that our first Parents fell from that primitive Holiness and Righteousness and so lost the Image of God for after that by the perswasion of the Devil they had entertained a love of themselves contrary to God and to the love of their Creator preferring their own Glory and Delectation before the love and glory of God and desiring to be equal with God himself their understandings were presently overspread with ignorance and blindness instead of Wisdom Their Wills grew Refractory and Disobedient to God and all their affections were perverse irregular and out of order so that now the thoughts of man from his infancy are evil and thus man not only fell from that eternal life for which he was Created but also became obnoxious to eternal Damnation Thirdly 'T is firmly to be believ'd that God took pitty on fallen Mankind and sent his Son to take upon him Humane Flesh and being made Man did by suffering and dying satisfie for us and deliver us from eternal death And did by his Merits relied on by a true Faith again make us Heirs of that blessed life which by our sins we lost and restored in us the decayed image of God and made us his and Sanctified us by his Holy Spirit that we might serve him in Righteousness and Holiness all the days of our life From whence it plainly appears who Christ is and what is the duty of a Christian viz. Christ is our Redeemer who reconciled us unto his Father and by his Merits made us his Brethren and Coheirs of his Kingdom when we were enemies to God defiled with sin and deserved to be punished with eternal death And a Christian who derives his name from Christ is one who acknowledges that he was indeed created by God in Righteousness and Holiness but by the Wiles of Satan fell from and rebelled against God and so being polluted by the stains of Original Sin and contaminated with many actual Transgressions he became liable to the wrath of God and everlasting punishment from which he is freed and redeemed by the alone Merits and Righteousness of Christ which by Faith is imputed unto him so that now he is to undertake such a way of living as may be well pleasing not to the Devil but unto God and therefore he is to avoid all sins from which he is redeemed by the pretious Merits of Christ and to serve God alone in an holy and religious life And from hence arises a threefold duty of a Christian The first is to acknowledge himself a sinner and to bewail his sins Secondly To believe Christ to be his Redeemer and to trust only in his Merits Thirdly To obey his Laws to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit not to relapse into sins from which by the death of Christ he is redeemed but to love God above all things and his Neighbour as himself Or to comprize all in a word the life of a Christian is a continual Repentance For since he is defiled with Original Sin and even the Just Man falls seven times Prov. 24.16 He will therefore be always sorrowful for his sins and sly to the Merits of Christ and serve God in true Righteousness and Holiness In sum 't is the Duty of a Christian to believe in Christ and to live holily which if he doth for Christs sake he will be acceptable unto God and shall in the end inherit eternal life But if he shall be deprived of this happiness if he is not in favour with God although he should possess the Riches of the whole World although he were Monarch over all the Earth although he were wiser than the best Philosophers yet would all be in vain and to no purpose Vanity of Vanities Eccles 1. all is Vanity except to serve God and to please him There are indeed many things to be done which are allowed of God but there is one thing necessary None shall be Condemned in the last Day that they were not rich that they were not in high places that they did not enjoy great honours that they were ignorant of many nice Subtilties of Nature But they alone shall be Condemned who do not believe in Christ and who are not the Children of God The Prayer GRant O Lord Jesus Christ that I may never forget those Vows wherewith I have obliged my self unto thee in the Holy Sacrament of Baptism but that renouncing the Devil and all his Works I may obey thy Commandments with my whole Heart and confessing my self to be a Miserable Sinner I may confide in thy Merits and serve Thee in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of my life Amen CHAP. XI That we must repent And first of sorrowing for our sins FOR as much as the Christian knows that he is conceiv'd and born in sins and that in this corruption of Humane Nature no body can sufficiently resist the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil that there is no Man which sinneth not 2 Chr. 6.36 Prov. 20.9 for who can say I have made my Heart clean I am pure from my sin and that even the Just man falleth seven times Prov. 24.16 therefore he hates and bewails his sins and confesseth that by them he hath provoked Gods anger against him so that he justly deserveth the eternal pains of Hell But the Christian must bewail his sins seriously and from his heart 2 Cor. 7.10 For that is godly sorrow which worketh Repentance unto Salvation not to be repented of that is a true sorrow for sins joyn'd with faith Now this grief and sadness the Holy Ghost excites in us as also doth the Consideration and Meditation of Christs Passion As if a Man considers who he is whom he hath offended who it is that is angry with him and that his sins were the cause of his Saviours Passion For Man from himself is nothing but he is Gods Creature and whatever any one hath he hath it from God But God is the Creator of all things the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Omnipotent Immense most Wise most Good and most Great insomuch that between Man and God there is no proportion And yet Man by his sins rebell'd against God and deliver'd himself up into the Bondage of Satan and so provoked the infinite anger of his God against him Now the Passion of Christ is the Mirrior of the Divine anger And whoever considers with himself the reasons that mov'd the Son of God to become Man to suffer and to die and confesseth that it was the sins of the World which could no other ways be atton'd for than by the Death and Passion of the Son of God himself he who shall consider that Man who is Dust and Ashes fell away from his Creator the great and good God and listed himself under the Devils Banner and so by his sins provoked Gods anger enough to have thrown him headlong into Hell and withal shall confess it to be in part his own fault that the
