strength in our weakness and raise up our spirits and make us couragious that we shall not be afraid of Death the King of terrors which though it be terrible in it self and as the Philosopher saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most terrible of all terrible things yet through the mediation of Jesus Christ Death is a conquer'd Enemy Christ hath conquer'd Death and took away its sting That which makes Death so terrible is the sting of sin but when the sting is took away Death can no more hurt us than a Snake that hath lost its sting or an Adder that hath its teeth knockt out The Apostle cries out 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory The sting of Death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ What is Death to a Child of God reconciled to him by the 〈…〉 hrist It 's no more as a dâ—ing Saint exprest then a Child of God can embrace with both his arms And he closing his arms together died immediately To a Child of God Death is the greatest preferment by Death he is translated from a vale of tears and misery to everlasting happiness It 's like 〈◊〉 Gaol-delivery which delivers the Soul from the Bodies imprisonment and sets it at liberty to enjoy the happiness amongst Saints in glory VVhat 's then the grand duty incumbent on us all It is thus If we would desire to die happily we must live holily if we would die the death of thâ—â—ghteous we must labour to live the life of the righteous we should so live every day as we desire to be sound at the last day And if we desire comfort in our death we must make daily preparation by approving our hearts to God in a holy and circumspect life and conversation It is a very great mercy and condescension in God to accept Evangelical instead of Legal perfection and to accept of a willing mind instead of real performances For we read Heb. 11. 17. that by faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac And likewise the Apostle saith If there be a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not When then we come to die to consider that our hearts are sincere with God and that our peace is made with him by the redemption and intercession of Christ and that all our sins are washt away and we are made white in the Bloud of the Lamb these Meditations will comfort us in Life and in Death Sect. 3 Let 's add hereunto for incouragement and comfort to the living the dying Speeches of many eminent Saints who upon their Death-beds breath'd forth snch savoury Speeches which ought to be had in everlasting remembrance I shall gather sparingly from so great a heap and only select some choice Instances which deserve a special remark to be set upon them Old Simeon's Song was sweet before his Funeral saying Luke 2. 29 30. Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy Word for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation Stephen the Protomartyr breath'd forth this dying Prayer Acts 7. 59. Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Ignatius who liv'd in the sirst Century 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Ignat. epist ad Rom. who was as the Ecclesiastical Writers say twelve years of age when Christ was crucified and afterward St. John's Auditor used frequently to say My Love is crucified And when he was brought to Martyrdom and the wild Beasts were let loose to tear him in pieces he couragiously said I am the Wheat or Grain to be ground with the teeth of Beasts that I may be pure Bread for my Masters tooth Let fire rack pullies yea and all the torments of Hell come on me so I may win Christ Polycarpus when the Proconsul urged him to deny Christ answered I have served Christ Eighty six years and he hath not done me hurt and shall I now deny him When they would have tied him to the Stake to be burned he desired to stand untied saying Let me alone I pray you for he that gave me strength to come to this fire will also give me patience to abide in the same without your tying Cyprian that eminent Martyr for the truth after his condemnation said Blessed be God for this Gaol-delivery Ambrose on his Death bed said to his Friends about him I have not so lived that I am ashamed to live any longer nor fear I death because I have a good Lord. Some young men seeing the excellent death of St. Ambrose and hearing what rare speeches he uttered one of those young men turned to his fellow and said Oh! that I might live with you and die with him John Lambert a Martyr in Queen Mary's daies said amidst the flame None but Christ none but Christ Mr. Bradford at the Stake in Smithfield embraced the Reeds and Fagots which were suddenly to be set on fire to burn him and said Strait is the Gate and narrow is the Way that leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it And he encouraged his fellow-Martyr saying Be of good comfort Brother for we shall have a merry Supper with the Lord this night If there be any way to Heaven on horse-back or in fiery Chariots this is it Martin Luther that great scourge of the Pope and Champion sor the Protestant Religion on his Death-bed said Thee O Christ have I taught thee have I trusted thee have I loved into thy hands I commend my spirit Bucer an eminent Reformer said neâ—â— his death No man by talk shall with draw my mind from Christ crucified from Heaven and my speedy Depaâ—ture on which my Soul is fixed Wheâ— one advised him to arm himself againâ— Saâ—ans temptations he answered Satan hath nothing to do with me Goâ— forbid but that now my Soul shoulâ— be sure