A Christian legacy consisting of two parts: I. A preparation for death. II. A consolation against death. By Edward Hyde, Dr. of Divinity, and late rector resident of Brightwell in Berks. Hyde, Edward, 1607-1659. 1657 Approx. 449 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 194 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A45276 Wing H3863 ESTC R216954 99828666 99828666 33097 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A45276) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 33097) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1967:01) A Christian legacy consisting of two parts: I. A preparation for death. II. A consolation against death. By Edward Hyde, Dr. of Divinity, and late rector resident of Brightwell in Berks. Hyde, Edward, 1607-1659. [8], 381, [1] p. Printed by R[obert?] W[hite?] for Rich. Davis in Oxon, [London] : 1657. In title, "A preparation..death." and "A consolation..death." are in brackets. Place of publication from Wing. Pagination and suggested printer's name are from Madan. Imperfect: copy catalogued lacks pp. 70-71 and 206-207. Reproduction of the original in the Union Theological Seminary Library, New York. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. 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Death -- Religious aspects -- Christianit -- Early works to 1800. 2002-05 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2002-06 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2002-07 Kirk Davis Sampled and proofread 2002-07 Kirk Davis Text and markup reviewed and edited 2002-08 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A Christian Legacy ; Consisting of two Parts : I. A Preparation for Death . II. A Consolation against Death . Nullum sacrificium est Deo magis acceptum quam Zelus Animarum . Greg. Mag. 1 Cor. 10. 17 , 18. He that glorieth , let him glory in the Lord ; for not he that commendeth himself is approved , but whom the Lord commendeth . By EDWARD HYDE , Dr. of Divinity , and late Rector Resident of Brightwell in Berks. Printed by R. W. for Rich. Davis in Oxon. 1657. To the Reader . Christian Reader , WHen first made a Member of Christ , ( though it were at the very entrance of your life ) you did then receive your summons for death ; for you were baptized into the death of Christ , buried with him by baptism into death , Rom. 6. 3 , 4. And that same Baptism , as it still gives you a Rejoycing in Christ Jesus our Lord ; so it bids you , by That rejoycing to die daily , 1 Cor. 15. 31. And indeed you are not fit to live , till you are prepared to die . You are not truly fit to live , unless you live to God ; and if you live unto him , you cannot be unprepared to die unto him . The Man lives to himself , and dies , as he lives , to his own corruption ; but the Christian lives to his Saviour , and accordingly dies to his glorious Resurrection ; For none of us liveth to himself , and no man dieth to himself ; for whether we live , we live unto the Lord ; And whether we die , we die unto the Lord ; whether we live therefore , or die , we are the Lords , Rom. 14. 7 , 8. It is a great priviledge to live to Christ ; but a far greater priviledge to die to him . By living to Christ you get the victory over your enemies , and the terrours of their insolency ; but by dying to him , you get the victory over your self , and the terrours of your own conscience : By living to Christ you get the conquest over life ; but by dying to him , you get the conquest over death : Neither shall the world be able to make you live unquietly ; nor the Devil be able to make you die uncomfortably . So that if you do not want the preparation for death , you cannot want the consolation against death : And in this respect it were much to be wished , That all the Lords people were Prophets , or if they had rather , Preachers , to reason with themselves , as S. Paul reasoned with Faelix , of Righteousness , Temperance , & Judgement to come , Act. 24. 25. That all their Trembling or Quaking , might begin and end here , and none remain till hereafter : The reasoning about Righteousness , how it would confound our misdemeanours against our Brethren ? The reasoning about Temperance , how it would confound our misdemeanours against our selves ? The reasoning about Judgement to come , how it would confound our misdemeanours , or rather outrages against our God ? All these would be speedily confounded by such kind of reasonings , though all have been such as have affrighted Earth , and amazed Heaven . And truly much better were it , that our reasonings should confound our misdemeanours , then that our misdemeanours should confound us ; and make us even ashamed , with Josephs Brethren , to see the face of our own Brother in this world , and much more afraid , with Israels enemies , to see the face of God our Father , in the world to come . However , whether we will thus turn preachers or not unto our selves , yet it is not to be denyed but there are some men who are bound to preach , not only to themselves , but also to others ; according to that charge committed to them , and that trust reposed in them , Luk. 22. 32. Et tu conversus , confirma Fratres : And when thou art converted , strengthen thy Brethren ; For that Minister is not truly thankful to God for his own conversion and confirmation , who makes it not his chiefest business to convert and to confirm others . Knowing therefore the terrour of th●… Lord , we perswade men , 2 Cor. 5. 11$ They that most know the terrour o●… the Lord , ought most to perswad●… men , to be ready to appear before him that they may not be terrified at hi●… appearing ; and they most know tha●… terrour , who most know it not only Rationally or Doctrinally by their st●…dies , and contemplations , but als●… Experimentally or Practically , by the●… summons , and by their sufferings : Fo●… as sickness is a summons unto death , 〈◊〉 is suffering an experimental dying 〈◊〉 Those therefore who have most fe●… either sickness or suffering , have ( in a●… probability ) most known the terrou●… of the Lord , and they ought most 〈◊〉 perswade men ; Under the notion●… sickness , the Author of this small Tre●… tise may own to know the terrours o●… the Lord ; for he looks on himself 〈◊〉 one newly come from the dead , an●… yet still going to the dead ; and therefore the fitter to put others in mind of dying : nor is he troubled that his writing is so full of weakness and infirmity , which is the Indisposition of his body , if it may be thought full of conscience and empty of curiosity , which is or should be the Disposition of his soul ; For it is proper for a sick mans hand to sympathize more with his heart then with his head , and to delight rather in lineaments of reality , then of phansie : Wherefore you may here expect such a hand-writing as appeared to Belshazar , Dan. 5. which sets down nothing but Numbering , and Weighing , and Dividing ; Numbering of your daies , Weighing of your sins , and Dividing of your self . This is like to be the main subject of the first part of the Legacy , which is to be the preparation for death ; after these ( God enabling ) shall follow several comforts and consolations , 1. Against sickness , which numbereth your daies . 2. Against Judgement , which wil●… number your sins . 3. Against Death which will divide your soul from you●… body , and bring it to Judgement : And these are intended for the second part of the Legacie , as the Consolation against death : God make both these a●… they are intended , to him that write●… them , and to those that shall rea●… them . So prayeth , Yours in our common Saviour●… E. H. Errata . PAg. 4. l. 6. stud●…es , r. studie ; p. 10. l. ult . man , r. for man ; p. 73. l. 21. Scil. Bonam , r. sa●… Bonav . ( sc. Bonaventur ) p. 128. l. 12. cuie , r. cur●… p. 190. l. 24. to him , r. to have ; p. 231. l. 13. 20. now here , r. no where ; p. 345. l. 18. but most 〈◊〉 worthy , r. but more unworthy ; p. 364. l. 13. T●… Common-Law , r. The Canon-Law . The Preparation for Death ; consisting of Three Chapters , Mene , Tekel , Peres ; Mene , or Numbring of your Daies . Tekel , or Weighing of your Sins . Peres , or Dividing of your Person . CHAP. I. Mene , or Numbring of your Dayes . Consisting of four Sections ; 1. Of mans Mortality and Immortality . 2. Of the Knowledge of mans mortality . 3. Of mans Vanity , and the Knowledge thereof . 4. Of the Difficulty , Necessity and Excellency of that knowledge . SECT . I. Of Mans Mortality and Immortality . MANS Life is but a Race of mortality , and is then only well Run , when it comes to a blessed End. Others may run Faster , but he makes the best Speed , that first gets to Heaven : So run that ye may obtain , 2 Cor. 9. 24. Now a Blessed Immortality may be obtained two waies . 1. In Affection , 2. In Fruition ; This latter is to be expected at Gods leisure , but the former cannot be too soon obtained ; The very first step of Mortality should thus tend towards Immortality ; For as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ , were baptized into his Death , Rom. 6. 3. when we were yet scarce entred into our own Life , we were Baptized into his Death : which shews , that in truth we were not so much born to live , as we were born to die ; Well the man may think himself born to live , but sure the Christian ( that is baptized into the Death of Christ , ) must know that he was born again , only to die . For thus we all brought a body of death with us into the world , Rom. 7. 24. as well as a breath of life , Gen. 2. 7. And must therefore learn to dye in the beginning , as well as in the end of our daies : Saint John saith of himself , And when I saw him , ( that is Christ , ) I fell at his feet as dead , Rev. 1 17. So is it with us , when we truly see Christ , we sall down at his feet as dead , and yet do not lose our Station , but only mend it ; For whereas before we stood in our selves by thus falling we stand in our Saviour . No Christian is a loser by being dead with Christ , no more then Christ was a loser by his own death : For indeed , death is the only way for them both , to a Joyful Resurrection : I am He that liveth , and was dead , and behold I am alive for evermore , Rev. 1. 18. The Death was but for a short time , but the Life is for evermore ; This is such a Funeral as ought to be kept without Mourning , and is better solemnized with Joy and Triumph , then with Sorrow and Lamentation . For this Mortal must put on Immortality here on Earth , or it will not be fit to put it on hereafter in Heaven ; This Mortal must put on Immortality , before it put off it self ; Immortality in Affection , or it will never put on Immortality in Fruition . SECT . II. Of the Knowledge of mans Mortality . THE Knowledge of Mortality is more then a Science , it is also a Sapience ; O that they were Wise , that they understood This , that they would consider their latter end , Deut. 32. 29. Here is Sapience and Science Joyned both together : Sapience is a knowledge of Principles , Science is a knowledge of Conclusions ; This knowledge of Mortality is Both ; Teaching a man to joyn his last Ending to his first Beginning . The serious studies of Mortality , will make a man in His Moment to imitate God in his Eternity . It will make us Alpha and Omega in our Nothing , as God is , in his All. So to think of our First , as to think of our Last . For this is for a man to consider his latter End : To know the greatness of Mortality he is under , from within him , from without him , from above him , from below him : from within him , by the contradiction o●… his nature , those irreconcilable contrarietics in his constitution ; From without him by the Contentions an●… Violences of wicked men , his irreconcil●…ble Enemies ; who a●… wicked men , have their feet swift to sh●… blood ; and as Enemies , will yet make the●… swifter to shed his blood ; and as irreconcileable Enemies , will not give over that swif●…ness , till they have shed it : From abo●… him , The God of heaven calling for hi●… Breath , which he did but lend him for t●… Run his Race : From below him , The D●…vils of Hell sorry to see him Running t●… wards Heaven if he be Tending thither , an●… so desirous to interrupt his course , or glad of his running towards Hell , if his Race tend that way , and so willing to Precipitate and Hasten him thither . This consideration of Mortality is fully expressed by the Psalmist , as it ought to be Practised by us , Psal. 39. 5. Lord let me know mine end , and the Number of my Daies : so the Septuagint , The Number of my Daies : you cannot know a Number without Joyning the First and the Last unites both together . So is it also in knowing the Number of your Daies , you must take in your last day , or you cannot have your full Number : Omnem crede Diem tibi diluxisse supremum : But the Hebrew saith , The measure of my Daies , now a measure is in continued quantity , but Number is in discrete quantity . It seems it is not yet fully Resolved in the Text , by what quantity the length of mans life is to be taken , whether by Magnitude or by Multitude ; For if it be taken by Magnitude , it is so small a measure that it may seem almost indivisible , but a span long ; And yet even so , it is rather taken by Multitude ; for , what is a span but a Multitude in Magnitude , the space betwixt the thumb and the little finger , when they are severally extended to make one measure ? And therefore the Septuagint saith , Behold thou hast made my daies old : Such as are already past and gone ; For whiles t is yet passing over , it is no day , you have but only the present minute of it ; when you have the whole day , you have nothing left , it is gone before you can have it : So is your life , it is but a minute whiles you have it , and if it be more , you have it not : It is gone before it comes to be more , or can be more in your Account . And therefore in this case of Numbring our Daies , we must fetch our Arithmetick from Heaven ; no Artist on Earth can teach it us , but only the Spirit of God ; so teach us to number our daies , Psal. 90. v. 12. A very Unquoth Arithmetick , to number that which is not ; To number daies whiles they are yet Passing , which cannot properly be numbred till they are Past : And yet without this Arithmetick there is no applying the Heart unto wisdom : Diu Fuit , non Diu Vixit , He had a long Continuance , but he had a short Life , is true of every one that Numbers not his Daies till they be spent . Here must be Numerus Numerans , before Numerus Numeratus ; The Number Numbring , before the Number Numbred . God Numbreth the stars , and calleth them all by their Names : Yet the stars first Are , before they are Numbred . But man Numbreth his Daies before they Are : The Number is before the thing Numbred . He Numbers not what is past , that he may prolong , but what is to come , that he may Redeem his time : And it neerly concerneth him so to do , for his Daies are like a shadow that declineth , Psal. 102. 11. The shadow when it is declining waxeth longest , for the Sun is setting : but then presently it waxeth nothing , for the Sun is set . So is the life of man , as a shadow , ( nay as the dream of a shadow , ) it never seemeth long , till it is declining : and then , in a short time it is nothing at all : wherefore it is all one for a man to measure his shadow , and to measure his life , Both then being of shortest continuance , when of longest extension : which made the Psalmist desire above all things to know his frailty , Ps. 39. 4. That I may know how Frail I am : or according to the Hebrew , of what Time or Age I am ; which is thus glossed by Aben Ezra , How long I shall stand among the Inhabitants of the Age. Not one word of the gloss , but reads a large Lecture of Humane Frailty ; How long I shall stand : To wit , thus tottering and shaking , ready every minute to fall and tumble into my Grave : Among the Inhabitants , such as are to be turned out of doors at the pleasure of their Land-lord ; Of the Age , which is alwaies going away , and to be known only by its succession , not by its continuance : This is the true way to keep me from being one of those who are called Viri de Tempore , or Homines Seculi , Psal. 17. 14. Men of the Age , or men of the Times ; even to think mine own life in this to be like time , that it is of no consistency , to be measured only by its succession , not by its continuance . Every man is Vir Seculi , a man of the times in his condition ; but it is only the wicked worldling is so in his conversation . Dupliciter Aliquis est in seculo , per corporalem Praesentiam , per mentis Affectum , ( saith Aquinas ) A man may be said to be of this world in two Respects , either for the presence of his Body , or for the Affection of his soul : All men alike are of the world in the first Respect , but only wicked and ungodly men in the second : For he that knows himself a son of Eternity , will scorn to make himself a slave of time . Shall my soul submit to my bodies Vanity , because my body is made capable of my souls Eternity ? Oh no ; Rather let Eternity pass from the soul to the body , then Vanity pass from the body to the soul ; That was taken from the Earth , the proper place of changes and chances , but This came from Heaven , where is neither chance nor shadow of change : For if I would have God Remember my Time , I must remember his Eternity : Remember how short my time is , Psal. 89. 47. Remember how I am as the Age or Time , ( so the Hebr. ) That is , alwaies passing away : The Chaldee Paraphrase thus : Remember that I am created or made of dust : There 's the cause of this Fluxus in corpore , of the Seculum or Age within us , whereby our bodies are alwaies in motion , never at rest : For like as Saint Augustine ingenuously confessed time from the first instant of the creation , yet because he could not place any succession in the Heavens , before they were distinguished and had an orderly motion , he placed it in the Angels , saying , There was successio in mente Angelicâ : succession in the mind of the Angels . So may we say , were there no Time , no Age without us , There would be Time and Age within us : For there would be motion in the bodies of men ; and wherever there is motion , there must be also Time to number the parts of that motion . There is therefore time within us , because of the continued motion of our bodies , that tends to the Rest in the Grave , the dust naturally returning thither from whence it came ; In so much that Gabriel is not afraid to say , Christus si non fuisset Passus , stante miraculo fuisset senio mortuus , ( Bid. in 3. sent . dist . 16. ) That if Christ had not been put to Death by the Jews , yet he would have dyed at last meerly of Age , unless you will suppose him kept alive by miracle . But sure we are , This is true of all mankinde else , whether it were true of Christ or not . Every man making what haste he can , to be Resolved into his first dust , so that he needs no enemy to destroy him , having a civil war in his own body , till he hath destroyed himself . SECT . III. Of mans vanity , and the knowledge thereof . IT is Good for every man to call to mind the Vanity of his condition , that he may be the more careful not to admit Vanity either into his Affection or into his Action : or man is subject to a Threefold Vanity . One in his Condition , Another in his Affection , a Third in his Action ; his Condition is Vain , in that it is unsatisfactory ; his Affection is Vain , in that it is unlimited ; his Action is Vain , in that it is unrighteous : This made the Preacher say , Vanitas Vanitatum , & omnia Vanitas ; Vanity of Vanities , all is Vanity , Eccles. 1. 2. Solomon said this as a Preacher of Repentance unto himself , & his saying is Registred , that he might also be a Preacher of Repentance unto us . Nay indeed in this respect should every man be a Preacher unto himself , for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Foeminine Gender , to shew that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nephesh is to be understood Anima predicans , and we may thus translate the Text , Vanity of Vanities , and all is Vanity , saith the preaching soul. Kimchy in his Roots thus expounds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebel Vanity , Res quae non est quicquam , A thing which is nothing ; and he there tells us that the Jewish Doctors did so call the Breath that cometh out of mans mouth , for that it is such a thing as presently ceaseth , and cometh to nothing . But in his Commentaries upon this place , be saith , Vanity is that which hath no subsistence ; no stability , and will not endure the Touch , as if you touch a Bubble it is gone ; wherefore the Ancient Latines properly called man , Bul●… lam , a Bubble , That is Vanity , in Kimchies Gloss ; And Aben Ezra goes further saying thus , That All things are called Vanity , even those which seem most firmly Rooted , and to have the surest subsistence : Ho●…much more the Actions of men which are b●… meer Accidents , and the thoughts of m●… which are but Accidents of Accidents ? And it is much to be observed , Tha●… what the Son here speaketh of all things i●… general , The Father before him had spoken of man only in particular , Psal. 39. 6●… Certe omnis Vanitas omnis Homo consiste●… Surely every man in his best consistency is a●… Vanity . That is , in his Sons Language , Vanity of Vanities . And again ver . 7. Certe in Imagine seu simulachro ambula●… homo : Surely man walketh in a vain Imag●… or shew : His best works are more for Appearance then for Subsistence . Virtue is more looked after , in its Appearance then in its Existence , Secundum Apparentiam magis quam Secundum Existentiam ; A Distinction ingenuously delivered by Aquinas , but shamefully Justified by us , who had rather walk in Shew , then in Substance , in Vanity then in Reality : But yet the Psalmist speaks more plainly , Psal. 62. 