To humble his children Psal 9.20 2. Cor 12. To strengthen their faith 2 Cor. 1.9 10. To encrease their watchfulnesse Mat. 25. 2 Pet. 3.1 1. To prepare them for death 2 Chro. 20.3 2. Sathan 2 Cor. 7.5 The inward causes of the fear of death 1. Natural In respect of the object it self death The apprehension of death as an Ill. Eccles 9.4 The apprehension of death as an ill unavoidable The apprehension of Death as an ill future In respect of the subject men Judg 8.20 Gen. 201 1. Sam 16. 2. Inward causes sinful 1. The want of the fear of God Deut. 28.65 66 c. 2. In ordinate love of the world Isa 38.11 Eccles 9. 3. Want of the assurance of Gods favour Luke 16. Mat. 6. Rev 6. Isa 33.14 Object Answer Psal 42. Exod. 14 11. Psal 23. Object 2. Answer Vse For exortation To be under the fear of death an uncomfortable estate The fear of death a bondage in two respects 2. It is possible to be freed from the fear of death Means to be freed from the fear of death 1. Humility 2. Faith 3. watchfulness 4. Preparation 5. Right apprehension of Death Phil. 3. Assurance of Gods favour 1 Cor. 3.23 2 Cor. 5.4 Coherence Definition of Patience Rom. 15.5 Gal. 5.22 Mat. 25 VVhat I is to let patience have her perfect work Rom 15.13 Collos 1.11 VVhat is meant by intire and wanting nothing 1. Sam. 30.6 The parts the text 1. A duty exhorted to 2. An Argument to Inforce it Conclus 1. Conclus 2. Conclus 1. A Christian not perfect without patience Mat. 5.48 Reas 1 A twofold perfection of a Christian Perfection of parts what it is 2 Pet. 1.5,6 Reas 2. Luke 21.19 Reas 3 No dutie can be rightly performed without patience Not Prayer Matth. 15. 2 Cor. 11. Not hearing Luk. 8.15 Rev. 3.10 Heb. 10.36 James 1.21 Reas 4. Heb. 10.36 Heb. 12.1 Conclus 2. Christian must labour for perfection in Patience Coll. 1.11 Mat. 5 48. Reas 1. Eph 5 Exod. 34.7 Rom. 11. 1 Pet. 3.2 Pt. 2 Rom. 8.29 Luke 9. James 5.10 verse 11. Rom. 15.4 Reas 2. Acts 14.22.2 Tim. 3.12 Psal 73.27 Vse 1. For reproofe VVayes how men increase Impatience in themselves 1. By aggravating their afflictions Lam. 1.12 2. By giving liberry to their passions 3. By resusing comfort Gen. 37.34 4. By looking only on afflictions present not on mercies Est â—… 13 5. By looking on the instrument and not on God Psal 55.12.13 Plal. 39.9 6. By looking on the smart and not on the benefit of affliction Heb. 12.11 1. Cor. 11.32 Vse 2. For exhortarion How to exercise patience In present crosses 1. Cosider God the orderer of all conditions Therefore give him the glory of his soveraignty 1 King 20 3. Job 1.21 2 Sam 15 25 O his wâ—…sedome Of hâ—…s mercy Lam. 2. Ier. 45.5 2. Consider the desert of siu Dan. 9. Eâ—…â—… 9. Lam. 3. 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 born 〈◊〉 Patience Rev. 3.10 How to exercise patience in Gods delaying of mercies 1. Consider that delayes are not denyals 2. That delaies increase mercies Isa 61.7 2. Cor. 4. 2. Cor 1. 3. That delaies are but short compared to eternitie Coherence Division 1. Davids carriage durlâ—…g his childs sickness Meaning of the words 1. Cor. 3.8 Rom. 14.17 Davids Fast a religious fast Davids teâ—…rs proceeded nor from a natural but from a spiritual principle Gen. 32. Hso 12. Isa 38. 2. The reason of Davids carriage Gods absolute sentence implies condition Isa 38. Jonah 3.4 1 Sam. 15. Verse 35 Chap. 16.1 Num. 14. Vse 1. For instruction Jer. 18 7. Vse 2. For inconragement Ezek. 33.10 11. Gen. 3. Joel 2.12 13. Observe first Davids piety Mat 15 22. Comfort to Gods children Psal 103. Isa 63.9 2. Observe Davids piety Parents in their childrens miseries should remember their own sins 1. King 17. Object 1. Deut. 24.16 Ezek. 18.20 Answ Object 2. Answ Quest Answ Pro. 31. 1. Sam 2 29 chap. 3.12.13 Vse 1. To parents The sins that bring judgments upon mens posterity Vse 2. To children 2. Davdis carriage when his child was dead The reasons of it Observation from the first reason Psal 44. The way to order our affections is to reduce them to the principles of rectified reason Job 14.14 Observation from the second reason Vse Encles 1 2. Observation from the third reason Observation from the fouth reason Eccles 3.2 Coherence Division Pâ—…pos Sin is the sting of death A double consideration of death What death is here meant Corporall death Principally Two parts of spiritual death What sin is the sting of Death Sin two wayes considered Sin unmortified proves the sting of death 1. In respect of the guilt 2. In respect of the filth How sin is said to be the sting of Death Sin stings before death A death After death At the day of Judgement After the Judgement Sin makes death fearful Sin makes death hurtful Vse Bâ—…cles 11. How a man shall know whether Death shall come with a sting to him Eccles 11.9 How to get the sting of Death pâ—…lied out 1. Get a part in Christ Rev. 1.18 Rom. 8. 2. Get sincerity of heart Isa 38. 3. Practise Mortification 1 Cor. 15. Vse 2. Division of the text 1. Death is Nature teacheth 1. what death is 2. The properties of death That it is 1. Universal 2. Inevitable 3. Uncertain The Scripture teacheth 1. what death is 2. what are the causes of death 3. what are the consequences of death Heb. 9.17 The particular judgment The general Judgment 5. what is the remedy against the evil of death 2. Death is an enemy 1. Depriving a man of all that is benefitial or comfortable 2. Inflicting misery upon a man 3. Death the last enemy Not to all But to the Saints 4. Death shall be destroyed Vse 1. For Examination How a man may be fitted for death 1. Get death disarmed now 2. Get armour against death Vse 2. For reprehension Vse 3. For Exhortation Vse 2. For comfort The division of the text The first part of the Text. The meaning of the words 1. Of the subject Merciful men 1 Joh. 4.20 Rom. 12.18 2. Of the predicat they perish Eccles 3. Observat 3. Of the extent from the evil to come 1 From the evil to suffering That he shall not see it That he shall not endure it Ezek 9 Exod. 12. 3. From the evil of finning That he shall not see sin com mitted by others That he shall not commit sin himself Vse Quest Answ The loss of a godly man a great punishment to a place The second part of the Text. Inconsideraton a great sin A frui of sin A cause of sin Isa 40.6 Luk. 1.4 Psal 90.10 Exod. 17.14 Isa 8.1 Ezek. 24.2 Rom. 14.1 The division of the words Observation 1. Aust lib. 19. de Civit. Dei. A double blessedness Phil 3.21 2. Cor. 5.7 Phil. 1 23. 1. Cor. 15.19 Eccles 9.4 Job 2 4 Job 6.3 Psa 119.175 psal 39.13 Isa 38.18,19 Job 7.15
Saints have right to eternal life by inheritance Vse 1. For Confutation Vse 2. For Consolation Vse 3. For Direction 1. 2. The fourth branch of the Text. All of all sorts have a right to eternal life Acts 10 34 Vse 1. For Admonition Vse 2. For Consolation general Particular 1 Tim 2.17 1 Tim. 2 21.12 Isa 49.23 Doctr. 1. The servants of God have a comfortable and willing expectation of death Proved Phil. 1.13 2 Cor. 5.8 c. The ground of the desire of death in the Saints Eccles 7.1 Rom. 7.24 Psal 120.5 Thilip 1 23. Exod. 34.23 Object 1. Rom. 6 23. 1 Cor. 15.26 Respons Death considerable two wayes Object 2. Psal 6.4 5. Isa 38.3 Math. 26.39 Respons Why some of the Saints in the Scripture have prayed against death Psal 23.4 Phil 1.23.24 1 Kings 8 25. Heb. 7.5 Object 3. Respons Two things consider able in a Christian Mar. 26.41 2 Cor. 5.2 Vse For Trial. Doct 2. A special care in the servants of God to be alwayes ready for death 2 Tim 4.6 1 Cor. 15.31 Job 14.14 Psal 90.12 Heb. 13.14 Luk. 12.36 Reas 1. Psal 89.48 1 Pet. 4.19 Reas 2. 2 Sam. 4.5.6 Job 1 19. Reas 3. Note Vse Deut 32.29 Esa 28.15 Job 28.14 How to be prepared for death 1 Tim. 5.6 Jo. 17.13 Doct. 3. Ignorant men can neither take comfort in nor be truly prepared for death Math 22.29 Psal 119 24 Psal 119 9 93 Vse Doct. 4. Death freeth Gods servants from all misery Phil. 1.23 2 Tim. 4.6 2 Pet. 2.14 2 Pet. 2.15 Rev. 14.13 Rev. 6.9 Luke 16.22 Vse 1. Consutation of Purgatory Vse 2. For consolation of the Saints Gen. 41.40 Rev. 21.4 Esth 8 17 1 Joh 3.2 1 Cor. 13.12 Quest Answ How to know whether the day of death be a discharge from all former and following miserles Doct. 5. The Saints at their going hence have a comfortable and peaceable debarture Psal 37.37 Prov 14.32 Gen. 49.33 Gen. 13.25.2 King 22.20 Reas 1. Rom. 8 9. Chap 16. Reas 2. 2 Tim 4.7 8. Isa 38 3. Ephs 22 10. Object 1. 1 Respons Joh. 7.24 The unqulet departure of many of the Saints cleared with the grounds thereof Eccless 9.2 Rev. 12.12 Mark 9.26 2 Cor. 4 6. Esa 54.8 John 13.1 Object 2. Respons The seeming-quiet departure of the wicked with the grounds thereof Psal 73.4 1 Sam. 25.37 Luk. 11.11 Excles 8.12 Esay 57.11 Vse Confutation of Purgatâ—…y Vse 2. Exhortation Gen. 3.19 Prov. 11.7 Job 27.8 2 Tim 4.7.8 Joh. 17.4 5. Psal 119.1.1 Sam. 2.20 Luk. 13.3.2 Thes 5.24 2 King 9.22 Heb. 10.24 Dan. 4.27 Parts of the Text. Doct. Jesus Christ the Fountain and Author of all life 1 Of the body Resurrection of the body what 1 Cor. 15.20 2 Of spiritual life 3 Why both comprehended under one term 1 In regard of the Analogie 2. 2 In regard of the connection Vse 1. Comfort 2 Against the death of the soul Object Answ Object Answ 2 Against the death of the body Quest Answ Difference in the Resurrection of the godly and wicked 1 In the cause 2 In the end Vse 2. Trial. Signs of the first Resurrection 1 Forsaking sin 2 Newness of life 3 Progress in both Vse 3. Exhortation direction Quest Answ All men must die 1 To manifest Gods truth 2 His power 3 Our benefit by Chrst 4 To conform us to Christ Rachel was 〈◊〉 Fruitful 3 Obedient 4 Her death Coherence Observat 1. Observat 2. Observat 3. Observat 4. Doctr. 5. There is a change in all that are in Christ as from death to life 1 The analogy between spiritual and natucal life and death 1 In general 1 A General change 2 The orderlyness of it 2 The Analogie in particular Death threefold 1 Judicial 2 Civil 3 Natural 1 Imperfect Simile 2 Newness of life expressed by life in three respects 1 The principle of life 2 The actions of life 3 The properties of life Appetite 2 Tropagation The order Observat Men first die to sin and then live to God Reason 1. From our union with Christ 2 From the cotâ—…ariety of them Vse 1. Conviction Vse 2. Exhortation No loss in dying to sin Not life 2 Not peace 3 Not esteem 4 Not wealth 5 Not pleasures Sin a needless thing 2 The gain by death to sin 1. Conclusion The faithful are hopeful Rom. 5 Definition of Hope 1 Pets 1 9. Rom 8 24 Vse 1 Trial of Hope Rom 4 18 Isa 21 16 Hab 2 3 Isa 8 17 2 Pet 3 9 Psal 73 9 Psal 102 13. 2 Pet 3 3. Iob 2 9. Mal 3 14 2 Cor 6 8 2 Sam 6 22 Vse 2. Hindrances of hope 1 Iohn 4.18 Rev 21 8. Psal 118 6. Psal 91 5. Psal 40 1. Luke 21 19.1 Cor 15 16 Iob 17 13 Heb 11 27 Heb 11 35 Phil 1 23 2. Conclusion Christ the object of Hope Phil 1 21. Psal 38 15 Psal 71 5 Gen. 49.18 Iob. 13.15 Vse 1. Trov 23.5 Psal 146.3 Psal 62.3 Vse 2. Phil 3.8 Eccles 1. Isa 55.4 2 Cor. 1 20. Iohn 14 6 Iob 6 68 3. Conclusion This life-time is our hope-time Vse 1. Isa 55 6 1 Iohn 3 2 Vse 2. 2 Pet 1 8. 1 Thes 1 3 Heb 6 19 Psal 84 7 2 Per 3 18 1 Cor 7 20 Col 4 17 4. Conclusion Hope is no for the things of this life 2 Cor. 5.1 Isa 57.13 Vse 1. Vse 2. 5. Conclusion Our life is a misery Iob 14.1 1 Cor 7 29. Iam 4.14 Vse 1 Iohn 2 15. John 11 25. Psal 8 4. Vse 2. 6 Conclusion The hopeful are not miserable Vse 1. Vse 2. I am 5.11 Revle 14.13 Exod 33 20. Explication Rom. 12.2 I am 2.15 16. Heb 13 31 Rom 12 15. Mat 5. 2 Thes 3 10 1 Peâ—… 1 Division Doctr. 1. It is the duty of Christians to take the best opportunities of their life to do good A twofold opportunlty to be taken of doing good 1 The time of life Luke 16 9 Mat. 25.10 Objection Answ Objection Answ 2 Of outward estates Trov 23.5 Eccles 11 8. 1 Tim 6 17. Iob 13 15 16 17 18. Vse 1. Prov 3 28 Psal 78. Vse 2. Gen. 18.19 2 Sam 9.1 Doctr. 2. It is the duty of Gods servants to relieve others Deut 15.7 Eccles 11.4 Isa 58.7 2 Cor. 8 9. Heb 13 16. Iohn 15 19. Reason 1. Pro 3 26 27. Luke 16 9. Reason 2. Psal 41 1. Tsal 37 6. 1 Tim. 6 19. Vse Iames 5. Vse 2. Quest How to give so as to do good Answ 1 Give justly Eccles 11.1 2 Give wisely Psal 1 2 In respect of the quantity In respect of the quality 3 Give in simplicity Rom 11 8 Mat 6 4 Cive chearfully 2 Gor 8.6 The persons to whom good must be done 1 Generally to all Luke 10 Reason 1. Mala 2 10 Reason 2. 1 Iohn 4 20 Vse Object Answ 1 Sam 25 Object Answ Rom 12 Object Answ Eccles 11.1 Objection Answ Objection Answ Objection Answ Objection Answ Objection Answ Objection Answ Doct. 1. Doct. 2. 1 There are
