thee in thy body hee might have afflicted thee in thy soule and a wounded spirit who can beare Hee hath afflicted thee in some one member of thy body he could have cast body and soule into Hell There is not a tryall upon thee but God could have made it heavier let that make thee therefore to submit with a more meeke heart and willing spirit to God as a mercifull God as the Church in the Lamentations It is the Lords mercy that wee are not consumed the Church was in great affliction when the Babilonians came upon them and they were driven from the house of God and their owne houses but yet it was Gods mercy that they were not consumed So the Prophet Ieremy telleth Baruch in the captivity Seekest thou great things for thy selfe thou shalt have thy life for a prey Baruch was wondrously disquieted he complained that the Lord had added griefe to his sorrow What griefe was that that Hee must goe to Egypt and after to Babylon Well saith the Prophet thy case is not so heavy as thou seemest to make it thou shalt have thy life for a prey in all places wheresoever thou goest God might have taken away life and all but thy life thou shalt have for a prey Therefore be content with so much So I say to thee when great afflictions come upon thee they might have beene greater therefore consider that that thou maiest give God the glory of his mercy And so much for the first direction that is to acknowledge God in all the changes of life that befalleth thee Secondly looke to sinne as that deserving cause that draweth on all the afflictions of this life Consider thou hast fallen by thy sinne into Gods displeasure therefore whatsoever affliction befalleth thee thy sinne hath deserved that at the hands of God The Lord now dealeth with thee as a just God though not in the extremity of rigour yet neverthelesse there is a righteous proceeding in it as the Church confesseth Righteousnesse belongeth to thee O Lord though they were in great affliction yet God was righteous in it It is profitable to consider this nay and not only that thou sufferest righteously as the Theefe on the Crosse said Wee suffer according to our deserts but thou sufferest not so much as thy sinnes deserve thy sinnes deserve greater things at the hands of God then yet he hath infflicted on thee Wee see that a commutation and change of punishment a lesse for a greater hath the place of a mercy upon a malefactor that deserveth greater when he deserveth to be executed and to die he is not only content to be burnt in the hand but he confesseth it to be a mercy of the Prince So it is with us whatsoever affliction God hath layed on thee thou maist conclude I have deserved greater Therefore saith the Church Why is the living man sorrowfull Man suffereth for his sinne let us search and trie our wayes and turne againe to the Lord. So let this be the maine businesse of thy life in this case rather bethinke thy selfe how to get the favour of God then to be eased of such a trouble Let a man looke to sin in all this Lastly consider the gracious and comfortable fruit of Affliction that is born with patience For first patience lesseneth the judgement impatience increaseth it on a man The strugling child hath more stripes A man in a Fever the more he strugleth and striveth the more he increaseth his paine The more patiently a man yeeldeth himselfe to the hands of God the more by the mercy of God he findeth ease and mittigation of the affliction And this God promiseth Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I will deliver thee in the time of trouble God will take off the affliction when once he hath perfected Patience by affliction for you must know this that all that God aymeth at in all afflictions that hee layeth on men is to perfect patience in them therefore the issue will be good There will for the present be more ease to the heart and afterward a gracious issue and deliverance from trouble when thou art exercised by patience Secondly there are otherafflictions of our life and that is not onely in those cases wherein some positive evell as wee account it naturally some affliction grievous to nature and sense are upon a man but mercies are delayed and hope deferred makes the heart faint It is an affliction to a man to be kept and delayed in the expectation of that good he hath not if he seeme to catch at it it is drawne from him further and further There are many men that have sent many a prayer to God yet the thing they aske is not granted to this day Many a man hath waited long and sought the Lord yet he hath not that his soule desireth How shall a man come to exercise Patience in such a case as this In such a case when God delayeth know first that Gods delayes are not denyals though God delay the thing hee may and wil in time certainly grant it yea though he delay it a great while As we see in other servants of God we may see it in David in Iob in Paul in the Canaanitish woman and in others The Vision is for an appointed time saith Habakkuk waite for it it will come and it will not tarrie it will not lie God will bee knowne a God of truth what he hath promised he will performe in due time only what doth he expect of thee to waite for the present Now this is an act of faith Hee that beleeveth will not make hast Glorifie God by beleeving put to thy seale that hee is true Whatsoever God hath promised in the Word and thou hast a warrant to beleeve waite for it Secondly Gods delayes are not onely not denyals but improvements of Gods favour God increaseth and commendeth the excellencies of his mercies by delayes hee recompenceth our expectation and waiting for them with putting in greater sweetnesse into those favours when they come I say God increaseth the comfort answerable to the delay as in the 61. Isa. 7. God to comfort the distressed Church in the time of calamitie for their affliction saith he they shall have double Double what Double comforts for their tryals Our light afflictions saith the Apostle that are but for a moment cause us a farre more excellent and surpassing weight of glory A weight of glory for light Afflictions an eternall weight of glory for momentany afflictions Here is the issue As our afflictions have abounded so our consolations abound much more This is the course of God Thirdly know that Gods delayes are never long at the longest they are but for a short time what if he delay a yeare what if twenty thirty fourty yeares what if the life of a man this is no great delay Compare this time of thy waiting for mercie with the
23. For the wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. THe latter part of this Chapter from the 12. Verse to the end is spent in a grave and powerfull dehortation of the faithfull from securitie in sinne against which the Apostle useth sundry arguments That which he presseth most is drawne from the severall ends to which sinne and righteousnesse doth leade men The end of sinne is death vers 21. therefore that is not to bee served The end of of righteousnesse is life everlasting vers 22. therefore that is to be imbraced Because there is now difference in the manner of the proceeding of these two ends death comming from sinne as from the meritorious cause but life from righteousnesse another manner of way therefore the Apostle addes this epiloge and conclusion in the last verse plainely shewing and more clearely expressing the manner of them both for the wages saith hee of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. In which words we have a description of a twofold service Of sinne in the former clause And of God or righteousnesse in the latter And how both these are rewarded The one with death it payes us well And the other with life which is bestowed by the free gift of God through Christ. These are the two parts the two generall points that we are to consider First the wages of sinne is death saith the Apostle Of sinne That is of the depravation and corruption of our nature and so consequently of every sinne that being not onely it selfe sinne but the matter and mother of all sinne when sinne hath conceived it bringeth forth death when sinne is put forth whereby he signifieth the generall depravation and corruption of our nature from whence all sinne flowes So it is here The wages The word in the originall signifieth properly victualls because victualls was that that the Roman Emperours gave their souldiers as wages in recompence of their service but thence the word extends to signifie any other wages or Salary whatsoever The wages of sinne is death by death here is signified and meant both temporall and eternall death especially eternall death for it is opposed to eternall life in the next clause of the sentence therefore that is that that is principally meant The wages of sinne is death that is eternall death This for the exposition of the tearmes The point to bee observed from this first part of the Text is this that Death is as due to sinne as wages to one that earnes it To such a one wages is due in strict justice if a man have a hyred servant he may bestow a free gift on him if he will if he will not he may choose but his stypend or his wages he must pay him unlesse he will be unjust for it is the price of his worke and so is due to him that he cannot without injustice withhold it After such a manner is death due to sinne the very demerrite of the worke of sinne requires it as being earned God is as just in inflicting death upon sinners for their sinnes as any man is in paying his labourer or hired servant their wages for this is the generall plaine scope of the Apostles words here So in the beginning God appointed Gen. 2. 17. where hee told Adam concerning the forbidden fruite in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death As if hee should have sayd when thou sinnest death must be thy wages The same is repeated Ezek. 18. 20. where it is sayd The soule that sinneth shall die expressing the wages of sinne it is death that is the recompence of sinne if sinne have his due then death must follow So the Apostle had shewed before in this Epistle Rom. 5. 12. that by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne so death went over all men for as much as all men had sinned All had sinned therefore all are payed with death And Saint Iames shewes the consequence and connexion betweene these two the worke and the wages he tells us Iam. 1. 15 that when sinne hath conceived it bringeth forth death All these places are evidences that death by Gods ordinance by his appointment is the due of sinne as due to it even as wages is to a hyred servant or one that hath earned it What death is it that is due to sinne Both temporall and eternall death I say both deaths concerning both which the truth is to be cleared from some doubts It was the Pelagians errour to thinke that man should have dyed a naturall death though he had never sinned so they thought that the naturall temporall bodily death was not the wages of sinne Contrary to the Apostle in the placâ—… I spake of Rom. 5. where hee makes that death that goes over all men which must needes bee naturall death to enter by sinne sinne brought in death no sinne no death at all But it may be objected when God told Adam in the day that he eate the forbidden fruite he should die the death he meant not temporall death there as the event shewes for such a death was not inflicted upon Adam in the day that hee sinned for after he sinned he lived still in the world naturally hee continued living many yeares after I answer notwithstanding all this Adam may bee sayd to die a naturall death as soone as he sinned because by the guilt of his sinne he then presently became subject to it and God straight way denounced upon him the sentence of death therefore it may bee sayd he straite way dyed As a condemned person is called a dead man though he be respited for a time Besides the Messengers and Sergeants of death presently tooke hold of him and arrested him for sinne as hunger and thirst and cold and diseases daily wasting of the naturall moysture to the quenching of life Indeede God suffered him that the sentence was not presently executed so to commend his owne patience and to give to Adam occasion of salvation the promise of Christ being after made and he called to repentance by that meanes to attaine a better life by Christ then he lost by sinne It is objected againe Christ redeemed us from all sinne and all the punishment thereof but he did not redeeme us from bodily death from temporall death for the faithfull wee see dye still even as others doe therefore it is concluded by some that temporall death is not the wages of sinne for then when wee were free from sinne by Christ wee should bee freed from that Our answer to this is that Christ hath freede all his elect not onely from eternall but even from temporall death though not from both in the same manner From temporall death first in hope of which the Apostle speaking 1 Cor. 15. saith The last enemy that shall be
of men or whether men affect it in themselves but they account this a matter of praise a vertue praise-worthy to see nothing dolefull nothing worthy of mourning in the death of any one We see it is quite contrarie to the very course of the Scripture But it will be objected We are bid to mortifie our earthly affections and if we must mortifie our affections we must mortifie all our affections that of sorrow as well as anger and the like I answer briefly The Scripture indeed biddeth us mortifie our affections but it doth not bid us take away our affections it biddeth us only mortifie and purge out the corruption of our affections Now there is a twofold corruption and distemper in the affections of men The first is when they are misplaced and set upon wrong objects so we mourne for that we should rejoyce in or wee rejoyce in that we should mourne for Secondly when they are either excessive or defective either we over-doe or wee doe not either not at all or not in that proportion and measure that we should Thus when we over-grieve for worldly crosses and too little for sinne too much for the losse of earthly friends and too little for the losse of Gods favour and spirituall wants this is a distemper of the affections in the defect the heart growes earthly and fixed upon the creature and is drawne away and estranged from God Then there is the excesse that the Apostle speakes of when he exhorts them not to mourne as men without hope whether he spake there of the Gentiles as some thinke that cut their heads and made themselves bald in the day of their mourning an affected kind of outward shew they had to mourne which the Lord forbad the people of Israel to doe or whether as indeed it is because they did not restraine inwardly and bridle the exorbitant excesse of their affection wee should not mourne as the Gentiles but as men of hope mourne as men that can see the changes that God makes in the earth and in your Families and can see how neere God commeth to you and what use God would have you make of every particular tryall and affliction mourne so farre as you see your owne guilt in not making use of the opportunities you have had in enjoying your friends and so farre as you see any evidence of displeasure from God so farre we should mourne but not as men without hope But I briefly passe this intending not to insist upon it only by occasion because Solomon makes the place where any die the house of mourning Wee come now to the proofe of the point why going to the house of mourning taking these occasions to affect our hearts is better then to goe to the house of feasting then to take occasions of delighting our selves in outward things What 's the reason It is double First This is the end of all men What is the end of all men The house of mourning That which he meaneth by the house of mourning here is that which he calleth the end of all men that which putteth an end to all men and to their actions upon earth and that is Death So that the maine point that in this place the wise man intendeth is but thus much I will deliver it in the very words of the Text we need not varie from them at all Death is the End of all men Death is that which every man must expect to be the end of his life and of his actions It is the common the last condition of all men upon earth I will give you but two places of Scripture that include all men in Death One in Iob third from the fourteenth verse to the 20. verse of that Chapter Iob sheweth there how Death is the End of all men he beginneth with the Kings and Counsellers of the Earth with Princes and great warriours and descendeth afterward to prisoners and meane persons to labourers to servants to small and great all saith he lie downe in the dust and goe to the place of silence The other place is in Zachar. 1. 5. Your fathers where are they and the Prophets doe they live for ever That is looke to all your forefathers that have beene in all times before you whether they be those Fathers that you glory in Abraham Isaac and Iacob and the rest or those Fathers that disobeyed the word of Prophesie which indeed is the principall thing here intended all these Ancient persons they are dead or as S. Peter speakes of those that were disobedient in the dayes of Noah they are in prison they are in the grave yea and the Prophets too that preached to you they are dead the generations before you both of Prophets and people are all dead You see then that Death is the common condition of all men Kings and Subjects Prophets and people this is the last thing that shall be said of them all they are dead And it must be so First in regard of Gods decree It is that that God hath appointed and determined concerning all men that they must die there is a statute for it in heaven that can never be reverst It is appointed to all men once to die Heb. 9. 17. Secondly in regard of that matter whereof all men are made of earth Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne Your remembrances saith Iob are like unto ashes and your bodies to bodyes of clay How easie is it for the wind to blow away ashes for a potter to breake in pieces a vessell of clay so easie it is to put an end to the memories and bodies of men they are but ashes and clay Thirdly in regard that every man hath in him that that is the cause of Death sinne It is that that is as poison in the spirits and as rottennesse in the bones Sinne brought in Death and Death seizes upon all men it consumeth all men from the very beginning by degrees Shew me a man without sinne without it either in the committing of it or without it in the guilt of it you may then shew a man that shall not die while all men are under sinne they are under Death Even our blessed Saviour Iesus Christ himselfe though he did not sinne actually yet because hee stood guiltie of our sins Death seized upon him So then Looke to Gods decree that is All men shall die Looke to the matter whereof every man is made that is a decaying dying substance And looke to the cause of death in all men that is sinne If any man can either escape Gods decree or bring a man that is not made of such a mouldring matter or produce and shew a man that hath no sinne in him then you may shew a man that shall not die but till then this conclusion remaineth that the wise man setteth downe this is the end of all men that they shall die But here
