least degree of saving faith will serve for justification sanctification adoption salvation but not for consolation Every blast of temptation overthrew the Disciples while they were weak beleevers they questioned the truth of all Christ therefore rebukes them for it and saith Why are your hearts troubled Paul when he could say I know whom I have beleeved though after he was told he should be whipt he said none of these things troubled him Thirdly He gets acquaintance with some things in the covenant of grace which may take off those objections that usually trouble beleevers which are four and these doe hinder Gods people from living by faith 1. They finde corruption in their hearts this should no way hinder their comfort if they hate it and strive against it 2. Temptations trouble them whereas Gods own people are liable to temptations of all sorts 3. Afflictions God breeds them up which are in covenant with him under divers and great afflictions 4. Desertions They finde not the working of Gods Spirit nor the assurance of his favour God many times leaves his best children to great and sad desertions Fourthly Thou must get sound acquaintance with the Promises of the Gospel else thou wilt be to seek in time of trouble Some generall Promises concern all estates we can be in all things shall work for good to them that fear God and no good thing shall be wanting to such 2. There are excellent promises in the Scripture for any condition imaginable Fiftly As the exigents or occasions require whether to bear afflictions or go through temptations act thy faith upon that Promise which sutes thy present need A good man having all taken from him and his wife desiring to know how he and his family would live he said he would now put his bond in suit Think on Gods power truth love and Christs interest in the Promises to incourage thy soul Sixtly As a Promise from God must be measured by faith so only by faith not by carnall sense or reason doe as Abrahaem did he never told his wife Sarah when he was to go cut his childes throat and offer him a sacrifice to God Seventhly Faith must be helped with a use of all other means which God hath appointed to attain the blessing 2 Sam. 7. later end Psal. 5. 3. Psal. 119. Deal well with thy servant according to thy word Faith made Noah to build him an Ark work belongs to us successe to God Eightly Resolve to wait the Lords leasure in all thy beleeving limit him not to the time or manner of delivering thee resolve God shall do it in his own time if thou hast an able good paymaster thou wilt be willing he should pay thee how and when he will He that beleeves will not make haste Ninthly Get thy will so far subdued to Gods will that his will may be thine as near as it is possible for poor sinners to attain it learn to say Gods will is the best will Rom. 12. 3. 4. Tenthly Study the life of holines let David be an example to thee he had great communion with God and knew how to improve a Promise Some think one ought to beleeve whatever corruptions he gives way to they say men are duty-mongers merit-mongers Others of Gods people are too much dejected with the remainders of their own corruption CHAP. VIII 2. Of dying in Faith QValis vita finis ita He that will die in faith must first of all live by faith and there is but one example in all the whole Bible of a man dying in faith that lived without faith viz. that thief upon the crosse To die by faith is when a man in the time of death doth with all his heart rely himself wholly on Gods speciall love and favour and mercy in Christ and as it is revealed in the word Religion is seen in its glory when one not only lives but dies in Christ Phil. 1. 21. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain And ver. 20. So now also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or death If I live by preaching if I dy by suffering Dr Preston said a little before his death I have longâ— conversed with Christ in the world and though I change my place I shall not change my company Revel. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead which dy in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works doe follow them In the Lord that is say some for the Lord as Ephes. 4. 1. Which suffer death for Christ rather in the faith of Christ being incorporated into him {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} from henceforth as Rom. 8. 1. and 16 17. That constantly hold out in these times of persecution say some presently saith Dr Rainolds from the very time of their death they rest from their labours of their particular calling under afflictions from God and persecutions from men under sin temptations desertions And their works That is metonymically the rewards of their works as 2 Cor. 5. 26. Do follow them accompany or go with them the words well weighed sound so When a godly man dies he dies in the â—ord by vertue of his union with Christ when there is a dissolution of the soul and body the mysticall union is not dissolved as the personall union of Christ was not dissolved when he died Before I lay down directions how to die well and shew the benefits that come to the godly by death I will shew 1. The necessity or certainty of death and the misery of it to the wicked 2. Resolve some questions about death Of the first Death is a common condition appointed for every man first or last to undergo Heb. 9. 