in vita aeterna cum Christo beatus qui non est in hac vita in Christo sanctus That is He shall never be happy with Christ in the life to come and eternall who is not in this life holy and sanctified in Christ It is well observed That man hath a Threefold being as namely First Esse naturae a Naturall being by birth Secondly Bene esse gratiae a well-being by grace by his new birth And Thirdly Optime esse gloriae his glorious being by death the same being an entrance into a life of glory These three being all of them specified by this ensuing place of Scripture c. Jesus answered and said unto him John 3.3 5 6 8. Verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdome of God Verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit The wind bloweth where it listeth John 14.2 3. and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit In my fathers house are many mansions I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also Fourthly Gen. 2. the Old Testament or the law sheweth unto us our miserable estate and condition we are in by sin and by the fall of our first parents in Paradise The New Testament or the Gospel sheweth unto us our happy estate and condition we are in by grace by the merits death and passion Resurrection and ascension of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ For now is Christ risen from the dead 1 Cor. 15.20 21 22. and become the first fruits of them that slept For since by man came death by man came also the Resurrection of the dead For as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive For the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. And sin when it is finished James 1.15 bringeth forth death As by the offence of one Rom. 5.18 19 20 21. Iudgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Moreover the Law entred that the offence might abound but where sin abounded grace did much more abound That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reign through righteousnesse by lesus Christ our Lord. Fifthly In the Old Testament we have many Prophecies and foretellings of Christ our Saviour to come In the new Testament or Gospel we have the joyfull newes and glad tidings of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ And hereupon one well saith The Gospel or the good spel because the Gospel bringeth us good and glad tidings of salvation in and by Iesus Christ And there were in the same country shepheards abiding in the field Luke 2.8 9 10 11 12. keeping watch over their flock by night And lo the Angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid And the Angel said unto them fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. And his name was called Jesus which was so named of the Angel before he was conceived in the wombe Behold Mat. 1.20 21 22 23. the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream saying Ioseph thou son of David fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wise for that which is conceived in her is of the holy Ghost And she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sins Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet saying Behold Isaiah 7.14 a Virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son and shall call his name Emmanuel which being interpreted is God with us And the word was made flesh John 1.14 and dwelt among us and we beheld the glory as of the onely begotten son of the father full of grace and truth Who 1 Pet. 1.20 verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you But when the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his son made of a woman and made under the Law To redeem them that were under the Law Gal. 4.4 5. that we might receive the adoption of sons Sixthly The Law tyeth us to an active obedience and due performance of all which the Law requireth to be done by us Dicit Lex hoc fac vive that is do and perform all this which is commanded and live Now therefore hearken O Israel Deut. 4.1 2. unto the statutes and unto the judgements which I teach you for to do them that ye may live and go in and possesse the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you Ye shall not adde unto the word which I command you neither shall ye diminish ought from it that ye may keep the commandements of the Lord your God which I command you What thing soever I command you Deut. 12.32 observe to do it thou shalt not adde thereunto nor diminish from it Ye shall do my judgements and keep mine ordinances Levit. 18.4 5. to walk therein I am the Lord your God Ye shall therefore keep my statutes Levit. 20.8 and my judgements which if a man do he shall live in them I am the Lord. And ye shall keep my statutes and do them I am the Lord which sanctifie you Therefore shall ye keep my commandements Levit. 22.31 and do them I am the Lord. But if thou wilt enter into life Mat. 19.17 keep the commandements Onely Joshua 1.8 9. be thou couragious that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee turn not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous then thou shalt have good successe Ye shall observe to do therefore Deut. 5.32 33. as the Lord your God
1 Iohn 3.14 because we love the Brethren He that loveth not his Brother abideth in death Be thou faithfull unto the death Rev. 2.10.11 and I will give Thee the Crown of life He that overcommeth shall not be hurt of the second death CHAP. VII Of the day of Judgement the same described with the fruits and effects thereof the same being called FIrst The day of the Lord. Secondly A day of Recompence Thirdly The great day of the Lord. Fourthly A day or time of Jacobs troubles Fifthly The evil day Sixthly The day of the Lords wrath Seventhly A day of wrath of trouble destruction and of desolation Eighthly A day in which the whole land shall be devoured with the fire of Gods jealousie Ninthly A day of darknesse of gloominesse of clouds and thick darknesse Tenthly A great and terrible day who can abide it Eleventhly A day from the which nothing can deliver us neither silver nor gold nor any thing else Twelfthly A day that will cause all the inhabitants of the land to tremble for the day of the Lord cometh it is nigh at hand Thirteenthly A terrible and a fearfull day to the wicked by reason of the sentence of malediction and condemnation then to be pronounced against them of Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire But Fourteenthly A day of joy and happinesse unto the godly and elect by reason of the sentence of approbation and benediction then to be pronounced for their endlesse comfort of Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you The great day of the Lord is near Zeph. 1.14 15. and hasteth greatly even the voice of the day of the Lord. That day is a day of wrath a day of trouble and distresse a day of wastnesse and desolation a day of darknesse and of gloominesse a day of clouds and thick darknesse Alas Jer. 30.7 for that day is great so that none is like it it is even the time of Jacobs trouble but he shall be saved out of it Let all the inhabitants of the land Joel 2.1 tremble for the day of the Lord cometh it is nigh at hand Behold the day of the Lord cometh Isaiah 13.9 cruel both with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land desolate he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it For the starrs of heaven Isaiah 13.10 13. and the constellations thereof shall not give their light the sun shall be darkened in his going forth and the moon shall not cause her light to shine I will shake the heavens and the earth shall remove out of her place in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of his fierce anger A voice of noise from the city Isaiah 66.6 a voice from the temple a voice of the Lord that rendreth recompence to his enemies The dayes of visitation are come Hosea 9.7 the dayes of recompence are come A day of darkness and of gloominess Joel 2.2 11. a day of clouds and thick darknesse And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army for his camp is very great for he is strong that executeth his word for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible and who can abide it Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God Ephes 6.13 that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night 1 Thess 5.2 For the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night 2 Pet. 3.10 in the which the heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up The angels which kept not their first state Jude 6. he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse unto the Judgement of the great day Behold Revel 1.7 he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which have pierced him Neither their silver Zeph. 1.18 nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lords wrath but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousie for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land They shall cast their silver in the streets Ezek. 7.19 and their gold shall be removed their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. For all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousie Zeph. 3.8 Again Of the day of Iudgement or the last day the same described Of the day of Judgement or the last day by wonders shewed in the heavens and in the earth Bloud and fire and pillars of smoke The sun turned into darknesse the moon into bloud Joel 2.30 31 32. Called the great and terrible day of the Lord with the joy and comfort then of Gods elect and they which call upon the name of the Lord they shall be then saved and delivered And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth bloud and fire and pillars of smoke The sun shall be turned into darknesse and the moon into bloud before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered Thrust in thy sickle and reap Revel 14 15. for the time is come for thee to reap for the harvest of the earth is ripe Put ye in the sickle Joel 3.13 14 15 16 17. for the harvest is ripe come get you down for the presse is full the fats overflow for their wickednesse is great Multitudes multitudes in the valley of decision for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision The sun and the moon shall be darkned and the starrs shall withdraw their shining The Lord also shall rore out of Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem and the heavens and the earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of Israel So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion my holy mountain The Lord will rore from Zion Amos 1.2 and utter his voice from Jerusalem Therefore prophesie thou against them all these words Jer. 25.30 31. and say unto them The Lord shall rore from on high and utter his voice from his holy habitation he shall mightily rore upon his habitation he shall give a shout as they that tread the grapes against all the inhabitants of the earth A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth for the Lord hath a controversie with the Nations he will plead with all flesh he will give them that are wicked to the sword saith the Lord. For I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth Jer. 25.29 saith
and bind on thy sandals and so he did and he saith unto him Cast thy garment about thee and follow me And he went out and followed him By Prayer the 3 Children Dan. 3.16 17 18 19 21 24. Shadrach Meshack and Abednego being cast bound into the midst of the fiery furnace were by God preserved and delivered from the flames of fire Shadrach Meshack and Abednego answered and said to the King O Nebuchadnezzar we are not carefull to answer thee in this matter If it be so Be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the golden Image thou hast set up Then was Nebuchadnezzar ful of fury therefore he spake and commanded that they should heat the furnace one 7 times more that it was wont to be heat Then these men were bound in their coats their hosen and their hats and their other garments were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace Then the King was astonied and rose up in hast and spake and said unto his Counsellors Did not we cast 3 men bound into the midst of the fire they answered said to him True O King He answered and said Lo I see 4 men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the 4th is like the Son of God And the Princes governors and captains and the Kings Counsellors being gathered together saw these men upon whom the fire had no power nor was an hair of their head singed neither were their coats changed nor the smell of fire had passed on them When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee Isa 43 2 3 and 11. I even I am the Lord and besides me there is no Saviour and through the Rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee For I am the Lord thy God the holy one of Israel thy Saviour All these were deliver'd by the powerfulness of prayer prevailing with God By Prayer Jacob the night before he did meet with his brother Esau wrestled with the Angel by his earnestness and importunity of his prayer he at the last therby so far prevailed with him as that he obtained a blessing from him and his Brother Esau was appeased towards him which made him greatly to rejoyce And Iacob was left alone Gen. 32.24 to 28. and there wrestled a man with him untill the breaking of the day and he said let me go for the day breaketh he said I wil not let thee go except thou bless me And he said unto him What is thy name and he said Jacob. And he said Thy name shall be called no more Jacob but Israel for as a Prince hast thou power with God and with man and hast prevailed And Esau ran to meet him and embraced him Gen. 33.4 10. and fell on his neck and kissed him and they wept And Iacob said I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God and thou wast pleased with me He took his Brother by the heel in the wombe Hos 12.3 4 5. and by his strength he had power with God Yea he had power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplication unto him he found him in Bethel and there he spoke with us Even the Lord God of Hosts the Lord is his memorial By Prayer Moses for the children of Israel prevailed against Amalek and overehrew him And Moses said unto Joshua Exod. 17.9 10 11. chuse us out men and go out and fight with Amalek to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand So Joshua did as Moses had said unto him and fought with Aamalek and Moses Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the Hill And it came to pass when Moses held up his hand that Israel prevailed and when he let it down Amalek prevailed Ioshua obtained from the Lord that the Sun and Moon should stand still in the firmament Iosh 10.8 10 12 13 14. whiles that he avenged himself on his enemies the Amorites And the Lord said unto Joshua Fear them not for I have delivered them into thine hand And the Lord discomfited them before Israel Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel and he said in the sight of Israel Sun stand still upon Gibeon and thou Moon in the Valley of Aialon And the sun stood still and the Moon stayed untill the People had avenged themselves So the sun stood still in the midst of Heaven and hasted not to go down about a whole day And there was no day like that before it or after it that the Lord hearkned unto the voice of a man for the Lord fought for Israel By Prayer Elijah brought down fire from Heaven which consumed the burnt-Sacrifice to the convincing of Baals Prophets Hear me O Lord Kings 18.17.38 39. Elijahs Prayer hear me that this people may know that thou art the Lord God and that thou hast turned their heart back again Then the fire of the Lord fell consumed the burnt sacrifice the wood and the stones the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench And when all the people saw it they fell on their faces and they said The Lord he is God the Lord he is God By Prayer Elijah brought down fire twice from Heaven and consumed the 2 Captains with their several fifties comming unto him with a message from Ahaziah King of Samaria Then the King sent unto him a Captain of fifty 2 Kings 1.9 11 12. with his fifty and he went up to him and behold he sate upon the top of an hill and he spoke unto him Thou man of God the King hath said come down And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty If I be a man of God then let fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty and there came down fire from heaven and consumed him and his fifty Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty and he answered and said unto him O man of God thus hath the king said come down quickly And Elijah answered and said unto them If I be a man of God let fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty and the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty By prayer 1 Kin. 17.21 22. Elijah raised the widows son from death to life again And he cried unto the Lord and said I pray thee let this childs soul come into him again And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah and the soul of the child came into him again and he revived By prayer Elisha caused the waters of Jordan to be divided smiting of them with the mantle which fell from