heart for with thee there is mercy and plenteous redemption To thee then O thou Son of God and my Saviour I fly for succour Thou camest into the World to save sinners thou hast called unto thee all that are weary and heavy laden and hast promised to give them rest and ease Behold I come unto thee bowed together with the weight of my sins O do thou lift me up for thou art the Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the World thou didest that all that believe in thee should not perish but have everlasting life Lord Jesu I believe in thee O pity and help my infirmities Amen CHAP. XIII That we must live Holily BUT it is not enough barely to know that Christ died for sin Since the Devils are not ignorant of this mere knowledge which puffeth up 1 Cor. 8.1 is one thing and a vain boasting of Faith is another and a true lively Faith is another which as by an inward formal Act it receives and apprehends Christ with all his benefits to Justification Gal. 5.6 so also outwardly it worketh by love And therefore Christ having redeemed us from the hands of our Enemies we ought to serve him in Righteousness and Holiness all the days of our life To this purpose St. Paul exhorts us 2 Cor. 5.15 That Christ died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation Tit. 2.11 hath appeared to all Men Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly Lusts vers 12. we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World vers 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Who gave himself for us vers 14. that he might Redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good works All they therefore that think to have their sins remitted whilst they go on in their wickedness deceive themselves and make a mock at the Merits of Christ and may so fall away Heb. 6.6 as even to Crucifie unto themselves the Son of God afresh Heb. 10.29 and put him to an open shame And account the blood of the Covenant wherewith they were Sanctified an unholy thing and do despight unto the spirit of grace For since Christ hath redeemed us from the Slavery of Satan and restored us again to our former liberty it is very fitting that we should lead a new life bid farewel to all iniquity and serve God with a pure heart fervently Now this restoring Man to his pristine state in which God at first created him and from whence by sin he fell is in holy Writ called a Renovation Or a new Creature For so says the Apostle Eph. 4.22 23 c. Put off concerning the former Conversation the old Man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts And be renewed in the Spirit of your mind and put on the new Man which after God is Created in Righteousness in true Holiness Wherefore putting away lying speak every Man truth with his Neighbour for we are members one of another Be ye angry and sin not let not the Sun go down upon your wrath Neither give place to the Devil Let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing which is good that he may have to give to him that needeth Let no corrupt Communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the Hearers And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all Malice And be ye kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you And a little after Eph. 5.3 But Fornication and all Vncleanness or Covetousness let it not be once named amongst you Although it plainly appears from this Exhortation of the Apostle what a Regenerate Man whose sins are pardon'd is to do and what he is to avoid yet we may briefly comprize the whole exercise of Godliness under these two Heads viz. the love of God and of our Neighbour This is the Sum of all the Commandments as our Saviour himself teaches us Mat. 22.37 Luke 10.27 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Strength and with all thy Mind and thy Neighbour as thy self The Prayer O Merciful Father who in thy Son Jesus Christ hast pardoned all my sins what shall I render unto thee for all the Benefits which thou hast bestowed on me Grant that I may delight my self in thy Commandments that I may not love the World nor the things in it but may Crucifie my flesh with its Affections and Lusts guide me with thy Holy Spirit that I may daily persevere in true Repentance may war a good warfare keep Faith and a good Conscience and increase more and more in Righteousness and Holiness working that which is well pleasing in thy sight And for as much as of my self I am not able to do any good thing do thou O Lord who givest both to will and to do perfect that good work which thou hast begun in me and bring it to an Happy Issue and keep me in all my ways that I depart not from thy Statutes Lead me in the paths of thy Commandments Thy word is a Lanthern unto my Feet and a light unto my paths Order my steps in thy word and let not any iniquity have Dominion over me Ps 119.133 CHAP. XIV That God is to be loved above all things FOR as much as God at first created us Christ by his Death redeemed us from eternal Death and the Holy Spirit sanctifies us and leads us to everlasting life therefore are we to love God above all things whatever Love naturally desires what is good and excellent and what any one loves that he always esteems best most profitable and beautiful now there is nothing can be suppos'd better and more beautiful than God and therefore he is to be loved above all things This is the first Commandment Exod. 20.3 Thou shalt have no other Gods before me Deut. 5.7.6.4 Mar. 12.29 And hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Might He who loves God above all things hath no other Gods but who ever loves any thing more than God he makes that his God for he prefers it before God and sets it up as an Idol in his Heart Therefore a Christian is to despise all things in respect of God how great and profitable how beautiful and
