procurement of life but by suffering of death Now when God commeth to obay hee must needes be humbled and when hee comes to deserue he must needes serue which God alone could not doe and when he comes to dye hee must needes be mortall which God could not be therefore hee was man to be bound himselfe and God to free others Man to suffer God to vanquish Man to become mortall God to triumph ouer death Christ thus fitted to be our Sauiour proceeded to the worke of our redemption Now in our sins from which hee saueth vs wee must consider three things first our disobedience to the Law secondly our originall corruption thirdly our condemnation for this corruption The first of these is double eyther in breaking the Law or not fulfilling it The second is the originall cause of this disobedience which is the euill inclination of our heart and our corrupt affections The third is the punishment of this disobedience hell fire itselfe These being as three running soares are healed and cured by three running streames in Christ For our rebellion to the Law is satisfied in him who not onely paid the penaltie for that wee had broken it but actually fulfilled euery poynt thereof to the full For the second which is our originall corruption wee haue the holinesse and sanctification of his nature which was euer seperate from all vncleannesse so that now in Christ our redeemer our estate is farre better then euer it was in Adam in his first creation for though he was made good yet was he changeably good as hath beene said before but those that are in Christ are absolutely good and vnmoueable euen as the strongest mountaines that cannot be stirred Thirdly wee haue Christ by his passion to deliuer vs from condemnation Euen as in the sacrifice vnder the Law the blood of the innocent beast was shed for him that had sinned who worthily by sinne deserued to dye himselfe so we by the shedding of Christs blood that immaculate Lambe are purged from the guilt of all our sinnes for by his stripes we are healed and by suffering in his flesh hee hath prepared a ready way for vs to heauen hauing rendred in the same most perfect obedience for vs and by his death fully satisfied his Father for our sinnes and through the remission thereof obtayned righteousnesse and by righteousnesse the grace and fauour of God and by grace euerlasting life that wee may boldly present our selues before the throne of God But here obserue the wonderfull wisedome of God in the worke of our redemption prouiding such remedy which none could haue deuised but God alone for what else is death but the power of the Diuell and the vtter euersion of all the world Now to make the death of Christ as an antidote against the death of man and the very meanes to vanquish Diuell and Hell as also the high way to heauen and happinesse it selfe what was it else but the excellent vertue and admirable wisedome of him alone who calleth all things that are not as though they were bringing light out of darknesse good out of euill and death out of life And surely if all men and Angels should haue conspired together in study and deuise to wish a plague to haue fallen vpon Diuell and Death it selfe they could not haue determined such another course to wit that their glory should be their shame their power should be their plague and their kingdom of pride their vtter confusion What could the Prophet Dauid in all the hottest zeale he boare to God wish more against the wretched reprobates so traiterous to Christ his sonne and to his Gospell then to pray that their dainty tables might be as snares to take themselues withall and that their great prosperitie might be their greatest ruine Euen thus hath Christ ouercome the Diuell and Death and albeit they still doe warre against the Church yet their strength is so weakened and their power so abated that they cannot hurt it And where the Apostle saith that by death Christ ouercame him that had the power of death it is clearely manifest what manner of death our Sauiour Christ sustayned euen that ouer which the Diuell had his power the same death which is the reward of sinne by bearing it he ouercame it and hee conquered no more then hee submitted himselfe vnto for by death hee ouercame death If hee suffered no more but a bodily death hee ouercame also but a bodily death and so though wee all rise againe yet should wee arise in the condemnation of the sinne of our soules or if hee haue ouercome death and the power of it both in our bodies and soules then Christ hath suffered the paines of it both in body and soule that wee might rise againe from the bands of death and liue with him for euer for hee hath broken the force of it no further then hee hath felt the sting of it himselfe Therefore let vs beleeue that Christ both body and soule was made a sacrifice for our sinnes for so hee said himselfe My soule is exceeding sorrowfull euen vnto death And Marke saith Hee beganne to be astonished with his griefe and was ouerwhelmed with his sorrow And S. Luke declareth that in his Agonie his sweate was as droppes of bloud distilling from his face and that God sent an Angell from heauen to comfort him And can wee thinke that all this was for the feare of bodily death which many of Gods children yea many wicked men haue desperately despised Did the Apostles sing in Prison and went away reioycing being whipped and scourged Did Paul glory in so many tribulations which hee reckoneth vp and should our Sauiour Christ in the like paine with a fainting heart cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me No no if could not be saith a godly man but that which hath made Christ to tremble would haue torne his Apostles and dearest Saints a sunder that which made him to sweat blood so plentifully would haue made all other creatures to haue sunke to the bottome of hell most sodainly and that which forced him to cry would haue held both men and Angels in euerlasting woe and hellish howlings without all end Which comfortable poynt serueth to confute the hereticall doctrine of all such which say that the soule of Christ suffred nothing but only for the bodies sake as our soules suffer when our bodies are weake sicke or a dying But how then should wee be saued from the death of sinne and condemnation Doe they know that hee bore our sinnes in his body and submitted himselfe to the death of the Crosse and that by the wounds of his stripes wee are healed And did our sinnes deserue onely a bodily death and not a spirituall also which is the wrath of God holding body and soule in the euerlasting fire of hell This also maketh for the exceeding comfort
had not perished with the floud if the flouds of teares for sinne had flowed from mens eyes 15. Hope is the piller sustaining the building of our faith which fainting our faith falleth into the gulfe of dispaire 16. All things are possible to him which beleeueth ibid. Hope to a Christian is as a staffe to a traueller who resteth vpon it shall hardly fall 17. Despaire is a bottomelesse gulfe out of which none returneth that fall into it ibid. CHAP. IX WIthout the vndoubted hope of the resurrection Christ died in vaine our faith hope and all religion is in vaine Sect. 1. Infallible proofes of the resurrection by scriptures which are of God and cannot lie 2. Reasons drawne from the Scripture to confirme the same 3. Naturall reason and experience of the creatures conuince the truth hereof 4. Why should not our bodies rise againe from the dust as well as the seede sowne harrowed and hidden in the ground 5. Excellent resemblances and allusions of the resurrection of our bodies 6. Christ hath caried our flesh into heauen to put vs in possession and giuen vs his spirit as an earnest to seale his promises that we shall raigne with him in glory 7. Our bodies in the graue shall againe be quickned in Christ and rise againe to life carrying with them the warmenesse of Gods spirit which cannot die 8. Though our flesh doe rot yet shall the spirit of God deliuer it from corruption by the vertue of him that raised vp Christ from the dead 9. CHAP. X. THe godly groane that this mortalitie may be swallowed vp of life Sect. 2. They loath this wretched life to be vnloden of their sins 3. Our life is like a stage on which men play their parts and passe away ibid. A Christian needeth not feare the violence of death whose force is broken in Christ 4. Death as a Tailor putteth off our ouer-worne rags to apparell vs with the royall roabes of immortalitie incorruption and endlesse glory 5. A description of this sinfull wretched and miserable life 6. 7. Euery mans life is like a rocke in the Sea beaten vpon with waues on euery side and like vnto a Butt or marke at which sorrow c. shootes and at last Death that most sure Archer shootes and strikes it dead 8. The state and condition of all flesh is to be miserable and mortall 9. All kinde of miseries hunt after sinfull man and Death at length doth greedily deuoure him 10. Very fit resemblances of this wretched life 11. While we reside in the world death euery where lyeth in ambush for vs but when wee are in heauen it shall haue no place ibid. The comfortable death of Christians through Christ 12. 13. It is better to dye alwayes to liue then to liue to dye euer 14. If wee looke for our felicitie here wee are deceiued Eliah must goe to heauen in a whirle-winde 15. When we are borne we are mortall but when wee are once dead we become immortall 16. Death is as it were the birth of a blessed soule after a great trauell 17. Death and life are two twinnes inseparable vntill the diuision of soule and body ibid. It is a deliuerance from all sinne and the accomplishment of sanctification ibid. All the inhabitants of heauen weare crownes of glory sit in thrones of maiestie and possesse a Paradise of infinite pleasures 18. All glorified bodies shall shine as so many Sunnes and lamps in Gods kingdome 19. The incomparable ioyes of the kingdome of heauen shadowed out ibid. What heauenly societie and company of Saints are in Gods Kingdome 20. If we will make our death ioyfull and easie we must thinke of the glorious life that followeth it 21. If we would despise this world we must thinke of heauen ibid. Christ himselfe dyed that we might dye with more patience and pleasure ibid. It is a token of little loue to God to be so loath to goe vnto him 22. God reacheth out his hand to conduct vs but we draw backe our owne and runne away ibid. If God be our guide we must follow him to arriue in his house 23. FINIS THE FIRST BOOKE What DEATH is in it selfe CHAP. I. Of mans Creation and excellent estate before his Fall OVr most gracious God infinite in section 1 wisedome and incomprehensible in loue towards mankinde hauing before all worlds decreed to make himselfe most glorious in his Creation did in his appointed time effect the same For hauing made the world in wonderfull manner and furnished it with all varietie of creatures both for profit and pleasure deuising in his wisedome and vnspeakable loue a perfection of happinesse for man vpon the earth at last after a most exquisite manner consulted with himselfe for the shape of man and finding no creature fit enough for a patterne of his portraiture concluded with himselfe to make mankinde as a Chrystall glasse of his glory and a most liuely resemblance after a sort of his Maiestie section 2 And that not onely in the frame of his body to be as it were a briefe Map and abridgement of the whole worlds perfection which hee made as a most glorious Theatre fully replenished with most admirable sights of all sorts but which is more both in body and soule to represent his Creator as his Vicegerent and petty Monarch on the earth and seating him here as it were in his Throne and putting his owne Scepter into his hand and his Crowne of glory vpon his head gaue him dominion and rule ouer all the workes of his hands so that well may the Prophet with wonder exclaime and cry out Lord what is man that thou art so mindefull of him c. section 3 Now that this Image of God was liuely expressed in whole man resembling his Maker both in his body and in his soule doth plainly appeare by the renuing of man in Christ who is not onely sanctified in the one alone but in the other section 4 And first for mans Body it did resemble God in that immortalitie wherein it was first created as also in the seuerall members thereof expressed the varietie of his perfections and therefore in respect of Gods diuers employments in a borrowed speech are ascribed to him as the hands and armes to shew Gods omnipotencie and power his eyes and eares his piercing prouidence and sight c. I omit mans face and comely countenance in which principally doth shine a certaine imperious maiestie and grace most conspicuous causing all liuing creatures to stoupe vnto him and besides the goodly order of all his outward parts set and disposed in admirable sort a glorious beauty spreading it selfe throughout with wonderfull strength agillitie and nimblenesse of all his members made him most famous that very Naturalists and Pagans anatomizing his very body not onely preferred the frame thereof before the worlds whole curious creation but rauished in their senses with the consideration of the same deified and preferred it aboue all measure
one of the greatest to be tormented with the cares of this life which as Flyes by no deuice can be expelled They rush vpon them in the morning as soone as they awake they accompany them in the day they follow them in the night they forsake them not to bed they let them from their sleepe they afflict them in their rest they trouble them in their dreames and they are like to those fierce and mercilesse tyrants threatned to the wicked which shall giue them no rest neyther by day nor night For I haue taken away my peace from this kinde of people saith the Lord I haue taken away my mercy and compassion from them The very bruite beasts are fed and prouided for without their care but man is constrayned to sweate day and night and with sorrow to torment himselfe by sea and land to get a poore liuing Our dayes consume away like the Spiders webbe who laboureth night and day in spinning wasting euen her bowels and consuming her selfe to bring her web to an end and what is her worke but to make a fine and tender net to catch poore Flyes So miserable man doth toyle and trauell like a hireling both his body and minde to catch the Butter-flyes of this world euen needlesse toyes and trifles froath and vanities and many times in the end doth come the blustering winde of Death that carryeth away both web and workeman in a moment As our life is full of care so it is fraught and set with many snares God saith Dauid shall raine snares vpon sinners teaching vs how infinite snares are set in this world being as plentifull as the drops of raine For euery thing almost is a deadly snare vnto a carnall man Euery sight that he seeth euery word that he heareth euery thought that hee thinketh his youth his age his friends his foes his honour his disgrace his riches his pouertie his solitarinesse his societie his prosperitie his aduersitie his meate his drinke his apparell that hee weareth all are snares to draw him to destruction that is not watchfull in the Lord. Now to auoid these snares that wee be not caught there is no better refuge then that of the Birds who by the benefit of their wings mount vp into the ayre to flye aloft for the net is laid in vaine before the eyes of such as haue wings and can flye The Spyes of Iericho though many snares were laid for them yet they escaped them all for that they walked by hils and hid them in mountaines If wee lift vp our eyes to the hils with Dauid whence all our aide and assistance commeth to auoid the dangers of this life then likewise may wee say with him Our soule is deliuered as a bird from the snare of the Fowler If wee can truely say with S. Paul Our conuersation is in heauen then shall wee little feare all these deceits and dangers vpon earth for as the Fowler hath no hope to catch the birds except he can allure them to his pitch and to come downe to his lure so hath the Diuell no way to intangle vs but to say as hee did to Christ Throw thy selfe downe come to the baites which I haue laid eate and deuoure them tye thy affections to earthly things c. But King Dauid was past them all when he said to God Whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none in earth which I desire before thee c. And so was Paul when hee accounted all things dung for though he liued in the flesh yet he walked not after the flesh I haue a whole army of traitors within mee saith Augustine who vnder colour of friendship are mine enemies and yet behold with them haue I liued from my youth vp them haue I pleased them haue I beleeued as the friends whom I loued as the Masters whom I obeyed the Lords whom I serued the Counsellors whom I trusted c. That the Adamant draweth Iron vnto it is a secret in Nature but for the World and Flesh to draw vs is a matter as naturall as for the water of a riuer to runne downe the channell and as for a Coach to runne downe a hill for being naturally giuen to the corruptions of the flesh wee neede no soliciting the onely sight of the thing we loue is sufficient to hale vs forward As the wanton harlot allures her louers the baite vpon the hooke the fishes the call of the Fowler the foolish Birds so is this World and Flesh with their baites and allurements They are like a violent streame that carryes away the highest and tallest trees not sufficiently rooted yea the best men are rightly resembled to those that liue among Colliers and Millers who hardly can shunne defiling and deforming of coale and meale The Diuell setteth before our eyes enticing pleasures that by the sight of them hee may supplant our chastitie hee tempteth our eares with the sweetnesse of Musicke that hee may weaken our Christian strength hee moueth our tongues by bitter words and by iniurious deeds prouoketh our hands to fight and slay hee offereth vnrighteous gaine to induce vs to fraud and pernicious profits to kindle couetousnesse in our soules hee promiseth temporall honours wherby to defeat vs of celestiall ioyes he sheweth falshood that hee may seduce vs from the truth hee practiseth cunning in time of peace and violence in persecution In this wicked world who can liue peaceably among so many enemies of peace where the mother is against the daughter and the daughter against the mother yea manifold are our foes in our owne families yea in our owne selues and soules Reason against the Will and Will against the Reason yea which is more euery man is two men the Flesh against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh the Law of the members against the Law of the minde And this conflict is not for a time but so long as wee continue in this body of sinne Perfect peace here we cannot possibly haue seeing the Flesh which euer rebelleth is in this world as one that is planted in his owne Countrey Cast downe this enemy may be cast out hee cannot be vntill this mortall hath put on immortalitie yet we must endeuour that though it be inhabitant yet that it be not regnant The Flesh is strong yet Grace is stronger in Gods Children to subdue the rigour thereof the Flesh is as the elder Grace as the yonger but in this Gods Children haue a promise also that the elder shall obey the younger Wee may not thinke our selues safest when wee seeme to be freest from the buffettings of Sathan for bearing in our bodies a diuided Kingdome betweene the Flesh and the Spirit represented vnto vs in the wrestling of Rebeccaes twinnes in her wombe if wee haue peace with God wee shall haue warre with the Dragon and hauing forsaken Egypt yet in the way to our
