known to him before time And so was this work the work of Redemption wrought by the sufferings of Christ it was foreseen foreknown by God from Eternity This none will question 2. Foreseeing of this before it was done he also permitted it to be done Foreseeing whatever should be done to his Son Christ by Satan and his Instruments he gave way to it permitâ—ing Satan to enter into Judas and Judas to betray his Master and the Officers to apprehend him and carry him away and Pilate and the rest to sit in judgement and passe sentence upon him and to execute that sentence All which he could have hindered if he had pleased Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father and he shall presently give me more then twelve Legions of Angels saith our Saviour to Peter Math. 26.53 God the Father wanted no power to have hindered all that was done to his Son but he permitted it Thus far Bellarmine and the whole Church of Rome will go along with us But we must not stay here The phrase in the Text imports more Gods giving this Cup to his Son imports more then a bare provision or permission And therefore here leaving them passe we on 3. In the third place God as he foresaw and permitted this so he willed it He willed it Bradward contrà Pelagianos lib. 1. cap. 33. So he doth whatever he permits So Bradwardine rightly determins it Respectu cujuscunque est Dei permissio est ejus volitio actualis Whatever God permits to be done he also actually willeth that it should be done And so he did the Death and Passion of his Son So much we may learn from those words of our Saviour Math. 26.39 where praying that if it were possible this Cup might passe from him he subjoyns Neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt God did not only permit his Son to dye but he willed his death Upon which account it is that the Prophet Isai there saith It pleased the Lord to bruise him Isa 53.10 Dominus voluâ—t It was his will his pleasure that he should suffer what he did having in his secret Counsell decreed and determined it from eternity For this expresse is that known Text Idem est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et 1 Pet. 1 2. nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his libris Decretum soepe significat Grot. Annoâ— in loc Act. 2.23 which informs us that Christ was delivered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God That is by his decree for so are we to understand the word knowledge there not barely of a simple prescience a foresight but of a determinate and absolute decree So we finde the word elsewhere used as 1 Pet. 1 2. where Believers are said to be elect according to the foreknowledge of God that is according to his Decree And so was Christ delivered according to the foreknowledge the determinate Counsel of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God in his eternal Counsell and Purpose had decreed that his Son should suffer and dye Upon which account among some other he is said to be the Lamb slayn from the foundation of the World Rev. 13.8 He was so in Gods Decree who had determined that he should dye The Circumstances of Christs death all determined by his Father And determining the thing he determined also all the circumstances concerning it As what kinde of death he should dye even that accursed death upon the Crosse So much our Saviour intimated to Nicodemus Joh. 3.14 where he tells him that As Moses lift up the Serpent in the Wildernesse even so must the Son of man be lifted up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oportet exaltari must be lifted up so Patris decreto as Grotius there rightly according to the Decree of God the Father lifted upon the tree of the Crosse And the like to the Jewes cap. 12. of the same Gospel vers 32. where speaking in the same language he tells them that If he were lift up from the earth he would draw all men unto him This he said saith the next verse signifying what death he should die viz. the death of the Crosse And so also the Time when he should dye which till it was come his enemies could not lay hands on him As yet no man layed hands on him saith that Text Joh. 8.20 for his hour was not yet come the time appointed by his Father for him to suffer in And as the time so the place So much he declared to his Disciples Math. 16 21. where he tells them that he must goe to Jerusalem Neque enim hic aut de praefinito Dei consilio aut de utilitate rei agitur sed res futura nudè praedicitur Grot. Annot. in loc and suffer many things of the Elders and be killed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where I know not any just ground why Grotius should refuse to expound the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he did in that former Text Oportet eum ire He must go thither It was not a thing left to his own liberty or choice but being determined by his Father it was now necessary necessitate decreti divini in regard of Gods Decree which was immutable as Pareus expounds it Haecerat aetrrni Patris voluntas immutabilis Pareus Com. in loc And the like we may say for the Persons who should be Actors in this Tragedy and what part every of them should act what they should do Never a circumstance but was predetermined by God So that one Text sets it forth most fully Act. 4.27 28. Of a truth saith Peter against thine holy Childe Jesus whom thou hast anoynted both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together to doe whatsoever thy hand and thy Counsell had determined before to be done Thus did God the Father as I said appoint and order all the severall Ingredients every grain that was to be put into this Cup decreeing and determining whatever his Son was to suffer 4. He revealed his will concerning it And fourthly having thus in his secret Counsell decreed this his suffering he also revealed it making known his will concerning his Son that he should suffer and die This he had done by Types and Figures As that of Abrahams offering his Son his only Son in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed of which I spake before So also in and by all those bloody Sacrifices under the Law all which were shadowes of what was to come representing the death of Jesus Christ who was to be offered up a true Propitiatory Sacrifice for the sins of the World But more clearly by Prophesies divers of which we meet with in the Old Testament Among which that of the Prophet Isai is most clear Isa 53. where he describeth the Death and Passion of Christ rather like an Evangelist then a Prophet as if he had been a Spectator of it And so other of the
off from it For this a threefold Reason may be assigned Answ This he did upon a threefold ground 1. Reas 1 The first and principal whereof is that which we meet with in the Text. His obedience to his Father His Father had given this Cup to him to drink and therefore he will drink it The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it God his Father had decreed willed that he should suffer and dye and this his will he had made known unto him And therefore in obedience to his command he thus willingly yieldeth hereunto I lay down my life of my self saith he but wherefore Why This Commandement I have received from my Father so himself there giveth the Reason of it Joh. 10.18 Even as Isaac herein a type of him in obedience to his Father yields himself to be bound and layed upon the Wood to be sacrificed Gen. 22. which he did willingly without the least reluctancy or resistance that we read of So did the Lord Jesus in obedience to his Father he willingly yielded up himself to the death He humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse Phil. 2.8 Such an absolute and universal complyance there was betwixt Christ and his Father What his Father willed that he willed So himself declares it Joh. 5.30 I seek not mine own will but the will of him that sent me And again in the Chapter following v. 38. I came down from heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me Thus did he as God perfectly comply with the will of his Father Being one God with him there was but one will betwixt them What the Father willed the Son willed And as Man he was in every thing subordinate to him Not doing his own will I seek not myne own will As Man if it had been consistent with the will of God his Father he could have wished that this Cup might have passed from him which he doth Matth. 26.39 Father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me There was the will of his humane iâ—firmity Nature being desirous to preserve it self which it might doe without sin But this will he submits and resolves into the will of his Father Neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt so he there limits his desire And again vers 42. O my Father if this Cup may not passe from me except I drink it thy will be done Thus was there a perfect conformity of his will as God and subordination as Man to the will of his Father And from hence flowed this willing submission of his in drinking of this Cup. This he did in obedience to his Father Which I shall God willing make some Application of hereafter for the present passing it by 2. Reas 2 As herein he had an eye to his Father willing this so also to his Elect people needing it His good wil to his Elect people Their redemption their salvation depended upon it As for what he had already done in his Active Obedience in fulfilling the Law this alone could have been no wayes available unto them The Justice of God required further satisfaction even the suffering of death This was that which the Law had threatned In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye saith the Lord to Adam Gen. 2.17 thou shalt die the death be subject and bound over unto death not only temporall but eternall And under this sentence do all the Sons of Adam by nature lye being bound over unto death not only in their Bodies but in their Souls bound over unto eternall death Now this Law must be satisfied before the Elect of God could be redeemed And how should this be without shedding of blood Without shedding of blood there is no Remission Heb. 9.22 And upon this account again it was that our blessed Saviour was so willing to drink this Cup to subject himself to this accursed death not only to a naturall but to that which was equivalent to an eternall death to suffer the wrath of God due unto the sins of the World that so he might free his Elect people from that Curse Which he did out of an unspeakable love to them This it was that induced God the Father to give this Gup to his Son God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son c. Joh. 3.16 And this it was which also induced him so willingly to drink it in this way to give himself for them Who loved me and gave himself for me saith Paul Gal. 2.20 Christ hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God Eph. 5.2 Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it v. 25. This it was which next to the will of God his Father put him forward upon this service with such resolution and willingnesse even that ardent affection which he bare to his Elect people This will love doe The power of intense Love It beareth all things as the Apostle saith of it 1 Cor. 13.7 Where it is intense it will make a heavy burden light Jacob loving Rachel he served a Seven-years Apprentiship for her And saith the Text they seemed to him but a few dayes for the love he had to her Gen. 29.20 And thus would men serve their God did they but love him as they ought though it were for many years their service would not be tedious unto them So was it here with our blessed Saviour Loving his Elect people with such an intense affection as he did he thinks nothing too much that either he could doe or suffer for them Applic. Where before we passe any further Applic. This Love of Christ to be admited make we a stand a little suffering our thoughts to be taken up with an holy Contemplation and high admiration of this matchlesse love which our blessed Saviour doth herein expresse in shewing himself so willing to drink this Cup. A Bitter Cup So he had found it already Yet behold he not only submits to the drinking of it but will not indure that it should be taken from his mouth till he had drunk it off The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it As if he had thirsted after it no lesse then a thirsty man doth after a Cup of drink to quench his thirst withall Thus was he carryed on to this his Passion with an earnest desire Even as he was to the drinking of that mystical Cup concerning which he tells his Disciples Luk. 22.15 With desire I have desired that is Earnestly desired to eat this Passeover with you before I suffer meaning the Sacrament of the Lords Supper so was he to the drinking of this metaphoricall Cup whereof that was a forerunner and a sign his Death and Passion this was a thing which he was carryed to with the like earnest desire This is that which he tells his Disciples Luk. 12.50 I have a
Apostle himself who tells his Corinthians 2 Cor. 1.8 that by the trouble which hapned to him in Asia he was pressed out of measure beyond strength 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so falleth it out sometimes with other of the Saints There is a great disproportion betwixt their burden and their strength the one great the other small Now how shall a Christian be able to bear up in such a case so to fortifie and strengthen his spirit as that he may not faint in the day of Adversity A. A great and difficult work I confesse A. Some soveraign Cordials prescribed yet through the help of Grace attainable To help you therein let me prescribe unto you some Soveraign Cordials some spiritual Consolations which may be and being taken into the soul will be very usefull for this purpose for the supporting and bearing up the spirit under whatever affliction this poor life of ours upon earth is subject to These Consolations are many as also our Afflictions are I shall single out some of the choisest Which I shall desire you carefully to lay up Happily at the present you may have no great need of them but how soon you may you know not And therefore lay them up in the Closet of your hearts They are not like the Apothecaries Drugs some of which being long kept lose their vertue The day may come when some one of them may requite all your care and pains In the First place then look at Afflictions themselves Direct 1 Loâ—k at Afflictions themselves wherein consider The Israelites in the Wildernesse were cured of the stinging of the Serpents by looking upon the Serpent And so may a Christian by looking upon Afflictions strengthen his heart against them The Hony of the Bee is a medicine for the Sting Afflictions though never so bitter yet will afford somewhat that may serve to allay that bitternesse In them cast we an eye upon 4 or 5 particulars which may be usefull this way The Quality Quantity Continuance Commonnesse Issue of them 1. Consid 1 The Quality of them Here we shall finde that in themselves they are a Curse The Quality of them as qualified by Christ Such are all Afflictions all fruits and consequents of sin and punishments of it every one being an Appendix to that first Curse The day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death surely die Gen. 2.17 that is be subject to manifold evils as in soul so in body tending to death to the destruction of both But by through Christ their nature is now altered the Curse is taken away That was one and the chief of those Ingredients which was put into this Cup which was given to Christ to drink and which he did drink upon the Crosse He being there made subject to that accursed death that he might free us from the Curse of death and of all its retinue Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 So that what the Apostle saith of Death it self 1 Cor. 15.55 O Death where is thy sting We may say the same of whatever afflictions and crosses can befall the children of God upon earth their Sting is gone Surely the bitternesse of death is past saith Agag having as he thought armed himself against the fear of it which is the greatest part of Deaths bitternesse 1 Sam. 15.32 