thou hast that solemn protestation twice repeated Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all saith our Saviour the Interpreter and Messenger of the heavenly Father Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Thou hearest that the way to Christ lies open to all that labour under the yoke of sin and that relief and rest of soul is promised to them 1 Tim. 2.4 God will have all men to be saved saith the Apostle being taught it in the third heaven and to come to the knowledge of the Truth He hath concluded all under unbelief Rom. 11.32 that he may have mercy upon all Thou hearest the salvation of all men is desired by God that his mercy lies open to all none here is shut out but he that shuts himself out Primas in h. l. There is one God of all therefore he desireth that all whom he hath made may be saved There is one who hath given himself a price of redemption for all therefore he wills that all partake of that price God is not willing that any should perish saith Peter 2 Pet. 3.9 being taught by his own example but that all would come to repentance Thou hearest that the long-suffering and goodness of God inviteth all to repentance and that God willeth not the death of one Look that thou contradict not so clear and so express truth these words of the Holy Ghost writ as it were with a Sun-beam Let the comforts of the Scripture prevail with thee above the thoughts of thine own heart for the Scripture is the word of the living God that never deceives but our heart is lying and does deceive The absolute decree of reprobation Tempted Outwardly indeed the promise is offer'd to all but God from eternity hath made a certain absolute decree of the reprobation of particular men whom from an absolute hatred being rejected by him he hath destin'd to eternal torments To these he offers his word indeed outwardly but not with an intent to bestow the good things offer'd in the word And may be I am in the number of those reprobated ones Comforter That absolute decree of reprobation is but the fancy of men who are deceived and do deceive For if the Scripture do witness by words Christ by tears and God by oath that he is not willing that any should perish that he desireth not the death of a sinner but on the contrary heartily desireth that all would come to repentance would acknowledge the truth and be saved with what shew of truth I pray can it be said that any by the absolute hatred of God are excluded from salvation and the means thereof Such as God hath declared himself outwardly in his word such is his heart inwardly if I may so speak Such as he hath shewn himself to us in his son such a mind also he beareth towards us for Christ is the image of the Father Col. 1.15 Heb. 1.3 not only in respect of his essence but also of his will Indeed we ought not so much as think that he shews himself to us a bountiful and gracious God outwardly and in the mean time does nourish flames of hatred inwardly this be far from God who is truth it self to whom all hypocrisie is extremely hateful who ought in no wise to be said to do that which we see him forbid by precept and avenge by punishments That any are saved is the gift of God only that many perish is the desert of themselves that do perish For so saith the Scripture O Israel thou destroyest thy self Hos 13.9 but in me is thy help The Scripture every where placeth the cause of mans destruction in himself and no where refers us to any absolute decree of God Fulg. lib. 1. ad Monim Because God by his prescience saw the sins of men especially unbelief which remaining all other sins remain therefore he pass'd the sentence of damnation and reprobation And with what colour can it be affirmed that God does not in the word of the Gospel offer the benefits of his Son to all in earnest and with a mind to communicate them seeing Christ died for all and satisfied for the sins of all truly and really not in shew only and appearingly The universal terms here used do attest the universality of the satisfaction made by Christ God Isa 53.6 saith the Prophet hath laid on him the iniquities of us all namely of all those who as lost sheep had gone astray out of the path of an upright life even as all the sins of the people were by the Priest laid upon the goat that was sent away into the wilderness Lev. 16.21 The Apostle repeateth twice in the same place that one died for all 2 Cor. 5.15 Eph. 1.9 10. Col. 1.20 It was the good pleasure of God to summ up restore and gather together in one all things in Christ which are in heaven and which are in earth It pleased the Father by Christ to reconcile all things unto himself having made peace through the blood of his cross by him I say whether they be things on earth or things in heaven 1 Tim. 2.6 Christ gave himself a ransome for all Tit. 2.11 The grace of God that bringeth salvation whereby he gave his Son for us to redeem us from iniquity hath appeared to all men vers 14. Heb. 2.9 Christ by the grace of God hath tasted death for every man The collective term World used in such sayings proveth the same universality of satisfaction God so loved the World Joh. 3.16 that he gave his only begotten Son vers 17. whom he sent not into the world to condemn it but that the world through him might be saved Whence also he is most deservedly called * Joh. 4.42 1 Joh. 4.14 the Saviour of the world He is †Joh 1.29 the lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world ‖ Joh. 6.51 who gave his flesh for the life of the world * 2 Cor. 5.19 by whom the world is reconciled unto God †1 Joh. 2.2 who is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world The opposition of the first and second Adam that is of Christ deliver'd by the Apostle in express words doth prove the same universality of satisfaction Rom 5.15 If through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many vers 18. As by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners vers 19. so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Therefore where sin hath abounded vers 20. there
