all the enemies of a Christian are either reconciled or conquered and foyled and what then need he feare them For God that is an enemie to every man naturally he is reconciled Christ hath made our peace with God hee hath made our attonement we need not feare him slavishly though wee may and must feare him with a filiall feare we must not bee afraid of him with horrour as to runne from him but wee must so love him as to reverenâ—…e before his foot-stoole Againe in regard of the evills of the world they are enemies too but how Christ hath beene pleased to sweeten these to us all things in the world saith the Apostle speaking of afflictions Rom. 8. they worke for good to them that feare God Shall a man be afraid of his owne good Nay there is nothing in the world that more workes our good then afflictions and losses and crosses we might spare any thing better then them shall we be afraid of that that workes our good Death it is reconciled and made our friend It was the greatest enemie Christ hath pulled out the sting and changed the nature of it he hath made it the birth-day of eternitie a sweet passage to a better life Death brings not evill to a man that is in covenant with God but rather terminates all evill that he is molested with in the world So then some enemies are reconciled and made our friends and these wee have no reason to feare Againe there are some that are irreconcileable and they are conquered and overcome The Divell will never be friends with us therefore Christ hath spoyled principalities and powers and trampled Satan under-feet and now if he walke about yet hee is in his chayne he can bite but he can hurt none but those that willingly betray themselves into his hands For sinne it is of a condemning nature but those that are in covenant with God and walke with him it is removed as farre from them as the East is from the West it is throwne into the bottomelesse sea of Gods mercy so that it shall never anger God or hurt us any more then if we had not committed it Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Nay more God hath bestowed his Spirit whereby hee hath freede our hearts and whereby if a man labour to stirre up the grace of God in him and to walke comfortably as he might in the presence of God he might through the power of God free his heart from these horrours and feares for saith the Apostle yee have not received the Spirit of bondage to feare againe but yee have received the Spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father The Spirit of bondage casts downe the soule with horrour and feare but wee have the Spirit of God to assure us that wee have God for our Father reconciled in Christ and so by consequent that our sinnes are pardoned that death is overcome that Principalities and powers are spoyled and all things in the world though contrary in themselves yet they shall worke for our good So you see the ground of it a Christian hath no enemies some enemies are reconciled and others are trampled under foote that they cannot hurt him And wee receive this freedome by the Spirit of God that if wee would stirre it up and labour to walke as becommeth Christians we may make our lives very comfortable Briefly for Application First let us all take notice of the command that God gives to Abraham of this incouragement and make use of it to our selves and know that the power of grace and Religion must reflect upon a mans selfe He beloved shall be accounted the best Christian before God and in the sight of judicious men whose Religion is practicall and reflects upon himselfe Now there are many busie ones in the world that meddle with the conversations of others and are still talking and complayning of things without themselves but surely he is a happie man that reformes himselfe and that sets in tune his owne affections and passions as this in particular to labour to be without slavish and inordinate feare Alas wee may complaine of many that finde fault with many things but if they looke within there is a combustion of a great many unruly affections and passions and these are the things we never complaine of wee finde not fault with our selves as wee should wee should take notice of the Law of God that it is spirituall to set in order our hearts and mindes and soules as well as our tongues and hands The law of man reacheth but to the outward man if a man keepe himselfe in order in regard of these thought is free and the Law doth not take hold of a man for his affections but the Law God doth therefore you know that lusting after a woman in Gods account is reputed adultery the hating of a mans brother in his heart is accounted manslaughter he is accounted a murtherer that hates his brother so he that is angry unadvisedly you know what he is in danger of and that man is accounted guiltie before God that cannot order his affections in regard of those unruly passions that are within him This I observe by the way God in Scripture takes especial notice of it I am perswaded it is an infallible distinguishing character between an hypocrite a sincere child of God an hypocrite labours to wash the outside hee hath a demure countenance cleane hands smooth language c. these things are good but he goes no further he makes no conscience of secret contemplative wickednesse of the lusts of his heart and the thoughts of his minde these things he never enters into himselfe to mortifie But that man that is conscionable so walkes with God as that a wrie affection an inward lust after somewhat that is evill troubles him and humbles him before God the vanitie of his thoughts in secret cause him to mourne before God this is a signe of a man that walkes before God and accounts God a Spirit that searcheth the hearts and tryeth the reynes and therefore if ever wee will approve our selves to God let our Religion bee practicall and reflect upon our selves and among other things upon our inward man to set that in order Secondly by way of instruction we see what happy men and women we might be if we were not our owne foes If wee could attaine this pitch to live without feare that nothing should trouble us were it not a happy condition surely it is a thing feazeable some Saints have attained it in a great measure you know David when Ziglag was taken his wives gone all the spoyle taken and the people were ready to stone him what did poore David hee can incourage himselfe in the Lord his God notwithstanding this So it may be with a poore Christian his friends may forsake him perhaps the world is gone riches take to themselves wings it may bee his body is
the oath of Alleageance some for attempting to blow up Parliament houses Such as these are not Martyrs It is not the punishment it is the cause that makes the Martyr Our blessed Lord himselfe that never did evill was crucified betweene two evill doers there was an equall punishment there was not an equall cause It must be the cause that wee must looke to if wee looke to be blessed But I cannot stand upon that Here is the first interpretation To die in the Lord is for the Lord. But there is a second and that is more large Die in the Lord that is die in the faith of the Lord. Salute Andronicus and Iunius my fellow prisoners which were in the Lord before mee saith S. Paul that is that were Beleevers that were in the faith before mee And to let passe many other places if there bee no resurrection of the dead saith the Apostle then wee that are asleepe in Christ c. If wee beleeve that Iesus died then those that sleepe in Iesus shall hee bring with him c. And againe Hee shall descend from heaven with a shout and they that are dead in Christ shall rise first Now what is it to die in Christ in a large sense I will tell you Hee that would die in Christ first hee must die in obedience There are many workes of obedience that wee are to doe Our last and greatest act of obedience is to resigne up this same spirit of ours willingly chearfully into the hands of God that gave it If wee have not attained to that strength that some have done that is to live patiently and die willingly yet wee should labour to attaine to thus much strength to live willingly and to die patiently So as Christ may bee magnified in my body saith the Apostle I passe not it makes no matter let it either bee by life or by death When wee have done the worke that God hath set us to doe wee must be gone and thus must every one say with himselfe Lord if I have done all the worke thou hast appointed mee to doe call me away at thy pleasure Here is the first In obedience Secondly Die in repentance I remember what Possidonius said of Saint Augustine a little before his death that it was necessarie that men when they died they should not goe out of the world absque digna competenti resipiscentiâ without a fit competent repentance Hee himselfe did so for he caused the penitentiall Psalmes to be written and they were before him as hee lay upon his bed and hee was continually reading those penetentiall Psalmes and meditating upon them with many teares he died even in the very act of contrition I doe love to see a man chearefull upon his death-bed but I doe more love to see a man penitent There is a day indeed when God will wipe away all teares from our eyes When that commeth then he will wipe away these teares of repentance too these teares of godly sorrow But the Lord grant he may find mee with teaees in mine eyes Thirdly Die in faith Indeed if ever Faith had a worke to doe it hath then a worke to doe when all other comforts in the world faile us and friends goe from us then faith to lay hold on the promises I know that my Redeemer liveth and that I shall rise againe at the last day and bee covered with my skin and shall see God with these same eyes Thus faith And then fourthly Die with Invocation calling upon the name of God Thus have all the Saints of God done continually commending of their soules to God in prayers Saint Paul would have us commend our soules to God in well-doing And it is a necessary thing every morning wee rise and every night wee goe to bed but especially when wee see some harbingers of death sent unto us then to have nothing to doe but with our blessed Lord Father into thy hands I commend my spirit And with Saint Steven Lord Iesus receive my spirit And next to this let me put in also Mercie Charitie Die forgiving one another Thus our Lord taught us to doe when he cried out Father forgive them for they know not what they doe And Saint Steven taught us to doe so too Lord lay not this sinne to their charge And then lastly for I cannot stand upon these things there must