ea regula qua caetera talia declinantur et c. Aug. de civit Dei lib. 13. cap. 11. Which made Augustine wittily gloss upon the word moritur I know not saies he how it comes to passe that this word is not declined as other words for mortuus doth not come regulary of moritur as ortus of oritur Cenvenienter ut quemadmodum id quod significat non potest agendo ita verbum non potest declinari loquendo very congruously and fitly that as the thing cannot be declined in action so neither the word by way of speaking Considering the effects it conquers bloodily multo sanguine vulneribus c. Death cannot but be a deadly enemy Sometimes great Victories are obtained by the flight of an enemie out of the feild sometimes by taking many prisoners without much blood shed but [c] In exorahilc fatum Virgil. death gives no quarter spares no mans life but whereas other conquerors save alive this doth not It was said of Pompey he triumphed in Asia Europe and Affrick wonne 1000 Castles and 800 Cities and as many Ships so that Octavius wisht himselfe Pompeii felicitatem It is written of Iulius Caesar that he overcame Europe by severity Asia by his celerity and Affrick by his sagacity and that he never had but three foyles but the Grave can say the like it was never deceived of Victory but three times especially viz. at the [c] Qui nec dum mortem gustavit ut aeternitatis candidatus jam nobis ostenderet etc. Tertull. advers Iud. Quod hodie Enoch et Elias nondum resurrectionis idspuncti quia nec mortefuncti quà tamen de orbe tâ—anslati et hoc ipso jam aeternitatis candidati ab omni vitio et ab omni damno et ab omni injuria et contumelia immunitatem carnis ediscunt Id. de resurrect carn translation of Enoch at the ascention of Eliah and at the resurrection of Christ else it hath conquered all the world with no less severitie then celeritie vicissim 1 Vse Is the Grave so victorious Then doe not I wonder to see so many Trophies of death every where How is it that so many Churches have their Escucheons and Flags hang upon their walls Are not these the Colours that Death hath wonne How is it that I see the mourners walke in rankes Is it not Death leading a man in triumph to the Earth How is it that I see so many monuments within and without doors Are not these as pillars upon Rachels grave Are not these as the [d] Columnae rostratae Statues and Columns which among the Romanes were erected to their Conquerors Surely all these Solemnities shew no less then that Death is the great Victor and Conquerer of the World 2. Vse Let not us that are poore mortals set up our crests speak high look big or be like the [e] Jer. 2.24 wild Asse used to the wildernesse that snuffeth up the winde at her pleasure we must at last stoope to this irresistible Commander But here is the comfort of every man that is in Christ though he may be conquered by Death and the Grave for a time he shall at last be conquerer and obtaine the victory when shall be brought to passe that saying that is written and this most certainly shall be brought to passe O Death c. Part 4. Observ 4. That Death and the Grave shall one day be conquered Sub quo By what Commander by whose Militia Resol By Christ Heb. 2.10 called the Captaine of our salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [f] Quod Erasmus alij quidam principem vertunt sed constat etiam authorem inventorem archietectum ea voce significari Estius in loc the Author or Architect or the Captaine They shall be His forces that shall destroy Death 2. Quando when Resol See verse 54. When corruption c. at the Resurrection of the dead when the Trumpet shall sound to bid battle to Death when that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned 2 Pet. 3.10 shall be as the beating of the Drum and the Elements shall melt with fervent heate and all the world shall be in a flame as a beacon kindled to let Death know that the Conquerour of death is landed and Christs word shall be Mors moriatur let Death die 3. Vbi All the Earth the whole Globe Sea and Land shall be all one field in which this battle shall be fought He shall pursue his deadly enemy Death into all Countries and Nations and do continuall execution in the pursuite where ever Death hath vanquisht it shall be vanquisht 4. Quomodo how Death shall be disarmed the sting shall be taken out To take poyson out of a serpent or to draw out the sting we clap a red cloath into their jaws a peece of that garment that was red from Bozrah will draw out the sting Object The sting was taken out at the time of death for a man ceases ro sin Resol But the power of sin continues whilst we are held under Death Death shall be destroyed by Death as David killed Goliah with his own sword Heb. 2.14 He tooke upon him flesh and blood that by death he might destroy him that had the power of death g which is the devill [a] Diabolus habet imperium mortis sicut carnifex habet imperium rotae patibuli non utique absolute sed ex nutu superioris et c. Pareus in Heb. c. 2. v. 14. 