hath commanded you Ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left You shall walk in all the wayes which the Lord your God hath commanded you that ye may live and that it may be well with you and that ye may prolong your dayes in the land which ye shall possesse And the Lord shall make thee the head and not the tail Deut. 28.13 14. and thou shalt be above onely and thou shalt not be beneath if thou hearken unto the commandements of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day to observe and to do them And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day to the right hand or to to the left to go after other gods to serve them For not the hearers of the law Rom. 2.13 are just before God but doers of the Law shall be justified And I gave them my statutes Ezek. 20.11 and shewed them my judgements which if a man do he shall even live in them For Moses describeth the righteousnesse of the Law Rom. 10.5 which is of the Law that the man which doth those things shall live by them For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse Gal. 3.10 12. for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them And the Law is not of faith but the man that doth them shall live in them Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them Deut. 27.26 and all the people shall say Amen The Gospel tyeth us onely to believe aright in God and in his son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The Gospel onely looks upon the eye of our faith that we believe the promises of God made unto us in Christ Jesus and that we lay hold on him make particular application of the benefits of his sufferings death and passion Resurrecton and ascension unto our souls by a true and lively faith And this is all we are commanded and enjoyned to do and perform by the Gospel and New Testament Whereupon it was well said by one Dicit Evangelium Crede hoc vive that is Onely believe all this and thou shalt live He that believeth Mark 16.16 and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned And he said unto her Luke 8.48 Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole go in peace Straightway Mark 9.24 the father of the child cried out and said with tears Lord I believe help mine unbelief And a woman having an issue of bloud twelve yeares Luke 8.43 44. which had spent all her living upon Physicians neither could be healed of any Came behind him and touched the border of his garment and immediately her issue of bloud stenched For she said within her self Matthew 9.21 if I may but touch his garment I shall be whole And Jesus said who touched me Luke 8.45 46. when all denied Peter and they that were with him said The multitude throng thee and press thee and sayest thou who touched me And Iesus said Some body hath touched me for I perceive that vertue is gone out of me And when the woman saw that she was not hid she came trembling Luke 8.47 48 and falling down before him she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed immediately But Iesus turned him about Matth. 9.22 and when he saw her he said Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole and the woman was made whole from that houre Hereupon St. St. Augustin Augustin observeth thus much upon this place Cum de morbo in morbum laborasset cum de morbo desperato tunc accessit tetigit sanata est When she laboured of a great disease and of such a disease that was even desperate then even then she came unto our Saviour Iesus Christ she touched the hemme of his garment and she was immediately healed and made whole And again as touching the words of Christ who hath touched me Cum omnes te tangunt indifferenter quomodo quaeris quis specialiter te tangit as one observeth When all men do alike indifferently touch thee wherefore dost thou enquire and ask who harh specially touched thee Thus and in this manner tangere Christum to touch Christ as a Father well observeth this was tactus fidei the touch of her faith And he said unto her Luke 8.48 Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole go in peace St. S. Augustin Augustine upon this former place sheweth two reasons why Christ our Saviour used this before-recited form of speech Prime ut mulierem ad confessionem traheret First that he might hereby draw the woman to a confession of what she had done and for what cause she did it Secundo ut timorem mulierit probaret Secondly that he might hereby prove the fear and try the faith of the woman And he said to the woman Luke 7.50 thy faith hath saved thee go in peace And said unto him Arise go thy way thy faith hath made thee whole This spoken to the Samaritan Luke 17.19 a leper being cleansed and returned to give thanks And Iesus said unto him Luke 18.42 Receive thy sight thy faith hath saved thee But as many as received him John 17.12 to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wildernesse John 3.14 15. even so must the son of man be lifted up That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternall life God so loved the world John 3.16 17 36. that he gave his onely begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternall life For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved He that believeth on the Son John 11.25 26. hath life everlasting and he that believeth not the son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Iesus said I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die To him give all the Prophets witnesse Acts 10.43 that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Be it known unto you therefore Acts 13.38 39. men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenesse of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses And we believe Acts 15.11 that through the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ we shall
1.1 2 3 4. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten Son of the Father full of grace and truth That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life For the Life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and shew unto you that eternall life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also might have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Iesus Christ And these things write we unto you that your joy may be full Exod. 20.2 Eighthly Again in the old Testament we have the Law given by Moses But in the new Testament we have Grace and Mercy brought unto us by Christ Iesus And of all his fulness have all we received Iohn 1.16 and grace for grace For the Law was given by Moses Iohn 1.17 but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ Ninthly Again by the Law we have the knowledge of Sin and of Gods curse which followed thereupon and of the Iudgements denounced against sinners and that not only of a death temporal but even of a death eternal both of body and soul And the Lord God took the Man Gen. 2.15 16 17. and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it And the Lord God commanded the Man saying of every Tree of the Garden thou mayest freely eat But of the Tree of knowledg of good and evill thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die And unto Adam he said Gen. 3.17 19. because thou hast hearkned unto the voice of thy Wife and hast eaten of the Tree of which I commanded thee saying Thou shalt not eat of it Cursed is the Ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the daies of thy life In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground for out of it was thou taken for Dust thou art and unto Dust shalt thou return For the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 For when we were in the flesh Rom. 7.5 the motions of sin which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death What shall I say then Rom. 7.7 8 9 10 11. is the Law sin God forbid Nay I had not known sin but by the Law for I had not known Lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet But sin taking occasion by the Commandement wrought in me all manner of concupiscence for without the Law sin was dead For I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came sin revived and I died And the Commandement which was ordaiued to life I found to be unto death For Sin taking occasion by the Commandement deceived me and by it slew me But by the Gospel we have the knowledge of the free Pardon and full forgiveness of our Sins purchased for us by the death and passion of Christ our Saviour and conferred unto us by his grace and favour he undergoing the full vial of Gods wrath and judgement denounced against sin and Sinners even the whole curse of the Law he endured for us who died for our Sins and rose again for our justification that we should dye unto sin and live unto righteousness Rom. 5.6 8. For then when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were Sinners Christ died for us Who was delivered for our Offences Rom. 4.25 and was raised again for our justification Much more then being now justified by his blood Rom. 5.9 we shall be saved from wrath through him For if when we were enemies Rom. 5.10 we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Who was delivered for our offences Rom. 4.2 and was raised again for our justification O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. The sting of Death is Sin and the strength of Sin is the Law But thanks be unto God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ Who his own self bare our sins 1 Pet. 2.24 in his own body on the Tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed But he was wounded for our transgressions Isaiah 53.5 6. he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our Peace was upon him and with his stripes are we healed All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all If God be for us Rom. 8.31 32. who can be against us He that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Rom. 8.33 34. it is God that justifyeth Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Christ hath delivered us from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 being made a curse for us For it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree For he that is hanged Deut. 21.23 is accursed of God Tenthly Again the Law was as our School-master to bring us unto Christ to shew us the way to him and to direct us therein aright But the Gospel bringeth Christ himself unto us who is the way the truth and the life offering of himself to be received by us by a true and lively faith Wherefore the Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by Faith But after that Faith is come Ga. 3.24 25. we are no longer under a Schoolmaster For ye are all the Children of God by faith Iohn 14.1 6. in Christ Iesus Let not your hearts be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me Iesus saith I am the way the truth and the life no man commeth unto the Father but by me Upon which place St. Chrysostome thus discourseth Quo vis ire ego sum via S. Chrysostom Quid vis scire ego sum veritas Ubi vis manere ego sum vita Whither wilt thou go I am the way What would'st thou know I am the Truth Where would'st thou remain I am the Life And again St. Bernard upon this place saith S. Bernard I am the way which leadeth to the Truth I am the Truth that
