is the same man he was before only he hath a new endowment of the light of holinesse which he had not before Now thus the Spirit ever worketh where it dwelleth it is therefore called a river of living waters John 7.37 not a pond of dead but a river of living waters a pond will suffer dirt and mud to continue in it without opposition but a river of living waters purgeth out and casteth up its mire and dirt its foam and scum Isa 57.20 So the spirit of the world and flesh will let Atheism pride and unbelief to lodge and lurk in the soul without resistance unlesse it be a little from a natural conscience but the Spirit of God worketh out these gradually as generous wine worketh out lees and dregs The Spirit is also called fire Acts 2. Matth. 3.11 for as fire fighteth with the cold water that is over it and by degrees conquereth it and reduceth the water to its own likenesse of heat in some measure so the Spirit lusteth and fighteth against the flesh and by degrees overcometh the interest of it captivateth the soul to the obedience of Christ and conformeth the whole man in some measure to the Image of God Examine thy soul by this Doth the spirit within thee combat with and conquer thy corruptions Doth it enable thee to cast them away with shame and detestation Hath it turned the bent of thy heart and stream of thy affections after spiritual and heavenly things The waters of the sea as some write though by their naturall course they follow the center yet in obedience to the Moon are subject to her motion and so turn and return ebbe and flow So though thou by nature didst follow the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eye and the pride of life yet in obedience to the Spirit dost thou now follow its motions Hath the interest of the Spirit an actual predominancy in thy soul above the interest of the flesh Canst thou say that the interest of the spirit and the interest of the flesh do often meet together on a narrow bridge where both cannot go forward together and usually thou sufferest the Spirit to go forward and the flesh to go back When two Masters walk together and a servant followeth after it is not easie to know to which of the two the servant belongs but when the Masters part the servant is discovered whose he is When relgiion and the world have their interests together thou mayst be hid but when thy credit and Christ thy pleasure and the spirit come in competition as they will very often thou mayst discover thy self clearly whore servant thou art Speak friend and let thy conscience witness whether it be thus or no thou mast deceive and thereby undo thy self but thou canst not deceive God for if the Spirit do not sanctifie thee the Son will never save thee Pharao's Court admitted of Frogs and Lice and Noah's Ark received unclean Beasts into it but no such vermine can crawle into the heavenly Court Into it can in no wise enter observe Reader in no wise any thing that is defiled or unclean Revel 21.17 These are the words of the true and living God Canst thou think that thou hast the Spirit of God and shalt be a gainer by death who art a servant of unrighteousness who hast vain-glory covetousness hypocrisie carnal-mindedness within thee and never mournest under them as one heavy laden with them nor longest after Regeneratio gratuitam coram deo justificationem individuo nexu comitatur nec ab ea separari potest etiamsi distingui debeat Polan Syntag. lib 6. cap. 37. nor usest diligently the meanes for deliverance from them Dost thou live a spiritual life that instead of being dead to sin art dead in sin and shalt thou arrive at heaven who walkest in the road to hell I assure thee a King will sooner admit dunghill-rakers and privy-cleaners in their nastiest filthiest pickle into his bed then God will take thee if thou be such a one into heaven No Heaven is for the holy and for them only 2. The Spirit of God is a praying Spirit it is called the spirit of grace and supplication Zach. 12.10 the spirit of adoption Rom. 8.15 and of his Son whereby they that have it cry Abba Father Gal. 4.6 As Christ in Heaven makes intercession for them without them Heb. 7.25 so the Spirit of Christ on earth maketh intercession for them within them God never had any still-born children The fathers after the flesh sometimes have dumbe children but the Father of spirits never had any such Mans invocation of God presently followeth upon Gods effectual vocation of him One of the first signes of spiritual life in Paul was spiritual breathing Behold he prayeth Acts 9.6 and it is observable that prayer is the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending almost of all his Epistles And David was three times a day Psal 55.17 nay seven times a day at this blessed duty Psal 119.164 yea he was so wholly employed in it that he speaketh as if he were altogether made up of it Psal 109 4. Et ego oratio Moller legit But I prayer give my self unto as it is read in our translations is added for explanation as the different character sheweth as if prayer had been his essential constitutive part Some write of Latimer that he would pray so many hours that he was not able to rise Nazianzen saith of his Sister Gorgonia that she prayed so much that her knees seemed to be grown to the very ground * Hierom. in rit Paul the Eremite was found dead kneeling upon his knees holding up his hands and lifting up his eyes * Euseb Constantine the Emperour would not have his effigies set up as other Princes had in his armour leaning but in a posture of prayer kneeling Thus all the Children of God are frequent at asking their heavenly Father blessing Quorum spiritus domiti sunt qui â—ese deo subjiciunt mendici spiritu â—unius in Mat. 5.3 Now ask thy soul Doth the Spirit of â—od bring thee often upon thy knees Art thou one of the generation of seekers Psal 24.6 Art thou one of Gods suppliants Zeph. 3.10 Dost thou know what it is to be poor in spirit It is the character of the worst of sinners they call not on God Psal 14.4 a man once speechless is nigh unto deâ—th to be a beggar and to live altogether upon the almes-basket of heavens bounty Is there a constant trade driven betwixt God and thy soul God sending down mercies and thou sending up prayers This is the daily Exchange Canst thou better live without thy daily bread then this daily duty When thy heart is big with grief whither dost thou go Is this thy greaâ— ease that thou mayst empty thy soul into Gods eares Are thy prayers fervent prayers Is this holy fire put to thy daily sacrifices Is thy prayer made without ceasing or
