euerlasting Death in particular and of the horrour thereof GReat and heauie was the tribute that the eternall God as a most iust iudge imposed vpon man for sinne The Death of the body is fearefull in our eyes when wee consider with our selues how strangely the condition thereof is altered when the body that a fleshly man makes so much of his belly which he esteemeth for his God his mouth for whose delight the sea and land sufficed not his flesh that was wont to be cloathed with costly garments of silke and gold curiously wrought shall now sodainely be haled into a filthy hole and pit where it shall be trod vpon yea and eaten with wormes where in stead of gorgeous apparrell he must now onely enioy his winding sheete and instead of his perfumes and maskes filthy fauours and rottennesse and in lieu of his varietie of delicate dishes and seruing men to attend him to haue a company and infinite number of crawling vermine to feede vpon him What man I say now liuing and enioying sence and reason but will maruell to thinke of the base condition that so noble a creature comes vnto who in his life time had no fellow nor equall Is it not a wonder that so excellent a myrrour of nature should come to such a dishonourable base and loathsome estate The euerlasting Iudge knew well enough what penance he enioyned sinfull man when he said thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne but what is this death and disgrace of the body to the death and deformity of body and soule in hell it is but as the byting of a flea to the stinging of a Scorpion a shadow to the substance If diseases which doe but make the way to death be so dreadfull what must the end and perfection of diseases be since as the diseases are the malidies of the body so Death it selfe the maladie of disease for there are that feare not so much to die as to be dead If the pang be bitter yet it is but short but the comfortlesse state of the dead strikes some farre deeper that could well be resolued otherwise for the act of their passage The very not being is sufficiently abhorred of nature if Death had no more to make it fearefull but those that haue liued vnder such shining beames of light to shew them the darke dungeon of hell after their straight passage thorough the gates of Death and such as haue learned that Death is not onely horrible for their not being here but for their abode and being infinitely and eternally miserable in the world to come not so much for the dissolution of life as the beginning of torment such I say cannot but extreamely feare to die and hellishly tremble to be dead indeede But if it be such paines to die what shall be the torture and torment to be euer dying and neuer dead And if the strayning of one Ioynt can so afflict vs as experience teacheth what shall the racking of the whole body and tormenting of the soule be whose animation alone maketh the body feele and complaine of smart And if our momentany sufferings seeme long how long shall that be which is eternall If so extreme sorrowes be incident indifferently to Gods dearest children vpon earth to driue them sometimes within the sight of despaire what shall those be that are reserued onely for those that hate the Lord and are hated of him There is nothing great that hath not an end as it is in the prouerbe but to be tormented in most horrible paines in all the parts of body and soule without remorse that shall neuer haue end nor ease nor mitigation nor declination nor change nor alteration nor hope of end in the sufferer or tormentour this euill is beyond all the thoughts of man this is the dying life and liuing Death full of endlesse horrour and torment where the damned are not before Death or after Death but alwayes in Death therfore neuer liuing nor euer dead but alwaies dying and it shall be neuer be worse to the wicked in Death then when their Death it selfe shall be without Death And it is great iustice in God that they neuer want the paine of hell who all their life time had all their pleasure set on sinne Who if they could faine would haue liued for euer but neuer left their sinne for he that forsaketh not his sin in this life seemeth alwaies for sinnes sake to liue euer From this Death therefore there is no returne it groweth by continuance and by continuing groweth from hell there is no redemption It is a gulfe deuouring all things that come into it neuer restoring any thing againe It is the pit of perdition and house of despaire It is the second Death farre exceeding the first beyond all conceits of man for what life haue the damned where there is nothing but immortality of torments and euill where there is nothing but the fellowship of Diuels and the damned where there is fire vnquenchable to which ours is but Ice Continuall burning there is the least yet this is not all for though the euils be most great and continuall yet here hope bringeth some ease as a little Starre in the night but in hell with those greatest torments and horrour of euils is the greatest despaire without hope of any ease or recouery This horror is most horrible far exceeding all worldly sorrow and feare better it were neuer to haue beene then not to be deliuered from that dying life which is indeede an immortall death In this life all the paines which fall vpon man are but particular and not vniuersall as we see one man pained in his eyes another in his backe another in his teeth another in his belly c. which particular paines notwithstanding sometime are so extreame as that life is not able to resist them and a man would not endure them so long for the gaining of many worlds But suppose now a man were tormented in all the parts of his body together and at once in his head eyes tongue teeth throat stomacke belly backe heart sides thighes and in all his ioynts besides without ease or intermission what thing could be more miserable then this what sight more lamentable yet consider further what difference there is betweene abiding these paines for a weeke or for euer and all eternitie in suffering of them vpon a soft bed or vpon a burning gridiron and boyling furnace amongst a mans friends comforting him or amongst the Furies of hell tormenting him Now therefore if a man would endure a great deale of labour rather then abide the one in this life how carefull and diligent should we be to hate our sinnes and serue the Lord while we liue rather then to incurre the other tortures and torments in the life to come The wicked shall be tormented for euer so long as God is God so long shall they burne in hell neyther shall the tormenter nor the tormented dye but both liue
draw neare to death wee approach to the very gate of life 12. The faithfull departing see their Sauiour with Simeon eyther in soule or spirit 13. The hope of eternitie is the reuenge of iniquitie ibid. CHAP. IX THe ioyes of heauen are vnspeakable and farre beyond our thoughts Sect. 1. They farre exceede our prison-ioyes on earth 2. There is neyther end number nor measure of them being infinite and endlesse 3. The glorious estate of Gods Saints with their happinesse what it is 4. Gods Saints shall haue fulnesse of ioy which they shall still affect and in affecting shall be satisfied and yet neuer be cloyed with fulnesse or feeling of want 5. The sight of God is the full beatitude and totall glory of the Saints 6. The soule is made capable of God and therefore whatsoeuer is lesse then God cannot suffice it 7. The ioyes of heauen are ioyes aboue all ioyes besides which there is no ioy 8. Wee may sooner tell what there is not in that blessed life then what there is 9. If the ioyes of heauen be so great let vs lift vp our eyes to heauen our eares to God and our hearts to Paradise ibid. Hee which is in loue with heauen is neyther proud with prosperitie nor cast downe with aduersitie for as hee hath nothing in this world that hee loueth so is there no losse of any thing in this life that he feareth 10. CHAP. X. IT is not the bare knowledge of heauen and happy estate but the assured euidence thereof that bringeth comfort to the conscience Sect. 1. So sure as there is a God so sure there is another life in which he will reward the good and punish the wicked 2. As our Faith reioyceth in Gods fauour so our Hope reioyceth in Gods glory 3. God giueth his children the plaister of Patience to support their Hope for he is sure that hath promised 4. The ground of Faith and Hope is Gods word and promise 5. A faithfull heart is furnished like a shippe of warre against all hellish Pirots and worldly force ibid. We can haue no certaine knowledge of heauenly things but by Faith 6. God alone is to be beleeued touching himselfe as wee credit a mortall man with his owne secrets ibid. We can desire nothing which we know not and this knowledge of heauenly things is onely by faith grounded vpon the word of God 7. Our saluation in Christ is alwayes fresh and new sure and certaine 8. Our Faith is not extinguished our Loue cannot be quenched nor our Hope faile vs nor the holy Spirit taken from vs which sealeth our saluation ibid. The wicked shall be as well able to saue themselues without God as to hurt vs hauing God and the worst they can doe is but to send vs to God 9. God doth not choose the worthy but in choosing them maketh them worthy 10. The head will haue his members God his elect and Christ his redeemed and where will hee haue them but in heauen where he is ibid. The third BOOKE CHAP. I. THE crowne of glory will not be got without conquest Sect. 1. Wee must striue to enter in at the narrow gate we must so run that we may obtaine 2. Wee ought to liue in such sort as at the day of death wee wish we had for looke how death leaueth a man so shall the last day finde him 3. It is too late then to beginne to liue well when we must leaue the world 4. With this penalty a sinner is punished that when he dyeth he forgetteth himselfe who in his life time neuer thought vpon God 5 Many men are ready to take their farewell of the world before they know of their condition in the world 6. As our whole life is a passage to death so should we make it a preparation to death 7. Wee ought still to be prepared and watchfull not knowing the time of death 8. Sathan laboureth by his subtilty to make vs to forget our latter end 9. Some count it death to meditate of death ibid. Wicked men cannot abide to heare of death because they liue a sinfull life 10. Remembrance of death to Christians must serue as a sounding bell to awaken them from the sleepe of sinne 11. Christians must take the time and good opportunitie to prouide against death 12. Wee then best know our selues when we haue throughly learned our mortall estate 13. There is nothing so glorious as to order aright the vpshot of our time 14. Who feares God feares not death for what can he feare whose death is his hope 15. Since death watcheth for vs on euery side let vs watch for him that he take vs not tardy 16. Death to Christians should serue as a key to open the day and shut the night ibid. Christians must be as birds on a bough to remoue at Gods pleasure 17. It is absurd to feare that which we cannot shun 18. Christians must haue temporall things in vse but eternall in desire ibid. Mans life is a small thing but the contempt of life is a great thing 19. The manifold commodities of death to the faithfull ibid. See the folly and absurditie of men so to hate death and to loue this sinfull life 20 21. The presumption of long life causeth the greater negligence of our death 22. Selfe-loue causeth men to hate and abhorre Death ibid. Death bringeth an equall law ouer all for the chiefest point of equitie is equalitie 23. CHAP. II. CHristians knowing Death with his forces ought throughly to be prepared against it Sect. 1. Death is so farre from the destruction of a Christian that it brings him to perfection 2. No man knoweth in what place Death attendeth therefore in all places we must be prouided 3. If we prouide not before death there is no prouision after 4. When we seeme to stand in greatest securitie we then doe dwell in greatest danger and when we least feare we soonest fall 5. It is a dangerous course neuer to begin to liue well till we be a dying 6. He that repenteth when he can sinne no longer leaueth not sinne till his sinne leaue him 7. Many neuer thinke of death nor their sinnes till they cannot liue Sicke they are but their repentance is sicker 8. CHAP. III. SAthan hath an host and armie of enemies to hinder vs in our Christian voyage towards Death Sect. 1. Through Christ alone we get the conquest ouer him and his forces 2. The felicitie of the world is fained his loue counterfeit and his promises deceitfull to Gods children 3. There are no worldly comforts but may be kept and desired so that God being aboue all things be not lost 4. Comforts against losse of friends and kinsfolkes 5. Our life is very short for all good things but too long we may thinke in regard of our miseries 6. All worldly delights finish their course in the salt brine sea of sorrowes 7. How much better is it to want a little hony then to be swolne vp with
