share wherein being exercised with many years weakness as those that knew her knew very well but yet in such fatherly dealings she shewed her patience her perseverance her prosiciency and being a Mourner for the stobbornness of the wicked she was a gainer likewise by them too and all because she looked up to God who sees and weighs all our paths In which I have briefly recollected upon the matter the sum of the whole things contained in the text so that so long as this Text is in the Bible and so long as the Bible is in the Church and so long as any thing though unworthy of this Sermon remaines in your memories she cannot want either a sweet memorial of her vertues in the book of God or a stately Monument in the Church and in your hearts too Happily some may scoffe and some may doubt as though this commendation flew too high or out of sight To whom I shall briefly answer both For the former It is reported of two great Tragedians learned and famous in their time Sophocles and Euripides Euripides presented upon the Scaene all naughty women and Sophocles presented all vertuous women and the ordinary observation of the wits of the times was as men are apt to be vainly witted in these things they thought that Euripides that presented them bad presented women as they were and Sophocles that presented them good presented them as they should be If I had nothing else to say to the scoffs of any but only this I suppose it will be sufficient I do beleeve fully that I have presented her as she was but howsoever you can take no hurt if you do but consider that it is spoken as what you should be I am sure and I know I have presented what you should be And for any that shall doubt yet that it may seem to high I would desire them only to consider this I describe in the Text the very temper and character of one that is truly godly such as I conceive her to have been and the truth is there is none that is truly godly but in some degree or measure must attain and do attain to participate in a conformity with this Character and therefore I have neither done you as I conceive any wrong and yet done her right too And to draw to an end She hath left this honour behind her that she lived beloved and died desired And who is there here almost that suffereth not a loss in her Her Husband hath lost a loving wife that honoured him highly Her children have lost a loving Mother that loved them tenderly that tendered them duly Her servants have lost a loving Mistress that governed them gently and was every way beneficial to them Her Brothers and Sisters have lost a loving Sister that answered them in their loves sweetly Her Neighbours have lost a loving neighbour full of courtesie to the rich full of charity to the poor And my self have lost I hope there is none here so weak to suspect that I blast the living to blazon the praise of the dead or that I do rob or strip the living to cloath the dead with their spoyles but I think I may truly say I have lost as truly and cordially a loving friend as any she hath left behind though I esteem many her Peeres and I cannot complain of any But to end all Her gain in Christ countervaileth and sweetneth all our losses She was a disciple of Love she loved her Lord and loved all his Saints and servants and therefore I doubt not that she was a beloved disciple and resteth in the bosome of her Love where not to disquiet her happiness and detain your patience any longer I shall leave her in that blessed place and commend you to the blessing of God THE EXPECTATION OF CHRISTS COMING OR A MOTIVE To a Holy Conversation SERMON XVI PHIL. 3.20 21. For our Conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself IN the seventh verse of this Chapter the blessed Apostle Saint Paul exhorteth the Philippians to be followers together of him and to mark them which walk so as they had him for an ensample And that he might the better direct them in the duty the imitation of his ensample he sheweth that there is a great difference between others that pretended themselves to be the Apostles of Christ and indeed were not and himself Many saith he walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you weeping that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things These ensamples he would have them to avoid follow not such but be ye followers of us for our conversation is in heaven from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ c. and follow those which walk so as ye have us for an ensample This is the example he would have them imitate In the words you have these things considerable First What the conversation of these men was whom the Apostle would have the Philipians to follow Their conversation was a heavenly conversation Our conversation is in heaven Secondly the reason or incouragement that they had to this imitation to walk so heavenly while they were on earth because from thence we look for a Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Thirdly the benefit by that Saviour whom they look for from heaven He shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body Fourthly the means by which this great work shall be effected According to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself For the first to touch it only in a word there is from that these two Observations clearly arising First That there is a heavenly conversation of the Saints on earth Secondly That while they are on earth they are now stated in heaven Our conversation is in heaven He saith not only it shall be in heaven though there it shall be perfected but it is now in heaven in regard of our present state and possession Concerning the first that the Saints on earth have a heavenly conversation You must know that the word here Politeuma translated conversation signifieth such a course of life and of traffique as is in Cities and Corporations where many are knit and united together in one common society in one common freedome Our conversation is in heaven that is we have a kind of heavenly traffique a heavenly trade while we are upon earth There are divers things wherein there is an agreement between the carriages and conditions of men in Cities and Societies here on earth and this of the Saints of God that have their conversations in heaven I will
hath not seen no faith Saint Austin eye hath not seen for it is no colour nor eare hath not heard for it is no sound nor never entred into the heart of man to conceive for the heart of man must enter into it where all shall be filled with abundance of peace so the Prophet they shall not only taste and see how good the Lord is but they shall be filled with abundance and they shall drink out of the River running over with infinite and transcendent pleasures where there gold shall be peace and their silver shall be peace and their land shall be peace and their life shall be peace and their joy shall be peace and their God shall be peace and the God of peace he shall fill them with the peace of God and that peace is it which passeth which is infinitely beyond all understanding Glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God where the Kings is verity and the Law is charity and the State is felicity and the Life is eternity The comparing of these two things together of this lifes misery and that lifes felicity and eternity would make a man sing and to sigh too It would make him sing I singing is in the Temple and sighing is in the Tabernacle singing in the Temple Blesled are they that dwell in thy house they shall be alwayes praysing thee here is singing but sighings is in the Tabernacle for while we are in this Tabernacle therefore sigh we desiring to be dissolved and to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven for while we are here we cannot be happy for this life is misery This be spoken for our selves The second application of this plea is for others seeing this life is such a life of misery and that life is such a life of glory and immortality our present hap so base our future hope so excellent this should stay us and take us off from mourning for such as are departed as if we were without hope of them Hope is in the Text the principal thing and to lament and mourn for those that are departed we should be so far from it as to rejoyce in our spirits for the blessed translation of such into eternal rest from this vail of misery I say we should rejoyce in their very translation What dost thou mourn and lament and hang down the head and all for loss of such as are departed and gone to rest with God Oh but thou wilt say thou art not heavy for their gain but for thine own loss but seeing thy loss is the less and their gain the greater why dost thon not observe a mean and a proportion in these things I confesse it is very fitting both in Civility and Divinity and agreeable to the lawes both of Grace and Nature that there should be mourning especially in the house of mourning at times and occasions offered in this nature it cannot otherwise be But for Rachel to mourn for her Children so as that she would not be comforted not but that she could have been comforted but she would not that is not well But I say here is comfort in abundance and here is that which must stay us from being transported with impatient grief we must overcome all our grief with patience with a blessed expectation of our own dissolution for we must think we shall go to them they shall not return to us let us desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best for them and for me I and for thee too Enough of the fist Point The last which I will but name that so I may run through this whole Scripture at this time is this that The righteous and the hopeful they are not miserable they are not most miserable not the most miserable of all nay they are not miserable at all How prove you that By the force of the argument here that the Apostle useth for this being a part of an Argument and an Hypothetical proposition he reasoneth thus If in this life only we have hope in Christ then are we miserable but now for this life onely we have not hope in Christ he doth not set our rest there therefore we are not of all men the most miserable How prove you that because the most wicked the most wretched so the less wicked the least wretched and the most righteous the best blest and the least miserable Not the most not at all Not at all No for as the outward prosperity of the wicked in this World is no true prosperity so the outward adversity of the godly is no true misery it is not such as doth destitute and dissolute a man utterly but you shall have the faithful come off with hope I and with rejoycing rather then grudging and repining at it yea they joy in their sufferings and at last are more then conquerours and all this sheweth then that that they are far enough from misery Well the knowledge of this lifes misery the knowledge of our not being at all miserable that are righteous should teach all of us to be righteous to be religious to strive to be godly if not for the love of vertue and piety and holiness and such kind of Graces as all good Christians and godly persons should be though there were no Hell to punish nor no Heaven to cherish a man in though there were no reward for the good nor revenge against the bad yet notwithstanding the love of vertue should constrain an ingenious Christian to strive after holiness and piety but if not for the love of religion let us do it for the fear of the misery that may befall us which we shall prevent if we remember now our duties that is to be godly and to be righteous for the righteous man is not cannot be miserable And then lastly this shall serve to shew to us how it ought to keep off the World from judging rashly there is a great obliquity and a perverse judgment in the World men censure those that are in any kind of misery to be of all men the most miserable whereas we know that this is no true misery on their part for it is but outward it is but temporal misery it is no true real misery And therefore this serveth to rectifie the obliquity of such mens judgments as do determine the godly to be in a miserable condition whereas the contrary is most true for we count them faith Saint James blessed that endure Do they endure to the very death Blessed are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and who would not die here that he may dwell with God there in rest who that loveth who that hopeth would not be where his love where his hope is would not have what he hopeth for Doth not the Lord say to his servant Moses No man can see my face and live Oh saith a Father let me die then for I will
they may avoid the punishment when being incouraged by the promise of a reward they performe the actions of obedience do they not herein seek themselves they seek the avoyding of evil to themselues and the obtaining of good for themselves and doing thus they live to themselves To this we Answer We must consider our selves two wayes First in subordination to God Secondly in competition with him or oppositon against him Consider a mans self in subordination to God so a man may seek himself that is he may seek his own good though not as the uttermost end wherein his thoughts rest yet he hath this incouragement Self-love is a plant of Gods own planting in the heart of man and he will not have any man root out that that he hath planted Grace drieth not up the fountain of nature It doth but turn the stream into a new channel it guides it the right way When a man is renewed by grace and sanctified he is the same man in his faculties he doth his actions better then he did before and all that he did before he doth them to a better end It is impossible that the will of man should incline to any thing but as he conceiveth it good and good for me now there is no man can conceive a thing as good for him but he must conceive it as good and sutable to him sutable to his welfare and condition The law of God forbiddeth not this but establisheth it and commendeth it if it be rightly ordered Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul and with all thy strength that is the cheif notwithstanding thou shalt not hate thy self thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self subordinate to the love of a mans self must be the love of his neighbour and subordinate to his love of God must be the love of himself Thou maist love thy self but in a degree inferiour to God Thou must love thy self in God and seek thy good in God and not in thy self therefore it is that God in the Scripture hath set promises and threatnings one opposite to the other Now it is lawful for a man to be drawn to obedience or driven from sin by any argument that God useth in his Word When God threatneth punishment shall not men be awakened the Lyon roareth and the beasts of the Forrest tremble When God promiseth here is the act of faith to receive this promise and to believe it Herein Jesus Christ the Author and finisher of our faith is set as a patterm for us he set before him the joy It is lawful for a Christian herein to imitate Christ I speak this for their sakes to allure them by incouragements from the Word that howsoever the avoyding of sin by threatnings is an action of self-love without the love of God yet these two may stand together in a due subordination one to another a mans love to himself and love to God to love God more then himself and so to seek all good in God and in the way leading to him Secondly take man as he standeth in competition and opposite to God in matter of will and desire In this case a man must not love and seek himself but God When a man seeks good to himself in a way displeasing to God herein he must not seek himself for he must live to God and not to himself when his thoughts and desires and affections are carried for himself principally this is against the rule this is not the state of a Christian of a beleever thus to seek himself in any thing contrary to God or in any thing above him Thus you have the opening of it And it shall appear to be a truth by these reasons For a man to live to himself that is to do the actions of life with respect to himself not to others and to God It is First a dishonour to God Secondly injurious to Christ Thirdly dangerous and hurtful to a mans self Eirst I say it is dishonourable to God It is the greatest dishonour the creature can do to the Creatour to exalt himself to make himself his end in the actions he doth It is to make a mans self a God and to make God an Idol For what is that incommunicable glory that God will not give to another but this to make himself his end It is a glory proper only to God He made all things for himself Prov. 16.4 Mark how these two agree well together that that that is the efficient cause should be the final cause too that as God is the maker so he should be the end of all things and as that that giveth Being to the creature it is our of it self so likewise that that should quicken and act the creature should be out of it self When a man therefore propounds himself as his end he is said in that to make himself God Those false Apostles Phil. 3.20 it is said of them that they made their belly their God because this they propounded as their end how they might advantage themselves in the world how they might feed and delight themselves and exalt themselves and serve not God This is to bring God below a mans self making God an Idol and himself God I say therefore it is the highest dishonour that the creature can do to God Secondly it is the greatest injury that he can do to Christ to live to himself Christ may say truly and more properly and fitly to us then Saint Paul could say to Philemon thou owest thy self to me We owe our selves to him by all rights especially by that great right ofpurchase he bought us to himself he redeemed us to himself You are bought with a price saith the Apostle therefore glorifie God in your spirits and bodies for they are Gods They are his and not your own because he bought them bought them when you were slaves and had inthralled your selves therefore you owe your selves to him he hath purchased you to himself In the old Law the rule was that if a man had bought another either out of captivity or the like he was to demand all the work and service that this man could doe all his time and strength belonged unto hm that bought him for he was his money therefore he might exact of him the uttermost he could do for his service for he bought him Much more Christ that hath bought us from a worse slavery from a slavery under the power of darkness and bought us with the greatest price even with the effusion of his own bloud He hath redeemed us saith Saint Peter not with silver and gold but with his own precious bloud a price far above that if a man should give all his wealth Now when Christ hath bought us for himself we are become not his money but his bloud therefore all that we have and are is due to him because we are his If we have any good in the world in things present
of this expectation of Christs coming when it is right and as it should be in the soul of a Beleever The first companion of it is Patience If we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it faith the Apostle Rom. 8.25 If we have hope and expectation of Christ coming if it be right it will stay the heart and calm and quiet the spirit in the middest of all injuries and crosses and afflictions in the world it will make us to wait with patience He that beleeveth will not make hast When a man beleeveth that there is a time when Christ will put an end to all these things it is that which mortisieth and subdueth the rising of his spirit and discontentedness in afflictions it makes him possesse his soul in Patience There is a kind of impatient waiting of men in the middest of discontent and revilings and evil speakings and threatings of others and then Oh that Christ would come But when Faith works kindly in the soul of a man there is a calm composedness of heart a submission to God in the present tryal and yet nevertheless a rejoycing in hope of the coming of Christ and of that glory that shall be revealed That is the first thing there is Patience accompanying it The second thing that accompanieth it is Love No man can in truth and aright hope for and wait for the coming of Christ but he that loveth Christ and his coming Now this Love must be grounded on our taste of Gods love Not that we loved him but that be loved us first faith the Apostle no man loveth Christ but first he is loved of Christ no man loveth God but first he is loved of God and the taste and relish of Gods love in my soule works love to God again as from the heat that cometh from the Sun there is a reflection that boundeth back again to the Sun so Gods love in us reflects love to God again This Love will appear in the secret sighings of the heart All the creatures groan yea we also sigh in our selves faith the Apostle waiting for the adoption even the redemption of our bodies There is I say a secret sighing of heart and that not only in the time of trouble and affliction but in the time of comfort and prosperity when a man hath abundance of outward things about him yet then because his love is set upon Christ and the perfection and end of love is the fruition of the object loved therefore there is a sighing a holy discontent as it were a kind of yearning of the heart toward Christ When shall I come and appear before God faith David how long Lord how long faith the Church in the Revelation If a man love Christ and his coming only because it shall end those miseries and those troubles that are upon him in this life this is not so much love of Christ as love of a mans self of his own ease and peace and rest But the love of Christ is this when for the injoying of himself I long for the fruition of him whom my soul loveth and I account nothing amiable in comparison of Christ nothing delectable nothing comfortable nothing sweet to Christ this is it that putteth the soul out of taste and relish with any thing makes it sigh as it were under the enjoyments of all the comforts of this life and long for the appearance of Christ because then he shall he perfected in the perfect enjoyment of Christ himself This is that love of Christ that is accompanied with Faith in a Christian and hope and expectation of his coming Now then if thou wait for Christ in truth how cometh it that thou dost not love him thou caust not wait for him aright except thou love Christ himself and for himself And if thou love Christ it wil appear by thy care to walk in Christ to derive virtue from him in all holy actions to derive all heavenly wisdom all heavenly disposition of heart from him to please Christ in all thy waies to do that whereby thou maist approve thy self to God in Christ This is the disposition of a heart loving Christ and this is that loving of Christ for himself and in himself that giveth me assurance that I love the appearance of Christ That is the second companion of this waiting for Christ if it be right there is a love to Christ The third and last companion of a mans waiting for Christ is the continual affection of the heart those same ejaculations that intercourse that holy and heavenly communion which the soul hath with Christ here First in his ordinances having a holy communion with him in them waiting at the Posts of the door of wisdomes house to here what Christ who is wisdome it self will speak to us waiting if that he will come now in the ministry of his Word in his Spirit whom we hope to enjoy fully in glory Waiting for him likewise in the Sacraments to receive a further confirmation of our faith in him waiting for him also in prayer to receive further consolation and strength from him Thus Annah it is said that She was one that waited for the consolation of Israel and served God in the Temple in prayer day and night So where there is a waiting for Christ there will be a continual intercourse of the soul with Christ a heavenly and holy communion with him in duties Dost thou wait for Christs coming and yet run from Christs ordinances How can these stand together There is no man that can ever wait with comfor for Christs coming in glory but he that now waiteth upon Christ in his ordinances If thy delight be in holy duties in the worship of God and that in such religious performances thou waitest for a further conveyance of the Spirit of Christ into thee thou hast warrant to wait for and to expect with comfort the second coming of Christ Try your selves therefore by these things It is not every one that faith I would that the Lord Jesus would come or I would that these dayes were full and finished It is not every one that saith thus that rightly looks for or desires the coming of Christ But he that thereby becometh patient and stayes and composeth his heart in a calme and quiet temper in the middest of all crosses and troubles and afflictions that befal him and that upon this ground because Christ will come and put an end to my sin as well as to my sorrow therefore I will wait with patience till he come And again he that loveth Christ that sigheth for his coming and he that now delighteth in his ordinances this man only waiteth for the coming of Christ There is yet a third Tryal and that is the effects and fruits of our waiting for the coming of Christ And that is threefold to go no further then the Text. The first is a heavenly conversation The second is
man that gives a thing upon merit he gives it not freely I answer it is free in respect of us whatsoever Christ hath done we did not merit it If it be replyed Christs merits are made ours and we merit in him and so it cannot be free I answer this reason were of force if we our selves could procure the merits of Christ for us but that we could not do but that also was of free gift Ioh. 3. God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that he that beleeves in him should not perish he gave him freely of free gift so that though eternal life be due to us by the merits of Christ yet it is the free gift of God I will stand no longer in proving the truth of the Doctrine I come to the application and use to conclude with the time First it serves to confute our adversaries of the Church of Rome in the point of merit They look for heaven and eternal life as wages we see the Apostle teacheth us otherwise that eternal life is not given in that manner but another manner of way It is not given as wages it is the free gift of God And in Rom. 8. he saith that the sufferings of this life is not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed all our sufferings all our works they are not worthy of the glory of God we connot properly merit them This was the constant Doctrine of the primitive Church that a good life when we are justified and an eternal life when we are glorified they all grant that all that is good in us is the gift of God that eternal life is not a retribution to our works but the free gift of God When God crowns our merits he crowns nothing else but his own free gift these and many other sentences we find among the ancient Fathers plainly convincing our adversaries that in this point they swerve not only from Scripture but from all sound antiquity Secondly then to come to our selves this should humble us in respect of our own deservings do all the good thou canst take heed it do not puff thee up think not to merit heaven alas thou canst not do it for what is it to the Almighty as it is said in Job that thou art righteous Thy well doing extends not to him thou canst do him no good therefore thou canst look for nothing at his hands since thou canst do him no good but all that thou dost in his service it is not for his but for thy good yet he commands thee and thou art bound to do it but all thou canst do is no more then thou art bound to do Therefore when thou hast done all that thou canst acknowledge thy self to bean unprofitable servant and thou hast done no more then thy duty If thou hast many good works yet thou hast more sin and the least sin of thine in the rigour of justice will deprive thee of thy interest in God Therefore thy appeal must be to the throne of grace and thy only plea must be that of the Publican every one of us God be merciful to me a sinner when we have done all we can it must be mercy and not any merit of ours that must bring us to heaven Thirdly here is comfort for the children of God in that this inestimable treasure of eternal life is not committed to our keeping but God hath it in his keeping It is his gist it is not committed to the rotten box of our merits then we could have no certainty of it the devil would easily pick the Lock yea without picking he would shake in pieces the crazy joynts of the best work we do he would steal it from us and take it away and deprive us of this excellent benefit but the Lord hath dealt better for us he hath kept it in his own hands he hath laid it up in the Cabinet of his own mercy and love that never fails for with everlasting mercy he hath compassion on us Isa 54. he loves us with an everlasting love It is his mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not and whom he loves he loves to the end It is laid up in the mercy of God he will have it his gift lest we should keep it and it should be lost he hath reserved it in his own hands Therefore in temptations when they drive us to doubt of our attaining of eternal life let us cast our eye upon the keeper of it it is the Lord he is wary to discern and faithful to bestow it therefore let us comfort our selves and say every one of us as Saint Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have trusted and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day Lastly seeing eternal life is the free gift of God it must make us thankful to him for it which we should never do if we deserved it doth a master thank his servant for doing his duty So if we did think heaven were our due we should never be thankful for it Pride is a great enemy to thankfulness therefore the way is to humble our selves and to consider that we deserve no good thing at Gods hands then we will take this great benefit at Gods hands most thankfully Especially when we consider it is all that God requires of us as he saith Psal 50. Call upon me in the day of trouble I will hear thee and deliver thee and what shalt thou do Thou shalt glorifie me Glorifying God and being thankful to him is all the tribute we are to pay to this our royal Lord and shall we deny him this It is a small benefit that is not worth thanks We set eternal life at too low a rate if we forget to be thankful There was never a precious Jewel afforded so cheap as eternal life for our thankfulness If we did know what it were to want it we would give ten thousand worlds rather then be without it Therefore as Naamans servants said to him concerning his washing in Jordan if the Prophet had commanded thee a greater thing wouldest thou not have done it So if God had commanded us a great matter for eternal life we should have done it how much more when he saith take it and be thankful be but thankful Thus I have described to you this twofold service the wages of sin that is death temporal eternal The service of righteousness the wages and reward of that eternal life which is not wages but the gift of God So that I may now say to you as Moses did to Israel Deut. 30.19 Behold I have set before you life and death cursing and blessing Therefore choose not cursing chuse not sin nor the wages thereof it is death but choose life that you and your seed may live If we follow sin the wages will be death if we apply our selves to righteousness in the
