and is in him not every one that talks of him and professeth him and cals him Lord Lord but he that 's found in him is imputed of God and accounted righteous by him and in him A righteousnesse this is that will as well rule him righteously that receives it as present him unto God righteous Now the way of receiving it is beleeving and for that cause partly it is called The righteousnesse of faith as also because it worketh righteousnesse or causeth us so to work through faith Rom. 10.6 which beleeving in its actings towards Christ and God in him and in its acting from God and Christ towards man by Gods love acting it Gal 5.6 is called as I understand our working righteousnesse or doing righteousnesse in 1 Joh. 2.29 Every one that doth righteousnesse is born of him which answers to chap. 5.1 Every one that beleeveth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and so in 1 Joh. 5.7 He that doth righteousnesse is righteous as he is righteous Which agrees with that in Col. 1.22 23. To present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight if ye continue in the faith grounded and setled c. That I say is our righteous doing especially as it works towards God or receiving Christ resteth in God through him in which respect it is said also to be imputed to us for righteousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or unto righteousnesse Rom 4.5 Not for any inward merit in our acting it for indeed it 's rather acted in us but such is the love of God to his Son that he accepts our beleeving on him and takes it in as good part as if we had never sinned against him imputing it unto righteousnesse that is out of his meer grace and gracious determination so approving it that he looks on us now through Christ whom we therein beleeve on and reckons us after Christ who is his righteousnesse It is true that it is a righteous thing in it self that we should beleeve the word of God Istis duobus Christiana file que gloriam tribuâ—â— Deo imputatione Deâ— sides enim firma est 〈◊〉 oportet imputationtia Dei accedere Luth in Gal 3 6. and there-through beleeve in Christ set forth therein and so in God through him but yet this righteous thing of it self as acted by us or in us is too weak and low to denominate us righteous with God or intitle us to Christ his righteousnesse and make him ours did not God graciously so reckon of it as to accept it unto righteousnesse or to the intailing Christ upon us to be our righteousnesse But however that is our righteous-doing to give credit to God and beleeve on Christ and the not doing so is great unrighteousnesse that great sin which the holy Ghost will convince the world of Joh. 16.8 9 11. That that makes it a righteous thing to beleeve God is because he is true and all his words are pure and upright there is no fraud or perversnesse in him or his sayings none ever trasted to them and were deceived by them and thence it is too that unbelief is so great a sin and so unrighteous a thing because it gives God who is truth it self the lie and makes a liar of him 1 Joh. 5.10 And so again it is but a righteous just thing for men to beleeve on God in Christ and the contrary is unrighteousnesse and sin and why because he is good and loving yea love it self and doth good to men so as that they have good ground of committing themselves to him and staying on him and this in Christ because he hath in him testified his love to poor fallen mankinde and Christ hath so wonderfully deserved well of them for he came from his Father into the world on purpose to take our nature and therein bear our sin and die the death that was due to us which he also out of pity and good will towards us hath done and being risen again and ascended up to his father he is with him the propitiation for our sins and having received of him all authority and power yea being filled with all the fulnesse of God he holds forth himself as a Saviour to men as a Captain and leader ready and able to save them to the uttermost who ever submit to him and follow him Now God having done so much for us and upon these grounds requiring us to hope in him through Christ and cast our selves upon Christ it s but a most just and equall thing to beleeve on him and not to trust to one that hath prevented us with so much love and done so much for us is horrible ingratitude and injustice But by the way some may cast in this doubt concerning themselves Whether it can be made out that it is just and righteous that they in particular should beleeve in him Doubt For there are some so much bewilded in pooring upon themselves that they think it rather presumption and sin for them to hope in God and beleeve in Christ then any waies right and just for them and therefore if their hearts any time begin in consideration of this mercy and goodnesse a little to look towards him and conceive hope in him they are ready to start back again and say alas I am such a sinner I am not so well qualified I fear it's presumption in me to harbour any such thoughts of mercy in him for such a one as I Such a one I say might here object and ask me how I can make it good that it 's a just thing for him to beleeve in God and that God hath done so much for him as doth challenge his hoping and trusting in him To which I say Sâ—lu Not that thou maiest know this by thy so doing or beleeving for that would be fallacious and as to thee dangerous it being the want of such frames that make thee in this temper besides that thou nor any man can througly beleeve in God or be rightly framed toward him till he beleeves that God hath done so much for him and is so graciously affected towards him that there is good warrant for beleeving in him and this too from divine testimony not humane conjectures for faith that 's right comes by hearing Rom 10.14 and that hearing by which it comes is of the word of God To answer positively then out of the word of God It 's evident by Gods own testimony there that there is good ground for thee to beleeve on him It 's but that that his grace and good will testified towards thee doth require of thee for all that good will that I spake of before as a good ground for faith is testified in the Scripture to appertain to thee for minde what the Scripture saith in this particular and thou shalt see it clearly Joh. 3.16 for it is said that he so loved the world as to give his son yea for the unjust 1
