shall bee a fountaine in our bellie springing vp to life eternall How can it in our bellie spring vp to life eternall but because it lifteth our heartes to GOD in Heauen The Soule which so adhereth to God is more in him than in the body which it quickneth both because it goeth gladlie out of it selfe to bee all in him and next because it cannot dwell in it selfe but because of him it can better dwell among Monsters in the desert that in it selfe without him And thirdlie because when it is lost in sinne and securitie it seeketh and findeth it selfe more in him than in it selfe When we may say to him O thou whom my Soule loueth All these sorts and degrees of union with him are found The bosome of the mother is a kindlie rest to the Babe both for sleepe in health recouerie in sweruing that naturall heate wherein it was formed doth kindlie cherish that life that proceedeth of it WheÌ„ we lye alwayes in the bosome of God and are warmed by the sense of that sauing loue in Christ wee are both sensible of the vertue of our beginning and of the first fruites of our end The Needle of the Dyall standeth not but towards the Pole so doeth the godlie Soule to God If the secret vertue of a small stone can so moue yron shall not the Rocke of Syon Christ Iesus the Miracle of loue drawe our tender louing hearts vnto him How securlie shall wee contemne all other things and rest sweetlie content in him vnder the sense of this his drawing and vniting vertue expecting that happines which his sauing Loue procureth to his Beloued Returne now O my Soule to thy Rest and abyde in it for GOD hath beene and will bee for euer beneficiall vnto thee Psal. 116. 7. AMEN FINIS A RESOLVTION FOR DEATH written vnder the sentence of Death in the time of a painfull Disease And now published for their comfort who studie to approue themselues to God And to assure all that liue the life of the Righteous that they shall die the death of the Righteous By the same Author M. W. S. I desire to bee dissolued and to bee with CHRIST Philipp 1. 23. EDINBVRGH Printed by the Heires of Andro Hart. Anno Domini 1628. Philipp 1. 21. Christ is to mee both in Death and in Life aduantage Luke 2. 29. 30. Lord now lettest thou thy Seruant depart in Peace according to thy Word For mine eyes hath seene thy Saluation 1. Cor. 15. 55. 56. 57. O Death where is thy Sting O Graue where is thy Victorie The sting of Death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thankes bee to God which giueth vs the victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. A Table of the following Treatise THe proposition of the Resolution Num. 1. The first ground from present misery 2. The miserie of our Bodie 3. The miserie of the Soule 4. The miserie of our Lott 5. The second ground from our Happinesse 6. The happinesse of our Soule 7. The happinesse of our Body 8. The happinesse of our Lotte 9. The third ground from Gods worke in vs concerning our miserie and happinesse 10. Sense of miserie in the Bodie 11. Sense of miserie in the Soule 12. Sense of miserie in our Lotte 13. Sense of Glorie in Heauen 14. Resolution it selfe 15. The godlie man dyeth not 16. But ouercometh Death in Christ. 17. Hee preuenteth Death in his Life 18. Hee preueneth his Buriall in Life 19. Foure ioyfull solemnities 20. Ioy at Birth 21. Ioy at Mariage 22. Ioy at Triumph 23. Ioy at Coronation 24. They are all at the death of the Godly 25. IncouragemeÌ„ts against Death from them 26. The noyse at Death 27. Fearefull cryes to the wicked 28. Comfortable cryes to the godly 29. A glorious change at Death 30. Manie unions with the Bodie 31 Necessitie of separation 32 Documents of the sentence of Death 33. 1. Mortalitie of the Body 34. 2. Immortalitie of the Soule 35. 3. Gods loue sauing vs from Hell 36. 4. That his loue standeth with affliction 37. Experience of Death 38. Eight comforâ—able contraries in Death 39 The VVicked tremble at it 40. But the godlie reioyce 41. Incertaintie at Death is fearefull 42. Certaintie is comfortable 43. It is obtained by Faith 44. By Prayer 45. And conuersing daylie with God 46. Our light clearer in Death than in Life 47. Acquaintance with Death 48. Sentence of Death 49. Lawfull desires of Life 50. Hope of glorious Resurrection 51. Hope of eternall Glorie 52 Hope of the Lords Rest. 53. Our Rights to that Rest. 54 A Catalogue of GODS speciall blessings to strengthen these our hopes 55. The fearefull Death of the Wicked 56. The ioyfull Death of the Godlie 57. The remainders of feare in the best men 58. But they are soone ouercome 59. The godlie mans Testament 60. A Prayer for an happie Death 61. And for the sight of Christ at Death 62. Confidence to obtaine them both 63. And glorie thereafter 64. The last and greatest desire 65. And last an eternall delight of the godly Soule 66. Reuel 14. 