AN ELEGANT AND LIVELY DESCRIPTION OF Spirituall Life and Death DELIVERED In divers Sermons in Lincolnes-Inne November the 9. th M.DC XXIII vpon Iohn 5.25 BY John Preston then Bachellor of Divinitie and Chaplaine in Ordinarie to the Prince his Highnesse Ignatius Epistola 15. ad Romanos Mors est vita sine Christo. LONDON Printed by Tho Cotes for MICHAELL SPARKE at the blue Bible in Greene-Arbor 1632. AN Elegant and lively description of Spirituall DEATH and LIFE IOHN 5.25 Verily verily I say unto you that the houre is comming and now is when the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare shall live THE Occasion of these words was this when as Christ had affirmed to the Iewes That God was his Father and the Iewes went about to kill him for it Hee proves what hee had said by this argument He that is able to give life to the dead is God or the Sonne of God But I am able to give life to the dead The houre is comming and now is when the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and those that heare it shall live Therefore I am the Sonne of God In briefe these words shew Christs Divinity by the effects of it that hee can quicken the dead In these words we may consider these parts First the subject on which Christ doth exercise his Divinity and that is on dead men The dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and shall live Secondly the instrument by which he doth it and that is by his word which is not meant onely the bare preaching and hearing of the word barely but such an inward commanding powerfull operative word that makes men doe that which is commanded them Such a word was spoken to Lazarus being dead Lazarus come forth and hee did it This word commands men and makes them to obey it Thirdly the time when hee will exercise his divinity the howre is comming and now is that is the time shall come when as it shall be abundantly revealed the fruite of the Gospel shall appeare more plentifully and fully hereafter but yet it is now beginning to appeare there is now some small fruit of it Lastly it is affirmed with an asseveration or oath Verily Verily I say unto you And these are the parts of this Text. Out of these words I purpose to shew you these three things First what the estate of all men is out of Christ. Secondly what we gaine by Christ. Thirdly what we must doe for Christ. First we will shew you what your estate is out of Christ for this will make you to prize him more And the point for this is That every man out of Christ is in a state of death or a dead man that is All men however they are borne living yet they are still dead men without the living Spirit the root is dead Hence are these places of Scripture Gen. 2.17 The day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Math. 8.22 Let the dead bury their dead Ephes. 2.1 You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephe. 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light The meaning is that all men are spiritually dead This will be of some moment to shew you that you are dead without Christ. Yee account it a gastly sight to see many dead men lye together it affects you much but to see a multitude of dead men walke and stand before us that affects us not The naturall death is but a picture or shadow of death but this spirituall death is death indeed As it is said spiritually of Christs flesh Iohn 6.55 That it iâ— meate indeed Now that you may know what this death is I will shew you First of all what death is Secondly how many kinds of death there are Thirdly the symptomes and signes of this death Fourthly the degrees of this death For the first what this death is it consists in two things First in death there is a privation of life then a man is dead when as the Soule is separated from the Body so a man is spiritually dead when as the soule is separated from the quickning Spirit of Grace and righteousnesse This is all our cases In us there dwels no good there is no Spirit of life within us the Soule is so out of order that the spirit is weary of it and forsakes it When the Body growes distempered and unfit for the Soule to use it then the Soule leaves it Even as when the instrument is quite out of tune a man layes it aside whiles it is in tune he playes on it So a man dwels in a house as long as it is habitable and fit to dwell in but when it becomes unhabitable he departs so as long as the body is a fit organ for the soule it keepes it when it becomes unfit it leaves it Even so the holy Ghost lives in the Soule of man as long as it is in good temper but being distempered by sinne the holy Ghost removes You may see it in Adam as soone as hee eate of the forbidden fruite the holy Ghost left him and hee lost his Originall righteousnesse Secondly in this death as there is a privation so there is also a positive evill quality in the soule whereby it is not onely voyd of goodnesse but made ill In the naturall death when as a man dyes there is another forme left in the body so in this spirituall death there is an evill habit left in the soules of men This you may see Heb. 9.14 where the workes you doe before regeneration are called Dead workes there would be a contradiction in calling them dead Workes if there were not another positive evill forme in man beside the absence of the quickning Spirit which forme is called Flesh in the Scriptures But it