bring us on in this journey to the well of life whē we like wandring sheep had gone astray perniciously he sought us found us laid us on his shoulders 1. Pet. 2.25 Luk. 15.4 He hath borne our griefes carried our sorrowes Esa 53.4 he bore our sinnes in his body on the tree 1. Pet. 2.24 under the burden of our iniquities he was bruised Esa 53.5.10 he was sore amazed he groaned Mark 14.38 cryed out with strong cryes supplications Matt. 27.46 Heb. 5.7 he did sweat great drops of blood that trickled downe to the ground Luk. 22.44 and there was no remedy but that to save others he must goe downe to the gates of death he was abased unto the death of the crosse as Moses lift up the serpent in the wildernes so was our Mediatour lift up Ioh. 3.14.15 as men deale with a toad or serpent so they hanged him upon a stake stauros set him upon a pole he became as it were a monster unto many Psa 71.7 22.13 that he might make us glorious by deliverance bring us unto life He was further abased when he was left for a time under the condition of death free among the dead Psa 88.5 while he made his grave with the wicked Esa 53.9 hereby was as it were swallowed up of the whale in the heart of the earth Matt. 12.40 And yet above all this before his buriall he descended into Hell to the gates of the second death into the deepest degree of humiliation in his agony both in the garden and upon the crosse Matt. 27.46 Psal 88.6 there the sorrowes of hell compassed him about there he drunk the cup of the red wine of the wrath of God Matt. 20.22 26.39.42.44 a cup whereinto all our vile and deadly sinnes were grated God laying upon him the iniquities of us all Esa 53.6 At the tasting of this cup his strength was powred out like water his heart did melt like wax in the middes of his bowels Psa 22.14 a greater matter then if the whole world beside had melted away to nothing for ever The very thought of this filled the heart of our Mediatour with perplexity feare long before it came I have a baptisme saith he to be baptised withall how am I pained untill it be ended Luk. 12.50 And how was he then pained in the finishing of it But hereby are many sons brought unto God delivered from the bondage feare of death for ever Heb. 2.9.10.14.15 Having passed himselfe and led us through the first gate of justice by suffering there remained a second by fulfilling the law for us this also necessary for our entrance into life therefore besides the sacrifice of his death he also offered up himselfe in a holy life unto God sanctifyed himself for us Ioh. 17.19 For being made under the Law Gal. 4.4 he fulfilled all righteousnes Matt. 3.15 was an immaculate lambe 1. Pet. 1.19 holy harmelesse undefiled Heb. 7.26 whom no man could convince of sinne Ioh. 8.46 even in the midst of his sufferings his active obediēce willing subjection to the will of his Father Phi. 2.8.9 Ioh. 10.17.18 18.6.11 was for us a sacrifice of sweet odour as well as the suffering it selfe so led us through the second gate of Gods justice Thus by the obediēce righteousnes of one many are made righteous evē partakers of the righteousnes of God in Christ Rom. 5.17.18.19 1. Pet. 1.2 2. Cor. 5.21 And further as all that he did then on earth was for our comfort so all that he now doth in heavē is also for the increase of our comfort for he is still a priest and sacrificer in heaven As Aaron bore the names of the children of Israel both upon his two shoulders ingraven in two Onix stones set in ouches of gold Exod. 28 9-12 likewise in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart in twelve other precious stones when he went into the holy place for a memoriall continually before the Lord vers 17-29 so our Mediatour hath not onely carried us on his of the promised inheritance in Canaan we see what enimies in the way rose up against them to hinder them to destroy them Pharaoh his host with charets horsmen pursues after them to bring them back againe into bondage or to destroy them utterly Exod. 14.5.9 15.9 Then Amalek when Israel was faint weary in the way came out and smote the feeblest hinmost of them Deut. 25.17.18 Exod. 17.8 Edom their brother denyed them passage Num. 20.21 King Arad tooke some of them prisoners Numb 21.1 Balak the King of Moab calles Balaam the southsayer to curse Israel Numb 22.4 and 23.13 The Midianites vexed them with their wiles and brought thousands of them to destruction Num. 25.4.9.17.18 Sihon and Og the giant with all their forces came out to stop them in their way Deut. 2.32 3.1 And the Kings of Canaan with an host like the sand upon the sea shore in multitude were gathered together to fight against Israel and to keepe them from their inheritance promised Iosh 11.4.5 And in like manner to stop and hinder the faithfull in the way of life armies of enimies rise up on every side The world generally hates them Ioh. 15.19 Matt. 24.9 The nations rage the princes conspire against the Lord and his anoynted Psal 2.1.2 The mighty men the Giants of our time cease not to warre against them The Romish Balaam much worse then the old southsayer curseth them incessantly The Babilonian harlot is drunken with the blood of the Saints Rev. 17.6 The manyheaded Beast blasphemes God and his Tabernacle Rev. 13.6 and the second Beast forceth men for feare to receyve his mark vers 16. The Dragon and his angels fight Rev. 12.3.7 The Devill goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devoure and cast out from the inheritance of the Lord. 1. Pet. 5.8 And our owne flesh like a serpent in the bosome lusteth and fighteth against the soule Gal. 5.17 1. Pet. 2.11 Now for the resisting and conquering of all these Christ is given unto us as a victorious King and Prince of peace He is exalted above every name that is named in this world or in the world to come Eph. 1.21 He hath overcome the world Ioh. 16.33 cast out the wicked spirit confirme his afflicted people in their exspectation of future glory and dignity by Christ the Branch God appointed his Prophet to take silver gold from them of the captivity to make Crownes to set them first upon the head of Jehoshua and then to keepe them for a memoriall in the Temple of the Lord Zach. 6 9-15 so in the use of these ordinances of Baptisme the Lords-Supper given to his Church left for memorials of our glory in Christ we ought to be affected as if there were two goldē crownes hung up in the congregation before our
eyes sometimes set upon our heads as witnesses and pledges of the glorious kingdome to be enjoyed hereafter In Baptisme is represented both the washing away of our sinnes Act. 2.38 our fellowship with the holy Trinity whose names are put upon us Matt. 28.19 The names of the Father Sonne H. Ghost are set like three pearles shining in our crowne of glory set upon our heads Esa 28.5 In the Supper of the Lord being called unto his Table to the participation of the body blood of Christ we are thereby set together in heavenly places with him Eph. 2 6. like olive plants round about his Table as a crowne of glory in the hand of the Lord Esa 62.3 even a crowne about our head Christ in the middes of his Church As the children of Israel in the wildernes to guide support them in the way were led by a pillar of cloud fed with manna water out of the rock so by a like favour for the same spirituall use hath Christ our King given us the Sacraments of the new Testament 1. Cor. 10.1.2.3.4 therefore looke what joy comfort the most faithfull in Jsrael had when they saw the cloud of the Tabernacle going before them such joy comfort ought we to be filled withall at the administration of Baptisme and looke with what joy and thankfulnes they went forth to gather Manna with as great ought we to be affected in going to the Table of the Lord giving thankes unto Christ for such a staffe of comfort to quicken strengthen us in our journey way unto the Kingdome of Heaven f But for a further view of this unspeakable grace comfort exhibited in these three offices of Christ we are to looke upon the dignity of his person whereupon depends the vertue power 33.15.16 When for sinne the Lord threatned a departure of this presence yet offered to send an Angel with them to destroy their enimies Exod. 33.2.3 that would not content him no presence of prophets or angels would serve the turne without this divine presence united to the Tabernacle for their guidance And even so according to this type when the word was made flesh he dwelt among us as in a Tabernacle as the word signifyes Ioh. 1.14 escenose His body was the true Tabernacle which the Lord pight and not man Heb. 8.2 In him dwelt all the fulnes of the Godhead bodily Coll. 2.9 Out of this Tabernacle he spake Heb. 1.1 and wrought miracles Matt. 4.23 Act. 10.38 and remooved up and downe and conversing among men led his sheep in the way of life Ioh. 10.27.28 No man nor angel had bene sufficient for this worke but he being very God as well as man bearing up all things by his mighty word Heb. 1.3 caries along his sheep unresistably and safely unto the glory exspected He is Lord of all and at his right hand we may see all his blessed angels attending to whom he hath given charge to watch over his sheep in this way and to carry them in their hands that they dash not their feet against a stone Psal 91.11.12 At his left hand he hath the Devill his angels in a chaine and bindes them at his pleasure Rev. 20.1.2 2. Pet. 2.4 so that they cannot hurt a swine or any uncleane beast without his permission Matth. 8.31 and much lesse can they hurt them that are washed in his blood and he having given commandement to prepare the way of his people to cast up an high way to gather out the stones and to remoove the stumbling blockes Esa 62.10 57.14 they shall goe in the way of life as Israel marched out of Egypt with an high hand Exod. 14.8 a dog shall not moove his tongue against them Exod. 11.7 further then is for their good Rom. 8.28 and in due season they shall come to the Lord the wel-spring of all glory life comfort in heaven g The comfort which ariseth from this consideration of Christ is marvellous great for all the faithfull and in speciall for afflicted consciēces that desire to be established and confirmed in faith for t out of his fullnesse Thus the soules that come dayly to Christ as their Prophet may dayly be refreshed by him h If any through weaknes of faith cannot lay hold on the promises of God touching the pardon of sinne and the free gift of salvation set before us let them bring these promises to the ground of them even to Christ applying them first to Christ then to themselves for in him all the promises of God are Yea and in him they are Amen 2. Cor. 1.20 not onely in their owne nature truth but also in respect of our apprehension He that cannot assent unto the promise looking on the promise onely may better assent sooner beleeve when he lookes on Christ the ground of the promise for example God promiseth unto the repentant that their crimson skarlet sinnes shall be taken away and they made white as snow wooll Esa 1.18 now the troubled soule that cannot say Yea to this promise by particular application let the same looke upon the sacrifice of Christ bearing their sins satisfying the justice of God behold his blood powred out to wash them so they shall sooner conceive apprehend their sins to be done away and their soules to be cleansed and made white as snow There is a promise that where sinne abounds there grace aboundeth much more Rom. 5.20 The perplexed consciences that faine would but cannot say Amen unto this promise by applying it unto themselves let the same looke upon Christ and behold the dignity of his person his deity divine majesty being the brightnes of glory the character or engraven forme of his Fathers person his equall and his fellow Heb. 1.3 Phil. 2.6 Zach. 13.7 when they see his eternall Godhead and almighty power to whom nothing is hard or impossible withal consider how he stoops downe to help and puts his hand to this work to give worth price unto the sacrifice for sinne to make the blood of redemptiō more precious meritorious to redeeme the vilest sinners then shall they more easily receive the promise of abundant grace with more faith say Amen unto it There is a promise that God will be mercifull to the sinnes of his people Heb. 8.12 receive them with everlasting kindenes Esa 54.8 pity thē as a father merit of life to justify us v. 54. the spirit of life for our sanctification Rom. 8.10 the crowne of life for our glorification Rev. 2.10 He is all in all Coll. 3.11 and therefore we are to be nothing in ourselves but all in him and wholly renouncing ourselves our owne righteousnes we are to cast ourselves altogether upon him for the hope of eternall life To him be praise for ever Amen CHAP. III. Of Mortification or the death of sinne The nature necessity thereof in generall a
pa. 413 Meditations of Death THE FIRST PART Of the remembrance of Death CHAP. I. How God calleth men to remember Death How God is sayd to wish the efficacy of this wish a Three Songs of Moses the arguments of them to reach men their end b in Paradise man called to remember death before in after the fall c The dayes of man shortened by halves at foure severall times d Why since Moses his time they continue at a stay e The multitude of violent untimely deaths in the old world the middle world this last age of the world O That they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Deu. 32.29 O what love and tender mercies doth the blessed God declare in this affectionate speech concerning miserable man Though to speake properly God be without affections passions for whatsorver he willes in heaven or in earth that he doth that he hath Psal 115.3 1. Chro. 29. 11. he needs not wish for any thing he wants yet to shew us what we most waÌ„t what we should chiefly wish for what most pleaseth him in us he speakes as men according to their sense capacity He useth a passionate phrase of longing wishing which in propriety of speech agrees not with the Deity to shew there is an unspeakable matter in it which proper words cannot expresse to our understanding and therefore stooping downe unto us and as it were putting on our humanity speakes after the manner of men propoundes his wish to shew thereby what is principally to be wished for and what men would desire if they had the minde of God Looke what respect God shewes for the keeping of all his Commandements by wishing men had a heart to observe them alwayes Deut. 5.29 such respect he sheweth by the like wish expresseth for the remembrance of their latter end as being the way meanes to bring them to a more diligent observation of them all He sayth not simply Oh that they would thinke on their end but withall he sheweth their wisedome happines if they hearken by wishing that they vvere wise to doe it And by such an argument of comming to be accounted wise in the sight of God men he labours to draw his people even unto all obedience Deut. 4.6.7.8 Neither is the Lord content to speake once but doubling trebling his words with a loud voyce he calles them to be wise to understand to consider as if he had sayd be wise be wise be wise remember remember remember your latter end As the sheet was thrise let downe from heaven to shew the vision more plainly to imprint it more deeply in the minde of Peter Act. 10 16. so is the call of God inculcate upon Israel in this place Neither is the act onely but the object of this consideration is likewise repeated and poynted at by the finger of God with a double demonstrative even this their latter end a Three speciall Songs were written by Moses the man of God The maine argument of each of them is a remembrance of the latter end The first at the red sea entring into the wildernes shewes the latter end of their enemies both from whence they came Pharaoh the Egyptians perishing in the waters to whome they went the Canaanites others melting away for feare with the latter end of Jsrael to be planted in the mountaine of Gods inheritance Exod. 15. 1-20 And this triumphant Song was heard againe from heaven sung by them that had got the victory of the beast whereunto the remembrance of our end may bring us also to rejoyce among theÌ„ that have the harpes of God Rev. 15.1.2.3 The second Song shewes the vaine estate of all the shortnes of this present life how they hasten to their end that all might number their dayes apply their hearts to wisedome Psal 90. This is probably supposed to have bene written when Israel being come to the borders of Canaan for their murmuring were turned back againe into the wildernes till their carcasses were fallen their dayes consumed by the wrath of God Numb 13. 14. This third last was Moses Swan-song spoken written that selfe same day that he was commanded to goe up dye in the mount Nebo for his farewell when he had one foot in the wildernes an other in heaven Deu. 32.48.49 â—0 and is by many arguments commended unto us both before it was set downe Deut. 31 14-30 and in the preface Chap. 32.1.2 and after at the conclusion of it vers 46.47 And yet above all the sentences of this Song this streyne especially that calles us to the remembrance of our latter end is commeÌ„ded unto us by the most earnest wish of God himself And therefore if either the wish of God and such a wish as is made for keeping all the commandemeÌ„ts together or if the finding of true wisedome or if so many repetitions like so many knockes of the Lord upon our breast be of any regard in our eyes let us hereby conceive our owne blindenes negligence in this poynt let us awaken at this loud call and double treble our care in the remembrance of our latter end to finde that comfort which the Lord sees is to be gotten thereby b If we had no other call such a divine wish might suffice to make us remember our end And what godly heart would not answer to this call say Lord it is enough I will never ceasse to thinke of my end Yet the Lord sees it is not enough and therefore besides this his wish he calles againe an hundred wayes by his word his workes his ordinances proclaimes this lesson Remember your latter end And first of all Man was called of God even in paradise to remember his end before the fall Death was set before his eyes in the Tree of Death as well as life in the Tree of life Gen. 2.17 The first day he was called to thinke on the last day So soone as sinne was forbidden death was shewed before it was to keepe from sinne the tree of death was a visible frontlet hung before the eyes of man to preserve him in the feare of God Jf in the state of innocency a law of mortality was made and a memoriall of death was needfull before it came how much more in the state of corruption when death is come into the world walkes on every side have we need now to remember it to watch In the fall while Evah yet stood she resisted the temptation by remembring of the death that was threatned Gen. 3.3 but when the serpent insisted removed the remeÌ„braÌ„ce of death out of her minde then she fell The voyce of the serpent was Ye shall not surely dye vers 4. they remembred not their latter end came downe wonderfully So the very fall it selfe being on this manner serves for an other Call to
state of mans owne person calling and condition calles him by the sight of himselfe to remember his latter end And first the Lord having made man of the dust of the earth Gen. 2.7 and thereupon after his fall shewed him his readines to return to dust Gen. 3.19 Eccl. 12.7 doth yet further call us to consider our frailety by ordaining that this house of clay is to be held upright by a puffe of the ayre continually breathed in and out and that this being stopt the house must presently fall downe Hereby our life hangs as it were loose before us going in and out every moment therefore is it called the breath of life Gen. 2.7 7.15.22 our life being carried in out upon the breath depending upon it And as God tyed life to our body by such a slender weake thread so he calles us oft to mark it think on it to remember our mortall estate by the breath of our nostrils so easily departing Esa 2.22 Psa 146.4 104.29 a An other fraile band of life like unto our breathing is the pulse which ariseth from the heart the arteries or beating veines this by a double motion of contraction dilatation whereby they are drawne in out both for the expelling of noxious fumes through the insensible pores of the flesh for the drawing in of coole ayre to refresh the heart to feed the vitall spirits From the variety of the pulse are taken many signes of health sicknes life death it is the character of our strength or weaknes are we provoked to watchfulnes And as in the necessity of food so in the quality thereof is our corruptible estate made evident unto us Our food before it come into the body is diversly prepared and the principall fruits for nourishment of man comfort of his life as corne wine figges the like are ripened made to grow more abundantly by the dung and excrements of beasts cast upon them Luke 13.8 from the juyce of the dung is the fatnes and sweetnes of the fruits increased And from hence is the strength of our corruptible life hence we may say to corruption Thou art my father As once the meat of the miserable Iewes in their distresse was prepared with dung Ezek. 4.12 13.15 so is our food dayly in the growth of it as it were seasoned baked and concocted with dung The earth accursed for our sinne is brought to this base condition that the fattest increase thereof is from excrements and it yeeldeth fruit unto the mouth of mā from the tayle of the beasts After it is in the body a great part of it by the alteration there is turned into corruption and receyved into divers lothsome sinkes and channels within the body till it be againe expelled By this perishing food Ioh. 6.27 God doth admonish us of our perishing estate shewes unto us that meats are for the belly and the belly for meats that he wlll destroy both it them 1. Cor. 6.13 Thus the staffe of our strength the very pillars of our life do carry in them the remembrance of destruction corruption for our warning c But this is not all Our food is not onely of corruption but we feed even of death it selfe that by the allowance of God Gen. 9.3 in taking away the life of other creatures to maintaine our owne especially in these last times when he hath said unto us of them all Rise kill eat Act. 10.13 Whatsoever is sold in the shābles that eat asking no questiō for conscience sake 1 Cor. 10.25 herein we see death dayly presēted to us set before us on our tables This is seriously to be thought upō as a wonderfull work of God by the death of other creatures our life is preserved our living bodies are sustaind by their dead carcasses in their blood swimmes our life and from their pangs of death spring the pleasures of our life our feasts ordinary food As the savage Cāniballes eat the flesh of men so we eat the flesh of beasts that that which any creature may serve to be a witnesse of for convincing of sinners that doth the Lord declare to be their cry a denunciation of woe from them Habac. 2.11 Iob. 31.38 Iam. 5.2.3 and in like manner that misery which the creature enthralled by sinne doth endure for man that doth the Apostle expressely call their groaning and travelling together in paine vvith us c. Rom. 8.22 These groanes cryes are then especially to sound in our eares while we are eating of them as the Hare newly taken cries in the mouth of the greyhound so should we be affected as if the same cry were made when we eat thereof have their flesh betwixt our teeth The Gentleman that sits at his table above in his dining chamber and was not present in the kitchin or butchery to see the execution the convulsions of death the sprinting gasping of the slaughtered creatures is yet by remembrance to represent the same and to make it present againe in his eating for eating burying of them in our bellies is more then killing of them a further meanes to strike the heart with thought of death procured for the eater Our stupidity blockishnes must needs be very great if we consider not this fearfull wonderfull providence of God and we shall be worse then the beasts themselves if we hearken not unto the call which God by them gives us to awaken us out of our security to make us remember our fraile condition d An other helpe to preserve our fraile bodies is our rayment and apparell which God hath given to cover and defend the body without as food within And from hence we have a double or treble memoriall of Death considering that our apparell was then first given unto us when by our sinne we first came into the state of death not before Gen. 2.25 with c. 3.7 And then when God first gave our garments unto us he tooke them out of Deaths wardrobe they being made with the death of the creatures from whence they were taken God made coates of skinnes for Adam his wife his posterity Gen. 3.21 Heb. 11.37 The skins of the poore creatures were pluckt over their eares torne from their backes to cover the shame of our skinnes to hide the nakednes of our hydes And what was sayd of Ioab in another case are swifter then a post Iob. 9.25 that we ride post as on dromedaries that runne by the way in all hast to their journeyes end And the travell that men have by sea in the most swift ships is mentioned of God to represent the swiftnes of our time that carries us night and day sleeping or waking to the haven of death Iob 9.26 And according to this wisedome of God and his example should men make right use of other trades and their labours therein to set
