the paths of mercy and pietie that they tread in Iob was set up a light of patience Abraham of faith Cornelius of Charitie and so every grace that the Saints are eminent in they are set up as so many lights When the light is gone is there not a great losse to have a candle put out Though they enjoy their light we lose it the benefit of their example and societie their advise and counsell Oh the experience of the Saints bring a great deale of good to their acquaintance I am in this affliction I remember that you were in the same case how did you carry your selfe It is a great matter to build upon the experiences of the Saints of God Wee lose many benefits by losing of a Saint Hee is not only beneficiall in his example but in his prayers Hee is one of the Advocates of the world that pleads with God that stands in the gap Abraham was a strong Advocate for Sodome and so was Moses for Israel and so was Aaron and so other Saints in their time The Saints while they live in the world there is a great deale of power in their prayers to with-hold judgements and is there then no losse when they are taken away When a Saint is removed a Pillar is removed a Pillar of the house and of the Earth and must there not be danger when the Pillar is gone They are the Corner stones when a Corner stone falleth there is a great deale of trash and rubbish falleth with it There is a great deale of discomfort upon the fall of a Saint When God removeth godly and mercifull men there is a losse every way to the Church to the State The Church loseth a member the State a Pillar godly men lose an example wicked men lose an Advocate poore men lose a Patron all men lose a comfort That is the first thing the Prophet bemoaneth in the losse of righteous men First it went to his heart that the world should be left emptie of pietie and all those vertuous examples that God should cut off those precious Plants those that are looking-glasses for us to see our selves in and that pitch of perfection wee should breath after and aime at That is the first thing But that is not all for there was impendant danger when they were gone It is a prognosticating of some evill to befall a place when God takes them away If Noah enter into the Arke the world may expect a deluge If Lot be out of Sodome let it looke for a showre of fire and brimstone God himselfe expresseth himselfe by the Angel that he could doe nothing as long as Lot was in Sodome he had a commission not to raine fire and brimstone while Lot was there while Lots person and prayers were there assoone as Lot was gone there commeth a cloud of Judgement and in that a showre So the Saints when they are translated into the Arke when they are tooke from the earth as Noah was Noah was to ascend from the earth to the Arke when Lot is gone to the Citie God provided for him the Citie of refuge then we may expect one Judgement or other for they are meanes to hinder and keepe them from being poured out That is the second thing in the losse of righteous men They are tooke away for their good but for our ill wee have lost the benefit of their example the comfort of their societie and now we may feare that Judgements will come plentifully for mercifull 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 double 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 doe not take it into consideration or else it is a rendring a reason of the former they lay it not to heart because they bethinke not themselves Consideration is an act of the judiciall part of the understanding as incogitancie is a rocking of reason asleepe a shutting of the dore of reason Neglect that is a negligence of due care to bee taken on the other side inconsideration or incogitancie 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 bee Gods meaning in taking away mercifull men from the evill 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 sinne and a fruit of sinne and a cause of all sinne It is a sinne in it selfe for God hath given man Reason to use upon all occasions to consider Gods workes and his owne workes and those things that befall others and himselfe The true improvement of Christianitie 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 noâ—…â—…is wayes The want of consideration keepeth a man freezing and settling on the dregs of sinne It is a fruit of sinne of the first sinne incogitancie bringeth securitie that rocks reason asleepe then passion hath her scope when reason governeth not It is the true punishment of the first sinne and the fruit of it because reason is decaied in man by sinne reason was then unrectified reason grew irregular Nay it is the cause of all sinne We can resolve no particular sinne to any other principle but this that men consider not before they commit it The reason why men goe on in excesse and riot and continue in drunkennesse is nothing but this they lay it not to heart they looke not forward what will bee the issue and event they consider not the account they are to make to God they thinke not that God is providing a cuppe of deadly wine and that all must appeare before the judgement seate of Christ. The reason why mens desires of the world and of living here are so in larged it is the want of consideration of what is the happinesse 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 mercifull men were taken away they considered it not to sympathize to prepare themselves to what God would doe after he had removed these that when he
Paradise and hee was not angrie with God for taking away his Wife he disdained not the act of his providence notwithstanding he resolveth into teares and laments And these may well stand together if they be not as S. Ierome saith rebellious teares against God and against hope and against the faith of the Resurrection they are qualified and allowed and accepted with the Lord as a testimonie of that good affection and brotherly love that he commandeth to be in every one After he had performed this perhaps mourned three or foure dayes for his wife he knew this mourning must have an end he knew that he must commit her to the ground and make away with her that she might not be a means further to continue aggravate his sorrow to no purpose for with that condition a man is allowed the use of affections as that he respect the glory of God and give way to weake nature rather then to any indulgent affection that is too head-strong and unruly as though there were no hope in the promise of the Almightie Therefore I say when he had thus moderated himselfe as first to shew by his sorrow that he was a loving husband and then to shew in the ceasing of his sorrow that he was a wise man and a faithfull Christian he commeth now to the chiefe and maine point whereby to make an end of his sorrow and take away the cause of further griefe the sight of his dead Hee commeth to desire a possession of buriall and because hee was a stranger here he commeth to those that were Lords chiefe ones and desireth them to intercede for him to the chiefe Lord to bargaine with him for a place that hee had sought out and as it seemeth by Gods direction too chosen But I will goe no further then the Text. Wherein first consider a certaine preamble that the holy man useth to the people that he now converst with in these words I am a stranger and a sojourner among you Wherein the sweetnesse of his nature doth shew it selfe that he was both humble-minded to know and confesse that he was a stranger and also that hee was full of reverence and respect to those that he dwelt with I am a stranger among you You are the Lords I a poore tenant You the Masters of the soile I but an Inmate that came in and was first lodged by you and with your consent and without your consent I will not attempt any thing That is the premonition whereby hee insinuateth into their affections and makes way for his speech and petition that after hee was to propound and tender to them And then the Petition followeth Give me because I will not take it of my owne head Give me What A possession such a thing as I may call my owne as I may have to my owne use sequestred from all other mens And Give it mee not upon gift meerely but for my money give it me for price answer me what I shall pay that I may acquire and make this purchase Thirdly for what hee would have this possession To burie his Wife and himselfe and his posteritie A burying place for them A strange thing a strange purchase for a man to purchase no other ground but to buy land for a burying place Lastly whom he would burie there my dead Hee calleth her not his Wife but his Dead because now the contract was ended by Death and she was no more his Wife but one of his loving friends Buriall care after Death it is committed to men by God and by the voyce of Nature therefore give mee a place to burie my dead out of my sight It grieved him to see that beauty turned to pale blacke darknesse that now had over-faced the face of that beautifull woman to see that sweet composed body that was the mirrour of the times and the miracle of women in those ages that it was now subject to rottennesse and putrefaction and did now grow noisome that it made men flie from it that they could not looke upon it That I may bury my dead out of my sight These are the branches of my Text. First concerning the humble preface that Abraham makes I am a stranger and a sojourner among you A marvellous thing to consider the great faith of our Father Abraham and patience that he used in the apprehension of Gods promise for all this land was Abrahams land yet hee confest himselfe a stranger and Saint Steven saith in Acts 7. that hee had not one foot of ground not a foot in all the land that he could owne This is that wherein God is most glorious in his Saints their expectation their patient expectation of Gods promises that they thinke themselves as well for the time to come for that which shall come as if they were in present possession When the Lord brought Abraham out of his native Countrey out of Ur of the Chaldees from the furthest part of Syria hee brought him many hundred miles to an unknowne Land and he promised to give him that Land and to his seed after him who would have thought but he meant to give him personall possession But no as soone as he was there the Lord drives him out by famine into Egypt and then hee understood that Gods mind was not to give it him but when the sinnes of the Amorites were ripe and the people of Israell were growne to a number that they might come by some claime and right and be such a multitude as should not be contemned that they might not come by way of miracle to take possession then God purposed to give it him So that this thing we may learne hence that God is infinitely gracious to his children when they are content with the appearance of things to come aswell as if they had present possession This is that which the Apostle Saint Paul frequently speakes of in Heb. 11. that the Fathers had regard to the promises and trusted upon God that that should be truly performed that was spoken to them and therein they rested themselves and were aswell contented with the good word of God for the future times for their posterities as if they had it performed in their owne persons I am a stranger and a sojourner Here are two words the one A sojourner signifieth hee that passeth by as those that come to see divers Countreys and stay not but are making homewards the other A stranger signifieth one that sitteth by in a place Abraham was both of them for when God commanded him he was ready at any time to dislodge and goe his way as long as he found the mercie of God to him that is as long as there was peace and plentie in the land hee rested there in that place in his Calling God appointed him to sit there and there he sate but not as heire of the ground as a Lord but as one that did sit there by favour as enjoying a peece of ground for his
now manifested that hee did not acknowledge him to be so holy and righteous So thus you see the inclination in the heart of man to uncharitable judging of those that God hath cast downe and suffers to bee exercised under many afflictions and troubles Let us learne then spirituall wisedome let us learne love and spirituall mercie to judge more favourably of the state of those whom wee see troubled in spirit Many times God infeebleth and distresseth the spirits of his best servants to abate the pride of men that none might exalt himselfe before God Nay in the very thing wherein they have excelled in the same thing hee sometimes abaseth them you see Abraham he is called the Father of the faithfull his excellencie was his faith yet faithfull Abraham is detected in Scripture of much unbeliefe in some particulars Who would thinke that hee should expose Sara as he did to save himselfe that he should doe it that was called the Father of the faithfull you have heard saith the Apostle Iames of the patience of Iob the very excellencie of Iob was his patience who would thinke that ever patient Iob should utter such things as hee did sometime even cursing the very day of his birth David a man of a cheerefull spirit a man full of the praises of God a man wondrous large when hee comes to speake of the glory of God at severall times A man would have thought him of an invincible fortitude and courage yet neverthelesse you shall have David so cast downe as that hee thinkes the Lord had forgotten him and that the Lord would shew no mercy upon him that the Lord had hid himselfe from him and that hee would never regard him more who would thinke that ever David that abounded so in the comforts of the spirit sometimes should bee so dejected at such times as those were when he was in such a conflict Why doth God doe this To shew thus much that the very best of his servants in the chiefe of their excellencies are dependant on him still they have nothing of themselves or from themselves Therefore they shall sometimes seeme to want that they have that the very having and using of it may be ascribed to his glory Then let us now reason thus when wee see the servants of God in trouble exercised under disquiet Let us conclude now God is glorifying himselfe This the Apostle inferres Hee will rejoyce in his infirmities because the power of Christ is manifested by it For our selves it should teach us according to the intent of this place above all things to labour that our hearts may bee kept in that blessed plight of spirituall joy that we may be strengthened with freenesse of heart to serve God in our inward man Let not your hearts be troubled How should this be done The Text tells us here and so I come briefly to the second thing observable in the Text the means you believe in God saith he beleeve also in mee As the words are read in the translation they seeme to be uttered by way of concession as much as if Christ had said since you already beleeve in God now beleeve in mee The Syriack seemes to expresse it otherwise and so render it by way of command and to make here an intimation of two duties as a helpe of quieting the heart and so it reades it Let not your hearts bee troubled beleeve in God beleeve also in mee propounding a twofold object whereabout faith should be exercised that the heart may bee quieted in the time of any trouble The first is God considered in the Trinitie of persons in the unitie of Essence The second is Christ Mediator God and Man Now saith he beleeve in God that is the first rest upon God Then the second is beleeve in mee also as one that is the Mediatour betweene God and you now making your peace with God So the second part seemes to be the prevention of an objection For when he saith Let not your hearts bee troubled beleeve in God they might say Alas shall wee beleeve in God that are sinfull men The sinners in Sion cry out Who shall dwell with consuming fire c. Therefore saith Christ beleeve also in mee that is know that God will bee your God in and for my sake he is reconciled and well pleased with you Therefore in all your approaches to God take me with you looke up to God pray to him depend upon God through mee still keepe mee as a Mediatour betweene God and you and this will preserve your hearts in peace The time would not serve if I should goe over things particularly and in a full way Therefore I will touch the heads of things and it shall be thus much that A speciall meanes to preserve the heart of man from excessive sorrow and feare from trouble and disquiet of spirit is faith Let not your hearts be troubled But how shall wee helpe it Beleeve in God beleeve also in mee And this wee shall see through the Scriptures David found it thus Psal. 40. hee speakes to his disquieted soule Trust in God I will waite on him hee is my God Iehoshaphat in that excellent speech to his Souldiers that were now troubled for the multitude of their enemies against them Beleeve in God and you shall prosper beleeve his Prophets and you shall be established that is the way to stablish the heart to beleeve in God revealing himselfe in his Word It is noted of Moses in Heb. 11. 27. Hee therefore indured all that he did because hee looked on him that is invisible And those three companions of Daniel Dan. 3. Our God say they whom wee serve is able to helpe us but if hee will not wee will not worship thy golden Image There was matter of trouble and disquiet in the heart to be put to such a plunge that they must either worship or bee cast into the Furnace heated seven times hotter Well this eased them of all trouble and disquiet they know whom they had trusted and bee was able to keepe that that was committed to him to the comming of Christ. As Saint Paul expresseth it with which hee also rested abundantly satisfied On the other side the want of this hath beene the cause of that perplexitie and disquiet that hath beene upon the hearts of Gods servants at all times That was the reason that Abraham was so disturbed and disquieted in that feare of what should be done to him in Egypt certainly he failed in this in resting upon God Moses was wondrously troubled when the Lord bad him goe to Pharaoh and deliver Israel out of Egypt saith he Lord send by him whom thou shouldest send I am a man of a stammering tongue saith the Lord I will be with thy tongue Hee bids him quiet his heart in that perplexitie and rest on him that made the tongue to be with his tongue And because there was another secret that troubled him the Lord
your names to be glorious and to make a faire shew in the world but to get grace and to get faith and hope and love and repentance none of your thoughts almost runne that way scarce any of your thoughts are so bestowed Is not this to be children in understanding Againe he is a foolish man that knoweth he shall meet an enemie and will not prepare If a man should heare of twenty or thirty thousand souldiers were gathered against the Citie and besieged it to destroy it He would not be so foolish and so simple then as to bestow himselfe in his trade and to follow his businesse and to give himselfe to merriment but hee would get his weapons and he would looke about him helpe to arme the City and to make it strong Why doe yee not consider that your soule is as a Citie Death will come against it and batter you with sicknesse with paines and at last will certainly take it and if the soule be not prepared will carry it to Hell fire Why will you be so retchlesse and senslesse to eate and drinke and labour to grow rich to bury your selves in earthly labours and never thinke how to escape how Death may be kept out that will destroy soule and body I presume you are ashamed of this folly by this time I hope yee will goe away with remorse and sorrow for so carelesly neglecting a thing of so great importance to be provided for In the third place therefore I entreate you begin this great worke this day Consider if you have not begun the enemie lieth in waite for thee oh man or woman if thou bee never so young thou maist meet with him before night if thou bee old thou must meet with him ere long Prepare for him betime thinke what an enemy may encounter thee in the way If a man be to travell though he be not assured to meet with an enemie yet he will strive to get good company and weapon himselfe he will carry his sword something he will doe that if a theefe come to robbe him he may be able to prevent the danger Beloved thinke that there is an enemy that way-laies us as we goe along in the world one time or other he will be sure to come upon us therefore stirre up your selves begin this day to prepare for this enemie How shall I prepare for Death I told you before it is not amisse in a word to repeat it Get Faith in Christ and Hope and Charitie and Repentance These will be meanes to prepare and helpe thee against Death Therefore if hitherto thou have not lament and bewaile the sinfulnesse of thy nature and life Assoone as thou art out of this place get thee into a solitarie roome fall upon thy knees lament thy sinnes the ilnesse of thy nature and carriage rehearse thy wayes as much as thou canst condemne thy selfe before God mightily crie for pardon in the mediation of his Sonne and never leave sobbing and mourning till he hath given thee some answer that hee is reconciled And then strive to get faith in Christ call to mind the perfection of his redemption the excellencie of his person and merits that thou maist repose thy soule on him that thou maist say though my sinnes be as the Stars and exceed them yet the merit of my Saviour and his satisfaction to the justice of God it is full in him he is well pleased and reconciled I will stay on him Lord Christ thou hast done and suffered enough to redeeme mee and Man-kind thou hast suffered for the propitiation of the world though my sinnes deserve a thousand damnations yet I trust upon thy mercie according to the Covenant made in thy Word Thus when a man laboureth to cast himselfe on Christ to lay the burthen of his salvation and to venter his soule on him now he hath beleeved this Breast-plate Death is not able to thrust through And then labour that this faith may worke so strongly that it may breed Hope a constant and firme expectation grounded on the promises of the Word that thou shalt bee saved and goe to Heaven and be admitted into the presence of God when thou shalt be separated from this lower world Hee that is armed with this hope hath a Helmet Death shall never hurt his head it shall never be able to take away his comfort and peace He shall smile at the approach of death because it can doe nothing but helpe him to his kingdome And then labour for Charitie to inflame thee to him againe that hath shewed himselfe so truly loving to men as to seeke them when they were lost to redeeme them when they were captives and to restore them from that unhappinesse that they had cast themselves innto Oh that I could love thee and thy people for thy sake thou diddest die for them shall not I be at a little cost and paines to helpe them out of miserie Thus if yee labour to be furnished with these graces then you are armed against Death those will doe you more good then if you had gotten millions of millions of gold and silver As you have understanding for the outward man as you have care to provide for that to preserve and comfort life while you are here so have a care for the future world and that boundlesse continuance of eternitie If a man live miserably here death will end it if he be prepared for death he shall live happily for ever but if a man live happily as we account it and die miserably that misery is endlesse Yee mistake beloved yee account men happy that abound in wealth and honour that have great estates I say yee mistake in accounting men happy that enjoy the good things of this life that can live in prosperitie to the last time of their age possessing what they have gotten If such a man be not prepared for death Death makes way for a greater unhappinesse after death For the more sinne he hath committed the more miserie shall betide him his life being nothing but a continued chaine of wickednesse one linke upon another till he settle upon a preparation for Death And in the last place here is a great deale of comfort to those that have laboured to prepare for death though to them Death is an enemie yet it is an enemie that is utterly destroyed The Philosopher said that Death is the terriblest of all terrible things so it is to nature because it doth that that no other evill can doe it separateth from all comfort and carrieth us we know not whether Death is terrible to a man that is unarmed for death but to the poore Saints that have bestowed their time in humiliation and supplication and confession that have daily endevoured to renew their faith and hope and repentance Death hath no manner of terriblenesse in the world if it bee terrible to a Christian at the first it is onely because he hath forgot himselfe a little he
Be convinced of this first Secondly Be convinced as it is the case of our selves so it is an ill estate for a man to live to himselfe You see still it is the whole drift of wicked men to looke to themselves Haman aimed at himselfe when the King asked him what should be done to the man whom the King would honour He thought whom should the King honour but himselfe He looked to himselfe Here was the difference betweene Haman and Mordecai both had honour in the world Haman seekes himselfe in all his honour Mordecai seekes God and his glory and the welfare of his Church in his honour A great difference Saith Nabal shal I take my bread and my drink and give it to a man that I know not Here was a man that lived to himself Compare him with Iob He was a foot to the lame an eye to the blind he continually fed those that wanted food A great difference Iob lived to God and therefore he honoured God in releeving many with the estate that God had given him Nabal lived to himselfe therefore he regarded none but himselfe and his owne house and sheep-shearers and those that depended upon him This is the propeirtie of a man out of Christ to seeke hmselfe and live to himselfe in all things Againe consider others that have gone further in matters of religion yet they have still turned out of the way as farre as they have halted in this Matt. 6. 22. If thine eye be single the whole body is light but if thine eye be wicked the whole body is darknesse A wicked eye is supposed to a single eye a double eye is a wicked eye What is a single eye That that lookes but upon one object upon God and God onely and God principally and on all other things in him and with reference to him Now the double eye is that that though it lookes to God and doe many things in obedience to God yet it lookes to somewat else and takes other things as greater incouragements this is a wicked eye and such a man walketh in darknesse when he lookes to God hee hath light in the duty when he lookes to men and other things then hee turneth aside and runneth to by-wayes And therefore a double-minded man is unconstant in all his wayes What is a double-minded man He is a double-minded man whose mind is set upon more things then one first on the world and then on God as farre as hee sees it is profitable he will serve God or else not This man is an unconstant man You see it is an ill estate So much for the first Use for conviction Secondly therefore As many as are guiltie of this labour to get out of it not to live to your selves any more Let it be enough that you have lived thus long to your selves that you have defrauded Christ of his due that hath purchased you with his bloud and not served him in holinesse and rigteousnesse so many dayes of your life Now for the time to come let us serve him better And that you may doe thus I will give you two sorts of directions or helpes I can give you but the heads of them First be convinced that our good is in God and not in our selves our life is in God and not in our selves our selves are in God and not in our selves that as the beams of the Sun are in the Sun more then in themselves so a Christian is more in Christ then in himselfe Whatsoever is good and comfortable to him is in Christ he hath all by vertue of a union with Christ he is not at all happy or blessed further then he is in him If then all our good lie in him it is great reason all our actions should returne to him that he should be the Center where all our lynes should meet the marke whereto all our actions should ayme Let not the strong man glory in his strength or the wise man in his wisedome or the rich man in his riches but he that glorieth let him glory in this that hee knoweth mee that I am the Lord. Jer. 9. 24. What Lord The Lord that sheweth judgement and righteousnesse upon the earth there is a mercy shewed to the creature but it is I that doe it saith the Lord. If you meet with a mercifull man God is mercifull in that man If you meet with a bountifull man God is bountifull in that man If you meet with a man whose lippes feed many God instructeth that man I say seeing all things we have though they have divers channels and pipes and conveyances whereby God conveyeth goodnesse and mercy to men yet neverthelesse it is in God and from God we receive all let us therefore looke upon every creature as instruments in Gods hand that can doe us neither good nor hurt without him What good it doth it doth by the influence of the supreame cause working by that creature let us so looke upon and conceive of every creature Thus the Saints have done in all times Iacob when hee saw Esau I have seene thy face as the face of God saith hee Hee saw God in the face of Esau. So in all good men we should say God is good in them This should make men not to seeke themselves not to study men more then God not to studie gaine with men with the losse of God to please men with the displeasing of God but to venture the losse of all men that they may please God if they cannot keepe men and God together For the affections of men are in Gods hand and he fashioneth and frameth them according to his owne pleasure eitherto love or hatred as David obserued in the case of Shimei God hath bid him curse Bee convinced I say of this that if we get all the men in the world to be our friends with the neglect of God if we get all the treasures and wealth of the world if a man were advanced to the Monarchie of the whole earth yet these things are more in Gods hand then in ours When a man hath wealth it is not in his owne keeping riches have wings When a man hath fauour God gives it not into his owne keeping whatsoever wee have it is secured to us by Gods protection and made good to us by his blessing Let this be our care and worke therefore how we may live to God how we may enjoy God in the things we enjoy and possesse God in all things we possesse in the things we have still to keepe God and that will keepe our estates and names and comforts and lives and all That is the first Againe secondly There are certaine graces to bee exercised if a man would not live to himselfe for indeed it is the propertie of a Christian and none else to live to God and not to himselfe and he doth it by vertue of those graces in his heart that empties him of himselfe
