as any that they could heare yet could they receive no comfort or benefit at all by it Moses spake so saith the text Exod. 6. 9. unto the children of Israel but they hearkned not unto Moses for anguish of spirit and for cruell bondage 3. Admit we were never so able and fit to minde this matter then and to go about this weighty businesse admit we could be then more apt to seeke reconciliation with God than at any other time yet have we just cause to feare that because we have wilfully neglected this worke so long and presumptuously put it off till the last houre the Lord in his righteous judgement will refuse to be found of us at that time Thus we shall find the Lord hath threatned to do Prov. 1. 24 26 28 29. Because I have called saith he and ye refused I have stretched out mine hand and no man regarded I also will laugh at your calamity I will mocke when your feare commeth Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seeke me early but they shall not find me for that they hated knowledge and did not choose the feare of the Lord. Now if you shall aske me how may this be done I answer That he that would make this sure to himselfe that when he dies he shall go to heaven must do these three things 1. He must repent of all his knowne sinnes He must call them to mind bewaile them unfainedly confesse them to God and crave earnestly of him the pardon of them and resolve with himselfe to forsake them all For 1. Sinne is the sâ—ing of death as the Apostle cals it 1 Cor. 15. 56. And if that be once done away and forsaken death can never hurt a man nor hath he any cause to feare it at all 2. On the other side no man can hope to go to heaven with his sinnes unrepented of Know ye not saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 9. that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God Be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor theeves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdome of God Any one of these sinnes unrepented of will certainly exclude a man utterly out of the kingdome of heaven 3. Though it be dangerous for a man to live in sinne yet is it a matter of farre greater danger to him to die in sinne and to be over-taken by death before he have repented of it This our Saviour noteth as the extreme unhappinesse of the wicked Iewes and repeats it often Iohn 8. 21. 24. that they should die in their sinnes 2. Get good assurance by a lively faith that Christ is thine and then shalt thou be able to die in peace and in a certaine hope to go to heaven when thou art dead When old Simeon had seene Christ whom he had waited for by faith and longed to see and was thereby confirmed much in that faith he had in him before He blessed God anâ— said Luke 2. 28 29 30. Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seene thy salvation They that have once seene and embraced Christ as he did spiritually by faith I meane and not corporally onely shall die in peace and none but they can do so For 1. It is Christ onely that hath overcome death for us and taken away the sting of it When the Apostle had said 1 Cor. 15. 56. that sin is the sting of death But thanks be to God saith he Verse 57. which giveth us victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. Death is overcome so that it cannot hurt the true believer at all but him that is nor in Christ it will sting unto death even unto the second death 2. We can have no hope to come to heaven but onely through him Christ is in you saith the Apostle Col. 1. 27. the hope of glory There is no hope to come to glory but onely by Christ. Nay there is no hope to come to glory through him unlesse he be in us unlesse he dwell in us by a lively faith 3. If thou wouldst be sure to go to heaven when thou diest labour whilest thou livest to lead an unblameable a godly and fruitfull life even to do all the good that God gives thee power and opportunity to do As we have opportunity saith the Apostle Gal. 6. 10. which none of us can tell how soone it may be taken from us let us do good unto all men especially unto them that are of the houshold of faith See what comfort Hezechia found in this when he was to die Remember now O Lord I beseech thee saith he Esa. 38. 3. how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart have done that which is good in thy sight Now on his death-bed his conscience gave this comfortaâ—â—e testimony unto him that he had lead a holy life and now doth he even before the Lord comfort himselfe in that against the feare of death See also what a testimony the holy Apostle gives unto good workes even to the workes of charity and mercy in this case Charge them that are 〈◊〉 in this world saith he 1 Tim. 6. 17 19. that they 〈◊〉 good that they be rich in good workes ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternall life Workes of charity not as a meritorious cause of salvation but as a sure evidence that by a lively faith we have interest and title to the merits of Christ shal be rewarded with stable and durable riches in time to come and will make a man able with confidence of hope to lay hold on eternall life And that which the Apostle saith of certaine bad men 2 Cor. 11. 15. that their end shal be according to their workes may be said of all good men also their end shal be according to their workes A good life will certainly end in a blessed and comfortable death Foure things are wont to be objected against this which I will briefly give answer unto Experience sheweth daily that many do die willingly and quietly and comfortably also that have neither lived so unblameably and fruitfully nor used any such means to prepare themselves for death as you have prescribed To this I answer 1. That we may not thinke that every one that dies quietly and speakes gloriously of his willingnesse to die and of the peace and comfort that he finds in the assurance of his salvation doth die happily and comfortably indeed For the Holy Ghost speaks of some that were most wâ—cked and wretched men that have no bands in their death Psal. 73. 4. In outward things all things aswell in death as in life fall alike to good and bad as Salomon saith Eccles. 9. 2. 2. We have just cause to suspect the peace
