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
the market-place when hee should be working in the Vineyard Would you be feasting when God would have you mourning you shall see some that have beene taken away when they little thought of it Belshazzer he was in his feasts and then commeth the sentence of death against him and other the like examples you may see in the Scripture Consider therefore the particular actions that you doe whether they bee such as hold agreement with the state of a dying man So for the manner of doing holy duties Would you be found praying perfunctorily and carelesly Would you be found comming to the Sacrament unprepared What though you doe holy actions that are good for the matter would you be found doing of them with unfit and unprepared hearts You see what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11. For this cause many are sicke and weake and many sleepe they slept they were dead for this even because they came unworthily to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Would you therefore bee found doing of holy duties and not in a right manner The serious consideration of this that Death is the end of all men with the particular application of it to a mans selfe that as it is the state of all men so it is mine in particular I must die and I may die now it hath an influence into all the actions of a mans life To conclude In the last place This point is of use to us also in the death of others First to moderate the mourning of Christians for the death of others Why It is the end of all men it is that that is the common condition of all men it should not be too grievous nor too dolefull to any man Wee would not have our friends to bee in another condition in their birth then others wee would not have them have more fingers or more members then a man and would wee have them have more dayes Let this serve as a briefe touch upon that Secondly it teacheth us to make good use of our fellowship while we are together Not only we may die but those that are usefull to us may die also let us make good use of one another while we live therefore This will make the death of others bitter and will be worse then the death and losse of our friends the guilt upon a mans conscience that hee hath not made that use of them while they were alive that he might have done let us therefore make the death of our friends easie by making good use of them while they live It did smite the heart of those Ephesians that they should see the face of Paul no more specially above the rest it grieved them that they should see him no more how would it have grieved them thinke you if they had alwayes hardned themselves against his ministrie before Thinke with your selves seriously here is such a Minister such a Christian friend that husband and wife that parent and child a time of parting will come let us make it easie now by making good use of one another while we live that when friends are tooke away we may have cause to thanke God that we have had communion and comfort of their fellowship and societie the benefit of their graces the fruit of their lives and not sorrow for the want of them by death So much for that I come now to the second and principall reason why it is better to goe to the house of mourning then to the house of feasting it is this because the living shall lay it to his heart What shall hee lay to his heart That that is the end of all men hee shall lay the death of men to heart The point I observe from hence is thus much It is the dutie of those that live to lay to heart the death of others That is seriously to consider and make use for themselves of the death of others You see the Text is cleare for the point And there is good reason why it should be so First in respect of the glory that commeth to God Secondly in respect of the good that commeth to our selves by it First God is glorified by this when wee lay to heart the death of others there is a dishonour done to God when wee slight the death of others good or bad It is a dishonour to God to slight any of his actions this is one of Gods workes in the world the death of men this is a thing wherein Gods hand is seene he saith to the sonnes of Adam Returne The spirit returneth to God that gave it It is hee that hath the power of life and death If a sparrow fall not to the ground without the providence of God much lesse the servants of God the precious ones upon the earth the excellent ones as David calleth them I say God is seene much in these workes and it is a great dishonour to God when men doe not consider the workes of his hands David by the spirit of Prophesie in Psal. 28. 5. wisheth a curse upon ungodly men and for this reason among the rest because they consider not the operation of his hands this is that that puts men into a curst estate and exposeth them to the wrath of God when they regard not the workes of the Lord. The actions of Princes and great men upon earth every man considereth of them and weigheth them It is that wherein wee give God the glory of his wisedome and of his truth of his power of his justice of his mercy of his soveraigntie and dominion and Lordship over the whole earth when wee labour to draw to a particular use to ourselves the workes of God in the world specially the death of men of all men good and bad for we must give it the same latitude and extent and scope that the Text doth here he speakes here of the death of men in generall and he saith of all men that their death shall bee laid to heart by the living Secondly as there is reason that we should take to heart the death of others in respect of the glory that commeth to God thereby so in respect of ourselves also much benefit commeth to ourselves by laying to heart the death of other men There be three speciall things considerable in the death of any one that is matter of profit and benefit to those that live and survive after them Therein we see the certainty nature cause and end of Death First therein we see the certainty of death For now we have not only the word of God that tels us that we shall die but the workes of God taking others before us that as the Sacraments are called Visible instructions because they teach by the eye and the outward senses so the death of others are visible instructions to the living it teacheth by the eye a man is guided by the eye to see his owne condition and as it were in a glasse there
vexation of spirit Againe God will abolish this humane wisedome 1 Cor. 1. 19. I will destroy the wisedome of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent Where is the wise where is the Scribe where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made foolish the wisedome of this world Besides all your humane wisdome it shall not goe downe to the Grave it shall leave you when you die There is no worke nor device nor knowledge nor wisdome in the grave whither thou goest Eccles. 9. 10. This is the first thing in which young men oft rejoyce they are prudent and wise And you see that this is a vaine thing In the second place if a young man rejoyce in his honour and credit amongst men this also is vaine Solomon hath shewed it Eccles. 2. 16. Hee declareth to us that all the honour of the world will end in oblivion there is saith he no remembrance of the wise more then of the foole for ever for that which now is in the dayes to come shall bee forgotten and how dieth the wise man as the foole Againe if a man rejoyce in honour and much glory hee cannot beleeve so saith Christ Iohn 5. 44. How can you beleeve since you seeke honour one of another and not the honour that commeth of God only And it is noted to bee the reason why many of the chiefe Rulers that beleeved on Christ did not confesse him without which faith cannot be unfeigned because they loved the praise of men more then the praise of God John 10. 43. Nay further the Apostle sheweth us that this is the cause of envie Gal. 5. 26. Bee not desirous of vaine-glory envying one another Envie is a vexing affection this vaine-glory is the cause of this envie whereby we shall pine away when we see the happinesse and welfare of our brethren Further if young men delight in pleasures which is the common course of youth these also are vaine things I said in my heart saith Solomon Eccles. 2. 2. Goe to now I will prove thee with mirth therefore enjoy pleasure and behold this also is vanitie Kings that have had the greatest wisedome to invent them and the greatest leasure to use them yet they never found full contentment in the same I made mee saith he vers 4. great workes I builded mee houses I planted mee vineyards I made mee gardens and orchards and planted trees in them of all kinds of fruits I made me pooles of water I got mee servants and maidens also I had great possessions of great and small cattell above all that were in Ierusalem before mee I got mee men-singers and women-singers and the delights of the sons of men as musicall instruments of all sorts Here were the pleasures of Solomon But verse 11. Behold saith hee I looked on all the workes that my hands had wrought and on the labour that I had laboured to doe and behold all was vanity and vexation of spirit and there was no profit under the Sunne The wise Solomon that had beene trying every creature whether it had any thing in it that might give him a true rellish profest that there was no profit under the Sunne Yet further these pleasures shall cease there shall bee an end of them 1 Cor. 7. 29. The time is short it remaineth that those that have wives bee as though they had none they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not they that buy as though they possessed not they that use the world as not abusing of it for the fashion of this world passeth away Lastly our Saviour Christ in Luke 8. 