5. For whom is this great Victory It is for man 1. Not for Angels they are not dead but live they weare no corruptible dying bodies and so they do not die 2. For righteous men not for evil men for though they shall live the second time yet they shall live the second time that they may die the second death not by separation of the soul from the body but by separation both of soul and body from God who is the fountaine of life nay who is the life of our lives who as he is natura naturans nature that gives nature so he is vita vivificans l fe giving life who as the soule is actus corporis organici is actus orbis universi who (h) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot Metaph. lib. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot de mundo cap. 6. moves all things himselfe immoveable This great and last Victory will be for their sakes who have fought and conquered for his sake This great fight shall be in their behalf who have fought the good fight for their sakes who have overcome the world by praier the flesh by fasting and the devil by watching and reststiing for their sakes who have overcome their sins by mortification their trials by patience their lets by perseverance their fears by hope their sence by faith and their enemies by Christ the Captaine of their salvation So that we shall be able to say as it is said of Babylon Ier. 50.22 23. A sound of battle is in the
Enemy Psal 143.3 The Enemy hath persecuted my soul he hath smitten my life down to the ground he hath made me dwell in darkness (b) Vbi sunt quos ambiebat civium potentatus Vbi insuperabiles imperatores ubi qui conventus disponebant et festa ubi equorum splendâ—di invectores ubi exercituum duces ubi Satrapae tyrannici Nunc omnia pulvis nunc omnia favilla August It persecutes the soul till it drives it out of the body it smites the life down to the ground and layes our honour in the dust it makes us dwell in darkness for what is darker than the Grave Death and the Grave are the Enemies we shall have dominion over I put both together as being both our Vanquishers now and shall be both vanquished by us hereafter Here is all the difference Death fits us for the Grave the Grave receives us after Death Death divides the Soul from the Body the Grave divides the body from the sight and company of the living Death is the Cause of Corruption the Grave is the place of Corruption Death is the Privation in the man dying and the Grave is an accident in the earth receiving a But the main difference is (c) Necesse est vel mergi cadaver in mari vel obrui terra vel in aëâ—e putreâ—cere vel consumi vel devorari a seris vel aliquid simile Quod spectat ad mersionem antea dixit mare quod ad sepulchrum nunc dicit infernus mors complectitur reliqua omnia Thomas Brightmanus in locum that the extent of Death seems larger than the extent of the grave for though Death seases upon all that the Grave seases upon yet the Grave doth not sease upon all that that Death seases on for a man may die and not finde a Grave the fire may consume him the birds beasts or fishes may devour him the water may enwrap him but then if you will use a Trope even these may be called Graves and then the extent will be the same and so we may well take it when our Saviour hath so used it (a) Porio per eos qui in monumentis sunt intelliguntur omnes mortui ab his enim qui sunt in monumentis et naturaliter sepulti etiam eos significavit qui non sunt naturaliter sepulti Iansen Comment in Concord Evang. cap. 36. Iohn 5.28 All that are in the Graves shall hear his voice What shall not those that are folded up so many folds of generation and corruption in the bowels of Creatures shall not they that (b) Rev. 20.13 And the Sea gave up the dead which were in it Convenienter hoc loco quidam mare pro isto seculo positum accipiunt saies Aug. de civit Dei lib. 20. cap. 15. But the literal sence seems more genuine Tenendus tamen videtur propâ—ius sensus de mortuis in mari Pareus in loc lie in the bottom of the Sea also hear his voice Yes therefore this shewes that all Receptacles of dead bodies yea though they be living bodies may be called Graves Death is an Enemy to our dwellings and habitations Many times the good house-keeper drops down first and then the house drops down not long after as if the dweller were the soul of the house but if this were all it were no great matter 2. It is an Enemy to friendship and acquaintance amongst men This is as Alexanders sword