Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	holy_a	lord_n	spirit_n	6,929	5	4.9769	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17397	The marrovv of the oracles of God. Or, diuers treatises containing directions about sixe of the waightiest things can concerne a Christian in this life. by N. Bifield, late preacher of Gods Word at Isleworth in Middlesex.	Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Beginning of the doctrine of Christ. aut; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Spirituall touchstone. aut; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Signes of the wicked man. aut; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Promises. aut; Rules of a holy life. aut; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Cure of the feare of death. aut	1630 (1630)	STC 4222; ESTC S120511	234,877	800

sincere because it is constant hee desires the Word at all times and as his appointed foode daily as it is in the bodily appetite though after feeding the stomack may seeme to bee full and satisfied yet the hunger reuiues againe euery day so is it with the heart of a Child of God whereas wicked men regard the Word but by fits and in a passion and then at length fall cleane away from the affection to it Psal. 119. 20. Iob 23. 12. 3. By his loue to them that loue the Word 4. By his sorrow because other men keepe not the Word Psal. 119. 136. 5. By his vnfained estimation of the Word aboue all worldly things accounting it to bee an happy portion to enioy the word in the power and profit of it Psa. 119. 14 72 111. 6. By his desire and delight to exercise himself in it day and night that is constantly Psa. 1. 2. 7. By his griefe either for the want of the m●…ans by which the Word might be taught vnto him with power accounting such want of the meanes to be a sore famine or for want of successe in the vse of the meanes when he doth enioy it Psalm 42. 3. Amos 8. 12. 8. By the extent of his loue to all the Word of God euen the Law that with threatning shews him his sin and searcheth out his most secret corruptions being most affected with that ministery that doth most sharply rebuke sinne 9. By his resolution to labour as hard for the food of his soule as men doe or he would doe for the food of his body Iohn 6. 27. Amos 8. 12. 10. By the cōstant sweet taste he finds in it especially when it is powerfully preached Psal. 19. 10 2 Cor. 2. 15. 11. By the end hee propounds vnto himselfe in the vse of the word which is that hee might not sin and that his wayes might be pleasing to God hiding the word in his heart to this purpose Psal. 119. 11. 12. By his willingnesse and resolution to deny his owne reason and affections his credit his carnall friends his profites or his pleasures in anything when God should so require it of him and vpon any occasion to shew his heartie respect of the Gospell Marke 10. 29. 1 Cor. 1. 18. 13. By the effects of it as 1. When for the loue he bears to the Word hee will seperate himselfe from the wicked that might any way with-draw his heart or endanger his disobedience Ps. 119. 115. 2. When he accounts the Word to be his chiefe comfort in affliction and finds it to be the maine stay and solace of his heart Psal. 119. 23 24 50 51 54 143. 3. When it workes in him effectually the redresse of his wayes and freedome from the dominion of sinne Iohn 8. 32. Psalme 119. 45 9 59 1 Thessalonians 2. 13. 4. When it workes in him certaine and sensible assurance of heart before God This assurance is an infallible signe of the right vse of the Word 1 Thessalonians 1. 5. And thus of the second gift The third gift is the spirit of praier or supplication as the Prophet Zachary cals it Zach. 12. 10. and this gift hee hath aboue all wicked men which hee shewes many wayes as 1. Hee askes according to Gods will 1 Iohn 5. 14. 2. He prayes with perswasion that God will heare him Hee beleeueth in some measure that hee shall haue what hee prayes for Hee prayes in faith Marke 11. 24. Iames 1. 6 7. Psalme 6. 9. 1 Iohn 3. 22. 3. He prayes in the Name of Christ and is affected with the sense of his owne vilenesse and relies vpon the merits and mediation of Iesus Christ Iohn 14 13. Psa. 86. 1 2. and 143. 1 2. 4. He will pray at all times Iob 27. 9. Psal. 106. 3. 5. He is feruent in prayer his heart praieth he hath the affections of prayer Iames 5. 16. Psalm 6. 8. 6. Praier makes him exceeding weary of the world it giues him such a taste of his owne sinfulnesse and of Gods goodnesse and of the glory of Heauen that he is vehemently carried with desire to bee absent from the body that hee might be present with the Lord Psa. 39. 12. 