another place which is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience or a covenant towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ Be baptized Acts 22.16 and wash away thy sins saith Ananias Gal. 3.27 As many of ye as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ and by faith ye are all the children of God For Christ sanctifieth his Church Eph. 5.27 cleansing it with the laver of water in the word From all which thou maist strongly conclude that Baptism is a ransom for captives Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tom 1. p. 446. Cyrill Hieros in praefat Catech. a remission of debts a death of sin a being born again a bright garment of the soul an inviolable seal a chariot to heaven the Inn of the kingdom the gift of adoption * Naziaâ—z orat in S. Bapt. p. 615. It is the brightness of souls the change of life the answer of the conscience towards God an help of our weakness It is a putting away of the flesh a following of the Spirit a communion of the word It is an amendment of the creature a deluge to sin a partaking of light a dissolution of darkness It is a chariot unto God anaccompanying of Christ the prop of faith the perfection of the mind the glory of the kingdom of heaven a change of life a taking away of servitude a loosing of bands a changing of apparel Tertul. 4. adver Marc. p. 231. Aug. 2. cont Crescon c. 18. Paulin. epist 12. ad Sever. It is the spring of true life and true righteousness an abridged laver the Sacrament of life and eternal salvation The holy Ghost into this pool descends Whose waters by an heavenly spring are fed Which influenc'd by th' Deity forth sends An holy offspring from eternal seed For in the Baptism of Christ it was demonstrated by visible signs what the divine grace worketh invisibly in our Baptism Chemnit in cap. 17. Harm The water of Baptism was sanctified by the touch of our Lords body for whatsoever Christ promerited and obtained in the body of his flesh he deposited as it were in his Baptism He received Baptism with us sinners to testifie that we by Baptism are made his members As the eternal Father in the Baptism of Christ said This is my beloved son so at this day he adopts for sons all that believe and are baptized As in the Baptism of Christ heaven was opened so to this day by the sacrament of Baptism the gate of the heavenly paradise is opened to us As the holy Ghost in Christ's Baptism descended upon him in the form of a dove so in our Baptism the holy Ghost is present and therein doth effectually work our regeneration and renovation so that thus in Baptism concurr the grace of the Father adopting the merit of the Son cleansing and the efficacy of the holy Spirit regenerating If therefore thou art baptized thou canst not doubt of the grace of God the remission of sins and the promise of eternal life Baptism is the laver of regeneration where there is regeneration there is remission of sins there is the grace of God there is perfect righteousness there is renewing there is the gift of the holy Ghost there is adoption and there is the inheritance of eternal life Falling from the Covenant of Baptism Tempted I believe indeed that I was received into the covenant of grace by the sacrament of Baptism that I thereby obtained remission of sins and was writ in the book of life but I have faln from the grace of this covenant again by my sins by repeating my transgressions I have made void the aforegoing remission and have often deserved to be blotted out of the book of life Comforter No but the covenant of God is an everlasting covenant to which thou maist always return by true and hearty repentance For as God declares concerning the sacrament of Circumcision Gen. 17.13 that it is an everlasting covenant so let us not doubt but that in Baptism which succeeded in the place of Circumcision Col. 2.11 God enters into and establisheth an everlasting covenant with us I will betroth thee to me for ever saith he by the Prophet Hos 2.19 yea I will betroth thee in righteousness and in judgement and in loving kindness and in mercies I will betroth thee to me in faithfulness Isai 54.10 The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Rom. 3.3 God forbid we should say the faith of God is made without effect by our unbelief If we give never so little belief to his words or depart from him 1 Tim. 2.13 yet he abideth faithful always the same true and constant he cannot deny himself Therefore by the sins of thy natural infirmity thou fallest not from the free covenant of God By sins committed against thy conscience thou fallest indeed from the grace of God and the covenant of grace but thou maist return to the everlasting covenant of God by true repentance The ship of Baptism splits not though we leap out of it into the sea of sins therefore by repentance which in this sence may be called secunda post naufragium tabula Hier. in c. 3. Isa v. 9. we may return again to the same ship of Baptism that we may in it be wasted to the port of eternal salvation Tertul. lib. de poenit p. 479. Therefore embrace repentance as a shipwrackt person catches hold of a plank this will lift thee up when ready to be drowned in the waves of thy sins and will carry thee into the haven of Gods mercy Peter had denied his Master but being converted he notwithstanding seeks the promise of salvation in Baptism 1 Pet. 3.21 The Galatians and the Corinthians had faln foully yet when they were renewed again by