are as corrupt by nature as the rest vntill they be reformed by the santified meanes ordained of God 15. Mans sinne maketh his life a due debt to death 17. The Diuell is the father of Sinne and Sinne the mother of Death ibid. The corruption of our flesh did not make our soules sinfull but the sinne of our soule did make the flesh corruptible ibid. CHAP. V. DEath is threefold corporall spirituall and that which is common both to body and soule Sect. 2. The description of Death according to the seuerall parts 3. The soule cannot properly dye being life it selfe illustrated by examples 4. How the soule is said to dye 5. The seperation from God is the death of the soule as the departing of the soule is the death of the body ibid. The nature of Death 6. Gods Spirit is the soule of our soules ibid. Man by sinne lost his life and found out death 7. It is agreeable to Gods iustice that a spirituall death should beget a corporall ibid. So soone as man had sinned so soone did the armies of death besiege his life 8. The very life of sinners is a death 9. Gods spirit must quicken and reuiue the soule or else it must needes dye and be damned 10. The degrees of the spirit in Gods elect 11. The wicked in this life doe liue in death and conuersing in earth they are bondslaues of hell 12. An effectuall faith in Christ is the life of the soule 13. What it is to be dead in sinne 14. Death is diuersly deriued with the reasons thereof 15. CHAP. VI. IT is enacted in heauen that all men must dye Sect. 1. The Registers of the death and buriall of men from the beginning witnesse the execution of Gods decree herein 2. Death is the way of all the world and the house of all men liuing ibid. Death is the Lady and Empresse of all the world 3. Balthasers Embleme is written vpon euery mans wall 4. Death respecteth no mans person place or qualities 3. Dayes and yeares and times no plea against the graue but a fitter prey for Death ibid. Death as Dan the gathering hoast sweepes all away 4. Mercilesse Death doth exercise her cruelty vpon all alike 5. Nothing can preuaile against Death or ransome our life 6. Gods hand a man may escape but Deaths dart no man can shunne 7. No force can resist it nor meanes preuent it ibid. Death is the common road-way of all the world 8. We must needes yeeld our selues to the law of Death ibid. Men may be distinguished by times but all are equall in the issue 9. As we grow our life decreaseth This whole life is but a death ibid. Man cannot be ignorant of his death since all creatures and actions proclaime his mortalitie 10. Experiments of death on euery side most apparant 11. The law of Nature conuinceth it amongst all nations 12. Our liues as our garments weare of themselues they are eaten with the Moaths we with the Time ibid. The course of our life runneth without pause to the period and end 13. An exclamation against Death most hideous and pittifull 14. 15. The Christian vse of our mortalitie with a reproofe of the carelesse Christian 16. 17. Death to the faithfull is as an hackney to carry and hasten them from earth to heauen ibid. CHAP. VII SInne brought in a sea of miseries Sect. 1. Life and misery are two twinnes which were borne together and must dye together 2. A description of infancy and old age with their miseries 3. The miserie of all estates Here death is liuing and life dying 4. There is no contentment in this wretched life 5. A description of mans sinfull mortall body 6. The frailty and brittlenesse of mans body with the reason thereof 7. See the manifold dangers of our life and how easily it is lost 8. The mutabilitie and inconstancie of mans life 9. This life is little better then hell were it not for the hope of heauen 10. This world is an Ocean sea of troubles See how fitly it resembleth it hauing a mercilesse maw to swallow vp all 11. It is a dungeon of ill sauours and a puddle of vices 12. Mans life is short and swift like a poste a ship and a shadow ibid. Our dayes passe swiftly as the Eagle to her prey and all mortall men are a prey to death 14. We are as flowers and grasse and Death in the hand of God as a sythe to cut vs downe ibid. All things dye but our sinnes which reuiue and grow young againe in despight of nature ibid. The cares of this life are like the Flyes of Egypt which giue men no rest neither day nor night 15. They are like mercilesse Tyrants which take away our peace ibid. Man and his labour are fitly resembled to the Spider and her web 16. All things are as snares to sinners to draw them to destruction 17. The meanes for Christians to auoid the snares of this life 18. It is as naturall for corrupt man to sinne as for water to run downe the channell or a Coach downe a hill 19. The best men liuing amongst the wicked are aptly resembled to Colliers and Millers ibid. The manifold engins of Sathan to enthrall vs. 20. No man can liue peaceably in this world among so many enemies of peace ibid. The warfare of Christians both outward and intestine with the occasions thereof 21. 22. Our life is as a tempestuos sea and death the onely port of tranquilitie and rest 23. CHAP. VIII MEN by dying proue they had sinned and sinne conuinceth there is a Law Sect. 1. The Law conuinceth man of sinne who without it knew not sinne 2. Sinne by the Law grew out of measure sinful with the reason thereof 3. The Law detecteth sinne as a hidden sicknesse that so we may seeke to Christ the Physitian 4. It is holy and righteous in it selfe though an occasion of euill to those that are corrupt ibid. How sinne is said to be dead without the Law 5. The Law anatomiseth sinfull man and setteth him out in his colours 6. The Law slayeth the sinner before Gods Spirit quicken him 7. Sinne and the Law are the strength and sting of Death 8. The Law not onely conuinceth man of sinne but iustifieth God in the punishment thereof 9. The horror of death with the reason thereof 10. CHAP. IX GReat and heauy was the tribute which God imposed vpon man for sinne Sect. 1. The death of the body is nothing to the damnation of body and soule in hell 2. As diseases are the maladies of the body so death is the maladie of diseases ibid. The death of the reprobate is a liuing death and a dying life 3. The life of the damned is an immortalitie of torments and euill 4. The torments of hell are vnspeakable 5. They are euerlasting and endlesse 6. Death to the vnregenerate is the very gate of hell 7. Death cannot be so feared as it ought of wicked men 8. CHAP. X.
body and soule from God Hence it appeareth that Death is threefold first corporall secondly spirituall and thirdly a death common both to body and soule and all these kindes due to all men without exception for all haue sinned and are destitute of the grace of God This corporall Death which I said to be a seperation of the soule from the body is likewise called the first Death And spirituall Death which is a renting of the soule from God who is the life thereof is also called the second Death Both corporall and spirituall or the Death that is common both to body and soule which is an euerlasting diuorce both of body and soule from the vnion and fellowship of God is also called eternall death which is inchoatiue in this life for they that beleeue not are condemned already and compleate in the life to come when after the resurrection of the body both body and soule shall euerlastingly be seperated from the Lord of life which is also common to all by reason of sinne yet not preuailing ouer Gods elect iustified and freed from it by faith in Christ Death therefore in a word is nothing else but a departing from life the life of the body is the soule therefore the separation of the soule from the body is Death And as the soule is the life of the body so the life of the soule is God therefore the going and departing of the soule from God to cleaue to sinne and Sathan is the death also of the soule The sinfull soule dies not because she turnes to nothing but in that she dies to God and liues to sinne for how can the substance thereof perish seeing it is the soule that giueth life he that receaueth the soule receaueth life and when the soule departeth life flyeth away The soule therefore is life and how can it die which is opposite so directly to death it selfe For as Snow can endure no heate but presently it melteth and as the Sun in his brightnesse can receaue no obscuritie but dissipates and dispels all darkenes by his cleare and christall beames and as the coldest and hardest Ice at the approach of the fire is turned into water so the soule which is the fountaine of life and authour of mouing is not capable properly of death nor can possibly die Therefore the soule of man being immortall ought to be well ordered and heeded least the Immortality to ioy should turne to Immortality of sorrow The death of the body is not the death of the soule but onely a seuering or parting of the same from the body As in taking of a Candle out of a Lanthorne we may take the light out and not put out the Candle and the Lanthorne is full of darkenesse by reason of the light remoued yet the Candle casteth her light more cleare and bright euen so the soule departing from this body of clay liueth and moueth afterward more freshly and blessedly The soule then dies not because it is vtterly abolished but because it is as though it were not it ceaseth to be in respect of righteousnes and fellowship with God for this is the death of all deaths when the creature hath subsisting and being still in it selfe and yet for all that is depriued of all happy and heauenly societie with God The soule in the body is the life of the flesh but God which quickneth all things is the life of our soules so saith Gregorie As the body dieth when it sendeth out the soule so doth the soule die when it looseth God The seperation from God is the death of the soule euen as the departing of the soule is the death of the body so saith Augustine Sinne begat the last and the punishment of sinne brought forth the first so saith Bernard The nature then of death in effect is the absence or depriuation of that life which God bestowed on man in his creation It is an execution of Gods iustice and iudgement vpon man for sinne God ordained it in iustice but man procured it by his sinne whose stipend it is euen the ouerthrower of mankinde an enemy to nature the dissolution of Gods worke the power of the diuell the strength of Gods wrath and the very kingdome of hell The death of the soule is to cease from righteousnesse and quite to be sequestred from the life of God This is called the first death in respect of time going as I said before the second which is the compleate death indeede for as the soule as we haue heard is the life of the body so God is the life of the soule and his spirit is as it were the soule of our soules the want of which communion brings nothing else but endlesse and eternall death Without God there is no life therefore Adam and Euah departing from God departed from their life and although their soules were not presently seperated from their bodies yet being gone from God their life they lay as it were buried in their bodies as dead carkases in the graues as also their bodies themselues euery moment were mortall Sinne saith Bernard went before and Death followed at the heeles which if Man had preuented death had not entred He would not be ruled by God and so was made vnable to rule his body Thus by sinne he lost his life found out death As his soule could not be diuided from God his life but by sinning no more could his body be seperated from his soule but by dying and nothing was more agreeable to Gods iustice then that a spirituall death should beget a corporall a guilty death that which is penall and a voluntary death an ineuitable and fatall So soone as man through sinne had turned himselfe from God so soone and as sodainely was he destitute of his grace and so soone did the huge hoast of death ceaze vpon him and besiege him as hunger thirst and nakednesse sicknesse sorrow and all kinde of miseries So soone as euer they had sinned saith Chrisostome euen so soone did the Lord pronounce sentence of death against them and euen as those that are condemned of an earthly Iudge although for a while perhaps they may be reserued a liue in prison and be repriued yet in effect they are but dead men Euen so our first parents though through the exceeding great mercy of God after sentence pronounced they did long enioy their liues yet forthwith in effect they were as good as dead for no day houre or moment did afterwards ensue in which they had assurance of their life Whereby we may learne that the life of sinners is no life indeede but a death being estranged from the life of God and none haue life in God which want beliefe in Christ for onely Christ who is eternall life through faith doth quicken vs So that truely to acknowledge Christ and thorough faith to possesse him is to be freed from death and to haue eternall
of all misery and the beginning of all blessednesse It is the very bed of Downe saith one and therefore well compared to a sleepe for the dolefull bodies of Gods seruants to rest on out of the which they shall arise and awake most fresh and lusty to euerlasting life It is a passage to the Father a chariot to heauen the Lords messenger a leader vnto Christ a going to our home a deliuerance from bondage and prison a dimission from warre a securitie from all sorrowes and a manumission from all miseries It is the fulfilling of our pilgrimage the laying downe of our burden being loaden the lighting from a wilde and furious horse a dispossessing of our selues from an old ruinous house it is the escaping of all dangers the wasting and diruption of all euils the payment of our naturall debt the end of our race and iourney and our entrance into glory Wherefore though Death in it selfe be as a fiery Dragon section 13 venemous Cockatrice and stinging Serpent for poore Christians to behold in outward shew and shape yet now through Christ who hath conquered it it can neuer preuaile against vs to ouercome vs. For as a Bee without a sting may be put into the bosome so need wee not to feare to meete with death Serpent still shee may seeme in sight to the outward man yet voyd of poyson shee is to the man of God Fight it may against vs but neuer be able to foyle vs nay rather it deliuereth vs from a thousand dangers The Souldier though hee be neuer so expert in his weapons yet still hee desireth the end of warre to inioy the triumph of his fight and alwayes preferreth the comfortable league of peace before the Pikes The Mariner though hee delight and loue to saile on the seas yet still hee perswadeth himselfe the shoare to be the safest and there is no Countrey so comfortable to the traueller as is his natiue soyle If a man were shut vp in a miserable darke prison with condition hee should not come forth till the wals of the tower were fallen downe would hee not reioyce to see them ruinous and ready to fall Now our soule is kept in the body as in a prison in captiuitie and bands and when by death it beginnes to be shaken and cannot choose but fall shall we be sorry For then indeede approacheth our deliuerance and freedome from all sinne and misery and presently wee are brought to the ioyfull fruition of God himselfe and all happinesse So that this day of death is better then the day of birth yea this day which thou fearest to be thy last shall be thy natiuitie to euerlasting life And indeede we cannot make the world to dye in vs section 14 except we dye our selues Sinne which is in vs liueth in vs and fighteth against vs vntill we dying it also dye with vs and by death alone the deadly assaults of Sathan our chiefe enemy dye forthwith Yet for all this the last day of our life is vnto vs alwayes the first day to life though we neuer account the first day to be the last The things that God will haue come to passe saith one are alwayes springing and things present doe alwayes decay and perish Those things that are past are cleane dead and consumed We then are dying while we liue and then doe we cease from dying when we doe cease to liue Therefore it is better to dye alwayes to liue then to liue to dye euer One saith well to this purpose that life and death haue deceiuable vizards but let vs cast them off and wee shall change our mindes when vnder the fayre forme of life there is nothing but matter of griefe and vnder the foule and hideous maske of death such beauty and felicitie as we shall presently be taken with her loue The way of this life is straite and narrow full of thornes section 15 and bryers that we cannot escape scratching The way to Canaan is cumbersome ouer hils and mountaines and lyeth through the wildernesse where we shall finde many wants yet may we not be discouraged but the rather be assured wee are going to the promised Land We must all arriue at the port of death and land at his stayres when wee passe from this life to our graues where the body abideth the time of the restauration of all things that with all the coheyres of Christ we may enter into the Land of promise And who being a traueller in forraine parts would not gladly hasten homewards who would not willingly sayle to his friends and desire a lusty gale of winde to speede him that he might sooner see the faces of his dearest kindred If wee looke for our felicitie here we are deceiued Elias must goe to heauen in a whirle-winde God will send Iacob an Angell of comfort in his iourney after all his troubles with Laban and God will bring him home with abundance of increase at the last When old Iacob saw the chariots of Egypt then he perceiued section 16 his sonne Ioseph was aliue then his fainting spirit reuiued I will goe see him said hee before I dye Our true Ioseph liueth euen Iesus our Sauiour and seeing wee can not see him liuing let vs willingly goe by the chariots of death Since man cannot see God and liue let me dye O Lord that I may see thee When we are borne saith one wee are mortall but when wee are once dead wee become immortall We are aliue in the wombe to die in the world but wee are dead in the graue to liue in heauen Here the soules of Gods children are pent and pind within the clayie wals of their corruptible bodies where they may looke as it were thorow the yron grates of their busie thoughts but can neuer quite be released till that God who gaue vs our Mittimus into this layle send vs our deliuery with a Returne yee sonnes of Adam To be short what other thing is this death but after a section 17 long conflict the day of victory the birth of a blessed soule after a great trauell as it were in childe-birth the healing of all wounds and sicknesses the deliuerance from all feare the accomplishing of our sanctification the day of our marriage with the Lambe and the enioying of our desires Who is it then among vs who feeling with S. Paul the bondage of sin would not also cry out with him Who shall deliuer mee from this body of death And feeling the good that death bringeth vnto vs will not also desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ Death and Life are as two twins vnited and knit together vntill the seperation of the soule and the body which seperation is called Death and is rather indeede the deadly stroake of death the body being then exempted from paine and the soule from corruption and sinne waiting vntill the remnants of death be swallowed vp in victorie at the day of
world euen so long there is betweene them a certaine equalitie in the flesh though alwayes an euident distinction in the spirit So that vntill this mortall body hath put on immortalitie and the spirit of Christ which dwelleth in Gods children hath brought them to God in heauen all discommodities and casualties with Death it selfe must needs be incident to all men alike Besides that our earthly prosperitie so dulleth our spirituall senses and our great imployments in the world so carry away our affections and so hinder the remembrance of our latter end that the greatest men many times both for place and gifts doe mightily forget themselues herein and knowing it to be so haue had their speciall Memorandums I omit to speake of the preparing of their Sepulchres in their life time and the purposed placing of them in their common walkes with their set salutations of some seruant to that purpose Thus most humbly supplicating your Honour to be well pleased with this my honest purpose and christian indeuour in the fauourable acceptance thereof I commend your Honour to the gracious protection and direction of the eternall and euer liuing God who euer guide you with his spirit in all your weighty imployments to his glory and the good of his Church c. From my poore Study at Shearsbie in Leicestershire February 21. 1616. Your Honours in all Christian duties wholy deuoted in the Lord Iesus IOHN MOORE AN ABRIDGEMENT OF THE WHOLE Bookes substance OR A GENERALL TABLE of the principall poynts thereof according to the CHAPTERS and SECTIONS The first BOOKE CHAP. I. GOD in his incomprehensible Wisedome Goodnesse and Loue created man at the first as a Chrystall glasse of his glory and a liuely resemblance in a sort of his Maiestie Section 1. Mans body a briefe map and abridgement of the whole worlds perfection 2. Mans excellency and maiestie in his first Creation ibid. Man in his body resembled his Maker and in his seuerall members expressed the varietie of his perfections 4. The very Pagans admired the portraiture of mans body and preferred it before the worlds curious creation ibid. Man especially in his soule resembled God with the manner how 5. Gods Image in man appeared especially in the regiment of the creatures 6. It consisteth principally in righteousnesse holinesse and knowledge ibid. The Image of God in man is to haue the same Will Knowledge Iudgement and Reason with God in humane and heauenly things in a measure with the reason thereof 7. The difference betwixt the Image and Similitude of a thing 8. Christ is the very ingrauen forme of God and the true patterne and type of our first created image ibid. Reason and Will as two wings to the Soule did at the first guide it aright to God that so it might soare aloft with her affections to heauen and heauenly things 9. The excellent harmony in all the faculties of the Soule before Adams fall with the exquisite reason and knowledge thereof 10. CHAP. II. GOD alone is vnchangeable and all creatures haue their being standing and vpholding by him who onely is Sect. 1. Gods name and nature ibid. Adam was mortall by creation yet had he not sinned he neuer had dyed 2. Man was made of a mutable nature in power of standing and possibilitie of falling 3. The reason why God alone is vnchangeably good and all other creatures subiect to decline ibid. Three things requisite for Adam and the Angels to perseuere in goodnesse 4. Why the good Angels fell not but keepe still their standing ibid. Adam if hee would had grace sufficient to haue kept himselfe from sinne and death illustrated by examples 5 6. Adam could fall of himselfe but hee could not stand or rise againe with the vse thereof 7. Why man was made of a changeable nature 8. Man was subiect to death by nature but not of necessitie with the reason 9. CHAP. III. SAthan enuying at mans glorious estate laboured by temptations to supplant him and so preuailed Sect. 1. The manner and degrees of Sathans proceeding 2. Adam by yeelding procured his fall and so sold himselfe to Sinne and Sathan to the iust destruction of himselfe and all his seede ibid. The greatnesse of Adams sinne and the equitie of Gods Iustice in the manner of punishment 3. See the further inlargement of Adams rebellion by the degrees thereof 5. God not onely commanded his obedience but threatned his rebellion 6. Adam by his fall lost Gods Image and contemning life hee found out death ibid. The cursed fruits and effects of his fall 7. Adam procured the practise of euill before he could attaine to the knowledge thereof 8. In searching for knowledge he met with error and blindnesse both of soule and body ibid. Originall sinne as a pestilent poyson infected euery part of man 9. It is deriued from Adam by propagation and by imitation confirmed and multiplyed in all mankinde ibid. The fruits and effects of originall sinne ibid. It maketh man more degenerate then all the rest of the creatures 10. Mighty is the power and raging is the strength of originall sinne ibid. Though sinne be the greatest bondage yet wee are willingly led to the practise and obedience thereof 11. Sinne breedeth in our hearts as wormes in the wood ibid. Concupiscence the fruit of Adams transgression is the Tyrant of the flesh the Law of the members the nourishment of Sinne the feeblenesse of Nature and food of Death 12. Before wee can sinne we are lincked to sinne and before wee offend we are bound with offence ibid. CHAP. IIII. THough the cause of death be iust yet the originall thereof seemeth doubtfull Sect. 1. God is not the author of Death with the reasons why 2. The Diuell is the author of Death proued at large 3. Sathan was created an Angelicall Spirit by sinne hee made himselfe a Diuell and falling from God hee fell from goodnesse 4. Causa causae est causa causali Sathan being the cause of Sinne caused Death ibid. Man and Diuell are partners in Sinne and so in Death 5. Sathan tempted and man consented ibid. The Diuell is not the absolute cause of Sinne and Death with the reasons why 6. Sollicite he may to sinne but force he cannot ibid. Man by nature might haue declined and should in himselfe haue had the cause of sinne and so of death 7. Death hath no proper efficient cause but rather deficient 8. It is a priuation of life onely hauing a name and no nature and substance with the vse thereof ibid. Sect 9. Adams sinne was hereditary to his posteritie and so the punishment proued at large from 10. to 13. The naturall condition of mans soule by originall sinne 13. Though in the iust iudgement of God mens soules be defiled with sinne being ioyned to their bodies yet it is not of compulsion 14. God doth incline the wils of men eyther to good or euill according to his mercy and their iust deserts 16. The children of the regenerate
members 24. CHAP. IIII. THE life of Christians is a continuall warfare nothing but death can end the combat Sect. 1. 2. Sathan especially assaulteth Christ and his members with the reasons why 3. The Diuell as a cunning fisher fitteth his baites as he findeth men affected 4. Out of the nature of mens qualities he worketh his malignities 5. Sathan most eagerly assayleth the faithfull at the houre of death and why 6. Sathans arguments from the Law of God against the faithfull 7. 8. The answere of Sathans obiections 9. All the breaches of the Law are made vp in Christ who perfectly fulfilled the same for all beleeuers 10. The Law being fulfilled Sathan Sinne and Death must needs be vanquished 11. The particular conflicts of Sathan with the faithfull with their comfortable conquest 13. 14. Soueraigne Antidotes of comfort against afflictions 15. Such we are by imputation with God as we are in purpose and affection 16. An excellent course to silence Sathan in his varietie of temptations 18. We must send him to Christ our aduocate who both pleadeth and defendeth our cause 19. Wee must shew him our generall acquittance sealed by God himselfe and proclaymed from heauen 20. Men cannot be more sinfull then God is mercifull 21. As Death entred by Sinne so it extinguisheth Sinne and endeth our warfare 22. CHAP. V. DEath must giue vs our last purgation and end our corruption Sect. 1. The dearest Saints of God are here subiect to all afflictions and Death it selfe as the vilest sinners with the reason thereof 2. The nature of Death is altered through Christ to the faithfull 3. Sinne brought in Death and Death must driue out Sinne. 4. There is no prescription against Death earth cannot redresse that which is enacted in heauen 5. Paine sicknesse c. with Death it selfe are as Gods Souldiers to come and goe at his pleasure 6. Afflictions are preuentions of sinne to the godly and plaisters to cure the sores thereof ibid. God doth diet his children in this world that they surfet not vpon pleasures and profits ibid. Wee as children cannot order our selues Gods wisedome and will are our best guides 7. Our worldly desires and lusts are inordinate and endlesse except the Lord restraine them 8. The excellent fruits of afflictions when they are sanctified to Gods elect 9. Afflictions are necessary trials of our Christian estate 10. Afflictions in this life are both punishers and purgers of Gods elect 11. They are both sufferings and instructions 12. Christ is the true patterne of Christians to whom they are conformable by their sufferings 13. Crosses and calamities are the Harbingers and Purueyers of Death 14. Whom God most loues those he most proues 15. The fire tryes the gold and misery men of courage ibid. The troubles of Gods children shall neuer cease till the world be without hatred the Diuell without malice and our nature without corruption 16. Afflictions may tire the flesh but neuer be able to extinguish the hope of a Christian 17. Sinne and Death haue lost their sting in Christs death 18. They cannot separate vs from God though they be fearefull to the flesh ibid. Death through Christ is the key of Gods Kingdome and gate of glory 19. CHAP. VI. CHristians are strangers in the world the bread of aduersitie and water of affliction is commonly their dyet Sect. 1. Being strangers they must be content with their vsage and prepare for their iourney 2. This world is restlesse there is no contentment in it 3. The world deales with men as the Rauen with the Sheepe picking out the eye that it may not see her tyranny 4. See the Anatomie of the World 5. The world is no proper element to Christians it rather feedeth then slaketh their appetites as oyle doth the fire 6. All Creatures haue their rest from God he is the centre of the faithfull 7. God hath set the earth vnder our feet that it should not be too much esteemed 8. Euery Christian with his crosse must be content to accompany Christ to his kingdome 9. Whilest we set our affections on earthly things we seeke for no better for we looke no higher 10. God giues his children here but an assay of his goodnesse the maine sea of his bountie and store is hourded vp in heauen 11. CHAP. VII AS man rebelled against his maker so all things while he liueth rebell against him euen man against himselfe the flesh against the spirit Sect. 1. Our manifold infirmities are as gyues and fetters about our legs to shew our guilty condition 2. The flesh as a subiect should obay the soule as her soueraigne 3. Though it be infused into the body it must not be confounded therewith ibid. Worldly and fleshly imployments dull the soules edge 4. Death to the faithfull is the funerall of their vices and the resurrection of their vertues 5. How we may discerne the state of our soules 6. Death endeth the combat of Christians when the flesh shall be dead and the spirit fully liue our passions buried and our reason freed in perfection 7. The body is but the barke and shell of the soule which must needes be broken if we will truly liue and see the light 8. The nature of the earth and earthly men 9. Sinne in the regenerate hath a deadly wound but in the wicked it hath a full and violent course 10. The Lord cureth our grosse sinnes by our infirmities ibid. Great are the troubles of the faithfull but saluation will one day make ameds for all 11. The glorified body shall obay the soule with admirable facilitie 12. The difference betweene a mortall man liuing and the faithfull deliuered by death 13. Sinne with all misery affliction and Death it selfe shall hereafter be shut vp in hell as in their proper place 14. This world to all Gods Israel is an Egypt of slauery 15. See the royall exchange of the faithfull who for a mortall and miserable life shall enioy a blessed and immortall 16. As the sufferings of Christ doe abound so doe the consolations increase to Gods elect 17. CHAP. VIII THE faithfull redeemed by Christ grow euery day to be spirituall and heauenly Sect. 1. Prayer and holy deuotion as precious perfumes take away the euill sauour of sinne and vncleannesse 2. There is no Iustification without the vnfayned sanctification of Gods spirit 3. The way to become spirituall and diuine 4. The nearer we approach to death the more we should be inflamed with the loue of God and all good workes 5. If wee will dye the death wee must liue the life of the righteous 6. Our deuotion must not be like the morning dewe and leaues of Autumne 7. The soule without grace is as the ground without moysture 8. Christians should not feare death but accustome themselues to hope for it 9. Death to the godly is no end of their liues but an end of their sinnes and miseries 10. The graue of the faithfull is sweetned by Christs funerall 11. When wee