27. And as it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgement The Greek word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} translated It is appointed signifieth it lieth as a mans lot Once imploies two things 1. A certainty it shall once be 2. A singularity it will be but once 1 Samuel 26. 8. 1 King 2. 2. I go the way of all the earth saith David Job 30. 23. The grave is called the house appointed for all the living Eccles. 12. 5. Solomon calls the grave {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Bajith Gnolam domum saeculi the house of age We translate it long home where he must abide for a long time 1 Cor. 15. 26. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death that is death destroies all and after is destroied it self Psal. 89. 48. What man lives and shall not see death When we would affirm any thing to be infallibly true we say as sure as death A young man may die an old man must die It is an Hebrew proverb In Golgotha are to be seen sculs of all sizes that is death comes on the young as well as the old Omnes una manet
nox Et calcanda semel via lethi When it was told Anaxagoras that both his sons which were all he had were dead being nothing terrified therewith he answered Sciebam me genuisse mortales I knew I begat mortall creatures There are three speciall reasons why all must die 1. Because God hath so decreed it Heb. 9. 27. 2. All men are made of one mould and matter Job 4. 19. Dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return Gen. 3. 19. 3. Because all have sinned Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore as by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that or in whom all have sinned Beza prefers that version in whom In Adam legally as they stood under his Covenant in him naturally as they bear his Image Sin brought death into the world either meritoriè as it deserves wrath or privativè as it takes away the power of the law to conferre life Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sinne is death The word in the * Originall signifies properly victuals because victuals were that which the Roman Emperours gave their souldiers as wages in recompence of their service but thence the word extends to signifie any other wages or salary whatsoever Death is then certain because no man can eschew it yet it is 3. waies uncertain 1. In regard of time no man knows when * he shall die Hezekiah only had a lease of his life 2. In regard of place * no man knows where he shall die 3. In respect of the kinde of death no man kuows what death he shall die whether a naturall or violent death Objection 1 Cor. 15. 51. We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed Christ is said to be the judge of the quick and dead therefore all men shall not die Answer Cajetan on 2 Thes. 4. 17. gives both a succinct and sufficient answer Statutum regulare est illos autem non mori singulare est Others say that change shall be a kinde of death Secondly The misery that comes to the wicked by death Every man in an unregenerate estate lies under the fear of death 1. The Scripture thus frequently sets forth naturall men Heb. 2. 15. And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Job 18. 14. Death is called The King of terrours an ordinary hebraisme as the Lord of glory that is most glorious death hath a dominion over them Luk. 1. 79. The shadow of death that is such darknesse as strikes men with fear of death 2. All unregenerate men hate the very thoughts of death Isa. 28. 15. Lewis the 11th of France straitly charged his servants that when they saw him sick they should never dare to name that bitter word Death in his ears 3. Thoughts of death often imbitter all the comforts of this life The reasons of this truth may be these 1. Because death is contrary to nature it self and to that inseparable desire of its own preservation it being a dissolution of the whole man and a separation of two most loving companions the soul and body by vertue of that ancient curse Gen. 2. 17. Yet it is not an enemy to the godly mans person though it be to his naturall estate 1 Cor. 3. 22. Christ did maledictionem benedicere paupertatem ditare ignominiam glorificare saith Luther 2. Because they die in their sins they must themselves conflict with the terrours of death 1 Cor. 15. 55. John 8. 44. Sin in every man brings with it a secret guiltinesse which makes him fear something worse will follow after death 3. It puts an end to all the benefits and comforts of this life Son remember that in thy life time thou receivedst good things It deprives him of friends goods pleasures credit 4. It puts an end to all his hopes Job 11. ult. Their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost 5. His conscience shall then be awakened this is the worm 6. It brings him to the barre of judgement Heb. 9. 