carefull that they had no sinfull thought they would be patternes of the strangest expressions of conformitie to the rule that can be imagined if it were possible to be granted You may easily be perswaded of this doe you that now which they wish for and wish in vaine make use of the time of grace now there is no comming backe againe afterward Thirdly A third reason is this I shall goe to him As if hee should have have said I have another businesse in hand now the child is dead it is not for me to stand blubbering and spending my time for a dead Child I am going to him The word here is I shall returne to him Returne signifieth to goe backe to a place where one was before So David shall returne to his Child for he was there before there in respect of his body the principles of that is in the earth where the Child is and in heaven in respect of his soule where the Child is The Body returneth to dust whence it was taken and the soule to God that gave it The body is of the dust and returneth to dust the soule commeth from God and returnes to God againe Therefore he saith here I shall returne to him because I came from him When things are reduced to their first principles the body to the earth and the soule to God they are said to returne Yee see the phrase then The point briefly is this That the greatest care of a mans life the greatest businesse he hath to doe on earth is to prepare for death His businesse is not to care for his children that are dead and to spend unprofitable sorrow for them the maine businesse of my life is how I shall make my peace with God and bee fitted for death for I am going thither Wee should observe the death of others to stirre us up to a serious preparation for our owne death the Father should be stirred up by seeing his Child dead before him the elder by seeing the younger die before them we see how death hath shot his arrowes beyond and short and above and below us in those that are elder and younger and richer and poorer all sorts he will strike us at last this thing I say should stirre us up to prepare for our owne dissolution A man would thinke that there were no need of such a thing the very bare sight of Corse or a hearse the bare fight of a dead corpse the bare ringing of a bell or a Funerall Sermon should be warning enough to the living to tell him of death When a man sees a company carrying a dead body to the gaave he should say to himselfe It may bee the feet of these may carrie me next But how commeth it to passe that it is not thus Certainly there is not power in all examples to worke this it is the worke of Gods spirit Though a man observe the death of never so many before him yet this cannot worke in him a serious care to make preparation for his owne death except God adde a further worke to it We may see this in the expression of Moses when so many died in the Wildernesse Lord teach us to number our dayes that wee may apply our hearts to wisedome As if hee should have said Though so many thousands died in the Wildernesse and that by so many severall kinds of death yet we shall never apply our hearts to wisedome by those examples except God teach us that wisdome Therefore we should pray to God to teach us by his Spirit to make use of Examples Men must give account for examples aswell as for rules men must give account for examples of mortalitie as well as for Sermons of mortalitie therefore let the example of others mortality stirre you up to prepare for your owne and that you may doe so be much in calling upon God Lastly Hee shall not returne to mee that is in this sense to converse on earth as he had done before I shall returne to him but hee shall not returne to mee He doth but reitterate and repeat what he had said before in effect This is the thing then that Parents must make account of both for themselves and their children For their children It should make them moderate therefore in their sorrow for them God now hath shewed his purpose and declared his will therefore wee should rest in that will of God This is the thing that David aymed at Gods will was not only to takeaway his child but so to take him away as never to returne to him againe in that manner Now God had declared his will and therefore why should I fast saith he as if he should say I will now rest in the will of God In all the things which we account crosses and losses in children and friends c. The maine businesse of a Christian is not to expresse sorrow but submission and subjection to God to exercise and inure his heart to patience and to rest in Gods good pleasure and will As Eli though he faild in his carriage to his sonnes yet he shewed a dutifull respect to God his heavenly father When Samuel told him the judgement of God that should come upon his house It is the Lord saith he let him doe what seemeth him good in his owne eyes though it were a heavy judgement such as whosoever should heare of it both his eares should tingle yet it is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good As if he should say I have nothing to doe in this businesse but to subject my selfe with patient submission and contentednesse to his will it is the Lord it becommeth not me to contend with him and to reason with God concerning his worke I confesse hee is righteous let him doe what seemeth him good in his owne eyes And so Aaron There was a heavy judgement befallen him his sonnes were consumed with fire yet the text saith Aaron held his peace When God manifested so great wrath to his house in wasting and consuming and burning his sonnes for offering of strange fire yet Aaron held his peace that is he did only mind how to glorifie God by a contented submission to his will So Iob hee heard not only of the losse of his children but that he lost them in such a manner by a violent death by a house falling on their heads yet the Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed bee the name of the Lord. Whereas a carnall worldly man would have fallen to strugling and contending and quarrelling against God and so trouble and perplex his owne spirit We doe exceedingly imbitter Gods cup by mingling with it ingredients of our owne passions and so make the affliction more heavy and grievous then God intends it Here is the reason wee possesse not our soules with patience When we are sensible of the losse of friends and children c. let us learne to make it our businesse to thinke I have a
same debt Looke overall the times of the world and the dispositions of persons looke over learning and folly greatnesse or poorenesse find me a man that escaped Death Die we must and we have need to have this much pressed upon us for it is a hard matter to beleeve that we must die that I must be the man that must die common notions of Death are granted but that I must die and lie in the dust and stand before God it is a hard matter to beleeve this And consider this secondly that Death will be terrible to thee if he knocke and find a sting in thee Thou that now wilt not be reclaimed from swearing Alas what will become of that blaspheming soule of thine when Death shall come and find a sting of blasphemy in thee How darest thou thinke of giving up that swearing soule of thine to the Judge of heaven and earth Thou unrighteous person that wilt not sanctifie the Lords day how darest thou give up that unholy soule of thine to the holy God Dost thou thinke to have an eternall rest in heaven and wilt not give God a rest here So I might say for all kind of sinners Thinke of this take heed lest Death find a sting in thee for all the sting that Death hath it findeth in thy selfe looke to it thy condition will be fearfull if Death come and find Sin unmortified unrepented of in thee God will certainly bring thee to judgement for every thought and word and action Thirdly consider this that naturally we are so tempered that if Death come he shall find his weapons and strength in us in every man of us I meane considered naturally But how shall I know whether Death when he commeth shall find a sting in me or no I will only give you two tryals you shall know it thus First if thy conscience now sting thee for some approved sinne if thou repent not Death will assuredly meet thee with a sting that approved sinne of thine will be the sting of death Conscience will sting a man either for the act done or for the approbation of the act if conscience sting a man for his approbation of a sinfull qualitie or for a sinfull course if a man continue in that course surely that will be the sting of death to his soule therefore looke to thy selfe perhaps thou art convicted of such a sinne perhaps thy conscience hath so wrought on thee that it hath stung thee for such a sinne thou yet approvest thy selfe in it and thou wilt goe on in thy pride still in such and such sinnes stil thou wilt doe so doe but know this that stand thou never so much upon thy resolution Death will certainly come and if he find thee in such a sinne against thy conscience thou hast reserved in thy selfe a sting for Death Secondly a man shall know if Death come with a sting by this tryall that Solomon giveth us in Eccles. 11. 9. Rejoyce oh young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thy heart and sight of thine eyes but know that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement If thou live a voluptuous life Death will certainly come with a sting Dives hee lived a voluptuous life had he not a sting for it So others in Scripture did not their plentifull tables and voluptuous courses bring a sting on them A voluptuous life makes a sting for Death When a poore wretch is a dying and shall begin to reflect backe on his life what have I done how have I lived so much time I have spent or mispent inapparell in vanitie in eating in drinking in swaggering What comfort is this to his soule how can he answer this before God this is the very thing that will sting him at such a day when he can reade nothing in his life but barrennesse and unfruitfulnesse nothing that hath honoured God in all his life Certainly my brethren if there be an Epicurious voluptuous life this life will provide a sting for Death Alas you will say Is it so then we may feare that Death will seize on us thus for we confesse we have gone on in a voluptuous life gone on in sinne that our conscience hath condemned us for how shall we doe to pull out this sting I would to God you were thus affected that you were convicted what a fearfull thing it will be if sinne remaine But wouldest thou have the sting of death pulled out before death come 1. How shall I disarme it that I may looke death in the face with comfort I shall give you some wayes and meanes remember them and practise them First get but a part in Christ and the sting of death is gone thankes bee to God saith the Apostle here that hath given us victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. It is he that in the Revelation is said to have the keyes of Hell and of Death they are under his command and subjection he is victorious over them hee hath vanquished them so that if a man have Christ he hath victorie and power over Hell and Death I told you in the beginning that that which giveth a sting to Death is the guilt of sinne It is so and it is a fearfull sting Now that which takes away the guilt of sinne is Christ. If Christ be mine I have enovgh to answer the guilt of sinne Therefore the Apostle saith Death cannot separate from the love of God in Christ What shall then Indeed nothing it is not the guilt of his sinnes Christ hath satisfied from them So that if thou wilt have the sting of death out get faith in Christ if thou be not hidden in the clefts of that Rock in the bloud of Christ if Christ be not thy Justification and thy righteousnesse what hast thou to answer the Justice of God you must die and stand before God and how can you stand before God in your sinnes you cannot without Christ why doe you not then studie more for Christ Why doe you not labour for faith in him It will be your wisedome to labour earnestly to make sure of him if you have him the sting of death is gone Death cannot hurt a person that hath Christ. Get faith in Christ therefore that is the first Secondly if you would not have Death terrible and fearfull to you labour for sincerity My brethren it is a marvellous thing and yet the truth uprightnesse and sincerity of heart it is an enabling grace All the particular things that we account particular otherwise they have not an inabling vertue in them Some persons have a great deale of learning and wit and many friends much riches and the like yet there commeth an occasion sometimes that puzzleth all these there commeth an occasion sometime that a mans learning is of no use and naturall parts and wit cannot helpe and riches cannot inable him What time
ΘΡΗÎΟΙΚΟΣ THE HOUSE OF MOVRNING FVRNISHED With Directions for Preparations to Meditations of Consolations at the houre of Death DELIVERED IN XLVII SERMONS PREACHED AT THE Funeralls of divers faithfull servants of Christ. By Daniel Featly Martin Day Richard Sibbs Thomas Taylor Doctors in Divinitie And other Reverend Divines ECCLES 7. 4. The heart of the wise is in the house of Mourning but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth Ambr. de obit frat Non amitti sed praemitti videntur quos sed non absumpturamors sed aeternitas receptura est Seneca Ep. 77. Iter imperfectum est si in media parte aut citra petitum locum steterit vita non est imperfecta si honesta ubicunque desieris si benè desieres tota est LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for R. M. and are to be sold by Iohn Bellamie and Ralph Smith at the signe of the three golden Lyons in Corne-hill neere the Royall Exchange 1640. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THere is no man that can plead ignorance to the universall Decree of God concerning the necessitie of Mans mortalitie It is appointed for all men once to die and every man can say as that wise woman of Tekoaeh wee are all as water spilt upon the ground There is no Age Estate Condition or ranke of men but have beene foyled with that invincible Champion death who riding up and downe the world upon his pale Horse above these five thousand yeares hath with an impartiall stroke laid all flat before him some in their Infancie have proved what it is to die before they knew what it was to live others in the strength of Youth some in their Old age rich and poore high and low of all sorts young men may die old men must die even those that are stiled Gods and that by no fawning Sycophant but by God himselfe their mortality proves them to be men to themselves though they be as Gods to others and as Epictitus once told the Emperour That to be borne and to dye was common both to Prince and Beggar The sicknesses and miseries of this world have made the proudest Painims to confesse with St. Peter to Cornelius Even I my selfe also am a mortall man so that experience as well as Scripture concludes what man is he that liveth and shall not see death There are no ingredients in the shop of Nature that are sufficiently cordiall to fortifie the heart against this King of terrors or his harbingers the velvet slipper cannot fence the foote from the gout nor the gold ring the finger from a fellon the richest Diademe cannot quit the head-ach nor the purple Robe prevent a Fever Beauty strength riches honour friends nor any nor all can repeale that sentence Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne Every fitt of an ague and every distemper of this fraile constitution being as a light skirmish before the maine battell of death wherein weake man being vanquished is led captive to his long home and when once the lines of mortalitie are drawne upon the face of the fairest mortall hee becomes a ghastly spectacle how lovely soever before and the conclusion is bury my dead out of my sight This inevitable necessitie however it be confessed and acknowledged of all yet lamentable experience teacheth that in the Christian world most men so live as though they should never die and at length they so die as though they should never live againe and when the time of their dissolution commeth their soules are rather chased out by violence then yeelded to God in obedience Indeed to a wicked man death is the beginning of sorrowes it is a trap-dore to let him downe to the everlasting dungeon of Hell but the children of God though they cannot scape the stroke yet they are freed from the sting of death they can play upon the hole of this aspe without danger and welcome the grimmest approch of this Gyant with a smile being freed from the hurt of him by Him that is the Captaine of the Lords Hoste who hath abolished death and brought life and immortalitie to light so that the sting of it being plucked out and the suffering sanctified by Christ death is become to every beleever but a darke entry to the glorious Pallace of Heaven Now as it is Gods tender mercy to his children that their conflict and misery should be temporary but their perfect happines eternall so it should be their care in this little space of time alotted them whereupon their everlasting condition depends so to provide that they may live happily where they shall live eternally and since we cannot escape death to prepare for it that we may get the sight of this Basiliske before it approach and so avoid the danger of it Wretched is the estate of that man who when these spirituall Philistims the terrors of death make warre upon him shall have just cause to say The Lord is departed from me the death of such a one will bee like the sleepe of a franticke man who when the malignant humour is concocted awakes in a greater rage then he lay downe whereas to him that is wise to consider his latter end death is no way dreadfull death may kill him but it cannot hurt him it doth free him from temporary misery but cannot hinder him from eternall felicity and as that noble Captaine of Thebes who having gotten the victory over his enemies but withall received his mortall wound he made this his grand enquirie whether his weapons were safe or no whether his buckler was not in his enemies hands and when it was replied all was safe he died with a great deale of cheerefulnes and fortitude So when a Christian is to grapple with death his maine care is that his Buckler of faith and the helmeâ—… of his salvation his hope that they be safe to guard his soule and then he passeth not much what becomes of his outward man hee dies in peace and confidence Now that wee may bee fitted to encounter with this last enemy besides the manifold helps which God hath reached to us in his word in the passages of his providence in the frequent examples of mortalitie before us continually and in our owne sensible approaches to the gates of death I say besides these and infinite more this ensuing Volume with so much care and paines compiled by Gods blessing and our endeavours may prove no small furtherance in our Pilgrimage Each Sermon therein being as a severall Legacie bequeathed by those upon the occasion of whose deaths they were preached as by so many Testators who themselves have made a reall experiment of mortality and left these for our instruction that survive them It is true the dayly examples of mortaltie are so many reall Lectures that by a kinde of dumbe oratorie perswade us to expect our end but as they are transient so our thoughts of them vanish therefore it can bee no small adâ—…ntage to have in continuall readines that
which may furnish us abundantly with meditations in this kind It was a custome in former times for men to make their sepulchres in their gardens to mind them of death in the midst of the pleasures of this life This present worke may not unfitly be tearmed a Garden wherein whosoever takes a dayly walke may gather in the severall beds thereof those wholsome flowers and hearbs which being distilled by serious meditation will prove water of life to a fainting spirit in some hee shall finde instruction in some incitation in others consolation in all profit Here thou shalt finde that Lethall gourd sprung up by Adam his transgression that makes all his posterity cry out There is death in the Pot. There thou mayst gather hearbs of grace as a counter-poyson against the malignity of death in a third there is the spirituall Heliotroâ—…ium opening with joy to the Sunne of righteousnesse the hope of a blessed resurrection Doe the glittering shewes of outward things make thee begin to over-fancie them heere thou shalt finde how little they will availe in death the consideration whereof will make them like that precious stone which being put into the mouth of a dead man loseth it's vertue are thou over-burthened with afflictions here thou art supported in the expectation of a farre more exceeding weight of glory art thou ready to faint under thy labours here thou shalt finde a time of rest and of reaping doth the time seeme over-long that thy patience begins to flag heere thou hast a promise of thy Saviours speedy comming In a word be thy estate and condition what it will be heere thou mayst have both directions to guide thee and comforts to support thee in thy journey on earth till thou arrive at thy Countrey in Heaven Certainely there is no man can sleight and undervalue so deserving a Worke but hee shall discover himselfe either to be ignorant or idle or ill affected especially when so judicious and learned men have thought it a fit concomitant for their severall labours which they have added for the accomplishment of it Therfore take it in good worth improve it for the good of thy soule that being armed and prepared for death when it shall approach thou mayst have no more to doe but to die and mayst end thy dayes in a stedfast assurance That thy sinnes shall be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the LORD Thine in him who is the Resurrection and the life H. W. THE TABLE THe Stewards Summons Page 1. TEXT LVKE 16. 2. Give an account of thy Stewardship for thou mayst be no longer Steward The praise of Mourning Page 29. ECCLESIASTES 7. 2. It is better to goe to the house of Mourning then to the house of Feasting for that is the end of all men and the living will lay it to his heart Deliverance from the King of feares Page 55. HEBREVVES 2. 14. 15. 14 For asmuch then as the Children are partakers of flesh and bloud hee also himselfe likewise tooke part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Divell 15 And deliver them who through the feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage The perfection of Patience Page 79. IAMES 1. 4. But let patience have her perfect worke that you may bee perfect and intire wanting nothing A Restraint of exorbitant passion Page 101. 2 SAM 12. 22. 23. 22 And he said while the Child was yet alive I fasted and wept for I said who can tell whether God will be gracious to me that the Child may live 23 But now he is dead wherefore should I fast Can I bring him back againe I shall goe to him but he shall not returne to me The sting of Death Page 121. 1 COR. 15. 56. The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law The destruction of the Destroyer Page 135. 1 COR. 15. 16. The last enemie that shall be destroyed is death The Worlds losse and the righteous mans gaine Page 151. ESAY 57. 1. And mercifull men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evill to come The good mans Epitaph Page 177. REVEL 14. 13. I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their workes doe follow them The Christians Center Page 193. ROM 14. 7. 8. 7 For none of us liveth to himselfe and no man dyeth to himselfe 8 For whether we live we live to the Lord and whether wee die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords The improvement of Time Page 213. 1 COR. 7. 29. 30. 31. 29 But this I say Brethren the time is short it remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none 30 And they that weepe as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as if they rejoyced not and they that buy asthough they possessed not 31 And they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away Securitie surprized Page 235. 1 THESSAL 5. 3. For when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction commeth upon them as travaile upon a woman with child and they shall not escape A Christians victory or conquest over deaths Enmitie Page 263. 1 COR. 15. 26. The last Enemie that shall be destroyed is death The great Tribunall Gods scrutinie of Mans secrets Page 283. ECCLESIAST 12. 14. For God will bring every worke into judgement with every secret thâ—…ng whether it be good or whether it be evill A Triall of Sinceritie Page 299. ESAY 26. 8. 9. 8 Yea in the way of thy judgements O Lord have wee waited for thee the desire of our soule is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee 9. With my soule have I desired thee in the night yea with my Spirit within me will I seeke thee early for when thy judgements are in the earth the Inhabitants of the world will learne righteousnesse The expectation of Christs comming Page 321. PHIL. 3. 20. 21. 20. For our conversation is in Heaven from whence we looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesuâ—… Christ. 21. Who shall Change our vile body that it may bee fashioned like unto his glâ—…rious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himselfe Christs Precept and Promise or security against death Page 345. IOHN 8. 51. Verily verily I say unto you if a man keepe my saying he shall never see death The Young-mans liberty and limits Page 367. ECCLESIAST 11. 9. Rejoyce O young-man in thy youth and let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into
the market-place when hee should be working in the Vineyard Would you be feasting when God would have you mourning you shall see some that have beene taken away when they little thought of it Belshazzer he was in his feasts and then commeth the sentence of death against him and other the like examples you may see in the Scripture Consider therefore the particular actions that you doe whether they bee such as hold agreement with the state of a dying man So for the manner of doing holy duties Would you be found praying perfunctorily and carelesly Would you be found comming to the Sacrament unprepared What though you doe holy actions that are good for the matter would you be found doing of them with unfit and unprepared hearts You see what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11. For this cause many are sicke and weake and many sleepe they slept they were dead for this even because they came unworthily to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Would you therefore bee found doing of holy duties and not in a right manner The serious consideration of this that Death is the end of all men with the particular application of it to a mans selfe that as it is the state of all men so it is mine in particular I must die and I may die now it hath an influence into all the actions of a mans life To conclude In the last place This point is of use to us also in the death of others First to moderate the mourning of Christians for the death of others Why It is the end of all men it is that that is the common condition of all men it should not be too grievous nor too dolefull to any man Wee would not have our friends to bee in another condition in their birth then others wee would not have them have more fingers or more members then a man and would wee have them have more dayes Let this serve as a briefe touch upon that Secondly it teacheth us to make good use of our fellowship while we are together Not only we may die but those that are usefull to us may die also let us make good use of one another while we live therefore This will make the death of others bitter and will be worse then the death and losse of our friends the guilt upon a mans conscience that hee hath not made that use of them while they were alive that he might have done let us therefore make the death of our friends easie by making good use of them while they live It did smite the heart of those Ephesians that they should see the face of Paul no more specially above the rest it grieved them that they should see him no more how would it have grieved them thinke you if they had alwayes hardned themselves against his ministrie before Thinke with your selves seriously here is such a Minister such a Christian friend that husband and wife that parent and child a time of parting will come let us make it easie now by making good use of one another while we live that when friends are tooke away we may have cause to thanke God that we have had communion and comfort of their fellowship and societie the benefit of their graces the fruit of their lives and not sorrow for the want of them by death So much for that I come now to the second and principall reason why it is better to goe to the house of mourning then to the house of feasting it is this because the living shall lay it to his heart What shall hee lay to his heart That that is the end of all men hee shall lay the death of men to heart The point I observe from hence is thus much It is the dutie of those that live to lay to heart the death of others That is seriously to consider and make use for themselves of the death of others You see the Text is cleare for the point And there is good reason why it should be so First in respect of the glory that commeth to God Secondly in respect of the good that commeth to our selves by it First God is glorified by this when wee lay to heart the death of others there is a dishonour done to God when wee slight the death of others good or bad It is a dishonour to God to slight any of his actions this is one of Gods workes in the world the death of men this is a thing wherein Gods hand is seene he saith to the sonnes of Adam Returne The spirit returneth to God that gave it It is hee that hath the power of life and death If a sparrow fall not to the ground without the providence of God much lesse the servants of God the precious ones upon the earth the excellent ones as David calleth them I say God is seene much in these workes and it is a great dishonour to God when men doe not consider the workes of his hands David by the spirit of Prophesie in Psal. 28. 5. wisheth a curse upon ungodly men and for this reason among the rest because they consider not the operation of his hands this is that that puts men into a curst estate and exposeth them to the wrath of God when they regard not the workes of the Lord. The actions of Princes and great men upon earth every man considereth of them and weigheth them It is that wherein wee give God the glory of his wisedome and of his truth of his power of his justice of his mercy of his soveraigntie and dominion and Lordship over the whole earth when wee labour to draw to a particular use to ourselves the workes of God in the world specially the death of men of all men good and bad for we must give it the same latitude and extent and scope that the Text doth here he speakes here of the death of men in generall and he saith of all men that their death shall bee laid to heart by the living Secondly as there is reason that we should take to heart the death of others in respect of the glory that commeth to God thereby so in respect of ourselves also much benefit commeth to ourselves by laying to heart the death of other men There be three speciall things considerable in the death of any one that is matter of profit and benefit to those that live and survive after them Therein we see the certainty nature cause and end of Death First therein we see the certainty of death For now we have not only the word of God that tels us that we shall die but the workes of God taking others before us that as the Sacraments are called Visible instructions because they teach by the eye and the outward senses so the death of others are visible instructions to the living it teacheth by the eye a man is guided by the eye to see his owne condition and as it were in a glasse there
