shee cannot want eithera sweet memoriall of her vertues in the booke 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 bee 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 bee If I had nothing else to say to the scoffes of any but only this I suppose it would be sufficient I doe beleeve fully that I have presented her as she was but howsoever you can take no hurt if you doe 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 seeme too 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 beene and the truth is there is none that is truly godly but in some degree or measure must attaine and doe attaine to participate in a conformitie 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 losse 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 Mistris that governed them gently and was every way beneficiall to them Her Brothers and Sisters have lost a loving Sister that answered them in their loves sweetly Her Neighbours have lost a loving neigbour full of courtesie to the rich full of charitie to the poore And my selfe have lost I hope there is none here so weake to suspect that I blast the living to blazon the praise of the dead or that I doe robbe or strippe the living to cloath the dead with their spoyles but I thinke I may truly say I have lost as truly and cordially a loving friend as any shee hath left bebehind though I esteeme many her Peeres and I cannot complaine of any But to end all Her gaine in Christ countervaileth and sweetneth all our losses Shee was a disciple of Love shee 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 happinesse and detaine your patience any longer I shall leave her in that blessed place and commend you to the blessing of God FINIS THE EXPECTATION OF CHRISTS COMMING OR A MOTIVE TO A GODLY CONVERSATION 2 THESSAL 4. 16. For the Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven c. 2 PET. 3. 14. Wherefore beloved seeing that yee looke for such things be diligent that yee may bee found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. THE EXPECTATION OF CHRISTS COMMING OR A MOTIVE TO A HOLY CONVERSATION SERMON XVI PHIL. 3. 20 21. For our conversation is in heaven from whence wee looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesus 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 himselfe IN the seventh verse of this Chapter the blessed Apostle Saint Paul exhorteth the Philippians to bee followers together of him and to marke them which walke so as they had him for an ensample And that hee might the better direct them in the dutie the imitation of his ensample he sheweth that there is a great difference betweene others that pretended themselves to be the Apostles of Christ and indeed were not and himselfe Many saith he walke of whom I have told you often and now tell you weeping that they are the enemies of the crosse 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 avoide follow not such but be yee followers of us for our conversation is in heaven from whence we looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ c. and follow those which walke so as yee 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 walke so heavenly while they were on earth because from thence we looke for a Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ. Thirdly the benefit by that Saviour whom they looke for from heaven Hee shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body Fourthly the meanes by which this great worke shall bee effected According to the working whereby hee is able to subdue all things unto himselfe For the first to touch it only in a word there is from that these two Observations clearely 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 Hee saith not only it shall bee 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 societie 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 cariages 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 briefe run them over this being not the thing that I purposely ayme at First in Cities and Corporations there is a Register wherein the names of the Freemen are inrolled So in heaven also there is a Register a certaine booke
eternall damnation and the sweetnesse of imaginarie gaine what proportion hath it with the bitternesse of so great a losse Riches have wings they take their leave honour is transitorie pleasures flie away whereas the soule of man is the subject of immortalitie And thy poore neglected soule must bide by it for an everlasting pledge and pay the debt O! then continue this glory that is nothing First seeke Gods kingdome and the glory of it suffer not heaven to stand at so great a distance to thy soule tast and see how gracious the Lord is by one drop of water from that celestiall fountaine by one crumme from that heavenly table and then as concerning the things below thou wilt account them as drosse and dung in comparison of that joy and peace of conscience Resolve as Themistocles when hee saw a goodly bootie hee would not stoupe to take it up leave these things for the Children of this world But let your care be to please the Lord and to gaine the peace of a good conscience First seeke the kingdome of God which consists not in meat and drinke but in righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Remember the vanitie of the things of the world remember how unable the soule is to enjoy hell and to lose heaven without eternall horrour and in consideration hereof Use the World as though you used it not and use this as a proofe hide it in a sanctified memorie 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 hee gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule FINIS CHRIST HIS SECOND ADVENT OR THE APPROACH OF THE GOD OF RECOMPENCES ACT. 1. 11. This same Iesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seene him goe into heaven Epist. JUDE vers 14. Behold the Lord commeth with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deedes which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. 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 workes THe Angell having described to Saint Iohn in the Chapter immediatly before and in the former part of this Chapter the exceeding great joy and glory and felicitie that all the godly shall have in the kingdome of heaven by comparing it to a Citie built with precious stones having twelve gates and twelve foundations wherein there is no darknesse they needing no candle nor the light of the Sunne for Christ Jesus the Sunne of righteousnesse is the continuall light thereof And that therein is no miserie no crosse no imperfection no want no calamitie but continuall joy and rejoycing Where their songs are Halelujah and their shields felicitie in the continuall enjoying of the presence of Almighty God the glorious Trinitie Having I say thus described these joyes he doth in the words of my Text for the comfort of the godly Who have here no continuing Citie but are strangers and forreiners and pilgrims and travellers to another Citie and seeke a Countrie And in this their travell they meete with many crosses and afflictions and miseries And likewise for the terrour of the wicked that make this world their kingdome and are the chiefe Lords and commanders of the same for the comfort of the one and the terrour of the other the Angell here in the person of Christ saith hee will come and that shortly to bee a speedy deliverer of the one and a just Judge against the other Behold I come shortly and my reward is with me c. In which words observe these particular branches First the word of preparation or attention in the first word Behold which is as it were a Trumpet that sounds before the comming of the great Judge bidding every one to fit and prepare himselfe to hold up his hand at the barre Behold Secondly the Person and that is the Judge himselfe speaking in the person of the Angell I Christ Jesus himselfe Thirdly his action I come Fourthly the speedinesse of his comming shortly Fiftly the end of his comming to Judgement and that is to reward every man according to his workes Sixtly and lastly the quantitie and the qualitie of the reward inclusively set downe which is according to the qualitie of the workes for if the workes be good there shall be a great and good reward but if they be bad the reward shall be accordingly The small model of time will not suffer mee to runne over all these particulars therefore my meditations and your attention shall be in one doctrine from the words in generall and that is this that Christ Iesus will hasten his comming to Iudgement to reward the godly with everlasting and eternall felicities but the wicked and ungodly with endlesse woe and perpetuall miserie For the proofe of which doctrine you may consider these foure things First of all the certaintie and celeritie of Christs comming to Judgement Secondly the signes that prognosticate his comming Thirdly the Judgement it selfe Lastly the end For the certaintie of Christs comming to judgement I perswade my selfe that there is none here among you so ignorant that hee doth not know or so Atheisticall that he doth not beleeve you know it is an Article of our beliefe that he ascended into heaven and there hee sits at the right hand of his Father in glorie and from thence he shall come at the end of the world to judge both the quicke and the dead Therefore I may spare the labour and the time in any further proofe of that Now concerning the speedinesse of his comming to judgement If so be the day of Judgement was at hand sixteene ages since as both Christ and his Apostles proclaimed if then even in Christs dayes the ends of the world were come as Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 10. 11. If then was the last time as Saint Iohn saith 1 Iohn 2. 18. If then the end of all things were at hand as Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 4. 7. can we thinke that now it is farre off Nay so sure and so certaine as God is God and his Word is truth and not one jotte nor tittle thereof shall passe away he is neere at hand hee will come shortly But before wee proceed there lies two stumbling blocks in the way that wee must remove wherewith many stumble concerning this point In the time of the Apostles there were two heresies confuted the one by Saint Peter the other by Saint Paul Saint Peter in 2 Pet. 3. 3. he wills us to understand that in the last dayes there shall come scoffers men
likely this signe is yet to come all the rest are fulfilled and therefore the end cannot be farre The second sort of signes are such as are immediatly before Christs comming to Judgement and that is the darknesse of the Sunne Moone and Starres The Sunne shall bee darkned the Moone shall lose her light the Starres shall fall from heaven the very powers of heaven shall bee shaken the foundations of the heavens shall tremble Alas what shall the little shrubbes in the Wildernesse doe when the tall Cedars of heaven shall bee shaken What shall poore sinfull man doe when the Angels shall be afraid The last signe shall be in Christs comming to Judgement Mat. 24. 29. it is called the signe of the Sonne of man Then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man and then all the tribes of the earth shall mourne What this signe of the Sonne of man is Divines doe varie Some hold it is the signe of the Crosse which all eyes shall behold even they that pierced him as Iohn saith Revel 1. Some others which I rather assent unto take it to be the glorious beames of Christs Majestie immedeiatly before his personall appearance to enlighten the world being darkned by reason of the want of the light of the Sunne and Moone So you see what these signes shall be The signes that prognosticate Christs comming Those that shall be fulfilled long before they are all effected but one as you heard Therefore it stands us all upon as wise Virgins to prepare oyle in our lampes that when our Bridegroome Christ shall come we may be ready to enter into eternall joy So we come from the signes that prognosticate the judgement to the Judgement it selfe Concerning the Judgement it selfe You must know that after death there are two judgements There is a particular and there is a generall Judgement The particular Judgement is immediatly as soone as ever the breath is gone out of the body As soone as ever the soule is gone out of the body it is conducted by the Angels before the Tribunall seat of God and there receives the particular sentence either of joy or torment according as it lived in the body in this life We need not speake of this we have example for the proofe of it in Scripture of Dives and Lazarus the one whereof being dead was presently carried to joy the other presently to torment The other is a generall judgement so called because it shall be of all men in generall that ever lived and breathed upon the face of the earth men women and children all shall be presented before the Tribunall seat of Christ all must hold up their hands at the Barre of his judgement all must give an account of all their words thoughts and actions all must receive the sentence either of Come yee blessed or goe yee cursed After which sentence once pronounced there shall never question bee made of the end of the joy of the one or of 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 plaine Ioh. 5. 24. Hee is passed alreadie from death to life he hath everlasting life already he shall not come into judgement And for the unbeleever it is as plaine Ioh. 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 generall 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 mercie of God whose propertie 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 needes bee that a day will come that he will fully doe it You know the course of the Lord as David speakes good men have bands in their death and wicked men are Iustie and strong good men are in evill condition and wicked men in prosperitie Diogenes the Cinnick seeing Harpalus a theefe long in prosperitie he was bold to say that wicked Harpalus his living long in prosperitie it was an argument to Diogenes that God had cast off his care of the world that he respected not mens affaires And indeed the prosperitie of the wicked hath brought the Saints of God to a stand Davids foot slipped almost in seeing the prosperitie of the wicked It made Iob to say Iob 24. 12. Men groane out of the Citie by reason of oppression and the soules of the slaine crie out and yet God chargeth them not with folly This made Ieremiah to expostulate his cause with the Lord Ierem. 12. Let mee talke with thee of thy judgements Why doth the wicked prosper and they that transgresse thy commandements This makes the godly take up that passionate complaint Psal. 73. 11. How doth God know it is there any knowledge in the most high Certainly we have cleansed our hearts in vaine in vaine wee have washed our hands in innocencie in vaine we labour to live godly lives Why Every day wee are chastened for the Lord corrects us every morning And these have the wealth of the world they have the world at will Wee in Christianitie know this to be true Dives hath the world at will while poore Lazarus is shut out of dores hungrie and thirstie cold and naked full of necessitie every way This being so the day must needes come that the one shall have fulnesse of glory and the other of miserie But to answer those places before cited To the former Ioh. 5. where it is said The beleever is passed already from death to life hee hath everlasting life alreadie It is true hee 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 bee executed and so when the Lord Jesus Christ shall descend from heaven with the sound of a Trumpet and the voyce of the Archangell then the dead in Christ shall rise first and bee caught up in the cloudes to meet Christ and then they shall be set at his right hand and heare that heavenly sentence Come yee blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome 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 Ioh. 3. 18. the unbeleever is condemned alreadie It is true he is condemned already and that three wayes First of all hee is condemned already in the counsell of God Secondly he is condemned already in the word of God
should be an effectuall meanes to make us carefull of holinesse and new obedience so to speake and so to doe as those whose words and actions must be brought to judgement Now that this is so and is intended so and hath prevailed with the servants of God I might prove many wayes I will ranke and order the proofe under these heads First I will shew you how this hath beene a meanes to draw some to the wayes and duties of obedience Secondly how it hath beene the way to direct and guide others in those actions Thirdly how it hath confirmed and strengthened them in those actions and by this we shall see what it should be to us First we shall see how it hath beene a way to draw men to the actions of obedience How are men drawne to bee obedient First they are drawne from their owne sinnes from their owne evill wayes Now the consideration of the judgement to come it hath prevailed and beene used for this purpose to draw men from their sinnes As wee see in Eccles. 11. saith Solomon to the young man Rejoyce now in thy youth it is Ironnically spoken but know saith hee that for these things thou shalt come to judgement That is let this coole thy courage and moderate thy excessive joy know that thou shalt come to judgement Act. 17. 30. Now saith he God calls upon all men every where to repent because hee hath appointed a time in which hee will judge the world Hee calls men to repentance by this argument because hee will judge the world and hath appointed a time for it You know repentance it is nothing else but to forsake our former evills Now he calls them to repentance because he will judge the world and so calls as he drawes men from sinne First he drawes men from the world to God by this You know that even worldly affections hinder men from comming to the obedience of Christ therefore saith the Apostle I account all as dung c Philip. 3. 7. Why because he looked for a Resurrection his thoughts were upon that and saith hee verse 20. our conversation is in heaven from whence wee looke for the Lord Iesus Christ. Therefore we are drawne to this holy course of obedience because we looke for Christ from heaven And then againe in the disposing of men to new obedience there is not only a forsaking of sinne and the world but besides that there is an inward qualifying of the heart Now the heart is qualified that is it is fitted by certaine qualities to the service of God by the helpe of this consideration as wee see Eccles. 12. 10. Tou see the summe of all feare God and keepe his Commandements for God will bring every worke to judgement Upon this ground hee mindes them to feare God which is that qualitie that disposeth a man to keepe his Commandements hee perswades them upon this ground because God will bring every worke to judgement Let us have grace in our hearts to serve the Lord with reverence and feare Heb. 12. I say this qualifies and disposeth us to the service of God and we are fitted to seeke and to serve God with due reverence and feare by the consideration of the judgement to come that he is a God that will judge the world So in Revel 14. hee would have the Nations to feare God because hee will come to judge the world So much for the first thing you see the consideration of the judgement to come prepares men to holinesse Secondly besides that it quickens them to all the actions of obedience when they are in it when now a man is in a good course and his heart is prepared to seeke God aright yet neverthelesse there are many temptations and many corruptions that sometimes indispose and unfit his heart againe Now then the consideration of the judgement to come it serves to revive and quicken the heart to these actions to Those of a mans particular Calling Those of his generall Calling For his particular calling the Apostle exhorts Timothie and chargeth him before God and Christ that shall judge the quicke and the dead to be faithfull in his ministerie Hee would have him faithfull in his ministerie upon this ground because Christ will come with his elect Angells to judge the quicke and the dead And so for our generall Calling Act. 24. I desire to keepe a good conscience before God and men upon this ground because I beleeve the Resurrection and so a judgement to come So in 2 Pet. 3. 11. Seeing all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought wee to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse Why all these things shall be dissolved therefore we had need to bee other manner of persons then we are to be better kinde of persons then we have beene Thus I say the servants of God quicken themselves to more holinesse upon consideration of the judgement to come Thirdly they have beene confirmed and strengthened upon this ground for when the heart of man is brought to this plight that he must be ever chearefull and lively and active in the service of God yet there are many discouragements and temptations to draw him out of the way againe that it may be hee may fall if he have not somewhat to support him and hold him up therefore the consideration of the judgement to come it hath kept the hearts of Gods servants in a good frame when they have beene in it Saith the Apostle be constant and immoveable alwayes abounding in the worke os the Lord for as much as yee know that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. As if hee had said You know this that there will a time come when it will appeare that you serve not God in vaine therefore for the present bee constant in the good you are in Hold fast that thou hast till I come saith Christ to the Church of Philadelphia and let no man take thy crowne Rev. 3. 21. Christ will come and it is but holding fast a-while and then the Church shall have a crowne and the servants of God shall have a crowne of glory an abundant recompence of all that they have done in the service of God therefore hold fast Hereupon Iam. 5. the Apostle exhorts to patience because they should meet with many persecutions and oppositions bee patient for the comming of the Lord drawes neere Beare the injuries that you suffer for the present and the indignities and the unkind usage of men for the comming of the Lord drawes neere when you shall have a plentifull harvest so he goes on illustrating this by a comparison taken from a Husband-man that waits for a harvest and then he shall have a plentifull croppe and increase for all his paines in Winter and in seed time so saith he the Lord will come and then you shall have a plentifull increase A word or
what world with the world of ungodly men God hath borne with the world many Ages of yeares many thousand yeares already and yet beareth still with the world The most holy God that perfectly hateth wickednesse yet to shew his Patience he beareth with ungodly ones Yea and he beareth with men too the mighty God that is able to destroy all the world with the very breath of his mouth that as with a word hee made the world so with a blast he is able to bring it to nothing yet this mighty God beareth with men this holy God with ungodly men yea and this God that might suddenly destroy the earth as hee did the old World with water he beareth so many thousand yeares with the world of ungodly men that his Patience and long-suffering may appeare You have God for an example then And Christ for an example too and you are predestinated for this very end to be like the Image of the Sonne to be made conformable unto Christ Wherein In all imitable and necessary graces I say in all those graces that are necessary by vertue of a rule and that are imitable wherein we may or can follow him Amongst the rest this is one his Patience See the Patience of Christ. In his carriage toward his Father how he bore the displeasure of his Father In his carriage toward men when hee might have commanded fire from heaven yet you see how hee bore with them and rebuked his Disciples You know not of what spirit you are Hee was lead as a Lambe dumbe before the shearers and hee opened not his mouth Againe you have the examples of the servants of God Take my brethren saith Saint Iames 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 frownes 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 Iob and what end the Lord made with him Every man can speake of the patience of Iob but this was written for our ensample to teach us to be patient as hee was Whatsoever things were written afore-time were written for our learnings that wee through Patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Againe secondly as it is necessary for a Christian to strive for the perfection of Patience in the degrees of it because of the conformitie that should be betweene him and those examples of God of Christ and of the Saints betweene God the Father and beleevers his children betweene Christ the head and beleevers his members betweene 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 necessitie 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 yee shall be put to what times yee 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 sticke an Engine used in warre Tribulations are unavoydable they will fall and sticke yee 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 wee should enter into the kingdome of heaven and whosoever will live Godly in Christ Iesus 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 concernes every one to be armed to get such a measure of patience as may support him in such afflictions Yee know not what afflictions yee may have what particular tryals God may put yee to In what a miserable case then is a man if he be to seeke 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 sensuall 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 caraiage in time by patience Thus yee see the necessitie of patience to the perfection of a Christian and the necessitie 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 reproofe of Christians that are carefull for other parts and acts of religion and are not so seriously mindfull of this duty of Patience as they should be but are so farre from striving for patience that they seeme rather to strive for impatience that make their crosses more heavy and their afflictions more bitter then they would be Indeed we make Gods Cuppe that of it selfe is grievous enough to nature and to sense by putting into it our owne ingredients that are inbred in our owne passions and pride and selfe-will and our owne earthly mindes 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 farre from perfecting patience in themselves that they wholly destroy patience The first is by their agravating of their afflictions by all the severall circumstances that possibly they can invent All their eloquence is used in expressing the grievousnesse of that crosse and affliction that is upon them They that in the times of mercy could scarse ever drop a word in thankfulnesse and acknowledgement of Gods goodnesse to them now they can poure out flouds of sentences in expression of Gods bitter and heavie dealing with them in such afflictions and crosses and distresses that befall them As the Church speakes in the Lamentations Consider all that passe by is there any Affliction like my affliction wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me The like speech you have ordinarily in the mouthes of persons Is there any affliction like mine there is no body so wronged in their name as I nor hath such paine in their body nor never went with such a heavy heart as I never any man suffered so many injuries by friends and enemies and all sorts of people as I have done as if all the afflictions in the world the flouds and waves of tryals were
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 betweene Christ and the soule Christ is become the Husband the Christian the Spouse So that as a Wife if her Husband should travell into a farre 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 tooke possession of heaven which is given to us by the will of God It is your Fathers pleasure to give you a kingdome Christ hath possessed it in our name I goe saith he to prepare a place for you and it is my will that they bee where I am I goe to my Father and your Father to my God and your God All that Christ hath in heaven Hee hath it for us Hee is gone before that wee may follow after wee cannot possibly lay claime to heaven wee cannot hope hereafter fully and personally to professe it if Christ had not first taken possession of heaven for us The Use of this in a word shall bee to stirre up every one to looketo his hope of heaven It is usuall for men to possesse their hope to be saved and scarse any but they will say they hope if they die they shall goe to heaven Yea but thou must now possesse it if ever hereafter thou meane 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 adde to their other sinnes 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 heire apparant to a Crowne or the sonne of a King and yet neverthelesse should indeed be the sonne of a Beggar and have nothing to shew for his pretended title to the Crowne and kingdome what would this be accounted but high treason against the King What a height of sinne is this that is in many men which to their other sinnes adde a presumptuous claime 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 claime to the Priesthood but Ezra searched the booke of the Genealogies and finding none of their names Registred there he presently concluded that they were none of the Priesthood therefore they were accounted polluted and put from the Priesthood If any man lay claime to heaven God will search his booke of Genealogies as it were he will search the Register of heaven and if he find that his name be not inrolled there if hee be not found to have interestin Jesus Christ all will be nothing he shall bee cast out to his greater confusion This should therefore stirre up euery one to make good his claime to heaven now either now to bee possest of heaven now to sit in heavenly places with Christ or else looke 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 wee looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ. The Apostle observeth here a kind of speech and that which seemes not so Grammaticall that he may thereupon build a sound and substantiall truth in Divinitie He had said before Our conversation is in the heavens in the Plurall number but now when hee speakes of Christs comming thence he speakes of it in the Singular number Our conversation is in the heavens from whence from which particular place Wee looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ. Of purpose to shew us thus much that though Christ in respect of his Deitie and divine nature he be in all places filling heaven and earth yet in respect of his bodily presence hee remaineth now and so will till his second comming which the Saints looke for in heaven Against those Vbiquitaries 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 borne of the Virgin to be now Bread and the bread turned into it The Lutherans will have the same Body about the bread No saith the Apostle there is no such matter from thence from that very place that very individuall particular single place from the third heavens where the body of Christ is Wee looke for the Saviour hee remaineth there and so will continue till his comming to Judgement So againe 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 remaine till his second comming Our Saviour told his Disciples in the dayes of his flesh that the poore they should have alwayes with them but me saith he you shall not have alwayes If this be true that they say then Christ hath not said true for hee is still in respect of his bodily presence and hath beene alwayes with us But I let passe 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 Iesus 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 hee rightly looke 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 continuall expectation is for Christ to come from heaven Secondly that nothing is so effectuall 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 doe continually expect and looke for the Saviour of the world even the Lord Iesus Christ to come from heaven By the comming of Christ you
