greater worke to doe to prepare for my owne death God in the death of this man speakes to me to prepare for my owne And then to glorifie God by submission to his will make it appeare that thou acknowledgest a power in God to dispose of thy house to doe every thing by patiently resting in his will And yet this comfort is added though children be tooke away that they shall not returne in an earthly manner yet they shall in a better manner Parents are contented to part with their children for a time for their preferment Children though theyare very young that are commended by the prayers of the godly Parents into the hands of God these whose hearts God hath inlarged and quickned fervently and faithfully to pray in the behalfe of their children they may rest in this assured that they shall meet at the Resurrection in a better manner their children shall be better preferred then if they were on earth and shall be raised up to perfection Here you see there is not a tooth bred in a child without a great deale of paine and every tooth cost some paine but this mortall bodie shall put on immortalitie and this corruption shall put on incorruption This weake body shall be made strong weake children strong without paine Death endeth these things and the Resurrection shall present him in a perfect measure of strength in a glorified estate So much for this text and for this time FINIS THE STING OF DEATH OR THE STRENGTH OF SINNE ROM 5. 12. By one man sinne entred into the world and by death sinne ROM 7. 9. When the Commandement came sinne revived and I died LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. THE STING OF DEATH OR THE STRENGTH OF SINNE SERMON VI. 1 Cor. 15. 56. The sting of Death is Sinne and the strength of Sinne is the Law SOlomon telleth thus that there is a season for every thing there is a time to bee borne and a time to die These two are the two great seasons of all men we are as sure to die as we are sure we have lived and every degree of our life is but a steppe to our death Every man of us hath but a part to act here in the world when wee have done that that God hath appointed us we are drawne off from the Stage by Death You will say this is a hard condition for so Noble a creature as Man is to be folded up in the grave for so faire a beautie as the life of man is to be closed up in eternall darknesse that Man should turne to the acquaintance of dust and wormes and make his habitation with rottennesse and loathsomnesse that Death should have the victorie of so excellent a Creature it is a hard condition The Apostle thinkes not so he thinkes otherwise Death saith he ver 54. is swallowed up in victorie As if he should say It need not trouble you to thinke so of Death the condition of it is not so strange and hard as men take it to be It is swallowed up in victory If a man have a strong enemy to deale with it might trouble him but it is no great matter to deale with a conquered enemie Christ hath overcome Death hath conquered that strong enemie Death is swallowed up in victory Therefore Saint Paul in the precedent and subsequent verses of this Chapter seemeth to insult and triumph over Death Oh Death saith he where is thy sting oh grave where is thy victorie As if he should say before Christ came and conquered thee Death thou wert victorious so it was there was a sting in it before Christ sweetned the Grave there was something that was terrible in the Grave but now because Christ is come and hath gotten the victory over the one and sweetned the other therefore Saint Paul breakes forth thus into an insultation and triumph But how can this be Why doth the Apostle thus triumph The reason is insinuated in the verse I have read to you the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But this is the occasion of trouble to Christians No it is not thankes bee to God that hath given us victory through Iesus Christ our Lord As if he should say I will shew you the reason of my triumphing over Death there was a sting in Sinne and Sinne is the sting of Death and the Law is the strength of sinne but Christ hath tooke away sinne and hath satisfied the Law sinne being taken away Death cannot hurt me the Law being satisfied Sinne cannot prejudice me This was the cause of the Apostles and in him of every Christians insultation over Death The words I have read containe two parts First the sting of Death Secondly the strength of Sinne. First the sting of death is sinne Secondly the strength of sinne is the Law If there were no law there would bee no sinne and if there were no sinne there would be no death Sinne is the transgression of the Law and sinne is the sting of death I shall only at this time insist upon the first of these from whence I shall deliver that which if it please God to accompany with his Spirit may be usefull to you The proposition shall be the very words of the Text Sinne is the sting of death This Proposition I would not have you understand in this sense only that death came in by sinne meerely in a habit though that be true too But understand it in this sense That all the horrour and terriblenesse of Death all the power and rage it hath whatsoever makes it fearefull to a man it receiveth it all from sinne It is sinne that armeth Death against a man if Death have any weapons against a man Sinne puts those weapons into the hands of Death if Death have any poyson against a Christian the sinne of that person putteth that poyson in it Death may bee considered two wayes either as Christ hath made it or as we make it Death as Christ hath made it is a medicine to a Christian a passage and entrance to happinesse it is a day of redemption and refreshing and so we need not be afraid of it Death as we by sinne have made it is the Pale horse Saint Iohn speakes of in the Revelation it is as a fearfull arrest to the debtor it hath a sting in it and so it is fearefull But that I may open this point more profitably wee will enquire into these particulars First what death the Apostle speakes of here Secondly of what sinne he speakes of Thirdly in what respect sinne is called the sting of death And then we will make the use and application of all this First of what death doth the Apostle here speake of that sinne is the sting of For answer hereunto there is a double death corporall and spirituall Corporall death is the privation of the soule when the soule is severed from
And how can it be otherwise when all sâ—… is the transgression of the Law as Saint Iohn defines it and all transgression of the Law deserves and is worthie of the curse which is both the first and second death for Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law to doe them There is no sinne then but it is worthy of death therefore there is no such veniall sin as they dreame of We denie not but that some sins are veniall and some mortall in another sence not in respect of the nature of the sin but of the estate of the person in whom the sins are so we say all the sins of the Elect are veniall because they either are or shall be pardoned And all the sins of reprobate persons are mortall because they shall never be pardoned It is the mercy of God and not from the nature of the sins that makes them veniall for otherwise every sin in it selfe considered be it never so small is mortall for if it worke according to its owne nature it workes death of body and soule It is a foolish exception that they bring against it that thus we make all sins equall and that we bring in with the Stoicks a paritie of sin because we say all are mortall It is a foolish cavill for it is as if one should argue because the Mouse and the Elephant are both living creatures that therefore they are both of equall bignesse Though all sins be mortall they are not all equall some are greater and some are lesser according as they are extended and aggravated by time and place and person and sundrie other circumstances Suppose one should be drowned in the middest of the Sea and another in a shallow pond in respect of death all were one both are drowned but yet there is great difference in respect of the place for depth and danger So there is great difference in this though the least sin in its owne nature be mortall as the Apostle saith here the wages of it is death Thirdly seeing the wages of sinne is death it should teach us what Use to make of death being presented before our eyes at such times as this hereby wee should call to remembrance the grievousnesse of sin that brought it into the world by the wofull wages wee should bee put in mind of the unhappie service Had there not beene sin there would have beene no death upon the death of the soule came in the death of the body first the soule died in forsaking God and then the body died being forsaken of the soule the soule forsooke God willingly therefore it was compelled unwillingly to forsake the body This is the manner how death came into the world by sin therefore death must put out sin That housholder when he saw tares grow among his wheate hee said to his servants the envious man hath done this So whensoever thou seest Death seize upon any say to thy selfe sinne hath done this this is the wages of sinne and if man had never sinned we should have seene no such thing Fourthly this must deterre us from sin since it gives such wages Indeed the manner of sin is for the most part if not alwayes to promise better but it is deceitfull and this is the wages it payes thee The wages of sinne is death The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated wages some take it quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the evening because wages are paid in the evening So the morning of sin may be faire but the evening will be foule when the wages come At the first sin may be pleasing but remember the end the end of it is death Like to a fresh River that runs into the salt Sea the streame is sweet but it ends in brackishnesse and bitternesse Or like to Nebuchadnezzars Image the head was gold but the feet were of clay Or sin may be compared to that Feast that Absalom made for Amnon there was great cheare and jollitie and mirth for a while but all closed in Death in bloudshed and murther It deales with men as Laban dealt with Iacob hee entertaines him at the first with great complements but used him hardly at the last Or as the Governour of the feast said Ioh. 2. All men in the beginning set forth good wine and then that which is worse so sinne gives the best at the first but the worst it reserves for the last This should keepe us from every sin though it seemes never so pleasing and never so sweet to us remembring that the worst is still to come Wee reade that when the people saw that Saul forbad them to eate though they were exceeding hungrie yet not one of them durst touch the honey for the curse though they saw it so the pleasures of sin may drop as honey before our eyes but we must not adventure to taste of them because they are cursed fruit and because of the wages that will follow Never take sinne by the head by the beginnings as the greatest part doe but take it as Iacob tooke Esau by the heele looke to the extreame part of it Consider thy end and thou shalt not doe amisse Iezabell might have allured a man when having painted her face shee looked out of the window but to looke upon her after shee was cast out eaten of dogges and nothing remaining but her extreame parts her scull and the palmes of her hands and her feet it could not be but with horrour so sinne may allure a man looking only on the painted face in the beginning but if a man cast his eye upon the extreame parts it would then affright and deterre him for the wages the end of it is death What a world of people runne blindly and desperatly on they turne to the race of sinne as the horse to the battell without feare as if the Psalmists Tremble and sinne not were rather sinne and tremble not Whereas we have great cause every one to tremble at the least motion of sinne in our selves to which so dreadfull and wofull wages is due Lastly for this point so many of us as have repented and have already left the service of sin we must hence learne as to be humbled in our selves considering what danger and miserie we have escaped so to be more thankful to Christ that hath freed us from so wretched wages due to our sins and that by taking the whole punishment upon himselfe For we must know beloved that the best of us by nature are children of wrath as well as others the stypend that we have earned is eternall death and surely it hath been payed to us nothing could have kept it from us but only the satisfaction of Christ comming betweene Gods justice and us Thinke we then if we can what miserie it is that wee have escaped as many of us I meane as be in the state of grace we have escaped
love but besides that there is a course of affection that floweth naturally and kindly from the Father to the child as it is with those rivers that fall downward they fall more vehemently then those that are carried upward so the more naturall the affection is the more vehement it expresseth it selfe in the motion to such objects Now when the Father expresseth his affection to his child this is more vehement because it is more naturall there is more strength of nature in it I cannot stand upon this only a word by way of inference and application to our selves First are naturall parents thus to their children Then here is a ground of faith for the children of God that he is pleased to stile himselfe by the name of Father and to receive them into the adoption of sonnes and daughters This was Davids expression of God As a father hath compassion of his children so hath the Lord on those that feare him And the Prophet Isaiah expresseth it fully In all their affliction hee was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and pittie hee redeemed them and bee bare them all the dayes of old hee bore them upon his wings This giveth confidence and boldnesse to Gods children in making their requests knowne to him This was it that incouraged the Prodigall I will arise and goe to my father and say Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee c. God saith S. Bernard alwayes grants those petitions that are sweetned with the name of father and the affection of a child I should hence speake somewhat to children to stirre them up to answer the love of their Parents but other things that follow forbids me any long discourse of this Secondly here is Davids pietie expressed in this Who knoweth whether the Lord will bee gracious to mee Hee exprest not only the Pittie and affection of a naturall father to a child but pietie also arising from the sense of his guilt Hee was guiltie of sinne and by sinne he had brought this sorrow upon himselfe and therefore who knoweth whether the Lord will bee gracious to me in sealing to me the pardon of my sinne this way in adding this mercy as a further assurance of his love in granting me the forgivenesse of my sinne God had told him by Nathan that his sinne was pardoned though he told him the Child should die it may be by the same mercy he will release me from this sentence of death upon my Child whereby he released me from the guilt of my sinne before Here I say is the sense of his owne sinne The point I note hence is That Parents in the miseries that befall their children should call their owne sinne to remembrance All the sorrowes and sicknesses and paines and miseries that befall children should present to Parents the remembrance of their owne sinne It was the expression of the Widow of Sarepta to the Prophet Eliah Art thou come to call my sinnes to remembrance and to slay my childe Shee saw her sinne in the death of her Child So I say in all the afflictions and crosses that befall children the Parents should call to remembrance their owne sinne But some men will here say There seemeth to be no need of such a course for God hath said plainly That the child shall not die for the sinne of the Parent And after God cleareth his owne waies from inequalitie and injustice by that argument The sonne shall not beare the iniquitie of the father Therefore what reason is there that Parents should call their sinnes to remembrance in the miseries that befall their children I answer Though he say the child shall not die for the Parents sinne yet we must understand it a right for what doth hee meane by the sinnes of the Parent And what doth hee meane by death By sinnes of the Parent he meaneth those sinnes that are so the parents as that the children are not at all guiltie of those sins then the children shall not die By Death he meaneth as the word signifieth the destruction of nature So death shall not befall the child for that sinne that himselfe is not guiltie of But how then come little children to die before they have committed any sinne actually was this for their owne sinne or for the sinne of their Parents I answer for their owne sinne they die for the soule that sinneth it shall die and all children have sinned they brought sinne into the world and sinne brought death as the Apostle speakes therefore death reigneth over all even over those that have not sinned according to the similitude of Adams transgression that is that have not sinned actually as Adam had done yet neverthelesse they die because they have sinne upon them they have the corruption of nature In sinne they were borne and in iniquitie their mother conceived them and the wages of sinne is death therefore they die for their owne sinne But what if temporall judgements and afflictions befall them is this for their owne sinne or for the sinne of their Parents I answer for both both for their owne and for the sinne of their Parents for as death so all the miseries of this life are fruits of originall sinne which is an inheritance in the person of every child by nature as soone as it is borne but yet if the sinne of the Parents be added to it that may bring temporall judgements There are many instances and examples of this how God hath visited upon the posteritie of wicked persons the sinnes of their Fathers according to that threatning in the second Commandement And this you shall see either in godly children of wicked parents or in ungodly children of godly Parents Suppose a man leave a great deale of wealth to his children and have one that feares God amongst them it may please God to lay some losse or crosse upon him to the undoing of him he may utterly be impoverished and beggered and deprived of all that meanes that his father left him by unrighteousnesse Hee getteth an heire and in his hand is nothing saith Solomon that is God deprived him of all that estate his father left him by unrighteousnesse Now I say here is a judgement upon the father and yet a mercy upon the child A judgement upon the father that all that he hath laboured for that which hee lost his soule for should bee vaine should come to nothing and not benefit his posteritie as he thought Yet it is a mercy to the childe to the child of God He by this meanes is humbled it draweth him from the world Nay when God emptieth him of these things that were unrighteously gotten he giveth him it may be an estate another way wherein he shall see God his Father provide for him without any indirect and unlawfull courses So sometimes the very shame and reproach that falleth upon wicked children here it is a
then what it is to keepe those sayings The Saying or words of Christ is the Doctrine of the Gospell the Covenant of Grace which by an excellency is called His because by it hee bringeth life and immortality to light as I said before which in former times was hid as it were in the darke and not made knowne so publikely to the sonnes of men The Gentiles knew little or nothing of it The Iewes knew what they knew with much darknesse and obscurity Hee that was almost the first Preacher of this Gospell in cleare termes without any vaile or darknesse Iohn Baptist who was as it were betweene both hee did deliver this doctrine not so darkly as the Prophets before him nor so clearely as after it was by our blessed Saviour and those that succeeded him Therefore I say it is the Saying of Christ by an excellency because hee did in a manner first begin to teach and declare the same in the clearenesse and sweetnesse thereof and hee sent his Apostles abroad to make it plaine and manifest to all the world that a man may runne and reade it And His likewise it is called because hee is the Authour of it for hee is the worker of that salvation which it declareth to us Now this Doctrine of the Gospell hath two parts The first acquainting us with our miserie The second with the Remedie For as the Bond and Acquittance specifie the debt but to different purposes the one to tie the Debtor to the payment the other to absolve and acquit him even so the Law and the Gospell both declare the miserie of man the one to tie it fast upon him the other to helpe him the better to loose it from him The Physitian intreateth of the sicknesse as well as the Cure but of the sicknesse alone for the cures sake The Judge passeth a sentence of condemnation and then largely rehearseth the crime and punishment due to the offender the Pardon likewise makes mention of the fault and the punishment but in a different manner and to a different end So the Gospell declareth mans miserie and borroweth so much of the Law that may lay downe our wretched estate in our selves and so draw in that which is the maine and principall part of it the remedie of our soules And this part of the Gospell the Apostle St. Paul succinctly delivereth in a few words Rom. 3. 23. All have sinned and are come short of the glory of God All have sinned and All have sinned in such a sort and measure and degree that they are fallen short of that Glory of God by which the Apostle I thinke meaneth life Eternall that Glory that had it not been for sinne he would have bestowed upon the sonnes of men by vertue of the first Covenant he made with them The second part of the Gospell the words of Christ is concerning the Remedie whereby a man may be helped against this miserie And for that purpose it sheweth us Who helpeth us And how hee helpes us And what is to bee done by our selves that wee may obtaine and enjoy this helpe The Person that helpeth us is the Sonne Manifest in the flesh the Sonne of God taking our nature upon him and clothing himselfe in the similitude of sinfull flesh the Eternall Sonne of the Father assuming I say the very nature of man into the unitie of his Person so becomming God and Man in the same Person hee is the sole Redeemer neither is there any other name under heaven by which wee can be saved but by his alone Againe it sheweth us by what meanes hee saveth us as the Apostle speakes plaine enough in the next verse to that I spake of before being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ. To the intent that hee might free us from the Curse of the Law and wrath of God and the danger of eternall Death he vouchsafed to be made sinne for us to satisfie the justice of his Father by enduring the Curse of the Law and to accomplish the Righteousnesse of the Law by being made in our stead under the Law so he he became a Propitiation for the sins of the sons of men as the Apostle saith in that place Thus Christ by his perfect satisfaction made to his Father and by that perfect Righteousnesse whereby hee was subject to the Law for our sakes hath absolutly and fully delivered us from the power of sinne and of Death and performed the worke of our Redemption by vertue whereof by the merit and worth and value whereof wee are delivered and saved and Redeemed from this Death and from all other evils that crosse our eternall happinesse And thirdly the Gospell sheweth us by what means we may become partakers of this happinesse and Redemption in Christ and telleth us of three things as it were Conditions of the Covenant of Grace of the New Covenant which is ratified by the bloud of Christ. I say of three things the Conditions on our parts of that Covenant which if wee doe we shall certainly bee saved by the Redemption in Christ. The first is Repentance The second is Beleeving The third is our New obedience All and each of these plainly exprest in the word of God As for Repentance it is that wherewith Iohn the Baptist began his Preaching It is that that our Saviour commanded his Apostles to declare to the Iewes Repent for the kingdome of heaven is at hand It is that which himselfe preached at the first as Saint Marke witnesseth chap. 1. 15. It is that which Saint Paul began with when hee came to the Athenians Act. 17. and now hee admonisheth all men every where to repent It was the first of the foundations of the Doctrine of the beginning of Christ that was wont to bee taught in the Ancient Church as witnesseth the Authour to the Hebrewes chap. 6. not laying againe the foundation of repentance from dead works and then he proceedeth to the rest This Repentance is that which the Lord requireth absolutely of the sonnes of men as a condition of the new Covenant the Covenant of Grace without which they cannot possibly be made partakers of the same And this Repentance hath 4. parts every one of which is so needfull that without it the rest is little worth First lamenting for our sinnes and being sorry for our iniquities as David said of himselfe Psal. 38. I will declare my iniquitie and bee sorry for my sinnes And so the Apostle Saint Iames expresseth it chap. 4. 9. Afflict your selves mourne and weepe let your laughter bee turned into sorrow and your joy into teares Therefore Christ you know was sent to Preach glad tydings to the Prisoners and Captives and the opening of the prison to the prisoners and to bring the oyle of gladnesse to those that mourned in Sion A man must first be a Mourner in Sion one that smiteth
corruption to cure and purge out that And therefore it is formen to be wiser then God to ground their actions upon another principle and ground then God grounds them Indeede the servants of God doe not the actions of obedience simply because of the Law written in the Scriptures but they have the Law written in their hearts too so the Spirit of God is a Spirit that guides them according to the Law and disposeth them to those actions that are sutable to the Law yet he never excludes or puts them from the Law from subjection to the Law in point of obedience I say therefore errours creepe in amongst men to dreame of a libertie from obedience when the Scripture speaks of a libertie from the Law but in other sences not in matter of dutie Secondly let men looke to the Law for tryall too Gal. 6. 3 4. If a man thinke he is something when he is nothing he deceiveth him selfe but let every man try himselfe and prove his owne worke Let him proove his owne worke by what shall he prove it Why by the Law By the Law here we meane the whole Word of God the Law of workes and of Faith I say let him proove his workes by this Law by the written Word of God Therefore if a man would now know how it shall goe with him at the day of judgement let him begin to judge himselfe by this rule before hand Let him reason thus eyther I shall stand as condemned or acquitted if as condemned it is by the Law therefore marke so farre as I goe on in any sinne against any knowne truth of God so farre I stand in the estate of a condemned person Therefore consider beloved you doe exceedingly wrong your selves because you doe not looke thus upon your actions you looke not upon them as upon things that are transgressions against the Law that shall judge you and that therefore if the Law of God condemne such actions now then thou standest as a condemned person by vertue of that Law Alas durst men goe on without repentance in any course of sinne if they tooke themselves as condemned men in truth by vertue of the Law There is not any word that thou speakest but as soone as it is spoken thou standest in the estate of a condemned man and if thou interest not thy selfe in Christ and come not in certainly the Law will passe upon it Therefore seriously consider of this that there is no evill or particular sinne that you goe on in but if the Law condemne it Christ will condemne it too at the day of judgement Therefore you must before hand condemne your selves that you may not be condemned of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 32. Iudge your selves and you shall not be judged of the Lord. But yet this remaynes a truth still that hee that doth not condemne himselfe that doth not take off his sinnes by unfeigned repentance he stands a condemned person before the Lord because he stands condemned in the Law Therefore I beseech you beloved pleade not any priviledge in Christ I speake this the rather because men use the Gospell to their owne destruction I say plead not priviledge by Christ if you goe on in the allowance of any sinne Shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound God forbid saith the Apostle So I say when a man will come and plead I believe and I hope to be saved by Faith yet neverthelesse it may be thou art a swearer a vaine spender of thy time it may be thou art a neglecter of the duties of the worship of God and of thy duties towards men c. thou art a man in some constant course in some way of sinne or other I say this shewes thee to stand as a condemned man and in the state of a condemned man I say not that such a man shall infallibly bee damned because God may give him repentance that hee may come out of the snare of the divell but wee say hee stands for the present in the state of a condemned person and he is condemned by the Law and remaynes so till this be reversed by repentance till hee have sued out his pardon by interresting himselfe in Christ. Therefore consider this seriously that there is not that sinne in thought that thou committest not any act of sinne whatsoever but because of that sinne thou art condemned in Law therefore thou standest in the state of a condemned person for that sinne therefore there must bee somewhat done now to take off this I say a man may have a pardon and yet if he sue it not out it is of no force or use to him so letno man talke hee is a justified person by Christ but thou must sue out this pardon Therefore wee are taught upon daily suing to renew our daily prayers for the pardon of sinne There must be a daily suing out of the pardon and that upon this ground so there must be a daily condemning of thy selfe and of sinne in thy selfe Alas what shall become of a world of men and women I speake not of those that are without wee leave them they are condemned in the sight of all the world but wee speake of those that are now in the Church of those that goe some what forward in the profession of Religion and hope and are perswaded that they are in a good case and yet have little care to set things right betweene God and themselves but though such and such actions be condemned by the Law yet they hope that there is a generall mercy that will pardon it though they never sue out their pardon I say the Law shall passe on thee till thou doe that that concernes thee to be released from the rigour and sentence of the Law he that confesseth and forsakes his sinnes shall finde mercy Prov. 28. 13. This must be done and so in other particulars the Scripture is large in these things that somewhat must be done by us to sue out this pardon that though there be an act of pardon in God a free act yet there must somewhat bee done by us to sue out this pardon for our selves or else wee stand in the state of condemned persons But these things I leave to your meditations and so I fall upon the next point which I will briefly touch and that is no more but thus that since there shall be a proceeding in the day of judgement by the Law wherein mens actions and words shall bee brought to account therefore The consideration of the day of judgement should be an effectuall insentive provocation to stinmen to a holy and conscionable walking in this life So speake and so doe as those that shall be judged by such a Law Since the Apostle makes this use of it to direct us both in our speeches and actions I say we may learne hence that the consideration of the judgement to come wherein Christ will proceede according to the Law it
