incertiuo and be alwayes in a readinesse that whensoeuer death comes it doe not take vs vnprouided There is nothing more certaine than that death will come nor nothing more vncertaine than at what time it will come By experience we see it true To day a man to morrow none It behoueth vs therefore to bee prouided at all times Wee see as young as healthie as strong as rich as noble and religious Aequa lege necessitas sortitur ir signâ—â— imos Hor. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mac. Hom. 4. Iob 14.5 as any of vs all are taken away before our eyes And we cannot alwayes liue here Wee must goe the way that this our brother and many thousands more haue gone before vs. And how soone or whose turne may be the next we doe not know Our dayes are determined the number of our moneths are with the Lord hee hath appointed our bounds that we cannot passe And hee that tarrieth longest Iames 4.14 shall not be long behinde For what is our life It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Bee wee therefore ready to depart at all times when the Lord shall call vs. Foure thinâ—s to be done to be alwayes ready for death And that we may bee alwayes ready first let our houses bee set in order and euerie mans last will written if hee meane to make any that whensoeuer the Lord shall call vs nothing may trouble vs that way Secondly let vs bee continually doing the will of our heauenly Father That whensoeuer hee shall come Matth. 24.46 he may finde vs so doing Blessed is that seruant whom his Lord when he commeth shall finde so doing Thirdly by liuing in continuall expectance of death not flattering our selues with a vaine hope of long life like the rich man in the Gospell Luke 12.18 9. which built him greater barnes perswading himselfe that hee should liue many yeeres about at his owne ease and content but making account that euerie day nay euerie houre may be our last houre and the houre of our death Fourthly by furnishing our selues with sundry Christian resolutions and meditations Six godly meditations against death as namely with these and such like First that it is better and more acceptable to God to offer that for a free will offering vnto God I meane our soule and spirit which otherwise we are bound to restore as a thing that is due and shall bee compelled to restore when the time is come and doe what wee can Eccles 8.8 For there is no man that hath power ouer the spirit to retaine the spirit neither hath he power in the day of death and there is no discharge in that warre neither shall wickednesse deliuer them that are giuen to it And indeed what win the stubborne fort by their desirousnesse of life and loathnesse to die but this to bee ouercome by force when they haue struggled and striuen as if they would sight against God and resist his will Secondly that as God hath set vs here so he ought also to haue the authority to take vs away againe when he listeth himselfe Thirdly that euery child of God ought to be alwaies willing to goe whithersoeuer God calleth him Cum accersitionis propriae dies venerit incunctanter libenter ad Dominum ipso vocante veniamus Cyp. de Mortal sect 17. and whensoeuer God giueth him any token that he will take him out of the world it behooueth him alwaies to haue one foot onward in the way as if he should say loe here I am Lord I am ready to answer thy call and to come vnto thee Fourthly that this world is but a pilgrimage and that we must hold on to passe apace thorow it to come to our inheritance which is in heauen This minde was in those of the ancient Patriarkes of whom the Apostle saith that they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth Heb. 11.13 Fiftly that in as much as Christ Iesus is our head he will draw vs vp to himselfe into the glory whereinto he himselfe is entred already that we may bee with him Ioh. 17.24 where he is to behold his glory which the Father hath giuen him so we keepe fast hold of him by a true and liuely faith and be not separated from him by growing weary of well doing nor by embracing this present world nor yet by continuance in sinne Sixtly that the Saints of God which haue liued in times past seeing their death to approach haue not resisted it nor beene dismaied but haue put themselues into the hands of God and haue prepared themselues willingly to die As Iacob Gen. 49.33 when he had made an end of commanding his sonnes gathered vp his feet into the bed and yeelded vp the ghost And Moses Deut. 32.48 49 50. 34.1 7. when God sent him vp into the mountaine Abarim vnto mount Nebo and told him that he should die there repined not but shewed all obedience and prepared himselfe vnto it when hee saw it was Gods will that it should bee so And Pauls time drawing neere he speakes of himselfe as if when he were executed he should be offered vp in sacrifice vnto God For I am now ready to be offered 2 Tim. 4.6 and the time of my departure is at hand And before that when Agabus the Prophet had shewed the danger that hee should be in if he went vp to Ierusalem and both they of his owne company and the men of that place that is of Cesarea had besought him earnestly not to goe vp he was much troubled with their teares and with the adoe which they made about him but nothing at all with his owne afflictions and death For he made them this answer Acts 21.13 What meane ye to weepe and to breake mine heart For I am ready not to be bound only but also to die at Ierusalem for the Name of the Lord Iesus I should be long to speake of Aaron of Samuel of Dauid and of a great number of faithfull Martyrs Yet I cannot omit the example of Christ which is the chiefest of all who after he had drunke of the cup of his fathers wrath the bitterest cup that euer man drunke of before his departure commended his soule into his Fathers hands Luke 23.46 and gaue vp the ghost These examples we must beare in minde and ponder vpon them to learne thereby that whensoeuer God shall call vs out of this world we may not sticke to goe willingly vnto him On the one side is misery on the other a Crowne on the one side a pilgrimage on the other our saluation and death is betweene Shall we be afraid of death There is no cause For its sting is gone and when we haue passed thorow it there shall be an end of our misery and we shall haue the crowne of righteousnesse our pilgrimage shall cease and we shall receiue the end of
A Curse become a Blessing OR A SERMON PREACHED IN the Parish Church of S. John the Baptist in the I le of Thannet in the County of KENT at the Funerall of that vertuous and worthy Gentleman Mr. PAVL CLEYBROOKE Esquire By WILLIAM STONE Preacher of Gods Word on Tuesday September 17. 1622. REVEL 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their workes doe follow them LONDON Printed by Iohn Haviland for William Sheffard and are to be sold at his shop at the entring in of Popes-head Alley out of Lombard street 1623. TO THE WORSHIPFVLL AND VERTVOVS GENTLEWOman Mistris MARY CLEYBROOKE Grace and Peace WEre there nothing else to proue that the death of the righteous that is of euery beleeuing and repentant sinner is a most excellent blessing of God euen this were sufficient that it is pretious in Gods sight For what can befall to the deare children of God which is an excellent blessing of his vnto them if that for one bee not such a blessing of which he saith that it is pretious in his sight Of all terrible things death seemes most terrible but it is not so indeed to them that be in Christ to whom many things happen more bitter and heauy than death it selfe This Sermon being a little enlarged beyond that which was deliuered in the latter points of the text I present vnto you to whom of right it belongs It is all that I am able to offer vnto you in token of my thankfulnesse for the loue and kindnesses both of the dead and of the liuing Accept it I beseech you reade it at your leisure and I pray God to blesse this little mite that it may both further your present comfort and the saluation of your soule Your Worships in the Lord WILLIAM STONE TO THE READER CHristian Reader thou hast here in few words the definitiue sentence of the Holy Ghost touching the death of the Saints that Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints From which after the exposition and diuision of the Text is obserued first that there be Saints vpon earth Secondly that these same Saints be liable to bodily death Thirdly that they be the Lords and that after a speciall manner And fourthly that their death is precious which being further confirmed by the iudgement of the Lord is both comfortable to them that mourne and directs euery one how to iudge aright of all things and euents Pray reade meditate and practise and the Lord giue the increase December 5. 