13. Blessed are the Dead which die in the LORD for they rest from their labours and their workes followeth them A RESOLVTION FOR DEATH written vnder the sentence of Death in the time of a painfull Disease Decemb. 1627. And now published for their comfort who studie to approue themselues to God WHY should I feare Death when it approacheth It is the way that I desire to goe I passe Natures necessitie in Adam that hath subjected me to mortalitie come to the priuiledge of Grace in Christ which hath deliuered mee from the curse of it I say not I make mee for Death because I must die but because I would die Long haue I thought on it and earnestlie longed for it if I stagger and feare at his reproach my desire hath either beene foolish or my Spirit is faint The grounds of my desire are 1. Present miserie 2. Next future Glorie 3. And the worke of God in mee concerning them both My Miseries are great in the weaknes of a mortall body a lumppe of earth busying it selfe and mee about it selfe For Eating Drinking and Clothing and Resting it spendeth the Tyme and it selfe and wearieth the Spirit Fraile is this lump that hath an hourelie necessitie of so fraile things and the necessitie so great that the paine of it is intolerable the easing of it by meanes conuenient is wearisome and that ease beginning with ending and ending in the beginning Scarcelie is it refreshed when it hungreth and wearieth againe One necessitie sendeth it to another and the satisfying of one bringeth on another and that same that was now eased returneth shortlie If I satisfie Hunger and Thirst. Drowsinesse calleth for Sleepe if I refresh it by Sleepe Nakednesse must bee couered and scarce haue I couered Nakednesse when new Hunger calleth for Refreshment and Refreshment sendeth me to Sleepe againe Weake is that Life that needeth so
vniuersal most vncureable disease of the world It is a coūtersconce erected by Satā against the Gospel to elude the force of it and to hold men still in the bandes of sinne It goeth vnder one name but hath many branches some more open and some more secrete and in their worke some more dangerous than other A dissolute man is not so powerfull to perswad his opinions as he who colloureth his profannesse Open Atheisme almost refuteth it selfe but couert Atheisme may deceiue the wise There is neither such a ground nor couerture for Atheisme as to maintaine that men of all Religions may be safe To make so many doores to Heauen is to cast wyde open the gates of Hell Christ hath tolde vs that the way to heauen is narrow and few finde it and hee calleth himselfe the VVay but not the wayes As there is but one God so there is but one way to him by Faith and Obedience in Christ. The signes of it are an humane officious carriage to man but licentious and irreligious before God a praise of all other religious and a carping of the Religion professed in the place of their dwelling And if necessitie draw them to the publicke worship their behauiour bewrayeth an absence of their soule from that exercise They jest at Sermons and make none other use of holy Scripture than profanlie to apply it to euery profane purpose trifling occasion at their meales their vnhalowed morsels must be set ouer with the sauce of some abused sentence of Scripture they care not to offend God for pleasing their companie who partak of their profannes if they be not offēded at y◠offēce of God As mettals are known by their sound so their grosse Atheisme is discouered by their profane noyse They who feare God dare not carie themselues so before him And they who haue found sacred Scripture the seed of their regeneration the foode of their soule and their comfort in trouble will neuer turne so heauenly Oracles to the matter of their sporting But they are not long vnpunished and their damnation sleepeth not Nature in Athiests findeth it selfe vexed with the dumbe choppe of conscience crying vnto them that there is a God But this surmyse is out-cryed and Conscience out-faced by this when they thinke any course is a way to heauen Such men are not so much justifying their course before men as prouyding libertie of sinning against the cheeke of their owne conscience There is no such compendious way to libertie as the lacke of Gods feare And that heart is voyde of his feare who sayeth That there is no God Though hee be most glorious in himselfe and gracious to them that know him yet hee is nothing to the hart that denyeth him But Athiests will finde a fearefull wakning God whom they deny hath his witnesse in them and in ende will testifie his trueth to their destruction except they amend It turneth men in beastes yea in Deuils While their heart is saying There is not a God their Conscience giueth them the lie and by secrete checks both arreasteth them before and tormenteth them in the Name of that God whom they denye They can neither destroy GOD in himselfe though they desire it neither in the hearts of the godly All the fruites of their godlesse spurring is to moue him to destroy themselfe It is good to soften our heartes in the feare of God and to seeke out and follow that straite way of life Blessed is hee who feareth alwayes but hee that hardeneth his heart shall fall in mischiefe Prov. 28. 