7. When he knowes not how to pray as hee ought the Spirit prepares his heart excites in him holy desires supplyes him sometime with words sometime with affections and sometimes worketh inward vnexpressable groanes which yet it presents to God as effectuall prayers Romans 8. 26 27. 8. Hee findes an holy rest and quietnesse in his conscience and heart with spirituall boldnesse and confidence of trust in God if he heare him graciously and answer him in mercy Psalme 3. 4 5 6. and 116. 17. and 91. 15. Ieremiah 33. 3. 9. He loues the Lord exceedingly for hearing his prayer and desires to keepe himselfe in the loue of God Psalme 116. 1. Iude 20. 21. 10. His prayers proceed from an heart that loues no sinne but desires to depart from iniquitie and to doe that which is pleasing in Gods sight 2 Tim. 2. 19. 1 Ioh. 3. 22. 11. He loues prayer in others 2 Tim. 1. 21. 12. Hee striues against deadnesse of spirit and distractions as an heauie burthen Psalme 86. 3. 4. 13 He makes praier his chiefe refuge and he will pray though prayer bee in neuer so much disgrace Psalme 69. 10 13. and 142. 25. And thus of the third gift The fourth gift is the loue of his enemies Any Christian may loue such as loue him but to loue his enemies is onely to be found in the true Christian which he proues by these tokens of the sinceritie of his loue 1. He can pray heartily for them yea in some cases he can mourne and humble his soule before God for them in their distresses Psal. 35. 13 14. 2. Hee desires their conuersion so vnfainedly that hee is sure if they were conuered hee could reioyce in them as heartily as in those hee now much delights in 3 Hee can likewise forgiue them their particular trespasses against him being more grieued for their sinnes against God then for the wrongs they doe him Math. 6. 14. 4 He can freely acknowledge their iust praises 5 He cannot onely patiently endure their reuilings but can forbeare when he could bee reuenged by bringing shame or miserie vpon them 1. Peter 3. 9. Rom. 12. 14. 1 Sam. 24. 18 19. yea he doth as he hath occasion striue to ouercome their euill with goodnesse being willing to helpe them or relieue them in their miserie and doe th●…m any good for soule or body The last gift which is found in the true Ch●…istian while he is in the way in this life is His loue of the appearing of Christ which hee shewes 1 By the longing after the time of Christs comming whether by death or iudgement 2 By his gladnesse at the promises or signes of his particular or generall commings 3 By his often meditations of that day and his hearty prayers for the

Describing the godly man by such signes as discouer him to the obseruation of other men THe signes of the true Christian that hath true grace in this world and shall be saued in Heauen when he dies may be cast into two Catalogues The one more briefe the other more large The one Catalogue of signes describe him by such markes as for the most part doe outwardly distinguish him amongst men The large Catalogue 〈◊〉 intend especially as a more infallible and effectuall way of triall as containing such signes as for the most part are not obserued by other men or not fully but are knowne to himselfe and can bee found in no reprobate For the first Catalogue the true Christian vsually discouers himselfe by these markes First he will not haue fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse he will not walke in the counsell of the wicked nor stand in the way of sinners He will not sort himselfe with workers of iniquity Psalme 1. 1. and 26. 4 5. 2 Cor. 6. Secondly Hee will afflict and humble his soule for his sinnes mourning and weeping for them till the Lord be pleased to shew mercie and forgiue him He doth account his sins to be his greatest burthen He cannot make a mock of sinne c. Thirdly He labours to be holy in all parts of his conuersation watching ouer his owne waies at all times and in all companies Ps. 50. 23. Esay 56. 1. 2. Peter 3. 4 Fourthly he makes conscience of the least commandements as well as the greatest auoyding silthy speaking and vaine iesting and laciuiousnesse as well as whoredome lesser oathes as well as the greater reprochfull speeches as well as violent actions c. Fiftly hee loues and esteemes and labours for the powerfull preaching of the word aboue all earthly treasures Sixtly he honours and highly accounts of the godly delights in the company of such as truely feare God aboue all others Psal. 15. 4. Seuenthly hee is carefull of the sanctification of the Sabbath neither daring to violate that holy rest by labour nor to neglect the holy duties belonging to Gods seruice publike or priuate Esay 56. and 58. Eighthly hee loues not the world neither the things thereof but is more heartily affected in things that concerne a better life and so doth in some degree loue the appearing of Christ. Ninthly He is easie to be intreated hee can forgiue his enemies desires peace and will doe good euen to them that persecute him if it lye in his power Mat. 5. 