End Others may run Faster but he makes the best Speed that first gets to Heaven So run that ye may obtain 2 Cor. 9. 24. Now a Blessed Immortality may be obtained two waies 1. In Affection 2. In Fruition This latter is to be expected at Gods leisure but the former cannot be too soon obtained The very first step of Mortality should thus tend towards Immortality For as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death Rom. 6. 3. when we were yet scarce entred into our own Life we were Baptized into his Death which shews that in truth we were not so much born to live as we were born to die Well the man may think himself born to live but sure the Christian that is baptized into the Death of Christ must know that he was born again only to die For thus we all brought a body of death with us into the world Rom. 7. 24. as well as a breath of life Gen. 2. 7. And must therefore learn to dye in the beginning as well as in the end of our daies Saint John saith of himself And when I saw him that is Christ I fell at his feet as dead Rev. 1 17. So is it with us when we truly see Christ we sall down at his feet as dead and yet do not lose our Station but only mend it For whereas before we stood in our selves by thus falling we stand in our Saviour No Christian is a loser by being dead with Christ no more then Christ was a loser by his own death For indeed death is the only way for them both to a Joyful Resurrection I am He that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Rev. 1. 18. The Death was but for a short time but the Life is for evermore This is such a Funeral as ought to be kept without Mourning and is better solemnized with Joy and Triumph then with Sorrow and Lamentation For this Mortal must put on Immortality here on Earth or it will not be fit to put it on hereafter in Heaven This Mortal must put on Immortality before it put off it self Immortality in Affection or it will never put on Immortality in Fruition SECT II. Of the Knowledge of mans Mortality THE Knowledge of Mortality is more then a Science it is also a Sapience O that they were Wise that they understood This that they would consider their latter end Deut. 32. 29. Here is Sapience and Science Joyned both together Sapience is a knowledge of Principles Science is a knowledge of Conclusions This knowledge of Mortality is Both Teaching a man to joyn his last Ending to his first Beginning The serious studies of Mortality will make a man in His Moment to imitate God in his Eternity It will make us Alpha and Omega in our Nothing as God is in his All. So to think of our First as to think of our Last For this is for a man to consider his latter End To know the greatness of Mortality he is under from within him from without him from above him from below him from within him by the contradiction oâ—… his nature those irreconcilable contrarietics in his constitution From without him by the Contentions anâ—… Violences of wicked men his irreconcilâ—…ble Enemies who aâ—… wicked men have their feet swift to shâ—… blood and as Enemies will yet make theâ—… swifter to shed his blood and as irreconcileable Enemies will not give over that swifâ—…ness till they have shed it From aboâ—… him The God of heaven calling for hiâ—… Breath which he did but lend him for tâ—… Run his Race From below him The Dâ—…vils of Hell sorry to see him Running tâ—… wards Heaven if he be Tending thither anâ—… so desirous to interrupt his course or glad of his running towards Hell if his Race tend that way and so willing to Precipitate and Hasten him thither This consideration of Mortality is fully expressed by the Psalmist as it ought to be Practised by us Psal. 39. 5. Lord let me know mine end and the Number of my Daies so the Septuagint The Number of my Daies you cannot know a Number without Joyning the First and the Last unites both together So is it also in knowing the Number of your Daies you must take in your last day or you cannot have your full Number Omnem crede Diem tibi diluxisse supremum But the Hebrew saith The measure of my Daies now a measure is in continued quantity but Number is in discrete quantity It seems it is not yet fully Resolved in the Text by what quantity the length of mans life is to be taken whether by Magnitude or by Multitude For if it be taken by Magnitude it is so small a measure that it may seem almost indivisible but a span long And yet even so it is rather taken by Multitude for what is a span but a Multitude in Magnitude the space betwixt the thumb and the little finger when they are severally extended to make one measure And therefore the Septuagint saith Behold thou hast made my daies old Such as are already past and gone For whiles t is yet passing over it is no day you have but only the present minute of it when you have the whole day you have nothing left it is gone before you can have it So is your life it is but a minute whiles you have it and if it be more you have it not It is gone before it comes to be more or can be more in your Account And therefore in this case of Numbring our Daies we must fetch our Arithmetick from Heaven no Artist on Earth can teach it us but only the Spirit of God so teach us to number our daies Psal. 90. v. 12. A very Unquoth Arithmetick to number that which is not To number daies whiles they are yet Passing which cannot properly be numbred till they are Past And yet without this Arithmetick there is no applying the Heart unto wisdom Diu Fuit non Diu Vixit He had a long Continuance but he had a short Life is true of every one that Numbers not his Daies till they be spent Here must be Numerus Numerans before Numerus Numeratus The Number Numbring before the Number Numbred God Numbreth the stars and calleth them all by their Names Yet the stars first Are before they are Numbred But man Numbreth his Daies before they Are The Number is before the thing Numbred He Numbers not what is past that he may prolong but what is to come that he may Redeem his time And it neerly concerneth him so to do for his Daies are like a shadow that declineth Psal. 102. 11. The shadow when it is declining waxeth longest for the Sun is setting but then presently it waxeth nothing for the Sun is set So is the life of man as a shadow nay as the dream of a shadow it never seemeth long till it is declining and then in a short time it is nothing at
yet I may with humility and I hope not without some truth impute the amendment of many of them to mine own sufferings The ground hath been tilled and the tree hath been pruned And why should not this tilling and pruning yield the peaceâ—…le fruit of righteousness unto me that have been exercised thereby I have been â—…ng and often ploughed as it were â—…nd broken up and harrowed by the hand of God and why should I not be somewhat amended and improved by his good husbandry I have been long and often â—…ned as it were in my flesh by his â—…harp knife cutting off my superfluities 〈◊〉 make me the less sinful and the more â—…ruitful And why should I not bring â—…rth good fruits in due season even tâ—… peaceable fruits of righteousness or the fruits of righteousness which bring forth peace the peace of a good conscience here and of a blessed Eternity hereafter Therefore earnestly desiring to walk in this righteousness I will hope to lay me down in this peace And at the end of my wearisom Pilgrimage to take my rest in the arms of Gods Eternal mercy though now I groan under the hand of his Justice For so laying me down to sleep none shall ever be able to take either me from his arms or my rest from me Amen The sick mans Ejaculations To the Reader THese Ejaculations are Eighty in number and they are like mans years in Moses time when they come to that same number full of labour and sorrow though this latter age of the world will not let it self tarry so long for labour nor others tarry so long for sorrow And they are therefore called Ejaculations because they are as it were so many dartings of the soul upon some reflexion or thought either of mans misery or of Gods mercy sent up towards Heaven All aiming at one mark though from several occasions and after several waies That is at the rest of the soul in God Nor may you here look for curious method but for Religious matter sometimes you will find the sick mans soul troubled for fear of death sometimes almost inflamed with the desire of it sometimes bemoaning the disturbance of his body sometimes fearing the distemper of his soul sometimes affrighted with the thought of Judgement sometimes rejoycing against it If you find any thing to comfort you in your extremity thank not me for speaking to my self but thank God for speaking to your soul And be not troubled that your Passions like these Ejaculations are not orderly so as they be Religious Trouble and sorrow cannot look after Order but they must look after Religion And a sick mans expressions are not so much beholding to his head to make them Methodical and Eloquent as to his 〈◊〉 to make them affectionate and devout And God grant your sickness may make yours so Ejaculations 1. GRant Lord that I may be dead unto sin before I am dead unto the world that being planted together in the likeness of thy Sons death I may be also in the likeness of his Resurrection That like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so I walking in newness of life may have a comfortable death here and a glorious Resurrection hereafter 2. Destroy in me O God the body of sin before thou destroy in me the body of flesh that I may be justified from my sins whiles I live and freed from my sins when I shall be dead Make me to lie down in comfort because by my death I shall wholly die unto my sins Make me to rest in hope because by my Resurrection I shall wholly live unto my God 3. Make me to look upon my sickness my tedious and terrible sickness as upon thy Visitation that I may bear it patiently Make me look upon my death as upon my Release that I may take it comfortably 4. O thou who wouldst be crucified before thou wouldst be glorified and didst suffer pain to enter into Joy make me submit to thy Cross that thou mayest prepare me for thy Crown Make me contentedly to suffer with thee in this world that I may triumphantly reign with thee in the world to come 5. O Lord I have Judged my self let me not be Judged of thee so as to be condemned for it is agreeable with thy Mercy to save the sinner though thou destroy the sin And it is agreeable with thy Justice not to punish that sin in me which thou hast already punished in my blessed Redeemer 6. O Lord thou didst make thy beloved Son perfect with sufferings and I cannot hope thou wilt let thy unworthy servant be perfected without them O then let not my sufferings betray the imperfections of my flesh but conduce to the perfections of my spirit and make me ever willing to suffer since thou canst and wilt make me perfect by suffering 7. O thou God of peace that broughtest again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant Make me perfect in every good work to do and suffer thy will working in me that which is well-pleasing in thy sight and working for me that which is profitable for my salvation through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Heb. 13. 20 21. 8. O blessed Jesu the chief Corner-stone on which alone is laid for us the foundation of a blessed Eternity the Rock upon which thy Church is built and all our souls relie Be merciful unto me and give ear unto my prayers and to my sighs and groans when I cannot pray Be unto me a fountain of comfort whensoever my heart is in heaviness and my body is in pain that my soul may have continual health and joy and rest in Thee and in thy Merits and Mercies for evermore 9. Lord make me desire the dissolution of my earthly house of this Tabernacle that I may have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens for I know that whiles I am at home in the body I am absent from the Lord Make me therefore willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with thee my God for in thy presence is the fulness of joy and at thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore And make me labour that whether absent or present I may be accepted of thee through the righteousness of thy dearest Son my only Lord and Saviour Amen 10. Give unto me true sorrow for my sins that thou mayest give me true comfort in my sorrows Grant I may have peace in thee whiles I have tribulation in the world and make me be of good chear in all my tribulations for thou hast overcome the world and wilt not let the world overcome me 11. O Lord Jesus Christ who hast overcome the sharpness of death opened the Kingdom of heaven to all Believers Make me â—…ot to fear death since thou hast made that â—…n Inlet into thy
