vse is good to make the burden of your death more tollerable in the comforts of a better life Oh beare it with patience and let your Earthly passions be moulded with heauenly patience Patientia vera ipsum amat quem portat True patience loues it burthen and let the visions of God thoughts of immortalitie Mortifie your members with your mindes let them kill your Earthly affections So shall you passe without grieuances and say Multi vident Punctiones sed non vident Vnctiones Many see our Afflictions what they are outward but they do not feele our consolations what they are inward Wee are dead and what of that Sith our life is hid with CHRIST in GOD who will Crowne vs euen vppon the Crosse with glorie and Immortalitie Neuer to die any more neuer to sinne any more neuer to sigh any more For Teares shall bee taken from our Eyes sorrow from our soules and sinne from our Hands wee shall now walke before the Lord in the land of the liuing Oh but life is sweet and death is fearfull how may I be prepared against that houre to vndergo it in a Christian patience without earthly passiōs I answer There bee three things that make Death tollerable to each Christian The first is the necessity of dying The second is the Fecilitie of dying And the third is the falicitie of dying For the first that which cannot be auoyded by any power it must be endured with all patience The first Age had it it may pleade Antiquitie The second Age felt it it may pleade continuance And this last Age hath it it will pleade propertie in all flesh till Sinne and Time shal be no more Call it then no newe thing that is so antient Call it no strange thing that is so vsuall and call it not an euill properly thine which is so common with all the world Wilt thou feare that done which is alwayes a dooing I meane thy dying and fearest thou to die in thy last day when by little and little thou dyest euery day Oh well said Saint Paule by our reioycing which I haue in Christ Iesus our Lord 1. Cor. 15. Vers 31. I die daylie Why then I may well say Yee are alwayes a dying and death is still a doing Death is the Ladie and Empresse of all the world it ceazeth vpon all Flesh without surrender of anie till the day of restauration No place no Time no presence can backe it There is no priuiledge against the graue there is no pittie in the graue there is no pleading with the graue And therefore Antiquitie neuer made Altar to Death or did deuotion to it because it was implacable Euer found to be cruell and neuer felt to be kinde But it may bee you will say I might yet liue longer for I am young and in my blood I answere there is no time now to consult with flesh and blood but readily to obey the Heauenly call and for your fewe yeares Seneca saith well He that dieth when hee is young is like one that hath lost a Dye wherewith hee might rather haue lost then wonne Moe yeares might haue insnared you with moe sinnes and haue hardned you in your impenitencie to the hazarde of your liues in this world and your soules in an other And for the flower of your youth if you compare it with Aeternity whither now you goe and long after Ephes. 4. Vers. 15. all are equally young and equally olde for the most extended Age of a man in this worlde is but as a pointe or a Minute the most contracted can be no lesse And here from the necessitie of dying come wee to the facilitie of dying which maketh it lesse fearfull and more tollerable For that the Sense of Death is of no continuance It is buryed in it birth it vanisheth in it thought and the paine is no sooner begunne but it is ended Though the Flesh bee fraile yet the spirit is strong to encounter the crueltie of death and to make it rather a kinde kisse then a cruell Crosse Christ said at his death Father Now the houre is come Io 17. V. 1. glorifie thy Sonne Is there glorie in Death And is it but an houre Non manet diu quòd in horam tantum manet It is of no long abode that abides but an houre And little doe I doubt but in that houre the soule is more rauished with the sight of GOD then the bodie is tormented with the sense of death Nay I am further perswaded in the very soule of my soule that in the houre of death the passion of mortalitie is so beaten backe with the Impression of Aeternitie as the flesh feeleth nothing but what the soule offereth and that is God from whom it came and whither it would as Saint Augustine saith Eadem facilitate qua foelicitate with as great haste as happines And so I passe from the facilitie of dying to the Felicitie and blessednes that commeth thereby Of which I may say as Sampson did of his riddle Out of the eater came meate and out of the strong came sweetnes Iudg. 14. V. 14. Now the meate that cōmeth out of this eater and sweetnes that proceedeth foorth of this strong one is a Sessation of all euill and an endowmēt of all good all euill both