44. Tenthly Hee goeth on in the profession of the sinceritie of the Gospel and doth such duties as he knoweth God requires of him in businesse of his soule notwithstanding the oppositions of prophane persons or the dislike of carnall friends c. Eleuenthly He setteth vp a daily course of seruing God and that with his family too if hee haue any and exerciseth himselfe in the word of God as the chiefe ioy of his heart and the daily refuge of his life calling vpon God continually c. CHAP. II. Shewing the generall diuision of the signes and the wayes how the signes were found out THus of the shorter Catalogue of signes Now it followes that I proceed to those infallible markes of Election and Saluation And whereas I haue diuers yeeres since published a Treatise which I called Essayes or Signes of Gods loue and mans saluation Hauing obserued that diuers haue accounted the manner of setting the Signes downe somewhat obscure in diuers parts of the Booke I will now by Gods assistance for the helping of the weakest Christians in this Treatise endeauour to expresse my selfe in this Doctrine of the tryall of a true Christian estate in a more plaine and easie course of ex●…mination and leaue both the former Treatise and this new Catalogue vnto the blessing of God and the free choise of the godly Reader to vse which hee findeth most agreeable to his owne taste being both such as are warranted and founded vpon the infallible euidence of Gods vnchangeable truth In this proiect then I consider of the triall of a true Christian sixe wayes First in his humiliation Secondly in his faith Thirdly in the gifts of his minde with which he is qualified Fourthly in the workes of his obedience Fiftly in the entertainment he hath from God Sixtly in the manner of his receiuing of the Sacraments In all which hee differs from all the wicked men in the world so as neuer any wicked man could finde these things in his condition which are true of the weakest Christian in each of these signes And that the true Christian may not doubt of his estate hauing found these signes in himselfe let him consider the proofes annexed to each signe and that nothing may bee wanting to his aboundant consolation I will tell him how I found out these signes and by what grounds I proceeded There are three sorts of places in Scripture as I conceiue which do point out the grounds of infallible assurance in those that can attaine vnto them as first such places as expresly doe a●…firme that such and such things are signes As for example 1 Ioh. 3. 14. Hereby we know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Here the holy Ghost shewes vs expresly that the loue of the brethren is a signe by which a Christian may know that he is translated from death to life and so the Apostle Paul giues signes to know whether their sorrow were after God or no 2 Cor. 7. 11. So doth the Prophet Dauid Psalme 15 giue diuers signes by which the man that shall dwell in Gods holy hill may be knowne So the Apostle Iames tells vs how wee may know the wisedome from aboue by reckning the fruits and effects of it Iames 3. 17. So doth the Apostle Paul tell vs how we may know whether we haue the Spirit of Christ in vs or no Rom. 8. 9 15 c. Gal. 5. 22. and 4. 6 7. Secondly I find out signes by marking what graces in man the promises of God are made vnto For thus I reason Whatsoeuer gift of God in man brings him within the compasse of Gods promises of eternall mercie that gift must bee an infallible signe of saluation But such are such and such gifts as the instances in diuers Scriptures shew And therefore the man that can finde those gifts in himselfe shall bee certainly saued As for example The Kingdome of heauen is promised to such as are poore in spirit Mathew 5. 3. From thence then I gather that pouerty of spirit is an infallible signe The like I may say of the loue of the Word and of vprightnesse of heart and of the loue of God and the loue of the appearing of Christ c. Thirdly I finde out other signes by obseruing what godly men in Scripture haue said for themselues when they haue pleaded their owne