A Christian Legacy Consisting of two Parts I. A Preparation for Death II. A Consolation against Death Nullum sacrificium est Deo magis acceptum quam Zelus Animarum Greg. Mag. 1 Cor. 10. 17 18. He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord for not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth By EDWARD HYDE Dr. of Divinity and late Rector Resident of Brightwell in Berks. Printed by R. W. for Rich. Davis in Oxon. 1657. To the Reader Christian Reader WHen first made a Member of Christ though it were at the very entrance of your life you did then receive your summons for death for you were baptized into the death of Christ buried with him by baptism into death Rom. 6. 3 4. And that same Baptism as it still gives you a Rejoycing in Christ Jesus our Lord so it bids you by That rejoycing to die daily 1 Cor. 15. 31. And indeed you are not fit to live till you are prepared to die You are not truly fit to live unless you live to God and if you live unto him you cannot be unprepared to die unto him The Man lives to himself and dies as he lives to his own corruption but the Christian lives to his Saviour and accordingly dies to his glorious Resurrection For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself for whether we live we live unto the Lord And whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords Rom. 14. 7 8. It is a great priviledge to live to Christ but a far greater priviledge to die to him By living to Christ you get the victory over your enemies and the terrours of their insolency but by dying to him you get the victory over your self and the terrours of your own conscience By living to Christ you get the conquest over life but by dying to him you get the conquest over death Neither shall the world be able to make you live unquietly nor the Devil be able to make you die uncomfortably So that if you do not want the preparation for death you cannot want the consolation against death And in this respect it were much to be wished That all the Lords people were Prophets or if they had rather Preachers to reason with themselves as S. Paul reasoned with Faelix of Righteousness Temperance Judgement to come Act. 24. 25. That all their Trembling or Quaking might begin and end here and none remain till hereafter The reasoning about Righteousness how it would confound our misdemeanours against our Brethren The reasoning about Temperance how it would confound our misdemeanours against our selves The reasoning about Judgement to come how it would confound our misdemeanours or rather outrages against our God All these would be speedily confounded by such kind of reasonings though all have been such as have affrighted Earth and amazed Heaven And truly much better were it that our reasonings should confound our misdemeanours then that our misdemeanours should confound us and make us even ashamed with Josephs Brethren to see the face of our own Brother in this world and much more afraid with Israels enemies to see the face of God our Father in the world to come However whether we will thus turn preachers or not unto our selves yet it is not to be denyed but there are some men who are bound to preach not only to themselves but also to others according to that charge committed to them and that trust reposed in them Luk. 22. 32. Et tu conversus confirma Fratres And when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren For that Minister is not truly thankful to God for his own conversion and confirmation who makes it not his chiefest business to convert and to confirm others Knowing therefore the terrour of thâ—… Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5. 11$ They that most know the terrour oâ—… the Lord ought most to perswadâ—… men to be ready to appear before him that they may not be terrified at hiâ—… appearing and they most know thaâ—… terrour who most know it not only Rationally or Doctrinally by their stâ—…dies and contemplations but alsâ—… Experimentally or Practically by theâ—… summons and by their sufferings Foâ—… as sickness is a summons unto death 〈◊〉 is suffering an experimental dying 〈◊〉 Those therefore who have most feâ—… either sickness or suffering have in aâ—… probability most known the terrouâ—… of the Lord and they ought most 〈◊〉 perswade men Under the notionâ—… sickness the Author of this small Treâ—… tise may own to know the terrours oâ—… the Lord for he looks on himself 〈◊〉 one newly come from the dead anâ—… yet still going to the dead and therefore the fitter to put others in mind of dying nor is he troubled that his writing is so full of weakness and infirmity which is the Indisposition of his body if it may be thought full of conscience and empty of curiosity which is or should be the Disposition of his soul For it is proper for a sick mans hand to sympathize more with his heart then with his head and to delight rather in lineaments of reality then of phansie Wherefore you may here expect such a hand-writing as appeared to Belshazar Dan. 5. which sets down nothing but Numbering and Weighing and Dividing Numbering of your daies Weighing of your sins and Dividing of your self This is like to be the main subject of the first part of the Legacy which is to be the preparation for death after these God enabling shall follow several comforts and consolations 1. Against sickness which numbereth your daies 2. Against Judgement which wilâ—… number your sins 3. Against Death which will divide your soul from youâ—… body and bring it to Judgement And these are intended for the second part of the Legacie as the Consolation against death God make both these aâ—… they are intended to him that writeâ—… them and to those that shall reaâ—… them So prayeth Yours in our common Saviourâ—… E. H. Errata PAg. 4. l. 6. studâ—…es r. studie p. 10. l. ult man r. for man p. 73. l. 21. Scil. Bonam r. saâ—… Bonav sc. Bonaventur p. 128. l. 12. cuie r. curâ—… p. 190. l. 24. to him r. to have p. 231. l. 13. 20. now here r. no where p. 345. l. 18. but most 〈◊〉 worthy r. but more unworthy p. 364. l. 13. Tâ—… Common-Law r. The Canon-Law The Preparation for Death consisting of Three Chapters Mene Tekel Peres Mene or Numbring of your Daies Tekel or Weighing of your Sins Peres or Dividing of your Person CHAP. I. Mene or Numbring of your Dayes Consisting of four Sections 1. Of mans Mortality and Immortality 2. Of the Knowledge of mans mortality 3. Of mans Vanity and the Knowledge thereof 4. Of the Difficulty Necessity and Excellency of that knowledge SECT I. Of Mans Mortality and Immortality MANS Life is but a Race of mortality and is then only well Run when it comes to a blessed
when â—…we meet with such Preachers we have reaâ—…on to be afraid of such Doctrine Souldiers can easily teach others to serve them but they can hardly teach themselves much less others to serve God And now you may also if you please see a third Quake more terrible then the other two not a quaking of Earth nor a quaking of bodies but a quaking of souls in the first Sect of Quakers They who before quaked for fear of an Angel now much more quaking for fear of Devils But be not you O Christian Souls afraid of that sight The Angel himself saying Fear not ye for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified Mat. 28. 5. not seek much less help to crucifie him This reason doth no less concern all other seekers that seek Jesus which was crucified then it did the women They may well seek without fear for they are sure to find with joy They shall find that their Lord is risen and calleth them to rise with him Immediately in their souls Immortally in their bodies Incorruptably both in souls and bodies This will be thâ—… best exercise of thy hope that Christ thâ—… Head being risen will make thee his member partaker of his joyfull Resurrection which consideration made our Church compose a choice Hymn of purpose for Easter day to express the joy and exultation oâ—… true Christian souls for the Resurrection of Christ And I suppose none will condemn her of singularity or novelty concerning that Hymn although it is not to be found entirely either in Greek or Latine Liturgies for there is no doubt of her communicating with the Church of Christ whiles she communicates with the Spirit of Christ And in this Hymn she immediately communicates with the Spirit of Christ because it is all taken out of his Word Rom. 6. 8. and 1 Cor. 15. 20 c. And though the Hymn it self may possibly be taken out of good Christians mouths yet surely the Joy of it can never be taken out of their hearts That Christ Rising again from the dead now dieth not Death from henceforth hath no power upon him and in that it hath no power upon him I am sure it shall not long have a power upon me And that other Christ is risen again the first fruits of them that sleep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Theophil He that goes first sure hath some to follow him There cannot be first-fruits but there must be after-fruits This is my Hope the head being risen will not leave his members for ever in the dust My soul and my body cannot be now so unwillingly parted in the Death As they shall hereafter be joyfully United in the Resurrection from the dead Lastly Thy love and charity will best exercise it self about his glorious Ascention Thou wilt there see hin attended on Earth by his Disciples ready to receive his Instructions Thou wilt there see him attended in the Air by a Cloud ready to receive his Person Thou wilt there see him attended in heaven by millions of Angels and glorified Souls ready to congratulate his reception If these considerations will not make thee love the Christan Faith that teacheth such heavenly mysteries it is because thou hast dull affections If they will not make thee love thy Saviour Christ who hath prepared such heavenly mercies it is because thou hast no affections This will be the best exercise of thy love to inflame thy soul with the contemplation of those Unspeakable joyes which cannot more Inflame then they will content it Christ ascended into heaven What hast thou to do but in heart and mind thither to ascend after him that thou maist continually dwell with him He is gone to prepare a place for thee what hast thou left to do but to prepare thy self for that place and beseech him to assist and bless thee in that preparation SECT II. The soul Divided from the body when it dies by a violent separation THE Soul of man had no subsistence before his body and is therefore unwilling to have a subsistence without it Creatio infusio sunt simul respectu animae is the Tenent of the School The soul is not created till the body be fitted to receive it so that in the same instant wherein it is Created it is also received into the Body And that 's the reason That coming cloathed into the world she is so much troubled to think that she must at last go as it were naked out of it Hence it is that though we groan in this tabernacle being burdenâ—…d with the miseries and much more with the sins of our Flesh yet we do not desire to be Uncloathed but cloathâ—…d upon that mortality might be swallowed up of Life 2 Cor. 5. 4. That is we would so lay aside our burden as not to lay aside our Flesh and would have our mortal bodies not by Death put off their mortality but by a change put on Immortality Wherefore the Union of the soul with the body being altogether natural the separation of the soul from the body must needs be against nature Consequently it is not possible that a meer natural man should deliberately desire to die for nature cannot desire its own destruction and therefore a deliberate desire of Death cannot possibly proceed from nature but from grace which alone can make a man both live contentedly and die comfortably where there 's a great measure of grace there is also a great measure of contentment in life and of comfort in death In so much that if we do not wilfully shut our eyes we cannot but see if we do not wilfully shut our hearts we cannot but believe if we do not wilfully shut our mouths against the truth we cannot but confess that Godly and Religâ—…ous men do continually dye with more Pâ—…tience and comfort then we dare live bâ—… the original of this Patience of this Comfort is not from the man but from thâ—… Godliness For thereby alone he is able tâ—… say with Saint Paul For me to live is Christ and to dye is gain Phil. 1. 21. To me tâ—… live is Christ for I die unto sin to me tâ—… die is gain for I have lived unto righteousness Or else as Beza expounds that place mihi enim est Christus in vita in morte lucrum Christ is a gain to me both iâ—… life and death To talk of gain in death to a natural man were to make him mad or to think you so for he loseth his soul he loseth himself but to talk of gain iâ—… death to the spiritual man is to make him the more sensible of his spiritual comfort and Condition for the less he hath of the Flesh the more he hath of the Spirit So that though death takes from him his Body yet it gives him his Soul though it take from him his Soul yet it gives him his Saviour Be it then that death takes from him all things but his God yet
