in gurgitibus fluminum Croâ—odilis feraliter inimicum hic itaque cum viderit Crocodilum aperto ore dormientem provolvitur in limo luti ut faucibus illius facilius possit illabi tunc in os Crocodili dormient is perniciter insilit deglutitus viscera ejus cuncta dilaniat donec es extincto de cadavere vivus victor erumpat Quid Crocodilus nisi mors Tartarus quid Hydrus nisi Christus quid limo obvolui nisi humanae carnis luto vestiri Petrus Damian lib. 2. Epist 18. water-Snake does the Crocodile 2. The death of the party or the death of us and this is twofold consisting First In the separation of the soul from the body and this is a little troublesome death especially to nature these two old acquaintance play loth to depart when the time comes Inducias etiam ad horam as he said Oh reprieve me though it be but an hour and 't will be sweet nay beloved a child of God himself may sometimes be so fearful of this King of terrors that at the approach of death he may be forced to cry quarter Job 28.4 So did David Oh spare me that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more Psal 39.13 Secondly In the separation of soul and body both from God to all eternity Mâ—tth 25.41 and this is the bitternesse of death this is the dregs of death this is death armed Animae mors separatio est à Deo uti corporis mors est ipsius ab anima disjunctio Nicetas death with a sting and poyson too called in Scripture the second death Revel 20.14 death and hell were cast into the lake of fire this is the second death The death in the Text is to be understood of the death of the party for sin Anaxogoras Plutar. de consolaâ— aâ— Apol. consisting in the separation of soul and body one from another and so 't is appointed unto men once to die unto men i. e. unto all men a man and a mortal signifying one and the same thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Liban Sophist in D. mosth Apollog scio me genuisse mortalem said that Philosopher when newes came that his son was dead I knew I had begot a mortal it being as certaine that every man shall die as it is certaine that he lives Psal 89.48 What man is he that liveth and shall not see death Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave Selah mark that says the Psalmist Cui nasci contigit mori restat Seneca he puts a note of attention and observation upon iâ— though it be an ordinary truth it deserves an extraordinary consideration and 't is not only asserted by Scripture but 't is sealed by the experiences of all the world And indeed who has not a speculative notion of this truth The practical improvement is the main considerable as Solomon saith for the living to lay it to heart Eccles 7.2 that 's the duty Use is 1. Of information 2. Of Exhortation 1. Hence we see the mischief and misery of sin it hath brought death and ruine upon all Adams posterity if sin had not been committed death had not been appointed he hath appeared saith the Apostle to put away sin as it is appointed to men to die viz. because of sin if we had not sinned we had not died upon the death of the soul came in the death of the body the kernel was corrupted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil Allegor lib. and the shell became rotten and withered Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die 't is in the Hebrew dying thou shalt die dying in eating thou shalt die for eating dying as the sin thou shalt die as the scourge dying as the crime thou shalt die as the curse dying in the soul thou shalt die in the body yea and in soul also to all eternity I know there are that deny this truth Audenter determinamus mortem non ex natura secutam hominem sed ex culpa Ter. ul de Anim. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Just Mattyr Resp ad Graeces that temporal death is the punishment of sin as Pelagians and Socinians upon different grounds and reasons which I shall here neither canvase much lesse go about to confute only propound to sober judgements that of the Apostle and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he said Paul for my money Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death death temporal as well as eternal as is clear by that Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the world and death by sinne and so death passed upon all men viz. natural death temporal death 2. Is it so that death is the lot and portion of all men Then let us be exhorted seriously and in good earnest 1. Praevidere Providere To look for it 2. To provide for it 1. Be exhorted oh Christians to look for death for it 's certainly a comming Incertum est quo in loco te mers expectet itaque tu illam omni loco expecta Seneca Epist 26. God has not told us when we shall die nor where we shall die nor by what means we shall die nor how we shall die slowly or speedily lingringly or suddenly with the solemnity of a sicknesse or without in the field in the shop at the table in the bed no these things are lockt up within Gods Cabinet-councel It is not for you to know the times or the seasons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrylost Homi de morte saith Christ which the Father hath put into his own power Acts 1.7 'T is not 't is not what 't is not lawful for you 't is not expedient for you 't is not indeed good for you to know these circumstances of time and place and manner only this you may know and do know that die you must all have died hitherto and you must follow expect it Art thou greater than our father