repentance the Apostle offers them comfort drawn from Baptism declaring that as many of them as had been baptized Gal. 3.27 had put on Christ and clearly affirming that they were washed 1 Cor. 6.11 12 13. and by one spirit were baptized into one body namely mystical whence it clearly appears that the efficacy of the Baptismal covenant is extended to the future and is not quite enervated and abolished by mans fall but on God's part remains continually a firm and established covenant When Paul therefore says Aug. 1. de nup. concup c. 33. that Christ cleanseth the Church in the laver of water in the word it is thus to be understood that in the same laver of regeneration and word of sanctification all the sins of regenerate men are cleansed healed not only those by-past all which are remitted in Baptism but also those which are contracted afterwards by humane ignorance and frailty Not that Baptism should be
Jesus standing o' th right hand of God And then think earth too mean a place for thee Whom he redeem'd with his most precious blood Sweet Jesus Thouwast pleas'd to buy me come I 'm not the worlds but thine then fetch me home If in this life only we have hope we are of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 15.29 THE world presents thee Ophir gold but stay Lose not thy Interest in God for Clay The world presents short pleasures to thine Eye Thy God presents blest Immortality Be circumspect the world 's a crafty Cheat And sells its Vanities at too dear a Rate Thy Soul 's more worth than all the world enjoys Exchange it not for Fooleries and Toys Which to thy fancy may seem precious things Yet are but Adders Poyson Serpents stings Wounding the dying soul that cannot die Nor live less than to all Eternity Consider him who said My soul take pleasure Go eat and drink thou hast abundant Treasure Laid up for many years That very night This wretched soul was stript of all delight And hurried hence amidst its chiefest joy By furious Ghosts Triumphing in their prey There are but few that solid wisdom prize And search Eternity with sacred Eyes Of saving faith Imploring not to miss Grace here below in Heaven Eternal Bliss Let thy Redeemer in thy heart be fixt So shall no sorrow with True joy be mixt Nor tempting vice thee from his precepts draw Omit no time fulfill his Royal Law With son-like fear and thou shalt have no less I' th end than everlasting Happiness The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.23 There is therefore now no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 SAid I not Lord that I would sin no more Yet sin again hath got me on the score Pray I not without ceasing to be free From sinful thoughts yet sin abides in me When I awake sin seeks to gain my heart Contending for precedence by desert Of Birth-right from the womb and would controul My holy thoughts and close besiege my soul That matchless gift of thine what shall I do Comply with sin and be its Captive too Who arms the Creatures with enticing smiles And with deceitful arguments beguiles Unstable Souls no I will shun its charms Thy strength my God to shield me from its harms I do implore else I am lost undone O let me find redemption in thy son The son of thy dear love who 's freely bent To bath my soul and make it innocent With his pure crimson streams whose mighty power Trampled on Death and Hell that dreadful hour The Graves restraint he vanquished at length By his victorious and triumphant strength The Temple Veil he rent in open view And gave himself to Gentile and to Jew A sacrifice for sin He is that Lamb Foretold and Typified in Isaac's Ram. The builders Scorn yet the chief Corner-stone Ezekiels Shepherd Daniels Holy One My Rock my only confidence my stay Forsake me not but guide me in thy way I am the Jonah I did cause the Rout To beg a Murtherer and cast thee out I stript thee of thy cloaths and of thy skin And my transgressions tortur'd thee within My sins thy sharpest sufferings contriv'd My sinfulness thee of thy life depriv'd Drew down thy fathers wrath which none could bear But only thee my Lord my Life my Fear Uphold me yet a little to endure Sins Buffetings the victory is sure Faith tells me so and patience bids me wait And I shall gain a conquest to the height Of my expected hope I shall but die And then shall go to immortality To live with perfect souls in perfect bliss Discharg'd of such a Nothingness as this Then wait my soul with patience for thy rest Prepar'd from everlasting to invest Thy nakedness with purest white array Free from the Moth and power of times decay While with incessant pleasures thou art fed A Crown of glory shall begirt thy head Perpetual Halelujahs shalt thou sing Unto thy God thy Saviour and thy King The souls Longing COme Lord my head doth burn my heart is sick While thou dost ever ever stay Thy long deferrings wound me to the quick My Spirit gaspeth night and day O shew thy self to me Or take me up to thee II. How canst thou stay considering the pace Thy blood did make which thou didst wast When I behold it trickling down thy face I never saw thing make such hast O shew thy self to me Or take me up to thee III. When man was lost thy pity lookt about To see what help i' th earth or sky But there was none at least no help without The help did in thy bosom lye O shew thy self to me Or take me up to thee IV. There lay thy Son and must he leave that Nest That hive of sweetness to remove Thraldom from those who would not at a feast Leave one poor Apple for thy Love O shew thy self to me Or take me up to thee V. He did he came O my redeemer dear After all this canst thou be strange So many years baptiz'd and not appear As if thy love could fail or change O shew thy self to me Or take me up to thee VI. Yet