sure that it gives him Christ is my gain whether 〈◊〉 live or dye For whiles I live I live unto him the only Author Preserver and Redeemer of my life that when I shall dye I â—…ay die unto him the only Joy Comfort â—…nd Repairer of my Death that whether I â—…ve or dye I may still be his Thus did hoâ—…y Job comfort himself against the miseries â—…f his life and the terrors of his death â—…aying I know that my Redeemer liveth Job 19. 25. as if he had said I know that I â—…m as one forsaken and forlorn yet I â—…ave a Redeemer I know that I seem as â—…ne ready to be swallowed up by death yet he who swallowed death it self up in victory he liveth I know that my Redeemâ—…r liveth and hereupon do I ground my Faith my Comfort and my Assurance my Assurance is infallible undeniable for â—…t proceeds from knowledge I know I am as sure that my Redeemer liveth as that I shall die my faith is firm and immoveable for he is mine none shall ever separate me from him he is my Redeemer my comfort is heavenly and immortal answerable to those Divine fountains of Faith and hope from whence it floweth it is the comfort of eternal life for in that my Redeemer liveth I am most confident that in him and by him I shall also live for when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in Glory Col. 3. 4. An assured hope a constant faith an immortal comfort these were Jobs only supports in his greatest afflictions and his were so great that we can scarce imagine but sure we cannot endure greater never was his body in worse case never was his soul in better Afflictions in the body then have the right end for which they are sent when they make our souls magnifie the Lord and our spirits rejoyce in God our Saviour The devil intended to have added to Jobs misery by increasing the Torments of his body but he did indeed add to his happiness by increasing the Devotion of his soul Mans extremity is Gods opportunity he then most helps us when we can least help our selves when I am weak then am I strong 2 Cor. 12. 10. and by the Rule of Proportion when weakest then strongest when weakest in my self then strongest in my Saviour yet dare I not venter to stay till the weakness of my body give strength unto my soul. For had not Job been a man perfect and upright in his health he would scarce have shewed so much perfection and uprightness in his sickness What then should be the work of my health but to prepare for sickness what should be work of my sickness but to prepare death Then shall I so live as prepared death then shall I so die as prepared Judgement then shall I so live and die prepared for Christ and his Kingdom Grace in this world of Glory in the â—…ld to come Let me snatch away this â—…ry from my adversary Kingâ—…odom â—…odom say I have made Abraham Rich. 〈◊〉 14. 23. Lest hell and the grave say I â—…e thrown this man upon his knees no â—…nk to him for his devotion it is bare â—…ed and necessity meer extremity and â—…r that makes him devout Happy is â—…t man whom this worlds Afflictions â—…ve driven neerer to his God but much â—…ppier is he that hath made this approach his maker by voluntarily Afflicting mself for seldom is there so much sinâ—…rity but never is there so much Glory that Repentance and Devotion which oceeds rather from compulsion then â—…om election rather from necessity then â—…om choice Let the mercies of God inâ—…te me to Repentance and amendment of â—…e in my health and let me not expect his â—…dgements in my sickness lest instead of â—…eing amended I be confounded For if be afflicted in the flesh and not comforted in the spirit then will death wâ—… was appointed to the end be but the ginning of my afflictions For what 〈◊〉 we say was Jobs body now becomâ—… most as loathsome as the Dunghil wâ—… he sate upon a fit embleme of Immoâ—…lity and yet whosoever shall look into own soul with an impartial eye will 〈◊〉 there much less hope and comfort of eâ—…nity then Job found in his body 〈◊〉 how then can he contentedly compose hâ—…self for Death I answer he must do as did cast but one eye down upon himselâ—… lift up the other to his Redeemer when looks down upon himself he finds notâ—… but worms to destroy his body v. 26. 〈◊〉 when he looks up to his Redeemâ—… then in my flesh saith he shall I see Gâ—… What a strange contrariety is here Woâ—… and Flesh Death and Life Destructâ—… and seeing God! The Worms are 〈◊〉 loathsome that turn to Flesh The Deatâ—… not terrible that ends in Life The Dâ—…struction is most welcome that ends in â—…ing God but yet still worms in theselves are worms death in it self is deathâ—… and destruction is destruction and worâ—… as worms are loathsome death as deatâ—… terrible destruction as destruction canâ—… welcome and the body is invaded by â—…ms captivated under death and deâ—…ction when the soul is separated from and therefore we cannot but look on 〈◊〉 as a violent separation which comâ—…s a Rape upon Nature and conseâ—…ntly must needs be an unwelcome â—…est such as we are unable to exclude yet much more unwilling to entertain â—…erefore the soul while it is in the state conjunction with the body though it now by reason of sin in a miserable state is that state natural and consequentâ—… desirable nor is it easie to define how it need be made miserable before it can made not desirable for we may easily â—…ern a very great desire of life in most 〈◊〉 because the greatest miseries are not â—…e of themselves fully to expel that desire â—…t the soul whiles it is in the state of sepaâ—…ion from the body is in a state altogether natural or rather contra-natural for â—…s as long as she continues so she hath 〈◊〉 the perfection of her own nature it beâ—… as natural for humane spirits to be with â—…ies as for Angelical spirits to be withâ—… them which Aquinas hath excelâ—…tly proved in this manner Ia. p. q. 89. â—…all Intellectual Substances the Intellective Virtue or Facultie is from tâ—… fluence of the Divine Light which 〈◊〉 the farther it is diffused from God more it is divided in it self and the nâ—… is divided the more it must needs â—…minished Hence it is that those Intelleâ—… Substances which are farthest from 〈◊〉 such as are Humane spirits having thâ—… share of the Divine light havâ—… so the weakest Intellectuals and â—…quently are not able to understand 〈◊〉 by such universal forms and represeâ—…ons by which the Angels are able tâ—…â—…derstand them Therefore it is neceâ—… that the Souls of men be united untâ—…â—…dies thereby to be made capable oâ—… universal forms and representations such as are imprinted in the Angels had God given unto men
throws him into prison to keep him from starving Jer. 37. 21. for by thaâ—… means he had a piece of Bread when many others had not even till all the bread iâ—… the City was spent He keeps him in prison to keep him from being butchered by the sword of the Chaldeans Jer. 38. 28. Finds out an Ethiopian to be his preserver when the Princes of Judah were his persecutors ver 7. more charity in one Prâ—…selite then in many Apostates yet woulâ—… not let Ebedmelech prevail for his enlargement lest the Prophet should have loâ—… his life as the rest did when the City waâ—… taken by gaining his liberty Carcer 〈◊〉 obsonio pro Asylo quid ni mors 〈◊〉 lucro When his prison was his Granaâ—… and his Dungeon his security tell me whâ—… could be his loss for sure Death woâ—… have been his gain Do your worst theâ—… O ye ravenous Wolves that seek to dâ—…vour the flock of Christ Well you 〈◊〉 deny them a place to live but sure yoâ—… cannot deny them a place to die And thâ—… look upon the troubles and afflictions 〈◊〉 their life as so many Calls or Summons 〈◊〉 Death For God saith unto them moâ—… particularly as he did to his Propheâ—… Jer. 18. 2. Arise and go to the Potters House and there I will cause thee to hear my words They are sent to the Potters House that â—…s they are bid to consider their own frailâ—…ty and mortality that so they may the more attentively hear Gods Word The Word of Piety and Patience that he is preaching unto them and the more benefit by hearing it For many a man that will not hear Gods Word in Gods own House will hear it in the Potters House when he shall consider that his body is no other but a polished Potsheard to day a very weak and brittle and to morrow perhaps a broken Vessel For Theophilus lib. 2. ad Antol. gives us this very similitude As a Vessel in the hand of a Potter when it is faulty in the making is therefore broken that it may be fashioned and formed again till he make it perfect and compleat So is the Vessel of mans body broken in pieces by the hand of God because it is now quite out of order that it may be formed and fashioned again and by that means become a glorious and an incorruptible and an immortal body wherefore it is not amiss going to the Potters House not only for Gods sake but also for our own For we need not fear being broken by that hand which alwayeâ—… mends in the marring Mans hand often mars in the mending brings a Deformation instead of a Reformation but Gods hand alwayes mends in the marring What then have you else to do in this world but to live innocently and to die comfortably that so you may live in the Faith and die in the hope of a better world The day will come when a little innocency will go further with you then the greatest Patrimony therefore keep your Innocency though you lose your Patrimony Facile contemnit omnia qui credit jam se esse moriturum saith St. Hierom He that thinks himself a dying man will be sure to keep himself an Innocent man and will rather forsake all here then carry guiltiness away from hence He can easily contemn the smiles of this world and therefore cannot fear the frowns of it For he believes that Rule of the Casuist to be true though not pleasing Divinity Mortem potius ferre debet quam consentire mortali peccato That he is bound rather to suffer death then to consent to any deadly sin The reason is plain for that the death of the body is as nothing to the death of the soul All death is the privation of some life The corporal death is the privation of the life of nature the spiritual death is the privation of the life of Grace the eternal death is the privation of the life of Glory yet is the Eternal Death not called the third but only the second Death because the spiritual Death is indeed no other then the Inchoation of the Eternal and awaits onely the corporal Death to be its completion Apoc. 20. 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death hath no power But it hath a power on the rest though it hath not yet the exercise of that power The second death hath power on a wicked man whiles he lives though not the exercise of that power till he dies Therefore the wicked and ungodly man hath great reason to fear the first because he cannot but expect the second Death But whosoever hath his part in the first Resurrection and it is our shame if we have not a part in it for let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. is blessed and holy and blessed in that he is holy His holiness being to him the Inchoation of blessedness and the life of Grace the beginning of the life of Glory such a man hath little reason to fear the first death because on him the second death hath no power and not having power on him while he lives shall much less have power on him when he dies yet do not Divines think it necessary to exempt the most righteous man that is from the fear of death They onely think it necessary that he be furnished with comforts greater then his fears Comforts enough to conquer his fear though not enough to expell it Suarez is of opinion that the blessed Virgin her self received extream Unction and Fillieucius saith positively that if you will suppose a man by special priviledge preserved from all sin yet it will not follow that he should not need extream Unction because he is capable of the principal effect of it which is Confortatio contrâ—… mortem a comforting and strengthening against Death And though many Divines do much doubt whether there be any sucâ—… aertue in extream Unction as to comfort â—…gainst Death yet none do doubt but even â—…he most righteous may need such comâ—…orts Our Saviour himself had an Angel strengthening him Thou hast need of more and blessed be his goodness he hath given thee more Thou hast his Spirit God the Holy Ghost to strengthen thee Nay thou hast his death to comfort thee in thine and that 's the onely reason why when Christ himself so much feared death yet many Christians have willingly embraced it because death was not conquered to him but it is now conquered by him to us yet Not my will but thy will be done is the greatest degree of perfection we can rationally expect when this bitter cup shall come to be tasted For certainly that could not but relish very ill to any mortal palate had not the Saviour of the world himself tasted it and by tasting the bitter Potion therein sweetned the Cup to those that should tast it after him Solus Christus sensit amaritudinem