their latter end continually before their eyes thereby f As labour toyle in the day so sleep rest from labour in the night season is also a necessary help to preserve this mortall life This sleep is a lively image of death For in sleep men ly downe as dead men without sense and motion ceassing from their workes and taking no knowledge of the things that are done by others and therefore the holy Ghost often describeth death by the name of sleep or lying downe to sleepe Genes 47.30 Deuter. 31.16 1. King 2.10 Iob. 3.13 and ch 14.12 Psalm 76.5 Matt. 27.52 Iohn 11.11 Actes 7.60 1. Corinth 11.30 1. Thessal 4.13 By this marvellous work of God in breaking off the course of life and making Sleepe like an half-Half-death to invade us continually to come upon us like an unresistable Giant every day and to throw us downe and then by his manner of speech in calling death a Sleepe he calleth us by consideration of our sleepe to consider our death by the sight of our bed to remember our grave to looke upon it as a Tombe or Sepulchre every night before we goe into it to labour for reconciliation with God at the end of the day to seeke new sense of his love in Christ as we would doe at the end of our life that so we may lie downe sleep safely Had any man some speciall disease as of the falling sicknes Apoplexie Palsie Lethargie or the like terrible passion whereby at a certaine time of the day he should duely fall downe like a dead man and ly snorting at the gates of death for an houre or two untill the malignant humour were discussed and the force of the fit were over would we not thinke that man warned of God thereby to remember his end 7.8.9 but with the faythfull there is another remembrance of death by occasion of sinnes as comfortable to them as the former is terrible to the wicked For in sight of sinnes that greeve them they call to minde what shall quite free them from those sins and what is that but death Thereupon they set death before their eyes and are taught of God so to doe longing for their redemption and desiring to remoove out of the body which is by death Rom. 8.23 2. Cor. 5.8 And how many wayes then is death propounded unto us which way can we looke on the right hand or on the left before us or behinde us but every way the memorialles of death are before us Transgressions past sins present feares of the wicked desires of the godly all lead to the thought of death and to the remembrance of our latter end h Againe the afflictions sicknesses dangers wherein death is threatned unto men are likewise meanes of death and by them also we are called of God to remember our latter end It pleaseth God for the warning of secure men to bring men to the gates of death before they enter Psal 19.13 and though he bring them back againe yet is this done of God for a memoriall of death God brings men into such extremity that they make full account to die they receive the sentence of death in themselves despaire of life 2. Cor. 1.8.9 and are free among the dead in their owne and others judgement Psal 88.4.5 and this many times they are in deaths often 2. Corint 11.23 and such things God worketh oftentimes that men might renounce the world Iob. 33 22-29 and set their house in order their heart in order to die that being delivered they might then remember what thoughts desires what prayers purposes they had in their soules and recall them often for their preparation against the time of their finall departure out of this world Esa 38.1.15 c. As Iehosaphat having cryed out in the danger of death 2. Chron. 18.31 was bound to remember that very cry and disposition of his heart afterward so forasmuch as there is almost no man which hath not seene the face of Death and his dart shaken against him in being pale withered and wrinckled the shadow of death sitting upon their eye-lids and some in divers degrees betwixt both and especially in the sight of friends long absent and changed in that time we are called to thinke how the fashion of this world passeth away As the face so the stature of man growing up as a plant according to the divers measures and degrees of his growth appointed of God Psalm 144. 12. Luk. 1.80 and 2.52 is another testimony of his changeable estate even from the childe of a span long unto those that have their full growth Lam. 2.20 Though some be of low stature as Zaccheus Luke 19.3 and some againe higher then the common sort by the head as was Saul 1. Sam. 10.23.24 yet even in these compared with themselves the proportion of their growth is an evidence of their age to such as know them Though men being come to their full stature stand at a stay and loose not their stature by such degrees as they attained unto it in their youth yet many times we see in experience that crooked old age bowing downe their heads more more to the earthward they doe hereby after a sort loose their stature by degrees grow into the ground againe And thus the wheele of mans age visibly sensibly turning about according to the variation of his stature is another admonition to remember the latter end approching k Beside the face stature the Lord hath set sundry other markes upon the bodies of young and old for memorials of their time passing away at the changes of their age The younger people have the time of love described of God by divers markes and tokens thereof Ezech. 16.7.8 but especially old age hath the tokens of neere-approching death imprinted upon them whereby they are warned of God to prepare for it The decay of strength the decay of sense the decay of health are all forerunners of death and summon them to their end Through decay of strength the armes and hands the keepers of the house beginne to tremble Ecclesi 12.3 and the legges that are as pillars thereof do bow themselves and the help of a staffe as a third legge to rest on is sought of the aged person Zach. 8.4 and with that woodden legge at every step he goes he strikes upon the earth raps at the gate of the grave untill it be opened unto him By this weaknes death comes puts his manicles upon their hands his shackels upon their legges for remembrance of their end This weaknes is further signifyed by the ceassing of the grinders in the mill Eccles 12.3 both the upper the nether milstone which are called the life of man Deut. 24.6 These teeth fayling life begins to fayle From this weaknes the doores of the lips are shut without the sound of the grinding is low the voyce hoarse and so whether the old persons worke with
their hands or walke with their feet or eate with their teeth or speake with their lips the memoriall of death is in each of these set before them And as in the outward parts of the body so the like weaknes decay of strength is to be observed in the inward parts and as a cause of that which is in the outward The silver coards of the sinewes which carry the faculty of sense motion from the head in old age are loosed Eccles 12.6 that cable of the marrow in the backbone which was wont so firmely to hold stay the fraile barke of our body tossed with so many motions and by those many conjugations of nerves like so many paire of oares on each side did row the gally up and downe begins now to dissolve The head which is the golden bowle wherein is emboxed the brayne that ministers that faculty of sense motion through age is broken becomes crazie The many pitchers of the veines which carry the nourishing blood from the well of the liver unto each part of the body become like unto broken vessels And the wheele of the arteries which by the reciprocall motions pulses doe convey the vitall spirits from the cisterne of the heart into the furthest coasts of the little world for the quickening of the whole flesh even to the toes fingers ends through languishing age begins to turne returne slowly weakely And all these faint operations are so many memorials of death and doe plainely portend the approch of our latter end every one of them admonisheth us to watch Againe from this weaknes decay of strength both in the outward and inward parts ariseth an other memoriall of death to be seene in that which is esteemed no taste what he eates or what he drinkes 2. Sam. 19.35 old Isaac by his touch cannot feele the difference betwixt the hands of his son the skinne of a beast Gen. 27.16.21.22.23 old David is covered with clothes feeles no heat 1. Kings 1.1 concupiscence departs Eccle. 11.5 Abishag the faire virgin lies in his bosome he knowes her not 1. Kin. 1.4 Yea the inward senses beginne to faile also memory decayes the understanding is diminished old men some times in their decrepite age come to be little children againe not able to discerne betwixt good evill 2. Sam. 19.35 How inexcusable are they that live securely thinke not of death whereof they have so many warnings before hand m With decay of strength sense comes the decay of health Old age is many times a continuall sicknes when the dayes of man are multiplyed they are but labour sorrow even the strength of them Psa 90.10 Then is the time when the evill dayes approch and the yeares of which man sayth I have no pleasure in them Eccle. 12.1 Then is the light of Sunne Moone starres obscured and then the clouds returne after the raine one infirmity after another v. 2. Through decay of naturall heat ariseth indigestion crudity of stomack thereupon follow rheumes catarrhes and from thence comes ach in the bones manifold paines diseases whereby the Lord as with an yron pen writeth our lesson engraveth this sentence deep in our flesh bones Remember your latter end approaching In all the paines of old age the finger of God nippeth pincheth men to make them think of his call prepare for death upon God shewes that then he exspects a speciall act of humiliation when at our end he visites us with such paines that we are to mourne for sinnes committed in the world before we depart out of it when he sends such sorrow unto us at that time especially Then are we called to stirre up the grace of God within us and to rayse up our spirits with all love reverence to meet the Lord that we may receyve his blessing and enter into his gates with joy into his courts with thanksgiving a Againe this paine prevayling at the approch of death causeth men to ly downe to fall flat along upon their beds Iob. 33.19 Act. 5.15 and to let all the affaires of the world alone with the works of their calling Through infirmity of the body God forceth them to stoope calleth them to remember their frailety their end as if he should command them to couch downe before him and require them to prostrate their soules at his footstoole in seeking his favour mercy in Chirst even as their bodies are prostrate by his hand This very position of the body represents unto us how the grasse withers the flower falls and admonisheth us in our soules to worship fall downe before the Lord our maker and by faith to enforce our bodies also leaning on our staffe to worship upon the beds head Heb. 11.21 Gen. 47.31 and 48.2 that he may straightway lift us up for ever As Iacob bowed himselfe to the ground seven times at the approch of his brother Esaw Gen. 33.3 so the Lord himselfe by sicknes thrusts us downe seven times we are often up downe we lift up our selves but cannot hold up our heads God teacheth us there by to come submissively creeping into his presence humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt us 1. Pet. 5.6 b An other warning to thinke of the end at hand is that distast of meat and want of appetite in sick persons when their life abhorreth bread their soule dainty meat Iob. 33.20 When the staffe of bread failes the stay of naturall life is withdrawne then God calles the sick persons to remember their end to double their care for eternal life to seeke the hidden manna unknowne unregarded of the world Rev. 2.17 to feed upon the bread of God which commeth downe for their end This yron sleep is a black cloud of death a night-shade a particular darkenes of which in its measure is verifyed that more generall saying of our Saviour The night comes when no man can work Ioh. 9.4 and therefore while there is light liberty of minde in the time of health the end is to be remembred provided for before the houres of oppression doe come upon the minde e Sometimes in sicknes though sleep oppresse not there is a kinde of raving distraction caused by phrensie or melancholy or other distemperatures which doth overwhelme the minde as Nebuchadnezzars once was by the stroke of God Dan. 4. so that it is unfit to thinke of death or to seeke any comfort against the danger thereof And frō hence therefore it doth likewise appeare how unwise they are that deferre the time of their repentance unto the time of death when it is uncertaine whether they shall be masters of their owne wits naturall understanding not to speake of supernaturall grace which is further above the reach of man yet necessary to salvation f Sometimes the very vehemency extremity of paine
Six speciall degrees of mortification 1. In severall passions of the minde troubled at the apprehension of sinne 2. In resisting refraining of sinfull actions 3. of wicked purposes 4. tickling desires 5. wandring imaginations 6. habituall concupiscence b The sayd acts of mortification like so many battels in our spirituall warfare as many parts of that contrition which is acceptable unto God hath the promises c The example of David mortifying sinne in each of the particulars afore named d The chiefe evils of sinne that are to be mortifyed The lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life e By these Satan workes his temptations by the mortifying of these he is conquered as it is shewed in the examples of Adam f Christ g Antichrist HAving heard of the love of God which is the spring of life of the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ who is the way unto that life it remaines that we seeke the communion of the H. Spirit as the conclusion of our comfort for the assurance of that life 2. Cor. 13.14 Hereby we know that we have fellowship with God that he abideth in us because he hath given us of his Spirit 1. Ioh. 3.24 shall be comforted Matt. 5.4 II. After this followes an other degree of Mortification whereby the faithfull according to the measure of grace given doe turne from the practise of sinne which they have bewayled They doe not live any longer therein Rom. 6.2 they cease to doe evill Esa 1.16 and eschew evill Iob 1.1.8 they forsake their owne wayes and courses and breake of their sinnes Esa 55.7 and refraine their feet from every evill way Psalm 119.101 By this resisting of wicked actions men are sayd to mortify or kill the deeds of the body and thereupon is life promised unto them Rom. 8.13 They therefore that love life everlasting must every day die this death also in casting off the workes of darkenes Though it be a death to the flesh to leave them yet must this death also be undergone els is there no hope of life no assurance that God dwelleth in us by his Spirit III. An other death of the old man is when not onely the outward act of sinne but the will and purpose of sinning is mortifyed The will of the flesh and the will of man is noted as a thing opposite to God and his Spirit procuring his wrath making men the children of wrath Ioh. 1.13 Eph. 2.3 1. Pet. 4. 2.3 and many that want the power to performe many evils doe not yet want the will thereunto and therefore this will is to be mortifyed If he that had no staine in his will could yet say unto his Father Not as I vvill but as thou vvilt Not my will but thy will be done Matt. 26.39 Luk. 22.42 and againe I seek not mine owne will but the will of him that sent me Iohn 5.30 6.38 how much more should we make it our dayly exercise to break our owne corrupt willes to cast away our owne purposes and to wait on God all the day long saying and praying continually Not my will but thy will be done At the first act of Pauls conversion so soone as Christ was made knowne unto him we see this mortification of his will which he renounced resigning himselfe to the will of God sayd Lord vvhat vvilt thou that I doe Act. 9.6 When the will is thus mortifyed though men doe sometimes the things that they would not yet then is this comfort afforded it is no more they that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in them Rom. 7 15.16.17.19-20 It shall not be imputed unto them IV. Besides this it comes to passe many times that when the will is subdued restrained from some evill yet the affections are not mortifyed though a sinner in the purpose of his will will not consent to the practise of some evill yet the heart is tickled with delight therein and could wish it were lawfull and it is a paine unto them that they may not consent to seek it This evill concupiscence lust of the heart these affections of the flesh are distinctly condemned we are commanded to mortify to avoyd such inordinate passions even as they are lusts though consent of the will be not with them Gal. 5.24 Coll. 3.5 Rom. 7.5 Exo. 20.17 In the killing abandoning of these lusts the faithfull endure many deathes from day to day the acts of Mortification are multiplyed according to the strength of the spirit ministred unto them V. Againe the minde of man is dayly annoyed pestred with evill thoughts wandring imaginations arising partly from the flesh partly from the suggestion of Satan and these though they neither be delighted in nor approoved of yet the very entertainment of them and their residence in the minde though for a short while doth pollute the soule with sinne For God requireth the whole soule and the whole minde with all the strength thereof Deut. 6.5 Luk. 10.27 he requireth a pure heart free from all stragling conceits Matt. 5.8 Our eyes should ever be towards the Lord his glory Psal 25.15 Lots wife for looking backward was smitten of God and turned into a pillar of salt Gen. 19.17.26 though more evill might be in her minde yet that very look alone being forbidden of God made her culpable and so for a side look unto vanity when the eye of the minde rolles up and downe we become guilty of condemnation These idle thoughts take up the place in the soule even the seat wherein God should sit and while they keepe out the thought of God though but for a moment they are in that respect condemnable And therefore these motions of the minde are to be resisted repelled mortifyed As Abraham hushed away the foules that came downe upon his sacrifice Gen. 15.11 so are these flying thoughts to be dispelled and driven away from our mindes God requireth that the wicked should forsake his imaginations Esa 55.7 God would have his children to cast downe imaginations and to bring every thought captive unto the obedience of Christ 2. Cor. 10.5 which cannot fully and perfectly be done without this mortification of them By mortification of them the heart is purged then the promise of mercy multiplyed Iam. 4.8 VI. Lastly the faithfull doe yet in a further degree die unto sinne when as that habituall concupiscence which is the seedplot and root of all other sinnes is mortifyed and subdued within them For besides all the motions affections and other fruits of sinne before noted there is in man a corrupt disposition whereby he is enclined to all evill This disposition pronenes to sinne considered apart from the fruits thereof is condemned in the Scripture is called the old man the body of sin the law of sin the law of the members Rom. 6.6 Eph. 4.22 Col. 3.2 Rom. 7.23 it is called the flesh which lusteth against the spirit
and therefore is to be crucifyed as well as the lusts and affections thereof Gal. 5.17.24 This is that hatefull and poysonous Cockatrice egge to be crushed before serpents creep out of it The godly therefore knowing this their owne corrupt disposition must labour to have it changed and weakened dayly within them and to this end they are to watch their heart with all diligence Prover 4.23 and even before they feele any stirring or motion of the flesh to be exercising of themselves in all godlines and in all holy meditations and prayer to keepe under their rebellious nature and by the help of the Spirit to bring it into subjection 1. Corint 9.27 to binde the very stumpe of this tree with an yron band of mortification that the forbidden fruits doe not bud forth b The life of a Christian in this world is a continuall warfare in which they fight the battailes of the Lord every day and houre 2. Cor. 10.4 1. Tim. 6.12 These spirituall combates according to the actes and degrees before named are six in speciall First they conquer the Adamantine Rock Zach. 7.12 when their hard hearts are softened to againe by the banishment of wandring thoughts motions most of all broken whē the sinfull disposition of the flesh is broken mortifyed All these contritions breakings are so many pleasant sacrifices of sweet odour unto God to them that undergoe so many deathes he hath made many precious promises that he will revive the spirit of the humble give life unto the contrite ones that he who is high excellent inhabiting eternity on high will dwell here below with him that is lowly that he whose name is the Holy One will dwell with the contrite sinner Esa 57.15 66.1.2 and therefore if the presence conversation of God with us be of any regard with us if the glory life that God gives be of any account in our eyes let us give ourselves dayly to these workes of mortification that by these foregoing deathes we may be made ready to leave this world may in the end finde him with comfort come before him that is the well of life c For the illustration of this poynt to omit others consider we the example of David alone how he was exercised in all these acts of contrition thereby dyed unto sinne The divers degrees of mortification were so many steppes of the staires by which he descended into the death of sinne dying as it were a severall death upon each one of them 1. After knowledge conviction of sinne committed as for the numbring of the people his heart smote him for it 2. Sam. 24.10 and that was a blow or stroak of mortification which the spirit gave unto the flesh he mourned exceedingly and in a revengefull indignation against his owne sinne was content desired that the hand of God might be against him against his fathers house that he might beare the smart of his owne transgression vers 17. this was a death of sinne in him And so it was also with the sinne he conmitted in the matter of Vrias for which his bones were broken Psal 51.8 and for which he made himselfe a publick example by the confession of his sinne making a dolefull song thereof to the shaming of himselfe warning of others The title of Psal 51.11 David went a step lower when he mortifyed resisted the act of sinne though occasion opportunity of revenge was given unto him though counsell was given him by others to that If I say I vvill judge thus Behold I should offend against the generation of thy children vers 15. VI. Lastly David came downe to the lowest step of the staires when in the mortification of his sinne he stroke upon the root thereof by bewailing his originall corruption seeking to subdue that sinfull disposition received from his parents while he complaineth Behold I vvas borne in iniquity in sinne hath my mother conceived me Psalm 51.5 This old nature he labours to mortify when he desires to be renewed in the spirit of his minde vers 10. for as the Apostle reasoned in respect of the covenant Heb. 8.13 in that he mentioneth a new estate he desires the abolishing decay of the old Thus true mortification never ceaseth till it bring men from by the hatred of actual sinnes to finde out the original the cause mother of all by which all men together are become unprofitable filthy Psal 53.3 vvith Rom. 3.12 that they may kill crucifye the same This mortification of the old man is also comprehended in that speech of David when he saith I kept me from mine iniquity Psal 18.23 for though it be true that he kept himselfe from his wickednes from his sinne that dwelt in him by bewailing sins already committed by resisting the present actions by breaking his will by renouncing his affections by casting downe his imaginations yet in speciall manner he kept himselfe from his wickednes by mortifying his very disposition to evill while he laboured to change his nature to have a new disposition created within him These are the deathes that David dyed these are the deathes to be undergone of all that would not dye eternally This dayly dying unto sinne by so many lesser deathes is a maine preparative unto the great day of our translation out of this world which ought evermore to be remembred of us d After the actes of mortification the divers degrees thereof it is expedient that we consider the speciall enimies or evills of sinne that are to be mortifyed These the holy Ghost informes us to be the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life 1. Ioh. 2.16 that is to say voluptuousnes covetousnes ambition or vaine-glory To these three may be reduced the principall workes of the flesh or old man considering that for these and from these doe arise the contentions hatred envy lying slandering manifold other iniquities Iam. 4.1.2 which are therefore noted described as companions waiting upon the forenamed lusts which are the three seditious captaines leaders unto all mischiefe Gal. 5.19.20.21 Col. 3.5.8.9 Eph. 5.22.31 These lusts are the root of all evill not onely of all wrong injustice cruell dealing towards men but of all irreligion impiety against God The cares of this world the deceitfulnes of riches the lusts of other things as the pleasures of this life choke the word of God make it unfruitfull Mark 4.19 Luk. 8.14 the fruits of holines righteousnes are blasted and destroyed thereby And some through these lusts have erred from the faith being insnared with foolish and absurd conceits noysome also and hurtfull in respect of all graces weakned by them piercing the heart with present sorrowes and finally casting men into eternall destruction and perdition 1. Tim. 6.9.10 These are of the world not of God and if any man be a