Abraham which is dead said they John 8.53 so say I thou rich man thou strong man thou young man thou good man thou great man art thou greater than our father Abraham that 's dead Josh 23.14 Isa 40.6 I go the way of all flesh saith Joshua what man art not thou flesh mark all flesh is grass and all the goodlinesse thereof as the flower of grasse flesh withers soon but the goodlinesse of flesh sooner the beauty of flesh and the strength of flesh and the honour of flesh and the wealth of flesh alas it may be these things a great while before flesh be gone as the flower fades and is blown away before the stalke is dried up so true is that of the Psalmist Psal 39.5 Verily every man at his best estate is altogether vanity Selah 2. Let me hence perswade you to provide for it as it is your wisdom to look for it so it will be your interest and security to provide for it
and Gallant to spend his time loosely and wantonly and sinfully from day to day gave him a Ring with a Death's head engraven upon it on this condition that he should one hour daily for seven days together look on 't and think on 't and it wrought saies name Author a marvelous change in the young mans life oh beloved if you would but think on 't a little every day Eccles 7.2 if the living as Solomon saith would but lay it to heart now and then what a change might be hoped for in mens lives and conversations as your interest in Christ would make you habitually prepared so these fore-thoughts of death would make you actually prepared to die Those that put away from them the evil day what did they do Amos 6. They lay upon beds of Ivory they stretcht themselves upon their couches they ate Lambs out of the flock they drank wine in bowls they chanted to the sound of the Viol and annointed themselves with chief oyntments i. e. They minded nothing but eating and drinking and singing and sleeping and gave themselves over to all manner of luxury pleasure and licentiousness whereas if they would but have suffered a death's head to have come to 'th Table it would have marr'd their mirth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epâ—ctet ap Melis l. 10. Orat. 19. and spoyl'd all their seasting and revelling as the hand-writing upon the wall did Balishazzers quaffing a Mene Mene a numbring of their dayes a while by a serious consideration and meditation of death would have brought them to a sober moderation in all things and made them more fit to live and more ready to die Horses when they are to run a race are usually exercised in the place before-hand that they may be acquainted with the rise and fall and level of the ground lest they should stumble Christian that thou maist not stumble when thou comest to die but maist die willingly chearfully readily oh 't is good to be in the ground aforehand good to meditate on death before it comes get a sight of this Basilisk before it approaches thee and then thou maist stand and out-stare it without harm it may hit thee but it cannot hurt thee 3. Look beyond death into Eternity a bare and naked consideration of death will little avail upon the mind to sobriety and reformation it will not mortifie one lust nor make a man a pin the better either for living or dying those Ephesian Beasts and Corinthian Swine that Paul met with they could quaff and carouse to one another even out of a deaths head they could revel and be drunk though they were presently to reel into their graves 1 Cor. 15.32 Let us eat and drink say they for to morrow we shall die oh but to consider death and its consequents together videre id manticae quod in tergo est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Alexand. 5. Tom. part 2. pag. 404. Oratio de exitu animi vere aurea to look upon death with its after-claps death and judgement at the heels death and hell following it death and eternity after death this if any thing will certainly awaken the drowsie and secure sinner to make him look about him oh eternity eternity this never-never-never-never-never ending life of weal or wo is that astonishing consideration that puzzles the thoughts of a finite capacity who can look down from the shoar of time into the botomless ocean of eternity without amazement Is it no matter how thou dyest when eternity follows upon it eternal happiness to comfort thee or eternal misery to torment thee sure if these things were considered we should be every moment thinking of death and providing for death 't is the prison makes the Sargeant terrible and 't is the gallows makes the Judge formidable and 't is Judgment and Eternity that makes death so considerable after this judgement saith the Text. Doctr. 2. Death comes but once to men naturally in the ordinary course of nature men die but once Nimirum ordinariè Gomarus It is appointed unto men once to die Some say that this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 once is modus Praedicati non Subjecti it is not say they to be referred to dying but to appoynting and so they quite alter the sense thus it is once appointed unto men to die and not as we read it It is appointed unto men once to die But this reading though it may possibly agree with the Apostles Grammar yet it doth not agree with his Logick though it may happily stand in the Text it cannot stand in the Context the Apostle is here proving that Christ must be offered but once and he proves it thus It is appointed unto men once to die you 'l spoil his Argument if you do not so read it However if this place