Remedies for all Diseases found But Death He dyes and dying did assure No Drug or Dose of Death could make a Cure Let Nature now most fortifie that can Health's highest sphere a Crisis proves to Man One way to come into the World had all But to go out a thousand and to fall A Nail kills Sisera but by a Stone Goliah falls for he would stand alone This Giant now meets with a mortal Blow Right goes an Arrow out of Heavens Bow One wound Goliah kills but twenty three Great Caesar had and then departed he Strong Samson enters now of whom 't is said He Rubbish made and under Rubbish laid Thus Men and Means disputing Con and Pro Do act their Parts and off the Stage do go III. Of Honour and Policy CAN Honour No the tallest Pines are shaken By smallest winds and may not this awaken Sure footing Soul hath not Magnificence This may be in the Preterperfect Tense This Bucket-like now up now down is She But down the mot'on swiftest seems to me Could I prefer such have Preferment should Not that would Places but that Places would All worldly Grandeur in the Dust is laid As Caesar took so Caesar Tribute paid Thus ROMAN Honour passeth as a Blast Though Pompey slew slain Pompey was at last High Haman staged is making uproar Next to the King does now this Abject soar As to Design in Jewish blood he wallows As to Desert ascendeth He the Gallows CAN Policy No MAZIRINI may Strike Sail to Death and go this common way Ah where 's Pythagoras with prudent Cato Where 's Seneca with Socrates and Plato Where 's Cicero with Athen's Legislators And where 's Apollo with the Commentators But where is that admired Aristotle Yet Euripus would not into his Bottle So often ebb and flow this Deep that He Unsatisfied would the Bottom see But where 's Achitophel accursed may Such Policy be to the latter Day An ORACLE was He within his Age But hangs himself and falleth off the Stage Where 's Solomon more wise than any other That côuld detect the true from feigned Mother Ah turbid Death He was a mortal Sage And being mortal goeth off the STAGE IV. Of Wealth CAN Riches No or Truth is made a Lye But Wealth 's a gilded lying VANITY The World saith One to Man is God's Epistle But often proves to Man a vexing Thistle The World 's a Labyrinth my Soul beware And Michal-like is given as a Snare Ah bitter-sweet and that but for an hour Sweet is the Promise but the Payment sowre The World 's a Cheat the things thereof decay And Laban-like for Rachel Leah pay A Syrens Song and unto Whoredom pander Which causeth many Dinah-like to wander Ah England mourn and grow into a Passion The Spanish Mode is now an English Fashion Most vainly Mortals worldly things aspire These are not Food but Fewel to Desire Shall Hearts be set on that where onely Feet Should standing be hence bearing but a Sheet Job staged is and not for Wealth the least But greater than the greatest of the East His Substance winged is the Blow was such But Jah Jehovah gives him twice as much No Object for the Eye is Wealth and can This Object be unto the Heart of Man But worldly Men make for themselves a Rod Below a Soul is all below a GOD. Where 's Crassus Croesus Crates Aristippus Or Cyrus Xerzes Dives and Philippus Left by the World are they where living find them And dying they do leave the World behind them Where 's He that had so vast a Territory Who Ruler was according to the Story Of Provinces an Hundred twenty seven The Man is dead and gone to Hell or Heaven V. Of Fortitude CAn Fortitude This Mortals rarely deck A rare but rich Gem 't is about the neck Of Potentates refute it if ye can Son unto Caesar Valor makes a Man Great Alexander would immortal be Unwounded wounded mortal proved he Where 's little David yet hath little Fear Who killed both the Lyon and the Bear Philistine-foreskins hanged up may be As signal Trophies for a Saul to see Yea Gath-Goliah dreadful in his motion Had native Blood prescribed for a Potion Ah but he dyes as Scripture hath averred And in the Royal City was interred Stout Hannibal Rome's Terror where is He Or those stout Scipio's that would not flee Where 's Saladine that Oriental Victor Or where should I dig for puissant Hector Huniades doth next ascend the STAGE Who all his Race did war with Turcists wage In Battels many stoutly he engage And thorough Valor Turky did enrage To this vast Empire dreadful was his name Their crying Babes were stilled with the same Jobs iron Pen take to engrave his Fame My Narrative defective is and lame That to Posterity transmitted may His Valor and his Conquest be I say Where 's Scanderbeg who was so valorous And with his Valor so victoricus In more than twenty Battels he engage Proud Saracens whose right Arm did presage His Valor and his Conquest in his Age This matchless Valor goeth off the Stage VI. Of Learning CAn Learning This to Tully doth allye Knots-Gordian this thorough Art untye Which one no way but by his Sword espie But did not Tully and his Nephew dye Keep Learning in her native Orb and thus Shall due Respect be for Philologus Wher 's Homer Horace Zeno and Prochorus Or Xenophon Tertullus Theodorus Wher 's Plato Plautus Plutarch Theophrastus Or Memucan Alvarez and Erastus Wher 's Austin with his Tract of Recantation Or Ambrose modest in his Meditation Though Ignorance to Learning giveth check Yet surely this the Sons of Adam deck Thus Learning in a Lord as was of old Assimilates a DIAMOND in Gold Wher 's Origen so full of Allegories Or Moderators in the Consistories Wher 's Jewel who the Truth defended well Or Bolton on Death Judgment Heaven Hell Wher 's Chrysippus his Study might have bled him For ought I see had not Melissa fed him Wher 's Hilary for Stile so greatly eyed Or Gregory that was so mortified Wher 's Basil Beda too so preaching then If one speaks Truth the stones did cry Amen Where are those prying Ones of Issachar And wher 's Erasmus learnings morning Star Wher 's CYPRIAN so worthy Martyrdom With very many more but here 's no room Wher 's Moses mighty both in Words and Deeds Death unto Death the man in Moab bleeds Wher 's Cranmer Ridley Lambert and the rest Ah dead are these and dying are the best II. Of Terror ART out of Christ On Ebal stand I must And Lectures now not onely read of Dust But also Wrath that 's blown into a flame Almighty Breath is kindler of the same To Souls in Christ Death is most amiable Most terrible of all things formidable To Christless Ones yea this appears to me Of HELL the very Suburbs for to be Ah mortal Man If I may speak my Sense Infernal Dregs are in the future Tense 'T is pity
to Death and to the House appointed for all living Ab Vtero ad Sepulcrum From the Womb to the Tomb is the Motto of Infant-Man Reader a Reflection upon these things together with Gods Glory thy Good and my Good have encouraged unto this work though I be the Benjamin the Least the Last of my Fathers House The work is good though the workman be bad The Subject is Death wonder not for no sooner did we begin to live but we began to die and shall continue dying until we be swallowed up of Death We dwell in Clay-Houses and our Bodies are Clay-Builts The School-men say Gratia infusa effusa diffusa that a good Thought is Grace infused a good Word is Grace effused a good Work is Grace diffused I would not out-bid my self neither would I know any thing by my self but my sin but second Thoughts and Reviews may better the first if not be better than the first Many with my self though not so much as my self may see Emendata are Emendanda that what is mended needs mending and what is bettered needs bettering yea the best sometimes not good enough to be called good It could never be said of any one but that only One Christ Jesus that he did all things well Luke 23.4 41. I find no fault in this man this man hath done all things well this man hath done nothing amiss I am not altogether insensible that my Thoughts are very short of Things and that my Words are far short of my Thoughts I dare not therefore be so peremptory concerning this Writing as Pilate was concerning his when he said John 19.22 What I have written I have written To give a penny is below an Alexander he will give a City To give Farthings and Fragments is below the Majesty and Magnificence the Grandeur and Glory of Princes and Potentates Araunah as a King gave unto David But Reader a penny to Me may be as much as a pound to Another Had I more thou shouldest have it Goats hair contributed to the Erection of the Tabernacle and the two Mites which made a Farthing received a welcome into the Treasury I have formerly sent through importunity two little-little Tracts into the World the one entituled Love to the Life the other A Paternal Gift The Author and Actor of Grace Christ Jesus the Lord by his Blessing hath made way for them into the Hands and Hearts of many Glory to God in the Highest which hath among other things encouraged the sending of this third Tract as a Modicum and Morsel and Mercy into the world also which is Mans last Scene in the acting whereof he goeth off the Stage not altogether despairing but hoping that this also through the same Blessing will meet with the like Entertainment and Welcome from those who are acquainted with Christ and acquitted by Him Reader Earl of Marlborrough to Sir Hugh Pollard Dying and dead mens dying words p. 2. it was the saying of an Earl not long before his death in a Letter of his to a Knight as followeth There is a certain thing going up and down the world called Religion that how dressed soever loseth not its Being the great and good God hath not left it without a witness more or less sooner or later in every mans Bosom to direct him in the pursuit of it Bullinger The Truth of Religion saith one is not to be judged by the Prosperity or Aversity of the Professors of it Most if not all the Learned men in the world have found that the Notion of God and Religion is the first engraven in and the last defaced out of the Minds of Men. Earl of Leicester A great person left this Testimony behind him concerning Christian-Religion that the sincere profession of it had in it Sweets and Joys that Courts were Strangers unto Basil The reason saith one why Julian and all other Apostates slight Religion is because they do not understand it Religion is a persons Interest Rolls rebuilding of the City p. 177. a Nations Interest how infatuated soever persons of worldly Grandeur and Glory may be This is the Religion of the Papists He that shall assassinate a King in Zeal for their Religion shall be canonized for a Saint Ah Religion ever to be abhorred and dreaded by those that are not of it as being resolved to propagate it self every where by secret Plots and open Violence by Fire and Sword Per Fas Nefas by Fraud and Force But what have I to do with those blind and bloody Papists with those children of Belial with those children of Blood Is this Religion of God which hath no other way to promote and propagate it self but by Fire and Massacre Is not the Religion of the Papist Rebellion Is not the Faith of the Papist Fancy Is not the Mercy of the Papist Murder Those born in England are born saith one in the Region of Religion in the Land of Goshen Mr. Ness Christians walk and work in the Valley of Vision Now Religion is the Beauty and Bulwark of a Nation It is to a Nation as the Palladium was to Troy which could not be destroyed so long as that was possessed It is like Sampsons Lock which while he retains he retains his Strength and is invincible Men differ not so much from Beasts in Reason as in Religion Religion is the highest Reason What can be more rational than for the supream Truth to be believed the highest Good to be embraced the first Cause of all things to be owned and feared and for those who were made by God and live wholly upon him to improve all for him and live wholly to him It was the will of God that the Body of Moses should be interred in a secret place unknown to any man to prevent Superstition Verse 9. of Judes ep and Idolatry among the Jews Now as the Angel and the Devil strove for the Body of Moses when he was dead And as seven Cities contended for Homer when he was dead though they cared not for him while he lived thus it fares with Religion Is it not now made a meer Eccho Do not men now speak of it Vox praeterea nihil as of the Lacedemonian-Nightingale a Voicc and nothing more Many contend and contest for the Carkass and Skeliton of it few contend for the Life and Substance of it which consisteth in Works not in Words We should rather be Agents than Disputants in Religion The Vanity of the Head is to argue much but the Sincerity of the Heart is to act much Look but into the Divine Mirror and there read such multitudes of Truths and so precious as will take up a mans time were he to live as many Years as Methuselah did Days It is not the subtle Head but the sincere Heart that shall go to Heaven That Man is under a prodigious Deception and Delusion who hopes to