be a death in Peace Peace with God Peace with our owne consciences and Peace with all the world And now the man that dieth thus dieth with willingnesse Dieth in repentance dieth in faith dieth with invocation dieth in charitie dieth in peace this man dieth in the Lord and such a one is blessed They that would thus die in him must live in him A man cannot bee said to die in London that never lived in London A man cannot be said to die in the Lord that never lived in the Lord. If thou dost not live in obedience in faith in repentance in invocation in charitie in peace thou canst not die in these A man must first live the life of the righteous before he can die the death of the righteous And then againe if a man would die thus Hee must bee well acquainted with death grow familiar with him by meditation Many things more I might have said to this purpose but I am loth to transgresse the houre I have done with that Give me only leave now to speake in a few words unto the present occasion You have brought here beloved the body of your wellloved neighbour Mistris S. H. late the Wife of your late reverend Pastour Doctor R. H. to be layed up together with her Husband in hope of a blessed and glorious resurrection It is long since that I did in this place performe this service at the buriall of his former Wife a woman of whom I may not speake for though I hold my peace the very stone here in the wall will say enough of her and you that know her cannot but assure the truth of it I am intreated to performe now the like duty to the second Wife And I was easily intreated to doe it for that name of brother and sister that was usually betweene us for many yeares continued may very well challenge of me any dutie I am able to performe I am straitned in time and I cannot speake what I would and I doe perceive alreadie by this that I have spoken that if I should speake much more my passion would not give me leave Let me tell you one thing amongst many others it is a thing extraordinary and it is for imitation The Vertuous woman in the last of the Proverbs is commended for many things Amongst others this is one Shee doeth her husband good and not evill all the dayes of her life And marke it I pray you It is not all the dayes of his life and yet peradventure some woman might bee thought a good
enemie and so the Apostle tearmeth it the last enemie that shall bee destroyed is Death For albeit Death by accident is an advantage as oftentimes an enemie doth a man a good turne which occasioned that excellent Treatise of Plutarch wherein he sheweth us how to make an Antidote of poyson and a good use of other mens maâ—…ice yet is it in it selfe an enemy alwayes to Nature and to grace also it sets upon the elect and the Reprobate the beleever and the Infidell the penitent and the obstinate but with this difference it flyes at the one with a deadly sting but at the other without a sting the one it wounds to death the other it terrifieth and paineth but cannor hurt But there being divers kinds of death which of them is here meant Death is a privation and privations cannot bee defined but by their habits that is such positive qualities as they bereave us of for instance sicknesse cannot be perfectly defined but by health which it impaireth nor blindnesse but by sight which it destroyeth nor darknesse but by light which it excludeth nor death but by life which it depriveth us of Now if there bee a fourefold life spoken of in Scripture viz. 1. Of nature 2. Of sinne 3. Of grace 4. Of glory There must needs be a foure-fold death answerable thereunto 1. The death of Nature is the privation of the life of nature by paâ—… soule and bydy 2. The death of sinne is the privation of the life of sinne by mortifying grace 3. The death of Grace is the privation of the life of grace by reigning sâ—…ne 4. The death of Glory is the privation of the life of Glory by aiâ—… and finall exclusion from the glorious presence of God and the kingdome of heaven and a casting into the lake of fire and brimstone prepared for the divell and his angells Of Death in the first sence David demandeth who is hee that liveth and shall not see death and shall hee deliver his soule from the hand of hell Of Death in the second sense Saint Paul enquireth how shall wee that are dead to sinne live any longer therein Of Death in the third sense Saint Paul must be meant where he rebuketh wanton Widowes Shee that liveth in pleasure is dead while shee liveth Of Death in the fourth sense Saint Iohn is to bee understood Blessed is hee that hath part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power Saint Austin joyneth all these significations and maketh one sentence of divers senses hee is dead to death that is Death cannot kill hurt or affright him who is dead to sinne And another of the Ancients makes a sweet cord of them like so many strings struck at once hee that dyeth before hee dyes shall never die hee that dyeth to sinne before hee dyeth to nature shall never dye to God neither in this world by finall deprivation of grace neither in the world to come of glorie Of these foure significations of Death the first and last fort with this Text for that the first is to bee meant it is evident by the consequence here O grave I will be thy destruction And by the antecedents in Saint Paul When this corruptible shall put on incorruption c. And that the second is included may bee gathered both from the words of Saint Iohn And Death and bell were cast into the lake of fire and of our Saviour I was dead and I am alive and have the keyes of Hell and of Death And so I fall upon my second Observation viz. the Person menacing I the second person in Trinitie our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The word here used Ehi is the same with that we reade Exod. 3. Ehi Ashur Ehi I am that I am and if the observation of the Ancients be current that wheresoever God speaketh unto man in the old Testament in the shape of man or Angell we are to understand Christ for that all those apparitions were but a kind of preludia of his incarnation then the Person here threatning can bee no other then he besides the word Egilam in the former part of this verse being derived from Gaal signifying propinquus fuit or redemit jure propinquitatis pointeâ—… to our Saviour who by assuming our nature became our Alic by blood and performed this office of a kinsman by redeeming the inheritance which we had lost But we have stronger arguments then Grammaticall observations that he who here promised life to the dead and threatneth plagues to Death was the Sonne of God the Lord of quick and dead for the same who promiseth to redeeme from the Grave threatneth to plague Death but we all know that Redeemer is the peculiar style of the Sonne as Creator is of the Father and Sanctifier of the Holy Ghost tu redemisti nos thou hast redeemed us to GOD by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and Nation To the redemption of a slave that is not able to ransome himselfe three at least concurre the Scrivener who writeth the Conditions and sealeth the Bonds the partie who soliciteth the businesse and mediateth for the captive and layeth downe the summe agreed upon for his ransome and the person in whose power the captive is and who accepteth of the ransome Which of these is the Redeemer you will all say he that is at the cost of all so it is in our redemption from spiritual thraldome the holy Spirit draweth the condition and sealeth the bonds the Father receiveth the ransome the Sonne both mediateth for the ransoming and layeth downe the summe For we were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but the pretious blood of Christ as of a Lambe without blemish hee tooke part of our nature that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the divell and deliver them who through the feare of death were all their life time subiect to bondage Hence we gather that hee that destroyed Death must die but to affirme that the immortall and eternall Spirit of God expired is blasphemie and to say that the Father suffered is heresie longagoe condemned in the Patro-passions we conclude therefore with the Apostle that the second Person Christ Jesus hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortalitie to light by the Gospell And so I fall upon my last Observation the judgement here mentioned Devorica 3. Thy plagues there is no tittle or iota in holy Scripture superfluous some mysterie therefore lyeth in the number plagues in the plurall not plague in the singular which I conceive to be this that Christ put Death to many deaths and foyled and conquered it many wayes first in himselfe secondly in his members First in himselfe by destroying sinne the sting of Death Secondly by breaking the bonds thereof in his powerfull Resurrection wherwith it was impossible that hee should be
at her death Her life was well knowne to most of this place and her death was every way answerable to her life all that visited her in her sicknesse might behold with sorrow a pittifull anatomie of fraile mortalitie and yet with joy a perfect patterne of Christian patience and a heavenly conversation and though shee were full of divine conceptions and shee had a spring by her of the waters of life in the devotion of her dearest helper especially in the best things yet when I came to her shee desired shee might be partaker of some of my meditations they were her owne words and when I prayed with her and for her shee joyned not so much with me with her tongue as her affections and answered more in sighes and teares then in words often shee complained of her tuffe heart that would not yeeld to her dissolution and long long sheethought it till shee should come to appeare before the God of Gods in Sion Her last words were sweet Father helpe me and shee had her request for presently hee helped her both by the zealous and most feeling prayers of her Husband and by the holy spirit assisting her in her owne prayers with sighes and groanes that cannot be expressed and immediatly her swâ—…et Father released her of her pangs and received her to himselfe on his owne day On the Lords day morning before the morning watch I say before the morning watch shee entered into her rest and began to keepe her evarlasting Sabbath in heaven where shee reapeth what she sowed and seeth what shee beleeved and enjoyeth what she hoped for and is now entered into those joyes which never entered fully into the heart of any living on earth nor shall into ours till wee with her be made perfect and all of us come to Mount Sion and the heavenly Ierusalem and innumerable company of Angels and to the Congregation of the first-borne whose names are written in heaven and to the spirits of just men and women made perfect Whether the God of peace bring us in our appointed time who brought againe from the dead the great sheepheard through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant To whom with the holy Spirit c. FINIS FAITHS ECCHO OR THE SOVLES AMEN ISAY 64. 