comparison that Saint Iohn vseth in describing the ioyes of the kingdome of heauen calling them the Lambes supper Reu. 19 9. but indeed all the delicates in the world are not to be compared to the feasting of a good conscience This the Spouse sheweth in the second of the Canticles Can. 2.5 He brought me into his wineseller Loue was his banner ouer me Lo here the Ambrosian Nectar wherewith Christ Iesus maketh the heart of his spouse glad causing her to cry out Stay me with flagons Ver. 6. and comfort me with apples for I am sicke with loue where the sacred soule is cast into a holy swound being rauished with the vnspeakeable comfort that she enioyes vpon this peace of conscience Indeed these heauenly ioyes and comforts are not tasted of the wicked for how can they see that haue no eyes or those rellish the peace of coÌ„science which want their spirituall tast Yea who is able to expresse the excellencie of this peace nay who is able to conceiue it but those that enioy it Neither indeed are they able for it passeth all vnderstanding Phil. 4.7 In respect of which large excelleÌ„cie of the peace of conscience it may very wel be counted a part of the kingdome of heauen whose ioyes are endlesse and infinite If we consider the fountains also from whence this spirituall peace doth spring wee shall perceiue that our present comfort vpon earth and future consolation to be enioyed hereafter in heauen do both arise and flow from the same heads and fall into the same Ocean of felicitie 1 A iustifying faith yeelds this peace Rom. 5.2 for being iustified by faith wee haue peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ And this peace yeelds ioy as it followeth in the next verse and that no small ioy for they that doe truely beleeue in Christ Iesus 1. Pet. 1.8 doe reioyce with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious What could the Apostle haue said more of the ioy which the Saints shall enioy hereafter in the kingdome of heauen then to call it Vnspeakable glorious no maruell for as the first sight of the blind man wherby he saw men walke like trees Mar. 8.28 was the same whereby he saw them to be men a far off though it was at the first more confused so the inchoate ioy and peace of coÌ„science which wee obtaine in this life being vnspeakeable glorious and passing all vnderstanding hath more then a resemblance of that celestiall glorie which shall be imparted more abundantly and perfectly in the life to come 2 The children of God are endued with the spirit of God whereby they receiue the comfortable testimonie of their adoption Rom. 8. the same manumitting spirit doth also yeeld them most heauenly consolation Ioh. 14.16 3. This peace of conscience is the fruite of a holy conuersation as I said before and the Apostle can tell vs of his owne experience for his reioycing is this 2. Cor. 1.12 the testimonie of his conscience that in simplicitie and godly purenesse he hath had his conuersation in the world Besides this there is also an vndoubted Hope which being the first fruites of the spirit doth after a sort put the children of God in possession of the kingdome of heauen So that wheÌ„ they do from the watch tower of a good conscience lift vp this Iacobs staffe or rather this Iacobs ladder Gen. 28.12 of a stedfast hope vnto the heauens and there behold with holy Stephen the glory of God Act. 7. it rauisheth and reioyceth their hearts more then any tongue is able to expresse Thus do the godly in this life tast of the ioyes of heauen the sweetnesse whereof is such that it swalloweth vp all the waues of temporall distresses causing them with Paule and Silas to sing Psalmes in the prison and to say with Dauid Act. 16.25 Psa 94.19 In the middest of all my troubles thy comforts ô Lord haue refreshed my soule Which maruellous effect this peace of conscience could neuer haue in encountering and conquering these infinite earthly calamities were it not of a diuine and heauenly Nature But what haue all the children of God this peace and comfort alike Surely no but according to Zeba Zalmunnaes words As the man is Iud. 8.21 so is his strength it may be said in this case as the man is so is his comfort and ioy For where the life is qualified with a great measure of grace there the heart is replenished with a great measure of ioy Neither are these ioyes alwaies participated alike but as the heauens are sometime bright and sometime obscured so the Sunne of comfort shineth sometimes more brightly sometimes obscurely in the hearts of Gods children So that one while they complaine thus Psal 77. Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will hee shew no more fauour and other whiles Psal 35.9 their soule is ioyfull in the Lord and all their bones do say Who is like vnto thee ô Lord yet euen in their greatest distresse Dulciores sunt lachrymae orantâ—uÌ„ quà m gaudia Theatrorum Aug. super Psal 1â—7 the very teares of the godly are sweeter then all the showtes laughters at the Theaters This being the excellencie of the peace of conscience let it be thy care good Christian to obtaine and maintaine it A kinde and comfortable friend is much woorth but who can prize the peace of a quiet conscience Lo it was the best hymne the blessed Angels could sing Luk. 2.14 Glorie be to God in the highest heauens and peace on the earth The best Legacie our Sauiour could leaue to his seruants My peace I leaue with you Iohn 14.27 my peace I giue you The best prayer the Apostle could make for the Thessalonians Now the Lord of peace 2. Thes 3.16 giue you peace alwaies by all means Though there be many that say Psal 4. Who will shew vs any good and haue their minds wholy set vpon their corne their wine and oyle yet the godly haue more true gladnesse from the Lords countenance by a thousand degrees then the worldling hath in all these transitorie trifles Hast thou a good conscience then cherish it it is the greatest blessing vnder heauen Is this peace and comfort of conscience wanting or weake in thee then vse the meanes whereby the same is procured and preserued Labour to obtaine a sound faith a sanctified life Esa 32.17 for the worke of righteousnesse is peace Melchizedec being king of righteousnesse Heb. 7.2 was after that the king of peace get righteousnesse and peace will follow it Psal 85.11 For righteousnesse and peace will kisse each other yea the more thou art conuersant in holinesse of conuersation the more abundant shalt thou be in the comfortable peace of conscience For where righteousnesse flourisheth Psal 72.7 there shall be abundance of peace Behold it will be thy companion both
A THREE-FOLD RESOLVTION verie necessarie to saluation Describing EARTHS VANITIE HELS HORROR HEAVENS FELICITIE PSAL. 107.43 Who so is wise will ponder these things By IOHN DENISON Batchelour in Diuinitie LONDON Printed by Richard Field for Iohn Norton 1608. ⧠To the right worshipfull Sir William Willoughby Knight the best blessings of this life and euerlasting blessednesse in the life to come ALthough right worshipfull my many employments well knowne vnto you might seeme a sufficient remora to my pen yet my desire by all meanes to do good hath more preuailed with me then those lets wherewith I haue conuersed These meditations a testimonie of my desires I make bold to present vnto you to whom if they be worthy of any respect they do belong in many respects as I might sufficiently manifest but that I hold it more expedient to remaine a thankfull silent debter then to become a publicke trumpeter of your priuate fauours If you iudge them worthie vouchsafe them I pray you your patronage if not your pardon at least your acceptance as a token of his thankefull minde who will euer rest Your Worships at commaundment in Christ Iesus I. D. 1 Let heauens powre downe their sweetest influence Let them inrich you with the earths best treasures Let them withall instill truths quintessence Heau'ns ioyes do far surmount all earthly pleasures 2 Let the celestiall powers you guard and guide And countermine when wicked powers conspire Let spotlesse bloud which ran from harmelesse side Quench vnto you the euer burning fire 3 And let the winged Posts voyd of delayes From glorious throne when great Iehoua sendeth Translate your soule when death shal end your daies To that celestiall blisse which neuer endeth To the Reader THe last period and principall Resolution of euery Christian is or should be to glorifie God in the fruition of eternall felicitie Wherein we must remember that remote ends haue subordinate meanes to produce their effects which ought in no case to be neglected And as the sea-man for the getting of his prize must haue care of three principall points first to ballance his ship discreetly secondly to shun the daungerous gulfes of the sea thirdly to get good landing in a safe hauen So euerie Christian that desireth the fruition of true felicitie must first so ballance his affections that they be not ouer-burdened with the loue of this world secondly hee must haue a care to shun the gulfe of hell and eternall destruction thirdly hee must labour to get the kingdome of heauen for his hauen Vpon these pointes good Christian must thy Resolution cast anker if euer thou resolue to be eternally happie Now to helpe forward thy resolution behold here the Worlds vanities deciphered Hels torments displayed and Heauens happines described Meditations in my conceit neuer more fit then in these wretched dayes wherein men are become too great louers of the world haue lost the dread of hell and the desire of heauen The Lord blesse them to thy comfort and saluation And if thou receiue any good by them recompence my paines with thy prayers 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 last iudgement 〈…〉 2. Society with the diuels the daâ— 3. Eternitie of the hellish torment 〈◊〉 3. Heauens felicitie 1. Before the day of iudgment 1. Sanctimonie of life 2. Peace of conscience 3. Comfort at the day of death 2. At the day of iudgment 1. Ioy at the resurrection 2. Comfort to meet and come before 