were handled The Contents will make full satisfaction for that error My absence from the Press hath occasioned also some few mistakes in the body of the Book the most considerable of which I have observed and request thee to amend The Greek and Latine are mangled in the Margine but I intending not the Treatise for Scholars medled little with them and am the less troubled for the mistakes about them Errata PAge 7. line 21. r. is p. 20. l. 10. r. there p. 23. l. 21. add iâ— p. 37. l. 8. r. shall p. 41. l. 3. r. Demarathus p. 81. l. 23. r. such p. 116. l. 6. r. life p. 123. l. 2. add shall p. 159. l. 25. 1. whos 's l. 26. r. mayst p. 192. l. 24. add for p. 198. l. 20. add years p. 278. l. 4. for Christ is a co-heir r. Christ is heir Margine Pag. 4. r. an p. 35. â— adeptio p. 39. r. cummo Phil. 1.12 For to me to live is Christ and to dye is gain IT is a memorable observation of that Christian Heathen Vivere tâ—ta vita discendum est quod magis fortasse miraberis tota vita discendum est mori Sene. ad Paulin. cap. 7. as he hath been sometime called That the two great lessons which every man hath to learn in the whole time of his life are how to live and how to dye how to live vertuously and how to die valiantly These two weighty questions are clearly and fully answered in this Text. It declareth and delivereth such directions about life as could never be learned in the school of nature improved to the utmost It prepareth and provideth such a cordial against death as could never be extracted out of all the creatures distill'd together And indeed herein the excellency of the Christian Religion appeareth above all Religions in the world None enjoyneth such pious precepts none subjoyneth such precious promises none sets the soul about so noble a work none satisfieth it with such an ample reward The scope of the Apostle in this Epistle is first to confirm the Philippians in the faith of Christ against the scandal of the Crosse And secondly to exhort them to such godlinesse as might be answerable to the Gospel In this first Chapter Paul encourageth them greatly to be constant in Christianity 1. From the nature of God who never doth his works by halves but performeth what he promiseth and perfecteth what he beginneth ver 6. 2. From his own prayer which was for their increase and perseverance in grace and that inoffensively to Gods glory verse 9.10 3. From the happy fruits of his sufferings for the faith The Rod wherewith he was scourged like Aarons Rod blossomed First The Gospel was the more propagated verse 12. The more the Husbandmen were dispersed the more the seed of the Word was scattered and the deeper the ground was ploughed it took the better root and brought forth the greater fruit Secondly The Ministers of the Gospel were the more emboldned ver 14. True zeal like the fire burns hottest in the coldest season and sincerity like the stars though it may be hid in a warme day yet it will be sure to shew it self in a frosty night Thirdly Eveniunt mihi ut mi hisâ—ut salutaria Trem. in Phil. 1.19 Paul himself should be much advantaged verse 19. which latter he amplifieth by acquainting them with the reason of that hope namely the assistance of the Spirit of Christ verse 19. and the assurance God had wrought in him from his experience of what God had done for him that his Saviour should be honoured and his salvation furthered both by his life and death ver 20.21 The Text considered relatively contains the ground why the Philippians should not be troubled so much at Pauls trials For to me to live is Christ and to dye is gain i. e. If I be a gainer in all conditions why should you be discouraged by my afflictions If sufferings advantage the Pastor why should they dishearten the people The children may well enjoy a calm in their spirits when their spiritual Father is safe nay a gainer in the greaâ—â—st storme Take the words absolutely and they include first the character of a Christian while he liveth To me to live is Christ and secondly the comfort of a Christian when he dyeth and to die is gain Or you may take notice of the piety of a Saint in life To me to live is Christ and his profit by death to dye is gain For the meaning of the words To me To me who am the mark at which hell and the world shoot their arrowes of persecution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To me whose life hath been a ring of miseries ever since my conversion To me who am set to undergo both mens and devils opposition yet to me there are spiritual and inward consolations For to me to live is Christ To me to live is Christ To me who am in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nam mihi vivere Christus est i. e. Tota meavita ad hoc ordinata est ut per meum ministerium perque meam vocationem verbis factis promoveam pro mea virili regnum Christi Au non hac res bona cuique fideli optanda Zanch. in loc to me to live is Christ I live not only the life of nature but I live also the life of grace I have not only a being from Christ as a man but likewise a well-being in Christ as a Christian as I did receive my life from Christ so I do improve my life for Christ his honour is my utmost desire and my greatest endeavour And to die is gain i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diodate to this purpose I having had no other object no employment but Christ and his service in my life shall certainly have an eternal advancement at my death Or Christ is my life here by grace and hereafter by glory He is both the Authour and the end of my life I live for him I live to him I live in him I live by him and if I be put to death that shall no way endamage me but rather bring me great advantage in regard that thereby I shall gain heaven for earth an happy eternal life for this miserable mortal life So our larger Annotations sense it a Atqui Christus in utroque membro subjectum esse debet Christus vita in vita Christus lucrum in morte Cal. in loc Mihi enim est Christus in vita in morte lumen Beza Some indeed read the words Christ is my gain both in life and death and therefore the Apostle was little troubled at but rather indifferent to all conditions There is a certain truth in this Exposition though b Sic haec sententia non cohaerebit uâ— râ—tiocum praecedente quod tamen postulat conjunctio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namaliud â—st gloria Christi aliud salus Pauli Piscat in loc