Son of God underwent such Grief and Torments for others Crimes no doubt but such an one will abhor himself and be amazed at the consideration of his own guilt and if he were left to himself to rely upon his own strength and knew no ways of appeasing the wrath of God he must of necessity be driven to despair The Prayer WO is me O Lord who was conceived and born in sin the thoughts of my heart are inclined unto evil from my Youth Wo is me who have sinned against thee my Creatour and bountiful Lord and have done evil in thy sight But I acknowledge mine iniquity and my sins are ever before me Jet 9.1 Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for my sins whereby I have so often offended thee my Lord and Creatour whether shall I fly who will intercede for me who will deliver me in the day of thy fierce anger that I perish not for ever Alas there is none to save but thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ But forasmuch as faith in him is not our own work but thy gift blessed Lord let thy Holy Spirit excite preserve and daily increase in my heart a true and lively faith Mat. 11.27 O Holy Father since no man knoweth the Son but thou only neither knoweth any man thee save thy Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal thee draw me I beseech thee unto him that he may lead me unto thee least I die in my sins Vouchsafe to strengthen my weak Faith and perfect that good Work which thou hast begun in me Establish in me a firm Faith in my Saviour to the last breath of my life that amongst the many various errors and opinions of this World I may not in the least be perverted from the true faith but may always ask and obtain the remission of my sins from thee through the merits and intercession of the same thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ Amen CHAP. XII That we are to fly for refuge to the mercies of God and to believe in Christ BUT the Christian is not to despair altho' he must acknowledge himself to be a sinner John 3.16 but for as much as he knows that God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life he therefore puts his whole trust and confidence in the mercies of God through the merits of Christ For the merciful God hath promised pardon of sins to true Penitents this we find in divers places of Scripture Ezek. 33.12 As for the wickedness of the wicked he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness 2 Pet. 3.9 for God is long-suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance As I live saith the Lord God Ezek. 33.11 I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live A broken and a contrite heart Psal 51.17 God will not despise Therefore also now saith the Lord turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping Joel 2.13 and with mourning And rent your heart and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil Zechar. 1.3 Turn ye unto me saith the Lord of Hosts and I will turn unto you Ps 69.33 Mat. 12.20 Seek ye after God and your Soul shall live A bruised reed shall he not break and smoaking flax shall he not quench Act. 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out And therefore the true Penitent may with affiance approach unto God and say Ps 130.3 If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand Father I have sinned against Heaven Luk. 15.21 and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son Ps 51.1 But have mercy upon me according to thy loving kindness according unto the multitudes of thy tender mercies Lu. 18.13 And God be merciful unto me a sinner Nor let him in the least doubt of the mercy of God whilst he relies on the merits of Christ Mat. 18.11 1 Joh. 1.7 For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 2.2 And he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole World Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus so that he may rest quiet in the mercies of God and in the merits of Christ as knowing that a full ransom was paid for his sins and that a most absolutely perfect righteousness able to stand before the judgment of God was purchased and obtained for sinners by the most holy Obedience of Christ which he performed to his Father both in his life and death and which the Holy Spirit offers to all the World in the Word and Sacraments desiring them to accept of it And to those who do not resist these means he excites increases and confirms their Faith that they may receive the grace of God purchased by Christ's merits and tender'd unto them in the Divine Word and holy Sacraments so that they may be confident that he who hath begun a good work in them will also perfect it and preserve them in grace unto the end of their lives For saith St. Paul I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come Nor height Rom. 8. ult nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Prayer BEhold O Lord I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me I know that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing and I see another law in my members waring against the law of my mind from this corruption of nature it proceeds that I am so disobedient to to thy Laws and Commandments even from my infancy until now I have infinite ways transgressed them in thought word and deed the good things which I ought I have not done and the evil things which I ought not I have committed so great is the number of my sins that I can no longer remember them all O Heavenly Father I am not worthy to be called thy Son but I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is ever before me Have mercy upon me therefore O God according to thy great goodness and cleanse me from all even my most secret sins enter not into judgment with thy Servant and remember not the sins of my youth Lord despise not a broken and a contrite
