him World take him Devil for your own I have no delight in him O who dare draw back when God hath hedged up the way with such terrible threats as these Quest. 8. Can I look Christ in the face at the Day of Iudgment if I desert him now He that is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful Generation of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels Mark 8. 38. Yet a little while and you shall see the sign of the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with Pâ—wer and great Glory the last Trump shall sound the dead both small and great even all that sleep in the dust shall awake and come before that great white Throne on which Christ shall sit in that day And now do but imagine thou saw'st the trembling knees and quivering lips of guilty sinners imagine thou heardest the dreadful sentence of the Judge upon them Go ye cursed c. and then a cry the weeping wailing and wringing of hands that there shall be wouldst thou desert Christ now to protract a poor miserable life on earth If the word of God be true if the sayings oâ— Christ be 〈◊〉 and â—aithful this shall be the portion of the Apostaâ—e 'T is an easie thing to stop the mouth of Conscience now but wilâ— it be easâ—â— to stop the mouth of the Judge then Thus keep thy heart that it depart not from the living God Seas 12. The twelfth season of looking diligently to our hearts and keeping them with greatest care is the time of sickness When a Child of God dâ—aws â—nigh to eternity when there are but a few sands more in the upper part of his Glass to run down Now Satan busily bestitâ—s himself of him it may be said as of the natural Serpent nunquaem nisi moriens producitur in longum he is never seen at his full length till dying and now his great designe since he cannot win the soul from God is to discourage and make it unwilling to go to God though the gracious soul with Iacob should then rouse up its self upon a dying bed and rejoyce that the marriage day of the Lamb is now almost come though it should then say with dying Austen Vivere renuo ut Christovivam I despise life to be with Christ. Or as dying Milius when one asked him whether he were willing to dye O said he Iâ—â—ius est nolle mori qui nolit ire ad Christum let him be unwilling to dye who is unwilling to go to Christ. But O! what shrinking from death What loathness to depart may sometimes indeed too frequently be observed in the people of God How loath are some of them to take Death by the cold hand If such a liberty were indulged to us not to be dissolved till we dissolve our selves when should we say with S. Paul I desire to be dissolved Well then the last Case shall be this Case 12. How the people of God in times of sickness may get their hearts loose from all earthly ingagements and perswade them into a willingness to dye And there are seven arguments which I shall urge upon the people of God at such a time as this to make them cheerfully entertain the messengers of death and dye as well as live like Saints and the first is this 1. Argu. First the harmlesness of death to the people of God Tâ—ough it keep its dart it hath lost its sting a Saint to allude to that Isai. 11. 8. May play upon the hole of this aspe and put his hand into the Cockatrices den Death is the Cockatrice or Aspe the grave is his hole or den a Saint need not fear to put his hand boldly into it it hath left and lost its sting in the sides of Christ 1 Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting why art thou afraid O Saint that this sickness may be thy death as long as thou knowest that the death of Christ is the death of death indeed if thou didst dye in thy sins as Ioh. 8. 21. If death as a King did reign over thee Rom. 5. 14. if it could â—eed upon thee as the Lyon doth upon the prey he hath taken as Psal. 49. 14. If hell followed the pale horse as it is Rev. 6. 8. Then thou mightest well startle and shrink back from it but when God hath put away thy sins from thee as far as the East is from the West Psal. 103. 12. As long as there is no other evil left in death for thee to encounter with but bodily pain as long as the Scriptures represent it to thee under such harmless and easy notions as the putting off thy cloaths 2 Cor. 5. 2. And lying down to sleep upon thy bed Isai. 57. 2. Why shouldest thou be afraid there is as much difference betwixt death to the people of God and others as betwixt the Unicorns horn when it is upon the head of that fierce beast and when it is in the Apothecaries shops where it is made salubrious and medicinal 2. Arg. Thy heart may he kept from shrinking back at such a time as this by considering the necessity of death in order to the full fruition of God Wheâ—her thou art willing to dye or no I assure thee there is no other way to obtain the full satisfaction of thy Soul and compleat its happiness till the hand of death do thee the kind offiâ—e to draw aside the curtain of flesh thy Soul cannot see God this animal life stanâ—s betwixt him and thee 2 Cor. 5. 