the life of a thought whereof there may bee a thousand in an houre vers 9. a life of nothing Psal 39.5 that is of no time or of vanitie which is next to nothing Iacob in his time brought it to a short account that is from diuers hundreds to an hundred and thirtie Gen. 47.9 But Moses comming after him gathereth it into a shorter summe or account euen to an account or count or totall of threescore and ten or of fourescore at the most with labour and sorrow Psal 90.10 Dauid measureth it with his short span Psal 39.5 and this excellent Saint compareth man borne of a woman â—o a flower that is soone cut downe and to a shadow that continueth not Iob 14.2 Finally our vncertaine short life is in Scripture compared to a thought that is presently gone Psal 90.9 to a dreame in the night that is forgotten in the morning to a bubble vpon the water to a ship vnder saile and to a weauers shuttle So soone passeth our life and it is gone The reasons First Iniquity now aboundeth and more in these latter times then in formeâ— ages Math. 24.22.2 Tim. 3.1.2 which must needs prouoke God to cut shorter these our dayes then those better daies wherein our fathers liued who liued more simply and in fewer sinnes then wee their children doe at this day Secondly our time is short that our short time might moue vs not to deferre to doe good as the manner is seeing euen the Diuel himselfe is busie because his time is short Apâ— 12.12 17. Thirdly our life is as nothing that Gods Children might sooner be deliuered from their burthens and from those that burthen them in this life and that the wicked the children of this world might haue a shorter time to keepe in bondage and vnder the whip of malice those poore ones who desire to sacrifice their life to God in a conscience of his seruice and to walke in faith before him For if mans life might now extend to the yeares which were before the floud when men liued six seuen eight nine hundred yeares This cruell age in which wee liue would too long torment and too vilely deale with Gods faithfull ones there being no hooke of short time in the iawes of the wicked to keepe them in feare as now when death is such a tyrant and short life such a curbe vnto them that they dare not or cannot doe as they would And indeede how can they doe that in their fortie and vnder their fourescore which they might doe and would be hold to doe being men of might in their hundreds Also how could the poore Church hold vp the head and continue in good case that should haue so strong and long-liued enemies to encounter with An admonition to run the way of Gods commandements Vse 1 while he enlargeth our hearts and not to put off our conuersion in so short a life Hee that hath a long iourney to goe in a short time will make hast and he who remembreth that euery day runneth away with his life cannot sit still But where men promise to themselues long life and much time there they wax wanton and become secure as Amos 6.3 2. Pet. 3.4 Therefore the Lord doth commend our life to vs in this Scripture and in other Scriptures in a short abstract of daies and not in a volume of yeares as in the booke at large So Christ saith to Ierusalem in this thy day Luke 19.42 not granting a longer terme then the terme of one poore day vnto her Which was to teach her and vs in her to thinke euery day to bee our last day And therefore to doe that this day as in our time which wee are not sure to doe the next day as in a time that God hath taken to himselfe and from vs as being more properly his then our day A worthy Souldiour warring long vnder Adrian the Emperour after that long time returned to his house and liued Christs souldiour Where and in which manner after he had liued seuen yeeres he yeelded to death and beeing readie to die commanded that it should bee written on his tombe Here lieth Similis for that was his name a man who was many yeares and liued but seuen counting that hee liued no longer then hee liued a Christian How many warre after the flesh vnder the Emperor of the aire not vnder Adrian who yet I cannot say seuen yeeres I would I could say that seuen dayes or houres before their death they did cast away these weapons of sinne that it might bee engrauen vpon their graue stone for their Epitaph that seuen daies before their last day or seuen houres before their dying houre they not onely had a being but a life in the world and not onely were but liued Such desire not to remember but to forget their short time nor to heare of their end but to suppresse it because the remembrance of it will make them sparingly to offend and the feare of it alter affections And from hence it is that hee who hath peace in his dayes and is besotted with the flumber of long life being loath to leaue his possession for an vncertaintie or to liue be where hee cannot assure himselfe that hee shall or can either liue or be as here he may and doth saith to death as Ahab to Eliah Art thou here mine enemie 1. King 21.20 When the preferment of it considered in the sweet peace of the righteous and happie death of the Saints hee should rather say Welcome my friend or the welcom day of death come neere Vse 2 A reproofe therefore to those who put off the time of amendment to some long time hereafter not remembring their short time and few dayes here Though here they be but Tenants at will in their Clayforme whose foundation is in the dust whose strength is a few bones tyed together with sinewes as with small strings whose life is in a little breath quickly stopt and which howsoeuer we patch and peece it with helpes of Art and supplies of Nature for a time will they know not how soone fall into the place of darknesse when the winde of death hath passed ouer it Yet they thinke not of their enduring house and house from heauen or they so much delight in the momentanie gourd of their short life which yet hath her worme of speedie corruption that they forget the dayes euerlasting and change that is to come Ion. 4.6 Of such wee reade Chapter 21. of this booke Who because theiâ— houses were peaceable to them without feare their wealth came in vnto them without faile and they were great in their posteritie Therefore their hearts were all set in pleasure and they reioyced in their dayes and substance that was so great not remembring their time how short it was till they suddenly went down to the graue When the Disciples were in the Ship and the Ship was in the middes of the Sea tossed with windes and couered with
fill in them they haue Gods blessing inwardly in the peace of a contented minde outwardly in so much as is sufficient The wicked who haue them in greater measure haue them not vnder Gods hand nor as his blessings but as stolne wares that they shall answere for because they haue no right vnto them by Christ nor hold them in Capite that is in him Therefore their table is a snare vnto them and their prosperitie their ruine They liue to the encrease of their damnation and they die to take possession of it Fourthly they who with the glorified virgins wait for Christ in the life of the righteous are alway prepared for death when it knocketh Mat. 25.10 to open vnto it And what is a prepared death but an happy death And what followes an happie death but an happy life neuer to die againe Such goe in with Christ to his marriage of euerlasting life We see then that the last houres repentance the common refuge of worldlings as it commeth short of a sanctified life Vse so it seldome reacheth to an happy death or life after death For as the tree boweth before it bee cut downe so it falleth and in the place where it falleth there it shall be Eccles 11.3 That is as we liue so wee commonly die Or shall we thinke that men can easily begin righteousnesse at their last houre and that repentance in that houre is ordinarily good and sound repentance Let them well consider this who put off their conuersion to God and send away by hope of repenting old all those good motions that knocke at the doore of their hearts for a sanctified life One saith well While the Lord speaketh to thee make him answere and while he calleth let there bee an eccho in thy heart such as was Dauids who when God said seeke yee my face presently answered thy face will I seeke Psal 27.8 The Lord hath promised pardon to him that repenteth saith another but that hee or any other shall liue till to morrow he hath not promised Many in their puttings off fare as if they should say Lord let me sinne in my youth and pardon me in mine age But where in the meane season is their walking before God yong that peace may come when they are old And is it not a iust thing that men dying should forget themselues who liuing neuer remembred God Surely let them looke for no better who watch not the stealing steps of death in their tower of repentance in the life of the righteous And if moe things belong to repentance then can bee done in an houre and well in a mans life as to bring forth the buds of it young to beare fruits of it at more yeares to ripen it being man and to gather it toward death in the autumne of fruits how can they thinke one poore houre to be sufficient to bring the seednesse the spring the summer the autumne and full crop of these things together in so short time and how can they hope in such a span of life to prepare themselues for the Lord when so many els of long lâ—fe afford so scant measure to the best men to set them in a readinesse for him Let vs therefore while wee haue time laying vp treasures in heauen for our soules store vp in the summer of life for the winter of death which will come Prou. 6.8 In our last sicknesse and vpon our death-bed we are fitter to seeke ease for our bodies then mercie for our faults and grace for our soules Besides how fearefull will it be to be taken then by sudden death as by some vnexpected Officer without baile or warning and by it to bee brought to the goale of the earth in the bodie and in the soule to perpetuall prison in the torments of hell Of this more was spoken in the first Sermon and vse of the last doctrine there But shall they who liue well here Vse 2 liue well hereafter that is blessedly then their desperate and cursed errour is confuted who blaspheme the way of righteousnesse saying that it is to no purpose to bee so deuout godly and that they are most wise who giue themselues most libertie in the pleasures and iollitie of life So say the wicked in Malachy it is invaine to serue God Mal. 3.14 And the wicked in Iob say what profit to pray vnto him Iob 21 15. As if they should haue said we may serue