sanctified Heb. 10.29 Yet were they sanctified True But how were they sanctified By the bloud of the Couenant saith the Apostle that is not by the effectuall and gracious working of the Spirit creating in them as in the elect conuerted soules that new quality of holinesse whereby they can in some measure truly hate their owne sinnes with a firme purpose to leaue them and can loue Gods law with a resolution to performe it in some good measure not so but sacramentally only And so many a reprobate may bee sanctified that is to say he may be baptised Nay more he may be outwardly reformed and haue some inward good things as ioy in hearing of the word and he may be sanctified in the charitable opinion of others yea and in his owne conceit and perswasion and yet all the while want that peculiar worke of the spirit of God of which I spake euen now and so be destitute of the substance and truth of the grace of sanctification For this he can neuer haue make what shew he will It is the portion of Gods elect it is part of his childrens bread he will not take it and cast it vnto dogs It is a holy thing not fit for dogs and a pearle of more worth than to be cast before swine Vse 4 Fourthly considering that the Saints be the Lords after a peculiar manner It is a singular comfort to be truly sanctified what a comfort is it to bee truly sanctified He that is such a one may build vpon it that God will protect him and that he shall be saued For as Solomon saith Pro. 2.8 He preserueth the way of his Saints And Iude saith Iude 1. to them that are sanctified by God the Father and preserued in Iesus Christ to wit to life eternall and called Deut. 33.3 And Moses saith All his Saints are in thy hand Which is more for their safety than if they had all the castles and bulwarks of the world to defend and saue them For we know what Christ saith No man is able to plucke them out of my Fathers hand Iohn 10.29 So that it is a maruellous comfort to be truly sanctified Such may haue enemies both many and mighty by whom they may looke to be fiercely assaulted but no multitudes nor power can preuaile against them And albeit they seeme often to be ouerthrowne with the wrongs which they suffer as some are stript of their possessions others are imprisoned others are banished others are tormented others are killed yet they are still the Lords And this that they are so dealt with commeth not to passe through the might of their aduersaries but by the will of God neither doth he suffer it to satisfie their foes but to encrease their owne happinesse 2 Cor. 4.17 For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for vs a farre more exceeding and eternall waight of glory And besides in all their afflictions he careth for them and doth them good Question Six markes of sanctification But how shall I know that I am truly sanctified Answer First by a perfect that is to say a sincere and true hatred of euery sinne whatsoeuer gaine or pleasure it may seeme to bring with it and by the practise of all holy duties though our credit peace wealth and all that we haue must goe to wracke for it yea our life it selfe be endangered thereby For a man truly sanctified will forgoe life and all rather than obedience to Gods Commandements How can I doe this great wickednesse Gen. 39.9 and sinne against God said Ioseph Secondly by the ground of our hatred of sinne and practise of vertue if it be not our owne credit amongst good men nor any other by-respects but the will and Commandement of God Thirdly by the right end proposed we hating sinne euen in the secretest closet of our soule and purging it from the flesh and spirit and perfecting holinesse in the feare of God that now and alwaies Christ may be magnified and God be glorified in vs. Fourthly by the meanes by which sanctification was wrought That is to say if we haue attained to sanctification by the effectuall working of the Spirit and the doctrine of the word For these bee the meanes by which God doth sanctifie vs. And for this sanctification is called 2 Thess 2.13 Iohn 17.17 the sanctification of the Spirit And our Sauiour saith Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth Fiftly by the extent of it For true sanctification spreads ouer the whole man 1 Thess 5.23 it is wrought in the whole spirit and soule and body Sixtly by the continuance and growth of it For true sanctification after it is once wrought continues for euer and growes more and more by the selfe-same meanes by which it was first wrought vntill it come to perfection The death of his Saints LAstly from these words in that the deare children of God whose dignity is great and farre beyond the highest dignitie that this world affoords in that these are expressed vnder this title of Saints I gather that Doct. 4 Doct. The very title of a Saint is full of honour and dignity The title of a Saint is honourable The Scripture yee see when it makes mention of the best and of such as the world is not worthy of expresseth them here and many times elsewhere by the title of Saints 2 Chron. 6.41 Let thy Saints reioyce in goodnesse said Solomon in his praier Vse 1 The Vse First the hearing of this must teach the Saints to walke in holinesse Walke in holinesse 1 Pet. 1.15 16. According to S. Peters exhortation But as he which hath called you is holy so bee ye holy in all mannâ—r of conuersation Because it is written Be ye holy Ephes 5.2 3. for I am holy And S. Paul saith thus walke in loue as Christ also hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling sauour But fornication and all vncleannesse or couetousnesse let it not bee once named among you as becommeth Saints Here is the ground of his exhortation that hauing receiued so great mercy and grace as to bee made Saints wee are to walke as is fitting for the Saints of God And it should bee a shame that any professing themselues Saints should be found vnholy in their conuersation Vse 2 Secondly considering this is it not a strange thing that any liuing in the Church Against them that reproach others with thâ—â—â— holinesse and make a mocke at the title of a Saint hearing the Gospell and knowing their Creed should be so strangely blinded and so desperately wicked as to scoffe at the endeuour and practise of sanctitie and reproach others with their holinesse saying You are one of these holy folke nay so gracelesse and ignorant as to turne this very title into matter of reproach saying You are one of the Saints you
