Where it is evident that if Man were put in one Scale and Vanity in the other Man would be found lighter then Vanity it self O my God weigh not my best Righteousness in the Ballance of thy Sanctuary without putting my Saviours merits into the Scale For if I be lighter then Vanity How can I hold weight with a blessed Eternity The Jews observe that the Father spake one thing concerning mankinde which he left to his Son to explain after him and that was this Psal. 144. 4. Man is like to Vanity for he tells us not to what Vanity whether the greater or the lesser but his Son comes after and explains him saying that he is like to that Vanity which is most Vain of all others Similis Vanitati Vanissimae like to that Vanity which is Vanity of Vanities Again the Son spake one thing of man-kinde which is best explained by the Father to wit that of Eccles. 6. 12. All the daies of his Vain life which he spendeth as a shadow For he telleth not what shadow but here the Father explaineth the Son saying A shadow that passeth away Psal. 144. 4. His daies are as a shadow that passeth away Both Father and Son agree in this that man is Vanity in the highest degree so that no words are able sufficiently to express it and no Heart able sufficiently to conceive it He lives in the shadow of Life and that shadow of Life is quickly and easily changed into the Darkness of Death In the midst of Life he is in Death and had need take care lest in the midst of Death he be in Hell In the midst of Life he is in Death through the Vanity of his Condition and had need be the more carefull lest in the midst of Death he be in Hell through the Vanity of his Affections and of his Actions For it is a most terrible expostulation which remains upon the File against all men whatsoever whiles they shall remain in their own Vanities Jer. 2. 5. Thus saith the Lord What Iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and have walked after Vanity and are become Vain This walking after Vanity as it is the great Sin so it should be the great Vexation of our souls not only that it makes us become vain but also that it casteth an Aspersion of Iniquity upon our God according as Saint Basil hath spoken most divinely in his Sermon concerning the love of God and our Neighbour The Devil will at the last day object it as matter of Reproach against our Lord and Saviour that we have Despised and Disobeyed him and will very much Boast that he neither created us nor dyed for us and yet that we have been his diligent followers in the breach and contempt of Gods Commandments And this Reproach saith he against my Lord is more dreadful to me then the Torments of hell that I should give the enemy of the Lord occasion to Blaspheme him who Dyed for my sins and rose again to make me Righteous SECT IV. Of the Difficulty Necessity and Excellency of this knowledge of Mortality IT neerly concerns man to know Vanity That he may know himself and much more that he may desire to know his Saviour And therefore it is no wonder that this knowledge is invested with very great Difficulty For our Mortal having put on Sin cares not to put off it self David had been long pursued and was like to be cut off every moment by his rebell Subject and ungracious Son before he learned this Prayer Lord let me know mine end And though when he heard of Absoloms death he said Would God I had dyed for thee O Absolom my son my son yet he did not thereby so truly shew a desire of his own Death as a Horror for his sons Damnation He knew that a wilful Rebel dying in his Rebellion was not to be punished only with one death but was to undergo a second death The like is to be said of dying in any other wilful sin whatsoever unrepented And therefore it is not possible for any man to desire God to part his Soul from his Body that he may Die till he hath parted Sin from his soul that he may not be afraid of the second death for he cannot but say Leave not my soul destitute or naked and bare Psal. 141. 8. But let it still be clothed with my Flesh and its Insirmity till thou shalt be pleased to cloath it with my Saviour and his Righteousness For better is it for me to Live in misery then to dye in it Better for me to live in the Infirmities of my Body then to dye in the Iniquities of my Soul Hence proceeds the great Difficulty of learning this lesson because our own fear makes us unwilling to learn it But this same knowledge as it is opposed by great Difficulty so it is extorted by a far greater necessity for our Mortal must put off both its sin and itself nay must therefore put off its self that it may put off its sin Excellently Theodoret and most like a Christian Divine in his Questions upon Genesis saith God would not suffer Adam to eat of the tree of life after he had eaten of the forbidden fruit that he might not suffer sin to be Eternal Therefore death is to us a Remedy not a Punishment it is a Medicine to cure us of our sins rather then a Judgement to corment us for them Our Flesh is not so neer our Body as our Sin is neer our Flesh and therefore God hath in mercy appointed us to put off our Flesh that with it we might put off our Sin Thus is it most necessary for us to know our Mortality That we may know an end of our sin and misery and this knowledge as it hath a great necessity so it hath yet a greater excellency For he that knows truly how to put off himself cannot but also know how to put on his Saviour And sure there can be no knowledge of like necessity with this and much less of like excelleny with it yea doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of thâ—… Knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord saith Saint Paul Phil. 3. 8. And let my souâ—… say so too For all other knowledge iâ—… excellent either from the Object or from the Subject but this only is excellent from the term or end of it one knowledge is more excellent then another either for the exactness and perspicuity of the Demonstration saith Aust. 1. de An. c. 1. or for the height and sublimity of the notion either for the certainty of the Subject or for the excellency of the Object In the knowledge of earthly things the science hath its excellency from the Perspicuity of the Demonstration In the knowledge of Heavenly things thâ—… science hath its excellence from the Sublimity of the Notion Thus far Aristotle could go but no further That somâ—… sciences were more excellent ratione
reveal to me from thence Gods will coâ—…cerning my salvation for that is to bring Christ down from above to deny that Christ is already come down from heaven of purpose to shew us the way up thither Or who shall descend into the deep to wit to rescue me from the power of death and hell that is to bring up Christ again from the dead to deny that Christ is risen from the dead and hath conquered the power of death But what saith it The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved As if he had said What needs any man trouble himself about cuâ—…ious Questions to know whether he be in â—…he state of Salvation for that 's a thing which he can best know from his own mouth and from his own heart If his â—…eart be true to his Saviour by a lively Faith in his death and Resurrection And if his tongue be true to his heart by a â—…oyful Profession of that Faith If his Faithâ—…e â—…e agreeable to the word of Christ and his â—…fe be agreeable to his Christian faith eiâ—…er by his Innocency or by his Repentance â—…f his Inner man be true to Christ and his â—…uter man be true to his Inner man He needs neither Rove in uncertainties noâ—… Dive into Curiosities nor distract himself with Perplexities for he is undoubtedly in the state of Salvation The Spiriâ—… of God saith to a man in such a condition Thou shalt be saved Upon these Premiseâ—… of Faith and Obedience here specified bâ—… Confession it would be Unlogical anâ—… much more Untheological to deny thâ—… Conclusion the state of Salvation Thoâ—… shalt be saved And if you shall yet desire to know whether you have a trâ—… Faith or no I must tell you that as thâ—… life of the Soul is the life of the Body sâ—… Faith is the life of the Soul For Chriâ—… dwelleth in the heart by Faith Eph. 3. 17. And as life is known to be in the body bâ—… its sense and motion so also is life known tâ—… be in the Soul First by its sence for 〈◊〉 hath a feeling of its own sins and groanâ—… under the burden of them It hath a feeling of Christs merits and mercies and râ—…joyceth in the comfort thereof Secondly by its motion The Affections are the feeâ—… by which the soul moveth Hence thaâ—… saying Anima est non ubi Animat sed uâ—… Amat The soul is not where it lives bâ—… where it loves consequently the soul thaâ—… placeth its love in God hath its life in God Omnia sunt Vita in Deo quae non vivunt in seipsis saith the Angelical Dr. most Angelically All things are life in God even those things which have no life in themselves Creatures that are dead in themselves are alive in God Creatures without life are life in him Creatures that have life in themselves yet in God have a far better life Thus men in themselves have but a Momentany a Corruptible an Indigent an Inglorious life But men in God have a life of Eternity of Incorruption of Al-sufficiency and full of Glory wouldst thou then live Eternally Incorruptibly Contentedly and gloriously Go out of thy self O Devout soul and live in God Go out of thy self by thy Affections which will carry thee from earth to Heaven from thy self to thy Saviour and will make thee whiles thy body is below mount up on high Placing thy heart where thy Treasure is for Christ alone is the Treasure of Souls who alone is the Saviour and Lover of Souls even in Heaven nay in the highest part of Heaven at the right Hand of God This is the Apostles advice Col. 3. 1 2. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set your Affections on things above not on things on earth And we may very well turn this Advice into an Argument to prove that we are indeed Risen with Christ because we do seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God because we do settle our affections on things above not on things of the earth but withall we must carefully observe the nature of this proof For 1. It is not a Violent but a Voluntary motion of the Affection that is herâ—… required the things above are such as wâ—… seek with Desire and find with Delight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quae sursum sunt qâ—…aerite seek those things which are above Noâ—… turn Seeker after mens new Phansies bâ—… after Gods old Mercies Psal. 25. 6. Thâ—… Tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses fâ—… they have been ever of old It is in the Hebrew Quia à seculo ipsae No Verb at aâ—… to signifie any Time to shew they were bâ—…fore all time from everlasting and shaâ—… continue beyond all time to everlasting 〈◊〉 is the consideration of these everlasting meâ—…cies that maketh the soul to seek after Gâ—… the father of mercies Not the Fear of heâ—… but the Love of heaven It is not a Violeâ—… but a Voluntary motion That is the first 2. Secondly Again It is not the motion of one Affection but of all for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set your affection is spoken Indifinitely and therefore since in a matter necessary Universally It is not some affections for God some for the World for so had wicked Balaam Num. 23. 10. saying Let me die the death of the Righteous And yet he loved the wages of Unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2. 15. But all the affectious must be for God For as a man cannot live the life of nature and have his Heart divided so much less can he live the Life of Grace Therefore all the Affections His Affections are settled Universally That is the second 3. Thirdly This motion of the soul is not without Deliberation and great Judgement For it is grounded upon the consideration and belief of Christs Resurrection If ye then be risen with Christ The consideration That Christ hath opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers makes him Believe The consideration That Christ sitteth on the right Hand of God in the Glory of the Father maketh him Seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right Hand of God His Judgement goes before his Affection the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 requires no less He hath seriously computed with himself and sees there is but one Pearl of great Price unto his Soul and for that he will sell all that he hath to buy it Mat. 13. 4. 5. His Affections are settled judiciously on Christ that 's the Third 4. Fourthly and lastly This motion of the soul is not without right Order for it begins from a right Principle and therefore must needs end with a blessed conclusion He is not moved with the Fear of Gods Majesty but
