in our nostrills we are all as grass If the breath of the Lord blow upon us we do suddenly wither as the slower of the field and return again to our first Earth Why will we not labour to be now ready sith it may be alwayes truly said We may now depart either while we are here or in our way home or in our beds or at our meat Who can truly say to himself I am sure I shall not die this hour It may be now thou wilt demand of me What shall I do that I may be ready To insist upon particulars would be too long onely therefore in a word The best preparation for death is a reformed life He that lives religiously cannot but die preparedly And it is a thousand to one if a wicked liver make a gracious end The Scripture makes mention of a double Death and so likewise of a twofold Resurrection the first Death is the death of the body which is the separation of it from the soul The second death is of the soul which is the separation of it from God The first Resurrection is the rising from the Death of sin to a new life the second is that which shall be of the body out of the Grave at the day of Judgment Now what faith the Scripture Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no power Wouldest thou then be freed from the second Death hell destruction when thou art dead Now that thou art yet alive labour to have a part in the first Resurrection Note what Saint Paul faith of the wanton widdow that she is dead whilst she lives So he that lives in the pleasures of sin and in the wayes of his own heart and after his own lust he is dead in soul though he be alive in body and if he seek not to come out of this grave eternal death shall be his portion Well then wouldest thou prepare for Death wouldest thou be able alwayes to say Lord now now I am ready labour to know God out of his Word that is eternal life Labour to feel Christ live and raign in thee by his Spirit labour to renounce every sin do not go on in any known sin against conscience renew thy repentance daily and still survey the state of thy soul that wickedness may not get dominion over thee Let Death come when it will though the Lord should so visit thee that thou shouldest drop down suddenly yet it shall not find thee unprepared thou hast a part in the first Resurrection there is no fear of the second Death But if thou wilt cherish thy heart in evil thou wilt go on in thy ignorance in thy careless worship of God in thy prophaning the Sabbath in thy whoredom oppression malice drunkenness excess voluptuousness thou makest ready for hell and it is not thy Lord save me or I cry God mercy c. that shall serve thy turn I will tell thee who thou art like unto even to a man appointed after a year or two to be burned and in the mean space must carry a stick daily to the heap so thou heapest up wrath against thy self and makest thy score so great that when Death comes thou shalt not know how to be prepared And thus have I finished the first general part of my Text touching the disposition of the godly in respect of Death I proceed now in a word to the second the ground rule or warrant of this desire and preparation for death according to the word as if Simeon had said this desire that I have now to end my dayes proceeds not from any carnal discontentment because I am now old and can take no great comfort in worldly things but the ground of it is thy word and Promise thou Lord hast revealed unto thy servant that I should not die before I had seen my Saviour This word is now fulfilled and the sweetness thereof hath given me that encouragement that I do even long to be dissolved and to be united unto thee Or again thus Oh Lord this care that I have had to provide thus for Death and to be alwayes in a readiness it hath not come from my self nature never taught it me but thy Word hath instructed me If I had not proceeded according to thy Word I should never have known how to have prepared my self to the time of dissolution This is the meaning of the words and so the Doctrine is plain viz. that Men ignorant in Gods word can never take comfort in death nor be truly prepared to undergo it This is plain if we consider the Exposition which I have already given of that part of Simeons speech It is a general Rule that of our Saviour Ye err not knowing the Scripture A man ignorant in the Scripture can never rightly perform any spiritual duty Hence was that of David Thy testimonies faith he are my delight and my counsellors If any matter came in hand that concerned his soul straight to the word of God went he to know thence how to do it as a man for his Lease or conveyance goeth to a Counsellor for direction So again he confesses that if Gods Law had not been his delight he should have perished in his afflictions And so no comfort no true quiet in any trouble much more at Death without the guidance and information of the Word The assurance that the sting of Death is plucked out that Gods wrath is appeased that sin is pardoned that Heaven gate is opened whence shall we fetch these but from the Scripture the directions for a holy life which is the best preparation for Death where shall we find them but in the Scripture Here then we see is a Caveat to all that have no will nor desire to be acquainted with the Scripture Divers think they should have done well enough though we had no such Book as we call the word of God To be a Scripture-man is a by-word a reproach a matter of disgrace and sooner will men listen to some idle Pamphlet then to a matter of Scripture Well beguile
troublesome thoughts no perplexed motions shall we say that these were good men because they seem to go away in peace It is true indeed it is the common opinion Doth a man lye quietly hath he his memory to the end died he like a Lamb surely then he is gone to heaven but this is an absurd collection for First sometime this outward calmness is an ordinary consequent of some diseases as Consumptions and such like by which Nature being formerly weakned hath not power left to make resistance Secondly this outward calmness is no argument of a peaceable and quiet soul The Psalmist tells us of the wicked in whose death there are no bands Thirdly we must distinguish between security and peace betwixt carnal senssesness and true spiritual quietness Nabals death was quiet enough yet he were but a fool that would adventure his soul with Nabals I see many ignorant persons many of heathenish and brutish comversation very quiet in sickness without any fear of hell and judgment to come making no doubts casting no perils asking no questions complaining of no sins and so away they go without any more adoe What shall I say that these died in true peace God forbid No when I compare together their ignorant secure benummed hardned kind of life with their sensless and drowsie kind of death I must say that these are fearful signs these things argue that the Devil had quiet possession where he made so small a doe Thus then notwithstanding these Objections I will conclude that a peaceful death is the peculiar and individed priviledge of Gods servants However it be yet I know saith Solomon that it shall go well with those that fear the Lord but there is no peace to the wicked saith my God We may make Use of this first to be a trial betwixt our Religion and the Romish for from this Doctrine I avouch that Religion to be no true Religion because a Papist by the Rules of his own Religion can never die in peace This is a hard saying thou maist object or how can I make it good I answer by two reasons First every Papist is taught to beleeve under pain of Anathema and the great curse that whosoever dieth if he have not in this life attained to perfection and throughly purged himself from the remainders of sin by works of satisfaction his soul must after-death go into Purgatory and there continue untill he hath made a full satisfaction now the pain of Purgatory is held for the time to be as great as the pains of hell differing only in this that it is not perpetual Now I would fain know how can a man die comfortably and in peace and with a joyful heart when he thinks with himself that albeit perhaps after some years he shall go to heaven yet in the mean space his soul must go into such a place of unspeakable torment where if the matter be not well plyed by the prayers of them that are alive and by well seeing the Priests they may hap to lie for many years I say how can the Doctrine of Popery beget a peaceful death when it teacheth an expectation of such an hellish Purgatory Secondly every Papist as he is bound of a certain to beleeve a Purgatory so further must he beleeve that he cannot in this life be assured of salvation otherwise then by a kind of confused hope which may deceive him Now he which by the witness of his own conscience is sure that he hath deserved hell and cannot attain to any certainty of discharge what comfort can such an one have to die he knows that when he is dead he must come to his account before God but yet can have no assurance that the Lord will acquit him in Christ Jesus I wish that this may seriously be considered by us for the establishing of us in the truth of Religion I say again and testifie these reasons which I have alledged being weighed that a Rapist by his own doctrine can never expect that which Simeon did a departure hence in peace He knows he must to torment he is caught that he cannot know in this world that God will pardon him In the next place let us come neerer home to our selves that we must all die nothing more certaine Dust thou art and to dust thoushalt return God hath decreed it and it cannot be revoked if our end be not peaceable our estate after cannot be happy Let our care then be spent about this one point how one may attain to this to end our dayes in peace I doubt not but we will all be ready to say we hope so to do but this is nothing for when the wicked man dieth his expectation perisheth What becomes of the hope of the Hypocrite said Job when God takes away his soul But what course then shall we take that we may finish our course with joy I will tell thee in few words I touched it a little before the best means for a peaceable departure is a godly and religious life I have fought the good fight saith Saint Paul and he could comfortably from thence infer that therefore there was laid up for him a crown of righteousness It was Christs own inference I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do and therefore now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self The reason of it is first Gods promise blessed shall be the undefiled in the way Those that honour me I will honour said God Now this promise God will not break He that goeth this way though it be with much weakness with many falls with sundry imperfections with divers wandrings yet he cannot miss of the promised peace Secondly life eternal hath three degrees the first is in this life when a man repenteth and beleeveth and is purged from dead works to serve the living God The second is in death when the body goes to earth and the spirit returns to him that gave it The third is at the last judgment These three degrees hang together like three links the second followeth the first and the third the two former the last cannot be hoped for where the first is wanting for except ye repent ye shall all perish The first being obtained the last must needs ensue for he is faithful that hath promised So then wouldest thou have peace in death labour for grace in thy life wouldest thou end thy dayes happily make conscience to spend them holily A godlesse man that lives in sin may die senslesly or sullenly he cannot die peaceably Oh consider this all ye that forget God that spend your dayes in vanity and your years according to the lusts of your own heart that have hitherto hated to be reformed and will not be reclaimed from your former fashions but live yet still as you were wont to do Think a little with me of your last end which how neer
it from him O death void of mercy and respect of persons that she should die it was some grief to him but that she dyed in travel that did most trouble him and increase his grief And well might he stile their son Benony the son of sorrow for it was indeed a sorrow to them all to her to him to their issue to their friends and acquaintance to their servants to all that knew them or had any relation to them But Jacob will not exceed the bounds of Christianity he was at the last comforted he refers himself his children his infinite and almost insupportable loss to God Almighties pleasure from him she was received and to him he is content again to return all The mourning and lamenting that he made on her behalf it could not recal her again all the tears he could shed for her were of no force or power at all to make her alive too much sorrow might happily indanger his own life and then he should highly offend against Almighty God Patience and Christian fortitude were the only remedies left him and these he resolves on Let us learn hence as long as the world lasts to know that worldly comforts whatsoever they be and howsoever we may esteem of them they are subject to change Love with unfeignedness what may be so loved but take heed you love not too much for fear the taking of that away from you that was so dearly loved of you make you fall into impatience and sin against God Let us so love that we may think of loss if it stand with Gods pleasure but yet let us so love that we esteem it no loss if he please Let his good will and pleasure ever-more moderate our affections so happily we shall enjoy the thing beloved a great deal longer But if we exceed in lamenting were we as just and righteous as Jacob God will be angry with us for it Not only thy dearest Wife but thy dearest Child thy dearest friend whatsoever is most dear to thee shall then feel the stroak of mortality that the heart may be taught to wish for eternity crying heavily and sighing with a mournful voyce with those words of the Preacher Vanity of vanities all is but vanity There is a threefold punishment inflicted upon all women kind in answer to the three sins committed by our Granmother Eve First because she gave too much credit to the words of the Serpent telling her that both Adam and she should be as Gods knowing good and evil therefore it was pronounced presently upon her that her sorrows and conceptions should be multiplied Secondly because against the express command of Almighty God she did eat the forbidden fruit therefore it was pronounced against her that in sorrow she should bring forth Children every time her hour was at hand she should hardly escape death I need not enlarge my self you all know it to be too true nay sometimes and that oft-times too it costs your lives an example we have here in the Text in Rachel and in our deceased Sister here before us and many others Thirdly and lastly because she was a seducer of her Husband therefore for a punishment all your desires ought to be subject to your Husbands and by the warrant of the Scripture they must rule over you Death is a debt to nature and must be payed there is no avoyding of it no putting it off when GOD thinks it fit it is infallible to all in respect of the matter and end though in respect of the time and manner many times it be divers Some die when they are young some in the middle of their age and some live till they be very old That for the time Some die of Convulsions some of Dropsies some of Feavers and to be short some in Child-bed as Rachel here did and our departed sister But of what desease soever they die that is nothing die they must sooner or later of this infirmity or that it is no matter which when it pleaseth God Let a man make what shew he can with all his glorious adornations Let him have rich apparel and disguised linnen and searcloth and balm and spices let him be inwrapped in lead and let stone immure him when he is dead yet the earth his original Mother will again own him for her natural Child and triumph over him with these or the like insultings he is in my bowels returned to his earth This body returns not immediatly to heaven but to the earth nor to the earth neither as a stranger and altogether unknown to him but to his earth appropriate to him as his own his familiar friend and old acquaintance To conclude we are sinful and therefore we must die we are full of evil and therefore we must go to the grave we have sins enough to bring us all thither God grant they be not so violent and full of ominous precipitations that they portend our sudden ruin portend it they do but O nullam sit in omnia c. I am loath to be redious He should not be redious that reads a lecture of mortality How many in the world since this Sermon first began have made an experimeut and proof of this truth of this sentence that man is mortal and those spectacles are but examples of this truth they come to their period before my speech My speech my self and all that hear me all that breath in this ayr must follow It hath been said we live to die give me leave a little to invert it let us live to live live the life of grace that we may live the life of glory and then though we do die let us never fear it we shall rise from the dead again and live with our God out of the reach of the dead for ever and ever So much for the Text at this time To declare unto you the cause of this present assembly would be altogether superfluous the dumb oratory of that silent object doth give you to understand in a language sufficiently intelligible that we are now met to perform the last rites and duty that we owe to the memory of our dear sister here before us And Christian charity hath been so powerful in all ages that it hath been retained as a pious and laudable custome at Funeral solemnities to adorn the dead with the deserved praises of their life not for any pomp or vain-glorious ostentation but that Gods glory here may be for ever magnified by whose grace they have been enabled to fight a good fight and that the surviving may be encouraged to run the same course when they behold them discharged of this tedious combat and crowned with a crown of glory and immortality This Sister of ours was born in this parish and hath lived in it some thirty four years or there-about eighteen years a single woman and sixteen years a married Wife of whom though upon my own knowledge I can speak but little yet having credible information from