14. 28. Sinne is an euill guest SInne is the worst Guest that commeth in any place It bringeth double destruction One in the beeing of it the other in the fruite It is plaine that the wages of it is death but euen the being of it such as it hath is destruction of the thing wherein it is Men Angels Thoughts Words and deedes are good in themselues but sinne in them maketh them euill It hath no being of it selfe and is nothing but the breake of Gods Law a discord and deformitie a priuation of good deprauation of its owne dwelling the beeing it hath is in these thinges and so soone as it commeth in them it spoileth them they become euill Men Angels Thoughts Words and deedes by it He is an euill Guest who for his reckoning putteth the Pest or a fire in his lodging I wonder not so much at the euill recompense it giueth as at our selues who welcome it againe No receiuer will welcome him who put his house on fire Yet wee receiue sinne and welcome it though wee were euen now smerting for the worke of it Some doe marke the second worke of sinne the punishment of it but fewe marke the first destruction by the beeing of it so as to abhor it be like it so destroyeth vs that wee haue not a sound minde to make its destroying Nature O! what ods in Grace It both changeth vs by renovation and bringeth vs to glorie the verie beeing of it is the health of Soule and body next to God himselfe there came neuer a better Guest in man than sauing Grace Of Adams Sonnes it maketh vs the Sonnes of God Of Naturall men spirituall And of vile Sinners it turneth vs in Sainctes It is extreame miserie to bee desirous and patient of sinne But a token of a renewed Nature to abhorre sinne and thirst for Grace 29. Fittes of Insolencie THeir is no Spirit so modest which hath not some fittes of Insolencie If any odde thing appeare in them they are puffed vp in a conceat of wrath and as farre transported from their wonted modestie as they conceate of that supposed worthinesse These fits are more marked of other than themselues their humour blindeth them so that they cannot obserue that change others remembereth their former dejection and foresee it to come againe so marketh that startling as insolent indeede An Equable cariage proueth an well fraughted Soule Our true worthinesse is in Gods fauour our dignitie is his dignation and the exalting or downe-cast of our heart is from the sense of his fauour or lacke of it If wee bee sure of his fauour wee shall then alike euenlie carrie our selues in all other things But fits of insolencie bewray a double weaknesse one of little true worth that seemeth so great to vs another of a racked judgement making vs to passe boundes vpon so small occasion The wise man is euer like himselfe And at any odky thing he is rather dejected thā puffed vp If the speeches of other make him ouerweene himselfe he chasteneth himselfe in secrete for it seuerly When hee returneth to his wonted thoughts he abhorreth that insolencie and guardeth himselfe that they surprysse him not thereafter 30. Constant Inconstancie THe vpright heart must encounter with many thorters When it meeteth with vprightnesse there is no difficultie but such are as rare as a whyte Rauen in the world When it meeteth with
of vs in our tyme Hee fulfilled the Law tooke away Sinne satisfied Gods Iustice and so brak the jawes of Death Shall I then feare to follow such a Captaine Hee hath made Death but a carcase of an enemie I haue neither to feare in it Sinne which is pardoned nor Law which is fulfilled nor Iustice which is satisfied It is a Serpent without the Sting a Gyant without bones or armes though it swallow mee vp in a naturall dissolution it shall cast mee out as the Whale did Ionah in an immortall condition when this mortalitie shall bee swallowed vp of life When Dauid had killed Goliah the Israelites ranne as fast to see him as they fledde before from him beeing aliue Doubtlesse they contemned that sometimes terrible Gyant they trod vpon him with their feete and cut him with there swords They did that securelie because hee was dead Hee who