life Onely in name to professe him is the part of dead men for as whosoeuer beleeueth not remaineth in death and hath the wrath of God still staying vpon him so none beleeueth in Christ that loues him not and none loueth him that keepeth not his commandements Hereof saith Saint Iohn to the Angell of Sardis thou hast a name that thou liuest but thou art dead so Christ called the Scribes and Pharisees painted sepulchers whose soules were dead in their bodies for want of faith Hence it was that he said to the young man let the dead burie their dead and Paul of the wanton Widdow that being aliue she was but dead Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light you hath he quickned that were dead in your trespasses and sinnes As the soule infused into the body quickeneth a massie piece of flesh which had no motion before so the soule to make it a liuely and a good soule must haue as it were a soule powred into it that is the Spirit of God and if this Spirit be absent wee are but dead from all holy motions as the body naturall is from outward actions by absence of the soule So that a man may liue a life in the flesh and yet be dead in respect of the life of God Againe as the body while it hath a soule is but a naturall body wasting it selfe like oyle in the Lampe and cannot choose but in the end to dye yet after this life shall be called a spirituall body not in substance but in qualitie because in the resurrection it shall be quickened by the spirituall power of Christ So a man that hath but simply a soule if hee haue not the true soule of the soule which is the Spirit of God to quicken and reuiue it hee is but a meere naturall man and must needes be damned Furthermore as a body raised vp and quickened by the power of God can neuer dye againe so the soule of a faithfull man being a spirituall soule hauing once receiued the earnest of Gods Spirit and a measurable power of true Sanctification from the holy Ghost can neuer dye Now the life of Gods Spirit hath three degrees in Gods elect Regeneration in this life when we are renued in our affections and doe feele a true change of minde within vs the second after this life when the soule shall be separated from the body which being once as it were released from the fetters of the flesh shall swiftly take her flight to heauen and then shall the soule liue indeede a heauenly life being altogether freed from the temptations of the Diuell and all allurements of the flesh But the highest degree of all of the soules estate is at the generall day of resurrection when the world with the lusts thereof shall passe away like a cloud and be sodainely wrapped vp like a scrole for then both the body and soule of man shall not onely enioy the presence of God but liue also with him for euer in heauenly blisse So likewise the reprobate in this life and in the life to come haue double miseries coupled to their double deaths For first while they liue they want Gods grace and fauour being strucken with terrour in their conscience as Cain that runnagate and vagabond not onely fearing their liues but being frighted at their shadowes And they haue the Diuell who is the God of this world possessing them and still leading them captiues by the cords and chaines of all manner of wickednesse towards hell and damnation and in the life to come they are not onely depriued of the presence of God but suffer and endure all endlesse and vnspeakable torments with the Diuell and his Angels As Gods Children therefore being crucified to the world and the flesh haue the life of God liuing in them which will most perfectly appeare and shew it selfe at Christs comming so all fleshly and wicked men who haue giuen themselues to the Flesh World and Diuell doe presently liue the life of hell which they carrying about in their bodies will clearely shew it selfe to their shame and confusion at the latter day So that the wicked in this life doe liue in death and conuersing in earth they are the bond-slaues of hell And as Faith in Christ as I said before is the life of the soule in Gods elect so no faith can quicken vs which is not liuely in it selfe which apprehendeth not Christ aright which worketh not by loue which flourisheth not with fruits for Faith without good workes is dead And therefore to the end wee may be reuiued being dead and buryed in our sinnes we must first beleeue in Christ which is our life and if our beliefe be liuely wee must shew it forth by our fruits otherwise we may haue a name to liue and yet be dead Now to vnderstand this poynt the better let vs obserue what it is to be dead in sinne They are said to be dead in their sinnes whom Death still holdeth in the cords and bonds thereof such as are strangers from the life or God that haue neyther sense nor feeling of their sinnes nor any motion to godlinesse to whom all goodnesse is vnsauory whose bodyes and soules are holden captiue of the Diuell whom they serue as slaues such as are void of Gods Spirit wedded to their owne wicked wils whom the God of this world hath blinded that they can neyther see nor beleeue the truth whose conuersion is as hard as to raise vp Sonnes of Stones vnto Abraham Who is more dead then hee that carryeth fire in his bosome sinne in his Conscience and doth neyther feele it nor shake it out nor tremble at it for Sathan hath gotten quiet possession and hee is carelesse in assaulting of such in whom he hath gotten a quiet dwelling Hence we may learne to loath our selues for our sinnes which bring vs into such thraldome to Death and Diuell which cut vs off from God shut vs out of heauen rob vs of saluation and bring the euerlasting wrath of God vpon vs which is vnmeasurable infinite and vnportable neuer able to be sustained of any but of Christ our infinite God and Sauiour who in maiestie and power is equall with his Father Thus we haue heard the nature of death common vnto all by the meanes of sinne without exception Well therefore is Death deriued from a word that signifies to to diuide not onely for that it maketh diuision where it comes but that without exception it equally diuides to all alike Some thinke that it proceedes from bitternesse for that the sweetnesse of the forbidden fruit proued bitter to Adam and his brood And Augustine not vnwittily deriueth Mors à morsu for that our first parents in biting the Apple were bitten of death Whence hee also alludeth to that of Osea 15. O death I
senses faile him yea hee forsaketh as it were himselfe in that the very vse of reason forsaketh him Hee is accompanied with painfull aches griefes and diseases his company and conuersation is combersome in the Family where hee dwelleth This is the marke for sooth at which euery one shooteth vpon which the eyes of all are fixed This is the happy estate so greatly desired this I say is the end of the greedy ambition of long life Take thy Counters into thy hands see what reckoning thou canst make of life what is past frighteth thee with remembrance of it because so much of thy light is spent what is present burdeneth thee with the weight of it because in sweate and sorrow thou doest waste and spend thy time what is to come troubleth thee with the vncertainty of it least the graue doe swallow thee before thou see it what booteth it thee so vnseasonably to ripen thy cares for the tares of this life To conclude childehood is but a foolish simplicitie Youth a vaine heate Manhood a painefull carefulnesse and old age a noysome languishing Our playes are but teares our pleasures feauers of the minde riches are but rackes and torments honours heauie vanities our rest vnresty and so passing from age to age we passe from euill to worse from the lesser to the greater Thus one waue of trouble and affliction driueth vpon another vntill wee be arriued at the hauen of Death Here life is dying and death liuing whiles it increaseth it decayeth all this present life is but a wishing of the future a bewailing of the past a loathing of that we haue and a longing for that we haue not tasted a vaine memory of the state past and a doubtfull expectation of the state to come Nothing in this life is certaine nothing assured but the certainty and vncertainty of Death If any man be long a dying and paying Deaths debt Nature like a rigorous creditour that will be paid at the iust day sueth out an execution against her debtor taking from one his sight from another his hearing and both from some and he that tarrieth longest in the world shee foundreth maymeth and vtterly disableth in his limbes Is not this a goodly place where teares and cares make their residence where pale sicknesse and sad old age haue taken vp their habitation and where of necessitie we must passe our daies with such companions Doe wee not see how many discommodities we vndergoe and how ill this body of ours befitteth vs One while wee complaine of our bellies another time of our breasts and then of our throates sometimes our sinewes and then our feete torment vs Now we haue too much blood anone too little Thus are we haled and harried hither and thither for so it ordinarily falleth out with him that dwelleth in another mans house here teares sooner faile vs then iust cause of complaint with teares and cries we entred and with the same we must passe ouer and end our dayes What other thing is the body of mortall man but a corrupt and tainted vessell which infecteth the soule and soureth incontinently whatsoeuer precious or wholesome liquor is powred into it It is a filthy dunghill couered with snow faire without and foule within What channell is so filthy what sinke auoideth out such loathsome geare as doth mans body by sundry meanes waies The trees hearbes and many beasts doe yeeld forth pleasant smels and wholesome sauours onely Man doth yeelde most loathsome stuffe so that he seemes to be no other thing then a fountaine of filthinesse One fell a weeping that he was here a feeding vpon corruptible meate being created to liue in the company of Angels to feede on heauenly food What glasse is so brittle and subiect to knockes and breaking as is this body of ours Sometimes the very aire and heate of the Sunne is able to bereaue vs of life It shall not neede to draw the sword or to vse any weapon to take it away for the very aire and looke of an infected man is able to doe it Consider the strength of this Castle wherein the treasure of our life is kept seeing the beholding of it a farre off is able to batter the wals thereof to the ground Neither is it to be wondred that Man is so fraile and brittle of himselfe considering the moulde whereof he is made being dust but rather we may admire that being of such fraile mettall and making as hee is yet can endure so long Why is a Clocke so often disordered and out of frame the reason is because it hath so many wheeles and points of curious worke that though it be made of Iron yet euery little thing is able to distemper it but how much more nice is the artificiall composition of our body and how much more fraile is the matter of our flesh then is the mettall of a Clocke Why then should we wonder if some one point or other among so many peeces haue some impediment by meanes of which defect this clocke of our life is stopped course ended for what firmenesse can be in the matter of flesh or what strength consisteth in such a weake subiect Now considering we liue in such a fraile estate as wee doe our time is euer neere saith Augustine because we are mortall nearer because we liue among so many dangers If we were of a glassie matter our feare were the lesse for being kept from knockes there were hope of continuance but keepe we our selues as charily as wee can we shall away Doe we ouercome enemies without diseases within will also surprise vs Can we auoide the stroake of weapons the dart of Death we cannot shunne Mortall man is like a snow-ball in the Sunne his life is soone dissolued He is like an apple hanging on a tree corrupted inwardly by wormes though outwardly beautifull to the eye Man is the bondslaue of Death as a guest in his dwelling as a wayfaring man in his Inne for a night but quickly gone and forgotten Wheresoeuer hee dwelleth or whatsoeuer hee doth Death continually waiteth for him as a sergeant at his gates Oh miserable life how many deceiuest thou which when thou art knowne and learned art nothing when thou art exalted art but as smoake bitter to the wise sweet to the foolish who so seeketh thee knoweth thee not who so knoweth thee flyeth from thee It is reported that the Chamelion changeth himselfe in one houre into many and diuers colours and the Sea called Euripus for the often changing is accounted famous the Moone hath likewise for euery day a seuerall forme and shape But what Proteus was euer changed into so many formes as man altereth euery houre sometime hee is sicke sometime sound sometime angry sometime pleased sometime in hope anone in despayre hee willeth and hee willeth not c. yea many times hee knowes not himselfe what hee would haue Hee altereth and changeth euery houre he tosseth and tumbleth hee