mouth The word of God is quick and powerfull Hebrews chap. 4. ver 52. and sharper than any two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart And he was clothed with a vesture dipt in bloud Revelation chap. 19. ver 13. and his name is called the word of God As for me Isaiah cha 29. ver 21. this is my covenant with them saith the Lord my spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever Blessed are they that hear the word of God Luke chap. 11. ver 28. and keep it Receive with meeknesse James chap. 1. ver 21. the engrafted word of God which is able to save your souls Keep therefore Deuteronomy chap. 29. ver 9. the words of this covenant and do them that so ye may prosper in all that ye do As new born babes 1 Peter chap. 2. ver 2. desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Verily John chap. 5. ver 24. verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life The word of God The word of God the word of Reconciliation 2 Corinthians chap. 5. ver 18.19 called the word of Reconciliation And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Iesus Christ and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation The word of God called the word of truth The word of God the word of Truth Ephesians cha 1. ver 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise The word of God called the word of life The word of God the word of life Philippians chap. 2. ver 16. Holding forth the word of life that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain neither laboured in vain The word called the word of Christ The word called the word of Christ Collossians chap. 3. ver 16. The word called the faithfull word of God Titus chap. 1. ver 9. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdome The word called the faithfull word of God Holding fast the faithfull word of God as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers Thy word have I hid in my heart Psal 119. ver 11. and 42. that I might not sin against thee So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reprocheth me for I trust in thy word So then faith cometh by hearing Romans ch 10. ver 17. and hearing by the word of God Fourthly In our reading and hearing of the word of God and in our meditations thereon the due consideration of all this ought to stirre up in us a love unto the same and a rejoycing therein as by these ensuing places of Scripture may appear I rejoyce at thy word Psal 119. ver 162. Jeremiah cha 15. ver 16. as one that findeth great spoil Thy words were sound and I did eat them and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoycing of my heart for I am called by thy name O Lord God of hosts Lord Psal 26. ver 8. I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth I was glad when they said unto me Psal 122. ver 1. Let us go into the house of the Lord. For a day in thy Courts is better than a thousand Psalm 84. ver 10. I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickednesse O how I love thy law Psalm 119. ver 97.127 it is my meditation all the day Therefore I love thy commandements above gold yea above fine gold I delight to do thy will Psal 40. ver 8. O my God yea thy law is within my heart Fifthly These precedent observations being thus made use of by us the word of God which we have thus read heard and meditated on will then doubtlesse be a constant and a perpetuall comfort unto us at all times both in life and death Be thou faithfull unto death Revelation chap. 2. ver 10. and I will give thee a crown of life CHAP. II. Of the severall Books mentioned in the Scriptures THine eyes did see my substance Psal 139. ver 16. yet being unperfect and in thy Book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them Then they that feared the Lord Malachie chap. 3. ver 16 17 18. spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a Book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name And they shall be mine The difference between the wicked and the righteous in the day of Judgment saith the Lord of hosts when I make up my Iewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Thou tellest my wandrings Psal 56. ver 8. put thou my teares into thy bottle are they not in thy book And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book Isaiah cha 29. ver 18. Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read Isaiah cha 34. ver 16. And at that time shall Michael stand up the great prince Daniel cha 12. ver 1. which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be delivered every one that shall be found written in the book And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake Daniel cha 12. ver 2 3. some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt And they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousnesse as the starres for ever and ever A fiery stream issued Daniel cha 7. ver 10. and came forth from before him thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him the Iudgement was
Elijah He took up also the mantle of Elijah 2 Kin. 2.14 that fell from him and smote the waters and said Where is the Lord God of Elijah and when he also had smitten the waters they parted hither and thither and Elisha went over By prayer Elisha raised the Shunamites son from death to life again And when Elisha was come into the house 2 Kin. 4.32 33 35 36. behold the child was dead and laid upon his bed He went in therefore and shut the door upon them twain and prayed unto the Lord. And the child neesed seven times and the child opened his eyes And when she was come in unto him he said Take up thy son By prayer Sampson pulled the house down Judg. 16.30 and killed more at his death than in his life By prayer Ahijah obtained victory against Jeroboam king of Israel 2 Chron. 13. 14 15 16 17 18. with half the number because they did relye on God By prayer the great army of Sennacherib king of Assyria 2 Chron. 32.2 3 6 7 8 19 20 21. coming against Hezekiah king of Iudah was overthrown by the Angel of the Lord from heaven And they spake against the God of Ierusalem For this cause Hezekiah the king 2 Kin. 19.15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 34 35 37. Isaiah 39.37 the same and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amos prayed and cried to heaven And the Lord sent an Angel which cut off all the mighty men of valour and the leaders and the captains in the camp of the king of Assyria So he returned with shame to his own land And when he was come into the house of his god they that came out of his own bowels slew him there with the sword And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said O Lord God of Israel Hezekiahs prayer 2 Kin. 19.15 16 19 20 35. which dwellest between the Cherubims thou art the God even thou alone of all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made heaven and earth Lord bow down thine ear and hear Isaiah 36.37 the same open Lord thine eyes and see and hear the words of Sennacherib which hath sent him to reproch the living God Now therefore O Lord our God I beseech thee save us out of his hand that all the kingdomes of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God even thou onely Then Isaiah the son of Amos sent to Hezekiah saying Thus saith the Lord God of Israel that which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard And it came to passe that night that the Angel of the Lord went out and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand and when they arose early in the morning behold they were all dead corpses By prayer Asa king of Iudah 2 Chron. 14.9 10 11 12. obtained victory against Zerah the Ethiopian who came against him with an host of a thousand thousand and three hundred chariots And Asa cried unto the Lord his God The prayer of king Asa And said Lord it is nothing with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no power Help us O Lord our God for we rest on thee and in thy name we go against this multitude O Lord thou art God let not man prevail against thee So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Iudah and the Ethiopians fled By prayer Iudeth prevailed against the Assyrians Judith 9.7 8 71. who trusted in their strength Judiths prayer force and power Her prayer to God to throw down their strength For thy power standeth not in multitude nor thy might in strong men for thou art the God of the afflicted an helper of the oppressed an upholder of the weak a protector of the forlorn a saviour of them that are without help By prayer Iudas Maccabeus obtained victory from God 2 Maccabees 8.20 36. against Nicanor and with eight thousand men obtained victory against an hundred and twenty thousand in Babylon because of the help they had from heaven and because the Jews had God to fight for them and therefore they could not be hurt By prayer Lazarus being dead and having been four dayes in the grave was raised up again from death to life And Jefus lift up his eyes and said John 11.4 42 43 44. Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me And I know that thou hearest me alwayes but because of the people which stand by I said it that they may believe that thou hast sent me And when he had thus spoken 〈…〉 he cried with a loud voice Lazarus come forth And he that was dead came forth bound hand and foot with his grave-clothes and his face was bound with a napkin Jesus saith unto them Loose him and let him go By prayer the Holy Ghost fell down upon those which believed And when they had prayed Acts 4.31 the place was shaken where they were assembled together and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they spake the word of God with boldnesse By prayer Tabitha was raised by Peter from death to life again But Peter put them all forth Acts 9.40 41. and kneeled down and prayed and turning him to the body said Tabitha arise and she opened her eyes and when she saw Peter she sat up And he gave her his hand and lift her up and when he had called the saints and widows he presented her alive By prayer St. Paul healed the father of Publius and others of their diseases And it came to passe Acts 28.8 9. that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloudy flux to whom Paul entred and prayed and laid his hands on him and healed him So when this was done others also which had diseases in the Island came and were healed Prayer as a Father observeth is as a strong city of refuge for us thereby to fly unto God in our greatest need Some in prayer as one observeth never regard what they ask nor how whereupon a Father saith If in prayer we ask of God we care not what we shall then be heard of him we know not when and have one thing granted us for another Matth. 20.20 21 22 23. James 4.3 as the mother of Zebedeus children had Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amisse that ye may consume it upon your lusts We are often nay continually in great danger and therefore we must often nay continually pray unto God for preservation and deliverance from all dangers And as S. S. Bernards observation as touching the use of prayer Bernard observeth thus much of often prayer so we must duely and carefully follow the same rule by him prescribed as namely When we go out of our house let prayer alwayes arm us accompany us and ever attend upon us for Gods blessing and preservation of us And when we return home again let
same we have no moving cause to make us to desire the long continuance thereof here in this vale of misery but earnestly to desire and hope for the fruition of a better life hereafter and even to say with St. Paul Cupio dissolvi et esse cum Christo I desire to be dissolved Philip. 1.23 and to be with Christ And as touching this our life here and all the enjoyments we have therein we may well conclude all and say with the Preacher Vanity of Vanities Eccles 12.8 all is vanity And with this to sum up the whole duty of Man being this Fear God Eccles 12.13 and keep his Commandements for this is the whole duty of Man Of life eternal Of life eternal of the Giver thereof and the manner of the gift the giver thereof and the manner of the Gift with the great and unexpressible benefits that doth redound thereby unto the dear and elect Children of God Bless the Lord O my Soul Ps 103.1 4. and all that is within me blesse his holy name Who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth Thee with loving kindnesse and tender mercies My Sheep hear my voice Io. 10.27.28 and I know them and they follow me And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Iesus said unto her Io. 11.25.26 I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and beliein me shall never dye And this is life eternal Io. 17.3 That they might know Thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent God that made the World Acts 17.24 25 26. and all things therein He giveth to all life and breath and all things For in him we live move and have our being But now being made free from sin Rom. 6.22 23. and become Servants to God ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting Life For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Iesus Christ our Lord. If in this life only we have hope in Christ 1 Cor. 15.19 we are of all men most miserable The Letter killeth 2 Cor. 3.8 but the Spirit giveth life If ye then be risen with Christ Collos 3.1 seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Set your Affections on things above Collos 3.2 3 4. not on things on the earth For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is your life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Fight the good fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art called Hereby perceive we the love of God Jo. 3.16 because he laid down his life for us And this is the record Jo. 5.11 12 13 20. That God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life These things have I written unto you That ye believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the Son of God And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Iesus Christ this is the true God and eternal life S. Bernard Duo animi à Deo dati custodes domestici pudor et timor Qui pudorem amisit bestiae par est qui timorem excuâ—â—t bestia pejor est God hath given us two Domestick Keepers of our Souls as namely Shamefastness and Fear He which casteth away all Shamefastness from him may well by way of comparison be accounted equal unto the very beast and he which shaketh off from him all manner of Fear is in a far worse manner than the beasts as St. Bernard observeth And for our better distinction in the whole course of our lives here we ought alwaies to have these two props or Pillars like the stern of a ship to stear and govern all our action aright as namely Care and Fear Actions First Carefulnesse to serve and please God according to his Will revealed unto us in and by his holy Word Teach me thy way O Lord Ps 86.11 and I will walk in thy Truth O knit my heart unto thee that I may fear thy name I will run the way of thy Commandements Ps 119.32 when thou shalt enlarge my heart Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes Ps 119.33 34 35. and I shall keep it unto the end Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart Make me to go in the path of thy Commandements for therein do I delight Secondly Fearfullnesse of offending God And being thus armed with these 2 good supporters With this constant and continual care and fear They will make us wary in all our actions of this life and will cause us to walk carefully in all our proceedings in the whole course of our life here the which will doubtlesse be a very great comfort to us hereafter For that as one very well observeth A good life is alwaies the cause of a happy and of a comfortable death Secondly Of Death and how we are at all times and upon all occasions to fit and prepare our selves for the same Of our Death and preparatifor the same that so Death take us not unawares and unprepared for the same O Death how bitter is the remembrance of Thee to a man that liveth at rest in his Possessions Ecclus. 41 1 2 3 4. unto the Man that hath nothing to vex him and that hath Prosperity in all things yea unto him that is yet able to receive meat O Death acceptable is thy sentence unto the Needy and unto him whose strength faileth that is now in the last age and is vexed with all things and to him that despaireth and hath lost patience Fear not the sentence of Death remember them that have been before thee and that come after thee for this is the sentence of the Lord over all flesh And why art thou against the pleasure of the most high there is no inquisition in the Grave whether thou hast lived ten or an hundred or a thousand years Men of the World Ps 17.14 which have their portion here in this life even to them the remembrance of death is bitter But of the Tree of the good and evill Gen. 2.17 thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die And the Serpent did say unto the Woman Gen. 3.4 Ye shall not surely dye The Devill in his tempting of
set and the books were opened But thou O Daniel Daniel cha 12. ver 4. shut up the words and seal the book even to the time of the end many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased And these shall go away into everlasting punishment Matthew cha 25. ver 46. but the righteous into life eternall For the hour is coming John chap. 5. ver 28 29. in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice And shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of damnation Let them be blotted out of the book of the living Psalm 69. ver 28. and not be written with the righteous He that overcometh Revelation chap. 3. ver 5. the same shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life but I will confesse his name before my father and before his angels And I entreat thee also Philippians ch 4. ver 3. true yoke-fellow help these women which laboured with me in the Gospel with Clement also and with other my fellow labourers whose names are in the book of life And it was given unto him Revelation ch 13. ver 7 8. to make war with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lambe slain from the foundation of the world The beast that thou sawest was Revelation chap. 17. ver 8. and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomlesse pit and go into perdition and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder and whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is And I saw the dead small Revelation ch 20. ver 12 13. and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works And the sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to their works And death Revelat. chap. 20. ver 14 15. and hell were cast into the lake of fire And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecie Revelat. chap. 2 r 2. ve 19. God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this book Books named in the Scripture and not to be found as namely Is not this written in the book of Iasher the marginall note of an old Bible Ioshua chap. 10. ver 13. being as some read it In the book of the righteous meaning Moses The Chaldee text reading In the book of the Law But it is like that it was a book thus named which is now lost All this in the marginall notes of an old Bible As it is written in the book of Iasher 2 Samuel cha 11. ver 18. or righteous as the marginall note is Wherefore it is said in the book of the warres of the Lord Numbers chap. 21. ver 14. or of the battels which by a marginall note in an old Bible seemeth to be the book of the Iudges or a book which is lost Concerning the acts of David the king behold 1 Chron. chap. 29. ver 29. they are written in the book of Samuel the Seer and in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the book of Gad the Seer The marginall note in an old Bible is that the books of Nathan and Gad are thought to have been lost in the captivity And there shall in no wise Revelation ch 21. ver 27. enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination nor maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lambes book of life There is as One well observeth a two fold Book of God as namely