is related by the Holy Ghost and both these were done for the greateâ— Honour of this Lady as Sarah Hebrew signifies who was a Type of the Gospel-Church Gal. 4.22 to 31. and she was the Wife of that greatest of Patriarchs who is called the Father of the Faithful and whose Bosom is the Synonymon with Mansions of Glory Rom. 4.16 Luke 16.22 Yet his mourning for her was moderate and not as without Hope 1 Thes 4.13 Her Death had not made any such divorce from him but there still remained a blessed conjunction betwixt them therefore he calls her his Dead eight several times over in Gen. 23.3 c. to shew he had not lost her nor lost his interest in her and that he had only lent her to the Lord he had only bid her good night in hope to see her Alive again in the Morning of the Resurrection she was only faln asleep in Jesus 1 Thes 4.13,14 the Union was not dissolved by Death As this consideration was comfortable to this Good Old Abraham so it was no less a comfort to that Good Prophet Ezekiel when the Lord took from him the Desire of his Eyes Ezek. 24.16 even that sweet Companion of his Life And this may likewise be the Comfort of all Godly Couples and of Friends also when God is pleased to make a separation one from another 't is only for a time and not for ever Our present meetings together in this World are joyned with some short parting 's asunder but our Hope in the Lord is we shall at last meet together again in a better World so as never to part asunder any more for then we shall be with the Lord for ever and for ever wherefore let us comfort one another with these words 1 Thes 4.17,18 Oh blessed Hour Oh thrice happy Union There is but a Sleep for a Time for a Night of Death only as by Sleep the Body is refreshed so by Death the Body is refined Let it be our care to cleave close to Christ at the instant of Death then shall we sleep in Jesus and he will be our Gain both in Life and Death Phil. 1.21,22,23 After this Night of Sleep comes the Day-Break of Eternal Brightness and after this Union here below cometh an Everlasting Communion in Heaven above Those Scripture Comforts should come home to our Hearts therefore ought we to comfort one another with them by Christian Communication and then may they afford us more strong Consolation than all the Comforts of Phylosophy of which Cicero said on his Death-Bed Nescio quo modo imbecillior Medicina quam Morbus est that is I know not how it comes that the Medicine is too weak for my Disease None can say so of those Sripture Cordials which the Lord doth ordinarily water with the Dews of his Divine Blessing The same Cordial did serve to satisfie Job likewise in the loss of his Children looking upon them not as lost but only lent to the Lord who had before but lent them unto him and had called his own only home to himself He still looked on them as his Dead as well as Living they were still his his Dead as Abraham's phrase was so oft of his Dead Wife after they were Dead and Buried How else could it be said that God gave to Job twice as much of every thing as he had before seeing he had but the same number of Children afterwards that he had before to wit Seven Sons and Three Daughters Job 42.10,13 He reckoned there remained still a blessed Union and Conjunction between him and them which was founded upon his hope of an Happy Resurrection In a word learn we to say our Godly Relations are not lost they are only gone before us and we are hastning after them they are only removed out of one Room into another out of the Out-houses and Kitchin of this World into the Presence-Chamber and Palace of Heaven They have changed their Place but not their Company as Good Dr. Preston said upon his Death-bed They are only gathered like Lillies Cant. 6.2 by the Hand of Christ who hath transplanted them into the Paradise of God Our Lord said to the penitent Thief this day thou shalt be with me in Paradice Luke 23.43 NB. Oh Matchless Love in our Dear Redeemer to speak thus lovingly to this poor Penitent while he was in horrible Torture himself upon the Cross and paying so unspeakably dear for Man's sin yet rejected he not this Malefactor's Petition ver 42. How much more may we now hope he will hear our Prayers and answer them with good words and comfortable Zech. 1.13 seeing the Debt is now all paid and the whole work of Redemption is now finished 3 dly Suppose the Third Natural Evil do come upon us to be as Lamps despised and a scorn to Young Scoundrils c. as Job complained before in our Old Age yet is there a blessed Remedy to this wretched Malady namely that pretious Promise commit thy way unto the Lord c. and he shall bring forth thy Righteousness in which way thou must still be found as the Light and thy Judgments as the Noon-day Psal 37.5,6 that is we must in the first place mind the Condition of this Promise to wit of rolling our selves upon the Lord as the Hebrew word signifies and depend wholly upon him both for safety and for success in all our undertakings Kimchi reads it Volue exonera unload thy self by casting thy Burden upon the Lord as David explains it Psal 55.22 that is ease thy Mind to God by Prayer and resign up thy All by Faith unto his care and conduct Trust also in him this is of the same import with Commit but repeated to take better impression and to beget more incouragement then whatsoever we commit to him he will bring it to pass in the general ver 5. Then follows the particular part of this Promise in the Second Place about Slanders ver 6. saying God will so oyl thy good Name which is as pretious Ointment Eccles 7.1 Prov. 15.30 and 22.1 that no defaming Infamy shall stick to it Dirt will stick upon a Mud-wall but it cannot do so upon Marble Suppose we be slandered without Cause as God tells Satan he slandered Job without Cause Job 2.3 with 1.9 and we lie under those Blacknings for a time but consider how the Earth lieth under Darkness all the Night long yet as the Morning by its sudden arising driveth away that Darkness so shall the Lord clear up our wronged Innocency and as the Moon wadeth from under a Cloud and from under an Eclipse by the interposition of the shadow of the Earth betwixt her and the Sun so shall we in God's time get over all our Evils of this kind or of any other if we still be found in the way of Righteousness God will clear up the innocency of his slandered Servants and bring it to light like the Sun at Noon-day but assuredly this will be done
Mercy that no deadly â—oison of Satan doth now harm us as our Lord did promise unto all Believers after his Resurrection Mark 16.17,18 Oh that all we Aged Ones could sincerely praise the Lord for this high Favour that 〈◊〉 now find by sweet experience we can better resist the Devil now so as to make him flee from us Jam. 4.7 We can now resist him more stedfastly in the Faith 1 Pet. 5.8,9 than we were able to do in our youthful days and tho' we be able through Grace to say this yet out of an Holy Jealousie over our own Hearts we must still make a farther enquiry what is the principal procuring Cause of such an happy and easie Conquest over our own Corruptions and Satan's Temptations now in our Old Age whether we be not more beholden herein unto the decays of our own Natures in us than to any strength of God's Grace freely given to us because we may die to sin by the deficiency of our natural strength of Body when sin doth not die to us through those powerful Operations of the mortifying Spirit of Grace Rom. 8.13 but more of this after c. Now come we to the Second Reason why a Good Old Age is a great blessing because the goodness of it is not only a blessed Antidote and Preservative against those threfold Evils before-named but also it is a blessed Preparative for Death at the end of our Old Age and of our Lives This preparation for Death is not only an universal but also an indispensable Duty for after death comes the Judgment Heb. 9.27 then is the time of Reckoning which our Lord Requires after his Returning however long or short it be wherein all Mankind both the good and the bad Servants must Reddere Rationem or give an exact account of their Stewardship whether they have wasted or improved their Lord and Master's Goods Matth. 25.14,19 Luke 16.1,2 and 19.15 c. as I shew at large in my Fourth Volume of the History and Mystery of that Parable pag. 185 186. Now every Man's Death-day is his particular Dooms-day for then the Spirit returns to God who gave it Eccles 12.7 when the Body returns to Dust of which it was first made Gen. 2.7 by rotting in the Grave c. Then the Soul goeth to God not to dwell with him for there the Speech is made of all Men both bad and good but to be disposed of by him for his Final Estate then is the Soul or Spirit as being there opposed to the Body to receive its Final Doom either for Everlasting Weal or for Everlasting Wo. Therefore to prepare for Death is a most necessary tho' it be a much neglected Duty Now such as be good in Old Age their goodness consists in being alway prepared for it both Habitually and Actually they learn to die daily 1 Cor. 15.31 and makes Death familiar to them both at Bed and Board Their Conversation is in Heaven while their Commoration is here on Earth Phil. 3.20 They labour and learn to live with dying Thoughâ—s because they hope at last to die with more living comforts They have Heaven as an happy Harbour of Rest in the Eyes of their Hope which serves to season and sweeten all Sorrows and Sufferings to them as it was with blessed Paul who had his Eye fixed upon that Crown of Glory which was laid up for him and for all Believers 2 Tim. 4.8 and therefore he was not at all discouraged at his light Afflictions which were but for a moment in comparison of that exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.17 where we have a most elegant Antithesis or opposition and a double Hyperbole beyond the reach of our English Translation As thus 1. For Affliction here is Glory 2. For light Affliction here is a weight of Glory And 3. For momentary Affliction here is Eternal Glory and the sight of this by an Eye of Faith put Paul upon his Cupio Dissolvi I desire to be dissolved Phil. 1.21,22,23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifies to loose off from the shore of this Mortal Life and to launch out into the Ocean of Immortality which he accounted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is far far better and best of all Thus this preparation for Death had caused Old Simeon before this Apostle even to sing his Soul out of his Body as before This likewise made that Good Old Man Job to say I would not live always Job 7.16 for he hoped to behold his Redeemer c. Job 19.25 Thus may we accordingly say we would not be Young always because we have been so hampered and pester'd with many youthful Lusts which now through Grace a Good Old Age hath weakened An Hoary Head that is found in the way of Righteousness doth ripen fast like good Fruit upon the Tree of Life in its Autumn and becomes day by day more mellow for Death and hath nothing thâ—n to do but to die being able through Mercy to say with his sweet Saviour Father I have finished my work which theâ—… gavest me to do in the World John 17.5 Oh how ready was David how willing and how prepared to die and to fall asleep in Jesus 1 Thes 4.14 when he could say his Conscience bearing witness with him in the Holy Ghost as Rom. 9.1 that he had served out his Generation in his whole Generation-work according to the will of God Acts 13.36 The Third Reason why a Good Old Age is a most rich Blessing and Benefit to the Sons and Daughters of Mankind is because it doth priviledge them with a true Title unto Mansions of Glory prepared for them in a better World Such as have continued in ways of Holiness all their Life and become faithful unto death Rev. 2.10 they shall assuredly at the last arrive at the Haven of Heaven and Happiness when they die for God himself hath assured us and God Keeps the best and surest Ensuring Office that having our Fruit unto Holiness then our end shall be Eternal Life Rom. 6.22,23 for then comes first the Joy of Harvest as when fruitful Fields are white unto Harvest John 4.35 then comes the Husbandman with his Sithe or Sickle and cuts down his Corn binds it up in Bundles and carries it Home to his Barn c. even so God the great Husbandman as Christ calls him John 15.1 when he sees his old Servants as it were white unto Harvest with Hoary Heads and fully ripened in the way of Righteousness then doth he take them down by the hand of Death and gathers them Home into his heavenly Garners Our Lord doth certifie this great Truth to us over and over again saying that Heaven is surely secured for us and we are likewise safely secured for Heaven by the mighty Power of God the word there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth we are kept as with a Guard and in a Garrison and that at the last we shall receive the end of our Faith even the
Metaphor is Tsaba warfare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. Job 4.1 because man's life is exposed to Pirates as before Now if our life be a warfare 't is well known how Soldiers have their time of fighting and their time of resting according to the Commands of their Captain General They must obey his Order for both falling on and for falling back as he pleaseth stat pro Ratione Voluntas his Will is a Law to them And thus every good Soldier of Jesus Christ as Timothy is called 2 Tim. 2.3 must be willing either to Act or to Rest according to the Commands of the Captain of our Salvation as Christ is called Heb. 2.10 whether private Christian or publick Minister we must all resign up our Wills into his Will as we read in Ecclesiastick History of a famous Minister called Martinus who being by the Lord seized upon with Sickness 't is recorded how he prayed Decumbens dico Domine si adhuc populo tuo sim necessarius laborem tuum non recuso c. that is Lord serve thy self of me for thy Service is sweet to me if thou hast no more Service to command me then O Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit c. This was piously spoken yet Old Simeon as we read Luke 2.29,30 spake better saying Lord now let thou thy Servant depart in peace Now this good Old Man having laid in his Heart what he lapt in his Arms the most blessed Armful that he ever met with even the Beautiful Babe of Bethlehâ—m he then sung the nunc Dimittas so called even his Soul out of his Body saying I fear no Sin I dread no Death I have lived enough I have my Life I have long'd enough I have my Love I have seen enough I have my Light I have served enough I have my satisfaction I have sorrowed enough I have my consolation even the consolation of Israel whom I and other Believers have long waited for ver 25. even the Messiah that Menachem or Comforter mentioned Lam. 1 16. and yet singing farther Oh sweet Babe let this Psalm serve for a Lullaby to thee and for a Funeral for me Oh sleep in my Arms and let me sleep in thy Peace All this sweet Song Simeon concludes with the procuring cause of his Sacred Musick saying for mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation This was his great satisfaction that he had accomplished his Service to his Most Honourable Lord and Master who had employ'd him all his Life in most Honourable Work and who he was assured was going to pay him most Honourable Wages seeing he had got his Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his Heart as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his Hand as 't is said of the Blessed Virgin who therefore is said to rejoice Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 danced a Gallyard and to magnifie the Lord her Saviour as well as ours Luke 1.47 But far above those two Instances aforesaid to wit Ancient Martinus and the good Old Man Simeon our sinless Saviour saith best of all concerning himself in his last