of sweet consolation John Ardley a Martyr in Queen Mary'â— daiâ—s said If every hair of my heaâ— were a man it should suffer death iâ— the faith I now stand in To the samâ— purpose William Sparrow spake and Agâ—nes Stanley Alice Driver when the Chain was about her Neck Here is saith she â— goodly Neckerchief blessed be Goâ— for it John Noyes a Martyr kissing the Stake sain Blessed be God that ever I waâ— born for this day And he added farther to his fellow Martyrs a word of singular consolation saying We shal not lose our lives in this fire buâ— change them for a better and foâ— Coals have Pâ—arls c. What need I produce any more Instances with what joy have many sincere hearted Christians lookt death in the face so that they had rather die than live Melancthon rejoyced when he was to die saying That he should be with Christ and enjoy fellowship with him and the Church triumphant and then be freed from all those hot disputes and contentions
CHARACTERS OF A SINCERE HEART And the COMFORTS thereof Collected out of the. WORD OF GOD By HEN-WILKINSON D. D. Late Principal of Magdalen Hall in the University of OXFORD 1 Sam. 16. 7. Man looketh on the outward appearance but Lord looketh on the heart Psal 51. 6. Behold thou desirest truth in the inward partsâ— and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdome OXFORD Printed by L. LICHFIELD Printer 〈…〉 e University for RIC. DAVIS Anno Domini 1674. To the much Honoured and virtuous Lady HESTER HONYWOOD of Marks-Hall in the County of of Essex Grace Mercy and Peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Honoured Madame DEDICATIONS of Books to Persons of great rank and Quality are of great antiquity for St. Luke Dedicates Luke 1. 3. Act. 1. 1. two Treatises To the most excellent Theophilus And now a daies it 's usual to dedicate Books to such Personages who are probably ready to approve them by their Patronage and practice As to my own concernment I the rather prefix your name to this little Treatise not only to acknowledge with all thankfulness the many great Favours which I have received from you but especiallâ— I am encouraged to present those things to your view whereof you have had so large experience as you can give Testimony to the truth of them both as to your judgement and affections I therefore am your remembrancer of those things whereof as I doubt not you have experimental knowledge and my design is to comfort you with those comforts wherewith I my self have been comforted It 's the charge which the Angel gives unto the Church of Thyatira But that which you have already hold Rev. 2. 25. fast And the Apostle's charge is sutable unto that Let us hold fast Heb. 10. 23. the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised Likewise for self examination and tryal of our evidences for heaven we are frequently commanded More particularly St. Paul chargeth the Corinthians and us as well as them Examine your 2 Cor. 13. 5. selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates So likewise the Church after she had undergone great afflictions and sufferings makes this serious deliberate resolution Let us search and try Lam. 3. 40. our waies and turn again to the Lord. You being Madam an old Disciple and an experienced Christian cannot but know that it 's a duty of great concernment and in an especial manner incumbent upon all faithful Ministers to endeavour in their Preaching to distinguish the pretious from the vile for so saith the Lord to the Prophet Jeremiah If thou Ier. 15. 19. take forth the pretiouâ— from the vile thou shalt be as my mouth let them return unto thee but return thou not to them Our blessed Lord and Saviour the best Example and the exactest Pattern for our imitation in that incomparable Sermon which he Preached in the Mount makes mention of seven Beatitudes each of them being a rare discriminatiâ—g character whereby good and bad blessed and cursed are distinguished one from another For if the poor in spirit be blessed then the rich proud in spirit are cursed if the pure in heart be blessed then the impuâ—e in heart must be cursed c. Because of Contrarieties there are contrary consequences And Christ himself is the best Interpreter of himself for when he pronounced blessings upon such as Luke 6. 20. 21. 22. were poor and hungred and wept v. 24 25 26. he pronounced woes against such as were rich and full and of whom all men speak well Likewise our Saviour shewes the absolute and indispensible necessity of Regeneration and being born from above as may appear by Christs answer to Nichodemus Jesus answered and said unto him Verily verily Ioh. 3. 3. I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdome of God And Regeneration is a Characteristick note of distinction between the old and new birth Farther Christ puts a vast difference between a good and a bad tree For saith he A good tree cannot Matt. 7. 18 19 20. bring forth evil fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit Every tree that bringeth not good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fier wherefore by their fruits you shall know them And Christ makes Love one to another a mark Ioh. 13. 35. af his Disciples And after Christs Example his Apostles lay down marks and signes to distinguish the good from the bad For instance How frequently doth St. John press the grace of love and lays it down as an infallible sign of one that is translated from death to life We know that we have passed 1 Ioh. 3. 