should be intricate other places are plain Job 14.14 If a man die shall he live again his meaning is No he shall not live a natural life again to die a second time Luke 12.4 Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do after the body be once kill'd there 's no slaughtering it o're again If other places were as dark yet experience puts it out of doubt naturally and ordinarily men die but once 'T is true the damned die in Hell and the Godly die De consâ—eta naturali hominum conditione lequitur nam â—â—od Lâ—z rus alti aliquot bis mâ—râ—â—â—â—â—nt extraoadinarium fuit Beza in loc while they are upon earth but that 's a praeternatural and this is a supernatural death men die but once naturally and 't is true also that there are Scripture-instances of some that have died twice as the Shunamites Son and Jairus daughter and the Naimite and Lazarus and others but this was extraordinary to magnifie the wonderful power of God in their present resurrection men die but once ordinarily The truth is plain oh that the improvement might be as profitable and it serves Beloved for a twofold use 1. To mitigate our fear of death 2. To instigate our care of death 1. It serves to mitigate our fear of death if we must die but once why then are we so fearfull of dying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Libanius Sophist Demost Apolog. why should death be so terrible to us it has but one stroke it has but one shot and if we rout it it can never rally more Death comes once we cannot avoid it and it comes but once why should we fear it that place I mentioned before is pertinent to this purpose Luke 12.4 Be not afraid of them that kill he body and after that have no more that they can do they are then at Hercules his pillars as we say they are non-plust they have done their worst oh but I 'le forewarn you whom you shall fear in the next verse fear not death and fear not the instruments of death but fear the
THE Grand Statute OR The LAW of DEATH unalterable OPENED and APPLIED IN A SERMON Preached May 11. 1660. At the Funerals of that pious useful and much lamented Gent. Mr. John Cope in the Parish-Church of St. Mary-Bothaw LONDON By John Kitchin M. A. Minister of St. Mary-Abchurch LONDON Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth Job 7.1 Quid in rebus humanis certius est morte quid incertius hora mortis invenitur Bernardus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Liban Sophist Progymn London Printed for Francis Kitchin and John Garway and are to be sold at the sign of St. Paals Church in Pauls-Chaine 1660. To the truly vertuous my ever Honoured Friend M rs Hannah Cope My dear Friend THE late sad dispensation of Providence wherewith the Lord was pleased to exercise you in snatching out of your bosom the sweetest flower of your Earthly Comforts put me upon preaching that to your Ear which is now presented to your Eye The Lord print it upon your heart I confess I should much more gladly have served you in any other Office of love and labout had it seemed good in the eyes of the infinitely wise and all-disposing providence of God to have spared me this pains which yet I very willingly undertook in complyance with your requests though with a very sad and sorrowful heart I did not then more willingly preach it then I do now unwillingly publish it could I have resisted your incessant importunity both because I have ever desired to shun that Trajan◠like vanity as I may call it of affecting to be a paper flower Constantinus Magnus Trajanum Imperatorem ob aspersos passim titulos in aedificiis herbam paricta riam vocabat Cluverius Historiar Epitome and especially also considering how much of the waters of the Sanctuary run waste even out of the Press as well as the Pulpit Pasquils Libels and Ballads being more in use and esteem in this generation then Sermons God grant that this present glut and surfeit be not a fore-runner of future famine and scarcity For my delay in detaining it thus long from your view partly my absence from home partly my employments at home and especially my irresolution till of late to send it may be I hope a sufficient Apology And now it is come it has no other message to deliver save only to stir up your pure mind by way of remembrance 2 Pet. 3.1 That you may be mindful your own Mortality and that you your self are under this irrevocable Decree and indispensible Law that is now executed upon your dear deceased Husband I know you are enough sensible that he is gone oh but remember that you must follow and be confident of this that the joy of your meeting will abundantly out-balance the grief of your parting 2 Cor. 4.17 These light afflictions says the Apostle which are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory And in the mean-time two things considered might methinks abundantly support you under this trial 1. 1 Cor. 10.13 That no affliction hath hapned unto you but that which is common unto men and 2. That this affliction hath hapned unto you in no other manner but that which is peculiar to children for discipline not for destruction to chastise you Heb. 12.7 not to cast you off The God of Heaven make up this loss to you and yours in the more plentiful communications of spiritual blessings both graces and comforts which is the prayer of Your much obliged Friend And Servant in the Lord John Kitchin Abchurch July 30. 