may learn from the Story of Balaam the Southsayer who was Satan's Servant when he cannot curse the whole Camp of Israel he will do his utmost endeavour to curse some part thereof Numb 23.13,27 The 4 th Cursed Character and Property of this Adversary of Mankind is he is uncessantly as well as universally mischievous 'T is said of the Scorpion that there is no minute of Time wherein he doth not thrust out his Sting but he keeps it in a continual motion for a speedy poisoning of all whatsoever he can reach with it as before even so this Old Serpent or Scorpion the Devil is restless night and day and puts forth his poisonful Sting without ceasing to wound us in our Heels according to his Commission Gen. 3.15 that thereby he may transfuse his Venom from our Heels to our Hearts c. And 't is his constant custom to Assault us both sleeping and waking for he keeps no holy day as the Vulgar saying is nor will he make any Truce or Cessation of Arms with us and he will set upon us both in our Natural and in our Civil Actions yea and most of all in those that are Religious He doth not only tempt us to excess in our Food and Raiment but he will disturb us also in the Duties of our particular Callings yet higher above all we meet with most Disturbances in the Duties of our general Callings so that we can never serve the Lord either publickly or privately without Distraction from this Adversary 1 Cor. 7.35 Neither Week-day nor sabbath-Sabbath-day nay upon the Sabbath which signifies a Rest is this Satan the most Restless for while we are the busiest about God's Service and the concerns of our Souls then will he be a most Busie Devil with our Base Hearts to interrupt our Communion with Heaven c. This may have its Illustration from Drexelius his Vision whereof he gives us this account that he saw but one Devil at a Market upon the Week-day but he saw ten Devils present at a Sermon upon the Sabbath-day and being asked the reason of this difference of the number of Devils the good old Man thus answered That in a Market there was no need of any more than one Devil for there one Man would tempt another fast enough the Buyer the Seller and the Seller the Buyer c. but at a Sermon where all men do solemnly Devote themselves to God's Worship then ten Devils were few enough to distract them therein Thus we read how Satan thrust in among the Sons of God Job 1.6 2.1 1 Kings 21.10,13 As Satan ever since the Fall of Lucifer never had Rest Matth. 12.43,44,45 so he never would have Rest night or day unless he be in a sinner's heart c. The 5 th Cursed Character and Property of this our Adversary is that he is likewise irresistibly mischievous as to any Humane Power for Resisting him This is related before how the Innocentest Man Adam the strongest Man Samson and the wisest Man Solomon were none of them able to resist the Assaults of this strong Man Armed the reason is because his Angelical tho' now Diabolical Nature is too strong for any mere Humane Nature we are all as unable to withstand him 1. As the feeble Flye is the cunning Spider which most easily entangles her in his clammy Threads spun out of his own bowels whose first work is to intoxicate her as soon as entangled by infusing his poison into her head and then with more ease he draws her into his Den and there he sucks out her blood and her life both together Nor are we poor Mortals more able to resist this Strong Man Armed than 2. The silly Dove is to withstand the furious Assaults of the strong Eagle c. Thus the Devil is represented in Eph. 2.3 as a Prince-Fowl of the Air who hath the upper ground of us sorry Worms crawling upon the Earth and prying about like a Bird of prey to espy what silly Doves without hearts or understandings as Junius renders that Hos 7.11 as are wandring abroad for him to be preyed upon c. Nor 3. The simple Lamb can withstand the furious Lion when found wandring astray from the Sheepfold c. These similitudes do illustrate how Irresistible is our Adversary as to us to which many more may be added As 4. He is like the Hunter with his Nets 5. Like the Fowler with his Snares And 6. Like the Fisher-man with his Angling-Rods All these do most easily over-power the Beasts the Birds and the Fishes they meet with and so doth Satan over-power us yea and much more than so insomuch as he finds something in us which betrays us into his hands tho' it be otherwise said of our sinless Saviour to whom Satan came and found Nothing in him John 14.30 The 6 th Cursed Character of Satan he is everlastingly mischievous as he was a Murderer from the beginning John 8.44 so he will continue to be so to the end of the World as is hinted before Oh what a long Lease hath our Lord lent this Roaring Lion The number of this Infernal Beast is much above the number of the Apocalyptick Beast which was 666 years Rev. 