one of the greatest to be tormented with the cares of this life which as Flyes by no deuice can be expelled They rush vpon them in the morning as soone as they awake they accompany them in the day they follow them in the night they forsake them not to bed they let them from their sleepe they afflict them in their rest they trouble them in their dreames and they are like to those fierce and mercilesse tyrants threatned to the wicked which shall giue them no rest neyther by day nor night For I haue taken away my peace from this kinde of people saith the Lord I haue taken away my mercy and compassion from them The very bruite beasts are fed and prouided for without their care but man is constrayned to sweate day and night and with sorrow to torment himselfe by sea and land to get a poore liuing Our dayes consume away like the Spiders webbe who laboureth night and day in spinning wasting euen her bowels and consuming her selfe to bring her web to an end and what is her worke but to make a fine and tender net to catch poore Flyes So miserable man doth toyle and trauell like a hireling both his body and minde to catch the Butter-flyes of this world euen needlesse toyes and trifles froath and vanities and many times in the end doth come the blustering winde of Death that carryeth away both web and workeman in a moment As our life is full of care so it is fraught and set with many snares God saith Dauid shall raine snares vpon sinners teaching vs how infinite snares are set in this world being as plentifull as the drops of raine For euery thing almost is a deadly snare vnto a carnall man Euery sight that he seeth euery word that he heareth euery thought that hee thinketh his youth his age his friends his foes his honour his disgrace his riches his pouertie his solitarinesse his societie his prosperitie his aduersitie his meate his drinke his apparell that hee weareth all are snares to draw him to destruction that is not watchfull in the Lord. Now to auoid these snares that wee be not caught there is no better refuge then that of the Birds who by the benefit of their wings mount vp into the ayre to flye aloft for the net is laid in vaine before the eyes of such as haue wings and can flye The Spyes of Iericho though many snares were laid for them yet they escaped them all for that they walked by hils and hid them in mountaines If wee lift vp our eyes to the hils with Dauid whence all our aide and assistance commeth to auoid the dangers of this life then likewise may wee say with him Our soule is deliuered as a bird from the snare of the Fowler If wee can truely say with S. Paul Our conuersation is in heauen then shall wee little feare all these deceits and dangers vpon earth for as the Fowler hath no hope to catch the birds except he can allure them to his pitch and to come downe to his lure so hath the Diuell no way to intangle vs but to say as hee did to Christ Throw thy selfe downe come to the baites which I haue laid eate and deuoure them tye thy affections to earthly things c. But King Dauid was past them all when he said to God Whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none in earth which I desire before thee c. And so was Paul when hee accounted all things dung for though he liued in the flesh yet he walked not after the flesh I haue a whole army of traitors within mee saith Augustine who vnder colour of friendship are mine enemies and yet behold with them haue I liued from my youth vp them haue I pleased them haue I beleeued as the friends whom I loued as the Masters whom I obeyed the Lords whom I serued the Counsellors whom I trusted c. That the Adamant draweth Iron vnto it is a secret in Nature but for the World and Flesh to draw vs is a matter as naturall as for the water of a riuer to runne downe the channell and as for a Coach to runne downe a hill for being naturally giuen to the corruptions of the flesh wee neede no soliciting the onely sight of the thing we loue is sufficient to hale vs forward As the wanton harlot allures her louers the baite vpon the hooke the fishes the call of the Fowler the foolish Birds so is this World and Flesh with their baites and allurements They are like a violent streame that carryes away the highest and tallest trees not sufficiently rooted yea the best men are rightly resembled to those that liue among Colliers and Millers who hardly can shunne defiling and deforming of coale and meale The Diuell setteth before our eyes enticing pleasures that by the sight of them hee may supplant our chastitie hee tempteth our eares with the sweetnesse of Musicke that hee may weaken our Christian strength hee moueth our tongues by bitter words and by iniurious deeds prouoketh our hands to fight and slay hee offereth vnrighteous gaine to induce vs to fraud and pernicious profits to kindle couetousnesse in our soules hee promiseth temporall honours wherby to defeat vs of celestiall ioyes he sheweth falshood that hee may seduce vs from the truth hee practiseth cunning in time of peace and violence in persecution In this wicked world who can liue peaceably among so many enemies of peace where the mother is against the daughter and the daughter against the mother yea manifold are our foes in our owne families yea in our owne selues and soules Reason against the Will and Will against the Reason yea which is more euery man is two men the Flesh against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh the Law of the members against the Law of the minde And this conflict is not for a time but so long as wee continue in this body of sinne Perfect peace here we cannot possibly haue seeing the Flesh which euer rebelleth is in this world as one that is planted in his owne Countrey Cast downe this enemy may be cast out hee cannot be vntill this mortall hath put on immortalitie yet we must endeuour that though it be inhabitant yet that it be not regnant The Flesh is strong yet Grace is stronger in Gods Children to subdue the rigour thereof the Flesh is as the elder Grace as the yonger but in this Gods Children haue a promise also that the elder shall obey the younger Wee may not thinke our selues safest when wee seeme to be freest from the buffettings of Sathan for bearing in our bodies a diuided Kingdome betweene the Flesh and the Spirit represented vnto vs in the wrestling of Rebeccaes twinnes in her wombe if wee haue peace with God wee shall haue warre with the Dragon and hauing forsaken Egypt yet in the way to our
heauenly Canaan wee shall haue a spirituall Pharaoh with his Captaines like Grassehoppers to feed vpon vs yea the libertie which wee haue in Christ the corruption of our heart will labour to inuert to voluptuousnesse the sweetnesse which wee taste in his word the vanity of our mindes will endeuour to ouer-cast with drowsinesse the Faith which we ground on his promises the subtiltie of the Serpent will seeke to vndermine with doubtfulnesse the conscience wee make to offend the lusts of our flesh will contend for to couer with hypocrisie the detestation wee haue of sinne the concupiscence of our eyes will striue to ouer-reach with prophanenesse and the interest wee haue to heauen the pride of our liues will perswade vs to change for trifles Being freed from outward warre ciuill and intestine ariseth vp against vs our Affections against Reason and Will Earth troubleth Heauen and the World in our selues although wee greatly shunne it doe what wee can will haue a pauilion and tent in our hearts Yea those oftentimes who with tragicall and vehement words seem most to detest it are yet made so blinde with the glory thereof that the very shadow of ambition affecteth them Many I dare boldly say seeme to defie the World which meet and welcome the same with the kindest embracings This masking World in her strange disguised vizour not seldome flourisheth among such as seeme most to ahhorre her For alas wee are resident in the World and the World in vs so that wee cannot be free from the World except wee depart from our selues and what is this departure but death Some in flying the contagion of others are corrupted of themselues and in with-drawing from the societie of men yet deny not the olde man possessing them In the great deluge of this life Gods Children are tossed with raging stormes on euery side where no good footing or high place can be found for the Doue of Christ to rest her selfe Here is no sure peace nor secure quietnesse but warres on euery side and in all places contention and deadly foes The tempestuous sea torments vs wee are grieued at the heart and desirous to vomit and to be discharged thereof we remoue out of one ship to another from a greater to a lesse wee promise vnto our selues rest in vaine they being alwayes the same windes that blow the same waues that swell the same humours that are stirred to all there is no other port no other meanes of tranquilitie but onely death See the foolishnesse of the world and the infirmity of our flesh When God saith trouble shall come they say wee would haue ease when God saith be merry and reioyce in trouble wee lament and mourne as though wee were cast-awayes But this flesh which is neuer merry with vertue nor sorry with vice which neuer laugheth with grace nor weepeth with sinne holdeth fast with the world and giueth God the slip Thus wee may see our wretched estate in the flesh still crossing God and the saluation of our soules All our affections and wils with the whole force of Nature helpeth forward our destruction fightings without and terrours within World Flesh and Diuell ioyne together with Death for our damnation CHAP. VIII Of the power strength and sting of Death by meanes of the Law whose nature is here vnfoulded THe originall of Death we haue heard as also what it is who be subiect to it with the fearefull estate wherein they stand Now let vs further obserue that as the Diuell and man together brought in Death by sinne so it now being entred is become the very kingdome of the Diuell wherein hee raigneth By Death he triumphed ouer man whom hee seduced holding him fast in his owne fetters and shackles of sin which himselfe first found out and so leadeth him as his slaue and ruleth ouer him as his head for God did renounce man although hee created him and cast him off by meanes of sinne whom first he had made like vnto himselfe In that men die it proues they had sinned and sinne proues there is a law which law being broken bringeth Death for the wages of sinne is Death Now to conuince sinfull man the better of this his cursed estate God renewed his law first ingrafted in his nature but blotted out by his fall in Tables of Stone to shew the hardnesse of his heart that so as in a glasse hee might see his fearfull fall For amiddest the heapes of all other sins pride so possessed his heart that although he was nothing else but sin yet stil he deemed himselfe as innocent and righteous He was so blinded in his corruption that he knew not sinne in his colours vntill the law descried it And this is the common error of all his lynage that without the publishing of the law wee had not knowne our sinne I knew not sinne saith Paul but by the Law I had not knowne lust except the law had said thou shalt not lust but sinne tooke occasion by the Law and wrought in me all manner of lust so sinne by the Law grew out of measure sinnefull Such is the corruption of mans nature that it most eagerly desireth things that are most straightly denied which if they had not beene mentioned should not so much as haue beene dreamed of For though the flame of concupiscence be restrained by the damme and wall of Gods law yet is it not dryed vp in our mortall nature When the law was giuen to man in whom there is no grace sinne abounded three waies first seeing the law of God giuen vnto him as an helpe sinne laboureth to turne it to his hurt whom it securely before possessing lesse assaulted secondly Man naturally desireth liberty and freedome and flyeth seruitude and bondage by nature mans minde is crosse and peeuish and is swayed to contraries Stolne waters are the sweetest hid bread is pleasant So that by the prohibitions of the law charity in man being decayed the desire of euil increased which once increased made the things forbidden by the law more sweet and pleasant Thirdly for that the inhibition of euill things puts them more in remembrance of the things forbidden which very remembrance to nature corrupted is a prouoker and stirrer vp of filthy lust and desire Againe in that sinne abounded when the law entred it is to be vnderstood by an accidentall consequent for God sent not his law in cruelty and rigour but vpon good aduise and sound iudgement Sometime man seemeth to be whole and is sicke and because he feeleth not the sicknesse hee seeketh not for the Physition but the disease increasing with the griefe the Physition is sought by whose meanes the sicke and sore body may be cured So the law was giuen to such as were infirme and sicke in sinne that so they may seeke to the Physitian Iesus Christ to be healed Againe it entred the better to discouer sinne which without the light thereof
of victorie to all the true Israelites of God He hath fought the fight and got the conquest for vs that being deliuered from our enemies wee may serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Faith sheweth to Christian Souldiers the blood of Christ to whet them on in their spirituall warfare to win the field as the blood of Grapes and Mulberries shewed to the Elephants in warre prouoke them to fight For Christians indeede ouercome through the blood of the Lambe By the righteousnesse of Christ alone apprehended by faith we are reconciled vnto God hee hath paid our debts by suffering Death and satisfying the Law who is the end of the Law and the Prophets But they that giue neuer so little to their owne deseruings in the worke of their redemption doe wrongfully keepe to themselues the praise of grace passing by them as if a wall should say it bringeth forth light when it receiueth it through a window We are of our selues but diuels and sathans euen aduersaries to God enemies to his Lawes and foes of all vertues neither is there any other difference betwixt vs and them but the onely pittie and gracious fauour of God our Father The grace of Christ must be our onely cloathing before the iudgement seate of God for there is nothing in vs that can please and content him but onely his goodnesse in Christ that he hath put within vs. Much it is I grant which wickednesse hath deserued yet farre much more it is which the loue of my redeemer challengeth For though great be mine vnrighteousnesse yet is the righteousnesse of my redeemer greater Because how much God is better then man by so much is my wickednesse inferiour to his goodnesse both in qualitie and quantitie For what hath man committed which the Sonne of God made man hath not redeemed Surely had wee the knowledge and power of the holy Angels yet could our amends be nothing correspondent to thy mercy and goodnesse and were all our members conuerted into tongues yet could we neuer extoll thee sufficiently All our strength is in humilitie the humble man is an vnmoueable rocke built vpon Christ There is none so hard to be healed as hee that thinketh himselfe to be whole such a one careth not for the Physitian nor keeping of good diet Men commonly ioyne with their equals in riches dignity and greatnesse But God which is the soueraigne maiestie and height it selfe consorts himselfe with none but those that be poore and meeke It is best therefore before our God to confesse our selues banckrupts and as the prouerbe is to lay the keyes vnder the dore