was euen now the matter of their feare his lifeles carcase is turned a matter of their contempt and his death a cause of their joye Death may separate thee from this Bodie but neither from God nor his life in thee it shall the more vnite thee to him this Bodie that dyeth by thy departing shall liue in Death It dyeth as a creature the part of such a one but it liueth as a member of Christ and the Temple of the holie Spirit both because it is separate from all spirituall corruption of Sinne and quickened spirituallie by the holy Ghost who departeth not from it and in the Spirit of Iesus who remaineth our Head euen in Death And lastlie because thou my best part shall bee in libertie with God Death may destroy naturall life but not the Spirituall neither in Grace nor Glorie It can sease on no more than I had when I sinned in Adam I got nothing then but a sinfull body but now in Christ I haue a new bodie created to his Image who is Life it selfe so farre is it from either destroying mee or dissoluing my union with him that it both saueth mee setting mee at libertie from sinne and perfecteth mine union absolutelie with him It rusheth indeede furiouslie on mee but grippeth nothing but my shaddow I am in God in Christ as I am beloued and chosen called and sanctified As I am such Death cannot finde nor grippe mee While hee grippeth nothing but this bodie of dust as Potiphars wife laying hold on Ioseph I goe to God and leaue my garment in his hand I am dead to the world and sinne and my life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ my Life shall appeare then shall I in Soule and Bodie appeare with him in Glorie Resent thine owne estate and thou shalt finde what I say Hast thou not dyed to the world and left it before it left thee And hast thou not left the bodie before it leaue thee If thou had not come to God till the world had forsaken thee and the bodie chased thee out hee had found just cause to forsake thee and send thee backe in disdaine to these thy beloued false friends But now since in thy prosperitie thou renounced the worlde and in thine health and strength thou went daylie to God choosing rather to bee in him than in the bodie Surelie hee will welcome thee That is a token of thy liuing in him and his liuing in thee Marke how thou hast euen in this life preuented the buriall of thy bodie Hast thou not with Ioseph of Aramathea hewen thee a Sepulchre in the Rock And cropen in by the holes of that Rocke that was pearced for thee How oft hast thou gone in by these wounds of Christ to his heart by his suffering to his loue and the loue of God in him and washen thy selfe in the blood of his satisfaction Hast thou not also prepared the fine Linnen and wrapped thy selfe in the winding-sheete of his righteousnesse Thy sinnes are buried in the Seas of his mercie and thy selfe is hid in him before euer thy bodie be layed in the dust And hast thou not prouided Oyle for thy Lampe that when thou goest out of this bodie thou wander not in darknesse but enter streight way in Heauen All thy care in this life hath beene to get Oyle and to make it shine to find light and walke in that light The Rock thy Sepulchrie hath inclosed thee the Linnen of his Righteousnesse couered thee and that burning Oyle in thy Lampe shall not waste till thou enter in Heauen Since God euen thy God hath anointed thee with some measure of the Oyle of gladnesse hee hath prepared thee for his Heauenlie buriall and the smell of his Oyntments powred out on thee hath wrought a distaste of all worldlie pleasures Foure speciall thinges bring solemne joyes in this life and if we bee in Christ they all meete in vs at Death Birth Mariage Triumph and Coronation Death is my best Birth day If the childe in the wombe knew that hee were comming foorth to a free light hee would not weepe at his birth but Nature in him taketh his deliuerie for destruction so maketh him mourne at the just cause of his joye My first birth brought me out of the prison of the wombe My second brought mee out of Nature and Sinne This third and last shall bring mee perfectlie out of the world and all miserie It is my Mariage day with Christ mine Husband he hath loued mee with euerlasting loue and betrouthed mee to himselfe in righteousnesse and trueth And our Bandes are daylie proclaimed in his worshippe his Gospel preached is the signification of his loue on his part and our Prayers and desires are the signification on our part since I am glad of the Match and rejoyce at the proclaiming of these Bannes why should I fray at the solemnizing of the Mariage God sendeth out Pastors as Abraham did his seruant to choose a wife to Isaak These Messengers haue found me continuallie about the