delight and desire Pag. 184. 1. Christ is the Object of thy delight Delight is unlawful and lawful 1. Vnlawful 'T is then unlawful when 't is 1. Sinful 2. Hypocritical 3. Treacherous 2. Lawful This is 1 Natural 2 Spiritual Thus 1. In the People of God 2. In the Commandments of God 3. In God himself Quest What manner of delight is this delight Pag. 186. Sol. 1. A Strong 2. A Holy 3. A cordial 4. A constant delight 2. Christ is the Object of thy desire This desire is 1 Natural 2 Spiritual That Christ is a Person without compare in a Christians eye and the Object of a Christians desire will appear by a reflection 1. Of his Person 1. As Man 2. As God-Man Pag. 188. 2. Of his Affection 1. In the freeness of it 2. In the fulness of it 3. In the firmness of it To this is superadded that Christ is the Churches 1. Mercy 2. Merit 3. Mine 4. Mirror Quest But what manner of desires are cordial desires Pag. 193. Sol. 1. Good 2. Lawful 3. Working 4. Constant 5. Holy 6. Hard. 7. Acquiescing Unto which three things are added 1. Whether cordial desires shall be answered 2. Why cordial desires shall be answered Because 1. Imposed 2. Promised 3. Encouraged There 's encouragement 1. Unto these desires 2. After these desires 3. How cordial desires shall be answered 1. In kind 2. In effect Cordial 10. Christ is the Physician of greatest value Quest But what manner of Physiician is Christ Pag. 200. Sol. 1. Choice 2. Costly 3. Cheap 4. Appointed 5. Approved 6. Loving 7. Living 8. Valuable 9. Sadden 10. Seasonable 11. Sutable 12. Incomparable Cordial 11. Art actually Christs Be joyous also for the Death of Him is the Death of His. Pag. 206. 1. Christ disarms the first Death 2. Christ prevents the second Death 1. He will be thy Guide unto Death 2. He will be thy Guide thorough Death THE DEATH of CHRIST THE DEATH of DEATH Section I. Whether there be a Natural or Corporal Death the Circumference of the Universe THE word Death is capable of a various Acceptation in the Sacred Scripture There is an Vniversal Death But of the tree of knowledg of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat Gen. 2.17 Moriendo morieris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obnoxius eris morti tum Corporis tum Animae Joh. 14.6 for in the day thou eatest thereof dying thou shalt die So the Hebrew and Junius Thou shalt surely and suddenly die so Ainsworth Thou shalt die the Death so the Septuagint Now this is if I mistake not both the first and the second Death so Pool in his Synopsis It is temporal and eternal Death together with the Causes Signs Antecedentes Consequents and Effects of it whatsoever so that all Dangers Difficulties and Deaths are implied in this Judgment threatned for Disobedience Dying thou shalt die That is thou shalt Die this way that way every way if Christ who is the Way the Truth and the Life interpose not between Thee and Death There is a Judicial Death He that believeth not is condemned already Joh. 3.18 because he believeth not in the Name of the only begotten Son of God The Man is under the Judgment before the Judgment the Man is already cast the Sentence is past 12 Verse of Judes Epistle only there is a suspension of the Execution We read in Jude of those who are Twice dead Dead spiritually for want of a principle of Life and dead judicially under the Wrath of God They were obnoxious to the first death by original corruption and obnoxious to the second death by actual transgression They were dead say one in respect of their natural Condition Jenkins in â—lo pool in loc Piscator and dead in respect of their final Declension Twice dead altogether dead They were obnoxious to the first Death by Nature and to the second Death by Sin These men were alive naturally Quest. though dead spiritually how then were they twice dead They were judged twice dead Sol. either Because a spiritual Death is so great a Death that it may well go for two Deaths One spiritual Death is worse than a thousand natural Deaths Or They are said to be twice dead because they were dead both in regard of an internal Habit of Grace Caryl in loc p. 553. and in regard of an external Act of Grace There is a spiritua Death This Death looks two waies To the Saint to the Sinner To the Saint Now the Saint is dead To the Law Thus he is dead To the Ceremonial Law If ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments or Elements of the world Col. 2.20 A majore ad minus why as though living in the world are ye subject to Ordinances It is an Argument from the greater to the less Ye are freed from the Rites which God himself prescribed freed from worldly Philosophy or Judaical Ceremonies Pool in loc therefore freed from new Rites by men invented or from old Rites by humane Authority revoked as one saith upon the place To the Moral Law I through the Law am dead to the Law Gal. 2.19 that I might live to God I have no Commerce with the Law I through the Law of Faith am dead to the Law of Works I through the Law of Christ am dead to the Law of Moses That I might live to God that I might live according to the Precept of Christ live according to the Gospel of Christ The Saint is dead to the world God forbid that I should glory Gal. 6.14 Contemptus est a me save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and Romanus Fervor Furor I unto the world The Apostle here speaks of the World as Luther did of Rome I contemn the Heat and Fury of Rome Thus did the Apostle I contemn the world and the things thereof the world and the things therein The Saint is dead to Sin As to be dead in sin is the worst death so to be dead to sin is the best Death How shall we that are dead to sin Rom. 6.2 live any longer therein To be dead to sin is to be freed from the servitude of sin to have the Force and Power of sin killed It is a metaphor taken from Death because Death is the privation of Life and of Actions To the Sinner Now the Sinner is dead in sin As the Saint or Soul in Christ is dead to sin so the Sinner or Soul out of Christ is dead in sin And you who were dead in trespases and sins Ephes 2.1.5 Hath he quickened these words are not in the Greek The sense here is imperfect but this is supplied in a verse following Even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ made alive together with Christ so the Greek What he had touched upon in the first verse he repeats in the fifth verse and
that to this end To shew the Generality of the Condition All naturally are dead dead in sin To shew the Certainty of it We may believe it and are not to be unbelieving about it To shew the Corruptibility of our Nature Though we are dead yea dead in sin yet it is connatural unto us to be unwilling to take notice of it There is an eternal Death Is the first Death so amazing so amusing what is the second Death then Is the first Death The King of terrours to a Christless Soul who then is able to say what the second Death is to this Soul There is the second Death as well as the first Death He or She that overcometh shall not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 2.11 not so the Greek be hurt of the second Death There is a twofold Death both of the Body and of the Soul The first Death of the Body is the Separation of the Soul the second Death of the Body is the Torment of Eternity There is also a twofold Death of the Soul 1 Separatio Animae The first Death of the Soul is Sin the second Death of the Soul is a casting out from the Face of God 2 Cruciatus aeterni and that for an Eternity Hell as some fancy is not Mount Aetna 1 Peccatum nor yet Purgatory according to the conceit of the blind and bloody Papist Hell must needs be a dismal place 2 Profectio à facie Dei in aeternum a Dungeon of Darkness for the Sun-shine of Gods presence never comes there To the damned saith one the Loss of Heaven is more grievous than the Torment of Hell Heaven and Hell are the greatest Opposites Estius Matth. 11.23 or remotest Extreams And thou Capernaum that art lifted up to Heaven shalt be thrown down to Hell The second Death is Hell and the punishment thereof the punishment of Sense and of Loss There is a corporal or natural Death Moses my servant Josh 1.2 is dead How great soever and good soever Moses was he is dead now he is gone off the Stage now he is gathered to his Fathers now he is gone into an Eternity now Moses is dead and God preach his Funeral Sermon Joh. 11.32 Moses my servant is dead Lord said Mary if thou hadst been here my Brother had not died This is natural or corporal Death which is the following Subject SECTION II. What this Natural or Corporal Death is which is the Circumference of the Vniverse BUT what is Natural Quest Sol. or Corporal Death I shall not pretend to a Definition which relate to the Nature and Essence but present a Description which relate to the Properties and Effects Natural Death Descriptio is the Deprivation of natural Life Death is no Essence nor Substance but Privation Death is the Disunion between the Soul and the Body A man then dies when the Body for a time and but for a time is separated from the Soul or the Soul takes leave of the Body Death is but departed Death from lifened Dust Thou hidest thy face they are troubled Psal 104.29 Mors a morsu which our first Parents tasted Isa 2.22 Mors a mora which yet tarrieth for us All. Gen. 35.18 Omne Ens est Bounm omne Ronum est Ens. thou takest away their breath they die and return unto their dust When our Breath goes out our Life goes out when we cease breathing we cease living our Breath going our Life goeth our Life is but a Breath but a Blast Mans Breath is in his nostrils God breathed into mans nostrils the breath of life Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of Unless Breath goeth forth we die and Death is nothing else but a going forth of the Breath Life is a going forth of the Breath by Respiration and Death is a going forth of the Breath by Expiration It is said of Rachel And it came to pass as her soul was in departing for she died that she called his name Ben-oni that is The Son of my sorrow but his Father called him Benjamin that is The Son of the right hand God that made all things saw that all things which he made were very good Every Being is good and every Good is a Being therefore Lord saith one seeing thou hast not made Death suffer not that which thou hast not made to reign over that which thou hast made Death is a Fall August Omnes eramus ille unus Hemo Rom. 5.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which came by a Fall Adam sinning fell he falling all his posterity fell in him and with him It was not Man but Man-kind that fell By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men in whom so the Greek all have sinned Nature when she was young caught a fall as Mephihosheth did whereof she hath halted ever since Breath departing is dying and departed Breath is Death Death is not a Creature but the Grave of Creatures Jam. 1.15 Who ever was the Father of Death Sin was the Mother of Death if the Apostle may be credited Sin when it is finished bringeth forth death The first and the second Death are the products of sin Sin Lex naturae Tributurn mortalium Plato Visibile Verbum is that unhappy Womb that have been productive of the first and second Death Death as one calls it is the Law of Nature and Tribute of Mortals It is the municipal Law of the Earth to die once of Heaven to live for ever of Hell to die for ever We may call Death a Visible Word I am writing of natural Death it is as natural to die as to live yet when we say a man dies naturally we seem to speak improperly for a Man dies not as a Beast dies through the Annihilation of Nature but from the Appointment of God It is once appointed unto man to die Heb. 9.27 and after death the Judgment The word once say some is not to be referred to die as if there were some suspition that man could die twice but the word once is referred to appoint it was once appointed and that once shall stand It is enough that God hath once appointed Death but after this the Judgment Some understand this of a particular Judgment which God passeth upon the Soul immediately after death but if I mistake not we may with once interpret it of the general Judgment Estius Pool in loc which will be a solemn Promulgation and total Execution of the Sentence Once for All. SECTION III. Whether Natural or Corporal Death be the Circumference of the Vniverse DEath is the Circumference of the Vniverse Death's Motto is Nulli cedo and every mans Line meet in this Circumference To be a Man is to be mortal for to be a Man is to be a Sinner To be unwilling to die is to
death of his Saints If a Christian of Christs making goes bleeding to Heaven or burning to Heaven if he lays down his Blood on this side the Grave this goes near the heart of God Art out of Christ Direct 3. tremble then for in a moment thou mayest die and be damned too They spend their time in mirth Job 21.13 Anxius vixi dubius morior Oh ens entium miserere mihi Sed c. Arist Job 18.14 Caryl in loc and in a momeut go down to the grave Death by the Philosopher is called of all formidable things the most terrible These were some of the last words of that great Philosopher I have lived anxiously I die doubtfully Oh Being of Beings have mercy upon me but now it is too late for me to call for mercy Death is called by Bildad the King of Terrors This is a very strange Title We have read of many Titles which have been given the Kings of the Earth as most Serene most Christian most Sacred c. but if at all rarely of such a Title as this King of Terrors For a man to be brought to the King of Terrors is for a man to be brought to death or to his last end The Philosopher in this sense called Death the King of Terrors when he called it the most terrible of terrible things Death is terrible upon a threefold consideration Antecedents Nature Consequents Death is terrible if we consider the Antecedents of it 2 King 4.18 19 20. The Forerunners or Harbingers of Death are Pains Diseases Sicknesses and these are terrible The Shunamites Son was taken sick when he was with the Reapers crying to his Father My Head my Head being carried home he sate on his Mothers knees until noon and then died Death is terrible if we consider the Nature of it Death Mors Sceptra Ligonibus aequa is a Disunion All Disunions are troublesom but some are terrible Death according to the Poet is the greatest Leveller in the world Death levels Scepters and Plow-shares it makes all alike The Disunion that Death makes between Husband and Wife is terrible but Death makes a Disunion between them that are nearer than Husband and Wife even between Soul and Body Eccl. 12.7 Husband and Wife are one flesh but Soul and Body are one person Then shall the Dust the Body return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit the Soul unto God Death is terrible if we reflect the consequents of it I have said to corruption thou art my Father Job 17.14 Nativitas mala Vita pejor mors pessima and to the Worm thou art my Mother and my Sister Now soul art out of Christ what is thy Death then like to be It may be said of a person living and dying out of Christ that his Birth is bad his Life is worse his Death is worst of all Some are so sick that they cannot live and yet so sinful that they cannot die their Cry is Oh Lord we cannot die Oh Lord we must not die O Lord we dare not die Oh Lord we will not die Rev. 9.6 We read of some that shall seek death but shall not find it and shall desire to die and death shall flee from them Others there are