for the Lord so they Others will have the words not to be restrained to Martyrs only but to belong to all that die in the fear of God and the faith of Christ And they alledg for themselves also a parallel Text 1 Cor. 15.18 where to fall a sleep in the Lord is spoken generally of all true believers departing this life Besides Saint Bernard and other of the Ancients apparantly distinguish these phrases mori in Domino mori propter Dominum to die in the Lord and to die for the Lord mori pro Domino martyrum est mori in Domino omnium confessorum si beati qui in Domino moriuntur quanto magis qui pro Domino moriuntur to die for the Lord is the glory of martyrs but to die in the Lord the glory of all Confessors if they are happy who die in the Lord how much more they that die for the Lord Thirdly the reward here promised is common to all believers and not peculiar to the Martyrs for all true believers when they die rest from their labours and their works follow them If the Spirit had meant Martyrs only he would rather have said they have ease from their torments then rest from their labours and their trophies and victories follow them All that die for the Lord die also in the Lord but all that die in the Lord do not necessarily die for the Lord we deny not that the Martyrs have the greatest share in this blessedness but all Confessors have their parts also the Martyrs Crown is beset with a Rubie or some richer jewel then ordinary their Garland hath a flower or two more in it to wit some red flower as well as white yet the Crown and Garland of all Confessors are compleat And therefore not only Beda and Bernard and Richardus and Andreus and Primasius and Haymo and Ansbertus and Ioachimus but also the Greek and the Roman Church yea and the reformed also understand these words of all that die in Gods favour for they read these words at the Funerals of all the dead and not only at the Funeralls of Martyrs Yea but how can any be said to die in the Lord that is continuing his Member sith Christ hath no dead Members I answer that the faithful die not in the Lord in that sense in which they live in him but 〈◊〉 ther they die not spiritually nor cease to be his mystical Members but naturally that is they continuing in Christs faith and love breath out their souls and so fall asleep in his bosome or die in his love laying hold of him by faith and relying on him by hope and embracing him by charity All they die in the Lord who die in the act of contrition as Saint Austin who reading the penetential Psalms with many tears breathed out his last gasp sighing for his sins Or in the act of charity as Saint Jerome who in a most fervent or vehement exhortation to the love of God gave up the Ghost Or in the act of Religion as Saint Ambrose who after he had received the blessed Sacrament in a heavenly rapture and a holy parley with Christ left the body Or in the act of Devotion as Aquinas who lifting up his eyes and hands to heaven pronouncing with a loud voyce those words of the Spouse in the Canticles Come my beloved let us go forth went out of this world Or in the Act of gratulation and thanks-giving as Petrus Celestinus who repeating that last verse of the last Psalm Omnis spiritus laudet Dominum Let every breath or every one that hath breath praise the Lord breathed out his soul Or in an Act of divine contemplation as Gerson that famous Chancellor of Paris who having explicated fifty properties of divine love concluded both his Treatise and his life with fortis ut mors dilectio Love is strong as death To kint up all six sorts of men may lay just claim to the blessedness in my Text. First Martyrs for they die in the Lord because they die in his quarrel Secondly Confessors for they die in the Lord because they die in his faith and in the confession of his name Thirdly all they that love Christ and are beloved of him for they die in the Lord because they die in his bosome and embracings Fourthly all truly penitent sinners for they die in the Lord because they die in his peace Fifthly all they who are engrafted into Christ by a special faith and persevere in him to the end for they die in the Lord because they die in his communion as being members of his mystical body Lastly all they that die calling upon the Lord or otherwise make a godly end for they die in the Lord because they die in the works of the Lord and happy is that servant whom his Master when he cometh shall find so doing From hence-forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza and some other render the word in the original perfectly because the dead obtain the blessedness they hoped for but this Exposition cannot stand unless we restrain this blessedness to the soul For the persect and consummate happiness of all that die in the Lord consisteth in the glorisication of their bodies and souls when they shall see God face to face and the beams of his countenance directly falling upon the soul shall reflect also upon the body and most true it is which Paraus observeth the deads blessedness far exceeds the blessedness of the living for here we have but the first fruits of happiness but in heaven we shall have the whole lump here we hunger and thirst for righteousness there we shall be satisfied To this we all willingly assent but it will not hence follow that they have their whole lump of happiness till the day of judgment blessed they are from the hour of their death but not perfectly blessed but not consummately blessed intensive as blessed as the soul by it self can be for that state in which it now is not blessed extensive not so blessed as the whole person shall be when the soul shall be the second time given to the body and both bid to an everlasting feast at the marriage of the Lamb. Others therefore more agreeable to the Analogie of faith render the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from hence-forth and refer the hence-forth not to the time of the uttering this Prophesie as if before it none were blessed for before this prophecie all the Apostles Saint John only excepted and thousands of Saints and Martyrs had dyed in the Lord and were at rest from their labours but to the instant of their dying in the Lord they no sooner lost their lives for Christ then they found happiness in him So soon as Lazarus dyed his soul was carryed by Angels into Abrahams bosome So soon as the Thief expired on the Cross he aspired to paradise and was with Christ So Nazianzen teacheth concerning every religious soul I
things God will bring thee into Judgment Abrahams Purchase c. Page 233. GEN. 23.4 I am a stranger and a sojourner among you give me a possession of a burying place with you that I may bury my dead out of my sight Gods Esteem of the Death of his Saints Page 243. PSAL. 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints The desire of the Saints after immortal Glory Page 251. 2 COR. 5.2 For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven The Careless Merchant c. Page 265. MAT. 16.26 What is man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his soul Christs second Advent c. Page 273. REVEL 22.12 Behold I come shortly and my reward is with me to give every man according to his works The Saints longing for the great Epiphany Page 263. TITUS 2.13 Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Lifes Apparition and Mans Dissolution Page 291. JAMES 4.14 For what is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away Saint Pauls Trumpet c. Page 303. ROM 13.11 And that knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep The Righteous Mans resting-place c. Page 313. GEN. 15.1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abraham saying Fear not Abraham I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward The righteous Judge c. Page 323. JAM 2.12 So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty Sins Stipend and Gods Munificence Page 335. ROM 6.23 For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Profit of Afflictions c. Page 343. HEB. 12.10 For they verily for a few dayes chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Spiritual Hearts-ease c. Page 355. JOHN 14.1 2 3. 1. Let not your hearts be troubled believe in God believe also in me 2. In my Fathers house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you 3. And if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there you may be also Faiths Triumph over the greatest Tryals Page 367. HEB. 11.17 By Faith Abraham when he was tryed offered up his Son Isaac and he that had received the promise offered up his only begotten Son The Priviledge of the Faithful c. Page 377. IPET 3.7 As Heirs together of the grace of life Peace in Death c. Page 387. LUKE 2.29 Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word The Vital Fountain c. Page 399. JOHN 11.25 26. 25. Jesus said unto her I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live 26. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die Death in Birth c. Page 411. GEN. 35.19 And Rachel died The Death of Sin and life of Grace Page 419. ROM 6.11 Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Hopes Anchor-Hold c. Page 433. 1 COR. 15.19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable The Platform of Charity c. Page 445. GAL. 6.10 As we have therefore opportunity let us do good to all especially to them that are of the houshold of faith Death prevented c. Page 463. JOB 14.14 All the dayes of my appointed time will I wait till my change shall come Iter Novissimum or Man his last Progress Page 473. ECCLESIAST 12.5 Man goeth to his long home and the mourners go about the streets Tempus putationis or the ripe Almond gathered Page 485. GEN. 15.15 And thou shalt go to thy Fathers in peace thou shalt be buried in a good old age Io Paean or Christs Triumph over Death Page 493. 1 COR. 15.55 O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory Fato Fatum The King of Fears frighed c. Page 501. HOS 13.14 O Death I will be thy plagues Vox Coeli The Deads Herauld Page 509. APOC. 14.13 And I heard a voyce from Heaven saying unto me Write blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth c. Victoris Brabaeum or The Conquerours Prize Page 517. APOC. 14.13 So saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works follow them Faith's Eccho or The Souls AMEN Page 527. REVEL 22.19 AMEN Even so come Lord Jesus Deaths Prerogative Page 539. GEN. 3.19 For dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return The Patriarchal Funeral Page 549. GEN. 50.10 And he made a mourning for his Father seven dayes The true Accountant Page 559. PSAL. 90.12 So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts to wisdome The Just-Mans Funeral Page 575. ECCLES 7.15 All things have I seen in the dayes of my vanity there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness The Righteous Mans Service to his Generation Page 587. ACTS 13.36 For David after he had served his own Generation after the will of God fell asleep c. The Crown of Righteousness c. Page 597. 2 TIM 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight 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 and not to me only but unto them also who love his appearing THE STEVVARDS SUMMONS SERMON I. LUKE 16.2 Give an account of thy Stewardship for thou maist be no longer Steward IN the Chapter going before our blessed Lord and Saviour had preached the Doctrine of the Free Grace of God in the Remission of Sin and receiving of Repenting and Returning Sinners in the Parable of an indulgent Fathers receiving of a prodigal Son The Pharisees were a People that hardned their own hearts and scoffed at every thing that Christ delivered therefore now in this Chapter he cometh to summon and warn them to appear before God the great Master of the world to give an account of their stewardship that by the consideration of Gods proceeding in the day of Judgment they might know the better how to prize the Remission of Sins in the day of Grace This he doth by presenting to them a Parable of a certain rich man that had a steward who was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods calleth him to an account and to the end that the Pharisees might not think that it was a matter to be jested withal and that such considerations
of whatsoever else it be this is even the very reason of all because even those that professe themselves to be the people of God and to give God the glory of his attributes in all his works yet they lay not to heart the death of those that are before them Men durst not they could not passe away their time in such unprofitablenesse and unfruitfulnesse as they do if they did seriously consider and lay to heart the death of others before them Again secondly As it condemnes the general neglect that is amongst men of this duty so it serves to reprove that sinful laying to heart of the death of others that is too frequent and common in the world That is first when men with too much fondnesse and with too great excesse and distemper of affection look upon their dead friends as if God could never repair the losse nor make amends for that he hath done in taking of them away Rachel mourneth and will not be comforted David mourneth and will scarce be comforted Oh Absalom my son my son would God I had died for thee What is all this but to look on freinds rather as Gods then men as if all sufficiency were included in them only Men look on their freinds as Micah did upon his Idol when they had bereaved him of it they took away all his comfort and quiet You have taken away my Gods saith he and what have I more or as Laban that when his Idols were stoln away his heart was dead he could not stay in his house he could not enjoy himselfe wherefore have you stollen away my Gods saith he So I say men look on their dead freinds as they should look upon the Creatour and not as upon the creature they take their death to heart but not in a right manner This is the very reason why God many times makes your Christian freinds so unprofitable to you when they live because you idolize them you advance them above God This is the reason also why you are so unable to bear the losse of them when they die God beating you now with your own rod and making you feel the fruit and effect of your own folly This now is an ill taking to heart the death of freinds to mourn as men without hope Secondly there is a taking to heart and considering of the death of men but it is an unrighteous considering an unrighteous judging of the death of others If men see one die it may be a violent death then they conclude certainly there is some apparent token of Gods judgment on such a one If they see another die with some extremity of torment and vehement pains certainly there is some apparent evidence of Gods wrath upon this man If they see another in some great and violent tentation strugling against many tentations they conclude presently certainly such are in a worser case then others I may say to all these as Christ said once to those that told him of the eighteen men upon whom the Tower in Siloe fell think you that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem Or rather as Solomon saith All things come alike unto all there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked to the clean and to the unclean to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not as is the good so is the sinner and he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath Learn to judge righteous judgment to judge wisely of the death of others take heed of condemning the generation of the just But rather in the last place Make this use of the death of every one Doth such a man die by an ordinary sicknesse having his understanding and memory continued to the end Doth such a man die in inward peace and comfort with cleare and evident apprehensions of Gods love so that he can with Simeon say Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace What use shouldest thou that livest make of this now Certainly let the sweetnesse of their death make thee in love with the goodnesse of their lives That is the only way to a happy death to a comfortable end indeed the leading of a fruitful and profitable life Again dost thou see the Children of God full of temptations full of fears and disquietnesse of spirit in their death Sometimes so overcome with the violence of the disease as that it may be they speak impertinently and idely it may be sinfully What use shouldest thou make of this now Certainly let the terribleness of the example of such a mans death let it be a terrour to thee and a means to stir thee up to more carefulnesse of making good use of thy time in this life Nabal dieth and his heart is in him as a stone If ever God quicken thee if ever God breath upon thy soule or enliven thee by the inward motions of his Spirit embrace those opportunities and seasons of grace lest God smite thee with an everlasting deadnesse Again hath God caused the light of his countenance to shine upon thy heart Doth he offer a gracious message of peace to thy soule Doth he speak peace at any time by the ministery of his Word Imbrace those offers yeeld to those conditions of peace lest thou be deprived of peace at the end Againe hath GOD given thee any strength over temptations Hast thou prevailed over the assaults of Sathan and other of thy enemies Hath he made thee a conquerour take heed how thou insnarest thy selfe againe how thou inthrallest thy self in yeelding to Sathans yoke lest he buffet thee by him in a worse manner at thy end Thus I say thou canst see nothing befal any of Gods servants in their death or in the manner of their death whether in be more pleasing or more sorrowful more calm and quiet or more tempestuous and full of trouble whether it be more comfortable or more lamentable but it may be useful unto thee If it be good it may be it shall be so with thee if it be bad it may be it shall be so with thee too The main businesse that a man hath to do is to make sure of himself in this life It was the question that Saint Austin made to those that told him of a violent death that seized upon one But how did he live saith he He made no matter how he went out but how he carried himself in the world And truly this is the great Question that every man should put to his soule I must out of the world how have I lived when I was in the world had GOD any glory by me had men any good by me have I furthered my account against the day of reckoning that I may give it up with joy it makes no matter how I go out of the world I am sure if my life have been serviceable to God and beneficial to men my departure shall be for gain and advantage it is
comforts are gone So if a man love honour and applause amongst men it ceaseth in the grave all honour there is laid in the dust contempt is cast upon Princes this is that that affecteth men exceedingly that they shall lose their honours and pleasures and acquaintance and business and all when they come to the grave and that because mens hearts are set too much upon these things That is the second reason There is a third thing which is a sinful cause of this fear of Death and that is the want of Assurance There be two things that a man not being assured of makes him fear Death and these may be in the children of God and as they are more in any one so the fear of death is more in them The first is when they are not assured of reconciliation with God that God is at peace with them pleased with them in Christ The want of this assurance makes death fearful for now they look upon Death as a Sergeant as a Jaylor either it is a Sergeant to take them off their present comforrs or as a Jaylor to hold them under those bonds and fetters that they would fain escape Now when a man looks upon Death either way it is terrible As a Sergeant so the rich man in the Gospel This night they shall fetch thy soul from thee they shall come to thee as a Sergeant to a Debtour to require a debt they shall require thy soul of thee Now we all know that a man that is in debt and either hath not to pay or is unwilling to part with that he hath such a man cannot indure the sight of a Sergeant above all men because he cometh to fetch that from him that he would not part with Or if he look upon Death as a Jaylor so Christ saith Agree with thy adversary quickly lest he deliver thee to the Judg and he give thee to the Jaylor and then he holdeth thee in prison from whence thou shalt not go out till thou hast paid the utmost farthing Now when a man looks on Death as a Jaylor that holdeth all in the grave till the great Judg of heaven and earth calleth for them at the generall day of Assizes that great day of appearance when all the world shall be gathered together and every prison shall give up their prisoners The sea and the grave shall give up their dead I say when a man standeth thus as unreconciled to God or at least as one that doth not apprehend this reconciliation is not perswaded of this that God is reconciled to him it is no marvel if Death be terrible to him Therefore in the sixth of the Revelation The Kings and Captains and the great and mighty men they cryed to the mountains to fall upon them and to hide them from the presence of the Lamb because the great day of wrath was come and who could stand So we see in 33. Isa 14. there is crying out concerning the coming of God the sinners in Sion the hypocrites are afraid what is their fear who shall dwell with everlasting burnings and who shall remain with cousuming fire when they shall see nothing but terrour and wrath in God fire and consumption when they see nothing but such terrible things then feare cometh upon them Now mark hypocrites stand all together unreconciled and therefore it is no marvel if they be afraid and the Saints of God so farre as they are defective in the assurance of Gods love so farre they conceive themselves in the state of Hypocrites and therefore they are so full of fears Again a second thing that they stand unresolved of is concerning the future estates of their souls and bodies after death they are not sure of this that there is a better condition afterwards this is that great question Whither go we I go now out of the body and whither then I go out of the world and whither then I am going out of the company of men and whither then shall I go to Angels and Saints or to divels shall I go to Heaven or to Hell shall I have a beeing or not in misery or in happiness They know not what shall become of them they are unresolved of this point of their own state to come whether they shall be in happiness or horrour after death and therefore Death is terrible You have the point opened I will answer an objection or two and then come to the use It may be objected It seemeth the servants of God are not kept under the fear of death all those that are in the state of grace have faith faith that spendeth these fears and therefore since they are in the state of beleevers how can they be held under the fear of death To this I answer briefly there is faith in all the children of God that are effectually called but we must know that Faith is considerable two wayes first as it is in conflict and secondly as it is out of conflict Now the Faith of Gods servants in conflict so sometime it is in conflict with fear and sadness of spirit Why art thou cast down oh my soul why art thou disquieted within me c. Sometime it is in conflict with reason and sense thus the people of Israel when they came into the Wilderness they looked for nothing but dying and destruction of nature for sense presented it to them therefore saith Moses which is the voice of faith Stand still and see the salvation of God c. Now in this conflict the success is doubtful sometime as it was between Amalek and Israel fighting together Amalek prevailed and Israel had the worst sometime Israel prevailed and Amalek had the worst so somtime Faith prevaileth against sense and those fears that arise from sense and sometime again carnal fears and Sense prevaileth against Faith now accordingly are those effects in the hearts of Gods children But secondly sometime Faith is out of conflict it now triumpheth in assurance it is come now to full assurance of Faith as it is called in the Scripture and then there is nothing so comfortable and desirable as death it self to the servants of God So we see David in the 23. Psal Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear none ill for thou Lord art with me And so the Apostle Saint Paul triumpheth over all things Nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ neither principalities nor powers nor life nor death nor things to come nothing shall do it the Apostles faith now was out of conflict it had got the field the day of Sense and now he looks on Death with comfort So that I say in that measure that Faith works in that measure fear of death ceaseth Secondly it may be objected But we see the servants of God are said to love the appearance of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Apostle Paul is said to
