hath commanded you Ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left You shall walk in all the wayes which the Lord your God hath commanded you that ye may live and that it may be well with you and that ye may prolong your dayes in the land which ye shall possesse And the Lord shall make thee the head and not the tail Deut. 28.13 14. and thou shalt be above onely and thou shalt not be beneath if thou hearken unto the commandements of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day to observe and to do them And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day to the right hand or to to the left to go after other gods to serve them For not the hearers of the law Rom. 2.13 are just before God but doers of the Law shall be justified And I gave them my statutes Ezek. 20.11 and shewed them my judgements which if a man do he shall even live in them For Moses describeth the righteousnesse of the Law Rom. 10.5 which is of the Law that the man which doth those things shall live by them For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse Gal. 3.10 12. for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them And the Law is not of faith but the man that doth them shall live in them Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them Deut. 27.26 and all the people shall say Amen The Gospel tyeth us onely to believe aright in God and in his son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The Gospel onely looks upon the eye of our faith that we believe the promises of God made unto us in Christ Jesus and that we lay hold on him make particular application of the benefits of his sufferings death and passion Resurrecton and ascension unto our souls by a true and lively faith And this is all we are commanded and enjoyned to do and perform by the Gospel and New Testament Whereupon it was well said by one Dicit Evangelium Crede hoc vive that is Onely believe all this and thou shalt live He that believeth Mark 16.16 and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned And he said unto her Luke 8.48 Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole go in peace Straightway Mark 9.24 the father of the child cried out and said with tears Lord I believe help mine unbelief And a woman having an issue of bloud twelve yeares Luke 8.43 44. which had spent all her living upon Physicians neither could be healed of any Came behind him and touched the border of his garment and immediately her issue of bloud stenched For she said within her self Matthew 9.21 if I may but touch his garment I shall be whole And Jesus said who touched me Luke 8.45 46. when all denied Peter and they that were with him said The multitude throng thee and press thee and sayest thou who touched me And Iesus said Some body hath touched me for I perceive that vertue is gone out of me And when the woman saw that she was not hid she came trembling Luke 8.47 48 and falling down before him she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed immediately But Iesus turned him about Matth. 9.22 and when he saw her he said Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole and the woman was made whole from that houre Hereupon St. St. Augustin Augustin observeth thus much upon this place Cum de morbo in morbum laborasset cum de morbo desperato tunc accessit tetigit sanata est When she laboured of a great disease and of such a disease that was even desperate then even then she came unto our Saviour Iesus Christ she touched the hemme of his garment and she was immediately healed and made whole And again as touching the words of Christ who hath touched me Cum omnes te tangunt indifferenter quomodo quaeris quis specialiter te tangit as one observeth When all men do alike indifferently touch thee wherefore dost thou enquire and ask who harh specially touched thee Thus and in this manner tangere Christum to touch Christ as a Father well observeth this was tactus fidei the touch of her faith And he said unto her Luke 8.48 Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole go in peace St. S. Augustin Augustine upon this former place sheweth two reasons why Christ our Saviour used this before-recited form of speech Prime ut mulierem ad confessionem traheret First that he might hereby draw the woman to a confession of what she had done and for what cause she did it Secundo ut timorem mulierit probaret Secondly that he might hereby prove the fear and try the faith of the woman And he said to the woman Luke 7.50 thy faith hath saved thee go in peace And said unto him Arise go thy way thy faith hath made thee whole This spoken to the Samaritan Luke 17.19 a leper being cleansed and returned to give thanks And Iesus said unto him Luke 18.42 Receive thy sight thy faith hath saved thee But as many as received him John 17.12 to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wildernesse John 3.14 15. even so must the son of man be lifted up That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternall life God so loved the world John 3.16 17 36. that he gave his onely begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternall life For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved He that believeth on the Son John 11.25 26. hath life everlasting and he that believeth not the son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Iesus said I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die To him give all the Prophets witnesse Acts 10.43 that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Be it known unto you therefore Acts 13.38 39. men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenesse of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses And we believe Acts 15.11 that through the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ we shall
same we have no moving cause to make us to desire the long continuance thereof here in this vale of misery but earnestly to desire and hope for the fruition of a better life hereafter and even to say with St. Paul Cupio dissolvi et esse cum Christo I desire to be dissolved Philip. 1.23 and to be with Christ And as touching this our life here and all the enjoyments we have therein we may well conclude all and say with the Preacher Vanity of Vanities Eccles 12.8 all is vanity And with this to sum up the whole duty of Man being this Fear God Eccles 12.13 and keep his Commandements for this is the whole duty of Man Of life eternal Of life eternal of the Giver thereof and the manner of the gift the giver thereof and the manner of the Gift with the great and unexpressible benefits that doth redound thereby unto the dear and elect Children of God Bless the Lord O my Soul Ps 103.1 4. and all that is within me blesse his holy name Who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth Thee with loving kindnesse and tender mercies My Sheep hear my voice Io. 10.27.28 and I know them and they follow me And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Iesus said unto her Io. 11.25.26 I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and beliein me shall never dye And this is life eternal Io. 17.3 That they might know Thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent God that made the World Acts 17.24 25 26. and all things therein He giveth to all life and breath and all things For in him we live move and have our being But now being made free from sin Rom. 6.22 23. and become Servants to God ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting Life For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Iesus Christ our Lord. If in this life only we have hope in Christ 1 Cor. 15.19 we are of all men most miserable The Letter killeth 2 Cor. 3.8 but the Spirit giveth life If ye then be risen with Christ Collos 3.1 seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Set your Affections on things above Collos 3.2 3 4. not on things on the earth For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is your life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Fight the good fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art called Hereby perceive we the love of God Jo. 3.16 because he laid down his life for us And this is the record Jo. 5.11 12 13 20. That God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life These things have I written unto you That ye believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the Son of God And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Iesus Christ this is the true God and eternal life S. Bernard Duo animi à Deo dati custodes domestici pudor et timor Qui pudorem amisit bestiae par est qui timorem excuâ—â—t bestia pejor est God hath given us two Domestick Keepers of our Souls as namely Shamefastness and Fear He which casteth away all Shamefastness from him may well by way of comparison be accounted equal unto the very beast and he which shaketh off from him all manner of Fear is in a far worse manner than the beasts as St. Bernard observeth And for our better distinction in the whole course of our lives here we ought alwaies to have these two props or Pillars like the stern of a ship to stear and govern all our action aright as namely Care and Fear Actions First Carefulnesse to serve and please God according to his Will revealed unto us in and by his holy Word Teach me thy way O Lord Ps 86.11 and I will walk in thy Truth O knit my heart unto thee that I may fear thy name I will run the way of thy Commandements Ps 119.32 when thou shalt enlarge my heart Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes Ps 119.33 34 35. and I shall keep it unto the end Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart Make me to go in the path of thy Commandements for therein do I delight Secondly Fearfullnesse of offending God And being thus armed with these 2 good supporters With this constant and continual care and fear They will make us wary in all our actions of this life and will cause us to walk carefully in all our proceedings in the whole course of our life here the which will doubtlesse be a very great comfort to us hereafter For that as one very well observeth A good life is alwaies the cause of a happy and of a comfortable death Secondly Of Death and how we are at all times and upon all occasions to fit and prepare our selves for the same Of our Death and preparatifor the same that so Death take us not unawares and unprepared for the same O Death how bitter is the remembrance of Thee to a man that liveth at rest in his Possessions Ecclus. 41 1 2 3 4. unto the Man that hath nothing to vex him and that hath Prosperity in all things yea unto him that is yet able to receive meat O Death acceptable is thy sentence unto the Needy and unto him whose strength faileth that is now in the last age and is vexed with all things and to him that despaireth and hath lost patience Fear not the sentence of Death remember them that have been before thee and that come after thee for this is the sentence of the Lord over all flesh And why art thou against the pleasure of the most high there is no inquisition in the Grave whether thou hast lived ten or an hundred or a thousand years Men of the World Ps 17.14 which have their portion here in this life even to them the remembrance of death is bitter But of the Tree of the good and evill Gen. 2.17 thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die And the Serpent did say unto the Woman Gen. 3.4 Ye shall not surely dye The Devill in his tempting of