First there is Liber Providentiae that is the Book of Gods Providence whereby we are taught to know our duties to God and to referre our selves and all our actions to his Divine Providence and mercy and to use his good blessings on us bestowed to his glory All which if we thus do we shall then receive all things necessary in this world and life eternall in the world to come But if we are disobedient and do contrary to all this then there is a second Book which will be opened against us as namely Secondly there is Liber Judicii the Book of Gods Judgement whereby we shall receive all the Judgements of God therein mentioned and pronounced against the wicked and disobedient Then shall the king say unto them Matthew cha 25. ver 34. on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Then shall he say also unto those Matthew cha 25. ver 41. on the left hand Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels It is observed by a Father That there is another book and that is called Codex Conscientiae the book of a mans conscience St. Chrysostome observeth thus much S. Chrysostom sc That Conscientia est codex in quo quotidiana nostra peccata rescribuntur The Conscience is a book in the which our daily sinnes and offences are writ down registred and recorded against us as S. Chrysostome observeth And as touching Conscience There is a Threefold quality of the Conscience Of Conscience as One observeth as namely First Testificare de praeterito that is to bear testimony and witnesse of what is done by us and past Secondly Accusare vel excusare to accuse us of what we have done or else to excuse us Thirdly Solvere vel ligare That is either to let us loose or else to bind us fast up For when the Gentiles Romans chap. 2. ver 14.15.16 which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves Which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts mean while accusing or else excusing one another In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel Conscientia est quasi cordis scientia S. Bernard ut S. Bernard The conscience is as it were the very knowledge of the heart By strength stratagems and policy men do overcome their enemies But God
in vita aeterna cum Christo beatus qui non est in hac vita in Christo sanctus That is He shall never be happy with Christ in the life to come and eternall who is not in this life holy and sanctified in Christ It is well observed That man hath a Threefold being as namely First Esse naturae a Naturall being by birth Secondly Bene esse gratiae a well-being by grace by his new birth And Thirdly Optime esse gloriae his glorious being by death the same being an entrance into a life of glory These three being all of them specified by this ensuing place of Scripture c. Jesus answered and said unto him John 3.3 5 6 8. Verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdome of God Verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit The wind bloweth where it listeth John 14.2 3. and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit In my fathers house are many mansions I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also Fourthly Gen. 2. the Old Testament or the law sheweth unto us our miserable estate and condition we are in by sin and by the fall of our first parents in Paradise The New Testament or the Gospel sheweth unto us our happy estate and condition we are in by grace by the merits death and passion Resurrection and ascension of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ For now is Christ risen from the dead 1 Cor. 15.20 21 22. and become the first fruits of them that slept For since by man came death by man came also the Resurrection of the dead For as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive For the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. And sin when it is finished James 1.15 bringeth forth death As by the offence of one Rom. 5.18 19 20 21. Iudgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Moreover the Law entred that the offence might abound but where sin abounded grace did much more abound That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reign through righteousnesse by lesus Christ our Lord. Fifthly In the Old Testament we have many Prophecies and foretellings of Christ our Saviour to come In the new Testament or Gospel we have the joyfull newes and glad tidings of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ And hereupon one well saith The Gospel or the good spel because the Gospel bringeth us good and glad tidings of salvation in and by Iesus Christ And there were in the same country shepheards abiding in the field Luke 2.8 9 10 11 12. keeping watch over their flock by night And lo the Angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid And the Angel said unto them fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. And his name was called Jesus which was so named of the Angel before he was conceived in the wombe Behold Mat. 1.20 21 22 23. the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream saying Ioseph thou son of David fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wise for that which is conceived in her is of the holy Ghost And she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sins Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet saying Behold Isaiah 7.14 a Virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son and shall call his name Emmanuel which being interpreted is God with us And the word was made flesh John 1.14 and dwelt among us and we beheld the glory as of the onely begotten son of the father full of grace and truth Who 1 Pet. 1.20 verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you But when the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his son made of a woman and made under the Law To redeem them that were under the Law Gal. 4.4 5. that we might receive the adoption of sons Sixthly The Law tyeth us to an active obedience and due performance of all which the Law requireth to be done by us Dicit Lex hoc fac vive that is do and perform all this which is commanded and live Now therefore hearken O Israel Deut. 4.1 2. unto the statutes and unto the judgements which I teach you for to do them that ye may live and go in and possesse the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you Ye shall not adde unto the word which I command you neither shall ye diminish ought from it that ye may keep the commandements of the Lord your God which I command you What thing soever I command you Deut. 12.32 observe to do it thou shalt not adde thereunto nor diminish from it Ye shall do my judgements and keep mine ordinances Levit. 18.4 5. to walk therein I am the Lord your God Ye shall therefore keep my statutes Levit. 20.8 and my judgements which if a man do he shall live in them I am the Lord. And ye shall keep my statutes and do them I am the Lord which sanctifie you Therefore shall ye keep my commandements Levit. 22.31 and do them I am the Lord. But if thou wilt enter into life Mat. 19.17 keep the commandements Onely Joshua 1.8 9. be thou couragious that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee turn not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous then thou shalt have good successe Ye shall observe to do therefore Deut. 5.32 33. as the Lord your God
be saved And they said Acts. 16.41 Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ Rom. 1.16 17 18. for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth For therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by faith But the just shall live by his faith Habakkuk 2.4 Hebrews 10.38 Gal. 3.11 Now the just shall live by faith But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by faith But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin Gal. 3 22 23. that the promise by faith of Christ Iesus might be given to them that believe But before faith came we were kept under the law shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed By the deeds of the law Rom. 3.20 21 22. there shall no flesh be justified in his fight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin But now the righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested by the Law and the prophets Even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe For all have sinned Rom. 3.23 24 25 26. and come short of the glory of God Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God That he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Iesus To him that worketh nor Rom. 4.5 but beliveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Being justified by faith Rom. 5.1 2. we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ By whom also we have accesse by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus Rem 8.1 2. Who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit For the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the lâ—w of sin and death For Christ is the end of the law Rom. 10.4 for righteousness to every one that believeth The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart Rom. 10.8 9 10 11. that is the Word of Faith which we preach That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth Confession is made unto salvation For the Scripture saith Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed Whatsoever is not of Faith Rom. 14.23 is sin And whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed Rom. 9.33 It pleased God 1 Cor. 1.21 by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe For we walk by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 not by sight I live yet not I Gal. 2.20 but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me They which be of faith are blessed Gal. 3.9 26. with faithfull Abraham For ye are all the Children of God by faith in Christ Iesus In whom also Ephes 1.13 14. after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance For by Grace are ye saved through Faith Ephes 2.8 and not of your selves it is the gift of God For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again 1 Thess 4.14 even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him Above all things take the shield of Faith Wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the wicked Ephes 1.16 17. Watch ye 1 Cor. 16.13 stand fast in the Faith quit you like men be strong And to whom swore he Heb. 3.18 19 that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief Let us draw near with a true heart Heb. 