Prayer before his Death saying Mine Hour is now come O Father Glorifie thy Son c. I have Glorified thee on Earth I have finished the Work thou gavest me to do and now O Father Glorifie me with thy Self that is my Manhood with the same Glory which my Godhead had before the World was made John 17.1,4,5 c. Our Lord did not did not ask his Wages before his Work was done his Time was now come and he was now Ripe and Ready to be gone into his Fathers Kingdom This holy practice of our precious Redeemer is left upon Record on purpose for our instruction and comfort Rom. 15.4 that it may be a Pattern to avoid that precipitancy which prevailed over those two famous Prophets men of God Elijah and Jonah who both of them in a strong Pang of Passion desired to Die before their Hour of Dying was come and therefore are we told that these great Servants of God were subject to the like Passions as we are Acts 14.15 Jam. 5.17 It is a sinful desire for any who would be gone to Heaven before their Work be done on Earth we must rather say O Father if thou hast any further Service for me to do I am willing to live longer c. the Will of the Lord be done Acts 21.14 Having thus far discoursed upon the first Accident of Old Age after its Nature namely the Quantity or Measure of it which we have observed to be Uncertain and Various either long or short according to the Statute-law of the great Law-giver the Lord of Lords c. who hath appointed all men once to die c. Heb. 9.27 even Methusalem who was the longest liver upon Scripture-record and who came the nearest to be a Thousand Years Old which is reckoned a number of perfection never attained to by any mere man Tho' he lived many Hundred Years even near to a Thousand and begat Sons and Daughters yet he died at the last see my first Volume of the History and Mystery of the Holy Scriptures of Him at large Now I come to the Second Accident of Old Age to wit the Quality or Manner of it which is either Good or Evil. Concerning the first How it is a good Old Age in its own Nature and by God's blessing upon it I have already demonstrated in the foregoing Discourse and I do design to enlarge much more upon that Point when I arrive at the Third Part after its Nature and Accidents to declare the Dues to and the Duties of Aged Ones whereby Old Age may become good indeed Now as touching the latter of these two That Old Age is an Evil Age that Senium Malum convertuntur These two are convertible Terms Solomon the Wise doth sufficiently evince and evidence in his saying Oh Young Ones remember your Creator before Evil Days come and the Years draw nigh wherein you shall say I have no pleasure in them Eccles 12.1 Wherein he begins to describe First The wearisom evils of Old Age from the latter end of ver 1. to the last end of ver 6. Then Secondly Of the evils of Death ver 7. both which he brings in as two strong motives to urge Young ones to be mindful of their Duty For First in the General All Authors both those that be Civil as well as those that be Sacred do unanimously concur in this point That Old Age and Misery are very seldom found separated As 1. Plutarch saith Senectus ut Africa semper aliquid Novi adportat as Affrica is never without some Monster so Old Age is never without some Ailment 2 Cato saith Solet Senectus esse Deformis Infirma Obliviosa Edulenta Lucrosa Indocilis Molesta that is Old Age useth to be Deformed Feeble Forgetful Toothless Covetous Unteachable and Unquiet 3. Horace saith Multa Senem circumveniunt Incommoda Many are the Inconveniencies that do encompass Old Persons
namely of much smartings burning pains and sorrows if that Sting be not timely dâ—awn out by the Grâ—ce of true Repentance The Lord himselâ— pâ—…ed that Stinging Sermon unto Cain Iâ— thou dost well shalt thou not be accepâ—…d but if thou dost evil then sin lies at thy 〈◊〉 that is like a mighty Mastiff-Dâ—g whâ—ch lies sleeping at the Door and if once awakened he is there ready to pull out the Throat of the Soul Gen. 4.7 And Moses tells the People agreeable to this caution of the great God to Cain and surely your sin will find you out Numb 32.23 that is the Guilt of sin will haâ—… you at your Heels like a Blood-Hound and the punishment of it will ovâ—…ke you c. Yet such as do surely â—…nd â—t their sin by an unfeigned Repenâ—…ce before their sin thus fearfully find 〈◊〉 â—hem even all such as câ—nfesseth and â—…keth their sin shall fiâ—d 〈◊〉 Proâ— 28.13 Then if Death at 〈…〉 â—orth â—y Sting at us ' tiâ— no mâ—re harmâ—ul than an enchanâ—…d Stiâ—gâ— like those Serpents which th◠〈…〉 raised up by their Enâ—…ments Exod. â— 12 they were 〈◊〉 really Serpents but in appearanâ—… only and â—o thâ—ir Stings were like themselves more Phâ—…ms which could not 〈◊〉 sting any one true Israelite and as 〈◊〉 Mâ—…k-Serpents were swallowed up by Moses his real one even so Christ who is Life Essential hath swallowed up Death in Victory as before So that now through the Grace of Christ tho' Death may buzz about our Ears like a Drone-Bee that hath lost its Sting yet it cannot sting us with any mortal Sting for that is quite lost in the death of Christ for all his Redeemed as Christ hath taken away not sin it self but the Guilt of sin So nor hath he taken away Death it self but the Sting of it Thus Augustine doth phrase this double Purchase of Christ for us both in respect of Sin and in respect of Death saying Christus tollit Peccatum Mortem nonne sint sed ne obsint our Lord indeed doth take away both Sin and Death from us yet not that they should not be at all but that they should not be hurtful to those for whom he died And 't is for this glorious Priviledge that the Apostle Paul as one of Christ's chief Heraulds proclaimeth openly to the World and that with a world of Solemnity and Triumph his own Victory over Death by his dear Redeemer 1 Cor. 15.57 and therefore exhorts us to be always stedfast and unmoveable and always abounding in the work of the Lord well-knowing that our Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord ver 58. The same Apostle saith with such a firm Faith which both took Root downward and brought forth Fruit upward that for him to live was Christ and to die was gain and he longed to be dissolved Phil. 1.21,22,23 5 thly 'T is his returning Home to his Father's House c. because death to a Good Man is the day-break of an eternal Brightness 't is as the Vally of Achor as a Door of Hope into the celestial Canaan Josh 7.24,27 and 15.7 Hos 2.15 even into that Heavenly Country unto which the Holy Patriarchs so earnestly pressed to enter Heb. 11.13,14,15 and as it were hastened Home thither where their Father was and their All also Hereupon for them to die was no more but repaterasse as Father Bernard phraseth it that is to go Home again to their Father's House whither when they come they are assured of a most hearty and of a most happy welcome The Parable of the penitent Prodigal and his compassionate Father's meeting together at Home with Feasting and exceeding great Joy Luke 15.20,23,24 doth illustrate this The Prodigal only came but the Father ran and fell upon his Neck and kissed him and killed the fatted Calf for him and put the best Robe upon him c. to make him welcome yet all this was but a dim shadow of that exceeding excessive and eternal meeting of our Heavenly Father with his dear Children to whom Christ most lovingly speaketh Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Matth. 25.34 Oh the infinite Bowels of a Father yerning over his Adopted Sons and Daughters as if he had thus said Where have you been my dear Darlings all this time of my long absence from you and of yours from me come nâ—w and heartily welcome come now into my Bosom which is now wide open to receive you as the welcomest Guests that oâ—er accosted me ye shall lie warm in my Bosom to all Eternity c. and with Crowns of Glory upon your Heads ye shall sing Hallelujahs unto the Lord for ever and ever NB. Note well To know this upon a dying Bed câ—nnot but be a Rich Cordial to know that death is only Perta Coeli Janua Viâ—… the Postâ—rn Gate to the Heavenly City and the Narrow Door to Everlasting Life that it is our restoration into a better Paradise than that was out of which the first Adam was banished at first by his sinning but this Heavenly Paradise The Second Adam purchased for us by his suffering that death doth now by the purchase of Christ bring to us both Malorum omium Ademptionem Bonâ—rum omnium Adentionem that is the râ—moving of all that is evil and the receiving of all that is good This consideration brought Paul out of his Sâ—râ—it when he had been musing and â—…hting and knew not what he should châ—ose â—…ether Life or Death at last he 〈◊〉 â—orth into this resolve 〈…〉 I desire to be dissâ—lved and to return 〈◊〉 to my Father's House from whom I expect to hear Well done thâ—… good and faithful Servant enter 〈◊〉 into the Joy of thy Lord Matth. 24.21,23 which is a Joy so big so great that it cannâ—… enter into us Quicquid Recipitur recipitur ad Modum Recipientis saith the â—…losopher the Vessel receiving m◠〈…〉 Measure congruous to and c◠〈…〉 the Matter received Now 〈…〉 ouâ— Vessâ—ls are not large en◠〈…〉 Joy to enter into us th◠〈…〉 that we must enter int◠〈…〉 it is such a Joy as is more m◠〈…〉 Lord and Master than for 〈…〉 yet such a liberal Lord do w◠〈…〉 as will honour his Servants with 〈◊〉 matchless Joy We serve a most Honoâ—rable Master who employs us in most Honourable Work and will at last pay us with most Honourable Wages Unto all this aforesaid let me add the Christian's Charter as another pretious Cordial unto a dying Saint namely the large Inventory which the blessed Apostle distinctly describeth that belongeth to every true Believer saying all things are yours whether the World and so you lose nothing when you leave the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's 1 Cor. 3.21,22,23 that is the World is theirs tho' not in possession yet by way of Reduction ye shall
Burden but entertain it chearfully with God-praising hearts 'T is true tho' Old Age be a rich Blessing of God in it self as is largely demonstrated before and yet is called an Evil Age for Reasons afore-named Notwithstanding God hath not left it comfortless as 't is said John 14.18 But the Spirit who is the Comforter hath left upon Scripture-Record so many Cordials as are truly Soveraign against all the Evils that attend it insomuch as Old Age may be an easie Age a calm and quiet Harbour if Youth hath done it no disservice in filling its bones with the sins of Youth before-hand and if Intemperance which is like the Thief in the Candle wasting it away hath not weakned its Head or Feet c. In this case Old Age hath cause to complain of the evil of the Man and not the Man to murmure at the Evils of Old Age. Thus Old Job oft complains of the Misery of his Old Age saying Lord thou changest our Countenances and sendest us away Job 14.20 and many myriads of such Sighs too long to relate do ever and anon issue out of his Mouth And he himself tells us the ground of all his grief was that God made him to possess the sins of his Youth Job 13.26 therefore says he thou writest bitter things against me c. Thus likewise Old David complained I am become like a Bottle in the Smoak Psal 119.83 and much more in many other Psalms c. which drove him to groan out that Petition Lord remember not against me the Transgressions of my Youth for thy tender Mercies have been of old c. Psal 25.6,7 Both those Instances were Holy Persons who after those and many more such Complaints were both of them comforted by the God of all Comforts 2 Cor. 1.3 and had their Old Age marvelously sweetned to them and had their best Wine at the last both those Good Men had remembred their Creator in the days of their Youth Eccles 12.1 and tho' their Youth-Time had been a very rough Voyage through a surging stormy Sea yet their last Years were their best Years as it was to Good Old Jacob who after a long Life of manifold Miseries did enjoy seventeen Years of sweet Tranquility and Comfort c. But alas this Mercy can never be expected by those who never had God neither in their Heads Psal 10.4 nor in their Hearts Psal 14.1 nor in their Words Psal 12.4 no nor in their Works Tit. 1.16 and such as drive a Through-Trade all their Lives in Weaving the Web of Wickedness having been twice dipped in the Devils Dye-Tub as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Scarlet Sins doth sigâ—ie namely in the Wool of their Youth and in the Web of their Elder Years those can never expect any comfort in Old Age. Pliny tells us Serpens Serpentem devorans fit Draco as that Serpent which commonly devoureth other Serpents becomes to be a Dragon at last So a long swallower of many Sins becomes at the length a most Monstrous Sinner c. that Old and true saying that if Persons prove not Fair at twenty Strong at thirty Wise at forto Rich at fifty and Religious at sixty Years of Age such will never prove either Fair or Strong or Wise or Wealthy or Holy Ones all the days of their Lives This ancient Adage holds a most apt congruity with that saying of Solomon such as seek me early shall find me Prov. 8.17 Whereas the Habitual Sinner to whom God hath given the Space of Repentance many times but never the Grace of it Rev. 2.21,23 leads the Life of sin Thoughts beget Delight Delight begets Consent Consent begets Action Action begets Custom and lastly Custom begets Necessity so that he brings himself under a Law of an unavoidable Sinning against his maker and as David tells Saul wickedness proceedeth from the wicked as naturally as Water from the Fountain 1 Sam. 24.13 Satan is not satisfied to have Men Sinners only but he will have them also to abound in sin and to be like the Crocodile that grows while it lives in growing greater and grosser Sinners to the end of their Lives Alas this is but the laying of a bad and not a good foundation for the time to come As we are commanded to lay up a better store against Old Age and Death and to lay hold on Eternal Life 1 Tim. 6.19 NB. Note well Our Lord tells Peter what Miseries he should meet withal when he came to be Old John 21.18 He had the manner of his Death foretold him that he should glorifie God by Martyrdom ver 19. and observe what an holy Improvement he made of this Precaution he had made his Solemn Appeal to an All-knowing Lord saying thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee ver 17. and to testifie his Love to his Lord in feeding his Lambs he wrote those two famous Epistles General to the Churches of Christ and in the latter of them he saith I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance c. Yea I think it meet while I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up c. knowing that shortly I must put off this Tabernacle even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me 2 Pet. 1.12,13,14,15 He knew that his Tent or Tabernacle must soon be taken down his Earthly House as Paul who was a Tent-maker calls the Body a Tent 2 Cor. 5.1 So both these two great Apostles did truly and duly endeavour to magnifie and to glorifie Christ both in Life and at Death John 21.19 and Phil. 1.20 Thus both Peter the Elder and Paul the Aged as they stile themselves 1 Pet. 5.1 and Phil. ver 9. were well in-laid and fortified before-hand to undergo the Evils that attended them both in their Old Age c. May we but get Hearts to own God while we are Young then God will not forget us but own us when Old and as our days are so shall our strength be Deut. 33.25 Now more particularly the Comforts against the Evils of Old Age are First That then the Law of our Members cannot so easily lead us into captivity unto sin Rom. 7.23 as formerly in the Heat and Vanity of our Youth Indeed the Witty Fable runs thus Cupid that Pagan God of Love and Mors that is Death happened to meet together and to lodge all Night both of them in one and the same Inn but in the Morning they chanced to mistake each others Quivers filled with Darts Hereupon Cupid after this shot the frozen Darts of Death at many Young People in their briskest time of their Loving and Lusting whereby many Young Gallants and Tempting Ladies were brought unto an untimely Death c. But on the contrary Mors did shoot the Fiery Darts of Cupid at the Aged Persons who in the Course of Nature were hastening to the Grave and hereby arose that wantonness of Old People for Marriage c. by which means it may be said as