poenae culpae are swallowed vp of death and by that dore we haue ready passage to all blessednes wher all good God is Man that is borne of a Woman Iob. 7. V. 6.7 14. V. 1.2 hath but a short time to liue and is full of miserie Oh sweete Death that turneth time into Aeternitie and miserie into mercie This made Saint Paul to say I desire to be dissolued and to bee with Christ This made Dauid to daunce in the middest of his Affliction when he saide I should verily haue fainted but that I verily trust to see the goodnes of God in the land of the liuing This hath supported the soules of Gods Saints in the Seas of their sorrowes when they thought vpon the day of their dissolution wherin they should be made glorious by deliuerance And therefore whether you please to define or diuine of Death what it is if it be rightly broken into it parts and passages the Elect of God shall finde it A going out of prison a shaking off of Gyues an end of banishment a burster of Bands a destruction of toyle an Arriuing at the Hauen a Iourney finished the laying away of a heauy burthen the lighting from a mad and furious horse a deliuerance from a ruinous house and house of claye The end of all griefes the escape of all dangers the destroyer of all euils Natures due Countreys ioy Heauens blisse And all this for that by Death the doore is open and passage made to Blessednes Rest and Immortalitie Luk. 24. V. 26. According to that of him who died for all Ought not Christ to haue suffered and so to haue entered
Luk. 15. Vers. 17. as the louing Fatheer did his lost Childe and say This my Sonne was dead and is aliue againe and he was lost but is found Thirdly Mannah fell from Heauen Exod. 15. Vers 15. when they thought not on it nor knew it not and therefore vpon the sight they said Manhu quid hoc what is this Christ fell downe from heauen like a shower of Raine vpon a fleece of wooll in softnes and in silence his owne knew him not but said Is not this the Carpenters Sonne Who is this that both winde and Seas obey Suddenly hath the Sonne of God rushed vpon you and hath violently taken you out of your sinnes and it cannot be but vpon the sight and relish of his sweete mercies Yee say to the astonishment of your saued soules Manhu who is this that thus fills and feedes our soules with vnspeakable ioy and dulcet loue Fourthly Mannah fell from heauen when Israel was furthest fallen from God murmuring in the wildernes against Moses their gouernour Exit 16. v. 2.3 and Aaron their priest and wishing they had died in Egipt and had neuer heard of Canaan Christ came into this world a Sauiour from sinne when all the world was dead in sinne when the Scepter was gone from Iudah and there was neuer a Prophet left when the sacrifices were ceased and the holy lampes were put out when the house of God was made a denne of theeues and the world was tyred with traditions I say he came when the Lawe was perished from the Priests and the kingdome was in an Ataxie Then euē then came Christ to repaire our ruines to redeeme vs from sinne death and damnation feeding vs with heauenly foode to life and immortalitie And now tell me you that are to die were yee not violently taken to grace when yee were furthest fallen from God when running on in sinne did he not repaire your ruines and did he not thinke vpon you ere yee thought vpon him are not these his mercies pressing out your teares of repentance are they not mercifull preuentions meeting with your miseries doth he not euen now by this temporall death deliuer you from eternall destruction both of body and soule for euer Surely the Lord hath found you out in an acceptable time when you may redeeme a bad life with a blessed death and in the waste and roaring wildernes of this world wherein yee haue wandered tedious waies he hath filled you with Mannah and brought you to Canaan I meane to heauen the land of your inheritance But me thinkes I see you sigh in the silence of your soules and say with griefe of heart notwithstanding all I haue said of Christ in whom yee are hidde and secured alas and woe is me therefore though I be hidde in my Christ yet I die in my sinne and then am I gone with those reprobate Iewes Of whom Christ saide Yee shall seeke me and shall dye in your sinnes whither I goe can yee not come Io. 8. V. 21. Wherevnto I answere to breake off sinne by repentance is a blessed thing but to liue in the solace of sinning and so to die is most woefull and miserable And therefore I say 1. That it if one thing to dye in sinne 2. An other thing to dye with sinne 3. And a third thing to die for sinne The Reprobate from God they die in their sinne whiles they perseuere in sinne to the ende hauing neither sense nor feeling of their wickednes but make shipwracke of a good conscience without care to cure the malady of their soules either by Faith in Christ or Repentance towards God And so one liueth in his Idolatrie and dyeth in his Idolatrie another liueth in his Adulterie and dyeth in his Adulterie a third liueth in his oppression ad dyeth in his oppression a fourth liueth in his malice and dyeth in his malice a fift liueth in his stealth and dieth in his stealth All in their impenitence against the Lord and neuer breaking off their sinne till sinne haue lodged them in their graues and buried them in their impietie Absolon liued in sinne and died in sinne he liued in sinne when he lay with his fathers concubines in the sight of the sonne Absolon died in sinne when in the height of his ambition pride and rebellion his owne lockes hanged him and Ioabs speare pearced him quaelis vita finis ita such a life such a death he sinned with sollace but he died with sorrowe So I may say of Saul Iudas Pharaoh Iulian and of al the damned crue of desperate Epicures who dare say in despight of God and Christ of death and doome let vs eate and drinke to morrowe we shall die and so an end Nay then is no end but a beginning of sorrow neuer to end But to die with sinne is so to kill sinne in this mortall body as not to suffer it to rise rule and rebell like a tyrant but to suppresse it with a continuall fight and mortification and though happily wee cannot beate backe the fume but it will smoake in vs yet must wee striue to quench the flame that it burne vs not to sinders And thus haue the godly of all ages died with their sinne and so fought against sinne as they neuer died in their sinne alwaies crying with the blessed Apostle Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of sinne And with holy Iob If I wash my selfe with Snowe water Iob. 9. v. 30.31 and purge mine hands most cleane yet shall thou plunge me in the pitte and mine owne cloathes shall make me filthie These feele their sinnes but withall they finde a sauiour these sorrow for their sinnes and yet reioyce in their Infirmities They feare a daunger but they finde a deliuerance yea they knowe and are well assured that though sinne doe abound yet grace doth superabound they wash their stoles in the blood of the lambe and their red bloodie sinnes are made shim white in the tincture of his blood euery drop whereof is sufficient to redeeme a thousand worlds In a word 2. Cor. 12. v. 9. these are they who reioyce in weakenes and take pleasure in their infirmities that the power of God may dwell in them these are they whom Sathan often buffeteth least they should be exalted out of measure with the aboundance of reuelations these pray to be deliuered and though they preuaile not yet doe they heare to the solace of their saued soules euen from him whose lippes are powdered with much grace My grace is sufficient for thee for my power is made perfect through weakenes my grace hath preuented thee my grace doth assist thee my grace shall perfect thee these are they who mince with no merit but relie vpon the meere mercie of their Christ euer liuing in sinne and yet dying to sinne with an assured hope that their sinnes are purged pardoned forgotten and not imputed as and if their soules should thus solace
themselues in the free remission of their sinnes those sinnes which thou hast not purged ô my Christ those hast thou pardoned Lastly to die for sinne is so sole and proper to Christ as it can be said of none to haue done it but himselfe For he trode the winepresse alone and of all the world there was none to helpe him he alone was the lambe of God that tooke away the sinnes of the world and the glorious voyce that came downe from heauen fell vpon him and none other This is my welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him What should I say more he died he died the Iust for the vniust the innocent for the delinquent and he that knew no sinne died for all sinne all curse and execration lay vpon him who deserued none that it might be laide off vs he matched all miserie that he might merit all mercy Nay he died for our sinnes a dolorous death that he might gaine for vs an eternall and glorious life Good Lord how much are we obliged to thee and to thy death we sinned and thou smarted for vs we were in debt and thou dischargedst it we were euen dropping downe to hell and in suffering thou hast made vs soueraignes in heauen No sacrifice no salue no electuarie could cure the maladie of our sinnes but the death of the Phisitian must be the life of the Patient and therefore in this I may say in some sense as Tulli did to his wife Terentia in that his wofull exile In hoc miserior sum quam tu quae es miserima quod calamitas communis est vtrisque nostrum culpa mea propria herein might it well beseeme me ô my Christ to be more afflicted then thou whose afflictions are aboue all afflictions that the fall is common to vs both but the fault is properly mine for I haue