that Death seek but they would not be found and that Death desire to have but they flee from it A great person hearing the Verdict which the Physicians brought in against him that he must die cryed out Let me live though it be the Life of a Toad under a Threshold Art out of Christ tremble then and realize a state of Death Do not only read of Death but also realize Death Do not look upon Death as a Physical Notion and a Mathematical Conclusion be much in the reflection of this Text and Truth Luk. 16.22 23. It came to pass that the Beggar died and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosom the Rich man also died and was buried and in Hell he lifted up his eyes being in torment Here is Death and Damnation too Thou mayest die and be damned too Art out of Christ go then to Christ Direct 4. in whose Death is the Death of Death To be Christless is to be Godless to be Graceless to be Gloryless go then to Christ Art in a state of Sin go then to Christ for Grace Art in a state of Darkness go then to Christ for Light Art in a state of Death go then to Christ for Life Art in a state of Damnation go then to Christ for Salvation Isa 53.3 Encline your ear and come unto me hear and your souls shall live Paul was a great Orator a great part of his Oratory was to perswade men to come to Christ and be saved He that winneth souls is wise Art Christless and Godless Graceless and Spiritless May not I say to thee with the Alteration of a word Acts 13.36 as was said to the stock of Abraham To thee is the word of this salvation sent But there is a Lion in the way an Adder in the path But what is this comming to Christ Quest 1. this going to Christ A comming Sol. Joh. 6.40 or going to Christ is a believing in Christ As Faith is the Souls Eye He that seeth the Son and believeth on him hath eternal life And as Faith is the Souls mouth Joh. 6.54 Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life And as Faith is the Souls Ear Joh. 5.24 He that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me And as Faith is the Souls Hand Joh. 1.12 To as many as received him to them gave he priviledge to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name So Faith is the Souls Foot Joh. 6.35 He that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst But Quest 2. is there an indispensible Necessity of going to Christ for Salvation Can Salvation be had no where else Is he not only a Saviour but also the Saviour That Christ is a Saviour Sol. Luk. 2.11 is evident Vnto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. That Christ also is the Saviour is as evident Now we believe not because of thy words Joh. 4.42 for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world I remember the time when if I could have gone to Heaven by my Education Civility Forms of Prayer of mine own making or by my Fathers Copy I would not have made use of Christ but at last I found that there was Salvation in no other Act. 4.12 Isa 51.12 and sailing by the gates of Hell in my apprehension I also found that no Voice but the Voice of Christ would still the Voice of Desperation There is no Paradise without this Tree no Light without this Sun no God no
Glory no Heaven no Happiness without this Christ in this world But am I called to go to this Saviour for Salvation Quest 3. Called thou art therefore go Look unto me Sol. Isa 45.22 and be ye saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else Here is not only looking but looking for Salvation and Salvation upon looking Look unto me and be ye saved But if going unto Christ be imposed Quest 4. shall I be welcome if I go unto him for Salvation Come and welcome Sol. Joh. 6.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me and he that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me All that are chosen in me shall be called by me All that were given unto me shall believe in me All that were mine before time by eternal Donation shall be mine under time by effectual Vocation Is here all No And he that cometh unto me that is He or She that believeth in me I will in no wise cast out or according to the Greek wherein there are two Negatives I will not not cast out of doors Soul Christ will not shut the doors upon thee when thou comest nor cast thee out of doors when thou art come Oh infinite mercy Oh but I am a lost Soul and in a lost state Now Quest 5. may a lost Soul in a lost state go unto this Christ for Salvation A lost Soul in a lost state Sol. Luk. 19.10 may go to Christ for Salvation The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost Christ came that he might seek and sought that he might save that which was lost What go to Christ Quest 6. Is not an impossibility imposed upon me Can there be going without drawing He that commands going Sol. Joh. 6.44 concerns himself with Soldrawing No man cometh unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him But if going unto Christ be believing in Christ Quest 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can a man without Christ believe in Christ Faith is the work the work of works It is true Faith is the work of works Sol. When they called upon Spira to believe Hic labor Hoc opus he told them it was as possible to drink up the Sea at a draught You call upon me said he to believe I tell you I cannot oh now I cannot It is as possible yea more possible to keep the Moral Law than to believe for it is natural to work for life but supernatural to believe for life Faith is an out-landish Plant and of a divine Extract it is not a slip growing in our Gardens but a heaven-born Grace Faith Eph. 2.8 is not a Native but a Donative it is the Gift of God it is the Work of God Now though there cannot be a believing in Christ without Christ Col. 2.12 yet there may be a believing in Christ through Christ Phil. 4.13 Heb. 12.2 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Christ is the disposer and dispenser of all Grace he that calls thee to go can cause thee to go that calls thee to believe can cause thee to believe What Quest 8. go to Christ for Salvation what manner of Saviour then is Christ My Line will not sound this Depth Sol. what is a Muscle-shell to empty an Ocean Is it not much more easie to say what Christ is not than to say what Christ is But take a Tast Christ is a merciful Saviour Mercy is the Element of Christ Duty should be the Element of a Christian. Christ is a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God Heb. 2.17 to make reconciliation for the sins of the people Christ delights rather to write in Hony than in Gall and to draw lines of Love than of Wrath His Grace is a larger Territory than mans Sin and his Mercy than mans Iniquity The Law entred that the offence might abound Rom. 5.20 but where sin abounded grace did much more abound Man is not so unworthy as Christ is worthy not so sinful as he is merciful Christ is a meek Saviour There is no forbidden passion running in his Veins Num. 20.10 Psal 116.11 Job 3.3 Meek Moses had his passion Hear now ye rebels must we fetch you water out of this Rock David had his passion I said in my haste all men are lyars Just Job had his pettish humour He wished the day to perish wherein he was born though his passion was buried under his patience and his infirmity under his Grace Jam. 5.11 Ye have heard of the patience of Job Jonah a Dove as the word fignifieth and Doves they say are Gall-less was not without his passion Jon. 4.9 Jonah saith God dost thou well to be angry And he said I do well to be angry even unto death As if he had said I am angry and I do well to be angry and I do well to be ever angry Should Man thus speak to God Though Blood ran in Christs Veins yet passion did not run there Learn of me for I am meek Mat. 11.29 and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest for your souls Learn of me what to do Aug. Not saith one to create the World not to walk on the Water not to raise the dead Learn of me there is the precept for I am meek and lowly in heart there is the president The one requires our Obedience Praeludium Coeli the other our Conformity And ye shall find rest for your souls there is the promise Ye shall have repose of mind and peace of conscience which is an Anticipation of Glory Heaven here Christ is a free Saviour Though Christ cannot be valued to his worth yet he may be had without money What is freer than Gift Christ is a Gift Joh. 4.10 He is the Fathers Gift and the Father in giving Him gave like Himself If thou knewest the gift of God He is also his own Gift Tit. 2.14 and in giving Himself he gave like Himself Who gave himself for us He gave his Soul his Body his Life which shew the willingness of his Death Though Christ be a pearl yet he may be had without a penny Though Christ be the pearl of great price of greatest price able to enrich a Beggar that is worth nothing yea a Bankrupt that is worse than nothing yet he may be had without money and without price Christ is a desirable Saviour Desire is the motion of the Soul after any apparent or promised Good The desires of man are vast as his thoughts Bloyse Modern Policies boundless as the Ocean saith one There is a threefold Desire of Nature of Grace of Glory Of Nature This will be content with a little Of Grace This will be content with less Of Glory This
Beaven without him I had rather saith another be in Hell with a Christ than to be in Heaven without him Heaven is the presence of all Good and the absence of all Evil. Redde mihi vitam aeternam quam debes That Monk died like himself who said Lord pay me Heaven which thou owest me Heaven is a Flower of Salvation blown out the Saint here is in the Suburbs of Heaven Heaven is the Inheritance of those unto whom Christ is Life and unto whom Death shall be gain If Heaven be the Inheritance of these Quest what manner of Inheritance then is Heaven Heaven is a free Inheritance Sol. 1. Would it not puzzle all the Saints on Earth and Angels in Heaven to bring in the worth of Heaven and yet this is a Donatâ—â—e Many Inheritances here below are bought but this Inheritance is given Here men buy Inheritances and pay to the worth of them Luk. 2.32 but Heaven though it cannot be valued to its worth yet it is given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fear not little-little Flook there are two diminitives in the Greek for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom The word translated Flock signifies a little Flock but Christ to shew the exceeding littleness of it adds another word little Fear not little-little Flock Heaven is a full Inheritance Ahasuerus had a large Territory he reigned from India unto Ethiopia over 127 Provinces A man would have thought that 127 Provinces had been enough for 127 persons and yet this large Territory was a poor pittance Many have large Inheritances here below and cannot live upon them but Heaven is an Inheritance thou mayest live upon if possessed of this Inheritance thou shalt never want more Heaven is a perfection of Felicity without intermission and amission If once possessed of this Inheritance then thou wilt say with Jacob It is enought Thou wilt as one reads it make known the way of life satiety of joys before thy face Ainsworth Psa 16.11 pleasures at thy right hand to perpetuity Heaven is a living Inheritance Heaven is not only a living Inheritance but also an Inheritance of Life Death is legible in the face of the Earth but Life is legible in the face of Heaven I am come that ye might have life Life here life hereafter Mutability and Mortality Rev. 2.10 are written upon all things here below but Heaven is called a Crown of Life Be thou faithful unto death there is the precept and I will give thee a Crown of life there 's the promise Heaven is a lasting Inheritance The Inheritance will last so long as the Heir last Into what a time of Debauchery are we fallen and how short-lifed are earthly Inheritances How long soever the Fathers were in getting them the Children are not long in spending them An earthly Inheritance may be spent but this heavenly Inheritance cannot be spent Though those who are actually Christs may lose all at Sea and all 〈◊〉 Land all in the Ship and all in the Shop all within doors and all without doors yet they cannot lose Heaven this is a lasting Inheritance yea this is an everlasting Inheritance The Apostle having imposed a making of the calling and election sure subjoyns this For so an entrance will be ministred unto you abundantly 2 Pet. 1.10 11. into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This Kingdom is the Kingdom of Glory because stiled an everlasting Kingdom It is called the Kingdom of Christ because given to him as a reward of his passions It is an everlasting Kingdom because the Vnion between Christ and a Christian is everlasting As Christ on earth is the Christians Medium of Reconciliation and Communion so Christ in Heaven is the Christians Medium of Vision and Fruition There are among other things these six things which those who are actually Christs can never lose The Soul cannot be lost The Soul is a Blossom of Eternity hath a stamp of Immortality now Death it self though the Mistress of Mortals and Empress of the Vniverse despairs how to kill this Fear not them which kill the body Luk. 12.4 and after that have no more that they can do Men. may kill the Body but they cannot kill the Soul Those who assert without blushing the Mortality of the Soul seem at least to stand upon the Brink of Atheism Though the Body return unto the Dust yet the Soul to Hell or Heaven Luk. 23.43 1 Pet. 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peccare not Perire Though the Veins of the penitent Thief were breathed and his Vitals let out yet his Soul goes to Heaven To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise To day is not this emphatical and doth not Christ promise more than the Thief asks Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Who are kept the Greek word is a military word taken from Souldiers they are safely kept kept as a Garrison in time of War against the Enemy Though a Soul actually in Christ may sin 1 Joh. 3.9 and do sin yet not unto Death not unto the second Death He that is born of God sinneth not not to condemnation The Saviour cannot be lost Once and Ever is Christs Motto Though yesterday some were not Semèl Simùl Heb. 13.8 to day some are but to morrow these may not be yet yesterday to day and for ever Christ is the same Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever The same yesterday before his coming in the flesh The same to day while in the flesh The same for ever Heb. 9.24 after his Ascension unto and Admission into the Kingdom of Heaven now to appear in the presence of God for us Art actually Christs then though thou mayest lose thy Lands lose thy Limbs lose thy Liberty lose thy Life yet thou canst not lose thy Love lose thy Christ The Grace of Christ cannot be lost Grace may decay but it cannot die it may be abated but it cannot be abolished it may be shaken in the Soul but it cannot be shaken out of the Soul Grace 1 Pet. 1.13 is incorruptible seed Which were born not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible Grace is the Seed the Heart is the Soil Gold may be lost Goods may be lost Grandeur may be lost but Grace cannot be lost this must go into Glory when Time goeth into Eternity The Spirit of Christ cannot be lost What the Body is without the Soul Lifeless and Loveless that the Soul is without the Spirit and yet this Spirit cannot be lost What Wheels are to the Chariot and Oil to those Wheels that the Spirit is to the Soul and yet this Spirit cannot be lost What Sails are to the Ship and Wind to those Sails that yea infinitely more than that is the Spirit to the Soul Joh. 16.14 and yet this Spirit cannot be lost I will pray the Father and he shall