A Divine Legacy Bequeathed unto all MANKIND OF ALL Ranks Ages and Sexes Directing How we may live Holily in the Fear of God and how we may die happily in the Favour of God both which Duties are of Universal Concern The Rules here are how to be Truly Valourous in warring a good Warfare and in fighting the the good Fight of Faith while we Live and to be Blessedly Victorious when we Die By Christopher Ness Minister of the Gospel in London Exitus Acta probat Finis Coronat Opus saith the Philosopher Our Last Works should be our Best Works saith our Lord Rev. 2.19 London Printed by T. S. and sold by T. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside and J. Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-yard 1700. The Epistle to the Reader Candid Christian I Have been now through the Grace and Mercy of my good God a Labourer in my Lord's Harvest and a Vine-dresser in my Master's Vineyard almost Threescore Years wanting but a very little of it and in the space of those last Twenty Years I have through the good hand of my God upon me as Ezra's phrase is Chap. 7.6,9 been enabled to publish to the World this following Catalogue of Books little and great As 1. The Crown and Glory of a Christian in the Year 76. 2. A Christian Walk and Work on Earth till he come to Heaven in the Year 77. 3. The Chrystal Mirror or Christian's Looking-Glass shewing the Treachery of the Heart in the Year 78. 4. An Antidote against the Poison of Popery in the Year 78 79. 5. A Discovery of Antichrist in his Rise Reign and Ruine in the Year 79. 6. The Devil's Patriarch in the Life of Pope Innocent XI in the Year 80. 7. A Spiritual Legacy to Young Ones in the Year 81. 8. A Church-History from Adam to this Day and a Scripture-Prophecy to the End of the World in the Year 81 82. 9. A New-Years Gift for Children in the Year 83. 10. The Wonderful Signs of Wonderful Times in the Year 84. 11. An Half Sheet upon the Comet or Blazing-Star 12. Three Sheets inlarged upon the same Subject 13. A Whip for the Fools Back who did Ridicule God's Holy Ordinance of Marriage c. 14. A Key with the Whip unsolding the Intreagues of Absalom and Achitophel both these latter are writ in Satyrical Verse 15. Advice to the Painter about the Earl of Shaftsbury's enlargement from the Tower in smoother Verse 16. An Astrological and Theological Discourse upon the great Conjunction ushered in with a great Comet c. 17. A Strange and Wonderful Trinity or Triplicity of Stupendious Prodigies namely consisting of a Wonderful Eclipse of a Wonderful Comet and of a Wonderful Conjunction all these without Date were written between the Year 82 and 89. 18. My First Volume in Folio called a Compleat History and Mystery of the Old and New-Testament both Logically discussed and Theologically improved beginning at Adam and ending at Moses 19. The Second Volume in Folio having the same Title with the first begins with Joshuah and ends at Solomon's Birth 20. The Third Volume in Folio with the same Title begins at Solomon's Life and ends at the end of the Old-Testament 21. The Fourth Volume in Folio with the same Title begins at the Birth of Christ and ends at the Death of John the Divine which is an Exposition of the whole New-Testamen All these Four Volumes are now commended to the World by Three of our Learned and Judicious Divines namely Mr. Matthew Barker M. George Griffith and Mr. Samuel Slater which Testimonial is printed at the bottom of the Dedicatory Epistle to the Fourth Volume under their own Three Hands Tria sunt omnia instar omnium c. this Work hath taken me wholly up from the Year 89 to this Year 99. And now 22. This Divine Legacy which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multum in parvo much in a little Isocrates wrote his best Book the last and Plato died at 81 with his Pen in his Hand and Demosthenes desired to do so c. Yet have we better Examples than those Philosophers for Joshuah when he was going the way of all the Earth and stricken in years Josh 23.2 and 14. did then give most grave and godly Counsel to the Old-Testament Church Chap. 23. and 24. And Paul the Aged wrote the more effectually to young Philemon under that Title of Veneration Philem. ver 9. And the Beloved Disciple John who while Young leaned upon his Lord's Bosom Joh. 13.23,25 did under the Venerable Name of Elder 2 Joh. 1. and 3 Joh. 1. write his first General Epistle to Children Young Men and Fathers in the New Testament 1 Joh. 2.12,13,14 but above all God himself thunders out threatnings against Children Young Men and Aged Jer. 6.11,12,13 In congruity to those perfect Patterns I an Old Servant of Christ have drawn up this Directory talis qualis est to all Ages especially to us that are Old adding only 1. That Old Age is a dead weight 'T is then a difficult Duty to turn unto God when we have been turning and running from him all our former Days No Spur can move a Founder'd Horse and Hard Wax takes no impression When the Body is weak and Presumption is strong to say God is merciful is said truly but not safely Therefore 2 All must be careful to live well while Young and then shall we die well whether Young or Old 3. When we have seen an end of all worldly Perfections then may we best see that God's Commands are exceeding broad and all our Obedience to be exceeding narrow Psal 119.96 The Good Lord grant that this Legacy may come to you in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ Rom. 15.29 Amen THE CONTENTS OF THIS Divine Legacy CHAP. I. COntains faln Man's Malady and Danger pag. 1. to 42. CHAP. II. Faln Mam's Remedy and Deliverer p. 43 to 63. CHAP. III. The Redeemed are Conquerors by their Strong Redemer p. 54 120. CHAP. IV. Advice to Young and Old to war a good Warfare in God's Armour and Watching unto Prayer p. 130 to 177. CHAP. V. The Characters of True Conquerors through the strength of Christ p. 177 to 232. CHAP. VI. Advice to the Aged for saving the Soul p. 232 to 319. CHAP. VII The Holy Means for making Old Age to become a Good Age p. 320 to 357. CHAP. VIII Contains both Counsel and Comfort 1. Against the Evils of Old Age. 2. Against the Fears of the Hour of Death And 3. Against the Terrors of the Day of Judgment p. 358 to the last CHAP. I. Man's Malady and Danger MAN's Life is a Warfare Job 7.1 Margin which the Septuagint reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie a place of Pirates as Paul was in perils often both by Sea and Land 2 Cor. 11.26 so are we all while in this lower World for Satan is both a Robber by Land that seeks not for Straw but
be demonstrated from Scripture the first man defiled Nature and ever since Nature hath defiled every man his whole Frame is out of frame whole evil is in man and whole man is in evil As in Noah's Flood not any one part of the Earth could be seen dry So nor any one part of man can be found that is not infected with this Original Pollution and the chief cause of all our Actual Sins is charged not upon Satan but upon this Evil Concupiscence that is inbred in us Jam. 1.15 The Tempter might strike Fire long enough in vain if we did not find him dry Tinder for his Sparks to fall upon We cannot say as our sinless Lord said the Prince of this World cometh and finds nothing in me that is to favour his Temptation Joh. 14.30 But alas when he comes to tempt us he finds a Treacherous Party within this Birth-sin of ours which betrays us oftentimes into his hands as hath hapned unto some Cities besieged whose Gates have been opened by some Traiterous Citizens within for a free entrance of the Enemy that were besieging it round about Hence is it that all men are said in Holy Scripture to be dead in sin Ephes 2.1 and Bondslaves to Satan Heb. 2.15 and subject to all Calamities of this Life under the Curse of God Gal. 3.10 Yea and good men even the best of men are but men at the best for Original Sin in them is stronger than their Grace for if God should leave us with our stock of Grace that he hath graciously given us and let us be alone but a while in the hands of our own Counsels this sin of our Nature would easily swallow up our stock of Grace wo to us when God departs from us Hos 9.12 The Reason is because Grace given to us is like the putting of Hot Water into that which is Cold Tho' this will warm it for the present yet the Water will reduce it self into its own natural temper of Coldness unless Fire be kept continually under it Take another Example as a River would run caeterâ—…s paribus the nighest way to the Seaâ— which is the Receptacle of all Rivers were it let alone to its own tendency by nature but we see the various situation of the Earth in some places higher than others and by the Art and Industry of Man the most Rapid River is madd to run in crooked Streams in and out to break its forcible passage even so this Original Sin would drive all persons the nighest way to Hell were it not that it meets with not only the several Tempers and Dispositions of Nature in the Sons and Daughters of Mankind which makes it work variously according to their various Constitutions as David saith I have kept my self from my iniquity Psal 18.23 that is from my Constitution sin c. but also and that more especially through the over-ruling Power of God and that by two ways 1. Either by giving Restraining Grace even to Pagans as he did to that Pagan King Abimelech Gen. 20.6 whereby God kept him at a modest distance from medling with Sarah Abraham's wife which otherwise he would have undoubtedly defiled seeing so many Kings tho' called Christian make it their too common practice or 2. By giving Renewing Grace even to his own chosen and called ones whereby he changeth their Natures so that one of the Antient Fathers tells this Story of a Young Man who had been for some time intangled with an Harlot and meeting with some Remorse of Conscience he withdrew from her upom some occasions he had in another Country and after a â—ittle time returning home this impudent Whore meets him takes hold of him and said to him Ego sum Ego I am the same Woman I was when you left me at which he smartly replied to her sed ego non sum ego but I am not the same Man I was through the Grace of God whereby he said with David The Snare is broken and my Soul is delivered Psa 124.7 therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are past away behold all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.17 VVhere Christ comes he saith Behold I make all things new Rev. 21.5 both all the Members of the Body and all the Faculties of the Soul These all were formerly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weapons of wickedness unto sin but now become weapons of Righteousness unto Holiness Rom. 6.13,17,18,19 so that Christ makes new understandings new wills new memories new consciences c. in the inner man yea and new tongues hands and feet c. to talk walk and work for God in the outward man ☞ Let this likewise be well weighed how this Original pollution of the faln Nature is like the first Confused Chaos at the Creation of the World which had the seeds of all several kinds of Creatures in it and that prolifick Vertue continues unto this day even so in Original Sin lays the Spawn of all several kinds of sins which lasteth all our lives until death destroy this body of Death at the last as the other will last while the World lasteth So This fretting Leprosie of sin is typically described in the Law of that Plague Levit. 14.41.43,44,45 The house which hath that Contagion all the scraping of the Walls within it will not cleanse it until the house it self with the Stones and Timber of it be broken down yea and it begins betimes as well as it lasts long This sour Leaven doth leaven the whole lump with its sowrness and spreads it self over all the Ages of Man as Infancy Childhood Youth and old Age. 1. Infancy Austin's story Vidi Zelantem parvulum I my self saw a little one rise up in Rage against his fellow-suckling for beguiling him of his Mothers Milk from whence that Antient Father proves and confesses that sin began betimes both in himself and in others 2. Childhood there is much folly bound up in the heart of a Child Prov. 22. v. 15. as fardles or packs are bound upon the Carriers Horses back and these bonds of Iniquity keeps him fast in the gall of bitterness Acts 8.23 so makes not only Childhood but also 3. Youth to be not only Vanity but likewise often abounds with Villany Eccles 11.9,10 with 12.1 where the Preacher presseth upon Youth to indulge themselves in their youthful lusts if they dare do so adding a stinging But which marrs the Yonkers mirth God will judge thee for all thy Tricks of youth account them not Trifles which both Job and David so bitterly bewailed Job 13.26 and Psal 25.7 Therefore he exhorts such to remember their Creators at that time as Psal 119.9 before 4 ly Old Age come which is an Evil Age both for sin and misery But more plainly this Truth of Man's Malady and Danger is held forth in that Text The strong Man armed c. which declares Man's Malady and Danger Luke 11.21 where Satan is described 1. By his
