Death is the wages of sin Rom. 6.23 and the Reign of Death is procured by the Reign of sin which hath reigned over all Mankind except Christ All are sinners infected with the guilt and filth of sin the Rot according to the Vulgar saying over-runneth the whole Flock Hence David reflects upon Original Sin as the Original cause of all his Actuals saying Behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did my Mother conceive me Psal 51.5 Thus Man's Malady begins betimes even in our Conception this subtile Serpent sowed his Tares very early so that we are all born in our sin Joh. 9.34 Adam begat a Son in his own Image Gen. 5.3 and his Childrens Teeth are set on Edge after he had eaten the sour Fruit of the forbidden Tree Ezek. 18.2 The same Hand that was reached forth to that forbidden Fruit reached out both Sin and Death to the Fruit of his Loins wherein that Fruit was seminally as the Branches are in a Common Stock the actual Sin did not determine the bound of Misery in himself but it brought a second Misery with it even the Misery of the whole Nature of Mankind Adam was the Representative or publick Person representing the whole mass of Mankind as a Parliament-man represents the whole Country he is chosen for while Adam stood we all stood in him while he kept his Obedience in his state of Innocency he kept his whole Estate and Nature safe and entire but when he fell we all fell in him in Adam all die 1 Cor. 15.22 Tho' we did not choose him yet God did choose him for us as our Representative and his Sin was the greatest Sin next to that Sin against the Holy Ghost as it had many aggravations against the greatest Light and the greatest Love that ever was vouchsafed to any man and therefore it was just with God so to punish not only himself but his whole Nature also for that sinful Act. Hereby all the Sons and Daughters of Adam came to be deprived of Original Righteousness we are all alienated from the Life of God Eph. 4.18 born the Children of Wrath Eph. 2.3 and come short both of God's Glory and of our own Duty Rom. 3.23 Adam first defiled the Nature of Mankind and ever since the defiled Nature hath defiled the whole Off-spring thereof leaving them under the Curse of God and liable unto Death in the latitude of it even unto Death Temporal Spiritual and Eternal The Fall of Adam was the Death of himself and the Death of us yea and also it was the Death of our dear Redeemer to redeem us from Spiritual and Eternal Death Now as is the Root so are the Branches as is the Fountain so are the Waters that flow from it Generatum sequitur Naturam Generantis that which is begotten doth follow the Nature of that which begetteth who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one Job 14.4 that which is born of the Flesh is Flesh Joh. 3.6 Corruptus parit Corruptum one corrupt thing brings forth another yea the Sower soweth clean Grain yet even that brings forth Chaff as well as Wheat from which it was winnowed before it was Sown Father Augustin saith There is nothing more certain than Original Sin yet nothing more secret and hard to be understood how it is conveyed from Parents to Children Many Disputes there be about the manner how Sin is propagated from Adam to his Off-spring some of which deserve no better Character than that of Aristotle de Vacuo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such discourses upon the empty place are but empty things 'T is sufficient for us to know that God by a just imputation doth realize the Infection into the whole Race of Adam in whom we were as in a common lump and in his Leaven we are all sowred We know that leprous Parents do beget leprous Children and there be Diseases which are call'd hereditary and incurable by man we took this Infection from our Parents and we transmit it to our Children so come we to be called a Seed of Evil Doers Children that are Corrupters as well as corrupted Isai c. 1. v. 4. I have read the story of some foolish People who falling all together into a deep Pit fell a disputing one with another how they came there c. but one wiser than the rest advised them to lay aside those Niceties and rather consult about some proper means whereby they might all be delivered out of that danger without which they were in all probability like to perish Even such are those vain Ventilations about this abstruce point of Sins entrance into the World whether by that one person Adam's fall or by every ones fall in his own person the frothy Wits of the Arminians do fondly deny Original Sin But such as are wise to Salvation have learnt better Lessons in Christ's School and they feel otherwise in the School of their own smarting experience Therefore we ought all seriously to consider how the Greek Fathers call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Seed-plot of all Actual Transgressions c. and the Latin Fathers call it Fomes Peccati the lasting Fewel that feeds the Fire of our burning Lusts but above all how the Holy Scriptures doth Charactarize it calling it the Body of Sin Rom. 6.6 and the Sin that dwells in us Rom. 7.17 and the Law of the Members ver 23. and that which so easily besets us Hebr. 12.1 and David calls it the Iniquity of the Heels which was ready to trip him up and to lay him all along upon the ground at every turn and return of the Tempter upon him Psal 49.5 And if we do as little Zacheus did namely climb up the Sycamore Tree to take a full prospect of his lovely Lord from top to toe Luk. 19.3,4 c. so if we get up into the Mount of the Old and New Testament and take a full view of the foulness of Original Sin The right Scriptural Account of Original Sin is this 1. That man who had been God's delight before Prov. 8.31 became both hated of God Psal 5.5 and an hater of God Rom. 1.30 the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to hate God as Hell 2. That faln man is become intensively evil protensively only evil and extensively always and continually evil in the thoughts and imaginations of his heart Gen. 6.5 3. That man's Heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Jer. 17.9 4. His Thoughts are Thoughts of iniquity Isa 59.7 5. He walks in the vanity of his Mind Ephes 4.17 having his understanding darkned and his Heart blinded ver 18. 6. His Conscience is defiled Tit. 1.15 7. His Eyes are full of Adultery and he cannot cease from Sin 2 Pet. 2.14 8. His Throat an open Sepulchre the poison of Asps upon his Tongue and Lips c. Rom. 3.13,14 9. In a word all mans Members and Faculties are marr'd and maim'd by the fall of Adam as might more largely
be demonstrated from Scripture the first man defiled Nature and ever since Nature hath defiled every man his whole Frame is out of frame whole evil is in man and whole man is in evil As in Noah's Flood not any one part of the Earth could be seen dry So nor any one part of man can be found that is not infected with this Original Pollution and the chief cause of all our Actual Sins is charged not upon Satan but upon this Evil Concupiscence that is inbred in us Jam. 1.15 The Tempter might strike Fire long enough in vain if we did not find him dry Tinder for his Sparks to fall upon We cannot say as our sinless Lord said the Prince of this World cometh and finds nothing in me that is to favour his Temptation Joh. 14.30 But alas when he comes to tempt us he finds a Treacherous Party within this Birth-sin of ours which betrays us oftentimes into his hands as hath hapned unto some Cities besieged whose Gates have been opened by some Traiterous Citizens within for a free entrance of the Enemy that were besieging it round about Hence is it that all men are said in Holy Scripture to be dead in sin Ephes 2.1 and Bondslaves to Satan Heb. 2.15 and subject to all Calamities of this Life under the Curse of God Gal. 3.10 Yea and good men even the best of men are but men at the best for Original Sin in them is stronger than their Grace for if God should leave us with our stock of Grace that he hath graciously given us and let us be alone but a while in the hands of our own Counsels this sin of our Nature would easily swallow up our stock of Grace wo to us when God departs from us Hos 9.12 The Reason is because Grace given to us is like the putting of Hot Water into that which is Cold Tho' this will warm it for the present yet the Water will reduce it self into its own natural temper of Coldness unless Fire be kept continually under it Take another Example as a River would run caeterâ—…s paribus the nighest way to the Seaâ— which is the Receptacle of all Rivers were it let alone to its own tendency by nature but we see the various situation of the Earth in some places higher than others and by the Art and Industry of Man the most Rapid River is madd to run in crooked Streams in and out to break its forcible passage even so this Original Sin would drive all persons the nighest way to Hell were it not that it meets with not only the several Tempers and Dispositions of Nature in the Sons and Daughters of Mankind which makes it work variously according to their various Constitutions as David saith I have kept my self from my iniquity Psal 18.23 that is from my Constitution sin c. but also and that more especially through the over-ruling Power of God and that by two ways 1. Either by giving Restraining Grace even to Pagans as he did to that Pagan King Abimelech Gen. 20.6 whereby God kept him at a modest distance from medling with Sarah Abraham's wife which otherwise he would have undoubtedly defiled seeing so many Kings tho' called Christian make it their too common practice or 2. By giving Renewing Grace even to his own chosen and called ones whereby he changeth their Natures so that one of the Antient Fathers tells this Story of a Young Man who had been for some time intangled with an Harlot and meeting with some Remorse of Conscience he withdrew from her upom some occasions he had in another Country and after a â—ittle time returning home this impudent Whore meets him takes hold of him and said to him Ego sum Ego I am the same Woman I was when you left me at which he smartly replied to her sed ego non sum ego but I am not the same Man I was through the Grace of God whereby he said with David The Snare is broken and my Soul is delivered Psa 124.7 therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are past away behold all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.17 VVhere Christ comes he saith Behold I make all things new Rev. 21.5 both all the Members of the Body and all the Faculties of the Soul These all were formerly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weapons of wickedness unto sin but now become weapons of Righteousness unto Holiness Rom. 6.13,17,18,19 so that Christ makes new understandings new wills new memories new consciences c. in the inner man yea and new tongues hands and feet c. to talk walk and work for God in the outward man ☞ Let this likewise be well weighed how this Original pollution of the faln Nature is like the first Confused Chaos at the Creation of the World which had the seeds of all several kinds of Creatures in it and that prolifick Vertue continues unto this day even so in Original Sin lays the Spawn of all several kinds of sins which lasteth all our lives until death destroy this body of Death at the last as the other will last while the World lasteth So This fretting Leprosie of sin is typically described in the Law of that Plague Levit. 14.41.43,44,45 The house which hath that Contagion all the scraping of the Walls within it will not cleanse it until the house it self with the Stones and Timber of it be broken down yea and it begins betimes as well as it lasts long This sour Leaven doth leaven the whole lump with its sowrness and spreads it self over all the Ages of Man as Infancy Childhood Youth and old Age. 1. Infancy Austin's story Vidi Zelantem parvulum I my self saw a little one rise up in Rage against his fellow-suckling for beguiling him of his Mothers Milk from whence that Antient Father proves and confesses that sin began betimes both in himself and in others 2. Childhood there is much folly bound up in the heart of a Child Prov. 22. v. 15. as fardles or packs are bound upon the Carriers Horses back and these bonds of Iniquity keeps him fast in the gall of bitterness Acts 8.23 so makes not only Childhood but also 3. Youth to be not only Vanity but likewise often abounds with Villany Eccles 11.9,10 with 12.1 where the Preacher presseth upon Youth to indulge themselves in their youthful lusts if they dare do so adding a stinging But which marrs the Yonkers mirth God will judge thee for all thy Tricks of youth account them not Trifles which both Job and David so bitterly bewailed Job 13.26 and Psal 25.7 Therefore he exhorts such to remember their Creators at that time as Psal 119.9 before 4 ly Old Age come which is an Evil Age both for sin and misery But more plainly this Truth of Man's Malady and Danger is held forth in that Text The strong Man armed c. which declares Man's Malady and Danger Luke 11.21 where Satan is described 1. By his
and Honourable are joined together Isai 9.18 nor could Hoary Hairs be a Crown of Glory as Soloman saith Prov. 16.31 nor could a Gray Head be an Old Man's Beauty Prov. 20.29 if not found in the way of Righteousness A gray headed experienced Christian is called a Father 1 John 2.13 such as whose due is the highest veneration Levit. 19.32 especially such as are described in Psal 92.12,13,14 Such are of the highest Form in Christ's School for NB. Note well a Christian hath his degrees of Growth distinctly described in the Word of God As 1 st We have his Conception Gal. 4.19 2 dly His Birth 1 Pet. 1.23 3 dly His Childhood 1 Cor. 3.1,2 4 thly His Youth or well-grown Age when he is past the Spoon 1 John 2.13 5 thly His full-grown Age Ephes 4.13 And 6 thly His Old Age as 1 John 2.13 Acts 21.16 c. Job 29.8 and 32.4,6,7 Rom. 16 5,7 and 1 Tim. 5.1,2 Unto all these Scriptures shewing how a Good Old Age ought to be highly valued and reverenced I may add the Testimony of a Pagan Poet who extolls that Golden Age wherein he lived having only the Light and Law of Nature to conduct them in their Lives yet thus he writes Credebant hoc grande Nefas Morte piandum Si Juvenis Vetulo non assurexerit si Barbato cuicunque Puer licet esse videret Plura Domi farra majores Glandis Acervos Tam venerabile erat praecedere quatuor Annis These are the Verses of Juvenal in his 13 th Satyr the sense whereof in short is this That in this Pagan Poet's time all Men looked upon it as a Capital Crime and counted it punishable by the Judges if Young People did not rise up and reverence such as had Hoary Heads tho' the Young were rich the Aged were poor c. which is a clear demonstration that the Law and Light of Nature did concur and taught the same Truth with the Law and Light of Scripture Levit. 19.32 and the rest afore-named especially when this Evil Age in it self becomes by Grace a Good Old Age 't is to be honoured c. 2 dly The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why it must be so the Reasons be these over and above that before-mentioned namely that Old Age must be a good thing of it self and in its own Nature and Substance altho' it is made an evil thing in too many by accident as before because it is a Blessing which the Lord hath both graciously promised and performed to many of his Servants c. And a short Life is a Curse which the same God severely threatneth unto the Wicked yea and long Life it self is also a Curse unto all Christless ones tho' they live untill they attain to the Age of an Hundred Years Isai 65.20 Moreover the Reasons that demonstrate this great Truth we must be careful and conscientious in making our Old Age a Good Age are principally Three The first is because this doing as it ought to be done will be a blessed Remedy against those three woful maladies of Old Age to wit the Natural Moral and Spiritual Evils afore-mentioned therefore Solomon prescribeth the Remembrance of God in the days of Youth as a most comfortable preservative against all those Evils which commonly Old Age is attended with and maketh it an unpleasant time As 1 st A Good Old Age is a Sovereign Antidote against the Natural Evils accompanying it As 1. Against the loss of Bodily strength then the Grace of Faith in the Good Old Age doth put Strength in Weakness Health in Sickness and Ease in Pain this comes to pass by the sorce of Faith Heb. 11.34 Joshuah is one of those that was strengthned in the weakness of Old Age which he acknowledgeth saying and now behold the Lord hath kept me alive Josh 14.10,11 which mercy was the greater because he out-lived many Thousands of other Israelites whose Carcases did fall in the Wilderness Yet then he saith of himself I am this day fourscore and five years old yet lo I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me to spie out the Land of Promise Numb 13. which was forty five years ago as my strength was then when I was but forty years old even so is my strength now at fourscore and five for War both to go out and to come in Viridis Vegeta Senectus singulare Dei Donum est a fresh and vigorous Ability for Generation-work in Old Age is a singular Gift of God This Gift God gave to Moses Deut. 34.7 and to Paul the Aged as he calls himself Phil. v. 9. whose strength was perfect in weakness and when he was weak in Nature then was he strong in Grace 2 Cor. 12.9,10 and thus that seeming Contradiction is reconciled And this Gift God gave likewise to famous Mr. Dod in our days who as he was another Moses for meekness which is a great prolonger of Life so he was not unlike him and Joshuah in Health and Strength of Body when he arrived to an exstream Old Age this was a Mercy which that Good Man most highly valued So that 't is said of him Desicere potius quam Desinere Visus est that is he seemed rather to decay dissolve and melt away by Inches than to die by any Agony of Death 'T is my frequent and fervent prayer to God that he would grant us an easie passage out of this World and an open passage into the better World and to die like a Lamb is universally esteemed as a great Gift of God An exemption from the Torturing Torments of the Stone of the Strangury of the Gripes and of the Gout c. is my Singular Mercy 2. As to the loss of their younger near and dear Relations this Good Old Age wants not sufficient Cordials wherewith to sweeten the Bitterness and allay the Grief of this great Evil also as good Old Abraham did comfort his own Spirit saying let me bury my Dead out of my Sight c. when he had lost a pretious Rib out of his Side in the death of his dear Wife Sarah not only dear to him but also very dear to God himself Insomuch that God gave this Honour unto her above all other Women in Scripture Record that the Age of her life is Recorded and of Her only c. Gen. 23.1,2 Why the length of the Life of any other Woman save only Sarah's is not Recorded by God's Pen in Scripture our Divines render this Reason that it was to humble that Sex which was first in bringing Sin and Death into the World 1 Tim. 2.13,14,15 and therefore deserved not to have the continuance of their Lives mentioned in Sacred Writ by the unsearchable Will and Wisdom of God 'T is said indeed that Abraham mourned for her Death and she was the first also that we read of who was mourned for when she died as well as the only one of that Sex whose term of Life
