on thirty asse colts ruled over thirty cities Iudg. 10 3.4 of Ibzan having twise as many children thirty sonnes and thirty daughters living to see them all married Iudg. 12.8.9 of Abdon that had fourty sonnes thirty nephewes all honourable riding on seventy asse colts vers 14. ibid. then what must the honour of Adam Evah have bene in all their innumerable sonnes daughters being all Lords and rulers of the earth and all the creatures therein subdued unto them to have seene all these come about them by course that with bowed knees to honour them with stretched out armes to embrace them with loving cheerefull countenances to rejoyce them with obedient hearts to serve them such children as had never offended them nor any besides such as never had givē any occasion of greefe to them or of complaint to others According to the proportion of the cause both in respect of their number of their excellent graces their joy must have bene a thousand times greater then the joy of other parents that yet have counted themselves happy in their children Their dayes without decay should have bene lengthened and their yeares drawne out with comfort their eyes never dimmed with age like Isaac that could not know one sonne from another Gen. 27.1 c. but their youth should have bene renewed more then the Eagles by eating the tree of life in the midst of the garden so with a quick sence and fresh memory ever have enjoyed a deligtfull conversation with their posterity l To come from the joy of parents to marke the childrens happines consider we againe the love ascendent by which the posterity of Adam should have had comfortable communion with their elders from the next parents upward for an hundred generations unto Adam for according to the phrase of Scripture a man that lives an hundred yeare is said to see his children unto the third fourth generation and so according to this speech we may well reckon an hundred generations more from Adam to our time Now as childrens children are the crowne of old men so the glory of children are their fathers Prov. 17.6 and every one of the last generation having had an hundred fathers one older then another to Adam all living together and all of them holy patriarkes the oracles of God unto their children full of wise counsell holy instructions and divine consolations as full of love tender affection which could not but have yeelded pleasant words like the hony combe sweetnes to the soule health to the bones Prov. 16.24 what joy then in this state of innocency should have bene to the children in such a communion where every one should have had an hundred crowns of glory more every one of their fathers being better unto them then any crowne of the finest gold of Ophir or Vphaz That we may the better conceive of this let us suppose that which might have bene according to the first foundation of the world let us set before our eyes Adam dwelling in paradise in Eden as in the center of the habitable world and all his children placed round about him in this order that the next succeeding generations should inhabit in the next circle or climate a little more remote from him and the next ensuing generations should be planted yet a little further off so the next following still further and further unto the hundreth generation reaching to the ends of the earth And to speake now even of those that were furthest off of the last generations when they at any time should have desired to visit their first parent Adam to have communicated with him oh what comfort what pleasant recreation and refreshing of their soule might that have bene unto them Suppose it had bene an hundred dayes journey more yet no labour before the fall was painefull no travell should have bene wearisome no danger should have molested them in the way in passing through an hundred countries a man should have met with no barbarian while there was no confusion of languages in the world every one they met should have blessed them in the name of the Lord and have bene ready to goe with them a mile or more brought them on their way if they would Matt. 5.41 Vnder every tongue there should have bene hony milk of gracious speech of pleasant discourse and their lippes should have dropped as an hony combe Cant. 4.11 At the end of every dayes journey a man might have come to lodge at the mansion place of his owne naturall father or grandfather though every day still with him that should be by one generation older then the former Every harbour in each country should have bene a delightfull paradise and their deare parents their noble progenitours should there have entertained them with all the pleasantest fruits of their garden rejoycing over thē putting them into their bosome powring out their hearts unto them above all materiall food their sweet conferences according to the work of Gods Spirit in his children Psal 44.1 78.3.4 their