is in the middest of his ruffe and his jollitie and all pleasures the fashion of this world passeth away and I would have you use these things as if you used them not I know he would not receive it Or to come to an old soaked worldling whose Mammon and pennie is his god whose thoughts runne altogether upon his wealth and to tell him that hee should use the world as if hee used it not Or to come to another that is newly married and it may be hath made a Goddesse of his yoake-fellow for a while and tell him that he must bee as if he were not married I should have little hope to prevaile with these But you are brethren and because brethren you know the good things of God you are acquainted with things concerning eternall happinesse therefore as long as I can call you brethren I am bold to put you upon the dutie So brethren this is my Preface to you I shall anon speake to a point that I shall have little hope to prevaile with many in the Congregation when I come to speake of the immoderate use of the world and all the blessings in it it may bee both your eares will be so stopped against it But as many of you as are brethren that have given up your selves to God and have taken him for your portion and his Word for your guide in all things I hope you will bring willing and yeelding hearts to resolve that what is delivered out of the word of God to embrace it and to endeavour it concerning the course of your lives And so this shall suffice for the Preface because as I said I would not bee straitned Now I come to the Exhortation It remaineth that they that have wives be as if they had none c. First I will in briefe open the words and then come to some matter of instruction I begin first with the ground of the Exhortation The time is short The word translated short signifieth in the originall Time cut off And so the Apostle aludeth as the best Expositors agree to Seafayring-men that have almost done their voyage and begin to strike sayle and to fold them up together and are even putting into the Harbour and are going to unlade their goods So saith the Apostle the time is short as if he should say if a company that are going out a long voyage should strive who should be Master who be masters-Mate and who should have this or that office in the Ship I could not greatly blame them But when they are almost at home when they are within a flight-shot of the shoare when they begin to strike sayle to take in all and to goe themselves out of the ship then if they should fall a quarrelling for places and contend and use all the friends and meanes they could make it were a ridiculous thing and folly So it is with us Time was when the world was in beginning and then when a man came into the world hee might say by the course of nature I have a matter of six or seven or eight or nine hundred yeares to goe on in my pilgrimage before I shall end my voyage and then if a man should bestow a little time to thinke with himselfe Well if I can live but to see my selfe the father of a thousand children and might come to people almost a whole Countrey c. then I say if a man should greet the world he might bee excused But brethren God hath cast out the time of our age so that assoone as wee begin our voyage wee are ready to strike sayle presently Wee have but a little time to continue and much worke to bee done for another life therefore for us to stand striving about wives and children and courtesies to cry out of afflictions when we are ready to strike sayle and even to goe out of the ship into the harbour it is a meere folly These things are not worth the while heaven is the thing we should looke after therefore let us be moderate in all these things This is the meaning So that the ground of the Exhortation affordeth two things The one I will but name The other I will stand upon First The time of our life in this world is very short Wee have a very little time to continue in this world This is a very fruitfull and profitable point but because I would not bee straitned and because the Apostle intends it not as the maine thing I doe but only name it The second thing and that which Saint Paul mainly intends is that because wee have but a little time wee are even ready to strike sayle and to goe to the Harbour presently therefore hee that had a wife should bee as if hee had none and hee that used the world as if hee used it not c. And there the Lesson that I note is this That the serious meditation of the little and short time that we have to remaine in here below should bee a great meanes to cut us off from the world and to put us upon thoughts and actions concerning heaven I shall not need to give you a better ground of the point then is in the Text. The time is short saith he the time is contracted you are ready to strike sayle therefore doe this I might give you a world of Scripture to prove this But I will satisfie my selfe in laying you downe two or three grounds of it First wee know that all things that ever a man can enjoy in this world they all die assoone as ever his time is gone Marke it All things here below let a man dote never so much upon them let him have wife and children and beauty and credit and pleasures and learning or whatsoever it is if his glasse be out if his time be gone there is an end of all these to him Now the soule of man careth not for that happinesse that hath no continuance at all in it Yea the rarest thing that mortall men seeke after if they should know before hand that they should enjoy them but a little time the soule careth not for pitching upon it If a man were offered the goodliest woman for his wife that ever lived in this world if God should send him this message there take her I bestow her freely upon thee but to morrow thou shalt die who would care for marrying To bee a King we know is simply the greatest thing that men seeke after in this world yet among the Grecian Cities as that of Sparta because one was but to have the kingdome but for a yeare and then to lay downe his Crowne and become a private man all the wisest men of the Citie strove as much not to be King as we to get great places Why because they knew that that honour was but for a yeare and that would be gone presently therefore they cared not for it So the Apostle teacheth in this
place Though thou shouldest have a wife that thou shouldest love mightily though thou shouldest have pleasures that thou takest full content in Why doest thou so Wee are ready to strike sayle wee have but a little time to continue So that because all the blessings of this life let them be never so many never so great yet they all die with us when our time is ended hee that could but seriously thinke that hee hath but a little time to continue below hee will never let his heart be set violently upon them that is the first Argument The second and principall Reason why the meditation of the shortnesse of our time should bee such a marvellous meanes to take us off from all the things of the world is this Because wee shall find worke enough in this short time for things that more concerne us Now the very nature of our soule that God hath put into us is this that a man cannot intend earnestly and violently two things at the same time Let a man for a certaine houre wholly bee tooke up with some businesse though there were a great many other things that he could find in his heart to thinke upon yet the soule intends that one mainly and can find no time for the other Thus is our case Wee have but a little time but in that little time admirable is the worke wee have to doe before this time be spent if wee would give a comfortable account What have we to doe I tell you in a word The maine and needfull thing of all that wee have to doe in this little time here allotted us is How to shoote the gulph of hell how to make our peace with God how to get his favour in Christ how to have the corruptions of our soule cured and healed how to grow up in grace and to get sure evidence against that day when all shall stand naked before him that then we may be found in Christ. Have I ever heard that I have a great worke to doe and that I have but a little time to doe it in Surely then if I seriously thinke of it I cannot find in my heart to let my soule pitch earnestly upon the things below Beloved our time here is the only time we have to make heaven sure It is the most precious thing that ever we have in the world Now if a man have such a precious thing and but a little of it will hee goe and spend it for toyes and baubles It is a thing that the Emperour Caligula is laughed at for in all Stories There was a mighty Navie provided admirable and strange and all trimmed and every one expected that with it the whole countrey of Greece should be conquered and so it might have beene But hee imploped his souldiers to gather a company of Cockleshells and pibles and so sayled home Had not every one cause to lavgh at the folly of this Emperour Verely such a foole is every man and so wee would acknowledge if wee would but weigh this God hath given thee but thus much time it may be twenty yeares it may be but a day or two more in this time he hath furnished thee with that which may bee a meanes to conquer heaven it selfe now if thou lay out this little about wife or children or to purchase a little wealth or these things here below is it not the greatest folly that may bee Suppose that a servant hath a great deale of worke to doe and knowes that he must give an account to his Master thereof and that if all be not done that should bee done he can never appeare with comfort before his Master and hee sees also that the Sunne drawes low and the day hastneth to an end doe you thinke that this servant can find time to play If a man have much to write and but a little paper to write in he must write small and thicke and close as ever hee can So it is with every one of us I warrant you there is not any soule of us but wee shall find so many thousand things to repent of so many graces to obtaine that wee stand in need of so many evidences for heaven to get that yet we have not got sealed so many particulars concerning a better life that a man may wonder that ever any one should find one halfe day to intend any thing else Thus you see the reasons why the serious meditation of the little time we have to continue below should bee a marvellous meanes to take us off from the world and to put us upon the studie and thought of better things Well now let me briefly apply this unto you that so I may come to that I principally intend Oh that we had learned this excellent lesson that the Apostle teacheth the Corinths here what wondrous happy people should wee be You shall find ever-more in the Scripture the Spirit of God putting the neglect that is amongst men and carelesnesse of heaven and all the wickednesse of their lives upon this the not serious meditation of that small time they have to continue below If a man come to those that are not brethren as Saint Paul bespeakes the Corinths in the Text they will say It is true it is a good point to be prest upon a man that is in a consumption on one whom the Doctours have given over to tell him that hee cannot continue a weeke that his time is short But for our parts wee are but in the beginning of our voyage it may be wee are but twenty yeares old we began but the other day to be furnished with a stocke wee we are but newly entred and doe you thinke that we are striking sayle Or another that hath lived fortie or fiftie yeares in the middest of a full trade that beginneth to get something in the world doe you thinke that he is striking sayle Thus people put it off Alas what is thy time What is all thy life Let God decide it doth not he say it is a vapour a dreame a tale that is told like a Ship that sayleth by and is gone and that in the turning of a hand almost If thou have no more time of life here but only while a little sand is running out of a glasse while a Ship is sayling out of sight while a short tale is told God saith it is no more wilt thou account that thy voyage is yet scarsly begun I beseech you beloved all goe home and often thinke of this point Say within yourselves How long Lord am I like to continue below and what is there for me to doe before I goe out of this world But the truth is men dare not thinke of this and the divell laboureth for nothing more in the world then this to make men put off the serious consideration of the brevitie of their lives and that they have longertime to continue here then they have because hee knowes the truth of this
much for other things if once you let your soules bee filled with the things of a better life then wife and children and wealth and pleasures or any thing else will not draw away your heart Get a good hand-fast of Jesus Christ worke out your salvation that you may know that you are beleevers upon good grounds and that you have the graces of the Spirit of God in you in deed and in truth that you are new creatures And then often thinke of the rare things that are provided for you in another life What to have God to bee your Father and Angels your keepers to be children to bee the companions of Angels Weigh these things daily and then you will be as if not in all these outward and worldly things And untill thou dost this and thinkest withall of that I have formerly said that thou art ready to strike sayle I will never beleeve that thou wilt bee as if not This is the second thing A word or two of the Third and so I have done And that is the Spurre that the Apostle Saint Paul useth And it is necessary hee should use such a spurre for it is a very hard lesson If you would be as if you were not consider this The fashion of the world passeth away That is it signifieth I touched it before such a fashion as is on a stage All these things below they are but as the Acting of a Comedie as a Scaene it may bee it is done in halfe an houre and though it make a fine shew yet in truth there is no substance in it There is one it is a fashion besides it passeth away So then in this spurre there are two things I will but name the heads First That the things of this world all that I named before are but a shew without a substance Even as a Scaene or Comedie things that have a glorious glittering shew to the eye but if you looke in deed and in truth upon them there is no such matter That is one thing that I note that our life is but as the acting of a part in a Comedie and so by consequence in all these outward things thy contentment in wife or children or credit or pleasures thou dost but act a glorious part it may be thou hast a goodly outside fine clothes rich apparell an outward representation of comfort but looke thorow them and there is no such matter But the second thing which I rather would presse is that it is suddenly gone it passeth away saith the Apostle As a man hath but a little time to tarry in the world so all the things hee enjoyeth in the world are wondrous inconstant That looke as it is in a Play hee that now acts the part of a King it may be next he may act the part of a Begger or as it is with some of your delicate fashions that while you are speaking of them the fashion is spoyled Even so the fashion of this world it will not continue That is the summe of that I desire you to take notice of that if you will not be perswaded by me or by the Spirit of God in his unworthy minister to use the things of this world moderately and to carry your selves as you ought in crosses and afflictions yet know this that the fashion of these things will shortly be spoyled And if they be all so unconstant what a foole art thou to set thy heart upon them Wee may learne this wisedome from the foolery of our English Nation esteemed now the idlest people of the world for changing their fashion They will never make clothes twice of one fashion but one gowne of this fashion and another of that and though he bee never so good a Taylour that makes it yet hee must make no more of the same fashion but the next Terme they will cometo another Learne I say this wisedome from that foolery Now the Lord giveth thee comfort in thy wife set not thy heart too much upon her the next Terme the fashion may change Now thou art rich let not thy heart dote upon thy riches it is but a fashion a shew it passeth away to morrow thou maist bee a begger to day a man to morrow none But if thou wouldest keepe the fashion get the fashion of grace get a right to heaven an interest in God and be content in Gods name to follow his fashion If the fashion that God will have thee be in be to be an humble dejected man be content with that fashion if anon he will have thee on the toppe of the wheele of prosperitie thanke God for it take heed of abusing the things thou enjoyest Remember the things of this life are inconstant things as a flower as a nosegay that seemeth as a dainty fine thing but while we are smelling at it and praising it it withereth away so is it with all these things I would I could tell how to speake home to your soules and yet I know that little I have spoken if it be entertained with faith if you beleeve this to be the truth of God not as the speech that a man makes to you but as the speech of Saint Paul an Apostle of Christ that sets it downe by the direction of God that it is thus I say if you lay downe this as a truth that comes from God and seriously thinke with your selves I have but a little time to tarry here below and when I am out of the world I shall live for ever in heaven or in hell while I doe enjoy the things of this world God will have me to be as if not in them and there is good reason why they are shewes and not substances Grace and the favour of God is only that which is substantiall whatsoever you looke upon that is under these are but shewes riches and honours and worldly contentments they are but shadowes like one in a play that is but a Peasant under the coat of a King these have but only outsides under them there is no such matter This I say which I have spoken being seriously considered and faithfully received may through the blessing of GOD and your owne prayers to God to teach you this be a meanes to moderate you in the use of all those things that are here below FINIS SECVRITIE SVRPRIZED OR THE DESTRVCTION OF THE CARELESSE JOB 18. 10. The snare is laid for him in the ground and a trappe for him in the way HEB. 2. 3. How shall wee escape if wee neglect so great salvation LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. SECVRITIE SVRPRIZED OR THE DESTRVCTION OF THE CARELESSE SERMON XII 1 THESSAL 5. 3. For when they shall say peace and safetie then sudden destruction commeth upon them as travaile upon a woman with child and they shall not escape IN the latter part of the Chapter going before the blessed Apostle S. Paul to the end that he might draw those to whom
signifie indifferencie in weighing causes and strictnesse in executing the sentence So the Egyptians signified as much by their Hierogliphicall portraiture of an Angell without hands wincking or without eyes such a one a Iudge should be he should have no hands to receive bribes nor no eyes to respect persons the person of a Iudge must not take the person of a friend A man must not personate a friend in justice but as Levi he must know neither father nor mother nor brother Justice amongst us is portrayted holding a Ballance in one hand and a sword in another the Ballance sheweth the upright weighing of causes and the Sword sheweth the strictnesse of the execution of the sentence And if this Execution be wanting both the other are to no purpose It is to no purpose to know and to have power if there be not Justice But God is a true and just Iudge Howsoever it be amongst the Iudges of the earth yet unworthy is he of the place of a Iudge and fitter to stand at the Barre then to sit on the Bench that suffereth himselfe to miscarry by friendship or love or bribes or sutes or favour or envie when either of these prevaile they tie the tongues of men to plead for wrong causes Shall a Traytour presume on the Kings favour and Mordecai be out of the Kings grace But there shall be no such thing here God is the Iudge of all the earth and shall not hee doe right Gen. 18. Doth God pervert judgement or doth the Almigty pervert Iustice Job 8. 3. When thou standest before the Iudgement seat of God thou shalt neither be elevated with vaine hopes nor dejected and cast down by sinister and wrong feares but assure thy selfe such as thy cause is such shall thy sentence be as Saint Bernard well a pure heart shall prevaile more with God then a smooth word good consciences shall speed better then full purses for he is an upright and just Judge with whom no faire words nor friends shall prevaile So I have done with the first thing The Iudge Secondly something of the Iudgement and therein two things First that it shall be Secondly in what manner it shall be First that it shall be The text is plaine God shall bring to judgement There might many Texts besides this be alledged consonant and agreeable to this but it is superfluous Besides Texts of Scripture we have Types also to prefigure it and reasons also to prove and confirmeit Two Types of the last Judgement our Saviour himselfe propoundeth Luke 17. One was the destruction upon Sodome the other the destruction that God brought upon the old world Looke as Christ saith how it was with them of Sodome in the dayes of Lot they did eat they dranke they bought they sold they planted they builded and looke how it was with the men of the old world in the dayes of Noah eating and drinking and sporting and marrying untill the very day that Noah entred into the Arke and the flood came and destroyed them all So it shall be at the last day when the Sonne of man shall come The Apostle Saint Peter speaking of the latter of these telleth us of mockers in those times that scoffed when they heard of the Iudgement there hath beene talke a great while of such things promised but when will it come Where is the promise of his comming There are scoffers in these dayes but such if there be any cannot but speake against their owne consciences and knowledge they cannot be ignorant both of the judgements that have beene and shall be or if they be they are wilfully ignorant That God did once wash away the sinnes of the world with a Flood of water and that the time is comming that God will purge the sinnes of the world with a flood of fire the Rainbow in the cloudes as it is a Monument of the one so it is a forerunner of the other The two principall colours of the Rainbow are blew and red the blew and waterish colour of the Rainbow is an evidence of that Judgement that is past when God washed the sinnes of the world away by Water the fiery colour is a prediction of a Iudgement that is to come when God shall purge the world by a Flood of fire But besides these Types there are divers reasons that may be given to assure us that we have reason to expect this day Those five Attributes of God afford five reasons to confirme it His Power his Wisedome his Truth his Iustice his Mercie First his Power God will have it be thus for the manifestation of his Power A worke of great power it will be indeed All must be brought before Gods judgement seate every one as the Text saith after It may seeme strange peradventure incredible to heare that all the men and women that ever lived in the world that so many multitudes and millions of thousands of all kindreds and nations should all be summoned to appeare before one Iudgement seat But as Saint Austin saith Consider who is the doer and then thou wilt not doubt It is true indeed with men such a thing as this is impossible but with God all things are possible Could God at the first draw all things out of nothing and cannot God as well bring together all againe when they are turned to nothing Could hee make that body of thine out of the dust of the earth and cannot he raise that body when it is turned to dust Could hee unite that body to the soule in the time of the Creation and cannot he unite it at the time of the Resurrection Certainly there is nothing impossible too hard to the great and terrible voyce of God as Saint Chrysostome saith to that voyce of God that cleaveth the rockes that breakes the brazen gates asunder that looseneth the bands of death Therefore unlesse thou question the power of God no doubt but he is able and can bring all of us to judgement Hee will doe it for the manifestation of his power Secondly as for the manifestation of his power so for the manifestation of his wisedome It is a point of wisedome when one hath made a thing to bring it to the intended end for which hee made it Beloved this is Gods intended end in making of us therefore he brought us hither into the world not that we should have alwayes a Beeing here but that after a certaine time wee should be dissolved and put into an everlasting condition therefore Saint Peter speaking of the salvation of Gods elect he calleth it the end of their faith not only the end they aspire but that end that God hath assigned and appointed them to If God should faile of his end we might call his wisedome into question it might give us occasion to say that hee undertooke that which he was not able to accomplish so that in stead of shewing himselfe wise he should shew himselfe weake Therefore