9. Surely men of low degree are Vanity , and men of high degree are a Lye : to be laid in the Ballance they are altogether lighter then Vanity : Where it is evident , that if Man were put in one Scale , and Vanity in the other , Man would be found lighter then Vanity it self . O my God , weigh not my best Righteousness in the Ballance of thy Sanctuary , without putting my Saviours merits into the Scale ; For if I be lighter then Vanity , How can I hold weight with a blessed Eternity ? The Jews observe that the Father spake one thing concerning mankinde , which he left to his Son to explain after him , and that was this , Psal. 144. 4. Man is like to Vanity ; for he tells us not to what Vanity , whether the greater or the lesser ; but his Son comes after and explains him , saying , that he is like to that Vanity which is most Vain of all others , Similis Vanitati Vanissimae ; like to that Vanity which is Vanity of Vanities . Again , the Son spake one thing of man-kinde , which is best explained by the Father ; to wit , that of Eccles. 6. 12. All the daies of his Vain life , which he spendeth as a shadow ; For , he telleth not what shadow ; but here the Father explaineth the Son , saying , A shadow that passeth away , Psal. 144. 4. His daies are as a shadow that passeth away . Both Father and Son agree in this , that man is Vanity in the highest degree , so that no words are able sufficiently to express it , and no Heart able sufficiently to conceive it . He lives in the shadow of Life , and that shadow of Life is quickly and easily changed into the Darkness of Death ; In the midst of Life he is in Death , and had need take care lest in the midst of Death , he be in Hell : In the midst of Life he is in Death through the Vanity of his Condition , and had need be the more carefull , lest in the midst of Death he be in Hell , through the Vanity of his Affections and of his Actions ; For it is a most terrible expostulation , which remains upon the File , against all men whatsoever , whiles they shall remain in their own Vanities , Jer. 2. 5. Thus saith the Lord , What Iniquity have your Fathers found in me , that they are gone far from me , and have walked after Vanity and are become Vain ? This walking after Vanity , as it is the great Sin , so it should be the great Vexation of our souls : not only that it makes us become vain , but also that it casteth an Aspersion of Iniquity upon our God : according as Saint Basil hath spoken most divinely in his Sermon concerning the love of God and our Neighbour ; The Devil will at the last day object it as matter of Reproach against our Lord and Saviour , that we have Despised and Disobeyed him ; and will very much Boast that he neither created us nor dyed for us , and yet that we have been his diligent followers in the breach and contempt of Gods Commandments : And this Reproach ( saith he ) against my Lord , is more dreadful to me then the Torments of hell , that I should give the enemy of the Lord occasion to Blaspheme him , who Dyed for my sins , and rose again to make me Righteous . SECT . IV. Of the Difficulty , Necessity and Excellency of this knowledge of Mortality . IT neerly concerns man to know Vanity , That he may know himself , and much more that he may desire to know his Saviour ; And therefore it is no wonder that this knowledge is invested with very great Difficulty : For our Mortal having put on Sin , cares not to put off it self : David had been long pursued , and was like to be cut off every moment by his rebell Subject and ungracious Son , before he learned this Prayer , Lord let me know mine end : And though when he heard of Absoloms death , he said , Would God I had dyed for thee , O Absolom my son , my son , yet he did not thereby so truly shew a desire of his own Death , as a Horror for his sons Damnation : He knew that a wilful Rebel dying in his Rebellion , was not to be punished only with one death , but was to undergo a second death . The like is to be said of dying in any other wilful sin whatsoever , unrepented ; And therefore it is not possible for any man to desire God to part his Soul from his Body that he may Die , till he hath parted Sin from his soul , that he may not be afraid of the second death ; for he cannot but say Leave not my soul destitute , or naked and bare , Psal. 141. 8. But let it still be clothed with my Flesh , and its Insirmity , till thou shalt be pleased to cloath it with my Saviour and his Righteousness : For better is it for me to Live in misery , then to dye in it : Better for me to live in the Infirmities of my Body , then to dye in the Iniquities of my Soul : Hence proceeds the great Difficulty of learning this lesson , because our own fear makes us unwilling to learn it : But this same knowledge , as it is opposed by great Difficulty , so it is extorted by a far greater necessity : for our Mortal must put off both its sin and itself ; nay must therefore put off its self , that it may put off its sin : Excellently Theodoret , and most like a Christian Divine , in his Questions upon Genesis saith , God would not suffer Adam to eat of the tree of life after he had eaten of the forbidden fruit , that he might not suffer sin to be Eternal . Therefore death is to us a Remedy , not a Punishment ; it is a Medicine to cure us of our sins , rather then a Judgement to corment us for them . Our Flesh is not so neer our Body , as our Sin is neer our Flesh ; and therefore God hath in mercy appointed us to put off our Flesh , that with it we might put off our Sin. Thus is it most necessary for us to know our Mortality , That we may know an end of our sin and misery ; and this knowledge as it hath a great necessity , so it hath yet , a greater excellency : For he that knows truly how to put off himself , cannot but also know how to put on his Saviour ; And sure there can be no knowledge of like necessity with this , and much less of like excelleny with it : yea doubtless I count all things but loss , for the excellency of th●… Knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord , saith Saint Paul , Phil. 3. 8. And let my sou●… say so too . For all other knowledge i●… excellent either from the Object or from the Subject ; but this only is excellent from the term or end of it ; one knowledge is more excellent then another , either for the exactness and perspicuity of the Demonstration ( saith Aust. 1. de An. c. 1. ) or for the height and sublimity of the notion ; either for the certainty of the Subject , or for the excellency of the Object . In the knowledge of earthly things , the science hath its excellency from the Perspicuity of the Demonstration ; In the knowledge of Heavenly things th●… science hath its excellence from the Sublimity of the Notion : Thus far Aristotle could go , but no further , That som●… sciences were more excellent ratione subjecti , others ratione objecti ; but we must here add a third excellency ( unknown in Philosophy , yet undoubted in Christian Divinity ) ratione termini : For the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord is most excellent of all others , not only from the Object , for that he is the brightness of his fathers glory , and the express image of his person , Heb. 1. 2. And from the Subject , for that h●… is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world , John 1. 9. But also from the Term or end of it : For this is life eternal , that they might know thee the only true God , and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent : Joh. 3. 17. Did they not know their own temporal Death , they would not care to know thy eternal Life ; Did they not know the Vanity which themselves have contracted , they would not so heartily desire to know the Glory which thou hast provided ; Did they not know themselves , they would not labour to know their Saviour ; and yet all the world cannot shew us any knowledge like this knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord , which thus begins in Majesty , goes on in Perspicuity , and ends in Glory . CHAP , II. Tekel , or weighing of our selves and of our sins . SECT . I. Weighing of our selves . WHiles man is in the st●… of Nature , as he●… under the Curse a●… Dominion , so is he also u●…der the Blindness a●… Darkness of sin : for he●…ing he doth hear and doth not understa●… and seeing he doth see and not percei●… Act. 28. 16. Therefore it is necessary t●… the soul first weigh her self , before the●… weigh her sins . Now the soul may 〈◊〉 weigh her self in her own Ballance , but●… the Ballance of the Sanctuary ; by consid●…ing not what she is in her own , but w●… she is in Gods account : Quanti pretii est Anima cujus Redemptio est Dei Filius ? Of how great price is the soul of man , which could not be Redeemed but by the Son of God ? Of how great mischief is sin unto the soul , which doth make it forfeit the benefit of that Redemption ? I should not easily debase my soul by sin , if I did but consider seriously , what she is in Gods Account : what she is in the Account of God the Father who created her after his own likeness : what in the account of God the Son , who Redeemed her with his own blood : what she is in the account of God ●…he Holy Ghost , who Sanctifieth her , that ●…he may be sealed to the day of Redemption , Eph. 4. 30. O veneranda Trinitas , O ado●…anda Unitas ; per te sumus creati vera Ae●…ernitas ; per te sumus redempti ; summa tu Charitas . This consideration will bring the soul to know the state of Grace , and then she will never be at Rest till she know her self to be in that state . For if the soul be ●…ot in the state of Grace and Salvation , she must needs be in the state of fin and dam●…ation ; A third state of souls is not Revealed , may not be Phansied . Holy Ignatius Determines excellently concerning this ●…oint , in his Epistle to the Magnesians ; I say there are two several Stamps and Impressions of men : some are of the True some are of the False Stamp ; The Godl●… man is of Gods own stamp , true curran●… mony ; The Ungodly man is of the Devil●… stamp , a piece of counterfeit and false coin●… ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) Not that God made two several sorts of men in the Creation ; But tha●… the Devil hath since got a power over a●… wicked men by their own Election ; so tha●… the ungodly and unbelievers do now be●… the Image of the Prince of Darkness . Th●… Godly and the ●…aithful do bear the Imag●… of God the father , and of our Lord Jesu●… Christ. Thus far ( in effect , ) S. Ignatius , S. P●…ters second Successor in the Bishoprick o●… Antioch , and had from him learned thi●… Divinity ; who in his first Epistle , firs●… Chapter , and third ver . Blesseth God for having begotten us again to a lively hope , thereby teaching , that those can have no lively hope whom God hath not begotten again●… The same is also Saint Pauls Divinity , ( fo●… the spirit of Verity is alwaies the spirit o●… Unity , speaking indeed by several mouths but still one Truth ) who plainly contradistinguisheth the state of Gentiles and th●… state of Christians , the state of Nature an●… the state of Grace , Eph. 4. 13 , 17 , 18. So that we all either walk as Christians , till we come in the Unity of the Faith , and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man , unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ ; or we walk as Gentiles walk , in the vanity of their mind , having the understanding Darkned , being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them , because of the blindness of their heart . Nor is it enough for a man to know the state of Christians in General , but he must moreover labour to know his own state to be truly Christian in Particular : according to that of the same Apostle , 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith , Prove your own selves ; know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates ? The words import a standing Relation of the soul to God , as he is the giver of Life and Salvation , as if he had said , Examine your selves whether ye be in that Faith , without which it is impossible to please God : whether ye so come to God , as to believe that he is , and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him , Heb. 11. 6. Examine your own selves whether ye be in that faith , by which Christ Jesus dwelleth in you , and you in him . The●… is no man to be excused from this Examination , from this Self-tryal , much less to b●… Exempted from it : For the Apostle speaketh very Passionately concerning it , an●… we may take this for the meaning of h●… speech : Have you been so long called 〈◊〉 the faith of Christ , and do you not yet kn●… whether ye be truly in that Faith ? If you 〈◊〉 not know it , then examine and prove yo●…selves ; If you do know it , then examine a●… prove your Faith ; For you must know th●… Jesus Christ is in you , or that you are in a m●… miserable condition , such as is the condition●… Reprobates , not of good Christians : whereby is evident that every man is bound to kno●… his own Spiritual state or condition ; wh●…ther he be in the state of Sin , or in the sta●… of Grace ; whether he be in the state of S●…vation , or in the state of Damnation ; wh●…ther he be in the state of Faith , or in the sta●… of Infidelity : Nor is this knowledge gott●… by looking abroad , but by looking at hom●… not by searching into Gods secrets , but o●… own ; So saith the Apostle , Rom. 10. 6 , 7 , 8 , 〈◊〉 The Righteousness which is of Faith speak●… on this wise , Say not in thine heart , Who sh●… ascend into Heaven ? ( to wit that he m●… reveal to me from thence Gods will co●…cerning my salvation ) for that is to bring Christ down from above ( to deny that Christ is already come down from heaven , of purpose to shew us the way up thither ) Or who shall descend into the deep ? ( to wit , to rescue me from the power of death and hell ) that is , to bring up Christ again from the dead , ( to deny that Christ is risen from the dead , and hath conquered the power of death ) But what saith it ? The word is nigh thee , even in thy mouth , and in thy heart , That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus , and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead , thou shalt be saved . As if he had said , What needs any man trouble himself about cu●…ious Questions , to know whether he be in ●…he state of Salvation ? for that 's a thing which he can best know from his own mouth , and from his own heart . If his ●…eart be true to his Saviour by a lively Faith in his death and Resurrection ; And if his tongue be true to his heart by a ●…oyful Profession of that Faith ; If his Faith●…e ●…e agreeable to the word of Christ , and his ●…fe be agreeable to his Christian faith , ei●…er by his Innocency or by his Repentance ; ●…f his Inner man be true to Christ , and his ●…uter man be true to his Inner man ; He needs neither Rove in uncertainties , no●… Dive into Curiosities , nor distract himself with Perplexities , for he is undoubtedly in the state of Salvation ; The Spiri●… of God saith to a man in such a condition Thou shalt be saved ; Upon these Premise●… of Faith and Obedience ( here specified b●… Confession ) it would be Unlogical , an●… much more Untheological , to deny th●… Conclusion , the state of Salvation , Tho●… shalt be saved . And if you shall yet desire to know whether you have a tr●… Faith or no , I must tell you , that as th●… life of the Soul is the life of the Body , s●… Faith is the life of the Soul : For Chri●… dwelleth in the heart by Faith , Eph. 3. 17. And as life is known to be in the body b●… its sense and motion , so also is life known t●… be in the Soul : First , by its sence , for 〈◊〉 hath a feeling of its own sins and groan●… under the burden of them ; It hath a feeling of Christs merits and mercies , and r●…joyceth in the comfort thereof . Secondly , by its motion : The Affections are the fee●… by which the soul moveth : Hence tha●… saying , Anima est , non ubi Animat , sed u●… Amat , The soul is not where it lives , b●… where it loves ; consequently the soul tha●… placeth its love in God , hath its life in God Omnia sunt Vita in Deo , quae non vivunt in seipsis , saith the Angelical Dr. most Angelically , All things are life in God , even those things which have no life in themselves . Creatures that are dead in themselves , are alive in God : Creatures without life are life in him : Creatures that have life in themselves , yet in God have a far better life . Thus men in themselves have but a Momentany , a Corruptible , an Indigent , an Inglorious life : But men in God have a life of Eternity , of Incorruption , of Al-sufficiency , and full of Glory : wouldst thou then live Eternally , Incorruptibly , Contentedly and gloriously ? Go out of thy self , O Devout soul , and live in God : Go out of thy self by thy Affections , which will carry thee from earth to Heaven , from thy self to thy Saviour , and will make thee , whiles thy body is below , mount up on high , Placing thy heart where thy Treasure is , ( for Christ alone is the Treasure of Souls , who alone is the Saviour and Lover of Souls ) even in Heaven ; nay in the highest part of Heaven , at the right Hand of God. This is the Apostles advice , Col. 3. 1 , 2. If ye then be risen with Christ , seek those things which are above , where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God : set your Affections on things above , not on things on earth . And we may very well turn this Advice into an Argument , to prove that we are indeed Risen with Christ , because we do seek those things which are above , where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God : because we do settle our affections on things above , not on things of the earth ; but withall we must carefully observe the nature of this proof . For 1. It is not a Violent , but a Voluntary motion of the Affection that is her●… required ; the things above are such as w●… seek with Desire , and find with Delight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Quae sursum sunt q●…aerite , seek those things which are above . No●… turn Seeker after mens new Phansies , b●… after Gods old Mercies , Psal. 25. 6. Th●… Tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses , f●… they have been ever of old ; It is in the Hebrew , Quia à seculo ipsae , No Verb at a●… to signifie any Time , to shew they were b●…fore all time , from everlasting , and sha●… continue beyond all time , to everlasting . 〈◊〉 is the consideration of these everlasting me●…cies that maketh the soul to seek after G●… the father of mercies : Not the Fear of he●… but the Love of heaven : It is not a Viole●… but a Voluntary motion . That is the first . 2. Secondly , Again , It is not the motion of one Affection , but of all ; for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , set your affection , is spoken Indifinitely , and therefore , since in a matter necessary , Universally : It is not some affections for God , some for the World ; for so had wicked Balaam Num. 23. 10. saying , Let me die the death of the Righteous , And yet he loved the wages of Unrighteousness , 2 Pet. 2. 15. But all the affectious must be for God. For as a man cannot live the life of nature and have his Heart divided , so much less can he live the Life of Grace . Therefore all the Affections ; His Affections are settled Universally . That is the second . 3. Thirdly , This motion of the soul is not without Deliberation and great Judgement . For it is grounded upon the consideration and belief of Christs Resurrection [ If ye then be risen with Christ ] The consideration That Christ hath opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers , makes him Believe . The consideration That Christ sitteth on the right Hand of God in the Glory of the Father , maketh him Seek those things which are above , where Christ sitteth on the right Hand of God : His Judgement goes before his Affection ; the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , requires no less ; He hath seriously computed with himself , and sees there is but one Pearl of great Price unto his Soul , and for that he will sell all that he hath to buy it , Mat. 13. 4. 5. His Affections are settled judiciously on Christ , that 's the Third . 4. Fourthly and lastly , This motion of the soul is not without right Order ; for it begins from a right Principle , and therefore must needs end with a blessed conclusion . He is not moved with the Fear of Gods Majesty , but of His mercy , Psal. 130. 4. But there is forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared . The Unregenerate fears God for his Vengeance , but the Regenerate fears him for his Forgiveness : He looks not on God as he is in himself , A consuming Fire ; but as He is in His Son , a still small voice . God is a still small voice , only in his Enternal Word . In him he wil speak Peace unto his People and to his Saints , Psal. 85. 8. But if he speak not in His Son , Then he is a God speaking out of the midst of the Fire , Deut. 4. 33. And his Voice is accordingly with Thunderings and Lightnings , a voice great in Power , and full of Majesty , such as breaketh the Cedars of Lebanon , Psal. 29. and is able to rend our stony Hearts , but by no means to comfort and raise up our dejected Souls . Wherefore the true Believer looks upon God in Christ , where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. The right hand of God is terrible in it self , but not now Christ is sitting at it : The Psalmist cals upon God to pluck His right hand out of his Bosom , to consume his Adversaries and his blaspheming Enemies , Ps. 74. And which of us is not so much Gods enemy as to be speedily consumed , Did not the son of God , our blessed Saviour , sit on his Fathers right hand , to keep him from plucking it out of his Bosome to consume us ? Or when he plucks it out , to interpose betwixt us and it , That God cannot strike us but through the loins of his only begotten and only beloved son : So secure is that Soul which is in Christ , That it may draw neer with a true Heart in full assurance of Faith , Heb. 10. 