it is death What a world of people run blindly and desperately on they turn to the race of sin as the horse to the battel without fear as if the Psalmists Tremble and sin not were rather sin and tremble not Whereas we have great cause every one to tremble at the least motion of sin in our selves to which so dreadful and woful wages is due Lastly for this point so many of us as have repented and have already left the service of sin we must hence learn as to be humbled in our selves considering what danger and misery we have escaped so to be more thankful to Christ that hath freed us from so wretched wages due to our sins and that by taking the whole punishment upon himself For we must know beloved that the best of us by nature are children of wrath as well as others the stipend that we have earned is eternal death and surely it hath been payed to us nothing could have kept it from us but only the satisfaction of Christ coming between Gods justice and us Think we then if we can what misery it is that we have escaped as many of us I mean as be in the state of grace we have escaped death the hurt of temporal death we have escaped eternal death What is that a separation from the blessed presence and glory of God destruction of body and soul for ever unutterable torments company with the divel and his angels and the rout of reprobates darkness blacker and thicker then that of Egypt Weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth in the infernal lake that worm that never dies and the fire that never goeth out This is the wages of all sin and that it is not rendred to all sin and to all sinners the cause is only this that the payment hath been already exacted of Christ in the behalf of all true beleevers therefore in their own persons they are discharged how infinitely are we bound in thankfulness to him and how careful should we be to walk worthy of it resolving never to return to the service of sin again but to make it our whole study that we may please and honour such a Redeemer that hath redeemed us from such misery as this that we may please him for we had deserved eternal death as well as others and he hath not only freed us from that that we had most worthily deserved but most freely also bestowed that upon us that we could never deserve for so it followes in the next point The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. That is the second thing to be considered the reward of the service of God You have heard of the reward the wages of sin Now the reward of the service of God is eternal life it is called life There is a twofold life belongs to men The one is natural and is common to all good and bad in this world The other spiritual proper to the faithful begun by the union of God and the soul and maintained by the bond of the spirit and this life hath three degrees The first is in this life unto death and it begins when we begin to beleeve and repent and come to a saving knowledge of God and of his Son Jesus Christ as it is said This is eternal life to know thee to be the very God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ Joh. 17.3 The second degree is from our death to our resurrection for in that time our souls being freed from our bodies are withal free from all sin original and actuall Thirdly after the Resurrection when body and soul shall be reunited we shall have immediate communion and fellowship with God and so enjoy a more perfect and blessed life then ever 〈◊〉 could here And this spiritual life with all the three degrees of it is the life here spoken of especially the last degree the perfection of it in heaven It is called eternal life because it shall never end For a thing is said to be eternal three wayes First which hath neither beginning nor end so God alone is eternal and none but he Secondly which hath no beginning and yet shall have an end so Gods decree is eternal for it never had a beginning yet when all things decreed are fulfilled it shall have an end Thirdly which hath a beginning but never shall have end and so the life of Gods Saints had a beginning as all created things have but it shall never have an end and this eternal life it is called here The gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Because we cannot deserve it but it is given and bestowed on us freely for Christ So then the point of observation from the latter part of the words is this that Our salvation it is the free gift of God given us only for the merits of Christ For observe I beseech you the Apostles words when he had said The wages of sin is death he doth not add and say but the wages of righteousness is eternal life but he calls that the gift of God To make us understand saith Damascene that God brings us to eternal life meerly for his own mercy not for our merits or else surely the Apostle would have made the latter part of the sentence answerable to the former But here perhaps some may ask why eternal life should not be the wages of righteousness as well as death the wages of sin I answer because there is not the same reason between sin and righteousness For first sin is our own it merits it but righteousness is none of our own it is the holy Ghosts and it is due to God Then again sin is perfectly evil and so it deserves death but our righteousness inherent is not perfectly good it is imperfect in this life and nothing that is imperfectly good can merit as wages eternal life therefore the Apostle makes such a manifest difference between them he calls death the wages of sin but eternal life the gift of God it is the free gift of God through Christ Indeed eternal life sometimes many times in Scripture is called a reward But there is a reward of mercy as well as of justice Nay God is said sometimes to reward his children in justice How is that Though the reward come originally from mercy yet accidentally it comes to be justice thus because God hath tyed himself by promise to reward now promise is debt from a just man Thus the Lord may be accounted a debtor How saith Saint Austin as a promiser if he had not promised eternal life otherwise he ows us nothing at all much less eternal life which is so great a thing Yet it may be doubted how eternal life is the free gift of God seeing it is given for the merits of Christ as it is here exprest the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord that is for the merits of Christ now a
Num. 11.15 1. King 19.4 Jonak 4 3. Job 3.20 Quest Answ Five causes of self-murther Observat 2. What it is to â—…ie in the Lord Rom. 16.1 1. Thes 4. 1. To die in obedience Phil. 1. 2. In repentance 3. In faith 4. With prayer Luke 23.46 Act. 7.59 5. In charity Luke 23.34 Act. 7.60 6. In peace How to come to die in the Lord. The sum of the words Division Explination None of us liveth to himself Observat A beleever is not to make himself the end in his actions Object Answ A double consideration of our selves How a man may seek himself Selfe-love lawful The Observaon proved by reason Reas 1. It is dishonourable to God Reas 2. It is injurious to Christ Phil. ver 19. 1. Cor 6.20 1. Pet. 1.18 Luk. 1.74 Reas 3. It is dangerous to a mans self 1. A man in seeking himself I seth his happiness That which he gaâ—…ns is but a shadow of gain 3. He loseth himself Mat. 16.26 Mark 10 Vse 1. For Couviction 1. That there are many that prosesse the msâ—…lves Christians yet live to themselves Complained of Phil. 2.21 Forbldden 1 Cor. 10.24 How a man shall know whether he liveth to himself Rule 1. Instance 1. Joh. 6.10 Hos 7. Deut. 23. Instance 2. Jnstance 3. Rule 2. Rom. 1. 2. That it is an evil thing for a man to live to himself Mat. 6.22 A single eye what Jam. 1. Vse 2. For Exhortation Helps 1. Our good is in God and not in our selves Ier. 9.24 2. Exercise the grace Of knowledge Cant. 5.1 Sam. 1. Of Faith Of Love 1 Cor. 5. Vse 3. For instruction 1 Cor. 14. Eph. 4.9 The Coberence Division of the Text. 1 Presace 2. Exhortation In the Exhortation 1. The ground of i. 2. The Exhortation it self 3. The motive In the Preface Obseavation 1. Observat 2. In the Ehortation 2 The ground of it The meaning of the words Obser 1. Obser 2. The meditatlon of the shortness of our lives a special means to take us off of the world Reas 1. Reas 2. What is the principall thing we have to do in the world Vse The ground of all our neglect of heaven is he want of the consideration of the shortness of this life Sathan labours above all thing to make men put off the consideration of the brevity of their lives 2. The exhortation it selfe The meaning of the words What is meant by having wives and yet to be as having none 2. By weeping as if they weept not 3 By rejoycing as if rejoyced not 4. By buying as If possessed not 5. By using the world as not abusing it Observat Opened A beleever is to be to the world as a worldly man to the things of heaven Proved by Scripture 1 John 4.10 Col 3.1 By reason Reas 1. The things of the world are emptle things to a beleever Reas 2. The things of the world are none of a beleevers Note Simile Reas 3. The things of â—…he world hinder a beleever in the service of God Simile Vse Reprehension Particular instances How to know whether we use the things of the world as if we used them not How a man may come to use things as if he used them not 3. The Apostles Motive or spurre Obser 1. The things of the world but a shew without a substance Obser 2. The shew of the world is suddenly gone Grace is onely substantiall The Coherence The meaning of the words 1. What is meant by peace 2. What by destruction The manner of the destruction 1. Sudden 2. Painful 3. Unavoidable In the words a double description Zich 1 11â—… Observat In the greatest security the greatest danger A double security 1. Holy and spiritual Spiritual security what Psal 4.8 Isa 26.20 2. Sinful and carnal Carnal security a fore-runner of Judgement Proved 1. By particular examples of particular persons 1 Sam. 15.13 Dan. 5.3 Luke 12.19 Job 21.13 2. By general examples of Nations and States Luke 7. Jer. 6.14 15. Zeph. 1.12 Isa 47.8 9. Rev. 18.7 Confirmed by Reason 1. In respect of the causes of security Infidellty Heb. 11.7 Isa 61. Heb. 3. Deut. 29.19 Isa 6 9 10. 2. In respect of the concomitants of security Disrespect of God in all his Attributes Rom 2 4 5. Eccles 8 11. 3 In respect of the fruit and consequences of security Gen 15 16. Note Vse 1. For examination Signs of security 1. Profiting not by the judgments of God on our selves or others Dan. 5. Ier. 31.9 Amos 4. 2. Contempt of the Ordinances Amos 6. Ier. 9.13 Ier. 23.33 3. Vain considence Jer. 7.11.12.13 Numb 11.13 Jer. 46.16 Isa 48.15 4. Continual increase of sin Vse 2. For exortation Motives to watchfulness 1. The watchfulness of our enemies 1. Sathan 2. The flesh 3. Heretiques Mot. 2. The evil of security In it self a spiritual lethargy 2. In the effects 1. It drives away the spirit of God 2. It lets in Sathan 3. Hinders our Communion with Christ 4. Bringeth judgemenâ— prosiâ—ive Future Makt 24. Ezek. 9. Mala. 3. Helps to watchfulness 1. Sobtiety Eph. 51 2. Spiritual exercise 3. Continual fear 4. Good company Eccless 4. 5. Be alwayes as in Gods presence Psal 139. Jer. 23 23. 6. Consider â—…y latter enâ—… Revel 3.2 Bccks 11.9 Prov. 16.7 Plal. 9.6 The parrs of the Text. Obser 1. Death is an enemy What kind of enemy 1 A common enemy 1 King 22 31 Gen 16 12. Psal 89 48. Object Answ Josh 23 14. Job 30 23. 2 A secret enemy 3 A spiritual Enemy Rom 5 12. 4 A continual Enemy Wherein Death is n Enemy Jeb 18 18. In respect of its attendants 1 sickness c. Heb 2 15. 2 Cor 6. Plal 39 6. 2 Dissolution of the frame of nature 3. The Grave Ezek. 24.16 Isa 14.11 4. Loss of worldly contentments and actions Psal 49.9 Isa 38.11 Psal 6. 5. Consciance of sin and certainty of Judgment and uncertainty of salvation Heb. 9.27.2 Cor 5.10 Isa 33.14 Why Death called the last enemy 1. Because it is the last that shall assault us Therefore we have more enemies than Death The Devil The world The flesh Psal 27.11 Therefore likely to be the worst enemy 2. Because it is the last that shall be destroyed Who it is that destroyeth Death Rev. 5.3.5 1. Sam. 17.23 Hos 13.14 Act. 3.15 When Death shall be destroyed At the day of the Resurrection Comfort in the mean time 2. Cor. 15.57 Rev. 7 17. Hos 13.14 1 Cor. 3 22. Vse 1. Death an enemy only to the wicked 1 King 21.20 Death to the beleever is 1. A subdued Enemy Gant 8.3 Psal 41.3 Phil. 1.23 Job 19.27 Phil. 3.21 Heb. 12.23 Psal 16.11 2. Cor. 5. 2. A reconciled Enemy 3. An Enemy that at last shall be destroyed Rev. 20. Rom. 6.9 Vse 2. For instruction How to be prepared for death 1. Die to sin 2. Live to God 3. Be oft in the meditation of death 4. Settle all things before hand that concern the outward man The inward Tit.
