A Christian Legacy Consisting of two Parts I. A Preparation for Death II. A Consolation against Death Nullum sacrificium est Deo magis acceptum quam Zelus Animarum Greg. Mag. 1 Cor. 10. 17 18. He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord for not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth By EDWARD HYDE Dr. of Divinity and late Rector Resident of Brightwell in Berks. Printed by R. W. for Rich. Davis in Oxon. 1657. To the Reader Christian Reader WHen first made a Member of Christ though it were at the very entrance of your life you did then receive your summons for death for you were baptized into the death of Christ buried with him by baptism into death Rom. 6. 3 4. And that same Baptism as it still gives you a Rejoycing in Christ Jesus our Lord so it bids you by That rejoycing to die daily 1 Cor. 15. 31. And indeed you are not fit to live till you are prepared to die You are not truly fit to live unless you live to God and if you live unto him you cannot be unprepared to die unto him The Man lives to himself and dies as he lives to his own corruption but the Christian lives to his Saviour and accordingly dies to his glorious Resurrection For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself for whether we live we live unto the Lord And whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords Rom. 14. 7 8. It is a great priviledge to live to Christ but a far greater priviledge to die to him By living to Christ you get the victory over your enemies and the terrours of their insolency but by dying to him you get the victory over your self and the terrours of your own conscience By living to Christ you get the conquest over life but by dying to him you get the conquest over death Neither shall the world be able to make you live unquietly nor the Devil be able to make you die uncomfortably So that if you do not want the preparation for death you cannot want the consolation against death And in this respect it were much to be wished That all the Lords people were Prophets or if they had rather Preachers to reason with themselves as S. Paul reasoned with Faelix of Righteousness Temperance Judgement to come Act. 24. 25. That all their Trembling or Quaking might begin and end here and none remain till hereafter The reasoning about Righteousness how it would confound our misdemeanours against our Brethren The reasoning about Temperance how it would confound our misdemeanours against our selves The reasoning about Judgement to come how it would confound our misdemeanours or rather outrages against our God All these would be speedily confounded by such kind of reasonings though all have been such as have affrighted Earth and amazed Heaven And truly much better were it that our reasonings should confound our misdemeanours then that our misdemeanours should confound us and make us even ashamed with Josephs Brethren to see the face of our own Brother in this world and much more afraid with Israels enemies to see the face of God our Father in the world to come However whether we will thus turn preachers or not unto our selves yet it is not to be denyed but there are some men who are bound to preach not only to themselves but also to others according to that charge committed to them and that trust reposed in them Luk. 22. 32. Et tu conversus confirma Fratres And when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren For that Minister is not truly thankful to God for his own conversion and confirmation who makes it not his chiefest business to convert and to confirm others Knowing therefore the terrour of thâ—… Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5. 11$ They that most know the terrour oâ—… the Lord ought most to perswadâ—… men to be ready to appear before him that they may not be terrified at hiâ—… appearing and they most know thaâ—… terrour who most know it not only Rationally or Doctrinally by their stâ—…dies and contemplations but alsâ—… Experimentally or Practically by theâ—… summons and by their sufferings Foâ—… as sickness is a summons unto death 〈◊〉 is suffering an experimental dying 〈◊〉 Those therefore who have most feâ—… either sickness or suffering have in aâ—… probability most known the terrouâ—… of the Lord and they ought most 〈◊〉 perswade men Under the notionâ—… sickness the Author of this small Treâ—… tise may own to know the terrours oâ—… the Lord for he looks on himself 〈◊〉 one newly come from the dead anâ—… yet still going to the dead and therefore the fitter to put others in mind of dying nor is he troubled that his writing is so full of weakness and infirmity which is the Indisposition of his body if it may be thought full of conscience and empty of curiosity which is or should be the Disposition of his soul For it is proper for a sick mans hand to sympathize more with his heart then with his head and to delight rather in lineaments of reality then of phansie Wherefore you may here expect such a hand-writing as appeared to Belshazar Dan. 5. which sets down nothing but Numbering and Weighing and Dividing Numbering of your daies Weighing of your sins and Dividing of your self This is like to be the main subject of the first part of the Legacy which is to be the preparation for death after these God enabling shall follow several comforts and consolations 1. Against sickness which numbereth your daies 2. Against Judgement which wilâ—… number your sins 3. Against Death which will divide your soul from youâ—… body and bring it to Judgement And these are intended for the second part of the Legacie as the Consolation against death God make both these aâ—… they are intended to him that writeâ—… them and to those that shall reaâ—… them So prayeth Yours in our common Saviourâ—… E. H. Errata PAg. 4. l. 6. studâ—…es r. studie p. 10. l. ult man r. for man p. 73. l. 21. Scil. Bonam r. saâ—… Bonav sc. Bonaventur p. 128. l. 12. cuie r. curâ—… p. 190. l. 24. to him r. to have p. 231. l. 13. 20. now here r. no where p. 345. l. 18. but most 〈◊〉 worthy r. but more unworthy p. 364. l. 13. Tâ—… Common-Law r. The Canon-Law The Preparation for Death consisting of Three Chapters Mene Tekel Peres Mene or Numbring of your Daies Tekel or Weighing of your Sins Peres or Dividing of your Person CHAP. I. Mene or Numbring of your Dayes Consisting of four Sections 1. Of mans Mortality and Immortality 2. Of the Knowledge of mans mortality 3. Of mans Vanity and the Knowledge thereof 4. Of the Difficulty Necessity and Excellency of that knowledge SECT I. Of Mans Mortality and Immortality MANS Life is but a Race of mortality and is then only well Run when it comes to a blessed
Here is both the good Confidence and the ground of it the good Conscience The confidence is That we may have boldness in the day of Judgement The ground of that confidence is this good conscience Because as he is so are we in this world for this is in effect the Syllogism Whosoever is here like him in Piety shall hereafter be like him in Glory but we that truly believe in him are here like him in Piety therefore we shall also be like him in Glory He that hath that Good confidence upon this Good conscience as he may not be ashamed of his hope so he shall not be disappointed of it for he is sure to stand in the last Judgement because he hath the Eternal Son of God to support him on the one side with his All-sufficient merits on the other side with his All-saving mercies Two such supporters to which he cannot trust too much for which he cannot glorifie Christ enough though he glorifie him world without end Amen Deo Trin-Uni Gloria in secula seculorum Amen A sick mans Cordial composed of three Ingredients I. Contemplations II. Ejaculations III. Devotions Contemplations on Isaiah 53. Verse 3. O MY Beloved Saviour wast thou despised and rejected of men and shall not I learn to despise and reject my self that I may be like to thee approved of thee and received by thee Wast thou a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs who knewest no sin And shall I who came into the world with sin look to go out of the world without sorrow Verse 4. Didst thou so patiently bear the griefs and carry the sorrows that were due for my sins And shall not I patiently bear the griefs and carry the sorrows that are due for mine own sins How could I have sorrows if I had not sins and why should I not have patience now I must have sorrows Wast thou stricken and smitten of God and afflicted who wast his only begotten and most dearly Beloved Son And shall I look to escape the scourge who heretofore have been his enemy and still am his undutiful and unworthy servant Verse 5. I will look upon my wounds and maladies as upon so many cures and remedies Upon my bruise for I am all over nothing else as upon so much soundness since both wounds and bruises are inflicted not as satisfactions for my sins but as checks and amendments of my sinfulness For he was wounded for my transgressions and bruised for mine iniquities therefore my wounds and my bruises are not now to pacifie the wrath of the Father but to make me conformable to the Son And the chastisement of my peace was upon him therefore I will not repine at my chastisement since I have my peace It being indeed but a chastisement to correct the sinner not a punishment to avenge the sin And since I am healed in my soul I will not fear being wounded in my body For with his stripes I am healed and mine own stripes do but make me the more to see the want and the more to crave the benefit of his healing Verse 6 7. I have been a sheep in my strayings for I have turned to mine own waies O make me also a Sheep in my sufferings not once to open my mouth when thou shearest me clipping off all the comforts of my life no nor when thou slayest me bringing on all the torments oâ—… my sickness no nor when thou slayest me bringing on all the pangs and horrourâ—… of my death That as my Saviour was oppressed and afflicted yet opened not his mouth so I may be kept from murmuring and repining in all my oppressions and afflictions For I may well be as he was Meek and Patient since thou hast laid minâ—… iniquities on him but if I follow not his Meekness and his Patience I fear I shall again lay mine iniquities upon my self Verse 8 9. He was cut off from life whose generation was life what can I expect but death who had it in my very birth who was corrupted when I was generated and therefore not only in regard of my death but also in regard of my life it self must say to corruption thou art my Father and to the worm thou art my Sister and my Mother Who shall declare his Generation For he was begotten of his Father before all worlds But who shall declare my corruption for I was corrupted when I was begotten by my Father before I came into the world He was taken away by death but he was taken away from a mortal a miserable and a contemptible life so let me be taken away good Lord from mortality misery and contempt to Immortality Blessedness and Glory My life hath not left much for my death to take away from me Lord let my death take from me all that is left but my Saviour and let it fully give me him He was brought to prison that he might be Judged and he was brought to Judgement that he might be condemned and his death was his Release both from Prison and from Judgement Lord make my death so to me make my death my Release from prison for whiles I am in the body I am imprisoned fettered with the bonds of sin and corruption But bring my soul out of this prison that I may praise thy name then the righteous shall compass me about for thou shalt deal bountifully with me Psal. 142. 