And the like may all true Believers say concerning all their Afflictions and sufferings The bitternesse of them is past as to them the Curse being taken away from them by Christ which is indeed the chief part of their bitternesse Even as Moses altered the quality of those waters of Marah took away the bitternesse of them by casting into them that Tree which the Lord had shewed him so hath Christ taken away the bitternesse of all the waters of Affliction by the Tree of his Crosse to which he was designed by his Father The bitternesse of Afflictions as I said was the Curse going along with them they being in themselves all tokens of wrath But now that bitternesse that Curse is taken away So as to true Believers they are no longer tokens of wrath but rather Love-tokens Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth Prov. 3.12 chasteneth Heb. 12.6 Yea Pledges of Adoption So it there followeth Heb. 12.6 7. He scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth If ye endure chastenings God dealeth with you as with Sons Not to know what Chastisements mean it is no good sign If ye be without Chastisement whereof all all Gods children are partakers then are ye bastards and not sons so it there followeth v. 8. For God to exercise his Children with afflictions it is a sign that he owns them for his Children and a demonstration of his fatherly love to them and care of them Thus do these Cups which Gods people drink of they come from the hand of a Father not of a Judge being to them not satisfactory but castigatory punishments Not properly punishments but Chastisements Not tokens of wrath but Love-tokens A usefull and comfortable meditation for the soul of a Believer to feed upon in the midst of whatever distresse What is it that maketh these Cups so bitter unto the soul Why when it looketh upon them as they are in themselves as Cups of divine wrath and fury Now no wonder if it shake and tremble at the drinking of them So long as a man apprehends these Arrowes which he feeleth to stick fast in him to be poysoned Arrowes shot at him by the hand of a revenging God now no wonder if the soul have no peace no quiet But look upon them as they are changed and altered by Christ having the Curse taken away and as they are tokens and pledges of Adoption which being sanctified they certainly are the soul being perswaded of this this will be as a soveraign Cordial to it to keep it from fainting Q. Q. Yea but you will say how shall a man know this How Chastisements may be known from Punishments that they are so to him that they are only Chastisements and not Punishments and that they are tokens of love and pledges of Adoption When as they are tokens of wrath to some how shall I know that they are not so to me A. A. To this I have in part hinted an Answere already Take it a little more fully yet briefly 1. How do you drink this Cup how doe ye suffer these afflictions Doe you quietly patiently By the manner of suffering them contentedly submit to the hand of God in them If so now hear what the Apostle saith to you in that Text even now cited Heb. 12.7 If ye indure chastning God dealeth with you as with Sons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not if you suffer afflictions for so do the worst of men But if ye endure chastening receive Afflictions from the hands of God as Chastisements kissing the Rod humbling your selves under the hand of God as dutifull Children under
crosses which he met with And the like more or less must every one make account to meet with upon earth even a succession of troubles like waves of the Sea where depth calleth unto deep one Crosse following upon the neck of another So as the more daies the more sorrows All which serve to wean the heart from this world as the infant is from the brest by laying bitter things upon it 2. Divine But I shall not any longer insist upon these or any other Arguments of the like nature The Resolution of a Christian must be built upon better grounds then these If God shall please to open the eyes of a naturall man to see death as it is it is not any or all of these or whatever other Arguments Reason can suggest that will bear up the soul against the terrors of it They must be Cordials of a higher extraction that will strengthen the heart in this last conflict divine Considerations such as the word holdeth forth Of these take a few among many 1. In the First place Look upon God who hath appointed and determined Let our eye be upon God our Father whose Cup this is So was our Saviours here The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it And so must theirs who would drink this Cup as he did submit unto the stroke of death patiently and willingly they must see God in the ordering and disposing of it looking upon it as his appointment Which it is he having 1. Appointed that men shall die It is appointed to men once to die Heb. 9.27 Appointed viz. That men shall dye by God who as he is the Lord of life so he is the appointer of death Having passed a generall law for it Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return Gen. 3. Which Law also he executeth upon particular persons bringing them to death I know that thou wilt bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living Job 30 23. So it is however secondary Causes concur in bringing men to their Graves yet God himself hath the principall stroke in it Death being his Messenger sent by him He hath appointed that men shall dye Which taking notice of look we upon it as our duty to submit hereunto when he calleth us to it 2. As he hath appointed that men shall dye so when they shall dye The time when Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth viz. how long he shall-live Job 7.1 His dayes are determined the number of his Moneths are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot passe Job 14.5 So certain are Gods decrees concerning the time of mans life that he cannot go beyond the term limited the Year the Moneth the Day the Hour set down Father the hour is come saith our Saviour speaking of the time appointed for his suffering of death Joh. 17.1 3. As the time so the place As the time when so the place where The place where that is also determined by God Goe up into Mount Nebo and die there saith the Lord to Moses Deut. 32.50 Our Saviour must goe up to Jerusalem and there suffer many things and be killed so he tells his Disciples Matth. 16.21 4. And appointing the time and place he also appointeth the manner The manner how how men shall dye what kinde of death whether naturall or violent So it was determined concerning our Saviour that he should die upon the Crosse be crucified which he acquaints his Disciples with Math. 20.19 And so concerning Peter to whom our Saviour foretells by what death he should glorifie God Joh. 21.19 And so is it determined concerning every of the sons of men as when and where so how they shall dye None of these are left to Chance and Fortune Time place manner all appointed by God Which being seriously considered and believed it will be of great use to bring the heart to a quiet and willing submission to the will of God in suffering what he hath so appointed Thus look at God In the Second place look we upon Jesus Christ Look upon Jesus the Captain of our Salvation as the Apostle calleth him Heb. 2.10 Where behold we him 1. Drinking of this Cup before us Suffering death And shall not we then pledge him Shall the Captain goe before and shall not the Souldiers follow after Malus miles qui Imperatorem gemens sequitur He is but an ill Souldier that weeps when he is to march after his Generall Shall our Joshua go before us over this Jordan and shall not we go after him It was a good Resolution in that man that Scribe had he held to it who said to our Saviour Master I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest Mat. 8.19 Such should be the Resolution of every Christian to follow Christ when he cals him to go after him though it be to Mount Calvary or Golgotha the place of a skull as both those words signifie and the latter of them is expounded Joh. 19 17. and Mat. 27.33 the Caemeterie or Church-yard as we call it 2. And whilest we behold him suffering of death behold we also the issues of this his suffering Conquering it as St James saith of Job Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord Jam. 5.11 What Issue God was pleased to give him which was very joyfull and comfortable So here looking upon Christ submitting to his Father in suffering of death behold we the end of the Lord the issue of this his suffering which was victorious and glorious Victorious Even as David cut off the head of the Philistine with his own sword so did this our David by dying he conquered death which he manifested in his Resurrection Where he brake the bands of death rising again by his own power and so became the first born from the dead as the Apostle calleth him Col. 1.18 Now the first born openeth the womb for those that come after him And so hath Christ opened the grave for all true believers so as it shall be no more able to hold them then it was him Thus was the issue of this his conflict with this his last enemy victorious And as victorious so Glorious we see Jesus who was made a little lower then the Angels for or through 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour He. 2.9 In this way he entred into his glory Luk. 24.26 Through this dark entry he went into his heavenly palace And so shall they who do herein follow his steps being obedient as he was Obedient to the death 3. Look we upon death it self But here look upon it in Look upon death it self Not in the glass of the Lawe but gospell and through a right glass Not that of the Law but of the Gospell The glasse of the Lawe presents the face of it as ghastly and terrible holding it forth as a
Curse which in it own nature it is being the issue and wages of sin and the very Gate of Hell But look we upon it in the glasse of the Gospell that we shall find representing it unto the believer under another shape as being much changed and alterd by Christ Newe names put upon Death Whereupon it puts new names upon it Calling it sometimes a sleep Our friend Lazarus sleepeth Joh. 11.11 Them which sleep in Jesus 1 Thes 4.14 Such is the grave to the true believer Not a Prison but a Bed sor the Body to rest in for a time They shall rest in their beds Isai 57.2 Elsewhere we find it called a Departure Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace saith old Simeon Luke Vid-Leigh Critica Saâ—ra 2.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dimittiâ— thou loosest dismissâ—st me lettest me out of Prison So the Syriack there renders the word Now thou openest the Prison And so we find it properly used Act 5.40 Where it is said that the Councell let the Apostles goe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. out of prison Such is this life to the believer noe better then a Prison death is his dismission A like word is that which we find used by the Apostle Phil. 1.23 Where expressing his willingnesse to dye I desire saith he to be dissolved or to depart as the new translation hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to return home So the same word is used in his proper sense Luk 12.36 Where servants are said to wait for their Lord till he return to his home 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such is this World to gods people a strange Country where they live as strangers and pilgrims being from home Ad remigrationem Beza Now death is to them a Remigratio as Beza there renders the word a removing a returning to their own Country their home The Soul leaving the Body where it lodged for a time returns to God that gave it Eccles 12.7 Elsewhere the same Apostle calls it the dissolving of a Tabernacle If our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved 2 Cor. 5.1 Not destroyed So is a house when it is pulled down the materials of it being so broken as they can never be put together again But not so a Tabernacle or Tent where the parts are only taken asunder for a time but afterwards put together and set up in another place Such is death only a dissolution of the parts whereof man is composed a severing of the soul and Body for a time which shall afterwards be reunited And so St Peter making use of the same Allusion he calleth it a putting off or laying down of a Tabernacle 2 Pet. 1.14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my Tabernacle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 depositio tabernaculi mei as the vulgar Latine renders it properly The laying down of my Tabernacle is at hand Such is the Body to the Soul like a Tent to him that carrieth it about with him a burden which being layed down he is eased And so is the Soul by the deposition the laying down of the Body in death Which in the next verse that Apostle there sets forth under another name calling it his Exodus after my decease v. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Exodus A word with the sound whereof you have been well acquainted it being the Title given to the second book of Moses which is so called from the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt which is there fully described Such an Exodus is death to the believer a Translation of him from an Egypt an house of bondage into the Celestial Canaan the glorious liberty of the Sons of God Thus hath death now new names put upon it The Gospell representing it after another manner with another face then the Law holdeth it forth And well may it have new names The nature of death changed by Christ when as the Nature of it is so changed and altered as by Christ it is Who hath taken away the maliguity of it that which was hurtfull in it Having pulled the sting out of this Serpent O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory so the Apostle triumpheth over this conquered Enemy 1 Cor. 15.55 Bot the sting and strength of it are now gone The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ so the Apostle there goeth on This hath Christ done for all that are in him having made satisfaction for sin and fulfilled the Law So as now though death may threaten as the Serpent having lost the sting may hiss yet it cannot hurt And why then should we fear a conquered enemy Which is not only disarmed but lyeth as it were dead before us lâ—ke that Philistine when his head was off In Christi morte mors obiit In Christs death Death died Being thereby abolished as the Apostle hath it 2 Tim. 1.10 Who hath abolished death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made it of none effect So is naturall death the fear and sting of it being taken away it is now as a shadow without a substance Thus is Death now qualified by Christ as to all true Believers Which being seriously considered will be of speciall use to free them from the inordinate fear of it and make them not unwilling to submit to God in the suffering of it To passe on In the Fourth place thus looking upon death Look beyond Death look beyond it Even as the timorous Passenger in ferrying over a River where the water is rough by fixing his eye on the bank of the other side settles his brain which otherwise might be troubled thus let the timorous Christian whose nature inclines him to fear death look beyond it look to the issues the fruits and consequents of it Here taking notice of two things The Evils which it freeth the Believer from and the Good which it bringeth him to Considering 1 1. The Evils which it freeth him from Which are of two sorts The Evils which it freeth the Believer from Temporall and Spirituall 1. Temporall which I have touched upon already Such are bodily Infirmities sicknesses Temporall some of them very dolorous and painfull and such are losses and Crosses in Estate with Reproaches and Ignominies and many Vexations and Disquietments with wearisome labours and Imployments All these is the life of a Christian here infested with this world being to him as I said a troublesome Sea But Death is the Havens mouth which letteth him into a quiet Harbour where he is at rest from all these Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord c. that they may rest from their labours Rev. 14.13 There the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at rest There the Prisoneâ—s rest together they hear not the voice of the Oppressor The small and great are there and there the servant