reveal to me from thence Gods will coâ—…cerning my salvation for that is to bring Christ down from above to deny that Christ is already come down from heaven of purpose to shew us the way up thither Or who shall descend into the deep to wit to rescue me from the power of death and hell that is to bring up Christ again from the dead to deny that Christ is risen from the dead and hath conquered the power of death But what saith it The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved As if he had said What needs any man trouble himself about cuâ—…ious Questions to know whether he be in â—…he state of Salvation for that 's a thing which he can best know from his own mouth and from his own heart If his â—…eart be true to his Saviour by a lively Faith in his death and Resurrection And if his tongue be true to his heart by a â—…oyful Profession of that Faith If his Faithâ—…e â—…e agreeable to the word of Christ and his â—…fe be agreeable to his Christian faith eiâ—…er by his Innocency or by his Repentance â—…f his Inner man be true to Christ and his â—…uter man be true to his Inner man He needs neither Rove in uncertainties noâ—… Dive into Curiosities nor distract himself with Perplexities for he is undoubtedly in the state of Salvation The Spiriâ—… of God saith to a man in such a condition Thou shalt be saved Upon these Premiseâ—… of Faith and Obedience here specified bâ—… Confession it would be Unlogical anâ—… much more Untheological to deny thâ—… Conclusion the state of Salvation Thoâ—… shalt be saved And if you shall yet desire to know whether you have a trâ—… Faith or no I must tell you that as thâ—… life of the Soul is the life of the Body sâ—… Faith is the life of the Soul For Chriâ—… dwelleth in the heart by Faith Eph. 3. 17. And as life is known to be in the body bâ—… its sense and motion so also is life known tâ—… be in the Soul First by its sence for 〈◊〉 hath a feeling of its own sins and groanâ—… under the burden of them It hath a feeling of Christs merits and mercies and râ—…joyceth in the comfort thereof Secondly by its motion The Affections are the feeâ—… by which the soul moveth Hence thaâ—… saying Anima est non ubi Animat sed uâ—… Amat The soul is not where it lives bâ—… where it loves consequently the soul thaâ—… placeth its love in God hath its life in God Omnia sunt Vita in Deo quae non vivunt in seipsis saith the Angelical Dr. most Angelically All things are life in God even those things which have no life in themselves Creatures that are dead in themselves are alive in God Creatures without life are life in him Creatures that have life in themselves yet in God have a far better life Thus men in themselves have but a Momentany a Corruptible an Indigent an Inglorious life But men in God have a life of Eternity of Incorruption of Al-sufficiency and full of Glory wouldst thou then live Eternally Incorruptibly Contentedly and gloriously Go out of thy self O Devout soul and live in God Go out of thy self by thy Affections which will carry thee from earth to Heaven from thy self to thy Saviour and will make thee whiles thy body is below mount up on high Placing thy heart where thy Treasure is for Christ alone is the Treasure of Souls who alone is the Saviour and Lover of Souls even in Heaven nay in the highest part of Heaven at the right Hand of God This is the Apostles advice Col. 3. 1 2. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set your Affections on things above not on things on earth And we may very well turn this Advice into an Argument to prove that we are indeed Risen with Christ because we do seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God because we do settle our affections on things above not on things of the earth but withall we must carefully observe the nature of this proof For 1. It is not a Violent but a Voluntary motion of the Affection that is herâ—… required the things above are such as wâ—… seek with Desire and find with Delight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quae sursum sunt qâ—…aerite seek those things which are above Noâ—… turn Seeker after mens new Phansies bâ—… after Gods old Mercies Psal. 25. 6. Thâ—… Tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses fâ—… they have been ever of old It is in the Hebrew Quia à seculo ipsae No Verb at aâ—… to signifie any Time to shew they were bâ—…fore all time from everlasting and shaâ—… continue beyond all time to everlasting 〈◊〉 is the consideration of these everlasting meâ—…cies that maketh the soul to seek after Gâ—… the father of mercies Not the Fear of heâ—… but the Love of heaven It is not a Violeâ—… but a Voluntary motion That is the first 2. Secondly Again It is not the motion of one Affection but of all for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set your affection is spoken Indifinitely and therefore since in a matter necessary Universally It is not some affections for God some for the World for so had wicked Balaam Num. 23. 10. saying Let me die the death of the Righteous And yet he loved the wages of Unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2. 15. But all the affectious must be for God For as a man cannot live the life of nature and have his Heart divided so much less can he live the Life of Grace Therefore all the Affections His Affections are settled Universally That is the second 3. Thirdly This motion of the soul is not without Deliberation and great Judgement For it is grounded upon the consideration and belief of Christs Resurrection If ye then be risen with Christ The consideration That Christ hath opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers makes him Believe The consideration That Christ sitteth on the right Hand of God in the Glory of the Father maketh him Seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right Hand of God His Judgement goes before his Affection the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 requires no less He hath seriously computed with himself and sees there is but one Pearl of great Price unto his Soul and for that he will sell all that he hath to buy it Mat. 13. 4. 5. His Affections are settled judiciously on Christ that 's the Third 4. Fourthly and lastly This motion of the soul is not without right Order for it begins from a right Principle and therefore must needs end with a blessed conclusion He is not moved with the Fear of Gods Majesty but
as penitents God heareth not such sinners as are willingly and wilfully under the Power and Dominion of sin such as are habitually sinful and still remain in the state of sin For A man may be a sinner yet not be in the state of sin That notes a Momentany Action but this a standing Relation or a setled continuance status notat Dispositionem cum quadam immobilitate saith Aquinas That makes a man unworthy of Gods Favor but this makes him uncapable of it So saith the Prophet What hath my beloved to do in mine house seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many and the holy Flesh is passed from thee when thou dost evil then thou rejoycest Jer. 11. 15. These words shew the state of sin and the miserable condition of that state The state of sin is the working of lewdness with many and rejoycing in that work neither Reluctancie before it nor Repentance after it And the miserable condition of that state is not to have to do in Gods house i. e. Not to have any right to the Word Sacraments for the Holy Flesh here saith R. David is the Flesh of Gods Altar An Impenitent sinner hath nothing to do with that Holy Flesh and if he will needs intrude himself to have to do with it yet it shall not be Holy Flesh to him he shall have no benefit of its Holiness Nay to him it shall be in its effect what it is already in his account an unholy thing Heb. 10. 29. Impura es ipsa ac proinde non potes non impurare omnes oblationes tuas saith Trem. Thou thy self being in the state of impurity canst not but make all thy offerings impure Thy Prayers will be turned into sin Psal. 109. 7. And how then can thy sin not be turned into Death Therefore he that will offer to God an acceptable offering must first offer himself For if God accept not the person he will not accept the offering The Lord first had respect to Abel then to his offering Gen. 4. 4. Wherefore it neerly concerns every Christian to forsake all his sins and to assure himself that he is in the state of Grace and Acceptance with God for that else he cannot be assured that either his Prayer or his Prayses will be accepted And how shall we better know the state of Grace then from his mouth whose hands nailed to the Cross made it And whose side Pierced on the Cross poured it forth to us And he plainly tells us that our state is either of God or of the Devil John 8. 42. If God were your Father you would love me From whence we may infer they that do love Christ have God for their Father and consequently are in a Good in a Happy state But v. 4. 4. Ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do From whence we may infer they that will needs do the lusts of the Devil have the Devil for their father Not simply they that do the lusts but they that wilfully do them The Text it self gives us this Distinction saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye will do them For there is a great difference betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Facio and Volo Facere I do and I will do For Saint Paul saith of himself the evil which I would not that I do Rom. 7. 19. and yet proves that he is in the state of Regeneration notwithstanding his doing it Now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me v. 21. Sin may dwell in me but I may not dwell in sin If I do that evil I would not it is because sin dwelleth in me But if I will that evil I do it is because I dwell in sin and am one of those of whom it is said ye are yet in your sins 1 Cor. 15. 17. He saith not your sins are in you but you are in your sins not they possessed by you but you possessed by them not they have a being in you but you have a being in them This Regiment of Satan doth not come to Quarter with you against your will but you have made an Invitation to them and Provision for them they find the house swept and garnished and look upon it as their own and so have their Habitation with you as that they also have Dominion over you And in this respect doth our blessed Saviour say to the Jews ye shall dye in your sins That is in the Guilt and under the Bondage of your sins unless by faith in Christ you get out of that Guilt out of that Bondage for so it is said If ye believe not that ' I am he ye shall dye in your sins John 8. 24. To live out of Christ is to live in sin and to live in sin is the way to die in sin and to die in sin is to die eternally For he that dies in sin is an eternal sinner and is therefore justly punished with eternal death Peccavit in suo aeterno saith Saint Greg. He sinned in his eternity and yet his whole life was but a span-long The reason is He that sins impenitently would sin eternally if he might live eternally He sins eternally in his Resolution though not in his Action and shews whose child he is by doing the works of his Father and wilfully doing them The works of your Father ye will do A man may do the lusts of the Devil and yet be the child of God but he cannot wilfully do them and continue in that wilfulness but he must be the child of the Devil He alone hath Right in him and he will claim his Right He will claim him as a Father claims his child For this is the specifical difference betwixt the Regenerate and the Unregenerate Both are sinners but the one sinneth eagerly with desire and Habitually with delight the other desireth not to sin and delighteth not in sinning Though he may sometimes do the work of the Devil yet it is against his will for he Desires and delights to do the work of God And that 's the reason our Blessed Saviour hath taught such a man to call God his Father and he would not have taught him to call God so were he indeed not so For truth teacheth no man to tell a lye much less in his Prayers wherefore in that we are taught to say Our Father it is evident that we are bound to be in the state of Regeneration or we have no right to say our Prayers For we are not taught to say Our Father in respect of our corporal Creation for so God is the Father of the wicked as well as of the Righteous but of our spiritual Regeneration That God is Our Father by spiritual Generation for that according to his Abundant mercy he hath begotten us again to lively hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. For of his own will begat he us with the word of