stories of old matters which they had seene workes of divine providence the yeares of Gods right hand all of mercy benefits while no sinne had bene in the world their narrations of divine visions their talke with God according to that course which God had begun with Adam before the fall these conferences should have bene a spirituall banquet their best cheare more pleasant then the juyce of the pomegranate above any spiced wine to rejoyce the heart And thus as they proceeded in their journey they might still at every harbour have drunk older sweeter and mellower wine of consolation still have bene entertained by their more ancient fathers which could tell them of things done before that patriark was borne with whom they had lodged the night before And when they had thus in order passed on along by an hundred patriarks their owne fathers in every station from day to day had bene filled with more more comfort then at last comming to their first parent old Adam the patriark of patriarks to his garden in Eden finding him there in his integrity without any decay of Gods image in him strong in body minde flourishing as a greene olive tree encreased abundantly in wisedome in all the gifts of holines righteousnes oh what joy should it have bene to have come before him seene him eye to eye to have bene heartily welcommed by him with all joy to be owned by him as his children to have had him layd his hāds upon them blessed them in like manner to have saluted their most deare mother Evah to have bene embraced kissed by her But especially it would then have bene a principall comfort to have receyved the Sacrament with him to have gone into the midst of the garden with him whiles aire as God brought these
warne every one that would stand in the evill day never to forget their latter end After the fall then God calles againe by a Sentence of mortality which he pronounced on man Dust thou art to dust thou shalt returne Gen. 3.19 to make men with new care to thinke upon death And this was a generall day of judgment in the beginning of the world as there shall be an other Generall judgment in the end of the world Then were we all in Adam Evah presented before the Tribunall judgment-seat of God receyved the sentence of the first death universally pronounced upon all men righteous or unrighteous elect or reprobate as there shal be a sentence of second death pronounced on the reprobate at last After this Sentence the Lord calles againe by the execution thereof from time to time while death being entred into the world reignes among men devouring all bringing all to dust yet so that the execution of this Sentence is revealed in manifold diverse degrees according to the great patience long their language but cut of their dayes from foure or five hundred to two hundred od yeares Gen. 11 18-32 And so with the ruine of Babel the life of man was ruinated The lofty tower of mans age that before ascended to so great an height by the steps of so many yeares was now throwne downe made lower by the halfe The noyse crash of this downefall sounded through many generations from Peleg to Terah warning all to be more watchfull because the execution of this sentence of death with double speed was brought upon them After this in the time of Abraham the generations following from two hundred od we finde the yeares of the Patriarkes brought to an hundred od Gen. 25.7 35.28 47.28 c. So was the reprive of man shortned againe And whē the Lord called Abraham his seed into his covenant he withall called both him the world by a new summōs as by sound of trumpet to repentance amendment of life by remembrance of their latter end which now pressed upon them with double hast to that it had done And lastly in the time of Moses the Lord being provoked by a new rebellion did againe halfe the age of man reduced the number of his yeares to seventy or eighty Psal 90.10 Then was the execution of the Sentence of death hastned more then ever before thereby the Lord called them still calleth us to remember our end Lord let thy call be effectuall unto us bring our hearts to true wisedome establish thou the worke of our hands fill us with thy mercy in the morning that we may seeke thee early be glad in thee all our dayes d If God should once more have halfed the age of man as he did before then can we not conceive how the world should have subsisted If our dayes upon a new provocation had bene shortned from seventy to five thirty if weaknes of old age had prevayled as much upon us at thirty as now it doth at sixty if at fifteene yeares men should have bene at their full strength then have begun to decline as now many doe at thirty being then in the height vigour of their age how manifold defects in learning practising would thē have ensued what wisedome experience could men have learned in so short a time how could liberall or mechanicall arts sciences