be discerned by many things it worketh which are the fruits of it and by the fruits of Faith wee may know faith it selfe Faith is like the roote of a tree that lyeth vnder the ground and cannot be seene without much digging but by the fruit the tree beareth wee may know what kinde of roote it hath and of what sort it is Now the fruites of faith are these that follow and such like as 1. Loue to God and the godly for faith worketh by loue Gallat 5. 6. 2. Cleannesse of the thoughts and affections For faith purifieth the heart It maketh a man striue after inward purity as well as outward to get a cleane heart as well as cleane hands It worketh humiliation for inward sins as well as outward Act. 15. 9. and driues a man to seeke pardon in the Name of Christ for all sorts of inward perturbations and secret euils 3. Victorie ouer the World Faith ouer commeth the world 1 Iohn 5. 4 5. and so it doth when it maketh a man so rest vpon God and his truth and promise as if he be put to it to deny the respect of his owne credit or profit or pleasures or the displeasure of carnall friends or his hopes in matters of this world resting satisfied with the expectation of the treasures and pleasures of a better world yeelding himselfe ouer to be guided by Christ and his truth vnto the death Psalme 18. 14. Hee liues by his faith Gal. 2. 20. 4. Humilitie For a true faith excludes boasting of our owne labours gifts or praises and makes vs able out of the sense of our owne vilenesse to acknowledge all the glorie to Gods free grace and loune in Iesus Christ Rom. 3 27. Gal. 3. 22. The confession and profession of the truth Faith will make a man speake in defence of the truth I haue beleeued therefore haue spoken saith Dauid Psalme 116 which the Apostles plead to proue their faith also 2 Cor. 4. 13 14. 6 The putting on of righteousnesse which is not by the workes of the Law done by vs. The application of and relying vpon the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ is the proper and onely worke of true faith Rom. 10. 7 It opens a spring of graces in the heart of a true Christian he that is a true beleeuer is qualified with sundry heauenly gifts which were not in him by nature which gifts do daily discouer themselues in his heart flowing from thence as if there were a spring of liuing water in his belly Sanctification of the Spirit and faith of the truth be inseparable Iohn 7. 38. 2 Thess. 2. 13. CHAP. V. The tryall of a godly man by such heauenly gifts as serue him in his iourney to Heauen THus of his tryall in his humiliation and in his faith It followeth in the third place to try him by his gifts which are the fruits of faith The true Christian differs from the wicked man in two sorts of gifts Some of them are such gifts as are bestowed vpon him from aboue but serue him onely for spirituall vse while he is on the way in his iourney to Heauen and so onely in this life such as are the sacred thirst The loue to the word and meanes of his holinesse The spirit of supplication The loue of his enemies and his desire after the apparance of Iesus Christ. Other gifts hee hath which will accompany him home into his heauenly Countrey and abide vpon him for euer and are not abolished by death such as are sauing knowledge the loue of God and the loue of the godly First therefore of those heauenly gifts which will passe away and so he is qualified with fi●…e distinct holy gifts which cannot be found in any reprobate The first is his holy thirst which is an heauenly kind of appetite by which hee is carried to the desire of things aboue nature such as are the merits and righteousnesse of Christ the fauour of God the presence of God the full deliuerance from all sin the remouing of spirituall iudgements the saluation of other men and the like and this thirst is a signe the more infallible 1 Because it is constant and indelible in this life There is no part of this life but it continueth either in the sense of his affection or in the iudgement of his vnderstanding so as hee accounts spiritu●…ll things to bee the best things and though at some times his affection may be the lesse moued after them yet his appetite is daily renewed as it is in the hunger or thirst that is bodily 2. Because it is industrious For this holy thirst will guide him to a carefull vse of all the meanes by which good things may bee attained and doth not breathe it selfe out onely with sudden and vaine wishes or flashes of desire Psa. 27. 4. 1 Pet. 2. 2. Psa. 63. 1 2. Psa. 1. 2. Acts 2. 37. 3. Because it workes a constant and secret meditation of heauenly things desired the heart frequently seekes after God day and night Esa. 26. 9. Psal. 63. 1 6. For what wee desire feruently wee thinke on almost continually 4. Because if the Lord quench his thirst and satisfie his desire in spirituall things the soule becomes as a watred garden and then followes in him an heauenly kinde of satisfaction and contentment with singular delight in the soule and vowes and wishes of infinite and eternall thankfulnesse Psalme 63. 4 5. Ieremiah 31. 