please God sure do not please him and such as do not please God here cannot enjoy God hereafter such men need no enemy to destroy them they have already destroyed themselves they are buried alive they have changed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and made their body the sepuchre of their soul and therefore saith St. Chrysostome The Spirit of God calls them not Men but onely Flesh Gen. 6. 12. And God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh haâ—… corrupted his way upon the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He dotâ—… not now vouchsafe to call them men but onely flesh And doubtless whosoever hath most of the corruption hath most of the flesh and whosoever hath most oâ—… the flesh hath least of the man in him and he that is all flesh and no spirit is in trutâ—… all beast and no man which made oâ—… blessed Saviour in his Sermon concerning the necessity of Regeneration say untâ—… Nicodemus That which is born of the flesh is flesh John 3. 6. so flesh as it is nothing else the unregenerate is nothing but flesh so far from being spirituall that he makeâ—… his very soul carnall Tell me now whether it be possible for any other to be so fatallâ—… mine enemy as is mine owne flesh For other enemies can only hurt my body but my flesh can and doth also hurt my soul making it the soul of a beast rather then of a man And the breath of such a soul is Articulated into a voyce saying Take thine ease eat drink and be merry Luk. 12. 19. If thou hadst the soul of a Hog 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Basil what else couldest thou say unto it And as the flesh makes a man here fit company for beasts so it will make him hereafter sit company for Devils of which the Apostle hath accordingly forewarned us Rom. 8. 13. For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die ye shall die whiles you live and much more when you are dead you shall now die spiritually but you shall then die eternally The want on widow is dead while she liveth 1 Tim. 5. 6. And much more so is the wanton soul Nay twice dead saith Jude ver 12. Feeding themselves without fear twice dead Feeding themselves after the manner of swine without fear not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greek Criticks distinguish and fed as swine onely to the slaughter fed not for life but for death Dâ—…plicem hic mortem notari unam in qua nati sint alteram in quam sua defectione inciderint saith Beza Here is mention made of a two-fold death One in which their corrupt nature had plunged them Another in which by a corrupt life they had plunged themselves Carnal men that live after the flesh are twice dead whiles they live and yet after they are dead cometh infinitely a worfer death what a mercy then is it of God to send us sickness to weaken the flesh which is an enemy that cannot be conquered till it be weakened weakened in its affections in its infections in its defections The affections of the flesh are as the sons of Zervia to David too hard for us 2 Sam. 3. 39. Though we be anointed as he was and have received the holy Unction yet they will commit their outrages and it will be a long time before we shall get so much mastery as to slay but onely one of them at the Horns of the Altar The infections of the flesh are to us as the Leprous men were to the Samaritans so exceeding dangerous that we have little reason to endure their company 2 Reg. 7. 3. Onely we cannot do as the Samaritans did shut them out of our Gates they will come in whether we will or no and will bring their leprosie along with them Lastly the defections of the flesh are to us as fatall and deadly as the defection of Abner was to â—…osheth 2 Sam. 3. 10. which translated â—…e Kingdom away from him onely we â—…ve a greater loss by these defections â—…en he had for we lose the Kingdom of â—…eaven The affections of the flesh are â—…isterous the infections of the flesh are â—…ngerous the defections of the flesh are â—…eadly O then for the blessing of a sickâ—…ess to shelter my soul from this storm to â—…eliver my soul from this danger to recoâ—…er my soul from this death SECT III. The third Comfort of the soul in sickness is that it wasts the flesh THe more the body is pampered the more the soul is starved therefore â—…ith St. Paul Flesh and blood cannot inherit â—…e Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15. 50. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ith Epiphanius Haer. 42. He speaks not â—…is of the flesh but of wâ—…cked men in the â—…esh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saitâ—…â—…he same Author in another place Haer. 66. â—…e speaks of the works of the flesh And yet is he not fully satisfied but gives moreover a third exposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he speaks not of 〈◊〉 slesh which is sanctified and labouâ—… please God but of that flesh which is 〈◊〉 in sin and seeks onely to please it sâ—… Let me not then complain of the wastiâ—… of my flesh since that so much tends the advantage and improvement of 〈◊〉 spirit For I must decay in my naturâ—… that I may increase in my spiritual strengâ—… be an imperfect man in my self that may be a perfect man in Christ Jesus Ephes. 4. 13. The fulness of Christ caâ—… not well be in me without mine own emâ—…tiness For as in Philosophy there is 〈◊〉 penetration of bodies so in Divinity theâ—… is no penetration of souls If I will haâ—… my Saviour be in me then I must not 〈◊〉 in my self for he hath said If any man wâ—… come after me let him deny himself that is his body and his spirit saith Hugo Corpâ—… in divitiis deliciis Spiritum in intellectâ—… affectu Let him deny his body in noâ—… regarding riches nor delights Let hiâ—… deny his spirit in not trusting to his owâ—… judgement in not following his own affections Let him thus deny himself both in â—…ody and in spirit that he may be fit for my Cross and that my Cross may fit him â—…or me And who will not upon this consideration say with holy Ignatius Epist. ad Rom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let me be meat for wild beasts so God be a portion for me Let the beasts devour me so my God receive me Let my foul disease destroy my body so as my God receive my soul I will make no provision for my flesh and take no care of it if so be by putting that off I may put on the Lord Jesus Christ the unruliness of the flesh rejects him as a Lord to Govern The uncleanness of the flesh hinders him as a Jesus to save for he is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity Hab. 1. 13. And therefore of purer hands
mortis in cujus anima omnes vires ac Potentiae fuerunt per speciale miraculum conservatae saith Gabriel in 3. sent Dist. 15. Christ alone did feel all the sharpness and tast all the bitterness of Death in whose soul alone all powers and faculties were preserved in their full vigour and sense by special miracle But we will not argue the case whether the pains of death be most felt in the sensitive or intellective parts of the soul and whether they that have the strongest senses have alwayes the strongest pains For sure we are what are the pains of death none do know but those that cannot come to tell us yet we have reason to believe that they are so violent as to be able to shake the tallest Cedar of Libanus much more the shrubs of Carkemish To terrifie men of undaunted resolutions much more such as have too much guilt to have too little fears or else the Church would never have taught us to pray O Holy and mercifull Saviour thou most worthy Judge eternal suffer us not at our last hour for any pains of Death to fall from thee Thou art our Saviour we cannot fall from thee but we must fall from our salvation and the pains of Death will make us fall from thee unless thou shew thy self our merciful Saviour to sustain us in the hour of Death as thou hast sustained us all our life And why didst thou taste the vinegar at thy death and not till then give up the ghost John 19. 30. but to teach me to pray O my God let me not taste the vinegar when I am to give up the ghost since thou thy self hast tasted it for me so saith thy Apostle Heb. 2. 14 15. For he also himself took part of the same flesh and blood that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil and deliver them who through fear of Death were all their life time subject to bondage We see here a two-fold effect of Christs death The one was to conquer the Devil that had the power of Death The other was to deliver us that were under the fear of Death and fled to him for deliverance The Devil had the power of Death till he was conquered and he was not conquered till the death of Christ till then he kept the keys of Hell and of death but then Christ took them away from him and doth ever since keep them Apoc. 1. 18. I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the keys of Hell and of Death Then let me not fear to pass through the gates of Death whiles my Saviour keeps the keys of it to open the Grave Let me not fear to pass by the gates of Hell whiles my Saviour keeps the keys of it to shut the Gates Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear none evil for thou art with me Psal. 23. 4. Thou art with me to uphold me in that walk that I fail not to direct me in that valley that I stray not To enlighten me in that shadow that I stumble not Christs guidance cannot but afford a very safe conduct which is not unfitly expressed by these four words Educit Deducit Adducit Introducit He brings out He brings on He brings to He brings in First Educit he brings the soul out to wit out of the Body for it may not go till he call and then it must O my soul never be affraid to go from thy body when thy Saviour calls thee to go along with him Secondly Deducit He brings the soul on to wit on the way to Heaven And himself saith Justin Martyr in Tryphon did pray to his Father to guide his soul at his death that we might know how to pray to him to guide our souls Psal. 22. 20 21. Deliver my soul from the sword my Darling from the power of the Dog save me from the Lions mouth He thus prayed on the Cross immediatly before his death for it is the Tradition of the Church That Christ said all the 22 Psalm upon the Cross though the Evangelists mention only the first words of it to teach us to pray when we die That God who alone can would deliver our souls from the Dog and from the Lion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he would turn away the evil Angel who is compared to a Dog for his impudency to a Lion for his violence least he should catch our souls at their going out of our bodies We know the Devil is called the Prince of the Air and we may be sure he would not let any mans soul pass from earth to Heaven were not he ready to convey it thither to whom is given all power in Heaven and in Earth and over Hell Thirdly Adducit He brings the soul to that is to God Man when he dies his body returns to the dust but his spirit returns to God that gave it All spirits return to God at the hour of death either as to a Father or as to a Judge and Christ brings them all to him The spirits of wicked men as to a Judge for punishment The spirits of good men as to a Father for mercy Whence that admirable prayer of our Church for the sick That whensoever his soul shall depart from the body it may be without spot presented unto thee through Jesus Christ our Lord Christ presents all souls unto God but the souls of the impenitent and unbelievers in the spots they have contracted by their sins The souls of those who by Faith and Repentance have laid hold on his Righteousness he presents without spot Those souls that are in their sins shall be rejected those souls that are in their Saviour shall be received There is no man at that day but will be speechless who hath not the Eternal Word to answer for him Fourthly and lastly Introducit he brings the soul in that is into the state of Eternal blessedness to see and enjoy him who is the blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto unless Christ bring him in whom no man hath seen or can see to whom be honour and power everlasting Amen 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. No man hath seen him or can see him in this corruptible body but the Saints now do see him in their incorruptible souls and do ascribe unto him his honour and power everlasting Accordingly the Angelical Doctor makes it his business to confute those who said that the souls of the Saints separated from their bodies do not come to their bliss till the day of judgement quod quidem apparet esse falsum autoritate ratione which saith he is apparently false as we can prove both by authority and by reason and all the world is not able to afford better proofs or gain-say them 1. By