of Christ to him then ever when it was in the body So then here is a cessation of baser actions and imployments to give place to more noble and heavenly and excellent actions wherein the soul shall be employed in heaven There is then no losse of actions neither Again there is no losse of company This is a thing that troubleth men husband and wife to part friends to part But we lose no company by death howsoever we lose the company of men that we cannot assure ourselves friends indeed for of all the friends we speak of in the main point when they come to be tryed there are few to be found to be friends But then we go to them whose love is perfect than you may be sure of and have the truth of their love Again how little comfort nay how little have you company with those friends you desire Is not much part of our life spent without any sight of our friends Is not half of it spent in sleep in the night and the other half in businesse and pleasure Alas how little time have we to enjoy our friends we rest on But then we shall perfectly enjoy them when there shall be no need of sleep when there shall be perfection of love and freedom from distraction and imployment when the servants of God shall fully and freely and sweetly and comfortably enjoy one the other Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and the meanest of the Saints shall meet in the expression of love in such a perfection as we cannot speak of And this is certain you shall go to many Who can tell the dvst of Jacob Now you have some one or two or three or a few men or women that you account friends and dote much upon but then you shall have ennumerable company a world of friends of men and women multitudes they cannot be numbred they are as the stars of heaven for number I say there is no losse of company by this means Again you shall lose no pleasures by death it may be you shall lose some few sensual bruitish pleasures a few mixed corrupt pleasures pleasures that have the mixture of sorrow and fear in them that imbitters them to the soul of a man but it shall not be so then you shall be freed from imperfect pleasures and have perfect ones at Gods right hand for evermore pure pleasures Again you lose no necessary convenience neither the rich man loseth no riches by death he loseth his money doth he lose his riches therefore No The Angels are rich but they have no money the Saints are rich they want nothing but they have no money It may be thou losest a child thou shalt find a Father it may be thou losest a weak friend that loveth not long or it may be not so truly as thou thinkest he doth and thou findest friends that are many and perfect and pure in their love that love with a perfect heart And what then are all those losses when you enjoy that which shall make the soul happy for ever Thus I say you shall rectifie your opinions concerning Death look upon it aright have true apprehensions of it Get an intrest in Christ and look on death through him get faith and then all these things that I have spoken shall be your advantage so the Apostle concludeth Christ is to us in life and in death advantage If we live he is gain to us in life and if we die he is advantage to us in death And death is reckoned amongst the special favours and priviledges Christ hath given to his Church All are yours what all life and death things present and things to come all are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods So we see that Death is amongst the priviledges that Christ hath given his Church therefore rectifie your opinions concerning Death make good that I spake before and you shall find this good that I now speak And for the last the unacquaintance with Death let not that trouble you none come from the dead to tell you what is done there but look on the servants of God before and when they die and you shall find enough how they apprehended Death when they have looked on it in the glasse of the Gospel Look upon them before death Jacob being to close up his dayes with blessing of his children Lord saith he I have maited for thy salvation He looked upon Death through Christ the Saviour of the world that he should be saved by him and though it be true that there is a further meaning for the Tribes in those words of Jacob yet this was proper to Jacob himself he looked upon Death now approaching as that that he was delivered from and set into that freedom purchased by Christ So old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Jacoh accounted it his salvation old Simeon a departure from a worse place to a better from worse company and comforts to a better A change for the better still and a departing in peace Again secondly look on the servants of God in death see what they have said too Josiah a man that was upright in heart he went to the grave in peace he was gathered to his fathers in peace that he should not see the evill that should come upon his people here is all it was but a peaceable taking of him away from a more troubelous condition if he had lived longerâ—… Beloved he died in war yet it is said he was gathered in peace he had inward peace with God though he failed in that particular action And the Apostle in the 2 Cor. 5.4 This is our desire that we may be clothed upon not that we would be unclothed but clothed upon that mortality may be swallowed up of life A strange speech he counteth death life to him he counteth the death of this life to be the death of mortality by laying aside this earthly tabernacle as he said in the first verse mortality is swallowed up of life And therefore you give wrong names to things for while you live you die because your life it is a dying condition and while you die you live because then the cessation of life it is as the river Jordan to the people of Israel no more but a passage to Canaan not a floud to drown them so it is with the servants of God death is but a passage to heaven it is not destructive to them So that if men did but rectifie their opinions of Death as I told you before when their hearts are right set when they are humbled and not lifted up with worldly things when their faith is strengthned and setled in them when they are made watchful in a holy course looking for Death when they are established with the assurance of Gods favour then I say they may find that all these natural fears of death were upon mistake they did
be upon us and we pine away in them how shall we then live The Prophet had incouraged them notwithstanding their great sins to return by true repentance and they should not perish nevertheless they are muttering discouraged with fear breaking their spirits withdrawing themselves from God the judgements of God are begun upon us the hand of wrath is gone out against us we are pining away in them though we are not wasted yet yet we are like a man in a consumption that wasteth by degrees how shall we live certainly we shall die Saith the Lord say not thus among your selves but know if ye turn ye shall live As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes for why will ye die oh house of Israel Beware of discouragment therefore it is Sathans device that when once he hath drawn men from God by a path of sin to hold them under discouragement that so he may ever after keep them from turning to God again It was his device whereby he would have kept Adam from turning to God after he had committed that great sin in eating of the forbidden tree He thought of nothing but hiding himself from God and so he did hide himself amongst the bushes of the Garden I heard thy voyce and was afraid and I hid my self Mark here was a fear of discouragement in Adam that whereas he should have come and fell down before the Lord and have begged mercy and said as David here Who knoweth whether the Lord will be gracious to me He run clean away from God There is a fear of reverence that keepeth a man with God and there is a fear that draweth a man to God but this fear of discouragement driveth a man from God and that is the temptation of Sathan to keep a man from God when once he hath turned aside from him Therefore that is the first thing take heed of such inward discouragements as may drive you quite off Secondly Take incouragement then to seek the face of God in his own means and way He hath threatned judgements against others for the same sins that ye find your selves guilty of when they have returned to him they have found mercy Return ye to him in truth and seek his face aright and ye shall find the same mercy In the prophesie of Joel ye shall see there that though God had threatned judgements nay though he had begun judgement for that was the case of those times judgement was begun upon them yet neverthelesse the Prophet calleth them to fasting and weeping and telleth them that the Lord is gracious and merciful and ready to forgive and who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him Therefore let us do our parts and seek God in truth amend our lives and then no question of this but that God will return It is an old device of Sathan to draw men instead of Gods revealed will to look to Gods secret will whether I be absolutely rejected or cast off or not But this is not the thought wherein a Christian should exercise himselfe his main business is this to make his calling and election sure by all the evidences of it hy a holy life walk obediently to Gods revealed will and be certain thou shalt not be rejected by Gods secret will He never rejecteth those by his secret will and purpose and decree to whom he giveth a heart to walk obediently to his revealed will So much for that Who knoweth that the Lord will be gracious to me that the child may live The incouragement is this That the child may live But mark his expression Whether the Lord will be gratious to me that the child may live If he had said no more but this Who knoweth whether the child may live A man would have thought this would fully enough have expressed his mind but there is more in it that could not be expressed without this addition Who knoweth whether the Lord will be gracious to me that the child may live The life of a child is a mercy to the father David expresseth herein both his Pitty and his Piety His pitty He accounteth all the good or ill that befalleth his child as his own if death befalleth it he accounteth it as a misery that befalleth himself if sickness befalleth his child he accounteth it as an affliction upon himself This is his natural pitty that some natural affection of a father to his Child See such an expression of the woman of Canaan have mercy on me thou son of David my daughter is miserably vexed of a divel The Daughter was miserably vexed and the mother cryeth out Have mercy on me There is such a simpathy ariseth hence from the natural and free course that love hath in descending from the Father to the Child There are not only moral perswasions that may invite and draw on love but besides that there is a course of affection that floweth naturally and kindly from the Father to the child as it is with those rivers that fall downward they fall more vehenently then those that are carried upward so the more natural the affection is the more vehement it expresseth it self in the motion to such objects Now when the Father expresseth his affection to his child this is more vehement because it is more natural there is more strength of nature in it I cannot stand upon this only a word by way of inference and application to our selves First are natural parents thus to their children Then here is a ground of faith for the children of God that he is pleased to stile himself by the name of Father and to receive them into the adoption of sons and daughters This was Davids expression of God As a father hath compassion of his children so hath the Lord on those that fear him And the Prophet Isaiah expresseth it fully In all their affliction he was afflicted and the Angel of his presense saved them in his love and pitty he redeemed them and he bare them all the dayes of old he bore them upon his wings This giveth confidence and boldness to Gods children in making their requests known to him This was it that incouraged the Prodigal I will arise and go to my father and say Father I have sinned against heaven and bofore thee c. God saith S. Barnard alwayes grants those petitions that are sweetned with the name of father and the affection of a child I should hence speak somewhat to children to stir them up to answer the love of their Parents but other things that follow forbids me any long discourse of this Secondly here is Davids piety expressed in this Who knoweth whether the Lord will be gracious to me He exprest not only the Pitty and affection of a natural father to a child but piety
also arising from the sense of his guilt He was guilty of sin and by sin he had brought this sorrow upon himself and therefore who knoweth whether the Lord will be gracious to me in sealing to me the pardon of my sin this way in adding this mercy as a further assurance of his love in granting me the forgiveness of my sin God had told him by Nathan that his sin was pardoned though he told him the Child should die it may be by the same mercy he will release me from this sentence of death upon my Child whereby he released me from the guilt of my sin before Here I say is the sense of his own sin The point I note hence is That Parents in the miseries that befal their children should call their own sin to remembrance All the sorrows and sicknesses and pains and miseries that befall children should present to Parents the remembrance of their own sin It was the expression of the Widdow of Sar epta to the Prophet Eliah Art thou come to call my sins to remembrance and to slay my child She saw her sin in the death of her Child So I say in all the afflictions and crosses that befall children the Parents should call to remembrance their own sin But some men will here say There seemeth to be no need of such a course for God hath said plainly That the child shall not die for the sin of the Parent And after God cleareth his own waies from inequality and injustice by that argument The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father Therefore what reason is there that Parents should call their sins to remembrance in the miseries that befall there children I answer Though he say the child shall not die for the Parents sin yet we must understand it aright for what doth he mean by the sins of the Parent And what doth he mean by death By sins of the Parent he meaneth those sins that are so the Parents as that the children are not at all guilty of those sins then the children shall not die By Death he meaneth as the word signifieth the destruction of nature So death shall not befall the child for that sin that himself is not guilty of But how then come little children to die before they have committed any sin actually was this for their own sin or for the sin of their Parents I answer for their own sin they die for the soul that sinneth it shall die and all children have sinned they brought sin into the world and sin brought death as the Apostle speaks therefore death reigneth over all even over those that have not sinned according to the similitude of Adams transgression that is that have not sinned actually as Adam had done yet nevertheless they die because they have sin upon them they have the corruption of nature In sin they were born and in iniquity their mother conceived them and the wages of sin is death therefore they die for their own sin But what if temporal judgments and afflictions befall them is this for their own sin or for the sin of their Parents I answer for both both for their own and for the sin of their Parents for as death so all the miseries of this life are fruits of original sin which is an inheritance in the person of every child by nature as soon as it is born but yet if the sin of the Parents be added to it that may bring temporall judgments There are many instances and examples of this how God hath visited upon the posterity of wicked persons the sins of their Fathers according to that threatning in the second Commandement And this you shall see either in godly children of wicked parents or in ungodly children of godly Parents Suppose a man leave a great deal of wealth to his children and have one that fears God amongst them it may please God to lay some losse or crosse upon him to the undoing of him he may utterly be impoverished and beggered and deprived of all that means that his father left him by unrighteousness He getteth an heir and in his hand is nothing saith Solomon that is God deprived him of all that estate his father left him by unrighteousness Now I say here is a judgment upon the father and yet a mercy upon the child A judgment upon the father that all that he hath laboured for that which he lost his soul for should be vain should come to nothing and not benefit his posterity as he thought Yet it is a mercy to the child to the child of God He by this means is humbled it draweth him from the world Nay when God emptieth him of these things that were unrighteously gotten he giveth him it may be an estate another way wherein he shall see God his Father provide for him without any indirect and unlawful courses So sometimes the very shame and reproach that falleth upon wicked children here it is a judgment to the parents and to the children too Upon the parent as far as he is guilty of the neglect of his duty and of evil example and the like so he is punished in the shame that befalleth his posterity As it is a blessing upon a man that he is not ashamed to sit in the Gates as Solomon speaks no man can upbraid him with his children So it is a correction to Gods children even when their children prove ungodly so farr as they have been negligent and careless of their duty This was the case of old Eli a good man yet nevertheless the hand of God was gone out against his house and family and what was the reason of it Because thou honourest thy sons above me they made themselves vile and thou restrainest them not therefore will I bring a judgment upon thy house at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle I say it may come to pass and that by reason of that natural affection that is in Parents that that misery that befalleth their children may be an exceeding cross and an affliction to them God layes sharp corrections on them when he makes those children which they accounted as comforts and the hope of their life to be the very cross and vexation of their life There is then ye see such a course of Gods dealing with men to visit the sins of the Fathers upon the children that is if the children walk in their fathers steps if the child and the father agree in a course of sin if the father by omission or commission make himself guilty of the sin of the child c. and so if the child either by imintation or allowance go on in his fathers way he draweth a greater judgment upon himself by adding to his fathers sin and as they are alike in sin so they shall be alike in judgment You see likewise for temporal judgments that God may and often-times doth lay many
Zacheus his offer was but half of his goods Lord half of my goods I give to the poor For ought I can perceive and understand above half of her estate she hath given to charitable uses I say no more of her These works of her will praise her in the gates She died in the Country And I am sorry that I had not information as I did desire of her behaviour in her sickness I have it not I can say nothing of it but thus much It was not possible that such a creature that lived thus as we know she did in obedience to God in repentance in faith with invocation of Gods mercy in Charity in Peace but that her death was blessed She that lived in the Lord no question but she died in the Lord and she is blessed for Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. Good Lord teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts to wisdom and grant that as we grow in years we may grow in knowledge of thy truth in obedience to thy will in faith in thy promises in love toward thee and toward our neighbours for thy sake that when we come to the end of our dayes we may come to the end of our hope the salvation of our souls through Jesus Christ to whom with thee oh Father and thee oh holy Spirit three Persons but one true and immortal and only wise God be given both from us and all thy creatures in heaven and in earth continual praise honour glory dominion and power now and for evermore Let all those that hear the word of God depart from iniquity Now the God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus the great Shepheard of the sheep through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect to do his will working in you that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ Amen THE CHRISTIANS CENTER OR HOW TO LIVE TO GOD. SERMON X. ROM 14.7 For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself for whether we live we live to the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords THese words contain an Argument or reason which the Apostle useth to prove that the weak Christian should be born withal and that men should not judge because of the difference of meat amongst them He sheweth that they did not with the neglect of the knowledge of any truth keep themselves ignorant in this particular but it was their weakness The strong should bear with the weak and the weak should not censure the strong the reason is because they agree in one end they propound one general end to themselves that guides them in all their actions they walk in one way and in one path and therefore they should in these things agree together The general end at which they all aymed in their doings is the Lord He that eateth faith he eateth to the Lord he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not that is still he propoundeth God as his end and the pleasing of God in his actions as the rule of them That he may prove this unto us that they stand thus affected both of them notwithstanding this difference he bringeth in this as the general reason where to every particular of their lives may be reduced All their life is ordered by the Lord they live to the Lord they die to the Lord so that whet her they live or die they are the Lords Therefore all their particular actions are to the Lord. Whether we live we live to the Lord and whether we die we die to the Lord. Now this general reason he propoundeth two wayes First Negatively None of us living to himself and no man dieth to himself Secondly Affirmatively which consisteth of two parts Their duty to God Gods acceptance of them and protection over them Their duty to God if we live we live to the Lord and if we die we die to the Lord. Gods acceptance of them Whether we live or die we are the Lords That which we shall now insist upon is the former part the negative expression and proposal of this general reason none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself Now when the A postle affirmeth this of the beleevers of those times he therein intimateth thus much that it is the course of beleevers in all times It is a duty belonging to all others of which they must make account not to live to themselves but to the Lord. Therefore though he speaks generally here yet there is in his speech a kind of particular universality a generality with a restraint He saith none of us he saith not none in the world live to themselves for there are many in the world live to themselves and not to the Lord but none of us none of those that we rank our selves with that are in the condition of beleevers none of those concerning whom we speak in this question none of us live to our selves Life in general is nothing else but that power whereby we act or move As we read Gen. 2. God breathed into man the breath of life and he became a living soul he gave him the power whereby he acted The acting of this power is the exercise of that life whether the action be of the mind or of the body And so as there is a donble life there are two sorts of actions of life there are natural actions of a natural life and there are spiritual actions of a spiritual life When the Apostle speaks of living he intends both these We live not that is we do not the actions of life whether natural or spiritual to our selves but to the Lord. No man liveth to himselfe By himself he meaneth not only a mans person either soul or body but all those advantages that conduce to the well-being of a man No man of us so ordereth the actions of his life with reference and respect to our selves as the uttermost end we do not make our own well-being or well-fare the uttermost end of our actions none of us live to our selves You have the sense and meaning of the words which being a patterne to other Christians a thing which the Apostle supposeth is or should be in every beleever it giveth us this point of instruction whereupon we shall insist at this time That is No Beleever none that are in Christ should make themselves the end in their actions None should live that is spend their time and strength and endeavour ayming at no higher end then themselves No Christian should so spend his time as to seek himself only in the actions that he doth None of us liveth to himselfe But here it may be objected for the clearing of the point May not a Christian seek himself in the things that he doth When they do good things that which God commandeth that
very nimbly too yet you do not say presently that that is a living creature No it moveth only by an external cause by an artificial contrivance it is so framed that when the wind setteth in such and such a corner it will move and so having but an external Moter and cause to move and no inward principle no soul within it to move it it is an argument that it is no living creature So it is here if a man see another move and move very fast in those things which of themselves are the wayes of God see him move as fast to hear a Sermon as his neighbour doth is as forward and hasty to thrust himself and bid himself a guest to the Lords Table when God hath not bid him as any the Question is what principle sets him awork if it be an inward principle of life out of a sincere affection and love to God and his ordinances that carrieth him to this it argueth that man hath some life of grace But if it be some wind that bloweth him on the wind of State the wind of Law the wind of danger of penalty the wind of fashion or custome to do as his neighbours do if these or such like be the things that draw him thither this is no argument of life at all it is a cheap thing it is counterfeit and poor ware Thirdly that which I have often said to be the principal and the most considerable thing that I know in all practical Divinity and which is the most Charactaristical of the truth of Grace and of the life of Piety in any one our spirits and souls and affections towards God must be advanced to this hieght to be carried toward God above all other things I beseech you seriously think of it I have often spoken of it but it may be there may be some room left for the mention of it now and some necessity of pondering it well It will be the Charactaristical thing by which a man may most certainly discern himself And I would desire to know wherein my defect of understanding is if I be mistaken but it seems to me as a clear thing that every one here that hath not a mind to affront the mind of God he dares not contest this argument that it is a rational thing that if God be the best of Beings he should have the best portion in our love All reason commands us to love that best which is best and to dispense our love according to the degree of the excellency of the thing There is no man but apprehendeth this clearly A man may say that he loves his Wife and he will prove it and this shall be his argument I love her aswell as I do another woman Is this the proof of conjugall love was this the covenant made between them hath he fulfilled it in this case to her or 〈◊〉 to him There is no man but seeth that there is more required there is a peculiarity and propriety of love required in this case It must certainly be so here for we contract and espouse our souls to Christ and upon those very terms for better and for worse to forsake all the world and to cleave to him alone and if our spirits be not raised and advanced to that degree of affection that Christ and God be so lovely and beautiful in our eyes and so good for I name one sometime and sometime another it is all one upon the point if I say they be not advanced thus high the conjugal knot was never tyed between Christ and the soul it is impossible therefore that such a one should have to plead the benefits that flow from a Conjugal union neither can he have title or right to any thing that issueth from a marriage with Christ whose soul did but equivocate and would never speak out the words and who never answered the interrogations of a good conscience as Saint Peter speaks in another case that when the soul in the contract should say that she takes him for to love and honour and obey him and to make him her Lord and Saviour if the soul do not yeeld to this which it cannot do if it do not esteem him the best of all others and that all others are to be thrown away and to be forsaken in comparison of him This is the third circumstance I have noted hence which I suppose is intimated in these words Though I have not said it is exprest here yet it is so carryed with such a fulness the desire of our soul is to thee and to the remembrance of thy name as if it were to God only or at least to him principally But I must hasten In the fourth place It must be universal love and so a universal obedience which is the fruit of it which must justifie the truth of our affections towards God and set the heart in a right frame and temper Except a man love God and love all the wayes of God and all the ordinances of God and yeeld himself in subjection and resign himself in obedience to them all if he do but reserve and make choyce of any one sin to lye and wallow and tumble in he doth evacuate all the other good he throweth down all the other good with that one evil Will you come and plead with God that there is but one sin that you have defiled and polluted your soul with and wallowed and tumbled in all your life and I hope God will never refuse me or bar me out of his presence and fellowship and communion with him for that Yes you are as filthy all over as filthy and defiled and abominable and odious to his eye and to every other sense aswel with one as if you had been in ten thousand slowghes one after another And as the Philosopher speaks a Cup or some such thing that hath a hole in it is no Cup it will hold nothing and therefore cannot performe the use of a cup though it have but one hole in it so if the heart have but one hole in it if it retain the divel but in one thing as we use to say in law one man in possession keeps possession and a man can never have true possession till he have voyded all so except all be rooted out and extirpated and a man cometh to yeeld a full and absolute subjection to Christ universally Christ hath no part or portion in us nor we in him Lastly there were divers other particulars that I thought to have added in this but I see I must pass them over It is not every affection that may seem to have some height and universality though I do acknowledg that they will in some measure characterise out the truth but yet there must be this addition as it was with the seed that was cast into the good ground it had depth of earth so this must have depth in the heart it must be well rooted and fastned for
