Debt-book is crossed in his blood Quest. How is Death ours Answ. Two wayes 1. It is the Out-let to Sin 2. It is the In-let to happiness 1. Death to a Beleever is an Out-let to Sin we are in this life under a sinful necessity even the best Saint There is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not Evill thoughts are continually arising out of our hearts as sparks out of a Furnace Sin keeps house with us whether we will or no the best Saint alive is troubled with In-mates though he forsakes his sinnes yet his sinnes will not forsake him 1. Sin doth indispose to good How to performe that which is good I finde not Rom. 7. ver 18. When we would pray the heart is as a Voyal out of tune When we would weepe we are as clouds without rain 2. Sin doth irritate to evil The Flesh lusts against the Spirit There needs no winde of Tentation we have Tide strong enough in our hearts to carry us to Hell Consider sinne under this threefold notion 1. Sin is a body of death and that not impertinently First It is a body for its weight The body is an heavy and weighty substance so is Sin a body it weighs us down When we should pray the weights of Sin are tied to our feet that we cannot ascend Anselm seeing a little Boy playing with a Bird he let her flie up and presently pulls the Bird down againe by a string So saith he it is with me as with this Bird when I would flie up to heaven upon the wings of meditation I finde a string tied to my leg I am over-powered with corruption but Death pulls off these weights of sin and le ts the Soul free Secondly Sin is a body of death for its annoyance It was a cruel torment that one used he tied a dead man to a living that the dead man might annoy and infest the living Thus it is with a childe of God he hath two men within him Flesh and Spirit Grace and Corruption here is the dead man tied to the living a proud sinful heart is worse to a childe of God then the smell of a dead Corps Indeed to a natural man sinne is not offensive for being dead in sinne he is not sensible of the body of death but where there is a vitall principle there is no greater annoyance then the body of Death Insomuch that the pious soule oft cries out as David Wo is me that I dwell in Mesek and sojourn in the tents of Kedar So saith he Wo is me that I am constrained to abide with sin How long shall I be troubled with inmates How long shall I offend that God whom I love When shall I leave these Tents of Kedar 2. Sinne is a Tyrant it carries in it the nature of a Law the Apostle calls it the law in his members There is the law of Pride the law of Unbelief it hath a kinde of jurisdiction as Caesar over the Senate perpetuam dictaturam What I hate that do I The Apostle was like a man carried down the streame and was not able to beare up against it Sinne takes us prisoners whence are our carnal fears whence our passions whence is it that a childe of God doth that which he allows not yea against knowledge only this he is for a time Sinnes Prisoner The Flesh oft prevailes though in coole blood the elder shall serve the younger whence is it that he who is borne of God should be so earthly The reason is he is captived under sin but be of good chear where grace makes a Combate death shall make a Conquest 3. Sin is a leprous spot It makes every thing we touch uncleane We reade when the Leprosie did spread in the walls of the house the Priests commanded them to take away the stones in the wall in which the Plague was and take other stones and put in the place of those stones and take other morter Levit. 14.42 But when the Plague spread againe in the wall then he must break downe the house with the stones and timber thereof Vers. 45. Thus in every man naturally there is a fretting leprosie of sinne pride impenitency c. These are leprous spots now in conversion here God doth as it were take away the old stones and timber and put new in the roome he makes a change in the heart of a sinner but still the leprousie of sinne spreads then at last death comes and pulls down the stones and timber of the house and the soule is quite freed from the leprousie Sinne is a defiling thing it makes us red with guilt and black with filth 'T is compared to a menstruous cloath we need carry it no higher Pliny tells us that the Trees with touching of it would become barren and Hierom saith Nihil in lege menstruato immundius there was nothing in the Law more uncleane then the menstruous cloath this is sinne Sinne drawes the Devils picture in a man malice is the Devils eye oppression is his hand hypocrisie is his cloven foot but behold death will give us our discharge death is the last and best Physician which cures all diseases the aking head and the unbelieving heart Peccatum erat obstetrix mortis mors erit sepulchrum peccati Sinne was the Mid-wife that brought Death into the World and Death shall be the Grave to bury Sinne O the Priviledge of a Beleever he is not taken away in his sinnes but he is taken away from his sinnes The Persians had a certaine day in the yeare which they called vitiorum interitum wherein they used