forsaking all when it commeth to satisfie God In this we should resemble the couetous men who alwaies thinke themselues poore what riches so euer they haue because they still more regard what they desire then what they haue God pardoneth where he loueth and he is mercifull where he hath iust cause to hate so that he is mercifull and hateth not he pardoneth and loueth where he findeth a fault and seeth who hath neede of compassion that both he and we may be knowne hee by his mercy we by our desart that to him might all praise be giuen and we when we would reioyce might reioyce onely in the Lord. If I wholly owe my selfe to my God for my first making what shall I then further giue him for my reforming and new making after I was marred with sinne In the first he gaue me to my selfe in the second himselfe to me and giuing himselfe to me he restored me againe to my selfe therefore both giuen and restored I owe my selfe to God for my selfe and shall be indebted still What therefore shall I render to the Lord for himselfe For although I should giue my selfe a thousand times what am I to God that redeemed mee and wholly gaue himselfe for my sinnes and saluation Christs power is made perfect in our weakenesse for where the flesh carrieth a confidence in it selfe there is no roome for the spirit of God for the spirit onely helpeth those that be infirme Christ is a Physitian to those that be sicke As all waters come from the sea as from the well-head and returne thither againe boyling out of the vaines of the earth so God sending out the streames of his law into our hearts it must euen from the very bottome of of our hearts returne to him againe for wee haue nothing but what we haue receiued Christ is all things to vs that haue nothing he is our bread being hungry our drinke being thirstie our light being blinde our health being sicke the life of our desires the heauen of our mindes a guide to our wandring steppes our succour in necessitie all in all things to be beleeuers As life is conueied from the heart through the vaines to all the vitall parts so is saluation from the Father through Christ to all his liuing members As out of Eden went a riuer to water the garden which being deriued into foure heads compassed the whole world so out of heauen flowed the streame of Gods mercie in and through our Sauiour Christ whose graces deriued diuersely cause all the earth to be filled with his glorie Christ is a mutuall helpe to the Father and to vs. He is a hand to the Father by which he reacheth vs and a hand to vs by which we reach him The Fathers mouth by which he speaketh to vs and our mouth to the Father by which we speake to him Our God is a consuming fire without Christ our vaile wee cannot endure him For what is our miserie but to meete with his maiestie except it be onely in the temple of mercie which mercies seate all is Christ As then our words are messengers of our mindes and semblance of our soules to parley with our friends so is Christ the Sonne of God the image of the Father and mouth to instruct his dearest Saints and not onely a mouth to speake by but an eye to see by and the foote-way to goe by Christ is the life of the world and the heire of all things without whom I can possesse nothing that is good either in grace or glory Hee is the true Salt Eliza threw in to sweeten the bitter waters of Iericho Hee hath healed this water Death shall no more come thereof to men nor barrennesse to the ground And for the Law it now leadeth vs out of our tents as Moses brought the people to trembling Sinai It bringeth vs from rest and quietnesse and haileth vs before the iudgement seate of God to receiue his wrath and sentence of condemnation for our sinnes Then wee are affraid with the poore Israelites and cry let not the Lord speake vnto vs least we die but speake thou O Moses as a mediatour speake thou O Christ When we flie to Christ Moses and his law vanisheth away so that his
Sepulchre can no where be found So that Sinne and Death can hurt vs no more for Christ is Lord ouer the Law Sinne and Death to all beleeuers Moses must giue place to Christ Death and Sinne can haue no roome but grace ioy righteousnesse life faith and peace must haue place with all true happinesse and heauenly rest The Law now cannot condemne nor saue it restraineth vs from sinning as the bonds and chaines the Lion and Beare from tearing and deuouring The Law is the Hammer of Death the thundring of Hell and lightning of Gods wrath that beateth to powder the obstinate and senselesse Hypocrites and hard-harted reprobates This is the true vse of the Law by fearefull tempests and sound of a Trumpet as in Synai to terrifie and by thunder to beate downe and rent in peeces that cruell monster of mans righteousnesse The Schoole-maister chastiseth his Schollers not to hurt them but to reforme them The rod is sharpe but correction is necessarie and the heart of the correctour louing The Physitian giueth a bitter potion to his patient to cure him the bitternesse is not to be imputed to the Physitian but to the medicine and maladie The Law condemneth the faithfull to death no more but teacheth and instructeth them in their duetie exhorteth and reproueth them and procureth them by all meanes to goe to the Schoole of Christ The Law and Christ are as the Physitian and Surgean comming to a sicke man to heale him The Surgean openeth the veine and taketh away the corrupt blood not to kill him but to recouer him to his health The Law peirceth our impostumes and corruptions of sinne and Christ healeth the wound But to seeke to be iustified by the Law is as if one hauing the Falling-sicknesse would ioyne to it the Pestilence for his recouery Or as if a Leper should come to one that had the leprosie to heale him or as one begger to another to enrich them So that they that seeke to be righteous by the Law are twise more vnrighteous weake and beggerly If a man now could fulfill all the Law of God yet could he not be saued because he was borne corrupt and could not possibly pay for that was past and in performing the Law afterward he should doe nothing but his duetie but this is our comfort that the Lord seeing our weakenesse hath in his loue passed by it and seeing our thoughts alwaies to be euill taketh no accompt or reckoning of vs but we resembling the Image of his Sonne the Lord reckoneth with him and striketh off our debts in setting them on his score who hath paid the Lord his full due euen to the vtmost farthing being in his birth cleane in his life holy and in his death obedient We therefore that haue no goodnesse of our owne haue iust cause highly to extoll the goodnesse of God freely giuen to vs in Iesus Christ For the trusting to our owne merites is the reioycing of Sathan the serpent that would sting vs. But the fastening of the firme Anchor of our hope vpon Christ alone is his ouerthrow and baine For as the Apostle exulteth If God be on our side who will be against vs. This is the onely victorie that ouercommeth the world euen our faith fixed on Christ This is the sling of Dauid to throw that mightie Goliah to the ground yea euen the weapon that slayeth him Neither the Law then nor merits of men nor any other meanes whatsoeuer but onely the deserts of Christ take place in the worke of our redemption The death and passion of Iesus Christ is a soueraigne medicine against all diseases of soule and body the remembrance whereof doth much mitigate the feare and horrour of death for hee that beleeueth in this crucified Sauiour is already passed from death to life By his vniust condemnation which we onely haue deserued we are deliuered and absolued at the iudgement seate of God and by the death which he suffered wee haue life and our death is abolished Christ suffered for our sinnes the iust for the vniust he hath borne our sinnes and God hath laid our sorrowes vpon him and by his stripes wee are healed He hath died for vs that wee might liue no more to our selues but to him which died for vs which we must doe by faith For faith presenteth Christ before our eyes It seeketh him out as a mighty Sampson which breaketh the gates of his enemies and carrieth them away vpon his shoulders who killed and destroyed more by his death then by his life So that Christ alone being crucified did conquer the Diuell being nailed to the crosse he cancelled the enditement of the law laid against vs and by dying he slaue Death and Sinne with their owne swords as Dauid did Goliah and broke the Serpents head Hee opened the Sepulchre and gaue life vnto the dead yea he entred into the house of Death and Hell and like a strong armed man bereaued them of their forces No sooner was Ionah cast into the Sea but the tempest ceased no sooner was the paschall Lambe slaine but the Israelites were deliuered no sooner was the high-Priests dead but all banished men returned home into their country What was this but a figure of Christ by whose Death we haue all returne into our country and deliuerance from all danger and destruction Who would not lay his burden vpon him that so desireth to giue him ease God would not haue the sinner to die and be damned but to liue and be saued Haue wee had so many experiments of his loue and should wee now doubt thereof Is the Iudge become our Aduocate and shall wee feare to goe forward to the throne of grace One deepe calleth another and what is that saith one There is a depth of mans miserie now at the gates of death and there is a depth of Gods mercie which is ready to heare and helpe all that call vpon him Now miserie calleth vpon mercie wee may cry Helpe Lord for besides him there is none to helpe It is not the peeces and patches of our owne deserts that can make vs a garment to couer our nakednesse and sinne but it is the Scarlet-roabe that tooke so deepe a double dye in the bloud of Christ that must now alone stand vs all in stead CHAP. III. The faithfull onely and such as are vnited to Christ are redeemed from death and restored to euerlasting life with the singular priuiledges and effects thereof NOW as the benefit of our Redemption section 1 by Christ is great and vnspeakable performed onely by Christ himselfe and his onely meanes so none but his members are partakers thereof Hee is the head the Church is his body and euery faithfull man is a member for his part And as there is no life in the body but as it is vnited to the head nor any motion in the
members being separated from the body So in Christ our head consisteth our life as we are true members of his body the Church vnited to him by a true and liuely Faith and so quickned by his Spirit and knit and ioyned one to another in a holy fellowship and communion by the bond of loue Christ is the Vine and the faithfull his branches without him they can doe nothing as they are of this tree they are fruitfull but broken off they are barren and liue no more but dye and wither away By his life alone wee liue and without his death we are but dead and damned for euer Therefore wee must know and learne our true vnion section 2 with Christ and try our selues whether wee be members of that body whereof hee is head For none I say are redeemed from death and freed from condemnation but those alone that are in Christ whom they cannot possibly apprehend but by a true and liuely Faith which is the spirituall hand to lay hold on Christs merits to eternall life Hereby we are interessed in all that eyther God hath promised or Christ hath performed hence haue we from God both forgiuenesse of sinnes and assurance of his fauour This is the ground of our happinesse and glory hence of enemies wee become more then friends euen the sonnes of God that may challenge not onely prouision and safe protection on earth but an euerlasting possession and inheritance in heauen The apprehension of Christs all-sufficient satisfaction by a true and a liuely Faith maketh it our owne and vpon our satisfaction wee haue remission vpon remission followeth reconciliation vpon our reconciliation the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding When therefore our conscience like a sterne and sturdy Serjeant shall catch vs as it were by the throat and arrest vs for Gods debt our Plea must be it hath beene paid and so bring forth that bloudy acquittance sealed vs from heauen vpon our true and assured Faith So shall the cruell looke of our Conscience be changed into friendly smiles and that rough and violent hand ready to dragge vs downe to hell shall euen louingly embrace vs and fight for our righteous Crowne Oh heauenly peace and more then peace whereby alone we are in league with our selues and God with vs. section 3 Gods Spirit sheweth vs our pouerty and where to buy Gold that shall cost vs nothing It sheweth vs our wretchednesse that haue nothing but ragges to put on and withall the wardrobe of Christs righteousnesse where we shall haue garments fit for Gods Saints It sheweth vs our Apostacie how wee haue fallen and by our fall haue euen broken our necke and sends vs to Christ our Physitian who is onely good at such a desperate disease It sheweth vs our debt and our Serjeant the Diuell to arrest vs and then sends vs to the Lord-Treasurer of heauen in whose hands are sufficient to discharge whatsoeuer wee owe. Gods Children then must be knit vnto Christ the Son section 4 of God they liue in his life and stand in his strength whose right hand hath made all things and whose yeares endure for euermore who is heyre of all things and shall shew vs his glory and immortalitie when all these creatures shall haue a change There is no saluation nor sanctification for vs vnder heauen but as our nature is really vnited to the person of Christ the Sonne of God who hath sanctified and sacrificed himselfe for vs. Euen as our hands armes and other parts are not nourished but onely by the meate receiued of the head so our spirituall meate of life and righteousnesse can no where else be deriued to vs