this is it that makes him industrious to avoide evill 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 avoyding of all evill because he lookes for and waites for the comming of Christ. Now then take this for a maine tryall of your selves concerning the former point Whether can you with comfort looke for the comming of Christ or no There shall bee abundance at that day that shall hang downe their heads I saw saith Saint Iohn the Divine the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mighty men and every bond-man and every free-man men of all sorts hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountaines and said to the mountaines and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall bee able to stand Would you therefore hold up your heads with comfort and with joy that when you heare a Funerall Sermon it might comfort you to thinke It will not be long before my time shall come before my time shall bee would you in truth have freedome from the feare of death which Christ hath purchased for hee tooke upon him the same nature because the children were partakers of flesh and blood that hee might free them who for feare of death were held in bondage all their life Would you have comfort in Christs comming to Judgement See how effectually this workes in you Is it thus effectuall that because you looke for Christs comming therefore you prepare your selves therefore you purge out your lusts and corruptions because there shall bee nothing then when the secrets of all hearts shall bee manifest that shall bee displeasing to him when hee shall come Are you carefull to let fall worldly affections because you have a comfortable apprehension of heavenly joyes Are you carefull to turne your course from sinne because you would not lye open to the judgement of condemnation Are you carefull to doe good to persevere in the practise of godlinesse because hee that shall come will come and will not tarry If it bee thus with you then you may with comfort thinke of that day then you may with cheerefulnesse looke 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 mariage it is the day of that great Mariage that shall bee made betweene Christ and thy soule to all eternitie It is better then the day that thou obtainest thy freedome then the day that thou commest out of thy Apprentiship it is the day wherein thou ait set free and brought into the glorious liberty of the sonnes 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 walke in a holy course the better and with more constancie keepe the object alwayes close to your eye Thinke with your selves and say If wee would walke as Saints in heaven wee must live as Saints on earth But how shall wee doe this Be often thinking of the comming of Christ often put this question to your soules What if Christ should now come If hee should come now I am in the Church am I hearing the Word with that affection that I ought to heare it with If hee should come now I am in my calling in my worldly businesse doe I follow it with a heavenly disposition as I ought to doe What if hee should come now while I am feasting should he take mee as one feasting with feare lest I should sinne against God in my mirth What if hee should come and take mee asleepe have I made my peace with God before I went to rest Worke these considerations upon thy soule When the morning commeth thinke it may be Christ will come and take mee away before evening how shall I walke this day that I may have comfort in the comming of Christ When the Evening is come thinke It may be I shall never see morning before the great day of the Resurrection what now shall I doe that if I die in my sleepe 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 bee the next houre 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 passe it not in your thoughts as a matter of discourse but let it bee a working meditation let it bee effectuall to produce somewhat in you that may warme and heat your hearts and to set on fire the whole soule and to purge out the drosse of corruption that remaines in you Thus you see what it is that the Apostle here undertakes for himselfe and for as many as walked as hee did they had a heavenly Conversation and that which made them have a heavenly conversation was the looking for the comming of Christ. This was the fruit of their looking for the comming of Christ it made them walke in a heavenly conversation on earth There is another fruit of this by their looking for Christ they shall find him to bee a Lord and Jesus Wee looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Which word sheweth that all that Christ did for the purchase of our redemption hee did it by price and by power Hee did it by price hee satisfied his Fathers Justice and so hee is a Saviour Wee waite saith the Apostle 1 Thes. 1. 10. for his Son from heaven whom hee raised from the dead even Iesus which delivered us from the wrath to come And by power too over Sathan so hee is a Lord the Lord of might Thou shalt find at the day of Christ that hee will both bee Saviour and Lord to thee A Saviour to free thee from sinne and condemnation A Lord to bestow upon thee heaven and glory with the Saints This is another benefit of our looking for Christs comming in the manner before spoken of wee shall find him then to be a Lord and Jesus one that will save us from our sinnes and one that hath power to bestow heaven upon us Wouldest thou then have this comfort at that day Let him bee so here to thee in this life let him be thy Lord and commander of all thy affections of the wholeman yeeld obedience now to his will and thou shalt find him a Jesus then Hee is not a Jesus a Saviour except
in respect of the former societie and converse they had but now he speakes to the point she is no more his Wife but his dead It is translated by all in the Neuter Gender not my dead shee 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 Doe you not know that as long as a man liveth his wife is subject to him and shee must not converse with another So likewise for men againe 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 goe into the ground he calleth her his dead but not his Wife The substance and summe is this That Matrimonie 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 still a generation to praise God their Creatour and so being a temporall thing ordained for the office of this life it ceaseth when Death commeth there is nothing but Death and that which Christ speakes of in the Gospell can make a separation when Death commeth all relations cease and a wife is no wife and a husband is no husband Behold out of thâ—… the infinite love of God in Christ that hath made all things all unions and contracts hath made all to be void but his owne for our Lord Jesus in life and death is our Husband our Lord our Master our Father as well in the one as in the other whereas by the intercourse of Death all things are dissolved two of the best friends that are may part upon discontent and body and soule must part at Death and Husband and wife the Symboll of Christ and his Church must part one from another yet when all societies and contracts part Christ doth not part from us but he is in the Grave as well as in the highest heavens our Husband and Lord and Spouse and wee are his Church still we keepe the same relation and as strong bonds in death as in life My Dead Yet notwithstanding though she was not Abrahams Wife yet she was Abrahams dead This must teach a man after he is freed by Death from the combination and contract yet that there is a care remaining to the Dead a love to that though not as to a Wife the respects of Man and Wife are carnall and fleshly Death commeth and cutteth downe the flesh therefore cutteth off that respect too but because she was dead and there was such bonds betweene them formerly therefore a man is bound to lament and sorrow for his dead as Abraham did here to love the memorie of the dead to speake well of the dead when occasion serveth to commend them for their vertues to use the friends of the dead as farre as is in their power with all courtisie to bee good to the children of the Dead those that the Mother hath left and not to cast them into the hands of a furious woman a new Wife that neither careth for dead nor living but to have a speciall regard to the bonds and familiaritie and that spirituall acquaintance that God made in this life and so to be good to all that come of that issue for their sakes Let me bury my dead Lastly it followeth why hee would burie his dead Out of my sight A strange thing Out of my sight Was his griefe so aggravated as hee could not still behold her face or was it necessary that the carkasse it selfe must be conveyed away must it needs be that the body being now no way amiable but noisome must be conveyed out of a mans sight The best friend in the world cannot endure the sight of a dead body it is a gastly sight especially when it commeth to that dissolution that the parts begin to have an evill savour and smell as all have when they are dead then to keepe themselves in life and health it is necessary to avoid them to burie their dead out of their sight And what so sweet a sight once to blessed Abraham as Sarah What so sweet a spectacle to the world as Sarah The great Kings of the world set her as a Parragon and shee came no where but her beauty enamoured them shee was a sweet prospect in all eyes every man gazed on her with great content to see the beautie of God as in so many lines marked out in the face of Sarah Yet now she is odious every eye that looked upon her before now winkes and cannot endure to looke upon her shee must bee taken out of sight Oh bethinke your selves of this you that take pride in this fraile flesh that pranke up your selves to make you gracefull in every eye you that studie to please the beholders you that are the great Minions of the world you that when age beginneth to purle your faces begin to redeeme your selves with paintings thinke of this Mother Sarah the beautifullest woman in the world is loathsome to her husband her sweetest friend therefore I beseech you in the feare of God leave these fooleries and vaine fancies remember what danger Sarahs beauty cast her into though it were a great gift of God yet shee had better have beene without it then to have that hazard of soule and body that shee was brought to by Abrahams travels and necessitie and know it that your best beauty is to please the eye of God to looke beautifull in his sight for the sight of God is never weary the sight of men will bee weary of you the best friends you have will loath to see you dead you will then be grisly in the eyes of men but the eye of God it is all one even in the dust and nothing can make you so ill-favoured but God will like you therefore labour to please Gods eye that never ceaseth nothing will make him alter his affection whereas the eyes of men this life is so full of foule alterations as the least sicknesse bringeth an abomination unto them I see the time prevents me I will speake a little to the present occasion We have here a depositum a gage a pawne of a deare Sister of ours a woman knowne to you all to be of a holy Christian conversation a neighbour full of peace and quiet and of good workes according to her calling Shee was also in the spirituall part a woman of a very good inclination loving the Word of God curious and attentive in the hearing of it Shee was much delighted in it and desired to communicate the knowledge she had in the Scriptures to others and to speake of it as often as occasion permitted By this studie it pleased the Lord to worke a constant and lively faith in
Widow shee is dead while shee liveth even so are all such dead while they live dead in sinnes and trespasses and if so be those that are in this kind dead continue so till the death of the body seize upon them woe woe woe to them upon this followeth an eternall death endlesse easelesse and remedilesse torment upon body and soule for ever Thirdly the Saints have here consolation against the mortalitie 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 Iesus shall suffer persecution and through many afflictions wee must enter into the kingdome of heaven Where is now their comfort surely this that is set before us you heard that naturall men are dead while they live but those that are in Christ doe live while they may seeme to bee dead Ionah 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 wee may say in the tempestuous sea of this world by cruell Whales yet notwithstanding they still live that life that is begun here in this world whereof you heard before And to this purpose the Apostle Saint Paul in 2 Cor. 4. 8 9 10 11 12. sheweth plainly that though they are given up unto death daily for Iesus sake yet they are not destroyed not cleane swallowed up but that they live in Christ and that Christ liveth in them Wee are perplexed but not in despaire persecuted 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 fulnesse thereof in the kingdome of heaven Now my brethren this is the rather to be observed of us because of all others the Saints seeme to be most subject to death And the truth is here is matter of admiration in regard of their happinesse 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 sicknesse and in other distresses to spend all that they have as the Woman that was troubled with the bloudie issue spent all that shee had upon the Physitians to preserve life to recover health Solomon speaking according to the conceit of men saith that a living Dogge is better than a dead Lyon any life better then a death thus they imagine and Sathan well knew mens account of life when he could say Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will hee give for his life Now if so bee that this temporall life here that is but a flower but a bubble but a blast but a breath yea that life that in the shortnesse thereof is subject to so much perplexitie 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 expresse 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 glimpse of this life he did there see they are his owne words unutterable matter things that cannot bee exprest And therefore in this respect he saith and that which he saith may be most fitly applyed to this the things which eye hath not seene nor eare 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 bee compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us for our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory It will be here said whence commeth this or what may bee 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 himselfe It is more cleare then need to be proved that eternall life it commeth from divine grace Grace is the ground of it Being justified by grace saith the Apostle and againe by Grace you are saved And indeed all things that bring us thereto are in the Scriptures attributed to Grace And needs must it be so For First out of God there can be nothing done to move him to doe this or that as if it should be done for our sakes either meriting or procuring of it Hee is independant and we are depending upon him and whatsoever wee have is out of our selves and commeth from him Againe in Man there can be nothing What is there in man but miserie whatsoever man had or hath if there be any good thing he hath it from this fountaine of goodnesse all our sufficiencie is of God And this is briefly to be noted against that proud and arrogant position of our Adversaries concerning the merit of mans workes 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 infinitenesse his all-sufficiencie they know not man his emptinesse his impotencie his vilenesse his cursednesse they know not this life they know not the reward the excellencie of it the disproportion betweene any thing that man can doe and this life that is thus graciously bestowed that have such a conceit Let them therefore passe with their foolish opinion For our owne parts it affordeth to us another ground of comfort and that in regard of our unworthinesse for as we are creatures we are lesse then the least of Gods mercies but as we are mortall creatures dust and ashes much more unworthy of any favour but as we are sinfull creatures having provoked the justice of God most most unworthy of any grace of any life most worthy of all judgements and vengeance of eternall death and damnation Where is now our hope what ground shall wee have that have nothing in
shee desired him to be a carefull Father over them all shee prayed to God devoutly to send a blessing both upon him and them Much shee could not then speake because of her paines that now began still to increase upon her When shee was in the extremitie of her labour he being absent as it was fitting she sent downe to him to desire him to pray to God on her behalfe that he would ease her of those grievous paines and preserve her in the great paine and perill of Child-birth The propitious God it seemed heard him and granted his request for presently to the thinking of the standers by shee was well delivered Not satisfied with this having received so great a blessing from God shee sent downe againe to desire him to give God thankes for her safe deliverie But God that had determined to take out of this miserable life quickly turned that hope of the standers by into a feare and suddenly shee changed which perceiving as long as shee was able to speake shee cried Lord Jesus have mercy on my soule Lord have mercie on mee Lord pitty mee poore miserable wretch and when she could not speake shee held up her hands to heaven as desirous to make her peace with that God whom shee knew shee had highly offended I make no question but God hath translated her from the valley of teares to the Mount Sion of blessednesse whether God of his infinite mercie bring us all FINIS THE DEATH OF SINNE AND LIFE OF GRACE EPHES. 2. 1. And you hath hee quickned that were dead in Sinnes and Trespasses LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. THE DEATH OF SINNE AND LIFE OF GRACE SERMON XXXVII ROM 6. 11. Likewise reckon ye also your selves to bee dead unto sinne but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. THe intent of this Chapter is to take off an abuse of the Doctrine of the Gospell which publisheth the free Grace of God to great sinners The Apostle had sayd in the latter end of the 20. verse of the former Chapter where sinne abounded Grace did much more abound From hence some did inferre that therefore under the Gospell they might take liberty to sinne the more their sinnes were and the greater they were the more they should occasion God to manifest his abundant Grace upon them This the Apostle answers in this Chapter and he answers it two waies First by way of detestation Secondly by way of confutation By way of detestation in the first verse and part of the second What shall we say then shall we continue in sinne that Grace may abound God forbid Secondly by way of confutation the argument whereby hee confutes it is by a necessarie consequence of our justification that is our sanctification these are so inseperably united together all that are justified are sanctified And upon this ground the Apostle frames two arguments to confute this errour taken from the two parts of sanctification The first is from our mortification from the third verse to the end of the seventh and the argument runnes thus Those that are dead to sinne cannot sinne that Grace may abound but all that are in Christ are dead to sinne therefore they cannot sinne that Grace may abound Now that all that are in Christ are dead to sinne he proves by their union with Christ testified in Baptisme and by the effect of that union which is conformitie to Christ that as Christ was dead for sinne so they are dead to sinne The second argument is taken from the second part of our sanctification which is our quickning to a new life and that he handles in the 8. 9. 10. verses and that argument runnes thus Those that are quickned by Christ to newnesse of life cannot sin that Grace may abound but all that are in Christ are quickned by Christ to newnesse of life therefore they cannot sinne that Grace may abound That all that are in Christ are quickned to newnesse of life he proves in verse 8. If we be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall live with him still by our union with Christ whereby there comes a conformity to Christ in his resurrection as well as in his death And from these premises hee inferres by way of application the conclusion that is here in the words of the Text I have now read to you likewise reckon ye also your selves dead unto sinne but alive to God through Iesus Christ our Lord. As if he should say doe not rest your selves satisfied in the bare knowledge of these things in the discourse of them in generall but bring them to particular application make the case your owne what wee say of death to sinne and of newnesse of life wee speake to you if ye be in Christ therefore you must make account of it to bee your case likewise reckon ye your selves dead to sinne but alive to God through Iesus Christ our Lord. We see now the coherence of the words with those that goe before and the maine intent and scope of the Apostle in the Chapter wherein we might note divers things The first is out of the very connexion that by vertue of the union of beleevers with Christ there is in them a conformitie to Christ. They are made like unto him he had sayd before that Christ dyed and rose againe likewise reckon ye your selves like him in this Every one that is in Christ is conformable to Christ and made like him Then againe secondly wee might note hence this also that Rectified and sanctified reason ever concludes to God and for God Reckon yee make account conclude this so the word signifieth reason thus conclude thus as it is used Rom. 3. 28. Wee conclude saith the Apostle where the same word is used That a man is justified by Faith without the workes of the Law So conclude this rest on this conclusion do not make it a matter of conjecture and opinion onely but when you consider things wisely when you weigh things seriously you shall see great reason to inferre those things from these premisses that God would have you inferre Therefore whatsoever reasoning is against the Word whatsoever disputes the mindes of men uphold against any truth in Scripture it is but the reasoning of corrupt reason If reason were sanctified it would conclude as 2 Cor. 5. We judge if one dyed for all then they that live should not live to themselves but to him that dyed for them When men come to deale judiciously and advisedly when they come to conclude of things wisely they will conclude then that what use the Word and the Gospell would have them make of any truth that they will make of it Likewise reckon ye judge thus Thirdly we might note hence thus much also that The best and most profitable knowledge of the Scriptures is in applying it to a mans owne case and person and condition Reckon ye also your selves saith the Apostle make account of thus much that
that may be meant but that which is unrighteously kept is unrighteous Mammon to you if you procured it never so justly unlesse you doe rightly dispose of it and if you be desirous to doe right in disposing of your mammon of your wealth doe 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 Sonne 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 doe good with and therefore hee is blessed and thou art tormented It was the folly of those five Virgins They tooke not the opportunitie of life for that is the thing meant there but they posted over all to the last and hoped that all might bee effected in a trice or minute of their life which would haue 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 Bridegroome 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 workes follow them That therefore it matters not so long as a man doth good at his death though hee have neglected the wayes of goodnesse all his life Let them know that by works there is not meant the actions of men but the fruites of their actions Their workes follow them not the workes they have deferred untill death but the fruites of those workes they did while they were living and received not the benefit of them untill death Their workes follow them that is the fruits of their workes It is more good and pleasant by farre to have the actions goe before and the fruites and comfortable effects to succeed and follow after But if any man yet suppose that hee may make that up in his Will which he hath neglected all his life long and though hee have lived miserably covetously and unprofitably all the dayes of his life yet his thoughts may tell him that by the Charitable Bequests of his last Testament as bequeathing largely to the Church and Common-wealth and to all sorts of people hee may at the last make fit compensation and satisfaction for neglect of former duties Let no man deceive himselfe with such a bad resolution for first it argues a signe of infidelitie that a man will not trust God for feare he should want in his life-time what is the reason else that he deferres the doing good in health unlesse it be for feare of wanting himselfe such distrust hee hath in the providence of God Besides the same God which bids thee doe good when thou hast opportunitie and while thou enjoyest the advantage of life hee expects it now And it may bee truly said of many that neglect those times of doing good while they lived and have now supplied that defect in their death by the large benevolence of their Wills Their will is good but their deed is â—…ught 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 opportunitie of thy meanes and thy estate while there is yet a price in thine hand while thou hast opportunitie and enjoyest wealth to doe good with redeeme the advantages and opportunities by employing them in that way for which thou didst receive them The time may come wherein you may desire to doe good but cannot wanting at estate and opportunities whereby to doe it Marke what Solomon saith Wilt thou trust in a thing of nothing for Riches have wings as an Eagle and flie away toward heaven It is the vanitie of men that they still forbeare and stay while their estates increase pretending that then they shall bee better able to doe good and extend themselves more largely or that they may keepe their wealth and waite for a better opportunitie But why wilt thou trust in a thing of nothing Thou seest a fowle in her flight and now it may be thou perceivest it but instantly it vanisheth out of thy sight Why riches have wings saith Solomon Thou hast them now in thy possession and retainest them fast in hold but presently they are departed they flie as an Eagle out of thy sight And the same wise man when he exhorteth men to cast their bread upon the waters Hee gives them this reason Thou knowest not what evills thou knowest not what judgements and calamities God intends to bring upon that Nation where thou livest upon the Citie upon the Familie where thou dwellest upon thy person or estate Thou knowest not what evils God will bring upon the earth And so likewise charge rich men in this world that they hee not high-minded and that they trust not in uncertaine riches but in the living God that they bee readie to distribute and to communicate and to doe good workes What is it that hinders men from distributing and communicating Because they trust in uncertaine Riches For if they would now learne not to trust in uncertaine Riches but account them uncertaine as they are and put confidence in the living God who can provide for them when those outward meanes which they so much rely on faile their expectations they would then be more liberall and bountifull and readie to doe good and to communicate So then here is the meaning of the point Take the opportunities of life That is first take the time of life while you may doe good and then take the meanes the wealth and estate which is the time of your meanes For this observe Iobs case hee goes on discoursing of this very point he was now a man stript of all hee had but the other day the Richest man in the East the Sâ—…ans and Caldeans had carried away his goods his cattell and his children and all things were taken from him Yet there was onething that administred comfort in the day of his adversitie and his affliction And it was this saith he If I have made the eyes of the poore to faile or if I eate my morsels alone or if I have not relieved the fatherlesse c. If I have not done thus and thus then let the Lords fiercest judgement fall upon mee But herein consists my comfort my conscience beares mee witnesse that when I had wealth and estate and enjoyed the goods of this life I did good I was father to the fatherlesse a foot to the lame and eyes to the blind I did all the good that lay within the compasse of my power to doe when I had meanes to doe it I say little doe you know beloved whatsoever thou art whatsoever estate thou hast though thou
it is justice suum cuique tribure to give every one his due it is charitie to propose eminent examples of heavenly graces and vertues shining in the dead for the imitation of the living Such jewells ought not to bee locked up in a Coffine as in a Casket but to bee set out to the view of all and surely they deserve better of the dead who set a garland of deserved praises on their life then they who stick their Hearse full with flowers Tapers made of pure waxe burne clearely and after they are blowne out leave a sweet savour behinde them so the servants of Christ who have caused their light so to shine before men that they may see their workes and glorifie their Father which is in Heaven leave a good name like a sweet smell behinde them and why may wee not blow it abroad by our breath Deo Patri c. The rest concerning the life and death of the party is lost FINIS VOX COâ—…LI OR THE DEADS HERALD SERMON XLV APOCH 14. 13. And I heard a voyce from heaven saying unto mee write blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from hence forth c. VBi Vulnus ibi manus From whence wee tooke our wound from thence we receive the cure a voyce from heaven strucke all the living dead saying All flesh is grasse and the glory or goodlinesse of it is as the flower of the field The grasse withereth c. But here a voyce from heaven maketh all whole againe and representeth all the dead in the Lord living yea and flourishing too â—…aying Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord. To give a touch at the wound that the smart thereof may make the sense of the cure more delightfull Omnis caro foenum omnis homo flos All flesh is grasse and â—…very man is a flower There is difference in grasse some is longer and some is shorter so some men are longer lived some shorter Some grasse shooteth up with one leafe some with three some with five or more so some men have more in their retinue some fewer some none at all Some grasse withereth before it is cut as the grasse on the house toppe some is cut before it withâ—…reth as the grasse of the field so some men decay before the Sythe of death cutts them all other after Likewise there is a great difference among flowers 1. Some are for sight only not for the smell or any vertue in medicines as Tulips Emims and Crowne Emperials 2. Some for sight and smell but of no use in Medicines as Sweet-williams the painted Lady and Iuly-flowers generally 3. Some are both for sight and smell and of singular use in Medicines as Roses and Violets So some men are of better parts and greater use in the Church and Common-wealth others of lesse Some flowers grow in the field some in the garden so some mens lives and improvements are publike others private Some flowers are put in Posies some in Garlands some are cast into the Still so some men are better preferred then others and some live and die in obscuritie Lastly some flowers presently lose their colour and sent as the Narcissus some keepe them both long as the red Rose So some men continue longer in their bloome grace and favour others for a short time but all fade and within a while are either gathered cut downe or withered of themselves and die And for this reason it is as I conceive that we sticke herbes and flowers on the Hearse of the dead to signifie that as we commit earth to earth and ashes to ashes so we put grasse to grasse and flowers to flowers For omnis caro foenum All flesh is grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof as the flower of the field the grasse withereth and the flower fadeth away But the comfort is in that which followeth But the word of the Lord endureth for ever and this is the word which by the Gospell is preached unto you Whereof this verse which I have read unto you for my Text is part Which Saint Iohn inferreth as a conclusion or corrolarie upon the conclusion of the Saints and Martyrs lives this conclusion is inâ—…erred upon two premisses 1. The end of their labours 2. The reward of their worke The Syllogisme may be thus formâ—…d All they who are come to an end of their labour and have received liberally for their worke or are paid well for their paines are happie But all the dead that die in the Lord are come to an end of their labour for they rest from their labours and receive liberally for their workes follow them Ergo all the dead that die in the Lord are happy As in other Texts so in this wee may borrow much light from the occasion of the speech which here was this Saint Iohn having related in a vision a fearefull persecution to fall in the latter times whereby the earth should bee râ—…aped and the Saints mowen like grasse and true beleevers like grapes pressed in such sort that their blood should come out of the wine-presse even to the horse bellies breaketh into an Epiphonema vers 12. here is the patience of the Saints that is here is matter for their patience and faith to worke upon Here is their patience to endure for Gods cause whatsover man or divell can inflict upon them to part with any limbe for their head Christ Jesus gladly to forfeit their estates on earth for a crowne in heaven chearefully to lose their lives in this vale of teares that they may find them in the rivers of pleasures that spring at Gods right hand for evermore Here is worke for their faith also to see heaven as it were through hell eternall life in present death to beleeve that God numbreth every haire of their head and that every teare they shed for his sake shall bee turned into a pearle every drop of blood into a Rubie to be set in their crowne of glorie 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 bee most blessed and that the worst their enemies can doe is to put them in present possession of their happinesse Blessed are the dead c. So saith the spirit whatsoever the flesh saith to the contrarie Here wee have 1. A proposition De fide of faith 2. A Deposition or testimonie of the spirit A Proposition of the happy estate of the dead A deposition of the holy Ghost to confirme our faith therin 1. Saint Iohn sets downe his relation 2. A most comfortable assertion 3. A most strong confirmation The relation strange of a voyce from heaven without any speaker 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 testimonie of an invisible witnesse So
