for as God doth bestowe vpon his seruants more gifts graces then vpon all the worlde besides so will the Lord haue the same to appeare in his seruants to the praise of his grace They must be beat like spice in a motter that they may sauour the better and euer according to our strength the Lord doth euer proportion our tryals On Hos 6.1 but I haue handled this elsewhere Vse 1 The consideration of this is for excellent vse vnto the godly to comfort them in the midst of all their troubles and afflictions here that they doe not thereby iudge of Gods fauour or displeasure for as Salomon teacheth All things happen alike to all It is the condition of the godly as wel as the wicked yea it is more insident to the professors and profession of the Gospell then to others Such must not thinke the worse of themselues but the better onely they are to labour to make their calling and election sure that hauing assurance of Gods fauour in Iesus Christ they may thereby haue their afflictions sanctified vnto them Secondly this may serue to Vse 2 comfort the faint-hearted that are tossed with the waues of many troubles heere if searching their hearts they can finde their vprightnesse and trying their owne waies they prooue to bee righteous there is not that cause of sorrow or discontent to that man to thinke his state eyther desperate or irrecouerable If troubles were alwaies an argument of Gods displeasure who then were sure of Gods fauour The Lord doth as sure prouide his children correction as food and hee that is without chastisement is a bastard not a sonne Let no man then say in prosperity I shall neuer bee remooued God hath his quiuer full of arrowes to shoot abroad Neither let any in aduersity say I shall neuer bee restored For the Lord taketh no pleasure in afflicting his seruants whensoeuer the Lord chastiseth his he sees there is great necessity of the rod yet in the middest of iudgement the Lord remembreth mercy howsoeuer sorrow may indure for a night ioy commeth in the morning Their latter end shall be peace The latter end of that man shall be peace The Second thing wee are to take notice of Peace the greatest blessing of God is the blessing it selfe which shall bee conferred vpon them it is peace the greatest blessing Obiect Ob. But shal not the later end of all men be alike doth not SalomoÌ„ say Eccl. 9.1 There is one end to the righteous and the wicked to the cleane and vncleane to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not the end is all alike why then shall the later end of the vpright be marked more theÌ„ other mens Ans I answere that their later end is all alike for the matter of their death that is Ans all doe die But it is not all one for the manner of their death for all shall not die in peace but as my Text saith Marke the vpright man and beholde the iust for the later end of that man shal be peace So then the instruction we are to take notice of hence is That the godly onely at their Doct. 4 later end haue peace Onely the godly haue peace at last so that wee haue heere to consider what is the condition of all men in death all die but all haue not peace in their deathes The later end of the iust shall bee peace But as for the wicked Esa 48.22 There is no peace to the wicked saith my God I desire briefly to speake of both of these And first concerning the godly the Holy Ghost doth heere assure them of peace that presently vpon their going hence they are happy Reu. 14.13 Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from thenceforth they rest from their labours This appeares in Abraham to whom it was promised that hee should goe vnto his fathers in peace Gen. 15.15 And of Isaac his sonne it is sayd Gen. 35.29 That he gaue vp the ghost and died peaceably being old full of dayes The like may bee sayd of Iacob of Ioseph of Iosuah Moses Dauid and it is true of all Gods seruants that their latter end is peace An exellent place of Scripture wee haue to this purpose by the Prophet Esay Esa 57.2 Hee shall enter into peace and they shall rest in their beds Euery one that walketh before him in his rightousnes It was Simeons dying song Luk. 2.29 Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word This wee haue confirmed by that we read of Lazarus Luk. 16.22 who was carried immediately after his death into Abrahams bosom in his life time a man little regarded at his end the Angels are his seruants Yea the wicked themselues haue confessed shall acknowledge that the godly are blessed in their deaths witnes that speech of cursed Balaam who desired to die the death of the godly Num. 23.10 Let mee die the death of the righteous and let my last end bee like his That wretch could not but acknowledge that the condition of the godly was happy and blessed howsoeuer their liues are full of misery and they are tossed