Tim 1.6 Heb 1.9 2 Joh 2 2. ungodly sinners and enemies 1 Pet. 3.18 Rom. 3 6 8 10. that whosoever beleeves on him should not perish but have everlasting lift that the Son of God gave himself a ransome for all and tasted death by the grace of God for every one is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world Well then if thou beleevest the testimony of God by his Apostles and surely that is to be credited before what men say then maiest thou see that this appertains to thee if thou beest a man or one of the world then God gave his Son for thee and the Son of God came down from his Father into the world to be a Saviour for thee and died and gave himself a ransome for thee and is the propitiation for thy sins this is thou feest the language of the Scripture and of the testimony that God hath given of his Son that he died for sinners for men for all and there is none but will confesse that it 's meet that we should beleeve Gods saying as that which is in it self undoubtedly true Why then it 's meet that thou believe him in this particular too else thou dealest unrighteously with him and givest him the lie and if thou faiest ah but thou wouldst have some sign or token of the truth of this as concerning thee from him in something to be done by him to thy soul before thou canst or wilt give credit to it and judge it true then dost thou Mâ—tâ—h 12.33 as that adulterous generation which Christ reproveth seeking signes and tokens when God himself witnessed in his word concerning him and if thou shouldst persist in that way thou maist be given up to delusion to beleeve a lie and to be drawn from the truth asserted in the word by lying signs and wonders such as God sometimes orders to those that receive not the love of his truth that they might be preserved and saved by it 2 Thâ—s 1. 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Parath in Râ—n 9. If thou wilt not beleeve Gods word thou art in a dangerous way of miscarrying It 's a good counsel that Erasmus gives in such cases Desine disceptare incipe credere ita citius intelliges Leave off disputing and questioning about Gods word and opposing thy vain reason against it offer up thy reason as * Hoc est juge illud sacrificti vesperâ—â— ii matuâ—â—…um Novi Testamentâ— Vespertinum mortificare rationeâ—â— matutinâ—â— glorificare Deuâ— luâ—h in Gal 3.6 Luther advises as an evening sacrifice let that be mortified in whatsoever it sets it self against the word of God and instead thereof do thou begin to beleeve and give credit to what God saith and so thou shalt soonest come to understand which counsel I the rather commend because it sutes with the word of God it self it agrees with that of James 1.19 Be swift to hear slow to speak slow to wrath ready to listen what God saith in his word of truth but slow to be putting in thy glosses and corrections upon it and slow to wrangle with it or to be offended at what is said therein and so in Isa 7.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Tertullian renders thus Iâ—â—o taamiâ—â— Kâ— lo reamenu Tertul advers Marciod 4 c 32 Nisicredideritis non intelligetis unlesse ye beleeve ye shall not understand God would have us take his word and then he will let us see the truth and faithfullnesse of his word Man is apt to look the wrong way in first desiring to have his reason satisfied before he will beleeve but if thou wouldest prove and experiment the truth and certainty of his word to thy soul and have the profitable understanding of it do thou first receive it and close with it holding it for true and certain and then beleeving it to be true thou wilt judge it but a meet and righteous thing to commit thy soul to him and betrust thy self with him that hath prevented thee with so much goodnesse and declared such love to thee before-hand that thou mightest be perswaded to beleeve in him and that it 's thy great sin and evill that thou art so diffident and distrustfull of him yea in closing with that word of his grace in which he hath testified such love towards thee in Christ Isa 50.2 thou shalt in due season finde and feel the power of God put forth to save thee from distrusting him and so enabling thee with thy heart to beleeve on him so as it shall be imputed unto thee for righteousnesse Christ himself shall be made thy righteousnesse and thou accounted and accepted as righteous in him And now to bring thee again to the businesse where Christ is so received by faith as that the soul depends upon him and he becomes it's righteousnesse and presents him righteous to his father thence he will be operative in the soul too by his Spirit teaching the soul to walk righteously and act forth righteousnesse both to God and man For the faith that so receives Christ is not a bare dead notionall apprehension of a proposition sloating in the brain but such a cordiall closing of the heart with the word of God as that it closeth with loveth prizeth and leaneth on Christ held forth therein and ascendeth up to God by him loving admiring panting after and cleaving to God in him the Spirit of life that is in Christ Jesus working effectually in the soul and filling it with divine and heavenly vertues and operations as to devote it self to God for his great love towards it to expect further good from him to submit unto him c. and so be filled with peace and joy in the manifestation of Gods accepting it and witnesse thereof bearing to it with love and charity to men inward desires of their good and readines really to endeavour it as opportunity is offered as knowing that God would have them to be saved and that what Christ hath in his death and sufferings procured into himself it is free for any to come to him for whosoever will may take freely of the waters of life as also that it is acceptable to God that they should so walk towards others as he hath walked toward them and indeed faith as it gives a sight to the soul of the glorious grace of God so is it a means of the souls being transformed through that glory seen into his similitude to love as he hath loved pity where he shews pity and to delight in that which he delighteth it teacheth us to deny all ungodlines and worldly lusts and to live godly righteously and soberly in this present world to hold forth the word of life and work the works that are acceptable to God and profitable to men not in any thing to injure or wrong them but in all things to seek their commodity as occasion is presented to them that they might glorifie God in the day of
particular viz. Application with which we shall conclude You hear friends what the Scripture saith Application and you have heard severall instances of the truth of it minde well what ye have heard minde the Scriptures and minde the end of the just ones even such as you have had amongst you The first tels you That the righteous hath hope in his death the other hath experimented and proved it and rejoiced in affliction and death for the hope of the glory which they expected further to be revealed on them Both Scriptures and their experience commend to us these following instructions 1. Take notice of the excellency of righteousnesse and of the condition of a righteous man how good it is to receive by faith the righteousnesse of God and how well it goes with them that so do What is there in all the World to be compared to righteousnesse We may say of it as Solomon of wisdom and indeed it 's a high point of wisdom to do righteously in beleeving Prov. 3 14 15 16 c. The â—â—â—ch and so thereof is better then the merchandise of silver and the gain thereof better then of sine gold She is more precious then rubies yâ—â— all that thou canst desire is not to be compared to her She is a tree of lift to all that take hold of her c. Alas How empty are the riches and honours and