advice and Counsel which the Holiest Men have given to such as were ready to depart this life we shall find them all have recourse to that of David Ps 143.2 Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant O Lord Ps 130.3 for in thy sight shall no Man living be justified If thou Lord shouldest make iniquities O Lord who shall stand The best Men in the World when they have been in the agonies of Death have begg'd earnestly of God for the Remission of their sins nor could they expect or desire Salvation from any but only from our Lord Jesus Christ for there is none other Name under Heaven given among Men whereby we must be saved A Man thus seriously reconciled to God will easily struggle with and overcome all the Temptations which are wont to press in upon dying persons For although the remembrance of all the sins of your past life and those too aggravated by the malice of Satan and with all the rigour of the last judgment and the severity of the Judge should come into your mind yet to these Terrours you may oppose the Mercies of God the Father the Merits of Jesus Christ and the most assured promises of forgiveness of sins which as you ought always and in your greatest health to remember as hath been said before so when Death approaches you ought more especially to have them in a readiness the principal whereof are contained in these following Texts of Scripture Isa 1.18 Though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow Isa 43.25 though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wool I even I saith the Lord am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy sins Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous Man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly Pardon Zek. 18.32 I have no pleasure in the Death of him that dieth saith the Lord God wherefore turn your selves and live ye As I live saith the Lord God Ezek. 33.11 I have no pleasure in the Death of the Wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Thou Lord art a God full of compassion and gracious Psal 86.15 Long suffering and plenteous in Mercy and Truth Psal 147.3.11 The Lord healeth the broken in Heart and bindeth up their Wounds The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his Mercy 1 Joh. 1.7 Mat. 18.11 The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin The Son of Man came to save that which was lost This is a faithful saying 1 Tim. 1.15 and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief 1 Joh 2.2 He is the propitiation for our sins and for the sins of the whole World Whosoever liveth and believeth in him John 11.26 shall never die Eternally John 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the World Mat. 26.28 He shed his Blood for the Remission of sins Isa 53.5 He was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities He that believeth on him shall not be Condemned Rom. 8.33 c. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that Condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right Hand of God who also maketh Intercession for us Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall Tribulation or Distress c. 2 Pet. 3.9 The Lord is long-suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance 1 Tim. 2.4 c. He would have all Men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the Truth For there is one God and one Mediatour between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus Who gave himself a Ransom for all You are therefore in no wise to doubt of the Mercies of God and of the forgiveness of your sins for the Mercies of God are infinitely greater than the sins of all Mankind It is an Article of our Christian Faith I believe the forgiveness of sins So that if we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Our Blessed Saviour invites all sinners unto himself with the kindest expressions saying Matth. 11.28 Joh. 3.16 Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest For God so loved the World that he gives his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 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 that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live Joh. 6.35 c. I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out And this is the Father's will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day And this is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day My sheep bear my voice and I know them Joh. 10.27 28. and they follow me And I give unto them elernal life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand For I am perswadâ—d that neither death nor life nor angels Rom 8. nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor an other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And every one that is grieved for his sin may say to himself as Paul and Silas heretofore said to the Keeper of the Prison at Philippi Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved If it should happen that your mind should be disturb'd with such thoughts as these that though Christ perhaps made satisfaction for some yet sure not for all nor for grievous sins let some of the same consolations be ready at hand As these the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin If any man sin 1 Joh. 1.7 we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world 1 Joh. 2.1 2. 1 Tim. 2.6 He gave himself a ransom for all