hath cut many a Gordian knot of friendship that no contingencies no bickerings could dissolve such as the sharp teeth of bitter words could never pull open such as the smoother fingers of close flattery could never unloose A man can be a friend but usque ad aras and no farther It is an Adage Ama tanquam osuru oderis tanquam amaturus So love as if you should shortly hate so hate as if you should shortly love But be it love or hatred it cannot last long It was Aristotles gnome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A little strangeness destroyes much friendship What greater silence or retiredness than the Grave If strangeness will break friendship Who is so strange as he that is in the Grave who knows no body and whom no body knows (c) Septuagint much differently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. accordingly the old Latin erubescant impij et deducantur in infernum muta flant labia dolosa Iun. et Tâ—emell Exâ—indantur in sepulchrum Moller id est morte coerceatur ipsorum petulantia ne amplius nocere possint Silere dicuntur quae ita auseruntur ut amplius non appareant ut cum leges dicuntur silere inter arma Et Plinius silentia lunae nominat illud temporis spatium quo luna conjuncta soli non aspiâ—itur Psal 31.17 Let them be silent in the Grave An Enemy to all natural Relations this Enemy (d) But if the Husband be dead she is loosed from the Law of the Husband Rom. 7.2 Cum enim nuptiae sint bona mortalium ut ait Augustinus lib. de nuptijs et concupiscentia non se extendit obligatio nuptiarum post vitam mortalem Et propter hoc in resurrectione quando erit vita immortalis neque nubent neque nubentur ut dicitur Math. 22. Aquin. in dictum locum dissolves the firm bond of Marriage It snatches the Wife from the Husband the Husband from the Wife Their tenure is but for term of life till death them depart It is an Enemy to all other Relations it bereaves the Father of the Son the Son of the Father the Daughter of the Mother the Mother of the Daughter It is an Enemy to Brotherhood and produces that sad Complaint Alas my Brother It may well be our Subscription your loving Father your dutifull son your loving Brother till Death but longer it cannot be To our increase for it layes aside our trading our purchasing our letting our setting our husbandry we sowe no more being to be the seed our selves and to be cast into the earth It cuts off the coveting part of our Age. It makes a fool of the Miser a Primo stultus est quia sapiens sibi videtur vir dives Secundo quia ea custodit quae custodita perduntur perdita vero custodiuntur Tertio quia eam domum et mansionem in qua in perpetuum debet permanere sibi non curat quarto quiaquae somniat vera existmat Stella in Luc. 12. ubi plura pulchrè Thou fool this night shall thy soul be taken c. To all earthly hopes It nips them in the bud and strangles them in the birth It spoils one mans preferment another mans b Quid enim seculi potest esse diuturnum cum ipsa diuturna non sint secula Ambr. in Lucae quart cap. enjoyment One man hopes to be a Judg death will not let him Another hopes to be a great Commander Death will not suffer him A third hopes after tedious journies and long absence to see his own
land how is the [i] Hoc est Babylon quae quasi malleus adamantinus percussit et contudit totam terram ita ut nihil quantumvis durum vel aeneumei resistere aut ejus ictum sustinere possit quin confringereturet dissilâ—ret A Lapid in loc Haec ipsa de morte dici possunt quae omnia confringit a Christo tandem confrigenda hammer of the whole earth cut asunder that like Iael's hammer doth not onely kill but nailes us to the earth for a certaine time Rom. 16.20 The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly So Death under your feet shortly to shew that we are to enjoy the benefit of this Victory But God shall bruise to shew that he must have the glory of the Victory and therefore Christ triumphed over his own death when he was carried up into heaven in a cloud as in a chariot for so Elias his vehiculum was called my Father the Chariots of Israel and the Horsemen thereof And one will have it that when Christ ascended up to Heaven the Angels went before and proclaimed Lift up your heads ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in 6. Why is this great Victory obtained 1. That no enemie may be left and this is the last enemie Object But is not the hell of wicked men an enemie No To them it is an enemy but not to Christ and his Members because it is the very execution of his enemies This Ark will not leave one Dagon standing 2. That man may be made up again that Death hath taken and kept asunder 3. That his wonderfull Power may be manifest Victory declares Power Psal 49.15 