have bene learned or what continuance of strēgth could have bene to have wrought exercised such trades sciences what a world of children old folkes yea what a world of fooles impotent persons should we have had though it be so already yet how much more then But the Lord will not contēd for ever though he be now provoked as much as ever before for the spirit would faile before him the soules that he hath made Esa 57.16 Therefore hath the terme of mans age continued at this stay from Moses to our time for about three thousand yeares together so as it was never settled in the former generations And therefore in speciall is this worke of God to be considered of us as being the last call warning of God in this kinde to make us remember our latter end Now though God doe not againe shorten halfe the dayes of man by such certaine determinate limits as formerly he hath done yet after another manner he doth not ceasse to cut them off prevent the course of nature for our warning as effectually as in the former judgemēts For still the Lord being provoked by the wicked cutts them off before their time they are brought downe to the pit they live not out halfe their dayes Psal 55.23 the number of their moneths is cut off in the middest Iob 21.21 as the vine shakes off his unripe grape the olive his flower Iob 15.33 And not the wicked alone but the elect the beloved of God as Henoch Gen. 5.23.24 are also taken away in the midst of their dayes though sometime they live to seventy or eighty yeares come to their grave in a full age as a shock of corne commeth in in his season Iob 5.26 yet oft they are taken away before Esa 57.1 in infancy childhood youth middle age c. Vpon every step of life death waites and thousāds are dayly translated on every yeare of mans life some the first yeare that they are borne some in the second some in the third so forward every yeare thousands ten thousands even to the last and so a thousand calles hereby we receyve from God to remember our latter end with greater hast e The multitude number of these uncertaine untimely deaths are innumerable We may observe it in three worlds The old world perished all together strong men with their women children were smitten with the sword of Ioshuah Ios 11.4 How many did the sword of Gideon of David other Kings of Israel devoure Who can recount how much flesh those foure beasts or Monarchies devoured Dan. 7.3 c. Not to speake more of the heathens what untimely deaths did overtake Israel their infants were drowned in Egypt Exo. 1.22 Six hundred thousād of their carcasses fell in the wildernes And as the childrē especially were before destroyed in Egypt so now in the wildernes the mē especially A decree was made a bound set unto the murmurers that they which were twēty yeares old should not live longer then sixty yeares accordingly for the rest whereas their childrē might live to sevēty or eighty yeares Num. 14 29-33 How many were slaine in the time of their Iudges Kings In Ahaz his time an hundred twēty thousand valiant men were slaine in one day two hundred thousand captived 2. Chron. 28.6.8 In Ieroboams time five hundred thousand chosen men fell downe slaine at once 2. Chro. 13.17 And by innumerable such examples hath death
lover of the world and of these things of the world then is not the love of the Father in him 1. Ioh. 2.15.16 then is he made the enimy of God for his entertainment of these lusts and his amity with them Iam. 4.4 and consequently cannot looke for the fruits of that blessed friendship with God but for such remaineth a fearefull exspectation of judgment death in the day of Gods wrath Therefore men die for ever because they live after the flesh doe not die betimes to these sinfull lusts Rom. 8.13 e As the world so the Devill also by the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life both worketh his chief temptations by the mortifying of those he is cōquered by mens yeelding unto thē he overcommeth devoureth them This appeareth in three most memorable examples of Adam Christ and Antichrist At the temptation of our first parents the Devill used these three baites thereby ensnared them The forbidden tree by his suggestion appeared good for meat Gen. 3.6 to bring them to covetousnes not content with all the other trees of paradise as though there had not bene meat enough for thē without this also it appeared pleasant to the eyes to kindle the lust of false and vaine pleasure in them and by his suggestion it appeared as a tree desirable by which the Devill workes so effectually in him and in others by him are those three forenamed lusts for by these three is Antichrist often described In respect of the lust of the flesh the habitation and denne of Antichrist is a spiriruall Sodom Rev. 11.8 abounding with lusts of monstrous uncleannes the Romish city is compared to a great Harlot the mother of harlots having in her