27. He must go to God to give an account in whom he hath no interest 7. All offers of grace shall be at an end 8. It is the inlet to eternity and puts them into an unchangeable condition In the next place I shall resolve some questions about death 1. Question Whether it be lawfull to desire death We have examples of both kindes Paul desired to be dissolved but Hezekiah mourned and prayed exceedingly against it so did David Psal. 102. yet he rashly wished to die for Absolom 1 Sam. 18. 33. The Israelites offended this way Would God we had died in Egypt and would God we had died with our brethren Elisha Job and Jonah were to blame this way O that I had never been born said Job O that I had died so soon as I was born O that I might die out of hand for these are the three parts of his desperate words It is often in the mouths of wicked people would I were dead and I would I were out of the world If they were to die indeed they would be loath enough to it Like the man in the fable who being wearied with his burden of sticks lay down and called for death but when death came indeed to take him and said What shall I doe man thou calledst me I pray thee said he help me up with my burden of sticks To answer this question we must distinguish 1. Of desire there is Desiderium carnale spirituale heroscum a carnall spirituall and heroicall desire If this desire ariseth 1. From diffidence of Gods help and succour 2. From impatience under crosses Or 3. From shunning of those labours and pains which are to be endured for Gods glory and the Churches good it is very sinfull but if it arise from a holy desire to injoy the presence of Christ and to be freed from sin it may be lawfull Secondly We must distinguish of the manner in desiring which is either absolute or conditionate if it be a conditionate one with submission to Gods will as long as the Church hath need of him it may be lawfull Domine si adhuc populo tuo sim necessarius nâ—llum recuso laborem 2. Question Whether a godly man may fear to die Answer He may 1. For some sin that he is not enough humbled for 2. For want of the clear evidence of pardon and assurance of interest in Christ 3. Question Whether may one pray against a sudden and violent death Answer A violent and sudden death chiefly by some immediate hand of God is tedious to mans nature The Apostles themselves in a tempest made bold to waken Christ with some what a reproving speech Master carest thou not that we perish Christ told Peter foretelling a violent death that he should be led to it as to that which he would not meaning
yet God so wrought being stronger then the devil that he uttered unto Luther the whole substance of the cause as well touching the money as the obligation Luther understanding the matter and pittying the lamentable state of the man willed the whole Congregation to pray and he himself ceased not with his prayers and labour so that the devil was compelled at last to throw in his obligation at the window and bad him take it again unto him He held Consubstantiation but confessed to Melancthon that he had gone too far in the controversie of the Sacrament Melancthon perswaded him by the publishing of some milde writing to explain himself Luther replied to that that by this means he should cause his whole doctrine to be suspected but Melancthon might do what seemed good to him after his death When they said he had recanted he writing to his friend Stupitius saith Omnia de me praesumas praeter fugam palinodiam Presume any thing of me sooner then flying and retracting Luther so much esteemed of his book de servo arbitrio that he gloried in it as unanswerable and wrote to Wolfangus Fabricius Capito Nullum se agnoscere justum suum librum nisi fortè De servo arbitrio Catechismo that he acknowledged none of his books for his but those two that de servo arbitrio and his Catechisme If any of his books be to be disliked surely that de sermonibus Convivalibus is most faulty of which Gerhard * a Lutheran saith thus Liber ille Convivalium sermonum à Luthero nec visus nec lectus nec approbatus est quin multoties privato quorundam arbitrio mutatus mutilatus auctus He said of the Pope non habeo argumentum robustius that he should fall then quia sine cruce regnat Luther speaks slightly himself of his first labours Above all I beseeeh the godly Reader and for our Lord Jesus Christs sake that he would reade my writings judiciously and with much compassion and let him know that I was formerly a Monk and a most furious Papist when I first entred into the cause undertaken by me He fitly called the Popes bull bullam a bubble in respect of its vanity Being reproached he said Prorsus satan Lutherus sit modo Christus vivat regnet Let Lurther be counted a devil so Christ may live and reign His saying was Turcicum imperium quantum quantum est mica tantum est quam pater-familias prâ—jicit canibus The whole Turkish Empire is but a crumme that the master of the family throws to a dog He said he learnt more by one fervent prayer then he could get by reading of many books or most intent * meditation Melancthon in his preface to his 3d Tome reports this of him When he often seriously thought of the anger of God or the wonderfull examples of punishments suddenly he had such terrours