pleasures of this world in comparison of righteousnesse they may make a man frolick outwardly in this life and yet not that neither except God give health and power to enjoy them but often times in the midst of that jollity and bravery the heart is sad the conscience torn and broken and alas when death comes and judgement appears at the back of it then what trembling then except the conscience be hardned seared and grown utterly carelesse what terrours and pangs of despair torment it All these things that the world so much prize are but bread that perisheth They may perhaps make us a little glorious to the world but cannot give us peace with nor hope in God Riches deliver not in the day of wrath but righteousnesse this righteousnesse of faith which is accepted with God for righteousnesse and so Christ received and beleeved on delivers from death Prov. 11.4 That will give a man boldnesse in the day of judgement while he knows his Judge is his righteousnesse and will protect him from wrath and vengeance Oh that men did see the worth of righteousnesse the righteousnesse of God surely then they would not trifle so much time and strength and talents away about empty lying vanities they would not so swell with conceits of themselves and look so big for a few muddy riches for a little fading appearing worldly glory they would not be so cheated into a contentednesse with some painted shews of righteousnesse formall devotions so much religion as may serve them to live in credit with men and lull their consciences asleep till they satisfie their earnall earthly desires no certainly they would count all things but losse and dung that they might win Christ and enjoy him for their righteousnesse Well friends however you may pursue after other things and blesse your selves in your enjoyments possessions ease pleasures vanities now yet there will come a day in which all these appearing deceitfull you will wish for righteousnesse you will see then what hath been now shewed you and what the wise man saith viz. That the righteous man is more excellent then his neighbour Prov. 12.26 as he is more excellent in his life because exalted in Christ and inriched with him and his priviledges as also because of his spirit in him conforming him to Christ and putting something of heaven and heavenly vertues into him so will he be found more excellent in his death when his heart shall have hope and rejoicing in God while other mens sink within them or die like stones being without God and without hope to God Oh that now therefore you would take notice of the excellency of righteousnesse above all things in the world that you may not slight it and so want its sweet and satisfactory usefulness when you have most need of it 2. Be we exhorted to follow after righteousnesse Vse 2. to imbrace the righteousnesse of faith to receive the Lord Jesus Christ the bread of life and the true righteousnesse that God gives us Know and beleeve friends that God doth give you righteousnesse in Christ he hath sent him into the world for you to be your Saviour hath laid the sin of the world upon him and he hath born it and suffered death for it this he hath done for all therefore beleeve and know it is true for you and that God having raised him from the dead hath given him in the humane nature all fulnesse of power and authority so that he is able to the uttermost to save you to forgive you your sins he having died for them for otherwise according to the order of Gods proceeding he should not be able to forgive you if he had not shed bloud for your sins Heb 9.22 for without bloudshedding there is no remission But know that he I say is able to forgive and save you With him there is forgivenesse that he might be feared Col. 1.14 And if the knowledge and belief of it work so with you as to turn you in to fear him you shall have that forgiveness with and in you it shall passe upon you yea he is ready to receive and forgive you he cals you to him that he might confer this grace upon you Let the wicked forsake his waies and the unrighteous man his thoughts and return to the Lord for he will have mercy c. and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Isa 55.7 Yea he sent his Son to turn every one of you from your iniquities Act. 3 Only he would have you to look to him for it and be saved by him Isa 45.22 Now oh be perswaded to do righteousnesse seeing righteousnesse is so excellent a thing and hath so great recompence of reward Receive the word and grace of God give credit to the record that God bears of his Son that he hath given us eternall life and this lift is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life c. That God hath sent him forth to be the Saviour of the world and he hath given himself arausome for all and so died and is risen for thee and hath life is himself for thee to look after and to receive in looking to him that God in him hath thewed forth exceeding grace towards thee and be not of a gainsaying heart and spirit wrangling against the word and patting it from thee Let the unrighteous man forsake his own is righteousnesse wrong unbeleeving thoughts and lay down all the suspitions and contradictions of his own reason against Gods truth and turn to the Lord to minde receive
THE RIGHTEOVS MANS HOPE IN HIS DEATH IN A SERMON AT THE Funerall of Mr WILLIAM CONYE of Walpoole Justice of Peace and Captain over the Trained Band in Marshland PREACHED By JOHN HORNE Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ at Soushlyn in Norfolke 2 do May 1648. 2 SAMUEL 14.14 For we must needs die and are as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered up again neither doth God respect any person yet doth he devise means that his banished be not expelled from him ISAIAH 57.1 2. The righteous is taken away from the evil to come He shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds each one walking in his uprightnesse Cum constet deresurrectione mortuorum vacat dolor mortis vacat impatientia doloris Tertul. de Patientia Quinto major fides tanto morsest imbecillior Luth. LONDON Printed for Tho. Vnderhill 1649. To the Author of the Sermon IN Achor's vale Thou op'st a Door of Hope The Heart enlarg'd may well behold Thy scope The strong Devourer is by Thee made sweet We see the Eater is become mans meat The Faithfull die their fear of death is past In hope they live These dead thou lead'st to rest J.A. On the death of William Conye Esq Justice of the Peace and Captain at Wars Who being dead yet speaketh Heb. 11.4 OH living man would'st by death gain Learn Christ who did thy death sustain That so when Death Thy Life shall end Thou maist in Life with Christ Ascend Thy losse of friends becomes thy gain When God thy friend thou do'st obtain Then Pattern-like Be taught of me Let Christ thy life yet living be By sin came death yet liveth he Who conquer'd death to succour thee J.A. Or Thus. The Bush on fire is still preserv'd Mans life in death is yet conserv'd The Angels food Mans bread Christ is This Captain slew our death by his His bonds makes free his death brings life Our shame