13.18 or that longer Lease of 1260 years Rev. 11.3 This Beast hath already lasted above five thousand years and will ever last out-living all the Sons and Daughters of Men until Time shall be no more for as he is a Spirit so he cannot Die as we mortals daily Die c. therefore Man's Malady and Danger is like to last so long as there is a Man living to be tempted by this everlasting Tempter until our Lord chain him up c. CHAP. II. Man's Remedy and Deliverer HAving shewed at large Man's Malady and Danger in the first Chapter I come now in this second Chapter to shew Man's Remedy and Deliverer who is no other but our Blessed Lord whom Jacob calls his Redeeming Angel the Angel that Redeemed him from all evil Gen. 48.16 and who was named Jesus because he came into the World upon this only Errand that he might save us from our sins Matth. c. 1. v. 21. This Name Jesus may be derived from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sano to heal or rather from the Hebrew word Jashang which signifies to save from hence Joshua is called Jesus in Acts 7.45 for both those names do signifie Saviours and as that Joshuah saved Israel by bringing them out of the Wilderness into the Earthly Canaan so our Lord Jesus doth bring all the Israel of God his Redeemed ones out of the Wilderness of this present Evil World Gal. 1. v. 4. which is here below into that heavenly Canaan which is above And thus the Lord saith Vaani Jehovah Rophekah which signifieth I am a mighty Gyant like Healer of thee Exod. 15.26 upon which Text Tertullian makes this learned and Holy Descant Omnipotenti Medico nullus insanabilis occurrit Morbus unto such an All-sufficient
of Age at which Age David died see after Then Secondly They accounted him among the Annosos an Old Man indeed who lived up from Seventy to Eighty Years of Age such a Man was got a great way into that far Country of Old Age even into that Hyperborean cold and frozen Climate where the Snow of Hoary Hairs lay continually upon his Head undissolved But Thirdly The highest Step and Degree is such an one as liveth above Eighty Years old those they number among Decrepid Ones that then are Superannuated declining to a Doteage in whom all the Senses of the Body yea and all the Faculties of the Soul begin daily to decay as in Old Barzillai before-named according to his own confession unto David such very Aged Persons are accounted wondrous Old as is the Expression in the Old Singing Psalms Psal 90.10 for it falls out most commonly that in this wondrous Old Age we pay the deep interest of Pains in dolorous Distempers being the time wherein as Solomon saith we can have no Pleasure Eccles 12.1,2 c. and according to the Old Adage bis Pueri Senes Old Persons are twice Children as after their Birth so before their Death they become meerly Childish which once did occasion my self to say when I saw a very Old Woman one past all other Work rocking the Cradle that had a very Young Babe in it behold there is one Child rocking another and thereupon I gave her the best advice I could how it was high time for her to make sure work for a better World Moreover beside this Rabinical Animadversion thus Spiritually Improved we have another more Critical and Christian Calculation of Man's Life made by one of our English Martyrs who left behind this curious Criticism saying because the common term of Humane Life in the ordinary course of Nature is but Threescore Years and Ten according to Moses that Man of God's computation Psal 90.10 Now if we divide those Seventy Years into four Equal Parts then must it necessarily follow that every Man is three parts Dead when he doth but arrive at the Age of Fifty Years This solid Observation doth much sooner mind us of our Mortality than that before of the Jewish Rabbins and to the same purpose I my self have both publickly and privately taught the like Lesson upon the end of my four Fingers and the Thumb shewing to the Eyes of those I spake to how the top of the little Finger represents our Childhood the top of the next Finger shews our Youth the top of the longest Finger demonstrates our Middle Age when we come to our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or fulness of Height and Health then the top of the fore Finger which is a little lower than the middle Finger declares our beginning to decline by little and little but lastly from the top of the fore Finger to the top of the Thumb there is a great fall and hence is it that we usually say such an Aged Person breaks fast in a little time the Lord help us to learn this Lesson upon our Fingers ends NB. Note well The God of Nature hath ordained that Nature in all his created Beings must decay yet this is the Sovereign Power of the Creator over all his Creatures to determine the Time measure and Quantity when the period of Nature shall come