be with his Lord Jesus which he longed for far above life even from the begining of his sicknesse so that some being desirous to pray for him he would by no means that they should pray to preserve his life here any longer but that he might go to his Lord Jesus and be taken from that state of estrangement and absence from him that he was in while in this body to be at home with him that he might in his spirit more fully see and enjoy him whom he had seen by faith or whom not seeing yet he beleeved in and loved for that good report of his love in the Gospel declared to him as he had wrought righteousnesse or done righteously in his life in receiving the testimony of the Gospel the record of God concerning Jesus Christ and was not ashamed of it though spoken against and rejected by men nor of those that brought it though weak and vilified by most so went he not without the fruit of it in his death the word of God wrought effectually in him both in life and death In his life time it wrought in him to desire the true and lasting riches although he was blessed here with a good and large portion of these outward riches which often prove such snares and intanglements to mens hearts that they cannot attend to God for the true yea and whereas commonly rich men are high minded as it is intimated in that charge given them not to be high minded 1 Tim. 6.21 and prove great hinderances of mens entring the strait gate because men are apt to swell in their mindes up to the largenesse yea and often far beyond the largenesse of their estates and to despise so low and contemptible a way as the Gospel is It was not so with him the goodnesse of God so wrought in him as for the enjoiment of Christ he condescended to them of low degree to bear the reproach of Christ with them and to professe the despised Gospel amongst them A rare thing to finde a rich estate and a poor humble spirit together riches and pride and loftines usually accompany each other and so choaking all motions or desires of goodnesse that they come not out to perfection In all this he did righteously but above all in that he received not only the sound but the substance of the Gospel the truth into his heart so as to set his hope in God therethrough and to expect his salvation as also his brother had done before him however opposite at first as many others yet are which accompanied him to his death as hath been expressed which hope also suted with the hope of the righteous man in this that it was founded upon the love of God in Christ to mankinde and so to him The death resurrection ascension mediation of the Son of God for him according to the Gospel declaration as appears by this ensuing confession of his faith which he penned with his own hand when he first began to grow sick and weak and caused to inserted into the preface of his Will whence also as I was requested I copied it out word for word to publish it to you as here followeth I bequeath my soul into the hands of God as into the hands of a faithfull Creator who hath made heaven and earth and all things therein and to Jesus Christ the second person in the Trinity God blessed for ever who hath redeemed me and all mankinde for the Scripture that I do faithfully beleeve saith That he by the grace of God tasted death for every man and St John saith That God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And the same John saith in his Epistle He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world and other such like Scriptures which I here forbear to insert And this I do declare because so many do deny the truth of these Scriptures and some others deny all Scriptures and many now in our daies deny the Lord Iesus Christ to be the second Person in Trinity and so account the written Scriptures as a History and the mystery in their hearts they give for Scripture But I do faithfully beleeve as it is recorded in the word of God that that Iesus who died for all men is risen free and acquit of all that was against them for to this end he both died and rose again that he might be Lord of all and is ascended up on high and hath received gifts * Or In the man for men to send forth even to the rebellious that the Lord God might dwell amongst them and that they might come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved such provision hath God made for all in and through his Son that be invites all to come and saith all things are ready his trible is furnished and he bids them eat of his bread and drink of his wine that he hath mingled Thus far is the love of God in his Son set forth to all and more fully and of his fulnesse have we all received and grace for grace And further it is said To so many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God to them which beleeve in his Name Which makes it plain that whosoever is found to receive and accept what is declared in the Scriptures of what Jesus hath done for all it is as much as to say they receive him that is to own God for their father in the righteousnesse of his Son so that he that is Gods righteousnesse is their righteousnesse who presents them in himself unto the Father and for them be hath a further businesse with the father as in 1 Joh. 2.1 is declared We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous making good our cause and not suffering our evils to come up before him and it is through what he hath done by dying rising and ascending and continuall advocating that I have all my hope that when I depart this life I shall live with him according to that Scripture which saith Because I live ye shall live also c. Thus he exprest himself In the last expression of which you have the confession of his hope to agree with what I said before of the righteous mans that it sprung from a good bottom the death resurrection and advocation of Jesus Christ as with that of the Apostle Peter who saith God hath begotten them to a lively hope through the resurrection of Christ from the dead 1 Pet 1.3 So that as this our Brother did righteously to beleeve the Gospel of the grace of God and therethrough to beleeve in God so had he a good hope in his death a hope for good and glorious things and a hope well grounded And thus we have seen the explication and confirmation Come we now to the third