if thou stayest still why must I stay My God what is this world to me This world of woe hence all ye clouds away Away I must go up and see O shew thy self to me Or take me up to thee VII What is this weary world this meat and drink That chains us by the teeth so fast What is this Woman kind which I can wink Into a blackness and distast O shew thy self to me Or take me up to thee VIII With one small sigh thou gav'st me t' other day I blasted all the joys about me And frowning on them as they pin'd away Now come again said I and flout me O shew thy self to me Or take me up to thee IX Nothing but drouth and dearth but bush and brake Which way so'ere I look I see Some may dream merrily but when they wake They dress themselves and come to thee O shew thy self to me Or take me up to thee X. We talk of Harvests there are no such things But when we leave our Corn and hay There is no fruitful year but that which brings The last and lov'd though dreadful day O shew thy self to me Or take me up to thee XI Oh loose this frame this knot of man unty That my free soul may use her wing Which now is pinion'd with mortality As an intangled hampred thing O shew thy self to me Or take me up to thee XII What have I left that I should stay and groan The most of me to Heaven is fled My thoughts and joys are all packt up and gone And for their old acquaintance plead O shew thy self to me Or take me up to thee XIII Come Dearest Lord pass not this Holy season My flesh and bones and joynts do pray And even my verse when by the rhime and reason The word is Stay sayes ever Come Oh shew thy self to me Or take me up to thee Vpon Death WHy should we not as well desire our Death As sleep No difference but a little breath 'T is all but rest 't is all but a releasing Our tyred limbs why then not alike pleasing Being burthened with the sorrows of the day We wish for night which being come we lay Our body down yet when our very breath Is Irksome to us we are afraid of death Our sleep is oft accompanied with frights Distracting dreams and dangers of the nights When in the sheets of Death our Body's sure From all such evils and we sleep secure What matter Doun or earth what boots it whether Alas our body 's sensible of neither Things that are sensless feel not pains nor ease Tell me and why not worms as well as fleas In sleep we know not whether our clos'd eyes Shall ever wake From Death w' are sure to rise I but 't is long first Oh is that our fears Dare we trust God for nights and not for years Conclusion THe God of love my Shepherd is And he that doth me feed While he is mine and I am his What can I want or need II. He leads me to the tender grass Where I both feed and rest Then to the streams that gently pass In both I have the best III. Or if I stray he doth convert And bring my mind in frame And all this not for my desert But for his holy Name IV. Yea in deaths shady black aboad Well may I walk not fear For thou art with me and thy Rod To guide thy Staff to bear V. Nay thou dost make me fit and dine Even in my enemies sight My head with Oyl my Cup with wine Runs over day and night IV. Surely thy sweet and wondrous love Shall measure all my days And as if never shall remove So neither shall my praise FINIS
insubsistence of words pag. 43 Falling from the covenant of Baptism pag. 48 The uncertain reception into the covenant of Baptism pag. 52 The unworthy receiving of the Lords Supper pag. 57 Weakness of faith pag. 59 The not perceiving of faith pag. 62 An inability to believe pag. 65 The small number of good works pag. 67 Want of merits pag. 70 The accusation of the Law pag. 73 The accusing of conscience pag. 76 Late repentance pag. 78 Doubting of the grace of God pag. 81 Want of due preparation pag. 86 Doubting of the indwelling of the Spirit pag. 89 Doubting of perseverance pag. 94 Satans wiles and strength pag. 98 The falling away of many pag. 101 Doubting of being written in the book of life pag. 104 The fear of death pag. 107 The sting of death pag. 111 The pains of death pag. 117 Untimely death pag. 119 Services farther owing to the Church pag. 122 Short life brought upon ones self pag. 124 The love of this life pag. 127 Separation from wife children kindred pag. 131 Stopping of the ears in death pag. 134 The seeming unprofitableness of Redemption pag. 137 The horrour of dust pag. 139 The incredibility of the resurrection pag. 147 The flames of Purgatory pag. 153 The rigour of the last judgement pag. 156 A prayer in sickness pag. 164 To these are added The Christians Triumph over Death pag. 169 Divine Contemplations and Soliloquies upon Death and Eternity pag. 198 Divine Poems upon death pag. 217 Divine CONSOLATIONS Against the FEAR OF DEATH And the TEMPTATIONS befalling them that draw near thereto The forerunners of Death The Tempted I Am opprest with sickness 2 Cor. 1.9 the forerunner of Death and have received the sentence of death in my self I see I must leave this life than which nothing is more pleasant this world than which nothing is more adorned the house of this body than which nothing is more dear The Comforter Thou wast not created for this miserable and momentany but for a blessed and eternal life Wisd 2.23 for God made our first Parent without corruption to immortality Nor wast thou redeemed by Christ for this fading and toilsom but for that everlasting and most happy life in the heavens for it is a certain and undoubted saying That Jesus Christ came into the world 1 Tim. 1.15 to save sinners Neither wast thou called of the holy Spirit by the word to the kingdom of Christ that thou mightst live here a little while but that thou mightst pass from the kingdom of grace to the kingdom of glory from the Church Militant to that Triumphant from a valley of