your Armour of Proof on your spiritual Armour Object But to what purpose is that I shall be conquer'd let me do my best Was ever man able to grapple with Death and so to overcome Doth it not alwayes get the Victory where ever it comes Is it not called a Aequa legâ— Necessitas sortitur insignes et imos Hor. Necessitas So Iob 18.14 According to the Seventy b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let necessity lay hold on him We reade it The King of terrours c Sol a insuperabile fatum c. Ovid. Metamorph. lib. 15. Can any one man overcome that which overcomes all men Resol It is true there is no man is or can be death-proof by any Armour of proof the thickest Walls it can pierce it can scale the highest Walls it can cut through the strongest Coat of Mail. But yet as it was said of d Vtque animadvertit undique se strictis pugionibus peti togâ caput obvolvit simul sinistrâ manu sinum ad ima crura deduxit quo honestius caderet etiam inseriore corporis parte velata Sueton. Iulius Caesar when he saw there was no remedy but die he must the Assassinatours pressing so hard upon him and adding so many wounds to him He covered his head with his Gown and with his left hand drew down the fold of his Garment over his legs that he might fall modestly Covering his lower parts that the nakedness of life might not be seen and covering his face that the Deformities of Death might not be lookt on So if thou canst not avoid the mortal wound of Death yet laboul in another sense honestè cadere Die with a good Name and a good Report and a good Conscience 2. This preparation will serve for an after Victory for as Christ led Captivity captive and triumphed over Death which had before triumphed over him so shall we if we die in Christ and live to Christ We must be content to lose the Victory that we may gain it and give ground at first that we may gain ground at last of this our Enemy And mark what pieces of Armour are necessary against Satan or the World the same are necessary against Death Yet when we have done all we can We are but poor Souldiers it is our Cheiftaine that gets the Victory for us The Weapon of this Enemy wherewith he doth all the mischief that is a sting that Death carries a sting with it A sting is first telum naturale Nature gives stings to those Creatures that have stings it is not any artificial Weapon as the Sword or Bowe 2. Poenale it puts the Creature that is stung be it Man or Beast to a great deal of smart and pain for the time it is very a terrifying pain 3. Lethale some especially are so poysonsom viz. of Adders and Vipers and other Serpents that they corrupt and enflame the bloud and poyson the body and in short time bring Death This sting the Apostle sayes is sin vers 56. For as the Scorpion by the sting transfuses a deadly poyson into those upon whom it fastens so (a) Aculeum enim mortis esse peccatum utque multò gravius malum ipsa morte utpote in quo suas illa vires habeat omnes jam manifestum est Death kils by sin Were it not for sin Death would be weaponless and stingless a toothless thing (b) Or rather it would not be at all For it is Sin only stings men to death It would be to us but as it is to herbs and plants which die in the Winter but live again in the Summer So it would be but as a benumming for a short time whereas sin by which Death stings leaves such a poyson in the nature of man that he shall never recover himself by any natural power as the herb or flower but onely by the mighty power of God in Iesus Christ. Therefore we can never be sufficiently thankfull to him Sequel 1 that shall disarm Death for us and draw out the sting And who is it that can disarm such an universal Enemy but he that hath the universal Militia of all the World the Lord of hosts is his Name But of this more anon in the fourth part If Death carry a sting with it and that sting be sin as Sequel 2 appears by what follows or which is the Apâ—stles meaning as Aquinas well notes [c] Sciendum est autem quod strimulus mortis potest dici vel stimulans ad mortem vel quo utitur seu quem facit mors Sed literalis sensus est stimulus mortis i. e. stimulans ad mortem quia qomo per peccatum est impuâ—sus et dejectus ad mortem Aquin. in 1 Cor. 15. if sin sting men to Death How can we sufficiently wonder at the fool-hardiness of mortal men who make nothing of it to dally and play with sin as if it were some toothless harmless thing as if it were some harmless play-fellow To see people play with Dogs or Birds to see them stroke them and take them in their arms is not strange but to see people play with Snakes and Adders with Scorpions and Cockatrices is a most strange sight and what do men do otherwise in dallying with sin The Serpent in the Garden left a sting in Adams disobedience Adam could not be content with the fruit of Paradise and so was stung to Death by his disobedience As the Israelites could not be content with (a) Numb 21.6 These serpents fiery teeth being the just punishment of their fiery tongues Or the serpents tongue which is his sting being the just punishment of their tongues