THE CVRE OF THE FEARE OF DEATH.
CHAP. I.
Shewing the Scope and parts of this Treatise.
THat which I intend in this The drift of the whole Treatise. Treatise, is to shew how a godly man might order himselfe against the feare of Death; or what course hee should take to liue so, as not to be afraid to die. This is a maine point, and exceeding necessary. Life is throughly sweet, when death is not feared: The pr [...] followin [...] these dir [...] ctions. A mans heart is then like Mount Sion, that cannot be moued. He can feare no enemie, that doth [Page 654] not feare death. As death is the last enemy, so it workes the longest and last feares: and to dye happily, is to dye willingly. The maine worke of preparation is effected, when our hearts are perswaded to be willing to dye.
Now in the explication of this The parts of the treatise. point, I would distinctly handle three things.
First, I will proue, that to liue without feare of death, is a thing may bee obtained; one may be deliuered from it as certainly, as a sicke man may be cured of an ordinary disease.
S [...]condly, I will shew, how vncomely a thing it is for a Christian to be afraid of death: that so wee may be stirred vp the more to seeke the cure for this disease.
Thirdly, I will shew by what m [...]anes wee may bee deliuered from the feare of death, if we vse them. Of the two first more briefly, and of the last at large.
CHAP. II.
Prouing, that we may be cured of the feare of Death.
FOr the first: That the feare of Eight arguments to prooue we may be helped against the feare of death. Christ died to this end death may be remoued: and that we may attaine to that resolution, to be willing to dye, without lothnesse, is apparent diuers wayes.
First, it is euident, Christ dyed to deliuer vs, not onely from the hurt of death, and from the diuell, as the executioner; but also from the feare of death too. Now Christ may attaine to the end of his death, vnlesse we will deny the vertue of Christ, and his death, and thinke that, notwithstanding, it cannot be obtained, Heb. 2. 14, 15. And the more apparent in this, because in that place he shews, that there is vertue in the death of Christ, to cure this feare of death in any of the Elect, if they wil vse the meanes: [Page 656] For as our sins will not be mortified, though there be power in the death of Christ to kill them, vnlesse we vse the meanes to extract this vertue out of the death of Christ, so is it true, that the feare of death may be in some of Gods elect: but it is not because Christ cannot deliuer them; but because they are sluggish, and will not take the course to bee rid of those feares. The Physician is able to cure them, and vsually doth cure the same disease; but they will not take his Receipts.
Secondly, the Apostle intreating of the desire of death, saith, 2. It was intended in our regeneration. That God hath wrought vs vnto the selfe same thing, 2 Cor. 5. 5. We are againe created of God, that we might in our selues aspire vnto immortality; and are set in such an estate, as if we answered the end of his workmanship, we should neuer be well, till we be possessed of the happinesse [Page 657] in another world: which hee shewes in those words of being absent from the body, and present with the Lord, verse 8.
Thirdly, the prophesies haue runne on this point. For it was 3 This cure hath bin foretold. long since fore-told, that Christians knowing the victory of Christ ouer death, should bee so farre from fearing death, that they should tread vpon him, and insult ouer him: O death, where is thy sting? &c. Esay 25. 8. Hosea 13. 14. 2 Corinthians 15. 54, 55.
Fourthly, it is a condition that Christ puts in, when he first admits 4 We were bound to it when we were admitted to be Christs Disciples. Disciples, that they must deny their owne liues: and not only be content to take vp their crosse in other things, but their liues must not bee deare vnto them, when he calls for it, Luke 14. 26.
Fifthly, We are taught in the 5 It is taught in the Lords Prayer. Lords Prayer, to pray, That Gods kingdome may come: And by this [Page 658] kingdome, he meanes the kingdome of Glory, as well as the kingdome of Grace. Now, in that wee are taught to pray for the kingdome, it shewes, wee should desire it, and that by praier we should be more and more heated in our desires.
Sixtly, wee are borne againe Liuely hope doth include it. to a liuely hope of our inheritance. Now if we be afraid of the time of our translation thither, how doe we hope for it after a liuely manner? A desire of going to heauen is a part of that Seed cast into our hearts in our regeneration, 1 Pet. 1. 3, 4.
Seuenthly, we haue the example Examples of such as haue attained to it. of diuers men in particular, who haue desired to die, & were out of feare in that respect: Gen. 49. 18. Iacob waited for Gods saluation: and Paul resolues, that to dy, and to be with Christ, is best of all for him: Phil. 1. 21, 23. yea, in Romans 7. 24. hee is vehement; O wretched man that I am, who [Page 659] shall deliuer mee from this body of Death? Sim [...]on prayes God to let him dye, Luke 2 29. And the Prophet in the name of the godly, said long before Christ: O that the saluation of Israel were come out of Sion! Psalme 14. 7. And we haue the example of the Martyrs in all ages, that accounted it a singular glory to die: And in 2. Corinth 5. 2, 7. the godly are said, to fight for it, that they might be absent from his body, and present with the Lord; and so doe the first fruits of the holy Ghost, those eminent Christians mentioned, Rom. 8. 23.
Lastly, not onely some particular godly men haue attained 8. The whole Church taught to seeke. to this, but the whole Church is brought in, in the 12. Chapter of Reuelation, praying for the comming of Christ, and desiring too, that hee would come quickely: And 2. Timothy 4. 8. The loue of the appearing of Christ, is the [Page 660] Periphrasis of the childe of God.
Thus of the first point.
CHAP. III.
Shewing how vncomely it is to feare Death.
FOr the second, how vncomely a thing it is in Christians to feare death, may appeare many F [...]ene R [...]asons why it is an vncomely thing to be afraid to dye. waies.
1. By the feare of death we shame our Religion; while we professe it in our words, we deny it in our workes. Let Papists 1 Wee shame our religion. tremble at death, who are taught, that no man ordinarily can be sure he shall go to heauen when he dies. But for vs, that professe the knowledge of saluation, to bee astonished at the passage to it, shewes (at least) a great weakenesse of faith, and doth outwardly giue occasion of disgrace to [Page 661] our Religion.
2. By that which went before, we may see how vncomely it is to be afraid of death: For thereby we disable the death of Christ: wee frustrate the end of Gods workemanship: we stop the execution of the Prophesies: we renounce our first agreement with Christ: we mocke God in praying that his kingdome may come: we obscure the euidence of our owne regeneration; and wee transgresse against the example of the godly in all ages.
3. Many of the Pagans greatly 3. We are worse then some Pagans. settled their hearts against the feare of death by this very reason: because there was no being after death; and therefore they could no more feele misery then, then before they were borne. And shall wee Christians, that heare euery day of the glorious saluation we haue by Christ, be more fearefull then they were? [Page 662] Let them feare death that know not a better life.
Shall we be like wicked men? 4 Wicked men dye vnwillingly. Their death is compelled; shall ours be so too. They by their good wils, would not lose their bodies in this life, nor haue their bodies in the next life: but since God hath made vs vnlike them in the issues of death, shall wee make our selues like them in the lothnesse to dye? Let Felix tremble at the doctrine of death and iudgement, Acts 24. 25. but let all the godly hold vp their heads, because the day of their redemption draweth nigh, Mathew 24. &c.
5. Shall we be afraid of a shadow? 5 Death is but a shadow. The separation of the soule frō God, that is death, if we speake exactly: but the separation of the soule from the body, is but the shaddow of death. When see we men trembling for feare of spirituall death, which is called the First Death? and yet this [Page 663] is farre more woefull then that we call the bodily death. But as if the death of the body were nothing, the Scripture cals damnation, The second death, neuer putting the other into the number.
6. This feare is called a bondage 6. It is a bondage to feare. here in this text: And shall wee voluntarily make our selues vassals? Or shall we be like slaues that dare not come in our Masters sight?
7. If we loue long life, why are wee not much more in loue 7. If wee loue this life, why not eternal life? with eternall life, where the duration is longer, and the estate happier? Are wee not extremely insatuated, that when God will doe better for vs then wee desire, yet wee will be afraid of him?
8. Shall wee bee worse then children, or mad men? Neither 8. Are wee worse then children & mad men? of them feare death; and shall simplicity, or Ideotisme, doe more with them, then reason [Page 664] or Religion can doe with vs?
9. Do not all that reade the storie of the Israelites (in their 9. Wee make our selues like the Israelites, or rather more absurd then they. passion desiring to bee againe in Egypt, and violently murmuring at the promise of going into the Land of Canaan) condemne them of vile ingratitude to God, and folly in respect of themselues? For what was it for them to liue in Egypt, but to serue cruell Taske-masters about bricke and clay? And was not Canaan the place of their rest, and a Land that floweth with milke and hony? Euen such is the condition of all that wish life, and are afraid to dye. What is this world but Aegypt, and what is to liue in this world, but to serue about bricke and clay? Yea, the Church, that is separate from the world, can find it no better then a barren wildernesse. And what is Heauen, but a spirituall Canaan? And what can death bee more, [Page 665] then to passe ouer Iordan; and victoriously ouercomming all enemies to bee possessed of a place of matchlesse rest; of more pleasures then Milke or Hony can shadow out?
10. Adam might haue had 10. Is not death ordinary? more reason to feare Death, that neuer saw a man die an ordinary death; but for vs to bee affrighted with death; that see thousands die at our right hand, and ten thousand at our left, and that daily, is an inexcusable distemper. The gate of Death is continually open, and wee see a prease of people, that daily throng into it.
11. When Moses had cast 11. The example of Moses. downe his Rod, it turned into a Serpent; and the Text, noting Moses weakenesse, saith; He fled from it: But the Lord commanded him to take it by the Taile; and behold, it became a Rod againe. Euen so death at the first sight is terrible, like a new-made [Page 666] Serpent, and the godly themselues, through inconsideration, flye from it: but if at Gods commandement, without feare they would lay hold vpon this seeming Serpent, it will be turned into a Rod againe; yea, into a golden Scepter in our hands, made much better by the change. Neither doe we reade, that euer at any time after Moses had any feare of this Serpent, when he had once known the experience of it. And haue we offen, by the eyes of faith, seene the experience of this great work of God, and shall we still be running away?
12. It is said, Rom. 8. 12. that all creatures groane, wayting for 12 The example of al creatures. the libertie of the sonnes of God: and shall wee bee worse then bruit beasts? Doth the whole frame of nature, as it were, call for this time of change; and shall man be so stupid, or carried with such senslesse feares, as to shun [Page 667] his owne felicity?
13. Consider whether it bee 13. It is better we goe to death, then that death shuld come to vs more commodious for vs, that Death come to vs, or that we go to Death. For one thing is certaine; it is vaine to shunne that which cannot bee auoided. For it is appointed vnto all men once to die, Heb. 9. 27. What man is hee that liueth, and shall not see death? Psal. 89. 48. Death is the way of all flesh, Iosh. 24. Now this being granted, let vs consider of it: Death is like an armed man, with whom we must once fight. Now if we be aduised, and will goe to Death, we must get on our armour beforehand, and so the encounter will be without danger to vs, because the weapons of our warfare are mighty through God, & we are assured of victory through Iesus Christ. On the other side, to tarry till Death come vnto vs, is as if a man that knowes he must fight with a sore aduersary, would through slothfulnesse [Page 668] goe vp and downe vnarmed, till he fall into the hands of his enemy, and must then fight with him at such disaduantage.