God to call him out of it Let not any then despise these counsels and directions as if they belonged only to sick and Dying Men but rather consider that if they daily exercise themselves in the use and practise of them whilst they are in their health and strength they will reap the greater benefit by them when they come to die and will depart this life with a comfortable assurance of God's favour but it is to be feared that they will find themselves very ill prepar'd for an happy departure hence at the time of their dissolution who when they were well us'd all their endeavours to put the thoughts of death out of their minds Be therefore intent and diligent in reading and meditating on Lectures of Mortality and learn to die whilst you live Put on the person of a dying man even now whilst the strength of your mind and body remains perfect and entire in you Do those things now which you would desire to do when you are a dying and then when ever the timâ— draws nigh that you must die indeed you will find all those holy preparations with which you so frequently exercised your self in your life time will be wonderfully helpful and subservient to you in that your last hour All the Divine Comforts and Consolations with which you entertain'd your self during the days of your Pilgrimage here will come afresh into your mind and you will have little more to do than to rejoyce in the reflexions on a well spent life and to commend your Soul into the Hands of God as into the Hands of a faithful Creatour and most Merciful Saviour And when ever any sickness seizeth on you remember that it doth not come by chance but by the hand of God and thank him for his Fatherly Correction towards you Commit your self to his Divine Providence and rely not too much on the Physitians help which we find king Asa reprov'd for in Holy Scripture Yet according to the advice of the Son of Sirach Honour the Physitian and make use of such means as God and Nature offer but let your greatest care be for the health of your Soul For since a dreadful Eternity succeeds the short moment of your life What madness would it be to employ all your Care and Diligence about this vain life which passeth away like a shaddow and to make no provision for your everlasting State in the other World till you are brought to the very confines of it But O Christian if you are wise be every day thinking that you must shortly put off this your Earthly Tabernacle even as the Lord hath shewn you And in any sickness that befalls you first reconcile your self to God and then you may be assured that either he will make the means you use conducive to the health of your Body or else will make your Disease and even Death it self healthful to your Soul A TABLE Of the Chapters in the ensuing Treatise comprizing the Sum of Christian Religion CHAP. I. IT is appointed for all Men once to die p. 1. Chap. II. And at death all things in the World are to be left behind p. 4. Chap. III. But after death there remains another life and death is the passage either to Eternal Happiness or Misery p. 10 Chap. IV. All Men after death must stand before the Judgment Seat of God p. 16. Chap. V. And some shall be Translated into Eternal life abounding with infinite Felicities p. 22. Chap. VI. Whilst others shall be cast headlong into the unspeakable Torments of Hell p. 27. Chap. VII And since they only are partakers of the Blessed life who die well it therefore concerns all Men to be careful how they live and to prepare themselves for a Blessed death as a thing very difficult Now this Preparation is either general and to be exercised every day or particular to be performed when death approaches p. 36. Chap. VIII Towards this general and daily Preparation it is requisite for a Man first to consider the certainty of death the shortness of life and uncertainty of the hour of death p. 38. Chap. IX Secondly Not to fear Death p. 52. Chap. X. Thirdly That he perform the Duty of a Christian p. 61. Chap. II. Now the Duty of a Christian consists chiefly in true Repentance And first in sorrow for sin p. 68. Chap. XII Secondly In an Humble Reliance on the Mercies of God and in Faith in Christ p. 73. Chap. XIII Thirdly In an Holy life p. 79. Chap. XIV And he lives well who loves God above all things p. 85. Chap. XV. And his Neighbour as himself p. 93. Chap. XVI And to this end he is to strive against all Capital and Enormeus sins which are contrary to the love of God and his Neighbour p. 97. Chap. XVII And that the Christian may the better persevere in the exercises of Virtue and Repentante it may be very useful for him to compose a Diary or a daily Form of Devotion p. 118 Chap. XVIII The particular preparation for death consists in two things one whereof concerns the sick Person and the other his Neighbour The first is that the dying Man make his peace with God and fortifie his mind against all those Temptations which usually insinuate themselves at this time The second is that he be in perfect Love and Charity with all Men and rightly dispose of all his Worldly concerns p. 140. IMPRIMATUR Feb. 15. 1693 4. Guil. Lancaster R P D Henrico Epis Lond à Sacris Domesticâ—s ERRATA PAg. 13 line 5. for Theogenis read Theognis p. 45. l. 2. f. neglact r. neglect p. 52. l. 15. f. the r. a. p. 53. l. 28. f. World r. World p. 69. l. 19. f. Mirrior r. Mirroir p. 81. l. 9. f. in r. and. p. 103. l. 23. f. this r. his p. 108. l. 28. f. Languish r. Anguish p. 127. l. 11. f. putrisying r. putrify p. 172. l. 10. f. desire r. deserve p. 173. l. 8. f. make r. maketh Daniel Sennertus HIS MEDITATIONS OF Living holily and dying happily CHAP. I. That all must die WE are taught both by Sacred and Heathen Writers that we must all die whilst they often inculcate that it is appointed unto men once to die Heb. 9.27 Wisd 7.6 1 Kings 2.2 that all-Men have one entrance into Life and the like going out that Death is the way of all the Earth Thus also Ovid speaks Tendimus huc omnes metam properamus ad unam Omnia-sub leges mors vocat atra suas We all pass swiftly on to the same state And all are subject to the Laws of Fate And Horace Lib. 2. Od. 18. Omnes manet una nox calcanda semel via lethi A long dark Night will all the World o're spread And all the rugged paths of Death must tread But much more plainly doth daily experience and the Funerals we continually see go by our doors admonish us of our mortality Sen. Ep. 100. Omnis dies omnis