the servants of my Lord 1. Sam. 25.41 David himselfe of his marriage with Sauls daughter Seemeth it to you to be a light thing to be a kings sonne in law seeing that I am a poore man and lightly esteemed 1. Sam. 18.23 then what may we say of our exaltation and of the divine benefits bestowed upon us All the mercies and blessings which we receive from God if we compare them with our sinfull nature are like so many coales of mortification coales of indignatiō heaped on our heads Rom. 12.20 and therefore doth God let us know how good he hath bene unto us even when we were his enimies that by that meanes we might be mortifyed and burne in just hatred and indignation against ourselves Rom. 5.10 with 2. Sam. 12.7.8 Esa 5.1.2 Deut. 32 6-15 And in summe even the least good done to us should make us thinke how little we are and ever lesse then the least of Gods mercies farre unworthy of them Gen. 32.10 so take occasion thereby of being humbled before the Lord. As all the good that by divine providence is done to us so all the good done by us should ever give us occasion of further mortification of abasing ourselves in the sight of God Thus it was with David in his free offerings for the Temple 1. Chron. 29.14 Solomon when the Temple was built 1. Kin. 8.27 Such is the greatnes of the Lord above our works that in respect of the infinite reward we may say as Barzillai to David Thy servant will goe a little way with the King why should the King recompense it me with such a reward 2. Sam. 19.36 All that we have and doe for God is of his owne that he hath first given us 1. Chron. 29.14.16 these gifts of his in our best use of them in the best workes we doe are still so polluted that we have ever cause to acknowledge with shame the filthines of our righteousnesses Esa 64.6 Phi. 3.8.9 ever have a gracious respect unto them that sigh cry for the abominations committed by other men Ezek. 9.4 This was observed by Lot 2. Pet. 2.7.8 by Moses Exod. 32 19-32 Num. 16.4 and others with him Num. 14.5.6 by David Psal 119.136.139.158 by Ezra chap. 9.2.3 by Nehemiah ch 13.7.8 by Paul Rom. 9.1.2.3 2. Cor. 11.29 12.21 by Christ Iesus Mark 3.5 Luk. 19.41.42 And the contrary is made a signe of a wicked man no man is truely greeved for his owne sinne that is not touched with greefe for the sins of others for seeing God is dishonoured our neighbour wounded thereby it must needes be a signe that such have neither love of God nor pity of their neighbour Ier. 36.23.24.25 Prov. 14.9 k Thus doe the evils of sinne call for greefe and sorrow besides these the evils of punishment the afflictions calamities tribulations in the world doe also lead unto mortification Thereby God breakes the pride of man withdraweth him from his evill course Iob 33.16.17 by his chastisements God humbles the heart of men makes them submit unto his yoke Ier. 31.18.19 thē is the case most miserable when they are least regarded Prov. 27.22 Men are warned of God to mortify sin not onely by greater afflictions but even by the lesser sort also for there are two kindes of them a light touch a heavy hand Esa 9.1 There is a wonderfull variety in Gods dealings this way sometimes the touch is so easy gentle that it is scarse felt men are scarse able to say whether there be a paine in it or no they have such light aches of the head the belly the bones such small reproches and losses that they are hardly sensible of them As a loving mothersmites her child sometimes so softly gently that it doth not appeare whether she be angry or not even so doth our most loving God deale oftentimes with his children Iob 33.14.15 with ch 7.14 Mat. 10.30 but though the stroke be most milde gentle yet they that are wise will make use of it Prov. 17.10 Though there be an hundred degrees of difference in Gods visitations some of them like a fillop onely or a lifting up of the hand yet no stroke a striking but yet no smart or easy to be borne as it were with a rod of rushes yet all of them are a push or thrusting with the finger for our admonition and at every such thrusting or pinching we are called unto the acts of pride of life Looke upon death see how it layes the heads of the proudest men in the world they that were before as starres the sonnes of the morning have then the wormes spread under thē over them become like broken vessels in the land of oblivion Esa 14.11.12 What availeth it to be praysed a while by the stinking breath of flatterers when afterwards their names shall rotte among men Pro. 10.7 like those bones of the great mē in Israel that should be for dung upon the face of the earth Ier. 8.1.2 or if they be praysed by men after their death in their writings chronicles what will this profit them when their sins are written with a pen of iron with the point of a diamond Ier. 17.1 when those bookes shall be opened in the secōd death Rev. 20.12 what though their sepulchers be paynted covered with golden letters when at the second death their soules shall be cast into the bottomlesse pit into the oven of hell where the proud they that doe wickedly shall be burned up consumed Mal. 4.1 CHAP. VI. Touching Vivification or quickening of the new man The nature necessity thereof in generall a Six degrees of vivification 1. A new disposition or habit of quickening grace 2. Motions of spirituall life in the understanding judgment memory 3. Affections of love joy desire c. 4. Renewing of the will 5. Workes of righteousnes true holines 6. Ioyful thanksgiving in the apprehension of all the former graces of life b The inward meanes of vivification The Spirit of God bringing us unto Christ working in us the graces of Faith Hope Love c The outward meanes The primary ordinances the Word Prayer Sacraments Discipline d The secondary a holy Feast and a holy Watch e Ordinances of a third degree Vowes and Covenants f The workes of Creation Providence FRom the Mortification of the old man come we now to the Vivification of the new man It is not possible that these two can be severed if any man be in Christ he must be a new creature 2. Cor. 5.17 Gal. 6.15 borne againe of the Spirit by this new birth made partaker of a new spirituall life Ioh. 3.3.5 The Lord that is rich in mercy through his great love wherewith he loveth his elect quickeneth them together in Christ Eph. 2.4.5 The feeling of this new life is a preparative unto death and a preservative against all the terrours thereof and
wisedome power goodnes of God shining in his creatures even the least of them the many profitable lessons which may be learned from them whereabout he had many singular observations and secondly the blessed condition of the Saints glorifyed touching which he had many divine and heavenly speculations towards his end spake so effectually of these things what appertaines thereunto that to them that were with him he seemed to be in heaven already insomuch as they wished themselves in the same way wherein he was carried on so cheerfully His sufficiency abilities for the worke of the ministery wherein he laboured above fourty yeares how mighty he was in the Scriptures how skilfully profound in expounding difficult places applying them to the benefit of soules with what evidence and power his preaching wrought into the consciences of his hearers how cleerly and fully he could refute convince an adversary of the trueth how prudent and judicious he was in mannaging Church affaires giving counsel advise in weighty businesses these the like pearles shining in that crowne of pastorall endowments wherewith he was qualifyed above many others are abundantly testifyed by those that have bene most interessed therein doe in great measure appeare in what is here and elswhere published may be in like manner further manifested as occasion serves if need were could be confirmed by the testimonies of the learnedest of our age For other maine helpes whereby men are fitted for the ministery his skill was rare in the languages that conduce unto the understanding of the Originall text of the Scriptures the severall interpreters thereof Besides what is ordinarily required in this kinde he could to good purpose with much ease make use of the Chaldean Syriack Rabbinicall Thalmudicall Arabick Persian versions commentaries Now whereas the station which God had appointed unto him was for the chiefe latter part of his time at Amsterdam yet as the godly learned have professed none hath more soundly oppugned that insolent sect for which that place hath bene so much reproached by many in our native country Witnesse his Arrow against the Separation of the Brownists which yet stickes in the sides heart of their cause though some impenitēt of their Schisme gnaw their tongues and cease not to blaspheme the Churches of Christ If he had bene as forward to send forth what he had done in those controversies as they are to trouble the presse with their pamphlets the world had seen at least thrice so much as it hath already of his paines in this kinde As for the unhappy differences raysed of later yeares in about the Church committed to his charge what ever some have deemed they that have bene rightly informed and impartially weighed what hath bene done have approoved his wisedome faithfulnes uprightnes in the whole carriage of those businesses We that have in great part bene privy to his retiredest thoughts demeanour at those times have had assured evidence of the integrity of his heart therein which he hath also witnessed unto the end For the controversies themselves God hath therein greatly pleaded his cause sundry wayes both at the very time of their rising since especially And as opportunity shall require others may in due time behold what he hath done in defence of himselfe the trueth against that which is published by others But of those and the like his paines in their season now somewhat must be sayd of this Treatise which is here put into thy hands It containes the summe of that which was delivered in divers sermōs to his owne flock in the yeare 1628. At the same time it was penned in such manner as we found it after his decease Divers passages especially towards the end were reserved for second thoughts when he might returne to a further survey Though he had bene often importuned by others to publish these his Meditations yet partly by his owne slownes to come abroad in that manner partly by the urgency of other occasions their desires could not then take place But being moved againe when his end drew neere his weaknes would not suffer him to review it and perfect what was wanting he was content I should set it forth in such manner as I could Albeit I have had some trouble in bringing together what was scatteredly set downe in some places extending into plaine words what was left in concise notes and short intimations yet I have purposely avoyded the adding of any thing that was not in the Authors Manuscripts though I should leave some abruptnes in the discourse and harshnes in the phrase I have onely adventured to set downe the contents at the beginning of every Chapter so as thou mayest with ease possesse thy minde with the whole matter of it readily turne unto what thou desirest I need not here discourse of the excellency usefulnes of this Treatise When thou hast read it attentively without prejudice then judge whether the matter intended be not carried along with all soundnes of judgement and demonstration of the spirit of life power whether here be not pithily comprised the summe of what the Scriptures afford of life death whether most poynts of Christian Religion be not here illustrated with some singular observations and in a word whether the whole doe not argue that he was a Scribe excellently instructed unto the kingdome of God The God of all grace glory make thee wise in closing thy thoughts with these Meditations happy in the enjoyment of that blessed end unto which they give directions Thine in the Lord R. PAGET The order observed in this Treatise The first part declareth How God calleth men to Remember Death in generall by the memorials of it in Gods shortening the dayes of man Cha. I. pa. 1 Persons times places of all sorts Cha. II. pa. 18 Man himself what appertaines to him Cha. III. pa. 44 The approch of death about the dead Cha IV. pa. 72 Particularly the death latter end of the Godly the happines of their condition Cha. V. pa. 93 compared with the primitive estate of the old world Cha. VI. pa. 112 Vngodly their woefull wretched end Cha. VII pa. 154 beheld in the visible memorials of Hell Cha. VIII pa. 188 The second part prepareth for death by Generall instructions touching Life and happines the Well fountaine of it in God Cha. I. pa. 229 Sure onely way unto it by Christ Cha. II. pa. 269 The motions of grace in the exercise of Mortification the Nature acts enemies of it Cha. III. pa. 303 Meanes whereby it is wrought Inward the Spirit of grace Cha. IV. pa. 326 Outward the Ordinances Workes of God Cha. V. pa. 349 Vivificatiō the nature working of it Cha. VI. pa. 377 Particular directions concerning Peculiar preparatives unto death Cha. VII pa. 395 The feare of death helpes against it Cha. VIII
warne every one that would stand in the evill day never to forget their latter end After the fall then God calles againe by a Sentence of mortality which he pronounced on man Dust thou art to dust thou shalt returne Gen. 3.19 to make men with new care to thinke upon death And this was a generall day of judgment in the beginning of the world as there shall be an other Generall judgment in the end of the world Then were we all in Adam Evah presented before the Tribunall judgment-seat of God receyved the sentence of the first death universally pronounced upon all men righteous or unrighteous elect or reprobate as there shal be a sentence of second death pronounced on the reprobate at last After this Sentence the Lord calles againe by the execution thereof from time to time while death being entred into the world reignes among men devouring all bringing all to dust yet so that the execution of this Sentence is revealed in manifold diverse degrees according to the great patience long their language but cut of their dayes from foure or five hundred to two hundred od yeares Gen. 11 18-32 And so with the ruine of Babel the life of man was ruinated The lofty tower of mans age that before ascended to so great an height by the steps of so many yeares was now throwne downe made lower by the halfe The noyse crash of this downefall sounded through many generations from Peleg to Terah warning all to be more watchfull because the execution of this sentence of death with double speed was brought upon them After this in the time of Abraham the generations following from two hundred od we finde the yeares of the Patriarkes brought to an hundred od Gen. 25.7 35.28 47.28 c. So was the reprive of man shortned againe And whē the Lord called Abraham his seed into his covenant he withall called both him the world by a new summōs as by sound of trumpet to repentance amendment of life by remembrance of their latter end which now pressed upon them with double hast to that it had done And lastly in the time of Moses the Lord being provoked by a new rebellion did againe halfe the age of man reduced the number of his yeares to seventy or eighty Psal 90.10 Then was the execution of the Sentence of death hastned more then ever before thereby the Lord called them still calleth us to remember our end Lord let thy call be effectuall unto us bring our hearts to true wisedome establish thou the worke of our hands fill us with thy mercy in the morning that we may seeke thee early be glad in thee all our dayes d If God should once more have halfed the age of man as he did before then can we not conceive how the world should have subsisted If our dayes upon a new provocation had bene shortned from seventy to five thirty if weaknes of old age had prevayled as much upon us at thirty as now it doth at sixty if at fifteene yeares men should have bene at their full strength then have begun to decline as now many doe at thirty being then in the height vigour of their age how manifold defects in learning practising would thē have ensued what wisedome experience could men have learned in so short a time how could liberall or mechanicall arts sciences have bene learned or what continuance of strēgth could have bene to have wrought exercised such trades sciences what a world of children old folkes yea what a world of fooles impotent persons should we have had though it be so already yet how much more then But the Lord will not contēd for ever though he be now provoked as much as ever before for the spirit would faile before him the soules that he hath made Esa 57.16 Therefore hath the terme of mans age continued at this stay from Moses to our time for about three thousand yeares together so as it was never settled in the former generations And therefore in speciall is this worke of God to be considered of us as being the last call warning of God in this kinde to make us remember our latter end Now though God doe not againe shorten halfe the dayes of man by such certaine determinate limits as formerly he hath done yet after another manner he doth not ceasse to cut them off prevent the course of nature for our warning as effectually as in the former judgemēts For still the Lord being provoked by the wicked cutts them off before their time they are brought downe to the pit they live not out halfe their dayes Psal 55.23 the number of their moneths is cut off in the middest Iob 21.21 as the vine shakes off his unripe grape the olive his flower Iob 15.33 And not the wicked alone but the elect the beloved of God as Henoch Gen. 5.23.24 are also taken away in the midst of their dayes though sometime they live to seventy or eighty yeares come to their grave in a full age as a shock of corne commeth in in his season Iob 5.26 yet oft they are taken away before Esa 57.1 in infancy childhood youth middle age c. Vpon every step of life death waites and thousāds are dayly translated on every yeare of mans life some the first yeare that they are borne some in the second some in the third so forward every yeare thousands ten thousands even to the last and so a thousand calles hereby we receyve from God to remember our latter end with greater hast e The multitude number of these uncertaine untimely deaths are innumerable We may observe it in three worlds The old world perished all together strong men with their women children were smitten with the sword of Ioshuah Ios 11.4 How many did the sword of Gideon of David other Kings of Israel devoure Who can recount how much flesh those foure beasts or Monarchies devoured Dan. 7.3 c. Not to speake more of the heathens what untimely deaths did overtake Israel their infants were drowned in Egypt Exo. 1.22 Six hundred thousād of their carcasses fell in the wildernes And as the childrē especially were before destroyed in Egypt so now in the wildernes the mē especially A decree was made a bound set unto the murmurers that they which were twēty yeares old should not live longer then sixty yeares accordingly for the rest whereas their childrē might live to sevēty or eighty yeares Num. 14 29-33 How many were slaine in the time of their Iudges Kings In Ahaz his time an hundred twēty thousand valiant men were slaine in one day two hundred thousand captived 2. Chron. 28.6.8 In Ieroboams time five hundred thousand chosen men fell downe slaine at once 2. Chro. 13.17 And by innumerable such examples hath death
raigned raged in those times In this last age of the world violēt bloody deathes seeme to have abounded more then ever before both on Iew Gētile Pagā Christiā What destruction massacre from the beginning of the world unto that time might be cōpared with that of the Iewes by the Romanes for the contempt of Christ his Gospell Mat. 24.21 How many rivers of Christiā blood have bene shed by Romane authority of Heathenish Emperours Antichristian Popes The Harlot drunkē with the blood of the Saints is still blood-thirsty Rev. 17.6 The Kings of the earth drunkē with the wine of her fornication do give their strength power unto her even to this day and are become her butchers to kill slay for her Rev. 17.2.13 Whereas there are foure beasts mentioned in Dan. 7.4.7 a lyon beare leopard monster with ten hornes the beast Rev. 13.1.2 is compounded of all foure so devoureth as many as all the former what should we speake of Turkes Tartares other Barbarous nations among whome by whome death reignes so strōgly Rev. 9.17 18. This all is well knowne but not well regarded In all this we have a cal frō God to remember our latter end But we have eyes see not eares yet heare not his call resist sinners by threatning death by executing death on malefactours Gen. 3.24 with Rom. 13.4 The Princes Iudges of the earth are as Angels of God set to keepe the garden watch the city of God to cut off the workers of wickednes Psal 101.8 and so become the messengers of death unto wicked men Prov. 16.14 Every Iudgmēt Hall is the Tabernacle of death there Death dwelles there he oft shewes his terrible countenance from thence utters his voyce roares as a Lyon There be the monuments of death in many already dead in others threatned Every such place is a pillar of remembrance whereon Deaths name is engraven And if in time of peace the house of Iustice be such a monument of Death much more is the Campe in time of War as Hazarmaveth the Court of Death There Death displayes his banner the sound of Drumme Trumpet are the proclamations of death the Mounts Bulwarkes Batteries are the scaffolds where Death actes his part the Trenches Approches Galleries Mines are the vallies of the shadow of death and all the weapons warlike Engines are so many darts of death whereby the dead are multiplyed And seing by divine providence besides the many armies marching abroad in other countries the Camp is now presētly so neere unto us in our borders by s' Hertogen-Bosch our duety is to observe this Alarum of death from thēce to hearken unto the speciall calling of God for remembrance of our latter end The Lords voyce cryes unto the City Heare the Rod who hath appointed it Mic. 6.9 and not onely to the City beseeged that it may shake off the yoke of Antichrist but unto us our cities that are within the soūd that we may walke more worthy of Christ his Gospell which we professe He that regards not this call of God shall beare his iniquity b In the calling of Ministers we have an other Memoriall of death that many wayes Ministers are called of God to call others to remember their latter end And this is noted as a maine worke of their calling Esa 40.6.7.8 A voyce sayd Cry And he sayd what shall I cry All flesh is grasse all the goodlines thereof is as the flovver of the field The grasse withereth the flovver fadeth because the spirit of the Lord blovveth upon it surely drawing out shaking that sword against the breast of sinners by making life or death to be evermore the foot or burden of their song and the effect of all is they are the savour of life or the savour of death to all that heare them 2. Cor. 2.16 c And this which hitherto we have heard of Angels Magistrates Ministers is spoken of the good come we now to speake of the evill The Lord calles us as lowd by them to remember our end that we may gather good out of evill Evill angels what are they els but professed murderers murderers from the beginning going about as roaring lyons seeking whome they may devoure Ioh. 8.44 1. Pet. 5.8 They have power of death Heb. 2.14 dayly bring thousands to death of body soule for ever Wicked Magistrates persecuting rulers that compell men to Idolatry false religion force men to take the marke of the beast as also the false teachers blinde guides that bring in damnable errours even both these are like the servāts that dance on the threshold fill their masters house with spoyle prey Zeph. 1 9. Both these are the blood-hounds of the Divell by which he hunteth soules Hos 5.1 Both these are as ranging beares ravenous woolves that wory yong old drive them into the slaughterhouse of Satan Prov. 28.15 Mat. 7.15 These help him dayly to thrust sinfull men into the ditch into the bottomles pit of Hell All these therefore are the Grand-champions standard-bearers of death have Death written in their foreheads The sight of these or the mention of them their enterprises should cause men with horrour to thinke of death And seing the world is full of these how many are the calles warnings that God by them gives us to thinke of death to stand upon our watch d As for the times severall also are the warnings which are thereby given us to remember our end sometimes by the red horse marching in our borders trotting galloping rushing into battell sometimes the pale horse ambling up downe in our streets Rev. 6.4.8 both warre pestilence bringing massacre upon massacre calamity upon calamity Ier. 9.21 Ezek. 7.25.26 are as so many proclamations of death in our eares sounding at some times more louder then other according as these judgments are more grievous universall Who doth not see the axe layd unto the root of the tree in these dayes both the bloody axe of warre black axe of pestilence in some times places continued in others threatned Besides time it selfe is a sythe an axe Night day are two axes at the root of our life when one is up the other is downe without rest every day a chip flyes away and every night a chip and so our bones ly scattered at the graves mouth as when one cutteth or heweth wood on the earth Psalm 141.7 Though every day giving us so manifold examples of death do thereby serve to put us in minde thereof yet in a speciall manner is the Sabbath-day set apart by the ordinance of God that on it we should consider the latter end of man That is the time especially when the voyce cryeth in the Congregation All flesh is grasse c. And therefore in the Psalme that is entitled