out came to passe And I have accordingly pitched uponit not only to satisfie her desire in a just thing but especially because I approve her choyce of a fit Text there being not in the whole Scripture a portion that will afford a fitter Character in my apprehension for her person as you shall understand in the close to which therefore I shall deferre the speaking to the present occasion The truth is I have handled a good part of this chapter formerly and in this place but now wee shall cleane goe another way then then I did and then I usually doe I shall only desire to present so much out of these words without any curious observation or division as may represent to us a perfect character of a sweet Christian-minded man or woman which may bee of singular use and very profitable There be onely two things that I shall observe in the whole words I shall but goe them over briefly taking out the maine points as I conceive for that purpose I shall mention them We have here propounded to to us the compleat dutie of a Christian And wee have here some effectuall motives intimated to stirre Christians up to the performance of that duty There is a generall dutie to begin with that first that belongeth to Christians at all times And there are some speciall duties which concerne Christians in some speciall times Both contained here The generrll dutie I shall not as I said handle it in my former way of observation but only explicate the very words of the Text and that will be enough for me The generall duty I say of a Christian and what should bee the temper of his heart and spirit at all times we may find expressed at least intimated very sweetly with some excellent directions in the Text in these three circumstances First we may see here what is the true Object upon which a Christian soule should be fixed Secondly we may see the Latitude of the Acts which a Christian must exercise upon that Object Thirdly we may take notice of the manner and of the degree in which every one of those Acts must bee exercised I shall but touch these briefly out of the words and then come to the speciall duties belonging to speciall times First to begin with the Object The desire of our soule is toward thee and to the remembrance of thy Name God and the name of God is that which should be printed in the heart of a Christian should be that to which the byas and streame of his whole soule runnes First I say it should be fixed upon God Wee are here in the world placed as it were betweene heaven and earth Now all the matter is how our Byas is set which way that turnes As the Byas is of the heart so the man is Our hearts may bee turned downwards to the earth and to earthly things and so wee shall runne a course of ruine and destruction our hearts againe the Byas of them may be set toward heaven and heavenly things and so we shall runne the right course that wee ought It is God that our soules should breath after Fecisti nos Domine propter te saith a Father thou hast made us O Lord for thy selfe and our soules are restlesse till they returne againe to thee As they say of Circles The Circle the round figure is the most perfect figure and the most capacious figure because there the line that beginneth in one point goeth round till it returne into the same againe So this is the greatest perfection of a man when he returneth to his beginning he had all from God and when he reflects himselfe altogether backe againe unto God hee attaineth his greatest perfection And indeed there will bee no more rest for the soule in any thing out of God then there is for a stone or a weighty body in the liquid ayre Hang a stone in the Ayre and doe but once remove the â—…orce that holds itthere will it nill it give but a way to it and it will cut through and never rest till it come to a sollid substance till it come to the earth if it may to the Center of the earth It is so with the soule of man trie it in all the fortunes and states and conditions in the world as a great Emperour said I have runne through all things and my spirit will rest in nothing and as Solomon giveth us this observation out of all his travell and experiment that he had made Vanity of vanity all is vanity and worse then vanity too vexation of spirit this is the summe of all feare God and keepe his commandenents as he concludeth This is the Object upon which our soule should bee set wee should have an eye to God labouring to approve our selves to him making our approaches and adresses and returnes to him that our soule may reâ—… with him that we may enjoy the light of his countenance here and the fulnesse and brightnesse of his glory hereafter This is the first thing in the Object Now if a soule be carryed toward this Object toward God and we can out-goe and out-grow these worldly things looke abovethem and looke downe upon them with scorne then the very name of God will be sweet and precious to us To thee and to thy name Every thing which is a memoriall a remembrance of God Every thing by which God may be knowne will be taken notice of All his Attributes his Word and Ordinances and all other things which come within the compasse of his Name as I suppose there are not many here but know according to the ordinary explication of Divines of the third commandement Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine and the first Petition hallowed be thy name What is meant by the name of God When the heart I say is set upon God it will even leape for joy at the very name of God the very name of God will bee sweet to him To enjoy God is sweet and to have but a glimpse of him to have him but represented by name is sweet too As it is reported of a Father that was a godly man and a Martyr in his time that he was so frequent in roling the name of Christ the name of Jesus in his mouth that when hee died it is reported that in his heart there was ingraven and written the character of that Name in golden letters And as Saint Austin speakes of himselfe Time was saith he that I found infinite sweetnesse it was honey to mee to reade a peece of Tully there was so much eloquence in it but after I came to bee a Christian to be acquainted with God and with Christ then me thought the leaves were drie and the beauty withered I found no such sappe nor rellish in them And he giveth the reason Because saith he I did not there find the
you are sealed by the spirit of Promise to the day of redemption Eph. 1. 13. Secondly in regard of possession they are now already in present possession not in full possession but in present possession A possession not in themselves but in Christ by vertue of the union and communion they have in him By the union and contract that is betweene Christ and the soule Christ is become the Husband the Christian the Spouse So that as a Wife if her Husband should travell into a farre Countrey and in her name should take possession of those lands that were left her by her Father the Wife now is possest of those lands in her Husband who in her name hath taken possession of them so Christ entring into heaven hath tooke possession of heaven which is given to us by the will of God It is your Fathers pleasure to give you a kingdome Christ hath possessed it in our name I goe saith he to prepare a place for you and it is my will that they bee where I am I goe to my Father and your Father to my God and your God All that Christ hath in heaven Hee hath it for us Hee is gone before that wee may follow after wee cannot possibly lay claime to heaven wee cannot hope hereafter fully and personally to professe it if Christ had not first taken possession of heaven for us The Use of this in a word shall bee to stirre up every one to looketo his hope of heaven It is usuall for men to possesse their hope to be saved and scarse any but they will say they hope if they die they shall goe to heaven Yea but thou must now possesse it if ever hereafter thou meane to enjoy it and thou must possesse it first in Christ thou must be united to him by faith and love those are the bonds whereby the Spirit of God tyeth us unto Christ therefore Christ is said to dwell in our hearts by faith Which shewes the horrible presumption of many and how they adde to their other sinnes this that they presume that they have right and title to heaven and yet are not united to Christ by faith as if a man should give out that he were the heire apparant to a Crowne or the sonne of a King and yet neverthelesse should indeed be the sonne of a Beggar and have nothing to shew for his pretended title to the Crowne and kingdome what would this be accounted but high treason against the King What a height of sinne is this that is in many men which to their other sinnes adde a presumptuous claime to heaven when they have no right to it I Remember that in the time of Ezra we shall read of many that laid title and claime to the Priesthood but Ezra searched the booke of the Genealogies and finding none of their names Registred there he presently concluded that they were none of the Priesthood therefore they were accounted polluted and put from the Priesthood If any man lay claime to heaven God will search his booke of Genealogies as it were he will search the Register of heaven and if he find that his name be not inrolled there if hee be not found to have interestin Jesus Christ all will be nothing he shall bee cast out to his greater confusion This should therefore stirre up euery one to make good his claime to heaven now either now to bee possest of heaven now to sit in heavenly places with Christ or else looke not to come to heaven afterward But to leave this and to come to that I mainly intend namely the Argument or reason or ground of the Apostles heavenly conversation Our conversation is in heaven from whence wee looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ. The Apostle observeth here a kind of speech and that which seemes not so Grammaticall that he may thereupon build a sound and substantiall truth in Divinitie He had said before Our conversation is in the heavens in the Plurall number but now when hee speakes of Christs comming thence he speakes of it in the Singular number Our conversation is in the heavens from whence from which particular place Wee looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ. Of purpose to shew us thus much that though Christ in respect of his Deitie and divine nature he be in all places filling heaven and earth yet in respect of his bodily presence hee remaineth now and so will till his second comming which the Saints looke for in heaven Against those Vbiquitaries that will have the body of Christ to be every where In Heaven say they visible in this place invisible The Papists hence build the Doctrine of Transubstantiation they will have the body of Christ even that very body that was borne of the Virgin to be now Bread and the bread turned into it The Lutherans will have the same Body about the bread No saith the Apostle there is no such matter from thence from that very place that very individuall particular single place from the third heavens where the body of Christ is Wee looke for the Saviour hee remaineth there and so will continue till his comming to Judgement So againe in another place Collos. 3. 1. Set your affections on things above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Above that is in heaven where Christ sitteth and continueth and will remaine till his second comming Our Saviour told his Disciples in the dayes of his flesh that the poore they should have alwayes with them but me saith he you shall not have alwayes If this be true that they say then Christ hath not said true for hee is still in respect of his bodily presence and hath beene alwayes with us But I let passe that The thing I note hence is this That that which most soundly and effectually settleth the heart of a man in a heavenly conversation upon earth is the looking for the Saviour of the world even the Lord Iesus Christ to come from thence I say there is nothing that so settleth the heart of a man in a heavenly conversation upon earth nothing that makes him so heavenly minded nothing that ordereth him in so heavenly a course as this if hee rightly looke for Christ to come from thence That you may conceive this the better you may please to take notice that there are two things included in this point First that all the Saints of God while they are on earth their continuall expectation is for Christ to come from heaven Secondly that nothing is so effectuall to settle a man in a holy course while he liveth on earth as this expectation These two things I will open to you at this time The first I say is that the Saints and servants of God while they are on earth doe continually expect and looke for the Saviour of the world even the Lord Iesus Christ to come from heaven By the comming of Christ you
the Doctrine of repentance because the kingdome of God was at hand This is that upon which Saint Peter groundeth his exhortation unto the people Acts 3. 18. Repent saith he and bee converted that your sinnes may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Therefore repent and returne unto God doe away your sinnes because there will a time of refreshing come and you had need then to be found in another hue in another state then in your old rotten withered condition and sinfull lusts This is the Argument that the Apostle used to the Athenians to bring them from Idolatrie to serve the living God because God hath appointed to judge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained Even for that reason because God hath appointed a time to judge the world in righteousnesse therefore they should turne from their Idols to serve the living God There is nothing that doth so unbottome the heart nothing so shakes and looseneth a mans hold of sinne and unrighteousnesse as the consideration of Christs comming to Judgement What will it boote me will the soule reason to keep my sins when Christ will come to judge me for my sins What shall I get by going on in a course of a sinne when I can looke for nothing then but a sentence of wrath to be denounced against me This then is that that doth settle a man in a holy conversation in that respect Nay fourthly this is that also which quickneth a man to the practise of all holy duties in his place both in his generall and particular Calling It is the very argument which the Apostle Saint Peter useth to stirre us up to holinesse of conversation Seeing saith he that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought wee to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse looking for the comming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heate As if hee should have said Looke now about the whole world and see what it is that now can comfort you if you be such as goe on in a course of sinne It may be you will say I feare not much for I have many friends Yea but all these shall die It may bee thou hast store of lands but all that shall bee burnt with fire It may be thou hast many pleasures but then there shall bee nothing but Judgement The comming of the Lord that shall then put an end to all these and turne the course of things the expectation thereof is a speciall meanes to take us off from a course of sinne and put us on to a course of obedience to make us walke in another kind of fashion while wee are in the world Therefore the Apostle Saint Paul when he would stirre up Timothy to the worke of the Ministrie what is the Argument that hee useth I charge thee before Christ who shall judge the quicke and the dead As if hee should say there shall be an appearing before the Lord and therefore if thou wilt give thy account up with joy at that day I charge thee to looke to thy Ministrie So may I say to every man in his place I charge thee that art a Master of a Familie looke to the businesse of thy Familie to the salvation of the soules of thy people I charge thee that art a Father or a Mother to looke to the salvation of the soules of thy Children I charge thee that art a Christian to looke to the salvation of thy owne soule And how is the charge I charge thee before the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quicke and dead Because there shall come a time when both thou and they shall bee present before Christ at his appearing therefore if thou wilt have comfort in them and in thy selfe and in Christ be carefull to doe the dutie that concernes thy place looking for the comming of the Lord Iesus So then you see in this respect also thereis nothing so forcible an Argument to settle a man in a holy conversation in a heavenly course as this for a man alwayes to looke for the second comming of Christ. Lastly there is nothing fixeth a man so constantly in a holy course as this Our conversation saith the Apostle is alwayes in heaven Wee alwayes walke on earth as those that aspire to heaven because wee alwayes looke for the comming of Christ. Wert thou carefull to serve God yesterday doe it to day also it may be Christ may come now and take thee away by death to day and there is no preparation for judgement afterward Little children saith Saint Iohn now abide in him that when hee shall appeare wee may have confidence and not bee ashamed before him at his comming What is it that giveth a man boldnesse and takes away shame from him at the comming of Christ What is the reason that a man hath not that spirit of feare and trembling upon him that shall bee upon the hearts of all those that goe on in sinne when they shall cry to the mountaines to fall upon them but this that hee hath continued in a holy conversation and constantly walked before the Lord with an upright heart I have finished my course saith the Apostle I have fought a good fight I have kept the faith hence-forth is layd up for mee a crowne of righteousnesse which Christ the righteous Iudge shall give to mee and to all them that love his appearing Still the servants of God have incouraged themselves to persevere in a holy course from the expectation of the comming of Christ that will give them a reward for their constancie in his service It is the Argument that the holy Ghost useth to the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3. 11. Hold fast that thou hast and let no man take thy crowne As if hee should say There is a time comming when Crownes shall bee given but to whom to those that hold out that persevere in a godly course Be thou faithfull to the death and thou shalt receive a crowne of glory This is that I say that will make a man goe on will make him that is good in youth be good in age also because whensoever he dieth he shall receive his Crowne This will make a man that he shall not begin in the spirit and end in the flesh this will make him that having put his hand to the plough hee will not looke backe because hee no further lookes for comfort in the appearance of Christ then hee hath had care to walke on constantly in a good course Thus you see the point proved to you that a Christian soule hath a maine benefit by his looking for the second comming of Christ and that this is it that makes him carefull to mortifie his secret lusts that this is it that makes him carefull to purge himselfe from worldly affections that
in their jollity and merriment they never thinke of God or dreame of the world to come Nay the serious apprehension of God Almighty would quench their joy and make it altogether put out Secondly the carnalnesse of the joy of young men appeareth because they rejoyce where they ought not in riot in drunkennesse in surfeiting in voluptuousnesse many times in obscenity of words and phrases in making jeasts of the word of God in deriding their superiours behind their backes As Solomon saith of laughter thou art madde so wee may say of this merriment it is madde merriment hee is a madde man that rejoyceth in that for which except he betake himselfe to serious and bitter mourning hee cannot be saved Thirdly the inordinatnesse of the joy of young men may appeare in this because they rejoyce excessively in lawfull things for any joy when it is inordinate and excessive it is carnall It is lawfull to rejoyce in recreations a whetting is no letting as the Proverbe goeth But for a man to let out himselfe to the hinderance of the service of God to the disturbance of his duty to men it is unlawfull It is lawfull to delight in the blessings and comforts of God that hee affordeth us wee reade of the Joy of harvest in Isa. 9. But for a man to delight in the gifts of God more then in the giver it is unlawfull Now if young men examine themselves they shall find their hearts mount not up to God in their joy and jollity and that they are excessive in the joy of the creature but altogether cold without joy of the Creatour Fourthly the carnalnesse of the Joy of young men may well appeare in this because they terminate and conclude not their joy in God This followeth on the former for it is impossible that what beginneth not in God should end in God Now when Joy beginneth in sinne it cannot end in God but in the Divell Secondly let young men take notice of themselves how they walke after their owne hearts The heart that sayes Come put away pensive thoughts trouble not your selfe about the day of reckoning and Judgement enjoy the time present what need this strictnesse of conversation zeale is but rashnesse there is no need of it take thy fill of pleasures thou hast goods laid up for many yeares Thus they judge and thus they walke after their carnall heart This heart is as no heart as wee reade of Ephraim in Hosea 7. Hee was a silly dove that had no heart Certainly the heart that doth not guide men in the right way and direct men to the feare of God it is no heart For as the eye that will not lead us in the right way that performes not its office is no eye so the heart that leadeth not men to God and to goodnesse it is like the heart of Ephraim it is as no heart Againe in the third place Let young men take notice of themselves how they walke after the sight of their eyes That is they stand gazing on things temporall and neglect things eternall they see a beautie and lustre in these outward things and perceive no glory and brightnesse in Christ Jesus and in his precious ordinances Beloved if we follow our owne heart and our owne eyes it will be thus We should rather labour with Iob to make a covenant with our eyes Oh how few young men are there that make a bargaine and agreement with their eyes that they shall not bee as open Casements to let sinne into the soule Oh how few young men are there that like Ieremy have their eyes as fountaines of water to weepe day and night for the afflictions of the people of God Oh how few young men are there that with Moses have an eye to the recompence of reward that they may suffer affliction with the people of God rather then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season Now I beseech you take a survey of your selves in these things These are the vices and sinnes and deformities of young men to be seene and lamented by all those that hope to dwell in Gods holy Hill The second use of this point is for exhortation to young men they should labour to be reformed in their affections and hearts And away away with this carnall joy wee ought to cast it out of us Carnall Joy will you know what the event of it will bee It will end in carnall sorrow and without repentance in hell it selfe Woe unto you saith our Saviour Christ that laugh now you shall weepe and mourne The triumphing of the wicked saith Zophar in Iob is short and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment though his excellencie mount upto the heavens and his head reach unto the clouds yet hee shall perish as his owne dung they which have seene him shall say where is hee Hee shall fall away as a dreame and shall not bee found yea hee shall bee chased away as a vision of the night But not to give you this only in precept but also to shew you how to reforme your selves in these vices that Solomon specifieth to beare sway in young men let mee lay you downe these few directions First you must betake your selves to mourning for your sins as Saint Iames saith Bee afflicted and weepe and mourne let your laughter bee turned into heavinesse If we be not reconciled to God if we have not assurance that we are interested in Christ there is no time for us to rejoyce wee should rather betake our selves to bitter mourning for the wrath of God is due unto us and wee know not how soone it may fall upon us In the second place Consider how vaine all things are in which youthfull persons rejoyce If young men rejoyce in humane wisedome and understanding this is a vaine thing For first it is gotten with a great deale of trouble and vexation of spirit so saith Solomon Eccl. 1. 13. I gave my heart to seeke and search out by wisedome concerning all things that are done under heaven this sore travell hath God given to the sonnes of men to bee exercised therewith And verse 18. in much wisedome is much griefe and hee that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow God doth so punish the pride and boldnesse of the wit of men even from the fall of our first Parents Secondly this humane wisedome it must needs be a vaine thing for Eccles. 1. 15. that which is crooked cannot bee made straight and that which is wanting cannot bee numbred by humane wisedome The meaning is this that the naturall wisedome of man cannot supply the defects of nature which are innumerable much lesse can it furnish the soule with grace or salvation Thirdly it is but vexation of spirit Solomon though he had gotten wisedome and understanding and had experience more then all the Kings of Hierusalem that were before him yet saith he Behold this is
her to put all her trust and confidence in him She was now taken upon the sudden therefore the Lord hath left her as a patterne for us to looke upon to take heed to our selves that we may make our peace with God and looke for death every moment because wee know not how soone wee may be arrested Shee was indeed a woman of great trust and faith in God and one whose mouth was full of his praise still admyring and recounting the wondrous grace of God to her in all the course of her life in sparing her in giving her comfort in her conscience concerning the pardon and forgivenesse of her sinnes and providing for her worldly helpes which she thought never to attaine to and in many other particulars Shee did open the grace of God according to her best understanding still giving the praise to his holy Name and no doubt it the stroke upon her had not beene so fatall and as deadly as now it was wee should have had the like fruit more abundantly at this time Howbeit shee was not as one altogether destitute but she called for and craved the prayers of Gods people that they would lift up their hearts and hands and voyces to the Lord to looke upon her and release her of her miserie and trouble either by life or death for shee was content either way Shee had some touches also of Divine Scripture as occasion offered themselves As when the light was brought in shee desired to have the light of Gods countenance to shine upon her And when her eye-strings were broke that the teares did distill downe she desired the Lord God to put her teares into his bottle and many such Luminations there were that came from her Her surcharged spirits were so taken and strucken as a man might perceive at the first there was no way but one her selfe drawing her selfe within as though that in the outward man there were no roome for the soule to dwell there or to have a fit and opportune habitation I must needs advertise you of one thing that this custome of praysing and commending of the dead is very full of danger because a man may bee a lyer and a flatterer besore hee be aware when he never intended it But truly for ought that I could discerne this Sister of ours was one that was very well deserving of a quiet and moderate spirit intentive and carefull to governe her house and children and no way exorbitant for any thing that I can heare It is true that all are not of one Modell as the bodies of men and women are not of one height and colour so the soules and spirits are not all of one elevation neither but wee esteeme the children of God according to that they bave received and not according to that that they have not received as the Apostle speakes I say therefore according to the grace shee had received I verely beleeve shee was faithfull and true to it that shee received not the grace of God in vaine she sought by all meanes to nourish and cherish it from one degree to another and to proceed from grace to grace And therefore I conclude in the judgement of Charitie that we have very strong hopes and great probabilities of her happy translation Shee was a Daughter of Sarah as Saint Peter speakes of women that he would have them demeane themselves as Daughters of Sarah and such a one shee was in her habit and attyre in the manner of her life and societie and company and therefore I doubt not but shee inheriteth with Sarah the place of blessed mansions that the Lord hath made infinite spacious and wide and capable for all blessed soules that put their trust in him Now this let us make use of to our owne soules In that shee had not that largenesse of time shee supposed to have had but was surprised so soone and vehemently as shee could not dispose of her selfe in that manner as wee know by experience she would have done it should be a lesson to us to be ready for God to bee acquainted with God Wee have had two Corses one after another one a man another a woman both taken suddenly in respect of the time though they had thought to have made an overture of themselves to the world and thought to have made all things faire and easie by the confession and expression of their faith to the world but they were not suffered to doe it So all presume to have time to make the world know that they be humble and penitent and to make their confession but many put it off till it be too late Let us not be put off with vaine presumptions the Lord giveth and the Lord takes wee know not how soone Wee were borne wee know not when we shall die we know not when The Lord prepare us all for it FINIS GODS ESTEEME OF THE DEATH OF HIS SAINTS PREACHED AT THE FVNERALL OF Mr. IOHN MOVLSON OF Hargrave at Bunbury in Cheshire By S. T. REVEL 14. 13. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord c. LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. GODS ESTEEME OF THE DEATH OF HIS SAINTS SERMON XX. PSAL. 116. 15. Pretious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of his Saints THe Psalme was composed by David to be an acknowledgement of that favour and grace of God which himselfe had experience of at some time or other but when or what the particular occasion of it was we are uncertaine Some referre it to that escape which he made when Saul and his troopes had compassed him about upon the discoverie of the Ziphites 1 Sam. 23. 26 27 28. Others because Ierusalem is mentioned in the Psalme and Ierusalem at that time of Saul was not built as they conclude well against the time of the penning of it so they find also another occasion his escape from Absolom and that great plot 2 Sam. 15. 14. Others include also his spirituall Conflicts his combattings with Gods wrath and his despaires because of his sinnes together with some sicknesses and strong diseases accompanied with griefes and anxieties of minde In all which he found God benevolous and mercifull unto him in the sense of which hee rejoyces and as it was his dutie gives thankes and praises unto God Hee saith in the fourteenth verse hee would make publique businesse of it and would pay his vowes corum populo in the presence of all the people and good reason hee had for God hath oft releeved him and taken much care to preserve his life as hee is ever tender of the safety of all his people for Pretiosain oculis Iehovae c. Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints The words are a Simple universall affirmative proposition wherein 1. The subject or thing spoken of is The death of Gods Saints 2. That which is spoken of it is That it is pretious in the sight of the Lord. Which