become stings Manna and so God sent amongst them fiery Serpents which stung them to death that they who murmured at mercies might now have something to murmur for (b) The greatest of boasters is vanquisht by one of the least of creatures Orion boasted that the earth could not produce any such Monster which he would not undertake to encounter and kill and yet this man was after killed by a Scorpion Thus the proud sinner that dares Heaven and Earth Angels and Men nay God himself and all is killed with the sting of one sin It (c) That was applied to him to wound which is ordinarily used for healing was a strange death that Marcus Arethusius the Martyr was put to by Julian the Apostate which was to be annointed all over with honey and so to be stung to death with Waspes and Bees But this is the death of every sinner he annoints himselfe with the sweetness and pleasure of sin and so is stung to death for his labour You that are yet in your sins that draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with carr-ropes will no warning serve you Hath not sin been represented to you in the Book of God and by the Ministers of God and through the judgements of God as the most infectious poyson-some
dangerous mortal thing that can be imagined Hath it not been laid open to you the very Monster of Nature the shame of the Creature the d Sicut putredo aufert pomo decorem colorem odorem et saporem sic peccatum aufert animae decorem vitae odorem fama valorem gratiae saporem gloriae Bonavent spot of the soul the darkness of the minde the obliquity of that which was straight the infection of that which was sound the weakness of that which was strong and the death of that which was living Hath it not been displayed as a sore a wound a stench and now as a sting and will you still venter upon it nay follow after it delight in it nay yet defend and patronize it What then shall we say to draw off your hearts Expressions will not do it warning will not effect it The Lord by the Key of David unlock your hearts that what hath been spoken to you may prevail with you That you may shun the evil and choose the good and though you cannot avoid Death you may avoid what you can the sting of Death which is sin There is a supposed Victory or Conquest which the Enemy for a time hath over all men yea over the Elect themselves O Grave thy Victory (a) Therefore death hath dominion over them that are dead Rom. 6.9 Death hath no more dominion over Christ Rom. 5. v. 14. Death reigned from Adam to Moses this Reign of Death presupposes a Victory that Death hath obteined v. 16. Death reigned by one Psal 55.4 The terrours of Death Why terrours because every one that conquers is still terrible to them he conquers Cant. 8.6 Love is as strong as Death Victorious over our Lives It as easily dissolving the hands and twists that hold soul and body together as Sampson did the cords and withes with which he was bound [a] Prima mors animam pellit volentem a corpore secunda mors animam volentem tenet in corpore Aug. de Civ Dei b This is that which cuts asunder that golden Link that knits the matter and form the body and soul into one compound and so dissolves the composition This is that Bill of Divorce that severs not onely two that were one flesh but two that were one person one man This is that two-edged sword not that divides between the joynts and the marrow the soul and spirit for that is the Word of God but that which cuts betwixt the soul and body the spiritual and fleshy part This is that sword that cuts the knot at one blow which perfection of constitution and diligence about Diet together with the Art of the Physician hath seemed to make up indissoluble It is victorious over our Bodies being dead for it keeps them down to corruption Psal 16.10 Spoken of Christ but cannot be said of us Psal 49.9 â—hat should still live and not see corruption It never leaves stamping and trampling upon us till it hath beaten us to * As Moses did the Molten-calf dust (a) It drives us to the very wals of our first matter It is a most insulting victorious Enemy it even then treads and insults over us when we are down It never leaves us so long as it can finde but one inch left of these mortal Bodies (b) No such tyrant as death because no tyrant can tyrannize more than by inflicting death Nay so it tyrannizes over us that it makes even the Wormes that rise out of us to devour us Over our very memories For it makes us in a short to be forgotten as if we had never been Psal 31.12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of minde I am like a broken vessell The Psalmist puts them fitly together as a dead man and as a broken Vessell because the dead man is as a broken Vessell Eccles 9.5 The memory of them is forgotten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. Of those that are dead Not onely they are forgotten but their memory if they have been memorable yet they are forgotten How many millions of men that have lived upon earth and that to old age and yet have left no print or footsteps of themselves behind them (c) Dignum