but from Christ our head And as the veynes are meanes by which nourishment is conueyed to euery part so Faith is the instrument by which we receiue from Christ all that is healthfull for our soules And as by ioynts and sinewes our members are really knit and made a compleat body vnto the head so really truely and indeed by one Spirit wee be knit vnto Christ and substantially made one with him as our naturall members are made one with our head This though wee cannot conceiue yet wee are bound section 5 to beleeue Wee now beleeue in the Lord our God and yet wee know not his countenance wee beleeue and apprehend by hope his glory yet neyther eye can see it no nor heart conceiue it wee beleeue the resurrection of the dead yet wee cannot vnderstand such excellent wisdome how our life should be renewed in the dissolued bones and scattered ashes Euen so wee beleeue that Christ and wee are one hee of vs and wee of him hee the head wee the body really substantially and truely knit together but not by ioynts and sinewes for that vniting we know but by his Spirit which all his Children haue and this coniunction indeed can wee neuer fully comprehend till wee know God as hee is and his holy Spirit which hath wrought this blessing The diuine nature vnited to the manhood of Christ hath giuen the participation of his office to him as man that as God is Mediator so is man as God hath deserued saluation so hath man and that hee as man shall iudge the quicke and the dead not that hee shall iudge by his manhood but Christ man shall iudge the world This Christ is not onely God with vs in nature but in person for the reprobate are of the same nature with him and he with them yet is he not God with them but against them But wee as the Apostle speaketh are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones euen as a man and wife which are not onely one in nature but in person by speciall couenant so are wee one with Christ by couenant of grace and being one with him wee are also one with the Trinitie I pray thee O Father saith Christ as I am one with thee so these may be one with vs both which bringeth great comfort to Gods Elect that through Christ haue the whole God-head reconciled vnto them and dwelling in them section 7 And as Christ is our person and Sauiour so his righteousnesse is ours since we haue him whose it is and this maintaineth Gods iustice to punish Christ in our person and to iustifie vs in his in respect hee is in vs and wee in him and so doth hee neyther punish the innocent nor iustifie the offender And in this respect when wee know that Christ is truely ours that God giueth life and this life is in the Sonne and this Sonne is in vs it followeth that wee are not saued by his righteousnesse but by our owne his person being made one person with vs. By regeneration wee are made partakers of his diuine nature and flesh that is our nature is renewed and sanctified and is made another flesh to wit the flesh of Christ For as the Sonne of God was so made man that by
Diuell World and Flesh c. For so it would proue our ouerthrow and destruction they being vnto vs so many traitours and irreconcileable murtherers It would be worse for vs then for the silly Sheepe to make peace with the Wolues Neither yet can we flee and so get from them for the Diuell will pursue vs into euery place with his whole armies and huge hoasts of his olde tryed and trayned Souldiers to inuade vs within vs are our corrupt affections and couetous lusts as his hirelings And wheresoeuer we become in this life these our enemies will finde vs out therefore we must fight or be foyled wee must ouercome or be conquered This warre resembles the battels of the Israelites against the Kings and inhabitants of Canaan they must destroy them peace they might not make or admit them tributaries yet Gods people were commanded not to feare them nor to retire into Egypt therefore of necessitie they must fight to ouercome them True it is considering our owne nature that wee haue iust cause to feare so strong and mighty enemies but as God in old time encouraged Iosuah that he should not be affraide in assuring him of his presence so must we manfully stand in this combat and in Christ our true Iosuah and captaine Iesus wee shall be more then conquerours And as the Diuill with his armies maketh war against all mankinde so especially he fighteth against Christ the section 3 head and his faithfull members The woman with her Son he seeketh to drowne and ouerwhelme with a flood sea of temptations As Sathan tempted Christ when hee was baptised and filled with the holy Ghost so will hee still pursue the best Christians which haue receiued of God the greatest graces and gifts As Theeues rob not beggers but rich men and Pyrats pursue those Ships the most that are of dearest prise so the Diuell would make a prey of such especially as are furnished with faith and other heauenly pearles of greatest value In any commotion whom doe rebels most indeauour to kill and spoyle but those especially that are faithfull to their Prince and will fight for their Country Now the Diuell is a rebell in the Lords kingdome whom then will hee most trouble but the godly which are Gods faithfull souldiers to fight his battels against him He that will raigne with Christ in heauen must ouercome the Diuell on earth The Diuell is a Peripateticke saith one alwaies walking section 4 and going about seeking whom he may ensnare and all is fish that comes to his net Our hearts being as deepe riuers and the Diuell being no more able to discerne the thoughts thereof then the Angler can descry what fish is in the water for the secrets of all hearts are onely knowne to God hee baiteth a hooke for vs and by the going downe of the line he knoweth we are sped If he see any couetously giuen he setteth riches before him if any be ambitious he offereth titles and preferments c. He hath manifold nets of temptations sometimes besetting vs with vaine pleasures and sometimes incirkling vs with inordinate sorrow and care now fetching vs in with feare and anone pricking vs forward with pride and presumption As he findeth vs affected so he fitteth his baites and by our ready and greedy apprehension of his temptations he effecteth our destruction And as a cunning Fisher knowing how to hold the fish he hath hooked he will giue them line and libertie but yet they shall walke no further then he list that he may draw them backe againe at his pleasure as the childe playeth with the bird tyed by the legge not suffering her to flye but the length of the thread Therefore the baite that he layeth for vs being our bane let vs not come within the length of his line or within the compasse of his nets Let Gods word rather be our baite and hooke to catch vs which being taken taketh vs and happy is he that is taken therewith no to his slaughter with the fish but to the saluation of his soule with the faithfull section 5 The Diuell wayeth well our old wants the course of our cares the fashion of our affections and out of the nature of our qualities worketh his malignities like a subtile Souldier trayned vp in the warres that layeth siege to that place of the wall that is weakest He obserueth our infirmities and taketh aduantage of them As a man when he would strike fire out of a flint marketh which end of it is fittest for the stroake of the Iron that it may sparkle the sooner So this subtile Serpent obserueth that affection that leaneth to sinne and that he smiteth with his iron of temptation that a sparke of our consent thereunto being added the flame of sinne may sooner be kindled to consume the whole man Hee seeth euery ones complection and so accordingly applyeth his temptation One man is giuen to solace another to sorrow one to feare another to pride c. Let vs therefore be as wise for our saluation as hee is wily to worke our damnation Sathan by worldly baites and sleights leadeth many thousand sinners blindefold to perdition as a Faulken or carryeth his Hawkes quietly on his fist being hooded which otherwise he could not so easily doe if they had they se and sight of their eyes And as Sathan assayleth vs all the dayes of our life section 6 so is hee and will be most busie at the houre of death who dealeth as Tenants doe when their Leases are ready to expire then they racke and take all things to the vtmost they make money of any commoditie they scrape to themselues by hooke and by crooke whatsoeuer they can so fareth it with Sathan The time of death is the last houre of the world and then hee playeth reakes hee ruffleth it apace as though hee were wood And no maruell why hee taketh the greatest aduantage at our death for then hee must ouercome at that instant or not at all then his rage is great because his time is short Thus being acquainted with Sathans wylinesse and watchfulnesse to doe vs hurt especially at our latter end let vs now further display his manner of fight in the field and his Souldiers and weapons that hee imployeth in this warre against vs. Now the Diuell in his Plea against vs for our iust condemnation section 7 and death bringeth in the Law euen the most righteous Law of God which man hath transgressed and by transgression thereof challengeth to hold him in his kingdome From whence he thus reasoneth against our saluation Whosoeuer breaketh the Law of God shall dye the death But euery man hath broken the Law of God Therefore shall euery man dye the death And by the vertue of the Law saith Sathan I will hold him in death The Law is according to Gods nature good holy and righteous and therefore the death of man ponounced by the Law is iust and his condemnation
the Bee doth fall among the weedes which seeme section 7 sweet flowers and lights on this and sits on that and tasting all is pleased with none but flyes away so here the faithfull soule findes no delight in these flowers of sinfull flesh and worldly weedes but like Noahs naked doue returnes againe whence she was sent and soares to heauen No more then shall Gods Children paine themselues in heaping together these exhalations of the earth for the heauens shall be ours and this masse of earth which euer draweth vs to the earth shall be buryed in the earth No more then shall wee weary our selues with mounting from degree to degree and from honour to honour for wee shall highly be raised aboue all heights of the world and from on high laugh at the folly of all those wee admired who fight here foolishly for lesse then a poynt or an apple like little children No more then shall we haue such combats in our selues for our flesh shall be dead and our spirit in full life our passions buryed and our Reason freed in perfection Our soule deliuered out of this foule and filthy prison shall againe draw her owne breath recognize her ancient dwelling and againe remember her former glory section 8 This flesh which wee feele this body which we touch is not properly man Man is from heauen heauen is his Countrey and his Ayre That hee is in his body is but by way of exile and confinement Man indeede is soule and spirit man is rather of celestiall and diuine qualitie wherein is nothing grosse or materiall This body such as it is is but the barke and shell of the soule which must needes be broken if wee will be hatched for a heauenly life if wee will truely liue and see the light Wee looke but through false spectacles wee haue eyes but ouer-growne with pearles wee thinke wee see but it is in a dreame wherein wee see nothing but deceit All that wee haue and all that we know is but abuse and villany Death onely can restore vs both life and light And yet so blockish are wee that wee thinke shee comes to rob vs of them Though our soule now for a while be bound to our bodies as Isaack was tyed to the Altar yet so soone as the bonds are loosed it mounteth vp to heauen a place of ioy and blisse Death depriues the soule of no good but freeing it from the burden of the flesh makes it fitter for goodnesse It is the very graue of sinne to the faithfull and the instrument and meanes to raise them vp to the life of righteousnesse through it the sinfull bodies are resolued to dust that so defiled the soule and so the soule once separated aspireth to the heauenly Spheares section 9 The nature of the earth saith one is cold and drye so are our earthly affections to deuotion and pietie The earth stands still without motion and hath the circumference carryed round about it so Gods benefits compasse earthly men and yet they are nothing moued The earth doth often extinguish hot and fiery exhalations which otherwise would ascend so doe earthly affections many holy and heauenly motions of remembring our latter end But the qualitie of the earth which wee should imitate for our good is to be fruitfull after tilling because that the ground which bringeth forth bryars and thornes is subiect to a curse The dearest children of God here in the flesh are as section 10 poysoned vessels washed by the holy Ghost wherein notwithstanding there rests some taste and tallage of the former corruptions But the reprobate and wicked are as barrels full of poyson infused of the Diuell wherein the spirit of God neuer shewed his power Sinne in the regenerate hath a deadly wound and is like the Sun faintly appearing through a thicke cloud but in the wicked it hath a full and violent course Yet if wee haue receiued but the earnest-penny of Gods Spirit in this life wee shall be sure to receiue our full wages and pay in the life to come Neyther neede wee be dismaid that we limpe with Iacob and be imperfect in this life for if wee had no infirmities wee should be as proud as the Diuell whereas now they serue to humble vs and make vs thankfull vnto God so mercifully restrayning them and so fatherly passing by them and so they serue to multiply our grones vnto God the sooner to be freed from this body and bondage of sinne God doth here buffet his children with their imperfections