are as corrupt by nature as the rest vntill they be reformed by the santified meanes ordained of God 15. Mans sinne maketh his life a due debt to death 17. The Diuell is the father of Sinne and Sinne the mother of Death ibid. The corruption of our flesh did not make our soules sinfull but the sinne of our soule did make the flesh corruptible ibid. CHAP. V. DEath is threefold corporall spirituall and that which is common both to body and soule Sect. 2. The description of Death according to the seuerall parts 3. The soule cannot properly dye being life it selfe illustrated by examples 4. How the soule is said to dye 5. The seperation from God is the death of the soule as the departing of the soule is the death of the body ibid. The nature of Death 6. Gods Spirit is the soule of our soules ibid. Man by sinne lost his life and found out death 7. It is agreeable to Gods iustice that a spirituall death should beget a corporall ibid. So soone as man had sinned so soone did the armies of death besiege his life 8. The very life of sinners is a death 9. Gods spirit must quicken and reuiue the soule or else it must needes dye and be damned 10. The degrees of the spirit in Gods elect 11. The wicked in this life doe liue in death and conuersing in earth they are bondslaues of hell 12. An effectuall faith in Christ is the life of the soule 13. What it is to be dead in sinne 14. Death is diuersly deriued with the reasons thereof 15. CHAP. VI. IT is enacted in heauen that all men must dye Sect. 1. The Registers of the death and buriall of men from the beginning witnesse the execution of Gods decree herein 2. Death is the way of all the world and the house of all men liuing ibid. Death is the Lady and Empresse of all the world 3. Balthasers Embleme is written vpon euery mans wall 4. Death respecteth no mans person place or qualities 3. Dayes and yeares and times no plea against the graue but a fitter prey for Death ibid. Death as Dan the gathering hoast sweepes all away 4. Mercilesse Death doth exercise her cruelty vpon all alike 5. Nothing can preuaile against Death or ransome our life 6. Gods hand a man may escape but Deaths dart no man can shunne 7. No force can resist it nor meanes preuent it ibid. Death is the common road-way of all the world 8. We must needes yeeld our selues to the law of Death ibid. Men may be distinguished by times but all are equall in the issue 9. As we grow our life decreaseth This whole life is but a death ibid. Man cannot be ignorant of his death since all creatures and actions proclaime his mortalitie 10. Experiments of death on euery side most apparant 11. The law of Nature conuinceth it amongst all nations 12. Our liues as our garments weare of themselues they are eaten with the Moaths we with the Time ibid. The course of our life runneth without pause to the period and end 13. An exclamation against Death most hideous and pittifull 14. 15. The Christian vse of our mortalitie with a reproofe of the carelesse Christian 16. 17. Death to the faithfull is as an hackney to carry and hasten them from earth to heauen ibid. CHAP. VII SInne brought in a sea of miseries Sect. 1. Life and misery are two twinnes which were borne together and must dye together 2. A description of infancy and old age with their miseries 3. The miserie of all estates Here death is liuing and life dying 4. There is no contentment in this wretched life 5. A description of mans sinfull mortall body 6. The frailty and brittlenesse of mans body with the reason thereof 7. See the manifold dangers of our life and how easily it is lost 8. The mutabilitie and inconstancie of mans life 9. This life is little better then hell were it not for the hope of heauen 10. This world is an Ocean sea of troubles See how fitly it resembleth it hauing a mercilesse maw to swallow vp all 11. It is a dungeon of ill sauours and a puddle of vices 12. Mans life is short and swift like a poste a ship and a shadow ibid. Our dayes passe swiftly as the Eagle to her prey and all mortall men are a prey to death 14. We are as flowers and grasse and Death in the hand of God as a sythe to cut vs downe ibid. All things dye but our sinnes which reuiue and grow young againe in despight of nature ibid. The cares of this life are like the Flyes of Egypt which giue men no rest neither day nor night 15. They are like mercilesse Tyrants which take away our peace ibid. Man and his labour are fitly resembled to the Spider and her web 16. All things are as snares to sinners to draw them to destruction 17. The meanes for Christians to auoid the snares of this life 18. It is as naturall for corrupt man to sinne as for water to run downe the channell or a Coach downe a hill 19. The best men liuing amongst the wicked are aptly resembled to Colliers and Millers ibid. The manifold engins of Sathan to enthrall vs. 20. No man can liue peaceably in this world among so many enemies of peace ibid. The warfare of Christians both outward and intestine with the occasions thereof 21. 22. Our life is as a tempestuos sea and death the onely port of tranquilitie and rest 23. CHAP. VIII MEN by dying proue they had sinned and sinne conuinceth there is a Law Sect. 1. The Law conuinceth man of sinne who without it knew not sinne 2. Sinne by the Law grew out of measure sinful with the reason thereof 3. The Law detecteth sinne as a hidden sicknesse that so we may seeke to Christ the Physitian 4. It is holy and righteous in it selfe though an occasion of euill to those that are corrupt ibid. How sinne is said to be dead without the Law 5. The Law anatomiseth sinfull man and setteth him out in his colours 6. The Law slayeth the sinner before Gods Spirit quicken him 7. Sinne and the Law are the strength and sting of Death 8. The Law not onely conuinceth man of sinne but iustifieth God in the punishment thereof 9. The horror of death with the reason thereof 10. CHAP. IX GReat and heauy was the tribute which God imposed vpon man for sinne Sect. 1. The death of the body is nothing to the damnation of body and soule in hell 2. As diseases are the maladies of the body so death is the maladie of diseases ibid. The death of the reprobate is a liuing death and a dying life 3. The life of the damned is an immortalitie of torments and euill 4. The torments of hell are vnspeakable 5. They are euerlasting and endlesse 6. Death to the vnregenerate is the very gate of hell 7. Death cannot be so feared as it ought of wicked men 8. CHAP. X.
THE vngodly as captiues are haled to deaths prison and Iayle of hell Sect. 1. The ioy of the wicked endeth in heauinesse 2. Their whole life is a miserable bondage of feare 3. The wicked once awakened out of the sleepe of sinne doe end their dayes like barking dogs 4. Who can put to silence the voyce of Desperation 5. Sinne is a make-bate betweene God and man and betwixt a man and himselfe 6. A wicked mans heart bleedeth when his countenance smileth 7. The Conscience cannot be pacified when sinne is within to vexe it 8. The wicked are in hell yet liuing vpon earth 9. Death is the Lords Serieant to apprehend a wicked man and to hale him to hell 11. The vnrepentant with as great violence are pulled from the earth at Ioab from the hornes of the Altar 12. The trembling estate of the reprobate 13. Hell is as fit for the reprobate as heauen for the righteous 14. The second BOOKE CHAP. I. WIcked men without Christ haue hell for their prison and are locked from God and his Saints in the dungeon of death Sect. 1. No creature could possibly redeeme vs from death with the reason why 2. Take hold of Christ and take hold of life In the flesh of Christ there it resteth Death hath raigned in all the world beside 3. God became man that he might be a Redeemer as before hee was a Creator 4. The dignitie of Christs person gaue such worth to his satisfaction that what hee suffered in short time might satisfie beyond all times 5. None can purchase our saluation but he onely that hath paid the price of our redemption ibid. None but Christ saueth and he will be alone in all his courses without mixture without medley 6. There is no God without Christ he created alone and he will redeeme alone 7. If our case were not desperate and past hope of recouery our redemption should not be so precious 8. Christ is Lord-Treasurer of heauen and Steward of all Gods graces 9. The Church in it selfe most vncleane and in Christ most beautifull 10. Christs humiliation in the worke of our Redemption 11. It was the fire of Loue to mankinde and the sharpe knife of Gods Iustice that put the Sonne of God to death 12. Excellent types and allusions of Christ our Redeemer 13. CHAP. II. THe compleat worke of our redemption performed by Christ alone and his onely meanes Sect. 1. Why Christ our Redeemer must needes be God and man 2. Christ his manner of proceeding in the worke of our redemption 3. The wonderfull wisdome of God in making the death of Christ as an Antidote against the death of man and so to bring life out of death 4. Christ suffered in soule as well as in body for our redemption 5. 6. The vse of Christs suffering in soule as well as in body 7. Death lost his sting in Christs death 8. Death tasted of Christ but it could not deuoure him 9. The death of Christ is the death of Death 10. Christs gall was our honie and his bitter death the sweet life of all beleeuers 11. The ready way to goe to heauen is to swim through the sea of Christs sufferings 12. Christ his death is the secret den of our deliuerance from Death and Hell 13. Christians onely ouercome by the bloud of the Lambe 14. The grace of Christ must be our onely clothing before Gods Tribunall 15. God will be knowne by his mercy and we by our deserts that so all glory may returne to him alone 16. Christs power is made perfect through our weaknesse he is all things to vs which are nothing in our selues 17. Christ is a mutuall help to God the Father and to vs without whom wee cannot possesse any good thing eyther in grace or glory 18. The Law and Christ are as the Physitian and Surgeon to a sicke man 19. It is absurd to seeke for iustification by the Law 20. To trust to our owne merits is the reioycing of Sathan 21. Christ conquered death and diuell being nailed to the crosse 22. CHAP. III. AS there is no life in the body but as it is vnited to the head so in Christ our head consisteth our life being vnited to him by his holy Spirit Sect. 1. By our spirituall vnion we are interessed in all that eyther God hath promised or Christ hath performed 2. Gods Spirit sheweth vs our nakednesse and the wardrobe of Christs righteousnesse to clothe vs. 3. There is no saluation nor sanctification for vs but as our nature is vnited to the person of Christ 4. This spirituall coniunction we can neuer comprehend till wee know God as he is 5. Christ is not onely God with his Elect in nature but in person the reprobate are of the same nature with him yet he is not God with them but against them 6. God punishing Christ in our person and iustifying vs in his he neither punisheth the innocent nor iustifieth the offenders 7. Christ washeth his children from their sinnes whom he ioyneth to himselfe 8. Whole Christ is his God-head and humanitie is our head and Sauiour 9. Whole Christ is coupled with whole man a mysterie vnspeakable ibid. Euery Christian man hath a portion of flesh in the body of Christ and where my flesh is there I hope to be 10. The God-head of Christ is the fountaine of all good things and his flesh is the Conduit-pipe by which they are deriued vnto vs. 11. We must goe by Iesus Christ that is God to Iesus Christ that is man 12. In our flesh he hath dyed risen and ascended that faithfull man may be crowned with glory ibid. God doth communicate nothing with vs but by the flesh of Christ in it he wrought our Redemption 13. Our soule is ioyned to the soule of Christ and our flesh with the flesh of Christ which quickneth both by the vnitie of his person 14. Christ vniteth himselfe to vs by the communication of his Spirit and we by faith are ioyned to him 15. The singular vse of our spirituall vnion with Christ 16. In the person of Christ all our blemishes are couered and his righteousnesse and sanctification imputed 17. The sinnes of the faithfull are not imputed to them but vnto Christ 18. The punishment of them are forgiuen to them but not to Christ ibid. If we be ingrafted into the body of Christ we are his and hee liueth in vs and his victory ouer all is ours 19. By this spirituall vnion Christ is our brother which are borne of God by the same spirit 20. The vncleannesse of our birth is washed away in the sanctification of Christs nature 21. Death can make no diuorce betwixt Christ and the faithfull though their bodies rot in the graue yet still they remaine true members of his body 22. Christ our head is able to restore that which nature hath destroyed 23. Christ and Christians are made one indiuisible body by the bond of Gods spirit and he being the head will raise vp his
members 24. CHAP. IIII. THE life of Christians is a continuall warfare nothing but death can end the combat Sect. 1. 2. Sathan especially assaulteth Christ and his members with the reasons why 3. The Diuell as a cunning fisher fitteth his baites as he findeth men affected 4. Out of the nature of mens qualities he worketh his malignities 5. Sathan most eagerly assayleth the faithfull at the houre of death and why 6. Sathans arguments from the Law of God against the faithfull 7. 8. The answere of Sathans obiections 9. All the breaches of the Law are made vp in Christ who perfectly fulfilled the same for all beleeuers 10. The Law being fulfilled Sathan Sinne and Death must needs be vanquished 11. The particular conflicts of Sathan with the faithfull with their comfortable conquest 13. 14. Soueraigne Antidotes of comfort against afflictions 15. Such we are by imputation with God as we are in purpose and affection 16. An excellent course to silence Sathan in his varietie of temptations 18. We must send him to Christ our aduocate who both pleadeth and defendeth our cause 19. Wee must shew him our generall acquittance sealed by God himselfe and proclaymed from heauen 20. Men cannot be more sinfull then God is mercifull 21. As Death entred by Sinne so it extinguisheth Sinne and endeth our warfare 22. CHAP. V. DEath must giue vs our last purgation and end our corruption Sect. 1. The dearest Saints of God are here subiect to all afflictions and Death it selfe as the vilest sinners with the reason thereof 2. The nature of Death is altered through Christ to the faithfull 3. Sinne brought in Death and Death must driue out Sinne. 