as the bed Nothing more resembles our resurrection than our awaking and rising again in the morning This ought to put us daily in mind of our death and resurrection Et Lathi consanguineus sopor Virgil. ut Virgil. Sleep is a Cousin of death Speculum mortis somnnm Tertullian ut Tertullian Sleep is a very spectacle of death Quoties dormis vigilas toties morieris resurgis As often as thou sleepest and awakest again so often by way of resemblance dost thou dye and rise again as a Father observeth Dies iste Seneca quem tanquam extremum reformidas aeterni natalis est ut Seneca That day which thou so much fearest as being thy last day the same day for thy joy and comfort is thy everlasting birth-day Cur igitur doles Tertullian de patientia si periisse non credis ut Tertullian De patientia Why dost thou therefore grieve and lament to think of this thy last day if thou dost believe thou shalt not perish thereby We have rather cause of rejoycing when we think of this our last day of the day of our death the same being the day of our happy change All the daies of my appointed time Iob 14.14 will I wait till my change come Ultimus optimus medicus morberum etiam immedicabilium est mors Aeschilus ut Aeschilus Death is the last and the best Physitian and that of incurable diseases Mors aeterna quies ut Pater Aerumnarum requies mors Death brings us to our everlasting rest and puts an end unto all our miseries The antient Counsels termed the blessed Sacrament Or Viaticum morientis Viaticum Aeternitatis A blessed bate that the devout Soul useth to take in this life when he is even ready to travell for the other life It is very memorably observed by Nazianzen of St. Basil Nazianzen of S. Basil that in his life time he desired that when death came he might be so happy as in the ending of his daies to die with some divine sentence of piety in his mouth at the instant before his death Death is as a Father observeth a passage from Earth to Heaven from a World of endless miseries here to a happy Heaven of everlasting happiness in Heaven And he said unto Iesus Luke 23.42 43. Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdom And Iesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Death as one observeth is a temporary separation of the Soul from the body A location or placing of the body in the Earth from whence it was taken and there to remain till the last day the day of Iudgement being the day of the happy re-uniting of the Soul and Body together again And a translation of the Soul and Spirit of man unto God that gave it who at the first breathed into him the breath of life And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground Gen. 2 7. and breathed into his Nostrils the breath of life and man became a living Soul All in whose Nostrils was the breath of life Gen. 7.22 In the sweat of thy face Gen. 3.19 shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the Ground for out of it was thou taken for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou teturn Cease ye from man Isaiah 2.22 whose breath is in his Nostrils All flesh shall perish together Iob 34.15 and Man shall turn again unto the dust His breath goeth forth Psal 146.4 he returneth to his earth All are of the dust Eccles 3.20 and all turn to dust again Thou takest away their breath Ps 104 29. they dye and return to their dust The Lord created man Ecclus. 7.8 of the earth and turned him into it again Then shall the Dust return to the earth as it was Eccles 12.7 and the Spirit shall return unto GOd who gave it I also am formed out of the clay Iob 33.6 But now O Lord Isaiah 64.8 thou art our Father and we are the clay These and such like meditations cannot choose but make the thought of death to be very happy and comfortable unto us A good name is better than pretious ointment Eccles 12.1 and the day of death than the day of ones birth A promise of Gods mercy A Promise of Gods mercy to comfort us against the day of our death For thou hast delivered my Soul from death Psalm 56.13 I will ransome them from the power of the grave Hosea 13.14 I will redeem them from death O death I will be thy plague O grave I will be thy destruction Verily Iohn 5.24 verily I say unto you He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life He will swallow me up in victory Isaiah 25.8 9. and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth for the Lord hath spoken it And it shall be said in that day Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation For thou hast delivered my Soul from death Psal 116.8 mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling For the Lambe which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them Rev. 7 17. and shall lead them unto living Fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes Rev. 21.4 and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away But we had the sentence of death in our selves 2 Cor. 1.9 10. that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raised the dead who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will deliver us 2 Tim. 2.19 The Lord knoweth them that are his Who hath saved us 2 Tim. 1.9 10. and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Iesus before the world began But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Iesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel Forasmuch then as the Chlidren are partakers of flesh and blood Heb. 2.14 15. he also himself took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of Death that is the Devil And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage We know that we have passed from death unto life
A GOLDEN-CHAIN OR A MISCELANY OF DIVINE SENTENCES Of the Sacred SCRIPTVRES And of other Authors Collected and linked together for the souls comfort By EDWARD BULSTRODE of the Inner-Temple Esquire Lex Christi est Lux Christiana LONDON Printed by F.L. for W. Lee D. Pakeman and G. Bedel and are to be sold at their shops in Fleetstreet 1657 To the RIGHT HONOURABLE Sir Bulstrode Whitlock Knight One of the Lords Commissioners of his Highnesse Treasury and Speaker pro Tempore of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland Right Honourable IT is a generall Scandall upon what grounds I know not thrown upon the Professours of the Law especially in this age that the practicall knowledge of the Lawes of God and of our own Nation do seldome meet together in one person whereby they seem to put an incompatibility of devotion and sanctity into the life of Lawyers whereas Religigion is sutable with all sorts of vocations and he that is not Bonus Theologus as to himself and that does not make Religion his Primum and his Ultimum can never be well fitted for any Profession whatsoever It is true in the Creation God commanded the Plants to bring forth their fruits every one according to its kind and so he commands all Christians who are living Plants of his Church to bring forth fruits of Devotion every one in his quality and vocation For at ought to be differently exercised by different men and the practice of it must be accommodated to the capacity and imployments of each particular person and when Religion is not sutable with the lawfull vocation of any man then without doubt that Religion is false For true Godlinesse is so farr from prejudicing any imployment that it adorns and beautifies it all persons becoming more acceptable in their vocation joyning it with true devotion And as knowledge is the glory of a man so Divine knowledge is the glory of a Christian especially that of sacred Scripture which is most sublime and makes a Christian happy to salvation The Brick and Straw of Egypt is not comparable to the Gold and Silver Vessels in the Temple neither are Divine Instructions borrowed from Humane Learning to be compared with the inestimable value of those golden Precepts contained in holy Scriptures For this cause my Lord have I linckt together this Chain of Golden Sentences out of the holy Scriptures and gathered this handfull of Flowers out of that Garden of Paradise to present to your Lordships hands which if your Lordship please sometimes to smell unto I doubt not but they may yeeld some fragrancy and sweetnesse For the written Word of God affords extraordinary sweetnesse chearing a breast full of perplexities the power of it reforming the disordered lives of men and snatching us from the gates of death to eternity And since God himself in the Old Testament commands us and Christ in the New enjoyns us to read his holy Word and to search the Scripture I have therefore in the first place made choice of those places of Scripture that concern our hearing and reading the word of God the knowledge of which fully understood and conscionably practised is or should be the main and principall end of every true Christians endeavour I have likewise observed the severall texts concerning the severall Books mentioned in Scripture and the difference betwixt the Old and New Testament and of the necessity of the Virtue and the Benefits of Prayer And that we may with more ease digest those inconveniencies and distresses which we have been acquainted with and which do daily threaten worse unto us I have therefore produced severall Scriptures concerning afflictions and the benefit of them if seriously considered For how can a man suffer his heart to be dejected at the privation of any temporall blessings or at the load of any afflictions which God shall lay upon him if he consider the vanity of the first Gods Justice in imposing the last and that nothing is worth his serious thoughts but what may accompany him to the Mansions of Eternity Certainly if we seriously reflect upon the excellency of our own nature and think upon that happy estate which we shall arrive unto if we make the Law of God our meditation day and night we shall then wean and take off our affections from this world the cares whereof do very much clog our souls flight to heaven and tedder us here below I must confesse prosperity is a great blessing of God and duely used is no mean advantage both to ones self and others yet if the hand that gave shall take away we must not repine at what God formerly lent us and thinks not fit any longer to permit us the use of In the next place since our whole life ought to be a continuall preparation for death I have collected many meditations concerning it And since to perform any action well a man must propose the end of that action to himself and since of all mans actions the government of himself in relation to his future estate is most important and neerliest concerning him a mans being in this life being but instrumentally good as being the means for him to be well in the next I have in the last place observed some things concerning the day of Judgement and the happinesse we expect in the life to come For there remains an eternity to us after the short revolution of time we so swiftly run over here on earth and all that which in this world we call happinesse is not valuable in respect of the future nor is any thing we do here considerable otherwise then as it conduceth to our eternall well-being hereafter And thus having given your Lordship an account of this small Tract I must beg your Lordships pardon for putting your name in the Front of it being I fear an undervaluing your Lordship to prefix your name to so slender a piece but it being a right hand errour I hope it will be lookt upon the more favourably by your Lordship my obligations to your Lordship being so many great that I am bereft of all other means of shewing my thankfulnesse but by laying hold of any opportunity of subscribing my self My Lord Your Lordships most faithfull and humble Servant Edward Bulstrode The heads of the following Chapters CHAP. I. TOuching the sacred Word of God with certain directory rules and observations to be made use of for the more profitable and better understanding thereof when we read or hear the same And herein is set forth and shewed First How that the constant and frequent reading and hearing of the Word of God is a duty and service commanded and enjoyned us by God himself Fol. 1. Secondly How we are to fit and prepare our selves for the due performance of these so religious duties by our prayers unto God for his blessing thereon 5. And herein four observations are set down for our better direction in the reading of the