to kill all Serpents and venemous creatures Such a day as that will the day of death be to a man in Christ. This day the old Serpent dies in a Beleever that hath so often stung him with his temptations this day the sinnes of the godly these venemous creatures shall all be destroyed they shall never be proud more they shall never grieve the Spirit of God more the Death of the body shall quite destroy the Body of death 2. Death to a Believer is an Inlet to happinesse Sampson found an honey-combe in the Lions carcase so may a childe of God suck much sweetnesse from death Death is the gate of life death pulls off our rags and gives us change of rayment all the hurt it doth us is to put us into a better condition Death is called in Scripture a sleepe 1 Thes. 4.14 Those that sleepe in Iesus as after sleep the spirits are exhilarated and refreshed so after Death the times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord. Death is yours Death opens the portal into Heaven as Tertullian speakes The day of a Christian's death is the birth-day of his heavenly life it is his Ascension-day to glory it is his Marriage-day with Jesus Christ. After our Funerall begins our Marriage Well then
might Solomon say Better is the day of a mans death then the day of his birth Death is the spiritual man's preferment why then should he fear it Death I confesse hath a grimme visage to an impenitent sinner so it is ghastly to look upon it is a pursuivant to carry him to hell but to such as are in Christ Death is yours It is a part of the Joincture Death is like the Pillar of cloud it hath a dark-side to a sinner but it hath a light-side to a believer Deaths pale face looks ruddy when the blood of sprinkling is upon it in short Faith gives us a propriety in Heaven Death gives us a possession Feare not your priviledge the thoughts of death should be delightfull Iacob when he saw the Chariots his spirits revived Death is a Waggon or Chariot to carry us to our Fathers house What were the Martyrs flames but a fiery Chariot to carry them up to Heaven How should we long for Death This world is but a Desart we live in Shall we not be willing to leave it for Paradise We say It is good to be here we affect an earthly eternity but grace must curb nature Think of the priviledges of Death The Planets have a proper motion and a violent by their proper motion they are carried from the West to the East but by a violent motion they are over-ruled by the Primum Mobile and are carried from the East to the West So though naturally we desire to live here as we are made up of flesh yet grace should be as the primum mobile or master-wheele that swayes our will and carries us in a violent motion making us long for death Saint Paul desired to be dissolved and 2 Corinth 5.2 In this we groane earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven we would put off the earthly cloathes of our body and put on the bright robe of immortality we groane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is a Metaphor taken from a mother who being pregnant groanes and cries out for delivery Austine longed to die that he might see that head which was once crowned with thornes We pray Thy Kingdome come and when God is leading us into his Kingdome shall we be afraid to go The times we live in should me thinks make us long for death we live in dying times we may heare as it were Gods passing Bell ringing over these Nations Foelix Nepotianus qui haec non videt as Hierome said in his time Nepotian is an happy man that doth not see the evils which befall us they are wel that are out of the storm and are gotten already to the haven To me to die is gaine Quest. But who shall have this priviledge Answ. death is certaine but there are only two sorts of Persons to whom we may say Death is yours 'T is your preferment 1. Such as die daily We are not borne Angels die we must Therefore we had need carry alwayes a deaths-head about us The Basilisk if it see a man first it kills him but if he see it first it doth him no hurt The Basilisk death if it sees us first before we see it 't is dangerous but if we see it first by meditating upon it it doth us no hurt study death often walke among the Tombs It is the thoughts of death before-hand that must do us good In a dark night one Torch carried before a man is worth many Torches carried after him one serious thought of death before-hand one teare shed for sinne before death is worth a thousand shed after when it is too late 'T is good to make Death our familiar and in this sense to be in Deaths oft that if God should presently seal a lease of ejectment if he should send us a Letter of Summons this night to surrender we might have nothing to do but to die Alas how do we adjourne the thoughts of death 'T is almost death to think of it There are some that are in the very threshold of the grave who have one legge in the earth and another legge in hell yet put farre from them the evil day I have read of our Lysicrates who in his old age dyed his gray hairs black that he might seeme young againe When we should be