to decay and be dissolved Thus Job acknowledges this Divine Rule and Dominion of God over all Mankind saying his Days are determined the number of his Months are with God thou hast appointed his Bounds that he cannot pass c. Job 14.5,6 that is God hath set every Man the Bounds of his Time whether shorter called here his Days or longer the number of his Months and whether shorter or longer they have both their Bounds which they cannot pass no more than the unruly Ocean can pass the Bounds that its Maker hath set it Job 38.8,9,10,11 We should think the same of the Waters of Afflictions that the Lord doth limit them saying thus far shalt thou go and no sarther and here shall thy proud Waves be staid This Sovereign Rule and Dominion of God over Man in determining his Time upon Earth is made manifest in ordering such long Leases of Life to the Patriarchs and such a short Term to the Lives of the following Ages This is elegantly expressed thus by Tertullian Vitae Jugera illis sed nobis tantum Spithamas Deus dedit illi Gigantes fuere nos vero Pugiones c. God gave to the Patriarchs whole and long Acres of Life but to us only a Span-breadth thereof they were lofty Gyants but we are puny Dwarfs yea and this Divine Dominion is daily apparent as the only over-ruling Reason why some likely to live long do die soon while others that are more weak with daily Distempers do live longer than they as well as it is the Will and Wisdom of God that we see the Sons and Daughters of Men do die daily in all Ages in Childhood Youth Middle Age as well as Old Age And as God hath set Bounds to Man's Time so hath he determined Man's Task likewise thus John Baptist had his Course to fulfil Acts 13.25 the word for Course in Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence the Dromedary hath his Name which is a swift Creature and will run an hundred miles in a day Thus the Baptist tho' he lived not long but was cut off by Herod yet he lived much in a little space he wrought hard and made haste in his Work as not willing to be taken with his Task undone Thus 't is said of David also in Acts 13.36 that he served out his Generation and then he fell asleep after he had done his Generation-work according to the will of God There is an appointed time to Man upon the Earth Job 7.1 both for his Time and for his Task and he who bears up the Heavens prescribes such a Pillar before Man with this Inscription writ upon it ne plus ultra thou shalt pass no farther stat sua cuique dies said Virgil of old every Man hath his Day set him wherein he must die his last Day stands but all the rest of his days to that Day are in a running posture Some Lutherans indeed do teach that God hath not determined the period of Men's Days but that it is in Man's power either to lengthen or to shorten them But many Scriptures teach the contrary that God hath set the Bounds of every Man's Life to a very Day as well as his Place of Dwelling Gen. 49.13 Acts 17.26 and tho' thofe Bounds may be passed which our Natural Constitution in the ordinary course of Nature setteth yet those Bounds which the Almighty Power and Providence of God setteth us we can never pass For Job useth two Metaphors 1 st That of an Hireling Job 7.1 and 14.6 Now we agree with Hirelings to work with us for a day and therefore are they called Day-labourers The 2 d
it is indeed a Terror to Kings too the Philosopher calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most formidable of Formidables and Nature in the best doth find it frightful enough yet our Lord saith I will not leave you Comfortless John 14.18 The First Comfort against the Fear of Death and that our Lord hath left us for our Relief is 1 Cor. 15.55 that Christ hath unstinged that Serpent and that now his Redeemed may triumph over it Moses first fled from the Serpent but being better informed he took it by the Tail and then it became an Useful Rod in his Hand Exod. 4.3,4 Thus Israel at first fled from Goliah as affrighted with the sight of such a Monster of Mankind but so soon as they understood that David had slain him and laid him along without his Head upon the ground then did they run as fast to him to trample upon him c. as they had before run away from him sore affrighted 1 Sam. 17.24,52 So could we but believe that Christ our Lord David had swallowed up Death in Victory as we are assured Isai 25.8 and that Christ's Death is the Death of Death Hos 13.14 then might we sing a Triumphant Song with the Apostle over both Death and the Grave c. A Second Breast of Comfort against the Fear of Death is that precious Promise of God Thou shalt not be afraid when Destruction or Death cometh Job 5.21 and thus God said to Old Jacob fear not to go down to Egypt for I will be with thee and I will bring thee back again c. Gen. 46.3,4 Accordingly our Saviour saith to his