plague nor make right use of it unlesse every one of us enter into his owne heart aâ—d say what have I done To this end it wil be profitable for us to search the Scriptures and find out what were the speciall sinnes which either have brought the pestilence upon GODS people in former times or which the LORD hath threatned to punish in this manner and with this judgement For the first I find five great plagues of pestilence recorded in the holy Scriptures and the speciall sinnes that were the causes of them are also plainly set downe The first great plague we read of was that which is spoken of Numb 11. 33. The wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague And what was the cause of that plague Surely their murmuring and discontentment at their present condition their unthankfulnesse to the LORD who had brought them out of the land of Egypt Vers. 20. their loathing of Manna Verse 6. which the Prophet for the excellency thereof calleth Angles food Psal. 78. 25. and the corne and bread of heaven Psal. 78. 24. 105. 40. their lusting after the flesh-pots of Egypt and longing to be there againe Numb 11. 45. Exod. 16. 3. Secondly Another we find mentioned Numb 14. where although the LORD was stayed by the prayer of Moses from smiting the whole congregation with the pestilence and from dis-inheriting them as He threatned to do Vers. 6. yet often of those men that were sent to search out the Land it is said Vers. 37. that they died of the plague before the LORD And the cause of this is said to be Verse 36 37. that they did bring up a slander and evil report upon the promised Land and thereby made all the congregation to murmure against Moses who had spoken so much good of it Thirdly Another great plague Moses hath set downe the story of Numb 16. 49. wherein there died foureteene thousand and seven hundred and yet then so soone as wrath was gone out from the LORD so soone as the plague was begun as we read Vers. 46 48. Aaron the true â—ype of our onely High Priest and effectuall Intercessour for us unto GOD went with his incense and stood betweene the dead and the living and made an attonement for the people and so the plague was stayed How fearefull a pestilence would that have beene if it had continued any time if it had not been presently stayed And the sin that provoked GOD to send this pestilence among His people we find to have been their murmuring and rebelling against Moses and Aaron the Ministers and servants of the LORD as it is plain by the 41 and 42 Verses of that Chapter Fourthly The fourth memorable pestilence that we read of is that which is recorded Num. 25. of which there fell in one day as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10. 8. three and twenty thousand Moses in setting down that story saith Numb 25. 9. those that died in the plague were twenty and foure thousand putting all together in that summe that perished at that time and for that sinne as well those whom himselfe and the judges had put to death according to the commandment of GOD Vers. 4 5. which may seeme to have beene in number about a thousand as those that perished by that plague which the LORD in His fierce anger as it is said Vers. 4. did send amongst them which were the three and twenty thousand that the Apostle speaketh of For that most of them that then perished died of an extraordinary pestilence and not all by the sword of the Magistrate as some learned men judge may appeare by that which the HOLY GHOST speaketh of it in other places as Numb 31. 16. There was a plague among the Congregation of the LORD and Iosh. 22. 17. where the very same words are used by Phinehas who had a chiefe hand in the staying of it and Psal. 106. 29 30. The plague brake in upon them then stood up Phinehas and executed judgement and so the plague was stayed And what was the cause of this strange and fearefull pestilence that consumed in one day three and twenty thousand Surely it was whoredome as both Moses Numb 25. 1 6. and the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 8. do expresly teach us Fiftly the fift and last plague we read of in holy Scripture was in Davids time the story whereof is set downe 2 Sam. 24. 15. this went thorough all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba in three dayes and consumed in so short a time no lesse than seventy thousand men And the cause of this plague was the pride of Davids heart and the confidence he reposed in his owne strength and in the outward meanes he had to defend himselfe by and to provide for his owne safety And besides these five great plagues I find also mention made of another dangerous and strange sicknesse wherewithall the LORD in his just judgement did smite and afflict his people in the Church of Corinth which though I cannot certainly say it was the pestilence because the text doth not expresly say so yet I may boldly say it was an epidemicall disease and grievous mortality most likely to be it Many are weake and sicke among you saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. 30. and many sleepe that is die of it And the cause of this sicknesse and mortality the Apostle tels us was this that they came carelesly unreverently and without due preparation unto the holy Sacrament Thus you see what sinnes have brought the plague upon men in former times yea upon such as have beene GODS people by profession aswell as we And This happened unto them for ensample as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 10. 11. and all the seen samples are written and recorded in Scripture of purpose for our admonition And although we read of no plagues that are recorded in the holy Scriptures but those that I have mentioned and for those sinnes yet find we diverse other sinnes also which GOD hath threatned to punish this way GODS people were afraid that He would fall upon them and consume them with the pestilence as we read Exod. 5. 3. even for their negligence of His solemne worship and service though they were then in Egypt where they could not performe it without extreme danger And because Pharaoh had despised and hardened his heart against former and smaller judgements the LORD threatneth Exod. 9. 15. to smite him and his people with the pestilence To conclude the LORD did by His Prophet Ieremiah 21. 5 6. threaten in anger and fury and in great wrath to smite the inhabitants of Ierusalem both man and beast and that they should die of a very great pestilence because they stood out in rebellion against the King of Babylon and refused to yeeld unto him as GOD had commanded them whereby it appeareth that an obstinate refusing to obey the Word and commandment of GOD in any thing though it