children of God 'T is a sanctifying Spirit Abel differed not from Cain Abraham from Absalom Isaac from Ishmael Jacob from Esau Simon Peter from Simon Magus James the Lords Brother from Judas the Lords betrayer in respect of their Substance but in respect of the Spirit which the one had but the other had not It is the Spirit that sanctifies 2 Thes 2.13 God hath chosen us to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth 'T is a sealing Spirit After ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of Promise Eph. 1.13 The use of a Seal is two-fold and consists in two things In the Nature of it In this sense Christ was sealed Labour not for the meat that perisheth Joh. 6.27 but for that which endureth unto everlasting life which the Son of Man shall give for him hath the Father sealed To Seal a thing is to stamp the Character of the Seal upon it In the Vse of it This is two-fold To ratifie A Seal is to ratifie any Grant or Conveyance made in writing A writing sealed is authentick this confirms the Testimony that is given by any one of the Truth of any thing Such was the manner among the Jews Joh. 3.33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true Thus by way of Ratification To Appropriate A Seal is to appropriate distinguish or keep safe Rev. 7.4 In this sense are the Servants of God sealed I heard the number of them that were sealed and there were sealed an hundred forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the Children of Israel Thus by way of Appropriation Thus the Spirit of God is a sealing Spirit it confirms and assures the Soul of the love of God of life from God of life with God And grieve not the holy Spirit of God Eph. 4.30 whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption The Spirit here according to the Greek Text is set forth with very great Energy and the Text may be thus read Grieve not the holy the Spirit of that God Not a Spirit but the Spirit not holy but the holy and not of God but of that God Would ye prepare for Death Look then unto Christ and lay the Stress of Obedience upon Him Obedience is or ought to be the White in a Christians eye at which he should level every arrow Obedience is better than Sacrifice and hearkning than the fat of lambs A man truly gracious had rather with one have Grace to be obedient Luther than Power to work Miracles Obediene is two-fold active and passive and the stress of both to be laid upon Christ but to these distinctly Active Lay the stress of Doing for a Christ upon a Christ. Acti agimus Active Obedience is a Doing what God imposeth now being acted we act Not that we we Apostles we Disciples we accounted Cedars in Lebanon not Shrubs of the Valley are sufficient of our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God Were they so what are we then If insufficient as to thinking what are we then as to acting To do what we ought when we ought and as we ought is from Christ. Passive Lay the stress of Dying for a Christ upon a Christ. Passive Obedience is a suffering what God inflicteth Passive Obedience brings as much Glory to God as active Obedience doth Luther was troubled that he did not lay down his bloud on this side the grave and pass through a violent death as all the Apostles but John did Art actually in Christ then possibly thou shalt not long live his Servant but die his Sicrifice now Passion as well as Action dying as well as doing bleeding or burning as well as believing is from Christ Phil. 1.29 and the Grace of Christ To you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe but also to suffer for his sake Suffering-work is Noble work the Noblest work Mat. 6.10 for though Saints be inferiour to Angels as to Action yet they are superiour to Angels as to Passion for they are Spirits and incapable of suffering 1 Tim. 5.21 6. Verse of Judes Epist Psa 37.24 2 Pet. 2.4 The Apostle speaketh of elect Angels These fell not from their estate As the elect Saints cannot finally fall Though he fall yet shall he not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand so the elect Angels did not foully fall Now Suffering was the Consequent of Sinning And spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell True Obedience may be known three waies By the Sincerity of it My rejoycing is this the testimony of a good Conscience how that in sincerety 2 Cor. 1.12 and godly simplicity c. By the Vniversality of it Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments Psa 119.6 We must not only respect all Gods Commandments but also respect them all alike and give them all the like respect Obedience must be Vniversal By the Constancy of it As Obedience must be sincere and Vniversal so constant 1 Cor. 15.58 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 3.11 Be ye stedfast unmoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord. If we would prepare for Death we must lay the Stress of Obedience whether active or passive upon Christ for he is All and in All or according to the Greek All things and in all things It may be understood of Persons as well as Things Christ is All from the Father All to the Father All with the Father but to these distinctly Christ is All from the Father I am come that ye might have life life here Joh. 10.10 and life hereafter and that ye might have it more abundantly The life of Grace and of Glory they are by Christ Christ is All to the Father I am the Way the Truth and the Life Joh. 14.6 no man commeth unto the Father but by me Every word here hath its Article in the Greek Christ is the Way wherein the Truth whereby and the Life whereunto we walk Christ is the Way without Error the Truth without Falshood and the Life without Death Truth lies between Way and Life as if the Way to Life were through Truth Christ is All with the Father I know thou hearest me alwaies Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 3.17 hath Gods Ear at all times Christ is at Gods right hand yea Christ is as Gods right hand Christ is the Object of the Fathers delight This is my Beloved Son in whom I acquiess so the Greek It is an emphatical word and signifieth an infinite Affection DIRECTION II. ART actually in Christ Direct 2 Sen. Artem bene vivendi moriendi study then through Christ the Art of Dying well May a Heathen speak When I was young my care was to live well I then
studied the Art of Living well when Age came upon me and gray hairs appeared here and there my care was to Die well I then studied the Art of Dying well He saith also thou shalt die Summum Bonum Ars optima est vivendi discere Artem bene moriendi not because thou art sick but because thou livest The Heathens hold Death to be mans chiefost Good The Covenant of the Grave is shewed to no man but the Watch-word is given to all men The Physicians exclaim that Life is short and Art is long but Divines teach that the best Art of Living well is to study the Art of Dying well Is it not pity that men should not know unto what they were born into this world until they are ready to go out of this world Who knoweth but to live is to die and to die is to live Life is a thing that few understand but those that are ready to leave it A person in a dying hour shall wish himself not a Man that hath not been a good Christian One speaking of himself that he had lived well another said I wish thou mayest die well being asked the reason why he said so answered because we live to die and die to live 2 Cor. 5.10 As Death leaves thee Judgment will find thee Death goeth before Judgment followeth after As the tree falleth so it lieth We must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ This Art of Dying well may be studied must be studied But what course shall I steer Quest and by what compass shall I sail in studying the Art of Dying well Would ye Die well Sol. 1. then through Christ Live well The right way to Die well is to Live well The way to die the death of the righteous Qualis vita Finis ita is to live the life of the righteous Such a Life such a Death mostly Live well and Die well are in conjunction are in connexion they are like Rebecca's Twins going hand in hand Live well and Die well they are like the two Temples of Vertue and Honour that were so contiguously built that none could go into the Temple of Honour that did not first pass through the Temple of Vertue There is little if any probability of dying well if there be not a living well That Death is not to be sported with that a strict and serious life is not the humour of some conceited and singular persons in the world witness Balaam the Prophet so much courted by Balak the Prince Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his Num. 23.10 Here is the most knowing man in the East who was not for living the life of the righteous and yet was for dying the death of the righteous But as the Way is so is the End like to be and as the Work is 1 King 4.29 30 31. so is the Wages like to be Solomon the Sage of Sages one wiser than all men whose understanding was as the sand of the Sea shore this most knowing man in the world Eccl. 1.14 writes upon all vanity and vexation of spirit Living well is praevious unto dying well Mark the perfect man Psa 37.37 and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Whatsoever his Beginning was his End is peace Though he had not peace in Life yet he shall have peace in Death and though he should not have peace at Death yet he shall have peace after Death Better is the beginning of a thing than the end thereof to a Soul out of Christ but better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof to a Soul in Christ for the end of that man is peace I have fought a good fight 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness c. Would ye die well then through Christ die daily Let both ears be laid to the Apostle here By your rejoycing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord I die daily Or as the day 1 Cor. 15.31 Those words I protest are not in the Greek As the day I die or I die daily I expose my self daily to death for the Gospel and the Conversion of the Gentiles but as I am daily dying so I am dying daily But unto what are those who are actually Christs to Die daily Quest These are to die unto Self and unto the world Sol. Unto Self Is not Self a Monster a Mountebank the Antichrist within The civil Rule is so defaced that many if not most men are Compounds of Self Let a Minister or Member or Neighbour sink or swim it is all one to them It is become proverbial Every man for himself A Maxim drawn in Hell and ushered into the world by the Prince of Darkness Now there is a six-fold Self unto which those who are actually Christs are to die Those actually Christs are to die unto sinful Self We must kill sin or sin will kill Vs It is a taking Prospect to see Sin die Rom. 6.2 while we live How shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein Those actually Christs are to die unto lawful Self Though where there is no law there is no transgression yet those actually Christs are to deny themselves in lawful things and to die unto lawful self It may be 't is but a peccadillio a little thing and lawfull in it Self 1 Cor. 6.12 but if this should offend thy Brother deny thy self in it and die to it All things are lawful unto me but all things are not expedient all things are lawful unto me but I will not be brought under the power of any Those actually Christs are to die unto natural Self These are to die to their Arts and Parts Gifts and Reason natural Acquirements and Accomplishments 1 Cor. 12.31 Covet earnestly the best gifts and yet I shew unto you a more excellent way One Dram of Grace is better than a Pound of Gifts one Drop of Grace is better than a Sea of Gifts one Mite of Grace is better than a Mountain of Gifts Those actually Christs are to die unto moral Self These must not only die unto gross and enormous sin but also to the least Immorality Let none of you suffer as a murderer 1 Pet. 4.15 or as a thief or as an evil doer or as a busie body in other mens matters Those actually Christs should be so far from be-being murderers or thieves or evil doers that they should not be according to the Greek Bishops in anothers Diocess and Priers into other mens matters Those actually Christs are to die unto relative Self This takes in the nearest and dearest Relations Am not I better to thee than ten Sons 1 Sam. 1.8 and and yet these must be died unto Wives are near and dear Relations Though Adam was Emperour of