of the Sabbath Psa 92. title wherein the exercises of the Sabbath are described there God calleth teacheth his people to remēber the latter ends both the end of all the workers of iniquity who though they spring as grasse flourish for a season shall yet in the end be destroyed perish for ever ibid. vers 7.9 and againe the latter end of the godly whose horne though it be abased to the dust for a while yet in the end shall be exalted like the horne of an unicorne their heads anoynted with fresh oyle c. vers 10. c. On the Sabbath therefore are we called of God to sit downe consider talke sing of our latter end and mutually to exhort and comfort ourselves with the remembrance of it e Now for the place where we live this whole world and every part thereof doth fitly represent unto us our transitory estate for the fashion of this world passeth away 1. Cor. 7.31 and we passe away with it The mooveable heavens that are above us are tossed and swong round about the world every day both the firmament of the fixed starres the spheres of the sevē planets one under another are rolled about with their manifold variety of motions The Sunne in the middest of them goeth forth as a giant to runne his race from one end of heaven to an other Psa 19.5.6 Eccl. 1.5 the circle of the earth which he dayly compasseth f And as the heavens so all under the heavens runnes on wheeles also The comets fiery meteores in the highest regiōs of the ayre are caryed about the earth according to the motion of the Sunne The wind whirleth about continually returneth according to his circuits Eccl. 1.6 The waters of sea rivers run their courses as in a circle from land to sea from sea to their springs againe vers 7. the sea in it self is tossed up downe ebbing flowing according to the course of the Moone or violence of the windes The earth though it remaine in her station change not her place yet is it changed in estate more then the rest insomuch that God hath made the sundry rankes of the creatures therein to be so many mappes of mortality pictures of our vanity similitudes of our transitory estate that by the sight of ech of them he might call us to remēber our latter end And which way so ever we turne us the monuments of our vanity are presented unto us of God g Stay we in the house sit by the fire side the sparkes that fly up are presently extinct Iob 18 5. 2. Sam. 14 7. the smoke that goes out of the chimney suddenly vanisheth Hos 13.3 the ashes that remaine are streightway cast out on the dunghill Iob. 13.12 Gen. 18.27 are ech of them appoynted of God to shew us what we are how soone we come to our end while he hath compared our lives to ech of these The candle that is set upon the table to give light unto them that are in the house is also ordained of God to represent our life that shines for a time untill it have cōsumed our native moysture and then goeth out of it selfe Iob 18.6 And as we see the oyle of this lamp decaying the more are we to seek that oyle of grace that will not decay before the comming of the Bridegroome Matt. 25.4 The earthen pots wherein our meat is sod prepared at the fire the earthē pots dishes out of which we eat drink at the table for preservation of our life are noted by the holy Ghost to be types and similitudes of our brittle fraile life Ier 19.1.11 Lam. 4.2 that so oft as we use them eat drink out of thē we might remember our end The shelfs or benches wheron women for ornament of their kitchin do set up these pots dishes are like faire pourtraiturs of humane fragility the whole houshold it self all the persons Esa 37.27 hath thereby bound them as in a bundle for a wholesome posie or nosegay that from thence we might learne to smell our mortality Go we forth againe from the garden into the corne-fields looke upon the corne every part of it by the roote that comes of seede which is not quickened except it dye God teacheth us to thinke of death to looke for death before true life be found 1. Cor. 15.36 Ioh 12.14 By the top of the eares of corne cut downe with sickles the Lord calles us to consider of Death by whose sickle we are all cut downe in like manner Iob 24.24 Rev. 14.15 By the stubble which is the middle of the stalke betwixt the roote the eare of corne as being a most vaine thing easily scattered by the winde Ier. 13.24 Esa 40.24 and devoured by fire whereunto it is reserved Ioel. 2.5 Esa 5.24 the vanity of man perishing as stubble is often described unto us And above the rest when the Lord calles sinners to thinke of their end he takes the light chaffe upon the graines of corne in the eare shewes that unto thē affirming that they also are but as chaffe before the whirlewind or the fire Psa 1.4 Iob 21.18 Esa 17.13 yea the multitude of them their princes as the chaffe of the summer threshing-floores where it most aboūdeth Da. 2.35 i From the lesser plants let us go to the greater from herbes to trees The trees of the orchyard those in speciall that were in election above others to reigne as kings over the rest Iudg. 9.8 c. are called of God to call us to think of our latter end In them by them the Lord teacheth us how we passe away as the vine shakes of his unripe grape as the olive casts of his flower Iob 15.33 as the figtree casteth her untimely figs being shaken of a mighty winde Rev. 6 13. as the bramble or thornes in the hedge of the orchyard greene or dry are taken away by force Psa 58.9 as the crackling of thornes under the pot a flash and presently out Eccl. 7.6 Psa 118.12 so is the life and glory of sinners suddenly at an end and these plants are memorialles thereof unto us From the trees of the orchyard proceed we on to the trees of the forrest and by the way consider the mists and morning cloudes above our heads and the morning dew under our feet both suddenly vanishing away Hose 13.3 by them the swift when she hasteth to the prey serves by the counsell of God herein to represēt the swiftnes of our dayes how we hast to our end to be a prey for the grave Iob 9.26 The Moth as little weake as the Eagle is great strong serves yet to teach us the same lesson as well as the king of birds Though the moth be so fraile that by touching it is cōsumed the substāce left behinde upon the fingers yet mortall mē are crushed before
the moth Iob 4.19 even their beauty consumes away like the moth Psa 39.11 the moth of consumptiō eates them up Esa 50.9 51.8 Hos 5.12 As the Lord rides upō the Cherubims flyes abroad upō the wings of the winde so upon the wings of the moth used for his service made his Embassadour to deliver unto man a message of his mortality that he might remember his end l Thus doe all kinde of creatures made for man serve to warne him of his vanity And it is not simply the mere volubility of the heavens instability of the earth that give us this warning but this whole globe of heaven earth is created givē unto us of God for a Watch or Clock whereby we might learne to number our times our passing away in them The severall lights of the firmament are ordained of God for signes for seasons for dayes for yeares Gen. 1.14 The Sunne by his height motion doth plainely declare the time of the day being looked on to that end by the variation of his shadow in the degrees of the diall as in that of Ahaz Esa 38.8 doth more exactly distinguish determine the houres unto us Yea the window in every mans house stāding against the Sunne serves for a diall to shew the houre of the day more or lesse and to them that are abroad in the streets or field in the sunne-shine evē the shadow of their owne persons the stature of their owne body serving for the gnomon of a diall doth shew the difference of houres according to the variety of the shadow stretched out declining in divers degrees Ier. 6.4 Men that have bene a while intent unto their work eftsoones looke up see the declining of the shadow the sight of this declination is as the sound of a voyce unto them saying The Time passeth The end draweth on Man walketh in a shadow sleeth away as a shadow Iob 14.2 Psa 109.23 and so giveth him occasion to try himselfe his wayes what good he hath bene doing that while And as plainely doe the starres also by sundry wayes declare the houre of the night unto us and teach us the same lessons Neither doe the lights of heaven declare unto us the houres of the day night onely in regard of their diurnall motions but the planets by an other oblique motion entring into the signes of the Zodiak successively finishing that course some in a moneth some in a yeare of the superiour planets the highest in thirty yeares the next in twelve the next in two yeares do hereby very plainly distinguish both the moneths of the yeare the yeares of longer periods of time for which we have no proper names As the Greeks of old had their Olympiads with other reckonings and as the Prophets described their stories not onely from the raigne of their Kings after one reckoning but from many different poynts termes of time in respect of Gods judgments or mercies or mens defection or repentance Exod. 12.41.1 Kin. 6.1 Ier. 25.1 Ezek. 1.1 4.5 Amos. 1.1 Hag. 2.18.19 so the Lord in his unsearchable wisedome hath given unto us many heavenly dialles instruments of numbring our dayes all of them witnesses how our time passeth and God calleth us by so many that if one or two signes would not prevaile with us yet more might Exo. 4.9 one comming into our sight after another teaching us to examine our selves our estate both for shorter longer times to be prepared for the worke of God as the Angels for an houre a day a yeare Rev. 9.15 But that which is yet more wonderfull these coelestial bodies doe not onely declare signe out the times unto us but they alter change the times make the seasons to differ one from another As the cartwheeles on the earth where they goe leave a track or furrow behinde thē so the wheeles of these planets stars in their conversions make a deep impression upon the earth according to the diversity of their motions and some of them bring the spring some the summer some autumne some duely draw on winter as with bands cords Iob. 38.31.32 9.9 This their operation is manifested in great variety in such manner that thereby they produce many new reall dialles upon the earth And from hence in divers flowers we have a plaine distinction of the houres in the day while some still turne their face unto the Sunne from the rising to the setting as Heliotropium or Turnsol some declare the approch of the evening by shutting their flowers before as the Daysies Marigold Dandelion others some are so strangely affected that they shew it to be high noone by closing up themselves just at that time as we see dayly in the flower that is called Goates-beard or the starre of Ierusalem Others againe distinguish the moneths of the yeare some springing flourishing in one moneth some in others successively in order as we see in the Primerose Violet Rose Gilloflower others which follow even unto the winter moneths Thus the plāts of the earth together with the planets of heaven become monitors of the time passing away Neither is this to be observed in the plants onely but in the sensitive creatures also the fowles fishes fourefooted beasts the birds shew us the time of the day some sing at a certaine houre of the night before day Mar 13.35 some little birds at the day-break Eccl. 12.4 some at noone some nightbirds in the evening They distinguish also the times of the yeare sometimes revived sometimes drooping and decaying againe in great variety They know the times of their comming and going some in one moneth and some in another as the Stork the Turtle the Crane and the Swallow Iere. 8.7 and the fishes likewise have their appointed seasons as is dayly observed by the fishmongers All these shall rise up in judgement against them that know not the acceptable time nor learn to redeeme it though the Lord call them so many wayes and shew them the time passing by so many devises CHAP. III. Monitors of Death in about a mans ovvne selfe His Breath a Pulse b Dayly food the necessity preparation of it in the earth c by the death of the creatures d Apparell the originall matter necessity of it e Labour in generall sundry vocations in particular f Sleep a lively image of death g Sinne the cause of death feared of some desired of others h Extreme dangers threatning death i Age the changes thereof manifested by the face stature k Old age described by the decay of strength l of sense m and of health HItherto we have heard the call of God sounded out unto us in and by other creatures by heaven and earth and the things therein that were made for man now we are to consider how God comes neerer unto man and from the
the Apostles time Act. 2.29 having bene preserved in the time of the Babylonian captivity even then when both city temple were destroyed with many the like These monuments are in Scripture called Memorialles Mnemeia Matth. 23.29 Iohn 11.38 and 19.41 and 20 1. by which whatsoever others intended the godly are taught to remember their latter end The garnished tombes and the sumptuous sepulchers are but so many scaffolds stages theaters of humane frailety and so many pulpits out of which our mortality is preached and all the common graves of the people are the coffers of death the sight whereof should teach us to lay up our treasure in heaven And thus though the touch of a grave defiled the body with a ceremoniall pollution in the time of the Law Numb 19.16 yet the sight of a grave may serve to cleanse the soule by a spirituall consideration of our end even as the sight of the Leviathan raised up did bring men to purify themselves fearing lest the whale might be their grave Iob. 41.25 with Iob 3.8 m The grave being prepared for the dead corps then men proceed with their may obtaine n Having bene at the grave performed the last duety to the person of the dead we then returne come from the dead to the living to the friends of the dead to mourne with them to comfort them and as the kinred speciall friends of old used to eat drink with them give them the cup of consolation Rom. 12.15 Ier. 16.7.8 Gen. 37.35 1. Chro. 7.22 Ioh. 11.19 and in this action we have an other call to remember our end While we minister consolation to others we are to take an exhortation to our selves The house of mourning is the schoole of mortification and therefore better to enter into it then into the house of feasting for there is the end of all men which the living will lay unto his heart so be made better in his heart by the consideration of the dead by the sadnes of the countenances waiting on that consideration Eccles 7.2.3.4 o When the comforters of them that mourne are departed from the mourning house gone every one to his owne yet still the friends of the dead even while they live on earth so often as they misse their friends departed want the help benefit which they were wont to enjoy from them so often are they called to remember death that makes such separatiōs La. 4 18-20 The widowes orphanes desolate parents oppressed subjects scattered sheep that are deprived of their loving husbands parents children rulers pastours or any friend neighbour that misseth the company of an other are by this want called to remember both that death past which took away their friends that death to come which shall againe restore them bring them together 1. Thess 4.13.14 2. Sam. 12.23 And in this remembrance they are withal warned to make themselves ready for death not to be glewed unto this world from whence their comforts are taken away When the shepheard takes up the young lamb the ewe followes him of her selfe and needs no more calling or driving when the great shepheard of the sheep takes away the soules of young old of dearest friends from one another it is to make them runne after the Lord to long after his presence in whom they shall finde all more then all that ever they lost in this world So often as we thinke of a mother a father or other intire serve to make a deeper impressiō into the soule and to keep the memory of it self in the minde more then a thousand other memorials beside A strange thing it were if a man that were to be judged the next day of life death and to receive sentence eitheir of a most cruell shamefull death or of a rich honourable estate during his life if this man could not keep in minde the judgment approching untill the next morrow without tying stringes about his fingers for remembrance or writing some caveats upon the posts of the prison or procuring some watchmen to come every houre whispering in his eare to tell him of the danger imminent of life or death And as strange or more is it that these great maine matters of Eternall Salvation or Eternall Condemnation should not by their owne greatnes presse the heart of man with the weight thereof unto a continuall remembrance of them without other warnings when as we know not whether we shall have one dayes respite before they come a The last end of the godly is eternall life This life consists especially in fellowship with God the Saints By fellowship with God men come to see God Matt. 5.8 even to see him as he is 1. Ioh. 3.2 to see his face which living man was never able to see on earth Exo. 33.20 to see him before whom the glorious Seraphims doe cover their faces with their wings Esa 6.2 to see the holy Trinity the blessed Father Sonne H. Ghost clothed with the sacred robes of their severall beauty and majesty shining distinctly as the pure Iasper the carnation Sardine the greene Emerald Rev. 4.3 Then the Sonne will shew himselfe unto his elect Ioh. 14.21 and they shall see his glory Ioh. 17.24 and the Father shall be seene in him Ioh. 14.9.10 and with them both the seven Spirits which are before the throne even that one and the same Spirit enlightning with his sevenfold graces and gifts that bright sevenfold lamp of his Church Rev. 1.4 with 4.5 1. Cor. 12.11 With this vision shall the soule be satisfyed whē they awake Psal 17.15 The pleasure of this surmounts the joy of all pleasant things seene by any eye If all the pleasure that all the most ardent lovers receyved at any or at all times from all the most beauteous amiable countenances of their dearest spouses fairest loves in the like promises Therefore is that end ever to be remēbred longed after Thē especially shal it appeare how the elect remaine as lambs in the bosome of the Lord their shepheard Esa 40.11 Thē will it be further revealed how God dwelleth in thē they in him 1. Ioh. 4.15.16 therefore need not feare being kept far off as mē on earth that were kept from the bodily presence of Christ being in the house because of the thrōg at the doore Mar. 2.2.4 The incomprehensible Lord filling heaven earth Ier. 23.24 is himself a house where they shall dwel and they a mansiō wherein he will make his abode Ioh. 14.23 By this heavenly conjunction cohabitation with God shall the elect be one even as the Father the Sonne are one Christ in them and the Father in him that they may be perfect in one Ioh. 17.22.23 This thrise blessed most glorious union is that greene bed of Christ his Spouse Sol. song 1.16 an eternall paradise of comfort and garden of pure delights Oh
what madnes is it to forsake that greene bed for any bed of pleasure in the world By this communion the Lord embraceth his elect with both armes of his love putteth them in his bosome Sol. song 2.6 8.3 and in this divine embracement there is felt more happines heavenly joy then all the love fruits of love or whatsoever went under the name of the tēdrest and strōgest affection in this world could ever yeeld unto the heart of man For if the first fruits of spirituall joy now at this present in the middes of tribulation be an hundred fold more then all the pleasure of houses lands fathers mothers wife children the most desirable things of this world Mark 10.29.30 then how can it be but more then an hundred thousand fold pleasure to enjoy the beauty face of God in heavē to inherit the fulnes of joy in his presence pleasures for evermore at his right hand If the infinite blessednes of the glorious persons in the holy Trinity doth appeare in their mutuall union so that they were an allsufficient eternall delight unto themselves in enjoying one an other continually before the world was before men or angels were made Prov. 8.30 then may we well think how our vessels shall be filled and overflow with heavenly comfort 1. Ioh. 1.4 when we come to drinke of that divine fountaine and enter into our Masters able to bring to passe And therefore as in the transfiguration of Christ his face did shine as the Sunne Matt. 17.2 even so shall the righteous shine forth as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father Matt. 13.43 As the raiment of Christ through the brightnes of his body did shine as the transparent light Matt. 17.2 was exceeding white as snow Mark 9.3 and withall white glistering Luk. 9.29 so the whole person of the elect made whiter then snow in their transfiguration shall shine glister sparkle with a radiant beauty heavenly brightnes yea then shall the Moone be abashed the Sunne ashamed before the Lord his ancients when the Lord shall reigne in Zion Esa 24.23 when he shall be glorifyed in the Saints and made marvellous in all them that beleeve 2. Thes 1.10 If the face of Moses while he was yet clothed with corruption when he had seene but the back parts of the Lord and that but for a moment in one vision did yet shine so gloriously that men fled away amazed from him durst not behold the brightnes of his countenance Exo. 34.30 with c. 33.23 what then shall be the glory of the faithfull when being clothed with immortality they shall see God face to face and that in a perpetuall vision for evermore d From this transfiguration of the Saints made so glorious by the sight of God fellowship with him ariseth the glory of their fellowship one with another which is also an unspeakable felicity of the second life to enjoy all the beauty all the love of all the glorified soules bodies in heaven As Ionathan seing the grace of God in David his worthines was knit unto him loved him as his owne soule 1. Sam. 18.1 so here the Saints beholding the glory of God revealed in each other shall be linked together in the neerest bonds of intire affection They that first give themselves to God doe then give themselves unto one an other by the will of God 2. Cor. 8.5 They are all one in Christ Iesus Gal. 3.28 There is one body one spirit Eph. 4.4 all are gathered together in one under one head whether things in heaven or in earth men Angels whether they be thrones or principalities or powers Eph. 1.10.22 All things are the Saints whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present of her and embraced in her armes for ever The loving society of godly men even in their present weaknes is magnifyed as a good pleasant thing as a precious oyntment as the dew of Hermon Zion Psal 133.1.2.3 how good pleasant then is the heavenly conversation and cohabitation of the Saints even as the dew of Paradise where God hath appointed the blessing for ever to make those beauteous blossomes therein to flourish eternally As oyntment perfume rejoyce the heart so doth the sweetnes of a mans friend by hearty counsell Prov. 27.9 and what then is the sweetnes and joy of that communion where every heart is a severall closet replenished with al store variety of divine oyntments perfumes for the mutuall delight of the Saints The consolation of Christ is there most perfect the comfort of love fellowship of the spirit are compleate full and so the joy of every one is fulfilled in being like minded having the same love being of one accord of one judgment Phil. 2. 1.2 there is no crying nor complayning Rev. 21.4 no curse no angry word no countenance of dislike or disdaine no evill no occasion of evill no appearance of evill no suspicion of evill no want of good in themselves no envy of good in others but every mans joy doubled for anothers salvation and glorifyed in anothers glory The principall delight is that God is found in them all each being the temple of God and his love the fire burning upon the altar of every heart in each of them there is a vision of God an image of his glory he is seene in each shines in them and so at every turne they meet with God who is all in all in every one of them 1. Cor. 15.28 And they never powre out their hearts to one another but withall they powre out prayse unto God with streames of pleasure to themselves And how infinitely manifold are their pleasures where there are so many spirits of just perfect men Heb. 12.22.23 so many millions of Angels thousand thousands ten thousand times ten thousand standing before the Lord Dan. 7.10 Rev. 5.11 If Peter thought it so good to be there where but two of the Saints Moses Elias appeared in glory with Christ Luk. 9 30-33 how good is it to be there where all appeare together in glory with Christ where the glory of every one shall appeare more clearely and be better discerned where every one shall be the precious jewell and treasure of another O who are they which remembring this end will not be content to make an end of their sinfull courses to enjoy this communion How unworthy a thing is it that the thoughts of vanity should thrust out of our mindes these pleasant remembrances of our latter end and the comforts therein If I forget thee O Ierusalem let my right hand forget it selfe if I doe not remember thee let my tongue cleave to the roofe of my mouth if I prefer not Ierusalem above my chiefe joy Psalm 137.5.6 e It is further to be considered that in all the maine parts acts