had not perished with the floud if the flouds of teares for sinne had flowed from mens eyes 15. Hope is the piller sustaining the building of our faith which fainting our faith falleth into the gulfe of dispaire 16. All things are possible to him which beleeueth ibid. Hope to a Christian is as a staffe to a traueller who resteth vpon it shall hardly fall 17. Despaire is a bottomelesse gulfe out of which none returneth that fall into it ibid. CHAP. IX WIthout the vndoubted hope of the resurrection Christ died in vaine our faith hope and all religion is in vaine Sect. 1. Infallible proofes of the resurrection by scriptures which are of God and cannot lie 2. Reasons drawne from the Scripture to confirme the same 3. Naturall reason and experience of the creatures conuince the truth hereof 4. Why should not our bodies rise againe from the dust as well as the seede sowne harrowed and hidden in the ground 5. Excellent resemblances and allusions of the resurrection of our bodies 6. Christ hath caried our flesh into heauen to put vs in possession and giuen vs his spirit as an earnest to seale his promises that we shall raigne with him in glory 7. Our bodies in the graue shall againe be quickned in Christ and rise againe to life carrying with them the warmenesse of Gods spirit which cannot die 8. Though our flesh doe rot yet shall the spirit of God deliuer it from corruption by the vertue of him that raised vp Christ from the dead 9. CHAP. X. THe godly groane that this mortalitie may be swallowed vp of life Sect. 2. They loath this wretched life to be vnloden of their sins 3. Our life is like a stage on which men play their parts and passe away ibid. A Christian needeth not feare the violence of death whose force is broken in Christ 4. Death as a Tailor putteth off our ouer-worne rags to apparell vs with the royall roabes of immortalitie incorruption and endlesse glory 5. A description of this sinfull wretched and miserable life 6. 7. Euery mans life is like a rocke in the Sea beaten vpon with waues on euery side and like vnto a Butt or marke at which sorrow c. shootes and at last Death that most sure Archer shootes and strikes it dead 8. The state and condition of all flesh is to be miserable and mortall 9. All kinde of miseries hunt after sinfull man and Death at length doth greedily deuoure him 10. Very fit resemblances of this wretched life 11. While we reside in the world death euery where lyeth in ambush for vs but when wee are in heauen it shall haue no place ibid. The comfortable death of Christians through Christ 12. 13. It is better to dye alwayes to liue then to liue to dye euer 14. If wee looke for our felicitie here wee are deceiued Eliah must goe to heauen in a whirle-winde 15. When we are borne we are mortall but when wee are once dead we become immortall 16. Death is as it were the birth of a blessed soule after a great trauell 17. Death and life are two twinnes inseparable vntill the diuision of soule and body ibid. It is a deliuerance from all sinne and the accomplishment of sanctification ibid. All the inhabitants of heauen weare crownes of glory sit in thrones of maiestie and possesse a Paradise of infinite pleasures 18. All glorified bodies shall shine as so many Sunnes and lamps in Gods kingdome 19. The incomparable ioyes of the kingdome of heauen shadowed out ibid. What heauenly societie and company of Saints are in Gods Kingdome 20. If we will make our death ioyfull and easie we must thinke of the glorious life that followeth it 21. If we would despise this world we must thinke of heauen ibid. Christ himselfe dyed that we might dye with more patience and pleasure ibid. It is a token of little loue to God to be so loath to goe vnto him 22. God reacheth out his hand to conduct vs but we draw backe our owne and runne away ibid. If God be our guide we must follow him to arriue in his house 23. FINIS THE FIRST BOOKE What DEATH is in it selfe CHAP. I. Of mans Creation and excellent estate before his Fall OVr most gracious God infinite in section 1 wisedome and incomprehensible in loue towards mankinde hauing before all worlds decreed to make himselfe most glorious in his Creation did in his appointed time effect the same For hauing made the world in wonderfull manner and furnished it with all varietie of creatures both for profit and pleasure deuising in his wisedome and vnspeakable loue a perfection of happinesse for man vpon the earth at last after a most exquisite manner consulted with himselfe for the shape of man and finding no creature fit enough for a patterne of his portraiture concluded with himselfe to make mankinde as a Chrystall glasse of his glory and a most liuely resemblance after a sort of his Maiestie section 2 And that not onely in the frame of his body to be as it were a briefe Map and abridgement of the whole worlds perfection which hee made as a most glorious Theatre fully replenished with most admirable sights of all sorts but which is more both in body and soule to represent his Creator as his Vicegerent and petty Monarch on the earth and seating him here as it were in his Throne and putting his owne Scepter into his hand and his Crowne of glory vpon his head gaue him dominion and rule ouer all the workes of his hands so that well may the Prophet with wonder exclaime and cry out Lord what is man that thou art so mindefull of him c. section 3 Now that this Image of God was liuely expressed in whole man resembling his Maker both in his body and in his soule doth plainly appeare by the renuing of man in Christ who is not onely sanctified in the one alone but in the other section 4 And first for mans Body it did resemble God in that immortalitie wherein it was first created as also in the seuerall members thereof expressed the varietie of his perfections and therefore in respect of Gods diuers employments in a borrowed speech are ascribed to him as the hands and armes to shew Gods omnipotencie and power his eyes and eares his piercing prouidence and sight c. I omit mans face and comely countenance in which principally doth shine a certaine imperious maiestie and grace most conspicuous causing all liuing creatures to stoupe vnto him and besides the goodly order of all his outward parts set and disposed in admirable sort a glorious beauty spreading it selfe throughout with wonderfull strength agillitie and nimblenesse of all his members made him most famous that very Naturalists and Pagans anatomizing his very body not onely preferred the frame thereof before the worlds whole curious creation but rauished in their senses with the consideration of the same deified and preferred it aboue all measure
might know himselfe farre inferiour vnto God that thus had exalted him and acknowledge his subiection by the soueraignety of his Maker It pleased God in his wisedome to set a great difference as betweene the Angels and himselfe in their creation so betweene man made like to God made like I say to himselfe but not himselfe who onely hath this name and nature I am to shew his being of himselfe and vnchangeable nature and to teach vs that all creatures haue not onely their being but their standing and vpholding by him that onely is Therefore he is called the liuing God not onely because hee hath life in himselfe but because hee is the fountaine and originall of life he doth not onely liue but hath life of himselfe and is the cause of life because there is no life besides or without him Though mans nature saith Augustine was vpright and sound and nothing sinfull yet was it capable of sinne and apt to receiue infection Though man in his nature was mortall standing in his state yet was it not of necessitie that he should die and as our flesh is apt to receiue a wound yet euery one is not wounded and as the body of man is subiect to sicknesse yet many often die not touched with sicknesse So the state of Adams body was such that although it was subiect to death yet except sinne had come betweene he might and should haue liued for euer euen as the hose and shooes of the Hebrewes in the desart by Gods mighty prouidence and power neuer waxed olde by wearing or consumption Neither was this vnreasonable in God nor vnagreeable to his iustice to make a distinction betweene himselfe and his creatures for that he himselfe is onely good without change and alteration all his creatures good yet subiect to corruption Man was made of a mutable nature in power of standing and possibility of falling power of standing he had from God his creatour possibility of falling from himselfe being a creature Because the Lord created man of nothing therefore he left possibility in man to returne to nothing If God had giuen Adam an immutable nature he had created a God and not a man being onely proper to God to be vnchangeably good In the very Angels in heauen in respect of God is found imperfection the Cherubs hide their faces with their wings for the brightnesse of his glory Thus God doth humble all his creatures to exalt himselfe euen to teach them this not to goe from him of whom they had and haue their goodnesse nor to trust vnto themselues though by creation good yet subiect to decline Adam then although he was created in goodnesse yet was he made but changeably good for such was the goodnesse and inclination of his will to obey God as might be altered and changed by force of temptation The cause of this mutability was that the creature righteous by creation may remaine eternally and constantly righteous two helpes or fauours of God are necessarily required First a power to perseuere in goodnesse for without this power the creature of it selfe ceaseth to be good the second is an act or deede and that is the will to perseuere or perseuerance itselfe This also is requisite with the former for God giues not onely the power but also the will and deede and the creature doth not the good which it can doe vnlesse God cause it to doe the said good both which helpes the good Angels haue and therefore keepe them standing now Adam receiued the first of God but not the second for besides the goodnesse of his will he receiued of God a power constantly to perseuere in goodnesse if he would yet the act of perseuerance was left to the choise and liberty of his owne will In nature it selfe this truth appeareth God we know creates the eye and puts into it the faculty of seeing yet withall he addes to the eye necessary helpes by the light of the Sunne but for the act of seeing it is left to mans choise for he may see if he will or if he please he may shut his eyes Againe the Physition by Art procures an appetite this done he prouides conuenient foode yet for all this the patient may eate if he will or otherwise may abstaine Now if any reply that Adam receiued not sufficient grace hauing not the will to will that good he could and might the answer is that he receiued sufficient for the perfection of his nature that is for the full obedience of the will of God and for the attaining of euerlasting happinesse if he would not haue bin wanting to himself but he receiued not sufficient grace which might cause the immutability of his nature neither was it of necessitie to be giuen as I haue already shewed to a creature A Goldsmith intends to make a Iewell of singular price and value he compounds it of gold pearles and precious stones when hee hath brought it to perfection he doth not put this propertie to it that if it fall it shall not be bruised or broken Now God created Adam in all perfection and gaue him power and abilitie to continue in the same if he would yet did he not put vnto his nature this condition that it should be vnchangeable when it should be assayled by the force of outward temptation By this we see the weakenesse of the excellentest creature in it selfe without the grace of God Adam could fall of himselfe but he could not stand or rise againe he could not auoide the least assault of euill no further then he was helped by the grace of God We are to God as the sicke man to his keeper who saith Take me vp and I will rise hold me and I will stand helpe me and I will goe c. Which must make vs to renounce our selues and cleaue to God wholly depending vpon his gratious prouidence and protection in all our actions and attempts God I confesse could haue made our first parents of such an vnchangeable nature that they could not possibly haue fallen away but it was not expedient that they should be so made because then the obedience of man should seeme to haue beene forced as it were and so not so acceptable vnto God And albeit the body of man being made of dust and earth and himselfe in respect of his substance and beginning was mortall yet if he had preserued the holy spirit of God within him and giuen him the vpper hand this spirit of God which by sinne he vanquished had farre surmounted all that was mortall in him And to end this point As Sathan tempted Adam to proue God a lyer and to bring him to dishonour and so became the instrument of mans damnation So also Adam tempted himselfe to taste the fruit which as he thought would make himselfe as God Now God most iustly suffered him to be tryed by this meanes to make a way for his iustice
presently he saw his shame his figge leaues could not couer his nakednes but God accursed him and his seede he plagued the earth with barrennesse and caused all the creatures to feele the smart of this his fall and as he disobeyed God so procured he the disobedience of all the creatures towards himselfe Hereof comes the fiercenesse of Lyons Beares Tygers Wolues and all wilde beasts hence ariseth all rebellions and vprores warres seditions scarcitie dearth hunger colde and nakednesse murther plagues and all kinde of calamities that are in the world all which are forerunners of this eternall death and ring-leaders to damnation Thus Sathan suggesting a want of knowledge because he knew not euill and so corrupting his heart with a curious desire thereof not able of himselfe to effect the ill that he suggesteth procured man to the practise of ill before he could obtaine to the knowledge thereof euen as a man commeth to the knowledge of poyson by the dangerous taste thereof so deare was the purchase of euils experience that it sodainely procured mans ruine and fall And so his passions were made to see and his Reason blinde in searching for knowledge hee met with error So Reason it selfe the lampe of mans soule which like the Sunne in the firmament spreading her beames thorough mans little centre is now become so dimme and darke in his cloudy and ecclipsed skye that the eye of the soule is as voide of light in things diuine as the little sparkes of fire raked vp close in the ashes which blindnes and ignorance of God and heauenly things were not personall in Adam himselfe but by possession entred into all his posteritie and of-spring And originall sinne the fountaine and wel-spring of all the rest as a pestilent poyson infected euery part This is that canker of our nature and contagious infection the vtter confusion of mans state the roote of iniquitie the puddle of all dregges the seede of rebellion the pumpe of all enormities whence issueth infinite and innumerable vices This is the pit of perdition which Adam digged for himselfe and his broode in this we were left in this we were lost in this we were condemned in this conuicted This sinne is deriued by propagation and laid vpon vs and by imitation confirmed and multiplied in all mankinde whose very bones by the same are corrupted sinewes tainted veines infected arteries poysoned flesh polluted wit confounded minde captiuated knowledge turned into ignorance wisedome to errour will to wilfulnesse memory to forgetfulnesse the whole soule to sinfulnesse reason to rebellion innocency to impudency and immortality to death it selfe both of soule and body So that man now of his owne nature is no lesse the bondslaue of sin then the slaues which are bought whose Maisters vse their seruice as that of their Oxen and Asses at their pleasure So are we wholly led vnder the gouernment of sin being wholly addicted to the seruice thereof And so much the more is our slauery that in our corrupted wills we desire and onely delight to sin which must teach vs to be continually touched with our miserable sinfull life and in this respect daily to desire and long after death as the onely medicine to heale these deadly maladies of our soules Many Beasts and Fowles saith one farre exceed mankinde in some vertue and good qualities as the Doue in simplicitie the Storke in kindnes the Dogge in fidelitie the Oxe and Asse in memorie of benefits c. but in vice and euill man surpasseth them all being more cruell then the Wolfe more crafty then the Foxe more proud then the Peacocke c. yea all vices and wickednes which are but seuerall in beasts are mustered and troupe together in sinfull man And as many members vnited make but one body so doth the Spirit of God terme this heaping of vices in man a body of sinne euery vice being as it were a member It is said that in a Sheepe euery thing turneth to profit the flesh for food the wooll for cloathihg c. but euery thing that is in man is eyther euill or tendeth to euill as the reason to beguile and deceiue the liberty to licentiousnesse the eyes to wantonnesse the heart to couetousnesse c. All the members I say with S. Paul are weapons instruments and seruants to sinne All his actions and affections are out of order As a man that hath a Palsie hath still a motion left of head and hands as hee had before his sicknesse but yet his mouings are now altogether irregular and out of order so all those affections of the minde as Loue Desire Ioy c. and all naturall functions of the body as eating drinking sleeping c. which should haue beene performed without any sinne are now mixed in man with many blemishes and corruptions so that this corruption of our flesh so long as we liue sendeth out the filthy scum of all vncleannesse which continually broyleth and walloppeth in our nature foaming out such filthy froath and stinking sauour to our mindes that it is not onely detestable to the soule of the regenerate but also abasheth the very naturall man to looke into such a loathsome stye of sinne and sincke-hole of iniquities for mighty is the power and raging is the strength of originall sinne in all Adams sonnes breaking out into action Sinfull man saith Iob drinketh iniquitie like water but wee may truely say like wine with pleasure and delight with great facilitie custome and ease passeth hee downe any kinde of sinne that is offered as a man drinketh water when hee is a thirst Wee know that in vs saith Paul that is in our flesh dwelleth no goodnesse but whatsoeuer the corruption of our nature is be it neuer so great yet our fault is neuer the lesse no more then if wee had had an Angels nature which willingly and wittingly wee would peruert For vnto our corrupt nature wee bring of our selues a froward and crooked Will which did corrupt the Angels nature and made them fall from God Therefore let vs not so much finde fault with our nature as condemne our wicked wils so set to worke sinne and with delight affecting and effecting euill The corruption which wee haue our pleasure is in it and all the goodnesse which wee want wee care not for it but our Will is after our worke and as wee are so wee like our selues best Sinne springeth vp and is nourished in our hearts and whatsoeuer is euill in vs there it hath the fountaine in which wee know first that sinne is our owne and in our hearts it breedeth as wormes in the wood And as our heart is the roote of sinne so there is no sinne but commeth from the heart if thy heart accuse thee thy sinnes must needes bite thee To conclude Concupiscence which was the fruit of Adams eating the forbidden fruit cleaueth now to the nature of all his sonnes which is the tyrant of
the Iewels and ornaments of her husband Christ because as Augustine saith he is a spunge which wipeth and clenseth vs from all our filthinesse which he taketh in exchange for his beautie and righteousnesse Christ is said to keepe the key of life and Death the one to make fast and shut to the gates of Hell which alwaies stood open to swallow vs vp and the other to vnlocke the kingdome of heauen which alwayes was shut and barred against vs By meanes whereof at the time of his death the vaile rent asunder that kept the entrance into the most holy place What is more filthy then a man conceiued and borne in sinne and what is more cleane and beautifull then our Sauiour Christ conceiued by the holy Ghost My welbeloued is white and ruddy the choysest of tenne thousand This sweet and louing Lord that was so fayre and cleane was content to beare the blemishes of our sinnes and filthinesse of our soules to make vs beautifull in Gods sight It was a worke of great patience and humilitie saith Cyprian that so high and excellent a Maiestie would vouchsafe to come downe from heauen to earth and all to cloath himselfe with this our house of clay and dirt and that hee would so hide the glory of his immortalitie to become mortall for sinfull man that being himselfe innocent and faultlesse yet should be so punished for vs that are guilty that hee that came to pardon sinnes would be content to be washed with the water of sinners that hee that feedeth all creatures should fast himselfe and be hungry that hee might fill sinners with his grace and satisfie hungry soules with his righteousnesse c. How was hee spoyled of his earthly garments that apparelleth the Saints with the royall roabes of immortalitie and glory How was hee proffered most bitter gall that offereth to vs the heauenly Manna and food of our soules How did his enemies giue him vinegar to drinke that reacheth out vnto vs the wine and Nectar of life and saluation Hee that was iust and innocent or rather Iustice and Innocencie it selfe was iudged and executed among theeues and murtherers the euerlasting Truth was accused of falshood the righteous Iudge of the world was condemned himselfe and that Word of God the very fountaine of eternall life receiued the sentence and doome of death with silence c. Innocencie was tyed with bands Vertue apprehended Wisdome flouted Honour contemned Glory defaced the well-spring of all vertue troubled Christ as the true Isaack and sonne of promise bare the wood vpon his owne shoulder to the place of sacrifice this carriage was diuided betweene two the sonne carryed the wood and the body that should be sacrificed and the father carryed the fire and the knife wherewith the sacrifice should be accomplished It was the fire of Loue which God bare to mankinde and the sharpe knife of diuine Iustice that put the Sonne of God to death These two vertues in God our heauenly Father contended together Loue requested him to pardon mankinde and his Iustice required that sinners might be punished Wherefore that man might be pardoned and sinne punished a meanes was found that Christ an innocent man might dye and by his death redeeme all sinfull men that doe beleeue Christ is our true Sampson that for the loue of his Spouse the Church suffered himselfe to be bound hand and foote to be shaued of his lockes and spoyled of his force and so to be mocked and scorned of all his enemies for our sakes Christ in his death is the golden propitiatorie the Rainebow of diuers colours placed among the clouds of heauen with the sight whereof Almighty God is pacified with this were his eyes fed his iustice satisfied and his fauour restored Yee that be a thirst come yee to the waters Christ is the mysticall Rocke that Moses stroke with the rod whence springeth the abundance of water to satisfie the thirst of poore afflicted soules Hee is that cluster of grapes brought out of the Land of Promise out of the which was pressed that ioyfull wine to fill the cup of our saluation Hee is the oyle of grace wherewith wee must repay our debts Wee must not looke so much to the quantitie as to the vertue thereof which is so great and good that so long as there be faithfull soules as vessels to be filled therewith so long will the veyne of this sacred liquour runne and neuer cease The bloud of Christ cryeth better things then that of Abel for his bloud cryed for vengeance against the murtherer but this his precious bloud cryeth and craueth for pardon of our sinnes O Lord saith Augustine thou wilt not the death of a sinner nor reioycest in the destruction of the damned but that the dead might liue thou dyedst and thy death hath killed the death of sinners And if they through thy death were againe brought to life Oh grant I beseech thee that I may not dye now thou art aliue CHAP. II. That Christ by his death and merits alone without any meanes of man or other creature redeemeth vs from death and damnation NO Creature but Iesus Christ alone as hath beene declared could possibly rescue vs from death and restore vs to euerlasting life Now followeth in order the manner and meanes of our redemption for as our deliuerance proceeded onely from Christ himselfe so all the meanes and compleate worke thereof was performed by himselfe alone without supply He tooke our nature vpon him to take our part that so hee might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is to say the Diuill and that hee might deliuer all them which for feare of death were all their life time subiect to bondage Hee suffered for our sinnes the iust for the vniust that he might bring vs to God and was put to death concerning the flesh but was quickned in the spirit that hee might be our ransome God is iust and we hauing smitten his Maiestie by our sinne must be smitten againe by his punishment for hee is so to be mercifull as that hee disanull not his Iustice and so to be iust as that hee forget not his Mercy Now to make a way to both to appease his wrath that his Iustice may be satisfied and yet so to appease it as his Mercy may be magnified in forgiuing sinne it was necessary that there should be a mediation For if all the world should be offered vnto God for satisfaction it is nothing for it is his owne euen the worke of his hands for infinite sinnes there must be infinite sufferings and infinite satisfaction and therefore he that must redeeme vs must be an infinite Sauiour euen God himselfe as wee haue heard yet man also he must be euen a true Immanuel God with man For how can there be satisfaction for our apostacie but by our humilitie or
procurement of life but by suffering of death Now when God commeth to obay hee must needes be humbled and when hee comes to deserue he must needes serue which God alone could not doe and when he comes to dye hee must needes be mortall which God could not be therefore hee was man to be bound himselfe and God to free others Man to suffer God to vanquish Man to become mortall God to triumph ouer death Christ thus fitted to be our Sauiour proceeded to the worke of our redemption Now in our sins from which hee saueth vs wee must consider three things first our disobedience to the Law secondly our originall corruption thirdly our condemnation for this corruption The first of these is double eyther in breaking the Law or not fulfilling it The second is the originall cause of this disobedience which is the euill inclination of our heart and our corrupt affections The third is the punishment of this disobedience hell fire itselfe These being as three running soares are healed and cured by three running streames in Christ For our rebellion to the Law is satisfied in him who not onely paid the penaltie for that wee had broken it but actually fulfilled euery poynt thereof to the full For the second which is our originall corruption wee haue the holinesse and sanctification of his nature which was euer seperate from all vncleannesse so that now in Christ our redeemer our estate is farre better then euer it was in Adam in his first creation for though he was made good yet was he changeably good as hath beene said before but those that are in Christ are absolutely good and vnmoueable euen as the strongest mountaines that cannot be stirred Thirdly wee haue Christ by his passion to deliuer vs from condemnation Euen as in the sacrifice vnder the Law the blood of the innocent beast was shed for him that had sinned who worthily by sinne deserued to dye himselfe so we by the shedding of Christs blood that immaculate Lambe are purged from the guilt of all our sinnes for by his stripes we are healed and by suffering in his flesh hee hath prepared a ready way for vs to heauen hauing rendred in the same most perfect obedience for vs and by his death fully satisfied his Father for our sinnes and through the remission thereof obtayned righteousnesse and by righteousnesse the grace and fauour of God and by grace euerlasting life that wee may boldly present our selues before the throne of God But here obserue the wonderfull wisedome of God in the worke of our redemption prouiding such remedy which none could haue deuised but God alone for what else is death but the power of the Diuell and the vtter euersion of all the world Now to make the death of Christ as an antidote against the death of man and the very meanes to vanquish Diuell and Hell as also the high way to heauen and happinesse it selfe what was it else but the excellent vertue and admirable wisedome of him alone who calleth all things that are not as though they were bringing light out of darknesse good out of euill and death out of life And surely if all men and Angels should haue conspired together in study and deuise to wish a plague to haue fallen vpon Diuell and Death it selfe they could not haue determined such another course to wit that their glory should be their shame their power should be their plague and their kingdom of pride their vtter confusion What could the Prophet Dauid in all the hottest zeale he boare to God wish more against the wretched reprobates so traiterous to Christ his sonne and to his Gospell then to pray that their dainty tables might be as snares to take themselues withall and that their great prosperitie might be their greatest ruine Euen thus hath Christ ouercome the Diuell and Death and albeit they still doe warre against the Church yet their strength is so weakened and their power so abated that they cannot hurt it And where the Apostle saith that by death Christ ouercame him that had the power of death it is clearely manifest what manner of death our Sauiour Christ sustayned euen that ouer which the Diuell had his power the same death which is the reward of sinne by bearing it he ouercame it and hee conquered no more then hee submitted himselfe vnto for by death hee ouercame death If hee suffered no more but a bodily death hee ouercame also but a bodily death and so though wee all rise againe yet should wee arise in the condemnation of the sinne of our soules or if hee haue ouercome death and the power of it both in our bodies and soules then Christ hath suffered the paines of it both in body and soule that wee might rise againe from the bands of death and liue with him for euer for hee hath broken the force of it no further then hee hath felt the sting of it himselfe Therefore let vs beleeue that Christ both body and soule was made a sacrifice for our sinnes for so hee said himselfe My soule is exceeding sorrowfull euen vnto death And Marke saith Hee beganne to be astonished with his griefe and was ouerwhelmed with his sorrow And S. Luke declareth that in his Agonie his sweate was as droppes of bloud distilling from his face and that God sent an Angell from heauen to comfort him And can wee thinke that all this was for the feare of bodily death which many of Gods children yea many wicked men haue desperately despised Did the Apostles sing in Prison and went away reioycing being whipped and scourged Did Paul glory in so many tribulations which hee reckoneth vp and should our Sauiour Christ in the like paine with a fainting heart cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me No no if could not be saith a godly man but that which hath made Christ to tremble would haue torne his Apostles and dearest Saints a sunder that which made him to sweat blood so plentifully would haue made all other creatures to haue sunke to the bottome of hell most sodainly and that which forced him to cry would haue held both men and Angels in euerlasting woe and hellish howlings without all end Which comfortable poynt serueth to confute the hereticall doctrine of all such which say that the soule of Christ suffred nothing but only for the bodies sake as our soules suffer when our bodies are weake sicke or a dying But how then should wee be saued from the death of sinne and condemnation Doe they know that hee bore our sinnes in his body and submitted himselfe to the death of the Crosse and that by the wounds of his stripes wee are healed And did our sinnes deserue onely a bodily death and not a spirituall also which is the wrath of God holding body and soule in the euerlasting fire of hell This also maketh for the exceeding comfort