to heart they consider not the causes wherefore God takes away those good men A Land a Kingdome a State a People a place is much weakned when those that are righteous and mercifull men when those that stand in the gappe and use their endevours to prevent judgements are taken away The house will certainly fall when the pillars are removed They are the people of God only that hold up a state that hold up the world Assoone as Noah is put into the Arke presently commeth the deluge upon the World Assoone as ever Lot was got up to Zoar presently the Lord rained downe fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah Assoone as ever the mourners are marked presently commeth the destroying Angell upon the rest Beloved when wee see those that are mourners for the evils of the times and places where they live tooke away we should lay it to heart and consider it as a signe of Gods displeasure as a signe that hee is a going and departing when he takes away his jewels as a signe that he is a comming to judge the world when hee beginneth to separate to take to himselfe his owne Certainly as soone as ever that number of the elect shall bee accomplished when the company of those that God hath determined to eternall life shall be fulfilled when the sheepe of Christ that are yet to be brought into his fold are gathered together when the fulnesse of the Gentiles is come in and the nation of the Iewes added then the world shall bee burnt with fire and the day of Iudgement shall come nothing shall hinder that generall destruction that shall be the end of all things here below As it is with the generall Iudgement of the world so with particular Iudgements upon Nations when God takes away his people when the Saints goe out of Ierusalem to Pila then commeth the sword of the enemie upon Ierusalem when God drawes out his owne people presently commeth judgement upon the rest It is good to observe Gods method and order that he takes in governing of the world at this day that in the death of the servants of God wee may consider our owne time that wee may prepare for those evils that are a comming and for those greater judgements that are hastning Thus you see what use may bee made of laying to heart the death of others God is much glorified thereby For all his attributes are seene in all his workes and the glorifying of God is a declaring of God to be as glorious as hee hath revealed himselfe to be in his attributes which is by shewing of them forth in his workes When men can see the wisedome the justice the power the mercie the truth the soveraigntie of God and all in the death of others then they glorifie God in taking to heart the death of others You see likewise what good commeth to a mans selfe by laying to heart the death of others He sees thereby the certainty of his owne death He sees the nature of death and what the proper worke of it is viz. to separate betweene him and all those outward comforts all those props and staies whereupon his heart rested too much on earth in the daies of his vanitie And lastly he sees the end and cause why God sendeth Death into the world sometime in judgement that men should take heed of sin sometime in mercie in mercy to the men themselves and in mercy also to those that live that they seeing the servants of God lodged up before the tempest may learne to feare and to hide and secure themselves under Gods speciall providence who can either hide them amongst the living or the dead in the worst times Now let us conclude with some application to our selves In the first place it serveth for the just reproofe of that great neglect that is in the world at this day that men lay not to heart the death of others I wish that this were only the sinne of worldly men I know to a worldly man it is of all things the most unpleasant thought that can be to thinke of death hee cannot endure to heare this they shall fetch thy soule from thee It is as unpleasant to him as it is to a bankrout to heare of a Sergeant comming to arrest him as unpleasant as it is to a malefactour to heare of being brought before the Iudge And that is the reason why men in the time of feasting cannot endure such discourses at their Tables as might put sad thoughts of death into them oh these are to melancholy thoughts Yea but in the meane time it is thy folly thy want of wisedome Hee that was guided by the spirit of wisedome and had now bought some wisedome at a deare rate by wofull experience of his former follies hee now seeth that it was farre better to goe to the house of mourning that is seriously to consider of that which men account the most ordinary cause of mourning that is the death of others and of themselves then to goe to the house of feasting that is to sport a mans selfe in the pleasures of the world and to give libertie to a mans selfe to all manner of delights But I say I wish that this were their fault onely and that it may die with them But it is too much the fault of Gods owne people Moses is faine to pray for Israel in the Wildernesse where they saw so many die before them that God would give them wisedome to number their dayes And Ministers have still the same cause to pray for the people and Christians to pray one for another that God would give them wisedome to lay to heart the death of other men Have you well considered of Death when you can only discourse that such a one that was profitable in his instruction is dead such a one by whom we have had good in conversing with is dead such a one that was young and likely to live many yeares longer is dead What of all this this is but idle and emptie discourse What use makest thou of this to thy selfe dost thou gather from thence the certaintie of thy owne death Dost thou consider what Death will doe to thee when it commeth how that it will separate betweene thee and all things in the world as it hath done them Dost thou consider for what cause God sendeth Death abroad into the world Dost thou consider this with thy selfe as thou oughtest to doe This is an act of wisedome This is that wee call due consideration when the soule reflects upon it selfe it is their case now and it will be mine and mine in the same manner therefore it is good for me to set my accounts straite with God When thou accompaniest another to the grave dost thou conclude thus with thyselfe the very next time that any death is spoken of it may bee mine or as Saint Peter speakes to Saphira after the death of Annanias The feet of those that have buried
is that The time of death the heart of a man is put to it at such a time and now these shrinke nothing can inable a man against feare so much as sincerity and uprightnesse When the Prophet Isaiah told Hezekiah from God that he must die he flieth to this Lord remember how I have walked before thee with an upright heart and done that which was good in thy sight When Death commeth to a wicked voluptuous person and telleth him I am here come for thee thou must appeare before God what can this man say Lord I have lived before thee a voluptuous proud wretched life I was a scorner of thy Word a contemner and persecutor of thy people a swearer c. What though perhaps he can say Lord I have heard so many Sermons I have beene so much in conference and the like will this inable a man against the feare of Death No nothing but this that he hath a sincere heart that his heart is unmixed that sinne is not affected in his soule that there is no sinne that hee would live in no duty that he would not doe Lord remember that I have walked before thee uprightly I say nothing will inable a man more against feare then sinceritie and nothing disgraceth perplexeth the soule in an exigent more then hypocrisie It is sinceritie that takes away the sting of Death The Apostle in Rom. 14. saith he No man liveth to himselfe but if hee live hee liveth to the Lord and if hee die hee dieth to the Lord whether wee live or die wee are the Lords Here is the comfort wee are the Lords saith he How proveth hee that Wee live unto him That is the worke of a sincere heart A true Christian liveth not to himselfe but to Christ Now if thy conscience give thee this testimony I have lived unto Christ then whether I live or die I am the Lords the Apostle concludeth it So right is that of Solomon Riches availeth not in the day of wrath but righteousnesse delivereth from death Thy righteousnesse and sincerity delivereth thee not from dying but from death It takes away the sting and power of Death Death shall not be death to thee it is onely a passage to thee Therefore remember as to get a part in Christ so to get a perfect and sincere heart and then the sting of death is gone But a hypocriticall divided heart a heart and a heart that will sting a man That is the second Thirdly wouldest thou have the sting of death pulled out now Then mortifie thy sinnes now doe it presently Remember what Saint Paul saith but I thinke hee speakes it in respect of afflictions I professe by our rejoycing in Christ Iesus I die daily If it be meant of afflictions yet it should be verified of us in respect of sinne die daily to sinne and then the sting of death is gone Oh beloved our condition will be sad and discomfortable when at once we must enter into the field with Death and Sinne he that dieth daily to Sin hee hath nothing to doe with Death when it commeth Death may come to such a party but it cannot hurt him he may rest quietly when it commeth And observe it so much sinne as thou now sparest so much sting thou reservest for Death and is it not folly in a man to spare sinne that giveth a sting to Death But now as a man is to crucifie every sinne let me put in this caution and remember this advise As the sting of every sin is to be pulled out so pull out especially the sting of that Sin that now stingeth thy conscience that now lieth upon thy conscience for if it worke now it will worke fearfully at death Death doth not lessen the work of sin but inrageth it God wil then present and set thy sins in orderbefore thee perhaps God hath brought thee here to day to heare this Word getthee home and set thy soule in order The love of Sin and the feare of Death seldome paâ—…t and where Sinne is much loved Death will there be much feared Death is never more terrible then where sin is most delighted in Therefore crucifie sinne if thou wilt have the sting of death taken away It may be thou thinkest it is a troublesome worke but remember that those sinnes which thou now so much delightest in and lovest and livest in will then prove the sting of death to thee If a man would spend his time in the mortification of sinne when death commeth he should have nothing to doe but to let his soule loose to God and to give it up to him as into the hands of his most faithfull Creatour and Redeemer And is it not an excellent thing for a man to have nothing to doe with Death when it commeth Lastly here is a use of comfort If it hath pleased God to give any of us the grace to pull out the sting of death it is a great comfort But Death is approching you will say Oh but Death is disarmed the sting of it is taken away what a singular comfort is it then to you that Death is comming Indeed all the comfort that the soule is capable of is this that the sting of death is tooke away Now when Death commeth upon such a man it doth but free him from all that state of miserie hee is in here from all that extremitie of condition that he is put into from all those diversities of occasions pressing occasions of tumbling about in the world Death doth but put an end to all And which is an excellent comfort to a Christian Sin is ended with Death what afflicteth the soule of a Christian but that hee carrieth about him a body of sinne and of death This was a trouble to Saint Paul and is to every true Christian Now when Death commeth there is an end of this Body of sinne thou shalt never sinne more thou shalt never grieve the Spirit of God more thou shalt never be clogged with such imperfections and infirmities in dutie that death that commeth to thee shall passe thee to the fruition of eternall glory and what canst thou desire more then to be happy in eternall glory with God FINIS THE DESRVCTION OF THE DESTROYER OR THE OVER THROVV OF THE LAST ENEMIE PSAL. 9. 6. O thou Enemie thy Destructions are come to a perpetuall end ISAIAH 25. 8. Hee will swallow up Death in victorie LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. THE DESTRVCTION OF THE DESTROYER OR THE OVER THROW OF THE LAST ENEMIE SERMON VII 1 COR. 15. 16. The last enemie that shall bee destroyed is Death DEath is a subject that a Christian should have in his thoughts often and neither the hearing nor thinking nor speaking of it can be unseasonable for any place or person We have heard that the life of Philosophers is nothing but a meditation of Death and certainly the life of a Christian much more should abound in
us sometimes holding us long play as the house of David did the house of Saul till our strength be wasted and spent sometimes dispatching us with a sudden stroke as Absolom did Amnon when our hearts are merry within us This enemie Death the very sound of his name is like the name of Honiades to the Turkes dreadfull to some the very dreame of it dreadfull as Nebuchadnezars dreame was to him it troubled him and the image of it made him tremble and quake But though the hearing of an enemie may cause disturbance yet withall to heare that this enemie is overcome and destroyed the newes of that may cheare us Behold this is the newes that the Text bringeth It telleth us of an enemie indeed but it telleth us withall of the destruction of this enemie Death is the common enemie of man-kind It is our last enemie we may thinke it none of the least because it is the last yet here is the destruction of it Oh thou enemie thy destruction shall come to a perpetuall end It is already destroying and as it is the last so at the last it shall be destroyed Those are the two points that I am to treat of of an Enemie and of the destruction of this Enemie The Enemie is Death and the Last Enemie as the Text calleth it the last that shall assault us In that yee may note two things Its Qualitie and Its Ranke First its nature and qualitie An Enemie Secondly its order and ranke in what ranke it is Fyled not in the Fore-front of the battell but it commeth behind in the Reare it commeth in the end of the Armie when all other enemies have given over and setteth upon us at the last Secondly here is the destruction of the enemie that is the Milke and honey of the Text. Death though it bee an Enemie though it be a killing enemie it shall not bee a conquering enemie Hee that subdueth all our Enemies for us will in time subdue them to us And who he is the Apostle telleth you in the verse before the Text Christ our Lord Hee shall reigne till hee hath put downe all his enemies under his feet And as all His so all ours too both those that are Enemies to him and to his death Among the rest he will destroy that also As it is the last with which we shall be assaulted so it is the last that shall be destroyed There are three points of observation wee have here lying before us First that Death is an Enemie Secondly that Death is our last Enemie Thirdly that as Death assaulteth us last so at last it shall bee destroyed I begin with the first of these That Death is an Enemie And an Enemie indeed it is one of the Divels regiment The Divell he is the Generall of the Armie when hee brought sinne into the world he brought Death into the world Sinne drawes Death after it as the Needle drawes the thread First I will shew yee what kind of Enemie it is Secondly wherein it appeareth to be an Enemie First what kind of Enemie Death is A common secret spirituall continuall Enemie First a Common Enemie Common to all mankind The charge it hath is not like that upon the Aramites fight neither with small nor great save onely with the King of Israel Great and small King and Keisar all are markes that this aimeth at one killing weapon or other it hath for them all like Ishmael The hand of him is against every man The young and