7. A most happy Goal-Delivery for my soul for then the Righteous shall compass me about and not sinners nay more then I shall be compassed about with Rightousness who now am compassed about with sins and that not so much with other mens as with mine own sins Thus make my death my Release from Prison and make it also my Release from Judgement For thy Son hath been Judged and condemned for me that I might escape the Judgement of thy condemnation Lord I ask not that thou wouldest not Judge me for after death comes Judgement Heb. 9. 27. I ask only that thou wilt not condemn me when I shall be Judged And this is agreeable with thy very Justice though I wholly appeal unto thy Mercy not to condemn and punish the same sin twice Thou hast already condemned and punished my sins in my Saviour O then let me escape thy condemnation and thy punishment He was Judged for mine Unrighteousness O let me stand in the Judgement for his Righteousness For the transgression of my people was he stricken Lord thou hast placed me among thy people and therefore I must believe that he was stricken for my transgressions Nay thou hast brought me nearer to thee and made me one of thine own Family having admitted me thy servant Nay thou hast brought me yet nearer to thee and made me one of thine own Inheritance having adopted me thy child I deserved not to be among thy people and I am placed among thy servants I deserved not to be among thy servants and I am accepted among thy children O then
he hath said it who is able to make good his word Mat. 12. 50. Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother Tell me if there be any Relations nearer and dearer theâ—… these and tell me whether these can be so comfortable in Earth as they are in Heaven What loss is it then to me though Death take from me All while it gives me him who is All in All The Spirit of God saith unto every faithful soul Psalm 4. 5. 10. Hearken O daughter and consider forget also thine own people and thy Fathers house so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty for he is thy Lord God and worship thou him Non est ergo magnum â—…tu obliviscaris dimittas Populum tuum Domum Patris Tui ut te totum ejus servitio submittas Quoniam ipse dimisit Coelum se totum dedit ut tibi serviret saith Hugo He requires no great thing of thee To forgo thy Fathers house on Earth for his sake who did forgo his Fathers house in heaven for thy sake He was thy Lord and yet did that to serve thee Thou art his servant and wilt thou stick at doing this to serve him But you will say Herein consists my greatest perplexity For I know that I must go to him as my Lord to Judge me but I do not know how I can stand in that Judgement that so I may find him my Father to receive me and my God to save me But for this I refer you to another Chapter as being a Piece of Divinity that most concerneth another world CHAP. III. The Comforts of the Soul against Iudgement SECT I. The terrours of the last Judgement THere is a time for a Minister to be a Boanerges a Son oâ—… Thunder to proclaim Godâ—… final Judgement against Impenitent sinners that he may bring them to an earnest Repentance foâ—… that Impenitency is the high-way to damnation But there is also a time for him to be a Barnabas a Son of Consolation tâ—… proclaim Gods mercies to the Penitent that he may bring them to a lively faith for that true faith is the high-way to salvation Galatinus reports That the Jews did use to give a strong intoxicating wine to those that were condemned to die that by disturbing their judgements they might have the less terrible apprehensions of their approaching Death wresting that Text of Prov. 31. 6. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts A miserable way of Comforting was this to take away the pain by taking away the sense and the understanding To quiet the conscience by drowning it Had it not been more mercy in the Jews to have given the guilty a bitter potion to awaken his conscience then a pleasing potion to benum and to besot it For it is good the soul should weep with Mary John 20. 11. when she cannot readily find out Christ because it is sure the weeping soul can never lose him Wherefore it will be requisite that I first set before your eyes the terrours of the last Judgement that you may see your sins and then the comforts against those terrours that you may see your Saviour As concerning the terrours of the last Judgement they are set down in few words but many Frights 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe in that day Observe the terrible manner of this Grand-Assizes The Judge shall visibly come down from heaven and bring his Posse Comitatus with him even his mighty Angels to execute his final Sentence which shall be a Sentence for the punishment of sense they shall be punished with an everlasting Destruction and for the punishment of loss from the presence of the Lord. That is A Sentence for all punishment that is imaginable and for more then is endurable And this Judge shall come down in flaming fire a Real a Material a Corporal not a Metaphorical or an Imaginary or a Spiritual fire and this fire he shall bring along with him from heaven not expect it to meet him from hell that shall lose none of its own former flames but receive more and therewith consume this corruptible and corrupted world 2. Pet. 3. 7. And after that throw all the Divels and wicked men into that same fire and then throw the fire it self with them down into hell there to increase the torments of those miscreants for ever that had before fire from hell to torment them but then they shall also have fire from heaven to encrease their torments God as he shall be glorified and admired in his Saints because of his undeserved mercy so shall he also be glorified and admired in those sinners because of his righteous Judgement And therefore though their Judges fire will be so terrible because of the flame yet their own sins will be much more terrible because they alone minister the fuel to that fire For the Books shall be opened The Book of Gods Remembrance and the Book of their own Conscience And they shall be Judged out of those things which are written in the Books according to their works Rev. 20. 12. Then in both Books shall they see such works Registred as call for a Judgement worthy of God because they had not only an Impiety but also an Impenitency unworthy of man And as they shall first see those works to their terrour so shaâ—… they after feel them to their torment noâ—… a work that had putrefaction and corruption in it but shall have its worm after it For corruption of sin begets a worm in thâ—… soul as corruption of Death begets worm in the body Vermis oritur ex putredine 〈◊〉 mordit illud in quo oritur saith Bonaventure A worm is begotten of filthiness anâ—… feeds on that which beg at it so is the woâ—… of conscience it is begotten of corruption even of sin the only corruption of the soul it frets and corrodes and gnaws and bitâ—… that soul which gave it being So that there must needs be all manner of terrours terrours from within where their worm dieth not terrours from without and the fire 〈◊〉 not quenched Mark 9. 46. And to all these terrours we must yet further add this terrible example out of Saint Peter 2 Pet. 2. 4. For if God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto Judgement Here is a kind oâ—… an imperfect speech called ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his passion caused
him to break off without making the Inference but our own consciences will thus make it up for him for if God spared not the Angels that sinned much less will he spare men the more ignoble creatures that would not repent them of their sins and if he cast the Angels down from heaven into hell then surely he will not admit wicked men from hell into heaven and if he delivered the Angels into chains of darkness to be reserved unto Judgement then much more will he deliver those wicked men whom he hath brought to Judgement to be cast into that daarkness where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth For there was before an inner darkness in their sin and it is but just there should be an outer darkness in their punishment They that before would not see the light then shall not see it for though they shall dwell in everlasting burnings yet shall they have such fire as shall only afford Heat to scorch them not Light to comfort them For then shall the fire that is prepared for the Execution of Gods Judgements upon sinners be divided by the Word of the Lord saith Saint Basil All the light that is in it shall be for the comfort of the Saints that is shall return back to heaven again from whence it came down as was said before but all the Heat that is in it shall be for the torment of the sinners So that in heaven shall be all the Light and none of the Heat in hell shall be all the Heat and none of the Light Saint Basil in his Sermon upon the Judgement to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There will Pashur that injuriously smote Jeremiah the Prophet not be Pashur noble and excellent but Magor-missabib fear round about Jer. 20. 