Eden and had all the creatures to serve him yet a Consort must be cast in as the Complement of his external Felicity Gen. 2.18 It is not good that man should be alone I will make an help meet for him But how near and dear soever Wives are 1 Cor 7.29 they must be died unto It remain that they who have wives be as though they had none Those actually Christs are to die unto religious Self A man must have a Righteousness of his own Mat. 5.20 Phil. 3.9 Except your Righteousness And yet this Righteousness must not be his own but Christs Paul dies to his own Righteousness Not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law Unto the World As those actually Christs are to die unto Self so unto the World Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world Thus generally but now particularly Those actually Christs are to die to the Worship of the World The men of the world Joh. 4.24 Col. 2.8 20. if they worship not a false God yet they worship a true God falsly for He is a Spirit and must be worshiped in Spirit and in Truth According to the Truth of the Rule and in Truth of Heart Is is not connatural unto man to worship a God of his own making rather than the God that made him Those actually Christs are to die unto the Wisdom of the World As the Friendship of the World Job 28.28 is Enmity with God so the Wisdom of the World is Folly with God The fear of the Lord that 's wisdom and to depart from evil that 's understanding The men of the world think themselves very wise Prov. 26.12 but seest thou a man wise in his own eyes there is more hope of a fool than of him The men of the world think themselves and are thought by others Jer. 4.22 to be very wise but they are wise to do evil to do good they have no knowledge Worldy wisdom or the wisdom of the world is the greatest folly in the world To be witty in sinning to make a mock at sin and to make wickedness our work is the greatest folly in the world Those actually Christs are to die to the Mode of the World It is a profane Proverb as good out of the World as out of the Fashion But were there ever such Fashions in the World as are now in the world Do not Men look like Monsters Do not Women look like Harlots Are we not the Apes of the false French As obedient children not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance 1 Pet. 1.14 Those actually Christs are to die to the Manners of the World These must be daily dying to the Debauchery and Prophanity to the Adultery and Sodomy the Idolatry and Iniquity of the Times It was once sinfully said Act. 14.11 Gods are come down to us in the likeness of men but may it not now be said that Devils are come up unto us in the likeness of men Do not some men account Oaths their greatest Rhetorick Cheating the greatest Ingenuity Atheism their greatest Art Rebellion their greatest Religion Sin their greatest Safety He that departeth from Evil Isa 59.15 maketh himself a prey is accounted mad Margent Those actually Christs are to die to the pleasures of the world Ah! many spend and end their daies in sinful pleasures They spend their time in mirth Job 21.13 and in a moment go down to the grave That word If any man will not work neither let him eat seem to be vanishing now and most men seem to read it thus If any man will not play neither let him eat Gaming is much the Mode and as men live in their sins so they live upon their sins All the Income that many have is their Gaming Those actually Christs are to die to the profits of the world The men of the world make the world their Business Prov. 28.22 Jer. 17.11 it is their Element they make baste to be rich But he that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his daies and at his end shall be a fool DIRECT III. ART actually in Christ Direct 3. Non mori sed damnari metuo Mortem optare malum timere pejus Jer. 20.3 be not surprized then with a Pannick Fear concerning the Arrests of the first Death I am not afraid to die but I am afraid to be damned I am not afraid of the pains of Death but I am afraid of the pains of Hell It was the word of Henry the fifth to wish death is not good but to fear death is worse No man should be afraid to die but he that is ashamed to live Thou art in Christ and dost thou fear death If a soul in Christ fear death what then may a soul out of Christ If a soul in Christ dread the shooting of this Gulf then a soul out of Christ may be a Magor-Missabib fear round about Shalt thou fear death when Christ is thine consider what he is He is a Father and a Friend a Foundation and a Fountain a God and a Guide a Guard and a Good a Rock and a Portion to these distinctly Fear not Death for Christ is thine and he is a Father He is stiled the Father of Eternity Isa 9.6 Whither should the Child go but to the Father Whither should the Christian go but to Christ But if Christ be a Father Quest what manner of Father then is Christ to his Children What good soever is in any Creature Sol. is more eminently in Christ All the dispersed Excellencies that are throughout the Vniverse meet in Christ Psal 94.9 and concenter in him He that planted the Ear shall not he hear and he that formed the Eye shall not he see He that gives Ears to others must needs be all Ear himself and he that gives Eyes to others must needs be all Eye himself Take now the Characters Properties and Properties of a natural Father and see how Christ infinitely out-bids and out-vies such a natural Father A natural Father pitieth the Child To be without natural affection is a sin against Nature 2 Sam. 18.5 A Father pitieth his Child yea then most pitieth him when he standeth in most need of pity The Father then take the greatest Care when there is the greatest Cause When the Child is sick and weak under amazing pains and amusing pangs when sickness and weakness are upon the Child then there is the greatest paternal pity and affection unto the Child Thus yea infinitely more than thus Christ as a Father pitieth his Children Though Christ as man had a Father yet Christ as God is a Father Psal 103.13 As a Father pitieth his Children so Jehovah pitieth them that fear him A natural Father provideth for
able to secure his for an eternity Those that thou hast given me have I kept and none of them are lost Christ the Rock of His secures two waies Vnder Danger Peter was in great danger of drowning but Christ secured him and kept his Head above water Dan. 6.22 Daniel was in great Danger when cast into the Den of Lions to take up his Quarters but Christ secured him there stopping the mouths of the Lions From Danger To be delivered in the Fire is a mercy but to be delivered from the Fire looks like a greater mercy Psa 59.10 To be delivered when down of the Plague is a mercy but to be delivered from falling down of the Plague looks like a greater mercy The God of my mercy shall prevent me Christ is a durable Rock Material Rocks they are durable Job 19.24 Rom. 6.9 Job wisheth that his words were graven with an Iron Pen and Lead in the Rock for ever Thus Christ the Rock of His is a durable Rock Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him Now Christ is a durable Rock in respect of his Life and Love In respect of his Life Once dying he ever died In that he died Rom. 6.10 he died unto Sin once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God In respect of his Love As once dying he ever liveth Joh. 13.1 So once loving he ever loveth Having loved his own which were in the World he loved them unto the End Fear not Death for Christ is Thine and he is a Portion Christ is the Portion of a Christan that Jehovah is is evident that Christ is Jehovah is as evident That Jehovah is the Portion of a Christian is evident Thou art my Portion Jehovah Psa 119.57 I have said that I would keep thy words Jehovah is my Portion saith my Soul therefore will I hope in him The Gold and Silver which I had in my House Lam. 3.24 are gone into Captivity but my Gold and Silver in Heaven are not gone into Captivity Jehovah is my Portion still They who have Jehovah for their Gold and Silver are happier and richer than Good and Silver can make them Jehovah is my Portion saith my Soul That Christ is Jehovah is as evident Jehovah is my Shepherd I shall not want Psa 23.1 Shall the Sheep want so long as the Shepherd hath it In his daies Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely Jer. 23.6 and this is the name whereby he shall be called Jehovah our Righteousness Christ is Jehovah and so the Portion of a Christian But what manner of Portion is Christ Quest Sol. Though this be a good Task yet this is a great Task a Task too great for me but though I cannot sound this Bottom yet suffer me to let down my Line Christ is a necessary Portion Martha say Christ One thing is needful But what is this One thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the written Word So Ambrose Calvin Chrysistom But what is the Word without the Spirit Luke 10.42 without Christ it is but as the Instrument without the Hand If this one thing be not Christ I am sure it is not without Christ But what of this one thing It is needful There is Need or Necessity of one thing So the Greek Not benè esse but esse There is One thing not onely needful and useful but also needful above all things useful above all things and that not only to the well-being but also to the very Being of a Christian A Man or a Woman cannot be a Christian without it be satisfied without it be sanctified without it be saved without it Are there not many things without which a person may be and yet live well and do well die well but if this person be without Christ and the Grace of Christ and the Spirit of Christ and the Gospel of Christ he cannot live well and do well and die well but perisheth for ever is undone for ever is damned for ever Tria sunt omnia Vnum est necessarium It hath been said Three things are All things but here One thing is All things There is a necessity of One thing God at first gave ten Commandments but lest these should be too many for Mans Memory Christ reduces them to Two Love to God and our neighbour Yea here All is reduced to One There is a Necessity of One thing 1 John 5.11 Christ perfectly knew mans Memory to be predigiously treacherous and therefore reduceth All to One There is need of One thing Now certainly if this One thing be not Christ yet it cannot be without him For this is the record c. and this life is in his Son There is an indispensible Necessity of him as a portion in a two-fold respect to suffer All for Thee to do All in Thee To suffer All for Thee Oh says the Soul I cannot satisfie Divine Justice God is angry with sinners every day I cannot appease Divine Wrath What are thousands of Rams and ten thousands of Rivers of Oil Can I give my first-born for mine iniquity or the seed of my Body for the sin of my Soul No Soul thou canst not satisfie for one Sin but Christ can satisfie for All hath satisfied for All He hath paid thy Debt if thou beest his and not left thee a penny to pay in a way of merit John 19.30 but in a way of duty It was Christ that said it and God heard him when he spake it It is finished As Christ is a Christians Lord and Law-giver so he is a Christians Soveraign and Surety To do All in Thee Oh says the Soul as I am nothing so I can do nothing Oh I cannot serve Christ as I should serve Christ as I would Oh I cannot Ark in a Christ as I should nor Anchor upon a Christ as I would The Velle as well as the posse what though I have the Habit of Grace what shall I do for the Act of Grace Soul Christ is Actor as well as Author of Grace When the Apostle imposed a working out of Salvation he might as well have imposed the making a new Heaven and a new Earth Phil. 2.12 13. but this is subjoyned It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do Christ is God Now the Desire as well as the Deed is from Christ Christ is a Soul-portion The Body is but as the Cabinet the Soul is the Jewel What is the Body without the Soul it is loveless and lifeless What is the Body without the Soul it is at best but an imbalmed Carcass that no Spectator is taken with Now as the Soul is the Life of the Body for the Body without the Soul is dead so Christ Jam. 2.26 is the Life of the Soul Because I live ye shall live also The Life of Saints is not in their private