all met upon one person This is the language of men whereby they aggravate their afflictions and increase impatience in themselves Againe another way whereby they doe it is this By giving vent and free course to their passions Passions are like a wilde 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 stopping of them David wee see checks himselfe he had a curbe 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 thinke they have reason for it they breake out into all exorbitancie Ionah when the Lord chalenged him for his anger Dost thou well to bee angrie I saith he I doe well to be angrie 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 they mistake Gods wayes and that very way that he intendeth them good in they complaine of as if it were their utter undoing Againe thirdly another way whereby men increase their impatience and distemper is when they will not give way to comfort they will not onely bee 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 Ioseph When he heard that Ioseph was dead not onely his heart sunke within him but hee 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 Ioseph was not and I will goe to the grave to Ioseph nothing would comfort Iacob but he would goe downe to the grave to Ioseph by all meanes What a great matter was this He only heard that Ioseph was dead he was alive he knew not so much but hee heard a present sound of feare 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 possibly be Nay we multiply upon our selves our feares and we will not heare counsell and comfort as Rachel that mourned for her children and would not bee comforted because they were not Againe a fourth thing whereby men increase impatience in themselves and aggravate their sorrowes is this when men looke onely 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 looke but upon one thing at once there should bee a looking upon the affliction and there should bee a looking upon the mercy too This was Hamans case when he was vexed that Mordecay did not doe him reverence all his wealth and his honours could doe 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 Queene put upon him yet all this availeth me nothing saith he so long as I see Mordecay the Iew sitting in the Kings gate Hee lookes onely 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 glasse and can sticke no where till she come to some cracke or as a Gnat that commeth about the body of a beast that will be sure to sticke 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 owne hearts men sticke 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 looke on the mercies he receiveth but onely lookes on that that he wanteth Againe a fifth course that men take to aggravate their sorrows and increase impatience in themselves is this They looke upon the instrument of their sorrows and afflictions but never looke up to God that ruleth and over-ruleth these things Men looke upon such a person such a man and no more Yee see how David was disquieted at this If it had beene an enemie that reproached him then he could have borne it but it was thou my friend my equall my guide my acquaintance that sate at my table wee tooke sweet counsell together and walked unto the house of God in company This troubled him and see how he multiplied his sorrowes when hee looked upon the instrument till he looked upon God and then I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because thou didst it There is no quiet in the heart when a man lookes upon man till hee lookes upon God that ordereth all things by his wisedome and counsell Lastly men aggravate their sorrowes and increase their impatience by another course they take that is when they looke on their sorrows and afflictions onely and not upon the benefit of affliction they looke only upon that that flesh would avoyde but not that which if they were spirituall and wise they would desire No affliction saith the Apostle is joyous for the time that is to flesh and nature but grievous neverthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse to them which are exercised thereby Now men looke upon that only which is grievous in affliction upon the smart of it but not upon the profit of Affliction the quiet fruit of righteousnesse that commeth 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 commeth by it and the cure that followeth Thus it is with men they complaine of God as if he envied them the comfort of their lives as if he intended to robbe them of all conveniencies and to make them utterly miserable to begin a Hell with them on earth when they never looke how God by this meanes fitteth them for heaven by this meanes purging out corruption and strengthening grace in them Wee are afflicted of the Lord that we may not be condemned of the world Men looke upon the affliction
had removed the obstacles that then he would poure his wrath upon them Secondly there is another extent of the Word that is of the subject of the person No man It argueth the neglect to be generall A man would have thought that upon the mention of the first word Mercifull men are taken away the mourners should goe about in the streets the poore Orphans should weepe because they have lost a Patron No such matter no consideration on no hand that is a wonder had the mercifull man no wife no children no friend to mourne after him when he was buried in the earth was there no well-willers to him that had benefit by his pietie to mourne for the righteous man was there none like to himselfe one righteous man will mourne for another What is this then No man If they would not regard the pietie of the godly man or mercifull when he lived me thinkes when hee died there should be some consideration A Mountaine as long as it standeth men take no great notice of it but if fall all eyes looke upon it The Sunne when he is in his strength there are few eyes that looke on it but if it come to an ecclipse every man getteth into his Turret Generally men delight to looke upon those Starres that in their opinion they thinke are fallen All these the godly man is Hee shineth as a starre here as the Sunne in his strength after he is as a Mountaine as a Beacon upon a Mountaine more glorious The Mountaine and the starre falleth 〈◊〉 Sunne is in the Ecclipse Mercifull men are taken away and no man considereth it I will not say it is to be taken in the full extent it implieth not a nullitie but a paucitie As in that place in the Psalme There is none that doth good no not one The Prophet doth not implie that there was not one godly man at all but so few that they could hardly be numbred a great paucitie So here No man considereth that is those that considered were so very few that there was hardly notice taken of them they were hardly in the compasse of a Number Nay it is twice noted No man no man to shew it was almost a nullitie there is not any not any that is they were exceeding few What is the reason Because they were not acquainted with the rule and way of pietie therefore they mourned not If pietie were within it would simpathize without as there is like rejoycing so they would sorrow together Wee are not to thinke but they had naturall affection though it were almost cut off it is likely if any of their kinne were tooke away they would mourne If a Father or Mother were taken away the most impenitent man would have teares though not for sin yet for losses and crosses then there are those that would crie with Elisha My father my father the Chariots of Israel c. If a brother or a sister were taken away I doubt not but there are those that would follow with the voyce of lamentation Alas my brother alas my sister woe is mee for my brother Ionathan Wee have teares for brethren Further if it were but a child that were lost a man would be sure to find teares for them and sigh a long time after and would say with David Oh Absalom my son my son would God I had died for thee my son All conditions that live find teares in mens eyes and consideration of their departure only the godly and the righteous man findeth none Here is their stupiditie Can there be a greater stupiditie 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 pietie so much we owe the memoriall 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 shall find a conformitie with out times There is never a word of this Scripture but it is true now I will not take the parts in order First wee cannot denie that evill 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 evill of sinne it is impossible that God should forbeare long The evill of sinne that surchargeth the earth must be unloaden againe by this burthen by the burthen of punishment one burthen must justle out another Evils there have beene impendant that we have seene Evils there are now present that we begin to groane under and no man can tell where that evill will stay There is evill present and evils to come because our evils are still multiplying the beginnings of sorrowes and sufferings and feares God grant it may stay But our state and condition is like them in this that they are yet impendant We see the heavens growne blacke judgements are a ripening When yee see the skie red when yee see the skie blacke judgement is beginning not only beginning to bud but it beginneth to spread and inlarge it selfe Thus farre there is a correspondencie There is evill that we have cause to feare and suspect yet further to come on this place Secondly there is a conformitie with the other too in our negligence The world sendeth forth men now voide of naturall affection It was never so before For if before they neglected others yet they were carefull of themselves But men now desperatly neglect their owne salvations There is no respect to God no pitty of others no not of themselves I doe not wonder that men heretofore considered not when they loved their lives better then their sinnes because they had some sensible taste of that that was temporall when they loved their lives better then heaven But now men love not their lives best but their sinnes better for though their lives bee in danger yet their sins are kept It is an admirable thing to consider how every way we are given to plentie to ryot to securitie notwithstanding God commeth neere and bringeth his judgement even to the dore and makes it swell He forbeareth a long time to trie us with mercies and then he takes a severe course Where shal men see the face of an alteration our lives are the same our delights the same our vanities and follies the same we keepe the same sins still as if we were bent to provoke God further to see what he will doe That is an evident signe 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 braine We begin to tremble and we thinke our selves well if we
the oath of Alleageance some for attempting to blow up Parliament houses Such as these are not Martyrs It is not the punishment it is the cause that makes the Martyr Our blessed Lord himselfe that never did evill was crucified betweene two evill doers there was an equall punishment there was not an equall cause It must be the cause that wee must looke to if wee looke to be blessed But I cannot stand upon that Here is the first interpretation To die in the Lord is for the Lord. But there is a second and that is more large Die in the Lord that is die in the faith of the Lord. Salute Andronicus and Iunius my fellow prisoners which were in the Lord before mee saith S. Paul that is that were Beleevers that were in the faith before mee And to let passe many other places if there bee no resurrection of the dead saith the Apostle then wee that are asleepe in Christ c. If wee beleeve that Iesus died then those that sleepe in Iesus shall hee bring with him c. And againe Hee shall descend from heaven with a shout and they that are dead in Christ shall rise first Now what is it to die in Christ in a large sense I will tell you Hee that would die in Christ first hee must die in obedience There are many workes of obedience that wee are to doe Our last and greatest act of obedience is to resigne up this same spirit of ours willingly chearfully into the hands of God that gave it If wee have not attained to that strength that some have done that is to live patiently and die willingly yet wee should labour to attaine to thus much strength to live willingly and to die patiently So as Christ may bee magnified in my body saith the Apostle I passe not it makes no matter let it either bee by life or by death When wee have done the worke that God hath set us to doe wee must be gone and thus must every one say with himselfe Lord if I have done all the worke thou hast appointed mee to doe call me away at thy pleasure Here is the first In obedience Secondly Die in repentance I remember what Possidonius said of Saint Augustine a little before his death that it was necessarie that men when they died they should not goe out of the world absque digna competenti resipiscentiâ without a fit competent repentance Hee himselfe did so for he caused the penitentiall Psalmes to be written and they were before him as hee lay upon his bed and hee was continually reading those penetentiall Psalmes and meditating upon them with many teares he died even in the very act of contrition I doe love to see a man chearefull upon his death-bed but I doe more love to see a man penitent There is a day indeed when God will wipe away all teares from our eyes When that commeth then he will wipe away these teares of repentance too these teares of godly sorrow But the Lord grant he may find mee with teaees in mine eyes Thirdly Die in faith Indeed if ever Faith had a worke to doe it hath then a worke to doe when all other comforts in the world faile us and friends goe from us then faith to lay hold on the promises I know that my Redeemer liveth and that I shall rise againe at the last day and bee covered with my skin and shall see God with these same eyes Thus faith And then fourthly Die with Invocation calling upon the name of God Thus have all the Saints of God done continually commending of their soules to God in prayers Saint Paul would have us commend our soules to God in well-doing And it is a necessary thing every morning wee rise and every night wee goe to bed but especially when wee see some harbingers of death sent unto us then to have nothing to doe but with our blessed Lord Father into thy hands I commend my spirit And with Saint Steven Lord Iesus receive my spirit And next to this let me put in also Mercie Charitie Die forgiving one another Thus our Lord taught us to doe when he cried out Father forgive them for they know not what they doe And Saint Steven taught us to doe so too Lord lay not this sinne to their charge And then lastly for I cannot stand upon these things there must be a death in Peace Peace with God Peace with our owne consciences and Peace with all the world And now the man that dieth thus dieth with willingnesse Dieth in repentance dieth in faith dieth with invocation dieth in charitie dieth in peace this man dieth in the Lord and such a one is blessed They that would thus die in him must live in him A man cannot bee said to die in London that never lived in London A man cannot be said to die in the Lord that never lived in the Lord. If thou dost not live in obedience in faith in repentance in invocation in charitie in peace thou canst not die in these A man must first live the life of the righteous before he can die the death of the righteous And then againe if a man would die thus Hee must bee well acquainted with death grow familiar with him by meditation Many things more I might have said to this purpose but I am loth to transgresse the houre I have done with that Give me only leave now to speake in a few words unto the present occasion You have brought here beloved the body of your wellloved neighbour Mistris S. H. late the Wife of your late reverend Pastour Doctor R. H. to be layed up together with her Husband in hope of a blessed and glorious resurrection It is long since that I did in this place performe this service at the buriall of his former Wife a woman of whom I may not speake for though I hold my peace the very stone here in the wall will say enough of her and you that know her cannot but assure the truth of it I am intreated to performe now the like duty to the second Wife And I was easily intreated to doe it for that name of brother and sister that was usually betweene us for many yeares continued may very well challenge of me any dutie I am able to performe I am straitned in time and I cannot speake what I would and I doe perceive alreadie by this that I have spoken that if I should speake much more my passion would not give me leave Let me tell you one thing amongst many others it is a thing extraordinary and it is for imitation The Vertuous woman in the last of the Proverbs is commended for many things Amongst others this is one Shee doeth her husband good and not evill all the dayes of her life And marke it I pray you It is not all the dayes of his life and yet peradventure some woman might bee thought a good
woman that doth that but shee may perhaps out-live her Husband A vertuous woman will doe him good and not evill all the dayes of her life And for this amongst many other things I doe commend this vertuous Gentlewoman I may almost say with the words there in the end of that Chapter Many daughters have done excellently but thou surmountest them all So I may say many women peradventure have done excellently in this kind but I doe not know of any one that ever hath done the like to her Husband I pray you heare it Her Husband had a brother that lived in Portugall at the time of his death who was there married he had there three children at least two sonnes and a daughter This vertuous good Woman would give her selfe no rest till she had these children out of Portugall shee got the two sonnes hither And what was her care here is another excellencie of hers her chiefe care was for their soules What did shee or rather what did shee not to winne those children from Poperie in which they have beene brought up and to bring them to the true service of God Shee obtained it she got it When shee had done that wonne them to our religion she had not done all one of these had a desire to exercise some Merchandise by Sea Shee furnished him to the Sea shee furnished him with money for his adventures The other shee bound Apprentise here in the Citie to an honest trade and shee hath given them a liberall childes portion I may say so A childes portion that they may thanke God and I hope they wil have the grace to do it that they had I do not say such an Aunt in law but such a Mother Here was not all Shee sent for the Mother too shee was but sister-in-law to her Husband she sent for the Mother she sent for the Daughter they were here Shee clothed them she fed them some moneths and if shee could have wonne them to our religion she would have maintained the Mother while shee had lived shee would have brought up the Daughter as her owne child But that could not be done it was a worke beyond her strength You see here a vertuous Woman that did good to her Husband not all the dayes of his life but all the dayes of her life To the very last day of her life shee never did cease to doe good to her Husband in his kindred and I thinke I may say that shee was more carefull of his kindred then of her owne But this is not all This kindnesse you will say was shewed to her Husbands kindred Heare a little more therefore Shee knew that there were many Ministers that had a great charge of children and peradventure would be very glad to have some of their children taken off of their hands Shee hath given to the putting out of five Ministers children to bind them Apprentices fiftie pounds Shee knew that there were some poore persons of the Palatinate here which stood in necessitie Shee hath given to the reliefe of them twentie pounds Shee knew that there were many poore soules that lay in Turkish slavery Shee hath given for the redeeming of them twentie pounds Nay yet more Shee considered that her Husband was sometime a poore scholler in the Universitie of Cambridge And shee considered too that there are many Ministers Widowes that lived well while their husband lived that are faine to crave reliefe the greater is the shame of some men when they are dead Shee hath therefore given five hundred pounds to purchase lands and with this land to maintaine partly two Schollers in the Universitie from their first comming thither till they bee Masters of Art And then with the residue to maintaine foure Widowes that have beene the Wives of honest preaching Ministers Zacheus his offer was but halfe of his goods Lord halfe of my goods I give to the poore For ought I can perceive and understand above halfe of her estate shee hath given to charitable uses I say no more of her These workes of her will praise her in the gates Shee died in the Countrey And I am sorry that I had not information as I did desire of her behaviour in her sicknesse I have it not I can say nothing of it but thus much It was not possible that such a creature that lived thus as we know she did in obedience to God in repentance in faith with invocation of Gods mercie in Charity in Peace but that her death was blessed Shee that lived in the Lord no question but she died in the Lord and shee is blessed for Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. God Lord teach us to number our dayes that wee may apply our hearts to wisedome and grant that as we grow in yeares we may grow in knowledge of thy truth in obedience to thy will in faith in thy promises in love toward thee and toward our neighbours for thy sake that when wee come to the end of our dayes wee may come to the end of our hope the salvation of our soules through Jesus Christ to whom with thee oh Father and thee oh holy Spirit three Persons but one true and immortall and onely wise God be given both from us and all thy creatures in heaven and in earth continuall praise honour glory dominion and power now and for evermore Let all those that heare the word of God depart from iniquitie Now the God of Peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus the great Shepheard of the sheepe through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect to doe his will working in you that which is pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ. Amen FINIS THE CHRISTIANS CENTER OR HOW TO LIVE TO GOD. PHILIP 1. 20. Christ shall bee magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death 2 COR. 5. 15. They which live should not hence-forth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose againe LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. THE CHRISTIANS CENTER OR HOW TO LIVE TO GOD. SERMON X. ROM 14. 7. For none of us liveth to himselfe and no man dieth to himselfe for whether we live we live to the Lord and whether wee die wee die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die wee are the Lords THese words containe an Argument or reason which the Apostle useth to prove that the weake Christian should bee borne withall and that men should not judge because of the difference of meat amongst them Hee sheweth that they did not with the neglect of the knowledge of any truth keepe themselves ignorant in this particular but it was their weaknesse The strong should beare with the weake and the weake should not censure the strong the reason is because they agree in one end they propound one generall end to themselves that guides them in all their actions they walke in one way and in one path and
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 Wee are ready to strike sayle wee have but a little time to continue So that because all the blessings of this life let them be never so many never so great yet they all die with us when our time is ended hee that could but seriously thinke that hee hath but a little time to continue below hee will never let his heart be set violently upon them that is the first Argument The second and principall Reason why the meditation of the shortnesse of our time should bee such a marvellous meanes to take us off from all the things of the world is this Because wee shall find worke enough in this short time for things that more concerne us Now the very nature of our soule 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 certaine houre wholly bee tooke up with some businesse though there were a great many other things that he could find in his heart to thinke upon yet the soule intends that one mainly and can find no time for the other Thus is our case Wee have but a little time but in that little time admirable is the worke wee have to doe before this time be spent if wee would give a comfortable account What have we to doe I tell you in a word The maine and needfull thing of all that wee have to doe in this little time here allotted us is How to shoote 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 soule 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 worke to doe and that I have but a little time to doe it in Surely then if I seriously thinke of it I cannot find in my heart to let my soule 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 hee goe 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 Navie 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 beene But hee imploped his souldiers to gather a company of Cockleshells and pibles and so sayled home Had not every one cause to lavgh at the folly of this Emperour Verely such a foole is every man and so wee would acknowledge if wee would but weigh this God hath given thee but thus much time it may be twenty yeares it may be but a day or two more in this time he hath furnished thee with that which may bee a meanes to conquer heaven it selfe now if thou lay out this little about wife or children or to purchase a little wealth or these things here below is it not the greatest folly that may bee Suppose that a servant hath a great deale of worke to doe and knowes that he must give an account to his Master thereof and that if all be not done that should bee done he can never appeare with comfort before his Master and hee sees also that the Sunne drawes low and the day hastneth to an end doe you thinke 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 thicke and close as ever hee can So it is with every one of us I warrant you there is not any soule of us but wee shall find so many thousand things to repent of so many graces to obtaine that wee stand in need of so many evidences for heaven to get that yet we have not got sealed so many particulars concerning a better life that a man may wonder that ever any one should find one halfe day to intend any thing else Thus you see the reasons why the serious meditation of the little time we have to continue below should bee a marvellous meanes to take us off from the world and to put us upon the studie and thought of better things Well now let me briefly apply this unto you that so I may come to that I principally intend Oh that we had learned this excellent lesson that the Apostle teacheth the Corinths here what wondrous happy people should wee be You shall find ever-more in the Scripture the Spirit of God putting the neglect that is amongst men and carelesnesse of heaven and all the wickednesse of their lives upon this the not serious meditation of that small time they have to continue below If a man come to those that are not brethren as Saint Paul bespeakes the Corinths in the Text they will say It is true it is a good point to be prest upon a man that is in a consumption on one whom the Doctours have given over to tell him that hee cannot continue a weeke that his time is short But for our parts wee are but in the beginning of our voyage it may be wee are but twenty yeares old we began but the other day to be furnished with a stocke wee we are but newly entred and doe you thinke that we are striking sayle Or another that hath lived fortie or fiftie yeares in the middest of a full trade that beginneth to get something in the world doe you thinke that he is striking sayle Thus people put it off Alas what is thy time What is all thy life Let God decide it doth not he say it is a vapour a dreame a tale that is told like a Ship that sayleth by and is gone and that in the turning of a hand almost If thou have no more time of life here but only while a little sand is running out of a glasse while a Ship is sayling out of sight while a short tale is told God saith it is no more wilt thou account that thy voyage is yet scarsly begun I beseech you beloved all goe home and often thinke of this point Say within yourselves How long Lord am I like to continue below and what is there for me to doe before I goe out of this world But the truth is men dare not thinke of this and the divell laboureth for nothing more in the world then this to make men put off the serious consideration of the brevitie of their lives and that they have longertime to continue here then they have because hee knowes the truth of this
