no worke of nature but of grace regeneration Thirdly the séed and roote of grace in Gods elect is neuer wholy taken away for Gods gifts are without repentance and Christs intâ—…rcession for their encrease and preseruation in grace is alwayes effectuall Ioh. 11. v. 42. The Sick-man But my faith is often-times dead and without all life and motion how 〈◊〉 can I be assured of Gods mercy The Minister Thy faith is not extinct but only for the time ouer-clowded with the mist of sinne and couered vnder the ashes of infirmitie it is like to a trée which in 〈◊〉 winter season albeit it bring foorth neither 〈◊〉 flowre nor fruite yet it hath life and sâ—…ppe at the roote which 〈◊〉 the spring time will ascend vp and appeare Secondly God respecteth rather the qualitie of faith then the quantitie if it be a true faith though as little as a graine of Mustard séede God accepteth of it for one drop and dramme of faith is of mâ—…e force to saue then an Ocean sea of sinne and corruption to condemne Thirdly and lastly faith without present ioy and feeling is more forcible and preuailing then faith with it for it onely relyeth vpon Gods power truth and promises yea when God sheweth himselfe an enemie to vs and séemeth to kill vs we by it beléeue in God and by faith waite on him whereas it is an easie matter for a man in the apprehension of sensible comfort and ioy to beléeue The fourth obiection The sick-man But the fearfull iudgments of God such as of late years haue bin that most infâ—…tious and destroying pestilence the horrible and vn-matchable Gunne-powder treason the vnheard of breach of the sea and inundation of waters the late extreame and killing frost this present pinching and vnexpected dearth vnseasonable wether and many other publike and priuate iudgements vpon Church and common-wealth which I sée and heare of doe much dismay mée and cause me to doubt of Gods mercy Minister A. True it is that these and diuerse other punishments haue béene executed vpon vs for the neglect yea contempt of the blessed word of God and the powerfull ministerie of it for our want of zeale against the enimies of the truth for prophanation of the Sabboth for oppression of the poore for blasphemie for hypocrisie and for licentious liuing c. But notwithstanding if there be but one good man in a generation hée shall not for the multitude of transgressors be depriued of Gods mercies but finde comfort in the greatest plagues and punishments whatsoeuer Secondly though being once by faith ingrafted and incorporated into Christ yea and maried vnto Christ the author and fountaine of life and happinesse thou canst neuer miscarry nor perish For euen as the Disciples in the ship when a mighty storme for their triall and demonstration of Christs power was raised vp could not possibly perish the Lord of glory being there present in the ship so hauing Christ the Lord of glory dwelling in thine heart by his spirit how canst thou do amisse or why should thou doubt of Gods mercifull prouidence who ordereth all things for thy good The fift Obiection The sick man But my great vnworthinesse and vnthankfulnesse maketh me to suspect and feare that God will not performe that hée hath promised nor finish the good worke that he hath begun in me Minister A. This is indéed a gréeuous temptation yea the sorest of all others but this cannot hinder God from performing his promises For as the making of his couenant of grace with vs and the offer of his sauing promises vnto vs procéeded onely from his frée goodnesse and méere mercie without any respect to our workes or worthinesse so the accomplishing of his promises is to be onely ascribed to the same grace and goodnesse Thirdly as hath before bin particularized not the greatest â—…rmers and offenders in the old and new Testament haue euer by reason of their owne vnworthinesse bin denyed or depriued of Gods mercies but vpon confession of their sinnes desire of pardon and the purpose and beginning of amendment of life were pardoned and receiued into Gods euerlasting fauour Q. Is it necessarily then required of vs that we confesse and acknowledge our owne vnworthinesse A. Yes without question for hereby we are made capable of Gods mercies and blessings God doth depresse the proud and exalt the humble he filleth the hungry soule with goodnesse but the rich in their owne conceit onely hée sendeth away emptie Luke 1. 52. 