hath not seen no faith Saint Austin eye hath not seen for it is no colour nor eare hath not heard for it is no sound nor never entred into the heart of man to conceive for the heart of man must enter into it where all shall be filled with abundance of peace so the Prophet they shall not only taste and see how good the Lord is but they shall be filled with abundance and they shall drink out of the River running over with infinite and transcendent pleasures where there gold shall be peace and their silver shall be peace and their land shall be peace and their life shall be peace and their joy shall be peace and their God shall be peace and the God of peace he shall fill them with the peace of God and that peace is it which passeth which is infinitely beyond all understanding Glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God where the Kings is verity and the Law is charity and the State is felicity and the Life is eternity The comparing of these two things together of this lifes misery and that lifes felicity and eternity would make a man sing and to sigh too It would make him sing I singing is in the Temple and sighing is in the Tabernacle singing in the Temple Blesled are they that dwell in thy house they shall be alwayes praysing thee here is singing but sighings is in the Tabernacle for while we are in this Tabernacle therefore sigh we desiring to be dissolved and to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven for while we are here we cannot be happy for this life is misery This be spoken for our selves The second application of this plea is for others seeing this life is such a life of misery and that life is such a life of glory and immortality our present hap so base our future hope so excellent this should stay us and take us off from mourning for such as are departed as if we were without hope of them Hope is in the Text the principal thing and to lament and mourn for those that are departed we should be so far from it as to rejoyce in our spirits for the blessed translation of such into eternal rest from this vail of misery I say we should rejoyce in their very translation What dost thou mourn and lament and hang down the head and all for loss of such as are departed and gone to rest with God Oh but thou wilt say thou art not heavy for their gain but for thine own loss but seeing thy loss is the less and their gain the greater why dost thon not observe a mean and a proportion in these things I confesse it is very fitting both in Civility and Divinity and agreeable to the lawes both of Grace and Nature that there should be mourning especially in the house of mourning at times and occasions offered in this nature it cannot otherwise be But for Rachel to mourn for her Children so as that she would not be comforted not but that she could have been comforted but she would not that is not well But I say here is comfort in abundance and here is that which must stay us from being transported with impatient grief we must overcome all our grief with patience with a blessed expectation of our own dissolution for we must think we shall go to them they shall not return to us let us desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best for them and for me I and for thee too Enough of the fist Point The last which I will but name that so I may run through this whole Scripture at this time is this that The righteous and the hopeful they are not miserable they are not most miserable not the most miserable of all nay they are not miserable at all How prove you that By the force of the argument here that the Apostle useth for this being a part of an Argument and an Hypothetical proposition he reasoneth thus If in this life only we have hope in Christ then are we miserable but now for this life onely we have not hope in Christ he doth not set our rest there therefore we are not of all men the most miserable How prove you that because the most wicked the most wretched so the less wicked the least wretched and the most righteous the best blest and the least miserable Not the most not at all Not at all No for as the outward prosperity of the wicked in this World is no true prosperity so the outward adversity of the godly is no true misery it is not such as doth destitute and dissolute a man utterly but you shall have the faithful come off with hope I and with rejoycing rather then grudging and repining at it yea they joy in their sufferings and at last are more then conquerours and all this sheweth then that that they are far enough from misery Well the knowledge of this lifes misery the knowledge of our not being at all miserable that are righteous should teach all of us to be righteous to be religious to strive to be godly if not for the love of vertue and piety and holiness and such kind of Graces as all good Christians and godly persons should be though there were no Hell to punish nor no Heaven to cherish a man in though there were no reward for the good nor revenge against the bad yet notwithstanding the love of vertue should constrain an ingenious Christian to strive after holiness and piety but if not for the love of religion let us do it for the fear of the misery that may befall us which we shall prevent if we remember now our duties that is to be godly and to be righteous for the righteous man is not cannot be miserable And then lastly this shall serve to shew to us how it ought to keep off the World from judging rashly there is a great obliquity and a perverse judgment in the World men censure those that are in any kind of misery to be of all men the most miserable whereas we know that this is no true misery on their part for it is but outward it is but temporal misery it is no true real misery And therefore this serveth to rectifie the obliquity of such mens judgments as do determine the godly to be in a miserable condition whereas the contrary is most true for we count them faith Saint James blessed that endure Do they endure to the very death Blessed are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and who would not die here that he may dwell with God there in rest who that loveth who that hopeth would not be where his love where his hope is would not have what he hopeth for Doth not the Lord say to his servant Moses No man can see my face and live Oh saith a Father let me die then for I will
So the Church of God is called the house of God and sometime it is understood of the Church militant and sometime of the Church triumphant Of the Church triumphant In my Fathers house are many mansions There it is heaven the place of the blessed Then for the Church militant Moses was faithful in all his house faith the Text. And Paul exhorts Timothy how he should carry himself in the house of God that is in the Church militant As for those that live above us they need not our good works and actions therefore it is intended of those that are here in the Church militant that is called Gods houshold because there is such a communion amongst beleevers as amongst those that live in the same house that abide under the same roof that live under the same government that eat at the same Table c. So then you have the meaning of all which is no more but this Take those advantages of times which you can obtain or else many will slip unprofitably to be conversant in such actions of mercy which tend to the relief of those that want them If there be extream necessity do good to all but if you may make choyce of persons to whom you may do good choose the houshold of faith Thus you have the substance and the meaning of the words In them you may observe briefly these three parts The first is a determination or limitation of time to which the Saints are tied in the performance of the duties that are in joyned them as you have opportunity and while you have time Secondly there is a declaration of duty do good Thirdly there is a description of the persons to whom this good must be done first more generally Do good to all and then more particularly and with an especial note Especially to those of the houshold of Faith Of these in order First for the determination of time to take the words as they lie while you have time therefore or as you have opportunity the words themselves do render the main point It is the duty of Christians to take their advantages of times to take the best opportunities of their life to do good I will speak somewhat by way of Explication of the point and something by way of Application and so proceed to what follows First for the Explication what is intended or meant in it when we incite you to embrace times and opportunities Briefly these two things are meant in it First that you should be sure not to lose the time of life And Secondly that you should not forego the advantages and opportunities of estates You shall not alwayes have life to do good and it may be if you have life you shall not alwayes enjoy means and ability to do good While you have life therefore and time do good or while you enjoy means and so power to do good embrace these opportunites That is the meaning of the Apostle in this place First then there must be a doing good while you have life let your good works go before you do things while you live and defer not the performance of them till your death Make you friends of the unrighteous Mammon that when you want they may receive you into everlasting habitations He calls that unrighteous Mammon not that it is unrighteously gotten only though that may be meant but that which is unrighteously kept is unrighteous Mammon to you if you procured it never so justly unless you do rightly dispose of it and if you be desirous to do right in disposing of your Mammon of your wealth do it now That when you want that power and those times you may enjoy the comfortable fruit of the well-redeeming of the time of your life to receive you into everlasting habitations In the 25. verse of the 16. Luke it is the challenge of Abraham to Dives Son remember that thou in thy life-time haddest thy goods for so the word signifieth thou haddest thy opportunities of life and of goods too but now thou hast neither life nor goods left thee to do good with and therefore he is blessed and thou art tormented It was the folly of those five Virgins they took not the opportunity of life for that is the thing meant there but they posted over all to the last and hoped that all might be effected in a trice or miniute of their life which would have held them employment enough all the dayes of their lives And therefore they came short of heaven the gates were shut against them as you see when the Bridegroom came If any man imagine because it is said Blessed are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their works follow them That therefore it matters not so long as a man doth good at his death though he have neglected the wayes of goodness all his life Let them know that by works there is not meant the actions of men but the fruits of their actions Their works follow them not the works they have deferred untill death but the fruits of those works they did while they were living and received not the benefit of them untill death Their works follow them that is the fruits of their works It is more good and pleasant by far to have the actions go before and the fruits and comfortable effects to succeed and follow after But if any man yet suppose that he may make that up in his Will which he hath neglected all his life long and though he have lived miserably covetously and unprofitably all the dayes of his life yet his thoughts may tell him that by the Charitable Requests of his last Testament as bequeathing largely to the Church and Common-wealth and to all sorts of people be may at the last make fit compensation and satisfaction for neglect of former duties Let no man deceive himself with such a bad resolution for first it argues a sign of infidelity that a man will not trust God for fear he should want in his life-time what is the reason else that he defers the doing good in health unless it be for fear of wanting himself such distrust he hath in the providence of God Besides the same God which bids thee do good when thou hast opportunity and while thou enjoyest the advantage of life he expects it now And it may be truly said of many that neglect those times of doing good while they lived and have now supplyed that defect in their death by the large benevolence of their Wills Their will is good but their deed is naught So much for the first point I proceed unto the second that is thou must not only take the time of thy life but also the opportunity of thy means and thy estate while there is yet a price in thine hand while thou hast opportunity and enjoyest wealth to do good with redeem the advantages and opportunities by employing them in
of poor people at Macedonia being so poor that the Apostle bears witness of them they gave above their ability We see a poor man and yet an heir of heaven lying full of sores and in want at the gate of Dives that was after thrown into hell An heir of heaven and yet on earth a Beggar You see then beloved the point is true now we will descend and see how it appears to be so and for what respect it comes to pass by Gods providence First it becomes so that there may be a conformity between the head and the members for Christ that was rich for our sakes became poor saith the Scripture even Christ that was rich and Lord over all became poor and in the form of a servant unto all for our sakes so poor that we see the foxes had holes and the fowles of the ayre had nests but our Redeemer had no shelter no not so much room as to rest his head Now there must be a conformity between Christ and his members if the head be poor necessity makes the other members partake of the same Cup. Again secondly if you observe and look on the condition of Gods Saints of the houshold of faith on earth here you shall find small occasion to marvel at their simple estates considering they are a company of travellers and Pilgrims in this world I beseech you as Pilgrims and strangers c. They are not only strangers which may have riches conveyed unto them after some certain stay in a place But they are Pilgrims and time will not permit their abode in one place upon any condition of advantage for their profession compels them from one place to another On whom our Proverbe may truly be verified that a rouling stone gathers nothing They are Pilgrims and Pilgrims desires extend no further in this life then a staffe and a scrip This is the brood of travellers saith David that seek thy face Thirdly there followes another reason and that proceeds from the opposition they find in the world against their course the world labours to make them poor and having prevailed like an imperious Jaylor to a distressed prisoner endeavours to keep them under And it comes so to pass in regard of the natural enmity and division that is in the world in opposition of the wayes of God You shall find that our Saviour intending to go to Jerusalem made his way through Samaria and dispatched some before to provide him lodging But the Samaritans understanding or suspecting that he was minded to go thither refused to entertain him They would not receive him saith the Text Why Because he was going unto Jerusalem Beloved thus deals the world with the members of Christ if they would rely on the world and make that their end as they do then riches should flow in in abundance and their estates might arive to be as eminent and mighty as others But if their minds be resolved for Jerusalem and their eyes reflect that way Let them seek their own entertainment for they shall receive no benefit nor enjoy any contentment by their permission Lastly God disposeth it to be so by his wondrous providence that his glory may be so much the more conspicuous and open in providing that they of the houshould of faith should endure the scourge of poverty on earth that so the work of his grace may appear the more in them by the means of their poverty for when doth grace make it self more manifest in the heart then in the middest of such extremities The stars make the brightest reflection in the obscurest night and grace appears most glorious chiefly in distress You have heard of the patience of Job had not Job endured much sorrow and been exercised in many afflictions the world had been ignorant of his vertues he was first deprived of his substance and suffered the torments of his body before he expressed his patience You have heard of the faith of those people which wandered in sheeps-skins and goats-skins But how could you have been acquainted with their faith if you had not heard of their clothing you see them in sheeps-skins and goats-skins enduring contempt of the world to preserve faith and a good conscience and so you became acquainted with their faith also Is it so then that Gods servants are thus then let the world wonder their fill at it and let not us account it a strange thing saith Saint James for it befalls others of the Saints So say I when we see of the houshold of faith in poverty account it no strange matter that God bestows not riches in this world to one that is rich in grace You see a multitude of believers stript of all they had and yet they were holy and religious Secondly condemn not their wayes for the entertainment they meet within the world Like not the worse of the wayes of God because he afflicts his servants you should then judge evil of the generation of the just You know Job was a man beloved of God from heaven he witnesseth his goodness He was an upright and a just man one that feared God and eschewed evil Notwithstanding you see how he was environed with troubles and made destitute of means and the society of his friends insomuch that his three familiar acquaintance did conclude that therefore he was an hypocrite and that God had found him out in some sin But the ensuing displeasure of God towards these men though it took no effect because of the righteous invocation of his servant Job will tell us there belongs a Judgment to those that censure the Children of God by their afflictions weighing their sins their sufferings both in one scale together But beware of incurring Gods displeasure by accusing the generation of the just in respect of their unprosperous events in this World Thou seest one man disgraced in much trouble it may be in extream necessity for want of these outward blestings presently thou concludest something is amiss in his life Thou perceivest another grows rich having riches and honour and applause in the World notwithstanding he goes on in a prophane course yet thou concludest certainly God loves this man these are dangerous conclusieâ—…s Cain and Esau were beloved of God if this be a sign of love now God himself said that He hated Esau Esau whom God hated had twelve Dukes to his Sons enjoying abundance and superfluity of all things and therefore forbear to reprove the just man or call his integrity into question because of his outward poverty Thirdly take heed you despise not the Houshold of Faith for outward poverty think not meanly of them nor the worse of Grace because of their simple outside for this is to have the Faith of God in respect of mens persons when a man comes in gay cloathing you say sit here in a goodly place but a man in meaner apparel stand thou there
