the earth God must not be conceived of by any Images Images in the Church shut out the Papists from eternall life and Images in the heart to conceive of God by excludes the ignorant and carnall Protestants In the right conceiving of Gods Nature we must adore him that is like nothing in heaven or earth 3 It must be such a knowledge or vision of God as discernes him to be the chiefe good and onely happinesse to be desired and so all those persons that behold any thing in this life to be sought after as the chiefe felicity of their lives are excluded from eternall life And the things so esteemed the Scripture calls their gods so some make their bellies their gods some their riches some honour and the favour of men 4 It must be such a knowledge of God as conceives of him in Iesus Christ that is that sees the way how Gods infinite justice provoked by many sinnes is pacified by the attonement made by Iesus Christ as the Mediatour betweene God and man Ioh. 17.3 else the knowledge of God in respect of the contemplation of his justice will be so far from inliving our hearts that it would kill them if they had life and this rule excludes all such from eternall life as live in despaire of Gods mercie as Cain and Iudas These knowledges are such as without which life cannot bee had but yet in themselves doe not quicken the Soule and inspire it with life 5 It must be such a knowledge as doth nor only discerne aright the doctrine of the Nature of God and of the person and offices of Christ but doth discerne that God is ours in particular in Iesus Christ and fully reconciled to us and our portion for ever To know God to be our God in Christ is the very life of our soules Now because we discerne this in God two waies viz. by the light of faith beleeving the promises of the Word though we see him not and by the light of vision when we shall see him in his goodnesse face to face therefore is the former light called the light of faith and belongs to this life and the later light belongs to another world Hence our justification which is by faith is called The justification of life Rom. 5.18 This is a point which should bee of unspeakable comfort to the weake Christians that have attained to this knowledge for certainly this is eternall life in them as true as if they had thâ— glory of heaven already But now that true Christians may be the more infallibly setled in the knowledge of their interest in eternall life as it lyeth in the right knowledge of God to be ours in Iesus Christ I will adde certaine effects of this knowledge which shew not onely that it is right but also that it is very eternall or spirituall life for if it be a right knowledge 1 It raiseth in the dead heart of man spirituall senses that were never there before It makes the soule of a man able to heare Gods word that could never doe it before It gives sight in spirituall things and sense and feeling and spirituall tasts of Gods goodnesse and a favouring of spirituall things more than earthly 2. Cor. 2.15 Rom. 8 5. Psal. 36.8 Phil. 1.9 2 It is a knowledge with admiration it sets a mans heart upon a constant wondering at the glory of the things revealed He that hath this knowledge sees in a Mirrour he sees and wonders Nothing more ravisheth the heart than doth the word when it shewâ— him the glory of Gods grace to him 2. Cor. 3.18 Wicked men see but they see not in a Mirrour 3 It is a knowledge that works transformation it changeth a man into the likenesse of that it sees even from glâ—ry to glory by the power of the spirit of Christ. The light comes into wicked men but leaues them the same men it found them for disposition and conversation but this light humbles the heart of a man for his sinnes and purifieth him from his most secret sinnes Act. 15.9 and besides prints upon him the Image of God and stirres him up to all the motives of life in doing good workes 2. Cor. 3.18 Col. 3.10 1. Ioh. 2 3. 3.24 4 It is such a light as is indelible and will abide the triall of manifold afflictions and gives life and joy still to the soule It doth not onely comfort in Gods house but will support us when we are gone home under the miseries of this present life 1 Pet. 1.7 The use should be to teach us all to blesse God for the Gospell that brings life to light and shewes us the love of God to us in Christ and for all the meanes by which the Gospell is preached to us in the life of it Oh how should wee bee beholding to them that helpe us to eternall life by leading us unto God this Ocean of goodnesse And withall wee should be wonderfully thankefull to God and for ever comforted if we can finde that wee have attained to the assurance of Gods love to us in Christ. Though our knowledge here bee but small and weake yet it is so rich as the tongue of man cannot utter if it be in any measure true and sincere Besides how should this fire our desires after wisdome and spirituall understanding in the word of Christ seeing it is our life and in the same degree wee encrease in eternall life that we encrease in acquaintance with God in Christ and therefore aboue all gettings we should be getting understanding And finally it shews the woful estate of ignorant persons that are careless of the study of the word of God and of hearing of the Gospel preached This is their death wil be their eternal death if they prevent it not by repentance and sound redeeming of the time for the service of the soule about this sacred knowledge 4 Now for the fourth point the things that nourish life are greatly to be heeded both to shew us what we should apply our selves to and with what thankefulnesse to receive the meanes of our good herein 1 Wee must know that the principall cause of the nourishment and encrease of spirituall life is the influence of vertue from Christ our mysticall head by the secret and unutterable working of the spirit of Christ which is therefore called the Spirit of life because it both frees us by degrees from the feares of death and from the power and blots of sinne Rom. 8.2 and withall it quickens and encreaseth life in us for the better exercise of righteousnesse Rom. 8.10 2 The contemplation of Gods favour and presence doth wonderfully extend and inflame life in us To marke God any where or by any experience to finde effectually his loue and to taste of the sweetnesse of his goodnesse this is life from the dead better than all things in naturall life It doth a godly mans heart more good than all things in the world can doe as
the knowledge of Prophets or Apostles on earth The fift difference is in the effects of our Knowledge for from our knowledge and this celestiall light flowes righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost which the Apostle Paul makes to bee the parts of the kingdome of God and so both in this life and in heaven Rom. 14.17 And unto these three heads may bee referred all things that concerne the glory of eternall life and all these are held with great difference in each degree of eternall life For though wee have righteousnesse and peace and joy now in the truth of them yet we have them not as wee shall have them in heaven as will appeare if we consider of them distinctly First for righteousnesse Here it is the greatest burthen of life unto the godly that they are not able to serve God as they desire the imperfections of their gifts the corruption of their natures the daily infirmities that discover themselves in their conversations make life many times more bitter than death would be to them as appeareth by Saint Paul Rom. 7. But there all that is imperfect shall bee done away there shall be no danger of displeasing God for wee shall be made perfect in all parts and degrees of holinesse our nature shall be perfect like the nature of God our members shall never more be servants unto unrighteousnesse and our soules shall exactly resemble God in all perfection of goodnesse and gifts Here the glory of mans inheritance lyeth in the goodnesse of things without them there it shall consist principally in an everlasting goodnesse confirmed upon themselves We shall be without spot and wrinkle Eph. 5.27 Wee shall be as hee is in holinesse 1. Ioh. 3.2 Here is our griefe that our hearts cannot be so filled with the love of God and the godly as they should bee there our hearts shall burne with an eternall inflamation of affections towards God and the blessed ones without any interruption or decay wee shall never more be troubled with hardnesse of heart discouragement feare distractions inordinate desires and perturbations Yea our holinesse shal be better than Adams in Paradise for he had a power not to sinne but we shal have no power at all to sin Yea