this is a truth concernes you in particular Judge your selves so farre profited by the Word you heare as you can make good application of it to your owne estate and condition Whensoever men come to heare the Word they come to heare somewhat that concernes themselves therefore whatsoever wee say befalls them that are in Christ apply it your selves and make account this is my case if I bee in Christ. Fourthly hence we might note thus much also that When a man is in Christ there is a reall change There is an evident change from what hee was before hee was in Christ. For so the Apostle reasons now you are in Christ there is such a change as from death to life there is a mervellous great change in you If there bee not this change in you neither are you in Christ and all the hopes you build on of being in Christ they are without a foundation they are upon an imaginarie Christ not upon Christ that is yours indeed If you bee in Christ let it appeare in a change let us see how you are changed since you were in Christ from that you were before for this make account of conclude thus much for your selves that all that are in Christ are changed But fiftly and lastly hee expresseth wherein this change consisteth and hee makes choice of such termes as are most acquisite and fit for his purpose He would expresse this spirituall change and marke what expressions hee useth to manifest it by no lesse then life and death There is such a change when you are once in Christ from what you were before as there is between a man that was dead and is now alive or a man that was alive and is now dead and this is that that I will insist now upon wherein note these particulars First the Analogie and proportion the aptnesse and fitnesse of the termes wherein the Apostle expresseth the spirituall change of those that are in Christ how fitly they may be sayd to be dead and alive Secondly it is observeable in what order the Apostle expresseth these first dead and then alive Make account that the worke of Grace in the effectuall change in your hearts it proceeds in this order First you are dead and then alive dead to sin first and then alive to God Thirdly note the certaine connexion of these two together so there is not onely a certainty in the object but a certainty in the subject too not only a certaintie that those that are in Christ shall live but it is certaine to you make account of this make this conclusion for your selves build on it know it for your selves as he sayd to Iob it is certaine if you be in Christ you are dead with Christ and you shall live with Christ make account of this Lastly the efficient cause of this great change exprest in these termes it is Iesus Christ our Lord make account of this if you be in Christ there comes a vertue from Christ an effectuall working of Christ by his spirit in your hearts such a powerfull worke as will conforme you to Christ dead and to Christ risen that you shall be dead to sinne and alive to God not by any strength in your selves or any excellent endowment in your owne natures not by any naturall inclination and abilitie but through the vertue and power of Iesus Christ our Lord working in you Thus you have the Text opened Wee will speake first of the Analogie and proportion the agreement betweene the metaphors here used and the things exprest by them That which the Apostle would expresse is that there is a marvellous spirituall reall change in all those that are in Christ from what they were before Now let us see how fitly it is exprest in these words that he sayth you are dead to sinne and alive to God that hee choseth to expresse it by life and death Had it not beene fit to have sayd thus much you are changed in your dispositions in your inclinations in your intentions in your actions you are changed in your conversations you are other kind of men in the inclination of your hearts you bring forth other fruit you lead other lives then you were wont to doe But hee expresseth it here yet more fully that is by that that includes all these and if there be any thing more may be added it includes that too yee are dead and alive Then we will consider First generally how death and life expresse the state of them that are in Christ. Secondly consider them in their particular application how death expresseth the first part of a mans change in sanctification and life the second part First wee take them in generall and let this bee the point that A man that is indeed effectually changed by vertue of his union with Christ hee hath such a change wrought in him as in a dead and living man as in life or in death Now first take it in generall you know life and death they imply first a generall change when a man is alive or when a man is dead there is not a change in some part onely but in the whole So it is here when a man is effectually changed from what he was by vertue of his union with Christ. A member may bee dead and yet neverthelesse the man alive but if the man be dead there is a general change that goes throughout it possesseth every part every member so that now there is no member of him but death rules in it then hee is a dead man So it is in this when a man is dead spiritually there is not a change in some particular actions onely in some particular opinions onely there is not an alteration of some of his old customes onely but it is a generall change so it goes through the whole man It is a change in the understanding he judgeth things otherwise then hee was wont to doe And there is a change in the will the inclination of it is to other objects then he was wont to bee inclined to And thence there is a change in his intentions he propounds other ends to himselfe then he was wont So there is a change in respect of the whole the Word is the rule of all a mans actions There is a change from particular evills from one as well as another that when any thing is discovered to him to bee a sinne to bee a transgression of the rule hee is turned from it So likewise when any thing is discovered to him to be a dutie agreeable to the rule according to the will of God revealed in his Word hee is a vessell of honour prepared for it and that is it the Apostle especially means when he compares them to vessells and he describes them thus they are vessells of honour fit for the service of their Master prepared for every good worke So that now as the Apostle sayth there remaineth no more conscience of sinne That is
bones with strong paines What 's the reason of this but that man may come to this conclusion with himselfe that hee may bring his owne heart to a reckoning for his former cariage This is that the Apostle saith for this cause many are weake and sickly among you and many sleepe some were taken with sicknesse upon others there was a consuming weaknesse and others were strucken with death what is the end that God propounds in all this For this reason that wee should judge our selves for if wee judge our selves wee shall not be judged of the Lord but when wee are judged wee are chastned of the Lord that wee should not bee condemned of the world As if hee should say God now calleth you to a reckoning in this life to the end you may prevent that heavy and grievous one that comes after this life Againe when outward afflictions prevaile not God hath spirituall afflictions to awaken mâ—…n Thus David when hee was in a deepe sleepe of securitie God awakned him with a spirituall judgement see his speech in the 32. Psal. When I kept close my sinnes my bones were consumed and I roared for the disquietnesse of my soule what followed God by this meanes brought him to confession I will confesse my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquitie of my sinne Thus God in this life calleth men to a reckoning sometimes by â—…he preaching of the Word sometimes by judgements upon the outward man or by terrours upon the soule But if all this prevaile not to make a man reckon with himselfe in this life then God hath another reckoning after this life where every man must give an account and cannot avoid it and there hee must abide the sentence of the Iudge that would not prevent it before That there is such a Iudgement to come it appeareth By the equitite necessitie of it In respect of God the Saints the wicked Frst I say in respect of God there is a necessitie of it That his Decree may bee fulfilled and executed Hee hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousnesse And his counsell shall stand and hee will doe all his pleasure Secondly it is necessarie that Gods honour may be vindicated Now things seeme to goe in some confusion and disorder in the world Good men the children of God are not alwayes best in the place of judgement I have seene saith Solomon an evill under the Sunne that in the place of judgement wickednesse was there and in the place of righteousnesse that iniquitie was there this observation Solomon makes therefore I said God will bring to judgement every thing both good and evill for there is a time for every worke and every purpose God hath a time to doe that great worke that he hath now purposed What is that worke that is to bring every worke to judgement whether it bee good or evill I say if wee consider this it is necessary that there should come a judgement that shall set all right againe It is necessarie likewise in respect of the Saints The very tribulations of the Saints in 2 Thes. 1. 5. are called Indigma an evident demonstration or a manifest token of the righteous judgement of God There is a necessitie of it in respect of them in two regards First that their innocencie that is traduced here may bee manifest They undergoe many disgraces and hard censures amongst men the world accounts them proud hipocrites singular foolish vaine-glorious and I know not what now saith Iob my witnesse is in heaven and saith Saint Paul I care not to bee judged of you or of mans judgement hee that judgeth me is the Lord. The Word in the Greeke is mans day as if hee should say Men have their day here but God hath a greater day after the Lord will judge in another manner and upon other grounds then men doe Secondly it is necessary also that their workes may be rewarded When we speake of reward wee meane not the reward of merit wee meane the reward of grace called a reward because God is tied to it by his promise The servants of God though they serve him with all care they have not the fatte of the earth as sometimes the Ishmaels of the world have they doe not abound with outward things as many others doe nay sometimes they are in the worst condition and that makes Gods wayes the more despised as if God were not able to maintaine his servants in the world in his wayes and worke God therefore hath a time when his servants shall have full measure heaped up pressed downe shaken together and running over When God shall make up his jewels as hee saith in Malac. 3. then shall yee discerne betweene the righteous and the wicked betweene him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Marke yee shall discerne God will make it appeare to the whole world in the day when hee makes up his jewels that notwithstanding his servants are despised and lie here under divers pressures yet that they are a people whom he delights in and accounteth as his treasures Thirdly it is necessarie in respect of the wicked too that is First that Gods righteousnesse may fully be manifested Secondly that their unrighteousnesse may fully bee punished First I say that Gods righteousnesse may fully bee manifested therefore the day of Iudgement in Rom. 2. 5. is called a day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God As if hee should say As God will manifest his wrath against the vessels of wrath so hee will make it appeare to the world that hee proceedeth in a right manner and by a right rule in judging For wee must know that howsoever God cannot bee unjust and howsoever that the ungodly men in this life contend with their owne consciences such is the hardnesse of their hearts and abundance of corruption that they would faine justifie themselves amongst men and againe howsoever it bee true that the soule when it is departed out of the body is under Gods particular judgement by an intelectuall elevation of it that it may receive the sentence of the Iudge by an illumination and by such a spirituall and contemplative discourse and observation and understanding of Gods actions as that by reflection upon it selfe it may know it selfe to bee accursed or acquitted and accordingly is entred into the possession either of happinesse or miserie Yet all this is secret in the world till the day of Gods tribunall come wherein secret things shal be made manifest and things that have been done in darknesse shall appeare before men and Angels Secondly As Gods justice must be cleared and fully manifested so the wicked and unrighteous must bee fully punished They are not fully punished when they are under the sense of Gods wrath in this life or when the soule is judged at death there must bee yet a further degree for
all have sinned This I say is it that will make sin odious to a man it will make a man looke upon sinne as a deadly evill A man will avoid an infectious disease that is mortall and deadly and pestilentiall and the like Why because it is deadly it is as much as his life is worth The same is sinne it is that that brought death upon all man-kind and will bring it upon thee When doth the creature forfeit his beeing to the Creator but when he doth not use it in the service and for the glory of the Creatour God hath given the creature a beeing for himselfe I have forfeited my beeing when I glorifie not God with it that man forfeiteth his wit his memorie his strength his time his life and all that he is or hath when he doth not imploy them in Gods service to Gods glory Now sinne is that that makes us deny the service and glory we owe to God sin is that that makes a forfeiture of our lives and all unto him Here is the first thing God hath given the creature a beeing for himselfe he preserveth the creature in beeing for himselfe when the creature therefore sinneth it forfeiteth its life and beeing to the Creator This makes sinne odious Secondly this is it that declareth the wonderfull justice and truth of God Hee said to Adam in the beginning assoone as ever he had fallen hee should die and we find it true on him and all his posteritie for Adam stood and represented the person of all men before God that one man was all men in him all men were under the sentence of death And we see it is true to this day Wee find God true in this let this make us beleeve his word in every thing else He hath beene as good as his word he hath declared his justice and his truth in the death of all man-kind upon the sin of Adam he will declare it in every thing else in every promise in every threatning in every passage of his word let us giue him the glory of his truth as we find it in this Thirdly it is advantageous very much for our selves as a meanes to prepare us for death the better When a man seriously concludeth Death is the end of all men then if I reckon and account my selfe amongst men it will be my end too and it may be my end now And we shall see what use Iob makes of this All the dayes of my appointed time I will waite till my change shall come I make account a great change will come such as hath beene upon all my fathers before me so it will come upon me I will make account of it and therefore I will waite all my dayes So should we make account every day that this may bee the day of my change in every thing you doe make account that your change may begin then in that very action and this will be a meanes to make you waite for your change make you prepare for death It is that that Drusius noteth of Rabbi Eleazer that he gave this counsell and advise that a man should be sure to repent one day before he died Hee meant not that a man should deferre his repentance till it did evidently appeare that Death had seized upon him But because a man may conclude if it be possible I may live to day it is probable I may die to morrow therefore I will repent to day Doe it now and doe not delay it till to morrow This is that we are to doe to account of every day as that which may be the day of our change and so to carrie our selves in all our actions and occasions as if wee should have no more time to doe our worke And this is especially to be observed in three things First in matter of sinning be carefull to amend sinne every day labour to mortifie sinne this day as if thou shouldest have no more dayes to mortifie it in take heed of sinning now as if thou shouldest die now Some we see have beene taken away in the very act of sinne Ananias and Saphira were taken away in the very act of sinning when they were telling a lie to the Apostle they died Zimri and Corbie were slaine in the very act of uncleannesse Corah and his company they died in the act of murmuring and resisting of God and his ordinances and ministers Let a man now reason with himselfe these were taken away in their sinnes it may be my case aswell as theirs if I be found in sinne That is the first Secondly bring it home to this particularalso in another case and that is in redeeming of the opportunities of the time of our life Besides the generall time of life there be certaine opportunities certaine advantages of time that the Scripture calleth seasons be carefull to redeeme them though you may enjoy your lives yet you may have none of these such as are seasons of glorifying God seasons of doing good seasons of gaining good to a mans selfe be carefull therefore I say to mannage those opportunities and advantages of time so that you may glorifie God Whether you eate or drinke or whatsoever you doe doe all to the glory of God Which way soever you may most advance Gods glory and promote his worship which way soever yee may promote the cause of God drawing men to God and incouraging them in the wayes of God which way soever you may bee usefull employ your selfe at that time the present time because you must die and you may die now you may have no more opportunities to doe it in And so likewise in all advantages wherein men may doe good to men Exhort one another while it is called to day and while you have time doe good unto all Doe all the spirituall good and all the outward good that you can while you have seasons to doe good Happy is that servant that his Master shall find so doing when he commeth leading a fruitfull and profitable life So doe good to your owne soules while you have time pray while you have time to pray heare the Word while you have time to heare it exercise repentance while you have time to repent perfect the worke of mortification while you have time to mortifie your corruptions doe your soules all the good you can by the advantages of all the ordinances of all the opportunities that God hath given you This is the end of all men it hath been the end of good and bad before and it shall be the end of good and bad now men must die their houses will be houses of mourning therefore mannage the time in doing all the good you can that God may be glorified men may be benefited and your owne soules furthered That is the second thing Lastly in the manner of your conversation consider the time that you have to doe every thing in Will a man be found idleing in
remaineth unchangeable yet the sentence according to the externall expression seemeth altered to us so the change is in us and not in God Hence let us note something briefly for our selves and that is this First how to understand all those threatnings in Scripture that seeme peremptory and absolute by this rule A judgement is threatned against a nation against a person or family c. Yea and it is absolutely threatned in divers places because thou hast done such and such evils therefore such and such things shall come upon thee All such as these are to be understood conditionally though they seem to be expressed absolutely And the rule God himselfe giveth At what instant I shall speake concerning a nation and concerning a kingdome to plucke up and to pull downe and to destroy it If that nation against whom I have pronounced turne from their evill I will repent of the evill that I thought to doe unto them Whatsoever I threatned in my Word if they turne to me by true repentance I will turne all that evill from them that I have threatned against them and would certainly have brought upon them if they have not returned I say thus we are to understand all these and upon this ground we may build some further uses that I will but touch First to take off those discouragements that lie upon the hearts of many When they find themselves guiltie of a sin against God when they see that sinne threatned with severe punishment and judgement in the word of God now they conclude their case to be desperate it is in vaine to seeke further to use the meanes the Lord will proceed in judgement and there is no stopping of him This is an addition to a mans other sinnes to conclude thus Marke how the Lord expresseth himselfe in the 33. Ezekiel The people were much troubled about such things there say they Our transgressions and our sinnes bee upon us and wee pine away in them how should wee then live The Prophet had incouraged them notwithstanding their great sinnes to returne by true repentance and they should not perish neverthelesse they are muttering discouraged with feare breaking their spirits withdrawing themselves from God the judgements of God are begun upon us the hand of wrath is gone out against us wee are pining away in them though we are not wasted yet yet we are like a man in a consumption that wasteth by degrees how shall we live certainly wee shall die Saith the Lord say not thus among your selves but know if yee turne yee shall live As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and live turne yee turne yee from your evill wayes for why will yee die oh house of Israel Beware of discouragements therefore it is Sathans devise that when once he hath drawne men from God by a path of sinne to hold them under discouragements that so hee may ever after keepe them from turning to God againe It was his devise whereby he would have kept Adam from turning to God after he had committed that great sinne in eating of the forbidden tree Hee thought of nothing but hiding himselfe from God and so he did hide himselfe amongst the bushes of the Garden I heard thy voyce and was afraid and I hid my selfe Marke here was a feare of discouragement in Adam that whereas he should have come and fell downe before the Lord and have begged mercy and said as David here Who knoweth whether the Lord will bee gracious to mee He ranne cleane away from God There is a feare of reverence that keepeth a man with God and there is a feare that draweth a man to God but this feare of discouragement driveth a man from God and that is the temptation of Sathan to keepe a man from God when once he hath turned aside from him Therefore that is the first thing take heed of such inward discouragements as may drive you quite off Secondly Take incouragement then to seeke the face of God in his owne meanes and way He hath threatned judgements against others for the same sinnes that yee find your selves guiltie of when they have returned to him they have found mercie Returne yee to him in truth and seeke his face aright and yee shall find the same mercie In the prophesie of Ioel yee shall see there that though God had threatned judgements nay though he had begun judgement for that was the case of those times judgement was begun upon them yet neverthelesse the Prophet calleth them to fasting and weeping and telleth them that the Lord is gracious and mercifull and ready to forgive and who knoweth if he will returne and repent and leave ablessing behind him Therefore let us doe our parts and seeke God in truth amend our lives and then no question of this but that God will returne It is an old device of Sathan to draw men in stead of Gods revealed will to looke to Gods secret will whether I be absolutely rejected or cast off or not But this is not the thought wherein a Christian should exercise himselfe his maine businesse is this to make his calling and election sure by all the â—…vidences of it by a holy life walke obediently to Gods revealed will and be certaine thou shalt not be rejected by Gods secret will He never rejecteth those by his secret will and purpose and decree to whom he giveth a heart to walke obediently to his revealed will So much for that Who knoweth that the Lord will be gracious to me that the child may live The incouragement is this That the child may live But marke his expression Whether the Lord will bee gracious to me that the child may live If he had said no more but this Who knoweth whether the childe may live A man would have thought this would fully enough have expressed his mind but there is more in it that could not be expressed without this addition Who knoweth whether the Lord will bee gracious to me that the child may live The life of a child is a mercy to the father David expresseth herein both his Pitty and his Pietie His Pittie He accounteth all the good or ill that befalleth his childe as his owne if death befalleth it he accounteth it as a miserie that befalleth himselfe if sicknesse befalleth his child hee accounteth it as an affliction upon himselfe This is his naturall pittie that same naturall affection of a Father to his Child See such an expression of the woman of Canaan Have mercie on mee thou sonne of David my daughter is miserably vexed of a divell The Daughter was miserably vexed and the mother cryeth out Have mercie on me There is such a simpathy ariseth hence from the naturall and free course that love hath in descending from the Father to the Child There are not only morall perswasions that may invite and draw on
