Saints not to note an absolute perfection in them But first because they haue Christs holinesse imputed vnto them through faith For the holinesse of Christ that is to say that integritie and puritie which Christ had from the first moment of his conception and kept also in all his thoughts words and deeds yea euen in his desires and thorowout his whole life euen vnto his last end in the death of the crosse is part of that righteousnesse which is imputed vnto vs by which wee are iustified In this sense the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2.30 But of him are yee in Christ Iesus who of God is made vnto vs wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption Secondly because they haue inherent holines wrought by the Spirit in all the powers of their soule and in euery part and member of their body For sanctification is entire and thorowout the whole man according to the Apostles prayer 1 Thess 5.23 And the verie God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soule and body be preserued blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ There is no part nor power of body or soule but feeles the vertue of Gods Spirit purging away corruption and fastening impressions of holy qualities It may bee this power of Gods sanctifying Spirit appeares not alike euidently in euery part yet hath euery particle his seasoning with sanctitie Thirdly because in imitation of the holinesse of God according to his Commandement 1 Pet. 1.16 Bee yee holy for I am holy they labour to expresse holinesse both in their thoughts before God and in their words and deeds before God and men Because it is written Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. Fourthly to distinguish them from all the world of the vngodly which bee termed in Scripture Gal. 1.4 This present euill world and be said all of them to lie in wickednesse in these words of S. Iohn Wee know that wee are of God 1 Iohn 5.19 and the whole world lieth in wickednesse Thus yee see who in the world be Saints and why they be so called being yet aliue vpon the earth Vse 1 The Vse This serues to condemne that ignorant sort that all this while in the cleare light of the Gospell To condemne their ignorance that thinke there be no Saints vpon earth haue not learned thus much that there be Saints vpon earth Nay as it seemes some lie so plunged in this gulfe of ignorance that not only they doe not know that there bee Saints vpon earth but that they dare breake out and say that they will neuer beleeue it I will neuer beleeue said one that any be Saints vpon earth Oh gracelesse speech I Oh damnable ignorance I wish all you that heare this be better instructed in this point But marke what I say I speake it to thee that art of the minde that there bee no Saints vpon earth Thou thine owne selfe art either a Saint or a Deuill And if thou be no Saint thou hast no faith in Christ For none that hath faith in Christ but he is a Saint Againe marke this if thou bee not a Saint vpon earth before thou doest die thou shalt neuer bee a Saint in heauen after thou art dead And therefore if thou wilt neuer beleeue that any bee Saints vpon earth I will neuer beleeue that euer thou shalt bee a Saint in heauen For death doth sanctifie none Neither will God make any one a Saint in the kingdome of heauen which was not before his death made a Saint vpon earth Consider of it and receiue instruction The death of his Saints THere bee two or three things more to bee noted in these words The death of his Saints whereof one ariseth as the former point from the very mentioning of the Saints death The best â—re subiect to death Heb 9.27 and 11.13 Zâ—â—â— â— 5 and that is this that Doct. 2 Doct. The best men are liable to bodily death The holiest Saints that liue in the world must make this account that they shall one day die The Apostle maketh no exception when hee saith to the Hebrewes It is appointed vnto men once to die And of certaine of the Saints he saith These all died in faith And Zechariah saith Your fathers where are they And the Prophets doe they live fâ—r euer Death is the way of all the earth as Ioshua and Dauid said when they were ready to die And behold this day I am going the way of all the earth n = a Iosh 23.14 And Dauid I goe the way of all the earth n = b 1 King 2.2 Adam n = c Gen. 5.5 Sheth n = d Gen. 5.8 Enosh n = e Gen. 5.11 Cainan n = f Gen. 5.14 Mahalaleel n = g Gen. 5.17 Iared n = h Gen. 5.20 Methushelah n = i Gen. 5.27 Lamech n = k Gen. 5.31 Noah n = l Gen. 9.29 though their liues were long for they liued all of them many hundreds of yeeres yet they are dead and gone Likewise Abraham n = m Gen. 25.8 and Sarah n = n Gen. 23.2 Isaac n = o Gen. 35.29 and Rebekah n = p Gen. 49.31 Iacob n = q Gen. 49.33 and Rachel n = r Gen. 35.19 Iob n = s Iob 42.17 Dauid n = t 1 King 2.10 Solomon n = u 1 King 11.43 Hezekiah n = * 2 King 20.21 Iosiah n = x 2 Chro. 35.24 Samuel n = y 1 Sam. 25.1 and the Prophets n = z Ioh. 8.53 are dead All these were Saints yet they haue tasted of deaths cup with many thousands more Question But why should