25 26. And thus much of the first gift Secondly The loue to the Word is another signe that hee is the Child of God and a cleare euidence of his saluation Now because all sorts of wicked men may resort to the exercises of the Word and those that haue but a temporarie faith may shew a great estimation of the VVord and find ioy in the hearing of it and shew much zeale in things that concerne the word and may yeeld some obedience to the directions of the VVord also it is profitable to consider how the true Christian may proue that his affection to the VVord is more sincere then that affection which any wicked man can bring to the word And thus he may find that his heart is sound in his loue to the Word by these markes 1 By his manner of receiuing it when hee doth receiue the Word as the Word of God and not of men setting his heart before Gods presence being affected as if the Lord himselfe should speake vnto him This no wicked man dares doe he dares not present himselfe with the whole intendments of his heart before the Lord. For this signe the Apostle Paul acknowledgeth the Thessalonians to bee true Christians 1 Thess. 2. 13. 2 By his appetite to his Word For there is in a godly man as true an hūger after the Word as the food of his soule as there is in his stomacke after the food of his body which shewes it selfe to be the more

minde and conscience liue shut vp with darknesse and horror The Diuels haue within thee strong holds and liue intrenched in thy thoughts Ephes. 4. 17. 2. Cor. 10. 5. Thy heart is spiritually dead and like a stone within thee Ephes. 2. 1. Ezech. ●…6 26. 4. Thy body is wretched through deformities and infirmities diuersly noisome to thee with paines that grieue thee either in respect of labour or diseases vnto which thou art so prone and there is no part or ioynt of thee but is lyable to many kinds of diseases Deut. 28. 31 22. Gen. 3. 19. And of the labours of thy life which is but the least part of thy bodily miseries Salomon saith All things are full of labour who can vtter it and for that reason life is but a vanity and vexation Eccles. 1. 8. 5. If thou looke vpon thy outward estate in the world with wh●…t fearefull frights may thy h●…art bee griped If thou consider 1. The common or gen●…rall or publike plagues with which God fights against the world as wars famines earthquakes pestilence and yeerely diseases inundations of waters and infinite such like 2. The particular crosses with which hee vexeth thee in particular either with losses of thy estate or the troubles of thy family Deut. 28. 15 16. c. 3. The preterition of God restraining many good things from thee so as thou wantst manie of those blessings of all sorts which yet God doth bestow vpon others Esay 56. 1 2. Ieremie 5. 25. 4 The cursings of thy blessings when God blasts the gifts of thy minde that thou canst not vse them for any contentment of thy life or makes thy prosperity to be the occasion of thy ruine Malach. 2. 3. Eccles. 5. 13. This is a sore euill Lastly consider yet further what may fall vpon thee in respect of which thou art in daily danger There are seas of wrath which hang ouer thy head Iohn 3. 36. and God may plague thee with the terrors of conscience like Cain Gen. 4. 14. or with a reprobate sense or the spirit of slumber Rom. 1. 28. Rom. 11. 8. strong illusions 2 Thess. 2. 11. or such other like dreadfull spirituall iudgements besides many other fearfull iudgements which thy h●…art is not able to cōceiue of as painefull diseases in the body or an vtter ruine in thy estate or good name but aboue all other things the remembrance of the fearefull iudgement of Christ and the euerlasting paines of hell with a miserable death should compell thee to cry out O men and brethren what shall I doe to bee saued and get out of this estate But because it is my purpose here chiefly to perswade with godly men and not with naturall men and because death it selfe is no ease vnto such men as liue in their sins without repentance who haue reason to loath life and yet haue no cause to loue death I passe from them and come to the life of godly men and say they haue great reason to loath life and desire the day of death CHAP. VI. Shewing the miseries of godly men in life NOw the miseries of the godly mans life are of two sorts for either hee may consider what he wants or what he hath in life for which he would be weary of it I will giue but a touch of the first consider of it in this life there are sixe things among the rest we want and can neuer attaine while wee liue here The first is the glorious presence of God while the body is present the Lord is absent 2. Cor. 5. 