likely this signe is yet to come all the rest are fulfilled and therefore the end cannot be farre The second sort of signes are such as are immediatly before Christs comming to Judgement and that is the darknesse of the Sunne Moone and Starres The Sunne shall bee darkned the Moone shall lose her light the Starres shall fall from heaven the very powers of heaven shall bee shaken the foundations of the heavens shall tremble Alas what shall the little shrubbes in the Wildernesse doe when the tall Cedars of heaven shall bee shaken What shall poore sinfull man doe when the Angels shall be afraid The last signe shall be in Christs comming to Judgement Mat. 24. 29. it is called the signe of the Sonne of man Then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man and then all the tribes of the earth shall mourne What this signe of the Sonne of man is Divines doe varie Some hold it is the signe of the Crosse which all eyes shall behold even they that pierced him as Iohn saith Revel 1. Some others which I rather assent unto take it to be the glorious beames of Christs Majestie immedeiatly before his personall appearance to enlighten the world being darkned by reason of the want of the light of the Sunne and Moone So you see what these signes shall be The signes that prognosticate Christs comming Those that shall be fulfilled long before they are all effected but one as you heard Therefore it stands us all upon as wise Virgins to prepare oyle in our lampes that when our Bridegroome Christ shall come we may be ready to enter into eternall joy So we come from the signes that prognosticate the judgement to the Judgement it selfe Concerning the Judgement it selfe You must know that after death there are two judgements There is a particular and there is a generall Judgement The particular Judgement is immediatly as soone as ever the breath is gone out of the body As soone as ever the soule is gone out of the body it is conducted by the Angels before the Tribunall seat of God and there receives the particular sentence either of joy or torment according as it lived in the body in this life We need not speake of this we have example for the proofe of it in Scripture of Dives and Lazarus the one whereof being dead was presently carried to joy the other presently to torment The other is a generall judgement so called because it shall be of all men in generall that ever lived and breathed upon the face of the earth men women and children all shall be presented before the Tribunall seat of Christ all must hold up their hands at the Barre of his judgement all must give an account of all their words thoughts and actions all must receive the sentence either of Come yee blessed or goe yee cursed After which sentence once pronounced there shall never question bee made of the end of the joy of the one or of the ease of the torments of the other But here ariseth a question you know the world consists but of two sorts of persons beleevers and unbeleevers For the beleever it is evident and plaine Ioh. 5. 24. Hee is passed alreadie from death to life he hath everlasting life already he shall not come into judgement And for the unbeleever it is as plaine Ioh. 3. 18. that he is already condemned even already both are judged already both the beleever and unbeleever the beleever is saved already the unbeleever is damned already what need therefore a generall a second Judgement To this I answer that there is a very great need of it both in respect of the justice and of the mercie of God whose propertie it is alway to reward the godly and to punish the wicked which seeing he doth not to the full in this life it must needes bee that a day will come that he will fully doe it You know the course of the Lord as David speakes good men have bands in their death and wicked men are Iustie and strong good men are in evill condition and wicked men in prosperitie Diogenes the Cinnick seeing Harpalus a theefe long in prosperitie he was bold to say that wicked Harpalus his living long in prosperitie it was an argument to Diogenes that God had cast off his care of the world that he respected not mens affaires And indeed the prosperitie of the wicked hath brought the Saints of God to a stand Davids foot slipped almost in seeing the prosperitie of the wicked It made Iob to say Iob 24. 12. Men groane out of the Citie by reason of oppression and the soules of the slaine crie out and yet God chargeth them not with folly This made Ieremiah to expostulate his cause with the Lord Ierem. 12. Let mee talke with thee of thy judgements Why doth the wicked prosper and they that transgresse thy commandements This makes the godly take up that passionate complaint Psal. 73. 11. How doth God know it is there any knowledge in the most high Certainly we have cleansed our hearts in vaine in vaine wee have washed our hands in innocencie in vaine we labour to live godly lives Why Every day wee are chastened for the Lord corrects us every morning And these have the wealth of the world they have the world at will Wee in Christianitie know this to be true Dives hath the world at will while poore Lazarus is shut out of dores hungrie and thirstie cold and naked full of necessitie every way This being so the day must needes come that the one shall have fulnesse of glory and the other of miserie But to answer those places before cited To the former Ioh. 5. where it is said The beleever is passed already from death to life hee hath everlasting life alreadie It is true hee is passed already from death to life by faith he hath it already and by hope he shall not come into judgement that is of condemnation so we must understand it but there is a judgement of absolution that is to bee executed and so when the Lord Jesus Christ shall descend from heaven with the sound of a Trumpet and the voyce of the Archangell then the dead in Christ shall rise first and bee caught up in the cloudes to meet Christ and then they shall be set at his right hand and heare that heavenly sentence Come yee blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you before the beginning of the world You see the answer to that that beleevers shall not come into judgement that is not the judgement of condemnation but of absolution at the last day Now for the other place where it is said Ioh. 3. 18. the unbeleever is condemned alreadie It is true he is condemned already and that three wayes First of all hee is condemned already in the counsell of God Secondly he is condemned already in the word of God
but a glasse of a brittle substance all our comforts are of a changeable nature that whereon wee set our affection is taken from us in a moment Thus I have opened these two points now give mee leave to make some use I will spare to speake to you of the occasion of our meeting together for Funerall Sermons are not for the advantage of the dead but for the instruction of the living there are two Uses that I will make of those two propositions I know many more may be produced but I consider the time The first Use is this Since great tryalls may befall great Christians then let us prepare for great tryalls for as much as such kind and degrees of affliction and crosses may befall us There are two things that a man should alwayes provide for one is while wee live to provide for Death the other is while we are in prosperitie to provide for affliction for a change and for this consider two things First our outward condition is but a shadow it hath a naturall aptnesse to change there is not a person that heares mee this day but this may concerne his outward condition Man is borne unto trouble saith Iob as the sparkes flie upward as if trouble were his naturall spheare wherein he is to move Thou canst not assure thy selfe of life no not a moment nor of any of these outward comforts neither canst thou promise thy selfe securitie in any state or condition though thou maist get assurance that God will save thee yet thou canst never get assurance that God will never trie thee wee see that Death enters into many houses of this Citie at this time in one house one hath lost a Father another hath lost a Wife another hath lost a Husband another hath lost a Child another is in sorrow for the losse of a deare friend and therefore wee should provide for a change because the next commission of Death may enter into our houses it is our sinnes that puts our lives upon these conditions our sinnes doe alwayes leave something contrary to our comforts to alter and change our present condition Death takes away our life and plucks away our comfort and dis-inherits us of all these outward things how soone doth Death lay honour in the dust how soone is beautie ecclipsed by deformitie our strength laid down by weaknesse our health overcome by sicknesse our life overtaken by Death all these may ecclipse our comforts these cloudes may soone darken our sunne one thing or other every moment is ready to put out our candle to darken our day to cease our life alas what is life but a shadow What is honour but a blast what are the things we doe so much pride our selves in they are but as Ionahs Gourd which perisheth in a moment and many times the cause of our sorrow and affliction the losse of them a greater griefe then the want of them this staffe on which we leane will soone bee broken a Ship may last for a while but shee will sinke at the last What is the Wise mans verdict of all things under the Sunne hee concludes they are all vanity that is not enough they are nothing but vanity that is not enough neither they are nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit things lesse then nothing then how little is it that wee are to expect from them we should provide for a change not onely our outward condition is thus changeable but our inward condition too our spirituall comfor is changeable though there is stability in the maine yet a Christian meetes with many intermissions Beloved if our condition were not changeable I would hold my tongue from exhorting you to provide for a change Secondly as our our outward condition is cast upon many changes so when these changes doe befall us when they come to strippe us of our comfort verely they will put us to it Thou art mistaken thou thinkest thou canst beare a losse or a crosse it is not so easie a matter to beare the losse of a Childe or a Husband or a Wife or a Father or the losse of a deare friend it is not so easie a thing to beare the losse of an estate as thou thinkest thou shalt find it a hard matter to beare in worldly sorrow wee may seeme to take courage before affliction comes but when affliction and tryalls fall upon us then we are put to it it is with us as with a Shippe when the Sunne doth shine and the Seas are calme and the Wind faire then shee goes on pleasantly in her motion but in a storme all little enough to keepe her steady in our easie dayes in our dayes of peace in our calme estate then wee can hold up our heads well enough but in our losses and crosses wee shall hardly beare up unlesse the Lord doe mightily support us Wee may observe two sorts of persons in the world some are insensible persons who are like the Rocke that nothing can breake it who are so hardened that though God doe scourge them yet they feele it not though God doth threaten them they feare not though Gods hand be already upon them they regard it not a condition not so much now to be checked as to be deplored To such persons it is all one whether God blesse or whether God curse whether hee speake by his Word or by his Rodde it is all one to them they feele nothing nor feare nothing Secondly there is another sort of persons who are sensible persons sensible of Gods love and sensible of Gods anger they know that God is good and wise that hee doth not strike off our comforts from us but upon some speciall cause Now to stay upon God and to yeeld to the Lord It is the Lord let him doe what seemes good unto him God doth not deprive me of such a comfort but hee sees it best for me Beloved it were good to learne this lesson it will cost thee something in a neere tryall to acquit thy selfe by faith to acquit God and to submit to his chastisement to kisse the rodde to judge the sinne to bend the soule to better the life this were an excellent lesson to learne in all our tryalls and afflictions Secondly if great tryalls may befall great Christians and faith is that which will make a man acquit himselfe in great tryals then get faith use faith What faith is I have divers times discovered in this assembly whence it comes from heaven how we may attaine it by the Word and Prayer but to omit these I say get faith labour for this grace of faith if there were no other reason but this it is able to support us in our dayes of tryall it is able to give us comfort in our greatest sorrow this were motive enough to make us labour to get faith the day of tryall being so common and we apt every moment to fall under some tryall or other There be foure
Let me have a place to burie my dead out of my sight It parteth father and child how unwilling soever they be see it in David and Absolom Oh Absolom my sonne would God I had died for thee and Rachel mourned for her children and would not be comforted because they were not It parteth the Minister and the people see it in the case of the people of Israels lamenting the death of Samuel and in the case of the Ephesians at the parting of S. Paul sorrowing especially when they heard they should see his face no more It parteth those friends who were so united together in love as if they had but one soule in two bodies see it in the separation that was made by death betweene David and Ionathan that were so knit together in their love that he bewaileth him Woe is mee for my brother Ionathan This is a necessary consideration for us that live that wee may learne to know how to carrie our selves towards our wordly friends and how to moderate our selves in our enjoyment of these worldly comforts Looke upon every worldly thing as a mortall as a dying comfort Looke upon children and friends as dying comforts Look upon your estates as that that hath wings and will be gone Looke upon your bodies that now you make so much of as a thing that must bee parted from the soule by death and that ere long See what advise the Apostle giveth 1 Cor. 7. 19. the time is short saith he therefore let those that marry bee as if they married not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it A man abuseth the world when he useth it beyond the consideration of the shortnesse of enjoying these things when hee lookes upon these things as things that hee shall enjoy alwayes But if we would use it aright looke upon things as things that we shall enjoy but for a short time This body that seemeth now to have some beautie in it yet it must die and be laied in the dust these friends that seeme now to haue some pleasure and delight in them yet I must die and be tooke from them this estate and wealth that now I set so much prize upon I must die and death will part me and it So I say lookeupon every thing as separable from us Moderate your affections likewise to them Vse them onely as comforts in the way as a traveller doth the pleasures of his Inne hee stands not to build himselfe houses against every pleasant walke he lookes upon he stands not to purchase lands and to lay them to every Inne he comes to lie at No he knowes that he is now but in his passage in his way he knowes that hee is not at home that is the place he is going to and after a time hee shall come thither So make account that you are not now at home it is death that must helpe you to your home Let this therefore take you off from all these things that are in the way It is a strange thing to see how Sathan besotteth and befooleth men They strive and labour to compasse many worldly things as if their happinesse stood in the enjoyment of them as if they should have their wealth and their comforts for ever What care is there amongst men to get wealth and many times lose their soules in getting the world Alas Death will part soule and body them and their wealth and all Doe wee not see this daily in the death of others before us such a one is dead where is his body now in the dust Where are his friends and his companions now Where is his wealth and his estate for which many flattered him and fawned upon him are they not all separated from him they have nothing now to doe with him he cannot dispose of one penny of his estate now it is left he knowes not to whom others now have the mannaging of it As now you can say this of others so there will a time come that other men will say the like of you I had such a friend but death hath parted him from me hee had such an estate but death hath parted him and his estate Let us therefore make this use of the death of others to conclude with our selves that there will be a parting of all those outward things that now wee are so apt to dote upon The third speciall thing considerable in the death of others that will be matter of profit and benefit to those that live and survive after them is the end and cause for which God sendeth Death abroad into the world with such a large commission that it goeth on with such libertie to every familie to every place that it seizeth upon every person What 's the reason of it You shall see in the severall deaths of men severall causes There is judgement and mercy sometime a mixture of both and sometime but of one of these Sometimes wee see an apparant judgement of God in the death of some A judgement of God upon themselves Thus the young Prophet that disobeyed the word of the Lord a Lyon met him in the way and slew him So those Corinths that did eate and drinke unworthily in the Lords Supper though they were such as were saved after yet neverthelesse for this very cause saith the Apostle some of them were sicke and weake and some slept they died they were judged of the Lord that they might not bee condemned with the world When you see death seizing upon men as an act of divine judgement of divine displeasure let it make you more fearefull of sinning against God lest you provoke against your selves the same wrath in the very act of sinne Sometimes againe it is a judgement of God upon others Thus God takes away divers of his servants because the world is not worthy of them And as this is an act of judgement upon the world so it is an act of mercie to them God in mercy taking of them away from the evill to come and from the evill present A judgement of God to others that are unworthy of them A mercie to themselves that they are tooke away from their owne evill from sinne from temptations from all the effects and fruits of sinne and taken away from the evill that is to come upon others An act I say of mercie to them So it was to the child of Ieroboam he should die and should not see the judgement that was to come upon his fathers house because there was found some good thing in him toward the Lord. So it was to Iosiah Hee should bee gathered to his fathers in peace and his eyes should not see all that evill which the Lord would bring upon Ierusalem and upon the inhabitants thereof An act of judgement to others Righteous and mercifull men are taken away and noman layeth it