Piscator will by no means grant it to be the mind of the Spirit in this place In the words you may see the sign of a Saint to him to live is Christ and his solace to him to die is gain his holy description in the former his happy condition in the latter The Text being thus explained affordeth this truth taking both parts of it together Doctrine That such as have Christ for their life shall have gain by their death He that liveth in Christ on earth shall live with Christ in heaven Where the soul hath the seed of holinesse it shall reap an harvest of happinesse The Apostle when he summeth up the estate of a believer counteth death as a part of his riches Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death all are yours 1 Cor. 3.22 and ye are Christs he that can say I am Christs may as truly say Death is mine If thou canst say I am Christs servant I am Christs Subject thou mayest say Death will be my preferment death will be my advancement For the Explication of this doctrine I shall shew first what is meant by that phrase to me to live is Christ and secondly wherein it will appear that death to such a man iâ— gain Four things in the phrase To me to live is Christ For the former To me to live is Christ may imply these four things 1. Christ is the principle of my life All living creatures have an inward principle by which they live and according to which they act Plants have a principle of vegetation beasts have a principle of sense Ad vitam spiritualem quod attinet certum est adnos derivari exiguos quosdam rivulos ipsum autem fontem in Christo latere Daven in Col. 3.3 men have a principle of reason and their lives are different answerable to their different principles But a Christian hath an higher principle that is Christ dwelling in his heart by faith Ephes 3.17 and thence it is that he lives an higher life As the body liveth by its union with the soul so the Christian liveth by his union with Jesus Christ Christ is the fountaine and spring of his life the soul of his soul and the life of his life I live saith the Apostle Gal. 2.20 yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Sonne of God As the branches they live but it is by the root they derive sap from it and so live by it So the believer he liveth spiritually but it is by Christ he deriveth the sap of grace from this true Vine and so liveth by him The water in the Rivers doth not more depend upon the Ocean nor the light in the air upon the Sun than the life of a Christian dependeth on Jesus Christ And therefore the Holy Ghost telleth us He that hath the Son 1 Joh. 5.12 hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life I have sometime read that the Lioness bringeth forth her whelps dead till after some time the lion roareth aloud and then they live This is certain every man and woman is born dead dead to God dead in sins and trespasses till this lion of rhe tribe of Judah uttereth his voice then they arise from the dead and Christ giveth them life When the soul like the body of Lazarus hath been dead so long that it stinketh and is unsavory when it hath been many dayes nay many years rotting in the grave of corruption then if Jesus Christ calleth effectually Lazarus come forth sinner come forth of thy carnal unregenerate estate then and not till then the soul heareth the voice of the Son of God and liveth Grace is of a divine birth Joh. 3.3 it is the seed of God John 3.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Except a man be born from above 1 Joh. 3.9 an unction from the holy One 1 Joh. 2.27 called dew which is of a coelestial extraction Psal 110.3 and light 1 Joh. 1.7 the fountain of water is in the earth but the fountain of light is in the Heavens Non nascimur sed renascimur christiani The web of godlinesse was never spun out of mans own bowels As none can see the Sun but by its own light so none can with an eye of faith see the Sun of righteousnesse but by the light of grace derived from him We are his workmanship saith the Apostle created in Jesus Christ unto good works His workmanship not only in our natural capacity as men as creatures and in our civil capacity as rich or poor high or low but also in our spiritual capacity as Christians as new creatures Secondly To me to live is Christ i. e. Christ is the pattern of my life my life is not onely from him but according to him Christ is the rule according to which I walk the copy after which I write As sin and disobedience is a resemblance of the first so grace and holinesse is a resemblance of the second Adam True christianity consisteth in nothing but our conformity to Sanctitas dicitur per quam mens scipsam suos actâ—â— applicat Deo So the Schoolâ—e and imitation of Jesus Christ And indeed as the child in generation receiveth from the parent member for member part for part and the paper from the press word for word letter for lettter and the wax from the seal figure for figure So in regeneration Christ is formed in the soul and it receiveth according to its proportion grace for grace One end of Christs incarnation and life in the flesh was to set an exact pattern for our lives in the spirit He left us an example that we shoeld follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 All the actions of Christ are instructions to a Christian His actions were either moral or mediatory In both the Christian imitates him In the former doing as he did exercising the same graces performing the same duties resisting the same temptations forbearing the same corruptions In the latter by similitude dying to sin as he died for sin rising to a spiritual life as he rose again to a natural life None indeed can parallel the life of Christ but every new creature imitateth Christ in his life he walketh as Christ walked Philip. 2 1 Joh. 2.6 The same mind is in all the Saints so far as they are regenerated that was in Christ the same will the same affections they love what he loveth they loath what he loatheth what pleaseth him pleaseth them what grieveth his spirit grieveth their spirits As the wicked are like their father the Devil unholy as he is unholy so the children of Christ are like their everlasting Father holy as he is holy onely with this difference in Christ there is a fulnesse in them a measure in Christ pureness in them a mixture Thirdly To me to live is Christ i. e. Christ is the comfort of