may be objected that sinne is a meere privation of good that it is a Non-ens therefore flesh cannot be said to be an operative quality and forme of sinne To this I answer that though all sinne bee a meere privation yet it is in an operative subject and thence it comes to passe that sinne is fruitfull in evill workes as for example take an horse and put out his eyes as long as hee stands still there is no error but if he begins to runne once he runnes amisse and the longer hee runnes the further he is out of the way wherein he should goe and all this because hee wants his eyes which should direct him So it is with sinne though it in its selfe bee but a meere privation yet it is seated in the soule which is alwaies active Anima nunquam otiosa The goodnesse that should inlighten us is taken away and there is a positive evill quality put into it that leads us on to evill Consider farther whence this death proceeds the originall of it is the understanding mind of man which is
primū vivēs et ultimū moriens That which lives first and dies first The cause of life is the understanding inlightened to see the truth when the affections are right and the understanding is straight then wee live when it is darkned all goes out of order Iohn 1.4 speaking of Christ it is said that in him was life and the life was the light of men he was life because he was light he did inliven men because he did inlighten them therefore Ephe. 5.4 Awake thou that sleepest stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light because light is the beginning of spirituall life Iames 1.18 Therefore it is said Of his owne will begot he them by the word of truth that is the word rectifies the understanding and opinion which is the first thing in this spirituall birth Ephe. 4.22.24 Put off the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts thereof and put on the new man which after God is created in holinesse and perfect righteousnesse The old man is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts that which is heere called deceitfull lusts c. in the originall signifies lusts proceeding from error and holinesse proceeding from truth lust proceeds from error in mistaking things for lust is nothing else but affection misplaced proceeding from error That holinesse in which God delighteth in which his Image consists comes from truth When Adam was alive he judged aright then the wheele and affections of his soule were right Being dead by reason of his fall he lost his sight he saw no beauty in the wayes of God and this is the case of all unregenerate men but when the Spirit rectifies the judgement convinceth them of sinne and righteousnesse then they begin to revive To be dead is to have the understanding darkned the judgement erronious to be alive is to have the understanding inlightened and the judgement rectified And thus much for the first what this death is We come now to the kindes of death which are three First there is a death of guiltinesse one that is guilty of any offence that is death by the Law is said to be but a dead man So every one by nature is a dead man bound over to death though he be not executed Secondly there is a death in sinne that is opposite to the life of sanctification Ephe. 2.1 you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sinnes there is a death for sinne that is contrary to the life of Glory Thirdly there is a death that is opposite to the life of joy in hell there is a life man is not quite extinguished but yet men in hell are said to be dead because they have no joy This death consists in the separating of God from the soule when God is separated from the soule then man dyes this death of sorrow God joynes himselfe to the soules of good and bad to those who are not sanctified he joynes himselfe in a common manner and thence it is they have common joy common comfort common civility to the godly he joynes himselfe in an extraordinary manner by which they have extraordinary joy now when God is separated from the soule then comes a perfect death see it in the separation of God from Christs humanity God withdrawing himselfe from him but for a time he cryeth out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me As God withdrawes himselfe more or lesse so is our joye our sorrow more or lesse Thus much for the kinds of this death We come now to the Symptomes or signes of this death and they are foure The first is this men are said to be dead when they understand nothing when as there is no reason extant in them when they see no more then dead men The life is nought else but the soule acted then a man is said to live when the understanding part is acted man is spiritually dead when as his understanding is darkned when as he sees or understands nothing of Gods waies because they are spirituall and he carnall But it may bee objected men doe understand things belonging to faith and repentance carnall men not yet sanctified have some understanding of these I answer that they may understand the materials belonging to Godlinesse as well as others but yet they relish them not they see them not with a spirituall eye Tit. 1.16 They are to every good worke reprobate they cannot judge aright of any good workes as to like approve and love them to see a beauty in them as they are good Rom. 8.7 the wisedome of the flesh is enmity with God for it is not