instances of this in the word of God But I hasten You see the reason Let us now come to make some use of it that we may not be prevented Wee have told you that it is true of States and Kingdomes of particular persons of every man that when in a course of sinne and impenitencie they cry peace to themselves then judgement and destruction is comming upon them It serveth therefore to informe us what to thinke of our selves of the estate of this Land wherein wee live of these times wherein we are fallen What can we expect when we consider to what a height of sinne wee are come how impenitent men are how obstinate and hard-hearted and stiff-necked against the voyce of God in the Gospell and the meanes of Grace but destruction to come upon us If we looke upon the sinnes of men wee may perceive even a generall ripenesse for judgement When the sinnes of the Amorites were full Judgement came upon them How neere the sinnes of this Land are come to that fulnesse wee know not wee have cause to feare Wee see in other Countreys the shaking of the sword upon us it hath not yet awakened us to feare God At home wee have had the voyce of the Prophets the Ministers crying unto us from day to day to returne lest destruction come upon us it hath not brought us to returne from our sinnes Wee have seene the mercies of God upon particular persons and families it hath not awakened men to walke conscionably in their places Wee see no reformation there is rather an increase of sinne And what can we expect there wants but one sinne and when that is come sudden destruction commeth What is that Securitie And have wee not cause to bewaile the generall securitie that is amongst us May not the Angell of the Lord returne that answer as hee did in the first of Zephany All the world is at rest Goe into the streets the houses the shops of men every man is at rest no man is troubled about his estate nor affected with Gods displeasure either against himselfe or the Land wee live in See is not the Land as secure as they of Laish or worse They were secure because they did not heare of the danger of the purpose of the Danites against them therefore their securitie was not altogether so culpable and blame-worthy But I will tell you what securitie ours is nay the holy Ghost hath told us to our hands Prov. 23. 34. That judgement there that is threatned against a man that goeth on in sinne seemes to bee a judgement executed upon us at this time Thou shalt be as a man that lies downe in the middest of the sea or as hee that lies upon the top of a must They have striken mee shalt thou say and I was not sicke they have beaten mee and I felt it not when I awake I will seeke it yet againe Our security I say is like that of a man in the middest of the sea and yet asleepe as a man upon the top of a mast and yet asleepe Nay men not only in danger but such as have the stroke upon them They have striken mee and I was not sicke they have wounded me and I felt it not Is it not thus with us in these dead and secure times that wee live in And shall wee say that wee are not asleepe Hath not the Lord sent the destroying Angell amongst us that hath smitten thousands in our streets and yet we have not felt it Shall we say we are not in danger Wee are as a man that sleepeth on the top of a mast at Sea Nay as a man in the middest of the waves in a dead sleep like such as are drunke and yet wee feele nothing Truly we have little cause to be secure we have little cause to flatter our selves with vaine conceits of peace and continuance of prosperity if wee looke well about us Where is any man that takes occasion by what he heares abroad or sees at home to enter into the reformation of his owne house of his owne heart It may be some men will say It is an unjust tax that you put upon us wee are not so secure as you speake of You shall scarse come to any mans table but they will bee talking of the judgements abroad You shall scarse meet a man in the streets but hee will leave other occasions and tell you how ill it goes with the Churches beyond the Seas You shall scarse meet with one in the field but all the time is tooke up with discourse of the evils at home or troubles abroad And is this a signe of security Alas beloved this is to bee asleepe in the middest of the waves Every man is in the middest of danger and yet is secure How shall that appeare I will make it appeare by demonstrations and signes that may convince you before the Lord that wee adde this to the rest of our sinnes that in the middest of our sinnes and impenitency we are secure and therefore that destruction is comming upon us What are the signes whereby wee may bee convinced of securitie I will give you a few that by those you may see whether the Land the Citie your families your selves and all be not asleepe and at rest this day The first signe shall be this When men profit not by the judgements of God Certainly it is an evident signe of a deepe â—…eepe in sinne when neither the afflictions that are upon others or upon our selves doe any good upon us Looke how God hath smitten others Hath that awakned us You will say that it is a secure child that seeth his brother beaten for the same fault before his eyes and yet goeth on in it you will say that that is a secure malefactour that seeth such a person executed before his face and yet goeth on in the same fellony and theft And must we not say that we are a secure generation when we can see our brethren in other Countreys how they have suffered and yet goe on in the very same sinnes that wee our selves thinke the hand of God is upon them for We can talke of their sinnes of their unrighteousnesse and injustice wee can talke of their neglect of the Lords day and other holy duties and for these wee judge them smitten of God How is it then that we are such our selves how is it that wee goe on in unrighteousnesse in prophaning the Lords day in neglecting the house of God and our owne families Have they found such sweetnesse in these sinnes that wee walke on in the same Is it a pleasant and comfortable thing to be driven from Gods house and from our owne houses to be a reproach to all the world If we thinke that the hand of God is upon them for these sinnes how is it that wee are not awakened I remember Daniel in the fifth Chapter of his prophesie taxeth Belshazzar for this though thou knowest saith
this is a truth concernes you in particular Judge your selves so farre profited by the Word you heare as you can make good application of it to your owne estate and condition Whensoever men come to heare the Word they come to heare somewhat that concernes themselves therefore whatsoever wee say befalls them that are in Christ apply it your selves and make account this is my case if I bee in Christ. Fourthly hence we might note thus much also that When a man is in Christ there is a reall change There is an evident change from what hee was before hee was in Christ. For so the Apostle reasons now you are in Christ there is such a change as from death to life there is a mervellous great change in you If there bee not this change in you neither are you in Christ and all the hopes you build on of being in Christ they are without a foundation they are upon an imaginarie Christ not upon Christ that is yours indeed If you bee in Christ let it appeare in a change let us see how you are changed since you were in Christ from that you were before for this make account of conclude thus much for your selves that all that are in Christ are changed But fiftly and lastly hee expresseth wherein this change consisteth and hee makes choice of such termes as are most acquisite and fit for his purpose He would expresse this spirituall change and marke what expressions hee useth to manifest it by no lesse then life and death There is such a change when you are once in Christ from what you were before as there is between a man that was dead and is now alive or a man that was alive and is now dead and this is that that I will insist now upon wherein note these particulars First the Analogie and proportion the aptnesse and fitnesse of the termes wherein the Apostle expresseth the spirituall change of those that are in Christ how fitly they may be sayd to be dead and alive Secondly it is observeable in what order the Apostle expresseth these first dead and then alive Make account that the worke of Grace in the effectuall change in your hearts it proceeds in this order First you are dead and then alive dead to sin first and then alive to God Thirdly note the certaine connexion of these two together so there is not onely a certainty in the object but a certainty in the subject too not only a certaintie that those that are in Christ shall live but it is certaine to you make account of this make this conclusion for your selves build on it know it for your selves as he sayd to Iob it is certaine if you be in Christ you are dead with Christ and you shall live with Christ make account of this Lastly the efficient cause of this great change exprest in these termes it is Iesus Christ our Lord make account of this if you be in Christ there comes a vertue from Christ an effectuall working of Christ by his spirit in your hearts such a powerfull worke as will conforme you to Christ dead and to Christ risen that you shall be dead to sinne and alive to God not by any strength in your selves or any excellent endowment in your owne natures not by any naturall inclination and abilitie but through the vertue and power of Iesus Christ our Lord working in you Thus you have the Text opened Wee will speake first of the Analogie and proportion the agreement betweene the metaphors here used and the things exprest by them That which the Apostle would expresse is that there is a marvellous spirituall reall change in all those that are in Christ from what they were before Now let us see how fitly it is exprest in these words that he sayth you are dead to sinne and alive to God that hee choseth to expresse it by life and death Had it not beene fit to have sayd thus much you are changed in your dispositions in your inclinations in your intentions in your actions you are changed in your conversations you are other kind of men in the inclination of your hearts you bring forth other fruit you lead other lives then you were wont to doe But hee expresseth it here yet more fully that is by that that includes all these and if there be any thing more may be added it includes that too yee are dead and alive Then we will consider First generally how death and life expresse the state of them that are in Christ. Secondly consider them in their particular application how death expresseth the first part of a mans change in sanctification and life the second part First wee take them in generall and let this bee the point that A man that is indeed effectually changed by vertue of his union with Christ hee hath such a change wrought in him as in a dead and living man as in life or in death Now first take it in generall you know life and death they imply first a generall change when a man is alive or when a man is dead there is not a change in some part onely but in the whole So it is here when a man is effectually changed from what he was by vertue of his union with Christ. A member may bee dead and yet neverthelesse the man alive but if the man be dead there is a general change that goes throughout it possesseth every part every member so that now there is no member of him but death rules in it then hee is a dead man So it is in this when a man is dead spiritually there is not a change in some particular actions onely in some particular opinions onely there is not an alteration of some of his old customes onely but it is a generall change so it goes through the whole man It is a change in the understanding he judgeth things otherwise then hee was wont to doe And there is a change in the will the inclination of it is to other objects then he was wont to bee inclined to And thence there is a change in his intentions he propounds other ends to himselfe then he was wont So there is a change in respect of the whole the Word is the rule of all a mans actions There is a change from particular evills from one as well as another that when any thing is discovered to him to bee a sinne to bee a transgression of the rule hee is turned from it So likewise when any thing is discovered to him to be a dutie agreeable to the rule according to the will of God revealed in his Word hee is a vessell of honour prepared for it and that is it the Apostle especially means when he compares them to vessells and he describes them thus they are vessells of honour fit for the service of their Master prepared for every good worke So that now as the Apostle sayth there remaineth no more conscience of sinne That is
ΘΡΗÎΟΙΚΟΣ THE HOUSE OF MOVRNING FVRNISHED With Directions for Preparations to Meditations of Consolations at the houre of Death DELIVERED IN XLVII SERMONS PREACHED AT THE Funeralls of divers faithfull servants of Christ. By Daniel Featly Martin Day Richard Sibbs Thomas Taylor Doctors in Divinitie And other Reverend Divines ECCLES 7. 4. The heart of the wise is in the house of Mourning but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth Ambr. de obit frat Non amitti sed praemitti videntur quos sed non absumpturamors sed aeternitas receptura est Seneca Ep. 77. Iter imperfectum est si in media parte aut citra petitum locum steterit vita non est imperfecta si honesta ubicunque desieris si benè desieres tota est LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for R. M. and are to be sold by Iohn Bellamie and Ralph Smith at the signe of the three golden Lyons in Corne-hill neere the Royall Exchange 1640. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THere is no man that can plead ignorance to the universall Decree of God concerning the necessitie of Mans mortalitie It is appointed for all men once to die and every man can say as that wise woman of Tekoaeh wee are all as water spilt upon the ground There is no Age Estate Condition or ranke of men but have beene foyled with that invincible Champion death who riding up and downe the world upon his pale Horse above these five thousand yeares hath with an impartiall stroke laid all flat before him some in their Infancie have proved what it is to die before they knew what it was to live others in the strength of Youth some in their Old age rich and poore high and low of all sorts young men may die old men must die even those that are stiled Gods and that by no fawning Sycophant but by God himselfe their mortality proves them to be men to themselves though they be as Gods to others and as Epictitus once told the Emperour That to be borne and to dye was common both to Prince and Beggar The sicknesses and miseries of this world have made the proudest Painims to confesse with St. Peter to Cornelius Even I my selfe also am a mortall man so that experience as well as Scripture concludes what man is he that liveth and shall not see death There are no ingredients in the shop of Nature that are sufficiently cordiall to fortifie the heart against this King of terrors or his harbingers the velvet slipper cannot fence the foote from the gout nor the gold ring the finger from a fellon the richest Diademe cannot quit the head-ach nor the purple Robe prevent a Fever Beauty strength riches honour friends nor any nor all can repeale that sentence Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne Every fitt of an ague and every distemper of this fraile constitution being as a light skirmish before the maine battell of death wherein weake man being vanquished is led captive to his long home and when once the lines of mortalitie are drawne upon the face of the fairest mortall hee becomes a ghastly spectacle how lovely soever before and the conclusion is bury my dead out of my sight This inevitable necessitie however it be confessed and acknowledged of all yet lamentable experience teacheth that in the Christian world most men so live as though they should never die and at length they so die as though they should never live againe and when the time of their dissolution commeth their soules are rather chased out by violence then yeelded to God in obedience Indeed to a wicked man death is the beginning of sorrowes it is a trap-dore to let him downe to the everlasting dungeon of Hell but the children of God though they cannot scape the stroke yet they are freed from the sting of death they can play upon the hole of this aspe without danger and welcome the grimmest approch of this Gyant with a smile being freed from the hurt of him by Him that is the Captaine of the Lords Hoste who hath abolished death and brought life and immortalitie to light so that the sting of it being plucked out and the suffering sanctified by Christ death is become to every beleever but a darke entry to the glorious Pallace of Heaven Now as it is Gods tender mercy to his children that their conflict and misery should be temporary but their perfect happines eternall so it should be their care in this little space of time alotted them whereupon their everlasting condition depends so to provide that they may live happily where they shall live eternally and since we cannot escape death to prepare for it that we may get the sight of this Basiliske before it approach and so avoid the danger of it Wretched is the estate of that man who when these spirituall Philistims the terrors of death make warre upon him shall have just cause to say The Lord is departed from me the death of such a one will bee like the sleepe of a franticke man who when the malignant humour is concocted awakes in a greater rage then he lay downe whereas to him that is wise to consider his latter end death is no way dreadfull death may kill him but it cannot hurt him it doth free him from temporary misery but cannot hinder him from eternall felicity and as that noble Captaine of Thebes who having gotten the victory over his enemies but withall received his mortall wound he made this his grand enquirie whether his weapons were safe or no whether his buckler was not in his enemies hands and when it was replied all was safe he died with a great deale of cheerefulnes and fortitude So when a Christian is to grapple with death his maine care is that his Buckler of faith and the helmeâ—… of his salvation his hope that they be safe to guard his soule and then he passeth not much what becomes of his outward man hee dies in peace and confidence Now that wee may bee fitted to encounter with this last enemy besides the manifold helps which God hath reached to us in his word in the passages of his providence in the frequent examples of mortalitie before us continually and in our owne sensible approaches to the gates of death I say besides these and infinite more this ensuing Volume with so much care and paines compiled by Gods blessing and our endeavours may prove no small furtherance in our Pilgrimage Each Sermon therein being as a severall Legacie bequeathed by those upon the occasion of whose deaths they were preached as by so many Testators who themselves have made a reall experiment of mortality and left these for our instruction that survive them It is true the dayly examples of mortaltie are so many reall Lectures that by a kinde of dumbe oratorie perswade us to expect our end but as they are transient so our thoughts of them vanish therefore it can bee no small adâ—…ntage to have in continuall readines that
