Spirit.

That is, to learne to liue Christianly, Psal. 90.12 Eccl. 12.1. and die blessedly.

Spirit.

This is a Christian life, that a man should rightly know, first, the Lord his [Page 3] God, Ier. 9. Psal. 79. Exod. 20. Deut. 6. Mat. 28.19 Psal. 67. Ioh. 17. Ioh. 1.14. Ezek. 18. and secondly him­selfe: first (I say) the onely one God in essence or being, distinct in three persons, Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost, that the middle one of these three, which is the Sonne, was sent of God into the world, and there hath taken our hu­mane nature vpon him­selfe, to become our Re­deemer and Sauiour ▪ there­to man must learne to know himselfe aright, that is, that we are poore, miserable, & vile sinners in Gods sight, and shall be eternally condemned, vnlesse we be conuerted, and lay hold by a stedfast faith on this Sonne of God, become new crea­tures, [Page 4] and continue in obedience to God, and loue to our neighbours, euen to our last end.

Spirit.

To end and conclude the dayes of this life in true faith, Luk. 2. Philip. 1. recommending thy soule to the Lord Iesus, with an heartie desire and longing for a ioyfull slee­ping from this world in pa­tience to bee with the Lord. 1 Tim. 4.

Spirit.

Heb. 9.27. Yes, it is appointed all shall die, and after this life bee summoned to their ap­pearance for iudgement.

Spirit.

There are foure things (my soule) most vncer­taine concerning death, which euery Christian daily and hourely should earnestly meditate vpon, [Page 10] mortis tempus, locus, status, modus; for not only is the houre and point of death hid from vs, but also wee doe not know in what place, by what meanes, and occasions, by what sicknesse or manner, death shall separate vs from hence.

Spirit.

After this manner, The time. for the first: Thou doest not know (deare soule) in what day, moneth, or [Page 12] yeere, God will [...]all thee from this world, whether it shall happen in the day, or in the night, euen or morne. God might easily haue reuealed the same, Eccl. 38. if it had beene his hea­uenly will, but it is of his diuine prouidence and great goodnesse, that hee hath not so done.

Spirit.

Yes truely, daily ex­amples may teach vs so, for consider thy neigh­bour, like as he is dead, so shalt thou bee, yesterday was his, this day for thee, Eccl 38. to day a King, to morrow dead, yea ( ô Soule) death is like a Mower, Eccl. 10. which walkes in a greene mea­dowe, cutting with his Sithe all he commeth at, and maketh no account whether it be grasse, thistle, or rose, neither conside­reth hee how old, how beautifull, or how pretious [Page 26] the hearbes bee, there are none too strong for him, none too young, no castle for height, nor bulwarke for securitie can hold him backe; he wil not be cor­rupted with siluer, and gold, yea if it were pos­sible that thou couldest giue him the whole kingdomes and riches of the world, hee would not hold off a minute to a­bide thy time, nor waite a moment for the perfor­mance of thy pleasure and will, now this should be our daily meditation, diligently to marke and carefully learne, the day both to liue in Gods feare, and dye in his faour.

Spirit.

The right preparation to a happy death, is in the cōstant leading of a Chri­stian and righteous life.

Spirit.

Repentance is nothing else, then that a man rise from his sinne, and turne with all his heart vnto God, which consisteth in these three heads.

1 That a man acknow­ledge his sinne, and be sor­rowfull and grieued for it [Page 32] from his verie hart.

2 That he despaire not by reason of his sinne, but be­leeue in Iesus Christ, who hath payed and satisfied for him, and reioyce greatly therein.

3 That hee witnesse his faith by a dayly and new o­bedience both to God and Man.

Spirit.

The first is, A know­ledgement and sorrowing for sinne, for without them [Page 34] thy faith is hypocrisie and not pure, therefore learne to know thy sinnes, and Gods wrath due vnto them, and lament hartily for them.

Spirit.

No, God forbid; but he should embrace the se­cond part of Christian re­pentance, which is, faith in our Lord Iesus Christ, who hath satisfied for our sinnes, and reconciled vs to God his heauenly fa­ther, Rom. 5. in this case raise vp & encourage thy selfe, & learne comfort after this manner.

[Page 45]ô most louing Iesus Christ thou most sweet Sauiour and Redeemer, how heauy is my hart? how sad is my Soule in my brest? Ps. 43.5. Esa. 38. My God, thou hast broken all my bones like a Lyon, I be­seech thee, that thou wouldest not despise my contrite and broken hart, my Redeemer, Ps. 51.17. giue mee thy mercifull hand, and draw mee out of this hea­uinesse, and suffer me not to sinke and perish of too much sorrow: O my God, I thanke thee, thou hast touched my heart, in ma­king mee vnderstand my sinnes, and giuing mee thy mercie to bewaile thē vnfainedly: O I am be­come godly sorrowfull, [Page 46] not to my hurt, for godly sorrow worketh Saluation, 2. Cor. not to be sorrowed for, where else might I haue found comfort for my disquieted Soule? of what other shold I haue found rest for my broken heart? but of thee onely, ô most dearely beloued Sauiour, for thou camest into the world to saue miserable sinners, 1. Tim. 1. therefore is thy name Iesus, Mat▪ 1. to saue thy people from all their sinnes.

Here am I ô Sauiour, although a verie great, yet a Penitent sinner, Loe I heare thy comfortable voyce, Mat. 11. Come vnto mee all yee that are laden and we a­ried, I will refresh you. B [...] ­hold [Page 47] my God, I come and bring with mee a sorrow­full, broken, Ps. 51.17. and contrite heart: O reuiue my dead soule, O heale my sinful [...] wounded conscience, O Lambe of God, that ta­kest away the sins of the world, take from mee my sinne, Ps. 51.9. and the guilt there­of, and forgiue all mine iniquities; Thou art my Redeemer, and the onely sacrifice by which God thy Father and I am re [...]conciled: Ioh. 3. for as Moyses exalted the Serpent in the wildernesse, so wast thou exalted on the Crosse, to the end, that I and all that beleeue in thee should not perish, but haue euerlasting Life: Mar. 9. I beleeue, Lord [Page 48] helpe my vnbeleefe, yea Lord thou knowest all things, thou knowest I beleeue in thee, Ioh. 21. albeit with a weake faith, neuerthe­lesse by the same little & small faith: I put all my trust and confidence in thee, and beleeue & doubt not: I beleeue and know well, that all my bitter and grieuous sinnes, are surely and verely satisfied for, and remitted by thy bloud and death: I know and beleeue, I am assured and persuaded, ô my Redee­mer, that thy pure concep­tion cleanseth my sinfull con­ception; thy vndefiled birth purgeth my vncleane birth; thy holie life sanctifieth my sinfull life; thy humiliation [Page 49] is my exaltation; thy hellish sorrowes are my heauenly comforts; thy bonds are my freedome; thy contempt is my honour; thy sores are my salue; the expulsion of thee, is the in-bringing of mee; thy smart and payne, is the ioy of my Soule; thy desert is my Redemption; thy pas­sion and death is a sacrifice for all my sinnes; thy obedi­ence is satisfaction for all my wickednesse; thy descending into hell, is my deliuerance from the Deuill, power and force of hell; Rom. 4. thy resurrecti [...]on is my righteousnesse; and thy ascending into heauen is a seale and assurance that I am heire of eternall Life, and that through Thee I haue alreadie right title and [Page 50] possesion of the kingdome of heauen.

Yea, Lord Iesus, all these hast thou merited for me, giuen and bestowed them freely vpon mee, and thy heauenly Father accepts of them, and accounts them to mee in such ma­ner, as if I had deserued all the same in my owne proper person, and as if euerie faithfull ones Re­demption had beene pur­chased by himselfe: Mat. 9. bee joyfull therfore, & com­fort thee, thy sinnes are forgiuen, and thou reigh­teous before God: thou hast a mercifull Father in heauen; thou art heire of eternall Life, thou hast the earnest of thy inheri­tance [Page 51] in thy heart, which beares witnesse vnto thy spirit that thou art the Sonn [...] yof God: Who will craue ought? here is Christ that hath payed and satisfied for thee: Who will accuse thee? Rom. here is God that pronounceth thee Iust and Holie.

Spirit.

No, by no meanes ( be­loued Soule) for if true Faith be in thy heart, Rom. 8. and thou made a new crea­ture by the holie spirit, thou must think for other wise, for the regenerate delighteth in a new life, attentiuely watcheth that hee fal not into sinne, and is grieued in his heart for his owne and other mens vngodlinesse, Pro. 24.16. abhorreth and hateth sinne eagerly, and if the faithfull man be mis­carried and seduced by Sathan, or fall by inborne and naturall infirmitie, [Page 62] hee daylye repenteth and comforteth himselfe in Iesus Christ, whose seede abideth in him: therefore there is no con­demnation to him, Rom. 8.1. seeing by the hand of Faith hee alwayes apprehendeth Ie­sus Christ, and therefore did I call new obedience the Third part of Repen­tance, which declareth it selfe in a iust, sober, god­lie life and conuersation both to God and man, in thankefulnesse and loue, so mayest thou daylie ex­ercise thy selfe in forme following.

Spirit.

No verily no, for Iesus Christ commanded vs without intermission to say, forgiue vs our trespas­ses, Mat. 6. and we are desired to grow and encrease in the mercy and grace of God, 2 Pet. 2. & of our Lord Iesus Christ, so should wee learne to bee [Page 72] strengthened in the holy Spirit in the inward man, and ther [...]fore euery one that is godly must make his praier vnto him in a time when hee may bee found. Psal. 3 [...]. [...].

Spirit.

That question ( deare Soule) is verie necessarie, for albeit wee be regenerate, & are become Gods children by Faith, yet car­ry wee these pretious iew­els in earthen vessells and weake bodies, and therefore Sathan euer goeth a­bout like a Roaring-Ly­on, 2. Cor. 4.7. seeking to deuoure vs, and plotteth all his en­gins against vs; the World with her glistering shew giues euill Example, verie pleasant to Flesh & Bloud, which also it gladly fol­loweth and remembre [...]h not that the Broad-Way [Page 78] leadeth to Damnation, and many enter therein, and therefore (deare Soule) if thou wouldest continue in thy course, and attayne to the end of thy Faith, which is, 1. Pet. 1.9. The Saluation of thy Soule, thou must daily lay these Sixe Poynts be­fore thy eyes, and haue them in thy heart, that thou mayest carrie thy selfe in life and conuersa­tion thereafter continu­ally.

1 Wait diligently vpon the hearing of the Word, learne to vnderstand, pra­ctise and vse the same.

2 Remember euer thy Baptisme.

3 Often, after due exa­mination, [Page 79] communicate of the Lords-Supper.

4 See thou rightly be­haue thy selfe in all worldly crosses or aduersities.

5 Abide in thy calling with all watchfulnesse.

6 Pray continually.

Spirit.

The first poynt of dili­gent hearing the Word, and against Sathans temptations.

Verie willingly: first then I say keepe thee by Gods-word, and behaue thy selfe in all thy actions as it di­recteth; Ps. 119. for it is a Lan­thorne vnto our Pathes, and a Light vnto our Feet, so that if wee follow this Light wee may walke without impediment and not stumble; but learne [Page 82] especially to distinguish this word aright, and marke what difference there is between the Law and the Gospell.