1. Oh that thou wouldest rent the Heavens that thou wouldest come downe IER 11. 5. So bee it O Lord. Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. FAITHS ECCHO OR THE SOVLES AMEN SERMON XLVII REVELA 22. 19. Amen Even so come Lord Iesus THese words they afford to us a comfortable and sweet argument to bee conversant in From the sixt verse of this Chapter is set down to us the confirmation of the whole Prophesie and booke of the Revelation partly by the affirmation of God as likewise of Jesus Christ and of Iohn himselfe that heard and saw all these things and likewise of the Church of God in the 17. verse it is likewise confirmed by the promise of blessing and happinesse pronounced upon them that shall doe all these things and shall faithfully expect the accomplishment of them This verse a part of which I have read to you is the repetition in few words of all that matter that goeth before from the 6. verse to it and hath in it First an attestation of our Lord and Saviour Christ in the former part of the verse Behold I come quickly Secondly an acclamation of the Church in the latter part these words I have read to ye Amen even so come Lord Iesus In the attestation of Christ hee promiseth hee will come to his Church hee will come shortly both for the accomplishment of all his promises and likewise for their safety and deliverance from all enemies and all miseries and molestations whatsoever To this the Church makes an acclamation and saith Amen even so come Lord Iesus In this acclamation of the Church to which wee must now come we are to consider First the person of the speaker whose words they bee Secondly what is the matter or substance contained in them Yee shall see whose words they bee if ye looke backe but to the 17. verse of this Chapter there ye shall finde that first it is sayd the Spirit sayth come By the Spirit is not meant the third Person in Trinitie the holy Ghost because hee is not subject to these passions to these desires but hee resteth himselfe in the execution and present disposing and dispensing of things according to his owne will and pleasure Neither by Spirit here is meant any wicked spirit or Angell for they doe with feare and horrour expect the same comming of our Lord and Saviour Christ because his comming shall bee the accomplishment of their miserie and eternall infelicitie But by Spirit here is meant the spirit in all the Elect and holy people of God in whomsoever the Spirit of God is that Spirit doth say come and doth wish the accomplishment of all these most gracious promises For this is not the desire of the flesh or of nature but an earnest and vehement desire of the Spirit of God in the Elect that saith come Againe secondly the same verse telleth us that the Bride sayth come That is the Church of God in generall the Catholike Church the whole Church of God being now hand-fasted to Christ and entred into a spirituall contract with him Shee desireth the consumation of the Marriage the solemniation of the Marriage which is alreadie begun in the contract of it and not onely every particular member of the Church in whom the Spirit of God is saith come but the Church of God in generall the Bride sayth come the whole Church saith come wishing and desiring the accomplishment of the Marriage which is already begun In the third place the same verse telleth us that as the Spirit and the Bâ—…ide say come so hee that heareth saith come that is not onely the Church of God that is now present here upon the face of the earth but the successive parts of the Church in all future Ages they are all of the same minde having received the same Spirit they all say come Whosoever heareth this Prophesie whosoever heareth of these promises in any Age or Countrey of the World all they having the same spirit they must needes say come hee that heareth sayth come hee that is acquainted with the promises that commeth to the knowledge of them and doth mingle them with the faith of his soule this man must needs say come to the accomplishment of them And lastly Hee that is a thirst sayth come too that is whosoever hath tasted of the sweetnesse of Christ in any measure whatsoever and therby hath wrought in him a vehement thirst after more this man will say come Whosoever hath such a sence of Christ in his promises as to taste of the sweetnesse of these never so little as hee that hath tasted a droppe of honey wisheth for more so hee that hath tasted of the sweetnesse of Christ a
sobrietie Every sinne beginneth in impatience when a man cannot beare with that abstinence and forbearance as formerly cannot keepe that strict course in his wayes but groweth impatient against the rule of God he runneth into a course of sinne presently So you see that for the very preserving the soule the subject of grace and grace the treasure of the soule it is necessary that wee should have patience And then againe thirdly It will appeare thus to you that a Christian cannot be perfect without patience because hee cannot doe his worke without Patience he cannot doe the workes of Religion the taske that God layes upon him without Patience Looke in what measure Patience is defective in that measure hee halteth in his dutie in the very actions of Religion hee goeth about Take any one duty of Religion that you can name see whether a man can doe that without Patience Suppose it be Prayer How can a man goe on in the duty of prayer without Patience Sometime God delayeth the grant of a mans petition A man will now sinke and give over in discouragement if hee have not Patience to support the soule The Canaanitish woman when shee came to Christ and spake once to him and hee did not answer a word she had so much Patience as to make her speake the second time to him then he answered her but churlishly but yet her Patience held her to the third tryall at last she received her desire had she not beene patient to goe on with her request shee had lost her petition The Apostle Paul in 2 Cor. 12. for this thing saith he I besought the Lord thrice Hee would have given over at the first seeking of the Lord if he had not had Patience to uphold him to the second and third petition to the renewing of his suit twice nay thrice Come from praying to hearing the Word preached how can a man heare the word profitably without patience therefore the good ground is said to heare the Word and to bring forth fruit with Patience and it is the commendation of the Church of Philadelphia Thou hast kept the word of my Patience There is a necessitie of Patience if a man will profit by the Word For first if a man will obey the Word he shall be sure to have many set against him in the world he had need of patience then or else he will leave the rule of the Word because of the reproaches of the world Againe there are many secret corruptions in his owne heart that will be met with in the preaching of the Word which a man cannot abide to heare of but hee will be vexing and fretting and discontented at it as we see in Ahab and divers others unlesse hee have Patience to keepe him from raging against the Preacher and preaching of the Word You have need of Patience then â—…as the Apostle saith that you may beare the reproofes and exhortations of the Word Therefore saith the Apostle Iames Receive with Patience the ingraffed Word or receive with meeknesse the ingraffed Word that is able to save your soules There is no ingrafting the Word in the heart except those formes of impatience those hinderances of the growth of the Word be taken away But further there is yet a further end the whole life of a Christian is a continuall exercise of Patience there is a necessitie of it for he cannot persevere without Patience it is impossible for a man to begin in the spirit but he shall end in the flesh if he have not Patience to persevere in well doing Therefore saith the Apostle You have need of Patience that after you have obeyed you might receive the promise You have need of Patience for betweene the time of the making of the Promise and the time of the accomplishment of the Promise to the soule there is a great distance many times therefore yee have need of Patience to waite that after you have obeyed the Word you might receive the promise Let us runne with Patience the race that is set before us looking to Iesus the Authour and finisher of our faith Our Lord Jesus himselfe had not perfected the worke of our redemption if he had wanted Patience neither can we finish our course of Christianity wherein we must follow Christ and runne the race that is set before us except we have Patience added to other graces You see then a Christian cannot be perfect without Patience First because he cannot have all the parts of Christianitie that is one thing Secondly because he cannot keepe and preserve the graces he hath that is another thing Thirdly because he cannot act and worke according to the rule that is the third Lastly because he cannot persevere in the course he is in except hee have Patience There is a necessitie of Patience to the perfection of a Christian. Secondly the second point was that it is the duty of a Christian to strive to bring patience to the uttermost perfection to be as perfect in the degrees of patience as he can attaine to to make this the strife of his life that patience may have her perfect worke that there may be no defect in it The Apostle prayeth for the Collossians that they may be strengthned in the inward man to all long suffering And when our Saviour setteth God as a patterne before men Bee you perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect What aymeth he at in that place but this that we should strive to the uttermost extent and highest degrees of Patience for our Saviour intendeth of patience in that place This then is the dutie of a Christian. Why so First because a Christian is to follow the best patterne the best patternes are propounded in the Scripture And God doth not propound examples and Patternes to men in vaine but as he giveth them rules to tell them what they should doe so he giveth them examples and patternes to lead them to that degree and direct them in the manner of doing Therefore yee have God himselfe set as a patterne of Patience Follow God as deare children wherein In all those examples wherein you have a rule For all the examples of God and Christ and the Saints binde no further then there is a rule in the Word There are many things wherein we cannot follow God and Christ and we need not follow every one of the Saints but those things that are injoyned by the rule these examples are set to direct us in obedience to that rule Among other things the Patience of God is set forth as a patterne for us to follow In that glorious proclamation made of him in Exod. 34. 7. 8. Among other of his attributes hee is set out to bee a God long suffering and Patient You see how patient God is saith the Apostle And God that hee might shew his long-suffering and Patience bore with the world saith Saint Peter With