only in brief run them over this being not the thing that I purposely aym at First in Cities and Corporations there is a Register wherein the names of the Free-men are inrolled So in heaven also there is a Register a certain book of Records as it were wherein are written the names of as many as God hath appointed to life Rejoce not faith our Saviour in this that the divels are subdued unto you but rejoyce that your names are written in heaven And all that are not found written in the book of life are cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 20.15 God in his secret counsel and purpose in his special providence and love takes notice of all his servants even of their names and he hath them as sure as if they were written down in a book there is not one man that cometh to heaven but the Lord knows him already to be a man ordained to that estate and condition Secondly as in all Cities and Societies there is a certain law whereby they are all governed in obedience to which they live So there is a law whereby all the Citizens of heaven all the houshold of God are governed that law which the Apostle Saint James calleth the royal law a law which commandeth the very spirits of men a law that disposeth the whole man to a heavenly frame and subjection to the will of God the great King of Heaven so that a man while he is here below by degrees is drawn off from the world in his affections and disposition and carriage and madesutable and conformable to the rule of righteousness Thirdly as in all Cities there is a kind of safety and security to those that dwell there not only as they are incompassed with walls but also as there is watching and warding some waking while others sleep to keep the rest in safety So in this heavenly society the Angels pitch their Tents about those that fear God nay the Lord himself is the Shepheard of Israel that neither slumbereth nor sleepeth while men oppose them God defends them while men are labouring and plotting and devising against them and they it may be are secure and fear no danger God disperseth and disappointeth a thousand projects intended against his servants It was so with his own people Israel while they were in the plains securely lying in their tents there is Balack and Balaam consulting upon the mountains how to curse them but the God of Israel that is above the mountains that sitteth on the highest Heavens he ordereth the matter so that Balaam for his life though he might have had all the wealth and honour of the Kingdome could not pronounce one curse against Israel because God had said to him that he should not curse Fourthly As in Cities and societies on earth men have communion and society one with another the less have interest in the greater and the greater in the less and all have interest one in another the inferiours receive from the superiours protection and provision and the superiours receive from the inferiours subjection and submission So it is in this heavenly Corporation in this spiritual Jerusalem Jerusalem is a City at unitie in it self There is a communion and fellowship that the Saints have with God the Father with Christ with the Angels with the Saints in heaven and one with another on earth With God the Father they have an interest in him as subjects of his kingdome as servants and children of his family there is not the meanest subject in this kingdome but he may make his request known to this Prince there is not the least servant in this Family but he may make his complaint to this Master they may as children go boldly to the throne of grace and make their request known unto him though it be but in sighes and groans Hence it is that God takes notice of them your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things and therefore he will supply them If you that are earthly can give good things to your children how much more shall your heavenly father give good things to them that ask him They have interest in Christ also he is their Intercessour therefore hence it is that he is said to sit at the right hand of God making intercession for us He is their Advocate if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ the righteous He is their Lord and Captain the Captain of the Lords Army to defend his Church Michael the great Prince standeth up for the children of his people They have interest also in the holy Ghost the third Person in Trinity they have not only the love of God the Father but the communion and fellowship of the holy Ghost as the Apostle wisheth for the Corinthians Hence it is that the Holy Ghost is ready to help their infirmities to in able them to put up their requests when they know not how to pray as they ought Hence it is that he sanctisieth them and therefore they are said to be Born again of water and of the spirit that he comforteth them therefore he is called the holy Ghost the Comforter As the Saints have interest in the three Persons in the Trinity in respect of their dependance upon them so the blessed Trinity hath an interest in them also If I be a Father where is my honour if I be a Master where is my fear Because they acknowledg God to be their Father they honour him because they acknowledg him to be their Lord they fear him c. They have interest in the Angels also Hence it is that they are called Ministring spirits sent forth for the good of the Elect They were Christs messengers his Angels and now they are made Messengers Angels to the Saints therefore faith Christ Offend not one of these little ones for I tell you that their Angels behold the face of my father in heavenâ—… They have interest in them not as worshippers of Angels which the Apostle condemneth Coll. 2. as foreseeing to what a height Popish superstition would rise in this kind I say not to worship them to invocate them to pray to them we know no such will-worship which is without the rule We have an Angel comforting Hagar we have an Angel defending Elisha we have an Angel incouraging Jacob we have an Angel carrying Lazarus into Abrahams bosome But we never had any Angel that stood in this place to have worship and adoration This indeed the Angels have from us imitation of their obedience we pray thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven They have interest in the Saints also yea in those that are dead not as though they paayed for us yet they have a common desire of the welfare of the whole Church The souls under the Alter cry How long Lord holy and true wilt thou not
first I say is that the Saints and servants of God while they are on earth do continually expect and look for the Saviour of the world even the Lord Jesus Christ to come from heaven By the coming of Christ you must understand his second coming to judgement For there is a threefold coming of Christ A twofold coming in his Body and one by his Spirit The first was the coming of Christ in the flesh when he came to take our nature upon him and to be born of a Virgin The second is the coming of Christ by his Spirit so he cometh continually and daily in the hearts of men in the preaching of the Gospel in vertue and efficacy His last coming and his second coming in respect of his body is when he shall come to judgement Never look for the coming of Christ in his body upon earth in the sight of men till that great day come when the Lord Jesus shall come with thousands of his Angels in the glory of his Father Now then this being the meaning of it we will prove it And first that it is the continual expectation of all the Saints of God and the continual desire of their hearts their continual waiting is for the second coming of the Lord Christ As it was before the first coming of Christ in the flesh so it shall be before his second coming Before the first coming of Christ after the promise was made to Adam all the expectation and hope of the Fathers and Beleevers was this when the great Messias would come and therefore faith Jacob I have waited for thy salvation and David I have longed for thy salvation meaning Christ the Saviour of the world and the Church groweth to a kind of holy impatiency Oh that thou wouldest break the heavens and come down And immediatly upon the time of Christs coming there were alwayes holy men in those times that were stirred up with a continual expectation of it and therefore it was made a mark of a good man in those dayes It is said of Joseph of Arimathea and Simeon and of divers good women as of Anna and others that they waited for the consolation of Israel they continually waited and expected when the great comforter and Saviour of his people would come So shall the second coming of Christ be from the very time of his Ascension into heaven to the time now and to the time of his last coming to Judgement all the eyes of men will be towards him When I am lifted up faith our Saviour I will draw all men after me which though it be there particularly understood of his lifting up upon the Cross yet it is intended in general of his Ascension into heaven So that as after the promise was given of the Spirit The Disciples waited for the receiving of the gift of the holy Ghost So it is now and will be since the holy Ghost is already given there remaineth nothing to be looked for but Christ himself in his second coming to finish all these dayes of sin And that this is the disposition of all the servants of God appears by divers places of Scripture 2 Tim. 4.8 faith the Apostle there Hence forth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto them also that love his appearing The Apostle here makes a description of all those that shall be saved and he faith they are such as love the appearing of Jesus Christ now that which a man loveth he desireth and looks and longs for And in Heb. 9.28 Christ died once for many and unto them that look for him shall he appeare the second time unto salvation Salvation is brought to whom to all those and only to those that look for the appearance of Christ Therefore it is said of all the Beleevers in Heb. 12. That they saw things that were invisible and that they had an eye to the recompense of reward and that they saw the promise a far off They looked still for those things that were to appear by Christ This I suppose is sufficiently confirmed by the Scripture let us therefore make some use of it Try now what comfort thou hast in the expectation of that great appearance of the Lord Jesus here spoken of This is the most infalible ground and undoubted evidence and testimony of the truth of grace now and assurance of glory hereafter if God have now stirred up thy heart in faith and holy affection to look for and to long and waite for the appearance of Jesus Christ Without this there is little love to Christ The Church in Cant. 1.2 sheweth her love to Christ Draw me saith she and we will run after thee And chap. 2.4 Stay me with flaggons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love and chap. 5. If you find him whome my soul loveth tell him I am sick of love If thou be of the disposition of the Church thou wilt out of love to Christ desire nothing so much as to enjoy the presence of Christ The Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that heareth say come the Spirit faith come and the Bride because she is stirred up in the same affection by the Spirit she faith come too Christ faith to his Church I come and the Church she faith again Come Here is the agreement between Christ and his Church and the same disposition is in all the members of Christ a waiting and longing and desiring for the coming of Christ There are many that pretend they wait and desire for the coming of Christ When a man is under any affliction or in any trouble then Oh that Christ would come and end these troubles You shall here a man that is abused and wronged by the oppressions and injuries of others and by the unrighteous dealings of wicked and ungodly men crying out Oh that Christ would come and put an end to these evil times Yea but if thou hast this desire of Christs coming that is in a man of a heavenly conversation It will appear in these three things First it will appear by the Ground of it What are the grounds of thy desire what are the motives that incourage thee to long for the coming of the Lord Jesus That which is the ground of faith is the ground of hope that is the promises Faith is the ground of things hoped for and the Word and Promise are the warrant of Faith Faith and Hope look both on this the free promise of God so it is said of Abraham that be beleeved above hope because be knew that be that promised was able to do it There is the first thing then Faith is the ground there is none but a true beleever that can indeed aright wait for and desire the coming of Christ But this will appeare more in the second thing and that is by the companion
iniquities you shall die in your sins Oh why do not we make our eyes as fountains to bewayle our sins that man is possest with extream hardness that lamenteth not his iniquity and he treasureth up unto himself wrath against the day of wrath and the declaration of the righteous judgement of God Well if we will not mourn for our sins here to repentance we shall mourn heareafter in hellish horrour without hope of help or mercy In the third place this Doctrine that God will Jugde us should make us preserve in our selves a good conscience It is the very use that the Apostle makes Acts 24.15 16. He had hope that there should be a resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust therefore he did exercise himselfe to have alwayes a good conscience voyd of offence toward God and toward men Blessed faith Christ are those that are pure in heart There is nothing that will be so rewarded and so regarded at the last day as a good conscience But for those that have stayned their consciences with all wickedness and sin and have not washed their consciences with the bloud of Christ and the tears of true repentance these shall have their portion without amongst those that are unclean Lastly this Doctrine should teach us to fear God and to give glory to him As Saint John speaks in the Revelation the day of his Judgment is coming therefore fear him and give glory to him If the particular judgments of God that light upon men in this life should make us reverence his holy Name how much more should this last Judgment that is so terrible and unavoidable ABRAHAMS PURCHASE OR A POSSESSION FOR BURIAL SERMON XIX GEN. 23.4 I am a stranger and sojourner among you give me a posseâ—…ion of a burying place with you that I may bury my dead out of my sight THis is the Conclusion of all Flesh they were never so dear before but they come to be as loathsome and intollerable now When once the lines and picture of Death is drawn over the Fabrick of Man or Womans body as it is said here of Sarah all their glory ceaseth all their good respect vanisheth away their best friends would be fainest rid of them even Sarah that was so goodly and amiable in Abrahams sight must now out of his sight he must bury his dead out of his sight Oh the strange misery that sin hath brought us to when it devolveth and throweth down all our glory at once and the ruff of Man-kind in their chiefest pride in their greatest jollity all is tumbled in an instant in a moment to baseness and stink and misery How should we be diligent to get the hope of a better life seeing this is so little worth having And how should our thoughts alwaies flie up to God since there is nothing but rottenness and putrifaction found here in the world But Abraham as the Father of faithful men and a pattern to all loving Husbands in all ages insuiug doth not this till such time as the dead Sarah groweth noysome to all that look upon her As long as he could by his mourning and lamentation prosecute her without offence to his eyes and danger to his health he did it but now the time is come when earth must be put to earth and dust must return to dust There is no place for the fairest beauty above ground when once God hath taken life and breath from it it must go to its own elements and to the rock and pit from whence it was hewen thither it must return This holy man therefore being well resolved of this and knowing the doom already uttered by God upon our first Parents Dust thouart and to dust thou shalt return he cannot keep his dead longer by him he knoweth the bed wherein now she must be laid therefore he seeks for it to these Country-men that he lived withall that were Heathens and Pagans but very moral and civil men as we may see in this whole Discourse And he desireth them that he might have a place for his own use and turn not intimating so much to them as that there should be a separation in their very death from Pagans and Heathens but he keepeth that to himself and covereth it with smooth speech and elegancy of language as his manner was For indeed it was not lawful for Abraham to bury his dead amongst the Canaanites the sons of Heth of whom he demanded this peculiar favour at this time but God would have his children as they differ in all their life from Heathens that knew no God so they should differ in every point even in their Graves after death that there might be no commixtion and mingling of light and darkness and no fellowship between Christ and Belial Therefore to continue this hope and confirm it in all his Posterity that were a peculiar and chosen people It was necessary he should chuse his Grave his place of Sepulture that they might be sequestred from them in their death as they were in the course of their life Now after he had performed that duty that every man oweth to his dead friend especially to his Wife the mate of his bosome he cometh to move this to the sons of Heth that were Lords of the soil He was abundant in tears before he comes to move it for God which commandeth us not to lament for the Dead as men without hope doth notwithstanding not forbid us to mourn and sorrow for them and to lament he giveth us leave nay he rather alloweth and approveth of natural affection when we weep with them that weep and mourn with them that mourn and rejoyce with them that rejoyce Abraham knew well in what estate his Wife was he knew she was in a happy condition he knew she was the Mother of the Faithful and was translated to the heavenly Paradise and he was not angry with God for taking away his Wife he disdained not the act of his providence notwithstanding he resolveth into tears and laments And these may well stand together if they be not as S. Jerome saith rebellious teares against God and against hope and against the faith of the Resurrection they are qualified and allowed and accepted with the Lord as a testimony of that good affection and brotherly love that he commandeth to be in every one After he had performed this perhaps mourned three or four dayes for his wife he knew this mourning must have an end he knew that he must commit her to the ground and make away with her that she might not be a means further to continue and aggravate his sorrow to no purpose for with that condition a man is allowed the use of affections as that he respects the glory of God and give way to weak nature rather then to any indulgent affection that is too head-strong and unruly as though there were no hope in the promise of the Almighty Therefore I say when he had thus
see the face of God all are of his house all converse with him all stand in his presence all are his sons all are his heirs a house so scituated as never any upon the brow of that hill which is the beauty of perfection the delight not of the whole earth but of heaven it self in the purest ayre that ever was even purity it self free from all malignant vapour a place irriguous with the chrystal streams of Paradise it self a place inriched with all the precious things the heart of man can desire an house not built by man but by God himself not of terrestrial feculent matter not of gold or silver but that which excells all valuation whatsoever the hanging or or naments of which house are not of Arras or Tissue or cloth of Gold or whatsoever is more precious with men but far above these such and so excellent that Neither eye hath seen nor ear hath heard neither hath the like entered into the hearts of men The delights of this house are such that if all the contentments and delights that ever ravished the hearts of men in their private houses were put together yet were they but as a candle to the Sun as a drop to the Ocean Oh the stateliness and magnificence of the Hall of this house wherein are Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors Saints Angels the blessed Virgin especially all of them praising and lauding God! Blessed are they that dwell in this house they will be still praising thee Here in this life are variety of imployments according to the diversity of mens Callings and their necessities but there shall be no necessity there shall be but one work the work of Praise a duty which in this life is performed with fatigation and weariness but their it shall be done with all sweetness and delight increasing with the continuance of the same No vain thoughts to interrupt this duty no weariness of the flesh to weaken this duty no necessity or indigency to rend us from this duty but as it will be our happiness to love and see God so it will be the exercise of our happiness to admire and to laud God while we are here such is the weakness of our apprehension that we cannot with the same act conceive the work and the workman we cannot think of the benefit and the author of the same then we shall be enabled to joyn both these together so to admire the work as at the same time to praise the author so to contemplate the benefit as at the same time to fall down before the benefactor Oh the stateliness of this presence where the face of God the beauty of God the Majesty of God is seen in so glorious a manner that even Angels and Archangels cover their faces not being able to behold stedfastly the great lustre of the same Oh the loveliness of the chambers of the King made for the soul to repose her self in all spiritual delight after her labour and travel in this miserable world oh the beauty of the Mansions of this house prepared by Christ himself for the soul to refresh her self with all spiritual food and oh the variety and excellency of the food of this house the understanding shall have his food morning and evening knowledg a clear view of all things not in themselves or in their causes but in their exact Idea's subsisting in the essence of God but especially the radiant vision of the face of God the Essence of God the Sun of righteousness The will shall have her food goodness joy delectation not by measure but drowned in the full ocean of these with that stability and confirmation that she cannot will that which is evil The affectiens shall have their food being fully satisfied beyond their desires The Body shall have his food being made an impassible clarified Agil spiritual body defecated and purified from this feculent elementary food and all other alterations common to it with beasts and which is most wonderful the King of Kings shall gird himself to reach out these Joyes unto us they shall be administred unto us Ve jad Hammelek by the hand by the power of a King Did I say this of my self who would give credence unto me but Truth faith it Luke 12.37 Blessed are those servants whom he shall find watching verily I say unto you that he shall gird himself and make them sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them Oh wonderful dignation who ever heatd of the like Stat Cato dum Lixa bibit the Lord stands the servant sits the Lord is girt the servant is loosed the Master is reaching out full bowels and the servant is inebriated with the rivers of these pleasures once he girt himself to wash his Disciples feet and the servant was astonished to see so great a Majestie condescending to so mean ministery shall we not be much more ravished with this ineffable dignation when he shall again gird himself to supply the soul with unspeakeable delight as if God himself intended nothing in heaven but to heap content upon them that sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven This is the fatness the excellency of this house with the weak adumbration whereof I doubt not but that your hearts are so taken that ye have reduced all your desires to this one with the Psalmist One thing have I desired of the Lord which I will desire even that I may dwell in his house and behold the beauty of the Lord. And I wonder not when I contemplate the Mafesty of God I wish my self all fear and when I consider the power of God I wish my self all humility and when I meditate on the goodness of God I wish my self all Love and when I contemplate the Beauty of God and of this bouse I wish my self all desire and so do you also and therefore with unanimous votes you request me to conduct you to the gates of this house whereby you may enter into the same and according to the magnificence of this House so there are many gates whereby we may enter and all of these reaching even to the Earth with the foot of Jacobs ladder There is the gate of Faith by it we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 access unto God and that with boldness by this we lay hold on the Throne of Grace by this we prostrate our selves at his feet by this we adhaere and cleave close unto God by this we live in Christ and Christ in us by this our hearts are purified our conscience washed with the bloud of Christ and fitted to see God and to enter into the holy of holies unto which no unclean thing can be admitted This is one Gate Another is the gate of Hope which entreth within the Vail and bringeth us neerer unto God this grace taketh us by the hand and leadeth us through the streets of New Jerusalem and sheweth us the Temple of the Lamb and the Lamb sitting in his