22. Even to the right Hand of God : T is an orderly motion of the Soul , Going to God in Christ , That is the fourth . If your Affections carry your soul to God thus Voluntarily , thus Universally , thus Judiciously , thus Orderly . T is an invincible argument , an undeniable Proof that your soul lives in God , and therefore may comfortably from him expect Everlasting Life ; For you may then say with Saint Paul , Gal. 2 20. I am crucified with Christ ; nevertheless I live , yet not I , but Christ liveth in me ; And the life which I now ●…ive in th●… Flesh , I live by the Faith of the Son of God , who loved me , and gave Himself for me . Many men have measured their Faith by the strength of its perswasion , and have mistaken Themselves , for they have taken Phancy for Faith : but never was any man mistaken in his Faith , who measured it by the strength of its Affection . This is the surest way to know whether you have a true Faith in Christ , and whether your soul doth truly live in him by that Faith : And if you shall yet further ask , what degree of Faith is required to make the soul ascend up unto its Saviour ? I must answer , it is not the measure or the Degree , but the Sincerity of Faith that maketh it a saving Faith , and placeth the man that hath it , in the state of Salvation : wherein we may see the infinite Goodness of God towards the souls of men : For were such or such a degree of Faith required to justifie a Sinner , no man could ever have any comfortable Assurance of his Justification ; for no man can exactly know the Degree of his own Faith ; And he that believes the most stedfastly , had need to say , Lord I believe , Help thou my Unbelief , Mar. 9. 24. He may undertake for the Sincerity , He cannot for the strength or measure of his Faith. But now since it is the True and Lively Faith that justifies , it is enough that a man only know he doth truly believe , and so rest and rely upon the merits of his Saviour , for his justification . For this is the Apostolical Benediction , Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity , Eph. 6. 24. Sincerity , not sufficiency of love is the Touchstone to try the Soul , whether it be in the state of Grace . The Apostle saith not in Abundance , for fear of disturbing the Peace of souls , ( for who can tell when he loveth the Lord Jesus Christ abundantly , considering how often He sins against Him ? ) But He saith , In sincerity , to establish and confirm the Peace of Souls ; For every one that Loveth , knoweth the sincerity of his own love , the Soul being an Infallible judge of its own Act in the Quality , when it may easily be mistaken in the Quantity . Saint Peters threefold denyal of his Master , had stopped his mouth from Professing the Abundance , but not from Professing the sincerity of his Love ; Yea Lord ( saith he ) Thou knowest that I love Thee : Iohn 21. 15. He knew well the sincerity of his own Love , or He durst not have appealed to the Searcher of Hearts to be Judge of that Sincerity , As if he had said , Though I do not know That I love thee sufficiently , yet I do know That I love thee truly and sincerely : And thou knowest it too : nor could 〈◊〉 truly say , Thou knowest that I love thee , if I did not know it my self : O happy man , whose conscience bears him witness , That he Truly Repents , Truly Believes , and Truly Loves . For He can promise to himself not only Admittance to God , but also Acceptance with Him. For if he can say from the bottome of his Heart●… Lord I repent , He must be comforted i●… This , That He who came to call sinners to Repentance , Mat. 9. 13. will not reject a Sinner that is Repenting : He tha●… promised to spare a whole Nation for one Converts sake , ( Jer. 5. 1. if but one of them did Seek Truth who had formerly despised it ) will much more spare that soul in which himself hath wrought a true Conversion ; For he cannot despise the works of his own hands , though he cannot but despise and abandon the works of Ours . Those words then of the man that was born blind , God heareth not sinners , had little reason to Trouble Saint Augustine for fear no mans Prayers should be heard , for that all are sinners , which made him find out this exception rather then exposition , Verbum coeci adhuc inuncti , i. e. nondum illuminati , & ideò non est Ratum : This was the saying of a blind man before his eyes were fully opened to see , or his heart was illuminated to know the truth , and therefore it holds not : But we need no such exception : for this is one of those common Notions which the Devil and Sin could not blot out of the hearts of men : and therefore we find it in effect avowed by a Heathen Poet , Hom. Il. a. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , God heareth those that obey him , and consequently heareth not the disobedient and unrighteous , which is all one with this , God heareth not sinners ; and this may be verified ( saith Aquinas ) de Peccatore in quantum est peccator , ( 22 ae . qu. 83. art . 16. ) Of sinners as far forth as they are sinners , for so God heareth them not , yet he may and doth hear them as penitents : God heareth not such sinners as are willingly and wilfully under the Power and Dominion of sin , such as are habitually sinful , and still remain in the state of sin : For A man may be a sinner , yet not be in the state of sin . That notes a Momentany Action , but this a standing Relation , or a setled continuance ; status notat Dispositionem cum quadam immobilitate , ( saith Aquinas . ) That makes a man unworthy of Gods Favor , but this makes him uncapable of it : So saith the Prophet , What hath my beloved to do in mine house , seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many , and the holy Flesh is passed from thee ? when thou dost evil then thou rejoycest , Jer. 11. 15. These words shew the state of sin , and the miserable condition of that state ; The state of sin is the working of lewdness with many , and rejoycing in that work ; neither Reluctancie before it , nor Repentance after it ; And the miserable condition of that state , is , not to have to do in Gods house , i. e. Not to have any right to the Word & Sacraments ; for the Holy Flesh here ( saith R. David ) is the Flesh of Gods Altar . An Impenitent sinner hath nothing to do with that Holy Flesh ; and if he will needs intrude himself to have to do with it , yet it shall not be Holy Flesh to him , he shall have no benefit of its Holiness : Nay to him it shall be in its effect , what it is already in his account , an unholy thing , Heb. 10. 29. Impura es ipsa , ac proinde non potes non impurare omnes oblationes tuas , saith Trem. Thou thy self being in the state of impurity , canst not but make all thy offerings impure . Thy Prayers will be turned into sin , Psal. 109. 7. And how then can thy sin not be turned into Death ? Therefore he that will offer to God an acceptable offering , must first offer himself : For if God accept not the person , he will not accept the offering . The Lord first had respect to Abel , then to his offering , Gen. 4. 4. Wherefore it neerly concerns every Christian to forsake all his sins , and to assure himself that he is in the state of Grace and Acceptance with God , for that else he cannot be assured that either his Prayer or his Prayses will be accepted : And how shall we better know the state of Grace , then from his mouth , whose hands , nailed to the Cross , made it ? And whose side , Pierced on the Cross , poured it forth to us ? And he plainly tells us that our state is either of God , or of the Devil , John 8. 42. If God were your Father you would love me : From whence we may infer , they that do love Christ have God for their Father , and consequently are in a Good , in a Happy state : But v. 4. 4. Ye are of your Father the Devil , and the lusts of your Father ye will do : From whence we may infer , they that will needs do the lusts of the Devil , have the Devil for their father : Not simply they that do the lusts , but they that wilfully do them . The Text it self gives us this Distinction , saying , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ye will do them : For there is a great difference betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Facio , and Volo Facere ; I do , and I will do . For Saint Paul saith of himself , the evil which I would not , that I do , Rom. 7. 19. and yet proves that he is in the state of Regeneration , notwithstanding his doing it : Now if I do that I would not , it is no more I that do it , but sin that dwelleth in me , v. 21. Sin may dwell in me , but I may not dwell in sin : If I do that evil I would not , it is because sin dwelleth in me : But if I will that evil I do , it is because I dwell in sin , and am one of those of whom it is said , ye are yet in your sins , 1 Cor. 15. 17. He saith not , your sins are in you , but you are in your sins ; not , they possessed by you , but you possessed by them : not , they have a being in you , but you have a being in them . This Regiment of Satan doth not come to Quarter with you against your will , but you have made an Invitation to them , and Provision for them : they find the house swept and garnished , and look upon it as their own ; and so have their Habitation with you , as that they also have Dominion over you . And in this respect doth our blessed Saviour say to the Jews , ye shall dye in your sins , That is , in the Guilt , and under the Bondage of your sins , unless by faith in Christ you get out of that Guilt , out of that Bondage ; for so it is said , If ye believe not that ' I am he , ye shall dye in your sins , John 8. 24. To live out of Christ , is to live in sin : and to live in sin , is the way to die in sin : and to die in sin , is to die eternally : For he that dies in sin , is an eternal sinner , and is therefore justly punished with eternal death . Peccavit in suo aeterno , saith Saint Greg. He sinned in his eternity , and yet his whole life was but a span-long . The reason is , He that sins impenitently , would sin eternally , if he might live eternally . He sins eternally in his Resolution , though not in his Action , and shews whose child he is , by doing the works of his Father , and wilfully doing them , The works of your Father ye will do . A man may do the lusts of the Devil , and yet be the child of God : but he cannot wilfully do them , and continue in that wilfulness , but he must be the child of the Devil : He alone hath Right in him , and he will claim his Right : He will claim him as a Father claims his child . For this is the specifical difference betwixt the Regenerate and the Unregenerate ; Both are sinners , but the one sinneth eagerly with desire , and Habitually with delight ; the other desireth not to sin , and delighteth not in sinning . Though he may sometimes do the work of the Devil , yet it is against his will , for he Desires and delights to do the work of God. And that 's the reason our Blessed Saviour hath taught such a man to call God his Father , and he would not have taught him to call God so , were he indeed not so : For truth teacheth no man to tell a lye , much less in his Prayers : wherefore in that we are taught to say Our Father , it is evident that we are bound to be in the state of Regeneration , or we have no right to say our Prayers . For we are not taught to say Our Father in respect of our corporal Creation , ( for so God is the Father of the wicked as well as of the Righteous ) but of our spiritual Regeneration : That God is Our Father by spiritual Generation , for that according to his Abundant mercy he hath begotten us again , to lively hope , 1 Pet. 1. 3. For of his own will begat he us with the word of truth , Jam. 1. 18. And if God be Our Father by Spiritual Generation , then are we also his sons by Adoption , and can rightly and truly say Our Father , and all the Petitions after it , without giving the Lie to our own Consciences . Whereas a man that is in the state of sin , cannot truly say any one Petition of the Lords most Holy Prayer . He cannot say , Our Father , for he will not be the son of God : He cannot say , Hallowed be thy name , for he delights to profane it : He cannot say , Thy Kingdom come , for he fears nothing more then its coming : He cannot say , Thy Will be done , for he resolves against the doing it : Wherefore if you ask me how shall sinners not yet converted say to God , Our Father : I Answer , if they truly desire to be converted , and to become his children , they may say so , as the Prodigal son resolving to arise and go to his Father , though he were not yet come unto him , had a right of calling him Father , Luke 15. 18. For an unfained desire of conversion shews a true convert , God accepting the will for the deed , As working in us to will , no less then to do , of his own good pleasure . And the best man that is , will meet with inextricable Difficulties , if he Ground the Truth of his conversion upon the Ability of his Performance , and not upon the sinceritity of his desire . Saint Bernard tells of a very Religious Monk , who undertaking to say his Pater Noster without the least A vocation or A version of his thoughts from God , ( which another professed that he could not obtain to do , by all the fasting and prayer that he had used for many years ) convinced and condemned himself by his own mouth , before he had gone over half the petitions , interposing such an Impertinency in his prayer , as plainly shewed that his mind was on earth , whiles his tongue was in heaven . I conclude then , that only those sinners among the sons of men have no right to their Pater Noster , but do hypocritically and falsly say the Lords prayer , who neither are , nor desire to be the children of God ; who so are sinners , as that they also are in the state of sin , and desire to continue in that state : For how can that man have a right to pray , who before he praies , hath set his heart against his God , and whiles he is praying , doth set his own tongue against his heart ? SECT . II. Weighing of our sins . EVery man shall bear his own burden , saith the Apostle , Gal. 6. 5. And it will con●…ern every wise man to see he hath no greater burden then he is able to bear . Of all burdens , none is so heavy as sin : ●…or other burdens can only press down to ●…earth , but this presseth also down to hell : Therefore above all other burdens , it is a ●…oint of wisdom to be rid of this burden of ●…in . But how shall we rid our selves of it ? Who will take it from us ? who will bear it ●…or us ? The Psalmist hath told us , Psal. 55. ●…2 . saying , Cast thy burden upon the Lord , ●…nd he shall sustain thee . If it be thy wi●…est course to cast upon him the burden of ●…hy Body , then much more the burden of ●…hy soul : Say then to him as Hezekiah did , O Lord I am oppressed , Undertake for me , Isa. 38. 14. Thou didst bear the heavy ●…urden of thy Cross , that thou mightest ●…ear the far heavier burden of my sins ; This is the burden that most oppresseth me : this is the burden that I most earnest●…y beseech thee to undertake for me , and to take from me ; thou didst admit of one to help thee bear the burden of thy Cross , but of none to help thee bear the burden of my sins ; Therefore I can flee to none for hel●… but to thee alone ; Thou only wert able to●… satisfie the Justice of an angry God , and 〈◊〉 beseech thee to make me a joyfull Partake●… of that blessed Satisfaction . One Ange●… was enough to strengthen thee to bea●… the burden of the sins of the whole world●… But all the Angels in Heaven are no●… enough to strengthen me to bear the burden only of mine own sins ; therefore I slee●… unto thee to undertake for me ; Be thou my●… Pledge , my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to pawn Lift for Life , soul for soul in my stead , That 〈◊〉 who have forfeited both life and soul i●… my self , may Recover them both in my Pledge , in my Undertaker . But I may not hope to be so easily rid of my heavy burden by desiring to lay it upon another shoulders , unless I first lay it on mine ow●… Heart . For if my Saviour were so exceeding sorrowfull for my sins , it is grea●… reason I should be sorrowfull for mine own Sins , which alone caused his greate●… Sorrow : And How can I be sorry for my Sins , till I know the burden of them How can I know their burden till I have weighed Them in the ballance of the Sanctuary ? There I shall find , that sin is directly opposite to the Goodness of God , and therefore must needs be as odious to Him , as His own Goodness is amiable to Himself : There I shall find that the wilfull Sinner is a Rebell against the King of Heaven , doth despise the Golden scepter of his mercy , and would put him down from the Throne of his Majesty : There I shall find that every Sin Unrepented separates from God ; Isa. 59. 2. Your Iniquities have separated betwixt you and your God ; ) Grieves his Holy Spirit , excludes and expels Grace from the soul , nay excludes and expels the soul from it self , bringing Darkness on the Understanding , Perversness on the Will , Forgetfulness on the Memory , Debility and weakness on the Power of Action ; So that by Sin the soul is neither rightly Intellective , nor Retentive , nor Affective , nor Active : Most ingeniously the Casuist , Dicat Saluberrimum Peccavi , cujus Singulae literae indices illi esse possunt miseriae in qua constituitur . Let the Sinner frequently and Heartily cry Peccavi , the several Letters of which word will put him in mind of His several losses and miseries by His sins ; as for example ; P Praemiis omnium meritorum privatus : e Egestate oppressus : c Coecitate mentis percussus : c Charitate divina spoliatus 〈◊〉 a Amaritudine repletus : v Viam perdi●…tionis ingressus : i Iram Dei meritus 〈◊〉 ( Reginaldus de Prudentia in Confessario●… cap. 5. ) Innumerable are the miseries o●… the impenitent sinner , yet reducible All t●… these seven Heads : 1. That he loseth th●… benefit of his former righteousness . 2. Tha●… he is oppressed with many wants ; ( an●… above All with the want of Repentance . ) 3. That he is smitten with blindness in hi●… Understanding . 4. That he is out o●… Gods Favour . 5. That He is full of bitterness . 6. That he is in the way of Pe●…dition . 7. That he is under the wrath o●… God ; And the word Peccavi in Latine●… will put Him in mind of All these 〈◊〉 and as it will shew him His Disease , so●… will also Help him to his Cure. For H●… that truly crieth Peccavi , doth truly fe●… the burden of his sin ; and thereby hath a●… interest in that gracious invitation , an●… more gracious Promise made by our ble●… sed Saviour , Mat. 11. 28. Come unt●… me all ye that labour and are Heavy-laden ( there 's the Gracious Invitation ) and I wi●… give you Rest. ( There 's the more graciou●… Promise ; ) Wherefore let me ever b●… sure , cordially to say Peccavi , I have sinned , and let me conceive this to be the meaning of my saying , I have sinned not only ignorantly or negligently out of common Infirmity , but also Impudently against knowledge , Presumptuously against conscience , Unthankfully against the means of Grace , Scandalously against the Power of Grace : There have been in my sins the Three great Aggravations of sin , Contempt , Ingratitude , and Scandal : I have sinned with greater Contempt , because God hath revealed himself farther to me then to Others ; With greater Unthankfulness , because God hath given me greater light and strength of Grace to resist Sin , then he hath given unto others And with greater Scandal , because I have given occasion unto others of inceasing the number and burden of their sins : For though it is a great Impudence to commit Sin , yet is it a far greater impudence to Conceal or to deny it . By committing sin I do grievously offend : but by concealing Sin I do shamefully , ( or rather shamelesly ) Affront my Maker ; In committing sin there is a fowl disagreement of mans heart from the Law of God ; but in out-facing it , there is yet farther a more horrid disagreement of mans Tongue from his own Heart ; O how Great , How Grievous is this Schism , this Division , when a man is divided both from his God and from Himself ? from his God by Apostacy , from Himself by Hypocrisie : Not to do what is bidden him , that 's his Apostacie : To deny what he hath done , that 's his Hypocrisie . We read in Jeremy the Prophet , of a People in whose skirts was found the blood of the souls of the Poor Innocents , and yet they boasted of their own Innocency : But shame was the end of their boasting ; for so it follows , Behold I will plead with thee , bècause thou saist I have not sinned , Jer. 2. 34 , 35. Here were some far from God by committing sin : but further by denying it : contrariwise , Luke 18. 13. we have gone far indeed from God by sin , but neer him by repentance . Far from God by committing sin , but neer him by confessing it . He stands afar off whiles he saith God be mercifull to me a sinner ; but by so saying he presently gets neerer ; He would not lift up his eyes , but he did lift up hi●… heart to Heaven : O the modesty of a true Penitent , who takes the ready course to be Acquitted , and yet acquit●… every one besides himself ! He dares no●… harden his Forehead , for fear that should harden his Heart : And though he hath made his soul odious in the sight of God by sin , yet he will not make his sin more odious in the sight of God by his Impenitence ; For what shall we say of that wicked woman in the Proverbs , who committeth her wickedness in secret , and when she cometh forth wipe●…eth her mouth and saith all is well , Prov. 30. 