as he did Paul lest they should grow insolent Now the Lord will trust vs no more with perfection since Adam lost it in Paradise but will exercise vs with our weaknesses lest wee should step into our old mothers conceipt to thinke our selues Gods And thus the Lord cureth our grosse sinnes by our infirmities euen as the best Triacle is made of poyson and the skinne of a Viper is the best cure against the sting of a Viper And though our infirmities be simply euill yet qualified and tempered with God our Physitians hand they are turned to our good If God be on our side who can be against vs Nay rather section 11 saith Chrisostome who is not against vs But howsoeuer they are against vs they shall not long trouble vs for God is a recorder of our patience and Death the finisher of our paine And though the heauy burden of our sinfull flesh doe load vs yet lightsomnesse it is to a Christian to thinke that the way is not long The traueller thinking of his Inne but especially of his home which is the end of his trauell goeth more chearfully on to the end of his iourney The bond-man calling to minde the yeares of Iubilee endureth with more patience the yeares of his bondage Great are our troubles and trauels in this life but saluation will one day make amends for all when wee shall once be landed on the shoare of perfect securitie and be deliuered from all toylesome labours c. Happy yea thrice happy and blessed shall the faithfull be being departed from a shadow of life to true life it selfe from darknesse to light from trouble to rest from sinfull men to the most holy God when the battell of their warfare shall be ended and they quite freed from al the throes of Sinne and Death section 12 One faith well that the word of God is swift and it requireth a speedy follower if speede in following much more in attayning if speede in the body which is a burden of sinne much more when the soule hath put it off if vnder the crosse wee groane and yet goe forward with how much more speede shall wee haste to the Crowne when all teares shall be wiped from our eyes And if it be true of a glorified body as Augustine speaketh that the body is straight where the minde will how much rather shall a sanctified soule disburdened of the body
wish they had better serued God but these things should be considered in time and here is time therefore take it before thou endurest a dying life and a liuing death full of endlesse woe O good life saith a holy Father what a ioy art thou section 6 in the time of death Thou makest men not ashamed to liue longer because they liue honestly nor afraid to dye departing religiously hauing serued a good Lord. But the wicked are ashamed to see him whom they haue dishonoured the one is quit by a ioyfull Proclamation the other found guilty at the bar of his owne conscience What a dangerous course is it neuer to awake Christ till the ship leake and be in danger of drowning neuer to beginne to liue well vntill wee be a dying neuer to call to minde that time of all times before we heare the Trumpet sounding the graues opening the earth flaming the heauens melting the Iudgement hastening and the Iudge with his Angels comming to denounce the last sentence and doome O consider this you that forget God lest hee take you away and there be none to deliuer you This present life is our market to make prouision for our soules against the life to come now is the time of running to get the prize now is the time to fight to winne the field now is the time of sowing for the plentifull crop of haruest comming on If we omit this time there is no more crowne no more booty no other Kingdome no other prize no more haruest to be looked for for Hee that will not sow in winter shall beg in Summer section 7 Marke well saith one what I say that a man which repenteth not but at his latter end shall be damned I doe not say so What then doe I say He shall be saued No. What then doe I say I say I know not I say I presume not I promise not Wilt thou then deliuer thy selfe out of this doubt Wilt thou escape this dangerous poynt Repent thou then whilest thou art whole for if thou repent whilest thou art in health whensoeuer the last day of all commeth vpon thee thou art safe for that thou didst repent in that time when thou mightest yet haue sinned But if thou wilt repent when thou canst sinne no longer thou leauest not sinne but sinne leaueth thee If men come without oyle in their Lampes then is there nothing for them to expect but Nescio vos I know you not And when they are knowne Ite maledicti Goe you cursed into euerlasting fire God hath giuen other things double vnto vs that if the one be hurt the other may stand vs in stead as eyes eares hands and feet double but hee hath giuen vs but one soule which if we destroy what is there in the world wherby wee may hope for any life The Sonne of God gaue himselfe a ransome for our soules that they might not be accounted vile but precious in our sight All that which thou hast meanes to doe saith the Preacher section 8 doe it according to thy power for in the graue whither thou goest there it neyther worke nor discourse nor knowledge nor wisedome Many then thinke of death When they cannot liue they pardon their enemies when they cannot reuenge they giue away their goods when they can no longer keepe them they forgiue their debters when they haue nothing to pay they leaue their whores when they can no longer keepe them they detest wine when they cannot drinke and defie the world when they can no longer inhabite it pride they loath when they are preparing of their winding-sheete sicke they are but their repentance is sicker c. Death is at our doores Iudgement ouer our heads Hell is at hand all horrible and yet without horrour We laugh we leape we dance we drinke we sing to the sound of the Violl vaine delights and we inuent to our selues Instruments of Musicke like Dauid as he to the seruice and honour of his God so we to please our vnsanctified affections and extrauagant lusts O Lord set thy feare before our face and so settle it in our hearts that we may readily obay thy heauenly call by flight from sinne for feare of Iudgement Let vs not be like to the vnwise Leuite who at the end of the day would goe on his iourney by reason whereof hee incurred perill and was the cause of his wiues heauy end Let vs rather rise earely and goe on our way whiles the light of life doth shine lest darknesse surprise vs. Old sores are hardly cured and hardly shall you bring old dogs to lead An old mans bones saith Zopher to Iob are filled with the sinnes of his youth and continue with him vnto the graue CHAP. III. Of the hinderances of our Preparation to death in generall and how carefully they must be auoyded section 1 LEt vs now proceede to remoue such impediments through the helpe of God as lye in our way to hinder our speedie passage in this our pilgrimage of death which is as wee haue heard the true hauen of life to all Gods children Great and manifold are Sathans assaults in this our iourney who still sheweth himselfe a professed aduersarie in all good proceedings And here he commeth not himselfe alone but with a huge hoast and army of enemies hauing the whole world our flesh and friends to fight against vs But of these things in this place let it suffice to poynt at in generall vntill wee come to a more particular discourse as occasion shall be offered And let vs first learne to arme our selues against these our deadly foes that so being harnessed as it were with the armour of proofe wee may strongly stand out when wee shall be assailed neuer yeelding to our foes but following fast our Captaine Christ to get the conquest in this our fight which already is begunne and shall most assuredly be gotten to all the faithfull section 2 Sathan first of all will thus be ready to assault vs. And art thou ready to dye O man Why then behold the swarme of thy sinnes the number of thy faults and monstrous rebellions against thy God both old and new of age and youth for which the wrath of God the graue and hell are ready to deuoure thee The Law is thy Iudge which doth condemne thee thy God is iust and cannot but accurse thee his sentence is passed and will not cleare thee c. So that here without Christ no comfort can be found hee onely must now protect vs or else wee perish his righteousnesse must be our roabe to hide our raggednesse his merits the onely meanes to cloath our nakednesse c. Which things wee cannot possesse without a true and liuely Faith which is the gift of God and therefore wee must pray to haue it wrought in our hearts by the holy Ghost and all good meanes This then as we haue heard already will get vs the victory ouer the Diuell
we take not heede in time This is the trinitie that wicked men saith one doe worship the Diuell the world and the flesh instead of the Father Sonne and holy ghost The lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life are the idols that the world doe make their Gods But the minutes that hackney at the heeles of time runne not so fast away as doth this world with his pleasures and fleshly ioyes Let vs therefore alwaies detest the eye-pleasing baits of carnall desires and wholly delight our selues with heauenly ioyes He which once haue drunke of the floods of Paradise one drop whereof quencheth the thirst sooner then the ocean Sea shall quickly haue the desires of this world and fleshly lusts extinguished in him CHAP. IIII. Of the allurements of the world in particular and the remedies thereof section 1 BVt for as much as this wicked world is Sathans kingdome wherein hee ruleth in the iustice of God ouer the children of disobedience blinding the eies of Infidels with a false glory glistring shewes thereof that they should not beleeue the truth of Gods word for their further assurance of that incomparable glory blessed state to come it is expedient more fully to disclose this dangerous place wherein Sathan pitcheth his camp against Gods elect And so much the rather because it is the passage of their pilgrimage which possibly they cannot shun Israel must needs go thorow Edom where cruell Esau dwels and passe along this dangerous wildernesse full of sauage beasts fiery Serpents Tygers and Scorpions Yet goe hee must thorow the red sea of all fearefull hazards and temptations that spirituall Tyrant Pharo following him fast to the heeles with all possible violence before they can arriue at the heauenly hauen and blessed land of rest section 2 This world is a Sea of sorrow and our life resembleth the new sailing Ship not acquainted with the water but fleeting to the bottomelesse swallow of tempestuous waues alwaies threatning the sinking of our life It is as a course of a most vehement running streame but yet not appearing to haue any perill of drowning to him that passeth It is shallow by the sides but deepe and very dangerous in the midst aboue it runneth very quietly couering the water with great riches and wares of an inualuable price by meanes whereof it deceiueth couetous men that run and enter it Some wade shallow wetting onely their feet and take a few others goe vp to the knees and catch for more a third sort with an insatiable desire doe plunge their whole body into the water others trusting to swim so wrestle with the violent streames and finding it deepe being wearied sinke to the bottome which is most swift and raging We daily pray that God would not lead vs into temptation yet still we feede our couetous humor which drowneth vs therin And the Diuel doth daily pitch his nets to compasse vs therewith to hale vs into hell couetousnes causeth vs to stumble and tumble thereinto It ingendereth such noysome lusts that drowne men in perdition It is Sathans forge and stithie saith one where he fashioneth and frameth a thousand chaines of impieties to pull men into hell and a thousand fiery darts to wound mens soules with all sorts of vices it is the metropolitane citie of all corruption and sinne All other vices saith Hierome doe with age waxe old section 3 onely couetousnesse groweth young with age and getteth head It lurketh in the raynes and is tyed vnto the bowels neither can it be pulled vp by any strength of men The greatest rauening beasts are sometime satisfied purses and coffers may be filled but an insatiable minde is a bottomlesse pit and a gulfe deuouring all yet neuer replenished It resembleth a spring whose riuer is small yet by receiuing other brookes and streames groweth strong and violent Such are like men in a dropsie still drinking their thirst increasing Bernard compareth it to a Lady in a Chariot whose wheeles are contempt of God in humanitie forgetfulnesse of death and mistrust whose horses are niggardlinesse and rauin and whose carter is desire to haue Chrisostome calleth the couetous man an enemie to all men imagining all others to be cast out for a pray for him to rob and spoyle He putteth all things to sayle hee laboureth to haue all and hath the vse of nothing he filleth his Cellers Garners Coffers but Lady couetousnesse layeth vp the Keyes and locketh from him the vse of all like Horses and Mules going laden with the gold and siluer of others eate nothing but hay themselues such a mans wealth is but as a faire Tapestrie that couereth foule and broken wals The higher such a man clymeth saith Ambrose and the higher he goeth the greater is his fall Before he gaineth he hath lost himselfe saith Augustine Such beasts are these misers that they know not this life yet can they not deny but they must die What pleasure therefore can they take in cutting the wood and making the faggots wherewith in hell without repentance they shall be burnt for euer The customers of this world saith one who haue got their wealth with fraud and deceipt they sleepe like the Nightingale with a pricke against their breast so doe such slumber with a pricking conscience and liue in horrour of Death section 4 God therefore in his prouidence and wisedome hath fraught this life with so manifold miseries to make them as medicinable punishments for our fleshly desires he hath laid such bitter wormewood on the breasts of this flattering world to waine vs from it hee hath made it loathsome to his children that they should not loue it but willingly forsake it and sigh for the blessed life to come For if we be so vnwilling to forsake this life so irksome if wee be euer whimpring and whining for the fruits and flesh-pots of this slauish Egypt what would wee doe if all our life were sweet what would we doe if it were wholy to our tast and tallage who would then contemne it for Gods cause who would exchange it for heauen it selfe When Iacob was hasting into his owne country Laban in his great hast pursuing him said why didst thou not tell mee of thy departing that I might haue let thee goe with mirth and melodie when his meaning was to haue kept him still in drudgerie But as Iacob did well seeing Labans countenance set against him so should Christians finding the world to frowne vpon them be ready to packe from the world it being no fit place for them to tarry in Lots wife setting her minde vpon her substance in Sodome and other pleasures there shee looked backward but neuer looked forward againe She is turned into a Piller of Salt a Piller and so standeth for an example of Salt and so should season our vnsauorie desires of this world and worldly things Small cause had the Isralites