without failing yet the whole man doth it not and such an insatiable avidity there is in you of the praise of God that unless it be done totally and fully you think it not done at all therefore you desire this glorified Organ but the Saints on earth being much more depressed with this heavy clay cry out with these Saints In this we groan earnestly c. To be cloathed upon with our house c. An impropriety of speech I confess for men do not cloath themselves with houses yet of eminent elegancy and pregnant with variety of instructions to shew the fitness of this glory to every soul as apparel is fitted to every body to shew the comliness of this glory as apparel is an ornament to a man to shew the firm adhesion of this glory the whole man as a garment doth cleave close unto him to shew the redundancy of this glory that a man shall invelopp himself in this glory as a man doth inwrap himself in his garment to shew the Author of this glory he that made garments to cover mans nakedness in Paradise below he maketh robes of honour to adorn him everlastingly in Paradice which is above to shew the undeservedness of it on our part that these garments they are not webbs of our own spinning but robes of Gods giving to shew the all-sufficiency of this glory in this life we need houses to dwell in and rayment to cover us and food to nourish us and fire to warm us but this glory it shall be a Magazine of all spiritual store an house to shelter us a garment to cover us Manna to feed us water to refresh us it shall be all in all unto us These and many more instructions are folded up in the Cabinet of this Metaphor which streights of time will not give me leave to unfold and spread before you but must leave them to your private meditations and so passing though unwillingly from these two houses which the Saints desire I must raise up your attention to their ardent affection unto them In this we groan earnestly c. Wherein you see the intention of their affection and the expression of it The intention not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Desiring but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Desiring earnestly The expression of it by groans In this we groan earnestly The one the soul the other the body the one the form the other the exercise the one the root the other the branch or if you will the one the fire the other the fuel the one the flame the other the oyl that nourisheth the flame The first is the intention of the affection As those that are in a longing passion die if they be not satisfied as the pregnant Mother groans to be delivered of her burthen as those that are pressed under a heavy weight faint if they be not eased even so the Saints pressed down with that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that eternal weight of glory mentioned in the precedent Chapter a burthen which did both press them down and raise them up that did both straiten them and enlarge them like the feathers of the Dove which add to her Mass but take off from her gravity which makes her more corpulent and yet more light even so this weight of glory so pressed down the Saints that it raised them up to the Throne of the Lamb and feeling this body of sin this body of death which they did bear about them as plummets of lead hanging at their feet they desire est-soon to be stripped of all incumbrances and impediments to depose and lay down this cottage of clay that so being absent from the body they might be present with the Lord this was the violence of their affection In this we groan earnestly c. An affection worthy the name of an affection truly grounded and therefore towring so high that it is almost invisible to our weak sight There are some in this life that are fed with gall and wormwood with tears and groans upon whom the wheel of oppression is roled breaking all their bones so that they seek for death as for pearls and hidden treasures as an end and period of their miseries Others there are who seeing the vanity of the things of this life and ballancing with them the trancendent excellency of the Soul of man above the world had rather be idle or not be at all then to be so basely and meanly imploved and rewarded as the world doth remunerate her favourites Others make bitter invectives against the body as the only impediment to the soul in her more pure speculations placing the happiness of the soul in the separation from the body all these come far short of this divine affection which hath not her rise from the miseries of this life or from the vanity of the creature or from the incombrances of this cottage but from a true apprehension of the love of God from a deep panting after union with him from a taste of the powers of the life to come from a Soul inflamed with a coal from Gods Alter Look upon these Saints in my Text they were indeed exercised beyond measure with those things which we call miseries calamities afflictons at the mention whereof we quake like Aspen leaves but were these tainted with impatiency were these groans fuliginous vapours from a malecontented spirit Did they not account these afflictions their Justs and Barriers and Turnaments and exercises of honour and Chivalry at which Angels and Archangels were present with their Euges and approbations God himself the chief Spectator and rewarder of these exercises they themselves triumphing and boasting in their tryals with the impress of the Apostle on their shields of faith We are perswaded that neither death nor life nor Augels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus They were more Eagle-eyed by the strength of grace to pry into the nothingness of the creature then all the Philosophers by the strength of nature they did mortifie and crucifie and keep under the body with the lusts thereof and more truly detest the corruption of the outward man then any Platonist whatsoever but were these the grounds the rise of this celestial affection nothing less to see God to enjoy God to dwell with him to converse with him to be dissolved to be with Christ these transported their affections not the emptiness of the things below but fulness of things above not the baseness of earthly things but the glory of celestial things not the miseries of this life or of this crazie vessel but the happiness of the life to come they had but a glimpse of this strange light darted into ther souls and the whole world was darkness unto it they had a gust of sweetness cast into the palate of their souls and all things else were bitter and unsavory
service of God our reward shall be eternal life not that we deserve it but that it is the pleasure of our heavenly Father to bestow it upon us For the wages of sin is death and the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. THE PROFIT OF AFFLICTIONS OR GODS AIM IN HIS CORRECTIONS SERMON XXX HEB. 12.10 For they verily for a few dayes chastned us after their own pleasure but He for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness THere are two things among many others eminently in Jesus Christ which declare him to be an all-sufficient Saviour of his people and these the Scripture frequently setteth forth unto us in a most sweet conjunction Righteousness and strength So the Prophet Surely shall one say in the Lord have I Righteousness and strength There are two things likewise in a Christian which are of eminent sufficiency in order to his salvation and his possession of the Glorious Inheritance purchased by this Saviour Faith and Patience often spoken of severally and in particular but withal jointly and together as might be manifested by the allegations of Scripture as be not slothful but be ye followers of them that by Faith and Patience inherit the promise c. Concerning these two which are so eminent in the called of God and are sufficient in order to their possession of the purchased inheritance as the Scripture abundantly treateth of so most frequently in the Epistle and more especially in the 10 11 and 12. Chapters In the latter end of the tenth Chapt. you have the Apostle there first dogmatically handling the doctrine of Faith as the necessary means to attain everlasting life and as the principall conducement to the possession of glory and to the saving of the soul The just shall live by Faith In the beginning of the eleventh Chapter he sheweth the absolute necessity of Faith to an acceptable walking and well-pleasing of God For without faith vers 6. it is impossible to please God and the whole Chapter is further spent in setting down the glorious Examples of Abel and Enoch and Noah and Abraham and the rest of the Elders eminent for then Faith by which saith he they received a good report All whom did worthily in their dayes and are now become famous to posterity standing out to this day also many living voyces calling upon us to become followers of them that we might together with them be at length made partakers of the glorious inheritance of the Saints in light The Apostle have spoken much to this purpose goeth on to that other grace we spake of so necessary to the constitution of a Christian and to the enabling of him to a well and faithful managing of his Calling and condition and that is Patience Propounded by way of exhortation in the first part of this twelfth Chapter and urged with respect to the necessary uses of it both concerning duties done and afflictions to be endured in the verses following First with respect to duties which the Apostle propoundeth under the Metaphor of running in a race for such is the course of a Christian life which the Saints of God are called to the finishing of Let us run the race that is set before us and run with Patience Secondly it is urged with respect to sufferings and that of two sorts from men from God From men from whom the faithful are to make account of sufferings in divers kinds in shame and derision in proud and insolent contradictions and according to their power and opportunity in bloudy persecutions You have not yet resisted unto bloud vers 4. From God and here the Apostle is more large urging his exhortation to Patience and a quiet applying of our selves to God according to all the states and conditions he is pleased to bring us unto and according to all his several administrations towards us very strongly labouring to fasten it in the hearts of the Saints of God as a nayle in a sure place first alledging that same passage of Solomon in the Proverbs My son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord. And then he further strengthneth his exhortation by invincible arguments I do but touch upon these things hast ening on to the main thing I intend only desiring to give you a plain and brief Analasis of this Scripture with the context of it The Apostle I say driveth on this exhortation by strength of argument And that first of all by propounding to the godly that whereas the Lord is pleased to exercise them with afflictions to make them drink many times of a cup of bitterness yet they have reason to be quiet and patient because this way the Lord giveth a proof of his love to his children and those that are wise and godly will be glad they have reason so to be that God should take such a course with them as whereby he may give them a demonstration of his dear love and affection Now herein the Lord evidenceth his love and affection to his people for all the afflictions and chastisements that he exerciseth them withall flow from his love and are as fruits thereof For saith he whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth vers 6. Secondly he propoundeth it to their consideration as a course wherein the Lord giveth an evidence of his peoples adoption For what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not But if ye be without chastisement whereof all his children are partakers then are ye bastards and not sons vers 78. Now the godly should be glad to have the Lord take such a course with them and so to order out his administrations concerning them as that they may have some comfortable evidence to their souls that they are his adopted ones and such as he will one day acknowledge for to be his children But thirdly and that which more concerneth our present purpose the Apostle urgeth his exhortation by a comparison that he frameth between God the Father of spirits and men that are fathers of our flesh we have had fathers of our flesh and they verily for a few dayes chastened us and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live they chastened us for their pleasure but He for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Wherein you see the comparison is laid out in several particulars and the preheminency the advantage of the comparison is given to God for so is the scope and intent of the Text. It lieth thus briefly First We have had fathers of our flesh and God is the Father of Spirits if we have been contented to undergo the discipline of our earthly fathers much more have we reason quietly and patiently to submit our selves to the proceedings of the Father of our spirits Secondly They for a few dayes chastened us and we gave them reverence it is but a few dayes neither that the Father of
their profit he heareth them as one well said according to their profit though not according to their wills so he delt with Moses concerning his request of entring into the Land of Canaan Again the Lord is pleased to keep his people many times in a low condition and in mean estate to put them into bare commons and hard pastures while others are grazing in full meddows it is with respect to their profit to teach them the more to depend upon him to enable them the better to live by Faith Again for this purpose he takes from his servants dear blessings the Wife from the Husband the Children from the Parents as we see verified this day in this place concerning our friends here the mournful survivers and attendants upon this sad occasion but in these administrations he intendeth his peoples profit as we may see in the case of Job the Lord takes away all his children but saith the Apostle ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord he was no looser in the conclusion but God returned at length all into his bosome again nay double In a word for this very purpose it is even for their profit for alas it is not Gods own benefit he seeks after but his peoples in all his administrations that they live that they do that they suffer that they die their death is in order to their gain as the Apostle saith to me to live is Christ and to die is gain To make some application of this and so to proceed First let us here take occasion as many as are the called of God according to his purpose and implanted in this glorious relation of children to a father let us learn to advance his name and according to his name let his praise be in all the Congregations of the Saints Truly as Moses said once their Rock is not as our Rock So may we say other fathers are not as this Father our Father is set for the good and profit of his children The devil 〈◊〉 a father so our Saviour speaks you are of your father the devil he hath children and he studieth nothing so much as that they may live all their dayes in pleasure striving to lead his followers altogether in pleasant paths But alas he hath no aim at their profit it is their loss he seeks and therefore at last he makes them pay full dear for all their pleasure and content But now God he is a wise Father and in all his dispensations to his children though they seem for the present unpleasant he hath an aim at their profit Let this be for his praise Secondly let us labour to beleeve this that God in all his dealings and administrations towards us hath an eye to our profit How hard soever the condition be that he putteth us into if he take from us the desire of our eyes the delight of our hearts our liberties our estates our children yet be perswaded of this that God doth it for my good and benefit And thirdly labour to reap the fruit and benefit that God aimeth at and intendeth and would have us receive from all his administrations When we are called together to give attendance upon the preaching of the Word then think what am I come hither for is it not for my profit would God have me trifle out my time surely the Lord would never have singled out a day of seven for himself but that he might likewise make his people partaker of spiritual advantages and heavenly benefits and therefore I lose a day and never hear well except I hear to profit And thus what I say of this Ordinance I might likewise speak of the rest before named And so for this present occasion the Lord now you see is pleased to call us to the house of mourning Was it think ye the purpose of God that we should meet together here in a customary complemental manner to do things in a common garb only to eat together and drink together No the Lord calleth us to a house of mourning for our profit that we might consider the end of all men and that we that are living might lay the thing to heart And for you that are in present distress in regard of this particular affliction reckon upon this that God hath done this for your profit labour ye therefore to reap the fruit of it be not so much poring upon the affliction and altogether complaining of the bitterness of the cup but follow on after the profit and benefit that God intendeth you thereby And let every one labour to improve all administrations of God to this purpose that as he in them all intendeth our good so let us pursue after the benefit Secondly let it instruct us further concerning our duty even to walk worthy of such a God as namy of us as are in relation to him as children to a Father and servants to a Masler How should this first of all win us over to such a Father to such a Master and to make it our highest ambition to be the people of such a God the children of such a Father that is devoted to the profit and advantage of his children and servants This is the gracious goodness of God he takes pleasure in the prosperity of his servants their profit is his pleasure Let us therefore walk worthy of such a Father of such a Master And seeing he intendeth our profit and that we cannot profit him let us labour to walk in all well-pleasing We cannot profit him let us labour to please him Lastly here is a word of instruction for Ministers we should in this case as those that are intrusted with the sacred ordinances of God labour to put on the mind of God so the Apostle we have saith he the mind of Christ We in the course of our Ministery as God aimeth at his peoples profit so should we not aim at our own praise and at our profiting by them but that we might profit their souls O blessed preaching when people profit by our preaching when they are by that increased in knowledg in love in faith in every grace Such a Preacher was Saint Paul I please all men saith he 1 Cor. 10. ult but how not seeking mine own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved Oh labour to preach profitably that our people may thrive under our ministery This is that which God aimeth at and this is that which we should aim at too And thus I have done with the first and more general proposition arising from the words of the Text. I come now to the second and more particular thing that we are to consider hence and that is that As God graciously setteth himself to procure his peoples profit in all his administrations so this is that he aimeth at in all the afflictions and chastisements he exerciseth them withall It is no pleasure for him to be lashing and
soul is heavy unto death yet be not troubled was he so careful when he was in his own troubles on earth to comfort them and will he not now be so in heaven when he is in blessedness certainly the soul that hath recours to Christ shall not return empty therefore see how Christ is exprest in heaven Matth. 25. Come ye blessed c. For what you have done to these you have done to me he is in heaven and so Saul why dost thou persecute me he is in heaven yet in respect of his Church he is below therefore be assured that Christ hath not put off the bowels of love to his people he will be the same if thou receive him as a Lord and Saviour as ever he was to his Disciples But it may be objected we are exposed to many uncertainties though we beleeve in Christ and we find not the comfort of it here Therefore Christ saith rest not upon things present here you are in Tents but you shall come to your fathers house there is a place provided for you between which and this there is as much difference as is between a house and a Tent between a mans own mansion and an Inn. And though you have hard entertainment in the world yet you shall have an abiding place after But you will say indeed there are mansions but there are abundance to receive them what shall we do There are many masions therefore look as there are many children to be brought to glory so there are many places to receive them in glory and to settle them there we see what a vast body the Sun is and the Stars are yet they seem but little sparks in comparison of the heavens above us but what is the heaven of heavens that contain all these infinitely beyond in its own compass there are many mansions But how shall we come to heaven Saith Christ I go to prepare a place for you as if he should say all that I have done is for your sakes I die and ascend and sit at the right hand of God for your sakes I will come at the day of judgment to bring you to glory all that Christ doth now as God-man as Mediator between God and us all is for our sake But when Christ is taken from us how shall we get thither Saith he I will come and bring you with me I will come in glory at the day of Judgment in the clouds and inable you to meet me and thence bring you to those heavenly mansions in my fathers house never doubt how these things shall be done I will do them all Thus Christ would confirm their faith there is the greatest happiness and comfort in this wherein he would have them setled this should stir us up to settle our hearts this way But the time is past this shall be sufficient for this time FAITHS TRIUMPH OVER THE GREATEST TRYALS SERMON XXXII HEB. 11.17 By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up his son Isaac and he that had received the promise offered up his onely begotten son THis Chapter doth speak in the commendation of the Faith of many of the Patriarchs and Abraham among the rest is brought in with a manifest testimony of his Faith there be two things observable which Abrahams Faith strengthened him to act one was to give up his Country the other was to give up his Son to give up his Country in verse 8. By Faith Abraham when he was called of God to go out in a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whether he went To leave our friends our parents to take our journey we know not whither to live among we know not whom and all this upon a bare word this was not an easie thing to part with good Land for some good words this was a hard matter sence derides it and reason contemns it and will not hearken to it but Faith can see more in Gods promise than sence can find Abraham will leave his Country when God calls him to it but never shall lose his inheritance by beleeving and obeying no man did ever yet hazard his estate who could part with it upon obedient terms A second thing that he is to part with is with his Son his only son his first begotten son in this Act of faith Abraham sails against wind and tide where he breaks through the contentments of the world not only of sence and reason but of natural affection The story in a word is this God after many years patience at length gave Abraham a son in his old age he was the child of many prayers and of many teares the parents delight and to Abrahams thinking an heir of life because a child of the Promise he had not long spent his gray hairs in a strange land but God on a sudden calls upon Abraham to give back his son his very son Isaac as we may read in the 22 of Genesis Now what doth Abraham do how doth he behave himself doth he expostulate with God Any thing Lord but spare my son Isaac Nay the Text saith he offered up his son Doth he murmure and grumble against God in this manner Lord why dost thou single out this delight of mine why dost thou seem to envy this blessing of mine No he offered up his Isaac as if the Text had expressed Ahrahams language thus O Lord my God what is it that thou callest for whom is it that thou callest for is it for my only son Isaac the son of my love the son of thy promise the son of my age verily Lord thou shalt have him it is true I love him dearly well but I love thee better I got him by beleeving and I shall never lose him by obeying if Isaac were a thousand sons thou shouldest have them all though I am a father yet Lord thou art a God if I give him he is a sacrifice acceptable and though I kill him yet thou canst quicken him and raise him again I shall never lose my Isaac though I part with my son for thou hast said in Isaac shall thy seed be called Now the parts of these words are two First we have Abrahams great tryal Secondly we have Abrahams acquitment First his tryal Abraham was tried when he offered up his son Secondly his acquitment by Faith Abraham offered up his son In the former we may observe three particulars First the person that is tried Abraham Secondly the Person that tried him God Thirdly the thing wherein he was tried it was no ordinary thing it was to part with a part of himself to offer up his dear son Isaac In the latter part two things are observable First his quickening up himself in his obediential act he offered up Isaac saith the Text. Secondly the powerful cause which did inable Abraham to so difficult a work By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up his
being so common and we apt every moment to fall under some trial or other There be four vertues and special effects that faith works in the soul which will inable us to go through great trials and therefore we should labour to get this grace of faith into our souls First faith gets assurance Secondly breeds submittance Thirdly dependance and lastly conveyance First faith gets assurance it can eye God as our God though the storms be very great yet God can quiet it When a man though he sees his outward comfort dead yet Faith sees it in the hand of a living God Faith assures the soul God will put an end to the trial though there be a changeableness in the outward condition yet there is safety in God and setledness in God Though a man may look with a dull eye upon his loss yet if he can look upon God with the eye of faith as his God the absence of a poor creature cannot so much trouble him as the presence of a gracious and a glorious God can comfort and support him Secondly submittance is another effect of faith which faith works in the soul our outward condition is subject to many changes and many times we meet with them and we are hindered in our comforts and naturally we grow impatient and murmur and quarrel with Gods providence but now there is a vertue in faith it fashions the heart and the mind to the condition faith makes a man submit to God in all estates to make us stoop to our burthen it is the Lord saith Eli. 1 Sam. 3. let him do what seems good unto him and in the 39. Psal saith David I was dumb and opened not my mouth because the Lord did it Observe this unbelief makes a man dumb and faith made David dumb Zachary because he beleeved not the word that the Angel spake he was dumb and David because he beleeved the word of the Lord he was dumb unbelief procures dumbness as a judgment from God but faith makes a Christian dumb from complaining it quiets the soul in silence from murmuring against God it doth not make a person dumb as not to pray and to praise God but dumb in complaint Good is the word of the Lord saith Faith A third effect of Faith is dependance it will make a man trust God in frowning dayes though he kill me yet will I trust in him saith Faith we can never lose any outward comfort but Faith can find a better in God though an outward loss may come yet Faith can make it up in God in the want of an outward comfort it will trust God Lord what wait I for saith David truly my hope is in thee Though the Christian estate may be at some time moanful yet at no time it is hopeless A fourth effect that Faith works is conveyance it can convey something to inable the soul to bear it up in all trials as Faith is an active grace to inable the soul to the performance of duty so Faith is a passive grace to strengthen the soul to suffer and bear affliction To you saith the Apostle it is given not only to beleeve but also to suffer for his Name Faith will call in strength enough to bear affliction we see many times a poor Christian by the strength of faith is able to bear a great loss and undergo a great trial God is pleased to exercise a Christian with great affliction but Faith carries the soul along through all remember this Faith bears Gods trials with Gods strength there is a power in Faith which exceeds all outward crosses and losses Faith draws strength from the Promise for there is no cross nor affliction but Faith can find a support in the promise of deliverance Faith makes a man see the affliction as it were come out of the hand of the Lord out of the hand of Mercy Faith can convey comfort to the soul in affliction by making it see the chastisement delivered from the hand of a wise and loving Father that our chastisement is for our profit for our future advantage and that this is sent for our personal good if thou couldest get but a sensible denyal of thy self and by faith see all things measured out by the Lord this would make us with patience take from God what he imposes upon us Faith will make a man conquer himself it will silence all murmuring and make the Soul bear its cross with patience THE PRIVILEDGE OF THE FAITHFUL OR The Joint-Inheritance OF ALL BELIEVERS SERMON XXXIII 1 PET. 3.7 As Heirs together of the grace of life TO let pass all by-passages you have in this Text the priviledge of Women which is the very same with that of Men especially in relation to the greatest priviledge that belongeth to either of them The very priviledge it self as at the first view of the Text may appear to you affordeth a fit Theam for such an occasion as this is which is the solemnization of the Funeral of a Grave pious and prudent Matron who was indeed while she lived a Mother in Israel in the Church of God who in her life-time testified much love to the Saints of God and in that respect I may say deserved now she is taken away this respect of Gods Saints and Children which by you is now shewed to her in accompanying her to her bed of rest The forenamed words of my Text doth branch it self forth into two parts One setteth out the priviledge it self The other the partakers thereof The Priviledge therein you may observe two points First the kind of it Life Secondly the ground of it grace The partakers of this priviledge are set forth in a compounded Article Joynt-heirs Co-heirs heirs together having relation to Women The simple consideration of the Word shews the right they have to the forenamed priviledge they are heirs The compound shews the extent of it Co-heirs one with another Men and Women heirs together of the grace of life That yet you may a little more distinctly discern the scope of the Apostle in this Text in a word note the inference of it upon that which goeth before or the connection of it therewith Lift up therefore your eyes but a little higher to the words going before and you may observe the Apostle giving a direction to men to honour Women notwithstanding they are the weaker vessels Vessels they are therefore capable of that which God shall be pleased to infuse into them his grace they are weak vessels so are men also they are earthen vessels these are the weaker these comparatively may be said to be as glassie vessels and yet notwithstanding you have a common saying that a glass with good keeping may last as long as an earthen Pot but both brittle Now notwithstanding this Sex be brittle and the weaker yet to be honoured and that upon this ground because partakers with Men and as well as Men of the greatest priviledge the grace of life Were