of God But according to our English Translation not any member but one of the outward senses is here attributed to God to wit the sight for it is said In the sight of the Lord but the meaning is all one For the sight of God hauing any of his owne workes for the obiect signifieth his iudgement account and approuing of the thing As God is said to haue seene the light that it was good Gen. 1.4 that is to say to haue iudged accounted and approued it to be good But if it haue men and their doings for the obiect then it signifieth his perfect knowledge both of them and of their doings As the Apostle saith Hebr. 4.13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened vnto the eyes of him with whom we haue to doe And so it is said of the Kings of Israel and Iudah that such a one did right and such a one did euill in the sight of the Lord. And thus we reade that the Angell of God to wit Iesus Christ spake vnto Iacob in a dreame saying I haue seene all that Laban doth vnto thee Gen. 31.12 Exod. 3.7 Prou. 15.3 And when the Lord said I haue surely seene the affliction of my people which are in Egypt In this sense also the eyes of the Lord are said to be in euery place beholding the euill and the good In this text which I haue now in hand these words in the sight be as much to say as in the iudgement esteeme and account of the Lord. LORD in great letters Of the LORD Yee finde if yee marke it the word LORD written in this place and in many places else in the Bibles of the new Translation in capitall or great letters and likewise the word GOD diuers times so printed and namely in the Prophesie of Ezekiel In all these places in the Hebrew it is either Iah or Iehouah but most commonly Iehouah as it is in this text Except in a few places where the English of Adonai the LORD is so written as namely in the places quoted in the margent n = a Gen. 18.27 Num. 14.17 Deu. 10.17 Iosh 7.8 Iudg. 13.8.2 King 4.28 And likewise of Adon the LORD once in Malachi n = b Mal. 3.1 And contrarily the English of Iehouah the Lord is written in small letters in one place of Ieremiah in some Bibles in these words The Lord of hostes in his name n = c Ier. 51.19 Printed Anno 1613. in 8. The names of God And this might happen either through the Scribe or the Printers fault The names of God in the Scripture be diuers whereof some signifie the proprieties of his essence as the Almightie the most High the Holy one And others the very essence it selfe and these in the Hebrew text be three Iehouah Iah Ehjeh and may be rendred in English God the Lord I Am or the Lord the Lord I Am. Here he is named Iehouah by the first of these three A name so proper to the Lord that it is neuer attributed nor can it agree to any of the creatures As the Psalmist saith That men may know that thou Psal 83.18 whose Name alone is Iehouah art the most High ouer all the earth What Iehouah signifies It signifieth three things first that God hath his being of himselfe n = d Reu. 1.4 and 16.5 Secondly that all creatures haue their being from him n = e Act. 17.28 Rom. 11.36 Thirdly that he causeth all things to come to passe according to his owne meaning whether he promise or threaten For this cause he addeth so often this speech And they shall know that I am Iehouah or that I am the Lord to his promises n = g Ezek. 29.21 and 34.30 and threatnings n = h Ezek. 7.27 and 12.15 16. and 15.7 and 20.26 Iehouah vsed personally Psal 110.1 See also Psal 2.2 It is vsed two waies either Personally or Essentially First Personally to note one or two of the Persons of the blessed Trinitie as the Father in this speech The Lord in the originall Iehouah that is the Father said vnto my Lord that is vnto the Sonne Sit thou at my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy foot-stoole It notes the Sonne when Moses saith And the Lord in Hebrew Gen. 18.1 Ieheuah appeared vnto him in the plaines of Mamre And it notes the Holy Ghost in these words of Isaiah Holy Isai 6.3 5. holy holy is the Lord of hostes And againe for mine eyes haue seene the King the Lord of hostes In both these speeches this word the Lord is in Hebrew Iehouah and that it notes the Holy Ghost is plaine by this that the Apostle Paul alledging the same words which the Lord in this place commands Isaiah to tell the people saith Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the Prophet Act. 28.25 vnto our Fathers And in this same place of the Prophet Isaiah it notes also the Sonne As appeares by comparing it with that place in Saint Iohn where he saith Iohn 12.41 These things said Esaias when he saw his glory and spake of him Sometimes also the Father and the Sonne are noted by this title being twice vsed in one and the same verse As when Moses saith Then the Lord that is the Sonne Gen. 19.24 rained vpon Sodome and vpon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord that is to say from the Father out of heauen And againe in Zechariah And the Lord that is the Sonne Zech. 3.2 said vnto Satan The Lord that is the Father rebuke thee O Satan euen the Lord that is the Father that hath chosen Ierusalem rebuke thee In all these places the word translated the Lord is in the originall Iehouah Iehouah vsed Essentiaâ—ly Secondly this word is vsed Essentially to note God Almighty one God in essence as in this speech of Isaiah The Lord Iehouah is my strength and my song Isai 12.2 26.4 And againe Trust yee in the Lord for euer for in the Lord Iehouah is euerlasting strength In this sense it is taken in these words of Dauid Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints The death Vnderstand by death here The death the death of the body or temporall death which is a priuation of the life of the body by meanes of the locall separating of the soule from it for a time Against the Vbiquitaries I would haue this word well marked that I say by meanes of the locall separating of the soule from the body For hereupon the death of Christ confuteth the Vbiquitaries which hold that his body is euery where present But if Christ died truly if his death that he dyed vpon the crosse were a true bodily death then his body is not euery where because if it were euery where and if it had beene euery where at that time when it hung vpon