thee by little and little and not all at once c. Deut. 7.22 and the Lord did order and over-rule it there for Israels good Thus it is in our Spiritual Warfare tho' God's promise is to tread down Satan under our Feet shortly Rom. 16.20 yet God will not make his promises good too soon It was for their own good as in that fore-named Scripture lest the Beasts of the Field increase upon thee for he is a God of Judgment and waiteth to give us his Mercies when they may do us most good and therefore blessed are they that wait for him Isa 30.18 He gives his Mercy in the best Season tho' not so soon as we do desire we long to conquer our Corruptions those cursed Canaanites in one day which our Lord hath ordered and ordained to be the work of our whole Lives our Corruptions as the Canaanites are left yet unsubdued only to prove us in our owning God c. Judg. 2.21,22 and Judg. 3.4 This mortifying of sin as well as fortifying of grace is pensum Diurnum Perpeâ—uum both a daily and a perpetual Task God will keep a Tedder at our Foot to keep us humble Paul must have a Thorn in the Flesh a Messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure with his late Rapture into Paradise 2 Cor. 12.2,3,4,7 There will be work enough for the exercise of Grace till it be turned into Glory Notwithstanding the Canaanites with their Iron Chariots were so strong that Israel could not drive them out Josh 17.16 yet the faithful God as he is called Deut. 7.9 and who will not be slack ver 10. did promise that they should drive them out tho' they had Iron Chariots and tho' they were strong Josh 17.18 the Lord of Hosts was too mighty for them Thus we complain concerning our Corruptions that they fall not fast enough by mortifying Grace but we must know for our Comfort our Faithful God will not be slack as before for killing our cursed Canaanites He indeed may seem to be slow in our thoughts yet he is never slack but will be ever sure he will not suffer his faithfulness to fail nor alter the thing that is gone out of his Lips Psal 89.33 what he speaks with his Mouth he fulfils with his Hand 1 Kings 8.24 he will do what he hath said 2 Sam. 7.25 whether ancient promises Tit. 1.1,2 which never failed in any Age no nor his Menaces neither Zeph. 3.5 nor will he fail in this of treading Satan under our Feet shortly Prov. 16.20 In the mean time let us enquire Do we gain ground of our Spiritual Enemies doth the House of Saul in us wax weaker and weaker and the House of David in us grow stronger and stronger as 2 Sam. 3.1 can we feel our Lord a destroying the works of the Devil in us Heb. 2.14 1 John 3.8 tho' as yet they be not altogether destroyed Are we daily dying to sin tho' not as yet wholly dead to it even this may ensure us of Victory at last let us compare time with time may we but experience how heretofore the fleshly law in thee had thy Sabbaths thy Time thy Strength yea thy very Heart and Affections but now by the power of Renewing Grace the Law of the Spirit in thee hath rescued at laest a little of all the aforesaid and subjected that little under the Law of the Spirit so that thou finds those two contrary Laws now in thee to wit the Law of the Members and the Law of the Mind warring against each other c. Rom. 7.15 to 23. which makes thee cry out as the betrothed Damself did in the field when she was assaulted by a man too strong for her Deut. 22.27 as Amnon was too strong for Tamar 2 Sam. 13.14 so dost thou cry out with Paul Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of Death and thank God with him that Jesus Christ our Lord is thy Deliverer saying likewise as he did so then with the Mind I my self do serve the Law of God but with the Flesh the Law of Sin Rom. 7.24,25 If we find our selves in no worse a condition than that of the Holy Apostle himself this cannot be uncomfortable and discouraging to us the same conflict betwixt two contrary Laws is common to all Christians For as Paul had informed the believing Romans of it as above So he affirms yea and Confirms the same Truth to the believing Galatians saying walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts thereof for the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would c. Gal. 5.16,17 The meaning whereof is that as we cannot do the good which we would do because the Flesh doth hinder us so we cannot do the evil which we would by the unrenewed part of our wills do because the Spirit hinders us Now may we but find by sound experience that the Law of the Spirit gains ground of the Law of the Flesh in us this is a comfortable Character that we shall be Conquerors in this Spiritual Conflict Thus Satan's Assaults now are feebler than heretofore against us like that of the old Gauls of whom it is said prior impetus est plusquam Virorum posterior minus quam faeminarum more than Men at first but less than Women at last The Third Comfortable Character of a Conqueror is that he is able to break the Ranks of the Van-guard or Fore-front of his Enemies and so force them to draw back 'T is a great encouragement to a General to set his Feet and the Feet of his Army upon the same ground where his Adversaries pitched their Battalia's against him he knows if once they begin to flinch they will soon also begin to flee especially if he can gain their most advantagious ground from which as from an higher standing they did mostly annoy him but much more if he can shatter and disorder their Front where the men of greatest Gallantry are ever most politickly placed if once they come into confusion and be as we say hand over head then he doth more easily break in upon them and so rout them out of the field It was once a notable stratagem of an English General that when he came up close to the face of his Foes he ordered his Army to make a loud and universal outcry they run in the Rear they run they run this Cry did so daunt the Front who feared it to be true that thereby both the Van and the Rear did run away indeed Thus is it with us in our Spiritual Warfare our Spiritual Enemies do not war against us as is done in a Duel but one to one but here is many against one those fleshly lusts that fight against our Souls are not one only but many in the plural number 1 Pet. 2.11 And
a long and lingering Death no Member being free from pain so if the mortifying grace of Christ which is the virtue and power of his Deaâ—… as an holy Life is the virtue and power of his Resurrection Phil. 3.10 be in our Hearts by the indwellings of Christ there Ephes 3.17 then the Body of Sin is nailed so fast that it cannot stir either Hands or Feet insomuch as it will certainly die tho' it be not presently dead yea tho' it suffer many sore throbs before it perfectly die 'T is like those Beasts in Daniel whose Dominions were taken away yet their Lives were prolonged for a Time and a Season Dan. 7.12 Now Repentance is the Nail that pierceth this Body of Sin and the renewing of our Repentance doth put the Old Man in us to new Torments till at last it die The Second Enemy which Christ conquers and captivates in us and for us is the World for he saith to us be of good chear I have overcome the World John 16.33 hence the Apostle useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies we are more than Conquerors by Christ's Love Rom. 8.37 because all our work that Christ hath left us to do is only to conquer an Adversary which is already conquered to our hand before hand Just as Joshuah did to his Captains he delivers the five conquered Kings to them as above and they had no more to do than to set their â—eet upon the Necks of the conquered even so our Jesus hath subdued our Iniquities Mic. 7.19 and hath overcome the World John 16.33 already for us so that we are made sure of Victory before hand in our head Christ Phil. 4.13 and we now have need to do no more but to trample all things under our Feet where the most wise God did at first place them Psal 8.6,7,8 and over which we should triumph in Christ as the Apostle saith now thanks be unto God who causeth us always to triumph in Christ 2 Cor. 2.14 And indeed to be a Triumpher is to be more than a Conqueror for Conquering goeth before and Triumphing always follows after and such a Triumpher was this same Apostle who saith God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the World is crucified unto me and I unto the World Gal. 6.14 as if he had said the World and I do well agree as it careth not for me so I care as little for it I look upon it only as a dead thing as an overgrown Dunghil I love not to suck her two fair Breasts or rather her two foul Botches of Profit and Pleasure He had learnt that high Lesson in Christ's School of knowing both how to abound with Humility and how to want with content c. Phil. 4.12,13 'T is said when the World is set in our Hearts Eccless 3.11 which ought to be under our Feet as before when we are given up to the carking cares about things of this present evil World as it is called Gal. 1.4 alas how sick are some called Saints of this dry dropsie c May we not well say there is as yet no fitness that the Saints should rule the World according to the Notion of some Opinionists while the World so much doth rule the Saints It may be feared that it is no easie matter to find among many Professors any such mortified men as Paul was and such a Crucifix of Mortification who could cry Quits with the World as before it is said The Scripture indeed tells us whosoever is born of God overcometh the World and who is he that overcometh the World but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God and this is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith 1 Joh. 5.4,5 This is not only because by our faith in Christ we are assured of the Victory before we have accomplished our good fight of Faith but also because it is the Nature of Faith to put the Soul upon more noble Exploits as well as Projects than those that are about the base things of this lower World 'T is said that Christ hath made us Kings and Priests unto God his Father Rev. 1.6 which is called a Royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.9 So that this faith in Christ giveth the Soul such a Royal Spirit as raiseth it above those things that are below as worldly things are stiled Col. 3.1,2 If ye be risen with Christ seek and set your affections upon things that are above and not upon things that are below upon the Earth Faith lifts up the Soul above both the frownings and the flatterings of the World when we are affrighâ—…d with the Frowns of the World Faâ—… presents the Torments of Hell to us which are far worse than what the most frowning World can inflict upon us and on the other hand when we are allured and enticed with the Flatteries of the World then Faith represents to us the Joys of Heaven which do infinitely transcend all the glittering Glories of this sublunary perishing World as Scipio Affricanus said Vellem si non essem Imperator I would were I not an Emperor and Themistocles take thou it up for thou art not a General so it should be below Christians c. Yea and Faith gives us not only a sight and tast of the Grapes of Canaan the most lovely and desirable Fruits thereof but also feeds us with Hidden Manna Rev. 2.17 If we be but overcomers as we pass along through this Wilderness to our Heavenly Canaan Thus Moses by Faith despised the Treasures and Pleasures of Egypt when he chose to suffer affliction with the People of God rather than to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a Season esteeming the Reproach of Christ greater Riches than all the Treasures of that Land which had been the Granary of the World but a little before in Joseph's time for he had respect unto the Recompence of Reward and by the Eye of his Faith he saw him that was invisible Heb. 11.24,25,26,27 that whole Chapter demonstrateth by numerous Instances how Faith is a World-conquering Grace And thus it was also with Caleb and Joshuah who no sooner had tasted of the goodly Grapes of Canaan but they presently loathed the Garlick and Onions of Egypt they longed not at all after them as the other Murmurers did even the whole Multitude Numb 14.6,7,8 saying 't is a Land worth all our Hazards c. How much more is Heaven worth all our Hardships Thus our Lord saith the Kingdom of Heaven suffers Violence and the Violent take it by force Matth. 11.12 Such a Violent and Valiant Conqueror was Luther as before who when the Pope tempted him with a Cardinal's Cap to take him off from promoting Reformation he bravely answered Valde protestatus sum me nolle sic a Deo satiari that is my God shall not put me off with such petty things for I breath after better I am born to better things by my New
Lambs with all their Dams also and this vast number of Rams in such a season of the Year when their Wool was best grown upon their Backs and many more such examples of Tribute might be added Oh that we could ask our own Hearts whether our Affections have been conquered by the Lord Jesus the Stronger Man and Conqueror NB. Are all our Affections turned into Graces as the Affection of Fear into the Grace of Fear and the Affection of Love into the Grace of Love and so of the rest then our Lord hath laid his Laws upon them and they pay each of them their Tribute to Christ Oh blessed is that Soul that pays so many thousand Lambs or devout Prayers to Christ the King of Glory which must needs be numerous if both Occasional and Appointed Prayers if publick and private Prayers both in our Closets and in our Families for the space of one whole year be reckoned up all together If we do all these things then this Great King will greatly delight in our Beauty Psal 45.10.11 and give us Victory over our last Enemy Death which Christ will destroy 1 Cor. 15.26.55,56,57 CHAP. VI. Advice to the Aged for saving the Soul 'T IS the Sacred Sentence and Saying of Solomon the wisest of Men that The Hoary Head is a Crown of Glory if it be found in the way of Righteousness Prov. 16.31 Which words do discover a most clear Character of a compleat Conqueror through Christ's love to us Rom. 8.37 whereby he strengthens us to a kind of Omnipotency to wit of an ability to do all things which ought to be done by us both in Active and Passive Obedience Phil. 4.13 The word Proverbs in the Hebrew is Mashalim which is derived of Mashal signifying to Command Oh that this Divine Proverb may have a commanding power and influence over all us Aged Persons so that all our Gray Hairs may become a Crown of Glory to us by their being found in the way of Righteousness This Text is a compound of two principal Parts to wit a Thesis and an Hypothesis or a Position and a Supposition The Position is first 't is positively asserted that Gray Hairs are a Crown of Glory and then the Supposition follows if it be found in the way of Righteousness There be three Enquiries here to be answered the first What is meant by that Phrase of Gray Hairs or Hoary Head to which the Answer is 1 st Gray Hairs and Hoary Hairs or Head are promiscuously taken in Scripture for one and the same thing as in Levit. 19.32 1 Kings 2.6 and 9. Isai 46.4 Gen. 42.38 and 44.29,31 Prov. 16.31 and 20.29 2 Sam. 12.2 Job 15.10 Deut. 32.25 Hos 7.9 Psal 71.18 c. Answer the 2 d is That Gray Hairs Gray Headed and Hoary Hairs or Head are all Synonymical Expressions with Old Age with all those afore-quoted Scriptures Thus the Antient of Days Dan. 7.9 and Everlasting Father Isai 9.6 is described to have Hair as white as Wool Rev. 1.14 so Levit. 19.32 There this Phrase Hoary Head is used with the Old Man for Doctus in Lege one that is learned in the Law of God The 2 d Enquiry is What is meant by the Crown of Glory Answer 1 st This signifies the highest Honour that can be conferred upon Mankind a Crown is above a Garland a Miter c. a Crowned Head is a Title of the highest of all Humane Honours and there is a great affinity in the Greek Tongue betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Old Age and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Honour and thus the Lord commanded that the Aged should be honoured Levit. 19.32 That Silver Crown of Hoary Hairs which the Finger of God doth set upon the Head of Aged Persons doth render them Venerable and to be Reverenced of all even in all Places and Companies where they come 'T was a caution of Restraint in Rome Cato Videt c. much more Deus Videt c. insomuch that they as it were carry an awful Majesty and Authority along with them both for suppressing of Vice and for encouraging of Vertue in their presence where too much familiarity yea and too much folly with it do not breed contempt Answer the 2 d This Crown is of the best kind of Crowns 't is not only a Crown of Silver as before or a Crown of Gold the best sort of earthly Crowns but 't is a Crown of Glory and that in a double Kingdom namely in the Kingdom of Grace here which is oft in Scripture called Heaven and also in the Kingdom of Glory hereafter So that such Aged Persons as are found to be God's Friends and Favourites as Old Abraham had that very Title given to him no fewer than three times of being God's Friend 2 Chron. 20.7 Isai 41.8 and Jam. 2.23 they shall have a double Crown of Glory first in this Life they shall have the Crown of Reverence and Veneration from all as Old Abraham was thus Crowned whom the very Heathens the Hittites most highly honoured saying to him thou art a Prince of God Hebr. or a Mighty Prince amongst us Gen. 23.6 even the Natural Conscience cannot choose but stoop to the Image of God stampted upon and shining forth in both the Persons and Actions of such as are eminent for Godliness as Abraham was and so it had been done to him before by King Abimelech and by Phicol the chief Captain of his Host Gen. 21.22,23 where they with all imaginable Reverence make their most Humble Address to Father Abraham that he might make an everlasting League with them and with their Posterity c. For both this King and his Captain as also did the Hittites all plainly see in him a behaviour that was more than ordinary to Mankind They were affraid of that Name of God even that Glorious and fearful Name put upon him and called upon by him and by all his Seed also Deut. 28.9,10,58 yea still the Sons and Daughters of Abraham even all God's People are called Princes in all Lands Psal 45.16 The Righteous are more excellent than their Neighbours Prov. 12.26 tho' they be never so great that dwell by them if they have only Greatness without Goodness The Jewish Rabins say that those Seventy Souls which went down with Jacob into Egypt were of much more worth than all the Seventy Nations whereof the whole known World consisteth Christ makes all his Saints to be Kings Rev. 1.6 and to be Conquerors also Rom. 8.37 they are his Glory Isai 4.5 2 Cor. 8.23 and therefore this Crown of Glory is given to them even in this World and if we can but become faithful unto Death then shall we have given us the Crown of Life in a better World Rev. 2.10 and we may the more have hope hereof because we are not kept by any power of our own which is no better than weakness it self Tho' David said I have kept my self from mine Iniquity Psal 18.21,23 and the born of God