and now will be finished in a time of Mortality certain And that there should be no part of correspondency wanting this latter part of the Verse is answerable to the former it is but the same again in other words In the former part there is mention of the righteous man here of the mercyful man they are both one In that he is said to perish here to be taken away they are both the same There No man is said to lay it to heart and here no man is said to consider it both the same So that look upon the whole both parts joyn together they walk on by pairs two and two as the living creatures into the Ark Male and Female The first pair sets forth to you the state and condition of a godly man he is righteous and merciful those are the male and female of Piety The second sets forth to you the state and condition of a dying man he perisheth and is taken away those are the Male and Female of death The third sets out the state and condition of a worldly man he layes it not to heart he never takes it into consideration those are the Male and Female of carnal security And that all the pairs should now be made up the former part was handled at the burial of a good old Man this latter now at the burial of an old and vertuous Gentlewoman those are the Male and Female of nature The former part that is a complaint that the Prophet made and so is the second and this second is set as a Commentary to the first this latter part is as Eve created as a help to Adam for every word in this latter helps to expound some word in the former The first word in the latter part tâ—… us of the merciful man that is the Exposition of the first word in the former part the righteous man Lest any man should make question who this righteous man was that the Prophet speaks of how we should know him and define him and find him find me a merciful man and he is truly a righteous man The second word in the latter part is taken away that hath reference to the second word in the former and it is a qualification of the harshness of the former there it is said The righteous man perisheth but lest any man should scandal at this word shall we think that he perisheth whose life is hid with Christ in God Shall the Scripture say that he perisheth whose name is in the bundle of life written in heaven To lay aside therefore the rigour of the word here is the Qualification he is taken away The third word of the latter hath reference to the third of the former too No man considereth it If any man ask the reason how it comes to pass that people should be without natural affection that they take it not to heart that they are not grieved for Joseph that they are not striken with any sense of their own losses what should be the reason of it The reason is in this word they take it not into consideration They trouble not their heads therefore not their hearts with it That it may make an aggravation of that They were so far from taking of it to heart that they never propounded it to the examination and scanning of their judgment they consider it not So every word in the latter part is serviceable to the first I shewed concerning the first part who this Righteous man is how great the dignation of the Spirit of God is that he will stile holy men that are so imperfect in holiness yet because of their holy endeavours to walk in the wayes of God blamelesly the Spirit stiles them Righteous men Secondly I shewed how this Righteous man is said to perish and it what sense and how it is impossible they should perish and why the Holy Ghost chooseth this word which is more then death to set out to us the death of the Righteous man And then the last considered in particular how it is lawful to 〈◊〉 for the departure of those that are gone how that God alloweth that how that God blameth for the neglect of it Men are to lay it to heart to grieve How 〈◊〉 this griese is to extend These were the heads of those things that concerne the first part I now go on forward to the second And that is a complaint as the former was that the Prophet takes up over the people of the Jewes for their great stupidity in that they considered not any work of God toward them And it hath these two parts There is the complaint he takes up over the dead Merciful men are taken away from the evil to come And the other complaint he takes up over the living those that are living and survive them they care not though heaven and earth be mingled together though they lose all their props whereby the earth is supported they never consider it I begin with the first of these And that is The complaint that is taken up over the Righteous mans departure In that I consider two things First looke to the meaning of the words And then see what were the motives that made the Prophet take up this complaint and lamentation that whereas others wanted it the Prophet should supply it and should give testimony to their departure The righteous are taken away First for the meaning of the words It is a proposition and there are three parts of it The subject of the proposition Merciful men The Predicat Are taken away The Affix anexed to it from the evil to come Briefly look upon the meaning of all these and they will all afford us some instruction The First is the subject of this proposition It is said here and it varieth from the former Merciful men A man would wonder why he should alter the stile except it were because the Spirit of God delighteth to set out godly men according to the multitude of their titles the righteous and mercyful men Otherwise the same terme might have been kept in the latter part for they are both the same in effect He that is a merciful man is a Righteous man and he that is righteous will be merciful yet the Prophet varieth it righteous men perish and merciful men are taken away There is some special reason of the variation I conceive it is one of these three or all The first reason why he useth this word merciful men in the latter part is For the greater conviction of their stupidity They were such as were not affected with the condition or loss of righteous and holy men nay they were so stupid that they were not affected with the loss of mercyful men that is more If there were any sense of piety they should for Gods cause grieve at the loss of godly men but if their were any sense of their own good there should be grief for the loss of merciful men Generally
away for their good but for our ill we have lost the benefit of their example the comfort of their society and now we may fear that Judgments will come plentifully for merciful men are taken away from the evill to come So I have done with the first part of the Complaint I will be very briefe in the second that is over the living no man considereth it this is truly to be bemoaned There is a doudle extent first of the Act they consider not And then an extent of the person no man considereth This Act hath a great latitude It is either an aggravation of the former they lay it not to heart nay they do not take it into consideration or else it is a rendring a reason of the former they lay it not to heart because they bethink not themselves Consideration is an act of the judicial part of the understanding as incogitancy is a rocking of reason asleep a shuting of the doore of reason Neglect that is a negligence of due care to be taken on the other side inconsideration or incogitancy that is a neglect of the due course of reason due pondering of a thing A man is said not to consider that scanneth not that examineth not the cause that laies not the effects and consequences together that compareth not one thing with another So that it is thus much now they considered not that is they pondered not in their hearts they examined not according to the rule of reason they looked not to it what should be Gods meaning in taking away merciful men from the evil to come they looked not forward to the time to come nor backward to the time past they were altogether inconsiderate It is a great sin and a fruit of sin and a cause of all sin It is a sin in it selfe for God hath given man Reason to use upon all occasions to consider Gods works and his own works and those things that befal others and himself The true improvement of Christianity is the exercise of consideration That exciteth a man to repentance David laies it as a ground I considered my wayes and turned my feet to thy testimonies A man never repenteth that considereth not his wayes The want of consideration keepeth a man freezing and setling on the dregs of sin It is a fruit of sin of the first sin incogitancy bringeth security that rocks reason asleep then passion hath her scope when reason governeth not It is the trne punishment of the first sin and the fruit of it because reason is decaied in man by sin reason was then unrectified reason grew irrigular Nay it is the cause of all sin We can resolve no particular sin to any other principle but this that men consider not before they commit it The reason why men go on in excess and riot and continue in drunkenness is nothing but this they lay it not heart they look not forward what will be the issue and event they consider not the account they are to make to God they think not that God is providing a cup of deadly wine and that all must appear before the Judgment seat of Christ The reason why mens desires of the world and of living here are so inlarged it is the want of consideration of what is the heppiness of heaven of the promises that God hath made There is no sin but it is resolved into this case So here it is that the Prophet complaineth of the want of consideration When merciful men were taken away they consider it not to sympathize to prepare themselves to what God would doe after he had removed these that when he had removed the obstacles that then he would pour his wrath upon them Secondly there is another extent of the Word that is of the subject of the person No man It argueth the neglect to be general A man would have thought that upon the mention of the first word Mercyful men are taken away the mourners should go about in the streets the poor Orphans should weep because they have lost a Patron No such matter no consideration on no hand that is a wonder had the merciful man no wife no children no freind to mourn after him when he was buried in the earth was there no well-willers to him that had benefit by his piety to mourn for the righteous man was there none like to himself one righteous man will mourn for another What is this then No man If they would not regard the piety of the godly man or merciful when he lived me thinks when he died there should be some consideration A Mountain as long as it standeth men take no great notice of it â—…but if it fall all eyes look upon it The Sun when he is in his strength there are few eyes that look on it but if it come to an ecclipse every man gettteh into his Turret Generally men delight to look upon those Stars that in their opinion they think are fallen All these the godly man is He shineth as a star here as the Sun in his strength after he is as a Mountain as a Beacon upon a Mountain more glorious The Mountain and the star falleth the Sun is in the Ecclipse Merciful men are taken away and no man considereth it I will not say it is to be taken in the full extent it implieth not a nullity but a paucity As in that place in the Psalme there is none that doth good no not one The Prophet doth not imply that there was not one godly man at all but so few that they could hardly be numbred a great paucity So here No man considereth that is those that considered were so very few that there was hardly notice taken of them they were hardly in the compass of a Number Nay it is twice noted No man no man to shew it it was almost a nullity there is not any not any that is they were exceeding few What is the reason Because they were not acquainted with the rule and way of piety therefore they mourned not If piety were within it would simpathize without as there is like rejoycing so they would sorrow together We are not to think but they had natural affection though it were almost cut off It is likely if any of their kin were took away they would mourne If a Pather or Mother were taken away the most impenitent man would have tears though not for sin yet for losses and crosses then there are those that would crie with Elisha My father my father the Chariots of Israel c. If a brother or a sister were taken away I doubt not but there are those that would follow with the voyce of lamentation Alas my brother alas my sister wo is me for my brother Jonathan We have tears for brethren Further if it were but a child that were lost a man would be sure to find tears for him and sigh along time after and would say with David Oh Absalom my son