of Christ for the people which indeed is that thâ—t did the deed but know 1. that when incense was offred Gods people also prayed Lâ—ke 1. 10. And 2. that Christs intercession goeth with our prayers also â—nd is that that makes them effectuall He offâ—eth His incense with the prayers of all Saints Rev 8. 3. 4. In strange and extraordinary judgements that are upon Gods people we are bound not onely to pray for them but to do it in an extraordinary manner When the decree was sealed for the destruction of all the Iewes and Ester resolved to venture her life for the revoking of it then ordinary prayer would not serve the turne but Ester commanded extraordinary prayer to be used in such a case and that for sundry dayes together Ester 4. 16. Go fast ye for me and neither eat noâ— drinke three dayes night nor day 5. In publike and generall calamities that are upon Gods people or hang over them publike and generall prayers should be used for them This course Ieâ—osâ—phat tooke in that case 2 Chroâ— 20. 13. All luda stood before the Lord in that fast And so did the Ninivites likewise Ion. 3. 5. They prâ—clâ—imed a fast and put on saâ—kcloth from the greatest of them to the leâ—st of them And the more publike and solemne the prayers are that are made in this case the more pleasing they are unto the Lord. This appeareth lâ—dg 20. 26. they had before gone up to the house of God and asked counsell of God Vers. 18. they had gone up the second time to seeke the Lord and then did weepe also before the Lord Vers. 23. but prevailed not the third time they prevailed Why What did they more now than they did before 1. They fasted 2. All the childreâ— of Israel â—nd all the people weâ—t up An evident proofe of this that when Gods judgements are publike and generall upon Gods people our prayers and humiliations should be as publike and generall as is possible and the more publike the more pleasing unto God Reason First The Lord is He that both layeth the judgement upon any of our brethren and He that must take it off and therefore the best way we have to helpe them is to seeke to Him in their behalfe It is the Lord that sends the pestilence I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt saith the Lord Amos 4 10. And it is He and He only that moderates and sets bounds unto it He saith to it as to the sea Iob 38. 11. Hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves â—e stayed He hath set downe in His counsaile and decree whom it shall smite and whom it shall spare The just number that He hath appointed shall die of it use they what meanes they can which they are bound to do because this is a secret unto them to avoid it Ier. 15. 2. Such as are for death that is for the pestilence as it is expounded Ier. 21. 7. to death and such as are for the sâ—â—rd to the sword and such as are for the famine to the famine and such as are for the captivity to the captivity And it shall not touch any of them whom He will have to be spared though they live in never so much danger Psal. 91. 7. A thousand shall fall at Thy side and ten thousand at Thy right hand but it shall not come nigh Thee And it is the Lord onely that removes it when He pleaseth that saith to the destroying Angell It is enough stay now thy hand 2 Sam. 24. 16. And lastly it is He onely that can cure those that are smitten with it 1 Sam. 26. The Lord killeth and â—aketh alive He bringeth downe to the grave and brings up againe So that to conclude this reason we may say with the Prophet Amos 3. 6. Shall there be evill in a City and the Lord hath not done it The plague is in the City and that is one great evill secondly it increaseth there wonderfully that is another evill thirdly the people in the out-parishes will not be restrained nor kept in that is another evill fourthly many perish with famine that is another evill And hath not the Lord done all this What better course then can we take for their good than to seeke to the Lord for them Secondly The Lord hath commanded us to do this He desires and lookes for this at our hands and is highly pleased with it when we seeing his judgements upon our brethren become suiters to Him in their behalfe He hath commanded 1 Tim. 2. 1. Before all things let supplications c. be made for all men Yea He desires it greatly and lookes for it even when He is most offended with a people to be thus sought unto in their behalfe Ezek. 22. 30. I sought for a man amongst them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before Me for the land that I should not destroy it Esâ— 59. 16. He wondred that there was no intercessour Yea He is highly pleased with this in which respect Ieremy desires God to take notice of this grace in him and remember it Ier. 18. 20. Remember that I stood before Thee to speake good for them and to turne away Thy wrath from them So that it is a sinne against God to neglect this duty unto our brethren 1 Sam. 12. 23. God forbid that I should sinne against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you Thirdly The force and efficacy that there is in the prayers of Gods people to helpe and relieve them that are in misery is very great The prayers of Gods people have prevailed wonderfully with Him even for wicked men How oft did Moses prayer remove Gods plagues even from Pharaoh Exod. 8. 13. 31. 9. 33. 10. 18 19. When Ahâ—â— and his land were almost consumed with a drought and famine Elias prayer delivered him from that judgement and brought raine yet he was a man subject to the like passiâ—ns that we are lam 5. 17 18. Yea in this very judgement of the pestilence ye shall see the force of prayer For when God hath drawne out this terrible sword of His in His fierce displeasure and consumed many by it and stretched out His arme to smite more the prayers of Gods people have even stayed Him and held His hand and prevailed so with Him that they have even overcome Him and compelled Him to change His mind and put up His sword When wrath was gone out from the Lord and the plague was begun Aâ—râ—n stood with his incense betweene the dead and the living and the plague was stayed Numb 16. 48. When God had said unto Moses against Israel for their idolatry Exod. 32. 10. Let Me alone that my wrath may waxe â—ot againâ—â— them and that I may consume them Upon Moses prayer Vers. 14. The Lord repented Him of the evill which He thought to do unto His people The like He did upon Davids