of Gods elect to know the bottomlesse loue of Christ beyond all knowledge indeed who was accursed for our sakes and suffered for vs not onely the torments of his body but the anguish and horrour of his soule and the wrath of his Father which wounded his flesh and spirit vnto death and would haue held him in that condemnation for euer if hee had beene no stronger then wee that had deserued it But being also the Sonne of God in whom the fulnesse of the God-head dwelleth bodily the eternall spirit that was with him did loose the chaines of Sathan Death and Hell and so hee mightily arose from the power of the Diuell of which it was impossible hee should be holden and hath left those his enemies euen Diuell Death and Hell in ignominie and darknesse and hath abolished them for euer and euer not to hurt vs any more As a Bee saith one stinging a dead body takes no hurt but stinging a liue body many times looseth both sting and life together in like manner Death so long as it stung mortall men onely which were dead in sinne was neuer a whit the worse but when it went about to sting Christ which is life it selfe by and by it lost both sting and strength Hee that felleth a tree vpon which the Sunne shineth may well cut the tree but cannot hurt the Sunne Hee that poureth water vpon iron which is red hot may well quench the heate but he cannot hurt the iron but rather makes it harder so Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse did driue away the shadow of death and as glowing iron hee was too hot and hard a morsell for Death to digest As the while Adam did eate any other fruit which God gaue him leaue to eate hee was nourished by it but when hee had tasted of the forbidden tree hee perished euen so Death had leaue to deuoure any other man Christ onely excepted but when it went about to destroy Christ then it was destroyed it selfe Death indeed did taste of Christ but could not swallow him vp nor digest him Contrariwise Christ as soone as euer hee had but a little tasted of death eft-soones he did deuoure it and swallow it vp in victory Death as a rauenous beast deuouring all men snatched at our Sauiour Christ but hauing caught him could not hold him in her iawes but perceiuing the worthinesse of the prey trembling for feare let him goe free for although Death seemed to swallow him when hee was dead yet finding him farre from the infection of sinne shee could not retaine him in her house As the life of Christ is the life of life so the death of Christ is the death of death Long before his death hee challenged Death and threatned his death O Death I will be thy death and after his death he scorned Death as a Drone without a sting It is reported that the Dragon killeth the Elephant yet so as the Elephant falling downe killeth the Dragon with him As an Elephant as the story saith killed Eleazar yet so as Eleazar falling downe killed the Elephant with him So the Diuell and Death by killing Christ were killed themselues The Elephant liued not after he had killed the Dragon nor Eleazar after he had slaine the Elephant But Christ liued and doth foreuer liue after the full destruction of the diuell and death Though Christ in his graue was neuer like to rise againe yet he died not but mortalitie died in him and immortalitie so liued in his person that euen in his sepulchre he did most liue when hee seemed most to be dead as the Lawrill it greenest in the foulest winter and the Lime is hottest in the coldest water and the Glow-worme lightest when the night is darkest Christ by Death was wounded but his enemies and ours Death and Diuell vtterly spoyled his buckler which was his god-head was whole and vntouched So that his death was no death indeede but an exaltation vnto greater glory He was led saith Esay as a sheepe before the Shearer Shorne he was saith one by Death but not for euer depriued of life But as a Lambe is much more nimble and liuely by shearing so this shearing by Death was a kinde of quickning to Christ Christ is that louing Rahel which dieth her selfe that her Son may liue He is that painefull Adam who by the sweate of his browes hath earned for vs the bread of life He is that iust Noah which shutting vp himselfe in his Arke as a Sepulchre saueth all that come to him aliue He is that tender Pellican which wounding his owne brest doth with his blood restore his faithfull broode to life And as honie being found in a dead Lion was the sustenance of Sampson So Christs gall is our honie and his bitter Death by reason of his righteousnesse is the sweete life of all beleeuers Now the remembrance of Christ crucified must serue to crucifie sin for then Christ doth sleepe in thee when thou forgettest his passion and the readiest way and directest path to goe to heauen is to swimme through the riuer of Christs blood the drops whereof rayning from the cloudes of his mercy commonly quench the fiery flames of Gods burning wrath which cannot be extinguished by the vertuous water of any mans merit It is the oyle of grace which must purge our defiled hearts It is the dew of heauen which will make vs flourish Christs death alone therefore is the welspring of our saluation Oh loue this good thing in which all good things are it is enough for thee Where is safe and stedfast rest and assurednesse for the weake and wounded soule but in the wounds of our Sauiour Christ and so much the surer I dwell therein as he is mightier to saue me The world rageth the body burdeneth the Diuell like a deuouring Lyon roareth yet the faithfull fall not because they are builded vpon Christ the rocke I haue sinned a grieuous sinne my conscience is troubled but it is not distressed because I remember the wounds of my Iesus Our safe sanctuarie in all distresse is Iesus Christ who wholly gaue himselfe and spent his soule in suffering for our sinnes still remaining our Aduocate to his Father and crying alwayes vnto vs to come to him for rest In the caue of this rocke wee may safely hide our selues his death is the secret den for our deliuerance from eternall death and hell Vnder the wings of this Hen may the poore and naked chickens hide themselues be sure and safe from all hellish Kites There is nothing so soueraigne a remedie against the stinging of that infernall serpent as to fasten the eye of our faith vpon Iesus Christ heaued vp and exalted vpon the Crosse The venemous by tings of those hellish spirits of damnation cannot once annoy vs if wee fully repose our trust in Christ alone that was crucified His Crosse and passion is the triumphant ensigne
Things present things to come Life Death the world it selfe all is ours and we are Christs Christ in regard of this our vnion with him is not ashamed to call vs Brethren who yet made heauen and earth section 20 and is an immortall and glorious God one with his Father to whom all Angels doe obeysance and the most glorious Princes are but dust and ashes It was a rare thing in Moses being so high in fauour with Pharao that hee would vouchsafe to visite his poore brethren such slaues and bond-men It was singular loue in Ioseph being next to the King in honour and place yet not to be ashamed of his Fathers house being herd-men and sheepe-herds But this is nothing to the kindenesse of Iesus Christ the very shining brightnesse of that most glorious God and his onely begotten Sonne before all eternitie who yet was not ashamed of vs miserable wretched sinners but of his free grace acknowledged vs that were his very enemies in whose person he should suffer a most shamefull and slanderous Death And is it not trow you a iust condemnation if wee wretched men should be ashamed of him who being the God of glory was not ashamed of vs And as they are naturall brethren which are borne of the same Parents so all wee are brethren with Christ which are borne of God through the same spirit by which we cry Abba Father and exercise our loue one towards another in the vnitie of Christian faith section 21 Wee wrastle here with sin as though the steppes of our strength were restrained and looke euen fully vpon death as the Ialour that committeth vs to our graue as a dungeon how be it euen in this doth the Lord reach forth a most approued cordiall to reuiue the faintnesse of our hearts for through the vnion and communion we haue with Christ the vncleanenesse of our birth is washed away in the sanctification of his nature Our transgression remoued in his innocencie our rebellion discharged in his obedience and the vtmost farthing paid in his sufferings And hauing the Image of God which we lost in Adam not renewed onely but a fairer and deeper stampe thereof ingrauen and set vpon vs we may in a Christian resolution challenge at the gates of Hell and Death that nothing can be charged vpon vs as a debt and therefore nothing can light vpon vs as a punishment Wherefore though we mingle here our bread with care and drinke with weeping and haue our lodging in the bed of darkenesse and discomfort it is but to weane vs from the flesh-pots of Egypt till in the heauenly land of Canaan we haue our hearts desire section 22 And though our bodies seeme to perish for euer in in the iudgement of men yet still they haue a being in the sight of God and are members of Christ For the vnion as I haue said betweene Christ and the faithfull is not onely of our soules but of our bodies also all the bodies of the faithfull being vnited to the bodie of Christ And this is such a coniunction as Death can neuer dissolue For though it doth breake the knot betweene Man and Wife yet cannot it infringe the bond betwixt Christ and the faithfull As Death did not make a separation betwixt the two natures of Christ at the time of his suffering though his soule and body were then farre distant in regard of place the one being in heauen and the other in the graue yet were they at that time and in that case personally vnited vnto his god-head no more can Death make a diuision betwixt Christ and the faithfull though there bodies putrifie and rot in their graues yet still they remaine true members of his body And as the Husbandman doth make as great reckoning section 23 of that corne which he hath sowen in his Field and lieth vnder clods as hee doth of that which lieth safe in his barne or garner because he assureth himselfe it will come vp againe and yeelde encrease So Christ our Sauiour doth as highly esteeme of those bodies which are dead and buried as of those which remaine aliue because hee knowes that one day they shall rise againe in honour Their life is but hid for a time and will be found out againe for Christ is able to restore that which nature hath destroyed And God doth deale herein no otherwise with the bodies of his children then Goldsmiths with their old peeces of plate long agoe out of fashion who cast them in the Furnace to refine them and to bring them to a better forme according to his minde Therefore let not the wofull condition of our bodies discourage vs any whit or lessen our hope being ready to die For though the graue deuoure them wormes doe eate section 24 them fire consume them or sea swallow them vp yet being ioyned to Christ in his death and resurrection as Christ and Christians are made one indiuisible body by the bond of Gods spirit they can neuer be seuered from him And although their bodies be as it were rent from the soule by the violence of Death yet in regard of this coniunction with Christ their head neither death nor the graue can separate them from their head For though our bodie be buried in the earth yet our head is in heauen And as one that swimmeth though his body diue and sinke vnder the water yet his head being aboue the streames the whole man is sure and safe from perishing So sure are the faithfull from euerlasting death and destruction though their bodies be entrenched and enterred in their graues being members of their head Iesus Christ ascended aloft aboue the highest heauens to whom they are vnited still by an inseparable bond of his spirit which death can neuer breake CHAP. IIII. The combat and conflict of Christians with Sinne Flesh Death Law and Diuell with their heauenly conquest and triumph ouer them all through Iesus Christ section 1 SVch is the enmitie of the old Serpent in the iust iudgement of God set betweene him and Adams seede that though his head be broken yet still he will labour to bruise their heele Like a coward ouercome he lags behinde for aduantage and not daring to shew his face any more in the field hee dragges in the way and lieth aloofe vpon euery occasion to take them in a trappe Though he cannot preuaile yet prouoke vs still hee will to fight and try our manhood neither can wee otherwise be conquerours then was Christ our Captaine and head who by dying in the field recouered life both for himselfe and his Souldiers for nothing but Death can end this combat Our life is a warfare and that most strange for any section 2 other warre may haue an end either by a conclusion of peace with the enemie or by flying farre from him or by ouercomming him in fight But in this spirituall warre we cannot lawfully make any peace with these our enemies the
within the lists of heauen he neuer came thither to assaile any since he was first cast out Death therefore is the day of triumph to the faithfull ouer all their foes section 22 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is Death to shew vs that till Death be commed and gone an end of enemies will neuer come When we see so many fall in the field by fight we perceiue there is no peace to be looked for with this enemie but blessed be the dead which die in the Lord they rest from their labours as if the Saints neuer rested vntill rest and blessednes and dying in the Lord meete together Here fraile nature is the field wherein we must be euer toyling and Death as it entred by Sinne so is it the end of Sinne for for feare lest if life had beene prolonged sinne might haue more increased the Lord suffered Death to enter into the world that Sinne might cease and to preuent that nature might not end in Death God hath set downe a day when all shall rise againe so that Death in the end doth extinguish Sinne endeth our warfare and maketh our nature durable CHAP. V. The faithfull redeemed by Christ are still subiect to corporall Death and all other crosses of this life yet being sanctified vnto them they are furtherances and helpes to a blessed life section 1 NEither yet are Gods elect so redeemed from Death as that they shall not taste thereof at all for though Christ hath drunke the dregs of that cup yet euery one must haue his draught It was enacted of old as we heard that all men must die that all must goe to deaths prison without bale or maine-prise No remedy can begot no dispensation purchased Death must giue vs all our last purgation But his strength and sting is gone there is our comfort Death now is but a Physition to cure our maladies and all Deaths factours as crosses and afflictions shall but further and fit vs to a better life And why should this poynt seeme so strange and so section 2 mightily moue and amaze so many millions of men as it doth that mortalitie and death crosses and all calamities in this world are common to good men as well as to bad to the dearest Saints of God as to the vilest sinners for besides the common guilt of sinne which is cause sufficient what thing in this world haue they not common with other men with whom they haue a communitie of flesh and blood Barrennesse and penurie dearth and famine drougth and deluge warres and hostilitie shipwracke and sinking dolours and diseases with all other miseries and maladies in this world doe betide them yea many times here they shall weepe when the wicked laugh till hereafter that their sorrowes be turned into ioy and their teares wiped away Herein is the patience of the Saints the tryall of their faith and exercise of their hope seene and approued of God Christ indeede hath altered the nature of the first Death section 3 to the faithfull but not taken it quite away first it was ordeined as a punishment for sinne now it is made a passage into heauen then it was inflicted as a curse now Christ hath turned it to a blessing It did at the first depriue men of good but now it putteth them in possession of eternall happinesse Iacob not long before his death pronounced this as a curse from the Lord vpon the tribes of Simeon and Leui for their crueltie against the Shichemites that they should be diuided in Iacob and scattered in Israel yet when the children of Leui shewed their zeale and obedience in killing the Idolaters at Moses commandement the Lord turned this curse into a blessing This scattering was a furtherance vnto them to make them more fit to teach the people in euery citie and so to receiue the Tithes of euery Tribe So at the first the Lord threatned death as the punishment of sinne but by faith in Christ it is made the end of sinne and the beginning of glory He that could at the first bring light out of darknes could after bring a blessing out of a curse If Physitians by their art can extract an Antidote or preseruatiue against poyson out of poyson it selfe why may not God by his infinite wisedome and power draw good out of euil mercy out of iudgement and a blessing out of a curse Death saith a learned Father as yet remaineth for the righteous to exercise their faith withall for if immediately vpon remission of sinne there should follow immortalitie of the body faith should be abolished which wayteth in hope for that which is not yet enioyed yea the Martyrs could not testifie their faith and patience their courage constancie and loue to Christ in suffering Death for his sake section 4 Nothing is more grieuous to a Christian heart then the practise of sinne but death destroyeth them all Sinne brought in Death and Death must driue out Sinne. After death our Sanctification shall be perfect and not as here in part Faithfull men shall be like Angels in heauen readily willingly and chearefully to doe the will of God As hearbs and flowres breede wormes by nature yet wormes at length doe kill both hearbs and flowres So Sinne breedeth Death in it selfe and Death at last shall proue the bane of Sinne. As Sampson could not kill the Philistims but by his owne death no more can Christians get the conquest of sinne but by the losse of their liues At the first as was said before Death vvas ordayned as a punishment for sinne now God doth vse it as a meanes to stop the course of sinne It was said there vnto man If thou sinne thou shalt dye the death but now it is decreed thou must dye lest thou continue in sinne That which then was to be feared that men might not sinne must now of necessitie be suffered that they may be freed from sinne Sinne hath taken such a deepe roote in our bodies that it cannot be destroyed without the destruction thereof Like the Leprous houses strongly infected nothing would serue to purge them but needes they must be pulled downe Our corrupt flesh and nature must quite be plucked vp by the rootes lest any spur or sprig remayning the buds of sinne doe sprout afresh from the same our olde house must be plucked downe that so they may be built againe as new Temples to the Lord. Sinne saith one neuer ceaseth to be in our bodies vntill we come to be blessed with a shuffle If there could any humane receipt be prescribed to auoid all crosses and afflictions with death it selfe it would section 5 be purchased of some at any rate but both it is impossible that earth should redresse that which is sent from heauen and if it could be done yet the want of miserie would proue miserable vnto vs For the minde of man being cloyâ—d with continuall prosperity would grow
same Thus are the bodies of the Mariners hardened vnto the Sea thus come knobs in the poore labourers hands so are the souldiers armes strengthened for the Speares and Darts and the members of those that runne made nimble for the race And in very deed that part in any man is the stronggest that most is exercised by paines and toyle There is none so firme and solid a tree as that which the windes oftnest beate vpon for being thus beaten and ballasted it knitteth together and spreadeth the rootes more firmely in the ground The fire tryes the gold and misery men of courage There is no peace without war no rest without toyle no crowne without crosses no raigning without suffering no glory without shame and shaking in this wofull world section 16 Many would feed vpon manchet and alwayes tread vpon Roses I meane in seruing God they would be freed from all afflictions They loue Canaan with the Israelites but they loath the wildernesse The running waters of Shilo they would taste but the rough streame of Iordane they cannot tallage Iames and Iohn would haue the seate of honour but they would not drinke of the bitter cup. But wee must know that the way to heauen is not strewed with flowers but set with thorns yet is it both the straight and the right path to immortall glory The persecutions and troubles of Gods Children shall neuer cease till the World be without hatred the Diuell without enuy and our Nature without corruption Euen the sweetest of all flowers hath his thornes and who can determine whether the scent be more delectable or the pricks more perillous It is enough for heauen to haue absolute pleasures which if they could be found here below certainly that heauen of heauens which is now not enough desired would then by such meanes be altogether feared God here compoundeth our pleasures to the fashion of our selues so as the best delights we haue may still sauour of the earth thus God doth weary vs in the world to weane vs from it section 17 And for Death it selfe which by nature wee so much abhorre God hath mitigated and broken the sorrowes thereof that though they tyre the flesh and amaze it for a season yet they cannot extinguish the hope of a Christian for what can Sinne the sting of Death preuaile against vs being pardoned in Christ The abundance thereof causeth abundance of grace and the greater remission of sinne procureth the greater loue of God What therefore can Sathan gaine by his assaults but to multiply the reward and make the Crowne of Gods Saints farre more glorious by their sufferings Death may put out our carnall eyes yet Sathan hath not whereof to reioyce so long as Faith inlighteneth the minde neuer remouing her eyes from Christ Iesus crucified So forcible and effectuall is the spirituall contemplation and insight of Christ crucified that it turneth despayre into hope and hope into ioy most glorious and vnspeakable The humbing Bee hauing lost her sting in another section 18 doth still notwithstanding make a grieuous noyse by her often buzzing about our eares yet wee know she cannot hurt vs So Sinne and Death hauing lost their sting in Christ doe not as yet leaue their murmuring but with furious stormes of temptations seeke still to terrifie our soules though not able to wound vs to euerlasting death Indeede Death may fray vs at the first sight as Moses rod turned into a Serpent made him flye from it for the present but through confidence in God who hath willed vs not to feare wee shall finde it a blessed meanes to diuide the waters of many tribulations to make vs a passage from the Wildernesse of this world vnto the heauenly Land of eternall rest Neyther can Death separate vs from God though it be fearefull to the flesh to see his prefixed end nay nothing hath greater power to ioyne vs to God through the death of him that conquered Death And must it not needes be ioyfull to a Christian to be freed from this wicked life wherein euery day is the messenger of fresh sorrowes and wherein hee findeth his corruption so burdensome and therefore he is ready most chearefully to imbrace it as the Souldier that commeth after his valour shewed in the field to be made a Knight or the King that goeth to his Coronation for then they shall not haue Reeds but Palmes in their hands to shew their triumph and not to be crowned with thornes as Christ in this world with his members are in mocking but with immortall glory with God and his Angels in the highest heauens section 19 To conclude Death is the key of the King of heauen which in mercy he sendeth to deliuer those that loue him from the irkesome prison of this body of sinne It is the gate through which Gods friends escape from whole troupes and swarmes of euils This whole wretched life rightly considered is nothing else but a continuall crosse and death of the olde man that being once mortified in all our members hee may most gloriously be transformed into the Image of God For like as there can be no generation without corruption for so much as that thing which is must perish that that thing may be made which is not so this spirituall regeneration and transformation of man into God cannot be effected vnlesse the old man be first destroyed by death CHAP. VI. Gods Children in this world as strangers and Pilgrims haue hard entertainment their true heauen and happinesse commeth hereafter section 1 BVt for as much as the faithfull while they liue in this world are as poore strangers in their voyage and passengers by the way in their iourney they must fit themselues for all assayes regarding neyther the winde nor the weather foule nor faire Such as they finde they must take in good part There is small prouision for strangers vnlooked for as they come they must be accounted of Happy sometime they thinke themselues if they may haue any lodging in their Inne if it be but bare house-roome it must serue their turne for the tlme The best lodgings are here taken vp for great States Christ and his Mother must be glad of a Stable The dainties and delicates are prouided for the Nobles and great men the bread of aduersitie and water of affliction are commonly the diet of Gods dearest children vntill the time of their refreshing come in a better life Here for a little they shall weepe and mourne till hereafter God send them such exceeding ioy that none can take away And when Gods children are well vsed in their hosteries section 2 yet no allurements can make them stay long but that after their baite they haste on their iourney Neither will they much be discouraged with their lets and impediments but still comfort themselues hoping this day that to morrow will be better howsoeuer they still lagge on that they were at home And because the
the race and winne the goale why step wee aside to follow flies and feathers in the ayre CHAP. VII The faithfull in this life are subiect to manifold infirmities their bodies and soules are vnder the thraldome of Sinne and corruption but Death breakes their bonds and setteth them at libertie section 1 MOst lamentable and fearefull is Saint Pauls complaint in the person of the faithfull that he is carnall and sould vnder sinne doing those things which he hateth and omitting the good things he willeth that in his flesh dwelleth no good thing and therefore crieth out as a miserable caitiue to be deliuered from the body of this death For as man at the first by sin rebelled against his maker so all things while he liueth shall rebell against him euen man against himselfe the flesh against the spirit yea both of them doe what wee can are lyable to the tyrannie of sin which as a soule and an vncleane spirit hauing entred will not againe without much renting and torment be driuen out a doores And were it not that our strong man armed far greater then sinne had dispossessed him with violence desperate and forlorne had beene our estate yet here in this life the battell is but begun and must continue all our tearme as we haue heard onely death must end the wars and make our conquest pleasant God here will haue vs humbled all our daies before he will fully exalt vs when all times and daies shall cease section 2 The corruptions of this life and manifold infirmities of our nature shall be as gyues about our legs and fetters about our feete to shew our guilty condition and what we are He therefore that desireth so greatly to liue is like a foolish prisoner delighting in his bolts that may be free from his fetters and careth not that may goe out of the Iayle and will not Shall the bruite beasts and senceles creatures being subiect to vanitie grone in their kinde for the redemption of Gods Sonnes when they shall be freed from the bondage of sinne and shall wee that are Christians endued with reason yea and aboue reason inlightened with Gods holy Spirit especially when it standeth vpon our ioyfull being and euerlasting dwelling with God in heauen shall wee not I say lift vp our mindes beyond this rottennesse of earth Surely the very creatures shall condemne our backwardnesse herein that we are worse then beasts bereaued of sense and reason Wee may say of our vnruly flesh as one said once of a troublesome neighbour Neyther can I liue with thee section 3 neyther yet can I be without thee Here our nature like Hagar the bond-woman is very disdainfull toward Sarah the free-woman where the rebellious appetites striue against the regiment of Reason where our wit like another Heuah still prouoketh vs to reach of the forbidden fruit where Sinne like Tarquinius the proud would tyrannize challenge so a perpetuall Dictatorship We must not therefore commit the guard of our selues to this body of sinne nor mingle our soules with the corruption therof Ioyne with thy friends not with thine enemies the flesh is thine enemy because it contradicteth the vnderstanding and contends after nothing but to sow enimities and troubles Mingle not thy soule therewith for feare thou confound and defile it together for making this commixtion thy flesh which should be a subiect comes to contemne the soule which ought to command as a Soueraigne seeing shee giues life to the body and the flesh on the contrary effects the death of the soule Though the soule be infused into the body yet wee may not thinke that shee is confounded with the body Consider the light for an example though it peirce into euery place yet is it not mixed therewith wee must not therefore confound the office and effects of so different substances but let it reside in the body to quicken lighten and gouerne the same section 4 Wee see by experience when wee muse and meditate on a matter wee would not willingly see any body wee like not to heare any noyse about our eares hauing sometime our minde so fixed on our thoughts that wee see not that which is before our eyes And in the night our cogitations are more firme and wee conceiue the better of that in our hearts which serues for our learning and instruction Oftentimes many men close their eyes when they would profoundly consider of any affayres auoyding at such times the impediments of sight otherwhiles seeking out some solitary places to the end no company may hinder their contemplations For this body of ours procureth diuers imployments which dulleth the soules poynt and slackens our intentions Well therefore said Iob Thou hast made me of the clay and slime Our soules are as it were plastered with the flesh but they dissolue not into it Thou hast apparelled mee with skinne saith hee and flesh thou hast enterlaced mee with bones and sinewes so that our soule is confined and extended through the sinewes that many times shee is made stiffe as it were thereby and sometimes crooked by the heauy affections thereof section 5 Wee must therefore rouze vp our soules aboue the bed of our flesh and rise out of this rotten sepulchre of the body of sinne that wee may the more nimbly mount aloft towards heauen and so retyre from this dangerous coniunction of the body Let vs chearefully martch forwards towards our happy home for what other thing is Death to the faithfull but the funerall of their vices and the resurrection of their vertues Let vs therefore swiftly ascend with the flight of loue to that high and happy hill where wee hope to rest Let our soules soare aloft like the Eagle who flyes aboue the clouds shee glisters and shines afresh by the renewing of her plumes shee raises her flight to the skyes where she cannot be intrapped by the snare like other foolish Fowles which descending downeward are intrapped by the Fowler So take wee heede lest our soules groueling on the earth be insnared with Sathans gyns and worldly baites Now the better to discerne the state of our soules let section 6 vs learne of the Musitian who according to the songs that he singeth or playeth vpon the Lute Harpe or Recorder hath his countenance and passions accordingly framed and affected So the soule which vseth the body and playeth vpon it as an Instrument of Musicke if she be sage wise and godly will expresse as it were with her fingers ends the most inward parts and passions so that a pleasant harmony of good manners will redound thereof and we shal see her obserue such melody in her thoughts and affayres as that her deliberations and executions will most sweetly accord It is the soule therefore that needeth the body but as an instrument and therefore soueraignetie is one thing and seruice another and there is great difference betweene that which wee are and that which wee ought to be As