Zacheus his offer was but half of his goods Lord half of my goods I give to the poor For ought I can perceive and understand above half of her estate she hath given to charitable uses I say no more of her These works of her will praise her in the gates She died in the Country And I am sorry that I had not information as I did desire of her behaviour in her sickness I have it not I can say nothing of it but thus much It was not possible that such a creature that lived thus as we know she did in obedience to God in repentance in faith with invocation of Gods mercy in Charity in Peace but that her death was blessed She that lived in the Lord no question but she died in the Lord and she is blessed for Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. Good Lord teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts to wisdom and grant that as we grow in years we may grow in knowledge of thy truth in obedience to thy will in faith in thy promises in love toward thee and toward our neighbours for thy sake that when we come to the end of our dayes we may come to the end of our hope the salvation of our souls through Jesus Christ to whom with thee oh Father and thee oh holy Spirit three Persons but one true and immortal and only wise God be given both from us and all thy creatures in heaven and in earth continual praise honour glory dominion and power now and for evermore Let all those that hear the word of God depart from iniquity Now the God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus the great Shepheard of the sheep through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect to do his will working in you that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ Amen THE CHRISTIANS CENTER OR HOW TO LIVE TO GOD. SERMON X. ROM 14.7 For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself for whether we live we live to the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords THese words contain an Argument or reason which the Apostle useth to prove that the weak Christian should be born withal and that men should not judge because of the difference of meat amongst them He sheweth that they did not with the neglect of the knowledge of any truth keep themselves ignorant in this particular but it was their weakness The strong should bear with the weak and the weak should not censure the strong the reason is because they agree in one end they propound one general end to themselves that guides them in all their actions they walk in one way and in one path and therefore they should in these things agree together The general end at which they all aymed in their doings is the Lord He that eateth faith he eateth to the Lord he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not that is still he propoundeth God as his end and the pleasing of God in his actions as the rule of them That he may prove this unto us that they stand thus affected both of them notwithstanding this difference he bringeth in this as the general reason where to every particular of their lives may be reduced All their life is ordered by the Lord they live to the Lord they die to the Lord so that whet her they live or die they are the Lords Therefore all their particular actions are to the Lord. Whether we live we live to the Lord and whether we die we die to the Lord. Now this general reason he propoundeth two wayes First Negatively None of us living to himself and no man dieth to himself Secondly Affirmatively which consisteth of two parts Their duty to God Gods acceptance of them and protection over them Their duty to God if we live we live to the Lord and if we die we die to the Lord. Gods acceptance of them Whether we live or die we are the Lords That which we shall now insist upon is the former part the negative expression and proposal of this general reason none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself Now when the A postle affirmeth this of the beleevers of those times he therein intimateth thus much that it is the course of beleevers in all times It is a duty belonging to all others of which they must make account not to live to themselves but to the Lord. Therefore though he speaks generally here yet there is in his speech a kind of particular universality a generality with a restraint He saith none of us he saith not none in the world live to themselves for there are many in the world live to themselves and not to the Lord but none of us none of those that we rank our selves with that are in the condition of beleevers none of those concerning whom we speak in this question none of us live to our selves Life in general is nothing else but that power whereby we act or move As we read Gen. 2. God breathed into man the breath of life and he became a living soul he gave him the power whereby he acted The acting of this power is the exercise of that life whether the action be of the mind or of the body And so as there is a donble life there are two sorts of actions of life there are natural actions of a natural life and there are spiritual actions of a spiritual life When the Apostle speaks of living he intends both these We live not that is we do not the actions of life whether natural or spiritual to our selves but to the Lord. No man liveth to himselfe By himself he meaneth not only a mans person either soul or body but all those advantages that conduce to the well-being of a man No man of us so ordereth the actions of his life with reference and respect to our selves as the uttermost end we do not make our own well-being or well-fare the uttermost end of our actions none of us live to our selves You have the sense and meaning of the words which being a patterne to other Christians a thing which the Apostle supposeth is or should be in every beleever it giveth us this point of instruction whereupon we shall insist at this time That is No Beleever none that are in Christ should make themselves the end in their actions None should live that is spend their time and strength and endeavour ayming at no higher end then themselves No Christian should so spend his time as to seek himself only in the actions that he doth None of us liveth to himselfe But here it may be objected for the clearing of the point May not a Christian seek himself in the things that he doth When they do good things that which God commandeth that
man that gives a thing upon merit he gives it not freely I answer it is free in respect of us whatsoever Christ hath done we did not merit it If it be replyed Christs merits are made ours and we merit in him and so it cannot be free I answer this reason were of force if we our selves could procure the merits of Christ for us but that we could not do but that also was of free gift Ioh. 3. God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that he that beleeves in him should not perish he gave him freely of free gift so that though eternal life be due to us by the merits of Christ yet it is the free gift of God I will stand no longer in proving the truth of the Doctrine I come to the application and use to conclude with the time First it serves to confute our adversaries of the Church of Rome in the point of merit They look for heaven and eternal life as wages we see the Apostle teacheth us otherwise that eternal life is not given in that manner but another manner of way It is not given as wages it is the free gift of God And in Rom. 8. he saith that the sufferings of this life is not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed all our sufferings all our works they are not worthy of the glory of God we connot properly merit them This was the constant Doctrine of the primitive Church that a good life when we are justified and an eternal life when we are glorified they all grant that all that is good in us is the gift of God that eternal life is not a retribution to our works but the free gift of God When God crowns our merits he crowns nothing else but his own free gift these and many other sentences we find among the ancient Fathers plainly convincing our adversaries that in this point they swerve not only from Scripture but from all sound antiquity Secondly then to come to our selves this should humble us in respect of our own deservings do all the good thou canst take heed it do not puff thee up think not to merit heaven alas thou canst not do it for what is it to the Almighty as it is said in Job that thou art righteous Thy well doing extends not to him thou canst do him no good therefore thou canst look for nothing at his hands since thou canst do him no good but all that thou dost in his service it is not for his but for thy good yet he commands thee and thou art bound to do it but all thou canst do is no more then thou art bound to do Therefore when thou hast done all that thou canst acknowledge thy self to bean unprofitable servant and thou hast done no more then thy duty If thou hast many good works yet thou hast more sin and the least sin of thine in the rigour of justice will deprive thee of thy interest in God Therefore thy appeal must be to the throne of grace and thy only plea must be that of the Publican every one of us God be merciful to me a sinner when we have done all we can it must be mercy and not any merit of ours that must bring us to heaven Thirdly here is comfort for the children of God in that this inestimable treasure of eternal life is not committed to our keeping but God hath it in his keeping It is his gist it is not committed to the rotten box of our merits then we could have no certainty of it the devil would easily pick the Lock yea without picking he would shake in pieces the crazy joynts of the best work we do he would steal it from us and take it away and deprive us of this excellent benefit but the Lord hath dealt better for us he hath kept it in his own hands he hath laid it up in the Cabinet of his own mercy and love that never fails for with everlasting mercy he hath compassion on us Isa 54. he loves us with an everlasting love It is his mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not and whom he loves he loves to the end It is laid up in the mercy of God he will have it his gift lest we should keep it and it should be lost he hath reserved it in his own hands Therefore in temptations when they drive us to doubt of our attaining of eternal life let us cast our eye upon the keeper of it it is the Lord he is wary to discern and faithful to bestow it therefore let us comfort our selves and say every one of us as Saint Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have trusted and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day Lastly seeing eternal life is the free gift of God it must make us thankful to him for it which we should never do if we deserved it doth a master thank his servant for doing his duty So if we did think heaven were our due we should never be thankful for it Pride is a great enemy to thankfulness therefore the way is to humble our selves and to consider that we deserve no good thing at Gods hands then we will take this great benefit at Gods hands most thankfully Especially when we consider it is all that God requires of us as he saith Psal 50. Call upon me in the day of trouble I will hear thee and deliver thee and what shalt thou do Thou shalt glorifie me Glorifying God and being thankful to him is all the tribute we are to pay to this our royal Lord and shall we deny him this It is a small benefit that is not worth thanks We set eternal life at too low a rate if we forget to be thankful There was never a precious Jewel afforded so cheap as eternal life for our thankfulness If we did know what it were to want it we would give ten thousand worlds rather then be without it Therefore as Naamans servants said to him concerning his washing in Jordan if the Prophet had commanded thee a greater thing wouldest thou not have done it So if God had commanded us a great matter for eternal life we should have done it how much more when he saith take it and be thankful be but thankful Thus I have described to you this twofold service the wages of sin that is death temporal eternal The service of righteousness the wages and reward of that eternal life which is not wages but the gift of God So that I may now say to you as Moses did to Israel Deut. 30.19 Behold I have set before you life and death cursing and blessing Therefore choose not cursing chuse not sin nor the wages thereof it is death but choose life that you and your seed may live If we follow sin the wages will be death if we apply our selves to righteousness in the