as penitents God heareth not such sinners as are willingly and wilfully under the Power and Dominion of sin such as are habitually sinful and still remain in the state of sin For A man may be a sinner yet not be in the state of sin That notes a Momentany Action but this a standing Relation or a setled continuance status notat Dispositionem cum quadam immobilitate saith Aquinas That makes a man unworthy of Gods Favor but this makes him uncapable of it So saith the Prophet What hath my beloved to do in mine house seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many and the holy Flesh is passed from thee when thou dost evil then thou rejoycest Jer. 11. 15. These words shew the state of sin and the miserable condition of that state The state of sin is the working of lewdness with many and rejoycing in that work neither Reluctancie before it nor Repentance after it And the miserable condition of that state is not to have to do in Gods house i. e. Not to have any right to the Word Sacraments for the Holy Flesh here saith R. David is the Flesh of Gods Altar An Impenitent sinner hath nothing to do with that Holy Flesh and if he will needs intrude himself to have to do with it yet it shall not be Holy Flesh to him he shall have no benefit of its Holiness Nay to him it shall be in its effect what it is already in his account an unholy thing Heb. 10. 29. Impura es ipsa ac proinde non potes non impurare omnes oblationes tuas saith Trem. Thou thy self being in the state of impurity canst not but make all thy offerings impure Thy Prayers will be turned into sin Psal. 109. 7. And how then can thy sin not be turned into Death Therefore he that will offer to God an acceptable offering must first offer himself For if God accept not the person he will not accept the offering The Lord first had respect to Abel then to his offering Gen. 4. 4. Wherefore it neerly concerns every Christian to forsake all his sins and to assure himself that he is in the state of Grace and Acceptance with God for that else he cannot be assured that either his Prayer or his Prayses will be accepted And how shall we better know the state of Grace then from his mouth whose hands nailed to the Cross made it And whose side Pierced on the Cross poured it forth to us And he plainly tells us that our state is either of God or of the Devil John 8. 42. If God were your Father you would love me From whence we may infer they that do love Christ have God for their Father and consequently are in a Good in a Happy state But v. 4. 4. Ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do From whence we may infer they that will needs do the lusts of the Devil have the Devil for their father Not simply they that do the lusts but they that wilfully do them The Text it self gives us this Distinction saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye will do them For there is a great difference betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Facio and Volo Facere I do and I will do For Saint Paul saith of himself the evil which I would not that I do Rom. 7. 19. and yet proves that he is in the state of Regeneration notwithstanding his doing it Now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me v. 21. Sin may dwell in me but I may not dwell in sin If I do that evil I would not it is because sin dwelleth in me But if I will that evil I do it is because I dwell in sin and am one of those of whom it is said ye are yet in your sins 1 Cor. 15. 17. He saith not your sins are in you but you are in your sins not they possessed by you but you possessed by them not they have a being in you but you have a being in them This Regiment of Satan doth not come to Quarter with you against your will but you have made an Invitation to them and Provision for them they find the house swept and garnished and look upon it as their own and so have their Habitation with you as that they also have Dominion over you And in this respect doth our blessed Saviour say to the Jews ye shall dye in your sins That is in the Guilt and under the Bondage of your sins unless by faith in Christ you get out of that Guilt out of that Bondage for so it is said If ye believe not that ' I am he ye shall dye in your sins John 8. 24. To live out of Christ is to live in sin and to live in sin is the way to die in sin and to die in sin is to die eternally For he that dies in sin is an eternal sinner and is therefore justly punished with eternal death Peccavit in suo aeterno saith Saint Greg. He sinned in his eternity and yet his whole life was but a span-long The reason is He that sins impenitently would sin eternally if he might live eternally He sins eternally in his Resolution though not in his Action and shews whose child he is by doing the works of his Father and wilfully doing them The works of your Father ye will do A man may do the lusts of the Devil and yet be the child of God but he cannot wilfully do them and continue in that wilfulness but he must be the child of the Devil He alone hath Right in him and he will claim his Right He will claim him as a Father claims his child For this is the specifical difference betwixt the Regenerate and the Unregenerate Both are sinners but the one sinneth eagerly with desire and Habitually with delight the other desireth not to sin and delighteth not in sinning Though he may sometimes do the work of the Devil yet it is against his will for he Desires and delights to do the work of God And that 's the reason our Blessed Saviour hath taught such a man to call God his Father and he would not have taught him to call God so were he indeed not so For truth teacheth no man to tell a lye much less in his Prayers wherefore in that we are taught to say Our Father it is evident that we are bound to be in the state of Regeneration or we have no right to say our Prayers For we are not taught to say Our Father in respect of our corporal Creation for so God is the Father of the wicked as well as of the Righteous but of our spiritual Regeneration That God is Our Father by spiritual Generation for that according to his Abundant mercy he hath begotten us again to lively hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. For of his own will begat he us with the word of
when â—…we meet with such Preachers we have reaâ—…on to be afraid of such Doctrine Souldiers can easily teach others to serve them but they can hardly teach themselves much less others to serve God And now you may also if you please see a third Quake more terrible then the other two not a quaking of Earth nor a quaking of bodies but a quaking of souls in the first Sect of Quakers They who before quaked for fear of an Angel now much more quaking for fear of Devils But be not you O Christian Souls afraid of that sight The Angel himself saying Fear not ye for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified Mat. 28. 5. not seek much less help to crucifie him This reason doth no less concern all other seekers that seek Jesus which was crucified then it did the women They may well seek without fear for they are sure to find with joy They shall find that their Lord is risen and calleth them to rise with him Immediately in their souls Immortally in their bodies Incorruptably both in souls and bodies This will be thâ—… best exercise of thy hope that Christ thâ—… Head being risen will make thee his member partaker of his joyfull Resurrection which consideration made our Church compose a choice Hymn of purpose for Easter day to express the joy and exultation oâ—… true Christian souls for the Resurrection of Christ And I suppose none will condemn her of singularity or novelty concerning that Hymn although it is not to be found entirely either in Greek or Latine Liturgies for there is no doubt of her communicating with the Church of Christ whiles she communicates with the Spirit of Christ And in this Hymn she immediately communicates with the Spirit of Christ because it is all taken out of his Word Rom. 6. 8. and 1 Cor. 15. 20 c. And though the Hymn it self may possibly be taken out of good Christians mouths yet surely the Joy of it can never be taken out of their hearts That Christ Rising again from the dead now dieth not Death from henceforth hath no power upon him and in that it hath no power upon him I am sure it shall not long have a power upon me And that other Christ is risen again the first fruits of them that sleep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Theophil He that goes first sure hath some to follow him There cannot be first-fruits but there must be after-fruits This is my Hope the head being risen will not leave his members for ever in the dust My soul and my body cannot be now so unwillingly parted in the Death As they shall hereafter be joyfully United in the Resurrection from the dead Lastly Thy love and charity will best exercise it self about his glorious Ascention Thou wilt there see hin attended on Earth by his Disciples ready to receive his Instructions Thou wilt there see him attended in the Air by a Cloud ready to receive his Person Thou wilt there see him attended in heaven by millions of Angels and glorified Souls ready to congratulate his reception If these considerations will not make thee love the Christan Faith that teacheth such heavenly mysteries it is because thou hast dull affections If they will not make thee love thy Saviour Christ who hath prepared such heavenly mercies it is because thou hast no affections This will be the best exercise of thy love to inflame thy soul with the contemplation of those Unspeakable joyes which cannot more Inflame then they will content it Christ ascended into heaven What hast thou to do but in heart and mind thither to ascend after him that thou maist continually dwell with him He is gone to prepare a place for thee what hast thou left to do but to prepare thy self for that place and beseech him to assist and bless thee in that preparation SECT II. The soul Divided from the body when it dies by a violent separation THE Soul of man had no subsistence before his body and is therefore unwilling to have a subsistence without it Creatio infusio sunt simul respectu animae is the Tenent of the School The soul is not created till the body be fitted to receive it so that in the same instant wherein it is Created it is also received into the Body And that 's the reason That coming cloathed into the world she is so much troubled to think that she must at last go as it were naked out of it Hence it is that though we groan in this tabernacle being burdenâ—…d with the miseries and much more with the sins of our Flesh yet we do not desire to be Uncloathed but cloathâ—…d upon that mortality might be swallowed up of Life 2 Cor. 5. 4. That is we would so lay aside our burden as not to lay aside our Flesh and would have our mortal bodies not by Death put off their mortality but by a change put on Immortality Wherefore the Union of the soul with the body being altogether natural the separation of the soul from the body must needs be against nature Consequently it is not possible that a meer natural man should deliberately desire to die for nature cannot desire its own destruction and therefore a deliberate desire of Death cannot possibly proceed from nature but from grace which alone can make a man both live contentedly and die comfortably where there 's a great measure of grace there is also a great measure of contentment in life and of comfort in death In so much that if we do not wilfully shut our eyes we cannot but see if we do not wilfully shut our hearts we cannot but believe if we do not wilfully shut our mouths against the truth we cannot but confess that Godly and Religâ—…ous men do continually dye with more Pâ—…tience and comfort then we dare live bâ—… the original of this Patience of this Comfort is not from the man but from thâ—… Godliness For thereby alone he is able tâ—… say with Saint Paul For me to live is Christ and to dye is gain Phil. 1. 21. To me tâ—… live is Christ for I die unto sin to me tâ—… die is gain for I have lived unto righteousness Or else as Beza expounds that place mihi enim est Christus in vita in morte lucrum Christ is a gain to me both iâ—… life and death To talk of gain in death to a natural man were to make him mad or to think you so for he loseth his soul he loseth himself but to talk of gain iâ—… death to the spiritual man is to make him the more sensible of his spiritual comfort and Condition for the less he hath of the Flesh the more he hath of the Spirit So that though death takes from him his Body yet it gives him his Soul though it take from him his Soul yet it gives him his Saviour Be it then that death takes from him all things but his God yet