subiect to the law of God the Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the meaning is not that they understand it nor but they like it not they relish it not they tast it not they thinke of Gods wayes that they are but folly 1 Cor. 2.14 They are at enmity with them they count them drosse The second symptome of death is want of motion where there is no motion there is death All men naturally want this motion they cannot judge or doe any thing by nature they may doe opus operatum but they cannot doe it in a holy manner their prayers their hearing receiving of the Sacrament and the like are dead workes without faith the principall of life however they may be faire in other mens eyes The third signe of a naturall death is sencelesnesse so men are spiritually dead when they are not affected with Gods judgements when they have hard hearts which cannot repent Rom. 2.5 when they have hearts as hard as a stone Ezek. 36.26 yet they may be affected with them as naturall men apprehend evill not from a quickning Spirit but from a selfe love Lastly in a naturall death there is a losse of that vigor and beauty in the face and countenance which is in living men So in men that are spiritually dead there is no beauty no vigor they have death in their faces they may have painted beauty which may be like the living as he said pictum putavi esse verum et verum putavi esse pictum they may bee much alike yet they have not that livelinesse and beauty as living men have Gods beauty the beauty of holinesse is not found in them But it may be objected they have many excellencies in them they know much they excell in morall vertues I answer they may have excellencies as a dead man may have Iewels and Chaines about him yet they are dead they have them but yet they are as Iewels of Gold in a Swines snoute they are as Swine their good things make them not men they are beautifull yet they are but dead men as the evill workes of good men make them not bad men so the good workes of evill men make them not good Thus much for the signes of this Death We come now to the degrees of this death in all these deaths
that are most sweetest unto you Thirdly dead men are sencelesse like Idols that the Psalmist speakes of they have eyes and see not eares and heare not mouthes and speake not feet and walke not they have sences to discerne but there is yet an inward eye they want they see no beauty in the wayes of God therefore they thinke there is no such matter because they have eyes see it not they have mouthes and tast it not they relish it not they smell no sweet savour from the graces of the Saints when as the graces of the Saints have a sweet savour like an oyntment powred out Cant. 1.2 So for feeling they feele not they are not sencible of the judgements or threatnings the Law nor the Gospell move them not they have hard and insensible harts the more insensible they are it is a signe they are ever dead the more sensible we are of the threatnings or promises the more life is in us Lastly dead men are speechlesse there is no breath in them Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh The dry and empty channell drives not the Mill but a full streame sets it on worke If the heart bee full of life the tongue is full of good speeches Prov. 10. The words of the righteous are as fined silver because there is a treasure within them but the words of the wicked are nothing worth because their hearts are evill As it is said of evill men that their tongues are set on fire of hell so the tongues of the righteous are set on fire by heaven Esay 19.18 they speake the language of Canaan In hypocrites there is loquacity as blasing meteors and in Saints there is sometimes an indisposition by reason of some sinnes which make them like to springs which are dammed up with stones and mudde Yet judge not of them by such fits but take them as they are in their ordinary course the mouth speaketh out of the abundance of the heart Every man is delighted in some genious operations in things that are sutable to him if there be aboundance of life aboundance of grace within a man he delights to speake of it as all men are severally disposed such are their speeches Now all these are privative signes of death I will adde one more that is positive Fiftly looke what life a man lives he drawes to him the things that nourish it and expelleth that which hinders it If a man bee alive to sinne he drawes that which is sinfull but holinesse and the meanes of grace hee expels as contrary to him What doth satisfy his lusts that he doth he may doe good for a time but he is quickly sicke of it But I doe much good I abstaine from much evill may some say To this I answer that if one member lives it is a signe that the whole body lives so if one mortall sinne live in you it is a signe you are dead Truth of grace cannot stand with one mortall sinne unrepented unsubdued one disease kils a man as well as an hundred so one living lust kils you Doth any lust live and reigne in them it kils them But what is it to live and to reigne I answer when a man ceaseth to maintaine warre with his lust and resists it not when a man layes downe the weapons when he seeth his lust is naturall to him and therefore yeelds unto it then sinne reignes in him There is no man that lives the life of grace but hee hath this property that hee strives