We reade of the power of the Grave but Christ will have all the World to see that which now onely some of the World believes that his power is greater than the power of the Grave Psal 106.8 He saved Israel at the Red Sea to make his power to be known 4. That his glory may appear in his power as his power in Victory [a] And having spoyled principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it Vt autem praeclaram hanc Christi victoriam mentis nostrae oculis visendam praebeat utitur illustribus metaohoris desumptis a consuetudine triumphantum imperatorum Nam illud verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alludit ad illam consuetudinem qua victores solebant victos armis spoliare eadem que pro trophaeo illîc figere ubi in fugam hostes versi sunt Quod autem addit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spectat illam triumphantium pompam in qua solebant ignominiae causâ ducis captivos inter se junctos agere ante curium suum triumphalem toto populo inspectante acclamante Cicero in Pisonem hunc morem triumphantium hisce verbis depingit quid tandem habet iste currus quid vincti ante currum duces quid simulacra oppidorum quid aurum quid argentum et c. Daven in Coloss Coloss 2.15 He will raise himself glory out of the confusion of his Enemies and honour out of the destruction of his Adversaries Shall Death be disarmed and the Grave conquered Corol 1 and shall we sit still and do nothing Shall Christ overcome for us hereafter and shall not we overcome for him now Are we such perfect men and such compleat Saints that we have no lusts to mortifie no temptations to vanquish Poor men Lusts God knowes too many and temptations too frequent but we neither feel the burden of the one nor know the danger of the other When King Francis the first of that name was resolved to go into Italy to recover the Dukedom of Milan he advised with his Privy Councel which way to get into Italy his Fool met him as he came from the Councel-board and told him his Councel had dealt unwisely with him for they had told him how to get into Italy but not how he should get out again It is so with us our carnal Friends can shew us the way into dangerous temptations into a Noli conscentire concuiscentiae tuae Non est unde concipiat nisi de te Aug. homil 42. cap. 8. consuming lusts that consume our Estates by prodigality our bodies by luxury our repute by infamy but they cannot shew us the way out again but leave us in the lurch Thou feeble faint-hearted Christian whom every slight temptation proves a Coward who knowest not how to deny the inticements of a sinner either to commit a sin or to do that which probably will lead thee to commission of sin remember what is written Rev. 2.7 To him that (b) Insidiae repunt in hoc seculo et in cautos repente occupant Repentes autem tentationes quis numerat Repunt sed cave ne surripiant vigiletur in ligno et c. Aug. in Psal 103. enarratio conci quart overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life not to him that is overcome 1 Pet. 1.13 Gird up the loins of thy minde be sober and hope to the end Ephes 6.14 Stand therefore having your loins girt with truth and having on the breast-plate of Righteousnesse It is better to conquer with pains than to yield with sorrow To him that is regenerate sin is worse than Death and grace is better than life Let him never look to have a share in the Conquest of the Death of the body that hath not before a share in the Conquest of the body of Death Corol 2 If Death shall be disarmed and the Grave overcome let us make up our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Apostles Doxology Thankes be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Glory be to God on high the mighty God that gives Victories the mercifull God that gives us this Victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. What praises can we use to set out this benefit or what words can we use to set out his praise who when he searches into things hidden is above all most wise When he rewards every man is most just When he bestows his Gifts is most liberal And when he conquers his Enemies is most valiant And who is it for for us Hath given us the Victory Vs Why should the great God bestow so much honour on us What are we or what is our fathers house that wee should have such Victory given us (a) Nonne fragiliores sumus quaÌ„ si vitrei essemus vitrum enim etsi fragile tamen servatum diu durat et invenis calices ab avis et proavis in quibus bibunt nepotes et pronepotes Aug. hom 28. c. 7. We whose original is dust whose excellency is vanity and whose life is sin We that have received so many Benefits returned so little thanks and deserved so much anger Whom before our Conversion no Benefits could perswade to come to God whom since our Conversion no mercies can