many things there are which we shall never see Every man cannot see that which one man doth but there is one thing which every man shall see he must see death There are many enemies from whom we can deliver our selves and many more from whom we may be delivered but yet there is one enemy from which we cannot desend our selves nor be defended by others he will be too strong for every man let him strive repine order his dyet intreat do what he will or can No faith the Psalmist none shall deliver his soul from the hand of the grave And he puts a Selah a note of observation at the end of the verse That all the sons of men are subject to this change by death will appear to you by these familiar Arguments The First may be taken from the quality of our lives which is sweetly set out in the Scripture under the terms of changeable things all which point out unto us the certainty of death Sometime our life is compared to a shew Psal 39.6 Surely every man walketh in a vain shew In a shew you know there is some devise or other opened carryed a-while about but at length it is shut up so it is with our lives Sometime again it is compared to a shade or a shadow Job 8.9 Our dayes upon earth are a shadow a shadow is but an imitation of a substance a kind of nimble picture which is still going and coming and will set at last perhaps it is suddenly ecclipsed so is our life Sometimes again it is compared to a vapour James 4.14 What is your life it is even a vapour that vanisheth away like a poor cloud sometimes looking white sometimes black sometimes quiet and settled sometimes again tossed up and down with every wind and at last consumed and brought to nothing so it is with our lives Sometimes also compared to a Tale Psal 90.9 We spend our years as a tale hat is told a meer discourse of this thing and that thing and indeed but a very parenthesis of a more tedious discourse and many times it is broken off in the very telling so it is with our lives Sometime again it is as grass as in Isa 46. The voyce said cry aloud what shall I cry all flesh is grass and the goodliness thereof as the flower of the grass And verse 7. The grass withereth and the flower fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it And Job in this chapter calleth it a Flower He cometh forth faith he like a flower and is cut down A flower is a sweet thing but of an earthly breed sed with showers at its best when it is in all its glory it is but to day and to morrow it withereth and is fit for nothing but the Oven so it is with our lives Many expressions of the like nature might be added the Scripture is plentiful in these comparisons comparing our life to the Spiders web to a Weavers shuttle to the breath of a candle to a pilgrimage to a journey to the dayes of an hireling c. all of them things of a changeable and variable nature The second argument may be taken from the quality of our Natures and there in there are two things considerable both which imply a certainty of death First our composition and matter whereof we are made we are reared out of a mouldering and wasting principle our bodies are therefore stiled an earthly house 2 Cor. 5.1 A house though of Iron will in time be cankered but a house of earth as it is most impotent against assaults so it is of its own nature most apt and subject to dissolution And in this respect also they are termed Tabernacles Now a Tabernacle you know is a thing of no perpetuity made only to be soon set up and that in a mans passage and then as soon taken down again Secondly beside this there is in our nature sin and corruption and this is it that doth put us to the sword and cause this deadly change this tears our lives with a continual consumption The tree breeds the worm which will destroy the life of the tree we in Adam gave leave to sin and now it is that sin gives leave to death In the day that thou shalt eat there of thou shalt surely die Gen. 2.17 and Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed over all men in that all have sinned The shadow doth not so neerly attend the body of man as Death doth the body of sin And Rom. 6.23 the very wages of sin is death God should do that man wrong that hath hired out his soul all his dayes to sin if he did not at night pay him with the wages of death The third Argument may be drawn from the certainty of the Resurrection we all believe the resurrection of our bodies and therefore we must needs conclude a change of our bodyes for what is the Resurrection but life from death for the dead to hear the voyce of Christ and live What is it but a breathing in of the soul again the lighting of the candle again the body could never be raised if it were not first changed Thou fool faith Saint Paul 1 Cor. 15. that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die The fourth Argument is from the infalibility of Gods decree it is appointed unto men once to die and after death to come to Judgment Heb. 9.27 Thou maiest sooner expect that the course of the heavens shall be altered and the Center of the earth be dislocated then that the purpose of God concerning mans mortality should be reversed any that may be for heaven and earth shall pass away but this shall never be not one jot of the word of God shall fall to the ground God hath purposed it and none shall dissanul it nay he hath established his purpose with a word of confirmation Gen. 2. in the day thou eatest therefore thou shalt surely die As if he should have said Do not deceive thy self but build upon it I have spoken it and will not alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth as sure as thou livest if thou eatest thou shalt die Thus you see the first assertion cleared unto you I will address my self now to the second of which brieffy too and then make Application of them both together As there is a certainty of our change so we should alway wait till it doth come There are two things which I will here inquire of for the fuller illustration of this point First what this continual waiting may import Secondly why there should be such a constant waiting for the day of our mortal change First this continual waiting mainly imports two things one a certain axpectation of death for waiting is an act of Hope expecting something If we do hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it saith the
in a holy course and then assuredly we shall live with joy and die with peace when we can get grace in our fouls sorrow for our sins new ness in our natures reformation in our lives uprightness in our wayes faith in Christ a discharge from God peace of conscience oh what a happy day the day of death will be to our Souls ITER NOVISSIMUM OR MAN HIS LAST PROGRESSE A SERMON Preached at the Funeral of the Right Worshipful Sir THOMAS THINNE Knight SERMON XLI ECCLES 12.5 Man goeth to his long home and the Mourners go about the Streets ALthough I might in the Kings King Solomon name command yet I will rather in the Preachers his other stile humbly entreat your religious attention to the last Scene and Catastrophe of mans life consisting of two Acts and those very short 1. The dead his pass he goeth c. 2. The Mourners march they go about c. Where as the whole Scripture is a Volumn of divine Sermons and the Author of every Book a Preacher and every Chapter a lesson and every verse and piece of a verse a Text. Gregory Nysscen reasonably demands why this Book which treateth throughout of the vanity of the world and misery of man is intituled The Book of the Preacher To pass by other answers rendred by him and others not so pertinent to our present purpose I conceive this title of the Preacher is in special set over this Book to intimate unto us that according to the Argument thereof there is no Doctrine so fit for all Preachers to teach and all hearers to learn as the vanity of the creature and the emptiness of all earthly delights and comforts And in very deed there is no meditation more serious then upon the vanity of the world no consideration more seasonable then of the brevity and uncertainty of time it self no knowledge more wholsome then of the diseases of the mind no contemplation more divine then of humane misery and frailty Which though we read in the inscription of every stone see in the fall of every leaf hear in the knel of every bell taste in the garnishing and sauce of every dish smell in the stench of every dead corpses feel in the beating of every pulse yet we are not sensible of it we will not take knowledge of it though we cannot be ignorant of it In which consideration the Wise man whose words are as goads and nails vers 11. pricks us deep with the remembrance hereof so deep that he draws blood sanguinem animâ—…e the blood of the soul as Saint Austin tearmeth our tears lachryme sanguis animâ—…e For who can read with dry eyes that those that look out of the windowes shall be darkned Who can hear without horrour that the keepers of the house shall tremble or consider without sorrow that the daughters of musick shall be brought low or comment without deep setched sighs upon mans going to his long home and the mourners going about the streets to wash them with tears and sweep them with Rosemary Origen after he had chosen rather facere periculosè quam perpeti turpitèr to burn Incense to the Heathen gods then to suffer his body to be defiled by a Blackamore and the flower of his chastity which he had so long time preserved to be some way blasted at a Church in Jerusalem goeth into the Pulpit openeth the Bible at all adventures intending to preach upon that Text which he should first light upon but falling upon that vers in Psal 50. But to the wicked saith God what hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my covenants in thy mouth which contained his suspension shutteth his book speaketh not a word more but comments upon it with his tears some thinks having read this Text in which I find all our capital dooms written I cannot do better then follow that Fathers president and shut up not only my book but my mouth also and seal up my lips and comment upon the coherence with distraction the parts with passion the notes with sighs the periods with groans and the words with tears for alas as soon as a man cometh into his short booth in this world which he saluteth with tears he goeth to his long home in the next And the mourners go about the streets It is lamentable to hear the poor infant which cannot speak yet to boad his own misery and to prophecy of his future condition and what are the contents of his Prophecy but lamentations mournings and woes Saint Cyprian accords with Saint Austin in his doleful note Vitâ—…e mortalis anxietates dolores procellas mundi quas ingreditur in exordio statim suo ploratu vel gemitu rudes animae testatur Little Children newly born take in their first breath with a sigh and come crying into the world assoon as they open their eyes they shed tears to help fill up the Vale of tears into which they were then brought and shall be after a short time carried out with a stream of them running from the eyes of all their friends And if the Prologue and Epilogue be no better what shall we judge of the Scenes and Acts of the life of man they yeeld so deep springs of tears and such store of arguments against our aboad in this world that many reading them in the books of Hegesias the Platonick presently brake the prison of their body and leaped out of the world into the grave others concluded with Silenus Optimum non nasci proximum quam primum mori That it was simply best never to be born the next to it to die out of hand and give the world our salve and take our vale at once How-be-it though this might pass for a sage Essay and a strong line amongst Philosophers yet we Christians who know that this present life to all that live godly in Christ Jesus how full of troubles cares and persecutions so ever it be is but a sad and short Preface to endless Volumnes of joy an Eves fast on earth to an everlasting feast in Heaven ought thus to correct the former Apophthegme Optimum renasci proximum quam primum mori That it is best to be new born and then if it so please God after our new birth to be translated with all speed into the new Heaven But soft we cannot take our degrees in Christs school per saltem we must keep our Terms and preform our exercises both of faith obedience and patience we must not look from the Font to be presently put into the rivers of pleasures springing at Gods right hand for evermore We must take a toylsome journey and in it often drink of the waters of Marah We must suffer with Christ before we reigne with him We must taste of the bitter cup of his Passion before we drink new Wine with him in his Kingdome we must sow in tears here that we may reap in joy
hereafter Every man goeth though some set out sooner some later and shall arive at his home but let him look to his way as the way is he taketh so shall the home be into which he is received if he take the way on the right hand and keep within the paths of Gods commandements his home shall be the New Jerusalem descending from God most gloriously shining with streets of gold gates of pearl and foundatious of pretious stones where all tears shall be wiped from his eyes but if he take the broad way on the left hand and follow it his home shall be a dungeon or vault in Hell where he shall be eternally both mourner and Crops But to shoot somewhat nearer to the mark Marriages and Funerals though most different actions and of a seeming contrary nature yet are set forth and as it were apparelled with parallel rites and ceremonies our rayments are changed in both because in both our estate is changed Bels are rung flowers are strowed and feasts kept in both and anciently both were celebrated in the night by Torch-light He that hath but half an eye may see in the Rituals of the Ancients the blazing and sparkling as well of the funeral as the unptial lights and no marvail the shodows meet when the substance concur the pictures resemble one the other when the faces match the accessaries are corresponding where the principals are sutable as here they are for in marriage single life dieth and in death the soul is married to Christ The couple to be married in ancienter times first met and after an enterview and liking of each other and a contract signed between them presently departed the Bride to her Mother the Bridegroom to his Fathers house till the wedding day on which the Bridegroom late in the night was brought to his Spouse and then he took her and inseparably linked himself unto her Here the couple to be married in man are the body and the soul at our birth the contract is made but after a short enterview and small abode together the parties are parted and the body the Bride returneth to her Mothers house the earth but the soul the Bridegroom to his Fathers house the Father of spirits in Heaven as both their guests are set forth in this chapter verse 7. the dust returns to the earth as it was and the spirit to God that gave it But in the evening of the World at that dreadful night after which the Angel swore there should be no more day or time here the soul is given by God to the body again and then the marriage is consummated and both for ever fast coupled and wedded for better for worse to run an everlasting fortune and to participate either eternal joyes or torments together Thus man is brought to his long home or as the Seventy and Saint Jerome renders the Hebrew his house of eternity and the mourners go about the streets here is a short reckoning of all mankind like to that of the Psalmist who alluding to the name of the two Patriarchs faith Coll ADAM ABEL All men are altogether vanity so here upon the foot of the account in Bonaventures casting all appear wretched and miserable describitur miseria mortis in morientibus compatientibus all are either dead corpses or sad mourners corpses already dead or mourners for the dead and their courses and motions are two 1 Straight man goeth c. 2 Circular mourners go about The dead go directly to the long home the living fetch a compass and round about the termini of which their motions shall be the bounds of my discourse at this present Wherein that you may the better discern my passage from point to point I will set up six Posts or standings 1 The Scope 2 Coherence 3 Sense 4 Parts 5 Doctrine 6 Vse The scope will give light to the Coherence the Coherence to the Sense the Sense to the Parts the Parts to the Doctrine the Doctrine to the Vse Wherefore I humbly entreat the assistance of Gods Spirit with the intention of yours whil'st in unfolding this rich peece of Arras I shall point with the finger to 1 The main Scope 2 The right Coherence 3 The litteral Sense 4 The natural Division 5 The general Doctrine 6 The special application of this parcel of holy Scripture First the Scope Although all other Canonical books of this old and new Testament were read in the Church yet as Gregory Nysscen acutely observes this book alone is intituled Ecclesiastes the Preacher or Church-man because this alone in a manner tendeth wholly Ecclesiastical policy or such a kind of life or conversation as becometh a Preacher or Church-man For the prime scope of this book is to stir up all religious minds to set forth towards Heaven betimes in the morning of our dayes Chap. 12. verse 1. Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth to enter speedily into a strict course of holiness which will bring us to eternal happiness to dedicate to God and his service the prime in both senses that is the first and best part of our time For as in a glass of distilled water the purest and thinnest first runneth out and nothing but lees and mouther at the last so it is in our time and age Optima queque dies miseris mortalibus avi prima fluit Our best dayes first run and our worst at the last And shall we offer that indignity to the Divine Majesty as to offer him the Devils leavings storem at at is diabolo consecrare fâ—…ecem Deo reserv are to consecrate the top to the Devil and the bottom to God feed the flesh with the flower and the spirit with the bran serve the world with our strength and our Creatour with our weakness give up our lusty and able members as weapons to sin and our feeble and weak to righteousness Will God accept the blind and the lame the lean and the withered for a sacrifice How can we remember our Creatour in the dayes of our age when our memory and all other faculties of the soul are decayed How shall we bear Christs yoak when the Grashoppers is a burthen unto us when we are not able to bear our selves but bow under the sole weight of age What delight can we take in Gods service when care and fear and sorrow and pain and manifold infirmities and diseases wholly possess the heart and dead all the vital motions and lively affections thereof Old men are a kind of Antipodes to young men it is evening with them when it is morning with these it is Autumne in their bodies when it is Spring in these the Spring of the year to decrepit old men is as the Fall Summer is winter to them and Winter death it is no pleasure to them to see the Almond-tree flourish which is the Prognosticatour of the Spring or the Grashopper leap and sing the Preludium of Summer for they now mind not