of God in and of it self otherwise God would never have made it the matter of this exceeding great and pretious Promise which he was pleased to annex to the Fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and Mother that thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Exod. 20.12 Matth. 15.4 Ephes 6.2,3 This Duty of Children to obey their Parents in the Lord the Apostle calls it a Right Duty Ephes 6.1 and commends it moreover as a Duty not only good before Men but acceptable also unto God 1 Tim. 5.4 This Fifth Commandment is called the First Commandment with Promise Ephes 6.2 that is the First Affirmative Commandment or the First in the Second Table or the First of all the Ten with such a Special Promise of Long Life in the Land of the Living that thou maist live long Ephes 6.3 As good Children do help to lengthen their Parents days so Joseph did Jacob's c. So God for encouraging them in their Duty doth promise to lengthen their Days and if at any time God take this Long Lease from them here he grants them a Freehold-Estate of a greater Value hereafter If God do deny to give them the Silver of a Temporal Life in this lower World he will be sure to pay them most plentifully with the Gold of an Eternal Life in the upper and better World whereas on the contrary such as are stubborn and undutiful Children as they shorten their Parents Lives and bring down their Gray Hairs with sorrow to their Graves So God often doth shorten the Lives of such wicked Children and cuts them off in the midst of their Days as God did to wicked Abimelech of whom it is said that the Lord rendred upon him the Evil which he had done unto his Father Gideon Judg. 9.56 Yea and Solomon saith the Eve that mocketh at his Father as cursed Cham did at Noah and despiseth to obey his Mother the Ravens of the Vally shall pick out that mocking Eye Prov. 30.17 God takes notice of the offending Member and appoints this Punishment for it and a sad one too if this be understood of the Infernal-Ravens those Black Devils of Hell those are cursed with a witness whom the Holy Ghost thus curseth with such emphatical expressions and in such exquisite Terms Those Ravens of the Vally are said to be most ravenous and the first thing they do to a Carcase is to pick out the Eyes as Horace saith Effossos Oculos Voret Atro Guttare Corvus And our Saviour adds to the saying of Solomon He that curseth Father or Mother let him die the Death Matth. 15.4 All this does make it manifest that as a short Life is a Curse so a long Life is a Blessing otherwise as on the one hand Godliness would never have left to it by the Lord so many precious Promises as these to name but a few of the many beside the afore-named 1. God promiseth to his people 1. That he will fulfil the number of their days Exod. 23.26 that is they shall dye full of days as Abraham Gen. 25.8 as Isaac Gen. 35.29 and as David did 1 Chron. 29.28 They all did fall like full-ripe Apples into the hands of God the right Owner and the great Gatherer of them 2. That He will take away Sickness from them Deut 7.15 that is he will bestow the great blessing of Health upon them which is the best of Temporal Blessings for a sickly Life is a lifeless Life and no better than a lingring Death Non est Vivere sed Valere Vita saith Martial Health is the Reward of Piety Prov. 3.8 3. That they shall be blessed in the City and blessed in the Country blessed every where Deut. 28.2,3 c. mercy and goodness follows them all the days of their Lives as David saith of himself Psal 23.6 as before he had said he asked Life of thee and thou gavest it him even length of Days c. Psal 21.4 and he describing the State of a godly Man in Psal 91. he reckons up the mighty Power of God in preserving his Person from manifold Calamities so far as it consists with God's Glory and the godly Man's good yea tho' he die of the Plague for the best are not exempted from common Calamities yet shall he be saved from the plague of the Plague and with long Life will I satisfie him Psal 91.16 4. Another Divine Promise is cleave unto the Lord for He is thy Life and the length of thy Days Deut. 30.20 Agreeable unto this is that Godly Wisdom shall add both length of Days and a long Life and Peace unto such as are blest with it Prov. 3.2 an thus God told wise Solomon seeing thou hast not asked long Life c. but Wisdom of me yet if thou wilt keep my Commands I will add length of Days to thee 1 King 3.11,14 Many more Promises of along Life might be added but to avoid prolixity this shall suffice adding only that length of Days is a transcendent priviledge and desirable in general by all Mankind This was David's Doctrine which he proclaimeth with a challenge to the whole World crying as it were with sound of Trumpet What Man is he that desireth Life and loveth many days that he may see Good Psal 34.12 Augustine brings all sorts of Mortal Men and Women who all unanimously answered to David's Question saying with much eagerness every one for themselves Ego Ego I would and I would c. All Persons do desire a long Life many happy Days and a comfortable Enjoyment of all But alas how few there be that take right Courses to obtain the true Happiness according to that wholesom Counsel which David doth prescribe for the compassing of it ver 13 14 15 c. Again 2 dly What a blessing is long Life may be farther demonstrated by the many direful Threatnings which the Lord hath denounced against wickedness as before his pretious Promises to Godliness c. that the Wicked shall not live out half his days Psal 55.24 and in many more Scriptures too long here to relate all shewing that a short Life is a curse c. yet know that in some cases it is a blessing as to those who are taken away from the evil to come 1 King 14.13 and Isai 57.1 Just as when a Fire breaks forth in an House then Men carry forth their Jewels but God conveys his Cabinet into a better World their Souls enter into Rest and pass to Heaven The Conclusion of this 1 st Point then is this That seeing a long Life is promised by the Lord to the Godly and short Life is threatned by Him to the Wicked therefore it must necessarily follow from these two aforenamed premises that a good Old Age and to go the Grave full of Years and full of Graces as well as Years as Abraham did is a great blessing of God as to its own Nature and Substance c. The 2 d Point I have
have I to live can I tast what I eat or drink c and how long have I to live ver 34. that is my Breath is corrupt or my Spirits are Spent my Days are extinct and the Grave is ready for me as Job speaks of himself Job 17.1 He was Senex quasi Seminex half dead and felt himself pedetentim mori to die by peace-meal even sensim sine sensu insensibly yielding every day somewhat to Death and therefore he tells David with a most thankful Heart that it was not adviseable for him to embrace his Royal Offer of a Courtly Life to him who was now superannuated and was already as it were dead both to Meat and Musick all such delights of the Sons of Men Eccles 2.8 Those days saith he are come upon me wherein I can have no pleasure Eccles 12.2,3,4 Therefore 't is high time now for me and for all such Aged Ones as I am to make and pack up our Fardles and prepare to pass hence into that better Country which is Heaven as the Holy Patriarchs did Heb. 11.13,14,15,16 My continuance can be but short here in this World saith old Barzillai to David and therefore I would not now leave my Habitation where I may retire and rest me from the Noise of the World but now my whole work is a firm resolve to make ready for Death and to lay hold on Eternal Life 2 Sam. 19.35,36,37 1 Tim. 6.19 And indeed this is the indispensable Duty not only of such as are Old but 't is necessary for all that are Young to do so likewise because this Quantity and the length of the Lives of all Persons in all Ages is very uncertain the Proverb saith as soon goes the Lambs Skin to the Market as that of the Old Sheep the Young may die as well as the Old must die And 't is an old observation yea and a true one that there be more of Mankind which die under Ten Years old than they which live above Sixty Years We all live in Houses of Clay and our Foundation is in the Dust easily crushed as the Moth with the least touch of Man's Finger and much sooner are we crushed with the Finger of God Job 4.19 If our Cottages of Clay had a Foundation of Brass or Marble they might possibly stand some time in the World but seeing our best Foundation is no better than Dust call'd Terra Fricabilis which is so easily crumbled asunder in the Hand of a Child Oh 't is no less than a Miracle of Mercy that some of us do subsist so long alive upon the Earth seeing the Walls of our Earthly Tabernacles as Paul calls the Body 2 Cor 5.2 are weak and the Foundation of our Clay-House is far weaker being but Dust light flying and unstable Dust which is soon wherried and whirled about with every puff of Wind Hence Man is not only a Clod of Clay neatly made up by a skilful Potter as was the first Man Adam of the Earth Earthy 1 Cor. 15.47 and a Lump of Dust Gen. 3.19 but also he is but an heap of Vanity yea at his best estate Kol-Adam Kol-Abel omnis Adam est totus Abel every Adam or Man is wholly Abel or Vanity even when he seems to be well underlaid on all sides and most setled and likeliest to live Psal 39.5,11 And again Adam Abel's compar est Adam is Abel's Mate Man is like to Vanity and as a Shadow that hath no substance in it or subsistence at all Psal 144.4 and he not only consumes away like a Moth as Psal 39.11 as before with the least touch the Moth is crushed but 't is said further that Man is crushed before the Moth Job 4.19 It is not said there before the Lion that would be no wonder but 't is said before the Moth to shew what a poor thing Man is when a Moth can crush him that a Fly can choak him as it did Pope Alexander that an Hair in a Mess of Milk may stifle him as it did great Marius the Roman General and as some say Pope Adrian also Thus Druslus the Emperor Claudius's Son was suffocated with a Pear that was cast up and catched by his Mouth in sport only Thus Aemilius Lepidus was destroyed by a light bruise upon his Toe Many such Stories I might relate of this Nature but to be short let me add only one more which I can both affirm and confirm upon my own knowledge that a great Lord of this Land who was my Patron c. that was brought to his Death only by paring a Corn upon his Toe which did after Gangreen and struck upwards whereof at last he died All these Instances with many more which might be added do demonstrate the uncertainty of our Lives as there is nothing more certain than our Deaths for that is established by the great Statute of Heaven that all Men must once die Heb. 9.27 yet as to the time of it there is nothing more uncertain especially considering how Man is destroyed from Morning to Evening Job 4.20 the Hebrew reading is he is beaten to pieces as in a Mortar with one Misery upon another until the very Breath be beaten out of his Body at length yea and all this from Morning to Evening that is not only all the day long but even all the life long which is here for its brevity compared to an Artificial Day and such as no Man can be sure he shall have twelve hours to his Day For how many are there whose Sun hath set at High-noon even in the prime and pride of their Days they have been snatcht away by the Hand of Death yea yet higher how many do we see whose Sun doth set at its very rising so that they are carried from the Grave of the Womb to the Womb of the Grave even from their Birth to their Burial And assuredly we all every Hour as well as every Day do yield somewhat unto Death and nearer and nearer do we approach to our latter end yea and the longest liver of us hath but a short cut from the first Rising of our Sun to its last Setting from our Birth to our Burial The Psalmist saith that the Sun knoweth the time of its going down Psal 104.19 But this cannot be said of any of the Sons of Men that they know the time of their going down to the Grave good Isaac knew it not Gen. 27.1,2 except only Hezekiah who by a special dispensation from God knew it much less can we that are old know the time of our going down or the Quantity of our Old Age. The Jewish Rabbins do mention three Steps or Degrees in the measure of Old Age the first they call Senes the second they name Annosi and the third they stile Decrepidi and thus they reckon when a Man comes to be Sixty Years old such an one they reckon'd to be reached only to the Borders of Old Age passing along until he stepped on unto Seventy Years