the old the strong and rich and noble and wise and holy none can scape none can keepe out of Deaths reach What man is hee that liveth and shall not see death Yee will object to me peradventure Those that shall live at the comming of our Lord at the end of the world shall not see Death I had thought I confesse to have stood a little upon this points discussion but I must not I have many things to say In a word therefore First these are but a few and a few make not a generall Secondly though these die not the ordinary naturall death but as Elijah and Enoch shall bee translated up to heaven yet in their translation and assumption they shall suffer a mutation and change which shall be in stead of Death Their change is a kind of Death to them as our death is a kind of change to us Therefore wee may account it a common Enemie to man-kind for as the Scripture saith It is the way of all the earth And the Grave it is the house appointed for all living It is a common Enemie and it is the more dangerous for that Secondly it is A secret Enemie And it is the more dangerous for that Secret Traytours are worse then open enemies these may be prepared against because we know them those may surprize us unawares because wee see them not nor suspect them Poore Uriah carrieth Death in his bosome so wee carry death about us though like a Moth it lie and fret in the garment and we see not when it eateth nor can certainly determine the time when it will grate asunder the thread of our life What man living can divine when and how and where Death will seize upon him it is not for any to determine such a thing it lieth so secret hee cannot find it out What a sort of diseases wee are subject to you may imagine how many Nay yee cannot imagine how many when the very eye as some Occolists observe hath above sixtie diseases What a many casualties there are every moment when as oft as wee step over the threshold wee cannot tell whether ever wee shall come home againe The fire saith Death is in me and the Water saith Death is in mee the earth we tread on hath Death in it the Ayre we breath in that which wee continually take in and put out at our nosethrils hath death in it Death dwelleth with us in our houses it walketh with us in the streets It lieth downe with us in our beds It is wrapped about us in our clothes that sticke to us Benhadad is slaine in his Bed Amnon at his Table Zachariah in the Temple Ioab at the Altar The disobedient Prophet is torne with a Lyon The unbeleeving Prince is trod to Death in the croude Abimelech slaine with a Mill-stone and Pyrrhus with the fall of a Tyle Adrian is choaked with a flie Victor is poisoned with Wine And one of the Emperours with the bread he recived in the Sacrament Thus Death waiteth every where and yet wee spie it not It is a secret Enemie and therefore the more dangerous Thirdly it is a spirituall Enemie And it is the more dangerous for that Spirituall I call it First because it is invisible for the spirits are invisible they cannot be seene Such an enemie is Death though we must all feele it yet wee cannot see it were it any way discernable we might
it is I told yee before Hee is the Generall of the Armie And beloved beleeve it the Divell is very politique and subtile in marshalling his forces hee will not place his best Souldiers in the forefront of the battell but keepes them in the Reare he puts them behind that when all the rest have wearied and tired us they should set on us afresh He is so cunning a disputant that he reserveth the best arguments for the last A cunning Gamester that plaies his best play at the last A cunning Archer that shootes his best shaft at the last So since Death is the last Enenie it is like to be the sorest Now the sorer we are like to find him the carefuller we should be to arme against him alwayes to put our selves in a readinesse that whensoever he commeth hee may find us weaponed that if it were possible we might be alwayes doing as if wee were dying it being the height of the perfection that any soule can attaine to as the heathens themselves well observed for a man to spend every day as if it were his last day That is one reason why the Apostle here calleth Death the last enemie because the last is like to be the worst Againe another reason As it is the last by which wee are assaulted so it is the last that shall bee destroyed That the Apostle principally meant here as Interpreters commonly understand it When he saith the last enemie that shall be destroyed is Death hee meant that Death is the Enemie that shall be destroied last And this leadeth me to the last point I propounded to speake of That Death is an enemie and the last enemie and at last shall be destroyed It shall be destroyed that is one thing Who undertakes the doing of it Our selves In likelihood Death is more likely to destroy us then we it But as it is said of the seven-sealed booke in the Revelation when there was none in heaven or in earth or under the earth that was able to open it the Lion of the tribe of Iudah prevailed to open the booke So the Lion of the tribe of Iudah prevaileth to destroy this enemie that none in heaven or in earth or under the earth but only he is able to destroy Hee saith of him as David of Goliah when hee defied the host of Israel and all men ranne away Let no mans heart faile him So saith the sonne of David The Lord of David let no mans heart faile him I will goe to fight with yonder Philistim Oh Death I will be thy death It is spoken in the person of Christ whom Saint Peter calleth the Lord of life Hee subdueth all Enemies and it is he that will destroy Death hee will not leave him till he have trod him under foot But when will Christ doe this Wee see Death playes the Tyrant still it killeth and spoyleth as fast as it did his sickle is in every ones harvest as fast as the corne growes up hee cuts it downe he leaveth not an eare standing How long Lord how long before this that the Apostle tells us of will be At last His meaning is at the generall day of the Resurrection when the end of the world shall come then Christ shall destroy him And he bringeth it in the rather to assure the Corinths of that that some of them doubted of namely that there should be a Resurrection For unlesse the dead should arise how can Death be destroyed But Death shall be destroyed therefore it is out of question that the dead shall rise againe But what comfort have we in the meane time if Death be not destroyed till then if till then it play the domineering Enemie No not so neither Wee have comfort enough in that that Christ hath already done Though it bee not already destroyed yet it is already subdued It is not only subdued but disarmed and not only so but captivated and triumphed over Hee subdued it when he died in suffering death he overcame Death hee beat him in his owne ground at his owne weapons in his owne hold hee disarmed him When he rose againe then he spoyled him of his power and tooke his weapons away and triumphed over him in the open field When he ascended into heaven then hee carried those spoiles with him in token of conquest as Sampson tooke the Gates of Gaza on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill Christ by Death tooke the sting of Death away by his Resurrection hee tooke the strength of Death away by his Ascension hee tooke away the hope of Death for ever conquering or prevailing more finally at the last Judgement hee will take away the name and beeing of Death so that it shall never bee more remembred but mortality shall be swallowed up of life I Christ hath done this for himselfe perhaps but what is this to us Nay Christ hath done it not only for his owne victorie but he hath given us victorie hee is not only a conquerour but hee hath made us conquerours thankes be unto God that hath given us victorie In a word Christ hath and will doe by Death as hee doth by our sinnes he hath subdued them already at the last hee will utterly destroy them sinne and Death both of them are already subdued at last they shall be abolished and destroyed that they shall be no more As there shall bee no more sorrow and paine so there shall be no more death and sinne All teares shall be wiped from our eyes I will ransomethem from the power of the grave and redeeme them from death More then this This yet addeth to our comfort Christ will so destroy Death as hee will not only subdue him for us but also reconcile him to us not only foile him as an Enemie but propitiate and make him our friend Wee have all our enemies subdued to us but some are so subdued that they are reconciled Death is one of them it is a reconciled as well as a subdued enemie In stead of bringing forth children for bondage it becommeth a purchaser of our freedome it is so farre from plucking us from Christ as rather it letteth us into Christ so farre from being a losse as it bringeth gaine so farre from being a dammage that it is part of our Dowrie therefore the Apostle reckoneth it as a prerogative as hee saith that the world and life and Christ is ours so Death is ours Indeed if Death were not ours life were not ours for our only way to life now is by Death Such a friend is this Enemie become that it is a Bridge to passe to heaven the Chariot that wee are tooke up to heaven in What we get of life toward life we lose in death but what we get in death toward life we never lose Now for the Application and conclusion of all Something I have to say by way of comfort and something by way of counsell
the Doctrine of repentance because the kingdome of God was at hand This is that upon which Saint Peter groundeth his exhortation unto the people Acts 3. 18. Repent saith he and bee converted that your sinnes may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Therefore repent and returne unto God doe away your sinnes because there will a time of refreshing come and you had need then to be found in another hue in another state then in your old rotten withered condition and sinfull lusts This is the Argument that the Apostle used to the Athenians to bring them from Idolatrie to serve the living God because God hath appointed to judge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained Even for that reason because God hath appointed a time to judge the world in righteousnesse therefore they should turne from their Idols to serve the living God There is nothing that doth so unbottome the heart nothing so shakes and looseneth a mans hold of sinne and unrighteousnesse as the consideration of Christs comming to Judgement What will it boote me will the soule reason to keep my sins when Christ will come to judge me for my sins What shall I get by going on in a course of a sinne when I can looke for nothing then but a sentence of wrath to be denounced against me This then is that that doth settle a man in a holy conversation in that respect Nay fourthly this is that also which quickneth a man to the practise of all holy duties in his place both in his generall and particular Calling It is the very argument which the Apostle Saint Peter useth to stirre us up to holinesse of conversation Seeing saith he that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought wee to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse looking for the comming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heate As if hee should have said Looke now about the whole world and see what it is that now can comfort you if you be such as goe on in a course of sinne It may be you will say I feare not much for I have many friends Yea but all these shall die It may bee thou hast store of lands but all that shall bee burnt with fire It may be thou hast many pleasures but then there shall bee nothing but Judgement The comming of the Lord that shall then put an end to all these and turne the course of things the expectation thereof is a speciall meanes to take us off from a course of sinne and put us on to a course of obedience to make us walke in another kind of fashion while wee are in the world Therefore the Apostle Saint Paul when he would stirre up Timothy to the worke of the Ministrie what is the Argument that hee useth I charge thee before Christ who shall judge the quicke and the dead As if hee should say there shall be an appearing before the Lord and therefore if thou wilt give thy account up with joy at that day I charge thee to looke to thy Ministrie So may I say to every man in his place I charge thee that art a Master of a Familie looke to the businesse of thy Familie to the salvation of the soules of thy people I charge thee that art a Father or a Mother to looke to the salvation of the soules of thy Children I charge thee that art a Christian to looke to the salvation of thy owne soule And how is the charge I charge thee before the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quicke and dead Because there shall come a time when both thou and they shall bee present before Christ at his appearing therefore if thou wilt have comfort in them and in thy selfe and in Christ be carefull to doe the dutie that concernes thy place looking for the comming of the Lord Iesus So then you see in this respect also thereis nothing so forcible an Argument to settle a man in a holy conversation in a heavenly course as this for a man alwayes to looke for the second comming of Christ. Lastly there is nothing fixeth a man so constantly in a holy course as this Our conversation saith the Apostle is alwayes in heaven Wee alwayes walke on earth as those that aspire to heaven because wee alwayes looke for the comming of Christ. Wert thou carefull to serve God yesterday doe it to day also it may be Christ may come now and take thee away by death to day and there is no preparation for judgement afterward Little children saith Saint Iohn now abide in him that when hee shall appeare wee may have confidence and not bee ashamed before him at his comming What is it that giveth a man boldnesse and takes away shame from him at the comming of Christ What is the reason that a man hath not that spirit of feare and trembling upon him that shall bee upon the hearts of all those that goe on in sinne when they shall cry to the mountaines to fall upon them but this that hee hath continued in a holy conversation and constantly walked before the Lord with an upright heart I have finished my course saith the Apostle I have fought a good fight I have kept the faith hence-forth is layd up for mee a crowne of righteousnesse which Christ the righteous Iudge shall give to mee and to all them that love his appearing Still the servants of God have incouraged themselves to persevere in a holy course from the expectation of the comming of Christ that will give them a reward for their constancie in his service It is the Argument that the holy Ghost useth to the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3. 11. Hold fast that thou hast and let no man take thy crowne As if hee should say There is a time comming when Crownes shall bee given but to whom to those that hold out that persevere in a godly course Be thou faithfull to the death and thou shalt receive a crowne of glory This is that I say that will make a man goe on will make him that is good in youth be good in age also because whensoever he dieth he shall receive his Crowne This will make a man that he shall not begin in the spirit and end in the flesh this will make him that having put his hand to the plough hee will not looke backe because hee no further lookes for comfort in the appearance of Christ then hee hath had care to walke on constantly in a good course Thus you see the point proved to you that a Christian soule hath a maine benefit by his looking for the second comming of Christ and that this is it that makes him carefull to mortifie his secret lusts that this is it that makes him carefull to purge himselfe from worldly affections that