3 4. Est enim Pashur idem quod excrescens Princeps vel scindens seu aperiens locum Magor vero Pavor saith Zegedine Then shall those who now only make way for their own Greatness only give way to their own Fears They that now think they have not room enough to live shall then think they have too much room to Die This is so certain a truth that it is set down by way of History as if it were already done not of Prophesie as if it were to do Rev. 6. 15 16. And the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men the chief Captains the mighty men and every bond-man every free-man hid themselves in the Dens and in the Rocks of the Mountains and said to the Mountains and Rocks Fall on us and hide us from the Face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand We may answer They who now are most likely to fall for it is evident that they who now are a terrour unto others shall then be a terrour to themselves the great men the mighty men that now engross all will then think they have too much for they will wish the Rocks and the Mountains to fall on them and think that weight nothing to the burden of their sins They will desire to be hid from the face of him in whose presence is the fulness of joy and from the wrath of that Lamb which alone delivereth from the wrath of God They will be afraid to see their Redeemer how much more to see their Judge They will not know how to look upon him as a Lamb such as he is in himself much less will they know how to look upon him as a Lyon such as their sins have made him They will be terrified at the thought of their neglected Deliverance and much more at the voice of their denounced Damnation But I dare not proceed further in these terrours for fear they should prove greater then the greatest of our comforts as we are able to receive them though not so great as the least of our sins as we have despitefully committed them For it is not proper to bring a soul laden with sin to a servile but to a godly sorrow not to a sorrow that worketh fear to confusion but that worketh repentance to salvation A sorrow that is not without hope as well as not without fear and hath hopes as far greater then its fears as it hath fears lesser then its sins For a sorrow that is without hope is but the beginning of Hell-torments And it is not safe bringing our souls too near hell-gate for fear the Devil should lay fast hold of us when we are there and pluck us quite in Nay indeed it is not necessary for we are bound to believe that our blessed Saviour Descended into heâ—… that he might keep us from Descending thither All our labour then must be to enquire which is the best way to prevent these terrours that they may not seize upon our souls and if they have seized us which is the readiest way to expell them SECT II. The best way to prevent the terrours of the Day of Judgement THE best way to prevent these terrours is to practise what we have been taught to pray even to lead a godly a righteous and a sober life A godly life according to Gods Eternal Order the Order of Religion a Righteous life according to mans external Order the Order of Government and a sober life according to our own internal Order the Order of Reason But because some will the less regard this or any other sound Divinity if it be taught them by the Church thereby shewing themselves in one and the same act no less unthankful to Gods mercy which gave them a Church to teach them the true way of godliness then undutiful to Gods Authority that they will not be taught it is necessary to shew how God taught it the Church before the Church taught it us for so saith Saint Paul Tit. 2. 11 12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly and righteously and godly or religiously in this present world denying ungodliness and worldly lusts Not Gods Ordinances Gods Sacraments Gods Authority not the undoubted exercise of godliness making all these by our denyals to be thought ungodliness Such a denyal as this must needs be Antichristian and will justifie Hyppolitus his gloss who in the Greek word of denying ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath according to its numeral letters found out the number of the Beast 666. We cannot deny the exercise of godliness as if it were ungodliness Heavenly practises as if they were earthly and worldly lusts but our denyal will help make up the number of the Beast If we will needs be denying let us deny our selves for that denyal will make us live soberly and righteously and religiously in this present world soberly in regard of our selves by subduing our Affections to Reason righteously in regard of our Brethren by subduing our
sins of the whole world but thou wast pleased to shed many drops of it to shew that there was satisfaction still left for the sins of many worlds Lord hath thy blood satisfied for more sins then we can commit and shall it not satisfie for those sins that we have forsaken and do detest Hast thou purchased mercy for more then do repent and wilt thou not shew mercy on those to whom thou hast given Repentance Hast thou been so long calling us that thou shouldst at last reject us Hast thou so long promised salvation that thou shouldst at last deny it Thou hast purchased Redemption for us by thy blood thou hast promised it in thy Word Thou hast purchased more then thou hast promised and hast thou promised less then thou wilt perform I am thy Debtor for the Purchase and I owe thee more then I am able if not more then I am willing to pay But thou art my Debtor for the promise I could not oblige thee by my desert but thou hast obliged thy self by thy Word and the Obligation is much the stronger for being of thy making then if it had been of mine This is the Obligation that I trust to the Obligation whereby thou art obliged to thy self to thine own blood to thine own truth Help thy servant whom thou hast Redeemed with thy precious blood and to whom thou hast promised the benefit of this Redemption in thy Word Thou wilt Judge me for those sins for which thou thy self hast satisfied and is it possible that the sentence of thy Judgement should disannual the merit of thy satisfaction How comfortable are those words of thine to my guilty soul The Father Judgeth no man but hath committed all Judgement to the Son John 5. 22. For when I look upon the Father I must needs say of him Our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12. 29. He is as fire and I am as stubble easily consumed my sins have made my soul combustible which his goodness had made impassible Have so much fewel about me and within me that I cannot but dread the fire therefore I do most exceedingly rejoyce that the Father will not Judge me but hath committed all Judgement to the Son For in the Son I cannot but see Flesh of my Flesh and Bone of my Bone And since no man yet ever hated his own Flesh Ephes. 5. 29. I will not think that the Saviour of man will be the first to hate that Flesh in me which he hath in himself I will then no longer stagger at those words of the Apostle That the Lord the righteous Judge hath laid up a Crown of righteousness for them and will give it to them and to them only that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4. 8. For now I my self cannot but love it I cannot but love his appearing as my Judge when my soul doth magnifie him as my Lord and my spirit doth rejoyce in him as God my Saviour For to me being thus prepared and disposed as I ought it is all one to look for that blessed hope and to look for the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity Tit. 2. 13. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and therefore it is nothing else but looking for that blessed hope to look for his appearing to the compleating of our Redemption Divines tell us of a three-fold Advent or Coming of Christ to Holy and Religious men Adventus ad Redemptionem Consolationem Remunerationem his coming to their Redemption to their Comfort and to their Reward His first coming was in the Flesh when he took on him their Nature His second coming was in the Spirit when he imparted unto them of his grace His third coming will be in Power when he will impart unto them his Glory His first coming was to Redeem them his second coming to Comfort them and therefore his third coming cannot be so much to Judge as to Reward them Himself hath said no less John 6. 40. This is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life Lord thou hast opened mine eyes to see thee here by Faith and wilt thou not hereafter open thy self that I may see thee by clear Vision And what priviledge is it that I may have everlasting life here where it is not if I may not have it hereafter where it is And yet for strengthening my faith thou hast said much more to shew that I cannot believe enough of thy goodness John 3. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life And again John 5. 24. He that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life it is as sure as if he had it already and shall not come into condemnation though he shall be Judged yet he shall not be condemned in Judgement but is passed from death to life He is already passed from the Death of sin to the Life of Grace and shall assuredly pass from the life of Grace to the life of Glory And indeed what is the summe of the whole Gospel but the Promise of Eternal life upon condition of Faith in Christ This is the Record that God hath given to us Eternal life and this life is in his Son he that hath the Son hath life 1 John 5. 11 12. Have I life in having thee my Saviour and can I lose it in having thee my Judge O the immortal comfort that my soul enjoyes to think that though I have been to my Master in heaven a far worse servant then Onesimus was to Philemon not only to run away from him but also to rob him yet upon my true Repentance my Saviour will say to his Father on my behalf as Saint Paul did to his friend If thou count me a Partner and truly he is his Partner in the same God-head receive him as my self now he is invested with my righteousness if he hath wronged thee or oweth thee ought put that on mine account Saint Paul to Philemon v. 17 18. O Lord I owe thee so much that I can never say sufficiently and much less may leave off saying Forgive us our debts yet since thou hast already put my debts upon thy Sons account how wilt thou let them lie still on mine Didst thou not punish thy Son that thou mightest spare thy servant Or canst thou in Justice punish the same sin twice once in my Surety another time in me It was the great necessity of thy offended Justice to punish the sin and is it not as great a necessity of thy satisfied Justice to spare the sinner I will not then say He is to be my Judge whose Majesty I have honoured whose mercy I have embraced whose glory I have promoted whose goodness I have proclaimed whose presence I have desired for if I have done any of these