the Bee doth fall among the weedes which seeme section 7 sweet flowers and lights on this and sits on that and tasting all is pleased with none but flyes away so here the faithfull soule findes no delight in these flowers of sinfull flesh and worldly weedes but like Noahs naked doue returnes againe whence she was sent and soares to heauen No more then shall Gods Children paine themselues in heaping together these exhalations of the earth for the heauens shall be ours and this masse of earth which euer draweth vs to the earth shall be buryed in the earth No more then shall wee weary our selues with mounting from degree to degree and from honour to honour for wee shall highly be raised aboue all heights of the world and from on high laugh at the folly of all those wee admired who fight here foolishly for lesse then a poynt or an apple like little children No more then shall we haue such combats in our selues for our flesh shall be dead and our spirit in full life our passions buryed and our Reason freed in perfection Our soule deliuered out of this foule and filthy prison shall againe draw her owne breath recognize her ancient dwelling and againe remember her former glory section 8 This flesh which wee feele this body which we touch is not properly man Man is from heauen heauen is his Countrey and his Ayre That hee is in his body is but by way of exile and confinement Man indeede is soule and spirit man is rather of celestiall and diuine qualitie wherein is nothing grosse or materiall This body such as it is is but the barke and shell of the soule which must needes be broken if wee will be hatched for a heauenly life if wee will truely liue and see the light Wee looke but through false spectacles wee haue eyes but ouer-growne with pearles wee thinke wee see but it is in a dreame wherein wee see nothing but deceit All that wee haue and all that we know is but abuse and villany Death onely can restore vs both life and light And yet so blockish are wee that wee thinke shee comes to rob vs of them Though our soule now for a while be bound to our bodies as Isaack was tyed to the Altar yet so soone as the bonds are loosed it mounteth vp to heauen a place of ioy and blisse Death depriues the soule of no good but freeing it from the burden of the flesh makes it fitter for goodnesse It is the very graue of sinne to the faithfull and the instrument and meanes to raise them vp to the life of righteousnesse through it the sinfull bodies are resolued to dust that so defiled the soule and so the soule once separated aspireth to the heauenly Spheares section 9 The nature of the earth saith one is cold and drye so are our earthly affections to deuotion and pietie The earth stands still without motion and hath the circumference carryed round about it so Gods benefits compasse earthly men and yet they are nothing moued The earth doth often extinguish hot and fiery exhalations which otherwise would ascend so doe earthly affections many holy and heauenly motions of remembring our latter end But the qualitie of the earth which wee should imitate for our good is to be fruitfull after tilling because that the ground which bringeth forth bryars and thornes is subiect to a curse The dearest children of God here in the flesh are as section 10 poysoned vessels washed by the holy Ghost wherein notwithstanding there rests some taste and tallage of the former corruptions But the reprobate and wicked are as barrels full of poyson infused of the Diuell wherein the spirit of God neuer shewed his power Sinne in the regenerate hath a deadly wound and is like the Sun faintly appearing through a thicke cloud but in the wicked it hath a full and violent course Yet if wee haue receiued but the earnest-penny of Gods Spirit in this life wee shall be sure to receiue our full wages and pay in the life to come Neyther neede wee be dismaid that we limpe with Iacob and be imperfect in this life for if wee had no infirmities wee should be as proud as the Diuell whereas now they serue to humble vs and make vs thankfull vnto God so mercifully restrayning them and so fatherly passing by them and so they serue to multiply our grones vnto God the sooner to be freed from this body and bondage of sinne God doth here buffet his children with their imperfections as he did Paul lest they should grow insolent Now the Lord will trust vs no more with perfection since Adam lost it in Paradise but will exercise vs with our weaknesses lest wee should step into our old mothers conceipt to thinke our selues Gods And thus the Lord cureth our grosse sinnes by our infirmities euen as the best Triacle is made of poyson and the skinne of a Viper is the best cure against the sting of a Viper And though our infirmities be simply euill yet qualified and tempered with God our Physitians hand they are turned to our good If God be on our side who can be against vs Nay rather section 11 saith Chrisostome who is not against vs But howsoeuer they are against vs they shall not long trouble vs for God is a recorder of our patience and Death the finisher of our paine And though the heauy burden of our sinfull flesh doe load vs yet lightsomnesse it is to a Christian to thinke that the way is not long The traueller thinking of his Inne but especially of his home which is the end of his trauell goeth more chearfully on to the end of his iourney The bond-man calling to minde the yeares of Iubilee endureth with more patience the yeares of his bondage Great are our troubles and trauels in this life but saluation will one day make amends for all when wee shall once be landed on the shoare of perfect securitie and be deliuered from all toylesome labours c. Happy yea thrice happy and blessed shall the faithfull be being departed from a shadow of life to true life it selfe from darknesse to light from trouble to rest from sinfull men to the most holy God when the battell of their warfare shall be ended and they quite freed from al the throes of Sinne and Death section 12 One faith well that the word of God is swift and it requireth a speedy follower if speede in following much more in attayning if speede in the body which is a burden of sinne much more when the soule hath put it off if vnder the crosse wee groane and yet goe forward with how much more speede shall wee haste to the Crowne when all teares shall be wiped from our eyes And if it be true of a glorified body as Augustine speaketh that the body is straight where the minde will how much rather shall a sanctified soule disburdened of the body
the word and therefore still continue in waxing and waining let such I say feede still their fancies with shewes and shadowes all which shall end in a moment but let vs that are Christians liue the life of the righteous that so we may die a righteous death and liue in peace and happinesse both here and hereafter If we liue in the spirit then let vs walke in the spirit Our walking and behauiour is a sure and certaine signe whether wee be aliue or dead If our walking and working be spirituall then doe we liue in the spirit but if our workes be carnall we are dead in the spirit neither haue we any thing to doe with Christ and his kingdome As there is a resurrection to the life of glory so is there also a resurrection to the life of grace As the death of the soule went before the death of the body so must the resurrection of the soule from the death of sinne be first and then in due time will come the resurrection of the body Sinne is a kinde of death this my sonne was dead and is now aliue holy conuersation is a rising againe and blessed are those that haue their part in this resurrection The prodigall Sonne by repentance found himselfe who first by riot had lost himselfe and therefore let vs giue him our life who gaue vs life section 7 Christians must be as birds who for necessitie sake are faine to stay vpon the earth yet still for the most part are soaring in the skie where they tune many a pleasant note so should our thoughts be imployed in things beneath but our chiefe delights must still climbe higher where true ioyes dwell where no distracting thoughts can once disturbe them Raise vp thy selfe O soule saith Augustine and thinke of that good which containeth all good Our deuotion must not be as the Morning dewe which vanisheth with the Sunne nor like the leaues of Autumne that fall from the tree but our goodnesse must abide so long as wee liue yea wee must rather yeelde vp our breath and being then our faith and deuotion section 8 Euery one feareth the death of the body but few are affraide of the death of the soule That which possibly cannot be auoyded men seeke to shun but to auoide sin that they may liue for euer few or none doe care To labour not to die is but trauell in vaine this is to defer not to auoide Death but if we would take heede we sinne not then neede we not be doubtfull after death to liue for euer Simply to liue is not so good except a man liue well and in Gods feare for the Diuels and the damned liue but better it were if they had no being The soule without grace is as the ground without moysture which turneth to dust and vanisheth and like the barren earth accursed It is as an vnarmed man and one that is naked amongst the pykes and darts of his aduersaries And since the earth was cursed for our sinnes in Adam and our soules are saued by faith in Christ let the direction of our thoughts to him be the messenger to our hearts that our affections are in heauen for we are not placed that wee should be planted here but being bought from this earth by bloud we should clense our selues in this world with water that since some inferiour affections must needes be found here below yet the dust onely may cleaue to our feete and our head and hands lift vp to God So shall we haue comfort in our death being thus sanctified section 9 in our life and it shall serue vs as a barge to bring vs to the hauen of happy rest which now is made through Iesus Christ the issue of all miserie and an entrance to true safetie to all Gods elect Christians therefore one would thinke neede not as Pagans consolations against death but death should serue them as a consolation against all afflictions So that wee should not onely strengthen our selues not to feare it but accustome our selues to hope for it for vnto vs it is not onely a departing from paine and euill but an accesse and possession-taking of all happinesse and good not the end of life but the end of death and beginning of life because it is not to vs a last day but the dawning of an euerlasting day Death now is the way to recouer our former estate being lost by our first parens It is the meanes to translate vs from our mortall condition to euerlasting immortalitie and happinesse in Christ Who therefore will not be glad to exchange for the better Let them desire to liue in the world whom it loueth and affecteth but all true Christians it hateth euermore and despiseth What man being farre from home would not hasten to section 10 returne into his country and though he saile vpon the dangerous seas would hee not hoyst vp the sailes of his Ship and hasten his iourney with some hazard to come to the hauen of rest where he would be Now this world is a forraine Countrie to all Christians where they wander for a while our home is the Paradise of God heauen it selfe is the hauen whither Gods children must saile to land and the way and passage both by sea and land is death decreed of God which to the godly as hath beene said is not an end of their liues but an end of their sinnes It destroyeth not nature but reformes it It cutteth off our corruption and restoreth vs to immortalitie Whilst I remaine vpon earth I am as it were in my wardship but hereafter I shall haue the full managing of all my goods O happy dying and blessed death which art made so gainefull vnto me why should I feare thee which bringest all sorrowes and feares to an end Thy name is fearefull but thy effect full of consolation especially when I behold thee vnder his feete which hath pulled out thy sting taken from hell his command and spoyled the diuell of his power section 11 The iudgement of God cannot afflict me for that the Iudge is my aduocate Sathan my accuser is condemned the Angels of the Lord are my defenders against him The graue though it gape wide yet can it not deuoure me for although I must rot in it yet was it my Sauiours bed who was laid therein to sanctifie it for me by his sweet funerall and to prepare me there a chamber of rest But O Lord suffer me not to die before I begin to liue nor to rot in the graue before I be assured of my immortall inheritance in heauen wound my hart with a holy sorrow wash my soule with thy precious blood Let other men desire to liue many yeares vpon earth my longing is to aspire to the dayes of heauen whereas one day consumes not another but are endlesse and eternall The reward of life the ioy of euerlasting saluation and perpetuall blisse the possession of Paradise
which were lost by sinne returne againe vnto vs as soone as we leaue this world section 12 Now where coelestiall things succeede terrestriall great and inestimable things those that are small and base eternall and euerlasting such as are transitorie and fraile is there any occasion so to waile and weepe It belongeth to him to feare death that would not goe to Christ which beleeueth not that then hee begins to reigne in heauen when hee leaues the earth wherefore wee must iudge of death not as it seemeth in it selfe but as it is in Christ Naturally we desire to be and consequently wee shunne death which depriues vs of our being heere Death I confesse is fearefull to the dearest children of God for a while because it is repugnant to their nature yet notwithstanding we see our estate being holden as prisoners in this body of sinne so long as wee liue and therefore we ought to long for the euerlasting life which is promised vs after death For when wee draw nigh towards death then come we neere to it and death is the very gate of life assuring our selues that since Iesus Christ himselfe hath passed that way we neede not be dismayed that death shall conquer vs for it is now through him but as a rebated sword and blunted knife whose edges and points are bowed and broken which albeit they draw some bloud yet serueth it but to purge vs. Neyther doth God euer suffer his Elect to depart this section 13 life without great comfort vntill they haue seene their Sauiour with old Simeon eyther in soule or Spirit The life of this perswasion is the death of sinne and such hope of eternitie is the reuenge of iniquitie Fye vpon sinne whilest I behold my Sauiour fie vpon shame whilest I behold my glory Heauen is my hope the spirituall visions of my heart are the impressions of my ioy Therefore let vs shake off feare and arme our selues to runne this race not seeking any by-way but keeping on the high-way to heauen whither Christ our captaine hath already conducted vs in his flesh CHAP. IX The blessed and vnspeakable happinesse ioy and immortalitie of the faithfull after this life ended NOw that our desires may be further inlarged section 1 towards heauen and our affections the better with-drawne from the loue of this deceitfull life and world of vanities it will not be amisse at the least to meditate on those compleat ioyes which no tongue indeede is able to expresse or heart of man conceiue which Christ by his bitter death and sufferings hath full dearely purchased for vs. Saint Paul counteth all the afflictions of this life that men can suffer not to be worthy of the glory which shall be shewed which he calleth an eternall waight of glory Our afflictions here are but momentany and temporall but the ioyes of heauen are eternall not possible to be expressed It is a shew beautifull in sense wonderfull in waight excessiue in measure without bounds in dignitie without comparison and in continuance without end yea it is such and so great that as one torment in hell shall make a reprobate to forget all his worldly pleasures so the least taste of this glory shall make the heyres of God to forget all their former miseries This glory is like God the giuer of it that must be imbraced for the excellencie of it and thirsted after for the eternitie of it The ioyes of heauen as farre exceed these prison-ioyes section 2 on earth as Mannah in the Wildernesse did the flesh-pots of Egypt and the bread that the lost sonne ate in his fathers house the huskes he ate abroad with Swine They are so great saith one that they cannot be measured so long that they cannot be limited so many that they cannot be numbred so precious that they cannot be valued yet wee shall see them without wearinesse loue them without measure and praise them without end God in creating this transitory world which yet is but a poore cottage to his eternall habitation what power what magnificence what maiestie hath he shewed therein what glorious heauens and how wonderfull hath hee created what infinite Starres and other Lights hath he deuised what Elements hath he framed and how strangely hath hee compact them together The Seas tossing and tumbling without rest so well replenished with all sorts of fish the Riuers running incessantly through the earth like veynes in the body and yet neuer to be empty or ouer-flow the same The Earth it selfe so furnished with all varietie of creatures as that the hundred part thereof are not imployed by man but remaine to shew to man the full hand and strong arme of his Creator And all this was done in an instant with one word and that for a small time in respect of the eternitie to come What then shall wee conceiue of the house of God that glorious heauen it selfe If the cottage of his meanest seruant and that made for a time to beare off as it were a showre of raine be so princely so glorious so gorgeous so full of maiestie as wee see this world is what must we think that the Kings Pallace it selfe is appoynted for all eternitie for himselfe and his friends to liue and raigne in for euer O Lord saith Augustine if thou in this vile body of ours giuest vs so great and innumerable benefits from the firmament section 3 from the ayre from the earth from the sea by light by darkenesse by heate by shadow by dewes by showres by windes by raines by birds by fishes by beasts by trees by hearbs by plants and by such varietie and ministery of all thy creatures Oh sweet Lord what manner of things how great how good and how infinite are those which thou hast prepared in our heauenly Countrey where we shall see thee face to face If thou doe so great things for vs in our prison what wilt thou giue vnto vs in our Pallace If thy enemies and thy friends be so well prouided for together in this life what shall thy onely friends receiue in the life to come If our Iayle containe so great matters what shall our Countrey and Kingdome doe O my Lord and God thou art a great God and as there is no end of thy greatnesse nor measure of thy wisedome nor number of thy mercies so is there neyther end number nor measure of thy rewards towards them that loue thee But these ioyes alas can we not comprehend whilest we liue in loue with this world no more then a prisoner shut vp in a dungeon can know what is done in a Princes pallace or a banished man in a forraine land can learne what is done in his Country from which he is exiled If the very remembrance of the ioyes of heauen so affect section 4 Gods Children what will the fruition doe Wee are somewhat moued when wee call to minde that all the Saints in heauen doe know God all see God all loue
and strange to doe his feate Wherefore since all must runne this race and trauerse this course of death which is so long and large reaching from earth to heauen considering withall the danger that whosoeuer faileth in the way and goeth not vpright shall tumble headlong into the pit of hell it requires our best diligence and endeuour to the vtmost To guide the ship along the seas is a poynt of skill but at the very entrance into the Hauen it selfe then to auoyd the dangerous rockes and to cast our anchor skilfully in a safe Roade is the chiefest cunning To runne the race in a good order is the part of a stout and valiant Champion but so to runne that wee may obtaine the crowne is the very perfection of al his paines What more Christian-like then a good and holy life but after this life finished to dye in the Faith and feare of God what more diuine Wherefore there is nothing so glorious as to order aright the vpshot of our time and farewell from this world To end well this life is onely to end it willingly following with full consent the will and direction of God and not suffering our selues to be drawne by meere necessitie To end it willingly is to hope for and not to feare our death appoynted of God To hope for it wee must certainly looke after this life for a better To looke for it we must feare God whom who so well feareth feareth indeed nothing else in this world and hopes for all things in the world to come section 15 To one well resolued in these poynts Death can be but sweet and agreeable to his minde for what can hee feare whose death is his hope Thinke wee to banish him his Countrey hee knowes hee hath a Countrey elsewhere from whence none can exile him and that all these Countries are but Innes out of which hee must depart at the will of his Host Thinke wee to imprison him a more strait prison he cannot haue then his owne body none more filthy or more darke c. Will we kill him and take him out of this world that is it he hopes for It is all one to him at what gate or at what time he passeth out of this miserable life for his businesses then are for euer ended his affayres all dispatched and by what way hee shall goe out by the same hee shall enter into a most happy and an euerlasting life The threatnings of Tyrants are to him promises the swords of his greatest enemies are drawne in his fauour for as much as hee knowes that threatning him death they threaten him life and the most mortall wounds can make him but immortall for who feares God feares not death and who feares it not feares not the worst of this life Why doe we daily pray that Gods Kingdome may come section 16 seeing we take such delight to remaine in the prison of this world Why heape we prayers vpon prayers that the generall restauration of all things may approach if our greater and more affectionate desires would rather serue here below the enemy of our soules then to raigne aboue with Iesus Christ It belongs to him that taketh all his pleasure in the world who is caught with the baits of earthly delights and the flatteries of the flesh to desire to tarry long in this world But seeing it hateth the Children of God why loue they such an enemy why followest thou not rather Iesus Christ thy Redeemer who so ardently loues thee Let euery day be to thee as the last day since thou knowest not whether thou shalt liue till to morrow or no. For still wee carry death about in our mortall bodies and our life in a continuall motion stil hastneth to an end And yet no man marketh how his time passeth S. Paul saith Idye daily for euen in the midst of life wee are in death and the whole time of our life is but a running vnto death Therefore seeing Death watcheth for vs on euery side wisedome it is to watch for him that he take vs not tardy The remembrance of our end must be as a Key to open section 17 the day and shut in the night this will make young men more heedfull in their waies and old men more fearefull of their works and all men more prouident of the time to come There is no meanes more effectuall to make vs shake off the allurements of this life as Paul did the Viper into the fire then the daily meditation of our end God leads Ieremie into a house of clay before hee instructeth him in his message to teach vs that we are best lessoned where our fraile estate may be best considered Did wee but somtimes behold that pale horse whose name is Death in our musing disposition it would make vs trample vnderfoote many alluring occasions of vanitie and sinne which we pursue fast Die we must needes because our bodies are full of sinne and so die we must willingly that we may be deliuered from this body of sinne Die we must because we are full of corruption and must be changed and die we must willingly as desirous to put on incorruption that so we may behold our God Die we must needs because we beare the image of earthly men die we must willingly that we may be like the new and heauenly man Christ Iesus Die we must needes because God hath so ordained and let vs die willingly to shew our obedience to his wil. Christians must be as Birds on a bough to remoue at Gods pleasure and that without resistance when the section 18 Lord shall visite them Vpon this condition we entred this world to goe out of it againe and this is the law of Nations to restore and pay that which wee haue borrowed and retained for a time Our life is a pilgrimage or iourney when here we haue trauelled much and long at length needes wee must returne to our home Againe it is absurd to feare that which we cannot shun thou art neither the first nor the last thousands haue gone before thee and all that are to come shall follow thee Wee are but Tenants at will in this cleyie farme the foundation of this building is weake in substance alwayes kept cold by an entercourse of aire the piller whereupon the whole frame and building doth stand is the passage of a little breath the strength of it some few bones tyed together with dry strings or sinewes and howsoeuer we repaire patch this simple cottage it will at last fall into our land-lords hands we must surrender it when Death the Lords Bailiefe shall say this or that mans time is come Therefore Christians must haue these temporall things in vse but eternall things in desire It is written of those Phylosophers called Brackmani that they were so much giuen to thinke vpon their end that they had their graues alwaies open before their gates that