well of liuing waters The sight of Abrahams riches euen the chose Graces of God haue wone mine heart to Isaak and I haue gladlie condescended to forsake all and goe to him Though I finde him at the Euening and Sun-sette of my life I shall enjoy with him an euerlasting day of heauenlie contentment Esther was not sorrowfull but rejoyced to be takē by Ahashuerosh to wife and should not I rejoyce when the Lambe of God Christ Iesus sendeth for mee It is an glorious triumph Dauid was glad whē he heard the people sing of his victorie ouer Goliah shall I not rejoyce when God hath stramped all mine enemies vnder my feete when the deuils are howling for their defeate and the good Angels◠and Spirits doe welcome mee with joyfull Acclamations It is more seemelie that I put in my part with the glorious Spirits in the heauenly harmonie than with the euill ones in howling To bee dashed in Death is to let the present victorie goe out of mine hands Sathan shall then ouercome mee when
I am triumphing ouer him And while I am breaking his power his policie supplanteth mee if I bee dejected for that which is my glorie It is my Coronation day why should I be ashamed of it Ioseph and Mordecay were not so base minded as to sorrow at their preferment and why should I not rejoyce at this my greatest exaltation to bee taken vp to Heauen and honoured to an equalitie with Angels and conformitie with Christ. Arise therefore O my Soule and make thee for thy last birth day Come foorth of this Bodie wherein thou dwellest and out of this greater Tabernacle from this visible worlde and goe to God So long as thou art inclosed in the straite bounds of the creature thou cannot enjoy freely thy Creator Arise and mak thee readie to meete thy Bridegroome hee is comming to thee and his reward is with him prepare thy Lampe powre out thine Oyle make thee to meete him who is comming to thee and hath wooed thee to himselfe Lift vp thine eares and heare the howling of euill spirites triumphed and subdued and the encouraging shouting of the glorious Spirites how all that Queere of Heauen doe gladlie desire to take thee in their number to keepe thy part of their harmonie of the new Song to the praise of God And lift vp thine head now full of hope to receiue that Crowne of Glorie which Christ hath purchased to thee and is readie to set vpon thee O Lord I haue foughten my fight I haue finished my race and keeped the Faith hencefoorth is laide vp for mee the Crowne of Righteousnesse which God the Righteous Iudge will giue to mee and not onelie to mee but also to all that loue his glorious comming 2 Timoth. 4. Will thou know what is this noyse about thee it is the hand of thy Lord softlie loosing the pinnes and slakening the coards of thy Tabernacle it is the noyse of his Chariots that hee hath sent from Heauen to bring thee to him Olde Iakob reuiued when he saw Iosephs Chariots to bring him to Egypt though his posteritie were thereafter in thrall shall thou not bee glad to goe vp in these Coaches to Heauen where thou shalt euer bee with Ioseph and vnder a good King who knoweth Ioseph and will neuer die This noyse is nothing but the sound of Christs key opening thy prison and fetters Lift vp thine head and rejoyce for thy Redemption is at hand hee that is to come will come and not delay Behold hee commeth and his reward is with him Thou shall heare in due time the voyce of thy beloued crying Arise my spouse my beloued arise and come away for the winter of thy calamitous life is gone the raines of thine affliction are passed Cant 2. Fearefull indeede are the cryes which torment the wicked at Death The cry of their sinnes accusing them the Law condemning them the Conscience tormenting them the Gospel testifying their contempt of it Sathan insulting ouer them and of a craftie tempter become a cruell tormenter The creature cursing them for wearying it with sinne and vanitie The Heauen debarring them and the hells gapping for them But I thanke God in Christ I haue a better cry in some measure and hope to heare it more at the last My Conscience comforting mee in the peace of God The Law absoluing mee because it is satisfied for mee in Christ my Cautioner The Gospel testifying my delight in it and care to beleeue and obey it Sathan and his Angels lamenting their disappointment The Heauens opened to receiue my Soule and Angels readie to carie it to Heauen So long as thou hearest these sweete voyces the noyse of Death shall not trouble thee All this noyse of a decaying bodie is for thy libertie as it decayeth thou shalt increase as it goeth to the Earth thou goest to Heauen You came from diuerse beginnings the bodie of the Earth and God put thee in it in your loosing you seeke