in relation to Christ it shall be better with us then than it is now for now we are reckoned just men only by the benefite of Christs righteousnesse imputed to us but then we shall be made so perfectly holy by inherent righteousnesse that wee shall stand everlasting righteous before God by the righteousnesse that is in us Imputation shall there cease for ever when Christ hath delivered up the kingdome to God the Father and when Faith shall bee done away Lastly the difference in this point may further appear in the freedome of our will In this life many times our wills are not free to desire to doe the good we should doe and most an end want power to execute what we desire but there shall be all libertie so as we shal never want either desire or power to accomplish what may be for Gods everlasting glory or our owne felicity Secondly for peace there is great difference for first in this life we have but little peace in respect of the miseries of life Somtimes we have but little inward peace our hearts being unquiet with fear or grief or discouragement or passions or else our consciences are unquiet eyther because God fights against us to try us or to humble us or we fight against our selves through ignorance unbeleef or distresse for sin Somtimes when our spirits are quiet and there is a truce from inward warre we then want outward peace eyther men are unreasonable molest us without cause in our estates or names or else God afflicts us in body with paine and weakenesse or in estate sometime with easie crosses like small raine sometimes with greater crosses like some fierce stormes Now in heaven there shall be an eternall cessation of all miserie there shall be no curse and affliction shall be cast into the Sea Rev. 22.3 Secondly our Sabbath or dayes of rest which God hath consecrated and blessed to us as the chiefe joy of our lives proves many times dayes of sorrow and affliction because eyther our bodies are molested with paine or our soules distressed for want of powerfull meanes or for want of abilitie to keepe a Sabbath unto God or for want of joy in our soules But in heaven we shall have an eternall Sabbath not one day in seven but all our dayes rest without labour and solace of heart without any difficultie in our selves or interruption without us God and the Lambe will be an eternall Temple to make our rest for ever glorious We shall be freed from all the labours of life from all pain difficultie in serving God and our workes shall be all easie and full of delight even the praising of God for ever Rev. 14.12 Heb. 4.9 Thirdly for Ioy there is great difference both in the causes and in the measure and in the continuance of it The causes of our Ioy shall be the highest can befall a creature Here while we are present with the bodie and the blessings of life we are absent from the Lord the infinite life of our lives but there we shall enjoy him as fully as our hearts can desire 2. Cor. 5.8 Here we want our crown whatsoever else we enjoy but there our honour and glory and majestie shall be so great as if all the Kings of the earth did bring their glory to one man it would not equall what every one shall have there 2. Tim. 4.8 Revel 2.24 3.21 wee shall raigne in life Rom. 5. And this Crowne is the more glorious because it shall not consist of some precious thing without us but of royall excellency with which our soules and bodies shall shine as the Sunne in the firmament our very bodies in qualitie being altered to such an expression of majestie and beautie and angelicall excellencie as now exceeds all mortall language being rather like spirits than earthly bodies And for the measure now we have but little tastes of joy and if these tastes be unspeakeable and glorious what are those rivers of joy at Gods right hand Psal. 16. ult And for continuance they are for evermore as the Psalmist there speakes whereas now they are gone from us like lightning in an instant and our lives are afterward assaulted almost continually with causes or occasion of sorrow so as the world in the best place is but like a vale of teares but there shall be no sorrow no death no crying nor paine but God shall wipe away all teares from our eyes for ever Revel 21.4 6 Thus of the differences of life on earth and life in heaven What men must doe that they may enter into life followes And about this point our Saviour tells us two things beforehand First that the way to
Word of God upon all occasions Deut. 6.7 Gen. 18.19 They must see that Gods Sabbaths be kept and sanctified in their dwellings and therefore must not onely restraine labour but bring his houshold to the exercises of Religion and privately helpe them by examination or repetition Command 4. Exod. 20.4 yea and by sanctifying them to Gods worship Iob 1.5 which is done by exhorting them to holinesse and preparation and by humbling himselfe in prayer before God for himselfe and them and he must sanctifie the creatures they use by prayer 1. Tim. 4.5 Secondly in speciall towards their wives they must use their knowledge in instructing them or resolving their doubts as there shall be occasion 1. Cor. 14.35 Thirdly they must teach their wives reformation and right order of behaviour by their owne example giving full proofe of their piety discretion providence painfulnesse and meeknesse not daring to commit the faults themselues they reprove in their wives and to live so as not to be liable to any just exception There is a question is often asked about the first branch of this answer and that is whether a woman may performe the dueties of religion in the family in case of the absence or insufficiency of the husband Now for answer thereunto it is hard to give any peremptory rule because in this thing wee have no commandement from the Lord but yet seeing some of the dueties of Religion may bee done by the Wife as instructing of children and servants for the Law of grace should be in her lips Prov. 31. and both Parents are charged with instructing the children Ephes. 6. therefore I thinke by Anallogy it will follow that the wife may doe other duties as pray and repeat Sermons But yet it is most likely that this power extends not further than her children and her maides which was the power Hester used Hest. 4.16 or if it goe further it must be in some speciall cases and with observation of divers circumstances in which their safest way is to get direction and resolution from their learned Pastors 2 Matter of toleration and that in respect of the infirmities of his wife if her infirmities be bodily it must be the praise of his knowledge not to loath her for that because God laieth them on her and she cannot helpe them And for her faults they are either meer frailties arising from ignorance or insufficiency shee cannot helpe and those hee must passe by altogether when he discerneth that shee is not willing to offend in them Prov. 19 10. Or else they are faults shee committeth of knowledge and so they are either curable or incurable Curable are such faults of negligence or waiwardnesse that prove grievous to him or others for these his rule is he must not be bitter to her Col. 3.19 but shew himselfe to be gentle and easie to be intreated Iames 3.17 Hee must use all good meanes of counsell and forewarning of her and intreating and such reproofes as may bee seasonable and secret as much as may be He must avoid raging furious passion and reproaches If her faults be incurable that is such as hee cannot mend by such courses then I suppose hee may flie to the generall remedy of all Christians in the case of trespasses and that is to take one or two with him and admonish her then if she mend not he may flie to his Pastor and such as have charge of soules with him and get them to admonish her But if none of these courses will serve I thinke the Pastor or others imploied in the businesse may give notice as they have occasion to other Christians of her incurablenesse and they may thereupon forsake her company and reject her as a Pagan or a Publicane but for the husband he must cohabite still and with patience beare the crosse God hath laid upon him waiting if at any time God will give her repentance or otherwise restraine her wickednesse 3 Matter of circumspection To dwell according to knowledge is to dwell with circumspection and that hee must shew in matter of his owne right Hee must take heed that by no indulgence or remissenesse hee lose his owne right He must keep his authority and rule as head and not suffer things to be done or disposed ordinarily against his will And for the good ordering of necessary directions if his wife will not obey he must then provide to have things done aswell as he can by his children or servants This I speake of things essentially expedient to the peace or well-being of the family he must not be his wives underling contrary to the order of nature and ordinance of God Gen. 3.16 1. Cor. 11.3 7 8 9. Ephes. 