Authority for the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 5. 6. Whiles we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord and he gives the reason of that absence in the next verse for we walk by faith not by sight whence it appears that as long as a man walks by faith not by sight not seeing the divine essence he is not yet present with God but the souls of the Saints when separated from their bodies are present with God for it follows verse the eighth We are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord whence it is manifest that the souls of the Saints separated from the body do walk by sight seeing the essence of God and consequently enjoying everlasting blessedness 2. By Reason for the understanding in the exercise of its operation needs not the body but only for some phantasms or representations but it is manifest that the divine essence is not to be seen by the help of any phantasm or representation Wherefore since the immediate bliss of the soul consists in the Vision of the divine essence it cannot depend upon the body and consequently the soul without the body may be and is undoubtedly blessed Thus Aquinas 12 ae qu. 4. art 5. Shewing himself in this an exact Scholar of the Text and as great a Master of Reason And truly iâ—… we rightly consider the matter that Christ hath opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers what can shut it against a believing soul departing hence but onely sinâ—… And that cannot shut it neither for its guilt nor for its blemish and pollution For the guilt of sin is taken away from the believing soul by the imputation of Christs Righteousness And the pollution of sin is also daily diminished in it by the operation of Christs Spirit during life and quite taken away from it at the hour of death even at the very instant of its departure This is the judgement of some excellent School-men So Gabriel in 3. Sent. dist 15. Animae in mortis instantia datur impeccabilitas impassibilitas God gives to the soul at the very instant of death impeccability that it cannot sin and impassibility that it cannot suffer O what a happy instant will that be wherein we shall be delivered from our sins and from our sufferings And agreeable to this Alexander Ales our own Country-man of Merton Coll. in Oxford and Tutor both to the Seraphical and to the Angelical Doctor gives the distinction of Gratia Baptismalis Poenitentialis Finalis Par. 4. qu. 15. membr 3. art 3. That some Grace â—…s Baptismal which rules and governs in the soul by vertue of the Sacrament some Poenitential which causeth an imperfect subjection and conformity of the will to God and this takes away all mortal sin And some Final which makes the will and all its faculties wholly subject and conformable to God and this takes away both mortal sin and also venial But this grace is given only at the last instant of our life for which reason happily it is called final Grace as coming only at the end only to men departing hence to fit and prepare their souls for God For nothing impure or unclean can enter into the Kingdom of God and therefore the soul before it can enter in thither must be quite purged from all manner of impurity and uncleanness which is accordingly done saith he by final Grace For though other grace doth conquer sin yet it is only final Grace that quite expels it The soul not being wholly freed from that disorder which it hath contracted from the body till it again depart from the body If this be so what have I to do but to long for a happy departure that is to make the best use I can of Baptismal and Poenitential Grace that my soul may he delivered from the dominion of sin and to expect that final grace which shall deliver it from the very inhaesion of sinfulness To bless God that hath given me grace in life to purge my soul from sin and that will give me grace in death to perfect my soul in Righteousness That he parting all sin from my soul before he part my soul from my body I may at the end of my weary pilgrimage lay me down in peace and take my rest Lay me down in that peace which this wicked world cannot give and this tumultuous world cannot take away the peace of a good conscience here of a blessed eternity hereafter And take my rest in the bosome of the earth my mother but in the arms of God my Father even that Rest of which it is said Heb. 4. 3. For we which have believed do enter into rest A Rest into which neither our disturbance can enter with us nor our disturbers after us unless as they have troubled others by their sins so at length they trouble themselves much more by their Repentance A Rest into which he hath already entred who is both able and willing to keep us in everlasting rest A Rest of a quiet of an uninterrupted sleep For so he giveth his beloved sleep Psal. 127. 2. The Grave is a place of corruption in it self but to the servants of God it is a place of Rest Thence were Church-yards anciently called sleeping places Coemiteria or Dormitoria wherein the bodies of the Saints were laid to their last Rest The Ancients did think fit to name their burying places from the rest not from the corruption that was to be found in them Athanasius tels us that a man may be said to be corruptible both spiritually and corporally Spiritually when he sins as the Scripture saith They are corrupt and become abominable in their iniquities And Corporally when he dies which corporal corruption saith he hath three Names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mors Putrefactio Interitus Death Putrefaction and Destruction The death is when the soul is separated from the body The Putrefaction is when the flesh of the body decays But the Destruction is when also the bones are consumed And he saith that the body of Christ was subject only to the first corruption which is by Death not to the second by Putrefaction and much less to the third by Destruction The like is Damascens Divinity lib. 3. de orth fid cap. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word Corruption imports two things Either the separation of the soul from the body or the Total dissolution of the body for he hath joyned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in one From the first the body of Christ was not exempted from the second our bodies cannot be exempt The body of Christ which knew no sin was subject to the first degree of corruption But our bodies that have been all over infected with sin and defiled by that infection are also subject to the other two degrees of it Christ tasted of death Heb. 2. 9. But we must swallow it down He fed on death
yet I may with humility and I hope not without some truth impute the amendment of many of them to mine own sufferings The ground hath been tilled and the tree hath been pruned And why should not this tilling and pruning yield the peaceâ—…le fruit of righteousness unto me that have been exercised thereby I have been â—…ng and often ploughed as it were â—…nd broken up and harrowed by the hand of God and why should I not be somewhat amended and improved by his good husbandry I have been long and often â—…ned as it were in my flesh by his â—…harp knife cutting off my superfluities 〈◊〉 make me the less sinful and the more â—…ruitful And why should I not bring â—…rth good fruits in due season even tâ—… peaceable fruits of righteousness or the fruits of righteousness which bring forth peace the peace of a good conscience here and of a blessed Eternity hereafter Therefore earnestly desiring to walk in this righteousness I will hope to lay me down in this peace And at the end of my wearisom Pilgrimage to take my rest in the arms of Gods Eternal mercy though now I groan under the hand of his Justice For so laying me down to sleep none shall ever be able to take either me from his arms or my rest from me Amen The sick mans Ejaculations To the Reader THese Ejaculations are Eighty in number and they are like mans years in Moses time when they come to that same number full of labour and sorrow though this latter age of the world will not let it self tarry so long for labour nor others tarry so long for sorrow And they are therefore called Ejaculations because they are as it were so many dartings of the soul upon some reflexion or thought either of mans misery or of Gods mercy sent up towards Heaven All aiming at one mark though from several occasions and after several waies That is at the rest of the soul in God Nor may you here look for curious method but for Religious matter sometimes you will find the sick mans soul troubled for fear of death sometimes almost inflamed with the desire of it sometimes bemoaning the disturbance of his body sometimes fearing the distemper of his soul sometimes affrighted with the thought of Judgement sometimes rejoycing against it If you find any thing to comfort you in your extremity thank not me for speaking to my self but thank God for speaking to your soul And be not troubled that your Passions like these Ejaculations are not orderly so as they be Religious Trouble and sorrow cannot look after Order but they must look after Religion And a sick mans expressions are not so much beholding to his head to make them Methodical and Eloquent as to his 〈◊〉 to make them affectionate and devout And God grant your sickness may make yours so Ejaculations 1. GRant Lord that I may be dead unto sin before I am dead unto the world that being planted together in the likeness of thy Sons death I may be also in the likeness of his Resurrection That like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so I walking in newness of life may have a comfortable death here and a glorious Resurrection hereafter 2. Destroy in me O God the body of sin before thou destroy in me the body of flesh that I may be justified from my sins whiles I live and freed from my sins when I shall be dead Make me to lie down in comfort because by my death I shall wholly die unto my sins Make me to rest in hope because by my Resurrection I shall wholly live unto my God 3. Make me to look upon my sickness my tedious and terrible sickness as upon thy Visitation that I may bear it patiently Make me look upon my death as upon my Release that I may take it comfortably 4. O thou who wouldst be crucified before thou wouldst be glorified and didst suffer pain to enter into Joy make me submit to thy Cross that thou mayest prepare me for thy Crown Make me contentedly to suffer with thee in this world that I may triumphantly reign with thee in the world to come 5. O Lord I have Judged my self let me not be Judged of thee so as to be condemned for it is agreeable with thy Mercy to save the sinner though thou destroy the sin And it is agreeable with thy Justice not to punish that sin in me which thou hast already punished in my blessed Redeemer 6. O Lord thou didst make thy beloved Son perfect with sufferings and I cannot hope thou wilt let thy unworthy servant be perfected without them O then let not my sufferings betray the imperfections of my flesh but conduce to the perfections of my spirit and make me ever willing to suffer since thou canst and wilt make me perfect by suffering 7. O thou God of peace that broughtest again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant Make me perfect in every good work to do and suffer thy will working in me that which is well-pleasing in thy sight and working for me that which is profitable for my salvation through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Heb. 13. 20 21. 8. O blessed Jesu the chief Corner-stone on which alone is laid for us the foundation of a blessed Eternity the Rock upon which thy Church is built and all our souls relie Be merciful unto me and give ear unto my prayers and to my sighs and groans when I cannot pray Be unto me a fountain of comfort whensoever my heart is in heaviness and my body is in pain that my soul may have continual health and joy and rest in Thee and in thy Merits and Mercies for evermore 9. Lord make me desire the dissolution of my earthly house of this Tabernacle that I may have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens for I know that whiles I am at home in the body I am absent from the Lord Make me therefore willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with thee my God for in thy presence is the fulness of joy and at thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore And make me labour that whether absent or present I may be accepted of thee through the righteousness of thy dearest Son my only Lord and Saviour Amen 10. Give unto me true sorrow for my sins that thou mayest give me true comfort in my sorrows Grant I may have peace in thee whiles I have tribulation in the world and make me be of good chear in all my tribulations for thou hast overcome the world and wilt not let the world overcome me 11. O Lord Jesus Christ who hast overcome the sharpness of death opened the Kingdom of heaven to all Believers Make me â—…ot to fear death since thou hast made that â—…n Inlet into thy
A Christian Legacy Consisting of two Parts I. A Preparation for Death II. A Consolation against Death Nullum sacrificium est Deo magis acceptum quam Zelus Animarum Greg. Mag. 1 Cor. 10. 17 18. He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord for not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth By EDWARD HYDE Dr. of Divinity and late Rector Resident of Brightwell in Berks. Printed by R. W. for Rich. Davis in Oxon. 1657. To the Reader Christian Reader WHen first made a Member of Christ though it were at the very entrance of your life you did then receive your summons for death for you were baptized into the death of Christ buried with him by baptism into death Rom. 6. 3 4. And that same Baptism as it still gives you a Rejoycing in Christ Jesus our Lord so it bids you by That rejoycing to die daily 1 Cor. 15. 31. And indeed you are not fit to live till you are prepared to die You are not truly fit to live unless you live to God and if you live unto him you cannot be unprepared to die unto him The Man lives to himself and dies as he lives to his own corruption but the Christian lives to his Saviour and accordingly dies to his glorious Resurrection For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself for whether we live we live unto the Lord And whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords Rom. 14. 7 8. It is a great priviledge to live to Christ but a far greater priviledge to die to him By living to Christ you get the victory over your enemies and the terrours of their insolency but by dying to him you get the victory over your self and the terrours of your own conscience By living to Christ you get the conquest over life but by dying to him you get the conquest over death Neither shall the world be able to make you live unquietly nor the Devil be able to make you die uncomfortably So that if you do not want the preparation for death you cannot want the consolation against death And in this respect it were much to be wished That all the Lords people were Prophets or if they had rather Preachers to reason with themselves as S. Paul reasoned with Faelix of Righteousness Temperance Judgement to come Act. 24. 