10.22.23 in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure water Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithfull that promised Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 the evidence of things not seen But without Faith it is impossible to please him Heb. 11.6 for he that commeth to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him The whole Chapter being special instances of Faith Of the great Power of faith in the true Servants of God who shewed the powerfullnesse of Faith in general and of their Faith in particular Looking unto Jesus Heb. 12.2 the Author and finisher of our Faith Receiving the end of your Faith 1 Pet. 1.9 20. even the salvation of your Souls Who by him do believe in God that raised him from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God Be thou faithfull unto the death Rev. 2.10 and I will give thee the Crown of life Hence is the patience of the Saints Rev. 14.12 here are they that keep that Commandements of God and the faith of Iesus Seventhly Again Christus in veteri Testamaento est velatus Sed in novo Testamento Christus est nobis revelatus Christ in the Old Testament was hid and covered as it were under a veil and was only shadowed out unto us But in the New Testament Christ is there manisestly revealed unto us and the veil of the old Testament by him taken away 2 Cor. 3.13 14 15. And not as Moses which put a veil over his face that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished But their minds were blinded for untill this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old Testament which veil is done away in Christ But even to this day when Moses is read the veil is upon their hearts Nevertheless where they shall turn to the Lord the veil shall be taken away And without controversie 1 Tim. 3.16 great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world and received up into glory In the beginning was the Word Iohn 1.1 2 14. and the Word was with God And the same was in the beginning with God 1 Iohn
16. consent thou not If they say come with us let us lay wait for bloud let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause Cast in thy lot among us let us all have one purse My son walk not thou in the way with them refrain thy foot from their path For their feet run to evil and make hast to shed bloud Secondly We must pray in all places I will therefore 1 Tim. 2.8 that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting Thirdly We must pray at all times Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord Zechar. 8.21 and to seek the Lord of hosts O Lord God of my salvation I have cried day and night before thee Let my prayer come before thee Psal 88.1 2. encline thine ear unto my cry Unto thee have I cried Psal 88.13 O Lord and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee Evening Psalm 55.17 and morning and at noon will I pray And it came to passe Luke 6.12 in those dayes that he went out into a mountain to pray and be continued all night in prayer to God And he spake a parable unto them Luke 18.1 to this end that men ought alwayes to pray and not to faint Every day will I blesse thee Psalm 145.2 and I will praise thy name for ever and ever Pray without ceasing 1 Thess 5.17 But the end of all things is at hand 1 Pet. 4.7 be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer Night and day 1 Thess 3.10 praying exceedingly Continuing instant in prayer Rom. 12.12 Foutthly We must pray for all persons yea even for our enemies Confesse your faults one to another James 5.16 and pray one for another that ye may be healed Love your enemies Luke 6.27 28. do good to them that hate you Bless them that curse you and pray for them that despitefully use you Then said Iesus Luke 23 34. Father forgive them for they know not what they do And they stoned Stephen Acts 7.59 60. calling upon God and saying Lord Iesus receive my spirit And he kneeled down and cryed with a loud voice Lord lay not this sin to their charge 5ly We must pray to God alone Is any among you afflicted Ja. 5.13 let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalmes Now when Daniel knew Dan. 6.10 that the writing was signed he went into his House and his windows being open in his Chamber toward Ierusalem he kneeled down upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did afore time As for me I will call upon God Psal 55.16 and the Lord shall save me There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius a devout man Acts 10.1 2. which gave much Alms to the people and prayed to God alway And I set my face unto the Lord God to seek by Prayer and Supplications Dan. 9 3 4. with fasting and sackcloth and ashes And I prayed unto the Lord my God Daniels Prayer and made my Confession and said O Lord the great dreadfull God keeping the Covenant and mercy to them that love him and to them that keep his Commandements Be carefull for nothing Philip. 4.6 but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God I will call on the Lord who is worthy to be praised 2 Sam. 22.4 7. so shall I be saved from mine enemies In my distress I called unto the Lord Davids Prayer and cryed to my God and he did hear my voice out of his Temple and my cry did enter into his ears But when thou prayest enter into thy Closet Mat. 6.6 and when thou hast shut thy Door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly 6ly We must pray with knowledge and with understanding S. Augustin Sonus mentis est intellectus ut Augustin The sound of the mind is understanding S. Augustin and no true prayer can there be without understanding Again publike or Church prayers Publick and Church Prayers are requisite and needfull to shew that that there is and ought to be unanimity and conformity in the Primitive Church And here we are not only to pray for our selves but for all others also of what estate or Conditiou soever they be of I exhort therefore 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3. that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks be made for all Men. For Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all honesty and godliness For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour And this was the use of the antient Christians Tertullian who as Tertulllian well observeth did pray for all their Emperors that they might have and quietly enjoy Vitam prolixam imperium securum The Prayer of the antient Christians for their Emperors domum tutam exercitus fortes senatum fidelem populum probum orbem quietum et quaecunque hominis et Caesaris vota sunt That they might have and quietly enjoy A happy Life a secure Empire a safe House and habitation strong and forcible Armies a faithfull Senate honest and true-hearted People a quiet World and whatsoever else either Prince or People can any waies wish or desire That offerings be made to the most high God Esdras 6.3 for the King and for his Children and that they may pray for their lives Prayer Prayer compared to Iacobs Ladder as one observeth is like unto Jacobs Ladder which appeared to him in a Dream reaching up to Heaven and which he seemed to see and behold and behold the Angels of God ascending and descending down by it And he dreamed Gen. 28.12 and behold a Ladder set upon the Earth and the top of it reached to Heaven and behold the Angels of God ascending and descending on it Even so by Prayer we fly a high pitch we soare aloft we do thereby as it were mount up flye and ascend to Heaven And I said Ps 35.6 O that I had wings like a Dove for then would I flye away and be at rest Meditatio et Oratio S. Bernard sunt ale Columbae as St. Bernard observeth Meditation and prayer are the Wings of the Dove and by these Wings of the Dove is meant Meditation and Prayer as St. Bernard well observeth St. Angustines Prayer to God was S. Augustines Prayer That of all judgements and plagues he would ever free him from a stony-heart or from a benummed or seared Conscience St. Bernard Prayer was this S. Bernards Prayer Bone Jesu esto mihi Jesus O sweet Iesus be thou unto me and to my Soul a Iesus a Saviour Oratio ascendit S. August Gratia descendit Our Prayers do ascend up to Heaven and
good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose Bonis bona malis mala Good things to good men and ill things to ill men as one observeth Tametsi non bonum tamen in bonum ut St. Augustin Nay St. Augustin though the things be not good yet they work for the good of the godly And as St. Bernard observeth Afflictions do make a man to be more humble wary S. Bernard and cautious in his wayes Afflictions and crosses though harmfull to others yet prove helpfull to the godly Yet even their sins though not not good yet they turn to their good as a means to make them more lowly more wary Yea death it self though in it self it be evil and the punishment of sin yet it is a means to free them both from sin and from all the fruits and effects of it and to restore them to that life again which by sin once they lost But now Rom. 6.22 23. being made free from sin and become servants to God ye have your fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. For thou wilt save the afflicted people Psal 18.27 but wilt bring down high looks For he hath not despised Psal 22.24 nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted neither hath he hid his face from him but when he cried unto him he heard him Afflictions do make us fit vessels for Gods choice I have chosen thee Isaiah 48.10 in the furnace of affliction Whatsoever is brought upon thee Ecclus 2.4 5 6 take cheerfully and be patient when thou art changed to a low estate For gold is tried in the fire and acceptable men in the surnace of adversity Believe in him and he will help thee order thy way aright and trust in him As gold in the furnace hath he tried them Wisd 3.6 and 4.5 and received them as a burnt-offering For though they be punished in the sight of men yet is their hope full of immortality And having been a little chastised they shall be greatly rewarded for God proved them and found them worthy for himself For we know 2 Cor. 5.1 2. that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved We have a building of God a house not made with hands eternall in the heavens For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea Isaiah 26.9 with my spirit within me will I seek thee early in the morning for when thy Judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousnesse Meaning Exposition That by afflictions men will learn to fear God as the exposition is Afflictions are chastisements for our sins Jesus said unto him John 5.14 Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee Thereby shewing that the afflictions which we endure The marginall note and observation Nehem. 