hand a great cup full of abominations filthinesse of her fornication Rev. 17.1.4.5 and living deliciously in pleasures Rev. 18.7 In respect of the lust of the eyes love of riches she is decked with gold precious stone pearles Rev. 17.4 18.16 and for increase maintenance of that wealth her servants ministers through covetousnes and with fained words doe make merchandise of men 2. Pet. 2.3 And as for the pride of life this man of sinne doth exalt himselfe above all that is called God shewes himselfe that he is God 2. Thes 2.4 and hath a mouth speaking great things blasphemies is wondred at worshipped throughout the world Rev. 13.3.4.5 And when he is crossed in any of his lusts then he makes warre with the Saints overcomes them is drunken with their blood Rev. 13.7 17.6 suffers them not to buy or sell that will not receive his marke Rev. 13.17 Hereby it appeares that the spirit of Antichrist and the breath of his life is lust these worldly lusts are as it were the bridle and saddle wherewith Satan rides upon him with the spurres of these lusts he drives him on to commit so great abhominations By lust is the greatest sinne wrought in the world and therefore is every one to be warned hereby to fight continually against these lusts that fight against the soule and make it a slave to Satan 1. Pet. 2.11 They must either mortify these lusts of the old man or els for ever be a spoyle prey unto the old serpent that worketh by them Holy Ghost they are againe taught upon the new consideratiō of this honour done unto them in reverence of this divine guest to proceed unto a further degree care of their mortification to cleanse themselves from all filthines of flesh and spirit to subdue the old man with his lusts affections lest they grieve this Spirit that is come to dwell with them 1. Cor. 6.19.20 2. Cor. 6.16 7.1 Eph. 4.30 a The manner how the Spirit doth mortify sinne is by bringing the sinner unto Christ by him unto the Father As the Father for communicating of life unto men hath sent his Sonne to merit life Ioh. 7.16 3.16 both the Father the Sonne have sent the Holy Spirit for our assurance of that life Ioh. 15.26 so the Spirit againe bringes us both to Christ to the Father and first teacheth us to embrace Christ he testifies of Christ and glorifies him takes of his shewes it unto us Ioh. 16.13.14.15 The manner how the Spirit bringes us unto Christ is by working in us the graces of Faith Hope Love of Christ These are the most sweet breathings of the Holy Ghost by each of these he workes mortification in them that are so brought unto him I. Faith in Christ serves to kill sinne in us many wayes First of all by the death of Christ there is merited for us not onely the pardon of our sinne but also a power of subduing sinne by his death he hath merited the gift of the spirit even of the spirit of sanctification Of this gift we are made partakers by faith which engraffes us into Christ into the fellowship of his death of all the merit thereof Therefore is it sayd that we are planted together with him into the likenes of his death and hereupon we know that the old man is crucifyed with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Rom. 6.5.6.7 8. Thus being by faith united to Christ the spirit of mortification as well as the gift of reconciliation is bestowed upon us in this regard should we the more earnestly seek that precious faith which procures so great grace unto us Therefore did Christ beare our sins in his body on the tree that we might become dead unto sinnes 1. Pet. 2.24 that by the merit of his death sinne might be mortifyed in us And hereupon we come to say with the Apostle that we are crucifyed with Christ Gal. 2.20 we may stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free Gal. 5.1 IV. Moreover as our Mortification depends upon that which Christ merited for us so that which Christ by his death obtained for himselfe doth further lead us thereunto For to this end Christ both dyed rose againe that he might be Lord both of the dead living Rom. 14.9 And as we beleeve that he is becom our Lord so we are to beleeve that we are become his servants being bought with a price to wit by his blood therefore are not our owne but his 1. Cor. 6..19.20 7.23 therefore may not doe our owne willes nor follow our owne affections lusts but are to mortify them that we may doe his will Thus the faith of Christs dominion over us purchased by his death doth serve for an help of our mortification while it apprehends that the redeemed of Christ are redeemed from the earth from among men to follow the Lambe being the first fruits unto God to the Lambe Rev. 14.3.4 V. Againe being in part mortifyed contrite for sinne by another act of faith we doe