our life here is a way-fare 118 119. That our life here is full of troubles calamities and dangers from the highest even unto the lowest 118 119. That our life here is also as a race wherein we must be running and not stand at a stay 119 120. Thirdly that our life here is a warr-fare and our weapons spirituall 120 121. What this our spirituall armour is 120 121 122. Here is also set down the fourfold condition of man 122 123. Of the vanity and infelicity of man in his first entrance into this world and during the whole time of his continuance here nothing but full of misery 122 123 124. That man sucks misery even from his nurses teat with examples of this 123. That mans life is nothing but misery a pattern of infelicity miserable in his conception nothing but misery in his whole life 124. That afflictions come not forth of the dust 124. That man is born unto trouble 125. That no man can assure himself of living till the morrow 125. That man is to account of every day as his last day 125. That not to be born by some held to be best or being born soon to dye 126. Directory rules how to live 126 127. That man is to erect his thoughts to a higher pitch than that which is humane 127. Better for a man not to be born than not to be regenerated 127. That our life here is nothing without the happinesse of life eternall hereafter 128. S. Bernards prayer 128. That no Justification is by the works of the Law but by faith in Christ 129. That our life here is the way by which we do hasten to our end 130. That as the hour so our life passeth away 130. That we must be carefull how we live necessity enforceth us so to do with the reason thereof 130. We came into the world that we may go out of the world 130 131. That our life here ought to be a preparation for death 131. That every moment in our life is a motion towards death 131. Here is set down a Rule to be observed in the whole course of our life 131. That we are to come as near good men as we can 131. That we are to live in that condition in which we would not be afraid to die 131. A good life the cause of a happy death 132. Our life here ought to be a preparation for death in our life we are to foresee death 132. Here is also set forth the comparison of Death unto the Basilisk and the reason thereof 132. That in life we ought to foresee death if in death we desire to enjoy life everlasting 132. That the whole life of the wicked is sin 132 133. S. Augustins prayer to God to lay on him here in this life what torments he would so as he reserved for him life eternall after this life ended 133. Here is also set forth the life of man and whereunto the same is compared by reason of the frailty thereof 133 134 135 136 137. That we are to number our dayes that so we may learn to apply our hearts to wisdome 135. We ought not to conclude of any thing for the time to come without this saying if the Lord will and we live we will do this or that 136. That no man is sure of his life 137. Here is also set forth the frailty mutability and incertainty of the life of man here in this world being attended with so many miseries and calamities 137 138. That the consideration of this should make us not to desire any long continuance here but the contrary with the hope of the fruition of a better life hereafter 138. That all the enjoyments here in this life are nothing but vanity 138. That the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep his commandements 138. Here is also set forth life eternall and the giver thereof 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145. Touching the two Domestick keepers of our souls sc shamefastnesse and fear 141. Touching the two props or pillars of our lives here sc care and fear 141 142 143. Secondly concerning death and how we are to fit and prepare our selves for the same with the reasons thereof 143. To whom the remembrance of death is bitter and to whom not 143 144. Not to fear the sentence of death with the reason thereof 143 144. That the wages of sin is death 145. That every day a part of our life is cut off 145. The six things to be specially remembred by us 145 146. That in Adam all die but in Christ all are made alive 146. That the sting of death is sin 146. That death is compared to a quiet sleep and wherefore 146 147. Not to be troubled at the thought of death the reason thereos 147. Than death nothing more certain than the time when nothing more uncertain 147 148 149. The meditation of Seneca upon the certainty of death very observable with the fruits of the same 148 149. To whom death is as a refreshing and again to whom it is as a punshment and dammage 149 150. That to die the death of the righteous he who desires this ought to live the life of the righteous 150. The difference between the life of a godly man and the life of a worldling 150 151. That we ought at all times and in all places both young and old to fit and prepare our selves for death with the reason wherefore 152 153. That nothing is more available than the meditation of our mortality 153 154. That we ought so to live every day as if we were even then to come to Judgement and to account of every day as our last day 154 155. What it is to die well even to die willingly and not to fear death with the reason why 155 156 157. The saying of holy Hillarion on his death bed being fearfull to die 156. That death is a port or haven by which we passe to joy it is the way of all flesh hereupon the saying of Xerxes is observable 157. That we ought so to live here as that we may enjoy life eternall hereafter 157 158. That death is but as a passage to life and as a sleep not death 158. That all things by perishing are kept alive as the corn it dies and springs again with a comparison of this unto our death and resurrection death being as a passage unto our resurrection 158 159. S. Augustins observation touching the Resurrection of Christ 159. That death is the gate unto life a speedy course and passage to heaven and a happy sleep 160 161. That death to the godly is the port and haven of health and happinesse 161 162. That death conjoyns but life doth separate us from Christ 161 162. That the highest did ascend and descend the reason thereof and the fruits we have thereby 162 163. That it is the part of a wise man to prepare for death by continuall meditation thereon 163 164. To be
willing to die considering that the godly by death are called to rest but the wicked to punishment 164. The difference between the hope of the wicked and of the godly 164 165. Nothing more profitable than the thought of mortality 165 166. Why the day of our death is kept from us 166. That a mans death shall be as his life is 166 167. That the day of Judgement may be long before it come but the day of death not so and the reason 167. By meditation on death to make the same familiar to us 167. That our whole life ought to be a learning to die 167. That death puts an end to all sorrows 168 169 170. That life is a passage to death and death a return to life 168 169. Touching our comfort in death by Christ his overcoming of death 169. That sleep is a resemblance of death the bed of the grave our rising again of our resurrection 169 170. That the day of our death is as our everlasting birth day 170. We are not to grieve at the thought of death but rather to rejoyce 170 171. The Sacrament called viaticum Aeternitatis or morientis 171. The desire of Nazianzen to die with some sentence of piety by him uttered at that time 171. That death is a passage from earth to heaven 171 172. That death is a separation of the soul from the body a location of the body in the earth and a translation of the soul to God 172 173. That man is of the dust and to dust to return 172 173. That the thought of death ought to be comfortable in regard of Gods mercy promised 173 174 175 176. CHAP. VII Of the day of Judgement the same described with the fruits and effects thereof 177. The severall appellations of the day of Judgement 177 178 179. The terriblenesse of the day of Judgement with the manner thereof 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189. Touching the manner of our change at the day of Judgement 187 188. That God will deliver his in the day of Judgement 188. That because man was so wicked God made the dumb creatures to take part of the punishment with him 189 190. A Sermon preached upon this text 2 Cor. 5.10 For we must all appear before the Judgement-seat of Christ 195. ERRATA Fol. 31. line 1. these words omitted nisi introspieere in mentem suam 51. l. 29. that for the 54. l. 1. the first all too much 83. l. 6. that too much 87. l. 16. dignitio tua for est dignatio tua 88. l. 1. serio for serious 112. l. 1. not too much 121. l. last word for sword 124. l. 7.8.9 read morbidus putridus cassus auspicatus 125. l. 3. dives for dies and l. 13. is to be left out 128. l. 3 4. melior for melius 136. l. 7. shall too much 141. l. 28. distinction for direction 144. l. 22 moriamini for moriâ—mini l. 27. O nqnom for O nequam 148. l. 21. ereunti for exennti 156. l. 24. quod for quid 159. l. 14. provectio for profectio 161. l. 17. bono for bona l. 26. sciet for sociat 162. l. 7. transgradimur for trunsgredimur and l. 10. temporali itinere de cursa for temporalis itineris decursu 165. l. 20. jubat for jubet 170. l. 5. somnum for somnus or somnium In the Sermon 2. division the generality of the Judgement we must all appear here to be left on t the 3. division the severity of the Judgement in this word appear here to be added CHAP. I. Touching the sacred word of God with certain directory Rules and observations by way of Caveats to be made use of for the more profitable and better understanding of the holy Scriptures and sacred word of God whensoever we do either read or hear the same preached unto us FIrst the constant and frequent reading and hearing of the Word of God and the due meditation thereon is a duty and service commanded us by God himself and by him enjoyned to be duely and carefully performed by us with his good blessings promised if we so do and his ensuing judgements threatned if we neglect the same all which appeareth by many places of Scripture Deut. chap. 11. vers 18.19.20.21 Ye shall lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul and bind them for a signe upon your hand that they may be as frontlets between your eyes And ye shall teach them your children speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way when thou liest down and when thou risest up And thou shalt write them upon the doore posts of thine house and upon thy gates That your dayes may be multiplied and the dayes of your children in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them as the dayes of heaven upon the earth Observe Deuteronomie chap. 12. vers 28. and hear all these words which I command thee that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee for ever when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the Lord thy God And it shall be Deuteronomie chap 17. vers 18.19 when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdome that he shall write him a copy of this Law in a book And it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of this law and these statutes to do them And Moses wrote this law Deuteronomie chap. 31. vers 9 10 11 12. and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi. And Moses commanded them saying Gather the people together men and women and children and the stranger that is within thy gates that they may hear and that they may learn and fear the Lord your God and observe to do all the words of this law But the word is very nigh unto thee Deuteronomie ch 30. vers 14. in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest do it The word is nigh thee Romans ch 10. ver 8. even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth Joshua chap. 8. vers 8. but thou shalt meditate therein night and day that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good successe Whoso despiseth the word Prov. 13.13 shall be destroyed but he that feareth the commandement shall be rewarded I have sent unto you all my servants the prophets Jeremiah cha 7. ver 25 26. daily rising up early and sending them Yet they hearkened not nor enclined their eare but hardened their neck they did worse than their fathers How do ye say Jeremiah cha 8. ver 8.9 we are wise and
mouth The word of God is quick and powerfull Hebrews chap. 4. ver 52. and sharper than any two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart And he was clothed with a vesture dipt in bloud Revelation chap. 19. ver 13. and his name is called the word of God As for me Isaiah cha 29. ver 21. this is my covenant with them saith the Lord my spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever Blessed are they that hear the word of God Luke chap. 11. ver 28. and keep it Receive with meeknesse James chap. 1. ver 21. the engrafted word of God which is able to save your souls Keep therefore Deuteronomy chap. 29. ver 9. the words of this covenant and do them that so ye may prosper in all that ye do As new born babes 1 Peter chap. 2. ver 2. desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Verily John chap. 5. ver 24. verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life The word of God The word of God the word of Reconciliation 2 Corinthians chap. 5. ver 18.19 called the word of Reconciliation And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Iesus Christ and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation The word of God called the word of truth The word of God the word of Truth Ephesians cha 1. ver 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise The word of God called the word of life The word of God the word of life Philippians chap. 2. ver 16. Holding forth the word of life that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain neither laboured in vain The word called the word of Christ The word called the word of Christ Collossians chap. 3. ver 16. The word called the faithfull word of God Titus chap. 1. ver 9. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdome The word called the faithfull word of God Holding fast the faithfull word of God as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers Thy word have I hid in my heart Psal 119. ver 11. and 42. that I might not sin against thee So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reprocheth me for I trust in thy word So then faith cometh by hearing Romans ch 10. ver 17. and hearing by the word of God Fourthly In our reading and hearing of the word of God and in our meditations thereon the due consideration of all this ought to stirre up in us a love unto the same and a rejoycing therein as by these ensuing places of Scripture may appear I rejoyce at thy word Psal 119. ver 162. Jeremiah cha 15. ver 16. as one that findeth great spoil Thy words were sound and I did eat them and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoycing of my heart for I am called by thy name O Lord God of hosts Lord Psal 26. ver 8. I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth I was glad when they said unto me Psal 122. ver 1. Let us go into the house of the Lord. For a day in thy Courts is better than a thousand Psalm 84. ver 10. I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickednesse O how I love thy law Psalm 119. ver 97.127 it is my meditation all the day Therefore I love thy commandements above gold yea above fine gold I delight to do thy will Psal 40. ver 8. O my God yea thy law is within my heart Fifthly These precedent observations being thus made use of by us the word of God which we have thus read heard and meditated on will then doubtlesse be a constant and a perpetuall comfort unto us at all times both in life and death Be thou faithfull unto death Revelation chap. 2. ver 10. and I will give thee a crown of life CHAP. II. Of the severall Books mentioned in the Scriptures THine eyes did see my substance Psal 139. ver 16. yet being unperfect and in thy Book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them Then they that feared the Lord Malachie chap. 3. ver 16 17 18. spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a Book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name And they shall be mine The difference between the wicked and the righteous in the day of Judgment saith the Lord of hosts when I make up my Iewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Thou tellest my wandrings Psal 56. ver 8. put thou my teares into thy bottle are they not in thy book And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book Isaiah cha 29. ver 18. Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read Isaiah cha 34. ver 16. And at that time shall Michael stand up the great prince Daniel cha 12. ver 1. which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be delivered every one that shall be found written in the book And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake Daniel cha 12. ver 2 3. some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt And they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousnesse as the starres for ever and ever A fiery stream issued Daniel cha 7. ver 10. and came forth from before him thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him the Iudgement was