the Almond-tree but the Cypress nor think of the Grashopper but of the worm because they are far on in their way to their long home and the mourners are already in the streets marshalling as it were their troops and setting all in equipage for their funeral no dilectable objects affect their dull and dying sences but are rather grievous unto them as the Sun and Rain are to old stumps of trees which make them not spring again but rot them rather and dispose them to putrifaction And so I have past the first and am come to the second Post or standing The right Coherence When they shall be afraid of that which is high and fear shall be in the way and the Almond trce shall flourish and the Grashopper shall be a burthen and desire shall fail because man goeth to his long home If this Consequence be firth the Coherence must needs be good but if this be infirm and lame that must needs be out of joynt let us then Consider of the Consequence Surely Aristotle seemeth to be of another mind whose observation it is old men that have their foot on Deaths threshold would then draw back then leg if they could at the very instant of their dissolution are most desirous of the continuance of their life and seeing the pleasures of sin like the Apples of Tuntales running away from them they catch at them the more greedily for wants is the whestone of desire and experience offereth us many instances of old men in whom Saint Pauls old man grows young again who according to the corruption of nature which Saint Austin bewaileth with tears malunt libidinem explers quam extingai they are so far from having no lust or desire of pleasures as being cloyed therewith that they are more insatiable in them then in youth the flesh in them like the Peacocks 〈◊〉 coct a recrudescit which after it is sod in time will grow raw again so in them after mortification by diseases and age it reviveth Sophocles the Heathen Poet might pass for a Saint in comparison of them for he thanked God that in his old age he was free from his most Imperious Mistris lust these men on the contrary desir 〈◊〉 inthral themselves again in youthly pleasures and concupiscence in them is kindled even by the defect of fewel it vexeth them that their sins for sake them that through the impotency of their limbs and faculties they cannot run into the like excess as in former times their few dayes before death are like Shrovetide Before Lent they take their fill of flesh and fleshly desires because they suppose that for ever after they must fast from them Thus they spur on their jadish flesh now unable to ran her for met Stages saying let us crown our selves with Rose-buds for they will presently wither let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die To reconcile the seeming difference between the miracle of humane wisdome Aristotle and the Oracle of divine Solomon two distinctions may be made use of Of old Age. 1 In the entry when it is vigorous 2 In the exit when it is decrepit et ne ad mala quidem bona Of old Men. 1 As they ought to be 2 As they are When Euripides was taxed as too great a favourer of the semale Sex because in all his Tragedies he brought in vertuous women and fitted them with good parts to Act whereas Sophocles and other Poets of that Age brought lewd and immodest women upon the Stage and put odious parts upon them he made this Apology for himself others faith he in their Poems set forth women as they are but I such as they should be Solomom words are capable of a like construction desire faileth because man goeth to his long home that is it doth in the best and should in all for what a preposterous thing were it for a man that hath one foot already in the grave and is drawing the other after to desire to cut a cross caper and dance the morice or for him that is neer his eternal Mansion house to hanker by the way and feast and revel it in an Inn. Moreover Solomon here speaketh of a Bâ—…rzillai who hath no taste of his meat no sence of delight no use in a manner of sense to whom dainties are no dainties because he cannot taste them musick is no musick because he cannot hear it sweet odours are no sweet odours because he cannot small them precious stones are no precious stones because he cannot value them the fairest becaues are no beauties because he cannot discern them In a word he speaketh of an old man in whom all carnal lusts are either quite extinct or happily exchanged into spiritual or swallowed up with sorrow and fear of death and a horrible apprension of judgment And so I come to the third Stage which is the litteral sence and genuine interpretation of the words As in Origen his Hexapla every word almost had an Asterisk or star upon it so there needs a star or some other light to be put upon every word of this Text for there is a mist of obscurity upon each of them and a man may well miss his way if he know not exactly who is here the man what 's meant by his going or gate where is his long home and whence are these Mourners First whether man be taken Collectivè for the whole kind or Species as the Logicians speak or Distributivè for every man in particular we shall seem to be at a loss Man taken Collectivè stirs not a foot to his long home for Philosophy reprieveth universal natures from death or dissolution and true it is though single men every day die yet mankind dieth not If man be taken Distributivè for all particular men of what rank or quality soever we shall have much to do to distinguish the men in the former part of the Text from the mourners in the latter If all are attended with mourners to their funeral then mourners themselves must have mourners and so either the train will be infinite or the lag will be destitute of mourners Secondly why useth he this phrase of going if it import death sith some expect death and move not at all towards it some run to it to some it is sent some leap into it as Cleombrotus some ride to it in state as Antioches Epiphanes some are tumbled down into it as S. Purius Melicus some are dragged to it as Seinus In a word when death surprizeth most men and that in all postures of the body why is dying here called going man goeth Thirdly where is this long home in Heaven or in earth Purgatory or Hell If we speak of Heaven or Hell the Epithet long fals short for they are eternal habitations of Purgatory or the grave suppose there were any Purgatory yet neither of them may be properly termed a long home fith neither the body stayes long in
the one nor the soul in the other Fourthly whence are these mourners if they are mercenary and bired from home they are no true mourners if they are true mourners they keep their Closets they gad not about the streets they shut themselves long at home for their friends that are gone to their long home To dispel all this mist of obscurity and set a light upon each of the material words of the Text. I answer To the first Qnerie that a man is here to be taken neither Collectivè for all mankind in a lump nor Distributivè for ever particular man without exception but indefinite or communiter for man in the ordinary course or tract for you shall hardly find a man that hath no friend to drop a tear into his Grave As for the last men that shall stand upon the earth and shall be alive at Christs coming they shall indeed pass by death properly yet they shall die after a sort by passing from a mortal estate to an immortal and if their long home be Heaven they shall need no mourners If hell they shall want none to bear them company for at Christ second coming all kindreds of the earth shall mourn before him I answer To the second that going here is not taken pro motu progressive in special as walking or running but in general for passing to another world which way soever whether we make our way or it be made for us whether we go to death or death come to us nay whether we stir or lie still whether we are found of foot or lame never had feet or have lost them we go this way of all flesh as I shall shew hereafter I answer To the third that by long home according to the Chaldee Paraphrase is here meant the grave or the place where our bodies or to speake more properly our remains are bestowed and abide till the time of the restitution of all things the Original is Beth gnolemo which S. Jerome renders domum et ern it at is sue because from thence as Lyra noteth he never returneth to live here or the house of his hidden time to wit where he lyeth hid in his Coffin and no eye seeth him whereunto holy Job alluding faith Chap. 14.10 Man dieth and wasteth away and giveth up the ghost and where is he or domus mundi sui as Caietan will have it the house of his world meaning the world of the dead or domus seculi sui the house of his generation as Pagnine Montanus and Tremelius will express it the place where all meet who lived together the randevouze of all our deceased friends allies and kindred even as far as Adam this home may be called a long gome in comparison of our short homes from which we remove dayly these houses we change at pleasure that we cannot there our flesh or our bones or at least our ashes or dust shall be kept in some place of the earth or sea till the Heavens shall be no more Job 14.12 I answer To the fourth that by mourners are here meant all that attend the corpses to the funeral whether they mourn in truth or for fashion and they are said here to go about the streets either for the reason alledged by Bonaventure quia predolore quiescere nequiunt because they cannot rest for hearts grief and sorrow or they go about the streets to call campany to the funeral or because they fetch their compass that they might make a more solemn procession to the Church or Sepulchre Among the Romans the friends of the deceased hired certain women whom they called preficas to lament over their dead for the most part among the Jewes this sad task was put upon widdows or they took it upon themselves as the words of the Prophet imply and there were no widdows to make lamentation and of the Evangelist also Acts 9.39 and the widdows stood by weeping for Dorcas and indeed widdows are very proper for this imployment When a Pot of water is full to the brim a little motion makes it run over Widdows that are widdows indeed and have lost in their Husbands all the joy and comfort of their life have their eyes brim full of tears and therefore most easily they overflow viduae optime deflent viduas Widdows are the fittestto bemoan widdows and what is the body void of the soul but a widdow deprived of her loving mate these widdows went about the streets weeping and howling to awake the living out of their dead sleep of security and to ring in their ears that lesson of the Prophet all flesh is grass and the glory of it as the flower of the field As in a great Clock when the Index pointeth to the hour the wheels move the Clock strikes and there is a great noise till the plummets or weights touch the earth so saith Filius Fabri in the same when the Index pointeth to the last hour of a rich man the Bell rings and there is a hideous and fearful noise of singers and mourners and this continueth till the weight to wit the weighty corpses of the dead toucheth the ground and is put into the earth after which the tumult ceaseth and the loud musick is turned into soft and solemn the Lidian into Dorrick and the shallow channels of tears which made such a noise shall run into the depth of silent sorrow or Mare mortuum And so I come to the fourth Stage The natural division of the Text. There are but there things appertaining to man here 1 Life 2 Death 3 Burial And see they are all three in the Text. 1. Man goeth there is his life 2. To his long home there is his Death 3. And the Mourners go about the streets there is his burial described by pariphrasis And so I am upon the fifth stage The Doctrine Mans life is a voyage his death the term or period of this voyage his Grave his home and Mourners his attendance you may observe a kind of sequence in these observations in the Concatination of them the first linck draws the second the second the third the the third the fourth if our life be a pilgrimage our death must needs be the term and our arival at our Country if Death be our arival the Grave must needs be the house for our bodies if the Grave be our house what fit attendance there but mourners Our life is a pilgrimage so it is termed by Jacob Gen. 47.9 the dayes of the years of my pilgrimage are 130. years And by David Psal 119.54 Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage and we are all pilgrims and strangers 1 Pet. 2.11 and our fathers were no better Psal 39.10 I am a stranger and sojourner as all my fathers were Vita est via omnes Christianus viator Our life is a way and every man living in this world a passenger A direct motion and that continuate
uninterrupted from the cradle to the coffin from the womb to the tomb is the way of all flesh away in which children walk before they can go and old men crawl when they cannot now go Infants who never had the use of their limbs and impotent old who have lost them yet run this race where in though some make a longer line and others a shorter yet all finish their course a strange race wherein though a man stand still or sleep yet he advanceth forward and gaineth ground and he goeth so much the faster by how much he is the weaker for the less vigorous the more speedily he tends to his long and last home the hour-glass is running whether the preacher proceeds or marks a pawse and the ship is sayling whither it is bound when we sleep in our cabine so whether we wake or sleep move or rest be busie or idle mind it or mind it not we walk on toward our long home That which Saint Paul spake in a moral or divine sense Seneca makes good in a natural We die daily for every day nay every hour we lose some part of our life as our years increase so our time decreaseth for the more years months dayes or hours that we have lived the less we have to live the glass is running not only when the last sand drops out but all the while so we are expiring and dying from the running of the first sand in the hour-glass of our life to the last from the moment we receive breath to the moment that we breath out our last gasp Thus the man in my text goeth or rather runneth still in his natural course that is every man for the word in the original is Adam in whom we all die who is so termed from Adama the earth not that more solid part of the earth but the brittlest of all red earth sand or dust Pulvis es in pulverem ivis Of dust thou art made and dust shall be made of thee Now if there be any living upon earth who hath none of this earth in him let him balk the way of all flesh but if the earth be an ingredient nay a predominant in his composition then assure himself his resolution shall be into it for the Dust will return to the earth as it was ver 7. Plato conceived the celestial bodies to be made as it were of the flower and purest of the elements but the sublunary and terrestial of the bran and lees Beloved we are made of dregs and our mother is muther consin-germain to corruption once removed all men are either young or old the difference between them is no more then we find in the translations of my Text the old man it the young man ibit the one is now going the other shall go to his long home the one may die soon the other cannot live long If he die naturally he keepeth his own pace and goeth of himself if he die by violence he is driven forward and mending his pace sooner ariveth at his long home But as there is a natural body and a spiritual body an earthly Adam and a heavenly so there is a natural course of man of which I have finished my discourse and a spiritual of which I am yet to begin As the natural life so the Christian is a progress in which we ought not to stay but to advance still proceeding from grace to grace and vertue to vertue If we ever look to shine as the Sun in the kingdome of the Father we must not be like Joshus his Sun that stood still or Hezekia's that went back ten degrees but like Davids which like a gyant runs his course and never ceaseth I need not direct any man in his natural course from life to death every man knows it and whether he knows it or no he shall accomplish it the spiritual course is more considerable which is it inner arium ad deum a Journal to eternity a progress from earth to heaven this progress a man begins at his regeneration and in part endeth in his dissolution by Death but wholly and fully after his Resurrection the way here is Christ the viaticum the blessed Sacraments the light the Scriptures the guides the ministers of the Word the theeves that lye in wait to rob us of our spiritual treasure the devils our convoy the Angels our stages seseveral vertues and degrees of perfection the City to which we bend our course Jerusalem that is above wherein are many Mansions or eternal houses And thus as before the old man so now the new man goeth to his long and eternal home without any resting place between at which all the ordinary sort of the Romanists must bait though little for their ease cooling or refreshing for it is in a hot-house nay a house all on fire nay all of fire and that as hot as hell I mean Purgatory wherewith if Solomon had been acquainted he would have changed this motto of mortality and not have said man goeth to his eternal home but to his purging bath and the Friers go about the streets singing Masses and Dirges for his soul assuredly if the souls of those that die under the Gospel need a sacrifice to deliver them from the torment of a temporary hell or Purgatory fire the souls of them that died under the Law much more needed it why then did Moses appoint none for them why did none of the inspired Prophets pray for the release of their souls Solomon if there had been such a stop in the mid-way would have made a pause in his speech and not said immediately man goeth In domum eternit at is suâ—…e into his everlasting home as the Seventy and the vulgar Latine which no Papist upon pain of a curse can reject render the Hebrew Beth gnolomo Purgatory is no such home therefore Gregory of Neocesarca and Cyprian so expound this Text that they quite leave out this imaginary fire kindled in the paper walls of Purgatory Gregory faith the good man marcheth out joyfully towards his eternal house but the wicked draws back and bedews the threshold with tears and fills all with lamentations and that we may know when a man taketh possession of his eternal home Saint Cyprian tels us it is upon the expiring of our lease in the poor tenement of our body If there be a Purgatory for Souls after this life why not for bodies also which need as much purging as souls if such a place be to be found we are certainly like to hear of it from Philosophy or Divinity and may discover it either in the map of the World or in the type of Heaven the holy Scripture Nature gives us no notice of any such place in Scripture we find indeed a Purgatory but it is either in the laver of our regeneration or in the blood of our redemption for so we read 1 John 1.7 The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth or purgeth us from all