deposition and laying downe of the same that so they may receive a glorified a clarified an incorruptible spirituall body not made of a spirit but serviceable to the spirit they desire that these eyes may bee so defecated that if they cannot behold the essence of God yet they may stedfastly behold the Empyrian heavens the splendour of our Saviour and the lustre of the bodies of the Saints more bright then the Sunne seven times they desire that these hands may bee blessed with the contrectation of that sacred body that redeemed them they desire that this body may be so transparent and lucid that the Soule may sally out freely not at the eye alone but at every part to contemplate those glorious objects that it may bee so prelucid that the very thoughts of the heart and the divine fancies that are in the imaginative part may bee seene through it that it may be so stript of corporall densitie and grossenesse that like lightning it may bee here and there that it may be fit for raptures and extasies and the Soule no more doubtfull whether shee be in the body or not in the body This the Saints desire and long after And let me speake this of you oh triumphant Soules that are now in blisse without the least impeachment of your happinesse This even you thirst after you esteeme it an imperfect estate to bee without your bodyes though you glorifie and praise GOD in your soules yet you count it an imperfect worke and say with the Psalmist In death no man remembreth thee and in the grave no man shall give thee thankes though your spirits doe it without ceasing without failing yet the whole man doth it not and such an insatiable aviditie there is in you of the praise of God that unlesse it bee done totally and fully you thinke it not done at all therefore you desire this glorified organe but the Saints on earth being much more depressed with this heavy clay cry out with these Saints In this wee groane earnestly c. To bee cloathed upon with our house c. An improprietie of speech I confesse for men doe not cloath them selves with houses yet of eminent elegancie and pregnant with varietie of instructions to shew the fitnesse of this glorie to every soule as apparell is fitted to every body to shew the comelinesse of this glory as apparell is an ornament to a man to shew the firme adhesion of this glorie the whole man as a garment doth cleave close unto him to shew the redundancie of this glorie that a man shall inveloppe himselfe in this glorie as a man doth inwrappe himselfe in his garment to shew the Authour of this glorie hee that made garments to cover mans nakednesse in Paradise below hee maketh robes of honour to adorne him everlastingly in Paradice which is above to shew the undeservednesse of it on our part that these garments they are not webbes of our owne spinning but robes of Gods giving to shew the all-sufficiencie of this glory in this life wee need houses to dwell in and rayment to cover us and food to nourish us and fire to warme us but this glory it shall be a Magazine of all spirituall store an house to shelter us a garment to cover us Manna to feed us water to refresh us it shall be all in all unto us These and many more instructions are folded up in the Cabinet of this Metaphor which streights of time will not give mee leave to unfold and spread before you but must leave them to your private meditations and so passing though unwillingly from these two houses which the Saints desire I must raise up your attention to their ardent affection unto them In this wee groane earnestly c. Wherein you see the intention of their affection and the expression of it The intention not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Desiring but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Desiring earnestly The expression of it by groanes In this wee groane earnestly The one the soule the other the body the one the forme the other the exercise the one the roote the other the branch or if you will the one the fire the other the fuell the one the flame the other the oyle that nourisheth the flame The first is the intension of the affection As those that are in a longing passion die if they bee not satisfied as the pregnant Mother groanes to be delivered of her burthen as those that are pressed under a heavy weight faint if they be not eased even so the Saints pressed downe with that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that eternall weight of glorie mentioned in the precedent Chapter a burthen which did both presse them downe and raise them up that did both streighten them and enlarge them like the feathers of the Dove which adde to her Masse but take off from her gravitie which makes her more corpulent and yet more light even so this weight of glory so pressed downe the Saints that it raised them up to the Throne of the Lambe and feeling this body of sinne this body of death which they did beare about them as plummets of lead hanging at their feet they desire eft-soone to bee stripped of all incumbrances and impediments to depose and lay downe this cottage of clay that so being absent from the body they might be present with the Lord this was the violence of their affection In this wee groane earnestly c. An affection worthy the name of an affection truly grounded and thereforetowring so high that it is almost invisible to our weake sight There are some in this life that are fed with gall and wormewood with teares and groanes upon whom the wheele of oppression is roled breaking all their bones so that they seeke for death as for pearles and hidden treasures as an end and period of their miseries Others there are who seeing the vanitie of the things of this life and ballancing with them the transcendent excellencie of the Soule of man above the world had rather be idle or not be at all then to be so basely and meanly imployed and rewarded as the world doth remunerate her favourites Others make bitter invectives against the body as the onely impediment to the soule in her more pure speculations placing the happinesse of the soule in the separation from the body all these come farre short of this divine affection which hath not her rise from the miseries of this life or from the vanitie of the creature or from the incumbrances of this cottage but from a true apprehension of the love of God from a deepe panting after union with him from a taste of the powers of the life to come from a Soule inflamed with a coale from Gods Altar Looke upon these Saints in my Text they were indeed exercised beyond measure with those things which wee call miseries calamities afflictions at the mention whereof wee quake like Aspen leaves but were these tainted with impatiencie were these groanes fuliginous
eternall damnation and the sweetnesse of imaginarie gaine what proportion hath it with the bitternesse of so great a losse Riches have wings they take their leave honour is transitorie pleasures flie away whereas the soule of man is the subject of immortalitie And thy poore neglected soule must bide by it for an everlasting pledge and pay the debt O! then continue this glory that is nothing First seeke Gods kingdome and the glory of it suffer not heaven to stand at so great a distance to thy soule tast and see how gracious the Lord is by one drop of water from that celestiall fountaine by one crumme from that heavenly table and then as concerning the things below thou wilt account them as drosse and dung in comparison of that joy and peace of conscience Resolve as Themistocles when hee saw a goodly bootie hee would not stoupe to take it up leave these things for the Children of this world But let your care be to please the Lord and to gaine the peace of a good conscience First seeke the kingdome of God which consists not in meat and drinke but in righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Remember the vanitie of the things of the world remember how unable the soule is to enjoy hell and to lose heaven without eternall horrour and in consideration hereof Use the World as though you used it not and use this as a proofe hide it in a sanctified memorie and write it in the table of a sanctified conscience if it were possible with a pen of Iron and the point of a Diamond What is a man profited if hee gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule FINIS CHRIST HIS SECOND ADVENT OR THE APPROACH OF THE GOD OF RECOMPENCES ACT. 1. 11. This same Iesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seene him goe into heaven Epist. JUDE vers 14. Behold the Lord commeth with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deedes which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. CHRIST HIS SECOND ADVENT OR THE APPROACH OF THE GOD OF RECOMPENCES SERMON XXIII REVEL 22. 12. Behold I come shortly and my reward is with me to give every man according to his workes THe Angell having described to Saint Iohn in the Chapter immediatly before and in the former part of this Chapter the exceeding great joy and glory and felicitie that all the godly shall have in the kingdome of heaven by comparing it to a Citie built with precious stones having twelve gates and twelve foundations wherein there is no darknesse they needing no candle nor the light of the Sunne for Christ Jesus the Sunne of righteousnesse is the continuall light thereof And that therein is no miserie no crosse no imperfection no want no calamitie but continuall joy and rejoycing Where their songs are Halelujah and their shields felicitie in the continuall enjoying of the presence of Almighty God the glorious Trinitie Having I say thus described these joyes he doth in the words of my Text for the comfort of the godly Who have here no continuing Citie but are strangers and forreiners and pilgrims and travellers to another Citie and seeke a Countrie And in this their travell they meete with many crosses and afflictions and miseries And likewise for the terrour of the wicked that make this world their kingdome and are the chiefe Lords and commanders of the same for the comfort of the one and the terrour of the other the Angell here in the person of Christ saith hee will come and that shortly to bee a speedy deliverer of the one and a just Judge against the other Behold I come shortly and my reward is with me c. In which words observe these particular branches First the word of preparation or attention in the first word Behold which is as it were a Trumpet that sounds before the comming of the great Judge bidding every one to fit and prepare himselfe to hold up his hand at the barre Behold Secondly the Person and that is the Judge himselfe speaking in the person of the Angell I Christ Jesus himselfe Thirdly his action I come Fourthly the speedinesse of his comming shortly Fiftly the end of his comming to Judgement and that is to reward every man according to his workes Sixtly and lastly the quantitie and the qualitie of the reward inclusively set downe which is according to the qualitie of the workes for if the workes be good there shall be a great and good reward but if they be bad the reward shall be accordingly The small model of time will not suffer mee to runne over all these particulars therefore my meditations and your attention shall be in one doctrine from the words in generall and that is this that Christ Iesus will hasten his comming to Iudgement to reward the godly with everlasting and eternall felicities but the wicked and ungodly with endlesse woe and perpetuall miserie For the proofe of which doctrine you may consider these foure things First of all the certaintie and celeritie of Christs comming to Judgement Secondly the signes that prognosticate his comming Thirdly the Judgement it selfe Lastly the end For the certaintie of Christs comming to judgement I perswade my selfe that there is none here among you so ignorant that hee doth not know or so Atheisticall that he doth not beleeve you know it is an Article of our beliefe that he ascended into heaven and there hee sits at the right hand of his Father in glorie and from thence he shall come at the end of the world to judge both the quicke and the dead Therefore I may spare the labour and the time in any further proofe of that Now concerning the speedinesse of his comming to judgement If so be the day of Judgement was at hand sixteene ages since as both Christ and his Apostles proclaimed if then even in Christs dayes the ends of the world were come as Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 10. 11. If then was the last time as Saint Iohn saith 1 Iohn 2. 18. If then the end of all things were at hand as Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 4. 7. can we thinke that now it is farre off Nay so sure and so certaine as God is God and his Word is truth and not one jotte nor tittle thereof shall passe away he is neere at hand hee will come shortly But before wee proceed there lies two stumbling blocks in the way that wee must remove wherewith many stumble concerning this point In the time of the Apostles there were two heresies confuted the one by Saint Peter the other by Saint Paul Saint Peter in 2 Pet. 3. 3. he wills us to understand that in the last dayes there shall come scoffers men
living after their owne lusts saying Where is the promise of his comming You preach so much that Christ Jesus is comming to Judgement and to call every one of us to account for our wayes our words and actions but where is the promise of his comming for all things continue alike from the beginning of the Creation Miserable men that would be perswaded that the day of Judgement should never come because it was deferred but such jesting and mocking and scoffing at this great and terrible day heretofore used and indeed now practised in the whole progenie of unbeleevers it may be an argument to us that it shall not be deferred for so saith Saint Paul 1 Thes. 5. 3. when they shall say peace peace and safetie then destruction shall come on them as travell on a woman with child and they shall not escape But Saint Peter answers these scoffers that asked Where is the promise of his comming hee gives them two answers The one in verse 8. the other verse 9. In the eighth verse he saith Christ deferres not long to come to judgement for saith he one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares c. alluding to Psal. 90. 4. A thousand yeares in thy sight are but as yesterday since they passe as a watch in the night As if he should say were it possible for a man to live a thousand yeares yet those thousand yeares in respect of God assoone as they are past they are as one day in respect of men nay they are but as a watch of the night that is but as three houres The old Jewes they divided the night into foure Watches and appointed to each Watch three houres as may appeare by comparing of these places of Scripture together Mat. 14. 24. Num. 14. 25. Luke 12. 38. So then the words beare this exposition that a thousand yeares in respect of God are but as one day nay but as a Watch of the night that is but as three houres It doth plainly shew to us that Saint Peter meant not to speake distinctly of a thousand yeares but of a long time so that his meaning is innumerable yeares in respect of God are but as one day Saint Peter might as well have said 2000. or 3000. or 10000. thousand yeares in respect of God are but as one day Thus you have his first answer to those scoffers that said Where is the promise of his comming His second answer is in the ninth verse where the Apostle saith The Lord is not slacke concerning his promise Where is the promise of his comming Why saith the Apostle The Lord is not slacke as we account slacknesse For we account them slacke that goe slowly about a worke but God is not so to bee accounted slacke but saith the Apostle Hee is patient towards us and would have none perish but come to repentance Then the slacknesse of Christs comming is his patience because he would give us time to repent and have us prepared before hee come O then beloved let us not make a mocke as others doe of this patience but while we have time let us take time that when he comes we may be worthy of him Thus you have the first heresie confuted The second was quite contrarie to this set abroach by certaine false teachers who taught the Thessalonians that the day of Judgement was so neere that it should happen in their age Where by the way you may take notice of the exceeding great subtiltie of the Divell that labours by all meanes possible to bring men to one of these extreames Either that the day of Judgement shall never come or it shall come in such a limited time and age And indeed it is ranked among the opinions of some that held that the day of judgement should be just 6000. yeares after the Creation 2000. before the Law 2000. under the Law and 2000. under the Gospell But Saint Paul answers these false teachers among the Thessalonians and all of the like opinion therefore to arme them against their assaults he bids them for a certainetie beleeve it 2 Thessal 2. that the day of judgement was not at hand And hee gives the reason verse 3. For saith he that day shall not come except there be a departing first and that man of sinne the sonne of perdition bee revealed But how is it that the Apostle tells the Thessalonians that the day of Judgement was not at hand seeing it is plaine in the places before recited that the end of the world was at hand and that now was the last times and Heb. 9. 26. Christ appeared in the end of the world It was in the end of the world that Christ appeared to sacrifice himselfe for our sinnes how is it then that he tells the Thessalonians here that the day of the Lord is not at hand Master Calvin saith the answer is easie for saith he in respect of God it was at hand but as for us we must be continually waiting for it But Master Beza and Rollock give another Exposition which I take to be more naturall to the place for say they in all those places where it seemes to be avouched that the day of the Lord is at hand they understand the word in the Originall to signifie generally a time drawing neere As to say the day of Judgement may be this day as well as to morrow and to morrow as well as this day and many dayes hence as well as now But in that place where he saith it is not at hand they understand the word precisely to be meant of a precise time so the Apostle speakes truly the day of Judgement is not at hand so as that any man can say it shall bee this day or this moneth or this houre or this yeare or this age This is no more but the doctrine of Christ Of that day and houre no man knoweth no not the Angels in heaven no not Christ himselfe as man but the Father only So you see it is plaine and evident that the day of Judgement is at hand but in what precise limits of time or age it shall happen it is uncertaine Our Saviour Christ tells his Apostles Act. 1. 7. It is not for you to know the times and seasons that the Father hath put into his own hands It is not for you to know these times Then beloved why should we have an eare to heare where God hath not a tongue to speake Let it suffice us to know that it is at hand which if wee make good use of it will make us warie and watchfull and vigilant over all our wayes that we say not with the evill servant Our Master deferres his comming let us eate and drinke and beat our fellow servants but betake our selves to the good servants dutie to watch Watch we therefore wee know not the day and houre when the Sonne of man commeth But when he commeth and findes us doing well dealing
faithfully and living holily happy nay thrice happie shall we be we shall bee sure to partake of the blessing of those upon mount Gerrazim we need not feare the curse of those upon Mount Eball Wee need not bee afraid of the Thundering and lightning on Sinai nor the fire and tempest nor smoake of the furnace nor of the sound of the Trumpet for all our joy shall be in Sion But when he comes if he find us living wickedly dealing unfaithfully cursed nay thrice cursed we be we are sure to partake of mourning for joy of ashes for beautie of a rent for a girdle whatsoever becomes of our garments assuredly our hearts shall be rent in sunder Watch wee therefore wee know not the day and houre when the Sonne of man will come In the second place that the children of God may bee armed and prepared for his comming hee hath set downe in his Word certaine signes which being effected and come to passe they may easily judge that then the day of redemption draweth nigh Now these signes are of three sorts Some are in respect of us a long time before he comes to judgement A second sort are immediatly before his comming The third in his comming The signes that prognosticate his comming long before are these First of all the preaching of the Gospell to the whole world which is set downe by Christ Mat. 24. 14. The Gospell of the kingdome shall bee preached to the whole world for a testimonie to all Nations then shall the end bee Which words of our Saviour Christ we are not so to understand as that the Gospell should be preached to the whole world at any one time for that never was nor I thinke never will be but if we so understand it that the Gospell shall be preached to all Nations successively and at severall times then if wee consider the times since the Apostles wee shall find that the sound of the Gospell hath gone out to all the Nations of the world as it was spoken by the Prophet so that this first signe is already past the end cannot be farre The second signe is the revealing of Antichrist saith the Apostle 2 Thessal 2. 3. That day shall not come except there bee a departing and that man of sinne the sonne of perdition which is Antichrist bee revealed Concerning this signe in the yeare of our Lord 602. after Christ S. Gregorie seemeth to avouch that whosoever taketh the name of universall Bishop and Pastor of the Church that was Antichrist Five yeares after Boniface succeeding him by Phocas the Emperour had the title of Universall Bishop of the Church and ever since all their successours have taken that name so that it is evident that at Rome hath beene and now is the Antichrist so that the second signe being fulfilled the end cannot be farre The third is the generall departure of the most from the Faith There hath beene a generall departure in former times when Arrius spread his heresies almost all the whole world became an Arian and for the space of 500 yeares together from the time of Boniface the world was so infected with Popish heresies that the faith of Christ could scarsely be discerned they were as a handfull of wheate to a great deale of chaffe so that this signe it is already fulfilled in part but there shall alway be a falling away and a departing from the faith till Christ come to judgement The fourth signe stands in exceeding great corruption in the manners of men And the Apostle makes this a signe of Christs last comming to judgement 2 Tim. 3. This know that in the last dayes perillous times shall come men shall be lovers of themselves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unholy without naturall affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traitours headie high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God The Apostle makes this a signe and marke that shall bee in the last dayes Beloved if ever this were fulfilled it is fulfilled in these dayes of ours for there is a generall corruption in the manners of men It is very hard to find those that in all truth and sinceritie labour to discharge a good conscience towards God and men And Christ hath said himselfe that when hee comes to judgement hee shall scarse find faith on earth such a generall corruption there shall bee in the manners of men so that this fourth signe being already past the end cannot be farre The fift signe is exceeding great persecution and affliction of the Church and the Saints of God This hath beene fulfilled in former times You know there were ten fearfull persecutions in the Primitive Church And so it is fulfilled even in these dayes of ours for the Whore of Babylon that spotted beast shee laboureth to make her selfe drunke with the bloud of Gods Saints There are but few yeares nay moneths or weeks wherein some of the bloud of Gods Saints is not sacrificed to appease the wrath of the Persecutors Then if in these dayes this signe be fulfilled the end cannot be farre The sixt is a generall securitie so that men will not be moved neither with the preaching of the word of God nor yet with judgements from heaven they have such exceeding dulnesse and deadnesse of heart that neither of these will move them For the former you know God hath sent many judgements amongst us we have had fire and famine and pestilence and invasion of forreine enemies inundation of waters thunder and lightning from heaven but all these will not worke upon our hearts The Lord he hath scourged us oft but yet we set light by his corrections we harden our hearts against all his judgements our hearts will not be softned and molified what effect hath all these wrought where is our humiliation our repentance and reformation And for the preaching of the word of God alas that can get no entrance at all mens hearts are so crustie and so hardened that the seed of Gods word it lies uncovered it takes no roote at all in the heart it workes no reformation at all so that if ever this signe were fulfilled it is in these dayes It shall be saith Christ speaking of the generall securitie that shall bee when hee comes to judgement as in the dayes of Noah and of Lot they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage till the fire came from heaven and burned them and the water over-flowed the world so that this sixt signe being past the end cannot be farre The seventh and last signe of Christs comming to Judgement is the calling of the Jewes which the Apostle Rom. 11. 25. calls the fulfilling of the Gentiles When God hath the number of his Elect among the Gentiles then the Jewes shall bee called againe but of the time and the manner and number the word of God doth not reveale it so that it is