certe est ut ipsorum memoria maneat Muscul in Math. 26. Yet this is not universally true of all some having been so famous in their generations such especially as are recorded in the Word of God as no time shall eate them out of remembrance no age but shall speak of them The manner how 1. By divine permission irresistibly Eccles 8.8 There is no man hath power over the spirit to retaine the spirit neither hath he power in the day of death It will force the Scholler to lay aside his bookes because no arguments can confute Death no Rhetorique perswade it nay no Inchantments can take hold of it It will cause the Souldier to lay down his sword or take it per force out of his hand no weapon can kill nor strength repulse it It will force the Emperour to lay downe his Crowne and let fall his Scepter for no power can master it no authoritie can over-rule it It is in vaine to lay ambushments or to contrive any Stratagems for this Conqueror cannot be ensnared It is in vaine to raise any batteries or plant any Ordnance against it for no violence can over-master it It is in vaine to dig any mines to lay any traps for Death will counter-mine aâ—l undertakings and underworkings against it self 2. According to the course of Nature irrevocably so that if we look no higher than that this all-conquering Enemy shall goe on conquering and never be conquered For (a) Sed haec fides ut est in primis necessaria ita difficillima semper habitat fuit quod humanae rationis intelligentia quam maxime videretur esse remota Estius in sentent lib. 4. part 2. dest 43. Res est creditu dissicilis ubi putredine consumpta fuerint corpora tandem suo tempore resurrectura esse Itaque cum multi ex philosophis asseruerint immortales esse animas carnis resurrectio à paucis probata fuit in quo etsi nulla fuit excusatio inde tamen monemur rem esse magis arduam quam ut hominum sensus ad se trahat Calv. Institut lib. 3. ver 25. Sect. 3. Nature doth not teach a Resurrection but rather furnishes us with arguments against it Acts 17.32 When they heard of the Resurrection some mocked Men led onely by principles of Philosophy wil jeere at such a Doctrine By experience it conquers universally Veni vidi vici I have come seen and overcome may well be the devise in Deaths black colours It hath passed over all men and reigned over all men (b) Vnde non importunè neque incongrue arbitror accidisse etsi non humnâ industria judicio forâ—asse divino ut hoc-verbum quod est moritur in latina lingua nec grammatici declinare potuerint
land how is the [i] Hoc est Babylon quae quasi malleus adamantinus percussit et contudit totam terram ita ut nihil quantumvis durum vel aeneumei resistere aut ejus ictum sustinere possit quin confringereturet dissilâ—ret A Lapid in loc Haec ipsa de morte dici possunt quae omnia confringit a Christo tandem confrigenda hammer of the whole earth cut asunder that like Iael's hammer doth not onely kill but nailes us to the earth for a certaine time Rom. 16.20 The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly So Death under your feet shortly to shew that we are to enjoy the benefit of this Victory But God shall bruise to shew that he must have the glory of the Victory and therefore Christ triumphed over his own death when he was carried up into heaven in a cloud as in a chariot for so Elias his vehiculum was called my Father the Chariots of Israel and the Horsemen thereof And one will have it that when Christ ascended up to Heaven the Angels went before and proclaimed Lift up your heads ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in 6. Why is this great Victory obtained 1. That no enemie may be left and this is the last enemie Object But is not the hell of wicked men an enemie No To them it is an enemy but not to Christ and his Members because it is the very execution of his enemies This Ark will not leave one Dagon standing 2. That man may be made up again that Death hath taken and kept asunder 3. That his wonderfull Power may be manifest Victory declares Power Psal 49.15 We reade of the power of the Grave but Christ will have all the World to see that which now onely some of the World believes that his power is greater than the power of the Grave Psal 106.8 He saved Israel at the Red Sea to make his power to be known 4. That his glory may appear in his power as his power in Victory [a] And having spoyled principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it Vt autem praeclaram hanc Christi victoriam mentis nostrae oculis visendam praebeat utitur illustribus metaohoris desumptis a consuetudine triumphantum imperatorum Nam illud verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alludit ad illam consuetudinem qua victores solebant victos armis spoliare eadem que pro trophaeo illîc figere ubi in fugam hostes versi sunt Quod autem addit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spectat illam triumphantium pompam in qua solebant ignominiae causâ ducis captivos inter se junctos agere ante curium suum triumphalem toto populo inspectante acclamante Cicero in Pisonem hunc morem