our Saviour here did 1. Suppose this to be the condition of the body The Soul the kernell the Body but the shell that it suffereth after this manner in and by death yet what of that so long as it reacheth not unto the Soul So long as the kernell is safe what matters it what becomes of the Shell So long as the soul the better part is a gainer by death so great a gainer as you have heard what matters it what becometh of the Body being so vile as it is That is the Epithite which St. Paul giveth it Phil. 3.21 Our vile Body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Body of vilenesse Corpus humilitatis nostrae saith the vulgar Latin he Body of our humbling And it is noe other then it deserveth The Body being no other but a Lump of clay which is little worth and carrying that in it or about with it which may serve to humble the owner of it and make him not to dote upon it as the greatest part do Now being so vile as it is why should men be so affected with what befalleth it 2. But Secondly the Body shall not ever continue in this estate The bodies of Gods Saints shal be changed Whilest it lyeth in the grave it is but a grain of Corn sowen in the earth as our Saviour maketh the comparison Joh. 12.24 As also the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.36 Which though it lye rotting there for a time yet after a few months it springs forth And so shall the Body in due time it shal arise and then it shal come forth after another manner then when it was laid down It is sown in corruption it is raysed in incorruption it is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory c. so the Apostle describeth the resurrection of the Bodies of Gods Saints at the Last day 1 Cor. 15.42 c Thus shall the Body also be a gainer by death as well as the Soul 3. In the mean time consider that inseparable union that is between Christ and the Believer The union betwixt Christ and the Bodies of his Saints Death may separate his Soul and Body the one from the other but separate either from Christ that it cannot As it was with Christ himself when his Body lay in the grave it was separated from his Soul but stil the God-head was united to both Such is the union betwixt Christ and the believer an indissoluble union death doth not dissolve it That Body which was a member of Christ whilest living which the Bodies of all Gods Saints are Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6 15 it still retaineth the same relation when dead And being thus united unto Christ it shal by his power be preserved and by his vertue raised up again at the last day Even as the branches of a tree which seem to be dead in the winter yet having union with the root by a vertue springing from it they revive in the spring time So shal it be with the bodies of Gods Saints Though they be uncloathed by death as the tree is of his leaves by the winters cold yet shall they be cloathed upon having a vest a Robe of eternall glory also put upon them being changed by Christ and made like unto his glorious body as the Apostle tels us Col. 3.21 Thus is that first Objection readily answered And so may most of the rest which are made use of to this purpose Of which let me take notice of those which are most considerable As for those carnall ones which sway much with the men of this World viz their parting with their Riches Carnal allegations not worth the answering their Pleasures their Honours and such other contentments as this world affords which maketh them so loath to leave it I look upon them as not worth the answering all these being but shadows the substance whereof is to be found in that other world to which death bringeth the soul that is weaned from this The Considerations which I shall take notice of shall be only such as may lay hold upon a sanctyfied soul all which we shall find the text in hand meeting with Such is that of parting with near and dear Relations Wife Children Friends Obj. 2 Parting with near and dear Relations and leaving them in an unsetled condition Loath I am may one say to leave them behind me specially to leave them in such a condition as I am like to do not well knowing how they shal subsist when I am gone But was it not so with our blessed Saviour here When he was to leave the world So did our blessed Saviour his Disciples and mother did he not leave his beloved Disciples and dear Mother and left them in a low and unsetled estate therein not unlike himself scarse having a house of their own to hide their heads in As for his dear Mother the story tels us how when he was hanging upon the Crosse he committed her to the care and custody of his beloved Disciple Saint John Joh. 19.27 not having of his own any subsistance to leave her And for his Apostles he well knew in what condition he was to leave them even as Sheep among Wolves as he told them when he sent them forth Matth. 10.16 in a wretched World where they should meet with Tribulation enough of which he had forewarned them Joh. 16. Last Yet doth not the thought hereof take him off from this act of obedience to his Father in being willing to dye when he will have him Repl Repl. I but may some say his case was herein different from ours But he did not leave them Comfortlesse Though he did thus leave his Relations yet he did not leave them comfortlesse That is his promise to his Disciples when he had told them of his leaving them I will not leave you comfortlesse Joh. 14.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Greek I will not leave you Orphanes Noe he promiseth that himself would have a care of them and that after a time he would come to them so it there followeth I will come to you Which he made good after his Resurrection And though himself were gone yet he sent his Proxie the Comforter to them according as he promised them Joh. 16.7 If I depart I will send him unto you viz. the Comforter the Holy Ghost who as he assures them should abide with them for ever Joh. 14.16 performing all needful offices unto them as the 26 verse there hath it But so cannot we do may some say to our Relations if we be gone all is gone with them What all gone Is your God gone too A. Surely not so Being your God he will be theirs God a Comforter to the Widow and Fatherless I will be thy God and the God of thy seed Gen. 17.7 And being so a God in Covenant with them he both can and will take care of them Many are
peace Luk. 2.29 And the like do we in a spirituall sense receive we the Lord Jesus being held forth unto us in the promise of the Gospell and take hold upon him clasping and imbracing him in the armes of our faith receiving him as our Saviour and Lord. As our Saviour believing on him for the pardon and remission of all our sins As our Lord yielding up our selves to be guided and governed by him by his word and Spirit Which whilest we do now shall we have no just cause to fear this Enemy which is by this Captain of our Salvation conquered and disarmed so as now it cannot hurt any of those that are his O then let every of us make sure our interest in him Upon which depends all our hope and comfort both in life and death Christ being once ours now we may hear the Apostle telling us that all things are ours 1 Cor. 3.21 All things among which he reckons Life and Death with things present and things to come All ours so is Life even temporall life so as it shall be continued to us whilest it is expedient And so is Death which when it comes shall not be hurtful but advantagious and beneficial To me to live is Christ and to dye is gain Phil. 1.21 So are things present the concernments of this present life as Crosses so Comforts both serving for our good And things to come Eternal glory and happinesse Which whilest a Christian is assured of why should not he be as willing to dye as live 3. Only in the third place look out also for the seal of the Spirit Look out for the seal of the Spirit Thus are Assurances made among men by setting seals to writings to bonds and bils and other conveyances And such Assurance labour we for to get the promises sealed unto us and that by this seal the seal of the Spirit which the Apostle calleth the earnest of our inheritance Eph. 1.13 14. An earnest confirms the bargain and assures the payment of the whole summe And so doth the earnest of the Spirit as he elswhere calleth it 2 Cor. 1.22 the work of Regeneration and Sanctification begun in the soul this is as Gods seal which confirmeth his promises to his people and giveth them assurance of their heavenly inheritance Which being assured off what should make them unwilling to depart hence when God calleth for them Having now another house to receive them when they are turned out of this and that infinitely better as the Apostle telleth them 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building not made with hands eternal in the heavens Now what man would be unwilling to leave a poor ruinous Cottage which he holdeth only at the pleasure of the Land-lord being subject to be turned out of it every day when as he may have posession of a Royal palace whereof also he shal have the fee-simple estate And such is that heavenly house that celestial glory and happinesse which Christ having purchased for those that are his is gone before to take posession of and to prepare for them I go to prepare a place for you Joh. 14.2 it infinitely excelleth all earthly glory far more then the most princely palace doth the meanest cottage O labour we but to make sure this our Inheritance in that other world this will make us not unwilling to leave this Here is a first Direction Seek after Assurance that we have an interest in God and Jesus Christ and so a right to eternal life And being thus assured of Life Dir. 2 now Prepare for death Prepare for death by dying daily So did the blessed Apostle who tels his Corinthians that he dyed daily 1 Cor. 15.31 I protest by your rejoycing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord I dye daily Apprehending death continually hanging over his head he was daily preparing for it And the like do we that we may be willing to dye once when God calleth us to it dye daily Q. But how shall we do this A. Take the answer in three or four particulars 1. Dye daily to sin This the Apostle telleth us Christ once did for us To sin In that he dyed he dyed unto sin once Rom. 6.10 This he did not for himself for he knew no sin but for us for the expiating of our sins the taking away the guilt of them And what he did once doe we daily daily dye to sin for the taking away the power of it in our selves A work which will not be done at once as that of our Saviour was True the Apostle speaking of believers saith they are dead to sin Rom. 6.2.11 in as much as they are not now under the power of it as sometimes they were But this is but an imperfect work not done at once Though sin hath received its mortal wound in them yet it is stil alive Though they be dead to it yet it liveth in them And therefore they must make this their daily their continual work to be dying to it mortifying the body of sin that it may dye before them The life of sin is the life of death So long as a man liveth in any one sin he will never be willing to dye And therefore set we upon the mortification of all our sinful Lusts Specially our beloved Lusts those which have been most near and dear to us most strong and prevalent in us Never resting until we find our hearts brought to an utter abhorrence and detestation of them and of all other sinful waies and courses so as we can say with the Psalmist that we hate every false way Psa 119.104 Thus Sin being dead death will not be so terrible As we get ground of the one we shal get strength against the other Secondly Dye daily to the world To the world So did the Apostle who telleth us of himself that he was crucified to the world and the world to him Gal. 6.14 He had as little affection to the world as the world had to him he was dead to that and that to him And it is the counsel which he giveth to others 1 Cor. 7.31 that they should so use this world as not abusing it Not doting upon any thing here below whether riches oâ— pleasures or honours Not setting the heart upon them If riches increase set not your hearts upon them Psal 62.10 And so for the rest Not being inordinately affected with any contentments which this world can afford but looking overly upon them so using them as if they used them not So run those foregoing directions of the Apostle there 1 Cor. 7.29 30. This I say brethren the time is short It remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not And this let every of us strive to
might be accomplished the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to proclaim liberty to that people to return to their own Countrey as we finde it 2 Chron. 36.21 22. So exact is God in measuring out the continuance of the sufferings of his people for a year nay for a dâ—y When the four hundred and thirty years were expâ—râ—d the self same day departed all the hoasts of the Lord â—ut of the Land of Egypt so that Text hath it Exod. 12.41 Thus doth God number the dayes of his peoples affliction Ye shall have tribulation ten dayes saith Christ to the Church of Smyrna Rev. 2.10 that is for a set time Even as it was with our Saviours resting in the Grave his lying under the power of death it was for a set time for so many dayes beyond which he could not be detained in that prison Thus hath God determined and set down the dayes of his peoples lying under an affliction with the day of their deliverance After two dayes he will revive us and the third day he will raise us up saith the Church Hos 6.2 In which Text the Prophet is by some conceived to have an eye to the Buriall and Resurrection of Christ shewing how God would raise up hi hua Grch and people out of the grave of affliction at the set and appointed time Even as he raised up Christ out of the Grave There he lay two dayes but the third day he was raised up So did God deal with the Head and so will he deal with his mysticall Body and all the members thereof his Church and people However for a time for two dayes as it were he may suffer them to lye buryed under an affliction yet when the third day cometh the time by himself appointed then will he raise them up nothing shall hinder their deliverance When the third day was come nothing could hinder the Resurrection of Christ Not the Stone rolled upon the Spulcher not the seal set upon it not the Watch set to guard it Maugre all these he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15.4 And so shall it be with his Members the Saints and servants of God Let the Stone be never so great the pressure never so weighty that lyeth upon any of them let men and Devils conspire and use all wayes and means they can to keep them still in the grave under an affliction yet in despite of all the third day they shall rise again when the time by God prescribed and determined is come deliverance shall not be deferred Thus doth God exactly measure out all the sufferings of his people both for the quantity and continuance of them Q. But by what measure doth he thus measure them A. Christisements measured out by a measure of mercy to Gods people To this I have in part returned answer already This he doth by a measure not of justice but of mercy Such is that measure which the Prophet Isai there speaketh of in the Text forecited Isa 27.8 In measure when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with it In measure by measure a measure of mercy moderatè as Tremellius renders it with moderation So doth God deal with his people in afflicting them not as with his and their Enemies Hath be smitten him as he smote those that smote him saith the verse foregoing God in debating with his Enemies in punishing them he proceeds in a way of justice not so in correcting his people with them he deals in a way of mercy Whereas he poureth out his wrath