14. sheweth that the pleasures of this life choake the word of God that it cannot bring forth gratefull fruit to God Fourthly if young men delight in riches and rejoyce in their estates that God hath given them this likewise is a vaine thing For first many times wealth is gotten by deceit and then God bloweth on it Ier. 5. 27. As a cage is full of birds so are their houses full of deceit therefore they are become great and waxen rich shall not I visit for these things saith the Lord and shall not my soule be avenged on such people as this Againe wealth is kept with much sorrow Eccles. 5. 12. The sleepe of the labouring man is sweet whether hee eate little or much but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleepe Thirdly wealth is lost with a great deale of sorrow and vexation Rev. 18. 18. when the smoake of Baby lon ascended up to heaven Oh what lamentation there was they cryed out What city is like unto this great city and they cast dust on their heads and cryed weeping and wayling saying Alas alas that great city wherein were made rich all that had shippes in the sea by reason of her costlinesse for in one houre is shee made desolate But suppose further that a man should get and keepe his wealth in the feare of God yet these things are most uncertaine as the Apostle saith 2 Tim. 1. 16. Charge them that are rich in this world that they trust not in uncertaine riches Lastly these riches cannot preserve our life so saith Christ himselfe Luke 12. 25. Take heed and beware of Covetousnesse for no mans life is preserved by the abundance of that hee possesseth In the last place If young men rejoyce in friends and Allies this also is a vaine thing For Psal. 62. 9. The man of low degree is vanitie and the man of high degree is a lie to bee laid in the ballance they are lighter then vanitie Againe no friend can deliver us from Death Psal. 49. 7 8. No man can by any meanes redeeme his brother nor give to God a ransome for him for the redemption of their soule is precious and it ceaseth for ever that hee should still live for ever and not see corruption Thus I have shewed severall things that young men rejoyce in and have shewed likewise that their joy is founded upon vanity upon nothing And this is the second meanes to heale young men of the inordinatenesse of their Joy to meditate with themselves how vaine and frivolous all things are that they delight in The third meanes is to betake themselves to seeke spirituall joy The well-head of this Joy is God whom the Scripture calleth the God of consolation The instrument to convey this Joy is Faith Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith wee have peace with God The grounds of this Joy are twofold First the good things exhibited Secondly the good things promised The good things exhibited That God hath written our names in the booke of life Here is the fountaine of spirituall joy to a true Christian Rejoyce saith Christ not that the divels are fallen before you but that your names are written in the booke of life Secondly the other ground of spirituall
bones with strong paines What 's the reason of this but that man may come to this conclusion with himselfe that hee may bring his owne heart to a reckoning for his former cariage This is that the Apostle saith for this cause many are weake and sickly among you and many sleepe some were taken with sicknesse upon others there was a consuming weaknesse and others were strucken with death what is the end that God propounds in all this For this reason that wee should judge our selves for if wee judge our selves wee shall not be judged of the Lord but when wee are judged wee are chastned of the Lord that wee should not bee condemned of the world As if hee should say God now calleth you to a reckoning in this life to the end you may prevent that heavy and grievous one that comes after this life Againe when outward afflictions prevaile not God hath spirituall afflictions to awaken mâ—…n Thus David when hee was in a deepe sleepe of securitie God awakned him with a spirituall judgement see his speech in the 32. Psal. When I kept close my sinnes my bones were consumed and I roared for the disquietnesse of my soule what followed God by this meanes brought him to confession I will confesse my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquitie of my sinne Thus God in this life calleth men to a reckoning sometimes by â—…he preaching of the Word sometimes by judgements upon the outward man or by terrours upon the soule But if all this prevaile not to make a man reckon with himselfe in this life then God hath another reckoning after this life where every man must give an account and cannot avoid it and there hee must abide the sentence of the Iudge that would not prevent it before That there is such a Iudgement to come it appeareth By the equitite necessitie of it In respect of God the Saints the wicked Frst I say in respect of God there is a necessitie of it That his Decree may bee fulfilled and executed Hee hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousnesse And his counsell shall stand and hee will doe all his pleasure Secondly it is necessarie that Gods honour may be vindicated Now things seeme to goe in some confusion and disorder in the world Good men the children of God are not alwayes best in the place of judgement I have seene saith Solomon an evill under the Sunne that in the place of judgement wickednesse was there and in the place of righteousnesse that iniquitie was there this observation Solomon makes therefore I said God will bring to judgement every thing both good and evill for there is a time for every worke and every purpose God hath a time to doe that great worke that he hath now purposed What is that worke that is to bring every worke to judgement whether it bee good or evill I say if wee consider this it is necessary that there should come a judgement that shall set all right againe It is necessarie likewise in respect of the Saints The very tribulations of the Saints in 2 Thes. 1. 5. are called Indigma an evident demonstration or a manifest token of the righteous judgement of God There is a necessitie of it in respect of them in two regards First that their innocencie that is traduced here may bee manifest They undergoe many disgraces and hard censures amongst men the world accounts them proud hipocrites singular foolish vaine-glorious and I know not what now saith Iob my witnesse is in heaven and saith Saint Paul I care not to bee judged of you or of mans judgement hee that judgeth me is the Lord. The Word in the Greeke is mans day as if hee should say Men have their day here but God hath a greater day after the Lord will judge in another manner and upon other grounds then men doe Secondly it is necessary also that their workes may be rewarded When we speake of reward wee meane not the reward of merit wee meane the reward of grace called a reward because God is tied to it by his promise The servants of God though they serve him with all care they have not the fatte of the earth as sometimes the Ishmaels of the world have they doe not abound with outward things as many others doe nay sometimes they are in the worst condition and that makes Gods wayes the more despised as if God were not able to maintaine his servants in the world in his wayes and worke God therefore hath a time when his servants shall have full measure heaped up pressed downe shaken together and running over When God shall make up his jewels as hee saith in Malac. 3. then shall yee discerne betweene the righteous and the wicked betweene him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Marke yee shall discerne God will make it appeare to the whole world in the day when hee makes up his jewels that notwithstanding his servants are despised and lie here under divers pressures yet that they are a people whom he delights in and accounteth as his treasures Thirdly it is necessarie in respect of the wicked too that is First that Gods righteousnesse may fully be manifested Secondly that their unrighteousnesse may fully bee punished First I say that Gods righteousnesse may fully bee manifested therefore the day of Iudgement in Rom. 2. 5. is called a day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God As if hee should say As God will manifest his wrath against the vessels of wrath so hee will make it appeare to the world that hee proceedeth in a right manner and by a right rule in judging For wee must know that howsoever God cannot bee unjust and howsoever that the ungodly men in this life contend with their owne consciences such is the hardnesse of their hearts and abundance of corruption that they would faine justifie themselves amongst men and againe howsoever it bee true that the soule when it is departed out of the body is under Gods particular judgement by an intelectuall elevation of it that it may receive the sentence of the Iudge by an illumination and by such a spirituall and contemplative discourse and observation and understanding of Gods actions as that by reflection upon it selfe it may know it selfe to bee accursed or acquitted and accordingly is entred into the possession either of happinesse or miserie Yet all this is secret in the world till the day of Gods tribunall come wherein secret things shal be made manifest and things that have been done in darknesse shall appeare before men and Angels Secondly As Gods justice must be cleared and fully manifested so the wicked and unrighteous must bee fully punished They are not fully punished when they are under the sense of Gods wrath in this life or when the soule is judged at death there must bee yet a further degree for