dead to the Law that I might liue vnto God The meaning is they are freed from the dominion of the Law and that by meanes of the Law it selfe which accuseth terrifieth and condemneth them and thereby occasioneth or vrgeth them to flie vnto Christ which is the cause of this death And they are dead to the Law that is to say they are free from the dominion of the Law in foure respects First in respect of that most rigorous and seuere exacting of most perfect obedience to be performed in this life for the obtaining of life eternall Act. 15.10 Rom. 6.14 15. and 7.6 Secondly in respect of the curse and damnatory sentence of the Law for the breach therof because Christ being become a surety for vs hath fulfilled that exact righteousnes of the Law for vs and performed that obedience for vs and for vs hath vndergone borne yea and ouercome the curse and punishment Thirdly in respect of the power of the Law Rom. 7.8 whereby as an occasion it prouoketh stirreth vp the corruption of the hart in the vnregenerat Fourthly in respect of the obseruation of the iudgements and ceremonies of the Law that is Act. 15. 1 Cor. 9.1 19. 2 Cor. 3.17 Heb. 9.10 Iohn 1.17 of the Iudiciall and Ceremoniall Law to wit so farre as they properly pertained only to the policy of Moses and the rutorship of the ancient people and Church of God such as be the lawes concerning sacrifices and the whole outward worship prescribed by Moses But such lawes amongst them as belong to the Law of Nature and haue alwaies bound all Nations of the world there is no death to them nor no freeing therefrom 3. A death vnto sin and the world Thirdly there is a spirituall death which the Saints feele in themselues by which they die to sinne and to the world that is to say by which they more and more bid sinne farewell 1 Cor. 15.31 Gal. 6.14 and seuer themselues from the men of this world as much as possibly they can by faith and repentance This is a blessed death springing from the death of Christ by a vertue and power deriued therefrom for the beating downe and killing of the strength of sinne in vs that be his members For that same diuine power which supported his manhood so that he sunke not when hee stood charged with our sinnes and died for vs and we in him euen that same diuine power worketh in all his members for the mortifying of sinne through his death From whence it commeth that euery true beleeuer dieth more and more to sinne continually And this now cannot but be a most precious death in the sight of God being an effect of the death of his Sonne of whom hee saith This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased and in whom he was as the Apostle beares witnesse reconciling the world vnto himselfe Matth. 3.17 2 Cor. 5.19 not imputing their trespasses vnto them But neuerthelesse it is not that death which Dauid here meanes We must therefore consider that other kinde of death which according to the Scripture the Saints be subiect vnto Bodily death attributed to the Saints and that is the death of the bodie of which I said that it is a priuation of the life of the bodie by meanes of the locall separating of the soule from the body fora time This death of the bodie as I conceiue is the death which Dauid doth especially meane in this place The death of his Saints FIrst this very mentioning of the death of the Saints doth imply this much which I note for the instruction of some ignorant and vnlearned people that liue among vs whom I desire well to marke it and to learne from this Sermon that Doctr. 1 Doct. Some be Saints in this life And namely all Gods people euen all that be saued Gods people be all Saints before they die be Saints before their death This very speech the death of his Saints implieth thus much And it is according to our Creed in the ninth article whereof we confesse that we beleeue the Communion of the Saints which is not only to be vnderstood of the Saints in heauen but also of the Saints vpon earch And thus the Epistles of Paul for diuers of them are directed to the Saints As the Epistle to the Ephesians To the Saints which are at Ephesus Ephes 1.1 Philip. 1.1 Col. 1.2 And the Epistle to the Philippians To all the Saints in Christ Iesus which are at Philippi And likewise the Epistle to the Colossians To the Saints and faithfull brethren in Christ which are at Colosse In all which places are vnderstood by the Saints Gods faithfull seruants then aliue vpon the earth And as it was then so is it now Psal 30.4 and 31.23 and 34.9 and 37.28 and 50.5 and 52.9 and 79.2 and 85 8. and 89.7 and 97.10 and 13 29 16. and 145.10 and 148.14 and 149.1 5 9. Psal 16.3 Act. 9.13 As many faithfull seruants as God hath amongst mankind throughout the world so many Saints there be liuing at this day vpon the earth And in this sense the word Saints is taken aboue a dozen times in the booke of the Psal In one place whereof expresse mention is made of the Saints on earth In the sixteenth Psalme at the third verse be these words But to the Saints that are in the earth And in the Acts of the Apostles Ananias saith Lord I haue heard by many of this man how much euill he hath done to thy Saints at Ierusalem And Paul himselfe in the presence of Agrippa declaring his life from his child-hood hath these very words Act. 26.10 And many of the Saints did I shut vp in prison Which cannot possibly be taken otherwise then of some that then were aliue vpon the earth And thus Aaron while hee liued and was enuied of some is called the Saint of the Lord They enuied Moses also in the Campe Psal 106.16 and Aaron the Saint of the Lord. So that it is certaine and as cleare as the sun-shine that there bee Saints in this world If it were not so there were no holy Catholike Church for vs to beleeue according to our Creed nor any one man nor woman liuing at this day vpon the face of the earth that were the true childe of God Question Who then bee the Saints now aliue vpon the earth Answer Answer Lambert in his Paradoxes cap. 2. Parad. 31 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mac. hom 17. Why Gods children on earth be called Saints Lambert shall tell thee They bee Saints saith he that be translated from profane or worldly things to godly and spirituall things and made holy and consecrated vnto God And againe All true faithfull people be Saints Otherwise thus Euerie man and woman that is effectually called and regenerated by the Holy Ghost to liue iustly and holily euerie such is a Saint And such bee called
