and is freed from all miseries of this life and enjoyes the honour of all good workes Rev. 14.13 the bodie resting in the grave from all paine and labour as in a bed of rest till the resurrection Esa. 57.2 And into this degree of life eternall wee enter in by the gate of death The thirddegree of life eternall beginnes at the resurrection of our bodies at the last day and is enjoyed by body and soule for ever comprehending all possible consummation of felicity and glory in the heavens And into this wee enter by the gate of resurrection which is a kind of new begetting of us and therefore is called the resurrection of life Ioh. 11.25 and so the blessed in heaven are called the children of the resurrection and by that way the children of God Luk. 20.36 In the first degree life is imperfect in the second it is perfect in the third it is consummate And the use of this first point should be to warne men to looke to it that they enter into the first degree of eternall life while they are in this world or else they shall never get to heaven when they dye and therefore should strive for saving knowledge and to become new creatures or else it is in vaine to hope for heaven 2 For the second which is the originall of life it is greatly for the praise of it that it flowes from that life which is in God himselfe which is an unspeakable glory to the creatures that enjoy it With thee is the fountaine of life saith David Psal. 36.9 So he calls him the God of his life Psal. 42.8 Naturall life is but a sparkle that flowes from the life of our parents but spirituall and eternall life is kindled from that infinite light and life in God But yet not as Christ received we this life for he had it by naturall generation wee have it by a way unspeakeable from God but yet by Iesus Christ In him was life as the life was the light of men Iohn 14. He that hath the Son hath life Iohn 5.12 and he it is that is eternall life viz. to us vers 20. As there is no light in the visible world but from the Sunne in the sirmament so there is no life in the spirituall world but from God in Heaven which hath caused it to shine in our hearts by the Son of righteousnesse Christ Iesus Thus our life is called the life of God Ephes. 4.18 and Christ is said to live in us Gal. 2 20. Which should teach us greatly to admire and adore the excellency of Gods goodnesse and make us to rest our selves for ever under the shadow of his wings Psal. 36.7 8 9. But that this point may be more clearly understood we must consider of the originall of this life from God three waies First in respect of Ordination and so it flowes from Gods decree Hee hath ordained us unto life Acts 13.48 and our names are written in the booke of life Phil. 4.3 Secondly in respect of Merit it was bought of God by the death of the flesh of Christ. I give my flesh for the life of the world Iohn 6.51 This life will not be had without his death that we might live in eternall life hee must dye a temporall death And shall not this greatly inflame our hearts to love the Lord Iesus that gave himselfe for us that we should not perish but have everlasting life Thirdly in respect of operation or inchoation and so the fountaine of life is either without us or within us without us is the Word of Christ that is the immortall seede by which we are begotten unto life 1. Pet. 1.24 and so is called the Word of life Phil. 2.15 And the word is so as it is the word of Christ that is Gospel My words saith he are spirit and life Iohn 6.63 And that word considered as it is preached to the dead soules of men the dead shall Hear the voice of Christ and live Shall heare it note that Iohn 5.25 which should make us greatly to esteeme the preaching of the Gospel Within us the fountaine of life is the Spirit of Christ which is called the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.2 Now the Spirit of Christ that wee may live doth two things viz. it quickens the seed of the Word and unites us unto Christ as members of the mysticall body and then looke how the soule of man doth give life to every member of the body so doth the Spirit of Christ to every soule as a severall member of the mysticall body 3 For the third We shall not exactly know what the nature of eternall life is till it be perfected us or consummate yet by diverse words God hath let fall in Scripture we may ghesse at the nature of this life and in generall I thinke it is a kinde of celestiall light falling into the soule that doth to it that which naturall life doth to the bodie This S. Iohn shewing how Christ was the life of men saith hee was the light of men Iohn 1.4 And David having said With thee is the fountaine of life adds And in thy light wee shall see light Psal. 36.8 And so the promise to the penitent sinner was that his life should see the light Iob 33.28 So Christ saith he that followeth him shall have the light of life Mark it the Light of life Iohn 8.12 So that the life of our minds is knowledge in generall and in particular it is the saving knowledge of God and Iesus Christ as our Saviour saith expressely Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to know God and whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ. And the reason why this knowledge doth most inlive quicken our hearts is because God in Christ is the most glorious subject of contemplation as being that highest good a very Ocean of goodnesse onely able to fill and ravish the heart of man and besides because God as our chiefe good can alone make the ravishment of the heart perpetuall and so last for ever which nothing else can doe But because everie knowledge of God hath not this effect to breed everlasting life in the heart of a man therfore I wil distinctly set downe what kind of knowledge it is that hath this effect and what is required that it may be right 1 It must be such a knowledge as discernes God to be the only true God and this rule excludes the Pagans from eternall life who though by the light of nature they might discerne the invisible things of God by the workes of the creation yet they so shut up those principles of naturall truth in unrighteousnesse that they set up creatures as God and gave the glorie of the true God to them Rom. 1. 2 It must be such a knowledge as ascribes into the Nature of God such an excellencie as can be exprest by no likenesse of any creature in heaven above or earth beneath or the waters under
so farre as it may fall into the observation of carnall men and so it comprehends of the former senses chiefly Inoffensivenesse separation from impure men freedome from grosse impurities and dissimulation a Christian and wise strictnesse of life and devoutnesse and well ordered zeale in matters of religion Now for the use of it If these be applied to these times it shewes first how wicked and prophane those sorts of people are who reproach godly men for the care and practise of these things as if to be a Puritane even in these senses were to bee some vile man not worthy to live amongst men Secondly it shewes that worlds of people that beare the name of Christians are not true Christians because their conversations are not pure for their swearing or drunkennesse or whoredomes or sinnes of deceit or dissimulation or fashioning themselves to this world or the liberty they take to live as they list testifies against them to their faces that their workes are not pure and therefore unlesse they repent they will all perish Rev. 3.1.2 and the rather because they cause by their evill lives not onely the hearts of the good to be grieved but the mouthes of the enemies of religion to bee opened to blaspheme Thirdly godly men that finde these cares in them should comfort themselves much in the testimonies of their owne consciences and the gracious acceptation of God who will shew himselfe pure with them that are pure 2. Cor. 1.12 Psal. 18. Thus of Purity in generall Now of Chastity as a part of a pure conversation and it may well bee that which is chiefely here intended Chastitie is either of the minde or of the body and it is a most certaine truth that God requires a chast minde aswell as a chast body and doth forbid unchast thoughts and desires aswell as unchast words or deeds For unchast thoughts and desires are first foolish and noiâ—ome 1. Tim. 6.9 secondly they hinder the power of religion and true knowledge and grace 2. Tim. 3.4 thirdly they fight against the soule 1. Pet. 2.11 A man were as good have his body wounded with weapons as his soule wounded with lusts fourthly they cause many times many and monstrous sinnes in the life which arise at first from the nourishing of fowle desires and thoughts in the heart The wickednesse that was in the lives of the Gentiles did many of them spring from the lusts which they harboured in their hearts Rom. 1. lastly if men repent not of them in time they will drowne men in perdition 1. Tim. 1.9 But it is the chastitie of the body which is especially here intended our Saviour Christ divides those chast persons into three sorts some are termed Eunuches from their mothers womb and so are disabled for bodily fornication some are made so by other men who by violence for their owne service made some men Eunuches Now the third sort are they that made themselves Eunuches for the kingdome of Heavens sake Of this third sort are all chast persons who by a godly care watchfulness keep themselves from the sinnes of filthinesse aswell as naturall Eunuches doe Mat. 19.12 Now these persons that are made chast for the kingdome of Heavens sake are either single persons or married persons of chastity in single persons other Scriptures intreat as 1. Cor. 7. of chastity in married persons this place intreats Now this vertue of chastity is of purpose imposed upon godly Christians by the Apostle because the sinnes of fornication were so rise and common among the Gentiles who oftentimes defended their filthinesse to be either no sinne or a very small sinne But before I come to speake of chastity in particular some doctrines would be in generall observed as first Doct. 1. A godly Christian must shew the proofe of his religion especially in keeping himselfe free from the sinnes that are most common and rise in the world and even the more sinne abounds in the world the more strict they should bee in resisting sinne as here even the more filthie the lives of others were the more chast should the conversation of godly Christians bee Because their love to God should constraine them the more to be zealous for his glory by how much the more God is dishonoured by other men and because they are flatly forbidden to follow a multitude to sinne and because God hath chosen them out of all other sorts of men to beare his Name and to hold forth the light of the Word in the middest of a crooked and perverse generation and because thereby the conscience of wicked men may bee the more effectually convinced and prepared to repentance Thus Lot is righteous in Sodome and Ioshua and his house will serve the Lord though all the Nation serve Idolls This point as it should inflame the zeale of the godly to contend for the truth more earnestly and to resist all the vices of the time so it shewes that they can hardly have any truth of grace in them that are so easily borne downe with the stream of evill example and are so apt to follow the fashion of the world Doct. 2. Chastity may be in married persons aswell as in single persons as here wives are said to bee chast in conversation though they withhold not due benevolence from their husbands God himself hath freed the comming together of man wife from the aspersion of impurity in that hee hath said that marriage is honourable and the bed undefiled And this shewes the wonderfull indulgence of God that for the respect he bears to his own institution of marriage and for the necessitie of marriage for the propagation of mankind and prevention of fornication is pleased to beare with and cover and not impute the many frailties follies vanites and wickednesses are found betweene man and wife And withall wee may hence see reason to condemne their doctrine as a doctrine of devills that forbid marriage as an impure thing and such as hinders holiness and the blemish will never bee wiped away from some of the Ancients who to establish their owne Idol of I know not what virginity have written most wickedly and most basely against marriage Quest. But what then doth God allow any kinde of comming together so it be between man and wife Answ. No he forbids comming together in the time of the womans separation for her courses Ezech. 18.6 Nor doth hee allow of brutish sensuality though it passe betweene man and wife for though God beare with many things yet the chastitie hee imposeth doth not onely restraine forraine beds but moderateth even the excesses of concupiscence in married persons so as in those things their conversation ought to be a conversation with feare Doct. 3. The practise of the duties of the second Table adorne religion aswell as the dueties of piety in the first Table Doct. 4. Some observe That a chast conversation is especially charged upon the woman which must be warily understood for God
such as are the fashions of Whores or debauched creatures and such a beginning it is said commonly Yellow had What fellowship betweene light and darkenesse righteousnesse and unrighteousnesse Christ and Beliall If wee would have God to love us we must separate and come out from amongst them and touch no uncleane thing 13 When such apparell is worne as is contrary to the wholesome lawes of men for wee are bound to submit our selves to every ordinance of man for Gods sake 1. Pet. 2.13 14 Lastly when the partie that useth such apparell or dressing is condemned in himselfe and hath his owne conscience accusing or disliking it or is not fully assured that he doth not sinne Whatsoever is not of Faith in those things is sinne Rom. 14. Vers. 4. But let it be the hidden man of the heart c. HItherto of that adorning they should not be curious or costly in Now in this verse he shewes in the affirmative what apparell or dressing they should be carefull of and that is the adorning of their soules and the apparelling of the inward man In the words three things may be noted 1 What must be apparelled viz. the hidden man of the heart 2 With what it must be adorned Which hee shewes both in generall and in particular in generall it must be with incorruptible things in particular it must be with a meeke and quiet spirit 3 The reason viz. because such apparell is very rich in Gods account The first thing then is what must be apparelled viz. the man of the heart The man of the heart This is a kinde of speaking not used in any place of Scripture but this onely this Apostle only useth this kinde of expressing himselfe Now concerning the man of the Heart I would consider of sixe things 1 What he is 2 Whence he is or his originall 3 In what he excells the outward man 4 What condition he is in by nature 5 How he may be mended or made better 6 How we may know when the man of the heart is right For the first by the man of the Heart he meanes the same the Apostle Paul doth by the inward man 2. Cor. 4.16 and the inward man is the soule or heart of man Thus he speakes of a Iew that is outward and a Iew that is inward Rom. 2.28.29 Now the Heart is and may well be called the man for diverse reasons 1 In respect of definition For the definition of a man agrees to the heart of man though there were no bodie for God was the God of Abraham and Abraham was and was a living man many hundred yeares after his bodie was in the grave Matth. 22. And hence it is that unto the soule or heart of man in Scriptures is attributed all things that the outward man can doe as life Psal. 22.27 language Eccles. 9.1 Psal. 14. 1. 36.1 praying to God Psal. 37.4 receiving messages from God as when the Prophet is bidden to speake to the heart of Ierusalem Isa. 40. serving of God c. 2 In respect of dominion The Heart is the man because it disposeth the way of man Prov. 16.9 and ruleth the outward man for out of the aboundance of the Heart the mouth speaketh And therefore Salomon saith that from the Heart comes life Pro. 4.23 3 In respect of acceptation The Heart is that which God especially respects in man it is the Heart hee lookes upon 1. Sam. 17.7 He tryes the heart and as Salomon saith bee weighes the hearts of the children of men Prover 21.2 and hee wil be served with our hearts Ioshua 24.14 and in all holy dueties it is with us in Gods account according as he seeth the heart 1 Kings 8.39 so he requires the Heart in repenting 1. Sam. 7.3 in praying 2. Tim. 2.22 Hos 7.14 in hearing the Word Luke 8. and so in every good duty Thus of the first point For the second The man of the heart hath his originall from God himselfe He is the Father of Spirits Heb. 12. 8. and it was his especiall glory to forme and fashion the heart in man as divers Scriptures shew Zach. 12.1 Psal. 33.15 and is therefore called the God of the heart Psal. 37. For the third The man of the heart excells the outward man exceedingly and that both in substance and in priviledges As for substance in the outward man wee agree with beasts but in the inward man wee agree with Angels inasmuch as the man of the heart consists of a spirituall and immateriall essence aswell as the Angels And as in substance so in properties there is great difference for first the man of the heart is hidden it can bee and doe all his worke and yet be invisible God himselfe hath variety of conversation with the man of the heart that no creature else knowes Secondly hee is free and subject onely to the God of his heart properly No man can come at or governe or command the heart of man Thirdly he is properly the seate of Gods image We are not properly like God in our bodies because God hath no body but in our spirits though it be true that the glory of Gods image shines through the body of man as the light doth through the lanthorne in respect whereof the outward man is said to be made after Gods image but else properly only the man of the Heart is capable of that preferment to be made like God For the fourth point The man of the Heart by nature is in a most wofull condition though in those generall things before mentioned hee excels the outward His miserie will appeare if we throughly consider either what he is in his qualities or what he doth in his worke or what he suffers in that estate If you inquire after his qualities by nature first he is vaine Ephes. 4.18 yea so vaine as the outward man dares not act what the man of the heart entertaines Secondly hee is foule as Salomon saith Who can say I have made my heart cleane yea he is so foule that it is as hard a worke to make the heart of one man clean as to create a world anew Hence David said O Lord create in me a cleane heart Psal. 51. Thirdly he is uncircumcised and altogether indisposed to matters of Religion he is slow and hard to beleeve uncapable and unteachable and makes not use of the very first businesse in the entrance into Religion Ier. 9.26 1. Cor. 2.14 Fourthly he is deceitfull above all things he can be trusted in nothing Ier. 17.9 Fiftly he is verie unquiet and never enjoyes any sound peace nor is pleased with any condition and oftentimes hee is like the raging Sea Isa. 57. These are his qualities some of them His workes he doth are most abominable for 1 He is alwayes imagining mischiefe the whole frame of his thoughts is only evill continually Gen. 6. There is a world of wickednesse in him every day 2 That he may be wicked the
Which will appeare if we consider the quality of it or the meanes of preserving it or the short continuance of it or the subject of it or the things with which it is opprest or the whole nature of it 1 For the qualitie of it What is life It is but a winde or breath God breathed into man the breath of life as if his life were but his breath Gen. 2.7 and so it is said Every thing that had the breath of life Gen. 6.17 7.15.22 My life is a winde saith Ioh Ioh 7.7 What is your life saith S. Iames it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away Iam. 4.14 2 If we consider the short continuance of it It will vanish away of it selfe after a while as wee see in that place It is compared to a Weavers Shuttle or at the best every houre of our life or every action addes secretly a threed till the web be woven and then wee are cut off So Hezekiah compares himselfe to a Weaver in that respect Esay 38.12 Our life is scarce a span long for to live is but to dye to begin to live is to begin to dye for death takes away time past and every moment we yeeld something to death 3 If wee consider the poore meanes of preserving life It is such a weake thing that if we doe not daily give it food it will faile us and if it be not kept with rayment it will be extinguished And for the meanes we use how silly are they Our life is called the life of our hands Esay 57.10 because it will not last unlesse wee make hard shift with our hands to preserve it 4 If wee consider the subject of it It is but our bodies for our soules in our naturall condition according to the sense of Scripture are dead in trespasses and sinnes They have as it were a beeing but not a life Our soules inrespect of the substance of them are excellent things because invisible and spirituall existences but yet are destitute of that life is proper to them They are things indeed will last long but are void of that life which is spirituall 5 If wee consider the miseries with which this life is infested both by sinne and the punishments of it As for sinne it is leprous from the wombe and charged with Adams fault and erres so often as cannot be numbred the faults of it are more than the haires of our heads As for punishment how hath God aveâ—ged himselfe upon thy wretched life to thrust thee out of Paradise and would not let thee enjoy life in any place that was not accursed The Divells also compasse about thy life to destroy it 2. Cor. 10.5 What deformities and infirmities are found in all the Vessels of life even in all the parts of thy body in which it dwells And without thee in the objects of life how is it frighted with cares plagues or vexed with particular crosses How doth God passe by thee in many blessings he gives before thy face to others and will not to thee And what thou hast to comfort thy life is it not cursed to thee so as thou feelest vanity and vexation in the use of it But above how is thy life frighted with the danger of eternall death 6 Lastly if we consider the whole nature of life The Apostle here thinks it is not worth the naming by the name of life when he saith onely of the godly that they are heires of life as if there were no living men but they and as if they had bin dead all the time they were till they were adopted But it is not Naturall life is here meant but Spirituall life called in Scripture New life and the Life of God and eternall Life The words of the Apostle Paul Tit. 3.7 when hee saith We are heires according to the hope of eternall life serve to expound these words of the Apostle Peter Now concerning this life it is above the reach of all mortall creatures to describe it as it is especially in the perfection of it in heaven for Saint Paul saith of what he saw in heaven that he saw things that could not be uttered 2. Cor. 12. and Saint Iohn saith It doth not appeare what wee shall be 1. Ioh. 3.2 And in the 1. Cor. 2.9 it is said that eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive of what God hath prepared for them that love him Yea Christ himselfe doth seeme to grant that as Man he did not fully see the glory of this eternall life in his mortall condition where speaking of his estate after death he said Thou wilt shew me the paths of life Act. 2. And for so much as is revealed concerning this spirituall and eternall life two things must be remembred the one That the doctrine of this life lyeth hid from ages and generations in extreame darkenesse and when the Gospell treats of it it brings it as it were out of a darke dungeon into the light 2. Tim. 1.10 The other is That when it is brought to light none can reach to it but such as God endewes with speciall wisdome for Salomon long since had observed that Life is above to the wise onely Prov. 15.24 The things I would consider of about this life are these 1 The Degrees of it 2 The Originall of it 3 A ghesse at the Nature of it 4 The things that nourish it 5 The differences betweene this life on earth and as it is in heaven 6 The Meanes to attaine it or what we must doe if wee would enter into life 7 The Signes to know whether it be in us 8 The Properties of it Lastly the Vses of it 1 For the first wee must understand that this life hath three degrees into which wee enter in at three gates as it were The first degree of eternall life begins at the first spirituall acquaintance with God in this life when his favour is made knowne to us in Iesus Christ by the Gospell so as wee are truely justified and sanctified being reconciled unto God having all our sinnes forgiven us and our natures made new and into this degree wee enter by the gate of Regeneration Thus our Saviour saith This is eternall life to know God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ Ioh. 17.3 Thus he that heareth Christs words and beleeveth is passed from death to life Ioh. 5.24 The second degree beginnes at our death and continueth the life that the soule separated from the body enjoyes till the resurrection at the last day And concerning the estate of the soule in this degree of life wee have no absolute revelation but yet are taught in Scripture that it returns to God that gave it to the body at first Eccles. 12.7 and that it is with Christ Phil. 1.23 that it is in the hands of God and in Paradise Luk. 23.43 and lives in unspeakable joy Luk. 16. 25.