Gods Law or his Com­maundements is a doctrine and word wherein God wills and commaunds vs to be obedient vnto him in heart and whole life, that is, Ex. 20. Mat. 22. Deut. 6. Leu 9. That wee should loue the Lord our God with our whole heart, soule, mind, & strength, & our neighbor as our selfe, which things albeit they are impossible for man eyther to doe or keepe, notwithstanding thou shalt daylie medi­tate and weigh these pre­cepts, Rom. 3. to the end thou mayest learn to know the [Page 83] corruption of thy nature and sinne, and also they may be a rule, after which thou oughtest to lead thy life, as a new creature in holie Obidience.

The Gospell is such a Word and Doctrine, wherein God onely of meere mercie giues Re­mission of sinnes, Ioh. 3. and euer­lasting Life; for all the Prophets witnessed, that in his name Euerie one that beleeued should haue Remission of sinnes: Act. 10. and therefore neuer suffer this preaching of mercie to depart from thy eyes, that thou mayest find com­fort against sinne, and Sa­than his temptations, and that in all afflictions vntil [Page 84] death, thou mayest com­mit thy selfe vnto God with ioy: but vnderstand (deare Soule) that Both these doctrines are Gods-word, and are deliuered to the Church from the beginning, and must both therein continue, and nei­ney [...]her of them is to bee dissolued, therefore giue diligent heede to them both, that thou mayest rightly diuide them, and in time conuenient vse them. When thou ther­fore (deare Soule) daylie ponderest on the Com­maundements, and thereof conceiuest how disobedi­ent thou art to Gods will, and seest that through A­dams trespasse thou art so [Page 85] corrupt, that thou canst fulfil not one of the least of them, and therefore that thou by sinne deser­uest Gods wrath and euer­lasting perdition, despaire not yet for all this, but thanke God for his com­maundements, that by them thou art brought to acknowledge thy sinnes, for this is the dearest and most pretious thing that can bee in this world, ( Christs fauour excepted) to know Sinne, for Christ and his benefits doe ne­uer tast vs well, vntill wee be brought to the know­ledge of our sins, and per­ceiue our selues to be vn­der the wrath and fury of the Lord our God.

[Page 86]But if Satan shall come and greatly heape vp thy sinnes, and terrifie thee with the consuming fire of Gods anger, with hell and endlesse destruction, then strengthen & quic­ken thy selfe with these and such like sentences.

God so loued the world, that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne, Ioh. 3.6. that whoso­euer beleeueth in him, should not perish, but haue euerla­sting life.

vers. 17. God sent not his sonne into the world, that hee should condemne the world, but that the world, through him might be saued.

Ezek. 33. Verily, as I liue (saith the Lord) I haue no pleasure in the death of a sinner, but [Page 87] that he turne from his waies and liue.

I will redeeme thee from the power of the graue, Hos. 13.14. I will deliuer thee from death, ô death I will be thy death, ô ô graue I will bee thy destru­ction.

Where sinne aboundeth, Rom. 5.20 there grace aboundeth much more.

This is a true saying, 1 Tim. 1.15 and by all meanes to be receiued, that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners.

Resist Sathan with a sted­fast faith, 1 Pet. 5.9. and he shall depart from thee.

For these sentences are true and more certaine, 1 Pet. 1.25. and sure then heauen and earth, his word is truth. Io [...]. 17.17.

And if Sathan come on [Page 88] the other hand, changing himselfe into an Angell of light; 2 Cor. 11. 14. lessening sin and Gods wrath, perswading that sin is easily forgiuen, and Gods rich mercy soone obtained, beware ( beloued Soule) thou giue him not eare but remember Gods fearefull and powerfull Law, in the which all sins are so greatly taxed and accused, that none can be called small, and withall remember thy Lord Iesus Christ his passion, and meditate thus thereupon.

Fi [...] on thee lying Sa­than, I consider how hea­uie and greeued my Lord Iesus was, Matth. 26.38.42. when once he was vnder the curse of the law, and satisfied for my sinne, and [Page 89] beared his fathers wrath for the same, Matth. 27.46. I will therefore heereafter be enimy to all sin, & keep me from it, as from the Diuell himselfe, I thank thee, ô God, who hast once deliuered mee from sinne, which is the Diuels snare, should I giue my selfe to be intrap­ped againe in his net? our soule is escaped euē as a bird out of the snare of a fowler, Psal. 124.7.8. the snare is broken & we are deliuered, our helpe is in the name of the Lord which hath made heauen & earth. And if Sathan shall cast before thee the course of this world, and entise thee to the pleasure thereof, call to minde that wee should not fashion our [Page 90] selues like vnto this world, but be changed by the renewing of ou [...] minde, that wee may proue what that good and acceptable, Rom. 12.2. and perfect will of God is, take heede ( deare soule) for thou knowest well how bent and prone thy flesh and bloud is to sinne, daunt thy selfe by the force of the Law, bee not seduced, for the way of the world leadeth vnto sinne. Luk. 13.24.

Doth Sathan contend against thee, and alledge that thou art poore and suf­ferest hunger, nakednesse and distresse, &c. then doe thou say man liueth not by bread onely, Matt. 4.4. but by euery word that proceedeth out of [Page 91] the mouth of God, for thou ô Lord giuest mee more ioy of hart, thē they haue had when their wheat and wine did abound, Psal. 4.7. and these words cannot deceiue thee, Psal. 89.33. for he will not fal [...]i­fie his truth.

Vpbraideth hee thee that thou art wretched sicke, and desolate, &c? though I bee ( mayst thou say) poore and needy, Psal. 40.17. the Lord thinketh on mee▪ therfore if I can haue but thee my God, I account of nothing in heauen and in earth, suppose my flesh faile, and my heart, Psal 73.25. thou God art the strength of my heart, and my portion for e­uer: relie ( ô my soule) all thy life time heereon, for [Page 92] hee will not alter the thing that hath gone out of his lips. Psal. 89.34.

If the diuell doth af­fright thee with death, gainstand him with a stout and faithfull heart, and say, thy dead men shall liue, Esay 26.19 euen with my body shall they liue, awake and sing ye that dwell in dust, for thy deaw is as the deaw of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. And so I be­leeue the remission of my sinnes, resurrection of my body, and life euerlasting: this is verily true, and hereon I repose my selfe, for heauen and earth shall passe away, Luk. 16.17 but his word shall not fall; so that all they that leane to the word & [Page 93] shut themselues in the word, shall with the word and in the word endure for euer.

The second poynt (Baptisme.)
Spirit.

Secondly (deare Soule) meditate daily in thy bap­tisme, and let it comfort thee, because God thy Lord in it hath purged thee, re­ceiued thee to be his child, and in it sealeth with thee that mercifull couenant, that he will be thy graci­cious God and father, and thou shalt be his deare Son and heire, yea (ô my soule) [Page 97] thy Lord Iesus in thy holy baptisme hath called thee by thy name, 1 Pet. 3. Esay 62. Ier. 14. Esay 45. before thou knewest him, and hath giuen thee a new name, that thou shouldest bee called a Christian, to wit­nesse, that thou wert bro­ther to Christ, and fellow­heire, Rom. 8. that thou shalt en­ioy and bee paticipant with him of all whatsoe­uer hee hath bought, and merited by his bloud, as of remission of sinnes, righ­teousnesse, and eternall life.

The third poynt (the Lords Supper.)
Spirit.

Thirdly, ( deare soule) repaire diligently and of ten to the Lords S [...]pper, for that is the table the Lord hath prepared for his regenerate children, [Page 103] that is the food wherwith hee strengtheneth and re­fr [...]sheth his new purged ones, for so saith the Re­deemer, Take, eat, this is my body, Matth. 26.16 Mar. 14.22 Luk. 22.19. Cor. 11.24 which is giuen for you, to the remission of sins; and againe, Take and eat all hereof, this cup is the new Testament in my bloud, which is shed for you.

Spirit.

Fourthly ( deare Soule) prepare thee euerie day, for the crosses and cha­stisemēts, which the chil­dren of God in this world must beare after their Mr. for we must throgh many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God: Act. 14.22 yea ( my Soule) that doctrine of the Crosse is one of the [Page 121] most secret and hid my­steries, into the which mans iudgement and knowledge cannot reach, but both it and all other concealed matters, are manifested in Gods word onely, out of which word we ought to be edified in this poynt. Now hereof it commeth ( beloued Soule) that the crosse is heauie for vs to beare; wee are greatly affrayd of it, euen as though the Lord had left vs, or as if hee were our mortall foe, & deadly enemie. A prettie and pithie similitude hereof we haue in the Two Des­ciples, Luk. 24 13 which went from Ie­rusalem to Emmaus in per­plexitie and sorrow, to whom [Page 122] the Lord manifested him­selfe in another forme, so that their eyes were held that they could not know him; Loe ( deare soule) this is a figure of the crosse, in the which the Lord so clotheth and co­uereth himselfe, that hee appeareth to be a stran­ger, yea euen to his most beloued children, and so doth take solace in the compasse of this earth, Pro. 8.31. and delight with the chil­dren of men, yea some­time hee seemeth so farre against them, that they i­mag [...]ne God hath forgot all loue and goodnesse to them, Esa. 64.9.12. but Hee will make himselfe knowne in conueni­ent time, and fill their harts [Page 123] with gladnesse, and no man shall take their ioy from them: Ioh. 16.22. and therefore thou must learne in this verie high poynt, how to be­haue thy selfe, and dili­gently to consider these seuen following rules cō [...]cerning the crosse, and thy griefe shall not bee so vehement.

Spirit.

All true Christians are thereto appoynted of God, for whom he knew [Page 124] before he also predestina­ted to be made like to the image of his Sonne, that he might be the first born among many brethren, so wast thou ordayned to Anxieties & Crosses, not onely before thou wast born of thy mother, Rom▪ 8.29 but also, be­fore the foundation of the world was layd, that thou mightest resemble the Lord Iesus Christ, yea thou art flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, shall thou not then suffer with him? Eph. 6.30. he is thy Mai­ster, and thou his desciple, he thy Bridegroome, and thou his Bride, he is thy Head, and thou art his Members, why wilt thou then desire to bee in bet­ter [Page 125] cōdition than he was? Looke on the Lord as on the Prince of the Crosse, and consider how all the Saints and faithfull ones haue euer followed him. Mat. 11.29.30.

Christ goeth first, ma­king way with the most heauie Crosse vpon his shoulders, and the godlie tread on his footsteps, for euerie one beareth his owne yoake: Rom 8.37. neuerthe­lesse in all troubles they are more than conque­rours through him that loued them: and because they are conformable vn­to Christ in suffering, so shall they bee confor­mable vnto him in glo­rie also.

Spirit.

This is the Lord Iesus Christs cōmandement, Matth. 11.30. take my yoak vpō you, for he that will follow mee, must forsake himselfe, and take vp his crosse daily and come after mee, and this precept is not giuen to any Infidell and wicked man, Luk. 9.23. but vnto the faithfull and holy ones. For the crosse of Christ is such a precious iewell, that hee will not commit it to the vngodly [Page 128] and incredulous, yet such an ornament hee will not bestow vpon proph [...]ne and godlesse people, behold Simon of Cyrene, Luk. 23.28. what greater ho­nour could there come vnto him, then that hee helped Christ to beare his Crosse behinde him? ô what commendations shall it be vnto him at the last day?