5.23 1. Tim. 2.12 13 14. Secondly hee must shew it in the care of his estate restraining her wastfulnesse if she be given to disorder or wretchlesnesse in that kinde Prov. 14.1 Thirdly in case of sinne against God he must take heed that he nourish not sinne in her by connivence or neglect of counsell or reproofe Iob 2.9 10. Fourthly in case of difference betweene her and her servants so preserving his authority as he judge not partially but with equall judgement shewing the fault whersoever he finde it else he may extreamly harden his servants against them both Giving them honour This is the second thing required in the Exposition They must honour their wives And this the Husband doth 1 When he useth her with signes of his estimation of her according to her ranke in the family and her relation to him intertayning her as his companion and not as his servant or slave To honour her is to carrie himselfe with such respect towards her that all may see that he makes a great account of her as the companion God hath given to him for his life to be a helper to him 2 When he is carefull to protect her from wrongs and dangers and indignities 1. Sam. 30.5 3 When he provides for her maintenance both in his life time and after his death as well as he may allowing her such apparell and other things as may shew manifestly how great account he makes of her and doing all with cheerefulnesse and not like churlish Nabal and the rather because for the most part they are not able to make shift and provide for themselves 4 By the speciall delight hee takes in her above others cherishing her as his owne flesh and making as much of her as he can doe of himselfe Pro. 5.19 Eph. 5.28 5 By suffering himselfe to be intreated and in some cases advised and admonished by her Gen. 21.12 6 By giving her such imployment as her gifts are fit for leaving to her trust such things in the family and his estate as she is fit to dispose of It is dishonour to the wife when the trust of businesses is committed to servants or others when she is able and willing to undertake it Pro. 31.11 7 By yeelding a free and just testimonie of
Which will appeare if we consider the quality of it or the meanes of preserving it or the short continuance of it or the subject of it or the things with which it is opprest or the whole nature of it 1 For the qualitie of it What is life It is but a winde or breath God breathed into man the breath of life as if his life were but his breath Gen. 2.7 and so it is said Every thing that had the breath of life Gen. 6.17 7.15.22 My life is a winde saith Ioh Ioh 7.7 What is your life saith S. Iames it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away Iam. 4.14 2 If we consider the short continuance of it It will vanish away of it selfe after a while as wee see in that place It is compared to a Weavers Shuttle or at the best every houre of our life or every action addes secretly a threed till the web be woven and then wee are cut off So Hezekiah compares himselfe to a Weaver in that respect Esay 38.12 Our life is scarce a span long for to live is but to dye to begin to live is to begin to dye for death takes away time past and every moment we yeeld something to death 3 If wee consider the poore meanes of preserving life It is such a weake thing that if we doe not daily give it food it will faile us and if it be not kept with rayment it will be extinguished And for the meanes we use how silly are they Our life is called the life of our hands Esay 57.10 because it will not last unlesse wee make hard shift with our hands to preserve it 4 If wee consider the subject of it It is but our bodies for our soules in our naturall condition according to the sense of Scripture are dead in trespasses and sinnes They have as it were a beeing but not a life Our soules inrespect of the substance of them are excellent things because invisible and spirituall existences but yet are destitute of that life is proper to them They are things indeed will last long but are void of that life which is spirituall 5 If wee consider the miseries with which this life is infested both by sinne and the punishments of it As for sinne it is leprous from the wombe and charged with Adams fault and erres so often as cannot be numbred the faults of it are more than the haires of our heads As for punishment how hath God aveâ—ged himselfe upon thy wretched life to thrust thee out of Paradise and would not let thee enjoy life in any place that was not accursed The Divells also compasse about thy life to destroy it 2. Cor. 10.5 What deformities and infirmities are found in all the Vessels of life even in all the parts of thy body in which it dwells And without thee in the objects of life how is it frighted with cares plagues or vexed with particular crosses How doth God passe by thee in many blessings he gives before thy face to others and will not to thee And what thou hast to comfort thy life is it not cursed to thee so as thou feelest vanity and vexation in the use of it But above how is thy life frighted with the danger of eternall death 6 Lastly if we consider the whole nature of life The Apostle here thinks it is not worth the naming by the name of life when he saith onely of the godly that they are heires of life as if there were no living men but they and as if they had bin dead all the time they were till they were adopted But it is not Naturall life is here meant but Spirituall life called in Scripture New life and the Life of God and eternall Life The words of the Apostle Paul Tit. 3.7 when hee saith We are heires according to the hope of eternall life serve to expound these words of the Apostle Peter Now concerning this life it is above the reach of all mortall creatures to describe it as it is especially in the perfection of it in heaven for Saint Paul saith of what he saw in heaven that he saw things that could not be uttered 2. Cor. 12. and Saint Iohn saith It doth not appeare what wee shall be 1. Ioh. 3.2 And in the 1. Cor. 2.9 it is said that eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive of what God hath prepared for them that love him Yea Christ himselfe doth seeme to grant that as Man he did not fully see the glory of this eternall life in his mortall condition where speaking of his estate after death he said Thou wilt shew me the paths of life Act. 2. And for so much as is revealed concerning this spirituall and eternall life two things must be remembred the one That the doctrine of this life lyeth hid from ages and generations in extreame darkenesse and when the Gospell treats of it it brings it as it were out of a darke dungeon into the light 2. Tim. 1.10 The other is That when it is brought to light none can reach to it but such as God endewes with speciall wisdome for Salomon long since had observed that Life is above to the wise onely Prov. 15.24 The things I would consider of about this life are these 1 The Degrees of it 2 The Originall of it 3 A ghesse at the Nature of it 4 The things that nourish it 5 The differences betweene this life on earth and as it is in heaven 6 The Meanes to attaine it or what we must doe if wee would enter into life 7 The Signes to know whether it be in us 8 The Properties of it Lastly the Vses of it 1 For the first wee must understand that this life hath three degrees into which wee enter in at three gates as it were The first degree of eternall life begins at the first spirituall acquaintance with God in this life when his favour is made knowne to us in Iesus Christ by the Gospell so as wee are truely justified and sanctified being reconciled unto God having all our sinnes forgiven us and our natures made new and into this degree wee enter by the gate of Regeneration Thus our Saviour saith This is eternall life to know God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ Ioh. 17.3 Thus he that heareth Christs words and beleeveth is passed from death to life Ioh. 5.24 The second degree beginnes at our death and continueth the life that the soule separated from the body enjoyes till the resurrection at the last day And concerning the estate of the soule in this degree of life wee have no absolute revelation but yet are taught in Scripture that it returns to God that gave it to the body at first Eccles. 12.7 and that it is with Christ Phil. 1.23 that it is in the hands of God and in Paradise Luk. 23.43 and lives in unspeakable joy Luk. 16. 25.