the Saints die seeing Christ hath died for them Answer It is true that Christ hath died for them yet they must die Reason 1 First because there is no such end of Christs death The ends of Christs death as the freeing of the Saints from bodily death For these be the ends of Christs death First to proue the truth of his manhood Secondly that the faithfull Martyrs might haue true comfort against death and know assuredly that it is no small honour to them to suffer for Christs sake Thirdly to sanctifie our death and to take away the sting thereof that we should not doubt but with comfort commend and surrender vp our soules into the hands of God whensoeuer he doth call vs. Fourthly to ratifie the eternall Testament and Couenant of grace Heb. 9.15 16 17. Fifthly that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is Heb. 2.14 the Deuill Sixthly to deliuer vs from the feare of death Seuenthly that we also might die to sinne Heb. 2.15 and sinne might not reigne in vs. Eighthly Rom. 6.11 12. that wee should be Christs being married to him as a wife to a second
sanctified Heb. 10.29 Yet were they sanctified True But how were they sanctified By the bloud of the Couenant saith the Apostle that is not by the effectuall and gracious working of the Spirit creating in them as in the elect conuerted soules that new quality of holinesse whereby they can in some measure truly hate their owne sinnes with a firme purpose to leaue them and can loue Gods law with a resolution to performe it in some good measure not so but sacramentally only And so many a reprobate may bee sanctified that is to say he may be baptised Nay more he may be outwardly reformed and haue some inward good things as ioy in hearing of the word and he may be sanctified in the charitable opinion of others yea and in his owne conceit and perswasion and yet all the while want that peculiar worke of the spirit of God of which I spake euen now and so be destitute of the substance and truth of the grace of sanctification For this he can neuer haue make what shew he will It is the portion of Gods elect it is part of his childrens bread he will not take it and cast it vnto dogs It is a holy thing not fit for dogs and a pearle of more worth than to be cast before swine Vse 4 Fourthly considering that the Saints be the Lords after a peculiar manner It is a singular comfort to be truly sanctified what a comfort is it to bee truly sanctified He that is such a one may build vpon it that God will protect him and that he shall be saued For as Solomon saith Pro. 2.8 He preserueth the way of his Saints And Iude saith Iude 1. to them that are sanctified by God the Father and preserued in Iesus Christ to wit to life eternall and called Deut. 33.3 And Moses saith All his Saints are in thy hand Which is more for their safety than if they had all the castles and bulwarks of the world to defend and saue them For we know what Christ saith No man is able to plucke them out of my Fathers hand Iohn 10.29 So that it is a maruellous comfort to be truly sanctified Such may haue enemies both many and mighty by whom they may looke to be fiercely assaulted but no multitudes nor power can preuaile against them And albeit they seeme often to be ouerthrowne with the wrongs which they suffer as some are stript of their possessions others are imprisoned others are banished others are tormented others are killed yet they are still the Lords And this that they are so dealt with commeth not to passe through the might of their aduersaries but by the will of God neither doth he suffer it to satisfie their foes but to encrease their owne happinesse 2 Cor. 4.17 For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for vs a farre more exceeding and eternall waight of glory And besides in all their afflictions he careth for them and doth them good Question Six markes of sanctification But how shall I know that I am truly sanctified Answer First by a perfect that is to say a sincere and true hatred of euery sinne whatsoeuer gaine or pleasure it may seeme to bring with it and by the practise of all holy duties though our credit peace wealth and all that we haue must goe to wracke for it yea our life it selfe be endangered thereby For a man truly sanctified will forgoe life and all rather than obedience to Gods Commandements How can I doe this great wickednesse Gen. 39.9 and sinne against God said Ioseph Secondly by the ground of our hatred of sinne and practise of vertue if it be not our owne credit amongst good men nor any other by-respects but the will and Commandement of God Thirdly by the right end proposed we hating sinne euen in the secretest closet of our soule and purging it from the flesh and spirit and perfecting holinesse in the feare of God that now and alwaies Christ may be magnified and God be glorified in vs. Fourthly by the meanes by which sanctification was wrought That is to say if we haue attained to sanctification by the effectuall working of the Spirit and the doctrine of the word For these bee the meanes by which God doth sanctifie vs. And for this