hath commanded you Ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left You shall walk in all the wayes which the Lord your God hath commanded you that ye may live and that it may be well with you and that ye may prolong your dayes in the land which ye shall possesse And the Lord shall make thee the head and not the tail Deut. 28.13 14. and thou shalt be above onely and thou shalt not be beneath if thou hearken unto the commandements of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day to observe and to do them And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day to the right hand or to to the left to go after other gods to serve them For not the hearers of the law Rom. 2.13 are just before God but doers of the Law shall be justified And I gave them my statutes Ezek. 20.11 and shewed them my judgements which if a man do he shall even live in them For Moses describeth the righteousnesse of the Law Rom. 10.5 which is of the Law that the man which doth those things shall live by them For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse Gal. 3.10 12. for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them And the Law is not of faith but the man that doth them shall live in them Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them Deut. 27.26 and all the people shall say Amen The Gospel tyeth us onely to believe aright in God and in his son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The Gospel onely looks upon the eye of our faith that we believe the promises of God made unto us in Christ Jesus and that we lay hold on him make particular application of the benefits of his sufferings death and passion Resurrecton and ascension unto our souls by a true and lively faith And this is all we are commanded and enjoyned to do and perform by the Gospel and New Testament Whereupon it was well said by one Dicit Evangelium Crede hoc vive that is Onely believe all this and thou shalt live He that believeth Mark 16.16 and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned And he said unto her Luke 8.48 Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole go in peace Straightway Mark 9.24 the father of the child cried out and said with tears Lord I believe help mine unbelief And a woman having an issue of bloud twelve yeares Luke 8.43 44. which had spent all her living upon Physicians neither could be healed of any Came behind him and touched the border of his garment and immediately her issue of bloud stenched For she said within her self Matthew 9.21 if I may but touch his garment I shall be whole And Jesus said who touched me Luke 8.45 46. when all denied Peter and they that were with him said The multitude throng thee and press thee and sayest thou who touched me And Iesus said Some body hath touched me for I perceive that vertue is gone out of me And when the woman saw that she was not hid she came trembling Luke 8.47 48 and falling down before him she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed immediately But Iesus turned him about Matth. 9.22 and when he saw her he said Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole and the woman was made whole from that houre Hereupon St. St. Augustin Augustin observeth thus much upon this place Cum de morbo in morbum laborasset cum de morbo desperato tunc accessit tetigit sanata est When she laboured of a great disease and of such a disease that was even desperate then even then she came unto our Saviour Iesus Christ she touched the hemme of his garment and she was immediately healed and made whole And again as touching the words of Christ who hath touched me Cum omnes te tangunt indifferenter quomodo quaeris quis specialiter te tangit as one observeth When all men do alike indifferently touch thee wherefore dost thou enquire and ask who harh specially touched thee Thus and in this manner tangere Christum to touch Christ as a Father well observeth this was tactus fidei the touch of her faith And he said unto her Luke 8.48 Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole go in peace St. S. Augustin Augustine upon this former place sheweth two reasons why Christ our Saviour used this before-recited form of speech Prime ut mulierem ad confessionem traheret First that he might hereby draw the woman to a confession of what she had done and for what cause she did it Secundo ut timorem mulierit probaret Secondly that he might hereby prove the fear and try the faith of the woman And he said to the woman Luke 7.50 thy faith hath saved thee go in peace And said unto him Arise go thy way thy faith hath made thee whole This spoken to the Samaritan Luke 17.19 a leper being cleansed and returned to give thanks And Iesus said unto him Luke 18.42 Receive thy sight thy faith hath saved thee But as many as received him John 17.12 to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wildernesse John 3.14 15. even so must the son of man be lifted up That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternall life God so loved the world John 3.16 17 36. that he gave his onely begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternall life For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved He that believeth on the Son John 11.25 26. hath life everlasting and he that believeth not the son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Iesus said I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die To him give all the Prophets witnesse Acts 10.43 that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Be it known unto you therefore Acts 13.38 39. men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenesse of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses And we believe Acts 15.11 that through the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ we shall
be saved And they said Acts. 16.41 Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ Rom. 1.16 17 18. for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth For therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by faith But the just shall live by his faith Habakkuk 2.4 Hebrews 10.38 Gal. 3.11 Now the just shall live by faith But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by faith But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin Gal. 3 22 23. that the promise by faith of Christ Iesus might be given to them that believe But before faith came we were kept under the law shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed By the deeds of the law Rom. 3.20 21 22. there shall no flesh be justified in his fight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin But now the righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested by the Law and the prophets Even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe For all have sinned Rom. 3.23 24 25 26. and come short of the glory of God Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God That he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Iesus To him that worketh nor Rom. 4.5 but beliveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Being justified by faith Rom. 5.1 2. we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ By whom also we have accesse by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus Rem 8.1 2. Who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit For the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the lâ—w of sin and death For Christ is the end of the law Rom. 10.4 for righteousness to every one that believeth The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart Rom. 10.8 9 10 11. that is the Word of Faith which we preach That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth Confession is made unto salvation For the Scripture saith Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed Whatsoever is not of Faith Rom. 14.23 is sin And whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed Rom. 9.33 It pleased God 1 Cor. 1.21 by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe For we walk by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 not by sight I live yet not I Gal. 2.20 but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me They which be of faith are blessed Gal. 3.9 26. with faithfull Abraham For ye are all the Children of God by faith in Christ Iesus In whom also Ephes 1.13 14. after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance For by Grace are ye saved through Faith Ephes 2.8 and not of your selves it is the gift of God For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again 1 Thess 4.14 even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him Above all things take the shield of Faith Wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the wicked Ephes 1.16 17. Watch ye 1 Cor. 16.13 stand fast in the Faith quit you like men be strong And to whom swore he Heb. 3.18 19 that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief Let us draw near with a true heart Heb. 10.22.23 in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure water Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithfull that promised Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 the evidence of things not seen But without Faith it is impossible to please him Heb. 11.6 for he that commeth to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him The whole Chapter being special instances of Faith Of the great Power of faith in the true Servants of God who shewed the powerfullnesse of Faith in general and of their Faith in particular Looking unto Jesus Heb. 12.2 the Author and finisher of our Faith Receiving the end of your Faith 1 Pet. 1.9 20. even the salvation of your Souls Who by him do believe in God that raised him from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God Be thou faithfull unto the death Rev. 2.10 and I will give thee the Crown of life Hence is the patience of the Saints Rev. 14.12 here are they that keep that Commandements of God and the faith of Iesus Seventhly Again Christus in veteri Testamaento est velatus Sed in novo Testamento Christus est nobis revelatus Christ in the Old Testament was hid and covered as it were under a veil and was only shadowed out unto us But in the New Testament Christ is there manisestly revealed unto us and the veil of the old Testament by him taken away 2 Cor. 3.13 14 15. And not as Moses which put a veil over his face that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished But their minds were blinded for untill this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old Testament which veil is done away in Christ But even to this day when Moses is read the veil is upon their hearts Nevertheless where they shall turn to the Lord the veil shall be taken away And without controversie 1 Tim. 3.16 great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world and received up into glory In the beginning was the Word Iohn 1.1 2 14. and the Word was with God And the same was in the beginning with God 1 Iohn
promise Life I am the life which I lay down for the life of the World And again Clamat errantibus ego sum via S. Bernard Clamat dubitantibus ego sum veritas Clamat Lacescentibus ego sum vita Christ is the way for us to walk Truth us to direct And Life us to refresh And again St. Ambrose upon this place saith Ambulare vis ego sum via Falli non vis ego sum veritas Mori non vis ego sum vita Non est qua eas Nisi per me S. Ambro Non est quo eas Nisi ad me Surge igitur O homo quiae Via vita veritas veniunt at te Wilt thou walk then I am the way Wilt thou not be deceived then I am the Truth Wilt thou not die then I am the life There is no way in which thou canst walk but by me only There is no way whither thou canst go but only to me Arise therefore O man and that speedily because The way the life and the truth do come unto thee And again St. Bernard upon these words of the Evangelist Iohn 14.6 Christus est via S. Bernard Io. 14.6 veritas vita Christ is the way the truth and the life Christus est via sine errore Veritas sine falsitate Vita sine morte And again S. Bernard Christus est Via in exemple Ut homo Veritas in promisis Vita in remnneratione ut Deus Christ is the way without error The truth without falshood The life without death Again Christ is The way in his example as he was man The truth in his promises And the life in his free bestowing thereof on us as he is God And again St. Augustin upon these words saith Errare non vis ego sum via St. August Decipi non vis ego sum seritas Mori non vis ego sum vita Wilt thou not erre then I am the way Wilt thou not be deceived then I am the truth Wilt thou not die then I am the life From hence St. St. Bernard Bernards fourfold Venite is very observable Shewing us the difference between the call of the Devil and his Instruments inviting us to follow them and what reward they promise their followers for so doing And the call of Christ our Saviour and his invitation of us to follow him and what he promiseth us for our so doing Dicit mundus venite S. Bernard et ego Inficiam Dicit caro venite et ego Illiciam Dicit daemon venite et ego interficiam Dicit Christus ventte et ego reficiam The World saith to us come and follow me and my reward is this I will infect you The flesh saith to us come and follow me and my reward is this I will intice and allure you to ill The Devil saith to us come and follow me and my reward is this I will destroy you both body and soul in hel But Christ saith to us come and follow me and my reward is this I will new make you and supply all your defects whatsoever Come unto me all ye that labour Mat. 11.28 29 30. and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my Yoak upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls For my yoke is easie and my burden is light For this is the love of God 1 Io. 5.3 that we keep his Commandements and his Commandements are not grievous And we know Rom. 8.28 that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose For whom he did foreknow Rom. 8.29 30. he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the first born among many brethren Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Ephes 1.3 4 5 7 9. who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ According as he hath chosen us in in him before the foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Iesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his Will In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him In whom also we have obtained an inheritance Ephes 1.11 12 13 14. being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the Counsell of his own will That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of Truth the Gospel of your salvation In whom also after that ye beleeved ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory According to his mercy Tit. 3.5 6.7 he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost which he shed on us aboundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour That being justiffed by his Grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life So then Rom. 9.16 it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy From these before-ment oned places of Scripture it doth appear unto us for our comfort that God doth hereby manifest unto us his free grace and bounty in the means of our salvation and that for the better grounding of our faith herein he observeth this course as namely First Noseligere ordinare praedestinare ad salvationem in praescientia sua divina aeterna To choose ordain and predestinate us unto salvation in his divine and eternall foreknowledge Secondly Nos inspirare renovare illuminare per Spiritum suum sacrosanctum To inspire to renew and to illuminate us by the heavenly operation of his holy Spirit in us Thirdly Nos ligare trahere dirigere stabilire adificare per verbum suum divenum per sacramenta sua sacra To biud draw direct establish and build us up in the heavenly building and knowledge of Christ by his divine and holy Word and by his holy and blessed Sacraments St. Augustines observation is this St. Augustin That God doth Inspirare per verbum God doth inspire us by his Word The due and serious consideration of all this ought not onely to raise