will set vs all at rest in his due time section 12 Wee must therefore neyther hate this life for the toyles therein for that is sloath and cowardlinesse nor loue it for the delights for that is folly and vanitie but serue our selues of it to serue God in it who afterward shall place vs in ioyfull rest and replenish vs with pleasures which shall neuer more perish Againe to flye it is childish and in flying from it wee meete it Much lesse ought wee to seeke it for that is temerâ—tie nor euery one that would dye can dye It is enough that constantly wee waite for deaths comming that shee neuer finde vs vnprouided Wee must not fall sodainely vpon death but march valiantly towards the same by little and little wee must not rashly or vnaduisedly leaue our life like one that takes his runne to fetch the better rise CHAP. VII Consolations against the agony of Death and horrour of the Graue and Corruption THE very remembrance of Death is bitter section 1 enough to frayle and mortall man but the agonies and bickerings wee haue in the flesh are farre beyond the conceit of men For such is the weaknesse of our nature and the guiltinesse of sinne making warre in our flesh that without especiall aide and helpe from heauen wee shall be swallowed vp of griefe And what man is hee so strong in Faith that can contayne himselfe in this pittifull tryall of deaths combat It made Christ himselfe to sweat and cry and pray before he got the victory Although I confesse the burden of our sinnes and Gods wrath were importable to any but himselfe yet was hee fitted with grace and power without measure and for all that felt this horrour and therefore the best and strongest regenerate men cannot goe free but are made conformable to the sufferings of Christ in a measure Besides the corruption of sinne remayning in vs which finally must be purged by the bitter pill of death Ezechiah after the sentence of death pronounced section 2 against him by the Prophet complayneth how his dayes were cut off that he should goe to the gates of the graue to the pit of corruption where hee could not see the Lord any more in the Land of the liuing nor the inhabitants of the world to confesse and prayse God as the liuing doe and hope for his truth He cryes out that his habitation is remoued like a Shepheards Tent and his life cut off as the weauers webbe that God brake all his bones like a Lyon and so made an end of him This made him in his prayer to chatter like a Swallow and mourne like a Doue Hee saith hee was oppressed and walked to his graue in the bitternesse of his soule c. What should I speake of many other of the faithfull which cry out aliue as men free among the dead drawing neere to the graue and going downe to the pit who are remembred no more but cut off by Gods hand lying in a place of darknesse and in the deepe feeling Gods wrath lying vpon them being vexed with all his waues and stormes How doe they stretch out their hands with lamentable complaints saying Shall thy louing kindnesse be declared in the graue or thy faithfulnesse in destruction Shall thy wondrous workes be knowne in the darke and thy righteousnesse in the land of obliuion I omit to speake of Iob of Ionah and many of Gods children who haue rufully complained in this case section 3 If the parting company of one way-faring man with another when they haue trauelled but for a time together doe cause such sorrow and solitarinesse what a griefe then will it be to thinke that two such friends as the Soule and Body haue beene shall be separated and singled one from another which so long haue trauelled together euen from the mothers vvombe vntill the instant moment of death Betweene whom there hath beene so many knots and bands of mutuall loue O Death how imperious art thou to carnall mindes aggrauating their other miseries not onely by expectation of future payne but by the remembrance of wonted ioyes not suffering them to see ought but what may torment them Great no doubt are the horrours of death when the sicke man shall see the world his friends and all earthly things forsaking him but farre greater is the horrour of iudgement to consider hee is now going to answere for all that hee hath done in his body whether it be good or ill If the countenance of an earthly Iudge be fearefull to a guilty prisoner how much more shall the beholding of an eternall Iudge amaze all such who finde a thousand witnesses in themselues to giue in euidence against them But as hee that is to passe ouer some great and deepe Riuer vpon a narrow plancke and straite passage must not looke downeward to the streame of the water but for preuenting of feare must set his foote sure and cast his eyes to the bancke on the further side So must hee that draweth neare to death as it were looke ouer the waues thereof and fixe the eye of Faith vpon eternall life If in the time of temptation wee looke to sayle a right course neyther sincking nor slipping into the gulfe of desperation neyther battering our Barke against the rocke of presumption let vs in a contrite spirit cry to the Lord our God and say Heale my soule for I haue sinned against thee for thou healest those that are broken in heart and bindest vp their soares I see and that with ioy how my flesh must decay for looke what freshnesse soeuer was in it at the first diminisheth day by day And I neede not goe farre to seeke for death for I feele not so small an infirmitie in my body but the same is vnto mee a messenger of dissolution Yet for all this I shall see my God and when I am couered in the belly of the graue I am assured hee will reach mee his hand to raise me vp againe to immortalitie and life so that this base cottage and shade of leaues being brought to dust shall yet in the end be conuayed vnto my incorruptible house in heauen That dissolution is well bestowed that parts the soule section 4 from the body to vnite them both to God All our life here is but a vitall death How gainefull therefore is that death that determines this false and dying life and beginnes a true and happy life Hee that hath Stephens eyes to looke into heauen cannot but haue the tongue of the Saints to say Come quickly Lord Iesus Such a man seeing the glory of the end cannot but contemne the hardnesse of the way but who so wants these eyes though hee say and sweares hee feares not death beleeue him not But is thy soule sorrowfull vnto death Remember Christs prayer in his Agonie Father not my will but thine be fulfilled Teaching vs what to doe in the time of distresse what wee should thinke
the helmet of the hope of a better life to come must needs be vnwilling to leaue this present life especially if he haue any portion of comfort in the same needes must he feare to forsake it when hee heareth and seeth how roughly death dealeth with other men round about This maketh Physicke so seriously sought for though neuer so costly and Physitians more honoured of many then the God of heauen himselfe This causeth so many salt brine teares to trickle and distill from the eyes of worldly men being in danger to die which although they be reputed to come from a remorsed soule for sinne yet from many God knoweth they proceede from this fountaine namely that they are flitting from this world where if they might liue they are sure of something vnto another life where they are vncertaine of any good thing Such men are as a Ship without sayle or anchor tossed and tumbled with euery storme and tempest and alwayes in ieopardie of sincking or ship-wracke Therefore that we may be assured that we truely haue and enioy these precious iewels of a sauing faith and hope section 5 vnmoueable we must labour to approue or rather finde out the same by a Christian life and an vndefiled conscience For euen as pure and christall water commeth from a quicke fountaine and liuely spring incorrupted So doth a good conscience and holy life from an vnfained faith And as in digging of Wels we first finde out and discerne the streames of cleare water issuing from the liuely spring and in searching for mettals of gold siluer copper brasse or tinne wee first know wee haue found out the Mines thereof by the shining and glistering veynes in the earth appearing vnto vs So if wee will not misse but meete with a liuely faith and blamelesse hope we must first discerne them by the powerfull fruits of a sanctified life alwaies attended vpon by the hand-mayde of a pure and vndefiled conscience These be the remarkable streames of the true and liuing fountaine of a sauing faith and the vndeceiueable veines of these rich and wealthy Mynes of an inuincible hope to inrich our soules Loue out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and faith vnfained be linkes of one chaine beames of one Sunne streames of one riuer fruit of one tree twins of one womb c. To separate any of these is to make ship-wrack of the soule A good conscience watcheth ouer the soule Charitie is carefull to keepe Gods commandements and a pure heart loueth and imbraceth God aboue all and faith vnfained is neuer ashamed of professing Christ and his Gospell for section .6 any trouble By faith conceiued in the heart professed with the mouth and practised with the hand the righteous man liueth For as it is certaine there is no saluation without faith So there is no faith without repentāce no repentance without amendment of life nor any amendment without forsaking of sinne whence wee may conclude that no euill liuer hath any part in Christs death but the markes of Gods vengeance abiding on him and that he aduentureth his saluation that deferreth his repentance For what knowest thou whither tomorrow shall euer come Dally not therefore thus with God till the Diuell take thee in the lurch For as Christ came to saue vs from the damnation of sinne so also to free vs from the dominion of sinne and as he was sent to destroy the Diuell so likewise to ouerthrow the workes of the Diuell And most absurd it is for such as are the slaues of sinne to vaunt themselues for the seruants of God section 7 The praise of faith is to ouercome by fighting that the power of our Lord Iesus Christ may be made strong by our infirmitie He that hath a soule must needs breath and he that hath Gods spirit must needs bring forth the fruits thereof Faith I confesse is euer alone in iustifying but neuer alone in the person iustified euen as the eye alone seeth but the eye separate from the body doth not see at all but is a dead eye As Christ neuer raised vp himselfe without his humanitie yet not his humanitie but his diuinitie raised him vp Though faith doth worke by loue yet is it not inclosed in Faith as Papists say like a Diamond in a Ring neither yet is Faith as the shell and Charitie as the kernell but faith must haue this place which apprehendeth Christ who adorneth faith as the colour beautifieth the wall Faith is a certaine obscure knowledge or rather darknesse in it selfe which seeth nothing and yet Christ apprehended by faith sitteth in this darknesse as God in mount Sinai and in the temple Wherefore Christ apprehended and dwelling in the heart by Faith is the true Christian righteousnesse who giueth vs eternall life Christ is the Lord of our life in him we are by faith and he in vs. This Bridegroome must be alone with the Bride in his secret chamber all the seruants and family set apart but after when the doore is open then let them minister vnto them let Charitie doe her office and all good workes be busie When Faith is feeble Loue looseth her feruor but pray wee the Lord to increase our Faith and Loue forthwith will be on fire By Faith indeede we take hold of the righteousnesse of Christ by which alone we are reconciled vnto God but of this wee cannot take hold except withall we apprehend the sanctification of Gods spirit for he was giuen to vs for righteousnesse wisedome sanctification and redemption Therefore Christ iustifieth none whom he doth not also sanctifie Wherefore our indeuour and care must be for the sure approuing of our faith and hope to haue in readinesse a pure heart and vndefiled conscience which may be as vnreprouable witnesses before God and man that we haue had a sincere care to please our God not onely in outward action but inward affection labouring to the vtmost of our knowledge and power to put in practise all the holy duties of our callings towards God and man Thus if our heart condemne vs not we are sure to haue peace with God howsoeuer we are troubled in the world or afflicted in the flesh Now to clense our conscience and to haue it single and sincere is by the blood-shedding of Christ which section 8 hath satisfied for our sinnes whose death apprehended by a liuely faith doth purifie and purge the same Which conscience thus cleared shall now no more accuse but excuse vs before our God And albeit our former ignorance and infidelity hardnes of heart securitie with the innumerable euils both originall and actuall haue stained and defiled the same heretofore yet now our conscience being bathed in the blood of Christ and rinsed from the guilt of sinne and vncleannesse doth henceforward behold Gods anger turned into fauour his iustice into mercy c. Which sight so purifieth a Christian soule that neither death nor diuell can dant