be saved And they said Acts. 16.41 Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ Rom. 1.16 17 18. for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth For therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by faith But the just shall live by his faith Habakkuk 2.4 Hebrews 10.38 Gal. 3.11 Now the just shall live by faith But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by faith But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin Gal. 3 22 23. that the promise by faith of Christ Iesus might be given to them that believe But before faith came we were kept under the law shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed By the deeds of the law Rom. 3.20 21 22. there shall no flesh be justified in his fight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin But now the righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested by the Law and the prophets Even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe For all have sinned Rom. 3.23 24 25 26. and come short of the glory of God Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God That he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Iesus To him that worketh nor Rom. 4.5 but beliveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Being justified by faith Rom. 5.1 2. we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ By whom also we have accesse by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus Rem 8.1 2. Who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit For the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the lâ—w of sin and death For Christ is the end of the law Rom. 10.4 for righteousness to every one that believeth The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart Rom. 10.8 9 10 11. that is the Word of Faith which we preach That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth Confession is made unto salvation For the Scripture saith Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed Whatsoever is not of Faith Rom. 14.23 is sin And whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed Rom. 9.33 It pleased God 1 Cor. 1.21 by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe For we walk by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 not by sight I live yet not I Gal. 2.20 but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me They which be of faith are blessed Gal. 3.9 26. with faithfull Abraham For ye are all the Children of God by faith in Christ Iesus In whom also Ephes 1.13 14. after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance For by Grace are ye saved through Faith Ephes 2.8 and not of your selves it is the gift of God For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again 1 Thess 4.14 even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him Above all things take the shield of Faith Wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the wicked Ephes 1.16 17. Watch ye 1 Cor. 16.13 stand fast in the Faith quit you like men be strong And to whom swore he Heb. 3.18 19 that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief Let us draw near with a true heart Heb. 10.22.23 in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure water Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithfull that promised Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 the evidence of things not seen But without Faith it is impossible to please him Heb. 11.6 for he that commeth to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him The whole Chapter being special instances of Faith Of the great Power of faith in the true Servants of God who shewed the powerfullnesse of Faith in general and of their Faith in particular Looking unto Jesus Heb. 12.2 the Author and finisher of our Faith Receiving the end of your Faith 1 Pet. 1.9 20. even the salvation of your Souls Who by him do believe in God that raised him from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God Be thou faithfull unto the death Rev. 2.10 and I will give thee the Crown of life Hence is the patience of the Saints Rev. 14.12 here are they that keep that Commandements of God and the faith of Iesus Seventhly Again Christus in veteri Testamaento est velatus Sed in novo Testamento Christus est nobis revelatus Christ in the Old Testament was hid and covered as it were under a veil and was only shadowed out unto us But in the New Testament Christ is there manisestly revealed unto us and the veil of the old Testament by him taken away 2 Cor. 3.13 14 15. And not as Moses which put a veil over his face that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished But their minds were blinded for untill this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old Testament which veil is done away in Christ But even to this day when Moses is read the veil is upon their hearts Nevertheless where they shall turn to the Lord the veil shall be taken away And without controversie 1 Tim. 3.16 great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world and received up into glory In the beginning was the Word Iohn 1.1 2 14. and the Word was with God And the same was in the beginning with God 1 Iohn
any wayes assure himself of living till to morrow Tota vita dies unus as a Father observeth that is Our whole life here is but as one day Non potest praesentem diem recte vivere is qui se non eum quasi ultimum victurum esse cogitat ut Pater No man can live well and as he ought to do unlesse he think and account of every day to be as it were his very last day Nascentes morimur finisque ab origine pendes Et pubesceutes juncta senecta premit Nequities vitae non sinit esse senem Being born we dye and our end hangs upon our beginning And as we grow up in yeares old age presseth upon us And the evils of our life will not permit and suffer us to grow old Optima aliorum sententia quippe homini aiuut non nasci esse bonum aut natum cito morte perire ut Pater It was the opinion of some others for man not to be born was good or else being born then soon to dye Many there are Plin. Qui non nasci optimum censerent aut quam ocyssime emori Which have thought it the best not to be born or being born then suddenly to end his dayes as Plinie observeth Non nasci Cicero longe optimnm proximum quam primum mori This the very heathens thought That not to be born was farr the best the next very soon to dye as Cicero observeth Primum bonum non nasci secundum citius mori The first good is not to be born the second soon to die as a Father observeth Directory rules how we are to live Rules how to live Qualis vita finis ita that is as the life is so shall the end be In the place where the tree falleth Eccles 11.3 there it shall be Heu vivunt hamines tanquam mors nulla sequatur Aut tanquam infernum fabula vana foret Alas men do now live as if that no death were to follow And as if Hell were but a fable O quam contempta res est homo nisi supra numana se erexerit O how contemptible a thing is man if he do not erect his thoughts to a higher pitch than to that which is onely humane as a Father observeth Praestat homini nunquam nasci quam non renasci nunquam generari quam non regenerari ut Pater It had been farr better for a man never to have been born than not to be born again and never to have been begotten than not to be regenerated And Iesus answered John 3.3 5 6 7. and said unto him Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdome of God Iesus answered Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit Marvell not that I said unto you Ye must be born again Melior est non esse quam esse fine Jesu melior est non vivere quam vivere sine vita ut St. Bernard It is farr better for a man not to be at all S. Bernard than to be without Iesus Christ and better it were for a man not to live at all than to live here without enjoying the happinesse of life eternall hereafter as St. Bernard observeth And this it was which made that good Father St. S. Bernard Bernard to cry out and say Domine Jesu esto mihi Jesus O sweet Lord Iesus be thou unto me and unto my soul a Iesus a Saviour This likewise made another Father to say after this manner Non est vita nisi vera vita non est vera vita nisi aeterna vita There is no life here unlesse the same be a true life and there can be no true life here without the enjoying of life eternall hereafter as a Father observeth And this our life eternal proceedeth from our Iustification and Sanctification here the fruit and effect of our Glorification hereafter Knowing Gal. 2.16 17 19 20. that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Iesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the