the body Spirituall death when God and grace are severed from the soule The Text speakes of the corporall death Sinne is not the sting of the spirituall death for the spirituall death is sinne it selfe And here I will not contend with any man if he be full of enquirie but I will distinguish two parts of spirituall death and I grant in one of them is this sting In spirituall death therefore there are two parts or two degrees The first is called the first death That I take to bee the death of the soule in sinne The second part is when soule and body are for ever closed up in Hell And in this part sinne is the sting And remember this by the way Sinne is not onely a sting now but it will be a sting to men in Hell the sting the deadlinesse the extremity of punishment that is in Hell it is received all from sinne for the damned in Hell when they come there as they cease not to sinne so the sting of sinne ceaseth not to be with them and it may be delivered by conjecture I thinke Hell were no Hell if there were not the sting of sinne there So then you see what death the Apostle speakes of principally of corporall death but it may be extended to the second part of spirituall death for there sinne continueth and so the sting remaineth The next question is what sinne the Apostle speakes of when he saith the sting of death is sinne This is not a time to stirre controversies therefore those ancient controversies and such as are lately stirred up about originall sinne how farre it is the sting of death I let them goe In a word to let you see what sinne is the sting of death remember this Sinne may be considered two wayes either as it is intire untouched uncrushed Let that sinne be what it will be whether it be originall onely or whether it be any actuall sinne streaming from originall whether it be a sinne of ignorance or knowledge whether it be of pleasure or of profit A sinne immediatly that respecteth God or immediatly respecteth our neighbour whatsoever the sinne be if it bee not touched if it bee not crushed if it scape uncontrouled if it be in its native power and keepes in his kingdome if it rule in a man that sinne will certainly be the sting of Death Euery sinne vertually is the sting of death there is an aptitude in every Sinne. But in the event that Sinne proveth the sting of death that is untouched uncontrouled Not every sinne in the event proveth the sting of death but that Sinne that liveth in us or rather that Sinne that we live in that ruleth in us that we affect and love this is the Sinne that putteth a sting into death That very sinne that thou lovest and likest so much and pleadest for that sinne will make death terrible Secondly Sinne may be considered as it is galled and vexed and mortified in the Soule When a man setteth upon the root of Sinne and the way of Sinne and falleth a crucifying the body of Sinne and the members of it I say howsoever there bee divers motions and stirrings of Sinne in the soule yet if these be disavowed disaffected and mortified if there be a crucifying vertue passe over them if they come not within the judgement to approve them or within the affections to embrace and like them if they come not to be a mans trade and way and walke but fall within the improbation of the judgement to disavow them and the misliking of the affections to sorrow for them These shall not be the sting of death whatsoever the motions are But these untouched unmortified sinnes these are the sting of death Now these are the sting of death in a double respect First in respect of the guilt Secondly in respect of the corruption First they are a sting in respect of guilt Every Sinne remaining unsatisfied for remaineth with his guilt and when Sinne is not satisfied for there is the sting of death When the sinner hath nothing to oppose to the justice of God for the sinne he hath committed if the Sinne be in the booke of God uncrossed bee a debt there not blotted out by the blood of Christ if Christ have not satisfied for it if the sinner have not part in him as we shall heare anone then Sin is the sting of death And then secondly they are a sting in respect of the corruption and filthinesse of Sins unmortified Those filthy sinfull motions those depraving qualities inthy soule that thou likest and practisest in thy conversation they give thee up into the hands of Death to execute his Sting upon thee And therefore you that applaud your selves in Sinne and will goe on in Sin doe so But know this when thou commest to the full strength of thy Sinne let it be what it will when Death commeth it findeth the strongest weapon it hath in thy sinne the very power of thy sinne armeth Death against thy soule No man is more obnoxious and open to the sharpest dart of Death then that man that will goe on in Sinne. So you see what Sin is spoken of that is the sting of death that Sin is the sting of Death that a man loveth and doteth on The third Question is in what respect Sin is the sting of Death First by way of Eminencie because that then the sting of Sin beginneth most sensibly to worke in a man Not but that Sin hath a sting before Death but then the deluded sinner feeles his sinne there be divers times that Sin can sting a person before that but then howsoever the sinner hath deluded himselfe and the word of God and the world he can delude them no more Death then most ordinarily fixeth his sting in the soule and makes the sinner feele the smart of his sinne There be three times wherein Sinne can sting a man Before death At death After death Before Death God sometimes letteth loose the conscience of a man even of the most resolved sinner of him that beares himselfe up aloft in his owne eyes in scorne and contempt of the ministrie of the Word sometime I say God singleth out such a person and rippeth up all his heart strikes his Arrowes into his very soule and stings his conscience so irresistably that he knoweth not which way to turne from the wrath that boyleth in his soule And it is one thing to deale with the Minister and another to deale with God When God strikes his Arrowes of uengeance into the soule of a sinner then such a one is stung indeed this God doth sometimes before death Nay sometimes God stingeth the consciences of his owne children for sinne David cries out hee roared for the disquitnesse of his spirit his bones were broken he was sore vexed Lord how long saith he If there be such deepe disquiet by reason of this sting in the consciences of good persons
tell me then what is the disquiet that springeth from sinne in a Cain in a Iudas when it meets with a dispairing disposition Thus you see Sin hath this time to sting and therefore thinke not that Sin will never sting till death sometimes Sinne stingeth a man before death Another time is at death When Death commeth and arresteth a sinner in an Action from God seizeth on a person that is under the power of Sin on one that is in his sinnes untouched howsoever he behaved himselfe in his life-time yet then the very name of Death breakes his heart it apaleth him and then it stings such a person It is appointed beloved for all of us once to die Death will one day arrest every man but when Death appeareth before a man that hath not a part in Christ that is under the power of his sinnes when it commeth to a Belshazzar it makes his very joynts to smite one against another it is a sting to him amidest all those sweet morsels his sinnes which he so much affected and so earnestly pursued it is as a very poyson to him nothing is a poyson now to us but sinne only but then at the time of death sinne is a poyson indeed Lastly Sinne can sting not onely before and at but after death Both at the day of Judgement and after At the day of Judgement Is not the conscience of a sinner thinke you stinged and his spirit deeply affected by reason of the great wrath of God that is to be poured out when he shall cry to the mountaines to cover him when he shall call to those insensible creatures that are not able to lend him that courtesie to crush him to nothing Make this our owne case thinke of it it will be our case as it is appointed for us all to die so we must all come to judgtment And after the Judgement when the sentence goe you cursed is past the sting of Sin ceaseth not no the worme for ever gnaweth in Hell It were a happinesse for a sinner if he might onely heare the sentence if this worme might not still gnaw his conscience but then this is his burthen Sin shall sting him for ever This is the first respect in which sinne is called the sting of death because then Sinne stingeth more emminently and sensibly Secondly it is called the sting of death in respect of the metaphor the Apostle aludeth unto it is taken from the sting of a Serpent and so Sinne is a sting in a double respect First in respect of the fearefulnesse and then in respect of the hurtfulnesse of it First in respect of the fearefulnesse It is Sin that makes Death fearefull to a man Indeed I confesse that in the best Christian though Christ have pulled out the sting of death yet there are naturall grudgings and shruggings As to a Serpent though the sting be pulled away yet there are some abhorrings and dissikes in a man But then how terrible is Derth when it commeth in compleate Armour as it doth against a person in whom Sinne remaineth in its full power it must needs then be terrible See the difference betweene two persons the one is afraid of every one he meeteth the other is not what is the reason the one is greatly indebted and ingaged the other is free So it is with a Christian and another man the one cannot heare of Death but his heart breakes hee is full of feare and horrour the other heareth of Death and is onely somewhat affected in the hearing of it but not possessed with that feare as is the other what is the reason the sting of death remaineth in one and not in another Sin therefore is a sting in that respect Secondly it is a sting in respect of hurtfulnesse The sting of the Serpent is a hurtfull thing it poysoneth the vitall parts it takes away life it selfe All the evill that commeth to us by death commeth by sinne Man need not complaine of the ilnesse of the prison so much as of his owne folly that he ingaged himselfe in debt whereby he is cast into prison Why complainest thou of the misery in Hell rather labour to breake off thy sinnes that are the cause of all that miserie all the hurtfull qualitie and miserable condition that befalleth a person in Death and Hell is for Sin the eternall separation of the soule from God and all punishment that followes after in Hell are the fruit of mans sinne Hell had not beene Hell without Snne it is Sin that causeth it to become hurtfull Thus I have explained these inquiries Now I come to make Use and application and so conclude the Point The first Use of this point shall be this If Sin be the sting of death let it be our wisedome to get this sting pulled out in the time of our life Oh that this people were wise saith God then would they consider their latter end If you were wise that heare mee this day you would consider that Death will come and if it be not taken away before-hand with a sting upon the soule My brethren we have many enemies to deale with even now at this very instant but there is yet an enemie as the Apostle saith The last enemie to bee subdued is Deaeh he his behind and here is the difference betwixt Death our last enemie and some other of our enemies some other of our enemies cannot be subdued but by their presence but let me tell you this Death is such an enemy as is never subdued but by his absence thou canst never overcome Death in death thou must not reserve this combat till thou come to the field but thou must overcome this enemie before he commeth thou must overcome him in thy life How is that Pull out the sting of him now then Death is conquered How will you disarme the tongues of malicious slanderous persons and deprive them of their viperous speech by an innocent life So how will you take away the sting of death watch against Sin take away sinne and you take away the power from Death set upon Sin and Death is overcome so much sinne as is now dead so much is Death conquered I beseech you seriously consider these particulars First that it will not be long ere Death knocke at these dores of ours these houses of clay must shortly be ruinated wee must certainly be resolved into dust What is this life of ours but as a ship that is driven by a gale of breath When the breath of man ceaseth the ship lieth in a dead calme Man goeth to his long home saith Solomon and the mourners follow in the streets Death is our long home wee all are the mourners wee follow in the streetes This dead carcasse is an example that leads us to our home and a sermon to tell us that we must follow we follow now in a charitable expression but we shall follow one day in paying of the
same debt Looke overall the times of the world and the dispositions of persons looke over learning and folly greatnesse or poorenesse find me a man that escaped Death Die we must and we have need to have this much pressed upon us for it is a hard matter to beleeve that we must die that I must be the man that must die common notions of Death are granted but that I must die and lie in the dust and stand before God it is a hard matter to beleeve this And consider this secondly that Death will be terrible to thee if he knocke and find a sting in thee Thou that now wilt not be reclaimed from swearing Alas what will become of that blaspheming soule of thine when Death shall come and find a sting of blasphemy in thee How darest thou thinke of giving up that swearing soule of thine to the Judge of heaven and earth Thou unrighteous person that wilt not sanctifie the Lords day how darest thou give up that unholy soule of thine to the holy God Dost thou thinke to have an eternall rest in heaven and wilt not give God a rest here So I might say for all kind of sinners Thinke of this take heed lest Death find a sting in thee for all the sting that Death hath it findeth in thy selfe looke to it thy condition will be fearfull if Death come and find Sin unmortified unrepented of in thee God will certainly bring thee to judgement for every thought and word and action Thirdly consider this that naturally we are so tempered that if Death come he shall find his weapons and strength in us in every man of us I meane considered naturally But how shall I know whether Death when he commeth shall find a sting in me or no I will only give you two tryals you shall know it thus First if thy conscience now sting thee for some approved sinne if thou repent not Death will assuredly meet thee with a sting that approved sinne of thine will be the sting of death Conscience will sting a man either for the act done or for the approbation of the act if conscience sting a man for his approbation of a sinfull qualitie or for a sinfull course if a man continue in that course surely that will be the sting of death to his soule therefore looke to thy selfe perhaps thou art convicted of such a sinne perhaps thy conscience hath so wrought on thee that it hath stung thee for such a sinne thou yet approvest thy selfe in it and thou wilt goe on in thy pride still in such and such sinnes stil thou wilt doe so doe but know this that stand thou never so much upon thy resolution Death will certainly come and if he find thee in such a sinne against thy conscience thou hast reserved in thy selfe a sting for Death Secondly a man shall know if Death come with a sting by this tryall that Solomon giveth us in Eccles. 11. 9. Rejoyce oh young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thy heart and sight of thine eyes but know that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement If thou live a voluptuous life Death will certainly come with a sting Dives hee lived a voluptuous life had he not a sting for it So others in Scripture did not their plentifull tables and voluptuous courses bring a sting on them A voluptuous life makes a sting for Death When a poore wretch is a dying and shall begin to reflect backe on his life what have I done how have I lived so much time I have spent or mispent inapparell in vanitie in eating in drinking in swaggering What comfort is this to his soule how can he answer this before God this is the very thing that will sting him at such a day when he can reade nothing in his life but barrennesse and unfruitfulnesse nothing that hath honoured God in all his life Certainly my brethren if there be an Epicurious voluptuous life this life will provide a sting for Death Alas you will say Is it so then we may feare that Death will seize on us thus for we confesse we have gone on in a voluptuous life gone on in sinne that our conscience hath condemned us for how shall we doe to pull out this sting I would to God you were thus affected that you were convicted what a fearfull thing it will be if sinne remaine But wouldest thou have the sting of death pulled out before death come 1. How shall I disarme it that I may looke death in the face with comfort I shall give you some wayes and meanes remember them and practise them First get but a part in Christ and the sting of death is gone thankes bee to God saith the Apostle here that hath given us victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. It is he that in the Revelation is said to have the keyes of Hell and of Death they are under his command and subjection he is victorious over them hee hath vanquished them so that if a man have Christ he hath victorie and power over Hell and Death I told you in the beginning that that which giveth a sting to Death is the guilt of sinne It is so and it is a fearfull sting Now that which takes away the guilt of sinne is Christ. If Christ be mine I have enovgh to answer the guilt of sinne Therefore the Apostle saith Death cannot separate from the love of God in Christ What shall then Indeed nothing it is not the guilt of his sinnes Christ hath satisfied from them So that if thou wilt have the sting of death out get faith in Christ if thou be not hidden in the clefts of that Rock in the bloud of Christ if Christ be not thy Justification and thy righteousnesse what hast thou to answer the Justice of God you must die and stand before God and how can you stand before God in your sinnes you cannot without Christ why doe you not then studie more for Christ Why doe you not labour for faith in him It will be your wisedome to labour earnestly to make sure of him if you have him the sting of death is gone Death cannot hurt a person that hath Christ. Get faith in Christ therefore that is the first Secondly if you would not have Death terrible and fearfull to you labour for sincerity My brethren it is a marvellous thing and yet the truth uprightnesse and sincerity of heart it is an enabling grace All the particular things that we account particular otherwise they have not an inabling vertue in them Some persons have a great deale of learning and wit and many friends much riches and the like yet there commeth an occasion sometimes that puzzleth all these there commeth an occasion sometime that a mans learning is of no use and naturall parts and wit cannot helpe and riches cannot inable him What time
such meditations No man can live well till he can die well Hee that is prepared for Death is certainly freed from the danger of death neither is there any so fit a way to bee ready for it as to be often minded of it Therefore I have made choice at this time to speake of this verse wherein ye see the Apostle declareth and leadeth us to treat of foure things First that there is a Death Secondly that this Death is an enemie Thirdly that this enemie is the last enemie Lastly that this least enemie shall be destroyed A word or two of each of these parts First Death is Yee know that well enough your eyes shew it you daily our senses declare it so plainly that no man is so senslesse that knoweth it not It is agreed upon by all Only for your better furtherance to make use of this point let us acquaint you with that which nature will teach yee concerning Death Secondly with that which Scripture will teach you above and better then Nature Nature sheweth yee concerning Death first what it is And then Secondly what Properties it hath It telleth us this That Death is an absence from life a ceasing from beeing when one was beeing to be thrust as it were out of the present world and be cast some where This is all that Nature informeth us concerning the Essence and beeing of Death Death is a dividing of us from this life and from the things of this life and sends us abroad we know not where Secondly Nature teacheth us three Properties concerning Death One that it is universall It hath tied all to it high and low rich and poore Death knockes at the Princes pallace as well as at the poore habitation of the meanest man It is a thing that respects no mans greatnesse it regardeth no wealth nor wit nothing Death takes all before it That Nature teacheth too Secondly Nature teacheth that Death is inevitable If a man would give all the world he cannot thrust it out of dores It takes whole Armies aswell as one man It scorneth to bee resisted by the Phisitians there is no words no meanes to escape it It is such an enemie as we must grapple with and it will conquer This Nature teacheth Againe Nature teacheth that death is uncertaine A man knoweth not when Death will come to him or when it will lay hold on him or by what meanes it will fetch him out of the world It may fetch him out of the world at any time or in any place and by such occasion as it is impossible for any wit to thinke of before This is in substance all that Nature teacheth And the knowledge of this it is for good use aswell to remember and consider it as to understand it But now I goe on to tell yee what the Scripture teacheth concerning Death for that giveth a perfecter and larger information of the thing then the dimme light of Nature The Scripture then over and above that which Nature sheweth telleth us concerning Death these things First it sheweth better what it is and then It sheweth whence it commeth and what are the causes of it Thirdly it declareth the consequences what follow upon it And lastly and bestly it telleth us the remedie against the ill of Death In all which Nature stumbleth and can doe little or nothing First the Scripture telleth us what it is It letteth us know that it is the disolution of a man not the annihilation It doth not make him cease to bee but takes asunder a while the soule from the body It carrieth the one to the earth and the other to another world so that both continue to bee though they be not united as before The word of God teacheth us that he hath created the world as it were a house of three Stories The middle is this present life where we be And there is a lower place the Dungeon a place of unhappinesse and destruction There is a higher place a pallace of glory According as men behave themselves in this middle roome so Death either leadeth them downe to the place of unhappinesse or conveyeth them up to the pallace of glory and blessednesse This Nature is ignorant of but the Scripture is plaine in The rich man dieth and his soule is carried to Hell the poore man when he died his soule was advanced to Heaven So that Death is nothing but the messenger of God to take the soule out of the body and to convey it to a place of more happinesse or more miserie then can be conceived Secondly the Scripture acquaints us further with the cause of death Philosophers wondred since nature desireth a perpetuitie and continuance of it selfe that man should be so short a time in the world The Scripture endeth this wonderment and tels us that man indeed was made immortall to continue for ever and should not have died but sinne came into the world and by sin death Death is the mother of sinne and of all miserie that by little and little draweth to death I say sinne the first sinne of our first Parents whereby they transgressed that most easie and equall mandate about eating the forbidden fruit That transgression that was the treading under foot the covenant of workes and the disanulling of it that sinne let in Death at a great Gappe and now it triumpheth and beareth rule over all the world Nature cannot tell which way in the world a man should die so soone and that hee that is the Lord of all creatures should bee inferiour to a great number of them in length of life But the word of God unridleth this riddle and telleth us that God made man that hee might and should have lived for ever but Sinne comming and comming in the person of the first man it brought death and made all men mortall and when sinne entred Gods curse came and that working upon us poore and miserable creatures it is the cause that we cannot continue long here It was equall that death should follow sinne for since God made man to obey his will when man had unfitted himselfe for Gods service it was reason that he should have a short continance of life for the longer he endured the more he would abuse himselfe Yee see then two things that the Scripture teacheth concerning death The third thing it sheweth is what followeth after death and that is plaine It is appointed for all men once to die and after death commeth judgement Nature never dreamed of judgement after Death but the Scripture telleth us there is a Judgement after Death Judgement what is that Judgement yee know is a calling of a man before Authoritie a looking into his wayes a considering of his actions a finding out whether hee be a sinner an evill doer and if hee find him so to passe sentence according to his evill deeds When God hath tooke the soule from the body hee takes the soule first
and after both soule and body and presents them before his owne Tribunall and there searcheth into every mans life ransacks his conscience lookes deepe into his conversation and inquireth into his secrets openeth his actions and whole carriage from his infancie to his last breath and findeth out the things that hee hath done and passeth sentence according to that he hath done This Judgement hath two degrees First assoone as a man dieth No sooner is the soule separated from this case as it were the bodie but instantly it is presented before the Lord Jesus Christ and there he passeth sentence either that it is a true beleever a godly liver a person united to Christ that walked as becommeth the Gospell of Christ and then it receiveth glory and joy and blisse for the present more then tongue expresse Or else it findeth against him that he was a sinfull man a wicked man a hypocrite a dissembler one that named Christ with his tongue but did not depart from iniquitie nor live according to the Gospell of Christ and then he is delivered up to Sathan to bee hurried downe to Hell and there to suffer the wrath of God according to the desert of so great wickednesse This particular judgement passeth upon every soule assoone as it leaveth the Body Then followeth the great universall Judgement when soule and body shall be reunited and stand before God every particular man that ever hath beene is or shall be every man shall appeare in their owne persons their whole lives shall be laied open all secret things shall bee made knowne for God saith the Apostle shall judge the secrets of all hearts by Iesus Christ according to my Gospell This is the third thing that the word of God informeth us concerning death that nature could never doe The last that is the best the Scripture giveth us a remedie against the ill of Death It is a pittifull thing to heare of mortallity and sicknesse if there were not a good Potion or Phisicke prescribed to escape the ill of it To heare tell of Death and so tell as the Scripture saith that it is a going to another world of weale or woe and not to heare of a remedie it is wofull tydings and would wring teares from a hard heart But the Scripture makes report of death not onely tollerable and easie but comfortable and gladsome to a Christian heart for it sheweth by whom and by what meanes we may infallibly and certainly escape all the hurt that Death can doe Nay by what meanes we may order our selves so that Death may be beneficiall to us What is that In one short word It is Christ I am the resurrection and the life hee that beleeveth in mee shall never see death Hee meaneth to hurt himselfe Againe This is the message that God hath given us life and this life is in his Sonne And Hee that hath the Sonne hath life Our Saviour Jesus Christ came into the world as the Apostle telleth us that hee might destroy him that had the power of death and so set them at libertie that all their life-time were in bondage under the feare of death And Saint Iohn saith Hee came into the world to destroy the workes of the divell which are sinne and death So that now Death hath lost his sting because Christ overcame it in dying hee slue Death and was the death of Death this man Christ God and Man hee offered himselfe to his Father as a Sacrifice for the sinnes of the world and dying a cursed death upon the Crosse so satisfied the justice of God on the behalfe of all those that are in him that death can doe them no harme It is nothing else but a passage to eternall blessednesse Oh blessed be the name of God that hath beene pleased to provide so perfect a remedie against so mortall an enemie and to lay it open so clearely and plainly in the Gospell Yee have heard of those things that I thought to put yee in mind of concerning Death and so I have done with the first point The second is That Death is an enemie Therefore the Apostle Paul telleth us of a certaine sting it hath Oh Death where is thy sting It is an armed enemie it commeth as a Serpent with a sting that entreth into a mans soule putteth it to extreame perplexitie if he takes not order to disarme this enemie An enemie yee know is a person that setteth himselfe wilfully to hurt a man may hurt his neighbour either through indiscretion or unadvisednesse against his will or hee may lay waite to doe him hurt intending mischiefe and seeking to performe somewhat that shall bee injurious to him Wee call not him an enemie that we receive a little hurt from against his will contrary to his purpose and intention but he that studieth and beforehand desireth to be an enemie Now Death as we may say studieth our hurt in all extremitie before-hand There is but two sorts of hurt that can come to a man One is to deprive him of that which is beneficiall and comfortable to robbe him of all that is contentfull to him in this life As when a company of Foes breake into a Nation they burne their goods and spoile their houses and robbe and take away all that is comfortable to them so much as they can Death is such an enemie It desireth to bereave a man of that necessarie contentment hee hath When it meeteth with a learned man it takes away all his learning at one blow assoone as he is dead hee ceaseth to bee a great scholler It commeth to a rich man and robbes him of all his goods at one blow too though he have millions Death causeth all to be another mans When it commeth to a King it pulleth him beside his Throne takes his Crowne off his head and casteth both him and it into the dust hee is king no longer when hee is dead And so in all the benefits of this life it takes away the pleasure and contentments of a man it takes away the husband from the wife and the wife from the husband it divideth children from Parents and Parents from children all the benefits that this life afford death strippeth a man of them all and turnes him naked out of the world just as hee came hee must goe and carry nothing in his hand Death will not admit him to take one farthing or any thing else with him So he is an enemie for hee spoileth us of whatsoever is desirable in this life But he is an enemie also in inflicting a great deale of ill upon men So death bringeth torment for the present It is a terrible thing to wrestle with it makes a man bleed and sweat as it were No man can incounter with death but he feeleth anxietie and vexation of body and minde unlesse hee have comfort from above to enable him to wrestle with it but in his owne proper nature it is so furious