the departure of men out of this world and secondly he saith the living will lay it to his heart hee speakes of such an end of men as is opposite to the life of men In a word By the house of mourning he meaneth a house wherein some one is dead which giveth occasion to the parties that dwell there of sorrow and mourning for their departed friend It is better to goe to such a house By the house of feasting hee meaneth not onely such a house wherein there is feasting but also all manner of abundance as commonly men shew their wealth in feasting By the end of all men he meaneth that which the Schooles calls the end of termination Now there is a twofold end of termination as they speake either Positive or Privative A Positive end as a point is the end of a lyne and an instant is the end of time because the lyne resolveth it selfe into a point at last and all time resolveth it selfe at last into an instant A Privative end and that is that that causeth a cessation of beeing that is the end of action wherein all the worke and invention and enterprizes of a man cease Of such an end here he speakes such an end of a man as that he ceaseth to be as he was upon earth and ceaseth to doe as he did upon earth By laying to heart he meaneth more then a bare knowing or a bare observing and taking notice of things There is to be understood here a serious pondering an often considering of it as it is said of Marie Shee layed those sayings to heart and so Iacob hee layed the sayings of Ioseph to heart It is such a serious considering and pondering and discussing of every thing as they may bring it to some use may draw some fruit and benefit out of it to themselves So that the summe and substance of the words is thus much It is a better thing for a man to bee conversant about the thoughts of death and to take hold of all occasions that may bring the serious consideration thereof into his heart then to delight himselfe in those worldly pleasures and sensuall delights wherein for the most part men spend their lives The reason is because there is some benefit that ariseth thereby to the inward man some advantage gained to the soule whereas by the other there is none at all there is much hinderance and hurt but no furtherance and benefit The words then you see consist of a Proposition And a proofe or confirmation of that Proposition The Proposition It is better to goe to the house of mourning then to goe to the house of feasâ—…ing The Confirmation or proofe of it is double first because this is the end of all men secondly because the living will lay it to his heart This latter part is that which I purpose most to insist upon In the former Hee calleth the house wherein any one dies the house of mourning It is better to goe to the house of mourning Where you see That the Death of men with whom we live is a just occasion of mourning to some The holy Ghost would not have described the house wherein a man dies in this manner if there were not some equitie and justice in mourning upon such an occasion For hee speakes not here as I conceive only with reference and respect to the common custome of naturall and worldly men but with respect to the naturall disposition and affection that is in the heart of man and the equitie of the thing There should bee mourning and there is in it a just occasion when men are taken away by death When Sarah died the text saith that Abraham came to mourne for Sarah and to weepe for her And Esau when he speakes of the death of his father Isaac he calleth the time of his death the time of mourning the dayes of mourning for my father are at hand So Ioseph when his father was dead it is said that hee mourned for his father seven dayes When Samuel was dead all the Israelites were gathered together and lamented him When Iosiah was dead there was such a great lamentation for him that it became a patterne of excessive mourning In that day there shall be a great mourning in Ierusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon Our Saviour Christ when he looked upon Lazarus hee wept because he was dead And those Ephesians this was it that broke their hearts they sorrowed most of all for the words which S. Paul spake that they should see his face no more I need not stand upon the proofe of the point There is great reason for it First if we respect men in their usefulnesse to others There is no man but is of some use and so farre as a man is usefull to another there is just ground of mourning for the losse of such a one Therefore David he mourned for the death of Saul though he was a wicked man because he was usefull in his time by way of gouernment And as there is more usefulnesse so there is more cause of mourning as we see in the death of Samuel and Iosiah and others Secondly because when those that are usefull are taken away a man seeth some effects partly of his owne guilt and partly of Gods displeasure Of his owne guilt If those die that are evill that he did not doe them that good that he might while they lived he did not converse so profitably as he might have done to further their spirituall good If they be good and gracious that he received not benefit by them that he did not mannage the opportunities as he might have done to have made that use of their societie and conference of their prayers and spirituall helpes of all those gifts and endowments that they had And as in the defect so likewise in the excesse there is guilt When a man idoliseth the creature too much and trusteth too much to the arme of flesh when he setteth too great a price upon men he may apprehend the displeasure of God taking away his brother that was as it were a curtaine that stood betweene God and him taking away those that hid God from his eyes Vpon these occasions and grounds the servants of God have reflected upon themselves seeing the death of others that are neere and deare unto them and have drawne from thence matter and cause of mourning Nay it is a thing that the Lord lookes for Thou hast smitten them and they have not grieved When God takes away any that are usefull to us there is a smiting and a correction in it even to those that live to those that were intimate and inward with him and God expects that men should mourne and grieve for it I briefly note this for I intend not to stand upon it against that Stoicall Apethy that stupiditie I cannot say whether it have seized on the spirits
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
thee in thy body hee might have afflicted thee in thy soule and a wounded spirit who can beare Hee hath afflicted thee in some one member of thy body he could have cast body and soule into Hell There is not a tryall upon thee but God could have made it heavier let that make thee therefore to submit with a more meeke heart and willing spirit to God as a mercifull God as the Church in the Lamentations It is the Lords mercy that wee are not consumed the Church was in great affliction when the Babilonians came upon them and they were driven from the house of God and their owne houses but yet it was Gods mercy that they were not consumed So the Prophet Ieremy telleth Baruch in the captivity Seekest thou great things for thy selfe thou shalt have thy life for a prey Baruch was wondrously disquieted he complained that the Lord had added griefe to his sorrow What griefe was that that Hee must goe to Egypt and after to Babylon Well saith the Prophet thy case is not so heavy as thou seemest to make it thou shalt have thy life for a prey in all places wheresoever thou goest God might have taken away life and all but thy life thou shalt have for a prey Therefore be content with so much So I say to thee when great afflictions come upon thee they might have beene greater therefore consider that that thou maiest give God the glory of his mercy And so much for the first direction that is to acknowledge God in all the changes of life that befalleth thee Secondly looke to sinne as that deserving cause that draweth on all the afflictions of this life Consider thou hast fallen by thy sinne into Gods displeasure therefore whatsoever affliction befalleth thee thy sinne hath deserved that at the hands of God The Lord now dealeth with thee as a just God though not in the extremity of rigour yet neverthelesse there is a righteous proceeding in it as the Church confesseth Righteousnesse belongeth to thee O Lord though they were in great affliction yet God was righteous in it It is profitable to consider this nay and not only that thou sufferest righteously as the Theefe on the Crosse said Wee suffer according to our deserts but thou sufferest not so much as thy sinnes deserve thy sinnes deserve greater things at the hands of God then yet he hath infflicted on thee Wee see that a commutation and change of punishment a lesse for a greater hath the place of a mercy upon a malefactor that deserveth greater when he deserveth to be executed and to die he is not only content to be burnt in the hand but he confesseth it to be a mercy of the Prince So it is with us whatsoever affliction God hath layed on thee thou maist conclude I have deserved greater Therefore saith the Church Why is the living man sorrowfull Man suffereth for his sinne let us search and trie our wayes and turne againe to the Lord. So let this be the maine businesse of thy life in this case rather bethinke thy selfe how to get the favour of God then to be eased of such a trouble Let a man looke to sin in all this Lastly consider the gracious and comfortable fruit of Affliction that is born with patience For first patience lesseneth the judgement impatience increaseth it on a man The strugling child hath more stripes A man in a Fever the more he strugleth and striveth the more he increaseth his paine The more patiently a man yeeldeth himselfe to the hands of God the more by the mercy of God he findeth ease and mittigation of the affliction And this God promiseth Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I will deliver thee in the time of trouble God will take off the affliction when once he hath perfected Patience by affliction for you must know this that all that God aymeth at in all afflictions that hee layeth on men is to perfect patience in them therefore the issue will be good There will for the present be more ease to the heart and afterward a gracious issue and deliverance from trouble when thou art exercised by patience Secondly there are otherafflictions of our life and that is not onely in those cases wherein some positive evell as wee account it naturally some affliction grievous to nature and sense are upon a man but mercies are delayed and hope deferred makes the heart faint It is an affliction to a man to be kept and delayed in the expectation of that good he hath not if he seeme to catch at it it is drawne from him further and further There are many men that have sent many a prayer to God yet the thing they aske is not granted to this day Many a man hath waited long and sought the Lord yet he hath not that his soule desireth How shall a man come to exercise Patience in such a case as this In such a case when God delayeth know first that Gods delayes are not denyals though God delay the thing hee may and wil in time certainly grant it yea though he delay it a great while As we see in other servants of God we may see it in David in Iob in Paul in the Canaanitish woman and in others The Vision is for an appointed time saith Habakkuk waite for it it will come and it will not tarrie it will not lie God will bee knowne a God of truth what he hath promised he will performe in due time only what doth he expect of thee to waite for the present Now this is an act of faith Hee that beleeveth will not make hast Glorifie God by beleeving put to thy seale that hee is true Whatsoever God hath promised in the Word and thou hast a warrant to beleeve waite for it Secondly Gods delayes are not onely not denyals but improvements of Gods favour God increaseth and commendeth the excellencies of his mercies by delayes hee recompenceth our expectation and waiting for them with putting in greater sweetnesse into those favours when they come I say God increaseth the comfort answerable to the delay as in the 61. Isa. 7. God to comfort the distressed Church in the time of calamitie for their affliction saith he they shall have double Double what Double comforts for their tryals Our light afflictions saith the Apostle that are but for a moment cause us a farre more excellent and surpassing weight of glory A weight of glory for light Afflictions an eternall weight of glory for momentany afflictions Here is the issue As our afflictions have abounded so our consolations abound much more This is the course of God Thirdly know that Gods delayes are never long at the longest they are but for a short time what if he delay a yeare what if twenty thirty fourty yeares what if the life of a man this is no great delay Compare this time of thy waiting for mercie with the
an enemie that it doth not cease till it hath dragged the soule into the presence of God and after from his Tribunall to the torment of eternall fire in Hell That succeedeth death for naturally of its owne nature it tendeth to the destruction of man because it is a fruit of sinne and therefore must needs be the perdition and overthrow of the soule For sinne bringeth destruction in regard it makes God angrie with us and separateth from him and by consequence from all manner of comfort and in regard it separateth from him it bringeth all manner of ill his wrath his hatred and ill will the greatest of all Death I say properly and of it selfe intendeth and seekes to draw all those that it layes hold on to a state of everlasting unhappinesse therefore it is an enemie So you see the second point opened The third is that Death is the last enemie after which there shall bee no more But I must tell you to whom it is the last not to all For there are a generation of men that shall feele death to be the least of enemies and in a manner the first But to the Saints and those that are prepared for death and those that will use the remedie to these and these alone death is the last enemie after once they have grappled and fought and encountred with this enemie they are at peace and rest as he saith Happy are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours There is no more toyle and miserie to a good man after death And why Because death seperateth sin from his soule as well as the soule from the body and so taking away the cause of unrest it must needs take away miserie and unhappinesse it selfe Indeed properly Death doth it not but the Lord Iesus Christ by death For it pleaseth him when his servants leave this world then they are fit to enter into a place of happinesse in another world which they could not be except they were freed from sin Death is the daughter of sinne and with a happy patricide as it were at once it destroyeth it selfe and sin and therfore it takes away all misery because it takes away all sinne Therefore it is the last enemie because it killeth the worst of our enemies for when we are dead there shall be no more enmitie betweene God and us and so no more enemy This is the third point The last is that this enemie shall bee destroyed A thing is destroyed abolished when it selfe ceaseth to be and is tooke out of the way and when all the ill effects that it would produce and effect or hath are removed So the Lord Jesus Christ abolisheth Death he destroyeth it that it shall never againe be knowne in the world or felt by his servants and he preventeth all those evill effects that it would worke in the soule for eternitie and removeth all the ill effects of it that it hath wrought on their bodies for the present time Death takes away a mans goods for the present Christ abolisheth that he giveth everlasting substance in heaven Death takes away friends Christ abolisheth that hee sends us to heaven where we have more friends and better Death brings the body to rottennesse and corruption it laieth it in the dust turnes it to putrifaction Christ abolisheth that at the Resurrection it shall rise againe in glory How that is done the Apostle tells us in the end of this chapter The body shall be laid in the dust a weake and feeble a mortall and naturall body but it shall bee clothed with immortalitie This mortall shall put on immortalitie this corruptible shall put on incorruption then shall bee fulfilled that saying Death is swallowed up in victorie But this is also limited it shall bee destroyed to whom To those that use the remedie those that partake of Christ those that have put on him that is the Resurrection and the life Thus I have laid before your eyes briefly these foure things that the Apostle leadeth us to treate of concerning death That it is That it is an enemie That it is the last enemie And that it shall be destroyed Now I desire to apply this and to make use of it First I shall be bold to play the Examiner to search each conscience a little Brethren let the word of God enter into your soules Yee heare that there is a death and that this death is a sore and bitter enemie and yee heare that to some sort of men it is the last enemie that ever they shall encounter with and bee freed from all the hurt of it it shall be utterly destroyed Now doe so much as discend every one into himselfe and inquire what care there hath beene to prepare for death to make use of the remedie against death what time and paines hath beene bestowed to seeke to get that that is the only meanes to escape the Dart of this enemie and that that is the only cause to procure this enfranchisement to the soule from that that else will destroy all A man hath not fitted himselfe to encounter with his enemie when hee lookes after wealth and followeth the pleasures and contentments of this life these things will doe no good they will be rather a burthen to the heart and vexe the soule and increase the mischiefe laying more sin upon the soule and giving death darts to pierce the soule with But when is a man fit for death and who may encounter with this enemie with safetie I will tell yee That man that takes the greatest care to disarme death of his weapons to arme himselfe with defensive weapons against death If an enemie come upon a man with good weapons in his hand and find him altogether unweaponed it is hard for a naked unarmed man to deale with him it is hard for a man that never thought of it before to fight with one that is skilfull at his weapons Death I told yee is an enemie and an enemie that is skilfull in his weapons and the weapon of death it is our owne sinne Death bringeth nothing with it to hurt a man It findeth with us and in us that whereby to hurt us So many corruptions as are in thy heart so many weapons So many idle words so many bad deedes so many swords to pierce thy heart Death maketh use of those weapons it findeth in our selves and with them hee destroyeth and killeth and brings us to perdition Now what have yee done beloved to disarme death what care have yee taken to breake sinne apieces that it may not be as a sword ready drawne for the hand of death when it commeth as Arrowes in a Bow to shoot at you when Death laieth hold on you That man that hath tooke no care to overcome sinne in the power of it and to get himselfe free from the guilt and punishment of it is unfit for death If death come upon him and find his offences
