and small cattel above all that were in Jerusalem before me I gathered me also silver and gold and the peculiar treasure of Kings and of the Provinces I got me men-singers and women-singers and the delights of the sons of men as musical instruments and that of all sorts And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them I withheld not my heart from any joy for my heart rejoyced in all my labours and this was my portion of all my labour Then I looked on all the works that my hand had wrought and on the labour that I had laboured to do and behold all was vanity and vexation of spirit and there was no profit under the sun 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. This I say Brethren the time is short It remaineth that both they that have Wives be as though they had none And they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this World as not abusing it for the fashion of this World passeth away Rev. 18.16 17. Alas Alas that great City that was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet and deckt with gold and precious stones and pearls For in one hour so great riches is come to naught 2. The danger of it Mat. 19.23 24. Jesus said unto his Disciples verily verily I say unto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And again I say unto you It is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God 1 Tim. 6.9 10. They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition For the love of money is the root of all evil 1 Joh. 2.15 16 17. Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love thâ— world the love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world And the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever Luke 12.16 c. Jesus spake this Parable The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully And he thought within himself saying what shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my fruits And he said this will I do I will pull down my Barnes and build greater and there will I bestow my fruits and my goods And I will say to my soul soul thou hast much goods layd up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry But God said unto him Thou fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided 1 Tim. 6.9 10. Thirdly If from a Conscience burdened with the guilt of sin to the former Applications p. 22 23. may be added the tender regard of our Blessed Saviour for penitent sinners foretold by the Prophets Isa 40.11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd he shall gather the Lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young And proclaimed by himself Mat. 11.28 29. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and and ye shall find rest unto your souls Vers 30. For my yoke is easie and my burden is light Joh. 7.37 Jesus stood and cryed saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink Chap. 11.25 26. Jesus said unto Martha I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never dye Fourthly If from solicitude and over-great care for Wife and Children the Scriptures pertinent are such as set forth 1. The All-sufficiency of God Gen. 17.1 And when Abraham was ninety years old and nine the Lord appeared to Abraham and said unto him I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect And I will make my Covenant between me and thee and will multiply thee exceedingly Chap. 18.14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord At the time appointed will I return unto thee and Sarah shall have a son 2 Chron. 25.9 Amaziah said to the man of God but what shall we do for the hundred Talents which I have given to the army of Israel And the man of God answered the Lord is able to give thee much more than this Isa 59.1 Behold the Lord's hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear 2. His promises to his Children and to their seed Gen. 17.19 Sarah thy Wife shall bear a son indeed and thou shalt call his name Isaac and I will establish my Covenant with him for an everlasting Covenant and with his seed after him Vers 7. I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee Exod. 2.24 25. God heard their groaning and God remembred his Covenant with Abraham with Isaac and with Jacob. And God looked upon the Children of Israel and God had respect unto them Jos 21.25 There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel all came to pass 2 Sam. 7.24 Thou hast confirmed to thy self thy People Israel to be a People unto thee for ever and thou Lord art become their God Psal 68.5 He is a Father of the fatherless and defendeth the cause of the Widows even God in his holy habitation Psal 112.1 2. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord he hath great delight in his commandments His seed shall be mighty upon earth the generation of the faithful shall be blessed Rom 8.32 38 39. He that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things I am 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 be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Heb. 13.5 6. Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do unto me 3. His performance of them even by the mighty working of his Power Gen. 31.29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt but
she loved much Chap. 23.42 43. And he said unto Jesus Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom And Jesus said unto him verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise 1 Tim. 1.15 16. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them who should hereafter believe on him to everlastinglife Sixthly Examples of fear and desertion in holy men 1 Sam. 27.1 And David said in his heart I shall now one day perish by the hand of Saul Job 7.13 14 15. When I say my bed shall comfort me my couch shall ease my complaint Then thou scarest me with dreams and terrifiest me through visions So that my soul chooseth strangling and death rather than my life Chap. 14.16 17. Thou numbrest my steps dost thou not watch over my sins My transgression is sealed up in a bag and thou sowest up mine iniquity Chap. 30.20 I cry unto thee and thou dost not hear I stand up and thou regardest me not Thou art become cruel to me with thy strong hand thou opposest thy self against me Lam. 5.20 21 22. Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever and forsake us so long time Turn thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned renew our days as of old But thou hast utterly rejected us thou art very wroth against us Mat. 27.46 Jesus cried with a loud voice saying my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Fifthly When the Minister doth think there is cause to suspect the considence of the sick person as not safely grounded for greater caution and searching out the truth thereof those passages of Scripture are useful that point at First The deceitfulness of mans heart Job 18.5 14. The light of the wicked shall be put out and the spark of his fire shall not shine His confidence shall be rooted out of his Tabernacle and it shall bring him to the king of terrours Isa 5.21 Wo unto them that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight Chap. 58.2 They seek me daily and delight to know my ways as a Nation that did righteousness and forsook not the Ordinance of their God they ask of me the Ordinances of Justice and take delight in approaching unto God Chap. 59.6 Ther webs shall not become garments neither shall they cover themselves with their works Jer. 17.9 The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it Luke 16.15 Ye are they which justifie your selves before men but God knoweth your hearts Rom. 10.1 2. My hearts desire and prayer unto God for Israel is that they might be saved For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledg 1 Cor. 3.3 Whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions are ye not carnal and walk as men Gal. 6.3 4 7. If a man think himself to be something when he is nothing he deceiveth himself But let every man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another Be not decieved God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap James 1.26 27. If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart that mans Religion is vain Pure Religion and undefil'd before God and the Father is this To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world Secondly The subtilty of Satan Gen. 3.1 The serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field And he said unto the woman ye shall not surely dye For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil 1 Chron. 