8. And is not this enough to make vs loath life Shall we●… more esteeme this wretched car●…asse then our glorious God whose onely presence in glory shall fill vs with eternall delight O the vision of God! If we had but once seene God face to face we would abhorre that absence that should hinder the fruition of such vnspeakable beauties as would enamour the most secure heart to an vnquenchable loue The second thing wee want in life is the sweete fellowship with our best friends A fellowship matchlesse if we either consider the perfection of the creatures whose communion we shall enioy or the perfect manner of enioying it Who would be withheld from the congregation of the first borne from the societie with innumerable Angels and the spirits of iust men Alas the most of vs haue not so much as one entire and perfect friend in all the world and yet wee make such friends as we haue the ground of a great part of the contentment of our liues Who could liue here if he were not beloued Oh what can an earthly friendship bee vnto that in heauen when so many thousand Angels Saints shall be glad of vs and ●…ntertaine vs with vnwearied delight If we had but the eyes of faith to consider of this we would thinke euery houre a yeere till we were with them Thirdly in this world we want the perfection of our owne natures we are but maimed deformed creatures here we shall neuer haue the sound vnderstanding of men in vs till we bee in heauen our holinesse of nature and gifts will neuer be consummate till we be dead Fourthly in this world wee want libertie Our glorious liberty will not ●…e had here a thing which the spirits of the best men haue with much sighing longed after Rom. 8. 21 22. Oh who would liue in a prison a dungeon rather then a palace of royall freedom It hath been impliedly shewed before that wee are many waies in bondage here Fiftly we shall euer want here fulnesse of contentment If a man liue many yeeres so that the dayes of his yeeres be many if his soule bee not filled with good Salomon saith an vntimely birth is better then bee And it is certaine if a man liue a thousand yeeres twise told he shall neuer see solid good to fill his heart his appetite will neuer be filled Eccle. 9. 3 6 7. There is nothing in this life can giue a man solid and durable contentment but a man findes by experience vanitie and vexation of spirit in what hee admires or loues most and shall wee be so ottish as to forget those riuers of pleasures that are at Gods right hand Psal. 16. vlt. 6. The sixth thing we want in this world is our Crown and the immortall and incorruptible inheritance bought for vs with the ●…loud of Christ and shall not ●…ur hearts burne within vs in ●…onging after possession Can we ●…sire still to liue in wants and to be vnder age What shall moue vs if such an incomparable crowne cannot moue vs Wee that sweate with so much sore labor for the possession of some small portion of earth shall we I say be so sluggish as not to desire that this kingdome which our Father hath giuen vs might come quickly vpon vs or are we so transported with spirituall madnesse as to be afraid

looke how wee dye as whither wee shall goe when we are dead 2. Christ dyed a cursed desth that so euery death might bee blessed to vs For hee that liues holily cannot dye miserably Hee is blessed that dyeth in the Lord what kind of death soeuer it be CHAP. XXI Shewing the cure of this feare of death by practice HItherto of the way of curing this feeare of death by meditation It remaines now that I proceed to shew how the cure is to be finished perfected by practice for there are diuers things to be heeded by vs in our daily conuersation which serue exceedingly for the extinguishing of this feare without which the cure will hardly euer bee soundly wrought for continuance The first thing we must frame our liues to for this purpose is the contempt of the VVorld wee must striue earnestly with our owne hearts to forgoe the loue of worldly things It is an 〈◊〉 thing ●…o be willing to dye when our hearts are cleansed of the loue of this world Wee must leaue the world before the world leaue vs and learne that lesson heartily To vse the world as if wee vsed it not Neither ought this to seeme too hard a precept for they that striue for masterie abstaine from all things when it is but to obtaine a corruptible crowne how much more should we be willing to deny the delights of this world and striue with our natures herein seeing it is to obtaine an incorruptible crowne 1. Cor. 9 24 25. VVe must learne of Moses who brought himselfe to it willingly to ●…orsake the pleasures of Egypt and to choose rather to suffer affliction with Gods people then to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter Heb. 11. 