through Christ works glory rife Christ's Grace gains Faith Man hopes glory Sure 's God 's word myst'ry and stlory Vain man I Why fearest death in vain Christ is risen Beleeve and reign J.A. The CONTENTS Doctrines 1. That Righteous men die 1. The leverall kindes of death 1. Eternall which is a perishing from the presence of the Lord The second death 2. Spirituall Dead in sins strangers from the life of God Taken in an ill sease Dead to the Law to a mans self Thus taken in a good sense 3. Temporall see sin Inchoate In deaths often The shadow of death Censummate An utter sepatation of the soul from the body 2. The reasons of the Righteous mans dying 1 From the frail and mortall nature about them 2 From Satan and this world haters of them 3. From sin that cleaves so fall to them 4. From the Ordinance of God upon them That all men must die 5. For right ends to them 1. To humble the righteous by death 2. To make them seek salvation out of death through Christ 3. That the glory of Christ in raising them out of death may appear 4. That death may put an end to all their evils 5. That dying the righteous may enter into life and glory 2. That the Righteous hath hope in his death And therein consider 1. The difference of the Righteous mans hope from other mens hopelesse of life or senselesse of death 2. Who is the Righteous man 3. Divers sorts of Righteousnesse 1. Of a mans own and of works Morall Legall 2. Of God Of saith 4. Gods goodnesse done for man and his truth said to man cals for mans trust and hope towards God 5. What is this hope of a Righteous man 1. The severall objects of his hope Christ And other things through Christ 2. The grounds of his hope 1. Christs sufferings for man the ground of mans righteousnesse with God 2. Christs resurrection out of death the ground of mans hope of life 3. The efficacy of his hope the Righteous mans hope dies not It lives in his death 6. The blessed memory of this deceased Righteous man and of his hope in his death Application 1. The Righteousnesse of God is to be taken notice of and not to be slighted 2. All men ought to fellow this righteousnesse of God and not faint for sufferings 3. These followers are to go on in the way of righteousnesse The righteous not to die in their affections for death it self but to have hope in their death THE RIGHTEOVS MANS HOPE IN HIS DEATH The Text. PROV 14.32 The Righteous hath hope in his death NOt to spend time in unnecessary prefacing because we shall finde matter enough in the words to take up all this little time allotted us There are two Propositions couched in the Text to which I shall desire as briefly and yet as clearly as I may to speak viz. 1. That even Righteous men also are liable to death 2. That the Righteous have hope in their death The truth of the former of these is not only a matter of faith but is evident to sense also as the Scriptures tell us Heb 9.17 It 's appointed to man once to die So we see the wise and the foolish the righteous and the wicked both are subject thereto and in that regard all things come alike to all The most famous for righteousnesse have yielded unto death Abraham is â—â—nd and the Prophets are dead yea Christ himself yielded up the Ghost and died so that we shall not spend time about the proof of that point only I shall desire to unfold the severall acceptions of the word death and see in which of them this is found true that the righteous comes unto death and so see the latitude in which this Text may be taken and then shew whence and upon what grounds it comes to passe that the righteous also die and so proceed to the next particular The word death is diversly used in Scripture As We reade of a second death Rev. 20 6. 〈◊〉 Thes 17.8 9 Mâ—â—â— 25 4â— a perishing from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power a being thrown into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his Angels But of this death the text is not to be understood for this is none of the righteous mans death it 's not appointed for him nor he for it nor shall he come into it nor is it a death in which any hope may be had this is indeed the righteous mans hope that he shall not see this death but be preserved and kept from it as it is said Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection for on such the second death shall have no power Rev. 20.6 And of this that saying of our Saviour is to be understood that he that beleeves in him shall not taste death Joh 8 52. 2. Death is sometimes taken for a more spirituall death or a death in the spirit of a man only not in the body as when men are said
then other things so will it be a brighter demonstration of the wisdom and power of God and that in which he shall be more admired then in other things When I have opened your graves and brought you out from them and put the spirit of life into you that looked upon your selves as dry ones past all hope of life saith God to the house of Israel Ezek. 7.11 12 then shall you know that I am the Lord then emphatically then more fully and clearly so as to acknowledge and to admire it and give glory to me c. 4. That they might not be alwaies under evill he orders this for their good as well as for his own glory for his glory in their good and great mercy and goodnesse it is to them to be taken away from the face of evill as the phrase is in Isa 57.1 2. Mipna baragna◠2 Pet. 2.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a facie mali here they live amongst an evill generation of wicked men that vex and disquiet their righteous souls as the Sodomites did righteous Lot men that oppose and blaspheme God in his way truth spirit c. and daily plot and conspire the ruine of the just and these evill men make the times evill and dangerous partly by corrupting the truth of God and bringing in dangerous errours and partly by their oppressions cruelties malice fraud and other enormities which provoke God to send plagues pestilences famine and sword and such like sore judgements for such things the godly mourn and sigh and their lives are full of bitternesse now though God see it good to try and exercise his people with these things as in a furnace yet these are not his peoples portion out of very love and faithfullnesse therefore he will take them from the face of these evils either before judgements come that they may not see and be perplexed with them as he intimates unto Hezekiah 2 King 2.28 2 when he threatned sore judgements upon the people he would first take him away and he should have peace in his daies or else out of them that they be not overburthened with them here they are tossed too and fro with troubles hated reproached persecuted wearied out almost with labours and sorrows in and for the Gospel and name of Christ and for their just conversations with men and therefore God out of compassion will take them away by death in due season and give them rest as it follows they shall enter into peace Isa 57. ◠they shall rest in their beds each one walking in his uprightnesse Should any man be here alwaies continued his life would be a very unsupportable