4. There is no prescription against Death earth cannot redresse that which is enacted in heauen 5. Paine sicknesse c. with Death it selfe are as Gods Souldiers to come and goe at his pleasure 6. Afflictions are preuentions of sinne to the godly and plaisters to cure the sores thereof ibid. God doth diet his children in this world that they surfet not vpon pleasures and profits ibid. Wee as children cannot order our selues Gods wisedome and will are our best guides 7. Our worldly desires and lusts are inordinate and endlesse except the Lord restraine them 8. The excellent fruits of afflictions when they are sanctified to Gods elect 9. Afflictions are necessary trials of our Christian estate 10. Afflictions in this life are both punishers and purgers of Gods elect 11. They are both sufferings and instructions 12. Christ is the true patterne of Christians to whom they are conformable by their sufferings 13. Crosses and calamities are the Harbingers and Purueyers of Death 14. Whom God most loues those he most proues 15. The fire tryes the gold and misery men of courage ibid. The troubles of Gods children shall neuer cease till the world be without hatred the Diuell without malice and our nature without corruption 16. Afflictions may tire the flesh but neuer be able to extinguish the hope of a Christian 17. Sinne and Death haue lost their sting in Christs death 18. They cannot separate vs from God though they be fearefull to the flesh ibid. Death through Christ is the key of Gods Kingdome and gate of glory 19. CHAP. VI. CHristians are strangers in the world the bread of aduersitie and water of affliction is commonly their dyet Sect. 1. Being strangers they must be content with their vsage and prepare for their iourney 2. This world is restlesse there is no contentment in it 3. The world deales with men as the Rauen with the Sheepe picking out the eye that it may not see her tyranny 4. See the Anatomie of the World 5. The world is no proper element to Christians it rather feedeth then slaketh their appetites as oyle doth the fire 6. All Creatures haue their rest from God he is the centre of the faithfull 7. God hath set the earth vnder our feet that it should not be too much esteemed 8. Euery Christian with his crosse must be content to accompany Christ to his kingdome 9. Whilest we set our affections on earthly things we seeke for no better for we looke no higher 10. God giues his children here but an assay of his goodnesse the maine sea of his bountie and store is hourded vp in heauen 11. CHAP. VII AS man rebelled against his maker so all things while he liueth rebell against him euen man against himselfe the flesh against the spirit Sect. 1. Our manifold infirmities are as gyues and fetters about our legs to shew our guilty condition 2. The flesh as a subiect should obay the soule as her soueraigne 3. Though it be infused into the body it must not be confounded therewith ibid. Worldly and fleshly imployments dull the soules edge 4. Death to the faithfull is the funerall of their vices and the resurrection of their vertues 5. How we may discerne the state of our soules 6. Death endeth the combat of Christians when the flesh shall be dead and the spirit fully liue our passions buried and our reason freed in perfection 7. The body is but the barke and shell of the soule which must needes be broken if we will truly liue and see the light 8. The nature of the earth and earthly men 9. Sinne in the regenerate hath a deadly wound but in the wicked it hath a full and violent course 10. The Lord cureth our grosse sinnes by our infirmities ibid. Great are the troubles of the faithfull but saluation will one day make ameds for all 11. The glorified body shall obay the soule with admirable facilitie 12. The difference betweene a mortall man liuing and the faithfull deliuered by death 13. Sinne with all misery affliction and Death it selfe shall hereafter be shut vp in hell as in their proper place 14. This world to all Gods Israel is an Egypt of slauery 15. See the royall exchange of the faithfull who for a mortall and miserable life shall enioy a blessed and immortall 16. As the sufferings of Christ doe abound so doe the consolations increase to Gods elect 17. CHAP. VIII THE faithfull redeemed by Christ grow euery day to be spirituall and heauenly Sect. 1. Prayer and holy deuotion as precious perfumes take away the euill sauour of sinne and vncleannesse 2. There is no Iustification without the vnfayned sanctification of Gods spirit 3. The way to become spirituall and diuine 4. The nearer we approach to death the more we should be inflamed with the loue of God and all good workes 5. If wee will dye the death wee must liue the life of the righteous 6. Our deuotion must not be like the morning dewe and leaues of Autumne 7. The soule without grace is as the ground without moysture 8. Christians should not feare death but accustome themselues to hope for it 9. Death to the godly is no end of their liues but an end of their sinnes and miseries 10. The graue of the faithfull is sweetned by Christs funerall 11. When wee
the flesh the law of the members the nourishment of sinne the feeblenesse of nature and the food of death Oh grieuous necessitie and fearefull state of man before wee can sinne wee are lincked to sinne and before we offend we are bound with offence By one man sinne entered into the world and through sinne death hath gone ouer all Did not our Fathers eate the sowre grapes and are not the teeth of their children set on edge CHAP. IIII. Of the originall and entrance of Death and how iustly it was imposed vpon Adam and all his brood by the propagation of Sinne deriued vnto them THE Nature of man being thus wholly corrupted by Adams sinne Death presently followed him at the heeles to pay him his hyre As Death at first was threatned so speedily vpon his fall was it executed both vpon him and his Yet touching the originall of Death though the cause thereof be iust it seemeth doubtfull from whence it came and what author it had For although the issues thereof be in the hand of God and that it is his handmaide to execute his will as hee also fetters the very Diuels themselues who can doe nothing without him yet all the creatures that God did make were very good and as he is the very goodnesse it selfe so nothing but good proceedes from God Since therefore Death and the Diuell be enemies to God and goodnesse destroyers and corrupters of Nature which he hath made they are none of his creatures hee is neyther their author nor they of his off-spring All things which were made were made by the word and all things which were made by the word were exceeding good Euill then in generall and Death in particular which is euill in it selfe were not made of God and nothing can be good without the soueraigne goodnesse which is God himselfe And whereas good is not there is euill which in effect is nothing else but the priuation of good as death is the want of life and blindnesse the want of sight Lord saith Augustine thou hast not made death neyther hast thou pleasure in the destruction of the liuing therefore suffer not that which thou hast not made to haue dominion ouer me whom thou hast made God made not Death but man after hee fell to sinne receiued the sentence of his disloyaltie and reuolt that he should returne to dust of which he was framed The Diuell hath the power of Death that is hee is the author of Death who by his malicious nature brought it into the world for God made it not neyther hath any delight therein neyther is it good in his eyes nor euer mentioned amongst his workes but from the Diuell and of the Diuell and in the Diuell it beganne and is and abideth and therefore his name is rightly giuen him Abaddon that is a destroyer And as death is of him so for this cause also hee is said to haue the power of it because through his manifold temptations hee maketh men sinne by which Death raigneth For so saith S. Paul of Adam seduced by the Diuell Christ then vanquished him that had the power of Death that is hee abolished sinne and the condemnation of sinne which was the Kingdome of the Diuell and thereby triumphed ouer him For this cause saith S. Iohn the Sonne of God appeared that he might loose the workes of the Deuill that is Sinne and Death which are both of the Diuell for Sinne God condemneth and of Death hee saith I will be thy destruction protesting thereby that hee is author of neyther If God had made Death why did Christ weepe for Lazarus his death for he ought not to mourne for that himselfe had made but by this sorrow hee shewed that those that God had made to liue the Diuell by sinne had made to dye and therefore he raised him from the graue that Sathan might know he should little gaine by mans death I will not the death of a sinner saith the Lord. If God were the author of Death how could hee but be the willer of the same Not God then but the Diuell is the author of Death God made Adam without corruption and created him after his owne Image yet thorow enuy of the Diuell came Death and they that hold of his side proue it so that the Father of Death is the Diuell and as he is euill by nature so likewise is Death in it selfe issuing and proceeding from such a fountaine The Diuell is the author of Sinne and consequently of Death for by Sinne Death entered and Death is the wages thereof Hee that committeth sinne is of the Diuell for the Diuell sinneth from the beginning hee is a murtherer from the beginning hee is both a lyer and the father thereof not by creation but by corruption God made him an Angell hee made himselfe a Diuell so falling from God hee fell from goodnesse and became the father of sinne and wickednes Non stetit in veritate he stood not in the truth Hee that caused Sin caused Death for sinne The third part of the waters became Wormewood and many men dyed of the waters because they were made bitter Bitternes caused death but whence came the bitternesse from the Starre that fell into the waters called by the name of Wormewood And albeit that Death proceeded of the Diuell as wee haue heard yet is it also attributed vnto man himselfe to leaue him inexcusable as plainely appeareth by Paul his comparison betweene Christ and Adam As by the offence of one man saith hee death raigned ouer all and sinne came ouer all to condemnation so by Christ which is one the benefit of grace abounded towards all men to Iustification of life In which Antithesis wee may see Death seazing vpon all men through Adam and that very iustly so that Man and Diuell are partners in sinne and so in death Here two things concurre together the tempter and the obeyer Sathan tempted and man consented He tempted and perswaded of enuy intermingling the matter with belying and slandering of the truth to haue man breake Gods commandement notwithstanding all this Sathan had nothing preuailed had man resisted and not consented to his temptation Therefore wee may conclude that in respect of Sathans enuy lying and other euill attempts tending all to mans destruction hee may be called as hee is indeede the author of death yet in regard of mans consent in transgressing Gods Law Death may duely be imputed to himselfe although there were none other cause for that he was created to the likenesse of God himselfe and flourished with Free-will which as then hee possessed The Diuell then is not the proper and absolute cause of sin because that the nature of the absolute proper cause is such that it going before the effect cannot choose but follow after But it falleth not out so alwayes in man prouoked of the Diuell who
a man vpon easie conditions should gaine an high estate to him and his for euer and yet should wittingly and wilfully forfeite it againe to the owner who would either moane the heire or blame the giuer Euen so God hauing made the soule of man good righteous and faire as from himselfe yet knitting it to the body to make the man which man is Adams heire he may iustly withdraw his graces from it as his owne being forfeited and lost by traiterous man Thus Gods grace most iustly fayling the soule it falleth to sinne and declineth to naught which pronenesse of euill is our naturall sicknesse which we call Originall sinne So that the soule of man is not now created with that strength to perseuere in goodnesse and resistance of euill and other excellent graces which it should haue had if Adam had not sinned and albeit it be pure and vnspotted as it proceedeth from God yet is it no sooner ioyned to the body but it is presently polluted euen as the purest wine and best quintessence when it is powred into a filthy pot poysoned and vnsauory doth in a moment loose their naturall taste and tallage so doth the sweet soule loose her fragrant smell of grace and goodnesse so soone as it is sent into this filthy vessell the body of sinne Neither is the soule of man subiect onely to weakenesses and infirmities in resisting of corruptions but hath many other defects both of minde and will being destitute of spirituall life and light blinde by nature and not so much as inclinable to holy desires and sanctified workes as God her Creatour by his law requireth And although in the iust iudgement of God as we haue already heard mens soules be now made in such sort as that of necessitie they must be defiled being ioyned to these bodies of sinne yet are they not thereby to be excused from the guilt of sinne for though it be of a iust necessitie yet is it not of any compulsion that they should sinne as we see by experience Iron and Stones and such like graue and heauie substances though neuer so softly let downe into a brooke doe of necessitie yet not by any violence sinke downe to the bottome thereof Bodies depriued of foode and flesh in time doe putrifie of necessity yet neither the one nor the other by any compulsion God of necessitie is good and the Diuell is euill yet can we not say that either goodnes in God or iniquity in the Diuell doe proceede of compulsion So our soules being ioyned to our bodies are of necessitie sinfull yet willingly also and of their owne accord Neither yet is it or can be otherwise now with the best regenerate and holiest men renewed in Christ towards their children then it was in Adam at the first touching the propagation of originall sinne they can conuey no more vnto their posteritie but that which by nature they are possessed of for grace comes from heauen and our new birth is not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God If we winnow any Wheate or graine neuer so perfectly and purge it neuer so throughly by the fanne from the chaffe and dust yet when it is sowne againe it will not bring forth cleansed corne but with the graine yeelde huskes and hawnes which also must it selfe be threshed with the flayle and cleansed with the fanne vpon the floore As this clensed Corne I say can giue no more but what it had by nature and looke what it had by the art industry of man the same meanes must be vsed to it againe before it be cleane and fit for our vse Euen so the faithfull though they be washed iustified and sanctified by Gods spirit and the blood of Christ yet can they giue no more to their children then what themselues haue had by nature being the children of wrath and as for any grace or goodnesse it must come from the same Author and by the same meanes which their parents had to worke it in them or else it can neuer be effected God doth worke in the hearts of men to incline their wills which way hee pleaseth either to good things according to his mercy or to euill according to their owne desert and that by his iudgement sometime manifest sometime secret but alwayes iust A worke-house must needes decline and also fall when the vnder-proppes are remoued Darkenesse must needes ensue when the Sunne and light is departed away Those bright beames of all light and happy life which were giuen to our first parents are remoued and other excellent gifts and graces of God are in his iust iudgement so long withholden from our soules vntill by his holy spirit as the worker and by his holy word as the instrument God in his good time doe againe enlighten our mindes and purifie our hearts by faith and confirme and strengthen vs in euery good word and worke Sinne to mankinde will alwaies be a Iebusite a false borderer yea a ranke traitour rebelling against the spirit which makes the life of man to be saith Chrisostome a debt as it were owne and due to death for the diuell is the father of sinne and sinne is the mother of death Hereupon saith S. Iames that Sinne being finished trauaileth in childe-birth like a mother to bring forth Death and Dauid calleth sinne the gate of death because as a man commeth into a house by the dore or gate so death came into the world by sinne The corruption of our flesh did not make our soule sinfull but the sinne of our soule did make the flesh corruptible Whereupon Lactantius calleth sinne the reliefe or foode of death and as a fire goeth out when all the fuell is spent but burneth as long as it lasteth so death dieth when sinne ceaseth but where sin aboundeth there death raigneth CHAP. V. Of the Nature of Death what it is and how manifold and whence Deuines haue deriued it DEath thus iustly deriued from Adam as the stocke to all and euery one of vs his line and race as to the boughes and branches the leprosie of his sin cleauing fast to all his seede we are further to consider the nature thereof for our better humbling which cannot more plainely appeare then by the true describing and diuiding of the same by and into his seuerall parts properties and effects as they are laid out vnto vs and gathered from the Scriptures As man therefore in his nature consisteth of two principall parts a humane body and a diuine soule which vnited together make but one person so there is a Death of the body and a Death of the soule and a death that is common both to body and soule Death then in it selfe is not onely a killing of the body but also a slaying as it were of the soule not onely a separation of the soule from the body but a diuision and cutting off both of