provide a countrey house but God hath beset us in the Countrey and in the Citie There will be no flight but to repentance there is the Citie of refuge and there is no way to repent but by consideration these must be tooke to heart before there can be amendment and till there be amendment there will be no removing of judgement It is plaine then that we are conformable in that part of the Text. And in the first too That mercifull men are taken away experience sheweth it daily they are taken so frequently that there is hardly any left they are not only taken away but swept away And if there were no other proofe this representation this sad spectacle before our eyes that is an argument to make the proofe of the conformitie of the first part of the text with us In the text there is mention made of a righteous man of a mercifull man The Spirit of God bringeth in all the parts by paires It is fulfilled in the solemnitie and occasion of this day by paires God calleth us to pietie by paires he giveth us spectacles of mortalitie I thought I had come to doe the dutie for one to performe the solemnitie of one Funerall but after I perceived I was called to doe the office for two It was not so from the beginning it falleth not out so every day Here is the true proofe that these are the times of mortalitie set the paires any way and wee shall see that there is none free none can secure himselfe from the stroke of death One a vertuous ancient Gentlewoman the other a grave learned Minister but of younger condition here are both ages tooke away and both presented not only so but here are both conditions of life and both presented together and here are both sexes and both presented together to teach us that no sexe no condition no age can secure themselves I will smite the Shepheard saith Christ foretelling the Disciples what should befall them Here is the smiting of the Shepheard and the sheepe too Put both together and I beleeve this place cannot send such another paire For the one Hee was the most eminent for his place For the other shee was the most eminent for her pietie I was not acquainted with the conversation of either and therefore I shall not speake much and the information I had it was not much for it was needlesse I may save a labour for both for if I speake any thing false yee are able to refuâ—…e me if I speake any thing true as all must be true that is spoken here yet yee are able to prevent me and I can say nothing that yee know not For the one I heare that he had the report of a man that was conscionable in the discharge of his place And all that I shall say of him shall be only this there is cause that yee should take to heart his death For what is the reason that in this little Parish that is as healthfull as another But God is wonderfull in his wayes and we must not search into the judgements of God that it is not full eight yeares but there have three succeeded that have beene commended to this place and have died one after another Is it so that yee kill them with unkindnesse the world saith so I tell yee I know not but this I am sure of that there have beene too many unkind passages where the fault is your selves know But this is to be taken into consideration that God removeth them from yee as if yee were worthy of none If God send us these helpes and Lampes that waste themselves to shine to us and to breake and dispense to us the bread of life shall we not give them incouragement in their studies that they may goe on quietly and peaceably A word is enough for that Howsoever some of yee would not suffer him to rest God hath taken him to his rest There is more might bee said but I will not say too much For the other since I came from my house I had information At my first footing in the Parish they said shee was as good a woman as lived At my first footing in the house they said shee was a very good woman Those that have lived in the Parish they testifie that she was a woman most eminent for her pietie and vertue Shall shee want a memoriall I asked of those that have knowne her of old they say shee was a righteous woman for the righteousnesse of pietie and a mercifull woman for the righteousnesse of mercie Shee had respect to both tables to her dutie to God to her Neighbour For the mercie of charitie she was good to the poore shee was a lender to those that were in necessitie and a giver too For the mercie of pittie she was very compassionate to those that were in afflictions she sympathized with them visited them and comforted them For the mercie of peace in time of contention she laboured to set all straite she had a soft answer to pacifie wrath Shee was a mercifull woman and God hath given her the reward hath tooke her to his rest She was a lover of peace he hath taken her to the place of peace She was one that studied happinesse and hee hath taken her to a place of happinesse He hath tooke her from these evils that we are reserved to and that we may feare That is the difference betweene a godly and an impenitent man Impenitent men if they be tooke away they are taken to further evill if they bee left alive they are left to further evill Mercifull men if they be tooke away they are taken away for the eschewing of evill and if they be left on the earth it is for the diverting of evill They divert them while they live and shunne them when they die As they labour to honour God in their lives so God gratifieth them in their death he takes them to himselfe This consideration and occasion is a proofe of the Text. As it is proved in all the Text let us disprove it in our selves that this word may never goe in the course it lieth here but in a contrary course That righteous men perish and men doe lay it to heart let it be said so and mercifull men though they be tooke away yet there are those that take it into consideration I have done with the last part and with the occasion FINIS THE GOOD MANS EPITAPH OR THE HAPPINESSE OF THOSE THAT DIE WELL. 2 TIM 4. 7. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith VERSE 8. Hence-forth is layed up for mee a crowne of righteousnesse c. LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. THE GOOD MANS EPITAPH OR THE HAPPINESSE OF THOSE THAT DIE WELL. SERMON IX REVELAT 14. 13. I heard a voyce from heaven saying unto mee write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from hence forth yea saith the spirit
some that hung themselves I pray give me leave a little to speake upon this Saint Austin tells me of five causes for which persons doe usually lay violent hands upon themselves The first is this Some doe it to avoide some shame or some dishonour or miserie or beggerie that shall befall them Thus did Achitophel when he saw that his counsell was defeated hee went home and hanged himselfe Thus have many done to avoide shame and dishonour Alas poore wretches While they seeke to escape temporall punishment they runne into eternall like our fishes in the Proverbe Out of the frying-pan into the fire into hell fire where the worme dieth not and where the fire never goeth out Secondly some have done it to avoide the terrours of a guiltie conscience Thus Iudas troubled in conscience after hee had betrayed Christ he went and hung himselfe Poore wretch He had more need he had lived that hee might have healed that sinne of his by repentance This is not a way to expiate thy sinne this is a way to increase it Iudas when he killed himselfe hee killed as wicked a man as was upon the earth and yet hee shall answer to God as well for that nocent bloud of his owne that he spilt as hee shall for the innocent bloud of the Son of God that he betrayed Thirdly wee find some that have done this to avoide some vilanie that they feared should bee offered them As for example Pelagia a noble Ladie that we reade of in Ecclesiasticall stories when shee was followed by some barbarous souldiours that would have abused her she speaking nothing but never a villaine of them all shall touch me threw her selfe over a bridge and drowned her selfe Some of the Fathers doe little lesse then commend her for this Saint Augustine condemnes her so should I. For why should she that had done no hurt doe hurt to her selfe why should she to escape the hands of the Nocent lay violent hands upon her selfe that was innocent Our chastitie of body is not lost when the chastitie of our mind remaineth inviolated Fourthly Some have done this to purchase to themselves a name of valour Rasis in the booke of the Machabees did thus And if there were no other thing in the world to shew that booke to be Apochriphall Scripture this is enough in that the Author of that booke commendeth Rasis for it It is not valour for to flie a danger it is valour to beare it If any example can bee alledged to this purpose that of Sampsons may But Saint Austin hee answereth The Spirit of God secretly commanded him to doe it And wee may verily beleeve it for if the Spirit of God had not commanded it yea and assisted him in it too hee had never done that he did in pulling downe the house upon himselfe and the Philistims Lastly some have done it or they might have done it because Blessed are the dead Some will die that they may be blessed Poore wretches They that deprive themselves of this life may not looke for a better when this is ended I will not judge particulars I leave them unto God But in the generall considering that life is Gods blessing it is hee that giveth it and it is hee that must take it away Considering that man is not lord of his owne spirit Considering that God hath set us here in our stations and we may not move out without leave from our Generall Considering that we are set here to serve God and we must serve him as long as he will and not as long as wee will Or specially considering that God hath forbidden us to kill others therefore forbidden us much more to kill our selves therefore surely except Gods mercie bee greater then I can give warrant for they that die thus die eternally And wee had need beseech God with all earnestnesse of spirit to keepe us from such a fearfull temptation as this for they that die thus die not in the Lord and therefore cannot bee blessed for my Text saith it of no other but of those Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. This is the first point I come to the Restriction Die in the Lord. It may be construed two wayes the preposition is Ambiguous for the Preposition many times in Scripture signifies In Domino or propter Dominum As Rom. 26. 1. I commend unto you Phebe our sister that you would receive her in Domino in the Lord that is for the Lords sake as becommeth Saints And in the twelfth verse of the same Chapter Salute the beloved Persis which laboured much in the Lord that is laboured much in Gods cause for the Lord. So againe Say to Archippus looke to the ministerie that thou hast received In Domino that is for the Lord for the Lords service for his worke I might give you many more instances There is one place most pregnant Eph. 4. 1. I Paul a prisoner in Domino so saith the vulgar Latine and so is the Greeke interpretation In the Lord. What meaneth Saint Paul A prisoner in the Lord what is that A prisoner for the Lord a prisoner for the Lords cause And thus you may take the word here in the Text Blessed are they that die In Domino that is such as die in causa Domini and thus Iudicious Beza to whose judgement I attribute much in translations hee readeth it so Blessed are the dead qui moriuntur causa Domini and then in his Annotations propter Dominum And if you take it thus then the Martyrs only are blessed That Martyrs are blessed the Church of God is so farre from making a question that they set it downe as a Rule Injuriam facit Martyri qui orat pro Martyre A man doth wrong to a Martyr that prayes for a Martyr their blessednesse is so sure for Hee that loseth his life for my sake and the Gospels shall find it saith Christ. If he loseth a temporall life he shall find an eternall If he lose a life accompanied with sorrow hee shall find another life that is with joy such joy as cannot bee conceived such joy as shall never be ended Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his Saints There are two things saith S. Bernard that makes the death of a Saint precious the one is a good life before the other is a good cause for which he dieth A good life will make it a precious death but a good cause will make it a more precious death But that is the most precious death that hath both a good life before it and a good cause comming next The Martyrs are blessed but they must be such Martyrs as suffer for the Lord be sure of that or else they are not blessed There be some that would be accounted Martyrs a great company of such we have had of late that have died for broaching of treason and some for sowing of sedition some for absolving subjects from
the oath of Alleageance some for attempting to blow up Parliament houses Such as these are not Martyrs It is not the punishment it is the cause that makes the Martyr Our blessed Lord himselfe that never did evill was crucified betweene two evill doers there was an equall punishment there was not an equall cause It must be the cause that wee must looke to if wee looke to be blessed But I cannot stand upon that Here is the first interpretation To die in the Lord is for the Lord. But there is a second and that is more large Die in the Lord that is die in the faith of the Lord. Salute Andronicus and Iunius my fellow prisoners which were in the Lord before mee saith S. Paul that is that were Beleevers that were in the faith before mee And to let passe many other places if there bee no resurrection of the dead saith the Apostle then wee that are asleepe in Christ c. If wee beleeve that Iesus died then those that sleepe in Iesus shall hee bring with him c. And againe Hee shall descend from heaven with a shout and they that are dead in Christ shall rise first Now what is it to die in Christ in a large sense I will tell you Hee that would die in Christ first hee must die in obedience There are many workes of obedience that wee are to doe Our last and greatest act of obedience is to resigne up this same spirit of ours willingly chearfully into the hands of God that gave it If wee have not attained to that strength that some have done that is to live patiently and die willingly yet wee should labour to attaine to thus much strength to live willingly and to die patiently So as Christ may bee magnified in my body saith the Apostle I passe not it makes no matter let it either bee by life or by death When wee have done the worke that God hath set us to doe wee must be gone and thus must every one say with himselfe Lord if I have done all the worke thou hast appointed mee to doe call me away at thy pleasure Here is the first In obedience Secondly Die in repentance I remember what Possidonius said of Saint Augustine a little before his death that it was necessarie that men when they died they should not goe out of the world absque digna competenti resipiscentiâ without a fit competent repentance Hee himselfe did so for he caused the penitentiall Psalmes to be written and they were before him as hee lay upon his bed and hee was continually reading those penetentiall Psalmes and meditating upon them with many teares he died even in the very act of contrition I doe love to see a man chearefull upon his death-bed but I doe more love to see a man penitent There is a day indeed when God will wipe away all teares from our eyes When that commeth then he will wipe away these teares of repentance too these teares of godly sorrow But the Lord grant he may find mee with teaees in mine eyes Thirdly Die in faith Indeed if ever Faith had a worke to doe it hath then a worke to doe when all other comforts in the world faile us and friends goe from us then faith to lay hold on the promises I know that my Redeemer liveth and that I shall rise againe at the last day and bee covered with my skin and shall see God with these same eyes Thus faith And then fourthly Die with Invocation calling upon the name of God Thus have all the Saints of God done