burthen to him how much more the righteous who have usually a deeper share in troubles here then other men 5. He orders death to them that putting off this earthly mashy tabernacle they might be brought to a more full enjoyment of Jesus Christ and so of himself in him here their enjoyments of God are lower and more intermixt they are letted by this bodily grossenesse from seeing or receiving so much of him as their spirits in more spirituall bodies are capable of no man can see God and live and yet the happinesse of the soul stands in the sight and fruition of God which that they might have more fully he takes them out of these bodies to his Son 2 Cor. 5.6 while we sojourn in the body we are absent from the Lord we are here as strangers in a forraign countrey where we have no city to continue in Heb. 13.14 2 Cor. 5.8 but when we are taken out of the body we shall be at home we shall be nearer to Christ and have a greater enjoyment of him whence death is great advantage to the righteous and Paul desired it rather then life I desire saith he to be dissolved and to be with Christ Phil. 1.21 23. for that is far better for me c. For these and such like good and gracious ends God hath ordered death to the righteous which I have but briefly spoken to desiring to passe to the main thing in the text the second thing observed which is indeed the full expression of the text it self viz. That the righteous hath hope in his death Propos 2. That is he sinks not under it but lives in death his spirit lives when his body dies he is saved from the terrour of death by the hope he hath of a better life and so not only sees not the second death or comes not into it but misseth also the sting and bitterness that many through ignorance and unbelief meet with in the first death he feels a spirituall life in the midst of a spirituall and in the midst of a corporall death too When his spirit dies to himself and to the world so that it findes nothing in the one nor in the other to support comfort or chear him but sees all in himself polluted and sinfull his very works of righteousnesse too short and scanty to cover him from wrath and vengeance and all in the world vain yea vanity it self and full of bitternesse and vexation in both nothing but death yet even then in Christ he findes sweetnesse life and satisfaction he findes him living bread and feeds upon him as the most ample glorious witnesse and manifestation of Gods love and in feeding there he lives I am crucified with Christ saith the Apostle that is to himself and to his own best endeavours though after Law and to the world with all its excellencies and yet saith he I live and yet that was passively he not actively but Christ lives in me and the life that I live in the flesh is by the saith of the Son of God c. As for other men take away their comforts in the world and confidence they have in themselves and you undoe them they die despair and perish but the just shall live by faith and so it is with him in the midst of dangers and of bodily death he hath such a hope as saves supports him and bears him up in the worst times and conditions he hath hope in death and in that he hath hope he differs from two sorts of people as in the nature and quality of his hope he differs from others from these two 1. From those that are driven away in their wickednesse with wrath Pro. 14 3◠as in the former part of the verse such as the guilt of sin in their consciences and sence of vengeance hurries away to desperation and makes them like the chaff driven away with the winde Psal 1.4 so that they cannot stand in death when they apprehend Gods hand lifted up against them but sink down into hell unbelief and terrour 2. From those that though they are not so hurried away in a tempest as being past hope yet when they die they are like stones as was Nabal or as it 's to be ferred some do that the people use to say die
be with his Lord Jesus which he longed for far above life even from the begining of his sicknesse so that some being desirous to pray for him he would by no means that they should pray to preserve his life here any longer but that he might go to his Lord Jesus and be taken from that state of estrangement and absence from him that he was in while in this body to be at home with him that he might in his spirit more fully see and enjoy him whom he had seen by faith or whom not seeing yet he beleeved in and loved for that good report of his love in the Gospel declared to him as he had wrought righteousnesse or done righteously in his life in receiving the testimony of the Gospel the record of God concerning Jesus Christ and was not ashamed of it though spoken against and rejected by men nor of those that brought it though weak and vilified by most so went he not without the fruit of it in his death the word of God wrought effectually in him both in life and death In his life time it wrought in him to desire the true and lasting riches although he was blessed here with a good and large portion of these outward riches which often prove such snares and intanglements to mens hearts that they cannot attend to God for the true yea and whereas commonly rich men are high minded as it is intimated in that charge given them not to be high minded 1 Tim. 6.21 and prove great hinderances of mens entring the strait gate because men are apt to swell in their mindes up to the largenesse yea and often far beyond the largenesse of their estates and to despise so low and contemptible a way as the Gospel is It was not so with him the goodnesse of God so wrought in him as for the enjoiment of Christ he condescended to them of low degree to bear the reproach of Christ with them and to professe the despised Gospel amongst them A rare thing to finde a rich estate and a poor humble spirit together riches and pride and loftines usually accompany each other and so choaking all motions or desires of goodnesse that they come not out to perfection In all this he did righteously but above all in that he received not only the sound but the substance of the Gospel the truth into his heart so as to set his hope in God therethrough and to expect his salvation as also his brother had done before him however opposite at first as many others yet are which accompanied him to his death as hath been expressed which hope also suted with the hope of the righteous man in this that it was founded upon the love of God in Christ to mankinde and so to him The death resurrection ascension mediation of the Son of God for him according to the Gospel declaration as appears by this ensuing confession of his faith which he penned with his own hand when he first began to grow sick and weak and caused to inserted into the preface of his Will whence also as I was requested I copied it out word for word to publish it to you as here followeth I bequeath my soul into the hands of God as into the hands of a faithfull Creator who hath made heaven and earth and all things therein and to Jesus Christ the second person in the Trinity God blessed for ever who hath redeemed me and all mankinde