15. and Christ was sent not to call the righteous in their owne opinion but sinners in their owne sense and confession to repentance Q. Séeing that God doth not simply forsake or cast off any for his vnworthinesse what vse make you of this point A. We must learne hence neuer to call Gods mercy truth and goodnesse into question but we must make it the foundation of our confidence and hope for it is vnchangeable infinite and euerlasting and thus dooing we shall haue no cause to feare euill but to looke to finde all good things in Christ our treasure husband and head The fourth Chapter Of Death and the cause of it Question VVHen the sick person is once perswaded of the pardon of his sinnes for the time past and present what further duty remaineth to be performed A. He is to be prepared and armed against the feare of death the assaults of Satan and the â—…errour of the last iudgement 〈◊〉 Q. Now that hée may bée prepared and armed against death what points are to be considered A. Seauen points specially I. what death is II. The certainty of it III. The causes and kindes of it IV. The exceptions that are taken against it V. The benefits of it VI. The preparation and furniture against it And VII what disposition and behauiour is required in death it selfe Of these in order Chapter the fift Of death his causes and kindes Question VVHat is death A. It is the taking away of life or the dissolution and separation of the soule from the body ordeined of God and for the punishment of sinne imposed vpon Adam and all his posteritie Rom. 6. 23. 1. Cor. 15. 21. Col. 2. 13. Q Doth God yet impose death as a punishment A. Yes for euery man sinneth and the very infante is not without originall corruption and therefore all must of necessity no persons order or degrée excepted at length die the temporall death Eccle. 3. ve 3. Psal. 49. v. 10. Heb 9. 27. Q. What is the procuring and deseruing cause of death Ans. Sinne whereby man brake Gods commandement Q. How was sinne first brought into the world A. Satan in the forme of a serpent perswaded Eue to eate of the forbidden aple Eue assenting to satan did eate of it and gaue it to Adam who harkned to her and thus they both of them sinned and brought death vpon themselues and all their posterity Q Why then were not Adam and
Eue immediately after their fall put to death An. First because the threatning of death was not absolute but included a condition of faith in Christ that was to be borne and that should breake the serpents head Secondly Adam and Eue incontinently vpon their fall became mortall in their bodies and accursed in their soules Thirdly God by his clemency and indulgence towards them would make a way to make knowne his mercie Quest. If all men by reason of sinne must néedes die why did not Enoch and Elias in the time of the old Testament die the death of all but were rapt aliue into heauen Ans. First their translation was extraordinary and proper to themselues onely Secondly they were figures and tipes of the generall resurrection Thirdly their translation was nothing els but an extraordinary death for they were changed in a moment from mortality to immortality Obiect But at the day of iudgement many shal be found aliue howe then can all men bee said to die Answ. All the elect at the sound of the trumpet shall in a moment bée changed from corruption to incorruption and from mortality to immortality which is a kinde of death Qu. Now seeing that sinne is the cause of death what vse are we to make of it Ans. Wee must bée mooued hereby to take notice of and acknowledge Gods seuere wrâ—…th against sinne and by consequence we must learne to hate and shun all kind of sinne The sixt Chapter Of the diuers sortes of death and of the degrees of spirituall death Question OF how many sorts is death A. Of two sorts â—…mely â—…ily or spirituall Q. What is bodily death An. It is the first death or the separation of the soule from the body Q. Is the particular time of bodily death made knowne to any directly before hand Ans. No for that time in respect of vs is most vncertaine and God hath reserued it in his owne power and disposition only Q. Why so Ans. That wée should not defer and put off our repentance from day to day but labour to be in a readinesse and waking yea and waiting for our Lords comming euery day Mark 13. v. 37. Q. What then may this present life in consideration of his short continuance and vncertaintie bée compared vnto Ans. To a vapor to smoake to a shaddow to a weauers shutle to grasse and to the flowre of the field which are of short and vncertaine continuance Qu. But why doe the children of God die this temporall death séeing that their sinnes which are the cause thereof are forgiuen A. First because their sinnes howsoeuer forgiuen are not wholy in regarde of the corruption and remainders of them taken away and abolished before death Secondly this corruptible flesh and bloud cannot inherite the kingdome of God 1. Cor. 15. 