the Christian to a Kingdome which cannot be shaken But it commeth to the unregenerate as Ehud to Eglon And Ehud said I have a message from God unto thee and what was his message Judges 3.20 21. And Ehud put forth his left hand and took the dagger from his right thigh and thrust it into Eglons belly It is a messenger from God with a mortal wounding killing stabbing message to a sinner The pale white horse of death rides before and the red fiery horse of hell follows after The people of God pass safely through this red Sea of death which his enemies assaying to do are drowned are damned There is a great dis-agreement in the lives of the holy and unholy but O what a vast difference is there in their deaths they are like two parallel lines how far soever they go together they never touch in a point Their wayes differ and therefore their ends must necessarily differ Every mans end is virtually in his way their ways differ as much as light and darknesse and therefore their ends must differ as far as heaven and hell The one walketh in his own wayes Prov. 14.14 in the wayes of his own heart Eccles 7.9 in the broad way of the flesh and the world Matth. 7.13 and so his end is damnation Phil. 3.19 his latter end is that he shall be destroyed Fine discernuntur improbi ab electis Moller in Ps 37 for ever Numb 24.20 The other walketh in the way of the Lord Psal 119.1 in the way of his testimonies ver 14. in the narrow way of self-denial mortification and crucifying the flesh Maâ—t 7.14 and so his end is peace Psal 37.37 Such as the seed is which is sown such is the crop wich is reaped the unregenerate man soweth to the flesh and of the flesh reapeth corruption The sanctified soul soweth to the spirit and of the spirit reapeth life everlasting Galat. 6.6 7. The blind world indeed as it seeth not their difference in life the life of a Saint is an hidden life Col. 3.3 the Kings daughter is all glorious but 't is within Psal 45.13 the jewels of her graces are laid up in that privy Drawer the hidden man of the heart so it beholdeth not the difference in their deaths As dieth the wise man so dieth the fool to the eye of sense and they want the eye of faith Eccles 2.16 We see no difference say they betwixt the death of them you call prophane and your precise ones they die both alike to our judgments But this conceit Reader if thou art such an Athiest proceedeth from thy blindnesse and unbelief Thou art probably in the chamber when a drunkard a swearer or a civil moral yet unsanctified neighbour departeth this life thou seest his body trembling panting groaning dying but thou doest not see the ten thousand times worse condition his poor soul is in thou seest his kindred or relations weeping but thou doest not see the infernal spirits rejoycing thou dost not see the greedy Devils that waited by the bed-side like so many roaring lions for their desired deserved prey thou doest not see when the soul left the body how it was immediately seised on by those frightful hell-hounds in a most hideous horrible manner and haled to the place of intolerable and eternal torments thou doest not see the shoutings of those legions in hell at the coming in of a new prisoner to bear a part in the undergoing of divine fury in their blasphemies against heavens Majestie and in their estate of hopelessnesse and desperation Men saith a modern writer like silly fishes see one another caught and jerkt out of the pond of life but they see not alas the fire and pan into which they are cast who die in their sins Oh it had been better surely for such if they had never been born as Christ said of Judas then to be brought forth to the murtherer that old man-slayer to be hurled into hell there to suffer such things as they shall never be able to avoid or abide On the other side thou standest by a scorned persecuted Saint when he is bidding adieu to a sinful world thou seest the struglings and droopings of his outward man but thou seest not the reviving cordial the Physician of souls is preparing for his inward man thou doest not see those glorious Angels which watch and wait upon this heaven-born soul That waggon or chariot which the son of Joseph sendeth to fetch his relation to a true Goshen Never Roman Emperor rode in such a Chariot of Triumph as the Saint doth to heaven the inheritance of the Saints in light is as invisible to thee as those chariots of fire on the mountain were to the servant of the Prophet When the soul biddeth the body good night till the morning of the resurrection thou doest not see those ministring spirits sent down for the good of this heir of salvation presently solacing and saluting it Thou doest not see how stately it is attended how safely conducted how gladly received into the bosome of Abraham into the fathers house into that City whose builder and maker is God Thou doest not see the soul putting off with the cloathing of the body all sin and misery and putting on the white linnen of the Saints even perfect purity matchlesse joy and eternal felicity When thou canst see these things with the eye of faith thou wilt easily grant a vast difference between the death of the gracious and gracelesse Reader if thou art dead in thy sins and unacquainted with this spiritual life which I have before described nothing of that endlesse gain which the godly shall enjoy at death belongs to thee none of that fulnesse of joy of those rivers of pleasures of that eternal weight of glory shalt thou partake of I may say to thee as Simon Peter to Simon Magus thou hast no part nor â—â—t in this matter for thine heart is not right in the sight of God Thou mayest like the mad-man at Athens lay claim to all the vessels that come into the haven but the vessels of the promises richly laden with the treasures of grace and love do not at all appertain to thee If like a dog thou snatchest at the childrens bread thou art more bold than wel-come and wilt one day be well beaten for thy presumption Reader if thou art unregenerate and so diest look to thy self for thy lot must fall on this side the promised Land Thou mayest like a Surveyour of Land take a view of anothers Mannor and bring a return how stately the house is how pleasant the gardens how delightful the walks how fruitful the Pastures how finely it 's seated how fully it 's woodded how sweetly it is watered how fitly it is every way accommodated but as long as the Pronoun is wanting it can be but little comfort it is none of thine So thou mayst read and hear much of that comfort joy and richnesse of that incomparable