upon the one Poure thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not Jer. 10.25 he measureth out his anger unto the other and that by a measure of mercy dealing with them in a way of discretion and mercifull moderation So he tells his people the Jewes that he would deal with them Jer. 30.11 repeated cap. 46.11 I will correct thee in measure and will not leave thee altogether unpunished God being provoked by his people he spareth not to punish them but it is in measure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In judicio Lammishpat saith the Originall by judgement so the former Translation there properly renders it and the like doth our new translation elsewhere as Jer. 10.24 where the Prophet speaking in the person of the people makes it his Request Correct me O Lord but with judgement whereas the word is the same Bemishphat Thus doth God deal with his people though he doth correct them and that sometimes sharply yet still it is in measure with judgement proportioning their sufferings not to their sins Proportioned to their strength but to their strength Even as the Physician as I told you in praescribing Pills and Potions he hath a respect as well to the strength and ability of his Patient as to the nature and quality of the disease So dealeth God in afflicting his people he doth not proportion his judgements to their sins their deserts He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities Psal 103.10 But to their abilities and strength So the Psalmist there goeth on vers 13 14. of that Psalme Like as a Father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him For he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are but dust Thus doth he deal with his people not as a Judge who proceeding according to the strict rule of justice regardeth not the person of the Offender but the nature and quality of the offence to which he proportioneth the penalty but as a Father with his children whom if they offend he correcteth but with a wise moderation and temper having a regard to their age and strength proportioning his strokes to their weaknesse So dealeth God with his children If they offend they shall feel the smart of his rod. If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandements then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Psal 89.31 32. But herein he dealeth with them in a wise and mercifull way having a regard to their strength So much Paul assureth his Corinthians of 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithfull saith he who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God will not himself afflict neither will he suffer Satan or his Instruments to oppresse his people beyond their strength Obj. Gods people how said to be pressed out of measure above strength Obj. No it may be said Doth God alwayes thus measure out afflictions to his people proportioning them to their strength what then means that information of the Apostle St. Paul himself 2 Cor. 1.8 where acquainting his Corinthians with some great afflictions which had happened unto him he tells them expressely that he was pressed out of measure beyond strength For brethren saith he we would not have you ignorant of our trouble or Affliction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which came to us in Asia that
we were pressed out of measure above strength So it was whatever the affliction was whether the great danger that he was in at Ephesus in that tumultuous sedition there raised by Demetrius of which we read Act. 19. as most looked upon it or some dangerous sicknesse wherewith he was visited or whatever it was it so seized upon him as that he was overburdened with the apprehensions of it pressed out of measure above strength 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Metaphor saith Calvin taken from a Porter Metaphâ—ra sumpta ab iis qui sub gravitate ponderis dâ—ficiunt Vel à nov bus quae nimio onere merguntur Calv. com in loc who hath a greater burden layd upon his shoulders then he is able to stand under or from a Ship that is laden beyond her bearing So was it with this great Apostle in this affliction The apprehension of the eminent danger wherein he was over burdened in his soul And was it not so also with our blessed Saviour himself Who in the midst of his passion cryeth out as sinking under his burden My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27.46 How then is he said to afflict his people by measure such a measure so as to proportion their sufferings to their strength A. For answer we must distinguish of strength Answ A twofold strength natural supernatural which is twofold Naturall Supernaturall it is Aquinas his distinction upon that Text. The strength of Nature and the strength of Grace The former may be called our strength Pati suprà virtutem potest intelligi dupliciter vel suprà virtutem naturalem de hâc loquitur hic supra quam Deus aliquando permittit sanctos tentart vel suprà virtutem Gratiae de hâc intelligitur illud 1 Cor. 10.13 Aqu. in Com. in loc the latter Gods strength Now look at the former of these our own strength the strength of Nature and we shall finde it no newes no wonder that the people of God should be overburdened with their afflictions laden beyond their bearing pressed out of measure above strength this strength being no other then weaknesse Thus it is said of our Saviour 2 Cor. 13.4 He was crucified through weaknesse meaning his flesh his humane nature Such is the strength of nature no better then weaknesse Not able to stand out against Death no nor yet to look it in the face The reason why many meer naturall men do engage with this enemy with such resolution as they do is because they doe not apprehend it aright their senses are stupified intoxicated Even as the Jewes were wont to give stupifying potions to Malefactors before their Execution that so the fear of death might be thereby taken away Even so are the hearts of naturall men oft times stupified so as they do not apprehend the terrors of Death which if they did it were not all the power of nature that could be able to support and bear up the spirit against it Now beyond this strength it was that Paul was there pressed being in eminent danger insomuch that he even despaired of life as he there saith he found his spirit begin to fail him he was not able to bear it And so was it with our blessed Saviour himself in that his passion the God-head for a time as it were hiding it self withholding its wonted influence the Manhood being thus left to it self it was pressed beyond strength and so ready to succumbe But there is another strength in the people of God even a supernaturall strength Supernaturall strength supporting Gods people in their sufferings the strength of Grace whereby they are upheld and carryed on as in their active so in their passive obedience beyond the strength of nature inabled to doe and to suffer more then flesh and blood could doe In themselves they are poor weak impotent creatures not able to doe or suffer any thing as of themselves but by and through the Grace of God strengthening and enabling of them they are able to do and suffer all things So saith Paul of himself Phil. 4.13 I am able to do all things through Christ that strengthneth me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Originall I am able for all things viz. to suffer them Such are the things which he there speaketh of in the verse foregoing rather passions then actions as to be abased to suffer want c. these things Paul apprehends himself able to do But what made him so strong Not any strength of his own but the power of supernaturall grace received from his Lord and Master Christ Through Christ that strengthneth me And the like may every true Believer say how weak soever of himself yet through the grace of Christ strengthning of him he shall be able to bear to suffer whatever God shall please to lay upon him Thus it is not the strength of Nature but of Grace which maketh them thus able Even as it is with a Leaden Vessel which of it self being empty is subject to melt with a little fire but put water or other liquor into it and now it is able to indure the hottest Fornace so it is with Christians of themselves they are weak and feeble their hearts are ready to melt within them upon some great tryall As it is said of the Israelites when they were smitten at Aye Josh 7.5 The hearts of the people melted and became as water And the like saith David of himself Psal 119.28 My soul melted for heavinesse So is it sometimes with the best and strongest Christians being brought into a Fornace of affliction some fiery tryall their hearts are ready to melt within them But being by grace strengthned in the inward man through this supernaturall strength they are made pares oneri able to suffer that which all the strength of Nature could not doe And to this strength it is Afflictions proportioned to Gods strength in his people that God proportioneth the sufferings of his people Not to their own strength but to his strength Not to the strength of Nature but to the strength of Grace that strength which either already they have or which he supplyeth to them For so it is when God cometh to lay greater burdens upon his people then they are able to bear now he cometh in with a new supply of strength unto them In this way it was that Paul was supported under that Temptation wherewith he conflicted by a supply of Grace My grace is sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12.9 The stronger conflicts any of Gods people meet with the more Grace doth he confer upon them for the inabling them to withstand those assaults And thus is his power made perfect in weaknesse as it there followeth putting forth and shewing it self more in supporting his people under such tryals as in themselves do far exceed their strength And thus you see this Doctrine confirmed and made good how God dispenseth all afflictions to his people by measure and that
denominated from his Divine nature God shed his blood that is that Person who was ruely God as well as Man shed his blood not as God but as Man Deus sed non qua Deus God but not as God Deus sed non Deitas God in the Concrete not the Godhead in the Abstract The Lord of glory was crucifyed the Author of life was killed that Person who was so in respect of his divine nature was crucified killed in his humane nature That which is proper to one nature is attributed to the person So is it with man in whom soul and body are united that which is proper to one of these is attributed to the Person As when the Body is sick wounded buryed we say the man is so So in the sufferings of Christ it was his Manhood which suffered not the Godhead yet it is attributed to the person Which is as I say sometimes denominated from the one nature sometimes from the other It was the humane nature of Christ or the Person of Christ in and according to his humane nature which properly suffered And this he did in his whole man Christ suffering in his whole man In his Body both in his Body and Soul 1. In his Body This it was which was bound scourged spit upon Crowned with thorns which first bare the Crosse and then was born of it which was pierced by the Nayls and the Spear which shed its blood Thus did he bear our sins in his own body on the Tree as St. Peter hath it 1 Pet. 2.4 And we are said to be sanctified that is freed from the guilt of sin and consecrated to the service of God through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ Heb. 10.10 2. But not his Body only but his Soul also In his Soul That also did bear a part in this suffering which it did not only by way of sympathy with the Body but immediately in and by it self So it did in that Agony of his in the Garden where he made that sad complaint to his Disciples My soul is exceeding sorrowfull even unto death Matth. 26.38 And afterwards upon the Crosse where being under a sad Eclipse the light of his Fathers countenance being hid from him by that black Cloud the sins of the World in that conflict he cryeth out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27.46 Thus did he then suffer in soul His soul being made an offering for sin as well as his Body as the Prophet Isai hath it Isa 53.10 Thus did he suffer in his humane nature in his whole man both Body and soul Q. But it may be said what then did not the Godhead also act a part in this Tragedy Was that only a Spectator a Looker on whilest the Manhood suffered A. The Godhead acting in the suffering of the Manhood Not so the Godhead at this time was not idle though it did not bear yet it acted a part in this Passion Though it did not suffer with the humane nature yet it concurred with it in sufsuffering Which it did in divers particulars Take we notice of Four or Five of them 1. Voluit It willed that suffering Christ as God willed that his suffering as Man Willing that it should suffer So much he intimates unto his Disciples Joh. 10.17 18. where he tells them I lay down my life that I may take it again No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self He layed down his life how why by the same power by which he took it up again by the power of his divine nature according to which he is properly called the Prince or Author of life Act. 3.15 By this power it was that he raised up his body from the death and by this power it was that he gave it up to death It was not the power of his humane nature that could doe this to lay down his life and take it up again at pleasure This was an act of his divine nature as well as his humane 2. Quievit As the Godhead willed that the Manhood should suffer Resting that it 〈…〉 suffer so it rested that it might suffer The divine nature was not withdrawn and severed from the humane in the time of its passion the union betwixt them being indissoluble but it rested not putting forth its power in any way of resistance which if it had done it was not all the Powers of Hell all the Men and Devils in the World that could have brought him to the Crosse The Godhead rested slept as it were even as Sampson did whilest his locks were cut off which it did for those three dayes during which time Christ seemed to be wholly left in the hands under the power of those his bloudy enemies for them to execute their rage and malice upon him Thus the Godhead though as I said not separated from the Manhood which it never was even then when Soul and Body were separated the one from the other the Godhead was severed from neither yet it rested Even as when a man is asleep his soul is not departed from his body yet it seemeth to have left it inasmuch as it doth not exercise those operations which before it did not looking out by the Eye not speaking by the Tongue not working by the Hand c. So was it here The Godhead being still with the Manhood dwelling in it and that as the soul doth in the body Bodily In ipso inâ—â—hitat plenitudo divinitatis corporaliter quià in Templo habitaverat umbâ—aliteâ— Grot. Annâ—t ex August in loc that is Pauls word Col. 2.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non umbraliter as Augustine explains it not in the shadow as it dwelt in the Temple but Corporaliter Bodily that is Personally substantially yet it rested for a time not shewing it self not exercising its wonted operations The Godhead rested that the humane nature might suffer 3. Sustentavit Though the Godhead thus rested that it might suffer Supporting it in suffering yet it secretly supported and bare it up in suffering inabling it to drink this Cup to suffer that which otherwise of it self it could never have been able to have done viz. the wrath of God due unto the sins of the World An insupportable burden Such is the least drop of it Who knoweth the power of thine anger Psal 90.11 What is then such a full Viall of it as was poured out upon Christ in his sufferings This could his humane nature of it self never have borne But it was secretly supported by the divine nature As it is in Man where as the Wise man hath it Prov. 18.14 his spirit sustaineth his infirmities the soul being of a cheerfull temper beareth him up under his bodily ailments So here that Eternall spirit which dwelt in the humane nature of Christ sustained and bore it up under those otherwise unsufferable sufferings 4. And not only bare it up under those sufferings And making