Spirit by faith bringes us unto Christ for the mortification of sinne it followes that we consider how the same is done by Hope also through the assured exspectation of the glory that is to come Christ is our Hope the Hope of glory 1. Tim. 1.1 Col. 1.27 And frō this Hope there ariseth a double act of mortification by two especiall graces of Sobriety Patience that are exercised therein Sobriety is an act of mortification which consists in the subduing of inordinate joy delight of all earthly pleasures honours and profits wherewith so many are as it were drunken overcome By looking for that blessed Hope the glorious appearing of the great God our Saviour Iesus Christ we are taught to deny ungodlines worldly lusts to live soberly and temperately in the moderate use of all outward comforts Tit. 2.12.13 The godly doe know that when the Lord shall appeare in glory they shall be made like unto him when they shall see him as he is And every one that hath this Hope in him purifyeth himselfe as he is pure 1. Ioh. 3.2.3 This purification of the soule from uncleane pleasures and lusts is the mortification of them As a greater light doth obscure dimme the lesse both the starres in the firmament the candles lighted on earth below doe cease to shine when the light of the radiant Sunne doth arise upō them so all the brightest lampes of worldly pleasure are as it were extinguished suffer with joy the spoyling of their goods knowing in themselves that they have in heaven a better an enduring substance Heb. 10.34 e After the consideration of Faith Hope it remaines that we proceed to the third grace of Love whereby the holy Spirit doth worke a further mortification in the elect And first of all by the love of Christ men are brought to the love of death having a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 This desire of death cannot be in a man untill he be dead unto the world untill the love of the things that are in the world be dissolved within him Vntill a man be content to depart from all other vanities he cannot desire to goe unto Christ And therefore ought the godly to labour to finde in thēselves this desire of being translated out of the world to be with Christ that thereby they may finde more assurance of their mortification We see how the tender fervent love of some friends makes them willing desirous to die with their friēds doth after a sort mortifye the world unto them Iacob having lost Ioseph refused to be comforted resolved to goe downe mourning into the grave unto his sonne Gen. 37.35 fearing the losse of Benjamin both he others thought he should die with him his life being bound up in his sonnes life Gen. 42.38 44.22.30.31 It is recorded by divers historians touching the barbarous Indians in some parts both of the East the West some Black-Moores in Guinea in the midst betwixt them both that many of the subjects doe willingly die with their kings and many women with their husbands that the Prince being drowned many of the people have willingly drowned themselves with him that some men give their wives some their childrē some their servāts to be buried alive in the grave with their king to serve him in another world that some women doe cheerfully by the encouragement of their friends cast themselves into the fire wherein according to their manner of burial in some places the dead bodies of their husbands are consumed together If these so wickedly and resolutely leave this world before they be called and blindly cast away their lives for the love of a wretched creature what shame is it unto Christians if the love of their glorious prince heavenly bridegroome doe not mortify them declared it remaineth yet to be shewed how the Spirit having brought us to Christ doth bring us thereby to the eternall Father for in Christ through the Spirit we have accesse or entrance to the Father Eph. 2.18 and are reconciled to God saved and not onely so but we also joy in God through our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5.11 And then all the attributes that are in God absolutely considered besides the other comforts to be had by them doe in speciall serve for our mortification by the Spirit of Christ teaching us the right life of them God is light 1. Ioh. 1.5 and all his glorious attributes are so many divine beames of light whereof every one of thē by shining upon us doth further our mortificatiō The eye of Gods infinite wisedome looking downe upon us may well strike us with shame of our vaine behaviour and forgetfulnes of God and make us mourne as Peter when at his third denyall Christ turned and looked upon him Luk. 22.61.62 And therefore are wicked mē the further from mortification because they say in their hearts Tush God seeth not Psal 10.11 Iob 22.14 the eye of man restraines them more then the eye of God Iob 24.15.17 The sight of Gods infinite power may well cast us downe and make us seeme lesse then grashoppers in our owne eyes when Israelites were so stricken with the sight of the mighty and tall Anakims Num. 13.33 His infinite goodnes