up in us a certain knowledge of our election but also to stirr up in us a Christian and a godly strife and so to strive to make this our calling and election sure Remembring without ceasing 1 Thess 1.3 4. your work of faith and labour of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our father Knowing brethren beloved your election of God Wherefore the rather 2 Pet. 1.10 brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall For so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly 2 Pet. 1.11 into the everlasting kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Neither must we be carelesse in this great weighty matter of our election to salvation as to say as some very prophanely use to say what need I be so mindfull and carefull hereof If I am elected I am elected if otherwise it be appointed of God all my study and endeavour cannot effect it Such prophane resolutions must be ever withstood by us beaten down and suppressed for we must be ever very active herein and know thus much as a Father well observeth being this namely Quod Deus qui elegit te ad salvationem elegit te etiam ad media salvationis That God which hath chosen and elected thee unto salvation hath also elected and chosen thee to use the means to come unto salvation And as another Father saith St. Augustin Qui creavit te sine te non salvabit te sine te He which hath created thee without thee will not save thee without thee St. Augustin Work out your own salvation Philip. 2.12 13. with fear and trembling For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure For God hath not called us unto uncleannesse but unto holinesse 1 Thess 4.7 Wherefore 1 Pet. 1.13 14 15 16. gird up the loyns of your mind be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Iesus Christ As obedient children not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance But as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation Because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy For I am the Lord your God Levit. 11.44 ye shall therefore sanctifie your selves and ye shall be holy for I am holy And the Lord spake unto Moses Levit. 19.1 2. saying Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel and say unto them Ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy But ye are a chosen generation 1 Pet. 2.9 a royall priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darknesse into his marvellous light Which in time past were not a people 1 Pet. 2.10 but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy As touching the election Rom. 11.28 29. they are beloved for the fathers sake For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Who hath saved us 2 Tim. 1.9 10. and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Iesus before the world began But now is made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Iesus Christ who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal 2 Tim. 2.18 The Lord knoweth them that are his and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity But this one thing I do Philip. 3.13 14 15. forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before I presse toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded Put on therefore Collos 3.12 13 14 15. as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercy kindnesse humblenesse of mind meeknesse long-suffering Forbearing one another and forgiving one another And above all things put on charity which is the bond of perfectnesse And let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also ye are called in one body and be ye thankfull God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise 1 Cor. 1.27 29 30 31. and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty That no flesh should glory in his presence But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption That according as it is written He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. Thus saith the Lord Jer. 9.23 24. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome neither let the mighty man glory in his might nor let the rich man glory in his riches But let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindnesse judgement and righteousnesse in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. But some one may happily say How shall I come to have a knowledge of this my election unto salvation To such a one it may be thus answered Notes of our Election Observe with thy self whether thou feelest and findest in thy self the effectuall notes and signes of thy election unto salvation working in thee or not as namely First What powerfull effect the word of God which we have so often heard preached unto us by way of reformation change and alteration hath wrought in us Secondly How we find and feel our selves to decline from sin and sinfull courses and whether we find in our selves a hatred of sin a strife and an endeavour in our selves to shun and avoid the same and all occasions which may any wayes draw us thereinto Thirdly How we find our selves to stand affected to vertue vertuous actions and goodnesse and whether we find in our selves a delight therein whether there be such a progresse in us in the way of godlinesse as S. Peter maketh mention of According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godlineffe 2 Pet. 1.3 4 5 6 7 8 9. through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust And besides this giving all diligence adde to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge And to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse And to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and to
brotherly kindnesse charity For if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see farr off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins If we feel these heavenly and divine vertues and graces thus working in us we may then from hence draw unto our selves for our souls comfort a full assurance of our election by God in and through Christ Iesus our blessed Lord and Saviour unto salvation and that our names are recorded written and registred in heaven in the book of life wherein we are onely to rejoyce And the seventy returned again Luke 10.17 18 19 20. with joy saying Even the devils are subject unto us through thy name And he said unto them Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the powers of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you Notwithstanding in this rejoyce not that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce in this because your names are written in heaven Be it known unto you therefore Acts 13.38 39. men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you forgiveness of sin And by him all that be here are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses CHAP. IIII. Of Prayer and the force thereof and how necessary and needfull a duty the same is FIrst Oratio est clavis diei that is Prayer is the key that opens the day unto us to put us in mind of Gods protecting of us the night past and of our thankfulnesse to be rendred unto him for the same with commending of our souls and bodies to his protection for the day present Secondly Oratio est sera noctis Prayer ought to shut up the day it is the key that lets in the night unto us with our praise to God for our dayes preservation with a recommendation of our souls and bodies unto his powerfull protection for the night ensueing Hereupon it is said by one With morning prayer the day begin With evening prayer the night shut in Without this prayer sit not to eat Without Gods praise rise not from meat Thirdly Oratio est vinculum invincibile ut S. Bernard S. Bernard Prayer is a bond invincible availing very much if it be fervent The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much James 5.16 17 18. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of three yeares and six moneths And he prayed again 1 Kin. 17.17 and the heaven gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing Matt. 21.22 ye shall receive Fourthly Oratio est vis Deo grata ut S. Chrysostom Prayer is such a force S. Chrysostom or earnest vehemency as that the same is very acceptable and well-pleasing unto God Fifthly Oratio est clavis Scripturae Origen Origen Prayer is the key that opens the Scripture unto us and enlightens our understandings therein Hereupon in reading of the Scriptures this rule directory is prescribed unto us Read not this Book in any case But with a single eye Read not but first desire Gods grace To understand thereby Sixthly Oratio est Deo sacrificium Augustin St. Augustin Prayer is a sacrifice well-pleasing unto God By him therefore Hebrews 13.15 let us offer the sactifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name Seventhly Oratio est Diabolo flagellum S. Augustin St. Augustin Prayer is a whip or scourge unto the Devil to drive him away from us And when he was come into the house Mark 9.28 29. his disciples asked him privately Why could not we cast him out And he said unto them This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting Eighthly Oratio est orauti subsidium St. Augustin S. Augustin Prayer is great help and succour unto him which doth pray in time of misery and affliction and at all times whatsoever I sought the Lord Psal 34.4 6. and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles I cried unto the Lord Psal 3.4 with my voice and he heard me out of his holy hill I will call upon the Lord Psal 18.3 6. who is worthy to be praised so shall I be saved from mine enemies In my distresse I called upon the Lord and cried unto my God he heard my voice out of his temple and my cry came before him even into his eares Call upon me in the time of trouble I will deliver thee Psal 50.15 and thou shalt glorifie me The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him Psal 145.18 19. to all that call upon him in truth He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry and will save them In my distresse Psal 120.1 I cried unto the Lord and he heard me O thou that hearest prayer Psal 65.2 unto thee shall all flesh come Ninthly Oratio est armatura inexpugnabilis Prayer is an armour of proof not to be withstood invincible as one observeth It is a principall piece of our spirituall armour Praying alwayes with all prayer Ephes 6.18 and supplications in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints Tenthly Orationes sunt tormenta Christianorum ut Pater Prayers and supplications are the gunns of Christians as it were to shoot up their prayers unto heaven Give me those groanes St. Chrysostom and sighes quae non sunt ostentationis sed compunctiouis which proceed not from vain ostentation and boasting but from the compunction or pricking of the conscience St. Chrysostom As touching Prayer Observations touching prayer and the use thereof these observations do arise as namely First The great necessity of Prayer The necessity of Prayer in these regards following First Satan seeks to destroy and devour us and therefore we ought to pray for deliverance Be sober 1 Pet. 5.8 9. be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour Whom resist stedfast in the faith Resist the devil James 4.7 8. and he will flee from you Draw nigh unto God and he will draw nigh to you Secondly the world will allure us and therefore we are to pray for assistance Thirdly the flesh will betray us and therefore we are to pray for defence Fourthly the wicked will seduce us and therefore we are to to pray for continuance My son if sinners entice thee Prov. 1.10 11 14 15