Where it is evident that if Man were put in one Scale and Vanity in the other Man would be found lighter then Vanity it self O my God weigh not my best Righteousness in the Ballance of thy Sanctuary without putting my Saviours merits into the Scale For if I be lighter then Vanity How can I hold weight with a blessed Eternity The Jews observe that the Father spake one thing concerning mankinde which he left to his Son to explain after him and that was this Psal. 144. 4. Man is like to Vanity for he tells us not to what Vanity whether the greater or the lesser but his Son comes after and explains him saying that he is like to that Vanity which is most Vain of all others Similis Vanitati Vanissimae like to that Vanity which is Vanity of Vanities Again the Son spake one thing of man-kinde which is best explained by the Father to wit that of Eccles. 6. 12. All the daies of his Vain life which he spendeth as a shadow For he telleth not what shadow but here the Father explaineth the Son saying A shadow that passeth away Psal. 144. 4. His daies are as a shadow that passeth away Both Father and Son agree in this that man is Vanity in the highest degree so that no words are able sufficiently to express it and no Heart able sufficiently to conceive it He lives in the shadow of Life and that shadow of Life is quickly and easily changed into the Darkness of Death In the midst of Life he is in Death and had need take care lest in the midst of Death he be in Hell In the midst of Life he is in Death through the Vanity of his Condition and had need be the more carefull lest in the midst of Death he be in Hell through the Vanity of his Affections and of his Actions For it is a most terrible expostulation which remains upon the File against all men whatsoever whiles they shall remain in their own Vanities Jer. 2. 5. Thus saith the Lord What Iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and have walked after Vanity and are become Vain This walking after Vanity as it is the great Sin so it should be the great Vexation of our souls not only that it makes us become vain but also that it casteth an Aspersion of Iniquity upon our God according as Saint Basil hath spoken most divinely in his Sermon concerning the love of God and our Neighbour The Devil will at the last day object it as matter of Reproach against our Lord and Saviour that we have Despised and Disobeyed him and will very much Boast that he neither created us nor dyed for us and yet that we have been his diligent followers in the breach and contempt of Gods Commandments And this Reproach saith he against my Lord is more dreadful to me then the Torments of hell that I should give the enemy of the Lord occasion to Blaspheme him who Dyed for my sins and rose again to make me Righteous SECT IV. Of the Difficulty Necessity and Excellency of this knowledge of Mortality IT neerly concerns man to know Vanity That he may know himself and much more that he may desire to know his Saviour And therefore it is no wonder that this knowledge is invested with very great Difficulty For our Mortal having put on Sin cares not to put off it self David had been long pursued and was like to be cut off every moment by his rebell Subject and ungracious Son before he learned this Prayer Lord let me know mine end And though when he heard of Absoloms death he said Would God I had dyed for thee O Absolom my son my son yet he did not thereby so truly shew a desire of his own Death as a Horror for his sons Damnation He knew that a wilful Rebel dying in his Rebellion was not to be punished only with one death but was to undergo a second death The like is to be said of dying in any other wilful sin whatsoever unrepented And therefore it is not possible for any man to desire God to part his Soul from his Body that he may Die till he hath parted Sin from his soul that he may not be afraid of the second death for he cannot but say Leave not my soul destitute or naked and bare Psal. 141. 8. But let it still be clothed with my Flesh and its Insirmity till thou shalt be pleased to cloath it with my Saviour and his Righteousness For better is it for me to Live in misery then to dye in it Better for me to live in the Infirmities of my Body then to dye in the Iniquities of my Soul Hence proceeds the great Difficulty of learning this lesson because our own fear makes us unwilling to learn it But this same knowledge as it is opposed by great Difficulty so it is extorted by a far greater necessity for our Mortal must put off both its sin and itself nay must therefore put off its self that it may put off its sin Excellently Theodoret and most like a Christian Divine in his Questions upon Genesis saith God would not suffer Adam to eat of the tree of life after he had eaten of the forbidden fruit that he might not suffer sin to be Eternal Therefore death is to us a Remedy not a Punishment it is a Medicine to cure us of our sins rather then a Judgement to corment us for them Our Flesh is not so neer our Body as our Sin is neer our Flesh and therefore God hath in mercy appointed us to put off our Flesh that with it we might put off our Sin Thus is it most necessary for us to know our Mortality That we may know an end of our sin and misery and this knowledge as it hath a great necessity so it hath yet a greater excellency For he that knows truly how to put off himself cannot but also know how to put on his Saviour And sure there can be no knowledge of like necessity with this and much less of like excelleny with it yea doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of thâ—… Knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord saith Saint Paul Phil. 3. 8. And let my souâ—… say so too For all other knowledge iâ—… excellent either from the Object or from the Subject but this only is excellent from the term or end of it one knowledge is more excellent then another either for the exactness and perspicuity of the Demonstration saith Aust. 1. de An. c. 1. or for the height and sublimity of the notion either for the certainty of the Subject or for the excellency of the Object In the knowledge of earthly things the science hath its excellency from the Perspicuity of the Demonstration In the knowledge of Heavenly things thâ—… science hath its excellence from the Sublimity of the Notion Thus far Aristotle could go but no further That somâ—… sciences were more excellent ratione
doth then most hurt thee when it doth least wound thee when it wilâ—… not strike till it be too late for thee to ward the blow For then Sin lyeth at the door Gen. 4. 7. Robets it layeth down oâ—… coucheth like some wild beast at the mouth of his Cave as if he were asleep buâ—… indeed watcheth and waketh and is ready to flie at all that come neer it So is sin in 〈◊〉 mans Conscience Couchant rather then Dormant it sleeps Dogs sleep that it may take the sinner at the greater advantage and flie the more furiously in his face Conscientia dormit respectu motionis non observationis Conscience may seem to sleep wheâ—… indeed it doth not for when it sleeps it is only iâ—… regard of motion not in regard of observation When it doth least check thee it doth mosâ—… observe thee It spares thee a while to torment thee for ever It spares thee here to torment thee hereafter A most cruel mercy to observe the sin and let alone the sinner To Register the wicked deed but not to Reprove him that did it And this is all the mercy that a seared a benummed Conscience doth afford when it doth most befriend us It will not cut that it may kill It will not convince that it may confound It will not accuse that it may condemn Wherefore I will awaken my Conscience to Arraign me here that it awaken not it self to Condemn me hereafter for that must that will prevail at length and that with such an evidence to which I shall not be able to plead not Guilty and much less to withstand the Guilt It will come upon me as Poverty upon Solomons sluggard like an Armed man not only as a Valiant man with power to overcome me but also as an Armed man with frights and terrors to over-aw me David a man of war who said he would not fear though an Host encamped against him nay encompassed him round about Psal. 27. 3. 3. 6. yet durst not look one sin in the face but when Nathan had said unto him Thou art the man and his own conscience had attested the saying he presently gives over the thought of Denyal or Tergiversation and much more the spirit of contradiction and Prostrates himself before the mercy seat not being able to stand in the Judgement and cryeth out I have sinned against the Lord 2 Sam. 12. 13. He had sinned once by commiting his sin and durst not sin again by lessening it He neither desired to extenuate the guilt of Sin in himself nor to aggravate it in another and they generally go both together no man being so ready to accuse and condemn his Brother as he that is resolved to Acquit and Justifie himself Spiritual Pride causeth thee to think thy brother the greater sinner but indeed it makes thee so But consider awhile proud Justitiarie is it not practical Blasphemy in the highest degree for thee to set and settle thy self in Christs Judgement Seat and there to become a Judge of souls He that said Judge not that ye be not Judged hath in effect told thee that if thou dost Lord it in his Tribunal here thou shalt tremble and quake before it hereafter The Joints oâ—… thy knees with Belshazzars shall then be as loose as is now thy tongue The words oâ—… the Psalmist are much to be observed Psal. 109. 30. He shall stand at the right hand of the poor to save him from those that condemn his soul. Christ will leave his Throne at the right hand of God rather then fail to stand at the right hand of the poor and what poor they are he takes such a care of Himself hath told us Mat. 5. 