husband after the death of the first Rom. 7.2 3 4. Ninthly that they which liue should not henceforth liue to themselues but vnto him which died for them 1 Cor. 5.15 and rose againe Tenthly that we might know the loue of Christ vnto vs 1 Ioh. 3.16 and publish it vnto others Eleuenthly that whether we wake or sleepe we should liue together with him 1 Thess 5.10 Twelfthly that we should not doubt to lay downe our liues for his sake 1 Ioh. 3.16 and the brethren Thirteenthly that he might abolish sinne Fourteenthly that he might abolish death Rom. 6.10 the wages of sinne These bee the ends of the death of Christ 2 Tim. 1.10 but the discharging of the Saints from bodily death is none of them Obiection But if among the ends of Christs death this be reckoned for one that he might abolish death it seemeth then that the Saints should not die For what is it to abolish death if it be not quite to take it away that it should not bee at all How death is abolished Answ If ye vnderstand it of death eternall which is the second death it is quite taken away in respect of Gods elect according to that speech of our Sauiour Christ Iohn 11.26 Whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in mee shall neuer die The second death hath no power on the Saints As saith Saint Iohn Reu. 20.6 Blessed and holy is hee that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power But if ye referre it to the first death to wit the death of the body the sting of it is taken away so that it is no more a curse for the sinnes which wee haue committed nay it is turned into a blessing and made a ioyfull passage and entrance into heauen But if yee apply it to the death of the soule which is another kinde or another branch of the first death that also is vanquished ouercome and we recouer out of it when we are spiritually quickned with the life of grace 1 Cor. 4.11 Ephes 4.18 called by S. Paul the life of Iesus the life of God and it is also called the life of the spirit And though this death hang about vs as long as we are in this tabernacle Rom. 8.23 Rom. 7.24 and make vs groane within our selues and crie out with the Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death Yet it cannot hurt vs and it daily abateth as the life of grace increaseth And when our change is come we shall be fully and for euer discharged from it For death is vanquished but the time is not yet come that it must be vtterly destroyed For the Apostle hath taught vs that it is the last enemie that shall be destroyed 1 Cor. 15.26 The last enemie saith he that shall be destroied is death It is captiuated and brought vnder the power of Christ the Conquerour and comfort your selues euery kinde of death shall be fully destroyed and quite abolished in the due time Reason 2 Secondly the Saints must die the death of the body because it is an infirmity which we are forced to endure in this nature Now Christ hath not suffered to free vs from any infirmity to which our bodies are made subiect without sinne but to take away the venome of it and to sanctifie it vnto vs that that which at first came by meanes of sin and in it selfe is a curse for sin the wages thereof may be turned into a blessed meanes to further our happinesse And thus also we are weary and hunger and thirst and feele paines many and manifold although Christ also hath suffered all this for vs. Conceiue it then that in respect of the Saints death is abolished both the first and second of the soule and the body as it is the wages of sinne for what haue we to doe with the wages of the workes which we doe not attend but yet we must still suffer it as it is an infirmity to which our bodies are made subiect and we must passe thorow it as it is the way and gate into that glorious life in the kingdome of heauen Reason 3 Thirdly the Saints must die that the discerning of the elect from the reprobate may bee reserued vnto the last day the day of iudgement According to the words of the Prophet Malachi Mal. 3.18 Then shall yee returne and discerne betweene the righteous and the wicked betweene him that serueth God and him that serueth him not Now if onely the reprobates wicked men and hypocrites did die and the elect not die then might it bee discerned who were elected and truly sanctified before that day come Reason 4 Fourthly that it may appeare no vaine word which God spake to Adam saying Gen. 3.19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread till thou returne vnto the ground for out of it wast thou taken for dust thou art and vnto dust shalt thou returne Reason 5 Fiftly that by tasting of bodily death they may feele Gods mercy the sweeter in freeing of them from death eternall which they had likewise deserued and learne to set the more store by the riches of his mercy and accept it the better and be prouoked to seeke it and also receiue it with the earnester desire and the greater thankfulnesse To that end are wee forced to passe thorow the death of the body And indeed let vs consider well the pride of our owne nature the false ouerweening and vaine selfe-trust wherewith we be puffed vp how stubborne we be against the Lord and at how low a rate we prise his goodnesse and wee shall finde that to doe vs good and to bring vs to life he must be faine to make vs passe thorow the gates of death And why To keepe vs in awe and humble vs to make vs to know our selues and how rich he is in mercy in his dealing with vs to the intent we may yeeld the more honour and reuerence to our onely wise immortall and good God And may say euery one of vs alas I might iustly haue beene sunken before this day to the bottome of hell and if God were not wondrous mercifull what is due to my whole life for my manifold sinnes I haue deserued to die not only the death of the body but the second death euen the death of soule and body eternally Thus you see how it is good for the Saints to be kept in awe and taught humilitie by being appointed to die Reason 6 Sixtly that they may be made partakers of the glorious resurrection at the end of the world For to borrow a similitude from the Apostles words 1 Cor. 15.36 as the corne which is sowen is not quickened except it die so is it with vs wee cannot partake of the resurrection of the iust except we die For they that remaine aliue at the comming of the Lord shall