sinned and thou hast smarted the Iust for the vniust And here the rather to breake your hearts with the balme of Christ his loue who died for your sinnes let me assure you in the faith how diuersly this his vnspeakable loue is confirmed and sealed vnto you both by bond and baile for he hath sworne to your saluation and he hath put in himselfe body for body Nay soule for soule to answere the rigour of his father that you his children might be free Psal 9.10 For the first true it is the Lord hath sworne and it hath not repented him thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizadecke A Priest to pray a Priest to bleede a Priest to pleade neuer wanting to stand vp in the gap for vs most miserable sinners Had it not beene enough to haue prayed for vs vpon Mount Oliuet but he must bleede for vs vpon Mount Caluerie And had it not beene sufficient there to haue bled for vs but yet in the heauen of heauens to stand for vs an aduocate euen there to pleade our cause according to that of Saint Iohn If any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father 1. Ioh. 2. euen Iesus Christ the righteous c. Now in this oath and couenant he hath made with vs and for vs I obserue 1. Stabilitie In that it is from God for so it is said the Lord hath sworne he hath sworne that it is much and he hath sworne neuer to repent him of that he hath done that is more it repented God that he had made man but it neuer repented him that he had redeemed man so much more excellent then is the worke of our Redemption aboue that of our Creation this of Creation greeued for but that of Redemption neuer repented of and no maruell sith the sinnes of the olde water were once washed away with olde water but these with new blood strained out of the vaines of Christ euery droppe whereof was sufficient to redeeme a thousand worlds and therefore I may well say of this gift aboue all that euer God gaue to man that these gifts of God are Ametamellonta without repentance And this is the holy couenant the Lord made with vs before the world was for the safe keeping whereof he hath put in his Christ to enter both bond and baile Life for life body for body soule for soule as the blessed Apostle saith A Suretie of a better Couenant the worthines whereof as I haue said is 1. In firmitudine as confirmed by oath for the Lord hath sworne 2. in perpetuitate as abiding euer for of his kingdome there is no end 3. in pactionis modo ratified with blood neither of Buls nor Calues but with the pretious blood of Iesus Christ 4. In fine virtute as purging our sinnes purchasing our place and pleading our cause whereas Moses testament was established vpon no such sauing grounds for it was confirmed without oath and but for a time with the blood of Buls and Goates with the ashes of an Heyfer scattered in the ayre nor with any promise of eternall saluation but of a temporall rest and Canaan And thus of the aboundance of Christ his grace we haue all receiued grace for grace A grace preuenting when hee thought vpon vs ere we thought vpon him and met our miserie with his mercie A grace assisting supporting our frailtie and fashioning our faith and obedience to his holy will and a grace perfecting Neuer leauing vs till hee haue made vs to appeare before his Father in perfect beautie thus saying Oh Father here am I and the Children which thou hast giuen mee and nowe pardon them because thou hast plagued mee Me me adsum qui feci in me conuertite ferrum ô Rutuli nihil iste nec ausus nec potuit It is I that haue beene made sinne for them and paide the raunsome for their deathes thou ô my GOD hast turned thy furie vpon mee I haue selte it ô turne it from them that they fall not who neither durst nor could endure my danger or drinke of my Cuppe Shall not the Iudge of all the worlde doe according to right That which thou hast punished in mee thou mayest not punish in them againe Oh my GOD heare my prayer forgiue them for they knew not what they did and forgiue them their sinnes with the punishment of their sinnes for me thy sonne and their Sauiours sake And heere seasonable to you be it spoken who are but lookers on and beholders of these wofull tragedies these are now readie to be sacrificed and to act the last and best part of their life vpon the Altar of their Crosse you stay behinde how long God hee knoweth and must endure the warres and woes of this wicked world take heede you trample not vnder your feete the blood of that couenant which these penitent sinners haue laide to their hearts and treasured vp in their dearest thoughts Nor doe you thinke that onely they are sinners vpon whom this Tower of Siloah is fallen for and if yee doe not repent yee shall likewise perish I dare not for my