body and soule from God Hence it appeareth that Death is threefold first corporall secondly spirituall and thirdly a death common both to body and soule and all these kindes due to all men without exception for all haue sinned and are destitute of the grace of God This corporall Death which I said to be a seperation of the soule from the body is likewise called the first Death And spirituall Death which is a renting of the soule from God who is the life thereof is also called the second Death Both corporall and spirituall or the Death that is common both to body and soule which is an euerlasting diuorce both of body and soule from the vnion and fellowship of God is also called eternall death which is inchoatiue in this life for they that beleeue not are condemned already and compleate in the life to come when after the resurrection of the body both body and soule shall euerlastingly be seperated from the Lord of life which is also common to all by reason of sinne yet not preuailing ouer Gods elect iustified and freed from it by faith in Christ Death therefore in a word is nothing else but a departing from life the life of the body is the soule therefore the separation of the soule from the body is Death And as the soule is the life of the body so the life of the soule is God therefore the going and departing of the soule from God to cleaue to sinne and Sathan is the death also of the soule The sinfull soule dies not because she turnes to nothing but in that she dies to God and liues to sinne for how can the substance thereof perish seeing it is the soule that giueth life he that receaueth the soule receaueth life and when the soule departeth life flyeth away The soule therefore is life and how can it die which is opposite so directly to death it selfe For as Snow can endure no heate but presently it melteth and as the Sun in his brightnesse can receaue no obscuritie but dissipates and dispels all darkenes by his cleare and christall beames and as the coldest and hardest Ice at the approach of the fire is turned into water so the soule which is the fountaine of life and authour of mouing is not capable properly of death nor can possibly die Therefore the soule of man being immortall ought to be well ordered and heeded least the Immortality to ioy should turne to Immortality of sorrow The death of the body is not the death of the soule but onely a seuering or parting of the same from the body As in taking of a Candle out of a Lanthorne we may take the light out and not put out the Candle and the Lanthorne is full of darkenesse by reason of the light remoued yet the Candle casteth her light more cleare and bright euen so the soule departing from this body of clay liueth and moueth afterward more freshly and blessedly The soule then dies not because it is vtterly abolished but because it is as though it were not it ceaseth to be in respect of righteousnes and fellowship with God for this is the death of all deaths when the creature hath subsisting and being still in it selfe and yet for all that is depriued of all happy and heauenly societie with God The soule in the body is the life of the flesh but God which quickneth all things is the life of our soules so saith Gregorie As the body dieth when it sendeth out the soule so doth the soule die when it looseth God The seperation from God is the death of the soule euen as the departing of the soule is the death of the body so saith Augustine Sinne begat the last and the punishment of sinne brought forth the first so saith Bernard The nature then of death in effect is the absence or depriuation of that life which God bestowed on man in his creation It is an execution of Gods iustice and iudgement vpon man for sinne God ordained it in iustice but man procured it by his sinne whose stipend it is euen the ouerthrower of mankinde an enemy to nature the dissolution of Gods worke the power of the diuell the strength of Gods wrath and the very kingdome of hell The death of the soule is to cease from righteousnesse and quite to be sequestred from the life of God This is called the first death in respect of time going as I said before the second which is the compleate death indeede for as the soule as we haue heard is the life of the body so God is the life of the soule and his spirit is as it were the soule of our soules the want of which communion brings nothing else but endlesse and eternall death Without God there is no life therefore Adam and Euah departing from God departed from their life and although their soules were not presently seperated from their bodies yet being gone from God their life they lay as it were buried in their bodies as dead carkases in the graues as also their bodies themselues euery moment were mortall Sinne saith Bernard went before and Death followed at the heeles which if Man had preuented death had not entred He would not be ruled by God and so was made vnable to rule his body Thus by sinne he lost his life found out death As his soule could not be diuided from God his life but by sinning no more could his body be seperated from his soule but by dying and nothing was more agreeable to Gods iustice then that a spirituall death should beget a corporall a guilty death that which is penall and a voluntary death an ineuitable and fatall So soone as man through sinne had turned himselfe from God so soone and as sodainely was he destitute of his grace and so soone did the huge hoast of death ceaze vpon him and besiege him as hunger thirst and nakednesse sicknesse sorrow and all kinde of miseries So soone as euer they had sinned saith Chrisostome euen so soone did the Lord pronounce sentence of death against them and euen as those that are condemned of an earthly Iudge although for a while perhaps they may be reserued a liue in prison and be repriued yet in effect they are but dead men Euen so our first parents though through the exceeding great mercy of God after sentence pronounced they did long enioy their liues yet forthwith in effect they were as good as dead for no day houre or moment did afterwards ensue in which they had assurance of their life Whereby we may learne that the life of sinners is no life indeede but a death being estranged from the life of God and none haue life in God which want beliefe in Christ for onely Christ who is eternall life through faith doth quicken vs So that truely to acknowledge Christ and thorough faith to possesse him is to be freed from death and to haue eternall
the Iewels and ornaments of her husband Christ because as Augustine saith he is a spunge which wipeth and clenseth vs from all our filthinesse which he taketh in exchange for his beautie and righteousnesse Christ is said to keepe the key of life and Death the one to make fast and shut to the gates of Hell which alwaies stood open to swallow vs vp and the other to vnlocke the kingdome of heauen which alwayes was shut and barred against vs By meanes whereof at the time of his death the vaile rent asunder that kept the entrance into the most holy place What is more filthy then a man conceiued and borne in sinne and what is more cleane and beautifull then our Sauiour Christ conceiued by the holy Ghost My welbeloued is white and ruddy the choysest of tenne thousand This sweet and louing Lord that was so fayre and cleane was content to beare the blemishes of our sinnes and filthinesse of our soules to make vs beautifull in Gods sight It was a worke of great patience and humilitie saith Cyprian that so high and excellent a Maiestie would vouchsafe to come downe from heauen to earth and all to cloath himselfe with this our house of clay and dirt and that hee would so hide the glory of his immortalitie to become mortall for sinfull man that being himselfe innocent and faultlesse yet should be so punished for vs that are guilty that hee that came to pardon sinnes would be content to be washed with the water of sinners that hee that feedeth all creatures should fast himselfe and be hungry that hee might fill sinners with his grace and satisfie hungry soules with his righteousnesse c. How was hee spoyled of his earthly garments that apparelleth the Saints with the royall roabes of immortalitie and glory How was hee proffered most bitter gall that offereth to vs the heauenly Manna and food of our soules How did his enemies giue him vinegar to drinke that reacheth out vnto vs the wine and Nectar of life and saluation Hee that was iust and innocent or rather Iustice and Innocencie it selfe was iudged and executed among theeues and murtherers the euerlasting Truth was accused of falshood the righteous Iudge of the world was condemned himselfe and that Word of God the very fountaine of eternall life receiued the sentence and doome of death with silence c. Innocencie was tyed with bands Vertue apprehended Wisdome flouted Honour contemned Glory defaced the well-spring of all vertue troubled Christ as the true Isaack and sonne of promise bare the wood vpon his owne shoulder to the place of sacrifice this carriage was diuided betweene two the sonne carryed the wood and the body that should be sacrificed and the father carryed the fire and the knife wherewith the sacrifice should be accomplished It was the fire of Loue which God bare to mankinde and the sharpe knife of diuine Iustice that put the Sonne of God to death These two vertues in God our heauenly Father contended together Loue requested him to pardon mankinde and his Iustice required that sinners might be punished Wherefore that man might be pardoned and sinne punished a meanes was found that Christ an innocent man might dye and by his death redeeme all sinfull men that doe beleeue Christ is our true Sampson that for the loue of his Spouse the Church suffered himselfe to be bound hand and foote to be shaued of his lockes and spoyled of his force and so to be mocked and scorned of all his enemies for our sakes Christ in his death is the golden propitiatorie the Rainebow of diuers colours placed among the clouds of heauen with the sight whereof Almighty God is pacified with this were his eyes fed his iustice satisfied and his fauour restored Yee that be a thirst come yee to the waters Christ is the mysticall Rocke that Moses stroke with the rod whence springeth the abundance of water to satisfie the thirst of poore afflicted soules Hee is that cluster of grapes brought out of the Land of Promise out of the which was pressed that ioyfull wine to fill the cup of our saluation Hee is the oyle of grace wherewith wee must repay our debts Wee must not looke so much to the quantitie as to the vertue thereof which is so great and good that so long as there be faithfull soules as vessels to be filled therewith so long will the veyne of this sacred liquour runne and neuer cease The bloud of Christ cryeth better things then that of Abel for his bloud cryed for vengeance against the murtherer but this his precious bloud cryeth and craueth for pardon of our sinnes O Lord saith Augustine thou wilt not the death of a sinner nor reioycest in the destruction of the damned but that the dead might liue thou dyedst and thy death hath killed the death of sinners And if they through thy death were againe brought to life Oh grant I beseech thee that I may not dye now thou art aliue CHAP. II. That Christ by his death and merits alone without any meanes of man or other creature redeemeth vs from death and damnation NO Creature but Iesus Christ alone as hath beene declared could possibly rescue vs from death and restore vs to euerlasting life Now followeth in order the manner and meanes of our redemption for as our deliuerance proceeded onely from Christ himselfe so all the meanes and compleate worke thereof was performed by himselfe alone without supply He tooke our nature vpon him to take our part that so hee might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is to say the Diuill and that hee might deliuer all them which for feare of death were all their life time subiect to bondage Hee suffered for our sinnes the iust for the vniust that he might bring vs to God and was put to death concerning the flesh but was quickned in the spirit that hee might be our ransome God is iust and we hauing smitten his Maiestie by our sinne must be smitten againe by his punishment for hee is so to be mercifull as that hee disanull not his Iustice and so to be iust as that hee forget not his Mercy Now to make a way to both to appease his wrath that his Iustice may be satisfied and yet so to appease it as his Mercy may be magnified in forgiuing sinne it was necessary that there should be a mediation For if all the world should be offered vnto God for satisfaction it is nothing for it is his owne euen the worke of his hands for infinite sinnes there must be infinite sufferings and infinite satisfaction and therefore he that must redeeme vs must be an infinite Sauiour euen God himselfe as wee haue heard yet man also he must be euen a true Immanuel God with man For how can there be satisfaction for our apostacie but by our humilitie or
Sepulchre can no where be found So that Sinne and Death can hurt vs no more for Christ is Lord ouer the Law Sinne and Death to all beleeuers Moses must giue place to Christ Death and Sinne can haue no roome but grace ioy righteousnesse life faith and peace must haue place with all true happinesse and heauenly rest The Law now cannot condemne nor saue it restraineth vs from sinning as the bonds and chaines the Lion and Beare from tearing and deuouring The Law is the Hammer of Death the thundring of Hell and lightning of Gods wrath that beateth to powder the obstinate and senselesse Hypocrites and hard-harted reprobates This is the true vse of the Law by fearefull tempests and sound of a Trumpet as in Synai to terrifie and by thunder to beate downe and rent in peeces that cruell monster of mans righteousnesse The Schoole-maister chastiseth his Schollers not to hurt them but to reforme them The rod is sharpe but correction is necessarie and the heart of the correctour louing The Physitian giueth a bitter potion to his patient to cure him the bitternesse is not to be imputed to the Physitian but to the medicine and maladie The Law condemneth the faithfull to death no more but teacheth and instructeth them in their duetie exhorteth and reproueth them and procureth them by all meanes to goe to the Schoole of Christ The Law and Christ are as the Physitian and Surgean comming to a sicke man to heale him The Surgean openeth the veine and taketh away the corrupt blood not to kill him but to recouer him to his health The Law peirceth our impostumes and corruptions of sinne and Christ healeth the wound But to seeke to be iustified by the Law is as if one hauing the Falling-sicknesse would ioyne to it the Pestilence for his recouery Or as if a Leper should come to one that had the leprosie to heale him or as one begger to another to enrich them So that they that seeke to be righteous by the Law are twise more vnrighteous weake and beggerly If a man now could fulfill all the Law of God yet could he not be saued because he was borne corrupt and could not possibly pay for that was past and in performing the Law afterward he should doe nothing but his duetie but this is our comfort that the Lord seeing our weakenesse hath in his loue passed by it and seeing our thoughts alwaies to be euill taketh no accompt or reckoning of vs but we resembling the Image of his Sonne the Lord reckoneth with him and striketh off our debts in setting them on his score who hath paid the Lord his full due euen to the vtmost farthing being in his birth cleane in his life holy and in his death obedient We therefore that haue no goodnesse of our owne haue iust cause highly to extoll the goodnesse of God freely giuen to vs in Iesus Christ For the trusting to our owne merites is the reioycing of Sathan the serpent that would sting vs. But the fastening of the firme Anchor of our hope vpon Christ alone is his ouerthrow and baine For as the Apostle exulteth If God be on our side who will be against vs. This is the onely victorie that ouercommeth the world euen our faith fixed on Christ This is the sling of Dauid to throw that mightie Goliah to the ground yea euen the weapon that slayeth him Neither the Law then nor merits of men nor any other meanes whatsoeuer but onely the deserts of Christ take place in the worke of our redemption The death and passion of Iesus Christ is a soueraigne medicine against all diseases of soule and body the remembrance whereof doth much mitigate the feare and horrour of death for hee that beleeueth in this crucified Sauiour is already passed from death to life By his vniust condemnation which we onely haue deserued we are deliuered and absolued at the iudgement seate of God and by the death which he suffered wee haue life and our death is abolished Christ suffered for our sinnes the iust for the vniust he hath borne our sinnes and God hath laid our sorrowes vpon him and by his stripes wee are healed He hath died for vs that wee might liue no more to our selues but to him which died for vs which we must doe by faith For faith presenteth Christ before our eyes It seeketh him out as a mighty Sampson which breaketh the gates of his enemies and carrieth them away vpon his shoulders who killed and destroyed more by his death then by his life So that Christ alone being crucified did conquer the Diuell being nailed to the crosse he cancelled the enditement of the law laid against vs and by dying he slaue Death and Sinne with their owne swords as Dauid did Goliah and broke the Serpents head Hee opened the Sepulchre and gaue life vnto the dead yea he entred into the house of Death and Hell and like a strong armed man bereaued them of their forces No sooner was Ionah cast into the Sea but the tempest ceased no sooner was the paschall Lambe slaine but the Israelites were deliuered no sooner was the high-Priests dead but all banished men returned home into their country What was this but a figure of Christ by whose Death we haue all returne into our country and deliuerance from all danger and destruction Who would not lay his burden vpon him that so desireth to giue him ease God would not haue the sinner to die and be damned but to liue and be saued Haue wee had so many experiments of his loue and should wee now doubt thereof Is the Iudge become our Aduocate and shall wee feare to goe forward to the throne of grace One deepe calleth another and what is that saith one There is a depth of mans miserie now at the gates of death and there is a depth of Gods mercie which is ready to heare and helpe all that call vpon him Now miserie calleth vpon mercie wee may cry Helpe Lord for besides him there is none to helpe It is not the peeces and patches of our owne deserts that can make vs a garment to couer our nakednesse and sinne but it is the Scarlet-roabe that tooke so deepe a double dye in the bloud of Christ that must now alone stand vs all in stead CHAP. III. The faithfull onely and such as are vnited to Christ are redeemed from death and restored to euerlasting life with the singular priuiledges and effects thereof NOW as the benefit of our Redemption section 1 by Christ is great and vnspeakable performed onely by Christ himselfe and his onely meanes so none but his members are partakers thereof Hee is the head the Church is his body and euery faithfull man is a member for his part And as there is no life in the body but as it is vnited to the head nor any motion in the