for he tasted it at his own pleasure Death feeds on us for we must tast it against our wills and not only tast it but also eat it down Corruption first seized upon our souls and from thence passed to our bodies It was to our greatest disadvantage that it seized upon our souls But it is to our greatest advantage that it seizeth upon our bodies For unless they should be quite destroyed sin which first caused mortality would in the corrupt remainders and Reliques of our bodies it self have a kind of immortality whereas Righteousness alone is and ought to be immortal And therefore it is very probable that those who shall be found alive at the last day of whom the Apostle hath said We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed 1 Cor. 15. 51. shall have a change not only Equivalent to a Death but also to a Total Destruction For sin must totally be destroyed And therefore also our bodies that have lodged it and have been defiled by it That there may not be left the least monument of sin in the New World wherein shall dwell nothing but Righteousness 2 Pet. 3. 13. And now me thinks I can find a Paradise in Golgotha ever since my Saviour hath been there and bid hearty welcom to those worms which shall destroy that flesh which would have destroyed me For I can now safely conclude that neither in regard of my soul nor of my body ought I to fear Death which certainly is not so formidable in it self as it is generally in the worlds opinion For if the Rule be true Nomen quasi Novimen The name of every thing is that whereby it is best known and discerned then by the name of death we may best know and discern the nature of it And these are the chief Names whereby the Scripture expresseth it A Sleep A Change A Departure A Dissolution and none of all these Names is terrible and why then should the thing it self be so But if there be any terrour in the thing yet we are sure that in the Text there is a comfort greater then the terrour First Death is called a Sleep Mat. 9. 24. The maid is not dead but sleepeth And though wicked miscreants who believed not the Resurrection laughed at our blessed Saviour for calling death A sleep yet let all good Christians rejoyce that it is so and give him thanks for making it so It is a comfortable Gloss which the third Toletan Council cap. 22. gives upon those words of John 11. 35. Jesus wept For they say Dominus non flevit Lazarum sed ad vitae hujus ploravit Aerumnas resuscitandum Jesus did not weep that Lazarus slept but that he was again to be awakened to see the miseries and feel the mischiefs of this wicked world T was said before verse 11. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth And he that said it having made his death a sleep was troubled that he should awaken him so soon from his sleep In vita vigilant Justi ideo in morte dicuntur Dormire saith St. Augustine The good man when he dieth is said to sleep because he watcheth and waketh all his life but a wicked man sleeps all his life and awakens only at his death Soul take thy rest saith the rich worldling He lulls his soul asleep but what follows Thou fool this night is thy soul taken from thee Thy sleep shall soon be over together with thy life and Vengeance and Death they shall awaken thee For hast thou slept all thy life and wouldest thou also sleep at thy death Hast thou slept all the while thou wert here and wouldest thou also sleep now thou art going hence Hast thou slept when God bad thee awake and wouldest thou also sleep now that he bids thee die No Thou mayest not any longer expect rest ease and tranquillity For thou shalt certainly have disconsolation at thy departure grief in thy passage and shame at thy journeys end when thou shalt appear before Gods Judgement-seat and shalt not be able to give any account at all of thy life no more then the Souldiers could of Christ Mat. 28. for thou wert asleep Thy Death would have been a sleep if thy life had not been so Secondly Death is called A Change Job 14. 14. All the dayes of my appointiâ—… time will I wait till my Change come Thâ—… Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I wiâ—… wait till I be made again If death be thy making Tell me what can be thy marring A happy change doubtless which is nothing but a new making of that which is quite out of Order And thus saith St. Chrysostome did Symmachus expound thâ—… words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my holy Nativity or my holy Naturâ—… come The nature which I now have iâ—… full of corruption full of unholiness so that my own flesh is not so neer me as iâ—… my sinfulness O for a regeneration of my body as well as of my soul that I may be born again in my flesh as I am in my spirit Nor is there any thing that can morâ—… truly sweeten the thought of death theâ—… this consideration that it is a change For we are already in so bad a condition that we cannot well fear our Change should be for the worse And if we be truly sensible of our own condition it is most sure thaâ—… our change will be infinitely for the better For so saith the Apostle Phil. 3. 20â—… 21. For our conversation is in Heaven froâ—… whence we also look for the Saviour thâ—… Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body as if he had said we find nothing on Earth worth conversing withall therefore our conversation is in Heaven we know that our body is now vile and loathsom and therefore we look for the Lord Jesus Christ to Change and Fashion it like unto his Glorious Body Here are two great changes which the men of this world that are most given to change least care for A change of the soul from being on Earth to be in Heaven for our conversation is in Heaven A change of the body from Vileness to Glory who shall change our vile body that it may be like his glorious body Thirdly Death is called A Departure and so doth Abenezra expound the forenamed word in Job 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaliphathi my change that is saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Halicathi my departure For the Jews express mans Birth as a Coming and his Death as a Going So Eccles. 1. 4. One generation goeth or Passeth away and another cometh Generatio vadens and Generatio Veniens The first is put for the Dying the latter for the living Generation of mankind And the first Council of Nice can 13. speaking of Dying men useth a word that only signifieth going forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De iis qâ—… exeunt And again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any man be ready to Depart
heavenly Kingdom My-sins had shut the gate of Paradise against my soul but thy Merits have opened it again O let me earnestly desire to enter in for thou art gone thither before â—…e that thou mightest be there ready to receive me and retain me with thy self for evermore Amen 12. Lord when shall this corruptible put on incorruption and this mortal put on immortality that in me may be brought to pass that saying Death is swallowed up in Victory O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death was sin till sin was expiated The strength of sin was the Law till the Law was fulfilled But thanks be unto God which hath given me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ both over my sins and over his Law in this great contestation Having imputed my transgressions unto my Saviour that my sin might be expiated and having imputed my Saviours righteousness and obedience unto me that his Law might be fulfilled Therefore being justified by faith I have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also I have access by faith into his grace and rejoyce in hope that I shall at last have access into his glory 13. O Lord Jesus Christ who art the Resurrection and the Life be unto me Life in Death be unto me Resurrection from the Dead and so guide me through Death that it may be my passage into everlasting Life there to see and to bless and to enjoy thee who art the Redeemer and lover of souls and livest and reignest the King of Saints with the Co-eternal Spirit in the glory of God the Father 14. My soul truly waiteth still upon God and still shall wait upon him for of him cometh my help He verily is my strength and my salvation even in weakness and in destruction He is my defence so that I shall not greatly fall And if through mine infirmity I do fall by his power I shall rise again and be able to stand fast being supported through the Merits and Mercies of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 15. O Lord see the blood of thine immaculate Lamb which taketh away the sin of the world sprinkled on my soul that thou mayest see no sin in it And when thou seest that blood let the destroying Angel pass over me never to return again and let the Comforter come unto me and remain with me for ever 16. O dearest Advocate be pleased to intercede and plead for me and to answer all the accusations which the Devils will alledge and mine own conscience will witness against me in the day of Judgement That I being made the monument of thy Mercy who am the purchase of thy Blood may bless and praise thee among thy Redeemed in the Land of the living for ever and ever 17. O thou Eternal Son of Righteousness who risest with healing in thy wings heal thou me and I shall be perfectly healed Shew me the light of thy countenance to dispell all the mists and clouds which now threaten to bring darkness upon my soul Turn thy merciful eyes towards me that I may see thy glorious face in thy heavenly Kingdom where no tears shall dim my sight no sighing shall interrupt my speech no fears shall disquiet my heart and no sadness nor amazement shall disturb or discompose the blessed rest of my soul with thee the longing desires of my soul to thee and the infinite delights of my soul in thee and in thine All-sufficient Merits and All-saving Mercies for evermore 18. O Saviour of the world save me who by thy Cross and precious blood hast Redeemed me Help me O my God at all times but most especially at this time now I am least able to help my self or my friends to help me Intercede for me by thy precious death and passion in all my distresses but then most when I shall least be able to speak for my self at the hour of Death and in the day of Judgement Be now and then and ever my defence and make me know and feel that there is no other name under heaven given unto men in whom and through whom I may expect health and salvation but only thy Name O my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 19. O Lord God which art the giver of all good things and never repentest of the good gifts which thou hast given give unto me health and ease as long as they shall be blessings from thee and give me thy grace to desire them no longer And when thou most takest from me these or any other comforts of this mortal life then Lord most increase and multiply upon me the joyes and comforts of a blessed Immortality 20. Lord I am desirous to go out of my self and out of this vale of misery that I may come unto Mount Sion and to the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New-Covenant O thou who hast prepared these immortal joyes for my soul prepare my soul for these joyes that being made a Citizen of thy heavenly Jerusalem I may be able to joyn in consort with the Angels thy first-born there and with the spirits of just men made perfect since them who now both together make but one Quire and are alwaies singing Hallelujah and worshiping him that liveth for ever and ever 21. O blessed Jesus thou only comfort of miserable and distressed sinners consider my distress Look upon mine adversity and misery and forgive me all my sin O thou blessed Mediator betwixt God and man intermediate for me Let the unspotted righteousness of thy life be an acceptable sacrifice for the multiplyed unrighteousness of mine And let the bitter pangs of thy death keep from me all the bitterness of the temporal and much more the pangs and horrours of the eternal Death Thou didst taste the gall and vinegar when thou gavest up the Ghost therefore I beseech thee keep me from tasting it Thou didst seem to be forsaken of thy God O let not me bâ—… forsaken of thee But grant that I putting my whole trust and confidence in thy Merits and in thy Mercies â—…ay from henceforth most chearfully serve thee in all holiness and pureness of living and most faithfully persist in thy service by a resolved constancy contentedness and patience of dying That I may yet more and more know thee and the power of thy Resurrection and the fellowship of thy sufferings being made conformable to thy death that so I may attain to a joyful Resurrection of the dead to give praise and thanks unto thy holy Name world without end 22. O thou Eternal Son of God who didst take upon thee the nature of man that thou mightest lead a miserable life and undergo a shameful death I beseech thee sweeten unto me