against all sinne to the utmost not in shew but in sincerity he strives against the occasions of sinne though they foyle him hee still maintaines warre against them and so they live and reigne not in him 2 If every man out of Christ be in an estate of death let us not deferre repentance but doe it whilst wee may Repentance makes a dead man to be a living man What is it that makes you deferre repentance yee thinke yee can change your courses sorrow when you list therefore ye deferre it If men be dead and repentance puts as it were a new soule into thē makes them to passe from death to life then is it not so easy a thing Suppose yee had Ezekiahs warning is it in your power to make your selves live no it is beyond your power God onely can doe it Every man lyes before God as that clod of earth out of which Adam was made God must breathe life into him else hee continues dead God doth not breathe life into all He quickens whom he will It is your wisedome therefore to waite on him in his Ordinances if you have good motions begun in you presse them forwards they are ofsprings of life Thinke seriously am I dead or alive If dead why then say it s not in my power to quicken me its onely in God to doe it and he doth this but in few those whom he quickneth are but as Grapes after the Vintage or as the Olives after the beating how then shall I bee in the number Give your selves no rest know that it is God that breatheth and then depend on him Make that use of the doctrine of election with care and more solicitude to looke to your selves Phil. 2. God workes both the will and the deed of his good pleasure worke out therefore your salvation with feare and Trembling If repentance be a passage from death to life if it bee such a change then labour for to get it The Spirit doth not alwayes strive with men yee are not alwayes the same yee will sticke in the sand grow worse and worse if yee grow not better and better No more power have you to change your selves than the Blackamore hath to change his skinne or the Leopard his spots the time will come when you shall say as Spira did O how doe I desire faith would God I had but one drop of it and for ought we know he had it not Thirdly learne hence to judge of naturall men for all the excellency they have yet they are but dead men If a man be dead we doe not regard his beauty all excellencies in naturall men are but dead It is a hinderance in the wayes of God to over-valew outward excellencies and to despise others that want these trappings let us say for all these excellencies yet he is but a dead man we knowe none after the flesh any more 2. Cor. 5.16 Againe for your delight in them know that this death doth differ from naturall death for these dead men are active ready to corrupt others they have an influence that doth dead those who are conversant with them sinne communicates as well as grace Nothing so great a quench-cole as the company of bad men there is an operative vertue in them to quench mens zeale as the dropping of water will quench the fire though they cannot wholly extinguish it being once kindled Fourthly if all out of
I answer that it is hidden in Christ as in the fountaine as in the heart and soule as in the subject wherein it dwels Men what ever they professe beleeve not this because it is a hidden life what course then shall wee take to make you beleeve it The Scriptures you will not deny yet you will bee as hard to beleeve them as you will be to beleeve there is such a life We will therefore say something without the Scriptures to perswade you that there is such a life as this First there is a life of the soule that it lives as the Angels they move act and understand though they eate not there is therefore a life besides this common life Secondly consider the matter of the soule then yee shall see that the soule lives such a life as Angels doe The soules of good men leade such a life as good Angels doe the soules of bad men such a life as bad Angels The life of beasts depends on the compacture and Temperature of the substance as the Harmony doth upon the true extent of every string With the soule of man it is otherwise the soule lives first and then causeth the body to live it is otherwise in beasts their soules and bodies live together Besides it is certaine that the soule shall live when as the body is laid aside then it lives another life from the body therefore it lives another life in the body The higher faculties of the soule the Vnderstanding and Will are not placed and seated in the body as other faculties are the visive faculty must have an eye to see the hearing faculty must have an eare to heare and so the rest of the faculties must have their organs but the Vnderstanding hath no such organ it onely useth those things that are presented to it by the phansy Our sight feeling and hearing perish when their organs perish but the superior faculties of the soule weare not away but the elder the body is the younger they are The soule lives now in the object now in the subject it lives in the things it is occupied about as the Angels are said to be where they worke because they have no bodies as we have to make them be locally there so the soule it also lives where it is occupied as if it be occupied about heavenly things then wee are said to have our conversation in heaven Take the understanding and faculties