Things present things to come Life Death the world it selfe all is ours and we are Christs Christ in regard of this our vnion with him is not ashamed to call vs Brethren who yet made heauen and earth section 20 and is an immortall and glorious God one with his Father to whom all Angels doe obeysance and the most glorious Princes are but dust and ashes It was a rare thing in Moses being so high in fauour with Pharao that hee would vouchsafe to visite his poore brethren such slaues and bond-men It was singular loue in Ioseph being next to the King in honour and place yet not to be ashamed of his Fathers house being herd-men and sheepe-herds But this is nothing to the kindenesse of Iesus Christ the very shining brightnesse of that most glorious God and his onely begotten Sonne before all eternitie who yet was not ashamed of vs miserable wretched sinners but of his free grace acknowledged vs that were his very enemies in whose person he should suffer a most shamefull and slanderous Death And is it not trow you a iust condemnation if wee wretched men should be ashamed of him who being the God of glory was not ashamed of vs And as they are naturall brethren which are borne of the same Parents so all wee are brethren with Christ which are borne of God through the same spirit by which we cry Abba Father and exercise our loue one towards another in the vnitie of Christian faith section 21 Wee wrastle here with sin as though the steppes of our strength were restrained and looke euen fully vpon death as the Ialour that committeth vs to our graue as a dungeon how be it euen in this doth the Lord reach forth a most approued cordiall to reuiue the faintnesse of our hearts for through the vnion and communion we haue with Christ the vncleanenesse of our birth is washed away in the sanctification of his nature Our transgression remoued in his innocencie our rebellion discharged in his obedience and the vtmost farthing paid in his sufferings And hauing the Image of God which we lost in Adam not renewed onely but a fairer and deeper stampe thereof ingrauen and set vpon vs we may in a Christian resolution challenge at the gates of Hell and Death that nothing can be charged vpon vs as a debt and therefore nothing can light vpon vs as a punishment Wherefore though we mingle here our bread with care and drinke with weeping and haue our lodging in the bed of darkenesse and discomfort it is but to weane vs from the flesh-pots of Egypt till in the heauenly land of Canaan we haue our hearts desire section 22 And though our bodies seeme to perish for euer in in the iudgement of men yet still they haue a being in the sight of God and are members of Christ For the vnion as I haue said betweene Christ and the faithfull is not onely of our soules but of our bodies also all the bodies of the faithfull being vnited to the bodie of Christ And this is such a coniunction as Death can neuer dissolue For though it doth breake the knot betweene Man and Wife yet cannot it infringe the bond betwixt Christ and the faithfull As Death did not make a separation betwixt the two natures of Christ at the time of his suffering though his soule and body were then farre distant in regard of place the one being in heauen and the other in the graue yet were they at that time and in that case personally vnited vnto his god-head no more can Death make a diuision betwixt Christ and the faithfull though there bodies putrifie and rot in their graues yet still they remaine true members of his body And as the Husbandman doth make as great reckoning section 23 of that corne which he hath sowen in his Field and lieth vnder clods as hee doth of that which lieth safe in his barne or garner because he assureth himselfe it will come vp againe and yeelde encrease So Christ our Sauiour doth as highly esteeme of those bodies which are dead and buried as of those which remaine aliue because hee knowes that one day they shall rise againe in honour Their life is but hid for a time and will be found out againe for Christ is able to restore that which nature hath destroyed And God doth deale herein no otherwise with the bodies of his children then Goldsmiths with their old peeces of plate long agoe out of fashion who cast them in the Furnace to refine them and to bring them to a better forme according to his minde Therefore let not the wofull condition of our bodies discourage vs any whit or lessen our hope being ready to die For though the graue deuoure them wormes doe eate section 24 them fire consume them or sea swallow them vp yet being ioyned to Christ in his death and resurrection as Christ and Christians are made one indiuisible body by the bond of Gods spirit they can neuer be seuered from him And although their bodies be as it were rent from the soule by the violence of Death yet in regard of this coniunction with Christ their head neither death nor the graue can separate them from their head For though our bodie be buried in the earth yet our head is in heauen And as one that swimmeth though his body diue and sinke vnder the water yet his head being aboue the streames the whole man is sure and safe from perishing So sure are the faithfull from euerlasting death and destruction though their bodies be entrenched and enterred in their graues being members of their head Iesus Christ ascended aloft aboue the highest heauens to whom they are vnited still by an inseparable bond of his spirit which death can neuer breake CHAP. IIII. The combat and conflict of Christians with Sinne Flesh Death Law and Diuell with their heauenly conquest and triumph ouer them all through Iesus Christ section 1 SVch is the enmitie of the old Serpent in the iust iudgement of God set betweene him and Adams seede that though his head be broken yet still he will labour to bruise their heele Like a coward ouercome he lags behinde for aduantage and not daring to shew his face any more in the field hee dragges in the way and lieth aloofe vpon euery occasion to take them in a trappe Though he cannot preuaile yet prouoke vs still hee will to fight and try our manhood neither can wee otherwise be conquerours then was Christ our Captaine and head who by dying in the field recouered life both for himselfe and his Souldiers for nothing but Death can end this combat Our life is a warfare and that most strange for any section 2 other warre may haue an end either by a conclusion of peace with the enemie or by flying farre from him or by ouercomming him in fight But in this spirituall warre we cannot lawfully make any peace with these our enemies the
righteous God the Law-giuer is infinit eternall and so his Iustice offended therefore his death by transgressing must be endlesse and euerlasting God is iust and cannot deny himselfe Hee hath said that if man breake his Law he should dye the death and therefore death shall hold him God is perfect and pure and therefore the satisfaction must be answerable to his nature His righteous Law bindes both soule and body to obedience euen euery mans thoughts words and workes and therefore let euery man performe this and hee shall liue section 8 These and many moe are the darts of the Diuel which hee casteth against our soules to wound vs to death the least of which assuredly would peirce vs through were it not that the strength of Iesus Christ rebounds them back and blunts them Hee alone is our shield and buckler our helmet of saluation our Castle and house of defence hee couereth vs with his wings and wee are safe vnder his feathers his faithfulnesse and his truth shall still preserue vs. For all these dangerous darts and a thousand moe are nothing to his power their force is lesse and their violence weaker then straw or stubble to the furnace But to hasten the answere Gods Iustice indeede is section 9 gone out it cannot be reuersed Man must keepe his Law or man must dye eternall death Whereupon it pleased the onely Sonne of God to become the sonne of man for our sakes and so as man to satisfie the Law of God for our sinnes that Gods truth might not be altered No Angell nor Saint could be our Sauiour in this case but man who had offended God Now man of himselfe being too weake to beare this heauy weight Christ being God became also man as we haue heard that so hee might suffer as man and saue as God Our Mediator was God and man Man and God were foes and therefore being God and man hee reconciled man to God And as the first Adam by transgressing brought death vpon all men so Christ the second Adam by obaying brought life to all beleeuers Gods purest Iustice could not exact the thing which he fulfilled not It required the performance of the Law this hee accomplished being the end of the Law and the Prophets Hee was the substance of all the old Ceremonies and the very body of all the shadowes of the Law Hee was circumcised and baptised and so fulfilled all righteousnesse hee paid tribute and was obedient in all things and was vnder the Law so his comming was not to breake the Law but to fulfill the Law As it required perfect holinesse in man so hee was a man without sinne conceiued by the holy Ghost therefore hee was not afraid to say to the faces of his foes Which of you can rebuke mee of sinne Yea the Iudge himselfe that condemned him washed his hands as a witnesse of his cleannesse I finde no fault in this iust man True therefore is the saying of the Apostle that hee was made sinne for vs which knew no sinne that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God through him He is truely called the Paschall Lambe most pure and vnspotted which taketh away the sinnes of the world To him all the Prophets beare witnesse that iustly through his name is preached remission of sinne and that there is no other name vnder heauen by which we can be saued Thus hee fulfilled the Law for man which had broke section 10 the Law being man himselfe His obedience was most perfect he left nothing vnfulfilled And as hee kept the Law which man had broken so likewise did he beare the punishment which hee deserued The breach of the Law was the curse of God and eternall death He therefore became accursed and sustained death euen the death of the Crosse accursed of God and so by death ouercame death and by his curse brought the blessing of God vpon vs. Hee cancelled the hand-writing that the Diuell had against vs hee nayled it to his Crosse and made it void so that now the faithfull may triumph through Christ Death being swallowed vp in victory they may boldly exclaime and say O Death where is thy sting O Graue where is thy victory for the sting of Death being Sinne and the strength of Sin being the Law and both Sin and Law being abolished through Christ there is now no condemnation that remaineth and therefore thankes be to God who hath giuen vs the victory through Iesus Christ for hee hath taken our sinnes vpon his backe hee hath satisfied the Law of God not for himselfe but for vs hee dyed that wee might liue hee was accursed that wee might be blessed he was buryed and rose againe that wee might rise from our graues and liue for euer hee descended into hell that wee might ascend to heauen his righteousnesse is our righteousnesse and our sinnes are his this exchange did hee make for our sakes And therefore through Faith by him wee are reuiued quickened and strengthened All his merits are imputed vnto vs as though they were our owne and our sinnes are truely his for which he suffered and satisfied to the vtmost section 11 Christ Iesus I say is our onely satisfaction and sacrifice the fountaine of grace and vertue the portion of our inheritance our righteousnesse wisedome sanctification and redemption our hope of glory our doore to heauen the way the truth and the light our attonement vnto God our Shepheard Master Lord and King To be short hee is all in all to vs that are nothing This our Sauiour Christ hath abrogated the Law and hath redeemed those that were vnder the Law and hee himselfe is the end of the Law and that which the Law could not doe hee hath accomplished in his person And therefore O Diuell let Gods people goe for the Law cannot hold them And therefore O death resigne thy power thy sting and strength is nothing the Law being fulfilled and Sinne remoued The seede of the woman hath bruised the Serpents head Christ hath ledde captiuitie captiue and giuen gifts vnto men He hath reconciled and made as one all things both in heauen and earth Hee hath quite plucked downe the partition wall in abrogating through his flesh the hatred that remayned There is now neyther Iew nor Gentile bond nor free Scythian nor Barbarian man nor woman all that beleeue are one in Christ Hee hath made the Wolfe to dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard to lye with the Kid he hath made the Calfe the fat beasts and the Lyon so tame that a little childe may lead them the Cow and the Beare with their young ones not onely feede but lye together the sucking childe doth play vpon the hole of the Aspe yea euen the weaned childe most safely putteth his hand into the hole of the Cockatrice Christ hath now dissolued the workes of the Diuell and broken his snares asunder that all beleeuing sinners might
consolation And seeing that God my louing Father tempered this Potion for mee and Iesus Christ his Sonne hath begunne vnto mee shall I not drinke it with thankfulnesse and comfort But why will hee haue thy death so bitter and sharpe It is my Lord who can and will wish me nothing but good and why should I his poore and vnprofitable seruant refuse to suffer that which the Lord of glory and my blessed Sauiour sustained himselfe But it is a miserable thing to die No the death of Gods Saints is precious in the sight of of God and the ready way to eternall life Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord for so saith the Spirit they shall rest from their labours But the death of sinners is damnable Yea but he is no more a sinner that truely repenteth and is pardoned Let not Sathan tell Gods children what they haue beene but what they would be for such we are by imputation section 16 as we are in affection and he is now no sinner which for the loue he beareth to righteousnesse would be no sinner Such as we be in desire and purpose such wee be in reckoning and accompt with God who giueth that true desire and holy purpose to none but to his children whom he iustifieth Neither vndoubtedly can the guiltinesse of sinne breake the true peace of conscience seeing it is the worke of another who hath commended vs as righteous before God and saued vs. It must needes be graunted that in our selues we are weaker then that we can resist the least sinne so farre off is it that we can encounter with the Law Sinne Death Hell and Diuell and yet in Iesus Christ we are more then conquerours ouer them all If Sathan summon thee therefore to answere for thy section 17 debt send him straight to Christ thy pledge and say that the wife is not sueable but the husband therefore enter thy action Sathan against Christ my husband and he will answere thee Who then shall condemne vs or what Iudge shall daunt vs sith God hath acquitted vs and Christ that was condemned hath iustified vs He is our Iudge that willeth not the death of a sinner hee is our man of law that to excuse vs suffered himselfe to be accused for vs. O gluttenous hell where is thy defence O cruell sinne where is thy tyrannous power O rauening death where is thy bloody sting O roaring Lyon why doest thou fret and fume Christ my law fighteth against thee O law and is my libertie Christ my sinne against thee O sinne and is my righteousnesse Christ warreth against thee O Diuell and is my Sauiour Christs Death is against thee O Death and is my life Thou diddest desire to paue my way to the burning lake of damned soules but contrary to thy will thou art constrained to lift vp the Ladder whereby I must ascend to euerlasting happinesse and ioy In our tryals and temptations we must first search out section 18 the cause and ascend to God pleading guilty and crauing mercy at his hand and not so much stand quarrelling with the corruption of our nature and Sathans malice against vs. For as it were no good wisedome for a man condemned to die to make any long suite to the Iaylour or hangman for they be but vnder-officers and can doe nothing of themselues but must rather labour to the Iudge himselfe who can either repriue or release him so it is no good pollicie to stand reasoning so long with Sathan in our temptations who doth all by constraint and restraint vnder God our Lord in whose onely hands are both the entrance and issues of all afflictions and Death it selfe section 19 Whatsoeuer scruple therefore ariseth from our selues or is inferred of Sathan from any imperfection that is in vs it neede not at all dismay vs because wee saue not our selues but are saued by him who is made vnto vs from God wisedome righteousnes Sanctification and redemption that who so glorieth should glorie in him Thus we must send Sathan to Christ who is our aduocate to pleade and defend our cause which yet is not so much ours as his owne because the question is not of our merits or satisfactions which we freely renounce but of the merits of his obedience and of the value of his Death vnto the saluation of the soules of all the faithfull Thus shall we at once for euer stop the mouth of this our cruell enemie when refusing to pleade our owne cause we referre our selues vnto Christ whom we know to be the wisedome of God and sufficient to answere what possibly can or shall be obiected against vs. When Dauid comes to fight with Goliah he casteth away Sauls armour all confidence in the world or man is laid aside and he onely trusteth in God section 20 Doth the Law indite vs of transgression we must make our appeale to the court of Conscience in heauen and there get a Supersede as to stay the course of Law and so appeale to the throne of grace from the Law of feare to the Law of loue as Augustine speaketh Doth the aduersarie vrge our debt our answer is the obligation is cancelled and the booke is crossed and the whole sum discharged Christ hath passed his word nay he hath paid all that is due for vs to the vtmost farthing Let vs shew him our generall acquittance vnder hand and seale giuen vs by God himselfe with whom it is as proper to shew pittie as mercie to helpe misery This is my wel beloued Son in whom I am wel pleased Here is the creditours owne word his owne handwriting vnder seale this is a very good quietus est in Law it is proclaimed from heauen and therefore sufficient to comfort poore distressed sinners vpon earth The house built vpon a rocke was not moued when the stormes beate and the windes blew Christ is our sure rocke let vs builde our faith vpon him and we shall be safe Men cannot be more sinfull then God is mercifull if section 21 with penitent hearts they faithfully call vpon him If wee come to Christ the fountaine of all mercies there shall we finde God in his mediation great without quantitie and good without quality as an auncient speaketh When the wandring Sonne had consumed his fathers substance yet returning sorrowfull his father receiued him and though we sometime loose the nature of children yet God doth neuer loose the name and nature of a father To conclude the Diuell once ouercome giues a fresh assault againe he will neuer giue vs ouer till death end the battell and then he shall be foyled As it comes to passe amongst warriours if the one die in the field and fight the other getteth the vpper hand Here is the difference the faithfull at the last euer get a finall conquest then ascend to heauen as triumphers there the Diuell can assaile them no further he may compasse the earth but he cannot enter