1622. Farewell W. S. A FVNERALL SERMON PSALME 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints BEfore I say any thing of the occasion of this our meeting let vs first consider this present Text and the instructions thereof Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints It is a matter of great consequence and a ground of no small comfort to vnderstand aright what to hold of the death of the Saints For to the vngodly it seemes a very jest and a laughing sport They are glad to see the death of the best men and most zealous because then they thinke that all things shall goe presently as they desire to haue it And to the godly themselues it seemes fearefull and miserable for the present time Now touching this matter the sentence of the Holy Ghost is propounded vnto vs in the words which yee haue heard to this effect That it is precious in Gods sight Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints In handling this Text both for helpe of memory and plainenesse sake I will obserue this method first declare the meaning of the words Secondly shew the parts thereof And lastly handle the seuerall instructions from thence arising In giuing the meaning of the words I will follow the order of the Text first declaring them seuerally as they lye in the Text and then gather into one summe that which hath beene said both plainly and briefly Precious Precious The originall word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jakar which the Septuagint translate most commonly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n = a 1 Sam. 3.1 2 Sam. 12.30 1 King 5.17 and 7.9 10 11. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n = b Iob 28.10 Psal 72.14 Prou. 20.15 Isai 43.4 which signifie precious once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n = c Zach. 11.13 approued once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n = d Ezek. 28.13 profitable good or commodious and once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n = e Prou. 1.13 of great price and worth In our English Bibles of the new Translation it is rendred most commonly precious n = f 1 Sam. 3.1 and 26.21 Prou. 3.15 and 6.26 and 12.27 and 20.15 and 24.4 sometimes costly n = g 1 King 5.17 and 7.9 10 11. once noble n = h Ezra 4.10 once better n = i Eccles 9.18 and once goodly n = k Zach. 11.13 In the sight Neither can I but remember what one hath noted saying Dicitur autem pretiosum quod rarum non omnibus obuium est that is to say That thing is called precious which is rare and not to be met with of all Out of this I gather that Precious in this place is as much to say as of great esteeme an excellent thing exceeding profitable good and honourable In the sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 begnene The Hebrew signifieth in the eyes Properly the Eye is that member of the bodie whose faculty is to see lightsome things and to direct our way Now diuers members of the body of man are attributed to God as the head the hands the heart the feet and here the eyes but not properly but figuratiuely for properly God hath no such members The eyes of God The Eyes of God doe signifie either first the good will and fauour of God n = l Psal 17.8 and 33.18 34.15 1 Pet. 3.12 as in that speech of the Psalmist The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous And of Iob n = m Iob 36.7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous Or secondly the prouidence of God n = n 2 Chro. 16.9 as in that speech of Hanani the Seer to Asa King of Iudah For the eyes of the Lord runne to and fro throughout the whole earth Or thirdly the knowledge of God that so wee might vnderstand that God is not ignorant of any thing but knoweth all things both secret and apparant past present and to come as perfectly and throughly as if he looked vpon them and saw them with his eyes Thus Solomon saith The eyes of the Lord are in euery place Prou. 15.3 beholding the euill and the good Or else finally the iudgement and account of God touching any thing whatsoeuer as in this place touching the death of the Saints The sight
the crosse then his soule could not had beene locally separated from his body but his soule was locally separated from his body or else he dyed not truly therefore the body of Christ nor yet his soule was not euery where then And as it was then so is it now for his body is the same which then it was and hath the same proprieties which then it had And if his body nor yet his soule Of his Saints were not euery where then neither be they euery where now It followeth Of his Saints The Hebrew word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lachasidau which is as much to say as Of his deerely beloued ones or of his tender hearted meeke and mercifull ones or of them of whom he hath pittie and on whom he hath mercy For the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chasid importeth such as to whom God sheweth mercy and so are made also to trust and rely vpon his mercy and goodnesse and to shew themselues pittifull mercifull and godly in their conuersations It occurres much oftner in the booke of the Psalmes than in all the rest of the Bible Most commonly it is translated by the Septuagint in their Greeke translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n = a Deut. 33.8 2 Sam. 22.26 2 Chron. 6.41 Psal 4.3 12.1 16.10 18.25 30.4 31.23 31.6 37.28 50.5 52.9 c. holy once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n = b Psal 89.19 a Sonne once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n = c Mic. 7.2 venerable or religious and once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n = d Pro. 2.8 reuerencing In our English Bibles also of the new translation I finde it diuers waies translated Most commonly Saints n = e 2 Chron. 6.41 Ps 30.4 31.23 37.28 50.5 52.9 79 2. 85.8 97.10 132.9 16. 145.10 148.14 149.1 5 9. Pro. 2.8 sometimes holy n = f Deut. 33.8 Psal 16.10 86.2 89.19 145.17 thrice godly n = g Psa 4.3 12.1 32.6 twice mercifull n = h 2 Sam. 22.26 Psal 18.25 and once the good man n = i Mic. 7 2. Out of which I gather that by Saints in this place are meant Gods Elect and beloued children effectually called iustified and sanctified people that are holy righteous sober and godly Thus haue I gone thorow with the words of the text taking word by word Now let vs gather into one summe the totall of the things which haue beene deliuered touching the meaning thereof Precious that is to say of great esteeme very profitable and honourable in the sight of the Lord that is to say in the iudgement of the Lord and in his account is the death that is the bodily death of his Saints that is to say of his elect whom he hath called and sanctified and to whom he hath vouchsafed his speciall fauour and the grace to liue soberly righteously and godlily in this present world denying vngodlinesse and worldly lusts Thus haue I done with the first thing touching the meaning of the words The second followeth touching the parts of the Text. The parts of the Text. THis Text hath two parts First a proposition or theme secondly an argument of confirmation or a proofe thereof The proposition is this that the death of the Saints is precious precious is the death of his Saints The proofe is in these words in the sight of the Lord. In the proposition there be two things to be considered First the subiect or antecedent Secondly the attribute or consequent The subiect containes the matter whereof the speech is in these words of the text The death of the Saints The attribute shewes what is spoken of this matter in these words is precious And thus haue I done with the second branch of my promise The third remaineth which is concerning the instructions that arise from this Text which I will propound vnto you according to the order of the parts as now yee haue heard them The Instructions FIrst then I haue to begin with the proposition and namely with the subiect or antecedent thereof in these words of the text the death of the Saints Neither let any man maruell that I beginne with the last words of the text first The learned doe see the reason for it For the parts are inuerted in the order of the text The proofe being inserted betweene the consequent and the antecedent and both the consequent and the proofe being set before the antecedent But let the inuerted parts be placed in order and the text stands thus The death of his Saints or the death of the Saints is precious in the sight of the Lord. In this order the parts doe plainly appeare and this order must I follow To proceede then with the subiect the death of the Saints first note this that in the Scripture there is a twofold death attributed to the Saints the one spirituall and the other bodily The spirituall death attributed to the Saints The spirituall death attributed to the Saints is likewise double one before their calling most miserable and wofull another after their calling most blessed and comfortable Before their calling they are dead in sinnes and trespasses Ephes 2.1 4 5. As the Apostle saith And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sinnes And againe a little after But God who is rich in mercy for his great loue wherewith he loued vs Euen when we were dead in sinnes hath quickened vs together with Christ What death in sinne or spirituall death is This spirituall death is a priuation of communion and fellowship with God and of the grace of God quickening vs together with Christ and is incident to the elect together with the reprobate before their calling Three branches of spirituall death in the Saints But after their calling they haue experience in themselues of another manner of spirituall death of which there be these three branches first vpon the right vnderstanding of the doctrine of the Law to be brought to see and feele that they are dead and most wretched 1. A death at the comming of the commandement and that there is nothing in themselues saue matter of death and eternall damnation by reason of their sinnes and so they are stirred vp to seeke succour elsewhere Thus Paul died as he saith But when the commandement came Rom. 7.9 sinne reuiued and I died That is to say when I had the right vnderstanding of the commandement of God and had considered well of it sinne did rage and trouble my minde which had lyen still before and by reason of my sinne I saw nothing in my selfe but matter of death and damnation and so I was driuen to seeke helpe in Iesus Christ that my soule might be saued Secondly the Saints are dead to the Law 2. A death vnto the Law Gal. 2.19 as the Apostle saith For I through the Law am