all those present miseries of my life which thou hast already sanctified in that thou hast born them and all those possible horrours of my death which thou hast already conquered in that they durst assail thee to bear them That I who of my self am in death even in the midst of life may through thee my blessed Saviour find life in the midst of death and glory after it to glorifie thee who art the Lord of death and the Giver of life Amen 23. O holy Jesus thou only Redeemer of souls who by ' thy death hast overcome death and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life I most humbly beseech thee that as by thy special grace preventing me thou dost put into my mind good desires of departing hence and of being with thee so by thy continual help I may bring the same to good effect and at last joyfully depart in thy peace for that mine eyes have seen thy salvation my heart hath believed it and my soul goeth hence to enjoy it and with it thee my blessed Redeemer who with the eternal Spirit art most high in the glory of the Father one God everlasting Amen 24. O thou who layedst down thy life for my Redemption make me ready to lay down my life at thy command Teach me more and more to despise the Treasures and the Pleasures of this world which have in them a double vanity that they are transitory that they are not satisfactory As they cannot give me true content whiles I possess them because they are not satisfactory so let them not create in me any discontent when I must have them because they are but transitory O make me lay up for my self a stock of Treasure and of Pleasure in heaven by 〈◊〉 true and lively faith working zealously â—…or thee relying wholly on thee and â—…onging earnestly after thee for ever 25. Lord where is my Treasure but only in him that bought me who is my everlasting Portion that only God could give me and men cannot take from me And where should my heart be but where my Treasure is even in heaven and heavenly things I will therefore from henceforth live by the faith of the Son of God who died for me and gave himself for me And living by that faith though I may dwell on earth yet I shall live in heaven nay in the uppermost part of heaven even at the right hand of God there will I live alwaies with thee O my blessed Redeemer adoring thy Excellency reverencing thy Majesty loving thine Authority enamoured with thy Perfections and joyfully depending on thy Mercy That though my continuance be still with men yet my conversation may be with thee my God and Saviour by love earnestly longing for thee by hope wholly trusting on thee by desires stedfastly cleaving to thee and by delight alwaies rejoycing in thee So shall my soul when it departs out of this earthly Tabernacle be received into thine everlasting habitations there to bless and enjoy thee who with the Father and the Holy-Ghost livest and reignest one God world without end Amen 26. O Lord who hast called to thee all those that travel and are heavy laden and hast promised to give them rest have mercy upon me thy distressed servant who now am in a restless condition what ease and repose thou denyest unto my body I beseech thee give unto my soul that though my flesh doth not enjoy the sweet and comfortable rest of sleep yet my spirit may enjoy that everlasting rest and repose which is alwaies to be found in thee O grant that a promise being left me of entering into thy rest I may not come short of it through my unbelief but that by going out of my self and living in thee I may forthwith enter into that internal rest which is to be enjoyed here in the presence of thy grace and may continue and abide therein till I shall come to that eternal rest which is not to be expected till hereafter nor to be enjoyed but only in the presence of thy glory 27. O Lord God the God of my salvation teach me to cry day and night before thee that so thou mayest still save me and let my prayer enter in whither I am not worthy to enter even into thy presence Incline thine ear unto my calling since thou hast inclined my heart to call upon thee for my soul is full of trouble and my life draweth nigh unto hell But draw thou nigh unto my soul I shall be delivered from all my troubles and though thou hast put my lovers my friends away from me and hid mine acquaintance out of my sight yet let me ever see the light of thy countenance and I shall not be troubled for not seeing them and make me rejoyce in thine everlasting love and I shall find no want of my other friends lovers 28. O Lord I cannot deny but that having been at enmity with thee I deserve to be cloathed with shame and covered with mine own confusion as with a Cloak But O cloath me with thy Sons righteousness and therewith cover my shame and my confusion I am unworthy in my self to pray for mercy for Judas-like I have betrayed my Saviour O make me worthy in his blood not only to pray for it but also to obtain it 29. O Lord my foot hath often slipped but thy mercy hath hitherto held me up that I have not fallen into the pit of destruction Let thy Mercy O Lord still hold me up and in the multitude of sorrows that I have or shall have in my heart by reason of my sins let thy comforts evermore refresh my soul For thou makest me find trouble and heaviness that I may call upon thy Name and I do call upon thy Name that thou mayest deliver my soul O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling that I may walk before thee in the Land of the living That I may walk carefully and conscionably before thee because thou seest all things That I may walk reverently before thee because thou rulest all things That I may walk thankfully before thee because thou givest all things That I may walk comfortably before thee because thou savest all things and wilt in mercy save me O let me so walk before thee here in this world as one that hath a hope to live with thee hereafter in the world to come Let my soul awake from the sleep of sin to give glory to thee because I trust that when I shall awake from the sleep of death I shall receive glory from thee 30. O thou worthy Judge-Eternal I tremble at the very thought of thy Judgement and how then shall I tremble at the sight of my Judge For mine own mouth doth most grievously accuse me and mine own heart doth most impartially condemn me and mine own conscience cannot but set its seal to the justness of my condemnation But I believe that thou
distress say effatha to my heart that it may be opened to receive thee say effatha to the heavens that they may be opened to receive my soul yea say unto my soul thou art my salvation for thou only who art All-sufficient canst speak unto my soul and thou only who art All-merciful wilt speak comfort to it And though for my sins thou art justly displeased yet for thine own Mercies thou wilt not long continue in that displeasure for thou hast proclaimed thy self to be the Lord The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin Lord say unto me thy unworthy servant that my sins are forgiven me and that I may go hence in peace for my faith hath saved me even that faith whereby I wholly trust in the Merits and Mercies of thy eternal Son Jesus Christ. 66. Hear my prayer O Lord and consider my desire hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness sake and enter not into Judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified And let not mine enemy persecute my soul and if it be thy will let not my disease smite my life down to the ground nor lay me in the darkness as men that have been long dead But if it be thy pleasure to torment and to destroy my body yet let not my spirit be vexed within me nor my heart within me be desolate But make me so remember the time and thy works past that I may be comforted in the time and thy works to come that stretching forth my hands and lifting up my heart unto thee I may lay hold on thee by a lively Faith Hope and Love and at last come to enjoy thee by a blessed vision comprehension and fruition And my soul gasping â—…nto thee as a thirsty Land may be satisfied with the dew of thy heavenly blessings for evermore 67. O Lord remember that I am the work of thy hands the image of thy counteâ—…ance the price of thy blood And have mercy on me as thy work as thy image and as thy purchase for the paternal bowels of God the Father that created me for the bleeding wounds of God the Son that redeemed me and for the unutterâ—…ble groans of God the Holy-Ghost that sanctifieth me O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord strengthen me in my sickness receive me at my death and acquit me in the Judgement Amen 68. Hear me O Lord and that soon for my spirit waxeth faint hide not thy face from me lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit O let me hear thy loving-kindness late in the evening of this life and betimes in the morning of Eternity for in thee is my trust shew thou me the way that leadeth in the truth and unto the life for I lift up my soul unto thee Deliver me O Lord from mine enemies both corporal and spiritual for I flie unto thee to hide me Let thy loving Spirit lead me forth out of this Land of unrighteousness and lead me into the Land of righteousness Quicken me O Lord for thy Name sake and then most when I shall be nearest death and for thy righteousness sake bring my soul out of all her troubles that I may give thanks unto thee with those blessed spirits which lived here in thy fear departed hence in thy favour and now are with thee in eternal joy and glory Psal. 143. v. 7 c. 69. Deal thou so with me O Lord God according to thy Name that in the greatest bitterness of my soul I may both see and confess that sweet is thy Mercy O deliver me for I am helpless and poor and my body is tormented without me and my heart is wounded within me Psal. 109. ver 22 23. but be thou ease to my body and joy to my heart in Jesus Christ. 70. O Lord I confess to thy glory and minâ—… own shame that when I call to mind the â—…oulness of mine own transgressions I am â—…shamed when I call to mind the exactâ—…ess and severity of thy Justice I am afraid â—…o lift up mine eyes to heaven or to look â—…owards the place where thine honour â—…welleth But O look thou down upon â—…e with the eye of pity and compassion â—…ho am altogether unworthy to look up â—…nto thee with the eye of hope and confiâ—…ence and relieve me in my sickness and â—…eceive me at my death for thine infinite mercies in Jesus Christ. 71. I will alway give thanks unto the Lord â—…is praise shall ever be in my mouth yea my soul shall make her boast of the Lord â—…or I sought him and he heard me yea â—…e delivered me out of all my fear I had 〈◊〉 eye unto him and I was enlightened I â—…ave tasted and seen how gracious the â—…ord is blessed be my soul for trusting 〈◊〉 him and blessed be his grace for working 〈◊〉 my soul that trust to rely and depend â—…pon his Mercy for evermore Psal. â—…34 72. Lord touch my tongue with a coal from â—…hine Altar to take away the pollution of my lips and touch my heart with the immortal flames of thy love to take away the deadness and dulness of my thoughts that both tongue and heart being purged from the filthy dregs of flesh and sin I may in my greatest infirmities labour to praise thee according to the greatness of thy glories And because I cannot sufficiently praise thee whiles I am in this corrupted and corruptible body take my soul in thy due time away from hence that I may in thy heavenly Jerusalem sing unto thee acceptable and immortal praises for ever and ever Amen 73. Righteousness and equity O Lord are the habitation of thy seat O let righteousness and equity be fixed in my heart that thou mayest therein fix thy habitation Mercy and Truth shall go before thy face O let Mercy and Truth be alwaies in my soul Mercy to forgive Truth to be for given that when my soul shall go out of my body it may joyfully go before thy face and rejoyce in thy presence for ever more for blessed are the people O Lord that can rejoyce in thee they shall walk in the light of thy countenance Lord thou hast given me the first part of this blessing to rejoyce in thee here on earth O give me also the second part of it that when I shall go hence I may walk in the light of thy countenance hereafter in heaven Amen 74. Who am I O Lord God and what is this my house of clay that thou hast brought me hitherto And this was yet a small thing in thy sight O Lord God but thou hast spoken also of thy servant for a great while to come even for the daies of Eternity that thou wilt at last bring me to thy self For thy words sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things to make thy servant know them and
