have Food and Raiment convenient for you Prov. 30.8 Heb. 13.5 and ye shall have the best things of a better World in a way of Reversion seeing you are Christ's and Christ is God's And 't is no trifling part of this Inventory neither that Death is theirs for that is of great value with God himself as 't is said pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Psal 116.15 Nor is the Title the Term and the Tenure that the Christian holds this part of his Character and Inventory by but as the Apostle there observeth the fullest the longest and the surest of all others For 1. The Title is the fullest as 't is both by Purchase and by Conquest Also 2. The Term is the lastingest as it includes both time present and to come not only Possession but Reversion too And 3. The Tenure is the safest as it is the highest 't is a Tenure in Capite entailed for greater security upon the Crown therefore is this Famous Clause added all are yours safe enough because you are Christ's and Christ is God's c. CHAP. VII Means for making Old Age to become a Good Age. NOW I come to the Third Particular after 1 st The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Old Age may be a Good Age. And after 2 dly The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or Reasons why it must be so c. Then 3 dly The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or the Means and Manner how this Age which is Evil in and of it self may be made a Good Age. In order hereunto we must First Consider the Dues which by a Divine Appointment ought to be duly paid unto Old Age. And Secondly We must consider the Duties which likewise by a Divine Appointment ought to be daily praâ—tised in our Old Age. NB. Note well The former of these two hath its Dependency upon the latter of them for if those Duties prescribed by God's Precept be not daily practised in our Old Age then those Dues of Honour and Reverence which are propounded also by God's Promise can never be duly paid to our Old Age but the contrary even Scorn and Contempt First Of the first of these namely the Dues that are the Due Homage and Divine Debt which God commands all Mankind to pay unto Old Age. As 1. In Levit. 19.32 which hath been spoken to before where God's Charge runs in this Sense Do thou Honour the Face of the Old Man if thou fearest God who will surely punish thee if thou dost it not And 2. God took it heinously at the Hands of the King of Babylon saying to him Upon the Ancients hast thou very heavily laid thy Yoke and shewed them no Mercy Isai 47.6 3. God did reckon it as a great and grievous Crime to have the Aged and Ancient Ones despised by the Younger Sort and therefore he threatens this as a punishment to the stubborn Jews that the Child shall behave himself proudly against the Ancient Isai 3.5 Such sins as are threatned for punishments are usually great sins and had not the sawcy Carriage of Children towards the Aged especially towards their own Aged Parents been a notorious injury unto Old Persons it would never have been threatned as a Curse and Punishment If it were a great wrong it was also a great sin and if it were a great sin it must expect a great Plague and Punishment Many more Scriptures might here be added with a short descant upon them but to be short this brief following Reference shall suffise As 4 Prov. 20.29 5. Lam. 5.12 6. Job 29.8 and 32.4,6,7 And 7. Rom. 16.3 Lastly 1 Tim. 5.1,2 All which Scriptures do plainly hold forth what Respect and Reverence ought to be given and is commanded by the great God to be given unto Aged Persons even in those Purest times of the Old and New Testaments and how can we learn to write after a more perfect Pattern and a more infallible Copy Yea and upon a brief search of the Ancient Fathers of the Church soon after those pure Scripture times I do find this grave and solid Testimony concerning this very Point of the Honour of Old Age in Clemens Alexandrinus his Book called Paedagogus written in the Year of our Lord 194 who in his Third Book of that before-named Title speaks thus Non est malum Senem videri cum hoc quod sis celare non possis Quo ergo magis Homo festinat ad finem tanto est vere Venerabilior ut qui Deum solum habeat se Seniorem nam ille quoque est Aeternus Sâ—nex qui est iis quae sunt Antiquior Antiquum Dierum illum vocavit Propheta That is in English thus It is no evil to seem Old seeing such as be so cannot conceal it with any Paintings as the same Father a little before this saith such painters of themselves cannot put off Old Age as the Serpent doth his Slough c. For by how much the more a Man hastneth unto his end by so much the more he becometh Venerable and the more to be Honoured as one who hath God alone to be more Ancient than he who is likewise Eternally Old and the Prophet Daniel calls him the Antient of Days And the same Father adds Senum Corona è multa experientia c. That the Crown of Old Men is much Prudence and Experience c. To omit the other Fathers for avoiding prolixity let me only add two more Testimonies to this great Truth The First is That Critick Philosopher who saith Cognata sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The former word signifies