Spirit.

Iesus our Sauiour, hath three sorts of schooles of ad­uersity?

The first is of nurture, when as hee reclaimeth his owne from sinne, 1 Cor. 11.32. and chastizeth them for the same.

The second schoole is [Page 130] of probation or triall, when hee exercizeth their faith, Mic. 7 9. Esay 28. Esay 28.26 Esay 44. Rom. 8. hope and prayer.

The third is martyr­dome, when hee suffereth his Saints to bee pers [...]cu­ted for his name sake.

Spirit.

The crosses of the faithfull are a token and signification of Gods loue, for whom hee loueth, hee chastizeth, Reu 3.19. but the world shall reioyce (saith he) but yee shall weep and lament, Ioh. 16.20. for so iudgement must beginne at Gods house, and therefore in the daies of Ieremiah, 1 Pet. 4.17. the Lord be­gan to bring euill on the City which is called by his name, Ier. 25.29. and hee that loues his childe, will not spare the rod, Hebr. 12.6. but if thou art without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, which are his sons, then art thou a bastard and not a sonne, behold thy Lord [Page 134] Iesus Christ, the onely be­gotten sonne of his fa­ther, how angry was his father with him, how bit­terly did God smite him, although it was not for his owne sinne; but for the offences of other men?

Spirit.

The greater the euill is, the Lord is the neerer, for he will bee with vs in trouble, hee will deliuer vs, and honour vs, Psal. 90.15. yet how hard is it to flesh & bloud to beleeue it, for we suppose that when sor­row and greefe is at hand, the Lord hath forgot vs, and giuen vs vp to Satan, and to all kinde of mis­chance, ô not so ( my soule) [Page 136] for although Sathan bee thy professed enemy, and goeth about night and day to deuoure thee, yet can he not touch an haire of thy head by his will, Mat. 10.30. yea, how is it possible the Lord should not remem­ber vs, for in acceptable time will he heare vs, and in a day of saluation will hee help vs, Esay 49.8. can a woman for­get her sucking childe, that shee should not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe, yet will I not forget thee, saith the Lord; but if it is for a small mo­ment, that hee forsaketh thee, but with great mer­cies will he gather thee: in a little wrath he will hide his face from thee for a [Page 137] moment: but with euerla­sting kindnesse will I haue mercy on thee, Esay 54.7. saith the Lord thy Redeemer: the mountaines shall depart and the hils be remoued: but his kindnesse shall not depart from thee, nei­ther shall the couenant of my mercy and peace bee remoued from thee, Vers. 10. saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee: for how should hee lie, who is verity him­selfe, Light therefore is sowen vnto the godly in darknesse, and therefore, Psal. 112 4 Rom. 8. Psal. 23.1. if God be with vs, who can bee against vs. Now then the Lord is thy sheepheard, thou shalt want nothing that is good for thee.

Spirit.

The Crosse serueth Gods children to their good, for wee know that all things worke together for good to them that loue God, to them who are called according to his purpose; Rom. 8.28. Pro. 27.6. and faithfull are the wounds of a freind.

And truely it serueth many waies to our weale, for it teacheth vs the knowledge of our sinnes, for hee doth correct in [Page 140] measure, and will not leaue vs altogether vnpuni­shed: Ier. 30.11. and therefore the Lord knoweth that the way of man is not in him­selfe, neyther is it in man that walketh to direct his steps: Ier. 10.13.14. O Lord (sayth the Prophet) correct mee but with iudgement, not in thine anger, least thou bring mee to nothing: thus hee cha­stiseth vs for sinne, and will not leaue vs wholly vnpunished, Ier. 46.28. to the end we may bee driuen narrowly to espie our sinnes and transgressions, & descend more earnestly into the inward parts of our harts Againe, the crosse sends vs to the word of God, when we are frosen in our [Page 141] sinnes, it thawes vs again; for to whom doth God teach knowledge, Esa 28.9. and whom shall he make to vnderstand Do­ctrine? them that are wea­ned from the Milke, and drawne from the breasts; and truely, temptations make vs to runne to con­sult with Gods Oracle, which is, his Word.

Besides this, it stirreth vp our Faith, for such grieuances and annoyan­ces befall vs, and wee of­ten haue the sentence of death in our selues, that wee should not trust in our selues, but in God which raiseth the dead, who deliuereth from so great a death, and doth deliuer, in whom we trust [Page 142] that he will yet deliuer vs, the crosse teach vs also to pray; for Lord in trouble haue they visited thee, they powred out their prayers, Esa. 26. when thy chasti­sing hād was vpon them. Yea it instructeth vs to a­uoyde sinne, for so it is sayd to the man that was cured on the Sabbath-day: Behold, thou art made whole, sinne no more, least a worse thing come vnto thee.

And finally, it maketh this earthly life loathsom vnto vs, and rayseth an earnest desire and longing after that which is to come: Heb. 13.14 for heere wee haue no continuing citie, but we seeke one to come [Page 143] but we looke for a citie which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God: and therfore may it be well sayd vnto vs, Arise, yea and depart, for this is not your rest, be­cause it is polluted: it shal destroy you, euen with a sore destruction; and so to conclude all things, serue the godly, Aug. Soli­loq. cap. 28. to the best yea euen their veri [...] sins worke to their weale; for wee alway recouer more by Christ, than we loose by sinne; so Peters fall of pusillanimity made him afterward bolder to auouch Christ.

Spirit.

Patience, Prayer, and Hope, make the crosse light; for it is good that a man should both Hope, and quietly waite for the Saluation of the Lord, for remembring mine af­fliction and my miserie, Lam. 1.26. the wormewood and the gall, my soule had them still in remembrance, and is humbled in mee: these I call to minde, and ther­fore haue I hope. And so [Page 146] call vpon the Lord in the day of trouble, Lam. 19. 20.21. Psal. 50.15. hee will deliuer thee, and thou shalt glorifie him, beholde then the ancient fathers, and marke them as an ex­ample of true godlinesse, was there euer any asha­med, that put his trust in thee?

Spirit.

Fiftly ( beloued Soule) abid in that calling wher­in God hath called thee, and obserue the same, with all truth and dili­gence, that thou mayest in all thine actions giue an account thereof, both before God and man: for God will not that man [Page 150] heere vpon earth should be idle, Matth. 12. 36. but hath allotted vnto euery one, his seue­rall trade and worke in their owne measure: for the Lord our God him­selfe is not idle: but wor­keth, gouerneth, vpholdeth, and ordereth all things, preserueth, blesseth, heares and helps euery true heart. My father (saith he) wor­keth hit herto, Ioh. 5.17. and I worke, yea, if God should be idle but the twinckling of an eye, then should the whole world decay and perish.

So likewise the holy Angels are ministring spi­rits, Heb. 1.4. sent foorth to minister for them who shall bee heires of saluation: beholde the [Page 151] Sunne, the Moone, and all the Starres, how constant­ly they keep their course, Psal. 8.3. Psal. 19.1. 2. and perfit their appoynt­ment and calling, euen so ( deare Soule) should euery man that is whole, euery day exercise his calling in his owne estate, ear­nestly and diligently: for hee should learne, preach, gouerne, correct, defend, spare, beg, augment, and haue care for his house­hold, and those commit­ted to his charge, as if hee were heere euer to abide, and neuer to die, and that he must doe by Gods com­mandement, and loue to his successors: but hereto hee should so liue euerie day, 1 Tim. 1.19. so keepe faith and a [Page 152] good conscience, as if at eue­ry moment hee were to take his fare-well from this world, and that hee may say with Paul, The time of my departure is at hand, I haue fought a good fight, I haue finished my course, I haue kept the faith, hencefoorth is layd vp for mee a crowne of glorie: which the righteous Iudge shall giue mee at that day, and not to mee onely, but vnto them al­so that loue his appearing. 2 Tim. 7.8

Spirit.

Thou knowest not (deare Soule) whether God will visit thee by sicknesse, or suddainely [Page 168] (witho [...] bodily disease) call thee hence. The faith­full Soule should e­uer remē ­ber the vn­certainetie of death. There­fore often haue I aduerti­sed thee, that thou shoul­dest not delay repentance till thou beest sicke, but daylie call on God, yea the selfesame time thou art in bodily health, stand stedfastly in the faith, and good preparation, where­in thou needest not stand in feare of safetie, thinke vpon that rich, foolish, & drunken Naball, how ha­stily the Lord smote him that he [...] died. Sam. 25.38 Remember that rich man, who deni­ed to Lazarus the crums which fell from his Table, how short▪ Luk. 16.22. his being here was: Forget not that wretched wealthie man [Page 169] of whom it is sayd, Thou Foole, this night thy Soule shall bee required of Thee, then whose shall all those things be which thou hast prouided: Luk. 12. [...]0 And what should I say more? wee are daylie taught by euident eye-sight, that innu­merable numbers dye before euer they be diseased, truly (before God) thou art of no better account than other, nor knowest thou what chance he will permit to ouertake thee: but if it shall so happen, the Lord should call thee from hence by bodily sicknesse, and cast thee downe on thy bed: thou mayest thus learne to dis­pose of thy selfe.

[Page 170]1 Learne to know the cau­ses of thy sicknesse, which is sinne.

2 Seeke remission of thy sinnes, and reconciliation with God.

3 Pray to God for a gra­tious departure, and cause the congregation to pray for thee.

4 Contemne not the ordi­narie menanes, and physicke, so thou canst haue the op­portunitie of it.

5 If thy sicknesse continue, striue to be patient, and be­ware of impatiencie.

6 Haue euer this full assu­rence in thy heart, that thou in thy greatest malladie and weakenesse, art Gods deare child.

7 If Sathan assault thee, [Page 171] resist him by Faith, so will he depart from thee.

8 If thy time and houre be come, giue the [...] ouer vn­to Gods will and pleasure.

9 If the Lord shall re­store thee to thy health a­gayne, bee thankefull euen from thy heart, vnto his gra­tious Maiestie for thy reco­uerie.

Spirit.

First, remember well that as death is the wages of sinne, so likewise are all sicknesses, Gods pu­nishments, whereby hee brings vs to him, when wee haue gone astray by sinne: Doe not (O soule) as the couetous and vngod­ly and In [...]idells doe, who when they are [...]icke, be­ginne to wrastle and la­ment therefore, that their costs are spent, and they cannot haue health to [Page 174] earne more; or else, they begin to meditate how it happened them, whether they haue Eat any vnwholsome Meats, or Drunke a­ny hurtfull Drinkes; or if by other means their ma­ladie hath taken them: But remember what the Prophet saith, Ier. 2.19. Thine owne Wickednesse shall correct thee, and thy back-sliding shall reproue thee. Know therefore, and see that it is an euill thing, and bit­ter, that thou hast forsa­ken the Lord thy God, and that my feare is not in in thee (saith the Lord of Hostes) and therefore he who sinnes against his maker, shall fall into the hands of his flesh.

Spirit.

Secondly, seeing that now thine outward sick­nesse affrayes thee, and thou art sicker where thou feelest it not, giue di [...]i­gence aboue all things, to apply physicke thereto, thy true health is repen­tance, and stedfast faith in Iesus Christ, by which thou mayest attaine for­giuenesse of sinne, and a mercifull father in heauen: [Page 181] for by faith thy hart is pu­rified and accoūted righ­teous, thou receiuest peace and ioy in consci­enc: so that thou art re­uiued, although thy bo­dy be weak and diseased.