50. Thirdly that they may be in some sort made conformable to Christ his death Lastly that the godly may learne and finde by experience the difference betwéene this mortall life and that immortall glory in the world to come and that they may haue experience of Gods power in raysing vp the dead Q. What is spirituall death A. It is a separation of the whole man both in body and soule from the fauour and gratious fellowship of God and a subiecting of him to eternall condemnation and hell fire begun in this world and accomplished in the world to come Q. What is the cause of the spirituall death Ans. Sinne so farre foorth as it is ioyned with vnbeliefe and impenitencie for not sinne simply but sinne not repented of damneth Que. Are there degrées of spirituall death Ans. Yes there are thrée in number Q. What is the first degrée of spirituall death A. It is when a man by reason that his soule is depriued of spirituall life faith and repentance and for that his body is a fitte instrument to put any sinne in execution is subiect to Gods wrath and appointed to punishment Quest. What is the second degrée of it An. Condemnation or euerlasting forment whereby the soule immediatly after the departure of it out of the body is carried by the diuells into hell Quest. What is the third and last degrée of it An. When in the nay of iudgement the soule and body being reunited and ioyned together shall for euer-more féele Gods intollerable indignation and endure the vengeance of eternall death Quest. How can this last kinde of death be so called properly séeing that both the bodies and soules of the reprobate shall alwayes suruiue and remaine aâ—…ue Answ. That life is no true life for such an vnhappy condition deserueth rather to be called death then life for the damned are vniuersall excommunicated from the fauour and glory of GOD and are vtterly and for euer bereaued of all holynesse and happynesse Qu. Are Gods children fréed and exempted from these kindes of spirituall death An. Yea for they are deliuered from the first degrée of spirituall death by regeneration whereby they are renewed in all the part of their soules affections They are deliuered from the second kinde when their soules forthwith after their departure out of the bodie are carryed vp into heauen Apoc. 14. 13. The third degrée they are fréed from at the day of iudgement when both body and soule shall be glorified together and liue together for euer in heauen Q. Is it not good yea and the entrance into eternall blisse for the godly to dye A. Yes certainly for it is better to dwell with God then with men Secondly they hereby forth-with enter into the possession of euerlasting happinesse The sick-man Q But there are many fearefull accidents and occurrences to which the godly themselues are subiect in their sicknesses and deaths therefore how can it be good for Gods children to dye A. Propound and impart them vnto me and I will giue thée the best satisfaction that I can The sick-man 1. Obi. Death is the wages of sinne the curse of the lawe and the enimy of Christ and his children how then can it be good A. It is not such by it owne nature and in it selfe but it is changed and the property thereof is altered by Christ his death in so much that of a curse and punishment it is turned into a gentle and fatherly correction and is made a narrow entrance and a short cut into euerlasting life And in this last respect it may bée aptly compared to the redde sea which drowning the AEgiptians gaue a miraculous passage to Gods people into the blessed land of promise and euen so death which sendeth the reprobate spéedily to hell doth in a moment let in the godly into the kingdome of heauen Q. In what respects and considerations may death be said to be an enemy A. First in respect of the originall of it for the enuie of the deuill brought it into the world namely as an outward and remote cause Secondly because it is opposite to Gods promise
vse of the meanes The end of Phisike The 18. Chapter The sicke must sorgiue and desire forgiuenesse of others The Magistrats the Ministers and the masters of the familes duty The making of a will necessary According to what rules it must be made The 19. Chapter To die in faith necessary and what it is To die in obedience necessary and what it is The end of them that die well is blessed Consolations against the imagined calamities of our posterity viz. wife chilldren Consolations against losse of honour profit and pleasure in this life Death how farre forth to be feared Q. How farre forth not to be feared Whether that a man may lawfully desire death In what respects The summe of the whole treatise The Sick-mans Path-way The first Chapter concerning sicknesse Question WHat is sicknesse Ans. It is according to Philosophie and Phisicke a priuation of health or an ill disposition and passion in the body contrary to nature Qu. But how define you it according to diuinitie Ans. It is Gods rod and instrument to chastice vs for our sinnes and to put vs in minde of our mortalitie it is the herbinger and messenger of death and by vertue of Christs death it is a narrow and spéedy passage to euerlasting life Q. From whence or from what causes doe sicknesses and diseases procéede A. They procéede from God as the inflicter and imposer of them for he is the author of the euill of punishment but they arise from sinne as the deâ—…eruing and procuring cause Psalm 39. Leuit. 