Old Age and the latter Honour so these two are of â—ear a Kin in the Greek Language and agreeable hereunto is the Hebrew reading Isai 9.15 where the Ancient and the Honourable are joined together The Second Testimony is that of the great Historian Livy in his 26th Book speaking of an Army how the Younger Bands gave place to the Elder useth these words Vix ut verisimile est Parentum quoque hoc seculo vilis levisque apud Liberos Authoritas that is the Report of former purer golden Times when the Younger had such a Veneration for the Elder seems almost incredible for now we see this present Age is of another Mettal than Gold wherein we behold the disrespect that is commonly shewed not only to Old Men buâ— also to Old Parents whose Authority over their Children is oft vile and contemptible c. yea slighting them most when they should respect them most much unlike to young Joseph who nourished his Old Father Jacob in his Old Age and made the last Seventeen Yearâ— of his Life the best and most comfortable part of his whole Time that he lived in the World Nor is this all to wit disrespect to Old Parents c. buâ— there is likewise a disrespect to Old Pâ—stors who are thought by Young Noviceâ— to be no better than Fools whereas according to the vulgar saying the Old â—re sure
The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies that the Scriptures are God's breath God made them as well as the Heavens c. Heb. 11.10 with the Breath of his Mouth The Second Reason is because the word of God is sharper than any two edged Sword and pierceth to the dividing of the Soul and Spirit c. Heb. 4.12 the Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies 't is quick lively cutting powerful and energetical when the power of the Spirit goeth along with it as Luke 5.17 c. It will then ransack the hearts even of wicked men as it did to Herod Luke 9.7 it made him stick fast in the mud as the original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies and as it did to Foelix who was made to tremble thereby Acts 24.25 But as to the Godly who tremble at his Word and Judgments as David did Psal 119.120 God promiseth to lend a look of Love towards them Isai 66.3 The Third Reason why the Word is called a Sword is because this Weapon of our Warfare is not weak as Flesh oft called the old man for weakness is but it is mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds and casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every Thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.4,5 Therefore Alexander's Sword wherewith he could cut the Gordian Knot as it is famous in History is nothing comparable to this Spiritual Sword that can work all those Wonders before mentioned We must say the same of this Sword what David said of Goliah's Sword there is none like it let it be given to us 1 Sam. 21.9 But the Fourth Reason above all is this was the Weapon wherewith our Lord Christ did defeat and discomsit the Devil himself when he warred this good Warfare against Satan's very Person and that upon the Devil 's own Dunghil as he is called the God of this World 2 Cor. 4.4 We find in Matt. 4. and in the other Evangelists likewise how our Lord in his Duel with the Devil made use of no other Weapon but this Sword of the Spirit the word of God wherewith in three several assaults of Satan upon him he repelled his Antagonist three sundry times one after another and that by answering all the three Temptations of the Tempter only with scriptum est it is written three times over and which is remarkable all those three Scriptures wherewith our Saviour conquered Satan were drawn out of the Fifth Book of Moses called Deuteronomy This even this was the great and strong Sword wherewith our Lord slashed and cut in pieces that lofty Leviathan that old and crooked piercing Serpent as Isai 27.1 As David our Lord's Father and Figure did choose some smooth Stones out of the Water-brooks wherewith he fought the good fight of Faith against that monstrous Philistin c. 2 Sam. 17.40 and he slings these Stones out of the Sling of Faith also at the very Face of the Great Goliah and God himself going along with the Stone it gave him a mortal wound and made him fall flat down to the ground so that the weight of his bulky Body especially so loaded with so much heavy Armour must make an horrible Earthquake by his fall Even so our mystical David here doth choose those three smooth Stones out of the Silver Streams of the Sacred Scriptures and with these being slung by a Divine Art and Hand he likewise knocks down the Great Goliah of Hell All this doth teach us that the Books of the Holy Scriptures are a blessed Armory far beyond that of Solomons Cant. 4.4 The Tower of David was famous for a fully furnished Armory as the Tower of London is now accounted the most famous Armory in the World for all sorts of Armour so comly fixed in a most beautiful order which my Eyes have beheld with admiration whither we ought to hasten in an hour of Temptation and there we shall be furnished with this Sword to defeat the Devil c. NB. Note well 1 st That this Sword may have saving effects for our Souls good we must learn from David to draw