same Thus are the bodies of the Mariners hardened vnto the Sea thus come knobs in the poore labourers hands so are the souldiers armes strengthened for the Speares and Darts and the members of those that runne made nimble for the race And in very deed that part in any man is the stronggest that most is exercised by paines and toyle There is none so firme and solid a tree as that which the windes oftnest beate vpon for being thus beaten and ballasted it knitteth together and spreadeth the rootes more firmely in the ground The fire tryes the gold and misery men of courage There is no peace without war no rest without toyle no crowne without crosses no raigning without suffering no glory without shame and shaking in this wofull world section 16 Many would feed vpon manchet and alwayes tread vpon Roses I meane in seruing God they would be freed from all afflictions They loue Canaan with the Israelites but they loath the wildernesse The running waters of Shilo they would taste but the rough streame of Iordane they cannot tallage Iames and Iohn would haue the seate of honour but they would not drinke of the bitter cup. But wee must know that the way to heauen is not strewed with flowers but set with thorns yet is it both the straight and the right path to immortall glory The persecutions and troubles of Gods Children shall neuer cease till the World be without hatred the Diuell without enuy and our Nature without corruption Euen the sweetest of all flowers hath his thornes and who can determine whether the scent be more delectable or the pricks more perillous It is enough for heauen to haue absolute pleasures which if they could be found here below certainly that heauen of heauens which is now not enough desired would then by such meanes be altogether feared God here compoundeth our pleasures to the fashion of our selues so as the best delights we haue may still sauour of the earth thus God doth weary vs in the world to weane vs from it section 17 And for Death it selfe which by nature wee so much abhorre God hath mitigated and broken the sorrowes thereof that though they tyre the flesh and amaze it for a season yet they cannot extinguish the hope of a Christian for what can Sinne the sting of Death preuaile against vs being pardoned in Christ The abundance thereof causeth abundance of grace and the greater remission of sinne procureth the greater loue of God What therefore can Sathan gaine by his assaults but to multiply the reward and make the Crowne of Gods Saints farre more glorious by their sufferings Death may put out our carnall eyes yet Sathan hath not whereof to reioyce so long as Faith inlighteneth the minde neuer remouing her eyes from Christ Iesus crucified So forcible and effectuall is the spirituall contemplation and insight of Christ crucified that it turneth despayre into hope and hope into ioy most glorious and vnspeakable The humbing Bee hauing lost her sting in another section 18 doth still notwithstanding make a grieuous noyse by her often buzzing about our eares yet wee know she cannot hurt vs So Sinne and Death hauing lost their sting in Christ doe not as yet leaue their murmuring but with furious stormes of temptations seeke still to terrifie our soules though not able to wound vs to euerlasting death Indeede Death may fray vs at the first sight as Moses rod turned into a Serpent made him flye from it for the present but through confidence in God who hath willed vs not to feare wee shall finde it a blessed meanes to diuide the waters of many tribulations to make vs a passage from the Wildernesse of this world vnto the heauenly Land of eternall rest Neyther can Death separate vs from God though it be fearefull to the flesh to see his prefixed end nay nothing hath greater power to ioyne vs to God through the death of him that conquered Death And must it not needes be ioyfull to a Christian to be freed from this wicked life wherein euery day is the messenger of fresh sorrowes and wherein hee findeth his corruption so burdensome and therefore he is ready most chearefully to imbrace it as the Souldier that commeth after his valour shewed in the field to be made a Knight or the King that goeth to his Coronation for then they shall not haue Reeds but Palmes in their hands to shew their triumph and not to be crowned with thornes as Christ in this world with his members are in mocking but with immortall glory with God and his Angels in the highest heauens section 19 To conclude Death is the key of the King of heauen which in mercy he sendeth to deliuer those that loue him from the irkesome prison of this body of sinne It is the gate through which Gods friends escape from whole troupes and swarmes of euils This whole wretched life rightly considered is nothing else but a continuall crosse and death of the olde man that being once mortified in all our members hee may most gloriously be transformed into the Image of God For like as there can be no generation without corruption for so much as that thing which is must perish that that thing may be made which is not so this spirituall regeneration and transformation of man into God cannot be effected vnlesse the old man be first destroyed by death CHAP. VI. Gods Children in this world as strangers and Pilgrims haue hard entertainment their true heauen and happinesse commeth hereafter section 1 BVt for as much as the faithfull while they liue in this world are as poore strangers in their voyage and passengers by the way in their iourney they must fit themselues for all assayes regarding neyther the winde nor the weather foule nor faire Such as they finde they must take in good part There is small prouision for strangers vnlooked for as they come they must be accounted of Happy sometime they thinke themselues if they may haue any lodging in their Inne if it be but bare house-roome it must serue their turne for the tlme The best lodgings are here taken vp for great States Christ and his Mother must be glad of a Stable The dainties and delicates are prouided for the Nobles and great men the bread of aduersitie and water of affliction are commonly the diet of Gods dearest children vntill the time of their refreshing come in a better life Here for a little they shall weepe and mourne till hereafter God send them such exceeding ioy that none can take away And when Gods children are well vsed in their hosteries section 2 yet no allurements can make them stay long but that after their baite they haste on their iourney Neither will they much be discouraged with their lets and impediments but still comfort themselues hoping this day that to morrow will be better howsoeuer they still lagge on that they were at home And because the
holy life heauenly conuersation chearefull death and blessed daparture of the faithfull redeemed by Christ section 1 GOds children now being redeemed from Sinne and Death and truely vnited to Christ by his spirit whom they apprehend by an vnfained faith cannot chuse but shew forth the fruits of this their high calling to the glory of him that hath chosen them And being partakers of the diuine nature they flye from the corruptions of the world and giue all diligence to ioyne vertue with their faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindenesse and with brotherly kindenesse loue and these things being among them and abounding will keepe them from being idle and vnfruitfull The grace of God to them appeareth not in vaine but teacheth them to denie all vngodlinesse and worldly lusts to liue soberly righteously godly in this present world c. and being risen with Christ from the graue of corruption they euery day more and more seeke those things which are aboue setting their affections where Christ sitteth and not on the things that are on the earth for they are dead to the world and their true life is hid with God in Christ therefore they labour to be holy as he that hath called them to his kingdome and glory is holy They daily imploy themselues in reading and meditating of the word of God in prayer and religious exercises of holy deuotion loathing still this world and sinfull life daily growing to be spirituall and heauenly hauing their affections and zeale inflamed with the loue of God They say with Augustine O Lord I delight to heare of thee to talke of thee to write of thee to deuise of thee and in my heart to print whatsoeuer I learne of thee So must wee walke in these holy paths with all Gods Saints Godly deuotion and holy meditations saith one are section 2 as brine and pickle to keepe and preserue this corruptible flesh of ours from the euill scent that breedeth in our nature by originall sinne They are as faggots and firebrands that enkindle and inflame the loue of God in our hearts And as the fish out of the water die forthwith and the drops of raine distilling from the clouds vpon the ground doe quickly dry and drench vp and the fire without fuell is soone extinguished So our faith and loue c. without these sanctified meanes doe suddenly decrease They are as precious perfumes burnt in a polluted house and sick-mans chamber The sweet incense of prayer and the sauory smell of that odorifferous balme of a liuely faith and effectuall knowledge of God purge and clense the corruption of our liues and vncleane desires God hath chosen vs to be his glorious temple in whom hee dwelleth by his spirit therefore wee must haue our hearts purified by faith and clense our selues from all filthinesse and vncleanenesse both of bodies and soules and so adorne the place of his presence and habitation with all vertue and holinesse Hee that destroyeth the Temple of God him will God destroy for the Temple of God is holy which you are Saint Peter willeth vs to gird vp the loynes of our mindes teaching vs that as they which weare long garments when they come in the foule wayes doe take and gird them vp lest they should tag in the way So we whose mindes and affections doe traile as it were vpon the earth trudging through this foule and filthy world must heaue them vp towards heauen lest they should touch the damnable filth of sinne and wickednesse It is in vaine to boast of iustification without the vnfained sanctification of Gods spirit For as there can be no fire section 3 without warmth and light so neither can God by his spirit be in vs of with any of vs but he will also purifie vs from vice and corruption therefore wee must follow peace and holinesse without the which no man can see the Lord. Christ hath crucified our old man and put to death our vice and corruption and shall wee reuiue the same Shall we maintaine our Sauiours enemies and giue life againe to these deadly poysons of our soules If wee will be Burgesses of heauen we must be strangers to the earth Where is the house of our Father but in heauen and there dwelleth our eldest brother Iesus Christ and all our christian friends and kindred Heauen then is our true Country and on earth we are but trauellers section 4 When Moses had conuersed with God but fortie daies vpon the Mount-Oliue at his comming downe his face shined and glistered with heauenly glory So must we beholding in a mirror the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ in his word and Gospell as it were with open face and not with a vaile as did Moses be changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. If I say but this short time while we liue we be conuersant in heauen by our most holy faith and fruits thereof in all holy affections thoughts words and meditations we shall in the end become heauenly and spirituall both in word and deede As wee see by experience when a country-man hath beene trayned vp sometime in the Court he forgetteth his clownish kinde of life and becommeth a Courtier Let vs therefore leaue the speaches habit fashions and manners of this wicked world wherein we liue and inure our selues with the customes and course of the court of Heauen Let all our thoughts words and communication testifie that in spirit wee are already there section 5 Christ Iesus whom all true Christians haue put on by baptisme as a garment is a most royall robe of grace holinesse and sanctification and shall we be so sloathfull to traile and trample him in the dyrt of filthinesse and sinne or putting him off to put on the vile and spotted garment of the flesh by following the lusts thereof When winter is once ouer the nearer that the Sunne draweth vnto vs the more doth the earth being warmed with the heate thereof fructifie and increase and the longer the daies are the more worke we may doe euen so the nearer the kingdome of heauen doth approach vnto vs by the comming of Iesus Christ the sonne of righteousnesse or the nearer we draw to death the more we should be inflamed in the loue of God and all good workes As the Sunne beames doe come to the earth and yet are in the region from whence they are sent so the mindes and soules of Gods children though conuersant in the earth are truely seated and setled with God in heauen from whence they came Let vaine-glorious worldlings who with the Camaelion section 6 liue by the ayre and therefore are alwaies found gaping and who haue with the Moone but a borrowed light in the world and no true light of
the word and therefore still continue in waxing and waining let such I say feede still their fancies with shewes and shadowes all which shall end in a moment but let vs that are Christians liue the life of the righteous that so we may die a righteous death and liue in peace and happinesse both here and hereafter If we liue in the spirit then let vs walke in the spirit Our walking and behauiour is a sure and certaine signe whether wee be aliue or dead If our walking and working be spirituall then doe we liue in the spirit but if our workes be carnall we are dead in the spirit neither haue we any thing to doe with Christ and his kingdome As there is a resurrection to the life of glory so is there also a resurrection to the life of grace As the death of the soule went before the death of the body so must the resurrection of the soule from the death of sinne be first and then in due time will come the resurrection of the body Sinne is a kinde of death this my sonne was dead and is now aliue holy conuersation is a rising againe and blessed are those that haue their part in this resurrection The prodigall Sonne by repentance found himselfe who first by riot had lost himselfe and therefore let vs giue him our life who gaue vs life section 7 Christians must be as birds who for necessitie sake are faine to stay vpon the earth yet still for the most part are soaring in the skie where they tune many a pleasant note so should our thoughts be imployed in things beneath but our chiefe delights must still climbe higher where true ioyes dwell where no distracting thoughts can once disturbe them Raise vp thy selfe O soule saith Augustine and thinke of that good which containeth all good Our deuotion must not be as the Morning dewe which vanisheth with the Sunne nor like the leaues of Autumne that fall from the tree but our goodnesse must abide so long as wee liue yea wee must rather yeelde vp our breath and being then our faith and deuotion section 8 Euery one feareth the death of the body but few are affraide of the death of the soule That which possibly cannot be auoyded men seeke to shun but to auoide sin that they may liue for euer few or none doe care To labour not to die is but trauell in vaine this is to defer not to auoide Death but if we would take heede we sinne not then neede we not be doubtfull after death to liue for euer Simply to liue is not so good except a man liue well and in Gods feare for the Diuels and the damned liue but better it were if they had no being The soule without grace is as the ground without moysture which turneth to dust and vanisheth and like the barren earth accursed It is as an vnarmed man and one that is naked amongst the pykes and darts of his aduersaries And since the earth was cursed for our sinnes in Adam and our soules are saued by faith in Christ let the direction of our thoughts to him be the messenger to our hearts that our affections are in