25. That all their Trembling or Quaking might begin and end here and none remain till hereafter The reasoning about Righteousness how it would confound our misdemeanours against our Brethren The reasoning about Temperance how it would confound our misdemeanours against our selves The reasoning about Judgement to come how it would confound our misdemeanours or rather outrages against our God All these would be speedily confounded by such kind of reasonings though all have been such as have affrighted Earth and amazed Heaven And truly much better were it that our reasonings should confound our misdemeanours then that our misdemeanours should confound us and make us even ashamed with Josephs Brethren to see the face of our own Brother in this world and much more afraid with Israels enemies to see the face of God our Father in the world to come However whether we will thus turn preachers or not unto our selves yet it is not to be denyed but there are some men who are bound to preach not only to themselves but also to others according to that charge committed to them and that trust reposed in them Luk. 22. 32. Et tu conversus confirma Fratres And when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren For that Minister is not truly thankful to God for his own conversion and confirmation who makes it not his chiefest business to convert and to confirm others Knowing therefore the terrour of thâ—… Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5. 11$ They that most know the terrour oâ—… the Lord ought most to perswadâ—… men to be ready to appear before him that they may not be terrified at hiâ—… appearing and they most know thaâ—… terrour who most know it not only Rationally or Doctrinally by their stâ—…dies and contemplations but alsâ—… Experimentally or Practically by theâ—… summons and by their sufferings Foâ—… as sickness is a summons unto death 〈◊〉 is suffering an experimental dying 〈◊〉 Those therefore who have most feâ—… either sickness or suffering have in aâ—… probability most known the terrouâ—… of the Lord and they ought most 〈◊〉 perswade men Under the notionâ—… sickness the Author of this small Treâ—… tise may own to know the terrours oâ—… the Lord for he looks on himself 〈◊〉 one newly come from the dead anâ—… yet still going to the dead and therefore the fitter to put others in mind of dying nor is he troubled that his writing is so full of weakness and infirmity which is the Indisposition of his body if it may be thought full of conscience and empty of curiosity which is or should be the Disposition of his soul For it is proper for a sick mans hand to sympathize more with his heart then with his head and to delight rather in lineaments of reality then of phansie Wherefore you may here expect such a hand-writing as appeared to Belshazar Dan. 5. which sets down nothing but Numbering and Weighing and Dividing Numbering of your daies Weighing of your sins and Dividing of your self This is like to be the main subject of the first part of the Legacy which is to be the preparation for death after these God enabling shall follow several comforts and consolations 1. Against sickness which numbereth your daies 2. Against Judgement which wilâ—… number your sins 3. Against Death which will divide your soul from youâ—… body and bring it to Judgement And these are intended for the second part of the Legacie as the Consolation against death God make both these aâ—… they are intended to him that writeâ—… them and to those that shall reaâ—… them So prayeth Yours in our common Saviourâ—… E. H. Errata PAg. 4. l. 6. studâ—…es r. studie p. 10. l. ult man r. for man p. 73. l. 21. Scil. Bonam r. saâ—… Bonav sc. Bonaventur p. 128. l. 12. cuie r. curâ—… p. 190. l. 24. to him r. to have p. 231. l. 13. 20. now here r. no where p. 345. l. 18. but most 〈◊〉 worthy r. but more unworthy p. 364. l. 13. Tâ—… Common-Law r. The Canon-Law The Preparation for Death consisting of Three Chapters Mene Tekel Peres Mene or Numbring of your Daies Tekel or Weighing of your Sins Peres or Dividing of your Person CHAP. I. Mene or Numbring of your Dayes Consisting of four Sections 1. Of mans Mortality and Immortality 2. Of the Knowledge of mans mortality 3. Of mans Vanity and the Knowledge thereof 4. Of the Difficulty Necessity and Excellency of that knowledge SECT I. Of Mans Mortality and Immortality MANS Life is but a Race of mortality and is then only well Run when it comes to a blessed
End Others may run Faster but he makes the best Speed that first gets to Heaven So run that ye may obtain 2 Cor. 9. 24. Now a Blessed Immortality may be obtained two waies 1. In Affection 2. In Fruition This latter is to be expected at Gods leisure but the former cannot be too soon obtained The very first step of Mortality should thus tend towards Immortality For as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death Rom. 6. 3. when we were yet scarce entred into our own Life we were Baptized into his Death which shews that in truth we were not so much born to live as we were born to die Well the man may think himself born to live but sure the Christian that is baptized into the Death of Christ must know that he was born again only to die For thus we all brought a body of death with us into the world Rom. 7. 24. as well as a breath of life Gen. 2. 7. And must therefore learn to dye in the beginning as well as in the end of our daies Saint John saith of himself And when I saw him that is Christ I fell at his feet as dead Rev. 1 17. So is it with us when we truly see Christ we sall down at his feet as dead and yet do not lose our Station but only mend it For whereas before we stood in our selves by thus falling we stand in our Saviour No Christian is a loser by being dead with Christ no more then Christ was a loser by his own death For indeed death is the only way for them both to a Joyful Resurrection I am He that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Rev. 1. 18. The Death was but for a short time but the Life is for evermore This is such a Funeral as ought to be kept without Mourning and is better solemnized with Joy and Triumph then with Sorrow and Lamentation For this Mortal must put on Immortality here on Earth or it will not be fit to put it on hereafter in Heaven This Mortal must put on Immortality before it put off it self Immortality in Affection or it will never put on Immortality in Fruition SECT II. Of the Knowledge of mans Mortality THE Knowledge of Mortality is more then a Science it is also a Sapience O that they were Wise that they understood This that they would consider their latter end Deut. 32. 29. Here is Sapience and Science Joyned both together Sapience is a knowledge of Principles Science is a knowledge of Conclusions This knowledge of Mortality is Both Teaching a man to joyn his last Ending to his first Beginning The serious studies of Mortality will make a man in His Moment to imitate God in his Eternity It will make us Alpha and Omega in our Nothing as God is in his All. So to think of our First as to think of our Last For this is for a man to consider his latter End To know the greatness of Mortality he is under from within him from without him from above him from below him from within him by the contradiction oâ—… his nature those irreconcilable contrarietics in his constitution From without him by the Contentions anâ—… Violences of wicked men his irreconcilâ—…ble Enemies who aâ—… wicked men have their feet swift to shâ—… blood and as Enemies will yet make theâ—… swifter to shed his blood and as irreconcileable Enemies will not give over that swifâ—…ness till they have shed it From aboâ—… him The God of heaven calling for hiâ—… Breath which he did but lend him for tâ—… Run his Race From below him The Dâ—…vils of Hell sorry to see him Running tâ—… wards Heaven if he be Tending thither anâ—… so desirous to interrupt his course or glad of his running towards Hell if his Race tend that way and so willing to Precipitate and Hasten him thither This consideration of Mortality is fully expressed by the Psalmist as it ought to be Practised by us Psal. 39. 5. Lord let me know mine end and the Number of my Daies so the Septuagint The Number of my Daies you cannot know a Number without Joyning the First and the Last unites both together So is it also in knowing the Number of your Daies you must take in your last day or you cannot have your full Number Omnem crede Diem tibi diluxisse supremum But the Hebrew saith The measure of my Daies now a measure is in continued quantity but Number is in discrete quantity It seems it is not yet fully Resolved in the Text by what quantity the length of mans life is to be taken whether by Magnitude or by Multitude For if it be taken by Magnitude it is so small a measure that it may seem almost indivisible but a span long And yet even so it is rather taken by Multitude for what is a span but a Multitude in Magnitude the space betwixt the thumb and the little finger when they are severally extended to make one measure And therefore the Septuagint saith Behold thou hast made my daies old Such as are already past and gone For whiles t is yet passing over it is no day you have but only the present minute of it when you have the whole day you have nothing left it is gone before you can have it So is your life it is but a minute whiles you have it and if it be more you have it not It is gone before it comes to be more or can be more in your Account And therefore in this case of Numbring our Daies we must fetch our Arithmetick from Heaven no Artist on Earth can teach it us but only the Spirit of God so teach us to number our daies Psal. 90. v. 12. A very Unquoth Arithmetick to number that which is not To number daies whiles they are yet Passing which cannot properly be numbred till they are Past And yet without this Arithmetick there is no applying the Heart unto wisdom Diu Fuit non Diu Vixit He had a long Continuance but he had a short Life is true of every one that Numbers not his Daies till they be spent Here must be Numerus Numerans before Numerus Numeratus The Number Numbring before the Number Numbred God Numbreth the stars and calleth them all by their Names Yet the stars first Are before they are Numbred But man Numbreth his Daies before they Are The Number is before the thing Numbred He Numbers not what is past that he may prolong but what is to come that he may Redeem his time And it neerly concerneth him so to do for his Daies are like a shadow that declineth Psal. 102. 11. The shadow when it is declining waxeth longest for the Sun is setting but then presently it waxeth nothing for the Sun is set So is the life of man as a shadow nay as the dream of a shadow it never seemeth long till it is declining and then in a short time it is nothing at
sure that it gives him Christ is my gain whether 〈◊〉 live or dye For whiles I live I live unto him the only Author Preserver and Redeemer of my life that when I shall dye I â—…ay die unto him the only Joy Comfort â—…nd Repairer of my Death that whether I â—…ve or dye I may still be his Thus did hoâ—…y Job comfort himself against the miseries â—…f his life and the terrors of his death â—…aying I know that my Redeemer liveth Job 19. 25. as if he had said I know that I â—…m as one forsaken and forlorn yet I â—…ave a Redeemer I know that I seem as â—…ne ready to be swallowed up by death yet he who swallowed death it self up in victory he liveth I know that my Redeemâ—…r liveth and hereupon do I ground my Faith my Comfort and my Assurance my Assurance is infallible undeniable for â—…t proceeds from knowledge I know I am as sure that my Redeemer liveth as that I shall die my faith is firm and immoveable for he is mine none shall ever separate me from him he is my Redeemer my comfort is heavenly and immortal answerable to those Divine fountains of Faith and hope from whence it floweth it is the comfort of eternal life for in that my Redeemer liveth I am most confident that in him and by him I shall also live for when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in Glory Col. 3. 4. An assured hope a constant faith an immortal comfort these were Jobs only supports in his greatest afflictions and his were so great that we can scarce imagine but sure we cannot endure greater never was his body in worse case never was his soul in better Afflictions in the body then have the right end for which they are sent when they make our souls magnifie the Lord and our spirits rejoyce in God our Saviour The devil intended to have added to Jobs misery by increasing the Torments of his body but he did indeed add to his happiness by increasing the Devotion of his soul Mans extremity is Gods opportunity he then most helps us when we can least help our selves when I am weak then am I strong 2 Cor. 12. 10. and by the Rule of Proportion when weakest then strongest when weakest in my self then strongest in my Saviour yet dare I not venter to stay till the weakness of my body give strength unto my soul. For had not Job been a man perfect and upright in his health he would scarce have shewed so much perfection and uprightness in his sickness What then should be the work of my health but to prepare for sickness what should be work of my sickness but to prepare death Then shall I so live as prepared death then shall I so die as prepared Judgement then shall I so live and die prepared for Christ and his Kingdom Grace in this world of Glory in the â—…ld to come Let me snatch away this â—…ry from my adversary Kingâ—…odom â—…odom say I have made Abraham Rich. 〈◊〉 14. 