the Sword out of its Sheath as he did 1 Sam. 17.51 that is we must draw this Sword of the Spirit out of the Sheath of the Letter and not make a Charm of the bare words thereof for 't is said the Letter killeth but 't is the Spirit that giveth life 2 Cor. 3.6 Yet 't is the Foppery of Popery to use only a wooden Dagger and a leaden Sword in undertaking to drive away the Devil by making Spells of some certain Syllables of the Scripture and by crossing themselves with the sign of the Cross and by being sprinkled with their Holy Water yea and by ringing their Baptized Bells c. Whereas alas 't is not the dead sign of the Cross but the living Word of the Cross 1 Cor. 1.23,24 the power of God c. that drives away the Devil 't is our being sprinkled with Water of Life even with Water and the Spirit Joh. 3.3,5 and it is the ringing of Aaron's Bells which typified the preaching of the Word of God and which the Devil can no more abide than the Owle can abide the Light of the Sun because he is a Bird of Darkness This was very apparent in New England as Mr. Elliot relateth the story that when the Sun-shine of the Gospel first came into that Country it so molested the Devil in his former quiet Habitations that he departed thence with most horrible signs of his Displeasure and thus it is said that God smites the Earth with the Rod of his Mouth Isa 11.4 and likewise that the man of Sin shall be destroyed with the Breath of Christ's Mouth and with the Brightness of his Coming 2 Thess 2.8 't is the Breath or Spirit both which are of the same signification of Christ that goes along with his Word which destroys the Devil and his Works Heb. 2.14 and 1 Joh. 3.8 Luk. 5.17 N B. Note well 2 ly How highly doth it concern us all to comply cordially with that Apostolical command let the Word of Christ dwell in you Richly Col. 3.16 The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there doth intimate that we ought to have an Holy Covetousness of heaping up an hoard of the Sacred Scriptures and locking them up in the Cabinet of a Sanctified Memory c. as we all naturally can be careful and covetous enough for heaping up the Coin of Gold and Silver and securing the same under Locks and Bolts c. As we do this latter that we may duly and daily fetch out of our Treasure so much thereof as will supply all our wants for Mony answers all things Eccles 10.19 even so we all ought to be as Appollos was Acts 18.24 mighty in the Scriptures we should have a mighty stock of the knowledge of them that so when-ever a busie Devil comes to
A Divine Legacy Bequeathed unto all MANKIND OF ALL Ranks Ages and Sexes Directing How we may live Holily in the Fear of God and how we may die happily in the Favour of God both which Duties are of Universal Concern The Rules here are how to be Truly Valourous in warring a good Warfare and in fighting the the good Fight of Faith while we Live and to be Blessedly Victorious when we Die By Christopher Ness Minister of the Gospel in London Exitus Acta probat Finis Coronat Opus saith the Philosopher Our Last Works should be our Best Works saith our Lord Rev. 2.19 London Printed by T. S. and sold by T. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside and J. Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-yard 1700. The Epistle to the Reader Candid Christian I Have been now through the Grace and Mercy of my good God a Labourer in my Lord's Harvest and a Vine-dresser in my Master's Vineyard almost Threescore Years wanting but a very little of it and in the space of those last Twenty Years I have through the good hand of my God upon me as Ezra's phrase is Chap. 7.6,9 been enabled to publish to the World this following Catalogue of Books little and great As 1. The Crown and Glory of a Christian in the Year 76. 2. A Christian Walk and Work on Earth till he come to Heaven in the Year 77. 3. The Chrystal Mirror or Christian's Looking-Glass shewing the Treachery of the Heart in the Year 78. 4. An Antidote against the Poison of Popery in the Year 78 79. 5. A Discovery of Antichrist in his Rise Reign and Ruine in the Year 79. 6. The Devil's Patriarch in the Life of Pope Innocent XI in the Year 80. 7. A Spiritual Legacy to Young Ones in the Year 81. 8. A Church-History from Adam to this Day and a Scripture-Prophecy to the End of the World in the Year 81 82. 9. A New-Years Gift for Children in the Year 83. 10. The Wonderful Signs of Wonderful Times in the Year 84. 11. An Half Sheet upon the Comet or Blazing-Star 12. Three Sheets inlarged upon the same Subject 13. A Whip for the Fools Back who did Ridicule God's Holy Ordinance of Marriage c. 14. A Key with the Whip unsolding the Intreagues of Absalom and Achitophel both these latter are writ in Satyrical Verse 15. Advice to the Painter about the Earl of Shaftsbury's enlargement from the Tower in smoother Verse 16. An Astrological and Theological Discourse upon the great Conjunction ushered in with a great Comet c. 17. A Strange and Wonderful Trinity or Triplicity of Stupendious Prodigies namely consisting of a Wonderful Eclipse of a Wonderful Comet and of a Wonderful Conjunction all these without Date were written between the Year 82 and 89. 