of Christian life we are taught every day continually to remēber this our latter end All dueties both of doing good through faith hope and love or of suffering evill for doing good through patience are so many memorials thereof The end of faith is the salvation of our soules which it beleeveth 1. Pet. 1.9 the object of hope is life eternall which it embraceth Tit. 1.2 3.7 2.13 the comfort of love is translation from death unto life whereof it assureth us 1. Ioh. 3.14.18.19 the reward of patience is rest in the kingdome of heaven and an eternall weight of glory which it looketh for Matth. 5 10-12 2. Cor. 4.17 And thus the comfort of this blessed end is ever carried in the eye of faith in the armes of hope in the bosome of love borne as it were upon the shoulders of patience And as all that is done by mē being well considered should bring this latter end to their remembrāce so all the works of speciall grace that are wrought by God for his children before this world in this world or after this world if we looke upō them with a right eye they doe every one carry in them a remembrance of this glorious end provoke us to thinke thereof We cannot be assured of our election but we see it as a booke of life wherein we reade our happy end Phil. 4.3 and behold the kingdome prepared for us before the foundation of the world Mat. 25.34 We cannot rightly thinke of our calling unles we behold that marvellous light glory where unto we are called 1. Pet. 2.9 5.10 2. Pet. 1.3 We doe not conceive sufficiently the cōfort of our justificatiō by faith ūles eye on this end and for the joy that was set before him endured the crosse and finished his course the work committed unto him Heb. 12.2 Oh let us not breake the band that drew on Christ himselfe Oh forgive us Lord that we have bene so profane carnall to forget this end so often from henceforth keep it in our mindes fix it in our memories that it never slip away CHAP. VI. The latter end of the faithfull compared vvith the primitive estate of the old vvorld Of the communion which man had with God being created after his likenesse a The image of God in the soule though perfectly beautifull excellent b yet inferiour to the image of Christ in the faithfull the perfection perpetuity thereof in the world to come c The body at first though naked yet without shame pain erect upright in all the senses fitted for communion with God d but hereafter endued with more noble heavenly qualities spirituall transparent light agile ever vigilant in feeing communicating with God e The dominion over the creatures given at first illustrated by the remnants thereof yet apparent f not to be compared with that which shall be in regard of heaven earth all that is therein Of their mutuall fellowship with one another g Marriage the first band of society ground of all other to that end instituted honoured of God for their mutual comfort h yet nothing like the glorious bands of communion with Saints Angels in heaven i What blessed communion Adam Evah might have had with their posterity living to this day if neither had sinned k In a right line descendent viewing the long race of their progeny with great joy to themselves l and no lesse happines to their childrē who though living at greatest distance might then with ease abundance of comfort have visited them and communicated with them m In the collaterall line extended on each side to brethren sisters all rejoycing in one another in their loving easy pleasant visitations n Yet all this comes short of the heavenly communion in the world to come the love of Christ the manifold rivolets of sweet fellowship the free glorious motions in the kingdome of heaven THat we may the better comprehend that happy communion wherewith the latter end of the faythfull shall be glorifyed let us somewhile leave our speech of the world to come as also of this present world and let us looke back into the world that is gone past let us behold the glory that is lost that by the greatnes thereof first considered in it selfe then compared with this to come the glory hereof may more evidently appeare That we may the better observe the difference we are to set ourselves as it were in a middle gate betwixt two worlds the old and the new where we may have an open and free prospect into them both and from thence we are to cast a look first into the old world then into the new with one eye to behold the first paradise in Eden and with another the second paradise in the third heavens with one look to view the first Adam his gifts his children and with an other look to behold the second Adam Christ Iesus his gifts his children and so to compare the glory of their estates together In such a middle gate or tower of prospect into these two worlds the Prophets Apostles did often set themselves when they compared them together as appeareth in those texts Old things are past away behold all things are become new 2. Cor. 5.17 Behold I create new heavens a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into my minde Esa 65.17 The first man Adam vvas made a living soule the last Adam vvas made a quickening spirit 1. Cor. 15.45 so v. 49. c. a The glory of the old world in the primitive estate thereof consisted also in a blessed fellowship with God and fellowship with men This blessed fellowship of God with man appeared first in that he communicated his image and similitude with man the beauty of which image shined especially in that wisedome holines righteousnes which God imprinted in the soule Gen. 1.26.27 with Eph. 4.24 Coll. 3.10 Eccl. 7.29 By that wisedome he knew God saw his glory by that holines he did cleave unto him embrace him with love reverence confidence and so in both communicated with God At the bestowing of this image each Person in the holy Trinity did work together each gave precious excellent gifts unto man for the beautifying of his soule with variety of graces such as might make him a lovely creature in whom the Lord himselfe might take delight Rev. 4.10.11 with Ioh. 1.3 Coll. 1.16 Iob 33.4 and therefore is the Trinity described consulting about this work Let us make man in our image after our likenes all are noted with the title of creatours or makers Eccl. 12.1 boreêcha Iob. 35.10 ghnosai As upon the losse of this image when Adam begate a sonne in his owne likenes Gen. 5.3 all hatefull ugly deformity of sin succeeded every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was onely evill continually Gen. 6.5 so
to Adam to see how he would name them Ge. 2.19.20 so might Adam shew them to his childrē according to the wisedome given him at the first cōferre againe of their natures the reason of their names with those his childrē created in the same image of God with him taught of God that he might rejoyce in them also as they with him Though Solomon spake of trees from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssope on the wal also of beasts fouls creeping things fishes was wiser thē all the philosophers in the degenerate corrupt world 1. Kin. 4 29-34 yet was his wisedome but ignorance in comparison of that primitive estate the wisedome given to Adam at the first After this a multitude of other pleasures they might have returned loaden with blessings filled with comfort as much as their heart could hold And if at any time Adam Evah would in like manner have gone abroad on progresse to have visited their children what comfort should this have bene unto their children to have entertained that most royall honourable person above all others that right Catholick King or universal Monarch father of the whole world with Evah their Queene-mother therefore to have bene reverenced loved obeyed by all How would they have receyved him as an angel of God to the unspeakable joy both of him them mutually m And as the glory of this communion might thus be observed in the persons allyed in a right line both descendēt ascendent so also in the collaterall line extended on each side both farre neere to brethren sisters an hundred other degrees of kinred further off among all which if man had continued in his estate wherein the Lord placed him there should then have bene a most loving pleasant conversation more then can be imagined It had bene as easy for these to have travelled a thousand miles to embrace their friends as it is now for us to goe one small dayes-journey While there was no evill of sinne there should have bene no evill of paine or trouble in any of their labours And besides in the state of innocency great help comfort should have bene afforded unto man by the service of other creatures as hath bene shewed before Even in this corrupt degenerate estate of man beast all kinde 2. Cor. 6.18 behold my spouse my wife my bride Ioh. 3.29 Rev. 19.7 21.2 All the speciall bands of love union whether in the root of marriage or in the branches of kinred whether in the degrees ascending descending or any way extending themselves either in the right line or in the side line they are all found in Christ all meet together are combined in him He alone the new Adam is instead of all the fathers mothers brethren or sisters sonnes or daughters the comfort of all more fruits of love then all the kinred of the old world could have afforded unto us is to be enjoyed in the kingdome of Christ And looke how Christ esteemes of his elect so shall they be esteemed loved of all others there where his word requiring it must needs be performed Ioh. 13.34 15.12.13 And therefore looke how many Saints Angels there be in heaven so many sweet fountaines of loving communion there be for every soule to drinke at farre passing all the love of friends ever tasted in the lower world From every one shall flow rivers of water of life Ioh. 7.38 Christ Iesus being the headspring of all for then shall that all the rest of his promises be fullfilled in the highest degree It is matter of more joy even now to sit at the table of the Lord to receive the Sacrament of the New Testament then it was to pluck apples from the tree of life in paradise greater benefits are sealed even Christ is herein exhibited unto us a gift more excellent then all those that were confirmed unto Adam by the tree of life but then especially shall the difference appeare when the faythfull shall partake in the marriage supper of the Lambe in heaven when they shall be brought before the Lord the ancient of dayes the everlasting God before whom Adam though alive at this day should be as a child of yesterday a thousand yeares being but as one day in his sight when they shall heare him speake tell of his eternall love of us before the world in his decrees of election and predestination so often poynted at in Scripture and the like precious thoughts of his grace to us ward this shall be the fullnes of joy infinitely exceeding all the supposed delights of the old world As for the pleasant journeys motions we may not thinke that the godly shall be there as in a prison together in heavenly places in Christ Iesus Eph. 2.6 CHAP. VII Hovv God calleth men to remember the latter end of Reprobates The fearfulnes greevousnes of the second death set forth by a The deserving cause Sinne which is especially aggravated by the wisedome authority goodnes other attributes of God b The inflicting cause the wrath of God from which the whole misery all the circumstances of the second death have their denominations c compared unto fire yet different from common fire unquenchable most piercing largely extending it selfe taking hold on the greatest in the world d This fire the fiercenes of it made plaine by the observation of sundry fires already kindled in the bowels of the earth in vegetative sensitive creatures in the body of man in the aire firmament in the angels e but chiefly in the course of Gods just indignation against sinners seriously to be considered of all that desire to escape it f The effects dolefull cryes lamentations of the tormented of the Devils themselves yea even of our blessed Saviour in his sufferings g Particular manifestations of Gods wrath against particular sinnes transgressions of every commandement both of the first second table THe end of all flesh hath bene represented unto us of God by a basket of summer fruit ripe for the harvest ready to be gathered The blessed end of the godly hath bene shewed in the basket of good figs very good there remaines yet the basket of rotten figs very naught to be marked of us for that sight is also propounded unto us of God he calles us to remember the end of the wicked thereby whiles that basket was in vision also set before the Temple of the Lord. Ier. 24.1 It is an hideous fearefull sight to opē the graves where the greene carcases of dead men doe lye to behold the grieslines lothsomnes of death in them and who doth not flie from it But much more horrour it is to looke upon the dead soules in Hell their torment lothsome estate being an hundred times more worse to be endured then the sight of any rotten carcasses in the grave Yet
are we called of God to remember same offences of striking or cursing committed against others were not so though some childrē might happily have as much wisedome as their father mother yet their authority alone being despised brought such woe Now the authority of God the heavenly father over his creature being infinitely greater then the authority of any earthly father over his children the contempt thereof doth accordingly procure an infinite woe unto those that disobey God that reject his Law make their owne lust their law prefer the doing of their owne vile wills before the obedience of his holy heavenly will So in like manner the infinite evill of sinne appeareth distinctly in this that it is committed against the infinite goodnes mercy of God There are in creatures manifold degrees of love kindnes the love of one doth an hundred times exceed the love of some other both in tendernes of affection in multitude of benefits And in such case the treachery of such as deale falsely wickedly against their cheefest friends becomes an hundredfold greater evill then the sin of some others Now the Lord is love it selfe 1. Ioh. 4.8.16 herein is love not that we love God but that he loved us vers 10. his grace the gifts of his eternall free grace doe infinitely exceed all other love he gave himselfe to be our God portion his Sonne to be our ransome And therefore to sin against this high immeasurable grace to contēne this love to love that which is vanitie of vanities more then God doth make the sin of such to be out of measure sinfull deserveth an infinite hatred misery to ensue thereupon And thus the greevousnes of sinne is to be considered conceived in respect of the other divine attributes whereby we may see as it were ten infinites in one behold many windowes of contemplation opened before us through which we may have a huge vast prospect of the endles unsearchable woe of sinne that is to be felt in the second death Though there be many other aggravations of sinne yet this so farre exceeds the rest as if they all were nothing in comparison of this therefore doth the Spirit often urge this consideration upon men saying to the sinners Ye have lyed not unto men but unto God Act. 5.4 he that despiseth despiseth not man but God vvho hath also given us his holy Spirit 1. Thes and it containes more then a world of bookes can expresse c This fierce wrath of God is often in Scripture compared unto burning devouring fire Deut. 32.22 Ier. 15.14 17.4 Ezek. 21.31 22.21 36.5 Zeph. 1.18 accordingly is the tormēt in hell described unto us by the name of hellfire Matt. 5.22 18.9 The smarting paine caused by fire is well knowne by the common use thereof among us And yet above the nature of common fire which is made for the comfort of man to cheere him to make him laugh Esa 44.16 this dolefull fire of hell is propounded unto us of God by many strange descriptions It is a fire not like unto ours that may be quenched but an unquenchable fire Esa 66.24 Mark 9.44 Rev. 14.11 an everlasting fire Matt. 18.8 25.41 which so burnes the wicked as that it doth not consume them but keeps them alive in death that they may burne for ever and ever It is a fire that will not onely burne stones melt yron brasse but a subtile piercing fire that burnes even the spirits soules of men being a fire prepared for the devill his angels which are spirits Matt. 25.41 Rev. 20.10 and therefore farre more terrible then our fire by which tyrants burne the bodies of martyrs but cannot burne their soules Mat. 10.28 For the greatnes of it it is a bottomlesse pit Rev. 9.1.2 deep large Esa 30.33 a lake or sea of fire Rev. 20.14.15 for the names of lake or sea are sometimes in Scripture indifferently put one for another Matt. 8.24 with Luk. 8.23 and this burning sea is withall called a lake of brimstone Rev. 19.20 20.10 which makes the fire to burne more cruelly to choake strangle such as are plunged into this lake And for the forme of it it is sometimes compared to an oven or furnace of fire Mal. 4.1 Mat. 13.42.50 in which the fire being kept close strait may be made seven times more hote fierce then it was before Dan. 3.19 To make this fire yet more abhominable it is compared unto Tophet Esa 30.33 where children were burnt in horrible lothsome manner being sacrificed unto devils Ier. 7.31 with Psa 106.37 so more horrible would it be to see the soules sacrificed in Hell-fire Were there now but a witch to be burned at a stake how many thousands would flock together to behold the sight how many would loose a dayes work be content to misse their dinners rather then to misse the sight of it But if it were to see a King or an Emperour burnt to see a Pope or a Cardinall which having burnt many martyrs should at length have their owne flesh burnt with fire how many farre and neere would run and ride and spare no cost or labour to become spectatours of such a judgment how long how often how earnestly would men talke of it afterwards And yet this fire of the second death is for such by faith we see it faith makes us spectatours thereof if we beleeve the Scriptures which shew us how Tophet is prepared for kings Esa 30.33 how the beast and the false prophet the Popes are to be cast alive into the lake of fire and brimstone Rev. 19.20 20.10 and with them the multitude of their idolaters and other abhominable persons Rev. 21.8 And how are men bewitched that they forget this latter end of sinners that they more regard the light and momentany judgments of men then the eternall and severe judgments of the everlasting God This lake of fire is so forgotten and contemned of many which stand dayly at the brink of the pit ready to sinke downe into it for their sinnes as if that fire were already quenched yea the very common knowledge and confession thereof by all sorts hath quenched the thought of it and extinguished the memory and mencion of it with many as if it were so well knowne that it needed no more to be spoken of And for this cause are many tumbled into it overwhelmed in the depth of it before they be aware of it d The power of Gods wrath in kindling this fire may further be perceived if we behold the great variety of strange fires which God in his works of creation providence hath already kindled and set before us to shew what he is able to doe In the bowels of the earth below the Lord hath as it were sowne the seeds of fire in the divers minerals thereof as in the