accounted the meanest Members the feet of that Body be willing to part with so much as our Nayls for it Such are our goods our Estates to us they are but as the Nayls to the Body which though there be some use of yet the Body may subsist without them Such are our Estates at least our superfluities matters of conveniency not of necessity Doth God call for them in the behalf of hâ—s Church with-hold them not Such was the zeal of the Primitive Christians that as the story tells us Act. 4.34.37 for the relief of the Churches necessities many of them sold their Lands and Houses and brought the price thereof and laid it down at the Apostles feet Being willing not only to part with the Rent but with the Fee-simple of their Estates And shall not they who professe to walk in their steps be willing to part with something out of their superfluitie for the Churches sake and for the relief of their necessitous brethren And being ready to do and suffer for their Bodies Specially for their souls much more for their Souls Here if God call not only for our Estates but for our Liberties nay for our lives even these should not in this case be dear to us This is no more then Paul was willing to do for his Corinthians whom he telleth 2 Cor. 12.15 I will very gladly spend and be spent for you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Originall for your souls as our Mâ—rgin readeth it And the like he tells his Philippians cap. 2. v. 7. If I be offered up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if I be pouâ—ed forth as a drink Offering upon the sacrifice and service of your Faith I joy and rejoyce with you all Thus should Christians prefer their brethrens souls before their own bodies Such a minde we see there was in the Lord Jesus And as the Apostle exhorts lâ—t the same minde be in us that was in him Phil. 2.5 Learning this our duty from him So St. John presseth it 1 Joh. 3.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God because he layed down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren viz if God call us to it Thus have I shewed you two of those reasons and grounds whereupon our blessed Saviour did thus freely and willingly subject himself to the drinking of this Cup. This he did in obedience to his Father And this he did out of that love which he bare to his Elect. There is yet one other behinde which I shall insist more largely upon Thus did the Lord Jesus for our example Reas 3 This was one Christ thus suffered for an example to his people Pertinet adâ—eaeemplum quià eadem â nobis omnibus tolerantia exigitur Calv. Com. in loc though not the only end of Christs sufferings as St. Peter tells us 1 Pet. 2.21 Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps Such were the Actions of Christ though not all yet most of them were exemplary As he tells his Disciples concerning that act of his in washing their Feet Joh. 13.15 I have given you an example that ye should doe as I have done unto you And such also were his Passions his sufferings being intended by him for an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is St. Peters word there a Copy for others to write after so that word properly signifieth a pattern for us to imitate and follow Which we are to doe Christ to be imitated in the manner of his suffering not so much in the matter as in the manner of his suffering The Cup which he drank we are not able to drink it after him so he there tells the sons of Zebedee Math. 20.22 That wherein we are to imitate him to follow his steps is the modus the manner of his sufferâ—ng He suffered not only patiently but willingly Thus did he subject himself to the appointment of his Father Not as a Malefactor who subjecteth his neck to the stroke of the Axe becâ—use cannot avoid it But he doth it willâ—ng the â—rully resolvedly Thus doth he here professe to drink this Cup. And so are the Lords people to receive all such Cups from the hand of their heavenly Father as he shall please to reach forth unto them to subject themselves to all such afflictions tryals sufferings as he shall by his Providence lay out for any of them not only patiently and contentedly but willingly chearfully A point A point of generall and special concernment as of generall so of speciall use to all and every of the Lords people in this vale of tears Some other Truths may be more necessary as to their future salvation none more needfull as to their present condition then this There are none of us but either at the present have or for the future must expect to have some of these Cups bitter Cups presented unto us to drink Ye shall indeed drink of my Cup saith our Saviour there to them which accordingly as you have heard they did None of us but must make account in this way to be made conformable to our Head to Christ in suffering with him Though not all alike Some there are who drink deep draughts of this Cup others only sip of it but all must taste it God is pleased to vouchsafe to some of his people great freedome this way in comparison of others yet no exemption for any We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdome of God Act. 14.22 There are none of us here present I suppose who have not had our tryals in some kinde or other already Some of us happily have sad pressures lying upon us at the present but what bonds may wait for us what sufferings God hath laid out for any of us for the future that we know not It is that which our Saviour tells Peter Joh. 21.18 Verily verily I say unto thee When thou wast young thou girdedst thy self and walkedst whither thou wouldest but when thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thine hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldest not which he spake as the next vers explains it signifying by what death he should glorifie God viz. by suffering upon the Crosse which as Histories tell us he accordingly did And thus fareth it with many In their younger times they enjoy many comfortable dayes a prosperous condition yet before they go off the stage they have another part given them to act seeing much affliction and sorrow Now quod cuivis cuilibet that which doth happen to one may happen to another No tryall or affliction which hath befallen any of the people of God or yet any of the Sons of men for in these things as the Preacher tells us All things come alike to all there is one event to the righteous as to the wicked Eccl. 9.2 but may for ought we know be our portion thy portion my portion What befalleth others
Exod. 15.24 and so against God in him as Moses tells them Exod. 16.7 and the Lord himself interprets it Numb 14.29 And the like they did upon other occasions as in the want of bread Exod. 16.2 Thus did they murmure in the Wildernesse And the like are the best of Gods Saints subject to If God bring them to the waters of Marah bitter waters giving them some bitter Cup to drink exercising them with some sharp afflictious their gestures their speeches their actions are too ready to bewray the secret discontents and impatience of their spirits Those instances of Eliah Jeremy Job Jonah are all obvious All eminent servants of God and yet how were they surprized with this distemper Now O Lord take away my life for I am not better then my Fathers saith Eliah in the Wildernesse 1 King 19.4 Why is my pain perpetuall and my wound incurable which refuseth to be healed Wilt thou be unto me altogether as a Lyar or as waters that fail saith Jeremy to his God in a distempered Passion Jer. 15.18 And again O Lord thou hast deceived me and I was deceived thou art stronger then I and hast prevailed I am in derision daily every one mocketh me cap. 20.7 And again v. 14. Cursed be the day wherein I was born let not the day wherein my Mother bare me be blessed and so he goeth on to the end of the Chapter in a great deal of passionate language bewraying a strange distemper that was upon him by reason of the contempt and treachery and ill use which he met with And the like we finde in Job Though looked upon and that deservedly as a pattern of patience yet we may hear him venting his Passion in the like language cap. 3. where from the 3d verse to the 16th he spends himself in such passionate expressions Let the day be darknesse wherein I was born c. And so Jonah when his gourd was withered and the Sun lay hot upon his head he breaks forth in Passion not sparing to tell God to his face that he did well to be angry even unto death Jon. 4.9 Strange distempers to be found in sanctified hearts Is it so that any of us have found or at any time shall finde any spice hereof in our selves as who can say he is free take we the reproof to our selves taking notice that it was far otherwise with our blessed Saviour our heavenly pattern Though his Cup was a bitterer Cup then ever any man upon earth tasted yet we finde him far from murmuring or repining when he was to drink it There are yet a third sort who drink this Cup Sort 3 but they faint in the drinking of it Such as faint unâ—â— afflictions As the first sort make their sufferings too light so these make them too heavy their spirits drooping and sinking under their burdens A weaknesse very incident even to Gods own people yea to the best of them It is that which Jeremy saith of himself Jer. 8.18 When I would comfort my self against sorrow my heart is faint in me And the like we may hear from the Church in her Captivity Lam. 1. last My sighes are many and my heart is faint Such deliquiums such despondencies and faintings the strongest of Saints as I said are subject to It is that which David saith of himself when he was in some eminent danger My soul is bowed down viz. through fear Psal 57.6 and elsewhere being pursued by his implacable enemy King Saul hunted as a Partridge in the Mountains as himself expresseth it we finde him giving up himself for a lost man He said in his heart I shall now perish by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 An infirmity arising partly from the weaknesse of nature An Infirmity from whence arising which contributes much to these despondencies but chiefly from the weaknesse of grace If thou faint in the day of Adversity thy strength is small saith the Wiseman Prov. 24.10 thy spiritual strength it argues Faith to be weak This it is which supporteth and beareth up the spirit under afflictions keepeth it from fainting I had fainted saith David unlesse I bad believed to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the living Psal 27.13 Faith in God believing his Promises and resting upon his power mercy truth it boyeth up the soul keepeth the head above water Where Faith faileth no wonder if the heart fainteth And it is often helped forwards by looking upon afflictions through false Glasses which represent them greater then they are As also by neglecting or refusing means of Consolation and comfort As it is said of Rachel the Benjamitâ—sh women descended from Rachel when her children were carried into Captivity she wâ—pt saith the Text and would not be comforted because they were not Mat. 2.18 Thus it is sometimes when God withdraws one blessing men overlook all others they enjoy and will take no comfort in them Like Children who if one of their toyes be taken from them they presently throw away all the rest But from what ground soever it ariseth or by what means soever it is procured or promoted it is a weaknesse and that such a one as deserves a just Reprehension It was not so with our blessed Saviour Never was there Cup like this Cup which he was now to drink yet behold here how he beareth up under it betaking himself to his suffering work with a holy and steadfast resolution The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it Thus much by way of Reprehension From which passe we in the second place to that which I principally aim at Vse 2 Exhortation to follow this Pattern Exhortation Where let me set this pattern before you propounding it for your imitation exciting and stirring up all who professe themselves the Disciples of Jesus Christ that herein they would endeavour to shew themselves conformable to this their Head Conformity to Christ is that which God hath predestinated all his Elect people to So the Apostle infoms us Rom. 8.29 Whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son to be made like him and that as in glory so in grace Now as we desire the former have we an eye to the latter see that we imitate Christ in what was imitable in him following his steps So suffering as Christ did Which do we as in his Active so in his Passive Obedience so drinking those Cups which our heavenly Father shall give unto us as he here did this which was given to him not despising of not murmuring at not fainting under whatever Afflictions and Chastisements God shall please to exercise us with but bearing and suffering them patiently obediently willingly Every of which particulars give me leave to spend a little time upon The three former whereof are Negatives shewing us what we are not to doe the three latter Positives shewing us what we are to doe Begin with the former the
grave compassed me about v. 5 My heart is sore pained within me and the terrours of death are fallen upon me Psal 55.4 And so Psal 116.3 This it was that rung those tears from Hezekiahs eyes Isai 38. Though a holy man one who as he appeareth to God in it v. 2 of that Chapter had walked before him in truth with a perfect heart and had done that which was good in his sight Yet when the Prophet commeth and presenteth this Cup to him bringing to him that message from the Lord that he must die and not live Now saith the storie Hezekiah turned his face to the wall as not daring to look this enemy in the face and he prayed unto the Lord v. 2. Yea as the next verse hath it he wept sore And himself tels us v. 14. that he chattered like a crane or swallow So unwelcome were those tidings unto him And St Paul though inferiour to none in holy courage and resolution which he shewed when he told the Disciples weeping about him that he was ready not only to be bound but to dye at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Act. 21.13 Yet being as he thought arrested by this serjeant having as he saith received in himself the sentence of death he declares to his Corinthians that he was pressed out of measure above strength 2 Cor. 1.8.