THE DAMPE OF DEATH BEATEN backe with the glorious light and life of Iesus Christ In a Sermon Preached at Lancaster Assises in Lent last to the condemned Prisoners there and before the Honourable Iudges and Worshipfull of that Countie By William Leigh Bachelor in Diuinitie and Pastor at Standish 1. Cor. 15. v. 57. Thankes be to God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ LONDON Printed by Tho Creede for Arthur Iohnson dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the white Horse 1613. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL THOmas Tildesley Esquire his Maiesties Atturney generall within the Countie Palantine of Lancaster and Vice Chancellor of his Highnes Court of Chancerie there Grace be multiplied in this world and blessednes in the world to come Worshipfull Syr. YOur loue hath ouerawed me much in this busines wherein it hath pleased God and you to put me and for because your place and praise is in the Gospell I durst not consult with flâ—sh and blood but haue as you may see most willingly obeyed the heauenly call The Sermon being ended at Lancaster in Lent Assises last where I was enioyned by authoritie to preach to the prisoners then condemned to die it was your desire to have a copie in priuate of that which was then deliuered in publique at what time I truely tolde you my Notes were scattered and vndisgested rather carried in my heart then in my hand yet would God assisting me in conuenient time binde them together ere they were too farre fallen out of my minde and memorie which I haue here done accordingly and sent them to your worship as a constat of my vnfained loue yet with this Caution you neuer thinke what was then deliuered by voyce can be carried so powerfully in papers as it was in speech The words contained in the two tables which God gaue to Moses from the holy Mount were first spoken by the mouth of God ere they were written by the finger of God and then carried into the valley to be heard and kept of all the people So may I likewise say of the Gospell Voyces and Prophesies went of the blood of Christ ere euer it dropt out of his veines But if gratious words had not fallen from the mouth of Christ Christians had neuer conceiued either the power or vertue of his death For as there is a blood of redemption so there is a word of reconsiliation and surely where the word teacheth not there the blood droppeth not you are religiously wise to conceiue whereat I ayme To wit that reading preaching and practizing of pietie may all goe together like Saul and Ionathan of whom it is said that they were louely in their liues and at their deaths were not diuided Learned you are in your owne lawes and therefore knowe better then I can tell that though the body of your lawes lie in your bookes yet the soule thereof is in your mootes and pleadings as also that the barre and bench doe more powerfully end and profitably determine our causes then the bookes in your chambers can doe I speake in no desperagement either of your bookes or our Bibles which in themselues are learned sacred and holy but to intimate to all the world that if you pleade not and we preach not neither states can long stand nor soules can be ordinarily saued For though holy bookes be holy Oracles and registers of Gods truth Malachi 2. v. 7. Yet must the Priests lippes preserue knowledge and the people must seeke the lawe at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts Good Sir take what I haue written in lieu of my loue may it pleasure you and benefit Soules either liuing in this world or dying to a better it is all I wish in my heart it is all I begge in my prayer and what is in my power or Element to doe it shall be alwaies yours my penne is yours my paines are yours my selfe am yours to be commaunded in him who commandeth all with my daily prayer to God for you and yours euer to be kept vnder his holy and helping hand of prouidence and protection And so I cease your further trouble but neuer leaue to loue and honour you as I am much bounden Standish this seuenteenth day of Aprill 1613. Your worships euer and so assured in his loue William Leigh THE DAMPE OF DEATH BEATEN BACKE WITH THE glorious light and life of Iesus Christ Colloss 3. verse 3.4 For yee are dead and your life is hidde with Christ in good When Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall yee also appeare with him in glorie WHen I last supplied this place in your honourable presence as now I doe and preached vnto those poore delinquents then readie to die by the doome of iustice I was sharpely censured of some that I preached too much mercie and too little Iudgement and that like an vnskilfull Samaritan I powred into the sores of those wounded soules and broken hearts ouer much oyle and too little vineger Which and if I did I might well say with the Prophet Ieremiah in a cause not much different Ierem. 