home to visit his Family and Death prevents him arresting him by the way and claps him into Prison We must cease to hope when we cease to be c Our dance is turned into mourning Lam. 5.15 Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To our joy and mirth When we are merry amongst our Friends sporting or feasting oftentimes in comes newes that such a dear Brother such a near Friend such a courteous neighbour is deceased and this damps all our jollity and often turnes our dancing into mourning our laughter into weeping our feasting into fasting our pastimes into pensiveness d Mors est recessus animae a corpore Aristot Mors hominis non est nisi separalio animae a corpore hac enim anima a corpore separata totum compositum moritur quia deâ—init esse compositum caro moritur quia privatur forma quae essentialiter est vita Vnde impossibile est animam esse et non vivere sicut impossible est animam esse et non esse animam Gabr. di 21. q. unica etc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Isid Pelus lib. 3. epist 248. To our very subsistence it divides matter and form it separates soul and body An Enemy to Gods Workmanship in the World a tearing a devouring Enemy So that the dying man may well say to Death seasing on him as Ahab to the Prophet Hast thou found me O mine Enemy Object But many men finde it to be a Friend 1. The extremely miserable man who had rather Nature should die in him than Misery should live in him Job 3.20 21 22. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life to the bitter in soul wh ch long for Death but it cometh not and dig for it more than for hid Treasure which rejoyce exceedingly and are glad when they can finde the Grave So also a The Septuag much otherwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iob 7.15 16 So that my soul chooseth strangling and death rather than my life I loath it I would not live alway for my dayes are vanity Yea Solomon sayes The day of our death is better than the day of our birth Eccles 7.1 2. It may seem a friend to a true godly man because at once it seems to do many good offices for him and to set him free from many incumbrances being as welcome to him that he may begin his felicity as to the other that he may end his misery It is the bridge by which he b Finis malorum janua ad vitam et c. Cyprian Mors piorum mors non est sed vita miseria hominis moritur non homo passes into a better life it sets him free from mortality it enters him into a state of immortality It puts an end to his labours it is the beginning of his reward It is the end of his tears it is the beginning of his joy It is the Goal-delivery of his soul the enlargement of his better part Resol To the first Branch Either the miserable man is in the way of righteousnesse or unrighteousnesse a childe of light or a childe of wrath an heir of everlasting promises or an object of everlasting anger a vessel of honour or a vessel of dishonour If the latter so Death is an Enemy as it puts an end to his finite miseries to begin his infinite it exempts him from temporal wrath to immerse him into eternal wrath and this is not the part of a friend but an Enemy If the former we must distinguish there is a natural enmity and an accidental enmity Naturally Death destroyes even a righteous man it at least keeps the body in Prison The fruit and wages of sin cannot absolutely naturally per se be a Friend but an Enemy if by this a godly man be dispossest of his Troubles yet is he not possest of his joys The excutioner of a Martyr sends him out of this world yet is not said to send a Martyr to heaven It is his work and so the work of Death to destroy it is the work of God to save and glorifie a Mors quando a te muliere scilicet provisa est tunc lamentandi materia fuit nunc vero facta est virtutis occasio quia tunc ad paenam peccati data est nunc permissa est resuscitantis ad gloriam tunc tartarus invenit hominem nunc amittit Chrysolog Serm. 63. Discamus recte judicare de divinâ providentiâ non ipsa mala facit sed quae fiunt à malis bene administrat Paraeus in Gen. 45.8 If therefore it be a Friend to any man it is per accidens per se it is an Enemy to every man at least to the life and being of man To that of Eccles 7.1 Solomon speakes onely of the present vanity of the World b In vitâ nostrâ copia tribulationis inopia consolationis August that a man meets with so much evil and so much vain good in the World that it is better for a man not to be born Chap. 4.2 3. explaines it The full Answer therefore is this b look upon the vanity c Mors transit est de laborem ad refrigerium de expectatione ad praemiuus de agone ad brabium de fide