3. The poor in Spirit The Kingdom of heaven is most theirs who least assume it to themselves Who think they are not worthy of a being upon earth they shall be surest of a being in heaven they think themselves not worthy to kneel upon the earth because it is the footstool of the most high God much less worthy to look up to heaven because it is his Throne but he thinks them most worthy to be Translated from the earth and to be admitted into heaven saying For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven These are the poor that our Saviour Christ doth alwaies stand by and indeed they alone do constantly stand by him though others pretend more to be his servants And why doth he alwaies stand by them or as the Text speaks at their right hand even to save them from those that condemn their fouls or as it is in the Hebrew to save from the Judges of his soul or to save his soul from Judges To save him from the Judges of his soul for though they condemn him yet he will acquit and save him or to save his soul from Judges That is as our other Translation reads this verse To save his soul from unrighteous Judges For no Judge can bâ—… so unrighteous as he that Judges anotheâ—… mans soul For his Judgement proceedâ—… not out of inclination to Justice but meerly out of pride or malice so that it isâ—… perverse Judgement It proceeds not froâ—… a lawful Authority but from Self-wiâ—… and Presumption so that it is an usurpeâ—… Judgement And it proceeds not according to the Rules of Prudence and Discretion but of folly and madness so that it iâ—… a foolish and rash Judgement Christ iâ—… the only Over-seer and Bishop of oâ—… souls 1 Pet. 2. 25. Do not presume to goâ—… visitation in thy Saviours Diocess Judgâ—… no mans soul but thine own So shalt thoâ—… not be Judged of the Lord for two Reasons For not Judging others and foâ—… Judging thyself Here at home thou maiâ—… rightly Judge and as rightly condemn nay if thou dost but Judge thou must condemn it being all one for a sinner tâ—… Judge his own soul and to condemn it And the more he Judges the more he coâ—…demns Like Ezekiels Vision chap. 8â—… The more he looks the worse he likes vâ—… But Turn thou yet again and thou shalt sâ—… Greater Abominations and v. 13 Isâ—… again the same so is it in the Vision of ouâ—… own sinful souls This must still be the Epiphonema the Burden the concluding sentence Hast thou seen This O son of man Turn thee yet again and thou shalt see greater Abominations Though thou hast already seen most wondrous strange horrid sins such whose very thought must needs affright the soul and therefore whose guilt must needs oppress it yet thou must still look to see Greater Abominations when thou hast seen all manner of wickedness in thine heart and sins there as Firebrands of hell for Torment but as the stars of heaven for multitude some of the greater some of the lesser magnitude but yet altogether Innumerable and every one too too Great when thou hast seen all this and imagined more then thou canst see yet this saying must be the conclusion of all Hast thou seen this O son of man Turn
Actions to our subdued Affections and religiously in regard of our God by subduing both our Reason and our Affections to Religion Thus if we do we shall not be guilty of any inordinate work and consequently we shall not fear any punishment which is but the act of some violated or offended Order Vindicating and Revenging it self I say if we live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world we shall not need live and much less die in fear lest any of those orders under which God hath placed us should rise up against us to punish and to depress us But whiles we are under guilt we cannot possibly be above fear for it is the property of all Order to suppress the contrary Disorder and consequently to punish it and sin being a breach of these three Orders the Order of Reason the Order of Justice and the Order of Religion is accordingly punished by them all And therefore the sinner that hath not his sin forgiven him cannot be exempted from the fear of all these three punishments neither from the fear of internal punishment by the remorse of his own conscience which proceeds wholly from the Order of Reason for it is from Reason that a man hath a conscience first to admonish him and at last to torment him because he would not be admonished nor from the fear of external punishment by the hand of outward Government which will never leave stretching it self out till it hath reached the Malefactor and brought him to suffer according to his doings nor from the fear of eternal punishment proceeding from the wrath of God So nearly doth it concern us to fulâ—…ill all righteousness towards God our selves and our neighbours that we may be exempted from all fear of punishment either from God or men or from our selves that is to say our own consciences This is the best way to prevent the terrours of the Judgement to come even to keep our selves in the first innocency the innocency of Obedience but because we have all lost this and do continually lose it we must therefore the more earnestly follow that we may the more happily apprehend the second innocency the innocency of Repentance For there is no protection against fear but only innocency which since we cannot have by our Obedience we must seek to him by our Repentance And therefore it will not be amiss for every good Christian to follow Saint Pauls example who saith of himself Acts 24. 16. Herein do I exercise my self to have alwaies a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we may look upon this as Saint Pauls Asceticks although here is not one rule concerning a Monastick life or as his exercitium quotidianum for so Beza ipse me exerceo Herein do I exercise my self His daily exercise was this to have a conscience void of offence towards God which they cannot have who are guilty of superstition and a conscience void of offence toward men which they cannot have who are guilty of faction Good Lord how few is the number of those in such an innumerable number of Christians who have a conscience void of offence both toward God and toward men since there are so few who are not guilty either of superstition or of faction Herein a man must exercise by himself that will exercise himself for in such depravations and distempers of the world what he gets of the company he may chance lose of the exercise and indeed since the exercise wholly concerns the conscience it is most fit that every man exercise both himself and by himself and accordingly Catechize his own soul how far he hath had a conscience void of offence toward God and consequently in that regard toward himself for in loving God he loves himself and therefore there is no Text that saith Thou shalt love thy self but only Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self for the Text that saith thou shalt love the Lord thy God includes in it loving thy self which cannot be but in relation to God And lastly a conscience void of offence toward men every one must examine himself how he hath observed his Order towards God by Faith and Obedience in believing his Promises in doing his Commands How he hath observed his Order towards his neighbour by Justice and Charity whether that Order be Civil or Ecclesiastical for he can shake off neither and therefore must satisfie both Lastly how he hath observed his Order towards himself by Temperance Soberness and Chastity bringing his body under his soul and bringing his soul under his God for he cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unless he doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He cannot be wise to be sober unless he be sober to be wise Thus he must examine himself concerning all these three Orders and what he findeth concerning any of them defective in his Obedience he must labour to make up speedily by his Repentance for which cause our Church doth laudably require the distinct rehearsing of all the ten Commandments and the people after every Commandment to ask God mercy for their transgression of the same that so we might be sure to pass by no one sin unrepented which they can scarce do who yet are called to repentance upon more strict terms then we are since the second Commandment is not in so great repute with them as to have any Interrogatory concerning it But he that heartily asks God forgiveness for his transgressions against every particular Commandment since every sin is a transgression of some Commandment is sure to pass by no sin whatsoever without Repentance for he doth really and explicitly repent of those sins which he knows and remembers and doth virtually and implicitly repent of all the rest which is a thing we should all make sure of since there is nothing but Innocency can arm us against Judgement and there is no innocency but either in obedience or in repentance wherefore it being impossible that any man conceived and born in sin should quiet his conscience by the perfection of his obedience for in many things we offend all Jam. 3. 2. anâ—… having offended must fear to be punished it is most necessary that we all labour to quiet our consciences by Repentance aâ—… bless God who though he hath requireâ—… Obedience yet hath also granted Repentance unto life Acts 11. 18. and woulâ—… not have granted it if he would not have accepted it Do then as did that godly Centurion Cornelius a fit pattern noâ—… only for all military but also for all sedentary men give much Alms to the people for sure if there be not a redeeming yeâ—… there is a breaking off sins by Alms-deeds and iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor Dan. 4. 27. and pray to God alway that is be so far from taking away what is another mans as to be ready to give of thine own give of thy substance 〈◊〉 thy Brother for his Poverty hath noâ—… disannulled his Fraternity