14. It is most vncomely to 1 [...]. It is vncomely to feare that which is common & ce [...]taine feare that which is both common and certaine. Death, of all afflictions is most common. For from other afflictions it is possible some might bee free; but from death can no man be deliuered: and God of purpose hath made that most common which is most grieuous, that thereby he might abate the terrour of it. It is monstrous foolishnes, to striue in vaine to auoid that which neuer man could escape. And to teach men their vnauoydable mortality, the Lord clothed our first Parents with the skinnes of dead beasts, and feeds vs with dead flesh, that as often as wee eate of slaine beasts, we might remember our owne end: and shall we be euer learning, and [Page 669] neuer come to the knowledge of this truth? Is this such a lesson as cannot be learned? Shall we be so stupid, as daily to passe by the graues of the dead, and heare their knels, and yet be vntaught and vnarmed?
15. Lastly, shall we be afraid 15. Shal we be afraid of an enemy that hath bin soossen vanquished of such an enemie as hath beene ouercome hand to hand, and beaten by Christ, and thousands of the Saints? especially if wee consider the assurance wee haue of victory. In this combate euery Christian may triumph before the victory, [...] Corinth. 15. 55.
And thus much of the two first points.
CHAP. IIII.
Shewing that a Christian is many wayes happy in death.
NOw I come to the third point, which is the maine thing here intended; and that is the meanes how we may be cured of the feare of Death: and in this we had need all to attend with great carefulnesse. The disease is stubburne, and men are sluggish, and extremely loth to An exhorta [...]ion to attend vpon the mean [...]s of cure. be at the trouble of the cure; and Satan by all meanes would keepe vs from remembring our latter end: & the world affoords daily distractions to plucke vs away from the schoole of Christ herein, and our owne hearts are deceitfull, and our natures apt to be weary of the doctrine, before wee put in practice any of the directions; and we are apt [Page 671] to a thousand conceits, that it is either vnpossible, or vnnecessary to attend this doctrine, or the like. Yea, it may be, it will fare with many of vs, as it doth with those that are troubled with the raging paine of the teeth; their paine will cease when the Barber comes to pull out the tooth: so it may be you may finde this deceit in your hearts, that you will not feel. the feare of death, till the discourse of the medicine be ouer; and so let it be as water spilt on the ground. But let vs all awake, and in the power and strength of Christ, that died to deliuer vs from the feare of death, let vs lay all the plaisters close to the sore, and keepe them at it, till it bee throughly whole.
There be two wayes then of curing this feare of Death: The 2. Wayes of curing the feare of Death. 1. By contemplation 2 By practice. one is by contemplation: The other is by practi [...]. There be some things if we did chuse them out, [Page 672] soundly to thinke of them, would heale vs wonderfully.
There be some things also to bee done by vs, to make the c [...]re perfect. If contemplation be not auaileable, then practice will without faile finish the cure.
The contemplations are of two sorts: For either they are such Th [...] wayes of curing this feare by contemplation. meditations as breed desire of Death, by way of motiue, or they are such as remoue the obiections, which cause in mans mind the feare of Death. For the first, there bee two things, which if they be soundly thought on, will worke a strange alteration in our hearts. The one is, the happinesse wee haue by death. The other is, the miseries we are in by life.
Can any man be afraid to bee happy? If our heads and hearts were filled with arguments, that shew vs our happines by death, we would not be so senslesse as [Page 673] to tremble at the thought of dying.
Our happinesse in death, may bee set out in many particulars, The happines of a Christian [...] death, shewed 17. waies. 1. Death i [...] the hauen. and illustrated by many similitudes, full of life and vertue to heale this disease of feare.
1. Death makes an end of all the tempests and continuall stormes, with which our life is tossed: it is the Hauen and Port of rest: and are we so mad as to desire the continuance of such dangerous tempests, rather then to be in the Hauen whither our iourney tends?
2. Death is a sleepe: For so 2 It is but a sleepe. the dead are said to to be asleepe, 1 Thess. 4. 14. Looke what a bed of rest and sleepe is to the weary labourer, such is Death to the diligent Christian. In death they rest in their beds from Iob 14. 12. the hand labours of this life, Esay 38. Reuel. 14. 13. And was euer the wearie labourer afraid of the time when hee must [Page 674] lie downe and take his rest?
3. The day of Death is the day 3. It is the day of receiuing wages. of receiuing wages, wherin God payes to euery godly man his penny. And doth not the hireling long for the time wherein hee shall receiue wages for his worke? Iob 7. 2. And the rather should wee long for this time, because we shall receiue wages infinitely aboue our worke; such wages as was neuer giuen by man, nor can be, if all this visible world were giuen vs.
4. In death the seruant comes to his freedome, and the heire is 4 Then the seruant is free, and the heire at full age. at his full age; and it is such a liberty as is glorious: neuer such a freedome in the world, Rom. 8. 21. Shall the heire desire to bee still vnder age, and so still vnder Tutors and Gouernours? or shall the seruant feare the day of his freedome?
5. In death, the banished returne, 5 Then the banished returne. and the Pilgrims enter into their Fathers house. In this [Page 675] life we are exiled men, banished from Paradise, and Pilgrims and Strangers in a farre countrey, absent from God and heauen. In death wee are receiued to Paradise, and settled at home in those euerlasting habitations in our Fathers house, Luk. 17. Ioh. 14. 2. Hebrewes 11. 13. And can we be so senslesse, as to bee afraid of this?
6. Death is our birth-day; we 6. It is our birth-day. say falsly, when wee call Death the last day. For it is indeed the beginning of an euerlasting day: and is there any grieuance in that?
7. Death is the funerall of our 7. It is the funerall of our vices, &c. vices, & the resurrection of our graces. Death was the daughter of Sinne, and in death shall that be fulfilled: The daughter shall destroy the mother. We shall neuer The dissolution of the body. more be infected with sinne, nor troubled with ill natures, nor be terrified for offending: Death shall deliuer vs perfectly whole [Page 676] of all our diseases, that were impossible to bee cured in this is the absolution of the soule. life, and so shall there bee at that day a glorious resurrection of graces: Our gifts shall shine as the Stars in the firmament; And can wee bee so sottish, as still to bee afraid of death?
8. In death the soule is deliuered 8. Then the soule is deliuered out of prison. out of prison: For the body in this life is but a loathsome and darke prison of restraint. I say, the soule is restrained, as it were in a prison, while it is in the body, because it cannot bee free to the exercise of it selfe either in naturall or supernaturall things: For the body so rules by senses, and it is so fiercely carried by appetites, that the soule is compelled to giue a way to the satisfying of the body, and cannot freely follow the light either of Nature or Religion: The truth, as the Apostle saith, is with-held or shut vp, through [Page 677] vnrighteousnesse, Romanes 1. 28. I say, it is a loathsome prison, because the soule is annoyed with so many loathsome smels of sin and filthinesse, which by the body are committed. And it is a darke prison; For the soule looking through the bodie, can see but by little holes, or small casements. The body shuts vp the light of the soule, as a darke Cloud doth hide the light of the Sunne; or as the interposition of the earth doth make it night. Now death doth nothing, but as it were a strong wind, dissolue this cloud, that the Sunne may shine clearely, and puls downe the walles of the prison, that the soule may come into the open light.
9. The liberty of the soule in 9. Shewed by another similitude. death may be set out by another similitude. The world is the Sea; our liues are like to many Gallies at Sea, tost with continuall Tides or Stormes: our bodies [Page 678] are Gally-slaues, put to hard seruice by the great Turke the Diuell, who tyrannically, and by vsurpation, doth forcibly command hard things. Now the soule within, like the heart of some ingenious Gally-slaue, may be free, so as to loath that seruitude, and inwardly de [...]est that tyran [...] but yet so long as it is tyed to the body, it cannot get away. Now death comes like an vnresistable Gyant, and carries the Gallies to the shore, and dissolues them, and sets the prisoners free: And shall this glorious libertie of the soule be a matter of terror vnto vs? Had we rather be in captiuitie still?
10. In this life wee are cloathed 10. It is but to put off our old clothes. with rotten, ragged, foule garments: Now the Apostle shewes, that death doth nothing else but pull off those ragged garments, & cloath vs with the glorious robes of saluation, more rich then the robes of the greatest [Page 679] Monarch, 2. Cor. 5. 2, 3. It is true, that the godly haue some kinde of desire to bee cloathed vpon: They would haue those new garments, without putting off their old: but that is not decent, for a Prince to weare (without) gorgeous attire, and (vnderneath) base ragges. To desire to goe to heauen, and not to die, is to desire to put on our new cloathes, without putting off our old. And is it any grieuance to shift vs, by laying aside our old cloathes, to put on such rich garments? We are iust like such slothfull persons, that loue well to haue good cloathes, and cleane linnen; but they are so sluggish, they are loth to put off their old cloathes, or foule linnen.
11. In the same place, the Apostle 11. it is but to remoue out of an old house. compares our bodies to an old mud-walled house, and to a rotten tent; and our estate and heauen, to a most glorious and [Page 680] Princely palace, made by the most curious workman that euer was, and it is such a building too, as will neuer bee out of repaire. Now for a godly man to die, is but to remoue from a rotten old house, ready to fall on his head, to a sumptuous palace. 2. Cor. 5. 1. Doth that Landlord doe his Tenant wrong, or offer him hard measure, that will haue him out of his base cottage, and bestow vpon him his own Mansion house? No other thing doth God to vs, when by death he remoues vs out of this earthly Tabernacle of our bodies, to settle vs in those euerlasting habitations, euen into that building made without hands in heauen, Ioh. 14. 2. Luk. 17.
12. A man that had neuer 12. The seed cast into the ground, is not spoiled. seene the experience of it, perhaps would haue thought, that the seed cast into the ground, had beene spoiled, because it would rot there; but Nature hauing [Page 681] shewed the returne of that graine with aduantage, a man can easily be cured of that folly. The Husbandman is neuer so simple, as to pitty himselfe or his seede; he saies not, Alas, is it not pitty to throw away and marre this good seed? Why, brethren, what are your bodies, but like the best graine? The bodies of the Saints are Gods choisest corne. And what doth death m [...] vnto Gods graine, then cast it into the earth? Doe we not beleeue our bodies shall rise like the graine, better then euer they were sowed? and are we still afraid?
13. Paul saith, he would be 13. Then we shall be in Christ. dissolued, that hee might bee with Christ, Philip. 1. 2 [...]. In which words he imports two things in death. First, that there is a dissolution of the soule from the body: and secondly, that there is a coniunction of the soule with Christ. Now, which is better for [Page 682] vs, to haue the body, or to haue Christ? The same Apostle saith else-where, that they are confident in this, they had rather be absent from the body, and so to bee present with the Lord; then to bee present with the body, and absent from the Lord, 2. Cor. 5. 7, 8.