building our Tombes we are building our Tabernacles die daily lest you die eternally The holy Patriarchs in purchasing for themselves a burying place shewed us what thoughts they still had of Death Ioseph of Arimathea erected his Sepulchre in his Garden we have many that set up the Trophies of their victories others that set up their Scutchions that they may blaze their honour but how few that set up their Sepulchres who erect in their hearts the serious thoughts of death Oh remember when you are in your gardens in places most delicious and fragrant to keep a place for your Tomb-stone die daily There is no better way to bring sinne into a Consumption then by oft looking on the pale horse and him that sits thereon By thinking on death we begin to repent of an evil life and so we disarme death before it comes and cut the lock where its strength lies 2. Such as are in Heaven before they die death is yours If we will needs be high-minded let it be in setting our minde upon heavenly things Heaven must come down into us before we go up thither A childe of God breaths his faith in Heaven his thoughts are there When I awake I am still with thee Psal. 139.17 David awaked in Heaven his conversation is there Philip. 3.20 For our conversation is in Heaven The Believer often ascends Mount Tabor and takes a prospect of glory O that we had this celestial frame of heart When Zacheus was in the croud he was too low to see Christ therefore he climbed up into the Sycomore-Tree When we are in a croud of worldly businesse we cannot see Christ Climb up into the tree by divine contemplation If thou wouldest get Christ into thy heart let Heaven be in thy eye Set your affections upon things above Colos. 3.2 There needs no exhortation to set our hearts upon things below How is the curse of the Serpent upon most men Upon thy belly shalt thou go and dust shalt thou eat all the dayes of thy life Those that feed onely upon dust Golden dust will be unwilling to returne to dust Death will be terrible The tribes of Reuben and Gad desired Moses that they might stay on this side Iordan and have their portion there it being a place convenient for their Cattel It seems they minded their Cattel more then their passage into the holy Land so many Christians if they may have but a little grazing here in the world in their Shops and in their Farms they art content to live on this side the River and minde not their passage into the Land of Promise you that are in heaven
before you die Death is yours An earthly Saint is a contradiction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a man refined and separated from the earth if an Astronomer in stead of observing the Planets and the motions of the Heavens should take a reed in his hand and fall a measuring of the earth would not this be counted a solecisme and is it not as great a solecisme in Religion when men that pretend to have Christ and heaven in their eye yet minde earthly things Phil. 3.19 Our souls me thinks should be like to a ship which is made little and narrow downwards but more wide and broad upwards So our affections should be very narrow downwards to the earth but wide and large upwards towards heavenly things Thus we see death is a priviledge to believers death is yours the heire while he is under age is capable of the land he is borne to but he hath not the use or the benefit of it till he comes of age be as old as you will you are never of age till you die Death brings us of age and then the possession comes into our hands CHAP. VII The second Prerogative Royall of a Believer NOw I proceed to the second Prerogative which is yet to come what holy David saith of Sion Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God Psalm 87.3 I may apply to these blessed things in reversion 2. The second Prerogative royall of a Christian is he shall be carried up by the Angels In this life a believer is carried by the Saints they lift him upon the wings of their prayers and when they can carry him no longer after death the Angels take him and carry him up thus shall it be done to the man whom God will honour Wicked men who are of the Devils life-guard when they die they shall have a black-guard of Angels to carry them Thou who art an old sinner that hast an hoary head but thy heart is as young in sinne as ever I may say to thee as Christ said in another sense to Peter When thou art old thou shalt stretch forth thy hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldest not So I say Thou old sinner the time is shortly coming when thou shalt stretch forth thy hands on thy death-bed and another shall binde thee and carry thee whither thou wouldest not thou shalt be carried by a black-guard but a believer shall be carried by the Angels into Heaven The begger died and was carried by the Angels into Abraham 's bosome Abraham's bosome is a figurative speech representing the seat of the Blessed thither was he carried by the Angels Poore Lazarus when he was upon earth he had no friends but dogs to come at him when he was dead he had â— convoy of Angels After our fall the Angels