there grow a Fig-tree or Ivy out of the house that it spread the root through the chinckes and partitions of the wall a man that cuts downe the Fig-tree shall not profit for it is so fast rooted in the wall and in the chinkes that either hee must pull downe the wall or else it will not die Therefore a wise man will pull down his house and root out the Fig-tree and then set up stones and and there erect the house beautifull and so both are preserved he hath his end in both both the house is rebuilt and the Ivy consumed and rooted out So it is in case of sinne there is the house we carry about us the building the temple of our body the house is man himselfe sinne is the fig-tree it is such a fig-tree as insinuateth it selfe betweene every chinke and partition in our nature there is somewhat corrupt in every facultie of the soule and it sheweth the fruit in every part of the body that is an instrument of sin it hath so wound it selfe in that the fig-tree cannot be destroyed cannot be pulled out except the house be dissolved there must be a pulling downe of the Temple therefore God in wisedome by Death he takes the temple the house in peeces and then the fig-tree may be pulled out and then he erects the wall of that house more glorious then before it was throwne downe while the fig-tree was in it while sinne was in it it is raised up without it that is that the Apostle saith Corruption shall put on incorruption and mortalitie shall put on immortalitie the body that is sowne a naturall body it shall bee raised a spirituall it is sowne in dishonour it shall be raised in glory God therefore takes them away from the evill of sinne hee dissolveth the body that hee may purifie it and cloath it with immortalitie that it may be a purer body then when it was first presented in nature at the first Creation We see hereby what those good things are that Death bringeth It bringeth immunitie from the evill of suffering God takes away mercifull men that they see not that they suffer not And it bringeth immunitie from sinne that they doe not see it that they doe not commit it The use is a Pillar of confidence not to bee afraid of Death who would feare that which makes for his perfection that is the meanes of his translation to happinesse And in respect of others not to mourne for them that are tooke away out of this world as those that are without hope they are not tooke away but translated they are removed for their advantage for the better Elijah was removed from earth to heaven in a firie chariot shall Elisha weepe because hee enjoyeth him not No he is tooke from earth to heaven Ioseph was sold into Aegypt but it was to be a Ruler God intended that it is the same reason God translates us out of the world to give us the end of our hope even the salvation of our soules Shall we mourne as men without hope God takes them out of a valley of teares shall we mourne unsatiably for those that are tooke out of the valley of teares let us not bring their memory to the valley of teares they are past it God takes them from evill to good to the best good the good of immortalitie and eternitie the good of the enjoying of God of that that eye hath not seene nor eare hath heard It is true that when we see any impenitent man die any man die in his sinnes there is just cause of mourning That was the course that David observed he lost two sonnes Absolom a wicked sonne he mourned for him he lost the child that was begotten in adulterie for the life of which he prayed he mourned not for the childes departure and Saint Ambrose giveth the reason well he had a good hope and assurance that the child was translated to a better estate he doubted of Absolom he died in his sinnes therefore he mourned for him for his death not for the childes So when we see any die in his sinnes there is cause then of teares and of excessive teares then David crieth Absolom oh my sonne my sonne But if there be good evidences of a Saint translated to glory shall we mourne as men without hope As Saint Ierom speakes to Paula mourning for her daughter Art thou angrie Paula because I have made thy child mine Hee bringeth in God speaking thus dost thou envie me my owne possession my owne creature It is true for the state of an impenitent man he hath his good things here and his evill to come after there is cause of mourning for that he is translated from good to ill his heaven is in this world his heaven is in his treasure in his riches in his chests and upon his table and as he enjoyed a heaven here so hee must not looke for it after there is a place of another condition his heaven is here his hell after But the penitent and contrite his ill is here and his good after his hell is in this world in suffering and in mortifying the flesh in wrestling with sinne in incountring with tentations here is his hell and his torments but after commeth his heaven and his blisse so he is translated from bad to good he is tooke away from the evill to come So here is the meaning of all I have shewed first the meaning of the three phrases The second thing I propound is this What the Prophet bemoaneth and makes lamentation for and these mercifull men for if they be tooke away from evill present and evill to come evill corporall and spirituall sufferings extraordinary plague and famine sufferings ordinary sicknesse and tentation if it be so that no sinne shall fall upon them to destruction no tentation fall on them to destroy them here much lesse afterward if they be tooke from all these evils how commeth the Prophet to make lamentation that mercifull men are taken away from the evill to come for hee speakes it mourningly It is one sufficient reason he mourneth over them because others did not But there are two reasons that are more speciall There is the losse of the godly man for the present when hee is taken away that is a thing to be lamented And the danger of the world in respect of the losse of a godly man First the losse of a godly man that is a great punishment that God sendeth on a place there is a great losse to those that survive The losse of their example they shine as lights there is a Taper a Candle taken away Yee rejoyced to walke in his light saith Christ to the Iewes concerning Iohn there was a light not only of Iohns Doctrine but of his example whereby those that heard him walked There is the light of grace set up in the life of the Saints of God they are as a Taper to guide us in
hee wrote from immoderate sorrow for them that were departed this life revealeth to them certaine comfortable truths concerning the Resurrection from the dead telling them that death it selfe is but as a sleepe whence they shall be raised at the last day by the voyce of the Archangell c. In the beginning of this Chapter hee prevents an objection that some might make For having fallen upon the discourse of the Resurrection hee well knew the curiositie of mans nature that leaves those things that are most profitable to enquire after such things that God hath hid and therfore some men might say Since there shall be such a time and such a change when will those times and seasons be When shall that great day of the Resurrection come when all shall bee brought together Of the times and seasons brethren saith the Apostle yee have no need that I write unto you verse 1. As if hee should say this is no needfull no necessarie thing for you to enquire into or for mee to tell you rather let us fall upon those things that are necessarie and usefull for neither you nor I can tell the particular time when that shall be yet know this that very suddenly such a time shall come and that when the world least thinkes of it The suddennesse hereof he setteth downe by a twofold comparison First by the comming of a thiefe in the night Your selves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so commeth as a theefe in the nighâ—… verse 2. Secondly by the travaile that commeth upon a woman with child When they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction commeth upon them as travaile upon a woman with child and they shall not escape This latter is that I have made choyce of at this time for my Text. A little for the explanation of the words When they shall say peace and safety The Apostle intendeth noâ—… to condemne either the speaking of peace to the children of peace or their rejoycing in that peace they have But that which he condemneth is that they cry peace to themselves whom God denounceth warre against Men that goe on in a course of sinning and in securitie and yet will perswade themselves that all shall be well with them in the end these are the men upon whom Death shall come thus suddenly and upon whom the Judgement day shall come thus unexpected When they shall say peace and safety that is when they are living in their sinnes walking on in their rebellions against God and shall yet be flattering themselves that it shall bee well with them notwithstanding this then shall Judgement come upon them then sudden destruction commeth By destruction here he meaneth not the destruction of the body or the soule the destruction of their beeing For the Soule even after the death of the body shall have a beeing and the body also shall be restored againe to its beeing and parts in the resurrection from the dead It were happy for wicked and ungodly men if there should be such a destruction of their beeing as that they should cease to bee any more for then this body the members whereof have beene the servants of sinne should not be tormented in Hell and then this Soule of theirs that hath set all the body on worke in the service of sinne it should not be sensible of that anguish that shall cause gnashing of teeth It were well I say for them if there should be such a destruction it is that which if they might have their desire they would wish above all things in the world But it will not bee such a destruction it shall bee worse with them It shall only be the destruction of their joy and comfort of all their contentments of all those things wherein they solaced and flattered themselves upon earth all these things shall bee destroyed Their riches that fed their lusts shall be destroyed and their company that incouraged them in sinne shall bee destroyed and all things wherein they have delighted themselves here upon earth shall be destroyed the whole earth shall bee burnt with fire before them And beside this that same chearefulnesse of spirrit and that free disposition whereby they incouraged themselves in the wayes of their pride or whatsoever else it was that made them seeme some body on earth all this shall cease and faile them and forsake them There shall be no mirth no wisedome no courage no friends no wealth no houses no apparell nothing to pride and delight themselves in there shall be an utter destruction of all these things Then shall destruction come upon them As paine upon a woman with child This sheweth the manner the kind of their destruction that shall come upon them It shall be first a sudden destruction it shall not give them warning either of the time or place as it falleth out with a woman with child her travell may come upon her in the street at the table when shee is talking c. So shall destruction come suddenly upon them they shall have no more warning then these generall warnings that they have in the preaching of the Word Secondly it shall bee a painfull destruction full of miserie and sorrow as travaile on a woman with a child And then thirdly It shall bee an inevitable destruction such a destruction as they shall never avoide All their wit friends power strength wealth or whatsoever else they have cannot put off the stroke of Judgement that shall come upon them as all the devices a woman hath cannot make her escape her travaile when it commeth So then the meaning of the words are as if the Apostle should have said When wicked and ungodly men in a course of sinne shall crie peace to themselves and flatter themselves in their rebellious courses then shall a sudden a painfull an inevitable destruction of all their comfort of all their props and hopes and helpes fall upon them In the words you have a twofold description First of the state and condition of the men of the world when Christ shall come to Iudgement Hee shall find all the world at rest As the Angell that stood among the myrtle trees spake in the 1 Zachar. 11. Wee have walked to and fro through the earth and behold all the earth sitteth still and is at rest Hee shall find all the men of the world in peace every man applauding himselfe in some vaine conceit in some hope and confidence or other They shall cry peace Secondly here is the consequent that followeth upon the vaine flatterie of themselves Then shall destruction come upon them And that destruction is farther described and amplified by a comparison taken from a woman with childe to declare the suddainnesse the painfulnesse the unavoidablenesse of it Thus you have the opening of the words Let us now come to the points of instruction that may be raised hence First here you may see and he that runnes may read
thinke of some way how wee might shift and shun it but it is beyond the kenne of our eyes we are no more able to see that then the Ayre being therefore out of sight it is out of our reach we know not how to grapple with it we know not with what weapons to encounter it And a Spirituall Enemie I call it because though it seize on the body it strikes at the soule By Gods decree the death of the soule is a concommitant of the death of the Body and were it not by Gods mercy reverst they would still come like lightning and thunder and strike both together Againe it is a spirituall enemie because it fighteth against us in the strength of sinne It commeth armed with a Sting the sting of death is sinne Some make question whether if Adam had never sinned he should ever have died But me-thinkes the Apostle Saint Paul putteth it out of qustion By one mans disobedience sinne came into the world and by sinne death All those Death 's that S. Austin reckoneth up First when the soule is deprived of God separated from him Secondly when the body is separated from the soule Thirdly when the Soule is separated from the body and from God and suffereth torments for a time Lastly when the soule is separated from God and rejoyned to the body to suffer torments eternally All these are the recompence and reward of sinne Therefore Death comming and being an Enemie thus armed whatsoever kind of death it be we may well say it is a spirituall enemie and the more spirituall the more dangerous Fourthly and lastly it is a continuall Enemie And it is the more dangerous for that It laies hold of us in the wombe and never leaves us till it hath brought us to the Grave Beloved wee doe not only die when we die but all the time we live assoone as wee begin to live we begin to die As Seneca saith Every day wee die because every day some part of our life is gone As a Candle it is no sooner lighted but presently it begins to waste as an houre-glasse it is no sooner turned but presently the sand begins to runne out So our life it is no sooner breathed but presently it begins to vapour out As the Sea what it gaineth in one place it loseth in another so our life what we gaine one way wee lose it in another looke what is added to it so much is tooke from it the longer a man liveth the lesse he hath to live Death doth by us as Iacob did by Esau catcheth us in the wombe and never leaveth us So wee see it is a Common a Secret a Spirituall a Continuall Enemie Next we are to consider How and wherein Death sheweth it selfe an Enemie What Death deserveth at our hands to bee thus accounted and feared Fearfull and terrible it is that is certaine So Aristotle It is the most terrible of all terribles Bildad in Iob calleth it the King of terrours What doth Death bring with it to make it fearfull I answer Death hath sundrie concomitants and companions that attend it that make it a formidable Enemie First the Harbingers that come along with it Sicknesses and diseases infirmities old age and difficulties These are all fearfull to nature and through feare of these Death keepeth men all their life in bondage They make our lives as it were a life rather like a life then a life indeed So that howsoever the Apostle said in another place as it were dying and Behold wee live There Death hath the tanquam and life the Ecce yet here we may say as it were living and behold wee die here life hath the tanquam and Death the Ecce Life is but as it were a life it is but the shadow of a life that man walketh in Man walketh in a vaine shadow and disquieteth himselfe in vaine It is true it lighteth not on all alike some it commeth on as a Lyon and breaking their bones from morning to evening it makes an end of them to others it is as a Moth in the garment secretly in their lives by degrees insensibly pining and consuming them Howsoever what Harbinger soever it bringeth it visiteth us with many touches and twitches before it come falling pell-mell thicke and three-fold on us when they come In respect of these it may be said to be an Enemie Secondly the dissolution that Death bringeth For it dissolveth the frame of nature It divorceth and separateth the soule from the Bodie those two companions that have lived so lovingly together and perhaps have lived a long time together This is another thing that makes Death looke like an Enemie Friends and companions that have lived long together are loth to part wee see in experience old folke commonly are more loth to part when they are old then when they are young Now there is none neerer then the soule and bodie there is none have lived so long or so loving it must needs be tedious for these to part and be an affliction and vexation when neither the body can longer retaine the fleeting soule or the soule longer sustaine the drouping body Therefore in respect of this also Death being the cause of this no marvell though nature reluctate and we looke upon it as on the face of an Enemie Thirdly the horrour of the Grave The men of Darknesse as Iob calleth it the place of oblivion the pit of stinch and rottennesse this is another thing that nature shrinketh and relucts at For there we must burie out of our sight that that once was the delight of our eyes as Ezekiel said by his wife And though it were never so lovely before yet it quickly becommeth loathsome Our Beds must be made in darknesse where corruption and wormes must be the Mattresse and Coverled to lie under us and spread over us Thou shalt say to Corruption thou art my father and to the worme thou art my mother and my sister That bodie of thine that God in the wombe so wonderfully made that thou all thy life-time peradventure hast delicately cherished lapped in Silke in Furre pampered with sweet wines Death as a proud Tyrant will set his foot upon it and throw thee downe to the horrid dungeon where thy flesh shall putrifie and thy bones rot and the beauty of it though sometime it were as the Rose and the Lilly of the field shall soone become as loathsome as the dung in the streets This is another thing that makes the face of Death dreadful and terrible when we thinke of such privations and annihilations as these thaâ—… wee shall come from a beeing to no beeing These cannot but make Death looke with the face of an Enemie Fourthly The losse and deprivation of all worldly contentments and worldly imployments that is another thing that makes Death terrible and fearfull to us Looke whatsoever contentment wee tooke in any thing here we must bid
on his thigh and saith with Ieremie Woe to mee because I have sinned Secondly to this Sorrow must bee joyned acknowledgement and confession of sinne to Almighty God for so witnesseth the Wise-man Prov. 28. If wee confesse and leave our sinnes wee shall have mercy So David saith Psal. 32. 3 4. I said I will confesse my sinnes and thou forgavest the iniquitie of my sinne And Saint Iohn telleth us in his 1. Epist. 1. 9. If wee confesse our sinnes God is faithfull and true to forgive us our sinnes So you see Confession as well as sorrow absolutely required to obtaine remission A man must even Arraigne and as it were indite himselfe before God plead guiltie acknowledge his trespasse whatsoever it bee and judge himselfe worthy to bee destroyed for them or else hee repents not though he weepe out his eyes with mourning and lamentation The third thing requisite is a firme purpose of amendment of life Whosoever will have God to accept his teares and bend a favourable eare to his humiliation and acknowledgement he must so acknowledge what evill hee hath already done that he put on a stedfast purpose of doing so no more according to the direction that our Saviour Christ giveth to the man that hee had healed Ioh. 5. Goe thy way and sinne no more and as Saint Paul speakes Let him that stole steale no more And therefore the Wiseman putteth on this part to the former in the before alledged place If wee confesse our sinnes and leave them wee shall find mercie There must be I say a settled purpose and a fixed flat determination in the soule of every man to cast off those transgressions that hee hath confest and to returne no more to commit them atleast not to allow those sinnes that he hath acknowledged Lastly there must be added to the former three or else they will not availe neither an earnest supplication to God for mercy and forgivenesse through the mediation of his welbeloved Son Jesus Christ which was wont to bee craving mercie without this mentioning of Christ before hee was offered and revealed to the world But now it must be so done as wee must specially and particularly preferre our thoughts and desires to him in begging mercie at his Fathers hands for his sake alone So David after the numbring of the people I have done exceeding foolishly but Lord blot out forgive the sinne of thy servant So God commandeth Hos. 14. 2. Take to you words and say to the Lord receive us graciously So did David when he renewed his repentance and so must all men doe when they begin to repent Have mercy upon mee according to the multitude of thy mercies and blot out my transgressions c. These are the parts of repentace And this is the first thing required at our hands as the condition of the Covenant of Grace without which wee can never obtaine life eternall And this repentance consisteth of sorrow for sinne and acknowledgement of it to God with a firme purpose of amendment and earnest petition of pardon for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is such a Doctrine as the Covenant of workes the Law never taught to the sonnes of men Nay verily it will not admit it the Law scornes as it were to admit repentance for it excludeth sinne Repentance implieth sinne in all the degrees and kindes therefore it is farre from accepting Repentance If thou hast once broke the Law repent or not repent Amend or not amend be sorry or not sorry thou shalt never be pardoned or forgiven It is a rough and sterne Schoolemaster that will whip and scourge offending children though they crave pardon never so much It is a rough Creditour that will throttle the Debtour and cast him into Prison though he confesse the debt and be never so importunate in asking favour and patience But the Covenant of Grace it is a sweet Doctrine a comfortable Doctrine Thou hast sinned oh man and broken the Law and fallen from the favour of God and all possibility of salvation in thy selfe but come be sorry for thy sinne acknowledge it to thy Maker resolve to runne on in it no longer crie to him for pardon of it hee will graciously pardon thee This is a sweet Doctrine you see full of comfort and consolation yet it is a Doctrine that tendeth to the honour of the Justice of God as well as to the honour of his grace and love the Lord could not prâ—…cribe other conditions for receiving us to favour but that wee shâ—…ld repent What Judge would so abuse mercie as having past the â—…entence of death upon a Malefactour will yet pardon him 〈◊〉 save him from the halter if he be not sorry for his crime and â—…me and intreat for mercie and favour and confesse that hee hath offended and promise never to doe so againe there is no mercy and pardon for such a one because mercie must not oppose Justice though it may somewhat as we may say mittigate Justice The bloud of Christ if it were shed tenne thousand times over it could never corrupt the Justice of God it may satisfie it but not corrupt it now the Justice of God were corrupted if it should admit an impenitent and hard-hearted sinner to favour and bestow upon him remission of sinnes and life everlasting that would never leave it nor forsake it nor bee sorry for it but still goe on to offend God and trample under foot his authoritie this being contrary to Justice in the very nature and essence of Justice it cannot possibly bee effected no not by the shedding of the bloud of Christ the bloud of Christ is of that value that it satisfieth the Justice of God and causeth him upon the penitence and humiliation of a sinner to receive him to grace and favour You see now what is the first part of the Condition required on our side for the obtaining of life by Christ that is Repentance The next is Faith in Christ. This wee are taught every where If thou beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ saith the Apostle to the trembling Jaylour thou shalt bee saved And saith our Saviour this is the worke of God that yee beleeve on him whom hee hath sent This beleeving on Christ is I suppose nothing else but a staying and resting and depending and relying upon the merits and satisfaction of our blessed Saviour by the vertue and merit thereof to obtaine remission of sinnes and eternall life and all good things promised in the New Covenant at the hands of God He that goeth quite out of himselfe forgetteth all his owne actions casteth behind him whatsoever seemed good in him and wholly claspeth on Christ and cleaveth to him staieth on him resteth on him for the remission of sinnes and for the favour of God and for grace and salvation this man beleeveth in the Lord Jesus Christ and this man performes that dutie which makes him one with
cloudie to us but then God will manifest himselfe before men and Angels Then those wayes and workes of God against which the hearts of unsanctified men have boyled shall appeare to be as they are holy and good and righteous to their condemnation and terrour Yet further The particular Judgement that God inflicts upon men in this life may prove the universall The burning of Sodom and Gomorrah the drowning of the old World the plaguing of Egypt and the desolation of Ierusalem These shew the infinite hatred of God against sinne therefore no doubt hee will take a time to revenge himselfe of the impenitent amongst the sonnes of men because of their sinnes Lastly the consciences of men may prove that there shall bee a Judgement For let a man commit secret sinnes thatnone knoweth but God and hee yet many times hee feeleth hellish horrour which is a manifest proofe that conscience seeth and apprehendeth God as the supreame Judge that will call all men to an account for their sinnes Thus you heare the reasons why there must be a Judgement The manner of this Judgement consisteth in these particulars First it shall bee the last judgement after which there shall bee no other which declareth the terriblenesse of it In this life while there is life there is hope Let the wicked forsake his wayes and turne to the Lord hee will be gracious to him But then the sentence shall not be reverst then there can be no appeale from that Judge and judgement Againe it shall bee a Generall Iudgement which is the second thing God judgeth in this world and that both in life and in death Hee judgeth in life by chastising his children for their faults and avenging himselfe upon his enemies Hee judgeth every man at death But then there shall be a Generall Judgement of all 2 Cor. 10. Wee must all appeare before the Iudgement seat of Christ. In the third place It shall be a manifest Iudgement Sometime the Lord judgeth men secretly by raising up in them feares and horrours in their hearts causing his curse in them as water in their bowels and oyle in their bones But then God shall open his wrath against the children of wrath before a world of men and no eye shall pitty them Fourthly it shall bee a sudden judgement Even as the flood came upon the old World when they were sporting themselves and deryding Noah that preached to them of the flood so shall the fire come upon the World that shall passe before the face of Christ when he shall judge the quicke and the dead As a snare saith Christ shall it come upon all that dwell upon the earth When the Fowler layeth a snare to take a Bird hee giveth not warning to the Bird but surprizeth it suddenly so will Christ Jesus surprize the sonnes of men suddenly beyond their expectation The Evangelist saith hee shall come as a theefe in the night A theefe knocks not he giveth not warning so Christ Jesus beyond the thoughts of men will bee on them suddenly before they are aware by his dreadfull Judgement Fifthly it shall be a most righteous judgement Then God as the Apostle faith Rom. 2. will render to every man according to his deedes Hee will not regard the face of any Hee will not bee brybed by wealth or reward Hee will not heare the testimony of the world for the wicked or against the godly but deale impartially and give to every one according to his doings Lastly It shall be an Eternall judgement So saith the Apostle Heb. 6. 2. The meaning is not that God shall sit for ever sifting matters and surveying causes but it is so called from the effect for the conclusion shall be this the Eternall weale and happinesse of the godly and the eternall woe and miserie of the wicked that shall be plunged by the justice of God into the severest torments The Use of this Doctrine First it serveth as a preservative against temptation for so Solomon hath made it in the Text a preservative and bridle to young men God will bring thee to judgement saith he and let me make it so to you When Sathan tempteth you to sinne remember God will call you to Judgement even for those faults for which you may possibly escape the penaltie of men yet notwithstanding it is impossible for you to avoide the righteous Judgement of God If Sathan would have thee doe any thing that the word of God and thy owne conscience sheweth thee to be hatefull and wicked in the sight of God say to him No no God will bring me to Judgement This is the policie of our Adversarie when hee induceth us to evill hee makes sinne sweet and pleasant to us but it should bee our wisedome to make sinne bitter and loathsome even in this meditation God will bring us to Iudgement for the same The Apostle saith Resist the divell and hee will flie from you But how must we resist him not by arguments of our owne making but by arguments of the word of God and amongst other weapons remember to lift up this when Sathan would have thee sinne say No no God will bring mee to judgement When the Divell solicited Eve and circumvented her shee spake in the Serpent to Sathan concerning the Judgement of God Wee may eate saith shee of all the trees of the Garden but not of the tree in the middest of the Garden least wee die here shee brought an argument from the judgement of God but here was her weaknesse shee presently let it fall It should bee otherwise with us when Sathan tempts us let us say we shall die and be condemned for sinne say so and continue in it If any revolt from the truth he professeth he shall die in his sinne If any man disquiet the people of God by vexation or oppression hee shall die in his sinne If any man bee a drunkard or Epicure hee shall die in his sinne If any man be a whoremonger or adulterer hee shall die in his sinne If any man bee a swearer God hath vowed hee will not hold him guiltlesse hee shall die in his sinne If any man be an ignorant person disobeying godlinesse and obeying unrighteousnesse he shall die in his sinne If any man continue in grosse wickednesse in any wickednesse without repentrnce he shall die in his sinne Oh remember this Judgement of God this death that God will inflict on sinners for sinne For the wages of sinne is death and arme your selves with this when Sathan tempteth you if you forget Death and Judgement you are naked and unarmed your spirituall Adversary may hit you on the bare and spoile you as he will The second use is for instruction Will God bring us to Judgement for our sinnes Oh then let us hast to repentance Beloved this is one of the last things that God will doe and this is the greatest thing that Ministers can say