Now the true reason why men feare death, is; because they looke vpon the dissolution onely, and not vpon the [...]oniunction with Christ.
14. In the 1. Cor. 9. 24. our 14 It is but to come to the [...]nd of the Race, and receiue the prize. life is compared to a race, and eternall life to a rich prize; not a corruptible, but an incorruptible Crowne. Now death is the end of the race; and to dye, is but to come to the goale or race end. Was euer Runner so foolish, as to be sorrie, that with victorie he was neere the end of the race? And are we afraid of death, that shall end the toyle and sweate and danger of the running; and [Page 683] giue vs, with endlesse applause, so glorious a recompence of reward.
15. In the Ceremoniall Law, 15. It is our Iubilee. there was a yeere they called the yeere of Iubilee: and this was accounted an acceptable yeere; because euery man that had lost or sold his lands, vpon the blowing of a trumpet returned; and had possession of all againe; and so was recouered out of the extremitie in [...]hich hee liued before. In this life we are like the poore men of Israel, that haue lost our inheritance, and liue in a manner and condition euery way straitned: now death is our Iubilee, and when the trumpet of death blowes, we all, that die, returne and enioy a better estate, then euer we sold, or lost. Shall the Iubilee be called an acceptable time, and shall not our▪ Iubilee be acceptable to vs? Esay 61. 2.
16. Death is the day of our 16 I [...] is the day of our Coronation. [Page 684] Coronation: we are Heires apparent to the Crowne in this life; yea, we are Kings elect, but cannot bee crowned till death, 2. Tim. 4. 8. And shall not that make vs loue the appearing of Christ? Is a King afraid of the day of his Coronation?
17. To conclude this first part 17. Consider the glory to come. of Contemplation: If we did seriously set before our eyes the glory to come; could our eyes be so dazeled, as not to see, and admire, and haste to it? Aske Paul that was in Heauen, what hee saw; and he will tell you, Things that cannot be vttered; Happinesse beyond all language of mortall man. If there were as much faith on Earth, as there is glorie in Heauen; Oh how would our hearts bee on fire with feruent desire after it! But euen this faith is extremely wanting: it is our vnbeleefe that vndoes vs, and fils vs with these seruile and sottish feares.
[Page 685] And thus of the Meditations taken from the happinesse wee enioy by death: which should make vs conclude with Salomon▪ That the day of Death is better then the day when one is E [...]l. 71. borne.
CHAP. V.
Shewing the miserie of life in wicked men.
NOw it followes, that I should breake open the miseries of life; the consideration whereof should abate in vs this wretched loue of life.
The miseries of life may bee The miseries of life two wayes considered. two waies considered: for they are of two sorts; either such miseries, as load the life of Nature, or such miseries as doe molest the very life of Grace. The miseries of a naturall life shewed thr [...]e waves.
The miseries that accompany the naturall life of man, while he [Page 686] remaines in the state of Nature onely, who can recount? I will giue but a briefe touch of some heads of them.
First thinke of thy sinnes; and so three dreadfull things may amaze Three dreadfull considerations about sin. 1. Thou art guilty of Adams sin. thy thoughts. For first, thou art guilty of Adams sinne; for by that man, sinne came in vpon all men; euen the guilt of his sin: Rom. 5. 12. Secondly, thy nature is altogether vile and abominable 2. Thou wast conceiued in sin; which is like a Leprosie hard to cure. from thy birth, thou wast conceiued in sinne, Psal. 51. 5. And this staine and leprosie hangs on fast vpon thy nature, and cannot be cured but by the blood of Christ only, Heb. 12. 1. And this is seated in all the faculties of thy soule. For in thy Minde, there is Ignorance, Spread ouer thy▪ whole soule▪ or in thy minde. and Impotency to receiue knowledge; and a naturall approouing of euill and errour, rather than the truth and sound doctrine. Those wayes seeme good in thine eyes, which tend vnto death, 1. Cor. 2. 14. Rom. 8. 7. 2. Cor. 3. 5. Pro. 14. [Page 687] 12. And this thou maiest perceiue by this, that thou art not able to thinke a good thought, but canst goe free, for dayes and weekes, without any holy cogitation; and besides, thy minde is infinitely prone to swarmes of euill thoughts, Gen. 6. 5.
Againe, if thou behold thy An [...] in thy Conscience. Conscience, it is impure, polluted, without light, or life, or glory in thee; shut vp in a dungeon, excusing thee in many faults, and accusing thee for things are not faults, but in thy conceit: and when it doth accuse thee for sin, it rageth and falleth mad with vnbridled fury and terrors, keeping no bounds of Hope or Mercie.
Further, if thou obserue thy And in thy Affections. Affections, they are altogeth [...]r impotent in that which is good, there is no lust in thee after that which is good; and yet they are all out of order, and prone to cō tinuall, rebellion, against God, [Page 688] ready to be fired by all the enticements of the World, or the Diuell, Gal. 5. 24. Thirdly, vnto these adde thy innumerable 3 Innumerable Actuall sins. Actuall sinnes, which are more then the haires of thy head; multiplyed daily in thought, affection, word, and deed; the least of them deseruing hell fire for euer: thy sinnes of Infancie, Youth, Old age; sinnes of O [...]ission and Commission; sinnes in Prosperitie and Aduersitie; sinnes at Home and Abroad; sinnes of Infirmitie and Presumption. If Dauid looking vpon his sins, could say, They haue so compassed me, and taken such hold on mee, that I am not able to looke vp: Oh then, if thou haddest sight and sense, how might'st thou much more cry out of the intolerable burthen of them? and the rather, if thou obserue, that many of thy corruptions reigne tyrannically, and haue subdued thy life to their vassalage, so as thou art in [Page 689] continuall slauerie to them.
Thus is thy life infested with these vnspeakeable inordinations: and thus of the first part of thy infelicitie in life.
Secondly, if thou obserue, but The punishments inflicted vpon wicked men. how God hath auenged himselfe vpon them, and what yet remaineth vnto thee, how can thy heart sustaine it selfe? For
1. Thou art a banished man, 1. They are banished from Paradise. exiled from Paradise, and made to liue without hope to returne thither: The best part of the earth thou shalt neuer enioy.
2. The earth is cursed to thee, 2. The earth cursed. and it may bee a wofull spectacle to see all the creatures subiect to vanitie, and smitten with the strokes of God for thy sinne, and groaning daily round about thee.
3. Looke vpon thy most miserable soule, for there thy minde 3. Their soules in wofull distresse. and conscience liue shut vp with darknesse and horror. The Diuels haue within thee strong holds, and [Page 690] liue intrenched in thy thoughts, Ephes. 4. 17. 2. Cor. 10. 5. Thy heart is spiritually dead, and like a stone within thee, Ephes. 2. 1. Ezech. [...]6. 26.
4. Thy body is wretched 4 And so the [...]r bodies. through deformities and infirmities, diuersly noisome to thee with paines that grieue thee, either in respect of labour or diseases, vnto which thou art so prone, and there is no part or ioynt of thee, but is lyable to many kinds of diseases, Deut. 28. 31, 22. Gen. 3. 19. And of the labours of thy life, which is but the least part of thy bodily miseries. Salomon saith, All things are full of labour, who can vtter it? and for that reason, life is but a vanity and vexation, Eccles. 1. 8.
5. If thou looke vpon thy outward 5. And so their estates in foure respects. estate in the world, with wh [...]t fearefull frights may thy h [...]art bee griped? If thou consider.
1. The common, or gen [...]rall, 1. Commō plagues. [Page 691] or publike plagues (with which God fights against the world) as wars, famines, earthquakes, pestilence and yeerely diseases, inundations of waters, and infinite such like.
2. The particular crosses, with 2. Particula [...] crosses. which hee vexeth thee in particular, either with losses of thy estate, or the troubles of thy family, Deut. 28. 15, 16. &c.
3. The preterition of God, restraining 3. Neglected of God. many good things from thee, so as thou wantst manie of those blessings of all sorts which yet God doth bestow vpon others, Esay 56. 1, 2. Ieremie. 5. 25.
4 The cursings of thy blessings; 4 Their blessings cursed. when God blasts the gifts of thy minde, that thou canst not vse them for any contentment of thy life, or makes thy prosperity to be the occasion of thy ruine, Malach. 2. 3. Eccles. 5. 13. This is a sore euill.
Lastly, consider yet further [Page 692] what may fall vpon thee, in respect of which thou art in daily danger. There are seas of wrath, Fearefull things that may befall them. which hang ouer thy head, Iohn 3. 36. and God may plague thee with the terrors of conscience, like Cain, Gen. 4. 14. or with a reprobate sense, or the spirit of slumber, Rom. 1. 28. Rom. 11. 8. strong illusions, 2 Thess. 2. 11. or such other like dreadfull spirituall iudgements: besides many other fearfull iudgements, which thy h [...]art is not able to cōceiue of, as painefull diseases in the body, or an vtter ruine in thy estate, or good name: but aboue all other things, the remembrance of the fearefull iudgement of Christ, and the euerlasting paines of hell, with a miserable death, should compell thee to cry out: O men and brethren, what shall I doe to bee saued, and get out of this estate?
But because it is my purpose here chiefly to perswade with godly men and not with naturall [Page 693] men; and because death it selfe is no ease vnto such men as liue in their sins without repentance, who haue reason to loath life, and yet haue no cause to loue death, I passe from them, and come to the life of godly men, and say, they haue great reason to loath life, and desire the day of death.
CHAP. VI.
Shewing the miseries of godly men in life.
NOw the miseries of the godly A go [...]ly man hath great cause to be weary of life, if he consider. 1. What he wants. 2. What he cannot auoid. 6. Thing [...] euery go [...]ly man wants, while hee liues h [...]re in th [...]s [...]. 1. [...] ▪ [...] [...]f God. mans life are of two sorts: for either hee may consider what he wants, or what he hath in life, for which he would be weary of it.
I will giue but a touch of the first: consider of it; in this life there are sixe things, among the rest we want, and can neuer attaine [Page 694] while wee liue here.
The first is, the glorious presence of God; while the body is present, the Lord is absent, 2. Cor. 5. 8. And is not this enough to make vs loath life? Shall we [...] more esteeme this wretched car [...]asse, then our glorious God, whose onely presence in glory shall fill vs with eternall delight? O the vision of God! If we had but once seene God face to face, we would abhorre that absence that should hinder the fruition of such vnspeakable beauties, as would enamour the most secure heart to an vnquenchable loue.
The second thing wee want in 2 Fellowship with his best friends. life, is the sweete fellowship with our best friends: A fellowship matchlesse; if we either consider the perfection of the creatures, whose communion we shall enioy; or the perfect manner of enioying it. Who would be withheld from the congregation of the first borne, from the societie with [Page 695] innumerable Angels, and the spirits of iust men? Alas! the most of vs haue not so much as one entire and perfect friend in all the world; and yet wee make such friends as we haue, the ground of a great part of the contentment of our liues. Who could liue here, if he were not beloued? Oh, what can an earthly friendship bee, vnto that in heauen; when so many thousand Angels & Saints shall be glad of vs, and [...]ntertaine vs with vnwearied delight. If we had but the eyes of faith to consider of this, we would thinke euery houre a yeere till we were with them.