incertiuo and be alwayes in a readinesse that whensoeuer death comes it doe not take vs vnprouided There is nothing more certaine than that death will come nor nothing more vncertaine than at what time it will come By experience we see it true To day a man to morrow none It behoueth vs therefore to bee prouided at all times Wee see as young as healthie as strong as rich as noble and religious Aequa lege necessitas sortitur ir signâ—â— imos Hor. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mac. Hom. 4. Iob 14.5 as any of vs all are taken away before our eyes And we cannot alwayes liue here Wee must goe the way that this our brother and many thousands more haue gone before vs. And how soone or whose turne may be the next we doe not know Our dayes are determined the number of our moneths are with the Lord hee hath appointed our bounds that we cannot passe And hee that tarrieth longest Iames 4.14 shall not be long behinde For what is our life It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Bee wee therefore ready to depart at all times when the Lord shall call vs. Foure thinâ—s to be done to be alwayes ready for death And that we may bee alwayes ready first let our houses bee set in order and euerie mans last will written if hee meane to make any that whensoeuer the Lord shall call vs nothing may trouble vs that way Secondly let vs bee continually doing the will of our heauenly Father That whensoeuer hee shall come Matth. 24.46 he may finde vs so doing Blessed is that seruant whom his Lord when he commeth shall finde so doing Thirdly by liuing in continuall expectance of death not flattering our selues with a vaine hope of long life like the rich man in the Gospell Luke 12.18 9. which built him greater barnes perswading himselfe that hee should liue many yeeres about at his owne ease and content but making account that euerie day nay euerie houre may be our last houre and the houre of our death Fourthly by furnishing our selues with sundry Christian resolutions and meditations Six godly meditations against death as namely with these and such like First that it is better and more acceptable to God to offer that for a free will offering vnto God I meane our soule and spirit which otherwise we are bound to restore as a thing that is due and shall bee compelled to restore when the time is come and doe what wee can Eccles 8.8 For there is no man that hath power ouer the spirit to retaine the spirit neither hath he power in the day of death and there is no discharge in that warre neither shall wickednesse deliuer them that are giuen to it And indeed what win the stubborne fort by their desirousnesse of life and loathnesse to die but this to bee ouercome by force when they haue struggled and striuen as if they would sight against God and resist his will Secondly that as God hath set vs here so he ought also to haue the authority to take vs away againe when he listeth himselfe Thirdly that euery child of God ought to be alwaies willing to goe whithersoeuer God calleth him Cum accersitionis propriae dies venerit incunctanter libenter ad Dominum ipso vocante veniamus Cyp. de Mortal sect 17. and whensoeuer God giueth him any token that he will take him out of the world it behooueth him alwaies to haue one foot onward in the way as if he should say loe here I am Lord I am ready to answer thy call and to come vnto thee Fourthly that this world is but a pilgrimage and that we must hold on to passe apace thorow it to come to our inheritance which is in heauen This minde was in those of the ancient Patriarkes of whom the Apostle saith that they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth Heb. 11.13 Fiftly that in as much as Christ Iesus is our head he will draw vs vp to himselfe into the glory whereinto he himselfe is entred already that we may bee with him Ioh. 17.24 where he is to behold his glory which the Father hath giuen him so we keepe fast hold of him by a true and liuely faith and be not separated from him by growing weary of well doing nor by embracing this present world nor yet by continuance in sinne Sixtly that the Saints of God which haue liued in times past seeing their death to approach haue not resisted it nor beene dismaied but haue put themselues into the hands of God and haue prepared themselues willingly to die As Iacob Gen. 49.33 when he had made an end of commanding his sonnes gathered vp his feet into the bed and yeelded vp the ghost And Moses Deut. 32.48 49 50. 34.1 7. when God sent him vp into the mountaine Abarim vnto mount Nebo and told him that he should die there repined not but shewed all obedience and prepared himselfe vnto it when hee saw it was Gods will that it should bee so And Pauls time drawing neere he speakes of himselfe as if when he were executed he should be offered vp in sacrifice vnto God For I am now ready to be offered 2 Tim. 4.6 and the time of my departure is at hand And before that when Agabus the Prophet had shewed the danger that hee should be in if he went vp to Ierusalem and both they of his owne company and the men of that place that is of Cesarea had besought him earnestly not to goe vp he was much troubled with their teares and with the adoe which they made about him but nothing at all with his owne afflictions and death For he made them this answer Acts 21.13 What meane ye to weepe and to breake mine heart For I am ready not to be bound only but also to die at Ierusalem for the Name of the Lord Iesus I should be long to speake of Aaron of Samuel of Dauid and of a great number of faithfull Martyrs Yet I cannot omit the example of Christ which is the chiefest of all who after he had drunke of the cup of his fathers wrath the bitterest cup that euer man drunke of before his departure commended his soule into his Fathers hands Luke 23.46 and gaue vp the ghost These examples we must beare in minde and ponder vpon them to learne thereby that whensoeuer God shall call vs out of this world we may not sticke to goe willingly vnto him On the one side is misery on the other a Crowne on the one side a pilgrimage on the other our saluation and death is betweene Shall we be afraid of death There is no cause For its sting is gone and when we haue passed thorow it there shall be an end of our misery and we shall haue the crowne of righteousnesse our pilgrimage shall cease and we shall receiue the end of