to heart they consider not the causes wherefore God takes away those good men A Land a Kingdome a State a People a place is much weakned when those that are righteous and mercifull men when those that stand in the gappe and use their endevours to prevent judgements are taken away The house will certainly fall when the pillars are removed They are the people of God only that hold up a state that hold up the world Assoone as Noah is put into the Arke presently commeth the deluge upon the World Assoone as ever Lot was got up to Zoar presently the Lord rained downe fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah Assoone as ever the mourners are marked presently commeth the destroying Angell upon the rest Beloved when wee see those that are mourners for the evils of the times and places where they live tooke away we should lay it to heart and consider it as a signe of Gods displeasure as a signe that hee is a going and departing when he takes away his jewels as a signe that he is a comming to judge the world when hee beginneth to separate to take to himselfe his owne Certainly as soone as ever that number of the elect shall bee accomplished when the company of those that God hath determined to eternall life shall be fulfilled when the sheepe of Christ that are yet to be brought into his fold are gathered together when the fulnesse of the Gentiles is come in and the nation of the Iewes added then the world shall bee burnt with fire and the day of Iudgement shall come nothing shall hinder that generall destruction that shall be the end of all things here below As it is with the generall Iudgement of the world so with particular Iudgements upon Nations when God takes away his people when the Saints goe out of Ierusalem to Pila then commeth the sword of the enemie upon Ierusalem when God drawes out his owne people presently commeth judgement upon the rest It is good to observe Gods method and order that he takes in governing of the world at this day that in the death of the servants of God wee may consider our owne time that wee may prepare for those evils that are a comming and for those greater judgements that are hastning Thus you see what use may bee made of laying to heart the death of others God is much glorified thereby For all his attributes are seene in all his workes and the glorifying of God is a declaring of God to be as glorious as hee hath revealed himselfe to be in his attributes which is by shewing of them forth in his workes When men can see the wisedome the justice the power the mercie the truth the soveraigntie of God and all in the death of others then they glorifie God in taking to heart the death of others You see likewise what good commeth to a mans selfe by laying to heart the death of others He sees thereby the certainty of his owne death He sees the nature of death and what the proper worke of it is viz. to separate betweene him and all those outward comforts all those props and staies whereupon his heart rested too much on earth in the daies of his vanitie And lastly he sees the end and cause why God sendeth Death into the world sometime in judgement that men should take heed of sin sometime in mercie in mercy to the men themselves and in mercy also to those that live that they seeing the servants of God lodged up before the tempest may learne to feare and to hide and secure themselves under Gods speciall providence who can either hide them amongst the living or the dead in the worst times Now let us conclude with some application to our selves In the first place it serveth for the just reproofe of that great neglect that is in the world at this day that men lay not to heart the death of others I wish that this were only the sinne of worldly men I know to a worldly man it is of all things the most unpleasant thought that can be to thinke of death hee cannot endure to heare this they shall fetch thy soule from thee It is as unpleasant to him as it is to a bankrout to heare of a Sergeant comming to arrest him as unpleasant as it is to a malefactour to heare of being brought before the Iudge And that is the reason why men in the time of feasting cannot endure such discourses at their Tables as might put sad thoughts of death into them oh these are to melancholy thoughts Yea but in the meane time it is thy folly thy want of wisedome Hee that was guided by the spirit of wisedome and had now bought some wisedome at a deare rate by wofull experience of his former follies hee now seeth that it was farre better to goe to the house of mourning that is seriously to consider of that which men account the most ordinary cause of mourning that is the death of others and of themselves then to goe to the house of feasting that is to sport a mans selfe in the pleasures of the world and to give libertie to a mans selfe to all manner of delights But I say I wish that this were their fault onely and that it may die with them But it is too much the fault of Gods owne people Moses is faine to pray for Israel in the Wildernesse where they saw so many die before them that God would give them wisedome to number their dayes And Ministers have still the same cause to pray for the people and Christians to pray one for another that God would give them wisedome to lay to heart the death of other men Have you well considered of Death when you can only discourse that such a one that was profitable in his instruction is dead such a one by whom we have had good in conversing with is dead such a one that was young and likely to live many yeares longer is dead What of all this this is but idle and emptie discourse What use makest thou of this to thy selfe dost thou gather from thence the certaintie of thy owne death Dost thou consider what Death will doe to thee when it commeth how that it will separate betweene thee and all things in the world as it hath done them Dost thou consider for what cause God sendeth Death abroad into the world Dost thou consider this with thy selfe as thou oughtest to doe This is an act of wisedome This is that wee call due consideration when the soule reflects upon it selfe it is their case now and it will be mine and mine in the same manner therefore it is good for me to set my accounts straite with God When thou accompaniest another to the grave dost thou conclude thus with thyselfe the very next time that any death is spoken of it may bee mine or as Saint Peter speakes to Saphira after the death of Annanias The feet of those that have buried
all met upon one person This is the language of men whereby they aggravate their afflictions and increase impatience in themselves Againe another way whereby they doe it is this By giving vent and free course to their passions Passions are like a wilde horse if they have not reines put upon them if they be not pulled in they will flie out to all excesse If once we give our Passions vent there is no stopping of them David wee see checks himselfe he had a curbe to bridle his passions Why art thou cast downe oh my soule But otherwise when men give the reines to their passion and doe not stop their course but thinke they have reason for it they breake out into all exorbitancie Ionah when the Lord chalenged him for his anger Dost thou well to bee angrie I saith he I doe well to be angrie even to the death So David Oh Absalom my sonne would God I had died for thee oh Absalom my sonne my sonne What hurt was done to David what wrong had the man to take on thus his sonne was tooke from him but it was Absalom Absalom died but it was Absolom that would have killed his father and yet he takes on as if the father could not live because the sonne that sought his death was tooke from him Such unreasonable Passions such causelesse distempers oft-times are in the soules of men that they mistake Gods wayes and that very way that he intendeth them good in they complaine of as if it were their utter undoing Againe thirdly another way whereby men increase their impatience and distemper is when they will not give way to comfort they will not onely bee exceeding vehement and intent upon their Passions but besides stop all passages and in-lets against comfort It was Iacobs fault concerning the death of Ioseph When he heard that Ioseph was dead not onely his heart sunke within him but hee rends his garments and covereth himselfe with sack-cloth he takes on so that when his sonnes and children rose up to comfort him he would not be comforted Why Because Ioseph was not and I will goe to the grave to Ioseph nothing would comfort Iacob but he would goe downe to the grave to Ioseph by all meanes What a great matter was this He only heard that Ioseph was dead he was alive he knew not so much but hee heard a present sound of feare and he was carried away with that So it is with us the very apprehension of our feares are as bad to us as the things themselves could possibly be Nay we multiply upon our selves our feares and we will not heare counsell and comfort as Rachel that mourned for her children and would not bee comforted because they were not Againe a fourth thing whereby men increase impatience in themselves and aggravate their sorrowes is this when men looke onely upon the present afflictions and not upon the mercies they have as if they had but one eye to behold all objects with as if they could looke but upon one thing at once there should bee a looking upon the affliction and there should bee a looking upon the mercy too This was Hamans case when he was vexed that Mordecay did not doe him reverence all his wealth and his honours could doe him no good he had much wealth and the glory of his house was increased he had the favour of the King and was inclining to have the honour of the Queene put upon him yet all this availeth me nothing saith he so long as I see Mordecay the Iew sitting in the Kings gate Hee lookes onely on this particular that vexed and grieved him and not upon the rest So it is with us if there be but one particular affliction upon us we fix our eyes upon that Like a Flie that flieth about the glasse and can sticke no where till she come to some cracke or as a Gnat that commeth about the body of a beast that will be sure to sticke on the galled part or some sore or other So it is with these disquieted thoughts of men that are of no other use but to further Sathans ends to weaken their faith and discourage their owne hearts men sticke on the gall on the sore of any affliction there they will rest It is true God hath given us such and such favours and mercies hath offered us such and such opportunities but what is this this and that particular affliction is upon me This is that that increaseth impatience when a man will not looke on the mercies he receiveth but onely lookes on that that he wanteth Againe a fifth course that men take to aggravate their sorrows and increase impatience in themselves is this They looke upon the instrument of their sorrows and afflictions but never looke up to God that ruleth and over-ruleth these things Men looke upon such a person such a man and no more Yee see how David was disquieted at this If it had beene an enemie that reproached him then he could have borne it but it was thou my friend my equall my guide my acquaintance that sate at my table wee tooke sweet counsell together and walked unto the house of God in company This troubled him and see how he multiplied his sorrowes when hee looked upon the instrument till he looked upon God and then I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because thou didst it There is no quiet in the heart when a man lookes upon man till hee lookes upon God that ordereth all things by his wisedome and counsell Lastly men aggravate their sorrowes and increase their impatience by another course they take that is when they looke on their sorrows and afflictions onely and not upon the benefit of affliction they looke only upon that that flesh would avoyde but not that which if they were spirituall and wise they would desire No affliction saith the Apostle is joyous for the time that is to flesh and nature but grievous neverthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse to them which are exercised thereby Now men looke upon that only which is grievous in affliction upon the smart of it but not upon the profit of Affliction the quiet fruit of righteousnesse that commeth by it As a man when he hath a Corroding plaister put to a sore he cryeth and complaineth of the smart it putteth him to but takes no notice of the healing that commeth by it and the cure that followeth Thus it is with men they complaine of God as if he envied them the comfort of their lives as if he intended to robbe them of all conveniencies and to make them utterly miserable to begin a Hell with them on earth when they never looke how God by this meanes fitteth them for heaven by this meanes purging out corruption and strengthening grace in them Wee are afflicted of the Lord that we may not be condemned of the world Men looke upon the affliction
not upon their freedome from condemnation So much for that I come now to a second use You see here the way whereby men aggravate afflictions and get causes of impatience in themselves and if we seriously consider it wee shall find one of these the ordinary causes of all distempers and impatience in losses in sicknesses in distresse of mind in crosses upon a mans name or whatsoever befalleth him amisse in the world that which makes him flie out that which makes him that he cannot submit unto God it is some of these particulars here spoken of Let it therefore in the second place stirre us up every one in the presence of God to set our selves upon this taske of Christianitie to labour for Patience that we may be perfect Christians and to be perfect in Patience Let Patience have her perfect worke But all the question is how a man may get it As there are two sorts of afflictions in a mans life so Patience hath two offices One affliction is those present evils that a man undergoeth and suffereth here Patience is to support him in those present miseries and calamities Another sort of tryall is when the good that a man expects is delayed and is not presently granted and here patience is necessarie in this case also I will shew yee how a man may set patience a worke in both these and so conclude First for the present calamities of a mans life For crosses of any kind in name state friends or familie or in whatsoever a man hath or goeth about they may all be reduced to this one head when a man commeth from a state of health to a state of sicknesse from a state of comfort to a state of sorrow from acquaintance and societie to be as a Pelican in the wildernesse as David speakes destitute of all friends and helpes from inward rejoycing in his heart in the assurance of Gods love to spirituall disertions wherein he seemeth to be as in a cloude under the frownes of God When a man is in this case how shall he exercise patience how shall he come to it Briefly the way for a man to get patience in such cases as these is this First to consider that there is no change in my life there is no condition whatsoever that I am cast into but it is ordered by God Set thy soule aworke now to give God his glory in that change of thy life First give God the glory of his absolute Soveraignty and Dominion Secondly give him the glory of his wisdome Thirdly give him the glory of his mercy in those changes of thy life that seeme most grievous to thee First I say give him the glory of his absolute soveraignty Acknowledge him an absolute in-dependant Lord that doth what he will among the creatures His will is the rule of all his actions upon the creatures here below and uncontrould unquestionable It is high arrogancy and presumption and pride of spirit for the creature to contest with his Creator concerning his actions on earth Let every man reason thus I must give God the glory of his Soveraignty and acknowledge that he hath power and right to rule all the families of the earth and why not mine as well as another Why not my person as well as anothers Why not to order all the changes of my life as well as another mans That which Benhadad spake proudly to Ahab thy silver and thy gold thy wives and thy children and thy house and thy Citie are mine That may God speake truely and by right All that thou hast and all that thou art is mine therefore give him that glory that Iob did in the change of his life The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken away blessed bee the name of the Lord. The Lord that gave hath right to take what he will There is nothing that will keepe the creature in his due place but the consideration of Gods absolute soveraigntie This consideration was that that meekned the spirit of Eli when that heavy message was brought to him that there should come such miserie upon his house that whosoever heard it both his eares should tingle well saith he It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good It is the Lord and it becommeth not servants to stand and contend with their Lord. So David when the Priests offered him their service to goe along with him to the field from Absolom If saith he I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me back to Ierusalem and his tabernacle but if he thus say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him doe to mee as seemeth good unto him Here was that that humbled the spirit of David when he considered that he was under the hands of an absolute Lord let the Lord do with me what seemeth him good Secondly as thou must give him the glory of his soveraignty so of his wisedome Know that God ordereth all his wayes with wisedome and counsell he knoweth what is good for his children Yee are content when yee are sicke that the Phisitian should diet yee because yee account him wise and one that hath skill in that course If God diet thee for the purging out of some corruption and for the curing of some spirituall disease in thy soule submit to God in this case be willing to resigne thy selfe up to be ordered by him A man that hath a Gangreene or such a dangerous disease in his body submitteth to the Surgeon in his course though it be to the cutting and sawing off of a limbe though it bee never so painfull and the losse be never so great yet hee is for the saving of his life willing to have that taken away God is a wise God that knoweth what estate is best for thee not onely when tryals are better then comforts but what one kind of tryall is better then another it may be it is better to exercise one with povertie another with disgrace another with spirituall trouble another with restraint of libertie which particular tryall is necessary to cure that disease and which this that is in my soule the heavenly Phisitian will bring that upon thee as a spirituall prescription and a heavenly course that he takes in infinite wisdome to cure thee Lastly give him in all this the glory of his mercie What hast thou lost but thou maiest have lost a great deale more What dost thou suffer but thou maiest have suffered a great deale more As Alcibiades when he was told that one had stolne halfe his plate I have cause saith he rather to bee thankefull that hee tooke no more then to be troubled that he tooke so much I am sure it is true of God in this case what hath God tooke from thee some part of thy estate some friend some comfort of thy life some one or other particular comfort could he not have done more Hee afflicteth