Thirdly, in this world we want 3 The perfection of his nature. the perfection of our owne natures: we are but maimed & deformed creatures here; we shall neuer haue the sound vnderstanding of men in vs, till we bee in heauen; our holinesse of nature and gifts will neuer be consummate, till we be dead.
[Page 696] Fourthly, in this world wee want libertie: Our glorious liberty 4. Liberty. will not [...]e had here: a thing which the spirits of the best men haue with much sighing longed after, Rom. 8. 21, 22. Oh who would liue in a prison, a dungeon, rather then a palace of royall freedom? It hath been impliedly shewed before, that wee are many waies in bondage here.
Fiftly, we shall euer want here 5. Contentment. fulnesse of contentment. If a man liue many yeeres, so that the dayes of his yeeres be many, if his soule bee not filled with good, Salomon saith, an vntimely birth is better then bee. And it is certaine, if a man liue a thousand yeeres twise told, he shall neuer see solid good to fill his heart, his appetite will neuer be filled, Eccle. 9. 3, 6, 7. There is nothing in this life can giue a man solid and durable contentment; but a man findes by experience, vanitie, and vexation of spirit, in what hee admires or [Page 697] loues most: and shall wee be so ottish as to forget those riuers of pleasures that are at Gods right hand? Psal. 16. vlt.
6. The sixth thing we want in 6. Th [...] Crowne. this world is our Crown, and the immortall and incorruptible inheritance bought for vs with the [...]loud of Christ: and shall not [...]ur hearts burne within vs in [...]onging after possession? Can we [...]sire still to liue in wants, and to be vnder age? What shall moue vs, if such an incomparable crowne cannot moue vs? Wee that sweate with so much sore labor for the possession of some small portion of earth; shall we. I say, be so sluggish, as not to desire, that this kingdome, which our Father hath giuen vs, might come quickly vpon vs▪ or are we so transported with spirituall madnesse, as to be afraid to passe through the gate of death, to attaine such a life? What Prince would liue vncrowned, if hee [Page 698] could helpe it, and might possesse it without wrong or danger? and what great heire would be grieued at the tydings, that all his lands were fallen vnto him?
CHAP. VII.
The miseries of a Christian in respect of God in this life.
THus of what hee wants in this life. Secondly, he ought to be as much troubled to think what hee hath, and cannot auoide while he li [...]es: and thus his life is distressed, and made vnlouely, either if he respect God, or the euill angels, or the world, or himselfe.
For first, if he respect God, there are two things should Life bitter in r [...]spect of God di [...]ers wayes. marre the taste of life, and make it out of liking. The first is the danger of displeasing of God: who [Page 699] would liue to offend God▪ or grieue his H. Spirit? or any way to make hi [...] angry? Th [...]gh this reason will mooue little in the hearts of wicked men, yet it is of singular force in the heart of an humble Christian, who as he accounts Gods louing kindnesse better then life: so he findes nothing more bitter, then that he should displease God: that God (I say) who is so great in maiestie, and hath shewed himselfe so aboun [...]nt in mercy to him. It would lie as an heauy load vpon our hearts to [...] of the displeasing of our best friend; specially if hee were a [...] person, or a Prince. How much more should wee desi [...] to bee [...] of tha [...] condition [...] may displease our good God; and to be there, where wee are sure neuer to anger him more? Th [...] second thing [...]hat should [...] looke with [...] vpon life, [...] God [...]oth con [...]ally [...] the [Page 700] things of this life: The Lord doth of purpose so watch vs, that when hee sees vs settle any contentment in life, he drops in some thing, that makes all extremely bitter. And those correctiōs of God should be the more noted, if we consider but diuers aggrauations about them, as
1. That God will correct euery Eight aggrauations of the miseries of li [...]e, in respect o [...] the co [...] ctions of God. sonne whom he loueth, none can escape, Heb. 12. 7.
2. That a man is vsually most opposed and crossed in that [...]ee loues best.
3. That a man shall euer want what he wisheth, euen in such things as other men doe not w [...]. There is a secret vexatiō cleaues vnto mans estate, that their hearts runne vpon such thing [...] which cannot be had, but in the callings of other men. The countryman praiseth the Citizens life; and the Citizen is full of the praises of the Countrey: and so is there in all men a liking of the [Page 701] callings of other men, with a dislike of their owne, Eccles. 6.
4. That there is no discharge in that warre, but that a man must euery day looke for crosses. Euery day hath his griefe, Eccles. 8. 8. Luke 9. 24. Ma [...]. 6. vlt.
5. That God will not l [...]t. vs know the times of our corrections, but executeth them according to the vnchangeable purpose of his owne counsell: so as they come vpon vs as a snare vp [...]n a bird. For this reason Salomon saith: That the misery of man is great vpon him, because there is [...] time for euery purpose, which cannot be auoided, nor can man know before ha [...]d, that which shall bee; for who can tell him, when it shall bee? Eccles. 8. 6, 7, 8. and 9. 12.
6. That no man knoweth either loue or hatred, by all that is before him. A godly man can haue no such blessings outwardly, but a wicked man may haue them in as great abundance as hee: nor [Page 702] doth there any misery fall vpon the wicked in outward crosses, but the like may be [...]all the godly. All things come alike to all: there is one euent to the righteous and to the wicked; to the cleane, and vnclean [...], to him that swe [...]eth, and to him that [...] an [...]ath; as is the good so is the [...]. This, saith Salomon, is an euill among all things that [...]e done vnder the Sunne, that there is one [...]uent vnto all, Eccles. 9. 1, [...], [...].
7. This bitternesse is increased, because God will not dispose of things according to the meanes or likelihoods of mans estate. The race is not to the swi [...], nor the battell to the strong, nor yet br [...]ad to the wise, nor riches to men of vnderstanding, nor yet [...]our to men of skill, but time and chance hapneth to them all, Eccles. 9. 11.
8. That besides the present miseries, there are many miseries to come; so as it is an argument to proue the happines of the dead, [Page 703] that they are taken away from the misery to come, Esay [...]57. 1, 2. Which should likewise mooue vs to loue life the lesse, because we know not what fearefull alterations may come, either in our outward estate, [...] ▪ [...] ters of Religion. What [...] were we in, if war should come vpon vs, with all the desolation [...] and terrors that accompany it? What if the [...], should come againe? or wee be l [...]t in, the hands of the violent? or God fight against our estates▪ by [...], or inundations, or the like? Who can tell what fearefull alterations may bee [...]in Religion? And is it no [...] best to bee in heauen, and then are we safe? Besides, the miseries may fall vpon our owne bodies, or our children, or friends, &c. And these things should [...] life as we [...]espect God.
CHAP. VIII.
The miseries of life, in respect of euill angels.
NOw secondly, let vs turne our eyes to the euill angels, and then these things may affright vs.
1. That they are euery where 1. The world full of diuels. vp and downe the world; in the earth, ayre, seas; no place free. Those fiery serpents are euery where, in the wildernesse of the world. Wee lead our liues here in the midst of innumerable dragons; yea, they are in the most heauenly places in this life: the Church is not free from them. A man can stand no where before the Lord, but one diuell or other is at his right hand, Eph. 2. 2. and 6. 12. Zac. 3. 1. Iob 1. And sure, it should make vs like the place the worse, where such foule spirits are: the earth is a kind of hell [Page 705] in that very respect.
Secondly, it should more trouble 2. Our conflict with diuels. vs, that we must of necessity enter into the Conflict with the diuels, and their temptations, and to bee buffeted and gored by them.
A man that knew he must goe into the field, to answer a challenge, will be at no great rest in himselfe: But, alas, it is more easie, a thousand fold, to wrest [...] with flesh and blood, then with these Principalities and Powers, and spirituall wickednesses, and great Rulers of the world, Ephes. 6. 12.
Thirdly, besides, it addes vnto 3. Their subtilty & cruelty. the distresse of life, to consider of the subtiltie and cruelty of these diuels, who are therefore like the crooked Serpent, and Leuiathan, and Dragons, and roaring Lyons, seeking whom they may deuo [...]re. Though these things will little moue the hearts of wicked men; yet vnto the godly minde, [Page 704] [...] [Page 705] [...] [Page 706] the temptations of life are a grieuous burthen Thus much of euill angels.
CHAP. IX
The misery of life, in respect of the world.
THirdly, consider but what the world is, in which thou liuest; and that either in the apparent miseries of this world, or in the vexations that accompanie the best things the world hath to offer to giue thee. First, for the apparent miseries:
1. It is exquisitely like a wildernesse; 9 Apparent miseries [...] in this world. 1. Like a wildern [...]. [...]. like Egypt. no man, but for innumerable wants, liues as in a desart here.
2. It is a true Aegypt to the godly; it continually imposeth hard taskes, and seruile conditions. Life can neuer bee free from grieuous burthens and inexorable [Page 707] molestation.
3. This world is verily like 3. Like Sodom. Sodom, full of generall and vnspeakeable filthinesse: All the world lyeth in wickednesse; scarce one Lot to be found in a whole Citie, or Parish. If God would seeke but fiue righteous men; that are truly or absolutely godly, they are not to bee found in the most assemblies in the world; nay, in the Church too.
4. Yet more; this world is a 4. Like a P [...]st-house very P [...]st-house, spiritually considered. Euery man that a godly man comes neere, hath a mischieuous plague-sore running vpon him, yea, the godly themselues are not without this disease: so as there i [...] a necessity, as it were, to infect, or be infected, still in all places, or companies. Oh who would loue to liue in a Pest-house, that may dwell in a place for euer free from all infection?
[Page 734] 5. Yet more, this World, why, it is a very Golgotha, a place 5. Like a very Golgotha. of dead men; we liue amongst the Graues: almost all we see, or haue to deale with, are but men truely dead. Alas, what should wee reckon of the life of mens carkasses, when their soules are In this world the dead bury the dead. dead, and both soule and body sentenced to eternall death? Almost all that we meete with, are malefactors, vnder sentence, ready to bee carried to execution; the wrath of God hanging ouer their heads, and vnquenchable fire kindled against them; and shall wee bee so besotted, as to loue the dead more then the liuing? or the society of vile and miserable malefactors in a prison, rather then the fellowship of the glorious Princes of God, in their Palace of endlesse and matchlesse blisse?