for the Scripture that I do faithfully beleeve saith That he by the grace of God tasted death for every man and St John saith That God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And the same John saith in his Epistle He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world and other such like Scriptures which I here forbear to insert And this I do declare because so many do deny the truth of these Scriptures and some others deny all Scriptures and many now in our daies deny the Lord Iesus Christ to be the second Person in Trinity and so account the written Scriptures as a History and the mystery in their hearts they give for Scripture But I do faithfully beleeve as it is recorded in the word of God that that Iesus who died for all men is risen free and acquit of all that was against them for to this end he both died and rose again that he might be Lord of all and is ascended up on high and hath received gifts * Or In the man for men to send forth even to the rebellious that the Lord God might dwell amongst them and that they might come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved such provision hath God made for all in and through his Son that be invites all to come and saith all things are ready his trible is furnished and he bids them eat of his bread and drink of his wine that he hath mingled Thus far is the love of God in his Son set forth to all and more fully and of his fulnesse have we all received and grace for grace And further it is said To so many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God to them which beleeve in his Name Which makes it plain that whosoever is found to receive and accept what is declared in the Scriptures of what Jesus hath done for all it is as much as to say they receive him that is to own God for their father in the righteousnesse of his Son so that he that is Gods righteousnesse is their righteousnesse who presents them in himself unto the Father and for them be hath a further businesse with the father as in 1 Joh. 2.1 is declared We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous making good our cause and not suffering our evils to come up before him and it is through what he hath done by dying rising and ascending and continuall advocating that I have all my hope that when I depart this life I shall live with him according to that Scripture which saith Because I live ye shall live also c. Thus he exprest himself In the last expression of which you have the confession of his hope to agree with what I said before of the righteous mans that it sprung from a good bottom the death resurrection and advocation of Jesus Christ as with that of the Apostle Peter who saith God hath begotten them to a lively hope through the resurrection of Christ from the dead 1 Pet 1.3 So that as this our Brother did righteously to beleeve the Gospel of the grace of God and therethrough to beleeve in God so had he a good hope in his death a hope for good and glorious things and a hope well grounded And thus we have seen the explication and confirmation Come we now to the third
while alive Eph. 4.18 and 2.1 to be dead in an evill sense void of the life of God dead in sins and trespasses but of this this place cannot be understood neither they that are so dead are not righteous men but as yet unrighteous and ungodly But 3. Death is sometime taken in a good sense for a spirituall death not in sin but to a mans self and sin as when the Apostle saies Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ yet I live c. Rom. 6.4 We are planted with him into the similitude of his death And 7.9 When the law came sin revived and I died That is When a man formerly alive to his wisdome parts priviledges righteousnesse after the Law c. comes to be taken off from all life in them confidence springing from them expectation of favour from God because of them findes no support comfort or encouragement from them sees them all to be nothing in the account of God and so looses and departs with them all in that regard to enjoy the full grace of God in Christ Unrighteous men oft times finde life in their own hands power and works endeavours parts c. but the man that doth righteousnesse dies to all that he may live to God and Christ may be his life And so he dies also to the world riches gloâ—â— pleasures treasures of it and whatsoever is therein so as not to love cleave to and have his life therein or suck his soul sweetnesse and satisfaction there-from It is crucified to him and he to it as Gal. 6.14 He is condemned and cast out by it and he again condemns and reproves it and findes no goodnesse or life in the customs approbation or excellencies of it So Paul saies of himself he died daily 1 Cor. 15. and saies to the Colossians chap. 3.3 Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God And this death in these severall particulars the righteous man dieth to and in these dyings also he hath hope so that this acceptation of the word death we may understand to he included in this expression in the Text. 4. The word death signifies also dangers of death to the body heavy afflictions and distresses such as bring into eminent dangers of the dissolution of the body and soul each from other as when Paul said that God delivered him from so great a death 2 Cor. 8.9 and that he was in deaths often 2 Cor. 11.23 Fifthly and lastly It is used most ordinarily to signifie the death of the body the separation made between it and the soul the laying down of this earthly tabernacle so Christ was put to death in the flesh and Abraham and the Prophets died c. And in this and the next foregoing sense joined with it shall I here especially eye and speak to it It being a clear truth that the righteous come into many tribulations and deaths or dangers and at last also lay down their earthly tabernacles and die in the flesh 2 Cor. 5.1 and 4.12 Let us now view some reason of this why they are subjected to or how they come to yeeld up to such deaths The question is Quest. Why and whence it is that the righteous come into dangers and into death The answer is Answ That though they are in their conditions and spirits above death yet their bodies are subject thereto from sundry causes as If we look upon secundary causes It is because 1. They have the same frail natures and infirm constitutions as other men have they have and carry about them the seeds and principles of mortality righteousnesse leads to peace in them and to hopes under them but doth not keep death from them Yea 2. They have more cause then other men inasmuch as they have more enemies Satan stirring up instruments against them yea and if God permit working upon the principles of mortality in them more forceably and violently as in Job if by any means he might destroy them he stirs up the world to hate reproach and persecute them so that considering the worlds hating of them and plots against them it 's a greater wonder and more to be admired that they die no sooner then that they die at all that they meet not with many more deaths then that they meet with so many If we look upon