greater worke to doe to prepare for my owne death God in the death of this man speakes to me to prepare for my owne And then to glorifie God by submission to his will make it appeare that thou acknowledgest a power in God to dispose of thy house to doe every thing by patiently resting in his will And yet this comfort is added though children be tooke away that they shall not returne in an earthly manner yet they shall in a better manner Parents are contented to part with their children for a time for their preferment Children though theyare very young that are commended by the prayers of the godly Parents into the hands of God these whose hearts God hath inlarged and quickned fervently and faithfully to pray in the behalfe of their children they may rest in this assured that they shall meet at the Resurrection in a better manner their children shall be better preferred then if they were on earth and shall be raised up to perfection Here you see there is not a tooth bred in a child without a great deale of paine and every tooth cost some paine but this mortall bodie shall put on immortalitie and this corruption shall put on incorruption This weake body shall be made strong weake children strong without paine Death endeth these things and the Resurrection shall present him in a perfect measure of strength in a glorified estate So much for this text and for this time FINIS THE STING OF DEATH OR THE STRENGTH OF SINNE ROM 5. 12. By one man sinne entred into the world and by death sinne ROM 7. 9. When the Commandement came sinne revived and I died LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. THE STING OF DEATH OR THE STRENGTH OF SINNE SERMON VI. 1 Cor. 15. 56. The sting of Death is Sinne and the strength of Sinne is the Law SOlomon telleth thus that there is a season for every thing there is a time to bee borne and a time to die These two are the two great seasons of all men we are as sure to die as we are sure we have lived and every degree of our life is but a steppe to our death Every man of us hath but a part to act here in the world when wee have done that that God hath appointed us we are drawne off from the Stage by Death You will say this is a hard condition for so Noble a creature as Man is to be folded up in the grave for so faire a beautie as the life of man is to be closed up in eternall darknesse that Man should turne to the acquaintance of dust and wormes and make his habitation with rottennesse and loathsomnesse that Death should have the victorie of so excellent a Creature it is a hard condition The Apostle thinkes not so he thinkes otherwise Death saith he ver 54. is swallowed up in victorie As if he should say It need not trouble you to thinke so of Death the condition of it is not so strange and hard as men take it to be It is swallowed up in victory If a man have a strong enemy to deale with it might trouble him but it is no great matter to deale with a conquered enemie Christ hath overcome Death hath conquered that strong enemie Death is swallowed up in victory Therefore Saint Paul in the precedent and subsequent verses of this Chapter seemeth to insult and triumph over Death Oh Death saith he where is thy sting oh grave where is thy victorie As if he should say before Christ came and conquered thee Death thou wert victorious so it was there was a sting in it before Christ sweetned the Grave there was something that was terrible in the Grave but now because Christ is come and hath gotten the victory over the one and sweetned the other therefore Saint Paul breakes forth thus into an insultation and triumph But how can this be Why doth the Apostle thus triumph The reason is insinuated in the verse I have read to you the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But this is the occasion of trouble to Christians No it is not thankes bee to God that hath given us victory through Iesus Christ our Lord As if he should say I will shew you the reason of my triumphing over Death there was a sting in Sinne and Sinne is the sting of Death and the Law is the strength of sinne but Christ hath tooke away sinne and hath satisfied the Law sinne being taken away Death cannot hurt me the Law being satisfied Sinne cannot prejudice me This was the cause of the Apostles and in him of every Christians insultation over Death The words I have read containe two parts First the sting of Death Secondly the strength of Sinne. First the sting of death is sinne Secondly the strength of sinne is the Law If there were no law there would bee no sinne and if there were no sinne there would be no death Sinne is the transgression of the Law and sinne is the sting of death I shall only at this time insist upon the first of these from whence I shall deliver that which if it please God to accompany with his Spirit may be usefull to you The proposition shall be the very words of the Text Sinne is the sting of death This Proposition I would not have you understand in this sense only that death came in by sinne meerely in a habit though that be true too But understand it in this sense That all the horrour and terriblenesse of Death all the power and rage it hath whatsoever makes it fearefull to a man it receiveth it all from sinne It is sinne that armeth Death against a man if Death have any weapons against a man Sinne puts those weapons into the hands of Death if Death have any poyson against a Christian the sinne of that person putteth that poyson in it Death may bee considered two wayes either as Christ hath made it or as we make it Death as Christ hath made it is a medicine to a Christian a passage and entrance to happinesse it is a day of redemption and refreshing and so we need not be afraid of it Death as we by sinne have made it is the Pale horse Saint Iohn speakes of in the Revelation it is as a fearfull arrest to the debtor it hath a sting in it and so it is fearefull But that I may open this point more profitably wee will enquire into these particulars First what death the Apostle speakes of here Secondly of what sinne he speakes of Thirdly in what respect sinne is called the sting of death And then we will make the use and application of all this First of what death doth the Apostle here speake of that sinne is the sting of For answer hereunto there is a double death corporall and spirituall Corporall death is the privation of the soule when the soule is severed from
tell me then what is the disquiet that springeth from sinne in a Cain in a Iudas when it meets with a dispairing disposition Thus you see Sin hath this time to sting and therefore thinke not that Sin will never sting till death sometimes Sinne stingeth a man before death Another time is at death When Death commeth and arresteth a sinner in an Action from God seizeth on a person that is under the power of Sin on one that is in his sinnes untouched howsoever he behaved himselfe in his life-time yet then the very name of Death breakes his heart it apaleth him and then it stings such a person It is appointed beloved for all of us once to die Death will one day arrest every man but when Death appeareth before a man that hath not a part in Christ that is under the power of his sinnes when it commeth to a Belshazzar it makes his very joynts to smite one against another it is a sting to him amidest all those sweet morsels his sinnes which he so much affected and so earnestly pursued it is as a very poyson to him nothing is a poyson now to us but sinne only but then at the time of death sinne is a poyson indeed Lastly Sinne can sting not onely before and at but after death Both at the day of Judgement and after At the day of Judgement Is not the conscience of a sinner thinke you stinged and his spirit deeply affected by reason of the great wrath of God that is to be poured out when he shall cry to the mountaines to cover him when he shall call to those insensible creatures that are not able to lend him that courtesie to crush him to nothing Make this our owne case thinke of it it will be our case as it is appointed for us all to die so we must all come to judgtment And after the Judgement when the sentence goe you cursed is past the sting of Sin ceaseth not no the worme for ever gnaweth in Hell It were a happinesse for a sinner if he might onely heare the sentence if this worme might not still gnaw his conscience but then this is his burthen Sin shall sting him for ever This is the first respect in which sinne is called the sting of death because then Sinne stingeth more emminently and sensibly Secondly it is called the sting of death in respect of the metaphor the Apostle aludeth unto it is taken from the sting of a Serpent and so Sinne is a sting in a double respect First in respect of the fearefulnesse and then in respect of the hurtfulnesse of it First in respect of the fearefulnesse It is Sin that makes Death fearefull to a man Indeed I confesse that in the best Christian though Christ have pulled out the sting of death yet there are naturall grudgings and shruggings As to a Serpent though the sting be pulled away yet there are some abhorrings and dissikes in a man But then how terrible is Derth when it commeth in compleate Armour as it doth against a person in whom Sinne remaineth in its full power it must needs then be terrible See the difference betweene two persons the one is afraid of every one he meeteth the other is not what is the reason the one is greatly indebted and ingaged the other is free So it is with a Christian and another man the one cannot heare of Death but his heart breakes hee is full of feare and horrour the other heareth of Death and is onely somewhat affected in the hearing of it but not possessed with that feare as is the other what is the reason the sting of death remaineth in one and not in another Sin therefore is a sting in that respect Secondly it is a sting in respect of hurtfulnesse The sting of the Serpent is a hurtfull thing it poysoneth the vitall parts it takes away life it selfe All the evill that commeth to us by death commeth by sinne Man need not complaine of the ilnesse of the prison so much as of his owne folly that he ingaged himselfe in debt whereby he is cast into prison Why complainest thou of the misery in Hell rather labour to breake off thy sinnes that are the cause of all that miserie all the hurtfull qualitie and miserable condition that befalleth a person in Death and Hell is for Sin the eternall separation of the soule from God and all punishment that followes after in Hell are the fruit of mans sinne Hell had not beene Hell without Snne it is Sin that causeth it to become hurtfull Thus I have explained these inquiries Now I come to make Use and application and so conclude the Point The first Use of this point shall be this If Sin be the sting of death let it be our wisedome to get this sting pulled out in the time of our life Oh that this people were wise saith God then would they consider their latter end If you were wise that heare mee this day you would consider that Death will come and if it be not taken away before-hand with a sting upon the soule My brethren we have many enemies to deale with even now at this very instant but there is yet an enemie as the Apostle saith The last enemie to bee subdued is Deaeh he his behind and here is the difference betwixt Death our last enemie and some other of our enemies some other of our enemies cannot be subdued but by their presence but let me tell you this Death is such an enemy as is never subdued but by his absence thou canst never overcome Death in death thou must not reserve this combat till thou come to the field but thou must overcome this enemie before he commeth thou must overcome him in thy life How is that Pull out the sting of him now then Death is conquered How will you disarme the tongues of malicious slanderous persons and deprive them of their viperous speech by an innocent life So how will you take away the sting of death watch against Sin take away sinne and you take away the power from Death set upon Sin and Death is overcome so much sinne as is now dead so much is Death conquered I beseech you seriously consider these particulars First that it will not be long ere Death knocke at these dores of ours these houses of clay must shortly be ruinated wee must certainly be resolved into dust What is this life of ours but as a ship that is driven by a gale of breath When the breath of man ceaseth the ship lieth in a dead calme Man goeth to his long home saith Solomon and the mourners follow in the streets Death is our long home wee all are the mourners wee follow in the streetes This dead carcasse is an example that leads us to our home and a sermon to tell us that we must follow we follow now in a charitable expression but we shall follow one day in paying of the
such meditations No man can live well till he can die well Hee that is prepared for Death is certainly freed from the danger of death neither is there any so fit a way to bee ready for it as to be often minded of it Therefore I have made choice at this time to speake of this verse wherein ye see the Apostle declareth and leadeth us to treat of foure things First that there is a Death Secondly that this Death is an enemie Thirdly that this enemie is the last enemie Lastly that this least enemie shall be destroyed A word or two of each of these parts First Death is Yee know that well enough your eyes shew it you daily our senses declare it so plainly that no man is so senslesse that knoweth it not It is agreed upon by all Only for your better furtherance to make use of this point let us acquaint you with that which nature will teach yee concerning Death Secondly with that which Scripture will teach you above and better then Nature Nature sheweth yee concerning Death first what it is And then Secondly what Properties it hath It telleth us this That Death is an absence from life a ceasing from beeing when one was beeing to be thrust as it were out of the present world and be cast some where This is all that Nature informeth us concerning the Essence and beeing of Death Death is a dividing of us from this life and from the things of this life and sends us abroad we know not where Secondly Nature teacheth us three Properties concerning Death One that it is universall It hath tied all to it high and low rich and poore Death knockes at the Princes pallace as well as at the poore habitation of the meanest man It is a thing that respects no mans greatnesse it regardeth no wealth nor wit nothing Death takes all before it That Nature teacheth too Secondly Nature teacheth that Death is inevitable If a man would give all the world he cannot thrust it out of dores It takes whole Armies aswell as one man It scorneth to bee resisted by the Phisitians there is no words no meanes to escape it It is such an enemie as we must grapple with and it will conquer This Nature teacheth Againe Nature teacheth that death is uncertaine A man knoweth not when Death will come to him or when it will lay hold on him or by what meanes it will fetch him out of the world It may fetch him out of the world at any time or in any place and by such occasion as it is impossible for any wit to thinke of before This is in substance all that Nature teacheth And the knowledge of this it is for good use aswell to remember and consider it as to understand it But now I goe on to tell yee what the Scripture teacheth concerning Death for that giveth a perfecter and larger information of the thing then the dimme light of Nature The Scripture then over and above that which Nature sheweth telleth us concerning Death these things First it sheweth better what it is and then It sheweth whence it commeth and what are the causes of it Thirdly it declareth the consequences what follow upon it And lastly and bestly it telleth us the remedie against the ill of Death In all which Nature stumbleth and can doe little or nothing First the Scripture telleth us what it is It letteth us know that it is the disolution of a man not the annihilation It doth not make him cease to bee but takes asunder a while the soule from the body It carrieth the one to the earth and the other to another world so that both continue to bee though they be not united as before The word of God teacheth us that he hath created the world as it were a house of three Stories The middle is this present life where we be And there is a lower place the Dungeon a place of unhappinesse and destruction There is a higher place a pallace of glory According as men behave themselves in this middle roome so Death either leadeth them downe to the place of unhappinesse or conveyeth them up to the pallace of glory and blessednesse This Nature is ignorant of but the Scripture is plaine in The rich man dieth and his soule is carried to Hell the poore man when he died his soule was advanced to Heaven So that Death is nothing but the messenger of God to take the soule out of the body and to convey it to a place of more happinesse or more miserie then can be conceived Secondly the Scripture acquaints us further with the cause of death Philosophers wondred since nature desireth a perpetuitie and continuance of it selfe that man should be so short a time in the world The Scripture endeth this wonderment and tels us that man indeed was made immortall to continue for ever and should not have died but sinne came into the world and by sin death Death is the mother of sinne and of all miserie that by little and little draweth to death I say sinne the first sinne of our first Parents whereby they transgressed that most easie and equall mandate about eating the forbidden fruit That transgression that was the treading under foot the covenant of workes and the disanulling of it that sinne let in Death at a great Gappe and now it triumpheth and beareth rule over all the world Nature cannot tell which way in the world a man should die so soone and that hee that is the Lord of all creatures should bee inferiour to a great number of them in length of life But the word of God unridleth this riddle and telleth us that God made man that hee might and should have lived for ever but Sinne comming and comming in the person of the first man it brought death and made all men mortall and when sinne entred Gods curse came and that working upon us poore and miserable creatures it is the cause that we cannot continue long here It was equall that death should follow sinne for since God made man to obey his will when man had unfitted himselfe for Gods service it was reason that he should have a short continance of life for the longer he endured the more he would abuse himselfe Yee see then two things that the Scripture teacheth concerning death The third thing it sheweth is what followeth after death and that is plaine It is appointed for all men once to die and after death commeth judgement Nature never dreamed of judgement after Death but the Scripture telleth us there is a Judgement after Death Judgement what is that Judgement yee know is a calling of a man before Authoritie a looking into his wayes a considering of his actions a finding out whether hee be a sinner an evill doer and if hee find him so to passe sentence according to his evill deeds When God hath tooke the soule from the body hee takes the soule first