1660. TO THE READER READER THe thoughts of Death can never be unseasonable the houre of death being ever uncertain Most men put far away the evil day therefore they need frequent Monitors to put them in minde of their mortality The Author of this Sermon hath taken good paines to alarum and quicken secure sinners to a serious meditation of and a speedy preparation for their dying hour The subject of the Sermon being so solemne and the matter of it so well digested and composed it is well worth the inspection and perusal of all Edmund Galamy Thomas Watson THE Grand Statute OR The Law of Death unalterable HEB. 9.27 And as It is appointed unto men once to die but after this judgement So FOR the Coherence of the words with the Context be pleased to take notice of Saint Pauls drift in this Chapter which is this namely to compare Law and Gospel together and hereby to prove the Gospel-Administration to be far more excellent than the Mosaical Oeconomy and Legal dispensation And this he does briefly but fully in a few words but in many particulars In the 23. ver there 's the Comparison instituted In the rest you have the Comparison illustrated In the 23. ver It was therefore necessary saith the Apostle that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these meaning the Legal Ceremonies before mentioned but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. this is the comparison Gospel Ordinances are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are heavenly things so called for their stability for their perpetuity for their sublimity for their spirituality whereas the Legal Ceremonies they were at the best but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the patterns of heavenly things these were the substance those were but the shadows those were meaner these were better sacrifices 't is true those were necessary pro hic nunc and they were beautiful in their season but God had provided better things for us Heb. 11.40 This he proves and illustrates in the next verse to the end and that in four particulars 1. We have a better Priest 2. We have a better offering 3. We have a better place 4. We have a better manner 1. A better Priest we have theirs was an high Priest indeed to wit Aaron ver 25. the high Priest entred into the holy place but ours is an higher Priest to wit Christ ver 24. Christ is entred into heaven 2. Better offerings we have their offerings were the blood of others namely of other things Bulls and Goats and Rams and Lambs were their sacrifices intimated verse 25. the high Priest entred with the blood of others but our offerings are the blood of Christ himself the Priest himself he 's both Priest and Sacrifice too ver 26. he hath appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himselfe 3. A better place we have their places of propitiation were the Tabernacle and Temple places made with hands Bazaliels hands and Aholiah's hands and the workmens hands ver 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Occumenius He is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but our place of propitiation is heaven it self ver 24. but into heaven it self He is entred now to appear in the presence of God for us an house
not made with hands 2 Cor. 5.1 4. A better manner we have their offerings were repeated and that often to note their imperfection every year new offerings ver 25. The high Priest entred into the holy place every year with the blood of others but our offering is but once and once for all not towards the end of the year but towards the end of the world verse 26. with 25. Nor yet that he should offer himself often for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself And this he proves and illustrates in the two last verses 1. Laying down his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 for his medium and proof in the words of my Text. As it is appointed unto men once to die 2. Applying his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 for his illustration in the words following So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many c. q. d. There 's no man dies any more than once but our offering and sacrifice is a man the blood of Christ God-man therefore he must and can die but once It is appointed unto man once to die but after this judgment In the words there are two of those quatuor novissima Mors Judicium Gloria Gehenna Bern. in Seâ—m two of those four last things that the Ancients have advised us often to remember and consider Death Judgment Considera tres re non venies in transgressionem unde veneris è sordibus quo tandem sis abiturus inpulverem coram quo rationem es red diturus coram Sanct. Ben. Râ—f Akiba Particutare sigillatim statim dum moriuntur Carthus Heaven Hell here are two of them not only named but stated 1. The certainty of Death after sin He hath appeared to put away sin as it is appointed unto men once to die 2. The Celerity of Judgement after Death but after this Judgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immediatè post as the phrase imports John 19.38 I le handle the first of these only The certainty of Death It is appointed c. Wherein you have three Doctrines observable 1. Death is the Lot and portion of all men sooner or later first or last It is appointed unto men to die 2. Death comes but once to men naturally It is appointed unto men once to die 3. Death ever comes by and never comes but by Gods appointment It is appointed unto men c. I shall God willing handle them all and therefore I can but paraphrase upon each particular 1. Doct. Death is the lot and portion of all men sooner or later for the evidence of which we must know that there is a threefold death mentioned in Scripture Mors triplex est Culpae Gratiae Naturae Ambr. lib. 5. in Luc. 1 A sinful death 2. A spiritual death 3. A penal death adeath of grace which is sinful a death of sin which is gracious and spiritual a death of the person which is penal or there is 1. A death in sin 2. A death to sin 3. A death for sin 1. A death sin sin Ephes 2.1 You hath he quickned who were dead in sins and this is a sad death this is a woful death many are thus dead and no body misses them no body knows them no body laments them saying ah my brother or ah sister ah my wife or ah husband Jer. 22.