works of the Law For by the works of the Law shall no Flesh be justified But if while we seek to be justified by Christ we our selves are found Sinners is therefoae Christ the Minister of sin God forbid For I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God I am crucified with Christ Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Vita vitae mortalis est vita vitae immortalitatis The life of our mortall life here is the life of our immortal life hereafter as a Father well observeth Viam vita dicitur per quam quilibet natus properat ad finem Our life here S. Basil is the way by which every one that is born doth hasten unto his end as St. Basil observeth Ut hora Sic fugit vita Sic in non homini vertitur omnis homo ut Poeta As the Hour so our life passeth away and so every Man is suddenly turned and changed and become no man We must therefore be carefull how we live And herein Boetius giveth us this good rule for Directions in our Life Boetius Incumbit nobis necessitas recte vivendi cum omnia quae facimus facta sunt coram oculis Judicis cuncta videntis Boetius Necessity lieth upon us to live well in this regard That all things which we do they are all of them acted and done before the eyes of that great Iudge of Heaven and Earth which seeth all things Intrasti ut exires as one saith Thou camest into the world that thou mightest go out of the world again And as an other well observeth Nostrum vivere è vita transire All our life here ought to be a preparation for death Considering this which one observeth as namely Non est vitae momentum sine motu ad mortem huc tendimus omnes huc primus huc ultimus ordo There is Not a moment in our Life without some Motion towards our Death and this is the true state and condition of all Mankind here And therefore one giveth us this good Rule to be observed by us in the whole course of our life Proximus esto bonis si non potes optimus esse Follow then the good example of good men and come as near to them as thou canst do if so be thou canst not be the best of all It is well observed by one Quam turpe est in eo statu vivere in in
our life here is a way-fare 118 119. That our life here is full of troubles calamities and dangers from the highest even unto the lowest 118 119. That our life here is also as a race wherein we must be running and not stand at a stay 119 120. Thirdly that our life here is a warr-fare and our weapons spirituall 120 121. What this our spirituall armour is 120 121 122. Here is also set down the fourfold condition of man 122 123. Of the vanity and infelicity of man in his first entrance into this world and during the whole time of his continuance here nothing but full of misery 122 123 124. That man sucks misery even from his nurses teat with examples of this 123. That mans life is nothing but misery a pattern of infelicity miserable in his conception nothing but misery in his whole life 124. That afflictions come not forth of the dust 124. That man is born unto trouble 125. That no man can assure himself of living till the morrow 125. That man is to account of every day as his last day 125. That not to be born by some held to be best or being born soon to dye 126. Directory rules how to live 126 127. That man is to erect his thoughts to a higher pitch than that which is humane 127. Better for a man not to be born than not to be regenerated 127. That our life here is nothing without the happinesse of life eternall hereafter 128. S. Bernards prayer 128. That no Justification is by the works of the Law but by faith in Christ 129. That our life here is the way by which we do hasten to our end 130. That as the hour so our life passeth away 130. That we must be carefull how we live necessity enforceth us so to do with the reason thereof 130. We came into the world that we may go out of the world 130 131. That our life here ought to be a preparation for death 131. That every moment in our life is a motion towards death 131. Here is set down a Rule to be observed in the whole course of our life 131. That we are to come as near good men as we can 131. That we are to live in that condition in which we would not be afraid to die 131. A good life the cause of a happy death 132. Our life here ought to be a preparation for death in our life we are to foresee death 132. Here is also set forth the comparison of Death unto the Basilisk and the reason thereof 132. That in life we ought to foresee death if in death we desire to enjoy life everlasting 132. That the whole life of the wicked is sin 132 133. S. Augustins prayer to God to lay on him here in this life what torments he would so as he reserved for him life eternall after this life ended 133. Here is also set forth the life of man and whereunto the same is compared by reason of the frailty thereof 133 134 135 136 137. That we are to number our dayes that so we may learn to apply our hearts to wisdome 135. We ought not to conclude of any thing for the time to come without this saying if the Lord will and we live we will do this or that 136. That no man is sure of his life 137. Here is also set forth the frailty mutability and incertainty of the life of man here in this world being attended with so many miseries and calamities 137 138. That the consideration of this should make us not to desire any long continuance here but the contrary with the hope of the fruition of a better life hereafter 138. That all the enjoyments here in this life are nothing but vanity 138. That the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep his commandements 138. Here is also set forth life eternall and the giver thereof 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145. Touching the two Domestick keepers of our souls sc shamefastnesse and fear 141. Touching the two props or pillars of our lives here sc care and fear 141 142 143. Secondly concerning death and how we are to fit and prepare our selves for the same with the reasons thereof 143. To whom the remembrance of death is bitter and to whom not 143 144. Not to fear the sentence of death with the reason thereof 143 144. That the wages of sin is death 145. That every day a part of our life is cut off 145. The six things to be specially remembred by us 145 146. That in Adam all die but in Christ all are made alive 146. That the sting of death is sin 146. That death is compared to a quiet sleep and wherefore 146 147. Not to be troubled at the thought of death the reason thereos 147. Than death nothing more certain than the time when nothing more uncertain 147 148 149. The meditation of Seneca upon the certainty of death very observable with the fruits of the same 148 149. To whom death is as a refreshing and again to whom it is as a punshment and dammage 149 150. That to die the death of the righteous he who desires this ought to live the life of the righteous 150. The difference between the life of a godly man and the life of a worldling 150 151. That we ought at all times and in all places both young and old to fit and prepare our selves for death with the reason wherefore 152 153. That nothing is more available than the meditation of our mortality 153 154. That we ought so to live every day as if we were even then to come to Judgement and to account of every day as our last day 154 155. What it is to die well even to die willingly and not to fear death with the reason why 155 156 157. The saying of holy Hillarion on his death bed being fearfull to die 156. That death is a port or haven by which we passe to joy it is the way of all flesh hereupon the saying of Xerxes is observable 157. That we ought so to live here as that we may enjoy life eternall hereafter 157 158. That death is but as a passage to life and as a sleep not death 158. That all things by perishing are kept alive as the corn it dies and springs again with a comparison of this unto our death and resurrection death being as a passage unto our resurrection 158 159. S. Augustins observation touching the Resurrection of Christ 159. That death is the gate unto life a speedy course and passage to heaven and a happy sleep 160 161. That death to the godly is the port and haven of health and happinesse 161 162. That death conjoyns but life doth separate us from Christ 161 162. That the highest did ascend and descend the reason thereof and the fruits we have thereby 162 163. That it is the part of a wise man to prepare for death by continuall meditation thereon 163 164. To be
willing to die considering that the godly by death are called to rest but the wicked to punishment 164. The difference between the hope of the wicked and of the godly 164 165. Nothing more profitable than the thought of mortality 165 166. Why the day of our death is kept from us 166. That a mans death shall be as his life is 166 167. That the day of Judgement may be long before it come but the day of death not so and the reason 167. By meditation on death to make the same familiar to us 167. That our whole life ought to be a learning to die 167. That death puts an end to all sorrows 168 169 170. That life is a passage to death and death a return to life 168 169. Touching our comfort in death by Christ his overcoming of death 169. That sleep is a resemblance of death the bed of the grave our rising again of our resurrection 169 170. That the day of our death is as our everlasting birth day 170. We are not to grieve at the thought of death but rather to rejoyce 170 171. The Sacrament called viaticum Aeternitatis or morientis 171. The desire of Nazianzen to die with some sentence of piety by him uttered at that time 171. That death is a passage from earth to heaven 171 172. That death is a separation of the soul from the body a location of the body in the earth and a translation of the soul to God 172 173. That man is of the dust and to dust to return 172 173. That the thought of death ought to be comfortable in regard of Gods mercy promised 173 174 175 176. CHAP. VII Of the day of Judgement the same