and is freed from all miseries of this life and enjoyes the honour of all good workes Rev. 14.13 the bodie resting in the grave from all paine and labour as in a bed of rest till the resurrection Esa. 57.2 And into this degree of life eternall wee enter in by the gate of death The thirddegree of life eternall beginnes at the resurrection of our bodies at the last day and is enjoyed by body and soule for ever comprehending all possible consummation of felicity and glory in the heavens And into this wee enter by the gate of resurrection which is a kind of new begetting of us and therefore is called the resurrection of life Ioh. 11.25 and so the blessed in heaven are called the children of the resurrection and by that way the children of God Luk. 20.36 In the first degree life is imperfect in the second it is perfect in the third it is consummate And the use of this first point should be to warne men to looke to it that they enter into the first degree of eternall life while they are in this world or else they shall never get to heaven when they dye and therefore should strive for saving knowledge and to become new creatures or else it is in vaine to hope for heaven 2 For the second which is the originall of life it is greatly for the praise of it that it flowes from that life which is in God himselfe which is an unspeakable glory to the creatures that enjoy it With thee is the fountaine of life saith David Psal. 36.9 So he calls him the God of his life Psal. 42.8 Naturall life is but a sparkle that flowes from the life of our parents but spirituall and eternall life is kindled from that infinite light and life in God But yet not as Christ received we this life for he had it by naturall generation wee have it by a way unspeakeable from God but yet by Iesus Christ In him was life as the life was the light of men Iohn 14. He that hath the Son hath life Iohn 5.12 and he it is that is eternall life viz. to us vers 20. As there is no light in the visible world but from the Sunne in the sirmament so there is no life in the spirituall world but from God in Heaven which hath caused it to shine in our hearts by the Son of righteousnesse Christ Iesus Thus our life is called the life of God Ephes. 4.18 and Christ is said to live in us Gal. 2 20. Which should teach us greatly to admire and adore the excellency of Gods goodnesse and make us to rest our selves for ever under the shadow of his wings Psal. 36.7 8 9. But that this point may be more clearly understood we must consider of the originall of this life from God three waies First in respect of Ordination and so it flowes from Gods decree Hee hath ordained us unto life Acts 13.48 and our names are written in the booke of life Phil. 4.3 Secondly in respect of Merit it was bought of God by the death of the flesh of Christ. I give my flesh for the life of the world Iohn 6.51 This life will not be had without his death that we might live in eternall life hee must dye a temporall death And shall not this greatly inflame our hearts to love the Lord Iesus that gave himselfe for us that we should not perish but have everlasting life Thirdly in respect of operation or inchoation and so the fountaine of life is either without us or within us without us is the Word of Christ that is the immortall seede by which we are begotten unto life 1. Pet. 1.24 and so is called the Word of life Phil. 2.15 And the word is so as it is the word of Christ that is Gospel My words saith he are spirit and life Iohn 6.63 And that word considered as it is preached to the dead soules of men the dead shall Hear the voice of Christ and live Shall heare it note that Iohn 5.25 which should make us greatly to esteeme the preaching of the Gospel Within us the fountaine of life is the Spirit of Christ which is called the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.2 Now the Spirit of Christ that wee may live doth two things viz. it quickens the seed of the Word and unites us unto Christ as members of the mysticall body and then looke how the soule of man doth give life to every member of the body so doth the Spirit of Christ to every soule as a severall member of the mysticall body 3 For the third We shall not exactly know what the nature of eternall life is till it be perfected us or consummate yet by diverse words God hath let fall in Scripture we may ghesse at the nature of this life and in generall I thinke it is a kinde of celestiall light falling into the soule that doth to it that which naturall life doth to the bodie This S. Iohn shewing how Christ was the life of men saith hee was the light of men Iohn 1.4 And David having said With thee is the fountaine of life adds And in thy light wee shall see light Psal. 36.8 And so the promise to the penitent sinner was that his life should see the light Iob 33.28 So Christ saith he that followeth him shall have the light of life Mark it the Light of life Iohn 8.12 So that the life of our minds is knowledge in generall and in particular it is the saving knowledge of God and Iesus Christ as our Saviour saith expressely Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to know God and whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ. And the reason why this knowledge doth most inlive quicken our hearts is because God in Christ is the most glorious subject of contemplation as being that highest good a very Ocean of goodnesse onely able to fill and ravish the heart of man and besides because God as our chiefe good can alone make the ravishment of the heart perpetuall and so last for ever which nothing else can doe But because everie knowledge of God hath not this effect to breed everlasting life in the heart of a man therfore I wil distinctly set downe what kind of knowledge it is that hath this effect and what is required that it may be right 1 It must be such a knowledge as discernes God to be the only true God and this rule excludes the Pagans from eternall life who though by the light of nature they might discerne the invisible things of God by the workes of the creation yet they so shut up those principles of naturall truth in unrighteousnesse that they set up creatures as God and gave the glorie of the true God to them Rom. 1. 2 It must be such a knowledge as ascribes into the Nature of God such an excellencie as can be exprest by no likenesse of any creature in heaven above or earth beneath or the waters under
these places shew Psal. 30.5 63.7 8. 36.3 16. ult with coherence 3 The entertainment God gives his people in his house is one speciall cause of encrease of this life in us as it encreaseth both knowledge and joy and all goodnesse and satisfies the heart of man especially amongst all the things that are without us the Word of God as it is powerfully preached in Gods house is the food of this life called the savour of life unto life 2. Cor. 2.16 Christs words are the words of eternall life Ioh. 6. see Psal. 36.8 Ioh 12.50 Prov. 4.22 4 Fellowship with the godly is singular to quicken and excite the life of grace and joy and knowledge in us therefore it is an amiable thing for brethren to dwell together in unity because there God hath commanded the blessing even life for evermore Psal. 133. ult Prov. 2.20 The mouth of the righteous is a veine of life Pro. 10.11 Yea the very reproofes of instruction are the way of life Pro. 6.23 And therefore weake Christians should be instructed from hence with faith to rest upon the God of their lives who by the spirit of Christ can inable them to eternall life with thankfulnesse to embrace all signes of Gods favour and presence and above all things in life to provide for themselves powerfull meanes in publike and good society in private and not to be turned off from either of these by slight either objections or difficulties and to resolve to labour more for these than carnall persons would doe to have their naturall lives if they were in distresse or danger It is also excellent counsell which Saint Iude gives in this point concerning eternall life hee would have us looke to foure things The first is to edifie our selves in our most holy faith striving to get in more store of Gods promises and divine knowledges and to strive to establish our hearts in our assurance of our right to them The second is to pray in the holy Ghost for hee knew that powerfull prayer doth greatly further eternall life in us The third is to keepe our selves in the love of God avoiding all things might displease him chusing rather to live under the hatred of all the world than to anger God by working iniquity The fourth is to looke as often and as earnestly as we can after that highest degree of mercy and glory wee shall have in the comming of Christ Iud. 1.19 20. I will conclude this point with that one counsell of Salomon Keepe thy heart with all diligence for there out come the issues of life Christians that would prosper in spirituall life should be very carefull of the first beginnings of sin in their thoughts and desires and bee very diligent in nourishing all good motions of the holy Ghost preserving their