these places shew Psal. 30.5 63.7 8. 36.3 16. ult with coherence 3 The entertainment God gives his people in his house is one speciall cause of encrease of this life in us as it encreaseth both knowledge and joy and all goodnesse and satisfies the heart of man especially amongst all the things that are without us the Word of God as it is powerfully preached in Gods house is the food of this life called the savour of life unto life 2. Cor. 2.16 Christs words are the words of eternall life Ioh. 6. see Psal. 36.8 Ioh 12.50 Prov. 4.22 4 Fellowship with the godly is singular to quicken and excite the life of grace and joy and knowledge in us therefore it is an amiable thing for brethren to dwell together in unity because there God hath commanded the blessing even life for evermore Psal. 133. ult Prov. 2.20 The mouth of the righteous is a veine of life Pro. 10.11 Yea the very reproofes of instruction are the way of life Pro. 6.23 And therefore weake Christians should be instructed from hence with faith to rest upon the God of their lives who by the spirit of Christ can inable them to eternall life with thankfulnesse to embrace all signes of Gods favour and presence and above all things in life to provide for themselves powerfull meanes in publike and good society in private and not to be turned off from either of these by slight either objections or difficulties and to resolve to labour more for these than carnall persons would doe to have their naturall lives if they were in distresse or danger It is also excellent counsell which Saint Iude gives in this point concerning eternall life hee would have us looke to foure things The first is to edifie our selves in our most holy faith striving to get in more store of Gods promises and divine knowledges and to strive to establish our hearts in our assurance of our right to them The second is to pray in the holy Ghost for hee knew that powerfull prayer doth greatly further eternall life in us The third is to keepe our selves in the love of God avoiding all things might displease him chusing rather to live under the hatred of all the world than to anger God by working iniquity The fourth is to looke as often and as earnestly as we can after that highest degree of mercy and glory wee shall have in the comming of Christ Iud. 1.19 20. I will conclude this point with that one counsell of Salomon Keepe thy heart with all diligence for there out come the issues of life Christians that would prosper in spirituall life should be very carefull of the first beginnings of sin in their thoughts and desires and bee very diligent in nourishing all good motions of the holy Ghost preserving their peace and joy in beleeving with all good consciences Pro. 4.23 Thus of the fourth point 5 Now for the differences of life in these degrees especially the first and last degree they are very great for though eternall life in the first degree bee a treasure of singular value yet the glory of this life doth greatly excell as it is to be held in another world I entend not to compare life in heaven with naturall life here for that is not worthy to be mentioned in the balance with that eternall life of glory but with eternall life it selfe as it is held by the godly onely in this world And so the difference is very great 1 In respect of the place where the godly lives in each degree 2 In respect of the meanes of preservation of life in each degree 3 In respect of the cōpany w th whō we live in each degree 4 In respect of the quality of life itselfe 5 In respect of the effects of life eternall in each degree For the first there is great difference betweene the life of grace and the life of glory in the very place of living Here we live in an earthly Tabernacle in houses of clay there wee shall live in eternall Mansions buildings that God hath made without hands 2. Cor. 5.1 Here we live on earth there in heaven Here wee are strangers and pilgrims farre from home Heb. 11. there wee shall live in our Fathers house Here wee are in Aegypt there we shall live in Canaan Here we live where death sorrow and sinne and Divells dwell there wee shall live in a place where God and immortality and all holinesse dwells 2. Pet. 3.13 Here wee are but banished men there we stall live in the celestiall Paradise Here wee have no abiding City but there we shall abide in the new Ierusalem that is above The glory of the whole earth can but shadow out by similitude the very walls and gates of that Citie Rev. 21. Here wee can but enter into the holy place there we shall enter into the most holy place Heb. 10.19 To conclude there wee shall enter into the heaven of heavens which for lightnesse largenesse purenesse delightfulnesse and all praises almost infinitely excells the heavens wee enjoy in this visible world For the second in this life unto the preservation of life we have neede of many things as first we neede meate drinke rayment sleepe marriage physicke the light of the Sunne by day and the Moone by night Yea the life of Grace though it consist not in these things yet in a remote consideration hath neede of these that wee may bee the better able to serve God in body and soule But in heaven wee shall neede none of these wee shall bee as the Angells of heaven and God himselfe shall there be all in all and shall fill us with his goodnesse 1. Cor. 15.28 Our life shall subsist in God himselfe who shall satisfie us out of the plenty of his owne glory In that City there will be no need of the Sunne to shine by day or of the Moone to give light by night for the glory of the Lord doth lighten it and the Lambe shall bee the light thereof and there shall bee no night there Rev. 21.23 22.5 Esay 2.60.19 Secondly in this world wee neede the helpe of superiours as Kings Rulers Parents Husbands Teachers c. But in that world inferiority and subjection shall cease when wee shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of God Mat. 8.11 and so all the first things shall then be done away Rev. 21.4 Thirdly in this world wee need spirituall meanes for our soules and the helpe of divers gifts in the Spirit which serve for our furtherance in the way to eternal life Our soules cannot live without a Temple on earth without the Word and Prayer and Sacraments but in that new Ierusalem S. Iohn saw no Temple in it there is no preaching nor praying there wee shall not neede any nor have cause to mourne for the want of it as many times we doe now for the Lord God almighty and the Lambe are the Temple
blesse them that curse us Mat. 5 44 Rom. 12.14 1. Cor. 4 12. And this we doe 1 By gracious communication in generall when wee use such words as may not only expresse to the life the power and truth of the gifts of grace in us but also may minister grace to the hearers if it be not their owne fault 2 By acknowledging the just praises of others 3 By praying for them Mat. 5.44 Psal. 109.4 4 By giving soft answers Pro. 15.23 and entreating them to avoid strife Gen. 13.8.9 5 By a discreet reproofe of their sinne for as he that flattereth curseth so he that wisely reprooveth blesseth Pro. 27.14 Psal. 141.5 The use should be to stirre up all true Christians to practise true vertue of blessing and to carry themselves so as all their words and actions may be blessed and a blessing to them that converse with them and may appeare to bee so even to their enemies It is a hard lesson but yet if wee seeke constantly to God for this helpe it may bee attained in some acceptable manner Knowing that ye are thereunto called Manie things may be here observed Doct. 1. That a Christian should be vehemently affected with the consideration of his calling and that for diverse reasons 1 Because of the cause of it which was Gods purpose election and free grace in Iesus Christ We were sinners and we were not called for any workes of ours Rom. 8.28 9.11 2. Tim. 1.9 The winde bloweth where it listeth wee are taken and others refused And this is the more to be thought on because this grace was given us in Iesus Christ before the world began 2. Tim. 1 9. It could not be had but by a Mediator and it was granted from all eternitie 2 If we consider from what we were called from grosse darkenesse 2. Pet. 1.9 from this present evill world Gal. 1. from the lumpe of forlorne mankinde from innumerable sins and curses from the danger of eternall damnation of body and soule for ever 3 If we consider the wonder of the meanes of our calling which is by the Gospell which is the voice of Christ raising us out of the graves of sinne even that voyce that shall make mens dead bodies rise at the last day doth now raise the dead soules of men in this world One resurrection in this life another at the day of judgement Eph. 2.1 2. Thes. 2.14 4 If we consider that it is a high calling the most honourable and most holy of any calling in the world No greater dignitie than to be the called of Iesus Christ greater in it selfe than to be an Apostle Phil. 3.14 5 If we consider to what we are called viz. to be partners and companions with Iesus Christ. 1. Cor. 1.7 and to great and precious promises Acts 2.3 9. and to obtaine the glorie of the Lord Iesus and a kingdome with him for ever Phil. 3.14 1. Tim. 1.6 The called are vessels of Gods mercie and upon them hee will make knowne the riches of his glory Rom. 9.24 6 Because the gifts and calling of God is without repentance Rom. 1 1.29 This a linke in that chaine can never bee broken this takes hold before the world of election and after the world of glorification Rom. 8.30 7 Because the great wise noble and mightie men of the world are not called and God hath looked upon such poore and weake creatures 1. Cor. 1.26 The use should be to teach us with all possible affections to magnifie Gods grace in our calling and to strive to walk worthie of our calling Ephes. 4.1 and to pray hard unto God to fulfill the worke of his grace in our calling that we may live to his glory and abound in all faith and well-doing 2. Thess. 1.11 12. The second use may be for great reproofe of mens wickednesse in neglecting the voyce of Christ in the Gospell and in intertayning so many excuses delayes hardning themselves in their evill wayes and suffering the Divell to keepe them without this high preferment Matth. 22. Doct. 2. From the coherence it is plaine That all Gods servants are called to holinesse of life aswell as to happinesse Their calling is a holy calling they are called to be Saints Rom. 1.7 so also 2. Thes. 2.14 13. 1. Pet. 1.15.1 Thes. 4.7 The use is to discover false Christians from true by their fruits you shall know them Such as make not conscience of their waies to serve God all the daies of their lives in holinesse and feare are not right Christians And therefore as men desire to have comfort in their calling they must take heed that they abuse not their liberty to licentiousnesse Gal. 5.13 Doct. 3 The calling of a Christian is a hard calling to flesh and bloud he is called to hard worke As in the coherence here to be so humble and unmoveable and holy disposed as when he is grossely abused and wronged in words deeds yet not onely to be patient but to blesse So it is in other parts of their worke as when a man must deny himselfe and take up his crosse daily and follow Christ For a man to forsake every thing his heart naturally desireth and to bee daily crossed is a hard taske The use should bee to raise up the hearts of Christians to a care to live above the course of this world and to presse forward towards the marke not caring for the difficulty of the race but looking to the price of his calling Phil. 3.14 Doct. 4. A true Christian may know his calling Know it I say that is hee may be infallibly assured of it And this is true in two respects first he may know that he is truely called and converted elected of God secondly he may know his calling in respect of the warrant of all his particular actions as here he may know what is required of him in his carriage towards his enemies Now that everie true Christian may be sure of his calling election and may know his conversion is most apparant by these Scriptures 2. Cor 13.5 1. Cor. 3.16 2. Tim. 1.12 Heb. 8.11 1. Iohn 2.3 3.14 4.16 5.13.19 And that everie Christian is bound to seeke this assurance and knowledge is apparant by many reasons As first from Gods commandement He requires it of us that wee should with all diligence seek to make our calling and election sure 2. Pet. 1.10 Secondly many reasons may be gathered from the effects and benefites such knowledge and assurance will bring to us Assurance is profitable for many things In generall it is our best riches on earth Col. 2.2 and in particular 1 It estates us in all the promises of God when wee know wee are truly called then wee know our right to all the promises of Gods word 2 It purifyeth the heart and life of man Act. 15.9 for when wee know we are the children of God wee are thereby stirred up to the greater care to please