the world and therefore goe about it now Reckon with others also for workes of mercie what thou hast beene wanting in to thy brethâ—…en thou hast lived thus long in a plentifull estate what hast thou done with thy estate Iesephus reckons up three severall tenths that were expected and exacted of the Iewes Wouldest thou bee lesse liberall now in the time of the Gospell then they were under the Law Is God lesse mercifull or hath he lesse interest in thy estate Thou hast so many thousands What hast thou done out of this to releeve the poore or to set up those in a course of traffique and trade that want a stocke Beloved you cannot if you looke about you want objects of mercy and meanes to further your reckoning at the day of the Lord. And if you would bee faithfull stewards to God say thus I have beene thus much behind-hand in paying the due I owe to the poore to the Church c. I will pay it while I live and if that bee not enough when I die I will pay it But I hasten That is the second thing Let every man reckon thus with his owne heart The third thing is the daily exercise of repentance upon the sight of your former evils God now saith the Apostle calleth all men every where to repentance because hee hath appointed a day in which hee will judge the world in righteousnesse Let this then stirre us up to repentance God expects that men should judge themselves now Fourthly If you would stand at that great day of Iudgement when there shall bee such an exact reckoning Interest now your selves in Christ. There is no way to escape the judgement to come but by making peace with the Iudge now There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus This was prefigured in the Mercie-seate that was to bee compassed about with the wings of the Cherubins all covering the two tables of the Testament one Cherubin to looke toward another shewing us thus much that there is no covering of ovr transgressions committed against the commandements of God the tables of the Testimonie but by the great Mercie-seate the Lord Iesus Christ upon whom the Fathers of the times before Christ and Beleevers since looke expecting the covering of the guilt of their sinnes from the wrath of God by no other meanes but by this propitiatorie or Mercie-seate that covereth the Arke of the Testimonie Lastly it serveth also for instruction in another point that is To teach us to lead a holy conversation This use the Apostle Peter made of the Doctrine of the day of Iudgement Seeing saith he that wee looke for these things what manner of persons ought wee to bee in all holy conversation and godlinesse Alas beloved little doe you know whether this be the last Sermon that many of you may heare whether this be the last day wherein God will ever call upon you to repent and amend your lives There shall be a fearfull dissolution and destruction of all things that you see There shall be a naked appearance made before the Iudge at that day of reckoning let every man therefore say within himselfe How shall I stand at that time at that Iudgement All our care should bee that of the Apostle Pauls Whether wee be absent from the body or present in the body wee labour that wee may bee accepted of the Lord Whether wee live a day longer or die this day before the morrow that wee may bee found acceptable before the Lord. And for this cause saith hee in another place because there shall bee a resurrection from the dead both of the just and unjust I exercise my selfe to have alwayes a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men Looke to it in your places and in your hearts that you may have a good conscience void of offence toward God and men for the time shall come that nothing in the world shall stand you in stead but a good conscience and if then when the bookes are opened it be found that your reckonings are even and the accounts cleare betweene you and your Master by obedience and repentance by workes and by faith happie shall that servant bee whom his Master at that day shall find so doing The last Vse is a use of comfort to all the servants of God Let them quietly and cheerefully suffer that portion of miserie and affliction that the Lord dealeth out unto them Let them not grudge at the prosperity of ungodly men or at the varietie of changes that themselves are exposed unto because there is a day of reckoning and account when all things shall bee made even The Apostle Saint Iames exhorteth Christians to patience upon this very ground because the day of the Lord draweth nigh If therefore you see wicked men prosper and bring their enterprises to passe bee not troubled at the matter A man doth not much envie an enemie that is now in prison though hee have some good cheare there though hee have some friends that come and see him there because hee knowes hee is but a prisoner and hee shall be brought out at the Assizes and then hee shall bee righted The world is the common jayle whereinto Adam was cast after hee had sinned and wee are all prisoners in this prison-house the enemies of Gods glory and of his Church and people they cannot escape out of this prison here they are tied Gods chaines are upon them and he will bring them to an account before his Iudgement seate and that before all men and Angels With these things let us comfort and support our selves A word concerning the present occasion Yee have heard that all men are Gods Stewards yee have heard that God hath a time wherein hee will call all his stewards to an account the fore-runners of this great account shall bee in this life and after death when God strikes men downe by death it is that they may bee brought into his presence and there receive the sentence either of absolution oâ—… condemnation as I shewed you before concerning the soule of man in that intelectuall manner receiving the sentence It is appointed to all men once to die and after that the Iudgement You have now a spectacle of mortalitie before you one of Gods stewards tooke away and called by death to give up his account Concerning whom it cannot bee expected that I should say much orany thing at all specially by those that know both the condition of his living and of his dying For his living It was not in the Citie but for the most part it was from us in the Countrey For his dying Hee was here but a day or two before hee was taken hence Hee came to the Citie in the extremitie of his weaknesse and it tooke him with some violence as the nature of that disease the stone is There was much expression expected from him but it pleased God to make a sudden
but how he carried himselfe in the world And truly this is the great Question that every man should put to his soule I must out of the world how have I lived when I was in the world had GOD any glory by mee had men any good by me have I furthered my account against the day of reckoning that I may give it up with joy it makes no matter how I goe out of the world I am sure if my life have beene serviceable to God and beneficiall to men my departure shall be for gaine and advantage it is for a better world Thus much shall serve briefly for the opening of these words and for that that is appliable from them For the present occasion a word Funerall Sermons are not intended for the praise of the dead but for the comfort of the living Therefore I have chosen such an argument to handle at this time as might bee of use and profit to you that live Besides that I am in particular and by particular order debarred of speaking any thing concerning our deceased Sister though I might have spoken much and that very usefull to you The best use that you can make will bee this to consider the life that shee led amongst you Shee was a patterne and example of holinesse of a wise and upright carriage in her wayes follow her in that Marke the Godly and upright man the end of that man is peace There was none that knew her but upon good assurance are perswaded of her happinesse now Would you then have the same happinesse after take the same course that shee did be much in prayer and dependance upon the ordinances and in fellowship with the servants of God be profitable in doing good profitable in receiving good mannage the opportunities and times well that God giveth you as she did gaining much in little she did much worke in a short space let that be your care and then this will be your comfort in the end Thus if you make this use of the death of others before you you shall prepare for your own death and that shal be only a passage for you to Eternall life FINIS DELIVERANCE FROM THE KING OF FEARES OR FREEDOME FROM THE FEARE OF DEATH PSAL. 55. 4. My heart is sore pained within mee and the terrours of death are fallen upon mee PROV 3. 25. Bee not afraid of sudden feare LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. DELIVERANCE FROM THE KING OF FEARES OR FREEDOME FROM THE FEARE OF DEATH SERMON III. HEBR. 2. 15. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himselfe likewise tooke part of the same that through death hee might destroy him that had the power of death that is the divell and deliver them who through the feare of death were all their life-time subject to bondage IN these words that I haue read to let passe other parts of the Chapter the Apostle sets downe the humiliation of Christ with the fruit of it His humiliation in his Incarnation and death The fruit of it in subduing him that had the power of death and delivering those that were kept under the feare of death in bondage all their life At this time we will speake onely of the last part the fruit of Christs death in delivering those that were kept under the feare of death The persons that are kept under this feare are said to bee the children Gods owne children those for whom Christ died yet they were kept under the feare of death and that not at some particular time when tentation had got some speciall advantage over them but it was a trouble and a burden to them all their life long and that not a small burthen or an easie trouble but such as kept them as in bondage The words you see are easie There are two points that arise from them First that Gods children those for whom Christ died are many times held strongly under the feare of death Secondly that Christ by his death freeth them from those feares I shall onely insist at this time principally on the first That Gods owne children the Children that were partakers of flesh and bloud it is taken either for the humane nature or the infirmities of that nature even these children were held under the feare of death I will shew the grounds of it The feare of death in the children of God ariseth either from some causes without or from somewhat within them From without them and so the feare ariseth from God an act of his providence upon his children Or from Sathan a worke of his malice These are the causes from without For the first God in his providence and that in his speciall and fatherly providence whereby he doth order all things for the good of his children for the present increase of their grace and the fitting them for glory hereafter Hee I say in his providence ordereth it thus that they shall be kept many of them a great while under the feare of death and this he doth for speciall good ends The first is to humble them Adam as soone as he had sinned against God as his fall was by pride he would haue had a higher condition then he was in so when God would bring him backe againe he beginneth first to humble him and how doth he that Dust thou art saith he and to dust thou shalt returne he sheweth him that he was a dead man by sinne and so would have the meditation of death to humble Adam and in him all his posteritie after him So David when he desired that some meanes might worke upon his enemies for their good he prayeth Put them in feare that they may know that they are but men He doth not onely pray that mortalitie might be presented to them but so presented that it might leaue an impression of feare upon their affections that they might know what they are that they have not their beeing or the power of subsisting in themselves but that they must looke for it above themselves to him that hath the issues of life and death in his owne hande And this is necessarie that all the servants of God should bee kept humble by some meanes or other The Apostle Paul you see he had attained a great measure of grace yet he standeth in need of something to humble him therefore the messenger of Sathan was sent to buffet him that hee should not bee exalted above measure that he might be kept humble God intendeth to raise up his children to a glorious estate therefore as men lay a low foundation when they intend to erect a high building so God layeth the foundation of all grace and comfort in his servants in humiliation therefore he will not onely have them mortall but he will have them apprehend their mortalitie and dying condition with feare that they may be humbled by this feare That is the first thing Secondly God aymeth at the
is the reason why infidelity doth presently bring judgements upon men The cause is apparant infidelity it draweth men from God An unbeleeving heart departs from the living God And when a man departs from Gods presence God pursueth him with his judgements All the judgements of God are upon that place where Gods presence in his grace is not If I goe saith David to the uttermost parts of the earth thou art there if I goe into the deepe thou art there And how there Not only as an observer but as a punisher that is when men come to this point to flie from God Now unbeleefe is a drawing of the soule from God to the creature therefore it provokes God for it sets up an Idoll in the heart of man and Idolatrie exceedingly provokes God and therefore he bringeth judgements upon it Beside that marke the threatning of the Word against this Deut. 29. When a man heareth the words of this curse and blesseth himselfe and saith I shall have peace though I walke in the stubbornnesse of my owne heart the Lord will not spare that man but the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoake against him and all the plagues that are written in this booke shall be heaped on him When is that when is the time that the wrath of God shall smoake At that very time and instant when he flattereth himselfe with his vaine conceits that he shall have peace though God threaten judgement then at that very instant the wrath of God shall fall upon such a man In this manner did God deale with the Israelites in Isa. 6. 9 10. Make the heart of this people fat make their eares heavy and why so that they may see and not perceive that they may heare and not understand lest they should be converted and I should heale them How long shall this be saith the Prophet till the Cities be wasted without inhabitant and the houses without man and the land be utterly desolate When God giveth over a people to bee regardlesse in hearing the Word that they heare and doe not hearken they heare and doe not regard they doe not conforme and reforme according to the doctrine delivered then God intendeth to sweepe them away by judgement that they may be utterly left desolate as the Text saith You see then it must needs be a grievous fore-runner of a judgement upon a place or Citie or people or nation when they remaine impenitent in their sinnes and yet crie peace Againe secondly If you marke the concommitants what accompanies this carnall securitie in the hearts of men and it will appeare then that it must of necessitie bring a judgement upon a a Land and place What is that that accompanies it A disposition slighting of God himselfe When a man I say heareth the Word the judgements threatned heareth the Law warning him to take heed of wrath the Gospell alluring him to repent and yet all moveth him not but still hee flattereth himselfe I say here is a disposition slighting God himselfe God in all his Attributes is slighted His power his wisedome his justice his truth is slighted yea his mercy and patience and long-suffering all are slighted when a man in the course of sinne goeth on in carnall securitie Especially amongst the rest this is a slighting of Gods patience and long-suffering and forbearance of men Wherfore do men harden themselves against exhortations to repentance but because they presume upon the continuance of Gods long-suffering toward them Marke how the Lord takes notice of this Rom. 2. 4. The forbearance and long-snffering the goodnesse and mercy of God should lead thee to repentance and therefore God hath for bore thee all this while that he might bring thee to repentance But what if hee doe not Thou after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart heapest up as a treasure to thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath What day is that The day of the revelation of the righteous judgement of God As if hee should say Now you obscure Gods justice and righteousnesse from others and from your selves Well God therefore will take a time to declare his righteous judgement for that purpose God hath a day of wrath and thy daily going on in sinne against the long-suffering and patience of God it doth but adde wrath to that day Thus it is when God hath borne with a man his owne selfe So it is likewise when God warneth a man by his patience toward others What hardneth men in securitie Doe wee not see God hath beene mercifull to many sinners why may he not be so to me too Hee gave them repentance after many sins committed why may he not doe so to me Marke what Solomon saith Eccles. 8. 11. Because sentence against an evill doer or an evill worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is set in them to doe evill This they purpose they resolve upon they venture up on God hath beene thus and thus to others patient and long-suffering and why may hee not be so to them Well yet I know saith Solomon that it shall not goe well with them in the end neither shall the wicked prolong his dayes Why because he feareth not before God They are not awakened by the example of his judgements on others they are not allured by his patience and long-suffering it doth not make them to feare him therefore it shall not goe well with them in the end Thirdly Looke to the end what the consequence of this carnal securitie is what followes upon it Where there is carnall securitie there must of necessitie be an increase of sin and consequently a hastening of judgement for the more sin hastneth to ripenesse the more judgement hasteneth also upon the sinner God hath set unto particular men a certaine stint and it is not knowne to them what that stint limited is Gen. 15. 16. The iniquitie of the Amorites is not yet full They were a sinfull people at that time but the neerer they came to that fulnesse and stint and limitation that God intended to be the immediate fore-runner of the judgement the faster judgement hastned upon them So for particular persons there is a certaine stint limited Let every man looke to it The adding of one sinne more may be thy uttermost stint that shall bring the last stroke of judgement and destruction upon thee Now I say this carnall securitie is that that increaseth sinne upon a man Wee know how the securitie of the Israelites increased their sinne upon them And the securitie of Sodome their pride and idlenesse increased the rest of their sinnes and consequently hastned on their judgement In Rom. 3. when there was no feare of God before their eyes when there was a neglect of that there was abundance of wickednesse amongst them and what followes then there was nothing but destruction and calamitie in all their wayes I could give you sundrie