tears into a field of joy for if in this life only we believed in Christ and had hope 1 Cor. 15.19 we were of all men most miserable Wherefore seeing thou must be brought through the gate of death to that life for which thou wert created of the Father redeemed of the Son and for which thou hast been sanctified by the Spirit reject not I pray thee Luk. 7.30 the gracious counsel of God against thy self but readily obey God that calls upon thee Deaths Trident. Tempted The thoughts of Death affright me the dreadful shape of that enemy disturbs my mind it shows me its sting 1 Cor. 15.55 which is death it threatens me with its cruel three-pointed weapon while it presents to my eyes and heart the Anger of God the accusation of the Law and the cruelty of my sins Rom. 6.23 in that death is the wages of sin and by sin death hath invaded me Rom. 5.18 as it has done all the world Comforter But I advise thee that being seriously and heartily sorry for the sins thou hast committed thou look to him that died for thee on the altar of the Cross that thou mightest not be liable to eternal death Turn thine eyes from the outward shew of death and turn them to Christ who by his death hath destroyed him that had the power of death Heb. 2.14 that is v. 15. the Devil And hath delivered us who through fear of death were all our life-time subject to bondage He is death unto our death Hos 13.14 he is a sting unto the hell we had deserved Joh. 11.25 He is the resurrection and the life he that believeth in him though he were dead v. 26. yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and believeth in him shall never die 1. Cor. 15.22 So that as in Adam that is because of sin derived from Adam upon us and of actual sins added thereto we are all liable to death and at length must die even so in Christ the captain of life and conqueror of death through faith are we all made alive Which that our Captain of life confirms with a solemn and serious oath Verily verily I say unto you Joh. 5.24 He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life And again Joh. 8.51 Verily verily I say unto you If a man keep my saying he shall never see death Therefore believe Christ who is the truth Joh. 14.6 believe him promising believe him swearing Luk. 21.33 Heaven and earth shall pass away but the words of Christ shall not pass away The anguish of sin Tempted I begin to remember my sins Psal 51.7 for I was not only begot conceived and born in sin but I have increased this sum of original and hereditary debt with manifold and most grievous actual sins all my life long how therefore can I hope God will be merciful to me whom I have so oft offended how shall I conceive any comfort in death seeing death is the due reward to my sins and a beginning of a second and eternal death to them that are not reconciled to God Comforter Look unto Christ hanging on the altar of the Cross and pouring out the price of thy redemption even his precious blood for thy sins 1 Joh. 1.8 The blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth thee from all sin He is the propitiation for thy sins 1 Joh. 2.2 and for the sins of the whole world For he came not into the world to be ministred unto Mat. 20.28 but to minister and to give his life a ransom and price for the sins of many And that thou mightst not at all doubt of this matter therefore from heaven which is the throne of truth by an Angel which is the spirit of truth was brought that most sweet and comfortable name of Jesus and given to this our Mediator before he was conceived for what is Jesus but a Saviour Luk. 1.31 Mat. 1.21 Joh. 1.29 For therefore was this name given to Christ because he saves his people from their sins This is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world 1 Tim. 1.15 This is that Jesus Christ that came into
that Christ thy Lord obtaineth it on a double account both by being the heir of the Father and by the merit of his passion he is content with the first the latter he bestoweth on thee from whose gift challenge it for thy self and thou shalt not be confounded The temptation of despair Tempted The Devil solicits me to despair Comforter I would have thee despair namely of thy self and in thy self because thou art a sinner but despair not in God whose grace aboundeth over thy sin Rom. 5.21 Chrysost hom 3. de poenit For no more is the malice of man to the clemency of God than a spark of fire is to the sea The sea although it be great yet it admits of measure but the mercy of God is unmeasurable Neither despair of Christ and in Christ 1 Tim. 1.15 who came into the world to save sinners whose blood avails more to reconcile God than the sins of all the world to offend him Although thy sins be great and diverse and often repeated yet they are not greater nor more grievous than thou maist obtain pardon and forgiveness for in that the goodness of God is greater than the iniquity of all men Sins as it were set with the sun but the grace of God riseth with it Sins are the works of the Devil and of man To have pity to spare and to forgive are the works of God By how much therefore God is more powerful than the Devil and man by so much is his mercy above our malice The Lord is merciful and gracious Ps 103.8 slow to anger and plenteous in mercy v. 9. He doth not always chide neither doth he keep his anger for ever v. 10. He dealeth not with us after our sins nor rewardeth us according to our iniquities v. 11. For as the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him v. 12. As far as the East is from the West so far removeth he our transgressions Heaven is incomparably greater than the earth which is but like a very little point in comparison with heaven but so is the mercy of the heavenly Father incomparably