backe to these beginnings the bodie to the dust and thou to God that gaue thee thou wilt bee stronger freer cleanner when thou can not vtter thy selfe to man than euer thou was before The Ballance are well casten when the more the body returneth to dust the more thou ascendest to God thy Sauiour I finde a change whereof I neuer thinke to repent a great change without losse My bodilie eyes waxe dimme but my minde seeth God more cleerely Mine eares are slow of hearing men but my Spirit quicke in hearing the consolations of the holy Spirit My taste distasteth meate but the delight in tasting the sweetenesse of God increaseth All my naturall powers are failing but my Spirit is more vigorous in affecting and more peaceable in resting vpon God and his happinesse It it a fearefull change which goeth all to the worse and in end to destruction but this change is all to the better and shall end in Saluation This is a sure token that as I haue not enjoyed mine happinesse heere so I haue not lost it heere But liuing in the hope and beginnings of it I am now going to the possession of it This my change tendeth to happinesse though the body by dissolution seeme to goe farre about yet it is in the way to its owne perfection And thy change is directlie for it from Faith to sight from hope to possession and both Soule and bodie in their seuerall perfections shall bee in the last day conjoyned to make vp my compleatest perfection There shall neither bee sinne nor paine in bodie or Spirit all miseries of both shall bee gone and happinesse of both shall bee compleate That worke of Gods Grace perfected in glorie and his hand crowning my desires with enjoying himselfe Many unions hath thou with the bodie and but one separation In our creation in Adam an union in innocencie in my birth an union in vncleannes I am begotten and borne according to the image of Adam fallen and sinfull in the resurrection I shall haue a glorious union in Christ and but onelie one separation in Death This separation is now needefull it was threatned in Paradice if wee offended and now I cannot enter in Heauen without it except I either liue till the last day and be changed or be translated as Enoch and Elias To hold all mankind aliue till the last day is against GODS appointment who hath drawne our dayes to an hand-breadth To bee translated is the priuiledge of a few and cannot bee the lot of all Therfore the separation is in mercie that the Soule may enter in Glorie and the bodie rest in hope for a time It is not casten away but laide vp and God hath a speciall care of the dust of it to raise it vp againe When our friends and neighbours haue laide it in the cold clay they leaue it there but God leaueth it not but keepeth it till the last day Since there can neither goodly be an holding of Soule and bodie together till the last day neither a translating
of the whole man God hath chosen the mid way to translate the Soule the best part to dissolue the bodie so Gods threatning is keeped thou shalt die and thou shalt returne to dust the example of Christ in death is followed our best part is translated for our happinesse and the assurance of the bodies reunion and a way to all Death in this respect is not penall but premiall in a sort not of Gods anger for our sinne to punish vs but of his mercie for our well to perfect vs. Oft-times God giueth vs plaine documents heereof if wee would obserue them euery twenty foure hours we haue cleare proofes of foure things 1. Our Life in the day time when we are busied in our Calling 2. Our Death at Euen when wee rest from our labours 3. Our Buriall when wee goe to bedde wee are not casten in them nor our garâ—ments pulled off but wee goe in quietnesse and lay our garments downe in order intending to take them vp againe 4. Our Resurrection when wee rise in the morning more vigorous to our Calling than when we lay downe then wee shall behold his face in righteousnesse and when wee awake shall bee satisfied with his Image Psal. 17. The sentence of Death in bodilie paines hath taught mee many thinges 1. The mortalitie of my body which must once bee ouercome and yeelde to them and so turne to dust this Cottage of clay so oft and so hardlie beaten must once fall Many haue a strong desire to liue long and turneth this naturall desire in a conceate that as they would and may so they shall liue longer Though there bee necessitie of Death in a decaying bodie and the spending of the life yet that desire and hope of life groweth euen with the decay of life But the holie desire of Immortalitie will eate out that fleshlie desire and the sense of daylie mortalitie will cut off that false hope 2. The immortalitie of my Soule in that vnder