burning so 't is here 't is Christs coming hath sayed us from burning in this 〈◊〉 surnace How terrible this furnace is you may see Rev. 14. 10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of hâ—… indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb and the smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever And they have no rest day nor night O methinks the very sight of this surnace at a distance should startle our Souls and make us list up our hands and eyes and souls and praise the Lord. O methinks we that are the redeemed of the Lord we should stand together about the pit and look down and list up our hearts and praise the Lord. Fourthly From the King of terrors He hath saved you as from the Devil so from Death You know death is the mortal enemy of man 't is his great and last enemy and now this enemy hath Christ destroyed and delivered us from And that both from the sting and victory of it First From the sting of death He hath not delivered us from the stroke of death but he hath from the sting of death When the sting is out the serpent may hisse but he cannot sting Death will put you into the possession of that which Christ hath provided for you so that death now is become desirable now there is beauty in it There is no friend can do that for you that death can do It will at once deliver you from sin and Satan and give you a possession in heaven The Apostle looking upon death through Christ longs for death having a desire to depart c. Phil. 1. 23. This great robber through Christ is become our greatest gain That which would have marr'd us for ever will now make us for ever O that this King of terrors should become desirable what a mercy is this O my beloved did you know what the terrors of death be to an enlightned sinner you would account it a great priviledge to be sree from the sting of death When all his comforts are taking their everlasting farewell of him you would account it a great salvation then When he shall feel death putting in his cold hands and pulling out his heart when he sâ—…ail see his house of his body falling down about his ears and he cannot stay there any longer and he sees the hell-hounds stand about him and waiting upon him to carry him to Hell O what horror doth this work upon his heart this hath Christ delivered us from Death hath lest its sting in Christ it can hurt us no longer Secondly From the victory of death It is true we must lye in the grave for some time yet Christ will fetch us thence in John 6. He promiseth no lesse than four times I will raise them up at the last day And this is the fruit of his purchase 1 Thes. 4. 14. Christs resurrection is a certain pledge of ours so 1 Cor. 15. Therefore let us not fear death but embrace it with comfort for death cannot touch our souls it cannot deliver us over into the second death He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death Therefore let us not fear death but let our slesh rest in hope When we dye we may commit our bodies to the dust with comfort it cannot hurt our souls and it shall keep our bodies but a little while neither God will receive our souls immediately our bodies after a little while How doth Job comfort himself in this I know that my redeemer liveth and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my slesh shall I see God c. Thus may we triumph over death that in this flesh we shall see God And though death for the present do make such work upon us and cast us into the grave yet the earth will be but the mould wherein we shall receive a glorious body so that death shall conduce to our great advantage This is no little victory to be able to triumph with the Apostle O death where is thy victory This is no small priviledge Bless your redeemer for this priviledge VVhat a priviledge well this be when all the Sons and daughters of God shall be brought sorth and made to stand up before him then it shall appear that the grave was not able to hold them Then will they triumph and sing songs of salvation when they shall set their feet upon their last enemy death Secondly It will appear what blessed news this is if you consider how he hath saved you He hath saved you two ways by might and by merit â—…irst By merit Brethren your salvation cost your redeemer dear no less a price than his own invaluable blood O believer look upon thy self art not thou a worthless thing to be redeemed with the price of Christs blood O how should we admire the goodness of Christ here we are not worthy that Christ 〈◊〉 sâ—…end one of his thoughts upon us much less that he should spend his blood for us Seconly By might my brethren it was absolutely requisite for our salvation that our redeemer as he should be of infinite merit so of infinite might If he had not been of infinite merit he could never have been purchaser of heaven for us The soul of one man is more worth than a whole world and then what worth or value must that be of that is able to buy a world of souls and yet this purchaser must be able to buy heaven too and this hath Christ done for us Could heaven and earth have done this no no it would have broken them all if they had done it But now Christ hath done all for us and therefore he must be of insinite merit And not infinite in merit onely but might too for he was to bear all