6. Why should wee loue the 6 It hates VI World that hateth vs, and casts vs off, as men dead out of minde? [Page 709] Are we not crucified to the world? Galat. 6. 14. and doe not wicked men hate vs, and enuy vs, and speake all manner of euill sayings of vs, because we follow good? The World loues her own, but vs it cannot loue, because we are not of this world. Can darknesse loue light? or the sonnes of Belial care for the sonnes of God? In this world we shall haue trouble; and if wee found not peace in Christ, wee were of all men most miserable, Ioh. 15. 19. Eccles. 4. 4. Ioh. 17. 14. 2 Cor. 6. 17. Ioh. 16. 33. And if they hate vs for well-doing, how will they triumph, if our seet do but slippe? Wee should desire death, euen to bee deliuered from the feare of giuing occasion to the world to triumph, or blaspheme in respect of vs. Yea, so extreme is the hatred of the World, that a iust man may perish in his righteousnesse, when a wicked man prolongs his dayes in his wickednesse, Eccles. 7. 17. & 8. 4.
[Page 710] 7. Do we fall into any speciall miserie in this world? why, behold 7 It wil not helpe vs, if wee be in miserie. the teares of the oppressed, and there is none to comfort them. We are either not pittied, or not regarded: or the compassion of the world is like the morning dew, it is gone as a tale that is told our mistery will last, but there will soone bee none to comfort vs. Miserable comforters are the most that can bee had in the world, and for this reason Salomon praised the dead, that are already dead, aboue the liuing, that are yet aliue, Eccles. 4. 1, 2.
8. There is vsually no Christian, but in thi [...] wo [...]ld hee hath 8 Euery Christian hath some speciall miserie. some speciall miserie vp [...]n him, either pouerty, o [...] deb [...] ▪ [...] disease in his body, or the [...] &c.
9. We daily [...]ffet th [...] [...]se of our friends, that were the companions of our life, and the causes of contentment to vs. Now who would tarry behind them, or esteeme of this world, when they [Page 711] are gone from vs?
And thus much of the apparent miseries of this world.
CHAP. X.
The vanities of the seeming felicities of the world.
NOw it followeth, that I should intreat of the vanities that cleaue to the seeming felicities of the world, and proue that there is no reason to bee in loue with life for any respect of them.
The best thing the world can What th [...] seeming feli [...]ties of the world are. make shew of▪ are Honours, Credit, Lands, Houses, Riches, Pleasures, Birth, Beauty, Friends, Wit, Children, Acquaintance, and the like. Now there be manythings which apparently proue, th [...]re can be no sound contentment, or felicity in these: For,
1. All things bee full of labour, [Page 712] who can vtter it? Ecclesiasticus 18. Men must gaine the Fifteene arguments to proue the vanity of the best worldly things. 1 All full of labour. blessings of the earth with the sweate of their browes: there is seldome any outward blessing, but it is attained with much difficultie, paines, or danger, or care, or grieuance some way.
2. How small a portion in these things can the most men 2. A small portion that is attained. attaine? If the whole world were possessed, it should not make a man happy; much lesse those small parcels of the world, which the most men can attaine, Eccles. 1. 3.
3. It is manifest, men cannot 3. Men cannot agree about the good [...]hat i [...] i [...] them, which should be best. agree about the chiefe good in these things. Life is therefore apparently vaine in respect of these things, because there are almost infinite proiects, and variety of opinions: and in all these successions of ages, no experience can make men agree to resolue which of these things haue felicity in them. Who knows what [Page 713] is good for a man in this life, all the daies of his vaine life, which he spendeth as a shadow? Eccles. 6. 12.
4. In all these things here is nothing now, but it hath beene; 4. Nothing. the same or the like to it. Now things that are common, are out of request, Eccles. 1. 9, 10. and 3. 15.
5. The world passeth away, and 1. The desire after these things will not last. the lusts thereof: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the care with hearing. If a man liue many dayes, his soule is not filled with good; the desire after these things will vanish; men cannot loue them still: Our life is spent in wishing for the future, and bewailing of the past; a loathing of what wee haue tasted, and a longing for what wee haue not tasted: which, were it had, would neuer more satisfie vs then that wee haue had. Hence it is that men wearying themselues in seeking of variety of earthly things [Page 714] and yet cannot be contented. The vexation that cleaues vnto them still, breeds loathing. We are like men that are Seasicke, that shift from roome to roome and from place to place, thinking to find ease; neuer considering, that so long as the same Seas swell, and winds blow, and humors are stirred, alteration of place will not profit. So it is with vs; so long as wee carry with vs a nature so full of ill humours, and that the pleasures of the world haue so much vanity in them, no change of place, or delights can satisfie vs: Seeing there are many things that increase vanity, what is man the better? Eccles. 6. 13.
6. How can these earthly things satisfie, when the nature 6 Their [...]re is va [...]e. of them is so vile and vaine? They are but blasts; a very shadow, which is something in appearance, but offer to lay hold vpon it, thou graspest nothing. Man [Page 715] walketh in a vaine shadow, and disquieteth himselfe in vaine. He that [...]ueth siluer, shall not bee sati [...]fied with siluer, Eccles. 1. 9. Psal. 39.
7. Besides, there is a snare in all these earthly things; they are 7. Th [...] am [...]y of the world is [...]he enm [...]ty with God. like pitch to defile a man; there is euer one temptation or other lodged vnder them; and the fruition of them, and desire after them, breed may nolsome lusts in the soule, 1. Tim. 6. 6.
8. These outward things are 8. All sub [...]ect to van [...]ty or violence. Ma. 6. 19, 1 [...]. They may be lost at t [...]e very seate of i [...] [...]gement. [...] [...]6 1 [...]. & 4 1, 2 also all vncertaine, & transitory: Riches haue wings, & will suddenly fly away: and Fame is but a blast: and the glory of man is but as the [...]wer of the field, which is to day, and tomorrow withered. The fashion of this world passeth away: and at the l [...]st day they shall all be burnt [...] consumed in in the fire: I meane 9 T [...]y w [...] [...]ot helpe v [...] [...]n the [...] day. these senslesse things, we now set our hearts vpon, Esa. 40. 6. 1. Cor. 7. 31.
9. There is no support in these things, in the euil day they cannot [Page 717] helpe vs, when the houre of temptation comes vpon vs.
10. A man may damne his 10. The loue of them is [...]amnable. owne soule by two much liking of these things: the abuse of them may witnesse against men in the day of Christ: Iam. 5. 1. and Phil. 3. 19.
11. In these things there is 11. One condition to all. one condition to all; as it falleth to the wise man, so it doth to the foole, Eccles. 2. 14.
12. All things are subiect to 12 God wi [...] dispose Gods vnauoidable disposing. Let man get what hee can, yet God will haue the disposing of it; and whatsoeuer God shall doe, it shall abide; to it can no man adde, and from it can no man diminish, Eccles. 3. 1.
13. A man may haue all abundance 13. A man may want an heart to vse them. of these things, and yet not haue a heart to vse them. Euill is so set in the hearts of the sonnes of men, and such madnesse cleaues vnto them, that they cannot take the contentment of the things they [Page 717] haue; and so they bee worse then an vntimely fruite, Eccles. 6. 1, 7. and 9. 3.
14. Euery day hath his euill; and 14. The euils of life euer [...]ingled with them. afflictions are so mingled with these outward things, that their tast is daily marred with bitternesse which is cast into them; no day without his griefe: and vsually the crosses of life are more, then the pleasures of liuing; so as they that reioyced, ought to bee as though they reioyced not.
15. Lastly, if all these considerations 15. Thou art mortall may not suffice, then remember that thou art mortall; thy life is short, it passeth as a dreame, it is but as a span long, thy dayes are few and euill; all these things are clogged with a necessity of dying. Life was giuen thee with a condition of dying, Gen. 47. 9. Iob 14. 1. Thy life passeth like the winde, Iob▪ 7. 7. Yea, our dayes consume like smoake, Psal. 102. 3. All flesh is grasse, Esa. 40. 6. And hence arise [Page 718] many considerations deduced Our mor tality aggrauated by 4 considerations. from the head of our mortalitie: For,
1. All these things are but the 1 All [...]hou ha [...]t [...] but the prouision of a Pilgrim. necessaries of thy Inne: Thou art a stranger and a pilgrim, and canst enioy them but as a passenger; thou canst carry nothing out of this world but in all points as thou cammest into the world so must thou goe hence, Eccles. 5. 13, 14, 15.
2. The time, place, and manner 2 Thy death is vncertaine. of thy death is vncertaine: there is no time nor place, but man may dye in it; the Court, the Church, the Campe: yea the very wombe is not excepted. There is but one way to come into the world, but there are a thousand wayes to goe out; and therefore the possession of all things is wonderfull vncertaine.
3. When thou diest, all will be forgotten, there is no more remembrance 3. When thou diest, all will bee forgotten. of former things, nor shall there bee any remembrance of things which are to come, with those [Page 719] that [...], Eccles. 1. 11. [...], in the daies to [...] [...]gotten. Yea, [...] forgotten in the [...] hee hath done right; Eccles. 8. 10. For this very reason Salomon hated life, Eccles. 2. 17.
4. Wh [...]n thou diest, thou shalt 4 Thy case in death, whether thou die with, or without issue. die either without issue, or leaue children behind thee. If thou dye without issue, how hast thou beene▪ infatuated in seeking these outward things with so much care and toile, and couldest neuer say to thine owne soule, For whom doe I [...]rauell, and defraud my selfe of pleasure? Thou gatherest these things, and know [...]st not who shall inioy them. Eccles. 4. 8. If thou die and leaue issue; thou mayest be frighted and amazed with one of these things. For either thou mayest be d [...]spisest while thou liuest, of those for wh [...]m thou endurest [...]ore trauell, so as they that shall come after thee, doe not reioyce in thee, Eccles. [Page 720] 4. 15, 16. Or else thou mayest leaue the fruite of thy labours to a foole, or a wicked wretch. For who knoweth whether hee that shall rule ouer thy labours, shall be a wise man or a foole? This very consideration made Salomon hate all his labour which hee had taken vnder the Sunne; and he went about to make his heart despaire of all his labours, that he should vse all his wisedome and knowledge for attaining of great things, and yet might bee in danger to leau [...] all for a portion to him that hath not laboured in wisedome: and all this is vexation of spirit, Eccles. 2. 18. to 24. Or else thou mayest beget children, and thy riches perish before thy death, and then there is nothing in thine hand to leaue them, Eccles. 5. 14.
CHAP. XI.
The miseries of life, in respect of our selues.
THus haue wee cause to be wearie of life, in respect of God, the euill angels, and the World. Now if there were none of these to molest vs, yet man The causes in our selues why we should not be in loue with life: as. hath enough in himself to marre the liking of this present life. For,
1. The remainders of corruption 1. The remainders of corruption of nature. of nature still lie like a poyson, a leprosie, a pestilence in thee: thou art vnder cure indeed but thou art not sound from thy sore, thou art La [...]rus still. This very consideration made Paul wearie of his life, when he cried out, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliuer mee from this body of death? Rom 7. And if in this respect we be not of Pauls mind, it is because wee want of Pauls [Page 722] goodnesse and grace. And thus corruption of nature is the more Which is the more grieuous. grieuous, if we consider either the generalitie of the spreading the infection, or the incurablenesse of it, or the ill effects of it.