ourselves with zeale of the Lord to drive away that lukewarmnes of our soules that is so abhominable in the sight of God Rev. 3.16 The Apostle teacheth us to make this use of the aforesaid considerations for the change of our conversatiō unto all holines godly life 2. Pet. 3.11 And from hence may we learne patience in suffering as well as obedience in doing the will of God as the Spirit teacheth us if the Lord be at hand if the end of all things be at hand such an end why should not our patient minde our moderation and sobriety be made knowne unto all upon all occasions Phil. 4.5 1. Pet. 4.7 Though injuries be done vnto us great dayly in extraordinary manner both unchristian inhumane dealing yet seing the comming of the Lord draweth nigh the Iudge is at the doore at the threshold and entrance of our house and there is but a step betwixt us him but an inch of time betwixt our sufferings and his judgement therefore he requireth of us that we be patient establish our hearts in him Iam. 5.8.9 Have we other losses troubles in the world whether we winne or loose it skilles not much whether we purchase buy with increase of gaine or whether we sell for necessity whether we be rich or poore it is no great matter seing the earth all the works thereof are in a moment to be burnt up 2. Pet. 3.10 seing the end hasteneth the world passeth away let not the buyer rejoyce nor the seller mourne Ezek. 7.12 All the happines of man stands in being delivered from this everlasting fire kindled by the fierce wrath of God against sinne We have enough may well be content while we have our soule saved as a prey from this great destruction f If yet we be dull of hearing cannot see the dreadfulnes of this death in the causes thereof the sinne of man deserving it the wrath of God inflicting it if yet we desire a plainer evidence thereof let us then looke upon the effects thereof consider how the smart of this second death shall make the children of hell to crye waile take up eternall lamentations without any measure or end By the effects of sorrow Ieremy thus describeth the affliction of Ierusalē in her captivity that of a princesse being become a desolate widow she did weep sore in the night that her teares were on her cheekes that they rā downe as a river night day the apple of her eye never ceassing that her elders her infāts young men virgines did mourne together that the priests prophets did sigh their eyes being dimmed fayling with teares their bowels troubled their liver powred thus roare faint in themselves under this burden of sorrow how can any men or Giants that are but flesh undergoe the same When the Lord shall pleade against the proud covetous cause his wrath to smoake against hypocrites dissemblers against profane men drunkards adulterers malicious men how can their heart endure or their hands be strong Ezek. 22.14 Though they were as stout as the devils they shall be crushed broken together with them Now many skorners make a mock of religion now the epicures make a sport of sinne now the obstinate persons despise admonition hate to be reformed they set their faces as Adamants in their obstinacy But though their bones were brasse their strength of stones their heart as hard as the nether milstone yet shall they be ground to peeces with this wrath of God that grindes the very Devils to powder makes them to howle yell before him Above all other the most terrible effect of Gods wrath was that which was shewed upon Christ Iesus the Lord of men angels when as he being become our surety bearing our sins did groane under the burden when he cryed out with strong cryes teares Heb. 5.7 when in the trouble of his soule with great astonishment feare he sayd What shall I say Ioh. 12.27 as if he had felt a sorrow not to be uttered when in the sense of Gods anger due unto us he not onely cryed day night but even with words of roaring Psa 22.1.2 finally uttered the most sorrowfull voyce that ever sounded in the world My God My God vvhy hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27.46 If all the dolefull complaints lamentations of all miserable men were layd together upon the ballance they would be found lighter then this complaint of Christ because the iniquities of us all were layd together upon him Esa 53.6 he bore the curse of them Gal. 3.13 If we could see into the bowels of Hell or could lay our eare to any low vault to heare the howling of the spirits in that prison yet no wofull voyce ought to moove us so much as these cryes of our Saviour in his agony No weeping gnashing of teeth by those reprobates can so expresse the power fiercenes of Gods wrath as this weeping and sorrowfull teares of the in the second commandement the Lord threatens such a change that they shall be most ashamed of that which they adored shall cast their Idoles to the Moles to the Bats Esa 2.20 creatures that love darknes the one for place living under the earth the other for time comming abroad in the night The Idolaters shall wish their idoles were hidden in utter darknes for ever But as Moses once despited the Idolaters by burning their Idoll grinding it to powder strowing it on the waters making them drinke thereof to their further shame Exod. 32.20 so shall the Lord force the Idolaters by remorsefull remembrance evermore to drinke the powder of their images of their owne inventions The Lord through a secret antipathy of nature doth sometimes worke such a strange terrour in some men as experience shewes that at the sight of some creatures or dishes of meat set before them on the table though the creatures be good in themselves lawfull for use to other men comfortable yet these men quake tremble sit astonished with gastly countenances full of perplexity anguish gaping sweating at the sight their haire standing upright on their head their spirits appalled not able to speake a word nor to stirre out of their place but like men confounded remaine bound in the chaines of amazement as terribly affrighted as was Belshazzar when he saw the palme of a hand writing his destruction upon the wall Dan. 5.5.6 And hereby we may conceive the power of Gods wrath for the torment of idolaters by representing unto their mindes those unlawfull images which they worshipped to their eternall affright and horrour The Lord knoweth how to engrave all the sinnes of men with the point of a diamond upon the table of their heart for their vexation woe and so in speciall to pourtray their images idoles upon the broad plate
of their consciences and to hang them as in a map before their eyes upon the wall of their memory for an everlasting confusion and torment unto them The name of God that is fearfull Deut. 28.58 shall in the end be fearfull to them that have taken it in vaine by swearing blaspheming or light usage of it Though in their desperate torment before all by their evill words actions the fruits of their envy And if the sight of so small good either outward or inward as is to be seene in this life doe yet stirre up such a painefull envy what then shall be the paine of that envy in the wicked when they shall behold the eternall glory good things enjoyed by others in heaven Looke how much the heavenly prosperity exceeds the earthly so much shall the paine of the hellish envy exceed al that ever hath bene on earth When the godly are exalted their enimies shall see it Rev. 11.12 the world shall know how God loves them Ioh. 17.23 the wicked shall see greeve gnash with their teeth pine away Psal 112.10 they shall be mad for the sight of their eyes Deut. 28.34 yea their eyes shall consume in their holes their tongue in their mouth Zac. 14.12 thē shall be weeping gnashing of teeth when they see others in the kingdome of God themselves thrust out Luk. 13.28 There is a bitter end threatned unto them that follow harlots Prov. 5.3.4.5 their dolefull song at last shall be Hovv have I hated instruction my heart despised reproofe c. vers 12. c. and the like wofull ditty is for them that follow wine or strong drink whereby they are inflamed unto more sin Esa 5.11.22 their unlawfull pleasure in the midst of their ungodly company shall at last bite like a serpent sting like a cockatrice Prov. 23.32 Then shall be woe to the mighty oppressours that oppresse a man and his heritage whereby they spoile themselves of their inheritance with God they joyne house to house on earth till they leave no place for the poore on earth nor any place for themselves in heaven Mic. 2.1.2 Esa 5.8 and the like woe is due to the unmercifull rich men who as they would not give a crumme so they shall not obtaine one drop of water from the tip of any finger to refresh them being tormented in the flame Luk. 16.24.25 The false witnesse shall not then goe unpunished Prov. 19.5.9 the railers and slanderers shall then be excluded out of the kingdome of God 1. Cor. 6.10 the lips of the flatterers backbiters shal be cut off Psa 12.3 their owne words shal be a snare for their soule Prov. 18.7 they shall then reape that which they have sowne they have CHAP. VIII Of the visible signes memorials of Hell whereby God calleth men to remember the end of the ungodly The vaine curiosity of thē that desire to be informed of Hell-torments otherwise then by the word and works of God which compared together afford us sundry Memorials of Hell a In each of the foure Elements Fire Aire Water Earth b In the country of Eden c In the land of Canaan both in the foure borders of it d within the land on both sides of the river Iordan e In the Iewes themselves in the state of their rejection f In the country of Italy g In the Torrid or hote Zone of the world the condition actions of the inhabitants h In the frozen Zones the extremity of cold other occurrences in those parts i In the temperate Zones in the publick state of Antichristian Romish religion with the appurtenances thereof k In private houses haunted with evill spirits inhabited by witches disordered innes tavernes l In particular persons possessed excommunicate terrifyed in conscience m In particular sinnes in thoughts words actions IT may be some will say or thinke in themselves we heare many fearfull things touching Hell-torments if we might see the same take a view thereof it would doe us more good To such I answer they know not what they desire When the bottomlesse pit was once at a certaine time in especiall manner opened very wide there arose such a smoak out of the pit as had almost choaked the whole world the Sunne the aire were darkened therewith poysonous locusts came out of that smoak and tormented men that they were weary of their lives and sought death that fled from them Rev. 9.1.2.3 c. It were not safe for curious men to looke with their carnall eyes into that bottomlesse pit nor to wish that hell destruction were naked open unto them for their warning neither should it be for their edification so much as the due remembrance and spirituall meditation thereof by help of the Scriptures They that will not beleeve Moses the Prophets would not be perswaded though one rose from the dead Luk. 16.30.31 If Abraham or Noah the ancient preachers of righteousnes should come againe into this world clothed with angelicall glory with a heavenly voyce should call men to repentance or if Angels should come and preach the kingdome of God yet could we not world doe every one of them containe a vast gulfe of destruction within them insomuch that each of them hath seemed unto some to lay clayme unto Hell as having that prison within their bounds The Fire by which Hell is so often described is of a consuming devouring nature this operation of it is often compared to eating the fewell put unto it is the meat thereof Esa 9.19 the more it hath the more hungrily it eateth by burning more fiercely it hath an insatiable belly never saith It is enough Prov. 30.15.16 And so it is like unto Hell which enlargeth herselfe openeth her mouth wide without measure to devoure the wicked Esa 5.14 Whether we conceive it as the highest greatest element encompassing the aire on every side as in the proper place that is commonly assigned unto it or whether we looke upon it in the dayly effects thereof on the earth in those few sparkles coales thereof scattered among us here below for our use it carries in it both wayes a resemblance of Hell to make us remember the end of the wicked in the sight of it The Aire is noted as the seat or station of wicked spirits where they soare over our heads as the ravenous foules over the chickens still ready to seaze upon us Therefore is the Devill called the prince of the power of the aire Eph. 2.2 his angels are spirituall wickednesses in high places Eph. 6.12 Satan is sayd to fall downe like lightning from heaven when his works are loosed Luk. 10.18 So often as we looke out into the aire so oft doe we passe by the gates of Hell by the Castles Towers of the enimy from whence he shootes his fiery darts from whence he watcheth his advantage to oppugne us to
blinde dull to discerne acknowledge the living God the author of this life therefore they approach neere unto us bite us though it cost them their life for it they will have us by the face or hands sleeping or waking night day they will tast of our blood this by divine providence that by these little monitors we might be rowsed up out of our senseles behaviour to looke unto that welspring of life from whence they come Though these creatures be small contemptible in the eyes of many yet doe these small things carry in them the glorious evidences of the living God and as effectuall for our instruction as are to be found in the great Oxe Elephant or Leviathan Psa 104.25 Exo. 8.18.19 He that rayseth these living soules out of the ditches rotten ground sometimes maketh many of these lives to spring from one dead carcasse how easily can he rayse our dead bodies out of the grave restore one life to one body yea quickē the soule from the mire of sinne He that longeth after life let him looke to this fountaine c Besides this ordinary flood of life flowing from that generall word com mall spirits with them the faculty both of sense motion over all To preserve our being he hath made the liver a fountaine of blood from thence drawne the veines dispersed them over the whole body to carry abroad the blood the naturall spirits therein to the nourishment of every part With these living threeds more precious then any golden wires thē fine twined linnen blue purple scarlet the ornaments of the Tabernacle hath God beautifyed the body of man which is also compared to a Tabernacle 2. Cor. 5.1.4 2. Pet. 1.13.14 With these feeling mooving nourishing strings hath the Lord covered embroydered curiously wrought the vaile of our flesh Psal 139.15 Iob 10.11 And each of these life-strings doth the living God still hold in his hand maintaining their faculties inspiring life quickening vertue into them And besides this in the very tunicles or coates of each of these hollow strings hath the Lord wrought a curious network woven together another sort of subtile threeds thousands of them more fine small then haires some of them drawne right along of an attractive power some round circular crossing the other with right angles of an expulsive vertue others drawne athwart both the other with oblique angles of a retentive faculty all for the service of life in great variety some draw some hold some drive out superfluities of nature all these held and upheld in their severall functions by the finger of God extending his quickening power unto every one of thē Neither are these particular streames and waves of the river of life flowing from God to be neglected of us the workes of God are to be sought out of all them that have pleasure therein Psal 111.2 Distinct knowledge and consideration hereof brings clearer comfort and it is great sinne unthankfulnes and contempt of Gods glorious wisedome to looke cōfusedly over those things that God propounds distinctly in many severall formes and particular acts To proceed therefore from these faculties and functions of life sensitive common to the brute creatures with man we are to behold another well of life in that reasonable soule which God hath placed in men when as he formed the spirit of man within him Zacch 12.1 The stirrings motions and acts of life flowing with vers 30. the Lord even then offered unto him to have opened his well of life as wide for him to have made of him a greater mightier nation then Israel was Num. 14.12 Oh how great are the treasures of life which God hath in store for them that love him even worlds of life to give to every one of them Well might the Psalmist say of this God With him is the vvell of life and in his light we shall see light Psa 36.9 In which words David pointeth at two glorious workes gifts of God specially noted in the six dayes of the creation In three dayes God beautifyed the world with light the first day he created light the second day he created a pure transparent firmament or an expansion through which the beames of the heavenly light being diffused spread forth might so come to us without such a meane or middle passage our sight the light could not have met together the fourth day God created heavenly lights the Sunne Moone starres gathering abundance of light into them by their motion distributed that light unto the divers parts of the world successively for the greater benefit thereof Gen. 1.3.6 c. In three other dayes God created life in the divers degrees thereof the third day God opened a box of life powred out that vegetative life which appeareth in the growing plants herbes trees the fift day God opened another box powred out a streame of sensitive life such as appeared in the foules fishes the sixt day God opened againe another box beside the sensitive life in the beasts cattell powred out the treasure of an intellectuall life which appeared in the reasonable soule of man which he then created Gen. 1.11.12.20 c. And from that first week unto this day both the beames of light the streames of life have flowed out incessantly to his praise the comfort of man f And yet all this is but the little finger of God in respect of his mighty arme all this is but the power of life naturall vouchsafed even to his enimies to the reprobats There is a new life a more high precious life to be found in God even a well of spirituall life opened by him immediately after the fall Then was made the promise of this life of victory over death by breaking the serpents head Gen. 3.15 that word was the Gospell of Salvation preached instantly to Adam upon the kindes of life natural are made to serve as shadowes of the life spirituall which God giveth to his elect See it in the plants that doe live a vegetative life As the earth bringeth forth her bud as the garden causeth the things that are sowne therein to spring forth so the Lord God will cause righteousnes praise to spring forth before all the nations Esa 61.11 The Lord doth as easily make men to be trees of righteousnes as he maketh thorns or briers to grow Esa 61.3 with ch 55.13 Yea the plants that exceed others in growth the tall cedars the flourishing palme Psa 92.12 the greene olive the fruitfull lillies Hos 14.5 6. the willowes by the water-courses Esa 44.4 the flovving spices Sol. song 4.16 the trees that bring forth new fruit according to their moneths Ezek. 47.12 are all but shadowes of this grace of life flowing from the Lord. See it in the creatures that live a sensitive life The sheep that are
sayd to bring forth thousands in our streets Psa 144.13 doe cloth the pastures with their multitude Psa 65.13 are made types of the flock of God that multiply by his blessing Ezek. 34.11.31 doe every one bring forth twinnes none being barren among them Sol. song 4.2 They are also likened to the doves that bring forth almost every moneth come by flights unto their windowes Esa 60.8 See this also in the shadow of mankinde endued with a reasonable life As the fathers mothers are called the fountaines of life from whence the children doe flow Psa 68.26 Esa 48.1 so the Lord communicating spirituall life to his children is sayd to beget them againe Iam. 1.18 they are the dew of his youth Psa 110.3 he is the living father of many children Ioh. 6.57 Heb. 2.10 Yea God is able even of stones to raise up children to Abraham Matt. 3.9 as once of old at first he hewed them out of the dry hard rock of Abrahams decayed body Sarahs dead wombe Esa 51.1.2 Rom. 4.18.19 after that againe tooke the stony heart out of their bodies Ezek. 11.19 as in time to come he is yet once more of the stony-hearted obstinate Iewes to raise up a new holy generation Rom. 11.7.8 24.25.26 And hereby it is evident what a power of life is in God that the well of life is not elswhere to be sought or found then in him alone be with men he will dwell with them God himselfe shall be with them be their God Rev. 21.3 He will rejoyce over them with joy quiet or rest himselfe in his love he will joy over them with singing or shouting as the word also signifies Zeph. 3.17 And what cause have they to sing shout clap their hands for joy eternally for whom the Lord doth sing shout joyfully Esa 12.6 Psa 47.1 how honourable are they whom the Father doth honour Ioh. 12.26 whom the Sonne doth confesse before the Angels for ever Luk. 12.8 And if these promises have their beginning here be made unto men in their pilgrimage be in part enjoyed in this life what shall their complement full performance be when they come to the wel-head of all this life glory hereafter which for the present is hidden with God Coll. 3.3 i What then remaines for us to be done what doth the Lord require of us but that we come to this well of life It is therefore shewed unto us that we might desire it in desiring seeke it in seeking finde it to our everlasting happines And before we come unto it even in the meane time by dayly comfortable meditation we may behold looke upon it yea tast it walking upon the bankes of this river of life sometimes as it were sayling upon these waters being carried with the Spirit of God blowing upon us by faith If any despise this call of God contemne the infinite felicity that is herein revealed unto them if any will forsake the Lord the fountaine of living waters dig unto themselves cisternes even broken cisternes that can hold no water if they will rather runne to the stinking puddles of sinful pleasures marke what the Lord sayth concerning their madnes O ye heavens be astonished at this be horribly afraid utterly confounded or very desolate sayth the Lord. Ier. 2.12.13 And what then is that unspeakable astonishment horrour confusion that shall come upon the despisers of this grace when heaven earth together shall be so affected at the sight of their miserable folly And if any fearefull hearts doe either despaire or doubt they can never obtaine such a divine glorious estate in respect of their basenes unworthines if they k If any fainting spirits be still afraid though they will not speake it out yet think thus within themselves Not our poore meane estate but our wickednes our sinnes that are both great many doe deprive us of hope take away our heart that we cannot looke for a portion in that grace of life that is so great for many others Let these consider how great pernicious an errour hath ensnared them let them labour with all care speedy diligence to have this black cloud of death infidelity hanging over their heads remooved from them It is indeed the uncomfortable estate of the greatest part of the world even of those licentious persons that seeme to boast often of the mercy of God yet not to beleeve his mercy Esa 53.1 Luk. 18.8 Psa 78.22.32.35.36 they feele it not in their hearts when they glory outwardly of it for had they faith it would soone have purifyed their hearts changed ther lives filled them with peace joy unspeakable glorious Act. 15.9 Rom. 5.1 1. Pet. 1.8 Let such consider that through unbeleefe men are broken off from God Rom. 11.20 they doe him the greatest dishonour that may be in not beleeving 1. Ioh. 5.10 for the healing of this sore let them set before them the rich precious promises of God by the meditation whereof they may be quickened have faith wrought in their hearts Psa 119.25.28.49.50.93 Though their sins be many that they cannot answer for one of a thousand Iob 9.3 there is mercy with God to blot out their sinnes as a thick cloud to take away their transgressions as a mist Esa 44.22 When the Lord proclaimed his glorious name he manifested himselfe by this mercy used twise so many titles to expresse it rather then his justice saying The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnes and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sinne that surely will not cleare the wicked visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the childrens children unto the third and fourth generation Exod. 34.5.6.7 For though the Lord in regard of himselfe be equally infinite in respect of all his attributes yet is it harder for men to beleeve his mercy then his justice as the event shewes it is a work more above the power of nature by true faith to apply the mercy of God with spirituall fornicatiō being carried away to dumbe Idoles 1. Cor. 12.2 when they turned from Idoles to serve the living God 1. Thes 1. 9 presently of most foule harlots they became the fairest among women even the Churches of God his most beauteous spouses Sol. song 5.9 They found mercy for all their sins which they confessed being baptised into the name of the Lord they arose up out of the water looked forth as the morning faire as the Moone pure as the Sunne Sol. song 6.9.10 they shone in glory as the great wonder in heaven like the woman cloathed with the Sunne treading upon the Moone with her feet crowned upon her head with the twelve starres Rev. 12.1 Manasses