salvation of our Souls 1 Pet. 1.4,5,9 Insomuch that Death which is in it self no other than Nature's Divorce the Bodies Prison the Soul's Banishment the Arrest of Judgment the Curse of Sin and the King of Terrors as well as the Terror of Kings Job 18.14 unto all Mankind in General yet such a change doth the power of Godliness both in Young and Old that are chosen and called make in their Changes from one World to another that their Death's is only their 1. Harvest or Ingatherings into God's Garner c. 2 'T is the Joy of Marriage which is called a Rest in the House of the Husband Ruth 3.1 so Death is our Rest A Rest from their Labours Rev. 14.13 they shall Rest 1 st From their Labours of Necessity their Needs of Nature shall then cease for ever they shall Hunger no more they shall Thirst no more c. as they have done while in the Body 2 dly They shall Rest from their Labours of Infirmity they shall never complain of any more Aches and Pains in any one of the parts of the Body as they have done frequently heretofore in the time of their Mortality 3 dly From the Labours of their Callings c. they shall toil no more in the Sweats of either their Brows or their Brains c. And 4 thly Which is above all they shall Rest from their Labours of Iniquity a Laboribus Peccati as well as Officii they shall never sin any more whereas heretofore in the time of their sojourning upon Earth they had this weight upon them which they could never lay aside nor cast it off and sin did then easily beset them so that they could not run the Race that was set before them Heb. 12.1 Because of the Law of the Members that did continually war against the Law of their Minds and oft bringing them into Captivity yea and as oft making them to cry out Oh wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me c. Rom. 7.23,24 But now Christ is come to them and knock'd off all their Fetters which formerly clogg'd them c. and setteth them at perfect liberty Isai 61.1 and those whom the Son of God doth free they are free indeed John 8.36 3. Death to those that die in the Lord and in a Good Old Age also is not only the Christians Harvest Marriage and Rest as before but 't is likewise their Conquest over all their Spiritual Enemies so they have also the Joy of Victory as well as of Harvest of Marriage and of Rest They are become by their Holy Life and Happy Death more than Conquerors Rom. 8.37 even Triumphers in Christ 2 Cor. 2.14 and so as they have won the Crown of Glory by their overcoming the Wicked one through the strengthning Love of Christ upon them so they shall wear it as Kings Rev. 1.6 and as Conquerors for evermore 'T is said the last Enemy to be destroyed is Death 1 Cor. 15.26 Now to all true Believers Death is already swallowed up in Victory ver 55. as Fuel is swallowed up by the Fire and as the Sorcerers Serpents were swallowed up by Moses his Serpent so that they can say to Death when it comes to them as Jacob said to Esau surely I have seen thy Face as the Face of God Gen. 33.4,10 Thus that Esau Death doth meet a Member of Christ with Kissing rather than with Killing or so much as Frowns yea and guards him home to his Father's House as Esau guarded his Brother Jacob Home to Canaan after his long absence from it he went before Jacob as his Life-guard ver 12. Thus after a long Conflict by the Indwellings of Sin all our Life comes the Conquest at the last in our Death Alas we cannot beat sin out of Doors as Sarah did the Bond-woman Hagar but this Fretting Leprosie sin can never be either washed out or scraped off from the Walls of our Earthly Tabernacles until the House that is infected with that Plague be demolished by Death and the Stones and Timber thereof be altogether taken down As it was thus in the Type under the Law concerning the House of Leprosie Levit. 14.43,44 So it is with our Houses of Clay as the Antitype which can no way be Amended but must be Renewed and this is only done in part while we are in the Kingdom of Grace But this cleansing Work is compleatly perfected when Death gives us a dismission from hence into the Kingdom of Glory The belief of this made Old Simeon sing his Soul out of his Body and Paul the Aged Phil. v. 9. was not only a Conqueror but which was more even a Triumpher in Christ as before for he sang a Triumphant Song over Death and the Grave singing as well as saying Oh Death where is thy Sing and Oh Grave where is thy Victory 1 Cor 15.55 This is the boldest and the bravest Challenge that ever any Mortal Man did ring in the Ears of Death in which words he as it were out-braved it calling it Craven to its Face as the Vulgar saying is and bids it do its worst to him that it could do like the Philosopher Anaxarchus who with an undaunted Courage told the Tyrant who was beating his Body to pieces with a great Iron Pestle in a large Mortar made purposely for that Barbarous Butchery in the very Act of his Martyrdom he most confidently cryed out to his Tormentor Tunde Tunde Tyranne Vasculum frangis sed Anaxarchum non Laedis Beat on beat on thou Bruitish Tyrant thou indeed doth break the Vessel of the Man but thou can never hurt Anaxarchus the Man himself Much more might this blessed Apostle insult over this greatest of Tyrants that universal Destroyer of Mankind to wit Death with his Javelin in his hand seeing he was so able as to render such weighty Reasons for his Triumphing Insultation as he saith the Sting of Death is Sin c. ver 56. signifying hereby that our dear Redeemer had been the Death of Death by his Death Mors Mortis Morti Mortem quoque Morte dedisset The Death of Christ gave Death its Death as it was prophesied of him Oh Death I will be thy Death c. Hos 13.14 thus our Saviour did disarm Death and took out the Sting from this Venemous Serpent so that we may now as safely put Death into our Bosoms in a serious Meditation of dying Daily as some men whom I have seen have with enough of safety put into their Bosoms a Snake whose Sting was before pulled out If Death do now shoot out any Sting at us we may thank our selves for our not being more constantly sound in the way of Righteousness If at any time we turn aside to crâ—…ked Paths there will the old crooked Serpent meet us and he will not only sting us there but also leave his Sting behind him in us as the Bee doth to those that are stung by it and this may be the procuring Cause of many sad effects
namely of much smartings burning pains and sorrows if that Sting be not timely dâ—awn out by the Grâ—ce of true Repentance The Lord himselâ— pâ—…ed that Stinging Sermon unto Cain Iâ— thou dost well shalt thou not be accepâ—…d but if thou dost evil then sin lies at thy 〈◊〉 that is like a mighty Mastiff-Dâ—g whâ—ch lies sleeping at the Door and if once awakened he is there ready to pull out the Throat of the Soul Gen. 4.7 And Moses tells the People agreeable to this caution of the great God to Cain and surely your sin will find you out Numb 32.23 that is the Guilt of sin will haâ—… you at your Heels like a Blood-Hound and the punishment of it will ovâ—…ke you c. Yet such as do surely â—…nd â—t their sin by an unfeigned Repenâ—…ce before their sin thus fearfully find 〈◊〉 â—hem even all such as câ—nfesseth and â—…keth their sin shall fiâ—d 〈◊〉 Proâ— 28.13 Then if Death at 〈…〉 â—orth â—y Sting at us ' tiâ— no mâ—re harmâ—ul than an enchanâ—…d Stiâ—gâ— like those Serpents which th◠〈…〉 raised up by their Enâ—…ments Exod. â— 12 they were 〈◊〉 really Serpents but in appearanâ—… only and â—o thâ—ir Stings were like themselves more Phâ—…ms which could not 〈◊〉 sting any one true Israelite and as 〈◊〉 Mâ—…k-Serpents were swallowed up by Moses his real one even so Christ who is Life Essential hath swallowed up Death in Victory as before So that now through the Grace of Christ tho' Death may buzz about our Ears like a Drone-Bee that hath lost its Sting yet it cannot sting us with any mortal Sting for that is quite lost in the death of Christ for all his Redeemed as Christ hath taken away not sin it self but the Guilt of sin So nor hath he taken away Death it self but the Sting of it Thus Augustine doth phrase this double Purchase of Christ for us both in respect of Sin and in respect of Death saying Christus tollit Peccatum Mortem nonne sint sed ne obsint our Lord indeed doth take away both Sin and Death from us yet not that they should not be at all but that they should not be hurtful to those for whom he died And 't is for this glorious Priviledge that the Apostle Paul as one of Christ's chief Heraulds proclaimeth openly to the World and that with a world of Solemnity and Triumph his own Victory over Death by his dear Redeemer 1 Cor. 15.57 and therefore exhorts us to be always stedfast and unmoveable and always abounding in the work of the Lord well-knowing that our Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord ver 58. The same Apostle saith with such a firm Faith which both took Root downward and brought forth Fruit upward that for him to live was Christ and to die was gain and he longed to be dissolved Phil. 1.21,22,23 5 thly 'T is his returning Home to his Father's House c. because death to a Good Man is the day-break of an eternal Brightness 't is as the Vally of Achor as a Door of Hope into the celestial Canaan Josh 7.24,27 and 15.7 Hos 2.15 even into that Heavenly Country unto which the Holy Patriarchs so earnestly pressed to enter Heb. 11.13,14,15 and as it were hastened Home thither where their Father was and their All also Hereupon for them to die was no more but repaterasse as Father Bernard phraseth it that is to go Home again to their Father's House whither when they come they are assured of a most hearty and of a most happy welcome The Parable of the penitent Prodigal and his compassionate Father's meeting together at Home with Feasting and exceeding great Joy Luke 15.20,23,24 doth illustrate this The Prodigal only came but the Father ran and fell upon his Neck and kissed him and killed the fatted Calf for him and put the best Robe upon him c. to make him welcome yet all this was but a dim shadow of that exceeding excessive and eternal meeting of our Heavenly Father with his dear Children to whom Christ most lovingly speaketh Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Matth. 25.34 Oh the infinite Bowels of a Father yerning over his Adopted Sons and Daughters as if he had thus said Where have you been my dear Darlings all this time of my long absence from you and of yours from me come nâ—w and heartily welcome come now into my Bosom which is now wide open to receive you as the welcomest Guests that oâ—er accosted me ye shall lie warm in my Bosom to all Eternity c. and with Crowns of Glory upon your Heads ye shall sing Hallelujahs unto the Lord for ever and ever NB. Note well To know this upon a dying Bed câ—nnot but be a Rich Cordial to know that death is only Perta Coeli Janua Viâ—… the Postâ—rn Gate to the Heavenly City and the Narrow Door to Everlasting Life that it is our restoration into a better Paradise than that was out of which the first Adam was banished at first by his sinning but this Heavenly Paradise The Second Adam purchased for us by his suffering that death doth now by the purchase of Christ bring to us both Malorum omium Ademptionem Bonâ—rum omnium Adentionem that is the râ—moving of all that is evil and the receiving of all that is good This consideration brought Paul out of his Sâ—râ—it when he had been musing and â—…hting and knew not what he should châ—ose â—…ether Life or Death at last he 〈◊〉 â—orth into this resolve 〈…〉 I desire to be dissâ—lved and to return 〈◊〉 to my Father's House from whom I expect to hear Well done thâ—… good and faithful Servant enter 〈◊〉 into the Joy of thy Lord Matth. 24.21,23 which is a Joy so big so great that it cannâ—… enter into us Quicquid Recipitur recipitur ad Modum Recipientis saith the â—…losopher the Vessel receiving m◠〈…〉 Measure congruous to and c◠〈…〉 the Matter received Now 〈…〉 ouâ— Vessâ—ls are not large en◠〈…〉 Joy to enter into us th◠〈…〉 that we must enter int◠〈…〉 it is such a Joy as is more m◠〈…〉 Lord and Master than for 〈…〉 yet such a liberal Lord do w◠〈…〉 as will honour his Servants with 〈◊〉 matchless Joy We serve a most Honoâ—rable Master who employs us in most Honourable Work and will at last pay us with most Honourable Wages Unto all this aforesaid let me add the Christian's Charter as another pretious Cordial unto a dying Saint namely the large Inventory which the blessed Apostle distinctly describeth that belongeth to every true Believer saying all things are yours whether the World and so you lose nothing when you leave the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's 1 Cor. 3.21,22,23 that is the World is theirs tho' not in possession yet by way of Reduction ye shall