continually commending of their soules to God in prayers Saint Paul would have us commend our soules to God in well-doing And it is a necessary thing every morning wee rise and every night wee goe to bed but especially when wee see some harbingers of death sent unto us then to have nothing to doe but with our blessed Lord Father into thy hands I commend my spirit And with Saint Steven Lord Iesus receive my spirit And next to this let me put in also Mercie Charitie Die forgiving one another Thus our Lord taught us to doe when he cried out Father forgive them for they know not what they doe And Saint Steven taught us to doe so too Lord lay not this sinne to their charge And then lastly for I cannot stand upon these things there must be a death in Peace Peace with God Peace with our owne consciences and Peace with all the world And now the man that dieth thus dieth with willingnesse Dieth in repentance dieth in faith dieth with invocation dieth in charitie dieth in peace this man dieth in the Lord and such a one is blessed They that would thus die in him must live in him A man cannot bee said to die in London that never lived in London A man cannot be said to die in the Lord that never lived in the Lord. If thou dost not live in obedience in faith in repentance in invocation in charitie in peace thou canst not die in these A man must first live the life of the righteous before he can die the death of the righteous And then againe if a man would die thus Hee must bee well acquainted with death grow familiar with him by meditation Many things more I might have said to this purpose but I am loth to transgresse the houre I have done with that Give me only leave now to speake in a few words unto the present occasion You have brought here beloved the body of your wellloved neighbour Mistris S. H. late the Wife of your late reverend Pastour Doctor R. H. to be layed up together with her Husband in hope of a blessed and glorious resurrection It is long since that I did in this place performe this service at the buriall of his former Wife a woman of whom I may not speake for though I hold my peace the very stone here in the wall will say enough of her and you that know her cannot but assure the truth of it I am intreated to performe now the like duty to the second Wife And I was easily intreated to doe it for that name of brother and sister that was usually betweene us for many yeares continued may very well challenge of me any dutie I am able to performe I am straitned in time and I cannot speake what I would and I doe perceive alreadie by this that I have spoken that if I should speake much more my passion would not give me leave Let me tell you one thing amongst many others it is a thing extraordinary and it is for imitation The Vertuous woman in the last of the Proverbs is commended for many things Amongst others this is one Shee doeth her husband good and not evill all the dayes of her life And marke it I pray you It is not all the dayes of his life and yet peradventure some woman might bee thought a good
Ier. 7. 11. Sendeth them to Shiloh Goe yee now unto my place which was in Shiloh where I set my name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickednesse of my people Israel And now because you have done all these workes saith the Lord and I spake unto you rising early and speaking but you heard not and I called unto you but you answered not Therefore will I doe to this house which is called by my name wherein you trust as I have done to Shiloh Had not the Churches of Asia the golden Candlesticke and yet are they not now tributary to the Turke The ordinances of God beloved are meanes to increase and hasten a judgement when we shut our eyes and will not open them but walke in darknesse Oh but there was never so many Preachers nor so many meanes there seemes to be a new spring of the Gospell there are abundance of men that come daily furnished for the Ministery and are zealous and forward and powerfull Prophets and the like and therefore it is a signe that much good is intended towards us and that no judgement shall come But doe we not reade that immediatly before the seventy years captivity there were more Prophets then in many yeares before Why should we rest in such things as these But neverthelesse we have many good people that are full of prayers and teares and they shall deliver the Island It is true there are many blessed be God and we have cause to wish that there were many more and to say as Moses said to Ioshua when he would have had him forbid Eldad and Medad that prophesied in the Campe of the Israelites Would God that all the Lords people were Prophets and that hee would put his Spirit upon them So wee of such godly men that walke with an upright heart would God that there were many such But yet are not these as Lillies among thornes a few amongst many men Are not these the objects of reproach and contempt amongst an unrighteous generation Who are the men that are cryed downe most by the world that are most opposed and injured by all men Are not these they that support the land by their prayers and hold up all by their standing in the gappe May wee not rather feare that God will avenge the quarrell of his servants upon an ungracious and ungratetull people they live amongst What shall wee speake of other things Did not Bozrah in Ier. 49. 16. boast her selfe of her scituation that shee dwelt in the clefts of a rocke Saith God though thou hidest thy selfe in the clefts of the rock though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the Eagle I will bring thee downe from thence It is not talking that our Island is scituate in the Sea and environed with walls Judgement can leape over the Sea as well as the pestilence hath done our walled Townes It is a vaine thing and yet if you hearken to the discourse of most men you shall see that this is that that keepes them secure Or it may be as some in Isa. 48. 15. Wee say they have made a covenant with death and with hell are wee at agreement when the overflowing scourge shall passe thorow it shall not come unto us Well saith the Lord your covenant with death shall bee disanulled and your agreement with hell shall not stand when the overflowing scourge shall passe thorow then you shall bee trodden downe by it When judgement commeth of all the people in the world it shall certainly meet with you What meane these idle dreames and vaine conceits that when we goe on in an unreformed condition and in a course of sinne and impenitency yet because you have the Ministers and the ordinances and the people of God amongst us because we are convenient for scituation and such like things These are vaine things they will doe us no good at that time and for the present they shew our securitie our horrible security Fourthly take another evidence and that is the abounding of the sinnes of the Land Were it possible that at such a time as this of shaking the Rod the Sword over us when judgements are upon the Nation that there should be such abundance of iniquitie in all places if men were not in a dead sleepe How doth drunkennesse stagger and reele in every street How doth pride vaunt and boast it selfe in every Church and assembly though it be cryed downe never so much Alas beloved are these times to pride up our selves in vanitie Are these times to runne after the sensuall and sinfull courses of an ungodly generation These are times wherein God calleth for fasting and brokennesse of heart Lay aside thy fine apparell saith God to the people that I may know what to doe unto thee Wee should lay aside these things that wee may shew our selves to be men awake But men generally doe so abound in wickednesse and ungodlinesse that we may rather conclude as it is in the Revelation that the time is now come too neere He that is filthy let him be filthy still that is let him goe on to the end It is evident and apparant that sinne is increased since the sicknesse it is apparant that our sins are agravated though they are daily cryed downe And now at this time as if we would defie God to his face and call upon him to hasten his judgements upon our Land upon our Families and persons every one strives as it were who shall outdare him most in our excesses in impenitencie in hardning our selves in a course of sinne These things convince us of our security There are many more that might be named if the time would permit But put these together and they may shew us our wretchednesse When we consider how little we have profited by Judgements how little we have profited by the ordinances how full of vaine confidence and idle dreames how notwithstanding all these wee abound still in wickednesse and there is no reformation of our hearts and lives what may wee not conclude against our selves If ever people were drowned in a drunken security wee of all people under heaven are at this time For of all people under heaven we are in a manner the last God hath spared us to the last We have had warning by judgements inflicted upon others for many yeares together It hath come neerer to us by degrees it began a farre off in Bohemia and then in the Palatinate and in Germanie The Lord would have us see how he commeth to us by degrees by steps that at the last we may meet him by repentance But where is the man that yet gets out of the bed of security that commeth out of his sleepe to meet the Lord that comes with a broken heart to begge for forgivenesse of his sins past and to beg for mercy for the time to come Well now since it is so that we are convinced by these signes that we are
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
Paradise and hee was not angrie with God for taking away his Wife he disdained not the act of his providence notwithstanding he resolveth into teares and laments And these may well stand together if they be not as S. Ierome saith rebellious teares against God and against hope and against the faith of the Resurrection they are qualified and allowed and accepted with the Lord as a testimonie of that good affection and brotherly love that he commandeth to be in every one After he had performed this perhaps mourned three or foure dayes for his wife he knew this mourning must have an end he knew that he must commit her to the ground and make away with her that she might not be a means further to continue aggravate his sorrow to no purpose for with that condition a man is allowed the use of affections as that he respect the glory of God and give way to weake nature rather then to any indulgent affection that is too head-strong and unruly as though there were no hope in the promise of the Almightie Therefore I say when he had thus moderated himselfe as first to shew by his sorrow that he was a loving husband and then to shew in the ceasing of his sorrow that he was a wise man and a faithfull Christian he commeth now to the chiefe and maine point whereby to make an end of his sorrow and take away the cause of further griefe the sight of his dead Hee commeth to desire a possession of buriall and because hee was a stranger here he commeth to those that were Lords chiefe ones and desireth them to intercede for him to the chiefe Lord to bargaine with him for a place that hee had sought out and as it seemeth by Gods direction too chosen But I will goe no further then the Text. Wherein first consider a certaine preamble that the holy man useth to the people that he now converst with in these words I am a stranger and a sojourner among you Wherein the sweetnesse of his nature doth shew it selfe that he was both humble-minded to know and confesse that he was a stranger and also that hee was full of reverence and respect to those that he dwelt with I am a stranger among you You are the Lords I a poore tenant You the Masters of the soile I but an Inmate that came in and was first lodged by you and with your consent and without your consent I will not attempt any thing That is the premonition whereby hee insinuateth into their affections and makes way for his speech and petition that after hee was to propound and tender to them And then the Petition followeth Give me because I will not take it of my owne head Give me What A possession such a thing as I may call my owne as I may have to my owne use sequestred from all other mens And Give it mee not upon gift meerely but for my money give it me for price answer me what I shall pay that I may acquire and make this purchase Thirdly for what hee would have this possession To burie his Wife and himselfe and his posteritie A burying place for them A strange thing a strange purchase for a man to purchase no other ground but to buy land for a burying place Lastly whom he would burie there my dead Hee calleth her not his Wife but his Dead because now the contract was ended by Death and she was no more his Wife but one of his loving friends Buriall care after Death it is committed to men by God and by the voyce of Nature therefore give mee a place to burie my dead out of my sight It grieved him to see that beauty turned to pale blacke darknesse that now had over-faced the face of that beautifull woman to see that sweet composed body that was the mirrour of the times and the miracle of women in those ages that it was now subject to rottennesse and putrefaction and did now grow noisome that it made men flie from it that they could not looke upon it That I may bury my dead out of my sight These are the branches of my Text. First concerning the humble preface that Abraham makes I am a stranger and a sojourner among you A marvellous thing to consider the great faith of our Father Abraham and patience that he used in the apprehension of Gods promise for all this land was Abrahams land yet hee confest himselfe a stranger and Saint Steven saith in Acts 7. that hee had not one foot of ground not a foot in all the land that he could owne This is that wherein God is most glorious in his Saints their expectation their patient expectation of Gods promises that they thinke themselves as well for the time to come for that which shall come as if they were in present possession When the Lord brought Abraham out of his native Countrey out of Ur of the Chaldees from the furthest part of Syria hee brought him many hundred miles to an unknowne Land and he promised to give him that Land and to his seed after him who would have thought but he meant to give him personall possession But no as soone as he was there the Lord drives him out by famine into Egypt and then hee understood that Gods mind was not to give it him but when the sinnes of the Amorites were ripe and the people of Israell were growne to a number that they might come by some claime and right and be such a multitude as should not be contemned that they might not come by way of miracle to take possession then God purposed to give it him So that this thing we may learne hence that God is infinitely gracious to his children when they are content with the appearance of things to come aswell as if they had present possession This is that which the Apostle Saint Paul frequently speakes of in Heb. 11. that the Fathers had regard to the promises and trusted upon God that that should be truly performed that was spoken to them and therein they rested themselves and were aswell contented with the good word of God for the future times for their posterities as if they had it performed in their owne persons I am a stranger and a sojourner Here are two words the one A sojourner signifieth hee that passeth by as those that come to see divers Countreys and stay not but are making homewards the other A stranger signifieth one that sitteth by in a place Abraham was both of them for when God commanded him he was ready at any time to dislodge and goe his way as long as he found the mercie of God to him that is as long as there was peace and plentie in the land hee rested there in that place in his Calling God appointed him to sit there and there he sate but not as heire of the ground as a Lord but as one that did sit there by favour as enjoying a peece of ground for his