23. Lest hell and the grave say I â—…e thrown this man upon his knees no â—…nk to him for his devotion it is bare â—…ed and necessity meer extremity and â—…r that makes him devout Happy is â—…t man whom this worlds Afflictions â—…ve driven neerer to his God but much â—…ppier is he that hath made this approach his maker by voluntarily Afflicting mself for seldom is there so much sinâ—…rity but never is there so much Glory that Repentance and Devotion which oceeds rather from compulsion then â—…om election rather from necessity then â—…om choice Let the mercies of God inâ—…te me to Repentance and amendment of â—…e in my health and let me not expect his â—…dgements in my sickness lest instead of â—…eing amended I be confounded For if be afflicted in the flesh and not comforted in the spirit then will death wâ—… was appointed to the end be but the ginning of my afflictions For what 〈◊〉 we say was Jobs body now becomâ—… most as loathsome as the Dunghil wâ—… he sate upon a fit embleme of Immoâ—…lity and yet whosoever shall look into own soul with an impartial eye will 〈◊〉 there much less hope and comfort of eâ—…nity then Job found in his body 〈◊〉 how then can he contentedly compose hâ—…self for Death I answer he must do as did cast but one eye down upon himselâ—… lift up the other to his Redeemer when looks down upon himself he finds notâ—… but worms to destroy his body v. 26. 〈◊〉 when he looks up to his Redeemâ—… then in my flesh saith he shall I see Gâ—… What a strange contrariety is here Woâ—… and Flesh Death and Life Destructâ—… and seeing God! The Worms are 〈◊〉 loathsome that turn to Flesh The Deatâ—… not terrible that ends in Life The Dâ—…struction is most welcome that ends in â—…ing God but yet still worms in theselves are worms death in it self is deathâ—… and destruction is destruction and worâ—… as worms are loathsome death as deatâ—… terrible destruction as destruction canâ—… welcome and the body is invaded by â—…ms captivated under death and deâ—…ction when the soul is separated from and therefore we cannot but look on 〈◊〉 as a violent separation which comâ—…s a Rape upon Nature and conseâ—…ntly must needs be an unwelcome â—…est such as we are unable to exclude yet much more unwilling to entertain â—…erefore the soul while it is in the state conjunction with the body though it now by reason of sin in a miserable state is that state natural and consequentâ—… desirable nor is it easie to define how it need be made miserable before it can made not desirable for we may easily â—…ern a very great desire of life in most 〈◊〉 because the greatest miseries are not â—…e of themselves fully to expel that desire â—…t the soul whiles it is in the state of sepaâ—…ion from the body is in a state altogether natural or rather contra-natural for â—…s as long as she continues so she hath 〈◊〉 the perfection of her own nature it beâ—… as natural for humane spirits to be with â—…ies as for Angelical spirits to be withâ—… them which Aquinas hath excelâ—…tly proved in this manner Ia. p. q. 89. â—…all Intellectual Substances the Intellective Virtue or Facultie is from tâ—… fluence of the Divine Light which 〈◊〉 the farther it is diffused from God more it is divided in it self and the nâ—… is divided the more it must needs â—…minished Hence it is that those Intelleâ—… Substances which are farthest from 〈◊〉 such as are Humane spirits having thâ—… share of the Divine light havâ—… so the weakest Intellectuals and â—…quently are not able to understand 〈◊〉 by such universal forms and represeâ—…ons by which the Angels are able tâ—…â—…derstand them Therefore it is neceâ—… that the Souls of men be united untâ—…â—…dies thereby to be made capable oâ—… universal forms and representations such as are imprinted in the Angels had God given unto men
is deformed so it is also depraved by â—…t Nor may we here alledge as before the necessity of nature for though the deformity of mans flesh may in some sort be ascribed to the condition of his nature yet the depravation of it may not for God may be the Author of a comparative deformity for that is but a lesser good but by no means of a positive depravation for that is in it self an Evill or a Sin and he cannot be the Author of Sin Wherefore it is a dangerous Position which some late Divines have greedily embraced and as violently maintained That there was the same inordinate propensity in the nature of man to the works of the flesh before the Fall as is in it since the Fall Onely then it was restrained and fettered by original justice or righteousness but is now let loose by original sin This opinion is in it self dangerous because it casts a blasphemous aspersion upon God For he is the Author of Nature and therefore the Author oâ—… the necessary conditions thereof as wâ—… those that flow from the matter as froâ—… the Form but in its consequences it iâ—… no less then damnable For if it be granted that the rebellion of the sensitive Appetite against the dictates of Reason dotâ—… flow from the very principles and being 〈◊〉 the flesh then it must follow that it cannot be a sin for what is natural is no sinfull sin being no less a Monster oâ—… nature then a Monster is a sin of nature and consequently that a man maâ—… in and of himself attain to such a perfection of righteousness as to say meerly ouâ—… of humility not according to the truth forgive us our trespasses A tenent anathematized by the second Milevitane Council in which Alypius and St. Augustinâ—… were present as appears by the Synodicaâ—… Epistle in the Canon in these words Sâ—… quis asserat haec verba dominicae orationis demitte nobis debita nostra à sanctis diâ—… humiliter non veraciter Anathema sit the very same with the 117. Canon in thâ—… Council of Carthage as it is set forth bâ—… Balsamon who thus puts it into Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And when yoâ—… see Binius and Balsamon so well agree yoâ—… may look on the Tenent not as Anathemaâ—…ized by one Council but by the Catholick Church Therefore we must conclude that â—…his inordinate desire of the flesh against â—…he spirit in man is not a condition but a â—…orruption of his nature and entered â—…ot into the flesh till sin entered into the spirit Then and not till then did the body refuse to be subject to the soul when the soul refused to be subject unto God then that which before was a body of life was presently made a body of death Rom. 7. 24. Not of Gods but of mans own making God made the body but man made the death The soul in that it is united to the body hath by nature an inclination to the things of the body but it hath onely by sin not by nature an inordinate an unruly inclination to them The desires of the flesh are from nature but it is only from sin there is a depravation and irregularity in any of those desires Thirdly mans flesh is depressed by sin for it cannot be depraved by the guilt of sin and not be depressed by the burden of that guilt Wherefore we may justly complain of a weight that is upon us whiles we cannot but complain of the sin that doth so easily beset us Heb. 12. 1. Man now groaning under a two-fold burden the one of his flesh and the otheâ—… of his sins which is the heavier of thâ—… two and makes the burden of the flesâ—… the more burdensome and unsupportable And as in sin there is macula reatuâ—… poena The pollution the guilt the punishment So in the flesh because of sin therâ—… is Deformity Depravation and Depression Deformity from the pollution Depravation from the guilt and Depression from the punishment of sin I will therefore be glad and rejoyce in the wasting of my flesh as I would rejoyce in the deliverance from my blemish that most deforms me from my corruption that most depraveâ—… me and from my burden that most depresses me It is a sweet contemplation of Aquinas 12 ae q. 42. art 5. That spirituall things the more we consider them the greater they appear so that we may lose our selves in the consideration of them if at least we can be said to lose our selves whiles we seek and finde our God But Corporal things the more we consider them the less they appear and vanish by degrees till at length they are quite losâ—… in their consideration So is it with my flesh the longer I consider it the more iâ—… wasts and becomes less in my opinion And therefore it is but reason that the â—…onger I wear it the more it should wast â—…nd become less in its own substance till â—…t length it come to nothing CHAP. II. The Comforts of the Soul against Death THere is nothing more profitable for us then to think of death yet of all our thoughts that is the least welcome and the most terrible for death is the King of Terrors when nothing else will draw us unto God that will frighteâ—… us to him when nothing else will frighteâ—… us from our beloved sins that will makâ—… us affraid of sinning whence it is the wisâ—… mans advice Remember thy last end anâ—… sin no more Excellent is the Casuisâ—… distinction of Articulus mortis verus 〈◊〉 Praesumptus That there is one point oâ—… death in Truth another in Presumption Articulus mortis non intelligitur solus ilâ—… in quo quis moritur sed etiam ille in quo â—…ori probabiliter timetur saith Navar. The point of Death is not only that whereâ—… a man doth actually die but also that wherein he may probably dye so that any â—…mminent danger any dangerous sickness â—…s to be looked on as the point of Death Nay yet further according to the Christianity though not the Criticism of Caâ—…uisticall Divinity there being not one moment of our life exempted from the â—…anger of Death the point of Death doth 〈◊〉 effect pierce through our whole life â—…uch more should it pierce through our â—…earts As many mischiefs as are in the â—…orld so many dangers as many dangers 〈◊〉 many Deaths Let this wicked world â—…en have this priviledge That though it is â—…e worst that ever was to teach a man to â—…e because its doctrines are so dubious â—…et it is the best that ever was to teach a â—…an to die because its practices are so â—…ngerous Welcome then all ye mischiefs â—…d outrages of ungodly men for their â—…es that suffer them though not for â—…eir sakes that do them We can easily â—…sh the one less sin in their doings â—…t we may not wish the other less beneâ—… in their sufferings See the admirable Providence of God towards his Prophet he
throws him into prison to keep him from starving Jer. 37. 21. for by thaâ—… means he had a piece of Bread when many others had not even till all the bread iâ—… the City was spent He keeps him in prison to keep him from being butchered by the sword of the Chaldeans Jer. 38. 28. Finds out an Ethiopian to be his preserver when the Princes of Judah were his persecutors ver 7. more charity in one Prâ—…selite then in many Apostates yet woulâ—… not let Ebedmelech prevail for his enlargement lest the Prophet should have loâ—… his life as the rest did when the City waâ—… taken by gaining his liberty Carcer 〈◊〉 obsonio pro Asylo quid ni mors 〈◊〉 lucro When his prison was his Granaâ—… and his Dungeon his security tell me whâ—… could be his loss for sure Death woâ—… have been his gain Do your worst theâ—… O ye ravenous Wolves that seek to dâ—…vour the flock of Christ Well you 〈◊〉 deny them a place to live but sure yoâ—… cannot deny them a place to die And thâ—… look upon the troubles and afflictions 〈◊〉 their life as so many Calls or Summons 〈◊〉 Death For God saith unto them moâ—… particularly as he did to his Propheâ—… Jer. 18. 2. Arise and go to the Potters House and there I will cause thee to hear my words They are sent to the Potters House that â—…s they are bid to consider their own frailâ—…ty and mortality that so they may the more attentively hear Gods Word The Word of Piety and Patience that he is preaching unto them and the more benefit by hearing it For many a man that will not hear Gods Word in Gods own House will hear it in the Potters House when he shall consider that his body is no other but a polished Potsheard to day a very weak and brittle and to morrow perhaps a broken Vessel For Theophilus lib. 2. ad Antol. gives us this very similitude As a Vessel in the hand of a Potter when it is faulty in the making is therefore broken that it may be fashioned and formed again till he make it perfect and compleat So is the Vessel of mans body broken in pieces by the hand of God because it is now quite out of order that it may be formed and fashioned again and by that means become a glorious and an incorruptible and an immortal body wherefore it is not amiss going to the Potters House not only for Gods sake but also for our own For we need not fear being broken by that hand which alwayeâ—… mends in the marring Mans hand often mars in the mending brings a Deformation instead of a Reformation but Gods hand alwayes mends in the marring What then have you else to do in this world but to live innocently and to die comfortably that so you may live in the Faith and die in the hope of a better world The day will come when a little innocency will go further with you then the greatest Patrimony therefore keep your Innocency though you lose your Patrimony Facile contemnit omnia qui credit jam se esse moriturum saith St. Hierom He that thinks himself a dying man will be sure to keep himself an Innocent man and will rather forsake all here then carry guiltiness away from hence He can easily contemn the smiles of this world and therefore cannot fear the frowns of it For he believes that Rule of the Casuist to be true though not pleasing Divinity Mortem potius ferre debet quam consentire mortali peccato That he is bound rather to suffer death then to consent to any deadly sin The reason is plain for that the death of the body is as nothing to the death of the soul All death is the privation of some life The corporal death is the privation of the life of nature the spiritual death is the privation of the life of Grace the eternal death is the privation of the life of Glory yet is the Eternal Death not called the third but only the second Death because the spiritual Death is indeed no other then the Inchoation of the Eternal and awaits onely the corporal Death to be its completion Apoc. 20. 