triumphantium hisce verbis depingit quid tandem habet iste currus quid vincti ante currum duces quid simulacra oppidorum quid aurum quid argentum et c. Daven in Coloss Coloss 2.15 He will raise himself glory out of the confusion of his Enemies and honour out of the destruction of his Adversaries Shall Death be disarmed and the Grave conquered Corol 1 and shall we sit still and do nothing Shall Christ overcome for us hereafter and shall not we overcome for him now Are we such perfect men and such compleat Saints that we have no lusts to mortifie no temptations to vanquish Poor men Lusts God knowes too many and temptations too frequent but we neither feel the burden of the one nor know the danger of the other When King Francis the first of that name was resolved to go into Italy to recover the Dukedom of Milan he advised with his Privy Councel which way to get into Italy his Fool met him as he came from the Councel-board and told him his Councel had dealt unwisely with him for they had told him how to get into Italy but not how he should get out again It is so with us our carnal Friends can shew us the way into dangerous temptations into a Noli conscentire concuiscentiae tuae Non est unde concipiat nisi de te Aug. homil 42. cap. 8. consuming lusts that consume our Estates by prodigality our bodies by luxury our repute by infamy but they cannot shew us the way out again but leave us in the lurch Thou feeble faint-hearted Christian whom every slight temptation proves a Coward who knowest not how to deny the inticements of a sinner either to commit a sin or to do that which probably will lead thee to commission of sin remember what is written Rev. 2.7 To him that (b) Insidiae repunt in hoc seculo et in cautos repente occupant Repentes autem tentationes quis numerat Repunt sed cave ne surripiant vigiletur in ligno et c. Aug. in Psal 103. enarratio conci quart overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life not to him that is overcome 1 Pet. 1.13 Gird up the loins of thy minde be sober and hope to the end Ephes 6.14 Stand therefore having your loins girt with truth and having on the breast-plate of Righteousnesse It is better to conquer with pains than to yield with sorrow To him that is regenerate sin is worse than Death and grace is better than life Let him never look to have a share in the Conquest of the Death of the body that hath not before a share in the Conquest of the body of Death Corol 2 If Death shall be disarmed and the Grave overcome let us make up our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Apostles Doxology Thankes be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Glory be to God on high the mighty God that gives Victories the mercifull God that gives us this Victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. What praises can we use to set out this benefit or what words can we use to set out his praise who when he searches into things hidden is above all most wise When he rewards every man is most just When he bestows his Gifts is most liberal And when he conquers his Enemies is most valiant And who is it for for us Hath given us the Victory Vs Why should the great God bestow so much honour on us What are we or what is our fathers house that wee should have such Victory given us (a) Nonne fragiliores sumus quaÌ„ si vitrei essemus vitrum enim etsi fragile tamen servatum diu durat et invenis calices ab avis et proavis in quibus bibunt nepotes et pronepotes Aug. hom 28. c. 7. We whose original is dust whose excellency is vanity and whose life is sin We that have received so many Benefits returned so little thanks and deserved so much anger Whom before our Conversion no Benefits could perswade to come to God whom since our Conversion no mercies can
engage to walk close with God 3. When is this The Apostle saith he hath done it to shew that it is as certain as if it were done already But it is then when in all outward appearance we are both hopelesse and helplesse When Death and the Grave have gone on conquering and to conquer to the last Generation of men But b) Gratias misericordiae ipsius Quid dicam aliud quam gratias gratiae ipsius Nos enim gratias agimus non damus nec reddimus nec referimus nec rependimus gratiam si tantum verbis agimus retribuimus Aug. in Psal 88. Enarrat what shall we content our selves to be onely thankfull in Word shall we not adde Action to it also We read of an Hunter in Italy that at first when he ever took any thing in the Forrest or Field by hunting he used to offer up the head and the feet to Diana but happening once to catch a Boar of a vast bigness he resolved to leave off that Custom in part and said Diana should be content with the head onely which he hung upon a Tree but falling a sleep the head fell down and gave him a bruise of which he died The Moral of this historical Fable may teach us to take heed how we content our selves to give God onely our head in praising him so as to invent and utter praises but even our hands and our feet to act to his praise and to walk to his glory For whilest we professe