gift that he doth give and the freeness of it For who can give life but the God of life that hath life in himself And then again to do this altogether upon meer grace upon his own good pleasure it is a divine property And this is it that doth encourage us to come unto God notwithstanding our unworthiness And in this respect in the second place we have here a Use of instruction to acquaint our selves with God with the freeness of his Grace to plead it unto God when we come unto him and notwithstanding our unworthiness and our wretchedness yet to press this Lord what thou dost thou dost for thy own sake out of thy meer grace this makes me bold to come unto thee Specially upon the consideration of that greatest evidence of Gods free grace and rich mercy in giving his Son to do whatsoever is requisite for the satisfaction of his Justice so that here Grace Justice do sweetly go together for the strengthening of our Faith Grace in regard of our unworthiness Justice in regard of our rebellion God doth what he doth for his own sake his own Son hath made full satisfaction to his Justice And finally this should the more enlarge the heart to God again a gift the freer it is the more worthy of praise it must needs be the more acceptable to him that receiveth it when he receiveth it from meer Grace and he that giveth it is thereby the more worthy of praise so that lay these two together life and the grace of life and then tell me what sufficient thanks can be given to him who out of his Grace doth bestow this life Thus from the priviledge in the second part thereof come we to the partakers of this priviledge And first of the simple consideration of it Heirs so that we come to a right unto that eternal life by inheritance as we are Heirs So do the Texts before-noted expresly set it forth We are justified by his grace that we should be heirs of eternal life Tit. 3.7 And Saint Paul giveth thanks to God for the Collossians that he had made them partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light And our Lord when he doth give us possession hereof inducts us thereunto with this inherit the Kingdom prepared for you Mat. 25.34 take it by inheritance here is your right Now we may not think that this ground of right to our eternal inheritance cometh by our natural generation for so we are heirs and children of wrath as the Apostle noteth in Eph. 2.3 It cannot come by nature for so it is Christs prerogative the true proper natural Son of God and thus as the Apostle faith God hath appointed him heir of all things Heb. 1.2 but it is by another grace whereby we are made children A double grace in this respect a grace of Adoption and a grace of Regeneration A grace of Adoption for God giveth to us the spirit of Adoption whereby we are moved to cry and call Abba Father and by this grace we are children and being children we are heirs Co-heirs not only one with another but as it is there noted heirs together with Christ Co-heirs with him by vertue of this grace of Adoption So likewise by the other grace of Regeneration we are qualified hereunto Saint Peter in his first Epistle chap. 1. verse 3. blesseth God Blessed be the God saith he and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to an inheritance incorruptible c. We are begotten to this inheritance This might again be pressed as a further Argument against the fore-mentioned presumptious Doctrine of Merit that that cometh by Inheritance cometh not by Desert But I pass it over This doth afford to us matter of consolation for this Text is full of consolation every word of it against the baseness whereunto in this world the Saints seem to be subject that are scoffed that are despised howsoever they appear here in mortal mans eye yet notwithstanding in truth they are Heirs they have an Inheritance And as it doth administer to us matter of comfort and a ground of holy boasting and glorying in the Lord so it affordeth to us direction to carry our selves as becometh Heirs not to set our love too much upon this world not to dote upon it but to be lofty minded to have our heart and affection where our inheritance is namely in Heaven to wait with patience for it Be followers of those saith the Apostle that through saith and patience inherit the promise And likewise to make sure to our selves our inheritance look to our evidences Give all diligence saith the Apostle to make your calling and election sure Do but make your Calling sure that you are truly and effectually called then it solloweth by just and necessary consequence you were elected before the foundations of the world and shall be saved Many other Meditations do arise out of this right we have to that life which by Grace is conferred upon us Consider we the extent hereof Heirs together joynt-heirs so as all of all sorts have a right to the life of Saints I speak here of outward conditions whether they be great or mean rich or poor free or bond whatsoever they be they have all a right they are joynt-heirs they are heirs together As it is with us in some places there is a title of Gavil kind that giveth a joynt-right to all the Sons that a man hath and so for Daughters all Daughters are co-heirs so this tenour is as I may say Gavil kind all have a right thereunto no exception of any because God is no respecter of persons This my Brethren serveth as an admonition to those that are great or may seem to be higher than others here in this world if they be Saints let them not despise others who are Saints too they are Co-heirs with them they are fellow-brethren there is not an elder Brother among them Christ only is the Elder Brother There may some have a greater degree of glory there may some have greater evidences thereof in this world and greater assurance yet not withstanding they have all a right to the inheritance they are all Co-heirs And this again is another comfort to the meaner and weaker sort that howsoever there may be some difference in regard of outward condition here yet notwithstanding in the greatest priviledge there is no difference at all and therefore to conclude concerning these and other consolations ministred to you I will use the Apostles words Comfort your selves with these things 1 Thes 4.18 And particularly concerning the Female Sex because the Apostle here applyeth it to them and saith of them as well as of men that they are Heirs Co-heirs of the same inheritance this therefore is to be applyed to them for when the Apostle makes distinction of outward conditions in Gal. 3.28
gained the knowledge of Christ When a man himself is united with the principle of life when he lives in Christ he desires that others may live in Christ too and this desire and endeavour to gain many to Christ it appears in their place and relation A Christian master that lives a spiritual life will labour that his servants under him may live the life of grace with him too A Christian Father will labour that his children may live to God as well as himself a Husband will labour to draw his Wife to Christ as himself is drawn and every one father and friend and acquaintance as much as in them lies by any advantage and opportunity that is put into their hands they will draw others to Christ because there is life in them And this is not done out of faction out of a desire to make their party strong as many in the world desire to strengthen their party but as in living things there is a natural desire to convey that life to others Parents begat not children out of faction to increase the party but out of a natural affection to convey the natural life they have to others so Christians that they do is out of spiritual affection out of simple have to the salvation of others out of a naturalness in their disposition to indeavour that all may be like them As the Apostle Saint Paul wisheth that all that heard him were like him except those bonds So much for that you see how fitly the Apostle useth these terms of life and death to express the change of one that is in Christ when he turns from sin to God Now we come to see the order wherein the Apostle expresseth them make account of this conclude of this that you were dead but are alive First you were dead to sin and then alive to God These certainly are knit together but they are done in order so we joyn both these points in one and that is thus much that All that are in Christ he works in them by his spirit in this order they first die to sin and after live to God These two are inseparable but yet they are joyned in order that first men die to sin and secondly live to God The Scripture expresseth this in fit similitudes Ephes 4.22 24. faith the Apostle there Seeing you have put off the old man that is corrupt through deceivable lusts and put on the new man that after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Here is the order there is not only an effectual change but this is wrought in a method first putting off and then putting on He seems to allude to apparel there that as a man that is cloathed with rags he puts not on ornaments and robes till he have put off his rags as it is Zach. 3. when Jehoshua came before the Angel of the Lord with filchy garments with vile rayments faith the Lord take away those rags and put upon him change of rayment Just thus God deals in the conversion of a man in the change of a man that is in Christ he takes away his filthy rags first his love to sin he is no more cloathed with them as he was wont he accounts them not or naments as they were wont to do but filthy clouts to which he faith Get ye hence he detests them and then he is clothed with rayment then he expresseth the fruit of holiness and righteousness Another expression there is Ephes 5.8 Ye were darkness but now ye are light in the Lord walk as children of light There is not only a change of apparel that is from rags to robes but of your state and condition you were in darkness now ye are light Mark the order from darkness to light That look as it was in the Creation first darkness covered the face of the deep Gen. 1. all was without form and void and then God said Let there be light so now first there is a removing of the darkness the soul was held in and now ye are light in the Lord so they come to walk as children of light Well this is the expression of it in Scripture let us see the ground of it in reason It must be so that in this order God proceeds in this effectual change first to turn men from sin and then to GOD first to die to sin and then to live to God The first reason shall be taken from our union with Christ We are planted into Christ faith the Apostle Rom. 6.4 5 6. By being planted with Christ there grows a similitude between Christ and us We are baptized and buried by baptisme saith the Apostle into his death and we are raised and quickned faith he by the resurrection of Christ that like as it was with Christ so it is with us He was dead and raised so we are first dead to sin and then alive to God Secondly it must be so from the nature of contraries for these two things are contrary one to another there is an immediate opposition between them so as there must be a removing of the one if there be a possession of the other and there must be first a removing of the one before the other can be in the soul As you see in sickness and in health there must first be a removing of sickness before the body be in a right state of health And as in life and death this is the order they are brought first from death to life and then one necessarily followes the other as life necessarily followes upon the removal of death and health upon the removal of sickness Thirdly it must be so or else if both these were not and in this order wrought what difficulty were there in the life of a Christian what singular thing were there in a Christian above any man in the world Every man in the World doth outward actions if there were not such a change as from death to life there were no difference at all where were the difficulty The Scripture saith The way is narrow and strait that leads to life and few there be that find it what narrowness or straitness were there in the way to life if there were no more but thus that a man might settle upon some actions of Religion and so be effectually changed If this were all what great matter were there in Religion what need Agrippa stand out in the mid-way what need he be but half perswaded to be a Christian he might easily be perswaded to be a Christian if he might hold his Heathenisme and be a christian too What need Foelex tremble to hear Paul dispute of righteousness and judgment to come if he might be unrighteous and a Christian too What need the young man be sorry when Christ bad him sell all and follow him if he might hold all he had and be worldly affected and be a Christian too what need any of the labours of a Christian to what use were a
means and sanctifieth all these means Therefore well saith the poor man God is my help and the sick man God is my health and the weak man God is my strength and the blind man Christ is my light and even the dead man the distrest man God is my life and the good man Christ is my Hope and the happy man Christ is my love And so it is to Christ that the wings of a mans Hope doth lift him up This is the first It sheweth us that the wings of Hope that is in the faithful soul lifteth him up above all means No more of that Secondly observe in this object the very Crown of a Christians comfort I say the Crown of all his comfort and that cometh only from this object of his hope For what is there in all the World that can comfort a man indeed besides this much less compared with this Begin where you will when you have gone round about you will conclude with that of the Apostle I count all things but loss and dung in comparison of Christ and all things to be vanity and vexation of spirit as the preacher saith Put the case thou art a sick man or a sick woman and I find thee much affected afflicted dejected cast down in thy self I would fain give thee some comfort now I tell thee of the vanity of this present life therefore being content I tell thee of the hope of of a better life I tell thee of the joyes that are to be revealed I tell thee of the promises of God which he will make good to thee if thou wilt trust in his mercy I tell thee of all the sure mercies of David as they are called and all this while I have told thee nothing at all to comfort thee till I come to this the object of this Hope which I have in hand and that is Jesus Christ in whom all Gods promises are Yea and Amen and till thou canst learn this lesson of life concerning the Lord Jesus thou hast learned nothing come and learn this and my life for thine thou art then happy He is the Way the Truth and the Life the Way and Truth and life it self and whither shall I go from thee Lord thou hast the words of eternal life I have done with that point and so pass on to the third We have Hope we have Hope in Christ we have Hope in Christ in this life This life-time then is our hope-time that is it you learn hence Here we have the seed of Hope but the harvest of Hope that is hereaster when we shall have in re what now we have in spe as ordinarily we speak when we shall have in possession what now we have in expectation then there will be no more use of this Grace there hope shall cease Now it is indeed in this life time that we sow the seeds of Prayer that we plant the roots of Faith that we water all of them with our hope when our joy shall spring up when the end and fruit of our faith shall come when the possession of our hope shall appear then we have done with hope hope serveth no longer then therefore it is now in this life Hope shall end for the action of it understand that aright as Faith shall but it shall never end for the object of it that end shall last still and rest ever Now then in the interim this is the Prophets and this is the Princes and this is the Peoples posse I wait and I wait too and I trust the Lord over all Now is your posse time as I may call it now is the seed time wherein we sow the seeds of love of joy of hope wherein we sow the seeds of sobriety and innocency and chastity and charity and all manner of vertues whatsoever now is the time Is this so then here is the issue of this plea It is this that therefore now if ever now or never we must seek to see whether we have these seeds of Grace in us yea or no We must get them and we must set them and we must see to them both that they come up and how they come up and how they come on Now is the time when the special care must be taken concerning these seeds of Grace If we will believe we must believe now for hereafter there will be no time to believe any more If we will be children of Grace we must be it now for hereafter there will be no space for Grace therefore faith the Lord now while he will be found and he will be found of those that seek him and seek him now for now is the acceptable time now is the day of salvation when the date of this day when the day of this life of salvation is down is past then there is no more seeking then there is no more finding therefore if thou wilt be faithful be it now if thou wilt be fruitful be it now now we are the Sons of God as if he should say if we be not the Sons of God now we shall never be Is this so add a further degree to this duty in the next place and that is when you have gotten these seeds in you to examine and prove your selves whether they be there not only so but whether they abide there not only so but whether they live there and not only so but whether they grow and live there they must not only be but they must continue there and abide and they must not only be and abide but they must be alive there and not dead and they must not only be alive but they must thrive too and not be idle for if these things be in you they will make you neither idle nor unfruitful in the work of the Lord. Hast thou Faith be sure thou hast it and then shew me thy faith by the fruits of it shew me that it is not a dead faith that faith cannot save thee do not think it shall for Saint James explodeth it for a Jest that any Christian should think so Hast thou love look thou hast it and let thy love abound let thy love be love unfeigned for as there is a work of faith so there is a labour of love Hast thou hope let it be stedfast entring into that within the vail as an Anchor firm and stable so the Apostle faith Hast thou knowledge Look it be saving knowledg sanctifying knowledge such as will savour and season all the rest of thy knowledge And let not thy knowledge be only so but let it be growing too let it thrive and prosper get more to it or else thou dost not husband the business well thou must go according to the phrase of the Holy Ghost in the Psalm from strength to strength as a good Souldier and Commander goeth from one watch-tower to another to see if all be well Go from strength to strength
because he will not have his creature worn out with a tedious misery and transitory vanity a vanity of misery that is in this vain miserable life of mortality I have done with the fourth A fifth thing that followeth in the Text that I may hast on we have Hope we have Hope in Christ we have Hope in Christ in this life our hope in this life is not upon the things of this life for if it were in this life only it were miserable Our life is a misery There is the fifth And this is a certain truth and it will plainly appear to us in many passages if we will believe either the Spirit of God or the experience of the godly I shall not need to stand to proveit You will ask me how it will be raised from this place Thus We are of all men the most miserable because that we are mentioned amongst the number of those that are the more miserable it implieth that all the rest are miserable more or less the very comparison that is used doth manifestly declare unto us that there is a measure of misery to every man living so then there is misery 2. It appeareth out of the Text because here and else-where you shall have man and misery made terms convertible Man is named Enoch and Enoch is misery Man and misery so joyned together that there is no pulling them asunder till death parts them for then there is no more misery 3. Because that misery here our being miserable in this life is mentioned even with the very best things of this life the very best things that are in this life and of this life so long as they look to this life I say they are stiled miserable but the best things even Christ himself our Hope it self say what you can here is Hope and here is Christ in the Text and yet not withstanding here is misery too Now then we reason thus that if the best things in this life be miserable then the rest are no better then so that the best are no better it is plain because let us have what we would have in all the World yet so long as we are here it is misery If this be so then we must come to the conclusion we have made and that is Jacobs conclusion Gen. 47.9 Few and evil have the dayes of the years of my life been it is Jobs conclusion too Mans life is full of misery It is Davids in the Psalms Mans life is full of labour and sorrow it is soon cut off and we fly away our dayes come to an end as a tale that is told they pass away as a shadow and the beauty the best of them withereth as grass It is Solomons he was the Preacher and here is his Text all is vain and vanity Vanity of vanities all is vanity one thing and other every thing under the Sun our life it self our selves so long as we are here we are under the Sun he calleth all vanity And faith the Apostle This I say Brethren the time of our life is short And what is our life saith Saint James But a vapour that appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away it is a vapour that vanisheth a meoter of misery What shall we say of this now to speak it in few words home to our selves somewhat may concern our selves and somewhat as we respect and reflect upon others In regard of our selves it may have this double Vse First to wean us from the World Secondly to win us to the Lord. 1. To wean us from the World The World considered in it self is so full of misery that there is nothing to be delighted in there is so much bitterness that I warrant it will wean any Child from it that is not a worldling for he indeed is at his own breasts with his own Mother But consider the World as it is in it self and there is nothing in it but true bitterness and false sweetness certain pain and uncertain pleasure tedious labour and timerors rest nothing in the World but vanity and misery for saith Saint John Love not the World he that makes himself the friend of God makes himself an enemy to the World O you lovers of the World saith Saint Austin I wonder at you O foolish men who hath bewitched you for what wrestle why do you strive and contend so much what thing is there in the World that is worthy your labour there is saith he nothing in the World but that which is foolish and frothy and frayl and false and vain and full of danger full of disaster suffer your selves therefore to be weaned from the World And yet notwithstanding all that we can say we know there are some persons that will not be taken off from the Worlds breasts they have a better opinion of it than so Let such enjoy their own errour till they run to ruin and till their own overthrow take them off Yet not withstanding we know that which an Ancient hath that to whom God is once sweet the World must needs be bitter 2. On the other side the knowledge of this serveth to win us to the Lord that as the one draweth us off so the other may drive us on When I consider the mercies of the Lord and the goodness of God in the land of the living when I consider how infinite he is in his love I am ravished in spirit I am taken up in the mind and taken off in the flesh I have set my heart and affections on Heaven and on heavenly things And now when I think on the Lord there is my hope and there is my help and there where my help is there is my love and there is my life and there is my Lord there is Christ at the right hand of God He is the life of them that beleeve he is the resurrection from the dead he is the right hand where there is pleasure for evermore for there shall be no more pain no more death for the first things are past away saith Saint John in the Revelation and all things are become new Oh he that did but know the joyes that are reserved for such as are received to the Lord would soon be taken up from all conceits of the things of this life Think you but of that great convocation house of Heaven that high Court of Parliament that great place of Majesty and honour where all the spirits of just men made perfect are where all the Saints departed live where there are all the blessed Patriarchs godly Prophets the glorious Apostles the blessed Kings and the godly fellowship of Martyrs and Confessors where there are the holy Angels and Arch Angels Thrones and Dominions Seraphims and Cherubins in those glorious Orbs Where there is God the blessed Trinity the King of Glory whose Glory is more then can be seen be said conceived to be where the joy of the Saints is such as eye