God and we may pray to God but there is nothing gotten by it or they speed as well and are as wise that are cold in these matters as they who kindle and are hottest in them But they Prophet here saith that peace shall come that is they shall see the peace of God in heauen who make peace with God here and they that serue him shall raigne before him The wicked are as the chaffe which the wind driueth away Psal 1.4 That is so soon as God punisheth them with the wind of death their hope is gone But the godly haue a sure foundation and no storme either of death or of mans ill will can blow them to destruction whose house beeing builded by God not on the sand of time but vpon a rocke vnmoueable standeth fast in all changes Math. 7.25 The builder vp of Sion is the wise God whose worke abideth for euer Let the vngodly oppose themselues neuer so much they shall not be able to beate down Gods house and death is their aduantage Phil. 1.21 Or if the Princes Palace be safely guarded we must not think that any of Gods houses shall be left without their keepers sufficient watchmen and the righteous shall flourish when the hornes of the vngodly shall be broken And thus it is no vaine labour nor gamelesse seruice to serue the Lord. Doth a good life bring a good death Vse 3 Then the despairing words of Gods children in a troubled skie and when the waters enter into their soul as that God hath forsaken them that God hath cast them off in displeasure that God will not saue them and such like are words of distemper not of reason and iudgement For will God cast away his people The answere is Godforbid The meaning is hee will not Rom. 11.1 Neither can mans changeable tongue alter the decree of God that is vnchangeable Rom. 3.3.4 And we must not iudge of the estate of any man before God by his behauiour in death or in a troubled soule For there are many things in death which are the effects of the sharpe disease he dieth of and no impeachments of the faith he dieth in And these may depriue his tongue of the vse of reason but cannot depriue his soule of eternall life Which may bee spoken also of a troubled soule For as in a troubled water the face in the water cannot bee perceiued which when it commeth to be cleare is manifest so in a troubled spirit the face of Gods mercie seemeth to be changed against vs and to
learned Father compareth conscience which is the knowledge that we haue with our selues of some good or euill to water in a Well which when it is troubled sheweth no image of any face but waxing cleare doth So if we suffer this christall of our conscience to bee mudded with foule trespasses of habit or impenitencie wee shall neuer see our naturall face in it neither perceiue how deadly we sinne against God and our owne soules Where if we purge daily for our daily offences and greatly for our greater sinnes if we haue an eye alway to the Lord and his proceedings in vs making good vse of those priuie secret pinches that our consciences giue vs when we doe amisse wee shall in so cleare a fountaine of our good conscience as in a true glasse behold with sanctified profit the many faultes of our life and so the sooner and more conueniently bee humbled for them Or if when our consciences reproue vs of our waies wee listen vnto them and make present good vse of the strokes of our heart for euill deedes and that while we be tender and sensible of sinne wee shall auoide the plague of a foolish heart or heart past feeling Ephes 4.19 and not goe desperately on with bold sinners in the way that leadeth to destruction Thus may wee profit greatly by the iudgement that is begunne in vs in these mulcts of our consciences or mid-hearings preparing vs with comfort to the hearing of the last day A confutation of all Atheists Vse 1 whether Atheists in iudgement or in life Atheists who deny the iudgement to come or liue as if there should bee none Of such we reade who slandering the footesteps of Christs comming said where is the promise of that day 2. Pet. 3.4 that is what is become of it and of all this talke about it So there were in Esay who said when they heard of such a day Let him make speed let him hasten his worke that wee may see it as if they should haue said if it shall bee at all let it be now Or he had need to hasten it if we shall beleeue it Esay 5.19 And in Amos time there was a large fellowship of these mates who put the euill day the day of their death and iudgement which they called euill farre off Amos 6.3 But haue we none of this knot and conspiracie in our own time Yes too many whom I leaue to the mercie of God to be amended or as the drosse of the earth to bee consumed with the fire of his comming who will come with fire and his chariots like a whirlewinde Esay 66.15 A reproofe of their securitie Vse 2 who by certaine slumbering delaies and puttings off walke in no reuerence of the Lords comming or remembrance of their owne death For the yong man presumeth that he shall liue long and the oldest that he may liue one yeare longer But knowing these terrours of the Lord what care should bee in vs presently to set our house and nature in some good order for the comming of Christ the iudge or for our own last end in which we shall be iudged 2. Cor. 5.11 Schollars who come to render to their Master the lesson or part giuen them doe it not without feare and shall we not feare to thinke of that day in which wee must giue account to Christ the iudge for all the things that hee hath put in our hand and keeping When Paul willed the men of Athens to repent it was vpon this ground that the Lord had appointed a day wherein hee would iudge the world in righteousnesse Act. 17.31 As if he had said yee shall be sure to be iudged and therefore repent And yet wee liue in sinne and our hearts are not turned If we were sure that Christ would come to iudgement the next May day what an alteration would it worke in many of vs and how would it change vs and moue vs who would set his heart vpon riches who would deceiue and oppresse who would spend so much in apparell and so many daies in vanitie who durst be drunke who durst sweare and lie and commit adulterie what would become of our May-games dauncing greenes and bowres and such conuenticles of spirituall fugitiues from God on his Sabbaths who would not rather passe the time that remaineth in Gods seruice and run to sermons and reade and pray deuoutly and bestow good houres well and not spend time in chambering and wantonnesse But we are not sure that that day shall tarrie till May next And we know not that Christs day will come this weeke or the next or this present day and houre or while I am speaking of it and yet we walke in as great security and as desperately in sinne as if we were certaine it would not come in our time If we heare a sudden crie of fire fire we are astonied out of measure and yet hearing by our Preachers the Lords trumpets so many and fearefull threatnings by the word concerning the fires of hell and iudgement when not a few houses but the whole world shall burne like an ouen we are not moued Euerie one almost will giue his best helpe for the quenching of a materiall fire but who regardeth to saue himselfe or to preserue others from the vnquenchable fire of hell and terrible fire of the Lords comming that will most certainely we know not how soone flame out to the burning of this great Sodom of the Earth in the which the heauens shal passe away with a noise the elements shall melt with heat and all things corruptible shall be dissolued most speedily as if they did flee away 2. Pet. 3.10 Apoc. 20.11 Christ euen now standeth at the doore of thy Christian heart to wit as a guest and stranger that would be entertained Apoc. 3.20 and thou by continuing in sinne deniest to receaue him He threatneth by the law he reproueth by the law and condemneth by it all impenitent sinners By these he knocketh ernestly and crieth vehementlie at the dore of thy heart to open vnto him and wilt thou tarrie till by thy death he breake in or by his particular comming If a great man should knocke at our doore what stirring would there bee to receiue him presently and as is meâ—te Is there any greater or more worthy guest then Christ who knocketh by the ministerie of the Gospell at the gate of our heart who reacheth forth the hand of his threatnings to beate vpon our consciences day and night that we might turne with all speed which is our opening to the sonne of God and shall we giue him no entrance after so long a time of waiting at our hearts for our conuersion A great man will not be so abused and shall we thinke that the mighty God will take it well that after so many knocking 's and long standing without he should finde no dore of admission into vs or opening by vs and should still be deferred and put off or can these
haue appeared to the world and are manifest to vs why should wee arraigne the Lord of any slacknesse or make question of the day that is so farre spent alreadie in the signes that wee haue spoken off But these matters are further opened in the Sermons that follow to which I humbly pray you and the Christian Reader in you to haue duerespect Not for want of better treatises in this kind for there are many after some of which I haue gleaned with poore Ruth in this small worke as after the men whose hands were full Ruth 2.15 but because they containe nothing in perswading to the power of godlinesse but what is written and what the word which is written doth teach for instruction to a godly life Accept therefore I pray you what is here offered by you vnto many and take in good part my endeuour therein So with many vnfained praiers for your true and full welfare which I vnfainedlie wish to you your yoke-fellow and all yours in the world and in the Lord I rest Your worships poore Nephew humbly at commandement for all christian duties ROBERT HORNE THE FIRST SERMON ECCLES chap. 12. vers 1. Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth before the euill dayes come and yeares approach wherein thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them THis Booke of Ecclesiastes was written by Salomon after hee was fallen from the good way of vertue to the high way of sinne and prophanenesse forgetting his God and forsaken of Wisedom whereof hee had great gifts when he was young and when hee followed the wisedome which is of God And he calleth it the Booke of the Preacher as if he should haue called it the Booke of his Retractations His end of writing it was That it might remaine in the Librarie of the holie Ghost as a testimonie vnder his owne hand of his turning from God by errour of life and of his returning to him by repentance where hee sheweth hauing seene all things in his wisedome that men can neuer bee happie in or for these things wherein the men of the earth repose chiefe happinesse And this hee teacheth by his owne deere-bought experience for hauing tried all things as mirth and wiues buildings and beautie and riches and honour and the like he confesseth that as a Horse in a mill after he had gone in his long circuit or blind maze of twentie yeares prouing conclusions and trying nouelties hee found himselfe to be where he was at first and further from God and goodnesse at the end of his wearie course than at the beginning wherein he had proceeded to destruction if God by his mercifull arrest had not stayed him Therefore returning into the fauour of God and wearied with the errours of his foolish way he concludeth in this Book that all is vanitie vnder the Sun More specially in this Chapter hauing in the former disswaded his young man from that follie that had almost vndone him and raigneth in young yeares wishing him not onely to flee the concupiscences of youth and all habit of mind in them but to giue no way to his corruptsenses lest they proue baits to catch him and hookes to choke him being taken with present destruction and certaine death he here sheweth him the meane by which this young man and all men may escape so great daunger and that is a carefull walking in the sight of God and obedience to God in the sight of men furthered by remembrance For as the forgetfulnesse of God is a great attractiue to sinne so they sinne not so commonly nor greedily that remember their Maker So much in general for the occasion and author of this worthie Booke and subiect of this Chapter So I come to the words now read And they containe an exhortation and the reasons by which it is amplified The exhortation is to remember wherein two things may be considered the person to bee remembred and the time of remembring him The reasons are likewise two the first is taken from the impediments that old age giueth to Gods seruice the other from the incommodities of mans last sickenesse The exhortation standeth thus If thou wilt constantly doe the works of holinesse to God neuer let it slip out of the meditation of thy heart that God doth require of thee by right of creation that thou godlily serue Him all the daies of thy life And the doctrine from hence is Doctr. 1 The remembrance of God that is the hauing of Him alway before vs in His infinite holines wisdome goodnes power truth is a speciall meane for religion and His true feare in our waies Thus Dauid reasoned I haue set the Lord alwaies before me that is God was euer in my mind to serue Him and feare Him therefore I shall not slide that is God hath set my feet vpon a rocke and in the slipperie waies of such as forget God I shall not be moued He considereth that at all times and in all places God was present with Him both as a Lord to surnay His waies left he should slip grosely and as a Father to comfort Him when He slipt of infirmitie therefore Hee kept his heart in continuall awe preparing it for the Lords presence The Lord all sufficient requireth of Abraham that He would walke before Him Gen. 17.1 that is that He would make Him the Arbiter of His thoughts the Interpreter of His words the Lord of His waies and commit all His doings to Him and then will Abraham without all question make the Lord His feare and doe all His workes in His name In Micah this is the Question wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bowe my selfe before the high God Mic. 6.6 that is how shall I please God in my waies and rest on His will and the answere is made by Micah or rather the Lord by Him Hee hath shewed thee O man what is good and that is to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God verse 8 the meaning is that thou shouldst alway set Him in thy sight beleeuing that He doth guide and gouerne thee And surely when wee behold the Lord in His promises of reconciliation that He is at peace with vs of sanctification that He will renew vs and of prouidence and safetie that for our good He will watch ouer vs being at our right hand by His Angels and at our left by His creatures we cannot chuse but reuerence and loue Him at least feare to sinne against Him because of His infinite goodnes and power In the 116. Psalm the Prophet Dauid after some notable cause of thankfulnes for His deliuerance from death so neere by Sauls pursuit because He would remember by obedience what God did for Him in that wofull houre doth promise to walke before the Lord that is diligently to attend do His cōmandemēts in the Land of the Liuing that is alwaies on Earth specially in His temple It is euident therefore that this hauing of God in our sight
and before vs by remembrance is a notable spurre to vertue and godlines and strong bit from vice and prophanenes The reasons As the wicked are said not to serue God because they forget Him Ps 9.17 106.21 so the godly are said purely to worship Him because they remember His name Also the remembrance of the end maketh wise as the forgetting of it causeth sollie Secondly the Masters eye keepeth the Seruant in awe so while God is remembred wee liue in feare as on the other side when He is out of our mindes wee runne into sinne By this it appeareth that memory holily emploied is a most excellent facultie Vse 1 a facultie wherein wee excell the Beasts and imitate the Angels for the beasts haue an instinct which some call memorie but properly no remembrance And for the Angels that stand in Gods presence continually they haue their excellent knowledge of God by that which is alwaies before them in the mirrour of the Deitie we by calling backe some prints and formes of things perteining to God and religion gotten from vs by forgetfulnes but recouered by meditation and reasoning doe get and increase the knowledge of Him that is of His mercie iustice goodnesse loue truth power c. where we doe noâ— behold Him neare as the Angels who see Him in the glasse of His preseÌ„ce but further off in his word and the large Table of His workes And yet by this blessed facultie of remembrance He is after a sort present to vs as to the Angels in His great workes and properties which is the cause that in the reckoning vp of those scruices which are taken vp and commanded for God in the scriptures remembrance is the first and the first commanded Deut. 8.2 9.7 11.2 25.17.19 Hebr. 10.32 Iude 17. A reproofe to those who quell memorie vnder the burthen of worldly cares Vse 2 or oucrcharge it with the remembrance of those things which they should forget for they who stall memorie in these vnprofitable matters cannot but find want of memorie to remember better things Men would haue God to remember them in trouble who but in trouble neuer remember Him But if thou wouldst haue God to remember thee in the euill day forget Him not in thy good daies nor what He did for thee in the day of thy affliction The godly in the captiuitie wished that their tongue might cleaue to the roofe of their mouth if they forget Ierusalem Psal 137.6 what punishment then doe they deserue who forget God the King of Ierusalem And what are they worthy who striue to forget Him lest the remembrance of His great power should awake them in their sinnes and hinder them in their pleasures being like vnto sleepers who would heare no noise lest they should take no rest Men would sinne without feare which they cannot do so long as God is remembred therefore God must be forgotten that they may securely offend More particularly Doctr. 2 the word remember here signifieth a premeditation of death or wise numbring of our dayes that we may remember our end From whence we learn to spend well our short time and to remember wisely our certain death Moses the man of God in that this excellent petition Teach mee so to number my dayes that I may applie my heart vnto wisedome Psal 90.12 What meaning can hee haue but to beg grace of God so to consider the shortnes of his time and transitorinesse of his short time that hee may take all occasions and omit no meanes for the bending of his heart to the true knowledge of God and of himselfe wisely to lead it in the wayes and true feare of the Lord which is the beginning of wisedome For shall we thinke that by the numbring of his daies he meant the numbring of them after the account of the Church-booke and not a holy and fruitfull consideration and premeditation of the shortnesse frailtie and vncertaintic of them that so he might cast how and which way he might best passe them to Gods glorie and the good and profit of the Church and Common-wealth wherein he lined The want of this husbandrie of pretious time Christ doth mournfully pitie in the inhabitants of Ierusalem saying O if thou hadst euen knowne at the least in this thy day those things that belong to thy peace Luc. 19.42 as if he should haue said Though thou hast biâ— a great vnthrift of time a great waster of good houres heretofore yet if thou hadst held precious this last parcell and commoditie of time offered to thee for repentance and turning to GOD thou mightest haue auoided these miserable calamities and deathes that will most surely come and seuerely execute vengeance in thy streetes or thou mightest haue had peace but now thou shalt haue warres Neither did Ierusalem onely in the dayes of Christ thus let time goe which she should haue redeemed but long before in the daies of Ieremie the Prophet it was obiected that shee remembred not her last end and forgat her account and that therefore she came downe wonderfully Lamen 1.9 that is because shee grewe worse and worse therefore was she punished more more The reasons 1. We liue no longer theÌ„ we liue well and wise men regard not how long they haue liued but how well and profitably Dauid desired to liue that hee might so liue Psal 71.18 and Hezekiah is bold because hee had so liued Esay 38.3 Secondly we must not onely die in the world for so doe naturall men and beasts without reason but wee must die vnto it by our dying to the world Christ liueth in vs Gal 2.20 and by our dying in the world wee goe to liue with Christ We must die to the world that we may die Christians and we shall die in the world whether we forget death as Naturall men or remember our end that we may die in Christ It is therefore necessarie soberly to apply our mindes to the numbring of our dayes which is the wisedome that teacheth vs to liue here and hereafter Thirdly that which foolish Men doe in the end wise men doe in the beginning and therfore with Noah they prepare the Arke of repentance while the season is calme Gen. 6.12 but fooles neglect it till the waters enter and storme come and that of despaire that carieth them from first death to second death It was a good saying being the speech of one that was forth of Christ who drawing to his end Senâ—â— Epist 62 said when I was yong my care was how to liue well now that I am old my care is how to dee well A reproofe to those Vse who neither old nor young number their dayes till their dayes bee numbred as his were who faw the fingers of a mans hand-writing thus vpon the plaister of the wall God hath numbred thy kingdome and hath finished it Dan. 5.5.26 Now to number our dayes or by numbring of them wisely to prepare for our end is to feare the