Spirit.

Thirdly, in time of sicknesse, we should haue our recourse vnto our God: Psal. 41.3. the Lord will streng­then vs vpon the bed of lan­guishing, [Page 184] and make our beds in sicknesse, and therefore my sonne, in thy sicknes be not negligent, but pray vnto the Lord ( as did Eze­kiah) and he will make thee whole, Esay 38.2. leaue off from sin, and order thy hands, a­right, and cleanse thine heart from all wickednes, and see thou communi­cate thine inward sorrow and greefe, Eccles. 38.9.10. vnto the con­greg [...]tion of the Saints of God, that they may ioyne with thee in praier: for many stickes make the grea­ter fire. Verily, verily, I say vnto thee (saith our Saui­our) that if two of you shall agree on earth, Mat. 18.19 as touching any thing, what they shall aske, shall bee done for [Page 185] them of my father which is in heauen; for where two or three are gathered together in my name, Vers. 20. there am I in the midst of them: and if it be, that thy sicknesse bee so vehement, and thou so weake, that thou canst not pray with thy mouth, make then sighes and groanings of a true heart, to ascend vnto the Lord: for the spirit helpeth our infirmities, for wee know not what wee should pray for, as we ought: but the Spirit it selfe maketh inter­cession for vs, Rom. 8.26. with groanings which cannot bee vttered, perseuer therefore in in­uocating on Gods name by thy voice, thoughts and cogitations, and by [Page 186] the Church, and delay not, before that the Lord doe looke vpon thee, and helpe thee.

Spirit.

Fourthly, thou mayest conueniently vse ordina­rie meanes and physicke, then giue place to the physitian; for the Lord hath created him: Let him not goe from thee, for thou hast need of him; but be­ware that thou haue not recourse vnto the Physiti­an, [Page 189] before thou come vn­to the Lord; for so did King Asa, [...]. Chr. 16.12. when hee was diseased in his Feet: there­fore the Lord gaue no blessing vnto his Physicke, and so he dyed. But espe­cially take heed that you vse no forbidden means, and aske not counsell of Witches, or those which doe helpe by the meanes of the Deuill, through the abuse of Gods holie name, 2▪ Kin. 1.6. for so did King Ahaziah consult with the Idoll of Baalzebub (the god of E­kron) whether he should recouer of his disease. Is it because there is not a God of Israell, that thou sendest to inquire of Ba­alzebub the god of Ekron? [Page 190] therefore thou shalt not come off from that bedd on which thou art gone vp, but shalt surely dye. Be circumspect also, and seeke out the best practised and skilfullest Physitians; for mans bodie is the pre­tious creature of God, and should be honoured and no wayes neglected.

Spirit.

Fiftly (deare Soule) see thou alwayes lay hold on patience, and request the Lord that he would pre­se [...]ue thee from impatiencie: O how pretious a thing is patience, to trust alwaies in the Lords help for it is of the Lords mercie that wee are not consumed, Lam. 3.22 because his compassions fayle not; they are new e­uerie morning: great is his faithfulnesse; for faith and patience cannot bee disseuered. Heb. 6.12. Be not ther­fore slothfull, but bee a follower of them, who through faith and patience [Page 193] inherit the promi [...]e: [...]o if we rejoyce in the hope of the glorie of God, we [...] must also glorie in tribulations, knowing that tribulations worke patience; and patience, Experience; Rom. 5.2.3 4.5 and experience, Hope; an [...] hope maketh not ashamed Behold and immitate thy Sauiour Iesus Christ, Pet. 2.21.24. who hath left vs an example that we should follow hi [...] steps, who his owne self [...] b [...]re our sinn [...]s in his own bodie on the tree, and euer committed himselfe to him that iudgeth righteously: so must wee take all [...]hings patiently, for this is acceptable with God, and in this must wee [...]e­semble euen our young [Page 194] ones, who when their headakes, come and make their m [...]anes to their mothers, layes downe their heads in their mothers laps, and crie for helpe; euen so do thou (my deere▪ Soule) make thou thy lamentation be­fore the Lord; cast thy burthen vpon him, and hee shall sustaine thee: Euening and Morning, Ps. 55.22. vers. 17. and Noone, pray and crie aloud, and let him heare thy voyce, and exspect him with patience.

And aboue all things flie impatience, for it de­stroyeth and corrupteth all Christian vertues: it offendeth God our Lord: it hindereth & letteth praier, and maketh vs (the lon­ger [Page 195] that it holds) the more vehement we are, so as Patience is a pretious and powerfull hearbe, so Impatiencie is venimous, and poyson to the heart.

Spirit.

Sixtly, (deare Soule) if thy sicknesse abide longer time than thy expectati­on was, thinke not that the lord hath forgot thee; [Page 197] but vnderstand, that in the greatest crosses thou art dearest vnto him; Ps. 55.19. but the wicked, because they haue no changes, there­fore they feare not God: But as for thee, no more than a mother can forget her child, can hee forget thee; Esa. 49.15.16. for behold he hath grauē thee vpon the palmes of his hands; yea the sicker the child is, the greater is the mothers loue, and the more diligently & watch­fully doth she attend; and so doth the Lord with thee: speakes he not con­solation in thy heart? and saith, Art thou not my deare Sonne, and beloued child? Ier. 31.20. I haue loued thee with an euerlasting loue: [Page 198] therefore, with louing kind­nesse, haue I drawne thee: thy Soule shall be as a wate­red Garden, 12. and thou shalt not sorrow any more at all. I will satiate thy Soule with fatnesse, 14. and thou shalt bee satisfied with goodnes (saith the Lord) and therefore the Lord is mercifull and gratious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercie: Ps. 103.8 9 10.11.13. he will not alwayes chide, neyther will hee keepe his anger for euer: Hee hath not dealt with vs after our sinnes, nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities; for as the heauen is high aboue the earth, so great is his mer­cy toward them that feare him: like as a Father pit­tieth his children, so the [Page 199] Lord hath pittie of them that feare him. Loe (deare Soule) thy Father nor mo­ther haue such pittie to­wards thee, as thy Sauior; and therefore thou ough­test to bemoane thy selfe thus; Ier. 31.18. Thou hast chastised mee, and I was chastised as a Bullocke, and accustomed to the Yoake: Turne thou mee, and I shall be turned, thou art the Lord my God: surely after that I was tur­ned I repented, & after that I was instructed, I smot vp­pon my Knee ▪ I was asha­med, yea euen confoun­ded, because I did beare the reproch of my youth; yet if thou shalt be patiēt, since I spake against thee (saith the Lord) I doe [Page 200] earnestly remember thee still: therfore my bowells are troubled for thee; I will surely haue mercie on thee saith the Lord.

Spirit.

Seuenthly, if Sathan in­sist in assaulting thee with his fiery darts of tentations, Eph. 6.16. enter not in deepe cogi­tations and disputations with him: for hee is too [Page 205] craftie and subtil for thee: for of thine owne nature, Gen. 3.1. thou canst neuer gaine­stand him; remember A­dam and Eue, who were deceiued by him, and mi­serably seduced, although they were in the state of innocency, and in their pure and holy nature; how canst thou then wretched and corrupt sinner encounter him? But cast thine eyes vpon Iesus Christ, and heere­wi [...]hall comfort thy sicke soule, that he in all his ten­tations abideth constant, and was not ouercome; but ouercame Sathan for thy weale, hath giuē thee freely his victorie, to the end that howsoeuer hee [Page 206] shall double his assaults against thee, yet hee shall goe confounded.

Moreouer, the wea­pons which Iesus Christ vsed against him, are to bee considered of thee, which were places and sen­tences of Scripture; Eph. 6.17. euen so lay thou hand on the holy sword of Gods word, the sword (I say) of the Spirit, 1 Pet. 5.9. Iam. 4. and resist him stedfast in thy faith, and he will flie from thee.

If so be hee say, thy sins are greater then can bee for­giuen: Gen. 4.13. then kill him with the true word of God, and constantly affirme, thou liest Sathan, for where sinne hath abounded, Rom. 5.20. there grace hath superabounded: If he [Page 207] say, that Christs merits belong not vnto thee, thou art not of the num­ber of the Elect, then ex­claime and say, thou liest Sathan: for Christ hath sayd, come vnto mee all yee that are weary and are heauy laden, and I will giue you rest: and gaine, as in Adam all die, euen so in Christ shall all be made aliue. 1 Cor. 15. 22.

If he shall make Gods indignation and wrath for sinne, huge and great a­gainst thee, say without ceasing, Ioh. 3.16. God so loued the world, that he gaue his only begotten Sonne, that whoso­euer beleeued in him should not die, but haue euerlasting life. And in another [Page 208] place, God commendeth his loue towards vs, in that while wee were yet sinners, Rom. 5.8. Christ died for vs, and thou hast loued them, Ioh. 17.23. as thou hast loued me.

If hee shall open hell before thee, defend thy selfe with this word of God, 1 Ioh. 3.8. and say: For this cause the Sonne of God was manifested, that hee might destroy the workes of the Diuell. Hos. 13.14. And againe, I will ransom them from the power of the graue, I will redeeme them from death, ô death, I will be thy plagues, ô grau [...] I will bee thy d [...]struction.

Doth hee vpbraid thy weake faith? then say thou, the Lord will not breake the bruised reede, and the smo­king [Page 209] flax shall he not quench ▪ And againe, Esay 42.3. Psal. 51.17. A broken and contrite heart, ô God, thou wilt not despise. And in another place, thus saith hee, Esa. 57.15. 19. & 66.2. the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternitie, whose name is holy: I dwell in the high and holy place with him also, that is, of a contrite and humble spirit, to reuiue the spirit of the humble, and to reuiue the heart of th [...] contrite ones. And therefore hee saith, peace, peace, to him that is farre off, and to him that is neere.

If Sathan obiect thy coldnesse and drowzinesse in prayer, thou mayest an­swer, Although I do not speake, yet I sigh and [Page 210] groane, which is accep­table vnto him.

If hee affirme that thy crosse & sicknes lasts long, and that the Lord hath cast thee out of his mind, thou mayest answer, Ca [...] a woman forget her sucking childe, Esa. 49.15. that shee should not haue compassion in the sonne of her wombe: shee may for­get, yet will I not forget thee saith the Lord. If hee ob­iect thy pouerty, and that thou art despised of all, yea, of thy dearest friends: then say, Hide not thy face farre from me, Psal. 27.9. 10. put not away thy seruant in anger; thou hast beene my helpe, leaue me not, neither forsake mee, ô God, my saluation. When my father and my mother [Page 211] forsake mee then the Lord will take mee vp. In ano­ther place: Psal. 73.25 26. whom haue I in heauen but thee, and there is none vpon the earth, that I desire but thee, my flesh and my heart failes: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for euer.

If Sathan say, thou must yet neuerthelesse die, answer, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, Reu. 14.13. and if hee proceede and say, thou shalt neuerthelesse be condemned, for hee will not depart at one repulse: then mayest thou with all boldnesse and courage of Spirit say, Thou li [...]st Satan, for thou art a lyer from the beginning, for none that be­leeue in Iesus Christ shall pe­rish, [Page 212] but shall haue euerla­sting life.

Spirit.