A Divine Legacy Bequeathed unto all MANKIND OF ALL Ranks Ages and Sexes Directing How we may live Holily in the Fear of God and how we may die happily in the Favour of God both which Duties are of Universal Concern The Rules here are how to be Truly Valourous in warring a good Warfare and in fighting the the good Fight of Faith while we Live and to be Blessedly Victorious when we Die By Christopher Ness Minister of the Gospel in London Exitus Acta probat Finis Coronat Opus saith the Philosopher Our Last Works should be our Best Works saith our Lord Rev. 2.19 London Printed by T. S. and sold by T. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside and J. Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-yard 1700. The Epistle to the Reader Candid Christian I Have been now through the Grace and Mercy of my good God a Labourer in my Lord's Harvest and a Vine-dresser in my Master's Vineyard almost Threescore Years wanting but a very little of it and in the space of those last Twenty Years I have through the good hand of my God upon me as Ezra's phrase is Chap. 7.6,9 been enabled to publish to the World this following Catalogue of Books little and great As 1. The Crown and Glory of a Christian in the Year 76. 2. A Christian Walk and Work on Earth till he come to Heaven in the Year 77. 3. The Chrystal Mirror or Christian's Looking-Glass shewing the Treachery of the Heart in the Year 78. 4. An Antidote against the Poison of Popery in the Year 78 79. 5. A Discovery of Antichrist in his Rise Reign and Ruine in the Year 79. 6. The Devil's Patriarch in the Life of Pope Innocent XI in the Year 80. 7. A Spiritual Legacy to Young Ones in the Year 81. 8. A Church-History from Adam to this Day and a Scripture-Prophecy to the End of the World in the Year 81 82. 9. A New-Years Gift for Children in the Year 83. 10. The Wonderful Signs of Wonderful Times in the Year 84. 11. An Half Sheet upon the Comet or Blazing-Star 12. Three Sheets inlarged upon the same Subject 13. A Whip for the Fools Back who did Ridicule God's Holy Ordinance of Marriage c. 14. A Key with the Whip unsolding the Intreagues of Absalom and Achitophel both these latter are writ in Satyrical Verse 15. Advice to the Painter about the Earl of Shaftsbury's enlargement from the Tower in smoother Verse 16. An Astrological and Theological Discourse upon the great Conjunction ushered in with a great Comet c. 17. A Strange and Wonderful Trinity or Triplicity of Stupendious Prodigies namely consisting of a Wonderful Eclipse of a Wonderful Comet and of a Wonderful Conjunction all these without Date were written between the Year 82 and 89. 18. My First Volume in Folio called a Compleat History and Mystery of the Old and New-Testament both Logically discussed and Theologically improved beginning at Adam and ending at Moses 19. The Second Volume in Folio having the same Title with the first begins with Joshuah and ends at Solomon's Birth 20. The Third Volume in Folio with the same Title begins at Solomon's Life and ends at the end of the Old-Testament 21. The Fourth Volume in Folio with the same Title begins at the Birth of Christ and ends at the Death of John the Divine which is an Exposition of the whole New-Testamen All these Four Volumes are now commended to the World by Three of our Learned and Judicious Divines namely Mr. Matthew Barker M. George Griffith and Mr. Samuel Slater which Testimonial is printed at the bottom of the Dedicatory Epistle to the Fourth Volume under their own Three Hands Tria sunt omnia instar omnium c. this Work hath taken me wholly up from the Year 89 to this Year 99. And now 22. This Divine Legacy which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multum in parvo much in a little Isocrates wrote his best Book the last and Plato died at 81 with his Pen in his Hand and Demosthenes desired to do so c. Yet have we better Examples than those Philosophers for Joshuah when he was going the way of all the Earth and stricken in years Josh 23.2 and 14. did then give most grave and godly Counsel to the Old-Testament Church Chap. 23. and 24. And Paul the Aged wrote the more effectually to young Philemon under that Title of Veneration Philem. ver 9. And the Beloved Disciple John who while Young leaned upon his Lord's Bosom Joh. 13.23,25 did under the Venerable Name of Elder 2 Joh. 1. and 3 Joh. 1. write his first General Epistle to Children Young Men and Fathers in the New Testament 1 Joh. 2.12,13,14 but above all God himself thunders out threatnings against Children Young Men and Aged Jer. 6.11,12,13 In congruity to those perfect Patterns I an Old Servant of Christ have drawn up this Directory talis qualis est to all Ages especially to us that are Old adding only 1. That Old Age is a dead weight 'T is then a difficult Duty to turn unto God when we have been turning and running from him all our former Days No Spur can move a Founder'd Horse and Hard Wax takes no impression When the Body is weak and Presumption is strong to say God is merciful is said truly but not safely Therefore 2 All must be careful to live well while Young and then shall we die well whether Young or Old 3. When we have seen an end of all worldly Perfections then may we best see that God's Commands are exceeding broad and all our Obedience to be exceeding narrow Psal 119.96 The Good Lord grant that this Legacy may come to you in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ Rom. 15.29 Amen THE CONTENTS OF THIS Divine Legacy CHAP. I. COntains faln Man's Malady and Danger pag. 1. to 42. CHAP. II. Faln Mam's Remedy and Deliverer p. 43 to 63. CHAP. III. The Redeemed are Conquerors by their Strong Redemer p. 54 120. CHAP. IV. Advice to Young and Old to war a good Warfare in God's Armour and Watching unto Prayer p. 130 to 177. CHAP. V. The Characters of True Conquerors through the strength of Christ p. 177 to 232. CHAP. VI. Advice to the Aged for saving the Soul p. 232 to 319. CHAP. VII The Holy Means for making Old Age to become a Good Age p. 320 to 357. CHAP. VIII Contains both Counsel and Comfort 1. Against the Evils of Old Age. 2. Against the Fears of the Hour of Death And 3. Against the Terrors of the Day of Judgment p. 358 to the last CHAP. I. Man's Malady and Danger MAN's Life is a Warfare Job 7.1 Margin which the Septuagint reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie a place of Pirates as Paul was in perils often both by Sea and Land 2 Cor. 11.26 so are we all while in this lower World for Satan is both a Robber by Land that seeks not for Straw but
universally mischievous to all Mankind even to all Saints and to all Sinners at the least intentionally against every individual person of both sorts only with this difference as first for Sinners he makes them to become his Hackney-Horses according to Tertullian's phrase Impii persecutores insessorem Diabolum habent all wicked Persecutors have the Devil Riding upon their backs whom he whips and spurrs end-ways into an high Gallop even all the days of their lives and then when the Night of their Deaths comes upon them he lodges them at last in the Hot Stables of Hell And thus Satan made Saul his Hackney upon whom he sat as his Rider and spurr'd him forward for many days in his persecuting of David and to whom he gave but this very cold Comfort at his Death To morrow thou shalt be with me c. 1 Sam. 28.19,20 which indeed was no better a place to lodge his Hackney in at his Night of Death than in the Hot Rooms of Hell-fire But secondly As to the Saints who are not the Devil's Vassals as Sinners are but be indeed the Impropriated and Honourable Vessels of their dear Redeemer Satan will do all the mischief he can to those Vasa signatu or Sealed Vessels as Tertullian calls them those he cannot touch with any of his Deadly Touches Non Tactu qualitativo as Cajetan interpreteth The wicked one toucheth him not 1 John 5.19 He cannot cause them to fall finally The Serpent is confined to feed upon the Dust or Dirt of the Earth that is the wicked he is not allowed to devour the Herbs of Grace or to destroy any Plants on God's holy Mountain Isa 65.25 God hath set the godly man apart for himself Psal 4.3 and God's charge is upon the God of this World as the Devil is call'd 2 Cor. 4.4 as well as upon the Kings of the Earth to whom those words were spoken Touch not mine Anointed ones and do my Prophets no harm Psal 105.15 To say this is spoken of Kings and not to Kings is a false interpretation How far this wicked one may touch a Saint of God and that maliciovsly and mischievously yea how far he touched our Saviour himself is abovesaid Now the Enquiry is seeing Satan is so universally mischievous both to Saints as well as to Sinners how far Satan can force a Saint to sin against God Ans We have all great cause to bless the Lord our good God that this Power of Darkness cannot force us to any work of Darkness no God hath left this Power of constraining us to sin out of the Devil's Charter he hath no Commission to force the Will of Man he hath indeed a perswading sleight but he hath not any enforcing might 'T is true we read that Satan provoked David to sin against God 1 Chron. 21.1 that is he so dogg'd David daily with his Temptation and would never let him alone in any Rest until he had fastned it upon his heart and gained his consent However the Great God had his holy hand in all this who still held this Dog this Doeg the Devil in his Chain 2 Sam. 24.1 God did and Satan did also but how it was thus God was angry with Israel for abusing their Peace and Plenty c. and with David for his privy Pride and Creature-confidence so he lets loose his Dog the Devil upon David and he left David to himself so as at last after his being very long provoked unto this curiosity of numbring the People he yielded his consent to that Satanical suggestion which brought the Destroying Angel upon his sinful Subjects like as the Dog may be said to Bait the Beast at the Stake while the owner of the Bast doth stand by looks on and suffers his Beast to be Baited This plain similitude may serve to explain the difficulty and to understand aright that tho' it be said that God moved David and Satan moved him likewise yet these two phrases are not contradictory Terms they are not Adverse but only Diverse the latter being subordinate to the former as all 2d Causes are subaltern to the first Cause But still Satan is held in God's Chain and he cannot without Divine permission do the least damage to the Soul of a Saint he cannot force us to sin with all his most powerful provocations as appeareth most plainly in the case of Job against whom Satan made so many violent and furious Thrusts to make him curse God to his face yet could he not conquer Job with all his provocations but this good man comes off at last with flying Colours and by the help of his God gets his Tempter trodden under his feet as Rom. 16.20 And tho' the beginning of the Conflict and Combat was Satan's yet the End in the Conquest was the Lord's as 't is said James 5.11 This therefore may be very comfortable for us seriously to consider that the Tempter may strike fire long enough to no purpose if we do not meet him with Dry Tinder for his sparks to fall upon for it is our own Concupiscence that carries the chiefest sway 't is our own carnal Corruptions wherewith we are drawn aside and enticed James 1.14,15 where the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies we are caught as the silly Fish by the Fisher-man's Bait. Satan is a crafty Fisher and knows what Baits will best tempt and take every ones Constitution and Humour and tho' Satan be a Spirit and therefore can have commerce with our Spirits yea and may fix vain thoughts upon our fancies yet he cannot force the Consent of the Will thereunto for as he cannot know the Heart which is only God's prerogative Acts 1.24 so he cannot compel the heart much less to any act of sin unless the Eve in us doth betray us into the Tempters hands as Adam hearkned unto the Voice of his Wife Gen. 3,17 Thus every Son and Daughter of Adam hath still an Eve his Tempter in their own bosoms and if Satan's Temptation do fall passively only on our part upon the Tables of our hearts it is indeed our Cross but not our sin if we consent not to it for 't is our consent to it that makes it our sin as it was in the case of Benjamin before-said he never consented to the putting of the Divining Cup into the mouth of his Sack so it was his cross only but not at all his sin Therefore ought we in an hour of Temptation to do these two great Duties 1 st To give no place to the Tempter Eph. 4.27 no not for an hour Gal. 2.5 by way of subjection And 2 ly To resist him and he will flee from from us James 4.7 especially if we resist him stedfast in the Faith 1 Pet. 5.8,9 even with a Resolved Negative No No c. However such is Satan's Hatred to all the Saints that he will be universally mischievous to them and do them all the Damage and Detriment that he possibly can do and as we
both a Prince Fowl of the Air Ephes 2.2 and likewise a Beast of the Field as he is a Roaring Lion 1 Pet. 5.8 and therefore are we there bidden to be vigilant lest we be devoured by him When this Tempter comes to us he hath a Threefold Errand 1 st To find something of his own Work in us as he found nothing thereof in our sinless Saviour Joh. 14.30 2 dly To get betwixt us and out strong Hold Prov. 18.10 where is safety drawing us out of our Trenches c. as Joshuah did the men of Ai Josh 8.6 And 3 dly To gain some Harbour and House room in any corner of our Hearts NB. Note well Tho' he may have power over our Naturals yet he can have no power over our Morals without our consent He cannot make his passage into us unless we sign his Pass c. We must watch well hereupon c. The Third Foe we must therefore watch the more is our own Hearts which are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked c. Jer. 17.9 Hereupon we are commanded to keep our Hearts with all diligence even with the best of our keeping because the issues of Life yea and of Death too flows from that Fountain according to the goodness or badness of it Prov. 4.23,24,25,26,27 and Deut. 4.9,10 c. This Hidden Man of the Heart as 't is called 1 Pet. 3.4 must be well watched because 't is like a troubled Sea always casting forth Mire and Dirt Isa 57.20,21 'T is Job's phrase am I a Sea c. that thou settest a watch over me Job 7.12 Abundance of evil Thoughts c. proceed from the Heart Matth. 15.18,19,20 The Tempter can only knock at the Door he can neither Fire it nor Force it open 't is his gaining our consent that lets down the Draw-bridge and lets him enter c. therefore 't is not enough to have our Hearts well watched only but they must be well washed also as God saith Wash thine Heart from wickedness that thou mayst be saved how long shall thy vain Thoughts lodge within thee Jer. 4.14 Those evil Thoughts ought to ho watched and strictly examined yea and clapped up close Prisoners otherwise they will abuse us the Fathers of them as Lot's Daughters did him their Father they were awake when he was fast asleep and how busie were they to make him drunk c. Gen. 19.31 to 38. Alas how oft do vain Imaginations abuse our Harlot-like Hearts all the night long until the morning as those men of Belial in the City of Gibeah did the Levite Concubine Judg. 19.25 c. Upon this consideration we ought to watch well our own Hearts which is the Source and Seed-plot of all our sins for thoughts beget delight delight begets consent consent brings forth action action produceth custom and custom concludeth with laying a law of necessity in sinning against God principiis obsta venienti occurito morbo begin betimes to watch Diseases of the Body c. how much more those of the Soul ill principles breed ill practices The Inferences concerning the Duty of watching 1 st 'T is an universal Duty no Persons no Time no Place are excepted from it all watch Mark 13.37 2 dly Every Person must watch the whole Man both all the Members of the Body and all the Faculties of the Soul Alas all have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weapons of wickedness Rom. 6.13,19 No Roman General was allowed the Honour of a Triumph until they had won five Victories so nor may we truly Triumph before we have conquered our five Senses How ought we to watch them many have died of a wound in the Eye c. Job cover'd his Eye with a Covenant Job 31.1 Psal 119.37 If our Eye offend us we must pull it out of the Old Adam and get it set into the New Man c. How ought we watch our Tongues Psal 39.1,2 and 141.3 Eccles 5.1,2,3 Jam. 3.2 c. 3 dly Secure Souls that dare neglect their watch consider not that their way is dark and slippery Psal 35.6 and that this world is liKe the Vale of Siddim full of Slime-pits Gen. 14.10 into which we may slip before we be aware therefore ought we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to walk warily Gal. 2.14 signifying that we lift not up one Foot until we find firm footing for the other and we ought to walk circumspectly Ephes 5.15 the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie to walk exactly by Line and by Rule its Etymology is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a going up to the very top of Godliness walking along as in a Frame and keeping the King 's high way not turning to right hand or left Prov. 4.27 4 thly We must learn from the Prophet to say I will stand upon my watch and set me upon the Watch-tower and will watch to see what God will say unto me c. Hab. 2.1,2,3 Now there is no watching without Eyes which when Samson had lost then a little Boy could lead him Solomon saith that a prudent man foreseeth an evil and hideth himself c. Prov. 22.3 'T is a good observation the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wise man is derived from the Hebrew word Tsopheh speculator one standing always upon his watch 5 thly Let us rejoyce in this that when we neglect to watch over our selves we have a gracious God to watch over us night and day c. Isai 27.3 and keeps the Feet of his Saints 1 Sam. 2.9 1 Pet. 1.5 Jude ver 1. we may be lost Respectu Rei of our selves not Respectu Dei of God Joh. 6.39 and 10.28,29 and 17.12 Jude ver 24. 2 Tim. 1.12 The Apostle Peter saith the end of all â—hings is at hand therefore we must be soâ—er and wateh unto Prayer 1 Pet. 4.7 This is the last part of our Spiritual Armour Ephes 6.18 Matth. 26.41 which if by the helping hand of our gracious God we be made able to improve aright in our Christian Warfare then shall we be blest to rejoyce with the blessed Spouse of Christ crying It is the Voice of my Beloved behold he cometh leaping over Mountains and skipping over Hills Cant. 2.8 Remarks upon it are 1 st Watching and Praying Souls have this and hear this Kol-Dodi Heb. the Voice of their Beloved thus the Watching and Praying Prophet had his joyful tidings of the ruine of Babylon and of the restoration of Sion Hab. 2.1,3 and Chap. 3. and this was likewise the Spouse's work here wheâ— she was brought into the Bridegrooms Banquetting-house and his Banner of Loâ— was over her Cant. 2.4 yea and his left Hand was under her Head and his right hand embraced her after she had prayed for some of Christ's Cordials to be handed in to her Soul which was sick oâ— Love ver 5 6. and tho' she charged others not to awaken him c. ver 7. yet she doth it her self but not before he pleased for immediately he brings the