For the first, this is a leprosi 1 Because it is spred all ouer vs. that spreads all ouer. There [...] no sound part in vs, our [...] ▪ our memories, our wills and affections: yea our very consciences are still impure within vs: there is no good nature in vs in any one faculty of our soules, but there is a miserable mixture of vile infection.
Secondly, this is the worses, because this is incurable. There 2 Because in vs v [...]curable. lieth vpon vs a very [...] of sinning, wee cannot but offend. Of the flesh it is well said, I can neither liue with the [...], nor without thee. The flesh is an inseperable ill companion of our li [...] ▪ wee can go [...] to [...] it, &c.
[Page 723] Thirdly, if wee consider but some of the effects of this corruption 3. 4 Effects of [...] of nature in vs. 1. Ciuil war within vs. in [...] as▪
1. The eiuill warre it causeth in our soules: there is no businesse can bee dispatched, that concernes our happinesse, without a mutiny in our owne hearts. The flesh is a domesticall Rebel, that daily lusts against the Spirit, as the Spirit hath reason to lust against the flesh, Galatians 5. 17.
2. Secondly, the insufficiency 2. Insufficiencie for our calling it [...]eeds in vs for our callings. The greatest Apostle must in this respect cry out, Who is sufficient for these things? Though Gods wor [...]e be all faire worke, yet we see that euery man is extremely burthened with the defects and mistakings, and insufficiencies which befall him in his course of life.
2. It works a perpetuall madnesse [...]. A stirring kinde of madnesse. in the heart of a man, in some respects worse then that of [Page 742] some lunatickes: For they are mad at some times of the yeere, onely, or chiefly; but man is seldome, or neuer free from this inward madnes of heart. Salomon saith, The heart of the sonnes of men is full of euill, and madnesse is in their hearts while they liue, and after thnt, they goe to the dead. Now this madnesse appeares in this, that men can neuer bring their hearts to a settled contentment in the things they enioy, but death coms in vpon them, before they know how to improue the ioy of their hearts in the blessings they enioy, whether temporall or spirituall. This vile corruption of nature diffuseth gall into all that a man possesseth; so as it marreth the taste of euery thing.
4. It fils our hearts and liues with innumerable euils; it ingenders, 4. Swarms of euill thoughts and actions and breeds infinitely swarmes of euill thoughts, and desires, and abundance of sinnes [Page 725] in mens liues and conuersations, so as godly Dauid cries out; Innumerable euils haue compassed me about, and I am not able to looke vp. They were more then the haires of his head, therefore his heart failed him, Psal. 40. 12.
5. It is continualy madnes, to be [...]ray vs to Satan and the world, in all the occasions of our life.
6. It will play the Tyrant, if it get any head: and leade vs capti [...]e, and giue wretched lawes to the members: yea, euery sinne, which is the brat bred of this corruption, is like a fury to fright and amaze vs: there is a very race of diuels bred in vs, when Satan and the flesh ingender together in vs.
2. And as wee are thus miserable 2. In respect of the remainders of the pu nishment of sinne. in respect of the remainders of corruption, so are we in respect of the remainders of the punishment of sinne vpon our spirits: Our hearts were neuer fully free since the first transgrssion, our [Page 726] minds are yet full of darkenesse; that euē godly men do seriously cry out, They are but as beasts; they haue not the vnderstanding of men in them: And in many passages of life they carrie themselues like beasts, Psalme 32. 9. Eccles. 3. 18. The ioyes of Gods presence are for the greatest part kept from vs: our consciences are still but in a kind of prison: when they goe to the s [...]at of iudgement to giue sentence in any cause, they come forth with fetters on their legs, as prisoners themselues; besides the many personall scourges light vpon our soules in this life.
3. Lastly, the very condition of our bodies should not bee ouerpleasing 3 If wee respect the condition of our bodies. to vs: our deformities, and infirmities, & the dangers of further diseases, should tire vs out, and make vs account it no louely thing to be present in the body, while wee are absent from the Lord. And thus of the miseries [Page 727] of our liues also. Now it remaines that I should proceed to the second sort of contemplations, that is, those that are remoouals: namely, such meditations, as take off the obiections, which are in the hearts of men.
CHAP. XII.
Comforts against the paine of Death.
THere are in the minds of all men certaine Obiections, which if they could be remoued, this feare of Death would bee stocked vp by the very rootes. I will instance in some of the chiefe of them, and set downe the answers to them.
Some men say, they should not Ob. 1. be afraid of death, considering the gaine of it, and the happinesse after death, but that they are afraide of the paine of dying: [Page 728] It is the difficulty of the passage troubles them.
For answer hereunto, diuers things would be considered of, Sol. to shew men the folly of this feare.
First, thou likest not death, Teareasons to shew the folly of men, in pretending the feare of the paine of death. because of the paine of it. Why? there is paine in the curing of a wound, yet men will endure it: And shall death doe so great a cure, as to make thee whole of all thy wounds and diseases, and art thou so loth to come to the Cure?
Secondly, there is difficulty in getting into an Hauen. Hadst thou rather bee in the tempest still, then put into the hauen?
Thirdly, thou likest not death, thou sayest, for the paine of it: Why then likest thou life, which puts thee to worse paine? Men obiect not at the paines of life, which they endure without death. There is almost no man, but he hath endured worse [Page 729] paines in life, then he can endure in death, and yet we are content to loue life still: Yea, such is our folly, that whereas in some pains of life we call for death to come to our succours; yet when wee are well againe, we loue life, and loath death.
Fourthly, we are are manifestly mistaken concerning death; for 4. the last gaspe is not death. To liue, is to dye; for how much wee liue, so much we die: euery step of life, is a step of death. He that hath liued halfe his dayes, is dead the halfe of himselfe. Death gets first our infancie, then our youth, and so forwards: All that thou hast liued, is dead.
Fiftly, it is further euident, 5. that in death there is no paine; it is our life that goeth out, with paine. Wee deale herein, as if a man, after sicknesse, should accuse his health of the last paines. What is it to be dead? but not to be in the world. And it is any [Page 730] paine to bee out of the world? Were wee in any paine before we were borne? Why then accuse we death, for the paines our life giues vs at the parting? Is not sleepe a remembrance of death?
Sixthly, if our comming into the world be with teares; is it any wonder, if our going out be so too?
Seuenthly: besides, it is euident that wee make the passage more difficult, by bringing vnto death a troubled and irresolute minde: It is long of our selues there is terrour in parting.
Eightly, consider yet more, the humours of the most men. Men will suffer infinite paines for a small liuing, or preferment here in this world: yea we see, souldiers for a small price will put themselues into vnspeakeable dangers, and that many times at the pleasure of others that command them, without certaine [Page 731] hope of aduantage to themselues. Will men kill themselues for things of no value; and yet be afraid of a little paine to be endured, when such a glorious estate is immediately to be enioyed in heauen?
Ninthly, let not man pretend 9. the paines of death; that is but a [...]igge-leafe to couer their little faith: For they will languish of the Gout, or Stone, a long time, rather then die one sweet death with easiest conditions possible.
Tenthly, if none of these will 10. perswade, yet attend, I wil shew [...] a mystery: Feare not the paines of death: for first, death 1. is terrible, when it is inflicted by the Law; but it is easie, when it is inflicted by the Gospel: the Curse is taken off from thee; thou art not vnder the Law, but vnder Grace: And besides, for this cause did Christ die a terrible an [...] 2. [...] cursed death, that euery death [Page 732] might be blessed to vs. And further; God, that hath greatly loued thee in life, will not neglect thee in death: Precious in the fight of the Lord, is the death of his Saints. What shall I say against the terror of death, but this Text of the Apostle? Thanks be to God, that hath giuen vs victory through Iesus Christ. Hee hath pulled the sting out of Death: O Death, where is thy sting? 1 Cor. 15. 55.
Lastly, thou hast the Spirit of Christ in thee, which wil succour 3. and strengthen, & ease thee, and abide with thee all the time of the combate. Why should wee doubt of it, but that the godly dye more easily then the wicked? Neither may we guesse at their paine, but the pangs vpon the body: for the body may bee in grieuous pangs, when the man feeles nothing, and the soule is at sweete ease, in preparing it selfe to come immediately to the sight of God.
CHAP. XIII.
Comfort against the losse of the body in death.
OH! but in death a man is destroyed, hee loseth his Ob. 2. body, and it must bee rotted in the earth.
Sol. 1. It hath bin shewed before, 1. that the separation of the soule from God, is properly Death; but the separation of the soule from the body, is but the shadow of Death: and we haue no reason to be afraid of a shadow.
2. The body is not the man: 2. the man remaines still, though hee be without the body. Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, are proued to be liuing still, by our Sauiour Christ, though their bodies were consumed in the earth; and God was their God still. It is true, Death seizeth on thy body; but a Christian, at the most, suffers [Page 734] but aliquid mortis▪ a little of death.
Death is like a Serpent; the Serpent must ea [...]e dust: now death therefore can feed vpon no more but our dust, which is the body, it cannot touch the soule: whereas wicked men suffer the whole power of death, because it seizeth both vpon body and soule too; and in their case onely it is true, that death destroyes a man.
3. Grant▪ that we lose the body in death, yet that, ought not 3. to be terrible; for what the body is, it hath beene before shewed: It is but a Prison to the Soule, an old rotten House, or a ragged Garment; it is but as the Barke of a Tree, or the Shell, or such like: now what great losse can there be in any of these?
4. This separation is but for a time neither; we doe not for eu [...]r 4. lose the body, we sh [...] haue our bodies againe, they are kept safe for vs till the day of Christ. Our [Page 735] graues are Gods Chest's, and he makes a precious account of the bodies of [...]is Saints, they shall be raised vp againe at the last day. God will giue a charge to the earth to bring forth her dead, and make a true account to him, Reuel. [...]. And God hath giuen the assurance of this, not onely in his Word, by promising it, but in his Sonne, whom hee hath raised from the dead. If any say, What is that to vs, that Christs body is raised? I answer, it is a full assurance of the safety, and of the resurrection of our bodies: for Christ is our Head. Now cast a man into a Riuer, though all the body be vnder water, yet the man is safe, if the head be aboue water; for the head will bring out all the body after it. So it is in the body of Christ: though all we s [...]nke in the riuer of death, yet our Head is [...]isen, and is aboue water, and therefore the whole body is safe.
[Page 736] 5. It should yet more satisfie vs, if we throughly consider, that 5. we shall haue our bodies againe much better then now they are. Those vile bodies we lay downe in death, shall be restored againe vnto vs glorious bodies, like the body of Christ now glorified, Philippians 3. 21. And therefore death loseth, by taking away our bodies; we haue a great victory ouer death: The graue is but a furnace to refine them, they shall come out againe immortall and incorruptible.
CHAP. XIIII.
The desire of long life confuted.
OH! but if I might liue long, I would desire no more: Ob. 3. If I might not dye till I were fiftie or threescore yeeres old, I should bee contented to dye then.
[Page 737] Sol. There are many things may shew the vanity and folly of men, in this desire of long life▪ For,
1. If thou art willing to die at Nine argu ments to shew the van [...]y of men in desiring to liue long. any time, why not now? Death will be the same to thee then, it is now.