heauen for we are not placed that wee should be planted here but being bought from this earth by bloud we should clense our selues in this world with water that since some inferiour affections must needes be found here below yet the dust onely may cleaue to our feete and our head and hands lift vp to God So shall we haue comfort in our death being thus sanctified section 9 in our life and it shall serue vs as a barge to bring vs to the hauen of happy rest which now is made through Iesus Christ the issue of all miserie and an entrance to true safetie to all Gods elect Christians therefore one would thinke neede not as Pagans consolations against death but death should serue them as a consolation against all afflictions So that wee should not onely strengthen our selues not to feare it but accustome our selues to hope for it for vnto vs it is not onely a departing from paine and euill but an accesse and possession-taking of all happinesse and good not the end of life but the end of death and beginning of life because it is not to vs a last day but the dawning of an euerlasting day Death now is the way to recouer our former estate being lost by our first parens It is the meanes to translate vs from our mortall condition to euerlasting immortalitie and happinesse in Christ Who therefore will not be glad to exchange for the better Let them desire to liue in the world whom it loueth and affecteth but all true Christians it hateth euermore and despiseth What man being farre from home would not hasten to section 10 returne into his country and though he saile vpon the dangerous seas would hee not hoyst vp the sailes of his Ship and hasten his iourney with some hazard to come to the hauen of rest where he would be Now this world is a forraine Countrie to all Christians where they wander for a while our home is the Paradise of God heauen it selfe is the hauen whither Gods children must saile to land and the way and passage both by sea and land is death decreed of God which to the godly as hath beene said is not an end of their liues but an end of their sinnes It destroyeth not nature but reformes it It cutteth off our corruption and restoreth vs to immortalitie Whilst I remaine vpon earth I am as it were in my wardship but hereafter I shall haue the full managing of all my goods O happy dying and blessed death which art made so gainefull vnto me why should I feare thee which bringest all sorrowes and feares to an end Thy name is fearefull but thy effect full of consolation especially when I behold thee vnder his feete which hath pulled out thy sting taken from hell his command and spoyled the diuell of his power section 11 The iudgement of God cannot afflict me for that the Iudge is my aduocate Sathan my accuser is condemned the Angels of the Lord are my defenders against him The graue though it gape wide yet can it not deuoure me for although I must rot in it yet was it my Sauiours bed who was laid therein to sanctifie it for me by his sweet funerall and to prepare me there a chamber of rest But O Lord suffer me not to die before I begin to liue nor to rot in the graue before I be assured of my immortall inheritance in heauen wound my hart with a holy sorrow wash my soule with thy precious blood Let other men desire to liue many yeares vpon earth my longing is to aspire to the dayes of heauen whereas one day consumes not another but are endlesse and eternall The reward of life the ioy of euerlasting saluation and perpetuall blisse the possession of Paradise
both going out and comming in they might alwaies be mindefull of their death and latter end section 19 I cannot sufficiently wonder at the folly of our nature so abhorring the mention of Death yea euen the aged men whose spring is past whose summer is spent and are euen arriued at the fall of the leafe whose heads are dyed with snowie winter colours and whose ship begins to leake and grate vpon the grauell of their graues yet how fearefully are they amazed to heare the last sound of Deaths trumpet O foolish imbecilitie so fearing to be luld a sleepe in Deaths slumbering fits which is so ready to close vp this mortall day to bring their soules to an euerlasting morrow Mans life saith one is a small thing but the contempt of this wretched life is a great thing And why should Christians so loue this sinfull life and loath their death which is so gainefull First it killeth our familiar enemy the flesh which lusteth against the spirit and maketh vs that we cannot please God Now there is no enemie like vnto a domesticall and home-bred enemie that lieth in our bosome that rests and sleepes with vs and is alwayes a companion to the soule vrging and hailing it to sinne but Death openeth the doore of this filthy prison and stinking dungeon of this body of sinne in which we liue as slaues It freeth vs from this pannier and dungcart we carry about full of all corruption and vilenesse for this corruptible body is heauie vnto the soule and this earthly mansion keepeth downe the minde oppressing it with cares It putteth an end to this our painefull pilgrimage full of bitternesse and griefe For what is this life but a heauie mierie way clagging and tyring our feet and orher limbes Consider then how absurd it is for poore drudges so section 20 foyled and wearied to be yet vnwilling to haue such an irkesome life and way ended Our life is full of labour t' is led with sorrow and yet left with teares so that better is death then such a silly life We thinke not so much how neare Death we approach all of vs being reserued to die we complaine not so much of the thing it selfe as of the day of our death But would wee not thinke him a foole who amongst many other being condemned to die would craue it as a great benefit to be executed the last So foolish are many esteeming it such a matter to haue their death deferred and a little to prolong their dayes Malefactors hate nothing more then the giues and fetters barres and bolts of the prison doores wherewith they haue beene loaded and wherewith they haue beene inclosed and we foolish men feare nothing more then the opening of this prison doore for our egresse and deliuery we cannot abide it we cannot indure to haue the locks and shuts of this layle of our flesh to be broken and battered for our euerlasting manumission from this seruitude and slauerie of sinne section 21 Now then if our whole life be nothing else but a continuall trauell to death as wee haue heard if the houre of death be also the dreadfull houre of Iudgement what other thing is our whole life but a continuall walking towards the tribunall seate of God And what great madnesse is it for men going actually to be iudged thus in the way to prouoke their Iudge to anger by continuall sinne Let vs better open our eyes and consider the way wee take let vs fore-cast with our selues to what place wee are going and be ashamed of our euils or at the least to aduise with our selues how euill this that wee doe agreeth with that businesse wee haue in hand What a wonder is this that euery day we dye and yet perswade our selues to liue for euer wee are like the Megarenses of whom the Phylosopher speaketh in making proud and sumptuous buildings as though they should alwayes liue yet liuing as though they had but mortall soules section 22 But to hasten to an end Whereof commeth so great forgetfulnesse of almighty God such negligence of preparing our selues to die euen from hence that we presume our life shall last so long This false imagination perswadeth vs that we haue time inough for all things for the world for our pleasures for vanitie for vices for friuolous and curious exercises and that yet for all this we shall haue sufficient time to prouide our selues to die in so much as we dare dispose of our life as we will of a web of cloath for our family lying on a table appointing one piece for this purpose and another for that so we make account of our liues as though we had the signory and gouernment of times in our owne hands to order and our life at our owne will and pleasure to dispose of This fond conceit groweth and is grounded vpon selfe-loue which alwaies hateth and abhorreth Death to auoide the paine and griefe which otherwise it would conceiue Such a one is easily induced to beleeue that another shall die for as hee is not greatly in loue with others so is not the knowledge and beliefe of that truth so sowre and vnpleasant vnto him but as hee loueth himselfe exceedingly so is hee very loath to beleeue any thing that should increase his paine and griefe Yet see how such a one is deceiued hee first of all begins to lead the dance of death and others so censured long after doe follow him So that it fareth with these men as with yong sea-men and fresh-water-souldiers who when they come forth of the hauens mouth it seemeth vnto them that the land and houses depart away when they themselues indeede doe moue and passe away the land and houses standing still Of what impatiencie is it not to endure that euill section 23 which together with so many and mighty is common vnto all men Thou refusest to pay the debt with all Gods Saints which whether thou wilt or no must needs be discharged Hee which by nature could not die was for thy sake made mortall and subiect to death and thou being borne to dye and which so often for thy sinnes hast deserued death wouldest thou alone amongst all other be priuiledged from dying Remember therefore thy folly and pride and rather incourage thy selfe to die hauing so many fellowes and partners in this case For indeede wee haue no more cause to grieue that wee shall die then wee haue to be vexed that wee were borne or that wee were created mortall men and not Angels immortall Death bringeth an equall law and an ineuitable necessitie ouer all Now who can complaine for being of such a condition from which no man is excepted for the chiefest point of equitie is equalitie Let vs therefore pay our tribute chearefully since wee cannot be released and let vs second and follow the will of God without murmuring from whom all things are iustly deriued for Destinie leades him by the hand that goeth willingly and
wish they had better serued God but these things should be considered in time and here is time therefore take it before thou endurest a dying life and a liuing death full of endlesse woe O good life saith a holy Father what a ioy art thou section 6 in the time of death Thou makest men not ashamed to liue longer because they liue honestly nor afraid to dye departing religiously hauing serued a good Lord. But the wicked are ashamed to see him whom they haue dishonoured the one is quit by a ioyfull Proclamation the other found guilty at the bar of his owne conscience What a dangerous course is it neuer to awake Christ till the ship leake and be in danger of drowning neuer to beginne to liue well vntill wee be a dying neuer to call to minde that time of all times before we heare the Trumpet sounding the graues opening the earth flaming the heauens melting the Iudgement hastening and the Iudge with his Angels comming to denounce the last sentence and doome O consider this you that forget God lest hee take you away and there be none to deliuer you This present life is our market to make prouision for our soules against the life to come now is the time of running to get the prize now is the time to fight to winne the field now is the time of sowing for the plentifull crop of haruest comming on If we omit this time there is no more crowne no more booty no other Kingdome no other prize no more haruest to be looked for for Hee that will not sow in winter shall beg in Summer section 7 Marke well saith one what I say that a man which repenteth not but at his latter end shall be damned I doe not say so What then doe I say He shall be saued No. What then doe I say I say I know not I say I presume not I promise not Wilt thou then deliuer thy selfe out of this doubt Wilt thou escape this dangerous poynt Repent thou then whilest thou art whole for if thou repent whilest thou art in health whensoeuer the last day of all commeth vpon thee thou art safe for that thou didst repent in that time when thou mightest yet haue sinned But if thou wilt repent when thou canst sinne no longer thou leauest not sinne but sinne leaueth thee If men come without oyle in their Lampes then is there nothing for them to expect but Nescio vos I know you not And when they are knowne Ite maledicti Goe you cursed into euerlasting fire God hath giuen other things double vnto vs that if the one be hurt the other may stand vs in stead as eyes eares hands and feet double but hee hath giuen vs but one soule which if we destroy what is there in the world wherby wee may hope for any life The Sonne of God gaue himselfe a ransome for our soules that they might not be accounted vile but precious in our sight All that which thou hast meanes to doe saith the Preacher section 8 doe it according to thy power for in the graue whither thou goest there it neyther worke nor discourse nor knowledge nor wisedome Many then thinke of death When they cannot liue they pardon their enemies when they cannot reuenge they giue away their goods when they can no longer keepe them they forgiue their debters when they haue nothing to pay they leaue their whores when they can no longer keepe them they detest wine when they cannot drinke and defie the world when they can no longer inhabite it pride they loath when they are preparing of their winding-sheete sicke they are but their repentance is sicker c. Death is at our doores Iudgement ouer our heads Hell is at hand all horrible and yet without horrour We laugh we leape we dance we drinke we sing to the sound of the Violl vaine delights and we inuent to our selues Instruments of Musicke like Dauid as he to the seruice and honour of his God so we to please our vnsanctified affections and extrauagant lusts O Lord set thy feare before our face and so settle it in our hearts that we may readily obay thy heauenly call by flight from sinne for feare of Iudgement Let vs not be like to the vnwise Leuite who at the end of the day would goe on his iourney by reason whereof hee incurred perill and was the cause of his wiues heauy end Let vs rather rise earely and goe on our way whiles the light of life doth shine lest darknesse surprise vs. Old sores are hardly cured and hardly shall you bring old dogs to lead An old mans bones saith Zopher to Iob are filled with the sinnes of his youth and continue with him vnto the graue CHAP. III. Of the hinderances of our Preparation to death in generall and how carefully they must be auoyded section 1 LEt vs now proceede to remoue such impediments through the helpe of God as lye in our way to hinder our speedie passage in this our pilgrimage of death which is as wee haue heard the true hauen of life to all Gods children Great and manifold are Sathans assaults in this our iourney who still sheweth himselfe a professed aduersarie in all good proceedings And here he commeth not himselfe alone but with a huge hoast and army of enemies hauing the whole world our flesh and friends to fight against vs But of these things in this place let it suffice to poynt at in generall vntill wee come to a more particular discourse as occasion shall be offered And let vs first learne to arme our selues against these our deadly foes that so being harnessed as it were with the armour of proofe wee may strongly stand out when wee shall be assailed neuer yeelding to our foes but following fast our Captaine Christ to get the conquest in this our fight which already is begunne and shall most assuredly be gotten to all the faithfull section 2 Sathan first of all will thus be ready to assault vs. And art thou ready to dye O man Why then behold the swarme of thy sinnes the number of thy faults and monstrous rebellions against thy God both old and new of age and youth for which the wrath of God the graue and hell are ready to deuoure thee The Law is thy Iudge which doth condemne thee thy God is iust and cannot but accurse thee his sentence is passed and will not cleare thee c. So that here without Christ no comfort can be found hee onely must now protect vs or else wee perish his righteousnesse must be our roabe to hide our raggednesse his merits the onely meanes to cloath our nakednesse c. Which things wee cannot possesse without a true and liuely Faith which is the gift of God and therefore wee must pray to haue it wrought in our hearts by the holy Ghost and all good meanes This then as we haue heard already will get vs the victory ouer the Diuell