described with the fruits and effects thereof 177. The severall appellations of the day of Judgement 177 178 179. The terriblenesse of the day of Judgement with the manner thereof 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189. Touching the manner of our change at the day of Judgement 187 188. That God will deliver his in the day of Judgement 188. That because man was so wicked God made the dumb creatures to take part of the punishment with him 189 190. A Sermon preached upon this text 2 Cor. 5.10 For we must all appear before the Judgement-seat of Christ 195. ERRATA Fol. 31. line 1. these words omitted nisi introspieere in mentem suam 51. l. 29. that for the 54. l. 1. the first all too much 83. l. 6. that too much 87. l. 16. dignitio tua for est dignatio tua 88. l. 1. serio for serious 112. l. 1. not too much 121. l. last word for sword 124. l. 7.8.9 read morbidus putridus cassus auspicatus 125. l. 3. dives for dies and l. 13. is to be left out 128. l. 3 4. melior for melius 136. l. 7. shall too much 141. l. 28. distinction for direction 144. l. 22 moriamini for moriâ—mini l. 27. O nqnom for O nequam 148. l. 21. ereunti for exennti 156. l. 24. quod for quid 159. l. 14. provectio for profectio 161. l. 17. bono for bona l. 26. sciet for sociat 162. l. 7. transgradimur for trunsgredimur and l. 10. temporali itinere de cursa for temporalis itineris decursu 165. l. 20. jubat for jubet 170. l. 5. somnum for somnus or somnium In the Sermon 2. division the generality of the Judgement we must all appear here to be left on t the 3. division the severity of the Judgement in this word appear here to be added CHAP. I. Touching the sacred word of God with certain directory Rules and observations by way of Caveats to be made use of for the more profitable and better understanding of the holy Scriptures and sacred word of God whensoever we do either read or hear the same preached unto us FIrst the constant and frequent reading and hearing of the Word of God and the due meditation thereon is a duty and service commanded us by God himself and by him enjoyned to be duely and carefully performed by us with his good blessings promised if we so do and his ensuing judgements threatned if we neglect the same all which appeareth by many places of Scripture Deut. chap. 11. vers 18.19.20.21 Ye shall lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul and bind them for a signe upon your hand that they may be as frontlets between your eyes And ye shall teach them your children speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way when thou liest down and when thou risest up And thou shalt write them upon the doore posts of thine house and upon thy gates That your dayes may be multiplied and the dayes of your children in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them as the dayes of heaven upon the earth Observe Deuteronomie chap. 12. vers 28. and hear all these words which I command thee that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee for ever when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the Lord thy God And it shall be Deuteronomie chap 17. vers 18.19 when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdome that he shall write him a copy of this Law in a book And it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of this law and these statutes to do them And Moses wrote this law Deuteronomie chap. 31. vers 9 10 11 12. and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi. And Moses commanded them saying Gather the people together men and women and children and the stranger that is within thy gates that they may hear and that they may learn and fear the Lord your God and observe to do all the words of this law But the word is very nigh unto thee Deuteronomie ch 30. vers 14. in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest do it The word is nigh thee Romans ch 10. ver 8. even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth Joshua chap. 8. vers 8. but thou shalt meditate therein night and day that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good successe Whoso despiseth the word Prov. 13.13 shall be destroyed but he that feareth the commandement shall be rewarded I have sent unto you all my servants the prophets Jeremiah cha 7. ver 25 26. daily rising up early and sending them Yet they hearkened not nor enclined their eare but hardened their neck they did worse than their fathers How do ye say Jeremiah cha 8. ver 8.9 we are wise and
mouth The word of God is quick and powerfull Hebrews chap. 4. ver 52. and sharper than any two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart And he was clothed with a vesture dipt in bloud Revelation chap. 19. ver 13. and his name is called the word of God As for me Isaiah cha 29. ver 21. this is my covenant with them saith the Lord my spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever Blessed are they that hear the word of God Luke chap. 11. ver 28. and keep it Receive with meeknesse James chap. 1. ver 21. the engrafted word of God which is able to save your souls Keep therefore Deuteronomy chap. 29. ver 9. the words of this covenant and do them that so ye may prosper in all that ye do As new born babes 1 Peter chap. 2. ver 2. desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Verily John chap. 5. ver 24. verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life The word of God The word of God the word of Reconciliation 2 Corinthians chap. 5. ver 18.19 called the word of Reconciliation And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Iesus Christ and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation The word of God called the word of truth The word of God the word of Truth Ephesians cha 1. ver 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise The word of God called the word of life The word of God the word of life Philippians chap. 2. ver 16. Holding forth the word of life that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain neither laboured in vain The word called the word of Christ The word called the word of Christ Collossians chap. 3. ver 16. The word called the faithfull word of God Titus chap. 1. ver 9. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdome The word called the faithfull word of God Holding fast the faithfull word of God as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers Thy word have I hid in my heart Psal 119. ver 11. and 42. that I might not sin against thee So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reprocheth me for I trust in thy word So then faith cometh by hearing Romans ch 10. ver 17. and hearing by the word of God Fourthly In our reading and hearing of the word of God and in our meditations thereon the due consideration of all this ought to stirre up in us a love unto the same and a rejoycing therein as by these ensuing places of Scripture may appear I rejoyce at thy word Psal 119. ver 162. Jeremiah cha 15. ver 16. as one that findeth great spoil Thy words were sound and I did eat them and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoycing of my heart for I am called by thy name O Lord God of hosts Lord Psal 26. ver 8. I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth I was glad when they said unto me Psal 122. ver 1. Let us go into the house of the Lord. For a day in thy Courts is better than a thousand Psalm 84. ver 10. I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickednesse O how I love thy law Psalm 119. ver 97.127 it is my meditation all the day Therefore I love thy commandements above gold yea above fine gold I delight to do thy will Psal 40. ver 8. O my God yea thy law is within my heart Fifthly These precedent observations being thus made use of by us the word of God which we have thus read heard and meditated on will then doubtlesse be a constant and a perpetuall comfort unto us at all times both in life and death Be thou faithfull unto death Revelation chap. 2. ver 10. and I will give thee a crown of life CHAP. II. Of the severall Books mentioned in the Scriptures THine eyes did see my substance Psal 139. ver 16. yet being unperfect and in thy Book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them Then they that feared the Lord Malachie chap. 3. ver 16 17 18. spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a Book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name And they shall be mine The difference between the wicked and the righteous in the day of Judgment saith the Lord of hosts when I make up my Iewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Thou tellest my wandrings Psal 56. ver 8. put thou my teares into thy bottle are they not in thy book And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book Isaiah cha 29. ver 18. Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read Isaiah cha 34. ver 16. And at that time shall Michael stand up the great prince Daniel cha 12. ver 1. which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be delivered every one that shall be found written in the book And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake Daniel cha 12. ver 2 3. some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt And they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousnesse as the starres for ever and ever A fiery stream issued Daniel cha 7. ver 10. and came forth from before him thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him the Iudgement was