ad notitiam de peregrinatione ad patriam de mundo ad patrem Bernard misery and iniquity in the World so Death is a Friend at least to a good man But consider life is sweet and every thing desirous to preserve it self so it is an Enemy in the former sense a Friend by chance in the latter an Enemy absolutely Look upon the Troubles incident to the flesh the frailties our wearisomnesse and paines and griefes and maladies so it is a Friend as being ex duobus malis minus of two evils the least but as it keeps down the body and tyrannizes over the same till the Resurrection so it is an Enemy in the former regard it is a Friend for a need in the latter regaed it is an Enemy for a long continuance Vse 1. Stand then upon your d Vt dum semper ignoratur semper proxima esse credatur et tanto quisque in operatione sit ferventior quanto est de vocatione incertior Greg. Moral Watch against Death as against an Enemy You know not at what time or how soon it may come you know not in what place or how near it may be you know not whether it will meet you at home in your house or abroad in the field whether it will come in the day or in the night whether it will take you sleeping or waking You know not whether it will come in the second Watch or in the third Watch. It becomes you to be watchfull least you prove your selves to be wastfull of your own soules So look for it as to expect it every day Die dayly in expectation that you may die any day in fit preparation 2. Stand upon your Guard Be sure you have
your Armour of Proof on your spiritual Armour Object But to what purpose is that I shall be conquer'd let me do my best Was ever man able to grapple with Death and so to overcome Doth it not alwayes get the Victory where ever it comes Is it not called a Aequa legâ— Necessitas sortitur insignes et imos Hor. Necessitas So Iob 18.14 According to the Seventy b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let necessity lay hold on him We reade it The King of terrours c Sol a insuperabile fatum c. Ovid. Metamorph. lib. 15. Can any one man overcome that which overcomes all men Resol It is true there is no man is or can be death-proof by any Armour of proof the thickest Walls it can pierce it can scale the highest Walls it can cut through the strongest Coat of Mail. But yet as it was said of d Vtque animadvertit undique se strictis pugionibus peti togâ caput obvolvit simul sinistrâ manu sinum ad ima crura deduxit quo honestius caderet etiam inseriore corporis parte velata Sueton. Iulius Caesar when he saw there was no remedy but die he must the Assassinatours pressing so hard upon him and adding so many wounds to him He covered his head with his Gown and with his left hand drew down the fold of his Garment over his legs that he might fall modestly Covering his lower parts that the nakedness of life might not be seen and covering his face that the Deformities of Death might not be lookt on So if thou canst not avoid the mortal wound of Death yet laboul in another sense honestè cadere Die with a good Name and a good Report and a good Conscience 2. This preparation will serve for an after Victory for as Christ led Captivity captive and triumphed over Death which had before triumphed over him so shall we if we die in Christ and live to Christ We must be content to lose the Victory that we may gain it and give ground at first that we may gain ground at last of this our Enemy And mark what pieces of Armour are necessary against Satan or the World the same are necessary against Death Yet when we have done all we can We are but poor Souldiers it is our Cheiftaine that gets the Victory for us The Weapon of this Enemy wherewith he doth all the mischief that is a sting that Death carries a sting with it A sting is first telum naturale Nature gives stings to those Creatures that have stings it is not any artificial Weapon as the Sword or Bowe 2. Poenale it puts the Creature that is stung be it Man or Beast to a great deal of smart and pain for the time it is very a terrifying pain 3. Lethale some especially are so poysonsom viz. of Adders and Vipers and other Serpents that they corrupt and enflame the bloud and poyson the body and in short time bring Death This sting the Apostle sayes is sin vers 56. For as the Scorpion by the sting transfuses a deadly poyson into those upon whom it fastens so (a) Aculeum enim mortis esse peccatum utque multò gravius malum ipsa morte utpote in quo suas illa vires habeat omnes jam manifestum est Death kils by sin Were it not for sin Death would be weaponless and stingless a toothless thing (b) Or rather it would not be at all For it is Sin only stings men to death It would be to us but as it is to herbs and plants which die in the Winter