of reason they sway not men but the Ideaes truthes and opinions that dwell in this understanding sway men There are three lives in man there is the life of plants of Beasts or sence and the life of reason I may adde a fourth and that is this spirituall life which is an higher life of the soule Where there is an evill life there is death but where there is a good life there is this spirituall life See it in the effects for these are but speculations First ye see by experience that there is a generation of men that live not a common life delight not in vaine pleasures sports and honors there is no life without some delights their delights and life is not in outward things abroad they have a retired and inward life at home Secondly there are no Acts but for some end there are men who make not themselves their end if they did they might then take other courses going with the streame If then they make not themselves their end then they make God their end they live not to themselves but to the Lord 1. Thessalo 3.8 Thirdly they care not what they lose to get advantage to God they are content to be despised contemned to suffer Torments imprisonments and death they are content to doe that which is the ruine of their lives which they would not doe had they not a more speciall life within them 2 Cor. 4.11 Wee which live are alwayes given up to death for Iesus sake that the life also of Iesus might bee made manifest in our mortall flesh That is for this cause God suffered his Children to be in danger that men might know that they live an other life and have other comforts this appeares by their readinesse to be exposed to death all which shewes that there are some that leade an other life But it will be objected that the superstitious and those of another religion will suffer death as well as the Saints and morrall philosophers are retired as well as the Saints and those who have but common graces live this life as well as the Saints therefore these experiences prove not the poynt sufficiently I answer that it is true that superstition doth worke much like religion morrall vertue doth many things like true holinesse and Common grace doth much like true grace yet it is no good Argument to say that because a dreaming man dreames that hee sees therefore a living man that doth see doth but as he A picture is like a living man yet it followes not that a living man is dead because the picture is dead it is no Argument to say that because morrall vertue doth many things like true holinesse therefore true holinesse doth them not They may bee like in many things yet not in all things the cause of all deceit is because we cannot discerne of things alike therefore I will shew you how these differ First superstition makes men suffer much as well as true religion yet they doe it out of a false opinion the other from faith the one doe it being helped by the holy Ghost the other have a supernaturall helpe from Sathan that extendeth nature beyond his speare the one doth it from grace the other from delusion the outward acts are alike but the inward principles differ Secondly morrall vertue and Christian holinesse differ in working the last is done of a suddaine A man is made a living man suddainely though there are some previous dispositions yet the soule is suddenly infused after this manner the Saints passe from death to life Others have their actions by frequent acts and education they are moulded to it by little and little Thirdly in morrall men the change is never generall there is no new birth in them but in the Saints all things are new Fourthly morallity doth never change nature but grace doth the most wilde man in a countrey the unlikeliest man of all others religion makes him a Lambe of a Lyon though it were unprobable Fiftly what did morrall men they went by divers wayes to the same center themselves were their end Epicures thought one way the best the Stoicks another but the Saints seeke a happinesse in denying themselves which helpes to perfect them Lastly common and true grace have many things alike yet they differ in this true grace doth things as a man doth naturall living actions as a man eates and drinkes with willingnesse and propensnesse connaturally and readily so doth not the other Those who have onely common grace doe all from respects and by-ends
I desire a life to swallow up this life not as a Gulfe swallowes that which is cast into it or as fire swallowes up the wood by consuming it but a life that swallowes it up as perfection swallowes up imperfection as the perfecting of a picture swallowes up the rude draught as perfect skill swallowes up bungling or as a manhood swallowes up childhood not extinguishing it but drowning it that it is not seene The life of grace being perfect swallowes up imperfection he that lives this life of grace hath the imperfections of this life swallowed up For example before wee live this life wee magnifie riches honours and Gugaes but the life of grace comming wee have other kinds of comforts then as a man that is to bee made a Prince contemnes the things hee before admired The weakenesses we are subject to are swallowed up in this life all sicknesse and trouble are swallowed up in this so are weaknesses and imperfections This should teach us to set a high prize upon this life of grace that wee dye no more if wee live it