a man had but alwayes some one before him as a witnesse he would not venture upon many things that hee now doth If a malefactour should see the Judge before him if the child had alwayes his fathers eye upon him or the servant had alwayes his Master sitting about him and above him though there are many that are unjust servants yet neverthelesse hee would serve him at least with eye-service Now set your selves in the eye of God that sees you in the darke heares you in your most secret whisperings knowes every action of your life and every circumstance of those Actions This will be a meanes to keepe thee from security I will adde but one more which is the sixth Consider thy latter end The night is now comming upon us If it were told any of us that this night thou shalt die as it was told the rich man in Luke 12. Thou foole this night shall they take away thy soule I thinke there is none that heareth me this day but hee would certainly keepe waking this night But it is not bodily waking we plead for but spirituall waking a waking from sinne a waking to repentance And we tell you that Death is now at the dore ready to seize upon you Wee speake not only to you that are aged that are at the brinke of the grave but we speake also to you that are young Death may seize upon you and strike you this night be awakened now to repentance I remember what God said to the Church of Sardis Bee watchfull and strengthen the things that remaine That Church was asleepe as many of us are at this day God commeth to awaken you now as he did them that that little goodnesse you have left may bee renewed and confirmed You that are quite out of the way of grace and goe on in a course of sinne fit now downe and humble your soules get into a secret corner wherein you may confesse those many provocations whereby you have provoked God all your dayes and resolve to amend if the Lord spare you Begin now delay it no longer it may be the last night the everlasting night to you take this warning now therefore be awakened to repentance This is that the Scripture calleth upon so much Eccles. 11. Rejoyce O young man in the dayes of thy youth and let thy heart cheare thee in thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all this thou shalt come to Iudgement As if he should say You that are in the middest of your delights that solace your selves in the middest of the abundance of the earth which you enjoy that sport your selves in the pleasures of this world know that there will come a Judgement day see therefore now what will best answer God then Since the end of all things is at hand saith the Apostle let us bee sober and watch Wee know not how neere the end of the world is wee know indeed it shall not bee yet because Antichrist must bee destroyed and the Jewes called before that day come but neverthelesse certainly thy end is neere thy day thy particular death and that is the time of thy particular judgement may be sudden It is appointed for all men once to die and after that commeth the judgement That is the particular Judgement that commeth upon Death so I say this may be the night of thy death and the morning may be the day of thy particular doome Iudge your selves now that you may not bee judged of the Lord It was the use that the Apostle made even to good men For this cause saith he many are sicke and weake and many sleepe that is they are dead what then If wee would judge our selves wee should not bee judged of the Lord. So say I to you judge your selves now bring your selves as prisoners before the Barre arraigne your selves as malefactours before the Judge bring out the particular bills of inditement against your selves whereby you have provoked God yet there is mercie the day of grace and opportunity of repentance and turning unto God yet lasteth therefore doe it now I might adde many other helpes to this purpose but these shall suffice at this present Wee have an example before our eyes enough to warne us of this Here is an example of Death which should teach us now to awaken our selves and not to liue securely as men that dreame of a long life for many yeares Here is a young man dead tooke away in the prime of his time in the beginning of his dayes his sicknesse though it held him not long yet it was somewhat violent How know you what a short time you have though you are now young or if you live longer what sicknesse you may have it may be you may be deprived of your reason and senses therefore now while health and reason and sense while these Warning Sermons are afforded take time and make use of time lest your securitie make good this Text upon you When they shall say Peace Peace then sudden destruction commeth upon them as travaile upon a woman with child and they shall not escape FINIS A CHRISTIANS VICTORIE OR CONQVEST OVER DEATHS ENMITIE ROM 8. 37. Wee are more then conquerours through him that loved us HOSEA 13. 14. I will ransome them from the power of the Grave I will redeeme them from death O Death I will bee thy plagues O Grave I will bee thy destruction LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. A CHRISTIANS VICTORIE OR CONQVEST OVER DEATHS ENMITIE SERMON XIII 1 COR. 15. 26. The last enemie that shall be destroyed is Death IT could bee no Paradox to declare that every man hath more enemies in the world then friends both wicked and godly There is no question of it But it is true also that so long as a mans wayes please God hee can make his enemies his friends Of all the enemies men have the spirituall are the worst for they are common continuall enemies Common enemies I call them because they are every mans enemies Others though they bee enemies to some they are friends to others these to all Continuall because their warre is never at an end Other enemies we may have truce with now and then pauses and breathing times leasure given us when we have done one skirmish to make ready for another from these there is no intermission nor rest not for a moment wheresoever or whatsoever we are about it may be said to us as Dalilah said to Sampson Up Sampson thy enemies are upon thee The three principall of these yeeknow are commonly reckoned up to be The Divell the World and the Flesh. But the Apostle telleth us of a fourth which hee calleth our Last enemie the enemie which shall last of all assault us the other will leave assaulting us when we are in this world this when we are leaving the world mustereth up his forces against
signifie indifferencie in weighing causes and strictnesse in executing the sentence So the Egyptians signified as much by their Hierogliphicall portraiture of an Angell without hands wincking or without eyes such a one a Iudge should be he should have no hands to receive bribes nor no eyes to respect persons the person of a Iudge must not take the person of a friend A man must not personate a friend in justice but as Levi he must know neither father nor mother nor brother Justice amongst us is portrayted holding a Ballance in one hand and a sword in another the Ballance sheweth the upright weighing of causes and the Sword sheweth the strictnesse of the execution of the sentence And if this Execution be wanting both the other are to no purpose It is to no purpose to know and to have power if there be not Justice But God is a true and just Iudge Howsoever it be amongst the Iudges of the earth yet unworthy is he of the place of a Iudge and fitter to stand at the Barre then to sit on the Bench that suffereth himselfe to miscarry by friendship or love or bribes or sutes or favour or envie when either of these prevaile they tie the tongues of men to plead for wrong causes Shall a Traytour presume on the Kings favour and Mordecai be out of the Kings grace But there shall be no such thing here God is the Iudge of all the earth and shall not hee doe right Gen. 18. Doth God pervert judgement or doth the Almigty pervert Iustice Job 8. 3. When thou standest before the Iudgement seat of God thou shalt neither be elevated with vaine hopes nor dejected and cast down by sinister and wrong feares but assure thy selfe such as thy cause is such shall thy sentence be as Saint Bernard well a pure heart shall prevaile more with God then a smooth word good consciences shall speed better then full purses for he is an upright and just Judge with whom no faire words nor friends shall prevaile So I have done with the first thing The Iudge Secondly something of the Iudgement and therein two things First that it shall be Secondly in what manner it shall be First that it shall be The text is plaine God shall bring to judgement There might many Texts besides this be alledged consonant and agreeable to this but it is superfluous Besides Texts of Scripture we have Types also to prefigure it and reasons also to prove and confirmeit Two Types of the last Judgement our Saviour himselfe propoundeth Luke 17. One was the destruction upon Sodome the other the destruction that God brought upon the old world Looke as Christ saith how it was with them of Sodome in the dayes of Lot they did eat they dranke they bought they sold they planted they builded and looke how it was with the men of the old world in the dayes of Noah eating and drinking and sporting and marrying untill the very day that Noah entred into the Arke and the flood came and destroyed them all So it shall be at the last day when the Sonne of man shall come The Apostle Saint Peter speaking of the latter of these telleth us of mockers in those times that scoffed when they heard of the Iudgement there hath beene talke a great while of such things promised but when will it come Where is the promise of his comming There are scoffers in these dayes but such if there be any cannot but speake against their