husband after the death of the first Rom. 7.2 3 4. Ninthly that they which liue should not henceforth liue to themselues but vnto him which died for them 1 Cor. 5.15 and rose againe Tenthly that we might know the loue of Christ vnto vs 1 Ioh. 3.16 and publish it vnto others Eleuenthly that whether we wake or sleepe we should liue together with him 1 Thess 5.10 Twelfthly that we should not doubt to lay downe our liues for his sake 1 Ioh. 3.16 and the brethren Thirteenthly that he might abolish sinne Fourteenthly that he might abolish death Rom. 6.10 the wages of sinne These bee the ends of the death of Christ 2 Tim. 1.10 but the discharging of the Saints from bodily death is none of them Obiection But if among the ends of Christs death this be reckoned for one that he might abolish death it seemeth then that the Saints should not die For what is it to abolish death if it be not quite to take it away that it should not bee at all How death is abolished Answ If ye vnderstand it of death eternall which is the second death it is quite taken away in respect of Gods elect according to that speech of our Sauiour Christ Iohn 11.26 Whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in mee shall neuer die The second death hath no power on the Saints As saith Saint Iohn Reu. 20.6 Blessed and holy is hee that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power But if ye referre it to the first death to wit the death of the body the sting of it is taken away so that it is no more a curse for the sinnes which wee haue committed nay it is turned into a blessing and made a ioyfull passage and entrance into heauen But if yee apply it to the death of the soule which is another kinde or another branch of the first death that also is vanquished ouercome and we recouer out of it when we are spiritually quickned with the life of grace 1 Cor. 4.11 Ephes 4.18 called by S. Paul the life of Iesus the life of God and it is also called the life of the spirit And though this death hang about vs as long as we are in this tabernacle Rom. 8.23 Rom. 7.24 and make vs groane within our selues and crie out with the Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death Yet it cannot hurt vs and it daily abateth as the life of grace increaseth And when our change is come we shall be fully and for euer discharged from it For death is vanquished but the time is not yet come that it must be vtterly destroyed For the Apostle hath taught vs that it is the last enemie that shall be destroyed 1 Cor. 15.26 The last enemie saith he that shall be destroied is death It is captiuated and brought vnder the power of Christ the Conquerour and comfort your selues euery kinde of death shall be fully destroyed and quite abolished in the due time Reason 2 Secondly the Saints must die the death of the body because it is an infirmity which we are forced to endure in this nature Now Christ hath not suffered to free vs from any infirmity to which our bodies are made subiect without sinne but to take away the venome of it and to sanctifie it vnto vs that that which at first came by meanes of sin and in it selfe is a curse for sin the wages thereof may be turned into a blessed meanes to further our happinesse And thus also we are weary and hunger and thirst and feele paines many and manifold although Christ also hath suffered all this for vs. Conceiue it then that in respect of the Saints death is abolished both the first and second of the soule and the body as it is the wages of sinne for what haue we to doe with the wages of the workes which we doe not attend but yet we must still suffer it as it is an infirmity to which our bodies are made subiect and we must passe thorow it as it is the way and gate into that glorious life in the kingdome of heauen Reason 3 Thirdly the Saints must die that the discerning of the elect from the reprobate may bee reserued vnto the last day the day of iudgement According to the words of the Prophet Malachi Mal. 3.18 Then shall yee returne and discerne betweene the righteous and the wicked betweene him that serueth God and him that serueth him not Now if onely the reprobates wicked men and hypocrites did die and the elect not die then might it bee discerned who were elected and truly sanctified before that day come Reason 4 Fourthly that it may appeare no vaine word which God spake to Adam saying Gen. 3.19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread till thou returne vnto the ground for out of it wast thou taken for dust thou art and vnto dust shalt thou returne Reason 5 Fiftly that by tasting of bodily death they may feele Gods mercy the sweeter in freeing of them from death eternall which they had likewise deserued and learne to set the more store by the riches of his mercy and accept it the better and be prouoked to seeke it and also receiue it with the earnester desire and the greater thankfulnesse To that end are wee forced to passe thorow the death of the body And indeed let vs consider well the pride of our owne nature the false ouerweening and vaine selfe-trust wherewith we be puffed vp how stubborne we be against the Lord and at how low a rate we prise his goodnesse and wee shall finde that to doe vs good and to bring vs to life he must be faine to make vs passe thorow the gates of death And why To keepe vs in awe and humble vs to make vs to know our selues and how rich he is in mercy in his dealing with vs to the intent we may yeeld the more honour and reuerence to our onely wise immortall and good God And may say euery one of vs alas I might iustly haue beene sunken before this day to the bottome of hell and if God were not wondrous mercifull what is due to my whole life for my manifold sinnes I haue deserued to die not only the death of the body but the second death euen the death of soule and body eternally Thus you see how it is good for the Saints to be kept in awe and taught humilitie by being appointed to die Reason 6 Sixtly that they may be made partakers of the glorious resurrection at the end of the world For to borrow a similitude from the Apostles words 1 Cor. 15.36 as the corne which is sowen is not quickened except it die so is it with vs wee cannot partake of the resurrection of the iust except we die For they that remaine aliue at the comming of the Lord shall
our faith the saluation of our soules These meditations and resolutions and other such like being well digested and setled in our soules will make vs euermore ready and well disposed to depart out of this life whensoeuer God sheweth vs that our houre is come The death of his Saints A Further thing that is worth the noting in these words of the text The death of his Saints is touching the most happy estate of the children of God in that they are called HIS Saints The death of HIS Saints Remember from hence that Doct. 3 Doct. The Saints are the Lords And they are not only the Lords as all men are but after a peculiar manner The Saints are peculiarly the Lords Deut. 32.9 1 Pet. 2.9 Exod. 19.5 They are the portion of the Lord and the lot of his inheritance a peculiar people and to vse Moses words they are a peculiar treasure vnto him aboue all people for all the earth is his So that they may with much comfort thinke of the Apostles speech Rom. 14.8 Whether we liue therefore or die we are the Lords Question In six respects How are they the Lords after a peculiar manner Answer In diuers respects First in regard of their election For as the Apostle saith Ephes 1.4 He hath chosen vs in him that is in Christ as members in the head before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue Secondly in regard of their calling according to these words vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth 1 Cor. 1.2 to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus called to be Saints As many as are called are not therefore called of God because they are Saints but therefore they are Saints because they are called of his grace In this respect therefore the Saints are the Lords Thirdly in regard of their iustification because the holinesse of Christ is imputed vnto them to iustification as I haue touched before Page 12. by which they are made holy in the sight of God Fourthly in regard of their sanctification which for the beginning continuance encrease and accomplishment of it is wholly of God As the Apostle saith 1 Thess 5.23 And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly that is thorowout in your whole soule and body Fiftly in regard of redemption because he hath redeemed and deliuered vs out of the hands of our enemies Luke 1.74 75. to serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life To this effect saith Paul 1 Cor. 6.20 Ye are bought with a price Sixtly in regard of their owne deuoting and addicting of themselues to doe his will Psal 119.38 As Dauid saith Stablish thy word vnto thy seruant who is deuoted to