Lord and in his feare and word to serue him Iob 28.28 to loue the good and hate the euill that oursoules may liue Am. 5.15 wee can encourage one another in wickednesse and say let vs eate and drinke for to worrow we shal die Esay 22.13 that is we remember our end but we remember it not wisely but as beasts to eate and drinke or we put off and make our end long but who prepareth for it and who is wise and of an vnderstanding heart Deut. 32.29 to consider it The rich man maketh his small barnes big as if he would make his short life endlesse Luk 12.18 The euill seruant saith my master deferreth his comming as if that which is put off would neuer come Math. 24.48 Nabal he that yet liueth in the carnall churles of this age applieth all his mind to riches and forgetteth his sudden end 1. Sam. 25.10.11.38 Absalons whol studie is to mount neuer thinking of his destruction so neare whose bodie though it stand at the lower end of the presence yet heart sitteth vnder the cloth of estate practising for the kingdome 2. Sam. 15.1.2.3.4.5 c. In the daies of Noah they eate they dranke they builded and remembred not the flood Luk. 17.27 In our daies men feede themselues without feare and forget their end Let vs therefore be warned better to remember our few and euil daies Gen. 47.9 to do the workes of God while it is day Ioh. 9.4 before the long night of sleepe come out of which there is no awaking till the last great trumpe call vs vp to iudgement Behold now is the accepted time behold now the day of saluation 2. Cor. 6.2 the rich man in hell once might and would not heare Moses and the Prophets afterward that is too late hee would and could not Luke 16.25.29 The enemie that is prepared for hurteth lesse and hee that maketh himselfe readie for the last enemie which is death neede not feare to such it bodeth no danger for such it hath no sting nor breath that can doe hurt If we first see this Basiliske death armed with repentance and with the shield and target of faith in our last houre by preparing for our end there is nothing in it that shall not be for our preferment and the full conquest of our troublesome life for then we may take it by the hand as a most welcome guest and as that last seruant whom the Master will send to bring vs to his great Supper and that at supper time when all things are readie Luke 14.17 when our warrefare is accomplished and our iniquities are pardoned when our weary course is finished and ioy commeth after the night of life which life was not properly nor can be truely called life but the shadow of death The person to be remembred followeth Thy Greatour c. The person in whose eye Salomon exhorteth his young Man to walke reuerently is God his Maker By which name or title hee doth secretly imply the great power of the Maker of all things and of mans Creatorr and sheweth that the end of Mans creation is to glorifie continually God his Creator as if hee should haue said Hee that gaue vs breath is Mightie and if he take away his breath by stopping our mouth and nosthrils we are gone and wherefore did he put his spirit of life into vs Was it to giue vs some large libertie to liue as wee list or was it not rather to prouoke vs to seeke his glorie that made vs This is Salomons meaning where we first are taught that the Al-mightinesse of the Creator and the worke of our strange and fearfull creation should make vs feare to liue in any forgetfulnesse of God by an impenitent and obdurate heart By such an argument the Prophet Amos stirreth vp a carelesse people to turne to God by repentance saying He that formeth the Mountaines and createth the winde which maketh the morning darknesse and walketh vpon the high places of the earth the Lord God of hosts is his name Ames 4.13 as if hee should haue said if God who is your mightie Lord and shall be your righteous Iudge bee able to create the windes to forme the Mountaines and to turne the morning into darknesse then is he able to persecute you with his storme to tumble the Mountaines vpon you and to couer you with the darknesse and shadow of death and to prepare an eternall iudgement of confusion for you to the destruction of soule and bodie For hee that made hell can cast into hell and he that causeth darknesse punish with vtter darknesse Dauid by a like argument inureth himselfe to the feare and reuerence of his wonderfull Maker saying I will praise thee that is I wil acknowledge thy goodnesse in all my life for I am feare fully and wonderfully made Psal 199.14 the meaning is if he should goe on in sinne the God who is fearefull can open hell to deuoure him and can shew himselfe as mighty in his iudgement to his destruction as hee was great in his loue to giue him being when before he was not So in Psal 119. ver 37. the Prophet hath these words thine hands haue made mee and fashioned me giue me vnderstanding therfore that I may learue thy commandements and he reasoneth thus Lord thou hast made mee in thy image therefore new-make me by thy word and as thou hast giuen me the shape of man so by teaching make me a new-man in the shape and soundnesse of a true worshipper Our Creation therefore should teach vs the life not of libertie but of repentance and holinesse in the feare of God The reasons Our life is nothing but a little breath and how easie is it for God to take away our weake life when weake man by stopping our breath is able suddenly and most certainely to send vs to our dust Gal. 2.22 Psal 104.29 And should not this weake and poore life fed with a little breath breath forth continually the praises of that God that so feedeth it from the shop of his prouidence Secondly God hauing greater power ouer vs then the Potter hath of the clay which he fashioneth who yet hath power to put it to some seruice or if it content him not to breake it to fitters Rom 9.21 Esa 45.9 should not this Clay Dust Man striue to please him in newnesse of life who hath power to bring him to glorie in his presence or if he be in no conformitie with his righteous will hath like power to breake him in peeces like a Porters vessell This condemneth those who set out no time for the dutie of meditating on their fearefull creation that the strange worke thereof may warne them to feare alwaies to doe euill Vse One cause why the people of Israel did so often and presumptuously prouoke God was because they forgate his wonderfull workes Psal 78.10.11 And it is said that the workes of God are sought out of all that loue them Psal 111.2.5
the meaning is that this diligent search of Gods power in the register of his noble workes is one excellent meane of godlinesse and signe of one that is godly But what shall we say of those who take liberty to doe euill because they are made great as if he that made them were not greater Psal 76.12 and who walke stubbornely in their sinnes because they may walke quietly in them without any mans checke not caring for nor dreading his iudgement of rebuke who hath power is strong to bring sinners to destruction To such I say Doe yee prouoke the Lord and are yee stronger then hee 1. Cor. 10.22 if hee touch the Mountaines they smoke and if he strike hard shall they not burne The Sorcerers who ascribed so much to the finger of God Exod. 8.19 what would they haue said of his whole hand what is stubble to fire and what are wee to God Our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.19 But God is our Creator Doct. 2 therefore againe we are taught to shew our selues in knowledge and obedience yea by all meanes and waies such as are readie alwaies to glorifie this our Creator This moued the Apostle of the Gentils writing to the Romans to exhort them to offer vp to God as in a sacrifice by obedience First their bodies mortifying them that is sinne in them Rom. 12.1 And secondly their minde by renuing of it that is by seeking to make it of old new of fleshly spirituall of prophane noly and of euill good and acceptable to God in Christ ver 2. But was this written to them or for them onely or doth it not also concerne vs seeing that he who made them made vs and who saued them must be our Sauiour The same Apostle writing to the Collossians chargeth them and vs in them whatsoeuer they doe in word or deede whether they vse their tongues or labour with their hands to doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus that is thankefully to ascribe all to God the father of Christ and our father in Christ Col. 3.17 And wherefore so but because the Father hath made vs and the Sonne hath redeemed vs as hee also saith in another place glorifie God in your bodie and in your Spirit for they are Gods as all are his 1. Cor. 6.20 The reasons No tradesman but would haue all that hee deuiseth or maketh to haue some vse and that vse to his minde and liking and what Man of occupation can abide that the tooles and instruments by which he worketh should by one comming into his shop be vsed to a wrong end and will not hee who hath created all things for his glorie and seruice haue Man his principall worke more principally seruiceable to his will and glorie or can he abide that one of his chiefe tooles that which was made to be to his praise should turne to his dishonour becomming an instrument of vnrighteousnesse to sinne which was made a weapon of holinesse to God Secondly Mans body is called the Temple of God or House made by God 1. Cor. 6.15.19 and shall we not keepe Gods House cleane If a man hauing a faire dwelling-House whereinto he meaneth to receaue his Prince should conuert the same into a stie or stable would not men say that hee did greatly abuse both his House and Soueraigne So if we make that which should be a Palace to God by swearing lying drunkennesse