peace and joy in beleeving with all good consciences Pro. 4.23 Thus of the fourth point 5 Now for the differences of life in these degrees especially the first and last degree they are very great for though eternall life in the first degree bee a treasure of singular value yet the glory of this life doth greatly excell as it is to be held in another world I entend not to compare life in heaven with naturall life here for that is not worthy to be mentioned in the balance with that eternall life of glory but with eternall life it selfe as it is held by the godly onely in this world And so the difference is very great 1 In respect of the place where the godly lives in each degree 2 In respect of the meanes of preservation of life in each degree 3 In respect of the cōpany w th whō we live in each degree 4 In respect of the quality of life itselfe 5 In respect of the effects of life eternall in each degree For the first there is great difference betweene the life of grace and the life of glory in the very place of living Here we live in an earthly Tabernacle in houses of clay there wee shall live in eternall Mansions buildings that God hath made without hands 2. Cor. 5.1 Here we live on earth there in heaven Here wee are strangers and pilgrims farre from home Heb. 11. there wee shall live in our Fathers house Here wee are in Aegypt there we shall live in Canaan Here we live where death sorrow and sinne and Divells dwell there wee shall live in a place where God and immortality and all holinesse dwells 2. Pet. 3.13 Here wee are but banished men there we stall live in the celestiall Paradise Here wee have no abiding City but there we shall abide in the new Ierusalem that is above The glory of the whole earth can but shadow out by similitude the very walls and gates of that Citie Rev. 21. Here wee can but enter into the holy place there we shall enter into the most holy place Heb. 10.19 To conclude there wee shall enter into the heaven of heavens which for lightnesse largenesse purenesse delightfulnesse and all praises almost infinitely excells the heavens wee enjoy in this visible world For the second in this life unto the preservation of life we have neede of many things as first we neede meate drinke rayment sleepe marriage physicke the light of the Sunne by day and the Moone by night Yea the life of Grace though it consist not in these things yet in a remote consideration hath neede of these that wee may bee the better able to serve God in body and soule But in heaven wee shall neede none of these wee shall bee as the Angells of heaven and God himselfe shall there be all in all and shall fill us with his goodnesse 1. Cor. 15.28 Our life shall subsist in God himselfe who shall satisfie us out of the plenty of his owne glory In that City there will be no need of the Sunne to shine by day or of the Moone to give light by night for the glory of the Lord doth lighten it and the Lambe shall bee the light thereof and there shall bee no night there Rev. 21.23 22.5 Esay 2.60.19 Secondly in this world wee neede the helpe of superiours as Kings Rulers Parents Husbands Teachers c. But in that world inferiority and subjection shall cease when wee shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of God Mat. 8.11 and so all the first things shall then be done away Rev. 21.4 Thirdly in this world wee need spirituall meanes for our soules and the helpe of divers gifts in the Spirit which serve for our furtherance in the way to eternal life Our soules cannot live without a Temple on earth without the Word and Prayer and Sacraments but in that new Ierusalem S. Iohn saw no Temple in it there is no preaching nor praying there wee shall not neede any nor have cause to mourne for the want of it as many times we doe now for the Lord God almighty and the Lambe are the Temple
with them as if they were guilty of murther To hate a godly man is murther in the sight of God and deprives a man of eternall life 1. Ioh. 3.14 15. and prooves him that is guilty of it to bee a person that abides in death And it is in vaine to plead that they love God for if a man say he loveth God and hateth his brother he is a lyar for hee that loveth not his brother whom he hath seene how can hee love God whom hee hath not seene And it is Gods peremptory commandement that hee that loveth God love his brother also â— Ioh. 4.20 21. Yea this Doctrine affordeth matter of reproofe to divers that goe for true Christians and so for many faults As first it reprooveth those that have the faith of Christ in respect of persons Iam. 2.1 c. This is a fault in the richer sort and such as stand upon their worldly greatnesse they rest in their shew of respect and love to some Ministers or to some great persons that answer to their owne ranke but wholly neglect the acquaintance and entertainement and fellowship of poore Christians and thereby not onely displease God but much darken their owne evidence in this signe of the love of the brethren because they shew not their love to all the Saints as they might and ought Secondly it reprooveth intemperate Christians that sinne against brotherly love by rash censuring and condemning of their brethren especially when they become divulgers of censure and stand out as accusers of their brethren This is a divellish sinne for it is the divells speciall sinne to be an adversary and an accuser of the brethren Rev. 12.10 so that hee is a divell incarnate that useth this course Rom. 14.3 10 13. Iam. 4.11 12. 5 9. Thirdly it reprooveth the great worldlinesse that is discerned in divers Christians that are so hardly drawne to shew compassion and mercy to poore Christians when they are in distresse They have this worldly goods and yet shut up the bowells of their compassion from their brethren though they see they have need and therefore how dwelleth the love of God in them 1. Iohn 3.17 Fourthly it reprooves the great aptnesse to contention that appeares in many that easily fall into discord from thence into suites of Law against their brethren which is cleerely condemned in these Scriptures both by example and prohibition Gen. 13.8 Act. 7.26 1. Cor. 1.10 6.5 Fiftly it greatly reprooveth such as by their opinions or practise offend and grieve weake Christians and cause them to stagger or stumble or bee unsetled in the good way of God and so endanger not onely their present consolation but as much as in them lyeth their salvation also Mat. 18.6.1 Cor. 8 11 12 13. Thus of the use for reproofe Vse 2. Secondly this Doctrine may serve for instruction and so it should prevaile with us to desire endeavour to expresse and preserve amongst us brotherly love that it may be and continue and encrease amongst all such as feare God Heb. 13.1 And to this end divers rules are to be observed for that brotherly love may continue 1 We must not fashion our selves according to this world but avoide all needelesse conversation with wicked men Rom. 12.1 2. 2 Wee must take heede of and avoide such as sow difcord or cause diuisions amongst men whether they be such as goe about to seduce men in opinions Rom. 16.19 Gal. 5. 12 2. Pet. 3.16 or such as make contention in practise A little leaven of dissenting or discord may leaven the whole lumpe 3 Wee must take heed that wee be not ensnared or entangled with vaine glorious desires after worldly greatnesse whether in Church or Common wealth Therefore Christ chargeth his Disciples not to be called Rabbi because they and all the godly were brethren Mat. 23.8 Gal. 5. ult 4 If wee would preserve brotherly love wee must take heede of conceitednesse and wilfulnesse of judgement wee must not bee wise in our selves but rather in lowlinesse of minde esteeme another mans gifts and judgement better than our owne and shew it by making our selves equall to them of the lower sort Phil. 2.3 Rom. 12.10.16 Prov. 12.15 5 Wee must take heed of worldlinesse and selfe-love and the minding of our own things and studying of our ends in conversing 1. Cor. 13 5. Phil. 2.4 6 Wee must take heede of overmuch retyrednesse and neglecting of comfortable and profitable fellowship with our brethren Heb. 10.25 Phil. 1.6 Psal. 133.1 These are things wee must avoid There are divers things likewise to be done that we may preserve brotherly love as 1 Wee must provoke one another to love by all words and carriages that may bee without flattery or dissimulation Heb. 10.24 2 Wee should strive without complement to shew the sound proofe of our love in all our actions and by the fruits of it in all well-doing strive to approve our selves to God and before men in this thing 2. Cor. 8.24 3 In all things wee doe to or for the brethren we should strive to doe them after a loving and respective manner Let all your things bee done in love faith the Apostle 1. Cor. 16.14 4 Wee must strive to be rightly ordered towards our brethren in case of sinne against God or trespasse against us And that wee shall be if wee soundly practise these foure Rules 1 If wee know any fault by our brother and feele that it doth tempt us to alienation wee must then remember the charge given Levit. 