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above the strength of nature yea even above the strength of that grace which he had which at the present he being suddainly surprized was hardly able to bear up his spirit under the apprehension of that eminent danger wherein he was And if Cedars be thus pressed how shall shrubs look to bear up head Should God now send the like message to any of us my Brethren as there he did to Hezekiah bidding us Set thine House in order for thou shalt dye and not live Or should we here see such an hand writing upon the wal as Belshezar once did giving us to take notice that our daies are numbred and our course finished put the question now to our own hearts what entertainment we could give to such a message such tidings Are there not some of us who would with Hezekiah turn away our face and weep at it as sore as ever he did Nay would it not fare with some of us as there it did with Belshazar of whom the story tels us that when he saw that hand-writing though he understood not what it meant yet his guilty conscience suggesting that it portended no good to him his countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the joints of his loines were loosed and his knees smote one against the other Dan. 5.6 How few are there of us that would so receive the Messengers of such tidings as our blessed Saviour doth here these Messengers which were sent to apprehend him so submitting to the will of God herein as he did But yet know we this to be our Duty Yet a Christians Duty a Lesson which our Lord and Master by his own example hath taught us And being so let every of us apply our selves to the learning and taking of it forth that we may thus submit to the drinking of this Cup when ever God shall give it unto us Which sooner or later he will do how soon we know not Q. And possible to be done I but you may say is this a thing possible to be done to bring the heart to such a willing submission hereunto A. Though not by Nature To this I answer as before that to flesh and bloud it is not possible Nature seeking the preservation of it self cannot readily and willingly imbrace that which is the destruction of it self Especially if the eye of the Soul shall be opened to see death as it is and to see the Consequents of it to look upon it as an inlet into a future Estate That which maketh meere naturall men sometimes so willing to dye is because they are blinded with mishapprehensions of it they look upon it as a period to their troubles as an end of all misery Whereas did they apprehend it as an inlet to Eternity yea to an Eternity of misery which to them it is as an entry into that dark dungeon where they shall be kept in those everlasting chaines under darknesse to the judgment of the great day it is not possible that they should look upon it or think of it without horrour and astonishment Yet by grace But to Grace this is possible This being one of those ends wherefore Christ dyed that through death he might deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject unto bondage as the Apostle tels us Heb. 2.15 Such is the condition of all the Sons of men by nature being continually subject unto death they are in bondage through the fear of it But this priviledge Christ hath by his death obtained for his Elect that through grace through faith in him they may be freed and delivered from this bondage this fear Though not from the Naturall yet from the slavish fear of it As for the Naturall fear of it that our blessed Saviour himself was not free from noe more are the best of Saints Not thus to fear death what is it but Hominem exuere to put off humanity But for the servile slavish fear of it that through grace believers may be freed from Yea so freed from it as to receive and embrace death readily and willingly This we find some of the Saints to have done Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace saith old Simeon Luk. 2.29 I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ saith Paul Phil. 1.23 In this we groan desiring earnestly to be cloathed upon with our house which is from Heaven saith the same Apostle of himself and other believers 2 Cor. 5.2 And again v. 8. We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. So then this is a thing possible for Christians to attain unto to be willing to dye when God calleth them to it Some and many have attained it and others may if they be not wanting to themselves Nay A shame to Christians not to be willing to dye it is a shame unto those who professing themselves Christians doe not in some measure attain hereunto 1. In as much Frist as this is contrary to their professions Being contrary to their profession Being Christians they profess themselves strangers and pilgrims on the earth as the Fathers of old time are said to have done Heb. 11.13 Now as it there followeth v. 14. They which say such things declare plainly that they seek a Countrey that they desire a better Country that is an heavenly as the 16 verse explaines it Such is the Christians profession Now then for them to be unwilling to passe through this Jordan to take possession of this their heavenly Canaan it
is free from his Master so Job describes the state of the dead Job 3.17 18 19. Thus doth God our heavenly Father make use of this as his Handkerchief to wipe away all tears from the eyes of his Children as we have it Rev. 7. last After death there shall be to them no more death nor crying neither shall there be any more pain as that other Text hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ae chylus Rev. 21.4 Death lets out the Christian as it doth all men from the sense and fear of all temporall Evils 2. Yea it freeth him from what is far worse from Spiritual Evils Spirituall giving a Quietus est as to the Body so to the Soul Freeing him 1. From Sin He that is dead is freed from sin Rom. From sin 6.7 So it is indeed with a mortified soul a regenerate person that is spiritually dead dead to sin which the Apostle there chiefly aymeth at he is freed from it viz. from the guilt and power of it But this is but a partiall freedome which is compleated and perfected in and by naturall death by which the Believer obtaineth a perfect freedome Being hereby so freed from sin as in this life he cannot be Freed from the committing of it From the inbeing of it From the beholding of it From the committing of it 1. From the committing of it which while he is here he is not cannot be However as the Apostle hath it in the verse there foregoing Rom. 6.6 the old man being crucified with Christ the Body of sin is so far destroyed that henceforth the regenerate person doth not serve sin he having thus suffered in the flesh ceaseth from sin as St. Peter hath it 1 Pet. 4.1 Corruption being in measure mortified he doth not now sin as before he did so as to make a custome and practise of it yet through weaknesse he doth commit some acts of sin and that daily There is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccl. 7.20 But Death giveth the Believer a perfect discharge so as thenceforth he sinneth no more He that hath entred into his rest saith the Apostle he also hath ceased from his own works as God did from his Heb. 4.10 God upon the seventh day kept a Sabbath resting from his works of Creation such as he had wrought upon the six dayes before So doth the Believer in death he entereth into his rest that Eternall Sabbatisme where he ceaseth from his own works such works as he here wrought in the flesh specially from the works of the flesh sinfull works Opera nostra vocantur labores curas vocationis nostrae tùm opera carnis noturae vitiosae peccatae quae vere sunt nestra quia â nobis fiunt nec probantur Dec c. Pareus Com. ad loc which as Pareus there noteth upon it may most properly be called a mans own works inasmuch as he doth them of himself without any approbation or allowance from God From these works the Godly man after death wholly ceaseth Which the wicked man doth not who being in Hell ceaseth not to blaspheme God Like as the followers of the Beast are said to doe upon the powring out of the Vials They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains c. Rev. 16.9 11 21. so doe the damned in hell because of their torments they blaspheme God and commit other sins such as that their state is capable of Which whether they be formally and properly sins in them not lying under a Law as here they did I shall not dispute but Materially I am sure they are being the same sinfull acts which here they committed But from such acts shall the believer now cease so as never more to commit any sin Noe nor yet to be in any possibility of committing it Such a state doth death bring Gods Children to a state in this respect far more happy then that wherein our first Parents were in Paradise There they were free from sin but not from a possibility of sinning which the event shewed But Gods Saints by death are freed from this being hereby put into an impeccable state and so confirmed as that they shall never more have any will or inclination to that which is evill Thus are they freed from the acting the Committing of sin 2. From the inbeing of it And so Secondly from the Inbeing the Indwelling of it So it is that the best of Saints while they are here they have sin dwelling in them It is no more I that do it saith Paul but sin that dwelleth in me Rom. 7.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thereby meaning Innolita illa pridem peccandi consuetndo Grot. Annot. ad loc not that Habit and Custome of sin which is in an unregenerate person as Grotius expounds it but that Naturall Corruption which still cleaveth to the Regenerate This he found still dwelling in him And so it will in the most sanctyfied soul upon earth And there dwelling it will also be warring seeming sometimes to Conquer So also that Apostle there out of his own experience complaines v. 23. I find another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into Captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members Such a conflict there is and will be in the best of Saints Corruption striving against Grace Yea and sometimes prevailing against it Even as a strong tide carrieth the ship against the stroke of the Rowers Which cannot but create a great deal of trouble to the Soul So it did to that blessed Apostle who upon this account looked upon himself as a miserable man crying out in the next verse verse 24. O wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from the Body of this death That Body of sin as he elswere calleth it Rom. 6.6 which he found living in him was to him a Body of death making his life miserable to him So would it be to a Child-bearing woman to have the Child lye dead within her rotting and putrifying in her womb whereof notwithstanding all indeavours used she cannot be delivered Or to a living man to be tyed to a dead karkesse Even so is it with a regenerate person whilest he is here the living and the dead are tyed together Grace and Gorruption And so tyed together as nothing can part them but death Like as it was with that fretting leprosie of which we read Lev. 14.45 which having eaten into the Wals there was no cure for it but by pulling down the house Even so is it with this Leprosie of sin having seized upon the soul and eaten into all the powers and faculties of Soul and Body there is no way to be freed from it but by death And this will do it The house being pulled down the Leprosie ceased And so doth sin in death The dissolution of the Body is the Absolution of the Soul freeing it from this
impetuous inmate which otherwise will not out whatever warnings are given it The death of nature is the death of sin making that true Filia devoravit matrem The daughter devours the Mother Sin which at the first brought forth death is destroyed by it And were there no other Argument Noe perfect freedome from sin but by death how should this work upon the soul of a Christian to make him not averse to the drinking of this Cup it being the only Remedy for the perfect cure of this Malady We see how it is in bodily diseases having been long and painful and all meanes having been tryed for cure but proving ineffectuall this continuall conflict maketh the sick man weary of his life so long for death and to be glad when he can find the grave as Job describeth his condition Job 3.21 22. And such is sin to the Soul an inveterate an uncurable malady being an hereditary disease which man brought into the world with him and use what meanes he may yet he cannot be freed from it a continuall Affliction And so it will be so long as life it self continueth How willing then should this make a Christian to imbrace death So did this Consideration work upon the Apostle who upon this account cryeth out as even now you heard O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me As if he had said O that I were out of this miserable mortall life during which doe what I can sin will still dwell in me and from the molestation whereof I cannot be freed but by death So long as a Christian carrieth this mortall Body about with him he shall never be freed from this Body of sin O how willing should this make us to lay down the one that we might be rid of the other Which the believe shall be by death Hereby he shall be freed as from the acting so from the indwelling of sin 3. From the beâ—â—lding of it Yea in the third place from the Beholding of it As he shall henceforth have no more experimenatll knowledge of it in himself so he shall be no longer a be holder of it in others Which is no small eye sore to a sanctyfied soul So it was to righteous Lot of whom St. Peter tels us 2 Pet. 2.7 That being a just person he was vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked viz. Of those wicked Sodomites among whom he lived So the next verse explaines it For that righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his Soul from day to day with their unlawfull deeds To see God so highly dishoured his Lawes so shamefully violated as by all kinds of abhominations they were this was a continuall corrasive and heart-breaking unto him And so was it to David who was in like manner affected with the sins of the times wherein he lived as he sets it forth Psal 119. v. 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eys because they keep not thy Law And again verse 158. I beheld the transgressours and was grieved because they kept not thy word And it cannot be otherwise with a gratious spirit to see the Abhominations of the times and places wherein he liveth to hear the name of his God blasphemed to see his Ordinances profaned his worship sleighted his messengers scorned his truths affronted his waies evil spoken of c. this cannot but affect it This it was that made David crye out in his Banishment as he doth Psal 120.5 Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesheck that I dwell in the tents of Kedar that is amongst a savage and barbarous people who had no knowledge nor fear of God whose lives and conversations were wicked and abominable And truly such is this world in a great measure wherein a Christian shall meet with two many of this rank The consideration whereof should make him the more willing to leave it to embrace Death when it cometh which is Gods Fan whereby he severeth his Wheat from the Worlds Chaffe the precious from the vile his own people from others so as they shall no longer be in danger of being seduced by evill doers or yet be infested by them The Goats being separated from the Sheep they shall be no longer an annoyance to them as here by the stinch of their unclean and filthy conversation they were In that New Jerusalem into which Death letteth all true Believers there shall in no wise enter any thing that defileth neither whatever worketh abomination Rev. 21. last Thus doth Death free them from this worst of Evils sin both from the committing and inbeing and beholding of it To which may be added that it freeth them also from the Temptations and molestations of Satan Death freeth the Believer from Satanicall temptations Which in this life the best of Saints are subject to Paul complains of the buffetings of Satan which himself felt 2 Cor. 12.7 And who but hath experience of his assaults some way or other He being an unwearied Adversary making it his work to goe to and fro in the earth and to walk up and down in it as himself giveth account of it to God Job 1.7 As a roaring Lyon walking about seeking whom he may devour as St. Peter hath it 1 Pet. 5.8 So as none can be secure from his attempts He that spared not to set upon our Saviour as he did in the Wildernesse plying him with Temptations one after another will not spare to do the like to his Disciples Simon Simon saith our Saviour to Peter behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as Wheat Luk. 22.31 to shake him and the rest by tempting or troubling them seeking by all possible wayes and means to subvert and destroy them in their bodies or souls And the like he doth to the best of Saints having a speciall evill eye upon them being ambitious to cast them down whom he seeth standing He maketh it his work either to draw them into evill or to draw evill upon them either to turn them out of the wayes of God or to make them as rough and troublesome to them as he may But Death sets the Believer out of his reach The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly saith Paul to his Romans Rom. 16.20 This God doth partly in this life sometimes giving unto his people great victories over this their enemy but he will do it fully in Death By which they shall be carryed in their Souls where Satan cometh not This Old Serpent being once cast out of heaven shall never enter there again Thirdly as it freeth them from Satanicall Also from divine tentations so also from divine temptations such as God is pleased sometimes to exercise his people with those Soul-conflicts of which I spake before where God hiding his face from his people and letting in some apprehensions of wrath into their souls maketh their condition for the present very sad and uncomfortable Now from all these shall