owne consciences and knowledge they cannot be ignorant both of the judgements that have beene and shall be or if they be they are wilfully ignorant That God did once wash away the sinnes of the world with a Flood of water and that the time is comming that God will purge the sinnes of the world with a flood of fire the Rainbow in the cloudes as it is a Monument of the one so it is a forerunner of the other The two principall colours of the Rainbow are blew and red the blew and waterish colour of the Rainbow is an evidence of that Judgement that is past when God washed the sinnes of the world away by Water the fiery colour is a prediction of a Iudgement that is to come when God shall purge the world by a Flood of fire But besides these Types there are divers reasons that may be given to assure us that we have reason to expect this day Those five Attributes of God afford five reasons to confirme it His Power his Wisedome his Truth his Iustice his Mercie First his Power God will have it be thus for the manifestation of his Power A worke of great power it will be indeed All must be brought before Gods judgement seate every one as the Text saith after It may seeme strange peradventure incredible to heare that all the men and women that ever lived in the world that so many multitudes and millions of thousands of all kindreds and nations should all be summoned to appeare before one Iudgement seat But as Saint Austin saith Consider who is the doer and then thou wilt not doubt It is true indeed with men such a thing as this is impossible but with God all things are possible Could God at the first draw all things out of nothing and cannot God as well bring together all againe when they are turned to nothing Could hee make that body of thine out of the dust of the earth and cannot he raise that body when it is turned to dust Could hee unite that body to the soule in the time of the Creation and cannot he unite it at the time of the Resurrection Certainly there is nothing impossible too hard to the great and terrible voyce of God as Saint Chrysostome saith to that voyce of God that cleaveth the rockes that breakes the brazen gates asunder that looseneth the bands of death Therefore unlesse thou question the power of God no doubt but he is able and can bring all of us to judgement Hee will doe it for the manifestation of his power Secondly as for the manifestation of his power so for the manifestation of his wisedome It is a point of wisedome when one hath made a thing to bring it to the intended end for which hee made it Beloved this is Gods intended end in making of us therefore he brought us hither into the world not that we should have alwayes a Beeing here but that after a certaine time wee should be dissolved and put into an everlasting condition therefore Saint Peter speaking of the salvation of Gods elect he calleth it the end of their faith not only the end they aspire but that end that God hath assigned and appointed them to If God should faile of his end we might call his wisedome into question it might give us occasion to say that hee undertooke that which he was not able to accomplish so that in stead of shewing himselfe wise he should shew himselfe weake Therefore
so freeth men from the latter as they never come neere it and so freeth them from the former as they never dread to be under the power of the latter And the first Death of the outward man which is the separration of the Body from the Soule it is no Death if it separate not both from God which it can never doe if a man keepe the sayings of Christ therefore though his body that keepeth the sayings of Christ bee tooke from his soule yet he seeth not death so as to have any hurt by it hee feeleth no ill by it nay it is good to him for it is a passage from miserie to rest and felicitie Thus yee have these words as faithfully interpreted to you as I know how And now I will make proofe of this Doctrine thus explicated namely that thus to keepe Christs sayings to know and follow the Doctrine of the Gospell is the only sure way to escape the danger and hurt of Death Saint Peter acknowledgeth as much when he said to the Lord Jesus Christ that hee had the words of eternall life then he that keepeth them is certainly safe against the hurt of Death So the Angell speakes to the Apostles whom the Pharisees had imprisoned when he brought them forth of Prison he biddeth them speake to the people the words of this life since Christs Doctrine is the word of life it must needs follow that the keeping thereof is a per a perfect Antidote against the poyson of Death And Saint Peter when he gave an account to the rest of the Apostles and the brethren of Iudea of his going to the Gentiles he saith that an Angel appointed Cornelius to send for him that he might speake words to him whereby himselfe and his family should be saved and those words which cause a man to be saved you know will give him freedome enough from Death Thus I have proved the point by expresse Texts and there are two reasons of it The first is delivered by the Apostle Saint Iohn in his first Epistle and second Chapter where hee saith let that abide in you which you have heard from the beginning that is the Doctrine of the Gospell which Christ taught his sayings if that remaine in you you also shall continue in the Sonne and in the Father Hee that hath fellowship with the Sonne and with the Father can never see Death for God is the fountaine of life therefore those that are one with him and continue in him cannot see Death no more then he can be overwhelmed with darknesse that is where the Sunne shineth fully no more then the body can bee dead as long as it hath communion with the soule so those in whom the word of Christ remaineth and stayeth they are assured that they shall remaine with the Father and the Sonne and therefore being united to that that is life God the Father and the Sonne it is impossible that ever they should be hurt by the first or ever at all taste of the last Death Againe the Word of Christ freeth him in who it remaineth from the power and hurt of finne bringing to him remission of sinnes and sanctification And being free from sinne the cause of Death it is easie to conjecture that hee shall bee freeed from Death itselfe Let a mans Debt be satisfied and let the favour of the Prince be obtained and a Pardon granted the Prison shall never hold him long he shall not be brought to the place of Execution but when his guives are knocked off he is set at libertie so when we have obtained power against sinne by the powerfull worke of the Spirit of God which alwayes at the same time doth bend the heart of man to rest on Christ for salvation and heartily to indevour to walke before him in holinesse and righteousnesse when I say wee are thus freed from the power and guilt of sinne it is impossible that Death should lay hold upon us as his prisoner to carry us to the dungeon of Hell and to hold us under the wrath of God and that fiery indignation of his that causeth Hell to bee Hell Therefore certainly the words of Christ are an undoubted truth and we must rest upon them without all distrust and wavering that hee that keepeth his saying shall never see death and that the knowledge and beleeving and obeying the Doctrine of the Gospell is the only sure way to escape the hurt and ill of Death it selfe Let us now make some Application of this Doctrine to our soules First to stirre us up to a right hearty thankfulnesse unto Almighty God that is pleased to cast our times and dayes into that age and those places where the Doctrine of the Gospell this Saying of our blessed Saviour is so clearely and plainly and evidently laid open to you and frequently and earnestly prest upon your soules where the Lord commeth to declare unto you the way to life where he scoreth you out a path that will bring you quite out of the clutches and danger of Death this is the happinesse of our present Age and place where wee live and this whole kingdome too The grace and mercie and favour of our loving God hath so disposed of us that wee doe not live in times of Paganisme and darknesse where there was no newes of Christ that wee live not in places of Popish darknesse where the Doctrine of the Gospell is so mixed and darkned with tricks and devises of their owne that they cannot see Christ clearely It is our happinesse I say that wee doe not live in those places and times where either Paganisme or Poperie with their darknesse covered Christ from us and caused us that we could not clearely see or heare him and so not keepe his sayings But now grace is offered light is tendred to us wee may be saved wee may escape the danger of damnation if the fault be not solely and wholly in our carelesnesse and wilfulnesse and neglect and abuse of the meanes that God hath afforded us The heathen men that have not heard of Christ cannot possibly attaine to life as farre as we can Judge by the Scripture And it is very difficult for the Papists that heare so darkely and are told of the Doctrine of the Gospell with so many sophistications to come to be saved But for us that have the Doctrine of the Gospell so plainly and carefully taught us and revealed unto us wee may be saved and may easily see the way to obtaine salvation So we goe beyond them in happinesse Oh blessed be the name of the Ever-living God that beside the peace and plenty and other temporall benefits wherewith hee hath crowned this unworthy Nation of ours hee hath added this blessing of blessings this King of favours to give us so cleare a revelation of the Doctrine of salvation by faith in Christ alone Blessed bee his name and let your hearts say Amen to this thanksgiving and let it