land of darknes and to the shadow of death that is before I dye yea even the souls also of all wicked men shall after death abide in darkenesse everlasting And so their misery is expressed Mat. 22. 13. Cast him into outer darknesse there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth Secondly Observe the reason why he would have these dayes of darknesse to be remembred and thought upon because they are many saith he a great many more then the time we can hope to spend here In which respect death is called Ier. 51. 57. a perpetuall sleepe and we use to call our grave our long home And even for this cause it behooves us to be more careful to provide well for our future estate then for this present life As all wise men will care more for and bestow more cost upon that house and land which they hold in free hold or by inheritance then upon that where they are but tenants at will or hold for term of life onely Thirdly and lastly observe the conclusion which he infers upon this admonition and charge all that cometh that man getteth and enjoyeth heere is vanity and emptinesse no sound comfort or contentment of heart is to be found in it The principall point then that is to be observed you see in these words is the admonition and charge that Salomon gives heere to remember the dayes of darkenesse and from thence this Doctrine ariseth for our instruction That it is profitable and necessary for all men even in their best health in their greatest prosperity to remember and thinke oft of their death and of their future estate Two sorts of witnesses I will produce for the confirmation of this The first is of good men who have thus judged of the meditation of death This appeareth 1. by their practise they have beene wont to thinke much of their change This was Iobs daily meditation All the dayes of my warfare saith he Iob 14. 14. for so I read it with sundry of the best interpreters will I waite till my change come Neither did he onely in the times of his misery and affliction thinke thus of his change and wait for it but in the dayes of his greatest prosperity also as appeares by that which he saith Iob 3. 25. the thing that I greatly feared is come upon me and that which I was afraid of it come unto me When he was in the height and strength of his peace and health hee lived in continuall feare and expectation of a change Secondly It appeares that they judged it profitable and necessary to thinke much of their end by the helps they were wont to use to keepe their death alwayes in their remembrance For 1. they counted it their wisdome to visit the sick and goe oft to the house of mourning even for this purpose The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning saith Salomon Eccl. 7. 4. and why did they account it their wisedome to do so he had given us the reason of that in the 2. verse for this is the end of all men saith he and the living will lay it to his heart Secondly to this end also they were wont to make their sepulchers in their lifetime so did Asa one of the good Kings of Iuda 2 Chro. 16. 14. and so did good Iosia also 2 Kings 23. 30. and so did Ioseph of Arimathea Mat. 27. 60. Thirdly and lastly they were wont in their prayers earnestly to beg helpe of God this waye Teach us to number our dayes say Gods people to God in their prayer Psal. 90. 12. that is teach us to consider the shortnesse and uncertainty of our life as David interpreted that prayer of Moses in another prayer of his to the same effect Psal. 39. 4. Lord make â—ee to know mine end and the number of my dayes what it is that I may know how fraile I am Because they knew well on the one side how usefull and necessary it was for them oft to thinke of the uncertainty and shortnesse of their life and on the other side how hard a thing it was for them to keep this in their mind how apt they were to grow forgetfull of it therefore they did earnestly sue unto God that by his Holy Spirit he would please to helpe them in this case And this is my first sort of witnesses The second is the Lord himselfe for hee hath also declared himselfe to judge so of the benefit and necessity of this meditation 1. By that earnest charge which our Saviour giveth to his Disciples concerning this Mar. 13. 35. Watch yee therefore for ye know not when the master of the house commeth at even or at mid-night or at the cockerowing or in the morning and verse 37. And what I say unto you I say unto all that is live in a continuall expectation of your end and of the account you must bee called unto because you know not how soone and suddaine it may be 2. By that patheticall with the Lord uttereth Deu. 32. 29. O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end He wisheth his people would understand and consider also think and meditate seriously of their latter end and he accounts it a high point of wisdome for them to doe so I know well that the meditation and thought of death is bitter to the flesh and useth to breed much heavinesse and feare in the heart And this is a chief thing that makes men unwilling to entertaine it But as many other bitter things are most wholsom and soveraigne even so is this Thus doth Salomon answer this very objection which hee knew men would be apt to make against that which he had said shewing the benefit of going to those houses where people are mourning for the sicknesse or death of their friends Alas will men say if we should use to doe so we should never be merry but sad and pensive and melancholick O saith he Eccl. 7. 3. but sorrow is better then laughter for by the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better Three great benefits we may receive by thinking oft and seriously of our latter end Which may serve for the Reasons and Grounds of the Doctrine 1. This would season all our pleasures and earthly contents so as we should be kept from surfetting of them He that is perswaded of the necessity of watching continually for the Lords comming and resolved to doe so will keepe himselfe sober from being overcome with the immoderate love of any earthly thing As he that knowes he must keepe the watch in a besieged City will be sure to keepe himselfe from taking too much drink Because the time is short saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 29. therefore let him that rejoiceth be as though he rejoiced not As if he should say take heed of rejoycing too much in any earthly thing because our time here is but short Therefore our Saviour at