to so improper so unfit a time it is rightly said that late repentance seldom happens to be true and serious and God by a just judgment oftentimes disregards those when they are dying who thought it grievous to remember God when they were well in health Of these the Divine Wisdom thus speaks Prov. 1.24 c. Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation when distress and anguish comeâ—h upon you Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me For that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord they would none of my counsel they despised all my reproof The Prayer O Most infinite Wisdom thy thoughts are not like our thoughts since then it did not please thee to reveal unto us the hour of our death grant that I may be always prepared for an happy departure hence that at thy coming I may be found watching and ready let not the hour of death surprize me in my sins and let me never spend one day without true repentance Inliven my Soul to be perpetually aspiring after thee and loving thee that so all things that happen to me may work together for good and nothing may be able to separate me from the love of Christ Jesus thy Son our Lord Amen CHAP. IX That Death is not to be fear'd SInce then it is certain that all must die that life is short and the hour of death is uncertain and that therefore it becomes us to be every moment prepared for an happy departure hence unless we will run the hazard of losing our Souls for ever the devout Christian therefore may prepare himself to die well if in the second place he learns not to fear death This then is the second head of those general and daily preparations for a blessed death that we bear the thoughts of death with a couragious mind and that we never be captivated with the false pleasures of life and the fond desire after earthly things for the pleasures of life and the blandishments of this World are chiefly to be reckon'd amongst those things which make death most bitter and formidable to us We know no union more close than that of Soul and Body so that nothing can appear more terrible than death which separates Soul and Body those two intimate companions moreover in this life there are many things we much value and which engage our affections to them such as are magnificent Buildings sumptuous Apparel Vessels of Gold and Silver Riches fruitful Fields delightful Gardens pleasant Vineyards Parents Children Wife and Friends of all which since death bereaves us 't is no wonder if we account it bitter Hence 't is said in Ecclesiasticus Cap. 41.1 O death how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liveth at rest in his possessions unto the man that hath nothing to vex him and that hath prosperity in all things But now a diligent consideration of the miseries and troubles of this life of which we shall speak by and by and of the joys of eternal life of which we have before treated will soon root out of our hearts all fondness and complacency for earthly things for these pleasures are false and counterfeit and under the sweet lies gall and bitterness This made Solomon the wisest of Kings who wanted nothing this Wotld could afford to make his life happy upon his own experience say that all things under the Sun are vain and empty Vanity of Vanities Eccl. 1.2 all is Vanity In this World we live like Strangers and Pilgrims why then do we not desire to return into our own Countrey what ever we leave behind us here shall there be recompenced with far more Excellent and Transcendent Rewards Thus our Saviour adviseth us Mat. 6.19 Lay not up for your selves treasures upon Earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal But lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal Altho' many things here are pleasant and grateful to us yet compar'd to Eternal Life they are nothing to be accounted off when we die we do not lose all those faithful Servants of Christ which were here so dear to us they will follow a little after When we die we are gather'd to our people and go unto our Fathers and we shall there have the acquaintance of more and far better Friends Angels and Archangels without number Dan. 7.10 for thousand thousands minister unto God and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before him what an unspeakable joy will it be to have a familiar conversation with the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs and all the faithful Servants of Christ And as the pleasures of this life are as nothing if they be weighed in an even ballance with the glories of immortality to which we pass by the gate of death so also death it self is not to be feared by us for though it is called the most terrible of all evils because it separates those two intimate Friends Soul and Body and delivers up the Body which was here so tenderly beloved and provided for to be eaten up by Worms though death consider'd in it self be the punishment of sin and befalls us by the Divine Malediction and though death be to be dreaded by one who is involved in a multiplicity of worldly business and is not provided for his departure out of this life and so is very doubtful of his future state yet forasmuch as by the death of Christ it is made the way and passage to eternal life to a good man who is prepared for an happy death it is not at all to be fear'd that the day of death is better than the day of ones birth Eccl. 7. â— For when we are born we enter into this World which is a scene full of miseries and calamities but when we die we leave them all and are translated into that other blessed life which is replenish'd with all kinds of felicities We are first of all in this World subjected to the slavery of our corruptions and original Sin whilst afterwards the seeds of many lusts spring up in us infidelity ambition covetousness hatred envy uncleanness and such like thus St. Paul complains that he was sold under sin Rom. 7.14 This is the height of misery and to a man enflamed with a desire after an holy life and in whose breast one spark of piety remains nothing can happen more grievous than the corruptions of the flesh of this the Apostle farther complains Ibid. v. 18. I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no