thy feare And this the Saints doe Acti agimuâ— Cant. 1.4 not of themselues but through the grace of the Spirit which first moueth and stirreth them For the ability to moue to any thing pleasing to God is meerely from his grace Vse 1 The Vse First ye see then if we be of the number of the Saints Yee Saints study to please the Lord and serue him that is to say of Gods faithfull seruants how many waies God hath a peculiar title vnto vs or rather in how many respects we are peculiarly obliged aboue all the men of the world vnto the Lord to wit in respect of our election vocation iustification sanctification redemption and the willing addicting of our selues through his grace vnto his seruice What remaineth then but that we study in all things to please the Lord and obey his Commandements As the Apostle saith Col. 1.10 That ye might walke worthy of the Lord vnto all pleasing being fruitfull in euery good worke and increasing in the knowledge of God The Apostle yee see would haue vs walke worthy of the Lord that is that our life should be proportionable to the measure of the goodnesse of God towards vs. We hauing therefore receiued so great mercy of the Lord so many waies we must leade our liues in a proportionable measure of holinesse and obedience We must not breake out into blasphemous oathes cursed speaking drunkennesse riot stealing lying and other filthinesse of life as many doe but thinking how good the Lord is and hath beene vnto vs wee must walke worthy of his Mercy Hath hee taken vs to himselfe after a peculiar manner Hath he made vs some of his Saints He hath not dealt so with a great number of people which were as good as our selues nay farre before vs in many respects And therefore we must worship him better than they doe and yeeld him that honour which a great number will not yeeld him Where others will not stoupe there we must stoupe and his doctrine which they refuse and will not receiue we must receiue it with meekenesse and be obedient thereunto For as the earth rendereth to the husbandman the fruit of his paines bestowed vpon it so we must render to the Lord the fruit of his manifold mercies bestowed vpon vs and that is repentance a renouncing of all vngodlinesse and a liuing soberly and righteously and godly in this present world Vse 2 Secondly it being so that the Saints be the Lords after so peculiar a manner Affect the Saints company and to be of their number Psal 16.2 3. and 119.63 See also Ps 101.6 it should moue vs to affect the company of the Saints As Dauid did saying My goodnesse extendeth not to thee But to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight And againe I am a companion of all them that feare thee and of them that keepe thy precepts And as we desire the company of the Saints Pro. 1.15 and 23.20 1 Cor. 5.9 10 11. 2 Thess 3.14 so should we loath and eschew the society of Atheists drunkards fornicators swearers and all wicked and vngodly persons Neither is it enough to affect the Saints company but we must striue and labour to be some of their number Iudas the traitor got little in the sight of God by conuersing with Christ and his holy Apostles being himselfe a deuill And so it shall little auaile vs to be continually with the Saints if we be not our selues some of the number of the Saints Mat. 24.40 41. Luk. 17.34 35 36. For when the Lord shall come the Saints shall be taken and we shall be left Vse 3 Thirdly this considered that the Saints be the Lords and that after so peculiar a manner as no men else No reprobate can be truly sanctified it must needs follow that neuer a reprobate can be sanctified They may make a shew and profession of holinesse but the truth and rooted soundnesse thereof they can neuer haue No cannot a reprobate be sanctified Doth not Paul make mention of some that they counted the bloud of the couenant wherewith they were
know your place in heauen already But doest thou know thy selfe Canst thou tell me what thou art thy selfe thou that after this fashion doest make a scorne of other mens holinesse and of the blessed title of a Saint I must tell thee plainly that both thou and all others that make a scoffe at holinesse and that scorne the title of a Saint yee are none of Gods children yee are vnholy Atheists and very Deuils incarnate Consider well of it and pray God to enlighten you and turned our hearts And as for the children of God Foure comforts against reproaches for holinesse they haue many good meditations to comfort themselues with against these kinde of reproches and namely these First that it is a great honour to bee of the number of the Lords Saints And if the vngodly will turne their glorie in to shame yet as they desire not to haue the Sonne of man to be ashamed of them when bee commeth in the glorie of his Father with the holy angels so must they not be ashamed to professe themselues his Saints which is their glorie They must suffer none neither by reproches nor any other way to take this crowne from them For the state of a Saint is not such a state that they need to be ashamed of it Secondly that the Lord calleth them to be his Saints and maketh his promise with them to preserue and keepe them And faithfull is hee that calleth them 1 Thess 5.24 who also will doe it Hee will neuer leaue them nor forsake them Thirdly that all the malice which men doe beare them and the scoffes that they are reproached with are occasioned by their holinesse which is Gods gracious gift vnto them Their holinesse is the cause which enrageth the vngodly Eccles 4.4 As Solomon saith Againe I considered all trauell and euery right worke that for this a man is enuied of his neighbour this also is vanitie and vexation of spirit But God will arise and maintaine his owne cause and auenge all their wrongs 2 Sam. 10.7 c. no otherwise than Dauid did the indignities of his seruants vpon Hanun the sonne of Nahash the King of the children of Ammon Fourthly that when vngodly men doe stout them with their sanctitie and holinesse that they are neere and deaâ—â— vnto the Lord. For they are his friends they are his people they are his seruants his children his spouse yea as the tenderest members of his body vnto him For as saith the Prophet Zechariah Zech. 2.8 Hee that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye And so long as the Lord doth acknowledge them for some of his and doth account them so neere and deare vnto himselfe they need not greatly cure for any reproaches of men For his fauour is enough to counteruaile all So that as Elkanah said to Hannah comforting her against her barrennesse Am not I better to thee 1 Sam. 1. â— than ten sonnes So may euerie one of vs say of the fauour of God when all men reproach vs and none care for vs Is not the fauour of God better to vs than all the kindnesse and fauour of the men of this world And thus may wee comfort our selues against all manner of reproaches for holinesse sake Thus farre of the subiect of the proposition Now the Consequent followeth in these words is precious Precious is the death of his Saints Or more plainly The death of his Saints is precious WHat meanes this The death of his Saints is precious For this may seeme a Paradox and beyond the credit of all men that the death or any should come to be precious seeing death came by sinne and is a common looking-glasse and record vnto vs of Gods curse not vpon one or two folkes but vpon all mankinde Answer The meaning is that the death of the Saints is of great esteeme and honourable in Gods account and very profitable for themselues But not in it selfe but by accident only that which in it selfe is the wages of sinne and a curse being by the grace of God and the death of Christ turned cleane about and made an excellent blessing Remember it then that Doct. 5 Doct. The death of the Saints is a matter of great price It is much set by in the sight of the Lord The Saints death is precious Mors Sanctorum est finis meta laborum consummatio victoriae carina vitae perfectae eternaequeÌ„ securitatis ingressio Bern. and in regard of themselues it is truly precious as being the end of their labours the consumination of their victorie the gate of life and an entrance into most perfect securitie Wee haue a world of meditations to cleare the truth of this Reason 1 For first the Lord affirmes it who is truth it selfe and cannot lie that precious is the death of his Saints And how can it bee otherwise seeing they die vnto the Lord and sleepe in Iesus as the Scripture speakes Reason 2 Secondly Rom. 14.8 1 Thess 4.14 16. by death they are more neerely vnited to their soueraigne and chiefest good euen to God Almightie For the further off that any is from sinne so much the neerer he is ioyned to God that pure and perpetuall and immortall good to cleaue fast vnto him and to bee alwayes with him whose of-spring he is as the Apostle saith For we are also his of-spring Acts 17.28 Reason 3 Thirdly because by death they are gathered to the ancient Patriarkes to the holy Prophets and Apostles to the assembly of the Saints to their owne deare parents children brethren sisters kinsfolke and friends which are gone to heauen before them and which is more than all this to Iesus Christ their Redeemer into the house of their heauenly Father in which he hath prepared a placefor vs Heb. 6.20 and 10.20 into heauen whither the forerunner is for vs entred euen Iesus Christ by a new and liuing way which he hath consecrated for vs through the vaile that is to say his flesh And whither he is gone before that we might follow him whensoeuer he shall please to call vs. Reason 4 Fourthly because it puts an end to all the cares sorrowes teares and miseries to which all are subiect in this life For this cause death is preferred before life and the condition of the dead before the condition of the liuing Eccles 4.1 2. in Ecclesiastes where Solomon saith So I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done vnder the Sunne and behold the teares of such as were oppressed and they had no comforter and on the side of their oppressors there was power but they had no comforter Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the liuing which are yet aliue Death takes vs away from their enuie that now liue and sets vs free from all feare of them which are yet to come Reason 5 Fiftly because it looseth the Saints from the bonds of temptations and the