is thou thy selfe hast innumerable sinnes and there is no man alive that sinneth not in the whole world now if every man have innumerable contagious diseases what a loathsome pest-house is this world to live in The thoughts of a man can reach to the depth and length of this argument but inconsideration buries all wholsome counsell motives But besides this respect of sinne a Christian findes from his owne sinnes if there were none else in the world great cause to be weary of life first because sinne argues the imperfection of his nature both in soule and body and so long as he is in this sinfull life he can never have a perfect nature now a a man that loves himselfe for this reason would never love life Rom. 7.23 Secondly because sinne is an offence to God now a child of God should therefore loath life because by sinning he doth injury to God his mercifull father and in the most holy Christians this argument hath extraordinary force The sixth reason may be taken from the crosses of life Hath not every day his griefe Is there any estate or degree of men free from them Are not those whom God loves corrected yea and perhaps more than other men Seriously thinke of what thou dost suffer in thy particular What diseases or infirmities are in thy body What unquietnesse and vexation doest thou suffer in the house where thou livest What crosses doe follow or feare thee in thy calling Yea doth not thy religion breed thee trouble If the reproaches and oppositions be considered of which godly men somtimes suffer we might say with the Apostle Of all men they are most miserable 1. Cor. 15.19 Paul saith he was a man crucified while he lived Gal. 2.20 and did alwaies in his body carry about the dying of the Lord Iesus 2. Cor. 4.10 Besides consider of the danger of what may come upon thee in life What if war come or the pestilence or sudden poverty that cannot be cured or fearefull diseases that will fill thee with horrible paine Nay what if thou shouldest fall into some shamefull fault Oh what were the misery would follow upon it The seaventh reason may bee taken from the extreame vanity of those things that seeme to be felicities in life all the things in life that with any colour of reason can be made objects of thy love are either the people of the world or the commodtties of the world Now for the first of these thou hast no reason to be in love with life for the people of the world with whom thou livest for 1 Amongst all the thousands of men and women thou seest in the world it may bee there is scarce one that loveth thee entirely scarce one from whom thou maiest enjoy delight or comfort They are poore things thou canst have from the rest whether they be neighbours or strangers More then thou givest thou shalt not receive unlesse it be in poore complements of salutations and ceremonies of life 2 If thou didst excell in the priviledge of being loved by friends kindred wife or children yet reckon how smal a portion of thy life is refreshed from them there is sometimes more delight in one poore dreame than will be had this way in a long time 3 Thinke of it what changes and losses thou doest or maiest suffer if there were any thing worthy thy love in friendship or acquaintance thy friends may be daily lost either by the change of their mindes from thee or by distance in habitation or by death and the pleasure is had by thy acquaintance is made not worth the having either by interruption or by discord and taking of offence or want of power or will to helpe when thou hast most need 4 Who would not hate life for this very reason which I now give Let a man consider by experience in all others how little the world cares for him If thou wert to dye what would the world care or almost any in the world let it bee thy wife children neighbours hearers dearest friends yea thy religious friends what would any of these care for thy death Looke not at their words but note it in their deeds How few will be sorry for thee or for how short a time and how soone wilt thou bee cleane forgotten or how poore a thing is the greatest memory any man hath when he is dead Doest thou live to heare this and yet wilt be so mad as to love life for the love thou bearest to any other 5 The evill thou sufferest from the world is greater than the good thou canst get by it thinke of the reproaches injuries oppositions contempts persecutions infections thou maiest finde from unreasonable men How many thousand would triumph over thy poore fame if thy feete doe but slippe Lastly the company thou shalt have of Angells and spirits of just men in another world should make thee loath all these things in this life whether thou respect number or power or dearnesse in friends even in such as must be companions of thy life and therefore for the company that is in the world thou hast no reason to love life The commodities of the world are lands houses money honour credit beauty pleasure and the like now men have no cause to be so in love with these if they consider 1 How small a portion they have of these If a man had won the whole world and the glorie of it yet it were not worth the having if he must lose his owne soule Nay if it were all had upon the best conditions yet it would not make a man truely happy and therefore much lesse these silly parcells of the world wee can attaine to Eccles. 1.3 2 These are all common things and that in two respects first there is nothing new now to be had which hath not been had heeretofore ordinarily What is now hath beene before and will be afterwards Thou canst enjoy no felicity of life that can be proper to thy selfe Eccles. 1.9 10. 3.15 And then further all these things a fool may enjoy as well as a wise man and a wicked man as well as a godly man A man shall never know love or hatred by these things for they fall alike to all sorts of men Eccles. 2.14 3 All things are full of labour who can utter it If men doe reckon the paines and care and unquietnesse and wearinesse they are put to about the getting or keeping or using of these things they would finde little cause to love them especially considering that unto the use of the most of these is required a daily labour with toile that men that possesse these things cannot possesse themselves they are so overburthened with the cares and labours of life Eccles. 1.8 4 If a man had never so much of these things yet they cannot satisfie him his soule will not bee filled with good The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare with hearing Hee that loveth silver shall
not be satisfied with silver Man walketh in a vaine shadow and disquieteth himselfe in vain Eccles 1.9 5.10 Psal. 39. A shadow is something in apparance but nothing in substance if a man would seeke to claspe it or receive it to himselfe 5 All these things are transitory and uncertaine and mutable which may be considered of three waies First if thou love these things thou art not sure thou canst keepe them they may be lost suddenly and fearefully for either they may wear out of themselves or they may be taken from thee they are liable to vanitie in themselves or to violence from others Matth. 6.19.20 1. Pet. 1.24 Secondly if thou be sure to enjoy them yet they will be suddenly lost to thee because thou canst not make thy heart to take delight in the same things still for not onely the world passeth away but the lusts therof also 1. Iob. 2.15 Eccles. 6.1 7. 9.3 Thirdly if neither of these befall thee yet thou art mortall thou must be taken from them and thy life is short like a dreame and passeth away like the winde and thou art but a stranger and pilgrime here and thou must carry nothing out of the world but in all points as thou camest into the world so must thou goe hence Psal. 90. Iob 7.7 Eccles. 5.13 14 15. All flesh is grasse Esay 40.6 6 That a man may receive much hurt from them they may steale away our hearts from God The amitie of the world is the enmity with God Iam. 4. They are like pitch to defile there is a snare and temptation in all of them they fill mens hearts with foolish noysome lusts and a man may damne his soule for too much loving of them 1. Tim. 6.9 Phi. 3 18. and they may serve to witnesse against a man at the day of judgment Iam. 5.1 Lastly consider that there is no comparison betweene the commodities of this life and the commodities of the life to come There are rivers of pleasures for evermore Psal. 16. ult There are Crownes of honour and glorie such as will neither be held with envie nor lost with infamie there shall men possesse enduring substance Heb. 11. treasures not liable either to vanity or violence Matth. 6.20 an inheritance immortall and undefiled and that withereth not and lieth in heaven 1. Pet. 1.3.4 Thus of the second doctrine A third Doctrine may be gathered out of these words and that is That in some cases there is a permission of the love of life In that he gives rules to such as will love life it imports that God is contented to suffer or tolerate that humour in men Now this toleration may be considered of as it is granted to some men or as it extends in some sort to all sorts of men Some men that are in high place and have publike imployments and are about some speciall service for the glory of God and good of the Church or Common-wealth in these men the desire to live longer in it selfe is not sinfull This was the case of David and Hezekiah Now further unto all sorts of men the Lord doth allow a certaine kinde of liking of life so as they observe such cautions and rules as he appoints as namely that the cares of this life hinder not the preparation for death or the provision for a better life and withall that they limit not God for the time of life but be willing to dye when God calls for their lives Now for a conclusion to this point I would advise those that have such a minde to live here to looke to certaine rules which will prevaile with God to grant them long life if any thing will prevaile as first they must bee exhorted to take heed of overmuch desire of life they must moderate their desires after life If they could once attaine to it to bee content to die when God will it may bee they should finde life prolonged according to that of our Saviour Hee that will lose his life shall finde it Secondly such as have parents in nature or religion must be verie carefull to give them due honour for to such God hath promised long life in the fift Commandement Thirdly godlinesse hath the promises of this present life as well as of the life to come and therefore ever the more godly we are in all manner of conversation the longer wee may be likely to live and contrariwise a prophane man hath no assurance to live out halfe his daies Thus of the first forme of speech The second forme of speech by which the persons hee adviseth are described are such as will see good daies And see good daies Before I come to the observations here is