that I may desire thee alone and be inflam'd with the love of thee that after Death I may be translated to the joys and blessedness of thy glorious Kingdom and live with thee for ever and evâ—â— Amen CHAP. XV. That we are to love our Neighbour AFter God our Neighbour is to be beloved whom a Christian ought to love as himself And these two the love of God and of our Neigheour are joyned together by an indissoluble Bond so that the love of God can never be separated from the love of our Neighbour If any one shall say I love God and hate his Brother he is a Lyar. He who is angry with his Brother without cause doth not love God no one can hurt his Brother but at the same time he offends God And therefore amongst the Characters of a Christian this is one of the chief to love our Neighbour A new Commandment saith our Saviour John 13.34 35 I give unto you that ye love one another By this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another Although a Christian be endued with all other Vertues yet without Charity they will all profit him nothing Of which St. Paul thus speaks 1 Cor. 13.1 c. Though I speak with the Tongues of Men and of Angels and have not Charity I am become as sounding Brass or a tinkling Cymbal And though I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all Mysteries and all knowledge and have no Charity I am nothing c. In the last Judgment the Faith of Men shall be judged by their Charity Whilst the Just Judge shall say to the Blessed Mat. 25. I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me for as much as ye have done it unto the least of these ye have done it unto me And on the contrary to the wicked he shall say I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink I was a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye cloathed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not and forasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me By this Christians are distinguished from the Heathen they indeed love their Friends but Christians must love their Enemies as our Saviour teacheth us But I say unto you love your Enemies Mat. 5.44 c. Bless them that Curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven for he maketh the Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and and sendeth rain on the Just and on the Vnjust For if ye love them which love you what reward have ye Do not even the Publicans the same And if ye salute your Brethren only what do ye more than others do not even the Publicans so Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect For in this the Eminency and Prerogative of a Christian consists in overcoming the World and the Flesh Accordingly St. Paul thus adviseth us Rom. 12.17 18. Recompence to no Man Evil for Evil Provide things honest in the sight of all Men If it be possible as much as lieth in you vers 19. live peaceably with all Men Dearly beloved avenge not your selves If thine Enemy hunger vers 20. feed him if he thirst give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap Coals of fire on his Head Be not overcome of Evil but overcome Evil with good vers 21. The Prayer LORD Jesus who hast given us a new Commandment that we should love one another and wentest before us by thy Example in doing good and praying for thine Enemies grant that we may bear a brotherly love and kindness to all Men that we may hurt no body but do good to all Men even to our Enemies and commit all Revenge to thee alone Take from us O Lord Anger Hatred Malice and all bitterness of Spirit that the Sun may not go down upon our wrath but that we may forgive those that have Trespassed against us even as we desire thee to forgive us our Trespasses grant unto us kindness and good will that our Faith may work by love and all Men may say that we are thy Disciples indeed CHAP. XVI That we must guard our minds from Capital Sins ALthough a Christian if he loveth God above all and his Neighbour as himself and orders all his Actions by the love of God and of his Neighbour will not easily be tempted to commit any Heinous Crime yet because sins do easily insinuate themselves under the mask of good and the World the Flesh and the Devil do endeavour a thousand ways by allurements by deceits or by force to tempt us from our good purposes and resolutions of living well it therefore behoves a Christian to arm himself against the Assaults of all Capital Sins For as in War he that knows the Enemy is near provideth himself with all necessary Weapons keeps Watches and Sentinels that so he may at all times be in a readiness to oppose the Enemy In like manner it is our Duty to have always our Spiritual Armour at hand with which we may resist the Enemies of our Salvation the World the Flesh and the Devil This is that Warfare by which we overcome the World and our own selves and we ought daily to improve our selves in it Wherefore if Men would but take half the pains in vanquishing their Lusts and implanting Piety in their Minds as they do in getting Riches hunting after Honours and resolving nice and intricate Questions there would be fewer offences in the World and the exercises of Vertue would be much more frequent and vigorous amongst Men. And whereas all that are in the World are the Lusts of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life or the love of Pleasures Riches and Honours 1 John 2.16 and those Enormous Sins which arise from hence as Pride Covetousness Luxury Envy Anger Enmity and Hatred and the like It is therefore the Duty of a Christian diligently to consider how he may best fortifie himself against these vices And first against Pride The Christian may easily cure himself of this Evil by accustoming himself to Humility and considering how little one Man is better than another We are born all alike one wants Meat and Drink as well as another and all the labour of Man is for his Mouth and yet the Appetite is not filled one is sick as well as another and we all die and return unto the Earth from whence we were taken And indeed this consideration alone that in a short