the wrath of God and to bring us off with victory If the wrath of Gods finger be so intolerable that it makes poor creatures to cry out under it what is the wrath of his loins and if the wrath of God against one man is so great what is his wrath against so many men VVhen the price was laid down the devil would not yield up his hold till Christ must come and cast him down and pluck us from him And therefore it was necessary that our redeemer should be of infinite power He hath destroyed him that had the power of death that is the devil Ah brethren we may behold the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross bowing himself as Sampson did and pulling down the house about his enemies and carrying away the posts and all and setting us free This is our Sampson that hath carryed all away and destroyed our enemies for us The price was sufficient to satisfie the justice of God for us but when the price was paid and paid to God then
of this that made this rich worldling to be branded for a fool Give Alms plentifully and provide for your selves Bags that wax not old be sparing as to your selves but lay out and spare not upon the Service of God Give your selves unto prayer let reading the Word Meditationâ—… Self-examination be your daily exercises do good to all men serve your generation with diligence study to be useful sill up your relations with duties and when you have done all go out of your selves look wholly unto Jesus and live by faith this do and you shall have treasure in Heaven and let death come when it will it will but set you in possession of glory But woe to them that have laid up nothing on the other side the Grave Death will break them for ever and will prove their eternal undoing 4. Be the death of your sins that they may not fasten like Hell-hounds upon you when you are most helpless Mortifie your corruptions and then the bitterness of Death is past Sin is the sting of Death that makes it dreadful that makes it hurtful O do not arm your enemy against you death cannot hurt you but by the weapons that you put into its hands by your sins if Sin be dead death is conquered This is the top of misery when sin and death shall sly upon a poor creature together when death as the unclean Spirit taking with him seven other Spirits worse than himself shall set a man's Sins all upon him and besides the terrour of its own apaling looks shall shew him the more ghastly and affrighting faces of those Fiends and Furies his unpardoned sins this is the sting of death and makes that the King of terrours 5. Observe the approaches of your enemy daily and remember that you are for ought you know more than half dead already Let not gray hairs be here and there upon you and you know it not observe all the warnings of death and consider in all your pains and insirmities that these are but twitches and items from death How often is death knocking at your doores Death hath a great part of you already in possession whatsoever is past is death's and how little how very little is to come God knows sure I am nothing is yours but the present time Christians shall Death get ground upon you every day and be marching up towards you and will not you provide accordingly and make preparations for it every day as Death comes daily towards you do you labour to make it good against Death Let your fortifications go on daily let some breach be made up let somewhat be mended every day forget not that holy Counsel to meditate every evening that seeing thy dayes are numbred there is one more of thy number spent and thou art now nearer to thy end by a day 6. Dare not to live in such a case or course that you would not dare to dye in How know you but your next step may be into the grave and would you be found in your sins how do you know but death may meet you at the next turning and O how unwelcome a meeting will it be if you be found by it laden with the gains of unrighteousness or with lusts and pleasures would you have Death to find you out of your harnesses would you meet your enemy without a weapon or be found by him in a careless secure and sleeping posture If not how dare you live at such a rate are you at an agreement with Death 7. Be alwayes in your Fathers business that Death may not be able to find you doing evil or doing nothing the holy Calvin would not sorhear his labours in his dying Sickness but when perswaded to give over replyed what shall my Lord come and find me idle it was said of the laborious Willet who was alwayes very early at his work that he was half way on his journey before others did set out Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Remember in what you undertake that Death may overtakq you before you have ended therefore see that you do nothâ—…ng without Gods warrant carry this with you and you need not fear Death's surprisal Woe unto you if Death find you with your work to do How holily how happily ended that Blessed Saint Mr. Lovo who could dare to say in his last Prayer Father I have glorisied theâ—… on Earth I have sinished the work which thou gavest stâ—…ma to do and now O Father glorifie me withthy own self Surely the end of that man was peace The last words that ever he spake were Blessed be God for Jesus Christ. Blessed be God for peace of Conscience He lived a life of