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death hath no power But it hath a power on the rest though it hath not yet the exercise of that power The second death hath power on a wicked man whiles he lives though not the exercise of that power till he dies Therefore the wicked and ungodly man hath great reason to fear the first because he cannot but expect the second Death But whosoever hath his part in the first Resurrection and it is our shame if we have not a part in it for let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. is blessed and holy and blessed in that he is holy His holiness being to him the Inchoation of blessedness and the life of Grace the beginning of the life of Glory such a man hath little reason to fear the first death because on him the second death hath no power and not having power on him while he lives shall much less have power on him when he dies yet do not Divines think it necessary to exempt the most righteous man that is from the fear of death They onely think it necessary that he be furnished with comforts greater then his fears Comforts enough to conquer his fear though not enough to expell it Suarez is of opinion that the blessed Virgin her self received extream Unction and Fillieucius saith positively that if you will suppose a man by special priviledge preserved from all sin yet it will not follow that he should not need extream Unction because he is capable of the principal effect of it which is Confortatio contrâ—… mortem a comforting and strengthening against Death And though many Divines do much doubt whether there be any sucâ—… aertue in extream Unction as to comfort â—…gainst Death yet none do doubt but even â—…he most righteous may need such comâ—…orts Our Saviour himself had an Angel strengthening him Thou hast need of more and blessed be his goodness he hath given thee more Thou hast his Spirit God the Holy Ghost to strengthen thee Nay thou hast his death to comfort thee in thine and that 's the onely reason why when Christ himself so much feared death yet many Christians have willingly embraced it because death was not conquered to him but it is now conquered by him to us yet Not my will but thy will be done is the greatest degree of perfection we can rationally expect when this bitter cup shall come to be tasted For certainly that could not but relish very ill to any mortal palate had not the Saviour of the world himself tasted it and by tasting the bitter Potion therein sweetned the Cup to those that should tast it after him Solus Christus sensit amaritudinem
mortis in cujus anima omnes vires ac Potentiae fuerunt per speciale miraculum conservatae saith Gabriel in 3. sent Dist. 15. Christ alone did feel all the sharpness and tast all the bitterness of Death in whose soul alone all powers and faculties were preserved in their full vigour and sense by special miracle But we will not argue the case whether the pains of death be most felt in the sensitive or intellective parts of the soul and whether they that have the strongest senses have alwayes the strongest pains For sure we are what are the pains of death none do know but those that cannot come to tell us yet we have reason to believe that they are so violent as to be able to shake the tallest Cedar of Libanus much more the shrubs of Carkemish To terrifie men of undaunted resolutions much more such as have too much guilt to have too little fears or else the Church would never have taught us to pray O Holy and mercifull Saviour thou most worthy Judge eternal suffer us not at our last hour for any pains of Death to fall from thee Thou art our Saviour we cannot fall from thee but we must fall from our salvation and the pains of Death will make us fall from thee unless thou shew thy self our merciful Saviour to sustain us in the hour of Death as thou hast sustained us all our life And why didst thou taste the vinegar at thy death and not till then give up the ghost John 19. 30. but to teach me to pray O my God let me not taste the vinegar when I am to give up the ghost since thou thy self hast tasted it for me so saith thy Apostle Heb. 2. 14 15. For he also himself took part of the same flesh and blood that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil and deliver them who through fear of Death were all their life time subject to bondage We see here a two-fold effect of Christs death The one was to conquer the Devil that had the power of Death The other was to deliver us that were under the fear of Death and fled to him for deliverance The Devil had the power of Death till he was conquered and he was not conquered till the death of Christ till then he kept the keys of Hell and of death but then Christ took them away from him and doth ever since keep them Apoc. 1. 18. I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the keys of Hell and of Death Then let me not fear to pass through the gates of Death whiles my Saviour keeps the keys of it to open the Grave Let me not fear to pass by the gates of Hell whiles my Saviour keeps the keys of it to shut the Gates Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear none evil for thou art with me Psal. 23. 4. Thou art with me to uphold me in that walk that I fail not to direct me in that valley that I stray not To enlighten me in that shadow that I stumble not Christs guidance cannot but afford a very safe conduct which is not unfitly expressed by these four words Educit Deducit Adducit Introducit He brings out He brings on He brings to He brings in First Educit he brings the soul out to wit out of the Body for it may not go till he call and then it must O my soul never be affraid to go from thy body when thy Saviour calls thee to go along with him Secondly Deducit He brings the soul on to wit on the way to Heaven And himself saith Justin Martyr in Tryphon did pray to his Father to guide his soul at his death that we might know how to pray to him to guide our souls Psal. 22. 20 21. Deliver my soul from the sword my Darling from the power of the Dog save me from the Lions mouth He thus prayed on the Cross immediatly before his death for it is the Tradition of the Church That Christ said all the 22 Psalm upon the Cross though the Evangelists mention only the first words of it to teach us to pray when we die That God who alone can would deliver our souls from the Dog and from the Lion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he would turn away the evil Angel who is compared to a Dog for his impudency to a Lion for his violence least he should catch our souls at their going out of our bodies We know the Devil is called the Prince of the Air and we may be sure he would not let any mans soul pass from earth to Heaven were not he ready to convey it thither to whom is given all power in Heaven and in Earth and over Hell Thirdly Adducit He brings the soul to that is to God Man when he dies his body returns to the dust but his spirit returns to God that gave it All spirits return to God at the hour of death either as to a Father or as to a Judge and Christ brings them all to him The spirits of wicked men as to a Judge for punishment The spirits of good men as to a Father for mercy Whence that admirable prayer of our Church for the sick That whensoever his soul shall depart from the body it may be without spot presented unto thee through Jesus Christ our Lord Christ presents all souls unto God but the souls of the impenitent and unbelievers in the spots they have contracted by their sins The souls of those who by Faith and Repentance have laid hold on his Righteousness he presents without spot Those souls that are in their sins shall be rejected those souls that are in their Saviour shall be received There is no man at that day but will be speechless who hath not the Eternal Word to answer for him Fourthly and lastly Introducit he brings the soul in that is into the state of Eternal blessedness to see and enjoy him who is the blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto unless Christ bring him in whom no man hath seen or can see to whom be honour and power everlasting Amen 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. No man hath seen him or can see him in this corruptible body but the Saints now do see him in their incorruptible souls and do ascribe unto him his honour and power everlasting Accordingly the Angelical Doctor makes it his business to confute those who said that the souls of the Saints separated from their bodies do not come to their bliss till the day of judgement quod quidem apparet esse falsum autoritate ratione which saith he is apparently false as we can prove both by authority and by reason and all the world is not able to afford better proofs or gain-say them 1. By
for he tasted it at his own pleasure Death feeds on us for we must tast it against our wills and not only tast it but also eat it down Corruption first seized upon our souls and from thence passed to our bodies It was to our greatest disadvantage that it seized upon our souls But it is to our greatest advantage that it seizeth upon our bodies For unless they should be quite destroyed sin which first caused mortality would in the corrupt remainders and Reliques of our bodies it self have a kind of immortality whereas Righteousness alone is and ought to be immortal And therefore it is very probable that those who shall be found alive at the last day of whom the Apostle hath said We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed 1 Cor. 15. 51. shall have a change not only Equivalent to a Death but also to a Total Destruction For sin must totally be destroyed And therefore also our bodies that have lodged it and have been defiled by it That there may not be left the least monument of sin in the New World wherein shall dwell nothing but Righteousness 2 Pet. 3. 13. And now me thinks I can find a Paradise in Golgotha ever since my Saviour hath been there and bid hearty welcom to those worms which shall destroy that flesh which would have destroyed me For I can now safely conclude that neither in regard of my soul nor of my body ought I to fear Death which certainly is not so formidable in it self as it is generally in the worlds opinion For if the Rule be true Nomen quasi Novimen The name of every thing is that whereby it is best known and discerned then by the name of death we may best know and discern the nature of it And these are the chief Names whereby the Scripture expresseth it A Sleep A Change A Departure A Dissolution and none of all these Names is terrible and why then should the thing it self be so But if there be any terrour in the thing yet we are sure that in the Text there is a comfort greater then the terrour First Death is called a Sleep Mat. 9. 24. The maid is not dead but sleepeth And though wicked miscreants who believed not the Resurrection laughed at our blessed Saviour for calling death A sleep yet let all good Christians rejoyce that it is so and give him thanks for making it so It is a comfortable Gloss which the third Toletan Council cap. 22. gives upon those words of John 11. 35. Jesus wept For they say Dominus non flevit Lazarum sed ad vitae hujus ploravit Aerumnas resuscitandum Jesus did not weep that Lazarus slept but that he was again to be awakened to see the miseries and feel the mischiefs of this wicked world T was said before verse 11. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth And he that said it having made his death a sleep was troubled that he should awaken him so soon from his sleep In vita vigilant Justi ideo in morte dicuntur Dormire saith St. Augustine The good man when he dieth is said to sleep because he watcheth and waketh all his life but a wicked man sleeps all his life and awakens only at his death Soul take thy rest saith the rich worldling He lulls his soul asleep but what follows Thou fool this night is thy soul taken from thee Thy sleep shall soon be over together with thy life and Vengeance and Death they shall awaken thee For hast thou slept all thy life and wouldest thou also sleep at thy death Hast thou slept all the while thou wert here and wouldest thou also sleep now thou art going hence Hast thou slept when God bad thee awake and wouldest thou also sleep now that he bids thee die No Thou mayest not any longer expect rest ease and tranquillity For thou shalt certainly have disconsolation at thy departure grief in thy passage and shame at thy journeys end when thou shalt appear before Gods Judgement-seat and shalt not be able to give any account at all of thy life no more then the Souldiers could of Christ Mat. 28. for thou wert asleep Thy Death would have been a sleep if thy life had not been so Secondly Death is called A Change Job 14. 14. All the dayes of my appointiâ—… time will I wait till my Change come Thâ—… Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I wiâ—… wait till I be made again If death be thy making Tell me what can be thy marring A happy change doubtless which is nothing but a new making of that which is quite out of Order And thus saith St. Chrysostome did Symmachus expound thâ—… words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my holy Nativity or my holy Naturâ—… come The nature which I now have iâ—… full of corruption full of unholiness so that my own flesh is not so neer me as iâ—… my sinfulness O for a regeneration of my body as well as of my soul that I may be born again in my flesh as I am in my spirit Nor is there any thing that can morâ—… truly sweeten the thought of death theâ—… this consideration that it is a change For we are already in so bad a condition that we cannot well fear our Change should be for the worse And if we be truly sensible of our own condition it is most sure thaâ—… our change will be infinitely for the better For so saith the Apostle Phil. 3. 20â—… 21. For our conversation is in Heaven froâ—… whence we also look for the Saviour thâ—… Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body as if he had said we find nothing on Earth worth conversing withall therefore our conversation is in Heaven we know that our body is now vile and loathsom and therefore we look for the Lord Jesus Christ to Change and Fashion it like unto his Glorious Body Here are two great changes which the men of this world that are most given to change least care for A change of the soul from being on Earth to be in Heaven for our conversation is in Heaven A change of the body from Vileness to Glory who shall change our vile body that it may be like his glorious body Thirdly Death is called A Departure and so doth Abenezra expound the forenamed word in Job 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaliphathi my change that is saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Halicathi my departure For the Jews express mans Birth as a Coming and his Death as a Going So Eccles. 1. 4. One generation goeth or Passeth away and another cometh Generatio vadens and Generatio Veniens The first is put for the Dying the latter for the living Generation of mankind And the first Council of Nice can 13. speaking of Dying men useth a word that only signifieth going forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De iis qâ—… exeunt And again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any man be ready to Depart