20. What shall we say of her ? We must needs say that by wiping her mouth she defiled it : For had she come into Gods presence with a Penitent heart and an humble confession , though her sin had ●…tuck upon her lips , it had not stuck upon ●…er Soul ; But now wiping her mouth , ●…nd saying all is well , she hath multiplied ●…er sin , and increased her wretchedness : ●…or whereas before with Unchaste Magdalen she had seven Devils , now she ●…ath eight , and the last Devil is worse then ●…l the rest . A dumb Devil , that Seals up ●…er lips , and permits her not to cry out to ●…e Son of God for mercy : so that in ●…ch a wretch , The end is far worse then ●…e beginning : The beginning is sin , but ●…e end is worse then sin : Can there be ●…y thing worse then sin which is directly opposite to Gods own Goodness ? Yes , there can , there is ; Impenitency in sin i●… worse then sin : For whereas sin opposeth the Goodness of God , Impenitency defyeth it : By committing sin I do displease my maker , but by defending it 〈◊〉 shall despise him : Wherefore I will abhor my self in dust and ashes , not seek t●… cloke or disguise my wickedness , but acknowledge and confess it , saying , Peccavi , I have sinned : I have sinned Impudently Presumptously , Unthankfully , Scandalously : but God forbid I should sin Impenitently : This is the fittest Arraignmen●… of a sinner at the Bar of Gods justice wherein there needs no witness to accu●… him , no judge to condemn him : H●… own conscience is a thousand witnesse●… and himself his own judge to pronoun●… the Sentence of Condemnation : So , it w●… with Job , saying , I have sinned , wh●… shall I do unto Thee , O thou preserver 〈◊〉 Men ? Job 7. 20. As if he had said , the●… needs no evidence but mine own for 〈◊〉 Conviction , Peccavi , I have sinned , I a●… fully convinced of my sins , and the●… needs nothing to my Confusion but 〈◊〉 Conviction , what shall I do unto thee thou Preserver of men ? q. d. I am no●… at my wits end , at the end of my wits , though at the beginning of my Trouble : I have hitherto done I know not what , and now I know not what to do : I have heretofore troubled my conscience , and now my conscience troubles me : Because I have sinned against my Maker and my Preserver , against him in whom I live and move and have my being : I have sinned against thee O thou Preserver of men , and what shall I do , since by my sins I have put my self out of thy Protection and Preservation ? What shall I do ? but confefs my Sin , with as much sorow , as I committed it with Delight : For I am under a grievous guilt , a heavy load , an Unsupportable burden , and give God thanks for placing me in a Church which hath taught me thus to confess my Sins , the remembrance of them is grievous unto us , the burden of them is intolerable : and thus to pray for deliverance and redress , Receive and comfort us who are grieved and wearied with the burden of our sins , much like that Prayer of the greek Church , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , O Lord raise me up and make me right and straite by the hand of thy saving Help and Mercy , who am now bowed and pressed down to Earth ( I had almost said to Hell ) with the grievous and deadly burden of my sins : Thou didst lay thy hands upon the woman that had a spirit of Infirmity 18. years , and was bowed so together that she could in no wise lift up her self , and immediately she was made straite , and glorified God , Luke 13. 11 , 12. The burden of Iniquity hath been more years upon me , then the burden of Infirmity had been upon her , and hath not only Bowed , but also Thrown me down , and still keeps me under : Thy Hand O Lord is not shortned that it cannot save , and loose me from the burden of mine iniquity , as it did her from the spirit of her Infirmity : sweet Jesus lay thy mercifull hands on me , that I may be Immediately made straite , as she was , and Glorifie God : For this is a grievous and 〈◊〉 deadly burden , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , A grievous , and yet withal , A Fatal Burden ; A Burden that brings grief with it , and Damnation after it : such is the burden of any wilfull sin whatsoever , till Faith and Repentance have unloaded the conscience . Most divinely Saint Chrysostom : If all my Righteousness be as Filthy rags , Isa. 64. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , what shall be said of my filthiness and of my unrighteousness ? Surely if my best righteousness hath the aspersion of sin , then are my sins most exeeeding sinfull : But we all generally herein are like the Pharisees , ready to bind Heavy burdens and grievous to be born , and lay them on other mens shoulders , Mat. 23. 4. whereas this is a burden that we should ●…her lay every man on his own Heart : The evil of our neighbours Heart we cannot know , and yet are very desirous to know it , though that knowledge tend directly to our damnation , either for our malice or our Curiosity ; The evil of our own hearts we can know , yet care not to know it : though this knowledge immediately conduce to our salvation , either by our Humility or by our Repentance : For that man is worse then Simon Magus , who is in the very gall of bitterness , and in the bond of iniquity , and yet scorns to say to the Successors of the Apostles , Pray ye unto the Lord for me , that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me ; Acts 8. 23 , 24. For whatsoever God hath spoken in his word against impenitent sinners , he cannot but fear will come upon him , and it is just he should know it will so , that he may not still continue in his Impenitency : Sin doth at first grieve the God without us , maker of Heaven and Earth , but at last it will grieve the God within us , our own Consciences ; It is at first Vastans Conscientiam , to waste thy Conscience , that from a little conscience thou maist have no conscience : It will be at last Aggravans Conscientiam , to burden thy Conscience , that from no Conscience , thou maist come to all Conscience . It is best then for the sinner to be his own ●…ndemner , that he may not be his own executioner : For it is a sign he is in Bethesda , in the house of Grace , if he find his Conscience , ( like those waters ) Troubled within him : For being Impotent by reason of his sins , whether Blind or halt , or withered ; whether Blind in his Understanding , or halt in his Affections , or withered in his Actions , He cannot be healod till He step into the Troubled waters ; which though they are the worst to let him see his Face , ( for all will appear in broken lineaments ) yet are they the best to help him heal his soul : Be not afraid then to step one step further into these waters , as long as it is a good Spirit from God that troubles them : The Disciples being in a storm , and seeing Jesus walking on the Sea , and drawing nigh unto the ship , were afraid , till they heard and knew his voice , then they willingly received him into the ship , and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went. So when thy soul is in a Tempest , though Jesus himself be coming nigh , thou wilt be afraid , but when he is fully come , thou wilt most willingly receive him , and immediately upon his reception , Thou wilt be at the Haven of a Blessed Rest : for himself will say unto thee , Let not your heart be troubled , ye believe in God , believe also in me , John 14. 1. A true Believer should not be troubled , for by his faith he is more then Conqueror : And yet he is often troubled ; for by reason of his weakness , and of his unworthiness he doth sometimes not perceive the conquest of his Faith : His own Conscience so convincing him , that he cannot but be much troubled at the conviction : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , saith Aristotle . There is a twofold Redargution or Conviction ; The one proceeding from the Confutation of the Cause , the other from the Confutation of the Person . The Cause is often overthrown , when yet the Person still retains his former confidence ; The Arguments of men may Confute , and yet not Convince ; they may convince , and yet not Extort the acknowledgement o●… a Conviction : But the Argumentts of the Conscience are truly and fully Convictive , because they are truly and fully Demonstrative : And that in such a kind of Demonstration of which the Philosophers words are most really verified , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Demonstration is not to confute the man in his Person , for he may be Contumacious and Refractory , but to confute him in his Reason and in his Judgement . Such is this Demonstration of Conscience , It seizeth on the inward man ; If that plead the Cause , if that Dispute and make an instance against the Respondent , no sophistry , no elusion , no evasion will serve his turn , but his heart is troubled , his countenance dejected , and his tongue silenced , so that he can say nothing in excuse , much less in justification of himself , but is forced to flie to his Saviours Al-sufficient Merits , and Al-saving mercies , ( and it is a happy violence that so forceth him ) saying with the blind man in the Gospel , Jesus thou son of David , have mercy on me . And though many charge him that he should hold his peace ( even very many sins and unworthinesses ) yet he cries the more a great deal , Thou son of David , have mercy on me , till Jesus stand still , and command him to be called , and say unto him , What wilt thou that I should do unto thee ? Then will his Answer be , Lord that I might receive my sight , not so much to see mine own sins , as thy mercies , thine infinite , thine undeserved mercies . Thus I would receive my sight , to see the light of thy countenance , and I shall be whole . This was that admirable prayer in the Greek Liturgies . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Lord appease and allay those invisible tumults of mine own breast , which so much disquiet and torment my soul : Other enimies may be resisted , and haply vanquished , but this internal enemy is altogether inexpugnable , and alwaies gets the victory over us . Appease these invisible wars : we are much frighted with visible wars , but the invisible are infinitely more terrible , for these will frighten even the Souldiers themselves , who make it their Work , no less then their Profession , to disturb and frighten others : And they are called invisible wars , not only because they alone can see them who feel them , but also because they are the most fatal and dangerous , even as an enemy is most dangerous when he is least seen ; most to be feared , when he is least to be discovered . Conscience doth then war most dangerously , when most privately , most unsuspectedly , and doth then most hurt thee , when it doth least wound thee , when it wil●… not strike , till it be too late for thee to ward the blow : For then Sin lyeth at the door , Gen. 4. 7. Robets , it layeth down o●… coucheth like some wild beast , at the mouth of his Cave , as if he were asleep , bu●… indeed watcheth and waketh , and is ready to flie at all that come neer it : So is sin in 〈◊〉 mans Conscience , Couchant rather then Dormant ; it sleeps Dogs sleep , that it may take the sinner at the greater advantage and flie the more furiously in his face Conscientia dormit respectu motionis , non observationis ; Conscience may seem to sleep , whe●… indeed it doth not , for when it sleeps it is only i●… regard of motion , not in regard of observation . When it doth least check thee , it doth mos●… observe thee : It spares thee a while , to torment thee for ever ; It spares thee here , to torment thee hereafter ; A most cruel mercy to observe the sin , and let alone the sinner To Register the wicked deed , but not to Reprove him that did it . And this is all the mercy that a seared , a benummed Conscience doth afford when it doth most befriend us . It will not cut , that it may kill : It will not convince , that it may confound : It will not accuse , that it may condemn . Wherefore I will awaken my Conscience to Arraign me here , that it awaken not it self to Condemn me hereafter : for that must , that will prevail at length , and that with such an evidence , to which I shall not be able to plead not Guilty , and much less to withstand the Guilt . It will come upon me as Poverty upon Solomons sluggard , like an Armed man , not only as a Valiant man , with power to overcome me , but also as an Armed man , with frights and terrors to over-aw me . David a man of war , who said he would not fear though an Host encamped against him , nay encompassed him round about , Psal. 27. 3. & 3. 6. yet durst not look one sin in the face , but when Nathan had said unto him , Thou art the man , and his own conscience had attested the saying , he presently gives over the thought of Denyal , or Tergiversation , and much more the spirit of contradiction , and Prostrates himself before the mercy seat , not being able to stand in the Judgement , and cryeth out , I have sinned against the Lord , 2 Sam. 12. 13. He had sinned once by commiting his sin , and durst not sin again by lessening it : He neither desired to extenuate the guilt of Sin in himself , nor to aggravate it in another ; and they generally go both together , no man being so ready to accuse and condemn his Brother , as he that is resolved to Acquit and Justifie himself ; Spiritual Pride causeth thee to think thy brother the greater sinner , but indeed it makes thee so ; But consider awhile proud Justitiarie , is it not practical Blasphemy in the highest degree , for thee to set and settle thy self in Christs Judgement Seat , and there to become a Judge of souls ? He that said Judge not , that ye be not Judged , hath in effect told thee , that if thou dost Lord it in his Tribunal here , thou shalt tremble and quake before it hereafter . The Joints o●… thy knees ( with Belshazzars ) shall then be as loose , as is now thy tongue . The words o●… the Psalmist are much to be observed , Psal. 109. 30. He shall stand at the right hand of the poor , to save him from those that condemn his soul. Christ will leave his Throne at the right hand of God , rather then fail to stand at the right hand of the poor ; and what poor they are he takes such a care of , Himself hath told us , Mat. 5. 3. The poor in Spirit . The Kingdom of heaven is most theirs who least assume it to themselves : Who think they are not worthy of a being upon earth , they shall be surest of a being in heaven ; they think themselves not worthy to kneel upon the earth , because it is the footstool of the most high God , much less worthy to look up to heaven , because it is his Throne ; but he thinks them most worthy to be Translated from the earth , and to be admitted into heaven ; saying , For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven . These are the poor that our Saviour Christ doth alwaies stand by , ( and indeed they alone do constantly stand by him , though others pretend more to be his servants . ) And why doth he alwaies stand by them , or ( as the Text speaks ) at their right hand ? even to save them from those that condemn their fouls , or as it is in the Hebrew , to save from the Judges of his soul , or to save his soul from Judges . To save him from the Judges of his soul , for though they condemn him , yet he will acquit and save him : or to save his soul from Judges ; That is , ( as our other Translation reads this verse , ) To save his soul from unrighteous Judges : For no Judge can b●… so unrighteous as he that Judges anothe●… mans soul ; For his Judgement proceed●… not out of inclination to Justice , but meerly out of pride or malice , so that it is●… perverse Judgement : It proceeds not fro●… a lawful Authority , but from Self-wi●… and Presumption , so that it is an usurpe●… Judgement : And it proceeds not according to the Rules of Prudence and Discretion , but of folly and madness , so that it i●… a foolish and rash Judgement . Christ i●… the only Over-seer and Bishop of o●… souls , 1 Pet. 2. 25. Do not presume to go●… visitation in thy Saviours Diocess : Judg●… no mans soul but thine own : So shalt tho●… not be Judged of the Lord , for two Reasons , For not Judging others , and fo●… Judging thyself ; Here at home thou mai●… rightly Judge , and as rightly condemn nay if thou dost but Judge , thou must condemn , it being all one for a sinner t●… Judge his own soul and to condemn it And the more he Judges the more he co●…demns . Like Ezekiels Vision , chap. 8●… The more he looks , the worse he likes , v●… But Turn thou yet again , and thou shalt s●… Greater Abominations : and v. 13 , Is●… again the same : so is it in the Vision of ou●… own sinful souls ; This must still be the Epiphonema , the Burden , the concluding sentence , Hast thou seen This , O son of man ? Turn thee yet again , and thou shalt see greater Abominations : Though thou hast already seen most wondrous strange & horrid sins , such whose very thought must needs affright the soul , and therefore whose guilt must needs oppress it , yet thou must still look to see Greater Abominations : when thou hast seen all manner of wickedness in thine heart , and sins there as Firebrands of hell for Torment , but as the stars of heaven for multitude , some of the greater , some of the lesser magnitude , but yet altogether Innumerable , and every one too too Great ; when thou hast seen all this , and imagined more then thou canst see , yet this saying must be the conclusion of all , Hast thou seen this , O son of man ? Turn thee yet again , and thou shalt see greater Abominations then These . Thou canst not turn to look upon , or rather into thy self , but thou wilt still find out some new Abominations , and if thou find none , it is because thou thy self art the Abomination of Desolation ; so Abominable , as reserved to Destruction ; or because thou art all Abomination , and therefore thinkest nothing Abominable ; as that Breath which is mo●… corrupt and unsavory , can least discern 〈◊〉 own corruption and Unsavoriness : whi●… is therefore the greater , because the le●… discerned : But let us a little view this v●…sion more particularly , and in it our ow●… hearts ; we may here observe the wickednes●… of Israel , both towards God and toward●… Mans : towards God by Idolatry , 1. I●… worshipping of Baal , ( here called th●… Image of Jealousie , ver . 3. & 5. becaus●… it made God jealous , and we know Idolatry is forbidden with this reason , Fo●… the Lord thy God is a jealous God●… 2. In offering Incense to creeping thing●… ver . 10. 3. In weeping for Tammuz●… ver . 14. 4. In worshipping the Sun●… ver . 16. Towards men by cruelty , ver . 17. For they have filled the Land wit●… violence . And is not all this Idolatry the sin o●… thine own heart ? is not all this Cruelty the sin of thine own hand ? First for the Idolatry , the sin that thou thinkest thy self least guilty of , when Thou followest thine own Phansie in serving God Thou worshippi●… Baal , ( Nomen Idoli , quia illud colentium Dominus ) That 's now thine Idol , nay indeed thy Lord and Master , and hath gotten Dominion over thee , nor is there any Image more dangerously worshipped then ●…hine own Imagination ; God is a jealous God in all Idolatry , but in none so much as when thou makeft thy self thine own Idol . Again , when for vile and base respects , or sordid advantages , thou transgressest the Duties of Piety , Justice , or Charity , Thou then offerest Incense to Creeping things , ●…ay thy self art creeping on Earth , when ●…hou shouldest be ascending into heaven : 〈◊〉 . When thou bemoanest thy temporall Losses with too much pensiveness of Thought , as being much more grieved for the wasting of thy treasure , then of thy conscience , Thou then weepest for Tammuz ; for he was among the Aegyptians as Ceres among the Romans , The God of the Harvest : And lastly , when thou dost basely temporize for thine own ends , Having mens persons in admiration because of advantage , Jude 16. Thou maist properly be said to Turn thy face towards the East , and to worship the Rising Sun ; Thus will thine own heart ( if thou look into it ) accuse thee of Israels Idolatry , and in the next place thou must hold up thy Guilty hand at the Bar , and be arraigned for his cruelty ; For if Saint Augustines Rule be true , Qu●… non Pavisti , occidisti ; whom thou hast 〈◊〉 fed , thou hast starved ; whom thou ha●… not filled with meat , thou hast fille●… with violence : whom thou hast not Relieved , thou hast Destroyed : we need n●… send thee among the outragious Plundere●… to take thy share in this accusation [ They have filled the land with Violence . ] For i●… that thou hast not helped those who hav●… been wronged , thou hast helped to wron●… them ; in that thou hast not fed the hungry thou hast starved them : in that thou 〈◊〉 not taken in the stranger into thine hous●… thou hast thrust him out of his own ; 〈◊〉 that thou hast not cloathed the naked , tho●… hast stripped him : Thus shalt thou be a●… raigned , and condemned at the last day , no●… only for thy Commissions , but also fo●… thy Omissions , Mat. 25. 41 , 42. But an●… if also for thine Omissions , then certainly and much more for thy Commissions For making others hungry , and thirsty , an●… poor , and sick , and naked ; Thus if thou sha●… look impartially into thine own Bosom thou wilt there find this Vision , thou wi●… there see all these wicked abominations ; b●… turn thee yet again , and thou shalt see greate●… Abominations then these , which are indeed the effects of these ; not only dismal repre●…tations of thine own sins , but also a ●…e dismal representation of Gods judge●…nt ; Thou hast been guilty of sins un●…rthy of a man , and now thou must ex●…ct to feel a judgement worthy of God : ●…sd . 12. 26. my Flesh trembleth for fear ●…hee , and I am afraid of thy judgements , 〈◊〉 119. 120. This is the very abomina●…n of desolation , when a man finding ●…self under the terrors of Gods impar●…l , and inevitable , and insupportable justice ●…ks under the burden , and hath so many ●…smal Fiends rather then thoughts for 〈◊〉 inmates of his despairing soul. This was ●…ins case , which is therefore so expresly 〈◊〉 down , that it may not be ours , Gen. ●…13 . And Cain said , My punishment is ●…eater then I can bear , or my iniquity is ●…eater then that it may be forgiven ; The ●…rds will admit both interpretations : for ●…e same word signifies both Iniquity and ●…ishment , and indeed it is iniquity alone ●…at makes the Punishment ( for were it ●…t for sin , though we might be Afflicted , ●…t we could not be Punnished ) and that ●…akes it intolerable : For a wounded ●…irit who can bear ? Another may ●…ound my body , but it is only my self that can wound my soul ; The sores of 〈◊〉 body may be very painfull , but it is only sins , the sores , the wounds of my soul●… are intolerable : A wounded spirit who bear ? Prov. 18. 