the strongest Oaks c. it maketh the Hindes to Calve which is the most difficult Birth of all Females Job 39.1 they being so narrow-made Creatures c. And the Voice of the Lord stilleth the Rage of Rivers and Seas by sitting upon the Floods and keeping them under his Call Psal 29.4,5,6,7 to 11. The Third Character is The Voice of Christ reacheth the Heart it maketh manifest the Secrets of the Hearts of Unbelievers at a Sermon-hearing and causeth them to fall down and worship God and to say that God is in his Prophets of a truth 1 Cor. 14.24,25 Thus when Christ speaketh with a strong hand as he did to the Prophet Isa 8.11 to any person then Christ opens the Heart as he did the Heart of Lydia Acts 16.14 tho' it be called a small still Voice 1 Kings 19.12 yet having the Lord in it it is mighty in its Operations for pulling down of the strong holds of Satan and casting down every high thing that exalts its self against God in us 2 Cor. 10.4,5 Christ's Voice hath Spirit and Life in it John 6.63 and therefore is it only effectual to break the heart for sin to dissolve the Stone and to mortifie sin in it and to quicken it for God and to change it into the Image of God c. 2 Cor. 3.18 The Fourth Character is Christ's Voice calleth from evil to good from ways of wickedness to ways of holiness it always cries come up hither to God Rev. 11.12 but never go down thither to sin this latter is the Voice of an Egyptian and when we meet it we must with Moses slay it but the former is an Hebrew Voice which we must save alive as he did Exod. 2.11,12 Christ's Breath or Spirit is called a Spirit of Holiness Rom. 1.3 and always calls us to be Holy as he is Holy 1 Pet. 1.15 and 2 Pet. 3.11 Truth calls to forsake the Foolish Prov. 9.6 but Error calls to Fleshly Delights ver 15 16 17. therefore we must reject that Voice which promotes not the power of Godliness The Fifth Character is Christ's Voice is alway consonant to the Light and Law of Nature This is the remainder of God's Image in faln mankind some sherd whereof do still remain after Adam's fall whereby Cain knew that Murther Joseph that Adultery his Brethren that Theft c. were all heinous sins long before the Law was given by Moses Hereby likewise the Gentiles who have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law these are a Law to themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their Hearts their Conscience bearing witness and either excusing or accusing c. Rom. 2.14,15 Therefore that Voice which crosseth the Voice of an awakened Conscience is not Christ's Voice The Sixth Character is the Voice of Christ is alway congruous to the Light and Law of the Holy Scripture for Christ who is called the word John 1.1 cannot contradict himself He is not Yea and Nay but in him was Yea c. 2 Cor. 1.17,18,19,20 He is the same both in his Voice that is spoken and in his Word that is written therefore our Lord saith to the Law and to the Testimony if any speak not according to this word it is because they have no Light in them Isa 8.20 The Word written must be the Rule of our Lives because it shall be our Judge after Death as our Lord saith the word that I have spoken the same shall judge you at the last day John 12.48 Rom. 2.16 according to my Gospel So that if any pretended Voice of Christ come to us which holds not congruity with the Scipture of Truth Dan. 10.21 1 Joh. 4.1 we must look on it as a Delusion c. The Seventh Character is The Voice of Christ always calls to weighty matters and that in order c. but never to trifling Deeds and in disorder and confusion Thus Nehemiah perceived it was none of God's call that called him from God's work no fewer than five or six times to trifling discourses with them in private c. Neh. 6.4,5,6,12 and thus Paul was exasperated against the Divining Damsel for disturbing them many days from their Praying work c. Acts 16.16,17,18 The Eighth and Last Character to mention no more for brevity sake is Christ's Voice doth put the Right Hearer of it into an acting frame and doing posture for thus he saith Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things that I say Luke 6.46 'T is not Hearers but Doers whom God respects Rom. 2.13 Hearers only and not Doers deceive themselves Jam. 1.22 'T is not the hearing and talking but the walking and working Christian that Christ loveth c. Inferences from hence 1 st That we may hear the Voice of Christ we must come to every Ordinance in publick and to every Duty in private in an hearkning posture I will hearken what the Lord will say c. Psal 85.8 Speak Lord for thy Servant heareth 1 Sam. 3.19 To hearken is better than the fat of Rams 1 Sam. 15.22 To day if you will hear his Voice harden not your hearts Heb. 3.7 but listen and hearken with bored Ears Psal 40.6 c. 2 dly Pray for a Discerning Spirit 1 Cor. 12.10 that we mistake not the Younger for the Elder as blind Isaac did Gen. 27,21,22 The Voice may be Jacob's when the Hands may be like the rough Hands of Esau c. and we may think that we are embracing our beloved Rachel all the night when in the morning-light it proves a Blear-eyed Leah as it was imposed upon Jacob by churlish Laban Gen. 29.25 and therefore must we pray for God's Spirit to lead us into all truth John 14.26 if it do witness with our Spirits Rom. 8.16 This is the ultimum or last appeal then may we say with the Apostle I have the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2.16 and with the Prophet If I be deceived my God hath deceived me Jer. 20.7 For the Spirit of Truth doth not only assure us of our interest in Christ but also of the truth of the Voice of Christ to us to prevent mistakes c. 3 dly Prove all things and hold fast that which is good 1 Thes 5.21 Try before we trust take nothing upon trust he was a fond Philosopher that said he had rather err with Plato than follow the Truth with others whereas we should follow any that follow Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 Wo to them that call evil good c. Isa 5.20 therefore should we say with Isaac Come near my Son that I may feel thee Gen. 27.21 And John turned to see the Voice of him that spake to him Rev. 1.12 And the same Apostle saith our Hands have handled of the word of Life 1 John 1.1 the Ear tryeth words c. Job 12.11 As Timothy must lay hands sudddenly on no man 1 Tim. 5.22 So we on no Thing no Voice c. for we may hear a noise only of
Christ but not the distinct articulate Voice of Christ c. as those that journied with Paul did c. Acts 9.7 with Acts 22.9 and 't is said of those Christ-killers that they knew not the Voices of the Prophets c. Acts 13.27 4 thly The true Voice of Christ discovers it self by its effects as 1 It makes our hearts leap at it within us as the Babe leaped in Elizabeths Womb when only the Mother of our Lord saluted her Luke 1.44 much more when our Lord himself saluteth us c. our Hearts then must leap for Joy c. 2 It makes our Hearts bâ—rn within us as it did to those two Disciples Luke 24.32 Christ's Voice ever makes a warm Heart c. 5 thly If we be of God we shall hear the Voice of Christ and his word will have room in us John 8.37,47 and every one that is of the Truth heareth Christ's Voice John 18.37 by this we may know both whose and what we are as to our State c. 6 thly and Lastly A Love-sick Soul cannot bear any long silence from Christ c. there was silence in Heaven only for half an hour Rev. 8.1 that was a wonder but to hear nothing of Christ's Voice for whole Days Weeks and Months c. is a great grievance to a gracious Heart this made David cry Hide not thy Face from thy Servant for I am in trouble hear me speedily Psal 69.17 And the Spouse said Thy Companions hear thy Voice Oh cause me to hear it also Cant. 8.13 Hope deferred makes the Heart sick Prov. 13.12 Unless God say to us as he said to Moses speak no more to me concerning this matter Deut. 3.25,26 Thus God sometimes saith so to us in his Works when he declares his Will contrary to our Wills Thus David prayed for the Life of his Child when God had decreed its Death 2 Sam. 12.16,17,18 And our Saviour himself prayed let this Cup pass from me yet with submission to his Fathers Will Matth. 26.19 c. CHAP. V. The Characters of True Conquerors through the Strength of Christ THE Enquiry is How may this Conquest be made manifest to us that we may sing victoria with Deborah saying Oh my Soul thou hast trodden down strength Judg. 5.21 and say with Paul I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me Phil. 4.13 and we are more than Conquerors in all these things through him that loved us Rom. 8.37 Answer This may be known by many manifest Characters As the 1 st Character is Can we say in the witnessings of the Holy Ghost together with the witness of our own Consciences as Rom. 9.1 that we find the Lord hath performed in some measure that first Gospel-promise of Christ's breaking the Serpents Head in us Gen. 3.15 Hath Satan lost his Headship or Dominion over us Rom. 6.14 he is limited and must have leave to hurt Hogs c. This Text Gen. 3.15 the Romish Church hath most grosly corrupted ascribing that Honourable Act to the Virgin Mary the Hebrew is Hu Jeshupheka Resh ille conteret Caput not illa for Hu is the Masculine Gender signifies He not Hi the Feminine which signifies She and so Zerah Hebr. for Seed is Masculine also Therefore the Popish Reading She for He must needs be notoriously false because it gives the Glory of Christ to her who her self as well as we was saved by the Merit Value and Vertue of Christ as She her self doth acknowledge saying My Spirit rejoiceth in the Lord my Saviour Luke 1.47 Had She had no sin as the Romanists say then had She no need of this Saviour whom She called my Saviour and why did She if stood in no need of him so rejoice in him The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying as if She danced a Gallyard in her transports of joy in him reckoning that her interest in this her Saviour did make it Hilary Term that is a Merry Time with her Then if She her self stood in need of a Saviour how absurd it is in the Papists to pray to her as to a Saviour for others Chrysostom saith had not that blessed Virgin carried Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in her Heart as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in her Arms as well as before in her Womb She had never her self got into Heaven therefore we must not set the Crown upon the wrong Head upon the Mother of our Lord. but upon the Lord himself to break the Serpents Head and a wound in the Head is most dangerous and mortal and therefore the Serpent doth secure his Head with the hazard of his whole Body knowing that his Life lies in his Head mostly Intorto Capite sequitur Corpus if the Serpent can screw in his Head he can easily wrest in his Body Now the Phrase Conterit Caput signifies he shall knock thee on the Head he shall crack thy Crown therefore this must be our serious enquiry Whether Christ in us the hope of Glory Col. 1.27 who dwells in our Hearts by Faith Ephes 3.17 and who is the Stronger Man hath yet come upon this Strong Man and overcome him and taken from his Armour wherein he trusted c. Luke 11.21,22 Hath our Lord in us drawn the Dragon out of his Den where he lived long peaceably that is in our Heatrs all the time of our ignorance Acts 17.30 And hath he broke the Head of the Tempter so that he leaves nothing for us to combat with save only Tail-Temptations And Christ strengthens his Members both to carry on and to compleat this Spiritual Combat and to become more than Conquerors at the last as blessed Paul acknowledgeth in three places of Holy Scripture The first is It is not I that lives but it is Christ that liveth in me c. Gal. 2.20 The Second Place is Rom. 8.37 where he ascribeth the Honour of our being Conquerors as before to the Life of Christ in him so to the Love of Christ to him and to all true Christians And the third place is Phil. 4.13 where he gives the glory of his one sort of Omnipotency to the power of Christ in him The 2 d Character of a Conqueror is If we find by real experience that we do gain ground of our Spiritual Enemies those Tail-Temptations as Joshuah did win ground upon the cursed Canaanites in his daily Wars against them First he conquered that Land which lay upon the far side of Jordan and then passing over that River he conquered them on the other side also having the blessed Messiah along with him who said to Joshuah as Captain of the Lord's Host am I come Josh 5.15 yet sometimes we find how hardly he got the Victory over the City Ai when Achan's sin proved too strong for Joshuah's prowess Josh 7.5 Insomuch that he won ground of the Enemy as it were by Inches only according to the word of the Lord saving The Lord thy God will drive out those Nations before
of God in and of it self otherwise God would never have made it the matter of this exceeding great and pretious Promise which he was pleased to annex to the Fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and Mother that thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Exod. 20.12 Matth. 15.4 Ephes 6.2,3 This Duty of Children to obey their Parents in the Lord the Apostle calls it a Right Duty Ephes 6.1 and commends it moreover as a Duty not only good before Men but acceptable also unto God 1 Tim. 5.4 This Fifth Commandment is called the First Commandment with Promise Ephes 6.2 that is the First Affirmative Commandment or the First in the Second Table or the First of all the Ten with such a Special Promise of Long Life in the Land of the Living that thou maist live long Ephes 6.3 As good Children do help to lengthen their Parents days so Joseph did Jacob's c. So God for encouraging them in their Duty doth promise to lengthen their Days and if at any time God take this Long Lease from them here he grants them a Freehold-Estate of a greater Value hereafter If God do deny to give them the Silver of a Temporal Life in this lower World he will be sure to pay them most plentifully with the Gold of an Eternal Life in the upper and better World whereas on the contrary such as are stubborn and undutiful Children as they shorten their Parents Lives and bring down their Gray Hairs with sorrow to their Graves So God often doth shorten the Lives of such wicked Children and cuts them off in the midst of their Days as God did to wicked Abimelech of whom it is said that the Lord rendred upon him the Evil which he had done unto his Father Gideon Judg. 9.56 Yea and Solomon saith the Eve that mocketh at his Father as cursed Cham did at Noah and despiseth to obey his Mother the Ravens of the Vally shall pick out that mocking Eye Prov. 30.17 God takes notice of the offending Member and appoints this Punishment for it and a sad one too if this be understood of the Infernal-Ravens those Black Devils of Hell those are cursed with a witness whom the Holy Ghost thus curseth with such emphatical expressions and in such exquisite Terms Those Ravens of the Vally are said to be most ravenous and the first thing they do to a Carcase is to pick out the Eyes as Horace saith Effossos Oculos Voret Atro Guttare Corvus And our Saviour adds to the saying of Solomon He that curseth Father or Mother let him die the Death Matth. 15.4 All this does make it manifest that as a short Life is a Curse so a long Life is a Blessing otherwise as on the one hand Godliness would never have left to it by the Lord so many precious Promises as these to name but a few of the many beside the afore-named 1. God promiseth to his people 1. That he will fulfil the number of their days Exod. 23.26 that is they shall dye full of days as Abraham Gen. 25.8 as Isaac Gen. 35.29 and as David did 1 Chron. 