adulterie and such vnclean pranks a stie of Hell and stable for the gouernour of this world would not good men say that we reproch our Creator and dishonest the House of Him that made vs An instruction to make conscience of euerie sinfull way Vse as wee would bee afraid to pollute and dishonest the Princes Court or House and if we would be ashamed to be fit for nothing let euerie thought and purpose make vs blush which doth manifest that we can be of no vse to God when we goe on in sin let vs reason against such proceedings and say Surely God made vs to another end and this is no good vse of our creation This is not to make our bodie a vessell for God but a stie for Diuels or heard or droue of swine for vncleane Spirits to enter into Math. 8.31 And surely the more filthie a mans bodie is the more fit it is to become a lodge hold for Diuels sinne Wee haue eyes to see the Heauens and the soule in Gods image hath other eyes to looke into heauen Al other creatures goe with their eyes and bodies depressed to the ground and where other creatures haue but foure muscles to turne their eies about Man hath a fifth to pull His vp to Heauen And what is this but to teach vs that howsoeuer we necessarily seeke other things yet wee should first and chiefly respect and respecting seeke the things of God in our saluation But at this day though Men goe vpright outwardly in face hypocritically in shewes yet looke into their liues and worke and they may as well goe on all foure Is this to remember thy Creator and remembring Him as thou oughtest in feare and with obedience to set thy heart to His commandements and to adorn thy creation with good works seruing God So much for the person to be remembred the tyme of remembring him followeth In the daies of thy youth c. As god is to bee remembred so wee must begin betimes to remember him For many make a shew and wil seem to walke with God who walke in no awe nor reuerence of His word and many also forgetting with the common Parents of the world that they who transgresse shall die be it in youth or age eate the forhidden tree of putting off from day to day to turne vnto the Lord Gen. 3.2.3.6 and so thinking it too soone to beginne in the flight age of youth or at Mans estate carefully to serue God turne all their termes into vacations and like bad borrowers when one day or terme of life is past craue a longer and alonger till they be staied by the arrest of death and sent to the prison of hell and their lie bound in fetters of long night and death eternall Therefore Salomon giueth his yong Man counsell earely to begin repentance that is in the prime and bud of his life while hee is fresh and gallant and not to tarrie till the dead winter of age cause his buds to fade and lease to fall or till the brawne of his strong armes fall away or till the keepers of the house the hands which defend the bodie tremble or till euery thing be a burthen seeing euen the grasse-hopper shall then be a burthen or till they waxe darke the eies that looke out at the windowes or till the grinders cease that is teeth fall out of his head or till the dore of his lips bee shut and â—awes fallen or till the daughters of singing the eares be abased being vnable any longer to heare the sounds of
in the good way young that they may sucke the milke of the Gospel with the milk of their Mother But to moue such to doe this dutie with more thankfulnesse let it be considered first that such instruction so giuen by Parents is more naturall and kindly then that which is giuen by strangers For as a tender plant will sooner take nourishment thriue better in the soile wherein it first grew and sprung vp then in any other ground because it liketh it owne soile best so tender children will sooner take instruction and good teaching from the Parents with whom they best agree as with their best and most naturall soile in whose loines they seeded and tooke their first roote then they can or are like to doe from strange Teachers when they shall be transplanted as it were into an other stocke and family or be exposed to grow vp in another soile of people then that in the which they had their first nature and sap of being Secondly who but Parents haue such as bee very young and tender vnder their charge and direction Now while they are yong one may work in their youth as in the day Ioh. 9.4 but when the night of their stubborne yeares commeth that season for good things is commonly lost Thirdly as Plants set in the Spring grow and prosper better then they which are set in Winter or Autumne so the instruction that is giuen in the spring of youth better prospereth and doth more edifie then that which is giuen in the Autumne of manhood or winter of gray haires Fourthly as Parents haue brought forth their children the children of wrath by nature So it concerneth them by the doctrine of Regeneration as by a second better nature in all good conscience to help to make them the sonnes and daughters of God by faith Fiftly Parents will betimes put their children forth to good trades And is there any trade of their life for honour delight or riches comparable to the trade and way of godlinesse Is the trade of wisdedome as other common trades which is a tree of Life to all that lay hold of it Prou. 2.18 The meaning is it increaseth strengthneth life where worldly trades if they be wel followed spend and diminish it and where other trades are vncertaine it hath the promises of this life and of that which is to come and where other trades are subiect to the course of this world being sometimes better and sometimes worse this is not so but alwaies good for God hath sealed vp his promise to it that it shall neuer faile which being so how carefull should Christian Parents be not to put off to put out their children carely and as it were at breake of day to such a profitable certaine and happie trade of life by which they shall be sure to liue euer with the Lord But if Parents will not betimes bind their youth by precept vpon precept Esay 28.10 as by Indenture and by Christian discipline as by Indenture sealed to so good a trade I beseech their Christian youth to offer themselues vnto it Sixtly Parents should remember that they help to build or pull downe the Christian world for in their children they beget and beare Parents to posteritie And if they learne no good while they be children how shall they teach it when they be fathers Seuenthly Parents are Gods Husbandmen and their children his seed and husbandrie 1. Cor. 3.9 as therefore in the husbandrie of this world the good Husband before he reape or inne one crop will plow and prepare for another yea and get the best and purest seede that at the time of haruest he may receiue some good increase So God hauing made religious Parents his husbandmen and their children his seede and husbandrie they should see that the haruest of Gods church be in some good proofe and well comming forward in their seede and posterity before their owne croppe be inned in their owne blessed death For Gods husbandrie must not die nor be giuen ouer till death bee vanquished which is the last enemy they must deale with Hee that hath or meaneth to haue and preserue a good Orchard will haue a nurserie also of young trees to feede it with and of these tender trees hee will be more carefull then of those elder in his Orchard of fruits The reason is they may sooner be bitten or nipped or the canker may sooner take them then the other trees God loueth and maketh much of the Orchard of his Church in the old store but hee is tender of it in the nurserie and new store that consisteth of babes in Christ growing to holinesse because the canker of euill things may soonest breed in them heards not of Beasts but of Diuels may soonest bite and nip them and so the Vineyard that God loueth so well may for want of supplies from the seminarie of young men and children begotten to the Gospell become desolate and wast for euer Now is God thus tender of his spirituall Nurserie and shall Christian Parents his husbandmen neglect it Doe they not know that the old trees cannot stand alwaies and that sooner or later they must be cut downe with the axe of death should they not then looke well to the nurserie of the younger impes in their charge by hedging with good nurture and discipline the young men and young women whom they meane to set as trees of righteousnesse in the Orchard of the Lords Church should they not water them with good teaching dresse them in good and due manner paring away their riot and superfluities of apparell of pleasures of play and prouide that no dangerous worme eat into them by any carely habit in euill vnmet with or if they shall despise or post of this so important a dutie what can we call them but prophane and such as leaue Gods Church in worse case then they found it The hope of the Church is in the youth that now haue being for if they be well brought vp they will be carefull that such as proceed from them shall haue good bringing vp also that age will commend this good education to another the next to them that follow and they to others by an inuiolable tradition till there be an end of all generations on Earth And as this is a lesson for all Parents so specially for Parents of great Families for the greater the ship is and the better merchandise it carrieth the more neede it hath of an expert and carefull Pilot. And so the greater a childe is by blood possessions the more need he shall haue of some speciall Ouerseer and one that greatly feareth God to be guide to his youth The contrarie carelesse nursing vp of such in vice and idlenesse is cause of these great wasts that wee find to be made so ordinarily in the best patrimonie of the common wealth for as the fattest soile bringeth forth the rankest weedes when it is not plowed so great houses not well