of the Sermon he usually repeated to his people 4. His exemplary vertues in his whole course of life 1. His meeknesse and peaceablenesse of disposition A grace which in the sight of God is much set by and a notable testimonie of inward holinesse according as it runnes Iam. 3. 17. Pure then Peaceable Hee was not apt to quarrell matters that concerned him not never being observed to beare a part in any faction a favourable interpreter of things not evident readier to reconcile then to make differences and choosing rather to part with his right then with peace as appeared in a suite knowne unto many here 2. Though he were meeke in his owne cause yet hee was zealous in Gods Hee could not endure any thing repugnant to holy Scripture nor would he neglect either seasonably to admonish or reprove the faulty that were within the compasse of his admonition or to whet on and exhort others to love and good workes 3. Yet his Zeale did not miscarry being allayed and tempered with wisedome as the heart is by the braine and as the conceit is of the Primum mobile with the Chrystalline heaven neere it His wisdome appeared first in his discreetnesse in his undertakings and all affaires an argument of which some take to be this That hee was never troubled nor so much as questioned in any Court concerning any fact Second in his observing a fit season when and a fit decorum in speaking Third in his choyce of company and specially of such acquaintance as hee would be neere with and intimate which were only such as might be able to afford him spirituall assistance in a time of need 4. His freenesse from worldlinesse and contentednesse with his estate not as those in Horace Quocunque modo rem but hee would not improve his estate by the raysing it as haply hee might have done and as others doe upon his tenants Hee counted himselfe rich because hee needed not all that he had but could have lived with lesse for hee that can make a little to bee his measure all else that hee hath is his treasure which was the observation of a good Poet but a better and a more mortified Divine 5. His humilitie and even among the very temptations to pride It is an hard thing to be humble in an humble and low estate but much more difficult in the affluence of outward things You know his kindred and his relations yet as he manifested this grace in his whole cariage so in particular in not being puffed with his brothers and sisters greatnesse or the advancement of his children 6. His diligence in the use of the meanes of grace 1. Hee had a right conceit of Sermons most relishing such as were most wholsome and usefull for edification 2. Hee tooke paines to heare Hee was often knowne in his younger time to goe ten miles on foot in those times of greater scarcitie 3. His behaviour in the Church in the time of prayer and in hearing was very observable for his reverend attendance and devotion 7. His answerable practise fitted and proportionable to his exterior profession 1. Hee was much in private prayer If you would have a tryall of sinceritie follow a man home and to his closet and see what hee doth within dores for there may bee many respects that may set a man on worke coram populo Secret prayer if it bee constant cannot lodge long with hypocrisie in the same heart 2. Hee was often as they say in secret fasting by himselfe alone a Dutie not only lamentably neglected in these lazie times of easie Christianitie but ill spoken of too as a character of a Pharisee by such as are loath to be at the paines of subduing their bodyes and yet are desirous to come off with the credit and reputation of religion 3. Hee was temperate in his dyet and in his habit sober and grave as counting wisedome and grace a better and trimmer dresse then Lace or the fashion and so hee was in his recreations though constantly chearefull yet a man of little mirth or delight in any thing but spirituall 4. Hee was full of charitie which appeared in these particulars 1. Alwayes upon the Lords day he had sixe poore at dinner to every one of which hee gave a piece of beefe away with them besides and at night hee sent what was left to other poore Besides what hee gave at his dore and what hee gave privately to the poore houshold of faith 2. His hospitalitie according to his ranke was such as Peter Martyr reported of Martin Bucer whose table was ever open to any good people especially to Ministers whom he much respected 3. Hee sate up many nights for the comfort of thesicke not thinking that worke of mercy sufficiently performed by an How doe you or a cold visit 4. Hee had a Sympathie with the condition of Christs Church abroad 5. In the last place let us view him in his last act his sicknesse and death which as the Text hath told us is pretious in the sight of the Lord. 1. Hee prepared himselfe to die not only being willing but desirous also to bee set at libertie being often at S. Pauls Cupio dissolvi which they that were with him say was much in his mouth 2. Hee was very thankfull for Gods assisting him with memorie and understanding to the very last for the continuance of which he prayed and desired others that were about him to pray 3. Hee employed both his memorie and speach for the comfort and counsell of such as visited him 4. Hee made a confession of his faith but chiefly in the matter of Iustification by faith which an eminent Roman Prelate called a good supper doctrine and in the comfort of that point hee resigned his soule to Christ and slept sweetly in the Lord. Thus as his life was holy his death was pretious Hee made no great noyse in the world nor raised greater expectations of himselfe then hee could well manage like many exhalations that rise out of dunghills as if they meant to reach the skie but presently fall downe againe and wet us But as a taper hee gave light till hee went out and now hee is gone wee will leave upon his Grave Memoria ejus in Benedictionibus and apply to him the words of the Text Pretiosa in oculis Iehovae Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints FINIS THE DESIRE OF THE SAINTS AFTER IMMORTALL GLORY PHIL. 1. 23. I desire to bee dissolved and to be with Christ which is farre better LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. THE DESIRE OF THE SAINTS AFTER IMMORTALL GLORIE SERMON XXI 2 CORINTHIANS 5. 2. For in this wee groane earnestly desiring to bee cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven WHen I reade these words I am in a great doubt whether I should rather admire the excellencie of the temper of these Saints or deplore the vilenesse of ours so celestiall the one so
experience every where how few there be that in their life time deserve the praise of Religion in their death For my part I never did nor never will gild a rotten post or a mudde wall or give false witnesse in praising to give the praise of Religion to those that deserve it not I desire those of my congregation would make their owne Funerall Sermons while they be living by their vertuous life and conversation As the Apostle saith Hee hath not praise that is praised of men but hee that is praised of God FINIS THE RIGHTEOUS MANS RESTING PLACE OR A FENCE AGAINST VNNECESSARIE FEARES PROV 18. 10. The name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous runneth into it and is safe PSAL. 27. 1. The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. THE RIGHTEOUS MANS RESTING PLACE OR A FENCE AGAINST VNNECESSARIE FEARES SERMON XXVII GEN. 15. 1. After these things the word of the Lord came to Abraham saying Feare not Abraham I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward THE tender mercie of God is seene in nothing more then in afflicting his owne people for hee proportions his chastisements not to our deserts but to our strength and you shall ordinarily observe where Almightie GOD layes a heavie affliction hee gives an extraordinarie assistance when he leades any of his people through a hote fire hee is with them in extraordinarie manner This holy Saint Abraham as hee was the Father of the faithfull so he was a Patterne to all the faithfull in both these both in his tryalls and in Gods assistance There was never any man called to more tryalls then he to leave his Countrey and his Kindred and his Fathers house and after to sacrifice his owne sonne And there was never any man more assisted from God as we see in those many apparitions that God vouchsafed him Comforting him sometimes in dreames and visions Sometimes hee appeared to him in an admirable and most friendly manner talking with him as a man doth with his friend One of them are in this Chapter The Lord appeared to Abraham and comforted him in the middest of his tryals and troubles Where you may see an admirable incouragement that God gives to his servant Abraham You may note First the incouragement it selfe that is not to feare Secondly note the time when God gave him this incouragement when he had encountred with those Kings immediatly before as we see in Chapter 14. And when hee was to encounter with many evils and troubles after then the Lord appeared to him Thirdly note the manner how God is pleased to reveale this comfort that is by way of vision God appeared by vision Fourthly note the ground of this comfort and incouragement that God gives him and that is taken from a twofold Argument First what God was to him in regard of any evills that hee did feele or feare he was his shield to beare them off Secondly in regard of all the good things that Abraham could lose in the world an exceeding great reward hee would bee to him all in all So you see this portion of Scripture affords plentifull matter for instruction and consolation All that I will speake of at this time I will wind up in this proposition that is that They that are in covenant with God and labour to keepe his covenant as faithfull Abraham was and did they may be a people without all carnall and inordinate feare For Abraham felt much and had just cause to expect more but in the middest of all God appeared to him and bid him he should not feare And what was spoken to Abraham is spoken to us for he was the Father of the faithfull and they that are of the faith with Abraham are blessed with him So then the blessing of Abraham and all the incouragements that were given to him they belong not to him only but to all that are the spirituall seed of Abraham to all the faithfull so that the Proposition is not limitted to him but extends to all A Doctrine if ever needfull it is now Wee know how it is with all men that are out of Covenant with God Adam as soone as he had sinned he runnes from God he was afraid and hid himselfe from the face of God so every unregenerate man is except his conscience be ignorant in a dead sleepe and cauterized for he seeth God on the one side a revenging Judge and hee knowes himselfe on the other side to be guiltie and therefore hee cannot but with amazement and feare continually tremble before God and he desires if it were possible that there were no God at all that he might never be called to account for his doings But now the child of God a faithfull Abraham that is in covenant with God he may in the middest of all evills lift up his head with joy and comfort even when wicked men are at their wits end and know not whether to turne themselves It is I say a point needfull to urge in these times wherein we heare abroad of warres and rumours of warres and so many distractions and what they feele we have cause to feare but now it is seasonable at this time when we see the King of feares act his part before our eyes hee that the Philosophers call the most terrible of all terribles that is Death that tends to the extirpation and abolition of nature in regard of our being here I say there cannot be a better argument treated of then somewhat that may fence us against the feare of this evill Now for the opening of this point First consider what feare is And then what feare a Christian should be freed from And then how it comes to passe that a Christian is exempted from all slavish and inordinate feare And then come to make some Use of it to the present occasion First that we may know the point the better let us consider what feare is in generall And feare beloved is such an affection or passion of the soule that is stirred up with a through apprehension of some future evill that is very difficult to be resisted by the partie or patient It is an affection or passion of the soule for it makes a reall transmutation in the man It is such an affection as is stirred up with the apprehension of evill for evill is properly the object of feare we doe not primarily feare any thing that is good except the losse of it and it is ill to lose any good thing Againe it is evill future for if the evill be present we grieve and not feare And it is such an evill as is difficult and hard to resist and overcome with patience for if it be a small evill that is easily conquered you contemne it you feare it not You see then what feare is in generall Is all
feare prohibited Not the feare of God c. Feare is oft commanded in Scripture know then there are divers kindes of feare First naturall feare and that is called naturall either in regard of the materiall or efficient cause When the partie that doth feare is phlegmatick or melancholie and so is naturally inclined to feare this may be called a naturall feare Or in regard of the object when there is somewhat in that which is destructive to nature and therefore the feare of death it is naturall to man and so whatsoever may prejudice nature Now this naturall feare is an affection that Almightie God concreated with the soule it is naturally good it is morally neither good nor evill but according as it is determined by circumstances Againe there is a carnall evill feare namely when a man feares the evill of punishment more then the evill of sin a corporall evill more then a spirituall a temporall more then an eternall Hee is afraid of losing something hee enjoyes or of not getting something he desires c. In either regards there may be a carnall feare as I shall explaine it to you more anone and this so farre as it is carnall is ever to be condemned Thirdly there is a servile feare and this is such a feare as lookes at the punishment only and not at the sinne when a man is afraid of the judgements of GOD and never feares sinne that is the cause of it And so withall when this feare is only servile and is retained in the heart that man desires still to sinne there is a love of sinne a wishing that God would give him leave to sinne and let loose the reynes to him that if it were possible there were no God no Devill no Heaven nor Hell that he might sinne freely And if he abstaine from sinne at any time the cause is that there is this punishment that is the consequent of sinne and not out of love to God or obedience to his commandements Now this servile feare though in it selfe it bee not savingly pleasing to God yet it is a thing that is good as S. Austin observes for that man that feares servily hee doth that which is good though he doth it not well because that is a thing that depends upon the disposition and will of him that doth the thing though the thing be good as farre as it goes It is good for the restraining of evill men from outrages in the world and it is a preparative in the way to conversion as it is Act. 2. Lastly there is a filiall son-like feare that ariseth out of the consideration of the greatnesse and especially of the goodnesse of God whereby a man so hates punishment as hee hates sinne also the cause of it Now there are divers degrees of filiall feare One degree we call innitiall feare in this world And a degree of perfection in the world to come In this world the feare we have hath one eye upon the punishment and another eye upon the commandement or love of God And here many make a doubt whether they are to doe that which is good having an eye to the recompence of reward or to abstaine from evill out of the feare of punishment For answer briefly Any thing almightie God hath made a motive to us to incourage us to doe well or to deterre us from evill we may make a motive to our selves and as long as we doe so we doe well It was so with Adam in Paradice this was propovnded as a motive In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die Then to abstaine from the forbidden fruit partly out of feare of punishment if Adam did so he did well So every one of us in regard of any evill we may have an eye to the punishment that will bee the consequent of the thing For Christ urgeth this to his owne Disciples Feare not him that can kill the body c. And to doe things meerely without any respect to punishment at all I know no reason why any man should aspire to that perfection For God while we are here hath given us these motives to stirre us up to avoid evill and it is well if wee can heartily and truly out of love to God doe it by all the motives that God hath propounded To have a feare meerely for punishment and still to retaine the love of sinne and no respect or love to the commandement of God this is not acceptable to God in a saving manner but to have an eye to God and to abstaine from sinne partly out of love to God and partly out of feare of punishment this is acceptable to God For a man must love himselfe in subordination to the love of God and therefore he may looke to the avoiding of evill and to the getting of good eternall to soule and body Now these feares we may consider of them thus The naturall feare may be accompanied with the Spirit but it comes not from the Spirit that must be ordered by the word of God Secondly carnall feare comes not from the spirit nor is accompanied with it this is ever to be mortified this wee must take heed of and this feare Abraham is exhorted against here Thirdly the feare that is servile it comes from the spirit but it is not accompanied with the spirit As the dawning of the day the Sunne is the cause of it yet the Sunne is not present when the day dawnes but some glimpse goes before him this wee must cherish so as we bring it to filiall feare and then wee deale aright in that Lastly for filiall feare we must cherish that at all times wee must labour to get still a more reverent respect of the Majestie of God So I have breiefly shewed you what feare is And what feare wee must labour to be freed from all slavish and carnall feare in regard of the world or any thing in the world any ill that may befall us or any good that may be taken from us Now you see that a Christian is such a man as may live without all feare that is carnall Feare not them that can kill the body And in Isaiah 8. 12. Feare not their feare What is the ground of this I will tell you briefly Christ came into the world to deliver us from all our enemies that wee might serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse Luke 1. 47. So then the ground is this that man that hath no enemies that man that cannot possibly be molested with any evill what need hee feare For there is no evill in the world that can surprize a man that is in covenant with God that labours to keepe his covenant but by the power of the Spirit he may conquer it For only evill and evill future is the object of feare Now if there be no evill that can befall a child of God but such as may be conquered hee should contemne it and not feare it Now