him drink of the river of his pleasures To him be praise for evermore CHAP. II. Of the sure onely way to the Well of life No way to life but onely by Christ In the knowledge of Christ we are to consider a His calling unto the whole work of RedemptioÌ„ the gifts wherewith he was abundantly furnished for this calling b The offices laid upon him for this work when he became our Prophet to teach instruct both in his owne person by his ministers c Our Priest in his sufferings obedience on earth intercession for us in heaven d Our King to bring us unto the possession of life subduing all his our enimies e The visible signes seales of his grace Baptisme the Supper of the Lord f The dignity of his person being both very God true man requisite unto the discharge of each of his three offices g The comforts arising from these considerations specially when men thirst after life are carefull to have in store a select number of the promises of salvation h A direction how to apply the promises unto ourselves by the due consideration of Christ his natures offices I Am the way the trueth the life no man commeth unto the Father but by me saith Christ Ioh. 14.6 He is the Lambe that leades unto the living fountaines Rev. 7.17 the good shepheard that gathers the lambes with his arme carries was called thereunto of his Father Christ is the signet of his Fathers right hand him hath God the Father sealed by designing appointing him to be the Mediatour Ioh. 6.27 He is the elect of God Esa 42.1 fore ordained before the foundation of the world 1. Pet. 1.20 and againe manifestly called in time chiefely at his Baptisme Transfiguration when that glorious voyce came from heaven This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him Matt. 3.17 17.5 This calling of Christ is especially noted in the Gospell of Iohn more theÌ„ fourty times in exact number under the phrase of sending him Ioh. 5.23.24.30 â—6 37.38 c. yet fourty times againe in other equivalent phrases of being sealed given comming downe from heaven come in the Fathers name the like Our Saviour himselfe doth ever anon repeat this calling rejoyce in it teach others to comfort themselves in it therefore the afflicted conscience that seekes to be strengthened in faith should often remember this calling of Christ yea fourty fourty times to runne unto it after the example of Christ never to have done with it that so the meditation thereof may lead them to the well of life Christ being thus called of his Father is thereupon also furnished with all gifts meet for his calling anoynted with the oyle of joy gladnes above his fellowes Hâ—b 1.9 with the spirit above measure Ioh. 3.34 that of his fullnes we all might receive even grace for grace or grace over against grace grace renewed in us according to his image grace according to our need of grace according to his abundance able to supply all our wants Ioh. 1.16 All his garmeÌ„ts smel of myrrhe aloes cassia out of his yvory palaces whereby they have made him glad whereby he hath made us glad giving the oyle of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heavinesse Psa 45.8 Esa 61.3 His name is an oyntment powred out therefore the virgines love him Sol. song 1.3 and they sing lovesongs of him and their heart boyleth out his praise Psal 45. title vers 1. Being thus anointed called of his Father he comes promptly at his call Lo I come to doe thy will O God Heb. 10.7 with Psa 40.7.8 he is as willing as he is able to be a ver have found the well of life for there is none that understandeth Psa 53.1.2 but he is the light of them that sit in darkenes in the shadow of death he maketh the eyes of the blinde to see out of obscurity darknes Esa 29.18 In his breast is that Vrim Thummim by which the counsell of God was made knowne unto men Exod. 28.30 Num. 27.21 for he is the substance of the shadowes that went before Coll. 2.17 As from the Oracle debir 1. Kin. 6.19.20 the inmost place of the Sanctuary God was wont to speak of old to send forth a voyce Exo. 25.22 Num. 7.8.9 so now hath he spoken unto us in his Sonne that is in his bosome Heb. 1.1 Ioh. 1.18 There is no labyrinth of errour but he gives a threed of direction to come out of it There is no perplexity or difficult case of conscience but he resolveth it God hath given him the tongue of the learned to know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary Esa 50.4 He leades the simple in a way that the fooles shall not erre therein Esa 35.8 Many complaine of the many religions and opinions in the world that they know not which to take but such are not acquainted with this Prophet who teacheth the humble revealeth his secret to them that feare him Psal 25.9.14 Christ is not like a sterne austere master of whom the poore schollers dare not aske a question but he is gentle loving calles them to learne of him perswades them to come to him because he is meek lowly shewes them how to finde rest unto their soules in all their doubts difficulties Matt. 11.29 And further as in the dayes of his flesh he was a minister of the circumcision Rom. 15.8 going about all Galilee teaching in their Synagogues preaching the Gospell of the kingdome Matt. 4.23 so now by his ministers servants Eph. 4.11.12 the maidens of his wisedome Prov. 9.3.4 he calles all nations to the knowledge fellowship of his grace Mat. 28.19 As of old he preached to the spirits now in prison by Noah a preacher of righteousnes 1. Pet. 3.19 so still at this day he preacheth peace to theÌ„ that are afarre of Eph. 2.17 Hereby his voyce is as the sound of many waters Rev. 1.15 a souud that is gone out into all the earth unto the ends of the world Rom. 10.18 And thus the spirit even in the waters of the great deep Exod. 14. Esa 51.10 so there being a burning lake a red sea of wrath prepared for sinners our holy high Priest hath made a way for us he wading first through the same the waters therof entring into his soule and overwhelming him that we might be delivered Psal 69.1 2. His suffering satisfaction is become a strong bridge of translation to carry us out of the state of wrath and condemnation into the state of grace and salvation and to transport us safely over this gulfe of destruction and curse in which for our sinnes we had deserved to have bene plunged drowned for ever Gal. 3.13 Col. 1.13.14 To
lover of the world and of these things of the world then is not the love of the Father in him 1. Ioh. 2.15.16 then is he made the enimy of God for his entertainment of these lusts and his amity with them Iam. 4.4 and consequently cannot looke for the fruits of that blessed friendship with God but for such remaineth a fearefull exspectation of judgment death in the day of Gods wrath Therefore men die for ever because they live after the flesh doe not die betimes to these sinfull lusts Rom. 8.13 e As the world so the Devill also by the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life both worketh his chief temptations by the mortifying of those he is cōquered by mens yeelding unto thē he overcommeth devoureth them This appeareth in three most memorable examples of Adam Christ and Antichrist At the temptation of our first parents the Devill used these three baites thereby ensnared them The forbidden tree by his suggestion appeared good for meat Gen. 3.6 to bring them to covetousnes not content with all the other trees of paradise as though there had not bene meat enough for thē without this also it appeared pleasant to the eyes to kindle the lust of false and vaine pleasure in them and by his suggestion it appeared as a tree desirable by which the Devill workes so effectually in him and in others by him are those three forenamed lusts for by these three is Antichrist often described In respect of the lust of the flesh the habitation and denne of Antichrist is a spiriruall Sodom Rev. 11.8 abounding with lusts of monstrous uncleannes the Romish city is compared to a great Harlot the mother of harlots having in her hand a great cup full of abominations filthinesse of her fornication Rev. 17.1.4.5 and living deliciously in pleasures Rev. 18.7 In respect of the lust of the eyes love of riches she is decked with gold precious stone pearles Rev. 17.4 18.16 and for increase maintenance of that wealth her servants ministers through covetousnes and with fained words doe make merchandise of men 2. Pet. 2.3 And as for the pride of life this man of sinne doth exalt himselfe above all that is called God shewes himselfe that he is God 2. Thes 2.4 and hath a mouth speaking great things blasphemies is wondred at worshipped throughout the world Rev. 13.3.4.5 And when he is crossed in any of his lusts then he makes warre with the Saints overcomes them is drunken with their blood Rev. 13.7 17.6 suffers them not to buy or sell that will not receive his marke Rev. 13.17 Hereby it appeares that the spirit of Antichrist and the breath of his life is lust these worldly lusts are as it were the bridle and saddle wherewith Satan rides upon him with the spurres of these lusts he drives him on to commit so great abhominations By lust is the greatest sinne wrought in the world and therefore is every one to be warned hereby to fight continually against these lusts that fight against the soule and make it a slave to Satan 1. Pet. 2.11 They must either mortify these lusts of the old man or els for ever be a spoyle prey unto the old serpent that worketh by them Holy Ghost they are againe taught upon the new consideratiō of this honour done unto them in reverence of this divine guest to proceed unto a further degree care of their mortification to cleanse themselves from all filthines of flesh and spirit to subdue the old man with his lusts affections lest they grieve this Spirit that is come to dwell with them 1. Cor. 6.19.20 2. Cor. 6.16 7.1 Eph. 4.30 a The manner how the Spirit doth mortify sinne is by bringing the sinner unto Christ by him unto the Father As the Father for communicating of life unto men hath sent his Sonne to merit life Ioh. 7.16 3.16 both the Father the Sonne have sent the Holy Spirit for our assurance of that life Ioh. 15.26 so the Spirit againe bringes us both to Christ to the Father and first teacheth us to embrace Christ he testifies of Christ and glorifies him takes of his shewes it unto us Ioh. 16.13.14.15 The manner how the Spirit bringes us unto Christ is by working in us the graces of Faith Hope Love of Christ These are the most sweet breathings of the Holy Ghost by each of these he workes mortification in them that are so brought unto him I. Faith in Christ serves to kill sinne in us many wayes First of all by the death of Christ there is merited for us not onely the pardon of our sinne but also a power of subduing sinne by his death he hath merited the gift of the spirit even of the spirit of sanctification Of this gift we are made partakers by faith which engraffes us into Christ into the fellowship of his death of all the merit thereof Therefore is it sayd that we are planted together with him into the likenes of his death and hereupon we know that the old man is crucifyed with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Rom. 6.5.6.7 8. Thus being by faith united to Christ the spirit of mortification as well as the gift of reconciliation is bestowed upon us in this regard should we the more earnestly seek that precious faith which procures so great grace unto us Therefore did Christ beare our sins in his body on the tree that we might become dead unto sinnes 1. Pet. 2.24 that by the merit of his death sinne might be mortifyed in us And hereupon we come to say with the Apostle that we are crucifyed with Christ Gal. 2.20 we may stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free Gal. 5.1 IV. Moreover as our Mortification depends upon that which Christ merited for us so that which Christ by his death obtained for himselfe doth further lead us thereunto For to this end Christ both dyed rose againe that he might be Lord both of the dead living Rom. 14.9 And as we beleeve that he is becom our Lord so we are to beleeve that we are become his servants being bought with a price to wit by his blood therefore are not our owne but his 1. Cor. 6..19.20 7.23 therefore may not doe our owne willes nor follow our owne affections lusts but are to mortify them that we may doe his will Thus the faith of Christs dominion over us purchased by his death doth serve for an help of our mortification while it apprehends that the redeemed of Christ are redeemed from the earth from among men to follow the Lambe being the first fruits unto God to the Lambe Rev. 14.3.4 V. Againe being in part mortifyed contrite for sinne by another act of faith we doe
Spirit by faith bringes us unto Christ for the mortification of sinne it followes that we consider how the same is done by Hope also through the assured exspectation of the glory that is to come Christ is our Hope the Hope of glory 1. Tim. 1.1 Col. 1.27 And frō this Hope there ariseth a double act of mortification by two especiall graces of Sobriety Patience that are exercised therein Sobriety is an act of mortification which consists in the subduing of inordinate joy delight of all earthly pleasures honours and profits wherewith so many are as it were drunken overcome By looking for that blessed Hope the glorious appearing of the great God our Saviour Iesus Christ we are taught to deny ungodlines worldly lusts to live soberly and temperately in the moderate use of all outward comforts Tit. 2.12.13 The godly doe know that when the Lord shall appeare in glory they shall be made like unto him when they shall see him as he is And every one that hath this Hope in him purifyeth himselfe as he is pure 1. Ioh. 3.2.3 This purification of the soule from uncleane pleasures and lusts is the mortification of them As a greater light doth obscure dimme the lesse both the starres in the firmament the candles lighted on earth below doe cease to shine when the light of the radiant Sunne doth arise upō them so all the brightest lampes of worldly pleasure are as it were extinguished suffer with joy the spoyling of their goods knowing in themselves that they have in heaven a better an enduring substance Heb. 10.34 e After the consideration of Faith Hope it remaines that we proceed to the third grace of Love whereby the holy Spirit doth worke a further mortification in the elect And first of all by the love of Christ men are brought to the love of death having a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 This desire of death cannot be in a man untill he be dead unto the world untill the love of the things that are in the world be dissolved within him Vntill a man be content to depart from all other vanities he cannot desire to goe unto Christ And therefore ought the godly to labour to finde in thēselves this desire of being translated out of the world to be with Christ that thereby they may finde more assurance of their mortification We see how the tender fervent love of some friends makes them willing desirous to die with their friēds doth after a sort mortifye the world unto them Iacob having lost Ioseph refused to be comforted resolved to goe downe mourning into the grave unto his sonne Gen. 37.35 fearing the losse of Benjamin both he others thought he should die with him his life being bound up in his sonnes life Gen. 42.38 44.22.30.31 It is recorded by divers historians touching the barbarous Indians in some parts both of the East the West some Black-Moores in Guinea in the midst betwixt them both that many of the subjects doe willingly die with their kings and many women with their husbands that the Prince being drowned many of the people have willingly drowned themselves with him that some men give their wives some their childrē some their servāts to be buried alive in the grave with their king to serve him in another world that some women doe cheerfully by the encouragement of their friends cast themselves into the fire wherein according to their manner of burial in some places the dead bodies of their husbands are consumed together If these so wickedly and resolutely leave this world before they be called and blindly cast away their lives for the love of a wretched creature what shame is it unto Christians if the love of their glorious prince heavenly bridegroome doe not mortify them declared it remaineth yet to be shewed how the Spirit having brought us to Christ doth bring us thereby to the eternall Father for in Christ through the Spirit we have accesse or entrance to the Father Eph. 2.18 and are reconciled to God saved and not onely so but we also joy in God through our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5.11 And then all the attributes that are in God absolutely considered besides the other comforts to be had by them doe in speciall serve for our mortification by the Spirit of Christ teaching us the right life of them God is light 1. Ioh. 1.5 and all his glorious attributes are so many divine beames of light whereof every one of thē by shining upon us doth further our mortificatiō The eye of Gods infinite wisedome looking downe upon us may well strike us with shame of our vaine behaviour and forgetfulnes of God and make us mourne as Peter when at his third denyall Christ turned and looked upon him Luk. 22.61.62 And therefore are wicked mē the further from mortification because they say in their hearts Tush God seeth not Psal 10.11 Iob 22.14 the eye of man restraines them more then the eye of God Iob 24.15.17 The sight of Gods infinite power may well cast us downe and make us seeme lesse then grashoppers in our owne eyes when Israelites were so stricken with the sight of the mighty and tall Anakims Num. 13.33 His infinite goodnes mercy communicated with us should affect us more then Davids did Mephibosheth cause us rather to say What are we that the Lord should looke upon such dead dogs as we are 2. Sam. 9.8 His infinite wrath against sin before which the mountaines quake and melt Nah. 1.5.6 may well strike us with godly sorrow for the same sins which in the reprobate are punished with unrecoverable destruction though they be pardoned in us The incomprehensible majesty glorious beauty of his face cannot be looked upon by living men Exod. 33.20 some sparkles thereof appearing have brought men to the feare of death Iud. 13.22 His unmeasurable eternity being duely thought upō may well mortify the love of this transitory world that passeth away 1. Cor. 7.31 he alone being unchangeable abiding for ever the same Iam. 1.17 Psa 102.26.27 His unconceivable ubiquity or presence in every place may well serve for an hedge or wall of mortification to keepe us in awe of him in the denyall of ourselves for him seeing we can goe no whither from his spirit presence Psa 139.7 c. And thus all the rest of his attributes being reverently thought upon may serve to subdue the vanity of our mindes worke a death of sin within us by the help of his Holy Spirit By this meanes we may be prepared for our latter end to leave this world with comfort The Heremites Anachoretes that shut up themselves in walles or wildernesses doe every day with their owne hāds digge with their fingers scratch rake up the mouldes making their owne grave aforehand lying downe therein doe not in
so right a manner thinke of their end as those that thus doe mortify their sins making their owne spirituall meditations the graves wherein to bury their lusts CHAP. V. Of the outward meanes of Mortification The ordinances the workes of God a The primary ordinances the Word Prayer Sacraments Discipline b The secondary ordinances Fasting Watching c Ordinances of a third degree Vowes c Covenants d The Sacraments Sacrifices of the old Testament e Legall purifications there was more pollution by the touching of an uncleane or dead man then by the touch of any uncleane beast in seven respects f The Law of the Nazarite g The workes of Creation both in generall particular h The workes of Providence all the good that is done for us or performed by us i all the evils either of sinne committed by ourselves or others k or of punishment suffered by our selves or others l The due consideration of Death serves to mortify all kindes of lust THe Spirit of God working inwardly is the principall meanes of our mortification yet ordinarily he chooseth those times for this his work when as we observe the outward meanes which he hath appoynted to this purpose These meanes are either the use of his ordinances or the consideration of his workes The primary ordinances of God whereby the Spirit killes sinne are his Word Prayer Sacraments Discipline that he hath appoynted These are the weapons of our warfare not carnall but mighty through God to cast downe strong holds 2. Cor. 10.4 a His Word is the Hammer of Mortification that breakes the stony heart makes it contrite Ier. 23.29 As he himselfe is so is his word lively mighty in operation sharper then any two-edged sword that pierceth deep cuts the soule spirit Heb. 4.12.13 and hewes the old man in pieces as Samuel once hewed king Agag in pieces before the Lord. 1. Sam. 15.33 This sword of the Spirit is to be taken into the hands of every Christian that would obtaine the victory over the world Eph. 6.17 This word is to be heard publickely to be read privately to be meditated upon continually out of it a store of divine sentences commandements promises and threatnings is to be gathered kept in readines Col. 3.16 according to every mans necessity and speciall temptations so to be applyed against the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life for the mortification thereof These divine testimonies words of God are like so many sharp nayles Eccl. 12.11 to be fastened into the hands and feet of the old man that so he may be crucifyed As it was the honour of Iael she was blessed above women because she put her hand to the nayle and her right hand ro the hammer and smote Sisera and stroke through his temples till the enimy of Gods people was slayne Iudg. 5.24.26.27 so shall they be blessed above other men and women that having furnished themselves with store of divine oracles doe then put their hands to the nayles hammer of the Spirit so strike downe every lust sinful motion as soone as it beginnes to lift up the head and to stirre within them by applying the counsell of God against the same By Prayer the spirit of mortification is obtained both when it is desired by petition according to the precept promise Luk. 11.13 Matt. 26.41 as also by the very act exercise of prayer though this grace in particular be not desired but other things in as much as the very comming into Gods presence and the very presenting of the soule before him doth strike downe proud thoughts set the soule in a way of mortification Gen. 18.27 Psa 59 2-7 The Sacraments being due ly administred and received serve also in speciall manner to mortifye the old man In Baptisme there is as it were a grave of mortification when being baptised into the death of Christ we are buryed with him by baptisme Rom. 6.3.4 Col. 2.12 1. Cor. 15.29 The reverent and due meditation of this ordinance the beholding of the administration thereof is more effectuall for the mortifying of sinne then travelling to Ierusalem to behold the sepulcher of Christ as many have done In the Supper of the Lord the body and blood of Christ is so lively represented unto us that with Thomas we doe put our fingers into the hands and side of Christ into the print of the nayles speare Ioh. 20.27 in the due consideration thereof we cannot but crucifye our owne flesh with the affections and lustes In the exercise of Discipline by admonitions rebukes for sin the heart is humbled and broken Psal 69.20 with Zech. 13.6 and the censures are administred for the destruction of the flesh shaming of the offendour 1. Cor. 5.5 2. Thess 3.14 that by such meanes he might be truely mortifyed They serve also for the mortifying and humbling of the persons by whom they are administred giving them just cause of mourning bewayling both their owne others miseries by reason of sinne 1. Cor. 3.2 2. Cor. 7.8 and 12.21 even as under the Law he that did that which tended to the cleansing of others became uncleane himselfe Num. 19.7.8.10.21 b The secondary ordinances of God are such meanes of mortification as serve to help further us in the use of the former as namely Fasting Watching that we may be better prepared to pray to meditate to heare the word to receive the Sacraments to performe other religious dueties By fasting we understand either abstinence from meat altogether for a shorter time as in David others 2. Sam. 1.12 3.35 or abstinence from pleasant meat for a longer time as in Daniel Dan. 10.2.3 vvith vers 11.12.13 The use of both is to humble the soule that it may be better fitted for the exercise of mortification to this end are we called thereunto of God Ioel 2.12 and for the same purpose are the examples of the Saints that have bene frequent therein commended unto us in Scripture Dan. 9.3 Psa 35.13 69.10 2. Cor. 11.27 either to cast off their sins or themselves to be cast out of the Church they say in that covenant conditionally as Ionas sayd when he offered himselfe to be cast into the sea Ion. 1.12 binding themselves at their entrance into the Church either to beware of offences disturbing the peace thereof or to yeeld unto those courses whereby themselves deserve to be troubled d Having considered the ordinances of the New Testament the subordinate helpes whereby we are furthered in the exercise of mortification let us now see what may be observed to this purpose from the ordinances of the old Testamēt Though the practise of them cease in the ceremony yet not the meditation of thē nor the practise of those dueties which are signifyed by the ceremonies And all of them in speciall manner preach mortification unto us and call us