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo lib. de profugis ah my Lord or ah his glory there are thousands of these walking ghosts go up and down the streets every day and that without observation such a one was she as merry as she was 1 Tim. 5.6 The widow that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth the husband is dead the husband is dead every one knows that Oh but look to 't for Gods sake look to 't the widow may bedead also if she be not careful and watchful the widow that lives in pleasure is dead yea twice dead Jude 12. 2. A death to sin as Barzillai was dead to Davids Courtship to whom all his royal and pompous entertainment would seeme but as dry and saplesse things 2 Sam. 19.35 Can I discerne betweene good and evil Can thy servant taste what I eate or what I drink Can I hear any more the voice of singing-men or singing-women He was dead ey'd to his Pageants and dead pallated to his banquets and dead ear'd to his musick so dead to pride and dead to lust and dead to covetousnesse dead to the world and dead to self c. and this now is a good death this is a right 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeed this is an happy death Sneton in Augusto and oh that every living soul in the Congregation was thus dead oh that this Fvneral Sermon might be the Funeral of all your lusts this you have mentioned in Colos 3.3 for ye are dead i. e. dead to sin and in Rom. 6.2 so expounded How shall we that are dead to sinne live any longer therein 3. A death for sin the work turn'd into wages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil Soluc Orat. 4. the crime made the punishment Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death Rom. 6.21 The end of sin is death Culpa morique fuit paena morique fuit Death was our sin and it was fit Sin should be punished by it Now this last death is twofold or at least in reference to the subject thereof to be doubly considered 1. The death of the Surety or the death of Christ for us and this is a glorious death this is a Christians triumphant death we can boast of this death against all the world against all the Divels in Hell against all accusations of conscience against all exactions of Justice 2 Sam. 11.17 this will smooth the wrinckles of Gods brow and appease his anger and indignation as that of Uriah's did Davids Uriah the Hittite is dead also that pleased David so Christ our Sacrifice is dead also and that pleases God Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died Nay we can boast of this death even against death it self O death where 's thy sting O grave where 's thy victory thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.55 57. There are two parts of that triumphant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sung accordingly by both parts of a Saint O death where 's thy sting that the soul sings O grave where 's thy victory that the body sings Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory that both sing over the sting of death by sanctification over the stroke of death by resurrection and both through the death of Christ who by death has slain death as the * Hydrus est animal habitans
make a vertue of a necessity must you die oh be willing to die oh be ready to die That 's a gallant speech of the Apostles 2 Tim. 4.6 I am ready to be offer'd saith Paul i. e. I am ready to die saith he and the time of my departure is at hand oh if Pauls departure had been at hand and he had not been ready to depart it had been a very sad thing but here was Pauls comfort and safety death was ready for him and he was ready for death I am ready to die oh how unready are many men to die how unready is the drunkard to die how unready is the worldling to die how unready is the voluptuous person to die in one word how unready is the Christlesse man to die For the Lords sake Sirs make it your businesse to be ready to die that you may be able to say Why is his chariot so long a coming Judg. 5.28 and why tarry the wheeles of his chariot I am ready to be offered Three things must be done ere you can be thus ready to die 1. Exod. 10.17 2 Cor. 11.23 Mors complectitur omnis generis calamitates propter peccatum in hac vita tolerandas quae sunt mortis caduceatores nuncii Gerhard Make sure of Christ there is but one malady in the world and that 's sin and there is but one grief and pain in the world and that 's death and accordingly there is but one remedy in the world to cure this malady and to sweeten or remove this pain and that 's Christ Oh labour for an interest in him When Noah knew that the Flood was coming he gat him an Ark and he gat him into the Ark also Gen. 6.22.7.7 My Beloved let me tell you the Floods's a coming let me warn every man and woman this day as Noah did the old World