and Honourable are joined together Isai 9.18 nor could Hoary Hairs be a Crown of Glory as Soloman saith Prov. 16.31 nor could a Gray Head be an Old Man's Beauty Prov. 20.29 if not found in the way of Righteousness A gray headed experienced Christian is called a Father 1 John 2.13 such as whose due is the highest veneration Levit. 19.32 especially such as are described in Psal 92.12,13,14 Such are of the highest Form in Christ's School for NB. Note well a Christian hath his degrees of Growth distinctly described in the Word of God As 1 st We have his Conception Gal. 4.19 2 dly His Birth 1 Pet. 1.23 3 dly His Childhood 1 Cor. 3.1,2 4 thly His Youth or well-grown Age when he is past the Spoon 1 John 2.13 5 thly His full-grown Age Ephes 4.13 And 6 thly His Old Age as 1 John 2.13 Acts 21.16 c. Job 29.8 and 32.4,6,7 Rom. 16 5,7 and 1 Tim. 5.1,2 Unto all these Scriptures shewing how a Good Old Age ought to be highly valued and reverenced I may add the Testimony of a Pagan Poet who extolls that Golden Age wherein he lived having only the Light and Law of Nature to conduct them in their Lives yet thus he writes Credebant hoc grande Nefas Morte piandum Si Juvenis Vetulo non assurexerit si Barbato cuicunque Puer licet esse videret Plura Domi farra majores Glandis Acervos Tam venerabile erat praecedere quatuor Annis These are the Verses of Juvenal in his 13 th Satyr the sense whereof in short is this That in this Pagan Poet's time all Men looked upon it as a Capital Crime and counted it punishable by the Judges if Young People did not rise up and reverence such as had Hoary Heads tho' the Young were rich the Aged were poor c. which is a clear demonstration that the Law and Light of Nature did concur and taught the same Truth with the Law and Light of Scripture Levit. 19.32 and the rest afore-named especially when this Evil Age in it self becomes by Grace a Good Old Age 't is to be honoured c. 2 dly The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why it must be so the Reasons be these over and above that before-mentioned namely that Old Age must be a good thing of it self and in its own Nature and Substance altho' it is made an evil thing in too many by accident as before because it is a Blessing which the Lord hath both graciously promised and performed to many of his Servants c. And a short Life is a Curse which the same God severely threatneth unto the Wicked yea and long Life it self is also a Curse unto all Christless ones tho' they live untill they attain to the Age of an Hundred Years Isai 65.20 Moreover the Reasons that demonstrate this great Truth we must be careful and conscientious in making our Old Age a Good Age are principally Three The first is because this doing as it ought to be done will be a blessed Remedy against those three woful maladies of Old Age to wit the Natural Moral and Spiritual Evils afore-mentioned therefore Solomon prescribeth the Remembrance of God in the days of Youth as a most comfortable preservative against all those Evils which commonly Old Age is attended with and maketh it an unpleasant time As 1 st A Good Old Age is a Sovereign Antidote against the Natural Evils accompanying it As 1. Against the loss of Bodily strength then the Grace of Faith in the Good Old Age doth put Strength in Weakness Health in Sickness and Ease in Pain this comes to pass by the sorce of Faith Heb. 11.34 Joshuah is one of those that was strengthned in the weakness of Old Age which he acknowledgeth saying and now behold the Lord hath kept me alive Josh 14.10,11 which mercy was the greater because he out-lived many Thousands of other Israelites whose Carcases did fall in the Wilderness Yet then he saith of himself I am this day fourscore and five years old yet lo I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me to spie out the Land of Promise Numb 13. which was forty five years ago as my strength was then when I was but forty years old even so is my strength now at fourscore and five for War both to go out and to come in Viridis Vegeta Senectus singulare Dei Donum est a fresh and vigorous Ability for Generation-work in Old Age is a singular Gift of God This Gift God gave to Moses Deut. 34.7 and to Paul the Aged as he calls himself Phil. v. 9. whose strength was perfect in weakness and when he was weak in Nature then was he strong in Grace 2 Cor. 12.9,10 and thus that seeming Contradiction is reconciled And this Gift God gave likewise to famous Mr. Dod in our days who as he was another Moses for meekness which is a great prolonger of Life so he was not unlike him and Joshuah in Health and Strength of Body when he arrived to an exstream Old Age this was a Mercy which that Good Man most highly valued So that 't is said of him Desicere potius quam Desinere Visus est that is he seemed rather to decay dissolve and melt away by Inches than to die by any Agony of Death 'T is my frequent and fervent prayer to God that he would grant us an easie passage out of this World and an open passage into the better World and to die like a Lamb is universally esteemed as a great Gift of God An exemption from the Torturing Torments of the Stone of the Strangury of the Gripes and of the Gout c. is my Singular Mercy 2. As to the loss of their younger near and dear Relations this Good Old Age wants not sufficient Cordials wherewith to sweeten the Bitterness and allay the Grief of this great Evil also as good Old Abraham did comfort his own Spirit saying let me bury my Dead out of my Sight c. when he had lost a pretious Rib out of his Side in the death of his dear Wife Sarah not only dear to him but also very dear to God himself Insomuch that God gave this Honour unto her above all other Women in Scripture Record that the Age of her life is Recorded and of Her only c. Gen. 23.1,2 Why the length of the Life of any other Woman save only Sarah's is not Recorded by God's Pen in Scripture our Divines render this Reason that it was to humble that Sex which was first in bringing Sin and Death into the World 1 Tim. 2.13,14,15 and therefore deserved not to have the continuance of their Lives mentioned in Sacred Writ by the unsearchable Will and Wisdom of God 'T is said indeed that Abraham mourned for her Death and she was the first also that we read of who was mourned for when she died as well as the only one of that Sex whose term of Life
at the day of Judgment however if not sooner for then there shall surely be a Resurrection of Names as well as of Bodies c. NB. Note well we must often be pondering in our Minds that great Text aforenamed Prov. 16.31 which runs thus in the Hebrew Gnetereth Sephereth Shebai bederek Tsedakah Timetseh which in Latine is thus expressed Diadema Gloriae Canities in Via Justitiae Invenietur this in English is read thus the Hoary Head is a Crown of Glory if it be found in the way of Righteousness which at â—…rge is treated on before This great Text I say again all we Aged Ones ought to make the constant Rule of our whole Conversations unto the day of our Deaths and then will come the Crown of Life c. 2 dly As the Good Old Age hath its Comforts against these Natural Evils so it wants not Cordials against Moral and Spiritual Evils let us put them both together for then 1. Our Corruptions now are more mortified than ever thâ—y were before Thus Paul the Aged as he calls himself Philem ver 9. could then say of himself I have fought the good fight c. 2 Tim. 4.7 He found that Thorn in the Flesh which he had so sorely complained of 2 Cor. 12.7 to be now conquered and his fighting against it he found was then as good as finished because in a Good Old Age. 2. Grace is then fortified as well as Lust mortified Grace is now more vigorous more lively and more powerful than heretofore while it was clogged and overloaded with many youthful Lusts but as the Outward Man decays so the Inner Man ought to revive day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 This is the Godly Man's Motto as that good old Minister Peter Martyr said upon his Dying Bed My Body is weak but my Soul is well 't is well for the present but it will be better hereafter 't is well in the Kingdom of Grace having overcome the Flesh World and Devil but it shall be best of all in the Kingdom of Glory The Inner Man in Old Age ought to be not only more brisk and powerful but also more fruitful in the fruits of Righteousness and true Holiness or Holiness of Truth as it is in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opposite to formality Ephes 4.24 this is God's Promise to the Good Old Man He shall bring forth fruit in his Old Age He shall be fat and flourishing being planted in the Courts of his God Psal 92.12,13,14 that is he being rooted and grounded in Christ and living under the droppings of the Sanctuary shall flourish like the Palm which is noted to grow very Tall always Green c tho' it hath many weights at the Top and many Snakes at the Bottom tho' it be not known to grow in our cold Climate and like a Cedar wherewith Lebanon flourished and whereon the Temple of Solomon was built 't is not said he shall grow like the Grass as it is said the Wicked spring as the Grass Psal 92.7 for if that proud Grass grow never so great and lofty they shall be mowed down with the Sithe of God's wrath seeing there is one higher than the highest of them Eccles 5.8 and in things wherein they deal proudly the Lord God is above them Exod. 18.11 Now we Aged ones ought to make a serious search and an earnest enquiry whether we bring forth Fruit in our Old Age whether we be fat and flourishing especially if we have been long planted in the House of our God 't is a shame to us that we should be like the lean Kine of Egypt which eat up the fat Kine and still remain as lean and as ill faâ—…ed as heretofore Gen. 41.3,20 't is a sad Judgment of God when he gives us meat to the full yet sends leanness into our Souls Psal 106.15 When God sends among fat ones leanness Isai 10.16 wo to us if yet we cry out our Leanness our Leanness Isai 24.16 We should all be like Wine which the older it is the better it is our Graces like good Liquor should run fresh to the bottom c. our last works should be our best works Rev. 2.19 Tho' our beginning was but small yet our latter end should greatly increase Job 8.7 and we should hold on in the way of Righteousness and grow stronger and stronger Job 17.9 Veteres non veterascent tho' we grow old and weak in Nature yet ought we not only to retain our former vigour and verdure of Grace but also to grow in Grace 2 Pet. 3.16 from one degree of Grace to another that is to the highest degree Ephes 4.13 We must grow above our Corruptions especially our Constitution-sins the sins of our Nature our darling sins our best beloved Lust Oh God forbid that Erasmus his Character be upon us which he put upon the Bribanti or Flemmings of whom he saith Quo magis Senescunt eo magis Stultescunt the older they grow the foolisher they become Oh God forbid I say that any of us should do so 't is the sign of an Hypocrite who takes no deep Root when planted seemingly in God's Courts as the sincere Servants of Christ do and grow into Fruit-bearing in its Season c. whereas the Hypocrite is only thrust in like a Stake into the Earth and never grows How then ought we all Aged Persons to fear and tremble that we do not run out our Lives in Hypocrisie and so die like Fools at the last And therefore for the undeceiving of our own pretious Souls and for the better setling and comforting of our own immortal Spirits concerning our sincerity in the sight of God let us compare Time with Time can we say in the witnessing of the Holy Ghost that time was when the Assaults of Satan upon my Soul have been very violent but through Grace since that time I have found them feebler than heretofore yea and through the abundant Grace of my dear Lord strengthning me these Assaults of Satan are become less daring and more cowardly in my Old Age As I hinted before let me inlarge upon it here if it be said to the honour of Young Men in whom youthful passions are very pregnant rapid and oft precipitant and preposterous c. that they had overcome the Wicked One 1 John 2.13 Oh then what a shame and dishonour it is for us who are ranked and reckned among Fathers to fall short of the younger and lower Rank and still remain Slaves to our Lusts in whom Nature is decayd and so less grace is required to resist the Tempter and to bridle in the Temptation May we not say that now by the strengthening Love of Christ upon us we can more easily shake off that Viper the Old Serpent from off our Hearts as Paul the Aged did easily shake off that venemous Viper from off his Hands into the Fire Acts 28.3,4.5 and that without receiving any harm thereby even so we ought to bless the Lord for that Miracle of
salvation of our Souls 1 Pet. 1.4,5,9 Insomuch that Death which is in it self no other than Nature's Divorce the Bodies Prison the Soul's Banishment the Arrest of Judgment the Curse of Sin and the King of Terrors as well as the Terror of Kings Job 18.14 unto all Mankind in General yet such a change doth the power of Godliness both in Young and Old that are chosen and called make in their Changes from one World to another that their Death's is only their 1. Harvest or Ingatherings into God's Garner c. 2 'T is the Joy of Marriage which is called a Rest in the House of the Husband Ruth 3.1 so Death is our Rest A Rest from their Labours Rev. 14.13 they shall Rest 1 st From their Labours of Necessity their Needs of Nature shall then cease for ever they shall Hunger no more they shall Thirst no more c. as they have done while in the Body 2 dly They shall Rest from their Labours of Infirmity they shall never complain of any more Aches and Pains in any one of the parts of the Body as they have done frequently heretofore in the time of their Mortality 3 dly From the Labours of their Callings c. they shall toil no more in the Sweats of either their Brows or their Brains c. And 4 thly Which is above all they shall Rest from their Labours of Iniquity a Laboribus Peccati as well as Officii they shall never sin any more whereas heretofore in the time of their sojourning upon Earth they had this weight upon them which they could never lay aside nor cast it off and sin did then easily beset them so that they could not run the Race that was set before them Heb. 12.1 Because of the Law of the Members that did continually war against the Law of their Minds and oft bringing them into Captivity yea and as oft making them to cry out Oh wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me c. Rom. 7.23,24 But now Christ is come to them and knock'd off all their Fetters which formerly clogg'd them c. and setteth them at perfect liberty Isai 61.1 and those whom the Son of God doth free they are free indeed John 8.36 3. Death to those that die in the Lord and in a Good Old Age also is not only the Christians Harvest Marriage and Rest as before but 't is likewise their Conquest over all their Spiritual Enemies so they have also the Joy of Victory as well as of Harvest of Marriage and of Rest They are become by their Holy Life and Happy Death more than Conquerors Rom. 8.37 even Triumphers in Christ 2 Cor. 2.14 and so as they have won the Crown of Glory by their overcoming the Wicked one through the strengthning Love of Christ upon them so they shall wear it as Kings Rev. 1.6 and as Conquerors for evermore 'T is said the last Enemy to be destroyed is Death 1 Cor. 15.26 Now to all true Believers Death is already swallowed up in Victory ver 55. as Fuel is swallowed up by the Fire and as the Sorcerers Serpents were swallowed up by Moses his Serpent so that they can say to Death when it comes to them as Jacob said to Esau surely I have seen thy Face as the Face of God Gen. 33.4,10 Thus that Esau Death doth meet a Member of Christ with Kissing rather than with Killing or so much as Frowns yea and guards him home to his Father's House as Esau guarded his Brother Jacob Home to Canaan after his long absence from it he went before Jacob as his Life-guard ver 12. Thus after a long Conflict by the Indwellings of Sin all our Life comes the Conquest at the last in our Death Alas we cannot beat sin out of Doors as Sarah did the Bond-woman Hagar but this Fretting Leprosie sin can never be either washed out or scraped off from the Walls of our Earthly Tabernacles until the House that is infected with that Plague be demolished by Death and the Stones and Timber thereof be altogether taken down As it was thus in the Type under the Law concerning the House of Leprosie Levit. 14.43,44 So it is with our Houses of Clay as the Antitype which can no way be Amended but must be Renewed and this is only done in part while we are in the Kingdom of Grace But this cleansing Work is compleatly perfected when Death gives us a dismission from hence into the Kingdom of Glory The belief of this made Old Simeon sing his Soul out of his Body and Paul the Aged Phil. v. 9. was not only a Conqueror but which was more even a Triumpher in Christ as before for he sang a Triumphant Song over Death and the Grave singing as well as saying Oh Death where is thy Sing and Oh Grave where is thy Victory 1 Cor 15.55 This is the boldest and the bravest Challenge that ever any Mortal Man did ring in the Ears of Death in which words he as it were out-braved it calling it Craven to its Face as the Vulgar saying is and bids it do its worst to him that it could do like the Philosopher Anaxarchus who with an undaunted Courage told the Tyrant who was beating his Body to pieces with a great Iron Pestle in a large Mortar made purposely for that Barbarous Butchery in the very Act of his Martyrdom he most confidently cryed out to his Tormentor Tunde Tunde Tyranne Vasculum frangis sed Anaxarchum non Laedis Beat on beat on thou Bruitish Tyrant thou indeed doth break the Vessel of the Man but thou can never hurt Anaxarchus the Man himself Much more might this blessed Apostle insult over this greatest of Tyrants that universal Destroyer of Mankind to wit Death with his Javelin in his hand seeing he was so able as to render such weighty Reasons for his Triumphing Insultation as he saith the Sting of Death is Sin c. ver 56. signifying hereby that our dear Redeemer had been the Death of Death by his Death Mors Mortis Morti Mortem quoque Morte dedisset The Death of Christ gave Death its Death as it was prophesied of him Oh Death I will be thy Death c. Hos 13.14 thus our Saviour did disarm Death and took out the Sting from this Venemous Serpent so that we may now as safely put Death into our Bosoms in a serious Meditation of dying Daily as some men whom I have seen have with enough of safety put into their Bosoms a Snake whose Sting was before pulled out If Death do now shoot out any Sting at us we may thank our selves for our not being more constantly sound in the way of Righteousness If at any time we turn aside to crâ—…ked Paths there will the old crooked Serpent meet us and he will not only sting us there but also leave his Sting behind him in us as the Bee doth to those that are stung by it and this may be the procuring Cause of many sad effects