mercy communicated with us should affect us more then Davids did Mephibosheth cause us rather to say What are we that the Lord should looke upon such dead dogs as we are 2. Sam. 9.8 His infinite wrath against sin before which the mountaines quake and melt Nah. 1.5.6 may well strike us with godly sorrow for the same sins which in the reprobate are punished with unrecoverable destruction though they be pardoned in us The incomprehensible majesty glorious beauty of his face cannot be looked upon by living men Exod. 33.20 some sparkles thereof appearing have brought men to the feare of death Iud. 13.22 His unmeasurable eternity being duely thought upō may well mortify the love of this transitory world that passeth away 1. Cor. 7.31 he alone being unchangeable abiding for ever the same Iam. 1.17 Psa 102.26.27 His unconceivable ubiquity or presence in every place may well serve for an hedge or wall of mortification to keepe us in awe of him in the denyall of ourselves for him seeing we can goe no whither from his spirit presence Psa 139.7 c. And thus all the rest of his attributes being reverently thought upon may serve to subdue the vanity of our mindes worke a death of sin within us by the help of his Holy Spirit By this meanes we may be prepared for our latter end to leave this world with comfort The Heremites Anachoretes that shut up themselves in walles or wildernesses doe every day with their owne hāds digge with their fingers scratch rake up the mouldes making their owne grave aforehand lying downe therein doe not in
Lord that whether we live or die we may be the Lords Rom. 14.7.8.9 This murder of a mās self is a grievous sin of which are guilty not onely such as lay violent hands on themselves but even those also that rashly expose themselves to unnecessary dangers combatants rash adventurers such as without a calling or any necessity goe to infectious places which are as the shadow of death As souldiers set to keep watch may not leave their station till the time appointed of their Captaine no more may we offer to depart hence untill we be dismissed or called away of our Commander Every man is bound to preserve life so long as by good meanes he can doe it or els he breakes the sixth cōmandemēt In like manner doe many offend by impatience vaine wishes of death Ion. 4.3.8.9 whether they doe it without sense having obdurate and feared cōsciences or with extremity of sēse without faith as in thoughts of despaire b Secondly this poynt of doctrine touching the feare of death is wisely to be considered in respect of many weake and infirme persons which have true faith hope love and yet are not so ready to selves feeling some present unpreparednes for the recovery of their strength that they may in better manner be fitted to appeare before God Psa 39.13 As a faithfull loving wife having had her husband long absent in a farre countrey or a spouse her bridegroome though she cannot but long for his returne yet if it should so fall out that about the time of his returne she should have the yellow jaundies or some greevous sore and deformity in the face would wish that her bridegroome might stay a week or two lōger till her sores were healed her strength recovered or as a Nobleman that unfainedly desires that his Prince should come to his house may yet in respect of some want of reparations in his house desire and wish in his heart that the Kings comming might be deferred a while till his house were repaired even so the spouse of Christ and his faythfull servants though they love him dearely desire nothing so much as to enjoy his presence to the full may yet sometimes wish that his comming might be prolonged for some space of time till they be in better plight to entertaine him Secondly they may be loth to depart this life in respect of others for their benefit insomuch that though for their owne part they have an unfained desire to be dissolved yet for the good of others they are content desirous to live as a parent for his childrens education a Prince for the reformation a Minister for the instruction of the people in dangerous times Thus it was with Hezekiah Esa 38.18.19 Paul Phill. 