greater than all sins Bern. Serm. 11. in Cant. col 518. Be far then from saying Mine iniquity is greater than the pity of a merciful God Thou shalt find God more bountiful than thou art faulty Gerson de remed contra pusillan So great is God's mercy that if thou hadst all the sins of the world upon thee and wert sorry that thou hadst proudly offended so good a God by thy sins and didst firmly purpose for the future to refrain therefrom God would never condemn thee Dost thou so forget the satisfaction made by Christ that thou wilt prefer thy sins before the merit of Christ that is thy self before God Thou seest the greatness of the disease Aug. in Psal 55. and seest thou not the power of the physician Thy sins are great Christ is far greater that satisfied for thy sins Thy sins are diverse but Christ also suffered diverse things for thee God is an infinite good whom thou hast offended by thy sins but Christ is an infinite person who hath reconciled thee to God Sigh therefore unto the heavenly Father and pray in the name of the Son thy Saviour If thou O eternal God Ansh de redempt gen hum fol. 96. despisest me for mine iniquity as I deserve however for the dearness of thy beloved Son look upon me with pity Observe in thy Son what thou maist atone in thy servant Behold the Sacrament of his flesh and remit the guilt of my flesh remember what â—â—y good Son has suffered and forget what thy bad servant hath done The Temptation of Blasphemy Tempted I must needs confess I am not only solicited to despair but am also sometimes tempted with the spirit of Blasphemy for there arise such thoughts in my heart as are injurious against God himself my Creator and my Saviour I would choose to die a thousand times to be freed from this temptation Comforter These thoughts are not the actions of thine heart but rather its bitter passions seeing thou art not delighted with them but thy grief from them is more bitter than death it self They are the scourges of Satan whereby he afflicts and torments thee they will not be reckoned for sin unto thee by the Lord. And though thou have the greatest impatience of spirit from the infirmity of thy flesh yet the Lord knows thy groans and thy sighs The weight of temptations did force hard words even from Job and Jeremy which yet the most bountiful God did fatherly forgive them Thou seest by them how altogether no strength unto good thou hast from thy self that thou maist cleave unto God alone with full trust of heart This is the top and highest degree of thy fight against Satan see that thou despond not here the greatest champion will be with thee and will not leave thee destitute of his help Wait patiently and humbly till thou art freed of these fiery darts of Satan Eph. 6.16 in the mean time let the grace of God be sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12.9 It is the flesh which so striveth against the spirit and is so ready and obedient to receive the darts of Satan the sin that dwells in thy flesh shall not be imputed unto thee if through the spirit thou mortifie the deeds of the flesh and consent not to those blasphemous thoughts Those fiery darts of Satan shall be quenched in the blood of Christ turn towards him the shield of faith and as soon as thou perceivest any blasphemous thought to arise betake thy self to prayer and so thou maist kill it as it were in the bud The particularness of the premises Tempted I perceive some comfort of the Spirit in my heart I observe some trust in my mind that keeps me from despair when I behold the mercy of God abounding over my sins and the merit of Christ which is of infinite price and value But I doubt whether the Evangelical promises of the mercy of God and merit of Christ belong to me For God is not only merciful but he is also a most just and severe punisher of sins and alas experience sheweth that all are not partakers of the benefits of Christ Comforter But look thou give not way to those seducing thoughts of the particularness of the Evangelical promises God calleth all to him desireth all will come unto him he offereth the word of the Gospel and in it the benefits of Christ unto all and that not feignedly but sincerely not hypocritically but with a mind to bestow Ezek. 18.31 32. ch 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a sinner but that he should turn and live Here thou hast the solemn oath of Divine truth thou seest their conversion is expected and desired by God that by their own fault die in their sins
of thy soul that he would prepare himself a meet habitation in thy heart Chrysost in 1 Cor. 11. thou considerest the greatness of those things that are present and set forth in the holy supper and thou considerest the largeness of the divine gift thou hungrest and thirstest after righteousness Matt. 5.6 and therefore thou shalt be filled those sins shall not hurt Luk. 15.20 which please not Thou hastenest with tears to thy heavenly Father thou grievest for thy sins and thou desirest to satisfie the hunger of thy soul with this heavenly food vers 22. doubt not but that the most bountiful Father will kiss and receive thee with joy he will give thee the first robe of innocence he will cloath thee with the garments of salvation he will put a ring on thy hand he will seal thee with his holy Spirit vers 23. he will put shoes on thy feet he will direct thee in the way of peace and righteousness he will fill thee with the flesh of that sacrifice that was slain on the altar of the Cross and was offered for a sweet savour to him Lay aside therefore all fear of eating unworthily he that is most unworthy in his own eyes is accepted with God he that displeaseth himself pleaseth God he that in himself is broken with true contrition of heart is lifted