that there is a Flood a coming possibly an universal deluge of wrath and judgement upon the whole Nation for the crying sins and abominations thereof however this is certain that thine and my particular flood is approaching to sweep us out of the Land of the living and to hurry us into the botom of the grave Death 's a coming be sure the harbingers of death are come already upon some of us Aches and Pains and Consumptions and other languishing diseases and old age and hark the sound of their Masters feet is behind them 2 Kings 6.32 Arca Noe est Christus Ecclesia Christi ita ut quiâ—unque ext a hanc Arcam inveniuntur regnante diluvis peribunt Aug. lib. 15. de Civitate Dci c. 26 Oh therefore get your Ark ready and get into your Ark hasten to the City of refuge before you be overtaken get Christ and make sure of Christ 't is dangerous trusting to opinion only and profession only and other mens Esteem only and a few groundless hopes only oh make sure work in this matter man thou canst never be too sure of Christ get into Christ if thou mean'st to escape 'T is not enough to be upon Christ by outward profession there are many thus who yet are damned notwithstanding a Saviour but you must be in Christ by justification and Renovation by a lively faith and an exemplary life Doubtless there were many of the old World that kept a great deal of scuffling and scrambling to get upon the Ark when they saw the Flood was come indeed and there happily they might sit a little but alas now comes a blast of wind and blows off one and then comes a wave of water and dashes down another and so they all perish in the deluge Gen. 7.23 only Noah and his Family who were in the Ark were saved Ah Sirs you must be in Christ you must be in the Ark if you mean to be saved from death and hell and the deluge of wrath to come Turn to that place in Rev. 20. ult Liber vitae idcirco rectè dicitur liber â—…gni quia cuncti Electi quorum nomina in illo scripta sunt non aliter quam per Agnum Iesum Christum Justificati renati conformes imagini suae facti salvabuntur Rupertus in Apocal. and compare it with ch 21. ult Whosoever was not found written in the Lambs book of life might in no wise enter into Heaven but was cast into the lake of fire why the Lambs book of life wah they must be justified they must be renewed they must be mortified they must be sanctified as well as elected they must be in the Lambs book of life as well as Gods book of life if they will escape death This Lamb has overcame death as David overcame Goliah namely with his own weapon All Israel feared the Giant till David came and he cut off his head with his own sword Just so 't is here to those that are out of Christ death is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the King of terrors as Job speaks Job 18.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bâ—â—…i Selenc Orat 32. and all have reason to fear him but Christ comes and he cuts off his head with his own sword he kils death by death get into Christ and you make a perfect conquest of death that you need not fear it Rev. 12.11 They overcame by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their Testimony and then they lov'd not their lives unto the death then they were ready to die then they were willing to die then they fear'd not death they fear'd to live rather then to die they lov'd not their lives unto death Oh how should a poor soul tremble to die that 's out of Christ I do not know any such miserable spectacle in the world as a Christless dying man if a man was dying and not Christless he might be comfortable yea exceding joyful he might sing Simeons song Luke 2.29 Egredere anima mea now Lord let me be gone if a man was Christless and not dying it might be somewhat tolerable for happily the next meeting of Christ in an Ordinance might be towards him his time of love oh but to be a Christ-less dying man to be Christless and dying too that 's intolerable Awake awake oh soul thou art a dying God knows whether ever thou shalt hear a Sermon more oh get Christ and get into Christ and that speedily or thou art undone 2. Entertain thy thoughts much with premeditations of death before-hand think with thy self thus What if I should die now O 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clemens Alex lib. 4. Stromat Wards Serm. what If I should die to morrow what if I should be the next corse that should be followed to the grave this would tune thy spirit into a dying frame this would make thee moderate thy joyes thy griefs thy cares thy loves all thy passions and affections enough soul enough I must die ere long and what needs all this I have read a story of one that observing a riotous young Prodigal