exemplary diligence and the comfort of his death answered the holy painfulness of his life This was Paul's joy I have fought a good sight I have sinished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me tâ—…e Crown of life 8. Get Conscience to be your friend least that should set Death upon you to worry you when yóu come to dye Beware you mistake not the slumber of Conscience for a setled peace the Serpent may be but frozen in your bosoms when you think him dead Death will rouze the sleeping Lyon and then Oh fearful work that he will make his roaring will shake the heart of Rock and apale the countenance of Kings and loose their joynts and break all their bones If you be wise get and keep a good Conscience carry it to the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness get it sprinkled with the blood of Christ. Exercise your selves to keep a Conscience void of osfence towards Goâ—… 〈◊〉 towards all men In all your undertakings let Conscience have the casting voice ask counsel of it diligently hear its rebukes patiently thankfully as a precious balm that will not break your heads make it to give in its judgment about your Estates If it be confident be sure it be upon Scripture evidence if it be doubtful get it well setled in time if it condemn you away with speed to your Redeemer sue out your pardon get it purified and pacified Follow after peace and holiness but accept of no peace but of God's speaking Please Conscience rather than all the world keep her and she shall keep you they that are careless of defending Conscience are preparing for their own torment at death 9. Remember your Sick-bed resolutions and set a mark upon those things that did make death look most ghastly Woe to you if Sickness find you again in the same sins which formerly stung you what will you say to Conscience or how will you look Death in the face if you be found at last to have been false to your Sick-bed vows Alphonsus King of Aragon sent to the Bishop to know how he should do to become a good man he answered he should be the man he promised to be when last sick of the Gout 10. Keep no
long Reckonings but let Conscience bring you in the accounts every day before you sleep Keep a Day book in your own hearts speedily make up any controversies that may fall out between God and your Souls 't wil be sad to find old things to reckon for when you come to dye you cannot imagine the torment that one sin unrepented of or unhumbled for may cost you study to keep all clear and even daily within This made dying Oecolampadias clap his hand upon his Breast saying hic sat est Lucis 't is all light within daily self-examination will make you to live holily and dye comfortably but if you let things run long you will be all at a loss 11. Set your houses in order that you may not have your estates in the world to settle when God requires your Souls Make your wills in your health and vigour and therein be sure so to settle your estates as that God and good uses be not shut out nor forgotten Wretched men that have so many hundreds to settle upon their Children can scarce find in their hearts to settle one in the hundred upon Gods special Service 12. Look often into your Coffins and behold your bones and dust as shortly others shall when turned out of your Graves Be not strà ngers to the thoughts of death expect it wait all the dayes of your appointed time when your change shall come familiarize the thoughts of Death to your selves that you may be alwayes safe you must never be secure you must pray and set a watch and be alwayes upon your guard walk every day some serious turns with Death let it never come unlook'd for God forbid Death should come upon you and you say I did not think of it You must daily think of it and look for it How holy and happy a man was he that could say I have not known what to morrow meant this twenty years Consider your latter end learn to number your dayes God doth number them why should not you if the man of the house had known what hour of the night the Thief would have come he would have watched and not have suffered his House to be broken up but it is too late to think of it when the House is risled Be not of them that put far off the evil day he that remembers not his end remembers nothing as he should It is the remembrance of Death puts life into our Prayers into our Graces and all our motions He that puts off the thoughts of Death gives his enemy unspeakable advantages Death comes upon the sleeping and secure sinner as Jael upon Sisera and strikes the fatal nail through his temples and fastens him to the earth or as David upon the Amalckites when he and his mighty men came upon them chafed in their minds as a Bear robbed of her Whelps when they found them spread abroad upon the earth eating drinking dancing and smote them from the twilight to the evening of the day 13. Above all speed to the City of refuge First Get into it close soundly with Jesus Christ. O dreadful work that Death makes with those that are not found in him it tears the body and soul asunder it drags the soul to Hell and locks up the dust in Prison till the terrible Judgment it puts an eternal end to all comforts and enters the sinner upon unchangeable misery and delivers over the Prisoners to the tormentors but if you give up your selves entirely before-hand and accept Christ by believing on his own terms this will secure you in him then the danger of this is over Look to this whatsoever you neglect once in Christ and you have the victory you may send a chalenge to Death and with Paul triumph before the Battel and make the Bonfires and ring out the Bells as sure of the conquest and go with shouts of joy and palms of victory and garments of salvation to encounter with or rather to make spoil upon your already conquered enemy 2. Keep you in it when you have received Christ Jesus the Lord you must walk in him wander from him and you betray your safety O look to it that death find you not venturing out of your refuge by loose walking God bespeaks you here as Solomon did Shimei 1 Kings 2. 