many waies For the godly die in the Lord the vngodly die in their sins The godly haue their death turned into a blessing the death of the vngodly remaineth stil a curse To the godly to die is gaine Phil. 1.21 to the vngodly to die is losse for they lose the comforts which now they enioy the kingdome of heauen which they hoped for The death of the godly is a passage into life Iohn 5.24 the death of the vngodly is a passage to damnation The godly being dead doe liue to God Luke 16.22 23. the vngodly doe die eternally The soules of the godly when they depart from the body be carried by the Angels into heauen the soules of the vngodly goe to torment in hell Isa 57.2 The death of the godly is the end of their misery for when they die they enter into peace and rest the death of the vngodly is the beginning of their torment and euerlasting paine The death of the godly is precious Mors peccatorum mala pejor pessima sed bonorum mors bona melior optima â—eâ—n Mors justi est bona propter requiâ—m melior propter nouitatem optima propter securitatem Idem the death of the vngodly is most vile and shamefull To be short the death of the vngodly as Bernard saith is bad worser worst of all but the death of the godly is good better best of all Good by reason of the rest that it bringeth with it Better because it renueth vs Best of all because it putteth vs out of danger and secureth vs for euer Vse 3 Thirdly considering the preciousnesse of the death of the Saints let euery man boast himselfe as he will some of their Parents and noble progenitors Reioice in this that thou art a Saint some of riches some of horses some of one thing some of another and let the prophane of the world make a scoffe at holinesse and abhorre to the death the very name of a Saint and let them hinder the meanes of holinesse as much as they can speaking euill of the waies of the Lord this let others doe Yet thou if thou wilt attaine vnto such a death as is precious in Gods sight which onely is comfortable and a passage into life doe thou boast thy selfe of a sanctified heart yea glory of this that thou art a Saint and further the meanes of holinesse to the vtmost of thy power as the faithfull preaching of the word the priuate reading of the Scriptures the repeating and conferring of Sermons and the like Vse 4 Fourthly considering as the Psalmist saith that the Saints death is precious Judge aright of the Saints wee learne to bee of another iudgement than the world is of concerning the Saints vpon earth The Saints zeale in religion and integrity of life is oftentimes such that it causeth men to neglect them yea to maligne them yea to cry our vpon them peraduenture also to persecute imprison and put them to death And when the world sees this they thinke them forlorne and miserable creatures But loe their death is precious and happinesse is treasured vp in heauen for them Therefore wee should count them happy and be of the minde to adioyne our selues to their company and become like them which are so little regarded and so hardly thought of for their holinesse sake Vse 5 Fiftly this also is for the comfort of the Saints of God against the persecutions of vngodly men Comfort against cruell persecutions Let all the vngodly band themselues and lift vp their hands against thee what can they doe They cannot deuise the meanes to doe thee any finall hurt Rom. 8.28 All things shall worke together for the best to thee that louest God It is not possible for man to alter this Looke vpon thy death that is precious and gainefull They can doe nothing vnto thee but that which in the end shall make for thy good Looke further also throughout the bounds and compasse of the whole heauen and earth and with pure eies euen with the eies of faith thou seest excellent things thou seest the first sorrow cast out with shame death trodden vnder feet hell abolished the Angels encamping about thee Saints and Angels before thee a blessed immortality lengthening thy daies and the glory of God is before thine eies 2 Cor. 3.18 and with open face thou beholdest it as in a glasse Vse 6 Sixtly heere is comfort for the Saints against the feare of death approaching Build vpon this Comfort against the feare of death if thou beest a Saint thy death shall be precious There is no euill in it that thou needest to feare And although thou must of necessity passe that way with all other creatures for it is the way of all the earth yet doth God take thee and keepe thee as his chosen child And if thou beleeuest that Iesus died and rose againe 1 Thess 4.14 so assure thy selfe that thee also and all them which sleepe in Iesus will God bring with him Vse 7 Seuenthly to conclude this point is a good ground of comfort to the friends of the dead Comfort to the friends of him that died a Saint Died he a Saint nay liued he a Saint for if he liued a Saint there is no question of his death but he died a Saint For hee cannot die euilly Non potest malè mori qui bene vixcrit August who hath liued well The disease may be such that either the speech may be hindered or else idle and accompanied with some vnseemely motions and gestures which none must be dismaied at but take in good part euen in this regard Cuivis quod cuiquam because we our selues may be in the like case I say not therefore died hee a Saint but that euery ones comfort may be the fuller liued hee a Saint For we must not thinke so much of the manner of the death Non mola mors putanda est quam bona vita praecesserit August as of the tenour of the life Neither must we thinke that death to bee euill before which there hath gone an holy life So then heere is the comfort Hath he liued a Saint and is he dead He is blessed in heauen Why mourne ye weepe not for him his death is precious Weepe for your selues Foure comforts for them that mourne ouer the dead And yet weepe not excessiuely but remember First that God gaue him you but for a while and therefore ye must not take it grieuously if he hath called him againe from you Secondly that he shall in a glorified body be restored vnto you and ioyned with you in the next life Thirdly that it goeth well with him that is deliuered from so many perils and mischiefes as the Lord hath foretold should fall out in this last age Lastly that he is well prouided for before the Lord and in farre better case than we that be aliue Precious is the death of