he hath said it who is able to make good his word Mat. 12. 50. Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother Tell me if there be any Relations nearer and dearer theâ—… these and tell me whether these can be so comfortable in Earth as they are in Heaven What loss is it then to me though Death take from me All while it gives me him who is All in All The Spirit of God saith unto every faithful soul Psalm 4. 5. 10. Hearken O daughter and consider forget also thine own people and thy Fathers house so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty for he is thy Lord God and worship thou him Non est ergo magnum â—…tu obliviscaris dimittas Populum tuum Domum Patris Tui ut te totum ejus servitio submittas Quoniam ipse dimisit Coelum se totum dedit ut tibi serviret saith Hugo He requires no great thing of thee To forgo thy Fathers house on Earth for his sake who did forgo his Fathers house in heaven for thy sake He was thy Lord and yet did that to serve thee Thou art his servant and wilt thou stick at doing this to serve him But you will say Herein consists my greatest perplexity For I know that I must go to him as my Lord to Judge me but I do not know how I can stand in that Judgement that so I may find him my Father to receive me and my God to save me But for this I refer you to another Chapter as being a Piece of Divinity that most concerneth another world CHAP. III. The Comforts of the Soul against Iudgement SECT I. The terrours of the last Judgement THere is a time for a Minister to be a Boanerges a Son oâ—… Thunder to proclaim Godâ—… final Judgement against Impenitent sinners that he may bring them to an earnest Repentance foâ—… that Impenitency is the high-way to damnation But there is also a time for him to be a Barnabas a Son of Consolation tâ—… proclaim Gods mercies to the Penitent that he may bring them to a lively faith for that true faith is the high-way to salvation Galatinus reports That the Jews did use to give a strong intoxicating wine to those that were condemned to die that by disturbing their judgements they might have the less terrible apprehensions of their approaching Death wresting that Text of Prov. 31. 6. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts A miserable way of Comforting was this to take away the pain by taking away the sense and the understanding To quiet the conscience by drowning it Had it not been more mercy in the Jews to have given the guilty a bitter potion to awaken his conscience then a pleasing potion to benum and to besot it For it is good the soul should weep with Mary John 20. 11. when she cannot readily find out Christ because it is sure the weeping soul can never lose him Wherefore it will be requisite that I first set before your eyes the terrours of the last Judgement that you may see your sins and then the comforts against those terrours that you may see your Saviour As concerning the terrours of the last Judgement they are set down in few words but many Frights 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe in that day Observe the terrible manner of this Grand-Assizes The Judge shall visibly come down from heaven and bring his Posse Comitatus with him even his mighty Angels to execute his final Sentence which shall be a Sentence for the punishment of sense they shall be punished with an everlasting Destruction and for the punishment of loss from the presence of the Lord. That is A Sentence for all punishment that is imaginable and for more then is endurable And this Judge shall come down in flaming fire a Real a Material a Corporal not a Metaphorical or an Imaginary or a Spiritual fire and this fire he shall bring along with him from heaven not expect it to meet him from hell that shall lose none of its own former flames but receive more and therewith consume this corruptible and corrupted world 2. Pet. 3. 7. And after that throw all the Divels and wicked men into that same fire and then throw the fire it self with them down into hell there to increase the torments of those miscreants for ever that had before fire from hell to torment them but then they shall also have fire from heaven to encrease their torments God as he shall be glorified and admired in his Saints because of his undeserved mercy so shall he also be glorified and admired in those sinners because of his righteous Judgement And therefore though their Judges fire will be so terrible because of the flame yet their own sins will be much more terrible because they alone minister the fuel to that fire For the Books shall be opened The Book of Gods Remembrance and the Book of their own Conscience And they shall be Judged out of those things which are written in the Books according to their works Rev. 20. 12. Then in both Books shall they see such works Registred as call for a Judgement worthy of God because they had not only an Impiety but also an Impenitency unworthy of man And as they shall first see those works to their terrour so shaâ—… they after feel them to their torment noâ—… a work that had putrefaction and corruption in it but shall have its worm after it For corruption of sin begets a worm in thâ—… soul as corruption of Death begets worm in the body Vermis oritur ex putredine 〈◊〉 mordit illud in quo oritur saith Bonaventure A worm is begotten of filthiness anâ—… feeds on that which beg at it so is the woâ—… of conscience it is begotten of corruption even of sin the only corruption of the soul it frets and corrodes and gnaws and bitâ—… that soul which gave it being So that there must needs be all manner of terrours terrours from within where their worm dieth not terrours from without and the fire 〈◊〉 not quenched Mark 9. 46. And to all these terrours we must yet further add this terrible example out of Saint Peter 2 Pet. 2. 4. For if God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto Judgement Here is a kind oâ—… an imperfect speech called ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his passion caused
give thy self to thy God and it shall be with thee as it was with Cornelius thy Memorial shall be with God thy Comfort with thy self thy Conversation with an Angel No maâ—… can be exempted from the terrours of 〈◊〉 dreadful Judgement but he that dares trust God with his soul and no man dares trust God with his soul that is not either Innoâ—…ent or Penitent And if you will ask me â—…hich of these two dares trust him most 〈◊〉 who my self am laden with sin must say â—…he Penitent For the Innocent offers unâ—… God his own Righteousness but the â—…enitent offers unto him his Sons Righteâ—…sness and certainly he dares most trust â—…od who offers him that Righteousness â—…hich he is sure God can least refuse in â—…dgement SECT III. The best way to expell the terrours of the Day of Judgement THE greatest happiness of a Christian is not to be troubled in Consciâ—…ce but the next to this is speedily to be â—…livered from all his troubles He is hapâ—…st that prevents the terrours of a guilty â—…nscience but he is next happy that exâ—…ls them And we have all most need to â—…k after this for there is guiltiness enough â—…thin the most innocent soul to betray it â—…d open the doors to let in these terrours and therefore we must labour to see thâ—… be faith enough in the guilty soul to expâ—… and thrust them out again And surely the Doctrine of Justification by Work though it pretend to be a great friend Righteousness yet is it in this respect great enemy to the Righteous wâ—… can never attain to that perfection Righteousness as to be able to stand up his own legs in the last Judgement Theâ—…fore Saint Paul imputeth our peace 〈◊〉 God to Justification by faith Rom. 5. Being justified by Faith we have peace 〈◊〉 God through our Lord Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 is a League that cannot be broken a Peâ—… that cannot be disturbed which is throâ—… our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the 〈◊〉 from heaven said This is my beloved Sâ—… whom I am well pleased Mat. 3. 17. 〈◊〉 that voice cannot but speak comfort to according to the Learned Zanchies gâ—… lib. 4. de Tribus Elohim cap. 1. 〈◊〉 beneficia iis paucis verbis docet Paâ—… Christum nobis Communicari Dilectiâ—… Reconciliationis Adoptionis seu Regâ—…tionis Three great blessings inâ—… few words doth the Father himself 〈◊〉 us are communicated by Christ to good Christian the blessing of Love â—…e is beloved in himself we beloved in â—…m the blessing of Filiation or Adoptiâ—…n for he was his Son by nature we his â—…ns by adoption and grace And the â—…lessing of Reconciliation for God is wellâ—…leased with Christ for his own sake and with us for Christs sake For wherefore â—…d there come forth blood and water out of thy side O sweet Jesus was it not that â—…he water should wash my soul and the â—…lood should heal it I confess that I have â—…ierced thee by my sins more deeply then ever the souldiers spears pierced thee yet â—…et me still look on thee by a lively faith that the Scripture may be daily more and more fulfilled which saith They shall look on him whom they pierced John 19. 37. Thus did holy men heretofore look upon thee nor had Saint Bernard any other answer to return to the Devil when he accused him as he supposed at Gods Judgement-seat but only this Fateor non sum Dignus Ego nec propriis possum meritis Regnum obtinere Coelorum Caeterum duplici jure illud obtinâ—…ns Dominus meus Haereditate sc. Patris merito Passionis Altero ipse contentus Alterum mihi donat ex cujus Dono jure illud mihi Vindicans non confundor in vita S. Bernardi lib. 1. cap. 12. I confess that I am not worthy nor can I plead mine own merits why I should obtain the Kingdom of heaven But my Lord having a double right thereto one from his Father by inheritance the other from himself by the merit of his Passions he being contented with one of them hath given the other unto me and I claiming heaven by his gift cannot be confuted and much less confounded in my claim Thus hath Saint Bernard taught me to answer the Devil and sure he is too old too cunning a Sophister to be answered by any Fallacy There is no silencing him but by a down-right Truth whose evidence is undenyable and whose power is unresistable Nay yet more Thus hath Saint Anselm taught me to answer God himself in the form of Visitation of the sick antiently used in this Kingdom for Saint Anselm that used it was Arch-Bishop of Canterbury who after some questions to the dying man concerning his Faith and Repentance thus concludes his exhortation for the quieting and setling of his conscience I will put the words into English as thinking it most reasonable that what equally concerns All should be in a Tongue equally understood by All. Therefore still give him that is your blessed Saviour thanks whiles your breath is in your body that he was pleased to die for you place all your confidence in his death commit your self wholly to it involve your self wholly in it cover your self wholly with it And if God go about to Judge thee say unto him Lord I object the death of my Saviour Jesus Christ between me and thee and thy Judgement If he say That thou hast deserved damnation then say unto him Lord I object the death of my Jesus between me and my evil deservings And I bring with me the merit of his most worthy Passion instead of the merits which I should have had but alas I have not Then let the sick man say thrice Into thy hands Lord I commend my spirit and let those that stand by say so with him and let him die securely for he shall never see the Eternal Death Thus did the antient Church think it not only comfortable but also conformable Divinity That Christ alone should answer all Objections that were made against the soul And yet a Church much antienter then this did believe and teach the same truth even the Church in the Apostles times Heb. 3. 6. Whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing oâ—… the hope firm unto the end Whose house arâ—… we that is all we that are Christians the whole Catholike Church for particular men and Churches are but several stones in this living building it is the whole Christian Church that is the House of Christ And that is his House upon this condition If it hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end as if he had said By the same means that we are built up in Christ we are still preserved in his building By the same means that we are contained we are also continued in his House that is by Faith and Hope in him By holding fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope unto the end By laying hold on my