a great feast Mar. 14. 5. 8. fals into a meditation and speech of his death and buriall And this was also it seemes the reason why sundry good men were wont to make their sepulchers in their gardens the places of their greatest solace and delight So we read that Mâ—nâ—sses did after his humiliation and repentance 2 King 21. 18. And so did Ioseph of Arimathea also as wee may see Ioh. 19. 41. Secondly nothing would have more force then this to restraine us from sinne and to breed in us a care to please God in all things This reason is given in that prayer Psal. 90. 12. So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome If we could number our dayes well and consider how few they are like to be this would make us apply our hearts to wisdome and piety more seriously than we do Experience shewes this even in the worst men O what Saints seeme many of them to be in their extreme sicknesse How fearfull are they then to offend God in any thing Nay no man almost is so desperately wicked that durst do any thing his conscience knew to be sinne if he thought he must die instantly so soone as he had done it Durst any man give himselfe liberty to be drunke if he considered he might die while he is drunke as Elah did 2 King 16. 9 10. Or durst any man commit whoredome if he could seriously thinke of this that God might strike him suddenly even while he is in that filthy act as he did Zimri and Cozby Numb 25. 8. Therefore also we shall find this oft noted for a chiefe cause of many grosse sins that men live in even the wilfull forgetting of their change and putting it out of their mind David speaking of the prophane man Psal. 10. 4. who through the pride of his countenance will not seeke after God God is not in all his thoughts giveth this for a reason of all this prophanenesse Verse 6. He hath said in his heart I shall not be moved I shall never be in adversity And the Prophet speaking of unjust and cruell men that did oppresse the poore gives this for the reason of it Amos 6. 3. because they did by all meanes put out of their minds the thought of their death and the judgement that they must come unto Ye put farre away saith he the evill day and cause the seat of violence to come neare Thirdly and lastly nothing would be of more force to worke in us a care to prepare our selves for death that it may not take us at unawares before we be ready for it then this if we would oft and seriously think of it And this would be doubtlesse a great benefit and advantage unto us This is a point of true wisdome and ought to be the chiefe care of every Christian to provide that he may die well Heare counsâ—ll and receive instruction saith Salomon Proverb 19. 20. that thou maist be wise at thy latter end This is one maine end we should aime at in all our hearing and seeking knowledge that we may learne to die well This was the Apostles chiefe care that he might finish his course with joy Act. 20. 24. And on the other side it is the most dangerous and wofull negligence that a man can fall into not to prepare before hand and provide that he may die well O it is a most miserable thing for death to take us at unawares before we be ready Take heed to your selves saith our Saviour Luke 21 36. that that come not upon you unawares Sudden death certainly is a kind of temporall judgement even unto the best men and so farre forth may be prayed against because the best man is not so well prepared for death in the time of his health and prosperity but he hath just cause to desire and endeavour also to prepare himselfe better for it before he die True it is we should be at all times as Gods people were when they did eat the passeover Exod. 12. 11. with their loines girded their shoes on their feet and their staves in their hand ready to passe from this Egypt unto our heavenly Canaan But though every man should be yet no man is so well prepared at all times as he ought to be But sudden death is to a wicked man that is not at all prepared for it more then a temporall judgement Though a man have made his will before-hand and have it in a readinesse lying by him yet may he esteeme it a good temporall blessing when his last sicknesse whereby God visits him is not so violent but he may be able to review it and adde or alter some small things in it before his death And on the other side it may justly be accounted a temporall judgement upon him when God takes him away with a dead Palsie or Apoplexy that would disable him from doing so much And yet if he do die of such a disease the matter is not great because he had made his will before and disposed of his maine estate according to his mind But it is we know a matter of great danger and inconvenience for a rich man that hath not made his will before to be taken with such a sicknesse at his end And even so is it in this case Sudden death is no such judgement to Gods child who is for the maine prepared for it as it is to the wicked man who is not at all prepared for it It is certainly a dangerous and fearfull thing for a man to live out of Gods favour and void of grace at any time but to die in that estate is the very up-shot of all misery And so the Holy Ghost speaketh of it Eliphaz speaking of the extreme unhappinesse of wicked men he concludes it thus Iob 4. 21. They even die without wisdome saith he as if he should say and what can be said more to prove them most wretched men So speaketh the Prophet when he would describe the misery of the man that hath gotten a great deale of wealth by oppression and fraud Ier. 17. 11. at his end he shall be a foole saith he he shal be utterly void of true wisdome and grace even when he dies And this must needs be so because there is no possibility of repenting and turning unto God of recovering his favour or obtaining any grace from him after death He that dies without grace must to judgement presently so soone as he is dead Heb. 9. 27. And hell followes with death saith the Holy Ghost Rev. 6. 8. q. d. they go hand in hand as judgement is immediately passed upon them that die out of Gods favour so hell is ready presently â—o receive them Now this Doctrine which you have heard thus opened and confirmed unto you is of great use First to reprove and condemne us all of great folly and madnesse 1. None of us are so carefull to nourish this thought and meditation in our