First by way of comfort Against the feare of Death or against over-much sorrow for those that Death takesaway It is true Death is an Enemie 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 commeth and findeth out these they may say as Ahab did to Eliah and more truly a great deale hast thou found me oh mine Enemie It is the worst Enemie they have in the world It is a cruell Sergeant that catcheth them by the throat and arresteth them for a debt that they are never able to pay It dragges them to the Jayle casteth them into the Dungeon to the chaines of Darknesse 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 paine they shall not have a drop of water to coole their tongue But to the faithfull in Christ there is comfort upon comfort For though Death be an Enemie yet remember first it is a subdued Enemie Secondly a reconciled Enemie Thirdly and lastly an Enemie that one day shall not be at all It is a subdued Enemie that is one comfort The strength and sting of it is gone When a Bee hath lost his sting and is a Droane it can hurt no more So Death is a Droane 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 yee of that are attendants on Death here is comfort First it is true Death commeth with ill Harbingers it bringeth sicknesses and aches and paine but there is comfort against this For when God sendeth paine remember hee promiseth to send patience too that he will put his hand under to helpe His left hand shall bee under us and his right hand over us to catch us hee hath promised comfort upon our sicke beds to make our bed in our sicknesse Wee need not make such an Allegorie as Ambrose doth this sweet flesh of ours the Bed of our soule it is under infirmities and weaknesses God helpeth us he makes our bed hee saith to the sicke of the Palsey Take up thy bed hee turneth our bed in our sicknesse either he sends us health so some expounds it hee turnes the bed of sicknesse into a bed of health or God turneth our bed for us in our sicknesse that is he refresheth us giveth us ease when we lie upon our sicke beds It is a Metaphor borrowed from those that attend sicke persons that helpe to make their Beds easie and soft and turne them that they may lie at ease So God hath promised his children in the painfull time of sicknesse 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 Soule and the Body But there is comfort in this For though it divorce the Soule and the Body yet it cannot destroy the soule and the body even the body is in the hand of God when it is rotting in the earth as the Soule is translated to heaven Againe though they be separated yet it is but for a time one day they shall meet more joyfull and glorious then ever before and after that they shall never be separated againe Lastly though he separate the soule from the body and the body from the soule yet neither from Christ nor Christ from them Nay it is so farre from separating that it helpeth to unite us to Christ as I said before the dissolution of those shall bee the conjunction with him I desire to be dissolved 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 turne to corruptnesse it makes it terrible and fearfull But there is comfort against this For after that time of putrifaction there shall bee a time of restitution and though the wormes devoure this flesh of ours yet in that very flesh of ours wee shall see God another day These eyes shall see him There is comfort in that that when God shall come to restore us with himselfe what the Grave hath clothed with corruption he will cloath with glory these vile bodies hee 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 Iudge of all to Iesus the Mediatour of the New Testament Nay besides one day hee will restore againe those very friends of which here we are deprived though wee lose them for a time in heaven wee shall meet againe and there renew a perpetuall league of societie and love So though it deprive us of worldly benefits it cannot of heaven and those are better they are not pleasures of sinne 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 memorie of good examples and by the prayers they offer to God not in particular for they know no mans particular wants yet for the generall and common good of all Fifthly and lastly It is true the consideration of sinne and of Judgement and our uncertaine estate after death makes it terrible like the face of an Enemie Yet there is comfort against these For sinne I told you that though there bee a sting in the Serpent yet Christ hath drawne out that sting so that being a Serpent without a sting we may doe as Moses take it in our hand put it into our bosome and it will never doe us hurt to them that die in the Lord Death rather came by sinne then for sinne It is not betweene sinne and damnation but betweene sinne 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 looke for and long for as the day of redemption not of confusion when they shall receive the sentence by which they shall bee absolved and not condemned For they know when God shall come to be their Judge hee shall come to be their Saviour And so for the uncertaintie of our future estate after death It is true the state of the dead in regard of naturall understanding it may be a thing
Christ shall sit on the Bench as Judge Hee shall then openly come to shew himselfe a just Iudge 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 scorne that he the Sonne of man should bee Iudge of the world therefore God will have him come and appeare in that very forme he was scorned in that now they may behold him in his Majestie that before would not take notice of him when hee appeared in humilitie that they who the more contemptuously before esteemed him in his basenesse may now more severely tast of his justice God then is Iudge Not men Not Angels but God himselfe Had men beene our Judges we might not feare the face of men because they are vessels of the same earth as wee tooke out of the same pit hewen out of the same rocke If Angels had beene our Judges wee should not have stood in so much feare because though they be Spirits more glorious then we yet by their owne 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 doe the earth And looke what is necessarily required to the office of a Iudge it is incomparably found in him To the office of a Iudge there are three properties specially required Knowledge to discerne Power to determine Justice to execute In God these are all of them transcendent and emminent For Knowledge he is the most wise For Power most absolute For Execution most just Knowledge to discerne that is the first He that assumeth the person of a Iudge must needs be one of wisedome and understanding Though he have the Scepter of authority in his hand if hee have not the eye of wisedome 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 hee to whom the living child pertained he is as unfit to be a Iudge as an illiterate Ignaroe is to be a Priest The Iudges 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 faine to put forth his hands to feele whether it were Esau or no that came to aske the blessing it is a hard case when Iudges have sore eyes that they cannot discerne the right Case but only by feeling But it shall not be so here God is the Iudge that is of infinite wisedome and understanding that is able to discerne right and wrong Of necessitie it must be so because he is Omniscient hee knoweth all things he hath the true understanding of them it is impossible to deceive him Earthly Iudges they sometime are blinded in the hearing of Cases that are brought before them for what their eyes see not they are not able to discerne there are not glasse windowes into the bosomes 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 bee concealed or mistold how easily may they miscarry But Gods knowledge is not so unsound or uncertaine because he himselfe is an eare and an eye-witnesse of all things that are he knoweth whatsoever is done he beholdeth not the actions only but the very intentions he is able to judge of the thoughts and intentions of the heart It is but folly to thinke to hide any thing from him heaven is not so high but he can reach it hell is not so deepe but hee can search it the earth is not so wide but hee can span it the night is not so darke but he can see it the chamber the bed the closeâ—… is not so close but hee can pierce it Hee that sitteth upon the circle of the heavens and whose eyes are as flames of fire seeth everything 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 drawne 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 Angell 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 requisite in a Iudge he must have knowledge to discerne In the second place Hee must have power to execute hee must have authoritie 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 hee hath eyes to see yet others will contemne him because hee hath no hands to punish so innocencie shall be hopelesse of recompence and the wicked of their desert Againe if he have not power if hee have power only to heare 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 Appeales will bee made as commonly they are from inferiour Courts to the higher But it is not so here God is the Iudge who as hee is infinite in knowledge so he is in power and authority Wee stile the King Supreame head over all persons and in all causes in his Dominions but God is over all the Dominions of the earth supreame over all not only in all causes and over all persons but over all causes too even Kings are subject to his regiment Hee bindeth Kings in chaines and Nobles in fetters of Iron Psal. 149. The kings of the earth saith Saint Iohn and the rich and the great men and the great Captaines and the mighty men they shall all hide themselves in the caves and rocks and mountaines Revel 15. crying to the mountaines and rockes to cover them from the face of the Iudge and from the wrath of the Lambe 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 feare the Divels tremble when they come to stand before God In a word as Saint Paul saith all power is of God then of necessitie followeth that God himselfe in his power is most absolute That is the second thing belonging to the office of a Iudge as he must have knowledge to discerne so he must have power to execute Thirdly there must be Iustice in the Execution therefore the Grecians were wont to place Justice betweene Libra and Leo to
of the same body there is a gathering under one Head as the Apostle calleth it under Christ they are the superiour members wee 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 so farre as necessitie and love requireth Fifthly and lastly as in earthly Cities and Corporations there is trading and traffiquing buying and selling c. So here this heavenly conversation consisteth in a kind of heavenly traffique as the word importeth Wee 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 hee hideth it and for joy departeth and selleth all that hee hath and buyeth that field It is compared to a Pearle which when a man discrieth the excellencie of it he giveth all that hee hath to possesse that Pearle There is a heavenly thing that is worth all that wee can give and it must be bought too It is our Saviours counsell Come buy of mee yea come buy wine and milke 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 nakednesse may not appeare This must be bought but what must we give for it Christ tells us hee saith that hee himselfe is the Pearle the treasure and that which we must give for him is no more but this Let a man deny himselfe and take up his crosse and then follow him He must deny his worldly pleasures his carnall 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 plucke it out and cast it from thee What is that that a man should dismember himselfe No such matter What then To doe that which a man accounteth as harsh a peece of worke as to plucke out his eye or cut off his hand that is to mortifie his carnall affections to part with his sweetest lusts which a man holdeth as deare and sets as high a rate upon as on his right hand or his right eye there should be no sinne so precious no gaine so sweet no pleasure so delightfull but a man should be willing to let it for Christ there should be no worldly thing whatsoever that a man should so set his heart upon but if persecution for the Gospell should come he should be contented to leave it for Christ and in the meane space to let his affections hang loose to it that whensoever Christ shall call him to part with his estate with his contentments with himselfe he may let all fall for his sake and the Gospels This is the heavenly traffique of a Christian. I might here lay downe some tryals by which men may bee able to judge of themselves in this particular whether their conversation bee in heaven I will instance but in some generalls because I hasten to that I principally intend See how thy affectionstand 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 conversation a heavenly conversation presupposeth a heavenly affection for it is impossible for any man to walke in a heavenly course but he that is of a heavenly mind It sheweth the errour of those men that thinke that that pitch of holinesse and carefull walking with God in newnesse of life is too strict a point to bee pressed what say they will you have us to be Saints are wee not men shall wee 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 wholeman which way are thy affections carried What dost thou mourne for most what dost thou rejoyce in most what dost thou hope for most According to thy affections so will thy labour and endeavourbe A heavenly heart sorroweth most for sinne 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 corne and wine and oyle abounded A heavenly affection hopeth most for heaven and that not so much that thereby hee may 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 sinne and fully brought into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God And this is that which stirreth him up with all industry and endeavour and carrieth him along mainly and chiefly to seeke 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 attaine evidences of heaven and testimonies of the love of God He speakes of heaven as the worldly man speakes of the world A worldly man speakes of the world and the world heareth him saith 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 meanes 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 soule 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 saith 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 Election God hath elected them to it Secondly in respect of vocation they are begotten againe to a lively hope They have now the Word which giveth them a promise of heaven They have now the spirit which is the seale of their inheritance
the Doctrine of repentance because the kingdome of God was at hand This is that upon which Saint Peter groundeth his exhortation unto the people Acts 3. 18. Repent saith he and bee converted that your sinnes may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Therefore repent and returne unto God doe away your sinnes 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 sinfull lusts This is the Argument that the Apostle used to the Athenians to bring them from Idolatrie to serve the living God because God hath appointed to judge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained Even for that reason because God hath appointed a time to judge the world in righteousnesse 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 sinne and unrighteousnesse as the consideration of Christs comming to Judgement What will it boote me will the soule reason to keep my sins when Christ will come to judge me for my sins What shall I get by going on in a course of a sinne when I can looke 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 generall and particular Calling It is the very argument which the Apostle Saint Peter useth to stirre us up to holinesse of conversation Seeing saith he that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought wee to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse looking for the comming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heate As if hee should have said Looke now about the whole world and see what it is that now can comfort you if you be such as goe on in a course of sinne It may be you will say I feare not much for I have many friends Yea but all these shall die It may bee thou hast store of lands but all that shall bee burnt with fire It may be thou hast many pleasures but then there shall bee nothing but Judgement The comming of the Lord that shall then put an end to all these and turne the course of things the expectation thereof is a speciall meanes to take us off from a course of sinne and put us on to a course of obedience to make us walke in another kind of fashion while wee are in the world Therefore the Apostle Saint Paul when he would stirre up Timothy to the worke of the Ministrie what is the Argument that hee useth I charge thee before Christ who shall judge the quicke and the dead As if hee 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 looke to thy Ministrie So may I say to every man in his place I charge thee that art a Master of a Familie looke to the businesse of thy Familie to the salvation of the soules of thy people I charge thee that art a Father or a Mother to looke to the salvation of the soules of thy Children I charge thee that art a Christian to looke to the salvation of thy owne soule And how is the charge I charge thee before the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quicke and dead Because there shall come a time when both thou and they shall bee present before Christ at his appearing therefore if thou wilt have comfort in them and in thy selfe and in Christ be carefull to doe the dutie that concernes thy place looking for the comming of the Lord Iesus So then you see in this respect also thereis nothing so forcible an Argument to settle a man in a holy conversation in a heavenly course as this for a man alwayes to looke for the second comming of Christ. Lastly there is nothing fixeth a man so constantly in a holy course as this Our conversation saith the Apostle is alwayes in heaven Wee alwayes walke on earth as those that aspire to heaven because wee alwayes looke for the comming of Christ. Wert thou carefull to serve God yesterday doe 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 judgement afterward Little children saith Saint Iohn now abide in him that when hee shall appeare wee may have confidence and not bee ashamed before him at his comming What is it that giveth a man boldnesse and takes away shame from him at the comming of Christ What is the reason that a man hath not that spirit of feare and trembling upon him that shall bee upon the hearts of all those that goe on in sinne when they shall cry to the mountaines to fall upon them but this that hee 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 mee a crowne of righteousnesse which Christ the righteous Iudge shall give to mee 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 comming of Christ that will give them a reward for their constancie 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 crowne As if hee should say There is a time comming when Crownes shall bee given but to whom to those that hold out that persevere in a godly course Be thou faithfull to the death and thou shalt receive a crowne of glory This is that I say that will make a man goe on will make him that is good in youth be good in age also because whensoever he dieth he shall receive his Crowne 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 hee will not looke backe because hee no further lookes for comfort in the appearance of Christ then hee hath had care to walke on constantly in a good course Thus you see the point proved to you that a Christian soule hath a maine benefit by his looking for the second comming of Christ and that this is it that makes him carefull to mortifie his secret lusts that this is it that makes him carefull to purge himselfe from worldly affections that
hee be a Lord and Commander also But you see I cannot stand to insist upon this The occasion of our meeting at this time is to commit to the Earth the body of our sister departed Shee hath now the termination and conclusion of all her wayting and expectation And after so long a wayting there remaineth a sleeping in the Grave a while when the soule resteth in the hands of Christ and waiteth for that great day when body and soule shall be joyned together I perswade my selfe well of her that Shee was one of the number of those wayters that shall have joy at the comming of Christ I had not much knowledge of her only I observed in her sicknesse a good purpose and desire of new and better obedience and performing better service to Christ then shee had done if God should have spared her longer And shee expressed also a great desire of Christs second comming a desire that hee would receive her to himselfe and that these dayes of sinne might bee finished Much she was in these desires and she had good warrant for it for shee was carefull as I am informed to set up the kingdome of Christ in her Family It is the dutie of a good Wife to be a helpe to her Husband especially in matters of piety and the worship of God and therein her example should teach wives to strive herein Shee was alwayes stirring him up to prayer in his Familie to a more carefull sanctifying of the Lords day herein Shee was frequent Shee was much mortified to the world for some late yeares as it was observed in her daily course by those that knew her Thus she laboured to fit her selfe and her Familie that shee might have comfort in the great Day of the appearing of the Lord Jesus I speake upon information for your edification to stirre you up to labour to fit your selves for Christ by purging out of sinne in your hearts and lives Labour to fit your Families for Christ that when you and your servants and children shall appeare before him you may looke on them and looke on Christ with comfort as men that before have prepared themselves for the comming of Christ and as those that then shall lift up their heads because the day of their redemption draweth nigh FINIS CHRISTS PRECEPT AND PROMISE OR SECVRITIE AGAINST DEATH LVKE 9. 44. Let these sayings sinke downe into your eares PRO. 23. 14. The law of the wise is a fountaine of life to depart from the snares of death LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. CHRISTS PRECEPT AND PROMISE OR SECVRITIE AGAINST DEATH SERMON XVII JOHN 8. 51. Verily verily I say unto you if a man keepe my saying hee shall never see death IT is not long men and brethren since Death rode in triumph thorow this Citie and did beare downe all before him hee locked up your houses pulled downe your windowes and made the wealthiest among you put upon them the semblance of Banckroutnesse by locking up their dores and turning their backes to their houses and running away so it played the Tyrant then there died thousands a-weeke and the Grave that alwayes cryeth Give give was almost cloyed with carkasses Death served himselfe so fast that the Prison could scarse hold the Prisoners It might almost have beene said then of this Citie as once it was of Egypt There was scarse a house wherein some were not dead at least where there was not the feare of Death Now it hath pleased God to shew you more favour and men now die but by scores Death goeth his old pace and takes away a few secretly without observation But Death is amongst you still and still will be so long as sinne is among you and therefore it will not bee unseasonable upon this occasion for mee to speake and you to heare somewhat that may arme you against this last and and worst Enemy Death which though hee make not such a stirre in these times of lesse Mortalitie yet hee will certainly take us all away one by one And who can tell but hee may be amongst the number of the hundred or fewer hundreds that die now as no man could tell whether hee should be amongst the number of the thousands then Since Death therefore is alwayes an enemie and alwayes fighteth against us though not alwayes with like furie and violence it is a part of wisedome in us alwayes to heare and to practise that which may secure us against the danger of death And that is taught in this Text. Verily verily I say unto you If a man keepe my saying hee shall never see death Wherein not to speake any thing of the Context I pray take notice who speakes the words The Authour of truth the Death of Death hee that can best tell by what meanes a man may shun the hurt of it hee that hath vanquished it and overcome the uttermost of his assaults Our Lord Iesus Christ that hath slaine death and brought life and immortality to light Hee giveth us this direction for the avoyding of the hurt of Death Then observe the manner of his speaking Verily verily I say unto you with an affirmation earnest and redoubled Hee never affirmed any thing untrue therefore that which hee speakes is an undoubted verity Hee never spake any thing rashly therefore that which hee affirmed so earnestly is a weighty thing and of great consequence And lastly observe that which I only shall insist upon the matter of his direction here comprehended in a hypotheticall proposition which hath as all such have two parts An Antecedent and a Consequent In the one hee sheweth the Dutie to bee done as a necessary condition for the obtaining of that which is specified in the other The first hath the Dutie The second the benefit that floweth from the Dutie These two are knit together in a most necessary consequence If a man keepe my word hee shall never see death You see now the only and perfect remedie against the evill of Death that is to keepe the saying and word of Christ. If any would know by what meanes he may bee secured against the terrible of all terrible things as one calleth Death here is a sure and certaine rule for him and hee need not doubt of it it commeth from the mouth of Christ let him keepe his saying and then Death shall never doe him harme I will first interpret these words unto you and then make them good by Scripture and Reason and then apply them and commit my selfe and you and all at last to the blessing of God First then when our Saviour Christ saith If a man wee must conceive him to meane generally at least indefinitely If any man whatsoever for so it pleaseth him to inlarge his promise in the redoubling of the word that no man may have cause to say hee is excluded except hee exclude himselfe Keepe my sayings Here first I must shew you what is meant by sayings and
in their jollity and merriment they never thinke of God or dreame of the world to come Nay the serious apprehension of God Almighty would quench their joy and make it altogether put out Secondly the carnalnesse of the joy of young men appeareth because they rejoyce where they ought not in riot in drunkennesse in surfeiting in voluptuousnesse many times in obscenity of words and phrases in making jeasts of the word of God in deriding their superiours behind their backes As Solomon saith of laughter thou art madde so wee may say of this merriment it is madde merriment hee is a madde man that rejoyceth in that for which except he betake himselfe to serious and bitter mourning hee cannot be saved Thirdly the inordinatnesse of the joy of young men may appeare in this because they rejoyce excessively in lawfull things for any joy when it is inordinate and excessive it is carnall It is lawfull to rejoyce in recreations a whetting is no letting as the Proverbe goeth But for a man to let out himselfe to the hinderance of the service of God to the disturbance of his duty to men it is unlawfull It is lawfull to delight in the blessings and comforts of God that hee affordeth us wee reade 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 carnalnesse of the Joy of young men may well appeare 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 sinne it cannot end in God but in the Divell Secondly let young men take notice of themselves how they walke after their owne hearts The heart that sayes Come put away pensive thoughts trouble not your selfe about the day of reckoning and Judgement enjoy the time present what need this strictnesse of conversation zeale is but rashnesse there is no need of it take thy fill of pleasures thou hast goods laid up for many yeares Thus they judge and thus they walke after their carnall heart This heart is as no heart as wee reade of Ephraim in Hosea 7. Hee 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 feare of God it is no heart For as the eye that will not lead us in the right way that performes not its office is no eye so the heart that leadeth not men to God and to goodnesse it is like the heart of Ephraim it is as no heart Againe in the third place Let young men take notice of themselves how they walke after the sight of their eyes That is they stand gazing on things temporall and neglect things eternall they see a beautie and lustre in these outward things and perceive no glory and brightnesse in Christ Jesus and in his precious ordinances Beloved if we follow our owne heart and our owne eyes it will be thus We should rather labour with Iob 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 shall not bee as open Casements to let sinne into the soule Oh how few young men are there that like Ieremy have their eyes as fountaines of water to weepe day and night for the afflictions of the people of God Oh how few young 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 sinne for a season Now I beseech you take a survey of your selves in these things These are the vices and sinnes and deformities of young men to be seene 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 wee ought to cast it out of us Carnall Joy will you know what the event of it will bee It will end in carnall sorrow and without repentance in hell it selfe Woe unto you saith our Saviour Christ that laugh now you shall weepe and mourne The triumphing of the wicked saith Zophar in Iob is short and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment though his excellencie mount upto the heavens and his head reach unto the clouds yet hee shall perish as his owne dung they which have seene him shall say where is hee Hee shall fall away as a dreame and shall not bee found yea hee shall bee chased away as a vision of the night But not to give you this only in precept but also to shew you how to reforme your selves in these vices that Solomon specifieth to beare sway in young men let mee lay you downe these few directions First you must betake your selves to mourning for your sins as Saint Iames saith Bee afflicted and weepe and mourne let your laughter bee turned into heavinesse 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 wee should rather betake our selves to bitter mourning for the wrath of God is due unto us and wee know not how soone it may fall upon us In the second place Consider how vaine all things are in which youthfull persons rejoyce If young men rejoyce in humane wisedome and understanding this is a vaine thing For first it is gotten with a great deale of trouble and vexation of spirit so saith Solomon Eccl. 1. 13. I gave my heart to seeke and search out by wisedome concerning all things that are done under heaven this sore travell hath God given to the sonnes of men to bee exercised therewith And verse 18. in much wisedome is much griefe and hee that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow God doth so punish the pride and boldnesse of the wit of men even from the fall of our first Parents Secondly this humane wisedome it must needs be a vaine thing for Eccles. 1. 15. that which is crooked cannot bee made straight and that which is wanting cannot bee numbred by humane wisedome The meaning is this that the naturall wisedome of man cannot supply the defects of nature which are innumerable much lesse can it furnish the soule with grace or salvation Thirdly it is but vexation of spirit Solomon though he had gotten wisedome and understanding and had experience more then all the Kings of Hierusalem that were before him yet saith he Behold this is
to this world and one that hath no further expectation then of things below Give me What A possession of buiall First A Possesson Hee would have it so conveyed as no man might make claime of it but that it should be for him and his for ever Therefore it was as it were a Church-yard that he begged such a one as was capable and had sufficient scope and roome for his whole Posteritie in the time to come in times of trouble and persecution for in this place were the Fathers and those Patriarches though we reade not of their Buriall in this place in the booke of God many of them yet notwithstanding it is likely that all the Patriarches had their bodies conveyed to this place and that the great ones in Egypt that so demeaned themselves that they had favour from the Court were brought to this place For these and himselfe and his present Familie about him whom it might please God to strike with Death he knew not how soone the holy Father desired a place separate that there might bee no mingling of the select people of God with 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 himselfe all this difference is taken away But at that time it was fit to maintaine a distinction to keepe a note of difference As God set a marke upon the flesh of Abraham and upon the houses of the Isralites in Egypt so they kept this in all points even in their very Graves that a difference might be maintained betweene the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent to the uttermost Give mee a possession a burying place Here is the end why he would have this Possession A strange kind of Possession a thing that every one is borne to no man will denie this we say the land in the Church-yard is every mans every man is borne to that land Behold such a land such an inheritance this Father commeth to begge He hath not a foot of ground in all the whole land no place to dwell in but by their leaves no place to feed on but with their consent he is content thus to possesse to have it upon their hand to haue his house upon their liking and his field and grasse upon their affection and content to be gone and depart upon their bidding but when it commeth 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 transitorie 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 certaine as the Grave all the lands and all the meanes that a man hath in this world it may in the course of time either by the misguidance of the partie or the succession of prodigalls be made away that he that hath had full possessions may not have a foot of land to call his owne so Possessions are alterable sometime one mans sometimes anothers and againe 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 comming of Christ to Judgement Though there be a sort of covetous men in the world that care not for lucre and gaine to remove dead bodies to make men pay deafe and yet presently when the memory of that payment is gone in this base respect to remove them from their naturall rest and to put new bodies in their roome 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-stuffe that ever Seleucus bought in Babylon was a Sepulchre stone a stone to lay upon him when hee was dead that he kept in his garden So we should begin to make that our chiefe utensill it should teach every Christian much more to be mortified so to the world as to bee settled upon nothing for a Possession so as the ground where his flesh shall rest in hope till the Lord revive him and give him his Spirit againe A strong kind of entrance this holy man made into the holy Land that the first thing hee takes possession of should bee a place of buriall for the dead Even so wondrously God useth to worke the promised seed it came of the dead wombe of Sarah and accordingly it is in this great and famous Historie that out of these dead ones the Lord takes such a firme possession of this Land that when foure hundred yeares were come about there was such a quicke issue that it drove all the Inhabitants out of the Land for out of Sarah that was now dead and Abraham and the Patriarches that were interred in his Cave out of their dead loynes the Lord raised a living issue of six hundred thousand footmen besides women and children that came under the conduct of Ioshua and discomfited the Captaines of the Land â—…d tooke possession The gracious God out of dead and poore things in the world raiseth strengeth and Majestie that those that they trampled upon and accounted as dead men the Lord made out of them such a living stocke that all the power of Canaan was not able to hold up and make head against them they were such a powerfull Armie but hid themselves in Caves and became as dead men to give place to these dead men Here is the wonderfull great glory of the Almightie out of meere nothing to worke all things and as he made all things that are seene out of nothing for by faith we learne that things that are seene were made of things that are not seene so he still continueth to lay his foundation in basenesse and humilitie in a ridiculous manner to flesh and bloud yet out of that hee bringeth large and infinite majestie and glory such as no man can aspire in his thoughts to thinke sufficiently of Give mee a burying place to bury my dead Behold he calleth here 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