with patience waite for it saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 25. If we have hope and expectation of Christs comming if it be right it will stay the heart and calme and quiet the spirit in the middest of all injuries and crosses and afflictions in the world it will make us to waite with patience Hee that beleeveth will not make hast When a man beleeveth that there is a time when Christ will put an end to all these things it is that which mortifieth and subdueth the rising of his spirit and discontentednesse in afflictions it makes him possesse his soule in Patience There is a kind of impatient waiting of men in the middest of discontent and revilings and evill speakings and threatnings of others and then Oh that Christ would come But when Faith workes kindly in the soule of a man there is a calme composednesse of heart a submission to God in the present tryall and yet neverthelesse a rejoycing in hope of the comming of Christ and of that glory that shall bee revealed That is the first thing there is Patience accompanying it The second thing that accompanieth it is Love No man can in truth and aright hope for and waite for the comming of Christ but he that loveth Christ and his comming Now this Love must be grounded on our tast of Gods love Not that wee loved him but that he loved us first saith the Apostle no man loveth Christ but first he is loved of Christ no man loveth God but first he is loved of God and the tast and rellish of Gods love in my soule workes love to God againe as from the heate that commeth from the Sunne there is a reflection that boundeth backe againe to the Sunne so Gods love in us reflects love to God againe This Love will appeare in the secret sighings of the heart All the creatures groane yea we also sigh in our selves saith the Apostle waiting for the adoption even the redemption of our bodies There is I say a secret sighing of heart and that not only in the time of trouble and affliction but in the time of comfort and prosperitie when a man hath abundance of outward things about him yet then because his love is set upon Christ and the perfection and end of love is the fruition of the object loved therefore there is a sighing a holy discontent as it were a kind of yearning of the heart toward Christ When shall I come and appeare before God saith David how long Lord how long saith the Church in the Revelation If a man love Christ and his comming only because it shall end those miseries and those troubles that are upon him in this life this is not so much love of Christ as love of a mans selfe of his owne ease and peace and rest But the love of Christ is this when for the injoying of himselfe I long for the fruitton of him whom my soule loveth and I account nothing amiable in comparison of Christ nothing delectable nothing comfortable nothing sweet to Christ this is it that putteth the soule out of tast and rellish with any thing makes it sigh as it were under the enjoyment of all the comforts of this life and long for the appearance of Christ because then hee shall be perfected in the perfect enjoyment of Christ himselfe This is that love of Christ that is accompanied with Faith in a Christian and hope and expectation of his comming Now then if thou waite for Christ in truth how commeth it that thou dost not love him thou canst not waite for him aright except thou love Christ himselfe and for himselfe And if thou love Christ it will appeare by thy care to walke in Christ to derive vertue from him in all holy actions to derive all heavenly wisedome all heavenly disposition of heart from him to please Christ in all thy wayes to doe that whereby thou maist aprove thy selfe to God in Christ. This is the disposition of a heart loving Christ and this is that loving of Christ for himselfe and in himselfe that giveth me assurance that I love the appearance of Christ. That is the second companion of this waiting for Christ if it be right there is a love to Christ. The third and last companion of a mans waiting for Christ is the continuall affection of the heart those same ejaculations that intercourse that holy and heavenly communion which the soule hath with Christ here First in his ordinances having a holy communion with him in them waiting at the Posts of the dore of wisedomes house to heare what Christ who is wisedome it selfe will speake to us waiting if that hee will come now in the ministrie of his Word in his Spirit whom we hope to enjoy fully in glory Wayting for him likewise in the Sacraments to receive a further confirmation of our faith in him wayting for him also in prayer to receive further consolation and strength from him Thus Annah it is said that She was one that waited for the consolation of Israel and served God in the Temple in prayer day and night So where there is a waiting for Christ there will be a continuall intercourse of the soule with Christ a heavenly and holy communion with him in duties Dost thou waite for Christs comming and yet runne from Christs ordinances How can these stand together There is no man that can ever waite with comfort for Christs comming in glory but hee that now waiteth upon Christ in his ordinances If thy delight be in holy duties in the worship of God and that in such religious performances thou waitest for a further conveyance of the Spirit of Christ into thee thou hast warrant to waite for and to expect with comfort the second comming of Christ. Try yourselves therefore by these things It is not every one that saith I would that the Lord Iesus would come or I would that these dayes were full and finished It is not every one that saith thus that rightly lookes for or desires the comming of Christ. But he that thereby becommeth patient and stayes and composeth his heart in a calme and quiet temper in the middest of all crosses and troubles and afflictions that befall him and that upon this ground because Christ will come and put an end to my sinne as well as to my sorrow therefore I will waite with patience till hee come And againe hee that loveth Christ that sigheth for his comming And hee that now delighteth in his ordinances this man only waiteth for the comming of Christ. There is yet a third Tryall and that is the effects and fruits of our waiting for the comming of Christ And that is threefold to goe no further then the Text. The first is a heavenly Conversation The second is a mans resting on Christ as his Saviour and Lord. The third is the change of the body which shall bee in the great day when the soule and body shall bee united together Who shall
her to put all her trust and confidence in him She was now taken upon the sudden therefore the Lord hath left her as a patterne for us to looke upon to take heed to our selves that we may make our peace with God and looke for death every moment because wee know not how soone wee may be arrested Shee was indeed a woman of great trust and faith in God and one whose mouth was full of his praise still admyring and recounting the wondrous grace of God to her in all the course of her life in sparing her in giving her comfort in her conscience concerning the pardon and forgivenesse of her sinnes and providing for her worldly helpes which she thought never to attaine to and in many other particulars Shee did open the grace of God according to her best understanding still giving the praise to his holy Name and no doubt it the stroke upon her had not beene so fatall and as deadly as now it was wee should have had the like fruit more abundantly at this time Howbeit shee was not as one altogether destitute but she called for and craved the prayers of Gods people that they would lift up their hearts and hands and voyces to the Lord to looke upon her and release her of her miserie and trouble either by life or death for shee was content either way Shee had some touches also of Divine Scripture as occasion offered themselves As when the light was brought in shee desired to have the light of Gods countenance to shine upon her And when her eye-strings were broke that the teares did distill downe she desired the Lord God to put her teares into his bottle and many such Luminations there were that came from her Her surcharged spirits were so taken and strucken as a man might perceive at the first there was no way but one her selfe drawing her selfe within as though that in the outward man there were no roome for the soule to dwell there or to have a fit and opportune habitation I must needs advertise you of one thing that this custome of praysing and commending of the dead is very full of danger because a man may bee a lyer and a flatterer besore hee be aware when he never intended it But truly for ought that I could discerne this Sister of ours was one that was very well deserving of a quiet and moderate spirit intentive and carefull to governe her house and children and no way exorbitant for any thing that I can heare It is true that all are not of one Modell as the bodies of men and women are not of one height and colour so the soules and spirits are not all of one elevation neither but wee esteeme the children of God according to that they bave received and not according to that that they have not received as the Apostle speakes I say therefore according to the grace shee had received I verely beleeve shee was faithfull and true to it that shee received not the grace of God in vaine she sought by all meanes to nourish and cherish it from one degree to another and to proceed from grace to grace And therefore I conclude in the judgement of Charitie that we have very strong hopes and great probabilities of her happy translation Shee was a Daughter of Sarah as Saint Peter speakes of women that he would have them demeane themselves as Daughters of Sarah and such a one shee was in her habit and attyre in the manner of her life and societie and company and therefore I doubt not but shee inheriteth with Sarah the place of blessed mansions that the Lord hath made infinite spacious and wide and capable for all blessed soules that put their trust in him Now this let us make use of to our owne soules In that shee had not that largenesse of time shee supposed to have had but was surprised so soone and vehemently as shee could not dispose of her selfe in that manner as wee know by experience she would have done it should be a lesson to us to be ready for God to bee acquainted with God Wee have had two Corses one after another one a man another a woman both taken suddenly in respect of the time though they had thought to have made an overture of themselves to the world and thought to have made all things faire and easie by the confession and expression of their faith to the world but they were not suffered to doe it So all presume to have time to make the world know that they be humble and penitent and to make their confession but many put it off till it be too late Let us not be put off with vaine presumptions the Lord giveth and the Lord takes wee know not how soone Wee were borne wee know not when we shall die we know not when The Lord prepare us all for it FINIS GODS ESTEEME OF THE DEATH OF HIS SAINTS PREACHED AT THE FVNERALL OF Mr. IOHN MOVLSON OF Hargrave at Bunbury in Cheshire By S. T. REVEL 14. 13. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord c. LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. GODS ESTEEME OF THE DEATH OF HIS SAINTS SERMON XX. PSAL. 116. 15. Pretious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of his Saints THe Psalme was composed by David to be an acknowledgement of that favour and grace of God which himselfe had experience of at some time or other but when or what the particular occasion of it was we are uncertaine Some referre it to that escape which he made when Saul and his troopes had compassed him about upon the discoverie of the Ziphites 1 Sam. 23. 26 27 28. Others because Ierusalem is mentioned in the Psalme and Ierusalem at that time of Saul was not built as they conclude well against the time of the penning of it so they find also another occasion his escape from Absolom and that great plot 2 Sam. 15. 14. Others include also his spirituall Conflicts his combattings with Gods wrath and his despaires because of his sinnes together with some sicknesses and strong diseases accompanied with griefes and anxieties of minde In all which he found God benevolous and mercifull unto him in the sense of which hee rejoyces and as it was his dutie gives thankes and praises unto God Hee saith in the fourteenth verse hee would make publique businesse of it and would pay his vowes corum populo in the presence of all the people and good reason hee had for God hath oft releeved him and taken much care to preserve his life as hee is ever tender of the safety of all his people for Pretiosain oculis Iehovae c. Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints The words are a Simple universall affirmative proposition wherein 1. The subject or thing spoken of is The death of Gods Saints 2. That which is spoken of it is That it is pretious in the sight of the Lord. Which
vapours from a malecontented spirit Did they not account these afflictions their Justs and Barriers and Turnaments and exercises of honour and chivalrie at which Angels and Archangels were present with their Euges and approbations God himselfe the chiefe Spectator and rewarder of these exercises they themselves tryumphing and boasting in their tryalls with the impresse of the Apostle on their shields of faith Wee are perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus They were more Eagle-eyed by the strength of grace to pry into the nothingnesse of the creature then all the Philosophers by the strength of nature they did mortifie and crucifie and keepe under the body with the lusts thereof and more truly detest the corruption of the outward man then any Platonist whatsoever but were these the grounds the rise of this celestiall affection nothing lesse to see God to enjoy God to dwell with him to converse with him to be bee dissolved to be with Christ these transported their affections not the emptinesse of the things below but fulnesse of things above not the basenesse of earthly things but the glorie of celestiall things not the miseries of this life or of this crazie vessell but the happinesse of the life to come they had but a glimpse of this strange light darted into their soules and the whole world was darknesse unto it they had a gust of sweetnesse cast into the palate of their soules and all things else were bitter and unsavorie Christ was placed in the summitie and height of their soules and the desire of the full fruition of him caused that fainting that earnest longing in their spirits You will say if this be so what will become of the greatest part of Christians who are afraid to die who are so farre from groaning to depose this Tabernacle that they groane at the least intimation of dissolution It is true that all men receive not this saying neither is it for every one to attaine to this perfection As there are two sorts of faith so there are two forts of Christians there is a strong faith and a weake faith and there are strong Christians and there are weake Christians the strong Christian is willing to dye and patient to live the weake Christian is willing to live and patient to dye hee goes when God calls but he could wish that God would deferre his calling hee hath good hopes of heaven but he desires a little more to enjoy the earth he loves God more then all yet his affections are not fully taken off from all hee is not perplexed with the feares of Hell yet hee is not ravished with the joyes of Heaven hee hath much strength but knowes it not as many a Spectator of a prize is better able to performe it then he that undertakes it but either through faintnesse of heart or ignorance of his owne strength dare not put it to the hazard but had rather commend another mans valour then trye his owne whereas a strong Christian a man growne in Christ sends a challenge to this Gyant Death singles him out as a fit object of his valour grapples with him not as with his match but as his underling insulteth over him setteth his foot on the necke of this King of terrours and by conquering him captivates with great facilitie all other pettie feares of ignominie povertie and the like which therefore are dreadfull because they tend to Death the last the worst the end the summe of all feared evills this is the unconquerable crowne of Faith this is the glory of a Christian this is the Diadem of honour wreathed about his Temples advancing him above all other men whatsoever But you will say may a man desire death Is this now a question what meanes the agony of the Apostle I desire to bee dissolved and to bee with Christ. What meanes the earnest longing of the Spouse Apoca. 22. The Spirit saith come and the Bride saith come and let him that heares say come What meanes her fainting in the Canticles I am sicke of love let him bring mee into his chamber Let mee see his face I am sicke unto death Let mee dye lest I dye that I may see him for ever What meanes the character of a true Christian As many as love the appearance of the Lord which cannot be without death What meanes the incredible contempt of death in ancient Christians insomuch that it was a received Maxime with the Heathen Omnis Christianus est contemptor mortis What meanes the heroicall encouragement of old Hilarion Egredere anima egredere quid times Goe out my soule goe out why tremblest thou What meanes the words of old Simion in the flames Thus to die is to live What meanes the rapture of Saint Chrysostome that hee would thanke that man that would kill him as transmitting him more speedily to those unconceivable Joyes What meanes this groaning and thirsting in my Text Doe not these demonstrate that it is lawfull to desire death Not simply in it selfe or for it selfe it is the separation of those two whom God hath coupled it is a cessation of being it is an evill of punishment the daughter of sinne to desire it simply were to desire evill which is abhorrent to nature much lesse ought wee to hasten our death by violent meanes Let their memories bee buried in perpeturall silence as the botches and ulcers of Christianitie who out of impatience have perpetrated this heinous sinne a sinne against God and man against nature against grace against the Church against the common-wealth against all things The Heathen man could say that we are the possession of God to be disposed of by him not by our selves the body is the structure of God the worke of his hands the Tabernacle which hee hath made and not to be removed or to bee taken downe but by his command while we live we may advance the glory of God the good of others wee may impeople heaven make up the ruines of Angels to hasten our death were to envie this glory to God this good to others In that distraction of our Apostle betweene two good things his owne glory and the good of others you know which way the scales inclined to the good of others as if he had said Let my glory be deferred so Gods glory be increased let my joy be increased let my joy be suspended so the joy of Angels and of the Court of heaven be intended by the conversion of sinners Nay more this is a small thing Let me be an Athema so Israel be blessed let me be blotted out of the booke of life so thousands bee inserted let the bowels of Christ be streightened to me so they bee enlarged to others this is life indeed this is the end of our life this will comfort