9.38 are chastisements for our sins as the marginall note and observation is Now because of all this we make a sure covenant and write it and our Princes and our Levites and our priests seal unto it Thus by affliction they promise to keep Gods commandements The marginall note and observation whereunto they would not be brought by Gods great benefits as the marginall note and observation is Wo unto him that striveth with his maker Isaiah 45.9 the potsherd with the potsherds of the earth shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it what makest thou Hereby he bridleth their impatiency Exposition which in adversity and trouble murmure against God and will not tarry his pleasure willing that man should march with his like and not contend against God as the Exposition is But Hezekiah the king 2 Chro. 32.20 and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amos prayed against this or for this cause and cried to heaven This sheweth what is the best refuge in all troubles and dangers Exposition as the Exposition is After troubles and afflictions God comforteth his afflicted children with his blessings God useth to comfort his children and servants which do cry unto him with his blessings powred down upon them And many brought offerings unto the Lord to Ierusalem 2 Chro. 32.23 and presents to Hezekiah king of Iudah so that he was magnified in the sight of all Nations from thenceforth Thus after trouble Exposition God sendeth comfort to all them that patiently wait on him and constantly put their trust in his mercies as the exposition is Misery and afflictions are of this good use as that they do excite Afflâ—ctions work in a man repentance and humiliation and stirr up a man to repentance as a Father observeth and that punishments with afflictions will open the eyes of a mans understanding and draw him to God by repentance and humiliation when nothing else will And when he was in tribulation 2 Chron. 33.12 13. he prayed unto the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers And prayed unto him and God was entreated of him and heard his prayer and brought him again to Ierusalem into his kingdome Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God Thus Affliction giveth understanding Exposition for he that hated God in his prosperity now in his misery he seeketh unto him as the exposition is The due consideration hereof will be a continuall comfort unto us and as our souls cordiall in all times of affliction and even then most of all when all other comforts fail us CHAP. VI. A Meditation upon Life and Death and how we are at all times and upon all occasions to fit and prepare our selves for death that so it seize not upon us at unawares FIrst of our life First Of our life here and the due consideration thereof Our life here is a sea-fare a way-fare and a warr-fare First Our life is a sea-fare They that go down to the sea Our life here is a sea-fare Psal 107.23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31. in ships that do businesse in great waters These see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep For he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind which lifteth up the waves thereof They mount up to the heaven they go down again to the depths their soul is melted because of trouble Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble and he bringeth them out of their distresse He maketh the storm a calm so that the waves thereof are still Then are they glad because they be quiet so he bringeth them to their desired haven Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull works to the children of men Secondly Our life here is a way-fare full of troubles Our life here
quo non Statuas mori It is a very ill thing for any one to live in that state manner and condition of life in the which he would be afraid so to die Male vivit qui semper vivere incipit He liveth very ill that is alwaies but beginning to live well as one observeth A good life is alwaies the cause of a comfortable and of a happy Death While we live here we must not only see and behold Death but we must foresee it and duly prepare for it before it comes One compares Death unto the Basilisk The which Serpent if it see an other before the same be seen there is then much danger to the Party first seen by the Serpent but if a man doth first see and descrie the Basilisk then the Serpent presently dyeth and so no fear of danger Even so If Death be not seen and provided for before hand there is then great danger but if seen before hand and so provided for the danger is then past before death commeth Hereupon a Father well saith Qui non vult in vita praevidere mortem non potest in morte videre vitam He that in Life doth not foresee Death Prosper and S. Augustinr cannot in Death behold and enjoy everlasting Life Tota vita infidelium peccatum est et nihil bouum est absq summo bono ut Pater That is The whole lise of the Wicked is nothing but sin and there is nothing good in us unless we have it from him as Prosper and Augustine do both of them observe Whereupon saith St. Augustine S. Augustin Hic urat hic secat ut in posterum servat Et Domine Domine hic quicquid vis ut in aeternum parcas Burn me cut me flash me or lay here on me what tormenâ—s you will So as thou wilt heal me and cure me of all maladies hereafter and reserve for me everlasting life after this life ended Of the life of Man Of the life of Man and whereunto compared and whereunto the same is compared in regard of the frailty incertainty brevity misery and calamity attending even on the same And Jacob said unto Pharaoh Gen. 49.7 Few and evill have the daies of the years of my life been O remember that my life is wind Iob 7.7 Man that is born of a Woman Iob 14.1 2. is of few daies and full of Trouble He commeth forth like a flower and is cut down he fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not My daies are swifter than a Weavers shuttle Iob 7.6 and are spent without hope Now my daies are swifter than a Post Iob 9.25 26. they flee away they see no good They are passed away as the swift Ships as the Eagle that hasteth unto the prey For we are but of yesterday Iob 8.9 and know nothing because our daies upon Earth are a shadow When a few years are come Iob 16.22 then I shall go the way whence I shall not return For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past and as a watch in the night Thou carriest them away as with a flood Ps 90.4 5 9 10 12. they are as a sleep in the morning they are like grass which groweth up In the morning it flourisheth and groweth up in the evening it is cut down and withereth For all our daies are passed away in thy wrath we spend our years as a Tale that is told The daies of our years are threescore years and ten and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years yet is their strength labour and sorrow for it is soon cut off and we flye away So teach us to number our daies that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome For my daies are consumed like smoak Ps 102.3 4 11. and my bones are burnt as an hearth My heart is smitten and withered like grass My daies are like a shadow that declyneth Ps 103.14 15 16. I am whithered like grass For he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are dust As for Man his daies are as grass as a flower of the field so he flourisheth For the wind passeth over it and it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more Lord what is Man Ps 144.3 4. that thou takest knowledge of him or the Son of Man that thou makest account of him Man is like to vanity his daies are as as a shadow that passeth away The voyce said cry And I said Isaiah 40.6 7 8. What shall I cry All flesh is grass and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field The grass whithereth the flower fadeth because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it Surely the People is Grass The grass whithereth the flower fadeth But the Word of our God shall shall stand for ever Let the Brother of low Degree Ia. 1.9 10 11. rejoyce in that he is exalted But the Rich in that he is made low because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away For the Sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat but it withereth the grass and the flower therof falleth and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth So also shall the rich man fade away in his waies Go to now Ia. 4.13 14. ye that say To day or to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow for what is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away For that ye ought to say Ia. 4.15 If the Lord will we shall live and do this or that Being born again 1 Pet. 1.23 24 25. not of corruptible food but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever For all flesh is as grass and all the glory of Man as the flower of the grass the grass withereth and the slower thereof falleth away But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever No man is sure of his life Iob 24.22 What Man is he that desireth life Ps 34.12 13 14. and loveth many daies that he may see good Keep thy Tongue from evill and thy Lips from speaking guile Depart from evill and do good seek peace and pursue it How excellent is thy loving kindness O God Ps 36.7 9. therefore the Children of Men put their Trust under the shadow of thy Wings For with Thee is the Fountain of Life and in this Light shall we see light Come and see the works of God Ps 66.5 9. he is terrible in his doings towards the Sons of men Which holdeth our Soul in life and suffereth not our feet to be moved By all this the frailty mutability and incertainty of the life of Man here in this World doth evidently appear unto us and that by reason of the miseries and calamities attending of the