26. 16 Deut. 28. vers 22. 23. 24. Q. How can God that is simplye good yea goodnesse it selfe be the cause of euill namely sicknesse diseases paine c. A. Gods goodnesse and iustice doth and may very well consort together in the beléeuers for as God in his iustice doth correct his children for their disobedience so doth he temper and qualifie it with his mercy and goodnesse that these afflictions are finite tolerable and tend both to the temporall and eternall good and profit of his children Psal. 25. v. 10 Rom. 8. v. 28. Q. What vse are we to make of this point A. Wée must first descend into our selues acknowledge our sinne and wickednesse yea and condemne our selues for it 1. Cor. 11. 31. Secondly we must be so farre of from fretting murmuring repining against God that we must iustifie God in all his chasticements not to require the reasoÌ„ of them for they are alwayes good and holy albeit we doe not alwayes sée the particular reason of them Thirdly we committing our selues to Gods will must earnestly entreate the Lord to restore vs to our former health or else to receiue vs to his euerlasting kingdome Obi. But God hath in his beloued Sonne Christ Iesus forgiuen yea and taken away the guilt dominion curse of sinne which is the cause of their sicknesses and why then doth he not withall remooue the effect viz. sicknesse diseases c A. Albeit the guilt curse and dominion of sinne be remooued from the beléeuers yet the reliques and stumpes of sinne remaine and inherent corruption is but in part abolished and therefore so long as we liue in this world the Lord must néeds more or lesse one way or other fatherly chastice exercise vs. 1. Cor. 11. 31. Heb. 12. v. 6. 8. Obi. 2. But Gods children cannot alwayes finde out the peculiar sinnes that are the proper and immediate causes of their sicknesses and diseases A. Yet not withstanding we must suspect accuse and condemne our selues and withall iustifie and cléere the Lord for there is some secret and hidden sinne of pride worldlinesse lust enuie vanitie oppression c. for which wee are corrected albeit it bee not presently made knowne vnto vs. Q. What course must we take to finde out this Achan or secret corruption A. We must as I will in the next Chapter more fully shew examine our selues by the strict rule of Gods law Secondly we must entreate the Lord by prayer to reueale the sinne vnto vs. Thirdly and lastly we must take notice of the checkes of our conscience yea and the taunts reproches of our enimies Q. What are the principall ends why God laieth sicknesses diseases aches c. vpon his children A. They are principally these foure to witt mortification and preuention of sinne triall and exercise of Gods graces in vs manifestation of Gods glorr and lastly our saluation and eternall happinesse Q. But to speake of each of these ends particularly yet briefely how doth God mortifie and preuent sinne by sicknesse A. First God doth hereby declare his iustice and anger against sinne past and present that his children might be more effectually stirred vp to search them out consider of them and be sory for them Secondly God hereby doth correct the pride of prosperitie and remooue all vaine confidence in carnall wisedome riches beautie friends that we may waite patiently and onely vpon his power truth promises and learne to séeke for heauenly things so that by this his correction he taketh away the myst of errour from our eyes purgeth our hearts from the drosse of corruption and fanneth vs from the chaffe of sinne and hereby prepareth vs either for health or heauen Q. Doth God by sicknesse and the like afflictions preuent sinne to come A. Yes certainly thus pride was preuented in blessed Paul 2 Cor. 12. ver 7. 8 Security in Dauid Psal. 30. 6. 7. and neglect of preparation in the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11. v. 31. Q. What is the second end of Gods chasticements A. To trie and make knowne to themselues and to others their faith hope patience repentance constancie yea to exercise quicken and encrease in them these and other graces that they may be thankfull to God for them and may be as mirrours and lamps vnto others Q. Are not also by this triall and exercise decayed graces recouered A. It is most certaine for hereby deadnesse and drowsinesse of heart is cured and men are mooued more feruently to séeke and pray vnto God then they did before Psal. 30. 