3. Consolation vpon the sentence 〈◊〉 blessed 3. After the last iudgeâ—â—â—â— 1. Freedome from torments and mâ— 2. Fruition of celestiall glâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 The first part Of the Earths vanitie in generall AS it was in the dayes of Noah and Lot Luke 17.26.29 so shall the coÌ„ming of the sonne of man be saith our blessed Sauiour that Sonne of man For as in those times they did eate and drinke marrie build and plant that is exceedingly prosecute the vaine profites and pleasures of the world till the floud came and destroyed them so shall it be when the Sonne of man shall be reuealed Was the world euer more addicted and deuoted to these vanities then now it is and haue we not therefore iust cause to expect that refining fire 2. Pet. 3.10 which shall burne vp all the corruption vpon the face of the earth Almightie God hath giueÌ„ to men three mansions of a diuerse qualitie first the world wherein they liue 2. the graue wherein they corrupt 3. either heauen wherein they are crowned or hell wherein they are tormented In the world their companion is vanitie in the graue the worme in heauen the Angels and in hell the diuels Yet such is the folly of most men that they would haue perpetuall habitations and euerlasting happines in this vaine world to whoÌ„ Augustines speech is very fit August confess lib. 4. cap. 12. Seeke for that which you seek but not where you seeke it you seeke a blessed life in the region of death alas it is not there What extreme folly is this to seeke felicitie where nothing can be found worthy the affecting and following if all were weyed in the ballance of iudgement and discretion What is the world with the things of the world but enimitie against God euen pitch which defileth birdlime which intangleth and a snare which intrappeth Is not her coate misery her crest iniquitie and her motto vanitie Neither are these adiuncts lesse permanent then eminent both in the entrance continuance and conclusion of this life For we come into the world wailing and weeping we liue in it with toyling and moyling and we leaue it with grieuing and groning Iob. 1.21 Vide Praefa Plin. ad lib. 7. Naked came we out of our mothers wombe and naked must we returne againe Thus both the Orient and Occident the Prologue and the Epilogue of our life is nakednesse And if we view the sundry times places and courses of our life behold they yeeld nothing but vanitie and misery Infancie is weake and feeble youth is rash and dissolute old age froward and doting The pleading places yeeld contention the house cares the countrey labour the Court enuie the sea tempests and pirats the land theeues and robbers Pouertie is despised wealth is enuied wit is distrusted folly is derided yea which is most lamentable vice is aduanced and vertue disgraced Man is by many writers called a little world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not vnfitly in that he is a modell of the miseries of this greater world hauing within him sinne rebelling against him without the world to allure him before Satans snares to intangle him behind a wary conscience to dog him on the right hand prosperitie to inueigle him on the left hand aduersity to vexe him vâ—der his feet the graue open to swallow him and ouer his head the iudgements of God readie to fall vpon him So that a man in this life may verie well be compared to a sea-man in a dangerous and tempestuous nauigation if he
then the great kings of Tyrus and BabyloÌ„ that conquering Lord of Bezeck or that mightie Monarch of Greece Behold they are all gone and haue lost left their pompe behind them yea their honourable memoriall is perished with them Almost euery one saith with Saul honour me amongst the people 1. Sam. 15. and that is the limit of their base conceipt Many stand gloriously vpon their honor and reputation but fewe haue due regard of honestie and religion But our blessed Sauiour when he came into the world taught vs to despise worldy pompe and credite both by his birth life and death In his birth he disrobed himselfe of diuine honour Phil. 2.7 and tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant In his life he refused the dignitie of a king and sought not his owne glorie Ioh. 8.18 And in his death he suffered himselfe to be stript of all externall reputation when he was buffetted by the rascall souldiers Mat. 27.30 35.39 crucified on the reprochfull crosse and derided by the base passengers Christians therefore should learne his precept and imitate his practise according to that Learne of me Mat. 11.32 for I am meeke and lowlie of heart If we suffer with him we shall be glorified with him Rom. 8.17 and if we be humbled with him we shall bee exalted with him Let your light so shine before men Mat. 5. that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen saith our Sauiour Let your conscience be vpright and your conuersation holy so shall you glorifie God and haue praise with God tenne thousand times more woorth then all the vaine and