19.17 which is not to suffer our hearts to hate him but give a vent unto our hearts by a plaine and discreet reproofe 2 Wee should be soundly setled in judgment that there are infirmities in the best though wee know them not and so to looke for it as when they doe breake out wee should shew our selves ready to beare their infirmities and forbeare them if they bee meere frailties choosing rather to crosse our selves than to irritate or provoke them in their weakenesse Rom. 15.1 2. 3 If any brother trespasse against us we should shew our sâ—lves easie to be entreated and willing to practise the rule given by our Saviour even to forgive him if he offend unto seventy times seven times when he saith it repenteth him Mat. 18.21 4 If wee have done any wrong we should make hast to be reconciled and seeke it with willing acknowledgement and readinesse to make satisfaction Mat. 5.23 24. Onely wee must remember about this doctrine of the love of the brethren that there are three caveats to be looked to 1 That wee misplace not our affections upon false brethren for there are false brethren that will creepe in privily many times for corrupt ends Gal. 2.4 2. Thes. 3.13 2 That if any brother be scandalous or walke inordinately or will not be subject to the forme of doctrine and the publike ministerie then such a one is to be avoided onely he must be
they doe soe is because they themselves did feele by experience how unable they were to beare crosses when they fell upon them It was this Peter that denied his Master upon the very sight as it were of adversaries and it was this David that gave this advice after himselfe had changed his behaviour before Abimelech as you may see by the title of the Psalme Which should teach us to bee thankfull for that publike or private quietnesse any of us doe enjoy and besides it should warne those unruly froward Christians that live not in quiet either at home or abroad to repent and amend their words and workes They cannot imagine what singular comfort and contentment they withhold from their owne lives and the lives of others If they did but know how much God abhors a froward Christian they would be more affraid than they are Thus of the generall observations The first part concernes the persons that are exhorted and they are described by two formes of speech the one Such as will love life the other Such as would see good daies If any man will love life From this forme of speech three things may be observed Doct. 1. That men by nature are prone to the love of life and so prone that the most men will breake all bounds and will love life whatsoever bee said to them or done to them This is a point so sensibly felt by the experience of the most that heare it that it needs no proofe If any man aske what the reason should bee why there is such an inordinate love of life in the most many things may be answered The first cause of it is the generall corruption of nature in the most men which came in by sinne To love it selfe is nature but to love life so pertinaciously is from degeneration and the great abasement of the nature of man that cannot now move it selfe towards the perfection of it selfe for unto the godly the change of life is an alteration that brings perfection Secondly ignorance and unbeliefe is the cause of it If men did know beleeve those glorious things God speaks of a better life they would loath this present life long to be in heaven Thirdly the cause in many is that their hearts are â—ngaged upon such perplexed and intricate projects about profit or pleasure or greatnesse in the world that they are not at leasure to examine the reasons of the love of life the heart of man is usually oppressed with some one or other of these projects Fourthly in all sorts of people there is such an incurable inconsideration that no warning from the Word or workes of God no experience of their owne or other mens can force them to a serious and constant meditation of the things concerne their true happinesse Fiftly the love of life ariseth in the most from the Idols of their hearts There is one thing or other that they have set their hearts upon in a vicious manner and this unreasonable love of their particular sinnes doth hold them downe in bondage to this present life and so cannot be cured of the disease till they repent of their beloved sinnes And the guiltinesse of their consciences makes them affraid of death and judgement and to embrace this present life upon any conditions And in godly people this inordinate love of life ariseth from the defect of particular repentance for it Thus of the first point Doct. 2. Men have cause to take off their affections and not to bee so desperately bent to the love of this present life This is a point very profitable to be urged and most men and women have need of it and therefore I will shew more largely the reasons why wee should not love life or not so inordinately as to be unwilling to leave it upon any tearmes The first reason may be taken from the commandement of Christ who gives this in charge to all that will bee his Disciples that they must not love life As they must deny themselves in other things so in this particular And hee so gives this in charge as hee seemes to threaten them with the losse of life if they love it so Luk. 17.33 Iob. 12.25 The second reason may bee taken from the example of the godly that have not loved life Iob detested life Iob 3. Salomon tels of a multitude of occasions that he had to hate life in his book of Eccles. and a multitude of godly men have shewed the proofe of it in laying downe their lives willingly when they have beene called to it Act. 20.24 Phil. 2.20 Heb. 11.35 37. The third reason may bee taken from the consideration of life in it selfe both in the nature of it and in the end of it for the nature of it it is but a winde or a vapour Iam. 4. so meane a thing that no man can well tell how to describe it perfectly which is the greater wonder that it should get the love of all the world and yet no body knowes what it is hee loves And for the end of it it is not in the power of man to number his owne daies God hath set an appointed time for every mans death and though they love life never so much they cannot hold it beyond that time Iob 7.1 And besides our times are so hid that a man cannot bee sure of a moneth a weeke a day an houre and shall our hearts be so bewitched with that which wee know not how long wee shall enjoy Iob 24.1 and the rather because there are so many waies for life to goe out at though but one way to come in And further we can find no means that hath sufficient power to make a man live God hath so reserved the power of life in his owne hands that none of the meanes we use to preserve life can do it to make it hold out for a moment if God doe not from above give speciall assistance Man liveth not by bread Mat. 4. and if a man had abundance of all worldly things yet a mans life consisteth not in that Luk. 12.15 c. The fourth reason may bee taken from the profession of a Christian or his state or relative calling or condition in this life First we are Christs spirituall souldiers Now men that goe to war intangle not ahemselves with the things of this life that they may please them that have chosen them to bee souldiers 2 Tim. 2.4 Secondly we are pilgrims and strangers in this life and therefore nothing should be more easie to us than to be weary of the present condition and to long to be at home Thus did the Patriarches Heb. 11.13 Thirdly in this life we are but poore cottagers that dwell in poore houses of clay and shall wee love to be here rather than in those eternall mansions 2. Cor. 5.1 Iob. 14.2 The fift reason may be taken from the sinnes of life Even sinne is a disease and a loathsome contagious one Now then see what life