that he was almost dead with them and in disputing once about some points being much amazed he lay upon a bed in the next room where he often inserted this sentence in his prayer He hath concluded all under sin that he might have mercy on all His prayer a little before his death was this Paeter mi caelestis Deus Pater Domini nostri Jesu Christi Deus omnis consolationis ago tibi gratias quod filium tuum Jesum Christum mihi revelasti cui credidi quem sum professus quem amavi quem celebravi c. My heavenly Father the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the God of all consolation I give thee thanks that thou hast revealed thy Son Jesus Christ to me whom I have beleeved whom I have professed whom I have loved and celebrated When he lay a dying this was his will for his wife great with childe and his little son Domine Deus gratias ago tibi quod volueris me esse pauperem super terram mendicum Non habeo domum agrum possessiones pecuniam 〈◊〉 quae relinquam Tu dedisti mihi uxorem filios tibi reddo nutri doce serva ut hactenus me O Pater pupillarum judex viduarum O Lord God I thank thee that thou wouldst have me to be poor upon the earth I have no house land or money that I should leave them Thou hast given me wife and children I restore them to thee doe thou O father of Orphans and Judge of widdows nourish teach keep them as thou hast hitherto me CHAP. IIII. Of the Covenant and Promises I. Of the Covenant THE Hebrew word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Berith is derived from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Barah elegit to choose because God in the Covenant of works did choose out man especially with whom he made the Covenant and because in the Covenant of grace he chuseth out of the multitude the elect and because a Covenant is a thing which two chuse and of which they mutually agree and promise betwixt themselves although the word be used where ore alone doth promise with a simple promise and so it may be referred to the Testamentary disposition Or else it may come from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Barah comedit to eat as if they should say an eating because they used in the Eastern countries to establish Covenants by eating and drinking together The condition was about eating in the Covenant of works {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Bara signifieth to slay whence some derive a Covenant because God made the first Covenant of grace and sealed it by sacrifices * of beasts slain and divided The Covenant in generall may be described a mutuall compact or agreement betwixt God and man whereby God promiseth all good things specially eternall happinesse unto man upon just equall and favourable conditions and man doth promise to walk before God in all acceptable free and willing obedience expecting all good from God and happinesse in God according to his promise for the praise and glory of his great name A Covenant is a solemn compact or agreement between two chosen parties or more whereby with mutuall free and full consent they binde themselves upon select conditions tending to the glory of God and their common good It differs from a promise gradually and in the formalities of it not naturally or in the substance of it A Covenant usually is the collection of many promises as a constellation is the collection of many starres though it be but one promise I will be thy God yet it is such a one as comprehends many There is a difference between a Law and a Covenant A Superiour may give a law whether the inferiour consent to it or no but a Covenant is ratified by the consent of both parties A Covenant is something unto which two persons by mutuall consent doe freely binde themselves There are divers distinctions of Covenants 1. A Covenant of nature 2. A
by the naturall inclination of his will this gives us just ground and warrant to pray against sudden and violent death 4. Question Whether may we mourn for the dead Answer Yes Because 1. Death is a fruit of sin In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dâ—e the death and a sign of Gods displeasure against it 2. It is a separation of friends and they should not part without some grief onely we must look that our mourning in such cases be 1. Serious not counterfeit 2. Moderate not excessive either for quantity or continuance which may shew want of hope and excesse of love both naught 3. Holy turning our sorrow from the death of our friends to the bewailing of our sins the only procurers of that and all other crosses In the last place I shall lay down directions how to die well and shew the benefits that come to the godly by death 1. What a Christian should do that would die comfortably 1. Discharge the place and office which God hath called him to with much diligence and sincerity 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. Act. 20. 31. Why dost fear O my soul said Hilarion thou hast served God this seventy years and art thou afraid to die Live much in a little time doe all for eternity be abundant in serving thy generation Acts 13. 