the paths of mercy and pietie that they tread in Iob was set up a light of patience Abraham of faith Cornelius of Charitie and so every grace that the Saints are eminent in they are set up as so many lights When the light is gone is there not a great losse to have a candle put out Though they enjoy their light we lose it the benefit of their example and societie their advise and counsell Oh the experience of the Saints bring a great deale of good to their acquaintance I am in this affliction I remember that you were in the same case how did you carry your selfe It is a great matter to build upon the experiences of the Saints of God Wee lose many benefits by losing of a Saint Hee is not only beneficiall in his example but in his prayers Hee is one of the Advocates of the world that pleads with God that stands in the gap Abraham was a strong Advocate for Sodome and so was Moses for Israel and so was Aaron and so other Saints in their time The Saints while they live in the world there is a great deale of power in their prayers to with-hold judgements and is there then no losse when they are taken away When a Saint is removed a Pillar is removed a Pillar of the house and of the Earth and must there not be danger when the Pillar is gone They are the Corner stones when a Corner stone falleth there is a great deale of trash and rubbish falleth with it There is a great deale of discomfort upon the fall of a Saint When God removeth godly and mercifull men there is a losse every way to the Church to the State The Church loseth a member the State a Pillar godly men lose an example wicked men lose an Advocate poore men lose a Patron all men lose a comfort That is the first thing the Prophet bemoaneth in the losse of righteous men First it went to his heart that the world should be left emptie of pietie and all those vertuous examples that God should cut off those precious Plants those that are looking-glasses for us to see our selves in and that pitch of perfection wee should breath after and aime at That is the first thing But that is not all for there was impendant danger when they were gone It is a prognosticating of some evill to befall a place when God takes them away If Noah enter into the Arke the world may expect a deluge If Lot be out of Sodome let it looke for a showre of fire and brimstone God himselfe expresseth himselfe by the Angel that he could doe nothing as long as Lot was in Sodome he had a commission not to raine fire and brimstone while Lot was there while Lots person and prayers were there assoone as Lot was gone there commeth a cloud of Judgement and in that a showre So the Saints when they are translated into the Arke when they are tooke from the earth as Noah was Noah was to ascend from the earth to the Arke when Lot is gone to the Citie God provided for him the Citie of refuge then we may expect one Judgement or other for they are meanes to hinder and keepe them from being poured out That is the second thing in the losse of righteous men They are tooke away for their good but for our ill wee have lost the benefit of their example the comfort of their societie and now we may feare that Judgements will come plentifully for mercifull men are taken away from the evill to come So I have done with the first part of the Complaint I will be very briefe in the second that is over the living no man considereth it this is truly to be bemoaned There is a double extent first of the Act they consider not And then an extent of the person no man considereth This Act hath a great latitude It is either an aggravation of the former they lay it not to heart nay they doe not take it into consideration or else it is a rendring a reason of the former they lay it not to heart because they bethinke not themselves Consideration is an act of the judiciall part of the understanding as incogitancie is a rocking of reason asleepe a shutting of the dore of reason Neglect that is a negligence of due care to bee taken on the other side inconsideration or incogitancie that is a neglect of the due course of reason due pondering of a thing A man is said not to consider that scanneth not that examineth not the cause that laies not the effects and consequences together that compareth not one thing with another So that it is thus much now they considered not that is they pondered not in their hearts they examined not according to the rule of reason they looked not to it what should bee Gods meaning in taking away mercifull men from the evill to come they looked not forward to the time to come nor backward to the time past they were altogether inconsiderate It is a great sinne and a fruit of sinne and a cause of all sinne It is a sinne in it selfe for God hath given man Reason to use upon all occasions to consider Gods workes and his owne workes and those things that befall others and himselfe The true improvement of Christianitie is the exercise of consideration That exciteth a man to repentance David laies it as a ground I considered my wayes and turned my feet to thy testimonies A man never repenteth that considereth noâ—…â—…is wayes The want of consideration keepeth a man freezing and settling on the dregs of sinne It is a fruit of sinne of the first sinne incogitancie bringeth securitie that rocks reason asleepe then passion hath her scope when reason governeth not It is the true punishment of the first sinne and the fruit of it because reason is decaied in man by sinne reason was then unrectified reason grew irregular Nay it is the cause of all sinne We can resolve no particular sinne to any other principle but this that men consider not before they commit it The reason why men goe on in excesse and riot and continue in drunkennesse is nothing but this they lay it not to heart they looke not forward what will bee the issue and event they consider not the account they are to make to God they thinke not that God is providing a cuppe of deadly wine and that all must appeare before the judgement seate of Christ. The reason why mens desires of the world and of living here are so in larged it is the want of consideration of what is the happinesse of heaven of the promises that God hath made There is no sin but it is resolved into this case So here it is that the Prophet complaineth of the want of consideration When mercifull men were taken away they considered it not to sympathize to prepare themselves to what God would doe after he had removed these that when he
Chap. 6. 14 15. They heale the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly saying peace peace when there is no peace Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination Nay they were not ashamed neither could they blush therefore they shall fall among men that fall at the time that I visit them they shall bee cast downe saith the Lord. Marke The Prophets cry peace It had beene well done of the Prophets to cry peace to those Israelites that in truth were at peace with God but they cry peace to them to whom there was no peace What then Did the people reforme did this make those that before were rebellious against God come in and accept of the conditions of peace and forsake their sinnes and turne to God No such matter nay though their sinnes were reproved by Ieremiah and other faithfull Prophets yet they were not ashamed when they had committed abomination and they could not blush they stood it out they remained in their impenitency Well what of this Therefore saith the Lord they shall fall amongst them that fall in that day at that time they shall be destroyed they shall bee cast downe they shall cease to be a people at least they shall cease to be men prevailing above other people In the first of Zephaniah vers 12. yee have the Lord saying there that he will visit Ierusalem with lights and search it with candles What to doe to find out the men that are frozen on their dregges that are settled on their lees that say in their heart the Lord will not doe good neither will hee doe evill Why will the Lord visit Ierusalem with lights to find out these men Hee meeteth with the conceit that such men as these have they thinke as the Atheists in Iob that God is circled in the clouds and seeth not the things below or as those in this Prophesie of Zephanie that said The Lord sees not neither doth hee regard Why doth he not so Because hee wants light Well then saith the Lord I will bring candles to see with and visit Ierusalem with lights and whosoever hee spies out amongst all the sinners in Israel hee will be sure to meet with those that say The Lord sees not that are settled on their dregges that secure themselves under false perswasions they shall not escape his wrath Gods greatest quarrell is against those men that flatter themselves as if God did not take notice of their sinnes hee will surely punish those it is for their sakes why hee will bring candles to search Ierusalem with It was so with Babylon in Isa. 47. 8. 9. The Lord observeth her boasting I am saith shee a Queene I sit as a Lady I shall neither see losse of children nor widowhood Marke now what God saith Heare now this thou that art given to pleasures and dwellest carelesly both these shall come upon thee losse of children and widowhood all thy props and all thy staies shall bee taken from thee yea and that in one day in a moment when thou least thinkest of it suddenly thou shalt be husbandlesse and childlesse Nay it is that which the Lord speakes of Romish Babylon in the 18 Revel 7. Shee had heard of the pride and boasting of old Babylon and shee would faine be like it I sit as a Queene saith shee too and am no widow and shall see no sorrow shee stands upon her outward pompe and glory as worldly-minded men doe specialally when they come to greatnesse and eminencie Well what will the Lord doe Therefore verse 8. shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and shee shall bee utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her Thou saist I sit as a Lady I shall see no change Well saith the Lord it shall be indeed a famous Church for something even for such judgements as shall fall upon it aboveall other places there shall bee famine and death and burning Yea and it shall be done when all outward meanes that should bring this to passe seeme to faile and when Babylon shall seeme to advance her selfe like a Queene above all other Churches when there is nothing but strength and might on her side then shall God doe it for strong is the Lord that judgeth her Hee bringeth in this strong is the Lord to answer an objection It shall bee done for the Church even then when the advers partie thriveth most then when it may be seene to be Gods owne worke then when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 off from selfe-confidence then when men have noâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eyes on but God then will God doe this for his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith plainly that Babylon shall be burnt with fire and at 〈◊〉 a time when it appeares that it cannot be done except hee put his strength to the worke Thus yee see the securitie of a People or Nation or Kingdome it is an infallible signe of judgement falling upon it And it must be so and there is great reason for it If we either consider the causes of security whence it commeth or the concommitants that accompany it or the fruits and events of it it must be that great judgements must be fall men and places when they are under this carnall securitie First looke to the causes Whence is it that men that are not at peace with God yet flatter themselves that they shall doe well It proceedeth from that unbeliefe and infidelity that is in the hearts of men therefore they flatter themselves and pride themselves in things that will not hold them up in the end I say infidelity is the cause that men are so secure Did men beleeve the word of God that every threatning that goeth out of the mouth of God against any particular sinne should certainly fall upon the head of the sinner durst they goe on in a course of sinning against God Durst they adde drunkennesse to thirst one wickednesse to another No certainly In that measure a man hath faith in that measure he feareth God and his judgements that hee hath threatned See it in Noah Heb. 11. By faith Noah being warned of God moved with feare prepared an Arke Hee beleeved that God was faithfull that had threatned a judgement upon the world he beleeved the word of God that commanded him to provide an Arke for the safetie of him and his house and therefore hee feared the Deluge to come and prepared an Arke So likewise Iosiah when he read the booke of the Law and saw what was threatned against the sinnes of the people his heart melted within him and why because hee beleeved that this was the word of God he beleeved that God would be as true as his Word therefore his heart melted within him at the sight of those sinnes wherein the people had continued so long a time Nay it is made a description of a beleever in Isa. 61. That he is one that trembleth at Gods word On the other side what
in a carnall and sinfull security wee see then so many of us at least that are children of the light and of the day what cause we have to be awakened and to doe that for others which they will not doe for themselves to bee more earnest in prayer more frequent in humbling our soules for our owne sinnes and theirs that God may lay aside and cast away his judgements and displeasure that either are feared or lie upon us It is not a fearfull thing that when the Lyon roareth the beasts of the Forrests tremble Yet the God of heaven roareth against the world at this day and the proud hearts of men doe not tremble before him Shall the beasts of the Forrests bee afraid of the Lyon more then the poore wormes of the earth of the mighty God of heaven and earth But this is the horrible Atheisme and infidelity that is in the hearts of men that they beleeve not Gods power and justice nor his threatnings I beseech you let every man be exhorted to stirre up his soule to this businesse to awaken himselfe in his owne particular person Consider that there are others that are awake that may bring you sorrow enough bee you awakened to prevent those miseries Sathan is awake to tempt you Bee sober and watchfull saith Saint Peter for your adversary the divill goeth about seeking whom hee may devoure Sathan is busie and watching to make you his prey watch you therefore that you enter not into tentation Your owne Corruptions are alwayes awake The concupisence and depraved disposition of the soule it is awake still to further every evill motion to draw you aside by its tentations Therefore saith the Apostle I beseech you abstaine as pilgrims and strangers from fleshly lusts that warre against the soule Doe as men in warre when they know that they have a waking enemie against them they will be sure to keepe their Watch. Beloved you cannot but know that your corruptions are awake you may perceive it in your sleepes and dreames take heed that you bee not found in a spirituall sleepe that corruption prevaile not over you Besides these the enemies of the Church are awake Heretiques are awake every where to bring men from the faith to pervert the faith of many oh be awake to prevent those Besides others are awaken to ransack houses to destroy Cities oh be awake that you may bee at peace with the Lord of Hosts the God of Armies that hath all power in his hand to keepe you safe Againe secondly consider the evill of this security you are in of this disposition of heart when you cry peace peace to your selves in the middest of Gods displeasure It is an evill disease a spirituall lethargie That disease we know in the body it takes a man with sleepe and so he dieth Oh how many are in this spirituall lethargie in this deepe sleepe of sinne at this day the Lord awaken them It is the more dangerous because it is a senslesse disease A disease that takes the senses from the soule and diseases we know that take away the senses are dangerous for it is not only a signe that nature is overcome by the disease but besides it draweth men from seeking for cure Thus it is with the spirituall lethargie it shewes not only that sinne hath prevailed in the heart that it hath overcome grace and thereupon you have yeelded unto it to your pride and covetousnesse and vanity as those that are subdued under a disease but it hindreth you from seeking the meanes to escape out of it Thou saist saith Christ to the Church of Laodicea that thou art rich and needest nothing and that was the reason shee sought not to Christ. It is our condition we have knowledge enough therefore we care not for the ordinances of God Wee have faith enough and therefore wee care not for increasing it though none of us say thus with our tongues yet most of us beleeve thus with our hearts As David saith of the ungodly man the wickednesse of the wicked saith in my heart So may I say the neglecting of the ordinances the carelesnesse of men in the use of the meanes of salvation saith in my heart that there is abundance of securitie that they are in a spirituall lethargie that leadeth to death As it is an evill disease so it causeth much evill It is that which driveth away the Spirit of God It is the counsell of the Apostle Grieve not the Spirit quench not the Spirit When wee neglect the motions of the Spirit the Spirit withdraweth it selfe Doth not your owne experience tell you this Consider a little what motions you have had how God by the checks of your consciences sometime by secret incitements as it were a spurre upon your hearts hath moved you to dutie and to leave your sinnes How have these moved you you have had purposes it may be to performe these duties to walke in the wayes of God to please him in all things the neglect of these purposes hath driven away the Spirit it may be God now leaveth you to finall hardnesse Againe it letteth in Sathan When the uncleane spirit is driven out hee goeth about seeking rest and finding none at last hee returneth from whence hee went and findeth the house swept and garnished and he entreth in and bringeth seven spirits more worse then himselfe Alas how many men are there that for a fitt in some particulars have altered their course and have thought to become new men yet rushing upon former occasions and temptations to sinne they have growne secure and carelesse and now Sathan hath gotten stronger hold of them with seven spirits worse Nay this is that that drives away Christ and the comfortable influence of his Spirit in the heart The Church in Cant. 5. was asleepe was in a spirituall slumber and Christ goeth away Shee seekes him whom her soule loved but shee could not find him I speake now to those that were awake and are now asleepe their hearts it may be are awake but they walke not with that watchfulnesse and humility of spirit before the Lord as they ought therefore now they are heavy and destitute of the comforts of the Spirit Well they may thanke themselves Christ hath hid himselfe to teach them to be more watchfull And to conclude This is the cause of positive Judgements You know what came upon the old world and upon Sodome and Gomorrah for their securitie And likewise of future Judgements it is that which casteth men from heaven to hell That servant that saith in his heart my Master deferreth his comming and therefore hee eates and drinkes with the drunken what is the issue of it Hee shall have his portion given him with hypocrites where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Mat. 24. Here is enough I suppose to awaken you Whensoever the heart of man is held downe with secure