14. O thou who 〈◊〉 wounded for our Transgressions , and w●… blood is the only balm to heal the wo●… of our Souls , make us in Time to thirst 〈◊〉 gasp after thy blood , that so we ma●… recovered of all our wounds ; Give u●… hearty Sorrow for our sins , but wi●… gives us thy immortal comforts in 〈◊〉 Sorrows : Sorrow for sin is a G●… Sorrow , nay A Sorrow according to 〈◊〉 ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 7. 10. ) 〈◊〉 Godly Sorrow , because it begins from 〈◊〉 and ends in God : and it is a sorrow 〈◊〉 cording to God , having him not only fo●… Efficient and final , but also for its fo●… cause : A sorrow according to the ex●…ple of the Son of God , Mat. 26. My ●…ul is exceeding Sorrowfull , even Death ; The soul of the God of Life was rowful unto the Death : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my soul is encompassed round about with row : whence so much Sorrow to him 〈◊〉 was the only Joy of heaven and earth , 〈◊〉 proclaiming his indulgences on earth , 〈◊〉 made an eternal Jubile in heaven ? ●…ence so much grief to him , who is the ●…ight of men and Angels ? even from the ●…ath of God against sin , though himself ●…d never sinned : Because of this was he ●…rrowful and very heavy . Was the bur●… of my sins heavy upon my Saviours ●…l , and shall it not much more be hea●… upon mine own ? Did he cry out for 〈◊〉 sins , as if God had forsaken him , and ●…all I still be silent and not fear that ●…od will indeed forsake me ? I Knowledge 〈◊〉 fault ( saith the true penitent ) ●…d my sin is ever before me , Psal. 51. 3. 〈◊〉 if he had said , my sins are ever ●…ore Almighty God , and shall they ●…t be also before me ? they are open in 〈◊〉 sight , and shall they not be so in mine ? that we would consider how far we have ●…t-gone David in his sin , and yet how far ●…ort we come of him in his Repentance ? ●…r sin , though it is the work of darkness , ●…t may not hope to be covered or con●…led by it ; it is never invisible , but al●…ies comes to light : God sees it , man him●…f sees it : and happy is the man who sees ●…n due time ; for that is the only way to ●…ake God not see it , but turn away his ●…es from it : yet if he see it never so late , CHAP. III. Peres , or , Dividing of our Persons . SECT . I. The Soul Divided from the Body , while it lives by a Voluntary Separation conversing with it self , and with it●… Saviour . A GOOD man can neve●… want Good company ; so●… if he may not have it fro●… his neighbour , he may hav●… it from himself : Me Interr●…gans , mihique respondent quùm solus essem , tanquam Duo essemu●… Ratio & Ego , saith Saint Aust. ( lib. 1. R●…tract . c. 4. ) Unde hoc opus Soliloquia nominavi ; I did Question and Answer my self as if we had been Two , Reason and I , whence I called that work , my Solilequies : And indeed a mans safest way of talking , is to talk with himself ; so will his tongue not defile his body ( as Saint James complains , ) but purge his Soul : not set on fire the course of nature , but thirst after the welsprings of Grace : not it self be set on fire from Hell , but inflame the soul with the love & desire of Heaven : He that talks most with himself , is like to answer for himself : For the right Judgement of things is made by the Conscience , which looks not on Time , but on Eternity . The soul must Answer by it self alone without the body , ●…nd therefore had need consult with it self ●…lone about its Answer ; not admit the flesh ●…nto consultation , which will deprave the ●…udgement , and cannot rectifie it . Mundus ●…egacosmus intrat in microcosmum , i. e. 〈◊〉 Animam , scil . Bonam in itinerario men●…is ; This Great world was made to enter in●… man , the Lesser world ( for the soul is ●…ble to receive it all , and yet still must ●…ontinue empty ) But man himself was ●…ade to enter into a better world : Enter ●…ou into thy Masters Joy , Mat 25. 23. ●…he world above is too big to enter into ●…s , we must enter into it : Therefore it is better to know this world then to love because by knowledge this world ente●… into us : but it is better to love the wo●… above then to know it , because by lo●… we enter into that world . And surely is like to have the happiest entrance , t●… soonest knocketh at the door : For so●… there will be , who will say , Lord , L●… open unto us , who will have this answer , 〈◊〉 rily I say unto you , I know you not ; Mat. 〈◊〉 11 , 12. Wherefore it is necessary that t●… soul be divided from the body , even wh●… it dwels in it , that so it may by a volunta●… both prevent and facilitate its violent se●… ration : For if she be accustomed to the o●… she will never fear the other . Thu●… may be a Separatist , and be no Schis●… tick : by Separating from my self , but 〈◊〉 from my brethren . The Jews pha●… much of Gods speaking with his own J●… cial house , and when they find him spe●… ing in the plural number , ( not know●… the mysterie of the Trinity , or not ca●… to acknowledge it ) do only tell us , he is 〈◊〉 sulting with his own Judgement : ( 〈◊〉 Solomon Jarchi on Cantic . 8. v. 5. & 〈◊〉 How much more ought man to con●… with his own soul , that by so doing he●… also consult with God ? For the soul , more it descends into it self , the more it ascends unto its Saviour ; God alone haveing the Priviledge to be within the Soul , as the Soul alone hath the priviledge to be within the body . Therefore let me have frequent Colloquies with mine own soul , that I may have frequent Colloquies with my Saviour : my Colloquies with my self will wean me from the love of earth : my Colloquies with my Saviour will make me in love with heaven ; my Colloquies with my self will shew me the Vanities of the world , the Infirmities of the flesh , the Malice of the Devil , and the sight of these will make me say with the Psalmist , O that I had wings like a Dove , then would I flee away , and be at Rest , Psal. 55. 6. When the spirit of a Dove will not give me Rest , such may be the wickedness of men ; yet the wings of a Dove will give it me , such is the goodness of God : when condescending to man by patience and meekness will not , then ascending to God by prayer and meditation , will give Peace and Rest unto my soul. My Colloquies with my Saviour , will shew me his Al-sufficient merits , His Almighty power , His Al-saving mercy ; And the first of these will make me Abandon the worlds Vanity , that I may retire to his Al-sufficiency : he hath ascribed sufficiency to his Grace , 2 Cor. 12. But he hath reserved the Al-sufficiency to himself . The second will make me acknowledge mine own Infirmity , that I may rely on his Omnipotency , as saith the Apostle , most gladly will I glory in mine Infirmities , that the Power of Christ may rest upon me , 2 Cor. 12. 9. For if the power of Christ rest on me , sure I cannot but have rest in it . The third will make me not fear the Devils malice , whiles I place my whole trust and confidence in my Saviours everlasting and Al-saving me●…cies ; For blessed be his undeserved goodness , I have a Saviour who is able and willing to save , a Jesus whose name is salvation , whose presence is salvation , whose work is salvation ; they are all three Joyned together , John 11. 21 , Then said Martha unto Jesus , Lord , if thou hadst been here , my brother had not dyed : He is Jesus , there 's Salvation in his name , thou shalt call his name Jesus , for he shall save his people from their sins , Mat. 1. 21. If thou hadst heen here , there 's Salvation in his presence ; My brother had not dyed , there 's salvation in his work : therefore must my soul be alwaies neer my Saviour , that it may never be far from his Salvation : It must converse with him , and therefore it must be united to him by the spiritual and blessed Union which is wrought by Faith , by Hope , by Charity . For without this Union I may not hope for that Conversation . The Union or Conjunction of the soul with Christ by Faith is expressed , and in that required , Eph. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith : Not in your Heads by Phansie , but in your Hearts by Faith : not float in your Brains , but sink down into your Breasts : Wherefore let me be sure to cherish in my soul this heavenly gift of Faith , by refraining my mind from vain Curiosities , and bringing into captivity every thought to the Obedience of Christ , 2 Cor. 10. 5. and by cleansing and purging my will and affections ( for true faith is in the will no less then in the understanding ) from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit , perfecting holiness in the fear of God , 2 Cor. 7. 1. For Impiety doth directly dispose the soul to Infidelity ; And they that are men of corrupt minds , ( though of never so clear Judgements ) are also reprobate concerning the Faith , 2 Tim. 3. 8. The Union of the soul with Christ by hope is expressed , and withal required , Isa. 26. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect Peace , ( Heb. Peace Peace , the peace of a Good Conscience here , of a blessed eternity hereafter ) whose mind is staid on thee , because he trusteth in thee : & v. 4. Trust ye in the Lord for ever , for in the Lord Iehovah is everlasting strength : God takes it for an honour to be trusted ; & he that most trusts him , most honours him : and he that least honours him , least trusts him ; Offer the sacrifices of Righteousness , and put your trust in the Lord , Psal. 4. 5. He that offers not the sacrifice , cannot have the trust ; For he that doth not think it sit to honour him , cannot think it safe to trust him : therefore let my hope in Christ be such as becometh a Christian , and much more such as becometh Christ : such as becometh a Christian , not provoking him whiles I trust him ; & much more such as becomethChrist , trusting him with what he cares to be trusted , that is , my soul ; and for what is worth his trust , that is , my Salvation . The Union or Conjunction of the soul with Christ by Charity is expressed , and in that required , 1 John 4. 16. And we have known and believed the Love , that God hath to us ; God is love , and he that dwelleth 〈◊〉 love , dwelleth in God , and God in him ; here we must observe , that the soul is uni●…ed unto Christ , not by every kind of love , ●…ut by a Right , a Great , a Firm love : a right ●…ove , which loves him before all things , for 〈◊〉 loves him upon this ground , because he ●…oved us first , We have known and believed ●…he love which God hath to us : A great love , which loves him above all things , so that ●…he soul wills not for it self but for God : ●…ares not to know any thing but by him , ●…or desire any thing but for him , nor do ●…ny thing but with him ; nay yet more , ●…ares not to live , or move , or have any being ●…ut in him and to him alone ; He that tru●…y Loves , dwells not where he lives , ●…ut where he Loves , He dwelleth in Love : Thirdly and lastly , a Firm Love , which loves God beyond all things , by a ●…ove that hath an everlasting continuance , 〈◊〉 love not capable of being corrupted , and therefore not of being interrupted : For where the love of God is without corruption ( as in Heaven ) it is also without Interruption ; where it is a pure love , there it is also an Everlasting Love : A love so desiring an Union , as to be fully resolved against a separation : He that dwells in Gods love , will not endure the thought o●… being put out of his dwelling : And He tha●… dwelleth in love dwelleth in God , and God i●… him . Excellent is the Rule of the Casuist●… Spiritale bonum divinum consistere in Amicitia inter Deum & Hominem , ac per hoc i●… consentire , conversari , convivere & colloq●… cum Deo ; ( Cajetane in summula , verb●… Acedia . ) The Spiritual good of man , o●… the blessing of the Soul consists in this , th●… a man hath friendship with God , and consequently that he lives for him , to him , wit●… him , in him ; Lives for him by consent , t●… him by conversation , with him by cohabitation , in him by contentation : And this i●… the friendship that the good Christian hath with Christ , whiles he converseth with him , or rather is united to him , by Faith , Hope , and Charity ; For according to Aristotles rule , 8. Eth. c. 5. there may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , There may be Good will in those that live far asunder , but Friendship only in those that live together ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , An habitual , not an Actual Friendship : And he proves it by this Proverb , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , That the neglect o●… want of Friendly salutes , and compellations , hath dissolved many mens Friendships : So is it also in this Spiritual Friendship : he that will have Christ for his friend , must be sure constantly to live with him , wholly to rely on him , and daily to call upon him : for want of friendly compellations hath made many lose his friendship , first falling into a strangeness , then into a sullenness , and at last into a plain dislike and discontent with their Devotions , which makes them not care to have their conversation , where they do not expect to have their contentment : Wherefore above all things , O my soul , never let go the exercise of thy Faith , Hope and Charity , that thou maist never let go thy Saviour . Thy faith will best exercise it self about his bitter passion : thou wilt see him in the garden sweating blood , Thou wilt see him on the Cross dropping blood , with his feet nailed fast to stay for thee , with his hands stretched out to embrace thee , with his Head bowed down to hear thee , with his side ready open to receive thee : This will be the best exercise of thy faith , that God having already punished thy sins in his own beloved Son , will not in mercy , cannot in justice punish them again in thee his most unworthy servant ; Hence will thy heart be filled with compassion for his sufferings , and much more with compunction for thy sins : Hence will thy mouth be filled with Thanksgivings to him for suffering , and thy whole Life with a blessed conformity to his sufferings ; Knowing it is a faithfull saying , For if we be dead with him , we shall also live with him : If we suffer , we shall also reign with him , 2 Tim. 2. 11 , 12. Thy hope will best exercise it self about his powerfull Resurrection ; Thou wilt there see a great Earthquake , and a great Man-quake ; Thou wil●… there see a great Earth-quake which opened the Graves , so that many of the bodi●… of the Saints which slept , arose , Mat. 27. 53●… And That Earthquake will much more open thy Heart , to let into it th●… Blessed Hope , that is full of Immortality & no less full of comfort , the hope of a glorious Resurrection of thy body to the lif●… everlasting : Thou wilt there also see a grea●… Manquake , the keepers of the sepulchre●… the Roman Souldiers , trembling and shaking for fear of the Angel , though ( poo●… mercenary Souls ) they were soon afte●… bought out of their Fright , and as soo●… bought out of their Faith : A little pa●… more then ordinary made them forg●…●…eir Fright , and forgo their Faith : It mad●… them turn Preachers , though it kept them ●…rom turning Christians : but their Do●…trine was accordingly fit for Mammons Chaplains , fit for money Preachers , It was ●…he denying of Christs resurrection ; when ●…we meet with such Preachers , we have rea●…on to be afraid of such Doctrine . Souldiers can easily teach others to serve them , but they can hardly teach themselves , much less others , to serve God : And now you may also , ( if you please ) see a third Quake , more terrible then the other two ; not a quaking of Earth , nor a quaking of bodies , but a quaking of souls , in the first Sect of Quakers ; They who before quaked for fear of an Angel , now much more quaking for fear of Devils : But be not you , O Christian Souls , afraid of that sight , The Angel himself saying , Fear not ye , for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified , Mat. 28. 5. not seek , much less help to crucifie him : This reason doth no less concern all other seekers , that seek Jesus which was crucified , then it did the women : They may well seek without fear , for they are sure to find with joy : They shall find that their Lord is risen , and calleth them to rise with him : Immediately in their souls , Immortally in their bodies , Incorruptably both in souls and bodies : This will be th●… best exercise of thy hope , that Christ th●… Head being risen , will make thee his member , partaker of his joyfull Resurrection which consideration made our Church compose a choice Hymn of purpose for Easter day , to express the joy and exultation o●… true Christian souls for the Resurrection of Christ : And I suppose none will condemn her of singularity or novelty concerning that Hymn , although it is not to be found entirely either in Greek or Latine Liturgies : for there is no doubt of her communicating with the Church of Christ , whiles she communicates with the Spirit of Christ ; And in this Hymn she immediately communicates with the Spirit of Christ , because it is all taken out of his Word , Rom. 6. 8. and 1 Cor. 15. 20 , &c. And though the Hymn it self may possibly be taken out of good Christians mouths , yet surely the Joy of it can never be taken out of their hearts , That Christ Rising again from the dead now dieth not , Death from henceforth hath no power upon him ; and in that it hath no power upon him , I am sure it shall not long have a power upon me ; And that other , Christ is risen again , the first fruits of them that sleep ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , saith Theophil . He that goes first , sure hath some to follow him ; There cannot be first-fruits , but there must be after-fruits : This is my Hope , the head being risen will not leave his members for ever in the dust ; My soul and my body cannot be now so unwillingly parted , in the Death , As they shall hereafter be joyfully United in the Resurrection from the dead : Lastly , Thy love and charity will best exercise it self about his glorious Ascention : Thou wilt there see hin attended on Earth by his Disciples , ready to receive his Instructions ; Thou wilt there see him attended in the Air by a Cloud , ready to receive his Person ; Thou wilt there see him attended in heaven by millions of Angels and glorified Souls , ready to congratulate his reception : If these considerations will not make thee love the Christan Faith that teacheth such heavenly mysteries , it is because thou hast dull affections ; If they will not make thee love thy Saviour Christ , who hath prepared such heavenly mercies , it is because thou hast no affections : This will be the best exercise of thy love , to inflame thy soul with the contemplation of those Unspeakable joyes , which cannot more Inflame , then they will content it : Christ ascended into heaven , What hast thou to do but in heart and mind thither to ascend after him , that thou maist continually dwell with him ? He is gone to prepare a place for thee ; what hast thou left to do , but to prepare thy self for that place , and beseech him to assist and bless thee in that preparation ? SECT . II. The soul Divided from the body , when it dies , by a violent separation . THE Soul of man had no subsistence before his body , and is therefore unwilling to have a subsistence without it . Creatio & infusio sunt simul respectu animae , is the Tenent of the School , The soul is not created till the body be fitted to receive it ; so that in the same instant wherein it is Created , it is also received into the Body : And that 's the reason , That coming cloathed into the world , she is so much troubled to think that she must at last go , as it were , naked out of it : Hence it is , that though we groan in this tabernacle , being burden●…d with the miseries , and much more with the sins of our Flesh , yet we do not desire to be Uncloathed , but cloath●…d upon , that mortality might be swallowed up of Life , 2 Cor. 5. 4. That is , we would so lay aside our burden , as not to lay aside our Flesh ; and would have our mortal bodies , not by Death put off their mortality , but by a change put on Immortality : Wherefore the Union of the soul with the body being altogether natural , the separation of the soul from the body must needs be against nature : Consequently , it is not possible that a meer natural man should deliberately desire to die : for nature cannot desire its own destruction : and therefore a deliberate desire of Death cannot possibly proceed from nature , but from grace , which alone can make a man both live contentedly , and die comfortably : & where there 's a great measure of grace , there is also a great measure of contentment in life , and of comfort in death : In so much that if we do not wilfully shut our eyes , we cannot but see : if we do not wilfully shut our hearts , we cannot but believe : if we do not wilfully shut our mouths against the truth , we cannot but confess , that Godly and Relig●…ous men do continually dye with more P●…tience and comfort then we dare live ; b●… the original of this Patience & of this Comfort is not from the man , but from th●… Godliness : For thereby alone he is able t●… say with Saint Paul , For me to live is Christ and to dye is gain , Phil. 1. 