as well as God fell out with us and became our enemies hence we reade that the Angels set out by the Cherubims stood with a flaming sword to keepe our first Parents out of Paradise Gen. 3.24 but being at peace with God we are at peace with the Angels Therefore the Angell comes with an Olive-branch of Peace in his mouth and proclaimes with triumph the newes of Christs incarnation Luk. 2.11 For unto you is borne in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord the Angels blesse God for mans Redemption Ver. 13. And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly hoast praising God and saying Glory be to God in the highest The Angels love mankinde especially where there is the new-man and are ready to do all friendly offices for us as in our life-time they are our supporters Psal. 91.11 He shall give his Angels charge to keep thee So after death they are our Porters Lazarus was carried up by the Angels The Angels are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ministring Spirits they are willing to minister for the good of the Saints Hence some observe it is said Lazarus was carried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Angels in the plurall not by one Angel as if the Angels had been ambitious to carry Lazarus and every one strived which should have a part wicked men do not strive more who shall have a part in the death of the godly then the Angels do who shall beare a part in their ascension O in what pomp and triumph did Lazarus's soule now ride never was Dives so honoured in his life as Lazarus was at his death For a King to help to carry the Hearse of one of his Subjects were an high honour but a believer shall have a guard of Angels to conduct him Amasis King of Egypt that he might set forth his magnificence would have his Chariot drawn with foure Princes which he had conquered in the War but what was all this to the Chariot in which Lazarus and the soul of every believer shall be drawn at their death they shall be carried by the Angels of God CHAP. VIII The third Prerogative Royal of a Believer THe next great Prerogative is The Believer shall be with Christ in glory Phil. 1.23 I desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be dissolved or loosen anchor and to be with Christ This is a priviledge of the first magnitude surely we can be no losers by being with Christ. A graft or scion though it be taken out of the tree it doth not perish but is set into a better stock thus it is with a Christian while he is here even after Conversion there is much of the wilde Olive still in him now when this scion by death is cut off he doth not perish but is set into a more noble and generous stock he is with Christ which is farre better a state of perfection is better then a state of imperfection Our graces are our best jewels but they are imperfect and do not give out their full lustre they are like the Moon which when it shines brightest hath a darke spot Our faith is mingled with unbeliefe our humility is stained with pride the flame of our graces is not so pure but it hath some smoake grace is but in its infancy and minority it will never be of full growth till we are with Christ. This is the highest link in the chaine of glory we shall be with Christ. What is it the pious soule desires in this life is it not to have the sweet presence of Christ he cares for nothing but what hath aliquid Christi something of Christ in it he loves duties only as they are manuductions to Christ why is prayer so sweet but because the soul hath private conference with Christ Why is the Word precious but because it is a meanes to convey Christ he comes down to us upon the wings of the Spirit and we go up to him upon the wings of Faith An ordinance without Christ is but feeding upon the dish in stead of the meat Why doth the wife â—ove the Letter
see the miscarriages of many their Covetousnesse their Licentiousnesse had hee no other Bible to read in but the lives of some Professors hee would turne back again and resolve never to be made a Christian. Pudet haec opprobria nobis What a shame is this Did Christ walk thus when hee was upon earth His life was a pattern of Sanctity You that are Professors your sinnes are sinnes of unkindnesse they go nearest to Christs heart Do you live as those who have hope of things to come is Christ preparing Heaven for you and are you preparing Warre against him Is this your kindnesse to your friend O consider how you wound Religion Your sinnes are worse then others A staine in a black cloth is not so easily seen or taken notice of but a spot in a piece of Scarlet every ones eye is upon it The sinnes of wicked men are not so much wondred at they can do no other theirs is a spot in black but a sinne in a Professor this is like a spot in a bright Scarlet every ones eye is upon it this wounds the honour of Religion The deviation of the godly is as odious as the devotion of the prophane Oh that there were such a lustre and majesty of holinesse in the lives of Professors that others might say These look as if they had been with Jesus they live