snares of sinne and sendeth them into true libertie As long as the soule continueth in the body the bonds of temptations hang as fetters about it and bring it into captiuitie to the law of sinne neither can it get free from these bonds and shackles but when it departeth from the body it is loosed from the bonds of temptations and goeth into a blessed and heauenly freedome To this effect saith Paul Rom. 6.6 He that is dead is freed from sinne After death the temptations cease which all the life time did tye the soule and leade it into captiuitie to the law of sinne So that now there is no such tying nor leading captiue of the Saints but an enioying of perfect freedome for euermore Reason 6 Sixthly because it taketh away the Saints out of this present euill world in which if they haue outward peace which is also sickle and vncertaine yet they shall be sure to haue bodily paine and vexation of spirit For that sentence cannot be reuoked Iob 14.22 But his flesh vpon him shall haue paine and his soule within him shall mourne This is the lot of the liuing neither can we be freed from it vntill death come And a thousand things there be to disquiet and grieue our mindes but nothing more than the risenesse of sinne For as the filthy conuersation of the wicked Sodomites vexed Lot as Peter witnesseth saying 2 Pet. 2.7 8. That righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their vnlawfull deedes So the Saints at this day cannot choose but be vexed in seeing and hearing so many enormous vices to be daily committed Such renting of God in peeces by fearefull oathes such cursing and lying such excessiue drinking and drunkennesse such breaking of the Sabbath such deuices and slanders to disgrace Gods children and to hinder the free passage of the Gospell with a thousand enormities more make euery Christian heart ake and fill it full of vexation from day to day From this also death frees vs. Reason 7 Seuenthly because it puts an end to the most dangerous combat in the world which we are forced to endure as long as we liue here and in which we must either suffer blowes I meane the buffetings of Satan or else fall one of the two What doe we alwaies in this life but fight continually against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this world against Spirituall wickednesse in high places Besides we haue combating with couetousnesse with inordinate lusts with angrinesse with vaineglory Our minde is enclosed and beset round about with the assaults of Satan and with manifold temptations and these come so thicke one vpon the necke of another that it can scarce meet with euery one of them and them that it doth meet with it is hard to resist almost any one of them If couetousnesse be subdued lust ariseth if lust be mastered vaineglory stirres if vaineglory be vanquished angrinesse comes in place pride swelleth enuie vrgeth and heat of spirit breakes forth and makes discord The world also and our owne flesh make many assaults vpon vs and much annoy vs. Of all this and a great deale more doth death make an end And what shall I say more For the time would faile me to produce all the meditations that make for this purpose And that which hath beene said doth abundantly proue that the death of the Saints as the Psalmist here saith is precious Obiection It by the preciousnesse of the Saints death is not visible But some may thinke that all this is but words and that he sees no such matter in the death of the Saints but that they die as other men doe If their death be so precious why doth it not appeare so Answer Their death is precious but yet it doth not appeare so first because it is no treasure of this world but an heauenly treasure I say the preciousnesse of the Saints death is an heauenly treasure and therefore hid from the sight of carnal eies in that treasurie of the Lords in Iesus Christ by whose death it is made precious Secondly notwithstanding it appeare not yet we haue a most sure word for it euen the word of the Lord that cannot lie witnessing that it is so And that is better for vs than if it did appeare For our eies might deceiue vs as theirs that tooke Christ for a spirit and our iudgements are dimme and not able to iudge in such matters but Gods word cannot deceiue vs but put vs out of doubt in the matter Thirdly the time is not yet come that it must appeare but it will come and then it shall be manifest to the whole world that it hath beene so Fourthly though it appeare not to mortall eyes yet we see it by faith Our eies are no iudges in this case and the world is worse than our eies For the glory is not earthly nor knowne to the men of this world whereof we speake but the treasure is spirituall and of the spirituall man it is discerned Know thy selfe that by faith thou art Christs and he thine that he died for thee and thou liuest by him that thou art a member of his body of his flesh and of his bones and whatsoeuer is his is thine haue this faith and now come and see and thou shalt see all the rubies and precious things in the world lesse precious than the death of such a man as thou art Thy faith if it could comprehend more assurance of the preciousnesse of the Sunne yet shouldest thou see the preciousnesse of it aboue all thy thoughts For who can comprehend how precious that is which is prcious in Gods sight Vse 1 The Vse First we behold in this the great goodnesse of God See Gods goodnesse in changing euill to good to his children Rom. 8.28 who changeth euill into good vnto his faithfull seruants that it may be euery way and for euer true which the Apostle saith We know that all things worke together for good to them that loue God to them who are the called according to his purpose All things in generall euen those that seeme most to hinder our felicitie are made of God to serue as helpes and furtherances thereof When it commeth to death in which is some token of Gods wrath death is turned to our gaine and profit so that we haue cause to reioice in all respects and to hearken to the Apostle when he saith All things are yours 1 Cor. 3.21 22. whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours that is all are for your good Vse 2 Secondly by that which hath beene said it is also apparant that there is a great difference betweene the bodily death of the godly of the vngodly There is great difference betweene the death of the godly and the vngodly This appeares
many waies For the godly die in the Lord the vngodly die in their sins The godly haue their death turned into a blessing the death of the vngodly remaineth stil a curse To the godly to die is gaine Phil. 1.21 to the vngodly to die is losse for they lose the comforts which now they enioy the kingdome of heauen which they hoped for The death of the godly is a passage into life Iohn 5.24 the death of the vngodly is a passage to damnation The godly being dead doe liue to God Luke 16.22 23. the vngodly doe die eternally The soules of the godly when they depart from the body be carried by the Angels into heauen the soules of the vngodly goe to torment in hell Isa 57.2 The death of the godly is the end of their misery for when they die they enter into peace and rest the death of the vngodly is the beginning of their torment and euerlasting paine The death of the godly is precious Mors peccatorum mala pejor pessima sed bonorum mors bona melior optima â—eâ—n Mors justi est bona propter requiâ—m melior propter nouitatem optima propter securitatem Idem the death of the vngodly is most vile and shamefull To be short the death of the vngodly as Bernard saith is bad worser worst of all but the death of the godly is good better best of all Good by reason of the rest that it bringeth with it Better because it renueth vs Best of all because it putteth vs out of danger and secureth vs for euer Vse 3 Thirdly considering the preciousnesse of the death of the Saints let euery man boast himselfe as he will some of their Parents and noble progenitors Reioice in this that thou art a Saint some of riches some of horses some of one thing some of another and let the prophane of the world make a scoffe at holinesse and abhorre to the death the very name of a Saint and let them hinder the meanes of holinesse as much as they can speaking euill of the waies of the Lord this let others doe Yet thou if thou wilt attaine vnto such a death as is precious in Gods sight which onely is comfortable and a passage into life doe thou boast thy selfe of a sanctified