21. To me t●… live is Christ , for I die unto sin ; to me t●… die is gain , for I have lived unto righteousness . Or else as Beza expounds that place mihi enim est Christus & in vita & in morte lucrum , Christ is a gain to me , both i●… life and death . To talk of gain in death to a natural man , were to make him mad , or to think you so : for he loseth his soul he loseth himself ; but to talk of gain i●… death to the spiritual man , is to make him the more sensible of his spiritual comfort and Condition : for the less he hath of the Flesh , the more he hath of the Spirit ; So that though death takes from him his Body , yet it gives him his Soul ; though it take from him his Soul , yet it gives him his Saviour . Be it then that death takes from him all things but his God , yet sure that it gives him . Christ is my gain whether 〈◊〉 live or dye . For whiles I live , I live unto him the only Author , Preserver and Redeemer of my life , that when I shall dye I ●…ay die unto him the only Joy , & Comfort , ●…nd Repairer of my Death ; that whether I ●…ve or dye I may still be his : Thus did ho●…y Job comfort himself against the miseries ●…f his life , and the terrors of his death , ●…aying , I know that my Redeemer liveth , Job 19. 25. as if he had said , I know that I ●…m as one forsaken and forlorn , yet I ●…ave a Redeemer . I know that I seem as ●…ne ready to be swallowed up by death , yet he who swallowed death it self up in victory , he liveth , I know that my Redeem●…r liveth ; and hereupon do I ground my Faith , my Comfort , and my Assurance ; my Assurance is infallible & undeniable , for ●…t proceeds from knowledge , I know ; I am as sure that my Redeemer liveth , as that I shall die ; my faith is firm and immoveable , for he is mine , none shall ever separate me from him , he is my Redeemer ; my comfort is heavenly and immortal , answerable to those Divine fountains of Faith and hope from whence it floweth ; it is the comfort of eternal life ; for in that my Redeemer liveth , I am most confident , that in him and by him I shall also live ; for when Christ who is our life shall appear , then shall we also appear with him in Glory , Col. 3. 4. An assured hope , a constant faith , an immortal comfort ; these were Jobs only supports in his greatest afflictions , ( and his were so great , that we can scarce imagine , but sure we cannot endure greater : ) never was his body in worse case , never was his soul in better . Afflictions in the body then have the right end for which they are sent , when they make our souls magnifie the Lord , and our spirits rejoyce in God our Saviour . The devil intended to have added to Jobs misery by increasing the Torments of his body , but he did indeed add to his happiness , by increasing the Devotion of his soul : Mans extremity is Gods opportunity : he then most helps us , when we can least help our selves ; when I am weak , then am I strong , 2 Cor. 12. 10. and by the Rule of Proportion , when weakest then strongest ; when weakest in my self , then strongest in my Saviour : yet dare I not venter to stay till the weakness of my body give strength unto my soul. For had not Job been a man perfect and upright in his health , he would scarce have shewed so much perfection and uprightness in his sickness . What then should be the work of my health ; but to prepare for sickness ? what should be work of my sickness , but to prepare death ? Then shall I so live as prepared death , then shall I so die as prepared Judgement : then shall I so live and die prepared for Christ and his Kingdom Grace in this world , of Glory in the ●…ld to come : Let me snatch away this ●…ry from my adversary , King●…odom ●…odom say , I have made Abraham Rich. 〈◊〉 . 14. 23. Lest hell and the grave say , I ●…e thrown this man upon his knees : no ●…nk to him for his devotion : it is bare ●…ed and necessity , meer extremity and ●…r that makes him devout : Happy is ●…t man whom this worlds Afflictions ●…ve driven neerer to his God ; but much ●…ppier is he that hath made this approach his maker by voluntarily Afflicting mself : for seldom is there so much sin●…rity , but never is there so much Glory that Repentance and Devotion , which oceeds rather from compulsion then ●…om election , rather from necessity then ●…om choice . Let the mercies of God in●…te me to Repentance and amendment of ●…e in my health , and let me not expect his ●…dgements in my sickness ; lest instead of ●…eing amended , I be confounded : For if be afflicted in the flesh , and not comforted in the spirit , then will death , w●… was appointed to the end , be but the ginning of my afflictions : For what 〈◊〉 we say ? was Jobs body ( now becom●… most as loathsome as the Dunghil w●… he sate upon ) a fit embleme of Immo●…lity ? and yet whosoever shall look into own soul with an impartial eye , will 〈◊〉 there much less hope and comfort of e●…nity , then Job found in his body . 〈◊〉 how then can he contentedly compose h●…self for Death ? I answer , he must do as did , cast but one eye down upon himsel●… lift up the other to his Redeemer : when looks down upon himself , he finds not●… but worms to destroy his body , v. 26. 〈◊〉 when he looks up to his Redeem●… then in my flesh ( saith he ) shall I see G●… What a strange contrariety is here , Wo●… and Flesh , Death and Life , Destruct●… and seeing God! The Worms are 〈◊〉 loathsome that turn to Flesh ; The Deat●… not terrible that ends in Life ; The D●…struction is most welcome that ends in ●…ing God : but yet still , worms in theselves are worms ; death in it self is death●… and destruction is destruction : and wor●… as worms are loathsome ; death as deat●… terrible : destruction as destruction can●… welcome ; and the body is invaded by ●…ms , captivated under death and de●…ction , when the soul is separated from and therefore we cannot but look on 〈◊〉 as a violent separation , which com●…s a Rape upon Nature , and conse●…ntly must needs be an unwelcome ●…est , such as we are unable to exclude , yet much more unwilling to entertain . ●…erefore the soul while it is in the state conjunction with the body , though it now by reason of sin in a miserable state , is that state natural , and consequent●… desirable : nor is it easie to define how it need be made miserable , before it can made not desirable ; for we may easily ●…ern a very great desire of life in most 〈◊〉 , because the greatest miseries are not ●…e of themselves fully to expel that desire : ●…t the soul whiles it is in the state of sepa●…ion from the body , is in a state altogether natural , or rather contra-natural , for ●…s as long as she continues so , she hath 〈◊〉 the perfection of her own nature : it be●… as natural for humane spirits to be with ●…ies , as for Angelical spirits to be with●… them ; which Aquinas hath excel●…tly proved in this manner ; ( Ia. p. q. 89. ) ●…all Intellectual Substances the Intellective Virtue or Facultie is from t●… fluence of the Divine Light ; which 〈◊〉 the farther it is diffused from God more it is divided in it self ; and the n●… is divided , the more it must needs ●…minished . Hence it is that those Intelle●… Substances which are farthest from 〈◊〉 such as are Humane spirits , having th●… share of the Divine light , hav●… so the weakest Intellectuals : and ●…quently are not able to understand 〈◊〉 by such universal forms and represe●…ons by which the Angels are able t●…●…derstand them . Therefore it is nece●… that the Souls of men be united unt●…●…dies , thereby to be made capable o●… universal forms and representations , such as are imprinted in the Angels had God given unto men no other w●… understanding , then he hath given●… Angels , they , not being able to under●… distinctly by such universal forms a●… Angels , could not have had a part●… and distinct knowledge of any thing , only a general and confused knowle●… so it is clearly for the better , that Hu●… Souls be united unto Bodies , because i●…duceth to the bettering of their u●…standing . But this reason conce●… the soul of man no longer then whiles it is here on earth ; whereas it is evident that the desire of Re-union with the body , accompanieth the soul also in heaven : for though she there understand by a far more excellent and noble way without the Body , then she doth here in the Body : yet doth she still desire Re-union with the Body , and not think her own bliss so compleat , till she may have it in and with her old companion , her first friend and acquaintance . Excellently the same Aquinas , ( 12 ae . qu. 4. ar . 5. ) Desiderium Animae separatae totaliter quiescit ex parte Appetibilis , quia habet id quod suo appetitui sufficit , sed non totaliter requiescit ex parte Appetentis , quia illud bonum non possidet secundum omnem modum quo possidere vellet , & ideo corpore resumpto beatitudo crescit non intensive , sed extensive . The desire of the separated souls that are in Heaven , is fully satisfied as to the object , or the thing that they desire , for they have all the blessedness that they can wish : But not as to the subject or their manner of desireing , for they have not their blessedness so as they do wish it , because it is not yet communicated to their bodies : wherefore after the Resurrection of the Body , the blessedness of Glorified Souls is said t●… increase , though not intensively , as if t●… bliss should be greater in it self , ( for th●… are already admitted to the vision and fr●…ition of God , ) yet surely extensively , b●…cause it shall be greater in respect of the●… that enjoy it , when it shall be commun●…cated from their Souls unto their Bodies And therefore the Glorified Souls of me●… do exceedingly desire , that their Blessedness should be so communicated , becaus●… their supernatural Bliss doth not extinguish , cannot exclude their natural Desire , which is , to be united to their Bodies Accordingly Aquinas tells us , that to th●… perfect consummation of mans Bliss , is required , not only a perfect Disposition o●… his Soul , but also of his Body ; and tha●… both antecedently and consequently to hi●… Blessedness . Antecedently , or before he i●… Blessed : for else his Body would clogg hi●… Soul , and divert it from the Beatifical vision : And Consequently , or after he i●… Blessed ; for the Soul cannot but communicate her Bliss and Glory to the Body : ( 12 ae . q. 4. ar . 6. ) Therefore that which was a Natural Body at the separation , shall be made a Spiritual Body at the Re-union : and being once made a Spiritual body , the Soul shall have Power to keep 〈◊〉 ●…o for ever , according to that of Saint Aug. ●…am potenti naturâ Deus fecit Animam , ut ●…x ejus plenissimâ Beatitudine redundit in ●…nferiorem Naturam Incorruption is vigor ; With so powerful a Nature hath God endued the soul of man , that when her self ●…hall come to be perfectly Blessed , she will be able to Transmit her Bliss and Incorruption to the body . Wherefore let ●…y soul be separated from this natural body , by which it is corrupted , that it may ●…e united to that Spiritual body by which ●…t shall be perfected . The Second PART : OR , The Consolation against Death . Preface . HE that will fully comf●… the Soul of man agai●… Death , must comfort against sickness , that co●…monly goes before it ; 〈◊〉 against Judgement t●… alwaies follows after it . So that this●… consolation must branch it self into these t●… Chapters . The Comforts of the Soul against Sickn●… The Comforts of the Soul against Death●… The Comforts of the Soul against Judgment . It is as easie for those in health to g●… advice to the sick , as it is hard for the 〈◊〉 to follow it . But every one that can g●… Advice to the sick , cannot give them c●… for t in their sickness . The best that any of us can say in this kind , is , The Lord comort you . And yet surely there are some men who are obliged , if not enabled by their Calling , to speak more comfortably then others , no less to body-sick , then to sin-sick Persons : Those men whose peculiar Duty it is to visit the sick , and consequently to comfort them : For they may not do as Jobs Friends did , come to Grieve with him , and then help , not to Asswage , but to Encrease his Grief . For they by so doing , are lookt upon , not as Gods , but as the Devils Instruments , though they were of the Posterity of Abraham , and therefore undoubtedly instructed in the true Relion , according to that Testimony given of Abraham , by God himself , Gen. 18. 19. For I know him ; that he will command his children and his houshold after him , and they shall keep the way of the Lord. Yet these men were so faulty in their conferences with holy Job , that God himself saith of them , they had not spoken right concerning him , and that his wrath was kindled against them , Job 42. 7. Whereby it Appears , that Jobs former exclamations against them , proceeded not from the impotency of his Passion , but from the justness of his cause , when he said , ye are forgers of lies , ye are all Physitians of no value , Job 13. 4. Medici Idoli , so Jarchi expounds the word , and parallels it with that of Zach. 11. 17. where we tanslate it the Idol shepheard , and may here so too , The idol Comforters ; Men that made a shew of Comfort , but afforded none at all , no more then if they had been but meer Idols : Nay that 's not all , they afforded him dicomforts instead of comforts , wherefore he calls them also miserable comforters , Job 16. 2. Hebrew , consolatores molestiae , troublesome comforters are you all ; And sick men may , ( in this Brain-sick age of ours , ) quickly have enough , if not too much of such comforters ; Men that scarce can settle others consciences , having so much unsettled their own : Which made Saint Paul come with a Benedictus in his mouth , ( and surely it was in his heart before it was in his mouth , when he considered what a great mercy it was in God , towards those in distress , to give either true comforts or true comforters , saying , Blessed be God , even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ , The Father of mercies , and the God of all comfort , who comforteth us in all our Tribulation , that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble , by the comfort where with we our selves are comforted of God , 2 Cor. 1. 3 , 4. The Apostle begins here with thanksgiving according to his accustomed manner in all his Epistles , but contrary to his custome doth he apply this thanksgiving wholy to himself , The reason was , ( saith Beza ) Because the Corinthians did begin to despise him for his Afflictions ; ( the common course of the world , to despise that Church that is in Affliction ) Therefore he answers confidently for himself , that though he had been much afflicted , yet he had been much more comforted : and he rejoyced the more in his comforts , because God had comforted him for that very cause , That he might be able and willing to comfort others . Having thus considered the Author of all true comfort , and the Instruments he is pleased chiefly to use in comforting , and how they are bound to comfort , as his Instruments : It follows that in the next place we consider the comforts themselves ; Which are then most given from God , when most wanted by men ; For it is very observable , Jer. 33. That Gods promises to the Jews were then Greatest , when their own miseries were so : For he there promiseth to the captivity , A gracious Return , a joyfull State , and a settled Government , when they were even now transplanted from Jerusalem to Babylon ; Surely to teach them and us , that his promises were to be understood spiritually in Christ , and so to be fulfilled ; That when they had least comforts in themselves , They might have greatest comfort in their God ; that in the greatest temporal miseries , he did use to afford the greatest spiritual mercies ; That when the body is most afflicted , the soul is , or should be most comforted : Thus we look on sickness , as a very great discomfort of the Body : And yet even that may be made a greater comfort to the soul ; And truly from those very considerations for which it is a discomfort to the body , and they are Three , Because it afflicts the Flesh , Because it weakens the Flesh , Because it wasts the Flesh : CHAP. I. The Comforts of the soul against Sickness . SECT . I. The sickness of the Body is a Comfort to the soul , in that it Afflicts the Flesh. THIS age loves Paradoxes , that is , ( strange opinions ) And these may justly be thought the strangest of all others , which seek to make us in love with sickness , that cannot but make us out of love with the world and with our selves ; but be it so , since we could never have a fitter time to be out of love with the world , because now it is so bad , nor with our selves , because we help to make it worse : Welcome then a sickness to comfort the soul , since health is made 〈◊〉 uncomfortable to the body , as bad times 〈◊〉 worse men can make it : And indeed in th●… respect sickness is a comfort to the Sou●… whiles it afflicts the Flesh , in that it bring●… us to God , and God to us : For man bein●… afflicted in his body , and finding no re●… in himself , immediately makes his addresse●… to God , that he may find rest in him : T●…tianus told the Heathen Greeks so much that when thy were sick , then they woul●… send for their gods to be with them , a●… Aggamemnon did at the seige of Tro●… send for his ten Counsellors ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : And surely they who never think of God in thei●… health , yet are desirous he should think o●… them in their sickness : In their Afflictio●… they will seek me early , Hos. 5. 15. Wherea●… before it was , They will not frame their d●…ings to turn unto their God , ver . 4. And 〈◊〉 affliction make those seek God who before did not regard him , then surely it cannot but make those who did seek him before they were afflicted , to seek him much more in their affliction : Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord ( saith David ) for he shall pluck my feet out of the net , Psal. 25. 15. When his feet were most at liberty he desired not to look much away from God , for fear of falling into some snare : But when his feet were intangled in the ●…et , then his eyes were ever towards him . The Prophet Jeremiah prophecieth con●…erning the Jews , that after their return from Babylon , They should serve the Lord ●…heir God , and David their King : He means ●…he Son of David ( saith Kimchi ) the Messiah : And surely whereas before their Captivity they often fell into idolatry , yet after it they were never guilty of that sin : And who will not call that a happy Captivity in which they left their Idolatry behind them ? So is it also in our distresses , it is a happiness , not a misery , which brings a man neerer and neerer to his God : Ismaels Name bids him believe that the Lord will hear his affliction , for so saith the Angel to Hagar , Thou shalt call his name Ismael , because the Lord hath heard thy affliction , Gen. 16. 11. But Israels faith bids him believe that the Lord will not only hear his affliction , but also bear it : In all their affliction he was afflicted , and the Angel of his presence saved them ; Isa. 63. 9. What Comfort like the comfort of Salvation ? What greater Comfort of Salvation , then that Christ is with us , ready to save us ? It is he that is here called the Angel 〈◊〉 Gods presence , or of Gods face ; first b●…cause in his eternal Priesthood he doth a●…waies minister before the face of God , m●…king Intercession for us , Heb. 7. 2●… Wherefore he is able to save them to the utt●… most that come unto God by him , seeing he e●… liveth to make intercession for them . Second●… because he is the express image of God , i●… so much that whosoever hath seen him hath seen the Father , John 14. 9. This A●…gel of Gods presence is most with us in o●… afflictions , and is therefore then m●… with us , that he may be afflicted with u●… Our groans are His groans , Our sighs a●… His sighs , Our tears are His tears . T●… Psalmist did say , Put my tears into thy Bott●… Psal. 58. 6. But we must say farther , put m●… tears into thine eyes . For as Christ is th●… Angel of his Fathers face , so he looks upo●… every true Christian as the Angel of h●… own face : & loves to be there most , whe●… he most sees his own face , his own image . And will you know when he most see●… his own image in you ? It is then when 〈◊〉 sees himself fully represented , not only i●… your doings , but also in your sufferings In all your Affliction he is Afflicted . Le●… your soul then rejoyce for a double cause that it hath so good a Companion , that it ●…ath so great a Comforter . For lest you ●…hould be troubled at the hiding of his ●…ace , he hath taught you to see his face in ●…our own ; For when you can most truly ●…ay , Behold and see if there be any sorrow like ●…nto my sorrow , Lam. 1. 12. Then do you ●…ost truly resemble him , who was called A man of sorrows , Isa. 53. 3. This is the first comfort of the Soul in Sickness , when it Afflicteth the Flesh , because that Affliction brings us to God , and God to us . A second follows , Because that Affliction makes us conformable to Christ our Saviour . Justine Martyr ( in his second Apologie for the Christians ) hath observed , that there is scarce any Prediction or Prophecy concerning our Saviour Christ the Son of God to be made man , but the Heathen Writers , ( who were all after Moses ) did from thence invent some Fable , and fein it to have been Acted by some one or other of Jupiters Sons . Only The Prophecies about the Cross of Christ they have taken for the ground of no Fable ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , They have not among their Fictions told us of any one of Jupiters sons that was Crucified , that Acted his part upon the Cross. And he gives this Reason for it , Because the mysterie of the Cross was so Covertly foretold , that the Heathen could not understand it . And indeed we do not find in all the Hebrew Bible so much as the direct name o●… a Cross , or Crucifying : There is mentio●… made of a Tree , and of Wood , but not of a Cross ; of Hanging and of Lifting up , but not Crucifying . However , we may we●… suppose , that if the Heathen had understood the Prophesies concerning Crucifying the Son of God , yet they would have thought such a Disgrace not fit to have been Fastened upon any of the sons of their Idol gods ; And therefore would rather not have any such Narrative , then have the reproach and shame that accompanied it . But we Christians see the only Son of the only true God , being found in fashi●… as a man , humbling himself , and become Obedient unto death , even the death of the Cross. And that for this Reason , That all they should follow the example of his Patience , who do hope to be partakers of his Resurrection : For so himself hath said , He that taketh not his Cross , and followeth after me , is not worthy of me , Mat. 10. 