and thrall to passion to this and that and the other lust and divers corruptions Where is I say that Repentance when I find so much sinne Where is that Faith when I find so much wavering and quaking so much aptnesse to distrust and almost to dispaire Where is it It may bee in thy heart for all thy complaining and thou maiest have it for all these exclaymings against thy selfe Tell mee when thou findest those corruptions whereof and for which thou speakest against thy selfe Dost thou allow them or not dost thou confesse them and lament them or not I confesse them indeed but with such a small deale of sorrow Is it such a sorrow as drawes thee to God and drives thee out of thy selfe such as makes thee to fall before him and judge thy selfe worthy to be damned and submit to his Justice Is it such a sorrow as makes thee confesse and then purpose amendment Such as makes thee cry to him for power and strength such as makes thee rest on him for abilitie Dost thou determine still still to amend that that still troubleth thee Dost thou still continue to fight with the lusts of thy flesh by the spirituall weapons that God hath ordained for thee I say to thee thy Repentance thy Faith thy New Obedience may be true though it be weake When a man hath a shaking Palsey hand it is a hand A sicke weake man that lies crying oh oh that can scarse turne himselfe betweene the sheetes is a man a living man A poore child that is new borne and hath nothing that discovereth reason almost but the shape of a man that poore child is a reasonable creature Faith beginneth with weake apprehensions and faint leanings on Christ. Deepe godly sorrow and other parts of Repentance may begin many times with little And amendment of life begins sometimes at a low foundation at small sinnes If it bee true and sincere and constant if thou goe on and continue in a course of daily renewing thy Repentance and Obedience and Faith and striving by Gods meanes to get the increase of these graces and to bee upright and sincere in them thou art blessed in them notwithstanding thy weaknesse take comfort in a little and be thankfull for it God will give more and the only way to get more is to take comfort in a good measure in what thou hast and the way to take comfort is to labour to increase these graces Let not the weake troubled feebled Christian bee troubled in minde as if hee had no grace because hee hath but a little as if hee did not at all keepe Christs sayings because hee keepeth them but a little Hee is a scholler in the Schoole that beginneth at Christ-Crosse-row as wee call it And hee is entred into the Colledge that beginneth but in a low booke with the first rudiments of Logicke And hee is a member of the Familie that began to bee an Apprentise but yesterday and comes not to a deepe knowledge of his Art and Mysterie but is glad to doe sorrie worke Beleeve it brethren there may bee great conceits of Repentance and beleeving and obeying that may make a man good in his owne eyes and be altogether false There may be a small measure of Repentance but if one bee humbled in the smalnesse of that measure and labour and desire and pray and begge for the increase of that measure and take paines to edifie himselfe in it by the meanes of God then it is true and upright and shall save him Therefore Rejoyce It is not with the Covenant of Grace as it was with that of Workes The Covenant of Workes the Law required perfection of Obedience to all the things prescribed a man must not only love God but love God perfectly But the Gospell satisfieth it selfe with accepting truth of endeavour to the thing required If there bee Repentance though it bee not in the full perfection if thou beleeve though not with the fullest measure of beleeving If thou Obey though not in the highest degree of obedience this Gospell this sweet this favourable gracious Doctrine giveth thee consolation enough Goe home therefore comforted in the beginnings and resolved to proceed and know that thou shalt enjoy that which Christ hath promised freedome from damnation thou shalt never see Death FINIS THE YOUNG MANS LIBERTIE AND LIMITS OR GODS IVDGEMENT ON MANS CARIAGE GEN. 8. 21. For the imaginations of mans heart are evill from his youth DAN 7. 10. The Iudgement was set and the Bookes were opened LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. THE YOVNG MANS LIBERTIE AND LIMITS OR GODS IVDGEMENT ON MANS CARRIAGE SERMON XVIII ECCLESIASTES 11. 9. Rejoyce oh young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into Iudgement SOlomon in the conclusion of this Chapter is exhorting the sonnes of men to true Religion and the better to mould and frame them to the same hee mindeth them of Death and Iudgement without which there cannot be planted in us a right care and feare of God From the seventh verse to the latter end hee hath to doe with two sorts of men First with those that were glued to this life and to the delights and pleasures there of and he bringeth them in speaking thus Truly the light is sweet and it is a pleasant thing to behold the Sunne vers 7. By light there wee are to understand the light of the Sunne shining on us while wee enjoy this mortall life This many men suppose to be a very pleasant thing and they over-much content themselves in the same These Solomon verse 8. refuteth by three Arguments The first is this that though a man live many yeares yet let him remember the dayes of darknesse that is that a time of Death will come a time when our Sunne will set and our light will turne to darknesse though wee live never so long never so sweetly never so pleasantly though we enjoy the light of the Sunne yet wee should carefully remember that darknesse abideth us Secondly saith Solomon those dayes are many His Argument is thus much Let a man consider with himselfe though he live many yeares yet notwithstanding the dayes and yeares of his life cannot be compared with the daies and yeares of his Death a man is many more yeares under the ground in the Grave then above ground walking on the face of the earth Thirdly saith Solomon All that commeth is vanitie That is if a man may enjoy the light of the Sunne and the pleasures of this life that makes his heart lightsome yet all this is vanity there is no full contentment in these things but an emptinesse in them all and no man knowes how soone hee may bee bereaved of them Now in the words we have read Solomon hath to deale with
23. For the wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. THe latter part of this Chapter from the 12. Verse to the end is spent in a grave and powerfull dehortation of the faithfull from securitie in sinne against which the Apostle useth sundry arguments That which he presseth most is drawne from the severall ends to which sinne and righteousnesse doth leade men The end of sinne is death vers 21. therefore that is not to bee served The end of of righteousnesse is life everlasting vers 22. therefore that is to be imbraced Because there is now difference in the manner of the proceeding of these two ends death comming from sinne as from the meritorious cause but life from righteousnesse another manner of way therefore the Apostle addes this epiloge and conclusion in the last verse plainely shewing and more clearely expressing the manner of them both for the wages saith hee of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. In which words we have a description of a twofold service Of sinne in the former clause And of God or righteousnesse in the latter And how both these are rewarded The one with death it payes us well And the other with life which is bestowed by the free gift of God through Christ. These are the two parts the two generall points that we are to consider First the wages of sinne is death saith the Apostle Of sinne That is of the depravation and corruption of our nature and so consequently of every sinne that being not onely it selfe sinne but the matter and mother of all sinne when sinne hath conceived it bringeth forth death when sinne is put forth whereby he signifieth the generall depravation and corruption of our nature from whence all sinne flowes So it is here The wages The word in the originall signifieth properly victualls because victualls was that that the Roman Emperours gave their souldiers as wages in recompence of their service but thence the word extends to signifie any other wages or Salary whatsoever The wages of sinne is death by death here is signified and meant both temporall and eternall death especially eternall death for it is opposed to eternall life in the next clause of the sentence therefore that is that that is principally meant The wages of sinne is death that is eternall death This for the exposition of the tearmes The point to bee observed from this first part of the Text is this that Death is as due to sinne as wages to one that earnes it To such a one wages is due in strict justice if a man have a hyred servant he may bestow a free gift on him if he will if he will not he may choose but his stypend or his wages he must pay him unlesse he will be unjust for it is the price of his worke and so is due to him that he cannot without injustice withhold it After such a manner is death due to sinne the very demerrite of the worke of sinne requires it as being earned God is as just in inflicting death upon sinners for their sinnes as any man is in paying his labourer or hired servant their wages for this is the generall plaine scope of the Apostles words here So in the beginning God appointed Gen. 2. 17. where hee told Adam concerning the forbidden fruite in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death As if hee should have sayd when thou sinnest death must be thy wages The same is repeated Ezek. 18. 20. where it is sayd The soule that sinneth shall die expressing the wages of sinne it is death that is the recompence of sinne if sinne have his due then death must follow So the Apostle had shewed before in this Epistle Rom. 5. 12. that by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne so death went over all men for as much as all men had sinned All had sinned therefore all are payed with death And Saint Iames shewes the consequence and connexion betweene these two the worke and the wages he tells us Iam. 1. 15 that when sinne hath conceived it bringeth forth death All these places are evidences that death by Gods ordinance by his appointment is the due of sinne as due to it even as wages is to a hyred servant or one that hath earned it What death is it that is due to sinne Both temporall and eternall death I say both deaths concerning both which the truth is to be cleared from some doubts It was the Pelagians errour to thinke that man should have dyed a naturall death though he had never sinned so they thought that the naturall temporall bodily death was not the wages of sinne Contrary to the Apostle in the placâ—… I spake of Rom. 5. where hee makes that death that goes over all men which must needes bee naturall death to enter by sinne sinne brought in death no sinne no death at all But it may be objected when God told Adam in the day that he eate the forbidden fruite he should die the death he meant not temporall death there as the event shewes for such a death was not inflicted upon Adam in the day that hee sinned for after he sinned he lived still in the world naturally hee continued living many yeares after I answer notwithstanding all this Adam may bee sayd to die a naturall death as soone as he sinned because by the guilt of his sinne he then presently became subject to it and God straight way denounced upon him the sentence of death therefore it may bee sayd he straite way dyed As a condemned person is called a dead man though he be respited for a time Besides the Messengers and Sergeants of death presently tooke hold of him and arrested him for sinne as hunger and thirst and cold and diseases daily wasting of the naturall moysture to the quenching of life Indeede God suffered him that the sentence was not presently executed so to commend his owne patience and to give to Adam occasion of salvation the promise of Christ being after made and he called to repentance by that meanes to attaine a better life by Christ then he lost by sinne It is objected againe Christ redeemed us from all sinne and all the punishment thereof but he did not redeeme us from bodily death from temporall death for the faithfull wee see dye still even as others doe therefore it is concluded by some that temporall death is not the wages of sinne for then when wee were free from sinne by Christ wee should bee freed from that Our answer to this is that Christ hath freede all his elect not onely from eternall but even from temporall death though not from both in the same manner From temporall death first in hope of which the Apostle speaking 1 Cor. 15. saith The last enemy that shall be
death the hurt of temporall death we have escaped eternall death What is that a separation from the blessed presence and glory of God destruction of body and soule for ever unutterable torments companie with the Divell and his angels and the route of reprobates darknesse blacker and thicker then that of Egypt Weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth in the infernall lake that worme that never dyes and the fire that never goeth out This is the wages of all sinne and that it is not rendred to all sinne and to all sinners the cause is only this that the payment hath beene already exacted of Christ in the behalfe of all true beleevers therefore in their owne persons they are discharged how infinitely are wee bound in thankfulnesse to him and how carefull should wee be to walke worthy of it resolving never to returne to the service of sinne againe but to make it our whole studie that wee may please and honour such a Redeemer that hath redeemed us from such miserie as this that wee may please him for we had deserved eternall death as well as others and hee hath not only freed us from that that wee had most worthily deserved but most freely also bestowed that upon us that we could never deserve for so it followes in the next point The gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. That is the second thing to bee considered the reward of the service of God You have heard of the reward the wages of sinne Now the reward of the service of God is eternall life it is called life There is a twofold life belongs to men The one is naturall and is common to all good and bad in this world The other spirituall proper to the faithfull begun by the union of God and the soule and maintained by the bond of the spirit and this life hath three degrees The first is in this life unto death and it begins when wee begin to believe and repent and come to a saving knowledge of God and of his Sonne Jesus Christ as it is said This is eternall life to know thee to be the very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ Ioh. 17. 