that it is a life indeed that it swallowes up this other life compare it with other lives it farre excels them Secondly this life of grace must needs bee more excellent than the common life because it makes a man a better man much better than he was this puts man into a better condition elevates him puts him into a condition equall to the Angels and beyond in some respects That yee may understand this yee must know that every thing is made better by mingling it with things that are better then it selfe as Silver mixed with Gold Water with Wine are made better There are two things required to make a thing better First that that thing with which it is mixed be of a better nature than the thing it selfe Secondly that there be a good union Nothing puts so high a degree of excellency into us as this that wee are united unto God this unity to God is the cheefest good Secondly this union betwixt God and us is a perfect union There are many unions as first there is a relative union such as is betweene man wife Secondly there are artificiall naturall unions as when two peeces of bords are put together so that one touch the other so when graine and graine of another sort are mixed together there is a nearer union than this when as water and water are mixed together nearer than this is the union that is betweene the soule and the body Such a union as this is there betweene us and Christ we are in him as the branches in the vine wee are knit to him this puts us into an higher degree of excellencie silver mixed with gold is better yet if we could take the spirits out of gold make silver take the nature and quality of it it would be much better Wee put on the spirit and quality of Christ when as wee live this life Lusts which are most contrary to this life puts us below men makes us worse than Beasts this life puts us beyond men and makes us equall with Angels All men desire some excellency which is done by adding something to them some desire wealth some learning some honour Consider then if yee live this life yee goe beyond all others nothing beyond Gods Image nothing better to be united to than God let this set the life of grace at a high rate in your affections men do it not therefore they despise religion in its selfe in those in whom it appeares Thirdly yee have this advantage in this life of grace it addes liberty to you it makes you to doe those things that otherwise yee could not doe it makes yee to pray to repent to beleeve and to doe those things without which there is no salvation Looke on Christ there are but few that can doe this there are few that can delight in God relish the word in its purity take pleasure in the company of the Saints comfort themselves in the Lord their God this life gives liberty which is an addition of some perfection it makes us to do things that we could not doe before and to doe them in another manner A man having gotten an Art hath liberty to doe those things which before he could not as one that hath gotten the Art of logicke or geometry can doe that which before he could not doe as one in health hath liberty to doe that which he could not doe being sicke water being hot hath liberty to heate which it could not before There is no liberty to doe holy actions but this liberty of the life of grace the Spirit of life addes liberty to doe the actions of life 2 Cor. 3.17 where the Spirit of God is there is liberty to doe things which before we could not doe as one having an Art can doe things that he could not doe before This though you prise it not while your mountaine is strong yet the time will come when yee will need liberty to pray repent and trust in God and then yee will finde the pretiousnesse of it this then sets a price upon this life of Grace and should make you to desire it Thirdly if it be a happy condition and that bee the priviledge of those who are in Christ that there is such a life for them let this teach men to seeke it to live this life of grace to get it if they have it not to confirme it if they have it to abstaine from lust the sicknesse of the soule and the meanes to quench this life take heed of estranging your selves from God who is the principle of this life take heed of dejections of mind the cloudings that damp this life This life is to be active to act much in the wayes of God when a man is cheerefull and vigorous hee lives a life of nature so in this life of grace he that hath a quicke and nimble sence and is forward and busy in good workes lives most hath most life he that rejoyceth most in God hath most comforts hath most life Take heed of the contraries Idlenesse sencelesnesse and barrennesse are contrary to life take heed of them take heed of sadnesse that rusts the wheeles of the soule whereas joy doth oyle them Doe all to further this life avoyd all that hinders it Labour now to be translated from death to life that which hinders us is that we thinke we are in a state of life when we are not Now yee may know whether yee are alive or no by seeing whether yee are dead or no But because yee may be certaine whether yee are alive or not I will give you some positive signes of life to know it First yee are translated from death to life yee are living men if ye love the Brethren 1 Ioh. 3.14 If a man be a living man he lives in another element then he did before Every living man converseth with those of