from post to pillar as the Israelites in the wildernesse yet in their deaths they had peace I will not spend much time herein I hope our iudgements are sufficiently conuinced concerning the truth of the Doctrine I will briefly set downe the Reasons Reas 1 First the godly are sure of peace at last in regard of the accomplishment of Gods promise who hath sayd that peace shall come Esa 57.2 that They shall rest in their beds euery one that walketh before the Lord which promise of his the Lord hath euer made good from time to time vnto all the faithfull after all their labour and trauailes giuing them rest and from their troubles and afflictions in the ende to giue them peace his promise requireth it Secondly the godly haue Reas 2 peace with God with whom they are reconciled by Christ which is their peace This peace the godly haue in this life in the midst of their greatest miseries heere which serues to sweeten the Crosse and to support them vnder the burthen of their afflictions And therefore the Lord giuing them the earnest of their inheritance and the first fruits of the Spirit here they must needs haue peace with God going out of the worlde who goe to enioy God who haue such peace in the worlde where they are absent from the Lord in their bodies The vses follow to bee considered First of all seeing Gods seruants Vse 1 doe die in peace and that this shall bee the portion they shall receiue from the Lord after all their labours trauailes peace at last This may serue to reprooue those that flatter their owâ—e soules and secure themselues that they shall die happily though they haue neither care nor conscience to liue holily faine would they
with Balaam die the death of the righteous but they will neuer yeelde consent to liue the life of the righteous they would faine act the parte of the godly in their death that by no meanes care for their spirit in life Oh how is these mens madnes to be mourned for and their ignorance and obstinacy to bee pittied poore soules they deceiue themselues This will neuer be men cannot liue like sinners and die like Saints They that sow to the flesh Gal. 6.6 shall of the flesh reape corruption Were it not madnesse in a man that after hee hath sowed cockle and darnell in his fielde at Haruest time to thinke hee shall reape good wheate euâ—â—y man would condemne this man of madnes exterme folly Oh my brethren let vs take heed we proue not such fooles one day Be not deceiued God is not mocked Whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall hee reape Doest thou goe on in thy sinnes in thy prophane course of vncleanenesse drunkennesse swearing Sabaoth-breaking c. and yet thinkest to die in peace this is altogether impossible I will say to thee as sometimes Iehu sayd to the messengers of Iehoram 2. Reg. 9.22 What hast thou to doe with peace so long as the whoredomes of thy mother Iezabel remaine So what peace can there bee at thy death so long as thy whoredomes remaine thy drunkennesse vsury oppression remaine it is grace in life that hath the promise of peace in death Vse 2 The second vse is for matter of instruction vnto the Godly that they bee not wearie of well doing for in due time they shall reap if they faint not Let not the godly bee discouraged in their worke in Gods vineyard what though they beare the heate burthen of the day the euening commeth when they shall rest the Lords penny this peace at last will make amends for all and then wee shall see and confesse with the Apostle that these light and momentary afflictions here are not worthie of such a recompence of rewarde Looke still to the end of wel-doing Iam. 5.7 peace at last this shall be thy portion In the meane time doe as the husband man doth waite for the pretious fruite and haue long patience Thy labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord after all the boysterous stormes in this life wrestling against sinne Sathan and thy owne corruptions here is Gods promise gone out of his lips that can no more fayle then himselfe cease to be true Thou shalt haue peace at last Thirdly seeing the Lord hath Vse 3 promised peace vnto his seruants at last that a good life brings with it euer a good death Hence wee learne what to conceiue of the despairing wordes of Gods seruants in time of some sore assault and temptation when the waters enter into their soule that God hath forsaken them and that he hath forgotten to be gracious that hee hath shut his louing kindnesse in displeasure that God hath no mercy in store for them and the like Namely that these are but words of distemper not of reason of iudgement for will God cast away his people Rom. 11.1 God forbid Such may be the nature of the disease that fuming vp into the braine may cause such a distemper for the time present But mans changeable tongue can neuer alter Gods decree