For being a Penitent sinner that is one of those sinners that Christ came to save as I have been chief in the sin so I shall be chief in the salvation The more I have seen mine own sins the more I shall see the salvation of my God It is a most comfortable observation of Divines That our Saviour Christ is now here in all the Bible called invisible And therefore that Doxologie in 1 Tim. 1. 17. Now unto the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen is to be expounded of God the Father because the Word invisible is in it and our Saviour Christ is now here in all the Bible called invisible And truly blessed be his mercy I have hitherto found it so for when I have most seen my sins to trouble me I have most seen his salvation to relieve me And sure I am that though my sins should be never so visible at the last day yet they shall not be half so visible as my Saviour For I shall then certainly with Saint Stephen see Jesus standing on the right hand of God Acts 7. 55. I shall see him standing up as ready to give sentence but surely that sentence will be for me not against me For he is not willing to give sentence against me but sure he cannot give sentence against himself that is against his Word For a sentence against his Word is against himself His Word therefore being the truth because it is his Word who is the truth Therefore the sentence that shall be given at the last day can be no other then what is given already in Gods Word and in mine own conscience His Word hath pronounced a merciful sentence and I must never leave Rectifying my conscience till that pronounce sentence according to his Word SECT VI. Comforts against the last Judgement from the sentence that shall be pronounced A Sentence that is resolved on before the hearing of the cause though not pronounced till after it must needs be the sentence of an unrighteous Judge and is most like to be the sentence of an unrighteons Judgement But shall not the Judge of all the earth do right Gen. 18. 25. And how then can we now have comfort from the sentence he will pronounce at the last day since he cannot resolve upon a sentence before the hearing of the cause nor can we know before hand what is his resolution I answer The cause is heard here and the sentence is pronounced here though many men will not take notice of it And that which shall be pronounced hereafter shall not be a new sentence but a Publication of the old which may not unfitly be called an old sentence since it hath been twice pronounced here already once in Gods Word another time in our own consciences For the Spirit of God doth here Judge us in Gods Word And the Son of God will not thwart or contradict the Judgement of Gods Spirit but only ratifie and confirm it The word that I have spoken the same shall Judge him at the last day John 12. 48. that is the sentence at the last day shall be but a declaration and confirmation of the sentence that is already spoken in the Word And haply in this respect it is said That the Apostles shall Judge the world not only in regard of their persons as all other Saints shall Judge it by approving the sentence of the righteous Judge but also in regard of their Doctrine which shall be the rule of Judgement Wherefore if we can have comfort from the sentence that is already passed upon us by the Apostles we may have also comfort from the sentence that will be passed upon us by their Master And truly if we be not Hypocrites or Apostates but true and constant Christians we may have very great comfort from the sentence that is already passed upon us by the Apostles A comfort which no partial Judge here can give us though he resolve to come with omnia bene and to admit of none but of white suffrages for in vain doth the spirit of man set it self to absolve â—…hose whom the Spirit of God doth conâ—…emn And a comfort which no unrighteâ—…s Judge here can take from us though he â—…esolve to write his sentence as Draco did â—…is Laws in Characters of blood For in â—…ain doth the spirit of man set it self to â—…ondemn those whom the spirit of God â—…oth absolve For this is the sentence â—…assed upon us by the Apostles He that â—…elieveth on the Son hath everlasting life â—…ohn 3. 36. The whole Doctrine of the New-Testament driving at this That true â—…aith in Christ as it is not to be supposed without a true Christian life and conversation agreeable to the faith for it is in â—…ain to profess Christian and to live Atheâ—…st or to act Infidel so it cannot but deâ—…iver the true Believer from the guilt and â—…urden of all his sins For all the whole Gospel is nothing else but a Sermon upon â—…his Text of our Saviours own choosing John 11. 25 26. I am the resurrection and â—…he life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever â—…iveth and believeth in me shall not die for â—…ver Words properly used by the Church as they were spoken by Christ himself at the burial of the dead For they are the chiefest comfort against Death because they are the chiefest comfort against Judgement And so hath the beloved Disciple explained them that leaned in his Masters bosom and thence got this soul-healing and soul-saving Divinity But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin And again If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 John 7. and 9. Here is the true comfort against Judgement for if my soul be cleansed from all sin and unrighteousness I shall have reason not to dread but to desire the coming of my Judge And this Christian consolation cannot be separated from the true Christian Faith that is to say Faith in the blood of Christ which cleanseth us And this Christian Faith cannot be separated from a Christian conversation walking in the light nor from a Christian Communion we have fellowship one with another nor from Christian Repentance and Contrition if we confess our sins And wheresoever we find this Christian Faith and Christian Conversation and Communion and Contrition we may not deny the Christian Consolation For God himself hath said Comfort ye comfort ye my people Isa. 40. 1. They that are Gods people may not be deprived of Gods comforts And what are his comforts but as it follows that our warfare is accomplished and our iniquity is pardoned The beginning of the pardon is the end of the war her warfare is accomplished and her iniquity
wilt come to be my Judge who hast already come to be my Saviour and I therefore pray thee to help thy servant whom thou hast Redeemed with thy most precious blood O Lord in thy Justice when thou shalt be most ready to condemn me remember the Mercy whereby thou didst come to save me and hear thine own precious blood crying out to thee for my salvation and hear not my grievous sins crying out against me for my condemnation for what wilt thou do with thy Mercy which moved thee to shed thy blood if thou wilt not forgive sinners what wilt thou do with the Merit of thy blood that hath been shed if thou wilt not save sinners O Lord I appeal unto this Mercy which hath promised forgiveness of sins and to this Merit which hath purchased salvation for sinners and in this Mercy and in this Merit I cannot but hope to stand in the Judgement 31. If the Lord himself had not been on my side now may my soul say if the Lord himself had not been on my side when the Devils and mine own conscience rose up against me they had swallowed me up quick when they were so wrathfully displeased at me Yea the waters had drowned me and the stream had gone over my soul but praised be the Lord which hath not given me over for a prey unto their teeth My soul is escaped even as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler the snare is broken and I am delivered My help standeth in the Name of the Lord which hath made heaven and earth and which hateth nothing that he hath made 32. O Lord Jesus Christ which upholdest all things in heaven and in earth make me evermore to put my whole trust in thee in the state of health and prosperity to trust in thee for preservation in the state of sickness and adversity to trust in thee for deliverance and relief in all states to trust in thee for grace and benediction That in the distresses of my body I may be comforted for the salvation of my soul in the distresses of my soul I may be comforted for the mercies of my Savioâ—… Let me submit my soul to thee in piety by doing righteously that thou mayest not punish me and having failed of that let me submit my soul to thee in patience by suffering contentedly when thou dost punish me for my sins Let me not despair of thy Mercy when I have most provoked thy Justice that thou mayst in Justice remember Mercy and in Mercy remember me Let me never say in my heart through impatience or infidelity There is no God Let me never wish in my heart through impenitency that there were none Let me not say in my heart â—…efore I sin There is no God least I sin with greediness Let me not wish in my heart there were no God after I have sinned lest I sin without Repentance But make me set thee alwaies before me both in thy Majesty as coming to Judge me that I sin not and in thy Mercy as willing to save me that I despair not when I have sinned And be thou alwaies with me by thy special grace that I perish not in my sins O thou which art the joy of Angels be also the joy of my sinful soul speak salvation to me who can speak nothing but damnation to my self Be unto my sinful soul sanctification from sin that thou mayest be to my sanctified soul salvation from death That I may at last stand with that great multitude who shall stand before thee cloathed with white robes and palms in their hands to cry with a loud voice saying Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever ever Amen 33. O Lord who art so merciful unto sinful man as to vouchsafe to be his Guide and Governor and so constant in thy Mercies as to guide and govern him all his life even unto death I beseech thee to be my Guide in this my greatest perplexity now that my body is as it were bitten with fiery Serpents and my soul dwelleth among Scorpions Now that torments and tumults are without me temptations and discontents are within me O be thou â—…igh at hand that none of all my outward â—…r inward vexations may either disturb my â—…fety or betray my innocency Let God â—…ise in my heart and let all his enemies â—…ere that is all my impatient thoughts 〈◊〉 scattered Like as smoke vanisheth so 〈◊〉 them vanish at the presence of God â—…nd my soul be joyful in the Lord it shall â—…ejoyce in his salvation 34. O God thy Charets are twenty thouâ—…nd even thousands of Angels O set â—…me of them compass me about as they â—…d thy servant Elisha whiles I am living â—…nd let others of them carry my soul into â—…brahams bosom when I shall die as they â—…d thy servant Lazarus That these thy â—…inistring spirits which are sent forth to â—…inister for them who shall be heirs of salâ—…tion may also minister for me thy most â—…worthy servant not only in my sickâ—…ss to succour and defend me but also in â—…y death to direct and convey my soul 〈◊〉 by thy appointment they have brought â—…e to those everlasting mansions where I â—…all together with them alwaies behold â—…e face of my Father which is in heaven â—…men 35. O Lord thou hast commanded me tâ—… break off my sins by repentance but I havâ—… broken off my soul from thee by sin anâ—… widened that breach by my impenitency Wherefore it is but just that I who have sâ—… often grieved thy Spirit should now at 〈◊〉 grieve mine own For I have often reâ—…turned to those sins which by mine owâ—… mouth had so terribly accused me and bâ—… mine own default so grievously woundeâ—… me But I beseech thee to fill my heaâ—… with Repentance which I have so ofteâ—… filled with sin and let me have that sorroâ—… here which may keep me from confusioâ—… hereafter For if thy servant Peter weâ—… three whole daies nay all his life long fâ—… denying thee thrice out of a sudden passâ—… on What tears what repentance is neeâ—… ful to the washing away of my sins whâ—… have so often denyed thee upon deliberâ—…tion If Mary Magdalen wept so griâ—…vously for seven Devils shall not I muâ—… rather for seventy seven more unclean spâ—…rits She was not then thy servant whâ—… she entertained those impure guests I haâ—… been a long time thy friend thy brotheâ—… thy son and yet have given these thiâ—… enemies my best entertainment She 〈◊〉 â—…ot in the Devils again after they had â—…een cast out but I have swept and garnishâ—…d the room for them make me therefore â—…ood Lord all my life long to wash thy â—…et with my tears that thou mayest wash â—…y soul with thy blood and so at last preâ—…nt it without spot and blemish before â—…he heavenly Father in thine eternal and everlasting Kingdom Amen 36. Lord let me often find the influence of thy grace in heavenly