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
given many men occasion to passe a very uncharitable and unchristian verdict of him I beseech you let me give you a true naked relation how it was I never knew any men of so peaceable a disposition but there might be sometimes some difference betweene them there was betweene Abraham and Lot betweene Paul and Barnabas and there was betweene another honest neighbour and him both men of a peaceable disposition They did not desire to goe to law they desired the matter might bee put to Arbitrators they chose foure honest Gentlemen to take up the matter betweene them they made me as an unworthy Umpire in case they did not agree On Thursday last they met and each of them pleaded their cause And let me say thus that if this Brother of ours had beene judged to doe any wrong in that cause if hee had uttered one word of falshood to helpe his cause if he had used one word of imprecation wishing any curse to himselfe then it had beene peradventure a just thing with God to have taken him at his word If he had sworne one oath if he had uttered but one uncharitable word against his neighbour if he had shewed but any malice or spleene against him if hee had beene but transported with passion as a man may easily be in his owne cause we are but men I say if hee had beene but transported with passion then peradventure some men might have thought it had beene the stroke of divine justice upon him but let me tell you I have the witnesse of honest Gentlemen that were the arbitrators and will justifie First that his cause was good and that there was not one word spoken but was confirmed by honest witnesses present Then he used no kind of imprecation in the world no not as I remember so much as a protestation or any asseveration there was not one oath sworne either by him or by others that were present There was not one uncharitable word spoken by him there was not any malice or ranckour or hatred appeared either on the one side or the other betweene them he was no way transported with passion He did plead his cause but with that meeknesse of spirit with that quietnesse with that sweet temper and that Christian moderation as more could not be required in any Saint of God Therefore brethren let me only tell you thus much while this was in agitation I could not perceive that hee was moved at any thing hee was not stirred he was not earnest in his cause Till it pleased God to touch him and he had some sense and feeling of it rising from his stoole he sate rubbing of his cheeke or his necke with his handkercheife Hee fell upon the necke of a Gentleman that sate close to him who perceiving that he was not well asked him how he did he was scarsly able to give us an answer I perceived that hee was stricken with the dead palsie Brethren considering these things that I have told you before I beseech you judge not that you be not judged condemne not that you be not condemned You owe a dutie to the truth every one of you and by that dutie that you owe to the truth I was about to say I charge you as before God but I beseech you as before God stoppe the mouthes of all them that shall either bee forgers or spreaders of such notorious lies though it pleased God it were by a sudden stroake of his hand and how often hath hee done it when men have beene worse busied hee was but seeking to worke peace Though it pleased God suddenly to take his speech from him yet I beseech you know this withall hee was pleased not to take his life presently away nor his understanding from him from Thursday about foure of the clocke that hee was first stricken hee lived till Saturday night or Sunday morning I know not whether but in this time on Friday night I was with him and I perceived by the lifting up of his hand that hee knew mee I put him in minde of some gracious promises that God hath made to us in Christ. I asked him whether hee beleeved those promises of God and whether hee found any comfort in those promises and then hee lift up his hand I asked him and desired him if hee found any assurance of Gods favour in Christ to make the same signe hee lift up his hand againe I asked him if I should pray with him hee desired it and at the period of every Petition his hand went up to God And one thing I observed more that in one petition of mine in that prayer for him that it would please God to deliver him from the malice of Satan that would be most busie when wee are weakest hee held up his hand higher then before and continued holding it longer And blessed be our good God that wee can hold and keepe an intelligence with him not only by speech but with our very hands that lifting up of the hand and those groanes of his spirit I make no doubt but they prevailed at the hands of God And so as he lived I make no question but hee died a holy servant of God and I hope his soule is now in heaven and wee are come to lay up his body in the earth in the hope of a blessed and joyfull Resurrection FINIS LIFES APPARITION AND MANS DISSOLUTION GEN. 47. 9. Few and evil have the dayes of the yeares of my life beene PSAL. 102. 3. For my dayes are consumed like smoake LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. LIFES APPARITION AND MANS DISSOLVTION SERMON XXV JAMES 4. 14. For what is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away THere are two maine things to which the corrupt nature of man is subject and obnoxious rash judgement and vaine confidence Both spring out of one roote and that is pride where pride possesseth the heart it will make a man rash in the judgeing of others and presume vainely and confidently upon himselfe At all these evils the Apostle strikes here in this Chapter both mother and daughter both root and branch To take heed of pride that is the mother sinne hee exhorteth us to thankfulnesse where in stead of waxing proud of our selves he would have us humble ourselves and he brings this argument to perswade us because they that humble themselves God will exalt The only way to be exalted is to be humble hee compares the state of man in respect of his future condition to a paire of Balances that are hung on a beame the lower the one balance is downe the higher the other is up the lower wee humble our selves in this life the higher God will exalt us in the next The two maine evils which are the branches of this root the Apostle reproves in the eleventh verse First rash judging of others the fault of those that are apt to speake evill of others speake not
evill one of another saith the Apostle That that commonly wee call the sinne of detraction Aquinas saith wee are guiltie of two wayes either reporting of another that evill wee should not or in not reporting of him that good wee should in the one wee offend when wee doe either accuse him of that ill that hee is not guiltie of at all or aggravate against him that ill that hee is guiltie of making it appeare greater then it is in the other we are guiltie when we doe cut off all the good parts in a man as if they were nothing at all at least when wee extenuate that worth and goodnesse that is in him making it appeare lesse then it is From this the Apostle disswades us by three arguments First because they that doe this they doe wrong the Law hee that speakes evill of another speakes evill of the Law for the Law would have us love Secondly they that doe this they doe wrong God they take Gods office out of his hands when they take upon them to judge others for he is the only Judge and none else for he is the only Law giver that is able to save us and to destroy us Thirdly and lastly they wrong their brethren when they censure and judge their brethren beyond their commission they take upon them more then they have authoritie as if hee should say you exceed your Commission in this you take that upon you that you have no warrant for Thus against the rash judging of others Then against vaine confidence in our selves this the Apostle strikes at too at a confidence out of which a man prefixeth unto himselfe what he will doe this day and to morrow what he will doe this yeare and the next yeare what hee will buy and sell and gaine Goe to now saith the Apostle you that say thus among your selves to morrow you will goe to such a Gitie and tarry there a yeare and buy and sell and get gaine This is a foolish confidence and the Apostle indeavours to reprove and suppresseit By way of Correction By way of Direction His Correction is drawne first from the ignorance of the persons that make such accompts as these you say you will doe thus and thus to morrow you shew your ignorance you know not what shall be to morrow Secondly by the uncertaintie of the thing they reckon upon then which nothing is more uncertaine nothing so uncertaine as that is therefore it is not to be reckoned upon Consider saith the Apostle what is your life you talke of doing this and that to morrow What is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away His directing Argument is in the next verse where he teacheth us how we should speake of things future and things present Of things future not to speake too peremptorily of them but with condition if wee live and if God will And then for things present not to rejoyce boastingly in them for there is nothing here to bee boasted of or rejoyced in The thing that I have selected for this present time and occasision to discourse upon is only that argument of the Apostle wherein the shortnesse and uncertaintie of our life is represented the Apostle sets it forth to us by way of question and answer First he puts the question What is your life as if he should say it is a thing not worthy the reckoning of Build upon nothing to bee done to morrow upon so vaine a foundation as that is and to shew the uncertainty of our life he comparatively describes it and sets it forth he saith it is like a vapour that appeareth for a little while and vanisheth away According to the methode that the Apostle hath laid downe so shall my discourse goe on and first I will say something of the question he layeth downe And then I will say something of the words of the Text. First to let us see what a poore uncertaine thing wee trust to when we build upon life the Apostle throwes out this question Your life saith he what is your life Where first the Apostles phrase he speakes in is worthy to be observed your life not ours yours that make such accompts and reckonings as these promise to your selves what you will doe in following your worldly businesse and increase your worldly gaine What is your life The life of worldlings the Apostle would secretly taxe as some Expositers collect noting a difference and disparitie betweene Christians in their wayes and worldlings in theirs worldlings are altogether for this life and the things of this life they never dreame of any other to come Post mortem nihil c. as the Epicure in the Poet. Death that is an anihilation and after death there comes nothing Therefore all their projects and practices draw downewards they project for a worldly life their buyings and sellings and markettings and profits these are the things they minde and seeke after all the thought of their hearts are bent upon these cares all the dayes of their lives are spent upon these things but there is another manner of life that Christians looke for there is a life hid with Christ in God they know there is another life to come after this therefore their hearts are set upon other manner of objects They are not such as have their affections set upon the world they make not accompt of themselves as men of this world Plato being asked the question what countrey-man he was he said hee was a citizen of the world a Christian is not so he is no citizen of the world but a citizen of heaven therefore it is said Wee have our conversation in heaven Phil. 3. 10. The Greeke word properly signifieth Citizens or Burgeses therefore Saint Ierome in his Epitaph upon Neapotian renders it so and Beza pertinent to the sense though not proper to the Text Wee carry and behave our selves like Citizens or Bourgeses or freemen of Heaven they have all their affections all their thoughts and desires bent that way if they can obtaine that they have as much as they desire to crowne their wishes withall they care for no other buying but of the truth they feare not selling but of their soules they wish no gaine but heaven And indeed this life doth only deserve to be called a life this life which the Saints which Christians live The life that they live to God and this life is that that must prepare them for a better life the life in heaven Of any other life but this wee may aske the question in the words of the Apostle What is it what is it It deserves not so much as the name as he saith though in name it be a life indeed it is a death but pretermit the disparitie and difference betweene lives some are comparatively and other simply considered The life simply considered is the subject of the Apostles question What is your life Questions alway in the
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
owne soule Secondly consider when a man sleepes and slumbers in sinne how unfit he is for any Christian dutie and exercise for the maine parts of Godlinesse and Christianitie How unfit is a sleepie man for the actions of life and of his calling and how unfit and unable and indisposed is a man that slepes in sinne to the actions of spirituall life There be some maine parts and branches of our generall Calling to which this sleepe makes us unable The first of them is the exercise of godlinesse the maine thing in the profession of a Christian to exercise himselfe in godlinesse how unfit is a sleepie Christian for this who sees a man that is asleepe that workes in his Calling that can doe any good in it So how can a Christian exercise himselfe in the actions of his generall Calling when he sleepes in his praying in his hearing in his reading if these duties be done coldly what are they worth Actions that are done in a mans sleepe they come to nothing so a man that sleepes in sinne let him doe never so many good actions they are of no value A second maine branch of our Christian Calling is the spirituall combate to fight against our corruptions Now alas how unfit is a sleepie man either to expect or to repell an enemie when he is asleepe hee lies open to all disadvantage Sisera himselfe a strong and noble Captaine was so weake that a silly woman Iael slew him when he was asleepe therefore we know this part of our Christian calling cannot hold as long as wee sleepe in sinne Thirdly another part and maine branch of Christianitie is to expect our Masters returne to waite for the comming of our Lord that we may enjoy that sweet blessednesse that he hath promised and made us expect and waite for now how unfit is a sleepie man to waite for his Masters comming to set things in order Thus we see in these particular maine duties of Christianitie they cannot be performed by men that are asleep therfore we had need to wake our selves if we will either honour God or profit our selves if will be fit to doe service to God or to his Church wee must keepe our selves awake especially in the maine duties of Christianitie Thirdly consider while we sleepe and are secure the enemie never sleepes he is then most watchfull against us We may sleep and thinke we doe well enough to take our ease but Satan sleepes not we have a watchfull enemie to deale with And then he hath some advantage by our sleeping in Mat. 13. in that Parable The enemie sowes tares while men slept hee comes into the field of the heart where the word of God the good seed is sowne and what doth he doe there he sowes a croppe of thornes and they make the heart of a Christian like the field of Solomons sluggard Prov. 24. I passed by the field of the sluggard and it was all thornes c. Thus is the heart that is neglected of a man that is sleepie and secure in sinne When doe robbers and theeves assault the house In the dead time of the night when they may take men at advantage in their first sleepe then they come and breake into the house Shall theeves and burglaries watch at midnight to breake the house and cut mens throates and wilt not thou watch to save thy selfe Further consider as the enemie never sleepes so Gods mercy never sleepes Gods mercie is ever watching over us to doe us good and it watcheth to keepe us watchfull for what should all the mercies of God doe to us but keepe us watchfull Our God that we serve is not as Baal the God of Idolaters perhaps hee is asleepe and must be awaked or hee is chasing his adversaries No no the strength that keepes Israel slumbers not nor sleepes Therefore let not Israel slumber nor sleepe because God watcheth over his children let them watch with him and keepe themselves neere to him Fiftly if this will not move thee then consider as Gods mercie sleepes not so Gods judgements sleepe not That man that sleepes in sinne let him know that Gods judgements sleepe not As Balaam when he was out of the way the Angell watcheth him and catcheth him in this corner and in that corner he could goe into no corner but the Angell with his drawne sword was ready to meet him and to slay him And the Apostle saith of those that were led away by false teachers Their damnation sleepeth not Gods judgements are alway waking thou maist sleepe on both sides in sinne but Gods justice sleepeth not And thou that art the Lords if thou sleepe know that correction and chastisement sleepeth not and they will awake thee thou wert better to awake by slighter meanes To conclude all consider that all of us there is no man upon the earth but we are all going to meet the mortall slâ—…epe of death and if we shall when that meets us have our owne consciences tell us that we have also a spirituall sleepe within us that we carrie a spirituall sleepe to meet that mortall sleepe what a miserable and mournfull state will that be when the heart of a man or woman that is comming to die shall say and speake aloude and witnesse against his Master O thou hast beene a sluggish and sleepie Christian thou hast had good meanes but thou hast not kept thy watch thou wouldest sleepe doe what the exhortations of the Word could thou wouldest be a drowsie Christian Hence it comes to passe that so many when on their death-bed they come to grapple with that mortall sleepe and then conscience proclaimes against them then they crie Oh that I had but one day but one houre more that I might waken and strengthen the things that are readie to die and that it might be better with me then it is But alas now their short day is past and one perpetuall night to come and now it is too late as it proves many times Therefore let not time goe but know that that mournfull day must come upon us we must meet that mortall sleepe Let us labour to shake off spirituall sleepe drowsinesse of spirit and make our peace in the meane time that conscience may witnesse with us and for us at the day of death and judgement Let us labour to be watchfull and desire to be readie for the Lord and to have our accounts readie for him This shall suffice for the words Now for our occasion because this is my first occasion of this kind I must enter with a preface and that is this that as I have ever beene in the course of my ministerie so I shall bee very sparing in the praise of the dead because I know that these exercises are appointed for the instructing of the living and the consolation of those that survive and not for the praise and commemoration of the dead Besides I know and see by daily
23. For the wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. THe latter part of this Chapter from the 12. Verse to the end is spent in a grave and powerfull dehortation of the faithfull from securitie in sinne against which the Apostle useth sundry arguments That which he presseth most is drawne from the severall ends to which sinne and righteousnesse doth leade men The end of sinne is death vers 21. therefore that is not to bee served The end of of righteousnesse is life everlasting vers 22. therefore that is to be imbraced Because there is now difference in the manner of the proceeding of these two ends death comming from sinne as from the meritorious cause but life from righteousnesse another manner of way therefore the Apostle addes this epiloge and conclusion in the last verse plainely shewing and more clearely expressing the manner of them both for the wages saith hee of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. In which words we have a description of a twofold service Of sinne in the former clause And of God or righteousnesse in the latter And how both these are rewarded The one with death it payes us well And the other with life which is bestowed by the free gift of God through Christ. These are the two parts the two generall points that we are to consider First the wages of sinne is death saith the Apostle Of sinne That is of the depravation and corruption of our nature and so consequently of every sinne that being not onely it selfe sinne but the matter and mother of all sinne when sinne hath conceived it bringeth forth death when sinne is put forth whereby he signifieth the generall depravation and corruption of our nature from whence all sinne flowes So it is here The wages The word in the originall signifieth properly victualls because victualls was that that the Roman Emperours gave their souldiers as wages in recompence of their service but thence the word extends to signifie any other wages or Salary whatsoever The wages of sinne is death by death here is signified and meant both temporall and eternall death especially eternall death for it is opposed to eternall life in the next clause of the sentence therefore that is that that is principally meant The wages of sinne is death that is eternall death This for the exposition of the tearmes The point to bee observed from this first part of the Text is this that Death is as due to sinne as wages to one that earnes it To such a one wages is due in strict justice if a man have a hyred servant he may bestow a free gift on him if he will if he will not he may choose but his stypend or his wages he must pay him unlesse he will be unjust for it is the price of his worke and so is due to him that he cannot without injustice withhold it After such a manner is death due to sinne the very demerrite of the worke of sinne requires it as being earned God is as just in inflicting death upon sinners for their sinnes as any man is in paying his labourer or hired servant their wages for this is the generall plaine scope of the Apostles words here So in the beginning God appointed Gen. 2. 17. where hee told Adam concerning the forbidden fruite in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death As if hee should have sayd when thou sinnest death must be thy wages The same is repeated Ezek. 18. 20. where it is sayd The soule that sinneth shall die expressing the wages of sinne it is death that is the recompence of sinne if sinne have his due then death must follow So the Apostle had shewed before in this Epistle Rom. 5. 12. that by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne so death went over all men for as much as all men had sinned All had sinned therefore all are payed with death And Saint Iames shewes the consequence and connexion betweene these two the worke and the wages he tells us Iam. 1. 15 that when sinne hath conceived it bringeth forth death All these places are evidences that death by Gods ordinance by his appointment is the due of sinne as due to it even as wages is to a hyred servant or one that hath earned it What death is it that is due to sinne Both temporall and eternall death I say both deaths concerning both which the truth is to be cleared from some doubts It was the Pelagians errour to thinke that man should have dyed a naturall death though he had never sinned so they thought that the naturall temporall bodily death was not the wages of sinne Contrary to the Apostle in the placâ—… I spake of Rom. 5. where hee makes that death that goes over all men which must needes bee naturall death to enter by sinne sinne brought in death no sinne no death at all But it may be objected when God told Adam in the day that he eate the forbidden fruite he should die the death he meant not temporall death there as the event shewes for such a death was not inflicted upon Adam in the day that hee sinned for after he sinned he lived still in the world naturally hee continued living many yeares after I answer notwithstanding all this Adam may bee sayd to die a naturall death as soone as he sinned because by the guilt of his sinne he then presently became subject to it and God straight way denounced upon him the sentence of death therefore it may bee sayd he straite way dyed As a condemned person is called a dead man though he be respited for a time Besides the Messengers and Sergeants of death presently tooke hold of him and arrested him for sinne as hunger and thirst and cold and diseases daily wasting of the naturall moysture to the quenching of life Indeede God suffered him that the sentence was not presently executed so to commend his owne patience and to give to Adam occasion of salvation the promise of Christ being after made and he called to repentance by that meanes to attaine a better life by Christ then he lost by sinne It is objected againe Christ redeemed us from all sinne and all the punishment thereof but he did not redeeme us from bodily death from temporall death for the faithfull wee see dye still even as others doe therefore it is concluded by some that temporall death is not the wages of sinne for then when wee were free from sinne by Christ wee should bee freed from that Our answer to this is that Christ hath freede all his elect not onely from eternall but even from temporall death though not from both in the same manner From temporall death first in hope of which the Apostle speaking 1 Cor. 15. saith The last enemy that shall be