worke of large enquiry and consideration about the sense for these words import That in the life of man there be some good daies and some evill daies Physitians tell us in their profession of some daies in the yeare that bee good daies and some that be evill daies for their directions and superstitious and idle people in the world tell us that there are some good daies to beginne businesses in and some evill It seemes here the Prophet David in Theologicall contemplation findes that in the life of man some daies be good and some bee evill This would be enquired into And that wee may finde out which bee good daies wee must first enquire which be evill daies and that by Scripture account And that wee may distinctly understand this wee must enquire which be evill daies 1 For wicked men 2 For godly men The daies of wicked men must bee considered more generally or more specially generally all the daies of the wicked are evill both because hee is a transgressour every day and because the curse of God is upon him all his daies even then when hee lives longest and enjoyes most prosperous times Esay 65.20 Every day the wrath of God hangeth over his head and every day God judgeth him Psal. 7. either in soule or body or name or estate either by withholding his blessings or by mingling the curse with the good things hee enjoyeth Psal. 78.33 as the Israelites under censure of death from God More specially the daies of the wicked man are evill eiin this life or after this life In this life his daies are evill in two speciall senses either in respect of the shortning of them or in respect of the afflicting of them It is a speciall evill to some wicked men that their daies on earth are shortned Some men live not out halfe their daies and dye in the middest of their daies Psal. 55.24 Ier. 17.11 and so it is a curse that his daies are few Psal. 109.8 Eccles. 8.13 Againe the daies of wicked men are said to bee evill in respect of some speciall judgements of God to bee powred out upon them for their sinnes These daies are called the daies of Gods wrath and anger and daies of Gods visitation Isa. 10.3 the day of
men that have a portion in spirituall things should not bee troubled for want of these earthly things seeing if they had them they would last but awhile Iames 1.9 and therefore having food and raiment they should be content Thus of the first doctrine Doct. 2. Earthly things doe not adorne a man As they are corruptible so they doe not make a man any whit the more comely which is true in these foure senses following First they doe not adorne a man in the sight of God He respects it not whether a man bee poore or rich bond or free cloathed or naked in robes or in ragges Gal. 3.28 Secondly they adorne not the inward man they adde nothing to the minde or heart of man Thirdly they adorne not with true ornament but onely with a shew for if the glory of the world bee like a withering flower what true ornament can it bee to weare such withered things Fourthly they adorne not for continuance All apparell for the body of a man and all ornaments for his house or state any way they are the worse for wearing and will weare cleane out in the end And therefore for the use first How vaine a thing is the pride of life and secondly wee should therefore know no man after the flesh but to reckon of mans worth by better things than worldly things Doct. 3. A third doctrine is evidently to be observed out of these words that is very comfortable for godly Christians such as the Apostle supposed these to bee to whom he writes and that is That godly Christians have right to all incorruptible things That which is not corruptible if they seeke they may possesse It is their owne God would have them put it on as they put on their apparell He hath adorned his children with the gift of all incorruptible things heavenly treasures are theirs and they may lay hold on them and lay them up as their certaine riches and portion Mat. 6.20 Hee grants eternall life to them that seeke glory and honour and incorruptible things that is hee grants them an eternall possession of spirituall things Rom. 2.7 Now that this doctrine may be more evident and full of comfort it is profitable to inquire distinctly what is incorruptible and will last alwaies and so we shall finde by the testimonies of the Scriptures that seven things are incorruptible 1 God is incorruptible Rom. 1. and God is their God by covenant and as David saith he is the strength of their heart and their portion for ever Psal. â—7 26 Psal. 119.57 and God his mercy and his love and his power is everlasting His mercy endures for ever Psal. 136. and his loving kindnesse shall never be taken from him Psal. 89. 33. and with everlasting compassion he hath received them to favour Esay 54. and with everlasting love hath hee loved them Ier. 31.3 and in the Lord Iehovah is everlasting strength for the protection and preservation of his people and therefore they may trust upon him for ever Esay 26.4 and therefore if all people will walke every one in the name of his God godly men ought much more to walke in the Name of the Lord their God for ever and ever Mich. 4.6 2 The Word of God is incorruptible and lasts beyond all end 1. Pet. 1.24 Psal. 119.89 And this is the heritage of the godly Psal. 119.111.127 the truth shall bee with us for ever 2. Iohn 2. 3 The righteousnesse of Christ is everlasting Dan. 9. 24. and this righteousnesse is theirs so as they may put it on as a garment and it makes them righteous before God Rom. 13. ult 1. Cor. 1.30 1. Cor. 5.21 4 Gods covenant is incorruptible everlasting Esay 55.4 and it cannot be abrogated but the godly shall have the benefite of it for ever 5 The gifts of saving grace are incorruptible and their hearts can never bee drawne dry but the spring of grace will be in some measure on them And through theâ—â— graces the godly have everlasting conversationâ— for Gods gifts and 〈◊〉 iâ— without repentance 〈◊〉 4.14 â— Thes. â— 10 Rom. 11. This love is incorruptible 2. Cor. 13. and everlasting joy 〈◊〉 upon their heads Esay 61. so the 〈◊〉 of saving knowledge will abide in the godly for ever 1. Iohn 3. and their meeknesse and a quiet spirit is reckoned an ornament that is not corruptible But of this afterwards 6 Good workes are incorruptible so the righteousnesse of the just will last for ever 2. Cor. 9.9 and though he dye yet his workes will follow him to Heaven Rev. 14.13 so Psal. 139.24 Lastly Heaven and the glory of it is everlasting Gods kingdome is an everlasting kingdome 1. Tim. 6.11 and that glory is an eternall weight of glory 2. Cor. 4.14 Wee have an house that is eternall in the Heavens 2. Cor. 5.1 our inheritance there is immortall undefiled withereth not away 1. Pet. 1.3 The uses may be divers Vse 1. For first it should teach us to strive to be such as may have our portion in incorruptible things and so we must first take off our affections from all things that may offend as resolved if our right eye offend us to plucke it out and if our right hand offend us to cut it off that is to deny all sinfull things though they were as deare to us as our right hand or right eye Mat. 9.45 Secondly we must be such as yeeld our selves to obey the voice of Christ and to bee ruled by him He gives eternall life to his sheep wee must bee sheepe then for hearing his voice and tractablenesse Iohn 10.29 Thirdly we must give glory to God and rely upon his promise of grace in Iesus Christ we must be beleevers Iohn 3.16 Fourthly we must by patient continuing in well-doing still seeke immortality Rom. 2.7 Thus of the first use Vse 2. Secondly seeing the portion of the godly lyes in incorruptible things wee should not be much troubled for any wants or losses in corruptible things Wee have so large an inheritance in things that will last for ever that it should bee no grievance to us though wee should want those transitory things of the world Vse 3. Thirdly for this reason such as abound in earthly things should bee the more willing to distribute them and give them for good uses seeing those things are not their portion and therefore they neede not bee over-carefull for the keeping of such things Vse 4. Fourthly hence we may gather infallibly That the godly can never fall from grace for Gods mercies cannot corrupt or fall away and his gifts are without repentance If they could be lost then they were corruptable aswell as earthly things But this is a comfort that must not bee taken away that God will establish Sion for ever Psal. 48.8 and though the world passe away and the lusts thereof yet he that doth the will of God abideth for ever 1. Iohn 2.17 and though the servant may bee cast
of God are capable of this Grace Heb. 9.16 Ioh. 1.13 And in particular wee must have a true justifying faith Ioh. 1.12 For as was shewed before we come to the right of Sonnes onely as wee are ingrafted into Christ upon whom all the inheritance is originally and fundamentally conferred and into Christ wee cannot get but by faith And further wee must looke to the sound mortification of the deedes of the flesh Rom. 8.13 and know that none can inherit but such as ouercome the power of their corruptions and are not in bondage to any sinne Rev. 21.7 And more specially God requires in all such as will be his sonnes that they bee such as are not in bondage to the passions and perturbations of the heart 〈◊〉 for hee hath promised that the meeke shall inherit Mat. 5.5 Thirdly we must forsake all needlesse society familiarity with the wicked of the world if wee will be Gods sonnes and daughters and resolutely refuse to be corrupted with the sinnes of the times as the Apostle shewes at large 2. Cor. 6.17 18. Fourthly wee must be such as are described Esay 56.4 5 6. Wee must make conscience to keepe Gods Sabbaths and chuse the thing will please God being more desirous to please God in all things than naturall children are to please their earthly parents and take hold of Gods Covenant as resting upon this preferment and the promises of it as our sufficient happinesse And that we may be the more established in the knowledge of our Adoption it will bee good for us to try our selves by the signes of such as are Gods adopted children 1 Such as are Gods children by Adoption haue this marke They are made like unto God their Father in holiness in some truth of resemblance 1. Pet. 1.25 And this they shew two waies first by purifying themselves and sound humbling of their soules for their sinnes that deface the Image of God in them as Saint Iohn saith Every one that hath this hope purifyeth himselfe as he is pure 1. Ioh. 3.2 3. Secondly by imploying himselfe constantly in doing righteousnesse for hereby the children of God are knowne from the children of the Divell 1. Ioh. 3.10 2 In the last recited place you may discerne another signe of a sonne and heire to God and that is the love of the godly as his brethren and fellow heires Hee that loveth not the brethren is of the Divell not of God 1. Ioh 3.10 3 The gift of prayer is a signe of Adoption and that we have received the spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 16. By the gift of prayer I meane not the skill to utter words to God in a good form of words and variously but the gift to speake to God in prayer both with confidence in God as in a father and with the affections of praier which the phrase of crying Abba Father imports 4 A Child of God discovers his Adoption by the manner of doing good dueties hee doth serve God not with servile respect but with filiall affection hee loves to be Gods servant as may be gathered Esay 56.6 5 To love them that hate us and blesse them that curse us and doe good to them that persecute us is a signe that wee are children to God as our heavenly father Luk. 6.35 Mat. 5. The second impression that this glory of Adoption should make upon our hearts should be to stir up us to cary our selves in this world as becomes the children heirs to such a father as God is And so in generall it should wonderfully fire us to all possible care to be holy as he is holy and to expresse more to the life the Image of Gods grace and holinesse 1. Pet. 1. 