instant upon which eternitie depends eternitie of miserie or eternitie of felicitie let us follow our Saviour let us seeke his face let us ascend with him let us not rest here Sleepe may overtake us a false Prophet may deceive us the snare may intangle us the Armie of the enemie may fall upon us let us be above all these Let us seeke those things that are above What where Sunne and Moone are nothing lesse Where then where God is where Christ who is our house our temple our habitation that wee may be cloathed with him this is the desire of all the Saints and this leades me to the second point That the Saints desire a true and proper house In this we groane earnestly c. What is meant by this house whether the Ioyes of heaven or a Glorified 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 blisse and into both these houses I shall labour to introduce your spirits and affections The first house is the Ioyes of heaven a kingdome else-where for the amplitude for the abundant sufficiencie for the honour royaltie 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 familie 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 sonnes his heires 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 sonnes all are his heires a house so scituated as never any upon the brow of that hill which is the beauty of perfection the delight not of the wholeearth but of heaven itselfe in the purest ayre that ever was even puritie it selfe freed from all malignant vapour a place irriguous with the chrystall streames of Paradise it selfe a place inriched with all the precious things the heart of man can desire an house not built by man but by God himselfe not of terrestriall feculent matter not of gold or silver but that which excells all valuation whatsoever the hanging or ornaments of which house are not of Arras or Tissue or cloth of gold or whatsoever is more precious with men but farre above these such and so excellent that Neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard neither hath the like entred 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 Sunne as a drop to the Ocean Oh the statelinesse and magnificence of the Hall of this house wherein are Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessours 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 varietie of imployments according to the diversitie of mens Callings and their necessities but there shall bee no necessitie there shall bee but one worke the worke of Praise a duty which in this life is performed with fatigation and wearinesse but there it shall be done with all sweetnesse and delight this delight increasing with the continuance of the same No vaine thoughts to interrupt this dutie no wearinesse of the flesh to weaken this dutie no necessitie or indigencie to rend us from this duty but as it will bee our happinesse to love and see God so it will be the exercise of our happinesse to admire and to laud God while wee are here such is the weaknesse of our apprehension that wee cannot with the same act conceive the worke and the workman we cannot thinke of the benefit and the authour of the same then wee shall be enabled to joyne both these together so to admire the worke as at the same time to praise the authour so to contemplate the benefit as at the same time to fall downe before the benefactour Oh the statelinesse of this presence where the face of God the beautie of God the Majestie of God is seene 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 lovelinesse of the chambers of the King made for the soule to repose her selfe in all spirituall delight after her labour and travell in this miserable world oh the beauty of the Masions of this house prepared by Christ himselfe for the soule to refresh her selfe with all spirituall food and oh the varietie and excellencie of the food of this house the understanding shall have his food morning and evening knowledge a cleare view of all things not in themselves or in their causes but in their exact Ideas subsisting in the essence of God but especially the radiant vision of the face of God the Essence of God the Sunne of righteousnesse The will shall have her food goodnesse joy delectation not by measure but drowned in the full ocean of these with that stabilitie and confirmation that shee cannot will that which is evill The affections shall have their food being fully satisfied beyond their desires The Body shall have his food being made an impassible clarified agill spirituall body defecated and purified from this feculent elementarie food and all other alterations common to it with beasts and which is most wonderfull the King of Kings shall gird himselfe to reach out these Joyes unto us they shall bee administred unto us Ve jad hammelek by the hand by the power of a King Did I say this of my selfe who would give credence unto me but Truth saith it Luke 12. 37. Blessed are those servants whom hee shall find watching verely I say unto you that hee shall gird himselfe and make them sit downe to meate and will come forth and serve them Oh wonderfull dignation who ever heard of the like Stat Catodum Lixa bibit the Lord stands the servant sits the Lord is girt the servant is loosed the Master is reaching out full bowles and the servant is inebriated with the rivers of these pleasures once hee girt himselfe to wash his Disciples feet and the servant was astonished to see so great a Majestie condescending to so meane ministerie shall wee not bee much more ravished with this ineffable dignation when he shall againe gird himselfe to supply the soule with unspeakeable delight as if God himselfe intended nothing in heaven but to heape content upon them that sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heaven This is the fatnesse the excellencie of this house with the weake adumbration whereof I doubt not but that your hearts are so taken that yee have reduced all your desires to this one with
losse a man may lose his owne soule Thirdly the compossibilitie of outward prosperitie hee may lose his soule in gaining the whole world And then lastly the wofull bargaine in such an exchange What is a man profited Of these in order First of the surpassing excellencie and dignitie of mans soule it is valued and prized here above the whole world It was the plausible conceit of certaine Philosophers that the world was a great man and that man was a little world a little world indeed but as Saint Austin tearmes him a great wonder for within this little world there is a reasonable soule worth all the world To render an exact definition of the soule it requires the tongue of an Angell rather then of a man it passeth the comprehension of travellers to apprehend the nature of the soule for these three God Angels and mans Soule they are unknowne to us we may sooner admire their excellencie then conceive their nature and argue of their opperations then attaine their knowledge of such sublimitie is the soule of man so Angelicall and Divine the excellencie whereof is commended to us by three distinct voyces of Nature Grace Glorie For first in the order of nature it is the greatest thing saith Plato that we may conceive in a narrow roome the most noble thing that all the frame of nature affords and that In respect of the Originall Image In respect of the Originall the soule of man hath no beginning here there was no voyce directed to the earth or to the water for the production of Adams soule but a serious consultation of the sacred Trinitie and a breathing into his nostrils the breath of life Saith Saint Austin he created it by infusion and infused it by creation And the Philosopher well concludes that the soule 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 thinke 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 soule is most like God saith Plato Saith Aristotle it is of the neerest kinne of the greatest consanguinitie as I may say and the Lord himselfe signifies so much After our Image let us make man Then the soule of man is not stamped with a Roman Caesar but with Gods owne Image and superscription and that First in respect of the substance being not only a spirituall intellectuall incorporeall invisible essence but explaining by the pluralitie of Powers in the unitie of Essence the pluralitie of Persons in the unitie of the Deitie Secondly being furnished with singular indowments as in the state of innocencie with perfect wisedome and holinesse and righteousnesse Yea still in the state of sinne some generals are left some broken fragments of the creation morall qualifications that may lead us by the hand to the knowledge of our Master Lastly in regard of the commanding 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 mooves and commands and restraines it whereby next and immediatly under God wee live and moove and have our being Seeing then the soule is the immediate worke and character of God himselfe so excellent for the Originall and for the Image let nature conclude that the soule in these regards is of greater value then the whole world Secondly in the Kingdome of grace the price of the soule is farre above the dignitie of the world and that in the grace of Redemption and the grace of renovation For first in the soules redemption the soule 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 redeeme the soule of sinfull man the precious bloud of the eternall Sonne of God hee could only redeeme it that at the first created it Yee are bought with a price the precious bloud of Christ. Secondly in the grace of renovation nothing is able to cleanse it from sinne but the Spirit of God The Spirit alone must enlighten the understanding and rectifie the affections and purifie the will and sanctifie the conscience and seale up the Image of God in righteousnesse and true holinesse And the soule thus renewed is as a Garden inclosed a spirituall Paradise where the God of heaven delights to dwell the Spouse of the Beloved and in the phrase of the Church As the Lillie among the thornes so is my love among the daughters Seeing it appeares that the universall World is not able to redeeme or being redeemed to renew or renewed to paralell the soule let grace subscribe to that which nature concludes that the soule 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 neere the soule Saith S. Bernard well well it may be busie and tooke 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 soule for blessednesse The world is transitorie like the dew of the morning it fades as the grasse and as the flower of the field whereas on the contrarie the soule of man is the subject of immortalitie capable of an exceeding surpassing eternall weight of glory For if in the time of grace we bâ—…ld as in a glasse 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 soules of the righteous bee in the beatificall vision of Gods excellencies How wonderfull shall that divine capacitie be that shall be capable of God himselfe for a perpetuall residence Insomuch that the most ancient of dayes shall give fulnesse to the Soule of knowledge and wisdome and his sacred Spirit that shall fill it with the fulnesse of God with contentation and the sacred Trinitie shall be all in all to it Seeing then the Soule is capapable and is the subject of the happinesse and joyes of heaven and partner with the glorious Angels in the fruition of the chiefe good let the sentence of glory joyne to Grace and nature that the Soule is of greater value then the whole world Behold then O man out of the moutâ—…â—…ee witnâ—… for I may say in this case as Saint Iohn saith 〈◊〉 â—…other Tâ—… 〈◊〉 three that beare record in heaven the Father the â—…d and 〈◊〉 â—…y Ghost Behold out of the mouth of three Wiâ—…ses the sâ—…passing excellencie and
living after their owne lusts saying Where is the promise of his comming You preach so much that Christ Jesus is comming to Judgement and to call every one of us to account for our wayes our words and actions but where is the promise of his comming for all things continue alike from the beginning of the Creation Miserable men that would be perswaded that the day of Judgement should never come because it was deferred but such jesting and mocking and scoffing at this great and terrible day heretofore used and indeed now practised in the whole progenie of unbeleevers it may be an argument to us that it shall not be deferred for so saith Saint Paul 1 Thes. 5. 3. when they shall say peace peace and safetie then destruction shall come on them as travell on a woman with child and they shall not escape But Saint Peter answers these scoffers that asked Where is the promise of his comming hee gives them two answers The one in verse 8. the other verse 9. In the eighth verse he saith Christ deferres not long to come to judgement for saith he one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares c. alluding to Psal. 90. 4. A thousand yeares in thy sight are but as yesterday since they passe as a watch in the night As if he should say were it possible for a man to live a thousand yeares yet those thousand yeares in respect of God assoone as they are past they are as one day in respect of men nay they are but as a watch of the night that is but as three houres The old Jewes they divided the night into foure Watches and appointed to each Watch three houres as may appeare by comparing of these places of Scripture together Mat. 14. 24. Num. 14. 25. Luke 12. 38. So then the words beare this exposition that a thousand yeares in respect of God are but as one day nay but as a Watch of the night that is but as three houres It doth plainly shew to us that Saint Peter meant not to speake distinctly of a thousand yeares but of a long time so that his meaning is innumerable yeares in respect of God are but as one day Saint Peter might as well have said 2000. or 3000. or 10000. thousand yeares in respect of God are but as one day Thus you have his first answer to those scoffers that said Where is the promise of his comming His second answer is in the ninth verse where the Apostle saith The Lord is not slacke concerning his promise Where is the promise of his comming Why saith the Apostle The Lord is not slacke as we account slacknesse For we account them slacke that goe slowly about a worke but God is not so to bee accounted slacke but saith the Apostle Hee is patient towards us and would have none perish but come to repentance Then the slacknesse of Christs comming is his patience because he would give us time to repent and have us prepared before hee come O then beloved let us not make a mocke as others doe 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 contrarie to this set abroach by certaine false teachers who taught the Thessalonians that the day of Judgement was so neere that it should happen in their age Where by the way you may take notice of the exceeding great subtiltie of the Divell that labours by all meanes possible to bring men to one of these extreames 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. yeares after the Creation 2000. before the Law 2000. under the Law and 2000. under the Gospell But Saint Paul answers these false teachers among the Thessalonians and all of the like opinion therefore to arme them against their assaults he bids them for a certainetie beleeve it 2 Thessal 2. that the day of judgement was not at hand And hee gives the reason verse 3. For saith he that day shall not come except there be a departing first and that man of sinne the sonne of perdition bee revealed But how is it that the Apostle tells the Thessalonians that the day of Judgement was not at hand seeing it is plaine 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 himselfe for our sinnes 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 naturall to the place for say they in all those places where it seemes to be avouched that the day of the Lord is at hand they understand the word in the Originall to signifie generally a time drawing neere 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 speakes truly the day of Judgement is not at hand so as that any man can say it shall bee this day or this moneth or this houre or this yeare or this age This is no more but the doctrine of Christ Of that day and houre no man knoweth no not the Angels in heaven no not Christ himselfe as man but the Father only So you see it is plaine and evident that the day of Judgement is at hand but in what precise limits of time or age it shall happen it is uncertaine 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 eare to heare where God hath not a tongue to speake Let it suffice us to know that it is at hand which if wee make good use of it will make us warie and watchfull and vigilant over all our wayes that we say not with the evill servant Our Master deferres his comming let us eate and drinke and beat our fellow servants but betake our selves to the good servants dutie to watch Watch we therefore wee know not the day and houre when the Sonne of man commeth But when he commeth and findes us doing well dealing
Thirdly he is condemned already in his owne conscience First in the counsell of God God hath made an eternall decree of Predestination whereby he hath elected some to salvation and predestinated them thereto and others to damnation In this Gods eternall decree the unbeleever is alreadie condemned nay before ever he came into the world as you have it in the example of Iacob and Esau Rom. 9. before ever they had done good or evill God hated the one and loved the other Secondly in the word of God hee is condemned Iohn 3. 18. Why because he hates the light and loves darknesse Thirdly in his owne conscience he is condemned for the continuall horrour thereof gives him no rest day nor night there is a worme 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 heare the sentence Goe yee cursed into eternall fire prepared for the divell and his angells O what a terrible day will this be to all the wicked workers of iniquitie for Christ Jesus the Judge shall come then to give them their reward This shall be a blacke a sad a wofull dismall day to them they shall not be able to looke on the Judge he shall bee so terrible to them You see the terriblenesse of the Judge set downe by Saint Iohn Revel 20. 10 11. where it is said hee saw a great white throne and one sitting thereon from whose face fled heaven and earth and their place was no more found Heaven and earth are great and mightie creatures insensible creatures that have not sinned they flie and tremble and hide themselves at the comming of the great Judge and shall man silly sinfull man thinke to stand before the Judge without trembling Indeed if a man could present himselfe spotlesse without blame he needed not to feare but a las it is farre 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 crie with the Leper Uncleane uncleane what is man that hee should be pure or the sonne of man that hee should bee just with God The Angels of heaven are impure in his sight how much more filthy man that drinketh iniquitie as water Job 15. So in Psal. 14. 2. When God lookes downe from heaven upon the sonnes of men to see if there were any that would understand and seeke after God Will he find any that frames themselves according to the rule of perfection that hee requires surely no but this he findes they are all corrupt and abominable in their doings there is none that doth good no not one so sinfull is man in his whole race sinfull in his conception he is conceived in sinne before ever hee sees light in this world when hee is covered with the rich hangings of natures wardrobe in his mothers womb then man tumbles in sinne as the word in the originall signifieth Hee is sinfull in his birth in his life in his thoughts his words and actions and shall he that is thus spotted and stained and polluted stand before the pure Judge of heaven and earth without trembling surely no The mightie the Kings of the earth the Captaines high and low of what condition soever as many as have not made their garments white in the bloud of the slaughtered Lambe Christ they shall tremble and flie to hide themselves and crie to the mountaines to cover them before the face of this glorious Judge Wee come now to the last thing and that is the end of Christs comming to Judgement The end of Christs comming you know is to give a reward And this reward shall be both to the wicked and to the godly for hee shall give the reward according to every mans worke First I will speake of the reward of the wicked And after conclude with the reward of the godly The reward of the wicked shall be endlesse woe and perpetuall miserie in hell There was never any man that descended into that fierie lake and returned thence to tell us what torments are provided for the wicked in Hell but yet as by one drop of the Sea water you may conceive of the saltnesse of the rest and as a man may ghesse at the stature of a Giant by the length of his foot even so wee may have some conceit of those endlesse and easelesse and remedilesse torments prepared for the wicked in hell by a taste of the miseries we have in this life Great may the griefe of a mans heart be even in this life as great as mortalitie is able to beare Can we read of the mourning of Ioseph of Hannah of Iob of Ieremie of Ierusalem and not bee moved our hearts are hard Can we reade of the hideous torments invented by Tyrants Caldrons of boyling oyle roasting upon spits tumbling downe Mountaines in barrels of nayles rending of joynts with horses can we reade of these mercilesse torments and not be moved our hearts are harder then a milstone Alas beloved these are nothing but shadowes but counterfeit to those torments that are prepared for the wicked in hell For though the bowels of hell labour to emptie the bowels of judgement yet shee hath an immeasurable portion for her children now living nay for those that are unborne a patrimonie of blacknesse of brimstone of the wrath of God of wailing and gnashing of teeth Certainly death shall take them away but they shall never die they shall consume for ever and yet shall not be consumed they shall be in fire unquenchable and yet see no light You may reade of the wine of giddinesse Psal. 60. 3. of a strange kind of Worme Isay ult of fire and brimstone Ezek. 38. 22. of the Wine-presse of Gods wrath Revel 14. 10. All these and if worse then these can be are prepared as so many torments for the wicked workers of iniquitie Their cuppe is the deadliest that ever was drunke even of Gods wrath wherewith they shall bee filled for ever their worme is that that continually gnawes upon the conscience they shall bee tormented in fire and brimstone before the Lambe and his Angels Not such as that of Sodome and Gomorrah for then there were hope that they might be converted at the last into heapes of Ashes or pooles of Pitch but such fire and brimstone that as a bottomlesse Mine gives them rest neither night nor day the smoake of it ascending for ever and is appointed for a time and times till time shall be no more Their torment in such a measure as neither eye hath seene nor eare heard nor heart of man hath conceived But beloved all this is but generall if the time would suffer we could shew the torments of the damned in particular as First the eternitie of those torments in that they shall never end and I verily perswade my selfe that this
the throne the Lambe Christ Jesus for evermore FINIS THE SAINTS LONGING FOR THE GREAT EPIPHANIE PHIL. 1. 23. I desire to depart and to bee with Christ which is farre better MAT. 24. 30. Then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man in heaven LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. THE SAINTS LONGING FOR THE GREAT EPIPHANIE SERMON XXIIII TITUS 2. 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ. THe former Verses you may remember I chose to speake of upon another occasion I shewed you how the grace of God that brought salvation to all men appeared Secondly how it teacheth those men to whom it brings salvation Every man would be glad to bee saved by grace but they love not that grace should teach them now grace saveth none but whom it teacheth it first teacheth them and then saveth them Now it teacheth us as the Apostle saith three lessons First quid vitandum what wee are to shunne ungodlinesse and worldly lusts Then secondly it teacheth us quid faciendum what wee are to doe to live soberly and justly and piously in this present world Soberly toward ourselves righteously toward our neighbour and piously towards God this is the second lesson Then it teacheth us a third lesson quid expectandum what wee must looke for looking saith the Text for the blessed hope the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ. The two first points I handled then And I told you I would reserve the third point till it pleased God to give me a fit occasion It hath pleased God to give me a fit one but a very sad occasion It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth good in his eyes I will goe over the words in particular and observe something out of them And then out of all together I will raise this Doctrine that A child of God must live so soberly so justly so godly in this present world as becommeth a man that lookes for a more blessed hope at the great day at the appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ. I begin with the first The first word is Looking and it hath in it these foure things First earnestnesse a Saint of God must looke and looke earnestly The Apostle when hee sets downe the looking of the creatures for the creatures looke too together with us to bee freed from the bondage of corruption into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God when he speakes of the looking of the creature hee useth a strange word which signifieth a putting out of the head looking to see what it can espie a great way off to see if there be any signe of his comming Rom. 8. 19. And he tells us that the creature doth not only put out the head and looke but waites and groanes and sighes and travelleth as a woman in paine and quoth the Apostle not only the creatures doe thus but wee that have the first fruits of the spirit Nay if the creature put out the head and groane and waite and is in paine till that day come how much more should we that have the first fruits of the spirit Earnestnesse that is one A second thing is Patience If quoth the Apostle wee hope for that wee see not then doe wee with patience waite for it There is patientia spei The Thessalonians are commended for it in 1 Thes. 1. 3. The patience of hope And as the Apostle saith Heb. 10. 36. Opus est vobis patientiae you have need of patience in this looking for considering First of all that the time is not knowne to us when this Lord will appeare It is not for you to know the times and the seasons that the Father hath kept in his owne power And considering secondly that that time either longer or shorter may seeme to be long omnes celeritas in desiderio All hast that can be made is but delay to a man that languisheth in desire hence comes those often usque quo how long Lord how long Thirdly considering as the very heathen man could call them those wondrous workings of God It is many times seene that Gods working seemes to goe against his word And then fourthly considering how busie the Divell is to discredit the truth of Gods promise and to weaken our faith I say againe with the Apostle you have need of patience There is the second thing There is a third thing necessarie that is Joy to thinke of this same day Saith the Apostle there is a crowne of righteousnesse laid up for mee and not for mee only but for all them that love that appearing and where love is there will bee joy joy is a sweet motion of Gods spirit spirituall joy I speake of that either upon the fruition of some good thing present or the expectation of future there is rejoycing under the hope of the glorie of God Rom. 5. 2. And saith the Apostle Peter whom you have not seene and yet love whom though you see not you beleeve and beleeving you rejoyâ—…e with a joy unspeakable and glorious It is such a joy as the world cannot give us and such a joy as the world cannot take from us Lastly this looking hath also with it a care and diligence to prepare our selves against that comming Marke the Apostle 2 Pet. 3. 14. saith the Apostle Seeing wee looke for these things let us use all diligence that wee may be found of him in peace You know how the wise Virgins because they looked for the Bridegroome they had trimmed their Lampes and made all things ready to meet him So then where this excellent looking for this blessed hope is there will be all these An earnestnesse first And then a Patience And then a Joy And then a diligence to meet him to make our selves readie for him Doest thou not looke earnestly And dost thou not looke with patience And dost thou not joy to thinke of this comming Then thou dost not looke as thou shouldest doe But the next word is Looking for what The blessed Hope Hope is put for the thing hoped for the blessed hope is the hoped-for blessednesse and this consists in two things A freedome from all ill both of soule and body And a fruition of all good both in soule and body in the whole man First this blessed hope consists in this in a freedome from all ill First that there shall bee no more blindnesse in our understandings no more rebellion in our wills no more terrour in our consciences no more weaknesse in our memorie no more sinne no more power to sinne here is a non posse pecari No more temptations of Satan no more allurements of the world no more frailties of the flesh no more hunger no more thirst no more wearinesse no more sicknesse no more megrome in the head no more palsie in the hand no