20.7 O my God if I be deceiued thou hast deceiued me thou hast deceiued me with the extent of thy mercy which reacheth farre euen from the nethermost hell to the highest heauens Thou hast deceiued me with the height of thy mercie which is aboue all thy workes for thy mercie O Lord stretcheth it selfe vnto the heauens and thy truth vnto the cloudes thou hast deceiued me with the depth of thy mercie for one depth calleth vpon an other but that of mercie swalloweth vp all Nay thou hast deceiued me with thine holy offerings of mercie vpon thine holy Altar who hast said I will haue mercie and not sacrifice But oh my God thou art not deceiued neither can thy mercies be limited in thy bountie and why shall they be straitned in my bowels It may be Nature hath made me ouermilde and the sinnes of the world require I should be seuere yet this must I say withall that neither my ouermilde disposition nor yet the worlds transgression shall euer make me cruell against the penitent And such you are whose salt teares this day doe well expresse your sorrowfull hearts who hauing beene humbled at the barre of Gods Iustice why should you not appeale to the barre of his mercie to seeke and sue for grace to helpe in time of need For when is need if not now when the feare of death is before your face when the horrour of your sinnes cryeth vengeance against your soules wheÌ„ your best friends faile you and this whole world forsaketh you when Sathan winnoweth you like wheate because he knoweth he hath but a short time when is need if not now to pray that your faith faile you not that the Lord would be propitious and that no temptation fall vpon you greater then you are able to beare but that euen in the middest of the temptation
the Lord would giue you a gratious issue and that so vpon your dissolution which is at hand you might be translated out of this miserable world to liue with God in the mercies of a better Pardon me then againe to passe by these turbulent waters of Iorden I meane of Iudgement that runne roughly vpon the Rockes of your sinne and giue me leaue yet still to bathe in the sweete running waters of Shilo I meane mercie that goe softly by Syon and when Iordan is driuen backe with the Ocean of Gods mercies you may more speedily make your passage into Canaan the land of your inheritance Now therefore to you be it spoken poore suppliants ouer whom we pray with teares and preach with passion lift vp your hearts aboue the height of all Sublimitie Settle your affections on things that are aboue and not on things that are belowe For thoe yee be dead what of that yet your life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ which is your life shall appeare then shall yee appeare with him in glorie The Text is like the fierie Chariot that carried vp Eliah into heauen 2. Kings 2. v. 11. which thoe happily it might turne his bodie into Synders yet it neuer left him till it had brought his soule into solace And it runnes as you may heare see vpon three wheeles the first is of death the second of life and the third of glorie Death goeth before Life followeth after and glorie perfecteth all and so as I may say there is blessednes in death there is blessednes in life and there is blessednes in glorie and with this three folde gable yee are halled vp to heauen Yee are dead that is your blessed mortification Your life is hid with Christ in God that is your blessed regeneration And when Christ which is your life shall appeare then shall yee appeare with him in blessednes that is your glorie Or thus yee are dead that is your blessed crosse but your life is hid in Christ that is your blessed shade or couer and when Christ shall appeare then shall yee appeare with him in glorie that is your blessed crowne and diadem of all heauenly delights Gen. 27. v. 26.27 It is said of aged Isaacke that when his sonne Iacob had prepared for him such sauourie meate as his soule loued cooked and seasoned with the cunning hand of Rebeckah his mother Isaack called vnto him and said Come hither my sonne and let me kisse thee before I die for me thinkes the smell of thy garments is like vnto the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed Though most of you be young yet are yee now aged dead to this world as Isaacke was and I hope the meate prepared for you is such sauorie meate as your soule loueth Cooked with a more curious and cunning hand then that of Rebeckah for the spirit of God hath spoken it by the mouth of Paul and therefore come and kisse your Christ before yee die sith the sweete smell and odour thereof is like vnto the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed For now are yee blessed in death blessed in life and blessed in glorie First then my deare brethren beloued and longed for I say beloued in the best loue which is of Iesus Christ and longed for with a longing desire of your speedie saluation euen at the instant of your desolution