both going out and comming in they might alwaies be mindefull of their death and latter end section 19 I cannot sufficiently wonder at the folly of our nature so abhorring the mention of Death yea euen the aged men whose spring is past whose summer is spent and are euen arriued at the fall of the leafe whose heads are dyed with snowie winter colours and whose ship begins to leake and grate vpon the grauell of their graues yet how fearefully are they amazed to heare the last sound of Deaths trumpet O foolish imbecilitie so fearing to be luld a sleepe in Deaths slumbering fits which is so ready to close vp this mortall day to bring their soules to an euerlasting morrow Mans life saith one is a small thing but the contempt of this wretched life is a great thing And why should Christians so loue this sinfull life and loath their death which is so gainefull First it killeth our familiar enemy the flesh which lusteth against the spirit and maketh vs that we cannot please God Now there is no enemie like vnto a domesticall and home-bred enemie that lieth in our bosome that rests and sleepes with vs and is alwayes a companion to the soule vrging and hailing it to sinne but Death openeth the doore of this filthy prison and stinking dungeon of this body of sinne in which we liue as slaues It freeth vs from this pannier and dungcart we carry about full of all corruption and vilenesse for this corruptible body is heauie vnto the soule and this earthly mansion keepeth downe the minde oppressing it with cares It putteth an end to this our painefull pilgrimage full of bitternesse and griefe For what is this life but a heauie mierie way clagging and tyring our feet and orher limbes Consider then how absurd it is for poore drudges so section 20 foyled and wearied to be yet vnwilling to haue such an irkesome life and way ended Our life is full of labour t' is led with sorrow and yet left with teares so that better is death then such a silly life We thinke not so much how neare Death we approach all of vs being reserued to die we complaine not so much of the thing it selfe as of the day of our death But would wee not thinke him a foole who amongst many other being condemned to die would craue it as a great benefit to be executed the last So foolish are many esteeming it such a matter to haue their death deferred and a little to prolong their dayes Malefactors hate nothing more then the giues and fetters barres and bolts of the prison doores wherewith they haue beene loaded and wherewith they haue beene inclosed and we foolish men feare nothing more then the opening of this prison doore for our egresse and deliuery we cannot abide it we cannot indure to haue the locks and shuts of this layle of our flesh to be broken and battered for our euerlasting manumission from this seruitude and slauerie of sinne section 21 Now then if our whole life be nothing else but a continuall trauell to death as wee haue heard if the houre of death be also the dreadfull houre of Iudgement what other thing is our whole life but a continuall walking towards the tribunall seate of God And what great madnesse is it for men going actually to be iudged thus in the way to prouoke their Iudge to anger by continuall sinne Let vs better open our eyes and consider the way wee take let vs fore-cast with our selues to what place wee are going and be ashamed of our euils or at the least to aduise with our selues how euill this that wee doe agreeth with that businesse wee haue in hand What a wonder is this that euery day we dye and yet perswade our selues to liue for euer wee are like the Megarenses of whom the Phylosopher speaketh in making proud and sumptuous buildings as though they should alwayes liue yet liuing as though they had but mortall soules section 22 But to hasten to an end Whereof commeth so great forgetfulnesse of almighty God such negligence of preparing our selues to die euen from hence that we presume our life shall last so long This false imagination perswadeth vs that we haue time inough for all things for the world for our pleasures for vanitie for vices for friuolous and curious exercises and that yet for all this we shall haue sufficient time to prouide our selues to die in so much as we dare dispose of our life as we will of a web of cloath for our family lying on a table appointing one piece for this purpose and another for that so we make account of our liues as though we had the signory and gouernment of times in our owne hands to order and our life at our owne will and pleasure to dispose of This fond conceit groweth and is grounded vpon selfe-loue which alwaies hateth and abhorreth Death to auoide the paine and griefe which otherwise it would conceiue Such a one is easily induced to beleeue that another shall die for as hee is not greatly in loue with others so is not the knowledge and beliefe of that truth so sowre and vnpleasant vnto him but as hee loueth himselfe exceedingly so is hee very loath to beleeue any thing that should increase his paine and griefe Yet see how such a one is deceiued hee first of all begins to lead the dance of death and others so censured long after doe follow him So that it fareth with these men as with yong sea-men and fresh-water-souldiers who when they come forth of the hauens mouth it seemeth vnto them that the land and houses depart away when they themselues indeede doe moue and passe away the land and houses standing still Of what impatiencie is it not to endure that euill section 23 which together with so many and mighty is common vnto all men Thou refusest to pay the debt with all Gods Saints which whether thou wilt or no must needs be discharged Hee which by nature could not die was for thy sake made mortall and subiect to death and thou being borne to dye and which so often for thy sinnes hast deserued death wouldest thou alone amongst all other be priuiledged from dying Remember therefore thy folly and pride and rather incourage thy selfe to die hauing so many fellowes and partners in this case For indeede wee haue no more cause to grieue that wee shall die then wee haue to be vexed that wee were borne or that wee were created mortall men and not Angels immortall Death bringeth an equall law and an ineuitable necessitie ouer all Now who can complaine for being of such a condition from which no man is excepted for the chiefest point of equitie is equalitie Let vs therefore pay our tribute chearefully since wee cannot be released and let vs second and follow the will of God without murmuring from whom all things are iustly deriued for Destinie leades him by the hand that goeth willingly and
drags him along that goeth by compulsion CHAP. II. How dangerous a thing it is not to be prepared for Death or to deferre the time thereof HAuing partly heard of the necessitie of preparation section 1 let vs a little consider of the dangerous want thereof for Death being such a fearefull enemie we may not without great hazard of our estates meete him naked in the field but knowing him and his forces it is fit wee be throughly prepared against the combat And albeit we cannot of our selues make any prouision sure inough to serue our turne for it is not our owne strength counsell or pollicie that can stand vs in stead in such a fight yet prouided we must be if we will preuaile neither is it Sauls harnesse that will buckle handsomely to our backs or any other furniture deuised by man but onely the sling of faith casting out the stone taken out of that riuer or rather that inuincible rocke Iesus Christ that will vtterly foyle this huge Goliah Death For Gods children hauing continuall experience of his section 2 mighty power in their worldly deliuerances and of his gracious protection and aide in all the miseries and calamities of this life feeling still in themselues the sufficiencie of his grace and assistance of his spirit in all their extremities they doubt not euer to commit their bodies and soules to this their faithfull creatour They doe not feare to be ruled by him in life death no they will goe to God thorow fire water no dangerous paths will they eschew when he cals them they care not to goe thorow the vale of death leaning on his staffe nor to sayle as it were through hell that they may come to heauen to enioy his blessed sight knowing that by the susteining of a temporall death they are freed from eternall torments and endlesse fire of hell For although at deaths first entrance a huge flood of sinnes and a fountaine of sorrowes issued out yet now being altered by Christ it killeth sinne in Gods Saints and perfecteth their estate And so farre off is it from the destruction of a Christian man that it brings him to perfection for after the death of the body followes the freedome of the spirit nay it is the very furnace appointed of God for the purifying both of body and soule from the drosse of all corruption and sinne But as it auaileth nothing as I said before to goe to section 3 warre without weapons or to keepe a Castle without munition no more or lesse can we withstand deaths deadly force our soules not harnessed against the same The greatest cowards haue many times the greatest talke then it will onely appeare what thou hast gained in knowledge when thou commest to combat with Death no man knowes in what place Death attends him therefore in all places we must be prouided What cares Death for prisons for guards for iron barres c. one gate or another stands alway open to him there is but one chaine onely that keepes vs bound euen the loue of this life and this must not wholly be shaken off but extenuated and lessened that when occasion serueth nothing may hinder vs. If euery day of our life were as long as that long day of Iosua when as the Sunne stood still a whole day in the middest of heauen it would auaile vs nothing For as in the end the night came which dissolued that long day so the night of death will at last assaile vs and make the daies of our life vanish away how long so euer they haue beene for euery thing subiect to corruption fadeth and he that troubleth himselfe therewith shall passe away Man is resembled to a peece of rotten wood which breaking in peeces is turned into powder section 4 This life is a moment of time whereon all eternitie of life and death to come dependeth If it be a moment and a moment of so great importance how is it passed ouer by worldly men so carelesly as it is If Death be an enemie then let vs watch him as an enemy preuent him as an enemie that so we may endure his hard assaults when time shall serue Doe that before death which may doe thee good when thou art dead for if we prouide not before death there is no prouision after It is farre better to enter while the gate is open then afterwards to knocke in vaine when the gate is shut to seeke the Lord while he may be found then to be found of him vnprouided when we would not be sought The morning was faire when Lot went out of Sodome and yet before night it was burnt to ashes Nebuchadnezar neuer thought himselfe so sure as when he boasted himselfe of Babel and yet while the word was in his mouth God puld him downe vpon his knees The rich man neuer thought himselfe so likely to liue as when hee said to his soule Eate drinke and be merry yet the selfe same night it was taken from him The ship would be mended in the hauen not in the tempestuous Sea the breach would be repayred in the time of peace not in the skirmishes of warre In time a care would be had of our estate for the time to come The dayes of man are short and his time vncertaine that little moment wee haue to prouide for a state of all continuance and to gaine eternitie in is quickly runne ouer before wee be aware Gods mercy in giuing vs time and space passeth along section 5 as a pleasant-riuer if we stop the course thereof by continuance in sinne it will rise high as a floud and turne into Iustice bearing vs downe by force as a violent streame and ouerthrow our surest repose Such is here our fraile and brittle estate that when wee seeme to stand in great securitie wee then doe dwell in deepest danger and when wee least feare we soonest fall Calamitie commeth vpon vs not looked for sicknesse sodainly inuadeth and Death without ransome requireth her due therefore Boast not thy selfe of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Our continuance here is certaine in vncertaintie therefore saith one Let our vncertaine condition worke a certaine carefulnesse of our estate to come That which once and neuer but once is done should be aduisedly begunne carefully prosecuted and most seriously laboured with all industry vnto the end Wee sleepe with our cause and wee rise with our cause saith Augustine Doe well and haue well liue the life of the righteous and dye the death of the righteous To him that passeth through darke places one light carryed before him will doe him more good then many brought after him When sleepe is gone from the sicke mans eyes when rather extremitie of griefe then true sorrow doth rake out a little sicke repentance from the most carelesse person when rest is departed from their tossed beds then many can
vse God as that they may inioy the world If we loue God lesse then we ought when we loue many section 8 things besides him which we loue yet for his sake how much then a greater sinne is it when wee shall loue our goods and friends not for Gods sake but euen in spight of God in that we loue them more then God that calleth vs from them such Christ pronounceth not worthy of his glory Therefore happy is hee O Lord which loueth thee and his friends in thee and his enemies for thee for he can neuer be destitute of friends who inioyeth God which is neuer lost and esteemes all as friends Gods children and chosen can neuer be poore that are ioyned to so rich and glorious a head euen Iesus Christ the Lord Treasurer of heauen in whom all the riches of Gods wisedome mercy goodnesse c. are hid and god-head it selfe doth corporally dwell But alas thou wilt say it is hard to forgoe our sweet children and deare wiues our trusty and best beloued friends our pastures and tillage our grounds and sumptuous buildings our mannor-houses rents and reuenewes our great treasures and Iewels and other worldly wealth And what of all this to him to whom all things are counted losse and esteemed as dung in regard of Christ And haue not the true souldiers of Christ learned long agoe to despise all these assaults whose soules still watch in the ward and tower of this body expecting euery moment to heare the sound of the trumpet to follow their Captaine Christ Therefore they vse this body not as a home or strong hold but as a Tabernacle and pitched tent for a time to serue their turne in this field of their warfare They hoord not their treasures here but are content with their daily pay alwayes watching in the campe harnessed for the fight The souldiers of the world lie sleeping and snorting Christs souldiers are alwayes watching and waiting for his comming If we loue our friends too much and not God aboue all things then hath our sorrow no measure as it ought section 9 He cannot be said to flit that neuer changeth his host God alone is as a thousand companions hee alone is a world of friends and though we depart from our friends here we goe to more better and more louing As Iacob said when hee should die I shall be gathered to my people hereby declaring that death is a passage to many more folkes and greater friends then we leaue behinde There is God our Father his Sonne our brother his heauen our inheritance and all his Angels and Saints as our brethren sisters and kinsfolkes with whom we shall inioy eternall blisse That man neuer throughly knew what it was to be familiar with God that complaines of the want of his home and friends while God is with him If the Sonne naturally loue his Father of whom he hath his body how much more should the children of God loue him of whom they haue both bodies and soules Carnall Parents and friends are to be loued but the Creator to be preferd and double imbraced Loue him therefore most of all which thou canst not loose euen thy Redeemer who to draw thee vnto his loue and to deliuer thee from the loue of the world stretched out his armes vpon the crosse and suffered a most vile and cursed death to purchase for thee not an earthly but a heauenly and an euerlasting life CHAP. VI. Now Death is and may be feared of the faithfull and how of wicked Infidels No man is to be censured simply for the manner or suddennesse of Death We may not couet to know our death or for any thing to shorten our life THere is no one greater hinderance to the section 1 cheerefull resolution of our death and departure then the fore-conceiued feare of flesh and blood against the same And this is common to all men without exception of any in a measure and degree for so long as wee remaine in this body of sinne wee cannot choose but feare death the wages thereof which followeth and pursueth the sinner to his graue as the shadow doth the body till the Sunne be set And indeede it is both naturall in all to desire their being and so to hate Death depriuing them thereof in this world as also lawfull in Gods children for their true humiliation before they be exalted in the highest heauens It may be feared in regard it is the destruction of nature in a mans owne selfe and others and in this respect Christ feared it himselfe without any sinne But wee must not feare it otherwise then sicknesse pouertie famine with other calamities of body and minde which God will not haue vs to despise or lightly regard but to feele the paine thereof because they are sent as punishments for sinne and he doth therefore lay paines and torments vpon vs that they may be feared and eschewed and that by eschewing them wee may further learne to hate the causes of them which are our sinnes and by our experience in feeling paine to acknowledge that God is a iust Iudge and an enemie to sinne And albeit I grant that the most faithfull men haue their fits of feare yet are they euer free from the bondage section 2 and state of those that haue no hope For although they die in body yet are they free from eternall death And this is their blessing indeede not that they shall not die but that the snares of death cannot hold them not that they shall not feare but that feare shall not conquer them and he is a true christian man that neither refuseth to die nor yet fainteth for any feare of death Before iudgement it is good to be afraide that thou maist finde fauour at the tribunall of the Iudge Faith and a religious feare are alwaies friends in a Christian man The feare of Gods iudgement is as a needle the loue of God as a thread first the needle entreth and then followeth the thread Faith striketh Gods children with feare and terrour and anone vanquisheth and ouercommeth the same it feareth vs with the greatnesse of him whom we offend and yet ouercommeth the same by leading vs to Christ our attonement to God section 3 And as it is sometime no fortitude or man-hood to be afraide to die but a stupor and stoicall obstinacie So to feare death approaching is not alwaies a note of infidelitie and mistrust of Gods loue seeing feare many times proceedes from the infirmitie of nature or sexe Ezechiah was an vpright man yet feared he the sentence of Death his very bones did shiuer and all his ioynts did quake yea his tongue did chatter like a Swallow and Christ himselfe had his agonies and wrestlings The affections of nature are not simply euill in themselues but lawfull and tollerable when they are ordered by Gods spirit But if we feare death let vs seeke out the cause of this feare
are our sinnes the cause let vs repent and amend Is it the loue of this world let vs hate it Is it for want of faith let vs pray Lord helpe our vnbeliefe section 4 But what speake I so much to true Christians concerning the feare of Death they hauing so many causes rather to imbrace the same First to shew their subiection and obedience to Gods will by the example of Christ Father not my will but thy will be done Secondly for as much as by death all sinne is abolished and wee for euer cease to offend our God any more Our bodies likewise are brought to a better condition then euer they were in our liues for by death they are made insensible and so freed from all the miseries of this life ceasing to be the instruments of sin any more Againe it giues the soule passage to rest life and heauenly glory in which we shall see our God as he is perfectly know him and praise his name keeping an eternall Saboath in the celestiall places And lastly it executeth Gods iudgement vpon the wicked and purgeth his Church from such filthy dung and drosse Let Pagans therefore saith Cyprian and Infidels feare Death who neuer feared God in their life but let Christians goe as trauellers vnto their natiue home and as children to their Father willingly gladly Balaam would faine haue comforted himselfe with riches honour which he esteemed so much yet was he not without feare which at last brake out and forced him to wish that his soule might die the death of the righteous and that his latter end might be like vnto theirs So I beleeue it is with all wicked reprobates they know it and euen as Iosuah saith withall their hearts and withall their soules they know it that the righteous mans life is better then theirs and tremble and quake at the remembrance of their owne death which is farre worse then theirs desiring to die the death of those who in their life and practise they vtterly detest True it is that wicked men in appearance die quietly section 5 in their beds hauing as Iob speaketh no bonds in their death But iudge such a one no more by his death then by his birth for many women may haue more easie trauell of a reprobate then some of an elect childe of God Hypocrisie it may be hath put the conscience to silence here that they may more suddenly and fearefully roare out in hell It may be a crust is growne vpon their hearts that they rot and fester within and feele it not whereas the elect haue the wound of their sinne kept alwaies open neither can they flye the least breach of the Lords displeasure but are anguished neither can they thinke that they euer feare inough which tender heart of a Christian is like the Adamant as it to draw the iron so this to draw the oyle of grace into his soule for his solace If a man die like a Lamb and passe out of the world like a bird in a shell the sottish sort say that certainly hee is saued although neither holinesse was in his life nor God in his mouth grace in his heart nor yet repentance faith or feeling at his death Such men saith one excepting their feather-beds and pillowes die liker beasts then Christians For they shall neuer haue their sinnes forgiuen which first or last doe not vndergoe a holy despaire for them acknowledging nothing to remaine in themselues but matter of iudgement and euerlasting death and comfort and eternall life to flow alone from Iesus Christ For thorow him we see our sinnes purged the diuell vanquished death and condemnation abolished our selues established and infranchised into the libertie and freedome of the Saints in heauen Are we ready to goe out of this world as the Israelites out of Egypt let vs sprinckle our hearts with the blood of the Lambe and the destroyer shall not enter nor haue power to hurt vs. Let vs call to minde Gods loue who spared not his Sonne but gaue him to death for vs and how shall he not giue vs all things with him section 6 The steps of Saints saith one and the state of sinners their liues I meane and deaths are here equally bound vp with the coards of corruption yet vnequally matched in the ioy of their seperation the one falling away like a flower transplanted to a better soyle the other rushing vpon the rocke of Gods wrath either shamefully deiected with the horrour of iudgement while they liue or else fearefully entangled with the feare of torment when they die Yet may we not in conscience censure any man simply for his manner of death or sudden departure for many sicknesses slay men suddenly euen while they haue meate in their mouthes and are full merry Many are sharpe and of long continuance as the Palsie Sciatica or Hipgoute as Physitions best doe know Some take away the vse of the tongue and other members as the Apoplexie and falling euill Some the wits as the Phrensie and burning feauer and other strange and vnknowne diseases as experience it selfe doth proue and therefore it is good to be prepared in our Christian estate But in all these strange assaults of our brethren we must iudge the best for there neuer can be an euill death where a constant good life hath gone before For as many amidst these torments doe suddenly passe to the Paradise of Gods Saints so many dying peaceably in their beds are swiftly translated from earth to hell yet still precious in Gods sight is the death of his Saints Elie was a Priest and a good man yet brake he his neck section 7 with falling backward from his seat Ionathan a godly man and a faithfull friend to Dauid yet was he slaine in battell by the vncircumcised Philistimes The Prophet that came from Iuda to Bethel to speake against Ieroboam and his Alter was a good man yet killed by a Lyon So was Iosiah slaine in the valley of Megiddoe Iobs children so well brought vp by their Godly Father were slaine by the ruine of a house in a violent winde Wee must not therefore iudge so much of men by their manner of death as by their life for though sometimes a good death may follow an euill life yet an euill death can neuer follow a constant good life Correct therefore thy euill life and feare not an euill death for he cannot die ill that liues well So that sudden death is onely euill to them which lead an euill life it finding them vnprepared carrieth them suddenly to hell But it cannot be euill to them which liue well for finding them prepared it freeth them from paine which others indure by long and lingring sicknesse and brings them forthwith to the place of happy rest Some pray against sodaine Death which yet can neuer come sodainely to Gods Saints whose whole life is a continuall meditation of Death We ought rather
how wee should speake whom wee should inuocate In his temptation hee withstood the Tempter to shew vs how to come out of temptation In his Agonie hee prayed to teach vs how and what to pray section 5 Let vs call to minde how wee lost happinesse in seeking to saue ourselues and iust it is that by induring sorrowes wee should recouer what wee haue lost Wee ranne away by committing euill and wee must returne againe by suffering euill Once wee sinned by transgressing righteousnesse and now wee must humble ourselues by induring for righteousnesse Great were Iobs crosses which he endured none of his Sonnes and Seruants were left but onely foure messengers to bring him tidings of sorrow and those not altogether but one after another to increase the same All Iobs comforts goe away together and Sathan was perswaded that this trayne of troubles would haue blowne vp the strongest fort but he is deceiued Iob is the same man still For hee that did truly serue God in time of prosperitie did also blesse him in his greatest aduersitie Here was patience with thankfulnesse well met together Sathan tooke away many things from him but God he could not take away that gaue him all his resolution was too strong for that Though he kill mee yet will I not be kept from trusting in him It is God that knoweth the perils of thy death and can onely defend thee Through his power shalt thou get thorow and drinke the bitter draught Though wee dye yet liueth God before vs with vs after vs and is able to preserue vs for euer Death as one speaketh is euen as a darke caue in the section 6 ground but who so taketh Christs true light and candle in beleeuing on him and goeth into that dimme and darke hole the mist flyeth before him and the darknesse vanisheth away The sweet spices of Christ his buriall expelleth the strong scent and ill sauour of our rotten graues He is our hope our safeguard our triumph our crowne wee may be dead but our life is hid with God in Christ Our true life then is not in this world but laid vp with God in heauen and shall in time through Christ be gloriously reuealed And although after our departure from our soft lodgings and beds of Downe our bodyes must be placed for a time in darke dungeons and loathsome graues there to rot in the earth and be consumed of wormes yet Christians looking vpon them in this so vile estate as they appeare with the Chrystall eyes of Faith and considering them aright as now altered and changed by Christ who hath vanquished Death and pursued her to her denne we neede not to bewayle our euill exchange or thinke our bargaine hard for that our bodies hereafter shall become most beautifull and precious and euen conformable to the glorious body of Christ himselfe And albeit the gate of death be so narrow and hard a passage yet our heauenly Father shorteneth it and though the paines thereof should passe all that wee haue felt vpon the earth it endureth not long but maketh quicke dispatch and when the paine is greatest of all then is it nearest an end and God can then more comfort vs then the most horriblest death with the pangs thereof are able to disturbe or torment vs. Such is the state of this world that one euill cannot be section 7 cured but by another To heale a contusion or bruise must be made an incision All the paines that our life yeeldeth vs at the last houre we impute to death not marking that as our life beganne and continued in all sorts of griefe and sorrow so necessarily must it end in like afflictions Wee marke not as one saith that it is the remainder of our life not of death that tormenteth vs The end of our nauigation that paineth vs not the hauen wee are to enter which is nothing else but a sure refuge against all stormes And thus wee complaine of death when wee should indeed complaine of life as if one hauing beene long sicke and now beginning to be well should accuse his health of his former paine and not the reliques of his disease For what is it else to be dead then to be no more aliue in the world Now simply not to be in the world is it any paine did we then feele any paine when we were not section 8 Nothing better resembleth death then our sleepe and when doe wee euer better rest then at that time Now if this be no paine why accuse we death of the paines our life yeeldeth vs at our departure vnlesse wee will fondly accuse the time when as yet wee were not of the paines wee felt at our birth If our comming in be with teares is it a wonder that our going out be answerable If the beginning of our being be the beginning of our paine is it any maruell that such should be our ending Death is no wayes hurtfull to those that be liuing and for the dead they are out of his reach Such a death is neuer to be deplored which is seconded with immortalitie and euerlasting life Wilt thou feare that once which is alwayes acted Fearest thou to dye once when thou dyest euery day by little and little Death which wee so feare and flye taketh not from vs our life but giueth it truce and intermission for a time Neyther children nor mad-men feare Death and how absurd is it that reason and wisedome should not be as able to furnish vs with securitie as they are fortified by their simplicitie and fury section 9 What hurt is it to the inhabitant to pull downe an old ruinous house to build it vp againe and make it more glorious Now our bodies are as old rotten houses for our soules to dwell in if God cause our soules to depart then out of our bodies for a time and so destroy them to build them vp againe and make them fitter habitations for our soules haue we any cause to mourne Nay rather if we looke not so much on the present condition of our bodies after death as vpon their glorious estate at the day of resurrection by the eye of faith wee haue great cause to praise our God for this our good exchange And why should the faithfull be affraide of Death by which they are deliuered from the slauery of sinne For when Death hath made vs all euen leuell with the ground the graue shall be to vs as a fould vntill our Shepheard come and to the wicked as a shambles till the destroyer of their soules shall haue receiued an endlesse commission to torment them What cause haue wee then to shut our gates against the gaspe of Death Or like trembling leaues to entertaine the gale and blast of sicknesse which doth but prune our feathers to flye both faster and swifter towards heauen itselfe For if neither the waight of our corruption though it sorely presse vs nor the