For hee best knowes to distinguish betweene good and euill betweene precious and vile Wherefore if in his iudgement any thing be precious it must needs be true that it is precious indeed Put the question then How commeth it to passe and how might wee be sure that the death of the Saints is precious And the answer is giuen because it pleaseth God to account it so Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints It is not long of the Saints but of Gods meere goodnesse and mercy vnto them And because that he of his goodnesse doth so account of it therefore it is precious and not for any worthinesse or desert of their owne Neither is this preciousnesse of the death of the Saints supposed and imaginary but reall and true the Saints death is truly and really precious For although man may bee deceiued and erre in his iudgement yet it is otherwise with God It is true of man that in the errour of his iudgement hee may take a thing to be precious and say that it is so when there is no such matter onely because he doth imagine and conceit with himselfe that such a thing is precious but God cannot be so deceiued But whatsoeuer he iudgeth and pronounceth precious it is truly and indeed precious and it cannot be otherwise And thus it comes about that the Saints death is precious and vpon this ground wee are certaine of it It is precious and wee know it because the most wise God doth account and pronounce it to be precious in his sight Thus ye see the summe of the confirmation To gather profit thereby we must consider two things first what manner of argument this is secondly the application thereof to the matter in hand There be two kindes of proofes the one called artificiall the other inartificiall Artificiall proofes are such as are fetched one way or other Artificiall proofes from the consideration of the theme or matter it selfe which is proued and of their owne force or nature are able to proue or disapproue This proofe of Dauids in this place is no such Inartificiall proofes are such as are fetched from authority Inartificiall proofes either diuine or not diuine Such a proofe is this that Dauid here brings fetched from the authority of God Now this kinde of prouing of a matter by the authority of God howsoeuer it neuer touch the nature of that which is proued neither explicateth nor illustrateth it yet it begetteth in the minde the greatest credit and beleefe to the matter that may bee For no argument can be deuised so forcible to procure faith and credit to a matter as this that is drawne from the authority of God Deus per se est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For God is simply to bee beleeued for himselfe and to doubt of that which he affirmes is great impiety In this respect therefore this testimony serues for this vse for the strengthening of our faith touching the preciousnesse of the Saints death That wee should not doubt nor stagger through vnbeleefe but bee fully perswaded that the death of the Saints is precious Comfort ouer the death of a Saint How full of comfort is this to know vpon a sure ground and beyond all exception euen from the expresse testimony of the Lord God of truth that the Saints death is precious and that it is so in his sight howsoeuer the world doe iudge of it Can any thing be more comfortable to a Christian soule to cease the mourning thereof for the death of a Saint and deare childe of God Let it sinke into your hearts and comfort your selues with this meditation There is I confesse iust cause of mourning for the death of the Saints But where finde we this cause Is it in themselues Their life was holy their course is finished their death is precious their body is at rest their soule is in heauen their memoriall is blessed they shall arise to glory and bee with Christ in heauen for euermore The true cause of mourning for the Saints death In respect of themselues there is no cause of mourning But in respect of vs that remaine aliue there bee many causes For when any of the Saints die we see that all of vs bee enclosed within the curse of God because of Adams sinne and seeing that it behooueth vs to feele what we haue deserued and bee ashamed of ourselues and bee touched with the feare of Gods vengeance and bee so wounded therewith as it may prouoke vs to sorrow because of our sinnes which we haue committed Againe when any of the Saints die wee lose a helpe to the peace of our Sion I meane of our Church and Common-wealth a helpe to the Gospell a helpe in the house an intercessor to God a louing friend and a shining starre If it were a thing possible it were best for vs to keepe such men still with vs but for them it is farre better to depart hence and to bee with Christ For when such are taken from vs our Lord chastiseth vs and sheweth vs a signe that except we speedily repent hee is minded to diminish his grace vnto vs. The taking away of the best men and of them that doe most good in the Church and amongst vs is alwaies a threatning vnto vs. And ought wee not to bee grieued at the threatning and feeling of Gods displeasure And therefore wee may iustly mourne for the death of the Saints But yet so let vs mourne Comfort that withall wee remember to keepe a measure in our mourning and to pacifie our selues with this consideration that their death is precious And that God calls them hence to free them from a great deale of misery and to doe them a great deale of good In the sight of the Lord. COncerning the application of this proofe to the present matter in as much as Dauid affirmes the Saints death to be precious vpon this ground because it is so in Gods sight that is to say because God doth so esteeme it Out of this I gather that Doct. 7 Doct. The right iudgement of matters is to iudge of them as God doth To iudge aright we must iudge of things as God doth They are precious and good that hee approues of but they are vile and naught which he disapproues Vse 1 The Vse First how much doth this condemne the people of our age For is not this the nature of the most Against following only the iudgement of the world that they neuer regard what account God makes of a thing but only whether men doe esteeme of it or no And if they see it in esteeme with men is not that enough Yea they care for no more They be so wedded to the world that they will neuer looke whether God doe like or dislike that which they fancie or set themselues against and they be so blinde and obstinate that whatsoeuer is taught them they will neither see