instantly Acts 26.7 stretched out upon the tenters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the word signifieth not so much in the length of the petitions as in the acting of holy affections Dost thou labour in prayer Coloss 4.12 i. e. wrastle with God as that word imports bending and straining every joynt of the new man in the soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instant in prayer a Metâ—phor from hunting dogs which will not cease following the game till they have got it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 11.8 Nazian saith of his sister Gorgonia that â— prayer she was modestly impudent that they may all help to prevail with God Are all the heavenly forces within thee united when thou prayest that if possible thou mayst take the Kingdome of heaven by storm by violence Matth. 11.12 What sai'st thou Reader dost thou like the importunate Widow take no denial but use an humble impudency as the Word of Christ includeth when thou art intreating the Divine Majesty for spirituals Or dost thou pray but it is as if thou prayedst not so dully and coldly that thou canst hardly hear thy self only as it were between sleeping and waking thou mumblest over a few petitions either out of custome or to stop the mouth of conscience never regarding whether God answer thy requests or no. Didst thou but consider the dreadful Majesty of that God to whom thou prayest the unvaluable worth of the soul and endless state for which thou prayest and the poor pittance of time upon which thy eternity dependeth that thou hast to pray in it might rouse thee out of thy security Common beggery as it is the poorest so it is the easiest trade A whispering devotion is seldome answered with a loud eccho from heaven Dr. Arron Serm. on 1 Sam. 7.12 p. 15. but this special as it is the richest so it is the hardest The fervent prayer is the prevalent prayer Jam. 5.16 The bullet will flie no farther than the force of the powder will carry it That arrow of prayer that would hit the mark must be drawn with full strength He that in prayer for grace through an humble dependence on Christ will not be denied shall not be denied Lip-labour doth no more than a windie instrument makes a loud noise and that is all Prayer without the travail of the soul is but the cold carcass of a duty and no wonder if it be unsavory in Gods nostrils How many among us are there that pray every day for pardon and holinesse and yet shall die without them and perish eternally for want of them and all because they never begg'd them in good earnest but were alwayes indifferent whether God heard them or no No day passed wherein Luther spent not 3 hours in prayer once it fell out that I heard him saith Vitus Theodorus of him Good God what a spirit what a confidence was in his very expressions with such reverence he pray'd as to a God with such assurance as to a Father or friend The child hath escaped many a stripe by his loud cry Heartlesse motions do but bespeak a denial whereas fervent suits offer a sacred violence both to earth and heaven I would have such know that the blessed God valueth his special ware at an higher rate than to bestow it on such as will not esteem it something answerably to its worth It were easie to instance how fiery and fervent the children of God in whom was this spirit of God which is compared to fire have been in their supplications look Gen. 32.24 25. Psal 5. Ps 77. Ps 88. Jacob wrestled with God and would not let him go unlesse he blessed him Christ seemed willing to shake him off Let me go saith Christ I will not let thee go unlesse thou blesse me saith Jacob. My limbs may go my life may go but no going for thee without a pawn without a blessing Thus indeed doth the seed of Jacob seek the face of their God and thence are called Israelites for as Princes they have power with God and prevail Gen. 32.26 27. And this is the difference betwixt the prayer of a living and a dead Christian the prayer of the former is instant and fervent not discouraged but rather increasing by opposition as lime by water cast upon it burneth the hotter see Matth. 15.22 and 25.27 the latter is flat and indifferent easily put off though it be with a crum instead of a crown with a bubble a butterfly instead of the everlasting fruition of God Any temporal good is satisfying to them that have no true spiritual good in them Psal 4.5 And the reason is clear the breath of a pair of bellows is cold because it doth not proceed from a living principle within but the breath of a man is warm because it cometh from a principle of life within so the prayer the breath of an hypocrite is cold because it doth not flow from the spirit of God the onely inward principle of spiritual life but the prayer the breath of a sincere Saint is warm is fervent because it proceedeth from this living principle the spirit of Christ within Indeed the Christian knoweth not how to pray as he ought but the spirit helpeth his infirmities with sighs and groanings which cannot be uttered Rom. 8.26 Doest thou pray constantly that duty which is done out of conscience will be done with perseverance A godly man will seek Gods face evermore Psal 105.4 and Ps 116.2 He calleth upon God as long as he liveth Breathing heaven-ward in prayer is the beginning and ending of his spiritual life upon earth as we see in Paul Act. 9.6 and Stephen Act. 7. ult He never taketh his leave of prayer till he is entering into the place of praise Prayer is his element he cannot live without it and communion with God in it Prayer is the vessel by which he is continually trading into the Holy Land he sendeth it out fraught with precious graces faith hope desire love godly sorrow and the like and it commeth home many times richly laden with peace joy and increase of grace But now an hypocrite Job saith will not pray alwayes he will not alwayes call upon God Job 27.10 possibly he may sometimes cry out as a Scholar undet the rod or a Malefactor upon the Rack for deliverance out of some affliction but when God openeth his hand and bestoweth the mercy his mouth is shut and his heart too that you shall hear but little more of this duty If he pray on his sick bed and God raise him up he leaves his prayers sick a bed behind him His prayer was but a messenger sent about some particular errand when that is done the messenger returneth As that story of the Friar speaketh how when he was a poor Friar he went ever sadly casting his eyes upon the ground but being Abbot he went merrily looking upward one of his companions asked him the reason of that alteration