the first and higher causes then we finde 1. Sinne in them as well as in others and that exposeth to death the body being corrupted with sin must die that it may be made new and incorrupt and that springs from an higher cause yet 2. The appointment of God It 's an ordinance of his making that mankinde should be subject to death It 's appointed to men once to die Heb. 9.27 And this ordinance includes and reaches to beleevers as well as others they being men also and God would have it so for divers good ends and purposes as to instance 1. That they might have something to humble them and keep them low in themselves while they are minded of their sin and sinfulnesse that let in death and experiment themselves in mortality frailty and weaknesse like other men and so are led also to see that they as well as any other have daily need of help from above that they need a Saviour out of death 2. That they seeing their own nothingnesse and need of a Saviour might be more earnestly stirred up to accept thankfully and diligently seek after and have recourse unto and exercise faith in the Saviour that God hath freely given to remedy and help them Deut. 32.29 Psal 9â— 11. for the consideration of their later end and the right numbering of their daies is a means to make them apply their hearts more heedfully to wisdom in minding the grace of God and comforting themselves therein against their straits and sufferings and breathing after the experiments of the power of God in supporting and bearing them up in deaths and in due season delivering them out of them Were we not subjected to death and misery in ourselves we should never so much prize and look out after salvation and help given us in another 3. That God in Christ might be the more abundantly glorified in supporting and carrying them through deaths and sufferings and raising them out of them for his strength is perfected in weaknesse and his power in infirmities 2 Cor. 12. as thereby it is most eminently put forth so therethrough also it 's most fully and clearly seen and known and being seen is most acknowledged as Christ said of Lazarus his death Joh. 1â— so we may say of the death of all his people it is that the son of man might be glorified for it 's greater glory to uphold in deaths and raise dry bones out of death then to preserve from it As the resurrection of the dead when mens bodies are wasted consumed and the reliques thereof scattered and dispersed doth more appose reason and seems more absurd to mans conception
beleeve and close with his sayings that they being intertained Christ himself to whom they bear witnesse and whom they set forth may be beleeved on come to and received into the heart he may be entertained into the fouls affection desire delight confidence c. that so he that is Gods righteousnesse provided for us and given unto us being received and entertained thou mai'st in him be presented righteous to God and filled with the fruits of righteousnesse both toward God and men that so thou having of the spirit of Christ within thee it may lead teach support and comfort thee and in the midst of dangers yea and of death it self fill thee with a lively hope of life and glory Friends do righteously in beleeving the word of God and looking to Christ by faith be not enemies to your selves by heeding lying vanites put not away from you your own mercies run not desperately through a spirit of envy or malice or through worldlinesse pride presumption Atheisme loosenesse into your own destruction What good will you get to your selves in the issue by being wicked by being envious against the Gospel and grace of God by quarrelling against and resisting the truth by scorning contemning hating and reproaching them that out of love and good will preach and hold it forth to you by rejecting the testimony of God and closing with every vain phantasie by which you think your selves strengthened against it whom do you fight against in opposing the word of God is it not against God himself and is it not against your own good Do you not endeavour thereby to pervert your own waies to make his grace and goodnesse questionable as concerning your selves and so put your selves from having the word of God the ground of your faith to fetch the ground of it from some blinde conjectures and good conceits of your selves Oh stand not in your own light neglect not so great salvation as is set before you nor rest in such a notion all profession of truth as leaves the soul destitute of the power of truth such a consent to it and profession of it as yet leaves the soul unrighteous brings it not into Christ nor receives not the power and Spirit of Christ into it Let not love of the world and worldly vanities keep you out either from attending to and receiving truth nor from submitting to and walking out in the power of truth perhaps you are rich some of you and injoy much in the world you can fill and satiate your selves with the profits advantages and delights of it you finde a great deal of satisfaction in your own waies some in coveteousnes others in pride and others in voluptuousnes c. But oh consider the emptinesse and vanity of all these satisfactions will the world and the things thereof last for ever is not God even now powring out whole vials of his wrath upon it and is he not staining the pride of all glory and bringing to contempt all that 's honourable in the earth Is he not marring the form of it and casting bitternesse into all the comforts of the earth and what will your riches profit you if God come to plead with you with sword famine and his sore judgements do you think to bribe his wrath or make an agreement with hell and death do you think that his hand will not finde you out or do you think your riches honours pleasures accomodations in the world will then fill your souls with hope O no beloved these things will then prove more empty vanties you may live as richly and sumptuously and in as great pleasure as the rich man in the Gospel Luk. 16. yea and perhaps to have as honourable a buriall and yet the next news may be that that was his unhappy portion that you are in hell tormented what then will all these things you here set your hearts upon advantage you what will it profit you could you get and enjoy the whole world and to lose your souls in the getting it die like stocks or blocks without God and without Christ and without hope or to die howling out with vexation and despair Alas what good would all his riches and places or great funerall c. have done this gentleman if he had died without faith in God and without the hope of his glory and so before his body had been interred his soul had been in hell Be you willing to follow his steps in owning the truth of God and the grace of God therein declared and in so laying down your selves to the Crosse of Christ and cordially desiring the knowledge and enjoyment of Christ that so your end may be as hopefull as his you may not be afraid of death and faint under it but hope in it and rejoice over it for the righteous man is he that hath hope in his death 3. To