14. from death to life because we love the Brethren He that loveth not his Brother abideth in death Saint Peter expresly manifests what we should avoid Wherefore laying 1 Pâ—t 2. 1 2 3. aside all malice and guile and hypocusies and envies and all evil speakings c and he injoynes what we should reduce unto practice As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby And it follows by way of Character representing such who are new born babes in these words If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 17. is gracious Saint Paul gives an evident sign of such who are in Christ by the new Creature wrought in them Thefore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are past away behold all things are become new And to mention only one more scripture to this purpose The Apostle discovers a great difference between the old man and the new and Eph. 4. 21. 22 23 24. thus Presseth our duty upon us If so be that ye have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus That ye put of concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts And be renewed in the spirit of your minde and that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Now having such abundant warrant from the example of Christ and his Apostles I question not in the least but that in the exercise of our Ministry we obliged according to the Rule of the word of Gods to lay down Characters of a Regenerate estate and to distinguish sincere and real Professors from such who are only Nominal and Hypocritical Many there are who name the name of Christ but depart not from iniquity But it 's the express command of the word And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity Many there are that content themselves with the Angel of the Church of Sardis to have only a bare name to live But he is reproved by Christ Rev. 3 1 2. And unto the Angel of the Church in
persons nor to their sacrifices Thus the Lord expostulates the case with them Isai 1. 12 13. When ye come to appear before me who hath required this at your hand to tread my courts And the Lord forbids them to bring such kind of sacrifices verse 13. Bring no more vain oblations incense is an abomination unto me Quest But might not they truly have replied that incense oblations sacrifices c. were all of Divine institution God commanded them all why then should not they yield obedience to the command accordingly Answ I answer They were commanded to offer sacrifice but they offered sacrifice in a wrong manner For in every service which we perform to God we should do it in a right manner and for a right end not only the action it self but the manner of performing it must be regarded The Jews rested only in the Ceremonial service and in the multitude of external sacrifices having no regard at all to their own hearts and lives these they should have offered up to God pure and holy but their hearts were exceeding foul and their hands were full of bloud therefore God rejected both their persons and their sacrifices For thus saith the Lord verse 15. When ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when you make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of bloud First then before we can offer any acceptable sacrifice unto God we must set upon the practice of mortification and slaughter of all our sins Wherefore the special charge of the Apostle is Col. 3. 5. Mortisie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness in ordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is idolatry Not a◠lust may be spared All carnal lusts may be compared to those brats of Babylon which are appointed for utter destruction To this purpose we may apply that of the Psalmist Psal 137. 8 9. O daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast rewarded us Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones Quest Some make it a Question though good Christians make no Question of it at all Whether self-murther be lawful Answ For Answer It 's murther in the highest degree and an apparent breach of the sixth Commandment Thou shalt do no murther As no murther should be committed against another much less against a mans self But for every one of us to slay our sins and destroy our corruptions is no self-murther for then a Christian lives best of all when he hath slain his sins and corruptions We must make it our daily prayer that God would destroy our sins and save our Souls Every sin we must account a Benhadad design'd for destruction Therefore Benhadad being appointed by God for utter destruction Ahab by sparing him brought inevitable ruine upon himself and his people For thus saith the man of God to Ahab by the word of the Lord 1 Kings 20. 42. Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction therefore thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people If then we give quarter to any one sin and hug it in our bosomes we take a speedy course to destroy our own Souls for by shewing foolish pity to spare any one sin we prove cruel to our precious Souls we our selves being the greatest enemies to our selves Sect. 3 Farther we must take special cognizance of such sins as either are secret unknown to any man or else such as come not within the verge of the punishment of the Law of man as wanton and amorous glances vain frothy discourse and covetousness on which God sets a peculiar brand of infamy Col. 3. 