to duties and incouragements by promise were likewise inserted therein that I am perswaded I cannot do better then to commend this duty to the practice of all the servants of God that when they come to peruse the Scriptures they would furnish themselves with pen and inke and then upon all occasions they may be noting down somewhat for their own advantage that they may have a manual or little book of observations for their guide and direction in the course of their lives She was a hearty hater of sin and of all evil and the appearance thereof being careful to do good so far as she was convinced in any thing to her revealed and willing to receive instructions and to be informed in those things that were not revealed Those that knew her may well witness with me that she never neglected the smallest occasion conducing to the improvement of her soul in the wayes of goodness But for the second the main intent of this Text and the reason for which I took it in this particular duty I may resolve you as it is said of the vertuous woman and may speak truly in the simplicity of an honest heart Many daughters have done excellently but thou surmountest them all I never knew any woman in my life more active and ready to do the works of charity according as opportunity and her ability made way for the same Not only of her own wherein she took her Husbands consent with her But where she prov'd unable of her self to supply the necessities of others her labours and endeavours to incite and stir up others made full satisfaction in the room of her benevolence and she became an industrious Christian in that kind That I have observed herein she was ever large and boundless sowing her seed in the morning and her hands ceased not in the evening she gave a portion to seaven and also to eight and as any came in her way that were in extream necessity she became a present helper of every of them according to their several necessities She was very tender hearted and that which she bestowed to relieve others was done in compassion of heart towards those that endured misery But as she saw any of the houshold of Faith and the servants of God which she took notice of by some infallible sign she did not only relieve them with her Purse but receive them into her heart which was still open and enlarged to give them entertainment She was not straitned in her bowels toward them but was large hearted and large handed full of Almes when that might help and when it could not she provoked others to exercise the like charity Besides she had other wayes to succour them in speaking for them and stirring up others to speak for them when words might availe them and do them good relieving them with money and provoking others thereunto when such contributions were needful and therein she would not let slip the least opportunity but would take the advantage of great and solemn meetings seasoning those feasts which she frequented with some acts of mercy before they parted that the company and society she conversed with might savour of this sweetness of mercy as a precious oyntment and become good examples unto others and improve the gifts and abilites which God had given them to the same purpose She was not only mindful of those at home but her goodness extended to the Saints abroad And not in respect of Nature only because they were come into the Countrey where she was born I speak now of those that live in distress and exile of the Palatinate and Germany but in respect of Grace She was wondrous industrious and laborious to procure all the means that might be to send over to help them and even refreshed the bowels of the Saints that I may truly say the loynes of the poor blessed God for her in many places In what place hath she lived and hath not left a savour behind her nay almost in what company hath she conversed but this particular duty hath been as a precious oyntment to sweeten the conversations of all that were about her and to work in their minds a vertuous intention and propenseness to this duty Beloved here you have her in her carriage and example What she was in her behaviour towards her Husband and her Children I need not speak there are enough can witness it she carried her self as became a Wife to him and a helper of the servants of God with prayers and desires and often provocations and incitings that way But for her Children she seem'd to undergo a second travaile with them till Christ were formed in them being full of earnest desires and petitions for the working of Grace where it was not begun and for the persecting thereof where it was newly entred She rejoyced exceedingly in any expression of good and more for that of Grace then any other inclination or respect Beloved this was obvious and common to all and any man might take special notice thereof daily and observe it constantly In her servants as there appeared the more grace in any so much the more respect she extended towards them In the poor as she perceived the more grace in any the more reliese they received from her c. I say nothing what in all this she suffered those that were acquainted with her disease know what paines she under-went in respect of her body and with what patience she submitted to the hand of God in all things And many know the wrong she endured from the World for her desire and care to do good when she obtained opportunity Some thought her over-bold some too busie others thought her proud and vain-glorious because of her often frequenting of company and speaking openly for the provoking of others to the exercise of goodness The Lord smite their hearts that are guilty of mis-judging that which we are to suppose in respect of her forward disposition is this She was naturally of a free spirit which being sanctified with Grace and sharpned with love and zeal for the glory of God made her the more resolute and familiar in frequenting good company not to magnisie her self by their society but that her continual conversation with them might give her the better occasion to incite and stir them to goodness Let those that are guilty of misprision leave to censure her Vertues and convert them into an example for themselves to walk in if they do not the neglect will load their souls with more woe for such contempt then she hath received joy for her labour What concern'd her in her sickness briefly I have not much to say in that they which were about her daily know more then I can relate She did not only express a satisfaction and assurance of heart that her reconciliation was made with God in Christ but besides that a willingness and desire to be dissolved for that reason that she might be with Christ A
Minister that was with her asking how she that had a Husband and Children enjoying an estate and many other comforts could be willing to forgo so many blessings and exchange them all for death She from that inward sence and perswasion of Gods love to her in Christ concluded my Husband is dear and my Children are dear to me but Christ is dearer Therefore I am willing to forgo Husband and Children and all the contents you can number in this life that I might live with Christ to partake of greater felicity then this world can afford me And now the Lord Jesus hath received her into his own protection and satisfied her expectation with the performance of his love But wherefore have we spoken all this what that we might add any praise unto the dead no But to quicken those that are living and incite them to the like duty Some may think it impossible there should be such activeness in doing of good and such unwearedness in performing of the acts of mercy and where say they shall we find such an example you have it before your eyes and know that examples will rise in judgment against you and condemn you as well as precepts If you follow them not while they invite you The Text saith Do good to all especially to the houshold of faith And here is an example before our eyes of one who took her time and opportunity to do good to all especially to them of the houshold of Faith Go thou and do likewise DEATH PREVENTED OR MORTALITY CHANGED SERMON XL. JOB 14.14 All the dayes of my appointed time will I wait to my change come THis Book of Job comprehends the History of a good man and of his many tryals Though goodness deliver from Hell yet it priviledgeth not from temptatious or crosses yea the more eminent Holiness is many times the more it is exposed to sharp and manifold assaults Job is set upon on all sides he found the Devil a fore enemy and his great estate a suddain shipwrack his Children in a moment crusht to pieces He had but three Points of Land to look at in this troublesome sea and every one of them seemed rather to augment than to lessen the storm His Wife whose breath should have sweetned and eased his grief was an impatient vexation His friends whose counsels and compassions should have been an easie harbour and tender relief they became his bitter and censorious judges Yea his God who by his own testimony he served and feared with singular uprightness and whose bowels are ever tender and compassionate to such and upon whose gracious acceptance he thought to quiet and anchor his troubled spirit yet anon he seemed not only a stranger but an enemy and this went deep that even Mercy it self seemed cruel and Kindness so unkind and harsh But what was his behaviour under all these For the general sweet and heavenly For some particulars sad and weak when saith did work he was above all his storms In the deepest calamity saith can settle and compose the soul and fill it with the sweetest comforts When sence and nature did work then he was much impatient and the wind had the better over him In the one be shews himself a Christian In the other a man In the one Job is beyond himself in the other below himself According to the time and manner of these several workings he is like or unlike himself Thus it is with the best whose outward change doth not more vary but their inward carriage doth as much change At length Job after many disputes with his friends and conflicts with himself concenterates his thoughts in two main Points 1. One was still to trust in God let him be what he will and let him do what he will though he should continue his present trials yea and exceed them though he should kill me yet saith he Chap. 13.15 though he stay me I will trust in him and there he disposeth of his soul 2. Another was to prepare for death all the dayes of my appointed time I will wait till my change come and there he disposeth of his body Many arguments he layeth down in this Chapter which did occasion him to these thoughts and resolutions The first is the brevity of mans life Vers 1 2. Man that is born of a Woman is of few dayes he cometh forth like a Flower and is cut down he fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not He saith not years nor moneths nor weeks but dayes and these dayes not many but few and these few dayes not long but short as quickly set as the shadow as quickly cropt as the flower Secondly the misery of that short life in the same place and full of trouble as if every Article of life were replenished with sorrow even as every vein of the body is with bloud this his own experience could tell him Thirdly the certainty of Death The Sun hath his appointed race which in the Winter is short in the Summer long but in both it hath a certain time of setting so the race of mans life to some it may be shorter to some longer but the night will come and all must be closed up in Death vers 5. His dayes are determined the number of them they are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds which be cannot passe and if so then high time for Job to think of it and prepare for it Death began in a manner to seize on him already in several parts in his feet for his wealth was gone in his loynes having lost his children in his heart his friends leaving him in his bosome for his wife was a discomforter nay in his very life it self so much as was wrapt up in the outward part of his body for that was diseased in his speech and spirits they grow hoarse and faint all these were the harbingers of a future dissolution Well therefore might Job conclude ever I must not live and long I cannot live therefore though in much misery and in had dayes I will think of Death and fit my self for a good end and apply my self seriously and wisely for a good work All the dayes of my appointed time will I wait till my change come Which words contain in them two parts First his future dissolution which he calls a change and a change that is coming upon him as if he had been the next man till my change come Secondly his present disposition I will wait he thinks of death before death and prepares to die while yet he lives Neither was this a death pang a sit a humour which began quickly and expired suddenly Nay he will make it a serious business as if this should be his every dayes work All the dayes of my appointed time will I wait Some read it of my appointed warfare and others of my appointed labour they all intimate that he means by his appointed time his appointed life the lease or term of breathing which
ill in this fain he would stisle the light in his conscience which if he would open his eyes would clearly discover unto him a future tribunal yet sometimes he cannot smother it and therefore as Tully who saw a glimering of this truth observeth he is wonderfully tormented out of a fear that endless pains attend him after this life Well let the flesh and fleshly minded men deem or speak what they list concerning the state of the dead the Spirit of truth faith that all that die in the Lord are blessed But where faith the Spirtt so In the Scriptures of the old and new Testament and in this vision and in the heart and conscience of every true believer First in the Scriptures let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like unto his refrain thy voyce from weeping and thine eyes from tears for thy works shall be rewarded and there is hope in thine end faith the Lord precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints the Righteous shall wash his foot in the blood of the wicked so that a man shall say verily there is a reward for the righteous Christ is in life and death advantage for I am in a straight between two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Secondly in this vision for Saint John heard a voyce from Heaven saying Write it as it were with a Pen of Iron upon the Tomb of all that are departed in the Lord for so faith the Spirit Lastly the Spirit speaketh it in the heart and soul of every true believer lying on his death bed or on the Gridiron or in the dungeon or on the gibber or on the saggot did not the Spirit seal this truth above all other at such times to his servants were not then their hope full of immortaility they could never have welcomed death embraced the flames sung in their torments and triumphed over death even when they were in the jaws of it When Job was in the depth of all his misery the Spirit spake in his heart I know that my redeemer liveth and that he shall stand in the latter day upon the earth though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shal I see God whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my rains be consumed within me offered and the time of his departure was at hand the Spirit spake in him I have fought a good fight 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 and not to me only but to them also that love his appearing Likewise when Gerardus was giving up the ghost the Spirit spake in him O death where is thy sting Mors nonest stimulus fed jubilus And though Robert Glover the Martyr all the night before his Martyrdome prayed for strength and courage but could feel none yet when he came to the sight of the stake he was mightily replenished with Gods holy comfort and heavenly joyes and clapping his hands to Austin the Spirit the Comforter himself spake in him He is come he is come You have heard where the spirit faith so give ear now to a voyce from heaven de claring why the Spirit saith so for they rest from their labours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth as well pain as pains broyls as toyls as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in greek so pain and pains in english are of kin for labour is pain to the body and pain is labour to the spirit and therefore what we say to be punished and tormented with a diseafe the latine say laborare morâ—…o and the throngs and throes which women endure in Child-bearing we call their labouring Here then the dead have a double immortality granted them 1 From the labours of their calling 2 From the troubles of their condition freedome from pain and pains taking What then may some object do the dead sleep out all their time from the breathing out their last gasp to the blowing the last trump as they suffer nothing so do they nothing but are like Consul Bibulus who held onely a room and filled up a blank in the Roman fasti Nam bibulo factum consule nil memini or like mare mortuam without any motion or operation at all that cannot be the soul is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most perfect act or as Tullie renders the word a continual motion as the word is taken in that old proverbial verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it can no more be and not work then the wind can be and not blow the fire and not burn a diamond and not sparkle the sun and not shine therefore it is not said here simply that they rest from all kind of motion or working but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but from toilsome labours sore travels and again from their own labours or works not the Lords They keep an everlasting Sabbath in not doing of their own works but Gods they rest from sinful and painful travels but not from the works of a sanctified rest for they rest not day and night saying holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was which is and is to come The rest of the soul is not a ceasing from all motion or opperation that cannot stand with the nature of a spirit but a setling it self with delight upon an all-satisfying and never satiating object such was the rest the sweet singer of Israel called his soul unto return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Bodies rest in thier proper places but spirits in their proper object in the contemplation fruition admiration and adoration whereof consisteth their everlasting content This object is God whom they contemplate in their mind enjoy in their will adore in both and this is their continual work and their work is their life and their life is their happiness which the Divines fitly express in one word glorification which must be taken both actually and passively for they glorifie God and God glorifyeth them God glorifieth them bycasting the full light of his countenance upon them and they glorifie him by reflecting some light back again and casting their crowns before him saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created They rest from their labours This Text of holy Scripture containeth in it the waters of Siloah not so much to refresh those that are tyred with their former labours having born the heat of the whole day as to lave out the false fire of Purgatory for blessedness cannot stand with misery nor
the world that desireth not that every Saint should be gathered in and the whole body of Christ perfected in the whole members of it before Christ come to judgment None must be neglected every beleever must frame his will to the will of God God hath revealed that the number must be gathered in and when it is so Christ will come and gather all together under his wing Now the Saints of God think not much that the number should be gathered in they are well contented with it So likewise God hath revealed his will that though he be exceeding patient to wicked men yet he is not forgetful of his promise God will be contented though he be provoked every day infinitely by the highest sins of the world patiently to endure all this and to offer conditions of peace and mercy even to the worst to shew himself rich in mercy and so full of goodness that he makes offer even of goodness to the worst Now the Saints of God here frame their will to Gods and are content still to wait because God still putteth forth his patience and still offereth Conditions of mercy and peace to those that are wicked and out of the way whereby some are converted and others convinced and prepared for the work of Gods justice So this question need not trouble men or hold them off from a chearful and fruitfull expectation of Christ though he come not in our age as he hath not in others before The use of the Point is this First if this be the property of the godly to wait and earnestly to expect the coming of Christ then we may observe the general ungodliness of the World by the general want of this expectation And if ye say but who is there that doth not expect the second coming of Christ and who doth not beleeve that he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I answer notwithstanding that every man confesse this Article of faith with his mouth yet every man beleeveth it not with his heart for every man frameth not himself according to the faith of it Very few are those faithful servants that wait and prepare for their Masters coming Christ when he cometh he shall scarce find faith on the earth What a number of Men and Women are there though they hear these things and they are beaten upon them upon many occasions and they are in their judgments convinced that it must be so yet notwithstanding the faith of their hearts apprehend it not they do not beleeve it they do not listen and frame to it We like Caleb tell them of the good Land and the fat of the Land and the fruit of the Land and the fulness of the Land of Canaan but generally men like the unthankful Israelites murmure and repine and rebel and scarce hear us or if they do they do not beleeve it For if men did beleeve it it could not be that men should live like Saduces as they do that neither beleeve the soul nor immortality neither that there are spirits nor Devils nor resurrection nor nothing the lives and conversations of men plainly bewray that they beleeve not this Doctrine though they can profess with the mouth that Jesus Christ shall come again to judge the quick and the dead but like the Cardinal of whom we read that profest he would not give his part in Paris for his part in Paradise so men live as if they would not give their part here on earth for a Childs part in Heaven Like that wicked Pope that we read of when he was about to die now saith he I shall know that which I never beleeved whether there be a Heaven or Hell an immoatality of the soul or no. So men live as if they never meant to know those things or beleeve them till they come to the tryal and experience of them And besides what a number of men and women are there that can profess these things with their mouth but they cast themselves into a fast sleep in sin and security and sleep on both sides Gods Messengers and Ministers cannot awake them but as though their souls were to sleep everlastingly so they sleep on in their lusts and sins and will not be awakened And my brethren who doth not observe that it is not the fashion of men even of those that profess themselves Christians to say come Lord Jesus till they be on their death-beds and till they be scarce able to speak or breath out a word they never say come Lord Jesus till they know not what to do with themselves till they can enjoy their lusts and the World and their sins no longer they cannot tell how to bequeath themselves longer to the service of sin and unrighteousness till then they never call after the Lord Jesus to come to them and when they do it is not out of love and affection to Christ but out of self-love to help them out of the hands of death that is too strong for them and to fetch them out of that misery they are too weak to sustain Therefore they call Lord Jesus but as I said it is far from the love of him in their hearts for were these men to live over their lives again and to be restored to health again it would be the last breath of their lives still to call the Lord Jesus My brethren where these things are and we find them too general every man that looks into his own heart may find himself in some measure touched therein certainly it cannot be that this same lively desire of a Christian can be there and these persons can have little comfort in themselves they have few arguments to prove themselves Elect of God having the Spirit of God or to be those that hear the promises with faith or those that thirst after Christ there is no argument in them that they are Christs because they long not and desire after him But therefore in the second place since this desire is so rare let us try our selves a little even those that profess better things and hope well that they are indeed the Spouse of Christ Let us try and search our selves whether this expectation be with us or no that we may find comfort in our estate and in our union and conjunction with Christ For tryal of this Point first we must know that a necessary attendant and companion of this expectation of Christ and waiting for him is sighing and longing and a vehement desire after him It is no slight no superficial desire but an inward vehement desire a sighing and panting after Christ as those that see the need of him And therefore as the Wise man saith hope deferred paines the heart the godly desires of the soul bring pains to the soul for want of Christ in the absence of Christ And as the Apostle expresseth it in Rom. the 8. We sigh in our selves saith he wayting for the redemption of our bodies We sigh in
our selves as men that are sick or in pain or opprest with a heavy burthen sigh out their sorrowes and griefs so the godly soul must labour to find this expectation in the sighing longing earnest desiring after Christ we sigh in our selves saith the Apostle this is an argument of true love to Christ indeed when we earnestly desire him in his absence As a true faithful Spouse enjoyeth not her self when she enjoyeth not her Husband so it is with the Spouse of Christ therefore the Apostle in the 2 Thess 3.5 joyneth them together The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient wayting for of Christ As if he should say there can be no love of Christ if there be no waiting for Christ and according to the vehemency of your love will be the vehemency of your sighing and longing after him That 's the first attendant of this expectation whereby we may examine our selves A second attendant is a comfortable sweet joy in the soul a fruit of the spirit not a fruit of presumption or of the flesh but a fruit of the spirit as the Apostle saith Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we rejoyce under the hope of the glory of God where there is an earnest and certain expectation of Christ faith giving assurance to the soul of Christs return for the happiness of it it rejoyceth under the hope the 〈◊〉 resolveth it self into joy because it shall enjoy Christ That which the Apostle Saint Peter saith confirmeth this notably whom saith he having not seen and yet we love him and rejoyce with joy unspeakeable and glorious Do we find this joy in our hearts this heavenly joy that which shall be perfected in the presence and full fruition of Christ But alas where shall we find this joy in the World Men joy in Corn and Wine and oyle in the encreasing of their Money and Stocks and Estates where is the joy the heart is resolved into to consider and remember the return of Christ to the full and perfect happiness of the soul Certainly my brethren this is a rare grace upon the earth and yet where it is not that man can have no sound argument in his own heart that he hath this expectation of the coming of Christ for with it there is a sound joy in the heart that the world breeds not nor cannot take away A third companion to try the truth of this expectation is an endeavour after purity of heart and life this must needs go with this expectation 1 John 3.3 Hethat hath this hope purgeth himself and is pure as he is pure He that hath this hope that expects Christ hopefully and joyfully he purgeth himself he that waiteth for Christ waiteth for him that he may be like him that he may be holy as Christ is holy still reserving the proportion of a member and be pure as Christ is pure What a number be there that profess they look for Christs return for their final salvation and yet this expectation doth not purge their hearts doth not cleanse those nasty and filthy corners that are there It purgeth not their mouth from falshood and lying and deceitful and cursed speeches nor their hands from injustice and oppression and the like they are no whit like Christ in their conversation and yet they hope for and expect Christ no he that hath this hope purgeth himself What shall we think of them that oppose that seek to oppress purity of heart and life that cast scorns upon purity and holiness what shall we think of those persons Shall we think that they have this expectation They will tell ye I and justifie it before any man and boldly stand upon the expectation of their Saviour as well as others but if thou hate purity in others then thon hatest it in thy self and he that purgeth not himself hath not this hope for he that hath this hope purgeth himself as he is pure A fourth companion and attendant of this expectation is Christian fortitude and valour and unweariedness in labouring and suffering for Christ Where this expectation is the soul is invinsible in labouring and sufferings He careth not what he endures what he sets on for the name of Christ This we shall see in the Apostle Saint Paul when he had the white in his eye when he had this aym set before him the high price of the high calling of GOD in Christ I forget the things saith he that are behind and press hard to the things that are before Though his labour and pains and sufferings were marvellous great he forgetteth all them and still pressed hard to the mark the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus So holy Moses because he looked for the recompence of the reward he chose to suffer affliction with the people of GOD rather then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Besides those faithful servants of GOD many other instances might be added to shew that when a man hath this expectation that Christ will come and give him the end and recompence of his labour and eternal joy and glory for his short sufferings which are not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed he refuseth no pains no labour no passion no sufferings for Christ and a good conscience But what need we go further then the example of Christ himself the example of all examples who for the joy that was set before him indured the Cross and despised the shame and why was this but for our example that we should despise the crosses that are before us and go on unweariedly and unfaintingly through all crosses and persecutions if we meet with never so many oppositions with never so many Devils yet to go chearfully on in the wayes of God why because we have a hope and an expectation before us of Christ appearing Further another attendant of this expectation is this It bluntteh and abateth the siery edge of our affections to the things of this world He that hath this expectation is weaned from the world it looseneth the soul from the world every day more then other Whereas naturally we are rivitted to earthly things fastened to 〈◊〉 world this expectation wrought in the heart causeth us to walk more loosely and unjoynted it blunteth and abateth those eager desires that are in us to earthly things See it in the example of that worthy servant of God Moses because he looked for a City for the recompence of reward that was set before him he scorned the treasures of Egypt he despised them he cared not for honour or treasures or all that Egypt could afford he had rather suffer afflictions with Gods people why because he looked for therecompence of reward Be there not a number of persons that profess they expect Christ his return for their final salvation and yet notwithstanding they are so fixed to the world they gather the world as greedily grapling the things of this life together so