momentanie applauses of men yea if thou desire to be truly honorable in the eyes of men do this Worldly honour and estimation is not vnfitly compared to the Crocodile which flyeth being pursued but pursueth a man when he flieth For those that contemne this transitorie honor and seeke the aduancement of Gods glorie shall vndoubtedly haue true honour pursuing them though they lose it in their fathers house with Ioseph yet shall they find it in Egypt though they leaue it in Pharoos Court with Moses they shall meete with it in the wildernesse and forsaking it in their owne countrey with Abraham shall finde it in Canaan For those that honour the Lord he will honour them 1. Sam. 2.30 The womans cost and kindnesse in honouring our blessed Sauior with the box of oyntment shall neuer be forgotten Mat. 26.13 But wheresoeuer the Gospell shall be preached throughout the world there shall also this that shee hath done be spoken of for a memoriall of her And when as the vnworthie honor of the wicked shal be buried in obliuion or be turned into reproch Psal 112.6 the righteous euen in this life shall be had in euerlasting remembrance and in the life to come shall enioy a glorious kingdome thrones of maiestie and the neuer-fading crownes of eternall glorie Lo thus shall be done to the man whome the Lord will honour SECT 9. Of Pleasures VVE are now entring into the garden of Adonis as it is in the Prouerbe which the world makes her garden of Eden The flowers that grow therin are the vaine plants of pleasure which albeit they make a glorious shew to the eye yet is their root bitternesse their glosse vanitie and their fruite deadly poyson What is pleasure but a delightfull motion seated in the senses Cic. defiâ— bon lib. 2. so that the fiue senses are as so many rootes foorth of the which pleasures doe spring and grow Beautifull obiects delight the eye sweete sounds doe please the eares fragrant aires affect the nose delicate substances content the branched nerues daintie viands satisfie the tongue and what hath man in all this which is not common to him with the bruite beasts 2. Pet. 2.12 In regard whereof Saint Peter calleth those that are led with sensualitie bruite beasts And are not these senses so many faire windowes by the which pleasures giue sinne passage and entrance into the heart and soule of men The serpent was more subtile then any beast of the field Gen. 3.1 and so was a daungerous snare vnto Eue but alas when she gaue entertainement to pleasure she was assaulted by a more dangerous beast For pleasure directed her eye and guided her hand to the forbidden fruite brought it to her mouth and perswaded her to take and tast it Now as pleasures are brutish so are they exceeding momentanie like the fierie Comets which last no longer then their exhaled matter indureth and that cannot be long So that euen now you may see Baltasar quaffing in great iolitie Dan. 5. and by and by behold his countenance chaunged his knees beat together and his pleasure turned into horrour To day you may see the Israelites stretch themselues vpon their beds of Iuorie Amos. 6.4 eate the lambes of the flocke drinke wine in bowles and sing to the sound of the Violl and to morrowe behold them in great misery and thraldome by the Assyrians and Babylonians If a man will not leaue his pleasures when he is young they will assuredly leaue him when he is old and theâ—fore Salomon I sought in my heart to dâ—aw foorth c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccles 2.3.11 when he had drawne out the threede of delight and stretched the webbe of pleasures on the largest tenter of varietie saith he found nothing in it but vanitie and vexation of spirit The learned both heathen and Christians haue compared pleasures to the anglers baite Plato Cice. Ambr. de bon mort cap. 6. which hath a hooke hid vnder it wherewith those that are inconsiderate are caught and killed The golden cuppe in the spiritual whores hands is a goodly cup Reu. 17.4 but it is full of abhominations so is pleasures cup a very faire one but it is full of deadly poyson The Bee hath honie and waxe but she hath a sting withall so hath pleasure the honie to intice and the waxe to enflame but take heed of the deadly sting wherewith shee strikes The best fruite that can grow from pleasures is Repentance and remorse of conscience For sweet meate must haue sower sauce and the soule that tooke pleasure in sinning must needes suffer paine in sorrowing So shall it befall the soule giuen to pleasures Esa 13.22 as Esay threateneth to Babylon Iim shall cry in their pallaces and dragons in their pleasant places those soules and bodies that should haue bene the temples of the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 6.19 but haue bene made the pallaces of worldly pleasures shall haue the Fairies Furies of anguish and horror lodging and liuing there 2 Are not pleasures the occasions of sicknesse and weaknesse Chrys ad pop Antio hom 55. in ipso initio for as the course of waters doe weare weaken the banke and at last carie it cleane away so doe pleasures diminish