5. and calls it Idolatry Now Idolatry is a sin of a high aggravation for it indeavors to rob God of his honour and to ascribe that honour and glory to Mammon and worldly rich men which is only due to the eternal Creator God blessed for ever Likewise we must observe what a wide difference the Apostle makes between carnal living and the practice of mortification the difference is as great as between life and death and so are the different effects and issues of both For saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 13. Ifye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live We read of that glorious Victory which the Lord wrought for Israel against Amalek an inveterate enemy after this Victory was obtained we read that Moses built an Altar and called the name of it Jehovah Nissi for he said because the Lord hath sworn that he will have war with Amalek from generation to generation Exod. 17. 15 16. Quest The Question may be askt Why was war to be made and continued from generation to generation against Amalek Answ The Answer is obvious they were cruel and bloudy Enemies destitute of all manner of mercy and bowels of compassion and therefore God chargeth Moses to make a Record of this signal Deliverance And the Lord said unto Moses write this for a memorial in a Book and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven Quest But it will be further askt Wherein consisted the particular sin of Awalek Answ For Answer Moses gives a full relation Deut. 25. 17 18 19. Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way and smote the hindmost of thee even all that were feeble behind thee when thou wast faint and he feared not God Therefore it shall be when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven thou shalt not forget it As war by Gods appointment should be waged against Amalek so it 's the appointment of God that we should continue fighting and warring against our sins and corruptions In this case onely it's lawful to perpetuate a deadly fewd and remain alwaies implacable and irreconcileable against all our sins we must not make the least peace nor admit of any parly for peace for any sin though it be of long standing custom and antiquity and pleasing to flesh and bloud To what hath been mentioned I will add for further explication two significant words viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which the Apostle makes an emphatical mention 1 Cor. 9. 27. But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast-away The first word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred I keep under my body but there lies in the word a greater emphasis for the word signifies to beat the body black and blue and further yet in
the propriety of the word it signifies * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est parâ— saciet quae oculis est subjecta contuendo suboctum seu dejectuÌ„ premo Beza to beat under the eye and to leave a mark there of redness and blueness The other word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this properly signifies to bring into subjection it 's a Metaphor took from Oxen whom we bring under the yoke or from any such Creatures whom we enslave or captivate and bring them into subjection for our use and service We should then indeavor so to bring down our bodies and subdue them as to make them serviceable to our souls and subject and obedient to the yoke of Christ if so we have well learn'd the Doctrine of Mortification A learned moral Heathen will condemn many dissolute livers who call themselves Christians and yet live without God in the world I am saith Seneca greater and born to greater things than to be a slave to my body Every Drunkard is a slave to his Cups and every Whoremonger a slave to his Harlot and every covetous Worldling is a slave to his Mammon But our design must not be to enslave our Souls to our Bodies but the design which we drive must be to make our Bodies serviceable to our Souls It was an excellent saying of Ephrem Syrus who flourisht in the third Century after Christ He that feasts his Body and starves his Soul is like him that feasts his Slave and starves his Wife CHAP. XII Vivification of the Fruits of the Spirit is a Character of a sincere Heart THe twelfth and last Character of sincerity Charact. 12. Vivification of the fruits of the Spirit Sect. 1. which I shall only mention is The Vivification of the Fruits of the Spirit After mortification of the deeds of the Body there must necessarily follow the Vivification of the Fruits of the Spirit for where Christ dwells in a Soul by faith and by the influence of his grace the Body is dead as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. 10. because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness A Learned and Judicious Writer thus interprets that Scripture Quam vis peccatum morfi nos adjudicet quatenus in nobis remanet primae naturae vitiosibus spiritum tamea Dei esse victore noc obstare quod tantum primitiis donati sumus quia vel una ejus sciatilla viâ—ae semen est Calv. in Loc. Although saith he sin condemns us to death so far as the remainders of corrupt nature and the vitiosity thereof remains in us yet the Spirit is Conquerour wherefore notwithstanding out primitive corruption one spark of the Spirit of God is a seed of life to us though in this world we receive only the first-fruits thereof All those who by nature are dead in trespasses and sins can never be brought from death to life and from the state of nature into the state of grace any other way but by the quickning virtue of Jesus Christ For saith the Apostle You hath he quickned who were dead in your trespasses and sins Such as are now through grace in a state of regeneracy were in their natural condition in a state of unregeneracy and such who are now quickned were formerly in a dead condition As it 's said of the converted Prodigal in the Parable Luke 15. 