two before she went when God knowes she was faint and weake and able to breath but a few words but they were sweet I told her I hoped and doubted not but that as she had made a Christian profession in her life-time so now shee would seale it up she answered I have indevoured to serve God but with a great deale of infirmitie and weaknesse I rest not upon that I rest upon my evidence and there is my comfort I doubt not but hee that hath given mee the evidence will also give me the inheritance I thinke these were the last words shee spake Thus shee is gone to her rest her body to rest as a prisoner of hope till the Resurrection her soule rests in the armes of God I have no more to say to her or of her then that Christ said to the woman in the Gospell Woman goe in peace thy faith hath saved thee FINIS SAINT PAULS TRUMPET OR AN ALARME FOR SLEEPIE CHRISTIANS ISAIAH 17. 3. All yee Inhabitants of the world and dwellers on the earth see yee when he setteth up an Ensigne and when he bloweth a Trumpet heare yee JONAH 1. 6. What meanest thou O sleeper Arise call upon thy God if so bee that God will thinke upon us that wee perish not LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. SAINT PAULS TRVMPET OR AN ALARME FOR SLEEPIE CHRISTIANS SERMON XXVI ROM 13. 11. And that knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleepe THE holy Apostle in this Chapter he delivers a number of precepts and generall rules for sanctification and enforceth them with sundry reasons Among them all the words that I have read they are one principall both Precept and reason enforcing it Considering the season it is time that yee arise from sleepe These few words may be called Saint Pauls Trumpet to rouze the sluggish Christian. They were the occasion of the conversion of that famous instrument S. Austin as hee saith in the eighth booke of his Confessions the last Chapter Hee reports that when the time of his conversion came neere he was in a marvellous great agonie and conflict beset with a number of temptations whereby Satan would still have detained him in the spirituall sleepe he was in being in this marvellous conflict hee could not but goe from his Chamber to his Garden and there hee prostrated himselfe on his face before the Lord and earnestly and ardently called upon God And in his prayer as himselfe records he seemed that he did heare the voyce of a child speake to him Tolle lege Take up the booke and reade Hereupon running backe againe to his studie his booke being open the first place that he cast his eye upon was this verse It is now time considering the season that you awake out of sleepe And saith he with the end of the sentence I found an infused life Hee found in the reading of this sentence as soone as he had read it the life of grace infused into him and his conversion was compleat This place of Scripture hath beene famous in the Church for the conversion of that famous instrument I would to God as wee doe not despaire that the Lord would bestow the same blessing among some of us who not only heare these words read but are now to be expounded in your eares For the understanding of which wee are to enquire of divers things for the meaning of the words First we are to enquire what is here meant by sleepe It is time to awake out of sleepe Secondly what is meant by arising or awaking out of sleepe Thirdly who they be that must arise or wake out of sleepe Fourthly and lastly why the Apostle doth bestow this exhortation upon sleepy persons that cannot heare what he saith For the first of these what is meant by sleepe Sleepe in Scripture is threefold Naturall Morall Spirituall Naturall sleepe is that spoken of Psal. 3. 5. I will lay my selfe downe to sleepe and rise againe This naturall sleepe is the rest and restitution of nature Morall sleepe is naturall death this is the death and dissolution of nature of which the Scripture speaketh Dan. 12. 2. They that sleepe in the dust shall rise againe And Act. 7. ult When Steven had spoken these words hee fell asleepe that is he died Spirituall sleepe it is the sleepe of sinne and securitie this is the death and privation of grace in the soule as the other is the privation of life in the body of this our Text speaketh It is time to arise or awake out of this sleepe the sleepe of sinne and securitie Now the state of sinne and securitie is compared here to the state of sleepe because there are many resemblances and likenesses betweene the state of a sinner and a sleepie man for what effect sleepe hath in the body the same effect hath the sleepe of sinne in the soule I will shew it you in a few instances and so passe it First They that sleepe saith the Apostle sleepe in the night The same that the Apostle aymes at here It is time to awake out of sleepe because the night is past The night is a time to sleepe in So those that sleepe in sinne it is because they are in the night of sinne there is a darknesse the Canopie is spread over them the Sunne of grace and the day of salvation shines not upon them their eyes are closed up in darknesse as it is with a sleepie man Againe when a man goes to sleepe he puts off his cloathes he lies naked exposed to all dangers And when a man is in the sleepe of sinne and securitie he wants his garments to bee cloathed with Christs righteousnesse and holinesse he lies naked exposed and open to all Gods displeasure and all the arrowes of Gods wrath So in Deut. 32. when the Israelites the people of God had made a Calfe Moses came and saw them naked that is destitute of Gods protection and wanting that garment that armour of proofe that righteousnesse that before they had upon them Againe a man naturally layes himselfe downe willingly to sleepe he is willing to take his rest So it is in the sleepe of sinne every naturall man is willing to lay himselfe downe to sleepe in sinne to take his ease and rest in sinne for there is no man but hath free will to sinne though no man hath free will to good And againe as sleep it surprizeth a man suddenly oft-times before he is aware or before he can remember himselfe where hee is or what he is doing so the sleepe of sinne it oft surprizeth a man before he is aware As wee see in the Disciples of Christ themselves Mat. 26. bodily sleepe surprized them even then when they intended to watch and when Christ appointed them to watch but the sleepe of their mindes and foules was much more for that was not a time to sleepe
these are in a dead sleepe but the regenerate also are in a sleepe and they keepe not themselves so waking and so watchfull as they ought to doe therefore the Apostle applies it to himselfe and to all the Saints It is time for us to awake out of sleepe Hee puts himselfe in the number For hee that is most wakefull had need to bee more and to rise out of sleepe still Cant. 5. It is the voyce of the Church I sleepe but my heart waketh Even the Church her selfe that was waked already in part in a great part yet she confessed that shee slept Her sleepe was not so dead and so fast as formerly yet she slept and slumbred I sleepe but my heart waketh It was not a heartie a dead sleepe as the other was So in Mat. 25. it is said of the wise virgins as well as of the foolish they all slumbred and slept The foolish slept that is they were fast asleepe the wise virgins they slumbred And so the Disciples themselves by the side of our Lord even when a temptation was neere and the tempter was upon them they fell fast asleepe and were not able to watch with Christ no not one houre as Christ saith Thus we see brethren that those also that are Regenerate those that have received the greatest measure of grace and are in the highest forme in grace for who was higher then Saint Paul they themselves have need to be called out of sleepe It is time for them to awake out of sleepe though they be waking persons even those that have received grace to beleeve and obey and bee watchfull in some measure even these must be called out of sleep Therefore in Revel 3. 2. It is the counsell that is given to the Church of Sardis that had received some grace and was in some measure watchfull saith the holy Ghost to that Church Be awake and strengthen the things that are ready to die He tels them in the words before Thou hast a name to live but art dead that is thou art even almost dead there is a little life of grace in thee thou art almost dead for so it is explained in the words following awake and strengthen the things that are readie to die Thus we see the difference betweene the calling of the wicked and the godly in their sleepe The one is called from sleepe to stand up from the dead the other to strengthen the things that are ready to die And thus we see the persons who must wake In the next place Why doth the Apostle call upon sleepers to awake out of sleepe Wee see naturall men are as dead men in a dead sleepe he doth but lose his labour and spend his breath they cannot heare and understand And the godly likewise it is with them as with a man in a sleepe they are drowsie and doe not much intend what is spoken To this I answer briefly Exhortations in Scripture are never in vaine fall where they will This voyce of exhortation if it come upon regenerate men that are awake in part it is a meanes to awake them more it is a means to keepe them awake as it was a meanes to awake them at the first If it fall upon wicked men that are in a dead sleepe it serves if not to awake them yet to convince them to make them inexcusable for such a man might object What is this to me I am called on to awake I am in a dead sleepe can I heare if I be in a dead sleepe But know this thou that art in a dead sleepe that art not able to heare thou art not able to heare because thou hast cast thy selfe into a dead sleep For this is the difference Suppose a man in the night season be in his first sleepe tell him a message from God what he would have him to doe hee understands it not he knowes it not it is no sinne of his because he is a-sleepe because God hath ordained this sleepe to be due to nature But it is not so in the sleepe of sinne God doth not cast a man into the sleepe of sinne but man himselfe and the divell therefore if thou have cast thy selfe into this sleepe that thou know not what God would have done it is thy sinne and shall bee thy damnation looke to it The exhortations and precepts fall not in vaine as the raine returnes not in vaine either they awake a man more that was awake before or they convince him that is not awake because he is fallen asleepe by his owne sinne and the malice of the divell To come therefore to the Use and Application The point thus opened leads us to the consideration of that wofull sleepe that oppresseth the world And then to consider the sleepe that oppresseth the Church of God First to consider the sleepe of the wicked and unregenerate those that are in the dead sleepe of sinne Even as the Prophet observed in his time so now who doth not see all the world at rest and at peace like Lachish that secure people a dead people crying peace peace to themselves and fearing nothing till they be awaked there is nothing but securitie To shew this in some particular instances what a number of persons be cast into the dead sleepe of sinne First of all Idolaters where of there are a numerous generation every where they are fast asleepe in the bed and bosome of that whore of Babylon that hath inchanted and bewitched them with the cuppe of her fornication They have layd themselves downe to take a nappe upon her lappe as Sampson did upon Dalilahs till they lose their locks and their life as he did and all the meanes that GOD hath used a long time all the light of grace the light of knowledge all the ministrie that hath beene so powerfull and so plentifull cannot pull them out of her lap but the Lord hath threatned not only Iezabel that whore and strumpet by which he meanes that whore of Rome but all those that commit fornication with her to cast them into a bed of sorrow he will cast them upon a bed of little ease and he will slay her children The conclusion of this fearfull sleepe shall be death Even as Sisera when he slept the nayle was driven into his temples So likewise a generation of uncleane adulterers they are asleepe upon the foule bed of voluptuousnesse and uncleannesse blow a Trumpet in their eares ring a peale of Ordnance against them that is able to make the stones quake and the rocks to breake asunder tell them that whoremongers and adulterers God will judge Nay let the world ring a peale of infamie and shame upon them follow them with infamie and reproaches for their sin yet all this awakes them not they will scarse open their eyes except it be in the twilight as Solomon saith a little to waite at their neighbours doore for his wife
sleepie heart and conscience when a man heares not nor understands the Word that hee doth heare when he heares not that which is spoken It is one judgement upon wicked men the Booke of God is clasped to them such a man reads and heares and discernes not If the Booke be open his heart is clasped fast he takes no good by it And this is not the least part of the miserie upon the Saints that this booke is not so open to them nor they doe not so understand it nor discerne that which is in it as they might We heare the Word many of us many times and we seeme to receive it but yet who is he that may not find in himselfe that the sleepe and securitie of his mind and soule makes him not much to attend and regard it that he is not carefull and industrious in the keeping and maintaining of that hee heares and the framing himselfe according to it And so it comes to passe that it is with Gods word that we heare as it is with Physick when it is given to a man that is dead it workes not or when he sleepes immediatly upon it so when we heare the word of God and fall into a sleepe upon it into the sleepe and sluggishnesse of earthly cares the Word is unprofitable it workes not that effect that else it would Againe a man that sleepes you shall know it by this he doth not mind his ordinarie businesse he neither troubles his head nor his hands with it his businesse sleepes with himselfe he doth nothing but sleepe while he is asleepe he can doe nothing else So hereby we may know our selves to be in a marvellous sleepe of sinne when we give not our serious thoughts to God and to the practice of pietie and godlinesse it is an argument of sleepe and slumber in us The mind of man should intend the principall thing for which God hath put us in the world when we give not our thoughts to God and mind not the things of Gods kingdome it is a signe we are asleepe When we move not nor stirre not our hands and our feete in the wayes of Gods commandements as we should it proceeds from this sleepinesse and drowsinesse Whereas would we be wise for our selves and awake as we should wee should neither be idle nor unfruitfull in the worke of the Lord. We should ever be doing something that might glorifie God and further our owne reckoning But this is a signe of a sleepie person in the maine and principall things his heart is not upon them his hands and feet move not in the wayes of God he workes not to the principall end for which hee came into the world Thirdly you shall know a sleepie man by this he knowes not of the passing of the time but so much time as he sleepes he wastes it is as the time of death to him for what is sleepe but the shadow of death Even so it is with many of us that professe the teaching of Grace Alas how doe we waste time insensibly and passe away the time some decke away the time some play away the time dayes and weekes and moneths together as if time were not made for some other businesse as if we had received time for such imployments as these for our recreations and sports and pleasures and not rather that we might further our repentance and our reckoning and helpe the servants of God and get oyle in our lampes and faith in our soules and patience against the time of trouble and get assurance of a blessed inheritance when we shall be turned out hence Time is given us for these ends and yet we silly men as we are devise pastimes to our selves as if our life did not passe away whereas Iob saith it is as a Weavers shuttle Let us consider brethren time will passe that we may improve it and not wast our time Fourthly and lastly to conclude this point a man that is addicted immoderately to sleepe you shall know it by this it destroyes naturall heate and that being destroyed by immoderate sleepe as by a sudden mightie shower this man growes pursie and fatte and lazie he growes idle and unfit for the exercises of manhood or of his Calling and the like So it is when a man is immoderatly and excessively fast asleepe with the cares of this life the lusts of his heart the pleasures of this present world or whatsoever it is that lulls him and rocks this cradle when he is thus asleepe hee growes fatte and pursie his naturall heate is gone he falls from his first zeale and affection and desire and practise Alas brethren we may speake to the shame and sorrow of many I doubt that heare me that have exchanged their care of godlinesse that have exchanged their seeking of God in the meanes with company with good-fellowship with drunkennesse And let the Lords marriners come to them and say Up sleeper call upon thy God why dost thou not doe thy first workes Why art thou lazie he growes angry as Ionas was that thought he did well to bee angrie to the death This is the miserie of many that live under the teaching of the Gospell in the light of the Gospell This is another marke and a signe of sleepe when we cannot abide of any thing to be wakened To draw to a conclusion the last use of this point it serves to rouze and to raise us from this sleepe and securitie this slumber that is in the best of us And know my brethren I speake not now to those that are out of the Church and those that are notoriously wicked those that are scandalous and rebellious to good counsell but I speake to those that live in the bosome of the Church those that professe goodnesse and godlinesse yea those that are Disciples and are neere the side of Christ let this exhortation be to them to raise and rouze themselves out of this sleepe It is time saith the Apostle that wee rise out of sleepe The summe of this exhortation I will propound and then draw to a conclusion First consider how unprofitable a man a Christian man is when he is asleepe What is a man when he is asleepe but that there is hope of awaking and to come to the actions of life againe a man that is asleepe he lives but the life of a Plant there is nothing but being and nourishment a waking beast is more profitable but that I say there is hope that afterwards hee will awake So when we sleepe and slumber and tumble and tosse our selves in dead securitie how unprofitable are we to Gods glorie and to our owne selves Saint Paul saith that Onesimus was unprofitable before his conversion but now saith he hee is profitable both to thee and mee A man that is asleepe is unprofitable and certainly he that is asleepe in securitie and sinne this man is most unprofitable to Gods glorie and to his
say in the Lord have I Righteousnesse and strength There are two things likewise in a Christian which are of eminent sufficiencie in order to his salvation and his possession of the Glorious inheritance purchased by this Saviour Faith and Patience often spoken of severally and in particular but withall joyntly and together as might bee manifested by the allegations of Scripture as bee not slothfull but be yee followers of them that by Faith and Patience inherit the promise c. Concerning these two which are so eminent in the called of God and are sufficient in order to their possession of the purchased inheritance as the Scripture abundantly treateth of so most frequently in this Epistle and more especially in the 10. 11. and 12. Chapters In the later end of the tenth Chapter you have the Apostle there first dogmatically handling the doctrine of Faith as the necessary meanes to attaine everlasting life and as the principall conducement to the possession of glory and to the saving of the soule The just shall live by Faith In the beginning of the eleventh Chapter he sheweth the absolute necessitie of Faith to an acceptable walking and well pleasing of God For without faith vers 6. it is impossible to please God and the whole Chapter is further spent in setting downe the glorious Examples of Abel and Enoch and Noah and Abraham and the rest of the Elders eminent for their Faith by which saith hee they received a good report All whom did worthily in their dayes and are now become famous to posteritie standing out to this day as so many living voyces calling upon us to become followers of them that we might together with them bee at length made partakers of the glorious inheritance of the Saints in light The Apostle having spoken much to this purpose goeth on to that other grace we spake of so necessarie to the constitution of a Christian and to the enabling of him to a well and faithfull managing of his Calling and condition and that is Patience Propounded by way of exhortation in the first part of this twelfth Chapter and urged with respect to the necessarie uses of it both concerning duties done and afflictions to be endured in the verses following First with respect to duties which the Apostle propoundeth under the Metaphor of running in a race for such is the course of a Christian life which the Saints of God are called to the finishing of Let us runne the race that is set before us and runne with Patience Secondly it is urged with respect to sufferings and that of two sorts from men from God From men from whom the faithfull are to make account of sufferings in divers kindes in shame and derision in proud and insolent contradictions and according to their power and opportunitie in bloudy persecutions You have not yet resisted unto bloud uerse 4. From God and here the Apostle is more large urging his exhortation to Patience and a quiet applying of our selves to God according to all the states and conditions he is pleased to bring us unto and according to all his severall administrations towards us very strongly labouring to fasten it in the hearts of the Saints of God as a nayle in a sure place first alledging that same passage of Solomon in the Proverbs My sonne despise not thou the chastening of the Lord And then he further strengthneth his exhortation by invincible arguments I doe but touch upon these things hastening on to the maine thing I intend only desiring to give you a plaine and briefe Analasis of this Scripture with the context of it The Apostle I say driveth on this exhortation by strength of argument And that first of all by propounding to the godly that whereas the Lord is pleased to exercise them with afflictions to make them drinke many times of a cuppe of bitternesse yet they have reason to be quiet and patient because this way the Lord giveth a proofe of his love to his children and those that are wise and godly will be glad they have reason so to be that God should take sucha course with them as whereby he may give them a demonstration of his deare love and affection Now herein the Lord evidenceth his love and affection to his people for all the afflictions and chastisements that he exerciseth them withall flow from his love and are as fruits thereof For saith he whom the Lord loveth hee chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne whom hee receiveth verse 6. Secondly he propoundeth it to their consideration as a course wherein the Lord giveth an evidence of his peoples adoption For what sonne is hee whom the Father chasteneth not But if yee bee without chastisement where of all his children are partakers then are yee bastards and not sonnes vers 78. Now the godly should be glad to have the Lord take such a course with them and so to order out his administrations concerning them as that they may have some comfortable evidence to their soules that they are his adopted ones and such as hee will one day acknowledge for to bee his children But thirdly and that which more concerneth our present purpose the Apostle urgeth his exhortation by a comparison that he frameth betweene God the Father of spirits and men that are fathers of our flesh we have had fathers of our flesh and they verely for a few daies chastened us and wee gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live they chastened us for their pleasure but Hee for our profit that wee might bee partakers of his holinesse Wherein you see the comparison is laid out in severall particulars and the preheminencie the advantage of the comparison is given to God for so is the scope and intent of the Text. It lieth thus briefly First Wee have had fathers of our flesh and God is the Father of Spirits if we have beene contented to undergoe the discipline of our earthly fathers much more have we reason quietly and patiently to submit our selves to the proceedings of the Father of our spirits Secondly They for a few dayes chastened us and we gave them reverence it is but a few dayes neither that the Father of spirits meaneth to keepe us under his discipline suppose it be all our time and perhaps it shall be so yet all that is but the time of our minoritie and therefore if we have beene content to submit to our earthly parents theirdiscipline for a few dayes shall we not much more be in subjection to the Father of spirits to his chastisement though it befor our life-time for the disproportion is infinitely greater between the time of this life compared with the state of maturitie and ripe age which the Saints shall come to hereafter and the time of our minoritie and childhood compared with the state of full age and man-hood in this life for alas how short are our dayes they are spent even as a tale
these things shew that thou art Gods servant and that by Death the Lord will draw thee to a place of rest If these thoughts which I have now named bee strangers to thy heart and thou dost not love to trouble thy selfe to studie about Death it is an evill signe The servants of God are not wont to be so secure in matters of this qualitie And thus much for the first particular in the first generall part the desire in the godly of death the second is their care for it the point thence is that It is the care of Gods servants to bee alwayes so prepared for death as at what instant soever the Lord shall send it they may bee comfortably ready to entertaine it So much may easily be gathered out of Simeons words here Nunc dimittis Now let thy servant depart He did not as it were take a day over in which and against which to be provided as though he should have said Lord now will I settle my selfe to make provision for my last end but even now Lord at this very instant if thou wilt Death hath beene my ordinary meditation and if thou wilt now call me home to thee I am ready to depart As in the former point I shewed you how Saint Pauls longing agreed with Simeons Oh let thy servant depart saith Simeon I desire to bee dissolved saith Paul So here I will shew you that there was the same care in respect of Death in Saint Paul as in Simeon Now if thou wilt saith Simeon I am now ready to bee offered saith Saint Paul And else-where I die daily I am ever thinking upon death and daily making provision for my end This was holy Iobs mind All the dayes of my appointed time will I waite till my change come there was a continuall expectation So teach us to number our dayes prayeth Moses that wee may apply our hearts to wisedome And what wisedome did hee wish hee might apply his heart unto but this a holy care to make provision for another world seeing in this there was no continuance The same in effect the Authour to the Hebrewes professeth touching himselfe and those that were like to him that they had here no continuing Citie but did seeke one to come Wee know saith he here is no abiding wee dwell in tents which must remove in houses of clay which will be broken therefore wee desire to bee ever ready for that place which is of more perpetuitie And so much may bee gathered from that which is upon record concerning Ioseph of Arimathea he did not onely make ready his Tombe in his life-time but in his garden his place of solace and delight and how could so good a man so often thinke on death without labouring and caring to be ever provided for the same and therefore our Saviour Christ compares his faithfull servants unto those which daily wait for their Masters comming Now the reason which so much prevailes with the godly in this particular and which ought to be of sufficient force with every one is first the certaintie and uncertaintie of death Morte nihil certius As sure as Death is an ordinary Proverbe What man is hee that liveth and shall not see death saith the Psalmist That all must die it is Heavens decree and cannot be revoked The thing it selfe we see is most certaine yet for some circumstances most uncertaine for first Tempus est incertum No man knowes when he shall die in the night or in the day in Winter or in Summer in youth or in his latter age Secondly Locus est incertus None know where they shall die whether at home or abroad in his bed or in the field who knowes but that he may die in the Church of God even while he is asleepe at the Word Thirdly Mortis genus est incertum No man can determine how hee shall die whether suddenly or by a lingring sicknesse whether violently or by a naturall course These things the servants of God know full well and seriously weigh the same and that makes them to make conscience of continuall preparation that whensoever or wheresoever or howsoever they die they may with comfort commend their soules into the hand of God as into the hand of a faithfull Creatour Secondly they know the miserie of being taken by Death unprepared put case a man should die as Ishbosheth lying upon his bed at noone or as Iobs children while they are feasting or that a man like the rich man in the Gospell should have his breath taken from him at the very instant having made no provision for another world what hope can there be that such a one should be saved They know thirdly that the time of sicknesse is the most unfit time for this businesse of preparation the senses are then so taken up with the paine of sicknesse that a man cannot thinke seriously upon ought else and besides it is not in our owne power to turne to God when we will ordinarily God forgets those in sicknesse that forget him in health And it is commonly seene that that preparation for Death that begins but in sicknesse is as languishing and faint as is the partie from whom it comes And although Vera poenitentia bee nunquam sera yet sera poenitentia est rarò vera Though I say true repentance bee never to late yet late repentance is seldome true when men leave their sinnes because they can continue to practise them no longer what thankes have they or what can that repentance be These things worke with Gods servants to studie to be ever ready for the Lord not to delay preparation but to seeke continually to be provided My Exhortation hence shall begin with that speech of Moses Oh that men would be wise to understand this and that they would consider their later end I would there were a heart in us to entertaine this doctrine in our best thoughts I remember the Complaint of old that men had made a Covenant with Death and were at agreement with Hell Death indeed will make truce with no man but here is the meaning Evill men perswade themselves that they are in no danger of hell or of the grave Death will not come yet thinketh the oldest man and when it comes I hope I shall doe well enough thinketh the most godlesse man Thus men couzen themselves with their owne fancies and so Death steales upon them at unawares and becomes Gods Sergeant to arrest them and to carry them away to eternall condemnation Who amongst us is able to say truly and upon good ground as Simeon Now Lord if thou wilt now command Death to seize upon mee welcome shall it be unto me I am even now ready to receive it How many are there that are extraordinary ignorant in the meanes how to escape the sting of Death How many extreamly secure that never in their lives yet thought earnestly