sanctified ones Isai 13.3 Fear not to go down among the Dead which is a going the way of all the Earth Josh 23.14 for I will go down with thee and I will assuredly also bring thee back again as one of my Children of the Resurrection Luke 20.36 as if he had said I will bring you without failure from the Jaws of Death to the Joys of Heaven as surely as Ezra and Nehemiah brought all the Captive Jews out of the Captivity of Babylon and we must consider for our Comfort that Death seizeth upon the Body only which we derive from the First Adam as Joseph's Mistress seized only upon Joseph's Garment his Person escaped so the pretious Soul is returned to God that gave it Eccles 12.7 A Third Breast of Consolation for Saints to suck against the Fear of Death is the Righteous hath Hope in his Death Prov. 14.32 Death to a Believer is as the Vally of Achor Josh 7.24,27 Israel's entrance into the Land of Promise a Door of Hope Hos 2.15 into the Heavenly Canaan there to sing Hallelujah's to the Lord for ever Death indeed to Sinners is but a Trap-door that drops them down into Hell Psal 9.17 When that Grim-Sergeant Arrests them by God's Permission and Commission in the Devil's Name and hurls them into an Infinite Ocean of Hell-fire Oh what Dreadful Skreaks doth that Guilty Soul give when it is hurried away and hurled into Everlasting Burnings Isai 33.14 and to swim naked as i◠Scalding Lead and Liquor for evermore But blessed be God 't is better with the Saints whose Debts are all paid by their Dear Redeemer they are not afraid of the Arrest of Death but looks upon it as God's Officer sent to give them possession of a Mansion of Glory and therefore their Hearts are not troubled when their Lord sends for them to be ever with him in Heavenly Happiness John 14.1,2,3,4 and 16.7 and 1 Thes 4.17.18 Oh how willing was Old Jacob to go down into Egypt when it was only to see his younger Son Joseph whom he had not seen for many years c. How much more willing yea desirous ought we to be to go up to Heaven a far better place than Egypt there to see our Elder Brother Jesus Christ How glad were those Three Wise Men of the East to take a long Journey when it was only to see the Babe of Bethlehem Christ in the Cradle c Now if we can but say as those Wise Men said We have seen his Star c. Matth. 2.2,11 how much more ought we to long for this Journey c. that we may behold our Lord Christ advanced upon the Throne of his Glory and to behold his Face in Righteousness Psal 17.15 c. which is a Beatifical Vision a Sight far exceeding those Three Romam in Flore Paulum in Ore Christum in Carne which Father Augustin so earnestly wished to see namely Rome in its Glory Paul in the Pulpit and Christ in the Flesh Alas all those Sights are infinitely below the beholding him in his Glory 1 John 3.2 It was a good Prayer of the same Augustin saying Lord can no Man see thy Face and live O then let me die that I may see it c. A Fourth Cordial against the Fear of Death is Better is the day of our Death than the day of our Birth Eccles 7.12 'T is better every way For 1. Our Birth begins our Miseries but our Death ends them if we die in the Lord we are blessed Rev. 14.13 Whereas Man born of a Woman is born to trouble c. Job 14.1 Yea miserable so soon as warm in the Womb at Conception Psal 51.5 Birth is our entrance into this lower present Evil World Gal. 1.4 but Death in Christ is our entrance into the best and blessed World 2. We come crying into this World c. but some Saints have gone singing and triumphing out of it into a better World hoping that their Death was but the Day-break of Eternal Brightness c. A Fifth Cordial is that Death cannot separate us from the Love of God Rom. 8.28 'T is so far from destroying the Union that it is called a sleeping in Jesus 1 Thes 4.14 And as by sleep the frame of the Body is refreshed so by Death the Union of the Soul is refined Now when we are wearied with our days Labour we are not afraid to go take our rest When Lazarus died our Lord said our Friend Lazarus sleepeth John 11.11 and he said the same of Jairus's Daughter Matth. 9.24 and this is the frequent Phrase in Scripture to call Death a Sleep Job 7.21 2 Sam. 7.12 1 Cor. 11.30 Now as Sleep doth not separate Friends but only for a time betwixt good Night and good Morrow so no more doth Death which is but a bidding good Night for after sleeping in the Grave as in a Bed Isai 57.2 the Morning comes to rise again The Sixth Cordial is 2 Cor. 5.1,2,3 to 9. We know 't is not we think or we hope only this is the true Triumph of our Trusting in Christ our leaning upon the Lord Isai 50.10 that when our Clayie Cottages moulder down we have a Mansion of Glory to go to While we abide in those tottering Tabernacles we groan earnestly being Burdened ver 2.4 that is both with Sin and Misery whereof we have here our