God of death fear him that has power to cast into Hell I say unto you fear him This consideration carried Luther on so vigorously and undauntedly in his work of Reformation Quid si me occidat Papa aut damnet ultra Tartara Occisum non suscitabit ut bis iterum occidat Luther Tom. 2 mihi p 270. that he could die but once and he mattered not for their cruelty and persecution what will the Pope do sayes he writing to his Father in his book de votis Monasticis perhaps he will kill me but potestne resuscitare can he raise me again to kill me a second time and so to slaughter me ore and ore again no that 's my Comfort Christians death is like an huge Monster that overthrows himself at one blow by his own bulk and striking once he can never recover himself for a second blow Come come said that precious Minister on Tower-hill 't is but one blow and then we are in Heaven wah fear not Christians death has but one blow and let him do his worst 2. It serves to instigate our care of death if we must die but once sure then we should labour to die well this should provoke us to be careful how we die that which is but once done methinks that should be well done of all Contracts you 'l look to your Marriage for that 's supposed to be but once done so it will be your wisdom to look to your dying for that 's but once in all your life you cannot correct your former death by an after-dying if you do not live well you may happily live better but if you do not die well there 's no second Edition of death Paraeus in loc and this is Paraeus his hint upon the place si semel tantum moriendum ut semel pie moriamur operam demus do it well saith he for you must never do it more Beloved to die well is 1. To die twice we use to say that which is well done is twice done and here Christians that must be twice done that 's well done you must first die unto sin Haec sunt que faciunt inviâ—â—â— mori 1 Sam 25.37 before you can well die unto nature if your lusts be not dead before you die your hearts will be dead when you come to die and you 'l have no heart to die Nabal his heart was dead when he came to die why he had living lusts and therefore he had a dead heart oh look to the work of Mortification those sins are deadly Quid saciet homo ut vivat mortificabit seipsum quid faciet homo ut moâ—iatur vivificabit seipsam Rabbini apud Buxtorf that are not dead they are mortal if they are not mortified the life of thy lusts must go for the life of thy soul Come come be not so foolishly pitiful to yong Absolom the gentlier thou handlest thy darling and bosom-lust the more it will prick and sting and wound thy conscience one day if thou wouldst die quietly safely comfortably do not threaten thy lusts or restrain them a little but kill them stab them thy life must go for theirs else no meeting of the first death and no freedom from the second death without a part in the first resurrection Col. 3.3 Ye aredead and your life is hid with Christ in God but you are dead first 2. To die well is To have nothing to do but to die when you come to die Says the Prophet to Hezekiah Set thine house in order for thou must die Isa 38.1 q.d. let every thing be done let all thy business be dispatcht let there be nothing wanting to entertain death alas Christians how much are mens houses and how much are mens hearts out of order usually when death approaches many men have every thing to do when they come to die then send for the Minister then receive the Sacrament then restore the bribe never before every thing to do when they come to die Poor souls is your glass run and your sun set and all your work to do what is your sick-bed made of brass and your cords of iron that it must bear the burden of your whole life Mat. 6.34 when sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof Does your pain require all your groans and have you any left for your sin 't is egregious deceit Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do do it with thy might Dum polles viribus or as the Syriack has it do it whilest thou hast might do it vigorously and do it speedily repent and repent heartily and quickly reform and reform vigorously and speedily for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest 3. To die well is To be sure to live well we must not think to have Lazarus's death and Dives's life like him in Plutarch that would live with Croesus as he said but he would die with Socrates no Balaams wishes are foolish and fruitless Numb 23.10 if you would die well Christians you must have a care to live well qualis vita finis ita if you would die quietly you must live strictly if you would die comfortably you must live conformably if you would die happily you must live holily Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Psalm 37.37 Doctr. 3. Death ever comes by and never comes but by Gods appointment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is appointed unto men to die Statutum est nimirâ—m fixo imm bili indispensabili Dei decrâ—to A Lapide statutum est it is the Satute-Law of Heaven more firm then the Medes and Persians 't is no Ordinance or Temporary Sanction that time may abrogate but 't is an Act and Statute of the supream Legislator never to be repeal'd All our deaths with all the circumstances thereof when where how why they are all foreknown and fore-appointed by God Thou turnest man to destruction says Moses and sayst return ye children of men Psal 90.3 whoever may be the instâ—ument 't is God alone that is the chief Agent in life and death he has potestatem necis vitae he spake at first and the creature was made he does but speak again Dicta Dei sunt facta verbâ— Dei sunt opera Greg. and 't is destroyed thou turnest viz. in that thou sayst Return if a Sparrow cannot fall to the ground without Gods appointment surely then not a body to the grave for ye are of more value than many Sparrows Mat. 10.29 Ver. 31. T is an excellent Note that Expositors give from that Zech. 6. the three first verses of the vision of Chariots of red horses and black horses and white horses and bay horses coming out from between two brazen mountains I turned and lift up mine eyes and looked and behold says the Prophet there came four Chariots out from between two Mountains Montes sunt duo