1 21-24 d And yet even in all these distresses when death approcheth God calles mē away there is comfort against every want Christ makes supply of all if there be any blemish sore or deformity he is such a bridegroome as suddenly heales all and presents us to himself without spot or wrinckle or any such thing Eph. 5.27 He is the father of the fatherlesse the great Shepheard of the sheep Heb. 13.20 he will gather feed defend his flock he hath abundance of spirit whereby to fulfill all his good pleasure he is all in all Hezekias had great desire to live to see his children to teach them and yet behold when God had prolonged his life added unto his dayes fifteen yeares presently he offēds heares a woeful threatning of judgmēt Esa 39.6.7 Yea Manasses his sonne whom he got three yeares after his recovery and who entred into the kingdome when he was twelve yeares old Hezekias his fifteē yeares being expired became a most abominable Idolater murderer witch c. 2. Kin. 21.1.2 c. Had Hezekias knowne so much whē he desird to live lōger to teach his children it is not likely that he would have bene so desirous of life Therefore if God call us away we must be content to depart whatsoever inconveniences be in the way consider how great a fault sin it is to be unwilling to goe at his call e To this end it will be profitable to think often of the greatest hindrances and encumbrances in death yea to consider of them as if we were now upon our death-bed lay presently a dying gasping for breath that we may learne to arme ourselves against all lets difficulties that make men unwilling to leave this world For example Obj. I. Some are happily loth to leave the world because of their friends kinred children acquaintance c. whose company they still desire to enjoy Ans For one friend whom we leave here we finde a thousand in heaven For I. Of men in this world we see but one as it were our owne generation and of this generation not the thousandth person we never saw all the countries of the world scarce heard of them much lesse their cities townes particular persons II. Of those we have seen we know not one city much lesse are we acquainted with all the inhabitants there are many from whom we receive no love nor any fruits of love yea some that proove our enimies from whom much evill is received III. For that small number of those that are our true friends indeed how weake are they in comparison not so amiable in soule or body by an hundred degrees as those to whom we goe IV. If men on earth were as gracious vertuous unblameable as in heaven yet in this earthly condition our communion with them is most imperfect defective lame in respect of present necessities layd upon us as 1. Our drossy nature whereby we are like snailes cannot travell about the world in such swift and glorious motions as in heaven 2. Our many trades and vocations binding men like prisoners to sit the whole week at their work confining them to their severall imployments The world is like a Rasp-house or Bridewell where by the rod of necessity men are made to work the twigs or cords of this whip are hunger thirst cold nakednes the smart and shame of these doth scourge force men to labour thus it is with men here in respect of heavē where there is no hindrance from continuall making of acquaintance 3. Our wearines sleepy nature making us spend our nights in the shadow of death as dead men whereas in heaven there is no night no shadow of the earth which reacheth little further thē the sphere of the Moone and therefore is farre from causing any darknes in the third heavēs in the paradise of God What darknes or night can approch thither where al the righteous shine as the Sun for ever Matt. 13.43 4. The weaknes of our senses bodily communion whereas here two soules sitting together cānot impart their mindes to one another without the outward organs instruments of sense there the spirits
further apprehend that in Christ we shall be accepted notwithstanding the weake measure of mortification that is in us And this faith of acceptance is a great encouragement for us to proceed further in the subduing mortifying of the flesh with the lusts thereof to abound dayly therein when as we know that our weake labour in the Lord is not in vaine 1. Cor. 15.58 when this perswasion abides within us that the day of small beginnings is not to be despised Zech. 4.10 that the Lord doth both accept the willing minde notwithstanding many wants 2. Cor. 8.12 will also in due season perfect accomplish that which he hath begun in us Philip 1.6 b That we may the better apprehend the comfort of this acceptance through faith there are divers poynts to be observed touching the nature of true Mortification which is yet acceptable to God 1. First that it is still imperfect in this life even in the most excellent servants of Christ who cōfesse themselves wretched transgressours of the law of God feeling in themselves another law power of sinne rebelling against the law of their minde leading them into captivity to the law of sinne that is in their members Rom. 7.23.24 II. Secondly true mortification of sinne as it is imperfect so it is nnequall every man having a portion of grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Eph. 4.7 The same measure of the spirit is not to be exspected in all All have not the same measure of sorrow for their sinnes that some others have yet it may be true and unfained and so accepted of God The fruits of repentance are in some thirty in some sixty in some an hundred-fold Matt. 13.23 Though every true beleever have the spirit of God Rom. 8.9 be a spirituall