then through Grace Assurance of another Life after Death for there can be no Assurance of this Life against Death To this end suffer a concise Discussion of these following Queries But Quest 1. Sol. Joh. 20.28 is Assurance attainable in this Life Yea I dare be peremptory and positive herein that Assurance is attainable in this Life My Lord and my God Mine and Thine are words of propriety These Pronouns Me Thee Mine Thine My Meum Tuum Luth. Thy they are strains of Love and drop like Honey-combs sweetness of Affection The sweetness of the promises as says one is couched and lodged in Pronouns My Thy Me Thee Mine Thine Thomas Job 19.25 was assured my Lord and my God Thus Job I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand in the latter day upon the Earth This knowing is knowing upon great certainty knowing without all wavering As if he had said my judgment is fixed and my Faith confirmed in this thing It is as clear to me that Christ is my Redeemer and that this Redeemer of mine liveth as if I had already seen him alive My Faith makes this as evident to me now as my experience shall hereafter Thus David The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress Psal 18.2 and my deliverer my Rock in him will I trust my Buckler and the Horn of my salvation and my high Tower Thus Paul I am perswaded the word signifieth an assured Confidence I am assiredly confident 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but of what that not Death Life Angels Principalities Powers things present things to come height depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God Rom. 8.38 39. which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Places might be multiplied in order to the evincement of this Truth that Assurance is attainable in this Life May the Church speak My Beloved is mine Can. 2.16 and I am his he feedeth among the Lillies That their hearts might be comforted Col. 2.2 being knit together in love and to the full assurance of understanding Hereby we know that we know him 1 Joh. 2.3 if we keep his Commandments To know that we know is assuredly to know infallibly to know The barbarous and bloody Papists deny an infallible Assurance and grant only a conjectural one the reason they give is the mutability of mans will but the Salvation of a Soul depends not upon the mutability of mans but upon the immutability of Gods will I am Jehovah and I change not Mal. 3.6 therefore ye Sons of Jacob are not consumed But what is this Assurance Quest that is attainable in this Life Soul Assurance or evidence for Interest in Christ is that internal and infallible Certainty Descr which a believing person hath of Salvation through free grace written with the Blood of a crucified Christ In this Description for I dare not pretend unto a Definition six things fall under Discussion the matter the manner the subject the object the motive the medium but to these distinctly The matter This is Certainty Assurance or Evidence for Interest in Christ is a certain thing Hoc aliquid nihil a real thing and an assured Soul can realize this thing The world is a cheat and its motto is This Something is Nothing The world is a mass of mutabilities a mass of uncertainties Oxen and Sheep Asses and Camels to day but none to morrow but now Assurance is a certainty I have read of one who said Lord I am assured of thy Love Mrs. Bretterg and so certain am I of that as I am certain that thou art the God of Truth Assurance is not a Physical notion or a mathematical conclusion it is not conjectural but real The Soul that hath passed through the sealing work of the Spirit can say as Jacob did to Joseph I know it my Son I know it Gen. 48.19 I am not under a mistake concerning the Lads I know what I do Thus those who are assured can say God is theirs and Christ theirs and Grace theirs and Glory shall be theirs We are alwaies confident knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord for we walk by faith 2 Cor. 5.6 7 8. not by sight We are confident I say and wiling rather to be absent from the body that we may be present with the Lord. If the Soul goes down to the dust with the Body what presence have we with God when we die we are confident and this is doubled yea we are alwaies confident The manner As there is the matter which is certainty so there is the manner of this certainty which is internal and infallible but to these distinctly Internal The very Heart and Soul of man is concerned here Assurance is a work within a work upon the Heart Rom. 10.10 With the Heart man believeth and with the Tongue confession is made unto Salvation The Heart is the happy or unhappy soil for good or evil All good or evil begins in the Heart The Soul is invisible and so is this work of Assurance upon the Soul The word of Assurance is my Redeemer My Father and your Father my God and your God is the Dialect of the Gospel And Mary said Luke 1.46 47. but what did she say she sayeth this My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit doth rejoyce in God my Saviour Infallible As it is external so it is invisible and infallible Assurance is an internal and invisible Certainty for it is from the Spirit of God and who may charge the Spirit of God with fallibility and fallacy In Cathreda Shall the proud Pope pretend to Infallibility when and while in the Chair and shall the Spirit when the Lord is that Spirit be charged with fallibility and fallacy The Spirit is the Tree upon which groweth all that fruit that is brought forth to God The Spirit is that infallible Testimony within Our Gospel came not to you in word only 1 Thes 1.5 it came in word but not in word only it came also in power and in the holy Spirit and in much assurance The Subject Now this is a believing person This Assurance or Evidence for Interest in Christ is that Internal and infallible Certainty which a believing person hath It is a believing person whether Jew or Gentile whether man or woman that launch forth into this great deep It is a believing person that is able to engage a Lion and a Bear and doubts not but to make a Conquest upon a Goliah also Though there may be Grace where there is no Assurance yet there can be no Assurance where there is no Grace Though there may be Faith where there is no Assurance Heb. 10.22 yet there is no Assurance where there is no Faith for it is an Assurance of Faith Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith
and Trouble in this Death to this person for these Reasons Because this Death is stingless to this person Reas 1. Oh Death where is thy sting If Death hath no sting then it hath much honey for this person Christ Jesus Judg. 18.8 9. the true Sampson hath slain this Lion and brought a honey-comb out of the carkass to this person Christ hath been the Death of Death for this person and why should that have Terror in it which hath no Life in it We say the living Lion is not so terrible as he is painted what terror then is there in a dead or in a painted Lion Because this Death cannot break the Bond of the Covenant between God and this person Though the House of this person be not so with God 2 Sam. 25.5 though the Head of this person be not so to study for God though the Hand of this person be not so to work for God though the Heart of this person be not so to lodge a God and though the Foot of this person be not so to run to a God and for a God yet he hath made with him an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure The Covenant of God Mat. 22.32 is with this person though he dies I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob They were dead when God spake this Exod. 3.6 Now saith Christ there God is not the God of the dead but of the living All are alive to him even the dead are alive to him As their Souls are alive to him so their Bodies are as living Bodies to him though rotting in their graves he owns them as much as when flourishing in stately Structures The Relation of God to Abraham Isaac and Jacob was as strong when they were dead as when they were alive Because this Death is called a Sleep to this person What Terror is there in Sleep What Trouble in going to Bed weep not saith Christ concerning the Maid Luk. 8.52 she is not dead but sleepeth It was Christ also that said Our Friend Lazarus sleepeth Joh. 11.11 but I go that I may awake him out of sleep Now sleep is sweet especially the sleep of a labouring Man Because this Death is called a going or gathering to Fathers for this Person Thus Abraham died and was gathered unto his People Gen. 25.8 Thus Jacob also died and was gathered unto his People Gen. 49.33 But as Death is a going and a gathering to our earthly Fathers so it is a going to our God and a gathering to our Heavenly Father Because this Death is called a Rest to this Person As sleep is a short Death so Death is a long sleep And as Death is a sleep so it is a Rest We usually say when a Man goes to sleep he goes to Rest yet Rest is more than sleep for sometimes a man sleeps when he doth not Rest Job 3.13 his very sleep being troubled and he troubled in his sleep but when Rest is joyned with sleep it is perfect sleep Job cursing his Conception and Production saith Now should I have lien still and been quiet Isa 52.7 I should have slept then had I been at rest This Life is a Day of working and Death is a Night of resting Hence the Grave is called a Bed The righteous shall enter into Peace they shall rest in their Beds When the righteous man dies or is taken away he is but gone to Bed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dormitorium We therefore call those places where the dead are laid up and buried Dormitories or sleeping places Both the Greek and Latin words meet in this Signification There is a four-fold Rest Obtained by Death A Rest from Labour and Travel Eccl. 9.10 There is no workring in the Grave There is no work nor device nor Knowledg nor Wisdom in the Grave whither thou goest A Rest from Trouble and Oppression No Wars no bloody Battles in the Grave What is said of Babylon may be said of the Grave Isa 14.4 How hath the Oppressor ceased A Rest from passion No Sorrow no Grief in the Grave There the wicked cease from troubling Job 3.17 and there the weary be at Rest. A Rest form Sin This is the last but this is the best There is in the Grave no Law of the Members warring against the Law of the Mind He Rom. 7.23 that is dead is freed from Sin Because this Death cannot break the Vnion between Christ and this Person Christ and those that are Christs are one That they may be one Joh. 17.21 22 23. as thou Father art in Me and I in Thee that they also may be one in us That they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one Though Death may break the Vnion between the Soul and the Body yet it cannot break the Vnion between the Soul and Christ For as when Christ died Death did not break that hypostatical Vnion between the Divine and the Humane Nature though Death disunited the Soul and the Body of Christ yet it did not disunite God and Man in Christ So though Death triumph over the natural Union of the Soul and Body it can never break the mystical Union between Christ and the Soul The Vnion between Christ God-man and those actually His is inviolable this Vnion out-lives Death Be through Christ in a right Reflection of the promise in respect of the greatness and preciousness of it Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises 2 Pet. 1.4 Exceeding great greatest so the Greek In which pure and precious Text and Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye have something implied and something expressed 1. Implied This is the Giver and this is Christ. As he is the great promise so he is the great Giver of the premise As he is the great Gift so he is the great Giver Given 2. Expressed Now herein ye have 1. The Gift Promises These are great things they are the Churches Stock they are a Believers Patrimony 2. A Description of these Promises 1. By their greatness exceeding great or greatest 2. By their preciousness And precious Given exceeding great and precious promises 3. The persons concerned in these exceeding great and precious promises 2 Pet. 1.1 Vs Given unto us But who were these They were those that had obtained precious Faith 4. The Medium through which were given these greatest and precious promises whereby Through the power of God and Christ in the Dispensation of the Gospel Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises That is saith one Gifts spiritual and eternal of old promised by the Prophets Gerrard The promises are divine conveyances of Consolation they are the Veins of Christ whereby his Blood is carried into all his Body The promises run with the sweetest stream◠when Satan rages with
good Seholars We know not God nor our selves any further than God teacheth us The Sun is not more necessary to the World the Eye to the Body the Pilot to the Ship the Admiral to the Army c. than the knowledge of Christ to a self-destroying creature The knowledge of God now is rather negative than positive we know not so well what God is as what God is not now it is observed to our hands that from pure Negatives there can be no certain Conclusion made Is not this all we know that we know nothing that we know not that neither that it is nothing we yet know as we ought to know But though knowledge here be imperfect yet knowledge hereafter shall be perfect Now we know but in part but then shall we know even as we are known 1 Cor. 13.12 This As is a Note of Quality not of Equality as God knows according to his infinite excellency so we shall know according to our capacity Those actually Christs shall be indulged hereafter perfect Vnity Here Ephraim envy Judah and Judah vex Ephraim but it shall not be so hereafter Luther and Calvin did not agree upon Earth but they do not disagree in Heaven they are of one mind in Heaven though their Disciples are not of one mind upon Earth Hooper Ridley Those two blessed Martyrs in time of peace and liberty could not agree about black and white but as their expression is in time of Persecution could agree about Red when laid under passion they could forget all differences of judgment The first rent that ever was in Gods Family was the Pride of the Angels and ever since it hath born the like fruit Seneca What one said of Philosophers That the Clocks would sooner agree than the Philosophers may be said of some Prefessors It was a good saying of one Baxter 's True Catholick 128. Though we must not unite with any in their Sin yet we must unite with all that are Christians in their Christianity Our Chronicles tell us that the Saxons and Danes had never conquered us had it not been for our own Divisions Division is a cursed weed and it grows apace but is it not pity that Abraham and Lot should fall out by the way for they are Brethren united force Vis unita sortior is most forcible and a threefold Cord is not easily broken Saintship must not be confined within one Party The new Creature is found in Circumcision as well as in Vncircumcision and as eminent in the one as the other It were the highest Sacriledge in the world to make a Monopoly of Christianity to monopolize that Title of Saints and Godly Party to any one Party Why should we gratifie the Turks who pray That seeing the Christians cannot love them they may therefore hate one another One writing to another saith Though we should never see one another more in this World yet we shall meet in that place Grynaeus to Chytraeus where Luther and Zuinglius agree very well together The Combination of Sinners have not so much prejudiced the Power of Godliness as the Contention of Saints Division of Tongues obstructed the building of Babel and if I mistake not Division of Hearts Heads and Hands obstruct the building of Jerusalem The Romists improve their utmost endeavor to break the Vnity of Christians and what would they not give to effect it Quarrel not the Moon out of her Orb and think her unworthy of the Skies because she wears a spot for she is a glorious Ball of light Whoever is right or â—rong in point of Judgment I am sure he is wrong that is not right in point of Affection I cannot but approve what God is now reducing unto Protestant and Papist Why is Mahomet set like Dagon where the Ark once stood And Paga asm hath thrust Christianism out of doors Israel