so I would have told you it I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also Sapientis est igitur totam in mortem Seneca prominere hoc velle hoc meditari hac semper cupidine ferri ut Seneca It is therefore the part of a wise man wholly to bend and prepare himself for and towards Death to be willing to dye to be alwaies meditating on death and to desire the same And not to be like unto those of whom Seneca complaineth in this manner Nemo sine quaerula moritur Seneca Quis non recusans Quis non gemens exit ut Seneca No man dyeth without complainings Who goeth willingly out of this World without expressing of some sorrow and lamentation for the same But for our greater comfort in Death St. Cyprian observeth thus much Ad refrigerium justi vocantur S. Cyprian ad supplicium rapiuntur injusti datur mors tutela fidentibus perfidis autem paena The just and godly by death are called unto rest and to a refreshing But the wicked and ungodly are suddenly snatched away by Death unto punishment And again Death to the godly is as a safe Custody and Protection But unto the Wicked Death is as a sharpe and severe punishment This difference is therefore observed between the hope of the Wicked The difference between the hope of the Wicked and the Godly and the Worldly-minded man and of the Godly and truly Religious man The Worldly-minded man Dum spirat sperat Whiles that he hath any breath left in him his hope still is to recover But the Godly and Religious man Dum expirat sperat When Life decaies and when his last breath is ready to go out of his body even then at that very instant hath he hope to enjoy a far better life The wicked is driven away in his wickedness Prov. 14.32 but the righteous hath hope in his death Nulla res magis proderit Seneca quam cogitatio mortalitatis ut Seneca Nothing can more profit and avail a man here in this life than a serious thought and meditation of his mortality Nullius rei meditatio tam necessaria est ut Seneca Seneca Meditari mortem qui hoc dicit meditari libertatem jubat ut Seneca The Meditation of nothing is so necessary as this meditation of Death is For to meditate on death he which adviseth us so to do commandeth us to meditate on that which introduceth our greatest liberty and happiness Mortem nemo hilaris excipit Seneca nisi quise ad istam diu composuerat ut Seneca No man doth entertain and welcome death chearfully unless he have well disposed fitted and prepared himself long before for that day Compone te igitur ad diem illum Seneca ut Seneca Therefore fit and prepare thy self for that day Dies ultimus salubriter ignoratur S. Gregory and S. Bernard ut semper proximus esse credatur ut St. Gregory St. Bernard Our last day or the day of our death is kept from our knowledge and that very profitably for our good that so we should believe and think every day to be our last day that so we may be alwaies ready fitted and prepared for the same accordingly Qualis vita finis ita As a mans life is so shall his death be Qualis quisque hinc exierit S. Augustine in suonovissimo die talis invenietur in novissimo seculi die ut St. Augustin Look in what state and condition a man is in when he departeth out of this World in his last day even in the day or time of his death In the self same state and condition shall he be found to be in in the last day of the World even in the day of Judgement If the clouds be full of rain they empty themselves upon the earth Eccles 11.3 and if the Tree fall towards the South or towards the North in the place where the Tree falleth there it shall be Longe est quidem dies judiecii sed unius cujusque hominis S. Augustine dies ultimus longe esse non potest quia brevis est vita vitae brevitas incerta ut St. Augustine The day of Iudgement may be long before it come but the last day or the day of death of every particular person cannot be long before it happen because that this our life is short and this shortness of our life uncertain Seneca Effice igitur mortem tibi cogitatione familiarem ut possis illi laetns alacer obviam exire ut Seneca Therefore strive and endeavour thou by the often thought and meditation of death to make the same familiar unto thee that so when death knocks at the door of thy heart thou mayest be then ready joyfully and chearfully to embrace the same Magna autem pars est Seneca et diu discenda cum adventat hora illa inevitabilis aequo animo exire ut Seneca But it is a very great and difficult thing and a long time in learning for a man to go out of this World with a quiet and with a contented mind when that inevitable day and hour of our death shall come Vivere tota vita discendum est Seneca de brevitatc vitae cap. 7. et quod magis fortasse miraberis tota vita discendum est mori ut Seneca de brevitate vitae cap. 7. During our whole life we must learn to live and which is more and it may be to be wondred at our whole life here must be a learning to die Mors omnium dolorum et solutio est et finis ut Seneca Death is the ful end and period of all our griefs and sorrows which are here endured Seneca Per vitam ad mortem transitus est S. Ambrose de bona morte per mortem ad vitam reditus est ut St. Ambrose de bona morte Our life is a passage unto death and by death we return to life Tota vita nihil aliud est quam ad mortem iter ut Seneca Our whole life here is nothing else but a Iourney unto death Death is the salve that ceaseth all annoy For our comfort in death Death is the Port by which we pass to joy For our further comfort in death Christus morte mortem destruxit vitamque reduxit ut Cyril Christ by his death destroyed death and the power thereof and thereby brought life unto us Mors est quae mundum redemit Leo St. Ambrose de bona morte ut Leo St. Ambrose de bona morte It was the death of Christ which redeemed the world Morte illa mors mortua est S. Bernard ut St. Bernard By the death of Christ was death killed Nothing doth more resemble death than sleep Nothing so like the Grave
as the bed Nothing more resembles our resurrection than our awaking and rising again in the morning This ought to put us daily in mind of our death and resurrection Et Lathi consanguineus sopor Virgil. ut Virgil. Sleep is a Cousin of death Speculum mortis somnnm Tertullian ut Tertullian Sleep is a very spectacle of death Quoties dormis vigilas toties morieris resurgis As often as thou sleepest and awakest again so often by way of resemblance dost thou dye and rise again as a Father observeth Dies iste Seneca quem tanquam extremum reformidas aeterni natalis est ut Seneca That day which thou so much fearest as being thy last day the same day for thy joy and comfort is thy everlasting birth-day Cur igitur doles Tertullian de patientia si periisse non credis ut Tertullian De patientia Why dost thou therefore grieve and lament to think of this thy last day if thou dost believe thou shalt not perish thereby We have rather cause of rejoycing when we think of this our last day of the day of our death the same being the day of our happy change All the daies of my appointed time Iob 14.14 will I wait till my change come Ultimus optimus medicus morberum etiam immedicabilium est mors Aeschilus ut Aeschilus Death is the last and the best Physitian and that of incurable diseases Mors aeterna quies ut Pater Aerumnarum requies mors Death brings us to our everlasting rest and puts an end unto all our miseries The antient Counsels termed the blessed Sacrament Or Viaticum morientis Viaticum Aeternitatis A blessed bate that the devout Soul useth to take in this life when he is even ready to travell for the other life It is very memorably observed by Nazianzen of St. Basil Nazianzen of S. Basil that in his life time he desired that when death came he might be so happy as in the ending of his daies to die with some divine sentence of piety in his mouth at the instant before his death Death is as a Father observeth a passage from Earth to Heaven from a World of endless miseries here to a happy Heaven of everlasting happiness in Heaven And he said unto Iesus Luke 23.42 43. Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdom And Iesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Death as one observeth is a temporary separation of the Soul from the body A location or placing of the body in the Earth from whence it was taken and there to remain till the last day the day of Iudgement being the day of the happy re-uniting of the Soul and Body together again And a translation of the Soul and Spirit of man unto God that gave it who at the first breathed into him the breath of life And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground Gen. 2 7. and breathed into his Nostrils the breath of life and man became a living Soul All in whose Nostrils was the breath of life Gen. 7.22 In the sweat of thy face Gen. 3.19 shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the Ground for out of it was thou taken for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou teturn Cease ye from man Isaiah 2.22 whose breath is in his Nostrils All flesh shall perish together Iob 34.15 and Man shall turn again unto the dust His breath goeth forth Psal 146.4 he returneth to his earth All are of the dust Eccles 3.20 and all turn to dust again Thou takest away their breath Ps 104 29. they dye and return to their dust The Lord created man Ecclus. 7.8 of the earth and turned him into it again Then shall the Dust return to the earth as it was Eccles 12.7 and the Spirit shall return unto GOd who gave it I also am formed out of the clay Iob 33.6 But now O Lord Isaiah 64.8 thou art our Father and we are the clay These and such like meditations cannot choose but make the thought of death to be very happy and comfortable unto us A good name is better than pretious ointment Eccles 12.1 and the day of death than the day of ones birth A promise of Gods mercy A Promise of Gods mercy to comfort us against the day of our death For thou hast delivered my Soul from death Psalm 56.13 I will ransome them from the power of the grave Hosea 13.14 I will redeem them from death O death I will be thy plague O grave I will be thy destruction Verily Iohn 5.24 verily I say unto you He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life He will swallow me up in victory Isaiah 25.8 9. and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth for the Lord hath spoken it And it shall be said in that day Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation For thou hast delivered my Soul from death Psal 116.8 mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling For the Lambe which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them Rev. 7 17. and shall lead them unto living Fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes Rev. 21.4 and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away But we had the sentence of death in our selves 2 Cor. 1.9 10. that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raised the dead who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will deliver us 2 Tim. 2.19 The Lord knoweth them that are his Who hath saved us 2 Tim. 1.9 10. and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Iesus before the world began But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Iesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel Forasmuch then as the Chlidren are partakers of flesh and blood Heb. 2.14 15. he also himself took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of Death that is the Devil And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage We know that we have passed from death unto life