man of a stammering tongue saith the Lord I will be with thy tongue He bids him quiet his heart in that perplexity and rest on him that made the tongue to be with his tongue And because there was another secret that troubled him the Lord knew his heart God saith go the man that sought thy life is dead as if he should say Moses though thou wilt not confess it I know what troubleth thee thou art afraid that the men that sought thy life are alive in Pharaohs Court and that therefore when thou comest thither thou shalt be executed No saith he they are dead he would have him rest on him and that would revive his heart that he should not be troubled and disquieted So you may see in other servants of God that this was alwaies the reason of any indirect course they took Jacob and Rebecca in that case why did Rebecca use that device in getting the blessing with Jacob Because she failed in her trust in God she saw how she was perplexed with the daughters of Heth Esaus wives and many troubles that way And Isaac was dim-sighted and had many weaknesses upon him she knew not how he might mistake and give the blessing to the other therefore she deviseth a way to get the blessing but she got many sorrows you know what a hard service it cost Jacob and how many evils it exposed him to and all was because through fear and disquiet of heart he cast not himself upon God in his way but they would find out wayes of their own It should teach us in all disquiet of spirit to look principally to the strengthening of our faith This is called a shield Eph. 6. when all the darts of temptation that fire the soul and perplex it many wayes are cast upon a man here is a shield to preserve and keep him safe Therefore let us ever have this for our use whose and found You shall find that even the servants of God have so far been in a comfortable estate as they have been in the exercise of their faith Take David for an example when Ziglag was burnt and his Wives and servants and goods and cattel were all carryed away and the Souldiers in the rage of their hearts and discontent began to think of stoning of him yet faith the Text Then David comforted himself in the Lord his God When there was no comfort in his Souldiers about him or in those that were neer him every thing was taken away at this time David comforts himself in the Lord his God So Job see how quiet his heart is and well satisfied when he rested on God in the greatest occasions and troubles his goods was carried away his sons were slain all added to Jobs misery but he comes to this The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Lord when he can look above the creature to God and settle his heart upon this rock he finds comfort in it On the other side the servants of God are never out of trouble and disquiet when they neglect this as the Disciples in the tempest upon the Sea Math. 8. they cry out they are utterly undone Save Master saith Christ Oh ye of little faith The not exercising of their faith did so perplex and disquiet them as it did and if you look upon all the complaints of the lives of men for the loss of such friends and the decay of trading for the ill dealing of Customers for sickness c. Men are always complaining What is the reason Because they place too much hope and confidence in the creature they look not above these things with the eye of faith and hence comes that disturbance and disquiet if the outward means be taken from them they look not upon that God that hath all means and opportunities in his own hand You beleeve in God beleeve also in me They that would have their hearts quiet by beleeving in God should especially exercise faith in resting on Christ Beleeve in me saith Christ for the heart of man flies off from God Alas the Lord is holy and I am a sinful man he is righteous and I am sinful who shall come before this holy and righteous God Now when faith can look upon Christ and set him between God and me and look on God through him now the soul rests he looks on God as a Father through Christ his Son when the soul looks on Christ as my husband married to me as my head and I am united to him as a member as my Lord that hath taken me into his protection when the soul thus looks on Christ now it looks upon God in all his attributes wondrous glorious and comfortable to the soul This is the thing that I can but touch at this time There are two things considerable in it First there is no ground of reposing the soul upon God but by beleeving in Christ he is the Mediatour Therefore in John 8.24 saith Christ Except you beleeve that I am he whom the Father sent you shall die in your sins The Jews they did beleeve in God they were the children of Abraham and worshipped the God of their Fathers and beleeved in God but saith he except you beleeve in me that I am he that God hath sent as Mediatour you shall die in your sins And so in this Chapter I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh to the Father but by me there is no other way to the Father That as the high Priest under the law was in all things pertaining to God he was between God and the people So Christ our great high Priest is in all things that concern the glory of God and the salvation of man and the acceptance of a sinner in all things between God and us Here is the first thing Secondly it is worth our consideration how Christ comes to be thus he was willing to die a cursed a shameful and cruel death of the Cross and to be despised and abased and all this for man and yet Christ crucified is despised and scorned in the world therefore if ever you will have acceptance of God beleeve in me In me that am now going from you that am to be taken away by a cursed ignominious death Here is another truth then They that believe in Christ must believe in Christ abased and Crucified as well as in Christ in Glory That is a thing that flesh and blood despiseth indeed all the World speaks well of the profession of the Faith and believing in Christ when Christ is in triumph Conquering to conquer every man glories in Christians but when Christianity and profession is cryed down in the world when Christ is Crucified when all the World speaks ill of the wayes of Christ and of the obedience of Faith now to obey a crucified scorned despised Christ in the sight of the world to rest on him in the midst of his abasement this will comfort the
infirmities that the body had before he shall rise to lead another kind of life a glorified life so in this resurrection of the soul the sinner riseth and is raised up to lead a new kind of life a spiritual life and therefore it is called Newness of life Rom. 6.4 that we should walk in newness of life both in regard of the new principle and fountain of iâ—… the spring of grace in the soul And in regard of the new effects and new operations which are answerable to the new root Fourthly there is a proportion also in regard of the perpetuity of both for as in the Resurrection of the body the body shall rise an immortal body not subject to death any more so here in the resurrection of the soul when the sinner is restored to spiritual life he is raised up to a durable immutable estate he shall continue to live this life of grace and the immortal seed that is put into him it shall never die so Christ saith verse 26. He that believeth in me saith he and so liveth he shall never die he is raised to an immutable estate to such a life as shall never be subject to spiritual death again Thus you see that analogie and proportion between these two and in this respect they may both be comprehended fitly under one term Secondly in regard of the infallible connexion between these two for wheresoever the resurrection of the soul to the life of grace goes before there the resurrection of the body to the life of glory will certainly follow after for as the spiritual death of the soul did necessarily draw after it the mortality and death of the body so the spiritual life of the soul doth necessarily draw with it the immortality and the resurrection of the body therefore as in the Sacrament the name of the thing signified is given to the sign in regard of the neer conjunction and relation between them so here in regard of the neer conjunction between these two that they are never separate therefore they may both fitly be comprehended under one term Thus we have endeavoured to expound the general doctrin in these three particulars We have shewed you that Christ is the Author and fountain of the Resurrection of the body he hath the quickning power in him wherby he is able to raise those bodies that are dead in the grave Then he is the Author of the Resurrection of the soul too he is able to quicken those souls that are dead in sins And then we have shewed the reasons why these two the Resurrection of the body and of the soul are both comprehended under one phrase of speech I am the Resurrection Now I come to the Use and Application of that that hath been delivered And the Use of the point is First for comfort Secondly for tryal and examination Thirdly for exhortation and direction First the Use of the point may be for comfort here here is matter of sound comfort to all those that are the faithful members of Christ Jesus if thou be united to Christ by saith Christ is the Fountain of life he will be the Fountain of spiritual life therefore here is comfort against Death against the death of the soul and against the death of the body Comfort first against the death of the Soul comfort against sin that is the ill of all ills and is the death of the soul If thou be united to Christ Christ by his divine power he is able to free thee from the power and dominion of sin from the bondage of sin Dost thou complain that thy understanding is dark and blind remember Christ is able to give thee more light Ephes 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Dost thou complain that thy heart is hard and stony remember that Christ is able to soften thy hard heart and to give thee a heart of flesh as he hath promised Ezek. 36.36 I will take away their stony heart and give them an heart of flesh Dost thou complain that thy affections are unruly and set upon wrong objects remember to thy comfort that Christ is able to rectifie these affections he is able to plant in thee the true love and fear of God as he hath promised Deut. 30.6 I will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed that thou shalt love me with all thy heart and with all thy soul And in Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall never depart from me Dost thou complain that thou canst not bear afflictions patiently remember that Christ thy head he is able to strengthen thee and he will do it as he did the Apostle Phil. 4.13 saith he I am able to do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me But here the weak Christian will be ready to object but I have so many strong corruptions in me that I am afraid that I am not yet raised out of the grave of sin that I am not yet raised out of my natural estate To which I answer remember this to thy comfort that the first Resurrection is unlike to the second in this regard in regard of the measure and degree of it as soon as ever the soul quickens the dead body the dead body leaves the Grave and the state of corruption wholly and all at once but it is not so in the Resurrection of the soul When the spirit quickens the soul the soul begins to rise again from the grave of sin but yet the bands and setters of sin and corruption still remain upon the soul Indeed as soon as the Spirit of grace quickens the soul the soul presently hates all sins and begins to shake off these setters of sin and corruptions and shakes them off by little and little but I say it shakes them not off all at once In this spiritual Resurrection sin indeed receives a deadly wound but yet it is not wholly abolished In the spiritual Resurrection sin is like a beast whose throat is cut that lies striving and strugling for life so sin hath life in it but yet it hath a deadly wound therefore remember to thy comfort that that will be true here between the power of grace and the remainders of sin that is affirmed of the house of Saul and the house of David 2 Sam. 3.1 there was long war between them But the house of David grew stronger and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker So it will be between sin and grace sin will grow weaker and weaker and grace stronger and stronger But yet the weak Christian may object further but I feel the spirit so weak in me and the flesh so strong in me that I am afraid the flesh will prevail and so I shall return again to my natural estate To this I answer remember that this is contrary to the nature of a true Resurrection to return to death again