sanctification is called 2 Thess 2.13 Iohn 17.17 the sanctification of the Spirit And our Sauiour saith Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth Fiftly by the extent of it For true sanctification spreads ouer the whole man 1 Thess 5.23 it is wrought in the whole spirit and soule and body Sixtly by the continuance and growth of it For true sanctification after it is once wrought continues for euer and growes more and more by the selfe-same meanes by which it was first wrought vntill it come to perfection The death of his Saints LAstly from these words in that the deare children of God whose dignity is great and farre beyond the highest dignitie that this world affoords in that these are expressed vnder this title of Saints I gather that Doct. 4 Doct. The very title of a Saint is full of honour and dignity The title of a Saint is honourable The Scripture yee see when it makes mention of the best and of such as the world is not worthy of expresseth them here and many times elsewhere by the title of Saints 2 Chron. 6.41 Let thy Saints reioyce in goodnesse said Solomon in his praier Vse 1 The Vse First the hearing of this must teach the Saints to walke in holinesse Walke in holinesse 1 Pet. 1.15 16. According to S. Peters exhortation But as he which hath called you is holy so bee ye holy in all mannâ—r of conuersation Because it is written Be ye holy Ephes 5.2 3. for I am holy And S. Paul saith thus walke in loue as Christ also hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling sauour But fornication and all vncleannesse or couetousnesse let it not bee once named among you as becommeth Saints Here is the ground of his exhortation that hauing receiued so great mercy and grace as to bee made Saints wee are to walke as is fitting for the Saints of God And it should bee a shame that any professing themselues Saints should be found vnholy in their conuersation Vse 2 Secondly considering this is it not a strange thing that any liuing in the Church Against them that reproach others with thâ—â—â— holinesse and make a mocke at the title of a Saint hearing the Gospell and knowing their Creed should be so strangely blinded and so desperately wicked as to scoffe at the endeuour and practise of sanctitie and reproach others with their holinesse saying You are one of these holy folke nay so gracelesse and ignorant as to turne this very title into matter of reproach saying You are one of the Saints you
snares of sinne and sendeth them into true libertie As long as the soule continueth in the body the bonds of temptations hang as fetters about it and bring it into captiuitie to the law of sinne neither can it get free from these bonds and shackles but when it departeth from the body it is loosed from the bonds of temptations and goeth into a blessed and heauenly freedome To this effect saith Paul Rom. 6.6 He that is dead is freed from sinne After death the temptations cease which all the life time did tye the soule and leade it into captiuitie to the law of sinne So that now there is no such tying nor leading captiue of the Saints but an enioying of perfect freedome for euermore Reason 6 Sixthly because it taketh away the Saints out of this present euill world in which if they haue outward peace which is also sickle and vncertaine yet they shall be sure to haue bodily paine and vexation of spirit For that sentence cannot be reuoked Iob 14.22 But his flesh vpon him shall haue paine and his soule within him shall mourne This is the lot of the liuing neither can we be freed from it vntill death come And a thousand things there be to disquiet and grieue our mindes but nothing more than the risenesse of sinne For as the filthy conuersation of the wicked Sodomites vexed Lot as Peter witnesseth saying 2 Pet. 2.7 8. That righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their vnlawfull deedes So the Saints at this day cannot choose but be vexed in seeing and hearing so many enormous vices to be daily committed Such renting of God in peeces by fearefull oathes such cursing and lying such excessiue drinking and drunkennesse such breaking of the Sabbath such deuices and slanders to disgrace Gods children and to hinder the free passage of the Gospell with a thousand enormities more make euery Christian heart ake and fill it full of vexation from day to day From this also death frees vs. Reason 7 Seuenthly because it puts an end to the most dangerous combat in the world which we are forced to endure as long as we liue here and in which we must either suffer blowes I meane the buffetings of Satan or else fall one of the two What doe we alwaies in this life but fight continually against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this world against Spirituall wickednesse in high places Besides we haue combating with couetousnesse with inordinate lusts with angrinesse with vaineglory Our minde is enclosed and beset round about with the assaults of Satan and with manifold temptations and these come so thicke one vpon the necke of another that it can scarce meet with euery one of them