committed to my custody never any but one escaped whom the heaven of heavens could not contain much less any earthly prison he might truly say and none but he O grave where is thy victory all save him I keep in safe custody that were ever sent to me Yet may all that die in Jesus and expect a glorious Resurrection by him even now by faith insult over the Grave for Faith calls those things that are not as if they were it looketh backward as far as the Creation which produced all things at the first of nothing and as far forward to the resurrection which shall restore all things from nothing or that which is as much as nothing Faith with an eye annointed with the eye-salve of the spirit seeth death swallowed up into victory and the earth and sea casting up all their dead and upon this evidence of things not seen triumpheth over Death and Hell saying O Death where is thy sting O Hell where is thy victory We have spoken hitherto of Death and the Grave let us now hear what they have to say to us Death saith fear not me the Grave Weep not immorderately for the dead Death bids us die to sin the Grave Bury all thy injuries and wrongs in the pit of oblivion both say to us slie sin and neither of us can hurt you both say to us Give thanks to him who hath given you victory over us both the sting of death pricks you not but if you die in the bosome of Christ rather delights and rickles you Death is no more Death but a sleep the Grave is no more a grave but a bed Death is but the putting off of our old rags the Grave is the Vestry and the Resurrection the new dressing and richly embroydering them Enough hath been said to convince us that Death which before was like a Serpent armed with a deadly sting is now but like a silly flie that buzzeth about us but cannot sting Yet as long as there is sin in us we cannot but in some degree fear Death and as long as natural affection remains in us take on for them that are taken away Neither doth Christian religion pluck out these affections by the root but only prune them All that my exhortation driveth unto is but to moderate passion by reason fear by hope grief by faith and nature by grace Let love express it self yet so that in affection to the dead we hurt not the living Let the natural springs of tears swell but not too much overflow their banks let not our eyes be all upon our loss on earth but our brothers gain also in heaven and let the one counter-ballance at least the other The parish hath lost a great stay his company in London a special ornament his Wife a careful Husband her Children a most tender Father the poor a good friend for besides that which his right hand gave in his life-time which his left hand knew not of by his Will he bequeathed certain sums of money for a stock to those Parishes wherein he formerly lived and to the poor of this twenty pounds to be distributed at his Funeral Many shall find loss of him but he hath gained God and is found of him no doubt in peace for there were many tokens of a true child of God very conspicuous in his life and death He loved the habitation of Gods house and the place where his honour dwelleth He was just in his dealings and sought peace all his life and ensued it he forgot nothing so easily as wrongs and though he enjoyed the blessings of this world in abundant measure yet he joyed not in them his heart was where his chief treasure lay in heaven he foretold his own death and the manner thereof that it should be sudden and sudden it was yet not unexpected nor unprepared for for three dayes before he set his house in order and desired to converse with Divines and all his discourses was of the kingdome of God and the powers of the life to come When the pangs of death came upon him he prayed most earnestly and desired if it so stood with Gods good pleasure to be eased yet uttered no speech of impatiency but being asked how he did answered that he was in Gods hands to whom he committed his soul as his faithful Creatour and so died as quietly as he lived wherefore sith he lived in Gods fear and died in his favour and shall rise again in his power though the loss of him be a great cut unto us as the loss of their children were to Pericles and Horatius Pulvillus yet as the one hearing of their death as he was at a solemn sacrifice kept on his Crown the other as he was at a dedication held still the pillar of the temple in his hand till the whole Ceremony was performed So let us continue our devotion notwithstanding this Parenthesis of sorrow and make an end of our evening sacrifice concluding with the words of the Apostle immediately following my Text Thanks be unto God who hath given unto our brother and will give unto us all victory over Death and the Grave yea and Hell to through Jesus Christ c. FATO FATVM OR THE KING OF FEARES FRIGHTED AND VANQUISHED SERMON XLIV HOSEA 13.14 O Death I will be thy plagues THe Rose is fenced with pricks and the sweetest Flowers of Paradice as this in my Text are beset with thorns or difficulties which after I have plucked away the Holy Spirit assisting me I will open the leaves and blow the flowers in the Explication of this Scripture and in the Application thereof smell to them and draw from thence a savour of life unto life The Thorn groweth upon the diversity of Translations for Rabbi Shelamo larchi reads the words Ego ero verba tua ô mors I will be thy words O Death Aben Ezra ero causatuoe mortis I will be the cause of thy death Saint Jerome Ero mors tua ô mors O Death I will be thy death O Hell I will bite thee and he conceiveth that when our Saviour descended into Hell and his flesh in the Grave saw no corruption he spake these words to Death and Hell O death I will be thy death for therefore I dyed that thou mightest be slain by my death O hell I will bite and devour thee which devourest all things in thy chops The Septuagint render the Hebrew ubi causa tua ô mors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where is thy plea or thy indictment what hast thou now to say against the chosen of god Saint Paul ubi stimulus tuus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O death where is thy sting that is faith Saint Austin where is sin wherewith we are stung and poysoned Is not this Ghius ad Choum do not these Translations as well agree as harp and harrow neither can it be answered to salve the repugnancy and solve the difficulty that
singular comfort if we take them as a commination and they afford us much or more if we take them as Saint Paul and S. Chrysostome do by an insultation As a man offering sacrifice for victory and full of mirth and jollity he leaps and tramples upon Death lying as it were at his mercy and sings an Io Poean a triumphant song wherewith Gerardus a great friend of Saint Bernards breathed out his last gasp of whom he thus writeth In the dead time of the night my brother Gerard strangely revived at midnight the day began to break I sent for to see this great miracle found a man in the very Jaws of death insulting upon death and exulting with joy saying O death where is thy sting Death is not now a sting but a song for now the faithful man dyeth singing and singeth dying And so having plucked away the prickles and opened the leaves by the Explication of the letter I come now to smell to them and draw from thence the savour of life unto life Ero pestes tuae ô mors As Saint Jerome writeth of Tertullian his Polemmical Treatises against hereticks Quot verba tot fulmina Every word is a thunderbolt so I may truly say of this verse quot verba tot fulmina So many words so many thunder-bolts striking Death dead by the light whereof we may discern three parts 1. The menaced or party threatned Death 2. The menacer or party threatning I. 3. The judgment menaced plagues 1. The menaced impotent mors Death 2. The menacer Omnipotent Ego I. 4. The judgment most dreadful pestes plagues 1. First of the party menaced Death Christ threatneth destruction to none but to his or his Churches enemies But here he threatneth Death Death therefore must needs be an enemy and so the Apostle termeth it the last enemy that shall be destroyed is Death For albeit Death by accident is an advantage as oftentimes an enemie doth a man a good turn which occasioned that excellent Treatise of Plutarch wherein he sheweth us how to make an Antidote of poyson and a good use of other mens malice yet is it in it self an enemy alwayes to Nature and to grace also it sets upon the elect and the reprobate the believer and the Infidel the penitent and the obstinate but with this difference it flyes at the one with a deadly sting but at the other without a sting the one it wounds to death the other it terrifieth and paineth but cannot hurt But there being divers kinds of death which of them is here meant Death is a privation and privations cannot be defined but by their habits that is such positive qualities as they bereave us of for instance sickness cannot be perfectly defined but by health which it impaireth nor blindness but by sight which it destroyeth nor darkness but by light which it excludeth nor death but by life which it depriveth us of Now if there be a four-sold life spoken of in Scripture viz. 1. Of nature 2. Of sin 3. Of grace 4. Of glory There must needs be a four-fold death answerable thereunto 1. The death of Nature is the privition of the life of nature by parting soul and body 2. The death of sin is the privation of the life of sin by mortifying grace 3. The death of Grace is the privation of the life of grace by reigning sin 4. The death of Glory is the privation of the life of Glory by a total and final exclusion from the glorious presence of God and the kingdome of heaven and a casting into the lake of fire and brimstone prepared for the devil and his angels Of Death in the first sense David demandeth who is he that liveth and shall not see death and shall he deliver his soul from the hand of hell of Death in the second sence Saint Paul enquireth how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Of Death in the third sense Saint Paul must be meant where he rebuketh wanton Widdows Shee that liveth in pleasure is dead while shee liveth Of Death in the fourth sense Saint John is to be understood blessed is he that hath part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power Saint Austin joyneth all these significations and maketh one sentence of divers senses he is dead to death that is Death cannot kill burt or affright him who is dead to sin And another of the Ancients makes a sweet cord of them like so many strings struck at once he that dyeth before he dies shall never die he that dyeth to sin before he dyeth to nature shall never die to God neither in this world by final deprivation of grace neither in the world to come of glory Of these four significations of Death the first and last sort with this Text for that the first is to be meant it is evident by the consequence here O grave I will be thy destruction And by the antecedents in Saint Paul When this corruptible shall put on incorruption c And that the second is included may be gathered both from the words of Saint John And Death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire and of our Saviour I was dead and I am alive and have the keyes of Hell and of Death And so I fall upon my second Observation viz. the person menacing J the second person in Trinity our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The word here used Ehi is the same with that we read Exod. 3. Ehi Ashur Ehi I am that I am and if the observation of the Ancients be current that wheresoever God speaketh unto man in the old Testament in the shape of man of Angel we are to understand Christ for that all those apparitions were but a kind of preludia of his incarnation then the Person here threatning can be no other then he besides the word Egilam in the former part of this vers being derived from Gaal signifying propinquus fuit or redemit jure propinquitatis pointeth to our Saviour who by assuming our nature became our Alie by blood and performed this office of a kins-man by redeeming the inheritance which we had lost But we have stronger arguments then Grammatical observations that he who here promised life to the dead and threatneth plagues to Death was the Son of God the Lord of quick and dead for the same who promiseth to redeem from the Grave threatneth to plague Death but we all know that Redeemer is the peculiar stile of the Son as Creator is of the Father and Sanctifier of the Holy Ghost tu redemisti nos thou hast redeemed us to GOD by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and Nation To the redemption of a slave that is not able to ransome himself three at least concur the Scrivener who writeth the Conditions and sealed the Bonds the party who soliciteth the business and mediateth for the captive and layeth down
Christ for all Cui c. VICTORIS BRABAEUM OR THE CONQUERORS PRIZE A SERMON Preached at Rotheriffe at the Funeral of M ris Dorothy Gataker Wife to the Worthy and Reverend Divine Master Thomas Gataker B. D. SERMON XLVI Apoc. 14.13 So faith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works follow them THe longer a man enjoyeth the benefit of life the more cause he hath to desire death for cares grow with years and sins with cares and sorrows with sins and fears with sorrows which trouble the quiet and confound the musick and blend the mirth and damp the whole joy of our life so that he who spinneth the thred of his life to the greatest length gaineth nothing thereby but this that he can give a fuller and clearer evidence of the vanity of the world and yeild a more ample testimony to the misery of man during his abode in the flesh whom if we take at the best advantage of his Worldly happiness he must needs confess that he hath nothing of all that is past but a sad remembrance nor of that which is to come but a solicitous fear As after a great feast at which a man hath glutted his appetite nothing remaineth but loathsome and stinking fumes ascending from the stomack to the head and offending the brain so of all the pleasures of sin past nothing remaineth but a bitter tast in the conscience or rather to use Saint Bernards Metaphor amar a foeda vestigia foul and stinking prints left in the floar where he danced after the Devils pipe sorrow and shame for what he hath been and fear for what he shall be mingles and sours all the joy and delight in that he is And what is he at the best a poor tennent at will of a ruinous cottage of loam or house of clay ready to fall about his ears with a Grashoppers leap in a spot of ground His apparel is but stoln raggs his wealth the excrements of the earth his dyet bread of carefulness got with the sweat of his brows and all his comforts and recreations rather as Saint Austin tearms them solatia miserorum quam gaudia beatorum sauces of misery then dishes of happiness For albeit a good conscience be a continual feast and the testimony of the Spirit an everlasting Jubilee in the soul yet the most righteous man that breaths mortal ayr either by frailty or negligence or diffidence or impatience or love of this present life or suttlety of perswasions or violence of temptations so woundeth his conscience and grieveth the Spirit of grace that this feast is turned for a time into a fast and the Jubilee into an ejulate or howling All things therefore laid together the scorns of the World assaults from the flesh temptations from the Devil rebukes from God checks from conscience sensible failing of Grace spiritual dissertions with many a bitter agony and conflict with despair I cannot