as if they were in Heaven already Aaron must not onely have Bels but Pomegranates which were for savour as the other were for sound It is not enough to discourse of godlinesse or to make a noise by a Profession What are these Bels without the Pomegranates viz. a life that casts a savour in the Church of God 2. Walk as Christ did in Humility His life was a pattern of Humility He was the Heir of Heaven the God-head was in him yet he washeth his Disciples feet Iohn 13.6 He poured water into a Bason and began to wash his Disciples feet and to wipe them with the Towel No wonder it is said that he came in the form of a servant he stands here with his Bason of water and a Towel nay he did not onely humble himself to the Disciples feet but he humbled himself to the death even the death of the cross Phil. 2.8 Tread in this step of Christ be humble the humble Saint looks like a Citizen of heaven Humility is the vail of a Christian Christs Bride never looks more beautifull in his eye than when she hath on this vail Be ye clothed with humility Humility as it hides anothers error so it hides its own graces grace shines brightest thorow the Mask of humility Moses face shined but he wist not that it shined What are all our duties without humility Incense smells sweetest when it is beaten small when the Incense of our duties is beaten small then it sends forth its most fragrant perfume Humility studies its own unworthinesse it looks with one eye upon grace to keep the heart chearful and with the other eye upon sinne to keep it humble Better is that sinne which humbles me then that duty which makes me proud Humility gives all to Christ as Ioab when he had gotten a victory sends for King David that he might carry away the Crown of it So doth the humble Christian when he hath gotten the victory over a corruption he sets the Crown upon the head of Christ if he hath strength to go thorow duties he writes Christ and free grace upon all I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15.10 You that look for things above let me tell you the way to ascend is to descend the lower the tree roots the higher it shoots up would you shoot up in glory would you be tall Cedars in the Kingdome of God be deeply rooted in Humility Humility is compar'd by some of the Fathers to a Valley we must walk to heaven thorow this valley of Humility Humility is such a precious Herb as growes not in the garden of Philosophy that is rather Humanity then Humility Humility distinguisheth Christs Spouse from harlots Hypocrites grow in knowledge but not in humility Knowledge puffs up 1 Cor. 8.1 'T is a Metaphor taken from a pair of Bellowes that are blown up and fill'd with winde He that is proud of his knowledge the Devil cares not how much he knows It is observable in the old law that God hated the very resemblance of the sinne of pride he would have no honey mingled in their offering Ye shall burne no leaven nor any honey in any offering of the Lord made by fire Indeed leaven is soure but what is there in honey that should offend why no honey because honey when it is mingled with meale or flower maketh it to rise and swell therefore the people of Israel must mingle no honey in their offering This was to let us see how God hated the resemblance of this sinne of pride Be humble 3. Be like Christ in Charity Christs life was a life of charity he breath'd nothing but love he was full of this sweet perfume as his Person was lovely so was his Disposition he was compos'd all of love his lips dropp'd honey his side dropp'd blood his heart dropp'd love You that expect these glorious things to come live as Christ did live in love Oh that this spice might send out its fragrant smell among Christians We know we are passed from death to life because we love the brethren Dost thou love the Person of Christ and hate the picture He that loves him who doth beget loves him also that is begotten There are two Devils which are not fully cast out of Gods own people The devil of vaine glory and the devil of uncharitablenesse Are we not Fellow-Citizens Doe wee not all expect the same Heaven Nay are we not Brethren which should be a sufficient bond to knit us together in amity We have all the same Father God We are borne of the same Mother the Church we are begotten of the same seed the Word We suck the same brests the Promises Wee feed at the same Board the Table of the Lord We wear the same cloathing the Robe of Christ's Righteousnesse We are partners in the same glory the inheritance of the Saints in light And shall we not love There is indeed a blessed strife when the Saints strive for the faith but this is a strife that consists of unity Striving together for the faith of the Gospel Phil. 1.27 You that look for things to come live suitably to your hopes Walke as Christ did that some of his beams may shine in you and his life may be as it were copied out in yours 3. The third duty is If things to come are a Beleevers be content though you have the lesse of things present Having food and rayment let us be therewith content Oh what a rich estate hath a