16. consent thou not If they say come with us let us lay wait for bloud let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause Cast in thy lot among us let us all have one purse My son walk not thou in the way with them refrain thy foot from their path For their feet run to evil and make hast to shed bloud Secondly We must pray in all places I will therefore 1 Tim. 2.8 that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting Thirdly We must pray at all times Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord Zechar. 8.21 and to seek the Lord of hosts O Lord God of my salvation I have cried day and night before thee Let my prayer come before thee Psal 88.1 2. encline thine ear unto my cry Unto thee have I cried Psal 88.13 O Lord and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee Evening Psalm 55.17 and morning and at noon will I pray And it came to passe Luke 6.12 in those dayes that he went out into a mountain to pray and be continued all night in prayer to God And he spake a parable unto them Luke 18.1 to this end that men ought alwayes to pray and not to faint Every day will I blesse thee Psalm 145.2 and I will praise thy name for ever and ever Pray without ceasing 1 Thess 5.17 But the end of all things is at hand 1 Pet. 4.7 be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer Night and day 1 Thess 3.10 praying exceedingly Continuing instant in prayer Rom. 12.12 Foutthly We must pray for all persons yea even for our enemies Confesse your faults one to another James 5.16 and pray one for another that ye may be healed Love your enemies Luke 6.27 28. do good to them that hate you Bless them that curse you and pray for them that despitefully use you Then said Iesus Luke 23 34. Father forgive them for they know not what they do And they stoned Stephen Acts 7.59 60. calling upon God and saying Lord Iesus receive my spirit And he kneeled down and cryed with a loud voice Lord lay not this sin to their charge 5ly We must pray to God alone Is any among you afflicted Ja. 5.13 let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalmes Now when Daniel knew Dan. 6.10 that the writing was signed he went into his House and his windows being open in his Chamber toward Ierusalem he kneeled down upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did afore time As for me I will call upon God Psal 55.16 and the Lord shall save me There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius a devout man Acts 10.1 2. which gave much Alms to the people and prayed to God alway And I set my face unto the Lord God to seek by Prayer and Supplications Dan. 9 3 4. with fasting and sackcloth and ashes And I prayed unto the Lord my God Daniels Prayer and made my Confession and said O Lord the great dreadfull God keeping the Covenant and mercy to them that love him and to them that keep his Commandements Be carefull for nothing Philip. 4.6 but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God I will call on the Lord who is worthy to be praised 2 Sam. 22.4 7. so shall I be saved from mine enemies In my distress I called unto the Lord Davids Prayer and cryed to my God and he did hear my voice out of his Temple and my cry did enter into his ears But when thou prayest enter into thy Closet Mat. 6.6 and when thou hast shut thy Door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly 6ly We must pray with knowledge and with understanding S. Augustin Sonus mentis est intellectus ut Augustin The sound of the mind is understanding S. Augustin and no true prayer can there be without understanding Again publike or Church prayers Publick and Church Prayers are requisite and needfull to shew that that there is and ought to be unanimity and conformity in the Primitive Church And here we are not only to pray for our selves but for all others also of what estate or Conditiou soever they be of I exhort therefore 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3. that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks be made for all Men. For Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all honesty and godliness For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour And this was the use of the antient Christians Tertullian who as Tertulllian well observeth did pray for all their Emperors that they might have and quietly enjoy Vitam prolixam imperium securum The Prayer of the antient Christians for their Emperors domum tutam exercitus fortes senatum fidelem populum probum orbem quietum et quaecunque hominis et Caesaris vota sunt That they might have and quietly enjoy A happy Life a secure Empire a safe House and habitation strong and forcible Armies a faithfull Senate honest and true-hearted People a quiet World and whatsoever else either Prince or People can any waies wish or desire That offerings be made to the most high God Esdras 6.3 for the King and for his Children and that they may pray for their lives Prayer Prayer compared to Iacobs Ladder as one observeth is like unto Jacobs Ladder which appeared to him in a Dream reaching up to Heaven and which he seemed to see and behold and behold the Angels of God ascending and descending down by it And he dreamed Gen. 28.12 and behold a Ladder set upon the Earth and the top of it reached to Heaven and behold the Angels of God ascending and descending on it Even so by Prayer we fly a high pitch we soare aloft we do thereby as it were mount up flye and ascend to Heaven And I said Ps 35.6 O that I had wings like a Dove for then would I flye away and be at rest Meditatio et Oratio S. Bernard sunt ale Columbae as St. Bernard observeth Meditation and prayer are the Wings of the Dove and by these Wings of the Dove is meant Meditation and Prayer as St. Bernard well observeth St. Angustines Prayer to God was S. Augustines Prayer That of all judgements and plagues he would ever free him from a stony-heart or from a benummed or seared Conscience St. Bernard Prayer was this S. Bernards Prayer Bone Jesu esto mihi Jesus O sweet Iesus be thou unto me and to my Soul a Iesus a Saviour Oratio ascendit S. August Gratia descendit Our Prayers do ascend up to Heaven and
grace and Mercy doth descend down upon us as St. Augustine well observeth But there are some Prayers which do not ascend up to Heaven as St. Bernard observeth as namely Oratio timida S. Bernard A fearfull Prayer 2. Oratio tepida A dull and heavy Prayer 3. Oratio temeraria A rash and hasty Prayer These 3 kinds of Prayers as St. Bernard observeth do never ascend up to Heaven Qui orat S. Chrysostom et peccat non orat ad Deum sed deludit as St. Chrysostome observeth He which doth pray unto God and then presently offends again doth not pray unto God as he ought to do but doth even mock and delude him Watch and pray Mat. 26.41 that ye enter not into temptation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak Hereupon it is written of an Emperor that had his Page Watch and pray that every morning came unto him using to him these few words namely Vigilasti Emperator vigila O Emperor hast thou been watchfull and carefull of thy self if so it is well Mat. 24.42 be watchfull still Watch therefore for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come Watch therefore Mat 25.13 for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the son of man commeth Take ye heed watch and pray Mark 13.33 35 37. for ye know not when the time is Watch ye therefore for ye know not when the Master of the House commeth at even or at midnight or at the Cock-crowing or in the morning Lest comming suddenly he find you sleeping And what I say unto you I say unto all watch Watch and pray ut dignaremini that ye may be found so doing and accounted worchy whereupon saith St. Bernard Dignitas uostra domine et dignitio tua S. Bernard O Lord all our worth and worthiness is only thine and from thee and thy grace to us proceeding and which we have received from thee alone nothing of or from our selves For of his fullness have all we received and grace for grace Io. 1.16 For it pleased the Father Collos 1.19 that in him should all fulness dwell It is well observed by one That the constant daily The benefit of constant and frehuent Prayer and frequent use of Prayer both private and publick is of extraordinary great benefit and comfort unto the parties praying if we do take into our serio consideration these ensuing particulars As namely 1. How needfull and helpfull to all Prayer is and of how dangerous consequence the neglect thereof is 2. How precious a duty and service Prayer is being pleasing and acceptable unto God 3. How powerfull Prayer is in the prevailing even with God himself 1. No better deliverance in time of distress than by Prayer unto God The Lord is my strength and my shield Ps 28.7 my heart trusted in him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoyceth and with my Song will I praise him The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed Psalm 9.9 a refuge in time of trouble Blessed be God that hath not turned away my Prayer Ps 66.20 nor his mercy from me But as for me my Prayer is unto thee O Lord in an acceptable time Ps 69.13 16 17. O God in the multitude of thy mercy hear me in the truth of thy salvation Hear me O Lord for thy loving kindness is good turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies And hide not thy face from thy Servant for I am in trouble hear me speedily One observeth this of Prayer Aeque pauperibus prodest locupletibus aeque Aeque neglectum pueris senibusque nocebit It gaineth good to poor and rich If use thereof be free And hurteth youth as well as age Neglected if it be 2. God caused a House to be made for the performing of this duty and service of Prayer unto himself and styled the same by the name of the House of Prayer Even them will I bring to my holy Mountain Isaiah 56.7 and make them joyfull in my House of Prayer their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine Altar for mine House shall be called an House of Prayer for all People And Iesus said unto them Mat. 21.13 It is written My House shall be called the House of Prayer but ye have made it a Den of Theeves And he taught saying unto them Mar. 11.17 It is written My House shall be called of all Nations the House of Prayer Saying to them Luke 11 46. it is written My House is the House of Prayer 3. The House of Prayer and Prayer used therein together with private Prayer also is the best means to move and cause God to turn away and remove his judgements from us Ask and ye shall receive That is as one observeth Ask by Prayer and ye shall receive And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in Prayer Mat. 21.22 believing ye shall receive Therefore I say unto you Mark 11.24 What things soever ye desire when ye pray believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them Thus we may behold The powerfulness of Prayer and see the powerfull effect of Prayer the same prevailing even with God himself By Prayer Daniel was preserved in the Lions Den. Then said Daniel unto the King Den. 6.21 22. O King live for ever My God hath sent his Angel and hath shut the Lions mouths that they have not hurt me forasmuch as before him Innocency was found in me and also before Thee O King I have done no hurt By Prayer Jonah was delivered in the Whales belly Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the Fishes belly Jonah 2.1 2 7 9 10. And said I cryed by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord and he heard me out of the Belly of Hell cryed I and thou heardest my voice Jonahs Prayer when my Soul fainted within me I remembred the Lord and my Prayer came unto thee into thy holy Temple I will sacrifise unto thee with the voice of Thanksgiving I will pay that that I have vowed Salvation is of the Lord. And the Lord spoke unto the Fish and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry Land By Prayer Peter in the Prison and bound with Chains was by an Angel deliver'd from the cruel hands of King Herod Peter therefore was kept in Prison Acts 12.5 6 7 8 9. but prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him And when Herod would have brought him forth the same night Peter was sleeping between two Souldiers bound with 2 chains the keeper before the door kept the Prison And behold the Angel of the Lord came upon him and a light shined in the prison and he smote Peter on the side and raised him up saying unto him Arise up quickly and his Chains fell from his hands And the Angel said to him Gird up thy self
is a way-fare Eccles 40.1 2 3 4 5 6. calamities dangers Great travell is created for every man and an heavy yoke is upon the sons of Adam from the day that they go out of their mothers wombe till the day that they return to the mother of all things Their imagination of things to come and the day of death trouble their thoughts and cause fear of heart From him that sitteth on a throne of glory unto him that is humbled in earth and ashes From him that weareth purple and a crown unto him that is clothed with a linen frock Wrath and envy trouble and unquietnesse fear of death and anger and strife and in the time of rest upon his bed his nights sleep do change his knowledge A little or nothing is his rest and afterwards he is in his sleep as in a day of keeping watch troubled in the vision of his heart as if he were escaped out of a battel Such things happen unto all flesh Eccles 40.8 9.10 both man and beast and that is seven fold more upon sinners Death and bloudshed strife and sword calamities famine tribulation and the scourge These things are created for the wicked and for their sakes came the floud All his wayes are plain unto the holy Eccles 39.24 so are they stumbling-blocks unto the wicked Who is wise Hosea 14.9 and he shall understand these things prudent and he shall know them for the wayes of the Lord are right and the just shall walk in them but the transgressours shall fall therein For the good are good things created from the beginning so evil things for sinners And as this our life is a way wherein we are continually walking and travelling as way-faring men unto another Countrey So Our life here is also as a race Our life here is as a race wherein we must he continually running and not to stand still at a stay Know ye not 1 Cor. 9.24 that they which run in a race run all but one receiveth the prize So run that ye may obtain And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things 2 Cor. 9.25 26. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown but we an incorruptible I therefore so run not as uncerteinly so fight I not as one that beateth the air Let us lay aside every weight Hebr. 12.1 2. and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us Looking unto Iesus the author and finisher of our faith Thirdly Our life is a warr-fare This our life is also a warr-fare and in this our fight our weapons are to be spirituall Finally Eph. 6.10 11. my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil For though we walk in the flesh 2 Cor. 10.3 4 5. we do not war after the flesh For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against Principalities Ephes 6.12 to 18. against Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against spiritual wickednesse in high places Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evill day and having done all to stand Stand therefore having your Loins girt about with Truth and having on the Breast-plate of righteousness And your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace Above all taking the shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the wicked And take the helmet of Salvation and the word of the Spirit which is the Word of God Praying alwaies with all prayer and supplications in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints But let us who are of the day 1 Thes 5 8 9 10. be sober putting on the Breast-plate of Faith and Love and for an Helmet the hope of Salvation For God hath not appointed us to Wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Iesus Christ who died for us that whether we walk or sleep we should live together with him I have fought a good fight 2 Tim. 4.7 I have finished my course I have kept the Faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day 2 Tim. 4.8 and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing It is observed by one Of Man that there is in Man First Lacrimabilis inceptio He enters into the World crying 2. Brevis dimensio He is here but of short continuance 3. Tristis afflictio Sorrowfull affliction ever attending on him And in all this there is in him 4. Labilis conditio A falling and backsliding condition And in all nothing but vanity Infoelicitat is fabula homo Man is the very fable or story of Infelicity as one well observeth It is observed by one that in the crying of the Child ah this signifies what miserie he takes from Adam And in crying oh what misery he takes from Eve They suck misery and crosses even from their Nurses teats As Tiberius Tiberius of whom it is written that he was a Drunkard because his Nurse was given to that vice And of Caligula Caligula that he was bloudy because his Nurse was so Homo Infoelicitatis exemplum Forturae Lusus Inconstantiae imago Injuriae et calamitatis trutina Man is the very Pattern and example of Infelicity the very sport and pastime of Fortune to play upon and the ballance of Injury and calamity as a Father observeth Quid est homo Seneca morbidum putridum cassum a fletu vitam auspicatum What is man but even a rotten and a corrupt thing good for nothing and beginning of his Life with crying as Seneca observeth Nascitur Augustine et statim plorat qui et ridere poterat futurae Calamitatis propheta Man is born and presently cries who might have laughed being as a Prophet foretelling of his future calamity as St. Augustine observeth A Father describing the misery of Man saith as followeth Cujus conceptio culpa Nasci poena labor vita et necesse mori Whose Conception is faulty his Birth a punishment his Life a labour and a Necessity in him to die Affliction commeth not forth of the Dust Iob 5.6 7. neither doth trouble spring out of the Ground Yet man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upwards Nemo tam dives Habuit faventes Crastinum ut possit Sibi polliceri Seneca Seneca No man can