person 1. Cor. 2.14.15 yet some truely spirituall are so weake that in comparison of others they are not spirituall 1. Cor. 3.1 And therefore ought not any for this to be discouraged if they finde themselves inferiour unto others III. Thirdly true Mortification as it is unequall so it is in some respects unlike in the faithfull as there are divers measures thereof so are there divers manners of it The gifts graces of God are not onely many but manifold or divers of different kinde in divers persons 1. Pet. 4.10 and therefore some that have not mortifyed the outward actions of sinne may have striven more in the mortifying of their inward lusts affections Some that have not mortifyed the more hainous sinnes but have sometimes fallen into notorious scandals may yet in their ordinary course of life farre exceed those in true mortification which yet never fell into such grosse outward offences 1. Kin. 15.5 2. Sam. 24.3.4 c. And some that proceed further unto dayly mortification of the actions of sinne may yet want that great contrition sorrow for sinne which is in others that fall oftner doe lesse abstaine from the ordinary practise of sinne It is hard for any to determine whether it was greater grace in Ioseph a servant resisting the temptation not committing adultery with his mistresse or in David after his fall to humble himselfe so farre as being a glorious king to shame himselfe by publick confession of his adultery Psa 51. title For as God magnifies his mercy by sinne in forgiving it more then if no sinne had bene Rom. 3.4 5.20 so the godly may sometime manifest their grace and godlines by open and effectuall repentance more then if that speciall sin had not bene committed by them Luk. 7 38-34 IIII. Fourthly that Mortification which ariseth from the liveliest faith and feeling of Gods favour in Christ is most acceptable unto God rather then that which hath the extreamest griefe feare and terrour joyned with it or then that which hath a greater restraint of sinfull actions For as by faith men please God Heb. 11. 5.6 so according to the measure of faith in any action men doe more or lesse please God therein Though the degrees of mortification be many though the working of faith be sometimes revealed more at one degree then at another yet whatsoever is wrought at any degree is still by faith whether it be at the chāge of the disposition the motion affection will or action or in contrition after the sinfull action whether it be in divers men according to their different measure of grace or in the same men according to their divers assistance at severall times it is all by faith Faith is the root of other graces Col. 2.7 every act of mortification is a branch springing from this root no branch may boast against the root that beareth it Rom. 11.18 This is the victory that overcommeth the world evē our faith 1. Ioh. 5.4 by it mortification is wrought by it each act of mortification becomes most acceptable to God And therefore above all things we are to labour that this blessed grace of faith may be stirred up within us that though it have as it were slept at one assault of sin it may yet be awakened at another degree of mortification in the progresse of our spirituall combates And seing the spirit of God is the spirit of faith 2. Cor. 4.13 therefore should we seek to be filled with the spirit Eph. 5.18 that by it we may both become strong in the Lord in the power of his might may withall in the middes of our weakenesses be comforted encouraged through this faith of being made acceptable unto God in Christ c Furthermore besides this working of faith for the mortification of all kinde of sin in generall there is yet also a more particular consideration of the power of faith for the mortification of some speciall sinnes against God man By faith the spirituall pride of nature is subdued and confidence in a mans owne selfe is overthrowne whiles such a way of salvation by free grace without our owne works merits is taught us by faith Thus is humility utter denyall of a mans self wrought in the soule as the Spirit declareth by that threefold emphaticall interrogatiō the answer thereof when as he saith Where is boasting then it is excluded By what law of vvorkes Nay but by the law of faith Rom. 3.27 And so also in respect of men it may in like manner be demāded Where is hatred revenge it is excluded By what law of workes Nay but by the law of faith Faith teacheth men to be kinde mercifull tender hearted forbearing one another and forgiving one another if they beleeve the pardon of their owne sinnes and that God in Christ hath forgivē them Eph. 4.32 Col. 3.13 Though the law of workes require both humility in respect of God meekenes in respect of men though it condemne both boasting revengefulnes yet it is the law of faith that workes these graces required mortifyes the contrary sinnes d Having heard how the