hearts so desirous or willing to thinke of our death and future estate as we ought to be Nay 2. Most of us do wilfully refuse to thinke of death but abandon this thought by all meanes and use our utmost endeavour to keep it out of our hearts as the Persian Kings were wont to keep all mourners out of their gates Esth. 4 2. Nay 3. which is worst of all many of us for this very cause will not think of our end but banish by all meanes this meditation out of our hearts that we may sinne the more freely And with those vile men that I told you the Prophet complaines of Amos 6. 3. we put farre away the evill day of purpose that we may cause the seat of violence to come neare that without feare and checke of conscience we may run headlong into all excesse of riot that we can devise Secondly this Doctrine serves to exhorte us all to prepare for death For that is the chief reason as we have heard why we should remember and thinke of it so oft And this preparation consisteth in two things principally First We must labour to weane our hearts daily from the overmuch love of all earthly things and inure our selves to beare willingly the daily and ordinary crosses we are subject to in this life nothing makes us so unwilling and unfit to dye as the immoderate love of earthly things They are in themselves certainly Gods good blessings and he doth of his goodnesse and bounty allow us to use and enjoy them not for our necessity onely but even for our delight and comfort also he giveth us richly all things to enjoy saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 6. 17. But the love of them is a most deadly enemy to grace specially unto this grace of dying willingly and comfortably That which the Apostle saith of the love of mony 1 Tim. 6. 10. that it is the root of all evill and cause why many are even pierced thorow with many sorrows the truth whereof is never more seene then when they are to dye may be likewise said of the love of any other worldly thing Love not the world saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 2. 15. neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the father is not in him For this cause it was that our blessed Saviour when he would prepare his disciples for persecution death bears so much upon these points First That they would take heed of esteeming too highly of or overloving any of the comforts of this life Secondly That they would learne to beare willingly the ordinary crosses God is pleased to exercise them with He that loveth father or mother saith he Mat. 10. 37 38. more then me is not worthy of mee and he that loveth sonne or daughter more then me is not worthy of mee And he that taketh not his crosse and followeth after me is not worthy of me And he said to them all Luke 9. 23. if any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take up his crosse daily and follow mee And so the Apostle saith of himselfe 1 Cor. 15. 31. that he did dye daily that is by his willing forsaking of the comforts of this life and bearing of those daily crosses that he was subject unto he learned to dye every day Secondly Our preparation for death consisteth in our care to dispatch without delay and with all diligence those things of most importance which must needs be done before we dye Because we doe not know how soone nor how suddenly death may take us Thus wee see the harvest man and travailer that are afraid to be benighted are wont to doe And we have Christs owne example for this I must worke the works of him that sent me saith he Iohn 9. 4. while it is day the night commeth when no man can worke And what is that businesse of importance will you say that we must thus dispatch without delay if we would be well prepared to dye Surely to make this sure to our selves that whensoever we dye our soules shall goe to Heaven When this businesse is once done we shall be able to dye confidently and comfortably when once we know as the Apostle speaketh of himselfe and of others of the faithfull also 2 Cor. 5. 1. that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were disolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternall in the Heavens then we may sâ—y as he also doth there verse 8. Therfore we are alwayes confident knowing that whilest wee are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. It is held a good point of wisdome for a man specially if he be one that hath much to dispose to have his will alwayes in a readinesse And indeed so it is for it is commanded of God set thine house in order saith the Lord by his Prophet unto Hezechia Esa. 38. 1. for thou must dye and not live But there is one thing more needfull then that is even to set oursoules in order and to have them alwayes in a readinesse This is that one thing that is needfull of which our Saviour speaketh Luke 10. 42. It stands us upon to make our peace with God and to acquaint our selves well with him before we dye or else with what comfort can we goe unto him and appeare before him then yea we had need do it now in time of our health and without delay Acquaint thyselfe now with God saith Eliphas to Iob 22. 21 and make peace I because death commeth upon many and may doe upon us sodenly for man knoweth not his times saith Salomon Eccl. 9. 12. as the fishes that are taken in an evill net and as the birds that are caught in the snare so are the sonnes of men snared in an evill time when it cometh suddenly upon them 2. When extremity of sicknesse comes we shall be most unfit then to set our soules in order to begin our acquaintance with God or to make our peace with him Remember now thy Creatour saith Salomon Eccles. 12. 1. in the dayes of thy youth while the evill dayes come not nor the yeares drawnigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them He thought age an unfit time to begin this worke in but our last sicknesse is certainly a more unfit time for it than age is Then the mind of man is wont to be so distracted and troubled what with worldly cares for them that he shall leave behind him what with the extremity of paines that use to accompany sicknesse and specially with the terrours that rise from the apprehension of his future estate and from Satans temptations that he is not made uncapable of comfort or direction by the best meanes that can bee brought unto him When Moses that excellent servant of God one of a thousand came to the Israelites at such a time though the message he brought to them were as comfortable