to make the straight wayes of God crooked to make that that God accounts straight to be crooked this is a setting against God therefore Peter saith to Simon Magus pray if it be possible that the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee So you see Saint Paul speakes to Elymas the sorcerer upon the same ground Act. 13. Thou child of the divell and enemy to all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to pervent the right wayes of God Now I say here are the words and speeches that men speake against the wayes of God these are speeches that argue men in a state whereby they are lyable and open to judgement and exposed to wrath therefore wee should take heed of such words The use may be to condemne those that make light account of words they thinke they may speake it may bee in rashnesse and hastinesse and they may be excused for uttering them it is their hastinesse and their passion and it was done unadvisedly c. I but the Law of God is transgressed the Majestie of God is offended the anger of God is provoked You know what old Eli sayd to his sonnes My sonnes if a man sinne against a man man may plead for him but if he offend against God who shall plead for him I say who shall take up the matter with God in such a case as this when the offence strikes against God and his ordinances and his worship Therefore take heede there is much evill there is life and death as Solomon saith in the power of the tongue that is a man may utterly destroy himselfe by the very words he speakes unadvisedly as hee thinkes and will plead for himselfe or passionately and rashly Againe much more doth it concerne those that proceede to other kinds of wickednesse in the tongue we instanced in some particular instances then that we cannot now stand on We came to direct men to carry themselves in their speech as David to set a watch before the doore of their lippes he prayed to God to doe it And Psal. 39. I sayd that I will take heede to my wayes that I offend not in my tongue And then he prayes to the Lord Psal. 131. to keepe a watch before the doore of his mouth Hee knew well enough that there will be a time when the words that we thinke are sleight and vaine shall be brought to judgement idle unprofitable frothy talke much more rayling and reviling speeches most of all the highest blasphemies and execrations these shall most certainly be brought to a greater censure at the day of judgement But I will not stand on that I then handled Now there remaines three things more The first is this that in the day of judgement God will proceed according to his Law So speake and so doe as those that shall bee judged by the Law I say In the day of judgement God will proceede with men according to his Law Hee will proceede according to his word written therefore labour that your speeches and actions may bee such that they may be agreeable to that Iohn 12. 48. The word that I speake to you saith Christ shall judge you at that day There is not a word that Christ speakes but it shall judge he speakes not in vaine he is the judge that speakes Now you know Christ speakes two wayes Eyther in himselfe Or by his Ministers In himselfe and so eyther that that hee spake when hee was on earth in his his owne person then all the words that hee spake at that time are those words by which he will judge men as farre as they concerne morrall actions by those words he will judge men at the great day for he spake nothing but what was according to his Law Or else that which he spake in his Apostles immediatly by a certaine and infallible worke of the Spirit directing them to such truth as that they could not erre in speaking now in this Christ still spake in them The same way Christ hath in speaking to this day therefore saith he he that heareth you heareth me and he that heareth me heareth him that sent me That which he spake to them hee spake in them concerning all the Ministers of the Gospel What we speake as Ministers that is as men that looke to the direction of our Lord for we are but Embassadours and our words are so far of value and power as they are the speeches of our Lord and as we speake the word of him whose Embassadours we are Now I say looke what the Minister thus speakes as the Embassadour of Christ to the people that Christ will confirme at the day of judgement Now it will appeare what wee speake as Embassadours if we speake nothing but what is agreeable to the text of Scripture rightly understood Therefore marke it whatsoever sinne wee denounce the judgement of God against and urge Scripture for it it is the very rule that Christ will observe in judging men Or else that speech could not stand what yee loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven and what yee bind on earth shall be bound in heaven Wee bind when by declaring of mens sinnes wee denounce the judgement of God against such sinnes and so pronounce men to stand under the wrath of God that remaine in those sinnes saith Christ what you thus binde on earth shall bee bound in heaven that is Gods act shall ratifie and confirme the same sentence in heaven which we denounce here upon earth by vertue of this word So when wee come to distressed soules and declare to them that they stand acquitted and that by the Word of God and so as Ministers of the Gospell by vertue of the truth revealed to us declare that they are freed from the bond and guilt of their sinnes 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 looke as Christs owne words when hee was upon the earth so the same that are as his owne words that is those truths that are drawne from Christs truths have the same power upon the hearts and consciences of men now to command them and shall have after to judge them as ever they had But here it may be objected it should seeme that all men shall not be judged by the Law because there are some men to whom the Law hath never beene published for what shall wee say to a great part of the world that have not yet received the Scriptures we know that the Scriptures have not beene 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 judged by the Law except you say that onely those shall bee judged by it that have beene under the preaching of the Gospell and have had the helpe of the Scriptures We answer that all mankinde and every particular man is under
death the hurt of temporall death we have escaped eternall death What is that a separation from the blessed presence and glory of God destruction of body and soule for ever unutterable torments companie with the Divell and his angels and the route of reprobates darknesse blacker and thicker then that of Egypt Weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth in the infernall lake that worme that never dyes and the fire that never goeth out This is the wages of all sinne and that it is not rendred to all sinne and to all sinners the cause is only this that the payment hath beene already exacted of Christ in the behalfe of all true beleevers therefore in their owne persons they are discharged how infinitely are wee bound in thankfulnesse to him and how carefull should wee be to walke worthy of it resolving never to returne to the service of sinne againe but to make it our whole studie that wee may please and honour such a Redeemer that hath redeemed us from such miserie as this that wee may please him for we had deserved eternall death as well as others and hee hath not only freed us from that that wee had most worthily deserved but most freely also bestowed that upon us that we could never deserve for so it followes in the next point The gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. That is the second thing to bee considered the reward of the service of God You have heard of the reward the wages of sinne Now the reward of the service of God is eternall life it is called life There is a twofold life belongs to men The one is naturall and is common to all good and bad in this world The other spirituall proper to the faithfull begun by the union of God and the soule and maintained by the bond of the spirit and this life hath three degrees The first is in this life unto death and it begins when wee begin to believe and repent and come to a saving knowledge of God and of his Sonne Jesus Christ as it is said This is eternall life to know thee to be the very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ Ioh. 17. 3. The second degree is from our death to our resurrection for in that time our soules being freed from our bodies are withall free from all sinne originall and actuall Thirdly after the Resurrection when body and soule shall bee reunited wee shall have immediate communion and fellowship with God and so enjoy a more perfect and blessed life then ever we could here And this spirituall life with all the three degrees of it is the life here spoken of especially the last degree the perfection of it in heaven It is called eternall life because it shall never end For a thing is said to be eternall three wayes First which hath neither beginning nor end so God alone is eternall and none but he Secondly which hath no beginning and yet shall have an end so Gods decree is eternall for it never had a beginning yet when all things decreed are fulfilled it shall have an end Thirdly which hath a beginning but never shall have end and so the life of Gods Saints had a beginning as all created things have butit shall never have an end and this eternall life it is called here The gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Because wee cannot deserve it but it is given and bestowed on us freely for Christ. So then the point of observation from the latter part of the words is this that Our salvation it is the free gift of God given us onely for the merits of Christ. For observe I beseech you the Apostles words when hee had sayd The wayes of sinne is death hee doth not adde and say but the wages of righteousnesse is eternall life but he calls that the gift of God To make us understand saith Damascene that God brings us to eternall life meerely for his owne mercie not for our merits orelse surely the Apostle would have made the later part of the sentence answerable to the former But here perhaps some may aske why eternall life should not be the wages of righteousnesse as well as death the wages of sinne I answer because there is not the same reason betweene sinne and righteousnesse For first sinne is our owne it merits it but rigteousnesse is none of our owne it is the holy Ghosts and it is due to God Then againe sinne is perfectly evill and so it deserves death but our righteousnesse inherent is not perfectly good it is imperfect in this life and nothing that is imperfectly good can merit as wages eternall life therefore the Apostle makes such a manifest difference between them he calls death the wages of sin but eternall life the gift of God it is the free gift of God through Christ. Indeed eternall life some times many times in Scripture is called a reward But there is a reward of mercie as well as of justice Nay God is sayd sometimes to reward his children injustice How is that Though the reward come originally from mercy yet accidentally it comes to be justice thus because God hath tyed himselfe by promise to reward now promise is debt from a just man Thus the Lord may be accounted a debtor How saith Saint Austin as a promiser if hee had not promised eternall life otherwise hee owes us nothing at all much lesse eternall life which is so great a thing Yet it may be doubted how eternall life is the free gift of God seeing it is given for the merits of Christ as it is here exprest the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord that is for the merits of Christ now a man that gives a thing upon merit hee 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 wee merit in him and so it cannot be free I answer this reason were of force if wee our selves could procure the merits of Christ for us but that we could not doe 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 hee gave him freely of free gift so that though eternall life be due to us by the merits of Christ yet it is the free gift of God I wil 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 looke for heaven and eternall life as wages wee see the Apostle teacheth us otherwise that eternall life is not given in that manner but another manner of way It is not given as wages it is the
the Holiest and dearest servants of God are exercised with and divers of these doe make them many times mourne exceedingly and to cry one while O wretched man that I am and to groane out another while Woe is mee 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 happinesse for albeit their bodyes rot in the Grave and bee laid up in the Earth as in Gods store-house untill the last day yet the soule forthwith even in an instant comes into the presence of the ever-living God of Christ and of all the Angels and Saints in Heaven the spirits of just men made perfect to Abrahams bosome to bee with Christ quanta haec felicitas What greater happinesse 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 eternall fellowship with God the Father with Christ the Redeemer with the Holy Ghost the sanctifier The knowledge of this benefit of Death makes the face of it comfortable to Gods servants and causes them to strive with their owne naturall weaknesse 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 sinne And else-where hee stiles it Christs enemie the last enemie that hee shall subdue is Death How should not death then be rather a day of misery to bee trembled at then a day of happinesse to bee longed for To this I answer that wee are to distinguish touching Death for it must be considered two wayes First as it is in its owne nature Secondly as it is altered by Christ in the first sence it is true that Death is the wages of sinne 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 doore opening out of this world into Heaven Now the godly looke 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 wee reade of many that have prayed against death as namely first David Returne O Lord saith he and deliver my soule oh spare mee for thy mercyes sake for in death there is no remembrance of thee Secondly Hezekiah when the message of death was brought to him Thirdly Christ himselfe Father if it bee possible let this cup passe from me To all these I answer first touching Daâ—…d that when he composed that sixt Psalme hee was not only gâ—…vously sicke but also exceedingly tormented in mind for he wrestled and combatted in his conscience with the wrath of God as appeares by the first Verse of that Psalme therefore wee must know that hee prayed not simply against Death but against death at that time in asmuch as the comming of it was accompanied with extraordinary apprehensions of Gods wrath for at another time hee tells us that hee would not feare though hee walked through the valley of the shadow of Death And the like I say touching Hezekiah that his prayer proceeded not from any desperate feare of Death but first that he might doe more service to God in his Kingdome And with such a kind of thought was Saint Pauls desire of dissolution mingled Secondly hee prayed against Death then because he knew that his death then would be a great cause of rejoycing to evill men to whom his reformation in the State was unpleasâ—…ng Thirdly because hee wanted issue God had promised before to David that there should not faile a man of his seed to sit upon the throne of Israel so that his children did take heed 〈◊〉 their wayes Now it was a great discomfort to him to die childlesse for then he and others might have thought that he was but an Hypocrite inasmuch as God had promised issue to all those Kings that feared him and for this cause God heard his prayer and after two yeares gave him a sonne Maâ—…asseh by name And so I say the same touching our Saviour Christ that hee prayed not against Death as it is the separation betwixt Body and Soule as appeares by what the Apostle saith that hee was heard in that hee feared for hee stood in our roome 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 hee feared and from this according to his prayer he was delivered But thirdly wee see in most good men a feare of Death and a desire of life and I my selfe may some godly man say doe feele my selfe ready to tremble at the meditation thereof and yet I hope I belong unto God I answer that there are two things to bee 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 weake And as in all other good purposes there is a combat betwixt the flesh and the spirit so is there in this betwixt the feare of Death and the desire of Death sometime the one prevailes and sometimes the other but yet alwayes at last the desire of Death doth get the victory Carnall respects doe often prevaile farre with the best care of wife children and the like Thâ—…se 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 clearely the happinesse into which their Death in Christ shall enter them doe even sigh desiring to bee clothed upon with their house which is from Heaven Here then is a good Marke 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 bee most for the comfort of those that truly feare God I demand therefore of thee Dost thou know that the confident and comfortable expectation of Death is the worke of the Holy Ghost in Gods servants Dost thou desire unfeignedly that the same may bee wrought in thy heart Dost thou labour to know what happinesse comes by Death to those that feare the Lord Dost thou grieve at thine owne weaknesse to whom the thought of Death is sometime troublesome and unsavourie Dost thou pray the Lord so to assure thee of his favour in Christ that death may bee 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 bee strangers to thy heart and thou dost not love to trouble thy selfe to studie about Death it is an evill signe The servants of God are not wont to be so secure in matters of this qualitie And thus much for the first particular in the first generall 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 bee alwayes so prepared for death as at what instant soever the Lord shall send it they may bee comfortably ready to entertaine 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 selfe to make provision for my last end but even now Lord at this very instant if thou wilt Death hath beene 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 saith Simeon I desire to bee dissolved saith 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 saith Simeon I am now ready to bee offered saith Saint Paul And else-where I die daily I am ever thinking upon death and daily making provision for my end This was holy Iobs mind All the dayes of my appointed time will I waite till my change come there was a continuall expectation So teach us to number our dayes prayeth Moses that wee may apply our hearts to wisedome And what wisedome did hee wish hee 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 Hebrewes professeth touching himselfe and those that were like to him that they had here no continuing Citie but did seeke one to come Wee know saith he here is no abiding wee dwell in tents which must remove in houses of clay which will be broken therefore wee desire to bee ever ready for that place which is of more perpetuitie And so much may bee gathered from that which is upon record concerning Ioseph of Arimathea he did not onely make ready his Tombe in his life-time but in his garden his place of solace and delight and how could so good a man so often thinke on death without labouring and caring to be ever provided for the same and therefore our Saviour Christ compares his faithfull servants unto those which daily wait for their Masters comming Now the reason which so much prevailes with the godly in this particular and which ought to be of sufficient force with every one is first the certaintie and uncertaintie of death Morte nihil certius As sure as Death is an ordinary Proverbe What man is hee that liveth and shall not see death saith the Psalmist That all must die it is Heavens decree and cannot be revoked The thing it selfe we see is most certaine yet for some circumstances most uncertaine for first Tempus est incertum No man knowes 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 knowes but that he may die in the Church of God even while he is asleepe at the Word Thirdly Mortis genus est incertum No man can determine how hee shall die whether suddenly or by a lingring sicknesse whether violently or by a naturall course These things the servants of God know full well and seriously weigh the same and that makes them to make conscience of continuall preparation that whensoever or wheresoever or howsoever they die they may with comfort commend their soules into the hand of God as into the hand of a faithfull Creatour Secondly they know the miserie of being taken by Death unprepared put case a man should die as Ishbosheth lying upon his bed at noone or as Iobs children while they are feasting or that a man like the rich man in the Gospell 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 sicknesse is the most unfit time for this businesse of preparation the senses are then so taken up with the paine of sicknesse that a man cannot thinke seriously upon ought else and besides it is not in our owne power to turne to God when we will ordinarily God forgets those in sicknesse that forget him in health And it is commonly seene that that preparation for Death that begins but in sicknesse is as languishing and faint as is the partie from whom it comes And although Vera poenitentia bee nunquam sera yet sera poenitentia est rarò vera Though I say true repentance bee never to late yet late repentance is seldome true when men leave their sinnes because they can continue to practise them no longer what thankes have they or what can that repentance be These things worke with Gods servants to studie to be ever ready for the Lord not to delay preparation but to seeke 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 later end I would there were a heart in us to entertaine 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 Evill 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 doe well enough thinketh the most godlesse man Thus men couzen themselves with their owne fancies and so Death steales upon them at unawares and becomes Gods Sergeant to arrest them and to carry them away to eternall 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 mee welcome shall it be unto me I am even now ready to receive it How many are there that are extraordinary ignorant in the meanes how to escape the sting of Death How many extreamly secure that never in their lives yet thought earnestly
assurance that the sting of Death is plucked out that Gods wrath is appeased that sinne is pardoned that Heaven gate is opened whence shall wee 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 thinke they should have done well enough though wee had no such Booke as we call the word of God To bee 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 not your soules with these vaine conceipts with your Popish and carnall imaginations I say and testifie from this place that that man or woman which careth not to be taught out of Gods booke cannot die like a Christian Who can teach thee the way to dye well but God And where doth God teach but in the Scripture If our thoughts of Death if our provision and preparation for Death be not warranted and guided by Gods word it is all in vaine Lord saith Simeon my desire of dissolution is according to thy Word my care to be prepared hath beene ordered by thy Word hee cannot die with comfort that cannot make the like profession And this may serve for the next generall part the the ground of this desire and preparation for Death it is Gods word Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart according to thy Word The third and last part followes the nature and qualitie of the death of the Righteous A departure in peace or a peaceable dismission Here are two things first a dismission secondly a dismission accompanied with peace The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated Let thy servant depart may well be Englished thus Let thy servant loose Lord free mee enlarge mee set mee at libertie Hence wee learne that The servants of God doe by Death receive a finall discharge from all manner of miserie This is evident out of the force of the phrase here used Simeon knew that so long as hee lived his soule was as it were imprisoned in his body and in it hee was held in bondage under the remnants of Originall corruption subject to the assaults and temptations of Satan in continuall and daily possibilitie to trespasse and sinne against God beside other afflictions and grievances in the body and estate but hee had withall this knowledge and understanding of the nature of Death that it was an enlargement to the soule and a freeing of it utterly and finally from all those and the like incumbrances The same may be gathered from the phrase used by Saint Paul I desire saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee dissolved and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read the time of my departure the words shew that there comes a liberty by death to the soules of Gods servants The phrase that Saint Peter useth is worthy our observation for this purpose First hee tearmes death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the laying downe of a burden and by that meanes the soule is lightned and eased Secondly he tearmes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a going out from a place and condition of hardship The second booke of Moses which relates the departure of the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage hath the same name Exodus As for the point it selfe namely that the death of the Righteous is to them a discharge from all miserie the Scripture beares witnesse to it Blessed said he are the dead which die in the Lord even so saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours As long as they live here they are diversly troubled when they die their labours are at an end and they are received into rest Saint Iohn tells us that in his vision he saw the soules of them that were slaine lye under the Altar Now the Altar in the time of the Law was a place of refuge and safetie and thence it appeares that by death the servants of God are eft-soones received into a place of holy securitie where there is no expectation of any further miserie They are said to be received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into Abrahams bosome into the fellowship of the same happinesse with Abraham the Father of all true beleevers The Doctrine in the first place makes against those of the Church of Rome which maintaine a place of torment even for the servants of God after this life where they must bee tryed for a time before they can enter into Rest and happinesse This place they terme Purgatorie the torment here they hold to bee unspeakable and farre surpassing any torment which the wit of man is able to devise But this place among others is sufficient to overthrow this dotage for how were death to the Righteous a dismission a loosing a freedome from miserie if there followed after it a torment of farre greater extremitie then at any time before was ever tasted of So that the death of the servants of God being as I have proved it to bee an enlargement from misery certainly the soule is not bound in any new Prison whence it must expect and await and pray for a second dismission In the next place this Doctrine makes much for the comfort of Gods servants the face of Death to the wicked is very dreadfull the day of it is to them the beginning of sorrowes their soules are instantly arrested by the damned spirits and kept in everlasting chaines of darknesse but to those that are the servants of God it is otherwise I may by way of allusion to the phrase of my Text compare their day unto that which happened unto Ioseph in which hee was brought out of prison to bee Ruler over all the land of Egypt So is their death unto them a day of Bailement out of prison a day in which all teares shall be wiped away In which they shall have beauty for ashes and the oyle of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse and the long white robes of Christs Righteousnesse by which they shall be presented blamelesse unto God That day shall be to them even as was the day of escape to the Jewes a feast and a good day in which they shall see God as hee is and know him as they are knowne of him But hapily thou maist say how shall I know that the day of Death is the day of dissolution and this kind of dismission A very necessary quaere indeed this is for every man almost is ready to challenge to himselfe a part of this happinesse and it is a matter presumed upon by many which shall never enjoy it I will therefore give you one certaine marke by which wee may know assuredly that the day of our death shall be to us a day of enlargement and of finall discharge
hell out of sorrow and angvish and tentation hee raiseth out their greatest quiet Secondly because the love of God is eternall and unchangeable Whom hee loves hee loves to the end It is unpossible that the Lord albeit he trie and that sharply yet should finally forsake those that are his in their greatest extremitie But againe secondly if you make a peaceable death to bee the reward of the Righteous what say you to this There bee many that in all their life gave little evidence of any Religion or grace but of the contrary rather yet in their death were very quiet and still and seemed to all that were by to have in them no manner of vexation no troublesome thoughts no perplexed motions shall wee say that these were good men because they seemed to goe away in peace It is true indeed it is the common opinion Doth a man lye quietly hath hee his memorie to the end died he like a Lambe surely then hee is gone to heaven but this is an absurd colection for First sometime this outward calmenesse 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 calmenesse is no argument of a peaceable and quiet soule The Psalmist tells us of the wicked in whose death there are no bands Thirdly wee must distinguish betweene securitie and peace betwixt carnall senslesnesse and true spirituall quietnesse Nabals death was quiet enough yet hee were but a foole that would adventure his soule with Nabals I see many ignorant persons many of heathenish and brutish conversation very quiet in sicknesse without any feare of hell and judgement to come making no doubts casting no perills asking no questions complaining of no sinnes and so away they goe 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 senslesse and drowsie kind of death I must say that these are fearefull signes these things argue that the Divill had quiet possession where hee made so small adoe Thus then notwithstanding these Objections I will conclude that a peacefull death is the peculiar and individed priviledge of Gods servants However it be yet I know saith Solomon that it shall goe well with those that feare the Lord but there is no peace to the wicked saith my God Wee may make Use of this first to be a tryall 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 owne 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 paine of Anathema and the great curse that whosoever dyeth if hee have not in this life attained to perfection and throughly purged himselfe from the remainders of sinne by workes of satisfaction his soule must after death goe into Purgatory and there continue untill hee hath made a full satisfaction now the paine of Purgatorie is held for the time to bee as great as the paines of hell differing onely in this that it is not perpetuall Now I would faine know how can a man die comfortably and in peace and with a joyfull heart when hee thinkes with himselfe that albeit perhaps after some yeares hee shall goe to heaven yet in the meane space his soule must goe 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 feeing the Priests they may hap to lye for many yeares I say how can the Doctrine of Popery beget a peacefull death when it teacheth an expectation of such an hellish Purgatory Secondly every Papist as he is bound of a certaine to beleeve a Purgatory so further must he beleeve that hee cannot in this life be assured of salvation otherwise then by a kind of confused hope which may deceive him Now hee which by the witnesse of his owne conscience is sure that hee hath deserved hell and cannot attaine to any certaintie of discharge what comfort can such an one have to dye hee knowes that when hee 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 againe and testifie these reasons which I have alledged being weighed that a Papist by his owne doctrine can never expect that which Simeon did a departure hence in peace He knowes he must to torment he is taught 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 dye nothing more certaine Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne God hath decreed it and it cannot bee revoked if our end be not peaceable our estate after cannot bee happy Let our care then be spent about this one point how one may attaine to this to end our dayes in peace I doubt not but wee will all bee ready to say we hope so to doe but this is nothing for when the wicked man dyeth his expectation perisheth What becomes of the hope of the Hypocrite said Iob when God takes away his soule But what course then shall wee take that wee may finish our course with joy I will tell thee in few words I touched it a little before the best meanes 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 inferre that therefore there was laid up for him a crowne of righteousnesse It was Christs owne inference I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the worke which thou gavest mee to doe and therefore now O Father glorifie thou mee with thine owne selfe The reason of it is first Gods promise blessed shall bee the undefiled in the way Those that honour mee I will honour said God Now this promise God will not breake He that goeth this way though it be with much weaknesse with many falls with sundry imperfections with divers wandrings yet he cannot misse of the promised peace Secondly life eternall hath three degrees the first is in this life when a man repenteth and beleeveth and is purged from dead workes to serve the living God The second is in death when the body goes to earth and the spirit returnes to him that gave it The third is at the last judgement These three degrees hang together like three linkes the second followeth the first and the third the two former the last cannot be hoped for where