3. The second degree is from our death to our resurrection for in that time our soules being freed from our bodies are withall free from all sinne originall and actuall Thirdly after the Resurrection when body and soule shall bee reunited wee shall have immediate communion and fellowship with God and so enjoy a more perfect and blessed life then ever we could here And this spirituall life with all the three degrees of it is the life here spoken of especially the last degree the perfection of it in heaven It is called eternall life because it shall never end For a thing is said to be eternall three wayes First which hath neither beginning nor end so God alone is eternall and none but he Secondly which hath no beginning and yet shall have an end so Gods decree is eternall for it never had a beginning yet when all things decreed are fulfilled it shall have an end Thirdly which hath a beginning but never shall have end and so the life of Gods Saints had a beginning as all created things have butit shall never have an end and this eternall life it is called here The gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Because wee cannot deserve it but it is given and bestowed on us freely for Christ. So then the point of observation from the latter part of the words is this that Our salvation it is the free gift of God given us onely for the merits of Christ. For observe I beseech you the Apostles words when hee had sayd The wayes of sinne is death hee doth not adde and say but the wages of righteousnesse is eternall life but he calls that the gift of God To make us understand saith Damascene that God brings us to eternall life meerely for his owne mercie not for our merits orelse surely the Apostle would have made the later part of the sentence answerable to the former But here perhaps some may aske why eternall life should not be the wages of righteousnesse as well as death the wages of sinne I answer because there is not the same reason betweene sinne and righteousnesse For first sinne is our owne it merits it but rigteousnesse is none of our owne it is the holy Ghosts and it is due to God Then againe sinne is perfectly evill and so it deserves death but our righteousnesse inherent is not perfectly good it is imperfect in this life and nothing that is imperfectly good can merit as wages eternall life therefore the Apostle makes such a manifest difference between them he calls death the wages of sin but eternall life the gift of God it is the free gift of God through Christ. Indeed eternall life some times many times in Scripture is called a reward But there is a reward of mercie as well as of justice Nay God is sayd sometimes to reward his children injustice How is that Though the reward come originally from mercy yet accidentally it comes to be justice thus because God hath tyed himselfe by promise to reward now promise is debt from a just man Thus the Lord may be accounted a debtor How saith Saint Austin as a promiser if hee had not promised eternall life otherwise hee owes us nothing at all much lesse eternall life which is so great a thing Yet it may be doubted how eternall life is the free gift of God seeing it is given for the merits of Christ as it is here exprest the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord that is for the merits of Christ now a man that gives a thing upon merit hee gives it not freely I answer it is free in respect of us whatsoever Christ hath done we did not merit it If it be replyed Christs merits are made ours and wee merit in him and so it cannot be free I answer this reason were of force if wee our selves could procure the merits of Christ for us but that we could not doe but that also was of free gift Ioh. 3. God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that he that beleeves in him should not perish hee gave him freely of free gift so that though eternall life be due to us by the merits of Christ yet it is the free gift of God I wil stand no longer in proving the truth of the Doctrine I come to the application and use to conclude with the time First it serves to confute our adversaries of the Church of Rome in the point of merit They looke for heaven and eternall life as wages wee see the Apostle teacheth us otherwise that eternall life is not given in that manner but another manner of way It is not given as wages it is the
Widow shee is dead while shee liveth even so are all such dead while they live dead in sinnes and trespasses and if so be those that are in this kind dead continue so till the death of the body seize upon them woe woe woe to them upon this followeth an eternall death endlesse easelesse and remedilesse torment upon body and soule for ever Thirdly the Saints have here consolation against the mortalitie and corruption whereto they are subject here in this world wherein their condition is common with the condition of all for that that befalleth one may befall every one in regard of the outward estate and condition All must die Nay further here is consolation against the distresses and afflictions and pressures whereto the Saints are subject above others for their profession sake in this very respect they are hated they are persecuted all that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution and through many afflictions wee must enter into the kingdome of heaven Where is now their comfort surely this that is set before us you heard that naturall men are dead while they live but those that are in Christ doe live while they may seeme to bee dead Ionah lived when he was cast into the Sea swallowed up by a whale and was even as it were in hell so the Saints though swallowed up as wee may say in the tempestuous sea of this world by cruell Whales yet notwithstanding they still live that life that is begun here in this world whereof you heard before And to this purpose the Apostle Saint Paul in 2 Cor. 4. 8 9 10 11 12. sheweth plainly that though they are given up unto death daily for Iesus sake yet they are not destroyed not cleane swallowed up but that they live in Christ and that Christ liveth in them Wee are perplexed but not in despaire persecuted but not forsaken c. And this is it that doth comfort them both the fruition of that life that they have here and their expectation of the accomplishment and fulnesse thereof in the kingdome of heaven Now my brethren this is the rather to be observed of us because of all others the Saints seeme to be most subject to death And the truth is here is matter of admiration in regard of their happinesse that notwithstanding that condition whereto they are subject there is a life they enjoy in this world there is a better life prepared for them hereafter And what can be more desired Life of all things else is most esteemed Men are ready in sicknesse and in other distresses to spend all that they have as the Woman that was troubled with the bloudie issue spent all that shee had upon the Physitians to preserve life to recover health Solomon speaking according to the conceit of men saith that a living Dogge is better than a dead Lyon any life better then a death thus they imagine and Sathan well knew mens account of life when he could say Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will hee give for his life Now if so bee that this temporall life here that is but a flower but a bubble but a blast but a breath yea that life that in the shortnesse thereof is subject to so much perplexitie as it is be notwithstanding so highly esteemed what is the life here promised that while here in the enjoying in regard of the first fruits thereof is accompanied with such a peace as passeth understanding accompanied with the very joy of the Holy Ghost and in the consummation thereof such contentment such glory as the tongue of man cannot expresse the mind of man cannot conceive It is noted of the Apostle Saint Paul when he was caught up to the third heaven and saw but a glimpse of this life he did there see they are his owne words unutterable matter things that cannot bee exprest And therefore in this respect he saith and that which he saith may be most fitly applyed to this the things which eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath entred into the heart of man are such as God hath prepared for them that love him This is that Life which we are so to consider of as it may make us say with the Apostle I account that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to bee compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us for our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory It will be here said whence commeth this or what may bee the ground thereof My Text telleth you It is stiled here Grace of Life Neither will I here insist upon the divers acceptations of grace as it is in man as it is Gratis data or as it is in God as it is Gratis faciens making us accepted with himselfe It is more cleare then need to be proved that eternall life it commeth from divine grace Grace is the ground of it Being justified by grace saith the Apostle and againe by Grace you are saved And indeed all things that bring us thereto are in the Scriptures attributed to Grace And needs must it be so For First out of God there can be nothing done to move him to doe this or that as if it should be done for our sakes either meriting or procuring of it Hee is independant and we are depending upon him and whatsoever wee have is out of our selves and commeth from him Againe in Man there can be nothing What is there in man but miserie whatsoever man had or hath if there be any good thing he hath it from this fountaine of goodnesse all our sufficiencie is of God And this is briefly to be noted against that proud and arrogant position of our Adversaries concerning the merit of mans workes as if man by any thing in him could merit or deserve this life it is not the merit of life but the grace of life Surely they know not God they know not his infinitenesse his all-sufficiencie they know not man his emptinesse his impotencie his vilenesse his cursednesse they know not this life they know not the reward the excellencie of it the disproportion betweene any thing that man can doe and this life that is thus graciously bestowed that have such a conceit Let them therefore passe with their foolish opinion For our owne parts it affordeth to us another ground of comfort and that in regard of our unworthinesse for as we are creatures we are lesse then the least of Gods mercies but as we are mortall creatures dust and ashes much more unworthy of any favour but as we are sinfull creatures having provoked the justice of God most most unworthy of any grace of any life most worthy of all judgements and vengeance of eternall death and damnation Where is now our hope what ground shall wee have that have nothing in
am the Life Now the difference betweene these two wee may conceive with reverend Calvin to be this I am the Resurrection That is I have all quickening power in mee I am able to restore and give life to those that are dead And then I am the life I have such quickening power in mee that I am able to preserve and continue the life that I have given or restored to any I am the Resurrection and the life And then followes the Exposition of this Proposition and of the severall members of it for the truth of a copulative Proposition depends upon the truth of both the parts and members of it therefore there followes the Explication and confirmation of both the parts of this Proposition First of the first part I am the Resurrection this is explained and confirmed in these words Hee that beleeveth in mee though hee were dead yet shall hee live I have such a quickning power in mee saith Christ that I am able to restore spirituall life to that soule that is dead in sinnes therefore I am able to raise up the body that is dead in the grave I am able to give spirituall life to the soule which is greater and the more difficult worke and if I be able to doe the greater I am able to doe the lesse hee that beleeves in mee saith Christ though before he were dead in trespasses and sinnes yet hee shall live he shall live the life of grace Then followes the Explication and confirmation of the second member of the Proposition in these words Whosoever liveth and beleeveth in mee shall never die I am the life saith Christ for whosoever beleeveth in me and so is restored to spirituall life he shall never die hee shall never die to speake properly for he shall never perish he shall never die this life shall never be taken from him neither here nor hereafter not here for hee shall continue to live the life of grace not hereafter for though the body shall die yet this separation of the body from the soule it is not so properly a death as a passage to life a passage from the life of grace to the life of glory And this body also that is separated from the soule it shall bee quickned againe and shall be raised up to live for ever therefore hee that beleeveth in mee shall never die Thus you see the words expounded Now from the first member of this Proposition I am the Resurrection and the Exposition and confirmation of it in these words Hee that beleeveth in mee though hee were dead yet shall he live Hence the point of Doctrine I will observe is this that Iesus Christ is the Fountaine and Authour of all life Hee is able to give and restore life to those that are dead He is the Resurrection Now whereas there is a double death and a double Life and consequently a double Resurrection we must understand that Christ is the Author of both in this place weare not to exclude either Therefore wee will indeavour to expound this generall doctrine in these three particulars First Christ hath such a quickning power in him that hee is able to raise up those dead bodies of his that now lie in the Grave Secondly Christ hath such a quickning power in him that he is able to raise up the soule that is dead in sinnes to a spirituall life Thirdly wee will shew you why Christ as in this place so else-where doth expresse both the state of the faithfull here and their estate after under the same phrase of speech he comprehends both under this terme I am the Resurrection For the first of these Christ is the Author of life he hath such a quickning power in him that hee is able to raise up the dead bodies of his out of their graves Wee will speake first of this Resurrection that is of the body though it be later in time Because that naturally we are more apt to conceive of the death and life of the body then of the death and life of the soule And secondly because that the understanding of this Resurrection of the body will give light to the understanding of the other of the soule And here first wee will shew briefly what this Resurrection of the body is And then prove that Christ is the Author and the Fountaine of it First the Resurrection of the body is this when the soule that was actually separate from the dead body returnes againe to its proper body and being united to it the man riseth up out of the Grave with an immortall incorruptible body to lead a glorified life This is the Resurrection of the body Now that Christ is the Author of this Resurrection of the body it is evident For as Christ himselfe by his owne power raised himselfe being dead in the Grave Ioh. 2. 19. saith Christ destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it againe speaking of the Temple of his body And so againe Iohn 10. 18. I have power saith Christ to lay downe my life and to take it up againe so likewise Christ by his quickning spirit hee will raise up the bodyes of those that are now dead in the Grave as we may see Ioh. 5. 28 29. Mervaile not at this saith Christ for the houre is comming in which all that are in the grave shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of man and shall come forth they that have done good to the resurrection of life c. In this regard Christ is called the first fruites of them that sleepe For as the first fruites being offered to God did sanctifie the whole crop and the owner hereby was assured of the blessing of God upon all the rest so Christ is the first fruits of the dead and his Resurrection it is an assurance to the faithfull of their Resurrection and the cause of it both an assurance a pledge of it and likewise a cause of it Therefore herein Christ the second Adam is opposed to the first Adam As the first Adam who was the roote of all man-kind did communicate death and mortalitie to all those that spring from him so likewise Christ the second Adam by his Resurrection hee conveyes life and a quickening power to all his members as wee may see 1 Cor. 15. 21 22. For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead for as in Adam all die Adam he communicates death and mortalitie to all that spring from him even so in Christ shall all be made alive Christ hee conveyes life to all his members and they are all quickened by his Spirit therefore Christ is called a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15. 45. The first Adam was made a living soule but the last Adam a quickning spirit not onely a living but a quickning spirit And this quickning power and vertue Christ did manifest before his resurrection by raising up three from death namely by raising the Widowes sonne