crazie and all things are out of order yet this man can incourage himselfe in the Lord his God he can say to himselfe feare not Saith Daved though I walke in the valley of the shadow of death a dolefull condition yet I will feare none ill Psal. 23. And in another place though ten thousand should compasse mee in on every side I would lay mee downe and rest Though the Apostles were watched by souldiers layd in the stocks and for ought they knew the next day should be brought to execution yet they sing as merrily and sleepe as heartily as if they had beene on a Throne and had beene Kings in a Pallace Thus a good conscience will make a Christian happy if he be not his owne foe but our hearts are intangled with the world and wordly things that for the most part wee see not this priviledge But I leave that Next it may serve to reprehend and chide the most of us yea all in that we are distracted with feares unnecessary such as spend our spirits and consume our precious time such things as make our lives uncomfortable and dishonour God and our Religion and profession and all to no purpose Some things we feare a great while before wee neede perhaps that we neede not feare at all One saith Lord what would become of me if I should loose my wife if I should loose my children or loose my estate What would become of me if the times should be hard if there should be a deare yeare I can scarse bring both ends together now Another saith what shall I doe when I am old and cannot take paines for my living thus men feare a thousand inconveniences What neede wee meete evills halfe way what neede wee create to our selves such troubles sufficient for the day are the troubles of it But in regard of carnall feare all things make us afraid more then we neede and the feare of ill oft times perplexeth a man more then the ill it selfe that lights upon him And men of a melancholly disposition they frame to themselves such strange Chimera's Imaginations of things that perhaps shall never come to passe and so trouble themselves with a great deale of feare Thou art afraid of such and such losses perhaps thou maiest die first and such things perhaps shall never befall thee labour to prepare thy heart before hand and then feare them not I will shew you the inconveniences of this briefly First of all these feares of losses and crosses and the like they often bring a great deale of ill to men nay it brings a great deale of ill as the naturall event and consequent of it partly by the judgement of God Esay 66. 4. I will bring their feares upon them And that that wicked men feare shall come upon them This is the way to bring ill upon them when men will needs bee miserable is it not just with God they should The Romans will come and take away our Empire and so it was Saul was afraid that David should succeede him and so hee did When men will not learne to live by faith it is just with God to bring that that they feare upon them because they dishonour him by unbeliefe In the second place it not onely brings ill but it makes the heart unfit for ill when it comes In the feare of man there is a snare but in the confidence of the Lord there is a sure reward In the feare of man there is a snare what doth feare doe it insnares a man it binds a man hand and foote and layes him flat before his enemie when he comes and then his enemy tramples upon him It so weakens the Spirits and disheartneth a man before it comes that when it comes he is no way able to beare it For the feare takes away all the joy and content that a man may take in the present good that hee enjoyes at the hand of God that he cannot enjoy that because hee feares I know not what ill that may come and then when that ill comes he is not able to beare it his spirit is so weake I might shew much hurt that this feare doth both to the soule and to the body of man To the body of man how doth it weaken and contract the Spirits and bring diseases and some times death it selfe Feare doth much hurt to the soule Naturally Spiritually Naturally it weakens a man in regard of the operations of his soule that the body is not a fit instrument for the soule to worke by It makes a man doe diverse things rashly and inconsiderately and divers things out of incogitancie that hee knowes not what he doth he is unfit for holy duties unstable in all his wayes As he is thus in regard of his place and calling so in regard of the duties of Gods service he cannot doe these with a quiet heart with a peaceable spirit while he is possest with these feares You shall see almost all the sinnes in the world come from this feare What was the reason that Abraham and Sarah did equivocate was it not feare in that particular of men more then God and so they put God upon a miracle to preserve Saraahs chastitie in the case of Abimeleck What was the reason that Aaron yeelded to make an Idoll for the people of Israel and so joyned in Idolatry with them he was afraid of the people that they might doe him some hurt he durst not trust God with his preservation So Peter denyed his Master out of feare What is the reason that a Minister doth not sometimes reproove sinne that a Magistrate doth not sometimes reforme that that is amisse It is slavish feare they will not trust God to maintaine them in his owne cause What is the reason that many servants lye c. it is out of a slavish feare of their masters And so in regard of the things of the world men are inordinately afraid that they shall loose somewhat they possesse and therefore they take indirect courses Still this slavish feare and horrour and distrust of God it is almost the cause of all sin as wee may observe in the world This being so prejudicall in the last place let us fence our hearts against this feare By this meanes we shall honour Religion and make our lives comfortable incourage other Saints of God and draw people to like Religion when it yeelds such sweet contentment to the soules of men For doe but once againe muster together all our enemies and see if we have cause of feare For our spirituall enemies Will any man feare a wounded foe for the Lord God hath wounded Satan and trampled him under our feet and brought us as Ioshua did his Captaines to set our feet upon the necke of principalities and powers that through the mightie power of God wee are more then conquerours and shall we feare such an enemie as this Shall we
and the arme of flesh their portion that they must relie upon here is a reed that will either breake or pierce a mans hand No wonder that this man feares in all occasions and extremities because he forsakes the Lord and cleaves to the creature But that man that lives by faith is without feare As Peter when hee began to sinke saith Christ Why dost thou feare O thou of little faith The reason he did sinke was feare and why did hee feare because his faith failed him he did not lay hold upon God and Christ. Lastly let us remember to order our selves aright in regard of our love and this will keepe us from inordinate feare For we must conceive that love is the fountaine of all other affections we love things and therefore we desire them if they be absent and wee rejoyce in them if they be present and wee feare the losse of them to be abridged of them Now let us order our love aright in regard of the things of this world and wee shall never feare much for it is the observation of S. Austin we feare to lose somewhat that we have attained or not to enjoy somewhat that we desire so it ariseth from love somewhat that wee love and afect we are afraid of the losse of it and this is the cause of feare Now in regard of wealth a man is afraid hee shall not have enough he shall not have a competencie it is because hee loves the things of the world too much A man is afraid of Death why because he loves his body too much A man is afraid hee shall lose his children or his friends what is the reason he loves them too much too inordinatly Wee should labour to love them only in and for God and then we shall not be afraid of the losse of them but shall be content to bee disposed in them and in ourselves as God shall see convenient in his heavenly wisedome A word for the occasion and that I will dispatch in a word You know the occasion of our meeting at this time and in this place it is to performe this last rite to the body of a Child that God hath taken lately to his mercie You see how Almightie God is pleased to dispose it sometimes even oft-times from the Cradle to the Grave out of the swadling-bands to the winding-sheete God will have it so sometimes and when it is so wee must lay our hands upon our mouthes and bee content with the will of God For those that are Parents let all learne this lesson not to dote too much upon their children not to be enamoured too much upon such flowers you know how soone God takes them away before you be aware It is not their witt or their comelinesse or agilitie and nimblenesse or healthy constitution or any thing that can award them from the stroake of death when God sends it Therefore learne to love them in and for God for his sake and you shall have no cause to feare the losse of them or grieve immoderately when they are taken away why because they are all alive still to God and this tender Babe is not lost he is but sent before he is alive still in the presence of God the soule still lives and the body shall live and is in Gods account Christ hath the charge of it and will raise it at the last day That man can lose no friend that loves his friend in and for God because they live with God and he shall enjoy them at the last day Againe as we may mourne for the losse of our friends and children or else we were without naturall affection so we must rejoyce that they have gained as we have lost them as they are taken from us so they are taken from the evils of the world from a great deale of sinne and miserie and what that might have beene the Lord only knowes therefore wee have cause to bee thankfull And beloved be thankfull too if God spare any if hee take one he might have taken all and prepare for it too be thankfull for them that are left And remember labour betimes to instruct your children in the feare of God let it be the first thing we infuse into them as soone as they be capable namely the elements of Christian Religion holy and heavenly things why because they may bee taken away before we are aware It may be wee have but a little time but a few opportunities to doe good to them I tell you what our conscience will tell us else that wee have not beene so carefull to instruct our children as they have beene capable And this will cut sore and lie heavie on our conscience and therefore let us doe it betimes Not only to prevent the Divell and his temptations but because you see how suddenly they may bee taken away from us in a moment So Children should be admonished to learne to know the Lord God in the dayes of their youth how soone that evill day may come we know not that the wise man speakes of therefore betimes while yee haue opportunitie doe it And for our owne part let us learne this First when God croppes such flowers that rise in the budde when he takes away such Children be thankfull to God that hee hath given us a longer time that he hath enlarged our dayes and prolonged our yeares that hee hath given us such a great deale of space and opportunitie to glorifie him here to doe him service in the land of the living to get evidence of our Calling and election and to get assurance of our peace with him Let us praise God for the length of our dayes a blessing of God in it selfe and a blessing to us if we improve it Againe every one remember if Children doe die old men must die any man may die For if Death strike such as doe but begin to live then we that have lived long it is time and reason to expect death and not to feare it I speake not this as if we should be slavishly afraid of death while we are so our lives are not comfortable What is the reason that we feare it inordinatly because we love our lives wee love our bodies and the world inordinatly and not in and for God And then by the continuall spectacles of mortalitie let us bee acquainted with death A vizour and apparition to a Child scarres him and he runnes from it at the first but at last he growes throughly acquainted with it and feares it not so it is in regard of death many men will not indure to heare of death they will not indure to thinke of it they will not indure to heare a Funerall Sermon or to come to the house of mourning to be put in mind of their latter end Death is a strange vizour to these men and women they are afraid of it and runne from it but if we did oft thinke of it as oft as we thinke
or over-gries any thing hee is troubled and disquieted Let not your hearts be troubled that is grieve not for things more then they are to be grieved for and feare not things more then they are to be feared For all these will dis-joynt the soule as it were it will put the spirit to much paine and disquit as a bone out of joynt Therefore by all meanes keepe your hearts in a right state in that order that God hath set them Let not your hearts be troubled That that I will briefly note here shall be but thus much that Men are wondrous prone even the very best men to be disturbed in their passions and affections Our Saviour Christ speakes it here to his Disciples to those that he had taught before whom hee had gone as an excellent example all his dayes yet these holy men these followers of Christ that had followed him through so many dangers and after so many teachings and instructings of them hee had need to call upon them to stirre them up to consider of their owne estate that their hearts might not bee troubled You may see the Maladie in the Medicine Every prohibition in the word supposeth a corruption and an aptnesse in the naturall heart and spirit of man to sinne and transgresse in that particular Therefore when Christ speakes to his Disciples and tells them they should not be troubled It shewes that even the best men are subject to excesse of passion and affection to be disturbed and troubled through immoderate feare or griefe for that was the case of the Disciples Now briefly I will shew the grounds of it and come to the Application because I will hasten This trouble that is upon the spirits sometimes of the best men it ariseth Partly from Gods providence and hand upon them And partly from Sathan And partly from themselves I will shew you the causes in these in particulars and then applie it First it riseth many times from the hand of God The Lord is said to bee a Sunne and a shield The Lord will be knowne to bee a Sunne and a shield to his people Now looke as it is with the earth when the Sunne withdraweth his light it is all darke and cold and dead So it is with the hearts of the best men when God withdrawes the light of his countenance from the soule it is as the earth at midnight And as it is with Souldiers in the battell if their shields be taken from them they are exposed to every dart and danger every thing may annoy them and wound them So it is in the state of the soule if God withdraw himselfe from it and doe not now support it as before and doe not fence and strengthen it as at other times the fierie darts of Sathan will pierce deepe into the soule and the spirit will not bee able to uphold it selfe against these assaults Now God withdrawes himselfe sometimes from his servants and that in speciall wisedome In respect either of the time past present to come Sometimes God doth it in respect of the time past and so hee doth it by way of correction First to correct his children for their former wantonnesse they have abused the expressions of love and now as a Father takes away the light from his child when hee sees hee makes no better use of it then to play with it So God sometimes takes away the light of his countenance that is he casts cloudes before himselfe he doth not manifest himselfe in that loving favour when his servants neglect that reverence and feare that hee expects from them in the midst of his mercies Secondly this hee doth sometimes as a correction of their negligence when God hath called on them from time to time and they have neglected calling on God hee hath called upon them for dutie and for the leaving of such particular evils and they have neglected it Now God withdrawes himselfe to make them know what it is to doe so And because they will not know what it is to heare his voyce when hee calls hee will make them feele it by his not hearing their voyce when they pray Sometimes hee calls to them as hee did to the Church in the Canticles Open to mee my sister my Spouse my love c. The Church is negligent and carelesse I have put off my cloathes how shall I put them on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them Now hee withdrawes himselfe from the soule and what is the end of it The Keepers strike her and the watch-men take away her vaile and now shee is left to trouble and perplexitie because Christ had absented himselfe whom shee would not entertaine when hee offered himselfe Thus God doth to correct that that is past And farther God doth it sometimes to correct that carnall confidence and securitie whereunto men are wondrous prone when they goe on in a cleare way with much comfort with wind and tide I said in my prosperitie saith David I shall never bee mooved thou Lord hast made my mountain so strong but what followeth upon it saith he Lord thou hidest thy face and I was troubled now trouble came upon him trouble of Spirit because he rested too much in that outward mountaine in that outward condition whereunto God had exalted him and he placed his hope too much on this and thought it should be alwaies thus now God turnes his hand then David is troubled and that is the first particular in the first cause But Secondly God hath a further ayme and that is for the time present and that is First to informe all his servants where their strength lies where all their good lies it lies not in themselves it lies not in any creature And therefore God will have them seeke it in him that they may do it he drawes them to it by sence they shall be deprived of comfort in respect sometime of outward conveniences and in respect sometime of the light of his countenance shining upon their soules How doe wee know that the Moone shines on the earth by a borrowed light but because wee see it is not alwayes alike in its light we see sometimes it hath a full light and sometimes it is enlightned but by the halfe and sometimes by some little part where wee see this disproportion that it is not alwayes alike wee know by this that the light of the Moone is borrowed from somewhat else from the Sunne Now how doe wee know that the heart of man is fed and releeved and supported with comfort from without it selfe with borrowed and received comfort but by this Because the state of Gods servants in respect of the spirituall quiet and satisfaction and contentment of heart is not alwayes alike but sometimes they have aboundance of joy that they seeme to bee as it were in heaven Sometimes they are perplexed with many disquiets and griefes that they seeme to be cast