destroyed is death meaning temporall death at last then it shall be destroyed mortall shall put on immortality as the Apostle speakes but in the meane time it is destroyed in hope though it remaine indeede and must be undergone even of the faithfull in this life How be it to them Christ hath changed the nature of it and now they no longer undergoe it as the wages of sinne but for other causes As first the exercise of their graces their faith and hope and patience and the rest all these are exercised as in other afflictions so even in the death of Gods Children Secondly the totall remoovall and riddance of the reliques of sinne from which they are not freed in this life but when they die then all sinne is taken away for as at the first sinne brought death into the world so to the faithfull now death carries it out againe Thirdly their entrance into heaven and to bee at home with the Lord from whom wee are absent as long as wee are at home in these bodies Fourthly to prepare their bodies for renewing at the last day that is done by death for as a decayed Image or statue must first be broken that it may be new cast so these bodies of ours must bee broken by death that they may be cast into a new mold of immortalitie at the generall resurrection But here as some sinne remaines so death remaines though wee be in Christ yet wee are still in that estate wherein it is appointed to all men once to dye Thus even temporall death is left to the Children of God to bee undergone before they come to heaven It is left to them I say and that justly in respect of the remnants of sinne yet they undergoe it no other way but for their owne good and benefit How ever temporall death in its owne nature to an unbeleever is the wages of sinne And as temporall so eternall death for when God told man that in the day hee sinned he should die the death he meant not onely temporall but eternall death he meant that principally as I shewed before in that the Apostle opposeth it to eternall life in the next clause of the sentence Now Christ hath freede all beleevers actually from eternall death But how eternall death should be the wages of sinne may be doubted because betweene the worke and the the wages there must be some proportion that seemes not to bee betweene sinne and eternall death for sinne is a finite a temporall thing committed in a short time and that death is eternall Now to punish a temporall fault with an eternall punishment it seemes that it is to make the punishment to exceed the fault and that is against justice But for answer to this doubt wee must know that however sinne considered in the act and as it is a transcient action it is finite yet in other respects it is infinite and that in a threefold consideration First in respect of the object against whom it is committed for being the offence of an infinite Majestie it deserves an infinite punishment for wee know offences are reckoned of for their greatnesse according as the greatnesse of the person is against whom they are committed If hee that clippes the Kings coyne or deface the Kings Armes or counterfeit the broad Seale of England or the Princes privie Seale ought to die as a traytor because this disgrace tends to the person of the Prince much more ought he that violates the law of God die the first and second death too because it tends to the defacing of the Image and the disgracing of the person of God himselfe who is contemned and dishonoured in every sinne Secondly sinne is infinite in respect of the subject wherein it is the soule of man Seeing the soule is immortall and of an everlasting substance and that the guilt of sinne and the blot together staine the soule as a crimson and skarlet die upon wooll and can no more be severed from the soule then the spottes from the Leopard it remaines as the soule is eternall and as that is everlasting so sinne is infinite in durance and continuance and deserves an infinite wages and punishment which is eternall death Thirdly it is infinite also in respect of the tie betweene the desire and indeavour of an impenitent sinner for his desire is to walke on still in sinne and except God cut off the line of life never to give over sinning but he would runne on infinitely committing sinne even with greedinesse And it is reason that as God accepts the will for the deed in godlinesse so hee should punish the will for the deed in wickednesse if wee sinne according to our eternitie in our will and purpose to sinne God will punish us according to his eternitie it is just that they that would never bee without sinne if they might have their owne will should never be without punishment Thus we see eternall death is the wages of sinne though sinne be committed in a moment though it bee a transcient action in it selfe yet it is just with God to give it the wages of eternall death So you see Death both temporall and eternall is the wages of sinne Wee come to the Use of the point being thus declared First it teacheth us contrarie to the Doctrine of the Church of Romeâ—… that originall lust and concupiscence in the regenerate is a sinne for how else should God be just in inflicting temporall death upon infants that are regenerate actuall sinnes they have none and iâ—… they have no originall sin neither then God should inflict the wages of sinne where there were no sinne which cannot be because there is no iniquitie with God Therefore certaine it is that after regeneration this originall lust though the guilt of it be taken away yet as sinne it remaines the substance of it still remaines and will as long as we live in this world For it is in us as it is well compared as the I vie is in the wall which having taken root so twines and incorporates it selfe that it can never bee quite rooted out till the wall be taken down so till body and soule be taken asunder by death there will be no totall riddance of Originall corruption and the depravation of our nature it is still in us as appeares by the temporall death even of the best Saints of those that are most sanctified in this life it shewes there is remainders of corruption in them still for if there were not sinne there would not be the wages of sinne there would not be death if there were not sinne Secondly the Use of it is to take away a fond Popish distinction of mortall and veniall sinne they teach some sins to be veniall that is such sins as in their owne nature deserve not death whereas the Apostle here speaking of all sinne in generall hee saith the wages thereof is death
death the hurt of temporall death we have escaped eternall death What is that a separation from the blessed presence and glory of God destruction of body and soule for ever unutterable torments companie with the Divell and his angels and the route of reprobates darknesse blacker and thicker then that of Egypt Weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth in the infernall lake that worme that never dyes and the fire that never goeth out This is the wages of all sinne and that it is not rendred to all sinne and to all sinners the cause is only this that the payment hath beene already exacted of Christ in the behalfe of all true beleevers therefore in their owne persons they are discharged how infinitely are wee bound in thankfulnesse to him and how carefull should wee be to walke worthy of it resolving never to returne to the service of sinne againe but to make it our whole studie that wee may please and honour such a Redeemer that hath redeemed us from such miserie as this that wee may please him for we had deserved eternall death as well as others and hee hath not only freed us from that that wee had most worthily deserved but most freely also bestowed that upon us that we could never deserve for so it followes in the next point The gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. That is the second thing to bee considered the reward of the service of God You have heard of the reward the wages of sinne Now the reward of the service of God is eternall life it is called life There is a twofold life belongs to men The one is naturall and is common to all good and bad in this world The other spirituall proper to the faithfull begun by the union of God and the soule and maintained by the bond of the spirit and this life hath three degrees The first is in this life unto death and it begins when wee begin to believe and repent and come to a saving knowledge of God and of his Sonne Jesus Christ as it is said This is eternall life to know thee to be the very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ Ioh. 17. 3. The second degree is from our death to our resurrection for in that time our soules being freed from our bodies are withall free from all sinne originall and actuall Thirdly after the Resurrection when body and soule shall bee reunited wee shall have immediate communion and fellowship with God and so enjoy a more perfect and blessed life then ever we could here And this spirituall life with all the three degrees of it is the life here spoken of especially the last degree the perfection of it in heaven It is called eternall life because it shall never end For a thing is said to be eternall three wayes First which hath neither beginning nor end so God alone is eternall and none but he Secondly which hath no beginning and yet shall have an end so Gods decree is eternall for it never had a beginning yet when all things decreed are fulfilled it shall have an end Thirdly which hath a beginning but never shall have end and so the life of Gods Saints had a beginning as all created things have butit shall never have an end and this eternall life it is called here The gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Because wee cannot deserve it but it is given and bestowed on us freely for Christ. So then the point of observation from the latter part of the words is this that Our salvation it is the free gift of God given us onely for the merits of Christ. For observe I beseech you the Apostles words when hee had sayd The wayes of sinne is death hee doth not adde and say but the wages of righteousnesse is eternall life but he calls that the gift of God To make us understand saith Damascene that God brings us to eternall life meerely for his owne mercie not for our merits orelse surely the Apostle would have made the later part of the sentence answerable to the former But here perhaps some may aske why eternall life should not be the wages of righteousnesse as well as death the wages of sinne I answer because there is not the same reason betweene sinne and righteousnesse For first sinne is our owne it merits it but rigteousnesse is none of our owne it is the holy Ghosts and it is due to God Then againe sinne is perfectly evill and so it deserves death but our righteousnesse inherent is not perfectly good it is imperfect in this life and nothing that is imperfectly good can merit as wages eternall life therefore the Apostle makes such a manifest difference between them he calls death the wages of sin but eternall life the gift of God it is the free gift of God through Christ. Indeed eternall life some times many times in Scripture is called a reward But there is a reward of mercie as well as of justice Nay God is sayd sometimes to reward his children injustice How is that Though the reward come originally from mercy yet accidentally it comes to be justice thus because God hath tyed himselfe by promise to reward now promise is debt from a just man Thus the Lord may be accounted a debtor How saith Saint Austin as a promiser if hee had not promised eternall life otherwise hee owes us nothing at all much lesse eternall life which is so great a thing Yet it may be doubted how eternall life is the free gift of God seeing it is given for the merits of Christ as it is here exprest the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord that is for the merits of Christ now a man that gives a thing upon merit hee gives it not freely I answer it is free in respect of us whatsoever Christ hath done we did not merit it If it be replyed Christs merits are made ours and wee merit in him and so it cannot be free I answer this reason were of force if wee our selves could procure the merits of Christ for us but that we could not doe but that also was of free gift Ioh. 3. God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that he that beleeves in him should not perish hee gave him freely of free gift so that though eternall life be due to us by the merits of Christ yet it is the free gift of God I wil stand no longer in proving the truth of the Doctrine I come to the application and use to conclude with the time First it serves to confute our adversaries of the Church of Rome in the point of merit They looke for heaven and eternall life as wages wee see the Apostle teacheth us otherwise that eternall life is not given in that manner but another manner of way It is not given as wages it is the
the Holiest and dearest servants of God are exercised with and divers of these doe make them many times mourne exceedingly and to cry one while O wretched man that I am and to groane out another while Woe is mee that I am constrained to live in Mesech and to have my habitation in the tents of Kedar of all these miseries Death is the end to Gods servants And so also it is an entrance into happinesse for albeit their bodyes rot in the Grave and bee laid up in the Earth as in Gods store-house untill the last day yet the soule forthwith even in an instant comes into the presence of the ever-living God of Christ and of all the Angels and Saints in Heaven the spirits of just men made perfect to Abrahams bosome to bee with Christ quanta haec felicitas What greater happinesse It was much that Moses obtained to see the back-parts of God but how much greater favour is it to see him face to face to have eternall fellowship with God the Father with Christ the Redeemer with the Holy Ghost the sanctifier The knowledge of this benefit of Death makes the face of it comfortable to Gods servants and causes them to strive with their owne naturall weaknesse that so they may even long for their day of dissolution But now against this point divers Objections may be alledged For first the Apostle Paul sayes that Death is the wages of sinne And else-where hee stiles it Christs enemie the last enemie that hee shall subdue is Death How should not death then be rather a day of misery to bee trembled at then a day of happinesse to bee longed for To this I answer that wee are to distinguish touching Death for it must be considered two wayes First as it is in its owne nature Secondly as it is altered by Christ in the first sence it is true that Death is the wages of sinne and the very suburbs and the gates of hell But in the second taking of Death it ceases to be a plague and becomes a blessing inasmuch as it is even a doore opening out of this world into Heaven Now the godly looke not upon Death simply but upon Death whose sting and venome is plucked out by Jesus Christ and so it is exceeding comfortable But then secondly it is objected that wee reade of many that have prayed against death as namely first David Returne O Lord saith he and deliver my soule oh spare mee for thy mercyes sake for in death there is no remembrance of thee Secondly Hezekiah when the message of death was brought to him Thirdly Christ himselfe Father if it bee possible let this cup passe from me To all these I answer first touching Daâ—…d that when he composed that sixt Psalme hee was not only gâ—…vously sicke but also exceedingly tormented in mind for he wrestled and combatted in his conscience with the wrath of God as appeares by the first Verse of that Psalme therefore wee must know that hee prayed not simply against Death but against death at that time in asmuch as the comming of it was accompanied with extraordinary apprehensions of Gods wrath for at another time hee tells us that hee would not feare though hee walked through the valley of the shadow of Death And the like I say touching Hezekiah that his prayer proceeded not from any desperate feare of Death but first that he might doe more service to God in his Kingdome And with such a kind of thought was Saint Pauls desire of dissolution mingled Secondly hee prayed against Death then because he knew that his death then would be a great cause of rejoycing to evill men to whom his reformation in the State was unpleasâ—…ng Thirdly because hee wanted issue God had promised before to David that there should not faile a man of his seed to sit upon the throne of Israel so that his children did take heed 〈◊〉 their wayes Now it was a great discomfort to him to die childlesse for then he and others might have thought that he was but an Hypocrite inasmuch as God had promised issue to all those Kings that feared him and for this cause God heard his prayer and after two yeares gave him a sonne Maâ—…asseh by name And so I say the same touching our Saviour Christ that hee prayed not against Death as it is the separation betwixt Body and Soule as appeares by what the Apostle saith that hee was heard in that hee feared for hee stood in our roome and became a Curse for us it was the Curse of the Law which went with Death and the unspeakable wrath and indignation of God which hee feared and from this according to his prayer he was delivered But thirdly wee see in most good men a feare of Death and a desire of life and I my selfe may some godly man say doe feele my selfe ready to tremble at the meditation thereof and yet I hope I belong unto God I answer that there are two things to bee considered in every Christian Flesh and Spirit Corruption and Grace and the best have many inward perplexities at times and doubtings of Gods favour Now it is a truth which our Saviour delivers that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weake And as in all other good purposes there is a combat betwixt the flesh and the spirit so is there in this betwixt the feare of Death and the desire of Death sometime the one prevailes and sometimes the other but yet alwayes at last the desire of Death doth get the victory Carnall respects doe often prevaile farre with the best care of wife children and the like Thâ—…se are their infirmities but as other infirmities die in them by degrees so these also at last are subdued and the servants of God seeing clearely the happinesse into which their Death in Christ shall enter them doe even sigh desiring to bee clothed upon with their house which is from Heaven Here then is a good Marke by which we may know our selves to be Gods servants viz. by the state of our thoughts and meditations touching Death I will so deliver it as may bee most for the comfort of those that truly feare God I demand therefore of thee Dost thou know that the confident and comfortable expectation of Death is the worke of the Holy Ghost in Gods servants Dost thou desire unfeignedly that the same may bee wrought in thy heart Dost thou labour to know what happinesse comes by Death to those that feare the Lord Dost thou grieve at thine owne weaknesse to whom the thought of Death is sometime troublesome and unsavourie Dost thou pray the Lord so to assure thee of his favour in Christ that death may bee desired before it comes and welcome when it is come Dost thou when thou hearest this speech of Simeon wish that thou wert able to use the like words with the like resolution Surely
shee desired him to be a carefull Father over them all shee prayed to God devoutly to send a blessing both upon him and them Much shee could not then speake because of her paines that now began still to increase upon her When shee was in the extremitie of her labour he being absent as it was fitting she sent downe to him to desire him to pray to God on her behalfe that he would ease her of those grievous paines and preserve her in the great paine and perill of Child-birth The propitious God it seemed heard him and granted his request for presently to the thinking of the standers by shee was well delivered Not satisfied with this having received so great a blessing from God shee sent downe againe to desire him to give God thankes for her safe deliverie But God that had determined to take out of this miserable life quickly turned that hope of the standers by into a feare and suddenly shee changed which perceiving as long as shee was able to speake shee cried Lord Jesus have mercy on my soule Lord have mercie on mee Lord pitty mee poore miserable wretch and when she could not speake shee held up her hands to heaven as desirous to make her peace with that God whom shee knew shee had highly offended I make no question but God hath translated her from the valley of teares to the Mount Sion of blessednesse whether God of his infinite mercie bring us all FINIS THE DEATH OF SINNE AND LIFE OF GRACE EPHES. 2. 1. And you hath hee quickned that were dead in Sinnes and Trespasses LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. THE DEATH OF SINNE AND LIFE OF GRACE SERMON XXXVII ROM 6. 11. Likewise reckon ye also your selves to bee dead unto sinne but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. THe intent of this Chapter is to take off an abuse of the Doctrine of the Gospell which publisheth the free Grace of God to great sinners The Apostle had sayd in the latter end of the 20. verse of the former Chapter where sinne abounded Grace did much more abound From hence some did inferre that therefore under the Gospell they might take liberty to sinne the more their sinnes were and the greater they were the more they should occasion God to manifest his abundant Grace upon them This the Apostle answers in this Chapter and he answers it two waies First by way of detestation Secondly by way of confutation By way of detestation in the first verse and part of the second What shall we say then shall we continue in sinne that Grace may abound God forbid Secondly by way of confutation the argument whereby hee confutes it is by a necessarie consequence of our justification that is our sanctification these are so inseperably united together all that are justified are sanctified And upon this ground the Apostle frames two arguments to confute this errour taken from the two parts of sanctification The first is from our mortification from the third verse to the end of the seventh and the argument runnes thus Those that are dead to sinne cannot sinne that Grace may abound but all that are in Christ are dead to sinne therefore they cannot sinne that Grace may abound Now that all that are in Christ are dead to sinne he proves by their union with Christ testified in Baptisme and by the effect of that union which is conformitie to Christ that as Christ was dead for sinne so they are dead to sinne The second argument is taken from the second part of our sanctification which is our quickning to a new life and that he handles in the 8. 9. 10. verses and that argument runnes thus Those that are quickned by Christ to newnesse of life cannot sin that Grace may abound but all that are in Christ are quickned by Christ to newnesse of life therefore they cannot sinne that Grace may abound That all that are in Christ are quickned to newnesse of life he proves in verse 8. If we be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall live with him still by our union with Christ whereby there comes a conformity to Christ in his resurrection as well as in his death And from these premises hee inferres by way of application the conclusion that is here in the words of the Text I have now read to you likewise reckon ye also your selves dead unto sinne but alive to God through Iesus Christ our Lord. As if he should say doe not rest your selves satisfied in the bare knowledge of these things in the discourse of them in generall but bring them to particular application make the case your owne what wee say of death to sinne and of newnesse of life wee speake to you if ye be in Christ therefore you must make account of it to bee your case likewise reckon ye your selves dead to sinne but alive to God through Iesus Christ our Lord. We see now the coherence of the words with those that goe before and the maine intent and scope of the Apostle in the Chapter wherein we might note divers things The first is out of the very connexion that by vertue of the union of beleevers with Christ there is in them a conformitie to Christ. They are made like unto him he had sayd before that Christ dyed and rose againe likewise reckon ye your selves like him in this Every one that is in Christ is conformable to Christ and made like him Then againe secondly wee might note hence this also that Rectified and sanctified reason ever concludes to God and for God Reckon yee make account conclude this so the word signifieth reason thus conclude thus as it is used Rom. 3. 28. Wee conclude saith the Apostle where the same word is used That a man is justified by Faith without the workes of the Law So conclude this rest on this conclusion do not make it a matter of conjecture and opinion onely but when you consider things wisely when you weigh things seriously you shall see great reason to inferre those things from these premisses that God would have you inferre Therefore whatsoever reasoning is against the Word whatsoever disputes the mindes of men uphold against any truth in Scripture it is but the reasoning of corrupt reason If reason were sanctified it would conclude as 2 Cor. 5. We judge if one dyed for all then they that live should not live to themselves but to him that dyed for them When men come to deale judiciously and advisedly when they come to conclude of things wisely they will conclude then that what use the Word and the Gospell would have them make of any truth that they will make of it Likewise reckon ye judge thus Thirdly we might note hence thus much also that The best and most profitable knowledge of the Scriptures is in applying it to a mans owne case and person and condition Reckon ye also your selves saith the Apostle make account of thus much that
there remains not now any sinne to cleave to the conscience to defile it to cleave to the conscience so as a ruling enemie would doe that would take away all true and perfect peace all boldnesse and accesse to the throne of Grace there is no such conscience of sinne This making conscience of every sinne is that that frees conscience from being defiled in that sence with any sinne So much for the first Well secondly it is expressed by death and life to shew the orderlinesse in the proceeding of this change When a man is changed by the effecacie and working of Christ to whom hee is united it proceeds in such a manner as the change in death or life You know death or life begin within first it begins in the inward man in the heart first And as in naturall death or naturall life there is a dying first of the root and a quickning first at the root So likewise in spirituall death or life it is an orderly proceeding it begins first within Our Saviour Christ gives this direction First make the inside cleane and then all will bee cleane against the hypocrisie of the Scribes and Pharisees that looked more to outward actions So this change it is not onely a meere civilizing of a man a conforming of him to that societie hee converseth with in outward actions but renewing of a man in the spirit of his minde Rom. 12. 2. So the change begins from within Hence it is that first hee is good and then hee doth good according to the speech of Christ make the tree good and then the fruit will bee good we will not stand upon it you see the Analogie and agreement holds betweene these two in generall Now we come to take them apart more specially First how this being dead to sinne agrees with that change that is in a man that is in Christ from sinne Reckon this sayth the Apostle make account of this that you are dead to sinne that is now there is such a change and turning from your evill courses from whatsoever it is that is truly and properly called sinne in Scripture you are changed from it Now in whatsoever sence a man may be said to bee dead in that sence a man in Christ is changed from sinne there is somewhat in his change expressing that death Now there is a threefold death A Civill Judiciall Naturall Death We begin with the judiciall first as Gods great Worke begins in the judgement There is a judiciall death so one that is alive now in respect of naturall life may yet bee sayd to bee judicially dead when hee is dead in sentence when by the Judge he is condemned to death when hee is adjudged to die So reckon yee your selves dead to sinne make account of this that now in your judgement there is a sentence passed out against sinne that it shall bee slaine that it shall bee mortified thus your judgement stands and thus you lookeupon it as a thing dead in sentence and that is the first It is that in Ezek. 36. 31. saith the Lord When I shall bee pacified to thee this shall follow upon it thou shalt judge thy selfe worthy to bee destroyed for all thine iniquities and abhominations When God is reconciled to a man which is as much as to say when a man is in Christ for by Christ we are reconciled to God this followes upon it that man comes now to judge sinne to bee a deadly thing to judge sinne to bee dead and to judge himselfe worthy to bee destroyed for it Hee lookes on sinne as it should be looked upon his opinion is right concerning it hee accounts it an iniquitie a thing against that rectitude against that equitie and righteousnes wherewith man was once indowed in the Creation and from which so farre as hee swerves so farre hee is plunged into death As you know that curse was denounced against man when he sinned he should die so hee cannot looke upon iniquitie upon that that is contrary to that righteousnesse wherein hee was made but hee lookes upon it as on death it selfe and a deadly thing hee lookes upon it as upon an abhomination That looke as persons that sinned capitally were an abhomination to the Land and people among whom they sinned as the Scripture speakes of murtherers and the like the land was defiled if the sentence of death were not executed so it is here in the opinion and judgement of a man that is in Christ he accounts this the greatest defilement that his soule remaines so farre polluted and defiled as there is any life left in sinne That is the first thing reckon this then that sinne is dead imediatly that is that you now come to passe as Judges do a sentence of death against sin and that howsoever a Malefactour bee not naturally dead when he is judicially dead yet hee is in an order to it the next thing that followes will bee to be cut off So it is with sinne when a man comes to judge himselfe for his iniquitie worthy to be destroyed for his abhominations this is the next thing that followes hee will not rest till that bee slaine and subdued till that Mallefactour bee condemned to death and cut off and tooke out of the way Here is the first thing herein this change is like death Secondly there is a civill death too so one that lives naturally may bee dead civilly so one that is under the subjection and power of another such a one is dead civilly The civill Law accounts any one that is under subjection to bee Civiliter mortuus as they speake that is he is in that sence not accounted among living men hee is one dead because hee is not annimated and acted by his owne will but by the will of him that rules him so reckon yee your selves dead saith the Apostle Make account that when you are in Christ sinne is no more to be ruler and commander to act and animate and quicken you to obey its lusts that you should beacted and animated by it that as soone as sinne tempts you should obey presently make account in this sence you are dead to sinne that is sinne is dead in you civilly it hath not a ruling power it comes not now as one that hath power to sway all before it that is it the Apostle saith in this Chapter sinne shall not have dominion You have a new Master a new Lord you are no more under the rule and dominion of sinne that is the second Thirdly there is a naturall death as well as a judiciall and civill death so things are said to be dead naturally two wayes Imperfectly Inchoate Perfectly Consummate Naturall death imperfect and but begun is this as when there is a great blow given with an axe to the roote of a tree whereupon certainly it will wither and die and bee made altogether unfruitfull for the time to come though for the present it