First by way of detestation Secondly by way of confutation By way of detestation in the first verse and part of the second What shall we say then shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound God forbid Secondly by way of confutation the argument whereby he confutes it is by a necessary consequence of our justification that is our sanctification these are so inseparably united together all that are justified are sanctified And upon this ground the Apostle frames two arguments to confute this errour taken from the two parts of sanctification The first is from our mortification from the third verse to the end of the seventh and the argument runs thus Those that are dead to sin cannot sin that Grace may abound but all that are in Christ are dead to sin therefore they cannot sin that Grace may abound Now that all that are in Christ are dead to sin he proves by their union with Christ testified in Baptisme and by the effect of that union which is conformity to Christ that as Christ was dead for sin so they are dead to sin The second argument is taken from the second part of our sanctification which is our quickning to a new life and that he handles in the 8 9 10. verses and that argument runs thus Those that are quickned by Christ to newness of life cannot sin that Grace may abound but all that are in Christ are quickned by Christ to newness of life therefore they cannot sin that Grace may abound That all that are in Christ are quickned to newness life he proves in verse 8. If we be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall live with him still by our union with Christ whereby there comes a conformity to Christ in his resurrection as well as in his death And from these premises he infers by way of application the conclusion that is here in the words of the Text I have now read to you likewise reckon ye also your selves dead unto sin but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. As if he should say do not rest your selves satisfied in the bare knowledge of these things in the discourse of them in general but bring them to particular application make the case your own what we say of death to sin and of newness of life we speak to you if ye be in Christ therefore you must make account of it to be your case likewise reckon ye your selves dead to sin but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. We see now the coherence of the words with those that go before and the main intent and scope of the Apostle in the Chapter wherein we might note divers things The first is out of the very connexion that by vertue of the union of beleevers with Christ there is in them a conformity to Christ They are made like unto him he had said before that Christ died and rose again likewise reckon ye your selves like him in this Every one that is in Christ is conformable to Christ and made like him Then again secondly we might note hence this also that Rectified and sanctified reason ever concludes to God and for God Reckon ye make account conclude this so the word signifieth reason thus conclude thus as it is used Rom. 3.28 We conclude saith the Apostle where the same word is used That a man is justified by Faith without the works of the Law So conclude this rest on this conclusion do not make it a matter of conjecture and opinion onely but when you consider things wisely when you weigh things seriously you shall see great reason to infer those things from these premises that God would have you infer Therefore whatsoever reasoning is against the Word whatsoever disputes the minds of men uphold against any truth in Scripture it is but the reasoning of corrupt reason If reason were sanctified it would conclude as 2 Cor. 5. We judge if one died for all then they that live should not live to themselves but to him that died for them When men come to deal judiciously and advisedly when they come to conclude of things wisely they will conclude then that what use the Word and the Gospel would have them make of any truth that they will make of it Likewise reckon ye judge thus Thirdly we might note hence thus much also that The best and most profitable knowledge of the Scriptures is in applying it to a mans own case and person and condition Reckon ye also your selves saith the Apostle make account of thus much that this is a truth concerns you in particular Judge your selves so far profited by the Word you hear as you can make good application of it to your own estate and condition Whensoever men come to hear the Word they come to hear somewhat that concerns themselves therefore whatsoever we say befals them that are in Christ apply it to your selves and make account this is my case if 〈◊〉 in Christ Fourthly hence we might note thus much also that When a man is in Christ there is a real change There is an evident change from what he was before he was in Christ For so the Apostle reasons now you are in Christ there is such a change as from death to life there is a marvellous great change in you If there be not this change in you neither are you in Christ and all the hopes you build on of being in Christ they are without a foundation they are upon an imaginary Christ not upon Christ that is yours indeed If you be in Christ let it appear in a change let us see how you are changed since you were in Christ from that you were before for this make account of conclude thus much for your selves that all that are in Christ are changed But fiftly and lastly he expresseth wherein this change confisteth and he makes choice of such terms as are most acquisite and sit for his purpose He would express this spiritual change and mark what expressions he useth to manifest it by no less then life and death There is such a change when you are once in Christ from what you were before as there is between a man that was dead and is now alive or a man that was alive and is now dead and this is that that I will infist now upon wherein note these particulars First the Analogy and proportion the aptness and fitness of the terms wherein the Apostle expresseth the spiritual change of those that are in Christ how sitly they may be said to be dead and alive Secondly it is observable in what order the Apostle expresseth these first dead and then alive Make account that the work of Grace in the effectual change in your hearts it proceeds in this order First you are dead and then alive dead to sin first and then alive to God Thirdly note the certain connexion of these two together so there is not onely a certainty in the object but a certainty
So the Church of God is called the house of God and sometime it is understood of the Church militant and sometime of the Church triumphant Of the Church triumphant In my Fathers house are many mansions There it is heaven the place of the blessed Then for the Church militant Moses was faithful in all his house faith the Text. And Paul exhorts Timothy how he should carry himself in the house of God that is in the Church militant As for those that live above us they need not our good works and actions therefore it is intended of those that are here in the Church militant that is called Gods houshold because there is such a communion amongst beleevers as amongst those that live in the same house that abide under the same roof that live under the same government that eat at the same Table c. So then you have the meaning of all which is no more but this Take those advantages of times which you can obtain or else many will slip unprofitably to be conversant in such actions of mercy which tend to the relief of those that want them If there be extream necessity do good to all but if you may make choyce of persons to whom you may do good choose the houshold of faith Thus you have the substance and the meaning of the words In them you may observe briefly these three parts The first is a determination or limitation of time to which the Saints are tied in the performance of the duties that are in joyned them as you have opportunity and while you have time Secondly there is a declaration of duty do good Thirdly there is a description of the persons to whom this good must be done first more generally Do good to all and then more particularly and with an especial note Especially to those of the houshold of Faith Of these in order First for the determination of time to take the words as they lie while you have time therefore or as you have opportunity the words themselves do render the main point It is the duty of Christians to take their advantages of times to take the best opportunities of their life to do good I will speak somewhat by way of Explication of the point and something by way of Application and so proceed to what follows First for the Explication what is intended or meant in it when we incite you to embrace times and opportunities Briefly these two things are meant in it First that you should be sure not to lose the time of life And Secondly that you should not forego the advantages and opportunities of estates You shall not alwayes have life to do good and it may be if you have life you shall not alwayes enjoy means and ability to do good While you have life therefore and time do good or while you enjoy means and so power to do good embrace these opportunites That is the meaning of the Apostle in this place First then there must be a doing good while you have life let your good works go before you do things while you live and defer not the performance of them till your death Make you friends of the unrighteous Mammon that when you want they may receive you into everlasting habitations He calls that unrighteous Mammon not that it is unrighteously gotten only though that may be meant but that which is unrighteously kept is unrighteous Mammon to you if you procured it never so justly unless you do rightly dispose of it and if you be desirous to do right in disposing of your Mammon of your wealth do it now That when you want that power and those times you may enjoy the comfortable fruit of the well-redeeming of the time of your life to receive you into everlasting habitations In the 25. verse of the 16. Luke it is the challenge of Abraham to Dives Son remember that thou in thy life-time haddest thy goods for so the word signifieth thou haddest thy opportunities of life and of goods too but now thou hast neither life nor goods left thee to do good with and therefore he is blessed and thou art tormented It was the folly of those five Virgins they took not the opportunity of life for that is the thing meant there but they posted over all to the last and hoped that all might be effected in a trice or miniute of their life which would have held them employment enough all the dayes of their lives And therefore they came short of heaven the gates were shut against them as you see when the Bridegroom came If any man imagine because it is said Blessed are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their works follow them That therefore it matters not so long as a man doth good at his death though he have neglected the wayes of goodness all his life Let them know that by works there is not meant the actions of men but the fruits of their actions Their works follow them not the works they have deferred untill death but the fruits of those works they did while they were living and received not the benefit of them untill death Their works follow them that is the fruits of their works It is more good and pleasant by far to have the actions go before and the fruits and comfortable effects to succeed and follow after But if any man yet suppose that he may make that up in his Will which he hath neglected all his life long and though he have lived miserably covetously and unprofitably all the dayes of his life yet his thoughts may tell him that by the Charitable Requests of his last Testament as bequeathing largely to the Church and Common-wealth and to all sorts of people be may at the last make fit compensation and satisfaction for neglect of former duties Let no man deceive himself with such a bad resolution for first it argues a sign of infidelity that a man will not trust God for fear he should want in his life-time what is the reason else that he defers the doing good in health unless it be for fear of wanting himself such distrust he hath in the providence of God Besides the same God which bids thee do good when thou hast opportunity and while thou enjoyest the advantage of life he expects it now And it may be truly said of many that neglect those times of doing good while they lived and have now supplyed that defect in their death by the large benevolence of their Wills Their will is good but their deed is naught So much for the first point I proceed unto the second that is thou must not only take the time of thy life but also the opportunity of thy means and thy estate while there is yet a price in thine hand while thou hast opportunity and enjoyest wealth to do good with redeem the advantages and opportunities by employing them in