that case our sin is writ upon our Punishment and our own guilty Consciences do put a Sting into that Darkness upon our Windows of Wantonness and Wickedness This must needs be a Prick and a Thorn to torment Blind Eyes The Sixth Evil of Old Age is and the Doors shall be shut in the Streets when the sound of the Grinding is low ver 4. which some interpret the Ears that then grow dull of Hearing and at last Deaf because Hearing is caused by two Bones placed within the inside of the Ear whereof the one stands still and the other moveth like the nether and upper Grindstones of a Mill And as the Ear was a Door by which Death first entred into the World when our first Parents gave a listning Ear more to the Old Lyar than to the God of Truth So the Lord hath appointed it as a suitable Antidote that the Ear should be a Door to let in Life and Salvation now as it had done Death and Damnation before for God saith in the Old Testament incline your Ear to me hear and your Soul shall live c. Isai 55.3 And he saith in the New Testament that Faith cometh by Hearing c. Rom. 10.17 But alas the Deaf cannot hear the word the Door is shut yea the Young as well as Old while in the state of Sin all are possessed with a Deaf Devil until Christ come and cry Ephphatha that is be opened Mark 7.34 and straightway his Ears were opened ver 35. But others do understand those Metaphorical Doors in Eccles 12.4 to be the Lips of Man's Mouth because of David's expression in his Prayer Lord keep the Door of my Lips c. Psal 141.3 These Doors the Lips are said to be shut without because the sound of the Grinding is low that is say they the Lips are shut close together when for want of Teeth to grind their Food with the Meat is rolled and chavelled up and down the Mouth and if the Lips be not kept close shut the Meat in tumbling to and fro would drop out of the Mouth There is yet a Third Interpretation of this Allusion which I cannot omit of those words The Doors shall be shut in the Streets that is these Aged Ones shall keep home avoiding the company and society of Mankind such as Feastings and Merry Meetings when the sound of the Grinding is low that is when neither his Teeth nor his Stomach and Appetite can any longer serve him for much feeding or feasting as in Old Barzillai 2 Sam. 19.35 The 7 th Decay in Old Age is and he shall rise at the Voice of the Bird that is the least noise of a Swallow that nests in the Chimney top c. or any little Bird will waken Old Persons especially the crowing of the Cock which is not caused by any quickness in their Hearing that then is dull as before but from the dryness of their Brains which causeth badness of sleeping from coldness of Blood and deficiency of Moisture therefore is it said the Old Man rises up at the least Noise because being awakened and weary with lying along and unable to turn his Body in his Bed he must rise to change his posture for his ease c. The 8 th Evil of Old Age is all the Daughters of Musick shall be brought low that is they shall neither have any Voices wherewith to sing of themselves nor take any delight to hear others that have Voices to sing ver 4. for as their Instruments of Speaking which make Musick do fail so their Instruments of Hearing for receiving Musick do fail also Homer observeth that Old People cannot themselves sing Propter Raucam Vocem for their unpleasant Voice which is no better than Creaking and Screaming And Juvenal expresseth it thus nam quae Cantante Voluptas what pleasure can the Old find either in singing themselves or in hearing others sing as they themselves cannot sing Tuneably with distinction of Sounds so they can take no delight in hearing the Melodious Notes of other Singers as Old Barzillai did acknowledge to King David who was that sweet Singer of Israel 2 Sam. 19.35 As their dulness of Hearing disinables them from discerning the Melody so the lowness of their Spirits makes them melancholick insomuch that they cannot affect Musick And this is very remarkable here that Old Men whose Hearing is so quick as to be awakenned with any little Noise of a Bird c. yet the exquisiteness of the sense of Hearing to delight in the sound of Musick is quite gone from them The 9 th Evil of Old Age they shall be afraid of that which is high and fear shall be in the way ver 5. that is they shall be very fearful to walk upon high places where there may be any danger of falling and they being very timerous themselves will shrink and tremble yea cry out when they behold Young Ones over bold and venturous c. As they are themselves afraid of climbing up aloft because of the stiffness of their Joints and the unweildiness of their Bodies So they dare not stand in any high place because a Vertigo a giddiness or swimming of the Brain doth soon seize upon them Their Heads are as weak as their Hamms they can neither climb up because they are short winded and when they are got up they dare not look down for fear of falling c. Yea they are afraid of every Hillock or little Stone standing up in their way for fear of stumbling on it because of the unnimbleness of their Limbs They fear to be cast down by careless People riding or running and carrying Burdens to and fro c. The 10 th Evil of Old Age is the Almond Tree then flourisheth that is when their Heads grow Gray and Hoary which is of it self a Crown of Glory a flourishing Ornament if found in the way of Righteousness Prov. 16.31 But it is an undeniable evidence of the decay of our Radical Moisture which should duly nourish the Hairs both of our Heads and Beards The Almond Tree is the first that flourisheth Jer. 1.11,12 The Prophet there saw this as a sign of Gods hastning the execution of his Judgments against a sinful Nation for this Tree Blossometh before any other Tree Natural Philosophy tells us that the Almond Tree doth Blossom in January while it is yet Winter and its Fruit is ripe in March when 't is but early Spring c. and therefore it hath its Name from its early appearance both of Buds Blossoms and Fruit but here it is made a Resemblance of an Hoary Head yet with this difference 1 st The Almond flourisheth in the Spring but the Hoary Head in the Winter of our Old Age. 2 dly That Tree hath all its white Blossoming Flowers before the Fruit but we have our white Hairs after our Fruit-bearing to God in our Generation-work Notwithstanding this double Disparity there is this one Congruity that runs parallel betwixt them namely that the
Hoary Head found in the way of Righteousness is the flourishing Crown of the Old Man in the Spring of a better World unto which he is hastening with white Snow or Church-yard Flowers upon his Head This makes up another of the five Characters afore-mentioned that Old Age hath White Sugar in its Hair as it is Gray-headed c. The 11 th Evil of Old Age is then the Grashopper or Locust shall be a Burden that is the Old Man cannot bear the least Weight or Burden no not the Weight or Burden of a Locust or Grashopper because he is already become a Burden to himself by manifold Distempers upon him as Gout Phthisick c. But another learned Expositor interprets this Clause neither by the noise of the Locust for that is intimated before ver 4. in the Voice of the Bird nor by its weight Hyperbolically spoken to signifie that the lightest Burden is a Load to Old People but most fitly as he saith it is meant of the slowness of the Aged's digestion For tho' the Locust be a clean and wholesom Food Levit. 11.22 and much used in those Hot Countries especially by the poorer sort of People Matth. 3.4 yet even this Light Meat proves heavy and burdensome to the Old Man's Stomach The 12 th Evil of Old Age is that then Desire shall fail that is not only Appetite either to Meat or to Drink as was in Barzillai afore-named but also all vehement and strong Affections to the common Pleasures of this Life called the Delights of the Sons of Men Eccles 2.8 such as are the Lusts of the Flesh the Lusts of the Eye and the Pride of Life all these shall be taken away c. Hence famous Tully reckons this as one great Benefit by Old Age quod Hominem a libidinis aestu velut a quodam Tyranno liberabit that it sets a Man free from the Fire and Flagrancy of Lust as from a great Tyrant And this also implied in that Etymology of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies an Elder derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ignis and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extinguo to wit the Quenching of Fire Thus far go the First sort of Evils attending the former part of Old Age while we are yet able to walk abroad now follow the Second Sort that do accompany our Decrepit Age which are the symptoms and forerunners of approaching Death and then it is that we are said to have one Foot in the Grave There is yet one of the Five Characters behind to be now mentioned namely the Old Man hath also an Almanack in his Bones as well as Eyes or Spectacles in his Pocket a Leg or Staff in his Hand Sugar or Snow in his Hoary Head and Teeth or Knife at his Girdle Now this Almanack is the many Aches and Pains all over his Body which makes him Weather-wise and wiser than his Almanack and can better prognosticate that ill weather is near at hand when he begins to feel many pungent pricking Pains infesting the Humours of several parts of his Body the like Prognosticks as the Lord Bacon in his Natural History telleth us are found in some certain Weather-wise Fowls which against stormy Seasons will make most doleful Ditties and sad Outcries and the Reason hereof as that learned Nobleman rendreth it is because then the purified Air penetrates into the Quils of their Feathers which puts them to much Anguish and causeth them to cry out after◠an hiddious manner Thus it is with us in our Decrepid Age such Cramps and Convulsions do come upon us as do foretel the Storm of Death is drawing nigh and that we are going apace to our long home Eccles 12.5 And therefore the Moral of the Apologue is very weighty and well worthy of serious consideration The Story in the Fable runs thus There was a Man who made this Bargain with Death not to come for taking away his Life and sending him away into another World until he had due notice and warning hereof before hand Death agrees and the Bargain was struck up between them both After this the Man liveth a long time yet not altogether without some Ailments and Illments all standing memorials of Mortality At the last Death comes in good earnest as God's Sergeant to Arrest him and to carry him to the Prison of the Grave Nay saith the Man to Death Hold now thy Hand for I must bind thee to thy Bargain wherein thou bound thy self to give me timely notice and due warning of thy coming To this Death smartly replied Oh Man how many Harbingers hast thou had concerning my coming in those sundry Distempers of Tooth-ach Head-ach and such like all which were my Forerunners but thou minded them not therefore Thou Fool at this Time thy Soul shall be required of thee as Luke 12.20 whereupon Death cast his fatal Javeling at him struck him down dead and hurried him away to his place in another World The Moral of this Mystical Fable is this That even all the Infirmities of the First Sort namely not only the Five Characters of Old Age fore-mentioned with all the other Decays of Nature which the Eldest Son of Wisdom Solomon recordeth Eccles 12.1,2,3,4,5 they are all Summons sent from Heaven to us that we may be making ready for our departure from this Earth But more especially those of this latter Sort which do more immediately introduce Death it self The two First whereof be external in the last of part ver 5. As 1 st Man is just a going to his long Home Gnal Beth Gnalamo Hebrew the House of his Age the Grave where he shall rest until the Day of his Resurrection Job 14.12 Now the Sentence of Death is seen by many indicant Signs to writ upon him as 2 Cor. 1.9 and he lies sighing out those sad words of Job My Spirit is spent my Days are extinct the Graves are ready for me Job 17.1 2 dly The Mourners go about the Streets that is his Friends and Neighbours run to see him die and to close up his Eyes making many mournful Moans and Lamentations over him to provoke others to lament with them Amos 5.16 and Jer. 22.18 This is one of the dues of the Dead so it be done aright The Four following Decays are Internal ver 6. in the very Act of Dying namely the dissolution and perishing of those principal parts wherein the life and strength of Nature do inwardly consist As 1 st Or ever the Silver Cord be loosed that is the Marrow of the Back-Bone which runneth from the Brain through the Neck to the bottom of the Back through twenty four Joints and takes in therewith all the Sinews of the other parts of the Body and which are the Ligaments of all the Members Now as this Marrow is of a Silver Colour and is therefore called a Silver Cord so as it is a Cord that ties all the whole Body together Now when this Cord comes to loosened the Back bendeth Motion