and quietnesse of conscience that seemes to be in that man that was never troubled nor disquieted in his mind for his sinnes Because the spirit of bondage and feare useth to go before the spirit of adoption and comfort as is plaine by the Apostles speech Rom. 8. 15. 3. And lastly it is certainly a grievous judgement of God and such as we should all tremble at to see a man that hath beene in his whole life time notoriously wicked to have no sight at all nor trouble of mind for his sinnes before he dies Our Saviour pronounceth them to be happy men Mat. 5. 3 4 6. that are so poore in spirit that they mourne for it and hunger and thirst after righteousnesse And if this be a blessed thing in every child of God how unblameable and civill soever his life hath been at all times even in the time of his best health and prosperity to see and feele in himselfe so just cause of mourning and trouble of mind as breeds in him an unsatiable desire after the righteousnesse of God in Christ then must it needs be a most wofull and cursed thing in a man that hath been notoriously wicked to be void of all sight and sense of his sinnes of all trouble of mind for them even then when he is summoned by sicknesse and death to appeare before the judgement-seat of God to go to hell in a sleep and never to have his conscience awakened till he come there And indeed so the Prophet speaketh of this as of a most dreadfull judgement of God when he gives up wicked men unto this blindnesse and senslesnesse of heart The Lord hath powred out upon you saith he Esa. 29. 10. the spirit of deepe sleepe and hath closed your eyes so as you cannot see nor be sensible of your owne estate But we see also on the other side in daily experience say some that many who have seemed most religious in all their life time and carefull to live well have yet shewed very great unwillingnesse and feare to die more a great deale then other men usually do To this I have two things to answer First that it is indeed possible enough even for a faithfull and godly man to feele in himselfe an unwillingnesse and feare to die Good Hezechia wept sore Esa. 38. 3. when the Prophet brought him word in his sicknesse that he must die and not live and David also prayed oft against death and that he might live still Psal. 6. 4 5. and 30. 8 9. and 88. 9 12. It is with many of Gods people in this case as it was with Lot when he would leave Sodom Though Lot had so small comfort in Sodom while he lived in it 2 Pet. 2. 8. yet see how unwilling he was to part with it Gen. 19. 16. He lingred so that the Angels were faine to pull him out as it were by strong hand they laid hold upon his hand saith the sacred text the Lord being mercifull unto him and brought him forth and set him without the City Some unwillingnesse to die our Saviour tels Peter he should find in himselfe even then when he should suffer martyrdome for his sake When thou shalt be old saith he Ioh. 21. 18. thou shalt stretch forth thy hands and another shall gird thee and carie thee whither thou wouldest not And there is good reason to be given for this For 1. Death being a great enemie to the nature of man and even the dissolution of it there must needs be in all men naturally some feare of it Such as haue beene long and inward and deare friends cannot part for adieu as we say without much unwillingnesse and expression of griefe as we see in the example of Ionathan and David 1 Sam. 20. 41. And where were ever found in the world so long inward dear friends as the soule and body have beene 2. Who can thinke of his personall appearance before the Majesty of God without some feare 3. Lastly the best of Gods servants though they know and believe that when they die they shall not come into condemnation as our Saviour speaketh Iohn 5. 24. but are already passed from death unto life and therefore have no just cause in respect of their future estate to feare death at all but rather to welcome it and to rejoyce in it yet are they regenerated and consequently do believe but in part And though the spirit the regenerate part indeed be willing as our Saviour speaketh Mat. 26. 41. yet the flesh the unregenerate part will be apt to shew it selfe weake and unwilling to die But then I answer secondly that there is no man that hath lead a godly life but 1. He discernes and bewailes his owne corruption in this his unwillingnesse to die he yeelds not to it but strives against it by all meanes and even in this case finds in himselfe that combate betweene the flesh and the spirit that the Apostle speakes of Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusâ—eth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other 2. He doth in the end overcome this corruption and is by Gods grace made most willing and desirous to die before God cals and takes him away according to that gracious promise made unto all Gods people to all that have been carefull to serve and please him Psal. 29. 11. The Lord will give strength unto his people the Lord will blesse his people with peace But then there is yet another thing objected against this that hath been said touching the assurance they may have to die happily and well that have been carefull to live religiously and well namely that many who have beene most precisely religious have not onely beene void of comfort when they should die but full of terrour in their conscience calling in question the truth of their faith and of whatsoever goodnesse hath seemed to be in them apt to despaire utterly of the mercy of God in Christ. My answer to this objection must consist of three branches 1. It is possible indeed even for a man that hath lived a most innocent and holy life to expresse in his last sicknesse much terrour and to breake forth into speeches that tend unto desperation and even unto blasphemy also against God For 1. There is no disease so violent and extreme but the child of God may be subject unto it and die of it also aswell as any other man All things come alike to all in this respect as Salomon speaketh Eccl. 9. 2. And these things that are objected as causlesse feares and terrours ravings blasphemies fierce speeches and actions both against themselves and others are knowne to be the very naturall effects of some violent and extreme diseases 2. It cannot be denyed but that Satan also is wont to shew the uttermost of his fury and power against Gods servants in their last sicknesse The last combate that they have with him