14 15. And that in all manner of conversation striving to carry our selves as the sonnes of God without rebuke in the middest of this froward and wicked world all sorts of the men of the world being so ready to reproach such as are Gods people that if they will speake evill it may be onely for our good conversation in Christ Phil. 2.15 16. And in particular wee are charged in Scripture with certaine speciall and choise things that doe greatly adorne and grace the life of a child of God that is an heire of heaven if we be Gods heirs and he be our father 1 Wee should be Peace-makers for our father is the God of peace and this will force men to call us the sonnes of God Mat. 5.10 2 Wee must not render reviling for reviling but rather blesse seeing wee are heires of blessing as the Apostle urgeth it ver 9. 3 Wee should live without care as knowing that wee have a heavenly father that careth for us Mat. 6.32 And seeing wee are heires of a better world wee should not love this world nor set our hearts upon such mean things as this world can afford 1. Ioh. 2.15 4 If wee be Gods sonnes wee should be willing to submit our selves to his correction If wee yeeld that power to the fathers of our bodies how much more to the Father of our spirits Heb. 12.9 But especially take heed that we provoke not God by carelesnesse and boldnesse in favouring any corruption Deut. 32.18 19. Thirdly our Adoption should be a singular consolation to us against all the miseries of this life It matters not though our life bee hid and though it doe not appeare to the world what wee are and though wee have many crosses and losses and persecutions yet the thought of our inheritance with God should swallow up all Whatsoever wee are now yet when Christ appeares wee shall appeare in glory and there can be no comparison betweene the suffering of this life and the glory to be revealed upon us Rom. 8.17 Mat. 19.29 Col. 3.2 4. 1 Ioh. 3.2 And that wee may be the more comforted wee should often pray to God to shew us by degrees and to make us know the riches of our inheritance both in what we possesse in this world and what wee looke for in heaven And thus of the title of our dignities We are heires Of life Now follows to consider what we inherit and that is Life We are heires of life It is somewhat a strange speech but yet if wee consider of it Life is a most sweet thing there can be no happinesse without it A living Dog is better than a dead Lyon But as life is to be taken here it is a Treasure above all treasures in the world But the enquirie into it is very difficult it is wonderfull hard to find out what life is especially to describe or define the life here mentioned as the glory of Gods adopted ones Life in Scripture is either naturall or spirituall as for naturall life especially since the fall that is so poore a thing as to be an heire to it is no great preferment By naturall life I meane that life that men live while they are unregenerate I say that life is a very poore thing
the knowledge of Prophets or Apostles on earth The fift difference is in the effects of our Knowledge for from our knowledge and this celestiall light flowes righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost which the Apostle Paul makes to bee the parts of the kingdome of God and so both in this life and in heaven Rom. 14.17 And unto these three heads may bee referred all things that concerne the glory of eternall life and all these are held with great difference in each degree of eternall life For though wee have righteousnesse and peace and joy now in the truth of them yet we have them not as wee shall have them in heaven as will appeare if we consider of them distinctly First for righteousnesse Here it is the greatest burthen of life unto the godly that they are not able to serve God as they desire the imperfections of their gifts the corruption of their natures the daily infirmities that discover themselves in their conversations make life many times more bitter than death would be to them as appeareth by Saint Paul Rom. 7. But there all that is imperfect shall bee done away there shall be no danger of displeasing God for wee shall be made perfect in all parts and degrees of holinesse our nature shall be perfect like the nature of God our members shall never more be servants unto unrighteousnesse and our soules shall exactly resemble God in all perfection of goodnesse and gifts Here the glory of mans inheritance lyeth in the goodnesse of things without them there it shall consist principally in an everlasting goodnesse confirmed upon themselves We shall be without spot and wrinkle Eph. 5.27 Wee shall be as hee is in holinesse 1. Ioh. 3.2 Here is our griefe that our hearts cannot be so filled with the love of God and the godly as they should bee there our hearts shall burne with an eternall inflamation of affections towards God and the blessed ones without any interruption or decay wee shall never more be troubled with hardnesse of heart discouragement feare distractions inordinate desires and perturbations Yea our holinesse shal be better than Adams in Paradise for he had a power not to sinne but we shal have no power at all to sin Yea in relation to Christ it shall be better with us then than it is now for now we are reckoned just men only by the benefite of Christs righteousnesse imputed to us but then we shall be made so perfectly holy by inherent righteousnesse that wee shall stand everlasting righteous before God by the righteousnesse that is in us Imputation shall there cease for ever when Christ hath delivered up the kingdome to God the Father and when Faith shall bee done away Lastly the difference in this point may further appear in the freedome of our will In this life many times our wills are not free to desire to doe the good we should doe and most an end want power to execute what we desire but there shall be all libertie so as we shal never want either desire or power to accomplish what may be for Gods everlasting glory or our owne felicity Secondly for peace there is great difference for first in this life we have but little peace in respect of the miseries of life Somtimes we have but little inward peace our hearts being unquiet with fear or grief or discouragement or passions or else our consciences are unquiet eyther because God fights against us to try us or to humble us or we fight against our selves through ignorance unbeleef or distresse for sin Somtimes when our spirits are quiet and there is a truce from inward warre we then want outward peace eyther men are unreasonable molest us without cause in our estates or names or else God afflicts us in body with paine and weakenesse or in estate sometime with easie crosses like small raine sometimes with greater crosses like some fierce stormes Now in heaven there shall be an eternall cessation of all miserie there shall be no curse and affliction shall be cast into the Sea Rev. 22.3 Secondly our Sabbath or dayes of rest which God hath consecrated and blessed to us as the chiefe joy of our lives proves many times dayes of sorrow and affliction because eyther our bodies are molested with paine or our soules distressed for want of powerfull meanes or for want of abilitie to keepe a Sabbath unto God or for want of joy in our soules But in heaven we shall have an eternall Sabbath not one day in seven but all our dayes rest without labour and solace of heart without any difficultie in our selves or interruption without us God and the Lambe will be an eternall Temple to make our rest for ever glorious We shall be freed from all the labours of life from all pain difficultie in serving God and our workes shall be all easie and full of delight even the praising of God for ever Rev. 14.12 Heb. 4.9 Thirdly for Ioy there is great difference both in the causes and in the measure and in the continuance of it The causes of our Ioy shall be the highest can befall a creature Here while we are present with the bodie and the blessings of life we are absent from the Lord the infinite life of our lives but there we shall enjoy him as fully as our hearts can desire 2. Cor. 5.8 Here we want our crown whatsoever else we enjoy but there our honour and glory and majestie shall be so great as if all the Kings of the earth did bring their glory to one man it would not equall what every one shall have there 2. Tim. 4.8 Revel 2.24 3.21 wee shall raigne in life Rom. 5. And this Crowne is the more glorious because it shall not consist of some precious thing without us but of royall excellency with which our soules and bodies shall shine as the Sunne in the firmament our very bodies in qualitie being altered to such an expression of majestie and beautie and angelicall excellencie as now exceeds all mortall language being rather like spirits than earthly bodies And for the measure now we have but little tastes of joy and if these tastes be unspeakeable and glorious what are those rivers of joy at Gods right hand Psal. 16. ult And for continuance they are for evermore as the Psalmist there speakes whereas now they are gone from us like lightning in an instant and our lives are afterward assaulted almost continually with causes or occasion of sorrow so as the world in the best place is but like a vale of teares but there shall be no sorrow no death no crying nor paine but God shall wipe away all teares from our eyes for ever Revel 21.4 6 Thus of the differences of life on earth and life in heaven What men must doe that they may enter into life followes And about this point our Saviour tells us two things beforehand First that the way to
life is a narrow way and the gate is exceeding strait men may bee mis-led by a thousand by-waies and the worke to be done is a very hard worke Secondly that there are but few that finde the right way yea but few amongst those that seeke it and seeme desirous to know what they should doe for either they understand not the directions when they are given or by taking time to thinke of them they forget them or else when they have the answer they goe their waies like the yongue man in the Gospell and are sorry the conditions be so hard and so give over all further care and rest in the estate they were in before And therefore wee had need to attend the more carefully and resolve to doe whatsoever God requires of us whatsoever it cost us and not be troubled at the difficulty of the worke considering the excellency of eternall life and the many helpes wee may have to further the worke Of which afterwards This then is the question What should a man or woman doe that he might be sure to enter into life Ans. 1 Thou must lay the foundation of all in Iesus Christ Thou must disclaime all trust in any thing in heaven or earth in thy selfe or thy owne workes or any other creature and relye upon the merits of Iesus Christ as the onely meanes of pacifying Gods anger or procuring eternall life Act. 4.12 Ioh. 3.16 and thou must inwardly lay up Christ in thy heart so as spiritually ever to eate his flesh and drinke his blood by applying all hee hath done or suffered for thee in particular Ioh. 6.53 1. Ioh 5.12 2 Thou must pray hard to the God of life Psal. 42.8 and with great importunity beseech him to give thee the spirit of life that is Iesus Christ and with the more encouragement because he hath promised to give even his holy Spirit to them that aske him Luk. 11.13 3 There will be no life in the soule if thou doest not repent thee of thy sinnes Act. 11.18 And this is the harder worke because first to confesse thy sinnes will not serve turne unlesse thou forsake them and overcome them Revel 2.7 so as the power of them be mastered and thou doe from thy heart desire and resolve to leave them If thy lusts passions disorders of life in drunkennesse swearing sinnes of deceite or the like be not mended thou canst not live this life 1. Cor. 6.9 Gal. 5.22.23 At the best without an apparant victorie there will be little comfort in life Secondly in turning thou must turne from all thy transgressions so as thou be sure thou leave no sinne thou knowest but thou wilt endeavour to judge thy selfe for it and strive to forsake it Thy heart must be turned from it Ezech. 