and them that it doth meet with it is hard to resist almost any one of them If couetousnesse be subdued lust ariseth if lust be mastered vaineglory stirres if vaineglory be vanquished angrinesse comes in place pride swelleth enuie vrgeth and heat of spirit breakes forth and makes discord The world also and our owne flesh make many assaults vpon vs and much annoy vs. Of all this and a great deale more doth death make an end And what shall I say more For the time would faile me to produce all the meditations that make for this purpose And that which hath beene said doth abundantly proue that the death of the Saints as the Psalmist here saith is precious Obiection It by the preciousnesse of the Saints death is not visible But some may thinke that all this is but words and that he sees no such matter in the death of the Saints but that they die as other men doe If their death be so precious why doth it not appeare so Answer Their death is precious but yet it doth not appeare so first because it is no treasure of this world but an heauenly treasure I say the preciousnesse of the Saints death is an heauenly treasure and therefore hid from the sight of carnal eies in that treasurie of the Lords in Iesus Christ by whose death it is made precious Secondly notwithstanding it appeare not yet we haue a most sure word for it euen the word of the Lord that cannot lie witnessing that it is so And that is better for vs than if it did appeare For our eies might deceiue vs as theirs that tooke Christ for a spirit and our iudgements are dimme and not able to iudge in such matters but Gods word cannot deceiue vs but put vs out of doubt in the matter Thirdly the time is not yet come that it must appeare but it will come and then it shall be manifest to the whole world that it hath beene so Fourthly though it appeare not to mortall eyes yet we see it by faith Our eies are no iudges in this case and the world is worse than our eies For the glory is not earthly nor knowne to the men of this world whereof we speake but the treasure is spirituall and of the spirituall man it is discerned Know thy selfe that by faith thou art Christs and he thine that he died for thee and thou liuest by him that thou art a member of his body of his flesh and of his bones and whatsoeuer is his is thine haue this faith and now come and see and thou shalt see all the rubies and precious things in the world lesse precious than the death of such a man as thou art Thy faith if it could comprehend more assurance of the preciousnesse of the Sunne yet shouldest thou see the preciousnesse of it aboue all thy thoughts For who can comprehend how precious that is which is prcious in Gods sight Vse 1 The Vse First we behold in this the great goodnesse of God See Gods goodnesse in changing euill to good to his children Rom. 8.28 who changeth euill into good vnto his faithfull seruants that it may be euery way and for euer true which the Apostle saith We know that all things worke together for good to them that loue God to them who are the called according to his purpose All things in generall euen those that seeme most to hinder our felicitie are made of God to serue as helpes and furtherances thereof When it commeth to death in which is some token of Gods wrath death is turned to our gaine and profit so that we haue cause to reioice in all respects and to hearken to the Apostle when he saith All things are yours 1 Cor. 3.21 22. whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours that is all are for your good Vse 2 Secondly by that which hath beene said it is also apparant that there is a great difference betweene the bodily death of the godly of the vngodly There is great difference betweene the death of the godly and the vngodly This appeares
his Saints Moreouer from this that the Saints death is here said so expresly affirmed to be precious in the sight of the Lord I gather this comfortable meditation that Doct. 6 Doct. The Saints are neuer neglected of their louing God neither doth death befall them without his speciall prouidence God regards his Saints both in life and death If in their life time they meet with calamities so that they mourne hee regards their teares which made Dauid pray saying Psal 56.8 Put thou my teares into thy bottle And at their death he looketh after them Yea both in life and death he hath a gracious respect of them His Angell in their life time encampeth round about them and when they die they are caried by the Angels Psal 34.7 as Lazarus was into Abrahams bosome that is to say Luke 16.22 into the place of blisse where Abraham now is with the rest of Gods elect which be departed this life This care hath God of euery one of his Saints So that nothing can befall them in life or death but as he disposeth it What time he will haue them to liue so long they shall liue as he will haue them to bee tried with sundry afflictions so are they euery one tried and when his time is come that he will haue them to die then and not before they shall depart this life And which is most comfortable when that day comes hee