but perfectly accord with the Poet in his doleful note Foelices nimium quibus est fortuna peracta jam sua they are but too hapyy whose glass is well run out and with the Evangelist in my Text beati mortui blessed are the dead for they rest from their labours and their works follow them they rest from those labours which tie us that live and the works which we are to follow follow them A three-fold cable faith the wise man is not easily broken and such is this here in my Text on which the anchour of our hope hangeth 1 The testimony of Saint John Yea. 2 The testimony of the Spirit so saith the Spirit 3 A strong reason drawn from their rest and recompence they rest from their labours and they receive the reward of their labours they are discharged of their work and for their work If they were discharged for their work and not discharged of their work they could not be said blessed because their tedious and painful works were to return And much less happy could they be termed if they were discharged of their work but not for it for then they should lose all their labour under the Sun they should have done and suffered all in vain but now because they are both discharged of their work for they rest from their labour and discharged for their work for their works follow them they are most blessed The Spirit here taketh the ground of this heavenly musick ravishing the souls of the living and able to revive the very dead either from the labourers pay or the racers prize If the ground be the labourers joy for their rest and pay the descant must be this our life is a day our calling a labour the evening when we give over our death the pay our penny If the ground be the racers joy for their prize the descant may be this the Church is the field Christianity is the race death is the last post and a garland of glory the wager let us all so run that we may obtain Yea faith the Spirit We read in the Law and the Prophets Thus faith Jehovah the Lord in the Gospel Thus spake Jesus But in the Epistles and especially in the Revelation thus faith the Spirit now the Spirit speaketh evidently hear what the Spirit faith unto the Churches he that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit faith unto the Churches and the Spirit and the Bride faith come While Christ abode in the flesh he taught with his own mouth the Word of life but now since his Ascention and sitting in state at the right hand of his Father he speaketh and doth all by his Spirit By the Spirit he ordaineth Pastours furnisheth them with gifts enlightneth the understanding of the hearers and enclineth their wills and affections and so leadeth the Church into all truth In which regard Tertullian elegantly tearmeth the Spirit Christi Vicarium Christ his Vicar preaching in his stead and discharging the Cure of the whole World Secondly so faith the Spirit not the flesh the earth denies it but Heaven avereth it when a man removeth out of this World the flesh beholdeth nothing but a corps brought to the Church and a Coffin laid in the Grave but the spirit discerneth an Angel carrying the soul up to Heaven and leaving it in Abrahams bosome till the Father of spirits shall give her again to the body arrayed in glorious apparel There is no Doctrine the Devil the flesh and the World more oppose then this here delivered by the Spirit concerning the blessedness of the dead for all Atheists all Heathen all carnal men all Saduces and sundry sorts of Hereticks deny the Resurrection of the body and the greater part of them also the immortality of the soul A wicked and ungodly person believeth not his soul to be immortal because he would not have it so he would not that their should be another World because he can have hope of no good there having carried himself so
shall be the Revelation of the sons of God who are here obscure and shall be till that day come They know well that all the graces and perfections that the child of God can attain to in this imperfection all is but the first fruits all is but a taste and therefore they cannot possibly but lift up their heads and raise up their hearts to the expectation of that day wherein these first fruits shall be perfected with full measure shaken together and running over whereas there shall be an absolute freedome from all sin and from all the appurtenances of it an absolute perfection not of grace only but of glory which is the highest grace They shall be one with the head this is that which makes them look for it Heb. 9.28 the place I named before it is said Christ shall appear to save them that wait for him He shall bring a full horn of salvation he shall perfect the salvation of the Saints till that day there is no perfection in the salvation of the Saints No though they go to heaven yet before that day there is no perfect salvation because their bodies are not joyned to their souls This is a third Reason even the expectation of the full accomplishment of all the promises The Lord hath dealt with us as he dealt with his own Israel in their wilderness he gave them a taste of the fruit of the good land he caused the searchers to carry some clusters and bunches of the fruit to the Israelites in the Wilderness that they tasting of it might hie themselves to that rich and goodly and fat countrey so the Lord giveth us some drops of grace and only giveth us a taste of that happiness that we wait for that we may hie our selves so much the faster through this wilderness to enjoy it This therefore is a strong reason wherefore the people of God must needs say Come Even so Amen let it be so because I say they know till Christ come the second time they must not expect the accomplishment of their hope and the perfection of their happiness The fourth and last Reason of this Point may be this because we are taught by our Lord and Saviour Christ to pray Thy kingdome come That is not only that the kingdome of grace may come into our hearts while we are here but that the kingdome of glory may hasten upon us and we are sure that this Petition shall never be granted to us till Christ his return again to judgment till he come to accomplish this main promise of all for then only Christ cometh as our Lord and Jesus Then he cometh as a Lord and makes an end of all the warrs of the Church then he shall throw down all enemies before him treading Sathan and all his instruments under his feet then he shall manifest to the world that he hath the Keyes of hell and of death then he shall destroy the kingdome of Antichrist that must be abolished by the brightness of his coming And then and not till then he shall come as a Saviour to perform perfect salvation for his Church to deliver his Church not only from condemnation but from the molestation of sin not only from tyranny and oppression of enemies but even from all the presence of enemies that at that day a separation being made it may be said to the Saints of god as Moses said to the Israelities when they were afraid of the Egyptians stand still fear nothing the enemies that your eyes have seen to day ye shall never see them more they shall be so far from oppressing the Church that they shall never molest the Church not so much as by their presence then he shall dispose the kingdome to his members as the Father hath disposed the kingdome to him These are strong and effectual reasons to prove this point to us that the members of the Church true beleevers cannot possibly but wait and expect and vehemently desire the coming of Christ the second time for the salvation of his Body the final salvation of his people Here one objection may be made by the way and so we will descend to the Use and Application of it Here it may be said But why do the people of God thus expect and wait for the coming of Christ in all the Ages of the New Testament for the space of 1600 years and yet he cometh not What reason have they to be commanded to expect and wish and wait for the coming of Christ when he cometh not in so long a time Have not all been frustrate of their expectation And may not we as well as they that lived in the Ages before us for we see no appearance of his coming no more then was many hundred years since To this we answer That the patient abiding and waiting of the just never miscarrieth the Saints of God never lost nor shall lose for their expecting and waiting for Christs second coming to Judgment The Saints of God in former ages 1600. years ago waited for Christs coming but were they losers by it though he came not This expectation of his coming it kept them in the exercise of their faith of their hope of their patience of their watchfulness it kept all their graces a working therefore they were no losers by it though they had not the accomplishment of the main promise in expecting the promise they were savers and no losers because all their graces were kept in exercise Besides this in the second place the very expectation of Christ in the Ages of the New-Testament though he came not it is fruitful and useful to draw up the hearts and minds of the godly to heavenly thoughts and to a heavenly conversation and so in the very first Ages of the New-Testament the Apostle tells us that this is the use of their expectation Phil. 3.19 Our conversation is in heaven from whence we look for a Saviour they looked for a Saviour then when he was but newly ascended was it fruitless because he came not of 1600. years after No but Our conversation is therefore in heaven because we wait for his coming In all ages since this expectation hath been a means to raise the heavy mold of earth the heart of man to heaven and heavenly-mindedness therefore this expectation doth not fail because it is of use to help them to the full fruition of it in the time of it Besides the Saints of God never murmure because Christ cometh not they never murmure as those that shall lose their hopes and expectation because they are taught to frame their minds and wills to the will of God and of Jesus Christ their head Now the will of God is that we should still wait though Christ come not because hereby the Lord doth glorifie himself in the gathering in together the number of the faithful The number of the Saints must be gathered in and none must be neglected Now is there any Saint of God and beleever in
the world that desireth not that every Saint should be gathered in and the whole body of Christ perfected in the whole members of it before Christ come to judgment None must be neglected every beleever must frame his will to the will of God God hath revealed that the number must be gathered in and when it is so Christ will come and gather all together under his wing Now the Saints of God think not much that the number should be gathered in they are well contented with it So likewise God hath revealed his will that though he be exceeding patient to wicked men yet he is not forgetful of his promise God will be contented though he be provoked every day infinitely by the highest sins of the world patiently to endure all this and to offer conditions of peace and mercy even to the worst to shew himself rich in mercy and so full of goodness that he makes offer even of goodness to the worst Now the Saints of God here frame their will to Gods and are content still to wait because God still putteth forth his patience and still offereth Conditions of mercy and peace to those that are wicked and out of the way whereby some are converted and others convinced and prepared for the work of Gods justice So this question need not trouble men or hold them off from a chearful and fruitfull expectation of Christ though he come not in our age as he hath not in others before The use of the Point is this First if this be the property of the godly to wait and earnestly to expect the coming of Christ then we may observe the general ungodliness of the World by the general want of this expectation And if ye say but who is there that doth not expect the second coming of Christ and who doth not beleeve that he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I answer notwithstanding that every man confesse this Article of faith with his mouth yet every man beleeveth it not with his heart for every man frameth not himself according to the faith of it Very few are those faithful servants that wait and prepare for their Masters coming Christ when he cometh he shall scarce find faith on the earth What a number of Men and Women are there though they hear these things and they are beaten upon them upon many occasions and they are in their judgments convinced that it must be so yet notwithstanding the faith of their hearts apprehend it not they do not beleeve it they do not listen and frame to it We like Caleb tell them of the good Land and the fat of the Land and the fruit of the Land and the fulness of the Land of Canaan but generally men like the unthankful Israelites murmure and repine and rebel and scarce hear us or if they do they do not beleeve it For if men did beleeve it it could not be that men should live like Saduces as they do that neither beleeve the soul nor immortality neither that there are spirits nor Devils nor resurrection nor nothing the lives and conversations of men plainly bewray that they beleeve not this Doctrine though they can profess with the mouth that Jesus Christ shall come again to judge the quick and the dead but like the Cardinal of whom we read that profest he would not give his part in Paris for his part in Paradise so men live as if they would not give their part here on earth for a Childs part in Heaven Like that wicked Pope that we read of when he was about to die now saith he I shall know that which I never beleeved whether there be a Heaven or Hell an immoatality of the soul or no. So men live as if they never meant to know those things or beleeve them till they come to the tryal and experience of them And besides what a number of men and women are there that can profess these things with their mouth but they cast themselves into a fast sleep in sin and security and sleep on both sides Gods Messengers and Ministers cannot awake them but as though their souls were to sleep everlastingly so they sleep on in their lusts and sins and will not be awakened And my brethren who doth not observe that it is not the fashion of men even of those that profess themselves Christians to say come Lord Jesus till they be on their death-beds and till they be scarce able to speak or breath out a word they never say come Lord Jesus till they know not what to do with themselves till they can enjoy their lusts and the World and their sins no longer they cannot tell how to bequeath themselves longer to the service of sin and unrighteousness till then they never call after the Lord Jesus to come to them and when they do it is not out of love and affection to Christ but out of self-love to help them out of the hands of death that is too strong for them and to fetch them out of that misery they are too weak to sustain Therefore they call Lord Jesus but as I said it is far from the love of him in their hearts for were these men to live over their lives again and to be restored to health again it would be the last breath of their lives still to call the Lord Jesus My brethren where these things are and we find them too general every man that looks into his own heart may find himself in some measure touched therein certainly it cannot be that this same lively desire of a Christian can be there and these persons can have little comfort in themselves they have few arguments to prove themselves Elect of God having the Spirit of God or to be those that hear the promises with faith or those that thirst after Christ there is no argument in them that they are Christs because they long not and desire after him But therefore in the second place since this desire is so rare let us try our selves a little even those that profess better things and hope well that they are indeed the Spouse of Christ Let us try and search our selves whether this expectation be with us or no that we may find comfort in our estate and in our union and conjunction with Christ For tryal of this Point first we must know that a necessary attendant and companion of this expectation of Christ and waiting for him is sighing and longing and a vehement desire after him It is no slight no superficial desire but an inward vehement desire a sighing and panting after Christ as those that see the need of him And therefore as the Wise man saith hope deferred paines the heart the godly desires of the soul bring pains to the soul for want of Christ in the absence of Christ And as the Apostle expresseth it in Rom. the 8. We sigh in our selves saith he wayting for the redemption of our bodies We sigh in