give thy self to thy God and it shall be with thee as it was with Cornelius thy Memorial shall be with God thy Comfort with thy self thy Conversation with an Angel No maâ—… can be exempted from the terrours of 〈◊〉 dreadful Judgement but he that dares trust God with his soul and no man dares trust God with his soul that is not either Innoâ—…ent or Penitent And if you will ask me â—…hich of these two dares trust him most 〈◊〉 who my self am laden with sin must say â—…he Penitent For the Innocent offers unâ—… God his own Righteousness but the â—…enitent offers unto him his Sons Righteâ—…sness and certainly he dares most trust â—…od who offers him that Righteousness â—…hich he is sure God can least refuse in â—…dgement SECT III. The best way to expell the terrours of the Day of Judgement THE greatest happiness of a Christian is not to be troubled in Consciâ—…ce but the next to this is speedily to be â—…livered from all his troubles He is hapâ—…st that prevents the terrours of a guilty â—…nscience but he is next happy that exâ—…ls them And we have all most need to â—…k after this for there is guiltiness enough â—…thin the most innocent soul to betray it â—…d open the doors to let in these terrours and therefore we must labour to see thâ—… be faith enough in the guilty soul to expâ—… and thrust them out again And surely the Doctrine of Justification by Work though it pretend to be a great friend Righteousness yet is it in this respect great enemy to the Righteous wâ—… can never attain to that perfection Righteousness as to be able to stand up his own legs in the last Judgement Theâ—…fore Saint Paul imputeth our peace 〈◊〉 God to Justification by faith Rom. 5. Being justified by Faith we have peace 〈◊〉 God through our Lord Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 is a League that cannot be broken a Peâ—… that cannot be disturbed which is throâ—… our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the 〈◊〉 from heaven said This is my beloved Sâ—… whom I am well pleased Mat. 3. 17. 〈◊〉 that voice cannot but speak comfort to according to the Learned Zanchies gâ—… lib. 4. de Tribus Elohim cap. 1. 〈◊〉 beneficia iis paucis verbis docet Paâ—… Christum nobis Communicari Dilectiâ—… Reconciliationis Adoptionis seu Regâ—…tionis Three great blessings inâ—… few words doth the Father himself 〈◊〉 us are communicated by Christ to good Christian the blessing of Love â—…e is beloved in himself we beloved in â—…m the blessing of Filiation or Adoptiâ—…n for he was his Son by nature we his â—…ns by adoption and grace And the â—…lessing of Reconciliation for God is wellâ—…leased with Christ for his own sake and with us for Christs sake For wherefore â—…d there come forth blood and water out of thy side O sweet Jesus was it not that â—…he water should wash my soul and the â—…lood should heal it I confess that I have â—…ierced thee by my sins more deeply then ever the souldiers spears pierced thee yet â—…et me still look on thee by a lively faith that the Scripture may be daily more and more fulfilled which saith They shall look on him whom they pierced John 19. 37. Thus did holy men heretofore look upon thee nor had Saint Bernard any other answer to return to the Devil when he accused him as he supposed at Gods Judgement-seat but only this Fateor non sum Dignus Ego nec propriis possum meritis Regnum obtinere Coelorum Caeterum duplici jure illud obtinâ—…ns Dominus meus Haereditate sc. Patris merito Passionis Altero ipse contentus Alterum mihi donat ex cujus Dono jure illud mihi Vindicans non confundor in vita S. Bernardi lib. 1. cap. 12. I confess that I am not worthy nor can I plead mine own merits why I should obtain the Kingdom of heaven But my Lord having a double right thereto one from his Father by inheritance the other from himself by the merit of his Passions he being contented with one of them hath given the other unto me and I claiming heaven by his gift cannot be confuted and much less confounded in my claim Thus hath Saint Bernard taught me to answer the Devil and sure he is too old too cunning a Sophister to be answered by any Fallacy There is no silencing him but by a down-right Truth whose evidence is undenyable and whose power is unresistable Nay yet more Thus hath Saint Anselm taught me to answer God himself in the form of Visitation of the sick antiently used in this Kingdom for Saint Anselm that used it was Arch-Bishop of Canterbury who after some questions to the dying man concerning his Faith and Repentance thus concludes his exhortation for the quieting and setling of his conscience I will put the words into English as thinking it most reasonable that what equally concerns All should be in a Tongue equally understood by All. Therefore still give him that is your blessed Saviour thanks whiles your breath is in your body that he was pleased to die for you place all your confidence in his death commit your self wholly to it involve your self wholly in it cover your self wholly with it And if God go about to Judge thee say unto him Lord I object the death of my Saviour Jesus Christ between me and thee and thy Judgement If he say That thou hast deserved damnation then say unto him Lord I object the death of my Jesus between me and my evil deservings And I bring with me the merit of his most worthy Passion instead of the merits which I should have had but alas I have not Then let the sick man say thrice Into thy hands Lord I commend my spirit and let those that stand by say so with him and let him die securely for he shall never see the Eternal Death Thus did the antient Church think it not only comfortable but also conformable Divinity That Christ alone should answer all Objections that were made against the soul And yet a Church much antienter then this did believe and teach the same truth even the Church in the Apostles times Heb. 3. 6. Whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing oâ—… the hope firm unto the end Whose house arâ—… we that is all we that are Christians the whole Catholike Church for particular men and Churches are but several stones in this living building it is the whole Christian Church that is the House of Christ And that is his House upon this condition If it hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end as if he had said By the same means that we are built up in Christ we are still preserved in his building By the same means that we are contained we are also continued in his House that is by Faith and Hope in him By holding fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope unto the end By laying hold on my
yet t was not I but the grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15. 10. And yet for that very cause alone I must needs confess that those are thrice happy who have so far been assisted by Gods grace that they can not Pharisaically but Truly say this for though it was his meer mercy to give the grace yet it is in some sort his Justice both to continue and to regard his own gift So saith Saint Paul God is not unrighteous or unjust to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed towards his Name Heb. 6. 10. where this is in effect his argument He that desists from a just work justly begun is unjust But God is not unjust therefore he will not desist from those good works he hath begun in you so far as not to perfect them and much less so far as not to reward them But I am contented to pretend to no such happiness This is the immortal comfort of the Righteous Let my soul look after the comforts of the sinner wherein I am not like to have the less remedy because I am sure to have the more company I will say then He is to be my Judge whose Majesty I have contemned whose mercy I have neglected whose glory I have hindered whose goodness I have denyed whose presence I have shunned But withall he is to be my Judge for those sins for which I have already Judged and Condemned my self and will he for these Judge and condemn me the second time This is scarce agreeable with his Justice much less is it agreeable with his mercy For the Apostle saith If we would Judge our selves we should not be Judged 1 Cor. 11. 31. I ask how should we not be Judged not temporally that were not to be loved For whom he loveth he chasteneth Heb. 12. 6. And Saint Peter saith That Judgement must begin at the House of God 1 Pet. 4. 17. and sure we are that his love begins there and comes down to particular men but as they are parts of his Family or Houshold we must therefore say That if we would Judge our selves we should not be Judged Eternally For most universally true is that Rule of the Civil Law Favores sunt Ampliandi all matters of Favour are to be enlarged Gods mercies if they could be with Restriction they could scarce be without Repentance and what a cruel mercy were this not to Judge Temporally that he might Judge Eternally I say then I have Judged my self for all my sins and therefore believe that I shall not be Judged of the Lord that is not so Judged as to be condemned in the Judgement For sin as it must be Judged so it can be Judged but once If I have Judged my self for it I shall not be Judged of the Lord I shall then be enabled to pray in Faith unto my Saviour Enter not into Judgement with thy servant Psal. 143. 2. And I am sure that praying thus in Faith I shall find him my Advocate and not my Judge Why should I then be dismayed for fear of that Judgement wherein he is to be the Judge who at first suffered for me as my Surety that he might satisfie his Fathers Justice and my debts Hath ever since prayed for me as my Intercessor and will at last Plead for me as my Advocate SECT V. Comforts against Judgement from the manner of the Judges proceeding THere is none that is guilty but the Law will none that is innocent but the Judge may condemn him what then can be the comfort of a Malefactor but that he shall have his Tryal by a favourable Law and by a more favourable Judge And this is my comfort against the Judgement to come That my Judge will proceed to a favourable Trial with me because according to that Law which will not easily condemn me and with that mind which will readily acquit me For I have confessed my sins and therefore may not doubt but that He is faithful and just to forgive me my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness 1 John 1. 9. He is faithful to forgive my sins because himself hath promised forgiveness He is just to forgive my sins because his Son hath purchased forgiveness And how shall he then not cleanse me from all unrighteousness by his Holy Spirit and seal unto me the assurance of that forgiveness And if I be cleansed from all unrighteousness why should I not be rid of all my fears How can I look upon him as an angry Judge when I have found him a most merciful Father If God will not withdraw his Anger the proud helpers do stoop under him Job 9. 13. That is the Angels saith Jarhci that are the Helpers of Egypt for he there takes Rahab for Egypt as indeed it may signifie which we interpret Proud And proves out of Dan. 10. 