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , He that taketh it not of himself , without anothers proferring : He that taketh it not as a thing belonging to him , but rather as a burden imposed upon him : He that taketh it not where he finds it , but only when it is offered him ; For that is the proper signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to take a thing of your own Accord , whereas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly to take a thing from anothers hand : And it is observable that our Saviour here saith , His Cross , not My Cross , to shew it belongs to us , no less then it did to him : And without doubt he requires every Christian to take up the Cross so willingly , as if it were a matter of choice , not of necessity : such a Treasure as he would take up of himself if it lay in his way , and not tarry till another should bring it him . So desirable a thing is Christs Cross in it self , ( though not so to flesh and blood , ) were it only for this Reason , that it makes us conformable to himself : It makes a man here on eatth conformable unto him who is the very beauty of heaven ; Insomuch that my zeal to the truth bids me say , whiles the Conscience of mine infirmity makes me afraid to say it , I had rather with the Martyrs and Confessors have my Saviours Cross , then with their Persecutors , the Worlds Crown : And though I much distrust mine own shoulders , yet dare●… not disclaim so holy a burden ; And indeed if I would adore any Reliques , it should be a piece of that shoulder , which did first help bear my Saviours Cross , for that of all others was certainly most like him , and therefore most worthy of Adoration . But if conformity with Christ in Affliction be not , yet surely conformity with Christ in Glory is exceeding comfortable : And that is yet a third comfort of the Soul in the sickness of the Body whiles it Afflicteth the flesh , because Affliction is a necessary condition of our own Salvation : so saith Saint Paul , Rom. 8. 17. For in that we are Joint-heirs with Christ , we must look to come the same way that he did to this Inheritance : That is , we must look to suffer with him , that we may be glorified with him . This consideration alone , That Affliction was so necessary a condition of Salvation , troubled the most Reverend , and most Religious , and most Learned Bishop Davenant , upon his death-bed : A man of singular Uprightness and Integrity , and of so exemplary Godliness , that thereby he truly honoured God , delighted Angels , and converted many men : yet this man upon his Death-bed having no sin to trouble his Conscience , had this Text to trouble it , Heb. 12. 6. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth . For not being able on the suddain to Recount his own chastenings , he had some short doubtings in himself concerning Gods love towards him : He thought he had not drank of his Saviours cup ; and therefore could not see how he should sit with him in his Kingdom . And yet surely our Saviours words , ye shall indeed drink of my cup , Mat. 20. 23. were verified concerning Saint John , no less then concerning S. James , though but the one was murdered by Herod , the other dyed peaceably in his bed : For even he also was a Martyr in the Preparation of his Soul , ( as appeared by his Banishment , ) nay indeed he was also a Martyr in the Affliction of his body , though not by a corporal Martyrdom in shedding his blood , yet by a Spiritual Martyrdom in crucifying his flesh , and so being under a continual Death by a daily Mortification : Martyrium horrore quidem mitius , sed diuturnitate molestius , as saith Saint Bernard : Which kinde of Martyrdom , though it hath less of the Horror , yet hath it more of the Trouble . For the burning coals were not the less hot , because when Tiburtius walked upon them bare-footed , he thought himself to have walked upon Roses , ( as saith Aqu. 22 ae . qu. 123. art . 8. c. ) Nor is the constant Practise of mortifying the flesh , the less to be accounted a Dying daily , because Saint Paul looked on it as the work of his Rejoycing in Christ Jesus . Excellently Saint Hierom , Recte dixerim quod Dei Genetrix Virgo & Martyr fuit , quamvis in Pace vitam siniverit ; I may justly say that the mother of our Lord was a Virgin and a Martyr , though she ended her daies in Peace . For indeed true and constant Virginity is in it self a kind of Martyrdom , in that it is a mortifying of our members that are upon earth ; wherefore Saint Paul saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Col. 3. 5. That is , make them dead , which is yet more express in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Rom 8. 13. That is , Put them to Death . And doubtless such a righteous soul that daily chasteneth himself in the school of mortification , might have seen Gods Rod chastening him by his own hands ; but yet he not seeing the Rod in anothers hand to chasten him , ( for he dyed before the late Overflowings of ungodliness made the world so full of misery , and yet more full of sin ) He could not but have some doubtings concerning Gods chastisement , and that made him have likewise for a time , some Doubtings , though no Distrust concerning Gods Love ; because the Text saith so expresly , Whom the Lord loveth , he chasteneth . And why then should not we say , O Lord , let us taste and see thy chastisement , that we may taste and see thy love ? O taste and see that the Lord is good , Psal. 34. 8. You will taste his goodness in the most bitter Potion , you will see his goodness in the most bloody scourge , if you do but seriously consider that Whom the Lord loveth , he chasteneth , and consequently whom he most chasteneth , he most loveth . Wherefore since thy loving kindness is better then life ; Psal. 63. 3. though thy chastisement take away my life , yet I desire not thou shouldst take away thy chastisement , as long as that giveth me the true sense and feeling of thy loving kindness . Gods Rod ●…s it self a very good Lesson , and doth here accordingly set down a Two fold Document , Documentum Amoris , Documentum Salutis . A Document of his Love , for loving and chastening go together ; And to be without Correction , is to be without Filiation , v. 8. But if ye be without chastisement , then are ye Bastards , not Sons : And a Document of our Salvation ; For his chastisement is as it were a Plowing and Tilling of our Souls , to make us bring forth more fruit , even the fruit of unfeigned Righteousness , and the fruit of everlasting Peace , ver . 11. It yeildeth th●… Peacecable fruit of Righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby : The peaceabl●… fruit of Righteousness : These words may be called Eshcol , For they are a whole clustster of grapes , ( Num. 13. 24. ) yet not to be carried between two upon a staff , being no less in effect then That Etern●… weight of Glory : or indeed , the who●…e Kingdom of Heaven : for if you Press these Grapes , and squeeze out the wine tha●… is in them , you will find Righteousness an unfeigned Righteousness , which is th●… Kingdom of Grace : And you will fin●… Peace , an Everlasting Peace , which is th●… Kingdom of Glory : And this is the who●… Kingdom of Heaven , the Kingdom 〈◊〉 Grace , and the Kingdom of Glory : An●… as unfeigned Righteousness is the way t●… bring us to Everlasting Peace : So is correction and chastisement , the way to brin●… us to unfeigned Righteousness : Where in we shall see very much to exercise o●… Piety , but nothing at all to disturb ou●… Patience ; For all chastening is but for a few ●…yes , ver . 10. whether it be by our ●…thers on earth , or by our Father in ●…aven ; For neither takes the Rod out 〈◊〉 delight , but only out of necessity : and ●…erefore is soon ready to throw it away ●…ter a little chastening : And a chastening ●…at is but for a few dayes cannot call ●…r many groans : A chastening that is ●…t for a little time , cannot require any ●…eat patience : And though our Fathers 〈◊〉 earth chastening us after their own plea●…re , may chastise us both unjustly and ●…measurably : unjustly as to the end , un●…easurably as to the manner of their ●…astening : yet surely our Father in hea●…n doth not so : He chastens not unmea●…rably , because much less then we deserve ; ●…even the Damned souls in hell are pu●…shed citra condignum , saith Aquinas , with ●…uch less then condign Punishment ) ●…d he chastens not unjustly , because for ●…r Profit , That we might be partakers of ●…s holiness : And therefore if we owe sub●…ction and reverence to the Fathers of our ●…esh , much more to the Father of spirits : ●…nd the rather because the Reward of our ●…tifulness to them is but the prolonging 〈◊〉 a momentary and a miserable life : But the Reward of our dutifulness to the ●…ther of spirits is to live blessedly , and live eternally , ver . 9. & 10. Therefo●… we must be sure in this case , to follow o●… Saviours advice , John 7. 24. Judge 〈◊〉 according to the Appearance , but judge rig●…teous judgement , For what though no cha●…ning for the present seemeth to be joyous , b●…grievous , ver . 11. yet doth it not foll●… because it seems not so , therefore it is n●… so : Ab eo quod videtur , ad id quod est , n●… valet consequentia : To argue from th●… which seems to be , to that which really 〈◊〉 were a most absurd way of argume●… For this would prove the greatest Hyp●…crite to be the most Religious man , beca●… he most seems to be zealous of Religio●… So neither may we think that chastening not joyous because it seems not so : 〈◊〉 though it bring grief to the body , yet 〈◊〉 suredly ( being rightly taken ) it bring joy unto the soul. And this is a very su●…stantial Reason why we should not repi●… that God hath annexed Affliction as●… necessary condition of our Salvation ; y●… may we farther to this , add these oth●… Reasons . First , because though our present affl●…ction be never so great , yet it is nothing i●… respect of our future Glory : so saith Saint ●…ul , Rom. 8. 18. For Ireckon that the ●…fferings of this present time are not worthy be compared with the Glory which shall be ●…vealed in us : If you will compare them in ●…eir Continuance , The one is momenta●… , the other is eternal : If in their Quantity ●…e one is little or nothing , the other so ●…eat that it may be reputed All in All : If 〈◊〉 Quality , the one scarce deserves our no●…ce , the other challenges both our atten●…ons and affections : So that in all three ●…spects , The Comparison is very unwor●…y : the one are not worthy to be compared ●…ith the other . Secondly , because our present Affliction ●…nduceth to the assurance of our future ●…lory . Therefore Saint Peter exhorteth us 〈◊〉 rejoyce in the fiery Tryal , and gives this ●…eason for our rejoicing , In as much as we ●…e Partakers of Christs sufferings , That ●…hen his Glory shall be revealed , we may be ●…ad also with exceeding joy , 1 Pet. 4. 13. 〈◊〉 is a siery tryal , but that Fire will both ●…rge your soul , and Prove your Faith : ●…our soul being purged , will let heaven it 〈◊〉 you ; your faith being proved , will let ●…ou into Heaven ; For it will testifie unto ●…ou , That Christ would not have made you partaker of his sufferings , if he had intended to make you partaker of his gl●… Let him then punish temporally , tha●… may spare Eternally : Let him chastise body , that he may save my soul , and unto me the Joy of his Salvation . Thirdly and lastly , because our Pre●… Affliction conduceth to the increase of Future Glory . Justine Martyr in 79. Quest. ad Orthodoxos , Asks the Re●… why , when Josiah is commended in Scripture above all the Kings of Is●… and Judah , for his zeal to Religion , 2 Reg. 25. yet himself was slain by the sw●… and his sons after him carryed into Ca●…vity : which was a greater misery then fell any of the worser Kings : and he g●… this Answer to his Question , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : time of recompence and reward for th●… who do the works of Righteousness , is in this , but in the next World : And ind●… they may here expect to suffer for t●… Righteousness , but not till hereafter to Rewarded for it : And they must with greater comfort expect this , because th●… present sufferings are for the increase their future reward : according to t●… ●…f 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction which 〈◊〉 but for a moment , worketh for us a far ●…ore exceeding and eternal weight of Glory ; Our Afflictions can work for us , when ●…e cannot work for our selves ; our ●…ufferings can do more then our Doings . We dare not say that our Actions shall , ●…ut we dare and must say , that our Afflictions shall work for us that exceeding and ●…ternal weight of glory . This is indeed a very great comfort to the Afflicted , that Affliction is a necessary condition of their own Salvation . And yet there is another comfort not far short of this in the Doctrine of Piety , but before it ( if possible ) in ●…he Practice of Charity , That our Affliction is the ordinary & usuall means of others Salvation ; for sure this must needs be a very great comfort to every good Christian , that God should make him the happy ●…nstrument of bringing others unto Christ ; Saint Paul was so zealous of his brethrens Salvation , that he could have wished him●…elf accursed , to have procured their eternal Blessedness , Rom. 9. 3. And Dives was so careful of his brethren , that he desired Abraham to send one to them from the dead , to testifie unto them , lest they also come ( saith he ) into this place of torment , Luke 16. 28. If you cannot arriv●… to that pitch of charity which Saint Pa●… brought with him from the third Heaven●… yet you may be ashamed not to have tha●… Charity which Dives had with him whe●… he was in hell ; That Charity was so great as to make him look upon the Salvation o●… his Brethren , as the Alleviation of his ow●… eternal Torment : How much more wi●… it make thee look upon it as the Alleviation of thy Temporal Affliction ? Saint Pa●… tells the Colossians , He did rejoyce in his sufferings for them , Col. 1. 24. How were his sufferings for them , unless it were to confirm their Faith ? and if his sufferings did confirm their Faith , how could he eve●… sufficiently rejoyce in them ? according as h●… saith , Who now rejoyce in my sufferings ; he would not stay so long for his Joy , as ti●… his pain and sorrow was past , nor did thin●… it enough to rejoyce after his sufferings , bu●… also in them : who now rejoyce in my sufferings ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; ( saith Saint Chrysostom citing this Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Gen. ) If he rejoyced in his Afflictions , when cou●… he be sorrowful ? Let us accordingly examine the reasons of his Joy , for this Doctrine is so much against flesh and blood , that if we can not prove it to be rational , we shall scarce admit it to be Religious : The reasons of his joy were three ; for Christs sake , for his own sake , and for ●…heir sakes : 1. For Christs sake , because ●…hey were the afflictions of Christ , not in ●…is own Person , ( for of those afflictions it ●…s said , Isa. 63. 3. I have trodden the wine●…ress alone , and there was none with me ) but ●…n his members ; not in his naturall , but in his mysticall body . 2. For his own sake , because there was a want and imperfection , and a kind of emptiness in him till he did ●…uffer ; therefore he saith , And fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in ●…y flesh ; That is yet empty which must be filled up ; that is yet wanting which is be●…ind . 3. For their sakes , therefore he saith , ●…y sufferings for you , and for his bodies ●…ake , which is the Church ; His sufferings did conduce to their salvation , not by way of merit or satisfaction , as if he had meant ●…o jussell Christ from his cross , but by way of example or imitation , because he was so well contented to be crucified with him and for him . This example of piety , and pati●…nce , and perseverance , was so much for ●…heir Edification , that he saith it was for ●…hem : accordingly as he saith again , 2 Tim. 2. 10. Therefore I endure all thin●… for the Elects sake , that they may also obta●… the salvation which is in Christ Jesus wi●… eternal Glory ; O the admirable priviledg●… of a sanctified soul , to pay a Debt of s●… upon the score of Grace ! Suffering is 〈◊〉 Debt that I owe for my sin ( and blessed be the mercy of Heaven which accept of a Temporal , in exchange for an etern●… suffering ) but if I suffer so patiently , s●… contentedly , so thankfully , as that I bene●… others by my example , Then do I pay th●… Debt of sin upon the account of Grace●… Then do I endure chastisement for othe●… sakes , as well as for mine own ; I endure 〈◊〉 things for the Elects sakes , that they may 〈◊〉 so obtain the salvation which is in Chri●… Jesus ; as if he had said , That they seei●… me possess my soul in patience , may al●… learn to possess theirs so too ; for the sa●… Christ who is All-sufficient to me in m●… sufferings , will be as All-sufficient to the●… in theirs : Though the merit of my sufferings cannot advantage them ( for the sa●…vation is in and of Christ Jesus , not in a●… of his servants , but onely for them ) yet t●… example of my sufferings may advantag●… them ; my sufferings can do them litt●… good , but I that suffer may do them muc●… good ; And indeed we cannot doubt , and therefore may not deny , but that God ●…oth oftentimes visit his choisest servants with the sharpest afflictions both in health ●…nd sickness , meerly for others sakes : that ●…hose whom before they had examples of ●…iety , they should now have examples of ●…atience ; that those who had followed Christ so far , as they had most benefited others by their doings , ( for he went about doing all manner of good ) might also follow him a little further , even to his Cross , and most benefit others by their sufferings : A thing in it self very desirable to attain , and therefore very comfortable when attained ; For any man may in some sort advantage his Brother by his doings , but onely the good Christian by his sufferings : the doer may be the saviour of the body , but it is ●…hiefly the sufferer that is the saviour of ●…he soul ; God having appointed three wayes for man to benefit his neighbour ; By speaking , by doing , and by suffer●…ng ; but as speaking is out-vied by doing , so doing is out-passed by suffering . If thy affliction divert not thee out of the right way , it may be a means to convert another to it ; Justin Martyr confesseth that the constancy of the Christiaus in their sufferings was the chiefest motive that converted him to Christianity ; ( Apol. ad Sena●… Rom. ) saying to this effect , I my self ( saith he ) was once a Platonist , and did gladly hea●… the Christians reviled ; but when I saw they feared not death , nor any of those miserie●… which most frighten all other men , I bega●… to consider with my self that it was impossible for such men to be lovers of pleasure more then lovers of piety ; and that made 〈◊〉 first think of turning Christian. O what an immortall comfort will it be unto thy soul , to be a means of converting or confirming others by thy sufferings , when thou canst no longer by thy speaking nor by thy doing ! for so shalt thou sav●… two souls together , thine own and th●… Brothers ; and by saving his soul fro●… death , shalt hide a multitude of thine ow●… sins , Jam. 5. 20. This being the priviledge●… true Christian patience ; To hide other me●… sins from us , and much more to hide ou●… own sins from God ; for though it cann●… expiate any one , yet it can hide a multitu●… of sins . But let us in a word sum up thes●… comforts of the soul from the affliction affliction●… the body , and they will appear to be thes●… four : First , it brings us to God , and Go●… to us : Secondly , it makes us conformable with Christ our Saviour : Thirdly , it is a necessary condition of our own salvation : Fourthly , it is an ordinary means of others ●…alvation : Joyn all these together ; and when thy flesh is most afflicted , then let ●…hy spirit be most comforted , and most thankfull to God for his spiritual and immortal comforts , which in that they have been spiritual , do plainly shew they shall be immortall . SECT . II. The second comfort of the Soul in sickness , is , that it weakens the flesh . IF I would rejoyce as a man ( at the weakening of any ) it should be at the weakening of mine own enemies ; if as a Christian , it should be at the weakening of the enemies of my God ; Here then in the weakning of my flesh I may have true joys , for as much as that is both my Gods and mine own enemy : 1. It is Gods enemy , Rom. 8. 7. The carnall mind is enmity against God ; for it is not subject to the Law of God , neither indeed can be ; Sapientia carnis , saith the vulgar Latine ) The wisdo●… of the flesh is enmity with God ; what th●… is its Folly ? The minding of the flesh , fai●… the Greek . If the mindings of the flesh 〈◊〉 enmity with God , what then are the a●…ings of it ? and we may see the reason 〈◊〉 the enmity , For it is not subject to the L●… of God ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the word spea●… two things : first , being in order , then b●…ing in subordination ; the flesh will not 〈◊〉 ordered , and therefore it will not be subo●…dinate : It is an obstinate , a perverse R●… bell , that hates all subjection , and therefor●… much more hates the Law that requires i●… It is admirable to think that Christ to●… our flesh , that he might be made unde●… the Law ; but we as long as we are in th●… flesh desire to be above all Law ; the reaso●… is , the purity of his flesh , the corruption 〈◊〉 ours ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , saith S. Job●… 1 Ep. 3. c. 4. v. ) Sin is a transgression of t●… Law ; and not onely so , but also a privatio●… ordetestation , or abolition of the law ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is both ; And the flesh is guilty of such si●… for as it sins against the Law by transgres●… on , so it would fain sin without the Law b●… abolition ; and doth not onely forsake t●… Rule of obedience , but also as much as 〈◊〉 possible destroyes it , by wishing there wer●… no Command to restrain it , no Lord to over-rule it , no Judge to over-awe it . Thus is the flesh not subject to Gods Law , as a wilfull Rebell is not subject to the Law of his Supream Governour , not ●…onely by an actual transgression , but also by an habitual detestation of it : This is the Reason why S. Paul puts Christ against Belial , 2 Cor. 6. 