6. Q. What is the third end A. The declaration and manifestation of Gods power glory and goodnesse in their deliuerance either by life or death Iohn 9. vers 3. Q. What is the last end A. After that God hath reformed humbled and exercised them and made them to relie wholy vpon him and to waite wish for their saluation to bring them by death into the heauenly Canaan where they shall haue immediate fellowship and raigne with Christ for euer-more Q Séeing that sicknesses diseases and the like chasticements haue such comfortable and blessed effects and euents in Gods children what is the reason why they should not be the same in the wicked and vngodly A. The difference lieth first in their persons the elect are accepted of God and therefore like the good golde they are made more pure and bright by visitations and afflictions
Ergo we must not looke to haue our rest and heauen here Fourthly they that dote and surfet vpon these earthly and out-ward things are void of faith hope and repentance and so perish and therefore it is better willingly to forgoe these things then to bee vndone by them Lastly we must looke for true and euerlasting honour the pretious and proper riches sincere and neuer discontenting pleasure in the paradice of heauen onely and bid auant to these earthly matters when they hinder vs in the course of Godlinesse and most destrously forsake them when the Lord by death calleth vs to the kingdome of glory and the felicity thereof Que. Ought a man to feare death Ans. He ought partly to feare it and partly not to feare it Questi Why must a man feare death An. First because it is the destruction of nature and a paineful correction Ques What vse is to be made hereof Ans. We must feare sinne that is the cause thereof and acknowledge Christ an enemy to it and offended with sinne Que. What is the second reason why we must feare death An. Because by the death of the Godly the Church or common wealth suffereth losse and we are beréeued of the saffe and stay of our comfort 2. Reg. 2. Qu. What if a man in death sée no way how to escape Satans temptation Ans He must close his eyes commit his cause to God and put on the spirituall armour of faith hope and the word of God Que. What if a Godly man doubt and his flesh tremble to enter into another life Ans. We must not yeeld to these temtations but resist them and our spirit is to be commended into Gods hand and then Christ with all his Angells will come and bee our guide to eternall life Secondly we must stoutly vndergo it and meditate vpon Christs sufferings and the issue and end wil be happy deliuerance Que. What if Satan contrarywise laboureth to expell all feare to make a man careles and laboureth to perswade him as he did maister Knoxe to rest in an opinion of his owne merits and so would puffe him vp with pride arrogancy Ans. He must consider and confesse that his owne righteousnes is foule and deformed he must resist and withstand that temptation and attribute all the glory of his saluation to God alone Que. In what and for what causes must we not feare death Ans. For fiue causes first because we haue hence a cause and an occasion to shew our subiection obedience to God Secondly because we are fréed from sin which is a principal part of our glorification Thirdly because the very body lying in the graue is refreshed against labours and is deliuered from death and misery and shall rise againe in glory Fourthly it conueieth translateth the soule vnto eternall life wher God is perfectly serued it hath blessed fellowship with Christ and all the Angells and Saints of heauen Lastly because by death GOD purgeth and disburdneth his Church of euil men Qu. Séeing that death is the cause of so great good to the godly may a man lawfully desire it An. Yes so that it be not of impatiency or desperation Secondly Iob many others haue desired death again again and are not therfore reproued Qu. May a man simply desire death An. No truly but a man must walke in his calling and standing so long as it shall please God For the godly had rather liue to sette forth Gods glory theÌ„ for their owne temporall commodity Qu. In what respects is death to bée desired An. So farre forth as it is a meane to frée and deliuer vs from the burden and contagion of sinne and from the miseryes and troubles of this life Secondly as it is a meane and instrument to the manifest vision of God and to the immediate fellowshippe of God and Christ. Lastly our desire must bee moderate and agréeable to Gods will and good pleasure Quest. May a man contrariwise desire long life An. Yes so the end and scope of his life be to doe acceptable seruice to God and to further and maintaine Gods religion and glory and labour to help and forward other mens faith c. Phil 1. 