ordered bring forth the greatest Masters of vice and Guides to wickednesse and as a weede if it grow in a ranke soile will grow out of measure noisome so the tender youth of great families brought vp in ease and pampered with the delights of gentry if they prooue weeds must needs riot most vnmeasurably and prooue most hurtfull members in the Commonwealth and not members but diseases in the Church Lastly to excite our gentry to traine vp their yong Gentlemen to the feare of God and to good sciences let them remember that a gentleman without vertue learning is like a darke heauen in the night without moone or starres and let them not forget that if they would haue the blessing of being blessed fathers of a blessed seed they must bring them within the couenant endeuouring to make their sonnes by nature the sons of God by grace The like for their daughters if they would haue their daughters by birth to become the daughters of Abraham by new birth and godlinesse An admonition to yong persons Vse 2 to striue against all impediments of godlinesse in yong yeeres For are parents bound to teach youth then are youth bound to learne of their parents or must al feare God yong then young and all must learne betimes to feare him and can none feare him but such as arme against the impediments of his feare then where are most as in youth and where most are hindered as tender youth there must this armor chiefly be put on The first impediment of early godlines in yong men is a reckoning but without their host that they shall liue to be old which causeth theÌ„ to say peace peace Iâ—r 8.11 til with Sisera they fal into their last sleep of destruction Iudg. 4.21 go from their house to graue Psal 49.14 But who can be ignorant that on the stage of this world some haue longer and some shorter parts and who knoweth not though some fruits fall from the tree by a full and naturall ripenes that all doe not so nay that more are pulled from it and wither vpon it in the tender bud or young fruit then are suffered to tarrie till they come to their perfect ripenes and mellowing so do not mo without comparison fall from the tree of time young either violently plucked from it by a hasty death or miserably withering vpon it by a long death perishing in the bud of childhood or beaten downe in the greene fruit of youth then come to their full age of ripenesse by a mellow and kindly death Further doth not God call home from his worke some in the morning some at noone and some at night For as his labourers enter into his vineyard so they goe out that is in such manner and at such houres Math. 20.1.2.3 c. Some dye in the dawning of their life who passe but from one graue to another Some dye in youth as in the third houre some at thirtie and some at fiftie as in the sixt and ninth and some very old as in the last houre of the day Yet more dye young then old and more before tenne then after threescore Besides all this the fresh life which the youngest haue here is cut off or continued by the same decree and finger of God that the oldest and most blasted life is prolonged or finished For say that a man had in his keeping sundrie brittle vessels as of glasse or stone some made fortie fiftie yea threescore yeares age and some but yesterday we will agree that that vessell wil soonest be broken not that is made first but which is first striken or first receiueth a knocke So for these brittle vessels of our earthly bodies they that soonest receiue the blow of death though but made yesterday first perish not that were first made and haue longest liued What then is our life and how vaine and false is our hope of long life seeing no man can tel who hee is that shall receiue the first stroke or knocke to the destroying of this his mortal tabernacle In a prison where are many condemned should some riot and forget death because they first are not drawne out to die or because one goes before another to execution shall he that comes last come forth pleasantly with Agag and say Surely the bitternes of death is past 1. Sam. 15.32 because we die not so soone as others and we shall not all die at once shall we therefore count our selues immortall If we be old wee may bee sure our turne is neere and if we be young it may be as neere for they that be old may trauell longer but we that are yong may haue a shorter way home Seeing then this hope of liuing till we be old is so vaine and deceitfull wee should make as great haste to God at twenty as at fourescore When we heare a solemne knell we say some bodie is departed and why should we not thinke that the feet of them who carried out that bodie is at the doore readie to cary vs out also Act. 5.9 He was not an old man and he had much peace in his dayes to whom it was said O foole this night they will fetch away thy soule Luc. 12.20 So death worketh in vs whether we prepare for it or no. a Mr. Perk. in his right way of dying well A certaine writer vseth this comparison A man pursued by an Vnicorne in his flight fals into a dungeon and in his fall hangs by the arme of a tree as he thus hangeth looking downeward he sees two wormes gnawing at the root of the tree and looking vpward he sees an hiue of sweet hony which makes him to climbe vp vnto it to sit by it and to feed vpon it While he thus feedeth himselfe and becommeth secure or carelesse of what may come the two wormes gnaw in sunder the root of the tree which done both man and tree fall into the bottome of that deepe pit This Vnicorne is swift Death the Man that flieth is euerie sonne of Adam the pit ouer which he hangeth is hell the arme of the tree is his short life the two wormes are day and night which without stay consume the same the hiue of honie is the pleasures of this world to which while men wholly deuote themselues not remembring their last end the root of the tree that is temporall life is spent and they fall without redemption into the pit and gulfe of hell Another impediment of godlinesse in a young man is his strong constitution which perswades him that he shall liue long that therefore he may at leasure inough turne to God hereafter but no constitution in man can enlarge his Charter of life one poore houre Indeed the good complexion of a man may be a signe of long life but he that prolongeth our daies on Earth he onely can make vs to liue long Exod. 20.12 A third impediment of godlinesse is parentage abused For some thinke that God neuer required
nor looketh for precisenesse and exactnesse in matters of religion at the hands of Gentlemen and Noblemen and that such drudgeries are to be imposed vpon vile and abiect persons for so they speake of the poore that receaue the Gospell but what say such men to Dauid who set himselfe with his whole heart to seeke the Lord and what will they thinke of Salomon who in this booke of his repentance calleth himselfe Ecclesiasâ—es or Preacher Are they better then Dauid and wiser then Salomon or doe they thinke because they liue better that is in better estate then poore men that therefore they shal liue longer and what difference concerning death betweene a Nobleman and a Beggar Eccles 3.20 when both goe to one place when in these Acts and Scenes of seeming life as at a game at chesse the highest now vpon boord may presently be the lowest vnder boord when the breath in the nostrels of the Rich may assoone be stopped and they assoone turne to their dust as other Men A fourth impediment is taken from the pleasures or lusts of youth things that bring repentance and sorrow like sweet meates of hard digestion for what are they when they come to the shot and reckoning are they not deare penniworths to all such guests as will needes be Merchants of them Salomon in this booke tels vs that though they be pleasant to the eie eare mouth and senses of a young man yet in the mind they leaue behind them an vnsauorie after-taste or loathsome disdaine For like an vncleane spirit in him they cast him now into the water and now into the fire Mark 9.22 And these are the lusts of youth by children so earnestly desired and by old folkes so much lamented A fift impediment of godlinesse is that beautie in youth which is too delicate and tender to weare the rough garment of repentance and a strict life but how soone is it blighted and strucken as the faire flower of glasse blasted with an eastwind for beauty is but a flower which if some sicknesse strike not suddenly yet the autumne of ripe yeeres impaireth and the winter of old age killeth and what careth death which is indifferent to all for a faire and goodly complexion And is not a beautifull face as mortall as a foule hue The like may be spoken of health strength and stature of body for what are they and of what time In their owne nature they are fickle things and without good vse crosses for concerning health the deuowring vulture of sicknesse doth after some short time waste it to nothing strength is common to vs with Beasts and there are many beasts stronger then we and for our comely stature it may as soone be brought downe to death and as deepely be buried in the coffin of the Earth as a meaner cize shall Further if men haue not vsed these to Gods glory but to pride and vaine glorie nor haue made them helpes to godlinesse but haue giuen them their head at sinne it will be said after death of such that a beautifull person a strong young man a goodly tall fellow and one that neuer knew what sicknesse meant is gone to Hell Therefore of beauty and hâ—â— attendants as health and strength and a goodly stature that may be spoken which is spoken vsually of fire and water that they are good seruants but ill Masters where they are ruled they doe good seruice where they ouer-rule they make foule worke A sixt impediment of godlinesse is the bad fellowship and example of those who being themselues drunken with the pleasures of youth seeke to drowne others in the same perdition and destruction and therefore offer to them the full cup that they likewise may stagger and fall from God by the like error and disobedience But Christian young men must turne away their eyes from very seeing the inchanted cuppe of such carnall Counselours And though they beate their eares euery day with such foolish sounds as these are that it is too soone and vnkindly in youth to be religious that such yeeres are for the lap of the world not for Ezras Pulpit that youth must haue a time c. yet euery day they should set Iosephs locke vpon them of not hearkning vnto them nor of being in their company Gen. 39.10 for it is a true saying he that toucheth pitch shall be defiled with it So hee that will touch the pitch of such must looke to be defiled with the companie If a man that had wallowed in the mire tumbled in the filthy chanel should offer to companie with vs would we not loatâ— and shun him and why would wee so auoid him but because quickly he would make his filth to cleaue vnto vs And doe not bad wicked persons set their markes and sinnes vpon those with whom they company Doe they not where they come leaue of their filth that is some print or badge of their prophanenesse behinde them And shall wee sit so close to them who haue so plunged themselues in the mire of sin who should either labour to drawe them out of filthinesse or withdraw our selues that we proue