hear a voice this hour as that wicked Pope did Veâ—i Miser in judicium Come thou wretch unto thy particular and eternal judgement what wouldst thou do where wouldst thou appear and where wouldst thou leave thy glory Isai 10.3 I would not for a world take thy turn How is it possible that thou canst eat or drink or sleep with any quietness of mind that in the day thy meat is not sauced with sorrow and thy drink mingled with weeping that in the night thou art not scared with dreams and terrified with visions when thy whole eternity dependeth upon that little thread of life which is in danger every moment to be cut asunder and thou to drop into hell Art thou a man that hast reason and canst thou be contented one hour in such a condition Art thou a Christian that believest the Word of God to be truth and canst thou continue one moment longer in that Sodom of thy natural estate which will be punished with fire and brimstone I tell thee didst thou and the rest of thy carnal neighbours but give credit to Scripture thou and they too would sooner sleep in a chamber where all the wals round the cieling above and floor below were in a burning light flame then rest quietly one moment in thine estate of sin and wrath But for thy sake thy condition yet not being desperate though very dangerous that thou mightest avoid the easeless misery of the sinner and attain the endlesse felicity of the Saint I have purposely written the next Use which I request thee as thou lovest thy life thy soul thine unchangeable good nay I charge thee as thou wilt answer the contrary at the great and dreadful day of the Lord Jesus that thou read carefully and that thou practice faithfully the means and directions therein propounded out of the Word of God 3. My third Use shall be of exhortation to those that are dead in sins to labour for this spiritual life Whoever thou art that wouldest have gain by thy death then get Christ to be thy life Hast thou read of that fulness of joy of those rivers of pleasures of that exceeding and eternal weight of glory of that Kingdom that cannot be shaken of that enjoyment of Christ of that full immediate fruition of God and in him of all good of that perfect freedom from all evil which they and only they shall be partakers of who have this spiritual life And is not thy heart inflamed with love to it thy soul enlarged in desire after it Extrema Christianorum desiderantur etsi non exâ—r iâ— Hiâ—â— thy will resolved to venture all and undertake any thing for it Surely if thou art a man and hast reason thy will and affections will be carried out after things that are good but if thou hast but a spark of Christianity thou canst not but be exceedingly ravished with things so eminently so superlatively so infinitely good The Historian observeth that the riches of Cyprus invited the Romans to hazard dangerous fights for the conquering it How many storms doth the Merchant sail through for corruptible treasures How often doth the Souldier venture his limbs nay his life for a little perishing plunder Reader I am perswading thee to mind the true treasure durable riches even those which will swim out with thee in the shipwrack of death Stephen Gardiner said of justification by Faith only that it was a good supper doctrine though not so good a break-fast one So the power of godliness this spiritual life though it be not so pleasant to live in as to the flesh yet it is most comfortable to die with When Moses had heard a little of the earthly Canaan how earnestly doth he beg that he might see it Deut. 3.25 I pray thee let me go over and see the good Land that is beyond Jordan that goodly mountain and Lebanon Thou hast read a little of the heavenly Canaan and hast thou not ten thousend times more cause to desire it Plato saith If moral Philosophy could be seen with moral eyes it would draw all mens hearts after it May not I more truly say if the gain of a Saint at death could be seen with spiritual eyes with the eye of faith it would make all men in love with it and eager after it Baalam as bad as he was did desire to die the death of the righteous and surely they that dislike their way cannot but desire their end but God hath joyned them both together and it is not in the power of any man to put them asunder therefore if thou wouldst die their deaths thou must live their spiritual lives Holinesse is the seed out of which that harvest groweth If thou wouldst be safe when thou shalt launch into the vast Ocean of eternity if thou wouldst be received into the celestial habitation when thou shalt be turned out of thy house of clay make sure of this life in Christ If an Heathen Prince would not admit Virgins to his bed before they were purified Est 2.12 canst thou think the King of Kings will take thee into his nearest and dearest embraces before thou art sanctified Believe it heaven must be in thee before thou shalt be in heaven Unless the Spirit of God adorn thy soul as Abrams servant did Rebeckah with the jewels of grace thou art no fit Spouse for the true Isaak the Lord of glory The brutish worldling indeed would willingly live prophanely and yet die comfortably dance with the Devil all day and sup with Christ at night have his portion in this world with the rich man in the other world with Lazarus There is a story of one thaâ— b iâ—g repâ—â—ved for his vicious life and pâ—rswaded to mind godliness would anâ— often Thâ—t it was but sayâ—ng three words at his death â—nd he â—as sure to have eternal life probably his three words were Miâ—erere mei Deus but he riding one day over a bridge his horse stumbled and as boâ—h werâ— falling into the river he cryeth out Capiat omnia diabolus â—o se and mâ—n â—nd all to the Devil As he l ved so he died with three words 〈…〉 such as he hoped to have had As the young swaggerer told his gracelesse companion when they had been with Ambrose and seen him on his death-bed nothing affrighted at the approach of the King of terrors but triumphing over it O that I might live with thee and die with Ambrose But this cannot be an happy death is the conclusion of an holy life The God who giveth heaven hath in great letters written in his Word upon what termes and no other it may be had He chooseth to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth 2 Thess 2.13 It is as possible for thee to enjoy the benefit of the Sons passion without the Fathers creation as without the Spirits sanctification Believe the word of truth John 3.3 Verily verily I say unto thee except a