conclude let me speak one word to you that do follow after righteousnesse even the righteousnesse of God you that have received the record of God concerning his Son beleeved his love and therethrough are brought to appreach unto him to have good thoughts of him and have cast your souls upon him and set your hope in him what hath been said may be usefull unto you for your encouragement and consolation I shall say this to you my brethren hold fast your integrity follow on yet after righteousnesse Rev. 22.11 be not weary of well doing nor saint in the way he that is righteous let him be righteous still and be that is holy let him be holy still let him continue and increase in holinesse and righteousnesse serving God in them all the daies of his life abide in Christ and in his way attending to the grace of God and submitting thereto to be acted and led thereby to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts Tit. 2.11 12. Heb. 13 1â— 16 and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking diligently that none fail of the grace of God that none be prophane as Esau to sell the hope set before him the birthright given you for a messe of pottage for any worldly carnall transitory vanities take heed of consulting with flesh and bloud lest you be turned aside from the word of God to other doctrines or to be corrupted to worldly waies and evils take heed that the cares of this life and the deceitfullnesse of riches or love of other things in this world do not by little and little steal in upon your spirits to cheak the good seed of the word of God and so to make you content your selves with a barren profession of Christ without power and fruitfullnesse Hold fast your hope and confidence in Christ Heb. 10.35 and hold fast your good conversation according to Christ knowing that your confidence hath a great recompense of reward 1 Cor. 15 18. Gal. 6 7. and your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord in due time ye shall reap if ye faint
not you have great encouragement in the consideration of what hath been said to persevere to the death and not shrink back because of persecutions reproaches threatnings or the fear of death It is true indeed you are exposed to the wrath and malice of men there are many especially at this time that conspire and plot against us we may see and hear how they band themselves together and strengthen themselves in mischief to root out from the earth if it were possible those that fear God and desire to walk with him it is at such their aim is most and their envy and all their plots and designs are most against such persecutions of the tongue you meet with and should do of the hand too if they might have their will they thirst after our bloud and perhaps the sight of this might almost strike a damp into some spirits that have begun to look to God and make them begin to think of going back again from him but O my friends let it not be so with you you have no cause for all these things to be affrighted for your lives are not in their hands that are your enemies they may talk great things this they will do and that they will do cut our throats knock us on the head be our deaths but we see God permits them not to do so they did so conspire against David but he comforted himself in this my times are in thine hand Psal 31.11 O Lord and so may we till our times be come they can do no hurt as it is said of Christ when they lay in wait for him and sought to kill him they were many a time frustrated and put by because his hour was not yet come though they may have opportunities to harm us yet God ties their hands and strikes a fear into their hearts not a hair of our heads shall they pluck from off us Mat. 10 30. till God give them permission Therefore fear not for the threats of men nor for the wickednesse of those that in stead of receiving the grace of God preached by us seek to reward our good will with mischieving us Luk. 21.18 plot to destroy us in doing righteousnesse we have God on our sides who will faithfully protect us we have seen him many a time befooling them and sometimes taking them in their own snares blowing them up when they had subtilly undermined us and thought to have destroied us How many times have they thought themselves sure of our downfall when they themselves have fallen we have risen and stood upright though we have been so imperfect in righteous doing that for our unbelief and follies God might most justly have given us up to their rage yet such hath been his goodnesse and faithfullnesse to us that to break us off from our waies more and to encourage us to righteousnesse he hath known us in our adversities and evermore stood by us to defend us and we have cause to hope in him yet that whatsoever their hopes and expectations are however great their power and however subtle their policies however strong their confederacies and combinations to do wickednesse God will yet defeat them and preserve us Well but suppose he should leave us to their hands as there may be an hour for the power of darknesse over us Luk. 22 53. Rev. 11 7 8. as well as there was to Christ yet what of that shall we turn from our righteousnesse sure there would be no cause for that for what can they do unto us They can but kill the body and the body must die Eccles 8.8 And though for righteousnesse sake it do not die so soon as probably it might yet such have all died who to avoide death have turned from righteousnes Neither shall wickednes deliver those that are given to it And truly friends to die in and for righteous doing is far better then to die in denying it and without it you see righteousnesse gives hope in death and delivers from the sting and poyson that some meet with in it Alas if you turn from righteousnesse you turn from God and from Christ and from hope of eternall life Ezek. 33.12 and what is then to be met with but guilt and horrour of conscience in death despair and after death eternall vengeance what advantage is it to live a little longer in this world and in the mean time to have the soul dead to hope and dead to God Therefore hold fast your righteousnesse be not ashamed of God and Christ and of his name and truth while you cleave to righteousnesse God will be sure to cleave to you and support you so that death shall be but as a dream to you the hope your souls meet with in and from God shall render death little or nothing fearfull or dreadfull to you yea in him your souls shall finde joy in death God whom ye beleeve on and confesse will be your God and guide unto death and his grace embraced by you will fill you with joy and gladness with peace and quietness in the midst of death you shall experiment with this our brother and all the Saints of God that have abidden in faith and held fast their confidence the truth of what you have now heard that the righteous hath hope in his death For that hopes sake go on couragiously in the path of righteousnesse and fear not what persecutions and death can do unto you Consider what hath been said and the Lord give us all understanding in all things Laus Deo