29.28 They all did fall like full-ripe Apples into the hands of God the right Owner and the great Gatherer of them 2. That He will take away Sickness from them Deut 7.15 that is he will bestow the great blessing of Health upon them which is the best of Temporal Blessings for a sickly Life is a lifeless Life and no better than a lingring Death Non est Vivere sed Valere Vita saith Martial Health is the Reward of Piety Prov. 3.8 3. That they shall be blessed in the City and blessed in the Country blessed every where Deut. 28.2,3 c. mercy and goodness follows them all the days of their Lives as David saith of himself Psal 23.6 as before he had said he asked Life of thee and thou gavest it him even length of Days c. Psal 21.4 and he describing the State of a godly Man in Psal 91. he reckons up the mighty Power of God in preserving his Person from manifold Calamities so far as it consists with God's Glory and the godly Man's good yea tho' he die of the Plague for the best are not exempted from common Calamities yet shall he be saved from the plague of the Plague and with long Life will I satisfie him Psal 91.16 4. Another Divine Promise is cleave unto the Lord for He is thy Life and the length of thy Days Deut. 30.20 Agreeable unto this is that Godly Wisdom shall add both length of Days and a long Life and Peace unto such as are blest with it Prov. 3.2 an thus God told wise Solomon seeing thou hast not asked long Life c. but Wisdom of me yet if thou wilt keep my Commands I will add length of Days to thee 1 King 3.11,14 Many more Promises of along Life might be added but to avoid prolixity this shall suffice adding only that length of Days is a transcendent priviledge and desirable in general by all Mankind This was David's Doctrine which he proclaimeth with a challenge to the whole World crying as it were with sound of Trumpet What Man is he that desireth Life and loveth many days that he may see Good Psal 34.12 Augustine brings all sorts of Mortal Men and Women who all unanimously answered to David's Question saying with much eagerness every one for themselves Ego Ego I would and I would c. All Persons do desire a long Life many happy Days and a comfortable Enjoyment of all But alas how few there be that take right Courses to obtain the true Happiness according to that wholesom Counsel which David doth prescribe for the compassing of it ver 13 14 15 c. Again 2 dly What a blessing is long Life may be farther demonstrated by the many direful Threatnings which the Lord hath denounced against wickedness as before his pretious Promises to Godliness c. that the Wicked shall not live out half his days Psal 55.24 and in many more Scriptures too long here to relate all shewing that a short Life is a curse c. yet know that in some cases it is a blessing as to those who are taken away from the evil to come 1 King 14.13 and Isai 57.1 Just as when a Fire breaks forth in an House then Men carry forth their Jewels but God conveys his Cabinet into a better World their Souls enter into Rest and pass to Heaven The Conclusion of this 1 st Point then is this That seeing a long Life is promised by the Lord to the Godly and short Life is threatned by Him to the Wicked therefore it must necessarily follow from these two aforenamed premises that a good Old Age and to go the Grave full of Years and full of Graces as well as Years as Abraham did is a great blessing of God as to its own Nature and Substance c. The 2 d Point I have
to discourse upon is the Accidents of this Nature and Substance of Old Age which are principally two namely 1 st The Quantity and 2dly The Quality of it First Concerning the Quantity of it and this is twofold 1 st That which was more special and peculiar to the Antedeluvian Patriarchs And 2 dly That which is most General and Universal to all the Post-diluvian generation of Mankind ever since Noah's Flood not only unto this day but also to the end of the World 1 st As to the Patriarchs They indeed lived very long and to a very great Old Age yet they all did die at last for the God of Nature did ordain upon the Fall of Adam that Nature should decay and die at last NB. Note well That none of the Patriarchs did live out compleatly a Thousand Years for that term of Time is reckâ—…d as one Day 2 Pet. 3.8 and if any of those Patriarchs had lived out their Thousand Years then that Divine Doom upon faln Mankind in the Day thou eatest the forbidden Fruit thou shalt surely Die Gen. 2.17 Now if any one of those had lived beyond a Thousand Years then Man had not died within the compass of that Mystical Day c. The Patriarchs indeed had a very large Quantity and a long Lease of their Lives and this was for many weighty Reasons of four several sorts 1. Natural 2. Civil 3. Moral 4. Theological The 1 st is Natural because 1. There was much vertue in those Herbs upon which they constantly made their daily Meals 2 dly The Climate where they lived had a most temperate Air and every way most congruous to their Constitutions But 3 dly above all their own Temperance from Surfeiting and Drunkenness for the Old Adage is Plures pereunt Gula quam Gladio more Persons do die by Intemperance than by the Sword c. These Three are the Natural Reasons In the 2 d Place the Civil Reasons are 1 st They lived so long both for the better populating of the World And 2 dly For the better spreading of the Church of God out of the White Line in the World they lived thus long to beget Sons and Daughters for this purpose Then in the 3 d Place the Moral Reasons are 1 st For the better institution of all Arts and Sciences c. And 2 dly For the more promoting of their own Experimental knowledge because they wanted those Books and Libraries which we in our days do enjoy therefore the Lord lent them such long Leases of Eight or Nine Hundred Years whereby they got the greater stock of Knowledge by such long Experience And in the 4 th Place The Theological Reason is For the propagation of the True Religion in the World as was hinted above in the White Line the Posteririty of Seth as the Black Line was the Off-spring of cursed Cain as is made apparent in the draught of ancient Genealogies which are drawn with a White and a Black Line all along to distinguish the Church from the World NB. Note well 1. As the longest Day hath the shortest Night so the longest Life of those Patriarchs had the shortest Death for the night of Death came upon them at the last we read of no Agonies they had in their Dying c. NB. Note well 2. As the Microcosm or great World was drown'd as it were with a Dropsie in Neal's deluge and shall at last be burned as it were with a burning Fever even so the Microcosm or Man who is called the little World More of this afterwards But 2 dly as to the Quantity of Lease of Man's Life since the Patriarchs time which is now general and universal over all Mankind we must know that as the long Lives of those Patriarchs near the beginning of the World tho' now faln under sin doth intimate to us and give us a guess how long Man night have lived upon the Earth had he not sinned before he had been translated into Heaven as Enoch was So that the Age of Man began to be shortned after Noah's Flood and more especially after the confusion of Tongues at the building of Babel for Peleg which signifies Division so called because Tongues were divided in that day and his Son Regu and those born after them lived not above half the time of those than were born before them as Porcus notes well in his Medulla Histor Eccles pag. 15. NB. Note well May not we in our Day call our Sons Peleg as Heber did his Son for in a colour of building up Sion 't is rather a Babel because of the Confusion of Tongues amongst us not understanding one anothers Languages Prob Dolor this is for Lamentation c. Know likewise that after this diminution of Man's Age at the Confusion of Tongues Moses comes and mentions a shorter cut of the Lease of Man's Life as we are told in the Ninetieth Psalm which is called the Prayer of Moses that he made most probably when he saw the Carcases of the People fall so fast in the Wilderness and committed to Writing for the instruction of those that were left alive yet were doomed to Death as Numb 14. at large relateth and this Prayer of Moses is fitly placed next to the eighty ninth Psalm that it might be an illustration of that passage What Man is he that liveth and shall not see Death shall he deliver his Soul from the Hand of the Grave Psal 89.48 After this verse Moses reads a Divine Lecture upon Man's Mortality shewing how God turns Man to destruction Psal 90.3 that is God by turning loose upon Man divers Diseases turns him now soon out of the Worlds And when Moses had set forth the misery of Man's Life by many similitudes as a Watch a Flood a Sleep Flower c. which indeed is such a Misery as cannot sufficiently be set forth by any similitudes ver 4 5 6 7 8 9. He at last comes to determine how short a Lease God gives Man of his Life saying the days of our Years are Threescore Years and Ten ver 10. that is as if he had said Tho' the Fathers lived much longer yet as wickedness increased in the World so Mens Days decreased and now their Lives are daily shortned and one Generation soon dispatched away after another All Men have a quick dimission from their appearance upon the Stage of the World and all this is done that the World it self may come the sooner to its perpetual period And tho' some by reason of a more robust Constitution than others have and therefore may attain to fourscore Years yet few exceed seventy and fewer attain to it and such as live longer do pay interest of Pains Sorrow and Misery for their inlargement beyond the generality of Mankind because the Body is then much decayed and filled with Diseases c. And thus Barzillai accounted himself a very Aged Man when he had attained to the age of fourscore Years old 2 Sam. 19.32 saying of himself How long
have I to live can I tast what I eat or drink c and how long have I to live ver 34. that is my Breath is corrupt or my Spirits are Spent my Days are extinct and the Grave is ready for me as Job speaks of himself Job 17.1 He was Senex quasi Seminex half dead and felt himself pedetentim mori to die by peace-meal even sensim sine sensu insensibly yielding every day somewhat to Death and therefore he tells David with a most thankful Heart that it was not adviseable for him to embrace his Royal Offer of a Courtly Life to him who was now superannuated and was already as it were dead both to Meat and Musick all such delights of the Sons of Men Eccles 2.8 Those days saith he are come upon me wherein I can have no pleasure Eccles 12.2,3,4 Therefore 't is high time now for me and for all such Aged Ones as I am to make and pack up our Fardles and prepare to pass hence into that better Country which is Heaven as the Holy Patriarchs did Heb. 11.13,14,15,16 My continuance can be but short here in this World saith old Barzillai to David and therefore I would not now leave my Habitation where I may retire and rest me from the Noise of the World but now my whole work is a firm resolve to make ready for Death and to lay hold on Eternal Life 2 Sam. 19.35,36,37 1 Tim. 6.19 And indeed this is the indispensable Duty not only of such as are Old but 't is necessary for all that are Young to do so likewise because this Quantity and the length of the Lives of all Persons in all Ages is very uncertain the Proverb saith as soon goes the Lambs Skin to the Market as that of the Old Sheep the Young may die as well as the Old must die And 't is an old observation yea and a true one that there be more of Mankind which die under Ten Years old than they which live above Sixty Years We all live in Houses of Clay and our Foundation is in the Dust easily crushed as the Moth with the least touch of Man's Finger and much sooner are we crushed with the Finger of God Job 4.19 If our Cottages of Clay had a Foundation of Brass or Marble they might possibly stand some time in the World but seeing our best Foundation is no better than Dust call'd Terra Fricabilis which is so easily crumbled asunder in the Hand of a Child Oh 't is no less than a Miracle of Mercy that some of us do subsist so long alive upon the Earth seeing the Walls of our Earthly Tabernacles as Paul calls the Body 2 Cor 5.2 are weak and the Foundation of our Clay-House is far weaker being but Dust light flying and unstable Dust which is soon wherried and whirled about with every puff of Wind Hence Man is not only a Clod of Clay neatly made up by a skilful Potter as was the first Man Adam of the Earth Earthy 1 Cor. 15.47 and a Lump of Dust Gen. 3.19 but also he is but an heap of Vanity yea at his best estate Kol-Adam Kol-Abel omnis Adam est totus Abel every Adam or Man is wholly Abel or Vanity even when he seems to be well underlaid on all sides and most setled and likeliest to live Psal 39.5,11 And again Adam Abel's compar est Adam is Abel's Mate Man is like to Vanity and as a Shadow that hath no substance in it or subsistence at all Psal 144.4 and he not only consumes away like a Moth as Psal 39.11 as before with the least touch the Moth is crushed but 't is said further that Man is crushed before the Moth Job 4.19 It is not said there before the Lion that would be no wonder but 't is said before the Moth to shew what a poor thing Man is when a Moth can crush him that a Fly can choak him as it did Pope Alexander that an Hair in a Mess of Milk may stifle him as it did great Marius the Roman General and as some say Pope Adrian also Thus Druslus the Emperor Claudius's Son was suffocated with a Pear that was cast up and catched by his Mouth in sport only Thus Aemilius Lepidus was destroyed by a light bruise upon his Toe Many such Stories I might relate of this Nature but to be short let me add only one more which I can both affirm and confirm upon my own knowledge that a great Lord of this Land who was my Patron c. that was brought to his Death only by paring a Corn upon his Toe which did after Gangreen and struck upwards whereof at last he died All these Instances with many more which might be added do demonstrate the uncertainty of our Lives as there is nothing more certain than our Deaths for that is established by the great Statute of Heaven that all Men must once die Heb. 9.27 yet as to the time of it there is nothing more uncertain especially considering how Man is destroyed from Morning to Evening Job 4.20 the Hebrew reading is he is beaten to pieces as in a Mortar with one Misery upon another until the very Breath be beaten out of his Body at length yea and all this from Morning to Evening that is not only all the day long but even all the life long which is here for its brevity compared to an Artificial Day and such as no Man can be sure he shall have twelve hours to his Day For how many are there whose Sun hath set at High-noon even in the prime and pride of their Days they have been snatcht away by the Hand of Death yea yet higher how many do we see whose Sun doth set at its very rising so that they are carried from the Grave of the Womb to the Womb of the Grave even from their Birth to their Burial And assuredly we all every Hour as well as every Day do yield somewhat unto Death and nearer and nearer do we approach to our latter end yea and the longest liver of us hath but a short cut from the first Rising of our Sun to its last Setting from our Birth to our Burial The Psalmist saith that the Sun knoweth the time of its going down Psal 104.19 But this cannot be said of any of the Sons of Men that they know the time of their going down to the Grave good Isaac knew it not Gen. 27.1,2 except only Hezekiah who by a special dispensation from God knew it much less can we that are old know the time of our going down or the Quantity of our Old Age. The Jewish Rabbins do mention three Steps or Degrees in the measure of Old Age the first they call Senes the second they name Annosi and the third they stile Decrepidi and thus they reckon when a Man comes to be Sixty Years old such an one they reckon'd to be reached only to the Borders of Old Age passing along until he stepped on unto Seventy Years