that he is very ready and greedy of death it is the way to that I hope for saith he therefore it is sweetly spoken of an Ancient and you will acknowledge it to be a sweet sentence of that Father Saint Austin Hee that desireth to bee dissolved according to that of the Apostle and to bee with Christ Non patienter moritur Hee doth not die patiently See here is a faithfull a hopefull man and yet doth not die patiently what would the Father say Hee liveth saith he patiently the very life he liveth putteth him to his patience when he commeth to die hee dieth pleasantly he goeth away with his hope and his hope is full of immortalitie And no more for that point The nex thing I observe is concerning the Object of this hope and this is it that Christ is the Object of the Christians hope We have hope in Christ. Heare it in the generall heare it in the speciall In the generall 1 Tim. 1. 1. Saint Paul he beginneth his Epistle with Christ our hope Col. 1. 27. The riches of the mysterie of Gods grace to the Gentiles is Christ in you the hope of glory Here is Christ our hope and Christ your hope in the generall In the speciall heare it in Saint Paul heare it in the Prophets and others Saint Paul to mee to live is Christ to die is gaine Christ is to me in life and Death advantage living or dying I am Christs I have hoped in the Lord saith the Prophet David And God is my hope and hath beene my helpe even from my youth This is the generall song of the whole Church God is our hope and therefore the Prophet Iacob made an excellent Ejaculation in those blessings he gave his sonnes when he said Oh Lord I have waited for thy salvation Here was his waiting his hope for the salvation of God from the God of his salvation And so let him slay me if hee will saith holy Iob yet notwithstanding I will still trust in him Thus the faithfull have hope and their hope is in Christ. No more of it for the enlargement of it It sheweth to us in the first place this Note that A Christians wings doe mount him above all meanes What are his wings his hope Whether flyeth his hope It takes its flight up to heaven to God to the right hand of God to Christ there is his hope So then he that hath this hope being poore he flyeth not to riches for they make themselves wings and flye away from him Being weake hee flyeth not to the arme of flesh for in man there is no hope nor no confidence to bee put in Prinâ—…s in the Ballance they are lighter then vanitie it selfe sayth the Psalmist Being sicke hee flieth not to the Physitian he fleeth to these as the meanes not to rest in them to make it the maine of his aime the scope of his hope hee doth not flie thus to them but hee goeth to God that commandeth all that worketh above all against all and without all means and sanctifieth all these means Therfore wel sayth the poore man God is my help and the sick man God is my health and the weak man God is my strength and the blinde man Christis my light and even the dead man the distrest man God is my life the good man Christ is my Hope and the happie man Christ is my love And so it is to Christ that the wings of a mans Hope doth lift him up This is the first It sheweth us that the wings of Hope that is in the faithfull soule lifteth him up above all meanes No more of that Secondly observe in this object the very Crowne of a Christians comfort I say the Crowne of all his comfort and that commeth onely from this object of his hope For what is there in all the World that can comfort a man indeed besides this much lesse compared with this Begin where you will when you have gone round about you will conclude with that of the Apostle I count all things but losse and dung in comparison of Christ and all things to bee vanitie and vexation of spirit as the Preacher saith Put the case thou art a sicke man or a sicke woman and I finde thee much affected afflicted dejected cast downe in thy selfe I would faine give thee some comfort now I tell thee of the vanitie of this present life therfore being content I tell thee of the hope of a better life I tell thee of the joyes that are to be revealed I tell thee of the promises of God which hee will make good to thee if thou wilt trust in his mercie I tell thee of all the sure mercies of David as they are called and all this while I have told thee nothing at all to comfort thee till I come to this the object of this Hope which I have in hand and that is Jesus Christ in whom all Gods promises are Yea and Amen and till thou canst learne this lesson of life concerning the Lord Jesus thou hast learned nothing come and learn this and my life for thine thou art then happy He is the Way the Truth and the Life the Way and Truth and Life it selfe and whether shall I goe from thee Lord thou hast the words of eternall life I have done with that Point and so passe on to the third Wee have Hope wee have Hope in Christ wee have Hope in Christ in this life This life-time then is our hope-time that is it you learne hence Here we have the feed of Hope but the harvest of Hope that is hereafter when wee shall have in re what now we have in spe as ordinarily wee speake when wee shall have in possession what now wee haue in expectation then there will bee no more use of this Grace there hope shall cease Now it is indeed in this life time that wee sow the seedes of Prayer that wee plant the roots of Faith that wee water all of them with our hope when our joy shall spring up when the end and fruit of our faith shall come when the possession of our hope shall appeare then we have done with hope hope serveth no longer then therefore it is now in this life Hope shall end for the action of it understand that aright as Faith shall but it shall never end for the object of it that end shall last still and rest ever Now then in the interim this is the Prophets and this is the Princes and this is the Peoples posse I wayte and I wayte too and I trust the Lord over all Now is your posse time as I may call it now is the seed time wherein we sow the seeds of love of joy of hope wherein we sow the seeds of sobrietie and innocencie and chastitie and charitie and all manner of vertues whatsoever now is the time Is this so then here is the
Spirituall change wrought in the soule by the Spirit of God nothing makes in this life such a change as true grace Wee all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. This change is like the tuning of a disordered instrument or like the refining of corrupt mettall or like the clearing of the darke ayre or like the quickning of a dead Lazarus but neither is this change that the text intends Fourthly there is a change of the life and this I call a mortall change we shall all be changed saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 5. life hath the first course but death will have the second As in a Comedie severall persons have severall parts to act which when they have dispatched they all draw off of the stage so though in life we all present our selves on the stage of this world and act severall Scenes and parts yet at length we must all retire and passe away through one and the same doore of mortallity This is the change which Iob speakes of to wit a change of his life by Death Here then are two things to bee demonstrated and proved for the making good of the point in hand viz. 1. That death is a change 2. That this change of death will befall all the sonnes of men First that Death is a change not an anihilation A change is a different and a divers order or manner of being Anihilation is one thing and mutation is another thing there the thing ceaseth utterly to be here the thing only ceaseth to be as once it was so it is with Death it doth not reduce us to nothing but alter our former something it changes our manner or order of being not our being absolutely Now observe Death is a change in five respects First it changes that neere union of the Soule and the body and makes of one two severalls they that were as the hands mutually clasping or as two persons conjugally tyed together when Death comes it plucks them asunder and divides one from the other as farre as heaven is from the earth Secondly it changes our actions or worke Whiles life remained here in our bodies while our day lasted we might have fedde the hungry clothed the naked visited the sicke râ—…ved the distressed frequented the ordinances bewailed â—…nnes but when death once enters the night is come in which â—…an can worke thou art then turned changed into an insenâ—…ble rotten and loathsome carkasse Thirdly it changes our countrey Whiles we live here wee are as children put abroad to schoole in a strange place hence it is wee are so often in the Scripture called Pilgrims and strangers This earth this lower world is not the proper home of the Soule But when Death comes wee change our countrey wee goe home to our owne place to our owne Citie the wicked shall goe to their owne place as it is said of Iudas and the godly to their owne Mountaine to their owne Kingdome Fourthly it changes our companie In this life we converse with sinfull men emptie creatures infinite miseries innumerable conflicts but when Death comes all this shall be changed wee shall goe to our God and Father to our Christ and Saviour and to the innumerable company of blessed Angels and Saints and the spirits of just men made perfect Fiftly it changes our outward condition When Death comes thou shalt never see the wedge of gold againe thou shalt never find thy delights in sinne any more all the excellencie of the creature and the contentments of them and the sensuall rejoycing in them shall goe out with life Death shall shut and close them up in an eternall night which shall never rise to another day So much for the first thing that Death is a change I come now to speake briefly of the second that this change of Death will be fall all the sonnes of men Psal. 89. 48. What man is hee that liveth and shall not see death shall hee deliver his soule from the hand of the grave We love to see most things the eye is never satisfied with seeing and yet many things there are which we shall never see Every man cannot see that which one man doth but there is one thing which every man shall see hee must see death There are many enemies from whom wee can deliver our selves and many more from whom we may be delivered but yet there is one enemie from which wee cannot defend our selves nor bee defended by others he will be to strong for every man let him strive repine order his dyet intreate doe what hee will or can No saith the Psalmist none shall deliver his soule from the hand of the grave And he puts a Selah a note of observation at the end of the verse That all the sonnes of men are subject to this change by death will appeare to you by these familiar Arguments The First may be taken from the qualitie of our lives which is sweetly set out in the Scripture under the termes of changeable things all which point out unto us the certaintie of death Sometime our life is compared to a shew Psal. 39. 6 Surely every man walketh in a vaine shew In a shew you know there is some devise or other opened carryed a-while about but at length it is shut up so it is with our lives Sometime againe it is compared to a shade or a shadow Iob 8. 9. Our dayes upon earth are a shadow a shadow is but an imitation of a substance a kind of nimble picture which is still going and comming and will set at last perhaps it is suddenly ecclipsed so is our life Sometimes aâ—…aine it is compared to a vapour Iames 4. 14. What is your life it is even a vapour that vanisheth away like 〈◊〉 poore cloude sometimes looking white sometimes blacke sometimes quiet and settled sometimes againe tossed up and downe with every wind and at last consumed and brought to nothing so it is with our lives Sometimes also compared to a Tale Psal. 90. 9. Wee spend our yeares as a tale that is told a meere discourse of this thing and that thing and indeed but a very parenthesis of a more tedious discourse and many times it is broken off in the very telling so it is with our lives Sometimes againe it is as grasse as in Esay 46. The voyce said crie aloude what shall I crie all flesh is grasse and the goodlinesse thereof as the flower of the grasse And verse 7. The grasse withereth and the flower fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it And Iob in this chapter calleth it a Flower Hee commeth forth saith he like a flower and is cut downe A flower is a sweet thing but of an earthly breed fedde with showres at its best when it is in all its glory it is but to day and to morrow it
or the house of his hidden time to wit where hee lyeth hid in his Coffin and no eye seeth him whereunto holy Iob alluding saith Chap. 14. 10. Man dieth and â—…steth away and giveth up the ghost and where is he or dâ—…us mundt sui as Caietan will have it the houâ—… of his world meaning the world of the dead or domus seculi sui the house of his generation as Pagnine Montanus and Tremelius well expresse it the place where all meete who lived together the randevouze of all our deceased friends allies and kindred even as farre as Adam this home may bee called a long home in comparison of our short homes from which we remove daylie these houses we change at pleasure that we cannot there our flesh or our bones or at least our ashes or dust shall bee kept in some place of the earth or sea till the Heavens shall bee no more Iob 14. 12. I answer To the fourth that by mourners are here meant all that attend the corpses to the funerall whether they mourne in truth or for fashion and they are sayd here to goe about the streets either for the reason alleaged by Bonaventure quia predolore quiescere nequiunt because they cannot rest for hearts griefe and sorrow or they goe about the streets to call company to the funerall or because they fetch their compasse that they might make a more solemne procession to the Church or Sepulchre Among the Romans the friends of the deceased hyred certaine women whom they called preficas to lament over their dead for the most part among the Iewes this sad taske was put upon widowes or they tooke it upon themselves as the words of the Prophet imply and there were no widowes to make lamentation and of the Evangelist also Acts 9. 39. and the widowes stood by weeping for Dorcas and indeed widowes are very proper for this imployment When a Pot of water is full to the brimme a little motion makes it runne over Widowes that are widowes indeed and have lost in their Husbands all the joy and comfort of their life have their eyes brimme full of teares and therefore most easily they overflow viduae optime deflent viduas Widowes are the fittest to bemoane widowes and what is the body viod of the soul but a widow deprived of her loving mate these widowes went about the streets weeping and howling to awake the living out of their dead sleepe of securitie and to ring in their eares that lesson of the Prophet all flesh is grasse and the glorie of it as the flower of the field As in a great Clock when the Index pointeth to the houre the wheeles move the Clocke strikes and there is a great noyâ—…e till the plummets or weights touch the earth so sayth Filius Fabri in his same when the Index pointeth to the last houre of a rich man the Bell rings and there is a hideous and fearefull noise of singers and mourners and this continueth till the waight to wit the waightie corpses of the dead toucheth the ground and is put into the earth after which the â—…umult ceaseth and the loud musicke is turned into soft and solemne the Lidian into Dorricke and the shallow channells of teares which made such a noyse shall runne into the depth of silent sorrow or Mâ—…re mortuum And so I come to the fourth Stage The naturall division of the Text. There are but three things appertaining to man here 1. Life 2 Death 3. Buriall And see they are all three in the Text. 1. Man goeth there is his life 2. To his long home there is his Death 3. And the Mourners goe about the streetes there is his buriall described by pariphrasis And so I am upon the fift stage The Doctrine Mans life is a voyage his death the terme or period of this voyage his Grave his home and Mourners his attendance you may observe a kind of sequence in these observations in the Concatination of them the first link drawes the second the second the third the third the fourth if our life be a pilgrimage our death must needes be the terme and our arivall at our Countrey if Death bee our arrivall the Grave must needes bee the house for our bodyes if the Grave bee our house what fit attendance there but mourners Our life is a pilgrimage so it is tearmed by Iacob Gen. 47. 