naturall appetite and desire after all meanes that may preserve that life Wheresoever God gives life to any creature he gives also a desire to that creature to preserve that life it hath which is the best state of being Now it is so with a Christian all his desires are to preserve spirituall life and to increase it he rests not in what hee hath but labours to be more yet and to doe more yet to know God more to love God more to serve God better to live more fruitfully more profitably among men Hee delights in the actions of spirituall life therefore hee would strengthen those habites by all actions and industrie and indevour As new-borne babes saith the Apostle desire the sincere milke of the Word that yee may grow thereby No sooner is there life in a new-borne babe but there is a desire to nourish that life You see there is a naturall appetite even in the very trees that thrust their rootes downe into the ground to draw moysture below from the earth by an instinct to preserve that life they have in the stocke and in the branches So it is in every man that hath a spirituall life he puts forth with all industrie for all spirituall helpes according to that strength hee hath for the preservation of his spirituall life That is the reason why they are not content in the abundance of all outward things when they want spirituall helpes and that is the reason that they are not satisfied nor solace themselves in dead worldly company that is the reason their hearts rest not in things below because these are not the food of their spirituall life these are not the things that preserve that life that is in them Secondly as there is a desire of the preservation of life so there is a desire of propagation and transfusion of it to others as much as may be So you see those things that have but a metaphoricall life as we may say that are said to live by way of allusion and metaphor as the fire in the coale when it is said to liue in the coale it is for this reason because it is apt to kindle another It is so in a Christian wheresoever there is spirituall life there is a desire to communicate it with as many as it can And this you see in all the servants of God Philip calls Nathaniel Ioh. 1. 44. when he had gained the knowledge of Christ. And the woman of Samaria goes to call in the Citie when shee had gained the knowledge of Christ. When a man himselfe is united with the principle of life when he lives in Christ he desires that others may live in Christ too and this desire and indeavour to gaine many to Christ it appeares in their place and relation A Christian master that lives a spirituall life will labour that his servants under him may live the life of grace with him too A Christian Father will labour that his children may live to God as well as himselfe a Husband will labour to draw his Wife to Christ as himselfe is drawne and every one father and friend and acquaintance as much as in them lies by any advantage and opportunitie that is put into their hands they will draw others to Christ because there is life in them And this is not done out of faction out of a desire to make their partie strong as many in the world desire to strengthen their partie but as in living things there is a naturall desire to convey that life to others Parents beget not children out of faction to increase the partie but out of a naturall affection to convey the naturall life they have to others so Christians that they doe is out of spirituall affection out of simple love to the salvation of others out of a naturalnesse in their disposition to indevour that all may belike them As the Apostle Saint Paul wisheth that all that heard him were like him except those bonds So much for that you see how fitly the Apostle useth these termes of life and death to expresse the change of one that is in Christ when he turnes from sin to God Now we come to see the order wherein the Apostle expresseth them make account of this conclude of this that you were dead but are alive First you were dead to sinne and then alive to God These certainly are knit together but they are done in order so wee joyne both those points in one and that is thus much that All that are in Christ hee workes in them by his spirit in this order they first die to sinne and after live to God These two are inseparable but yet they are joyned in order that first men die to sinne and secondly live to God The Scripture expresseth this in fit similitudes Ephes. 4. 22. 24. saith the Apostle there Seeing you have put off the old man that is corrupt through deceivable lusts and put on the new man that after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Here is the order there is not only an effectuall change but this is wrought in a method first putting off and then putting on Hee seemes to allude to apparell there that as a man that is cloathed with ragges hee puts not on ornaments and robes till he have put off his ragges as it is Zach. 3. when Iehoshua came before the Angell of the Lord with filthie garments with vile rayment saith the Lord take away those ragges and put upon him change of rayment Just thus God deales in the conversion of a man in the change of a man that is in Christ he takes away his filthy ragges first his love to sinne he is no more cloathed with them as he was wont he accounts them not ornaments as they were wont to doe but filthy clouts to which he saith Get yee hence he detests them and then hee is clothed with rayment then he expresseth the fruit of holinesse and righteousnesse Another expression there is Ephes. 5. 8. Yee were darknesse but now yee are light in the Lord walke as children of light There is not only a change of apparell that is from ragges to robes but of your state and condition you were in darknesse now yee are light Marke the order from darknesse to light That looke as it was in the Creation first darknesse covered the face of the deepe Gen. 1. all was without forme and voyd and then God said Let there bee light so now first there is a removing of the darknesse the soule was held in and now yee are light in the Lord so they come to walke as children of light Well this is is the expression of it in Scripture let us see the ground of it in reason It must bee so that in this order God proceedes in this effectuall change first to turne men from sinne and then to GOD first to die to â—…inne and then to live to God The first reason shall bee
taken from our union with Christ We are planted into Christ sayth the Apostle Rom. 6. 4. 5. 6. By being planted with Christ there growes a similitude betweene Christ and us Wee are baptized and buried by baptisme sayth the Apostle into his death and wee are raised and quickned sayth hee by the resurrection of Christ that like as it was with Christ â—…o it is with us Hee was dead and raysed so wee are first dead to sinne and then alive to God Secondly it must be so from the nature of contraries for these two things are contrarie one to another there is an immediate opposition betweene them so as there must bee a removing of the one if there bee a possession of the other and there must bee first a removing of the one before the other can be in the soule As you see in sicknesse and in health there must first bee a removing of sicknesse before the bodie bee in a right state of health And as in life and death this is the order they are brought first from death to life and then one necessarily followes the other as life necessarily followes upon the removall of death and health upon the removall of sicknesse Thirdly it must bee so or else if both these were not and in this order wrought what difficultie were there in the life of a Christian what singular thing were there in a Christian above any man in the world Every man in the World doth outward actions if there were not such a change as from death to life there were no difference at all where were the difficultie The Scripture sayth The way is narrow and straight that leades to life and few there bee that finde it what narrownesse or straightnesse were there in the way to life if there were no more but thus that a man might settle upon some actions of Religion and so bee effectually changed If this were all what great matter were there in Religion what need Agrippa stand out in the mid-way what need hee be but halfe perswaded to bee a Christian hee might easily be perswaded to be a Christian if he might hold his Heathenisme and be a Christian too What need Faelix tremble to heare Paul dispute of righteousnesse and judgement to come if hee might be unrighteous and a Christian too What need the young man be sorrie when Christ bade him sell all and follow him if he might hold all hee had and be worldly affected and be a Christian too what need any of the labours of a Christian to what use were a power of godlines spoken of in Scripture What powerfull matter were there in Religion if a man might hold his sinnes and yet bee a Christian and a beleever and be in Christ too a drunkard and yet bee saved a prophaner of the Sabbath and yet bee in Christ what great matter were there it were nothing to bee a Christian nay who would not bee one What need Saint Paul expose himselfe to such watchings and fastings and sufferings if hee might have gone on in the way of the World and yet bee in Christ too No beleved it is another-gates matter to bee a Christian then for a man to hold his old customes and waies and courses and yet hope to bee saved too Let no man deceive himselfe â—…th this the matter of Christianitie it is a laborious worke Religion is a very serious thing A man that indeed will bee Religious hee must follow Christs rule first deny himselfe and take up his Crosse and follow him what need a man deny himselfe if hee might hold his sinnes and yet follow Christ Well know this the ground is cleare there must bee a turning from sin as well as a turning to God if a man have union with Christ. Now to conclude with a word of application First if it bee so It serves to convince us this day in the presence of God the multitude of us now before the Lord to heare the Word and professe our union with Christ and yet there is no such matter If wee were united with Christ there would bee living to God by vertue of that union with Christ. It is living to God in the course of our life that gives us comfort of our union with Christ. Deceive not your selves wee may say of many as the Lord sayth of Sardis Thou hast a name to live but art dead There are abundance that have a name to live but are dead A man would wonder at it that wee should say to a Congregation of so many people that there were few alive among them all that the most whose eyes are now upon the Minister and whose eares are open to the Word yet they are but dead they are not alive though they walke and though they speake and doe the actions of a naturall life they live naturally but are dead spiritually they have a name to live but are dead The Lord tells Ieremie Ierem. 5. That there was such want of good men in Ierusalem that hee might goe up and downe the Streets of Ierusalem and not finde a man A man would wonder that the Lord should use such an expression Hee might have said hee should not finde a good man a just man a godly man but not finde a man sayth hee as if hee were not worthie the name of a man in the Streets of Ierusalem that was not appliable and conformable to Gods will That a man should goe in the Streets of London and not finde a man that hee should goe into Moore-fields on the Sabbath day and see a multitude of dead Ghosts walking there that hee should goe in the Streets and see a multitude of dead persons sitting at their doores that hee should goe up and down to the houses of men and see a multitude of dead creatures talke of worldly things on the Lords day a man would wonder hee should finde so many dead men eating and drinking and talking and walking and yet dead still The Text makes it cleare here If wee bee not dead unto sinne wee are not alive to God there is no being alive to God except a man be first dead to sin Shall wee come to the tryall Beloved there wee shall finde among the many of you that heare the Word many are dead in sinne What meanes the prophanation of the Sabbath what meanes the great neglect of Familie-duties Come to your houses there bee not the prayers of living men there there bee not the meditations and conferences of men that are spiritually alive in your Families and shall wee thinke you are alive Come to men in their shops and dealings and see them dead in their worldlinesse and covetousnesse and shall we say they are alive to God Alas beloved goe to the particulars of mens lives you shall heare them speak the words of dead men spiritually dead in swearing and cursing and reviling and blaspheming and bitternesse and yet shall wee say that they are alive Looke upon
all the actions of men it were an endlesse worke where wee finde dead workes wee conclude there is a dead man when men doe the things that are the actions of a man spiritually dead we conclude they are spiritually dead the Holy Ghost sayth so for they are dead in trespasses and sinnes therefore now let us come a little closer There are abundance that perswade themselves that they are alive therefore a little try your life by your death to sinne What are your opinions and judgements concerning your owne wayes those things that the Word of God condemnes for evill those things that out of the Word are preached to you day lie by way of reproofe of sinne that are spoken to you by Christian friends by way of admonition to bring you out of your sinnes how doe you take them and digest them are they pleasing to you because they tend to the killing of sinne or are they distastefull because they give you not rest in your sinnes What doe you judge sinne worthy to live and your selves not dead the while It is a note of a man that is alive in sin that hates reproofe that hates him that reproveth in the gate hee that hates him that reproves his ill workes hee is not dead to sinne for hee doth not judge his sinne worthy to die Againe come to your affections what is it you delight in When a man lookes upon a thing that is dead if it be indeed dead the sight of it is terrible and gastly and troublesome to him When Sara was dead though Abraham loved her deare in her life remove my dead out of my sight If sinne in thee bee as a dead thing how doest thou looke upon it dost thou looke upon it as a thing that thou art afraid of as a thing that thou art the worse when thou seest it When the objects and occasions of sinne are presented to you how stand you affected then all that are dead in sin take thought to fulfill the lusts of the flesh as the Apostle sayth they delight in it sinne is sweet to them as Iob sayth but if on the otherside you looke on it with indignation loathing and detesting and abhorring sinne and your selves for sinne then it is a comfortable signe of your death to sinne Againe when you doe looke on it doe you looke upon it as a ruler or as an enemie for there is a great deale of difference A theife may come into the house as well as the Master of the house but they come not with the like authoritie nor with the like acceptance the theife comes but you know all the house sets against him and never rest till they cast him out and if they want strength they cry for helpe but the Master of the house comes in and then all the servants are in their places to doe him service all take care to please him and give him content How entertaine you the motions of sinne looke upon your former wayes upon your former customes and vanities looke upon your wonted course of ill and consider now whether there bee an endeavour to satisfie the sinfull inclination of your hearts or is there a striving and using all meanes to be rid of it Do you make this your question to the Ministers you converse with to the Christian friends with whom you consult in this case how to be rid of such a corruption how to get such a sinne purged out Is this the matter of your prayer to God doe you crie to Heaven for helpe to get out this theife that is stollen into your hearts this traytour that conspires against the glorie of God this rebell that maintaines a fight against the kingdome of Christ doe you so looke on it It is a signe you are dead to sinne or else sinne is alive in you and you are dead in sinne Thirdly and lastly consider your actions consider your conversation doth sinne get strength or is it weakened For know that this is not the mortification of sinne that a man be never troubled with it more that hee never heare more of it that hee be never more troubled with the motions of sinne no As a man that hath a deadly wound given him it may bee hee more fiercely sets on him that gave him the deadly blow then ever before yet he falls dead at his feet after so it is with the motions of sinne thinke not when sin is dead by vertue of our union with Christ that we shall not bee tempted any more to sinne that you shall not have sinne any more in you no it will bee in you and molest you But what fruit doe you bring forth What actions doe you what strength hath sinne all the strife it hath is but to disquiet and disturbe you not to rule and command you as it was wont to doe It is a signe that sinne is dead naturally by way of incoation it will die in the end you shall heare no more of it at the last and though it a great while disturbe you and disquiet you yet this is your comfort you are disturbed and you maintaine Gods quarrell against your corruptions and fight against it it is a signe it hath a deadly blow Therefore let every one consider his estate let no man denie himselfe his owne portion let him that is dead in sinne know that hee is dead and the wretchednesse of that condition eternall death begins in that death And let him that is dead to sinne know that hee is alive to God and is among those that live in Christ and shall be saved A word of exhortation and so I conclude Doth this testifie our life in Christ that wee are dead to sinne Then as you hope for any comfort or privilege or advantage by Christ labour to make this good to your soules and labour to secure this evidence more and more that you are dead to sinne There are none that heares mee this day but they professe they hope to bee saved by Christ and they looke for no other name under Heaven to bee saved by but the name of Jesus It is certain but who will Christ save they are such as whom hee sanctifies and will hee sanctifie such as by union with him are dead to sinne and alive to God Then I beseech you make this good to your selves strive more and more to kill sinne take this as a quickning argument that you are in Christ and therefore you must bee conformable to Christ. Sayth the Apostle Hee bore our sinnes in his bodie on the Tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. that wee might be dead to sinne and live to righteousnesse Why did Christ beare your sinnes in his bodie upon the Tree but for this very end that as hee dyed for sinne you might dye to sinne Now that wee may perswade you know that it is upon speciall ground you lose nothing but get much by it the more you dye to sin the lesse you lose by it First you
and looke on it as a hatefull thing I make it manifest that I am indeed dead to sinne as the Scripture saith here reckon that you are dead to sinne Therefore as when a man is delivered from being a Galley-slave under the Turkes and his ransome is paid if his old Master come and command him to the Galleyes hee saith no my ransome is payd I am free and I will not any more bee a slave So reckon thou art no more to be such as thou wert wont to be for now reckon your selves saith the Apostle if you be in Christ that you are dead to sin and alive to God through Iesus Christ our Lord. FINIS HOPES ANCHOR-HOLD OR THE HELMET OF SALVATION HEB. 6. 19. Which Hope we have as an Anchor of the Soule both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the vaile ITHES 5. 8. Let us who are of the day bee sober putting on for a Helmet the Hope of Salvation LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. HOPES ANCHOR HOLD OR THE HELMET OF SALVATION SERMON XXXVIII 1 COR. 15. 19. If in this life onely wee have hope in Christ wee are of all men most miserable I Will not detaine you with the argument of this Chapter nor in the Coherence of this Scripture The scope of it in a word is thus much If in this life in this World onely for the present wee have hope and confidence in Christ and the ayme of our confidence and the height of our hope reach no further then wee wee poore Christians wee the faithfull in the World wee are of all men most miserable yea wee are more miserable then any other men The words containe in them two parts of a Hypotheticall proposition of which the first is an Antecedent as we call it and the other is the Consequent You may call the first a Condition and the last a Conclusion The Antecedent or Condition is this If in this life onely wee have hope in Christ what then then the Consequent or Conclusion is this then are wee of all men the mâ—…st miserable But now against the Antecedent there ariseth this Assumption to make up the sence to make it perfect But not in this life onely have wee hope in Christ for that is the meaning of the Apostle therefore against the Consequent ariseth this Conclusion Therefore we are not of of all men the most miserable â—…y we are not miserable at all You see here are termes in the Text of great consequence here is life here is hope here is Christ here is men here is miserie and here is all things almost that can bee sayd either concerning Heaven or earth Now marke it is not sayd If in this life we have hope wee are miserable neither if wee have hope in Christ in this life then are wee miserable not so but if our hope bee oneâ—… in this life and sticke there and goe no further then so then wee are miserable There are two Emphaticall termes in the Text wee must take notice of and that is onely in the former part and most of all in the latter part onely in the former part that straitneth and restraineth our hope most of all in the latter part that inlargeth our miserie and so it may well for when the hope is restrained to the present there the miserie may be infinitely inlarged But not for the present is our hope onely for the present ergo c. I need say no more it is the Text. I shall raise to you sixe severall Consectaries or Corrollaries or Conclusions that naturally arise out of this Scripture and I purpose at this time to runne them all through it must be roundly it shall bee plainely doe you heare patiently The first Assertion wee make out of the Text it is this that The faithfull are hopefull The godly have hope wee have hope that is taken for granted The second concerneth the object of this hope and the Point is this that Christ is the object of the Christians hope We have hope in Christ. The third is touching the time of our hope and that is for this life the Lesson is this that This life-time is our hope-time We have hope in this life The fourth is that Hope in this life it is not onely of the things of this life Not onely of this life for if in this life onely we have hope oh no take that away our hope in this life is not onely set upon the things of this life If in this life onely not so Fiftly this life you see how that standeth convertible with another terme in the Text with miserie shewing thus much that This life is miserable The last is that The faithfull the hopefull they are not of all the most miserable they are not miserable at all Then were wee miserable but the former being not true that cannot bee true These are the sixe Points Of which to content my selfe with a touch of them as I passe along and so onely to present them severally unto you I begin with the first that The faithfull they are hopefull We have hope so are the words Faith is the evidence of things hoped for so sayth the Apostle Heb. 11. 1. And they that have accesse through this Grace they rejoyce in hope of the glorie of God they goe joyned together Hope is a constant expectation of the performance of such promises of God as we apprehend out of his Word by faith For example Faith doth beleeve Gods promises to bee true Hope doth expect the performance of them according to that truth By Faith wee beleeve God to bee our Father by Hope wee expect that he should shew himselfe such a one to us By Faith wee doe beleeve eternall life by Hope wee attend when this life shall bee revealed Spe as one speakes what is it else but perseverantia fidei the perseverance of Faith Faith is the Mother Hope is the Daughter the Mother is incouraged and comforted by the Daughter as Naomi was by Ruth Hence it is that the holy Apostle Saint Peter hee ascribeth the salvation of our soules to our faith saying that the end of our faith is the salvation of our soules Well and Saint Paul hee assureth the same to belong unto Hope saying we are saved by Hope So then Faith sayth I beleeve these blessed promises of God to bee true and Hope sayth I see them and I waite for the enjoyment of those things that are reserved formee Thus Faith and Hope are woven one in another Thus the faithfull are the hopefull Wee have Hope That 's the first Point The Use of this Point breifly it shall be but this First to teach us to seeke and to finde out this Hope in our selves And secondly to strive and to fight against some impediments that oppose themselves and are hindrances of this Hope First thou must go and seeke thy selfe and search out and find whether