not be satisfied with silver Man walketh in a vaine shadow and disquieteth himselfe in vain Eccles 1.9 5.10 Psal. 39. A shadow is something in apparance but nothing in substance if a man would seeke to claspe it or receive it to himselfe 5 All these things are transitory and uncertaine and mutable which may be considered of three waies First if thou love these things thou art not sure thou canst keepe them they may be lost suddenly and fearefully for either they may wear out of themselves or they may be taken from thee they are liable to vanitie in themselves or to violence from others Matth. 6.19.20 1. Pet. 1.24 Secondly if thou be sure to enjoy them yet they will be suddenly lost to thee because thou canst not make thy heart to take delight in the same things still for not onely the world passeth away but the lusts therof also 1. Iob. 2.15 Eccles. 6.1 7. 9.3 Thirdly if neither of these befall thee yet thou art mortall thou must be taken from them and thy life is short like a dreame and passeth away like the winde and thou art but a stranger and pilgrime here and thou must carry nothing out of the world but in all points as thou camest into the world so must thou goe hence Psal. 90. Iob 7.7 Eccles. 5.13 14 15. All flesh is grasse Esay 40.6 6 That a man may receive much hurt from them they may steale away our hearts from God The amitie of the world is the enmity with God Iam. 4. They are like pitch to defile there is a snare and temptation in all of them they fill mens hearts with foolish noysome lusts and a man may damne his soule for too much loving of them 1. Tim. 6.9 Phi. 3 18. and they may serve to witnesse against a man at the day of judgment Iam. 5.1 Lastly consider that there is no comparison betweene the commodities of this life and the commodities of the life to come There are rivers of pleasures for evermore Psal. 16. ult There are Crownes of honour and glorie such as will neither be held with envie nor lost with infamie there shall men possesse enduring substance Heb. 11. treasures not liable either to vanity or violence Matth. 6.20 an inheritance immortall and undefiled and that withereth not and lieth in heaven 1. Pet. 1.3.4 Thus of the second doctrine A third Doctrine may be gathered out of these words and that is That in some cases there is a permission of the love of life In that he gives rules to such as will love life it imports that God is contented to suffer or tolerate that humour in men Now this toleration may be considered of as it is granted to some men or as it extends in some sort to all sorts of men Some men that are in high place and have publike imployments and are about some speciall service for the glory of God and good of the Church or Common-wealth in these men the desire to live longer in it selfe is not sinfull This was the case of David and Hezekiah Now further unto all sorts of men the Lord doth allow a certaine kinde of liking of life so as they observe such cautions and rules as he appoints as namely that the cares of this life hinder not the preparation for death or the provision for a better life and withall that they limit not God for the time of life but be willing to dye when God calls for their lives Now for a conclusion to this point I would advise those that have such a minde to live here to looke to certaine rules which will prevaile with God to grant them long life if any thing will prevaile as first they must bee exhorted to take heed of overmuch desire of life they must moderate their desires after life If they could once attaine to it to bee content to die when God will it may bee they should finde life prolonged according to that of our Saviour Hee that will lose his life shall finde it Secondly such as have parents in nature or religion must be verie carefull to give them due honour for to such God hath promised long life in the fift Commandement Thirdly godlinesse hath the promises of this present life as well as of the life to come and therefore ever the more godly we are in all manner of conversation the longer wee may be likely to live and contrariwise a prophane man hath no assurance to live out halfe his daies Thus of the first forme of speech The second forme of speech by which the persons hee adviseth are described are such as will see good daies And see good daies Before I come to the observations here is worke of large enquiry and consideration about the sense for these words import That in the life of man there be some good daies and some evill daies Physitians tell us in their profession of some daies in the yeare that bee good daies and some that be evill daies for their directions and superstitious and idle people in the world tell us that there are some good daies to beginne businesses in and some evill It seemes here the Prophet David in Theologicall contemplation findes that in the life of man some daies be good and some bee evill This would be enquired into And that wee may finde out which bee good daies wee must first enquire which be evill daies and that by Scripture account And that wee may distinctly understand this wee must enquire which be evill daies 1 For wicked men 2 For godly men The daies of wicked men must bee considered more generally or more specially generally all the daies of the wicked are evill both because hee is a transgressour every day and because the curse of God is upon him all his daies even then when hee lives longest and enjoyes most prosperous times Esay 65.20 Every day the wrath of God hangeth over his head and every day God judgeth him Psal. 7. either in soule or body or name or estate either by withholding his blessings or by mingling the curse with the good things hee enjoyeth Psal. 78.33 as the Israelites under censure of death from God More specially the daies of the wicked man are evill eiin this life or after this life In this life his daies are evill in two speciall senses either in respect of the shortning of them or in respect of the afflicting of them It is a speciall evill to some wicked men that their daies on earth are shortned Some men live not out halfe their daies and dye in the middest of their daies Psal. 55.24 Ier. 17.11 and so it is a curse that his daies are few Psal. 109.8 Eccles. 8.13 Againe the daies of wicked men are said to bee evill in respect of some speciall judgements of God to bee powred out upon them for their sinnes These daies are called the daies of Gods wrath and anger and daies of Gods visitation Isa. 10.3 the day of
vengeance Esay 61.2 which God proclaimes against all wicked men and by an excellency The evill day Amos 6.3 And these daies are in speciall called the daies of wicked men and they are theirs because properly no day is theirs till it bee evill Ier. 50.31 After this life comes that most speciall evill daies even that day of eternall misery in hell of which Salomon said God made the wicked for the day of evill Prov. 16.4 This doctrine of their evill daies should much affright wicked men not onely with the consideration of what they suffer now but of what they are liable to in the daies to come Little doe they dreame of the misery may befall them such daies may come as will burst their hearts with exquisite griefe their hearts shall not bee able to endure Ezech. 22.14 and therefore they should take heed of putting farre from them the evill day Amos 6.3 and in time repent and reconcile themselves to God in Iesus Christ that they may prevent the evill daies may yet fall upon them and know that their uncircumcised heart is the cause of all the evill brought or to bee brought upon them Ier. 9. ult Thus of evill daies in the life of the wicked The godly mans daies are evill divers waies 1 The daies of spirituall famine are evill daies when a man cannot enjoy the meanes of Salvation in the life and power of them In this case David said his teares were his meat day and night Psal. 42.2 2 The daies in which God is displeased with them or hideth himselfe so as he will not heare their praiers or not let them discerne it These are bitter daies to the godly Psal. 102.2 3. 90.9 3 Daies of temptation in which they are to wrestle with principalities and powers are evill daies Eph. 6. 4 All daies of trouble are in some respect evill daies Psal. 49.5 50.14 41.1 2. especially those daies are evill when the Lord turnes wicked men loose upon the godly and leaves them as it were in their hands to bee reproached and oppressed all the day especially when himselfe will not appeare to helpe them Psal. 102.8.10.11 Esay 37.3 and most of all when the just man seemeth to perish in his righteousnesse Eccles. 7.15 But yet here is a great deale of difference betweene the evill daies of godly men and the evill daies of wicked men because God sanctifies the evill of his daies to the godly man so as he is blessed when God chasteneth him for hee thereby teacheth him his law Psal. 94.12 Heb. 12. Secondly God will deliver him out of evill if he call upon him Psal. 50.15 yea though his troubles seeme desperate Ier. 30.7 Thirdly though God may seem to delay for a time yet he wil make hast to performe his deliverance After two daies hee will returne and the third day he will revive them Hos. 6.3 Fourthly God will make them glad according to the daies hee hath afflicted them hee will make them amends for all their evill daies Psal. 90.15 To conclude this point there be daies that are called evill which are common both to good and bad and such are the daies of old age Eccles. 