26. And to this end we should first restraine all needlesse cares and businesse of this world and study so to be quie●… as to meddle with our owne busines and to a●…idge th●…m into as narrow a scantling as our callings will permit Secondly we should auoid as much as may be the societie with the fauorites and minions of the World I meane such persons as admire nothing but worldly things and know no other happinesse then in this life that speake onely of this World and commend nothing but what tends to the praise of worldly things and so to the enticing of our hearts after the World And withall wee should sort our selues with such Christians as practise this contempt of the World as well as praise it and can by their discourse make vs more in loue with heauen Thirdly we should daily obserue to what things in the world our hearts must run and striue with God by prayer to get downe the too much liking and desire after those things Fourthly we should daily be pondering on these meditations that shew vs the vanitie of the world and the vilenesse of the things thereof Thus of the first medicine Secondly we must in our practice soundly mortifie our beloued sins our sins must dye before we dye or else it will not be well with vs. The sting of death is sin and when we haue pull'd out the sting we need not feare to entertaine the Serpent into our bosome It is the loue of some sin and delight in it that makes a man afraid to dye or it is the remembrance of some foule euill past which accuseth the hearts of men and therefore men must make sure their repentance and iudge themselues for their sins and then they neede not feare Gods condemning of them If any aske me how they may know when they haue attained to this rule I answer VVhen they haue so long confessed their sinnes in secret to God that now they can truely say there is no sinne they know by themselues but they are as desirous to haue God giue them strength to leaue it as they would haue God to shew them grace to forgiue it Hee hath soundly repented of all sin that desires from his heart to liue in no sin And vnto this rule I must adde the care of an vpright and vnrebukeable conuersation It is a maruellous encouragement to dye with peace when a man can liue without offence and can iustly plead his integrity of conuersation as Samuel did 1 Sam. 12. 3. and Paul Acts 20. 26 27. and 2 Cor. 1. 12. Thirdly Assurance is an admirable medicine to kill this feare And to speake distinctly wee should get the assurance first of Gods fauour and our owne calling and election for hereby an entrance will bee ministred into the Heauenly Kingdome And therefore haue I handled this doctrine of the Christians assurance before I meddled with this point of the Feare of Death Simeon can dye willingly when his eyes haue seene the saluation Feare of death is alwayes ioyned with a weake faith and the full assurance of faith doth maruellously establish the heart against these feares and breeds a certaine desire of the comming of Christ. Paul can be confident when he is able to say I know whom I haue beleeued and that hee is able to keepe that which I haue committed to him 2. Tim. 12. Besides wee should labour to get a particular knowledge and assurance of our happinesse in death and of our saluation Wee would study to this end the Arguments that shew our felicitie in death And to this purpose it is of excellent vse to receiue the Sacrament often For Christ by his Will beq●…eathed heauen to vs Ioh. 17. and by the death of the Testator this Will is of force and is further daily sealed vnto vs as internally by the Spirit so externally by the Sacraments Now if wee get our Charter sealed and confirmed to vs how can we be afraid of the time of possession He is fearelesse of death that can say with the Apostle Whether I liue or dye I am the Lords Rom. 14. 8. 4. That charge giuen to Hezekiah concerning the setting of his house in order Esay 38. is of singular vse for this cure Men should with sound aduice settle their outward estates and dispose of their worldly affaires and according to their meanes prouide for their wife and children A great part of the feare and trouble of mens hearts is ouer when their Wills are discreetly made but men are loth to dye so long as their outward estates are vnsettled and vndisposed It is a most preposterous course for men to leaue the making of their Wils to their sicknesse for besides their disabilities of memory or vnderstanding which may befall them the trouble of it breedes vnrest to their mindes and besides they liue all the time in neglect of their duty of preparation for death 5. Wee may much helpe our selues by making vs friends with the riches of iniquity we should learne that of the vniust Steward as our Sauiour Christ sheweth Since wee shall be put out of the Stewardship we should so dispose of them while wee haue them that when wee dye they may