not as loathsome filthy as they are Should we not rather say if any will bee filthy let him be filthy by himselfe and if any will be beastly let him be beastly alone the filthy person and beastly man shall not haue me for a companion my soule shall haue no pleasure in him Heb. 10.38 Pro. 1.10.15 4.14.15 Now where these corrupt perswaders wil tell a yong man that makes conscience of his waies That other yong men doe not so that young man if he will be Christs yong man in the Gospell must answere him say That yong men should consider not what the most doe but what the best doe that shall bee saued whose way is narrow and walkers in it not many Math. 7.14 Also that it is to be regarded not what the world doth to which we must not bee fashioned Rom. 12.2 but what Christ did and the Saints whom wee haue for leaders who yong kept the path of vertue and walked not in the common rode of sinners These and such like impediments of sanctification in young men and they who meane to giue their yong time to God must striue to ouercome yong by fighting that fight of faith and a good conscience to which their Baptisme hath sealed them 1. Tim. 1.18.19 Then Vse 3 they are here reproued who suffer sinne to grow in them by custome and vse till it bee helplesse and who suffer it so long to breede in the bone that it will not out of the flesh For we should deale with sinne as with a thorne which we will plucke vp yong and in the tender spray and not tarry till it be growne and haue daggers prickes but some suffer it till it be as an old man so deafe and froward that either it will not heare or it cannot In all their life they finde no
such to bee renued in their mindes reformed in their liues Eph. 4.14 And though they haue beene children long hauing so long and much forgotten God in the ignorance of childhood and vanitie of youth should they alwaies be so or should they not grow to be men in Christ and strong men in the saluation of God wisdome being their gray haires and an vndefiled life their old age 1. Cor. 16.13 The Israelites gathered twice as much Manna the day before the Sabbath as they did any day before because on the sabath they might gather none Exod. 16.22 and should not the hoare head that looketh euery day for the last sabbath of mortalitie and long sabbath of glorie in an age and day so neare vnto it heare twice as much pray twice as much do twice as much good be more fruitfull then in all his life before vsing not legs as youth but wings of repentance yet as young men think they haue a long time so put off remembrance so old men doe hardly beleeue that their time is so shoâ—â— or end so neere but that they 〈◊〉 take leasure and doe that hereafter which they should doe presentlie And who is there almost though hauing liued verie long alreadie that thinketh not hee may liue one yeer longer we read that threescore and ten is a great age Psa 90.10 but when we our selues are past it we forget what we haue read and look not to that which is gone but as couetous persons who onely liue vpon that which they expect not which they haue doe onely number the yeeres to come and build vpon seuen yeeres when perhaps there are not seuen months behind peraduenture not seuen daies not houres Little thought hee to die before the morrow who promising many yeeres of ease to himselfe said hee would pull downe his old barnes and build new Luc. 12.18.19 The like condition in sudden death may steale vpon the like foolish numberers of their daies For hee â—as a young man that so reckoned â—misse and shall they that be old so â—ckoning thinke to reckon well We say commonly Yong men may â—e and when we turne it to old â—en we say with good warrant Old â—en must die And yet as men by â—a thinkes anothers ship goes fast â—nd their owne stands still where â—eirs maketh as great hast to the â—ort as the others doth so old men â—inke that other old men weare aâ—ace and goe a maine to death as if â—eir owne yeeres did neuer a whit â—reake nor moue to the waine of â—se where the truth is that they â—aue as swift a gale and flight to the â—ort of all the liuing as the other â—aue who seeme in their eyes not â—o moue softly but to flie to their â—nd So much for the first reason â—he second followeth Nor the yeares approach wherein â—hou shalt c. This secoÌ„d reason giâ—en for remembrance is drawne froÌ„â—n age in a neerer degree to death by â—oÌ„mon course then the age that was spoken of though it may wel be called old age coÌ„pared to the times 〈◊〉 yong men childreÌ„ For these yeeâ— take all pleasure from our life wheâ— in affliction followeth affliction 〈◊〉 the clouds returne after the raine Eâ—cles 12.2 The reason may be drawâ— from the lesse to the more thus 〈◊〉 if Salomon had said It is an vâ—â— time in old age to begin repeÌ„tance much more at these stooping yereâ— where euerie step is in death aâ—â— they may say with Barzillat whâ— are come vnto them How long hâ—â— I to liue Doctr. 2. Sam. 19.34 The Doctrine is If in old age then mucâ— more in that age it is verie late 〈◊〉 consecrate our time to God wheâ— our houses are turned into our prisons and we haue no taste in that 〈◊〉 eat or in that we drinke 2. Sam 19.35 Of Ephraim it was said Thâ— gray hayres were here and there vpâ—â— him yet he knew it not Hos 7.9 thaâ— is hee had the markes of age in 〈◊〉 face and vpon his head and yet 〈◊〉 one that would still be young heâ— considered not that hee drew neeâ— â—o the graue and had tokens vpon â—im of a blasted life What would â—t haue beene said if being readie to â—ye downe in the graue he had fared â—s one that had come into the world but yesterday And that he thought not of putting off sinne and putting on holinesse in an age when he could neither put off nor put on his owne clothes The reasons This â—s the last time or rather houre and how shall we hope to be good if we begin but now And if it be somewhat late where memory is stronger how can it bee but verie late where memorie is quite gone Secondly repentance should bee voluntarie not extorted as at these yeares by bitter griefe and the feare of hell Thirdly our repentance then will be late repentance and late repentance is seldom or neuer true repentance Also those repentances that men frame to themselues at the last houre are but false conceptions that come not to bearing For in such repentances men forsake not their sinnes but their sinnes forsake them A reproofe to those desperat sinners Vse who put off all care of turning to God by repentance till the graue be readie for them and till they be readie to make vp their bed in the darke But many deceiued with this charme sorcery of the last hours repentance haue knocked when there was no opening Luc. 13.25.28 The foolish Virgins that came not for mercy whiles the Lords doore was open that is whiles hee was before the doore to giue it and they in the way to receiue it did stand without had none to open vnto them Matth. 25.10.12 So he was taken away to damnation that prepared not his wedding garment before his comming to the wedding feast Matth 22.11.13 Let these examples of reprobate putters off mooue vs to preuent the diuels houre of turning to God which is the last houre of life an houre when Gods doore of mercy is made fast and all hope is cut off for entring It is an euâ—ll seruant that putteth off all his worke to the last houre Eccles 12 And who knoweth not that hath vnderstanding that when those yeeres approach and that gastly houre is come there is businesse and worke enough in the mind and externall man of deaths condemned prisoner to resist and prepare against the extremitie of that combat which because it is the last of the day is like to be the sharpest Besides the last sicknes bringeth trouble inough with it when death the diuell mans vnremitted sinnes Gods intolerable wrath and the gaping pit and deepe lake of hell doe altogether with greatest terror astonishmeÌ„t present themselues to mans sorrowfull and sore incumbred soule Obiect You will say that a theefe was saued at the very last cast of life or some short time before hee departed from the Crosse to Paradise Luke 23.43 Answ I confesse that the
the good mans death but what is profitable and excellent In the third to the Philippians vers 21. the Apostle calleth this alteration by death not the losse of our body but the change of our vile body that it may bee facioned like to the glorious body of Christ And is there any thing in this but what is excellent and worthy if any thing be worthy our trauell best paines here Iohn speaking of the Saints glorified saith All teares shall be wiped from their eyes Apoc. 21.4 His meaning is that as soone as death shall let them out of the world they shall haue no more sorrow that is sorrow that causeth teares And the same Iohn saith Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord Apo. 14.13 that is they who hauing liued righteously die wel in him are in the hand by the helpe of death leade presently to blessednesse The Saints militant did alwaies with the eyes of faith in the Gospell behold this great honour and preferment by death in the happy ends of the righteous and therefore sighed desiring their house from Heauen 2. Cor. 5.2 for they knew that if it were an honour to be remoued from a base cote to a Princes court it could not but be a double that is singular honour to bee translated from the Cotes of the Earth to the Court of Heauen Therefore they sighed that is could not be merrie till that change should come Paul saith that to be losed to wit from the bonds of his corruptible bodie was best of all Philip. 