see the Lord hath here promised a large assurance of safety and protection from the malice of his adversaries in the day of evil if he wisely consider the poor Again it makes much for the good of his posterity The good man is merciful c. and his seed inherits the blessing It may be he perceives not such sensible and apparant fruits or outward success in his own life upon this course yet his seed inherits the blessing and the less he enjoyes the more shall they receive of Gods goodness towards them as a recompence for his benevolent kindness towards the people of God And what greater legacy can man bestow upon his posterity then to leave them by his particular means in the loving favour of the Almighty And as it is so for the present so it becomes a course of wisedome for the future also Charge the rich men of the World that they be ready to do good c. laying up a good foundation for the time to come And by this means a man may provide well for eternity Make you friends faith Christ of your unrighteous Mammon that when you fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations The way for a man to provide for eternal good is to use his talent of wealth and estate for the present to the good of many Thus we see the Reasons plainly verified to make use of it briefly and hasten to that which remains Is it so then that it is writ down to be the duty of Gods servants to mannage the opportunities of this life for this end and in this course of doing good that is of distribution and reliefe Then it serves to reprove those that neglect this duty and account it not a business of their life only they conceive of it as a matter of praise and commendations a thing that they do well in performing and not very ill in omitting They conceive it to be of no absolute necessity but voluntary charity as a matter arbitrary but not as a duty necessary and for this cause they appear but slack and indifferent they conceive this as a duty to lay up wealth but never remember the necessity of laying out wealth to be commanded for a greater duty then the former they take it for their duty to get all they can but forget the following precept to do all the good with that they get as they can And here is the reason why there are such lavish expences bestowed upon every vanity that the portion of the poor and such as ought to be relieved with our estates in point of equity and by vertue of Gods Commandment is swallowed up by every vanity It is spent in excessive apparel for the satisfaction of the vain fashion-monger in superfluity of dyet for the Glutton and the Epicure in Haukes and Hounds and Dogs to please the humour of the voluptuous person it is consumed in raising up vain and unnecessary Buildings by earth-worms that make their habitations below and lay a foundation for themselves on earth neglecting that goodly building given of God to the re-edisying of their souls in the kingdome of Grace And thus is the portion of the poor consumed and themselves for want of the same exposed to all the misery that this World can inflict Some cry they cannot do it we have not an estate to undergo it in the mean time they run to excesse of Riot and make such voluptuous and superfluous feasts that the Phenix hardly escapes the bounds of their desires If you can be thus excessive in your dyet in your apparel in your sports if you can cast away in presents and in gifts in bribes and in gratuities superfluously upon rich friends there must of necessity be a defect in your will to the command of God when you neglect the miserable condition of the poor and lend no hand to help them What is the reason of it but because of the natural rebellion and Athisme that is in the heart of every man against God that they will employ their estates any way rather then bestow them to that purpose for which they are appointed by God Oh what account shall such be able to make at the day of Judgment do but suppose when the Books shall come to be opened wherein the particulars Diaries and passages of your life shall be thus examined Item so much for a feast Item on such a day for such another great feast and many a hundred dayes for as many hundred feasts wherein hundreds of the servants of God have endured extream want and inforced into banishment into other places to persecution to misery and distress when thou couldest not find one of them in a corner of thy purse Item so much for such apparel for such entertainment for such building of Walks and Galleries What nothing for the servants of God are they so empty when your houses appear so full live they so poor and you so richly glad what can you spare nothing for Christ and the distressed members of the Church all this while Oh my beloved remember what James faith Go to now you rich men weep and howl for your garments are Moth eaten whereon you have bestowed so much cost and your gold and silver is rusty and canker'd and the rest of them shall eate up your flesh as it were fire at that day Let it teach therefore the servants of God to bestow their Almes most willingly to be free and in continual readiness in extending their contribution towards the necessities of those that want them and not only so but to do good in so doing for that is the principal duty unto which the Text doth invite you While you have opportunity do good But how shall a man in such actions of mercy and bounty and liberality make it appear that he doth good Therefore briefly take some helps in this A man that will contribute out of his estate to releeve others and intends to do good First he must do what he doth justly he must not out of mercy extended to one injure another but must alwayes level his charity by his own ability And this is that which the holy Ghost calls the giving of a mans own Cast thy bread upon the waters thy own bread not another mans To give that which is a mans own by right by lawful procuring his own by right of possession the gifts bestowed out of that makes acceptation before God and provides a double recompence for the giver You see how Zachens gives If I have wronged any man I will restore it and half my goods I give to the poor That is I will first make restitution of what I have unjustly gotten and then of the remainder I will give half to the poor It is no giving for a man to employ all his life-time in the procurement of unjust gain By Usury deceit in trading and other indirect and forbidden courses to heap up abundance of red
him back from our charity Secondly such a one I confess is not a stranger but an enemy and when it lay in his power he procur'd me all the mischiefe he could and should I now relieve him Mark the rule of the Apostle If thine enemy hunger feed him if he be naked cloath him if he thirst give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head But some man will say there remains so much unthankfulness in the World that one is soon discouraged by peoples ingratitude in the office of doing dood But what saith the Lord Cast thy bread upon the waters for after many dayes thou shalt find it Though it seem no more to thee but as a stone sunck down into the deep or as a morsel of bread in the water that floates from the sight of him that cast it in without possibility of recovering it again or receiving any fruit or benefit from the same yet cease not to cast it there for after many dayes thou shalt find it But some man replies I do good to some already I give something to the maintaining of a Schollar in the University somewhat I do for the binding of a poor Child to an Apprentiship and I have bestowed my good will towards the setting up of a young beginner in his trade what is there no end of doing good Mark again the advise of Solomon for that Give a portion to seven and to eight If thou have done good to one extend it to a second to a third and again to a fourth and a sift and sixt and a seventh and to eight and so long as there remains an object of mercy and power in thine hands to do it though thou hast extended the like bounty to seven and to eight already Some man will answer again that by this course if every man bestow his benevolence so largely no man could become rich in this life and God appoints some rich men in this World as well as poor Solomon answers that objection thus If the Clouds be full they pour down rain As if he should have argued thus God hath bestowed riches on men as he hath given rain to the Clouds he gave them that superfluity of waters to pour down on the earth for the benefit of the same and not that they shall still detain it to no purpose at all So God hath given riches to men that when they arive at a fulness of estate they should then pour down and distil the fruits of that blessing on them that are poor and live in necessity as the rain descends upon dry clods of earth But some man will say a man might pour down comfort but the ill success it meets with and the little good it begets in them on whom it is bestowed for they oftentimes become worse by the receipt of such benefits disheartens the giver from the extending of his charity according to Gods command and his own good nature Saith Solomon for that As the Tree falls so it lyes whether to the East or West to North or South his meaning is this As the Tree being hewen down lie which way it will falls to the profit and advantage of the owner so it proves with all things thou performest with intent to please God and glorifie him though they fall more prosperous or less prosperous in the event yet the conclusion converts them all to the glory of God his pleasure and the advantage of the owner and there they lie and their recompence also But some man may say I have continued a great while in the exercise of doing of good I am now old and have lived thus long at my trade and thus long I have been a House-keeper and thus long have had an estate in my hands all which time I have ever employed my self in the performance of good offices for others and did not intermit any occasion that might invite me to the doing of good And is it not yet time to cease No saith Solomon in the morning sowthy seed and in the evening let not thy hands rest For all those words are but several answers to several objections Sow thy seed in the morning of thy life when they estate begins to be improved and then even in the evening of thy life when thou hast left off gaining cease not to persist in giving Saith another man You must not lop the twig too soon that is but beginning to grow I am but now in the way to thrive and when I am further entred into that course I will not fail to extend my goodness to others Sow thy seed in the morning of thy life But saith another man I have done that already and now it ceaseth to be with me as before by reason I follow not my trade and have no more possibility of getting But let not thy hand cease in the evening saith God When thy shop windows are shut up thy compassion must still continue open when thou hast bid gain adue and taken thy leave of all the wayes of getting even then if thou enjoy an estate in thine hands and ability to do good there is no excuse for thee to cease from bestowing it though it be in the evening Thus we see there is no time excepted nor person to be refused if necessity require but a man must do good to all men at all times So much for that But the matter chiefly intended is these two That there are some poor of the houshold of faith That is the first God hath in the houshold of faith some that stand in need of relief Secondly that all that are in the houshold should especially look unto them First I say there are some of the houshold of faith true believers whose wants call for reliefe So we see Christs speaks as it were for himself when he speaks of them I was hungry and you did not feed me I was naked and you did not cloath me Those that Christ owns as his and accounts them a part of himself even those are hungry and naked And so likewise God hath chosen the poor of this world rich in faith They be rich in faith and so of Gods houshould of faith and yet nevertheless poor in this world You shall see an example of this A Widdow comes to Elisha the Prophet and tels him Thy servant my husband was a man fearing God and yet notwithstanding the creditor is coming upon me and will have my sons to be bond-slaves The man feared God and yet nevertheless the poor Widdow wanted means and her sons must be exposed to extremity of bondage for discharge of his fathers ingagements A hard case and yet the case of a man fearing God You see there are those of Macedonia that send help to the poor Saints of Achaia they were Saints and yet poor receiving help from a company