citie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God And all the godly groane in these their earthly tabernacles being laden with corruption that this mortalitie may be swallowed vp of life for they know that corrupt flesh blood cannot enter into heauen Gods children I say are grieued not because they beare about their bodies for it is a griefe for them to lay them downe but they sigh to be clensed from their sinnes and corruption of their bodies which make them so wretched We ought not therefore to long so much for this present life which indeede is nothing else but an image of death but rather loath it to be vnloaden of our sinnes And as for Death it appertaineth to all men as we haue section 3 heard for neither rich nor poore old nor young prince nor people can escape it It respecteth no mans person no sexe no age no condition whatsoeuer No power no wealth no learning no wisedome art or skill can auoide it There is no salue to heale this soare no Physicke to be found for this sicknesse it is the way of all the world and the house appointed for all the liuing It is an Axe that heweth downe not onely the low shrubs and small Osiers but the great Elmes and huge Oakes yea all the high and tall Cedars of Libanon The daies of man are but as the winde and weauers shittle as grasse and flowers which in the morning are fresh and greene but anone towards the euening dried vp and withered We bring our yeares to an end as it were a tale that is told Our life is like a stage on which men play their parts and passe away Man is like a thing of nought his daies are like a shadow God bids Esay to cry All flesh is grasse and that all the grace and goodlinesse thereof is but as a flower of the field O that the Lord would open all our eyes that in this glasse wee might behold our estate What are we all but grasse and shall we wither like hay Alas wee cannot so perswade our selues for if we could it would plucke downe our pride and lay our lofty lookes it would then reforme our disguised ruffes and make our monstrous attire more modest it would mitigate our madnesse and make vs humble minded we would then throw downe our selues with Abraham and say to God we are but dust And to the end that our resolution to death may be more chearefull and this rough way as it seemeth to the section 4 flesh may be made more plaine Let vs comfort our selues with these meditations let vs say vnto our soule why art thou so sad why art thou so vnquieted within vs Put thy trust in God which is the helpe of our countenance and our God For why should a Christian man so feare the violence of Death whose force is broken Can Death depriue him of Christ which is all his comfort ioy and life No but Death shall deliuer him from this mortall body full of sinne and corruption which beareth and beateth downe the soule Faine would the flesh make strange of that which the spirit doth imbrace Oh saith a holy Martyr how loath is this loytering sluggard to passe forth and goe forward in Gods path to heauen So that were it not through the force of Faith plucking it forward by the bridle of Gods sweet promises and of Hope the anchor of saluation pricking still behinde great aduenture there were of fainting by the way section 5 Who would be sorry to forsake this life which cannot but be most certain of eternall life Who loueth the shadow better then the substance who can so loue this life but he that regardeth not the life to come who can desire the drosse of this world but such as are ignorant of the true treasure euerlasting ioyes in heauen I meane who is affraide to die but such as haue no hope to liue eternally A greater assurance next saith in Christ of our election cannot be found then not to stand in feare of Death which like a Tayler putteth off our ouer-worne rags to apparell vs with royall robes of immortalitie incorruption glory If the wals of thy house shake with age if the roofe thereof totter if the whole edifice not being able any longer to stand presage a meere downefall and ruine to approach wouldst thou not make more then ordinary hast to remoue and be gon If thou wert sayling in the maine sea and that a furious storme swelling the waues thereof with the blustering windes should threaten thy shipwracke wouldest thou not endeuour to recouer some cricke or hauen Behold this world how it shaketh and is ready to fall manifesting very shortly her vtter ruine Wherefore thinkest thou not on God why reioycest thou not at thy condition being ready to depart this world seeing thy selfe taken betimes out of those shipwracks warranted frō the blowes that threaten al such as suruiue thee Wherefore to the end that the former perswasions may section 6 better preuaile pierce the deeper let vs further consider for the same abridgement of all that hath been hitherto spoken what this life is which wee so loue what death is which we now so feare and what is prepared for vs after death which we so little regard First therefore concerning this present life we know and haue heard already that it is full of miserie vanitie vexation woe being a plaine exile from God For if heauen be our country what is this earth but a place of banishment If the departing out of this world be an entrance into life what is this world but a graue wherein we are buried what is it else but to be drowned in death If to be deliuered out of the body is to be set at liberty what is this body else but a prison a Iayle and a dungeon If to enioy the sweet fellowship of God be the highest felicitie why then to be kept from it is it not the extreamest misery for certainly til we be escaped out of this life we wander goe astray from the Lord our God If we consider that this vnstedfast faulty corruptible frayle withering rotten tabernacle of our body is shall therefore be dissolued by death that it may afterward be restored againe vnto a stedfast perfect incorruptible and heauenly glory shall not faith compel vs feruētly to desire that which nature feareth If we consider that by death we are called out of banishment to inhabit our country yea our heauenly country shall we not reioyce and be glad therefore Alas this our wretched life is a vapour a smoake a shadow a warfare a wildernesse and a vale of wretchednesse section 7 wherein wee are compassed on euery side with most fierce fearefull foes And should we desire to dwell here should we lust and long to liue in this loathsome and laborious life should wee wish to tarry in this miserable wretchednesse should
abhomination to the Lord and his very soule abhorreth them vse 3 Lastly it maketh for the consolation of all such that with faith and knowledge call vpon his name as relying thereon euen such as haue the testimony of a good conscience howsoeuer they shall be censured as Hannah was of Ely yet powring out their soules and calling vpon Gods name in the confidence of his power they shall be relieued though their faith be weake yet if true and assuredly grounded vpon Gods name and power they shall be heard euen out of the dungeon of extremities Out of the dungeon he called vpon Gods name Which also may teach vs doctrine 4 That there is no outward condition of life so miserable or affliction so grieuous which the dearest Children of God are not subiect vnto in this world Ieremie was in the myrie dungeon where he stucke fast and his life was shut vp casting a stone vpon him Daniell in the Lyons denne The three Children in the fiery furnace Israel a bondslaue in Egypt So was Ioseph imprisoned slaundered and disgraced Paul Peter and the faithfull stocked fettered imprisoned and many other murthered and massacred as we may see a whole Catalogue of them mustered by the Apostle all of them so excellent that the world was not worthy of their companie Ioyne to these Abraham for his vncertaine dwelling Dauid for his manifolde enemies Iob for inward and outward miseries of all sorts All these with the rest whose pilgrimage is ended and many that now liue and still remaine to the worlds end must goe the same high way to Heauen drinke of the same whip and bitter cup. All kinde of crosses and calamities attend vpon them in the world vntill they be at rest with God in Heauen The reason hereof is that since the same corruption of reason 1 nature and guilt of sinne spreadeth ouer all alike without exception needs it must follow that all be iustly inwrapped in the outward punishment and mulct thereof since all kinde of miseries follow sinne with death it selfe as the shadow doth the body Sinne is the worke and these are the wages And God in iustice must needes shew his anger against sinne in this life euen vpon his owne seruants Here they must be iudged that hereafter they be not damned with the world Secondly God vseth them as scourges purges and reason 2 wholesome medicines to heale recouer and reforme our sinnefull sicke and disordered nature Here wee must be weined with the wormewood of calamities from the brests of the world which we alwayes would be lugging that so we may be brought in loue with heauen and heauenly things The vse is first for our instruction to make vs wise in the vse 1 vse and end of the manifolde miseries that betide Gods dearest children to moderate our affections and to suspend our iudgements for our selues and brethren when wee or they are so strangely and diuersly handled Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him in thy law these tryals must hasten vs to Gods Sanctuary to stay our violent passions and bring vs our resolutions in such doubtfull cases Secondly it reprooueth all such as iudge according vse 2 to the outward estate of any of GODS seruants what fauour and credite they are in with the Lord. Since an outward condition is here to all men alike All things come alike to all and the same condition is to the iust and to the wicked to the good and to the pure and to the polluted as is the good so is the sinner he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath For although it be most certaine that God hath a speciall care for the saluation of the faithfull yet such is the course of things falling out vnto men in this life that it cannot be iudged by the outward shew and appearance whom God loueth or whom he hateth Such a certaine infinite and endlesse confusion is cast before the eye of man and therefore Gods children must not promise themselues any immunity from troubles or worldly successe but rather to looke alwaies for the contrary and labour still to subdue their inordinate passions in thinking their case to be singular censuring God to bee too rigorous and so calling his iustice into question which is neere vnto blasphemy Stop not thy eare from my sigh and from my cry As if he should say we pray and thou hearest not nay thou art angry with our prayers and stoppest thy eares speaking after the manner of men and shewing by effects that it was as good for sinners not at all to pray to God as to pray in vaine doctrine 5 Let vs note from hence The fruit and effect of sinne it stops the passage of our prayers and keepes Gods blessings from vs it maketh GOD as it were deafe and dumbe and blinde that he will neither heare helpe nor respect vs. The Lords hand is not shortened that hee cannot saue neither is his eare heauie that it cannot heare but your iniquities haue seperated betweene you and your God and your sinnes haue hid his face from you that hee will not heare Sinne makes God as a stranger that hee will not tarrie among his owne people and though hee bee most strong yet it so astonieth him that hee cannot helpe reason 1 them Such is his hatred to sinne that hee will not heare nor helpe hee disclaymeth their seruice and cannot abide their prayers Their persons are odious and how shall their actions be acceptable His Will and Word is against them remaining sinnefull hee will not owne them for his but excludes and excommunicates them from his presence and Church GOD heareth not sinners Such as bee wicked cannot stand in his sight Will you steale murther and commit adultery and sweare falsly and come and stand before mee in this house wherevpon my name is called Is this house become a denne of theeues This must make vs carefull to holde vp pure hands when wee pray vnto God praying him first to purifie our hearts by faith which may manifest it selfe by vnfeined repentance That so when wee draw neere vnto God in our seruice and worship and would haue him draw neere to vs in the acceptance thereof wee may both clense our hands and purge our owne hearts from all kinde of sinne and hypocrisie Wash you make you cleane cease to doe euill learne to doe well Come now let vs reason together If iniquity bee in thy hand put it farre away and let no wickednesse dwell in thy Tabernacle Then truely shalt thou lift vp thy face without spot thou shalt bee stable and shalt not feare and thou shalt bee bolde because there is hope Being in the dungeon He not onely called but sighed and cryed vnto God Afflictions not onely stirre vp men to prayer but make doctrine 6 them also more seruent and
a man vpon easie conditions should gaine an high estate to him and his for euer and yet should wittingly and wilfully forfeite it againe to the owner who would either moane the heire or blame the giuer Euen so God hauing made the soule of man good righteous and faire as from himselfe yet knitting it to the body to make the man which man is Adams heire he may iustly withdraw his graces from it as his owne being forfeited and lost by traiterous man Thus Gods grace most iustly fayling the soule it falleth to sinne and declineth to naught which pronenesse of euill is our naturall sicknesse which we call Originall sinne So that the soule of man is not now created with that strength to perseuere in goodnesse and resistance of euill and other excellent graces which it should haue had if Adam had not sinned and albeit it be pure and vnspotted as it proceedeth from God yet is it no sooner ioyned to the body but it is presently polluted euen as the purest wine and best quintessence when it is powred into a filthy pot poysoned and vnsauory doth in a moment loose their naturall taste and tallage so doth the sweet soule loose her fragrant smell of grace and goodnesse so soone as it is sent into this filthy vessell the body of sinne Neither is the soule of man subiect onely to weakenesses and infirmities in resisting of corruptions but hath many other defects both of minde and will being destitute of spirituall life and light blinde by nature and not so much as inclinable to holy desires and sanctified workes as God her Creatour by his law requireth And although in the iust iudgement of God as we haue already heard mens soules be now made in such sort as that of necessitie they must be defiled being ioyned to these bodies of sinne yet are they not thereby to be excused from the guilt of sinne for though it be of a iust necessitie yet is it not of any compulsion that they should sinne as we see by experience Iron and Stones and such like graue and heauie substances though neuer so softly let downe into a brooke doe of necessitie yet not by any violence sinke downe to the bottome thereof Bodies depriued of foode and flesh in time doe putrifie of necessity yet neither the one nor the other by any compulsion God of necessitie is good and the Diuell is euill yet can we not say that either goodnes in God or iniquity in the Diuell doe proceede of compulsion So our soules being ioyned to our bodies are of necessitie sinfull yet willingly also and of their owne accord Neither yet is it or can be otherwise now with the best regenerate and holiest men renewed in Christ towards their children then it was in Adam at the first touching the propagation of originall sinne they can conuey no more vnto their posteritie but that which by nature they are possessed of for grace comes from heauen and our new birth is not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God If we winnow any Wheate or graine neuer so perfectly and purge it neuer so throughly by the fanne from the chaffe and dust yet when it is sowne againe it will not bring forth cleansed corne but with the graine yeelde huskes and hawnes which also must it selfe be threshed with the flayle and cleansed with the fanne vpon the floore As this clensed Corne I say can giue no more but what it had by nature and looke what it had by the art industry of man the same meanes must be vsed to it againe before it be cleane and fit for our vse Euen so the faithfull though they be washed iustified and sanctified by Gods spirit and the blood of Christ yet can they giue no more to their children then what themselues haue had by nature being the children of wrath and as for any grace or goodnesse it must come from the same Author and by the same meanes which their parents had to worke it in them or else it can neuer be effected God doth worke in the hearts of men to incline their wills which way hee pleaseth either to good things according to his mercy or to euill according to their owne desert and that by his iudgement sometime manifest sometime secret but alwayes iust A worke-house must needes decline and also fall when the vnder-proppes are remoued Darkenesse must needes ensue when the Sunne and light is departed away Those bright beames of all light and happy life which were giuen to our first parents are remoued and other excellent gifts and graces of God are in his iust iudgement so long withholden from our soules vntill by his holy spirit as the worker and by his holy word as the instrument God in his good time doe againe enlighten our mindes and purifie our hearts by faith and confirme and strengthen vs in euery good word and worke Sinne to mankinde will alwaies be a Iebusite a false borderer yea a ranke traitour rebelling against the spirit which makes the life of man to be saith Chrisostome a debt as it were owne and due to death for the diuell is the father of sinne and sinne is the mother of death Hereupon saith S. Iames that Sinne being finished trauaileth in childe-birth like a mother to bring forth Death and Dauid calleth sinne the gate of death because as a man commeth into a house by the dore or gate so death came into the world by sinne The corruption of our flesh did not make our soule sinfull but the sinne of our soule did make the flesh corruptible Whereupon Lactantius calleth sinne the reliefe or foode of death and as a fire goeth out when all the fuell is spent but burneth as long as it lasteth so death dieth when sinne ceaseth but where sin aboundeth there death raigneth CHAP. V. Of the Nature of Death what it is and how manifold and whence Deuines haue deriued it DEath thus iustly deriued from Adam as the stocke to all and euery one of vs his line and race as to the boughes and branches the leprosie of his sin cleauing fast to all his seede we are further to consider the nature thereof for our better humbling which cannot more plainely appeare then by the true describing and diuiding of the same by and into his seuerall parts properties and effects as they are laid out vnto vs and gathered from the Scriptures As man therefore in his nature consisteth of two principall parts a humane body and a diuine soule which vnited together make but one person so there is a Death of the body and a Death of the soule and a death that is common both to body and soule Death then in it selfe is not onely a killing of the body but also a slaying as it were of the soule not onely a separation of the soule from the body but a diuision and cutting off both of
will be thy sting O hell I will be thy biting The Grecians also deriue it from a word importing to looke vpwards because it brings vs to God and they tearme it Initiation or Perfection because in ending this life it entereth vs or rather perfecteth our life in heauen And the Latines take the name thereof from mora which signfieth delay or tarrying for a thing because it waiteth and expecteth for all men of all sorts and conditions And this may suffice for the dedescription of Death and declaration of the nature thereof CHAP. VI. At Death is due to all mankinde by the meanes of Sinne so all creatures actions and experience it selfe preach and proclaime the same AS the wages of Sinne is Death so all Adams sonnes hauing sinned must needes dye the death As in Adam saith the Apostle all men dye so in Christ shall all beleeuers be made aliue It is Gods Statute enacted in heauen that all must dye euen this were enough to cast a cloud ouer all our fayrest delights but there is more behinde and after that comes the iudgement The perswasion whereof possessing our hearts should one would thinke more then all penall Lawes deterre vs from impietie Ashes saith one are wont to keepe the fire the remembrance whereof wee beare about in our bodies But I would to God that the knowledge of these ashes I meane our fraile estate would keepe in our hearts the fire of Gods grace that we might neuer forget our graue And as the Law of dying was enacted at the first for sinne so hath it beene and shall be executed vpon all men without repeale vnto the end Neyther saith the Apostle any more then hath beene confirmed by a continuall course from the first creation as the registers of the death and buryals recorded in the Scripture doe declare Adam liued saith the holy Ghost by Moses nine hundred and thirty yeares and so hee dyed Seth liued nine hundred and twelue yeares and after dyed c. And is not this a true table most liuely representing our mortalitie and death Of some others it is said that they were gathered to their fathers of others to their people c. but of none that hee euer escaped For what man liueth and shall not see death shall bee deliuer his soule from the hand of the graue Therefore Iosuah calleth Death The way of all the world David The way of all the earth Iob The house of all men liuing He calleth it also The heape whereupon the liues of all men shall be powred where Kings and Counsellors are great and small Captaines and Souldiers bond and free Wee see how the best and happiest dayes of man slide swiftly away after come diseases and dolefull age and last comes cruell Death the lodge of all estates All must dye without distinction wee came by the wombe and wee must goe by the graue Before wee come to the sweet running waters of Shilo which runne softly we must passe the rough waters of Iorden that runne most swiftly Death is the Lady and Empresse of all the world her seizure is without surrender and from her sentence there is no appeale It is not the Maiestie of the Prince nor the holinesse of the Prophet nor grauitie of the Prelate that shee respecteth Strength of body feature or comelinesse of face or other parts learning riches or any such secular regard can plead against Death or priuiledge any person against the graue be thy dayes neuer so few or thy yeares neuer so full be they many or be they few all is one Dayes and yeares and time are no plea against the graue but a fitter pray for Death The Decree is out All must dye Balthasars embleame is written vpon euery mans wall God hath numbred thy dayes he hath laid thee in the ballance thou art found too light though not thy Kingdome which thou hast not yet thy life which thou possessest is diuided and giuen to death All Princes and the basest Peasants yea all persons whatsoeuer may say with Iob Corruption thou art my father Rottennesse thou art my mother Wormes and Vermine yee are my sisters yee are my brethren All men may truely say Graue thou art my bed Sheete thou art my shrine Earth thou art my couer Grasse thou art my carpet Oh Death therefore demand thy due and thou gathering hoast Dan come last and sweepe all cleane away Death is not partiall but dealeth vprightly with all making the state and condition of all men alike that none can repine for as well died righteous Abell whose sacrifice God accepted as enuious Cain whose seruice he reiected as well Abraham the father of the faithfull as Abimelech the infidell as well Isaack as Ismael as well Iacob whom God loued as Esau whom God hated as well chast Ioseph as incestuous Ammon as well meeke Moses as rayling Rabsheka as well Dauid a man after Gods owne heart as Saul from whom God tooke his spirit as well tender-hearted Iosiah as hard-hearted Pharaoh as well Salomon the wise as Nabal the foole as well poore Lazarus as the rich Glutton as well Iohn the beloued Disciple as Iudas the Traitor as well Simon Peter as Simon the Sorcerer mercilesse Death doth exercise her crueltie vpon all alike Notable is that saying of Agesilaus to diuers Captaines counselling him to walke to the hill Olimpus where hee should see such store of wealthy Merchants vttering a world of riches and precious Iewels If I could saith he buy and sell or exchange there sorrow for mirth sicknesse for health death for life I would then goe thither and spend all that I haue but I see that the buyers and sellers yea and the very things themselues are condemned to dye and to perish Wherefore neyther the sight of any thing there can better my estate or help me at the houre of death when I must creepe into my graue For although honour wealth and riches beare here a great sway amongst men yet can they nothing at all preuaile against the graue and Death it selfe Men by wisedome haue found out how the hardest stones may be broken and softened how wilde beasts may be tamed c. but nothing could be inuented whereby Death might be auoyded Gods hand saith one may a man escape but for Deaths dart no man can shunne it Against bodily enemies there may Fortresses be made Castles and Bulwarkes builded but to Death and his forces all men lye open as vnfenced Cities In other dangers power money flight counsell and policie may serue our turne but as for Death it can neyther be banished with power bought with money nor escaped with flying away nor preuented with counsell nor turned backe with policie All I say without redresse must hasten vnto Deaths home Hee therefore that thinketh it strange to dye forgetteth himselfe and his owne nature complaineth of the God of heauen that suffered him to be
one of the greatest to be tormented with the cares of this life which as Flyes by no deuice can be expelled They rush vpon them in the morning as soone as they awake they accompany them in the day they follow them in the night they forsake them not to bed they let them from their sleepe they afflict them in their rest they trouble them in their dreames and they are like to those fierce and mercilesse tyrants threatned to the wicked which shall giue them no rest neyther by day nor night For I haue taken away my peace from this kinde of people saith the Lord I haue taken away my mercy and compassion from them The very bruite beasts are fed and prouided for without their care but man is constrayned to sweate day and night and with sorrow to torment himselfe by sea and land to get a poore liuing Our dayes consume away like the Spiders webbe who laboureth night and day in spinning wasting euen her bowels and consuming her selfe to bring her web to an end and what is her worke but to make a fine and tender net to catch poore Flyes So miserable man doth toyle and trauell like a hireling both his body and minde to catch the Butter-flyes of this world euen needlesse toyes and trifles froath and vanities and many times in the end doth come the blustering winde of Death that carryeth away both web and workeman in a moment As our life is full of care so it is fraught and set with many snares God saith Dauid shall raine snares vpon sinners teaching vs how infinite snares are set in this world being as plentifull as the drops of raine For euery thing almost is a deadly snare vnto a carnall man Euery sight that he seeth euery word that he heareth euery thought that hee thinketh his youth his age his friends his foes his honour his disgrace his riches his pouertie his solitarinesse his societie his prosperitie his aduersitie his meate his drinke his apparell that hee weareth all are snares to draw him to destruction that is not watchfull in the Lord. Now to auoid these snares that wee be not caught there is no better refuge then that of the Birds who by the benefit of their wings mount vp into the ayre to flye aloft for the net is laid in vaine before the eyes of such as haue wings and can flye The Spyes of Iericho though many snares were laid for them yet they escaped them all for that they walked by hils and hid them in mountaines If wee lift vp our eyes to the hils with Dauid whence all our aide and assistance commeth to auoid the dangers of this life then likewise may wee say with him Our soule is deliuered as a bird from the snare of the Fowler If wee can truely say with S. Paul Our conuersation is in heauen then shall wee little feare all these deceits and dangers vpon earth for as the Fowler hath no hope to catch the birds except he can allure them to his pitch and to come downe to his lure so hath the Diuell no way to intangle vs but to say as hee did to Christ Throw thy selfe downe come to the baites which I haue laid eate and deuoure them tye thy affections to earthly things c. But King Dauid was past them all when he said to God Whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none in earth which I desire before thee c. And so was Paul when hee accounted all things dung for though he liued in the flesh yet he walked not after the flesh I haue a whole army of traitors within mee saith Augustine who vnder colour of friendship are mine enemies and yet behold with them haue I liued from my youth vp them haue I pleased them haue I beleeued as the friends whom I loued as the Masters whom I obeyed the Lords whom I serued the Counsellors whom I trusted c. That the Adamant draweth Iron vnto it is a secret in Nature but for the World and Flesh to draw vs is a matter as naturall as for the water of a riuer to runne downe the channell and as for a Coach to runne downe a hill for being naturally giuen to the corruptions of the flesh wee neede no soliciting the onely sight of the thing we loue is sufficient to hale vs forward As the wanton harlot allures her louers the baite vpon the hooke the fishes the call of the Fowler the foolish Birds so is this World and Flesh with their baites and allurements They are like a violent streame that carryes away the highest and tallest trees not sufficiently rooted yea the best men are rightly resembled to those that liue among Colliers and Millers who hardly can shunne defiling and deforming of coale and meale The Diuell setteth before our eyes enticing pleasures that by the sight of them hee may supplant our chastitie hee tempteth our eares with the sweetnesse of Musicke that hee may weaken our Christian strength hee moueth our tongues by bitter words and by iniurious deeds prouoketh our hands to fight and slay hee offereth vnrighteous gaine to induce vs to fraud and pernicious profits to kindle couetousnesse in our soules hee promiseth temporall honours wherby to defeat vs of celestiall ioyes he sheweth falshood that hee may seduce vs from the truth hee practiseth cunning in time of peace and violence in persecution In this wicked world who can liue peaceably among so many enemies of peace where the mother is against the daughter and the daughter against the mother yea manifold are our foes in our owne families yea in our owne selues and soules Reason against the Will and Will against the Reason yea which is more euery man is two men the Flesh against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh the Law of the members against the Law of the minde And this conflict is not for a time but so long as wee continue in this body of sinne Perfect peace here we cannot possibly haue seeing the Flesh which euer rebelleth is in this world as one that is planted in his owne Countrey Cast downe this enemy may be cast out hee cannot be vntill this mortall hath put on immortalitie yet we must endeuour that though it be inhabitant yet that it be not regnant The Flesh is strong yet Grace is stronger in Gods Children to subdue the rigour thereof the Flesh is as the elder Grace as the yonger but in this Gods Children haue a promise also that the elder shall obey the younger Wee may not thinke our selues safest when wee seeme to be freest from the buffettings of Sathan for bearing in our bodies a diuided Kingdome betweene the Flesh and the Spirit represented vnto vs in the wrestling of Rebeccaes twinnes in her wombe if wee haue peace with God wee shall haue warre with the Dragon and hauing forsaken Egypt yet in the way to our