thinke of some way how wee might shift and shun it but it is beyond the kenne of our eyes we are no more able to see that then the Ayre being therefore out of sight it is out of our reach we know not how to grapple with it we know not with what weapons to encounter it And a Spirituall Enemie I call it because though it seize on the body it strikes at the soule By Gods decree the death of the soule is a concommitant of the death of the Body and were it not by Gods mercy reverst they would still come like lightning and thunder and strike both together Againe it is a spirituall enemie because it fighteth against us in the strength of sinne It commeth armed with a Sting the sting of death is sinne Some make question whether if Adam had never sinned he should ever have died But me-thinkes the Apostle Saint Paul putteth it out of qustion By one mans disobedience sinne came into the world and by sinne death All those Death 's that S. Austin reckoneth up First when the soule is deprived of God separated from him Secondly when the body is separated from the soule Thirdly when the Soule is separated from the body and from God and suffereth torments for a time Lastly when the soule is separated from God and rejoyned to the body to suffer torments eternally All these are the recompence and reward of sinne Therefore Death comming and being an Enemie thus armed whatsoever kind of death it be we may well say it is a spirituall enemie and the more spirituall the more dangerous Fourthly and lastly it is a continuall Enemie And it is the more dangerous for that It laies hold of us in the wombe and never leaves us till it hath brought us to the Grave Beloved wee doe not only die when we die but all the time we live assoone as wee begin to live we begin to die As Seneca saith Every day wee die because every day some part of our life is gone As a Candle it is no sooner lighted but presently it begins to waste as an houre-glasse it is no sooner turned but presently the sand begins to runne out So our life it is no sooner breathed but presently it begins to vapour out As the Sea what it gaineth in one place it loseth in another so our life what we gaine one way wee lose it in another looke what is added to it so much is tooke from it the longer a man liveth the lesse he hath to live Death doth by us as Iacob did by Esau catcheth us in the wombe and never leaveth us So wee see it is a Common a Secret a Spirituall a Continuall Enemie Next we are to consider How and wherein Death sheweth it selfe an Enemie What Death deserveth at our hands to bee thus accounted and feared Fearfull and terrible it is that is certaine So Aristotle It is the most terrible of all terribles Bildad in Iob calleth it the King of terrours What doth Death bring with it to make it fearfull I answer Death hath sundrie concomitants and companions that attend it that make it a formidable Enemie First the Harbingers that come along with it Sicknesses and diseases infirmities old age and difficulties These are all fearfull to nature and through feare of these Death keepeth men all their life in bondage They make our lives as it were a life rather like a life then a life indeed So that howsoever the Apostle said in another place as it were dying and Behold wee live There Death hath the tanquam and life the Ecce yet here we may say as it were living and behold wee die here life hath the tanquam and Death the Ecce Life is but as it were a life it is but the shadow of a life that man walketh in Man walketh in a vaine shadow and disquieteth himselfe in vaine It is true it lighteth not on all alike some it commeth on as a Lyon and breaking their bones from morning to evening it makes an end of them to others it is as a Moth in the garment secretly in their lives by degrees insensibly pining and consuming them Howsoever what Harbinger soever it bringeth it visiteth us with many touches and twitches before it come falling pell-mell thicke and three-fold on us when they come In respect of these it may be said to be an Enemie Secondly the dissolution that Death bringeth For it dissolveth the frame of nature It divorceth and separateth the soule from the Bodie those two companions that have lived so lovingly together and perhaps have lived a long time together This is another thing that makes Death looke like an Enemie Friends and companions that have lived long together are loth to part wee see in experience old folke commonly are more loth to part when they are old then when they are young Now there is none neerer then the soule and bodie there is none have lived so long or so loving it must needs be tedious for these to part and be an affliction and vexation when neither the body can longer retaine the fleeting soule or the soule longer sustaine the drouping body Therefore in respect of this also Death being the cause of this no marvell though nature reluctate and we looke upon it as on the face of an Enemie Thirdly the horrour of the Grave The men of Darknesse as Iob calleth it the place of oblivion the pit of stinch and rottennesse this is another thing that nature shrinketh and relucts at For there we must burie out of our sight that that once was the delight of our eyes as Ezekiel said by his wife And though it were never so lovely before yet it quickly becommeth loathsome Our Beds must be made in darknesse where corruption and wormes must be the Mattresse and Coverled to lie under us and spread over us Thou shalt say to Corruption thou art my father and to the worme thou art my mother and my sister That bodie of thine that God in the wombe so wonderfully made that thou all thy life-time peradventure hast delicately cherished lapped in Silke in Furre pampered with sweet wines Death as a proud Tyrant will set his foot upon it and throw thee downe to the horrid dungeon where thy flesh shall putrifie and thy bones rot and the beauty of it though sometime it were as the Rose and the Lilly of the field shall soone become as loathsome as the dung in the streets This is another thing that makes the face of Death dreadful and terrible when we thinke of such privations and annihilations as these thaâ—… wee shall come from a beeing to no beeing These cannot but make Death looke with the face of an Enemie Fourthly The losse and deprivation of all worldly contentments and worldly imployments that is another thing that makes Death terrible and fearfull to us Looke whatsoever contentment wee tooke in any thing here we must bid
dignitie of thy soule iâ—… 〈◊〉 the breathing of God the Image of God he created it with 〈◊〉 Word redeemed it with his Sonne and in whomsoever his gâ—…e abides he will crowne it hereafter with his glorious presence What then remaines but that we esteeme our soules accordingly as God values them Let us not with the unhallowed voluptuous in these times make lords of our bodyes and slaves of our soules Let us not spend our dayes in providing for the lusts of the flesh Let us not in affectation of faire possessions of able servants of hopefull sonnes and good friends content our selves with bad soules A mans soule is himselfe saith Plato And O wretched wight saith Saint Austin how hast thou deserved so much ill of thy selfe as among all thy goods to be only thy selfe bad O remember the sublimitie of thy precious soule thou knowest not what a precious pearle thou hast in thy body like the hidden treasure in the Gospell it is of greater worth than the whole field I say not as he did know that thâ—…â—…ast a God in thee yet know that in that better part of thy nature thou art like to God for he hath given thee a soule of his owne breathing and stamped it with the impresse of his owne Image 〈◊〉 created it capable of the fruition of his owne presence in endlesse glorie In the consideration whereof walke worthily of this precious divine inspiration Thy Soule is a spirit let thy thoughts bee spirituall Thy Soule is immortall let thy meditations be of immortalitie and renounce thy body and good name â—…d gifts of the world for the gaining of thy soule For what shall it profit a man to gaine the whole world and to lose his owne soule So much shall serve to be spoâ—…n of the first point the surpassing excellencie and dignitie of the soule it is valued and prized here above the whole world Now the next is the possibilitie that a man may lose his owne soule The mention whereof causeth me to remember 〈◊〉 passage betweene Christ and his Disciples Mat. 24. Thâ—…â—…ples point Christ to the stately buildings of the Temple but they were soone damped when Christ told them that after a while there should not a stone bee left upon a stone So perhaps you are takeâ—… with admiration at the former part of the discourse concerniâ—…g the excellencie of mans soule but are damped to consider â—…at a man may lose it It is a substance immortall in respect of the being of it but defiled with sinne it is adjudgeable to death in regard of the well-being and a possibilitie so to die is nothing repugnant to the immortalitie of the soule The damned spirits they are alwayes dying anâ—… aâ—…e never dead they are alwayes deprived of Gods comfortable presence and are never released of their hellish torments As the Apostle saith in another case as dying and yet behold they live as living and yet behold they die The soule expiring is the death of the body and God forsaking is the death of the soule But you will say how is it possible The question is soone resolved if wee ponder the causes of death A thousand mortall maladies there are to kill the body and there are a thousand deadly diseases to destroy the soule There is no sinne so small but in the rigour of Gods justice and in its owne nature it may damne the soule When God in the beginning stated man in Paradise hee gave him a speciall caveate about the tree of knowledge he gives him a command thus In the day thou eatest thou shalt die What for bare eating No beloved but for the sinne for transgressing so small a Commandement of so great a God Sinne alone makes a separation betweene God and the soule and causeth the death of the soule The soule that sinnes the same shall die It may teach us that for the time that we live in this world there is nothing easier then to sinne There is a tree of Life and a tree of Knowledge and by eating of the tree forbidden commeth death there is a way of felicitie and a way to destruction there is a God of salvation and a ghostly enemie and by adhering to the principalitie of sinne a man may lose his owne soule Is it possible then that a man may lose his soule that is so precious and have we not great reason to try and to suspect our selves touching our standing towards God Is there not a maine necessitie to seeke the meanes to preserve us in the compasse and seales of grace It is lamentable to consider how in bodily diseases men can open their griefe and seeke for helpe and send to some learned Physitian Wee can goe to some noble learned counsell in case of law But alas the soule lies wounded in the way overladen with the grievances and pressures of sin distracted with the affrightings of a troubled conscience as if there were no balme in Gilead no Physitian there as if there were no Minister to afford helpe There is no seeking abroad a Lyon is pretended to bee in the way and Solomons sluggard folds his hands to sleepe O let not these things be so Be not as the horse and mule that have no understanding Neglect not the helpes of your preservation in grace but be continually watchfull with suspition and jealousie and abstaine from fleshly lusts that fight against your soules The Poet could say Theeves rise by night to robbe and kill and steale and wilt not thou wake to save thy soule God for the most part saith Saint Chrysostome hath alotted to nature all by twos two hands two eyes two feet two eares eares eyes hands feet two of all that if we chance to mayme one we can helpe to relieve the necessitie of it by the other but hee hath given us but one soule if we lose that what shift shall wee make for another soule a piercing contemplation if wee had grace to consider it Therefore O my soule tender thy selfe as my owne happinesse if thou be translated to heaven the body in time shall come thither this corruption shall put on incorruption this mortall shall put on immortalitie Againe if thou be haled with the fiends to the nethermost hell the body in time shall be â—…ormented with thee It is altogether just with the righteous God that they that meet in sinne should also consort in suffering Save thy selfe and save all and by wofull consequence lose thy selfe and lose all For what is a man profited if hee gaine the whole world and lose is owne soule So much for the second point the possibilitie of losing a mans soule Come we to the third the compossibilitie of outward prosperitie he may lose his soule in gaining the whole world In the diversitie of opinions concerning the chiefe good some there were that placed it in riches others in honours and how ever they differed in their judgements yet both agreed in this
feare prohibited Not the feare of God c. Feare is oft commanded in Scripture know then there are divers kindes of feare First naturall feare and that is called naturall either in regard of the materiall or efficient cause When the partie that doth feare is phlegmatick or melancholie and so is naturally inclined to feare this may be called a naturall feare Or in regard of the object when there is somewhat in that which is destructive to nature and therefore the feare of death it is naturall to man and so whatsoever may prejudice nature Now this naturall feare is an affection that Almightie God concreated with the soule it is naturally good it is morally neither good nor evill but according as it is determined by circumstances Againe there is a carnall evill feare namely when a man feares the evill of punishment more then the evill of sin a corporall evill more then a spirituall a temporall more then an eternall Hee is afraid of losing something hee enjoyes or of not getting something he desires c. In either regards there may be a carnall feare as I shall explaine it to you more anone and this so farre as it is carnall is ever to be condemned Thirdly there is a servile feare and this is such a feare as lookes at the punishment only and not at the sinne when a man is afraid of the judgements of GOD and never feares sinne that is the cause of it And so withall when this feare is only servile and is retained in the heart that man desires still to sinne there is a love of sinne a wishing that God would give him leave to sinne and let loose the reynes to him that if it were possible there were no God no Devill no Heaven nor Hell that he might sinne freely And if he abstaine from sinne at any time the cause is that there is this punishment that is the consequent of sinne and not out of love to God or obedience to his commandements Now this servile feare though in it selfe it bee not savingly pleasing to God yet it is a thing that is good as S. Austin observes for that man that feares servily hee doth that which is good though he doth it not well because that is a thing that depends upon the disposition and will of him that doth the thing though the thing be good as farre as it goes It is good for the restraining of evill men from outrages in the world and it is a preparative in the way to conversion as it is Act. 2. Lastly there is a filiall son-like feare that ariseth out of the consideration of the greatnesse and especially of the goodnesse of God whereby a man so hates punishment as hee hates sinne also the cause of it Now there are divers degrees of filiall feare One degree we call innitiall feare in this world And a degree of perfection in the world to come In this world the feare we have hath one eye upon the punishment and another eye upon the commandement or love of God And here many make a doubt whether they are to doe that which is good having an eye to the recompence of reward or to abstaine from evill out of the feare of punishment For answer briefly Any thing almightie God hath made a motive to us to incourage us to doe well or to deterre us from evill we may make a motive to our selves and as long as we doe so we doe well It was so with Adam in Paradice this was propovnded as a motive In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die Then to abstaine from the forbidden fruit partly out of feare of punishment if Adam did so he did well So every one of us in regard of any evill we may have an eye to the punishment that will bee the consequent of the thing For Christ urgeth this to his owne Disciples Feare not him that can kill the body c. And to doe things meerely without any respect to punishment at all I know no reason why any man should aspire to that perfection For God while we are here hath given us these motives to stirre us up to avoid evill and it is well if wee can heartily and truly out of love to God doe it by all the motives that God hath propounded To have a feare meerely for punishment and still to retaine the love of sinne and no respect or love to the commandement of God this is not acceptable to God in a saving manner but to have an eye to God and to abstaine from sinne partly out of love to God and partly out of feare of punishment this is acceptable to God For a man must love himselfe in subordination to the love of God and therefore he may looke to the avoiding of evill and to the getting of good eternall to soule and body Now these feares we may consider of them thus The naturall feare may be accompanied with the Spirit but it comes not from the Spirit that must be ordered by the word of God Secondly carnall feare comes not from the spirit nor is accompanied with it this is ever to be mortified this wee must take heed of and this feare Abraham is exhorted against here Thirdly the feare that is servile it comes from the spirit but it is not accompanied with the spirit As the dawning of the day the Sunne is the cause of it yet the Sunne is not present when the day dawnes but some glimpse goes before him this wee must cherish so as we bring it to filiall feare and then wee deale aright in that Lastly for filiall feare we must cherish that at all times wee must labour to get still a more reverent respect of the Majestie of God So I have breiefly shewed you what feare is And what feare wee must labour to be freed from all slavish and carnall feare in regard of the world or any thing in the world any ill that may befall us or any good that may be taken from us Now you see that a Christian is such a man as may live without all feare that is carnall Feare not them that can kill the body And in Isaiah 8. 12. Feare not their feare What is the ground of this I will tell you briefly Christ came into the world to deliver us from all our enemies that wee might serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse Luke 1. 47. So then the ground is this that man that hath no enemies that man that cannot possibly be molested with any evill what need hee feare For there is no evill in the world that can surprize a man that is in covenant with God that labours to keepe his covenant but by the power of the Spirit he may conquer it For only evill and evill future is the object of feare Now if there be no evill that can befall a child of God but such as may be conquered hee should contemne it and not feare it Now