now manifested that hee did not acknowledge him to be so holy and righteous So thus you see the inclination in the heart of man to uncharitable judging of those that God hath cast downe and suffers to bee exercised under many afflictions and troubles Let us learne then spirituall wisedome let us learne love and spirituall mercie to judge more favourably of the state of those whom wee see troubled in spirit Many times God infeebleth and distresseth the spirits of his best servants to abate the pride of men that none might exalt himselfe before God Nay in the very thing wherein they have excelled in the same thing hee sometimes abaseth them you see Abraham he is called the Father of the faithfull his excellencie was his faith yet faithfull Abraham is detected in Scripture of much unbeliefe in some particulars Who would thinke that hee should expose Sara as he did to save himselfe that he should doe it that was called the Father of the faithfull you have heard saith the Apostle Iames of the patience of Iob the very excellencie of Iob was his patience who would thinke that ever patient Iob should utter such things as hee did sometime even cursing the very day of his birth David a man of a cheerefull spirit a man full of the praises of God a man wondrous large when hee comes to speake of the glory of God at severall times A man would have thought him of an invincible fortitude and courage yet neverthelesse you shall have David so cast downe as that hee thinkes the Lord had forgotten him and that the Lord would shew no mercy upon him that the Lord had hid himselfe from him and that hee would never regard him more who would thinke that ever David that abounded so in the comforts of the spirit sometimes should bee so dejected at such times as those were when he was in such a conflict Why doth God doe this To shew thus much that the very best of his servants in the chiefe of their excellencies are dependant on him still they have nothing of themselves or from themselves Therefore they shall sometimes seeme to want that they have that the very having and using of it may be ascribed to his glory Then let us now reason thus when wee see the servants of God in trouble exercised under disquiet Let us conclude now God is glorifying himselfe This the Apostle inferres Hee will rejoyce in his infirmities because the power of Christ is manifested by it For our selves it should teach us according to the intent of this place above all things to labour that our hearts may bee kept in that blessed plight of spirituall joy that we may be strengthened with freenesse of heart to serve God in our inward man Let not your hearts be troubled How should this be done The Text tells us here and so I come briefly to the second thing observable in the Text the means you believe in God saith he beleeve also in mee As the words are read in the translation they seeme to be uttered by way of concession as much as if Christ had said since you already beleeve in God now beleeve in mee The Syriack seemes to expresse it otherwise and so render it by way of command and to make here an intimation of two duties as a helpe of quieting the heart and so it reades it Let not your hearts bee troubled beleeve in God beleeve also in mee propounding a twofold object whereabout faith should be exercised that the heart may bee quieted in the time of any trouble The first is God considered in the Trinitie of persons in the unitie of Essence The second is Christ Mediator God and Man Now saith he beleeve in God that is the first rest upon God Then the second is beleeve in mee also as one that is the Mediatour betweene God and you now making your peace with God So the second part seemes to be the prevention of an objection For when he saith Let not your hearts bee troubled beleeve in God they might say Alas shall wee beleeve in God that are sinfull men The sinners in Sion cry out Who shall dwell with consuming fire c. Therefore saith Christ beleeve also in mee that is know that God will bee your God in and for my sake he is reconciled and well pleased with you Therefore in all your approaches to God take me with you looke up to God pray to him depend upon God through mee still keepe mee as a Mediatour betweene God and you and this will preserve your hearts in peace The time would not serve if I should goe over things particularly and in a full way Therefore I will touch the heads of things and it shall be thus much that A speciall meanes to preserve the heart of man from excessive sorrow and feare from trouble and disquiet of spirit is faith Let not your hearts be troubled But how shall wee helpe it Beleeve in God beleeve also in mee And this wee shall see through the Scriptures David found it thus Psal. 40. hee speakes to his disquieted soule Trust in God I will waite on him hee is my God Iehoshaphat in that excellent speech to his Souldiers that were now troubled for the multitude of their enemies against them Beleeve in God and you shall prosper beleeve his Prophets and you shall be established that is the way to stablish the heart to beleeve in God revealing himselfe in his Word It is noted of Moses in Heb. 11. 27. Hee therefore indured all that he did because hee looked on him that is invisible And those three companions of Daniel Dan. 3. Our God say they whom wee serve is able to helpe us but if hee will not wee will not worship thy golden Image There was matter of trouble and disquiet in the heart to be put to such a plunge that they must either worship or bee cast into the Furnace heated seven times hotter Well this eased them of all trouble and disquiet they know whom they had trusted and bee was able to keepe that that was committed to him to the comming of Christ. As Saint Paul expresseth it with which hee also rested abundantly satisfied On the other side the want of this hath beene the cause of that perplexitie and disquiet that hath beene upon the hearts of Gods servants at all times That was the reason that Abraham was so disturbed and disquieted in that feare of what should be done to him in Egypt certainly he failed in this in resting upon God Moses was wondrously troubled when the Lord bad him goe to Pharaoh and deliver Israel out of Egypt saith he Lord send by him whom thou shouldest send I am a man of a stammering tongue saith the Lord I will be with thy tongue Hee bids him quiet his heart in that perplexitie and rest on him that made the tongue to be with his tongue And because there was another secret that troubled him the Lord
the Holiest and dearest servants of God are exercised with and divers of these doe make them many times mourne exceedingly and to cry one while O wretched man that I am and to groane out another while Woe is mee that I am constrained to live in Mesech and to have my habitation in the tents of Kedar of all these miseries Death is the end to Gods servants And so also it is an entrance into happinesse for albeit their bodyes rot in the Grave and bee laid up in the Earth as in Gods store-house untill the last day yet the soule forthwith even in an instant comes into the presence of the ever-living God of Christ and of all the Angels and Saints in Heaven the spirits of just men made perfect to Abrahams bosome to bee with Christ quanta haec felicitas What greater happinesse It was much that Moses obtained to see the back-parts of God but how much greater favour is it to see him face to face to have eternall fellowship with God the Father with Christ the Redeemer with the Holy Ghost the sanctifier The knowledge of this benefit of Death makes the face of it comfortable to Gods servants and causes them to strive with their owne naturall weaknesse that so they may even long for their day of dissolution But now against this point divers Objections may be alledged For first the Apostle Paul sayes that Death is the wages of sinne And else-where hee stiles it Christs enemie the last enemie that hee shall subdue is Death How should not death then be rather a day of misery to bee trembled at then a day of happinesse to bee longed for To this I answer that wee are to distinguish touching Death for it must be considered two wayes First as it is in its owne nature Secondly as it is altered by Christ in the first sence it is true that Death is the wages of sinne and the very suburbs and the gates of hell But in the second taking of Death it ceases to be a plague and becomes a blessing inasmuch as it is even a doore opening out of this world into Heaven Now the godly looke not upon Death simply but upon Death whose sting and venome is plucked out by Jesus Christ and so it is exceeding comfortable But then secondly it is objected that wee reade of many that have prayed against death as namely first David Returne O Lord saith he and deliver my soule oh spare mee for thy mercyes sake for in death there is no remembrance of thee Secondly Hezekiah when the message of death was brought to him Thirdly Christ himselfe Father if it bee possible let this cup passe from me To all these I answer first touching Daâ—…d that when he composed that sixt Psalme hee was not only gâ—…vously sicke but also exceedingly tormented in mind for he wrestled and combatted in his conscience with the wrath of God as appeares by the first Verse of that Psalme therefore wee must know that hee prayed not simply against Death but against death at that time in asmuch as the comming of it was accompanied with extraordinary apprehensions of Gods wrath for at another time hee tells us that hee would not feare though hee walked through the valley of the shadow of Death And the like I say touching Hezekiah that his prayer proceeded not from any desperate feare of Death but first that he might doe more service to God in his Kingdome And with such a kind of thought was Saint Pauls desire of dissolution mingled Secondly hee prayed against Death then because he knew that his death then would be a great cause of rejoycing to evill men to whom his reformation in the State was unpleasâ—…ng Thirdly because hee wanted issue God had promised before to David that there should not faile a man of his seed to sit upon the throne of Israel so that his children did take heed 〈◊〉 their wayes Now it was a great discomfort to him to die childlesse for then he and others might have thought that he was but an Hypocrite inasmuch as God had promised issue to all those Kings that feared him and for this cause God heard his prayer and after two yeares gave him a sonne Maâ—…asseh by name And so I say the same touching our Saviour Christ that hee prayed not against Death as it is the separation betwixt Body and Soule as appeares by what the Apostle saith that hee was heard in that hee feared for hee stood in our roome and became a Curse for us it was the Curse of the Law which went with Death and the unspeakable wrath and indignation of God which hee feared and from this according to his prayer he was delivered But thirdly wee see in most good men a feare of Death and a desire of life and I my selfe may some godly man say doe feele my selfe ready to tremble at the meditation thereof and yet I hope I belong unto God I answer that there are two things to bee considered in every Christian Flesh and Spirit Corruption and Grace and the best have many inward perplexities at times and doubtings of Gods favour Now it is a truth which our Saviour delivers that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weake And as in all other good purposes there is a combat betwixt the flesh and the spirit so is there in this betwixt the feare of Death and the desire of Death sometime the one prevailes and sometimes the other but yet alwayes at last the desire of Death doth get the victory Carnall respects doe often prevaile farre with the best care of wife children and the like Thâ—…se are their infirmities but as other infirmities die in them by degrees so these also at last are subdued and the servants of God seeing clearely the happinesse into which their Death in Christ shall enter them doe even sigh desiring to bee clothed upon with their house which is from Heaven Here then is a good Marke by which we may know our selves to be Gods servants viz. by the state of our thoughts and meditations touching Death I will so deliver it as may bee most for the comfort of those that truly feare God I demand therefore of thee Dost thou know that the confident and comfortable expectation of Death is the worke of the Holy Ghost in Gods servants Dost thou desire unfeignedly that the same may bee wrought in thy heart Dost thou labour to know what happinesse comes by Death to those that feare the Lord Dost thou grieve at thine owne weaknesse to whom the thought of Death is sometime troublesome and unsavourie Dost thou pray the Lord so to assure thee of his favour in Christ that death may bee desired before it comes and welcome when it is come Dost thou when thou hearest this speech of Simeon wish that thou wert able to use the like words with the like resolution Surely
saith the spirit Or because this asseveration concerning the condition of the Saints departed is propositia necessaria as the Schooles speake we will cloath the members of the division with tearmes apodicticall and in this verse observe 1. A conclusion sientificall whereof the parts are 1. The subject indefinite mortui the dead 2. The attribute absolute beati blessed 3. The cause propter quam the Lord or dying in the Lord. 2. The proofe demonstrative and that two-fold 1. A priori 1. By a heavenly oracle I heard a voyce c. 2. A divine testimonie So saith the spirit 2. A posteriori by arguments drawne 1. From their cessation from their worke They rest from their labours 2. Their remuneration for their workes Their workes follow them Where the matter is pretious a decision of the least quantitie is a great losse and therefore as the spie of nature observeth the Iewellers will not rubbe out a small clowde or specke in an orient Rubie because the lessening the substance will more disadvantage them then the fetching out of the spot advance them in the sale Neither will the Alcumists lose a drop of quintessence nor the Apothecaries a graine of Bezar nor an exact Commentatour upon holy Scriptures any syllables of a voyce from heaven the eccho whereof is more melodious to the soule then any consort of most tuneable voyces upon earth can be In which regard I hold it fit to relinquish my former divisions and insist upon each word of this verse as a Bee sitteth upon each particular flower that wee may not lose any drop of doctrine sweeter then the honey and the honey combe any leafe of the tree of life any dust of the gold of Ophir 1. I there were three men in holy Scriptures tearmed Iedidiah that is Beloved of God Solomon Daniel and Saint Iohn the Evangelist and to all these God made knowne the secrets of his Kingdome by speciall revelation and their prophecies are for the most part of a mysticall interpretation This Revelation was given to Iohn when hee was in the spirit upon the Lords day and if wee religiously observe the Lords day and then bee in the spirit as hee was giving our selves wholly to the contemplation of Divine mysteries wee shall also heare voyces from heaven in our soules and consciences Heard with what eares could Saint Iohn heare this voyce sith hee was in a spirituall rapture which usually shutteth up all the doores of the senses I answer that as spirits have tongues to speake withall whereof wee reade 1 Cor. 13. 1. Though I speake with the tongues of men and Angels so they have eares to heare one another that is a spirituall facultie answerable to our bodily sense of hearing The Apostle sayth of himselfe that hee was in the spirit and as he was in the spirit so he saw in the spirit and heard inthe spirit and spake in the spirit and moved in the spirit and did all those things which are recorded in this Booke When Saint Paul was wrapd up into the third Heaven and heard there words that cannot be uttered and saw things which cannot bee represented with the eye hee truely and really apprehended those objects yet not with carnall but spirituall sences where with Saint Iohn heard this voice A voyce from Heaven The Pythagoreans taught that the Calestiall spheares by the regular motions produced harmonious sounds and the Psalmist teacheth us that the Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke and that there is no speech nor language where there voyce is not heard but that was the voyce of Heaven it selfe demonstrately proving and after a sort proclaiming the Majestie of the Creatour But this is vox de coelo a voyce from Heaven pronounced by God himselfe or formed by an Angell so Gasper Melo expresly teacheth us Saint Iohn heard a voyce not sounding outwardly but inwardly framed by that Angell who revealed unto him the whole Apocalypse Saint Iohn here heard a voyce from Heaven commanding him to Write and Sain Austin heard a voyce from Heaven commanding him to Read Tolle lege and most requesite it is that where Heaven speakes the earth should heare and where God writes that man should reade There never yet came any voice from Heaven which it did not much import and concerne the earth to heare The first voice that came from Heaven was heard on Mount Sinai and it was to confirme the Law to bee of divine authoritie and establish our faith in God the Creatour A second voice from Heaven we heare â—…o in Saint Peter on the holy Mount when the Apostles were there with Christ and it was to confirme the Gospell and to establish our faith in Christ the Redeemer A third voice or sound was heard from Heaven in the upper roome where Christs Apostles were assembled in the day of Pentecost and it was to confirme out faith in the holy Ghost the Comforter A fourth voice that came from Heaven was heard by Saint Peter in a vision and it was to confirme our faith in the Catholike Church and the Communion of Saints and the incorporating both Iewes and Gentileâ—… in one mysticall bodie Lastly a voice was heard from Heaven by Saint Iohn in this place to establish our faith in the last Article of the Creed concerning the happinesse of the dead and the glorious estate of the Tryumphant Church and the life of the World to come If wee desire to bee informed concerning the affaires of the Abissens or those of China Sumatra or Iapan wee conferre with those that are of the same Countrey or have travelled into those parts and for the like reason if wee desire to bee instructed concerning the state and condition of the Citizens of the Heavenly Ierusalem their infinite number their excellent order their singular priviledges their everlasting joyes their feasts their robes their palmes their thrones their crownes wee must enquire of them who either are inhabitants there or have brought us newes from thence nothing but a voice from Heaven can enforce our assent to these heavenly mysteries Now as all words of Kings are of great authoritie but especially their Edicts and Proclamations so all voices from Heaven are highly to bee regarded and religiously obeyed but especially Decrees and Statutes which are commanded by the authoritie of the high Court of Heaven to bee written for perpetuitie such as this is in my Text I heard a voyce from Heaven saying Write with a Pen of Diamond in letters never to bee obliterated write it so that it may bee read of men in all succeeding Ages even to the last man that shall stand upon the earth Here I cannot sufficiently admire the boldnesse of Cardinall Bellarmine who to disparage the necessitie of holy Scripture and cry up unwritten traditions which are the best evidence hee can produce for his new Trent Creed blusheth not to publish it to the World in