36 37. And the King sent for Shimei and said unto him build thee an house in Jerusalem and dwell there and go not forth thence any whither for on the day thou goest out thou shalt know for certain thou shalt surely dye 14. Lay in a stock of promises now in time against the assaults of Death that come when it will thou mayst have a Cordial ready and be provided with an Antidote Delight thy soul in meditating on the 6th of John and 1 Cor. Chap. 15. and the fifth Chapter of the second Epistle of the Corinthians 15. My last but not my least advice is that you suffer not the state of your immortal souls to lye any longer at uncertainties Put to it with all your might for assurance try an hundred times and make diligent search into the state of your hearts What blessed helps have you in Mr. Baxter's Works Mr. Richard Alleines and others to put all out of doubt there you have sure marks ply your hearts with them be diligent observers of the workings of your souls lye at God's door night and day and put your selves on Gods tryal if all this will not do it apply your selves to some faithful and experienced Minister and above all close with Christ anew solemnly ingage your selves in Covenant with him according to the Directions in Mr. Richard Alleine's Book Vindication of Godliness to this purpose how can you live one day or dye without some evidence that it shall be well with you for ever Ah the woful case that the poor trembling Soul must needs be in when it thrusts out into the Ocean of Eternity not knowing whither it is going whether it shall be landed in the Region on of eternal darkness or the Land of light when it must go forth it knows not whether into the Arms of Angels or the teeth and talons of cursed Fiends and Harpies my soul hath often relented at the thoughts of that pathetick moan of dying Adrian who thus bespeaks his anxious soul when ready to be delivered up I cannot but spoil it by Englishing it ah my poor little trembling wandring Soul whether art thou going into I know not what rough and horrid places and it is a heart piercing complaint of poor Beringarius who was one of the first lights in the time of the thickest AntiChristian darkness who having often dallyed with Conscience recanting over and over to avoid Death though he did afterwards still return to the Preaching Proâ—…ssion and Practice of the truth has bemoaned himself on his death bed Now I am going to appear before my Judge not knowing whether I shall be saved as I hope or damned as I fear Brethren if you would
bridegroom Secondly as redeemed Captives do their deliverer Thirdly as dutiful subjects do their King First As a Bride doth her Bridegroom This I shall open to you in three particulars First Put off the rayment of your captivity Secondly put on the wedding Garment Thirdly trim up all your Lamps First Put off the rayment of your Captivity If the poor Captive woman were to shave her head and pair ber nails and put off the rayment of her captivity c. Deut. 21. 13. before she was to be married to any one of the Tribes of Israel how much more should you put off the old man and your sinful deeds that are to be married to Christ If so be the Children of Israel were to wash and sanctifie themselves and wash their cloaths when the Lord was to come down upon Mount Sinai Exod. 19. how much more should you when the Lord 〈◊〉 comes down to you you know that Children may not come at their fathers Table with unwashed hands neither must you to eat of the dainties spread in the Gospel Secondly You must put on the wedding garment You will say what is this it is a conjugal love to Jesus Christ. And this is compared to a garment for we are bid to put on charity or love And it s set forth as the best part of the Christian rayment and above all things put on Charity for what more fits a marriage than a conjugal affection you should bring forth your most strong and ardent affections and love to him you should meet him with songs and what songs such as the Psalmist doth Ps. 45. title A song of Loves let your eyes be fixed upon Christ in the Gospel till your eyes affect your heart and while your heart is musing the fire will be kindling where will you bestow your love but where the bridgroom is so lovely Thirdly You should trim up all your Lamps you should snuâ—…f all your lights and trim up all your lamps to go forth to meet him And receive him and feed upon him when he is offered he is held out to you on purpose in the Gospel for you to take and receive him Gal. 3. 1. Foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been ardently set forth crucified among you But you will say was Christ 〈◊〉 in Galatia he was in the preaching of the word he was crucified among them Secondly You must meet him as redeemed captives do their deliverer would you know how this is it is with palms of victory in your hands with garments of salvation with songs of deliverance These are the three things wherein this stands you have all together in Rev. 7 9 10. They were in white robes the garments of Salvation and palms of victory and they had the songs of salvation too ver 10. Oh Brethren if you have any sence of your spiritual bondage and captivity to be the servants of sin under the fear of death under the King of terrors then be glad in your redeemer meet him with songs of praise O how should the high praises of God be heard in your mouths you should meet him as the virgins did David at his return from his victory 1 Sam. 18. 6. with singing and dancing with joy c. Thus should you meet your deliverer you should compass him with songs of praise O my Brethren you that are the redeemed of the Lord look down into the horrible pit and then look up and sing songs to the Lord. O it is a glorious salvation that Christ hath wrought for us How welcome was he to good old Simeon how sweetly doth he hug Christ in his arms and much more you must think in his heart now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation This we have seen we have seen Christ coming to us in the Gospel We have seen him like Sampson pulling down the house about our enemies and carrying away the posts and setting them up as Trophies of his victory It was he that was condemned that you might be freed O let your lips praise him and the souls which he hath redeemed let me call upon with the Psalmist Psalm 98. A psalm on purpose to Jews and Gentiles to sing to the Lord for their deliverance versâ—… 3. He hath remembred his mercy and truth toward the house of Israel all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God And what use doth the Psalmist make of this vers 4. make a joyful noise unto the Lord all the earth c. He goes on calling upon all the Creatures to praise God for this If the Sea must roar and the floods clap their â—…nds how much more should you do it that are the redeemed of the Lord. Thirdly Meet him as dutiful subjects do their King This is the news sent to Zion behold thy King cometh Then meet him as a King receive him with acclamation and praise as they did when Solomon was proclaimed King 1 Kings 1. 39 40. They blew the Trumpet and all the pâ—…oplt said God save the King And the people piped with pipes and returned with great joy so that the earth rent with the sound of them O if they met King Solomon with such joy how should you meet Christ It is another manner of King that comes to you than Solomon was you should say to Christ as they did to Gideon Judg 8. 22. Rule thou over us for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian Thus should you say to Christ rule thou over us for he hath delivered you not from the hand of Midian but from Satan But how should we meet our King prepare the way bow the knee First Prepare the way Math. 3. 3. Christ had his fore-runner going before him that was John saying prepare you the way of the Lord make his paths straight How must the way of the Lord be prepared every Mountain must be brought low c. every Mountain of pride and opposition that are in our hearts must be laid low O if there be such preparing for the King where he is to lodge and go how much more should you for the King of glory where he is to lodge Secondly Bow the knee we read of Joseph and you know he was a type of Christ. that when Pharaoh had exalted him from the prison to such dignity he prepares some to go before him and cry bow the knee So God hath set up Christ and exalted him and given him a name above every name now let me call upon you and my self with you that you bow the knee to him I speak not of the bodily knee it is more than your cap and knee that he requireth He will have you to bow before him O then see that you bow before him see that you do him homage Now your King is set up in another manner than he was upon the Crosse behold your King That is
Christian methinks I should hear thee say Lord 't is enough thou hast laid down thy life for a ransome I see my cure in thy wounds I doubt not butthy blood is sufficient to cleanse me from all my sins And who now shall appear-against me Ah Justice once a terrible word now I can see thy face with comfort Once Justice was so terrible as never was the face of a judge more terrible to the prisoner at the bar than that to me but now 't is pleasing to me Once I had rather have fallen into the lions mouth than to come to it O how did my soul grow pale and my heart ready to dye like Nabals within me when I saw the ballance held up in one hand and the sword in the other but now I see that the death of Christ and his blood shall be put into the ballance with me I am not afraid Here now see a great wonder the pure holyness of God taking pleasure in a sinner and the strictest justice shaking hands with the offâ—…nder now the justice of God is become my friend Third Object O but unbelief seems yet to object from the multitude and strength