As for the [...]ighth and ninth point (beloued soule) looke to the end of thy sicknesse, and if thou shalt perceiue that thou canst not liue long, then with all patience thou mayest say, Act. 7.59. Lord Iesus Christ re­ceiue my Soule, I desire to be dissolued, & to be with thee. Into thy hands (O Lord) I commend my spirit. And [Page 215] continue herein euen to thy last gaspe: and when words and motions of thy outward members shall begin to fayle thee, then betake thee to thy inward and most heauenly con­templations: as of the place whether thou art going, of them that are there before thee, of the Saints to whom thou shalt be welcome, and of Iesus Christ the Doore and Way, by whom thou shalt enter, with whom thou shalt be blessed eternally. But if it shall so bee, that God shall restore thee to thy wonted health, then thanke him all thy life time, both in heart, and word, and deed, and giue [Page 216] diligent heed seeing thou art made whole, Iohn. 5.14. that thou sinne no more, least a worse euill come vnto the [...]. Wher­fore fall vpon thy knees, and oft and diuers times recite this Prayer follow­ing:

Spirit.

That is naturall (deare [Page 221] soule) for our nature in the beginng was not created to dy, but to liue, but death is come into the world by sione, for death is the wages of sinne. Rom. 5.12. Yea (beloued Soule) like as death is a consumer of all that haue life, so all that haue life, are foes & enemies to death; for seeing man of nature hath but a short time to liue, it is no maruell neither yet sinne, nor to bee dis­commended in any man to be af [...]aid of death and to auoyd it by all meanes possible. Wee haue a re­markable example in our Sauiour) Iesus Christ ▪ hee began to bee sorrowfull and very heauy before death, Mat. 25.37 for hee knew that his howre [Page 222] did approach, for albeit there were many causes of his sorrow and sadnesse vpon the mount of Oliues; yet was this one, because hee was a very true man, and had in him all our naturall conditions and affections: and therefore while the God-head, which is the Word, rested it selfe, and held it selfe quiet in that anguish of his death, and became o­bedient to admit such pain, feare and astonishment of death to come ouer his body, which was wi [...]hout sinne, it s [...]eweth vs that his hu­mane nature had no plea­sure to die, yea and him­selfe saith: I haue a bap­tisme to bee bapt [...]zed with, Luk. 12. [...]0. [Page 223] and how am I straitned till it be accomplished?

Spirit.

Yes truely, but it is to be vnderstood that there are tw [...] kindes of men which desire to die. The Infidell, prophane, vngodly, often wish to die, and that of impatiency, because of the great misery where­with God punisheth them for their sinnes: for seeing they are without the knowledge of God, and without faith, they are not participant of the crosse of Christ, but despaire in impatiency, grudge a­gainst God, & wish them­selues not onely to die, but also often times lay violent hands on them­selues, as Iudah, Saul and [Page 226] Achitophel did: purposing to put an end thereby to their sorrow and misery, but then is it, that first they begin to haue proofe of their wickednesse, sweet heauenly Father keepe vs from hence.

But the children of God, the more they grow in knowledge, and in­crease in faith and loue of Christ, the more they are weary of this wretched world, and long for that eternall rest, and haue Pauls wish in their hearts, I desire to depart, and to bee with Christ; Phil. 1.23. yea, our Saui­our commandeth vs, Matt. 6.13. that we should daily craue to bee deliuered from euill, for therein not onely doe we [Page 227] pray for deliuerance from transitory distresses of soule or bodie: but we aske from our heart, that God would either put an end to this sinnefull and wicked world; or else come in a blessed time, and pull vs from hence to euerlasting rest and quietnesse.

Spirit.

Vnto this question S. Paul answereth, for Christ should alwaies be magni­fied in our bodies, whe­ther it be by Life or by Death; Phil. 1.20.2 [...].22.23.24. for to mee to liue (saith he) is Christ; and to me to dye, is gayne: but if I liue in the Flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall chuse, I wote not: for I am in a strait betwixt two, hauing a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is farre better: Neuerthe­lesse, to abide in the flesh is more needfull for you, and hauing this confidence, I know that I shall abide and [Page 230] continue with you all, for your furtherance and ioy of Faith.

Spirit.

Obedience; wherein we are obliged vnto God: for of him wee haue our Life: and God may rightly clayme the same agayne of vs: no man of himselfe came here into the world; and no man can stay lon­ger than it pleaseth him: for it is hee that turneth man to destrction, Psal. 90.3. and saith, Returne yee Children of Men.

Spirit.

All the children of the world sing that song, but (deare Soule) be not thou conformed to this world: say not, this is the course and custome of the world, but remember that the course of the world ten­deth to hell, but wee are the children of the faith­full, and looke for a life, [Page 240] which the Lord will giue vnto them, that abide constantly in faith be­fore him. But as for the world, the Scripture de­termineth of it, and saith, that the whole world lyes in wickednesse, Ioh. 5.19. and therefore commandeth that wee should not loue the world, nor the things that are in the world; 1 Ioh. 2.15 16.17. for if any man loue the world, the loue of the father is not in him, for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, & the pride of life, is not of the father, but of the world: and the world pas­seth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doth the will of God abideth for euer: And againe, striue [Page 241] to enter in at the narrow gate, for wide is the gate, Matt. 7.13.14. & broad is the way that lea­deth to destruction, and ma­ny there bee which goe in thereat: because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth vnto life, and few there bee that finde it. Now mayst thou cleer­ly see, and as in a glasse, what the course of the world is, and whither it tendeth; and marke how wide and farre off it goeth from the way of life. Pray therefore vnto the Lord thy God, that hee would translate thee from the way of the world, and place thy feet in the gate of life, that thou mayest be transformed by the re­nuing [Page 242] of thy minde, that thou mayest prooue what is that good, Rom. 12.2. that accep­table and perfit will of God.

Spirit.

Yes truely, it is hard to the children of this world, who are enclosed in their owne fat, Psal. 17.10.14. and haue their portion heere in this life, and whose belly, God hath filled with his hid [Page 245] treasure, for so saith hee elsewhere. O death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee, Eccl. 41.1. to a man that liueth at rest in his possessions, vnto the man that hath nothing to vex him, and that hath prosperity in all things. Yea, vnto him that is yet able to receiue meat. But it is farre otherwise with the children of God, for al­though they haue many of his blessings and goods, and many are exalted to glorious places and great honours, and haue the benefit of the ground in ioy and pleasure, Esay 1 19. yet doe they not make an Idoll thereof; Psal 6 [...].10. and if riches en­crease, they doe not set their hearts thereupon: [Page 246] but thank God, & vse the same aright: for they know they are but worldly goods which are current heere onely before this world, but not before God: and vncessantly meditates on his most pure word: what helpeth it any man, if hee possesseth all the goods in the world, & lose his own soule? or what shall a man giue in exchange for his soule? Mark. 8.36 37. euen so doe thou, place not thy heart on thy riches, if God doe promote thee to dignitie, be thou humble, behold the examples of the Patriarches, Abraham, Isaak, Iacob, Ioseph, Dauid, Daniel, &c. Yea, and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ himselfe, Pet. 2.21. and follow thou [Page 247] their steps, esteeme euer Iesus Christ thy best and cheefest goods, so shalt thou alwayes easily forgoe thy earthly treasure.

Spirit.

These are fleshly and incredulous thoughts, by [Page 250] the which Sathan often disquieteth the heart of man; so that there is great paynes to be taken before man will be rightly adui­sed. For we haue experi­ence of many men grudg­ing against God, as though he did doe them great vn­righteousnesse, because hee maketh them so soone die, and leaue the plea­sures of this Life; especially when they haue all their affaires to dispose, and put the matters of all their life time in order. So did that noble Ro­mane GAIVS MARI­VS, who (although hee had beene Consull seuen times in Rome, and was seuentie yeares of age) yet [Page 251] fretted against his FOR­TVNA (which was his Goddesse) protesting in bitter exclamations, that there was great wrong of­fered him, before that all his dessignements had beene accomplished, and brought to passe. But the faithfull Children of God doe farre otherwise: for they know they are not the God or Makers of their friends, neyther can prouide for them, but that they are Stewards and Seruants appoynted vnder God, Luk. 16.2. so long as it pleaseth him. And man in these his dayes layes hold on eternitie, but God hath so prouided for them, that one time or other hee wil [Page 252] call them to giue an ac­count of their Steward­ship, and may no longer be Stewards. And so he himselfe will be both Fa­ther and Tutour, as hee often nameth himselfe in the Scripture, Ps. 68.5. Defen­der of the Widow; and Fa­ther of the fatherlesse, euen God in his holie habi­tation. And so both scrip­ture and daylie experi­ence teach vs, that many Widowes are in better case after their Husbands death; and manie Husbands in better condition of Life after their Wiues death and Children often better prouided and cared for, their Parents beeing out of this world, than if they li­ued, [Page 253] or than they could haue done for them, if they should haue liued longer. The Lord decei­ue [...]h not, Ps. 120 3. he neither sleepes nor slumbers that keepeth thee: make the Lord thy Keeper, and to bee thy shade vpon thy right hand: for hee respecteth euerie one that calleth vp­on his name, and will ne­uer bee accused of ouer­sight of the godlies weale and saluation. For al­though he be high aboue all Nations, Ps. 113.46. and his glorie aboue the Heauens, yet hee humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heauē, and in earth: Yea (deare Soule) therefore causeth hee manie Widowes and [Page 254] Fatherlesse-Children, that he in them may magnifie his goodnesse. And ther­fore this is a sure ground to build vpon, that hee will in such wayes haue care & foresight for them if they will acknowledge him and accept him for their Father; yea neuer a one of them shall haue occasion in the last day to complayne of his proui­dence ouer them, and de­fence of them: for it is hee onely that rayseth vp the Poore out of the dust, Ps. 113.6.7 and lifteth the needie out of the dung-hill; that he might set them with Princes, euen with the Princes of his people: yea it is he onely who setteth the Poore on [Page 255] high from affliction, and ma­keth them families like a flocke. Ps. 107.41. Settle thee therfore hereupon, for this is Gods vndoubted truth.

Spirit.

Thou hast thine owne Lord Iesus Christ, an Al­mighty promiser, and pow­erfull performer, vnto thee; for (saith he) all the father giueth me, Ioh. 6.37.38.39.40. shall come to mee, and him that com­meth vnto mee, I will in no wise cast out: for I came downe from heauen, not to doe mine owne will, but the will of him that sent me, and this is the fathers will, which [Page 273] hath sent mee, that of all which he hath giuen mee, I should lose nothing, but should raise it vp againe at the last day: and this is the will of him that sent mee, that euery one that seeth the Sonne, and beleeu [...]th on him, may haue euerla­sting life, and I will raise him vp at the last day. Heare then (deare Soule) what comfortable spee­ches these are, out of the mouth of Verity it selfe. Wouldest thou haue more to glad thine heart and stirre thy courage? Heare the Lord him selfe witnessing, who cannot lie, thy faith s [...]all not de­cay, thou shalt not bee lost, but abide constant to [Page 274] the lad end. And againe, I haue prayed for thee, Luk▪ 22.13. that thy faith faile not, for my sheepe heare my voyce, and I know them (saith hee) and they follow mee, Ioh. 10.27.28.29.30. and I giue vnto them eternall life, and they shall neuer perish; nei­ther shall any man plucke them out of my hand; my father which gaue them me, is greater thā all, & no man is able to pluck thē out of my father hand, I and my father am one: And againe Ma­ry hathchosen the good part, Luk. 10.42. which shall not bee taken a­way from her.