particular viz. Application with which we shall conclude You hear friends what the Scripture saith Application and you have heard severall instances of the truth of it minde well what ye have heard minde the Scriptures and minde the end of the just ones even such as you have had amongst you The first tels you That the righteous hath hope in his death the other hath experimented and proved it and rejoiced in affliction and death for the hope of the glory which they expected further to be revealed on them Both Scriptures and their experience commend to us these following instructions 1. Take notice of the excellency of righteousnesse and of the condition of a righteous man how good it is to receive by faith the righteousnesse of God and how well it goes with them that so do What is there in all the World to be compared to righteousnesse We may say of it as Solomon of wisdom and indeed it 's a high point of wisdom to do righteously in beleeving Prov. 3 14 15 16 c. The â—â—â—ch and so thereof is better then the merchandise of silver and the gain thereof better then of sine gold She is more precious then rubies yâ—â— all that thou canst desire is not to be compared to her She is a tree of lift to all that take hold of her c. Alas How empty are the riches and honours and pleasures of this world in comparison of righteousnesse they may make a man frolick outwardly in this life and yet not that neither except God give health and power to enjoy them but often times in the midst of that jollity and bravery the heart is sad the conscience torn and broken and alas when death comes and judgement appears at the back of it then what trembling then except the conscience be hardned seared and grown utterly carelesse what terrours and pangs of despair torment it All these things that the world so much prize are but bread that perisheth They may perhaps make us a little glorious to the world but cannot give us peace with nor hope in God Riches deliver not in the day of wrath but righteousnesse this righteousnesse of faith which is accepted with God for righteousnesse and so Christ received and beleeved on delivers from death Prov. 11.4 That will give a man boldnesse in the day of judgement while he knows his Judge is his righteousnesse and will protect him from wrath and vengeance Oh that men did see the worth of righteousnesse the righteousnesse of God surely then they would not trifle so much time and strength and talents away about empty lying vanities they would not so swell with conceits of themselves and look so big for a few muddy riches for a little fading appearing worldly glory they would not be so cheated into a contentednesse with some painted shews of righteousnesse formall devotions so much religion as may serve them to live in credit with men and lull their consciences asleep till they satisfie their earnall earthly desires no certainly they would count all things but losse and dung that they might win Christ and enjoy him for their righteousnesse Well friends however you may pursue after other things and blesse your selves in your enjoyments possessions ease pleasures vanities now yet there will come a day in which all these appearing deceitfull you will wish for righteousnesse you will see then what hath been now shewed you and what the wise man saith viz. That the righteous man is more excellent then his neighbour Prov. 12.26 as he is more excellent in his life because exalted in Christ and inriched with him and his priviledges as also because of his spirit in him conforming him to Christ and putting something of heaven and heavenly vertues into him so will he be found more excellent in his death when his heart shall have hope and rejoicing in God while other mens sink within them or die like stones being without God and without hope to God Oh that now therefore you would take notice of the excellency of righteousnesse above all things in the world that you may not slight it and so want its sweet and satisfactory usefulness when you have most need of it 2. Be we exhorted to follow after righteousnesse Vse 2. to imbrace the righteousnesse of faith to receive the Lord Jesus Christ the bread of life and the true righteousnesse that God gives us Know and beleeve friends that God doth give you righteousnesse in Christ he hath sent him into the world for you to be your Saviour hath laid the sin of the world upon him and he hath born it and suffered death for it this he hath done for all therefore beleeve and know it is true for you and that God having raised him from the dead hath given him in the humane nature all fulnesse of power and authority so that he is able to the uttermost to save you to forgive you your sins he having died for them for otherwise according to the order of Gods proceeding he should not be able to forgive you if he had not shed bloud for your sins Heb 9.22 for without bloudshedding there is no remission But know that he I say is able to forgive and save you With him there is forgivenesse that he might be feared Col. 1.14 And if the knowledge and belief of it work so with you as to turn you in to fear him you shall have that forgiveness with and in you it shall passe upon you yea he is ready to receive and forgive you he cals you to him that he might confer this grace upon you Let the wicked forsake his waies and the unrighteous man his thoughts and return to the Lord for he will have mercy c. and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Isa 55.7 Yea he sent his Son to turn every one of you from your iniquities Act. 3 Only he would have you to look to him for it and be saved by him Isa 45.22 Now oh be perswaded to do righteousnesse seeing righteousnesse is so excellent a thing and hath so great recompence of reward Receive the word and grace of God give credit to the record that God bears of his Son that he hath given us eternall life and this lift is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life c. That God hath sent him forth to be the Saviour of the world and he hath given himself arausome for all and so died and is risen for thee and hath life is himself for thee to look after and to receive in looking to him that God in him hath thewed forth exceeding grace towards thee and be not of a gainsaying heart and spirit wrangling against the word and patting it from thee Let the unrighteous man forsake his own is righteousnesse wrong unbeleeving thoughts and lay down all the suspitions and contradictions of his own reason against Gods truth and turn to the Lord to minde receive