which is vnchangeable he hath sayd it Rom. 3.3 That the end of the vpright and iust man shall bee peace at last and who shall hinder it shall Sathan lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen when God doth iustifie any no no wee are more then conquerours thorough him that loued vs therefore let vs learne to iudge aright of our brethren in their deathes and let not our iudgement bee weakened or charity faile when they are put to cry out as before but looke we vpon their liues if they appeare to haue beene godly and religious and that they haue made conscience of holy duties remember we euer the Lords promise The latter end of that man shall be peace The last thing wee are to take notice of from the authority of this Scripture is that if peace bee promised of the Lord vnto the vpright iust man The end of that man shall be peace Then on the contrary Wicked men can haue no peace in death there Doct. 5 is peace to the wicked whose liues haue beene gracelesse their deathes haue beene comfortlesse what though the wicked flourish in this world waxe olde and growe in wealth Iob. 21.8.9 what though their houses be peaceable and without feare and the rod of God is not vpon them what though they spend their dayes in pleasure they shall suddenly to hell saith Iob There is no peace to the wicked Esa 48 2â— saith my God The Doctrine then will bee cleare That wicked men in death can haue no peace Those that in the time of their life haue had no care or conscience to gette grace into their soules when sicknesse comes and death approacheth must needs be voyd of all true comfort Salomon hath excellent sayings to prooue this Doctrine Pro. 11.7 When a wicked man dieth saith hee his expectation perisheth the hope of his power shall perish And Iob hath a saying to the same purpose Iob. 27.8 What hope hath the hypocrite though he hath heaped vp riches when God taketh away his soule meaning thereby indeed that he hath no hope left him What ioy then can be there in a wicked mans prosperity what comfort can there bee in such a peace as hath ruine destruction attending vpon it Dan. â— What ioy had Belshatzar in his banquet when in the midst of his cups hee beheld the hand writing vpon the wall contayning in it the sentence of his finall downfall His thoughts were troubled saith the Text his ioynts were loosed and his knees smot one against another his coÌ„pany could not comfort him nor his dainty dishes refresh him when his conscience is vp in armes against him Luk. â—2 42 The rich man in the Gospell was very ioyfull and gloried in his plentie promised much peace to his soule but wee see how suddenly this glory of his is damped with this newes This night they will fetch thy soule from thee No heauier newes could come to him that had his portion in this life then to tell him of fetching away his soule I might lay here before your eyes a multitude of examples Had Saul peace had Ahab peace had Iesabel peace had Iudas peace There is no peace vnto the wicked Take all the pleasantest delicates that the earth may affoord and offer them to a condemned wretch going to execution will he glut himselfe with them and fall to them with an hungry appetite No no hee will answer thee I can take no delight in these things for I perceiue that present death waiteth for mee So euen so is it with a wicked man and so shall it be
with him in the last dayes though his barnes bee full and his presses run ouer though hee can number his Oxen by thousands and his Sheepe by ten thousands these cannot adde one iot of comfort to his heauy heart when death approacheth hee shall then finde no pleasure in them for then there remaines for him nothing but a fearefull expectation of iudgement This shall bee the woefull estate and condition of those that put from thē the euill day that will not be acquainted with Gods wayes their liues hauing beene dissolute and sinfull their deathes shall be wretched and without comfort The Reasons Reas 1 First the wicked want peace in death because they want faith in life for it is faith euen faith alone that must giue vs boldnes and comfort at that day For thus runnes the promise Io. 3.16 God so loued the world that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting But wicked men beleeue not in him the word of God cannot worke vpon their harts it is but as seed cast vpon stony ground as appeares by the heardnes of their hearts and therefore being without the couenant no maruaile though they partake not of the promise Reas 2 Secondly the prerogatiues and priuileges of Gods people would bee much infringed if there were no differēce betwixt the wicked the godly if they were but so blessed in their deathes as they seeme prosperous in their life then might the godly say that they had cleansed their hearts in vaine But now in that the