as wisely continued upon a presumption and as an encouragement of the same vertures in their Successors Your Honor knows how long the greatness of your Family hath been preserved acknowledg first the vigilant providence and infinite goodness of God in the preservation of it while so many glorious Titles have been lost so many Noble Families cut off Next study to preserve and advance it further by the exercise of those vertues upon which it was first built and hath been since continued endeavour to uphold not only your own but the very name of Honor in this Age in which partly the want of such vertues as are necessary to support it partly the weakness of that power which first gave life unto it partly the unreasonableness of foolish men who endeavour to cast a dis-esteem upon it have too much eclipsed the glory of it Lastly as I have advised you with the Son of Sirach to let tears fall upon the dead and to use lamentation as he is worthy so I shall conclude with his following advice when that is done then comfort thy self for thy heaviness that is not only be comforted after sorrow that consolation may succeed your griefs this is the common revolution of the world not only be comforted in lieu of your sorrow that consolation may recompense your griefs that were but a vulgar compensation but take comfort in your sorrow and rejoyce in your self that you have been so happy as to be truly sad There is so much deceitfulness in the heart of man so much hypocrisie in Funeral mourning that you may bless God for your own assurance of the sincerity of your natural affection and religious respect to your Parents and take delight in a just expectation that it will be rewarded by the future respect of your children So having performed the duty of Joseph who made a mourning for his Father you may expect the blessing of Joseph given by the mouth of Jacob for whom he mourned Joseph is a fruitful bough even a fruitful bough by a Well whose branches run over the Wall That this Benediction may be your Honors portion shall be my constant prayer By the God of thy Father who shall help thee and by the Almighty who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above blessings of the deep that lyeth under blessings of the breasts and of the womb Amen Amen THE TRUE ACCOUNTANT SERMON L. PSAL. 90.12 So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome SUch is the pravity of our natures ever since the first fall of Adam as that we prove very apt Scholars to learn that which is ill but we are very dull and backward to mind any thing that is good We want no teaching to set us forwards in the wayes of wickedness but in the performance of the least good we are not able to move one step without the guidance and direction of the holy Spirit of God Therefore it is a good prayer of David for every one of us Psal 143.10 Teach me to do thy will for thou art my God thy Spirit is good lead meinte the land of uprightness There are many Teachers abroad in the world and more than know how to teach aright and there are many Doctrines which are dayly prest and intruded upon the weak and simple and more than are useful and saving But there is but Unum necessarium one thing that is needful one thing in special to be minded and looked after even so to live as that we may become wise for Eternity so to walk on earth as that we may be fitted for Heaven This is the main Doctrine we are to learn and our Instructer is God We have none to teach us but God and we have no other way to implore this favour of God but by our prayers in the words of Moses So teach us c. You know the Penman of this Psalm by the Inscription A Prayer of Moses the man of God and I think it is safer to keep to the letter of the Text than to busie your thoughts with the various and doubtful conjectures we meet with in ancient and modern Expositors The Text is a Prayer to God to teach us the true Art of Arithmetick to make us true Accountants for Heaven how we may know to number our dayes aright In this Prayer we meet with two things First what he begs of God 1. To number his dayes 2. To be taught this duty 3. To be taught it in such a manner So teach us Secondly the end wherefore he begs this of God That we may apply c. The end is the gain of true wisdome to make us wise for Heaven And here we have 1. The kind and nature of this wisdome what this wisdome is of which Moses here speaks and that is in making the best provision we can for the eternal welfare of our Souls 2. The subject of it our Hearts 3. The means of obtaining this wisdome and that is by the consideration and thought of Death By the careful numbring of our dayes we attain this wisdome The meditation of Death makes us truly wise Before we fasten upon the Text we will take a survey of the Context which stands thus 1. Observe Moses having spoken of the wrath of God in the foregoing verse Who knoweth the power of thine anger even according to thy fear so is thy wrath of the sudden he betakes himself to prayer The thought and consideration of Gods anger makes us to pray 2. Observe here after that Moses had given us a description of the wrath of God presently his thoughts are taken up with the meditation of Death The wrath of God thought on makes us to think of Death First of the first the anger of God meditated upon makes us to fly to our prayers The fear of this quickned the devotion of Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20.3 And Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord. He feared therefore he prayed The thought of Gods anger may well bring us upon our knees and when danger approacheth it is high time to seek the Lord. The Romans made Fear a god and worshiped it for a god the Indians worship the Devil for fear he should hurt them and all this shews us what a command fear hath over the hearts of men to make them to pray They that never think of God in the day of prosperity will hasten to call upon him in the day of trouble The text sayes When the ship was ready to sink the marriners were afraid and every man cryed unto his God Joh. 1.5 A man will never sooner acknowledg a Deity then in the midst of his fears Such is the base spirit of man as that the long-sufferance and patience of God makes some men turn meer Atheists Therefore it is that so many believe there is no God saith Tertullian quia seculo iratum tam diu nesciunt because they do not see that God is
how to live and how to die while we live let us desire of God so to steer our course as that we may lead the lives of holy and devout Christians We desire to live and have we no desire to live well what 's this life without godliness what is it to live and to have our hearts all the dayes of our lives void of grace and piety Life without grace is like beauty in a woman without discretion Pro. 11.22 Non est vivere sed valere vita It is no life but a living death alwayes to live and to want health and strength which sweetens life and makes it comfortable So it is no life a Christian leads where there is a want of piety in the heart What is this to live unless we know how to live well and to make a right use of our time We must consider wherefore we live even to improve our time to the best advantage for the saving of our Souls otherwise we live like Beasts not like Men not like Christians These silly brutes live in time but know not the time in which they live so careless Christians run out their time but know not how to make use of their time they consume their time but they do not increase it Like Bankrupts that waste their stock but never seek to improve it We make a decoction of our time as water is boil'd away from a fourth part to a third and from a third to half so we waste and consume our time till we have no time left even till we come to the last minute of life why then while we have time let us pray to God to teach us to use it aright to give us grace to consider the time we spend that we may make the best improvment of it and as Esan did Jacob hold time by the heel and not suffer it to slip from us without giving a good account to God that we have imployed that time and space of life which is allotted us here for the advancement of Gods glory and the purchasing of our own Salvation We proceed to the third particular that we go to God by prayer to teach us the right use of our time in a right manner So teach us that is Teach us so efficaciously so powerfully so constantly as that we may attain to the true wisdome and knowledg of saving of our Souls We must pray to God to teach us effectually Psal 119.33 Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end We can know nothing of heaven unless the Spirit of God instruct us There is a great Light in us the Light of Nature and this light is enough to condemn us if we walk not according to this Light this Light of Knowledg imprinted by God in our hearts and by this Light all Heathens are condemn'd but this Light is not able to carry us half way to heaven The Light of Nature cannot save us but the light of Grace must bring us to the light of Glory Esther was fain to stand a loof off in the Court till the King reach'd forth his Golden Scepter to invite her nearer to him Nature only leads us to the outward Court of Heaven but Grace holds forth the Scepter to bring us into Heaven Nature like the faint heat of the Sun draws up the vapours but a little way it hath not strength enough to master our Corruptions but the heat and power of Gods grace is only able to dispel and vanquish them It is only the work of Gods Spirit to shew us the right way to Heaven and to guide us in that way All lies in the Grace of God and unless we are continually assisted and carryed on by his gracious Spirit we are never likely to come near the sight of Heaven We have indeed many helps and furtherances to carry us to heaven but none of these will avail us without God The word of God is constantly preach'd in our ears the Ministers of God are daily pressing us forward to heaven but what can the frail voice of man work upon the heart without the powerful influence of Gods holy Spirit We Ministers without God are but as Gehazi's staff laid upon the dead Child we are no wayes able to raise the Soul from the death of sin to the life of righteousness unless God first breath upon it and infuse the life of Grace into the dead heart of the sinner Let this teach us not to rest in our selves or any outward means for the purchasing of the joyes of heaven but place our whole trust and confidence in the living God What 's all the Light of Reason but darkness it self to bring us to the Light Everlasting All humane wisdome is but a false Light which will lead us in the end to the pit of destruction It is a good caution the Apostle gives us Col. 2.8 Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit If we follow the false Light of Reason it will deceive us and misguide us in our way to Heaven Natural Reason haply may see the heavenly Canaan afar off and have some stragling thoughts of the happiness of another world but it shal never be able to get possession of heaven The horns of this Altar shall never save any man that flies unto them As the light is hid under a bushel so nature is clouded and darkned with many mists of errour and cannot reach the sight of heaven In the second place let us fly to God by prayer that he would teach us effectually and shew us the right way to heaven Before we hear the Word of God let us fall upon our knees and beg of God to make it profitable and useful to our Souls What makes the word of God so ineffectual how come we to gain so little comfort by the preaching of the Word Is it not because we do not pray to God to open our hearts and make it useful to us that we may attend to the word of Truth and obtain Salvation by it The people before the Law was published to them were cleansed and sanctified by Moses to receive it Exod. 19.14 So ought we to Sanctifie our hearts by prayer and desire of God to purge our Souls of the many pollutions of our sins that we may gain a blessing by the Word of God and return with joy and comfort from the house of God It is prayer that makes the word of God profitable to our Souls it is like the Salt which Elisha threw into the waters to heal them So does prayer make the word of God beneficial to us and causeth us to relish the sweetness and comfort of it The heart is like that Book sealed with seven Seals which no man can open but God himself Therefore let us pray to God to open our hearts that we may receive instruction from the Word of God There is no man can teach us
the Clergy that dejected sinners may with safety lodge their grievances in their breasts let me desire them That as the Lawyer and the Physician are true to their Profession so they would be faithful in their Ministery that poor souls may fly to them with confidence for comfort in their sad conflicts for sin and with sin This makes so many Christians to carry their sin with them to their graves rather than they will disclose it because they dare not repose any trust in those that ought to be as true to them as there own hearts If we find a man truly penitent for his sins let us cover them with the vail of Charity and onely declare his repentance to the world that God may be glorified and good Christians on Earth as the Angels in Heaven rejoyce in the conversion of a sinner I have much to speak but am willing to contract my self as knowing you are fully satisfied in that faithful Testimony I have already given you Be not so uncharitable as to think I might be mistaken in this good Gentleman I was often with him and had frequent converse with him and the freedom to speak and I found him alwayes in the same humble frame and temper of spirit and I must profess this I have not often received more satisfaction from any man in respect of the fruit and comfort of my endeavours than from him I met with an humble and tractable spirit willing to hear of the wrath of God due to sinners and careful and solicitous how he might avoid it truly sensible of the weight of his sins much dejected with the thought of them and so far the sense of his sins had humbled him as that I may say Malice it self could not judge worse of him than he did of himself And that which made me believe the truth of his humiliation for sin was this That I found no presumptious thoughts arising in his heart of Gods mercy but when I sought to cheer him with the hope of Gods mercy to penitent sinners he told me He was not yet humbled enough to partake of it I was much satisfied in this answer as knowing the deeper the foundation is laid the surer is the building the more humble we are the firmer will our confidence be in Christ And from that time I strove to comfort him with the precious Promises of the Gospel and told him he might upon the word of Christ challenge an interest in them Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Such as are truly penitent and onely such might claim a special Title to the Promises of Christ This did revive his fainting spirit and the thought of Gods mercy in Christ did as much cheer him as ever the sense of sin had dejected him Then he began to feel the comfort of Gods love glowing in his breast soon after he felt the heat of it and his affections were so enflamed with the love of God as that his thoughts were restless till he enjoyed him whom his Soul loved and this made him to count every minute too long to be parted from Christ his Saviour Therefore being now fit for heaven and weary of the world and desirous to enjoy God in a better place the last words I heard him utter were these Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Christ cannot come too soon for that heart that is ready to receive him The Lord makes us fit for his coming and we shall be happy whensoever he comes And now after all this that I have spoken you will say I have said nothing for the honour of this good Knight I have not buried him like himself I have strew'd no flowers of Commendation upon his Herse befitting his quality and Degree and the House he came from I confess all this As he desired all vain pomp and oftentation should be laid aside at his funerals For what have I done said he that I should deserve it so have I declined all pomp and vanity of words in the Pulpit which is no place to shew our quaint and lofty strains of Oratory but our zeal to Gods glory and the edification of his people I came not so far to sawn and flatter but to testifie my pious respects to the memory of the Dead and my unfeigned affection to the Souls of the Living But what Is not this that he dyed a good Christian that he loathed his former Vanities that he was truly humbled for his sins and rested upon the Mercy of God in Christ for the free pardon of them If you value not these things pardon me if I think there is nothing to be valued in you but vanity and what the value of that will be you will know at the hour of Death God grant you may know it sooner and then you are happy when you will find that piety in the heart is more to be accounted of then all the wealth and honour in the world I think I have said enough to honour this Noble Knight at his Funerals that he dyed a true Child of God and left a goodly Inheritnance on Earth to be possessed of a better in Heaven There have I a good ground to believe he rests in peace and joy and there I hope we shall all meet at the last And thus in an holy intention to Gods glory a zealous desire of your good and an honourable respect to my Friend I have now run through the duty of this day not aiming God knows my heart at the least applause from you nor yet valuing the censure of malevolent spirits who shake off all Charity to the Dead and to the Living I have endeavoured to approve my self faithful to God in speaking nothing but the Truth faithful to my self in the discharge of a good Conscience and faithful to my Friend in publishing the truth of his Conversion to the world Thus have I sought to honour God to right your worthy Neighbour and in so doing I hope I have not wronged my self And now it is my earnest prayer to God for you not that I may injure the Dead but in love to your Souls that all of you may have the grace to live better than he did And this I wish again from my heart hoping the best of him and fearing the worst of some of you that ye may obtain the like Faith and Repentance to die no worse than he did His Soul now rests in Bliss and joy do ye that survive labour to enter into that rest which remains for the people of God in the glorious Mansions of God the Father Now bestir your selves and do your best for heaven while ye have time and opportunity work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling shew all diligence by Faith Repentance and Obedience the old and sure tract and road to Heaven to make your calling and election sure live holily that ye may die comfortably Learn to number