36. You live no longer in Gods account then you serve him 2. Doe nothing against conscience for the greatest advantage this troubled Iudas he betraied innocent bloud this made the wofull tragedy of Spira 3. Take heed of unjust dealing and violent oppressing of others Samuel before his death Tell me saith he whose ox or asse have I stolen or taken away * 4. Improve thy riches and honours for Gods glory Luk. 16. 9. 5. Spend the time of thy health well and lay up praiers for death before hand Teach us to number our daies that is to consider how few they are that we apply our hearts to wisdom 6. Get acquaintance with death take notice of all the approaches of it behold the mortality of others and consider thine own do not think to die all at once the Apostle saith I thank God I die daily So seriously meditate on death as to draw from thence some wholesome and profitable conclusions and resolutions for the well ordering of thy life and that in respect of four things chiefly sin the things of the world our own persons and the persons of others For sin this conclusion must follow therefore sin is a most hatefull thing to God and a most harmfull thing to man for it alone hath provoked God to inflict this heavy punishment of death yea of eternall death after this upon the sons of men unlesse repentance come betwixt Sinne is the parent and sting of death sin brought it into the world and makes it terrible therefore I must hate sinne lament sin resist and mortifie sin and must make it my chiefest and in a manner my only care to get my sins forgiven my iniquity subdued and then resolve especially to mortifie that sin which thy heart is most unwilling to reform 2. In respect of the world we must conclude and resolve that wealth honour pleasure friends are but very vanities trifles and toies poor petty short and vanishing goods therfore I must and by Gods grace will resolve to pull mine heart from off these things not rejoice in them trust in them boast of them seeing I brought nothing into the world and must carry nothing out use the present world as if we used it not 2. Diligently prepare for the life to come every man must be for ever in heaven or hell there is no middle place as * pargatory so soon as his soul and body are separated Labour therefore to get good assurance of bettering your estate and injoying eternall life by bewailing the sinfulnesse of your nature and lives and seeking unto and resting upon the Lord Jesus Christ alone and his mediation and obedience and the sprinklâ—ng of his bloud for pardon of sin and help against damnation and lastly labour and study to reform your hearts and lives more and more 3. Concerning our own persons we must thus conclude that we are but mean and contemptible creatures that must die and turn to dust and be made food for worms why should I then be proud or think my self better then others because of my strength beauty wit learning parentage titles offices attendances of all which death will strip me and teach me to know they were but borrowed things 4. For other men we ought to to conclude thus they also must die as well as my self my husband wife my dear and faithfull friend who knows how soon therefore it is a great weaknesse to trust on such to place my happinesse in them Cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils therefore use al persons as well as all things as if thou didst not use them Lastly Let the Saints of God take great comfort in the contemplation of the good that death will bring them it concludes all their sorrows and evils and is a beginning of all joies pleasures comfort glory and happinesse Death is to such a resting from their labours Rev. 14. 14. A happy change Phil. 3. 21. Job 14. 14. cals death a change it is not an annihilation or extinction but a mutation and that by way of eminency My change It is the last change we shall meet with till the resurrection 2. A lasting nay an everlasting change it puts us into an eternall condition of happinesse or misery 3. An universall change 1. in respect of persons all must meet with it 2. In regard of the whole man body and soul makes the body a stinking carkasse and puts the soul into heaven or hell 4. A different change according to the quality of the person changed terrible to a sinner comfortable to the godly Death is their bodies seed-time 1 Cor. 15. the crowning day to the soul 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. the funerall of all their sins and sorrows Rom. 6. 7. I shall in the last place mention some of the chief benefits that come to the godly by death By it he is freed 1. From sin not only the destroying power but the being of it is then taken away 2. From those miseries which follow sin Isa. 57. 1 2 3. 3. From the temptations of the devil Rev. 12. 8. 4. From the troubles of the world and vexations of the flesh Rev. 14. 13. Eccles. 4. 1 2. 2. There is nothing in his death but what conduceth to make him happy 1. A godly man dies in Gods love and mercy 2. He never dies til he be prepared till his graces be perfected and work finished Job 5. 26. 3. He shall in some measure be assured of a better life 2 Cor. 5. 1. 4. When he dies he shall leave a sweet favour behinde him Prov. 10. 7. The memory of the just is