6. Whilest we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. Thy body must be refined and cast into a new mould else that new wine of heavenly glory would break it Paul in his highest rapture 2 Cor. 12. 4. when he heard things unutterable was then but as a stander by a looker on not admitted into the company as one of them but as the Angels are in our assemblies so was Paul in that glorious assembly above and no otherwise and yet even for this he must as it were be taken out of the body uncloathed for a little time to have a glimpse of that glory and then put on his cloathes again O then Who would not be willing to dye for a full sight and enjoyment of God Methinks thy soul should look and sigh like a Prisoner through the Grates of this Mortality O that I had wings like a Dove then would I fly away and be at rest Most men need patience to dye but a Saint that understands what death admits him to should rather need patience to live methinks he should often look out and listen on a death-bed for his Lords coming and when he receives the news of his approaching change should say The voice of my Beloved behold he cometh leaping over the Mountains skipping over the Hills Cant. 2. 8. Arg. 3. Another Argument perswading to
profession turn aside and desert the cause of Christ 2 Tim. 2. 19. 5 When God hides his face in a suffering hour Ier. 17. 17. 6 When Satan falls upon us with strong temptations to question the grounds of our sufferings or the Souls interest in Christ Now t is heard to keep the heart from turning back and the steps from declining Gods ways The eleventh question then shall be this 11. Case How the heart may be kept from relapsing under the greatest sufferings for religion If the bitterness of sufferings at any time cause thy Soul to distaste the way of God and take up thoughts of forsaking it stay thine heart under that temptation by propounding these 8. questions solemnly to it 1. Quest. What reproach and dishonour shall I pour upon Christ and religion by deserting him at such a time as this This will proclaim to all the world that how much soever I have boasted of the promises yet when it comes to the tryal I dare hazard nothing upon the credit of them and how will this open the mouths of Christs enemies to blaspheme O better I had never been born then that worthy name should be blasphemed through me shall I furnish the triumphs of the uncircumcised shall I make mirth in Hell O if I did but value the name of Christ as much as many a wicked man values his own name I would never endure to see it exposed to such contempt will proud dust and ashes venture death yea Hell rather then a blot upon their name and shall I venture nothing to salve the honour and reputation of Christ 2. Quest. Dare I violate my conscience to save my flesh who shall comfort me when conscience wounds me What comfort is there in life liberty or friends when peace is taken away from the inner man when Constantius threatned to cut off Samosatenus his right hand if he would not subscribe somewhat that was against his conscience he held up both his hands to the messenger that was sent saying he shall cut off both rather then I will do it farewel all peace joy and comfort from that day forward â—ad Zimri peace that slew his master said Iezebel so say I here had Iudas peace had Spira peace and shall you have peace if you tread in their steps O consider what you do 3. Quest. Is not the publick interest of Christ and religion infinitely more then any private interest of my own T is a famous passage that of Terentius Captain to Adrian the Emperour he presented a petition to Adrian that the Christians might have a temple by themselves to worship God apart from the Arrians the Emperour tore his petition and threw it away bidding him to aske somewhat for himself and it should be granted but he modestly gathered up the pieces of his petition again and told him if he could not be heard in Gods caâ—se he would never ask any thing for himself Yea even Tully though an Heathen could say ne immortalitatem quidem contra rem publicam he would not accept even of immortality it self against the Common-wealth O if we had more publick we should not have such cowardly spirits 4. Qu. Did Iesus Christ serve me so when for my sake he exposed himself to far greater sufferings than can be before me His sufferings were great indeed he suffered from all hands in all his offices in every member not only in his body buâ— in his Soul yea the suffâ—rings of his Soul were the very Soul of his sufferings witness the bloody sweat in the garden witness