not you have great encouragement in the consideration of what hath been said to persevere to the death and not shrink back because of persecutions reproaches threatnings or the fear of death It is true indeed you are exposed to the wrath and malice of men there are many especially at this time that conspire and plot against us we may see and hear how they band themselves together and strengthen themselves in mischief to root out from the earth if it were possible those that fear God and desire to walk with him it is at such their aim is most and their envy and all their plots and designs are most against such persecutions of the tongue you meet with and should do of the hand too if they might have their will they thirst after our bloud and perhaps the sight of this might almost strike a damp into some spirits that have begun to look to God and make them begin to think of going back again from him but O my friends let it not be so with you you have no cause for all these things to be affrighted for your lives are not in their hands that are your enemies they may talk great things this they will do and that they will do cut our throats knock us on the head be our deaths but we see God permits them not to do so they did so conspire against David but he comforted himself in this my times are in thine hand Psal 31.11 O Lord and so may we till our times be come they can do no hurt as it is said of Christ when they lay in wait for him and sought to kill him they were many a time frustrated and put by because his hour was not yet come though they may have opportunities to harm us yet God ties their hands and strikes a fear into their hearts not a hair of our heads shall they pluck from off us Mat. 10 30. till God give them permission Therefore fear not for the threats of men nor for the wickednesse of those that in stead of receiving the grace of God preached by us seek to reward our good will with mischieving us Luk. 21.18 plot to destroy us in doing righteousnesse we have God on our sides who will faithfully protect us we have seen him many a time befooling them and sometimes taking them in their own snares blowing them up when they had subtilly undermined us and thought to have destroied us How many times have they thought themselves sure of our downfall when they themselves have fallen we have risen and stood upright though we have been so imperfect in righteous doing that for our unbelief and follies God might most justly have given us up to their rage yet such hath been his goodnesse and faithfullnesse to us that to break us off from our waies more and to encourage us to righteousnesse he hath known us in our adversities and evermore stood by us to defend us and we have cause to hope in him yet that whatsoever their hopes and expectations are however great their power and however subtle their policies however strong their confederacies and combinations to do wickednesse God will yet defeat them and preserve us Well but suppose he should leave us to their hands as there may be an hour for the power of darknesse over us Luk. 22 53. Rev. 11 7 8. as well as there was to Christ yet what of that shall we turn from our righteousnesse sure there would be no cause for that for what can they do unto us They can but kill the body and the body must die Eccles 8.8 And though for righteousnesse sake it do not die so soon as probably it might yet such have all died who to avoide death have turned from righteousnes Neither shall wickednes deliver those that are given to it And truly friends to die in and for righteous doing is far better then to die in denying it and without it you see righteousnesse gives hope in death and delivers from the sting and poyson that some meet with in it Alas if you turn from righteousnesse you turn from God and from Christ and from hope of eternall life Ezek. 33.12 and what is then to be met with but guilt and horrour of conscience in death despair and after death eternall vengeance what advantage is it to live a little longer in this world and in the mean time to have the soul dead to hope and dead to God Therefore hold fast your righteousnesse be not ashamed of God and Christ and of his name and truth while you cleave to righteousnesse God will be sure to cleave to you and support you so that death shall be but as a dream to you the hope your souls meet with in and from God shall render death little or nothing fearfull or dreadfull to you yea in him your souls shall finde joy in death God whom ye beleeve on and confesse will be your God and guide unto death and his grace embraced by you will fill you with joy and gladness with peace and quietness in the midst of death you shall experiment with this our brother and all the Saints of God that have abidden in faith and held fast their confidence the truth of what you have now heard that the righteous hath hope in his death For that hopes sake go on couragiously in the path of righteousnesse and fear not what persecutions and death can do unto you Consider what hath been said and the Lord give us all understanding in all things Laus Deo