and if it be needful make his Will which ought to be plain and intelligible comformable to the Law of Nature to the Word of God and to the Laws of the Country wherein he lives that so there may be no occasion given to his Heirs and Executors to have any Litigious Disputes and Law-Suits after his Death and this he ought to do whilst his Mind and Tongue and Hand can perform their Functions and not to defer it till he is not able to make his mind known clearly and distinctly either by word or writing And indeed they do most conveniently and to the purpose who make their Wills whilst they are in perfect health on the contrary they very ill consult their own Affairs who put off the making of their Wills till some dangerous sickness assaults them and then perhaps they are suddenly taken out of the World or the Disease causes a Frenzie and so their minds become utterly indispos'd for the settling of their Worldly concerns If the sick Person remembers that he hath taken any thing away from any Man wrongfully let him restore it again to the right owner or if he be Dead and that cannot well be done let him appoint it to be given to pious uses to the poor of the Church or State For as St. Augustin saith Si res aliena propter quam peccatum est cum reddi possit non redditur non agitur poenitâ—ntia sed fingitur Epist 54. ad Maâ—don A Man is an Hypocrite and not a true Penitent if he doth not restore goods wrongfully taken when it is in his power to do it And let those also who abound in Riches honestly gotten take care that some portion of them be given to good and pious uses and that amongst the rest of their Legacies something be left and assigned to Christ Moreover the sick Person ought to look after such things as concern the Souls of those under his care and to commend unto all his Family that Religion which is contained in the Word of God and diligently to exhort them to a Holy life to the love and service of God Although as it hath been said such things were better to be ordered and provided for when we are well and in good Health because Death takes away many on a sudden and some Diseases are of such a Nature that they presently deprive a Man of the power of thinking on and ordering such things so that it will be most safe and prudent for the sick Person to put off all thoughts of Earthly things and not to distract himself with any cares but to fix his mind wholly upon God and on his happy passage out of this life And now when the sick Man finds his end approaching that the time of his departure is at hand and that he is now to struggle with the pangs of Death laying aside all Worldly cares let him intirely submit himself to Gods Will and in no wise withstand it and say Father thy Will be done whether it be by Life or by Death And then let him endeavour that he may die in the Faith of Christ and rest in the Lord that is let him give himself up wholly to the grace and mercy of God in the Merits of Christ and to the Consolations of the Holy Spirit For since in that last hour this World and all things in it Friends and Relations Riches and Pleasures and whatever else is taking and delightful must be quite abandon'd it is very fitting that his mind should bid farewel to all things here below and by Faith lift up it self to God alone And the Man being thus plac'd as it were out of himself he ought with the most earnest Affections and with the most Ardent Prayers and Fervent Sighs to fly unto the Mercy and Goodness of God and say with David Ps 73.26 My Flesh and my Heart faileth but God is the strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever In thee O Lord do I put my trust Ps 31.1 let me never be put to Confusion deliver me in thy Righteousness And then at last when he is just going out of the World let him commend his Soul unto God as unto a faithful Creatour and most Merciful Saviour and say with Christ Father Luk. 23.46 into thy Hands I commend my Spirit And with St. Act. 7.59 Stephen Lord Jesus receive my Spirit If any of the foregoing Temptations should be suggested by Satan to the sick Person when he lies under the agonies of Death let him not trouble himself to give an answer but commit himself wholly to Christ and depend only upon him and presevere to the last in pious Prayers and Ejaculations As also those that are present with him ought to do especially when they find his senses begin to fail him For the Prayers of the Righteous avail much and our Lord hath promised that where two or three are gathered together in his Name there will he be in the midst of them and that whatsoever we ask of the Father in his Name he will give it us Now where-ever Christs gracious presence is the Devil of necessity must flee before him Neither can the Devil tempt any Man beyond what God permits him And therefore every one ought not to be admitted to the sick Person when he is at the point of Death but only such who are Religious who by Devout Prayers can commend the departing Soul to God but such are not to be suffered to come to him who may in the least excite in him an hatred against any Man or a love towards any Worldly thing Or if they are permitted to come to him care must be taken that they behave themselves so as not to raise in his mind any evil affection which he had before laid aside and forsaken For a Soul that would depart happily out of this life ought to be inflam'd with the love of God alone and not to be mov'd either by the love or hatred of any Creature whatever And more especially let care be taken that the Dying Man may be visited and assisted by some Minister of Gods Word of good Learning and Judgment that he may know how to speak a word in season to the wearied Soul that he may so govern and temper his Discourse as neither to deceive the departing Soul by too much condescention and flattery nor to drive him to despair by an unseasonable sharpness and severity but may be able to instruct and fortifie him against all the Temptations of Satan with Divine Counsels and Consolations The Prayer O Lord God and my most merciful Father who hast now sent unto me the messenger of death and hast chastised me with sickness I confess my self to be a grievous sinner and that I have oftentimes offended thee even from my very infancy and therefore I acknowledge that this punishment is justly inflicted on me and that I desire death it self but I beseech thee of thine infinite mercies blot