24. 25. Quest. If the death of the godly bée so blessed what shall wee thinke of the death of the wicked An. It is altogether accursed and fearefull Que. Why so Ans. First because it is the dissolution of nature and the wages of sinne Secondly for that by reason of Gods iustice pursuing the wicked in euery place and because they haue no peace of conscience death is to them the beginning of euerlasting damnation For they féele no mitttigation of theyr gréefe in death nor haue so much as the least hope and expectation of ease and deliuerance Qu. What is the conclusion and sum of all that hath bin said An. Wee must striue and continually indeauour to liue and dye well and godly that wée may bee blessed both in life and death and that we when this earthly life and pilgrimage is ended may liue and triumph for euer with our Lord Iesus in heaueâ—… which the Lord in mercy graunt and effect Amen A prayer to be vsed of a sick man O Lord GOD great and fearefull iust in thy iudgements intollerable in thy displeasure and yet bottomlesse in thy mercies kéeping couenant and mercy to them that loue thée and obey thy commandements I poore wretched sinner that am but dust earth and ashes vnworthy of the least of mercies and most iustly deseruing all temporall and eternal iudgements doe here present and prostrate my selfe before thy throane of grace And I fréely confesse vnto thée that I am conceiued borne in originall corruption prone vnto al wickednes vntoward backward to any goodnes ful of alimperfections that I haue by mine actuall transgressions which are many mighty broken all thy holy lawes and CoÌ„mandements and that therefore amongst many other euils this present sicknesse ache pain and weakenesse is deseruedly come thée my purposes and vowes of obedience and thansgiuing doe better and further seruice vnto thy Maiestie and be the more prepared for thy Kingdome But if it be thy will decrée and pleasure by this sicknesse to finish my daies I then intreat thy good Maiestie to renue me in the inner man as the outward man decayeth and grant that as the bodie dyeth so thy grace may liue and grow in me open the eyes of my vnderstanding that I may know what the hope is of my heauenly calling and the riches of the glorious inheritance that thou haste laid vp in store for me that by this meanes I may dye in the true faith of Christ in willing obedience to thy Maiesty and in thy fauour and loue of my neighbour and so when this life endeth I may beginne a better and dwell with thée and with all the triumphant company of Saintes and Angels praise and magnifie thy name for euer Blesse
touching mans immortality in Paradice Thirdly because by meanes hereof Satan séeketh to remooue good men out of the world that they may not crosse and hinder his purposed designes Lastly because hée through feare of violent death laboureth to kéepe men from the practise of holy duties Math. 13. vers 21. Que. Haue you any more obiections against death that I may doe mine vtmost endeuour to resolue you herein Ans. Yes truly and they are fiue in number Q. What is the first of them Obiecti n. Ob. Châ—…st Iesus Dauid Ezechias prayâ—… against death therefore it is euill A. 〈◊〉 arâ—…ment follâ—…weth not For first Christ prayeâ—… not against death simply for â—…o died willingly and otherwise he could not haue merited ought but hée prayed for the remoouall of the curse of it and destred his heauenly father to take away the cup of his wrath which was the beginning and part of the second death of this iudgement are maister Caluin Beza Whitaker Perkins Fulke Maister Doctor Willet and in a word all sincere diuines c. And as for Dauid when Dauid prayed against death it was onely in time of some grieuous temptation in distresse of minde and as it was ioyned with the sence of Gods wrathfull indignation Thirdly touching Ezechias that good King hée prayed against death that he might bée more reconciled vnto GOD before his death and that hée might establish and farther the true worship of God in his kingdome which by his death was like to be defaced And lastly that according to Gods promise made to godly Kings he might haue an heire and successour out of his owne loynes which prayer God heard otherwise he was willing enouâ—…h to dye Quest. What is your second doubt or obiection Ob. Gods children often séeme to dye in desperation how then can death be good and desirable A. This is not to be imputed to want of loue toward God but to weaknesse of nature and tendernesse of conscience for sinne and therefore they may notwithstanding all this bée saued For God in the matter of saluation worketh by contraries and by the gates of hell bringeth his seruants to heauen 1. Sam. 2. vers 6. 