32. He was dead and is alive again and was lost and is found The Apostle discovers the great difference between the state of regeneracy and unregeneracy and the difference is great as great as the difference between life and death Let 's diligently review the words of the Apostle Wherein Ephes 2. 2 3. in time past ye walked according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the power of the Air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Among whom also we had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires or wills of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the children of wrath even as others And what is the sole moving cause of all it followeth vers 4 5. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sect. 2. Christ by grace ye are saved Quest But the Question may be askt How may such who are regenerated and quickned by Christ be distinguished from such who are unregenerate and yet dead in their trespasses and sins Answ I Answer as a tree may be known by its fruits which it bears i. e. a good tree by good fruits and a bad tree by bad fruits so may regenerate be distinguished from unregenerate unregenerate bring forth the fruits of the flesh as adultery fornication uncleanness c. Gal. 5. 19 20 21. before mentioned but regenerate persons bring forth the fruits of the Spirit St. Paul gives us a double Catalogue one is short but very comprehensive Ephes 5. 9. The fruit of the spirit is in all goodness righteousness and truth The other is a large Catalogue Gal. 5. 22 23. The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no Law If then the fruits of the Spirit exert and manifest themselves in the holiness of our lives and conversations it 's an infallible sign of our vivification by the Spirit of Jesus Christ By those twelve forementioned Characters of a sincere Heart we may and must put our selves upon a strict search and enquiry whether our hearts be sincere and upright towards God We must then with all diligence and impartiality make a strict search into our hearts we must ask What have I done Jer. 8. 6. we must commune with our own hearts Psal 4. 4. and as the Church resolves Lam. 3. 40. Let us search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord. And I am perswaded that if we have one of those Characters forementioned in sincerity and in truth we have the rest for they are all Links of one and the same golden Chain and there 's such a concatenation between them as one cannot be separated from another CHAP. XIII Containing the Comforts pertaining to sincere Christians in their Lives in this World HAving laid down those twelve forementioned Characters and Signs of Sincerity I thence infer this Conclusion That it 's the grand Duty incumbent upon us all and every one in particular to propound the Question as in the presence of God to his own Soul Am I a sincere-hearted Christian yea or no Let us with deliberate thoughts consider of those twelve above-named Signs and Marks of Sincerity and examine our selves by them accordingly herein consists the grand Labour and Work to busie our selves with all frequent and serious self-reflections and heart-examinations and let us as one man every one particularly propound the Question
as in the presence of God to his own Soul saving Is my heart sincere and upright towards God There are many needless Questions propounded which gender strife and it were better that they had been buried in silence altogether but here is the Question worthy of our studying and stating viz. Whether our hearts stand sincere towards God As for all those whose hearts are without guile as Nathanael's was John 1. 47. who have truth in the inward parts as God requires Psal 37. 6. who are men after God's own heart as David was whose hearts are perfect with God as Hezekiah Asa and Jehosaphat were these notwithstanding infirmities incident to human nature shall find the comfort and benefit of their uprightness and sincerity in their lives and in their deaths and after death to all eternity Sincere-hearted Christians receive Sincere persons receive comfort in their lives comfort in their lives Although God's dear Children meet with variety of sore and grievous afflictions in this present World and encounter with many tentations and great troubles and vexations insomuch as they are the very Butt and Mark against which their implacable Enemies shoot their keenest and sharpest Arrows poisoned and destructive yet notwithstanding all their sufferings a good od a good Cause and a good Conscience will carry them chearfully through all their troubles and abundantly quiet and support their spirits And the least glimpse of God's reconciled countenance in Christ will infinitely compensate for all the frowns and fury of implacable Adversaries inward comforts will make amends for outward troubles A good Conscience like Ahimaaz will bring good tidings or like a Halcyon as is said appears in a storm as an emblem of a calm approaching Or a good Conscience may resemble Noah's Dove which brought an Olive-leaf in her mouth in token that the waters were abated As Aaron's Rod swallowed up all the Rods of the Magicians so a pacified Conscience by the consolations of God's spirit will swallow up all manner of troubles and vexations whatsoever A sincere heart and the answer of a good conscience and the apprehension of God's reconciled countenance in the face of Christ will compose and quiet our spirits and becalm and make them sedate and settle all manner of fluctuating and tumultuating thoughts To this purpose I 'le cite an excellent passage of St. Augustine * Tumultuosis varietatibus dilaniantur cogitationes meae intimae viscera animae meae donet in te coajinam purgatus liâ—uidus gâ—e amoris tui Aug. conf l. c. 29. My thoughts saith he are torn in pieces with variety of tumults even my inward bowels are torn in pieces until I make haste to be purged and and melted with the fire of thy love One only word spoken by Christ suddenly becalm'd a rough and tempestuous Sea for when the Disciples were afraid Matth. 