Death free the Believer This gust shall blow away all those dark and gloomy Clouds which here intercepted the light of Gods countenance so as from thenceforth he shall never know what doubtings or fears mean but shall enjoy a constant Sunshine of Gods grace and favour to all Eternity Thus you see what evils Death freeth the Believer from Generally Universally from the sense and fear of all Evils both Temporall and Spirituall And thus freeing them from Evils Consid 2 it bringeth great Good to them The great good which Death brings the Believer to letting him into Paradise or them to it Letting them into Paradise This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise saith our dying Saviour to that penitent Thief Luk. 23.43 meaning the Celestial Paradise Heaven whereof the earthly Paradise was a Type and shadow so called from those transcendent pleasures delights and contentments which are there to be found Paul being caught up into this Paradise he heard as he tells his Corinthians unspeakable words such as himself could not utter 2 Cor. 12.4 And so shall the soul ascending thither see and enjoy unspeakable things such as the tongue of man cannot expresse Eye hath not seen ear hath not heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 What things are layed up in heaven for them And these shall Death let the regenerate soul into the possession of letting it into life Mors Janua Vitae Temporall death is the dore which letteth into everlasting life Of this Tree shall he eat who hath overcome this his last Enemy To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God Rev. 2.7 to partake of eternall life of those everlasting Joyes to which Death is the Entry Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord saith the Master having reckoned with his good and faithfull servant Matth. 25.23 Thus doth Christ reckon with all his servants at the day of death then giving to them according to their works This is the Evening wherein those who have laboured in his vineyard shall every one receive their Penny Matth. 20.9 The reward of all the service which here they have done unto him a superabundant recompense infinitely exceeding whatever they have deserved Even that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that eternall weight of glory as the Apostle calleth it 2 Cor. 4.17 Then shall the Crown be set upon the heads of all Gods Saints I have finished my course saith St Paul henceforth is layed up for me the Crown of righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4.8 All true believers they are Kings while here upon earth made so by Christ who hath obtained that honour and dignity for them He hath made us Kings unto God and his Father Rev. 1.6 Spiritual Kings But they are as yet but Kings Elect heirs apparent to the Crown having a right to it but Crowned they cannot be til death Now what Prince would be unwilling to hear of his Coronation daies And such is the day of death to the true believer his Coronation day At which time being divested of his rags he shall have a Robe put upon him A white Robe He that overcommeth shall be cloathed in white rayment Rev. 3.4 Thus was Christ himself cloathed in his transfiguration on the Mount His rayment was white as the light Matth. 17.2 And so shall his Saints be cloathed after their departure hence having white rayment a garment of glory put upon them Then shall they be cloathed upon with that their house which is from Heaven when once they have laid down this earthly Tabernacle The consideration whereof made the blessed Apostle to groan so earnestly as he said he did 2 Cor. 5.1 2. desiring his dissolution upon that account Then shall they enter into their Glory So did our blessed Saviour by suffering of death he entred into his Glory Luk. 24.26 And so shall all they who follow his steps imitate his obedience death shall be to them Porta Gloriae The gate of glory letting in the soul to the beholding and injoying of that glory and happinesse which now cannot enter into it Letting it into the presence of God where it shall see him Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Matth. 5.8 And see him as he is as Saint John tels us 1 Joh. 3.2 Have a full sight of him see him after another manner then here it doth Now we see through a glasse darkly saith the Apostle but then face to face 1 Cor. 13.12 Now we see God only in the glass of his word and works which do but darkly represent him But after death believers shall have a clear and full view of him The beholding of God a beatifical vision Then shall their Faith be turned into Vision Which shall be to them as the Schools call it a truely Beatificall vision making the beholders happy Happy in as much as hereby they shall be transformed into the Image of God made like him we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is saith St John there 1 Joh. 3.2 This Believers in part are here upon earth Whilest they behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord they are changed into the same Image from glory to glory As the Apostle hath it 2 Cor. 3.18 Beholding God in the glass of his word thereby they come by degrees to be transformed into his Image to be made like him in holinesse But when they shall come to see him face to face then shall they be made perfectly like unto him Death brings the Soul to perfection so far as their finite natures are capable of partaking of his infinite perfections Then shal they be perfect as their heavenly Father is perfect Perfect with a perfection both of Grace and Glory 1. Of Grace Which is here imperfect Such is Knowledge and Love Of Grace and all other graces in the most sanctyfied soul But upon the dissolution of the Body the soul comming into the presence of God it shal attain a full perfection A perfection of Knowledge Now I know in part saith the Apostle but then I shall know even as I am known 1 Cor. 13.12 Of knowledg Many things there are which the most knowing men upon earth are ignorant of Many mysteries in Nature which by all their search they cannot find out the reason of Much more Celestiall Mysteries concerning God and Jesus Christ As the Trinity of Persons in the unity of Essence The Hypostaticall union of the two Natures The Godhead and Manhood in the person of Christ Mysteries too sublime for any of this side heaven to pry into so as to comprehend or yet apprehend them otherwise then by faith But these with whatever else may any waies conduce to the happinesse of the soul to know it shal have a clear knowledg of after death Seeing God as he is it shall
see all in him see all things after another manner then here it doth When that which is perfect is come then that which is imperfect shall be done away 1 Cor. 13.10 And as perfect knowledge so perfect Love Love Seeing God as he is it cannot be but the soul must be inflamed with Love to him And so perfect Holinesse This Christians are here called upon to endeavour after Holinesse Having therefore these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holynesse in the fear of God so the Apostle exhorts 2 Cor. 7.1 But this while we are here we shall never attain unto But comming to see God now shall we be like him holy as he is holy being perfectly restored to that Image of God wherein man at the first was created consisting in Knowledge Holinesse and Righteousnesse Such is the perfection of Grace which the soul attaines by this beatificall vision 2. And as Grace so of Glory Like as silver or gold being set against the Sun Of glory by the beames thereof cast upon it it becommeth radiant and shining So shall it be with the soul by beholding the glory of God it shall it self be made glorious Such a glory had Moses put upon his face when he beheld the glory of the Lord having so near a communion with him upon Mount Sina the skin of his face did shine saith the story so as Aaron and the rest of the Children of Israel were not able to behold him Exod. 34.29.30 Such shall be the glory of the glorified soul having communion with God in Heaven and there beholding his glory it shall be made glorious This office doth death perform unto the believer it letteth in his soul into the presence of God whereby it becommeth perfect with perfection of Grace and Glory 2. The believer by death brought into the presence of Jesus Christ to have a full communion with him To this add It brings him also into the presence of Jesus Christ from whom while he is here he is absent While we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord. 2 Cor. 5.6 But now death brings the soul into his presence to have a sweet communion with him A consideration which made the Apostle not only averse to death but desirous of it I desire to depart and to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 This it was that made him so confident and resolute as he was not to regard life or fear death as he there telleth his Corinthians 2 Cor. 5 6.8 Therefore we are alwaies confident knowing that whilest we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord. We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord Which elswhere he concludes to be far better for him then to live here Phil 1.23 To see Christ to be with him to injoy him to have a full communion with him what happinesse shall this be to the soul And this doth death bring the believer to 3. As also to Communion and Fellowship with blessed Saints and Angels Also to Communion with Saints and Angels With them the believer hath Vnion whilest here upon earth Ye are come unto mount Sion saith the Apostle to his believing Hebâ—ews and unto the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the generall 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 Heb. 12.22 23. Being true believers they were now made members of the Mystical body the Church whereof the one part is upon earth the other in heaven they had union with Saints and Angels being united to them by faith and Love which all Believers are But now by death they come to have a full Communion with them to see them to injoy them to have converse and society with them joyning with that heavenly Quire in singing Halelujahs to him that sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb for Ever and Ever Here is now the good which death bringeth the believer to and putteth him in possession of The thought whereof being seriously set on upon the soul it cannot but work it to a willing receiving and imbracing of such a messenger as bringeth tidings of so great good unto it Anticonsiderations or Objections answered I but it may be said though it be thus with the Soul yet in the mean time what becomes of the poor Body Obj. 1 Though the soul gain by death yet the body looseth Though the soul he a gainer by death yet the Body is a looser by it Though that return to God that gave it yet this goeth to the grave where it is subject to Corruption Which maketh our Saviours case and ours far different As for him he knew that though his Body being severed from his Soul for a time should lye under the power of death yet it should not see corruption So David had foretold it Psal 16.10 Where personating of Christ as Peter expounds it Act. 2.31 He foretelleth what manner of death his should be Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell nor suffer thine Holy one to see corruption And this our Saviour himself well knew who foretold his Disciples how though he were killed yet he should rise again the third day Mat. 16.21 And upon this account he might be more willing to dye But it is otherwise with other of the sons of men That which Paul saith of David that he saw Corruption Act. 13.36 is noe less true of others Be their Bodies never so richly embalmed yet will not that preserve them from putrefaction So much the Psalmist willeth the great men of the world to take notice of Psal 49.6 7. They that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches None of them saith he can by any meanes redeeme his brother and so not themselves that he should still live for ever and not see corruption Such is the common fate None but must expect to have their bodies lye rotting in the grave in that land of forgetfulnesse as the Psalmist calleth it Psal 88.12 Where as they forget all that was done upon earth so they are forgotten by those they leave behind them Being laid up in the earth there the worm feedeth sweetly on them and they shall be no more remembred as Job faith of the cruell Oppressours Job 24.20 Now this is a thing which flesh and bloud cannot but look upon with great reluctancy the thought whereof may well make it loath to lay down the body upon such tearms To return an answer to this and some other Anticonsiderations or Objections of like nature which men are ready to take up and make use of in this way as discouragements hindring them that they cannot so willingly drink this Cup submit to the stroake of death as
the promises and assurances which we meet with in Scripture to this purpose The Lord preserveth the strangers he relieveth the fatherless and Widows Psal 146.9 A father of the Fatherless and a Judg of the Widow is God in his holy habitation Psal 68.5 Leave thy Fatherless children I will preserve them alive and let thy Widows trust in me Jer. 49.11 In thee the fatherless findeth Mercy Hos 14.3 Thus when Father and Mother forsake their Children as in death they do now as David speaketh it of himself Psal 27.10 The Lord taketh them up exercising a speciall providence over such This will he doe being left a God in Covenant with them And therefore no just ground why this consideration should so far prevaile with any that are in Covenant with God as to make them unwilling to dye upon this account which too often they are In this obey God and then trust in him As for that other part of this Allegation pâ—rting with friends and the loss of their society Friends upon earth not to be compared with those in heaven it cannot sway much Alas what are thy friends upon earth which thou art to leave in comparison of thy friends in heaven whom thou art to go to viz God and Jesus Christ his blessed Saints and Angels with whom thou shalt now have an everlasting Communion Besides thy friends and thou are not by this means for ever parted It is but for a time a little time Though thou shalt not return to them as David said of his Childe 2 Sam. 12.23 yet they shall come to thee meeting where you shall never part But saith another I am not unwilling to dye upon any such account Obj. 3 Dying without issue to continue the name but rather the contrary I have no issue to leave behind me which might succeed in my place inherit my estate or continue my name This was the thing which was conceived to have wrought so upon that good King Hezekiah that made the message which the Prophet brought him concerning his death so unwelcome unto him so as he wept when he heard it of which we heard before this he did as having yet no issue to succeede him to bear his name and sit upon his throne after him And the like consideration oft times after the like manner worketh upon others But was not this also the case of our blessed Saviour here A. The case of our blessed Saviour When as he was now to leave the world being a single person he had no issue of his Body none to succeed him to bear his name his naturall name after him True indeed as for his spiritual name he left enough to bear that viz. his Apostles and Ministers whose office it is to bear the name of Christ as he tels Ananias that Paul should doe Act. 9.15 By preaching and publishing of his Gospell But as for his natuâ—al name that dyed with him he leaving neither Child nor yet Brother to succeed him Yet was this consideration of no avail with him Notwithstanding this he knew that his name should be continued upon earth and withall that he should have a better name in heaven