behold the glory of all his angels to tast of the pleasures of his right hand If David prayed so often and so earnestly that he might enjoy the presence of God in his earthly sanctuary to behold the beauty of his ordinances there Psa 27.4 and 42.1.2 84.1 c. how much more ought we to pray constantly for our entrance into his heavenly sanctuary to enjoy the glory that 5.7 Lev. 5.16 Every man therefore that would have comfort in death peace in his conscience at his latter end must labour according to his utmost power to make cleare with the world by restitution satisfaction for wrong done for debts undischarged for fraudulent bargaines overreaching of his neigbour for any other injuries by word or deed against the person or credit of his neighbour He that would finde his soule reconciled to God must labour betimes without delay to see himself reconciled with men III. As there is a needfull Reconciliation so there is a holy zealous Revenge necessary to be sought before death that men may die with more comfort Neither let it seeme strange that seeking of revēge should be reckoned among the speciall preparatives unto death Though to take the sword for carnall revenge to satisfy the private lust of the flesh be oft forbidden of God Rev. 13.10 Mat. 26.52 Rom. 12.19.20 Pro. 25.21.22 24.17.18 20.22 yet is there a just glorious revenge of sin commanded of God both upon others upon ourselves Moses a little before his death is commanded to avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites that then he might be gathered unto his people Num. 31.1.2 One of his last workes was to be a work of revenge that being done he was to die with more comfort The remembrance of that revenge wrought by Phinehas could not but comfort him at his last houre Num. 25.11.12.13 Saul therefore had extreme anguish discomfort in death for not executing a revenge upon Amalek as it was told him of the Devill because he would not learne it of God 1. Sam. 28 15-20 with ch 15 1-35 David on his death-bed could not die quietly till he had cōmēded that work of revenge unto his son upon Ioab Shimei which himself had deferred omitted in his life time 1. Kin. 2 1-9 And all Magistrates having the sword committed unto them of God shall die with more comfort when according to their power they have so used it besides common justice have on some special occasions manifested some speciall zeale for the suppressing rooting out of the maine evils raigning in their times They that have the sword of the Spirit committed unto them of God are to have revenge in readines against all disobedience by admonitions rebukes spirituall censures of sin thē Now I know that thou lovest me because thou hast not spared thy wealth from me c. And therefore besides dayly common workes of mercy the H. Ghost commēds unto us some extraordinary workes of mercy upon speciall occasion either of mercy received by us or afflictiō layd upō others Whē the kingdome of heavē was opened after the ascension of Christ the Spirit powred out many converted spiritual joy abounded the comfort thereof produced extraordinary fruits of love as when Ioses or Barnabas others that had lāds houses sold thē distributed to the poore Act. 4 34-37 such gifts could not be givē every day yet though it were done but ōce in their life the cōfort thereof might well last so long as they lived Zacheus that in the day of his joyfull conversion calling stood forth gave at once the half of his goods to the poore though he could not every week make such distributions yet the comfort of that one act approoved accepted of Christ as a fruit of his faith token of his salvation could not but be a perpetuall consolation to be thought on even to death For earthly blessings received speciall offerings were to be made at solēne times appointed of God such were the feast in Abib of the first fruits of barly harvest the feast of weeks of the first fruits of wheat harvest the feast of tabernacles or of gathering in the fruits of the land in the end of the yeare Exo. 23.16 34.22 Lev. 23. to teach us that new blessings call for new expressions of thankfulnes that we may honour God with our substance and with the first fruits of all our increase Prov. 3.9 And as upon occasion of speciall comforts we are to be mooved unto the workes of mercy so also at the consideration of the speciall afflictions and wants of others In the time after the captivity when the necessity was great and the bondage heavy upon the Iewes then did godly Nehemias forbeare to take the bread of the Governour the stipend of former rulers and shewed extraordinary love compassiō in which he comforts himselfe praying the Lord to think upon him for good according to all the kindnes that he had done for his people Nehem. 5 14-18.19 When with extreme need there appeare in persons lively tokens of faith and godlines thē especially should take place the counsel of Iohn Baptist that we should abridge ourselves of our food raymēt rather thē see others want Luk. 3.10.11 Such good workes cannot but follow the godly to the grave and minister comfort at the last Rev. 14.13 Act. 9.36.39 It is a shame unto the disciples of Christ that so many and great purgatory-gifts have proceeded frō the false faith of merit-mongers when the faith of his most glorious Gospel doth not work the like in true beleevers a shame that an idle dreame servile feare of imagined purgatory should doe more then the assured and certaine persuasion of the love of God in Christ V. With the work of mercy is to be joyned the work of humility meeknes as a speciall preparative for a comfortable death translation out of this world For as with those that are translated out of this world into heaven there is no respect of persons poore Lazarus is carried first in the bosome of an Angell and then in the bosome of Abraham the Father of the faithfull Luk. 16.22 so those that would beginne a heavenly life here in the end with comfort be translated are in like māner to make themselves equall with them of lower estate Rom. 12.16 to converse with the poore to cary them in their bosome not onely to give a few pence of silver but to powre out their heart and their love unto them Esa 58.10 This was prophesyed of as a fruit of Christs kingdome Esa 11.6.7.8 such correspondence with the poore Christ commends unto us with promise of a large recompence Luk. 14.12.13.14 We are to walk by faith not by sight 2. Cor. 5.7 now by faith we see the Angels ministring unto them who shall be heires of salvation Heb. 1. l. Rev. 22.9 therefore
if we performe the like offices of love respect unto the poore servants of Christ we shal be fitter to goe with comfort into the society of Angels They that thus goe out of the world beforehand by leaving the fashions thereof become childrē againe shall have a more comfortable entrance into the kingdome of heaven Matt. 18.3 As new borne babes here on earth are first taken up by one then by another are delivered from one friends armes to another every one striving to have them in their armes to kisse them so the souls that are borne into heaven are translated by death first into the bosome of Angels carying thē then into the bosome of Abraham the Saints receiving them every one imbracing them with kisses of heavenly love above all into the bosome of the Lord of glory there to be satisfyed with his love in fulnesse of joy for evermore Esa 40.11 Psal 16. l. VI. Another work whereby men are prepared to die with comfort is the visitatiō of the sick others that are in misery For the promise is that he that considers the poore or visits the afflicted shall himself be preserved and delivered in time of trouble the Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing he wil make all his bed in his sicknes Psal 41.1.2.3 By visiting the sick men both minister comfort unto others receive comfort themselves First they give comfort and minister a blessing unto those that are in distresse Thus to visit the fatherlesse the widowes in their affliction is pure religion undefiled before God and the Father Iam. 1.27 Onesiphorus is commēded for this Paul prayes heartily for him because he sought him out when he was in prison refreshed him ministred many things unto him 2. Tim. 1.16.17.18 Iob noteth the excellency of this whē he joineth him that cōforteth the mourners with a king even in the army when he useth greatest authority Iob 29.25 Whatsoever is done unto the least member of Christ in this kinde he takes it as done unto himself therefore such shall be remembred honoured by him at the last day Matt. 25 34-40 Secondly by visiting those that stand in need of comfort men doe also receive instruction comfort unto themselves Eccl. 7.2.3.4 2. Kin. 13.14.15 c. Though we may not inquire at the dead Deut. 18.11 yet at the dying we may learne many wholesome lessons as of repentance from their complaints of their sins bewailed of faith from their joyfull professions of their hope the examples of their constancy and of our owne mortality frailety from their strength languishing their pale countenances their dimme eyes their faltering tongue their ratling throat their panting heart their short breaths their painfull convulsions the last pangs sneckes of death all the symptomes of death are so many warnings unto the living to watch and prepare for their end Whosoever would be well prepared for death let them often repaire to such mourning houses let them so visit others in these cases that withall they see learne themselves that which God doth there so plainely teach them That which Elias sayd unto Elisha whē he had prayed for a double portion of his spirit If thou see me when I am taken from thee it shall be so unto thee 2. Kin. 2.9.10 may in some measure in another respect be sayd unto us whē seeing others taken away that very act with the circumstances of their departure is a meanes to increase the spirit in us yea to double our care comfort in looking for our end VII Lastly it is also a work preparatory unto death to have our testament Wil in readines that we need not be troubled therewith at last When the message of death was sent unto Hezekias he was called upon to set his house in order Esa 38.1 Abraham was carefull to settle the affaires of his house and family before his death as appeares by his disposing of Isaak in marriage Gen. 24.1.2 c. his giving gifts to the sonnes of Keturah his second wife sending them away Gen. 25.6 But the cheef part of testaments legacies are godly exhortations charges and blessings which parents give unto their children This was Isaaks care long before his death though he forgot the oracle that had assigned the blessing unto the younger Gen. 27 1-4 Isaak was then an hundred yeares old Gen. 25.26 with ch 26.34 he lived in all an hundred fourscore yeares Gen. 35.28 so that his testament his blessing was givē fourescore yeares before he dyed Iacob gave speciall charges blessings unto his sonnes before he died Gen. 47.29 48. 49. ch Thus did Moses with the children of Israel Deut. 33.1 c. and Ioshua Iosh 23. 24. ch Thus David also in a solemne assembly exhorteth the people especially his sonne Solomon to feare the Lord encourageth him unto the work that was to be done after him 1. Chron. 28.1.8.9.10 Solomon had also received instructions from his mother to the same purpose which he himself hath recorded Prov. 31. ch In speciall the more to affect children friends by exhortations promises and comforts I would commend unto fathers friends the example of Elijah the Prophet who in his life time made a writing which he procured to be delivered unto Iehoram after his death 2. Chron. 21 12-15 with 2. King 3.11 thus there may still be a prophesying after death though not by way of foretelling things to come yet by charges admonitions consolations which being left with executours or speciall friends together with other devises noted in the Scriptures together with the grounds thereof their faith hope love Simeon rejoyceth at the approch of his end Luk. 2.29.30 where we may observe the reasons before named mooving him thereunto his faith in having seen the salvation of the Lord which was grounded upō the word of promise produced peace of conscience his hope when he calleth death a departing or loosing frō bonds for it is the same word that elswhere signifyes to loose or release a prisoner Mat. 27.15.17 his love of God when he calles himself his servant Paul also had a desire to depart upon these three grounds his hope Phil. 1.23 his faith love 2. Tim. 4 6.7.8 And as these so other faithfull servants of Christ have also for the same causes earnestly desired to be absent from the body to be present with the Lord. 2. Cor. 5.1.2.8 2. Tim. 4.8 with Rev. 22.20.17 a Yet for the better understanding of this poynt somewhat must be further cōsidered to prevent a double danger both of some that seeme not to feare death of others that confesse they feare it The first sort are those that despise their life cast it away without being calld of God These deny the Lordship of Christ because that as no man should live to himself so none should die to himself but to the
Lord that whether we live or die we may be the Lords Rom. 14.7.8.9 This murder of a mās self is a grievous sin of which are guilty not onely such as lay violent hands on themselves but even those also that rashly expose themselves to unnecessary dangers combatants rash adventurers such as without a calling or any necessity goe to infectious places which are as the shadow of death As souldiers set to keep watch may not leave their station till the time appointed of their Captaine no more may we offer to depart hence untill we be dismissed or called away of our Commander Every man is bound to preserve life so long as by good meanes he can doe it or els he breakes the sixth cōmandemēt In like manner doe many offend by impatience vaine wishes of death Ion. 4.3.8.9 whether they doe it without sense having obdurate and feared cōsciences or with extremity of sēse without faith as in thoughts of despaire b Secondly this poynt of doctrine touching the feare of death is wisely to be considered in respect of many weake and infirme persons which have true faith hope love and yet are not so ready to selves feeling some present unpreparednes for the recovery of their strength that they may in better manner be fitted to appeare before God Psa 39.13 As a faithfull loving wife having had her husband long absent in a farre countrey or a spouse her bridegroome though she cannot but long for his returne yet if it should so fall out that about the time of his returne she should have the yellow jaundies or some greevous sore and deformity in the face would wish that her bridegroome might stay a week or two lōger till her sores were healed her strength recovered or as a Nobleman that unfainedly desires that his Prince should come to his house may yet in respect of some want of reparations in his house desire and wish in his heart that the Kings comming might be deferred a while till his house were repaired even so the spouse of Christ and his faythfull servants though they love him dearely desire nothing so much as to enjoy his presence to the full may yet sometimes wish that his comming might be prolonged for some space of time till they be in better plight to entertaine him Secondly they may be loth to depart this life in respect of others for their benefit insomuch that though for their owne part they have an unfained desire to be dissolved yet for the good of others they are content desirous to live as a parent for his childrens education a Prince for the reformation a Minister for the instruction of the people in dangerous times Thus it was with Hezekiah Esa 38.18.19 Paul Phill. 1 21-24 d And yet even in all these distresses when death approcheth God calles mē away there is comfort against every want Christ makes supply of all if there be any blemish sore or deformity he is such a bridegroome as suddenly heales all and presents us to himself without spot or wrinckle or any such thing Eph. 5.27 He is the father of the fatherlesse the great Shepheard of the sheep Heb. 13.20 he will gather feed defend his flock he hath abundance of spirit whereby to fulfill all his good pleasure he is all in all Hezekias had great desire to live to see his children to teach them and yet behold when God had prolonged his life added unto his dayes fifteen yeares presently he offēds heares a woeful threatning of judgmēt Esa 39.6.7 Yea Manasses his sonne whom he got three yeares after his recovery and who entred into the kingdome when he was twelve yeares old Hezekias his fifteē yeares being expired became a most abominable Idolater murderer witch c. 2. Kin. 21.1.2 c. Had Hezekias knowne so much whē he desird to live lōger to teach his children it is not likely that he would have bene so desirous of life Therefore if God call us away we must be content to depart whatsoever inconveniences be in the way consider how great a fault sin it is to be unwilling to goe at his call e To this end it will be profitable to think often of the greatest hindrances and encumbrances in death yea to consider of them as if we were now upon our death-bed lay presently a dying gasping for breath that we may learne to arme ourselves against all lets difficulties that make men unwilling to leave this world For example Obj. I. Some are happily loth to leave the world because of their friends kinred children acquaintance c. whose company they still desire to enjoy Ans For one friend whom we leave here we finde a thousand in heaven For I. Of men in this world we see but one as it were our owne generation and of this generation not the thousandth person we never saw all the countries of the world scarce heard of them much lesse their cities townes particular persons II. Of those we have seen we know not one city much lesse are we acquainted with all the inhabitants there are many from whom we receive no love nor any fruits of love yea some that proove our enimies from whom much evill is received III. For that small number of those that are our true friends indeed how weake are they in comparison not so amiable in soule or body by an hundred degrees as those to whom we goe IV. If men on earth were as gracious vertuous unblameable as in heaven yet in this earthly condition our communion with them is most imperfect defective lame in respect of present necessities layd upon us as 1. Our drossy nature whereby we are like snailes cannot travell about the world in such swift and glorious motions as in heaven 2. Our many trades and vocations binding men like prisoners to sit the whole week at their work confining them to their severall imployments The world is like a Rasp-house or Bridewell where by the rod of necessity men are made to work the twigs or cords of this whip are hunger thirst cold nakednes the smart and shame of these doth scourge force men to labour thus it is with men here in respect of heavē where there is no hindrance from continuall making of acquaintance 3. Our wearines sleepy nature making us spend our nights in the shadow of death as dead men whereas in heaven there is no night no shadow of the earth which reacheth little further thē the sphere of the Moone and therefore is farre from causing any darknes in the third heavēs in the paradise of God What darknes or night can approch thither where al the righteous shine as the Sun for ever Matt. 13.43 4. The weaknes of our senses bodily communion whereas here two soules sitting together cānot impart their mindes to one another without the outward organs instruments of sense there the spirits
without the body are like angels goe without feet embrace without hands see without eyes heare without eares speak without tongues for al these we leave in the grave But above all friends we then see God face to face whom here we could not behold Exod. 33.20 here we are as in a dungeon then we begin to looke about us Is there any losse in this change Ob. II. Others are troubled to thinke that they must leave house lands Ans He that teacheth bees to make such cabines closets for themselves will not suffer his owne children to be destitute of comfortable mansiōs nay the Lord hath promised they know it to be so that glorious pavilions chambers are provided for them Ioh. 14.1.2 2. Cor. 5.1 Every heart shall then be a pavilion chamber of rest delight unto each other yea the Lord himselfe shal be their house mansion for ever 1. Ioh. 4.15 Ob. III. Another sayth happily I care not so much for any outward things as to see the good of Gods Church in the accōplishment of his promises Among these there are three special things which a Christiā might wel desire above all other things to be seen enjoyed in this world viz. 1. The fall of Babylon destruction of Antichrist Rev. 18.20 2. The destructiō of Gog Magog the Turkish monarchy 3. The full conversion of the Iewes as a new Ierusalem comming downe from heavē as a bride trimmed for her husband It may wel be counted a happines to waite and come unto the sight of such dayes Dan. 12.12 1. Cor. 15.56.57 II. The freenes of Gods grace unto infants is applyed by the H. Ghost unto men of yeares that they also may depend on the same grace through faith Rom. 9.11.16.30 III. Many are called at the eleventh houre and God doth by such meanes greatly set forth the freenes of his mercy in pardoning sinners Matth. 20 6-9 Rom. 5.20 The sight of Christ by faith gives title unto all comfort happines Luk. 2 30-32 And therefore the theef on the crosse seeing Christ at last was suddenly trāslated into glory Luk. 23.43 Neither let any say That is but one example for in effect there are many very like unto that even in the conversion of many theeves in prison in the hands of justice yea after they have received the sentence of death when they die better give more signes of true repentance then multitudes that die in their beds And besides every mans conversion is in a certaine houre or moment suddainly as well as the theefes on the crosse though it be not marked and it is as great a work the same in substance to be translated out of the state of nature into the state of grace by true conversion as to be translated out of this world into heaven the one following infallibly upon the other So Pauls suddaine conversion from a blasphemous persecutour of Christ to be a member and minister of Christ was as great as the theefes translation from the crosse or gibbet to paradise or rather greater The same may be sayd of those thousands of murderers of Christ suddainly converted at Peters sermon Act. 2. the conversion of each of these was as great as that of the theef and may as well serve for the comfort of sinners Christ is the doore whosoever knockes by faith whensoever is sure to enter Ob. VI. Besides this the paine and pangs of death are objected by many as a cause of their feare why they are loth to die Ans I. We have commandements comforts and promises from Christ to arme us against such feares Iohn 14.1 Revelat. 2.10 The feare of death is one of the greatest paines in death and yet a feare not to be feared II. If the paine of death be sharp yet it is quickly over it is but one stride and at one leap it transports a man over the gulfe of all sorrow into everlasting glory III. To God Our Samson teares this Lyon as a kid destroyes death out of the carcasse of death brings life honye hony combes of eternall comfort Let us therefore be cheerfull in the exspectation of this happy conquest with comfort entertayne the signes of death drawing neere unto us as dimnes of sight deafnes of eares weaknes of limmes whitenes of head hoare haires Oh how welcome should these the like be unto the faithfull As the children in our streets when they first see the stork the messenger of the Spring doe welcome thesame testify their pleasure with manifold joyful acclamations so should the godly congratulate themselves when they see the forenamed messengers of their Winter past Summer approching or els both children and the very storkes in the aire knowing the times of their comming shal be witnesses against us When the fig-tree putteth forth his leaves the Summer is nigh Matt. 24.32 when the almond-tree flourishes thē it hastens the comming of other fruits Eccl. 12.5 Ier. 1.11.12 when the heralds of death approch then is it time for us to lift up our heads knowing that our redemption is neere When the eyes of the body the windowes of our prospect into the world beginne to be dark then must we so much the more open the eyes of our minde the windowes of the soule for our prospect into heaven to see things otherwise invisible When the daughters of singing are abased then especially we should labour to open the eares of faith that we may heare afarre off the songs of the virgines that have the harpes of God ready to entertayne us into the fellowship of their sweet melodies When the grinders are flow beginne to cease let us then be more frequent in grinding the wheat of heaven chewing the cudde ruminating the manna of the Evangelicall promises that should be the old mans milk the old mans wine sweeter then that of the muscadell grape to warme his cold breast to revive his decayed spirits Having thus entertained the messengers of death we shal be the readier to welcome death it selfe The neerer we grow to our journeys end the greater will be our desire and longing to arrive at that Rendevous of friends after a long march that generall meeting-place after a wearisome vvandring over hilles and dales in this our pilgrimage As the diligent husbandman plowes harrowes sowes his seed waites for the first latter raine is glad when it begins to grow when the blade the stalk the eare appeares gladder whē it is ful growne when the regiōs are white unto the harvest when sithe sickle are taken into the hand but is then especially filled with joy when the last load of corne is brought home with shouring singing like to the custome that seemes to have bene in Israel in their harvest vintage Esa 16.9.10 so in like manner they that have broken up their fallow ground have sowed in righteousnes have not been weary in well doing but stedfast unmooveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord shall then know see that their labour hath not been in vaine in the Lord shall then have cause to shout sing for joy when the Angels that are called reapers Matt. 13.39 shall gather these wheat sheaves into the heavēly barne where the righteous shall shine foorth as the Sun in the kingdome of their Father O that we were wise that we understood this so should we ever with comfort remember our latter END Printed at DORT BY HENRY ASH M.DCXXXIX