12.1 when the Sunne Moone and Starres are darkned that is all sense of prosperity is removed and the infirmities of old age come thicke one upon another like cloudes after raine Vers. 2. when the armes which are the keepers of the house shake and the thighs and legs which were like strong men now bow and bend under them and their teeth which were the grinders or chewers of their meat now cease working because they are few and the eies which are the windowes of the body grow darke Vers. 3. when the doores shall be shut in the streets that is when upon the losse of his appetite hee shall have no delight in any thing at home nor minde to goe abroad but his owne house shall be his prison and when hee shall bee so unable to rest in his bed that he shall rise with the first voice of the bird and be waked with the least noise that is and that have no delight in musicke of any kinde as Barzillai said 2. Sam. 19.36 when they shall be affraid of every straw in their way they shall goe so weakely and their Almond tree shall flourish that is their heads shall bee white as the blossomes of the Almond they shall be so fore that a very Grashopper shall be a burthen to them to touch them shall be grievous and all the things they were wont to love they cannot now finde any comfort in and thus they are passing to their long-home which is the grave and they are so neare as if their very mourners were ready in the streets to carry them to their graves Vers. 4 5. yea they will not continue long but the silver cord will be loosened that is the marrow of their backs be consumed and their golden Ewer which is the brain-pan be broake and so will the pitcher at the Well that is the veines at the liver and so will the wheel at the Cisterne be broken that is the head which drawes the powers of life from the heart Ver. 6. and the dust returns unto the earth as it was and the spirit to God that gave it Vers. 7. Thus of the daies that be evill daies Now it remaines that wee enquire which be good daies and so wee shall finde that there bedaies that bee good in the judgment of the inward man and sometimes daies that be good in the judgment of the outward man onely thus much wee must know that in the first sense none enjoy good daies but good men Now good daies in the sense of the Scripture must bee considered either in generall or in particular In generall and so first all the daies of Christ after hee is revealed in a Christian are good daies and so all the daies of a true christian from his conversion to his death are good daies Which appears thus Saint Paul saith that Christ is our Passeover amd the Passeover is a feast which we must keep 1. Cor. 5.8 and such high festivall daies are good daies especially the first and last daies of the Passover were good daies in a special solemnity that is the day of thy conversion to spirituall life and the day of thy death which is the beginning of the day of eternall life Secondly all the daies in which Christians enjoy the preaching of the Gospell in the power of it and other ordinances of Christ in their glory all these daies be good daies for they are daies in which God makes rich feasts unto all Nations as is effectually described in the Allegory Esay 25.8 Thus David saith One day in Gods courts is better than a thousand any where else Psal. 84.10 The righteous flourish when Christ comes downe upon their soules as rain upon the mowen grasse Psal. 72.6 7. Thirdly those be good daies in which wee see
the Church of God in generall to prosper Psal. 128.5 6. when God keeps his Church as his Vineyard and waters it every moment and watcheth it night and day and destroyeth every thing that might annoy it Esay 27.2 3. In particular a Christian finds divers sorts of good daies as first the Sabbath daies well sanctified are good daies above all other daies of the week when his body enjoyes rest his soule is blessed according to Gods promise with spiritual rest and grace in Iesus Christ. Secondly the dayes in which the soule of a Christian after sinne and the judgment of God for it is humbled soundly and anew admitted into Gods presence and reconciled to God those daies when God entertaines the repenting sinner that praies unto him especially at the first reconciliation are wonderfull good daies Iob 33.25 26. with the coherence 36.11 Psal. 90.14 Luk. 4.21 with Esay 61.1.2.10 Thirdly all the daies in which a Christian thrives and prospers in the knowledge of Gods word and growes in the spirituall understanding in the mysteries of Gods kingdome are all good daies for this knowledge is that wisedom Salomon speakes of whâ—ch makes a man so happy Pro. 3.18.2.16 Thus of the good daies that are so in the judgement of the inward man God is pleased also to grant such good daies as are or ought to be so accounted in the judgement of the outward man and so First the daies of youth in which a man hath strength of body and vigour of minde to fit him not onely for the comforts of life but for the service of his creator are good daies Eccles. 12.1 it being a blessed thing to beare Gods yoake in a mans youth Secondly the daies of speciall prosperity in the world which sometime God grants unto his people are also good daies when God gives his people abundance of blessings in their families and estates and withall publike honour and respect withall sorts even the great ones of the world as was in the case of Iob which hee describes in the whole 29 Chapter of his booke but then it must have this indeed that in this prosperity the godly man be imployed in all well doing and get himselfe honour by the flourishing of his gifts and good workes as is shewed in that Chapter by Iob. Thirdly such daies in which a man enjoyes a quiet estate free from all trouble or vexation or contumely at home or abroad being free from Gods aflicting hand or mans injurious dealing are good daies and such as perhaps are specially meant in this place Thus of the sense of the words Divers doctrines may bee observed from hence 1 That the daies of men usually are evill which is true not onely of the wicked but of the godly also This Iacob said long agoe his daies were few and evill Gen. 47.9 but of this point before Only this may serve for great reproofe of those that so little minde a better life and so wilfully love this life that though they live in much misery are loath to thinke of dying take no course to provide for a better life 2 It is evident from hence that the life of man is but short whether hee live happily or miserably yet his life is reckoned by daies not by longer measures of purpose to signifie the shortnesse of our lives This is expresly affirmed in other Scriptures Iob 10.20 Iob saith his daies were few and of all men that are borne of women that they have but a short time to live Iob 7.1 And this is resembled by divers similitudes so our life is compared to a Weavers shuttle Iob 7.6 to a Post for swift running out Iob 9.25 to the grasse of the field Iob. 7.12 Esay 40.6 to an hand breadth so as he saith his age is as nothing Ps. 39.5 to a watch in the night Psal. 90.4 to a sleepe vers 5. to a tale that is told vers 9. Thus the life of man is said to bee short either as he is in Gods sight with whom a thousand years are but as yesterday when it is past Psal. 90 4. or in his owne account if he measure time to come as hee measures time past and in plaine reckoning let the life of man be improved according to mans utmost strength ordinarily a mans yeares are threescore and ten and if hee live to fourescore it is but labour and sorrow to him Psal. 90. Quest. But what should bee the cause that mens lives are so short Ans. If there were no other cause but the will of him that hath the disposing of the times seasons in his owne power yet that might satisfie us but we may ghesse at other causes as both the mercy and justice of God This world is so bad to the godly that it is Gods mercie to take them quickly out of it and contrariwise it is so good to the wicked considering their deserts that it is justice in God to take them hence and send them to their owne place which is hell Besides many men bring speedy death upon themselves by their own il courses or by sinning against their own bodies by lewd courses by eating up their owne hearts with worldly cares and sorrowes or by living in any grosse sinne to provoke God to cut them off or by falling into such disorder as the Magistrate cuts them off or by laying of violent hands upon themselves or by getting their goods unlawfully to bring upon themselves that curse Ier. 17.11 Finally in this last age of the world there may bee this reason assigned that the Lord makes hast to have the number of his elect fulfilled and therefore he dispatcheth away the generations one after another and so shortneth the daies of man for his elect sake Now for the uses Are our lives so short then it should teach us divers lessons 1 To pray God to make us able to thinke so and so to number our daies that we may not make any reckoning of any long continuance here Psal. 39.3 90.12 2 To make hast and dispatch our repentance and all the businesses that concerne our sound reconciliation and so to walke while wee have the light and to use all good meanes while we enjoy them 3 To redeeme the time and save as much of it as wee can for the uses of a better life Ephs. 5. and to worke the harder to fulfil thy measure and dispatch that taske God hath set thee to doe 4 To lay fast hold upon eternall life 1. Tim. 6. and to make that sure 5 Every day to provide for our departure even all the daies of our appointed time to waite when our changing shall come Iob 14.14 FINIS An Alphabeticall Index of the most Principall things handled throughout the whole Booke A ADoption the glory of it 133 How it is attained 136 Markes thereof 136 Amazement in wives 109 Causes thereof 109 Antiquity when ill pleaded 91 Apparell See Attire Attire reasons against the vanity