8. 26. Christ arose and rebuked the Winds and the Sea and there was a great calm And amidst variety of storms and tempests even such winds which blow fiercer than that called Euroclydon Acts 27. 17. Christ can make all still and so can he amidst the greatest inward and sharpest storms of Christians when they are at their wits end and know not what to do Christ I say can speak a word of peace unto their Souls saying Son or Daughter be of good comfort all thy sins are forgiven thee Upon the hearing of such a gracious word there will follow a marvelous tranquility and serenity upon the spirit Sect. 2 It cannot be denied though it ought to be bewailed but the best of Saints here on earth have their spots and failings for they are encompassed in this World with a body of sin and corruption yet they are sensible of and mourn for their spots and failings for they are their sorrow and their heavy burthen They do not willingly allow themselves in any sin nor willingly depart from any command Sin in a Child of God is a torment to him like a broken leg or a broken tooth it 's matter of dolour and anguish to him Sin in a Child of God is like Garbidge thrown into a running stream it is still running and purging away of all manner of filth and impurity But sin in an unregenerate man is like Garbidge thrown into a standing pond there it abides and sends forth a loathsome and stinking savour However all those whose hearts are upright with God make it their continual employment to search their hearts and to wash and cleanse them hereupon after searching of their hearts they learn to know them better and they know more evil by themselves than all the World can tell them of hence follows heart-compunction sighing and mourning And being thus apprehensive of their own impotency and unworthiness and forlorn condition they make haste to Christ and implore his gracious assistance and beseech him to cleanse them and make them white in his Bloud Wherefore as often as that inveterate enemy Satan and all malicious and ungodly men the Devils instruments prefer large Bills of Accusations and false Indictments against the Saints they make their appeal to the righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth who alwaies judgeth righteously The Apostle makes an expostulation and gives an answer thereunto every way satisfactory Rom. 8. 33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth The most bitter Accusations and most violent Persecutions of them all are altogether insignificant and of no effect force or vertue against any of those whom God justifies for Gods justification and discharge will fully acquit and exonerate us and save us harmless and indemnified against all the demands charges suggestions and libels made against us by the worst of Enemies For it follows in the next words Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us The frequent and serious meditation of these things abundantly support and comfort the godly in their Pilgrimage on Earth Albeit the best of Gods children meet with conflicts and antipathies and are excercised in combats against the Flesh the Devil and the World those spiritual Enemies of their Salvation yet through the strength of Christ they shall return with Trophies of Victory and by experience they shall find the flesh to be weaker and weaker and the spirit stronger as it was said of the houses of David and Saul this grew weaker and weaker and the other grew stronger and stronger But whilst we are in this World we must never cast down our weapons but still continue fighting against sin we must not expect to rest from our labours till we are dead Let 's then with all diligence and fidelity manage our spiritual warfare and in all things labour to approve our hearts sincere to God and we shall at length conclude with the Apostle Rom. 8 37. Nay in all these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things