thousand witnesses that which seemed doubtfull she proceedeth to pronounce sentence Then doth the prodigall child crye out Luk. 15.19 I am not worthie to be called thy sonne Then doth the Prophet censure himselfe and his people thus O Lord righteousnesse doth belong to thee Dan. 9.7 but to vs open shame and confusion of face 5. Lastly sentence being thus pronounced Quò enim cor meum fugeret à corde meo Aug. confes lib. 4. cap. 7. what is to be expected but execution to flie it is not possible a man may escape others but to flie from an euill conscience it is no lesse impossible then for a man to flie froÌ„ his shadow which the faster the bodie flyeth the faster it followeth then will the conscience inflict the punishment Thus when Dauid with diffidence of Gods assistance affiance in his own forces had numbred the people it is said that his heart smote him or scourged him Lo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Sa. 24.10 this is the fruite of sinne both to the vniust and to the Saints for in both of them the conscience watcheth accuseth witnesseth condemneth and punisheth but these proceedings of the conscience are to the elect like the Apostles power To edification not to destruction 2. Cor. 13.10 The godly being hereby schooled are sent to Christ Gal. 3.24 whereby peace is spoken to their soules and they are repriued and pardoned the wicked despaire and flie from him and so they are eternally tormented But some man will peraduenture obiect that all the wicked feele not these throbbes because some that haue wholy deuoted themselues to iniquitie and all abhomination do yet liue merily and are not vexed with such stormes of terror or remorse Whereunto I aunswer that many which seem to liue thus merily haue yet many inward gripings Pro. 14.10 when onely The heart knoweth the bitternesse of the soule Caligula that proude Atheist Qui deos tantoperè contemneret Sueton. in vita Cal. cap. 51. who did so scorn the Gods was wont to winke and wrappe the clothes about his head at the least flashes of lightening and at the greater would hide himselfe vnder his bed Did not his conscience terrifie him and tell him that there was a reuenging power But suppose they were alwaies exempted from these terrors as some no doubt are who haue senslesse hearts cauterised consciences 1. Tim. 4.2 yet is their condition no lesse miserable whilest this lethargie of their soules will not suffer them to seeke to the Physitian to be cured Poyson is poyson how plesantly soeuer it be confected and though these men bee led by Sathan Carion Chr. lib. 5. like Baiazeth by Tamberlaine in fetters of gold yet remember that they are speeding to hell Let me then for conclusion of this point propound vnto thee my Christian brother Rom. 6.21 the Apostles question to the Romanes What fruit had you of those things whereof you are now ashamed Consider the fruites of sinne and thou shalt finde them to be nothing but shame and sorrow and horror of conscience besides which if there were no other reason of restraint yet were this sufficient to withdraw any man not senslesse in his sinnes For what a miserable thing is it to be alwaies hanging ouer a dangerous and deepe water by some small bough and what a lamentable case is this to be euer fearefully looking for the dreadfull iudgment and violent fire Heb. 10.27 that shal deuoure the aduersarie Crucifie therefore thy affections with the lusts thereof and hold it not sufficient like the foolish Israelites to make them tributaries Ios 23.13 lest they proue worse then the Cananites not a whippe on thy side and thornes in thine eyes but a sword of sorrow wounding thy sinfull soule Indeuour also to embrace a holy conuersation and that will yeelde thee a quiet and good conscience and a good conscience will be a continuall feast Pro. 15.15 SECT 3. The third steppe of the wicked into hell in this life which is their dolefulll dying THe cuppe that yeeldes bitternesse in the first draught must needes be very bitter in the bottome If the life of a wretched sinner be so full of terror as hath bene shewed how terrible do we thinke his death shall bee Exod. 5. The Israelites were in great slauery in Aegypt but when they were readie to leaue the land their thraldome was much increased and so it fareth with incorrigible sinners in their liues they are Sathans slaues and their consciences are subiect to the scourges of remorse but at their death their miserie is augmented and their terrors trebled 1 It must needs be a great griefe to them to leaue the world with all the delights thereof which they haue loued so dearely Those that haue made this life their heauen it must needes bee a hell vnto them to lose it as it was a death vnto the children of Israell to leaue the flesh pots of Aegypt 2. They must part with their friends whether it be wife children or other associates no friendship can obtaine it no substance can procure it that the life may