even that name above every name as it is called The good name of Gods Saints living when they are dead Phil. 2.9 And the like may all Gods Saints assure themselves of Having by their Godly and examplary life and conversation got them a good name whilest they were alive that shall be to them a precious ointment as the Preacher makes the comparison Eccl. 7.1 preserving and perfuming their memories when they are dead Such is the name of Jesus Christ Thy name is as ointment poured forth saith the Spouse of her well-beloved Cant. 1.3 And such shall the names of his Saints be When the name of the wicked shall rot rot above ground as their bodies do under it they having left nothing but a stinking savour behind them the memory of the just shal be blessed Prov. 10.7 But however They have in heaven a name better then of Sons and Daughters though they be forgotten upon earth yet they shall have a name in Heaven Yea and that a name above every name above whatever name upon earth A name better then of Sons and Daughters an everlasting name that shall not be cut off as the Lord promiseth his people Isai 56.5 As for the name of Sons and Daughters a name by issue continued it often faileth seldome lasteth to many generations But the name of Gods people is an everlasting name being a name written in heaven As for those names which are written in the earth which the names of worldlings are they are written in the dust and so shall perish But so shall not the names of Gods Saints which are written in heaven written in the book of life Having then assurance of such a name let not them be over ambitious of any other I but saith another Obj. I am not unwilling to dye but I would not dye yet And why not yet Why Being in the flower of age as yet I am in the flower of my age having lived but a little while upon earth so as to me death seemeth untimely A. A. Tâ—e case of our Saviour And was it not thus also with thy blessed Saviour was not he cut off in the flower of his age about the thirty third or thirty fourth year of his life And yet doth not he look upon his death as untimely now that the hour appointed by his Father was come Though thy time be not come yet if Gods be do not think it untimely I Obj. 5 But I might live to do God a great deal of service upon earth Desire of doing more service to God and upon that account I desire a longer date of daies And might not thy Saviour have done so too A. Yet when his Father calleth him from his work So might Christ have done he is not unwilling to leave off Repl Repl. I but he knew that his work was done I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do He knew that his work was finished saith he Joh. 17.4 And upon that account was he so willing to be gone But so cannot I say A. A. But this thou maiest say If God calleth thee hence So is ours when God calleth us from it the work which he hath given thee to do is finished though not the work which thou wouldest do to him And therefore be not averse to his call He who setteth thee to do his work knoweth how long it is fit for thee to be at it And if he cal thee off by that time thou hast wrought a few houres in his vineyard and giveth thee thy peny thou hast no cause to repine at it or be unwilling with it I Obj. 6 but saith another I know not how bitter how painfull The bitterness of Death my death may be As for death it self considering the miseries
of life and the gain that would come thereby I am not unwilling with it But the bitternesse of it which I fear deters me from imbracing it And was not thy Saviours such A. was not his Cup a bitter Cup Christs death a bitter death his death a painfull yea a shamefull and accursed death And this he knew that it would be And yet behold him not unwilling to drink it to submit to it But as for thee thou knowest not what thy death may be Happily it may be easie and gentle However The paines of death misapprehended not so bitter as thou apprehendest it Few there be but indure more and greater paines in their life then they shall do at their death Neither is it properly death it self which is so painfull but the forerunners of it But suppose it bitter yet shall this deter thee from the drinking of this Cup which is so profitable unto thee I Obj 7 but I know not what conflicts I may there meet with Fear of soul Conflicts in death I must expect that Satan will be then busie And was it not so with thy Saviour The prince of this world commeth Answ The Case of our Saviour saith he foretelling his death Joh. 14.30 What conflicts had he as in the Garden here so upon the Crosse And did not the powers of Hell then surround and assault him Now is your hour and the power of darknesse saith he to the Jewes Luke 22.53 Repl I Repl. but he had strength to grapple with this Enemy and to overcome him He had strength which others want but my strength is weaknesse A. Be it so A. yet is not his power made perfect in weaknesse as the Apostle telleth thee 2 Cor. He is able â—o strengthen others 12.9 He that was able to bear up himself in these conflicts is he not able to do the like for thee Thou being his one of his members his Spirit is thine in thee and with thee and will be ready to succour and strengthen thee in this combate Remember what Paul said of himself When all forsook me the Lord stood by me and strengthened me 2 Tim. 4.17 He that prayed for Peter hath done the like for thee that thy faith shall not fail I Obj. 8 But I want Assurance assurance of Gods love and favour to me Want of assurance of Gods Love and favour how then can I willingly submit to death Not being assured how it standeth with me in reference to my future state and condition Of all arguments I confess this is the strongest A. But stil was it not so also with thy blessed Saviour The case of our Saviour in the Garden and upon the Cross Did not he in his Passion as also before it lye under a spiritual desertion God his Father for a time hiding his face from him and seeming to have forsaken him Yet in obedience to him he submits to what his will was And the like do thou However it standeth with thee as to Assurance yet acting thy faith trusting in the mercies of God through the merits of this thy Saviour shew thy self obedient to the will of thy heavenly father even obedient to the death But in the mean time labour for Assurance Directions by way of practise Let that be the first of those directions by way of Practise which having met with those Anticonsiderations opposing the former Motives I shall now come to propound unto you In the first place Dir. 1 I say that we may not fear death Labour for Assurance but be willing to submit thereunto when God shall give this Cup to us labour for Assurance 1. Assurance First that God is our Father This it was which sweetned this bitter Cup to our blessed Saviour here That God is our Father by Regeneration and Adoption that it was given him by his Father The Cup which my Father hath given me And this it was which made him so willing to set upon this journey to walk through the valley of the shadow of death because he was to go to his Father as he tels his Apostles Joh. 14.12 and elswhere O let every of us labour to make sure to our selves this blessed Relation that God is our Father And that as before was said not only by Creation which he is to all his Creatures but by Regeneration and Adoption that he hath begotten us again unto a lively Hope which St. Peter saith all true believers are 1 Pet. 1.3 and that he hath Adopted us into the dignity of his Children Both which we may rest assured of when we find our selves made partakers of that divine nature of which St. Peter speakes 2 Pet. 1.4 transformed into the Image of God made like unto him in those divine qualities of Holinesse and Righteousnesse wherein as the Apostle telleth us his Image doth chiefly consist Eph. 4.24 And made partakers of that Spirit of Adoption whereof the same Apostle speaketh Rom. 8.15 Whereby we cry Abba Father Owning God for our Father and that not in word only but in deed and in truth As by making our addresses unto him upon all occasions flying to him as Children to their Father so by yielding unto him all such respects as are due to a Father loving him as a Father fearing him as a Father honouring him as a Father trusting in him and depending upon him as a Father and in all things obeying him as a Father Being thus affected towards him now may we lay claim to this Relation being assured that God is our Father Which whilest we are what is it that should make us afraid of death Which is but our Fathers Messenger sent by him to bring us into his presence So our blessed Saviour looked upon it who speaking of his death cals it as you heard a going to his Father And may we but once come so to look upon it that death is our Fathers Messenger Not a Serjeant to arrest us at the suit of an offended God and to bring us before him as a severe Judg to be sentenced by him and to receive according to our demerits Such is death to all wicked and ungodly men and so no wonder if the apprehension of it be terrible unto them as the Officer is to the guilty Malefactor But a messenger our Fathers messenger such as Joab was to Absalom 2 Sam. 14. to bring us to our Fathers house into his presence to see him and to be with him to all eternity this would make it not unwelcome to us Every of us then labour to make this sure to our selves that we have such an interest in God that he is our Father 2. To which end labour to make sure our interest in Christ That Christ is our Saviour that he is our Saviour never resting till we have got him in our armes This when Simeon had done in a literall sense then he cryeth out Now Lord lettest thou thy servant depart in
do to bring and keep our hearts in such a temper as that we may not be inordinately affected with any thing here below whether Crosses or Comforts Not but that a Christian may be affected with both He may both Weep and Rejoyce and that upon the account of temporal concernments But see that it be not in an inordinate manner And so may he buy and sell seek and indeavour to get an estate in the world to purchase and possess houses and lands But take we heed we do not make them our chief possession It is a good distinction which Augustine maketh use of betwixt Vti and Frui Vsing and injoying Which let all of us learn that so we may not be guilty of what he chargeth as a great impiety viz. Vti fruendis or frui utendis only to make use of what we ought to injoy or to injoy what we ought only to make use of As only to make use of heaven and heavenly things by thinking or speaking of them sometime which we ought to make our injoyment or to make the things of this world our injoyment which we ought only to make use of and that so using them as if we used them not Thus labour we so take of our hearts that they may sit loose to the world Which till a man do he will never be willing to leave it Surely this is it which maketh the men of this world so unwilling to hear of death much more to see it their hearts are glewed and fastned to the world to the profits or pleasures or honours of it Some thing or other there is to which they are wedded And no wonder then that this Apparatour Death which brings to them a Bil of divorce should be so unwelcome a messenger Get we our hearts then weaned and taken of from all these so as we may leave this world before it leaveth us leave it in Affection before we leave it in Person Which having done death will not be unwelcome Q. But how shall we get our hearts thus weaned from the world Q. How to get the heart weaned from the world A. Briefly 1. By a serious consideration of the vanity of it even all things upon earth The mutability uncertainty with the vacuity and emptinesse of them A. 1 Consider the vanity of earth how they are such things as a man can have to assurance of injoying them and whilest injoyed cannot afford any true contentment to the soul but oftimes breeding wormes in it cares and fears vexations and disquietments All which the wisest of men by his own experience found as he sets it forth at large in that his Book of Retractions Ecclesiastes 2. Consider the transcendency of those Riches The happinesse of heaven Honours and Pleasures which are to be found in that other world in Heaven Which being put into the ballance against these of this world doe infinitely outweigh them Those being as the Apostle calleth them Heb. 10.34 A better and an induring substance whereas these are only vain and vanishing shadows Look we rightly seriously and steadfastly upon the one our eies will be so dazled with the splendor and brightnesse of them that they will never after be much taken with the glimmering of the other 3. Have no unnecessary society or familiarity with the men of this world the worlds minions and Favourites men who mind nothing but earthly things But associate and acquaint our selves with such as are in their affections got above the earth and have learned to contemn and make light of all things in it 4. Single out the particulars which our hearts are most taken with and fastest linked to and make it our daily work to wean our soules from them But I hasten towards a conclusion Thus dye to the world daily And thirdly Dye daily as to the Death of nature Which do we Dye daily the death of nature 1. By inuring our selves to a quiet and patient bearing and suffering of lighter afflictions and Crosses Submitting to lesser Crosses which are as petty deaths Every of which is a kind of petty death all of them deaths retinue forerunners of it and making way for it Now inure we our selves to a quiet submission to the will of God in drinking of these lesser Cups in suffering of these lesser tryals with patience and holy contentation this will make us the more ready and willing to submit to this last stroak when it cometh to suffer death it self The new Cart in the Fable which never bare any burden before it made a noise at the first load whereas the old one having been accustomed thereunto was silent The soul which never inurd it self to bear the Crosse to suffer lighter Afflictions with patience in obedience to God will hardly be brought quietly to submit to his will in this last act It is good saith the Church for a man that he bare the yoke in his youth he sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath born it upon him Lam. 3.27 By being inured to the patient bearing of lighter afflictions he quietly submits to greater when they come and so to death it self 2. Seriously and frequently meditate of death And Secondly often acting this part with our selves in private before we come to do it upon the publike stage Dying daily by a frequent and serious meditation of death Setting it continually before our eyes often thinking of our latter end Which is a great piece of true Christian wisdome O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end saith the Lord of his people Israel Deut. 32.29 Consider that we must dye And here do not put far off from us this evil day Do not look upon death as they do who look through the Optick glass at the wrong end whereby things near at hand seem at a great distance from them Do not thus look upon death as a thing afar of but near hand A practise of great use as to other ends so to make death familiar and consepuently not so dreadful It is the forgetfulnesse of death saith one that maketh life sinful and death terrible And therefore as he had his deaths head every meal set upon his Table and the guize of mourners is to wear them in their rings so do we often set death before us frequently and seriously thinking of it And looking upon it as near hand so living every day as if it were our last day Continually standing upon our gard waiting all the dayes of our appointed time till our change shall come as Job saith he would doe Job 14.14 By this meanes having been made account of and looked for before it comes it will not be so terrible when it cometh Thus prepare for death by dying daily And then in the third place work while our day lasteth Dir. 3 Work whilest our day lasteth So did our blessed Saviour I must work the works of him that sent me while