then it runneth most freely and plentifully None might approach the King of Persia's Court in sackcloth and mourning Est 4.2 but no wandring sinner may draw near to the King of Heaven without it Aut paenitendum aut pereundum Except ye repent ye shall perish God is resolved to break the sinners heart on earth or his back in hell He will have the wound search'd and the pain of it felt before it be bound up and cured The wicked Prodigal must come to his Father with compunction in his soul as well as confession in his mouth Look therefore O sinner into the book of thy conscience and read over the black lines that still are in thy cursed heart and the bloody leaves of thy wicked life how long thou hast lived to little purpose yea to the killing of thy soul for ever how farre thou hast been from accomplishing the end for which thou wast born and the errand for which thou wast sent into the world Keep a petty Assize in thy heart preferre a large Bill of Indictment against thy self accuse and condemn thy self not only verbally but cordially if ever thou wouldst have Christ to acquit thee Thou hast spent many years in sinning and shouldst thou not spend some hours in sorrowing Thou didst make the soul of Jesus Christ sorrowful unto death shall not therefore thy soul be sorrowful when thy sorrow may be unto life Did the Rocks rent when he died for sin shall not thy rocky heart that thou hast lived 〈◊〉 sin He bled for thee and wilt not thou weep for thy self Thou hast filled Gods a Iob 14.17 Bag with thy fins and hast thou no tears for his b Psal 46.8 Bottle Hast thou so long broken the holy Commandements of God and shall not thy heart now at last be broken The damned feel sin it lyeth heavy on their souls couldst thou lay thy ear to the mouth of that bottomlesse pit thou mightst perceive by their yellowings and howlings that sin is sin in hell how lightly soever it is regarded by men upon earth The Lord Jesus felt sin Hadst thou been in the garden and seen his blessed body all over in a goar blood beheld those drops yea clods of blood that trickled down his face surely thou wouldst have believed that it was some heavy weight indeed which caused such a bloody sweat in a cold winter night And art not thou yet weary and heavy laden Do I speak to a man or a beast to a living creature or to a rock that will never be moved If thou hast a disease in thy body thou canst greive and complain and why not for the diseases of thy soul Are not they farre more deadly more dangerous If thou losest a child O what crying and roaring what wringing of hands and watering of cheeks nay if thou losest a place of profit an house or a beast thou canst mourn and think of it often with sorrow And doth it not greive thee that thou hast lost not thy child or cattel but thy Christ thy Saviour thy Soul thy God to eternity If thou missest a good bargain that was offered thee whereby thou mightst increase thy estate or if thou buyest or hirest at too dear a rate how dost thou beshrew and befool thy self for it Hast thou not ten thousand times more cause to be really and highly displeased with thy self and to abhor thy self in dust and ashes that thou shouldst have all the riches and glory and pleasures of the eternal Kingdom tendered to thee with many intreaties and yet thou hast refused them for the lying vanities of this world and for the pleasures of sin which are but for a season Thou hast denyed Heavens happinesse for a bubble a butterfly all things for nothing Did ever any fool buy so dear and sell so cheap Like Saul busie himself in seeking Asses when a Kingdom sought him Like Shimei seek his servant and thereby lose himself No fool like the sinner that embraceth a shadow which will certainly flee from him and neglecteth the substance which endureth to eternity Honorius the Emperor hearing that Rome was lost cried Alas alas very mournfully fearing it had been his hen so called which he exceedingly loved but hearing it was the famous City of Rome that was become a prey to his cruel enemies he made a tush at it Thus too too many can greive sufficiently for the losse of vanities riches but not at all for the losse of God and Christ and enduring felicities Well Friend repent timely and truly of this thy folly for I must tell thee shortly it will be too late if repentance be hid from thy heart now repentance will be hid from Gods eye then by whose Law thou art now a condemned man already if thy heart be hardened now in sinning the heart of God will ere long be hardened in sentencing thee to an eternity of suffering It is an infinite mercy that God yet alloweth thee liberty for second thoughts that notwithstanding thou hast shipwracked thy soul yet thou mayst swim out safe upon the plank of repentance O therefore think no pains too great to break thy stony heart it is worth the while when free grace hath promised a vast reward to that heaven-born work Hadst thou once offered up to God the sacrifice of a spirit truly sorrowful out of love to God and self-loathing because of fin I could tell thee as good as joyful news as ever thine ears heard The Father of mercies and God of comforts will be reconciled to thee in the Lord Jesus Thy prayers for pardon and life will pierce Gods ears and find acceptance if they proceed from a broken heart from sincere repentance A penitent tear is a messenger that never went away without a satisfactory answer Prayers with such tears are prevalent yea in Luthers phrase omnipotent Musick upon the waters sounds most pleasantly Thou hast heard the voice of my weeping saith David Psal 6.8 Augustus Caesar having promised a great reward to any that could bring him the head of a famous Pirate did yet when the Pirate heard of it and brought it himself and laid it at his feet Suet. in vit not only pardon but teward him for his confidence in his mercy As * Plutarch in vâ—t Alex. Antipater was answered by Alexander Thou hast written a long Letter against my Mother but dost thou not know that one tear of hers will wash out all her faults When the returning sinner weeps the tender-hearted Father smi es As he rejoyceth and laugheth at obstinate sinners destruction and ruine Quodâ— Deus loquiâ—ur cum risu tu legas cum fletu Aug. Proverbs 1.26 so he rejoyceth and smileth at the penitent sinners conversion He will do something for an hypocritical humiliation to assure us that he will do any thing upon a sincere humiliation Seest thou saith God how Ahab humbleth himself this judgement shall not be in his dayes but in his Sons