it is indeed a Terror to Kings too the Philosopher calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most formidable of Formidables and Nature in the best doth find it frightful enough yet our Lord saith I will not leave you Comfortless John 14.18 The First Comfort against the Fear of Death and that our Lord hath left us for our Relief is 1 Cor. 15.55 that Christ hath unstinged that Serpent and that now his Redeemed may triumph over it Moses first fled from the Serpent but being better informed he took it by the Tail and then it became an Useful Rod in his Hand Exod. 4.3,4 Thus Israel at first fled from Goliah as affrighted with the sight of such a Monster of Mankind but so soon as they understood that David had slain him and laid him along without his Head upon the ground then did they run as fast to him to trample upon him c. as they had before run away from him sore affrighted 1 Sam. 17.24,52 So could we but believe that Christ our Lord David had swallowed up Death in Victory as we are assured Isai 25.8 and that Christ's Death is the Death of Death Hos 13.14 then might we sing a Triumphant Song with the Apostle over both Death and the Grave c. A Second Breast of Comfort against the Fear of Death is that precious Promise of God Thou shalt not be afraid when Destruction or Death cometh Job 5.21 and thus God said to Old Jacob fear not to go down to Egypt for I will be with thee and I will bring thee back again c. Gen. 46.3,4 Accordingly our Saviour saith to his sanctified ones Isai 13.3 Fear not to go down among the Dead which is a going the way of all the Earth Josh 23.14 for I will go down with thee and I will assuredly also bring thee back again as one of my Children of the Resurrection Luke 20.36 as if he had said I will bring you without failure from the Jaws of Death to the Joys of Heaven as surely as Ezra and Nehemiah brought all the Captive Jews out of the Captivity of Babylon and we must consider for our Comfort that Death seizeth upon the Body only which we derive from the First Adam as Joseph's Mistress seized only upon Joseph's Garment his Person escaped so the pretious Soul is returned to God that gave it Eccles 12.7 A Third Breast of Consolation for Saints to suck against the Fear of Death is the Righteous hath Hope in his Death Prov. 14.32 Death to a Believer is as the Vally of Achor Josh 7.24,27 Israel's entrance into the Land of Promise a Door of Hope Hos 2.15 into the Heavenly Canaan there to sing Hallelujah's to the Lord for ever Death indeed to Sinners is but a Trap-door that drops them down into Hell Psal 9.17 When that Grim-Sergeant Arrests them by God's Permission and Commission in the Devil's Name and hurls them into an Infinite Ocean of Hell-fire Oh what Dreadful Skreaks doth that Guilty Soul give when it is hurried away and hurled into Everlasting Burnings Isai 33.14 and to swim naked as i◠Scalding Lead and Liquor for evermore But blessed be God 't is better with the Saints whose Debts are all paid by their Dear Redeemer they are not afraid of the Arrest of Death but looks upon it as God's Officer sent to give them possession of a Mansion of Glory and therefore their Hearts are not troubled when their Lord sends for them to be ever with him in Heavenly Happiness John 14.1,2,3,4 and 16.7 and 1 Thes 4.17.18 Oh how willing was Old Jacob to go down into Egypt when it was only to see his younger Son Joseph whom he had not seen for many years c. How much more willing yea desirous ought we to be to go up to Heaven a far better place than Egypt there to see our Elder Brother Jesus Christ How glad were those Three Wise Men of the East to take a long Journey when it was only to see the Babe of Bethlehem Christ in the Cradle c Now if we can but say as those Wise Men said We have seen his Star c. Matth. 2.2,11 how much more ought we to long for this Journey c. that we may behold our Lord Christ advanced upon the Throne of his Glory and to behold his Face in Righteousness Psal 17.15 c. which is a Beatifical Vision a Sight far exceeding those Three Romam in Flore Paulum in Ore Christum in Carne which Father Augustin so earnestly wished to see namely Rome in its Glory Paul in the Pulpit and Christ in the Flesh Alas all those Sights are infinitely below the beholding him in his Glory 1 John 3.2 It was a good Prayer of the same Augustin saying Lord can no Man see thy Face and live O then let me die that I may see it c. A Fourth Cordial against the Fear of Death is Better is the day of our Death than the day of our Birth Eccles 7.12 'T is better every way For 1. Our Birth begins our Miseries but our Death ends them if we die in the Lord we are blessed Rev. 14.13 Whereas Man born of a Woman is born to trouble c. Job 14.1 Yea miserable so soon as warm in the Womb at Conception Psal 51.5 Birth is our entrance into this lower present Evil World Gal. 1.4 but Death in Christ is our entrance into the best and blessed World 2. We come crying into this World c. but some Saints have gone singing and triumphing out of it into a better World hoping that their Death was but the Day-break of Eternal Brightness c. A Fifth Cordial is that Death cannot separate us from the Love of God Rom. 8.28 'T is so far from destroying the Union that it is called a sleeping in Jesus 1 Thes 4.14 And as by sleep the frame of the Body is refreshed so by Death the Union of the Soul is refined Now when we are wearied with our days Labour we are not afraid to go take our rest When Lazarus died our Lord said our Friend Lazarus sleepeth John 11.11 and he said the same of Jairus's Daughter Matth. 9.24 and this is the frequent Phrase in Scripture to call Death a Sleep Job 7.21 2 Sam. 7.12 1 Cor. 11.30 Now as Sleep doth not separate Friends but only for a time betwixt good Night and good Morrow so no more doth Death which is but a bidding good Night for after sleeping in the Grave as in a Bed Isai 57.2 the Morning comes to rise again The Sixth Cordial is 2 Cor. 5.1,2,3 to 9. We know 't is not we think or we hope only this is the true Triumph of our Trusting in Christ our leaning upon the Lord Isai 50.10 that when our Clayie Cottages moulder down we have a Mansion of Glory to go to While we abide in those tottering Tabernacles we groan earnestly being Burdened ver 2.4 that is both with Sin and Misery whereof we have here our
Back-burdens Now who would not but be disburdened and be at Ease and Rest in the Grave the Weary find Rest Job 3.17 but the Rest that is found in Christ Matth. 11.28,29,30 is for the Soul as well as Body c. Rev. 14.13 and who would not be willing to put off Rotten Rags and to put on Royal Robes c. Many more Cordials might be mentioned as 7 thly For me saith Paul to die is Gain Phil. 1.21 because Death to a good Man brings freedom from all Evil and a fruition of all Good And hereupon he 8 thly He desired to be dissolved c. ver 23. The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to launch forth to loose off from the Shore of Life and to launch out into the Ocean of Immortality and Glory this was all his Song he longed to be with Christ ever after he had been wrapt up to the Third Heaven 9 thly Yea and Old Simeon thought it best of all with Paul to die when he sang that sweet Song Lord now let thy Servant depart in peace c. Luke 2.29 as is largely spoke to before adding only this here he only saw the Lord's-Christ in weakness with an Eye of Sense but we see him in Glory with an Eye of Faith therefore may better depart not in Peace only but also in Joy and Comfort 10 thly How couragious was that Proto-Martyr Stephen against the Terrors of a most Terrible Death after he had seen the Heavens opened and Christ standing at the Right Hand of God Acts 7.56 The like Prospect we have offered to our Faith which is the Key that opens Heaven and may we but fix our Spiritual Eyes upon that Glorious Object this would wonderfully enable us to lay down our Mortal Bodies in peace and send up our Immortal Souls into the Hands of him that bought it crying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Lastly But thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.57 with 55 56. Thirdly The Cordials against Terrors of the Day of Judgment which surely follows Death Heb. 9.27 and which is called a Terrible and Dreadful Day very often in Scripture as that Day shall burn like an Oven Mal. 4.1 the Sun turned into Darkness and Moon into Blood Acts 2.20 and Elements shall melt with fervent Heat c. 2 Pet. 3.10 and the Lord will come in flaming Fire c. 2 Thes 1.7,8 and with Fire and Sword will God plead with all Flesh c. Isai 66.15,16 see likewise Joel 2.31 Matth. 25.31,32 Rev. 1.7 c. Now if a Crack of Thunder and a Flash of Lightning at the breaking of a single sorry Cloud do so affright us how much more when the whole Heavens break and drop down like Scalding Bell-Mettal about our Ears c. Yet Note well 1 st There is Comfort for the Chosen Ones they shall be caught up in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall ever be with the Lord and therefore comfort your selves c. 1 Thes 4,16,17,18 2 dly As Death leaves us so the Day of Judgment will find us as the Tree falleth towards the South or towards the North there it lieth Eccles 11.3 Even so as is before observed if we fall by Death upon the Right Hand of Christ among his pretious Sheep then are we called upon to lift up our Heads for the Day of our Redemption is come Luke 21.28 Ephes 4.30 that way the Tree leans that way it falls Oh that while we live we may lean to Christ 3 dly The due Observation of the main end of Life is to be useful to the end of our Lives wee should be ever ready Matth. 24.44 May we but become good Stewards then blessed is that Servant whom his Master shall find so doing ver 46. 4 thly Tho' we be conscious to our selves that our Obedience has been exceeding narrow to God's Commandments which are exceeding broad Psal 119.96 yet may we rejoice with Trembling Phil. 2.11 because our Judge is our Advocate who became sin for us c. that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 1 John 2.1,2 5 thly May we but upon good grounds be persuaded that we are justified by Faith then have we peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5.1 this is known if we be sanctified by the Spirit 2 Thes 2.13 For this latter doth evidence the former and having got God's Seal and Earnest which he never gives to a Reprobate then fear not Gen. 15.1 6 thly Be sure to have the Line of Scarlet Thread bound to our Windows as Rahab had Josh 2.18 this was the saving Colour a Red Cord Thus Israel's Door-posts must be Red with Blood when the destroying Angel passed over Egypt Rahab made haste and delayed not as Psal 119.60 So soon as she dismissed the Spies long before Jericho fell c. Oh could we get this Scarlet Line the Blood of Christ fixed upon our Hearts this Sign saved Rahab and made her famous Heb. 11.31 and Jam. 2.25 then our Joshuah will save us and say to us also Come ye blessed of my Father inherit c. Matth. 25.34 In the mean time we Aged Ones must be ever praying Lord cast me not off in my Old Age and forsake me not when strength fails me Psal 71.9 Laus Ei Soli tribuatur omnes Cujus Afflatu Labor extat omnis Fructus ut Vitae reserantur omnes orbis in Oras FINIS Christopher Nesse aetatis suae 56 1678 Minnister of the Gospel in fleet Street London
into the image of sin he cannot do wickedly with both hands earnestly Mic. 7.3 he is not past feeling to work all uncleanness with greediness for he hath not so learned Christ Ephes 4.19,20 Sin cannot carry it away without some Counter-Buffs So 't is farther said We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not to wit that sin unto Death the unpardonable sin no not other sins as other Sinners that are the Slaves of Satan but he keepeth himself so as that the wicked one cannot touch him that is with any of his deadly touches He cannot thrust in his venemous Sting so far as to destroy the Seed of God in him that is begotten of God as he doth into the very Spirits of those called the Serpents Seed even the World that lieth in wickedness 1 John 5.18,19 with ver 16. From whence we may argue and upon better grounds than that Pagan Dame before-named did that if the Seed of God be in us if we be begotten and born of God none of those Principalities and Powers of Hell nor any of those Rulers of the Darkness of this World nor any Spiritual Wickedness in high places as the phrase is Ephes 6.12 shall ever be able to prevail against us but they shall surely fall before us They may indeed sometimes in case of some Divine Desertion put us foully to the Foil but they can never give us a total and a final Fall for God so puts his fear into the hearts of his Covenanted People that they shall not depart from him but he will cause them to fear him for ever Jer. 32.39,40,41 for here lies the Riches of the Covenant of Grace that tho' for some glorious ends of unsearchable Divine Wisdom it sometimes doth permit a fall even in the choicest and chiefest of the Favourites of Heaven yet it always doth ensure Repentance after the Fall as it was in the case both of David and Peter they both did fall foully but neither of them did fall finally they both got up again by the helping hand of their Heavenly Father And this may be a little illustrated by the example afore-named of Mordecai and Haman If a Jew fall before a Persian as Mordecai did before Haman yet may he get up again and prevail as did Mordecai against Haman but if a Persian or any Gentile doth but begin to fall before a Jew he shall not be able to stop from falling down nor to rise up again as did Haman before Mordecai he did fall to the lowest and utmost ebb of disgrace and misery yea and tho' he was advanced on high upon the highest Gallows that we read or hear of which he had erected for the Jew Mordecai yet he did most fatally fall into the bottomless Pit of Hell also to be an eternal Companion with proud Lucifer and his faln Angels c. All this may afford matter of great encouragement to us in our Christian Warfare that the Seed of God in us will spring up gradually notwithstanding the many bitter Blasts of Hail and Snow that fall upon it and will in due season bring fortn a most happy Harvest as Psal 126.5,6 but we must be careful to war this good warfare 1 Tim. 1.18 and fight this good fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 both in God's Arms which makes our Bow to abide in strength Gen. 49.24 and which strengthens us with a kind of omnipotency in doing all things Phil. 4.13 yea and in God's Armour also Ephes 6.12 to 19. whereby we may be able not only to stand our ground but also to quench all the fiery Darts of the Devil yea and if we resist him stedfast in the Faith we shall put him to the flight and win the Day and so wear the Crown of Conquerors Jam. 4.7 1 Pet. 5.8,9 Let us all along observe the Apostle's Rule Whatsoever we do in Word and Deed let all be done in the Name of the Lord Jesus Col. 3.17 David acknowledges it was by God's strength and not by his own c. In all those fore-named places of the Psalms and in 2 Sam. 22.30,33,34,35,36,37 c. wherein he saith that God was his strength and that girded him with strength so to rout the Ranks of his Enemies and so to beat them down that they could never rise up any more c. and this was when he hurl'd as it were the force of God himself at the Face of great Goliah he ascribes all the Glory both of his Valour and of his Victory unto God's strength and not unto his own c. The 4 th Character of a Conqueror is to take the Conquered captive and to clap them up close Prisoners as Joshuah did with his five conquered Kings shutting them up in the Cave at Makedah and rolling great Stones to the Mouth of the Cave that they might be kept there close Prisoners until the time of their execution Josh 10.18 and when he brought them to be executed he made his Captains to set their Feet upon the Necks of those five Kings and then he hanged them up upon five Trees ver 24 26 c. Even so our Joshuah or Jesus doth all those Offices of Love for us as that Joshuah did for Israel our Lord ascendeth up on high he leadeth captivity Captive c. Psal 68.18 and Ephes 4.8 and then he saith afterward as for those my Enemies that would not have me to reign over them bring them forth and slay them before me Luke 19.27 This phrase of leading captivity captive is an allusion to the Roman Conquerors who rode through the City Rome up to the Capitol in their Triumphant Chariots leading their conquered Captives all along with their Hands bound behind them to be disposed of afterwards according to the pleasure of the Conqueror either to present Death or to perpetual Imprisonment Thus likewise our Lord who rideth on Conquering and to Conquer upon the white Horse of the Gospel Rev. 6.2 doth lead Captivity Captive that is those Spiritual Enemies that formerly did captivate us Our Lord doth now through grace captivate them and they are principally Three which make up this Captivity that our Lord leads Captive for us The First is the Flesh whereof Paul complaineth that the Law of the Members did not only war against the Law of his Mind but it also brought him into Captivity to the Law of Sin and made him cry out Oh wretched man c. yet did he look through this Black Cloud at Christ his Deliverer Rom. 7.23,24,25 as it is said If we be in Christ and he in us then have we crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts Gal. 5.24 When Christ came into the World it was our sins that crucified Christ and so when Christ comes into our Hearts he likewise crucifies our sinful Flesh in us as the body of sin did crucifie Christ so Christ doth crucifie the body of sin Now to crucifie is not to kill outright at one blow but it is to put to