18.21.18 Yea if some of thy sinnes for profit or pleasure be to thee like thy right eye or right hand thou must cut them off or pull them out or else thou canst never enter into life Mat. 18.8 9. As in the case of rich men the way of life is compared to the eye of a Needle and their hearts to a great Cable now there is no way for thee to enter into life but by untwisting the great Cable till it be made like small threeds which is done by great humiliation Iam. 1.10 And withall thy heart must continue affraid in the least thing to offend God This feare of the Lord is required to the very beginning of this life Pro. 14.27 4 Thou must deny thy selfe extreamly in outward things thou must looke for persecution yea and perhaps be put to it to forsake father and mother house and lands wife and children yea and life it selfe so as to hate and lose this naturall life in comparison of the gaining of eternall life Mark 10. 30. Ioh. 12.25 5 Thou must be tied to walke in a strict course of life all thy daies resolving to walke in the way of righteousnesse and let the word of God be the rule of all thy actions and by patient continuance in well-doing to seeke encrease of happinesse and holinesse for life is onely in the way of righteousnesse Prov. 12.28 Rom. 2.7 8. Ezech. 33.15 16. Now though this worke be very hard yet thou hast many helpes if thy heart be right and willing to obey for 1 God will give thee his holy Spirit to worke all thy worke for thee and to cause thee to walke in his statutes and keepe his judgements and doe them and will mortifie the deeds of the flesh and teach thee in all truth and comfort and support thee and make thy workes acceptable to God as hath beene shewed before 2 Thou hast the helpe of spirituall Armour that is mighty through God to cast downe strong holds 2. Cor. 10.3 4. thou wilt finde a strong supply from every ordinance of God the Word and Prayer and Sacraments all serve to helpe against the difficultie of this worke and so will the Societie with the godly as was shewed before 3 Thou wilt have the benefite of Christs praiers and intercession for thee in heaven Ioh. 17.17.15 which is of unspeakable force and power to helpe thee 4 The greatnesse of the reward should pluck up thy heart against all the hardship of godlinesse for 1 God will grant thee pardon of all thy sinnes Act. 2 39. 2 Thou shalt have fellowship with God himselfe and he will shew thee so much when thou seekest to him in his ordinances 1. Ioh. 1.7 3 Thou hast most precious promises recorded every where in the sacred Volume of Gods booke 2. Pet. 1.4 4 Who would not bee stirred up with the contemplation of that glorious inheritance is reserved for us in heaven that incorruptible crown should make any body willing to abstain from all things and to runne with all violence in the race set before us 1. Pet. 1.3 1. Cor. 9.24 25 26 27. Onely let mee conclude this point with an earnest exhortation to all Christians that would have comfort of life to apply themselves to get all possible knowledge they can in the Scriptures for that knowledge is a tree of life Prov. 3.18 16.22 and those sacred knowledges they must not let go but take fast hold on them Prov. 4.13 They must attend incline their eares and not let them depart from betweene their eyes and be sure to keepe them in the middest of their hearts Prov. 4.22.21.20 Marke every one of those words to doe it and consider that it is not the having of the Bibles or Sermons or the reading or hearing but the knowledge wee get into our hearts nor is it any knowledge but wisdome or the wise knowledge of the Scriptures and our knowledge is then wise when it is an understanding of our own waies and wee are wise for our selves when wee studie profitable things and when wee sow those seeds of truth in daily practise and when wee practise with discretion looking to the circumstances of every dutie not to draw upon
our selves incombrances by our owne rashnesse or indiscretion And lastly when with all knowledge we joyne lowlinesse of mind and meekenesse that meekenesse that is called meekenesse of wisdome by Saint Iames. Thus of the meanes to attaine life The signes follow There are divers waies to try our selves whether eternall life be begunne in us as 1 By the savouring of those things that are immortall Our mortall life relisheth nothing but what is transitory and eternall life findes happinesse in nothing but what is eternall or tends to it Thus a man that is endued with this life esteemes with sense grace above riches spirituall treasures above all earthly In particular the desire after the Word of God is a signe that we are at least new borne babes in Gods kingdom if so be wee desire it with a kind of naturall affection as the childe doth the breast and constantly and as the word is sincere and with an unfained desire to grow in grace and goodnesse by the power of the Word Rom. 8.5 1. Pet. 2. Iohn 6.27 2 By our knowledge of God in Christ as hath beene shewed before when it is such a knowledge as workes not onely admiration but also sound transformation of our hearts and lives 3 There is a kinde of sorrow that the Apostle saith is to salvation 2. Cor. 10.7 and that is such a sorrow as is voluntary and secret for our sinnes and for all sorts of sinnes Rom. 7. Esa. 6.5 Esa. 1.16 and as they are sinnes and not for other respects and such a sorrow as quieteth the heart and leaveth a vehement desire of reformation and is most stirred by the sense of Gods goodnesse Hos. 3.5 Esa. 1.16 and is found in prosperity as well as adversitie 4 By our love to God for if the light of life bee in vs and that wee are truely acquainted with God as our God in Christ the heart hath seene that that will make it in love with God for ever and shew it by his estimation of Gods loving kindnesse and all the signes of it above all things in life Psal. 63.2 11. and by longing after the comming of Christ 2. Tim. 4.8 and by grieving for Gods absence Cant. 3.1 and by his feare to offend God in any thing Iude 20. and by his willingnesse to suffer any thing for God and the Gospell 1. Thes. 1.2 5 By our love of the brethren The Alpostle Iohn with great confidence of words makes this a signe that wee are translated from death to life 1. Ioh. 3.14 and it is infallible if we so love them as we account them the only excellent ones Psal. 16.3 and desire them as the onely companions of our lives and if it bee for the grace and goodnesse is in them 1. Ioh. 5.1 2. Ioh. 1.2 and if it be notwithstanding their infirmities or adversities and if wee love all the brethren without respect of persons 6 To conclude this point generally If eternall life bee begun in us wee are new creatures borne againe the Image of God is restored in us in some degree Ioh. 3.5 Tit. 3.7 5. Colos. 3.10 and we are such as are fully resolved to spend our daies in the way of righteousnesse and a holy course of life Prov. 12.28 8 The properties of this life follow and they are five for 1 It is unspeakable eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor can the heart of man conceive what God hath prepared in life for them that love him 1. Cor. 2.9 2 It is free it is not given by merit but is the free gift of God Rom. 6. ult 3 It is certain for there is an Act for it in Gods councell Men be ordained to life and their names written in the booke of life Act. 13.48 Phil. 4.4 and God hath bound himselfe by many promises in his Word to the believer and besides hath confirmed it with an oath Heb. 6.17 and Christ is gone into heaven to make the place ready for all the heires of life Ioh. 14.3 and further wee have it already begun even eternall life begun Ioh. 17.3 4 It is a life by assimilation that is such a life as is fashioned in likenesse to the life of another even Iesus Christ according to whose Image wee are created Col. 3.10 And who shall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body Phil. 3.21 5 It is eternall A life that will last as long as God liveth it will never have an end Divines expresse the etâ—rnitie of it in part by this similitude Suppose a little Bird came to the Sea once in a thousand yeares and tooke up onely one drop of water and so should continue to take every thousand yeares onely one drop what an unspeakable space of time would it be before the Sea would be drunke up and yet eternity is a lasting beyond that unmeasurably Thus of the explication of the doctrine concerning life The uses follow and Vse 1. First what a strong impression should this doctrine have upon the hearts of all unregenerate men How should life and heaven suffer violence How should this force open their eies that they might awake from that fearefull lethargie and stand up from the dead that Christ might give them this light of life How should they unchangeably resolve to seeke Gods kingdome first above all things and above all gettings strive to get understanding What shall it profit them to winne the whole world and lose their owne soules But especially the doctrine of life should melt the hearts of all the godly and imprint upon them the care of many dueties as 1 They have cause to wonder at the exceeding riches of Gods kindnesse to them in Iesus Christ in providing such an inheritance for them Eph. 2.7 2 They should pray earnestly to God to open their eyes more and more to see the glory of this life and effectually to take notice of the high dignity of their calling and riches of their inheritance in life Eph. 1.19 3 This should marvellously weane their hearts from the cares of this present life and from the love of earthly things seeing their inheritance lyeth in spirituall and eternall life 1. Cor. 7.31 Heb. 13.4 5. 11.13 Col. 3.1 2. Phil. 3.20 4 Since they have found this precious life by the Gospell they should therefore take heed they be not carried about with divers and strange doctrine nor trouble themselves with doubtfull disputations or unprofitable questions They have found the words of eternall life and whither else will they goe Tit. 3.7 9. Heb. 13.9 5 This should make them love one another as such as shall bee companions in life for ever Yea they should receive one another as Christ received them to glory Ioh. 13.34 Eph. 4.2 5.1 Rom. 15.7 And in particular husbands should make much of their wives and masters of such servants as are heires with them of the grace of life as this Text shewes and Col. 3.24 6 They should strive to shew the