be prolonged Psal 49.7 For no man can by any meanes redeeme his brother he cannot giue his râ—nsome to God 3. They must leaue their friend Mammon the wealth and riches to which their soule cleaueth O death Eccles 41.1 how â—itter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liueth at rest in his possessions If onely the remembrance of future death be so bitter to a man in wealth prosperitie how irkesome shall it be to him when death it selfe standeth before his face readie to arrest him Well might Salomon say Eccles 5.15 this is an euill sicknesse But what should I speake of the losse of these toyes and trifles They must part with their liues Skinne for skinne and all that a man hath Iob. 2.4 will he giue for his life Life is sweet but not to be bought with all the wealth kingdomes of the world for death will claime his due and nature must be paid her tribute This is the way of all flesh but not the end of all flesh Happie were many if this were the tragicall catastrophe of their sinfull life that their sinnes might dye and be buried with them If the guest might take his meate and drinke and depart without paying any râ—ckoning it were well for him so if the wicked that hath taken his repast in sin might leaue the world and so an end their case were nothing lamentable but this is the death that after all this there is a reckoning to bee made Thus must a man part with his friends his pleasures his wealth yea and his life too The remembrance of his pleasures will possesse him with a double passion with griefe because he must leaue them with detestation because they haue bene the causes of his ruine the sight of friends shall vex him enuying
Citizens of heauen meaning indeede that as we are infranchised and incorporated into the heauenly Ierusalem our coÌ„uersation should bee correspondent to this dignitie And of this priuiledge doth he speak very comfortably Ephes 2.6 saying that God hath raised vs vp together made vs sit together in the heauenly places in Christ Iesus So that Gods Saints on earth though they be poore and base in regard of their outward estate yet being faithfull they are heires of grace and haue seates of honour in heauen together with the thrones and dominations and are therefore no more strangers and forrainers Eph. 2.19 but Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of faith True it is that as yet the childreÌ„ of God on earth do not actually but potentially and mystically enioy these priuiledges yet because of the present comfort and future certainetie thereof they are actually ascribed to them as alreadie obtained When our Sauior meanes to comfort his seruants to banish distrust of Gods prouidence he saith Feare not little flocke Luk. 12. for it is yours Fathers will to giue you a kingdome Loe this kingdome the Lord doth assure to his children in this life by giuing them the earnest of his spirit for the assurance of the same Howbeit 2. Cor. 5.5 as Dauid was annoynted by Samuel a great while before he obtained the Crowne so doth the Lord annoint his children in this life with the oyle of gladnesse but sets not the crowne of glory vpon their heades 2. Tim. 4.8 till the triumphant appearing of Christ Iesus 1. Joh 3.2 Dearely beloued euen now are we the sons of God saith Saint Iohn so that being adopted in Christ Rom. 8.17 and heires annexed with him we haue assurance of that heauenly dignitie which is prepared in the heauenly places for the sons of God Thus the godly in respect of the remission of their sinnes the sanctificatioÌ„ of lâ—fe their vnioÌ„ with God their ingrafting into Christ their Communion with the Saints and other priuiledges of grace and happinesse whereof they are possessed may very well bee said to haue made an entrance and set foot into the kingdome of heauen and to haue a glimpse of that glory which shall shine most resplendently at the great day of reward These things being wisely weighed in the ballance of a sanctified soule yeeld sundrie profitable vses 1. Hereby a man may haue triall of his future estate by duly considering his present condition Is thy hart profane thy faith dead and thy conuersation wicked then may I say to thee as Iehu said to IehoraÌ„ 2. King 9. What hast thou to do with peace what hast thou to do with the kingdome of heauen which belongeth onely to the righteous and hath no roome for the vnrighteous 1. Cor. 6.9 Reu. 21.27 nor entertaineth any vncleane thing But canst thou discerne in thy selfe a sound faith though it be like smoking flâ—xe and an vpright conuersation albeit not free from all infirmitie then may I say to thee as our Sauiour said to Zachaeus Luk. 19.9 This day is saluation come to thy house thou hast set one foote into heauen 2 This may be a motiue to holinesse of life and conuersation Some in the weakenesse or profanenesse of their hearts will bee readie to demaund Mal. 3 14. What profite is it to keepe Gods commandements to walk humbly before the Lord of hostes and behold such a one may here receiue an answer for we