Spirit.

Hee should not suffer such doubtings and weak­nesses to lodge in his hart, but remember that the Kingdome of Heauen suffe­reth violence, Matth. 11.12. and is gotten by force, and the violent take it by force: yea, thou shouldst bee minde­full of the Apostles admonition: 2 Tim. 1.6. I put thee (saith he) in remembrance, that thou stirre vp the gift of God which is in thee, and he will comfort thee with these words. A bruized reede wil he not breake, Esay 42.3. and the smoa­king flax shall he not quench; and hee shall reuiue thy soule, by that comforta­ble promise, be not afraid, [Page 281] onely beleeue, Matt. 9 29. thy faith shall make thee safe, for accor­ding to thy faith it shall bee vnto thee: And therefore be of good cheere, Matt. 9.2. thy sinnes be forgiuen thee. For daily experience doth teach, that the more one resorts to the word of God, and pondereth vpon the com­fortable sentences of the Scripture in his minde, he obtaineth the greater comfort in his heart, but especially when he medi­tates vpon this heauenly summons and citation of the Lord, Mat. 11.28. Come vnto mee all you that labour and are heauie laden, and I will giue you rest.

Spirit.

Men dye (truely) and loose their liues by reason of sinne, but they that haue the true comfort of the heart infused by Iesus [Page 295] Christ, and rejoyce there­in: They account death nothing else but a passage frō this miserable world, to their owne natiue inhe­ritance: for Christ that dwelleth in them, hath tasted death for them, ta­ken away the power ther­of, and broaken her sting; so that death can doe no more but disseuer the Soule from the body, and bereaue vs of this transi­torie Life. Yet it shal serue (as all other things doe) to our good; for we rest from our labors, and enioy hap­pinesse, because the righ­teous mans Soule is in Gods hands, Wisd. 3.1. and there shall no torment touch it. And Christ himselfe professeth [Page 296] that hee will come againe, and receiue vs vnto him­selfe, Ioh. 14.3. that where he is, there we may be also. Hearken therefore and learne what it is to dye; for it is no­thing else than a passage, and home going to rest, yea the death of the faithfull, is Christs taking of them vnto himselfe.

Spirit.

That is also a punish­ment which God inflicts [Page 298] on the bodie for sinne, but the children of God look not to the present shew and shape of Death, but looke further off, & con­sider, how pleasaunt, how soone, how beautifull, how cleare and honourable their bodies shall rise vp at the last day: and corruption shal put on incorruption: 1 Cor. 15.53. & this mortallitie shall put on im­mortallitie. Then shall be brought to passe the say­ing that is written; Death is swallowed vp in victorie, and by this the holie man Iob comforted himselfe, for he knew that his Re­deemer liued, and that he should rayse him vp from the earth. O how beauti­full shall our bodies bee; [Page 299] there is no starre in heauen shall be so cleere, neuer shi­ned the Sunne or the Moon so perfectly, as when the Lord shall change our vile bodies, that they may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body, according to the working, Phil. 3.21. whereby he is able to subdue all things vn­to himselfe: for wee are the Lords wheat, [...] Cor. 15.37. Ioh. 12.24. sowen in his ground, which shall rise againe, and beare e­uerlasting fruit: So also is the resurrection of the dead, it is sowen in corrup­tion, it is raised in incorrup­tion, it is sowen in dishonor, it is raised in glory, it is sowen in weaknesse, it is raised in power, it is sowen a naturall body, it is raised a [Page 300] spirituall body, there is a naturall body, and there is a spirituall body.

Spirit.

That feare ariseth of the sense of sinne; for death is our enimy, and God created man to bee immortall, and made him to be an image of his eter­nity, neuertheles, Wis. 2.23.24. throgh [Page 302] the enuy of the Diuell, death came into the world and he [...]rein is a fi­gure; representing the de [...]sert of sin for the breach of Gods Law, in that wee not onely die temporally heere, but must eternally perish, be thrust downe in to the darke dungeon of hell, and there bee ouer­spred with the flames of perpetuall fire, with the riuers of brimstone; if that our Lord and Saui­our Iesus Christ had not come to our redemption. And of this comes that terrour, and hangs on vs vntill wee come to the graue. Euen as a man that had been pluckt out of a great fire, or out of [Page 303] some deepe and dange­rous water: so oft as hee thinkes vpon it, hee is a­fraid: so is it with vs, wee are greatly astonished and amazed, when wee be­thinke vs on that miserie, wherein wee should haue beene destroyed, had not the death of Iesus come betweene, by whom our attonement is made with the Father.

But yet all the children of God should l [...]rne a new language, and attend how the holy Gospell spea­keth heereof: for it cal­leth the death of the faithfull, a sleepe: and their graues, chambers to sleepe in; for as Iesus Christ hath taken the punish­ment [Page 304] of death from vs, and suffered the paines of hell, fulfilled Gods righteousnesse, and pro­cured eternall life for vs; so the holy Spirit in his Gospell, doth take away the harsh and hard names of death, and doth com­fort the Lords Elect, with a new tongue, Esa. 26.20. as when he saith, Come my people, enter thou into thy cham­bers, and shut thy doores abou [...] thee, hide thy selfe (as it were) for a little mo­ment, vntill the indigna­tion passe ouer. And in another place, Dan. 12.2. Many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall wake, some to shame & euerlasting con­tempt, and some to euerla­sting [Page 305] life. And againe, our friend Lazaru [...] sleepeth, Ioh. 11.11. but I goe that I may awake him out of sleepe. Also, the childe is not dead, Matth. 27. but slee­peth, and there arose ma­ny that slept, and so in in­finite more places. Heere hast thou then thy death changed into a soft sleep, and thy graue vnto a warme bed. When thou diest thou art said to goe to sleepe, because he that betaketh himselfe to his rest, is in expectation that the next day after he shall rise; and when they beat the earth of the graue with the shouell, it i [...] cal­led to shut the dore, and when we rot in the earth, w [...]e are sayd to rest and to [Page 306] hide vs vntill wrath passe ouer our soules.

Spirit.

That is not onely to be spied in the children of this world, who depart with out repentance, but euen in the verie faithfull, and Saints of God; for so the sinnefull and deadly body must feele the sting of death, and vndergoe the the punishment and wa [...]ges of sinne: and although wee see in the children of God, such anguish and smart, it is nought; for so they easily ouercome all the miseries and bitter­nesse thereof, for the com­fort of Iesus Christ, is so great, that he is insteede of all things vnto them, and that name Iesus so sweet, [Page 309] that it consumeth all the acrimonie and bitternesse in death, and causeth the faithfull in the verie peri­od of death, to taste euer­lasting ioy and saluation.

Spirit.

Yes verely, Ioh. 8.51. for so the Lord thy redeemer hath said, Verily, verily, I say vnto thee, if a man keepe my saying, hee shall neuer see death. Thou must then learne rightly to applie this phisicke, which is Ie­sus Christs word; not the word of Moses, which is Gods law; nor mans word, diuels, or witches, but the mercifull preaching of the Gospell, in the which hee promiseth vnto all belie­uers remission of sins, righ­teousnesse which is accep­ted before God, the holie spirits consolation, and life eternall. And this is the word which the Lord gi­ueth [Page 312] to the hearts of the Saints, the which vphol­deth them, and whereon they relye both in life and death, and finde Christ and consolation therein; with the which they are so detained and compre­hended, that they taste not the bitternes of death because of that sweetnes that is in his promise, and comfort that is in his word.

For Christ is in his word, and the word car­rieth Christ and his power, he who wil haue the Lord must haue his word, and hee who hath the Lord himselfe, the sweetnesse of his grace and comfort, shall neuer see death, th [...]t [Page 313] is, shall neuer be agashed, or tast the smart of death, and so the Lord himselfe expoundeth it, Verily, Mat. 6.28. ve­rily, I say vnto you, there be some stāding here which shal not taste of death, till they see the Son of man comming in his kingdome. And again, Luk. 9.27. But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here which shal not tast of death, vntill they see the ki [...]gdome of God, that is, they build vpon his true word, taste Christ, and his comfort in the word, yea, they winde themselues in the word, as a dead corpes is wrapped in his winding sheete: and so it com­meth to passe, they feele Christ and his mercie in his [Page 314] word, and thereby taste in their hearts euerlasting life. O thou pretious, plea­sant, and excellent doctrine, which art certaine, and cannot deceiue. What would you haue more (O deare Soule) and for what stayest thou? Rom. 3.4. Receaue that heauenly doctrine in thy heart, vse it well, & keepe it daily, yea euerie moment. Behold how bosting and bragging the world is, hauing found phisicke for an ague, tooth­ach, or for the eyes, how costly and pr [...]tiously doe they esteeme it. How much more should wee glorie in this our redee­mer. Heauenly and di­uine phisicke, which hath [Page 315] taken away death, the fa­ther ouer all sicknesses.

Thou needest not in­quire of the trial & proofe hereof, behold the exam­ples of the faithfull which haue vsed this phisicke, and by the benefit thereof haue felt no griefe in their vnspeakeable paines, as Saint Stephen, Act. 7.56.59. Who being full of the holy Ghost and faith in Iesus Christ, loo­ked vp steadfastly into heauen and saw the glorie of God, and Iesus stan­ding on the right hand of God, & they stoned him, calling vpon God, and saying, Lord Iesus receaue my spirit. And Paul ha­uing this preseruing phi­sicke, durst daily bragge [Page 316] against death. I desire to depart, and to bee with Christ. So did Ignatius, and so Policarpus, and S ^t. Laurance, with S ^t. Vincen­tius, and infinite numbers of others.

Spirit.

First, euery Christian must diligently learne to comfort himselfe, by re­citing the articles of our faith, which is the compend and summe of all doctrine and comfortable speeches: but especially, hee must learne the three last arti­cles, I beleeue the forgiue­nesse of sinnes, resurrection of the body, and life euerla­sting. So the faithfull soule must apply the whole ar­ticles to himselfe in parti­cular, and so appropriate them vnto himselfe, as if there were none in the world, but hee alone, which should haue bene­fit thereby. Thereto the [Page 321] Lord hath appointed the Sacraments to confirme that our faith, as faithfull and true seales, and mer­cifull tokens, whlch hee hath appointed to these articles. Here thou maiest apprehend thy holy bap­tisme, wherein thou hast receiued and concluded with God an euerlasting and inuiolable band and couenant of mercy, and so art washed and clean­sed by the blood of Christ: Next maist thou comfort thee by the holy Supper, because thou (as the Son of God) art nourished and refreshed at thy Fathers Table, and thereby assu­red that thou art a true member of Christ, a righ­teous [Page 322] heire to whatsoeuer Christ with the sacrifice of his body and bloud hath merited.

Besides these things, [...]hou mayest cause to bee [...]ead or sayd, these or such [...]ike sentences of the Scripture.

The seede of the woman shall bruize the head of the Serpent, Gen 3.15. and the Serpent shall bruize his heeles.

1 Ioh. 3.8For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the workes of the Diuell.

Esa. 35.10And the ransomed of the Lord shall returne, and come to Sion with songs and euer­lasting ioy vpon their heads, they shall obtain ioy & glad­nesse; and sorrow and sigh­ing [Page 323] shall flie away.