the heart melting and heaven rending outcry upon the crâ—ss My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and yet he flinched not he endured the cross despising the shame Alas what are my sufferings compared with Christs he hath drunk up all that vinegar and gall that would make my suffeâ—ings bitter When one of the Martyrs was asked why he was so merry at his death Oh said he it is because the Soul of Christ was so heavy at his death did Christ bear such a burden for me with unbroken patience and constancy and shall I shrink back for momentary and light affictions for him 5. Qu. Is not eternal life worth the suffering of a moments pain If I suffer with him I shall raign with him O how will men venture life and limb for a fading crown swim through seas of blood to a throne and will I venture nothing suffer nothing for the Crown of Glory that fadâ—th not away my dog will follow my horses heels from morning to night take many a weary step through mâ—re and dirt rather then leave me though at night all he gets by it is but bones and blows If my Soul had any true greatness any sparks of generosity in it how would it despise the sufferings of â—he way for the glory of the end how would it break down all difficulties before it whilâ—st by an eye of faith it sees the forerunner who is already entred standing as it were upon the walls of Heaven with the Crown in his hand saying he that overcometh shall inherit all things come on then my Soul come on there is eternal life laid up for them that by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory honour and immortality Rom. 2. 7. 6. Qu. Can I so easily cast off the socieâ—y and company of the Saints and give the right hand of fellowship to the wicked How can I part with such lovely companions as these have been how often have I been benefited by their counsels Ezra â—0 3. how oâ—ten refreshed warmed and quickned by their company Eccles. 4. 10 11. How often have I fasted and prayed with them what sweet counsel have I taken with them and gone to the house of God in company and shall I now shake hands with them and say farewell all ye Saints for ever I shall never be among you more come drunkards swearers â—â—asphemers persecutors you shall be my everlasting companions O rather let my body and Soul be rent a sunder then that ever I should say thus to the excellent of the earth in whom is all my delight Quest. 7. Have I seriously considered the terrible Scripture Comminations against back-sliders O my heart darest thou turn back upon the very points of such threatnings as these Ier. 17 5 6. Thus saith the Lord cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the Lord for he shall be like the Heath in the Desart and shall not see when good cometh i. e. the curse of God shall wither him root and branch And Heb. 14. 26 27. If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful looking for of Iudgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries And again verse 38. If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him as if he should say take
this willingness is the immediate succession of a more excellent and glorious life 'T is but wink and you shall see God your happiness shall not be deferred till the Resurrection but as soon as the body is dead the gracious soul is swallowed up in Life Rom. 8. 10 11. When once you have loosed from this shore in a few moments your souls will be wafted over upon the wings of Angels to the other shore of a glorious eternity Phil. 1. 23. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Did the Soul and body dye together as Beryllus taught or did they sleep till the resurrection as others have groundlessly fancied it had been a madness for Paul to desire a dissolution for the injoyment of Châ—ist For if this were so he injoyed more of Christ whilst his Soul dwelt in its flâ—shly Tabernacle then he should out of it There are but two waies of the Souls living known in Scripture viz. the life of faith and the life of vision 1 Cor. 5. 5. those two divide all time both present and future betwixt them 1 Cor 13. 12. If when faith fails Sight should not immediately succeed what should become of the unbodied Soul but blessed be God this great heart-establishing truth is evidently revealed in Scripture Luke 23. 43. â—ou have Christs promise Iohn 14. 3. I will come and receive you to my self O what a change will a few moments make upon your condition rouse up dying Saint when thy Soul is come out a little farther when it shall stand like Abraham in its tent door the Angels of God shall soon be with it the Souls of the elect are as it were put out to the Angels to nurse and when they dye these Angels carry them home again to their fathers house if an Angel were caused to fly swiftly to bring a Saint the answer of his prayer Dan. 9. 