our selves Surely this the ground of this life the grace of God What God doth hee doth for himselfe for his owne names sake Grace is free And these two joyned together give evident demonstration of God to be a God in the thing that he doth conferre upon thee and in his dealing of it the greatnesse of the gift that he doth give and the freenesse of it For who can give life but the God of life that hath life in himselfe And then againe to doe this altogether upon meere grace upon his owne good pleasure it is a divine propertie And this is it that doth incourage us to come unto God notwithstanding our unworthinesse And in this respect in the second place wee have here a Use of instruction to acquaint our selves with God with the freenesse of his Grace to plead it unto God when wee come unto him and notwithstanding our unworthinesse and our wretchednesse yet to presse this Lord what thou dost thou dost for thy owne sake out of thy meere grace this makes me bold to come unto thee Specially upon the consideration of that greatest evidence of Gods free Grace and rich mercy in giving his Sonne to doe whatsoever is requisite for the satisfaction of his Justice so that here Grace and Justice doe sweetly goe together for the strengthening of our faith Grace in regard of our unworthinesse Justice in regard of our rebellion God doth what he doth for his owne sake his owne Sonne hath made full satisfaction to his Justice And finally this should the more inlarge the heart to God againe a gift the freer it is the more worthy of praise it must needes be the more acceptable to him that receiveth it when hee receiveth it from meere Grace and he that giveth it is thereby the more worthy of praise so that lay these two together life and the grace of life and then tell mee what sufficient thankes can bee given to him who out of his grace doth bestow this life Thus from the priviledge in the second part thereof come wee to the partakers of this priviledge And first of the simple consideration of it Heires so that wee come to a right unto that eternall life by inheritance as we are Heires So doe the Texts before noted expresly set it forth Wee are justified by his grace that we should be Heires of eternall life Tit. 3. 7. And Saint Paul giveth thankes to God for the Collossians that he had made them partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light And our Lord when hee doth give us possession hereof inducts us thereunto with this inherit the kingdome prepared for you take it by inheritance Here is your right Now we may not thinke that this ground of right to our eternall inheritance commeth by our naturall generation for so wee are heires and children of wrath as the Apostle noteth in Eph. 2. 3. It cannot come by nature for so it is Christs prerogative the true proper naturall Sonne of God and thus as the Apostle saith God hath appointed him Heire of all things but it is by another grace whereby we are made children A double Grace in this respect a Grace of adoption and a grace of Regeneration A grace of Adoption for God giveth to us the spirit of Adoption whereby wee are moved to crie and call Abba Father and by this grace wee are children and being children wee are heires Coheires not only one with another but as it is there noted heires together with Christ Coheires with him by vertue of this grace of Adoption So likewise by the other Grace of regeneration wee are qualified hereunto Saint Peter in his first Epistle Chap. 1. ver 3. blesseth God Blessed be the God saith he and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercie hath begotten us againe to an inheritance incorruptible c. Wee are begotten to this inheritance This might againe be pressed as a further Argument against the fore-mentioned presumptious Doctrine of Merit that that commeth by inheritance commeth not by desert But I passe it over This doth afford to us matter of consolation for this Text is full of consolation every word of it against the basenesse whereunto in this world the Saints seeme to be subject that are scoffed that are despised howsoever they appeare here in mortall mans eye yet notwithstanding in truth they are Heires they have an inheritance And as it doth administer to us matter of comfort and a ground of holy boasting and glorying in the Lord so it affordeth to us direction to carry our selves as becommeth Heires not to set our love too much upon this world not to dote upon it but to bee loftely minded to have our heart and affection where our inheritance is namely in heaven to waite with patience for it bee followers of those saith the Apostle that though faith and patience inherit the promise And likewise to make sure to our selves our inheritance looke to our evidences Give all diligence saith the Apostle to make your calling and election sure Doe but make your Calling sure that you are truly and effectually called then it followeth by just and necessary consequence you were elected before the foundations of the world and shall bee saved Many other Meditations doe arise out of this right we have to that life which by Grace is conferred upon us Consider we the extent hereof Heires together joynt-heires so as all of all sorts have aright to the life of Saints I speake here of outward conditions whether they bee great or meane rich or poore free or bond whatsoever they be they have all aright they are joynt-heires they are heires together As it is with us in some places there is a title of Gavill kind that giveth a joynt-right to all the sons that a man hath and so for daughters all Daughters are coheires so this Tenour is as I may say Gavill kind all have a right thereunto no exception of any because God is no respecter of persons This my brethren serveth as an admonition to those that are great or may seeme to be higher then others here in this world if they be Saints let them not despise others who are Saints too they are Co-heires with them they are fellow-brethren there is not an Elder brother among them Christ only is the elder brother There may some have a greater degree of glorie there may some have greater evidences thereof in this world and greater assurance yet notwithstanding they have all aright to the inheritance they are all Co-heires And this againe is another comfort to the meaner and weaker sort that howsoever there may be some difference in regard of outward condition here yet notwithstanding in the greatest priviledge there is no difference at all and therefore to conclude concerning these and other consolations ministred to you I will use the Apostles words comfort
assurance that the sting of Death is plucked out that Gods wrath is appeased that sinne is pardoned that Heaven gate is opened whence shall wee fetch these but from the Scripture the directions for a holy life which is the best preparation for Death where shall we find them but in the Scripture Here then we see is a Caveat to all that have no will nor desire to be acquainted with the Scripture Divers thinke they should have done well enough though wee had no such Booke as we call the word of God To bee a Scripture-man is a by-word a reproach a matter of disgrace and sooner will men listen to some idle Pamphlet then to a matter of Scripture Well beguile not your soules with these vaine conceipts with your Popish and carnall imaginations I say and testifie from this place that that man or woman which careth not to be taught out of Gods booke cannot die like a Christian Who can teach thee the way to dye well but God And where doth God teach but in the Scripture If our thoughts of Death if our provision and preparation for Death be not warranted and guided by Gods word it is all in vaine Lord saith Simeon my desire of dissolution is according to thy Word my care to be prepared hath beene ordered by thy Word hee cannot die with comfort that cannot make the like profession And this may serve for the next generall part the the ground of this desire and preparation for Death it is Gods word Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart according to thy Word The third and last part followes the nature and qualitie of the death of the Righteous A departure in peace or a peaceable dismission Here are two things first a dismission secondly a dismission accompanied with peace The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated Let thy servant depart may well be Englished thus Let thy servant loose Lord free mee enlarge mee set mee at libertie Hence wee learne that The servants of God doe by Death receive a finall discharge from all manner of miserie This is evident out of the force of the phrase here used Simeon knew that so long as hee lived his soule was as it were imprisoned in his body and in it hee was held in bondage under the remnants of Originall corruption subject to the assaults and temptations of Satan in continuall and daily possibilitie to trespasse and sinne against God beside other afflictions and grievances in the body and estate but hee had withall this knowledge and understanding of the nature of Death that it was an enlargement to the soule and a freeing of it utterly and finally from all those and the like incumbrances The same may be gathered from the phrase used by Saint Paul I desire saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee dissolved and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read the time of my departure the words shew that there comes a liberty by death to the soules of Gods servants The phrase that Saint Peter useth is worthy our observation for this purpose First hee tearmes death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the laying downe of a burden and by that meanes the soule is lightned and eased Secondly he tearmes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a going out from a place and condition of hardship The second booke of Moses which relates the departure of the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage hath the same name Exodus As for the point it selfe namely that the death of the Righteous is to them a discharge from all miserie the Scripture beares witnesse to it Blessed said he are the dead which die in the Lord even so saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours As long as they live here they are diversly troubled when they die their labours are at an end and they are received into rest Saint Iohn tells us that in his vision he saw the soules of them that were slaine lye under the Altar Now the Altar in the time of the Law was a place of refuge and safetie and thence it appeares that by death the servants of God are eft-soones received into a place of holy securitie where there is no expectation of any further miserie They are said to be received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into Abrahams bosome into the fellowship of the same happinesse with Abraham the Father of all true beleevers The Doctrine in the first place makes against those of the Church of Rome which maintaine a place of torment even for the servants of God after this life where they must bee tryed for a time before they can enter into Rest and happinesse This place they terme Purgatorie the torment here they hold to bee unspeakable and farre surpassing any torment which the wit of man is able to devise But this place among others is sufficient to overthrow this dotage for how were death to the Righteous a