and policy of the enemy Methinks I see the trembling soul in the posture of the prophets man who beheld the mountain beset with Charriots and Horses and crying out O Master what shall we do If it were but flesh and blood it were not altogether so much but 't is principalities and powers who can break thorow the host of these Philistines But Christian look to this crosse look to a dying Christ look what his death speaks to thee wherefore art thou ready to fall with these fears and ready to sink under them methinks I see him taking thee by the hand as he did Peter O thou of little faith why didst thou doubt look here by my cross and see all thine enemies lye slain by my death and what wilt thou be afraid that thy slain-slain-enemies will rise again and pursue thee methinks soul I should hear thee triumphing and crying out what can you do O my enemies I have seen captivity led Captive and for whom did he overcome but for me as for me now I will throw out the gantlet and bid defiance to my enemies Who is he that condemns It is Christ that dyed who shall seperate us from the love or death of Christ shall tribulation or distresse c. Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors c. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I see now all overcome in the death of Christ. Devils I fear you not I behold all your legions in chains and made captives by Christ. Death I fear thee not for I know that thou art slain by him that had the power of death and devils I know that thy commission is altered and thou comest not with authority to arrest me but with an invitation to invite me to feast with the Lord. And thanks be to God who hath given us the victory To the most beloved people the flock of Christ in Taunton Salvation Loving and most dearly beloved I have lately received your affectionate letter and though I never question your affections to me and need no verbal testimony yet I cannot but take it thankfully and read it delightfully when I see it attested under your own hands And I cannot but tell you you are the people of my cares the desire of my eyes the people of my delights of my prayers My labors with you for many years though some time attended with difficulty and danger yet were not tedious but my time passed like Jacobs when he served for Rachel and my sufferings for you are not irksome through grace because I trust they are for your edisication and are a seal of my love to you and more especially of the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ which I have long preached among you The Lord God teach me with humility and thankfulness to bear such honor that I should be set for the defence and consirmation of the Gospel And now my dearly beloved though you should not be insensible of Gods great visitation upon you yet I would not have you inordinately disquieted that I am removed from you to a prison for a season but rather imitate the Heroick vertue of that most gracious mother in the Martyrologie who when the Son of her bowels came not to a prison but to a stake to be sacrificed in the flames for Christ fell down on her knees and blessed the Lord that ever she should be so happy as to have a Son to suffer for Jesus Christ. Ah my dear flock how glad should 〈◊〉 be if God would send me forthwith among you again to feed you as in the dayes of old and to go in and out before you that you might find pasture yet be not dismayed fear not little flock though you are little and despised and hated of all men for Christs name sake Christs relation to you and tenderness of you is such that you cannot miscarry He liveth and his care liveth The Godly wife of that worthy Cornish Divine Mr. Vincent being left in great want with many little Children would often answer them when tâ—…y came crying about her for bread and she had none to give with this gracious expression be quiet children our God 〈◊〉 And surely that my brethren may be a quieting comforting consideration both for you and me though the bread do 〈◊〉 fail But at length this gracious woâ—… being left quite destitute and her children calling upon her when she had neither bread nor money breaks out into a bitter weeping which one of the littleones observing he comes and puls his mother by the Apron saying Mother why do you weep thus Is God dead now such a rebuke did the Lord send her by the mouth of a poor babe Brethren be not dismayed Christ liveth and therefore let your hopes live let your courage live let your faith live also Christ liveth ever therefore let your hearts live for ever Psal. 22. 26. He liveth to make intercession sor you and from his living you may be assured of life John 14. 19. of your Jastification Rom. 8. 34. Of your Salvation Rom. 5. 10. Beloved do but seriously think of Christ's relation to you and you cannot want comfort Why he is not ashamed to call you Brethren Even when he was entred upon his state of exaltation risen from the dead far above the state of mortals he own'd poor weak believers for his brethren John 20. 17. Go to my Brethren Math. 28. 10. Go tell my Brethren Yea when he cometh with all his holy Angels with him and sits upon the throne of his glory he will own the very least and lowest among poor believers before all the world for his Brethren Math. 25. 31. with ver 40. keep this my