we found it let it not be said that we willingly let the fair Fabrick of Faith and good life to run to ruine in our so that the next Age may justly sue us for Dilapidations When our Saviour said unto his Disciples Mat. 26.21 Verily I say unto you that one of you shall betray me they were exceeding sorrowful and began every one of them to say unto him Lord is it I yea Judas himself lagging at last with his Is it I Lord and was returned with Thou saist it Thus at the last day of judgment shall all generations be arraigned before God But to confine our Application only to those three within the last sixscore years if God should say unto them One of you have betrayed my truth how would it put them all upon their particular purgation Is it I Lord saith the first generation in the reign of King Edward the sixt surely they shall be acquitted who in the Marian dayes sealed the truth with their blood Is it I Lord saith the second generation lasting all the Reign of Queen Elizabeth to the middle of King James That also will be cleared as publickly preserving the purity of true Doctrine in the thirty nine Articles What a shame shall it be if when our age shall ask with Iudas Is it I we shall be returned thou hust said it Yours is the Age that hath betrayed my Truth to Errour Unity to Faction Piety to Prophaness sad when such a Fact shall be so clear that it cannot be denied and yet so foul that it cannot be defended However this my too just fear may consist with hope of better things of you and such as accompany salvation I must conclude with you Reverend Fathers whom my loyalty cannot pass by without doing my due homage to the Crown of your Age especially if it be found in the way of truth Give me leave to tell you belong to that generation which is passed out of this world not only the Van or Front and also the main body and battel of your Army are marched to their graves and their souls I hope to heaven whilst Divine Providence for reasons best known to himself hath reserved you to bring up as I may say the very rear of the rear of your generation O do not mistake this Reprieve for a Pardon and here give me leave to use a plain but expressive Similitude Have you never seen a wanton child run a firebrand against the Hearth or back of the Chymney and so on a suddain make a skie of sparks of which sparks some instantly expire others continue a pretty time and then go out others last a little longer whilest one or two as having a greater stock of soot to feed them hold out a good while but at last are extinguisht Man is born to labour as sparks do fly upward some presently go out wasted from the womb to the winding-sheet others live to ripe men others to be old men some whose temper and temperance are more signal then in others to be counted wonderous old but all at last die and fall to the earth We read Rev. 10.2 of an Angel who had his right foot on the Sea and his left on the earth This may seem a strange stride save that it abateth the wonder because Angels when pleased to assume bodies may extend themselves to a vast though finite proportion But you though meer men and weak men must stride a greater distance having your left foot already in the Grave endeavour to have your right foot in Heaven and waving all love of this world set your minds and meditations alone on God and godliness In a word whatever our Age be rising shining or setting Men Brethren or Fathers let us endeavour with David in my Text according to the will of God to serve our own Generation Come we now to the sad occasion of our present meeting to perform the last Christian Office to our Deceased Brother well known to many of you and to none better then to my self A child is like a man in the similitude of parts though not of degrees and in some measure he did sincerely with David serve his Generation He was a dutiful Son unto his aged Mother as she cannot but confess and will I hope as occasion is offered remember and reward it to his wife and children A loving Brother a kind Husband and I doubt not but his widdow will discharge her mutual affection to him in his relations Bathsheha thus describeth a good wife Pro. 31.12 She will do her Husband good and not evil all the dayes of her life It is not said all the dayes of his life but of her life What if he should chance to die and she to survive him yea after to marry again as God forbid any should be debarred marrying in the Lord especially for their own and childrens advantage yet still she would do good unto him all the dayes of her life To him that is to his memory mentioning with respect to him that is to his children and friends careful over the one and curteous over the other He was a tender Father and faithful Friend witness the many volunteer mourners an unusual proportion for a person of his quality who at their own charge have habited themselves that the outward sadness of their cloaths might express the inward sorrow of their hearts He was an excellent Master having bred many good workmen in his Vocation and I hope they will prove good husbands too Let me add he was an excellent subject for according to that which his conscience with many others conceived to be loyalty he lost much of and hazarded all his estate Lastly and chiefly he was a good Saint having more piety then he shewed and as daily he consumed in his body he was strengthened in his soul in Faith through Christ whereof he gave many testimonies before towards and at his death What shall I speak of his parts of Nature so far above his education and profession that he might have past for a Scholar amongst Scholars for his wit and pleasant expressions But God now hath made him his free-man and paid him his wages for so well serving his Generation THE CROVVNE OF RIGHTEOUSNES OR The glorious Reward of FIDELITY In the Discharge of our DUTY SERMON LIII 2 TIM 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that Day and not to me only but unto them also who love his Appearing I Shall not detain you by any impertinent Preface sith the shortness of time for this Service together with the indulgence of this so Learned an Auditory anticipates an Apology and gives hope of much Candor under so manifold Imprâ—…parations And so I address my self to the serious business of my Text The scope whereof amounts to
some poor of the houshold of faith Mat. 15. Iames 1. 1 King 4 1. Rom 5 16. Luke 16. Reason 1. 1 Cor 8 9. Mat 8 10. Reason 2. 1 Pet 2 11. Reas 3. Luk 9 53. Reason 4. Iames 5. Heb 11. Vse 1. Heb 10. Vse 2. Iob 1. Vse 3. Iames 2. Doctr. 2. The houshold of faith especially to be regarded Psal â—…6 1 Phil. 1. Reason Reas 2. Mat 15. Vse 1 Chron 29. Prov 19.17 Psal 1. Prov. 3.11 Parts of the Text. Doct. 1. A change will befall all the sons of men Death a change and why so termed The change by death must befal all men Reason 1. Reason 2. Reas 3. Reason 4. Doctr. 2. 1 What it is to wait for death Wherein the preparation for death consists 1 In freeing our selves from sin â—…u our life-time How that is done 2 In having our persons qualified How that is done Why we must wait and be prepared for death Reas 1. Reas 2. Reas 3. Reason 4. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prol in Eccless Agnescere nolumus quod ignorare non possumus Cypr de Mortal Vid. Vit. Orig. prâ—…efix operib Infans nondum loquitur tamen prophetat Serm. de bono pas Cic. primo tusc In Eccles chap. 12. 1 The Scope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cupressin funeria The Coherence Senes in limine mortis vihâ—… 〈◊〉 avidissiml Arist 〈◊〉 breu vita Cic. de seâ—…ctuâ—… The sense Que. 1. Que. 2. Que. 3. Que. 4. Sol. 1. Sol. 2. Sol. 3. Et strepitus iste perduras quousque pondus id est ponderosum corpus ad terram pervenerit sed corpore in terram projecto statim cessat tumulius Destructor vit par 4. c. 2. The division The Doctr. Quotidiè morimur quotidiè enim demitur aliqua pars vita Bern. in serm Senibus meri in januit juvenibus in insidiis AE vi temporalis sine completo ad eterna velmortis vel immortalitatis hospitia dividimur Scelus aut exuritur igue Application Coclcus bist I may add Oravitatis eloquentia eruditiona vestigia egocinis velisima pars luti scintilla dum vertor satis habeâ—… sisâ—…plendorem illius imbecillitas occulerum fâ—…rrè possit Aug. l. de Nat. grat respice sepulchra et vide quis servi quis Dominus quis dives quis pauper descerne si potes vinctum à rege sertem à debili pulchrum à deformi Sophocl in Antig Arist Eth. Homer Hae. Aristot phy Acts and mon. p. 1. Poncius Diacoa in vit Cyp. Psal 31.15 Tertul devesurrect in candida exp 〈◊〉 ut 〈…〉 gistratum ambientes expectabant suffragia Encharid 〈◊〉 Laurant 〈◊〉 tempus quod inter bominesâ—… mortem ultimaresurrectionis interposition est animas abâ—… 〈◊〉 receptaâ—… la contiment sicut 〈◊〉 dignâ—… est 〈◊〉 requiâ—… vel 〈…〉 pro eo 〈…〉 est in carâ—…e 〈◊〉 viveret Esay 48.22 Apcc. 6.16 Eraz. Apoph Theodoro parum interest bumine an insublime putrescat Tertal de reJurect Ierrem 22.19 Psal 7 9.1.2 Dossid in witExod 20.12 Psal 55.23 The blood thirsty and deceitful mau shall not live out half his daies 1 Sam. 2.32 Hiro epitaph Paul sentimus quid babâ—…emus postquam habere decivimus Jer 22.29 Esa 37.1 3. Matth. 25.35.36 Matth. 24.28 Esay 1.2 Deut. 32.29 Psal 81.13 Jerem. 8.22 Luke 19.41 42 Matth. 23.27 Divin institut l 1. ut nec ipsam decent alia nec alios ipsa Beller l. 1. de Verb. Dei c. 2. Nazianz. orot 38. mortem ut peccati precisionem homo lucratur ne malum sit immortale ita pana in misericordia ced it Amb. in Luke mors triplex est 2. nature de qua dicitur querent mortem inveniunt secunda culpoe de qua dicitur anima qua peecat morietur tertia gratioe in qua non naturased delicta moriuntur Sen. ep 70. nibil melius oeterna lex secit quam quod unum intro itum ad vitam nobis dedit exitus multos Hippoc. Aph. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 16.23 Gen. 37.35.1 Kings 2.6 Psal 89.43 Palm 6 5. Isa 38.18 Apoc. 20 13. Gen. 3.17 Rom 5.12 Ezek 18 20. 2 Cor. 5.11 〈◊〉 â—…5 5. 1 Pet. 2.24 Musculus in Gen. sides in id quod suturum est prospicit ac de co nou secus ac si jam factum esset gloriatur Cic. consolat Periclem narrant historia intra quadridum duobus filiis orbatum quiusque eòp fortis constans fuit ut nihil prorsus depristino habitu cultuque diminurit nec unquam coronam de capite deposuerit Horatius Pulvillus dum edem Jovi dedicabit inter solemnem verborum nuncupationem postem tenens ut filium mortuum audivit nequae manum à poste removit neque sacra diremit Plin. l. 21.6.4 Rosa nascitur spina verius quam frutice Hieron comment in Proph. Hosea c. 13 cromers tua ô mors ideo mâ—…rtum sum ut tu mea morte moriaris ero morsus tua inferne qui omnia tuis faucibus devorasti morsus tua inferne qui omnis tuis faucibus devorasti Aug. l. 3 de remit peccat c 11. ubi est peccatum quo puncti venati sumus Calv. in Hossatis constat Paulum 1 Cor. 15. non citasse Propheta testimonum ad confirmandam ullam doctrinam de que disserit Calv. in hunc loc ero pestes tuae ô mors id est ego ero interitus mortis ut mors ipsa non possit nos amplius perdere Calv. in Hoses quanuis mors absorbeat omnia quanvis sepulchrum aboleat omnias Deus tamen est superior morte sepulchro ergo si quando de speratio nos ita dejiciat ut non gustemus omnes Dei promissiones veniat nobis in mentem hic loâ—us quod scilicet Deus sic exitio mortis Chrysost in 1 Cor. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bernard serm 26. in Cant. jam tibi frater in nocte adhuc mediâ diescebat nox sicut dies illumenabatur accitus sum ego ut id miraculi viderem hominem exultantem in morte insultantem morti ubi est mors stimulus tuus jam non est stimulus sed jubilus jam cantando moritur homo moriendo cantat Plutâ—… moral tract de utilitat ex inimicis capienda Psalm 89.47 Rom 6.2 1 Tim. 5.6 Rev 20.6 Morsuus est morti qui moritur crimini Qui moritur â—…te quam moritur 〈◊〉 moritur Apoc 20 14 Exod. 3 14 Levit. 25.25 Apoc. 5.9 1 Pet. 1.18 1 Tim. 1.10 Apoc. 14.13 Vita moriens conflixit cum vivente morte Apoc. 14.13 2 Cor. 5.1.8 â—…ohn 11.25 Apoc. 1.28 Apoc. 22.16 John 3.14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Sun of man be lifted up O mors devorasti devorata es illius morte tu mortua es illius morte nos vivimus gratias tibi agimus Christe salvator quod tam potentem adversarium dum occideris occidisti Hier epitaph