cloudie to us but then God will manifest himselfe before men and Angels Then those wayes and workes of God against which the hearts of unsanctified men have boyled shall appeare to be as they are holy and good and righteous to their condemnation and terrour Yet further The particular Judgement that God inflicts upon men in this life may prove the universall The burning of Sodom and Gomorrah the drowning of the old World the plaguing of Egypt and the desolation of Ierusalem These shew the infinite hatred of God against sinne therefore no doubt hee will take a time to revenge himselfe of the impenitent amongst the sonnes of men because of their sinnes Lastly the consciences of men may prove that there shall bee a Judgement For let a man commit secret sinnes thatnone knoweth but God and hee yet many times hee feeleth hellish horrour which is a manifest proofe that conscience seeth and apprehendeth God as the supreame Judge that will call all men to an account for their sinnes Thus you heare the reasons why there must be a Judgement The manner of this Judgement consisteth in these particulars First it shall bee the last judgement after which there shall bee no other which declareth the terriblenesse of it In this life while there is life there is hope Let the wicked forsake his wayes and turne to the Lord hee will be gracious to him But then the sentence shall not be reverst then there can be no appeale from that Judge and judgement Againe it shall bee a Generall Iudgement which is the second thing God judgeth in this world and that both in life and in death Hee judgeth in life by chastising his children for their faults and avenging himselfe upon his enemies Hee judgeth every man at death But then there shall be a Generall Judgement of all 2 Cor. 10. Wee must all appeare before the Iudgement seat of Christ. In the third place It shall be a manifest Iudgement Sometime the Lord judgeth men secretly by raising up in them feares and horrours in their hearts causing his curse in them as water in their bowels and oyle in their bones But then God shall open his wrath against the children of wrath before a world of men and no eye shall pitty them Fourthly it shall bee a sudden judgement Even as the flood came upon the old World when they were sporting themselves and deryding Noah that preached to them of the flood so shall the fire come upon the World that shall passe before the face of Christ when he shall judge the quicke and the dead As a snare saith Christ shall it come upon all that dwell upon the earth When the Fowler layeth a snare to take a Bird hee giveth not warning to the Bird but surprizeth it suddenly so will Christ Jesus surprize the sonnes of men suddenly beyond their expectation The Evangelist saith hee shall come as a theefe in the night A theefe knocks not he giveth not warning so Christ Jesus beyond the thoughts of men will bee on them suddenly before they are aware by his dreadfull Judgement Fifthly it shall be a most righteous judgement Then God as the Apostle faith Rom. 2. will render to every man according to his deedes Hee will not regard the face of any Hee will not bee brybed by wealth or reward Hee will not heare the testimony of the world for the wicked or against the godly but deale impartially and give to every one according to his doings Lastly It shall be an Eternall judgement So saith the Apostle Heb. 6. 2. The meaning is not that God shall sit for ever sifting matters and surveying causes but it is so called from the effect for the conclusion shall be this the Eternall weale and happinesse of the godly and the eternall woe and miserie of the wicked that shall be plunged by the justice of God into the severest torments The Use of this Doctrine First it serveth as a preservative against temptation for so Solomon hath made it in the Text a preservative and bridle to young men God will bring thee to judgement saith he and let me make it so to you When Sathan tempteth you to sinne remember God will call you to Judgement even for those faults for which you may possibly escape the penaltie of men yet notwithstanding it is impossible for you to avoide the righteous Judgement of God If Sathan would have thee doe any thing that the word of God and thy owne conscience sheweth thee to be hatefull and wicked in the sight of God say to him No no God will bring me to Judgement This is the policie of our Adversarie when hee induceth us to evill hee makes sinne sweet and pleasant to us but it should bee our wisedome to make sinne bitter and loathsome even in this meditation God will bring us to Iudgement for the same The Apostle saith Resist the divell and hee will flie from you But how must we resist him not by arguments of our owne making but by arguments of the word of God and amongst other weapons remember to lift up this when Sathan would have thee sinne say No no God will bring mee to judgement When the Divell solicited Eve and circumvented her shee spake in the Serpent to Sathan concerning the Judgement of God Wee may eate saith shee of all the trees of the Garden but not of the tree in the middest of the Garden least wee die here shee brought an argument from the judgement of God but here was her weaknesse shee presently let it fall It should bee otherwise with us when Sathan tempts us let us say we shall die and be condemned for sinne say so and continue in it If any revolt from the truth he professeth he shall die in his sinne If any man disquiet the people of God by vexation or oppression hee shall die in his sinne If any man bee a drunkard or Epicure hee shall die in his sinne If any man be a whoremonger or adulterer hee shall die in his sinne If any man bee a swearer God hath vowed hee will not hold him guiltlesse hee shall die in his sinne If any man be an ignorant person disobeying godlinesse and obeying unrighteousnesse he shall die in his sinne If any man continue in grosse wickednesse in any wickednesse without repentrnce he shall die in his sinne Oh remember this Judgement of God this death that God will inflict on sinners for sinne For the wages of sinne is death and arme your selves with this when Sathan tempteth you if you forget Death and Judgement you are naked and unarmed your spirituall Adversary may hit you on the bare and spoile you as he will The second use is for instruction Will God bring us to Judgement for our sinnes Oh then let us hast to repentance Beloved this is one of the last things that God will doe and this is the greatest thing that Ministers can say
hee be a Lord and Commander also But you see I cannot stand to insist upon this The occasion of our meeting at this time is to commit to the Earth the body of our sister departed Shee hath now the termination and conclusion of all her wayting and expectation And after so long a wayting there remaineth a sleeping in the Grave a while when the soule resteth in the hands of Christ and waiteth for that great day when body and soule shall be joyned together I perswade my selfe well of her that Shee was one of the number of those wayters that shall have joy at the comming of Christ I had not much knowledge of her only I observed in her sicknesse a good purpose and desire of new and better obedience and performing better service to Christ then shee had done if God should have spared her longer And shee expressed also a great desire of Christs second comming a desire that hee would receive her to himselfe and that these dayes of sinne might bee finished Much she was in these desires and she had good warrant for it for shee was carefull as I am informed to set up the kingdome of Christ in her Family It is the dutie of a good Wife to be a helpe to her Husband especially in matters of piety and the worship of God and therein her example should teach wives to strive herein Shee was alwayes stirring him up to prayer in his Familie to a more carefull sanctifying of the Lords day herein Shee was frequent Shee was much mortified to the world for some late yeares as it was observed in her daily course by those that knew her Thus she laboured to fit her selfe and her Familie that shee might have comfort in the great Day of the appearing of the Lord Jesus I speake upon information for your edification to stirre you up to labour to fit your selves for Christ by purging out of sinne in your hearts and lives Labour to fit your Families for Christ that when you and your servants and children shall appeare before him you may looke on them and looke on Christ with comfort as men that before have prepared themselves for the comming of Christ and as those that then shall lift up their heads because the day of their redemption draweth nigh FINIS CHRISTS PRECEPT AND PROMISE OR SECVRITIE AGAINST DEATH LVKE 9. 44. Let these sayings sinke downe into your eares PRO. 23. 14. The law of the wise is a fountaine of life to depart from the snares of death LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. CHRISTS PRECEPT AND PROMISE OR SECVRITIE AGAINST DEATH SERMON XVII JOHN 8. 