9. The dayes of the yeares of my pilgrimage are 130. yeares And by David Psal. 119. 54. Thy statutes have beene my songs in the house of my pilgrimage and wee are all pilgrims and strangers 1 Pet. 2. 11. and our fathers were no better Psal. 39. 10. I am a stranger and sojourner as all my fathers were Vita est via omnes Christianus viator Our life is a way and every man living in this world a passenger A direct motion and that continuate and uninterrupted from the cradle to the coffin from the wombe to the tombe is the way of all flesh a way in which children walk before they can goe and old men crawle when they cannot now goe Infants who never had the use of their limbes and impotent old who have lost them yet runne this race wherein though some make a longer line and others a shorter yet all finish their course a strange race wherein though a man stand still or sleepe yet hee advanceth forward and gaineth ground and he goeth so much the faster by how much he is the weaker for the lesse vigorous the more speedily he tends to his long and last home the houre-glasse is running whether the Preacher proceeds or makes a pawse and the shippe is sayling whither it is bound when wee sleepe in our cabbine so whether wee wake or sleepe moove or rest be busie or idle minde it or mind it not we walke on toward our long home That which Saint Paul spake in a morall or divine sence Seneca makes good in a naturall Wee dye daily for every day nay every houre we lose some part of our life as our yeares increase so our time decreaseth for the more yeares moneths dayes or houres that we have lived the lesse we have to live the glasse is running not only when the last sand drops out but all the while so wee are expiring and dying from the running of the first sand in the houre-glasse of our life to the last from the moment we receive breath to the moment that we breath out our last gaspe Thus the man in my text goeth or rather runneth still in his naturall course that is every man for the word in the originall is Adam in whom wee all die who is so tarmed from Adama the earth not that more solid part of the earth but the brittlest of all red earth sand or dust Pulvis es in pulverem ivis Of dust thou art made and dust shall be made of thee Now if there be any living upon earth who hath none of this earth in
mellis cera mortuum circùm linere to use Waxe for want of Honey and vulgar oyle in stead of precious balme my best Apology is that I prayed heartily with Moses that God would send the message I am to deliver by him by whom hee should send But hee will make choice of his owne instrumenâ—…s and sometimes of set purpose hee will make use of the weake and ignoble the more to shew his power through the infirmitie and glorie through the ignoblenesse of the meanes The Walls of Iericho shall fall with a noyse onely and this noyse shall not bee the shrill and sweet sound of silver Trumpets but the harsh and hollow sound of Rams hornes and even from this disappointing of the chiefe Actour in this mournfull Scene and taking a Novice in his roome you may gather this flower as it were by the way and strew it with others upon the Hearse that wee cannot resolve or certainly build upon any thing in this World we are sure of nothing not so much as of the Tombe wee shall bee layd in not of our winding-sheet not of our grave-clothes not of our Mourners not of our Preacher Wee are not sure of our Tombe-stone for when Ioseph of Arimathea hewed out a Tombe-stone out of the Rocke hee intended it for himselfe yet was hee not layd there but our Saviour in it We are not sure of our grave cloathes and winding-sheet for Heliogobalus the Emperour provided himselfe of rich furniture in this kinde and moreover in case he should come to a violent end or be forced to make away himselfe hee kept by him golden fetters and silken ropes and made a Bath of Rose-water to drowne himselfe in yet none of all these were made use of at his miserable death an dignominious burial in a laystall Nay a man is not sure that his sâ—…nne shall cover his flesh for Zisca his skin was plucked off after his death and a Drumme made of it Lastly a man is not sure of his Bearers or Mourners nor the Preacher who shall make his Funerall Sermon as you learne to your costs this day For that excessive speech of Saint Ierome abasing himselfe in comparison of Roffinus will prove defective in expressing the difference betweene him whom you heare and whom you should heare I shall thinke my selfe happie if I can but tread in any of his steps or imprint but one of his notes in your heart Which that I may doe the better I have borrowed his characters I meane the words of that Text which he chose as best befitting this occasion wherein we see that performed to one of the sonnes of Abraham which was long agoe promised to the Father of the faithfull that he should goe to his Fathers in peace and bee buried in a good old age The hand of a dead man stroaking the part cures the Tympanie and certainly the consideration of death is a present meanes to cure the swelling of pride in any for in this lâ—…fe many things make oddes betweene men and women as birth education wealth alliance and honour but Death makes all even respice sepulchra saith Saint Austin Survey mens graves and tell mee then who is beautifull and who is deformed all there have hollow eyes flat noses and gastly lookes Nireus and Thersites cannot bee there distinguished tell mee who is rich and who is poore all there weare the same weede their winding-sheete Tell mee who is noble and who base and ignoble the wormes claime kindred of all tell mee who is well housed and who ill all there are bestowed in darke and dankish roomes under ground If this will not satisfie you take a sive and sift the dust and ashes of all men and shew me which is which I grant there is some difference in dust there is powder of Diamonds there is gold dust and brasse pinne-dust and saw-dust and common dust the powder of Diamonds resembles the remaines of Princes gold dust the remaines of Noble-men pinne-dust the remaines of the Tradesman saw-dust the remaines of the day-labourer and common dust the remaines of the vulgar which have no qualitie or profession to distinguish them yet all is but dust At a game of Chesse wee see Kings and Queenes and Bishops and Knights upon the board and they have their severall walkes and contest one with the other in points of State and honour but when the game is done all together with the Pawnes are shuffled in one bagge in like manner in this life men appeare in different garbes and take divers courses some are Kings some are Officers some Bishops some Knights some of other rankes and orders But when this life like a game is done which is sometimes sooner sometimes later all are shuffled together with the many or vulgar sort of people and lye in darknesse and obscuritie till the last man is borne upon the earth but after that Erunt ipsis quoque fata sepulchres the Grave which hath swallowed up all the sonnes of Adam shall be swallowed up it selfe into victorie Till then wee shall all goe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our severall ranke and order take our last walke the way of all flesh and it is happy if wee goe it as Abraham did here in peace and a speciall blessing if we be gathered as hee was to his Fathers in the Autmne of a good old age In which words we have two Acts of a Tragedie the former acted upon his stage thou shalt goe to thy fathers the latter under the scaffold and bee buried in a good old age None die better then they who have life in their hope and none live better then they who have death in their mind and thought especially if it be in the time of their health and bloome of their beautie and pride of their youth and top of their earthly happinesse For this cause Ioseph of Arimathea is supposed by many to have set his Sepulchre in his Garden as it were to sawce his sweetest pleasures with the sad thoughts of his Funerall and Iohn surnamed the Almoner began his Sepulchre on the day he was Confecrated Patriarke of Alexandria and it was the manner of the ancient Emperours at their Coronation feast to have severall sorts of Marble shewed them to the end that they might choose one of them for their Tombe-stone and agreeable hereunto the interlinearie glosse yeeldeth a reason why God commanded that the oyle where with the Kings were annoynted should bee compounded with Cinonion and other spices quod sit cinericii coloris because it is of the colour of Ashes or rather such mold as is digged out of Graves to put them in mind that very day in which they were made gods upon earth that they should die like men In which regard wee have great cause to blesse the providence of our heavenly Father who in the midst of our Mariage feasts and many occasions of mirth and joy presents us with such sad spectacles as
here we see to the end we should not exceed in our mirth or too farre set our heart upon the pleasures and comforts of this life which like sticks under a pot after a blaze fall suddenly into ashes Let us learne from all the changes and chances of this mortall life not to sing a requiem to our soules here with the foole in the Gospell because wee have wealth laid up for us for many yeares for if our riches take not their wings and flye away from us wee shall bee taken away from them we shall be arrested by Gods Bayliffe Death and then wee must goe But thou shalt goe Our observations from this Scripture ariseth from two springs 1. The manner 2. The matter The former divides it selfe into two Rivelets the latter into three In the former to wit the manner I observe 1. That these words were spoken to Abraham in a Dreame when the Sunne was going downe a heavie sleepe fell upon him 2. That they were spoken by way of Gracious promise In the latter to wit the matter I observe three blessings bestowed upon Abraham 1. A comfortable death Thou shalt goe in peace 2. An honourable buriall and bee buried with thy Fathers 3. A seasonable time for both in a good old age First of the manner When the Sunne was setting a dead sleepe and dreadfull darknesse fell upon Abraham and God shewed him in a dreame the miserie and thraldome of his posteritie in Egypt Know of a suretie that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs and shall serve them and they shall afflict them 400. yeares vers 13. and lest at the sight hereof his heart should utterly have failed him and his bowels dried up within him like a pot-sheard God cleareth the skie which was clowded with a smoake of a fiery furnace ver 17. and cheareth his heart reviving him with a promise of safetie and peace for himselfe and of deliverance of his posteritie also out of their grievous servitude after a certaine period of yeares allotted for the promise of the growth and ripenesse of the Amorites sinnes For dreames in generall the great Secretarie of Nature discovereth unto us that the Dreames of good men are better than the Dreames of bad and he will have his foelix or happy man to have a singular priviledge above other men even in his sleepe And doubtlesse as a good conscience is a full feast in the day so it is a light banquet in the night for better thoughts and phantasies in the day beget better dreames in the night as the brighter colours in the Window when the Sunne shineth cast clearer species intentionales or reflections from them on the Wall God is with his children as well in the night as in the day and he imparts his counsells and discloseth his secrets as well by dreames in the one as by visions in the other That prophesie of Ioel I will poure out my spirit upon all flesh and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dreame dreames though it were fulfilled in the day of Penticost as Saint Peter instructeth us yet ought it not to be restrained to that day or the Apostles time only For it hath been verified in all after-ages and holdeth still for profitable and comfortable irradiations of Gods Spirit upon the soule by day and night though not for supernaturall and propheticall revelations or not so frequent Dreames therefore as they are not with the Easterne people superstitiously to be observed so neither are they utterly to be neglected as idle and vaine nocturnall phantasies The Poet could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iupiter sends Dreames and Aristotle dreamed not when hee wrote his exact discourse of Divination by dreames nor Artemidorus when hee published his curious tract intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judgement of Dreames for the experience of all times proveth that the Dreames of many men especially a little before their death have been very considerable When the Windowes of the senses are shut the soule hath best leisure to looke into her selfe and after sicknesse hath battered downe the walls of the darke prison of the body in which she was close kept more light breakes in upon her and she seeth farther off then she could before and this is the meaning of the Platonicks in that their Apophthegme anima promonet in morte The soule lookes out as it were neere death For this particular in my Text God is gracious to many of his children now adayes by Dreames or otherwayes to give them notice of their departure hence To some he maketh knowne the yeare to some the moneth to some the very day and houre when they shall goe the way of all flesh And as here he fore-shewed Abraham his departure from hence per viam lacteum by the milkie way as it were that is by a sweet and pleasant passage of a naturall death in the autumn of his life so also in a Dreame he represented to Saint Polycarpe and Saint Cyprian their passage per viam sanguineam The bloody way of martyrdome Policarp not many moneths before hee was sacrificed for a whole burnt-offering to God dreamed that his bed was all on fire under him and Saint Cyprian saw in a Dreame the Proconsull give order to the Clerke of the Assizes to write downe his sentence which was to have his head cut off with a Sword which when the Clerke by signes made knowne to Saint Cyprian the godly Bishop earnestly desired a little delay of the execution that he might set his house in order and the Clerke answered him in his dreame that his petition was granted and so it fell out accordingly that that day twelve moneth after he had this Dreame this Saint of God closing first his owne eyes lost his head on earth but received a glorious crowne of martyrdome in heaven The second thing I observed in the manner was that these words were uttered by way of promise to Abraham whence Calvin rightly inferreth that Abrahams long life was a favour of God unto him not the purchase of his owne merits much lesse the fruit of his owne care for although speaking in ordinè ad secundas causas a man may be said by the observation of physick rules to prolong his dayes upon earth as Galen did who was otherwayes a man of a very crazie body and could not in all likelyhood have held out halfe so long yet if wee speake simply and absolutely it is certaine that as no man can by his care adde a cubite to his stature nor an houre to his life beyond the period set by God before all time for my times are in thy hands saith David and our dayes are determined saith Iob the number of our moneths is with thee thou hast appointed man his bounds which hee cannot passe Job 14. 5. and 7. 1. Is there not an appointed time to man are not his dayes as the dayes