heart yea glory of this that thou art a Saint and further the meanes of holinesse to the vtmost of thy power as the faithfull preaching of the word the priuate reading of the Scriptures the repeating and conferring of Sermons and the like Vse 4 Fourthly considering as the Psalmist saith that the Saints death is precious Judge aright of the Saints wee learne to bee of another iudgement than the world is of concerning the Saints vpon earth The Saints zeale in religion and integrity of life is oftentimes such that it causeth men to neglect them yea to maligne them yea to cry our vpon them peraduenture also to persecute imprison and put them to death And when the world sees this they thinke them forlorne and miserable creatures But loe their death is precious and happinesse is treasured vp in heauen for them Therefore wee should count them happy and be of the minde to adioyne our selues to their company and become like them which are so little regarded and so hardly thought of for their holinesse sake Vse 5 Fiftly this also is for the comfort of the Saints of God against the persecutions of vngodly men Comfort against cruell persecutions Let all the vngodly band themselues and lift vp their hands against thee what can they doe They cannot deuise the meanes to doe thee any finall hurt Rom. 8.28 All things shall worke together for the best to thee that louest God It is not possible for man to alter this Looke vpon thy death that is precious and gainefull They can doe nothing vnto thee but that which in the end shall make for thy good Looke further also throughout the bounds and compasse of the whole heauen and earth and with pure eies euen with the eies of faith thou seest excellent things thou seest the first sorrow cast out with shame death trodden vnder feet hell abolished the Angels encamping about thee Saints and Angels before thee a blessed immortality lengthening thy daies and the glory of God is before thine eies 2 Cor. 3.18 and with open face thou beholdest it as in a glasse Vse 6 Sixtly heere is comfort for the Saints against the feare of death approaching Build vpon this Comfort against the feare of death if thou beest a Saint thy death shall be precious There is no euill in it that thou needest to feare And although thou must of necessity passe that way with all other creatures for it is the way of all the earth yet doth God take thee and keepe thee as his chosen child And if thou beleeuest that Iesus died and rose againe 1 Thess 4.14 so assure thy selfe that thee also and all them which sleepe in Iesus will God bring with him Vse 7 Seuenthly to conclude this point is a good ground of comfort to the friends of the dead Comfort to the friends of him that died a Saint Died he a Saint nay liued he a Saint for if he liued a Saint there is no question of his death but he died a Saint For hee cannot die euilly Non potest malè mori qui bene vixcrit August who hath liued well The disease may be such that either the speech may be hindered or else idle and accompanied with some vnseemely motions and gestures which none must be dismaied at but take in good part euen in this regard Cuivis quod cuiquam because we our selues may be in the like case I say not therefore died hee a Saint but that euery ones comfort may be the fuller liued hee a Saint For we must not thinke so much of the manner of the death Non mola mors putanda est quam bona vita praecesserit August as of the tenour of the life Neither must we thinke that death to bee euill before which there hath gone an holy life So then heere is the comfort Hath he liued a Saint and is he dead He is blessed in heauen Why mourne ye weepe not for him his death is precious Weepe for your selues Foure comforts for them that mourne ouer the dead And yet weepe not excessiuely but remember First that God gaue him you but for a while and therefore ye must not take it grieuously if he hath called him againe from you Secondly that he shall in a glorified body be restored vnto you and ioyned with you in the next life Thirdly that it goeth well with him that is deliuered from so many perils and mischiefes as the Lord hath foretold should fall out in this last age Lastly that he is well prouided for before the Lord and in farre better case than we that be aliue Precious is the death of
his Saints Moreouer from this that the Saints death is here said so expresly affirmed to be precious in the sight of the Lord I gather this comfortable meditation that Doct. 6 Doct. The Saints are neuer neglected of their louing God neither doth death befall them without his speciall prouidence God regards his Saints both in life and death If in their life time they meet with calamities so that they mourne hee regards their teares which made Dauid pray saying Psal 56.8 Put thou my teares into thy bottle And at their death he looketh after them Yea both in life and death he hath a gracious respect of them His Angell in their life time encampeth round about them and when they die they are caried by the Angels Psal 34.7 as Lazarus was into Abrahams bosome that is to say Luke 16.22 into the place of blisse where Abraham now is with the rest of Gods elect which be departed this life This care hath God of euery one of his Saints So that nothing can befall them in life or death but as he disposeth it What time he will haue them to liue so long they shall liue as he will haue them to bee tried with sundry afflictions so are they euery one tried and when his time is come that he will haue them to die then and not before they shall depart this life And which is most comfortable when that day comes hee will draw neere vnto them and make them feele by experience that which they haue learned and beleeued long before that precious in his sight is the death of his Saints Vse 1 The Vse Now then beloued see what a gracious God the Saints haue in heauen It is most true Take notice of Gods goodnesse to his Saints and too too commonly seene that generally amongst men the Saints of all others are least regarded but with the Lord of heauen there is none regarded with any speciall fauour but onely the Saints and these hee respects after a speciall manner as the Psalmist faith Behold Psal 33.18 34.15 the eye of the Lord is vpon them that feare him vpon them that hope in his mercie Many parents are very carefull for the welfare of their children but no parents care can be compared with the care which God hath of his Saints For notwithstanding the greatest care of the best parents in the world yet some things they shall see to befall their children which they cannot doe to and which they were not able for their liues to preuent but in respect of the Lord there is no such thing can befall his Saints but whatsoeuer he pleaseth and whatsoeuer his hand and his counsell hath determined before to be done that only shall befall them both in life and death Vse 2 Secondly this serues to banish from the heart of euery good man To banish distractions all distracting thoughts whether concerning maintenance bodily safety protection from dangers or whatsoeuer thing else and to make vs cheere vp our selues learne that good lesson which Dauid giueth vs Psal 55.22 saying Cast thy burden vpon the Lord and he shall sustaine thee he shall neuer suffer the righteous to be moued Behold and know that the Lord careth for the righteous and sendeth foorth his holy Angels which are all ministring spirits Heb. 1.14 Ps 42.11 43.5 to minister for them who shall be heires of saluation Dost thou beleeue this then let not thy soule be disquieted within thee but hope in God Be doing good and fulfill thy duty in that place which God hath set thee He will surely blesse thee and keepe no good thing from thee and at the last thy death shall be precious For God himselfe will haue the whole ordering of it both for the time the manner the place and euery way else Vse 3 Thirdly this also is comfortable for them that mourne for the death of any that liued in the feare of God Comfort ouer the Saints death Consider this speech well Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints For this beeing true that the Saints death is precious in the sight of the Lord it must needs follow that whensoeuer they die bee it sooner or latter they die in the due time that is to say in that time which is best for them in respect of their good It is the portion of bloudy and deceitfull men not to liue out halfe their daies Psal 55.23 Iob 5.26 but it is otherwise with good men as Eliphaz saith Thou shalt come to thy graue in a full age like as a shocke of corne commeth in in his season Oh then thinke when thy Christian friend is taken from thee that he died not by chance he died not before his time but his time was come and God hath 1296 sent him to his graue in his season yea euen in that time when it was best for him and most for the comfort and saluation of his soule What couldest thou desire more Therefore mourne not excessiuely but comfort thy selfe and make ready for the time which God hath appointed for thee It will not be long ere thou shalt goe the way which thy louing friend thy guide and thy comfort is gone before thee For death is the way of all the earth Vse 4 Fourthly this meditation that the Saints are neuer neglected neither in life nor death of their louing God Encourâ—gement to serue God and trust 1 in him should both embolden vs come what will come to goe on in his seruice not being dismaied with any crosses or afflictions and also make vs to trust stedfastly in him yea euen then when we can discerne no tokens of his fauour vnto vs. For of this wee are certaine that if we walke in holinesse howsoeuer it bee with vs all our life long that God watcheth ouer vs and our death when it comes shall be precious in his sight And this we haue further for our comfort in this case that we shall not die when the vngodly would haue vs die but at that time which God hath set For as Dauid saith so we may euery one say My times are in thy hand Psal 31.15 and 41.5 The vngodly may say by vs as they did by him when shall hee die and his name perish But neuerthelesse wee shall runne out our race and come to that period which God hath appointed for vs. Thus farre of the Proposition Now remaineth the Proofe thereof in these words of the Text In the sight of the Lord. In the sight of the Lord. DAVID proues the death of the Saints to bee precious by an argument not fetched from the consideration of the thing it selfe but taken from without it to wit from the testimony and authority of God in these words In the sight of the Lord as if he should say can it chuse but bee precious which the Lord himselfe approueth and highly esteemeth of It is not possible