we are more then conquerors through him that loved us CHAP. XIV Containing the Comforts which sincere-hearted Persons enjoy in their Deaths Sect. 1 HAving represented in the former Chapter the great comforts which such whose hearts are sincere with God receive in their lives in the second place I come to discover the comforts of them in their deaths Although by no means may we make a judgment of the course of the life by reason of some distempers and passions which oftentimes proceed from strength of Diseases yet usually we read of the deliberate composed and serious professions of many good Christians which they have made on the bed of languishing Solomon saith Prov. 14. 32. The righteous hath hope in his death And hope grounded on Divine promises affords us superabundant consolation When the Prophet Isaiah was sent to Hezekiah to give him warning of his death which was suddenly approaching then Hezekiah recollects his serious thoughts and reflects upon his upright walking with God in his whole life and conversation the remembrance whereof administred ground of singular consolation unto his Soul The History is on record in holy Scripture 2 Kings 20. 1 2 3. In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death and the Prophet Isaiah the son of Amos came to him and said unto him Set thine house in order for thou shalt die and not live Then he turned his face unto the wall and prayed unto the Lord saying I beseech thee O Lord remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which was good in thy sight Likewise St. Paul apprehending the time of his dissolution to draw near thus raiseth to himself a ground of strong consolation 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. For saith he I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them that love his appearing We commonly say That the house of Death is the house of Truth and where the senses are exercised and the memory and judgment are not extinct there will be plain dealing and there will be made plain discoveries As for such for them only I now mention whose hearts are upright with God the remembrance of the sincerity of their hearts next to the consolations of Gods spirit will revive their spirits on their beds of languishing Sect. 2 Let us consider before hand that we shall all die for Death is the common lot and portion of all mankind Heb. 9. 27. it is Gods appointment Would we not then be glad when we are cast upon our Death-beds to have something at that time â—o comfort us when we are leaving of these houses of Clay and unclothing of our selves of our mortal Bodies what is that which will be a ground of comfort to bear up our spirits Will thousands of Gold and Silver purchase the Favour of God can the greatest Mannors Lordships and Revenues of the World Can an Imperial Diadem bâ—ibâ— Death to stay a longer time Can all the Grandees and Potenâ—ates of this World should they all unite as one man avail any thing to make our peace with God No questionless For no great Personages nor great Riches can either dâ—â—â—â—er themselves or us from the stroke of Death nor pacifie their own nor our Consciences nor make any peace and reconciliation either for themselves or for us at that day Some in this World being arrested for Debt have made the Serjeant drunk and so have made an escape out of his hands But it is altogether impossible to deal so with the grim Serjeant Death none can escape Deaths dart wherever they run Death will strike them to the heart Now then when all the Gold and Silver which the Universe can afford when all the interest of Friends though great and potent cannot administer any comfort peace and satisfaction to us when we lie upon our Death-beds then Oh then is that necessary instant when the light of Gods gracious countenance shining upon us in the face of Christ can only revive our spirits and give us real and durable joy peace and comfort when all creature comforts are Physicians of Job 13. 4. no value empty Cyphers insufficient and unable to give us any satisfaction This then is that good which the Psalmist had experienced and prayed for it above all besides Psal 4. 6 7 8. There be many that say Who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Thou hast put gladness in my heart more then in the time that their corn and wine increased I Aspice nos sereao vultu ostende te nobis favere recipe noâ— in gratiam consolare to laetifica no. tuâ praesâ—â—tiâ id non famus soliciti quid fiat in hoc mundo car impit per veniâ—at ad summas opeâ— ecclesia misere â—â—primatur Mollerus will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety Hence it evidently appears that the only saving good consists in the light of Gods gracious countenance For this we must be earnest and indefatigable solicitors at the Throne of Grace However the men of the World may frown on us and the Riches of the World may forsake us yet if God smile on us and be reconciled to us in Christ he will never leave us nor forsake us no not when we are gray-headed and upon our beds of languishing and when our natural strength fails and our diseases do much afflict us and the pains thereof make us roar the reflection of our well-spent time in giving up our strength to the service of God and of improving of our health to glorifie God will be even our Death-beds singular ground of consolation even the reviving of the memory of such time strength and health so imployed in the service of God When the faithfulest of our Friends and such as are most willing to do us good are not able to help us at all when learned Physicians have given us over as altogether desperate and incurable and when the pains and pangs of a long wasting lingring and tormenting disease even a complication of diseases are inexpressible and our throats rattle and the abundance of Phlegm is ready to suffocate us and our eye-strings are ready to break and our eyes are dim and gastly and every breath we take though with much difficulty is like to be our last breathing Oh! then is the time that the testimony of a good conscience that as the Apostle professeth 2 Cor. 1. 12. in simplicity and in godly sincerity we had our conversation in this world will abundantly comfort us and the apprehension of the love of God in Christ will revive our fainting spirits and give