Luke 7. and Iairus his Daughter Luke 8. and Lazarus here in this chapter And at his resurrection also hee manifested this his quickning power in that he rose not alone but raised the bodies of many of his Saints with him many of his Saints arose with him and as they rose with Christ their head so also they ascended to glory together with Christ their head and the resurrection of these it was an effect of the resurrection of Christ it was by the power of Christs resurrection Of these we may reade Mat. 27. 52. 53. The graves opened and many bodies of the Saints that slept arose and came out of their graves after his resurrection and went into the holy Citie and appeared to many Thus you have the first conclusion proved that Christ is the Author of the resurrection of the body Now in the next place the second conclusion is this that Christ is the Author and Fountaine of spirituall life also Hee is the Author of the Resurrection of the soule and the resurrection of the soule it is this when the Spirit of grace of which we were all deprived in Adam returnes againe to the soule of a naturall man and so quickens the man that the man begins to rise out of the Grave of sinne and to lead a new life a spirituall life the life of grace this is the resurrection of the soule Now that Christ is the Author of this Resurrection also of this spirituall Resurrection wee may demonstrate this by a multitude of Divine testimonies but wee will single out some few of the chiefe wee need goe no further then this Evangelist which affords plentifull testimonie for the confirmation of this truth As in Ioh. 4. 10. There Christ speaking to the woman of Samaria he said unto her If thou haddest knowne the gift of God and who it is that said unto thee give me drinke thou shouldest have asked of him and hee 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 Fountaine And the Spirit of grace is compared to living water from the effects of it because the Spirit of grace restoreth spirituall life to the soule and then preserveth this life therefore it is living Water and Christ is as the Fountaine of this water that yeeldeth and giveth this living quickning water of the Spirit Againe in Ioh. 5. 21. there Christ chalengeth this power to himselfe As the Father raiseth up the dead and quickneth them so the Sonne quickneth whom hee will As Christ when he was upon the earth hee raised whom he would from the death of the body so now being in heaven hee raiseth whom he will from the death of the soule Yea the voyce of Christ sounding in the ministrie of the Word accompanied with his quickning Spirit is of power and efficacie to raise those that are dead in sinnes as wee may see Ioh. 5. 25. Verily verily I say unto you saith Christ the houre is comming and now is when the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall live Againe in Ioh. 6. 35. there Christ stileth himselfe the Bread of life and the Living bread Iesus said unto them I am the bread of life and in verse 48. I am the bread of life and againe verse 51. I am the living bread Christ is the living bread the bread of life who as he hath life in himselfe so he communicates spirituall life to all those that feed upon him And here is a broad difference betweene this Bread of life and ordinary bread ordinarie food for though ordinarie food can preserve naturall 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 sinnes and preserves that life that hee hath restored thus hee is the living Bread Againe Ioh. 15. 1. there Christ compares himselfe to a Vine and the faithfull to so many branches I am the true Vine saith Christ and my Father is the husband-man And in verse 5. I am the Vine yee are the branches Now as the branch of the Vine sucks juyce and sappe from the stocke and roote of the vine so all the faithfull receive spirituall juyce and life from Christ their head As Adam hee is a common root of corruption and spirituall death to all that come from him so Christ is a common roote of grace and spirituall life to all those that are his members And in this regard Christ is compared to a head and the faithfull to his members Collos. 1. 18. Christ is the head of his body the Church Christ is the head and the faithfull are his members therefore as in the naturall body the head that is the principium the fountaine of sense and motion it is the head that by certaine nerves and sinewes conveyes sense and motion to all the members of the body so in the mysticall body the Church Christ is the head that conveyes spirituall life and motion to all that are his members to all the faithfull Thus you see the second conclusion explained and proved also that as Christ is the Author of the resurrection of the body so hee is of the resurrection of the soule too it is he that raiseth the soule to spirituall life Now in the third place we are to shew you the reason why this double quickning power is here comprehended under one terme I am the Resurrection Now that this double power of quickening is to be understood here under this one terme wee need not I hope spend time to prove for that Christ speakes here of the spirituall resurrection and the spirituall life this I take to be evident from Christs owne exposition in the words following Hee that beleeveth in mee though hee were dead yet shall hee live Hee that beleeveth in me though he were dead in sinnes and trespasses before yet hee shall live the life of grace therefore I am the Resurrection Againe that the resurrection of the body is not here excluded it may appeare from the scope and intent of these words of Christ for the scope of these words here is to perswade Martha that hee was able of himselfe by his owne power to raise up her dead brother to restore him to life saith hee I am the resurrection I have power to restore spirituall life to the soule that is dead in sinne and this is the greater worke therefore I am able to restore naturall life to the dead body to restore the body that is dead in the Grave to life againe Now the reasons why this double power is here comprehended under one terme I am the Resurrection the chiefe reasons I take to bee these two First this double quickning power is here comprehended under one terme in regard of the Analogie and proportion betweene these two betweene
Mother But consider the World as it is in it selfe and there is nothing in it but true bitternesse and false sweetnes certaine paine and uncertaine pleasure tedious labour and timerous rest nothing in the World but vanitie and miserie for saith Saint Iohn Love not the World hee that makes himselfe the friend of God makes himselfe an enemie to the World O you lovers of the World sayth Saint Austin I wonder at you O foolish men who hath bewitched you for what wrestle you why doe you strive and contend so much what thing is their in the World that is worthie your labour there is sayth hee nothing in the World but that which is foolish and frothie and frayle and false and vaine and full of danger full of disaster suffer your selves therefore to bee weaned from the World And yet notwithstanding all that wee can say wee know there are some persons that will not bee taken off from the Worlds breasts they have a better opinion of it then so Let such enjoy their owne errour till they runne to ruine and till their owne overthrow take them off Yet notwithstanding wee know that which an Ancient hath that to whom God is once sweet the World must needs bee bitter 2 On the other side the knowledge of this serveth to winne us to the Lord that as the one draweth us off so the other may drive us on When I consider the mercies of the Lord and the goodnesse of God in the land of the living when I consider how infinite he is in his love I am ravished in spirit I am taken up in the minde and taken off in the flesh I have set my heart and affections on Heaven and on heavenly things And now when I think on the Lord there is my hope and there is my helpe and there where my helpe is there is my love and there is my life and there is my Lord there is Christ at the right hand of God Hee is the life of them that beleeve hee is the resurrection from the dead hee is the right hand where there is pleasure for evermore for there shall be no more paine no more death for the first things are past away saith Saint Iohn in the Revelation and all things are become new Oh hee that did but know the joyes that are reserved for such as are received to the Lord would soone bee taken up from all conceits of the things of this life Thinke you but of that great convocation house of Heaven that high Court of Parliament that great place of Majestie and honour where all the spirits of just men made perfect are where all the Saints departed live where there are all the blessed Patriarches godly Prophets the glorious Apostles the blessed Kings and the goodly fellowship of Martyrs and Confessors where there are the holy Angels and Arch-Angels Thrones and Dominions Seraphims and Cherubins in those glorious Orbes Where there is God the blessed Trinitie the King of Glorie whose Glorie is more then can be seene be sayd conceived to be where the joy of the Saints is such as eye hath not seene no sayth Saint Austin eye hath not seene 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 bee 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 bee peace and their land shall bee peace and their life shall bee peace and their joy shall be peace and their God shall be peace and the God of peace hee 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 Citie of God where the King is veritie and the Law is charitie and the State is felicitie and the Life is eternitie The comparing of these two things together of this lifes miserie and that lifes felicitie and eternitie 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 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they shall be alwaies praysing thee here is singing but sighing is in the Tabernacle for while wee are in this Tabernacle therefore sigh wee desiring to be dissolved and to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven for while wee are here we cannot be happie for this life is miserie This bee spoken for our selves The second application of this plea is for others seeing this life is such a life of miserie 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 wee were without hope of them Hope is in the Text the principall thing and to lament and mourn for those that are departed wee should bee so farre from it as to rejoyce in our spirits for the blessed translation of such into eternall rest from this vale of miserie I say we should rejoyce in their very translation What dost thou mourne and lament and hang downe the head and all for losse of such as are departed and gone to rest with God Oh but thou wilt say thou art not heavie for their gaine but for thine owne losse but seeing thy losse is the lesse and their gaine the greater why dost thou not observe a meane 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 mourne for her Children so as that shee would not be comforted not but that shee could have beene comforted but shee 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 griefe wee must overcome all our griefe with patience with a blessed expectation of our owne dissolution for we must thinke we shall goe to them they shall not returne to us let us desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best for them and for mee I and for thee too Enough of the fift Point The last which I will but name that so I may runne through this whole Scripture at this time is this that The righteous and the hopefull they are not miserable they are not most miserable not the most miserable of all nay they are not miserable at all
it proves with all things thou performest with intent to please God and glorifie him though they fall more prosperous or lesse prosperous in the event yet the conclusion converts them all to the glorie of God his pleasure and the advantage of the owner and there they lye and their recompence also But some man may say I have continued a great while in the exercise of doing of good I am now old and have lived thus long at my trade and thus long I have beene a House-keeper and thus long have had an estate in my hands all which time I have ever employed my selfe in the performance of good offices for others and did not intermit any occasion that might invite me to the doing of good And is it not yet time to cease No saith Solomon in the morning sow thy seed and in the evening let not thy hand rest For all those words are but severall answers to severall objections So we thy seed in the morning of thy life when thy estate begins to be improved and then even in the evening of thy life when thou hast left off gaining cease not to persist in giving Saith another man You must not loppe the twigge too soone that is but beginning to grow I am but how in the way to thrive and when I am further entred into that course I will not faile to extend my goodnesse to others So we thy seed in the morning of thy life But saith another man I have done that already and now it ceaseth to be with me as before by reason I follow not my trade and have no more possibilitie of getting But let not thy hand cease in the evening saith God When thy shop windowes are shut up thy compassion must still continue open when thou hast bid gaine adue and taken thy leave of all the wayes of getting even then if thou enjoy an estate in thine hands and abilitie to doe good there is no excuse for thee to cease from bestowing it though it be in the evening Thus wee see there is no time excepted nor person to be refused if necessitie require but a man must doe good to all men at all times So much for that But the matter chiefly intended is these two That there are some poore of the houshold of faith That is the first God hath in the houshold of faith some that stand in need of reliefe Secondly that all that are in the houshold should especially looke unto them First I say there are some of the houshold of faith true beleevers whose wants call for releefe So wee see Christ speakes as it were for himselfe when hee speakes of them I was hungrie and you did not feed me I was naked and you did not cloath mee Those that Christ ownes as his and accounts them a part of himselfe even those are hungrie and naked And so likewise God hath chosen the poore of this world rich in faith They be rich in faith and so of Gods houshold of faith and yet neverthelesse poore in this world You shall see an example of this A Widow comes to Elisha the Prophet and tels him Thy servant my husband was a man fearing God and yet notwithstanding the creditour is comming upon me and will have my sonnes to bee bond-slaves The man feared God and yet neverthelesse the poore Widow wanted meanes and her sonnes must be exposed to extremitie of bondage for discharge of his fathers ingagements A hard case and yet the case of a man fearing God You see there are those of Macedonia that send helpe to the poore Saints of Acâ—… they were Saints and yet poore receiving helpe from a company of poore people at Macedonia being so poore that the Apostle beares witnesse of them they gave above their abilitie We see a poore man and yet an heire of heaven lying full of sores and in want at the gate of Dives that was after throwne into hell An heire of heaven and yet on earth a Beggar You see then beloved the point is true now wee will descend and see how it appeares to be so and for what respect it comes to passe by Gods providence First it becomes so that there may be a conformitie betweene the head and the members for Christ that was rich for our sakes became poore saith the Scripture even Christ that was rich and Lord over all became poore and in the forme of a servant unto all for our sakes so poore that wee see the foxes had holes and the fowles of the ayre had nests but our Redeemer had no shelter no not so much roome as to rest his head Now there must bee a conformitie betweene Christ and his members if the head be poore necessitie makes the other members partake of the same Cuppe Againe secondly if you observe and looke on the condition of Gods Saints of the houshold of faith on earth here you shall find small occasion to marvell 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 convaide unto them after some certaine 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 compells 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 scrippe This is the brood of travellers saith David that seeke thy face Thirdly there followes another reason and that proceedes from the opposition they find in the world against their course the world labours to make them poore and having prevailed like an imperious Jaylour to a distressed prisoner endevours to keepe them under And it comes so to passe in regard of the naturall enmitie and division that is in the world in opposition of the wayes of God You shall find that our Saviour intending to goe to Ierusalem made his way through Samaria and dispatched some before to provide him lodging But the Samaritans understanding or suspecting that he was minded to goe thither refused to entertaine him They would not receive him saith the Text Why Because he was going unto Ierusalem Beloved thus deales the world with the members of Christ if they would relie on the world and make that their end as they doe then riches should flow in in abundance and their estates might arive to be as eminent and mightie as others But if their mindes be resolved for Ierusalem and their eyes reflect that way Let them seeke their owne 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 houshold of faith should endure the scourge of povertie on earth that so the worke of his grace may appeare the more in them by the meanes of their povertie for when doth grace make it selfe more manifest in the heart then in the middest of such extremities The starres make the brightest reflection in the obscurest night and grace appeares most glorious chiefly in distresse You have heard of the patience of Iob had not Iob endured much sorrow and beene exercised in many afflictions the world had beene ignorant of his vertues hee was first deprived of his substance and suffered the torments of his body before hee expressed his patience You have heard of the faith of those people which wandered in sheepes-skinnes and goats-skins But how could you have beene acquainted with their faith if you had not heard of their clothing you see them in sheepes-skinnes and goats-skinnes 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 Iames for it befalls others of the Saints So say I when wee see of the houshold of faith in povertie account it no strange matter that God bestowes not riches in this world to one that is rich in grace You see a multitude of beleevers stript of all they had and yet they were holy and religious Secondly condemne not their wayes for the entertainment they meet with in the world Like not the worse of the wayes of God because he afflicts his servants you should then judge evill of the generation of the just You know Iob was a man beloved of God from heaven he witnesseth his goodnesse Hee was an upright and a just man one that feared God and eschewed evill Notwithstanding you see how hee was environed with troubles and made destitute of meanes and the societie of his friends insomuch that his three familiar acquaintance did conclude that therefore hee was an hypocrite and that God had found him out in some sinne But the ensuing displeasure of God towards these men though it tooke no effect because of the righteous invocation of his servant Iob will tell us there belongs a judgement to those that censure the Children of God by their afflictions weighing their sinnes and 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 bee in extreame necessitie for want of these outward blessings presently thou concludest something is amisse in his life Thou perceivest another growes rich having riches and honour and applause in the World notwithstanding hee goes on in a prophane course yet thou concludest certainly God loves this man these are dangerous conclusions Cain and Esau were beloved of God if this bee a signe of love now God himselfe sayd that Hee hated Esau. Esau whom God hated had twelve Dukes to his Sonnes enjoying abundance and superfluitie of all things and therefore forbeaâ—…e to reprove the just man or call his integritie into question because of his outward poverty Thirdly take heed you despise not the Houshold of Faith for outward povertie thinke 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 〈◊〉 man comes in gay cloathing you say sit here in a goodly place but a man in meaner apparell stand thou there c. the meaning is this The Apostle stands not so much upon the placing of men but rather inveighs against the unseemly disposition of mens hearts that slighted Grace in the poore members of the bodie because they were not adorned with those outward ornaments that beautifie the bodie This thing the Lord calls a despising of the poore yee have despised the poore so that they did not walke as beleevers nor honour God in sinceritie because instead of honouring God by a familiar societie with the faithfull they despised him in contemning his Graces for their outward povertie unto whom hee had bestowed them not unlike to a phantasticall offender whose pardon being seal'd and sent him by an unworthie person chose rather to die for his offence then accept of his pardon from the hands of an inferiour person Secondly the last Point is this that These servants of God of the Houshold of Faith being poore should especially bee look't unto by those of the same house that are rich above all other persons they are to respect those of the Houshold of Faith So David My goodnesse extendeth not to thee but to the Saints on earth The Apostle witnesseth of Philemon That hee had refreshed the bowells of the Saints and had done good to them taking most especiall notice of him because of his goodnesse extended towards them This is the dutie And the Reason of it is because that for this intent hath God given riches unto some that have grace that so they might especially administer the comfort that wealth brings with it unto those that are poore of the same Houshold and profession of grace I say for this very reason God hath furnished some of his Elect with wealth and opportunities that above all other they might reserve a diligent care and respect towards others that share with them in the same Grace if they doe not I am certaine the world will not for of all other people those that feare God are the persons to whom they wish most unhappinesse and shortest continuance of life in this World Therefore hath God given wealth to those that have Grace that thâ—…y might minister a seasonable reliefe to others whose wants doe call for it Let the brother of low degree rejoyce in that hee is exalted and let the brother of high degree rejoyce in that hee is made low what is the low bringing of the brother in high degree but that hee becomes servant to him of low degree his wealth and revenewes nay all that hee enjoyes hee confesseth to bee for the service of the poorest Christian. Then hath the brother of low degree occasion enough to rejoyce because the brother of high degree receives both exaltation wealth and preferment and all that hee possesseth for his good And therefore beloved doe not slightly passe by this necessarie dutie for it will require your serious consideration and your best ability to performe it Secondly the â—…eere union and relation betweene one and another should bee a strong obligation upon those that are rich especially to extend their care and estate to those of low degree having grace for they are brethren and there is a strong bond that combines them together having all the same
in the garnishing and sauce of every dish smell in the stench of every dead corpses feele in the beating of every pulse yet we are not sensible of it wee 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 nailes vers 11. pricks us deepe with the remembrance hereof so deepe that hee drawes blood sanguinem animâ—… the blood of the soule as Saint Austin tearmeth our teares lachrymae sanguis animae For who can reade with drye eyes that tbose that looke out of the windowes shall bee darkened Who can heare without horrour that the keepers of the house shall tremble or consider without sorrow that the daughters of musicke shall be brought low or comment without deepe fetched sighes upon mans going to his long home and the mourners going about the streetes to wash them with teares and sweepe them with Rosemarie Origen after he had chosen rather facere periculosè quam perpeti turpitèr to burne Incense to the Heathen gods then to suffer his body to be defiled by a Blackamore and the flower of his chastitic which he had so long time preserved to be some way blasted at a Church in Ierusalem 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 verse in Psal. 50. But to the wicked saith God what hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my covenants in thy mouth which contained his suspension shutteth his booke speaketh not a word more but comments upon it with his teares so me thinkes having read this Text in which I find all our capitall doomes written I cannot doe better then follow that Fathers prefident and shut up not only my booke but my mouth also and seale up my lippes and comment upon the coherence with distraction the parts with passion the notes with sighes the periods with groanes and the words with teares for alas as soone as a man commeth into his short booth in this world which he saluteth with teares he goeth to his long home in the next And the mourners goe about the streetes It is lamentable to heare the poore infant which cannot speake yet to boad his owne misery and to prophecie of his future condition and what are the contents of his Prophecie but lamentations mournings and woes Saint Cyprian accords with Saint Austin in his dolefull note Vitae mortalis anxietates dolores procellas mundi quas ingreditur in exordio statim suo ploratu vel gemitu rudes animae testatur Little children newly borne take in their first breath with a sigh and come crying into the world assoone as they open their eyes they shed teares to helpe fill up the Vale of teares into which they were then brought and shall bee after a short time carried out with a streame of them running from the eyes of all their friends And if the Prologue and Epilogue bee no better what shall wee judge of the Scenes and Acts of the life of man they yeeld so deepe springs of teares and such store of arguments against our aboad in this world that many reading them in the bookes of Hegesias the Platonicke 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 borne 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 passe for a sage Essay and a strong line amongst Philosophers yet wee Christians who know that this present life to all that live godly in Christ Iesus how full of troubles cares and persecutions so ever it bee is but a sad and short Preface to endlesse 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 primùm mori That it is best to be new borne and then if it so please God after our new birth to bee translated with all speed into the new Heaven But soft we cannot take our degrees in Christs schoole per saltem we must keepe our Termes and performe our exercises both of faith obedience and patience wee must not looke from the Font to be presently put into the rivers of pleasures springing at Gods right hand for evermore Wee must take a toylesome journey and in it often drinke of the waters of Marahâ—… Wee must suffer with Christ before wee reigne with him Wee must taste of the bitter cup of his Passion before wee drinke new Wine with him in his Kingdome wee must sowe in teares here that wee may reape in joy hereafter Every man goeth though some set out sooner some later and shall arive at his home but let him looke 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 keepe within the pathes of Gods commandements his home shall be the New Ierusalem descending from God most gloriously shining with streetes of gold gates of pearle and foundations of precious stones where all teares 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 Corps But to shoot somewhat nearer to the marke Marriages and Funeralls though most different actions and of a seeming contrary nature yet are set forth and as it were apparelled with parallell rites and ceremonies our raiments are changed in both because in both our estate is changed Bells are rung flowers are strowed and feasts kept in both and anciently both were celebrated in the night by Torch-light Hee that hath but halfe an eye may see in the Ritualls of the Ancients the blazing and sparkling as well of the funeriall as the nuptiall lights and no marvaile the shadowes meete when the substances concurre the pictures resemble one the other when the faces match the accessaries are corresponding where the principalls are sutable as here they are for in marriage single life dyeth and in death the soule is married to Christ The couple to bee married in ancienter times first met and after an enterview and liking of each other and a contract signed betweene them presently departed the Bride to her Mother the Bridegroome to his Fathers house till the wedding day on which the Bridegroome late in the night was brought to his Spouse and then hee tooke her and inseparably linked him selfe unto her Here the couple to bee married in man are the bodie and the soule at our birth the contract is made but after a short enterview and small abode together the parties are parted and the bodie the Bride