21. How much more will the Angels come post from Heaven to receive and transfer the praying Soul it self 4. Arg. Farther It may much conduce to thy willingness to dye to consider that by death God oft times hides his people out of the way of all temptations and troubles upon earth Rev. 14. 13. Write from henceforth blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord. T is Gods usual way when some extraordinary calamities are coming upon the world to set his people out of harms way before hand Isai. 57. 1. Merciful men are taken away from the evil to come So Mich. 7. 1 2. When such an evil time comes as is there described That they all lye in wait for blood and every man hunts his brother with a net before that God by an act of favour houses his people before hand dost thou know what evil may be in the earth which thou art so loath to leave thy God removes thee for thy great advantage thou art disbanded by death and called off the field other poor Saints must stand to it and endure a great fight of afflictions T is observed that Methusala dyed the very year before the flood Augustin a little before the sacking of Hippo. Paereus just before the taking of Heidelberg Luther observes that all the Apostles dyed before the destruction of Ierusalem and Luther himself before the wars brake out in Germany it may be the Lord sees thy tender heart cannot endure to see the misery or bear the temptations that are coming and therefore will now gather thee to thy 〈◊〉 in peace and yet wilt thou cry O spare me a little longer 5. Arg. If yet thy heart hang back consider the great advantage you will have by death above all that ever you enjoyed on earth And that 1 As to your communion with God 2 As to your communion with Saints 1. For your communion with God the time of perfecting that is now come thy Soul shall shortly stand before the face of God and have the immediate emanations and beamings forth of his glory upon it here thy Soul is remote from God the beams of his glory strike it but obliquely and feebly but shortly it will be under the line and there the sun shall stand still as it did in Gibeon there shall be no cloudings nor declineings of it O how should this wrap thy Soul with desires of being uncloathed 2. As for the injoyment of Saints here indeed we have fellowship with them of the lower form but that fellowship is so dissweetened by remaining corruptions that there is no satisfaction in it as it is the greatest plague that can befall an hypocrite to live in a pure Church so t is the greatest vexation to the Spirit of a Saint to live in a corrupt and disordered Church But when death hath admitted you into that glorious assembly of the Spirits of just men made perfect you shall have the desire of your hearts here you cannot fully close one with another yea you cannot fully close with your own Souls O what discords jarrings censurings are here what perfect blessed harmony there in Heaven each Saint loves another as himself thâ—y are altogether lovely O my Soul hast thee away from the Lyons dens from the mountains of Bether from divided Saints to those mountains of Myrhe and hill of Frankinsense thou art now going to thine own people as the Apostles phrase imports 2. Cor. 5 8. 6. Arg. If all this will not doe Consider what heavy burdens death will ease thy shoulders of In this Tabernacle we groan being burdened 1 With bodily distempers how true do we find that of Theophrastue the Soul pays a dear rent for the tenement it now lives in but glorified bodies are clogged with no indispositions death is the best Physician it will cure thee of all diseases at once 2 With the indwelling of sin this makes us groan from the very bowels Rom. 7. 24. But he that is dead is free from sin Rom. 6. 7. Hath justification destroyed its damning power and sanctification its Raigning power so glorification destroyes its very being and existence 3 We groan under temptations here but as soon as we are out of the body we are out of the reach of temptation when once thou art got into Heaven thou mayest say now Sathan I am there where thou canst not come for as the damned in Hell are malo obfirmati so fixed in sin and misery that their condition cannot be altered so glorified Saints are bonâ— confirmati so fixed in holiness and glory that they cannot be 〈◊〉 4 Here we groan under varioâ—â— trâ—ubles and afflictions but then the days of our mourning are ended God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes O then let us hast away that we may be at rest 7. Arg. If still thou linger like Lot in Sodom then lastly examine all the pleas and pretences for a longer time on earth Why art thou unwilling to dye 1. Object O I have many relations in the World I know not what will become of them when I am gone Sol. 1. If