18. My First Volume in Folio called a Compleat History and Mystery of the Old and New-Testament both Logically discussed and Theologically improved beginning at Adam and ending at Moses 19. The Second Volume in Folio having the same Title with the first begins with Joshuah and ends at Solomon's Birth 20. The Third Volume in Folio with the same Title begins at Solomon's Life and ends at the end of the Old-Testament 21. The Fourth Volume in Folio with the same Title begins at the Birth of Christ and ends at the Death of John the Divine which is an Exposition of the whole New-Testamen All these Four Volumes are now commended to the World by Three of our Learned and Judicious Divines namely Mr. Matthew Barker M. George Griffith and Mr. Samuel Slater which Testimonial is printed at the bottom of the Dedicatory Epistle to the Fourth Volume under their own Three Hands Tria sunt omnia instar omnium c. this Work hath taken me wholly up from the Year 89 to this Year 99. And now 22. This Divine Legacy which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multum in parvo much in a little Isocrates wrote his best Book the last and Plato died at 81 with his Pen in his Hand and Demosthenes desired to do so c. Yet have we better Examples than those Philosophers for Joshuah when he was going the way of all the Earth and stricken in years Josh 23.2 and 14. did then give most grave and godly Counsel to the Old-Testament Church Chap. 23. and 24. And Paul the Aged wrote the more effectually to young Philemon under that Title of Veneration Philem. ver 9. And the Beloved Disciple John who while Young leaned upon his Lord's Bosom Joh. 13.23,25 did under the Venerable Name of Elder 2 Joh. 1. and 3 Joh. 1. write his first General Epistle to Children Young Men and Fathers in the New Testament 1 Joh. 2.12,13,14 but above all God himself thunders out threatnings against Children Young Men and Aged Jer. 6.11,12,13 In congruity to those perfect Patterns I an Old Servant of Christ have drawn up this Directory talis qualis est to all Ages especially to us that are Old adding only 1. That Old Age is a dead weight 'T is then a difficult Duty to turn unto God when we have been turning and running from him all our former Days No Spur can move a Founder'd Horse and Hard Wax takes no impression When the Body is weak and Presumption is strong to say God is merciful is said truly but not safely Therefore 2 All must be careful to live well while Young and then shall we die well whether Young or Old 3. When we have seen an end of all worldly Perfections then may we best see that God's Commands are exceeding broad and all our Obedience to be exceeding narrow Psal 119.96 The Good Lord grant that this Legacy may come to you in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ Rom. 15.29 Amen THE CONTENTS OF THIS Divine Legacy CHAP. I. COntains faln Man's Malady and Danger pag. 1. to 42. CHAP. II. Faln Mam's Remedy and Deliverer p. 43 to 63. CHAP. III. The Redeemed are Conquerors by their Strong Redemer p. 54 120. CHAP. IV. Advice to Young and Old to war a good Warfare in God's Armour and Watching unto Prayer p. 130 to 177. CHAP. V. The Characters of True Conquerors through the strength of Christ p. 177 to 232. CHAP. VI. Advice to the Aged for saving the Soul p. 232 to 319. CHAP. VII The Holy Means for making Old Age to become a Good Age p. 320 to 357. CHAP. VIII Contains both Counsel and Comfort 1. Against the Evils of Old Age. 2. Against the Fears of the Hour of Death And 3. Against the Terrors of the Day of Judgment p. 358 to the last CHAP. I. Man's Malady and Danger MAN's Life is a Warfare Job 7.1 Margin which the Septuagint reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie a place of Pirates as Paul was in perils often both by Sea and Land 2 Cor. 11.26 so are we all while in this lower World for Satan is both a Robber by Land that seeks not for Straw but
to discourse upon is the Accidents of this Nature and Substance of Old Age which are principally two namely 1 st The Quantity and 2dly The Quality of it First Concerning the Quantity of it and this is twofold 1 st That which was more special and peculiar to the Antedeluvian Patriarchs And 2 dly That which is most General and Universal to all the Post-diluvian generation of Mankind ever since Noah's Flood not only unto this day but also to the end of the World 1 st As to the Patriarchs They indeed lived very long and to a very great Old Age yet they all did die at last for the God of Nature did ordain upon the Fall of Adam that Nature should decay and die at last NB. Note well That none of the Patriarchs did live out compleatly a Thousand Years for that term of Time is reckâ—…d as one Day 2 Pet. 3.8 and if any of those Patriarchs had lived out their Thousand Years then that Divine Doom upon faln Mankind in the Day thou eatest the forbidden Fruit thou shalt surely Die Gen. 2.17 Now if any one of those had lived beyond a Thousand Years then Man had not died within the compass of that Mystical Day c. The Patriarchs indeed had a very large Quantity and a long Lease of their Lives and this was for many weighty Reasons of four several sorts 1. Natural 