quo non Statuas mori It is a very ill thing for any one to live in that state manner and condition of life in the which he would be afraid so to die Male vivit qui semper vivere incipit He liveth very ill that is alwaies but beginning to live well as one observeth A good life is alwaies the cause of a comfortable and of a happy Death While we live here we must not only see and behold Death but we must foresee it and duly prepare for it before it comes One compares Death unto the Basilisk The which Serpent if it see an other before the same be seen there is then much danger to the Party first seen by the Serpent but if a man doth first see and descrie the Basilisk then the Serpent presently dyeth and so no fear of danger Even so If Death be not seen and provided for before hand there is then great danger but if seen before hand and so provided for the danger is then past before death commeth Hereupon a Father well saith Qui non vult in vita praevidere mortem non potest in morte videre vitam He that in Life doth not foresee Death Prosper and S. Augustinr cannot in Death behold and enjoy everlasting Life Tota vita infidelium peccatum est et nihil bouum est absq summo bono ut Pater That is The whole lise of the Wicked is nothing but sin and there is nothing good in us unless we have it from him as Prosper and Augustine do both of them observe Whereupon saith St. Augustine S. Augustin Hic urat hic secat ut in posterum servat Et Domine Domine hic quicquid vis ut in aeternum parcas Burn me cut me flash me or lay here on me what tormenâ—s you will So as thou wilt heal me and cure me of all maladies hereafter and reserve for me everlasting life after this life ended Of the life of Man Of the life of Man and whereunto compared and whereunto the same is compared in regard of the frailty incertainty brevity misery and calamity attending even on the same And Jacob said unto Pharaoh Gen. 49.7 Few and evill have the daies of the years of my life been O remember that my life is wind Iob 7.7 Man that is born of a Woman Iob 14.1 2. is of few daies and full of Trouble He commeth forth like a flower and is cut down he fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not My daies are swifter than a Weavers shuttle Iob 7.6 and are spent without hope Now my daies are swifter than a Post Iob 9.25 26. they flee away they see no good They are passed away as the swift Ships as the Eagle that hasteth unto the prey For we are but of yesterday Iob 8.9 and know nothing because our daies upon Earth are a shadow When a few years are come Iob 16.22 then I shall go the way whence I shall not return For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past and as a watch in the night Thou carriest them away as with a flood Ps 90.4 5 9 10 12. they are as a sleep in the morning they are like grass which groweth up In the morning it flourisheth and groweth up in the evening it is cut down and withereth For all our daies are passed away in thy wrath we spend our years as a Tale that is told The daies of our years are threescore years and ten and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years yet is their strength labour and sorrow for it is soon cut off and we flye away So teach us to number our daies that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome For my daies are consumed like smoak Ps 102.3 4 11. and my bones are burnt as an hearth My heart is smitten and withered like grass My daies are like a shadow that declyneth Ps 103.14 15 16. I am whithered like grass For he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are dust As for Man his daies are as grass as a flower of the field so he flourisheth For the wind passeth over it and it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more Lord what is Man Ps 144.3 4. that thou takest knowledge of him or the Son of Man that thou makest account of him Man is like to vanity his daies are as as a shadow that passeth away The voyce said cry And I said Isaiah 40.6 7 8. What shall I cry All flesh is grass and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field The grass whithereth the flower fadeth because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it Surely the People is Grass The grass whithereth the flower fadeth But the Word of our God shall shall stand for ever Let the Brother of low Degree Ia. 1.9 10 11. rejoyce in that he is exalted But the Rich in that he is made low because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away For the Sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat but it withereth the grass and the flower therof falleth and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth So also shall the rich man fade away in his waies Go to now Ia. 4.13 14. ye that say To day or to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow for what is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away For that ye ought to say Ia. 4.15 If the Lord will we shall live and do this or that Being born again 1 Pet. 1.23 24 25. not of corruptible food but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever For all flesh is as grass and all the glory of Man as the flower of the grass the grass withereth and the slower thereof falleth away But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever No man is sure of his life Iob 24.22 What Man is he that desireth life Ps 34.12 13 14. and loveth many daies that he may see good Keep thy Tongue from evill and thy Lips from speaking guile Depart from evill and do good seek peace and pursue it How excellent is thy loving kindness O God Ps 36.7 9. therefore the Children of Men put their Trust under the shadow of thy Wings For with Thee is the Fountain of Life and in this Light shall we see light Come and see the works of God Ps 66.5 9. he is terrible in his doings towards the Sons of men Which holdeth our Soul in life and suffereth not our feet to be moved By all this the frailty mutability and incertainty of the life of Man here in this World doth evidently appear unto us and that by reason of the miseries and calamities attending of the
same we have no moving cause to make us to desire the long continuance thereof here in this vale of misery but earnestly to desire and hope for the fruition of a better life hereafter and even to say with St. Paul Cupio dissolvi et esse cum Christo I desire to be dissolved Philip. 1.23 and to be with Christ And as touching this our life here and all the enjoyments we have therein we may well conclude all and say with the Preacher Vanity of Vanities Eccles 12.8 all is vanity And with this to sum up the whole duty of Man being this Fear God Eccles 12.13 and keep his Commandements for this is the whole duty of Man Of life eternal Of life eternal of the Giver thereof and the manner of the gift the giver thereof and the manner of the Gift with the great and unexpressible benefits that doth redound thereby unto the dear and elect Children of God Bless the Lord O my Soul Ps 103.1 4. and all that is within me blesse his holy name Who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth Thee with loving kindnesse and tender mercies My Sheep hear my voice Io. 10.27.28 and I know them and they follow me And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Iesus said unto her Io. 11.25.26 I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and beliein me shall never dye And this is life eternal Io. 17.3 That they might know Thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent God that made the World Acts 17.24 25 26. and all things therein He giveth to all life and breath and all things For in him we live move and have our being But now being made free from sin Rom. 6.22 23. and become Servants to God ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting Life For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Iesus Christ our Lord. If in this life only we have hope in Christ 1 Cor. 15.19 we are of all men most miserable The Letter killeth 2 Cor. 3.8 but the Spirit giveth life If ye then be risen with Christ Collos 3.1 seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Set your Affections on things above Collos 3.2 3 4. not on things on the earth For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is your life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Fight the good fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art called Hereby perceive we the love of God Jo. 3.16 because he laid down his life for us And this is the record Jo. 5.11 12 13 20. That God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life These things have I written unto you That ye believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the Son of God And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Iesus Christ this is the true God and eternal life S. Bernard Duo animi à Deo dati custodes domestici pudor et timor Qui pudorem amisit bestiae par est qui timorem excuâ—â—t bestia pejor est God hath given us two Domestick Keepers of our Souls as namely Shamefastness and Fear He which casteth away all Shamefastness from him may well by way of comparison be accounted equal unto the very beast and he which shaketh off from him all manner of Fear is in a far worse manner than the beasts as St. Bernard observeth And for our better distinction in the whole course of our lives here we ought alwaies to have these two props or Pillars like the stern of a ship to stear and govern all our action aright as namely Care and Fear Actions First Carefulnesse to serve and please God according to his Will revealed unto us in and by his holy Word Teach me thy way O Lord Ps 86.11 and I will walk in thy Truth O knit my heart unto thee that I may fear thy name I will run the way of thy Commandements Ps 119.32 when thou shalt enlarge my heart Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes Ps 119.33 34 35. and I shall keep it unto the end Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart Make me to go in the path of thy Commandements for therein do I delight Secondly Fearfullnesse of offending God And being thus armed with these 2 good supporters With this constant and continual care and fear They will make us wary in all our actions of this life and will cause us to walk carefully in all our proceedings in the whole course of our life here the which will doubtlesse be a very great comfort to us hereafter For that as one very well observeth A good life is alwaies the cause of a happy and of a comfortable death Secondly Of Death and how we are at all times and upon all occasions to fit and prepare our selves for the same Of our Death and preparatifor the same that so Death take us not unawares and unprepared for the same O Death how bitter is the remembrance of Thee to a man that liveth at rest in his Possessions Ecclus. 41 1 2 3 4. unto the Man that hath nothing to vex him and that hath Prosperity in all things yea unto him that is yet able to receive meat O Death acceptable is thy sentence unto the Needy and unto him whose strength faileth that is now in the last age and is vexed with all things and to him that despaireth and hath lost patience Fear not the sentence of Death remember them that have been before thee and that come after thee for this is the sentence of the Lord over all flesh And why art thou against the pleasure of the most high there is no inquisition in the Grave whether thou hast lived ten or an hundred or a thousand years Men of the World Ps 17.14 which have their portion here in this life even to them the remembrance of death is bitter But of the Tree of the good and evill Gen. 2.17 thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die And the Serpent did say unto the Woman Gen. 3.4 Ye shall not surely dye The Devill in his tempting of
liveth here meerly as a worldly-minded man and doth here devote himself wholly to the service of the world and placeth his chief joy and delight in the pleasures of the world and so maketh this his chief happinesse he shall be sure after this life ended to gain unto himself everlasting death The first of these shall enjoy the happinesse of that blessed sentence in the last day of Come ye blessed of my Father Matth. 25.34 inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world And the other shall enjoy the horrour of that fearfull sentence of malediction in the last day of Depart from me ye cursed Matth. 