13. That particular Nations have particular Angels as it were their Patrons in heaven ready to intercede on their behalf Some late Divines have unadvisedly enlarged those Patrons finding out amongst men some tutelarie Saints which having righteousness over and above to serve their own turn are able to spare enough to help others Hence that strange kind of Invocation O Thomas Didyme succurre nobis miseris ne damnemur cum impiis in adventu Judicis O good Saint Thomas help us that we be not condemned in the last Judgement when alas the Saints will have enough to do to help themselves and the best of them all may say to his Petitioner If the Lord do not help thee whence shall I help thee 2 King 6. 27. But be it so that there may be Phansied such lofty and puissant Helpers for they can never be Proved yet sure we are that if God withdraw not his anger even those Helpers must stoop under him as it is said Job 4. 18. Behold he put no trust in his servants that is his Saints his best servants for the Text makes it an universal Negative admitting of no exception and we may not doubt it concerning any man when we cannot deny it concerning any Angel as it follows And his Angels he charged with folly Therefore if these mighty Helpers cannot in this day of anger help themselves much less can they help me If God withdraw not his anger they must stoop and if they must stoop all that lean and rely upon them must needs fall I will then look after such an Helper as may be able to stand himself and to support me for else it cannot be worth my while and much less worth my Devotion to pray to him for help and truly I can find none but the Eternal Son of God who is able to withdraw the anger of his Father because he was able to satisfie his Justice and yet having him my Helper it will not be safe for me to argue and dispute but only to pray and deprecate as it follows v. 15. Whom though I were righteous yet would I not answer but
For being a Penitent sinner that is one of those sinners that Christ came to save as I have been chief in the sin so I shall be chief in the salvation The more I have seen mine own sins the more I shall see the salvation of my God It is a most comfortable observation of Divines That our Saviour Christ is now here in all the Bible called invisible And therefore that Doxologie in 1 Tim. 1. 17. Now unto the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen is to be expounded of God the Father because the Word invisible is in it and our Saviour Christ is now here in all the Bible called invisible And truly blessed be his mercy I have hitherto found it so for when I have most seen my sins to trouble me I have most seen his salvation to relieve me And sure I am that though my sins should be never so visible at the last day yet they shall not be half so visible as my Saviour For I shall then certainly with Saint Stephen see Jesus standing on the right hand of God Acts 7. 55. I shall see him standing up as ready to give sentence but surely that sentence will be for me not against me For he is not willing to give sentence against me but sure he cannot give sentence against himself that is against his Word For a sentence against his Word is against himself His Word therefore being the truth because it is his Word who is the truth Therefore the sentence that shall be given at the last day can be no other then what is given already in Gods Word and in mine own conscience His Word hath pronounced a merciful sentence and I must never leave Rectifying my conscience till that pronounce sentence according to his Word SECT VI. Comforts against the last Judgement from the sentence that shall be pronounced A Sentence that is resolved on before the hearing of the cause though not pronounced till after it must needs be the sentence of an unrighteous Judge and is most like to be the sentence of an unrighteons Judgement But shall not the Judge of all the earth do right Gen. 18. 25. And how then can we now have comfort from the sentence he will pronounce at the last day since he cannot resolve upon a sentence before the hearing of the cause nor can we know before hand what is his resolution I answer The cause is heard here and the sentence is pronounced here though many men will not take notice of it And that which shall be pronounced hereafter shall not be a new sentence but a Publication of the old which may not unfitly be called an old sentence since it hath been twice pronounced here already once in Gods Word another time in our own consciences For the Spirit of God doth here Judge us in Gods Word And the Son of God will not thwart or contradict the Judgement of Gods Spirit but only ratifie and confirm it The word that I have spoken the same shall Judge him at the last day John 12. 48. that is the sentence at the last day shall be but a declaration and confirmation of the sentence that is already spoken in the Word And haply in this respect it is said That the Apostles shall Judge the world not only in regard of their persons as all other Saints shall Judge it by approving the sentence of the righteous Judge but also in regard of their Doctrine which shall be the rule of Judgement Wherefore if we can have comfort from the sentence that is already passed upon us by the Apostles we may have also comfort from the sentence that will be passed upon us by their Master And truly if we be not Hypocrites or Apostates but true and constant Christians we may have very great comfort from the sentence that is already passed upon us by the Apostles A comfort which no partial Judge here can give us though he resolve to come with omnia bene and to admit of none but of white suffrages for in vain doth the spirit of man set it self to absolve â—…hose whom the Spirit of God doth conâ—…emn And a comfort which no unrighteâ—…s Judge here can take from us though he â—…esolve to write his sentence as Draco did â—…is Laws in Characters of blood For in â—…ain doth the spirit of man set it self to â—…ondemn those whom the spirit of God â—…oth absolve For this is the sentence â—…assed upon us by the Apostles He that â—…elieveth on the Son hath everlasting life â—…ohn 3. 36. The whole Doctrine of the New-Testament driving at this That true â—…aith in Christ as it is not to be supposed without a true Christian life and conversation agreeable to the faith for it is in â—…ain to profess Christian and to live Atheâ—…st or to act Infidel so it cannot but deâ—…iver the true Believer from the guilt and â—…urden of all his sins For all the whole Gospel is nothing else but a Sermon upon â—…his Text of our Saviours own choosing John 11. 25 26. I am the resurrection and â—…he life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever â—…iveth and believeth in me shall not die for â—…ver Words properly used by the Church as they were spoken by Christ himself at the burial of the dead For they are the chiefest comfort against Death because they are the chiefest comfort against Judgement And so hath the beloved Disciple explained them that leaned in his Masters bosom and thence got this soul-healing and soul-saving Divinity But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin And again If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 John 7. and 9. Here is the true comfort against Judgement for if my soul be cleansed from all sin and unrighteousness I shall have reason not to dread but to desire the coming of my Judge And this Christian consolation cannot be separated from the true Christian Faith that is to say Faith in the blood of Christ which cleanseth us And this Christian Faith cannot be separated from a Christian conversation walking in the light nor from a Christian Communion we have fellowship one with another nor from Christian Repentance and Contrition if we confess our sins And wheresoever we find this Christian Faith and Christian Conversation and Communion and Contrition we may not deny the Christian Consolation For God himself hath said Comfort ye comfort ye my people Isa. 40. 1. They that are Gods people may not be deprived of Gods comforts And what are his comforts but as it follows that our warfare is accomplished and our iniquity is pardoned The beginning of the pardon is the end of the war her warfare is accomplished and her iniquity
thoughts that I may often feel the influence of thy mercy in heavenly joyes I have many sad and dismal sorrows from my self O give unto me true comfort in my Saviour let my trouble be in the day when thou wilt hear me and not in the day when thou wilt Judge me There is no trust but may deceive me save only my trust in thee there is nothing in which I may not miscarry but only thy Mercy O Lord let my trust be so in thee that though I have miscarried in all the desires and designs and delights of this world yet I may not miscarry in thy Mercy but may have the joyes and delights of the world to come through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen 37. Be thou exalted Lord in thine owâ—… strength so will I sing and praise thâ—… power Thy strength is that whicâ—… strengthens souls and thou lovest to shew thy strength in our weakness Lord let thy strength be made perfect in my weakness so shall I most gladly rather glory then repine in my infirmities whiles the power of Christ doth-rest upon me and my soul doth rest upon thee and thy Mercies in Jesus Christ. 38. O Lord who forgivest the sins of the penitent and coverest those sins which thou forgivest I beseech thee to accept my repentance and to cover all those sins which I desire thee to forgive That I may have the blessing of him whose unrighteousness is forgiven and whose sin is covered For if my sins should be all discovered to my self they would fill me with fear if they should be discovered to others they would fill me with shame And how wilt thou discover them either to my fear or to my shame since thou canst not forgive them unless thou cover them O then be pleased so to cover my sins here as not to discover them again hereafter so to hide my transgressions in the day of thy Mercy as not to lay them open in the day of Wrath Or if thy Justice shall require that all my sins be revealed in the day of the revelation of thy righteous Judgement let the atonement also for my sins be then revealed which I have laboured to make and thou hast promised to accept through the Merits and satisfaction of thy Son and our Saviour Jesus Christ. 