21.1 And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number Israel Job 1.7 The Lord said unto Satan whence comest thou Then Satan answered the Lord and said from going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and down in it 1 King 22.22 I will go forth and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets Mat. 16.23 Get thee behind me Satan for thou art an offence unto me for thou savourest not the things that be of God but those things that be of men Acts 16.16 17. And it came to pass as we went to prayer a certain damosel possessed with a spirit of Divination met us which brought her Masters much gain by soothsaying The same followed Paul and us and cryed saying These men are the servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of salvation 2 Cor. 2.8 11. I beseech you that you would confirm your love towards him Lest Satan should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices Chap. 11.3 14 I fear least by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty So your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ For Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light 1 Thes 3.5 For this cause when I could no longer forbear I sent to know your faith lest by some means the tempter have tempted you and our labour be in vain Thirdly Admonition to make a strict search into our hearts Psal 77.6 In the night I commune with mine own heart and search out my spirit Jer. 6.14 They have healed the hurt of the Daughter of my People slightly saying Peace Peace when there is no Peace Malac. 3.2 3. Who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a Refiners fire and like Fullers soap And he shall sit as a Refiner and purifyer of silver 1 Cor. 3.13 Every mans work shall be made manifest For the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is Chap. 4.4 I know nothing by my self yet am I not hereby justified but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Chap. 11.28 Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith prove your own selves know you not your own selves that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates Phil. 4.8 Brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise think on these things Heb. 4.12 13. The word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the
thee Vers 19. And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart to keep thy commandements thy testimonies and thy statutes 2 Pet. 1.12 c. I think it meet as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance knowing that shortly I must put off this my Tabernacle Moreover I will endeavour that you may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance Seventhly If the sick Person seem willing to dye the Minister may prudently endeavour to discover whether his willingness to dye doth proceed from some good and laudable motive or no for it may arise out of either As 1. From a desire to be freed from the troubles and persecutions Men undergo in this life Numb 11.13 14 15. Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this People for they weep unto me saying give us flesh that we may eat I am not able to bear all this People alone because it is too heavy for me And if thou deal thus with me kill me I pray thee out of hand if I have found favor in thy sight and let me not see my wretchedness 1 King 19.4 But he Elijah himself went a days journey into the wilderness and came and sate down under a Juniper-tree and he requested for himself that he might dye and said it is enough now O Lord take away my life for I am not better than my Fathers Or 2. To be freed from pain Job 3.11 c. Why dyed I not from the womb why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly Vers 13. For now should I have lien still and been at quiet I should have slept then should I have been at rest Vers 17 18. There the wicked cease from troubling there the weary be at rest There the Prisoners rest together they hear not the voice of the oppressor Vers 20 21. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life unto the bitter in soul which long for death but it cometh not and dig for it more than for hid treasures Chap. 6.8 9. O that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for Even that it would please God to destroy me that he would let loose his hand and cut me off Jon. 4.8 It came to pass when the sun did rise that God prepared a vehement eastwind and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah that he fainted and wished in himself to dye and said it is better for me to dye than to live Or. 3. Out of ignorance of man's estate after death in respect of rewards and punishments Eccl. 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it Heb. 9.27 It is appointed unto men once to dye but after this the judgment 2 Cor. 5.10 11. We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Knowing therefore the terrours of the Lord we perswade men Mat. 25.31 32 33 46. When the son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he be set upon the Throne of his glory And before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from the other as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats Then shall he say unto them on his right hand come ye blessed Children of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Then shall he say to them on his left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal Luke 16.22 c. And it came to pass that the beggar dyed and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosom the rich man dyed also and was buried And in Hell he lift up his eyes being in torments and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom And he cryed and said Father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame Or 4. Patient submission to Gods will 1 Sam. 3.18 And Eli said it is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good Luke 22.42 Father if thou be willing remove this cup from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done Acts 21.14 And when he Paul would not be perswaded we ceased saying the will of the Lord be done Phil. 4.11 I have learned in what estate soever I am therewith to be content Or 5. Well-grounded hopes of Salvation Job 8.20 God will not cast away a perfect man Psal 37.38 Keep innocency and take heed to the thing that is right for that shall bring a man peace at the last Rom. 5.1 2. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God 2 Cor. 4.13 14. We having the same spirit of faith according as it is written I believed and therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore speak knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus and shall present us with you 2 Tim. 7.8 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judg shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto them also which love his appearing Heb. 3.14 We are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end To each of these fit applications of these or such-like passages of Scripture are to be made For neither willingness nor unwillingness to dye simply considered are tokens of good or bad estate but in relation tâ— the ground or cause from whencâ— they proceed Eighthly When the sick Person complains of the want of sensible joy and inward comfort of the Spirit such passages of Scripture are to be set before him as describe 1. The state of our spiritual warfare Mat. 10.35 38. I am come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter in law against her mother in law And a mans foes shall be they of his own houshold And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me Joh. 16.33 In the world ye shall have tribulation Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would Eph. 5.11 12 13. Put on the whole armour of God