c. 4. Seneca saith in his Epistle 58. and that out of his own Experience How are our last Days the very Dregs and Lees of our Lives when the clearer part is drawn out and spent then the worst part does sink down to the bottom To add no more of Pagan Authors save only Epictetus 5. calls Old Age Vita Mors Cadaver Spirans Mobile Cadaver that is Old Age is a Living Death 't is a Breathing Corps yea a moving Carcase Now hear what Sacred Authors say better than those aforesaid is too long to quote together in this place seeing so much hath been shewed hereof already The Book of our own smarting Experiences speak loud enough to convince us of the Evil of Old Age. How many Bodily Infirmities doth daily attend us that are Aged what Aches of the Bones what Pains in the Joints what Convulsions of the Sinews what Torments of the Bowels how dolorous are those Diseases of Collick Stone and Strangury in Old Persons what Hollow Coughs Distillations of Rhume what Debility of Nature incroaches daily upon all our Senses of Body and upon all the Faculties of the Mind our Appetites to Food our Digestions of Food both feeble so that in a word Old Age is like the Common-Sewer into which all Diseases do empty themselves and therefore Old Age may well be called an Evil Age. Secondly After this General more particularly the The Evils of Old Age may be reduced to Three Heads to wit Natural Moral and Spiritual 1 st The Evils that are Natural to it And 1. As to the Body Many Distempers do attend it as those even now named and many more beside whereof Barzillai complained as before 2 Sam. 19.34,35 All Aged Persons do smartly feel the Burden of it as that ancient Woman in Plautus who being wished by her Friends that were walking along with her to hasten and amend her pace smartly â—nswered that she could not do so for â—he carried a great Burden upon her Back and when no Burden did as they said appear to their Eyes she replied again that Threescore Years were passed over her Head and that was her Burden And the same may be said by those whose Spirits are much spent and whose Strength is much wasted even at that Age for then Age it self alone is a Burden much more in those that live up even to a Doteage and Uselesness This is made more manifest by Solomon Eccles 12. where he declares the Decays accompanying Old Age he saith according to our English Translation then the Grashopper shall be a Burden ver 5. but the original word Hebrew signifies the curvature or crookedness of the Back which in Old Persons stands bent like a Grashopper and this makes the motions of such as are crooked with Age to be the more burdensome or the Phrase there is Hyperbolical intimating that every light matter will oppress those with their Burden who are already become a Burden to themselves And beside this Natural Evil of Old Age as to the Body there is a second as to the Estate many Losses and Crosses do come upon them as the loss of some of their nearest and dearest Relations and such like complaining as Old Jacob did who mourned for his lost Son many days and refused to be Comforted Gen. 37.34,35 and again Joseph is not and Simeon is not and must I lose my dear Benjamin too as he had lost Rachel c Gen. 42.36 Tho' Jacob's mourning was only for supposed losses yet he had real ones also as of his beloved Rachel c. Many more instances may be mentioned as of David mourning for the real loss of his Son Absolom for whom he made so deep a lamentation c. This loss of Relations is the greater Natural Evil because it is against the course of Nature for Parents to bury Children whereas Children use to bury Parents for one Generation passeth away when another cometh so that a Generation of Children doth as it were thrust out of the World a Generation of Parents by Natures Law To all this let me add my own exercise with this Evil who have lived to bury eight Children out of nine c. And yet there is a third Natural Evil attending Old Age as to their respect and reverence from the Younger Sort alas how are they as Lamps despised as Old Job complains Job 12.4,5 and more fully Job 19.15,16,17,18 and 30.1 to 11 12 13. where he sighs out these sad words saying Upon my Right Hand rise the Young they push away my Feet c. which explaineth what he had said ver 1. that Younger than he was did not only deride him and laughed him to scorn tho' they were no better than Shagrag Dog-keepers as he calls them and most miserably poor ver 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. Yet these Young Scoundrils dared to kick him with their Feet or trip up his Heels to lay him along Job was wont to have the chiefest Seats in the Temple and lowly Salutations in the Market-place He was now Ancient and had been Honourable as he had set forth at large in Chap. 29. but here he bewails his Misery that he cannot have a Room in any Place to stand in but every paltry Boy is ready to push him down c. Thus likewise those Ill-bred and Mistaught Children did petulantly deride that Old Prophet Elisha yelling out those impudent words go up thou Bald-pate c. 2 Kings 2.23 Having nothing worse to upbraid him with they taunt that Head with their Scorns which God had crowned with Honour Prov. 16.31 And the same God who had thus honoured his Servant Elisha doth likewise vindicate this dishonour cast upon him ordering two She Bears possibly robb'd of their Whelps to worry forty and two of those Ill-natur'd Children As their Childhood did not excuse them so their Idolatrous Parents were punished in being writ Childless for giving them no better Education see more of this in my Third Volume on this same History NB. Note well Suppose any of us Aged Ones be at any time derided by Younger ones this may allay our Grief that God doth not lead us into any untrodden Path for our Betters have gone before us therein c. The Second and Third Evils to wit Moral and Spiritual which do attend Old Age may be put together and briefly improved As 1 st The Moral Evils are 1. An over-eagerness in a greedy seeking of Wealth and yet a niggardly unwillingness to spend what is gotten no not sometimes to supply the Necessities of Nature c. 2. A dull slow and cold pace in all proceedings of Business yea with a timorous and fearful temper of Mind and yet fretting and chafing at the same dulness and backwardness that he beholds in others under him 3. The Old Man is of a morose Mind hard to be pleased himself and as hard to please others a froward Spirit is easily displeased as we see in Babes at the Breast c. yet are
not so easily pleased again 4. Another Moral Evil in the Aged is to complain of present Times but praising former Days of old which the Old Men of those Days did as much complain of as he doth of these Whereas indeed the fault lieth not in the Times either present or former but in the Persons that liveth in those Times for in every Age better Hearts and Lives would make better Times Then 2 dly After these Moral Vices do follow Spiritual Sins which are found in Old Age such as 1. Ignorance a meer Child for knowledge no Fool like to an Old Fool and therefore tho' this silly Child be an hundred Years old he is denounced by a Divine Mouth to be accursed Isai 65.20 Thus the Old Age of that silly Child Shimei who childishly plaid away his own Life could not exempt him from Justice for it was David's charge to his Son Solomon let not his Hoary Head go down to the Grave in peace 1 Kings 2.6 2. An indocible untractable Frame attends Old Age to learn the great Mysteries of Godliness as appeared in Old Nicodemus tho' a Master in Israel and could not but have read of a New Heart which God promised to give c. in the Prophet Ezekiel and in other places of the Old Testament yet how aukward was he in entertaining the Doctrine of Regeneration objecting against it First How can a Man be born again And after Christ had told him that the way of the Spirits working this work was incomprehensible c. yet comes he off again with his How can these things be John 3.4,10 This Old Man nay an Old Master in teaching work understood no more of the Mystery of the New Birth than a rude Rustick can comprehend the profoundest Points of the Mathematicks which be no better than Gibberish to him when he hears them NB. However it is no matter how dull the Scholar is when Christ himself will become the Teacher as here for this Nicodemus who had long been a Night-bird during the Life of Christ did at the last break forth as the Sun from under a Cloud to manifest his Love to his Lord after his Death John 19.39 3. To illustrate this farther Old Age is Self-conceited and cannot easily be convinced through Pride of Spirit rooted in it he is too wise to learn therefore was it that Solomon preferred a poor and wise Child before an Old and Foolish King who abhors to be admonished Eccles 4.13,14 for the Young Child is apt to learn and ready to receive Instruction and will be as careful to follow it and all this is true Wisdom Whereas an Old and Foolish King is not only weak but also wilful and his Pride is the ground of his Wilfulness as he is short-sighted in his Mind so he is stubborn and unconvincible in his Will There have been such Kings in the World who in their Old Age have shewed themselves so self-willed and so wedded to their own vain Opinions that they never endured to ask Advice and if any were given them what they fancied not they assuredly rejected it though they sometimes yea very seldom ask Counsel yet never follow any but their own until they ruin themselves and their People 4. As the Three former brings Ruine c. to the Bodies not only of Old and Foolish Kings but also of Old and Foolish Subjects who do harden their Hearts against all good Counsel yea and that which is worst of all these Three afore-named bring destruction to their Souls likewise by their living and dying in that great sin of Unbelief and final Impenitency which their custom in sin taking away all conscience of sin doth at last seal them up in where the superabounding Grace of God doth not interpose to disappoint it This refractory and untoward untractable Temper of abhorring to be taught hath been a long time observed universally to accompany Old Age insomuch that this was the first ground of that Old Greek Adage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Senum Doctor a Teacher of Old Persons by which Phrase the Wisdom of the Ancients used to express any labour in vain like those other Phrases Aethiopem lavare to wash a Blackmore white which Phrase is used in Scripture Jer. 13.23 And to the same purpose is that Adage used by Pagan Authors Sysiphi saxum voluere a Poetical Fiction that this Sysiphus was doomed unto as a punishment for his former Faults that he was to roll an heavy Stone up the Hill which then did run down again of it self with its own weight and when it came to the bottom his work was to roll it up again yea and that which was the Mischief and Misery of this Man in this Work it must be his only and continual Task for all his time c. All these Adages do demonstrate the unteachableness of Old Age and that if we do not through the Grace of God remember our Creator in the days of our Youth while that tractable Temper continueth with us but still drive it off until Old then become we so slow so oblivious and so setled upon the Lees c. insomuch that the Ministry of the Word that they sit under is labour in vain to such and Christ's Ministers may complain with the Prophet as to such as hate to be reformed and are incorrigible I have laboured in vain and I have spent my strength for naught and in vain Isai 49.4 NB. Note well how besotted and even bewitched are such Persons to make that the Task of their Old Age which ought to be the Trade of our whole Life and to settle their everlasting and surest making or marring upon so sandy and sinking a Foundation as Old Age is well called an Evil Age for Reasons aforesaid Now the next and Second Point to be discoursed upon is How this Evil Old Age may become a Good Old Age as was Abrahams Gen. 25.8 and Isaac's Gen. 35.29 and Davids 1 Chron. 29.28 hic labor hoc opus est this is an high and an hard undertaking for the accomplishment whereof let this be the method As 1 st The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it may be so seeing the Evil Old Age which is so in it self and by decays of Nature hath been made a good Old Age by the power of Grace as in those three aforenamed 2 dly The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Reasons why it ought to be made so because our eternal Weal or Woe hangs upon it And 3 dly The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the means whereby this marvelous change from Evil to good may be wrought First of the 1 st That it may be so 't is clear not only from the many Examples of Holy Men and Women upon Record in both the Old and New Testament who all lived holily to a good Old Age and died happily at the last and the Scripture gives this honourable Character concerning Mnason that he was an Old Disciple of Christ Acts 21.16 And the Ancient
is related by the Holy Ghost and both these were done for the greateâ— Honour of this Lady as Sarah Hebrew signifies who was a Type of the Gospel-Church Gal. 4.22 to 31. and she was the Wife of that greatest of Patriarchs who is called the Father of the Faithful and whose Bosom is the Synonymon with Mansions of Glory Rom. 4.16 Luke 16.22 Yet his mourning for her was moderate and not as without Hope 1 Thes 4.13 Her Death had not made any such divorce from him but there still remained a blessed conjunction betwixt them therefore he calls her his Dead eight several times over in Gen. 23.3 c. to shew he had not lost her nor lost his interest in her and that he had only lent her to the Lord he had only bid her good night in hope to see her Alive again in the Morning of the Resurrection she was only faln asleep in Jesus 1 Thes 4.13,14 the Union was not dissolved by Death As this consideration was comfortable to this Good Old Abraham so it was no less a comfort to that Good Prophet Ezekiel when the Lord took from him the Desire of his Eyes Ezek. 24.16 even that sweet Companion of his Life And this may likewise be the Comfort of all Godly Couples and of Friends also when God is pleased to make a separation one from another 't is only for a time and not for ever Our present meetings together in this World are joyned with some short parting 's asunder but our Hope in the Lord is we shall at last meet together again in a better World so as never to part asunder any more for then we shall be with the Lord for ever and for ever wherefore let us comfort one another with these words 1 Thes 4.17,18 Oh blessed Hour Oh thrice happy Union There is but a Sleep for a Time for a Night of Death only as by Sleep the Body is refreshed so by Death the Body is refined Let it be our care to cleave close to Christ at the instant of Death then shall we sleep in Jesus and he will be our Gain both in Life and Death Phil. 1.21,22,23 After this Night of Sleep comes the Day-Break of Eternal Brightness and after this Union here below cometh an Everlasting Communion in Heaven above Those Scripture Comforts should come home to our Hearts therefore ought we to comfort one another with them by Christian Communication and then may they afford us more strong Consolation than all the Comforts of Phylosophy of which Cicero said on his Death-Bed Nescio quo modo imbecillior Medicina quam Morbus est that is I know not how it comes that the Medicine is too weak for my Disease None can say so of those Sripture Cordials which the Lord doth ordinarily water with the Dews of his Divine Blessing The same Cordial did serve to satisfie Job likewise in the loss of his Children looking upon them not as lost but only lent to the Lord who had before but lent them unto him and had called his own only home to himself He still looked on them as his Dead as well as Living they were still his his Dead as Abraham's phrase was so oft of his Dead Wife after they were Dead and Buried How else could it be said that God gave to Job twice as much of every thing as he had before seeing he had but the same number of Children afterwards that he had before to wit Seven Sons and Three Daughters Job 42.10,13 He reckoned there remained still a blessed Union and Conjunction between him and them which was founded upon his hope of an Happy Resurrection In a word learn we to say our Godly Relations are not lost they are only gone before us and we are hastning after them they are only removed out of one Room into another out of the Out-houses and Kitchin of this World into the Presence-Chamber and Palace of Heaven They have changed their Place but not their Company as Good Dr. Preston said upon his Death-bed They are only gathered like Lillies Cant. 6.2 by the Hand of Christ who hath transplanted them into the Paradise of God Our Lord said to the penitent Thief this day thou shalt be with me in Paradice Luke 23.43 NB. Oh Matchless Love in our Dear Redeemer to speak thus lovingly to this poor Penitent while he was in horrible Torture himself upon the Cross and paying so unspeakably dear for Man's sin yet rejected he not this Malefactor's Petition ver 42. How much more may we now hope he will hear our Prayers and answer them with good words and comfortable Zech. 1.13 seeing the Debt is now all paid and the whole work of Redemption is now finished 3 dly Suppose the Third Natural Evil do come upon us to be as Lamps despised and a scorn to Young Scoundrils c. as Job complained before in our Old Age yet is there a blessed Remedy to this wretched Malady namely that pretious Promise commit thy way unto the Lord c. and he shall bring forth thy Righteousness in which way thou must still be found as the Light and thy Judgments as the Noon-day Psal 37.5,6 that is we must in the first place mind the Condition of this Promise to wit of rolling our selves upon the Lord as the Hebrew word signifies and depend wholly upon him both for safety and for success in all our undertakings Kimchi reads it Volue exonera unload thy self by casting thy Burden upon the Lord as David explains it Psal 55.22 that is ease thy Mind to God by Prayer and resign up thy All by Faith unto his care and conduct Trust also in him this is of the same import with Commit but repeated to take better impression and to beget more incouragement then whatsoever we commit to him he will bring it to pass in the general ver 5. Then follows the particular part of this Promise in the Second Place about Slanders ver 6. saying God will so oyl thy good Name which is as pretious Ointment Eccles 7.1 Prov. 15.30 and 22.1 that no defaming Infamy shall stick to it Dirt will stick upon a Mud-wall but it cannot do so upon Marble Suppose we be slandered without Cause as God tells Satan he slandered Job without Cause Job 2.3 with 1.9 and we lie under those Blacknings for a time but consider how the Earth lieth under Darkness all the Night long yet as the Morning by its sudden arising driveth away that Darkness so shall the Lord clear up our wronged Innocency and as the Moon wadeth from under a Cloud and from under an Eclipse by the interposition of the shadow of the Earth betwixt her and the Sun so shall we in God's time get over all our Evils of this kind or of any other if we still be found in the way of Righteousness God will clear up the innocency of his slandered Servants and bring it to light like the Sun at Noon-day but assuredly this will be done