let it not seeme strange vnto you that there should be a blessednes in death The truth hath spoken it you may belieue it Reuell 14. v. 13. The dead that die in the Lord are fully blessed Amodo euen now they rest from their labours and their workes follow them This voyce saith Iohn fell downe from heauen that in the sweete ayre thereof breathing life into our soules our dead and dul harts might be comforted and euen here in the midst of death neuer to despaire of life You haue heard belowe in this valley of teares many fearefull voyces when sinne and shame runne after you as it were with Hue and Crye and when yee weare taken in your transgressions against God and the King it was a fearefull voyce when putting your selues vpon God and your countrey yee were found guiltie by the verdict of twelue iust men yet more were yee daunted when yee were sentensed to die with this irreuocable doome from the mouth of Gods minister yee shall goe to the prison from whence yee came thence to the place of execution there shall you hang vntill you be dead and Christ haue mercie vpon your soules your hearts were shaken to heare that voyce and the mercifull Iudge tendering dropped downe teares to pronounce the Iudgement the standers by were compassionate and the whole Bench was moued with your miserie yet what of all this Sith all these voyces are beaten backe with a voyce of greater Maiestie Euen thus The dead that die in the Lord are fully blessed Or as it is in my Text Yee are dead but your life is hid with Christ in God c. But happily it may seeme a Paradox to your passionate hearts that a man should wither and yet flourish that a man should be breathles yet breath that a man should be senselesse and yet feele that a man should be dead and yet aliue Ye are dead yet is your life hid in Christ c. Surely Nature can neuer sounde it yet grace may apprehend it thus It is possible to die to sinne and yet liue to righteousnes It is possible to die to this world and yet liue to a better It is possible like a Dead man to walke vpon this Earth and yet to haue his cōuersation in Heauen Nay it is possible that heauen earth should so blend in one as that one and the selfe same man should be dead in himselfe and yet liue to his God It was so with Saint Paule when hee said Whether in the bodie or out of the bodie I cannot tell God hee knoweth but me thinkes I see things that are invtterable It was so with Iohn Reuel 1. V. 10. V. 17. when Rauished in spirit he fell down dead vpon the sight and at the feete of that heauenly vision It was so with Daniel when groueling vpon the ground Daniell 8. V. 16.17.18 hee lay as dead yet heard a voyce betweene the Bankes of Hula which said Gabriell make this dead man to vnderstand the Vision It was so with Ezekiel at the Riuer Kebar when he was caried betweene heauen earth by the haires of his head And so both heard saw the diuine vision Ezekiel 8. V. 3. All these were aliue and yet dead they were rauished in spirit and therefore lauish of their bodies their thoughts were not mortall whether in their bodies or out of their bodies they could not tell Nor did they care either for the crosses or comfortes of this transitorie worlde so they might solace their soules in the Ioyes of a better The
into his rest You may not leape out of your mothers warme wombe into your fathers hotte Ioy but you must a while endure death that yee may be dignified I had almost said deified Phil. 3. v 21. Reuell 14. v. 4. and surely you shall be neare it for yee are borne of God and yee shall be fashioned like vnto Christ and followe the lambe whither euer he goeth And now tell me in lieue of all I haue said if death doe thus diuide vs from all euill and put vs into all good if death be like the gathering Ost Dan that commeth last to gather vp the lost and forlorne hope in this world that they may be found in a better whether is it better to liue in sorrowe or die with solace Let Agamedes and Trophonius assoile the doubt of whom it is written by Plato in his Axioco that after they had built the Temple of Apollo Delphicke they begged of God he would grant them that which would be most beneficiall for them whereupon they went to bed and there tooke their last sleepe and the day after they were found both dead in token that the day of death is better then the day of life this beeing the enterance that the end of all miserie The vse is good in preparing vs to affliction a continual current euer running ouer our backes euen from our birth vnto our buriall with a continuall Archers shot piercing our vaines and breaking our bones from which we are neuer deliuered but in the day of our death Gen. 35. v. 18. when Bonony the sonne of my sorrowe is turned into Beniamin the sonne of my right hand and Rahels Crosse is crowned with Iaâ—â—s strength And heare seasonably may I descend