1 23. which hee would not haue said if any preferment had beene better then that by death which is from basenes into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God The reasons And further that there is so much good in the godlie mans death which is his change may be and is euident First by the things to which that their happie and blessed change by death is compared as to a hauen that after they haue passed the troublesome waues of the sea of this world carrieth them to their owne key or backe in the which they ride safely to their iourneys end after which they come home to their owne house being strangers here 1. Pet. 2.11 to the medicine that cureth most perfectly the sicknesse of life to the messenger that biddeth them to the marriage dinner of their great King Mat. 22.2.3 to their returne from banishment into their owne countrey and naturall land to their deliuerance from the gaole of sorrow where they are taken with Ioseph out of prison to be set with Princes to the laying downe of their tabernacle and to the putting on of their house from Heauen to a deliuerance like that out of Egypt from the bondage of corruption to the libertie of saints from a land of darknesse to a land where the sunne neuer goeth downe and from a land of destruction to the land of the liuing Now what is there in all these that is not perfitly good and desirable Secondly death abolisheth in the faithfull departed all power of sinning and sting of sinne Thirdly the bodie feeleth no more paine nor shal euer againe be sensible but of that which is excellently good desireable and comfortable and for the soule it shall presently be glorified Luc. 16.22 Fourthly death is but the dore of the soule out of an earthly dungeon such as the bodie is that must be destroied before the wormes into an heauenly kingdome or passage from death to life from a short death to a long life Lastly God executeth his iudgements vpon the damned and purgeth his Church by death An instruction to correct all vnreasonable and faithlesse weeping for our godly friends and brethren departed in the faith of Christ Vse 1 The Apostle to the Thessalonians exhorteth Christians if they sorrow for such not to sorrow for them as men that haue no hope 1. Thes 4.13 When Hester was taken from Mardochay who had brought her vp as his owne daughter to be married to King Assuerus and to receaue the crowne of Queene in the kingdome did he either bewaile or enuie that her great preferment the faithfull are taken from sorrowfullmen to be espoused to Christ and to receaue the crowne of glorie and shall they that liue by such vnmeasurable sorrow and taking on as is too commonly vsed at the graues of their friends vnwish to them in a sort so great happinesse Will a father be sorrie or can he without imputation of enuie repine that his sonne or daughter is with Ioseph taken out of prison to be set with Princes when thou giuest forth thy child to nurse and shee hath kept it long inough should shee because thou takest it home againe complaine thou wilt say she hath no reason for it Then what reason hath any father to murmure against the owner of the child hee taketh for taking of his owne Parents that so lose their children if they may be called lost that are so found are but nurses to them in their absence from their owne fathers house to nurse them with the milke of the Gospel and religiously to nurture them for the Lord who by death sends for them home to himselfe when he seeth time and when he so doth haue they cause to complaine of wrong father mother sonne wife husband brother are but lent goods which we must restore when the creditor and hee that owneth them calleth for them And shall we count our selues spoiled or vndone because they are required If one should lend vs a thing of price or thing that is costly would wee for a recompence of the vse of it vpbraid the owner because he sendeth for it or if we should might not he who was the lender iustly say is this my thanks and shall I be recompenced with so great impatiencie for my so great good will So if God should lend vs tenne deare children as he did to Iob and we should be made to part with them all in one day would it become vs with rough words to receaue that supposed losse or would we complaine of wrong where none is offered and where our good is sought and our childrens gaine be vnthankfull if we should may not the Lord of them and of vs iustly taxe our vnthankfulnesse and complaine of wrong May he not say did Iob my seruant so from whom I tooke ten children in one day and in a few daies all the honour and substance that he had did he not rather confesse my vnquestionable right in such moueables and say the Lord giueth the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. Iob 1.21 If a great Lord should call vs and our child promising to both much honour and great wealth would we weepe and take on because our child is gone before and we our selues must shortly follow after would we not rather with much ioy so order our iourney and affaires that we also might with as great dispatch as might be receaue such preferment as wee know
our child hath entred on alreadie And why are we vnquiet seeing the Lord of Heauen and earth hath called our child from a base condition to noblenesse to bestow honours vpon him and ritches that shall not faile promising the like to vs by the way of death should we not rather so dispose our occasions and life that we may ioifully follow him whom wee haue not lost but sent before But you will say my child was young and died in his flowers well be it so yet they who die young so they die well are old inough to goe to God besides did not Ieroboams childe in whom were found good things die young 1. King 14.13 And did not Iosiah die old whom the Lord in a battle at Megiddo tooke from the filthy will of Iudah to plant him before himselfe in the garden of his owne presence in glorie 2. King 24.29 Neither can they be said to die yong whose perfection is growne to a blessed ripenesse before the Lord. But young or old if you haue reioiced in your child as in the Lords interest you will not think it much and why should you that the Lord should haue his owne or will you with Phurao offer to hold in the prison of life as in Egypt any seruant of his whom hee shall send for by death his last messenger and that aâ— supper time when all things are ready Luc. 14.17 While he liued God gane him to you as a pledge of his fauor now that he is taken away you must freely resigne him as a pledge of your obedience But you wil say He was my onely child Indeed the death of an onely childe is very greeuous to the Parents Zechar. 12.10 Am. 8.10 yet Abraham was readie to haue sacrificed his onely sonne Isaac at Gods commandement Gen. 22.3.10 and God gaue his onely sonne Christ to death for our salâ—ation Ioh. 3.16 wherefore as Elkanah said to Annah so and much more may the Lord say to vs am not I better to you then ten sonnes 1. Sam. 1.8 or are not our ten sonnes and all the children of the wombe his gift Ps 127.3 Then though he be your onely child and all you haue whom God thus by death taketh from you there is no cause of griefe or of complaint seeing the Lord hath but his owne when he hath taken him and seeing also that he taketh him and you giue him but as your pledge and earnest to binde vnto you the right of that inheritance that you looke for or as your Feof-fee of trust gone before to take the possession for you A reproofe to those Vse 2 who can see nothing in the death of their friends or in their owne deathes but what is dreadfull beyond measure and simply the end of man Such conceiue death not as he is to the righteous and as Christ hath made him to bee by his glorious death but as fooles iudge of him who behold him through false spectacles as he is in his owne vncorrected nature considered out of Christ that is vgly terrible and hideous So did they behold him in Amos who put the euill day of his comming that which they iudged to bee euill and the godly iudge to bee happie no day happier as far from them as they could by carnall delicacie and wantonnesse Amos 6.3 So did Belshazzar looke vpon him whose heart would not serue him to reade the hand-writing of his owne end so neare Dan. 5.5.6.30 And Nabal had no heart to die who when he must needes die died as a stone that is died blockishly and so faintly that he was as good as slaine before death slew him 1. Sam. 25.37.38 He had no comfort in death which hee could not see one that was as righteous but as churlish and prophane And no maruell for this Aduersarie death armed as Goliah and vaunting as that proud Gyant of Gath commeth stalking toward such in fearefull manner infulting ouer weake dust and daring the world to giue him a man to fight with Therefore at the sight of him the whole hoast of worldlings bewray great feare turning their backes and going backward as men readie to sinke into the earth with abated courages and lookes cast downe stained with the colours of feare death trembling like leaues in a storme and striken with the palsie of a sudden and violent shaking through all the bodie 1 Sam. 17.10.11 But the true Christian armed as Dauid with trust in God and expectation of victory by the death of Christ who by death ouercame death as Dauid cut off the head of Goliah with his owne sword dares and doth boldly encounter with this huge Philistian death supposed inuincible and seeming great but neither with sword nor speare but in the name of the God of the hoast of Israel by whose might onely hee woundeth and striketh him to the earth trampling vpon him in the returne of his soule to the place out of which it first came and singing ouer him this ioiful and triumphant song of victorie O death where is thy sting 1. Cor. 15.55 Hee hath Steuens eyes to looke into heauen and therefore cannot but haue the tongue of the Saints who say Come Lord Iesu come quickly Apoâ— 22 2â—â— For the ioy that is set before him he with his good Sauiour endureth the crosse of death and despiseth the shame of corruption to which the dust of his bodie must bee turned Heb. 12.2 Ob. Quest But you will say Is not death to be feared that worketh so fearefully beeing also enemie to nature and the wages of sinne Rom. 6.23 Ans Answ Indeede death is dreadfull out of Christ and in it selfe and wee haue reason to feare it as it is an effect of sinne for so God setteth his angrie countenance in it and so Aristotle it is simply fearefull and euill Which made an heathen man to say that of all terrible things death was most terrible Hee saw in the darke that death had much euill in it and that it was properly euill and but accidentally good but he could not see through the dark cloud that which made it so euill Therefore euill it is I confesse and fearefull And to this we haue a greater witnesse then the witnesse of man For the Apostle saith the sting of death is sinne 1. Cor. 15.56 Now so farre as it hath a sting and is in it strength it is to be feared The reason is so it is properly death and death in kinde But we speake not of death considered out of Christ or considered in it selfe but of death altered by the death of Christ and which by such a change is made our passage from death to life for so it is no dreadful thing but a thing desireable and so the sting is taken from it which is of force and carieth an edge of second death against all the workers of iniquitie who dying out of Christ die miserably hellishly and with horrible feare By Christ the doore death is made a doore out