and all assaults It will oppose to this our deadly foe life for death holinesse for sinne obedience for the Law yea all Christs satisfactions to make the whole summe But of this poynt wee haue sufficiently discoursed Then commeth the World and will set abroach his section 3 baites What wilt thou dye O man I pray thee behold thy goodly buildings and stately roomes thy lands and reuenues thy rents and treasures thy credit wealth and fame thy pleasures and delights and all that thy heart desireth But alas O World this thy felicitie is fayned thy loue is counterfeit and thy promise is deceitfull These things I confesse to be good in their kinde and for my vse so long as they stand with Gods fauour Kept they may be so that wee loose not God who now doth call vs and therefore may not keepe vs from him Yet I know O World the vanitie of thy pleasures the frailty of thy glory and the ficklenesse of thy goods and that all these are nothing in respect of the riches of heauen and happy life which after death I am sure to haue wherefore I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ in whom indeede are hid all the treasures of God who also is the keeper of our true life for this our wretched life which now we lead is no life indeede but a very death For we are dead and our life is hid with God in Christ wee walke by faith and not by sight yea so long as wee are at home in this body wee wander and goe astray from God our Lord. And thou O World which bewitchest so many to loue this life what should I gaine if I should serue thee I am sure to be a foe to Christ who loues thee not who prayeth not for thee whose Kingdome is not of thee and therefore to loue thee is to hate my God which to doe is worse then death Thy reward I know is nothing but nakednesse for naked I came vnto thee and naked I shall goe from thee therefore I am willing to forgoe thee and desire to be freed to dwell with Christ section 4 Lastly comes the Flesh with trembling and quaking Why wilt thou dye O man see here thy friends and thy family thy Wife and thy Children thy Father thy Mother weepe and waile cry and call vnto thee and wilt thou thus depart wilt thou needes goe from them It is good no doubt to tarry still among our friends with Gods good will and there is nothing vnder God but it may be kept so that God being aboue all things which we haue be not lost For hee that loueth father or Mother Wife or Children c. better then Christ is not worthy of his presence And though my friends lament the losse of my life yet can they not redeeme it for what man is hee that liueth and shall not see death and shall hee deliuer his soule from the hand of the graue No no neyther riches nor strength neyther power nor policie can preuaile in this poynt Death neyther spareth pouerty nor regardeth wealth it esteemes neyther manners age nor time but walketh in the gates of old men and setteth snares continually for young men no worldly practise can escape the bands of death It alwayes pursueth vs and wheresoeuer we goe it layeth hands vpon vs And though men labor to liue long and desire that they might neuer come to the terme of their dayes yet indeede it is no other thing to liue then to make haste to death Wherefore men doe walke whither they would not come and willingly runne to the end of that course which euermore they haue abhorred for death is the punishment of all men the tribute of all men the rule of all men and the receiuer of all men God hath set vs our bounds which wee cannot passe section 5 And as the greene leaues in a thicke tree some fall and some grow so is the generation of flesh and bloud one comes to an end and another is borne Wee came not altogether neyther must wee goe altogether therefore O Flesh be content O my friends be quiet needes wee must depart though to meete againe wee are full sure And in going from you my earthly friends I shall not yet be destitute of friends but make a good exchange for I goe to the Saints of heauen to the liuing God who is Iudge of all to Iesus Christ my Redeemer to the celestiall Ierusalem to my abiding Citie to the company of Angels to the Congregation of the first borne to the spirits of the righteous and to ioyes vnspeakable beyond all mans conceit Such be the comforts the rewards heritages and exceeding priuiledges that God hath before all worlds prepared and alwayes had in store for his elect And therefore still I desire to be freed from the flesh to liue with Christ Wee haue here no continuing Citie wee looke for one of God And I know that so long as I am in the flesh I cannot please God and that if once this earthly house of this tabernacle were destroyed I shall haue a building giuen me of God a house not made with hands but euerlasting with God in the heauens Not to liue said one but to passe the life well is life section 6 indeede Our life is very short for all good things yet long enough and too long may we thinke it in regard of our miseries A dangerous straite in which the lesse time thou hast to passe the more perill and danger thou hast in the passage But this is a miserie of miseries that being in such a miserable case we liue like men in a phrensie not knowing our misery Heraclitus and Democritus could better discerne this poynt then many Christians of whom it is reported that the one past his life in laughing and the other alwayes in weeping seeing as it seemeth that all our life is nothing else but ridiculous vanitie and lamentable misery Moreouer if this life be a vale of teares a prison of guilty persons and a banishment of them that be condemned how canst thou place such great pompe and pride such gay ornaments and stately furniture of houses and families in such a wretched place how canst thou take here thy pastimes and pleasures how canst thou delight thy selfe in feasting and banketting how canst thou desire so greedily to gather the prouision of this world and be so forgetfull for the life to come As though thou wert onely borne to liue alwayes here with bruite beasts and hadst no portion with the Angels in heauen Such wretchednesse sheweth of what a miserable stocke thou commest if nothing can perswade thee to behold this thy great and palpable blindnesse section 7 Wee maruell much at the rude and ignorant Indians who for glasses and trifles are said to part from their purest gold but wee neuer thinke of our owne folly who forgoe the treasures of heauen for very bables
much better art thou then a graine of corne when thorow corruption thou shalt come to incorruption thy glory then shall be vnspeakeable and all things shall serue thee Thy hope now if thou couldest in large it a thousand section 6 fold yet it shall be greater then thou canst imagine and thy faith if it could apprehend more assurance of immortalitie then the clearest eye doth of the light of the Sunne yet thou shalt finde the fruit of it aboue all thy thoughts This thou seest if thou see Christ by faith and this thou knowest to be true if thou knowest thy selfe to be one with him The keeping greene of Noahs Oliue-tree vnder the flood the budding againe of Arons rod the deliuerance of Ionah from the depth of the Sea the voyce that calleth come againe ye children of men the hope that Iob hath to see God with the selfe-same eyes the dry bones that should come bone to bone and be knit together with sinewes c. may stirre vp in vs a ioyfull hope and cheere our pensiue soules against the feare of death and doubt of our resurrection but aboue all the rising againe of Christ The voyce of Christ is thorow Christ the voice of Christians saith Augustine Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory If the sinne of Adam who was a liuing soule was the cause that Death reigned ouer all men much more the resurrection of Christ who is a quickning spirit shall be of power to raise vp all beleeuers to the hope of a blessed and eternall life section 7 As Christ in dying shewed what we should suffer so by his rising from death he declared what wee should hope for For all the bones in Golgatha shall rise and those that sleepe in the dust shall awake Wherefore though Death doe swallow vs vp as the Whale did Ionah and binde vs hand and foot as the Philistims did Sampson yea seale the Sepulcher vpon vs as the Iewes did vpon our Lord Iesus yet wee shall come forth and breake the bands as the bird out of the snare the snare shall be broken and we shall be deliuered Christ our head and Captaine raigneth now most gloriously in heauen and as a most victorious conqueror hath led away captiue Death Sinne and Diuell in shew and open triumph Wherefore we may no lesse assure our selues that we shall rise againe and raigne with God for seeing he hath taken our flesh and suffered for our sins and hath borne the iudgement and curse of God in himselfe and died for our redemption so may we be as sure and certaine our flesh shall rise againe in him and be exalted vnto the glory of God aboue the highest heauens And therefore hee is called the first fruits of them that sleepe in him the first borne among the dead so called indeede because hee is the first and onely one which is risen againe by his owne diuine nature and power As the onely spring and originall fountaine of the resurrection of life to all the faithfull which die and rise againe in him and onely by him Hee hath giuen vs a pledge and taken one of vs to put vs out of doubt He hath taken our flesh which hee hath carried into heauen to put vs in possession and he hath giuen vs his holy spirit for an earnest to seale his promises in our hearts witnessing to our spirit that we are the Sonnes of God and co-heires with Iesus Christ to raigne with him in glory Seeing then that wee are the children of God and haue section 8 the seede of God remaining in vs wee must not doubt but that as Christ hath made vs partakers of his diuine nature euen as it hath pleased him to take part of ours to become true man to make vs Gods that is diuine and spirituall that euen as the corne that is sowne in the ground doth die in the same and after groweth and taketh roote springeth eareth and bringeth forth fruit for the haruest so should wee be well assured that when wee die and haue our bodies sowne as it were as seede in the earth yet that they shall againe be quickned in Christ and rise againe to immortall life for as much as we carry with vs the warmenesse of Gods spirit which cannot die And though our flesh doe rot yet shall the spirit of section 9 Christ deliuer our bodies from corruption which shall againe be raised vp by the vertue of him that raised vp Christ from the dead and so shall our dead members be made aliue againe He that neuer saw a haruest seeing the Plow-man taking so much paines to till the earth to spread it with dung and after to cast faire Wheate into the field he would thinke that this man were mad but seeing after the happy haruest that should come of it he would change his minde and say that the husband-man had done an excellent worke Now this life is the time to till to dung and to sow the soyle but the happy haruest shall follow hereafter Let vs not change the course of the seasons neither yet let vs seperate them the one from the other But let vs ioyne the time of death with the glorious day of our resurrection and so assuring our selues that hauing sowed with teares we shall reape with ioy CHAP. X. Very fruitfull and necessary considerations much auailing to our Christian preparation for death section 1 ANd to the end that we may be most chearfully resolued to finish our course with ioy let vs alienate our affections and thoughts from the earth and worldly cares hauing our whole soules and senses as much as in vs lieth rauished with heauen and heauenly things Let them be the matter of our speech the subiect of our thoughts and our alone meditations So shall we in time become diuine and loath this sinfull life Let vs seriously make vse of our knowledge and godly readings ioyning our experience with the same in our selues and Gods Saints on earth Let our skill herein not onely be contemplatiue but practique for the good of our selues section 2 Let vs not descant and discourse as carnall men can doe for a time which often can say and confesse that they are mortall and sinfull that they are but dust and clay and that their bodies are as tabernacles set vp for a time and quickly to be remoued being without foundation Let vs not onely say for fashion sake that we are strangers vpon the earth and soiourners as all our Fathers were c. but be willing indeede with good Abraham when the Lord shall call and command vs to leaue our owne country and remoue our tents to pitch them where hee pleaseth And so to follow him with all obedience where he will leade vs. He abode saith the Apostle in the land of promise as in a strange country as one that dwelt in tents for he looked for a
citie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God And all the godly groane in these their earthly tabernacles being laden with corruption that this mortalitie may be swallowed vp of life for they know that corrupt flesh blood cannot enter into heauen Gods children I say are grieued not because they beare about their bodies for it is a griefe for them to lay them downe but they sigh to be clensed from their sinnes and corruption of their bodies which make them so wretched We ought not therefore to long so much for this present life which indeede is nothing else but an image of death but rather loath it to be vnloaden of our sinnes And as for Death it appertaineth to all men as we haue section 3 heard for neither rich nor poore old nor young prince nor people can escape it It respecteth no mans person no sexe no age no condition whatsoeuer No power no wealth no learning no wisedome art or skill can auoide it There is no salue to heale this soare no Physicke to be found for this sicknesse it is the way of all the world and the house appointed for all the liuing It is an Axe that heweth downe not onely the low shrubs and small Osiers but the great Elmes and huge Oakes yea all the high and tall Cedars of Libanon The daies of man are but as the winde and weauers shittle as grasse and flowers which in the morning are fresh and greene but anone towards the euening dried vp and withered We bring our yeares to an end as it were a tale that is told Our life is like a stage on which men play their parts and passe away Man is like a thing of nought his daies are like a shadow God bids Esay to cry All flesh is grasse and that all the grace and goodlinesse thereof is but as a flower of the field O that the Lord would open all our eyes that in this glasse wee might behold our estate What are we all but grasse and shall we wither like hay Alas wee cannot so perswade our selues for if we could it would plucke downe our pride and lay our lofty lookes it would then reforme our disguised ruffes and make our monstrous attire more modest it would mitigate our madnesse and make vs humble minded we would then throw downe our selues with Abraham and say to God we are but dust And to the end that our resolution to death may be more chearefull and this rough way as it seemeth to the section 4 flesh may be made more plaine Let vs comfort our selues with these meditations let vs say vnto our soule why art thou so sad why art thou so vnquieted within vs Put thy trust in God which is the helpe of our countenance and our God For why should a Christian man so feare the violence of Death whose force is broken Can Death depriue him of Christ which is all his comfort ioy and life No but Death shall deliuer him from this mortall body full of sinne and corruption which beareth and beateth downe the soule Faine would the flesh make strange of that which the spirit doth imbrace Oh saith a holy Martyr how loath is this loytering sluggard to passe forth and goe forward in Gods path to heauen So that were it not through the force of Faith plucking it forward by the bridle of Gods sweet promises and of Hope the anchor of saluation pricking still behinde great aduenture there were of fainting by the way section 5 Who would be sorry to forsake this life which cannot but be most certain of eternall life Who loueth the shadow better then the substance who can so loue this life but he that regardeth not the life to come who can desire the drosse of this world but such as are ignorant of the true treasure euerlasting ioyes in heauen I meane who is affraide to die but such as haue no hope to liue eternally A greater assurance next saith in Christ of our election cannot be found then not to stand in feare of Death which like a Tayler putteth off our ouer-worne rags to apparell vs with royall robes of immortalitie incorruption glory If the wals of thy house shake with age if the roofe thereof totter if the whole edifice not being able any longer to stand presage a meere downefall and ruine to approach wouldst thou not make more then ordinary hast to remoue and be gon If thou wert sayling in the maine sea and that a furious storme swelling the waues thereof with the blustering windes should threaten thy shipwracke wouldest thou not endeuour to recouer some cricke or hauen Behold this world how it shaketh and is ready to fall manifesting very shortly her vtter ruine Wherefore thinkest thou not on God why reioycest thou not at thy condition being ready to depart this world seeing thy selfe taken betimes out of those shipwracks warranted frō the blowes that threaten al such as suruiue thee Wherefore to the end that the former perswasions may section 6 better preuaile pierce the deeper let vs further consider for the same abridgement of all that hath been hitherto spoken what this life is which wee so loue what death is which we now so feare and what is prepared for vs after death which we so little regard First therefore concerning this present life we know and haue heard already that it is full of miserie vanitie vexation woe being a plaine exile from God For if heauen be our country what is this earth but a place of banishment If the departing out of this world be an entrance into life what is this world but a graue wherein we are buried what is it else but to be drowned in death If to be deliuered out of the body is to be set at liberty what is this body else but a prison a Iayle and a dungeon If to enioy the sweet fellowship of God be the highest felicitie why then to be kept from it is it not the extreamest misery for certainly til we be escaped out of this life we wander goe astray from the Lord our God If we consider that this vnstedfast faulty corruptible frayle withering rotten tabernacle of our body is shall therefore be dissolued by death that it may afterward be restored againe vnto a stedfast perfect incorruptible and heauenly glory shall not faith compel vs feruētly to desire that which nature feareth If we consider that by death we are called out of banishment to inhabit our country yea our heauenly country shall we not reioyce and be glad therefore Alas this our wretched life is a vapour a smoake a shadow a warfare a wildernesse and a vale of wretchednesse section 7 wherein wee are compassed on euery side with most fierce fearefull foes And should we desire to dwell here should we lust and long to liue in this loathsome and laborious life should wee wish to tarry in this miserable wretchednesse should