dismission a loosing a freedome from miserie if there followed after it a torment of farre greater extremitie then at any time before was ever tasted of So that the death of the servants of God being as I have proved it to bee an enlargement from misery certainly the soule is not bound in any new Prison whence it must expect and await and pray for a second dismission In the next place this Doctrine makes much for the comfort of Gods servants the face of Death to the wicked is very dreadfull the day of it is to them the beginning of sorrowes their soules are instantly arrested by the damned spirits and kept in everlasting chaines of darknesse but to those that are the servants of God it is otherwise I may by way of allusion to the phrase of my Text compare their day unto that which happened unto Ioseph in which hee was brought out of prison to bee Ruler over all the land of Egypt So is their death unto them a day of Bailement out of prison a day in which all teares shall be wiped away In which they shall have beauty for ashes and the oyle of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse and the long white robes of Christs Righteousnesse by which they shall be presented blamelesse unto God That day shall be to them even as was the day of escape to the Jewes a feast and a good day in which they shall see God as hee is and know him as they are knowne of him But hapily thou maist say how shall I know that the day of Death is the day of dissolution and this kind of dismission A very necessary quaere indeed this is for every man almost is ready to challenge to himselfe a part of this happinesse and it is a matter presumed upon by many which shall never enjoy it I will therefore give you one certaine marke by which wee may know assuredly that the day of our death shall be to us a day of enlargement and of finall discharge
sinne and corruption still remaine upon the sould Indeed as soone as the Spirit of grace quickens the soule the soule presently hates all sinne and begins to shake off these fetters of sinne and corruption and shakes them off by little and little but I say it shakes them not off all at once In this spirituall Resurrection sinne indeed receives a deadly wound but yet it is not wholly abolished In the spirituall Resurrection sinne is like a beast whose throat is cut that lies striving and strugling for life so sinne hath life in it but yet it hath a deadly wound therefore remember to thy comfort that that will bee true here betweene the power of grace and the remainders of sinne that is affirmed of the house of Saul and the house of David 2 Sam. 3. 1. there was long warre betweene them But the house of David grew stronger and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker So it will be betweene sinne and grace sinne will grow weaker and weaker and grace stronger and stronger But yet the weake Christian may object further but I feele the spirit so weake in me and the flesh so strong in me that I am afraid the flesh will prevaile and so I shall returne againe to my naturall estate To this I answer remember that this is contrarie to the nature of a true Resurrection to returne to death againe for at the last Resurrection the bodyes that are raised shall be immortall never to die againe so here those soules that are quickned to the life of grace they are raised to a durable immutable immortall estate never to die againe That which Christ saith of those that shall bee accounted worthie to attaine the second Resurrection the Resurrection of the body it is true here also hee saith those that shall be accounted worthy of the world to come of the Resurrection to life they shall never die for they are as the Angels of heaven Luke 20. 35 36. Those that partake of that Resurrection can never die so here those that partake of this spirituall Resurrection to the life of grace they shall never die this Resurrection to the life of grace it shall continue in them For the Spirit of grace when he once commeth into the soule and quickens it it continues there and remaines there for ever it is as a Well of water springing up to eternall life as Christ speakes Ioh. 4. 14. Whosoever shall drinke of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall bee in him a well of water springing up to everlasting life Now wee know a streame of water is of a vanishing nature yet if it bee nourished with a continuall Fountaine that can never be drie the streame will continually runne so it is with the streame of grace in the soule it is nourished with a continuall fountaine such a one as can never be dried up Thus you see here is comfort against sinne against the death of the soule Those that are united to Christ by faith they may be assured that Christ will be to them a Fountaine of spirituall life Secondly here is comfort against the death of the body against naturall death If thou be united to Christ thou needest not to feare temporall death remember that though the body bee dead beecause of sinne yet the spirit is life as it is Rom. 8. 10. The body that is dead that is it is mortall and subject to death because of sinne but the spirit the soule that liveth it passeth from the life of grace here to the life of glorie Yea and the body too that is laid in the Grave notwithstanding shall be raised againe by the quickning power of Christ. Remember Christ is thy head and therefore hee being risen from the dead thou shalt not perish You know as long as the head of the naturall body is above the water none of the members of the body can be drowned so it is here as long as Christ is risen none of his members can be held captive in the Grave Remember Christ is the first fruites of the dead the first fruites of them that sleepe therefore his Resurrection may bee a pledge and an assurance to thee of thy resurrection As wee have borne the Image of the earthly saith the Apostle so wee shall beare the Image of the heavenly 1 Cor. 15. 49. As wee have borne about us these corruptible bodyes so when we rise againe we shall rise with immortall and incorruptible bodies and live a glorious life with Christ and so be made conformable to Christ our head therefore feare not the death of the body Remember that Death can destroy nothing in thee but sinne therefore feare not This consideration may comfort us as against our owne death so against the death of our friends Let us therefore receive comfort hence as Martha in this Chapter I know that my brother shall rise againe in the Resurrection at the last day and that did comfort her But here this question may bee demanded but is not this Resurrection of the body a benefit common to the wicked are not they partakers of this benefit from the resurrection of Christ as well as the godly shall not they be raised and quickned as well as the godly by Christ his Resurrection To this I answer that this Resurrection of the body to life it is a benefit proper to the faithfull to the true members of Christ for though unbeleevers and wicked persons shall bee raised up againe yet By a different cause And to a different end I say first by a different cause the wicked that are out of Christ cannot have any benefit from the Resurrection of Christ because they are out of Christ therefore they shall bee raised indeed but not by a quickning power flowing from the resurrection of Christ but by the divine power and command of Christ as a just Judge and they shall bee raised by vertue of that curse pronounced in Paradice Gen. 2. In the day thou eatest thou shalt die the death that includes eternall death therefore this curse must be executed upon them and therefore they most rise out of the Grave againe that body and soule may die eternally but the faithfull members of Christ shall bee raised by the quickning power of Christ as their head and Saviour Againe as the wicked shall be raised by a different cause so to a different end for they shall not be raised to life to speake properly that state is stiled eternall death therefore their Resurrection is stiled the resurrection of condemnation Ioh. 5. 27. they that have done good shall come forth to the resurrection of life and they that have done ill to the resurrection of condemnation they shall not rise to life but to eternall death but the godly only shall attaine this Resurrection of life and therefore they only are stiled the sonnes of
hath beene and feare for what hee shall bee mingles and sowers all the joy and delight in that hee is And what is hee at the best a poore tennant â—…t â—…ill of a ruinous cottage of loame or house of clay readie to fall about his eares with a Grashoppers leape in a spot of ground His apparell is but stolne ragges his wealth the excrements of the earth his dyet bread of carefulnesse got with the sweat of his browes and all his comforts and recreations rather as Saint Austine tearmes them solati a miserorum quam gaudia beatorum sauces of misery then dishes of happinesse For albeit a good conscience bee a continuall feast and the testimonie of the Spirit an everlasting Jubile in the soule yet the most righteous man that breathes mortall ayre either by frailty or negligence or diffidence or impatience or love of this present life or suttletie of perswasions or violence of temptations so woundeth his conscience and grieveth the Spirit of grace that this feast is turned for a time into a fast and the Jubile into an ejulate or howling All things therefore layd together the scornes of the World assaults from the flesh temptations from the Devill rebukes from God checks from conscience sensible fayling of Grace spirituall dissertions with many a bitter agonie and conflict with despaire I cannot but perfectly accord with the Poet in his dolefull note Faelices nimium quibus est fortuna peracta jam sua they are but too happie whose glasse is well runne out and with the Evangelist in my Text beati mâ—…rtui blessed are the dead for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them they rest from those labours which tyreus that live and the workes which wee are to follow follow them A threefold cable saith the Wiseman is not easily brokn and such is this here in my Text on which the anchour of our hope hangeâ—…h 1 The testimonie of Saint Iohn Yea 2 The testimonie of the Spirit so sâ—…th the Spirit 3 A strong reason drawne from their rest and recompence they rest from their labours and they receive the reward of their labours they are discharged of their worke and for their worke If they were discharged for their worke and not discharged of their worke they could not bee said blessed because their tedious