set and the books were opened But thou O Daniel Daniel cha 12. ver 4. shut up the words and seal the book even to the time of the end many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased And these shall go away into everlasting punishment Matthew cha 25. ver 46. but the righteous into life eternall For the hour is coming John chap. 5. ver 28 29. in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice And shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of damnation Let them be blotted out of the book of the living Psalm 69. ver 28. and not be written with the righteous He that overcometh Revelation chap. 3. ver 5. the same shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life but I will confesse his name before my father and before his angels And I entreat thee also Philippians ch 4. ver 3. true yoke-fellow help these women which laboured with me in the Gospel with Clement also and with other my fellow labourers whose names are in the book of life And it was given unto him Revelation ch 13. ver 7 8. to make war with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lambe slain from the foundation of the world The beast that thou sawest was Revelation chap. 17. ver 8. and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomlesse pit and go into perdition and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder and whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is And I saw the dead small Revelation ch 20. ver 12 13. and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works And the sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to their works And death Revelat. chap. 20. ver 14 15. and hell were cast into the lake of fire And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecie Revelat. chap. 2 r 2. ve 19. God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this book Books named in the Scripture and not to be found as namely Is not this written in the book of Iasher the marginall note of an old Bible Ioshua chap. 10. ver 13. being as some read it In the book of the righteous meaning Moses The Chaldee text reading In the book of the Law But it is like that it was a book thus named which is now lost All this in the marginall notes of an old Bible As it is written in the book of Iasher 2 Samuel cha 11. ver 18. or righteous as the marginall note is Wherefore it is said in the book of the warres of the Lord Numbers chap. 21. ver 14. or of the battels which by a marginall note in an old Bible seemeth to be the book of the Iudges or a book which is lost Concerning the acts of David the king behold 1 Chron. chap. 29. ver 29. they are written in the book of Samuel the Seer and in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the book of Gad the Seer The marginall note in an old Bible is that the books of Nathan and Gad are thought to have been lost in the captivity And there shall in no wise Revelation ch 21. ver 27. enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination nor maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lambes book of life There is as One well observeth a two fold Book of God as namely First there is Liber Providentiae that is the Book of Gods Providence whereby we are taught to know our duties to God and to referre our selves and all our actions to his Divine Providence and mercy and to use his good blessings on us bestowed to his glory All which if we thus do we shall then receive all things necessary in this world and life eternall in the world to come But if we are disobedient and do contrary to all this then there is a second Book which will be opened against us as namely Secondly there is Liber Judicii the Book of Gods Judgement whereby we shall receive all the Judgements of God therein mentioned and pronounced against the wicked and disobedient Then shall the king say unto them Matthew cha 25. ver 34. on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Then shall he say also unto those Matthew cha 25. ver 41. on the left hand Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels It is observed by a Father That there is another book and that is called Codex Conscientiae the book of a mans conscience St. Chrysostome observeth thus much S. Chrysostom sc That Conscientia est codex in quo quotidiana nostra peccata rescribuntur The Conscience is a book in the which our daily sinnes and offences are writ down registred and recorded against us as S. Chrysostome observeth And as touching Conscience There is a Threefold quality of the Conscience Of Conscience as One observeth as namely First Testificare de praeterito that is to bear testimony and witnesse of what is done by us and past Secondly Accusare vel excusare to accuse us of what we have done or else to excuse us Thirdly Solvere vel ligare That is either to let us loose or else to bind us fast up For when the Gentiles Romans chap. 2. ver 14.15.16 which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves Which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts mean while accusing or else excusing one another In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel Conscientia est quasi cordis scientia S. Bernard ut S. Bernard The conscience is as it were the very knowledge of the heart By strength stratagems and policy men do overcome their enemies But God
convinceth a man only by the guilt of his conscience the which will convict him at the last day or acquit him Deus S. Augustin coram quo judicandus sis justus est Judex God before whom thou art to be judged is a just God and Judge and he will onely judge us by the testimony of our own consciences as S. Augustine observeth Quid prodest Seneca non habere conscium habenti conscientiam ut Seneca that is What can it profit or avail thee to have no witnesse to testifie against thee having thy own conscience which is as good as a thousand witnesses to accuse thee Nullum putaveris locum sine teste memineris Deum habere te testem That is Do not thou think any place free from a witness and be thou mindfull that God hath thee thy self to be a witnesse against thy self by thy own conscience accusing thee as a Father observeth Si honesta sunt Seneca quae facis omnes sciant si turpia quid refert neminem scire cum tu ipse scias O te miserum si contemnis hunc testem ut Seneca If the things which thou doest are honest and good it is no matter then who knoweth thereof But if the things are ill which thou doest what doth it then avail thee that none do know thereof when as thou thy self knowest it O miserable man that thou art if thou contemn and despise this testimony as Seneca observeth Turpe facturus te sine teste time When thou art doing any thing that is ill then fear thy self even thy own conscience though that no other witnesse be present In omnibus quae agis S. Bernard Deum praesentem cogita cave itaque ne vel signo vel facto offendas qui ub que praesens cernit quicquid facis ut S. Bernard In all things which thou doest think God alwayes to be present before thee and therefore take heed lest thou any wayes offend either by deed or otherwise for he even that God which is every where present doth see S. Bernard and behold all that thou doest as St. Bernard observeth Deus totus est sensus totus visus totus auditus Plinie God is altogether sense and understanding altogether eyes and seeing Plinie altogether eares and hearing as Plinie observeth Deus est totus auris totus oculus Irenaeus ut Irenaeus god is all eares all eye he heareth every thing and he seeth every thing which is acted and done by us as Irenaus observeth Noli peccare nam Deus vidit Angeli astant Diabolus accusabit Conscientia testabitur Infernum cruciabit ut Pater Therefore do not thou offend for God sees thee the Angels behold thee the Devil will accuse thee thy own Conscience will witnesse and testifie against thee and Hell will torment thee Aut si peccare vis St. Augustin quaere locum ubi Deus te non videat fac quod vis ut S. Augustin If notwithstanding all this thou wilt needs offend and commit sin then seek thee out a fitting and convenient place yea even such a place to act thy sin in where God may not see nor behold thee and then freely do what thou wilt St. Augustin S. Augustine Conscientia rea est semper inquieta ut Isiodor Isiodor A guilty conscience is alwayes unquiet A good conscience is thus qualified and hath First in corde puritatem Purity in the heart Secondly in ore veritatem Truth and verity in the mouth And Thirdly in actione rectitudinem Uprightnesse in all the actions S. Bernard as St. Bernard observeth Conscientia nihil aliud est secundum quosdam The Conscience as some do hold is nothing else but the soul reflecting on it self Conscientia est judex sui ipsius Conscience in a man is the judge of himself It is a secret spie in our selves censuring all our actions by us done or to be done whether good or bad Conscientia est scientia cum alio testis perpetuus est conscientia Conscience it is knowledge with another and our Conscience is and will be a perpetuall witnesse for us or against us as a Father observeth Conscientia ante peccatum froenum post peccatum flagrum Our Conscience before we do offend is as a bridle to keep us from offending but after we have offended it is then as a whipp continually to lash and torment us for the same and this makes a man in all places and in all companies full of continuall feares his conscience ever tormenting him And as the saying is true Heu quam difficile est crimen non prodere vultu How hard and difficult a thing it is for a man not to discover his fault and offence even by his countenance A Father speaking of a man of an ill conscience saith thus Though he be Tutus à judicio alieno free from the judgement of another yet he is not Tutus à judicio suo free from his own judgement of and against himself as appeared in Iudas saying I have sinned Matthew cha 27. ver 4 5. in that I have betrayed innocent bloud And he cast down the pieces of silver in the Temple and departed and went and hanged himself CHAP. III. Of the Old Testament and of the New Or of the Law and of the Gospel and of the differences between them FIrst Novum Testamentum est in Veteri velatum Vetus in Novo revelatum ut St. Augustin St. Augustin The New Testament is covered shadowed and hid as it were under a veil in types and figures in the Old Testament But the Old Testament is manifested and revealed in the New Or Secondly Novum Testamentum in Veteri latet Vetus Testamentum in Novo patet ut St. Augustin St. Augustin The New Testament lieth hid in the Old and the Old Testament is laid open in the New Thirdly In the Old Testament we see what we are by Nature and what duty and performance the Law requireth and exacteth from us In the New Testament we see what we are by grace by our new birth being regenerated and born anew in Christ Jesus and by the gracious working of his holy Spirit in us we are thereby renued and changed in our mindes and conversations and so hereby our naturall and corrupt being by our first birth is turned and changed unto a gracious and a spirituall being by this our second and new birth And again In the New Testament we also see what we shall be after this life in the state of glory of happinesse and eternity in the kingdome of heaven purchased for us by the death and passion of Christ Jesus our blessed Lord and Saviour who is gone before by his powerfull Resurrection and Ascension up to Heaven there to prepare a place and a glorious being for us All which is very lively set forth unto us in the New Testament And therefore a Father well saith That Nunquam erit