see that the godly are in this life interessed in many heauenly priuiledges and shall assuredly in the life to come be partakers of euerlasting happinesse Therfore Saint Peter hauing exhorted men to linke a iustifying faith with sanctified vertues in a golden chaine concludes his exhortation with this reason 2. Pet. 1.5.11 For by this meanes an entring shall be ministred vnto you abundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ making the kingdom of Grace the portall to the kingdome of Glorie 3 To a faithfull and a godly man this meditation may minister much cause of true comfort Luk. 10. Reioyce in this saith our Sauiour that your names are written in heauen so let this bee thy comfort my Christian brother that the Almightie hath enrolled thee amongst the holy companie of heauen And herein blesse God for his mercie with the blessed Apostle who considering the greatnesse of his fauour vouchsafed to the Colossians rendreth hearty thanks to God for deliuering them out of the power of darknesse Col. 1.13 and translating them into the kingdome of his deare sonne A man that stands vpon a high and sure rocke laughes to scorne the rough surges of the raging seas and so may a Christian that hath laide this good foundation of a sound faith and a sanctified life safely reioyce against all the surges of troubles and temptations whatsoeuer For though the raine fall Mat. 7.25 and the flouds come and the windes blow and beat vpon this building it shall not fall because it is builded vpon a rocke yea the gates of hell shall not be able to preuaile against it SECT 2. The second steppe to heauen before the day of iudgement namely Peace of conscience AS sorrow of heart and horror of conscience are the vsuall fruites of sinne and iniquitie so is ioy of heart and peace of conscience an ordinarie companion of godlinesse and honestie Gen. 3.8 Adam hauing transgressed and defiled himselfe with sinne when God cals for him doth hide himselfe Abraham a man of a sound faith prompt obedience Gen. 22.1 when the Lord speakes to him answereth chearefully Here am I. Thus we see both parts of the Prouerbe fulfilled Prou. 28.1 The wicked flyeth when none pursueth him but the righteous is bold as a lyon When the heauens are clogged with foggie mists it causeth a sudden darkenesse vpon the face of the earth and when the bodie is oppressed with pale melancholie humors the heart is heauie and the countenance cast downe but the mistes being expelled by the brightnesse of the Sunne all the Horizon laughes for ioy and the pale humors being purged the heart is ioyfull and makes the countenance chearfull So do the mistes and humors of sinne clogge and molest the heart of man but the same being expelled and purged by the bright Sun-shine of righteousnesse the heart is enlarged and reioyceth yea daunceth with ioy as Dauid speaketh Psal 13.5 and the heart being ioyfull maketh a chearefull coâ—ntenance Pro. 15.13 so that the voyce of ioy and gladnesse is heard in the tabernacles of the righteous Psa 118.15 And this ioyfulnesse of hart chearefulnesse of face and gladnesse of tongue do testifie Rom. 14.7 that the kingdome of God is righteousnesse peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Of this fruite doth Salomon speake where he saith Pro. 15.15 That a good conscience is a continuall feast setting it foorth with the same
As bodies that haue fewest bad humors are least shaken with agues so those that are freest from sinne though death assault them bitterly are least annoyed by the pains and terror of death Our Sauiour saith Ioh. 16.33 Be of good cheare I haue ouercome the world and I may say Bee of good cheare 2 Cor. 15.16 for Christ hath ouercome death 2 This may be an occasion to mitigate that extreme sorrow which many take vppon the death of their godly friends seeing their death yeeldeth rather cause of coÌ„fort then of sorrow of mirth then of mourning and of reioycing rather then of weeping and lamenting If you loued me you would reioyce saith our Sauiour to his disciples because I said Ioh. 14.28 I goe to the Father so those that loue their friends indeed haue cause to reioyce rather then to mourne for their death because they go to be glorified with their heauenly Father The little child that sees the mother cutting and bruising the sweet and pleasant hearbes and flowers is sorie because hee thinkes they are spoiled but the mother hath a purpose to preserue theÌ„ whereby they are made much better A simple bodie that should see the Gold-smith melting the pure mettals would bee discontent imagining that all were marred whereas the skilfull workeman hath a purpose to cast some excellent peece of plate thereof So wee silly men when the Lord cuts off some of our friends by death like the flower and lets others wither like the greene hearbe and when he melteth them in the fornace of the graue are ouercome with sorrowfull conceipts as though some euill thing were befallen our friendes whereas we should remember that the Lord hath a purpose