2. Civil 3. Moral 4. Theological The 1 st is Natural because 1. There was much vertue in those Herbs upon which they constantly made their daily Meals 2 dly The Climate where they lived had a most temperate Air and every way most congruous to their Constitutions But 3 dly above all their own Temperance from Surfeiting and Drunkenness for the Old Adage is Plures pereunt Gula quam Gladio more Persons do die by Intemperance than by the Sword c. These Three are the Natural Reasons In the 2 d Place the Civil Reasons are 1 st They lived so long both for the better populating of the World And 2 dly For the better spreading of the Church of God out of the White Line in the World they lived thus long to beget Sons and Daughters for this purpose Then in the 3 d Place the Moral Reasons are 1 st For the better institution of all Arts and Sciences c. And 2 dly For the more promoting of their own Experimental knowledge because they wanted those Books and Libraries which we in our days do enjoy therefore the Lord lent them such long Leases of Eight or Nine Hundred Years whereby they got the greater stock of Knowledge by such long Experience And in the 4 th Place The Theological Reason is For the propagation of the True Religion in the World as was hinted above in the White Line the Posteririty of Seth as the Black Line was the Off-spring of cursed Cain as is made apparent in the draught of ancient Genealogies which are drawn with a White and a Black Line all along to distinguish the Church from the World NB. Note well 1. As the longest Day hath the shortest Night so the longest Life of those Patriarchs had the shortest Death for the night of Death came upon them at the last we read of no Agonies they had in their Dying c. NB. Note well 2. As the Microcosm or great World was drown'd as it were with a Dropsie in Neal's deluge and shall at last be burned as it were with a burning Fever even so the Microcosm or Man who is called the little World More of this afterwards But 2 dly as to the Quantity of Lease of Man's Life since the Patriarchs time which is now general and universal over all Mankind we must know that as the long Lives of those Patriarchs near the beginning of the World tho' now faln under sin doth intimate to us and give us a guess how long Man night have lived upon the Earth had he not sinned before he had been translated into Heaven as Enoch was So that the Age of Man began to be shortned after Noah's Flood and more especially after the confusion of Tongues at the building of Babel for Peleg which signifies Division so called because Tongues were divided in that day and his Son Regu and those born after them lived not above half the time of those than were born before them as Porcus notes well in his Medulla Histor Eccles pag. 15. NB. Note well May not we in our Day call our Sons Peleg as Heber did his Son for in a colour of building up Sion 't is rather a Babel because of the Confusion of Tongues amongst us not understanding one anothers Languages Prob Dolor this is for Lamentation c. Know likewise that after this diminution of Man's Age at the Confusion of Tongues Moses comes and mentions a shorter cut of the Lease of Man's Life as we are told in the Ninetieth Psalm which is called the Prayer of Moses that he made most probably when he saw the Carcases of the People fall so fast in the Wilderness and committed to Writing for the instruction of those that were left alive yet were doomed to Death as Numb 14. at large relateth and this Prayer of Moses is fitly placed next to the eighty ninth Psalm that it might be an illustration of that passage What Man is he that liveth and shall not see Death shall he deliver his Soul from the Hand of the Grave Psal 89.48 After this verse Moses reads a Divine Lecture upon Man's Mortality shewing how God turns Man to destruction Psal 90.3 that is God by turning loose upon Man divers Diseases turns him now soon out of the Worlds And when Moses had set forth the misery of Man's Life by many similitudes as a Watch a Flood a Sleep Flower c. which indeed is such a Misery as cannot sufficiently be set forth by any similitudes ver 4 5 6 7 8 9. He at last comes to determine how short a Lease God gives Man of his Life saying the days of our Years are Threescore Years and Ten ver 10. that is as if he had said Tho' the Fathers lived much longer yet as wickedness increased in the World so Mens Days decreased and now their Lives are daily shortned and one Generation soon dispatched away after another All Men have a quick dimission from their appearance upon the Stage of the World and all this is done that the World it self may come the sooner to its perpetual period And tho' some by reason of a more robust Constitution than others have and therefore may attain to fourscore Years yet few exceed seventy and fewer attain to it and such as live longer do pay interest of Pains Sorrow and Misery for their inlargement beyond the generality of Mankind because the Body is then much decayed and filled with Diseases c. And thus Barzillai accounted himself a very Aged Man when he had attained to the age of fourscore Years old 2 Sam. 19.32 saying of himself How long