assurance that the sting of Death is plucked out that Gods wrath is appeased that sinne is pardoned that Heaven gate is opened whence shall wee fetch these but from the Scripture the directions for a holy life which is the best preparation for Death where shall we find them but in the Scripture Here then we see is a Caveat to all that have no will nor desire to be acquainted with the Scripture Divers thinke they should have done well enough though wee had no such Booke as we call the word of God To bee a Scripture-man is a by-word a reproach a matter of disgrace and sooner will men listen to some idle Pamphlet then to a matter of Scripture Well beguile not your soules with these vaine conceipts with your Popish and carnall imaginations I say and testifie from this place that that man or woman which careth not to be taught out of Gods booke cannot die like a Christian Who can teach thee the way to dye well but God And where doth God teach but in the Scripture If our thoughts of Death if our provision and preparation for Death be not warranted and guided by Gods word it is all in vaine Lord saith Simeon my desire of dissolution is according to thy Word my care to be prepared hath beene ordered by thy Word hee cannot die with comfort that cannot make the like profession And this may serve for the next generall part the the ground of this desire and preparation for Death it is Gods word Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart according to thy Word The third and last part followes the nature and qualitie of the death of the Righteous A departure in peace or a peaceable dismission Here are two things first a dismission secondly a dismission accompanied with peace The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated Let thy servant depart may well be Englished thus Let thy servant loose Lord free mee enlarge mee set mee at libertie Hence wee learne that The servants of God doe by Death receive a finall discharge from all manner of miserie This is evident out of the force of the phrase here used Simeon knew that so long as hee lived his soule was as it were imprisoned in his body and in it hee was held in bondage under the remnants of Originall corruption subject to the assaults and temptations of Satan in continuall and daily possibilitie to trespasse and sinne against God beside other afflictions and grievances in the body and estate but hee had withall this knowledge and understanding of the nature of Death that it was an enlargement to the soule and a freeing of it utterly and finally from all those and the like incumbrances The same may be gathered from the phrase used by Saint Paul I desire saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee dissolved and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read the time of my departure the words shew that there comes a liberty by death to the soules of Gods servants The phrase that Saint Peter useth is worthy our observation for this purpose First hee tearmes death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the laying downe of a burden and by that meanes the soule is lightned and eased Secondly he tearmes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a going out from a place and condition of hardship The second booke of Moses which relates the departure of the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage hath the same name Exodus As for the point it selfe namely that the death of the Righteous is to them a discharge from all miserie the Scripture beares witnesse to it Blessed said he are the dead which die in the Lord even so saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours As long as they live here they are diversly troubled when they die their labours are at an end and they are received into rest Saint Iohn tells us that in his vision he saw the soules of them that were slaine lye under the Altar Now the Altar in the time of the Law was a place of refuge and safetie and thence it appeares that by death the servants of God are eft-soones received into a place of holy securitie where there is no expectation of any further miserie They are said to be received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into Abrahams bosome into the fellowship of the same happinesse with Abraham the Father of all true beleevers The Doctrine in the first place makes against those of the Church of Rome which maintaine a place of torment even for the servants of God after this life where they must bee tryed for a time before they can enter into Rest and happinesse This place they terme Purgatorie the torment here they hold to bee unspeakable and farre surpassing any torment which the wit of man is able to devise But this place among others is sufficient to overthrow this dotage for how were death to the Righteous a dismission a loosing a freedome from miserie if there followed after it a torment of farre greater extremitie then at any time before was ever tasted of So that the death of the servants of God being as I have proved it to bee an enlargement from misery certainly the soule is not bound in any new Prison whence it must expect and await and pray for a second dismission In the next place this Doctrine makes much for the comfort of Gods servants the face of Death to the wicked is very dreadfull the day of it is to them the beginning of sorrowes their soules are instantly arrested by the damned spirits and kept in everlasting chaines of darknesse but to those that are the servants of God it is otherwise I may by way of allusion to the phrase of my Text compare their day unto that which happened unto Ioseph in which hee was brought out of prison to bee Ruler over all the land of Egypt So is their death unto them a day of Bailement out of prison a day in which all teares shall be wiped away In which they shall have beauty for ashes and the oyle of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse and the long white robes of Christs Righteousnesse by which they shall be presented blamelesse unto God That day shall be to them even as was the day of escape to the Jewes a feast and a good day in which they shall see God as hee is and know him as they are knowne of him But hapily thou maist say how shall I know that the day of Death is the day of dissolution and this kind of dismission A very necessary quaere indeed this is for every man almost is ready to challenge to himselfe a part of this happinesse and it is a matter presumed upon by many which shall never enjoy it I will therefore give you one certaine marke by which wee may know assuredly that the day of our death shall be to us a day of enlargement and of finall discharge
concurrence betweene the action and the affection with conformitie to the Rule First there must be actions It is not speaking good nor meaning good only but it is doing good Saith the Apostle If a brother be naked or hungrie or cold and you say to him goe in peace warme thee but you give him no fire and goe and cloath thee but you give him no apparell and goe and feed thee but you give him no meate Here are good words now but the deedes are not answerable here are no good deedes at all Solomon compares such complementall charitie that is only verball and in outward expression to Cloudes and windes without raine Not much unlike the boxes of Apothecaries that are adorned with glorious tytles without but open them and examine the insides you shall finde nothing but emptinesse Well that is the first thing there must bee good actions Againe secondly these must have a good rise they must proceed from a good affection too or else they lose the name of good actions Make the tree good and the fruit shall bee of the same condition the actions are not good if the affections bee naught and therefore the same God that requires beneficence hee commands benevolence also and would have men become tender-hearted and put on the bowels of compassion that they should Sympathize with others and be like affectioned to them to mourne with those that mourne and to be with those that are bound as being bound with them This is that which our Saviour calls being mercifull Bee mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull Hee saith not only doe workes of mercie but be mercifull doe them from a mercifull heart from bowels of compassion that yearne towards those that are in necessitie That is the second thing But then thirdly these actions and these affections whence they rise they must hold conformitie with the Law There is no good but what is conformable to the rule of goodnesse that is the written word of God and therefore all those will-worships and idle ceremonies made according to the inventions of man as a thousand devices in Poperie wherein they intimate a show of great Liberalitie they are not good deedes because they want that good rule that should uphold and make them so So much shall serve for the opening of it Good deedes then are such actions as rise from a sanctified affection and receive ground and warrant from Gods will revealed in his Word to men Againe there is a third terme yet Doe good to all men What doth the Apostle meane that every man should receive the fruits of our Beneficence There are some men notoriously wicked and rather to be punished than relieved The Apostle meanes not such for hee gives you a Caution If any man worke not let him not eate Relieve him not that hath abilitie to get and will live idlie and unprofitably But doe good to all men that is to all men so farre as you see them in extreme want unable to helpe themselves if their lawfull necessities call upon your charitie in this respect all men must be looked unto but especially To the houshold of Faith By houshold of faith here he meanes the multitude of beleevers and not only those that dwell neere us and about us but those that are dispersed throughout the whole earth the Churches of God The dispersion spoken of through all the parts of the world are this houshold of faith all the Saints of God in what difference or distance soever one from another yet they are of the same houshold together of the same Church of God 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 Father 〈◊〉 many mansions There it is heaven the place of the blessed Then for the Church militant Moses was faithfull in all his house saith the Text. And Paul exhorts Timothie how hee should carry himselfe in the house of God that is in the Church militant As for those that live above us they need not our good workes 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 roofe 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 obtaine or elâ—… many will slip unprofitablie to bee conversant in such actions of mercie which tend to the reliefe of thoâ—… that want them If there be extreme necessitie doe good to all but if you may make choyce of persons to whom you may doe 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 tyed in the performance of the duties that are injoyned them as you have opportunitie and while you have time Secondly there is a declaration of dutie doe good Thirdly there is a description of the persons to whom this good must be done first more generally Doe good to all and then more particularly and with an especiall 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 opportunitie the words themselves doe render the maine point It is the dutie of Christians to take their advantages of times to take the best opportunities of their life to doe good I will speake somewhat by way of Explication of the point and something by way of Application and so proceed to what followes 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 bee sure not to lose the time of life And Secondly that you should not forgoe the advantages and opportunities of estates You shall not alwayes have life to doe good and it may bee if you have life you â—…all not alwayes enjoy meanes and abilitie to doe good Whâ—…â—…ou have life therefore and time doe good or while you enjoy meanes and so power to doe good embrace these opportunities 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 workes goe before you doe things while you live and deferre 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 Hee calls that unrighteous Mammon not that it is unrighteously gotten only though
or the house of his hidden time to wit where hee lyeth hid in his Coffin and no eye seeth him whereunto holy Iob alluding saith Chap. 14. 10. Man dieth and â—…steth away and giveth up the ghost and where is he or dâ—…us mundt sui as Caietan will have it the houâ—… of his world meaning the world of the dead or domus seculi sui the house of his generation as Pagnine Montanus and Tremelius well expresse it the place where all meete who lived together the randevouze of all our deceased friends allies and kindred even as farre as Adam this home may bee called a long home in comparison of our short homes from which we remove daylie these houses we change at pleasure that we cannot there our flesh or our bones or at least our ashes or dust shall bee kept in some place of the earth or sea till the Heavens shall bee no more Iob 14. 12. I answer To the fourth that by mourners are here meant all that attend the corpses to the funerall whether they mourne in truth or for fashion and they are sayd here to goe about the streets either for the reason alleaged by Bonaventure quia predolore quiescere nequiunt because they cannot rest for hearts griefe and sorrow or they goe about the streets to call company to the funerall or because they fetch their compasse that they might make a more solemne procession to the Church or Sepulchre Among the Romans the friends of the deceased hyred certaine women whom they called preficas to lament over their dead for the most part among the Iewes this sad taske was put upon widowes or they tooke it upon themselves as the words of the Prophet imply and there were no widowes to make lamentation and of the Evangelist also Acts 9. 39. and the widowes stood by weeping for Dorcas and indeed widowes are very proper for this imployment When a Pot of water is full to the brimme a little motion makes it runne over Widowes that are widowes indeed and have lost in their Husbands all the joy and comfort of their life have their eyes brimme full of teares and therefore most easily they overflow viduae optime deflent viduas Widowes are the fittest to bemoane widowes and what is the body viod of the soul but a widow deprived of her loving mate these widowes went about the streets weeping and howling to awake the living out of their dead sleepe of securitie and to ring in their eares that lesson of the Prophet all flesh is grasse and the glorie of it as the flower of the field As in a great Clock when the Index pointeth to the houre the wheeles move the Clocke strikes and there is a great noyâ—…e till the plummets or weights touch the earth so sayth Filius Fabri in his same when the Index pointeth to the last houre of a rich man the Bell rings and there is a hideous and fearefull noise of singers and mourners and this continueth till the waight to wit the waightie corpses of the dead toucheth the ground and is put into the earth after which the â—…umult ceaseth and the loud musicke is turned into soft and solemne the Lidian into Dorricke and the shallow channells of teares which made such a noyse shall runne into the depth of silent sorrow or Mâ—…re mortuum And so I come to the fourth Stage The naturall division of the Text. There are but three things appertaining to man here 1. Life 2 Death 3. Buriall And see they are all three in the Text. 1. Man goeth there is his life 2. To his long home there is his Death 3. And the Mourners goe about the streetes there is his buriall described by pariphrasis And so I am upon the fift stage The Doctrine Mans life is a voyage his death the terme or period of this voyage his Grave his home and Mourners his attendance you may observe a kind of sequence in these observations in the Concatination of them the first link drawes the second the second the third the third the fourth if our life be a pilgrimage our death must needes be the terme and our arivall at our Countrey if Death bee our arrivall the Grave must needes bee the house for our bodyes if the Grave bee our house what fit attendance there but mourners Our life is a pilgrimage so it is tearmed by Iacob Gen. 47. 9. The dayes of the yeares of my pilgrimage are 130. yeares And by David Psal. 119. 54. Thy statutes have beene my songs in the house of my pilgrimage and wee are all pilgrims and strangers 1 Pet. 2. 11. and our fathers were no better Psal. 39. 10. I am a stranger and sojourner as all my fathers were Vita est via omnes Christianus viator Our life is a way and every man living in this world a passenger A direct motion and that continuate and uninterrupted from the cradle to the coffin from the wombe to the tombe is the way of all flesh a way in which children walk before they can goe and old men crawle when they cannot now goe Infants who never had the use of their limbes and impotent old who have lost them yet runne this race wherein though some make a longer line and others a shorter yet all finish their course a strange race wherein though a man stand still or sleepe yet hee advanceth forward and gaineth ground and he goeth so much the faster by how much he is the weaker for the lesse vigorous the more speedily he tends to his long and last home the houre-glasse is running whether the Preacher proceeds or makes a pawse and the shippe is sayling whither it is bound when wee sleepe in our cabbine so whether wee wake or sleepe moove or rest be busie or idle minde it or mind it not we walke on toward our long home That which Saint Paul spake in a morall or divine sence Seneca makes good in a naturall Wee dye daily for every day nay every houre we lose some part of our life as our yeares increase so our time decreaseth for the more yeares moneths dayes or houres that we have lived the lesse we have to live the glasse is running not only when the last sand drops out but all the while so wee are expiring and dying from the running of the first sand in the houre-glasse of our life to the last from the moment we receive breath to the moment that we breath out our last gaspe Thus the man in my text goeth or rather runneth still in his naturall course that is every man for the word in the originall is Adam in whom wee all die who is so tarmed from Adama the earth not that more solid part of the earth but the brittlest of all red earth sand or dust Pulvis es in pulverem ivis Of dust thou art made and dust shall be made of thee Now if there be any living upon earth who hath none of this earth in
hee was in publicke but what was hee in private wee have seene him in the Sunne how demeaned hee himselfe in the shade True Religion is like the precious stone Garamantites which casteth no great lustre outwardly but semper intus habeat aurâ—…as gâ—…ttus but wee may discerne as it were golden drops within Three of these after I have presented to your view I will then set free your patience and give your sorrow full scope to vent it selfe in teares The first of these was tendernes of conscience which is one of the most infallible tokens and markes of the Child of God so tender was hee that he would undertake no businesse before hee was fully perswaded of the lawfulnesse thereof both by cleare texts of Scripture and the approbation of most learned and conscientious Divines hee made scruple not onely of committing the least knowne sinne but of imbarking into any action which was questionable among those that love the truth in sinceritie And therefore although God blessed him with great wealth and store of coyne yet hee never put it to Usurie or Interest thereby to increase it for he held the tolleration of the Law in this Kingdome to bee no sufficient warrant for any violation of the divine Law the distinctions lately coyned of toothlesse and biting Usurie hee no way allowed judging truly that all Usurie according to the Hebrew Etymologie is biting and hath not onely teeth but Adders teeth envenomed for all Usurie if it biâ—…e not our Brother as per accidens sometimes it may not yet it biâ—…eth the conscience of all such who have any remorse of sinne The second aurea gutta was Christian compassion whereby he tooke to heart the afflictions of Ioseph and miserie of Lazarus whose sores hee cured with the most precious balsamum hee could buy for his money What Plinie writeth lib. â—…2 c. 8. Attalus usus est Thynni recentiores adipe ad ulâ—…era on the Fish in Latine Thynnus that it is a soveraign remedie against many diseases and cureth all kinde of ulcers was truly verified in him for hee furnished himselfe with the best cordialls and the rarest medicinall receipts and when hee heard of any poore sicke or hurt hee not onely sent them money but Bezar and balsamum thinking nothing could cost him too deare whereby he might save the life or recover the health of the poorest member of Christ Jesus In the yeares of dearth and sicknesse he sent provision to all the Parishes about him and thrice a weeke relieved a hundred atleast at his gate neither did his compassion dye with him for in his Will and Testament confirmed by him the day before his death hee bequeathed divers Legacies to the poore whereof these following came to my notice To Saint Margarets in Westminster 10. pound To Kempsford 60. pound To Cosley 60. pound To Froome and the Woodlands 100. pound To Warmester 100. pound To Deverill and Mounten 100. pound The last aurea gutta which I shall present to your view at this time was his fervencie of zeale for the truth of the Gospell in all the Benefices which hee bestowed hee tooke speciall care to make choice of men sound in the Faith no way warping either to Popish superstition or 〈◊〉 seperation as he made greatest accompt of those Ministers of the Gospell who were serveâ—… iâ—… spirit zealous for the truth so hee hated none more then 〈◊〉 and luke-warme Laodicaâ—… he â—…eldome spake of any Romanist without expressing a great deteâ—…tation of their idolatrie and superstition the night before he changed this life for a better after an humble confeâ—…ion of his sinnes ingenerall and a particular 〈◊〉 of the Articles of his beliefe in which hee had lived and now was resolved to die he added I renounce all Popish superstition all mans merits trusting only upon the merits of the Death and passion of my Saviour and whosoever trusteth on any other shall finde when hee is dying if not before that hee leaneth upon broken reedes Here after the benediction of his Wife and Children being required by me to ease his mind and declare if any thing lay heavie upon his conscience he answered nothing he thanked God yet like an obedient child of his Mother the Church of England both heartily desired and received her absolution and now professing that hee was most willing to leave the world he besought all to pray for him and himselfe prayed most â—…ervenely that God would enable him patiently to abide his good will and pleasure and to goe through this last and greatest worke of faith and patience and the pangs of Death â—…oone after comming upon him he fixed his eyes on Heaven from whence came his helpe and to the last gaspe lifted up his hand as it were to lay hold on that Crowne of righteousnesse which Christ reacheth out to all his children who hold out the good fight of Faith to the end and conquer in the end Which crowne of righteousnesse the Lord who hath purchased with his blood after we have finished likewise our courses of his infinite bountie bestow upon us all Cui c. FINIS TEMPVS PVTATIONIS OR THE RIPE ALMOND GATHERED A SERMON APPOINTED to be Preached at the Funeralls of the Right Honourable the Earle of EXETER in the Abbie Church at Westminster SERMON XLII GEN. 15. 15. And thou shalt goe to thy Fathers in peace thou shalt bee buried in a good old Age. IT was the manner of the Egyptians and Greekes to embalme the dead bodies of great Personages and anoynt them all over with Honey which kept them a long time from corrupting and putrifying in their Sepulchres Thus the Macedonians preserved the Corpes of Alexander as some Historians report above a hundred yeares from rotting in his Coffine But Gemistus Phleton being to performe a like Rite to Agesâ—…laus for want of Honey layd his Corpes in Waxe made of Honey-combes I am sorâ—…e I am at this time to give the Motto to this Embleme A Person of qualitie a Person of wealth a Person of noble birth a Person of Honour a Person of fame and renowne whose soule is alreadie bound up in the bundle of life is now to hee brought with Honour to his long home and though not his Bodie yet his name to bee embalmed and preserved as it were in honey in the sweet Commemoration of his Vertues and the first Standard-bearer of Religion under his Majestie and the great Master of these sacred Rites and Ceremonies was designed to doe this office and hee richly provided for it of whom I may truely say as Homer of Nestor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cujus ex ore melle dulcior fluebâ—…t oratio But siâ—…h it hath pleased the Divine Providence whose footsteps are not knowne to take away for a time the use of his feete who should at this time have stood on this holy Mount Bounden dutie and service hath layd upon mee Genistus Phletons taske and I am constrained as hee was in-apia