For hee best knowes to distinguish betweene good and euill betweene precious and vile Wherefore if in his iudgement any thing be precious it must needs be true that it is precious indeed Put the question then How commeth it to passe and how might wee be sure that the death of the Saints is precious And the answer is giuen because it pleaseth God to account it so Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints It is not long of the Saints but of Gods meere goodnesse and mercy vnto them And because that he of his goodnesse doth so account of it therefore it is precious and not for any worthinesse or desert of their owne Neither is this preciousnesse of the death of the Saints supposed and imaginary but reall and true the Saints death is truly and really precious For although man may bee deceiued and erre in his iudgement yet it is otherwise with God It is true of man that in the errour of his iudgement hee may take a thing to be precious and say that it is so when there is no such matter onely because he doth imagine and conceit with himselfe that such a thing is precious but God cannot be so deceiued But whatsoeuer he iudgeth and pronounceth precious it is truly and indeed precious and it cannot be otherwise And thus it comes about that the Saints death is precious and vpon this ground wee are certaine of it It is precious and wee know it because the most wise God doth account and pronounce it to be precious in his sight Thus ye see the summe of the confirmation To gather profit thereby we must consider two things first what manner of argument this is secondly the application thereof to the matter in hand There be two kindes of proofes the one called artificiall the other inartificiall Artificiall proofes are such as are fetched one way or other Artificiall proofes from the consideration of the theme or matter it selfe which is proued and of their owne force or nature are able to proue or disapproue This proofe of Dauids in this place is no such Inartificiall proofes are such as are fetched from authority Inartificiall proofes either diuine or not diuine Such a proofe is this that Dauid here brings fetched from the authority of God Now this kinde of prouing of a matter by the authority of God howsoeuer it neuer touch the nature of that which is proued neither explicateth nor illustrateth it yet it begetteth in the minde the greatest credit and beleefe to the matter that may bee For no argument can be deuised so forcible to procure faith and credit to a matter as this that is drawne from the authority of God Deus per se est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For God is simply to bee beleeued for himselfe and to doubt of that which he affirmes is great impiety In this respect therefore this testimony serues for this vse for the strengthening of our faith touching the preciousnesse of the Saints death That wee should not doubt nor stagger through vnbeleefe but bee fully perswaded that the death of the Saints is precious Comfort ouer the death of a Saint How full of comfort is this to know vpon a sure ground and beyond all exception euen from the expresse testimony of the Lord God of truth that the Saints death is precious and that it is so in his sight howsoeuer the world doe iudge of it Can any thing be more comfortable to a Christian soule to cease the mourning thereof for the death of a Saint and deare childe of God Let it sinke into your hearts and comfort your selues with this meditation There is I confesse iust cause of mourning for the death of the Saints But where finde we this cause Is it in themselues Their life was holy their course is finished their death is precious their body is at rest their soule is in heauen their memoriall is blessed they shall arise to glory and bee with Christ in heauen for euermore The true cause of mourning for the Saints death In respect of themselues there is no cause of mourning But in respect of vs that remaine aliue there bee many causes For when any of the Saints die we see that all of vs bee enclosed within the curse of God because of Adams sinne and seeing that it behooueth vs to feele what we haue deserued and bee ashamed of ourselues and bee touched with the feare of Gods vengeance and bee so wounded therewith as it may prouoke vs to sorrow because of our sinnes which we haue committed Againe when any of the Saints die wee lose a helpe to the peace of our Sion I meane of our Church and Common-wealth a helpe to the Gospell a helpe in the house an intercessor to God a louing friend and a shining starre If it were a thing possible it were best for vs to keepe such men still with vs but for them it is farre better to depart hence and to bee with Christ For when such are taken from vs our Lord chastiseth vs and sheweth vs a signe that except we speedily repent hee is minded to diminish his grace vnto vs. The taking away of the best men and of them that doe most good in the Church and amongst vs is alwaies a threatning vnto vs. And ought wee not to bee grieued at the threatning and feeling of Gods displeasure And therefore wee may iustly mourne for the death of the Saints But yet so let vs mourne Comfort that withall wee remember to keepe a measure in our mourning and to pacifie our selues with this consideration that their death is precious And that God calls them hence to free them from a great deale of misery and to doe them a great deale of good In the sight of the Lord. COncerning the application of this proofe to the present matter in as much as Dauid affirmes the Saints death to be precious vpon this ground because it is so in Gods sight that is to say because God doth so esteeme it Out of this I gather that Doct. 7 Doct. The right iudgement of matters is to iudge of them as God doth To iudge aright we must iudge of things as God doth They are precious and good that hee approues of but they are vile and naught which he disapproues Vse 1 The Vse First how much doth this condemne the people of our age For is not this the nature of the most Against following only the iudgement of the world that they neuer regard what account God makes of a thing but only whether men doe esteeme of it or no And if they see it in esteeme with men is not that enough Yea they care for no more They be so wedded to the world that they will neuer looke whether God doe like or dislike that which they fancie or set themselues against and they be so blinde and obstinate that whatsoeuer is taught them they will neither see
to be a great griefe vnto him And because of this we doutlesse want much of that testimony of his faith which he would haue giuen vs if he had had the liberty of his speech The godly speeches vnderstood in his sicknesse But yet some few things he vttered now and then which were vnderstood as that a certaine Minister which was with him all the time of his sicknesse had done him much good which when the Minister heard hee entreated him to render the whole praise thereof vnto God alone who blesseth the weake endeuours of his seruants in the ministery for the good of his people Which thing hee also did as appeared by the present motion of his hands and eies Againe hee said that God accepteth the heart and the desires thereof And when he was told that his words which were imperfect to vs were perfect to God and that God vnderstood what hee did desire he answered yea and gaue vs such tokens as he was able that hee knew so much Further he said God giueth vs some refreshing and reioycing that we may be able to passe thorow expressing as I conceiue the comfort of his owne soule which God gaue him in his extremitie And his last speech that I vnderstood was this that wee are lesse than nothing before him 22. Hee was desirous of praier in his sicknesse In all his sicknesse from the first morning thereof for he was taken in the night hee was very willing and desirous to haue praiers duely and often vnto the Lord. Sometimes he himselfe would call for the performance of this duty Hee desired vs to pray vnto God for him and with him He died of â—n Apoplexie On August 24. 