snares of sinne and sendeth them into true libertie As long as the soule continueth in the body the bonds of temptations hang as fetters about it and bring it into captiuitie to the law of sinne neither can it get free from these bonds and shackles but when it departeth from the body it is loosed from the bonds of temptations and goeth into a blessed and heauenly freedome To this effect saith Paul Rom. 6.6 He that is dead is freed from sinne After death the temptations cease which all the life time did tye the soule and leade it into captiuitie to the law of sinne So that now there is no such tying nor leading captiue of the Saints but an enioying of perfect freedome for euermore Reason 6 Sixthly because it taketh away the Saints out of this present euill world in which if they haue outward peace which is also sickle and vncertaine yet they shall be sure to haue bodily paine and vexation of spirit For that sentence cannot be reuoked Iob 14.22 But his flesh vpon him shall haue paine and his soule within him shall mourne This is the lot of the liuing neither can we be freed from it vntill death come And a thousand things there be to disquiet and grieue our mindes but nothing more than the risenesse of sinne For as the filthy conuersation of the wicked Sodomites vexed Lot as Peter witnesseth saying 2 Pet. 2.7 8. That righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their vnlawfull deedes So the Saints at this day cannot choose but be vexed in seeing and hearing so many enormous vices to be daily committed Such renting of God in peeces by fearefull oathes such cursing and lying such excessiue drinking and drunkennesse such breaking of the Sabbath such deuices and slanders to disgrace Gods children and to hinder the free passage of the Gospell with a thousand enormities more make euery Christian heart ake and fill it full of vexation from day to day From this also death frees vs. Reason 7 Seuenthly because it puts an end to the most dangerous combat in the world which we are forced to endure as long as we liue here and in which we must either suffer blowes I meane the buffetings of Satan or else fall one of the two What doe we alwaies in this life but fight continually against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this world against Spirituall wickednesse in high places Besides we haue combating with couetousnesse with inordinate lusts with angrinesse with vaineglory Our minde is enclosed and beset round about with the assaults of Satan and with manifold temptations and these come so thicke one vpon the necke of another that it can scarce meet with euery one of them and them that it doth meet with it is hard to resist almost any one of them If couetousnesse be subdued lust ariseth if lust be mastered vaineglory stirres if vaineglory be vanquished angrinesse comes in place pride swelleth enuie vrgeth and heat of spirit breakes forth and makes discord The world also and our owne flesh make many assaults vpon vs and much annoy vs. Of all this and a great deale more doth death make an end And what shall I say more For the time would faile me to produce all the meditations that make for this purpose And that which hath beene said doth abundantly proue that the death of the Saints as the Psalmist here saith is precious Obiection It by the preciousnesse of the Saints death is not visible But some may thinke that all this is but words and that he sees no such matter in the death of the Saints but that they die as other men doe If their death be so precious why doth it not appeare so Answer Their death is precious but yet it doth not appeare so first because it is no treasure of this world but an heauenly treasure I say the preciousnesse of the Saints death is an heauenly treasure and therefore hid from the sight of carnal eies in that treasurie of the Lords in Iesus Christ by whose death it is made precious Secondly notwithstanding it appeare not yet we haue a most sure word for it euen the word of the Lord that cannot lie witnessing that it is so And that is better for vs than if it did appeare For our eies might deceiue vs as theirs that tooke Christ for a spirit and our iudgements are dimme and not able to iudge in such matters but Gods word cannot deceiue vs but put vs out of doubt in the matter Thirdly the time is not yet come that it must appeare but it will come and then it shall be manifest to the whole world that it hath beene so Fourthly though it appeare not to mortall eyes yet we see it by faith Our eies are no iudges in this case and the world is worse than our eies For the glory is not earthly nor knowne to the men of this world whereof we speake but the treasure is spirituall and of the spirituall man it is discerned Know thy selfe that by faith thou art Christs and he thine that he died for thee and thou liuest by him that thou art a member of his body of his flesh and of his bones and whatsoeuer is his is thine haue this faith and now come and see and thou shalt see all the rubies and precious things in the world lesse precious than the death of such a man as thou art Thy faith if it could comprehend more assurance of the preciousnesse of the Sunne yet shouldest thou see the preciousnesse of it aboue all thy thoughts For who can comprehend how precious that is which is prcious in Gods sight Vse 1 The Vse First we behold in this the great goodnesse of God See Gods goodnesse in changing euill to good to his children Rom. 8.28 who changeth euill into good vnto his faithfull seruants that it may be euery way and for euer true which the Apostle saith We know that all things worke together for good to them that loue God to them who are the called according to his purpose All things in generall euen those that seeme most to hinder our felicitie are made of God to serue as helpes and furtherances thereof When it commeth to death in which is some token of Gods wrath death is turned to our gaine and profit so that we haue cause to reioice in all respects and to hearken to the Apostle when he saith All things are yours 1 Cor. 3.21 22. whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours that is all are for your good Vse 2 Secondly by that which hath beene said it is also apparant that there is a great difference betweene the bodily death of the godly of the vngodly There is great difference betweene the death of the godly and the vngodly This appeares