Thy dead men shall liue together, Esa. 26.19. with my dead body they shall arise; awake and sing yee all that dwell in the dust, for thy deaw is as the deaw of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

Come my people, enter thou into thy chambers, Vers. 20. and shut thy doores about thee, hide thy selfe, as it were, for a little moment, vntill the indignation bee passed ouer.

Naked came I out of my mothers wombe, Iob 19·25. and naked shall I returne thither, the Lord gaue, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed bee the name of the Lord.

I know that my Redee­mer liueth, Vers. 26. and that he shall stand at the latter day vpon [Page 324] the earth, and though after my skinne wormes destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for my selfe, and mine eyes shall behold, and not a stran­ger.

Is not Ephraim my deere sonne, Ier. 31.20. is hee not my pleasant childe? for since I spake a­gainst him, I doe earnestly remember him still: there­fore my bowels are troubled for him, I will surely haue mercy vpon him, saith the Lord.

So verily as I liue (saith the Lord) I haue no pleasure in the death of a sinner, but that hee should turne from his euill way and liue.

I will ransome them from the power of the graue, Hos. 13.14 I [Page 325] will redeeme them from death: ô death I will be thy plagues, ô graue I will bee thy destruction.

As the Hart panteth af­ter the water brookes, Psal. 42.1. so panteth my soule after thee, ô God.

My soule thirsteth for God, for the liuing God, 2. when shal I come & appeare before God.

Why art thou cast downe, ô my Soule, 5. why art thou disquieted within mee? hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him for the helpe of his countenance.

Whom haue I in heauen but thee? Psa. 73.25. and there is none vpon the earth that I desire beside thee.

My flesh and mine heart 26. [Page 326] faileth, but God is the strength of mine heart, and my portion for euer.

Wisd. 3.1.The soules of the righte­ous are in the hands of God, and there shall no torment touch them.

2.In the sight of the wise they seemed to die, and their departure was taken for mi­sery; 3. and their going from vs to bee vtter destruction, but they are in peace.

Hee that endureth to the end, Mat. 24.13. shall be safe.

Mat. 11.28Come vnto me all ye that labour and are heauy laden, and I will giue you rest.

Behold the Lambe of God, Ioh. 1.29. which taketh away the sinnes of the world.

Ioh. 3.16.God so loued the world, that he gaue his onely begot­ten [Page 327] Sonne, that whosoeuer beleeued in him, should not perish, but haue euerlasting life.

Verily, verily, I say vnto you, Ioh. 5.24. hee that heareth my word, and beleeueth on him that sent mee, hath euerla­sting life, and shall not come into iudgement; but hath passed from death to life.

I am the bread of life, Ioh. 6.35. he that commeth to mee, shall neuer hunger; and hee that beleeueth on mee shall neuer thirst.

All that the Father gi­ueth mee shall come to mee, vers. 37. and him that commeth vnto me, I will in in no wise cast out.

And this is the will of him that sent me, vers. 40. that euery [Page 328] one that seeth the Sonne, and beleeueth on him, may haue euerlasting life, and I will raise him vp at the last day.

Vers 47.Verily, verily, I say vnto you, hee that beleeueth on mee, hath euerlasting life.

Ioh. 8.12.I am the light of the world, he that followeth me, shall not walke in darknesse, but shall haue the light of life.

Vers. 51·Verily, verily, I say vnto you, if a man keep my saying, he shall neuer see death.

My sheep heare my voice, and I know them, Ioh. 10.27.28.29.30. and they follow mee, and I giue vnto them eternall life. And they shall neuer perish, neither shall any man plucke them out of my hands. My [Page 329] father which gaue them me is greater then all, and no man is able to plucke them▪ out of my fathers hands, I and my father am one.

I am the resurrection vn­to life, Ioh. 11.25. he that beleeueth in mee, though hee were dead, yet shall I liue.

In my fathers house are many mansions, Ioh. 14.2. if it were not so, I would haue tolde you, I goe to prepare a place for you.

And if I goe and pre­pare a place for you, 3. I will come againe, and receiue you vnto my selfe, that where I am, there you may be also.

I am the way, the truth, 6. and the life, no man com­meth vnto the father, but by mee.

[Page 330] Iohn 17.3.This is life eternall, that they might know thee the onely true God, and Iesus Christ whome thou hast sent.

verse 24Father, I will that they also whome thou hast giuen me, be with me where I am, that they may beholde my glorie, which thou hast gi­uen me, for thou loue [...]st mee before the foundation of the world.

Neither is there saluati­on in any other, Acts 4.12. for there is none other name vnder hea­uen giuen among men, wher­by we must be saued.

To him giue all the Pro­phets witnesse, Act. 10.43 that through his name, whosoeuer belie­ueth in him, shall receiue remission of sinnes.

[Page 331]Where sinne aboundeth, Rom. 5.20 grace aboundeth much more.

If God be for vs, Rom 8.31. who can be against vs.

Hee that spared not his owne Sonne, but deliuered him vp for vs all, how shall he not with him giue vs all things? who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? it is God that iustifi­eth, who is hee that condem­neth? It is Christ that dyed, yea, rather that is risen a­gaine, who is at the right hand of God, who also ma­keth intercession for vs.

I am perswaded that nei­ther death, nor life, Rom. 8.38. nor An­gels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, &c.

[Page 332] Rom. 11.32.God hath concluded all in vnbeliefe, that hee might haue mercie vpon all.

Rom. 14.7None of vs liueth to him­selfe, and no man dieth to himselfe, for whither we liue wee liue vnto the Lord, or whether we die, we dye vnto the Lord, whither wee liue therefore, or die, we are the Lords.

1 Cor. 15.22.For as in Adam all dye, euen so in Christ shall all bee made aliue.

1 Cor. 10.13.God is faithfull, who will not suffer you to bee tempted aboue that you are able, but with the temptation also will make away to escape, that you may be able to beare it▪

Phil. 1.20. [...]1. [...].23.Christ shall be magnified in my bodie, whether it bee by life, or by death, for to [Page 333] me to liue is Christ, and to die is gaine: but if I liue in the flesh, this is the fruite of of my labour: but what I shall chuse I wot not, for I am in a straight betwixt two hauing a desire to bee with Christ, which is farre better.

Our conuersation is in hea­uen, Phil. 3.20. from whence also wee looke for the Sauiour, the Lord Iesus Christ.

This is a faithfull saying, 1 Tim. 1.15 and worthy all acceptation, that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners, of whom I am chiefe.

I am readie now to bee of­fered, 2 Tim. 4.6. and the time of my de­parture is at hand: I haue fought a good fight, I haue finished my course, I haue kept the faith.

[Page 334]Henceforth there is layd vp for me a crowne of righ­teousnes, which the Lord the righteous iudge shal giue me at that day; and not vnto me onely, but vnto them also which loue his appearing.

1 Tim. 6.12Fight the good fight of faith, lay holde of eternall life, whereunto thou art also called.

I know whome I haue be­leeued, 2 Tim▪ 1.12 for I am perswaded he is able to keep that which I haue committed vnto him against that day.

We are kept by the powre of God through faith vnto saluation, 1 Pet. 1.15. ready to be reuea­led in the last time.

The bloud of Iesus Christ Gods Son cleanseth vs from all sinne. 1 Ioh. 1.7.

[Page 335]In this was manifested the loue of God towards vs, because that God sent his only begotten Sonne into the world, that wee may liue throgh him here in his loue, not that wee loued God; but that hee loued vs, and sent his Sonne to be the propitia­tion for our sinnes.

Here haue wee no conti­nuing Citie, Heb. 13 14 but wee seeke one to come.

As many as I loue I re­buke and chasten. Reuel▪ 3.19

Bee thou faithfull vnto death, Reuel. 2.10 and I will giue thee a crowne of life.

To him that ouercommeth will I graunt to sit with mee in my throne, Reuel▪ 3 21 [...]uen as I also [...] ­ [...]ercame, and am set down with my father in his throne.

[Page 336] Reu. 12.11.And they ouercame him by the bloud of the Lambe, and by the word of their te­stimonie, and they loued not their liues vnto death.

Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from hence­forth, Reu. 14.13 yea, saith the spirit, that they may rest from their labours, and their workes do follow them.

Spirit.

I haue set downe euery where prayers for thee, which thou mayest vse as occasion serueth, and the disposition of thy sicknes requires, but the most spe­ciall is the Lords prayer, which heere also thou [Page 341] shouldest remember, say­ing, Our Father which &c. sundry Prayers and Medi­tions mayest thou haue, out of the learned and godly Fathers, as Augu­stine and Bernard, and out of holy latter Writers, as also out of the booke of Psalmes, in the which thou mayest vse these most fre­quently.

O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger, &c. Psal. 8.

The Lord is my Sheep­heard, &c. 23.

Vnto thee, ô Lord, doe I lift vp my Soule, &c▪ 25.

Blessed is he whose trans­gression is forgiue [...]. 32.

As the Hart panteth af­ter the water brookes. 42.

Haue mercy on me, ô God. 51.

[Page 342]And so according to the seuerall constitutions of thy Soule, and as thou findest thy tentation to encrease, or bee dimini­shed, thou mayest make election of this or that Prayer, or Psalme in the Scripture. And if it be so, that thou growest excee­ding weake, and that thy speech begin to faile thee, these sentences which are but short, thou mayest re­member.

Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace. Luk. 2.29.

Luk. 25. Father into thy hands I commend my spirit.

Psal. 31. Into thy hands I commit my spirit, thou hast redee­med me Lord God of truth.

Lord Iesus receiue my spirit. Act. 7.59.

[Page 343] Abide with vs Lord Ie­sus, Luk. 24.29 for it is towards eue­ning, and the day is farre spent.

I desire to bee dissolued, Phil. 1. and to be with Christ.

Spirit.

They are to lament and mourne, seeing it is a thing very naturall, it cannot bee forbidden; but thou must not sorrow [Page 344] euen as others which haue no hope, for we that are Christians must admit comfort, ought to bee constantly and certainely perswaded, that our dead are not dead but sleepe, that they doe not perish, nei­ther are lost; but deliue­red from this wicked world, and gone home to the Lord, and would not for the price of this whole world, if it were possible, to returne hither againe; and therefore wee should rather be thankefull vnto God for their happy de­departure, and learne of them to liue regiously and Christianly: and remem­ber them who haue spo­ken vnto vs the word of [Page 345] God, whose face wee should follow conside­ring the end of their con­uersation, Heb. 13.7. and therefore falling on their knees, they may pray as follow­eth.

Spirit.

Heareof speaketh the Scripture, in these and o­ther places full of com­fort and consolation.

[Page 349]Feare not them which kill the bodie, Mat. 10.28 and are not able to kill the Soule; but rather feare him which is able to destroy both Soule and bodie in Hell.

I desire to bee dissolued, Phil. 1.22. and to be with Christ, which is farre better.

The Theefe on the crosse when he was to giue vp the Ghost, sayd, Luk. 23.43 Lord remem­ber mee when thou commest into thy kingdome: and Ie­sus sayd vnto him, To day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise.

The Soules of the righ­teous are in the hands of God, Wisd. 3.1. and there shall no tor­ment touch them.

In the sight of the Wise they seemed to dye, 2. and [Page 350] their departure is taken for miserie.