Mercy that no deadly â—oison of Satan doth now harm us as our Lord did promise unto all Believers after his Resurrection Mark 16.17,18 Oh that all we Aged Ones could sincerely praise the Lord for this high Favour that 〈◊〉 now find by sweet experience we can better resist the Devil now so as to make him flee from us Jam. 4.7 We can now resist him more stedfastly in the Faith 1 Pet. 5.8,9 than we were able to do in our youthful days and tho' we be able through Grace to say this yet out of an Holy Jealousie over our own Hearts we must still make a farther enquiry what is the principal procuring Cause of such an happy and easie Conquest over our own Corruptions and Satan's Temptations now in our Old Age whether we be not more beholden herein unto the decays of our own Natures in us than to any strength of God's Grace freely given to us because we may die to sin by the deficiency of our natural strength of Body when sin doth not die to us through those powerful Operations of the mortifying Spirit of Grace Rom. 8.13 but more of this after c. Now come we to the Second Reason why a Good Old Age is a great blessing because the goodness of it is not only a blessed Antidote and Preservative against those threfold Evils before-named but also it is a blessed Preparative for Death at the end of our Old Age and of our Lives This preparation for Death is not only an universal but also an indispensable Duty for after death comes the Judgment Heb. 9.27 then is the time of Reckoning which our Lord Requires after his Returning however long or short it be wherein all Mankind both the good and the bad Servants must Reddere Rationem or give an exact account of their Stewardship whether they have wasted or improved their Lord and Master's Goods Matth. 25.14,19 Luke 16.1,2 and 19.15 c. as I shew at large in my Fourth Volume of the History and Mystery of that Parable pag. 185 186. Now every Man's Death-day is his particular Dooms-day for then the Spirit returns to God who gave it Eccles 12.7 when the Body returns to Dust of which it was first made Gen. 2.7 by rotting in the Grave c. Then the Soul goeth to God not to dwell with him for there the Speech is made of all Men both bad and good but to be disposed of by him for his Final Estate then is the Soul or Spirit as being there opposed to the Body to receive its Final Doom either for Everlasting Weal or for Everlasting Wo. Therefore to prepare for Death is a most necessary tho' it be a much neglected Duty Now such as be good in Old Age their goodness consists in being alway prepared for it both Habitually and Actually they learn to die daily 1 Cor. 15.31 and makes Death familiar to them both at Bed and Board Their Conversation is in Heaven while their Commoration is here on Earth Phil. 3.20 They labour and learn to live with dying Thoughâ—s because they hope at last to die with more living comforts They have Heaven as an happy Harbour of Rest in the Eyes of their Hope which serves to season and sweeten all Sorrows and Sufferings to them as it was with blessed Paul who had his Eye fixed upon that Crown of Glory which was laid up for him and for all Believers 2 Tim. 4.8 and therefore he was not at all discouraged at his light Afflictions which were but for a moment in comparison of that exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.17 where we have a most elegant Antithesis or opposition and a double Hyperbole beyond the reach of our English Translation As thus 1. For Affliction here is Glory 2. For light Affliction here is a weight of Glory And 3. For momentary Affliction here is Eternal Glory and the sight of this by an Eye of Faith put Paul upon his Cupio Dissolvi I desire to be dissolved Phil. 1.21,22,23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifies to loose off from the shore of this Mortal Life and to launch out into the Ocean of Immortality which he accounted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is far far better and best of all Thus this preparation for Death had caused Old Simeon before this Apostle even to sing his Soul out of his Body as before This likewise made that Good Old Man Job to say I would not live always Job 7.16 for he hoped to behold his Redeemer c. Job 19.25 Thus may we accordingly say we would not be Young always because we have been so hampered and pester'd with many youthful Lusts which now through Grace a Good Old Age hath weakened An Hoary Head that is found in the way of Righteousness doth ripen fast like good Fruit upon the Tree of Life in its Autumn and becomes day by day more mellow for Death and hath nothing thâ—n to do but to die being able through Mercy to say with his sweet Saviour Father I have finished my work which theâ—… gavest me to do in the World John 17.5 Oh how ready was David how willing and how prepared to die and to fall asleep in Jesus 1 Thes 4.14 when he could say his Conscience bearing witness with him in the Holy Ghost as Rom. 9.1 that he had served out his Generation in his whole Generation-work according to the will of God Acts 13.36 The Third Reason why a Good Old Age is a most rich Blessing and Benefit to the Sons and Daughters of Mankind is because it doth priviledge them with a true Title unto Mansions of Glory prepared for them in a better World Such as have continued in ways of Holiness all their Life and become faithful unto death Rev. 2.10 they shall assuredly at the last arrive at the Haven of Heaven and Happiness when they die for God himself hath assured us and God Keeps the best and surest Ensuring Office that having our Fruit unto Holiness then our end shall be Eternal Life Rom. 6.22,23 for then comes first the Joy of Harvest as when fruitful Fields are white unto Harvest John 4.35 then comes the Husbandman with his Sithe or Sickle and cuts down his Corn binds it up in Bundles and carries it Home to his Barn c. even so God the great Husbandman as Christ calls him John 15.1 when he sees his old Servants as it were white unto Harvest with Hoary Heads and fully ripened in the way of Righteousness then doth he take them down by the hand of Death and gathers them Home into his heavenly Garners Our Lord doth certifie this great Truth to us over and over again saying that Heaven is surely secured for us and we are likewise safely secured for Heaven by the mighty Power of God the word there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth we are kept as with a Guard and in a Garrison and that at the last we shall receive the end of our Faith even the
that those Young Ones are so c. Thus it appeareth that we now live in that last Iron Age even in the very Dregs of Time and we must expect ultima Senescentis Mundi deliria the last and the worst dotages of a decrepid and of a dying World c. The Second Part is the Duties which â—re to be done by all of us in our Old Age that we may not be deprived of â—hat Double Crown of Glory both of that â—n the Kingdom of Grace here and of that in the Kingdom of Glory hereafter seeing those two Crowns are the proper Dues of a Good Old Age by a Divine Promise wherein the great God hath made himself a Debtor unto all godly Aged Ones And if any of us be not such we shall not only lose the former of these Crowns to wit that of Respect and Reverence but be despised for our Dotage c. Let no Man take that Crown Rev. 3.11 â—n this Life but that which is worst of â—ll we shall lose likewise the latter and the better Crown in the Life to come Therefore to prevent this double loss many Duties are to be done The First Duty is We must examine â—ur States and Standings Godward c. whether we be still in the State of Nature and yet not broken off from the Wild Olive or we be in the State of Grace and now engraffed into that blessed and bleeding Vine the Lord Jesus Rom. 11.17 The great Apostle doth earnestly press us to the right doing of this first Duty 2 Cor. 13.5 where he useth a double Expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Try your selves and Prove your selves know ye not that Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Wherein he alludeth both unto Goldsmiths and unto Lapidaries who have their Lydius Lapis or Touch-stone whereby they discover true Gold from thaâ— which is Copper or Counterfeit and Natural Diamonds from Artificial Bristol-stones And those double Terms of Art are to stir us up that we may redouble our diligence in that most needful yet much neglected Duty of Self-examination foâ— tho' the decisive and final Trial of our Eternal Estate doth immediately and solely appertain to God in the Court of Heaven yet the Disquisitive and Soul-Comforting part doth belong to our selves in the Court of our own Consciences And therefore as an Omission or an Error here is most easie so it is of mosâ— dangerous consequence in filling our Spirits full of doubts and fears what shalâ— become of our Souls when our Bodies drop down into the Grave Hereupon the Divine Precept is doubled both in this Apostles Charge and in that of the Prophets also Excutite vos iterumque excutite as Tremellius renders the words Zeph. 2.1 The Second Duty is That we should make good proof of our Graces especially of that Foundation-grace of Repentance unto Life as it is called Acts 11.18 granted unto us Gentiles for where right Repentance towards God is given 't is always accompanied with faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ Acts 20.21 This Grace of Repentance is so exceeding necessary that both our Lord himself and his Forerunner John the Baptist began their Ministry with this indispensable Doctrine Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Matth. 3.2 and 4.17 and Mark 1.15 Join Repent and Believe both together Now seeing the Tree is known by its Fruit whether it be good or bad Matth. 12.33 Luke 6.44 If we be no better than Bramble-Bushes no Grapes of Grace can grow upon us but if we be Trees of Righteousness of the Lord 's planting and watering as Isai 61.3 then shall we bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance Matth. 3.8 Now the true Notion and Nature of this Grace of Repentance is our turning from Darkness to Light Acts 26.18 and our returning from the faln Estate by the first Adam into a renewed Estate by the Second Adam As we are all Metaphorical Trees Aristotle calls Man Arbor inversa a Tree turned upward making the Head as Root and the Arms and Legs the Branches of this Tree c. Bernard calls Man Inversus Decalogus as quite contrary to God's Law therefore must he be turned up-side down as the Picture of the Horse and then right c. We have our Standing Time in our Life and we must have our Falling Time at our Death the Ax whereof is laid to the Root of us in those manifold Distempers which attend Old Age as if God were taking his Aim where to cut us up and how to hew us down Matth. 3.10 Now as all Trees be they strong Oakes or lofty Cedars must have their time of falling so all Mankind be they of never so robust a Constitution and be they of never so high either of State or of Stature must have a time of dying Heb. 9.27 and as Trees what way they mostly lean that way they usually fall whether it be Southward or Northward Eccles 11.3 So we ought to examine our selves which way our Wills and Affections do lean whether Southward towards the Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 As 't is recorded of Abraham who walked with God that his Journyings were still towards the South towards the Sun Gen. 12.9 So all the Sons and Daughters of Abraham should hang Heavenward and should lean Southward then may there be good grounds of a lively Hope that when we die we shall fall upon the Right-hand of Christ among the fruitful Sheep and shall hear those comfortable words Come ye blessed of my Father c. Matth. 25.33,34 But if on the other hand we do not find that we have with David considered our former evil ways and turned our Feet our Affections towards God's Testimonies Psal 119.59 If yet we are not returned to God by Repentance but are still journying toward the North towards that cold Country where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth for cold tho' it be a fiery Furnace for heat Matth. 13.42,50 If we lean Northward and hang Hellward we shall surely fall upon the Left Hand of the Judge among the sâ—…nking Goats and receive that sad Sentence Depart ye Cursed c. Matth. 25.41 As the Tree where it falls Northward or Southward there it lies Eccles 11.3 even so where we fall at our Deaths whether Northward upon the Left Hand of our Judge or Southward upon the Right Hand of our Redeemer there we shall lie until the Resurrection-day for after Death comes the Day of Judgment Heb. 9.27 Then all both good and bad shall rise again c. The Third Duty of us Aged Ones is Not to dally or delay that weighty Work of making our Peace with God according to that Divine Counsel Acquaint now thy self with God and be at Peace with him and thereby good shall come unto thee Job 22.21 This great Duty must be now done we have been asleep or Strangers to God long enough Ephes 2.12 and 4.18 1 Pet. 4.3 Now is the accepted