enemie and so the Apostle tearmeth it the last enemie that shall bee destroyed is Death For albeit Death by accident is an advantage as oftentimes an enemie doth a man a good turne 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 maâ—…ice yet is it in it selfe an enemy alwayes to Nature and to grace also it sets upon the elect and the Reprobate the beleever and the Infidell 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 cannor hurt But there being divers kinds of death which of them is here meant Death is a privation and privations cannot bee defined but by their habits that is such positive qualities as they bereave us of for instance sicknesse cannot be perfectly defined but by health which it impaireth nor blindnesse but by sight which it destroyeth nor darknesse but by light which it excludeth nor death but by life which it depriveth us of Now if there bee a fourefold life spoken of in Scripture viz. 1. Of nature 2. Of sinne 3. Of grace 4. Of glory There must needs be a foure-fold death answerable thereunto 1. The death of Nature is the privation of the life of nature by paâ—… soule and bydy 2. The death of sinne is the privation of the life of sinne by mortifying grace 3. The death of Grace is the privation of the life of grace by reigning sâ—…ne 4. The death of Glory is the privation of the life of Glory by aiâ—… and finall 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 divell and his angells Of Death in the first sence David demandeth who is hee that liveth and shall not see death and shall hee deliver his soule from the hand of hell Of Death in the second sense Saint Paul enquireth how shall wee that are dead to sinne live any longer therein Of Death in the third sense Saint Paul must be meant where he rebuketh wanton Widowes Shee that liveth in pleasure is dead while shee liveth Of Death in the fourth sense Saint Iohn is to bee understood Blessed is hee 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 hee is dead to death that is Death cannot kill hurt or affright him who is dead to sinne And another of the Ancients makes a sweet cord of them like so many strings struck at once hee that dyeth before hee dyes shall never die hee that dyeth to sinne before hee dyeth to nature shall never dye to God neither in this world by finall deprivation of grace neither in the world to come of glorie Of these foure significations of Death the first and last fort with this Text for that the first is to bee 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 bee gathered both from the words of Saint Iohn And Death and bell 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 I the second person in Trinitie our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The word here used Ehi is the same with that we reade 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 or Angell 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 bee no other then he besides the word Egilam in the former part of this verse being derived from Gaal signifying propinquus fuit or redemit jure propinquitatis pointeâ—… to our Saviour who by assuming our nature became our Alic by blood and performed this office of a kinsman by redeeming the inheritance which we had lost But we have stronger arguments then Grammaticall observations that he who here promised life to the dead and threatneth plagues to Death was the Sonne of God the Lord of quick and dead for the same who promiseth to redeeme from the Grave threatneth to plague Death but we all know that Redeemer is the peculiar style of the Sonne 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 himselfe three at least concurre the Scrivener who writeth the Conditions and sealeth the Bonds the partie who soliciteth the businesse and mediateth for the captive and layeth downe the summe agreed upon for his ransome and the person in whose power the captive is and who accepteth of the ransome Which of these is the Redeemer you will all say he that is at the cost of all so it is in our redemption from spiritual thraldome the holy Spirit draweth the condition and sealeth the bonds the Father receiveth the ransome the Sonne both mediateth for the ransoming and layeth downe the summe For we were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but the pretious blood of Christ as of a Lambe without blemish hee tooke part of our nature that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the divell and deliver them who through the feare of death were all their life time subiect to bondage Hence we gather that hee that destroyed Death must die but to affirme that the immortall and eternall Spirit of God expired is blasphemie and to say that the Father suffered is heresie longagoe condemned in the Patro-passions we conclude therefore with the Apostle that the second Person Christ Jesus hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortalitie to light by the Gospell And so I fall upon my last Observation the judgement here mentioned Devorica 3. Thy plagues there is no tittle or iota in holy Scripture superfluous some mysterie therefore lyeth in the number plagues in the plurall not plague in the singular which I conceive to be this that Christ put Death to many deaths and foyled and conquered it many wayes first in himselfe secondly in his members First in himselfe by destroying sinne the sting of Death Secondly by breaking the bonds thereof in his powerfull Resurrection wherwith it was impossible that hee should be
saith the spirit Or because this asseveration concerning the condition of the Saints departed is propositia necessaria as the Schooles speake we will cloath the members of the division with tearmes apodicticall and in this verse observe 1. A conclusion sientificall 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 proofe demonstrative and that two-fold 1. A priori 1. By a heavenly oracle I heard a voyce c. 2. A divine testimonie So saith the spirit 2. A posteriori by arguments drawne 1. From their cessation from their worke They rest from their labours 2. Their remuneration for their workes Their workes follow them Where the matter is pretious a decision of the least quantitie is a great losse and therefore as the spie of nature observeth the Iewellers will not rubbe out a small clowde or specke in an orient Rubie 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 graine of Bezar nor an exact Commentatour upon holy Scriptures any syllables of a voyce from heaven the eccho whereof is more melodious to the soule 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 wee may not lose any drop of doctrine sweeter then the honey and the honey combe any leafe of the tree of life any dust of the gold of Ophir 1. I there were three men in holy Scriptures tearmed Iedidiah that is Beloved of God Solomon Daniel and Saint Iohn the Evangelist and to all these God made knowne the secrets of his Kingdome by speciall revelation and their prophecies are for the most part of a mysticall interpretation This Revelation was given to Iohn when hee was in the spirit upon the Lords day and if wee religiously observe the Lords day and then bee in the spirit as hee was giving our selves wholly to the contemplation of Divine mysteries wee shall also heare voyces from heaven in our soules and consciences Heard with what eares could Saint Iohn heare this voyce sith hee was in a spirituall rapture which usually shutteth up all the doores of the senses I answer that as spirits have tongues to speake withall whereof wee reade 1 Cor. 13. 1. Though I speake with the tongues of men and Angels so they have eares to heare one another that is a spirituall facultie answerable to our bodily sense of hearing The Apostle sayth of himselfe that hee was in the spirit and as he was in the spirit so he saw in the spirit and heard inthe spirit and spake in the spirit and moved in the spirit and did all those things which are recorded in this Booke When Saint Paul was wrapd up into the third Heaven and heard there words that cannot be uttered and saw things which cannot bee represented with the eye hee truely and really apprehended those objects yet not with carnall but spirituall sences where with Saint Iohn heard this voice A voyce from Heaven The Pythagoreans taught that the Calestiall spheares 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 worke and that there is no speech nor language where there voyce is not heard but that was the voyce of Heaven it selfe demonstrately proving and after a sort proclaiming the Majestie of the Creatour But this is vox de coelo a voyce from Heaven pronounced by God himselfe or formed by an Angell so Gasper Melo expresly teacheth us Saint Iohn heard a voyce not sounding outwardly but inwardly framed by that Angell who revealed unto him the whole Apocalypse Saint Iohn here heard a voyce from Heaven commanding him to Write and Sain Austin heard a voyce from Heaven commanding him to Read Tolle lege and most requesite it is that where Heaven speakes the earth should heare and where God writes that man should reade There never yet came any voice from Heaven which it did not much import and concerne the earth to heare The first voice that came from Heaven was heard on Mount Sinai and it was to confirme the Law to bee of divine authoritie and establish our faith in God the Creatour A second voice from Heaven we heare â—…o in Saint Peter on the holy Mount when the Apostles were there with Christ and it was to confirme the Gospell and to establish our faith in Christ the Redeemer A third voice or sound was heard from Heaven in the upper roome where Christs Apostles were assembled in the day of Pentecost and it was to confirme out faith in the holy Ghost the Comforter A fourth voice 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 Iewes and Gentileâ—… in one mysticall bodie Lastly a voice was heard from Heaven by Saint Iohn in this place to establish our faith in the last Article of the Creed concerning the happinesse of the dead and the glorious estate of the Tryumphant Church and the life of the World to come If wee desire to bee informed concerning the affaires of the Abissens or those of China Sumatra or Iapan wee conferre with those that are of the same Countrey or have travelled into those parts and for the like reason if wee desire to bee instructed concerning the state and condition of the Citizens of the Heavenly Ierusalem their infinite number their excellent order their singular priviledges their everlasting joyes their feasts their robes their palmes their thrones their crownes wee must enquire of them who either are inhabitants there or have brought us newes from thence nothing but a voice from Heaven can enforce our assent to these heavenly mysteries Now as all words of Kings are of great authoritie but especially their Edicts and Proclamations so all voices from Heaven are highly to bee regarded and religiously obeyed but especially Decrees and Statutes which are commanded by the authoritie of the high Court of Heaven to bee written for perpetuitie such as this is in my Text I heard a voyce from Heaven saying Write with a Pen of Diamond in letters never to bee obliterated write it so that it may bee read of men in all succeeding Ages even to the last man that shall stand upon the earth Here I cannot sufficiently admire the boldnesse of Cardinall Bellarmine who to disparage the necessitie of holy Scripture and cry up unwritten traditions which are the best evidence hee can produce for his new Trent Creed blusheth not to publish it to the World in
at her death Her life was well knowne to most of this place and her death was every way answerable to her life all that visited her in her sicknesse might behold with sorrow a pittifull anatomie of fraile mortalitie and yet with joy a perfect patterne of Christian patience and a heavenly conversation and though shee were full of divine conceptions and shee 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 shee desired shee might be partaker of some of my meditations they were her owne words and when I prayed with her and for her shee joyned not so much with me with her tongue as her affections and answered more in sighes and teares then in words often shee complained of her tuffe heart that would not yeeld to her dissolution and long long sheethought it till shee should come to appeare before the God of Gods in Sion Her last words were sweet Father helpe me and shee had her request for presently hee helped her both by the zealous and most feeling prayers of her Husband and by the holy spirit assisting her in her owne prayers with sighes and groanes that cannot be expressed and immediatly her swâ—…et Father released her of her pangs and received her to himselfe on his owne day On the Lords day morning before the morning watch I say before the morning watch shee entered into her rest and began to keepe her evarlasting Sabbath in heaven where shee reapeth what she sowed and seeth what shee beleeved and enjoyeth what she hoped for and is now entered into those joyes which never entered fully into the heart of any living on earth nor shall into ours till wee with her be made perfect and all of us come to Mount Sion and the heavenly Ierusalem and innumerable company of Angels and to the Congregation of the first-borne whose names are written in heaven and to the spirits of just men and women made perfect Whether the God of peace bring us in our appointed time who brought againe from the dead the great sheepheard through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant To whom with the holy Spirit c. FINIS FAITHS ECCHO OR THE SOVLES AMEN ISAY 64. 1. Oh that thou wouldest rent the Heavens that thou wouldest come downe IER 11. 5. So bee it O Lord. Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. FAITHS ECCHO OR THE SOVLES AMEN SERMON XLVII REVELA 22. 19. Amen Even so come Lord Iesus THese words they afford to us a comfortable and sweet argument to bee conversant in From the sixt verse of this Chapter is set down to us the confirmation of the whole Prophesie and booke of the Revelation partly by the affirmation of God as likewise of Jesus Christ and of Iohn himselfe that heard and saw all these things and likewise of the Church of God in the 17. verse it is likewise confirmed by the promise of blessing and happinesse pronounced upon them that shall doe 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 the 6. verse 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 Iesus In the attestation of Christ hee promiseth hee will come to his Church hee 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 Iesus In this acclamation of the Church to which wee must now come we are to consider First the person of the speaker whose words they bee Secondly what is the matter or substance contained in them Yee shall see whose words they bee if ye looke backe but to the 17. verse of this Chapter there ye shall finde that first it is sayd the Spirit sayth come By the Spirit is not meant the third Person in Trinitie the holy Ghost because hee is not subject to these passions to these desires but hee resteth himselfe in the execution and present disposing and dispensing of things according to his owne will and pleasure Neither by Spirit here is meant any wicked spirit or Angell for they doe with feare and horrour expect the same comming of our Lord and Saviour Christ because his comming shall bee the accomplishment of their miserie and eternall infelicitie 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 Againe secondly the same verse telleth us that the Bride sayth come That is the Church of God in generall the Catholike Church the whole Church of God being now hand-fasted to Christ and entred into a spirituall contract with him Shee desireth the consumation of the Marriage the solemniation of the Marriage which is alreadie begun in the contract of it and not onely every particular member of the Church in whom the Spirit of God is saith come but the Church of God in generall the Bride sayth 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 telleth us that as the Spirit and the Bâ—…ide say come so hee that heareth saith come that is not onely the Church of God that is now present here upon the face of the earth but the successive parts of the Church in all future Ages they are all of the same minde having received the same Spirit they all say come Whosoever heareth this Prophesie whosoever heareth of these promises in any Age or Countrey of the World all they having the same spirit they must needes say come hee that heareth sayth come hee that is acquainted with the promises that commeth to the knowledge of them and doth mingle them with the faith of his soule this man must needs say come to the accomplishment of them And lastly Hee that is a thirst sayth come too that is whosoever hath tasted of the sweetnesse of Christ in any measure whatsoever and therby hath wrought in him a vehement thirst after more this man will say come Whosoever hath such a sence of Christ in his promises as to taste of the sweetnesse of these never so little as hee that hath tasted a droppe of honey wisheth for more so hee that hath tasted of the sweetnesse of Christ a
not upon their freedome from condemnation So much for that I come now to a second use You see here the way whereby men aggravate afflictions and get causes of impatience in themselves and if we seriously consider it wee shall find one of these the ordinary causes of all distempers and impatience in losses in sicknesses in distresse of mind in crosses upon a mans name or whatsoever befalleth him amisse 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 stirre us up every one in the presence of God to set our selves upon this taske of Christianitie to labour for Patience that we may be perfect Christians and to be perfect in Patience Let Patience have her perfect worke 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 here Patience is to support him in those present miseries and calamities Another sort of tryall is when the good that a man expects is delayed and is not presently granted and here patience is necessarie in this case also I will shew yee how a man may set patience a worke in both these and so conclude First for the present calamities of a mans life For crosses of any kind in name state friends or familie or in whatsoever a man hath or goeth about they may all be reduced to this one head when a man commeth from a state of health to a state of sicknesse from a state of comfort to a state of sorrow from acquaintance and societie to be as a Pelican in the wildernesse as David speakes destitute of all friends and helpes from inward rejoycing in his heart in the assurance of Gods love to spirituall disertions wherein he seemeth to be as in a cloude under the frownes of God When a man is in this case how shall he exercise patience how shall he come to it Briefly the way for a man to get patience in such cases as these is this First to consider that there is no change in my life there is no condition whatsoever that I am cast into but it is ordered by God Set thy soule aworke now to give God his glory in that change of thy life First give God the glory of his absolute Soveraignty and Dominion Secondly give him the glory of his wisdome Thirdly give him the glory of his mercy in those changes of thy life that seeme most grievous to thee First I say give him the glory of his absolute soveraignty Acknowledge him an absolute in-dependant Lord that doth what he will among the creatures His will is the rule of all his actions upon the creatures here below and uncontrould unquestionable It is high arrogancy and presumption and pride of spirit for the creature to contest with his Creator concerning his actions on earth Let every man reason thus I must give God the glory of his Soveraignty and acknowledge that he hath power and right to rule all the families of the earth and why not mine as well as another Why not my person as well as anothers Why not to order all the changes of my life as well as another mans That which Benhadad spake proudly to Ahab thy silver and thy gold thy wives and thy children and thy house and thy Citie are mine That may God speake truely and by right All that thou hast and all that thou art is mine therefore give him that glory that Iob did in the change of his life The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken away blessed bee the name of the Lord. The Lord that gave hath right to take what he will There is nothing that will keepe the creature in his due place but the consideration of Gods absolute soveraigntie This consideration was that that meekned the spirit of Eli when that heavy message was brought to him that there should come such miserie upon his house that whosoever heard it both his eares should tingle well saith he It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good It is the Lord and it becommeth not servants to stand and contend with their Lord. So David when the Priests offered him their service to goe along with him to the field from Absolom If saith he I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me back to Ierusalem and his tabernacle but if he thus say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him doe to mee as seemeth good unto him Here was that that humbled the spirit of David when he considered that he was under the hands of an absolute Lord let the Lord do with me what seemeth him good Secondly as thou must give him the glory of his soveraignty so of his wisedome Know that God ordereth all his wayes with wisedome and counsell he knoweth what is good for his children Yee are content when yee are sicke that the Phisitian should diet yee because yee account him wise and one that hath skill in that course If God diet thee for the purging out of some corruption and for the curing of some spirituall disease in thy soule submit to God in this case be willing to resigne thy selfe up to be ordered by him A man that hath a Gangreene or such a dangerous disease in his body submitteth to the Surgeon in his course though it be to the cutting and sawing off of a limbe though it bee never so painfull and the losse be never so great yet hee is for the saving of his life willing to have that taken away God is a wise God that knoweth what estate is best for thee not onely when tryals are better then comforts but what one kind of tryall is better then another it may be it is better to exercise one with povertie another with disgrace another with spirituall trouble another with restraint of libertie which particular tryall is necessary to cure that disease and which this that is in my soule the heavenly Phisitian will bring that upon thee as a spirituall prescription and a heavenly course that he takes in infinite wisdome to cure thee Lastly give him in all this the glory of his mercie What hast thou lost but thou maiest have lost a great deale more What dost thou suffer but thou maiest have suffered a great deale more As Alcibiades when he was told that one had stolne halfe his plate I have cause saith he rather to bee thankefull that hee tooke no more then to be troubled that he tooke so much I am sure it is true of God in this case what hath God tooke from thee some part of thy estate some friend some comfort of thy life some one or other particular comfort could he not have done more Hee afflicteth
excellencies diminished by all his sufferings you see Christ in the dayes of his flesh he cast divells out of men and they obeyed him The divells were subject unto him when he conversed among men in the body nay on the Crosse he saved the Thiefe that confessed him in the sight of all his enemies when he was a crucified Christ at that instant he triumphed on the very crosse and saved a sinner that beleeved at that time to shew that he was as mightie on the Crosse as he is now at the right hand of the Father Now I say is not Christs glory a whit diminished in his abasement why should our beleefe bee abated for all the scorne and despite of the world that is cast upon the profession of the faith of Christ Now briefly some application of this and so to take in the rest without amplification because the time is past It should teach us in all disquiet to know what course is to bee taken every one will say I rest upon God there is sufficient in him to make me happy But how shall I come to have interest in God The well is deepe where is the bucket what is the meanes to relieve my soule and to supply my wants Beleeve in me saith Christ let the soule looke on Christ immediatly as the Mediator betweene God and us this is that I should have spoken of and a word of exhortation to the purpose You will say what is it to beleeve in Christ. The first thing that is done in this is receiving Christ upon Gods offer of him God offers Christ in all his offices as King Priest and Prophet as a Lord and Saviour to the Church and hee would have men take whole Christ or no part of him Now if the soule answer to this offer of God he shall be my Lord to rule me my Prophet to instruct me my Saviour upon whom my soule shall rest for salvation this is the answer of the soule to God this is the receiving Now you must know there must be a right propounding and a right apprehending of Christ. You must know first what it is to receive Christ as a Prophet as one that will instruct us in the truths that are contrarie to naturall principles in the corrupt understanding of man he will leade you now in the way of the Wildernesse in by pathes in crooked rough wayes he will teach you to deny your selves The first rule that he gives is for a man to deny himselfe as if he should say that is the first worke hee died to pull downe all the old frame and to set it up againe For what is the understanding of man but a frame of false principles for the naturall minde of man it is nothing but a habit a heape a pile of false principles that every man perisheth by the delusion of his owne understanding now the first worke of Christ is to dissolve this frame and to blot out these rules wherby men walke when they are led by sence and naturall reason and observation of the world now these must all be taken away and a man must resolve all now into the authority of Christs speaking A word of Christ is enough against a thousand examples in the world and against a thousand reasons of a mans owne corrupt heart This is to receive Christ as a Prophet when I will not walke by the rules of my deluded reason and corrupt minde after which I was carried before but the Word of Christ shall carry mee in all things here is obedience of faith in matter of Doctrine And so to receive Christ as a King would you know what a King he is hee is a holy King whose lawes are all right the Law of Faith is a righteous Law and the obedience of Faith must be obedience to righteousnesse that is righteous obedience wherein a man labours more and more to perfit holines in the feare of God Hence comes all that care to mortifie corruptions and to frame the inward man to conforme to those rules that are taught by Christ as a Prophet the soule receiving Christ as a King gives it self to obey all the rules and directions that Christ in his Word as a Prophet hath left and this it doth in faith that is looking upon his authoritie that hath commanded it for that is properly an act of faith when things are done upon this ground upon the authoritie of him that hath revealed it I beleeve it to bee his will because hee hath revealed it and it is my dutie because it is his will Thus the soule resolves all to Christ as a Prophet and a King And then it rests on him as a Priest and comforts it selfe in Spirit now for a man when he wants comfort hee must not seperate the offices of Christ and say I will rest on Christ as a Priest these are errours and delusions Shall a man be saved by a halfe Faith by a peece of Faith To looke on Christ in one office and to thinke to bee saved onely by that without concurring and concomitating in the other offices Beloved as Christ is intire in all his offices so the faith of a beleever is intire looking upon all his offices therefore wee must receive him as King Priest and Prophet that hee may be wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption that he may bee all to the beleeving soule for present and for future happinesse else if Christ bee not all he will be nothing men must not please themselves to looke upon one office of Christ and to neglect all the rest When this is done come to the maine matter the soule is beaten off as when a man is in a Boate getting to land after shipwracke there comes a storme and beats him backe againe when he thinkes hee is even at the shore but still hee takes hold on the Boate and keepes his eye upon the shore So the soule when it comes to this to be beate off againe still it keepes the shore in its sight and directs it selfe towards Christ that should bee the end and ayme of all a mans indeavours the true object of faith I beseech you consider this point But a man will say though I be carefull to receive him I speake of weake Christians or of strong Christians that are weakened by temptations Alas what hope have I in Christ Christ is in heaven and I am upon the earth Did Christ when he was upon the earth so tender the trouble of his servants at that time as that when hee himselfe was to suffer yet he tooke care to comfort them be not you troubled but beleeve in me As if hee should say though I bee exposed to a world of trouble and at this time my soule is heavy unto death yet be not troubled was he so carefull when he was in his owne troubles on earth to comfort them and will he not now be so in heaven when hee is in blessednesse
certainly the soule that hath recourse to Christ shall not returne emptie therefore see how Christ is exprest in heaven Matth. 25. Come yee blessed c. for what you have done to these you have done to me hee is in heaven and so Saul why dost thou persecute me hee is in heaven yet in respect of his Church hee is below therefore be assured that Christ hath not put off the bowels of love to his people he will bee the same if thou receive him as a Lord and Saviour as ever he was to his Disciples But it may be objected wee are exposed to many uncertainties though wee beleeve in Christ and wee finde 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 betweene which and this there is as much difference as is betweene a House and a Tent betweene a mans owne mansion and an Inne And though you have hard entertainement in the world yet you shall have an abiding place after But you will say indeede there are mansions but there are aboundance to receive them what shall we doe There are many mansions therefore looke 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 wee see what a vast body the Sunne is and the Starres are yet they seeme but little sparkes in comparison of the heavens above us but what is the heaven of heavens that containe all these infinitly beyond in its owne compasse there are many mansions But how shall we come to heaven Saith Christ I goe 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 judgement to bring you to glory all that Christ doth now as God-man as Mediator betweene good and us all is for our sake But when Christ is taken from us how shall wee get thither Saith he I will come and bring you with me I will come in glory at the day of Iudgement in the clouds and inable you to meete me and thence bring you to those heavenly mansions in my fathers house never doubt how these things shall bee done I will doe them all Thus Christ would confirme their faith there is the greatest happinesse 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 FINIS FAITHS TRIUMPH OVER THE GREATEST TRYALLS 1 JOH 5. 4. This is the victory that overcommeth the world even our Faith ROM 8. 37. Nay in all these things wee are more then Conquerours LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. FAITHS TRIVMPH OVER THE GREATEST TRYALLS SERMON XXXII HEB. 11. 17. By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up his sonne Isaac and hee that had received the promise offered up his onely begotten sonne THis Chapter doth speake 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 Countrey the other was to give up his Sonne to give up his Countrey in the 8. verse by faith Abraham when hee was called of God to goe out in a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and hee went out not knowing whether hee went To leave our friends our parents to take our journey wee know not whither to live among wee 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 contemnes it and will not hearken to it but Faith can see more in Gods promise then sence can find Abraham will leave his Countrey 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 tearmes A second thing that hee is to part with is with his Sonne his only sonne his first begotten sonne in this Act of faith Abraham sayles against wind and tyde where hee breakes through the contentments of the world not only of sence and reason but of naturall affection The story in a word is this God after many yeares patience at length gave Abraham a sonne in his old age he was the child of many prayers and of many teares the parents delight and to Abrahams thinking an heire of life because a child of the Promise hee had not long spent his gray haires in a strange land but God on a sudden calls upon Abraham to give backe his sonne his very sonne Isaac as we may reade in the 22 of Genesis Now what doth Abraham doe how doth hee behave himselfe doth he expostulate with God Any thing Lord but spare my sonne Isaac Nay the Text saith hee offered up his sonne Doth hee murmure and grumble against God in this manner Lord why dost thou single out this delight of mine why dost thou seeme to envie this blessing of mine No hee offered up his Isaac as if the Text had expressed Abrahams 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 sonne Isaac the sonne of my love the sonne of thy promise the sonne of my age verely Lord thou shalt have him it is true I love him dearely well but I love thee better I got him by beleeving and I shall never lose him by obeying if Isaac were a thousand sonnes 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 againe I shall never lose my Isaac though I part with my sonne for thou hast said in Isaac shall thy seed bee called Now the parts of these words are two First we have Abrahams great tryall Secondly we have Abrahams acquitment First his tryall Abraham was tried when hee offered up his sonne Secondly his acquitment by Faith Abraham offered up his sonne In the former we may observe three particulars First the person that is tryed Abraham Secondly the Person that tried him God Thirdly the thing wherein hee war tried it was no ordinary thing it was to part with a part of himselfe to offer up his deare sonne Isaac In the latter part two things are observable First his quickening up himselfe in his obedientiall act hee offered up Isaac saith the Text. Secondly the powerfull cause which did inable Abraham to so