beleeve and close with his sayings that they being intertained Christ himself to whom they bear witnesse and whom they set forth may be beleeved on come to and received into the heart he may be entertained into the fouls affection desire delight confidence c. that so he that is Gods righteousnesse provided for us and given unto us being received and entertained thou mai'st in him be presented righteous to God and filled with the fruits of righteousnesse both toward God and men that so thou having of the spirit of Christ within thee it may lead teach support and comfort thee and in the midst of dangers yea and of death it self fill thee with a lively hope of life and glory Friends do righteously in beleeving the word of God and looking to Christ by faith be not enemies to your selves by heeding lying vanites put not away from you your own mercies run not desperately through a spirit of envy or malice or through worldlinesse pride presumption Atheisme loosenesse into your own destruction What good will you get to your selves in the issue by being wicked by being envious against the Gospel and grace of God by quarrelling against and resisting the truth by scorning contemning hating and reproaching them that out of love and good will preach and hold it forth to you by rejecting the testimony of God and closing with every vain phantasie by which you think your selves strengthened against it whom do you fight against in opposing the word of God is it not against God himself and is it not against your own good Do you not endeavour thereby to pervert your own waies to make his grace and goodnesse questionable as concerning your selves and so put your selves from having the word of God the ground of your faith to fetch the ground of it from some blinde conjectures and good conceits of your selves Oh stand not in your own light neglect not so great salvation as is set before you nor rest in such a notion all profession of truth as leaves the soul destitute of the power of truth such a consent to it and profession of it as yet leaves the soul unrighteous brings it not into Christ nor receives not the power and Spirit of Christ into it Let not love of the world and worldly vanities keep you out either from attending to and receiving truth nor from submitting to and walking out in the power of truth perhaps you are rich some of you and injoy much in the world you can fill and satiate your selves with the profits advantages and delights of it you finde a great deal of satisfaction in your own waies some in coveteousnes others in pride and others in voluptuousnes c. But oh consider the emptinesse and vanity of all these satisfactions will the world and the things thereof last for ever is not God even now powring out whole vials of his wrath upon it and is he not staining the pride of all glory and bringing to contempt all that 's honourable in the earth Is he not marring the form of it and casting bitternesse into all the comforts of the earth and what will your riches profit you if God come to plead with you with sword famine and his sore judgements do you think to bribe his wrath or make an agreement with hell and death do you think that his hand will not finde you out or do you think your riches honours pleasures accomodations in the world will then fill your souls with hope O no beloved these things will then prove more empty vanties you may live as richly and sumptuously and in as great pleasure as the rich man in the Gospel Luk. 16. yea and perhaps to have as honourable a buriall and yet the next news may be that that was his unhappy portion that you are in hell tormented what then will all these things you here set your hearts upon advantage you what will it profit you could you get and enjoy the whole world and to lose your souls in the getting it die like stocks or blocks without God and without Christ and without hope or to die howling out with vexation and despair Alas what good would all his riches and places or great funerall c. have done this gentleman if he had died without faith in God and without the hope of his glory and so before his body had been interred his soul had been in hell Be you willing to follow his steps in owning the truth of God and the grace of God therein declared and in so laying down your selves to the Crosse of Christ and cordially desiring the knowledge and enjoyment of Christ that so your end may be as hopefull as his you may not be afraid of death and faint under it but hope in it and rejoice over it for the righteous man is he that hath hope in his death 3. To conclude let me speak one word to you that do follow after righteousnesse even the righteousnesse of God you that have received the record of God concerning his Son beleeved his love and therethrough are brought to appreach unto him to have good thoughts of him and have cast your souls upon him and set your hope in him what hath been said may be usefull unto you for your encouragement and consolation I shall say this to you my brethren hold fast your integrity follow on yet after righteousnesse Rev. 22.11 be not weary of well doing nor saint in the way he that is righteous let him be righteous still and be that is holy let him be holy still let him continue and increase in holinesse and righteousnesse serving God in them all the daies of his life abide in Christ and in his way attending to the grace of God and submitting thereto to be acted and led thereby to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts Tit. 2.11 12. Heb. 13 1â— 16 and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking diligently that none fail of the grace of God that none be prophane as Esau to sell the hope set before him the birthright given you for a messe of pottage for any worldly carnall transitory vanities take heed of consulting with flesh and bloud lest you be turned aside from the word of God to other doctrines or to be corrupted to worldly waies and evils take heed that the cares of this life and the deceitfullnesse of riches or love of other things in this world do not by little and little steal in upon your spirits to cheak the good seed of the word of God and so to make you content your selves with a barren profession of Christ without power and fruitfullnesse Hold fast your hope and confidence in Christ Heb. 10.35 and hold fast your good conversation according to Christ knowing that your confidence hath a great recompense of reward 1 Cor. 15 18. Gal. 6 7. and your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord in due time ye shall reap if ye faint