that case our sin is writ upon our Punishment and our own guilty Consciences do put a Sting into that Darkness upon our Windows of Wantonness and Wickedness This must needs be a Prick and a Thorn to torment Blind Eyes The Sixth Evil of Old Age is and the Doors shall be shut in the Streets when the sound of the Grinding is low ver 4. which some interpret the Ears that then grow dull of Hearing and at last Deaf because Hearing is caused by two Bones placed within the inside of the Ear whereof the one stands still and the other moveth like the nether and upper Grindstones of a Mill And as the Ear was a Door by which Death first entred into the World when our first Parents gave a listning Ear more to the Old Lyar than to the God of Truth So the Lord hath appointed it as a suitable Antidote that the Ear should be a Door to let in Life and Salvation now as it had done Death and Damnation before for God saith in the Old Testament incline your Ear to me hear and your Soul shall live c. Isai 55.3 And he saith in the New Testament that Faith cometh by Hearing c. Rom. 10.17 But alas the Deaf cannot hear the word the Door is shut yea the Young as well as Old while in the state of Sin all are possessed with a Deaf Devil until Christ come and cry Ephphatha that is be opened Mark 7.34 and straightway his Ears were opened ver 35. But others do understand those Metaphorical Doors in Eccles 12.4 to be the Lips of Man's Mouth because of David's expression in his Prayer Lord keep the Door of my Lips c. Psal 141.3 These Doors the Lips are said to be shut without because the sound of the Grinding is low that is say they the Lips are shut close together when for want of Teeth to grind their Food with the Meat is rolled and chavelled up and down the Mouth and if the Lips be not kept close shut the Meat in tumbling to and fro would drop out of the Mouth There is yet a Third Interpretation of this Allusion which I cannot omit of those words The Doors shall be shut in the Streets that is these Aged Ones shall keep home avoiding the company and society of Mankind such as Feastings and Merry Meetings when the sound of the Grinding is low that is when neither his Teeth nor his Stomach and Appetite can any longer serve him for much feeding or feasting as in Old Barzillai 2 Sam. 19.35 The 7 th Decay in Old Age is and he shall rise at the Voice of the Bird that is the least noise of a Swallow that nests in the Chimney top c. or any little Bird will waken Old Persons especially the crowing of the Cock which is not caused by any quickness in their Hearing that then is dull as before but from the dryness of their Brains which causeth badness of sleeping from coldness of Blood and deficiency of Moisture therefore is it said the Old Man rises up at the least Noise because being awakened and weary with lying along and unable to turn his Body in his Bed he must rise to change his posture for his ease c. The 8 th Evil of Old Age is all the Daughters of Musick shall be brought low that is they shall neither have any Voices wherewith to sing of themselves nor take any delight to hear others that have Voices to sing ver 4. for as their Instruments of Speaking which make Musick do fail so their Instruments of Hearing for receiving Musick do fail also Homer observeth that Old People cannot themselves sing Propter Raucam Vocem for their unpleasant Voice which is no better than Creaking and Screaming And Juvenal expresseth it thus nam quae Cantante Voluptas what pleasure can the Old find either in singing themselves or in hearing others sing as they themselves cannot sing Tuneably with distinction of Sounds so they can take no delight in hearing the Melodious Notes of other Singers as Old Barzillai did acknowledge to King David who was that sweet Singer of Israel 2 Sam. 19.35 As their dulness of Hearing disinables them from discerning the Melody so the lowness of their Spirits makes them melancholick insomuch that they cannot affect Musick And this is very remarkable here that Old Men whose Hearing is so quick as to be awakenned with any little Noise of a Bird c. yet the exquisiteness of the sense of Hearing to delight in the sound of Musick is quite gone from them The 9 th Evil of Old Age they shall be afraid of that which is high and fear shall be in the way ver 5. that is they shall be very fearful to walk upon high places where there may be any danger of falling and they being very timerous themselves will shrink and tremble yea cry out when they behold Young Ones over bold and venturous c. As they are themselves afraid of climbing up aloft because of the stiffness of their Joints and the unweildiness of their Bodies So they dare not stand in any high place because a Vertigo a giddiness or swimming of the Brain doth soon seize upon them Their Heads are as weak as their Hamms they can neither climb up because they are short winded and when they are got up they dare not look down for fear of falling c. Yea they are afraid of every Hillock or little Stone standing up in their way for fear of stumbling on it because of the unnimbleness of their Limbs They fear to be cast down by careless People riding or running and carrying Burdens to and fro c. The 10 th Evil of Old Age is the Almond Tree then flourisheth that is when their Heads grow Gray and Hoary which is of it self a Crown of Glory a flourishing Ornament if found in the way of Righteousness Prov. 16.31 But it is an undeniable evidence of the decay of our Radical Moisture which should duly nourish the Hairs both of our Heads and Beards The Almond Tree is the first that flourisheth Jer. 1.11,12 The Prophet there saw this as a sign of Gods hastning the execution of his Judgments against a sinful Nation for this Tree Blossometh before any other Tree Natural Philosophy tells us that the Almond Tree doth Blossom in January while it is yet Winter and its Fruit is ripe in March when 't is but early Spring c. and therefore it hath its Name from its early appearance both of Buds Blossoms and Fruit but here it is made a Resemblance of an Hoary Head yet with this difference 1 st The Almond flourisheth in the Spring but the Hoary Head in the Winter of our Old Age. 2 dly That Tree hath all its white Blossoming Flowers before the Fruit but we have our white Hairs after our Fruit-bearing to God in our Generation-work Notwithstanding this double Disparity there is this one Congruity that runs parallel betwixt them namely that the
Hoary Head found in the way of Righteousness is the flourishing Crown of the Old Man in the Spring of a better World unto which he is hastening with white Snow or Church-yard Flowers upon his Head This makes up another of the five Characters afore-mentioned that Old Age hath White Sugar in its Hair as it is Gray-headed c. The 11 th Evil of Old Age is then the Grashopper or Locust shall be a Burden that is the Old Man cannot bear the least Weight or Burden no not the Weight or Burden of a Locust or Grashopper because he is already become a Burden to himself by manifold Distempers upon him as Gout Phthisick c. But another learned Expositor interprets this Clause neither by the noise of the Locust for that is intimated before ver 4. in the Voice of the Bird nor by its weight Hyperbolically spoken to signifie that the lightest Burden is a Load to Old People but most fitly as he saith it is meant of the slowness of the Aged's digestion For tho' the Locust be a clean and wholesom Food Levit. 11.22 and much used in those Hot Countries especially by the poorer sort of People Matth. 3.4 yet even this Light Meat proves heavy and burdensome to the Old Man's Stomach The 12 th Evil of Old Age is that then Desire shall fail that is not only Appetite either to Meat or to Drink as was in Barzillai afore-named but also all vehement and strong Affections to the common Pleasures of this Life called the Delights of the Sons of Men Eccles 2.8 such as are the Lusts of the Flesh the Lusts of the Eye and the Pride of Life all these shall be taken away c. Hence famous Tully reckons this as one great Benefit by Old Age quod Hominem a libidinis aestu velut a quodam Tyranno liberabit that it sets a Man free from the Fire and Flagrancy of Lust as from a great Tyrant And this also implied in that Etymology of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies an Elder derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ignis and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extinguo to wit the Quenching of Fire Thus far go the First sort of Evils attending the former part of Old Age while we are yet able to walk abroad now follow the Second Sort that do accompany our Decrepit Age which are the symptoms and forerunners of approaching Death and then it is that we are said to have one Foot in the Grave There is yet one of the Five Characters behind to be now mentioned namely the Old Man hath also an Almanack in his Bones as well as Eyes or Spectacles in his Pocket a Leg or Staff in his Hand Sugar or Snow in his Hoary Head and Teeth or Knife at his Girdle Now this Almanack is the many Aches and Pains all over his Body which makes him Weather-wise and wiser than his Almanack and can better prognosticate that ill weather is near at hand when he begins to feel many pungent pricking Pains infesting the Humours of several parts of his Body the like Prognosticks as the Lord Bacon in his Natural History telleth us are found in some certain Weather-wise Fowls which against stormy Seasons will make most doleful Ditties and sad Outcries and the Reason hereof as that learned Nobleman rendreth it is because then the purified Air penetrates into the Quils of their Feathers which puts them to much Anguish and causeth them to cry out after◠an hiddious manner Thus it is with us in our Decrepid Age such Cramps and Convulsions do come upon us as do foretel the Storm of Death is drawing nigh and that we are going apace to our long home Eccles 12.5 And therefore the Moral of the Apologue is very weighty and well worthy of serious consideration The Story in the Fable runs thus There was a Man who made this Bargain with Death not to come for taking away his Life and sending him away into another World until he had due notice and warning hereof before hand Death agrees and the Bargain was struck up between them both After this the Man liveth a long time yet not altogether without some Ailments and Illments all standing memorials of Mortality At the last Death comes in good earnest as God's Sergeant to Arrest him and to carry him to the Prison of the Grave Nay saith the Man to Death Hold now thy Hand for I must bind thee to thy Bargain wherein thou bound thy self to give me timely notice and due warning of thy coming To this Death smartly replied Oh Man how many Harbingers hast thou had concerning my coming in those sundry Distempers of Tooth-ach Head-ach and such like all which were my Forerunners but thou minded them not therefore Thou Fool at this Time thy Soul shall be required of thee as Luke 12.20 whereupon Death cast his fatal Javeling at him struck him down dead and hurried him away to his place in another World The Moral of this Mystical Fable is this That even all the Infirmities of the First Sort namely not only the Five Characters of Old Age fore-mentioned with all the other Decays of Nature which the Eldest Son of Wisdom Solomon recordeth Eccles 12.1,2,3,4,5 they are all Summons sent from Heaven to us that we may be making ready for our departure from this Earth But more especially those of this latter Sort which do more immediately introduce Death it self The two First whereof be external in the last of part ver 5. As 1 st Man is just a going to his long Home Gnal Beth Gnalamo Hebrew the House of his Age the Grave where he shall rest until the Day of his Resurrection Job 14.12 Now the Sentence of Death is seen by many indicant Signs to writ upon him as 2 Cor. 1.9 and he lies sighing out those sad words of Job My Spirit is spent my Days are extinct the Graves are ready for me Job 17.1 2 dly The Mourners go about the Streets that is his Friends and Neighbours run to see him die and to close up his Eyes making many mournful Moans and Lamentations over him to provoke others to lament with them Amos 5.16 and Jer. 22.18 This is one of the dues of the Dead so it be done aright The Four following Decays are Internal ver 6. in the very Act of Dying namely the dissolution and perishing of those principal parts wherein the life and strength of Nature do inwardly consist As 1 st Or ever the Silver Cord be loosed that is the Marrow of the Back-Bone which runneth from the Brain through the Neck to the bottom of the Back through twenty four Joints and takes in therewith all the Sinews of the other parts of the Body and which are the Ligaments of all the Members Now as this Marrow is of a Silver Colour and is therefore called a Silver Cord so as it is a Cord that ties all the whole Body together Now when this Cord comes to loosened the Back bendeth Motion
Burden but entertain it chearfully with God-praising hearts 'T is true tho' Old Age be a rich Blessing of God in it self as is largely demonstrated before and yet is called an Evil Age for Reasons afore-named Notwithstanding God hath not left it comfortless as 't is said John 14.18 But the Spirit who is the Comforter hath left upon Scripture-Record so many Cordials as are truly Soveraign against all the Evils that attend it insomuch as Old Age may be an easie Age a calm and quiet Harbour if Youth hath done it no disservice in filling its bones with the sins of Youth before-hand and if Intemperance which is like the Thief in the Candle wasting it away hath not weakned its Head or Feet c. In this case Old Age hath cause to complain of the evil of the Man and not the Man to murmure at the Evils of Old Age. Thus Old Job oft complains of the Misery of his Old Age saying Lord thou changest our Countenances and sendest us away Job 14.20 and many myriads of such Sighs too long to relate do ever and anon issue out of his Mouth And he himself tells us the ground of all his grief was that God made him to possess the sins of his Youth Job 13.26 therefore says he thou writest bitter things against me c. Thus likewise Old David complained I am become like a Bottle in the Smoak Psal 119.83 and much more in many other Psalms c. which drove him to groan out that Petition Lord remember not against me the Transgressions of my Youth for thy tender Mercies have been of old c. Psal 25.6,7 Both those Instances were Holy Persons who after those and many more such Complaints were both of them comforted by the God of all Comforts 2 Cor. 1.3 and had their Old Age marvelously sweetned to them and had their best Wine at the last both those Good Men had remembred their Creator in the days of their Youth Eccles 12.1 and tho' their Youth-Time had been a very rough Voyage through a surging stormy Sea yet their last Years were their best Years as it was to Good Old Jacob who after a long Life of manifold Miseries did enjoy seventeen Years of sweet Tranquility and Comfort c. But alas this Mercy can never be expected by those who never had God neither in their Heads Psal 10.4 nor in their Hearts Psal 14.1 nor in their Words Psal 12.4 no nor in their Works Tit. 1.16 and such as drive a Through-Trade all their Lives in Weaving the Web of Wickedness having been twice dipped in the Devils Dye-Tub as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Scarlet Sins doth sigâ—ie namely in the Wool of their Youth and in the Web of their Elder Years those can never expect any comfort in Old Age. Pliny tells us Serpens Serpentem devorans fit Draco as that Serpent which commonly devoureth other Serpents becomes to be a Dragon at last So a long swallower of many Sins becomes at the length a most Monstrous Sinner c. that Old and true saying that if Persons prove not Fair at twenty Strong at thirty Wise at forto Rich at fifty and Religious at sixty Years of Age such will never prove either Fair or Strong or Wise or Wealthy or Holy Ones all the days of their Lives This ancient Adage holds a most apt congruity with that saying of Solomon such as seek me early shall find me Prov. 8.17 Whereas the Habitual Sinner to whom God hath given the Space of Repentance many times but never the Grace of it Rev. 2.21,23 leads the Life of sin Thoughts beget Delight Delight begets Consent Consent begets Action Action begets Custom and lastly Custom begets Necessity so that he brings himself under a Law of an unavoidable Sinning against his maker and as David tells Saul wickedness proceedeth from the wicked as naturally as Water from the Fountain 1 Sam. 24.13 Satan is not satisfied to have Men Sinners only but he will have them also to abound in sin and to be like the Crocodile that grows while it lives in growing greater and grosser Sinners to the end of their Lives Alas this is but the laying of a bad and not a good foundation for the time to come As we are commanded to lay up a better store against Old Age and Death and to lay hold on Eternal Life 1 Tim. 6.19 NB. Note well Our Lord tells Peter what Miseries he should meet withal when he came to be Old John 21.18 He had the manner of his Death foretold him that he should glorifie God by Martyrdom ver 19. and observe what an holy Improvement he made of this Precaution he had made his Solemn Appeal to an All-knowing Lord saying thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee ver 17. and to testifie his Love to his Lord in feeding his Lambs he wrote those two famous Epistles General to the Churches of Christ and in the latter of them he saith I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance c. Yea I think it meet while I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up c. knowing that shortly I must put off this Tabernacle even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me 2 Pet. 1.12,13,14,15 He knew that his Tent or Tabernacle must soon be taken down his Earthly House as Paul who was a Tent-maker calls the Body a Tent 2 Cor. 5.1 So both these two great Apostles did truly and duly endeavour to magnifie and to glorifie Christ both in Life and at Death John 21.19 and Phil. 1.20 Thus both Peter the Elder and Paul the Aged as they stile themselves 1 Pet. 5.1 and Phil. ver 9. were well in-laid and fortified before-hand to undergo the Evils that attended them both in their Old Age c. May we but get Hearts to own God while we are Young then God will not forget us but own us when Old and as our days are so shall our strength be Deut. 33.25 Now more particularly the Comforts against the Evils of Old Age are First That then the Law of our Members cannot so easily lead us into captivity unto sin Rom. 7.23 as formerly in the Heat and Vanity of our Youth Indeed the Witty Fable runs thus Cupid that Pagan God of Love and Mors that is Death happened to meet together and to lodge all Night both of them in one and the same Inn but in the Morning they chanced to mistake each others Quivers filled with Darts Hereupon Cupid after this shot the frozen Darts of Death at many Young People in their briskest time of their Loving and Lusting whereby many Young Gallants and Tempting Ladies were brought unto an untimely Death c. But on the contrary Mors did shoot the Fiery Darts of Cupid at the Aged Persons who in the Course of Nature were hastening to the Grave and hereby arose that wantonness of Old People for Marriage c. by which means it may be said as