up again by the most bountiful hand of God Weakness of faith Tempted Faith is altogether requisite to the wholsome use of the Lord's supper and the partaking of the promises of the Gospel seeing to the partaking of an alms there is not only required the hand of the giver but there must also be the hand of the receiver But now my faith is weak the ship of my heart being tossed with various storms of temptations totters and casts me down from the firmness of faith Comforter Weak faith is yet faith and faith does not therefore lay hold on Christ and in Christ the grace of God forgiveness of sins and life eternal be-because it is strong but because it is faith a strong faith embraces Christ more strongly yet nevertheless a weak faith also does not reject Christ but savingly lays hold on him The faithful servant of God Christ thy saviour breaketh not the bruised reed Isa 42.2 nor quencheth the smoaking flax but receiveth him that is weak in faith most bountifully Rom. 14.3 The least spark of faith is the work of the Spirit because of our selves as of our selves we cannot as much as think a good thought 1 Cor. 3.5 but to will and to do is from God Phil. 2.13 therefore God will not despise his own work which he hath begun in thy heart by his holy Spirit but will perfect and confirm it Isa 66.13 As a mother comforteth her children so doth the Lord comfort us Now a mother treats an infant far more tenderly and has a greater care of it than of the rest that are grown up so God rejecteth not one weak in faith but takes care to heal and strengthen him as one languishing If ye shall have faith as a grain of mustard-seed and shall say to this mountain Remove from hence to such a place it shall remove Mat. 16.20 and nothing shall be impossible to you saith the Truth If a miraculous faith can do so much as to remove mountains though it hardly equal a grain of mustard-seed why cannot salvifick faith do the same even remove mountains of temptations and doubts be it never so weak and feeble God's strength is perfected in our weakness 2 Cor. 12.9 see therefore thou be not cast down in mind for the weakness of thy faith but rather look upon the strength of God God can water what is dry heal what is wounded bend what is stiff foster what is cold reduce what goeth out of the way Only acknowledge the weakness of thy faith and lean so much the more on the divine word for as the word is the seed of faith so also the nourishment Pray with Christs disciples Luk. 17.5 Lord encrease our faith and with the father of the Lunatick Mark 9.24 Lord I believe help thou my unbelief The not perceiving of faith Tempted My faith is not only weak but sometimes I perceive no faith at all in my heart nor do I call upon God with that fervency of spirit as can pierce the clouds I fear therefore lest my faith be quite perished and extinct and if faith be extinct what hope or safety can there remain to me I examine my self 2 Cor. 13.5 and lo I perceive not faith in my heart I shall therefore be of the number of reprobates Comforter The spirit helpeth our infirmity as it were by putting his hand under us For as we know not what we ought to pray for nor how to pray as we ought but in the mean time the Spirit interceeds for us with unutterable groans so sometimes we perceive not what or how we believe but the Spirit cherisheth and preserves faith in our heart A spark may lie hid rak'd up under the ashes although it appear not outwardly so faith sometimes dwells in the inmost recesses of the heart though it be not perceived of our selves Wherefore though thou perceivest no faith gather not presently from thence that all thy faith is perished and dead seeing thou yet desirest longest and art willing to believe that desire that longing that willing proceeds from faith Moreover 't is one thing not to perceive we believe and another not to be willing to believe that is a sign of languishing but this of obstinate stubbornness Christ does verily dwell in thy heart by faith Eph. 3.17 although thou do not manifestly feel that indwelling of grace even as the holy Spirit that inward comforter hath an holy dwelling in thy heart although he sometime withdraw from thee the sense of that comfort As Abraham the father of the faithful Rom. 4.8 against hope believed in hope so thou oughtest to rely upon the word against thy sense As we ought to captivate every thought to the obedience of faith 2 Cor. 10.5 so do thou captivate thy not feeling of thy faith by faith that is receive the word in thy heart and firmly cleave to it The seed lies hid under the clods of the earth when it does not as yet thrust forth so much as a blade so the seed of faith lies hid in the heart although the fruit thereof do not as yet fully and plainly appear In sleep thou perceivest not faith but who will say that faith is then perished so in this temptation a certain sleep as it were has oppressed thy soul so that thou perceivest not the motion of thy faith but far be it that thou shouldst therefore suppose faith extinct An inability to believe Tempted I breath indeed after my saviour but I both feel and grieve that I cannot believe I could have wish'd indeed that I might have