crazie and all things are out of order yet this man can incourage himselfe in the Lord his God he can say to himselfe feare not Saith Daved though I walke in the valley of the shadow of death a dolefull condition yet I will feare none ill Psal. 23. And in another place though ten thousand should compasse mee in on every side I would lay mee downe and rest Though the Apostles were watched by souldiers layd in the stocks and for ought they knew the next day should be brought to execution yet they sing as merrily and sleepe as heartily as if they had beene on a Throne and had beene Kings in a Pallace Thus a good conscience will make a Christian happy if he be not his owne foe but our hearts are intangled with the world and wordly things that for the most part wee see not this priviledge But I leave that Next it may serve to reprehend and chide the most of us yea all in that we are distracted with feares unnecessary such as spend our spirits and consume our precious time such things as make our lives uncomfortable and dishonour God and our Religion and profession and all to no purpose Some things we feare a great while before wee neede perhaps that we neede not feare at all One saith Lord what would become of me if I should loose my wife if I should loose my children or loose my estate What would become of me if the times should be hard if there should be a deare yeare I can scarse bring both ends together now Another saith what shall I doe when I am old and cannot take paines for my living thus men feare a thousand inconveniences What neede wee meete evills halfe way what neede wee create to our selves such troubles sufficient for the day are the troubles of it But in regard of carnall feare all things make us afraid more then we neede and the feare of ill oft times perplexeth a man more then the ill it selfe that lights upon him And men of a melancholly disposition they frame to themselves such strange Chimera's Imaginations of things that perhaps shall never come to passe and so trouble themselves with a great deale of feare Thou art afraid of such and such losses perhaps thou maiest die first and such things perhaps shall never befall thee labour to prepare thy heart before hand and then feare them not I will shew you the inconveniences of this briefly First of all these feares of losses and crosses and the like they often bring a great deale of ill to men nay it brings a great deale of ill as the naturall event and consequent of it partly by the judgement of God Esay 66. 4. I will bring their feares upon them And that that wicked men feare shall come upon them This is the way to bring ill upon them when men will needs bee miserable is it not just with God they should The Romans will come and take away our Empire and so it was Saul was afraid that David should succeede him and so hee did When men will not learne to live by faith it is just with God to bring that that they feare upon them because they dishonour him by unbeliefe In the second place it not onely brings ill but it makes the heart unfit for ill when it comes In the feare of man there is a snare but in the confidence of the Lord there is a sure reward In the feare of man there is a snare what doth feare doe it insnares a man it binds a man hand and foote and layes him flat before his enemie when he comes and then his enemy tramples upon him It so weakens the Spirits and disheartneth a man before it comes that when it comes he is no way able to beare it For the feare takes away all the joy and content that a man may take in the present good that hee enjoyes at the hand of God that he cannot enjoy that because hee feares I know not what ill that may come and then when that ill comes he is not able to beare it his spirit is so weake I might shew much hurt that this feare doth both to the soule and to the body of man To the body of man how doth it weaken and contract the Spirits and bring diseases and some times death it selfe Feare doth much hurt to the soule Naturally Spiritually Naturally it weakens a man in regard of the operations of his soule that the body is not a fit instrument for the soule to worke by It makes a man doe diverse things rashly and inconsiderately and divers things out of incogitancie that hee knowes not what he doth he is unfit for holy duties unstable in all his wayes As he is thus in regard of his place and calling so in regard of the duties of Gods service he cannot doe these with a quiet heart with a peaceable spirit while he is possest with these feares You shall see almost all the sinnes in the world come from this feare What was the reason that Abraham and Sarah did equivocate was it not feare in that particular of men more then God and so they put God upon a miracle to preserve Saraahs chastitie in the case of Abimeleck What was the reason that Aaron yeelded to make an Idoll for the people of Israel and so joyned in Idolatry with them he was afraid of the people that they might doe him some hurt he durst not trust God with his preservation So Peter denyed his Master out of feare What is the reason that a Minister doth not sometimes reproove sinne that a Magistrate doth not sometimes reforme that that is amisse It is slavish feare they will not trust God to maintaine them in his owne cause What is the reason that many servants lye c. it is out of a slavish feare of their masters And so in regard of the things of the world men are inordinately afraid that they shall loose somewhat they possesse and therefore they take indirect courses Still this slavish feare and horrour and distrust of God it is almost the cause of all sin as wee may observe in the world This being so prejudicall in the last place let us fence our hearts against this feare By this meanes we shall honour Religion and make our lives comfortable incourage other Saints of God and draw people to like Religion when it yeelds such sweet contentment to the soules of men For doe but once againe muster together all our enemies and see if we have cause of feare For our spirituall enemies Will any man feare a wounded foe for the Lord God hath wounded Satan and trampled him under our feet and brought us as Ioshua did his Captaines to set our feet upon the necke of principalities and powers that through the mightie power of God wee are more then conquerours and shall we feare such an enemie as this Shall we
destroyed is death meaning temporall death at last then it shall be destroyed mortall shall put on immortality as the Apostle speakes but in the meane time it is destroyed in hope though it remaine indeede and must be undergone even of the faithfull in this life How be it to them Christ hath changed the nature of it and now they no longer undergoe it as the wages of sinne but for other causes As first the exercise of their graces their faith and hope and patience and the rest all these are exercised as in other afflictions so even in the death of Gods Children Secondly the totall remoovall and riddance of the reliques of sinne from which they are not freed in this life but when they die then all sinne is taken away for as at the first sinne brought death into the world so to the faithfull now death carries it out againe Thirdly their entrance into heaven and to bee at home with the Lord from whom wee are absent as long as wee are at home in these bodies Fourthly to prepare their bodies for renewing at the last day that is done by death for as a decayed Image or statue must first be broken that it may be new cast so these bodies of ours must bee broken by death that they may be cast into a new mold of immortalitie at the generall resurrection But here as some sinne remaines so death remaines though wee be in Christ yet wee are still in that estate wherein it is appointed to all men once to dye Thus even temporall death is left to the Children of God to bee undergone before they come to heaven It is left to them I say and that justly in respect of the remnants of sinne yet they undergoe it no other way but for their owne good and benefit How ever temporall death in its owne nature to an unbeleever is the wages of sinne And as temporall so eternall death for when God told man that in the day hee sinned he should die the death he meant not onely temporall but eternall death he meant that principally as I shewed before in that the Apostle opposeth it to eternall life in the next clause of the sentence Now Christ hath freede all beleevers actually from eternall death But how eternall death should be the wages of sinne may be doubted because betweene the worke and the the wages there must be some proportion that seemes not to bee betweene sinne and eternall death for sinne is a finite a temporall thing committed in a short time and that death is eternall Now to punish a temporall fault with an eternall punishment it seemes that it is to make the punishment to exceed the fault and that is against justice But for answer to this doubt wee must know that however sinne considered in the act and as it is a transcient action it is finite yet in other respects it is infinite and that in a threefold consideration First in respect of the object against whom it is committed for being the offence of an infinite Majestie it deserves an infinite punishment for wee know offences are reckoned of for their greatnesse according as the greatnesse of the person is against whom they are committed If hee that clippes the Kings coyne or deface the Kings Armes or counterfeit the broad Seale of England or the Princes privie Seale ought to die as a traytor because this disgrace tends to the person of the Prince much more ought he that violates the law of God die the first and second death too because it tends to the defacing of the Image and the disgracing of the person of God himselfe who is contemned and dishonoured in every sinne Secondly sinne is infinite in respect of the subject wherein it is the soule of man Seeing the soule is immortall and of an everlasting substance and that the guilt of sinne and the blot together staine the soule as a crimson and skarlet die upon wooll and can no more be severed from the soule then the spottes from the Leopard it remaines as the soule is eternall and as that is everlasting so sinne is infinite in durance and continuance and deserves an infinite wages and punishment which is eternall death Thirdly it is infinite also in respect of the tie betweene the desire and indeavour of an impenitent sinner for his desire is to walke on still in sinne and except God cut off the line of life never to give over sinning but he would runne on infinitely committing sinne even with greedinesse And it is reason that as God accepts the will for the deed in godlinesse so hee should punish the will for the deed in wickednesse if wee sinne according to our eternitie in our will and purpose to sinne God will punish us according to his eternitie it is just that they that would never bee without sinne if they might have their owne will should never be without punishment Thus we see eternall death is the wages of sinne though sinne be committed in a moment though it bee a transcient action in it selfe yet it is just with God to give it the wages of eternall death So you see Death both temporall and eternall is the wages of sinne Wee come to the Use of the point being thus declared First it teacheth us contrarie to the Doctrine of the Church of Romeâ—… that originall lust and concupiscence in the regenerate is a sinne for how else should God be just in inflicting temporall death upon infants that are regenerate actuall sinnes they have none and iâ—… they have no originall sin neither then God should inflict the wages of sinne where there were no sinne which cannot be because there is no iniquitie with God Therefore certaine it is that after regeneration this originall lust though the guilt of it be taken away yet as sinne it remaines the substance of it still remaines and will as long as we live in this world For it is in us as it is well compared as the I vie is in the wall which having taken root so twines and incorporates it selfe that it can never bee quite rooted out till the wall be taken down so till body and soule be taken asunder by death there will be no totall riddance of Originall corruption and the depravation of our nature it is still in us as appeares by the temporall death even of the best Saints of those that are most sanctified in this life it shewes there is remainders of corruption in them still for if there were not sinne there would not be the wages of sinne there would not be death if there were not sinne Secondly the Use of it is to take away a fond Popish distinction of mortall and veniall sinne they teach some sins to be veniall that is such sins as in their owne nature deserve not death whereas the Apostle here speaking of all sinne in generall hee saith the wages thereof is death
And how can it be otherwise when all sâ—… is the transgression of the Law as Saint Iohn defines it and all transgression of the Law deserves and is worthie of the curse which is both the first and second death for Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law to doe them There is no sinne then but it is worthy of death therefore there is no such veniall sin as they dreame of We denie not but that some sins are veniall and some mortall in another sence not in respect of the nature of the sin but of the estate of the person in whom the sins are so we say all the sins of the Elect are veniall because they either are or shall be pardoned And all the sins of reprobate persons are mortall because they shall never be pardoned It is the mercy of God and not from the nature of the sins that makes them veniall for otherwise every sin in it selfe considered be it never so small is mortall for if it worke according to its owne nature it workes death of body and soule It is a foolish exception that they bring against it that thus we make all sins equall and that we bring in with the Stoicks a paritie of sin because we say all are mortall It is a foolish cavill for it is as if one should argue because the Mouse and the Elephant are both living creatures that therefore they are both of equall bignesse Though all sins be mortall they are not all equall some are greater and some are lesser according as they are extended and aggravated by time and place and person and sundrie other circumstances Suppose one should be drowned in the middest of the Sea and another in a shallow pond in respect of death all were one both are drowned but yet there is great difference in respect of the place for depth and danger So there is great difference in this though the least sin in its owne nature be mortall as the Apostle saith here the wages of it is death Thirdly seeing the wages of sinne is death it should teach us what Use to make of death being presented before our eyes at such times as this hereby wee should call to remembrance the grievousnesse of sin that brought it into the world by the wofull wages wee should bee put in mind of the unhappie service Had there not beene sin there would have beene no death upon the death of the soule came in the death of the body first the soule died in forsaking God and then the body died being forsaken of the soule the soule forsooke God willingly therefore it was compelled unwillingly to forsake the body This is the manner how death came into the world by sin therefore death must put out sin That housholder when he saw tares grow among his wheate hee said to his servants the envious man hath done this So whensoever thou seest Death seize upon any say to thy selfe sinne hath done this this is the wages of sinne and if man had never sinned we should have seene no such thing Fourthly this must deterre us from sin since it gives such wages Indeed the manner of sin is for the most part if not alwayes to promise better but it is deceitfull and this is the wages it payes thee The wages of sinne is death The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated wages some take it quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the evening because wages are paid in the evening So the morning of sin may be faire but the evening will be foule when the wages come At the first sin may be pleasing but remember the end the end of it is death Like to a fresh River that runs into the salt Sea the streame is sweet but it ends in brackishnesse and bitternesse Or like to Nebuchadnezzars Image the head was gold but the feet were of clay Or sin may be compared to that Feast that Absalom made for Amnon there was great cheare and jollitie and mirth for a while but all closed in Death in bloudshed and murther It deales with men as Laban dealt with Iacob hee entertaines him at the first with great complements but used him hardly at the last Or as the Governour of the feast said Ioh. 2. All men in the beginning set forth good wine and then that which is worse so sinne gives the best at the first but the worst it reserves for the last This should keepe us from every sin though it seemes never so pleasing and never so sweet to us remembring that the worst is still to come Wee reade that when the people saw that Saul forbad them to eate though they were exceeding hungrie yet not one of them durst touch the honey for the curse though they saw it so the pleasures of sin may drop as honey before our eyes but we must not adventure to taste of them because they are cursed fruit and because of the wages that will follow Never take sinne by the head by the beginnings as the greatest part doe but take it as Iacob tooke Esau by the heele looke to the extreame part of it Consider thy end and thou shalt not doe amisse Iezabell might have allured a man when having painted her face shee looked out of the window but to looke upon her after shee was cast out eaten of dogges and nothing remaining but her extreame parts her scull and the palmes of her hands and her feet it could not be but with horrour so sinne may allure a man looking only on the painted face in the beginning but if a man cast his eye upon the extreame parts it would then affright and deterre him for the wages the end of it is death What a world of people runne blindly and desperatly on they turne to the race of sinne as the horse to the battell without feare as if the Psalmists Tremble and sinne not were rather sinne and tremble not Whereas we have great cause every one to tremble at the least motion of sinne in our selves to which so dreadfull and wofull wages is due Lastly for this point so many of us as have repented and have already left the service of sin we must hence learne as to be humbled in our selves considering what danger and miserie we have escaped so to be more thankful to Christ that hath freed us from so wretched wages due to our sins and that by taking the whole punishment upon himselfe For we must know beloved that the best of us by nature are children of wrath as well as others the stypend that we have earned is eternall death and surely it hath been payed to us nothing could have kept it from us but only the satisfaction of Christ comming betweene Gods justice and us Thinke we then if we can what miserie it is that wee have escaped as many of us I meane as be in the state of grace we have escaped