such paines it can haue the own free working on God If in a body so diseased it can seeke him and finde rest in him shall it not beeing separate from the bodie haue a more free working 3. The loue of God in deliuering mee from damnation How often haue I cryed in the midst of my paines O how farre am I bound to thee my Redeemer who hath deliuered mee from the fire of Hell If a short and light paine vnder thine hand in loue bee so heauie how intollerable is that paine of soule and bodie eternallie vnder thy wrath 4. That thy loue can stand well with affliction thou hast made light to arise to mee in darknesse and caused thy countenance to shine on mee in Christ and giuen me great peace in my Conscience in my greatest extremitie O what a Iewell is a good Conscience in affliction Though no man want his slips and infirmities yet he may eschew the grossest sinnes though none can attaine to a legall perfection yet hee may haue an Evangelicall perfection in Faith Repentance and begunne obedience When the Soule darre attest God as witnesse and appeale him as Iudge to its sinceritie In intending nothing but his Glorie In inquiring his will as the way to that Glorie And endeuouring to doe according to his knowledge for that good end Then in some measure wee may say with Ezechiah Remember O Lord how I haue walked before thee in trueth and with a perfect heart The conscience of these things haue so taken vp my Soule that my paines at the greatest are mitigate that holy and heauenly diuerting of my Spirit by so sweet and spirituall influence sometimes beguyleth my bodilie sense that it doeth but tolerablie affect mee The present sense of thy loue in mine acceptation in Christ and assurance of Glorie to come are strong ingredients to temper the greatest paines in this life And it is a profitable paine in the bodie that both occasioneth the seeking and bringeth out the feeling of the health of the Soule in thy sensible loue It hath also giuen mee a new Experience of Death surelie Death to the Sainctes is not as the most part take it 1 not a destruction but a deliuerie 2 It is both my last affliction and my last deliuerance from all miseries 3 It is both an end of this life and the beginning of my life of Glorie in Heauen 4 In it selfe it is a curse but to the Sainctes a blessing in him who hath ouercome it 5 I finde it both a dissolution from the world and of Soule and body and of euerie part of the bodie from other and my first great union with GOD the Sainctes and Angels 6 It is both my death and perfect birth day I haue now a seeming life but I liue not perfectlie till I die the New man shall then come foorth to a glorious libertie in the face of God 7 It is my last and greatest pollution my bodie is sometimes and by partes affected with weaknesse and Death turneth all in a lumppe of vyle and lifelesse clay and yet it is my first and greatest purgation Many purgations spirituall hast thou giuen mee in this life in Baptisme the Laver of Regeneration from sin in euerie act of Faith purifying the heart in euerie act of Repentance washing mee in the blood of Christ in euerie exercise of spirituall worship clensing mine handes in innocencie to compasse thine Altar But this is the great and last purgation when I am cleansed from all sinne In that same instant when my Soule and body doe separate all spiritual blemishes are separated from mee That is the worke of thy Spirit in mee hee knoweth no vncleane thing can enter in Heauen and therefore at my last breath he will giue me the last full cleansing and last degree of sanctification I tremble not at the fire of Purgatorie The enemies of the crosse of Christ are justlie so punished by that their errour when Christs Blood hath cleansed mee from all guiltinesse of all sinne and his sanctifying Spirit hath purged out the nature of it And his perfect obedience hath relieued mee from all punishment there is neither place nor use for that purging or rather tormenting fire after this life 8 Death is in it selfe the most terrible of all terrors but I find it in Christ most desireable The wicked doe tremble at the thoughts of it they see it onelie in the fearefull respects as a destructioÌ„ a curse an end a death a dissolution a pollution Therefore they abhorre it and the mention of it is to them as the hand-write on the wall was to Beltashar But thou shewest to mee these pleasant respects of death as a deliuerie a blessing a beginning a birth an union a purgation They haue none but fearefull grounds they are yet in Nature vnder the Law vnder sinne without Christ and vnder an euill conscience but thou hast layed better grounds in mee and put mee vnder Grace and vnder the Gospel vnder remission of