to the next part of my Text and turne the second wheele carrying you from death to life wherein you are hid for your life is hid in Christ that is your comfort Nay that is your Tower and though death like a dampe may seeme to put out all the delights of pleasure yet when it hath brought vs to the doore of life it is beaten backe with a more glorious light for then is your life hid with Christ in God there to be carefully kept in grace that yee may be crowned with him in glorie Soule now and body then in that blessed vnion of faith and day of restauration when this mortalitie shall put one immortalitie I say carefully kept in the bosome of thy Christ Psal 16.7 Isai 32.2 as in a retyring campe after the day of battell kept as in an hiding place from the winde and as the shadowe of a great rocke in a wearie land kept vs in a sanctuarie to shrowde in and as in one of the Cities of refuge to flee vnto when sinne hell and death followe after with hue and Cry kept as Ioseph was in the drie pit at Dothan froÌ„ the rage of his brethren 1. Sam. 22.1 1. King 19.8.9 1. King 18.13 2. King 11.2 kept as Dauid was in the Caue of Adullam from the rage of Saul kept as Elijah was at HebroÌ„ from the ire of Iesabell kept as the hundreth Prophets were by Obedea froÌ„ the furie of Ahab Nay kept as Ioas was in the louing lap of Ioram from the bloodie designes of Athalia And thus is your life hid in Christ and so kept as no violence can reach it no treason can intrap it no tyrannie can betray it No pollicie or puisance can fetch it out My sheepe saith Christ Ioh. 10. v. 28. heare my voyce and I knowe them they followe me and I giue them eternall life they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hands where he doth not say any maÌ„ but any That is to say any sinne any death or any diuell And therefore I may safely secure my soule in the sweete repose of my God and Christ when all my friends flee from me and all mine enemies fly vpon me as they did vpon my Christ when hanging vpon the tree in greatest torments yet found out an issue said Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Luke 23. v. 46. Againe if all this be not sufficient to secure thee yet know further that Christ is the storehouse and treasurie of all mercie in whom are hid with thee as the Apostle saith all the riches of wisedome and knowledge of grace mercie and peace of loue life and saluation neuer exhausted but euer full and flowing in all aboundance yea and farre aboue all earthly treasures in these seuerall respects Quia violentia non aufertur Antiquitate non Corrumpitur Communitate multiplicatur paupertate acquiritur iucunditate possidetur ex spiritualibus Componitur For the first the treasure in this store-house is such as no violence can fetch it thence no Moth can eate it no Canker can corode it no theeues can break through or steale no furie no combustion no winde from the wildernes no violeÌ„ce of the Sabeians no Caldean bands can burst in where thy God and Christ haue treasured vp thy life and thy saluation Nor is it euer altered with time decayed or exhausted The Persian store is now emptied and deuouring time hath eaten out their rich treasure the Assirian wealth is worne out and Babels burse is broken downe the great Maguzin of the Medes is moulded to dust and Romes reuenues are lestned since Cesars time the mightie Monarches of the world are either worne out or weakened in their wealth in their wit in their power and in their puisance The imperiall citie is shallow in store because it is sunke in sinne and become a cage for all filthie birds Lastly it pittieth me to think vpon Salomons store when gold and siluer weare as stones in the streete tract of time hath spent it and now Ierusalems riches is in her ruines All these are gone and their pompe was in the pride of a daies continuance but the Author of daies our God and Christ hath a treasure more permanent and which abideth euer Yea and aboue all the treasures in this world in a third respect and that is Quia Communitate multiplicatur all earthly treasures are speÌ„t in bestowing this heauenly wealth is multiplied in giuing Pro. 11. v. 24. There is that scattereth saith Salomon and is more increased there is that spareth and commeth to pouertie And here is the difference betwixt God and vs the more he giueth the more he hath the more we scatter the lesse we haue The Fountaine of Gods grace is alwaies open and the more that floweth from him the fuller he is one Depth calleth vpon an other but the Depth of his mercie is bottomles Fourthly this treasure excelleth others Quod paupertate acquiritur Christ his coffers are filled with paine and pouertie according to that Math. 19. v. 21. If thou wilt be perfect goe sell that thou hast and giue it to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen and come and followe me And