and painefull workes were to returne And much lesse happie could they bee tearmed if they were discharged of their worke but not for it for then they should lose all their labour under the Sunne they should have done and suffered all in vaine but now because they are both discharged of their worke for they rest from their labour and discharged for their worke for their workes follow them they are most blessed The Spirit here taketh the ground of this heavenly musick ravishing the souls of the living and able to revive the very dead either from the labourers pay or the racers prize If the ground be the labourers joy for their rest and pay the descant must bee this our life is a day our calling a labour the evening when wee give over our death the pay our penny If the ground be the racers joy for their prize the descant may bee this the Church is the field Christianitie is the race death is the last poste and a garland of glory the wager let us all â—…o run that we may obtaine Yea sayth the Spirit Wee read in the Law and the Prophets Thus sayth Iehovah the Lord in the Gospell Thus spake Iesus But in the Epistles and especially in the Revelation thus sayth the Spirit now the Spirit speaketh evidently heare what the Spirit sayth unto the Churches hee that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit sayth unto the Churches and the Spirit and the Bride sayth come While Christ abode in the flesh hee taught with his owne mouth the Word of life but now since his Ascention and sitting in state at the right hand of his Father hee speaketh and doth all by his Spirit By the Spirit hee ordainâ—…th Pastours furnisheth them with gifts enlighâ—…h the understanding of the hearers and enclineth their wills and affections and so leadeth the Church into all truth In which regard Tertullian elegantly tearmeth the Spirit Christi Vicarium Christ his Vicar preaching in his stead and discharging the Cure of the whole World Secondly so sayth the Spirit not the flesh the earth denies it but Heaven avereth it when a man removeth out of this World the flesh beholdeth nothing but a corpes brought to the Church and a coffine layd in the Grave but the spirit discerneth an Angel carrying the soule up to Heaven and leaving it in Abrahams bosome till the Father of spirits shall give her againe to the bodie arrayed in glorious apparell There is no Doctrine the Devill the flesh and the World more oppose then this here delivered by the Spirit concerning the blessednesse of the dead for all Atheists all Heathen all carnall men all Saduces and sundrie sorts of Heretickes deny the Resurrection of the bodie and the greater part of them also the immortalitie of the soule A wicked and ungodly person beleeveth not his soule to bee immortall because hee would not have it so hee would not that their should be another World because hee can have hope of no good there having carried himselfe so ill in this faine hee would stifle the light in his conscience which if hee would open his eyes would clearly discover unto him a future tribunall yet sometimes hee cannot smother it and therefore as Tully who saw a glimering of this truth observeth hee is wonderfully tormented out of a feare that endlesse paines attend him after this life Well let the flesh and fleshly minded men deeme or speake what they list concerning the state of the dead the Spirit of truth sayth that all that dye in the Lord are blessed But where sayth the Spirit so In the Scriptures of the old and new Testament and in this vision and in the heart and conscience of every true beleever First in the Scriptures let mee dye the death of the righteous and let my last end bee like unto his refraine thy voyce from weeping and thine eyes from teares for thy workes shall bee rewarded and there is hope in thine end saith the Lord precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints the righteous shall wash his foot in the bloud of the wicked so that a man shall say verily there is a reward for the righteous Christ is in life and death advantage for I am in a straight betweene two having a desire to depart and to bee with Christ which is fâ—… better Secondly in this vision for Saint Iohn heard a voyce from Heaven saying Write it as it were with a Penne of Iron upon the Tombe of all that are departed in the Lord for so saith the Spirit Lastly the Spirit speaketh it in the
my glorie Wicked men see his glory what priviledge then betweene them and the godly It is true indeed wicked men see the glory of Christs person and they shall see and feele the glory of his justice but the godly see the glory not onely of his person not onely of his justice but the glory that no wicked man ever shall see the glorie of his Mercie and goodnesse and grace here is the difference God getteth himselfe glory upon Pharaoh in drowning of him but God getteth himselfe the glory of his Mercie in Israel in saving them in the bottome of the Sea so the godly they see the glory not onely of the person of Christ and that is infinite and surpasseth apprehension but they see the glory of his Mercie of his eternall goodnesse and they see it so as to bee like him to be translated into that glory to get a part and share of it as much as they are capable of they make themselves all glorious with his glory and shine with his brightnesse and beauty Alas brethren all the sight we can get of Christ in this world it is like the sight of the blind man that Christ cured hee bad him looke up and lift up his eyes and he saw men walking as trees an imperfect sight so wee have here but an imperfect glimpse of Christ we see him through a glasse through the Word and Sacraments and these meanes that he hath appointed an imperfect sight till Christ give us a cleere sight and makes us see perfectly and this is in the day of his returne All the sight and vision of Christ in this life it is but to see him in a glasse saith the Apostle as in a looking-glasse but then we shall see him face to face wee shall see him as he is What difference there is betweene the shadow in a glasse and the face it selfe so much difference there is betweene the sight of Christ here and hereafter when we shall see him as he is when we shall see him with open face and not in a mirrour Therefore let this incourage us and stirre up our hearts to expect and waite for the comming of Christ with vehement and daily prayers with fervencie of spirit with the Church and the Bride and the Spirit to say Even so Amen Come Lord Iesus FINIS The coherence Devision of the words Propos. 1. Every man in the world is Gods Steward Proved 1. By what every one receiveth from God 2. By what God expects from every one Psal 24. 1. mâ—…n doe not waste his goods 2. That they doe not abuse them to ill ends Luke 19. 27. Iames 4. 3. 3. To doe him Homage Acts 10. 33. 3. To returne him fruit Matt. 21. 33. Vse Two things required of a Steward 1. Dispensation Rom 1. 3. 4. Rom. 1. 14. 1 Tim. 5. 8. 2. Right ordering of his dispensations Luk. 12. 42. 1. Faithfully Heb 3. 5. Exod. 32. 19. 2. Wisely Rom. 8. 7. 1 Tim. 3. 17. Gen. 18. 19. Propos. 2. All Gods stewards must give an account Two dayes of reckoning 1. In this life By the Word Gen. 3. 11. 1 King 19. Mar. 3. Acts 2. By the Rod. Iob 33. 14. Mic. 6. 9. Iob 33. 19. 1 Cor. 11 30. Psal. 31. 5. 2. After this life A necessitie of a day of judgement 1. In respect of God his decree Acts 17. 31. Isa. 46. 10. His honour Eccles. 3. 16. 2. In respect of the Saints 2 Thes. 1. 5. For the manifestation of their innocency For the reward of their workes Mal. 〈◊〉 1â—… 18. 3. In respect of the wicked For the manifestation of Gods righteous proceeding against them Rom. 2. 5. For the persecting of their punishment Why God is said to call all men to an account 1. Because he will proceed in particular Job 27. 18. Jam. 5. 1 2 James 4. 3. Mat. 16. Mat. 5. 22. Mat. 15. 19. 2. Because he will proceed by method and order Psal. 50. Psal. 51. Rom. 7. A direction in the exercise of repentance 3. Because he will proceed by books Dan. 10. Rev. 20. Ioh. 12. 48. Ier. 17. 1. 4. Because God will exact of every one according to what he hath been trusted with Luke 12. 48. Vse 1. For confutation Atheists in the Church 2 Pet. 3. Vse 2. For instruction 1. Not to judge others Rom. 14. 10. 1 Cor. 4. 5. 2. To judge our selves here A twofold reckoning to be made here 1. Reckon with our selves Jer. 8. 6. Lam. 3. 39. Psal. 4. 2. Reckon with others 2 Sam. 12. 3. Acts 20. 26. Iames 5. 3. 3. To Exercise daily repentance Acts 17. 31. 4. To get an interest in Christ. Rom 8. 1. Exod. 25. 21. 5. To lead a holy conversation 〈◊〉 Pet. 3. 11. 2 Cor. 5. 〈◊〉 Acts â—…6 15 16. Vse 3. For Comfort James 5. Heb. 9. 27. The Coherence The meaning of the words The devision of the words Obser. 1. The death of others is a just occasion of Mourning Gen. 23. 2. Gen. 27. 41. Gen. 50. 10. 2 Sam. 25. 1. Zach. 12. 10. John 11. Act. 20. 38. Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Ier. 5. 3. Vse Object Answ. A twofold distemper in mens affections 1. 2. 1 Thes. 4. 13. Deut. 14. Observat. 2 Death the end of all men Iob 3. 14. Zach. 1. 5. Reas. 1. In regard of Gods decree Heb 9. 27. Reas. 2. In regard of the matter whereof men are made Job 13. 12. Reas. 3. In regard every man in him hath the cause of death Object Hâ—…b 11. 5. 2 King 2. 11. Answ. 2. Obiect Joh. 11. Answ. Rom. 8. 38. Matt. 22. Vse 1. Make account of it for ourselves The benefit of the particular application of death to a mans selfe 1. Sin will be made more odious Rom. 5. â—…1 2. The truth and justice of God will bee the more acknowledged 3. Death will be the better prepared for Job 14. 14. Three things wherein there is to be a particular application of death to a man 1. In matter of sinning Acts 5. 2. In redeeming of the time of life 1 Cor. 10. 35. Heb. 3. 13. Gal. 6. 10. 3. In the manner of our conversation Vse 1. In respect of the death of others 1. To moderate our mourning for the death of others 2. To improve the life of others Obser. 3. It is the duty of the living to lay to heart the death of others Reas. 1. 1. God is glorified by it Psal. 28. 5. Reas. 2. Our selves are benefited by it 2. Thereby we come to see the certainty of death 2. Thereby we come to see the nature of death The proper worke of death 1. To separate the body from the soule 2. To separate a man from his estate 3. To separate a man from his friends Gen. 23. 2 Sam. 1. 9. 1 Cor. 7. 19. 3. Thereby we come to see the end and cause of death 1 King 14. 13 2 Chro. 34. 28 Isa. 57. 1. Ezek. 9. 4. 5. Vse 1. For reproofe of the genetall neglect of this duty Vse 2.