And their going from vs to be vtter destruction, 3. but they are in peace.

Though the righteous be preuented with death, Wis. 4 7. yet shall they be in rest.

There remaineth therfore a rest to the children of God. Heb. 4.

Luk. 16.22.And it came to passe that the Begger dyed, and was carried by the Angells vnto Abrahams bosome.

But now he is comforted and thou art tormented. Vers. 25.

Ioh. 14 2.In my Fathers house are many Mansions, if it were not so, I would haue told you I goe to prepare a place for you.

And if I goe and pre­pare [Page 351] a place for you, I will come agayne, and receiue you vnto my self, that where I am, there may you bee also.

For wee know that if our earthly house of this Taber­nacle were dissolued, 2. Cor. 51. wee haue a building of God, an house (not made with hands) eternally in the heauens.

Therefore wee are al­wayes confident, knowing that whiles wee are at home in the bodie, wee are absent from the Lord.

But yee see mee, Ioh. 14.19. because I liue; yee shall liue also.

Set your affections on things aboue, Col. 3.2. not on things of the earth.

But Hierusalem which is aboue is free, Gal. 4.26. which is the [Page 352] mother of vs all.

Ps. 16.11.Thou wilt shew mee the the path of Life: in thy pre­sence is fulnes of ioy; & at thy right hand there are plea­sures for euermore.

Spirit.

I must confesse that such thoughts often make men sorrowfull; but wee must vnderstand that our soules after their departing [Page 359] are with Christ, and must haue much more vnder­standing and knowledge, and farre cleerelier know Gods wonderfull righte­ou [...] counsell and will; and therefore are perswaded that no mischaunce can befall thei [...] bodies in the earth, but that they shall plea [...]antly and softly sleep and rest, and all their bones dust and ashes shall bee so kept through the Almighty power of God, that they shall neuer bee consumed & brought to nought, but shall questi­onlesse (and wi [...]hout all doubt) rise againe. Se­condly, the soules of the godly are in such place and ioy, where is no vnquiet­nesse [Page 360] or vvretched desire: foralthough they bethink them of their bodies, and would haue that righte­ous day of doome ap­proch, Reu. 6.10. saying; How long, O Lord, holy and true, doest thou not iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwel on the earth? Yet such thoughts are without sor­row, and appertaine to their ioy, Gods glorie and praise, vnto the which they alwaies submit their wils, and as the children of God in this wretched life, they long for their dissolution, and sigh for the comming of Ie [...]us Christ; and hee that doth not so hath not a sound and true loue to Iesus Christ: yet [Page 361] the blessed soules which are with Christ. desire that all sinne in the wo [...]ld should come to end; and that e­uerlasting persecution shold then beginne, but that their desire should carrie sorrow, or any painefull longing vpon them, it is not possible: for they rest with the Lord our God, and from this world, for there is no time, nor dif­ference of day and night, and where there is no time, there can be no hea­uie longing for, Psal 90.4. because a thousand yeares in his sight ar [...] but as yesterday, when it is past: and as a watch in the night. And againe, One day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares. 2 P [...]t 3. [...]. As one [Page 362] day therfore ( deare soule) let such thoughts passe, and cast thy selfe vnder Gods powerful hand, who is thy Creatour, thy hope and rest, defendor, and contenting perfection, both in this life, in that e­ternall which is to come.

Spirit.

Yes truely, that I be­leeue, and therefore con­fesse in the articles of my faith, and say, I beleeue the resurrection of the bo­die, and life euerlasting. For when our Lord Iesus shall come againe vpon that last day to iudge: Mat 25. [...]3 and all the holy Angels with him: then shall he set vpon the throne of his glorie, and before him shall be gathe­red all Nations liuing and dead, small and great, Reu. 20.12. good and bad, shall stand be­fore him; and the Sea shall giue vp the dead [Page 366] which were in it, & death and hell deliuer vp the dead which were in them, and the soule in a moment shall returne to the dead bo­dy thereof, 1 Thes. 4.17. and come liuing before the Lord. Then wee which are aliue and remaine, shall be caught vp together with them in the clouds, to meete the Lord in the ayre: where he shall separate them one from another, Math. 25.32.33.34.41. as a sheep­heard diuideth the sheepe from the Goates, and hee shall set the sheepe on his right hand & the Goates on the left, thē shall he say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Fa­ther, inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the [Page 367] foundation of the world, then shall hee say vnto them on his left hand, Depart from me yee cursed into euer lasting fire, prepa­red for the Diuell and his Angels, and these shall go away into euerlasting pu­nishment, but the righte­ous into life eternall.

Spirit.

Yes truely, thou sayest well, Of the ioyes of heauen. for so it is that the eye hath not seene, nor the eare heard, nor entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him. E­ternall God, what peace, what ioy, what glory, what pleasant being shall they haue? who would not dai­ly meditate heereupon? but who would not wil [...]lingly enioy the same? who would not willingly speake and commune [Page 373] heereof? but rather, who would not fee [...]e and pos­sesse the same, oh if there were any that could teach vs the glory hereof, wher­of our narrow heart and shallow soule is not capa­ble of, how would we be glad to heare, and ioyful­ly long for it! Certainely (deare Soule) if neither Esaias that excellent. Pro­phet, nor the Apostle Paul, Esay 64.4. who was rauished into the third heauens, and saw things vnutterable, could not declare the mea­nest iot of it, but he [...] him dumb, then may the glo­ry, peace and ioy be there exceeding great: yet not­withstanding, the holy Scripture portryeth in [Page 374] some places, by notable sentences and speeches, the supereminent good­nesse thereof, so farre as our tenuity can comprise.

1 Ioh. 3.2. Beloued, now are we the sonnes of God, and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be, but wee know that when he shall appeare, we shall bee like him, for wee shall see him as he is.

Then shall the righteous shine foorth, Iob 19. Mat. 13.43 as the Sunne, in the kingdom of their father.

Dan. 12.3. And they that bee wise, shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament, and they that turne many to righte­ousnesse, as the starres for e­uer and euer.

And GOD shall bee all in all. 1 Cor. 15.28.

[Page 375] And we shal euer be with the Lord. 1. Thes. 4.17.

Who shal change our vile bodie, Phil. 3.21. that it may be fashio­ned like vnto his glorious bodie.

For in the resurrection they neyther marrie nor are giuen in marriage, Mat. 22.30. but are as the Angells of God in Heauen.

And I Iohn saw the holie Citie, Rev. 21.2.3 4 5. new Hierusa­lem, come downe from God out of Heauen, prepared as a bride, and adorned for her husband, and I heard a great voyce out of heauen, saying, Behold, the Taber­nacle of God is with men, and he will dwel with them, and they shall be his people: and God himselfe shall bee [Page 376] with them, and bee their God, and God shall wipe a­way al teres from their eyes, and there shall bee no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more payne, for the for­mer things are passed away. And he that sate vpon the Throne, sayde, Behold I make all things new, &c.

Reu. 21.22 And I saw no Temple therein, for the Lord God Almightie and the Lambe are the Temple of it.

23. And the Citie hath no need of the Sunne, nor of the Moone to shine in it, for the Glorie of God did enlighten it, and the Lambe is the light thereof.

24. And the Nations of them which are saued shall walke [Page 377] in the light of it: and the Kings of the earth doe bring their glorie and honour to it.

And the Gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: [...]5▪ for there shall be no night there.

And they need no candle, neyther the light of the Sun, Reu. 22.5. for the Lord giueth them light, and they shall shine for euer and euer.

These words (beloued Soule) are short, but reple­nished with vnspeakable comfort: and although the Scripture had beene more large herein, yet our weake and infirme hearts are such, and our vnderstanding so small, that wee could not com­prehend it: and there­fore [Page 378] the holie Spirit by these speeches openeth but a little windowe, through the which wee may see a little glance, to the end wee may know what wee should beleeue, and hope for, and what to comfort and reioyce vs withall. But when we shall come thither, and possesse such ioy and such gladnesse, then shall wee say one to another as old Elizabeth sayde vnto the Virgin Marie: Luk. 1.45. O blessed art thou that beleeuest, for there is a performance of those thing [...] which were told thee of the Lord. O eternall Life, O pleasant Life, O perpetuall Ioy and Peace, O euerlasting Hie­rusalem, [Page 379] Citie of the holie God. O how pretious, how beautifull art thou vnto mee! thy pulchri­tude surmounts, & there is no blemish in thee. My heart longeth for thee, yea for Hierusalem my Mother, For Hierusalem my natiue Land, and for thee Iesus Christ; thou which art hid there, my Life, Lord, and euerla­sting Sheepheard.

O holie Life, O blessed Life, which the Lord hath prepared for them that loue him, in the which shall be no death, for man shall see God face to face, for our hearts shall be su­peraboundantly satiate with the food of Life. Oh [Page 380] the oftner I thinke vpon thee, the sweeter thou ap­pearest vnto mee.

O how well wilt thou be, my Soule, when thou shalt bee loosed from this earthly body, and so passe in freedomevnto heauen, how welcome shalt thou bee! how kindly shalt thou be receyued? thou shalt come to great rest and securitie: thou nee­dest not stand in feare of any foe or dea [...]h: Thou shalt euermore beholde the face of thy God and Redeemer, Ps. 45.2. the bea [...]ti­fullest among the childrē of men: hearest thou not him ( my Soule) calling on thee? Song. 2.20. Rise vp my loue, my fayre one, and come a­way: [Page 381] for loe the Winter is past, the rayne is ouer, and gone: Arise my Loue, my fayre one, and come away. Come vnto mee my Elect, I haue pleasure in thy beautie; come and reioyce before my face with the Angells, whose societie I haue promised thee: Come out of all thy distresses and feares, and enter into thy Fathers rest. O reioyce my Soule, and be glad thou beautifull daughter, for the King hath pleasure in thee. O thou sweet Life, shew me thy Ports, and thy gates, [...]hy walls and thy mani­folde Mansions▪ Reu. 21. [...]8.19. Thy Walls are of pretious stones, and thy gates are costly Pearle, and the [Page 382] [...]treet of the Citie is pure [...]old, as it were transpa­ [...]ent glasse, in the which is sung perpetually a Hal­leluiah: thy light is God, the God of light, the Son of Righteousness [...] neuer go­ [...]th downe in thee. There is a feast and banquet where all wearied Pilgrims refresh themselues. Ioh. 17.24 O how pleasant is the harmonie which shal be heard there! O then shall I find the ac­complishment of that promise! Father I will that these that thou hast giuen mee should be with me where I am, that they may behold the glorie which thou hast giuen mee, for thou louedst me before the foundation of the world.

Spirit.

They shall enter both soule and bodie into euer­lasting paine: Of the paines of Hell. for as the ioy of the godly cannot be expressed; so neither can the paines of the wic­ked and condemned bee shewed, for there is such poenarum multiplicitas, a­cerbitas, [...]eternitas; that is, first, the paine of the con­demned shall bee so great and manifold, that none can declare it, for they shall be cast into vtter dark­nesse, Mat. 22.13 where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. They shall be tormented in the flame, Luk. 16.24 The Lord shall raine vpon them snares, fire, and brimstone, and a horrible [Page 386] tempest, this shall be the por­tion of their cup, their wormes shall not dye, neither shall their fire be quenched, Esay 66.24 and they shall bee an abhor­ring vnto all the people.