1.1 2 3 4. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten Son of the Father full of grace and truth That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life For the Life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and shew unto you that eternall life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also might have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Iesus Christ And these things write we unto you that your joy may be full Exod. 20.2 Eighthly Again in the old Testament we have the Law given by Moses But in the new Testament we have Grace and Mercy brought unto us by Christ Iesus And of all his fulness have all we received Iohn 1.16 and grace for grace For the Law was given by Moses Iohn 1.17 but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ Ninthly Again by the Law we have the knowledge of Sin and of Gods curse which followed thereupon and of the Iudgements denounced against sinners and that not only of a death temporal but even of a death eternal both of body and soul And the Lord God took the Man Gen. 2.15 16 17. and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it And the Lord God commanded the Man saying of every Tree of the Garden thou mayest freely eat But of the Tree of knowledg of good and evill thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die And unto Adam he said Gen. 3.17 19. because thou hast hearkned unto the voice of thy Wife and hast eaten of the Tree of which I commanded thee saying Thou shalt not eat of it Cursed is the Ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the daies of thy life In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground for out of it was thou taken for Dust thou art and unto Dust shalt thou return For the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 For when we were in the flesh Rom. 7.5 the motions of sin which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death What shall I say then Rom. 7.7 8 9 10 11. is the Law sin God forbid Nay I had not known sin but by the Law for I had not known Lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet But sin taking occasion by the Commandement wrought in me all manner of concupiscence for without the Law sin was dead For I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came sin revived and I died And the Commandement which was ordaiued to life I found to be unto death For Sin taking occasion by the Commandement deceived me and by it slew me But by the Gospel we have the knowledge of the free Pardon and full forgiveness of our Sins purchased for us by the death and passion of Christ our Saviour and conferred unto us by his grace and favour he undergoing the full vial of Gods wrath and judgement denounced against sin and Sinners even the whole curse of the Law he endured for us who died for our Sins and rose again for our justification that we should dye unto sin and live unto righteousness Rom. 5.6 8. For then when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were Sinners Christ died for us Who was delivered for our Offences Rom. 4.25 and was raised again for our justification Much more then being now justified by his blood Rom. 5.9 we shall be saved from wrath through him For if when we were enemies Rom. 5.10 we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Who was delivered for our offences Rom. 4.2 and was raised again for our justification O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. The sting of Death is Sin and the strength of Sin is the Law But thanks be unto God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ Who his own self bare our sins 1 Pet. 2.24 in his own body on the Tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed But he was wounded for our transgressions Isaiah 53.5 6. he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our Peace was upon him and with his stripes are we healed All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all If God be for us Rom. 8.31 32. who can be against us He that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Rom. 8.33 34. it is God that justifyeth Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Christ hath delivered us from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 being made a curse for us For it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree For he that is hanged Deut. 21.23 is accursed of God Tenthly Again the Law was as our School-master to bring us unto Christ to shew us the way to him and to direct us therein aright But the Gospel bringeth Christ himself unto us who is the way the truth and the life offering of himself to be received by us by a true and lively faith Wherefore the Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by Faith But after that Faith is come Ga. 3.24 25. we are no longer under a Schoolmaster For ye are all the Children of God by faith Iohn 14.1 6. in Christ Iesus Let not your hearts be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me Iesus saith I am the way the truth and the life no man commeth unto the Father but by me Upon which place St. Chrysostome thus discourseth Quo vis ire ego sum via S. Chrysostom Quid vis scire ego sum veritas Ubi vis manere ego sum vita Whither wilt thou go I am the way What would'st thou know I am the Truth Where would'st thou remain I am the Life And again St. Bernard upon this place saith S. Bernard I am the way which leadeth to the Truth I am the Truth that
Elijah He took up also the mantle of Elijah 2 Kin. 2.14 that fell from him and smote the waters and said Where is the Lord God of Elijah and when he also had smitten the waters they parted hither and thither and Elisha went over By prayer Elisha raised the Shunamites son from death to life again And when Elisha was come into the house 2 Kin. 4.32 33 35 36. behold the child was dead and laid upon his bed He went in therefore and shut the door upon them twain and prayed unto the Lord. And the child neesed seven times and the child opened his eyes And when she was come in unto him he said Take up thy son By prayer Sampson pulled the house down Judg. 16.30 and killed more at his death than in his life By prayer Ahijah obtained victory against Jeroboam king of Israel 2 Chron. 13. 14 15 16 17 18. with half the number because they did relye on God By prayer the great army of Sennacherib king of Assyria 2 Chron. 32.2 3 6 7 8 19 20 21. coming against Hezekiah king of Iudah was overthrown by the Angel of the Lord from heaven And they spake against the God of Ierusalem For this cause Hezekiah the king 2 Kin. 19.15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 34 35 37. Isaiah 39.37 the same and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amos prayed and cried to heaven And the Lord sent an Angel which cut off all the mighty men of valour and the leaders and the captains in the camp of the king of Assyria So he returned with shame to his own land And when he was come into the house of his god they that came out of his own bowels slew him there with the sword And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said O Lord God of Israel Hezekiahs prayer 2 Kin. 19.15 16 19 20 35. which dwellest between the Cherubims thou art the God even thou alone of all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made heaven and earth Lord bow down thine ear and hear Isaiah 36.37 the same open Lord thine eyes and see and hear the words of Sennacherib which hath sent him to reproch the living God Now therefore O Lord our God I beseech thee save us out of his hand that all the kingdomes of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God even thou onely Then Isaiah the son of Amos sent to Hezekiah saying Thus saith the Lord God of Israel that which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard And it came to passe that night that the Angel of the Lord went out and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand and when they arose early in the morning behold they were all dead corpses By prayer Asa king of Iudah 2 Chron. 14.9 10 11 12. obtained victory against Zerah the Ethiopian who came against him with an host of a thousand thousand and three hundred chariots And Asa cried unto the Lord his God The prayer of king Asa And said Lord it is nothing with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no power Help us O Lord our God for we rest on thee and in thy name we go against this multitude O Lord thou art God let not man prevail against thee So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Iudah and the Ethiopians fled By prayer Iudeth prevailed against the Assyrians Judith 9.7 8 71. who trusted in their strength Judiths prayer force and power Her prayer to God to throw down their strength For thy power standeth not in multitude nor thy might in strong men for thou art the God of the afflicted an helper of the oppressed an upholder of the weak a protector of the forlorn a saviour of them that are without help By prayer Iudas Maccabeus obtained victory from God 2 Maccabees 8.20 36. against Nicanor and with eight thousand men obtained victory against an hundred and twenty thousand in Babylon because of the help they had from heaven and because the Jews had God to fight for them and therefore they could not be hurt By prayer Lazarus being dead and having been four dayes in the grave was raised up again from death to life And Jefus lift up his eyes and said John 11.4 42 43 44. Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me And I know that thou hearest me alwayes but because of the people which stand by I said it that they may believe that thou hast sent me And when he had thus spoken 〈…〉 he cried with a loud voice Lazarus come forth And he that was dead came forth bound hand and foot with his grave-clothes and his face was bound with a napkin Jesus saith unto them Loose him and let him go By prayer the Holy Ghost fell down upon those which believed And when they had prayed Acts 4.31 the place was shaken where they were assembled together and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they spake the word of God with boldnesse By prayer Tabitha was raised by Peter from death to life again But Peter put them all forth Acts 9.40 41. and kneeled down and prayed and turning him to the body said Tabitha arise and she opened her eyes and when she saw Peter she sat up And he gave her his hand and lift her up and when he had called the saints and widows he presented her alive By prayer St. Paul healed the father of Publius and others of their diseases And it came to passe Acts 28.8 9. that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloudy flux to whom Paul entred and prayed and laid his hands on him and healed him So when this was done others also which had diseases in the Island came and were healed Prayer as a Father observeth is as a strong city of refuge for us thereby to fly unto God in our greatest need Some in prayer as one observeth never regard what they ask nor how whereupon a Father saith If in prayer we ask of God we care not what we shall then be heard of him we know not when and have one thing granted us for another Matth. 20.20 21 22 23. James 4.3 as the mother of Zebedeus children had Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amisse that ye may consume it upon your lusts We are often nay continually in great danger and therefore we must often nay continually pray unto God for preservation and deliverance from all dangers And as S. S. Bernards observation as touching the use of prayer Bernard observeth thus much of often prayer so we must duely and carefully follow the same rule by him prescribed as namely When we go out of our house let prayer alwayes arm us accompany us and ever attend upon us for Gods blessing and preservation of us And when we return home again let
Eve First began with a Nequaquam moriamini ye shall not dye Hereupon Saint Augustine after the Serpent was accursed by God from the Earth saith thus unto the Serpent O n quam ubi jam esi tua nequaquam O thou wicked serpent Where are now thy lying words Ye shall not dye at all For the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 but the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Mors fructus à fruendo dicitur as one observeth of it Death is the fruit so called from the enjoying of it and so death is the fruit or wages of sin Quotidie morimur S. Bernard quotidie enim demitur pars vitae tunc quoque cum crescimus vita decrescit ut S. Bernard That is We do dye daily and even every day a part of our life is cut off as St. Bernard observeth Homo est fatuus usque ad quadraginta annorum deinde Luther ubi agnovit se esse fatuum vita consumpta est ut Luther That is A man is as a fool and full of ignorance till he attain unto the age of forty yeares and then so soon as he comes to know and so to acknowledge himself to be a fool to be ignorant and to know nothing of himself even then and at that very time his life here is as it were ended gone and spent as Luther observeth Mors tua mors Christi fraus mundi gloria coeli Et dolor inferni sint meditanda tibi That is These things thou oughtest to take into thy serious consideration and duely for to meditate thereon as namely On thy own death on the death of Christ of the fraud and deceit of the world of the great glory of heaven and on the unsufferable paines and torments of Hell as one observeth It is well observed by one That death in Christ killed life for a time that afterwards life in him might kil death for ever For since by man came death 1 Cor. 15.21 22 25 26 55 56 57. by man came also the resurrection of the dead For as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Death as one observeth is a quiet sleep The soul when death comes puts off the body and the body buried lives in the earth the grave being the bed thereof there to remain till the morning of our resurrection at the day of Iudgement appearing It is observed by one That the true servants of God are so farr from being any wayes discontented or troubled with the thinking of death as that they rather earnestly desire and thirst after it with a Cupio dissolvi Philip. 1.23 a desire with St. Paul to be dissolved and to be with Christ For death as a Father well observeth is but provectio a journey or a laying down of this our earthly tabernacle Nihil certius quod quilibet debet mori sed tempore quando quo leco vel quomodo uihil incertius There is nothing more certain then this that every one must die but when in what place or the manner how nothing is more uncertain Statutum est omnibus semel mori It is dereed that all men must once die Rom. 5.14 As by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned For this is the sentence of the Lord over all flesh Eccles 4.3 As by one mans disobedience Rom. 5.19 21. many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might Grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. When Lust hath conceived it bringeth forth Sin Iames. 1.15 and Sin when it is finished bringeth forth Death Now nothing is more uncertain than the time when we shall die the place where or the manner how we shall die This was therefore the meditation of Seneca daily with himself as is recorded of him Dic tibi dormituro Seneca potes non expergisci Dic exerecto potes non dormire amplius Dic ereunti potes non reverti Dic revertenti potes non exire amplius VVhen thou liest down at night in thy Bed to sleep and to take thy rest say thou unto thy self It may be thou shalt never live to awake again to behold the light of the ensuing day When thou awakest in the morning and dost arise out of thy bed say then unto thy self It may be thou shalt never live to lye down in thy bed to take thy rest and sleep again When thou goest forth of thy house about thy necessary affaires say then unto thy self It may be thou shalt never live to return unto thy house again When thou doest return in safety to thy house say then unto thy self It may be thou shalt never live to go forth of thy house again These meditations ought to stirr us up unto a daily and continuall preparation for death that so death may never take us unawares and unprepared Mors sanctis refrigerium improbis autem supplicium Death to the godly is but as it were a refreshing but to the wicked death is a punishment Cujus vita est Christus mors ei lucrum maximum Sed Cujus vita est mundus mors ei damnum maximum ut Pater He who liveth like a Christian and maketh Christ his life here death unto him is the greatest gain that can be But he who liveth here like a worldling and maketh the world his life and chiefest delight here death unto him is the greatest detriment and dammage that can be Boni moriuntur bene etiamfi mors ipsa mala ut Pater Good and godly men do die well and make a happy end although death it self in it self be evil Num. 23.10 This made the prophet Balaam to cry out and say Let me dye the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his Upon which place one well observeth thus much as namely That he which desireth to die the death of the righteous must labour and strive here in this life to lead and live the life of the righteous and then his death will be happy like unto his Vita est vivere vitam Deo sed vivere vitam mundo mors est ut Pater To live here a godly and a Christian life and to devote our selves here wholly to the service of God this is the onely way for us after this our life here ended to attain unto the everlasting life of glory in the kingdome of heaven But He which
so I would have told you it I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also Sapientis est igitur totam in mortem Seneca prominere hoc velle hoc meditari hac semper cupidine ferri ut Seneca It is therefore the part of a wise man wholly to bend and prepare himself for and towards Death to be willing to dye to be alwaies meditating on death and to desire the same And not to be like unto those of whom Seneca complaineth in this manner Nemo sine quaerula moritur Seneca Quis non recusans Quis non gemens exit ut Seneca No man dyeth without complainings Who goeth willingly out of this World without expressing of some sorrow and lamentation for the same But for our greater comfort in Death St. Cyprian observeth thus much Ad refrigerium justi vocantur S. Cyprian ad supplicium rapiuntur injusti datur mors tutela fidentibus perfidis autem paena The just and godly by death are called unto rest and to a refreshing But the wicked and ungodly are suddenly snatched away by Death unto punishment And again Death to the godly is as a safe Custody and Protection But unto the Wicked Death is as a sharpe and severe punishment This difference is therefore observed between the hope of the Wicked The difference between the hope of the Wicked and the Godly and the Worldly-minded man and of the Godly and truly Religious man The Worldly-minded man Dum spirat sperat Whiles that he hath any breath left in him his hope still is to recover But the Godly and Religious man Dum expirat sperat When Life decaies and when his last breath is ready to go out of his