1622. And when the motion was made vnto him while his sense continued with him if it were deferred but neuer so little for any cause whatsoeuer he himselfe would hasten it saying When when as he was able I am not able to speake al which of so worthy a man might truly be spoken And in that which I haue spoken you are not to vnderstand me as though I went about to maintaine that he had no infirmities or that he neuer failed in any particulars for alas Iames 3.2 in many things wee offend all And highly is that man to bee commended whose generall course is such as I haue now set downe although he faile through infirmity in many particulars And the things considered and weighed in the ballance of charity which haue beene spoken wee may be bold to conclude according to the iudgement of charity that hee is in the number of those Saints whose death in this place the Holy Ghost pronounceth precious in the sight of the Lord. Now what remaineth but first that those whom he hath left behinde him who in his life time were the neerest and dearest vnto him doe set before their eies so godly a patterne and striue by all meanes to resemble him to the vtmost It was Elishaes request when Elijah was taken from him that a double portion of his spirit might bee vpon him 2 King 2.9 Aske said Elijah what I shall doe for thee before I bee taken away from thee And Elisha said I pray thee let a double portion of thy spirit be vpon me And when Dauid had giuen order and Solomon was made king Dauids seruants as saith the text came to blesse their Lord king Dauid saying 1 King 1.47 God make the name of Solomon better than thy name and make his throne greater than thy throne And the king bowed himselfe vpon the bed shewing his good acceptance of his seruants words Euen so wish I that the vertues of the deceased may bee doubled vpon the liuing And I beseech them all by the mercies of God that the remembrance of the things which as I was able in respect of mine owne knowledge I haue now rehearsed and of all other good things which they haue knowne and seene to bee in him farre better than my selfe may be so imprinted in their hearts that they may neuer be forgotten but that in the whole course of their life they may imitate and follow them and adde more thereunto that as they inherit his lands and goods so they may inherit his reputation and good report and that with much more honour and greater fame than hee did enioy it himselfe Finally it resteth that both they and wee all which remaine aliue and are left behinde him doe humbly beseech the Lord to sanctifie vs wholly and to grant vs that the life which wee now liue in the flesh wee may liue by the faith of the Sonne of God that whensoeuer God shall call vs our death may bee precious and we may sleepe in Iesus and sleeping in him wee may be brought with him and be glorified with him by the full fruition of God himselfe the chiefest good To which most gracious and most glorious God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost be all praise honour and glory both now and for euermore Amen Amen FINIS Erratum CHristian reader at page 11. line 26. for Psal read Psalmes And the rest is well and truly printed from the beginning to the end Giue all the glory to God
of God But according to our English Translation not any member but one of the outward senses is here attributed to God to wit the sight for it is said In the sight of the Lord but the meaning is all one For the sight of God hauing any of his owne workes for the obiect signifieth his iudgement account and approuing of the thing As God is said to haue seene the light that it was good Gen. 1.4 that is to say to haue iudged accounted and approued it to be good But if it haue men and their doings for the obiect then it signifieth his perfect knowledge both of them and of their doings As the Apostle saith Hebr. 4.13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened vnto the eyes of him with whom we haue to doe And so it is said of the Kings of Israel and Iudah that such a one did right and such a one did euill in the sight of the Lord. And thus we reade that the Angell of God to wit Iesus Christ spake vnto Iacob in a dreame saying I haue seene all that Laban doth vnto thee Gen. 31.12 Exod. 3.7 Prou. 15.3 And when the Lord said I haue surely seene the affliction of my people which are in Egypt In this sense also the eyes of the Lord are said to be in euery place beholding the euill and the good In this text which I haue now in hand these words in the sight be as much to say as in the iudgement esteeme and account of the Lord. LORD in great letters Of the LORD Yee finde if yee marke it the word LORD written in this place and in many places else in the Bibles of the new Translation in capitall or great letters and likewise the word GOD diuers times so printed and namely in the Prophesie of Ezekiel In all these places in the Hebrew it is either Iah or Iehouah but most commonly Iehouah as it is in this text Except in a few places where the English of Adonai the LORD is so written as namely in the places quoted in the margent n = a Gen. 18.27 Num. 14.17 Deu. 10.17 Iosh 7.8 Iudg. 13.8.2 King 4.28 And likewise of Adon the LORD once in Malachi n = b Mal. 3.1 And contrarily the English of Iehouah the Lord is written in small letters in one place of Ieremiah in some Bibles in these words The Lord of hostes in his name n = c Ier. 51.19 Printed Anno 1613. in 8. The names of God And this might happen either through the Scribe or the Printers fault The names of God in the Scripture be diuers whereof some signifie the proprieties of his essence as the Almightie the most High the Holy one And others the very essence it selfe and these in the Hebrew text be three Iehouah Iah Ehjeh and may be rendred in English God the Lord I Am or the Lord the Lord I Am. Here he is named Iehouah by the first of these three A name so proper to the Lord that it is neuer attributed nor can it agree to any of the creatures As the Psalmist saith That men may know that thou Psal 83.18 whose Name alone is Iehouah art the most High ouer all the earth What Iehouah signifies It signifieth three things first that God hath his being of himselfe n = d Reu. 1.4 and 16.5 Secondly that all creatures haue their being from him n = e Act. 17.28 Rom. 11.36 Thirdly that he causeth all things to come to passe according to his owne meaning whether he promise or threaten For this cause he addeth so often this speech And they shall know that I am Iehouah or that I am the Lord to his promises n = g Ezek. 29.21 and 34.30 and threatnings n = h Ezek. 7.27 and 12.15 16. and 15.7 and 20.26 Iehouah vsed personally Psal 110.1 See also Psal 2.2 It is vsed two waies either Personally or Essentially First Personally to note one or two of the Persons of the blessed Trinitie as the Father in this speech The Lord in the originall Iehouah that is the Father said vnto my Lord that is vnto the Sonne Sit thou at my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy foot-stoole It notes the Sonne when Moses saith And the Lord in Hebrew Gen. 18.1 Ieheuah appeared vnto him in the plaines of Mamre And it notes the Holy Ghost in these words of Isaiah Holy Isai 6.3 5. holy holy is the Lord of hostes And againe for mine eyes haue seene the King the Lord of hostes In both these speeches this word the Lord is in Hebrew Iehouah and that it notes the Holy Ghost is plaine by this that the Apostle Paul alledging the same words which the Lord in this place commands Isaiah to tell the people saith Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the Prophet Act. 28.25 vnto our Fathers And in this same place of the Prophet Isaiah it notes also the Sonne As appeares by comparing it with that place in Saint Iohn where he saith Iohn 12.41 These things said Esaias when he saw his glory and spake of him Sometimes also the Father and the Sonne are noted by this title being twice vsed in one and the same verse As when Moses saith Then the Lord that is the Sonne Gen. 19.24 rained vpon Sodome and vpon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord that is to say from the Father out of heauen And againe in Zechariah And the Lord that is the Sonne Zech. 3.2 said vnto Satan The Lord that is the Father rebuke thee O Satan euen the Lord that is the Father that hath chosen Ierusalem rebuke thee In all these places the word translated the Lord is in the originall Iehouah Iehouah vsed Essentiaâ—ly Secondly this word is vsed Essentially to note God Almighty one God in essence as in this speech of Isaiah The Lord Iehouah is my strength and my song Isai 12.2 26.4 And againe Trust yee in the Lord for euer for in the Lord Iehouah is euerlasting strength In this sense it is taken in these words of Dauid Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints The death Vnderstand by death here The death the death of the body or temporall death which is a priuation of the life of the body by meanes of the locall separating of the soule from it for a time Against the Vbiquitaries I would haue this word well marked that I say by meanes of the locall separating of the soule from the body For hereupon the death of Christ confuteth the Vbiquitaries which hold that his body is euery where present But if Christ died truly if his death that he dyed vpon the crosse were a true bodily death then his body is not euery where because if it were euery where and if it had beene euery where at that time when it hung vpon