2. Is any man angry and grieued when hee is at the Sea in a 2. Tempest, because hee shall be so quickly carried into the Hauen? Is he displeased with the Wind, that will soone set him safe in the Harbour? If thou beleeue that death will end all thy miseries, why art thou carefull to deferre the time?
3. Till thy debt be paid, time 3. will not ease thee, thy care will continue; and therfore thou wert as good pay at the first, if thou be sure it must be paid at all.
4. In this world there is neither young nor old. When thou 4. hast liued to that age thou desirest, thy time past will be as nothing. [Page 738] Thou wilt still expect that which is to come; thou wilt bee as ready to demand longer respit then, as now.
5. What wouldst thou tarry here so long for? There will be 5. nothing new, but what thou hast tasted; and often drinking, will not quench thy thirst: thou hast an incurable dropsie in thy hart, and these earthly things haue no ability to fill thy heart with good, or satisfie thee.
6. Wouldst thou not [...]dge him a sot, that mournes because 6. he was not aliue an hundred yeeres agoe? And thou art no better: thou mournest, because thou canst not liue an hundred yeeres hence.
7. Thou hast no power of the 7. morrow, to make it happy to thee. If thou die young, thou art like one that hath lost a Die, with which he might as well haue lost as wonne.
8. Consider the proportion of [Page 739] time thou desirest to thy selfe, reckon what will bee spent in sleepe, care, disgrace, sickenesse, trouble, wearinesse, emptinesse, feare; and vnto all this adde sinne: and then thinke, how smal a portion is left of this time, and how small good it will doe thee. What can that aduantage thee with such mixtures of euill? It is certaine, to liue long, is but to be long troubled; and to die quickly, is quickly to be at rest.
9. Lastly, if there were nothing else to be said, yet this may suffice, that there is no comparison betweene time and eternity. What is that space of time to eternity? If thou loue life, why doest thou not loue eternall life? as was said before.
CHAP. XV.
Of them that would liue to doe good.
BVt I would liue long to doe good, and to doe God seruice, Ob. 4. and to benefit others by mine example.
Sol. First, search thine owne Six reasons against their pretence▪ that would liue long to do good, as they [...]ay. heart: it may be, this pretence of doing good to others, is pleaded onely, because thou wouldest further thine owne good. Thou wouldst not seeke the publike, but to finde thine owne particular.
2. God that set thee to do his 2. worke, knowes how long it is fit for thee to be at the same; hee knowes how to make vse of the labors of his workmen: He will not call thee from thy work, till it bee prouided to dispatch his businesse without thee.
3. It may be, if thou be long 3. [Page 741] at thy worke, thou wouldst marre all; thy last workes would not bee so good as thy first: it is best to giue ouer, while thou doest w [...]ll, &c.
4. If God will pay thee as much for halfe a day as for the whole, art thou not so much the more to praise him?
5. It is true, that the best comfort of our life here, is a religious conuersation: but thy Religion is not hindered by going to heauen, but perfected. There is no comparison betweene thy goodnesse on earth, and that in heauen. For though thou mayest doe much good here; yet it is certaine, thou doest much euill heere too.
6. Whereas thou perswadest thy selfe, that by example thou maiest mend others, thou art much mistaken. A thousand men may sooner catch the plague in an infected Towne, then one be healed. It is but to tempt God, [Page 742] to desire continuance in this infectious world, longer then our time: for the best way is to get farre from the contagion. I [...] diuers fresh waters fal into the sea, what doth that to take away the saltnesse of the sea? No more can two or three Lots reforme a world of Sodomites.
CHAP. XVI.
Why men may not make away themselues to be rid of the miseries of life.
Ob. 5. BVt then it seemes by this, that it were a Ob. 5. mans best course to take away life, seeing so much euill is in life, and so much good to bee had in death.
Sol. 1. I thinke, the most of vs 1. may bee trusted of that danger. For though the soule aspire to [Page 743] the good to come, yet the body tends vnto the earth, and like an heauie clog weighs men downewards.
2. That is not the course; we must cast the world out of our 2. Against selfe. murder. hearts, not cast our selues out of the world. It is both vnseemely and extremely vnlawfull. It is vnseemely: for it is true, we ought willingly to depart out of this world; but it is monstrous base, like cowards to runne away out of the battell. Thou art Gods souldier, and appointed to thy standing; and it is a miserable shame to runne out of thy place. When Christ the great Captaine sounds a retrait; then it is honorable for thee to giue place. Besides, thou art Gods tenant, and doest hold thy selfe as a tenant at will: the Landlord may take it from thee, but thou canst not without disgrace surrender at thy pleasure; and it is extre [...]me slothfulnesse to hate life, onely [Page 744] for the toyles that are in it. Secondly, and as it is vnseemely, so it is vnlawfull, yea damnable. It is vnlawfull: for the souldier that runnes away from his Captaine, offends highly; so doth the Christian that makes away himselfe: and therefore the commandement is not onely, Thou shalt not kill other men, but generally, Thou shalt not kill, meaning neither thy selfe, nor other men. Besides, wee haue no example in Scripture of any that did so, but such as were notorious wicked men, as Sa [...]l, Achitophel, Iudas, and the like. Yea, it is damnable: for hee that leaueth his worke before God calls him, loseth it, and besides incurres eternall death. As the souldier that runneth away, dyeth for it, when he is taken: so the Christian that murdereth himselfe, perisheth; I say, that murdereth himselfe, being himselfe.
CHAP. XVII.
Why we should not bee troubled to part with our friends.
MIght some other say, I Ob. 6 could more willingly dye, but mee thinkes it is grieuous vnto mee to part with friends and acquaintance; I cannot willingly goe from my kind [...]ed and my familiars; life is sweete in respect of their presence and loue and societie.
Sol. It is true, that vnto some mindes this is the greatest contentment of life of any thing; but yet many things must bee considered: For,
First, amongst an 100. men, scarce one can by good reason 4. 6▪ Reasons about parting with our friends in death. pleade that, I meane, cannot say that hee hath so much as one sound friend in the whole world, worthy to be reckoned, as the [Page 746] stay of his life.
Secondly, those that can plead felicitie in their friends, yet what is it? one pleasing dreame hath more in it, then a moneths contentment which can bee reaped from thy friends. Alas, it is not the thousandth part of thy life▪ which is satisfied with delight from them.
3. Thou s [...]st thy friend [...] drop away from thee from day to day; for either they dye, or they are so farre remoo [...]d from thee, that they are as it w [...]e dead to thee; and sith they are gone, who would not long to go after them?
4. The friends that are left, are not sure to thee: men are mutable as well as mortall; they may turne t [...] be thy foes, that now are dearest vnto thee: or if they fall not into tearmes of flat enmitie, they [...] grow full and wea [...]e of thee, and so carelesse of thee.
[Page 747] 5. If none of these would satisfie thee, yet what are thy 5. friends on earth, to thy friends thou shalt finde in heauen? This is an answer beyond all exception.
6. Lastly, by death thou doest 6. not lose thy friends neither, for thou shalt finde them, and enioy them in another world to all eternity; and therefore thou hast no reason forthy friends sake to be loth to dye.
7. But might some one say: Ob. 7. All my griefe is to part with my wife and children, and to leaue them, especially in an vnsettled estate.
1. Hast thou forgotten the Sol. 1. consolation that saith, God will bee a father to the fatherlesse, and a Iudge, and a Protector of the widowes cause? Hee will releeue both the fatherlesse and the widow, as many Scriptures doe assure vs, Psal. 146. 9. and 68. 6. Pro [...]. 15. 25.
[Page 748] 2. Thou leauest them but for a time; God wil restore them to thee againe in a better world.
3. Thou gainest the presence of God, and his eternall coniunction, who will be more to thee, then many thousand wiues, or children could be. He can be hurt by the losse of no company, that findeth God in Heauen.
CHAP. XVIII.
Why we should not be sorry to leaue the pleasures of life.
BVt might some other say: My heart is sorely vexed, Ob. 8. because in death I must part with the pleasures of life?
There are many things might quiet mens mindes in respect Sol. Fiue arguments against the [...] of life. of this obiection: For thy pleasures are either sinfull pleasures, or [...] pleasures: if they bee [...] ▪ [...] [...]west thy hatred [Page 749] of God by louing them, and heapest vp wrath vpon thin [...] owne soule, by liuing in them. But say, thy pleasures be lawfull in themselues: yet consider,
First, that the paines of thy life 1. are, and will be greater both for number and continuance, then thy pleasures can be. No pleasure at once, euer lasted so long as the fit of an Ague.
2. Thou forgettest, what end 2. they may haue: For thy pleasures may goe out with gall. For either shame, or losse, or euill sicknesse may fall vpon thee: or if not, yet thine owne heart will loath them; as they are vanity, so they will proue vexation of spirit: Thou will bee extremely tyred with them.
3. Thou art far from giuing 3. thy life for Christ, that wilt not forgoe the superfluity of life for him.
4. That in thy delights thou 4. shewest the greatest weakenesse; [Page 750] so as thou maist say of Laughter, Thou art mad, Eccles. 2. 2.
5. That death doth not spoile thee of pleasures: for it bringeth thee to the pleasures that are at Gods right hand for euermore, Psa. 16. vlt.
CHAP. XIX.
Why wee should not be loth to leaue the honours of the world.
9. IF any other obiect the Ob. 9. lothnesse to leaue his honours, or high place in the world: I may answer diuers things.
1. Why shouldest thou bee so in loue with the honours of Sol. 1. Fiue obseruations abo [...] the honours of this world. this world, if thou but consider how small the preferment is, or can be? [...]e whole earth is, but as [...]e [...] point and [...]nter, in comparison with the circumference [Page 751] of the whole world besides.
1. Now in true iudgement, it is 1. almost impossible to discern, how a man should rise higher in a Center. If thou hadst all the earth, thou wert no more exalted, then to the possession of a full point; a little spot in comparison: & therfore how extremely vaine is thy nature, to be affected with the possession of lesse then the thousand thousandth part of a little spot, or point?
2. Consider seriously the 2. thraldome, which thy preferment brings thee vnto: Thou canst not liue free, but still thou art fettered with the cares, and feares, and griefes that attend thy greatnesse. There is little difference betweene thee and a prisoner, saue that the prisoner hath his fetters of Iron, and thine are of Gold; and that his fetters binde his body, and thine thy minde: He weares his fetters on his legs, and thou thine on thine [Page 752] head; and in this thou art one way lesse contented then some prisoners: for they can sing for ioy of heart, when thou art deiected with the cares and griefes of thy minde: If thou hadst a Crowne, it were but a Crowne of thornes, in respect of the cares it would put thee to, &c.
3. Say thou shouldst get neuer so high, thou canst not protect 3. thy selfe from the miseries of thy condition, nor preserue thy selfe in any certainty from the losse of all [...]hou enioyest. If thou wert as high as the top of the Alpes, thou canst not g [...]t such a place, but the clouds, winds, stormes, and terrible lightnings may find th [...]e out, so as thou wouldest account the lower ground to bee the safer place. Thou standest as a man on the top of a pinacle, thou canst not know, how soone thou maiest tumble downe, and that fearefully.