fit for nothing but the common Dunghil In so low a state of abjection and in so vile an esteem were those very Ambassadors of Heaven among an Atheistical and crooked generation our very Apostle here professeth 1 Cor 15.32 That he fought with beasts at Ephesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some would have meant Literally of his being dilaniated and rent in his body as many Primitive Christians were in the first Cruel times of raging persecution by wild Beasts to which Nero that Dedicator Damnationis as Tertullian slyles him being himself a Lyon was wont Tyrannically to cast the bodies of the Christians But others better in my poor understanding expound it of those Ethical or Moral Beasts who with Demetrius and the rabble that cryed up the great Diana of the Idolatours Ephesians so violently withstood and opposed Saint Paul who cryed down that their abhominable superstition at Ephesus Act. 19. in which place a great door and effectual was opened unto him but there were many Adversaries 1 Cor. 16.8 9. those Apostles indeed experimenting the proof of what their Lord and Master foretold them that they must be sent forth even as sheep among Wolves who would attempt to tear them in pieces and which of us in particular encounters not his discouragements Yea woe is me We seem to be fallen into those times wherein many men as if directly infatuated from Heaven out of a grosse misprision apprehend the Ministery it self the greatest inconvenience and that great cheat that grand Pantomime of Christendome the cunning Jesuit now almost bare-fac'd hath instilled as is feared so pernitious a principle into such as are for ought we can see willing to be deceived as to question the office it self and to dispute the Institution as if they would have men scorn the Physitian when sickest and shun the Chirurgion when forest And which must be forgotten there not wanting some who are apt to charge on that secret Calling the occasion if not the cause of all the Calamities of this latter Age Just as those of whom Suidas reports that they were wont to write with Ink or blood on a glass and so set it against the Moon making all those spots or blurres that were in the glass to be in the Moon and not at all in the glass upon which alone they were written mean while never at all anatomizing their own Ulcerous Corrupt insides or repenting for their loathsome self-abhominations and among them as principle for the contempt of Gods faithful Ministers Which sins becoming so Epidemical and National as they are call for Wrath and Indignation from the Lord who is here styled in my Text the Righteous Judge And yet though this be a Fight nevertheless it is for the quality a good Fight and that for these reasons First of all because it s undertaken for the Faith of Christ and for the Salvaof Souls whereof even one single one is more worth than a whole World O what comfort will it be in the day of retribution when a faithful Minister after all his sharp conflicts with the wayward oppositions of corrupt men shall say Loe me and the people which thou hast given me as the fruit of all my labour in thy Gospel being able thus to give up an account with joy and not with griefe Secondly Because it s undertaken for a good reward which is no less than a Crown of Kighscousness What Saint Gregory said of afflictions for a good Conscience will hold here alone Consideratio proemii minuit vim flagelli The consideration of the Reward abates of the Difficulty of the Fight even so it s noted of Moses that having respect unto the recompense of the reward he preferred the reproach of Christ to all the richest treasures in AEgypt Heb. 11.26 the same was it likewise that animated that noble Prophet under all his discouragements and fruitless endeavours among men Isa 49.4 I have laboured in vain and spent my time for nought yet surely my Judgment is with the Lord and my work that is the reward of my work is with the Lord who rewardeth his Ministers secundum laborem though not secundum proventum as Saint Bernard speaks according to their Labour and pious endeavours which themselves undergo in the Gospel though not according to the success of their Labours which is Gods alone to bestow And thus farr of the words in their first acception uttered by Saint Paul as an Apostle I might next consider them also as spoken in the name of all other Christians at large even of all such as who love the appearing of the Lord. Christ Jesus at his coming And under that notion of them we may observe That the Life of a Christian is a continual warfare upon the Earth so Chrysologus Christiano militars est id quod vivit in seculo suitable unto that of Job Chap. 7.1 Where the word rendered an appointed time is by many translated a Warfare which was hinted to us in the first enmity between the two seeds after again in Esau and Jacob strugling together in the same womb and to this effect is that speech of our Saviour I came not to send Peace on the Earth but War Division and variance namely between Grace and Corruption which was experimented mightily in the breast of this our Apostle when the Law in his Members rebelled against the Law of his Mind Rom. 7.23 it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a warring Law and elsewhere he faith The flesh lusteth against the spirit as the spirit lusteth against the flesh Gal. 5.17 and to the same purpose also Saint James Chap. 4.1 From whence come Warres and Fightings among you Come they not hence even of your Lusts that Warre in your Members Surely Contention comes from Corruption see likewise 1 Pet. 2.11 Now I might here take occasion to treat of the Doctrine of the spiritual Warfare and pursuing the Metaphor present you with those several things that concurre to make up a compleat Battaile as 1. A Bickering and encounter it self Nisi proecesserit pugna non potest esse Victoria as Saint Cyprian there cannot properly be said to be a Victory where never was a fighting delicata jactatio est vbi periculum non est it s but a fond or effeminate kind of boasting of a Conquest where never was danger 2. In a Warre there must be Enemies with whom to encounter quis enim oertat nisi inimicum habet saith Prosper there cannot be a Contention where there is not an Adversary Now in this Warfare the great and the grand Adversary is the Devil who with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Adversary 1 Pet. 5.8 Jam. 4.7 He is as the chief Champion the World also and the Flesh as under him Sunt tria quoe tent ant Hominem Mundus Caro Doemon And in relation to the several Temptations
3.11 1 Pet. 3.4 Prov. 31.29 Coherence Division The person judging God Opera Triditatis ad extra suns indivisa Opera Trinitatis ad intra suns divisa cuique persona incommunicabiliter propria Object 2 Cor. 5.10 1. Cor. 6.2 Answ How Christ is said to be the Judg. Rom. 2.16 Joh. 5. Why God hath committed the power of the execution of Judgment to Christ Three properties requisit in a Judg. 1. Knowledg to discern Heb. 4. 2. Power to execute Psal 149. Rev. 15. 3. Justice in the Execution Gen. 18. The Judgment 1. It shall be Types of the last Judgment Luk 17. Rule 1. Reas 2. Reas 3. Act. 1731. Reas 4. 2. In what manner it shall be 1. The summons Job 5.28 Matt. 24.31.1 Cor. 15. 1 Thes 4 16. 2. The Appâ—…arance 2 Cor. 5 10. Rom. 14 12. 1 Cor. 1.7 3. The seperaration 4. The tryal Rev. 20.12 The books that shall be opened at the day of Judgment 5. The Sentence The general things observable in the words 1. The duty 2. The motives The duty exprest 1. Generally 2. Particularly The general duty expressed 1. In the Object 2. In the Acts that are exercised on the Object 3. In the manner of exercising The Object 1. God Simile Simile 2. The name of Cod. The Acts that are exercised on the Object 1. Of the understanding Memory 2. Of the will and affections Desires Desires an argument of a gracions heart Joyned with endeavours Desires without endeavours false The manner of exercising these acts 1. They must come from inward principles 2. They must he sincere Simile Simile 3. They must be pitched on God alone 4 They must be universal 5. They must be constant Simile The particular duties In times of mercy 1. Chearfulness 2. Fruitfulness In times of judgment Simile 1. Perseverance Simile 2. Diligent exercise of our graces Simile 3. Patience 4. Prosiciency The Motives to the duties God seeth and Judgeth all our wayes 1. This alone differenceth the godly from the wicked Division of the words Obser 1. The Saints on earth have a heavenly conversation What it is The priviledges thereof 1. Their names are written in heaven Luk. 10.20 2. They are governed by the law of God 3. They are safety kept 4. They have interest In God Mat. 6 32. Chap 7 11. In Christ Dan 12 1. In the holy Ghost 2 Cor 13 10. In the Angels In the Saints that are in heavenâ—… That are on carte 5 They are Inriched with heavenly treasure Mat 13. Isa 55 1. The traffique of a Christian what How to know whether our conversation be in heaven By our affections Note Obser 2. While the Saints are on earth they are stated in heaven 1. In respect of right and title 2. In respect of present possession John 14. Presumption to hope for heaven without union with Christ first on earth Ezra 2.62 Christ in respect of his bodily presence is only in heaven Transubstantiation Cell 3.1 Obser 3. Expectation of Christs coming to Judgement the best means to work a man to a holy conversation The continual expectation of the Saints is for Christ coming A threefold coming of Christ Proved 2 Tim. 4.8 Heb. 6.8 Vse For tryal How to know whether our expectation of Christ coming be right 1. By the ground of it Heb. 11.1 2. By the companions of it Which are 1. Patience 2. Love Manisested in secret longings Care to walk in Christ 3. delight in the ordinances 3 By the effects and fruits of it The expectation of Christs coming the best means to procure a heavenly Conversation Proved 1. It is the worker of Mortification Collos 3.17 1 Joh. 3.2 3. Guilt of sin causeth the apprehension of death to be terrible 2 Subdues out worldly affections Collos 3 1. 3. Keeps us from sinful actions Act. 3 â—…8 Acts 17 30. 4 Quickness to holiness of life 2 Pet. 3 11 12. 5 Furthers our perseveranâ—…e in godliness 1 Iohn 2.28 Rev 6. Vse For tryal Rev. 6.15 Heb. 2.14 1 Thes 1 10. Division 1 The duty commanded Meaning of the worsd What is meant by the saying of Christ viz. The Doctrine of the Gospel Two parts of the Gospel 1. Shewing out raisery Rom. 3.63 2. The remedy against this misery 1 The Redemer 2. The manner how we are redeemed Rom. 3.24 3. The means how to enjoy the remedy 1. The Conditions of the Covenant of Grace 1 Repentance Mark 1.15 Heb 6. The parts of Repentance Godly sorrow for sin Psal 38. Jam 4.9 Confession of sin Pro 28. Psal 32 4. 1 Joh 1 9. Firme purpose of amendment Joh 5. Petition for pardon in the name if Christ Hos 14.2 Repentance only taught in the Gospel Mans repentance tends to the honour of Gods justice 2 Faith John 6 29. Desinit on of Faith Faith only taught in the Gospel 3. New obedience How differenced from that required under the Law 2. The benefit What it is to see Death What Death is here meant Joh. 6.68 Act 5.20 Acts 11.14 Reas 1. 1 Joh. 2.24 Reas 2. Vse 3. Incitatton to thankfulness Vse 2. Reprehension Vse 3 Exhortation Vse 4. Consolation Obiect Answ Coherence Division of the words 1. The sin of young men 2. The Cure Doct. 1. It is the sin of young men to rejoyce inordinately Gen. 6.11 Isa 22.14 Eccles 12.1 1 Tim 2.22 Tit. 2.6 Job 1. Reas 1. Natural corruption Reas 2. Forgetfulness of Judgement Deut 32 29 Reas 3. Freedome from crosses Jer 31. Reas 4 Want of spiritual joy Vse 1. For Admonion 1. To take notice of their carnal joy Young mens rejoycing proved to be inordinate 1 Because it is not placed there where it should be 2 Because it is placed there where it should not be 3 Because it is excessive in lawful things 4 Because it terminates not in God 2 Of their walking after their own heart Hosea 7. 3 Of their walking after the sight of their eyes Iob 31.1 Ier 9. Heb 11. Vse 2. For Fxhortation 1 To abandon carnal joy Luke 6.26 Iob 20.6,7 Directions how to avoid carnal joy 1 To labour for sorrow for sin 2. Consider the vanity of things 1. Of humane wisdome Eccles 1 13. Eccles 1 15. 1 Cor 1 19. Eccles 9 10. 2 Of worldly honour and cred it Eccles 1 16. John 5 44. John 10 43. Gal. 5 26. 3 Of worldly pleasures Eccles 2 2. Vers 4. 1 Cor 7 19. Luke 8 4. 4 Of riches Jer 5 27. Eccles 5 12. Rev. 18.18 2 Tim. 1.16 Luk. 12.25 5 Of friends and Allies Psal 62 9. Psal 49 7. 3 Labour for spiritual joy Rom 5 1. A twofold ground of spiritual joy 1 The good things exhibied 2 The good things promised The second Exhertation not to walk after their own heart The third Exhortation not to walk after the sight of their eyes Joshu 7 21. 2 Sam 11 1. Vse 3. To old men Doct. 2. God will bring men to judgement for all their sins Masa 3 18. Eccles 12 14. 2 Cor 5 10. 2 Thes 4
specially when she was both husband and wife both master and mistris Death making a division between her dear Husband and her self she used to pray her self and those that heard her and have given testimony thereof admired her gifts that way Frequent she was as apeared in her often retiring her self to her Closet in her constant and secret devotion yea also she took occasion of much fasting specially when she heard of the troubles of the Church The cause of the Church much affected her either in matter of rejoycing or griefe she continued it till her dying-day and still her heart was upon the peace of the Church praying for it As thus she exercised her self in this holy manner so she did likewise wonderfully respect those that were the Ministers of God Amongst many others I have heard long ago that worthy Minister before mentioned from whom I have received most of what I have now related speak much of her and of her worthy Husband in this respect The feet of those that brought the glad-tydings of salvation were beautiful to her And as she was careful to testifie her respect to them so she her self gained no little recompence thereby for she was still asking them questions still desiring to have such and such doubts resolved by them As thus her piety was manifested so likewise was her Charity constantly every week giving relief to the Poor ready upon all occasions that she was moved to to open her hands and to open them wide and that again and again not wearied in doing good Sober and grave she was in her carriage and attire and therein a good example to the younger sort And thus she continued even to her dying day full of sweet meditations upon her death-bed my self partaked of some of them Being asked what evidences she had for her salvation she answered good whether she doubted not she replyed no though she were of a tender conscience yet she had laid such a foundation as her faith remained firm She sweetly ended her dayes with prayers of her own with desire of the prayers of Ministers still as they came to her for as she hearkned to and desired the benefit of their counsel when she lived so she desired the comfort of their prayers now in her death thus I say with a sound testimony of her faith and of her good estate she ended her dayes and we may be assured that she is in the Number of those that are Co-heirs of the grace of life I remember the Philosophers make mention of a word which contains in it a kind of collection or combination of all in one I may say of her that the graces and vertues and ornaments of others seemed to be gathered together and to meet in her And so her piety toward God resembleth her to the two pious Hanna's the one the Mother of Samuel the other the Daughter of Phanuel Her charity resembleth her to Dorcas her love to the Ministers of God to the Shunamite that provided a Chamber a Table and a Candlestick for Elisha In her relation to her Husband she shewed her self a true Daughter of Sarah In her relation to her children which she had a Bathsheba and Eunice To others a Priscilla the Wife of Aquila ready to instruct as occasion was offered And so my bretheren she hath shewed her self a follower of those that through faith and patience inherit the Promise It remaineth to us to set such examples before us and to be followers of them as they have been followers of others and as others have been followers of Christ that so walking in their steps we may also be in the number of such as have the comfort of this Text to be Co-heirs of the grace of life which that you may do c. PEACE IN DEATH OR THE QUIET END OF THE RIGHTEOUS SERMON XXXIV LUKE 2.29 Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy Word IN the Text it self to let pass other things you have First a Request and secondly a Reason upon which the Request is grounded Of each of these in order and first of the first The Request The sum whereof is That he may die Whereof is considerable First the disposition of the servants of God in respect of death viz. 1. A desire and longing after it 2. A care to be alwayes ready for it Secondly the warrant or guid of that desire according to thy Word Thirdly the nature and quality of the death of the Righteous a departure in peace Of each of these apart The point that ariseth from the first branch of the first general part viz. the desire and longing of the Saints for their day of death is this that The servants of God have in them a contented comfortable and willing expectation of death The rise of this Observation is obvious enough one spirit works in all Gods servants and brings forth like effects though not alwayes in the same measure that therefore which is true in Simeon which the very first view of the words import that the coming of Death was expected and desired by him is in some degree verified sooner or later in all that are the Lords Hereunto agrees that of Saint Paul I desire faith he to be dissolved c. And he averrs the same of all true beleevers viz. that they groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with their house which is from Heaven and that they are willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.8 c. The foundation of this desire is the knowledg and right understanding of the truth of that speech of Solomon to wit that the day of death is better then the day of a mans birth They have learned to know that the day of death to Gods servants is the day of freedome from all miseries and of entrance into eternal happiness The miseries of this life which even the best are subject unto are many Loss of goods loss of credit loss of friends aches pains diseases severs consumptions c. bondage under original corruption and the fruits thereof as unbelief pride of heart ignorance covetousness distrustfulness hatred lust c. the buffetings and temtations of Satan society with the wicked all these miseries even the Holiest and dearest servants of God are exercised with and divers of these do make them many times mourn exceedingly and to cry one while O wretched man that I am and to groan out another while Woe is me that I am constrained to live in Mesech and to have my habitation in the tents of Kedar of all these miseries Death is the end to Gods servants And so also it is an entrance into happiness for albeit their bodies rot in the Grave and be laid up in the Earth as in Gods store-house untill the last day yet the soul forthwith even in an instant comes into the presence of the ever-living God of Christ and of