51. Verily verily I say unto you if a man keepe my saying hee shall never see death IT is not long men and brethren since Death rode in triumph thorow this Citie and did beare downe all before him hee locked up your houses pulled downe your windowes and made the wealthiest among you put upon them the semblance of Banckroutnesse by locking up their dores and turning their backes to their houses and running away so it played the Tyrant then there died thousands a-weeke and the Grave that alwayes cryeth Give give was almost cloyed with carkasses Death served himselfe so fast that the Prison could scarse hold the Prisoners It might almost have beene said then of this Citie as once it was of Egypt There was scarse a house wherein some were not dead at least where there was not the feare of Death Now it hath pleased God to shew you more favour and men now die but by scores Death goeth his old pace and takes away a few secretly without observation But Death is amongst you still and still will be so long as sinne is among you and therefore it will not bee unseasonable upon this occasion for mee to speake and you to heare somewhat that may arme you against this last and and worst Enemy Death which though hee make not such a stirre in these times of lesse Mortalitie yet hee will certainly take us all away one by one And who can tell but hee may be amongst the number of the hundred or fewer hundreds that die now as no man could tell whether hee should be amongst the number of the thousands then Since Death therefore is alwayes an enemie and alwayes fighteth against us though not alwayes with like furie and violence it is a part of wisedome in us alwayes to heare and to practise that which may secure us against the danger of death And that is taught in this Text. Verily verily I say unto you If a man keepe my saying hee shall never see death Wherein not to speake any thing of the Context I pray take notice who speakes the words The Authour of truth the Death of Death hee that can best tell by what meanes a man may shun the hurt of it hee that hath vanquished it and overcome the uttermost of his assaults Our Lord Iesus Christ that hath slaine death and brought life and immortality to light Hee giveth us this direction for the avoyding of the hurt of Death Then observe the manner of his speaking Verily verily I say unto you with an affirmation earnest and redoubled Hee never affirmed any thing untrue therefore that which hee speakes is an undoubted verity Hee never spake any thing rashly therefore that which hee affirmed so earnestly is a weighty thing and of great consequence And lastly observe that which I only shall insist upon the matter of his direction here comprehended in a hypotheticall proposition which hath as all such have two parts An Antecedent and a Consequent In the one hee sheweth the Dutie to bee done as a necessary condition for the obtaining of that which is specified in the other The first hath the Dutie The second the benefit that floweth from the Dutie These two are knit together in a most necessary consequence If a man keepe my word hee shall never see death You see now the only and perfect remedie against the evill of Death that is to keepe the saying and word of Christ. If any would know by what meanes he may bee secured against the terrible of all terrible things as one calleth Death here is a sure and certaine rule for him and hee need not doubt of it it commeth from the mouth of Christ let him keepe his saying and then Death shall never doe him harme I will first interpret these words unto you and then make them good by Scripture and Reason and then apply them and commit my selfe and you and all at last to the blessing of God First then when our Saviour Christ saith If a man wee must conceive him to meane generally at least indefinitely If any man whatsoever for so it pleaseth him to inlarge his promise in the redoubling of the word that no man may have cause to say hee is excluded except hee exclude himselfe Keepe my sayings Here first I must shew you what is meant by sayings and
then what it is to keepe those sayings The Saying or words of Christ is the Doctrine of the Gospell the Covenant of Grace which by an excellency is called His because by it hee bringeth life and immortality to light as I said before which in former times was hid as it were in the darke and not made knowne so publikely to the sonnes of men The Gentiles knew little or nothing of it The Iewes knew what they knew with much darknesse and obscurity Hee that was almost the first Preacher of this Gospell in cleare termes without any vaile or darknesse Iohn Baptist who was as it were betweene both hee did deliver this doctrine not so darkly as the Prophets before him nor so clearely as after it was by our blessed Saviour and those that succeeded him Therefore I say it is the Saying of Christ by an excellency because hee did in a manner first begin to teach and declare the same in the clearenesse and sweetnesse thereof and hee sent his Apostles abroad to make it plaine and manifest to all the world that a man may runne and reade it And His likewise it is called because hee is the Authour of it for hee is the worker of that salvation which it declareth to us Now this Doctrine of the Gospell hath two parts The first acquainting us with our miserie The second with the Remedie For as the Bond and Acquittance specifie the debt but to different purposes the one to tie the Debtor to the payment the other to absolve and acquit him even so the Law and the Gospell both declare the miserie of man the one to tie it fast upon him the other to helpe him the better to loose it from him The Physitian intreateth of the sicknesse as well as the Cure but of the sicknesse alone for the cures sake The Judge passeth a sentence of condemnation and then largely rehearseth the crime and punishment due to the offender the Pardon likewise makes mention of the fault and the punishment but in a different manner and to a different end So the Gospell declareth mans miserie and borroweth so much of the Law that may lay downe our wretched estate in our selves and so draw in that which is the maine and principall part of it the remedie of our soules And this part of the Gospell the Apostle St. Paul succinctly delivereth in a few words Rom. 3. 23. All have sinned and are come short of the glory of God All have sinned and All have sinned in such a sort and measure and degree that they are fallen short of that Glory of God by which the Apostle I thinke meaneth life Eternall that Glory that had it not been for sinne he would have bestowed upon the sonnes of men by vertue of the first Covenant he made with them The second part of the Gospell the words of Christ is concerning the Remedie whereby a man may be helped against this miserie And for that purpose it sheweth us Who helpeth us And how hee helpes us And what is to bee done by our selves that wee may obtaine and enjoy this helpe The Person that helpeth us is the Sonne Manifest in the flesh the Sonne of God taking our nature upon him and clothing himselfe in the similitude of sinfull flesh the Eternall Sonne of the Father assuming I say the very nature of man into the unitie of his Person so becomming God and Man in the same Person hee is the sole Redeemer neither is there any other name under heaven by which wee can be saved but by his alone Againe it sheweth us by what meanes hee saveth us as the Apostle speakes plaine enough in the next verse to that I spake of before being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ. To the intent that hee might free us from the Curse of the Law and wrath of God and the danger of eternall Death he vouchsafed to be made sinne for us to satisfie the justice of his Father by enduring the Curse of the Law and to accomplish the Righteousnesse of the Law by being made in our stead under the Law so he he became a Propitiation for the sins of the sons of men as the Apostle saith in that place Thus Christ by his perfect satisfaction made to his Father and by that perfect Righteousnesse whereby hee was subject to the Law for our sakes hath absolutly and fully delivered us from the power of sinne and of Death and performed the worke of our Redemption by vertue whereof by the merit and worth and value whereof wee are delivered and saved and Redeemed from this Death and from all other evils that crosse our eternall happinesse And thirdly the Gospell sheweth us by what means we may become partakers of this happinesse and Redemption in Christ and telleth us of three things as it were Conditions of the Covenant of Grace of the New Covenant which is ratified by the bloud of Christ. I say of three things the Conditions on our parts of that Covenant which if wee doe we shall certainly bee saved by the Redemption in Christ. The first is Repentance The second is Beleeving The third is our New obedience All and each of these plainly exprest in the word of God As for Repentance it is that wherewith Iohn the Baptist began his Preaching It is that that our Saviour commanded his Apostles to declare to the Iewes Repent for the kingdome of heaven is at hand It is that which himselfe preached at the first as Saint Marke witnesseth chap. 1. 15. It is that which Saint Paul began with when hee came to the Athenians Act. 17. and now hee admonisheth all men every where to repent It was the first of the foundations of the Doctrine of the beginning of Christ that was wont to bee taught in the Ancient Church as witnesseth the Authour to the Hebrewes chap. 6. not laying againe the foundation of repentance from dead works and then he proceedeth to the rest This Repentance is that which the Lord requireth absolutely of the sonnes of men as a condition of the new Covenant the Covenant of Grace without which they cannot possibly be made partakers of the same And this Repentance hath 4. parts every one of which is so needfull that without it the rest is little worth First lamenting for our sinnes and being sorry for our iniquities as David said of himselfe Psal. 38. I will declare my iniquitie and bee sorry for my sinnes And so the Apostle Saint Iames expresseth it chap. 4. 9. Afflict your selves mourne and weepe let your laughter bee turned into sorrow and your joy into teares Therefore Christ you know was sent to Preach glad tydings to the Prisoners and Captives and the opening of the prison to the prisoners and to bring the oyle of gladnesse to those that mourned in Sion A man must first be a Mourner in Sion one that smiteth
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