is wont to be the sharpest of all other The Apostle telleth us Col. 2. 15. that our blessed Saviour spoiled the principalities and powers and made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in his crosse All the principalities and powers of hell did then set upon him and shewed their uttermost strength and rage against him This Christ did fore-see and told his Disciples of also before hand The prince of this world commeth saith he Iohn 14. 30. and hath nothing in me as if he should say I know well that Satan in my passion which is now at hand will come and assault me with all his forces but he hath nothing nothing of his owne no corruption at all in me and therefore shall lose his labour and do me no hurt at all And as he did with Christ our head so hath he been wont to deale also with the best of his members and servants even to set upon them most fiercely in their â—ast sicknesse and that for two causes 1. Because he sees his time and opportunity that he can have with them is now so short having great wrath saith the voice from heaven Rev. 12. 12. because he knoweth that he hath but a short time 2. Because he knoweth we are then through paines and feares and distempers of body and mind like to be most weake and unable to resist him Secondly though godly men may have such conflicts with Satan and experience of his most fiery assaults upon their death-beds yet the Lord the God of peace is wont to tread downe Satan under their feet as the Apostle speakes Rom. 6. 20. before they die He useth to make them even in this life morâ— then conquerours over that distresse and anguish which his assaults hath brought them unto In all these we are more than conquerours saith he Rom. 8. 37. through him that loved us Yea the experience of many of Gods servants hath proved that these bitter conflicts of theirs have ended in more abundance of peace and comfort than ever they found in their lives before and that not inwardly onely in their owne feeling but God hath made them able also to expresse it outwardly to the exceeding comfort and admiration of them that have beene about them Thirdly and lastly although it should so fall out that the Lord for the further hardning of wicked men or for some other causes best knowne to himselfe whose judgements are unsearchable and his wayes past finding out as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 11. 33. should take away any of his servants in these fearfull fits and conflicts and utterly disable them from expressing by word or gesture the victory over them and the comfort that they have ended in yet are we to rest confidently assured of this that every one that hath lead a good and godly life doth certainly die blessedly and comfortably though we cannot perceive it Because we are to walke by faith and not by sight as the Apostle teacheth us 2 Cor. 5. 7. and more credit is to be given to the word of God than to all sense and experience of men and therefore whatsoever we heare them speake or see in the manner of their death we should resolve with Salomon Eccl. 8. 12. Yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that feare God which feare before him For the Lord hath expresly said of every godly man Prov. 14. 32. The righteous hath hope in his death And commanded us Psal. 37. 37. to marke the perfect man and behold the upright assuring us that the end of that man is peace The fourth and last thing that may be objected against that which hath been said is this if the death of all the godly be so blessed and happy why hath there beene such mourning and lamentation for their death among Gods people as we see there was both in the old Testament for the death of Iacob Gen. 50. 10. and of Samuel 1 Sam. 25. 1. and of many more and in the new Testament also for the death of Steven Acts 8. 2. and of Tabitha Acts 9. 36. and sundry others To this I answer 1. That the happinesse of the godly in their death makes nothing against our mourning for them but it is both lawfull and fit for us to mouâ—ne for the death of our Christian friends for all that 1. Out of the respect we owe unto them and out of that love and affection we are bound to shew unto them And the Apostle noteth it Rom. 1. 31. for a signe of one that is given up of God to a reprobate mind to be void of natural affection towards them that God hath linked him unto 2. Out of respect to our selves and therein unto the Lord also for we are to take it for an argument of Gods displeasure against us for our sinne when he deprives us of such friends as were his good instruments of our comfort any way So Naomi when God had taken from her her husband and her two sonnes said Ruth 1. 21. that the Lord had testified against her and the Almighty had afflicted her Secondly though it be lawfull and fit we should mourne for the death of our Christian friends yet may we not mourne for them immoderately but take heed that we exceed not this way They that weepe saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 30. should be as though they wept not They must take heed their hearts be not too much taken up and oppressed with griefe I would not have you to be ignorant brethren saith he 1 Thess. 4. 13. concerning them which are asleepe that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope And we should moderate our griefe in this case 1. Out of our respect unto the Lord who is the doer of this It is he that gives and it is he also that takes away our friends from us This quieted Iobs mind and moderated his sorrow when he had lost all his sonnes and daughters The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away saith he Iob 1. 21. It becomes us all to stoope and submit our selves to his will in all things and to say with old Ely 1 Sam. 3. 18. It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good And immoderate sorrow in any of our losses must needs argue a kind of murmuring and impatiency against God 2. Out of our respect unto our Christian friends whom we mourne for for death is to them we know a great advantage to die is their gaine as the Apostle speaketh Phil. 1. 21. Death makes them happy and blessed Write blessed are the dead which die in the Lord saith the voice from heaven Rev. 14. 13. For 1. Death puts an end to all their sorrowes afflictions and tentations that they were vexed with continually in this life now they rest from their labours Rev. 14. 13. 2. Death puts an end to all their infirmities which they so much complained of and perfecteth their sanctification which they so much longed after while