hope of the wicked doth perish and in death they begin to partake of miserie whereas the godly after al their trials trouble shall then haue peace Herein standeth the difference betweene them Pro. 14.32 The wicked shall bee cast away for his lewdnesse But the Righteous hath hope at his death For the time of this life we see that commonly wicked men enioy their pleasure and are full whereas Gods seruants are afflicted and suffer want and therefore the Iustice of God requireth that their conditions should bee changed on both sides The pleasure of the one to bee turned into paine and the sorrow of the other into comfort for if there were not a day of refreshing vnto the godly of al men they were most miserable And if there were not a reckoning day reserued for the wicked of all men they were most happy Vse 1 This serues first of all to awake the Carnall man which is euer singing the sweete dittie of peace vnto his Soule that seemeth to haue made a league with death to be at an agreement with the graue Ah poore Soules there is a day comming when the Lord wil disannul this agreement and this drunken peace shall bee dissolued when death shall once lay vpon them his arest what will it auaile thee to crye Lord Lord. Thou maist crie till thy tongue cleaue to the roofe of thy mouth thou mayst howle vpon thy bed like a wolfe and yet the Lord will stop his eares that hee will not heare thy crye and that because thou hast dispised instruction Pro. 1. and when the Lrod sought vnto thee and offered grace vnto thee thou wouldest not heare him Therefore his distributiue Iustice requireth that thou shouldest crie and call vnto the Lord and hee shall not answere thee This is a most fearefull condition thus to be forsaken of the Lord especially whē in time of distresse the poore soule shall seeke for cōfort This is Gods iust iudgement for the contempt of grace before offered vnto him Oh the miserie of this poore creature that is so payned that hee cannot liue so vnprepared that he dare not die that goes to bed but cannot sleepe that tasts his meat but wil not down that shifts his roome but not his paine as for death which hath already seazed vpon him his conscience tels him he is altogether vnprepared for This is the condition these will be the outcries of those that will not in time bee warned to seek to worke out their peace betimes in their life time before it be too late and their conscience shall tell them There is no peace Vse 2 But especially are they heere to be reproued that liue in hope that the time of their death will beget hope They knowe that they haue beene vile wretched and desperate sinners without grace and goodnesse and that they haue from time to time dispised Gods patience and long suffering that should haue led them to repentance vnto all manner of licentious liuing this they knowe and that they haue presumptuously euen against knowledge conscience resisted the Lord hardning their owne hearts against his ordinance this they knowe Yet they trust they say at last to haue repentance for al so be saued Their own cōscience telleth thē that their estate is damnable 〈◊〉 if the Lord should at this instance of time call them to accoūt they must needs perish yet poore Soules they presume of repentance at the last But poore Soules how can such as haue spent their dayes in the seruice of sin and Sathan thinke that death will prooue so good vnto them Are Theeues and Robbers and such like offenders bound ouer to the Assises to the end they may receiue honor or shame to be put into the Commission and taken vp to the bench or not rather to receiue Iudgement and to bee executed according to their demerits Oh take heede thou deceiue not thine owne soule herein Many thousands are now in hell and there shal suffer the paines of the damned for euer more that had these purposes to haue cryed God mercy at last Remember this when I am gone that it is grace in this life that brings peace at last I knowe the Deuill will still perswade vs to play with our sins but in the meane time our sins will not play with vs we run dayly into Gods score and the greater our debts the deeper repentance at last If Moses had not slaine the Egiptian the poore Ebrewe must haue perished Saul fauoured the life of Agag but it cost him his owne life If those fiue wicked Nations had not beene destroied before the Iewes had seated themselues in the Land of Canaan where had beene their peace Seeing then that the case is so dangerous let Agag bee slaine the Cananits cast out and the Egiptian put to death I meane let vs kill our sinnes and break off our iniquities by repētance that so wee may procure our peace doubtlesse then shall wee possesse our soules in peace while we liue heere and end our dayes in peace Which the Lord grant vnto vs all for his Christs sake Amen FINIS