will draw neere vnto them and make them feele by experience that which they haue learned and beleeued long before that precious in his sight is the death of his Saints Vse 1 The Vse Now then beloued see what a gracious God the Saints haue in heauen It is most true Take notice of Gods goodnesse to his Saints and too too commonly seene that generally amongst men the Saints of all others are least regarded but with the Lord of heauen there is none regarded with any speciall fauour but onely the Saints and these hee respects after a speciall manner as the Psalmist faith Behold Psal 33.18 34.15 the eye of the Lord is vpon them that feare him vpon them that hope in his mercie Many parents are very carefull for the welfare of their children but no parents care can be compared with the care which God hath of his Saints For notwithstanding the greatest care of the best parents in the world yet some things they shall see to befall their children which they cannot doe to and which they were not able for their liues to preuent but in respect of the Lord there is no such thing can befall his Saints but whatsoeuer he pleaseth and whatsoeuer his hand and his counsell hath determined before to be done that only shall befall them both in life and death Vse 2 Secondly this serues to banish from the heart of euery good man To banish distractions all distracting thoughts whether concerning maintenance bodily safety protection from dangers or whatsoeuer thing else and to make vs cheere vp our selues learne that good lesson which Dauid giueth vs Psal 55.22 saying Cast thy burden vpon the Lord and he shall sustaine thee he shall neuer suffer the righteous to be moued Behold and know that the Lord careth for the righteous and sendeth foorth his holy Angels which are all ministring spirits Heb. 1.14 Ps 42.11 43.5 to minister for them who shall be heires of saluation Dost thou beleeue this then let not thy soule be disquieted within thee but hope in God Be doing good and fulfill thy duty in that place which God hath set thee He will surely blesse thee and keepe no good thing from thee and at the last thy death shall be precious For God himselfe will haue the whole ordering of it both for the time the manner the place and euery way else Vse 3 Thirdly this also is comfortable for them that mourne for the death of any that liued in the feare of God Comfort ouer the Saints death Consider this speech well Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints For this beeing true that the Saints death is precious in the sight of the Lord it must needs follow that whensoeuer they die bee it sooner or latter they die in the due time that is to say in that time which is best for them in respect of their good It is the portion of bloudy and deceitfull men not to liue out halfe their daies Psal 55.23 Iob 5.26 but it is otherwise with good men as Eliphaz saith Thou shalt come to thy graue in a full age like as a shocke of corne commeth in in his season Oh then thinke when thy Christian friend is taken from thee that he died not by chance he died not before his time but his time was come and God hath 1296 sent him to his graue in his season yea euen in that time when it was best for him and most for the comfort and saluation of his soule What couldest thou desire more Therefore mourne not excessiuely but comfort thy selfe and make ready for the time which God hath appointed for thee It will not be long ere thou shalt goe the way which thy louing friend thy guide and thy comfort is gone before thee For death is the way of all the earth Vse 4 Fourthly this meditation that the Saints are neuer neglected neither in life nor death of their louing God Encourâ—gement to serue God and trust 1 in him should both embolden vs come what will come to goe on in his seruice not being dismaied with any crosses or afflictions and also make vs to trust stedfastly in him yea euen then when we can discerne no tokens of his fauour vnto vs. For of this wee are certaine that if we walke in holinesse howsoeuer it bee with vs all our life long that God watcheth ouer vs and our death when it comes shall be precious in his sight And this we haue further for our comfort in this case that we shall not die when the vngodly would haue vs die but at that time which God hath set For as Dauid saith so we may euery one say My times are in thy hand Psal 31.15 and 41.5 The vngodly may say by vs as they did by him when shall hee die and his name perish But neuerthelesse wee shall runne out our race and come to that period which God hath appointed for vs. Thus farre of the Proposition Now remaineth the Proofe thereof in these words of the Text In the sight of the Lord. In the sight of the Lord. DAVID proues the death of the Saints to bee precious by an argument not fetched from the consideration of the thing it selfe but taken from without it to wit from the testimony and authority of God in these words In the sight of the Lord as if he should say can it chuse but bee precious which the Lord himselfe approueth and highly esteemeth of It is not possible