even all our actions words and thoughts not only which in darkness but also the abscondita tenebrarū even the very hidden and secret things of darknesse shall be then clearly manifested Gods books shall then be laid open as appeareth Revelation 20.12 Rev. 20.12 The severall books of God The book of his knowledge and the book of our own consciences and the book of his covenant they shall all be then laid open by which all our words actions and thoughts shall be laid open before us And then our only appeal will be to the book of the covenant or of Gods mercy in and through Christ Jesus And this may serve for an Answer to an Objection how our thoughts should then be manifested Again a reason of the necessity of the second Judgement when the righteous shall not onely receive the sentence of joy of Come ye blessed c. but of praise likewise Well done good and faithfull servant And the wicked shall not onely then receive the sentence of torment of Go ye cursed c. but also of shame as bad as the torment And so to this end That the praise with the joy of the righteous and the shame with the torment of the wicked might be both manifested for this end a second Iudgement must be As touching this day of Iudgement Use fro similitude drawn from thunder and applied to the day of Judgement it is observed That as thunder strikeing one being asleep killeth him leaving his eyes open but those it striketh waking it killeth them leaving their eyes shut even so in the day of Iudgment those which are then found securely sleeping in their sins and in the pleasures of this world they shall then have their naturall life taken from them that is by sentence and Iudgement pronounced against them they shall be cast into Hell fire yet with their eyes open that is They shall perpetually see feel and enjoy the endlesse torments of hell fire But those contrariwise which are then found waking that is those elect children of God continually expecting the same being alwaies ready and prepared with oyl in their lamps the oyl of faith to attend the bridegroom at his coming evermore rejoycing at the expectation of the last sound of the trumpet those I say although they be deprived of this their naturall life yet they shall have their eyes shut that is They shall be for ever freed from those perpetuall Hell torments pronounced against the wicked of Go ye cursed c. but shall contrariwise perpetually enjoy endless joy happiness Next as touching the Iudge before whom we must appear being Christ our Saviour For as he came first in humility to be judged so then shall he come triumphing in his glory to be a Iudge both of quick and dead And then shall they which were his judges and executioners behold him in all his glory who despised him in his humility and they shall then be all judged by him St. Augustin Of Christs coming to Judgment the manner how And as St. Augustin observeth Veniet Judicaturus Christus eadem carne qua judicatus sed non eadem infirmitate carnis Christ our Saviour shall come to Iudge the world in the last day in the same flesh as he himself was judged but not in the same infirmity of the flesh From hence Objection Why Christ shall come to Judge the world an Objection may be made why Christ the second person in the Trinity rather than the Father or the Holy Ghost shall come in Iudgement at the last day Resp The Answer hereunto is this First For the comfort of the faithfull and elect children of God That he which suffered for them being flesh of their flesh and bone of their bone shall come in the end to be their Iudge And so by way of Simillitude Similitude as Joseph making himself known to his brethren saying to them I am Joseph your brother whom ye sold This was a very comfortable saying to them being in great fear and especially unto Benjamin his beloved brother even so it is with us in Christ his coming to be then our Iudge being also our Saviour and Redeemer Secondly For the greater torment and terrifying to the wicked his executioners saying to them I am he whom ye tortured and crucified and so that he which they had so judged might be their Iudge and they might be judged by him Thirdly That as they had been unjust Iudges in their condemning of him so he might sit in Iudgement pronouncing the just sentence of condemnation against them The reason why God the Father hath given all Iudgement unto his son is this that he might be honoured of all as he is honoured and so to come at the last day to sit in Iudgement It appeareth in Matthew 25.33 Mat. 25.33 34. That there is and then shall be a twofold Iudgement that is to say First Judicium separationis vers 33. the Iudgement of separation for the righteous and Secondly Judicium condemnationis the Iudgement of condemnation vers 34. for the wicked God hath right unto us by Creation the Devil by usurpation and by his seducing of us And Christ our Saviour to loose us out of the hands and bonds of the devil he hath right unto us by purchase and redemption and that by the shedding of his own most precious bloud for us Object Hence an Objection may be made That Christ is not then to be the sole and onely Iudge seeing that in one of the Psalms it is said that the Saints shall judge the earth Dan. 7.22 and so in Daniel 7.22 And Judgement was given to the Saints of the most High Answ The answer hereunto is this That the Saints may then be Iudices aggravantes amplifying Judices aggravantes the Saints and enforcing the matter against us and righteous men may be Iudices approbantes Judices approbantes the righteous approving of the Iudgement of the wicked and the Apostles they are Iudices assistentes Judices assistentes the Apostles Matt. 19.28 assisting of Christ in his Iudgment And though it be said Matth. 19.28 And Iesus said unto his Apostles Ye shall sit upon twelve thrones and Iudge the twelve tribes of Israel this is not to have a literall construction but was spoken by way of similitude Propter similitudinem Judicii dicuntur Judicare quia post corum separationem sedentur cum Christo in throno suo per eos Iudicia sua approbantur laetantur in illis and so interpretativè Quia consentire ad cum facere interpretantur ipsi facere sic sunt coadjutores cum illo in Iudiciis suis For the likenesse and similitude of his Iudgement and by way of interpretation they are said to Iudge because that after their separation they shall sit with Christ in his throne and by them his Iudgements shall be approved of and they shall rejoyce in them and so by way of interpretation because they do consent agree and approve of the Iudgement of Christ for this cause they are said to Iudge and so they are Coadjutors with him in his Iudgements and not otherwise are these words to be taken Christus Iudex Iudicans But Christ alone shall be then Iudex Iudicans he onely shall pronounce the Iudgement and sentence and this appeareth Matth. 25.31 32 33 34. Mat. 25.31 32 33 34. The righteous come not into that Iudgement of condemnation but into that of dissolution or separation The use of all this is The use of all That seeing it is certain that there will be a second Iudgement and that we all must of necessity whether we will or no appear then before the throne of Christ Let us therefore not onely leave off to mind the world and worldly things but let us have all our thoughts affections and desires mounted and elevated up to heaven and there let us settle all our affections and so let us live here in this world that when at the last we shall be summoned by death and then by the Angels to appear before the Tribunall throne of Christ let us so lead our lives here that when we shall appear we may there for ever remain and have the full fruition of everlasting joy and happinesse and not be thrust out amongst the number of those which shall then receive this fearfull doom and sentence of Go ye cursed into everlasting fire Matth. 25.41 Matt. 25.41 But that we may be then embraced with the arms of grace and mercy and may be and remain amongst the number of those which shall receive the happy and joyfull sentence Matth. 25.34 of Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you Matth. 25.34 And then by way of Exhortation he advised all to be carefull and diligent in their due preparation for this last day in regard that morte nihil certius tempore mortis nihil incertius nothing is more certain than death and nothing more uncertain than the time when or the manner how we shall die and the rather ought we for to be carefull in the whole course of our lives in regard that all our actions are registred For there is the book of Gods knowledge in which book there is registred all our proceedings in our sins whether the same be through infirmity wittingly or willingly Nay therein is likewise recorded all our sighs and grones for our sins And the book of our own Consciences shall be then laid open which is now shut and we do here labour by all the means we can through our own obstinacy and rebellion to keep the same still shut but then in despite of us it shall be laid open before us The due consideration hereof ought to make us the more wary and carefull of all our actions and seriously to think of Solomons advise in Ecclesiastes 11.9 Rejoyce O young man Eccles 11.9 in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the dayes of thy youth and walk in the wayes of thy heart and in the sight of thy eyes But know then that for all these things God will bring thee into Iudgement And so he concluded with this Rule to be by all observed that is Do violence to none accuse no man unjustly and be content with thy wages Fear God and keep his commandements this is the whole duty of man Ecclesiastes 12.13 Eccles 12.13 FINIS