25.41 into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels Stulte cur te nan disponis ad moriendum cum sis pro certo moriturus ut Pater Thou miserable man or thou fool Why dost thou not fit and prepare thy self for death seeing it is most certain thou must die as a Father observeth Stat sua cuique dies Virgil. Every man hath the certain time or day of his death to him designed and appointed as the Poet Virgil observeth To every thing there is a season Eccles 3.1 2. and a time to every purpose under the heaven A time to be born and a time to die Fleres Sir Thomas Moor. si scires unum tua tempora mensem Rides quum non sit forsitan una dies Knew'st thou a moneth should end thy dayes It would give cause of sorrow And yet perhaps thou laugh'st to day When thou must dye to morrow As was observed by that learned Sir Thomas Moor. Mors tam juveni ante oculos esse debet quam seni ut Seneca Young men as well as old ought alwayes to be prepared for death Quis est adolescens cui exploratum sit Cicero se ad vesperum esse victurum ut Cicero What young man is there to whom it is made certainly known or revealed that he in the morning shall live untill night Senibus St. Bernard mors in januis adolescentibus mors in insidiis est ut St. Bernard To old men death is as it were alwayes knocking at their gates and ready to seize upon them but to young men death is alwayes ready with his wyles to ensnare and intrap them at unawares and therefore they ought at all times both young and old to be ready and prepared for the same Incertum est quo te loco mors inveniet Sencca itaque tu illum omni loce expecta ut Seneca It is altogether uncertain in what place death will look for thee therefore do thou expect and look for death in every place as Seneca observeth Mors ubique te expectat S. Bernard tu igitur si sapis eum ubique expectabis ut St. Bernard Death doth wait and look for thee every where and therefore if thou art wise thou wilt likewise look for death every where Quicquid facis respice ad mortem Seneca Whatsoever thou doest have an eye and a serious thought upon thy death as Seneca observeth Nulla res magis proderit Seueca quam cogitatio mortalitatis Nothing whatsoever thou doest shall more profit or avail thee than a serious thought and meditation by thee had of thy mortality as Seneca observeth Sive comedam sive bibam sive aliud aliquid faciam St. Hierom. semper vox illa terribilis auribus meis insonare videtur Surgite mortui venite ad judicium Whether I eat or whether I drink or what else soever I do it seemeth unto me that I do alwayes hear that terrible and fearfull voice resounding in mine eares Arise O ye dead and come unto judgement as St. Hierom observeth We shall not all sleep 1 Cor. 51.52 but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed Sic quotidie vivamus St. Hierom. quasi die illa judicandi simus Let us so live every day as if we were every day to come unto Judgement as St. Hierom observeth Omnem crede diem supremum ut Seneca Let us so actibi Seneca diluxisse count of every day as if the same were for certain to be our very last day Dies omnis pro ultimo habeatur ut Seneca Seneca Every day ought to be accounted by us as our last day Quomodo de die in diem St. Augustin defenendo peccas cum extremum diem tuum nescias Wherefore doest thou still continue to sin and to offend deferring and putting off thy repentance from day to day when as thou art wholly ignorant which day of thy life shall be thy last day as St. Augustin observeth Id ago Seneca ut mibi instar totius vitae sit dies nec tanquam ultimum rapio sed sic illum aspicio tanquam esse vel ultimus possit I now do that as if that this very day were a resemblance of my whole life Neither do I take this day as my last day but I do so look upon it and behold the same as that the same either is or may be my last day as Seneca observeth Male vivit quisquis nescit bene mori Seneca He liveth very ill who knoweth not how to frame himself to dye well as Seneca observeth Bene mori est libenter mori To dye well is to dye willingly as Seneca observeth Timor mortis est desperatio vitae aeternae post mortem S. Chrysostom Fearfulnesse of death sheweth a kind of desperation of the happy enjoying of life eternall after death as St. Chrystostome observeth It is written of Charles the fifth that he coming to the Duke of Venice his court and there after royall entertainment the Duke shewed him all the Riches of his Dukedom and then demanded of him how he liked the same who answered him in this manner Haec sunt quae faciunt nos invites mori These and such like worldly pleasures contentments and delights are the only things and causes which make us so unwilling to die and to leave this world Non mori timeo quia bonum habeo Dominum I am not afraid to die S. Ambrose because I have a good and gracious Lord God to whom I am now going as St. Ambrose observeth It is memorably written of holy Hilarion who having lived fourscore years and being then visited with sickness and being somewhat fearfull to dye reasoning thus with himself at the last he passionately burst forth into these words saying Egredere quod times anima mea Octoginta annes servisti domine VVhy art thou afraid O my Soul to go forth unto him whom thou hast so long time served S. Jerome in vita Hilarionis Thou hast now served thy Lord God fourscore years therefore now O my Soul go forth chearfully unto him thou hast
the Lord of hosts For as the lightning cometh out of Matth. 24.27 the east and shineth even unto the west so shall also the coming of the Son of man be Immediately after the tribulation of those dayes shall the sun be darkened Matth. 24.29 30 31 33 36. the moon shall not give her light the stars shall fall from heaven the powers of the heaven shall be shaken And then shall appear the sign of the son of man in heaven Mark 13.24 25 26 27 29 32 33. and Luke 21.25 26 27 31 32 33. the same with St. Matthew and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds from the one end of heaven to the other When ye shall see all these things know that it is near even at the doors But of that day and hour knoweth no man no nor the angels of heaven but my Father onely By these preceding places of Scripture it appears That the day of Iudgement or the day the Lord is called by the name of the harvest being ripe The harvest of the earth is ripe and therefore to be reaped with the sickle By the name of a noise that shall come even to the ends of the earth and that the Lord hath a controversie with the Nations that he will plead with all flesh and give them that are wicked to the sword Again Of the day of Judgement a farther description and of the effects of it The day of Iudgement further described with full expressions in the Scripture how fearfull and terrible the same shall be and what men shall do for to avoid the same And they shall go into the holes of the rocks Isaiah 2.19 and 10.11 12. all to the same purpose and into the caves of the earth for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth Or then shall they go into the holes of the rocks from before the fear of the Lord and from the glory of his majesty when he shall arise to destroy the earth as another Translation is In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver Isaiah 2.20 and his idols of gold which they made each one for himself to worship to the moles to the bats Or at that day shall a man cast away his silver idols and and his golden idols which they had made themselves to worship them to the moles and to the batts as another Translation is That is Exposition They shall cast them into most vile and filthy places when they perceive that they are not able to help them as the exposition is To go into the clefts of the rocks Isai 2.20 21. and into the tops of the ragged rocks for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth And they shall say to the mountains Cover us and to the hills Hosea 10.8 Fall on us Then shall they begin to say to the mountains Fall on us and to the hills Luke 23.30 Cover us And the kings of the earth Rev. 6.15 16. and the great men and the rich men and the chief captains and the mighty men and every bond-man and every freeman hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks Fall on us And hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand And in those dayes shall men seek death and shall not find it and shall desire to dye and death shall flee from them Riches Prov. 11.4 profit or avail not in the day of wrath but righteousnesse delivereth from death Trust not in wicked riches Ecclus 5.8 for they shall not help or profit thee in the day of punishment or vengeance Wo unto you that desire the day of the Lord Amos 5.18 to what end is it for you the day of the Lord is darknesse and not light Or what have you to do with it as another Translation is Thus he speaketh because the wicked and hypocrites said they were content to abide Gods Iudgements whereas the godly tremble and fear as the exposition is As if a man did flee from a lion Amos 5.19 20. and a bear met him or went into the house and leaned hard on the wall and a serpent bit him Shall not the day of the Lord be darknesse and not light even very dark and no brightnesse in it Or and no light in it as another Translation is Behold 1 Cor. 15.51 I shew you a mystery or a secret thing we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed when the Lord cometh to Iudgement some of the saints shall be alive whom he will change even as if they were dead so that this change is instead of death to them as the Exposition is Exposition For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout 1 Thess 4.16 17. with the voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Meaning them which shall be found alive as the exposition is In this sudden taking up Exposition there shall be a kind of mutation of the qualities of our bodies which shall be as a kind of death as the exposition is And it shall be said in that day Lo Isaiah 25.9 this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation In a moment 1 Cor. 15.52 in the twinckling of an eye at the last trump or trumpet for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed For this corruptible must put on incorruption 1 Cor. 15.53 and this mortall must put on immortality I will ransome them from the power of the grave Hosea 13.14 I will redeem them from death O death I will be thy plagues O grave I will be thy destruction Meaning Exposition that no power shall resist God when he will deliver his but even in death he will give them life as the exposition is Therefore be ye ready Matth. 24.44 for in such an hour as you think not the son of man cometh or will come Ye that put farr away the evil day Amos 6.3 and cause the seat of violence to come near
That is Ye that continue still in your wickednesse and think that Gods plagues are not at hand but give your selves to all idlenesse wantonnesse and riot Exposition Obadiah 15. as the exposition is For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen as thou hast done it shall be done unto thee thy reward shall remain or return upon thine own head When I heard Habbak 3.16 my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice rottennesse entred into my bones and I trembled in my self that I might rest in the day of trouble I will utterly consume all things from off the land or destroy all things saith the Lord God I will consume man and beast Zeph. 1.2 3. I will consume the fowles of the heaven and the fishes of the sea and the stumbling-blocks with the wicked and I will cut off or destroy man from off the land saith the Lord. Or I will destroy man and beast I will destroy the fowles of the heaven and the fishes of the sea and ruines shall be to the wicked and I will cut off man from the land saith the Lord. Note Exposition that God was not angry with those dumb creatures but because man was so wicked for whose cause they were created God maketh them to take part of the punishment with him Hold thy peace or be still Zeph. 1.7 8. at the presence of the Lord God for the day of the Lord is at hand for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice he hath bid or sanctified his guests And it shall come to passe in the day of the Lords sacrifice that I will punish the princes and the kings children and all such as are clothed with strange apparel Who may abide the day of his coming Mal. 3.2 who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a refiners fire and like fullers sope He sheweth Exposition that the hypocrites which did so much desire the Lords coming will not abide when he draweth near for he will consume them and purge his and make them clean as the exposition is For behold Mal. 4.1 the day cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of hosts and it shall leave them neither root nor branch But unto you that fear my name Mal. 4.2 shall the sun of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall Meaning Christ who with his wings or beams of his grace should lighten and comfort his Church as the exposition is Wherefore he saith Eph. 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and rise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Again Amos 1.14 The day of Judgement called the day of battel and the day of the whirlwind FINIS A SERMON Preached by Mr. MASTERS Master of the TEMPLE in the TEMPLE-CHURCH At the Funerall of Henry Croke Esq one of the Society of the Inner Temple February 8. 1608. LONDON Printed by Fr. Leach and are to be sold by William Lee at the Turks-head in Fleetstreet 1657. A Sermon Preached by Mr. Masters Master of the Temple in the Temple-Church Febr. 8. 1608. 2. Cor. 5.10 For we must all appear before the Judgement-seat of Christ THis Text divides it self into these five parts following Text divided The first touching the certainty and the necessity of the day of Iudgement contained in these words For we must The second concerning the generality of our appearance in these words We must all appear The third concerning the severity of this Iudgement The fourth concerning the manner thereof Before the Judgement-seat of Christ And the fifth concerning the person before whom we are to appear being Christ our Judge and Saviour Of these severally in their order First Of the certainty of the day of Iudgement and that in these three respects First above the Law as appeareth in the generall Epistle of Jude Jude 14 15. 14 15. And Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of such meaning the wicked there before named Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints To give Judgement against all men Secondly Under the Law And Thirdly Under the Gospel as appeareth Matth. 25.31 32 33 34. Matthew 25.31 32 33 34. And when the Son of man cometh in his glory and all the holy angels with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory c. The Reasons hereof First To whomsoever a dispensation is given at the end there must be an account by him made and this appeareth to be so Luke 16.1 2. There was a rich man Luke 16.1 2. which had a steward and he was accused to him that he wasted his goods And he called him and said Give an account of thy stewardship Secondly As the life of man is the time of working and death is the period thereof so of necessity there must be a Iudgement and censure of every mans work with a reward thereof Again In the generality all this is to be observed that there is then to be a two-fold Iudgement that is to say First A Iudgement of condemnation Secondly A Iudgement of Declaration And this appeareth in the book of the Revelation chap. 20. ver 10 11 12 13 14. And the Devil that deceived them Rev. 20.10 11 12 13 14. was cast into a lake of fire brimstone And I saw a white throne and one that sat on it And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened And another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged of those things which were written in the books according to their works And the sea gave up her dead which were in her and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to his works There is to be a two-fold Iudgement The one a Iudgement of dissolution for the righteous The other a Iudgement of condemnation for the wicked The first a Iudgement of dissolution or of acquittall The other a Iudgement of condemnation Reason The reason why there is to be a twofold Iudgement of the bodies and souls reunited is this The soul receiveth the first Iudgement being the first and principall actour in sin and then the body being quickned by the soul and so conjoyned and associated with the same in the acting of sin and in this respect it is requisite that there should be a second Iudgement when both body and soul might together receive their Iudgement as they had been both of them joynt actours in sin And this may serve to answer an Objection which may be made of some shew of injustice to be twice punished by two Iudgements for one and the same sin Again at our appearance there we shall be naked and where we shall be manifested