is not true to Judah the renting of the Ten Tribes from the Two hath made both the Two and the Ten miserable Oh that Jerusalem were at Vnity within her self Oh that Zion may not dye like Antiochus or Jehoram of a disease in her own bowels All that I can say or will say is Love Love Love The God of Love and love of God constrain beloved ones to love one another that it may be said at last as at first Behold how they love one another In all the loud Cryes about Differences this touâ—heth my heart that some can trample a poor Saint into the dust and if they might into the Grave for a Peccadillo a little distance in an Opinion Now though Christians of Christs making disagree upon Earth they shall agree in Heaveâ— When pale Death arrests those actually Christs for an Eternity and they be Graciously passed thorough the Gates into the City they shall not find Faith there for that is gone into Vision nor Hope there for that is gone into Fruition but they shall find Love there yea there they shall find nothing but Love There abideth Faith Hope 1 Cor. 13.13 and Love these three but the greatest of these is Love The greatest because the longest lived Those actually Christs shall be indulged hereafter perfect Grace Is not perfection of Grace the great thing looked for and longed for by those who are actually Christs Every Grace is imperfect here but every Grace shall be perfect hereafter Christ beholds in all that are actually his a constant striving after plenary Perfection in the midst of all their Imperfections Perfection is the Aim of the Saints on Earth and the Reward of the Saints in Heaven They who now pretend to Personal Perfection are perfect Strangers to their own hearts Who can say I have made my heart clean Prov. 20.9 Faldo 's Key c. p. 77. I am pure from my sin There is a Generation of a late Edition that pretend unto a Personal Perfection they say Perfection is not that which is sincere or a Perfection of Parts or a Sanctification throughout in part but a being without sin in the least Remains and Stains of it But uprightness of Heart and sincerity of Soul goes for Perfection with God Mark the perfect man and behold the upright Psal 37.37 for the end of that man is peace As God accepteth the Will for the Deed so he expresseth the Deed by the Will interpreting one to be perfect who would be perfect There is no plenary Perfection on this side Heaven but sin that dwelleth in me unless we reflect the first Resurrection Rom. 7.20 1 Cor. 15.42 Beza which will be a state of Incorruption These were some of the words of One a little before Death sealed up his lips Lord Perfect that which thou hast begun that I suffer not shipwrack in the Haven Here the complaint is a little Faith and great Vnbelief a little Humility and great Pride a little Patience and great Passion but there shall be no such cry hereafter When Time goes into
Heaven and must be the way for his also By his own blood Heb. 9.12 he once entered into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us The spurious spawn of the Papists are under a prodigious mistake who say That Heaven is not that place where the Man Christ is above or beyond the visible Skies but the happiness they have within them If Israel according to the flesh passed thorough the Red Sea unto Canaan as Type so Israel according to the Spirit must pass thorough the Red Sea of Christs blood Heb. 10.19 unto Heaven the Antitype Having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest but how by the blood of Jesus Our Sins did shut Heaven but Christs blood is the Key that opens the Gate of Paradise for us Christ's blood is pacifying blood Christs bleeding was Gods pacifying Christ's blood Col. 1.21 22. is the blood of Atonement You hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh thorough death Christ's blood is not onely a Sacrifice but also a Propitiation denoting a bringing us into favour with God It is one thing for a Traytor to be pardoned and another thing for this Traytor to be brought into favour Mans sin rent him from God but Christ's blood Rom. 5.10 cements him to God Reconciled to God but how by the death of his Son Had we as much Grace as the Angels had we offered up millions of Sacrifices had we wept Rivers of Tears we could never have appeased an angry Deity It is the blood of a Christ that ingratiates us into the favour of God and causeth him to look upon us with a smiling Aspect When Christ dyed the vail of the Temple was rent This was not without a mystery shewing that thorough Christ's blood the vail of our sins is rent which did interpose between God and us One Theodoret. calls the Cross the Tree of Salvation because the blood which trickled down the Cross distilleth Salvation It is the blood of Christ that pacifies Christ's blood is conquering blood After the Combat and the Conflict is the Conquest Nay in all these things Rom. 8.37 we are more than Conquerors thorough Christ that loved us These things but what things were these There were seven Dishes and each Dish enough for the strongest Palate Tribulation Distress Rom. 8.35 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persecution Famine Nakedness Peril Sword yet in all these things we are more than Conquerors We over-overcome so the Greek We are more than Conquerors in them because we are Conquerors by them But how is this thorough Christ. Though Christians may be killed yet they cannot be conquered for though they die in the Combat yet like Sampson they shall have the Conquest The Conquest that the Christian hath is thorough Christ's blood They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb Rev. 12.11 and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death Conquest is thorough Christ Christ's blood is crucifying blood A Christ bleeding to death will bleed sin to death They that are Christs Gal. 5.24 have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts As that Physick saves a mans life which removes his sickness so that which is life to the soul is death to the sin We must look upon our sin as that which was the death of our Lord and we must look upon the death of our Lord as that which will be the death of our sin Our old man is crucified with him Rom. 6.6 that the body of sin might be destroyed Sin drew out the life-blood of Christ and faith in Christ's blood will draw out the life-blood of sin Christ's blood is softening blood Though the heart of man be the hardest thing in the world yet the blood of Christ God-man can soften the heart of man Oh says one my heart is like the nether milstone and what can soften that Oh says another my heart is like an Adamant and what can soften an Adamant Is there any thing in the world that can soften an Adamant Yea Soul blood will soften an Adamant The blood of Christ if applied will soften the most Adamantine heart The blood of Christ if applied can dissolve the most stony heart and break the hardest sinner The Jews who are hardened to a Proverb for one saith Dost thou think that I am a hard-hearted Jew these Jews shall have the Rock of their Hearts turned into a Fountain of Tears Zech. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn as one for his onely Son and be in bitterness as one for his first-born God himself hath laid himself under Promise to take away the stony heart and to give an heart of flesh Ezek. 11.19 There is nothing so hard but it may be softened if it lay a steeping in this blood Water will soften the earth but it will not soften a stone the blood of Christ if applied will soften a stone yea an heart of stone This blood turns a flint into a spring The Jaylors heart was dissolved Christ's blood is quickning blood The life of a thing is in the blood The life of the flesh Lev. 17.11 is in the blood and I have given it to you upon the Altar to make an atonement for your sins for it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul The blood is called life because the seat of life is in the blood and this was a figure of Christ a Type of Christ's life whose flesh is meat indeed and whose blood is drink indeed The life of our soul Sanguis Christi Clavis Coeli Luther is in the blood of Christ Christ's blood is Heaven's Key One little drop saith One of Christ's blood is more worth than Heaven and Earth What is the blood of a Grape yea what is the blood of a Son though an onely Son to the blood of a Saviour Can we give our first-born for our iniquity the seed of our body for the sin of our soul It is the blood of Christ that quickeneth John 6.53 54. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day Christ's blood puts vivacity into us Christ's blood is justifying blood Justification â—s a great thing to be acquitted from sin and death the wages thereof and to be accounted righteous unto life and Glory the Reward thereof is not this a great thing and yet this is by Christs blood The moving cause of Justification is the free Grace of God but the meritorious cause of Justification is the blood of Christ Being justified freely by his Grace Rom. 3.24 thorough the redemption that is in Christ Jesus The justification of one sinner is more than the creation of all the world There are many not onely in Italy but also in England who
Rom. 9.5 Over all God blessed for ever Amen If God sit down first Christ as Mediator of the Covenant may sit down next They say where Natural Philosophy ends there the Physician begins Christ is a Person so great that he begins and ends where he begins to cure a person Christ is an Asa a Physician or Healer of diseases as the word signifies A mortal King may engage to cure the Body a Tumor in the Flesh but Christ the King of Kings engages to cure the Treachery and Tympany of the Soul Mamulus Fuller 's Holy War p. 477. One told the Adorers of Andronicus that monstrous Miscreant That it was just they should dye of the Physick who made a God of the Physician But now it is no wonder that those actually Christs should live by the Physick for a God is their Physician Christ is a costly Physician They were the men of Judah 2 Sam. 19.42 that said unto the men of Israel Have we eaten at all of the King's cost or hath he given us any Gift But none actually Christs can say that they have not eaten of his cost that they have not had his Gift David told Araunah That he would not offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord his God Chap. 24.24 that should cost him nothing At some cost was Christ with the man that fell among Thieves between Jericho and Jerusalem but at far greater cost than this hath Christ been He is not onely the Physician of the Soul but his blood also goes for the Physick of the Soul Joh. 10.15 Fuller 's holy War p. 471. I lay down my life for the sheep Tyranous Andronicus sported himself in shedding innocent blood which he wickedly called his medicine for all maladies But Christ as he is a Soul-Physician so his Blood is Soul-physick this is a Remedy for every Disease a Salve for every Sore a Medicine for every Malady It is written of One Admiral of France That when the War was finished and he returned to Rochel not a day passed over his head wherein he did not morning and evening read over one of Calvin's Sermons upon Job which History he called his Panchrestum or Physick for all Diseases a Salve for every Sore What then may be said of Christ's Blood Certainly he was at great cost who did not onely spend his breath Heb. 13.12 but also spill his Blood He suffered without the Gate Christ is a cheap Physician Physicians here below are dear very dear the Rich onely are qualified to be their Patients no Purse no Physick they will have much though they do little but Christ is a cheap Physician Wine and Milk without money and without price I will give to him that is at hirst of the fountain of the water of life freely Rev. 21.6 Now this saith one is The Grace of the holy Spirit which is now given by drops but in Heaven unto fulness Guttatim Joh. 4.14 according to that The water that I will give him shall be in him a Well of water springing up into everlasting life Or A Fruition of God who is the life of his according to that With thee is the fountain of life Here Psal 36.9 is water and that is necessary yea water of life and that is of necessity yea Pool in loc the fountain of the water of life now water at the fountain is purest and plentifullest there water for quality and quantity is ever the same yea this water is in a way of Gift I will give to him that is athirst 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the fountain of the water of life and that freely without compensation without merit Physicians here below indent with their Patients so much down and so much when the Cure is made but Christ the Physician of greatest value does not indent with his Patients Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Whosoever hath a will from Christ for Christ let him take Christ and the Grace of Christ and the Spirit of Christ and that freely without price or any merit of his own Christ is an appointed Physician Some go yea run Joh. 12.45 without sending but Christ did not He that seeth me seeth him that sent me As God appointed the Passeover so he appointed this Physician I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles Isa 49.6 that thou mayst be my salvation to the ends of the earth Christ is under a designation and that from the Father in order to the sanctification and salvation of a sinner The God of our Fathers Acts 5.30 31. raised up Jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a Tree Him hath God exalted with his right hand But to what end To be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of sins Christ is an approved Physician There are some men approved of men but the Man Christ Jesus is approved of God Acts 2.22 Ye men of Israel hear these words Mat. 14.30 31. Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you c. Christ hath been tryed tryed to purpose Thus Christ hath been tryed Relatively He was tryed in the water and kept Peter's head above water He was tryed in the Fire and kept the three children there Dan. 3.24 25. Did we not cast three into the Fire True Oh King Behold I see four and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God Christ and the Christian in the Ship together in the Shop together Christ and the Christian in the Field together in the Fire together Is not this sweet Oh this is sweetly sweet But as Christ was tryed Relatively so he was tryed Personally Some men have been greatly tryed Thus Job was thus Paul was but who so tryed as a Christ in his life Being in an agony the word signifies a striving or wrestling against something as two Combatants or Wrestlers Luk. 22.44 do each strive against other he prayed more earnestly and his swea◠was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground And who so tryed as a Christ in his death My God my God Mat. 27.46 Athanasius Non solvit Vnionem sed subtraxit Visionem Isa 28.16 why hast thou forsaken me He spake this saith One in our person They are not words of complaining but expressing his Grief The Vnion was not dissolved but the Vision was restrained God left him in great distress withdrawing from the humane nature pouring his wrath upon Him as the Surety of His. Thus Christ hath been tryed in life and to the life thus Christ hath been tryed in death and to the death No wonder now He is called a tryed stone Christ is a loving yea ever-loving Physician Physicians here below do not love their Patients as they love themselves they had rather a thousand Patients should dye than themselves should dye But Christ is such a Physician that he loves his Patients