here we see to the end we should not exceed in our mirth or too farre set our heart upon the pleasures and comforts of this life which like sticks under a pot after a blaze fall suddenly into ashes Let us learne from all the changes and chances of this mortall life not to sing a requiem to our soules here with the foole in the Gospell because wee have wealth laid up for us for many yeares for if our riches take not their wings and flye away from us wee shall bee taken away from them we shall be arrested by Gods Bayliffe Death and then wee must goe But thou shalt goe Our observations from this Scripture ariseth from two springs 1. The manner 2. The matter The former divides it selfe into two Rivelets the latter into three In the former to wit the manner I observe 1. That these words were spoken to Abraham in a Dreame when the Sunne was going downe a heavie sleepe fell upon him 2. That they were spoken by way of Gracious promise In the latter to wit the matter I observe three blessings bestowed upon Abraham 1. A comfortable death Thou shalt goe in peace 2. An honourable buriall and bee buried with thy Fathers 3. A seasonable time for both in a good old age First of the manner When the Sunne was setting a dead sleepe and dreadfull darknesse fell upon Abraham and God shewed him in a dreame the miserie and thraldome of his posteritie in Egypt Know of a suretie that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs and shall serve them and they shall afflict them 400. yeares vers 13. and lest at the sight hereof his heart should utterly have failed him and his bowels dried up within him like a pot-sheard God cleareth the skie which was clowded with a smoake of a fiery furnace ver 17. and cheareth his heart reviving him with a promise of safetie and peace for himselfe and of deliverance of his posteritie also out of their grievous servitude after a certaine period of yeares allotted for the promise of the growth and ripenesse of the Amorites sinnes For dreames in generall the great Secretarie of Nature discovereth unto us that the Dreames of good men are better than the Dreames of bad and he will have his foelix or happy man to have a singular priviledge above other men even in his sleepe And doubtlesse as a good conscience is a full feast in the day so it is a light banquet in the night for better thoughts and phantasies in the day beget better dreames in the night as the brighter colours in the Window when the Sunne shineth cast clearer species intentionales or reflections from them on the Wall God is with his children as well in the night as in the day and he imparts his counsells and discloseth his secrets as well by dreames in the one as by visions in the other That prophesie of Ioel I will poure out my spirit upon all flesh and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dreame dreames though it were fulfilled in the day of Penticost as Saint Peter instructeth us yet ought it not to be restrained to that day or the Apostles time only For it hath been verified in all after-ages and holdeth still for profitable and comfortable irradiations of Gods Spirit upon the soule by day and night though not for supernaturall and propheticall revelations or not so frequent Dreames therefore as they are not with the Easterne people superstitiously to be observed so neither are they utterly to be neglected as idle and vaine nocturnall phantasies The Poet could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iupiter sends Dreames and Aristotle dreamed not when hee wrote his exact discourse of Divination by dreames nor Artemidorus when hee published his curious tract intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judgement of Dreames for the experience of all times proveth that the Dreames of many men especially a little before their death have been very considerable When the Windowes of the senses are shut the soule hath best leisure to looke into her selfe and after sicknesse hath battered downe the walls of the darke prison of the body in which she was close kept more light breakes in upon her and she seeth farther off then she could before and this is the meaning of the Platonicks in that their Apophthegme anima promonet in morte The soule lookes out as it were neere death For this particular in my Text God is gracious to many of his children now adayes by Dreames or otherwayes to give them notice of their departure hence To some he maketh knowne the yeare to some the moneth to some the very day and houre when they shall goe the way of all flesh And as here he fore-shewed Abraham his departure from hence per viam lacteum by the milkie way as it were that is by a sweet and pleasant passage of a naturall death in the autumn of his life so also in a Dreame he represented to Saint Polycarpe and Saint Cyprian their passage per viam sanguineam The bloody way of martyrdome Policarp not many moneths before hee was sacrificed for a whole burnt-offering to God dreamed that his bed was all on fire under him and Saint Cyprian saw in a Dreame the Proconsull give order to the Clerke of the Assizes to write downe his sentence which was to have his head cut off with a Sword which when the Clerke by signes made knowne to Saint Cyprian the godly Bishop earnestly desired a little delay of the execution that he might set his house in order and the Clerke answered him in his dreame that his petition was granted and so it fell out accordingly that that day twelve moneth after he had this Dreame this Saint of God closing first his owne eyes lost his head on earth but received a glorious crowne of martyrdome in heaven The second thing I observed in the manner was that these words were uttered by way of promise to Abraham whence Calvin rightly inferreth that Abrahams long life was a favour of God unto him not the purchase of his owne merits much lesse the fruit of his owne care for although speaking in ordinè ad secundas causas a man may be said by the observation of physick rules to prolong his dayes upon earth as Galen did who was otherwayes a man of a very crazie body and could not in all likelyhood have held out halfe so long yet if wee speake simply and absolutely it is certaine that as no man can by his care adde a cubite to his stature nor an houre to his life beyond the period set by God before all time for my times are in thy hands saith David and our dayes are determined saith Iob the number of our moneths is with thee thou hast appointed man his bounds which hee cannot passe Job 14. 5. and 7. 1. Is there not an appointed time to man are not his dayes as the dayes
the â—…er words of the Prophet I will 〈◊〉 them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the grave I will redeeme them from death hee that will redeeme them from death can in no sâ—…se bee sayd to bee the cause why they die but why they die not Besides both hee and Iarcht stumble at the same stone to wit the word debâ—…ica which they derive from dever signifying verbâ—… or causa whereas they should have derived it from dever signifying pestâ—… or a plague Thirdly for Saint Ierome his translation though it differ somewhat from the originall yet it is no Antithesis to the Text but an elegant Antanaclasis or at least a Metonymie generis pro specie mors pro peste I will bee thy death for I will bee thy plague Fourthly for the translation of the Septuagint which Saint Paul most seemeth to follow because writing to the Gentiles who made use of that translation and understood not the originall hee would not give them any offence nor derrogate from it which was in great esteeme among all in regard of the aâ—…tiquitie thereof and it stood the Christians in those dayes in great stead to convince the unbeleeving Jewes It well agreeth with the Analogie of faith and the meaning of the holy Spirit and the Hebrew letter also will beare it for Ehi as Buxtorphius the great Master of the holy tongue out of David Kimchi observeth signifieth ubi where as well as ero I will bee and a venemous sting and pestis the plague differ but little so that although the words in the originall seeme to bee spoken by an affirmation but in Saint Paul and the Septuagint by an interrogation in the one by a commination inthe other by an insultation yet both come to one sense and containe an evident prophesie of Christ his conquest over Death and Hell I have plucked away the thorne and now I am come to blow the flower and open the leaves of the words O Death I will bee thy plagues that is I will take away from Death the power of destroying utterly and from the Grave the power of keeping the dead in it perpetually If wee take the words as spoken by way of insultation ô mors ubi est aculeus tuus O Death where is thy sting thus wee are to construe them as a hornet or serpent when his sting is plucked out can doe no hurt to any other but soone after dyeth it selfe so Death is disarmed by Christ and left as good as dead for as David cut off Goliahs head with his own sword and Brasidas ran through his enemie with his owne speare so Christ conquers over Death by death in as much as by his temporall death hee satisfied both for the temporall and eternall death of them that beleeve in him And as hee conquered Death by his death so hee destroyed the Grave by his buriall for suffering his bodie to bee imprisoned and afterwards breaking the gates and barres of the prison hee left the passage open to all his members to come out after him their head These sacred and heavenly mysteries are shrined in the letter of this Text for although the Prophet speaketh to the Isralites and maketh a kinde of tender unto them of redemption from temporall death and deliverance from corporall captivitie yet to confirme their faith therein hee bringeth in the promise of eternall redemption from whence they were to inferre if God will redeeme us from eternall how much more from temporall death if hee will deliver us out of the prison of the grave how much more out of common Gaoles What though our enemies have never so great a hand over us what though they exceed in their crueltie and put us to all extremitie and doe their worst against us their crueltie cannot extend beyond death nor their malice beyond the Grave but Gods power and mercie reacheth farther For he can and he promiseth that hee will revive us after wee are dead and raise us after we are buried he will plucke deaths sting out of us and us out of the bowells of the Grave Death hath not such power over the living nor the grave over the dead as God hath over both to destroy the one and swallow up the other into victorie For therefore the Sonne of God vouchsafed to taste death that Death might be swallowed up by him into victorie Although Death swallow up all things and the Grave shut up all in darknesse yet God is above them both therefore when wee are brought to the greatest exigent when nothing but death and torments are before us when we are readie to yeeld up the buckler of our faith and breath out the last gaspe of hope let us call this Text to mind O Death I will bee thy plagues neither Death nor the Grave shall be my peoples bane because I will bee both their bane and change their nature which destroyeth all nature For to all them that beleeve in mee Death shall not be a posterne but a street doore not so much an out-let of temporall as an in-let of eternall life and though the grave swallow the bodyes of my Saints yet it shall cast them up againe at the last day Thus the words yeeld us singular comfort if wee take them as a commination and they afford as much or more if we take them as Saint Paul and S. Chrysostome do by an insultation As a man offering sacrifice for victorie and full of mirth and jollitie he leapes and tramples upon Death lying as it were at his mercie and sings an Io Poean a triumphant song wherewith Gerardus a great friend of Saint Bernards breathed out his last gaspe of whom hee thus writeth In the dead time of the night my brother Gerard strangely revived at midnight the day began to breake I sent for to see this great miracle found a man in the very jawes of death insulting upon death and exulting with joy saying O death where is thy sting Death is not now a sting but a song for now the faithfull man dyeth singing and singeth dying And so having plucked away the prickles and opened the leaves by the Explication of the letter I come now to smell to them and draw from thence the savour of life unto life Ero pestes tuae ô mors As Saint Ierome writeth of Tertullian his Polemmicall Treatises against hereticks â—…uot verba tot fulmina Every word is a thunder-bolt so I may truly say of this verse quot verba tot fulmina So many words so many thunder-bolts stricking Death dead by the light whereof wee may discerne three parts 1. The menaced or partie threatned Death 2. The menacer or partie threatning I. 3. The judgement menaced plagues 1. The menaced impotent mors Death 2. The menacer Omnipotent Ego I. 3. The judgement most dreadfull pestes plagues 1. First of the partie menaced Death Christ threatneth destruction to none but to his or his Churches enemies But here he threatneth Death Death therefore must needs be an
held Secondly in his members by changing the nature of it to them and making it of a curse a blessing of a losse a gaine of a punishment either a great honour or a speciall favour or a singular advantage a great honour as to the Martyrs who thereby acquired so many Rubies to their crowne of glory as they shed drops of blood for their Saviour A speciall favour as to Abraham Iosiah and Saint Austin who were taken away that they might not see and feele the miserie that after their death fell on the postarity of the one the subjects of the other and the diocesse of the third A singular advantage to all the faithfull who thereby are discharged from all cares feares sorrowes and temptations and presently enter into their Masters joy For blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them Now the meanes whereby Christ conquered death and utterly destroyed it are diversly ser downe by the learned some argue a contrariis contraries say they are to bee destroyed by their contraries as heate by cold moysture by drought sicknesse by health Death therefore must needs bee destroyed by life as the contrary but Christ is the resurrection and the life in him was life and life was the light of men Saint Austine declareth it after this manner Life dying contended with Death living and got a glorious and signall victory Nyssen thus the Devill catching at the flesh of Christs humane nature as a baite was caught by the hooke of his divine Saint Leo and Chrysologus thus if a Bayliffe or Serjeant arrest the Kings sonne or a privileged person and lay him up in a close prison without commission hee deserveth to bee turned out of his place for it So Death Gods Serjeant seizing upon his Sonne in whom there was no fault without warrant or commission was justly discharged of his office Is Death thus discharged hath Christ changed the nature of Death and freed all his Members from the sting of the temporall and feare of eternall death hath hee of a Posterne made it a street-doore of an out-let of mortall life an in-let of immortalitie why then are wee so much afrayd of death which can no more hurt us then a hornet or waspe after her sting is plucked out Christ fought with a living death wee with a dead death which doth not so much severe our soules from our bodies as joyne them to Christ not so much end our life as our mortalitie not so much exclude us out of the Militant as render us to the Triumphant Church Nothing is more dreadfull I confesse to the naturall man then Death which dissolveth the soule and bodie and the Grave which resolveth the bodie into dust and ashes To cure this maladie of the minde there is no vertue in any Drugge of nature the Philosophers in this case are Physitians of no value they tell us that sicknesse and death are tributa vivendi and the Grave the common house of the dead But of what of this what comfort is here doth this speculation discharge us from the tribute or make the payment thereof the easier doth it enlighten the darknesse of these prisons of nature or take away the stench from these under-ground houses no whit Yet God bee thanked there is a magazen in Scripture to pay these tributes there is light in Goshen to enlighten these houses there is Spicknard to perfume these dankish roomes there are 〈◊〉 in holy Scripture to strengthen the heart not onely against deadly maladies but also against death it selfe For there we heare of a voyce from heaven not onely affirming the happinesse of the dead but confirming it with a strong reason for they rest from their labours and their works follow them we heare of Tabernacles not made with hands but eternall in the Heavens wee heare that when wee are absent from the body wee are present with the Lord wee heare the Lord of life opening the eares and chearing the heart of the dead and saying I am the resurrection and the life whosoever beleeveth in mee though hee were dead yet shall hee live There wee heare death not onely disarmed of his sting but also slaine downe right O Death I will bee thy death O Grave I will bee thy destruction Secondly hath Christ destroyed Death and hath hee both the keyes of Death and of Hell then beloved when wee lye on our death-bed let us not have recourse after the popish manner to any Saint or Angell no not to the blessed Virgin her selfe but to her Sonne who is the Lord of life who satisfying for our sinnes at his death thereby plucked out the sting of death and after his resurrection quite destroyed this serpent In which regard he is styled stella matutina the Morning starre because hee ushereth in the day of eternitie and primitiae dormientum the first fruits of them that slept because in him the whole lump is sanctified When therefore the fiery Serpent hovereth over us to sting us to eternall death let us looke upon the Brazen Serpent and the other shall not hurtus Lastly hath Christ conquered Death and Hell and that for us let us then give him the honour of the greatest Worthy and noblest Conquerour that ever the World saw Cyrus and Alexander and Caesar were no way to bee compared to him for they subdued but mortall enemies hee immortall they bodilie hee ghostly they with great Armies and power of men but hee alone they when they were alive and in their full strength and vigour but hee at the houre of his death and afterwards I conclude therefore with Saint Ierome his insultation over Death and thanksgiving to the Lord of life O Death thou didst bite and wert bitten thou didst devoure and art now devoured by him whom for a time thou didst devoure by his death thou art slaine by his death wee live everlastingly thankes bee rendred unto thee O Saviour who hast subdued so powerfull an adversary and put him to death by thy death and passion The Ethiopians as Herodotus relateth make Sepulchres of glasse for after they have dryed the corps they artificially paint it and set it in a glazed Coffine that all that passe by may see the lineaments of the dead body but surely they deserve better of the dead and more benefit the living who draw the lineaments of their minde and represent their vertues and graces in a Mirrour of Art for I am not of their judgement among us who properly and deservedly are called Precisians because out of the purity of their precise zeale ita praecidunt they so neere paire the nayles of Romish superstition that they make the fingers bleed who out of feare of praying forsooth for the dead or invocating them are shie of speaking any word of them or sending after them their deserved commendations for it is pietie to honour God in his Saints
it is justice suum cuique tribure to give every one his due it is charitie to propose eminent examples of heavenly graces and vertues shining in the dead for the imitation of the living Such jewells ought not to bee locked up in a Coffine as in a Casket but to bee set out to the view of all and surely they deserve better of the dead who set a garland of deserved praises on their life then they who stick their Hearse full with flowers Tapers made of pure waxe burne clearely and after they are blowne out leave a sweet savour behinde them so the servants of Christ who have caused their light so to shine before men that they may see their workes and glorifie their Father which is in Heaven leave a good name like a sweet smell behinde them and why may wee not blow it abroad by our breath Deo Patri c. The rest concerning the life and death of the party is lost FINIS VOX COâ—…LI OR THE DEADS HERALD SERMON XLV APOCH 14. 13. And I heard a voyce from heaven saying unto mee write blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from hence forth c. VBi Vulnus ibi manus From whence wee tooke our wound from thence we receive the cure a voyce from heaven strucke all the living dead saying All flesh is grasse and the glory or goodlinesse of it is as the flower of the field The grasse withereth c. But here a voyce from heaven maketh all whole againe and representeth all the dead in the Lord living yea and flourishing too â—…aying Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord. To give a touch at the wound that the smart thereof may make the sense of the cure more delightfull Omnis caro foenum omnis homo flos All flesh is grasse and â—…very man is a flower There is difference in grasse some is longer and some is shorter so some men are longer lived some shorter Some grasse shooteth up with one leafe some with three some with five or more so some men have more in their retinue some fewer some none at all Some grasse withereth before it is cut as the grasse on the house toppe some is cut before it withâ—…reth as the grasse of the field so some men decay before the Sythe of death cutts them all other after Likewise there is a great difference among flowers 1. Some are for sight only not for the smell or any vertue in medicines as Tulips Emims and Crowne Emperials 2. Some for sight and smell but of no use in Medicines as Sweet-williams the painted Lady and Iuly-flowers generally 3. Some are both for sight and smell and of singular use in Medicines as Roses and Violets So some men are of better parts and greater use in the Church and Common-wealth others of lesse Some flowers grow in the field some in the garden so some mens lives and improvements are publike others private Some flowers are put in Posies some in Garlands some are cast into the Still so some men are better preferred then others and some live and die in obscuritie Lastly some flowers presently lose their colour and sent as the Narcissus some keepe them both long as the red Rose So some men continue longer in their bloome grace and favour others for a short time but all fade and within a while are either gathered cut downe or withered of themselves and die And for this reason it is as I conceive that we sticke herbes and flowers on the Hearse of the dead to signifie that as we commit earth to earth and ashes to ashes so we put grasse to grasse and flowers to flowers For omnis caro foenum All flesh is grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof as the flower of the field the grasse withereth and the flower fadeth away But the comfort is in that which followeth But the word of the Lord endureth for ever and this is the word which by the Gospell is preached unto you Whereof this verse which I have read unto you for my Text is part Which Saint Iohn inferreth as a conclusion or corrolarie upon the conclusion of the Saints and Martyrs lives this conclusion is inâ—…erred upon two premisses 1. The end of their labours 2. The reward of their worke The Syllogisme may be thus formâ—…d All they who are come to an end of their labour and have received liberally for their worke or are paid well for their paines are happie But all the dead that die in the Lord are come to an end of their labour for they rest from their labours and receive liberally for their workes follow them Ergo all the dead that die in the Lord are happy As in other Texts so in this wee may borrow much light from the occasion of the speech which here was this Saint Iohn having related in a vision a fearefull persecution to fall in the latter times whereby the earth should bee râ—…aped and the Saints mowen like grasse and true beleevers like grapes pressed in such sort that their blood should come out of the wine-presse even to the horse bellies breaketh into an Epiphonema vers 12. here is the patience of the Saints that is here is matter for their patience and faith to worke upon Here is their patience to endure for Gods cause whatsover man or divell can inflict upon them to part with any limbe for their head Christ Jesus gladly to forfeit their estates on earth for a crowne in heaven chearefully to lose their lives in this vale of teares that they may find them in the rivers of pleasures that spring at Gods right hand for evermore Here is worke for their faith also to see heaven as it were through hell eternall life in present death to beleeve that God numbreth every haire of their head and that every teare they shed for his sake shall bee turned into a pearle every drop of blood into a Rubie to be set in their crowne of glorie To confirme both their faith and patience Christ proclaimeth from heaven that howsoever in their life they seemed miserable yet in their death they shall bee most blessed and that the worst their enemies can doe is to put them in present possession of their happinesse Blessed are the dead c. So saith the spirit whatsoever the flesh saith to the contrarie Here wee have 1. A proposition De fide of faith 2. A Deposition or testimonie of the spirit A Proposition of the happy estate of the dead A deposition of the holy Ghost to confirme our faith therin 1. Saint Iohn sets downe his relation 2. A most comfortable assertion 3. A most strong confirmation The relation strange of a voyce from heaven without any speaker The assertion as strange of a possession without an owner a blessed estate of them who according to the Scripture phrase are said not to be The Confirmation as strange as either by an audible testimonie of an invisible witnesse So