we found it let it not be said that we willingly let the fair Fabrick of Faith and good life to run to ruine in our so that the next Age may justly sue us for Dilapidations When our Saviour said unto his Disciples Mat. 26.21 Verily I say unto you that one of you shall betray me they were exceeding sorrowful and began every one of them to say unto him Lord is it I yea Judas himself lagging at last with his Is it I Lord and was returned with Thou saist it Thus at the last day of judgment shall all generations be arraigned before God But to confine our Application only to those three within the last sixscore years if God should say unto them One of you have betrayed my truth how would it put them all upon their particular purgation Is it I Lord saith the first generation in the reign of King Edward the sixt surely they shall be acquitted who in the Marian dayes sealed the truth with their blood Is it I Lord saith the second generation lasting all the Reign of Queen Elizabeth to the middle of King James That also will be cleared as publickly preserving the purity of true Doctrine in the thirty nine Articles What a shame shall it be if when our age shall ask with Iudas Is it I we shall be returned thou hust said it Yours is the Age that hath betrayed my Truth to Errour Unity to Faction Piety to Prophaness sad when such a Fact shall be so clear that it cannot be denied and yet so foul that it cannot be defended However this my too just fear may consist with hope of better things of you and such as accompany salvation I must conclude with you Reverend Fathers whom my loyalty cannot pass by without doing my due homage to the Crown of your Age especially if it be found in the way of truth Give me leave to tell you belong to that generation which is passed out of this world not only the Van or Front and also the main body and battel of your Army are marched to their graves and their souls I hope to heaven whilst Divine Providence for reasons best known to himself hath reserved you to bring up as I may say the very rear of the rear of your generation O do not mistake this Reprieve for a Pardon and here give me leave to use a plain but expressive Similitude Have you never seen a wanton child run a firebrand against the Hearth or back of the Chymney and so on a suddain make a skie of sparks of which sparks some instantly expire others continue a pretty time and then go out others last a little longer whilest one or two as having a greater stock of soot to feed them hold out a good while but at last are extinguisht Man is born to labour as sparks do fly upward some presently go out wasted from the womb to the winding-sheet others live to ripe men others to be old men some whose temper and temperance are more signal then in others to be counted wonderous old but all at last die and fall to the earth We read Rev. 10.2 of an Angel who had his right foot on the Sea and his left on the earth This may seem a strange stride save that it abateth the wonder because Angels when pleased to assume bodies may extend themselves to a vast though finite proportion But you though meer men and weak men must stride a greater distance having your left foot already in the Grave endeavour to have your right foot in Heaven and waving all love of this world set your minds and meditations alone on God and godliness In a word whatever our Age be rising shining or setting Men Brethren or Fathers let us endeavour with David in my Text according to the will of God to serve our own Generation Come we now to the sad occasion of our present meeting to perform the last Christian Office to our Deceased Brother well known to many of you and to none better then to my self A child is like a man in the similitude of parts though not of degrees and in some measure he did sincerely with David serve his Generation He was a dutiful Son unto his aged Mother as she cannot but confess and will I hope as occasion is offered remember and reward it to his wife and children A loving Brother a kind Husband and I doubt not but his widdow will discharge her mutual affection to him in his relations Bathsheha thus describeth a good wife Pro. 31.12 She will do her Husband good and not evil all the dayes of her life It is not said all the dayes of his life but of her life What if he should chance to die and she to survive him yea after to marry again as God forbid any should be debarred marrying in the Lord especially for their own and childrens advantage yet still she would do good unto him all the dayes of her life To him that is to his memory mentioning with respect to him that is to his children and friends careful over the one and curteous over the other He was a tender Father and faithful Friend witness the many volunteer mourners an unusual proportion for a person of his quality who at their own charge have habited themselves that the outward sadness of their cloaths might express the inward sorrow of their hearts He was an excellent Master having bred many good workmen in his Vocation and I hope they will prove good husbands too Let me add he was an excellent subject for according to that which his conscience with many others conceived to be loyalty he lost much of and hazarded all his estate Lastly and chiefly he was a good Saint having more piety then he shewed and as daily he consumed in his body he was strengthened in his soul in Faith through Christ whereof he gave many testimonies before towards and at his death What shall I speak of his parts of Nature so far above his education and profession that he might have past for a Scholar amongst Scholars for his wit and pleasant expressions But God now hath made him his free-man and paid him his wages for so well serving his Generation THE CROVVNE OF RIGHTEOUSNES OR The glorious Reward of FIDELITY In the Discharge of our DUTY SERMON LIII 2 TIM 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight 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 and not to me only but unto them also who love his Appearing I Shall not detain you by any impertinent Preface sith the shortness of time for this Service together with the indulgence of this so Learned an Auditory anticipates an Apology and gives hope of much Candor under so manifold Imprâ—…parations And so I address my self to the serious business of my Text The scope whereof amounts to
Scriptures pretended for his conceit Apostolical Traditions and by reason of the venerable name of Antiquity it is not to be denyed but that some of the ancient Fathers received some tang of the same opinion from him as may be seen or collected of Justin Martyr and in the end of Trajans time Apollinarius Tertullian too much misled by Montane and Lactantius who were in part spiced with this Millenarisme so perilou a thing it proves to the Supine and out of a secure or careless disregard to suffer Humane Tradition to become a Diotrephes and to have the preheminence above the infallibity of the undoubted Scriptures which sacred and unerring written Word of God doth hold forth as of certaine credibility inspired by the Divine and first verity that can never deceive no such clear truth that the Lord Christ shall in Person before the General Resurrection come visibly and corporally upon the earth and as by a first resurrection cause all those who died in and for him to arise and with him in a peaceful tranquility and glory to reign and to beare sway over the wicked as Vassals for a thousand years which date of time being expired immediately shall ensue the General Resurrection and the day of the last Judgement No such evidential verity is demonstrated in Holy Writ as of Absolute Necessity to be believed unto salvation But whatsoever is alledged out of the propherick Scriptures for the stablishing of that opinion is to be understood either of the first coming of Christ in the flesh or of the state of the N.T. in general or else of the glorious estate of the Church triumphant to be expected hereaster in the eternal Kingdome for ever in Heaven as Gerard judiciously I have not time to alledge or you patience to hear on this occasion the several Texts cited by the Chiliasts or of the Orthodox many reverend and renowned Divines have eased us all of that labour let it suffice at the present to take notice from our Saviours own lips that his Kingdome is not of this world John 18.36 but within us Luke 17.21 and from Heaven and besides we find in our Creed which is founded on the Scriptures and may in every article thereof be proved by them we find I say in our Creed mention made but of two visible comings of Christ the first in Humility to suffer and to be judged the other at the end of the world but not before in the glory of his Father to judge the world both quick and dead in righteousness and unto them that look for him faith the great Apostle shall he appear the second time without sin that is without suffering any more as a sacrifice for sin unto salvation Heb. 8.28 Leaving then those Millenarian conjectures to such as abound with leisure rest we in the solid determination of Orthodox and stable judgements who resolve by the day and by the appearing here mentioned in this text to be meant the last great day of the general Judgement according to that Scripture Acts. 17.31 and the Lord Christ his second coming upon that day in glorious Majesty unto the judgment of all the world so that however those who labour in the Word and Doctrine meet often with so great discouragements that they seem to labour all in vain and spend their strength for nought as the Prophet speaks Isa 46.4 yet surely their Judgement is with the Lord and their work that is the reward of their work is with the Lord his goodness is laid up for them O how great Psal 31.19 In the mean time let it be our delight and contentment that we do our Masters work not as by constraint but willingly sith indeed such a vertuous service ever carryeth its own reward with it as being a thing to be desired and embraced for its own worth and certainly that sweet comfort and complacency that a righteous soul findeth in the sincere discharge of this duty within its proper station in conscience of God is infinitely more valuable than all the treasures the earth can afford without it only as the Husbandman we may not anticipate the season of the Harvest but we must wait and then in due time we shall reap if we fant not Gal. 6.9 Heb. 10.36.37 and when the reward actually cometh it being so large will abundantly recompence all our work yea end all our patience too sith the manner of it will be the more manifest and conspicuous before all in that great day when all of all sorts both great and small shall upon the general summons stand before the last Tribunal and then upon the appearance of the Chief Shepheard we shall raceive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5.4 Hereof S. Paul had a particular assurance in his own person when he faith Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness and if for him why may it not be also possible for others to be in like manner assured of the same especially provided that we are such as do love his appearing This question I confess is solid yet such as wanteth not its intricacies The Roman Catholicks in this controversie are wont to resolve thus that indeed for so great a Saint as S. Paul was this assurance might be possible yea was attained to by Revelation extraordinary by means of his sides privilegiata his special and priviledged faith which as an Apostle and a chosen vessel of honour he was endowed and adorned withall from Heaven for that God had a great service for him to do who was selected as it were to take up the Gauntlet in the quarrel of the Gospel against the manifold fierce and potent Adversaries of the same so that as I said in the beginning to steel his resolution with the greater courage he was fortifyed before-hand and armed with an extraordinary assurance of a glorious reward after his work and warfaring therein was over But now whether this assurance be possible for an ordinary Christian by the use of ordinary lawful means to attain is the next disquisition To which the resolution is affirmative the thing is possible though confessedly very difficult and this possiblity is both Certitudine Objecti and also Certitudine Subjecti both as it is sure in its self as it is determin'd by God and likewise in the particular evident and special experience of the same in the soul of a true believer and this is proved partly from those Scriptures which exhort unto a diligent endeavour after it 2 Pet. 1.10.2 Cor. 13.5 Now the nature of Evangelicall precepts and exhortations in a contradistinction to those of the Law is that they carry a spirit a secert energy vertue and power with them inabling through grace unto observation therefore the Gospel is called life and spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 and I can do all things
through Christ that strengthens me Phil. 4.13 partly also this is proved from one principal end of the spirits Donation his being given us namely That we may know the things that are freely given unto us of God and to co-witness with our spirits that we are his Sons and Daughters 1 Cor. 2.12 Rom. 8.16 1 John 5.13 Thirdly from the duties required of us upon this account as Thank fulness Ephes 1.3 Col. 1.12 13. What wise man will give thanks for that which he hath no certainty that he doth enjoy this were for a man to boast of a false gift as of a cloud without water so likewise of Love we love God because he first loved us 1 John 4.19 in so freely giving his Son to us John 3.16 and together with him all things that do accompany salvation Rom. 8.32 even to the Author of life and salvation unto all that obey him Heb. 5.9 And how come we to know of all this love but by that experimental proof thereof that is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Rom. 5.5 And lastly by the examples of Saints that have had this assurance in themselves as Job 19.25 〈…〉 and here in my Text Saint Paul which eminent Saints were not set forth in Holy Writ as Wonders meerly to be gazed at but as Patterns of imitation and though ordinary Christians and Saints cannot reach to the same steps yet they may walk in the same path and may possibly attain though not to the same measures yet to the same soundness of perswasion and indeed as a reverened Divine observes its firmness rather than fulness of assurance namely in respect of adherence or of recumbency that the Saints in this life arrive unto but to this firmness they may come by the use of the ordinary and of the right means as here St. Paul did by fighting the good fight by finishing his course and by keeping the faith hereby as by the ordinary means be concluded therein likewise shewing us an example that from henceforth there was a Crown of Righteousness laid up in Heaven for him yea and for all others with himself who loved the appearing of the Lord Jesus But though it be cautionately understood thus possible notwithstanding it is very difficult and hard to be attained and that for many weighty and important reasons As First in regard of the difficulty to put a distinction between seeming Vertues and real Graces which are the signs and fruits of Election and which give the best evidence of glory so that there needs much discussion and an exact Spirit of Discerning to put a Difference and to discriminate the one from the other yea we are to take notice that there are many Vices neer of kin to many Vertues and carry in semblance a near affinity as it were with them There is faith devout Bernard à à minium vertutis a certain kind of Vermilion wherewith Satan paints over the outside of Vices and makes them shew like Vertues and but by an Eâ—… and an Heart exercised in piety hardly discernable each from the other thus â—…ttery sometimes carries the stile of affability Covetousness of Frugality Rashness of Fortitude a Divellish Matchiavelisme of a lawful policy excess and ryot of good fellowship and under this mistake of judgment that is taken for zeale which is nothing but an impetuous headiness or a fiery kind of vehemency that instead of heating the house is apt to burn it Thus in short presumption passeth often for Faith this being the guile of our hearts and Satan complying with it who can tansform himself into an Angel of Light and set a fair gloss upon naughty wars making the tinsel of Hypocrisie to pass for the Silver of sincerity we must not too much â—…ely upon our own Judgments in this matter but bring things to the beam of the Sanctuary and there prove and weigh them the Word of God ever giveth a right Judgment the searching hereinto John 5.39 and examining of these matters hereby requiring great deliberation this makes the assurance difficult when the Evidence is perplexed and not presently cleared Secondly its hard in regard of the plenty of Lusts and of the works of the flesh which too much over-grow and abound in every mans Heart but graces are but rare and come up thin much chaff and little solid grain our graces are like Gidâ—…ons Army but a handful in comparison but our fins are like Midianites Innumerable as Grashoppers Hipps and Hawes faith one grow in every hedg when choycer fruits are but in some few Gardens and every soyle almost yeilds stone and rubbish but Gold and precious stones are found in very few places now Saint Peter who exhorts to give diligence to make Election sure exhorts also 2 Pet. 1.5 6. to add to Faith Vertue to Vertue Knowledge c. a large enumeration induction of graces is required to clear up this assurance and certainly that is a matter of no ease Thirdly that I may hasten this is difficult in regard of the great progress that an Hypocrite or a Cast-away may make in the wayes of Christianity and yet never attain to this assurance He may have some degrees of Illumination Heb. 6.4 much like a Coruscation that a suddain flash of Lighting maketh in the Ayre He may have good wishes as Balaam Numbers 23.10 A sight of sin as Cain had Gen. 4.13 Confess sin as Judas did Mat. 27.4 have zeal as Jebu had 2 Kings 10.16 in these and in like other gifts may a very Cast-away make a great progress But no child of God can have any real comfort in any thing wherein he cannot say he hath yet therein gone beyond a Cast-away and yet but in the ground or rule or end of doing these things are hardly discernable each from other All which and much more that might be added to the same purpose shew though not the utter impossibility yet surely the very great difficulty of attaining unto the assurance that a man can say as S. Paul doth here in a particular application unto his soul Christ loved me and gave himself for me and henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness There yet remains but one Pearl more in the Cabinet of this Text which I shall onely offer to your short notice and so conclude it is that due qualification which renders other Christians as well as it did S. Paul capable of the Crown of Righteousness they must be such as who do love the Lord Christ's second appearing in the day of Judgment And indeed it is the property of none but Saints to love it and long for it See Phil. 1.23 Rev. 22.20 Amen even so come Lord Jesus Some cautions notwithstanding must be here remembred sith it 's possible that times may fall out when we tremble at the thought or mention of it as when conscience is
Num. 11.15 1. King 19.4 Jonak 4 3. Job 3.20 Quest Answ Five causes of self-murther Observat 2. What it is to â—…ie in the Lord Rom. 16.1 1. Thes 4. 1. To die in obedience Phil. 1. 2. In repentance 3. In faith 4. With prayer Luke 23.46 Act. 7.59 5. In charity Luke 23.34 Act. 7.60 6. In peace How to come to die in the Lord. The sum of the words Division Explination None of us liveth to himself Observat A beleever is not to make himself the end in his actions Object Answ A double consideration of our selves How a man may seek himself self-Selfe-love lawful The Observaon proved by reason Reas 1. It is dishonourable to God Reas 2. It is injurious to Christ Phil. ver 19. 1. Cor 6.20 1. Pet. 1.18 Luk. 1.74 Reas 3. It is dangerous to a mans self 1. A man in seeking himself I seth his happiness That which he gaâ—…ns is but a shadow of gain 3. He loseth himself Mat. 16.26 Mark 10 Vse 1. For Couviction 1. That there are many that prosesse the msâ—…lves Christians yet live to themselves Complained of Phil. 2.21 Forbldden 1 Cor. 10.24 How a man shall know whether he liveth to himself Rule 1. Instance 1. Joh. 6.10 Hos 7. Deut. 23. Instance 2. Jnstance 3. Rule 2. Rom. 1. 2. That it is an evil thing for a man to live to himself Mat. 6.22 A single eye what Jam. 1. Vse 2. For Exhortation Helps 1. Our good is in God and not in our selves Ier. 9.24 2. Exercise the grace Of knowledge Cant. 5.1 Sam. 1. Of Faith Of Love 1 Cor. 5. Vse 3. For instruction 1 Cor. 14. Eph. 4.9 The Coberence Division of the Text. 1 Presace 2. Exhortation In the Exhortation 1. The ground of i. 2. The Exhortation it self 3. The motive In the Preface Obseavation 1. Observat 2. In the Ehortation 2 The ground of it The meaning of the words Obser 1. Obser 2. The meditatlon of the shortness of our lives a special means to take us off of the world Reas 1. Reas 2. What is the principall thing we have to do in the world Vse The ground of all our neglect of heaven is he want of the consideration of the shortness of this life Sathan labours above all thing to make men put off the consideration of the brevity of their lives 2. The exhortation it selfe The meaning of the words What is meant by having wives and yet to be as having none 2. By weeping as if they weept not 3 By rejoycing as if rejoyced not 4. By buying as If possessed not 5. By using the world as not abusing it Observat Opened A beleever is to be to the world as a worldly man to the things of heaven Proved by Scripture 1 John 4.10 Col 3.1 By reason Reas 1. The things of the world are emptle things to a beleever Reas 2. The things of the world are none of a beleevers Note Simile Reas 3. The things of â—…he world hinder a beleever in the service of God Simile Vse Reprehension Particular instances How to know whether we use the things of the world as if we used them not How a man may come to use things as if he used them not 3. The Apostles Motive or spurre Obser 1. The things of the world but a shew without a substance Obser 2. The shew of the world is suddenly gone Grace is onely substantiall The Coherence The meaning of the words 1. What is meant by peace 2. What by destruction The manner of the destruction 1. Sudden 2. Painful 3. Unavoidable In the words a double description Zich 1 11â—… Observat In the greatest security the greatest danger A double security 1. Holy and spiritual Spiritual security what Psal 4.8 Isa 26.20 2. Sinful and carnal Carnal security a fore-runner of Judgement Proved 1. By particular examples of particular persons 1 Sam. 15.13 Dan. 5.3 Luke 12.19 Job 21.13 2. By general examples of Nations and States Luke 7. Jer. 6.14 15. Zeph. 1.12 Isa 47.8 9. Rev. 18.7 Confirmed by Reason 1. In respect of the causes of security Infidellty Heb. 11.7 Isa 61. Heb. 3. Deut. 29.19 Isa 6 9 10. 2. In respect of the concomitants of security Disrespect of God in all his Attributes Rom 2 4 5. Eccles 8 11. 3 In respect of the fruit and consequences of security Gen 15 16. Note Vse 1. For examination Signs of security 1. Profiting not by the judgments of God on our selves or others Dan. 5. Ier. 31.9 Amos 4. 2. Contempt of the Ordinances Amos 6. Ier. 9.13 Ier. 23.33 3. Vain considence Jer. 7.11.12.13 Numb 11.13 Jer. 46.16 Isa 48.15 4. Continual increase of sin Vse 2. For exortation Motives to watchfulness 1. The watchfulness of our enemies 1. Sathan 2. The flesh 3. Heretiques Mot. 2. The evil of security In it self a spiritual lethargy 2. In the effects 1. It drives away the spirit of God 2. It lets in Sathan 3. Hinders our Communion with Christ 4. Bringeth judgemenâ— prosiâ—ive Future Makt 24. Ezek. 9. Mala. 3. Helps to watchfulness 1. Sobtiety Eph. 51 2. Spiritual exercise 3. Continual fear 4. Good company Eccless 4. 5. Be alwayes as in Gods presence Psal 139. Jer. 23 23. 6. Consider â—…y latter enâ—… Revel 3.2 Bccks 11.9 Prov. 16.7 Plal. 9.6 The parrs of the Text. Obser 1. Death is an enemy What kind of enemy 1 A common enemy 1 King 22 31 Gen 16 12. Psal 89 48. Object Answ Josh 23 14. Job 30 23. 2 A secret enemy 3 A spiritual Enemy Rom 5 12. 4 A continual Enemy Wherein Death is n Enemy Jeb 18 18. In respect of its attendants 1 sickness c. Heb 2 15. 2 Cor 6. Plal 39 6. 2 Dissolution of the frame of nature 3. The Grave Ezek. 24.16 Isa 14.11 4. Loss of worldly contentments and actions Psal 49.9 Isa 38.11 Psal 6. 5. Consciance of sin and certainty of Judgment and uncertainty of salvation Heb. 9.27.2 Cor 5.10 Isa 33.14 Why Death called the last enemy 1. Because it is the last that shall assault us Therefore we have more enemies than Death The Devil The world The flesh Psal 27.11 Therefore likely to be the worst enemy 2. Because it is the last that shall be destroyed Who it is that destroyeth Death Rev. 5.3.5 1. Sam. 17.23 Hos 13.14 Act. 3.15 When Death shall be destroyed At the day of the Resurrection Comfort in the mean time 2. Cor. 15.57 Rev. 7 17. Hos 13.14 1 Cor. 3 22. Vse 1. Death an enemy only to the wicked 1 King 21.20 Death to the beleever is 1. A subdued Enemy Gant 8.3 Psal 41.3 Phil. 1.23 Job 19.27 Phil. 3.21 Heb. 12.23 Psal 16.11 2. Cor. 5. 2. A reconciled Enemy 3. An Enemy that at last shall be destroyed Rev. 20. Rom. 6.9 Vse 2. For instruction How to be prepared for death 1. Die to sin 2. Live to God 3. Be oft in the meditation of death 4. Settle all things before hand that concern the outward man The inward Tit.