let not the allurement of vaine objects and vain companie let not the appetite and desire of base pleasures drive these thoughts out of your heads but examine your owne hearts whether you partake of the first Resurrection or no. Deceive not thy owne soule for though conscience may now sleepe thou mayst thinke thou art in a good estate yet let me tell thee the time will come when thy conscience will awake that if thou continue to wallow in any one sin if there be no change in thee in thy life in thy heart if in stead of growing better thou grow worse and bee hardned more and more in sinfull courses thy conscience will tell thee to thy face thou art a dead man thou hast no part in Christ for Christ is the Resurrection the Fountaine of spirituall life thou hast not yet attained the first Resurrection to the life of grace and therefore if thou goe on in this course thou shalt not attaine to the second Resurrection to the life of glory So much for that Use. The third and the last Use of the point is for exhortation and direction If now upon examination thou find that thou hast not yet attained to this spirituall Resurrection then let me counsel thee to give no rest to thy soule till thou hast attained it for remember that this is the first step to heaven and if thou set not the first steppe to heaven surely thou shalt never come thither As the Resurrection of Christ was the first degree of his exaltation so this spirituall Resurrection that we have spoken of it is the first degree of a Christians exaltation therefore get this in the first place yea get this and all will follow If thou attaine this thou maist be assured of the second Resurrection also to the life of glory Remember that Christ by raising himselfe from the dead by his owne power declared himselfe to be the eternall Sonne of God Hee was declared mightily to bee the Sonne of God by his Resurrection So if thou canst by a power and vertue drawne from Christ rise out of the grave of thy sinne then thou shalt declare thy selfe to bee the member of Christ the Sonne of God the daughter of God therefore labour to attaine this first Resurrection But here this question may be demanded but by what meanes now doth Christ convey this spirituall life to his children and how shall I get to bee partaker of this Resurrection by what meanes shall I attaine this first Resurrection to this spirituall life To this I answer briefly that by the same meanes by which Christ workes faith in the soule by the same meanes hee raiseth a sinner to life for he that beleeveth liveth and he that liveth beleeveth hee that beleeveth is raised to life therefore by the same meanes that Christ workes faith by the same meanes he raiseth a sinner to life Therefore the outward meanes is the Preaching of the Word the inward the Spirit of grace By such meanes as Christ will raise the bodies of the dead at the last day by the like meanes hee now raiseth the soules of those that are dead in sinne Now Christ will raise the bodyes that are now dead in the Grave at the last day First by his voyce Iohn 5. 28 29. and by the sound of the Trumpet 1 Cor. 15. 52. The Trump shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible And hee shall raise them by his quickning Spirit So by the like meanes Christ now raiseth our soules that are dead in sinnes therefore if thou desire to bee raised out of the grave of sinne let me counsell thee First to attend diligently to the word of God upon the preaching of the Gospell The word of Christ is a quickning word as Christ saith Ioh. 3. 63. My Word is spirit and life The voyce of Christ is a quickning voyce as Christ by his voyce raised Lazarus out of his Grave when Christ said to Lazarus Come forth presently Lazarus quickned and came forth so the voyce of Christ in the ministerie of the Word hath a quickning power to raise sinners from the death of sinne therefore when the Ministers crie aloude and the Prophets lift up their voyce as a Trumpet then hearken Secondly be frequent and fervent in Prayer for the Spirit of of grace and of Christ before thou heare pray and after thou hast heard pray that the Spirit of Christ may accompany his Word that so this may be a meanes to awaken and to quicken thee out of thy naturall estate and to raise thee out of the death of sinne Thou must pray to God to give thee a hearing eare and a beleeving heart that so the sound of the Word may not be as the sound of a Trumpet in the eares of a dead man but that thou mayst be quickned by the voyce of Christ. And though thou have continued a long time in thy sinnes yet bee not altogether discouraged remember that Christ is able to raise thee though thou have continued never so long in thy sinnes for hee that was able to raise Lazarus that was dead and buried and now stinking in the Grave he is able to raise up thee also In the last place in one word if upon examination thou find thou have attained to this spirituall Resurrection then here is a ground of exhortation To humilitie thankfulnesse Here is a ground of Exhortation to Humilitie and Thankfulnesse to joyne them both together because they usually goe together the proud person is alway unthankfull and the humble man is alway a thankfull man Now if thou have attained to this Resurrection thou hast great cause to be humble and to bee thankfull First thou hast great cause to bee humbled because thou hast nothing but that thou hast received thou hast great cause to bee humbled because thou puttest not any hand to this worke no more than the dead body of Lazarus could helpe to the raising of him No more then a creature being nothing can helpe to its owne creation no more can a sinner helpe forward this worke of his Resurrection therefore thou hast cause to be humbled for not putting the least helping hand to this worke it is wholly supernaturall Therefore let not any one arrogate any thing to the power of his free-will but remember the worke is wholly supernaturall Secondly as we have cause to be humbled so to be thankfull too doe but consider the desperate and dangerous estate of sinne whence thou art raised and then make thy humble confession with the Israelites when they brought their first fruites before God Deut. 26. 5. A Syrian ready to perish was my father hee went into Egypt with a few and became a Nation mightie and populous and the Lord brought him out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an out-stretched arme with terrour and signes and wonders and hath brought us to this place and hath given us this Land even a Land flowing with
shall not lose any thing that is comfortable and good you shall not lose life by it nay indeed the more you sinne the more you die every sinne is deadly and mortall every sin tends to your destruction to the taking away of life this is certaine Therefore looke as a man when hee is in a mortall dangerous disease that every man concludes if the disease prevaile hee will dye nay it hath so farre prevailed that it will bee the death of him you need no more to perswade him to spend all his estate upon Physitians to cure that disease Now the sinnes that you cannot endure should bee reproved that you cannot abide to reforme they will be death in the end your eternall death therfore labour especially against them When wee diswade you from sinne and perswade you to purge out sinne wee perswade you to your cure to bee free from your disease to be free from that that will end in death You shall not lose any rest and peace by it the more you mortifie sinne the more rest and peace you shall have nay the more sinne rules the lesse rest and peace There is no peace to the wicked but they are as the troubled waves of the Sea that alway foame and cast up myre and dirt as the Prophet speakes such is the restlesse agitation of a man that goes on in sinne he is ever restlesse and unquiet Would you have peace and quiet get out sinne that hinders all peace and quiet Againe you shall not lose outward good things not credite and name and esteeme Nay what dishonours you and exposeth you to reproach and shame and obliquie is it not sinne For what is it that men are evill spoken of is it not for this and that particular evill Doe you love your name avoide sinne sinne will end in shame it is the issue the fruit of it God will give you honour with his servants nay even in the hearts of the wicked You know the more men strive to mortifie their sinnes the more the world reprocheth them ordinarily but wee must not judge what men doe in their jollitie and in their passion but what themselves doe when they are upon the wracke of a troubled conscience upon their death-bed oh then if they might die the death of the righteous oh then they would they had lived the life of the righteous or any thing then if they had beene like such a one whom they scorned This gained esteme of Iohn in Herods heart Againe you shall not lose your wealth your estate all losses of estate that are judgements and punishments they are but the fruits of sinne you shall keepe your estate and keepe it with comfort as farre as it is good for you your sinnes provoke God even to curse your blessings You shall not lose your pleasure if you part with sinne nay you shall gaine pleasures All sorrow and griefe of heart and disquiet of spirit that ariseth from terrour of conscience are they not hence because of sinne Would you have joy and pleasure unspeakable and glorious part from sinne that is the cause of sorrow When wee bid you part with sinne we speake to you to part with a needlesse thing it is a superfluitie as well as hurtfull superfluitie of malice what need one sinne in the world cannot you live and be happy without it cannot you live comfortably and die blessedly without sinne Nay is it not that that hinders your blessednesse and happinesse The Angels in heaven they are blessed because they are without sinne but those of them that sinned they are reserved in chaines of darknesse to the judgement of the great day Adam in Paradise in the state of innocencie he was blessed he was without sinne but as soone as he sinned hee was cast out of Paradise and a Cherubin set with a flaming sword to keepe the way of the Tree of life that man should not come at it You your selves the best comfort the best peace the best evidences you have are those that doe arise from your hatred of sinne Therefore doe but consider how needlesse a thing it is Can you got any thing by it can you live a day longer or an houre more happy can you be a whit better by it If you could enjoy any present good by sinne there were somewhat to bee pleaded but what is it you get a little wealth by unrighteousnesse is it gaine Iob saith their belly shall be filled with gravell If a man fill his belly with gravell what hath hee gotten by it you will get that that you must cast up againe you get that that one day you will wish you had never knowne as Israell when they turned to God they should say of their garments of silver and gold that they had made for their Idols Get you hence So every worldly man that raiseth his estate by unrighteous meanes the time will come that hee shall wish all the money that he hath gotten were in the bottome of the Sea that he had never knowne what a penney or a house or apparell had meant that he hath gotten or made or appropriate to himselfe by any unrighteousnesse whatsoever What use is there of it And will you lose your soules for that that is nothing and will you lose heaven for that that is needlesse and eternall happinesse for that that will not doe you a moment of time not a little present good not a little present ease not a little present comfort But lastly the great benefit that redounds by it that is spoken of in the Text it is that you shall live and live to God The more you die to finne the more you shall live to God through Jesus Christ. Now wee come upon a strong motive to perswade you to set more heartily against those evils that are daily reproved the more you die to them the more you shall live to God Suppose the worke of repentance be a hard taske suppose it should be somewhat painfull suppose it bee something that vexe and disquiet the naturall spirit of man as there is paine in repentance and mortification of sinne yet neverthelesse if you may get eternall life by it is it not worth the while Consider what you doe for naturall life suppose a member of the body bee gangrened that it is in danger to bee spread over the whole body and the taking away of naturall life the losse of a hand and the losse of any member though it bee never so usefull rather then the body shall be in danger and a man deprived of life you will lose a usefull member and when you have done you doe it but in hope to preserve life for you are not sure when you have cut off that member to live a day after but yet because it is possible because it is the way to naturall life and yet if you have that life granted suppose for terme of yeares as Hezekiah had for fifteene
sweet sleepe in Jesus Secondly if the dead are blessed in comparison of the living let us not so glew our thoughts and affections to the world and the comforts thereof but that they may bee easily severed for there is no comparison betweene the estate of the godly in this life and in the life to come for here they labour for rest there they rest from their labour here they expect what they are to receive there they receive what they expected here they hunger and thirst for righteousnesse there they are satisfied here they are continually afflicted either for their sinnes or with their sinnes and they have continuall cause to shed teares either for the calamities of Gods people or the strokes they themselves receive from God or the wounds they give themselves there all teares are wiped from their eyes Here they are alwayes troubled either with the evills they feare or the feare of evill but when they goe hence Death sets a period to all feare cares sorrowes and dangers And therefore Solon spake divinely when hee taught Craesus that he ought to suspend his verdict of any mans happinesse till hee saw his end Thirdly if those dead are blessed that dye in the Lord let us strive to be of that number eamus nos moriamur cum eo Let us goe and dye with him and in him And that we may doe so wee must first endevour to live in him For Cornelius à Lapida his collection is most true As a man cannot die at Rome who never lived at Rome so none can dye in Christ who never lived in him and none can live in him who is not in him first then wee must labour to be in him and how may wee compasse this Christ himselfe teacheth us I am the Vine and my Father is the Husbandman every branch that beareth not fruit in me he taketh away and every branch that breareth fruit he purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit as the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe exceept it abide in the Vine no more can yee except yee abide in mee Hence wee learne that wee cannot beare fruit in Christ unlesse as branches we be ingrafted into him now that a graffe may be inoculated 1. There must be made an incision in the tree 2. The graffe or syence must be imped in 3. After it is put in it must be ioyned fast to the tree The incision is already made by the wounds given Christ at his death many incisions were made in the true Vine that which putteth us in or inoculateth us is a speciall faith and that which binds us fast to the tree is love and the grace of perseverance If then we bee engrafted by faith into Christ and bound fast unto him by love wee shall partake of the Iuice of the stocke and grow in grace and beare fruit also more and more and so living in the true Vine we shall die in him and so dying in him wee shall reflourish with him in everlasting glorie Fourthly if wee are assured by a voyce from heaven that none but they are blessed who die in the Lord all Infidells Jewes and Turkes yea and such hereticks too as denie all speciall faith in Christ are in a wretched and lamentable case for it is cleare that unbeleevers cannot live in Christ for the just liveth by faith and though hereticks and among them our Adversaries of Rome have a generall faith yet because they want a speciall faith in Christ whereby they are to be ingrafted into him and made members of his mysticall body they can make no proofe to themselves or others at least unlesse they renounce some of the Trent Articles that they live or dye in the Lord. Lastly if all that dye in Christ are blessed as a voyce from heaven assureth us we doe wrong to heaven if we accompt them miserable we doe wrong to Christ if we count them as lost whom he hath found if wee shed immoderate teares for them from whose eyes Hee hath wiped away all teares to weare perpetuall blacks for them upon whom he hath put long white Robes Whatsoever our losses may be by them it commeth farre short of their gaine our crosse is light in comparison of their super-excellent weight of glory therefore let us not sorrow for them as those that have no hope Let us not shew our selves Infidells by too much lamenting the death of beleevers Weepe wâ—… may for them or rather for our losse by them but moderatly as knowing that our losse is their gaine and if wee truly love them wee cannot but exceedingly congratulate their feasts of joy their rivers of pleasures their Palmes of victory their robes of majestie their crownes of glorie Water therefore your plants at the departure of your dearest friends but drowne them not For whatsoever wee complaine of here they are freed from there and whatsoever wee desire here they enjoy there they hunger not but feast with the Lâ—… they sigh not but sing with Moses having safely passed over the glassiâ—… sea they lie not in darknesse but possesse the inheritance of Saints in light They have immunitie from sinne freedome from all temptations and securitie from danger they have rest for their labours here comfort for their troubles glory for their disgrace joyes for their sorrowes life for their death in Christ and Christ for all Cui c. FINIS VICTORIS BRABAEVM OR THE CONQVEROVRS PRIZE A SERMON PREACHED at Rotheriffe at the Funerall of M ris Dorothy Gataker Wife to the worthie and Reverend Divine Master Thomas Gataker B. D. SERMON XLVI APOC. 14. 13. So sayth the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their workes follow them THe longer a man enjoyeth the benefit of life the more cause he hath to desiredeath for cares grow with years and sins with cares sorrows with sins and fears with sorrowes which trouble the quiet and confound the musicke and blend the mirth and dampe the whole joy of our life so that hee who spinneth the thred of his life to the greatest length gaineth nothing thereby but this that hee can give a fuller and clearer evidence of the vanitie of the World and yeeld a more ample testimonie to the miserie of man during his abode in the flesh whom if wee take at the best advantage of his worldly happinesse hee must needs confesse that hee hath nothing of all that is past but a sad remembrance nor of that which is to come but a solicitous feare As after a great feast at which a man hath glutted his appetite nothing remaineth but lothsome and stinking fumes ascending from the stomacke to the head and offending the brain so of all the pleasures of sinne past nothing remaineth but a bitter taste in the conscience or rather to use Saint Bernards Metaphor amara foeda vestigia foule and stinking prints left in the flore where hee daunced after the Devills pipe sorrow and shame for what hee