by this meanes to preserue them and to transforme them into that glorious estate which the Angels enioy in heauen And this reason is first intimated and after plainely expressed by Saint Paule in his dehortation to the Thessalonians I would not brethren haue you ignorant concerning them which are asleepe 1. Thes 4.13 that you sorrow not as others which haue no hope Who would be sorrie to see his friend fall asleepe seeing that thereby he is made lightsome fresh and lustie Now death is to the godly nothing but a sleepe whereby they are refined and refreshed why should we then be offended therewith If thy friend which dieth bee wicked then hast thou iust cause of mourning but if thou knewest him to liue and die in the feare of God howsoeuer nature or affection may haue force to wring teares from thine eyes or sighes from thy heart yet hast thou reason to reioyce and be glad for his happie change as Augustine his example may teach Aug confe lib. 9. v. who bridled the infirmitie of Nature and suppressed his teares at his mothers death though he honoured and loued her dearely thinking it an vnfit thing to celebrate her funerals with weeping and wailing because she had liued religiously and died vertuously 3 To conclude this point me thinkes if there were no farther reason to perswade yet euen this meditation might mooue any one to the practise of godlinesse in that it yeeldeth this heauenly peace of conscience in the time of our life and eternall consolation at the day of our death Oh what a sweete comfort will it be to thee my Christian brother when friends honour wealth dignities and all other comfortes in the world become vaine and faile thee to haue the ioyfull peace of conscience to rest with thee When thou shalt bee able recounting thy sincere care in Gods seruice to pray with good Nehemiah Neh. 13.22 Remember me ô my God concerning this to say with godly Hezechiah vpon his death bed 2. King 20.3 I beseech thee ô Lord remember now how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect hart and haue done that which is good in thy sight and with our blessed Sauiour before his passion Ioh. 17.4 Father I haue glorified thee on earth I haue finished the worke which thou gauest me to doe For then shall the vprght câ—nscience eccho a comfort to thy humble soule and either the Lord wil enlarge the lease of thy life with Hâ—zechiah or glorifie thee in the heauens with his beloued Sonne CHAP. 2. SECT 1. The first steppe into heauen at the day of iudgement namely A blessed Resurrection IF the godly in this life and at the day of their death haue a tast of those heauenly ioyes which cannot be expressed how much more shall they haue in the resurrection when body and soule shall both be reunited and indued with a blessed condition Therefore do the Scriptures describe the excellencie of the resurrection by sundry comfortable metaphors Ioh. 12. 1. Cor 15. Saint Paule compares it to the husbandmans haruest when reaping and receiuing the fruites of his labours his heart reioyceth and so shall it be to the godly for they which sowe in teares at the day of death shall reape in ioy at their resurrection Pro. 19.17 2. Salomon saith hee which hath pittie on the poore lendeth to the Lord and looke what he layeth out it shall bee payed him againe Now men that haue great debts desire earnestly the day of payment and behold our Sauiour calleth the day of resurrection Luk. 14.14 The day of payment because then hee hauing his reward with him Reu. 22.12 will come foorth of euerie ones debt and reward their goodâ—esse with glorie 3. Those that labor must needes haue a time to rest in that so they may be refreshed Our life is nothing but labour our death a sleepe and therefore the Apostle fitly calles the resurâ—ection Act. 3.19 Thâ— time of refreshing being as the gladsome morning to a siâ—ke man Psal 49.14 15. which hath tossed and turned vp and downe wearily all the night long The bird that hath bene kept a great while in a cage will chaunt it merrily when shee commeth foorth into the open aire the prisoner that hath lyen loÌ„g in the duÌ„geon reâ—oyceth exceedingly when he hath obtained libertie so shall the resurrection be ioyfull and comfortable to the godly when they are deliuered from the cage and prison of the graue and restored into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God Rom. 8.21 There is nothing that doth better râ—semble set foorth the excellencie of the Resurrection then the spring time for as we flourish in our childhood bring foorth fruite in our youth waxe ripe in our old age and wither at our death so wee spring fresh againe at our resurrection The trees in winter being despoiled of their leaues the garden of the flowers and the fields of the grasse do seeme vtterly to perish but when the Spring time comes they all waxe as fresh and flourishing as euer they were so the body which during the winter of many ages is depriued of her beautie and turned to rottennesse doth at the Spring time of the resurrection