or infidelity or any other grievous sin but may be able to stand stedfastly through thy supporting and to walk on constantly in the way of Piety and of Patience till by thy good guiding and conducting I may at last come to the life everlasting As thou still holdest open the eyes of my weak body to behold the light of nature so be pleased daily more and more to open the eyes of my sinful soul to behold the light of grace till thou bring me to enjoy the light of glory there to glorifie and praise thee for ever Amen The sick mans Collect for Peace O God which art the Author of our peace for thine own Mercies sake but the Author of our troubles only for our sins Give unto me thy unworthy servant that peace which this wicked world cannot give and which this tumultuous and troublesom world cannot take away and defend me in all the assaults of my afflictions both corporal and spiritual that I surely trusting in thy defence and wholly submitting to thy providence may not fear the power of any adversity whatsoever through the might and for the mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Collect for Grace O Lord our heavenly Father Almighty and everlasting God which hast safely brought me through many dangers and troubles and diseases to the beginning of this dangerous and desperate sickness defend me in the whole continuance of the same with thy mighty power and grant that herein I may fall into no sin neither run into any kind of danger whereby I may become either impenitently sinful or uncomfortably miserable But that all my doings and all my sufferings being ordered by thy Governance I may alwaies do that which is righteous in thy sight and suffer that which may be profitable for mine own salvtion through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Letany O God the Father of heaven and of all Mercies have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner And grant that in the greatest extremities and anguishes of my body I may find the greatest comforts and refreshments of my soul Grant that when I am most tormented in my flesh I may be most relieved in my spirit That though my loins are filled with a sore disease and there is no whole part in my body yet my soul may magnifie the Lord and my spirit may rejoyce in God my Saviour for he hath regarded my low and miserable estate and he will relieve it O God the Son Redeemer of the world and of my sin-sick and sinful soul have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner and take away all my sins that thou mayest take away all my miseries As thou hast made me a happy Believer so also make me a joyful partaker of thy Redemption and then most especially when I shall most feel my self as it were swallowed up of grief and destruction through the pains and torments of my increasing sickness or the pangs and horrours of my approaching death Be thou my comfort in distress my strength in weakness my health in sickness my joy in sadness Be thou my life whiles I am living and my Resurrection from the dead that though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I may fear no evil for thou art with me to conduct me through the dangerous downfalls of that valley to direct me through the dismal darknesses of that shadow and to sustain me in the dreadful dissolution of that death O thou who now sittest on the right hand of God making intercession for me reject me not when I am making intercession for my self for through thy death I hope for life through thy life I hope for glory through thy glory I hope for eternal glory And in that hope do I now commend my spirit into thy hands for thou hast redeemed me O God thou God of truth And thou wilt save me O God thou God of Mercy because I have believed thy truth and do rely upon thy Mercy Therefore do I wholly resign my self body and soul unto thee submitting them both to thy good will and pleasure either for life or death beseeching thee to Receive my soul and to Restore my body and to grant that I may be able to stand upright in the dreadful Judgement being supported by the arm of thy All-sufficient Merits and All-saving Mercies to bless and praise thee O my blessed Redeemer world without end O God the Holy-Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner and give unto mean assurance of thy Mercy that thou mayest give unto me an abatement of my misery O thou which art the Comforter of thine Elect give unto me daily more and more the heavenly comforts of mine Election and in the greatest agonies and distresses of my body transfix my soul with the most joyful apprehensions and the most firm perswasions of thine everlasting Love and undeserved Mercies towards me in Jesus Christ That neither the apprehensions of a sad and miserable life nor the fears and terrours of an uncomfortable death may ever be able to affright my soul nor to disturb that sweet peace resâ—… and repose which my spirit now hath and desireth to have in thee the God of spirits who givest unto those souls that are oâ—… thy Communion the antepast of eternity the blessed anticipation of immortal joy 〈◊〉 O my God my Stay my Comforter unto thee do I flie for the comforts of immortality Like as the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall 〈◊〉 come to appear before God when shall I drink my fill of the waters of life to quench my thirst O let my tears no longer be my meat day and night whiles mine own troubled thoughts say unto my soul Where is now thy God for surely my God is in heaven whatsoever pleaseth him that doth he in heaven and in earth 〈◊〉 and though for a while in the evening of this life I have sadness upon earth yet in the morning of eternity I shall for eveâ—… have joy in heaven Amen O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity three persons and one God have Mercy upon me a most miserable and wretched sinner and therefore most miserable and wretched because a sinner because I have sinned against heaven and against thee the God of heaven But since thou hast given me grace through the confession of a true faith to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity I beseech thee that through the stedfastness of this faith I may be absolved from all my sins and also be defended from all adversity which livest and reignest one God world without end Amen Remember not Lord mine offences nor the offences of my fore-fathers neither take thou vengeance of my sins spare me good Lord spare me thy most afflicted but most unworthy servant whom thou hast
give him what he deserves Therefore it must be a full Resignation Resignatio Plena that is the second And indeed it will be full if it be free it will be Plenary if it be Voluntary which is the third condition Resignatio Voluntaria it must be a free and a voluntary Resignation I commit my spirit If I would reserve any thing to my self it should be my spirit the innermost part of my self but I also commit that and as I commit it into thy hands to dispose as thou pleasest so I freely commit and commend it to thy disposal A man may renounce his property upon Compulsion but he Resigns it properly upon Choice or Election And so do good men give up their souls to God freely and willingly whereas wicked and ungodly men do it against their wills Thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee Luke 12. 20. As if it were taken away by force not voluntarily Resigned which was a great sin in him that he did not willingly resign his soul to God who created it but a much greater sin in thee if thou do not willingly resign thy soul to the Son of God who Redeemed it and who alone can save it especially when he himself hath taught thee this form of a Resignation whence it was that in the Gospel on Palm-Sunday the Priest in the Latine-Church was to make a stop when he had read these words Jesus when he had cryed again with a loud voice yielded up the Ghost He was here to pause and to say his Pater Noster Ave-Marie and In manus tuas Domine Commendo spiritum meum before he proceeded to the next verse As if it were Unchristian-like in us not to Resign our souls to our Saviour Christ when we see him as it were Resigning his soul meerly to prepare a place for ours I ask then Darest thou trust thy soul in thine own hands Is it not already much the worse for thy keeping so long and will it not still be worse if thou keep it longer Canst thou resign it now as pure as thou didst first receive it and will it not contract the greater impurity the longer thou deferrest and delayest thy Resignation Consider that Saint Paul saith It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 11. 31. wherein every word hath its weight a weight too heavy to lay upon thy soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the most terrible of all terrours for it is spoken of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To fall None are properly said to fall into Gods hands at their death but they that would needs keep themselves out of his hands during their life They then fall into his hands because they did not before deliver their souls unto him whereas those that desire to live unto God do willingly give themselves into his hands and do still continue in his hands whiles they are here and so cannot be said to fall into his hands when they go from hence Those only that go out of his hands in their life are truly and properly said to fall into his hands at their death And they find how fearful a thing it is to fall into his hands because they find him a living God He seemed to them as it were asleep before and his own good Spirit complaining that he had so long born with such miscreants useth their own words in his complaint Psal. 44. 23. Awake why sleepest thou O Lord Nay he seemed to them little less then dead Psal. 14. 1. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God It is in the Hebrew there is no Judges if a God to see him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet not a Judge to punish him They either thought him as it were asleep in not regarding their wickedness or as it were dead in not revenging it But now they find him a waking and a living God That his eyes are open to see them and his hand stretched out to reach them and therefore they must needs be infinitely troubled that they are against their wills fallen into his hands For though King David chuseth rather to fall into the hands of God then of men 2 Sam. 24. 14. yet is it only in regard of this not of the next life In this life he would not willingly fall into the hands of men of ungodly unpeaceable unplacable men for their tender mercies are cruel Prov. 12. 10. But in the next life he would not fall into the hands of God And it is an admirable observation of Saint Chrysostom upon that plave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We that are under persecution fall into the hands of men but they that are our persecutors fall into the hands of God And this of the two is the more terrible fall O my God though thou let me fall into mine enemies hands yet let him never fall into thine Draw thou near to him in Grace and Mercy and draw him near to thee by Faith and Repentance Be thou reconciled unto him that he may be reconciled unto thee and willingly give himself into thy hands For it is so fearfull a thing to fall into thy hands that I cannot but pray against it even for my greatest persecutors I cannot hate mine enemy so far as to wish him that mischief O then let me not so far hate my self as to bring it upon mine own soul Let me willingly commit and commend my spirit to thee every day that being in thy hands all my life it may not fall into thy hands at my death Not fall into thy hands as a Malefactor that fled from thee to be Judged and Tormented But be received into thy hands as a child that flies to thee to be pardoned and protected For when we have said all and tried all that we can say this is the only way to be a good Christian and that according to the first and best patterns or presidents that have been given us of Christianity for so it s said of Barnabas and Paul Men that have hazarded their lives for the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ It is more in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui tradiderunt animas suas Men that have given or delivered up their souls for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ He that will be a good Christian must endeavour to be as ready to deliver up his soul to Christ as he desires Christ should be ready to receive it And we are very much encouraged so to do for we cannot be so ready to give our souls as he is ready to take them which puts me on the second general part of my text for I am willing to form my thoughts upon this argument into a farewell-Sermon for a Vale to the world Resignationis causa the cause of this Resignation for thou hast Redeemed me O Lord thou God of Truth Wherein we have indeed two causes First the fulness of the Redemption For thou hast Redeemed me