come 1. From the evill of suffering That he shall not see it That he shall not endue it Ezek. 9. Exod. 12. 2. From the evill of sinning That he shall not see sinne committed by others That he shall not commit sin himselfe Vse Quest. Answ. The losse of a godly man a great punishment to a place The second part of the Text. Inconsideration a great sinne A fruit of sin A cause of sinne Isa. 40. 6. Luk. 1. 4. Psal. 90. 10. Bxod. 17. 14. Isa. 8. 1. Ezek. 24. 2. Rom. 24. 2. The division of the words 1 2 3 4 5 Observation 1. Aust. lib. 19. de Civit. Dei. A double blessednesse Phil. 3. 21. 2 Cor. 5. 7 Phil. 1. 23. 1 Cor. 15. 19. Eccles. 9. 4. Job 2. 4. Job 6. 3. Psa 119. 175 Psal. 39 13. Isa. 38. 18 19. Job 7. 15. Num. 11. 15. 1 King 19. 4. Jonah 4 3. Job 3. 20. Quest. Answ. Five causes of selfe-murther 1 2 3 4 〈◊〉 Observation 2. What it is to die 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 Euke 23. 34. Acts 7. 60. 6. In peace How to come to die in the Lord. 1 2 The summe of the words Devision Explanation None of us liveth to himselfe Observation A beleever is not to make himselfe the end in his Actions Obiect Answ. A double consideration of our selves How a man may seeke himselfe Selfe-love lawfull The Observation 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 Per. 1. 18. Luk. 1. 74. Reas. 3. It is dangerous to a mans selfe 1. A man in seeking himselfe loseth his happinesse 2. That which he gaines is but a shadow of gaine 3. Hee loseth himselfe Mat. 16. 26. Mark 10. Vse 1. For Conviction 1. That there are many that professe themselves Christians yet live to themselves Complained of Phil. 2. 21. Forbidden 1 Cor 10. 24. How a man shall know whether he liveth to himselfe Rule 〈◊〉 Iustance 1. â—…oh 6. 10. Hos. 7. Deut. 32. Instance 2. Simile Instance 3. Rule 2. Rom. 1. 2. That it is an evill thing for a man to live to himselfe Mat. 6. 22. A single eye what Jam. 1. Vse 2. For Exhortation Helpes 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 2 Cor. 5. Vse 3. For instruction 1 Cor. 14. Eph. 4. 9. The Coherence Division of the Text. 1. Preface 2. Exhortation In the Exhortation 1. The ground of it 2. The Exhortation it selfe 3. The motivo In the Preface Observation 1. Observat. 2 In the Exhortation 2. The grouÌ„d of it The meaning of the words Obser. 1. Obser. 2. The meditation of the shortnesse of our lives a special means to take us off of the world Reas. 〈◊〉 Reas. 2. What is the principall thing we have to doe in the world Vse The ground of all our neglect of heaven is the want of the consideration of the shortnesse of this life Sath an labours above all things 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 wept 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 1 The things of the world are emptie things to a beleever Reas. 2. The things of the world are none of a beleevers Note Simile Reas. 3. The things of the 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 wee 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. â—…udden 2. Painfull 3. Vnavoidable In the words a double description 1 Zach. 1. â—…1 2 The Observation In the greathe security the greatest danger A double security 1. Holy and spirituall Spirituall security what Psal. 4. 8. Isa. 26. 20. 2. Sinfâ—…ll and carnall Carnall security a forerunner of Judgement Proved 1. By particular examples of particular persons 1 Sam. 15. 13. Dan. 5. 3. Luk. 12. 19. Job 21. 13. 2. By generall examples of nations and states Luke 17. Jer. 6. 14 15 Zepha 1. 12. Isa. 47. 8. 9. Rev. 18. 7. Confirmed by Reason 1. In respect of the causes of security Infidelity 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 securitie Gen. 15. 16. Note Vse 1. For examination Signes of security 1. Profiting not by the judgements of God on our selves or others Dan. 5. Ier. 31. 9. Amos 4. 2. Contempt of the ordinances Amos 6. Ier. 9. 13. Jer. 23. 33. 3. Vaine confidence Jer 7. 11. 12 13. Numb 11. 13 Jer. 49. 16. Isa. 48. 15. 4. Continual increase of sinne Vse 2. For xxhortation Motives to watchfulnesse 1. The watchfulnesse of our enemies 1. Sathan 2. The flesh 3. Heretiques Mot. 2. The evill of security In it selfe a spirituall lethargie 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 judgement positive Future Matt. 24. Ezek. 9. Mala. 3. Helpes to watchfulnesse 1. Sobrietie Eph. 5. 2. Spirituall exercise 3. Continual feare 4. Good company Eccles. 4. 5. Be alwaies as in Gods presence Psal. 139. Jer. 23. 23. 6. Consider thy latter end Revel 3. 2. Eccles. 11. 9. Prov. 16. 7. Psal. 9. 6. The parts of the Text. Obser. 1. Death is an enemie What kind of enemie 1. A common enemie 1 King 22. 31 Gen. 16. 12. Psal. 89. 48. Obiect Answ. Josh. 23. 14. Job 30. 23. 2. A secret enemie 3. A spirituall Enemie Rom. 5. 12. 4. A continuall Enemie Wherein Death is an Enemie Job 18. 18. 〈◊〉 In respect of its attendants 1. Sicknesse c. Heb. 2. 15. 2 Cor. 6. Psal. 39. 6. 2. Dissolution of the frame of nature 3. The grave Ezek. 24. 16. Isa. 14. 11. 4. Losse of worldly contentments and actions Psal. 49. 9. Isa. 38. 11. Psal. 6. 5. Conscience of
Attendants 4. Administration 5. Saints 2 Thes. 〈◊〉 â—…0 Christ is God 〈◊〉 Ioh. Isay 9. 6. Christ a great God Vse 1. Comfort to Gods children 2. Terrour to the wicked Object Answ. Comfortthat Christ the Saviour is Iudge Act. â—…7 31. Doctr. Every Christian so to live as expecting the appearing of Christ. Luke 2. 36. Phil. 3. 20. Jude 21. 2 Pet. 3. 14. Observat. 1. Col. 3. 3. Vse Observat. 2 Observat. Vse 1. Vse 2. Observat. Vse 1. Aug. lib. 8. Confess Cap. â—…lt Parts of the Text unfolded Sleepâ—… threefold 1. Naturall Psal. 3. 5. 2. Morall Dan. 12. 2. Act. 7. ult 3 Spirituall compared to sleepe 1. For the time the night 2. Exposed to danger Deut. 32. 3. Willingnesse 4. Suddennesse Mat. 26. 5. Incensiblenesse and immoveablenesse 6. Vaine fancies 7. The continuance 2. What meant by waking 1. To open the eyes to see the light 2. To rouze the senses 3. Get out of bed 3. Who must awake Quest. Answ. 1. The naturall man 2. The regenerate Cant. 5. 2. Mat. 25. Rev. 3. 2. 4. Why the Apostle calls upon these that are asleepe Exhortations not invaine 1. To the godly 2. To the wicked The dead sleepe of the world 1. Idolaters Rev. 2. 2. Adulterers 3. Drunkards Prov. 23. 4. Sabbath-breakers 5. Oppressours 6. Securitie The sleepe of the Church Signes of sleepie Christians 1. Carelesnesse 2. When men intend nothing but sleepe 3. Wasting of time 4. Decay of naturall heate Exhortation to awake from sleepe 1. It is unprofitable 2. It unfitâ—… for dutie 1. Exercise 2. Combate 3. To waitâ—… our Masters comming 3. Our enemie sleepes not Mat. 13. Prov. 24. 4. Gods mercie sleepes not 5. Gods judgements sleepe not 6. We are all to meet death Parts of the Text. Propos. They that are in covenant with God may bee without carnall feare 1. What feare is Kindes of feare 1. Naturall 2. Carnal feare 3. Servile feare Act 2. 4. Filiall feare Isay 8. 12. Reas. We are delivered from our enemies either Luke 1. 47. 1. By reconciliation 2. By conquest Vse 1. The power of grace must reflect on a mans selfe Vse 2. Possible to live with out feare Psalme 23. Vse 3. Reproofe for inordinate feare 1. We feare too soone 2. Too much 1. It brings a great deale of ill Esay 66. 4. 2. It unfits the heart to beare evilâ—… It hurts the body It doth hurt to the soule 1. Naturally 2. Spiritually Feare the ground of most sinnes Vse 4. To fence our hearts against it No cause of feare 1. Of spirituall enemies 2. Of worldly evills Ier. 46. 28. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Quest. Answ. How to get the conquest of feare 1. Labour for the spirit 2. Keepe covenant with God Num. 14. 9. 3. Strengthen faith Psal. 112. 4. To place our love aright August Simile Doct. Both words and actions shall be called to account 2 Cor. 5. 10. Eccles. 12. Mat. 12. 36. Matth. 5. 22 Iude 13. 14. Reas. 1. The Law binds men in speeches Reas. 2. Words injure God and man Levit. 24. 11. Act. 8. Vse To condemn those that make light account of words Psal. 39. Psal. 131. Doctr. God will proceede in judgement according to his Law Ioh. 12. 48. Obiect Answ. All men judged by the Law The Law not alike expressed to all Rom. 2. 14 Reas. 1. The Law is Gods scepter that he rules by Psal. 110. 2. Isay 2. 3. 4. Reas. 2. Because the law is a rule Mica 6. 8. Vse 1. Repâ—…oofe of those that neglect the Law Rom. 2. 16. Prov. 13. 13. Quest. Answ. To despise Gods commandement what Ioh. 6. Matth. 25. 41 Vse 2. Admonition to observe the Law 1. For direction Matth. 5 2. For tryall Gal. 6. 3. 4. 1 Cor. 11. 32. Prov. 28. 13. Doct. The consideration of the day of judgement should moove to holinesse 1. It hath drawn some to obedience Eccles. 11. 9. 1. To forsake the world Phil. 3. 7. 2. Disposing the heart to obedience Eccles 12. 10. Heb. 12. Rev. 14. 2. It quickens to actions of obedience 1. Os particular calling 2. Generall calling 3. It confirmes in obedience Rev. 3. 11. Iam. 5. Vse Shewing the cause of the worlds prophanenesse and the Saints dejectednesse 2 Pet. 3. Vse 2. To strengthen faith of the judgement Ierome Parts of the Text. Meaning of the words Doct. Death due to sinne as wages Gen. 2. 17. Ezek. 18. 20. Rom. 5. 12. Iam. 1. 15. Quest. Answ. Whaâ—… death due to sinne 1. Temporall Rom. 5. 12. Obiect Answ. How Adam died a natural death as soon as he sinned Obiect Answ. How Christians freed from temporall death 1 Cor. 15. Christians undergoe temporall death why 1. 2. 3. 4. Simile 2. Eternall death Answ. Sinne infinite three wayes 1. In respect of the object 2. The subject 3. The sinners dâ—…sire Vse 1. Originall lust a sin Basile Vse 2. 〈◊〉 no sinne in it selfe veniall 1 Joh. 3. 5. Sins mortall and veniall how Vse 3. In spectacles of death to see the haynousnesse of sinne Vse 4. Todeterre us from sin Similies Ioh. 2. 1 Sam 14 Vse 5. To be humble and thankfull Life twofold 1. Naturall 2. Spirituall 1. In this life Job 17. 5. 2. In death 3. After the Resurrection A thing eternall three wayes 1. 2. 3. Doct. Salvation the free gift of God Quest. Answ. Austin Quest. Answ. Ioh. 3. Vse 1. Confutation of merit Rom. 8. Vse 2. To humble us Vse 3. Comfort Isa. 54. 2 Tim. 1. 12. Vse 4. Thankfulnesse Psal. 50 Deut. 30. 19. Isa. 45. 24. The Analysis of the Chapter Propos. 1. God is pleased to set himselfe to procure the profit of his people Proved by instances 1. In his instituting Ordinances in the Church 1. The preaching of the Word Act. 26. 18. 2 Tim. 3. 16. 2. The Sacrament of the Supper 3. Prayer Vnprofitable living under the ordinances a taking the name of God in vaine 4. Seâ—…ng of Christ into the world in our nature 2. In his command and injunction Deut. 10. 13. Matth. 〈◊〉 29. 3. In his several administrations 1. Permitting sin to remain 2. To prevaile 3. Withdrawing his presence 4. Suspending his answer to their prayers 5. Denying their particular suites 6. Deprives them of their dearest blessings Iames 5. 11. Use of exhortation 1. 2. 3. Vse 2. Of Instruction 1. 2. 1 Cor. 10. 33. Propos. 2. Gods ayme in afflicting his children is their profit Gen 41. 52. Afflictions they are profitable The blessed fruit of afflictions 2 Chron. 33. 1â—… Deut. 8. 15. Isa. 27. 9. Hab. 1. 12. The Saints of God have waited for the profit of afflictions 2 Sam. 16. 12. Isa. 37. 4. Vse 1. For reproofe Gods children prone to misconster the intent of God in their afflictions 1 Sam. 27. 1. Esa. 6. 5. Lam. 3. 16. 18 Isa. 49. 14. Jer. 29. 11. Vse 2. For comfort Isa. 10. 57. Simile Isay 10. 12. Vse 3. Exhortation to a patient expectation of the fruit of affliction Obiect Answ. 1. 2. 3. Iob 17. 4. The
Deut. 30. 6. Jer. 32. 4. Obiect Answ. 2. Sam. 3. 1. Obiect Answ. Luk. 20. 3â—… 36. 2. Against the death of the â—…odie Rom 8. 10. 1 Cor. 15. 49. Quest. Answ. Difference in the Resurrection of the godly and wicked 1. In the cause 2. In the end Joâ—… 5. 29. Luke 20. 36. Vse 2. Tryall Signes of the first Resurrection 1. Forsaking sin 2. Newnesse of life Collos. 3. 1. 3. Progresse in both Rom. 6. 4. Vse 3. Exhortation direction Quest. Answ. Joh. 5. 28 29. 〈◊〉 Cor. 15. 52. Joh. 6. 63. Deut. 26. 5. Psal. 115. All men must die 1. To manifest Gods truth Gen. 3. 19. 2. His power 3. Our benefit by Christ. 4. To coÌ„forme us to Christ. Rachel waâ—… 1. Fruitfull Psal. 128. 3. Gen. 20. 18. Gen. 5. Gen. 1. 28. Gen 24. 60. Psal. 107. 41. Deut. 28. 12. Psal. 104. 28. 1 Sam. 2. 6. Act. 16. 14. Gen. 30. 22. Gal. 6. 16. Luke 1 50. 3. Obedient Gen. 31. 11. 2 Sam 6. 23. Philem. 1. 2 4. Her death Coherence Observ. 1. Rom. 3. 18. 2 Cor. 5. Observ. 3. Observ. 4. Doct. 5. There is a change in all that are in Christ as from death to life 1. The analogy betweeene spirituall and naturall life and death 1. In Generall 1. A Generall change 2 The orderlynesse of it Rom. 12. 2. 2. The Analoin particular Death three fold 1 Iudiciall Ezek. 36. 3. 2. Civill 3. Naturall 1. Imperfect Simile Newnesse of life expressed by life in three respects 1. The principle of life Joh. 6. 63. Gal. 2. 20. Joh. 15. 1. Ephes. 2. 1. 2. The actions of life 3. The properties of life Appetitâ—… 2 Propagation Joh. 1. 44. The order Observ. Men first die tosin and then live to God Eph. 4. 22. 24. Zach. 3. Eph. 5. 8. Gen. 1. Rom. 6. 4. 5. 6. Reason 1. From our union with Christ. 2. From the coÌ„trarietie of them Vse 1. Conviction Ier. 5. Vse 2. Exhortation 1 Pet. 2. 24. No losse in dying to sin 1. Not life 2 Not peace 3. Not esteeme 4. Not wealth 5. Not pleasures Sin a needlesse thing 2. The gaine by death to sin Ezra 9 13. 1 The scope The partâ—… 1 Conclusion â—…he faithfull are hopefull Rom. 5. Definition of Hope 1 â—…et 1. 9. Rom. 8. 24. Vse 1. Tryall of Hope Rom. 4. 18. Isa. 21. 16. Hab. 2. 3. Isa. 8. 17. 2 Pet. 3. 9. Pâ—…l 73. 9. Psal. 102. 13. 2 Pet. 3. 3. Iob. 2. 9. Mala. 3. 14. 2 Cot. 6. 8. 2 Sam. 6. 22. Vse 2. Hindrances of hope 1 John 4. 18. Rev. 21. 8. Psal 118. 6. Psal. 91. 5. Psal. 40. 1. Luke 21. 19. 1 Cor. 15. 16. Job 17. 13. Heb. 11. 27 Heb. 11. 35. Phil. 1. 23. 2. Conclusion Christ the object of hope Phil. 1. 21. Psal. 38. 15. Psal. 71. 5. Gen. 49. 18. Job 13. 15. Vse 1. Prov. 23. 5. Psal. 146. 3â—… Psal. 62. 3â—… Vse 2. Phil. 3. 8. Eccles. 1. Isa. 55. 4. 2 Cor. 1. 20. Iohn 14. 6. Job 6. 68. 3. Conclusion This life-time is our hope-time Vse 1. Isa 55 6. 1 John 3. 2. Vse 2. 2 Pet. 1. 3. 1 Thes. 1. 3. Heb. 6. 19. Psal. 84. 7. 2 Pet. 3. 18. 1 Cor. 7. 20. Col. 4. 17. 4. Conclusion Hope is not for the things of this life 2 Cor. 5. 1. Isa 57. 13 Vse 1. Vse 2. 5. Conclusion Our life is a miserie Iob. 14. 1â—… 1 Cor. 7. 29 Iam. 4. 14. Vse 1. 1 John 2. 15. 2. Iohn 11. 25. Psal. 84 Vse 2. 6. Conclusion The hopefull are not miserable Vse 1. Vse 2. Iam. 5. 11. Reve. 14. 13. Exod. 33. 20. Explication Rom. 12. 2. 1 Jam. 2. 15 16. 2. Heb. 13. 3. Rom. 12. 15. Mat. 5. 3. 2 Thes. 3. 10. 1 Pet. 1. Division Doct. 1. It is the dutie of Christians to take the best opportunities of their life to doe good A twofold opportunitie to be taken of doing good 1 The time of life Luke 16 9. Mat. 25. 10. Obiection Answ. Obiection Answ. 〈◊〉 Of outward estates Prov. 23. 5. Eccles. 11. 8. 1 Tim. 6. 17. Job 31. 15. 16 17 18. Vse 1. Prov. 3. 28. Psal. 78. Vse 2. Gen. 18. 19. 2 Sam. 9. 1. Doct. 2. It is the dutie of Gods servants to relieve others Deut. 15. 7. Eccles. 11. 1. Isa. 58. 7. 2 Cor. 8. 9. Heb. 13. 16. Iohn 15. 29. Reason 1. Pro. 3. 26. 27. Luke 16 9 Reason 2. Psal. 41. 1. Psal 37. 6. 1 Tim. 6. 19. Vse 1. Iames 5. Vse 2. Quest. How to give so as to doe good Answ. 1 Give justly Eccles. 11. 1. 2. Give wisely Psal. 1 12. In respect of the quantitie In respect of the qualitie 3. Give in simplicitie Rom. 12. 8. Mat. 6. 4. Give chearefully 2 Cor. 8. 6. The persons to whom good must be done 1. Generally to all Luke 10. Mala. 2. 10. Reason 2. 1 Iohn 4. 20. Vse Obiect Answ. 1 Sam. 25. Obiect Answ. Rom. 12. Object Answ. Eccles. 11. 1. Objection Answ. Obiection Answer Obiection Answer Obiection Answ. Obiection Answ. Obiection Answ. Doct. 1. Doct. 2. 1. There are some poore of the houshold of faith Mat. 25. James 2. 1 King 4. 1. Rom. 15. 26. Luke 16. Reason 1. 〈◊〉 Cor. 8. 9. Mat. 8. 20. Reason 2. 1 Pet. 2. 11. Reas. 3. Luk 9. 53. Reason 4. Jam. 5. Heb. 11. Vse 1. Heb. 10. Vse 2. Job 1. Vse 5. James 2. Doct. 2. The houshold of faith especially to to be regarded Psal. 16â—… 1. Phil 1. Reason Reas. 〈◊〉 Mat. 15. Vse 1 Chro. â—…9 Prov. 19. 17. Psal. 〈◊〉 Prov. 311 Parts of the Text. Doct. 1. A change wil befall all the sonnes of men Death a change and why so termed The change by death must befall all men Reason 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Reason 4. Doct. 2. 1. 1. What it is to waite for death Wherein the preparation for death consists 1 In freeing our selves from sin in our life time How that is done 2. In having our persons qualified How that is done Why we must wayte and be prepared for death Reason 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Reason 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. Vse 1. Vse 2. 1 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proâ—… in Eccles. Agâ—…oscere nolumus quod ignorare non possumus â—…ypr de Mortal Vid. Vit. Orig. praefix operib Infans nondum loquitur tamen prophetat Serm. de bono pat Cic. primo tusc. In Eccles. chap. 12. 1. The Scope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cupressus â—…u neria 2 The Coherence Seneâ—… in limine mort is viâ—… sunt avidissimi Aristot. de long breu vitae Cic. de senâ—…ctute 1. 2. The sense Que. 1. Que. 2. Que. 3. Que. 4. Sol. 1. Sol. 2. Sol. 3. Et strepitus iste perdurat quousque pondus idâ—…st ponderosuÌ„ corpus ad terram pervenerit sed corpore in terram projecto statim cessaâ—… tumultus Destructor vit par 4. c. 2. The division The Doct. Quotidiè morimur quotidiè enim demitur aliâ—…ua pars vitae Bern. in