but live again in the Summer So it would be but as a benumming for a short time whereas sin by which Death stings leaves such a poyson in the nature of man that he shall never recover himself by any natural power as the herb or flower but onely by the mighty power of God in Iesus Christ. Therefore we can never be sufficiently thankfull to him Sequel 1 that shall disarm Death for us and draw out the sting And who is it that can disarm such an universal Enemy but he that hath the universal Militia of all the World the Lord of hosts is his Name But of this more anon in the fourth part If Death carry a sting with it and that sting be sin as Sequel 2 appears by what follows or which is the Apâ—stles meaning as Aquinas well notes [c] Sciendum est autem quod strimulus mortis potest dici vel stimulans ad mortem vel quo utitur seu quem facit mors Sed literalis sensus est stimulus mortis i. e. stimulans ad mortem quia qomo per peccatum est impuâ—sus et dejectus ad mortem Aquin. in 1 Cor. 15. if sin sting men to Death How can we sufficiently wonder at the fool-hardiness of mortal men who make nothing of it to dally and play with sin as if it were some toothless harmless thing as if it were some harmless play-fellow To see people play with Dogs or Birds to see them stroke them and take them in their arms is not strange but to see people play with Snakes and Adders with Scorpions and Cockatrices is a most strange sight and what do men do otherwise in dallying with sin The Serpent in the Garden left a sting in Adams disobedience Adam could not be content with the fruit of Paradise and so was stung to Death by his disobedience As the Israelites could not be content with (a) Numb 21.6 These serpents fiery teeth being the just punishment of their fiery tongues Or the serpents tongue which is his sting being the just punishment of their tongues become stings Manna and so God sent amongst them fiery Serpents which stung them to death that they who murmured at mercies might now have something to murmur for (b) The greatest of boasters is vanquisht by one of the least of creatures Orion boasted that the earth could not produce any such Monster which he would not undertake to encounter and kill and yet this man was after killed by a Scorpion Thus the proud sinner that dares Heaven and Earth Angels and Men nay God himself and all is killed with the sting of one sin It (c) That was applied to him to wound which is ordinarily used for healing was a strange death that Marcus Arethusius the Martyr was put to by Julian the Apostate which was to be annointed all over with honey and so to be stung to death with Waspes and Bees But this is the death of every sinner he annoints himselfe with the sweetness and pleasure of sin and so is stung to death for his labour You that are yet in your sins that draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with carr-ropes will no warning serve you Hath not sin been represented to you in the Book of God and by the Ministers of God and through the judgements of God as the most infectious poyson-some
dangerous mortal thing that can be imagined Hath it not been laid open to you the very Monster of Nature the shame of the Creature the d Sicut putredo aufert pomo decorem colorem odorem et saporem sic peccatum aufert animae decorem vitae odorem fama valorem gratiae saporem gloriae Bonavent spot of the soul the darkness of the minde the obliquity of that which was straight the infection of that which was sound the weakness of that which was strong and the death of that which was living Hath it not been displayed as a sore a wound a stench and now as a sting and will you still venter upon it nay follow after it delight in it nay yet defend and patronize it What then shall we say to draw off your hearts Expressions will not do it warning will not effect it The Lord by the Key of David unlock your hearts that what hath been spoken to you may prevail with you That you may shun the evil and choose the good and though you cannot avoid Death you may avoid what you can the sting of Death which is sin There is a supposed Victory or Conquest which the Enemy for a time hath over all men yea over the Elect themselves O Grave thy Victory (a) Therefore death hath dominion over them that are dead Rom. 6.9 Death hath no more dominion over Christ Rom. 5. v. 14. Death reigned from Adam to Moses this Reign of Death presupposes a Victory that Death hath obteined v. 16. Death reigned by one Psal 55.4 The terrours of Death Why terrours because every one that conquers is still terrible to them he conquers Cant. 8.6 Love is as strong as Death Victorious over our Lives It as easily dissolving the hands and twists that hold soul and body together as