more then that such a numbring as is joyned with an applying of our hearts to wisedome and the reason is because wisedome it directs to the choyce of such particular actions and works as tend to happinesse so should a man after his serious consideration of death applie himselfe to such wayes and such actions by which hee may comfortably close up his life with death it is a great point of wisedome to sute actions with their ends to fit and square the wood before wee build the house to learne and discipline a troope before they goe to battell to rigge and trimme and furnish the shippe before wee launch to sea this is preparation indeed Now this preparation for death consists in two things First in an undoing of that which unfits us to dye Brethren hee who is not fit to live hee is not yet fit to dye and that which ever masters the life will be of greatest force in death The Father spake it boldly on good grounds I am not ashamed to live nor afraid to dye now that which unfits a man to dye is sinne it makes him finde a bitter enemie of death Oh when this King of terrours shall present himselfe by thy bed side with his arrowes in his hands I meane thy sinnes hee will wound thee with infinite amazement and horrour the sting of death is sinne saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. Thou dost not prepare thy selfe for death if thou dost not undoe thy sinnes which thou hast done in thy life the which consists First in a narrow search of thy sinfulnesse both of nature and practice Secondly in a secret humbling of thy soule for them Thirdly in an unfeigned repentance and forsaking of them Fourthly in a constant imploring and obtainig of mercie for them in the bloud of Christ. If thy soule doth give sinne its discharge now death shall give thy soule a discharge hereafter Secondly in the quallifying our persons for the conquest of death there are three things by which wee shall bee able cheerefully to meet and assuredly to conquer death First by having interest in the Lord Jesus The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law but thankes bee to God who hath given us victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. If thou hast gotten Christ into thy armes by faith thou carriest thy peace strength and advantage both through life and death For wee are more then conquerours through him that loved us sayth the Apostle Rom. 8. 37. And to mee to live is Christ and to die is gaine sayth the same Apostle Phil. 1. 21. if thou hast a good Christ thou mayst bee confident of a good death Secondly renewednesse of our nature What Saint Iohn spake of the Martyrs as some conjecture Blessed and happie is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power that say I of a person renewed by the sanctifying qualitie of Gods Spirit I happie is hee hee shall have power even over the first death The Spirit and the Bride sayth come if a man hath gotten the heavenly Spirit which beautifies the soule with the ornaments of Grace as the Bride is with her ornaments hee is a fitted person hee may well say to Death come and to Christ come Lord Iesus come quickly Thirdly uprightnesse of conversation Righteousnesse delivers from death sayth Solomon and the righteous hath hope in his death if a mans worke be Christs service if hee have a heart enclined to keepe a good conscience in all things to keepe himselfe exact to the rule and to walke with God Blessed is that servant which his Master when he commeth shall find so doing that man that hath looked to Gods Word to guide his life may confidently look up to Gods mercie to comfort him in death Remember O Lord sayth Hezekiah Isa. 39. how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart Now all this doth the wayting for our change import in the Text to wit a serious expectation of it first by undoing those sinnes of ours which else for ever will undoe us and by interesting our persons into Christ from whom we must likewise receive the Spirit to change our hearts and uprightnesse to forme a-new our conversation But then you will say Why must there be such a wayting for this these grave clothes are too sadde for the freshnesse of our life and would you have us be like the mad-man in the Gospell who lived among the Sepulchres Nay I beseech you let us consider and settle our thoughts a little and you shall be stayed with reason there are many strong Arguments and reasons why we should thus waite both by expectation and preparation First it is the maine errand of our life God did not send us into this world to sinne and to adorne our selves with the creature but to bring him some honour and then to dye the factor is not imployed to take his pleasure abroad but to doe his Masters worke and then to returne home Tertullian confesseth he was a great sinner and therefore borne to repentance therefore doth God give us life as the Master allowes the servant a candle to worke by that we may repent of our sinnes and get our hold in Christ and worke out our salvation and doe the great businesse of beleeving to be good and to doe good and so by Death to goe up to heaven Secondly death is but once and that needs to bee well done which can be but once done if there might be another space after death a second edition to correct the faults and escapes of the former then a present and speedie preparation were not altogether so necessarie but saith the Apostle It is appointed for all men once to dye and after death to come to judgement Heb. 9. 27. no more but once Wee usually shadow out Death with an houre-glasse A fit Embleme but that when an houre-glasse is runne out it may bee turned againe but this once out can be set up no more thou shalt never live to amend thy errours in dying O then how needfull is it before-hand to prepare for Death Thirdly when death hath done with thee then God will begin with thee thou must once die and after this come to Judgement Heb. 9. 27. To judgement what is that thou must bee presented before the holy and just and great God who is the Judge of the quicke and the dead and with all that thou art and with all that thou hast done there must appeare then before him all the courses of thy life all the bent of thy affections all the secrets of thy heart shall then be pulled in peeces and opened and all thy workes and all thy words shall bee exhibited scann'd and surveyed and that with severity and righteousnesse how say you then is it not fit to be preparing for Death to fit thy soule to reforme thy heart and life wilt thou
〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divido wee are to learne to bee contented with our lot and beare it patiently considering first that wee brought it upon our selves secondly that wee gaine this singular benefit by it that our miserie shall not bee immortall O Death to which Death speaketh the Apostle for the Scripture maketh mention of the first and second death and Saint Ambrose also of a third The first Death with him is the death of nature of which it is sayd they shall seeke death and not finde it The second of sinne of which it is said the soule that sinneth shall dye the death The third of grace which sets a period not to nature but to sinne The Death here meant is the first Death or the Death of nature which the Philosophers diversly define according to their divers opinions of the soule Aristoxemis who held the soule to bee an harmonie consequently defined Death to bee a discord â—…len who held the soule to be Crasis or a temper Death to be a distemper Zeno who held the soule to bee a â—…ire Death to bee an extinction Those Philosophers who held the soule to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as Tullie interpreteth it continuam â—…tionem Death to bee a cessation The vulgar of the Heathen who held the soule to bee a breath Death to be an expiration Lastly the Platonickes who held the soule to be an immortall spiriâ—… Death to bee a dissolution or seperation of the soule from the bodie and this is two fold 1 Naturall 2 Violent 1 Naturall when of it selfe the naturall heate is extinguished or radicall moisture consumed for our life in Scripture is compared and in sculpture resembled to a burning lampe the fire which kindleth the flame in this light is naturall heate and the oyle which feedeth it is radicall moisture Without flame there is no light without oyle to maintaine it no flame in like manner if either naturall heate or radicall moisture fayle life cannot last 2 Violent when the soule is forced untimely out of the body of this Death there are so many shapes that no Painter could ever yet draw them Wee come but one way into the World but we goea thousand out of it as wee see in a Garden-pot the water is powred in but at one place to wit the narrow mouth but it runneth out at 100 holes Dye Some 1 By fire as the Sodomites 2 By water as the old World 3 By the infection of the Ayre as threescore and ten thousand in Davids time 4 By the opening of the earth as Corah Dathan and Abiram Amphiraus and two Cities Buris and Helice Some meet with Death In 1 Their Coach as Antiochus 2 Their chamber as Domitian 3 Their bed as Iohn the Twelfe 4 The Theater as Caligula 5 The Senate as Caesar. 6 The Temple as Zenacherib 7 Their Table as Claudius 8 At the Lords-Table as Pope Victor and Henry of 〈◊〉 Death woundeth and striketh some With 1 A pen-knife as Seneca 2 A stilletto as Henry the Fourth 3 A sword as Paul 4 A Fullers beame as Iames the Lords Brother 5 A Saw as Isaiah 6 A stone as Pyrrhus 7 A thunderbolt as Anustatius What should I speake of Felones de se such as have throwne away their soules Sardanapalus made a great fire and leaped into it Lucretiâ—… stabbed her selfe Cleopatra put an Aspe to her breast and stung therewith dyed presently Saul fell upon his owne sword Iudas hanged himselfe Peronius cut his owne veines Heremius beate out his owne braines Liciniusâ—…oaked â—…oaked himselfe with a napkin Porâ—…ia dyed by swallowing hot burning coales Haâ—…ibalâ—…ked â—…ked poâ—… son out of his ring Demosthâ—…s out of his Pen c. What seemeth so loose as the soule and the bodie which is plucked out with a haire driven out with a smâ—…ll frayed out with a phancie verily that seemeth to be but a breath in the nosthrills which is taken away with a â—…ent a shadow wâ—…ch is driven away with a scare-crow a dreame which is fâ—…yed away with a phansie a vapour which is driven away with a puâ—…e a conceit which goes away with a passion a toy that leaves us with a laughter yet griefe kild Homer â—…hter Phileâ—…on a haâ—…e in his milke Fabius a flye in his throat Adrian a smell of lime in his nosthrills Iovian the snuâ—… of a candle a Child in Plâ—…e a kerâ—…ll of a Raison Anacyeon and a Icesickle one in Martial which caused the Poet to melt into teares saying O ubi mors non est si jugulatis aquae what cannot make an end of us if a small drop of water congealed can doe it In these regards wee may 〈◊〉 the affâ—…ive in my â—…xt into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and say â—…uly though noâ—… in the Apostles sense O Death where iâ—… not thy sting 〈◊〉 wâ—… see iâ—…â—…st ouâ—… in 〈◊〉 in our 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 apparell in our breath in the Coâ—…t in the. Countrey in the Ciâ—… in the Field in the Land in the Sâ—… in the chamber in the Church and in the Church-yard where we meet with the second partie to bee examined to wit the Grave O Grave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the language of Ashdod it signifieth one thing but in the language of Canaan another The Heathen writers understand by it First the first matter out of which all things are drawn and into which they are last of all resolved So Hippocrates taketh the word in his Aph. Secondly the ruler of the Region of darknesse or prince of Hell so Hesiod taketh it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hes. op dies Thirdly the state and condition of the dead or death it selfe so Homer taketh it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the language of Canaan it is either taken for the place of torment of the damned And in hell he lift up his eys being in torments and seeth Abraham afarre off and Lazarus in his bosome Secondly for the Grave and that most frequently in the Seventie Interpreters as namely I will goe downe into Hâ—…des to my sonne that is the Grave and let not his hâ—…ie head goe downe into Hades that is the grave in peace and in death there is 〈◊〉 râ—…berance of thee and who will give thee thankes in Hâ—…es that is the Grave and what man is hee that â—…veth and shall not see death and shall bee deliver his soule from the hands of Hades that is the Grave and Hades that is the Grave cannot praise thee Death cannot celebrate thee and so it must bee here taken For though Hell in regard of the Elect bee conquered yet it â—…rnally possesseth the reprobaâ—…e men and Devills neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bee destroyed at the day of Judgement oâ—… emâ—…d but in â—…ed rather and repleâ—…ed with the boâ—…es of all the damned whose soules are there aâ—…eadie But Hades that is the Grave shall lose aâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…ptives and prisoners for the eâ—…h
and sea shall cast up 〈◊〉 their dead Wee have the parties to bee examâ—…ed let us now here the Articles upon which they are to bee examâ—…ed First Death is to answer to this 〈◊〉 where is thy sâ—…ng these words may bee understood â—…o maâ—…r of wayes 1 Actively 2 Passively 1 Passively where is thy sting that is the sting thrust out by Deatâ—… 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of Death is 〈◊〉 other then the present sence of the desert of death and guilt of conscience 〈◊〉 a dreadâ—… 〈…〉 take away this 〈…〉 for sinnâ—… 〈…〉 no 〈…〉 â—…is Saints and 〈…〉 of a punishment of sinne a remedie against all sinne of a short and fearefull cut to eternall death a faire and safe draw-bridge to eternall life 2 Actively where is thy sting that is the sting which causeth and bringeth Death In this sense the sting of death is sinne non quem mors fecit sed quo mors facta est peccato enim morimur non morte peccâ—…mus as Saint Austine most accutely and eloquently Sinne is sayd to bee the sting of Death as a cup of poyson is sayd to bee a potion of death that is a potion bringing death for wee dye by sinne wee sinne not by death sinne is not the off-spring of death but death the off-spring of sinne or as the Apostle tearmeth it the wages of sinne And it is just with God to pay the sinner this wages by rendring death to sinne and punishing sinne with death because sinne severeth the soule from God and not onely grieveth and despightfully entreateth but without repentance in the end thrusteth the spirit out of doores And what more agreeable to Divine justice then that the soule which willingly severeth her selfe from God should bee unwillingly severed from the bodie and that the spirit should bee expelled of his residence in the flesh which expelleth Gods grace and excludeth his Spirit from a residence in the soul This sting of death is like the Adders two forked or double for it is either originall or actuall sinne originall sinne is the sting of death in the day thou eatest of the Tree of knowledge thou shalt surely dye and as by one man sinne came into the World and death by sinne and so death passed upon all men for that all had sinned Secondly actuall sinne is the sting of death the soule that sinneth it shall dye the sonne shall not beare the iniquitie of the father nor the father the iniquity of the sonne the righteousnesse of the righteous shall bee upon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall bee upon him Howbeit if wee speake properly originall sinne as it is a pronesse to all sinne so it maketh us rather obnoxious to death then dead men but actuall sinne without repentance slayes out-right Adam did not die the day hee eat the fruit but that day became mortalis or morti obnoxius guiltie of death or liable to it originall sinne alone maketh us mortes but actuall mortuos dead men The Devill like to a Hornet sometimes pricks us onely but leaveth not his sting in us sometime he leaveth his sting in us and that 's farre the more dangerous He is pricked only with this sting who sinneth suddenly and presently repenteth but he who the Devil bringeth to a habit or custome insinne in him hee leaveth his sting Now wee know what the sting is let us enquire where it is The answer is if wee speake of the reprobate men or Devills it remaineth in their consciences if wee speake of the Elect it is plucked out of their soules and it was put in our Saviours bodie and there deaded and lost for hee that knew no sinne was made sinne for us to wit by imputing our sinne to him and inflicting the punishment thereof upon him That wee might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him for the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes were wee healed who his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his owne body on the tree Athanasius representeth the manner of it by the similitude of a Waspe losing her sting in a Rocke Vespa acculeâ—… fodiens petram c. as an angry Waspe thrusteth her sting into a rocke cannot pierce or enter farre into it but either breaketh her sting or loseth it all so Death assaulting the Lord of life and striving with all her might to sting him hurt not him but disarmed her selfe of her sting for ever The first interrogatorie is answered wee know where Deaths sting is let us now consider of the second interrogatorie concerning the victorie of the Grave O grave where is thy victorie If the Grave as shee openeth her mouth wide so she could speake shee would answer My victories are to be seene in Macpelah Golgotha in all the gulphs of the Sea and Caves and pits of the Earth where the dead have beene bestowed since the beginning of the world My victorie is in the fire in the water in the earth in all Churnells and Caemitaries or dormitories in the bellies of fish in the mawes of beasts in holy shrines Tombes and sepulchres wheresoever corpses have beene put and are yet reserved Of all that ever Death arrested and they by order of divine Justice have beene committed to my custodie never any but one escaped whom the heaven of heavens could not containe much lesse any earthly prison he might truly say and none but he O grave where is thy victorie all save him I keepe in safe custodie that were ever sent to mee Yet may all that die in Iesus and expect a glorious Resurrection by him even now by faith insult over the Grave for Faith calleth those things that are not as if they were it looketh backward as farre as the Creation which produced all things at the first of nothing and as farre forward to the resurrection which shall restore all things from nothing or that which is as much as nothing Faith with an eye annointed with the eye-salve of the spirit seeth death swallowed up into victorie and the earth and sea casting up all their dead and upon this evidence of things not seene triumpheth over Death and Hell saying O Death where is thy sting O Hell where is thy victorie Wee have spoken hitherto of Death and the Grave let us now heare what they have to say to us Death saith feare not mee the Grave Weepe not immoderately for the dead Death bids us die to sinne the Grave Burie all thy injuries and wrongs in the pit of oblivion both say to us flye sinne and neither of us can hurt you both say to us Give thankes to him who hath given you victorie over uâ—… both the sting of death pricks you not but if you die in the bosome of Christ rather delights and tickles you Death is no more Death but a sleepe the Grave is no more a grave but abed Death is but the putting off of our old rags the Grave is the Vestrie
a glasse with good keeping may last as long as an earthen Pot but both brittle Now notwithstanding this Sex bee brittle and the weaker yet to be honoured and that upon this ground because partakers with Men and as well as Men of the greatest priviledge the grace of life Were this a meeting for the solemnization of a Mariage I might further descan upon this plaine-song that ariseth from the inference of Mens honouring of Women What have I said if it were a Mariage solemnitie surely howsoever here bee before our eyes the eyes of our bodies a visible object of mortalitie yet notwithstanding here is before us an invisible occasion of rejoycing as at a Mariage solemnitie to the eye of our soule understanding and faith for while here we live in the world Jesus Christ our Spouse hee hath his friends friends of the Bridegroome his Ministers and messengers that in his name come to us wooe us use all the meanes that may be to move us to accept of Christ for our Lord and Husband When a man accepts of this offer there is then the contract consummated in regard of the mutuall consent that passeth betweene the one and the other Christ having his Proxies here wee the Ministers being for him and every beleeving soule for himselfe This contract continueth so long as here wee remaine in this world when wee depart the body is laid in the Bride-bed quietly to rest and sleepe till the Bridegroome be pleased to come and awake his Spouse and it will be a blessed voyce that hee shall come withall Come yee blessed of my Father receive the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world As for the soule that goeth immediatly to Christ and is in his Fathers house with him the Spouse in that part with her Husband the Lord Christ enjoying an eternall inviolable communion and sweet societie But howsoever this is thus to the invisible eyes of the soule we now must looke upon the object here before us and answerably order our matter and therefore with this touch I let passe the inference and come to the substance of the Text. You heard the summe you heard the parts But wee must here proceed Huesteron and Proteron and cleane invert the order of the words as I hope your selves will discerne if you doe but well marke the order and method Life is in the last place Grace before it the right that commeth before it and the extent of that right before all I suppose therefore you will thinke that first it is meet to lay forth the priviledge it selfe Life and then to speake of the ground of it then of the right that we have and then of the Extent of that right and this order I purpose to follow First therefore concerning the Priviledge it selfe Life For brevities sake I forbeare to speake much of the divers acceptations of life and distinctions thereof as it is in the Creatour the onely true God Father Sonne and holy Spirit or as it is in the invisible and glorious creatures the Angels or as it is in men who are animated by a reasonable soule or as it is in those creatures that are guided only by sense Beasts Fowle Fish or otherwise as it is in Trees and Plants that come forth out of the earth having a vegetative life onely The life here meant is that wee call eternall life consisting in our communion with Christ our Spouse and this is a life proper to the Saints proper unto them because comming from the grace of God extended unto them alone proper unto them because they are heires of it And in this extent there is a restraint howsoever the extent bee in divers considerations yet a restraint a qualification onely beleevers onely sound true Christians to them it is proper And this life is to be considered either in the Inchoation and beginning thereof or in the consummation and accomplishment thereof In regard of the Inchoation of this speciall life of the Saints it is here begun in this world I now live saith the Apostle speaking even of this life by the faith of the Sonne of God And the Iust shall live by faith This life it is by Christs dwelling and living in us I now live yet not I but Christ liveth in me saith the Apostle in the place before quoted The other it is in the world to come and it is by a sweet feeling and fruition it is by our abiding with Christ and living with him in which respect saith our Lord Christ to the penitent beleever upon the Crosse This day the very day that he died shalt thou be with me in Paradise and so Saint Paul saith of himselfe I desire to bee dissolved and to be with Christ implying that upon the dissolution immediatly there is a fruition a communion with Christ And the same Apostle speaking of those Saints that shall be upon the earth at the very moment of Judgement when the dead saith he are raised then shall wee also that are alive and remaine be caught up together with them in the cloudes to meet the Lord in the ayre and so shall wee ever be with the Lord. Now then marke here you see the soule hath present communion with Christ upon the dissolution of the body and the body also shall have communion with him at the great day of the Resurrection of all flesh Now this life and communion with Christ is proper to the Saints by vertue of their union with Christ A misticall union For Christ the Sonne of God hee is life originally in himselfe for as the Father hath life in himselfe so hath hee given to the Sonne to have life in himselfe Hee is also Life communicatively communicating life unto us therefore hee is said to be the Bread of life and in this sence because hee is that Bread which commeth downe from heaven and giveth life unto the world The Use of this point my brethren is manifold I will but touch it First it doth instruct us in the great love and good respect that God beareth to us children of men that of his owne good pleasure hath written our names in the booke of life and hath sent his Sonne to purchase life for us and to bring us also to this life Behold what love the Father hath shewed to us in Christ Secondly this is a demonstration of the wofull plight wherein naturally men are in this world they may seeme to be of some account they have a life that is farre different from the life of Plants and also from the life of Beasts they have a reasonable soule to animate them Oh but this this is is not the life Naturall life indeed is a death compared to this life that is here noted to bee proper to the Saints which commeth by grace whereof wee are heires and therefore of all naturall men it may bee said as the Apostle saith of the wanton
Widow shee is dead while shee liveth even so are all such dead while they live dead in sinnes and trespasses and if so be those that are in this kind dead continue so till the death of the body seize upon them woe woe woe to them upon this followeth an eternall death endlesse easelesse and remedilesse torment upon body and soule for ever Thirdly the Saints have here consolation against the mortalitie and corruption whereto they are subject here in this world wherein their condition is common with the condition of all for that that befalleth one may befall every one in regard of the outward estate and condition All must die Nay further here is consolation against the distresses and afflictions and pressures whereto the Saints are subject above others for their profession sake in this very respect they are hated they are persecuted all that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution and through many afflictions wee must enter into the kingdome of heaven Where is now their comfort surely this that is set before us you heard that naturall men are dead while they live but those that are in Christ doe live while they may seeme to bee dead Ionah lived when he was cast into the Sea swallowed up by a whale and was even as it were in hell so the Saints though swallowed up as wee may say in the tempestuous sea of this world by cruell Whales yet notwithstanding they still live that life that is begun here in this world whereof you heard before And to this purpose the Apostle Saint Paul in 2 Cor. 4. 8 9 10 11 12. sheweth plainly that though they are given up unto death daily for Iesus sake yet they are not destroyed not cleane swallowed up but that they live in Christ and that Christ liveth in them Wee are perplexed but not in despaire persecuted but not forsaken c. And this is it that doth comfort them both the fruition of that life that they have here and their expectation of the accomplishment and fulnesse thereof in the kingdome of heaven Now my brethren this is the rather to be observed of us because of all others the Saints seeme to be most subject to death And the truth is here is matter of admiration in regard of their happinesse that notwithstanding that condition whereto they are subject there is a life they enjoy in this world there is a better life prepared for them hereafter And what can be more desired Life of all things else is most esteemed Men are ready in sicknesse and in other distresses to spend all that they have as the Woman that was troubled with the bloudie issue spent all that shee had upon the Physitians to preserve life to recover health Solomon speaking according to the conceit of men saith that a living Dogge is better than a dead Lyon any life better then a death thus they imagine and Sathan well knew mens account of life when he could say Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will hee give for his life Now if so bee that this temporall life here that is but a flower but a bubble but a blast but a breath yea that life that in the shortnesse thereof is subject to so much perplexitie as it is be notwithstanding so highly esteemed what is the life here promised that while here in the enjoying in regard of the first fruits thereof is accompanied with such a peace as passeth understanding accompanied with the very joy of the Holy Ghost and in the consummation thereof such contentment such glory as the tongue of man cannot expresse the mind of man cannot conceive It is noted of the Apostle Saint Paul when he was caught up to the third heaven and saw but a glimpse of this life he did there see they are his owne words unutterable matter things that cannot bee exprest And therefore in this respect he saith and that which he saith may be most fitly applyed to this the things which eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath entred into the heart of man are such as God hath prepared for them that love him This is that Life which we are so to consider of as it may make us say with the Apostle I account that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to bee compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us for our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory It will be here said whence commeth this or what may bee the ground thereof My Text telleth you It is stiled here Grace of Life Neither will I here insist upon the divers acceptations of grace as it is in man as it is Gratis data or as it is in God as it is Gratis faciens making us accepted with himselfe It is more cleare then need to be proved that eternall life it commeth from divine grace Grace is the ground of it Being justified by grace saith the Apostle and againe by Grace you are saved And indeed all things that bring us thereto are in the Scriptures attributed to Grace And needs must it be so For First out of God there can be nothing done to move him to doe this or that as if it should be done for our sakes either meriting or procuring of it Hee is independant and we are depending upon him and whatsoever wee have is out of our selves and commeth from him Againe in Man there can be nothing What is there in man but miserie whatsoever man had or hath if there be any good thing he hath it from this fountaine of goodnesse all our sufficiencie is of God And this is briefly to be noted against that proud and arrogant position of our Adversaries concerning the merit of mans workes as if man by any thing in him could merit or deserve this life it is not the merit of life but the grace of life Surely they know not God they know not his infinitenesse his all-sufficiencie they know not man his emptinesse his impotencie his vilenesse his cursednesse they know not this life they know not the reward the excellencie of it the disproportion betweene any thing that man can doe and this life that is thus graciously bestowed that have such a conceit Let them therefore passe with their foolish opinion For our owne parts it affordeth to us another ground of comfort and that in regard of our unworthinesse for as we are creatures we are lesse then the least of Gods mercies but as we are mortall creatures dust and ashes much more unworthy of any favour but as we are sinfull creatures having provoked the justice of God most most unworthy of any grace of any life most worthy of all judgements and vengeance of eternall death and damnation Where is now our hope what ground shall wee have that have nothing in