death by the help of thine heavenly Father thou maist raise upthy self so as to say with Job Job 13.15 Although the Lord kill me yet will I trust in him Ps 91.15 16. I am with him in trouble saith the Lord I will deliver him and honour him With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my salvation Rom. 3.39 Neither life nor death nor any creature can separate or pull us from this love of God seeing it is in Christ Jesus who is our eternal King and Saviour for ever The accusation of the Law the deformity of sin and the temptation of eternal casting off maketh the shew of death terrible seeing the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law 1 Cor. 15.55 but call to mind the consolation that was before opposed to these monsters and that outward shew of death that is terrible to look upon will vanish and will be changed into a most pleasant sleep The sting of death Tempted By sin death entred into the world and is the due wages of sin how then should I not dread death Comforter Truly in and of it self death is the wages of sin and the revenging scourge of an angry God but to those that believe in Christ it is changed into a most sweet sleep For although those that are born again and believe in Christ as yet carry about remainders of sin in their flesh Rom. 8.10 whence also their body is dead that is obnoxious to death because of sin dwelling therein yet the Spirit is life because of righteousness that is because by true faith in Christ they are justified from sins and by the Spirit resist the lusts of the flesh therefore that sin as yet remaining in the flesh is not imputed to them but is covered with the shield of divine grace Greg. Nyss in orat de morte Therefore by death the true and spiritual life of the soul doth not end in them but rather begins whereto death is made to be as it were the midwife Thence flow those sweet appellations whereby the holy Spirit who is the Spirit of truth doth describe the death of the godly For those who in the eyes of fools seem and are said by them to dye those the holy Spirit says are gathered or congregated unto their people Gen. 25.8.35.29.49.33 that is into the company of the blessed and triumphant Church in heaven where they come to those that died before or rather went before That which we call death is a travelling Tertul. lib. de patient p. 12. Cypr. de mortal p. 214. Chrysost hom 45. in Gen. col 375. Hilar. in Psal 140. it is not an exit but a transit not so much an emigration as a transmigration from worse to better an ablation of the soul and a certain most happy translocation not an abolition for the soul is requir'd again and translated into a place of rest not killed It is a transcension and ascension to true life Ambr. de bon mort c. 10. 2 Pet. 1.15 Joh. 5.24 It is an Exodus because by it the godly pass from the bondage of sin to true liberty even as the Israelites heretofore out of Egyptian bondage into the land of promise The godly are said by death to enter into peace Isai 57.2 and to rest in their beds namely because they come from that daily warfare upon earth to a place of peace from the troublous sea of this life unto the haven from the toilsom prison of this world to a place of rest They are said to be dissolved and to come to Christ Phil. 1.23 because they are brought out of the Inn as it were of this present life to an heavenly country and from a crew of wicked men to the blessed company of Christ in heaven by death they are loosed from their bodily bands for as oxen having laboured all the day are let out of their yoaks at length towards evening and as prisoners are loosed from their chains so the godly are by death freed of the sad yoke of the labours and pains of this life and from the dark dungeon of sin and by a sweet change are translated to a better life They are said to pass out of the land of their pilgâ—image by the dissolution of their earthly tabernacle Heb. 11.5 2 Cor. 5.8 and to be present with the Lord namely because they come from the ruinous cottage of the world to an heavenly palace from an house of clay to a city not made with hands eternal in the heavens from the tabernacle of an earthly body to the heavenly Jerusalem and the blessed company of Christ inhabiting it Cypr. serm de mortal pag. 208. It is his part to fear death that is unwilling to go to Christ It is his part to be unwilling to go to Christ that believes not to begin to reign with Christ They are said to rest from their labours Rev. 14. Ambr. de Bono mortis c. 2. for not the godly man but his misery dieth If this life be full of burden surely its end is ease now ease is good and death is the end therefore death is good 1 Cor. 15.38 They are said to be sown in the ground or the field of the Lord by death and buryal in that the bodies of the godly like precious granes of wheat shall spring up hereafter again to life That crop which from deceased Stigelius bodies springs Immortal glory to the body brings As under clods the wither'd granes do lie Which you would think were clearly cast away Yet in a while sprung up you may espy And unperceiv'd grow taller every day Even so our bodies that entombed were First raised then in glory shall excell What death had swallow'd up shall trophees bear And in eternal light with God shall dwell The bones of the godly shall flourish and wax green Isai 66.14 2 Sam. 7.12 Isai 26.20 Dan. 12.2 Mat. 9.24 when the spring of everlasting life shall come Lastly they are said to fall asleep For as in sleep we rest from our labour regain our wasted strength our soul in the mean time performing her operations so by death being brought from all the labours and dolours of this life to rest we gather new strength of mind and body the more readily and perfectly to perform those works for which we were created in the beginning and redeemed by Christ the soul in the mean while living and rejoicing in heaven As in our sleep we mind not what is done about us nor are troubled with the crowds of humane businesses so those that die in the Lord rest without all care and anxiety and are no longer subject to the evils of this life As again we are awaked out of sleep so death will not be a perpetual sleep but the time will come in which we shall hear the voice of Christ calling us out of the grave we shall again go forth