heauenly Canaan wee shall haue a spirituall Pharaoh with his Captaines like Grassehoppers to feed vpon vs yea the libertie which wee haue in Christ the corruption of our heart will labour to inuert to voluptuousnesse the sweetnesse which wee taste in his word the vanity of our mindes will endeuour to ouer-cast with drowsinesse the Faith which we ground on his promises the subtiltie of the Serpent will seeke to vndermine with doubtfulnesse the conscience wee make to offend the lusts of our flesh will contend for to couer with hypocrisie the detestation wee haue of sinne the concupiscence of our eyes will striue to ouer-reach with prophanenesse and the interest wee haue to heauen the pride of our liues will perswade vs to change for trifles Being freed from outward warre ciuill and intestine ariseth vp against vs our Affections against Reason and Will Earth troubleth Heauen and the World in our selues although wee greatly shunne it doe what wee can will haue a pauilion and tent in our hearts Yea those oftentimes who with tragicall and vehement words seem most to detest it are yet made so blinde with the glory thereof that the very shadow of ambition affecteth them Many I dare boldly say seeme to defie the World which meet and welcome the same with the kindest embracings This masking World in her strange disguised vizour not seldome flourisheth among such as seeme most to ahhorre her For alas wee are resident in the World and the World in vs so that wee cannot be free from the World except wee depart from our selues and what is this departure but death Some in flying the contagion of others are corrupted of themselues and in with-drawing from the societie of men yet deny not the olde man possessing them In the great deluge of this life Gods Children are tossed with raging stormes on euery side where no good footing or high place can be found for the Doue of Christ to rest her selfe Here is no sure peace nor secure quietnesse but warres on euery side and in all places contention and deadly foes The tempestuous sea torments vs wee are grieued at the heart and desirous to vomit and to be discharged thereof we remoue out of one ship to another from a greater to a lesse wee promise vnto our selues rest in vaine they being alwayes the same windes that blow the same waues that swell the same humours that are stirred to all there is no other port no other meanes of tranquilitie but onely death See the foolishnesse of the world and the infirmity of our flesh When God saith trouble shall come they say wee would haue ease when God saith be merry and reioyce in trouble wee lament and mourne as though wee were cast-awayes But this flesh which is neuer merry with vertue nor sorry with vice which neuer laugheth with grace nor weepeth with sinne holdeth fast with the world and giueth God the slip Thus wee may see our wretched estate in the flesh still crossing God and the saluation of our soules All our affections and wils with the whole force of Nature helpeth forward our destruction fightings without and terrours within World Flesh and Diuell ioyne together with Death for our damnation CHAP. VIII Of the power strength and sting of Death by meanes of the Law whose nature is here vnfoulded THe originall of Death we haue heard as also what it is who be subiect to it with the fearefull estate wherein they stand Now let vs further obserue that as the Diuell and man together brought in Death by sinne so it now being entred is become the very kingdome of the Diuell wherein hee raigneth By Death he triumphed ouer man whom hee seduced holding him fast in his owne fetters and shackles of sin which himselfe first found out and so leadeth him as his slaue and ruleth ouer him as his head for God did renounce man although hee created him and cast him off by meanes of sinne whom first he had made like vnto himselfe In that men die it proues they had sinned and sinne proues there is a law which law being broken bringeth Death for the wages of sinne is Death Now to conuince sinfull man the better of this his cursed estate God renewed his law first ingrafted in his nature but blotted out by his fall in Tables of Stone to shew the hardnesse of his heart that so as in a glasse hee might see his fearfull fall For amiddest the heapes of all other sins pride so possessed his heart that although he was nothing else but sin yet stil he deemed himselfe as innocent and righteous He was so blinded in his corruption that he knew not sinne in his colours vntill the law descried it And this is the common error of all his lynage that without the publishing of the law wee had not knowne our sinne I knew not sinne saith Paul but by the Law I had not knowne lust except the law had said thou shalt not lust but sinne tooke occasion by the Law and wrought in me all manner of lust so sinne by the Law grew out of measure sinnefull Such is the corruption of mans nature that it most eagerly desireth things that are most straightly denied which if they had not beene mentioned should not so much as haue beene dreamed of For though the flame of concupiscence be restrained by the damme and wall of Gods law yet is it not dryed vp in our mortall nature When the law was giuen to man in whom there is no grace sinne abounded three waies first seeing the law of God giuen vnto him as an helpe sinne laboureth to turne it to his hurt whom it securely before possessing lesse assaulted secondly Man naturally desireth liberty and freedome and flyeth seruitude and bondage by nature mans minde is crosse and peeuish and is swayed to contraries Stolne waters are the sweetest hid bread is pleasant So that by the prohibitions of the law charity in man being decayed the desire of euil increased which once increased made the things forbidden by the law more sweet and pleasant Thirdly for that the inhibition of euill things puts them more in remembrance of the things forbidden which very remembrance to nature corrupted is a prouoker and stirrer vp of filthy lust and desire Againe in that sinne abounded when the law entred it is to be vnderstood by an accidentall consequent for God sent not his law in cruelty and rigour but vpon good aduise and sound iudgement Sometime man seemeth to be whole and is sicke and because he feeleth not the sicknesse hee seeketh not for the Physition but the disease increasing with the griefe the Physition is sought by whose meanes the sicke and sore body may be cured So the law was giuen to such as were infirme and sicke in sinne that so they may seeke to the Physitian Iesus Christ to be healed Againe it entred the better to discouer sinne which without the light thereof
his wayes feareth all his sinnes hee knowes not what sinne to beginne with And where all other euils pursue men but to death an ill conscience not cured endeth not in death but becommeth eternall It is the profession of sinne although fayre spoken at the entrance to be a perpetuall make-bate betwixt God and man yea betwixt a man and himselfe and this enimitie though it doe not continually shew it selfe for that the conscience is not clamorous but somewhile is silent otherwhiles with still murmurings bewrayeth her mislikes yet it doth euermore worke secret vnquietnesse to the heart The guilty man may haue a seeming truce a true peace hee cannot haue The galled spirit doth after the manner of sicke Patients seeke refreshing in varietie and after many tossed and tumbled sides complaines of remedilesse vnabated torment Such a one may change his bed-chamber and remoue his place but not his paines his furies euer attend him are euer within him and as parts of himselfe And what auayles it to seeke outward reliefe when thou hast thy executioner within thee If thou couldest shift from thy selfe thou mightest haue hope of ease for thou shalt neuer want frettings so long as thou hast thy selfe yea what if thou wouldest run from thy selfe thy soule may flye from thy body thy conscience will not flye from thy soule nor sinne from thy conscience the conscience leaues not where the Fiends beginne but both ioyne together in torture Some are of so hard and obdurate fore-heads that in their resolution they can laugh their sinne out of countenance they haue so long and able gorges that in their conceit they can swallow and digest any manner of sinne without complaint But beleeuest thou that such a mans heart laughes with his face Will not hee dare to be an hypocrite that durst be a villaine These Glow-wormes when a night of sorrow comes make a lightsome and fiery shew of ioy when if thou vrge them thou findest nothing but a cold and crude moysture Such as count it no shame to sinne yet count it a shame to be checked with remorse especially to be espyed of others Repentance to them seemes base mindednesse vnworthy of him that professeth wisedome and valour Such a man yet can grieue when none sees it but himselfe can laugh when others see that himselfe feeles not but assure thy selfe that that mans heart bleedeth when his countenance smileth he weares out many waking houres when thou thinkest he resteth As his thoughts afford him no sleepe so his very sleepe affords him no rest but while his senses are tyed vp his sinne is loose vgliest shape and frighteth him with hellish dreames The fire of the conscience may lye for a time smothered with a pile of green wood that it cannot be discerned whose moysture when it hath once mastered sendeth out so much the greater flame by how much it had the greater resistance Hope not to stop the mouth of the conscience from exclaiming whiles thy sinne continues that endeuour is both vaine and hurtfull which is as one should stop the nosthrill in hope to stay the issue when the bloud hindered of the former course breaketh out of the mouth or findes a way downe into the stomacke farre more dangerous The conscience cannot be pacified when sinne is within to vexe it no more then an angry swelling can cease throbbing whiles the thorne of corrupt matter lyes rotting vnderneath Time that remedies all other euils of the minde encreaseth this which like to bodily diseases proues worse with continuance and groweth vpon vs vvith our age Thus wee see that the wicked are in hell liuing yet vpon the earth but what is this to their hell hereafter All their sufferings here are but as their summons to their euerlasting tortures after death all their troubles in this life but a taste of their endlesse torments in the life to come These be but the beginnings of their miseries the dregges of Gods wrath they shall drinke hereafter All their anguish here is but as the porch of hell after comes the maine sea of all their sorrowes for though they haue in this life wallowed in their delights which sometimes through a hardnesse of heart hath delayed their sorrowes yet then they must be turned off as Princes Mules are wont to be at their iourneyes end their treasure taken from them and their galled backes left vnto them For as wee see those Princely Mules goe day by day laden with treasure and couered with fayre cloathes but yet at night bereaued of coyne and couer are turned out into a sorry stable much wearyed bruised and galled so shall this glutted sort with galled consciences bereaued of worldly helpes be thrust to hell Man saith Bernard though thou hast lost all shame if thou feele no sorrow as carnall men doe not yet loose not feare also which is found in very beasts Wee vse to load an Asse and to weary him out with labour yet he careth not for it because he is an Asse but if thou wouldest thrust him into the fire or fling him into a ditch hee would auoid it as much as hee could for that hee loueth his life and feareth death Feare thou then and be not more senslesse then a beast feare Death feare Iudgement feare the endlesse paine of Hell Is it not a grieuous thing for a man beloued and of credit in the world and making merry with his friends and companions to be sodainly apprehended by a Serjeant or officer for a traitor theefe or murtherer and presently without bayle or main-prise to be taken from his companions to be carryed to the Gaole and from thence to the place of execution More grieuous and fearefull is it for a wicked man that liues in the pleasures of his sinne to be taken away by death which is the Lords Serjeant to apprehend and bring him to the prison of hell As his entrance into the world was euill and his continuance in the world worse so his taking away by Death is the worst of all Balaams wish is vsed by many Let me dye the death of the righteous yet they will not liue a righteous life but few of these obtaine their desire Such are taken from the practise of sinne to the punishment of sin from ease to torments from men to Diuels from death to hell At the houre of death Sathan will bring all the sinnes of a wicked man done in his former life like a squadron of enemies all ready set in battell-aray to assault him No Serpents sting doth so pricke and vexe a man as the dreadfull remembrance of his wicked life past shall doe at his latter end Therefore they feare Death as much as the malefactor the Gaoler that leades him with gyues vnto prison till the day of execution They are like the Gibeonites content with any condition to enioy their liues to be bondmen and slaues hewers of wood and drawers of water They are pulled from the
onely might be ransomed thorough his riches but also loue him the more for his goodnesse God appeared in the similitude of sinfull flesh that each sense of man might be made blessed in him and as well the eye of the heart renewed in his diuinity as the eye of the body in his humanity that whether it goe in or out mans nature which he hath created might in it finde comfort and refreshing No man or any creature else is able to satisfie God for sinne and so saue from death An infinite iustice is offended an infinite punishment is deserued by euery sin and euery mans sinnes are as neere to infinitie as number can make them Where then shall we finde an infinite value but in him who is onely and altogether infinite in himselfe the dignity of whose person being infinite gaue such worth to his satisfaction that what hee suffered in short time might satisfie beyond all times Christ did all and suffered all he did it for vs we in him hee emptied himselfe of his glory that hee might put on our shame and misery not ceasing to be God which he was he became man which before he was not Man to be a perfect mediatour betwixt God and man which were both in one person God that he might satisfie Man that hee might suffer that since man had sinned and God was offended he which was both God and man might satisfie God for man None therefore but he can beare our sinnes and none but he can pay the wages of our sinnes which is the sustaining of euerlasting Death None but he can pleade our cause which onely hath fulfilled all righteousnes for vs. None can purchase our saluation but hee onely that hath paid the price of our redemption He alone hath trod the wine-presse of Gods wrath and there was none to helpe him The cup of bitter affliction whereof he tasted the drops of blood which in his agony distilled from his face for no intreaty with his father could passe from him to any other None but he saueth vs and he is but one and will be alone in all his courses without mixture without medley First last and middest and all filling all yet fined from all in the glorious worke of our redemption No man can ascend but by him that did descend and that is Christ the ladder which Iacob saw at Peniel the Cloud by day and the Piller by night which guideth thee Israell of God in the desart of this world the Kings highway to heauen and happy rest There is no Paradise without this tree of life no perfume without this balme so sweete no building sure without this corner-stone no sacrifice to please without this vnspotted Lambe I say there is no God without Christ in this wicked world As the light of the day is conueyed vnto vs by the Sunne in the firmament so is the brightnesse of heauen by that Sonne of righteousnesse A Planet in the midst of Planets to lighten all aboue and all below whom blessed Angels desire to behold and godly men are earnest to adore Christ is sufficient of himselfe onely and so perfect is his glory that all height must be abased before him he created alone and he will redeeme alone he made alone and hee will saue alone nothing else in earth nothing in heauen nor in the heauen of heauens no vertue no power no strength no name no meanes of saluation but by this our Sauiour Iesus Christ and him alone winne him and enioy ail good things loose him and though thou shouldest get the whole world thy gaine is but damnation Christ is our true Ionah that was alotted to die to deliuer his companions from Death and Diuell He is our true Daniel cast betweene the iawes of these deuouring beast euen the Diuell and Death and yet was not consumed he was sunke and swallowed downe into the bottome of the sea of our sinnes and yet was not drowned but enioyed still the breath of life Many despaire of saluation because of their owne vnworthinesse as though there were no hope of Gods mercie vnlesse we bring our gifts and pawnes in our hands but this indeede were to discredit the Lords mercy and bring in credit our owne merits and rather binde the Lord to vs then vs to him But if our sins be great our redemption is greater though our merits be beggerly Gods mercy is a rich mercy If our case were not desperate and we past hope of recouery our redemption should not be so precious and plentifull But when Heauen and Earth Sunne and Moone and Starres goe against vs then to ransome vs and make a perfect restitution is to draw something out of nothing Euen as in sicknesse to haue either little danger or being in great danger to haue present deliuerance by meanes is nothing in respect but in extreame perill when Physicke can doe nothing and nothing maketh for vs but the graue then to be rescued from the pit and to recouer our life from Death it selfe which Christ onely could and did is redemption indeede Our righteousnesse consisteth in Christ alone who therefore is called our righteousnesse as Ieremy saith He saith Paul is our righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption by his obedience many were made righteous he hath paid our debts by him alone wee are reconciled vnto God he hath obtained remission for our sinnes by his death he hath pacified the wrath of God his father he hath washed vs in his blood which clenseth vs from all sinne All things saith Christ are giuen to mee of God If we then will haue all that is necessary for our happines as Gods fauour righteousnes life pardon of our sins sanctification of the spirit redemption c. We must addresse our selues to Iesus Christ alone whom the Father hath chosen to be the Lord-treasurer of heauen and steward of all his graces As in the colde winter we can be no sooner from the fire but we are colde nor out of the light but we are in darknesse so we are no sooner gone from Christ who is our true righteousnesse light and life but straight way we are in sinne and death for as much as he is the life that quickneth vs the Sunne that giues vs light the fire that warmeth comforteth and refresheth all his members As the Moone hath her light from the Sunne so the Church hath her light life and righteousnes from Christ her head Christ is the sheepe that hath borne the wooll and fleece to make vs garments of righteousnesse to couer our sinne and wickednesse Hee as a glorious King hath adorned the Queene his spouse He hath prepared for her all rich and sumptuous robes hee hath washed her from her blood and pollutions throughout And as there is nothing more vncleane then the Church when she is naked in her selfe so there is nothing more beautifull then when she is decked with
nature hee was made like vnto vs in all things sinne onely excepted so likewise are Christians regenerate by his Spirit cleansed from sinne in his bloud that they being the body may not be vnlike the head but as the true husband and wife may both be but one flesh and of like nature and condition Christ washeth his Children whom he will ioyne and section 8 couple to himselfe from their sinnes first by his bloudshed vpon the Crosse hauing vndoubtedly obtayned of his Father remission and forgiuenesse of the same Sanctifying them vnto himselfe by imputing vnto them and communicating with them his owne righteousnesse and holinesse Secondly by the washing of the new birth hee sanctifieth them with reall and true holinesse making them holy indeed As for reliques of sin remaining partly hee doth not impute them and partly taketh away daily more and more till at length they be presented as his glorious Spouse in the kingdome of heauen without spot and wrinckle And as Adam acknowledged and tooke no other to be his wife then her that was taken and made of his owne ribbe no more doth Christ receiue any other to be of his Church but those that are taken out of his side vpon the Crosse that is who are washed from their sinnes in his bloud who are made new and regenerate by his Spirit By order of nature regeneration and renewing of the heart is first begunne in man by the holy Ghost before hee can haue a true and liuely faith which after is more and more perfected by the encrease of the Spirit for what power hath a dead man to doe the workes of life but truely to beleeue in Christ is a worke of life The whole person of the Sonne of God tooke into the section 9 vnitie of himselfe whole man that is to say the whole humane nature not flesh alone nor the soule alone but both together Therefore when Christ is vnited to euery faithfull man the whole is vnited to the whole whole Christ to the whole faithfull man So that Christ is not the head and Sauiour to the Church according to his diuine nature alone nor onely according to his humane soule and body but whole Christ in his God-head in his soule and in his flesh is our head and Sauiour Neyther is the soule alone of the faithfull or the body alone saued by Christ but both together that is to say the whole faithfull man And no man is made partaker of saluation but by the vnion and coniunction which hee hath with Christ Wherefore in this spirituall vnion whole Christ is coupled with whole man A mystery vnspeakable yet I say to be beleeued that God cloathed in the flesh should come downe to man and become man that man might be exalted into the highest heauens and that our nature might be taken into the fellowship of the Deity that hee to whom all Powers in heauen bowe and thinke it their honour to be seruiceable should come downe to be a seruant to his slaues a ransome for his enemies together with our nature taking vp our infirmities and shame and bearing our sinnes without sinne God offered peace to man the holy seekes to the vniust the Potter to the clay the King to the traitor section 10 Christ hauing taken mans nature vpon him not Angels and glorifying it with the roabe of his holy Resurrection and Immortalitie hath exalted the same aboue all Heauens Angels and Thrones and placed it at Gods right hand And since euery one of the faithfull hath a portion of flesh in the body of Iesus Christ therefore where a piece of my flesh is saith Augustine there I trust to raigne where my flesh is glorified I know I shall be glorious and where my flesh doth rule there I looke to haue dominion and although I am yet a sinner yet I doubt not of this participation of grace Although my sinnes yet doe hinder mee yet my substance doth require it and although my offences for a time doe exclude mee yet the communion of nature will not repell mee section 11 As by the flesh of Adam corrupted Sinne and Death spread ouer all so by the flesh of Christ sanctified and vnited to the eternall God-head Righteousnesse and Life is communicated vnto vs. The flesh of Christ is the Arke wherein dwelleth all the fulnesse of the God-head corporally by that and from that are all heauenly good things conueyed vnto vs It is the instrument of the God-head yet so onely being taken and ioyned inseparably into the vnitie of the person The God-head of Christ is as a fountaine whence all good things as Life and Saluation doe flow but his flesh and his humanitie is as it were the channell and conduit-pipe by which all these good things doe come vnto vs. Which conduit of his flesh vnlesse we apprehend and be vnited thereunto wee cannot possibly partake of the waters of Gods graces flowing from the fountaine By his flesh hee hath prepared a way for vs to heauen to attaine vnto life hauing rendred in the same most perfect obedience vnto God for vs and by his death fully satisfied for our sinnes and through the remission thereof giuen righteousnesse and by righteousnesse the grace and fauour of God and by grace life that in assurance we may present our selues before the throne of God Wee must goe to Iesus Christ that is God by Iesus section 12 Christ that is man by the Word which was made to the Word which was in the beginning with God and by the bread which men eate vnto the meate which Angels eate As Iacob came in Esaus garment to get Isaacks blessing and as the high Priest neuer appeared without his holy garments and Ephod in the Sanctuary of God so if we will be accepted and receiued of God wee must not present our selues but in the royall roabes of Christs righteousnesse Christ in our flesh hath beene raysed from the dead and in our nature hath ascended into heauen that faithfull man in his person might be crowned with glory and honour Hee hath carryed our flesh into the presence of God his Father and it is no more possible to take this glory from vs as many as be one with him then it is possible to pull away againe his personall humanitie from the person of his God-head And as no man ascendeth vnto God and is vnited vnto section 13 him but by Christ the Mediator and that by his flesh so God also doth communicate nothing with vs but by the same Mediator and that by his flesh The reason is because euen in his flesh our Redemption was wrought Sinne destroyed the Diuell vanquished Death ouercome and eternall Life obtayned And although our whole saluation and life doe depend on the fulnesse of the God-head which is in Christ yet it is not communicated vnto vs but in the flesh and by the flesh of Christ Therefore saith
Christ Except yee shall eate the flesh of the Sonne of man you shall haue no life in you Againe Hee that eateth my flesh dwelleth in mee and I in him Now it is all one to say that Christ is in vs and that hee abideth in vs and to say with the Apostle that Christ dwelleth in our harts by faith Hee is therefore in vs and abideth in vs and is vnited to vs by a liuely Faith And as wee eate the true and naturall flesh of Christ so wee are vnited to the true flesh of Christ but the former is by Faith therefore the latter also section 14 Againe wee are not vnited but to a liuely and quickening flesh and this is the end why wee are vnited thereto that being quickened thereby wee may liue eternally But the flesh of Christ is not a quickening flesh of it selfe but so far forth as it was taken of the Son of God into the vnitie of the person Our soule is ioyned to the soule of Christ and our naturall flesh with the flesh of Christ and therefore like vnto ours in all things sinne only excepted which teacheth vs to fasten the eyes of our mindes immediately and first of all vpon the humane flesh of Christ as it were vpon the vayle by which the entrance was into the most holy place where the glory of God most clearly shined and then after that to enter into the Sanctuary it selfe to behold his Deity section 15 Furthermore as Christ by the communication of his Spirit vniteth himselfe vnto vs so we by Faith are ioyned to him For the first By this wee know saith S. Iohn that Christ is in vs euen by the Spirit which hee hath giuen vs. Hee that hath not the Spirit of Christ saith S. Paul hee is none of his For the second saith the same Apostle that Christ dwelleth in our hearts by Faith Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood saith Christ abideth in me and I in him but hee is eaten and drunke by faith as in the same place Christ expoundeth He that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst We therefore are vnited to Christ by a liuely faith The knowledge and apprehension of which vnion with Christ by a true and liuely faith not onely ministreth a section 16 true euidence of our right and interest in Iesus Christ but putteth vs in possession of all his benefits purchased to mankinde Hence commeth assured remission and forgiuenesse of sinnes and by a necessary consequence perfect deliuerance from eternall Death by Christs obedience in Death and likewise full and perfect possession of eternall life following his obedience in fulfilling the Law For both the parts of that obedience which was really performed by Christ is communicated to vs by imputation and is truely made ours by the right of this spirituall vnion seeing while Christ how great soeuer hee be is made one flesh with vs and we with him and in regard thereof by imputation also we as the members together with Christ the head are now crucified are dead are buried are raised from death haue ascended into heauen doe sit with him in the highest heauens are blessed with Christ with all spirituall blessings and that not onely in hope but already in Christ our head wee are reputed for such in heauen with God the Father Againe two things necessarily concurre to the iustification section 17 of life First remission of our sinnes that we be not found guilty of eternall death Secondly the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ that we may be thought worthy of eternall life and neither of these can be without the other and both of them we haue of Christ For the Lord Iesus of his grace and fauour towards vs maketh that what things soeuer wee doe by this his inherent righteousnesse communicated vnto vs to make vs continually fruitfull both to our selues and others although they be most imperfect workes and stained with the corruption of the flesh yet hee I say maketh that they be pleasing and acceptable to God all our spots and blemishes being couered in the robes of Christs righteousnesse And as Adams eating of the forbidden tree was imputed to all his posteritie though they neuer tasted of the fruit with their lippes So the righteousnesse and obedience of Christ shall make all faithfull men righteous before God though they themselues as yet haue tasted no righteousnesse For God hath made him sinne for vs that knew no sinne that wee should be made the righteousnesse of God in him As therefore Christ was made sinne for vs not by infusion of sinne into his person but by imputation of our sinnes vnto him so must wee be made righteous before God not by infusion of righteousnesse into our owne persons but by imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs. As the Moone and Starres borrow all their light from the Sunne so the Church and euery member of the same borrow all their righteousnesse from Christ the Sonne of righteousnesse And as for the sinnes of the faithfull howsoeuer they section 18 cleaue vnto their bones yet if they hate them as hell from whence they are the Diuell working them they neede not care for them being heauy in waight and many in number for they haue their hope not in their own person but in the body of Christ into which they are grafted and in which there is no spot but perfection of righteousnesse euen before God himselfe Their sinnes by his meanes are put vnder their feete and they are rulers ouer them They are not imputed vnto them but vnto Christ The punishment of them is forgiuen vnto the faithfull but not forgiuen to Christ Righteousnesse is freely giuen vnto vs but it was not freely giuen vnto him he obeyed the law of his Father euery iot and tittle that he might fulfill all righteousnesse He bore the condemnation of hell and death that he might abolish it So that in him is life in him is righteousnesse in him is immortalitie and in him is the reconciled good will of God to man And that excellent wisedome which hath made vs by faith one with him the same hath made vs partakers of all his honour and blessed immortalitie If we be ingrafted into the body of Christ wee be his section 19 and he liueth in vs his victory ouer all is ours we see it by faith and all things are in subiection vnder our feete The Diuels doe challenge no good by Christ but disclaime his mercies person and all his meanes Oh what haue wee to doe with thee but euery good Christian may claime him as his due with blessed Paul and say that Christ is his righteousnesse wisedome sanctification and redemption and be bolde to affirme that though his body be in heauen yet shall I there finde it mine his diuinity on earth yet there shall I feele it mine c. All is for mee since Christ is mine