[Page 753] 4. If thou shouldest be sure to enioy the greatnesse of place 4. in the world, yet thou art not sure to preserue thine honour; for either it may bee blemished with vniust aspersions, or else some fault of thine owne may marre all thy prayses: For as a dead Flye may marre a whole Boxe of Oyntment, so may one sinne thy glory, Eccl. 10. 1.
5. Thou losest no honour by 5. dying: for there are Crownes of Glory in Heauen, such as shall neuer wither, nor bee corrupted; such as can neuer bee held with care or enuy, nor lost with infamie.
CHAP. XX.
Why it should not trouble vs to part with riches.
10. IF thou bee infected with the loue of riches and Ob. 10. that thou art loth to dye, because thou wouldest not be taken from thy estate and outward possessions; then attend vnto these considerations.
1. Thou camest naked into the world; and why should it grieue Sol. 1. thee to goe naked out of the 1. Seuen mo [...]ues to leaue the loue of riches. world?
2. Thou art but a Steward of what thou possessest: and therefore why should it grieue thee to 2. leaue, what thou hast employed, to the disposing of thy master?
3. Thou hast tried by experience, & found hitherto, that contentment 3. of heart is not found, or had by abundance of outward things. If thou hadst all the pearls [Page 755] of the East, and wert master of all the mines of the West, yet will not thy heart bee filled with good: by heaping vp of riches, thou dost but heape vp vnquietnesse.
4. Riches haue wings: thou maist 4. liue to lose all, by fire, or water, or theeues, or suretiship, or iniustice, or vnthrifty children, or the like.
5. They are riches of iniquitie. There is a snare in riches, & nets 5. in possessions; thy gold and siluer is limed vp, or poysoned. It is wonderfull hard, and in respect of men, impossible for thee to be a rich man, but thou wilt be a sinfull man, especially if thy heart be growne to loue money, and haste to be rich.
6. Thou must leaue them on [...], & therefore why not now? Thou 6 canst not enioy them euer, and therefore why shouldest thou trouble thy heart about them?
7. By death thou makest exchange 7 [Page 756] of them for better riches, and shalt be possessed of a more euduring substance: Thou shalt enioy the vnsearchable riches of Christ: thou canst neuer be fully rich, till thou get to heauen.
Might some one say: I should not [...] d [...]ath, were it not that Ob. 11. I know not what kinde of death I shall dye: I may dye suddenly, or by the hands of the violent, or without the presence or assistance of my friends, or the like.
1. Sith wee must dye, it is the lesser matter what kind of Sol. 1. death wee dye: wee should not so much looke how wee dye, as whither wee shall goe when we are dead.
2. Christ dyed a cursed desth, 2. that so euery death might bee blessed to vs: For hee that liues holily, cannot dye miserably. Hee is blessed that dyeth in the Lord, what kind of death soeuer it be.
CHAP. XXI.
Shewing the cure of this feare of death by practice.
HItherto of the way of curing this feeare of death by meditation. It remaines now, that I proceed to shew how the cure is to be finished & perfected by practice; for there are diuers 7 Things tha [...] cu [...]e the feare of death in practice. things to be heeded by vs in our daily conuersation, which serue exceedingly for the extinguishing of this feare, without which the cure will hardly euer bee soundly wrought for continuance.
The first thing we must frame [...] The contempt of the Word. our liues to, for this purpose, is the contempt of the VVorld: wee must striue earnestly with our owne hearts, to forgoe the loue of worldly things. It is an [...] thing [...]o be willing to dye, when our hearts are cleansed [Page 758] of the loue of this world. Wee must leaue the world before the world leaue vs, and learne that lesson heartily, To vse the world as if wee vsed it not. Neither ought this to seeme too hard a precept: for they that striue for masterie, abstaine from all things, when it is but to obtaine a corruptible crowne; how much more should we be willing to deny the delights of this world, and striue with our natures herein, seeing it is to obtaine an incorruptible crowne? 1. Cor. 9 24, 25.
VVe must learne of Moses, who brought himselfe to it willingly, to [...]orsake the pleasures of Egypt, and to choose rather to suffer affliction with Gods people, then to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter, Heb. 11. 26.
And to this end, we should first How the contempt of the world may [...]ee wrought in vs. restraine all needlesse cares, and businesse of this world, and study so to be quie [...], as to meddle with our owne busines, and to a [...]idge th [...]m [Page 759] into as narrow a scantling as our callings will permit. Secondly, we should auoid, as much as may be, the societie with the fauorites and minions of the World: I meane such persons, as admire nothing but worldly things, and know no other happinesse then in this life; that speake onely of this World, and commend nothing, but what tends to the praise of worldly things, and so to the enticing of our hearts after the World: And withall, wee should sort our selues with such Christians, as practise this contempt of the World, as well as praise it, and can by their discourse make vs more in loue with heauen. Thirdly, we should daily obserue, to what things in the world our hearts must run, and striue with God by prayer to get downe the too much liking and desire after those things. Fourthly, we should daily be pondering on these meditations, that shew [Page 760] vs the vanitie of the world, and the vilenesse of the things thereof. Thus of the first medicine.
Secondly, we must in our practice soundly mortifie our beloued 2. The mortification of beloued sins. sins: our sins must dye before we dye, or else it will not be well with vs. The sting of death is sin, and when we haue pull'd out the sting, we need not feare to entertaine the Serpent into our bosome. It is the loue of some sin, and delight in it, that makes a man afraid to dye; or it is the remembrance of some foule euill past, which accuseth the hearts of men: and therefore men must make sure their repentance, and iudge themselues for their sins, and then they neede not feare Gods condemning of them. If any aske me, how they may know when they haue attained to this rule; I answer, VVhen they haue so long confessed their sinnes in How wee may know when sin is mortified. secret to God, that now they can truely say, there is no sinne they [Page 761] know by themselues, but they are as desirous to haue God giue them strength to leaue it, as they would haue God to shew them grace to forgiue it. Hee hath soundly repented of all sin, that desires from his heart to liue in no sin. And vnto this rule, I must adde the care of an vpright and vnrebukeable conuersation. It is a maruellous encouragement to dye with peace, when a man can liue without offence, and can iustly plead his integrity of conuersation; as Samuel did, 1 Sam. 12. 3. and Paul, Acts 20. 26, 27. and 2 Cor. 1. 12.
Thirdly, Assurance is an admirable 3. Assurance medicine to kill this feare: And to speake distinctly, wee should get the assurance first of Gods fauour, and our owne calling and election; for hereby an entrance will bee ministred into the Heauenly Kingdome: And therefore haue I handled this doctrine of the Christians assurance, before [Page 762] I meddled with this point of the Feare of Death. Simeon can dye willingly, when his eyes haue seene the saluation. Feare of death is alwayes ioyned with a weake faith; and the full assurance of faith, doth maruellously establish the heart against these feares, and breeds a certaine desire of the comming of Christ. Paul can be confident, when he is able to say, I know whom I haue beleeued, and that hee, is able to keepe that which I haue committed to him, 2. Tim. 12.
Besides, wee should labour to get a particular knowledge and assurance of our happinesse in death, and of our saluation: Wee would study to this end, the Arguments that shew our felicitie in death. And to this purpose, it is of excellent vse to receiue the Sacrament often: For Christ by his Will, beq [...]eathed heauen to vs, Ioh. 17. and by the death of the Testator, this Will is of [Page 763] force, and is further daily sealed vnto vs, as internally by the Spirit, so externally by the Sacraments.
Now if wee get our Charter sealed and confirmed to vs, how can we be afraid of the time of possession? He is fearelesse of death, that can say with the Apostle, Whether I liue or dye, I am the Lords, Rom. 14. 8.
4. That charge giuen to Hezekiah, 4 The setting of our houses in order. concerning the setting of his house in order, Esay 38. is of singular vse for this cure. Men should with sound aduice settle their outward estates, and dispose of their worldly affaires, and according to their meanes prouide for their wife and children. A great part of the feare and trouble of mens hearts is ouer, when their Wills are discreetly made: but men are loth to dye, so long as their outward estates are vnsettled and vndisposed. It is a most preposterous [Page 764] course for men to leaue the making of their Wils to their sicknesse: for besides their disabilities of memory, or vnderstanding, which may befall them, the trouble of it breedes vnrest to their mindes; and besides, they liue all the time in neglect of their duty of preparation for death.
5. Wee may much helpe our 5 To make fri [...]nds with riches. selues, by making vs friends with the riches of iniquity: we should learne that of the vniust Steward, as our Sauiour Christ sheweth. Since wee shall be put out of the Stewardship, we should so dispose of them while wee haue them, that when wee dye, they may receiue vs into euerlasting habitations, Luk. 16. An vnprofitable life is attended with a seruile feare of death.
6. It would master this feare, 6. A frequent meditation of death. but to force our selues to a frequent meditation of death. To learne to dye daily, will lessen, [Page 765] yea, remooue the feare of dying. Oh this remembring of our latter end, and learning to number our daies, is an admirable rule of practice. It is the forgetfulnesse of death, that makes life sinfull, and death terrible, Deu. 32. 29. Psa. 90. 12. And wee should begin this exercise of meditation betimes; Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth, Eccles. 12. 1. This is that is called for, when our Sauiour Christ requires vs, and all men, so to watch: and here in lay the praise of the fiue wise Virgins, Matth. 25. 3. Thus I [...]b will waite till the time of his change come, Iob 14. 14. And of purpose hath the Lord left the last day vncertaine, that we might euery day prepare. It were an admirable method, if we could make euery day a life to begin and end, as the day begins and ends.
7. Lastly, because yet we may find this feare cumbersome, and 7. Heartie prayer for this thing. [Page 766] our natures extremely deceitful; there is one thing left, which can neuer faile to preuaile, as farre as it is fit for vs; and that is hearty prayer to God for this very thing. Thus Dauid prayes, Psal. 39. 4. and Moses, Psal. 90. 13. and Simeon, Luke 2. 19. And in as much as Christ dyed for this end, to deliuer vs from this feare, wee may sue out the priuiledge, and by prayer striue with God to get it framed in vs. It is a suite God will not deny them that aske in the name of Christ, because it is a thing that Christ especially aimed at in his owne death.
To conclude then; wee haue prooued, that it is possible to be had, and most vncomely to want it; and likewise the way hath beene shewed how both by meditation and practice, this Cure may be effected. If then it be not wrought in any of vs, we may here finde out the cause in our [Page 767] selues: For if wee would hereby be soundly aduised and ruled, we might attaine to it all the dayes of our life, to sing with the Saints, that triumphant Song mentioned both in the Old and New Testament: Oh death, where is thy sting? O hell, where is thy victory? so as we are now the conquerors through him that loued vs, and gaue himselfe to death for vs, euen Iesus Christ the righteous; to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost, bee all praise in the Churches, throughout all ages for euer.
AMEN.