7. Que. What is the third exception or obiection against death Gods children doe some-times in their sicknesse raue blaspheme and behaue themselues like frantick men A. These and the like effects are not to be assigned to any deliberate purpose of the godly but onely to be imputed to melancholy burning feuers the cholick and other violent diseases and in a word to their infirmity onely Q. What conclude you hence A. We are not vpon these occurrences rashly to iudge them much lesse to condemne them For first if they euer recouer the vse of reason they repent of those infirmities and if it fall out otherwise these with all other vnknowne sinnes are pardoned yea and buried in Christ his death Secondly we must not like arrogant Critikes condemne them of impiety and hypocrisie but wee must iudge charitably of them as wée would bée delt with-all in the like case Lastly wée must not so much giue iudgement of a man by his death as by the former course and conuersation of his life Obiect 4. What is your fourth exception Ans. The Saints and seruants of God when death approacheth are most of all and more then other people tempted assaulted and molested by satan how then can death be good An. First it is no good argument hence to conclude that they are none of Gods seruants but rather the contrary they are Gods deere children ergo satan must now or neuer séeke to sift them whereas the wicked are his own and refist him not Secondly I answere that it is not generally true that the Godly are thus in death assaulted for many with Simeon die as a torch or fire-brand without sense of paine Isay. 57. Lastly in the very agony of death God doth so assist and strengthen them by his spirit in so much that when satan looketh for the greatest victory hée receiueth the greatest foile Q. How must we behaue our selues in this temptation A. We must flie vnto Iesus Christ commit the managing of our cause to him for he absolâ—…ing vs what néede we wee feare satans assaults Lastly we must hold our selues to Gods promises and not depart an haires bredth from them Obiect But satan is mighty subtill diligent bold cruell malicious and I am weake simple remisse fearefull and how then can I resist and ouercome him Ans. Thou must not yéeld to him but by praier faith and Gods word resist him and hée like a Crocodile pursued will flée from thée Iames 4. verse 7. 1. Pet. 5. 9. Secondly thou must make God thy strong hold and firmely beléeue and trust in him and then the gates of hell shall not preuaile against thée Qu. What is the fift and last exception against death Answ. Sudden death is an euill but many men die suddainely ergo death is euill Ques How answere you this argument Answ. I answere to the first proposition that death is not euill because it is suddaine for the last iudgement shall come suddainely and yet it is not euill but good to GODS children but because it findeth onely the wicked vnrepentant and vnprepared Luk. 12. v. 20. and 21. Secondly CHRIST by his death and suffering hath taken away the course of the lawe and the feare of condemnation which is the very sting of death therefore death though neuer so suddaine is not accursed to the true beléeuers but a speedie conueyance of them into the hauen of eternall rest and happinesse Lastly séeing that with Ezechias wee haue no lease of our life if any of GODS seruants with good Mephibosheth and Iobs Godly children and the young infantes that Herode caused to bée massacred die suddainely and violently wée must iudge charitably and the best of them for the manner and time of the ending our life is onely in Gods power and not in our owne will Questi But what if a professour of true religion and formerly of an vnblameable behauiour bee brought through the extreamity of temptation kill himselfe is not he certainely damned and so death euill to him A. Although this be a ticklish point and albeit Saul Achitophell and Iudas that killed themselues bée noted in scripture for reprobates and albeit they that late violent hands on themselues neuer for the instant may bée iudged to thinke on hell torments yet séeing that God neuer finally forsaketh his chosen seeing that his mercy is bottomlesse and that he may giue them repentance for ought we know to the contrary at the last point of time let vs if they haue béene formerly good professors iudge the best of them and pray vnto God that he would giue vs grace neuer to yéeld to the like temptations Q. But why must not a man kill himselfe Ans. First because he shall not hereby escape misery but runne into it Secondly it is not lawfull to