Sampson did the cords and withes with which he was bound [a] Prima mors animam pellit volentem a corpore secunda mors animam volentem tenet in corpore Aug. de Civ Dei b This is that which cuts asunder that golden Link that knits the matter and form the body and soul into one compound and so dissolves the composition This is that Bill of Divorce that severs not onely two that were one flesh but two that were one person one man This is that two-edged sword not that divides between the joynts and the marrow the soul and spirit for that is the Word of God but that which cuts betwixt the soul and body the spiritual and fleshy part This is that sword that cuts the knot at one blow which perfection of constitution and diligence about Diet together with the Art of the Physician hath seemed to make up indissoluble It is victorious over our Bodies being dead for it keeps them down to corruption Psal 16.10 Spoken of Christ but cannot be said of us Psal 49.9 â—hat should still live and not see corruption It never leaves stamping and trampling upon us till it hath beaten us to * As Moses did the Molten-calf dust (a) It drives us to the very wals of our first matter It is a most insulting victorious Enemy it even then treads and insults over us when we are down It never leaves us so long as it can finde but one inch left of these mortal Bodies (b) No such tyrant as death because no tyrant can tyrannize more than by inflicting death Nay so it tyrannizes over us that it makes even the Wormes that rise out of us to devour us Over our very memories For it makes us in a short to be forgotten as if we had never been Psal 31.12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of minde I am like a broken vessell The Psalmist puts them fitly together as a dead man and as a broken Vessell because the dead man is as a broken Vessell Eccles 9.5 The memory of them is forgotten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. Of those that are dead Not onely they are forgotten but their memory if they have been memorable yet they are forgotten How many millions of men that have lived upon earth and that to old age and yet have left no print or footsteps of themselves behind them (c) Dignum certe est ut ipsorum memoria maneat Muscul in Math. 26. Yet this is not universally true of all some having been so famous in their generations such especially as are recorded in the Word of God as no time shall eate them out of remembrance no age but shall speak of them The manner how 1. By divine permission irresistibly Eccles 8.8 There is no man hath power over the spirit to retaine the spirit neither hath he power in the day of death It will force the Scholler to lay aside his bookes because no arguments can confute Death no Rhetorique perswade it nay no Inchantments can take hold of it It will cause the Souldier to lay down his sword or take it per force out of his hand no weapon can kill nor strength repulse it It will force the Emperour to lay downe his Crowne and let fall his Scepter for no power can master it no authoritie can over-rule it It is in vaine to lay ambushments or to contrive any Stratagems for this Conqueror cannot be ensnared It is in vaine to raise any batteries or plant any Ordnance against it for no violence can over-master it It is in vaine to dig any mines to lay any traps for Death will counter-mine aâ—l undertakings and underworkings against it self 2. According to the course of Nature irrevocably so that if we look no higher than that this all-conquering Enemy shall goe on conquering and never be conquered For (a) Sed haec fides ut est in primis necessaria ita difficillima semper habitat fuit quod humanae rationis intelligentia quam maxime videretur esse remota Estius in sentent lib. 4. part 2. dest 43. Res est creditu dissicilis ubi putredine consumpta fuerint corpora tandem suo tempore resurrectura esse Itaque cum multi ex philosophis asseruerint immortales esse animas carnis resurrectio à paucis probata fuit in quo etsi nulla fuit excusatio inde tamen monemur rem esse magis arduam quam ut hominum sensus ad se trahat Calv. Institut lib. 3. ver 25. Sect. 3. Nature doth not teach a Resurrection but rather furnishes us with arguments against it Acts 17.32 When they heard of the Resurrection some mocked Men led onely by principles of Philosophy wil jeere at such a Doctrine By experience it conquers universally Veni vidi vici I have come seen and overcome may well be the devise in Deaths black colours It hath passed over all men and reigned over all men (b) Vnde non importunè neque incongrue arbitror accidisse etsi non humnâ industria judicio forâ—asse divino ut hoc-verbum quod est moritur in latina lingua nec grammatici declinare potuerint