heart and soule of every true beleever lying on his death bed or on the Gridiron or in the dungeon or on the gibbet or on the faggot did not the Spirit seale this truth aboveall other at such times to his servants were not then their hope full of immortality they could never have welcomed death embraced the flames sung in their torments and triumphed over death even when they were in the jawes of it When Iob was in the depth of all his miserie the Spirit spake in his heart I know that my Redeemer liveth and that hee shall stand in the latter day upon the earth and though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reines bee consumed within mee Likewise when Saint Paul was now readie to bee offered and the time of his departure was at hand the Spirit spake in him I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is layd up for mee a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous judge shall give mee at that day and not to mee onely but to them also that love his appearing Likewise when Gerardus was giving up the ghost the Spirit spake in him O Death where is thy sting Mors non est stimulus sed jubilus And though Robert Glover the Martyr all the night before his Martyrdome prayed for strength and courage but could feele none yet when he came to the sight of the stake he was mightily replenished with Gods holy comfort and heavenly joyes and clapping his hands to Austin the Spirit the Comforter himselfe spake in him Hee is come hee is come You have heard where the spirit saith so give eare now to a voyce from heaven declaring why the spirit saith so for they rest from their labours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth as well paine as paines broyles as toyles as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke so paine and paines in English are of kinne for labour is paine to the body and paine is labour to the Spirit and therefore what wee say to bee punished and tormented with a disease the Latine say laborare morbo and the throngs and throes which women endure in Child-bearing wee call their labouring Here then the dead have a double immortalitie granted them 1 From the labours of their calling 2 From the troubles of their condition freedome from paine and paines taking What then may some object doe the dead sleepe out all their time from the breathing out their last gaspe to the blowing the last trumpe as they suffer nothing so doe they nothing but are like Consul Bibulus who held onely a roome and filled up a blancke in the Roman fasti Nam 〈◊〉 factum consule nil memini or like mare mortuum without any motion or operation at all that cannot be the soule is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most perfect Act or as Tullie renders the word a continuall motion as the word is taâ—…en in that old proverbiall verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it can no more bee and not worke then the winde can bee and not blow the fire and not burne a diamond and not sparkle the sunne and not shine therefore it is not sayd here simply that they rest from all kinde of motion or working but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but from toylesome labours soretravells and againe from their owne labours or workes not the Lords They keepe an everlasting Sabbath in not doing of their owne workes but Gods they rest from sinfull and painefull travells but not from the workes of a sanctified rest for they rest not day and night saying holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was which is and is to come The rest of the soule is not a ceasing from all motion or opperation that cannot stand with the nature of a spirit but a setling it selfe with delight upon an all-satisfying and never satiating object such was the rest the sweet singer of Israel called his soule unto returne unto thy rest O my soule for the Lord hath dealt bâ—…untifully with thee Bodies rest in their proper places but spirits in their proper object in the contemplation fruition admiration and adoration whereof consisteth their everlasting content This object is God whom they contemplate in their mind enjoy in their will adore in both and this is their continuall worke and their worke is their life and their life is their happinesse which the Divines fitly expresse in one word glorification which must be taken both actually and passively for they glorifie God and God glorifieth them God glorifieth them by casting the full light of his countenance upon them and they glorifie him by reflecting some light backe againe and casting their crownes before him saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created They rest from their labours This Text of holy Scripture containeth in it the waters of Siloah not so much to refresh those that are tyred with their former labours having borne the heate of the whole day as to lave out the false fire of Purgatorie for blessednesse cannot stand with miserie nor rest with trouble nor reward with punishment but all that dye in the Lord are blessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is à tempore mortis from the time of their death as venerable Beda and other expound the words and so blessed are they that they rest from all paine and paines and so rest that their workes follow them that is as I shall declare hereafter the reward of their workes If this lave not out the Romish fire which scareth the living more then the dead and purgeth their purses and not their soule wee may draw store of water to quench it out of divers other Texts of holy Scripture as namely First If the tree fall towards the South or towards the North in the place where the tree falleth there it shall bee Which Text Olympiodorus thus illustrateth in whatsoever place therefore whether of light or of darknesse whether in the worke of wickednesse or of vertue a man is taken at his death in that degree and ranke doth he remaine either in light with the just and Christ the King of all or in darknesse with the wicked and prince of the world To little purpose therefore is all that is or can be done for the dead after they have taken their farewell of us after wee are gone from hence there remaines no place for repentance or penance no effect or benefit of satisfaction here life is either lost or obtained but if thou O Demetrian saith Saint Cyprian even at the very end and setting of thy temporall life dost pray
droppe of his grace and mercie this setteth upon his spirit a heavenly thirst he sayth come hee would have more hee is never quiet till hee have the promise accomplished to him These are the persons every particular member of the Church that hath the Spirit the whole Church in generall not onely the particular part of the Church now in the World or in any Age but the severall parts of the Church in severall Ages whosoever is a thirst that hath tasted of Christ must needs say come Even so come Lord Iesus These are the persons The second thing is the matter of this acclamation of the Church First the matter contained in it it is a vehement and earnest desire of the people of God after Christs most happie returne in these words Amen even so come Lord Iesus The matter of it therefore is either infolded and implicite in the word Amen even so or unfolded and explicite in the latter words come Lord Iesus It is infolded I say in the word Amen This word signifieth in the Scripture either the Author of the truth himselfe or else it is an affirmation of the truth In the Revelation thus sayth the Amen the faithfull and true witnesse here Christ himselfe is called Amen because he is the Authour of all truth and veritie the faithfull and true witnesse Sometime this word is used and most frequently in Scripture for the affirmation of the truth either witnessing of the truth or wishing the truth For the witnessing of the truth as in all those vehement speeches of our Lord and Saviour Christ Amen Amen I say unto yee or verily verily I say unto yee this is a vehement asseveration and a witnessing to the truth which a man ought to beleeve or would have to bee beleeved Or otherwise for a wishing and earnest desiring of the truth to bee accomplished So in the conclusion of the Lords prayer and all our prayers we adde this word Amen that is So be it or Let it be so we wish it with earnestnesse of affection and desire and with a confidence and faith of our hearts wee hope and beleeve that this shall bee so This is that wee professe when wee say Amen In this place this word is used both for affirmation and witnessing of the truth and likewise it is a vehement wish and desire of the accomplishment of these promises with an earnest and certaine hope and expectation of faith that all these promises and good things shall bee accomplished to the soule of a Christian. Againe the matter of this Acclamation is unfolded and explained in the latter words Come Lord Iesus Where there is both the Action and the Person to be considered The Action Come Christ commeth to his Church many wayes Hee commeth in his Word Hee commeth in his Spirit He commeth in his mercies He commeth in his Judgements and Justice None of these are here meant But he commeth to his Church in person and appearance even in the appearance of his body and humane nature Thus Christ commeth two wayes to his Church in person First in his Incarnation he appeared to the world in the similitude of sinfull flesh he came in humilitie he came to suffer to die That is not here ment for that was past when as the Evangelist Saint Iohn wrote this prophesie But the Second comming in person of our Lord and Saviour Christ is his comming in the flesh in glorie in exaltation to judge the quicke and the dead to shew himselfe a mightie God from heaven This is the comming which is here meant Christs second comming to Judgement in glory That is the Action The Person is described by these two Titles Lord Iesus Wherein the Church desireth that he may come both as a Lord and as a Iesus That hee may come as a Lord to vindicate the Church and revenge him upon his enemies to destroy the kingdome of darknesse the kingdome of the Divell the kingdome of Antichrist which hath beene a great argument in this booke of the Revelation And not only come thus as a Lord but as a Iesus to save his Church to vouchsafe to her comfort and peace and joy that he would come to cloath her with immortalitie and glory which she cannot expect on earth in a mortall state This is the summe and substance of this Petition and request that the Lord would come in Majestie and glory both as as a Lord against the enemies of the Church to destroy them utterly and as a Saviour to bestow upon the Church even all saving mercies especially that great mercie of everlasting blessednesse that is not mixed with sinne and corruption that is not mixed with any infirmitie and defect whatsoever This is the summe and substance of the Text which I have in few words shortly explained to yee Whence the point I observe wherein wee will insist by the grace of God at this time is this That it is the nature and propertie of every true member of the Church of God earnestly and longingly to desire the second comming of Christ for the full redemption of his Church The Spirit saith Come and the Bride saith Come and whosoever heareth saith Come whosoever is a thirst saith Come therefore every godly man that hath the Spirit of God that is a part of this Bride that is partaker of those promises that hath a taste of Jesus Christ every one of these most necessarily say Come Even so Come Lord Iesus This is so proper to beleevers and to every one of them as they are all of them described by this propertie in Scripture 2 Tim. 4. 8. The Crowne which the righteous Iudge shall give mee at that day and not only to me but to all them that love his appearing The Apostle he might have said to all Saints and godly whatsoever and to all faithfull beleevers but he makes choyce of this Epithite hee describeth them by this that they are such as love his appearance Heb. 9. 28. Unto them that waite for him shall he appeare the second time for salvation The godly are there described by this very propertie they waite and long and desire after his appearance the second time In the 24. of Saint Matthews Gospell it is made the propertie of a good and faithfull servant there that he waiteth for his Masters comming and prepareth all things in a readinesse it is opposed to the slothfull servant that doth cleane otherwise Yee see the truth of it in Scripture But yee will say Is this the propertie of the Elect and faithfull Doe not ungodly men and sinners beleeve the comming of Christ and that he shall come to judge the quick and dead Doth not every man make this profession of his faith I beleeve that Iesus Christ shall come to judge the quick and the dead Why then doe yee make it the propertie of Beleevers since every man beleeveth and lookes for it To this I answer There is a twofold expectation of Christ his returne to
or that reversion when any thing commeth betweene our hope wee grieve for it any thing that commeth or falleth out to further our hope wee rejoyce in it And thus it will bee likewise in this expectation of Christ if it bee true whatsoever it is that may further our hope and further Christ his comming that wee desire and pray for that wee rejoyce in that wee promote and put on with all our power and strength and because a powerfull ministrie of the Word promoteth the kingdome of Christ and fetcheth in the company that shall bee saved and hasteneth his comming therefore wee will withall our power and strength hold up the ministrie of the Word of GOD that Scepter of Jesus Christ for the gathering in of people to God for the perfecting of the number of the Elect that so Christ may come and finish our salvations And whatsoever it is that may hasten this his comming and appearing we are glad to see it in the meanes of it when the Word is preached when the Sacraments are administred when people are gathered to God when grace appeareth in the hearts and lives of men when wee see the power of godlinesse manifest it selfe any where when wee see godly men incouraged and entertained when wee see the feare of God to prevaile in Families and the like we rejoyce at this Why so because this increaseth and confirmeth our hope it gathereth in the number that must be accomplished before our finall deliverance And contrarily when we see things to impaire and hinder the comming of the kingdome of Christ that hinders the salvations of men when we see the Church of God left without able teachers and in stead of them to come in unprofitable and unsufficient ignorant men when we see the free passage of the Gospell hindered many excellent lights shut under a bushell and their light hid from the people of God and the Gospell from the Church of God when we see faction prevaile and both Civill and Ecclesiasticall government despised when Heresies are countenanced and the people of God discouraged and disheartened when we see the state of the Church of God abroad that many sad blowes are given by the enemies and the sword of the enemie is sharpe upon the Church when we see these things these dazle our hopes they come betweene us and the kingdome and second comming of Christ the hastening of it therefore there must be griefe for it Thus it will be We pray for every thing that may hasten it and pray against every thing that stands betweene and hinders the conversion of men and the glory of God and the proceedings of Christs kingdome thus I say it will be with us But where is the man that takes these things to heart who setteth himselfe on these holy and conscionable courses If this be so it appeareth manifestly that this expectation though it be every where exprest is hard to be found any where there be very few that beleeve our report few there be that set themselves to sift and examine the soundnes of their expectation and desire after Christ yet where it is not these attendants it is not sound and sincere In a word to stirre us up to this as the Church and the Spirit and the Bride and he that is athirst here saith Come to stirrâ—… up I say our desires to this we will use a Motive or two Doe wee not see by all this discourse a plaine difference betweene godly men and unbeleevers A godly man that hath the Spirit of God in him sayth come A wicked man hath no such spirit in him with his tongue hee may say come sometime when hee is forced but hee hath not the spirit to say come Here is the difference in their present estate but afterward the difference is greater when the evill servant will not wayâ—…e for his Masters comming but sits with the drunken and Libertines hee shall bee made a spectacle of his Masters surie The Lord of that servant will come in a day when hee looketh not for him and at an houre when hee is not aware and will cut him in sunder and will appoint him his portion with unbeleevers Ther 's then another difference Againe consider though the comming of our Lord Christ bee certaine yet the particular time to our knowledge is uncertaine but though the particular time bee uncertaine yet it is hastening it is not farre off In the time of the Apostle there was but an houre sayth Saint Iohn now is the last houre if it were the last houre in the Apostles time certainely it is the last minute now the very last minute of an houre now And I beseech you let us consider the promise that is made to persons that expect the comming of Christ Blessed is that servant whom his Master when hee commeth shall finde so doing how doing watching and preparing for and expecting of his Masters comming Blessed is the servant that his Master shall finde so doing hee speakes there in the singular number there are not many that hee shall finde so doing therefore hee speakes of one that is blessed one of many that shall bee found so doing Blessed are they that watch and keepe their garments cleane that purge themselves as hee is pure that labour to bee holy as hec is holy blessed is hee that doth so If it were not for these promises how were it able for Christians to get over the rubbes and hinderances that lye in the way of this expectation how were it possible for a Christian to leape over the brunt of reproaches the execution of sentences and persecutions that the Saints of God goe under onely because they have an eye upon this White the expectation of the comming of Christ. The faithfull Martyrs in this Kingdome and in other Countreys what did drive theem to embrace the flames and the cruellest death and torments that Persecutors could devise but onely this was in their eye this bore them out against all the threatenings and sufferings of the World this was that that did give them encouragement and comfort above all discouragements And to conlude above all let us encourage our selves by the fruit and recompence of all this expectation what is that the Apostle Saint Iohn sayth that when this hope shall come into our hand when our faith shall meete with fruition then we shall see Christ so as to bee like him here is such a sight of Christ as never the eye of flesh saw nor can see to see Christ and to bee like him to see him as hee is here is such a sight as would ravish us if wee knew what it was and wee cannot know while wee are on earth eye hath not seene that which wee shall see in Christ but when wee shall enjoy this expectation wee shall see him as hee is and see him so as to bee like him Father sayth hee Iohn 17. 24. I will that where I am they may bee that they may see
every true beleever And this point I am now to prove and still I must use the compellation of the Apostle Brethren for as for others I have little hope of I will as I promised make it plaine out of the Scripture That a true beleever that would have comfort of it that hee is a true beleever must be as if not in all the things of this world There is one eminent place for this purpose viz. 1. Iohn 4. 10. Saith the Apostle there Love not the world nor the things of the worid if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Hence I argue thus Hee that must so use wife children credit friends good name prosperitie without loving of them it is likely he useth them as if not for love is the great wheele that setteth all the faculties aworke Now the Spirit of God doth directly forbid all Christians to love the world or the things of the world as they doe the Scripture absolutely injoyneth that we should not love them that is that our hearts must not be fixed on them Another place you have likewise in Colloss 3. 1. Set not your affections on things below Now as I said before if any man doe any thing that his affections are not upon that he doth not love and joy and delight in that hee doth not take care for and the like certainly that man useth it as if not but so must every true beleever use the things of the world so as that he must not set his affections upon them Other Scriptures I might give you to make good this point but I am somewhat afraid to bee straytned Two or three arguments I will adde to make it plaine Why every true beleever must be as if not in all these things First because all the things in this world which are contained in the Text they are all but emptie poore things to a beleever To another man who makes them his God in his conceit they are full but to a true beleever these things are well knowne to bee but emptie things I need give you no better proofe to make this evident then that which followeth in the Text For the fashion of this world passeth away The fashion of the world What is that That is a thing that is a shew without a substance Nay the word signifieth such a fashion as is in a Comedie or stage-play where all things are but for a while to please the eye A man it may bee acts the part of a King that is no better then a begger or a varlet so all things in the world are no better then shadowes and empty like a piece of a stage-play and no marvell if beleevers that know this use them as not Secondly another argument why Beleevers must in all these things use them as if not is because they are none of a beleevers and being none of his it is a meere folly for him to set his heart upon them How are they none of his you will say First for the truth of it these things below they belong to the men of this life but the treasure and estate of a Beleever is laid up in another life hee is but as a stranger and pilgrim here below and therefore they are none of his And then likewise they are none of his because he hath resigned them all up to God in the day when he made the bargaine for Christ. For when we come to be Christs wee must sell all to buy that Pearle and in selling all wee sell not only our corruptions and lusts but wives and children and pleasures and credit and all wee have them not now to have and to hold to doe what wee will with them but now that wee have Christ wee returne all to him and have them as Coppy-hold to bee tenants at will to that great Land-lord wee have only a little time in them And if it be so that every beleever hath no more to doe in this world but thus that he is meerely at the pleasure of God and can properly call nothing his owne but God and Christ then certainly hee must use all these things as if not Conceive it thus A Traveller goeth a long journey hee commeth at night to his Inne when hee is there hee is wondrous glad of his table of his bed of his fire of his meat and drinke and every thing and hee is wondrous welcome but hee doth not so delight in them as the host of the house who is living there and is right owner and hath the whole estate No hee only resteth there for a night after his weary journey but on the morrow God be with you then hee is gone So a worldly man he may say here is my estate here is my stocke all that I have is layed up here But a Beleever saith I am now in my journey I am here no other then a pilgrim my home is in Heaven and while I am passing through this pilgrimage If I have a piece of meat in my hunger and a cup of drinke in my thirst and clothes in my nakednesse there is all that I care for Thirdly the last and the maine Argument to proue that every true beleever must bee as if not in all the things of this world is because if he be any otherwise in them hee will be so intangled that hee shall not be fit for the service of God And this third Argument will be of the greatest force to a true beleever For the other two you will say if they be none of mine why doe I meddle with them and if they be empty why likewise doe I meddle with them But now thirdly if I meddle with them they will make me directly that I shall not bee a Christian they will hinder me from the service of my God this will make a beleever of all things to looke about him The Apostle saith directly that none that warreth intangleth himselfe that is thus Suppose a man have received presse-money to goe a souldier will he be so madde as to lay out his money upon a Farme in the Countrey when upon the command of his Captaine upon paine of death he must follow presently Beloved he that intangleth himselfe with the things of the world and of the flesh if his wife his pleasures his credit or any thing have taken up his heart or if sorrowes and afflictions drinke up his spirits and eate up his very soule when God calls this man now to come to prayer to come to the Church to heare his Word to fight against his lusts or to doe any duty alas his head his heart and all are eaten up with his Farme with his oxen with his wife with his crosses and afflictions so that he is altogether unfit for any service that God hath called him to Therefore saith Saint Iohn he that intangleth himselfe with these things below hee cannot possibly have the love
of the Father dwelling in him This shall suffice for the clearing of the point I have spent the more time in it because I would faine lay as good a foundation as I might that the Application may take the deeper impression in your hearts Wee that live in the Countrey when we come up by occasion into the Citie and here see all men so full of trouble every man so toyled in his worke so full of businesse and so little time taken for any thing else me thinkes that such a point as this to Brethren to beleevers should be of speciall use Now beloved this is the summe of that I have to say Bee in all these things as if not Shall wee all resolve as obedient children to carry this point home and examine in deed and in truth whether wee be in these things as if not But alas what shall I say I remember a story of one Thomas Lennot a learned English man who reading once in the fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of S. Mathews Gospel how our Saviour Christ saith You have heard how it hath beene said of old you must doe thus and thus but I say unto you you must love your enemies pray for them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and persecute you and so hee goeth on in injoyning such strange duties to flesh and bloud Hee breakes out Oh Iesus either this is not thy Gospel or wee are not Christians Truly beloved I would to God a Minister might not have just cause to say so in this point that when hee commeth and reades this of the Apostle It remaines brethren that hee that hath a wife bee as if hee had none hee that useth the world as not abusing it and hee that buyeth as if hee possessed not c. And must it be thus if wee meane to be Christians I would to God I say a man might not breake out and say Oh Paul either thou art not the writer of this or wee are no Christians Wee talke and professe it in words that we purpose to doe it but if wee come to the deed and the truth it is cleane contrary wee are not at all moderate in the use of these things In matters of Heaven and in things that concerne our everlasting welfare where God would have us take the kingdome of heaven with violence Where wee should cry out as the Horse-leach his daughter Give give and never say it is enough Wee are even like children that goe to schoole that care not how little they have for their money In hearing if the Sermon bee but halfe an houre wee thinke it enough and in prayer and in conference a little will serve the turne Like the Jesuit that when he thought he had a revelation he cryed out Satis Domine Enough Lord I have revelation enough So wee in matters of religion Enough Lord. But turne us to wives to children to clothes to honours to preferments to riches to ease to pleasures and the like there wee are as the barren wombe that never saith it is enough Brethren is it not thus But me thinkes I should bring you some particular instances to convince you that it is thus and I would to the Lord I could throughly convince you of it that thus it is with you But to instance a little Suppose now a man comes and meets with a Citizen in his businesse and say to him How have you spent this day Truly he will say I am so full of businesse that I have not time so much as to eat my meat But I hope you have beene at prayer in your family have you not Alas will hee say I cannot get so much as a quarter of an houres time Doe you call this as if not brethren Come to another that hath a wife all his care is for her oh my wife and children if I should die and leave them poore what should I doe when I sleepe I dreame of them when I awake in the morning my thoughts are of them Is this to be as if you had no wife and children Another hee is ever a complaining and mourning oh I have such crosses I am so full of afflictions I have lost such and such friends and such and such an estate and though I goe to Church and heare such and such comfortable doctrines one after another and all telling me of the all-sufficiency of God of the comforts and joyes of the Spirit of the good things that are layed up in Heaven yet like Rachel they will never bee comforted for their brother for their sister for their children c. What shall we say to these things Doe you thinke the Lord speakes not as he meaneth or that the Apostle when he saith here absolutely and determinatly that thus and thus you must doe if you be Christians if you be brethren Shall wee doe the contrary to all this and yet thinke that all will bee well I know you may put it off many of you and alledge many things wee have callings and wee must follow our Callings if God brings me in imployment blame me not if I follow it And I know not how to live if I doe not doe thus and thus But be not deceived God is not mocked In a word therefore to put you on the tryall If thou findest in the middest of thy trading and merchandizing or whatsoever calling thou art of thy heart daily gathering towards heaven that thou canst say blessed be God for this and other commodities but Christ is my darling this is good And then in these things if thou hast a care to use them aright as well as to get them and to thanke God for them and that thy project is how thou shalt doe good with that thou hast that thou art alwayes saying with thy selfe Lord how shall I doe good with so much as I have got by such a bargaine God forbid I should say against thee though thou bee full of businesse from morning to evening But alas there are many good people and godly that give hope that they serve God yet if they goe home and examine themselves throughly their owne consciences will tell them that in the things of this world they are not as if not but rather that they have beene over-carefull and too full of distractions in businesses And so for matter of joy if a man have a little pleasure or preferment given him his heart is so up that hee knowes not where he is hee is so transported that he hath cleane forgot himselfe This cannot stand this is not to be as if not and therefore I beseech you in the feare of God thinke of it Now if a man would know how hee should come to have his heart in a good temper to bee in these things as if not In one word let me tell you that rule of Saint Paul In all things bee filled with the Spirit and then thou wilt not take thought