body even then at that very instant hath he hope to enjoy a far better life The wicked is driven away in his wickedness Prov. 14.32 but the righteous hath hope in his death Nulla res magis proderit Seneca quam cogitatio mortalitatis ut Seneca Nothing can more profit and avail a man here in this life than a serious thought and meditation of his mortality Nullius rei meditatio tam necessaria est ut Seneca Seneca Meditari mortem qui hoc dicit meditari libertatem jubat ut Seneca The Meditation of nothing is so necessary as this meditation of Death is For to meditate on death he which adviseth us so to do commandeth us to meditate on that which introduceth our greatest liberty and happiness Mortem nemo hilaris excipit Seneca nisi quise ad istam diu composuerat ut Seneca No man doth entertain and welcome death chearfully unless he have well disposed fitted and prepared himself long before for that day Compone te igitur ad diem illum Seneca ut Seneca Therefore fit and prepare thy self for that day Dies ultimus salubriter ignoratur S. Gregory and S. Bernard ut semper proximus esse credatur ut St. Gregory St. Bernard Our last day or the day of our death is kept from our knowledge and that very profitably for our good that so we should believe and think every day to be our last day that so we may be alwaies ready fitted and prepared for the same accordingly Qualis vita finis ita As a mans life is so shall his death be Qualis quisque hinc exierit S. Augustine in suonovissimo die talis invenietur in novissimo seculi die ut St. Augustin Look in what state and condition a man is in when he departeth out of this World in his last day even in the day or time of his death In the self same state and condition shall he be found to be in in the last day of the World even in the day of Judgement If the clouds be full of rain they empty themselves upon the earth Eccles 11.3 and if the Tree fall towards the South or towards the North in the place where the Tree falleth there it shall be Longe est quidem dies judiecii sed unius cujusque hominis S. Augustine dies ultimus longe esse non potest quia brevis est vita vitae brevitas incerta ut St. Augustine The day of Iudgement may be long before it come but the last day or the day of death of every particular person cannot be long before it happen because that this our life is short and this shortness of our life uncertain Seneca Effice igitur mortem tibi cogitatione familiarem ut possis illi laetns alacer obviam exire ut Seneca Therefore strive and endeavour thou by the often thought and meditation of death to make the same familiar unto thee that so when death knocks at the door of thy heart thou mayest be then ready joyfully and chearfully to embrace the same Magna autem pars est Seneca et diu discenda cum adventat hora illa inevitabilis aequo animo exire ut Seneca But it is a very great and difficult thing and a long time in learning for a man to go out of this World with a quiet and with a contented mind when that inevitable day and hour of our death shall come Vivere tota vita discendum est Seneca de brevitatc vitae cap. 7. et quod magis fortasse miraberis tota vita discendum est mori ut Seneca de brevitate vitae cap. 7. During our whole life we must learn to live and which is more and it may be to be wondred at our whole life here must be a learning to die Mors omnium dolorum et solutio est et finis ut Seneca Death is the ful end and period of all our griefs and sorrows which are here endured Seneca Per vitam ad mortem transitus est S. Ambrose de bona morte per mortem ad vitam reditus est ut St. Ambrose de bona morte Our life is a passage unto death and by death we return to life Tota vita nihil aliud est quam ad mortem iter ut Seneca Our whole life here is nothing else but a Iourney unto death Death is the salve that ceaseth all annoy For our comfort in death Death is the Port by which we pass to joy For our further comfort in death Christus morte mortem destruxit vitamque reduxit ut Cyril Christ by his death destroyed death and the power thereof and thereby brought life unto us Mors est quae mundum redemit Leo St. Ambrose de bona morte ut Leo St. Ambrose de bona morte It was the death of Christ which redeemed the world Morte illa mors mortua est S. Bernard ut St. Bernard By the death of Christ was death killed Nothing doth more resemble death than sleep Nothing so like the Grave
as the bed Nothing more resembles our resurrection than our awaking and rising again in the morning This ought to put us daily in mind of our death and resurrection Et Lathi consanguineus sopor Virgil. ut Virgil. Sleep is a Cousin of death Speculum mortis somnnm Tertullian ut Tertullian Sleep is a very spectacle of death Quoties dormis vigilas toties morieris resurgis As often as thou sleepest and awakest again so often by way of resemblance dost thou dye and rise again as a Father observeth Dies iste Seneca quem tanquam extremum reformidas aeterni natalis est ut Seneca That day which thou so much fearest as being thy last day the same day for thy joy and comfort is thy everlasting birth-day Cur igitur doles Tertullian de patientia si periisse non credis ut Tertullian De patientia Why dost thou therefore grieve and lament to think of this thy last day if thou dost believe thou shalt not perish thereby We have rather cause of rejoycing when we think of this our last day of the day of our death the same being the day of our happy change All the daies of my appointed time Iob 14.14 will I wait till my change come Ultimus optimus medicus morberum etiam immedicabilium est mors Aeschilus ut Aeschilus Death is the last and the best Physitian and that of incurable diseases Mors aeterna quies ut Pater Aerumnarum requies mors Death brings us to our everlasting rest and puts an end unto all our miseries The antient Counsels termed the blessed Sacrament Or Viaticum morientis Viaticum Aeternitatis A blessed bate that the devout Soul useth to take in this life when he is even ready to travell for the other life It is very memorably observed by Nazianzen of St. Basil Nazianzen of S. Basil that in his life time he desired that when death came he might be so happy as in the ending of his daies to die with some divine sentence of piety in his mouth at the instant before his death Death is as a Father observeth a passage from Earth to Heaven from a World of endless miseries here to a happy Heaven of everlasting happiness in Heaven And he said unto Iesus Luke 23.42 43. Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdom And Iesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Death as one observeth is a temporary separation of the Soul from the body A location or placing of the body in the Earth from whence it was taken and there to remain till the last day the day of Iudgement being the day of the happy re-uniting of the Soul and Body together again And a translation of the Soul and Spirit of man unto God that gave it who at the first breathed into him the breath of life And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground Gen. 2 7. and breathed into his Nostrils the breath of life and man became a living Soul All in whose Nostrils was the breath of life Gen. 7.22 In the sweat of thy face Gen. 3.19 shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the Ground for out of it was thou taken for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou teturn Cease ye from man Isaiah 2.22 whose breath is in his Nostrils All flesh shall perish together Iob 34.15 and Man shall turn again unto the dust His breath goeth forth Psal 146.4 he returneth to his earth All are of the dust Eccles 3.20 and all turn to dust again Thou takest away their breath Ps 104 29. they dye and return to their dust The Lord created man Ecclus. 7.8 of the earth and turned him into it again Then shall the Dust return to the earth as it was Eccles 12.7 and the Spirit shall return unto GOd who gave it I also am formed out of the clay Iob 33.6 But now O Lord Isaiah 64.8 thou art our Father and we are the clay These and such like meditations cannot choose but make the thought of death to be very happy and comfortable unto us A good name is better than pretious ointment Eccles 12.1 and the day of death than the day of ones birth A promise of Gods mercy A Promise of Gods mercy to comfort us against the day of our death For thou hast delivered my Soul from death Psalm 56.13 I will ransome them from the power of the grave Hosea 13.14 I will redeem them from death O death I will be thy plague O grave I will be thy destruction Verily Iohn 5.24 verily I say unto you He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life He will swallow me up in victory Isaiah 25.8 9. and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth for the Lord hath spoken it And it shall be said in that day Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation For thou hast delivered my Soul from death Psal 116.8 mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling For the Lambe which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them Rev. 7 17. and shall lead them unto living Fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes Rev. 21.4 and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away But we had the sentence of death in our selves 2 Cor. 1.9 10. that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raised the dead who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will deliver us 2 Tim. 2.19 The Lord knoweth them that are his Who hath saved us 2 Tim. 1.9 10. and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Iesus before the world began But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Iesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel Forasmuch then as the Chlidren are partakers of flesh and blood Heb. 2.14 15. he also himself took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of Death that is the Devil And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage We know that we have passed from death unto life