39. O thou who art gracious and righteous and in thy righteousness teachest the upright the way of innocency and by thy grace leadest sinners in the way of repentance Have mercy upon me thy most unworthy servant and grant that my great defects and wants of the first righteousness that of Innocency may be supplyed by the fulness of the second righteousness that of Faith and Repentance And make mine eyes look so diligently to thee that I may never again want care in looking to my self Order my steps in thy Word and so shall no wickedness have dominion over me Order my heart in thy Faith and so shall I have dominion over all my wickedness for though my fears shall force me to say O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death yet my Faith will be able to suppress that saying and suggest unto me this heavenly comfort and triumph I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 40. O Lord I am in the midst of many troubles and sorrows by reason of my sufferings and much more by reason of my sins but thou hast promised that the righteous shall rejoyce in the Lord and put his trust in him and all they that are true of heart shall be glad Psal. 64. 10. O then make me true of heart that I may trust in thee and be truly righteous And give unto me true righteousness that thou mayst give unto me true joy There is no true righteousness but the righteousness of thy Son There is no true joy but the joy of thy Spirit O thou Father of Mercy give unto me the righteousness of God the Son my Redeemer that thou mayst give me the joy of God the Holy-Ghost my Comforter to be with me and to remain in me for evermore 41. O Lord thou hast brought upon me so much misery that I cannot love my condition And I have so much sin that I cannot love my self Wherefore I beseech thee to fix my love wholly upon thee that my soul may thirst for thee and my flesh also may long after thee in this barren and dry Land where no water is either to cleanse or to refresh or to revive me That looking for thee in holiness I may behold thy power and glory For my soul cannot truly thirst for thee till my flesh also long after thee since whiles my flesh is in love with the profits and pleasures of this life my spirit cannot but lose the desire and neglect the pursuit of the life everlasting O Lord thou hast taken away from me most of the profits and all the pleasures of this life O take from me also the love of it That I may not fear to lose that life which I do not love nor love that life which I am sure to lose but let me so love thee as to live in thee that I may not fear the loss either of my life or of my love 42. O Lord I am assaulted by vexations without and by temptations within and to whom should I flie for succour but only to thee who art not so displeased for my sins but that thou wilt be appeased by my repentance O give unto me that repentance which thou wilt accept and take from me that displeasure which I so fear Thou canst defend me with thy favourable kindness as with a Shield O Lord I ask no other defence but only this defence of thy Mercy to defend me from my self and all my sinfulness to defend me from thy wrath and from all the punishments of my sins Though thou leave me destitute of all other defence yet let thy loving-kindness evermore defend me according to that eternal love wherewith thou hast loved me in the Son of thy love our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 43. O Lord thou hast hitherto guided me by thy counsel and thou wilt hereafter receive me with glory Therefore have I none in heaven but thee because none else can receive me with glory and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee because none else can guide me with true counsel O Lord pardon my strayings from thy directions as thou hast been my guide that thou mayst receive me into thine habitation and be my glory for Jesus sake Amen 44. O Lord make my soul willing to depart and go from hence because it here dwells among the enemies of my peace even among mine own sins and fears which disturb the peace of a good conscience here and threaten to destroy the peace of a blessed eternity hereafter Make me to long for that blessed minute which will restore to me perfect innocency and will transmit me into everlasting peace
redeemed with thy most precious blood and be not angry with me for ever Spare me good Lord. From this and all other evil and mischief of my body from the more afflictive and contagious sin of my soul from the crafts and assaults of the Devil either against my body or against my soul from the fear of thy wrath and from the sentence of everlasting damnation Good Lord deliver me By thine agony and bloody-sweat help and assist me in all mine agonies By thy Cross and Passion make me conquerer in all my sufferings By thy precious death and burial sweeten my death and sanctifie my grave By thy glorious resurrection and ascention raise me up again at the last day and glorifie me and by the coming of the Holy-Ghost give unto me now amidst the torments of my life and the terrours of my death the immortal comfort of a blessed resurrection to eternal glory And in this my distress by this thy special assistance help and comfort Good Lord deliver me In all time of my tribulation and adversity which thou hast now sent me In all time of my wealth and prosperity if thou shalt be pleased once again to send it me in the hour of my death and in the day of Judgement Good Lord deliver me I that am a sinner do beseech thee to hear me O Lord God And that it may please thee to rule and govern thy holy Church universally in the right way And to deliver this thy distressed and oppressed Church from all her sins and from all her troubles and to restore her to her former Truth and Peace I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand and the Son of man whom thou hast made so strong for thine own self and so will not we go back from thee O let us live and we will call upon thy Name Turn us again O Lord God of Hosts shew us the light of thy countenance and we shall be whole I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to defend and strengthen all Bishops and Ministers of thy Church That notwithstanding the manifold oppositions contempts and persecutions of disobedient and gainsaying people they may still uphold thy true and lively Word and thy holy and blessed Sacraments and by their preaching and administring and their living and dying may set them forth and shew them accordingly I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to be a Father to the Fatherless whom my sins have helped to make so and whom my repentance cannot but thy Mercy can relieve To be a husband to the widow a comfort to the comfortless and to relieve all that be desolate and oppressed and to shew thy pity upon all exiles prisoners and captives especially those that suffer imprisonment and captivity or banishment for the cause of righteousness for the Doctrine of a Catholick Faith or for the duties of a Christian life I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to have Mercy upon mine enemies persecutors and slanderers to turn their hearts and to forgive their sins and to save their souls and to make me forgive as I desire to be forgiven and to make me desire to be forgiven as I stand in need of forgiveness and to make my waies to please thee that thou mayest make mine enemies to be at peace with me I beseech thee to hear me good Lord That it may please thee to give us all true repentance that thou mayest forgive us all our sins not only our negligences and ignorances but also our perversnesses and profanesses and to endue us with the grace of thy holy Spirit that we may lay aside our own animosities self-interests and worldly advantages and joyn together with one heart and mouth to praise thee and to glorifie thy holy Name not looking after fond pretences and fading vanities but looking for that blessed hope the glorious appearing of the great God and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. Son of God I beseech thee to hear me O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world take away my sins also inwhom alone there is a world of sin and grant me thy peace and have Mercy upon me O Christ hear me and as thou camest to redeem me when I was utterly lost so I beseech thee suffer me not to be lost now thou hast redeemed me Lord have Mercy upon me Christ have Mercy upon me Lord have Mercy upon me And remember me according to the favour that thou bearest unto thy people O visit me with thy salvation that I may once more if it be thy will see the felicity of thy chosen and rejoyce in the gladness of thy people and give thanks with thine inheritance through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Benediction BLessed be the Lord God even the God of Israel which only doth wonderous things And blessed be the Name of his Majesty for ever and all the earth shall be filled with his Majesty and my soul shall be filled and revived with his Mercy Amen Amen The Lord Jesus be within me to strengthen without me to assist before me to direct behind me to defend and protect beneath me to uphold and sustain above me to receive my soul. Let the power of the Father preserve me the wisdom of the Son guide and énlighten me the operation of the Holy-Ghost quicken and revive me in my passage through the gates of death and bring me into everlasting life The blood that ran from the wounded heart of my blessed Saviour which hath purchased for me abundance of grace in my life of comfort in my sickness and of hope in my death wash my soul from sin and from iniquity that it may be presented without spot or blemish before the righteous Judge of men and Angels in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost Amen The sick mans Valediction LORD I am willing to forsake all to follow thee O let me follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth I willingly forgive all men and heartily desire all men to forgive me that though I came into this world hating my God yet I may not go out of it hating my Brother for God with whom I hope to dwell when I go from hence is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 John 4. 16. I follow after to apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus This one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those things which are before I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen Phil. 3. 12 13 14. The sick mans Preparation for his Departure I am now ready to be