out of heauen saith one as goe thither thy selfe in this wicked kinde of life What then wilt thou forgoe heauen and yet escape hell This is lesse possible whatsoeuer the Atheists of this world perswade thee Wilt thou deferre the matter and thinke of it hereafter Thou shalt neuer haue more abilitie to doe it then now and it may be neuer halfe so much againe If thou refuse it now thou maist greatly feare to be refused thy selfe hereafter There is nothing then so good as to take this good occasion while it is offered Breake from those tyrants which detaine thee in seruitude section 14 the Diuell Sinne World and Flesh shake off their shackles cut all their bands and chaynes asunder free thee from their gyues and irons and runne violently to Iesus Christ who standeth with open armes ready to imbrace thee make ioyfull all the Angels and Saints with thy conuersion strike once the stroke with God againe and returne to thy Father Who would be so base minded with the Prodigall Sonne in this world rather to eate huskes with the Swine then to turne home with him againe to be so honourably receiued haue such good cheare and banketting and heare so great melody ioy and triumph for his returne Hee that will liue without repentance must looke to dye without repentance The sparing of the Theefe on the Crosse at the last gaspe was set out as a medicine against desperation and not as a matter of imitation God saith one spared one that no man might despaire and hee spared but one that no man might presume The Lord hath promised pardon to him that repenteth but to liue till to morrow hee hath not promised section 15 The heauenly dewe of Repentance neuer fals but the Sunne of righteousnesse draweth it vp Repentant eyes bedewed with teares for sinne are the cellers of Angels and penitent sighes and sobs the sweetest wines which the sauour of life perfumeth the taste of grace sweetneth and the purest colours of returning innocencie highly beautifieth O that our hearts were euermore such a Lymbecke distilling so pure a quintessence of godlinesse drawne from the weedes of our offences by the fire of true Faith and vnfayned contrition of spirit Heauen would mourne at the absence of such precious waters and earth lament the losse of such fruitfull showers Surely till death close vp those fountaines they should neuer fayle running which if they had alwayes issue we neede not doubt of our saluation but that God would wash away all our filthinesse and sinne The world saith Bernard had not perished with the Floud if the flouds of teares for sinne had euer flowed from mens eyes section 16 To conclude if thou shalt see thy selfe to floate in the sea of temptations in the agonies of death leaue not the Anchor-hold of hope before thou enter the hauen of rest This is the sure Anchor indeede of the soule which lyeth deepe and is not seene and yet is the stay of all euen the soule of our life And because wee cannot plead the plea of Innocencie Faith bids vs boldly plead the plea of Mercy and telleth vs the Iudge is reconciled But this is no Palsie-faith as wee haue heard but firme and constant vnto the end which still concludes through Christ to the Conscience that liuing and dying we are the Lords Hope is the piller sustayning this building of our Faith which fayling our Faith falleth into the gulfe of Despayre And there is nothing maketh more cleare the mighty power of the Word and of Gods promise then that it makes men so mighty that hope and trust in God for all things are possible to him that beleeueth When wee seeme as it were in the whirle-pit of Despayre and are carryed by a violent streame of trouble wee know not whither and are constrayned to diue and plunge downe the water of affliction running ouer our soules yet the Lord will recouer vs and set our feet in a steady place If wee be cast downe so that wee can but scrawle vp againe if wee be so tyred of Sathan by temptations that yet wee can but kicke against him in affection if we can but open our lips and accuse him of malice before the Lord there is yet some hope of comfort to be found And in all our tryals and temptations wee must haue recourse to faithfull prayer that so the burthen thereof may eyther be remoued or at the least eased or wee better strengthened and inabled to sustaine the same Hope to a Christian in this life is as a staffe to a traueller section 17 in his iourney who leaneth to it and resteth vpon it shall hardly fall but shall flye aloft as the Eagles It is giuen to Hope to enter the garden of pleasures and thence to fetch all fragrant smels to season the bitternesse of our sorrowes whose nature is to glory in tryals It ouer-floweth with dainties in the pining Desart of this world Who is this that ascendeth from the Desart flowing with delights It esteemes not the losse of temporall goods for it is said of the Saints that they had sustayned with ioy the spoyling of their goods And whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none in earth with thee It bringeth rest in labour a shadow against the heate of tribulation ioy in mourning it sheweth vs life in death and heauen as it were in hell Hee may boldly giue saith one that hath so good a pawne and hee may be sure of heauen that hath the pledge of an assured Hope But Despayre is as a tree pulled vp by the rootes it is a bottomlesse gulfe out of which few or none returne that fall into it CHAP. IX The true knowledge and assured perswasion of the Resurrection of our bodyes much furthereth our chearefull resolution to Death section 1 NOW for as much as the fairest frame and building with all the prouision and preparation thereunto is nothing worth if the ground-worke and foundation be not sure and vnmoueable besides the abuse of the time costs and persons imployed about the same frustrating the purpose and end of the builder with the ruines of despayre So all that hath hitherto beene spoken of Life and Death of Heauen and Hell of Christians and Infidels of Faith and Hope and other furniture and prouision for the assured fruition of a blessed life is but spoken in the ayre and a fighting with our shadow if there be no sure demonstration of the vndoubted resurrection of our bodies For then saith the Apostle Paul our Preaching is in vaine our Faith in vaine Christ dyed in vaine all Religion in vaine the persecutions and sufferings of Gods children in vaine nay then let vs scoffingly conclude with Epicures and Atheists Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow wee shall dye But such euill words corrupt good manners I will therefore endeauour as much as in me lyeth to make it plaine
resurrection And shall we so lament our death which is so gainefull The very Pagans in some places as it is recorded did celebrate the day of their death with mirth melodie and minstrelcie and shall wee that are Christians be so dismaid and cast downe should such a friend as it is be vnwelcome shall the foulenesse of his face feare vs from his good conditions shall the hardnesse of the huske hinder vs from the sweetnesse of the kirnell shall the roughnesse of the tide feare vs from the banke and shoare and so hazard our drowning rather then the desire of our home driue vs to the land with all expedition shall the hardnesse of the saddle set vs on foote to slacken our voyage rather then wee will leape vp and endure the same a little and so come swiftly to the place wee doe desire section 18 Lastly touching the heauenly life prepared for the faithfull after death if I should goe about to expresse it the more I should so doe the further I should be from it so farre exceeding the sight thought or conceit of man or any creature Behold saith Saint Iohn the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and he their God and he shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor paine for the former things are past O most blessed tabernacle O most safe refuge O region most resplendant and glorious All thy inhabitants weare crownes of glory sit in thrones of maiestie liue in life eternall and possesse a paradise of infinite pleasures Which as Saint Bernard saith are so many that they cannot be numbred of such eternitie that they are endlesse so precious as they cannot be estimated and so great as they cannot be measured This Citie is made of pure gold the very wals of precious stones hauing twelue foundations made of twelue distinct precious stones hauing twelue gates set with pearles the very streetes paued with gold interlaied with precious stones The light of this citie is Christ in his shining brightnesse sitting in the midst thereof from whose seate proceedeth the water of life and there growes the tree of life bearing continuall fruit for the continuall refection of the Saints There is no night in that citie nor any defiled thing but they which are within shall raigne for euer in vnspeakeable glory who shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father If one Sunne can lighten and fill the whole world with section 19 his brightnes if the Maiestie glory of his beames be such and so great that some Ethnicks haue worshipt him for a God and haue called him the father of gladnes the eye of the world and the fountaine of light What shall so many glorified bodies of the blessed appeare that shall be as so many Sunnes so many Lampes and so many shining lights in heauen Then shall we be blessed indeede when we shall be like vnto God which by nature is blessed and we shall be like vnto God when we shall see him as hee is For this onely sight of God is our whole happinesse O what a ioy shall it be when at one view we shall behold the most high and hidden misterie of the inseparable trinitie and of the loue of God therein For what shall not he see who seeth him that seeth all things Then shall mans minde haue perpetuall rest and peace neither shall it desire any further vnderstanding when hee hath all before his eyes that may be vnderstood Then shall mans will be quiet when he enioyeth that felicitie wherein all other good things as in the fountaine of all happinesse are contained Then shall Faith haue her perfect worke Hope shall inioy that which she long desired but Charitie shall indure for euer Then shall be sung continuall praises vnto the Lambe the song although it be alwaies sung yet it shall be euer new The ioy mirth melodie pleasure power wealth riches honour beautie fellowship dainties odors glory wisedome knowledge treasures securities peace quietnesse and eternall felicitie is beyond all vnderstanding and comprehension of man which the faithfull shall haue and inioy world without end with God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost with Angels and Arkangels Patriarks and Prophets with the Apostles and Euangelists with the Martyrs and Confessors and with the Saints of God in the pallace of the Lord in heauen the kingdome of God the glory of the Father Where there shall be an euerlasting Saboath which no euening shall end section 20 There we shall rest and we shall see we shall see and we shall loue wee shall loue and wee shall praise Behold saith Augustine that which is in the end is without end for what other end is there ordained for the godly but to attaine to that kingdome which hath no end Wee call Paradise our Country and the Patriarks our Fathers and the Saints our brethren and friends Why runne we not then with all speede to enioy our Country and to salute our Parents A great number of our friends and kinsfolkes brethren and children already assured of their immortalitie and desirous of our good doe there attend wishing and expecting our comming What ioy will it be both to them and vs there to renew our acquaintance and meete one another What pleasures are there amongst the inhabitants of heauen which now feare death no more and are sure to liue for euer Woe to the blindnesse of our eyes that see not this woe to the hardnesse of our hearts that feele not this woe to the deafenesse of our eares that heare not this in such wise as we should do where through we might be so farre from fearing death that rather wee should wish it with old Simeon Now let thy seruant depart in peace and with Dauid when shall I come and appeare before thee section 21 If true knowledge and faith possest our hearts as they should feare and doubtfulnesse would vanish quite away For assurance of heauenly things maketh vs willing to part with earthly Hee cannot contemne this life that knoweth not the other If wee would dispise this world we must thinke of heauen If wee will make death easie we must thinke of the glorious life that followeth it And if we can endure paine for health much more should wee abide a few pangs for glory How foolish are wee to feare a vanquished enemie Christ hath triumphed ouer death it bleedeth as it were and gaspeth vnder vs and yet doe we tremble It is enough that Christ died neither would he haue died but that we might die with safetie and pleasure How truely may wee say of this our Dauid thou art worth ten thousand of vs yea worth a world of Angels yet he died and died for vs. Who would therefore liue that knowes his Sauiour died Who can be a Christian and would not