we honour God in our lips and dishonour him in our lives the very head will fall upon us our very Words will condemn us I am sorry I have not Time to urge this Duty all that I now desire is that you may overcome my over bold prolixity with your patience and that I may overcome the rest of my work with such truth and sobriety that whilest I speak somewhat of our deceased Brother I may neither weary you nor flatter him but may onely lay before you the hopes I have that for his sake also and to his comfort the saying shall come to pass which is written O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory One of the Kings of Athens made a Law that when any one died at the Funeral there should be a speech made to them that were nearest of kin Some People are so satyrical they cannot endure to hear any thing spoken in honour of the Dead but when we go about by the sweet unguent of their good name to anoint them to their Burial they are ready to say Why was all this waste This waste time and these waste words If there be any such here as perhaps among so many there may be many I hope they will give me leave to speak of him amongst his Kindred of which here is a considerable number Sure a man may without any offence [a] Nothing sooner stirs up children to vertue then the example of parents as contrariwise nothing sooner corrupt them then their ill example Si natura jubet velocius citius nos corrumpunt vitiormm exempla domestica magnis cum subeant animos authoribus Iuven. Satyr 14. ubi quam plurima de hoc argumento propound the example of a Father to his Sons (b) Syri non cremabant sed condiebant cadavera myrrha aloe cedâ—o melle sale bitumine et resina odoribus et unguentis delibuta Alexand. ab Alexandr lib. 3. They use in many places to stick the Corpse or Coffin with sweet smelling herbs and flowers I know not why I may not also stick a flower or two in the Coffin of this well-deserving person lately deceased Master Henry English Something therefore would be spoken but yet at present but little It is true indeed at present Death seems to triumph over him and to lead him here in Triumph to the Grave But O Grave is this thy Victory to insult over a man full of years and full of pains and full of weakness Well I doubt not but the day is coming apace when in his behalfe it shall be sayd as in the behalfe of all other dead in Christ O Death where is thy sting c. I make no doubt of it but as it was said of Christ He lead Captivity captive so he and all others dead in the Lord shall through the power of Christ for the merits of Christ and to the praise of Christ trample on Death being disarmed triumph over the Grave being overcome nay I expect that he and all others shall not onely be Conquerers but more than Conquerers Rom. 8.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. More than Conquerers Because Conquerers in the World gain the Victory by power but we in weaknesse they by resisting but we by persisting they by kill ng but we by being killed it may be said of all that die for Christ that they are more than Conquerers because they cannot conquer but by being conquered 2. More than Conquerers because the Victory is so easily attained Christ fights and we get the Victory c. 3. More than Conquerers that is triumphant Conquerers such as reap the fruit of their Conquest The Apostle saith Cor. 9.2 He that gets the Mastery is temperaâ—e in all things He must be a well tempered man that must be a victorious man 1. Well tempered in his speeches not rash not censorious not quarrelsome not contentions then when he hath meanes and opportunity so to be 2. Well tempered too for his desires either to pleasures or profits to be free from luxury on one hand or avarice on the other hand When Riches increase not to set the heart on them and when they are multiplied not prodigally to waste them such a tempered man was the deceased There is also a very good temper which is temperamentum ad justitiam not in the Philosophers sense How ever he had many men to deal withall and that in many things know not the man alive that can tax him with any fraudulency or injustice (a) Agnosâ—unt omnes sani justitiam esse omnium moximum communissimumque bonum et postea apud philosophos totum chorum virtutum significat juxta versum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illyr Clav. Iustitia est reddere unicuique quod suum est Tribue ergo tribus qua sua sunt superiori aequali inseriori c. Bern. And this truly is so excellent a virtue that all virtues towards men are often called Righteousnesse yea all graces are frequently termed by this name and therefore as Anselm sayes well Justice gives to every one according to their worth according to their condition to our Betters reverence to our Equals correspondence to our Inferiours favour to God obedience to our selves sobriety to our Enemies patience to the needy mercy And to such large promises are made in Scripture Prov. 2.21 The upright shall dwell in the Land But what dwelling shall he have Prov. 3.33 He blesseth the habitation of the just But with