as he loves himself yea he seems to love them above himself for he loves them and lays down his life for them Who loved us Ezek. 18.31 32. and washed us from our sins in his own blood Why will ye dye O house of Israel For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth saith Jehovah God Why will ye dye will ye not onely kill your selves but also me Let me dye that ye may live let me have a Cross that ye may have a Crown let me be betrayed that ye may be blessed let me be buffeted that ye may be beautified let me be crucified that ye may be crowned let me be sacrificed that ye may be sanctified and saved Thus Joh. 13.1 a Christ loveth and who but a Christ thus loveth His are loved rather than Himself if not above Himself And having once loved he ever loveth Christ is a living yea ever-living Physician Physicians below may dye must dye yea Rom. 6.10 often dye before the Cure is made but Christ having once dyed dyeth no more but lives for evermore The Physician of the Body is mortal as well as the Patient and may dye before the Patient but Christ the Physician of the Soul having once dyed no more dyeth death Joh. 5.26 hath no more domiaion over him As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself Christ is a valuable Physician Job speaking of his Visicors calls them Job 13.4 Physicians of no value but Christ is of value of great value of greatest value Col. 2.9 In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead personally Christ is rarely skilled infinitely qualified he knoweth every Cause to him therefore is easie every Cure Nullus effectus dature sine causa effectus sequitur virtutem causae Causa est prior essecto Faelix qui â—otuit rerum cognoscere causas 1 Kings 4.32 33. Prov. 8.14 Effects cannot be produced without Causes It is a Maxim That where sufficient Causes are in Act there of necessity the Effect must follow The Effect cannot be existent before its Cause Effects must depend upon their Cause as their Base and Principle It is an approved Aphorism That the Cause precedes the Effect in order of Nature and Time and Both every thing resolves into its principle It is usually said They are happy who know the causes of things And in respect of corporal diseases they say That a disease is half cured when the cause of it is discovered Christ knows the cause and therefore can make a cure Solomon was a great Philosopher his Parables prove his divine wisdom He was prodigiously parted greatly read in Trees and Pants in Beasts and Birds in creeping things and Fishes which manifest his humane wisdom But a greater than Solomon is here under discussion One that is not onely understanding in all things but also understanding it self I am understanding Christ is a sudden Physician Some Physicians of the Body are long in curing As some persons are long diseased palsical Eneas kept his Bed eight years The woman whom Christ called a daughter of Abraham had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years There lay also at the Pool of Bethesda a man which had an infirmity thirty and eight years Now as some persons have been long diseased so some Physicians are long in curing such diseases They are long in curing if there be money coming Their Cures are like Chancery-Suits depending several years Isai 107.20 but Christ is quick at curing He sent his word and healed them It is enough to the Centurion if he can but get a word from Christ Speak the word onely Matth. 8.8 13. and my Servant shall be healed And Jesus said unto the Centurion Go thy way and as thou hast believed so be it done unto thee And his Servant was healed in the self-same hour Christ is a seasonable Physician The season of a mercy does greatly accent the mercy For a person to be sinking in the Thames and for another to rescue him from those merciless waves is not this in season Mark 5.23 24 c. For the daughter of Jairus who was at the point of death and the woman with her issue of blood of twelve years time to be both healed was not this in season For a person to be arrived near the Gates of Hell by his Sin and for Christ to give him check by his Grace is not this in season Zech. 3.1.2 For Joshua to stand before the Angel of the Lord for Satan also to stand at his right hand to resist him to be his Adversary margent and for God to rescue Joshua being a Brand plucked out of the Fire is not this in season Christ is a sutable Physician All Cures they say are by Sympathy or by Antipathy Both these ways Christ cureth Christ cureth by Sympathy In all their afflictions he was afflicted An Eye for an Eye and a Tooth Isa 63.9 1 Cor. 15.21 for a Tooth Blood for Blood By man came death by man also came the resurrection of the dead Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Christ cureth by Antipathy There is Good for Evil Light for Darkness Life for Death Heaven for Hell God hath not appointed us unto wrath 1 Thess 5.9 Non cur atur pars nisi curetur totum 2 Pet. 3.18 but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ Physicians say If ye would cure any unsound part ye must cleanse the whole Body Christ cures by Sympathy and by Antipathy he must needs universally cure that every way cures Christ hath once suffered the just for the unjust A Physician asking a Lacedemonian How he did answered The better that 〈◊〉 meddle not with Thee nor take of thy Physick Certainly no Soul unto whom Christ hath been a Physician will say so of his Physick Christ is an incomparable Physician Christ is incomparably qualified and under an incomparable qualification It is said of a good Chyrurgion or Physician that he must have an Eagles Eye a Lyons Heart and a Ladies Hand Christ with the greatest Reverence be it written hath all these A good Physician must have an Eagles Eye He that is good at healing had need be good at seeing that he may discover where the fault and the failing is Thus Christ is incomparably qualified He is excellent at seeing excelling in seeing so good at seeing Joh. 9.6 7 that he gave sight unto one that was born blind A good Physician must have a Lyons heart He that is a Physician must be strong and stout-hearted for if the Physician fail how will the Patient bear up his courage A Physician must deal freely and plainly with the Patient telling him the disease and the danger if he take not this or that he is a dead man c. Thus Christ deals freely and plainly with the souls of men and women telling them If ye believe not that I am he ye
shall dye in your sins except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish If ye come not to me and close not with me upon Gospel-terms ye will live in your wounds and lie in your wounds and die in your wounds and be damned for your wounds How freely did Christ deal with the woman John 4.16 17 18. He said unto her Go call thy Husband and come hither The woman answered and said I have no Husband Jesus answered and said unto her Thou hast well said I have no Husband for thou hast had five Husbands and he whom thou now hast is not thy Husband in that didst thou say truly A good Physician must also have a Ladies hand A Physician must use the Patient gently and carry it towards the Patient tenderly Herein Christ also is incomparably qualified How tenderly did Christ carry it towards the Adulteress Woman not Adulteress John 8.10 11. Woman not Harlot Woman not Whore Woman Where are those thine Accusers Hath no man condemned thee She said No man Lord. And Jesus said unto her Neither do I condemn thee Go and sin no more Art actually in Christ Cordial XI M. Knox. In Adamo primo potuimus non mori in Adamo secundo non possimus mori Be joyous at last for the death of Him is the death of death unto His. Blessed saith one is their death who have part in the death of Jesus In Adam the first there was a possibility of living in Adam the second there is an impossibility of dying I have read of One who pretended that he had a Salve for every Sore a Medicine for every Malady and could cure all diseases but death Death the Mistress of Mortals was such a disease that he could not cure Death the Emperess of the Vniverse was such a disease that he could not cure But now the death of Christ will make a cure of death it will make a cure of a twofold death of the first and the second death The death of Christ disarms the first death Oh Death where is thy sting Oh Grave 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. where is thy victory The sting of Death is Sin and the strength of Sin is the Law but thanks be to God that giveth us the victory thorough our Lord Jesus Christ The death of Christ is the death of this death unto a person actually in Christ it is to Him a stingless death it is to Him not a Foe but a Friend this person may look this death in the face and laugh Oh Death where is thy sting As if an honest man being set upon by an High-way man should disarm him and then say Where is thy Sword now Where is thy Pistol now The death of Christ prevents the second death Oh! what is the first to the second death The second death is eternal death Rev. 2.11 Who can dwell with devouring fire who can dwell with everlasting burnings Now those actually in Christ and overcoming thorough Christ shall not be hurt of the second death He or She that overcometh shall not not so the Greek be hurt of the second death But Soul art actually in Christ that thy Soul then may be filled with joy and peace like the water-pots of Galilee up to the very brim thorough believing be in a reflection of these two concluding words Art actually in Christ Then He will be thy Guide unto death For this God is our God but how long until Sin rise or Satan rage until there be a sliding foot or a backsliding heart until I be a Captive to Temptation without or Corruption within and I fear no longer mark the words For this God is our God for ever Psal 48.14 and ever he will be our Guide even unto death Art actually in Christ Then He will be thy Guide thorough death Luk. 23.43 To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Was Socrates glad when his death approached because as he thought he should go to Homer Hesiod and other learned men whom he thought he should meet with in the other world How much more should they who live and dye in a Christ be filled with joy and peace that they shall go unto God and Christ that they shall go unto Angels and Apostles Drink now of the Brook by the way and lift up thy head for the death of Christ is the death of death Haec tria perpetuò meditare Adverbia Pauli Tit. 2.11 12. Haec tria sint Vitae regula sancta tuae HALE-LU-JAH POEMA MORTUALE OR AN ELEGY UPON DEATH THE LAW of NATURE AND TRIBUTE of MORTALS By R. M. No Poet nor the Son of a Poet. Dust Bodies are and unto Dust return Souls locked are not in a sable URN In Christo vixi morior vivamque perennè Gratia Christe mihi Gloria Christe Tibi Anno Praedicto 1679. I. The Prologue The Vale of the Author to the Reader AS with Hortensius 't is not with Me Unapt to write but apt to speak was He Nor do I with ALBERICUS compare Unapt to speak but apt to write his share For words or works their Genius rarely lay But haltingly do I go either way Death subject is a Cup full to the Brim An Ocean where Elephants may swim In POETRY I 'm learning but to spell Are Deeps exhausted with a Muscle-shell One was a Mute wise Cato being there Give fancy Vent Du-Bartas was not here This Poem now takes air our mortal Fate As to CONDOLE so to Congratulate Dost live to dye this shews a doleful state Dost dye to live this Dolour antiquate Is Truth the White let that Man never speed Who from the Issue censures of the Deed. Man may attempt all Men to please as soon As He that made a Vestment for the Moon To suit each interchange ah jugling Ape Dayes scarcely two She keepeth in a Shape Prose Poems too meet with a critick woùnd Some Faults will find besides Faults to be found Wing Momus then this Book is not for Thee And Zoilus take thy Flight as far as He. Art Notional 't was no Prophetick Brain Art Critical 't is no Poetick Strain But art Celestial here lies the STRESS Most lovely Truth shews in her native Dress Now Reader take taste eat but also wish 'T is Lordly Fare though in an earthen Dish II. The Description PAle Death the Subject is but what is Death From lifened dust but a departed Breath But is not Death so worthy Meditation An Essence No nor Substance but Privation There Beings are but Death no Being have No Creature 't is for Creatures 't is a Grave Death 's but a Fall which by a Fall invaded This Microcosm whereby he was degraded Some Persens are for Debts in PRISON laid This Debt pays Man though Man be left unpaid Man mortal is this Microcosmus must Strike Sail to Death and graved be in dust Life 's but a breathing Death a Tale that 's told He doth but live that liveth to be old A Vapor is man's