a very burden vnto it selfe loathing that at last which intermission of trouble would haue made full sweet Giue a free horse the full reynes and hee will soone be tyred Summer would be no summer if winter did not lead it in and follow it out Paine pleasure griefe sicknesse health with death it section 6 selfe be Gods Souldiers which Christ our Captaine hath vnder his gouernment if he bid them goe they goe if he bid them come againe they come if hee bid them doe this or that they performe it All euill and consequently death it selfe are profitable and medicinable to the children of God whither they be sicknesse of body pouerty worldly losses depriuation of friends c. which if they be vndergone as the fatherly chastisements of our good God for our reformation then are they wholesome remedies for our soules for with such easie and short receipts God doth heale the sores of sinne to spare our soules in the world to come He sends afflictions as preuentions of sinne as many be let blood before they be sicke for feare of sicknesse The superfluous sprigs of the Vine are pruned to make it more fruitfull God doth diet his children lest by riches they should grow proud by sinne become insolent by libertie waxe wanton c. All wicked instruments of our trials are but as Apothecaries to make drugs to heale our infirmities they are as Masons to smooth vs being as rough Stones for the building as furbushers to varnish vs from the rust and canker of our corruption as Scullions in the Kitchin to scoure vs and make vs bright vessels for the Lords owne Table Yea all the crosses of the faithfull are but as vnsauorie Physicke yet wholsome for the recouery of their sicke and sinfull soules A sound body saith one many times carrieth within it a sicke soule Some labour of the plurisie of pride some of the dropsie of couetousnesse some of the staggers of inconstancie some of the feuer of luxurie some of the lethergie of idlenes others of the phrensie of anger c. And it is a rare soule that hath not some sicknesse Now crosses and afflictions are ordained of God as his medicinable remedies What though they be vnpleasant they are Physick it is enough if they be wholesome not pleasant taste but secret vertue and operation commends the medicine If they cure thee they shall please in displeasing or else thou louest thy taste aboue thy soule section 7 Surely we men are very fooles in the estimation of our owne good Like children our choise is led altogether by shew no whit by substance Though thou knowest what dish is pleasant to the eye and taste yet thy Physitian knowes best what is wholesome Thou wouldest follow thy appetite too much and wouldest dig thine owne graue as it were with thy teeth but God ouer-sees thee and ouer-rules thee Wouldest thou then willingly goe to heauen what better guide canst thou haue then him that dwelleth there If he lead thee through the deepe sloughes and marish grounds brakes brambles or thornie thickets know thou that hee knoweth this to be the nearer way though more cumbersom Can there be in him any want of wisedome not to foresee the best can there be any want of power not to effect the best since what his power can doe and what his wisdome seeth should be done his loue no doubt hath done because all are infinite He willeth not things because they are good but they are good because he willeth them yea if ought had beene better this that befalleth thee had neuer beene God willeth that he doth and if thy will accord not with his whether wilt thou blame of imperfection If our affections might alwayes feed vpon Mannah we section 8 would loath it if our inheritance did stretch it selfe to the plaines of Iordane we would inlarge it and if our preheminence might reach to heauen yet would wee raise vp our hearts higher These were the itching humours of Euah who thought not Paradise spacious enough for her habitation nor the dainties of Eden sweet enough for her taste nor the presence of God good enough for her company But where the superscription of holinesse to the Lord is ingrauen on the head and the perswasion of godlinesse to be gaine is ingrafted in the heart there saith a learned man the lust of the world and the dust of the earth shall be shuffled together as payres and pearles of equall price accompt and continuance Therefore the Lord hath here choaked our fields with thistles and wrapped vp all the treasure of the world in rust that seeing the ground whereon we stand to be out of Paradise and the staffe whereon we leane to be but rotten wood wee might pray to God to haue the sword put vp that stoppeth vs from the tree of life and those boughes cut off that shadow vs from beholding our sinnes borne and sustayned in the body of Christ Therefore the waters of troubles and afflictions are but section 9 as a bath to the faithfull to cleanse and purge them from those corruptions they gather by walking in this dirty world The chaffe and wheate both feele the flayle yet the chaffe is free from the Milstone from the Fanne and from the furnace of these onely doth the wheat taste and so happy is he that is ground and baked as it were in an ouen and so made fit manchet for the Lords owne dyet For though the chaffe feele not the hardnesse of the Mill in grinding nor the heate of the Ouen in baking yet being good for nothing it is cast forth scattered with the winde and trodden vnder foote Such is the state of the wicked they are separate as tares from the corne eyther to be burnt in his displeasure or blowne from his presence God in this life knowing the dangerous temptations of his Children doth sift and boult them with afflictions the mother of humilitie and true nurse of repentance lest in time they should loose the experience of their knowledge and faith in Christ and so seeke some easier kinde of life for flesh and bloud Neyther can we truely repent vntill by some crosse we know this world to be a place of sorrow for so long as we make our prosperitie a bulwarke to beat downe all harmes we are to looke for aduersitie to beate downe the high sayle of our proud hearts whereby we gad after our owne lusts and leaue the anchor of peace which is our trust in God section 10 Neyther must wee thinke that we shall euer be shut vp as it were in a mewe to see and sustaine no euill at all Let vs looke to fall but on our knees because Gods hand doth hold vs. Let vs looke to be humbled but yet in mercy because the Lord sustayneth vs for if this were not what tryall and examination should there be of our faith If our way lay alwayes as in a fayre medow that wee might
run along as it were by the water side into a shade and that there should be nothing to crosse our desires who could vaunt that hee had serued God with good affection But when our way shall sometime be rough and ragged when one while wee shall enter into a quagmire and another while martch on craggy rockes and stones of temptations then shall wee haue the vse of a well exercised minde in prayer in repentance and in contempt of this life Thus it is requisite that Gods graces should not be idle in his Children but set on worke by afflictions whereby they may be knowne in due time and place as also be taught that though sometime they haue much in possession yet that they hold but little in affection and when God doth most aduance them to feare their wants of humilitie For if the Lord by multiplying his mercy increaseth our account we are often to suspect our selues for the vsing of Gods blessings who often giueth that in iudgement which he might denye vs in mercy and often waineth vs from some things in his loue which hee might giue vnto vs in his anger It is best here to be pressed and harrowed with the rake section 11 of Gods iudgements and blessed are they that to their owne saluation feele sorrow and griefe in their body whiles sinne may be both punished and purged It is better for vs to runne to the Lord in this life lest wee tarry till the Lord haue locked vs vp with the heauy fetters of desperation when hee shall summon vs to the barre of his Iustice and Iudgement in the sight of his Angels and impanelling the great Inquest of his Saints against vs shall denounce our fearefull and finall sentence of endlesse condemnation As Moses Rod saith one striking the hard Rocke brought forth water so the Rod of affliction falling vpon our stony hearts by the working of Gods Spirit mollifieth them to contrition and oftentimes brings forth euen flouds of teares to repentance One compareth the crosses of Gods Children to a Fyle of Iron that taketh away the rust of the soule to a Purgation cleansing the body from ill humours to a Furnace consuming the drosse and purifying the Gold c. Though the winde blow cold yet doth it cleanse the section 12 good graine though the fire burne hot yet doth it purifie the best Gold Afflictions are both sufferings and instructions Though God be a chastising Father yet a Father though a launching Physitian yet a Physitian and therefore one that loues and cures wee neede no more but lay open our griefe and let him alone with the saluing who seeth chastisements sometimes as necessary for the soule as medicines for the body When the waters of the Floud came vpon the face of the earth downe went starely Turrets and Towers but as the waters rose so the Arke rose still higher and higher In like sort when the waters of afflictions rise downe goeth the pride of life and lust of the eyes with the vanities of the world but our soules as in an Arke by a true and a liuely Faith ascend higher and higher and draw nearer and nearer towards the heauen of heauens Neyther neede Gods children care what crosses they sustaine For as there is none more shamefull then the Crosse of Christ so all the afflictions of Christians are accounted his If wee be poore despised imprisoned or whatsoeuer is the fruit of sinne betide vs God is not as man to turne away his face but wee are the more deare in his sight and euery crosse sealeth the loue of Christ who suffereth with vs who likewise was made sinne for vs who knew no sinne that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Who then can be discouraged with the afflictions of this life or enuy at the wicked to see their ease and peace No no these be but broken weapons and cannot possibly enter to the heart of our soules onely let vs take heede of sinne that it raigne not ouer vs for therein Christ hath taken no part and by it onely we are separated from him section 13 When Gods children thinke themselues furthest off from the Lord they are nearest to him when they thinke themselues to be fullest of confusion then the Image of Christ is most liueliest within them The Lord may hide his face for a while euen a moment as hee did from Christ but hee must needes returne vnto vs with euerlasting compassions for the Image of his Sonne is cleare within vs. A blessed sorrow and woe full of happinesse that fashioneth these dayes of our vanitie to the likenesse of the age of Christ that with him at last wee might raigne for euer A precious countenance it is in the sight of God that appeareth without beauty in the eyes of men and an vnspeakable treasure of ioy and gladnesse engrauen in these vessels that are but earth and ashes When Christ is the patterne whose similitude wee beare who can be discouraged vnder the Crosse Vnto this hee hath predestinated vs that wee should be like vnto his Sonne in all afflictions and so be honoured with him in the day of glory Chrisostome saith very well that then wee haue most section 14 neede of Gods prouidence when we are deliuered from aduersities and then wee haue most cause of feare when wee are freed from dangers For like as wee doe much more feare the Lyon or Leopard when they are let loose then when they are chained vp so our vntamed affections when by prosperitie they are vnbrideled are much more to be feared then when by troubles they are curbed and restrayned Hee that will be able to beare the crosse of all crosses namely Death it selfe must first of all learne to vndergoe smaller crosses as sicknesse in body troubles of minde losse of goods friends and good name which may fitly be called little deaths and the beginnings of Death it selfe For the afflictions and calamities of this life are as it were the harbingers and purueyers of Death First therefore wee must learne to entertayne these messengers that when Death the Lord and Master himselfe commeth we may in better manner welcome him Whom God most loues those hee most proues by afflictions Why is it that in a Campe the most perillous section 15 actions and attempts are committed to the most couragious and valiant Souldiers Why doe Captaines send out the most choyse and resolute men of warre to giue the enemie a canvisado to discouer a way to winne a passage or to driue them away that guard the same There is none will say my Captaine hath done me wrong but rather hee holds mee in great esteeme So Gods children reioyce in their tryals whereas cowards and effeminate men lament and weepe God deales with his elect as Masters doe with their Schollers who set them the greatest taske of whom most hope is conceiued To be in daily dangers maketh vs lightly to esteeme the
it But on the contrary such as want this good testimonie section 9 of the conscience purified by faith in the blood of Christ their case is very dangerous lying still in their sinnes which in the time of Gods visiting hand will sting them deadly and in this world if they be not awakened by repentance but lye snorting in the same till their dying day their conscience that hath furfeited of sinne in this life will vomit all in their faces when they come once to their reckoning For as a good conscience is a continuall feast and paradise to him that hath it so an euill one is a perpetuall plague and prison to the soule and like the raging sea that casts vp mire and durt A pure conscience saith one is as the sweetest sugar to delay the bitternesse of all afflictions it is as marrow in the bones and good blood in the veynes as sound health to the body fitting and inabling it to sustaine all blustering stormes and winter blasts It is as a watch-tower and Beacon on a hill to giue vs warning and word of all danger imminent to our life As a Trumpet to awaken vs from our sinnes It is as the match and tinder to kindle the fire and zeale of all holy deuotion faith and obedience still pricking vs forward to all vertue and godlinesse till wee end our daies in peace We may say of the conscience as Zeno the Philosopher of a Wife that shee is a continuall comfort or a perpetuall crosse A good conscience is an inuincible Tower it may be besieged but neuer battered and raced to the ground It will neither be borrowed nor bought nor sould yet if it should be set a sale few would buy it The bed of a good Conscience flourisheth alwayes as the greene borders in a Garden If our hearts be setled in loue and obedience to the section 10 Lord all the world besides cannot defile vs. Our heart is the safest Tower of defence that wee haue in all our life take heede therefore of thy heart for if it accuse thee it will kill thee If it be on thy side let the heauens fall yet the ruines thereof shall not affright thee let thy foes be what they will let their counsell be what it can and destruction that is conspired neuer so cruell yet if thy heart be faithfull to God thy enemies shall feare more then thou for Innocencie assisteth thee which is strengthened with the arme of God and cannot be conquered by any meanes of Man Death or Diuell Though nature be weake to raise vp it selfe and aduersities and temptations strong to cast it downe yet both troubles and temptations flye fast away before the face of our trust in God O Lord take from mee saith one if thou wilt my goods and riches my pleasures c. yea my life to so thou leaue mee my heart which way neuer cease to loue thee trust in thee and call vpon thy name Thou canst not be friends with thy selfe till thou be with God for thy Conscience like an honest seruant taketh his masters part against thee when thou hast sinned and will not countenance thee till thou be reconciled to God neyther dare it be kinde to thee and vnfaithfull to her Maker God doth commit men to their Conscience as vnto a Tutor which vigilantly attends vpon them and a man may better flye from any thing then from his owne heart And therefore this hath alwayes beene the ioy and reioycing of the faithfull to haue the witnesse of a good conscience that they haue simply and honestly walked with men in this world This is their Crowne and comfort to thinke how holily and vnblameably they haue behaued themselues that they haue fought a good fight and finished their course and kept the faith that they haue kept the profession of their hope without fainting still with a good Conscience making their request to God This oyle of gladnesse hath cheared their countenance and this pure wine of a good Conscience hath gladed their heart amidst all their griefe it hath sweetned their sorrowes hauing the loue of God shed in their hearts through the holy Ghost And therefore our greatest care must be to haue alwayes a cleare Conscience towards God and man which will greatly cheare vs against our death section 11 Christians must be daily practicioners of Faith and Repentance they must not onely by mortification of the flesh dye to sinne but being renewed in the spirit rise againe vnto righteousnesse and amendment of life They must hate euill and doe good pursue after peace and holinesse without the which no man can see God For as hee that hath a hope to liue againe when he is dead must dye while hee is aliue to sinne and wickednesse So hee that will escape the second death must be made pertaker of the first resurrection to newnesse of life And those that are deliuered from darknesse must be translated into the Kingdome of Christ and being dead in themselues must liue the life of Christ And this is the end why they are freed from their deadly foes to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse all their dayes So shall they come to peace of Conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost section 12 Repentance and amendment of life serue vs as the Cannon shot to scatter the cruell bands of Death and Diuell and ioyning Faith with Repentance wee shall be sure to winne the field by the safe conduct of Christ our Captaine vnconquerable who as wee haue heard hath satisfied for our sinnes fulfilled the Law and foyled all our foes If the day of our death finde vs a sleepe in our sinne woe be vnto vs for then wee shall hardly awake The end of all things saith Saint Peter is at hand therefore be sober and watch in prayer Euery one in his death shall finde this end of all things when men are once dead and carryed out of dores all is at an end with them neyther hath their body any more then their length of ground One being demanded when it was time to repent answered section 13 One day before our death but when it was replyed that no man knew that day hee said Beginne then to day for feare of fayling and boast not of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth It is a folly to dissemble our sores whilst they are cureable and after make them knowne when there is no remedie Many pretend to amend all in time and this time is so deferred from day to day vntill God in whose hands onely all times consist doth shut them out of all time and send them to paines eternall without time for that they abuse the speciall benefit of time in this world For custome groweth to another nature and old diseases are hardly cured Wilt thou goe to heauen liuing in sinne as thou dost It is impossible As soone thou maist driue God
doth cut the cords and breake the geares of these vnrestie fierce and sauage beasts disappoynting the purpose of the greatest tyrants in their extreamest rage and furie and sendeth his Children freedome and deliuerance in his due time Iehoshua so admirably preserued in that long captiuity of the Iewes being as a brand taken out of the fire arrayed with filthy rayment as one comming out of a dungeon Yet the Lord cloatheth him with changeable garments and setteth a Diadem vpon his head and still rebuketh Sathan that is about to hurt him in his person and hinder him in the worke of his Ministery And though his Children haue lyen among the pots and beene vsed like Scullions yet shall they bee like the Doue whose Winges are couered with Siluer and her feathers like yealow Gold They shall come forth out of their aduersitie most glistering and glorious through the grace and fauour that God will shew them Ioseph was accused of his brethren put into a pit sold as a slaue slaundered for filthinesse and so committed to prison as a guilty person yet deliuered and promoted to be Prince and ruler ouer all the Land of Egypt to whom afterward his brethren bowed and euery one did obeysance So they sought an occasion against Daniel concerning the law of his God they censured him as a refractary man against King Darius and his command and so he was called iudged and committed to the Lyons denne yet the Lord preserued him aliue and set him aloft ouer all his aduersaries Mordecay was in disgrace and all the Iewes out of credite with King Ahashuerosh by meanes of Haman that cursed Amalekite their liues bought and solde and their vtter destruction sealed yet were they all safely deliuered and honoured in the sight of their foes whom they saw confounded To omit Moses Ieremie and the rest of the Prophets Paul Peter other of the Apostles and holy men of God together with the plots and deuises intended against them their variety of persecutions and troubles so great and so grieuous Yet the Lord deliuered them out of all Therefore most true it is that the Apostle Paul speaketh of himselfe gods Saints We are afflicted on euery side yet not in distresse we are in doubt but we despaire not we are persecuted but not forsaken cast downe but we perish not Now the reason of this doctrine is first that God is their reason 1 Creator and therefore careth for them who cannot despise the least worke of his hands Thou Lord dost saue both Man and Beast but how excellent is thy mercy O God to the children of men that trust vnder the shadow of thy wings They shall be satisfied with the fatnes of thy house and thou shalt giue them drinke out of the Riuers of thy pleasures Therefore the Apostle saith We labour and are rebuked because we trust in the liuing God which is the sauiour of all men specially of those that belieue If there be no man no not the wickedest but he feeleth Gods goodnesse towards him in his protection and preseruation how much more Gods elect whose names are written in Heauen And which againe they haue surrendred vnto him in a holy profession of his truth and suffering for the same Are not fiue Sparrowes bought for two farthings and yet not one of them is forgotten before God How farre more deare and pretious then are the liues safetie and estates of Gods children Whose very haires are numbred Such shall be sure of all outward helpes and meanes so farre as is fit and at the least God will bestow vpon them faith hope patience consolation and constancie which are the best supplies in all their necessities Therefore feare not thou worme Iacob I will helpe thee saith the Lord and thy Redeemer the holy one of Israell Feare not saith the Lord that created thee and he that framed thee ô Israell feare not for I haue redeemed thee I haue called thee by thy name thou art mine Secondly they are within Gods couenant he hath indented sealed yea and sworne their safety His name is called vpon by them they haue his word and his Sacraments all his promises and assurances to be their God They are of his houshold and family and so cast vpon God to be cared for He is their Father and they his children He is their shepheard and they are his people and sheepe of his pasture He is the husband of his elect and they his Spouse who of right must defend and protect them and therefore how can they miscarry All sufficiency is in God who hath vndertaken their protection Power and will faithfulnesse truth and vnchangeablenesse all the meanes that may be meete and concurre in him that hath promised preseruation and how then should he saile vs vse 1 The truth of which doctrine serueth first to reproue all such who in their fits and feuers of afflictions thinke all is gone that murmure grudge and repine with the vnbelieuing Israelites at euery turne and tryall tempting and blaspheming the Lord shortning his hand that he cannot helpe and making deafe his eare that he cannot heare To which fault also the dearest children of God are subiect Dauid complaineth that hee was cast out of Gods sight That he had forgotten to be gracious and that he had shut vp his louing kindnesse in displeasure Ieremie chargeth God to haue deceiued him That hee was a stranger in the Land as one that passeth by to tarry for a night Why art thou saith he as a man astonyed and as a strong man that cannot helpe But it is their great infirmity so to thinke for God is constant in his care and vnchangeable in his loue Can a woman forget her childe and not haue compassion vpon the sonne of her wombe Though she should forget yet I will not forget thee Behold I haue grauen thee vpon the palmes of my hands Such are as a signet on his right hand and as a girdle wherewith he it girded He neither slumbereth nor sleepeth that keepeth his Israell And albeit our sinnes make a separation betweene God and vs building as it were a bulwarke of hewen stones to stop vp our wayes and cause him to couer himselfe as with a cloude that our prayers can haue no passage and make him to returne to his place as one that will not be spoke withall nor intreated Yet if we acknowledge our faults and in our afflictions seeke diligently vnto him hee will then be found After two dayes will he reuiue vs and in the third day he will raise vs vp and we shall liue in his sight Our heauinesse may endure for a night but ioy shall come in the morning Though for a moment he hide his face from vs for a little season yet with euerlasting mercy he will haue compassion on vs. Secondly it serueth for our
weaknesse of faith who many times in our infirmities and sense of our tryals doe censure God amisse either of forgetfulnesse or want of power that hee cannot or will not heare and helpe vs in our troubles nor careth for our estate who yet hath numbred our haires and put our teares into his bottle Wee should indeed rather censure our selues for weakenesse of faith and thanke our owne sinnes which haue made a seperation and caused God to hide his face Wee haue angred the Lord and now there is a breach and his wrath is gone out against vs. The Spouse was sluggish and would not heare the voyce of her bride-groome knocking and standing without at the dore till his haire was full of dew and his lockes with the drops of the night but afterward she opened and her welbeloued was gone and past she sought him and could not presently finde him but is beaten and wounded of the watchmen and hath many crosses yet still wee must remember Gods former mercies and our olde deliuerances and so recouer our hope I called vpon thee and thou drewest neare and saidst feare not God is still ready and at hand to comfort his children doctrine 9 in their greatest dangers and to rid them of their feares God is our hope and strength and helpe in troubles ready to be found For further proofe and vse of this see doctrine 1. in the first Sermon Now God easeth them of their feares by shewing them his fauour in giuing them the spirit of adoption which remoueth the cause of feare and maketh them as bolde as Lyons because their sinnes are remoued and they reconciled to God through Christ yea made his children and heires annexed with Christ This spirit is the earnest of their safety and saluation The Lord is on their side and who can be against them All things now worke together for the best therfore what or who can seperate them from the loue of Christ surely such can neuer be mooued nor be afrayd of ill tydings their heart is fixed and beleeueth in the Lord they seeke to the Lord and he heareth them and deliuereth them out of all their feare Which must make vs diligently to seeke the Lord in our dangers If we would be soundly cured of our feares let vs goe to him by our faithfull prayers and this will free our hearts from vnnecessary doubts and keepe out despaire that wee shall neuer be dismaide In nothing be carefull saith the Apostles but in all things let your requests be made knowne vnto God and then the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding shall keepe your hearts and mindes in Christ Iesus For this peace quieteth the heart and setleth the minde in the assurance of a happy issue from all difficulties and dangers This course tooke Dauid who is not afrayd to challenge tenne thousand enemies that compasse him round about nay so secure he was in the confidence of God whom he called vpon that hee layd him downe and slept and rose againe without any more adoe because the Lord sustained him O Lord thou hast maintained the cause of my soule and hast redeemed my life doctrine 10 God will alwaies vphold and maintaine the righteous cause of his children whatsoeuer bee their dangers and troubles he will haue a speciall care both of their persons and businesse they haue in hand He shall bring forth their righteousnesse as the light and their iudgements as the noone day Their righteous cause and holy conuersation he will make to be so euident as the Sunne when it riseth nay as at noone when it is the highest and shineth brightest He will stand by them and deliuer them and their cause from vnrighteous iudgement See the execution how he sitteth in the assembly of Gods to see and examine both them and their proceedings See further of this poynt Doctr. 1 and the first Sermon in the proofes It is his place and office so to doe Shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right It belongs to him to render vnto euery man according to his workes He must needs defend the truth being the God of truth yea truth it selfe and his seruants beare witnesse to the truth and are ready to seale the same with their liues And shall he not defend both it and them Yes assuredly for God hath promised protection of them both The truth of which doctrine ought to incourage and vse 1 confirme euery christian man in the defence of gods truth notwithstanding the great enemies and oppositions against the same We must not deny it in any case not in any sort forsake it Buy it me may but neuer sell it at any rate for this is Iudas merchandize We must labour to be rooted and established in the truth which may be blamed but neuer shamed nor yet forsaken of God and good men Likewise it reproueth and condemneth all such as are vse 2 wauering and vnconstant in the defence thereof Iohn Baptist was no shaken Reed A faithfull man is as the house built vpon the rocke no storme or showre can shake it much lesse ouerthrow it Great is the force of the truth and of the faithfull professours thereof which still preuaile and get a conquest ouer all things The cause of my soule That is the cause wherefore his life was in danger There is nothing more dangerous many times in the world then to defend and maintaine the truth of God This is the cause of Ieremies soule which called his very life into question The world hateth me saith Christ because I testifie that the works are euil therof Euery one that doth euill hateth the light Many times it hazardeth liberty life and goods Ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake It makes sometimes a seperation betweene the neerest and deerest friends Father and Sonne Mother and Daughter The poore blinde man once belieuing and defending the truth is not onely excommunicate of the Church but cast off by his parents they leaue him and the cause yea euery one that confesse Christ openly are cast out Paul became an enemy to the Galathians because he told them the truth reason 1 The reason hereof is Sathans rage against it it is the sword that slayeth him and the mighty weapons that cast downe his strong holds by it he is driuen out of possession and falleth from heauen like lightening he can haue no roome in the Church nor place in the harts of Gods chosen for the preaching of the truth reason 2 Another reason is the corruption and malice of mans heart which opposeth against it in maintaining things vnlawfull which the word of truth condemneth And here begin the warres euery one striueth for his lusts and to haue his owne will which it reproueth It is a sword a sacrificing knife a