they doe soe is because they themselves did feele by experience how unable they were to beare crosses when they fell upon them It was this Peter that denied his Master upon the very sight as it were of adversaries and it was this David that gave this advice after himselfe had changed his behaviour before Abimelech as you may see by the title of the Psalme Which should teach us to bee thankfull for that publike or private quietnesse any of us doe enjoy and besides it should warne those unruly froward Christians that live not in quiet either at home or abroad to repent and amend their words and workes They cannot imagine what singular comfort and contentment they withhold from their owne lives and the lives of others If they did but know how much God abhors a froward Christian they would be more affraid than they are Thus of the generall observations The first part concernes the persons that are exhorted and they are described by two formes of speech the one Such as will love life the other Such as would see good daies If any man will love life From this forme of speech three things may be observed Doct. 1. That men by nature are prone to the love of life and so prone that the most men will breake all bounds and will love life whatsoever bee said to them or done to them This is a point so sensibly felt by the experience of the most that heare it that it needs no proofe If any man aske what the reason should bee why there is such an inordinate love of life in the most many things may be answered The first cause of it is the generall corruption of nature in the most men which came in by sinne To love it selfe is nature but to love life so pertinaciously is from degeneration and the great abasement of the nature of man that cannot now move it selfe towards the perfection of it selfe for unto the godly the change of life is an alteration that brings perfection Secondly ignorance and unbeliefe is the cause of it If men did know beleeve those glorious things God speaks of a better life they would loath this present life long to be in heaven Thirdly the cause in many is that their hearts are â—ngaged upon such perplexed and intricate projects about profit or pleasure or greatnesse in the world that they are not at leasure to examine the reasons of the love of life the heart of man is usually oppressed with some one or other of these projects Fourthly in all sorts of people there is such an incurable inconsideration that no warning from the Word or workes of God no experience of their owne or other mens can force them to a serious and constant meditation of the things concerne their true happinesse Fiftly the love of life ariseth in the most from the Idols of their hearts There is one thing or other that they have set their hearts upon in a vicious manner and this unreasonable love of their particular sinnes doth hold them downe in bondage to this present life and so cannot be cured of the disease till they repent of their beloved sinnes And the guiltinesse of their consciences makes them affraid of death and judgement and to embrace this present life upon any conditions And in godly people this inordinate love of life ariseth from the defect of particular repentance for it Thus of the first point Doct. 2. Men have cause to take off their affections and not to bee so desperately bent to the love of this present life This is a point very profitable to be urged and most men and women have need of it and therefore I will shew more largely the reasons why wee should not love life or not so inordinately as to be unwilling to leave it upon any tearmes The first reason may be taken from the commandement of Christ who gives this in charge to all that will bee his Disciples that they must not love life As they must deny themselves in other things so in this particular And hee so gives this in charge as hee seemes to threaten them with the losse of life if they love it so Luk. 17.33 Iob. 12.25 The second reason may bee taken from the example of the godly that have not loved life Iob detested life Iob 3. Salomon tels of a multitude of occasions that he had to hate life in his book of Eccles. and a multitude of godly men have shewed the proofe of it in laying downe their lives willingly when they have beene called to it Act. 20.24 Phil. 2.20 Heb. 11.35 37. The third reason may bee taken from the consideration of life in it selfe both in the nature of it and in the end of it for the nature of it it is but a winde or a vapour Iam. 4. so meane a thing that no man can well tell how to describe it perfectly which is the greater wonder that it should get the love of all the world and yet no body knowes what it is hee loves And for the end of it it is not in the power of man to number his owne daies God hath set an appointed time for every mans death and though they love life never so much they cannot hold it beyond that time Iob 7.1 And besides our times are so hid that a man cannot bee sure of a moneth a weeke a day an houre and shall our hearts be so bewitched with that which wee know not how long wee shall enjoy Iob 24.1 and the rather because there are so many waies for life to goe out at though but one way to come in And further we can find no means that hath sufficient power to make a man live God hath so reserved the power of life in his owne hands that none of the meanes we use to preserve life can do it to make it hold out for a moment if God doe not from above give speciall assistance Man liveth not by bread Mat. 4. and if a man had abundance of all worldly things yet a mans life consisteth not in that Luk. 12.15 c. The fourth reason may bee taken from the profession of a Christian or his state or relative calling or condition in this life First we are Christs spirituall souldiers Now men that goe to war intangle not ahemselves with the things of this life that they may please them that have chosen them to bee souldiers 2 Tim. 2.4 Secondly we are pilgrims and strangers in this life and therefore nothing should be more easie to us than to be weary of the present condition and to long to be at home Thus did the Patriarches Heb. 11.13 Thirdly in this life we are but poore cottagers that dwell in poore houses of clay and shall wee love to be here rather than in those eternall mansions 2. Cor. 5.1 Iob. 14.2 The fift reason may be taken from the sinnes of life Even sinne is a disease and a loathsome contagious one Now then see what life
the Church of God in generall to prosper Psal. 128.5 6. when God keeps his Church as his Vineyard and waters it every moment and watcheth it night and day and destroyeth every thing that might annoy it Esay 27.2 3. In particular a Christian finds divers sorts of good daies as first the Sabbath daies well sanctified are good daies above all other daies of the week when his body enjoyes rest his soule is blessed according to Gods promise with spiritual rest and grace in Iesus Christ. Secondly the dayes in which the soule of a Christian after sinne and the judgment of God for it is humbled soundly and anew admitted into Gods presence and reconciled to God those daies when God entertaines the repenting sinner that praies unto him especially at the first reconciliation are wonderfull good daies Iob 33.25 26. with the coherence 36.11 Psal. 90.14 Luk. 4.21 with Esay 61.1.2.10 Thirdly all the daies in which a Christian thrives and prospers in the knowledge of Gods word and growes in the spirituall understanding in the mysteries of Gods kingdome are all good daies for this knowledge is that wisedom Salomon speakes of whâ—ch makes a man so happy Pro. 3.18.2.16 Thus of the good daies that are so in the judgement of the inward man God is pleased also to grant such good daies as are or ought to be so accounted in the judgement of the outward man and so First the daies of youth in which a man hath strength of body and vigour of minde to fit him not onely for the comforts of life but for the service of his creator are good daies Eccles. 12.1 it being a blessed thing to beare Gods yoake in a mans youth Secondly the daies of speciall prosperity in the world which sometime God grants unto his people are also good daies when God gives his people abundance of blessings in their families and estates and withall publike honour and respect withall sorts even the great ones of the world as was in the case of Iob which hee describes in the whole 29 Chapter of his booke but then it must have this indeed that in this prosperity the godly man be imployed in all well doing and get himselfe honour by the flourishing of his gifts and good workes as is shewed in that Chapter by Iob. Thirdly such daies in which a man enjoyes a quiet estate free from all trouble or vexation or contumely at home or abroad being free from Gods aflicting hand or mans injurious dealing are good daies and such as perhaps are specially meant in this place Thus of the sense of the words Divers doctrines may bee observed from hence 1 That the daies of men usually are evill which is true not onely of the wicked but of the godly also This Iacob said long agoe his daies were few and evill Gen. 47.9 but of this point before Only this may serve for great reproofe of those that so little minde a better life and so wilfully love this life that though they live in much misery are loath to thinke of dying take no course to provide for a better life 2 It is evident from hence that the life of man is but short whether hee live happily or miserably yet his life is reckoned by daies not by longer measures of purpose to signifie the shortnesse of our lives This is expresly affirmed in other Scriptures Iob 10.20 Iob saith his daies were few and of all men that are borne of women that they have but a short time to live Iob 7.1 And this is resembled by divers similitudes so our life is compared to a Weavers shuttle Iob 7.6 to a Post for swift running out Iob 9.25 to the grasse of the field Iob. 7.12 Esay 40.6 to an hand breadth so as he saith his age is as nothing Ps. 39.5 to a watch in the night Psal. 90.4 to a sleepe vers 5. to a tale that is told vers 9. Thus the life of man is said to bee short either as he is in Gods sight with whom a thousand years are but as yesterday when it is past Psal. 90 4. or in his owne account if he measure time to come as hee measures time past and in plaine reckoning let the life of man be improved according to mans utmost strength ordinarily a mans yeares are threescore and ten and if hee live to fourescore it is but labour and sorrow to him Psal. 90. Quest. But what should bee the cause that mens lives are so short Ans. If there were no other cause but the will of him that hath the disposing of the times seasons in his owne power yet that might satisfie us but we may ghesse at other causes as both the mercy and justice of God This world is so bad to the godly that it is Gods mercie to take them quickly out of it and contrariwise it is so good to the wicked considering their deserts that it is justice in God to take them hence and send them to their owne place which is hell Besides many men bring speedy death upon themselves by their own il courses or by sinning against their own bodies by lewd courses by eating up their owne hearts with worldly cares and sorrowes or by living in any grosse sinne to provoke God to cut them off or by falling into such disorder as the Magistrate cuts them off or by laying of violent hands upon themselves or by getting their goods unlawfully to bring upon themselves that curse Ier. 17.11 Finally in this last age of the world there may bee this reason assigned that the Lord makes hast to have the number of his elect fulfilled and therefore he dispatcheth away the generations one after another and so shortneth the daies of man for his elect sake Now for the uses Are our lives so short then it should teach us divers lessons 1 To pray God to make us able to thinke so and so to number our daies that we may not make any reckoning of any long continuance here Psal. 39.3 90.12 2 To make hast and dispatch our repentance and all the businesses that concerne our sound reconciliation and so to walke while wee have the light and to use all good meanes while we enjoy them 3 To redeeme the time and save as much of it as wee can for the uses of a better life Ephs. 5. and to worke the harder to fulfil thy measure and dispatch that taske God hath set thee to doe 4 To lay fast hold upon eternall life 1. Tim. 6. and to make that sure 5 Every day to provide for our departure even all the daies of our appointed time to waite when our changing shall come Iob 14.14 FINIS An Alphabeticall Index of the most Principall things handled throughout the whole Booke A ADoption the glory of it 133 How it is attained 136 Markes thereof 136 Amazement in wives 109 Causes thereof 109 Antiquity when ill pleaded 91 Apparell See Attire Attire reasons against the vanity