excellencie is there in that soul which is united to a Saviour It is called the life of God Eph. 4.18 Surely no life can be more honorable than the life of God yet in their measure the sanctified ones live the very same life that the glorious God the fountain of all true honor liveth David though a King thought himself honored by being Gods subject and therefore as others before their works mention those titles which belong to them and speak their honor David stileth himself before the six and thirtieth Psalm a servant of God as his most honorable title Constantine and Valentinian two Emperors subscribed themselves Vasallos Christi Socr. A Psalm of David a servant of the Lord. If it be such an honor to serve an Earle a King what is it to serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Godlinesse is called a walking with God Gen. 5.24 a conversing or having fellowship with the Father and Jesus Christ his Son 1 John 1.3 For God to walk and converse with us is his greatest humiliation but for us to walk or converse with God is our highest exaltation The righteous saith the wise man who had judgement to set a due price upon persons is more excellent then his neighbor Prov. 12.26 Let him live by never so rich or great men yet if they want grace they are not comparable to him Sumus Domini non tantum in Genitivo singulari sed etiam in Nominativo plurali Luth. The godly man hath the most honorable birth he is born of God John 1.13 the most honorable breeding he is brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord the most honorable Tutor and Teacher the good Spirit of God John 14.16 the most honorable Attendants the glorious Angels the most honorable employment his main work is to wait upon God The most honorable Relations A King for his Father 2 Cor. 6. ult A Queen for his Mother Gal. 4.26 The excellent of the earth Psal 16.3 Lords in all Lands Psal 45.16 Higher then the Kings of the earth Psal 89.27 Those Worthies of whom the world is not worthy for his Brethren Hebr. 11. Numa second King in Rome though an Heathen could say That he held it an higher honor to serve God then to rule over men The Jews say That those seventie souls which went down into Egypt were more worth then all the seventie Nations of the world beside If the glorious Angels in heaven are more honorable than the Devils sure I am it is holinesse that maketh the difference The most gaudy and goodly fruits of moralitie springing from the soil of nature manured and improved to the utmost The Heavens bespangled with those glittering Stars and adorned with that illustrious Sun are nothing glorious in comparison of the heart of a poor Christian that is embroidered with grace It is godlinesse alone that addeth worth and value to all our civil and natural things as the Diamond to the Ring Nothing doth really debase and degrade a man but sin and nothing doth truly advance or innoble the soul but holinesse Job scraping himself on the dunghill and Jeremiah sinking in the mire were more honorable and glorious than Ahab and Ahaz on their Thrones with their Crowns If the respect we have from others makes us honorable then they that are most precious in Gods sight are most honorable Isai 43.4 If it be some internal excellencie that makes men honorable then they that have the Image of God must be most honorable It is worthy our observation that sin is so ignoble and base that those wicked ones who love it most are ashamed to own it openly but because of the excellencie of holinesse will set that forth for their colours their banners though indeed they fight Satans battels That forlorn hope for hell 2 Tim. 3.5 of covenant-breakers blasphemers men without natural affection yet they will have a form of godlinesse though they do sins drudgery yet they are ashamed of their base master and therefore wear the Saints livery having a form of godlinesse Nay the Devil himself will appear in Samuel's mantle and transform himself into an Angel of light But holinesse is so excellent that God is pleased to esteem it as his own beauty and glory How often is he called The holy One of Israel The Angels ascribe holinesse to him by way of eminencie Holy Holy Holy Isai 6.3 we read not in Scripture of any of Gods other Attributes thrice repeated to shew that the Dignity of God consisteth in this And so doe the Saints in heaven praise him for it as his Excellencie Rev. 6.10 and the Saints on earth Exod. 15.11 Holinesse is the character of Jesus Christ The Image of the infinitely glorious God nay it is called the divine nature Surely then they that have most of it are most honorable and they which want it how full soever they are of all other excellencies are base and contemptible Secondly As this spiritual life is most honorable so it is most comfortable There is no life so pleasant and delightful as the life of a Saint The merry grigs and jolly gallants of the world whose sinful mirth is worse than madnesse will needs tell us that godlinesse makes men mopish and melancholy that when once we salute Religion we take our leave of all delight and consolation whereas indeed there never was true peace born but it had purity for its parent All other is spurious and illegitimate But the world like the Primitive Persecutors put Christians into the skins of Beares and Buls and then bait them as if they were really such And the hand of the Devil is in all this who like the Indians maketh great fires to fright Mariners from landing at such Coasts as would be most for their comfort and contentment Believe Reader the true and faithful Witnesse His wayes are wayes of pleasantness and all his paths are peace Prov. 3.17 It is not sanctity but their want of it or mistake about it which maketh them sorrowfull It is confest Saints may be sad they doe not cease to be men when they begin to be Christians It was in thy company it may be O sinner No wonder Fish cannot sport themselves when they are out of their element Birds do not sing on the ground but when they are mounting on high towards heaven And probably their hearts were heavy out of compassion to thee whom they observed to be hastening to hell and dancing merrily over the very pit or destruction and easeless misery Thou seest their sorrows sometimes thine eyes may behold their tears but thou dost not see their joys thy heart cannot conceive them Saint Austâ—ne relateth concerning an heathen that shewed the father his idol gods saying Here is my God where is thine and then pointing up to the Sun he said Here is my God but where is thine I shewed him not my God saith Austine not because I had none to shew but because he had no