15. For Christ was obedient to the death , but Belial will not endure to think of obedience : Therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , unrighteousness and undutifulness are put as terms convertible ; for Belial is no other but sine Jugo , one without a yoke , that is , without law : One that looks upon Law as a yoke , and will be sure not to put his neck under it ; such a Belial is the flesh , and is therefore Gods enemy ; for to be without Law , is to be without God , since Law is no other but the Reason of God , or at least , Reason derived from God ; Divine Law is the Reason of God , Humane law is Reason derived from God. But secondly , the flesh is also mine enemy ; for in being Gods enemy , it must also be mine : whereof the Apostle would fain make us all sensible , when he concludes his discourse concerning the flesh with this terrible Epiphonema ; So then , they that are in the flesh cannot please God , Rom. 8. 8. A●… what was he himself when he said this ( sait●… S. Chrysostome , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . in Gen. ) was he n●… in the flesh ? yes , He was in the flesh as 〈◊〉 cloathed with it , but not as one besotted by i●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . He saith not , the●… which are compassed with the flesh , bu●… they which are captivated under it , th●… minde nothing but the things of the flesh they cannot please God ; Non utique utiquei●… substantia sed in cute , as Tertullian e●…pounds it : Not they which are in the substance of the flesh , but they which are in th●… cares of the flesh ; They which care onely for the flesh ; for that is properly to be i●… the flesh : to be governed by the flesh , o●… rather buried in it ; To have all ou●… thoughts of it , all our desires for it , all ou●… delights in it , all our longings after it : The●… that are so , are in the flesh ; & they that are so in the flesh , do not truly look after God , and much less care to please him : Therefore either Siricius must recall his first Dogmaticall Epistle , wherein he saith in effect that to marry is to be in the flesh ; or St. Paul hi●… Apostolical determination , 1 Cor. 7. 9. It i●… better to marry then to burn : And it is no matter whether you speak concerning the marriage of Priests , or of other men , since Abraham , Isaac , and Jacob were Priests ( as the first born of their families ) and yet S. Ignatius , after he had as highly extolled Virginity , as it is worthily to be extolled , is contented at last to pray to God , that he himself , though a Virgin , might sit at the feet of Abraham , Isaac , & Jacob in the kingdom of heaven , which were all three married men : whereas if to marry were indeed to be in the flesh , & consequently not to please God , those holy men had been better never to have married , although by their marrying they had this priviledge , to be the Progenitors of Christ ; For much happier was the blessed Virgin her self , in the judgement of S. Augustine , that she did bear our Saviour in her soul , then that she had born him in her body : He that pleaseth God doth bear Christ in his soul , in whom alone God is well pleased ; and we are sure that those men pleased God , or they should never have enjoyed him : we must then say that Siricius was no infallible Doctor ; for if to marry is to be in the flesh , it cannot be better to marry then to burn ; For it is certainly much better to burn here , then to burn in Hell ; and to be in the flesh is nothing else but to provide fewell for Hell fire : For such as do not desire to please God , sure do not please him ; and such as do not please God here , cannot enjoy God hereafter ; such men need no enemy to destroy them , they have already destroyed themselves ; they are buried alive , they have changed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and made their body the sepuchre of their soul ; and therefore saith St. Chrysostome , The Spirit of God calls them not Men , but onely Flesh Gen. 6. 12. And God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt , for all flesh ha●… corrupted his way upon the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , He dot●… not now vouchsafe to call them men , but onely flesh ; And doubtless , whosoever hath most of the corruption , hath most of the flesh ; and whosoever hath most o●… the flesh , hath least of the man in him ; and he that is all flesh , and no spirit , is in trut●… all beast and no man : which made o●… blessed Saviour in his Sermon concerning the necessity of Regeneration , say unt●… Nicodemus , That which is born of the flesh is flesh , John 3. 6. so flesh , as it is nothing else ; the unregenerate is nothing but flesh so far from being spirituall , that he make●… his very soul carnall . Tell me now whether it be possible for any other , to be so fatall●… mine enemy as is mine owne flesh ; For other enemies can only hurt my body , but my flesh can and doth also hurt my soul ; making it the soul of a beast rather then of a man : And the breath of such a soul is Articulated into a voyce , saying , Take thine ease , eat , drink and be merry , Luk. 12. 19. If thou hadst the soul of a Hog , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , saith Saint Basil , what else couldest thou say unto it ? And as the flesh makes a man here fit company for beasts , so it will make him hereafter sit company for Devils : of which the Apostle hath accordingly forewarned us , Rom. 8. 13. For if ye live after the flesh , ye shall die ; ye shall die whiles you live , and much more when you are dead ; you shall now die spiritually , but you shall then die eternally : The want on widow is dead while she liveth , 1 Tim. 5. 6. And much more so is the wanton soul : Nay , twice dead , saith Jude , ver . 12. Feeding themselves without fear , twice dead : Feeding themselves after the manner of swine , without fear , ( not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as the Greek Criticks distinguish ) and fed as swine onely to the slaughter , fed not for life , but for death ; D●…plicem hic mortem notari , unam in qua nati sint , alteram in quam sua defectione inciderint , saith Beza ; Here is mention made of a two-fold death . One in which their corrupt nature had plunged them ; Another in which by a corrupt life they had plunged themselves : Carnal men that live after the flesh , are twice dead whiles they live , and yet after they are dead , cometh infinitely a worfer death : what a mercy then is it of God to send us sickness to weaken the flesh which is an enemy , that cannot be conquered till it be weakened ? weakened in its affections , in its infections , in its defections : The affections of the flesh are as the sons of Zervia to David , too hard for us , 2 Sam. 3. 39. Though we be anointed as he was , and have received the holy Unction , yet they will commit their outrages , and it will be a long time before we shall get so much mastery as to slay but onely one of them at the Horns of the Altar : The infections of the flesh are to us as the Leprous men were to the Samaritans , so exceeding dangerous , that we have little reason to endure their company , 2 Reg. 7. 3. Onely we cannot do as the Samaritans did , shut them out of our Gates ; they will come in whether we will or no , and will bring their leprosie along with them ; Lastly , the defections of the flesh are to us as fatall and deadly as the defection of Abner was to ●…osheth , 2 Sam. 3. 10. which translated ●…e Kingdom away from him ; onely we ●…ve a greater loss by these defections ●…en he had : for we lose the Kingdom of ●…eaven . The affections of the flesh are ●…isterous , the infections of the flesh are ●…ngerous , the defections of the flesh are ●…eadly ; O then for the blessing of a sick●…ess to shelter my soul from this storm , to ●…eliver my soul from this danger , to reco●…er my soul from this death ! SECT . III. The third Comfort of the soul in sickness , is , that it wasts the flesh . THe more the body is pampered , the more the soul is starved ; therefore ●…ith St. Paul , Flesh and blood cannot inherit ●…e Kingdom of God , 1 Cor. 15. 50. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ●…ith Epiphanius Haer. 42. He speaks not ●…is of the flesh , but of w●…cked men in the ●…esh , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , sait●…●…he same Author in another place , Haer. 66. ●…e speaks of the works of the flesh : And yet is he not fully satisfied , but gives moreover a third exposition , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he speaks not of 〈◊〉 slesh which is sanctified , and labou●… please God , but of that flesh which is 〈◊〉 in sin , and seeks onely to please it s●… Let me not then complain of the wasti●… of my flesh , since that so much tends the advantage and improvement of 〈◊〉 spirit : For I must decay in my natur●… that I may increase in my spiritual streng●… be an imperfect man in my self , that may be a perfect man in Christ Jesus Ephes. 4. 13. The fulness of Christ ca●… not well be in me , without mine own em●…tiness : For as in Philosophy there is 〈◊〉 penetration of bodies , so in Divinity the●… is no penetration of souls ; If I will ha●… my Saviour be in me , then I must not 〈◊〉 in my self : for he hath said , If any man w●… come after me , let him deny himself : that is his body and his spirit , saith Hugo ; Corp●… in divitiis , & deliciis , Spiritum in intellect●… & affectu ; Let him deny his body in no●… regarding riches nor delights ; Let hi●… deny his spirit , in not trusting to his ow●… judgement , in not following his own affections ; Let him thus deny himself both in ●…ody and in spirit , that he may be fit for my Cross , and that my Cross may fit him ●…or me : And who will not upon this consideration say with holy Ignatius ( Epist. ad Rom. ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : Let me be meat for wild beasts , so God be a portion for me : Let the beasts devour me , so my God receive me ; Let my foul disease destroy my body , so as my God receive my soul ; I will make no provision for my flesh , and take no care of it , if so be by putting that off , I may put on the Lord Jesus Christ : the unruliness of the flesh rejects him as a Lord to Govern ; The uncleanness of the flesh hinders him as a Jesus to save , ( for he is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity , Hab. 1. 13. And therefore of purer hands then to touch it , and of a purer heart then to save it ) Lastly , the undutifulness of the flesh hinders him as a Christ to instruct ( for he will teach none that saith not to him as Samuel did , Speak Lord , for thy servant heareth , 1 Sam. 3. 10. ) I will therefore gladly put off my flesh , that I may put off my unruliness , my uncleanness , my undutifulness : Thus I will gladly put off my self , my unruly , my unclean , my undutifull self , that I may wholly put on my Saviour as Lo●… as Jesus , and as Christ ; as Lord to gove●… me , as Jesus to save me , and as Christ to i●…struct and to direct me ; Christus susce●… fidelem ad curandum , docendum , tuendu●… dirig endum , saith Hugo : Christ hath u●…dertaken the true Christian , to heal him , to teach him , to defend him , to direct him To heal him as Jesus , to defend him a●… Lord , to teach and to direct him as Christ ( I know that the Messias cometh which is called Christ ; when he is come , he will teach u●… all things , Joh. 4. 25. ) And all these mercie●… will he most readily bestow on me when 〈◊〉 most want them , and fly to him to supply my wants ; when I am most sick , he will most heal me ; when I am most weak , he will most defend me ; when I am least capable of other instructions , then will he most teach and instruct me ; when I am least able to guide my self , then will he undertake to direct and lead me in the way everlasting : There are some things that he hath to teach me , which whiles my strength is in me , I am not fit to learn : I must therefore be content to lose my strength , that I may gain these Instructions . There are three impediments in men , which either keep them from the knowledge of Gods Truth , or hinder them in knowing it ( saith Aquinas ) hebetudo ingenii , Occupationes Temporales , torpor addiscendi , Their naturall incapacity , Their temporall distractions , and their spiritual slothfulness ; All these proceed from the grossness of the flesh ; Let that vanish , these will vanish with it . The natural dulness as to heavenly things , decaies with the nature ; The temporall distractions vanish with the time ; The spiritual slothfulness is shaken off with the flesh that brought it on the soul. Thus I must confess my flesh needs be much wasted to make me live well , but much more to make me die well : for whiles that is in its vigour and lustiness , it will scarce afford me time to pray , much less sincereness and fervency in my prayers : I will then rejoyce in the wasting of my flesh , because it will promote the working of Gods Spirit : Nor is this my onely comfort , that whiles I wast in flesh I grow in Grace ; but I am also comforted in this , that whiles I wast in my flesh , the shame wasts that deforms me , the sin wasts that depraves me , the burden wasts that depresseth me ; For mans flesh is Deformed , Depraved , and Depressed by the sin that dwelleth in it . First , Mans flesh is deformed by sin for had there never been sin in the flesh , there would never have been deformity i●… it : neither deformity from the want , no●… from the indisposition of any member ; s●… brought in both deformities : and though at the Resurrection God will take awa●… from the bodies of the wicked the deformity that is in them , from want or defect of any of their members , for he will justifie his own Creation ; yet he will not take away the deformity that is in their bodies , proceeding from the indisposition or defect of a due proportion in their members ; for he will not justifie their sin , and therefore not abolish that deformity , which is in punishment thereof : St. Paul tels us , There is a natural , and there 〈◊〉 spiritual Body , 1 Cor. 15. 44. And yet he speaks of one and the same body : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , saith Epiphanius , Haer. 64. not another , but the same body which i●… now natural , shall then be spiritual : And indeed St. Paul himself speaks of the Individuum Demonstrativum : This corruptible , this mortall ; Magis enim expresse non potera●… loqui , nisi eutem suam manibus teneret , saith Tertullian ; He could not have spoken more expresly , unless he should have pinched up his flesh with his own fingers to shew it us . Accordingly , Ruffinus saith , the Church did providently profess the Doctrine of the Resurrection , in saying , Hu●…us carnis resurrectionem , the resurrection of this body or of this flesh ; to wit , this same flesh in Substance , but not in Qualities : It is now the flesh of a natural body , and is accordingly clogged with corruption , mortality , infirmity , and gravity or grossness ; It shall then be the flesh of a spiritual Body , and accordingly Incorruptible , Immortal , full of Power , and full of Activity : For these are the four Properties assigned to the body at the Resurrection ; 1 Cor. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , called by the School , Impassibilitas , Claritas , Agilitas , Subtilitas ; The contraries whereof are in the same body as long as it is a natural body , to wit , Corruption , Dishonour , Weakness , and Grossness : which are all as so many natural Deformities of or in the Body , whereby it becomes unamiable to it self , and unproportionable to the soul that doth inform and should govern it : So that though the body be never so beautiful in outward appearance , yet whiles it continues in the state of disobedience to the soul , it continues also in the state of deformity ; And disobedience will not be out of it as long as sin is in it : Corpus gloriosum est ex totali subjection●… ad Animam , saith Aquinas , The body is not glorious till it hath learned a total subjection to the soul , even as the soul is not glorious till it hath learned a total subjection to its God : And the same Author asserting , That the Body of man hath a most convenient disposition , makes it good by this distinction , Non simpliciter sed s●…cundum comparationem ad finem , not simply but in comparison of the end for which it was made , that is , the operations of the soul , Therefore though Heavenly Bodies are much more beautifull then is mans body , yet a Heavenly Body had been less convenient for a man then an earthly body , because a Heavenly Body had been impassible , and consequently incapable of Sense ; And the soul of man knows nothing naturally , but by and from the Senses : Wherefore as an Artificer making a File or Saw to cut , doth not make it of Glass but o●… Iron ; for he looks not after the beauty , but after the use of it , and cares not that it is the less beautifull , so he may have it the more usefull : So did God in making man not a Coelestial , but a Terrestrial Body . Wherefore if the necessity of Nature hath ●…ut mans body under a comparative defor●…ity , to make it the less glorious ; How much more hath the corruption of Nature ●…ut the same Body under a positive Deformity , to make it the more inglorious ? Secondly , mans flesh is depraved by sin ; As it is deformed , so it is also depraved by ●…t ; Nor may we here alledge , as before , the necessity of nature ; for though the deformity of mans flesh may in some sort be ascribed to the condition of his nature ; yet the depravation of it , may not ; for God may be the Author of a comparative deformity , for that is but a lesser good ; but by no means of a positive depravation ; for that is in it self , an Evill , or a Sin ; and he cannot be the Author of Sin. Wherefore it is a dangerous Position , which some late Divines have greedily embraced , and as violently maintained , That there was the same inordinate propensity in the nature of man to the works of the flesh before the Fall , as is in it since the Fall ; Onely then it was restrained and fettered by original justice , or righteousness , but is now let loose by original sin ; This opinion is in it self dangerous , because it casts a blasphemous aspersion upon God ; For he is the Author of Nature , and therefore the Author o●… the necessary conditions thereof , as w●… those that flow from the matter as fro●… the Form ; but in its consequences it i●… no less then damnable ; For if it be granted , that the rebellion of the sensitive Appetite against the dictates of Reason , dot●… flow from the very principles and being 〈◊〉 the flesh , then it must follow , that it cannot be a sin ; for what is natural is no sinfull , sin being no less a Monster o●… nature , then a Monster is a sin of nature ; and consequently , that a man ma●… in and of himself attain to such a perfection of righteousness , as to say meerly ou●… of humility , not according to the truth forgive us our trespasses , A tenent anathematized by the second Milevitane Council , ( in which Alypius and St. Augustin●… were present , as appears by the Synodica●… Epistle , ) in the ? Canon , in these words , S●… quis asserat haec verba dominicae orationis demitte nobis debita nostra , à sanctis di●… humiliter non veraciter , Anathema sit the very same with the 117. Canon in th●… Council of Carthage , as it is set forth b●… Balsamon , who thus puts it into Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . And when yo●… see Binius and Balsamon so well agree , yo●… may look on the Tenent , not as Anathema●…ized by one Council , but by the Catholick Church : Therefore we must conclude that ●…his inordinate desire of the flesh against ●…he spirit in man , is not a condition , but a ●…orruption of his nature ; and entered ●…ot into the flesh , till sin entered into the spirit : Then , and not till then , did the body refuse to be subject to the soul , when the soul refused to be subject unto God : then that which before was a body of life , was presently made a body of death , Rom. 7. 24. Not of Gods , but of mans own making : God made the body , but man made the death : The soul in that it is united to the body , hath by nature an inclination to the things of the body ; but it hath onely by sin , not by nature , an inordinate , an unruly inclination to them : The desires of the flesh are from nature , but it is only from sin there is a depravation and irregularity in any of those desires . Thirdly , mans flesh is depressed by sin ; for it cannot be depraved by the guilt of sin , and not be depressed by the burden of that guilt : Wherefore we may justly complain of a weight that is upon us , whiles we cannot but complain of the sin that doth so easily beset us , Heb. 12. 1. Man now groaning under a two-fold burden , the one of his flesh , and the othe●… of his sins , which is the heavier of th●… two , and makes the burden of the fles●… the more burdensome and unsupportable And as in sin there is macula , reatu●… poena ; The pollution , the guilt , the punishment ; So in the flesh because of sin ther●… is Deformity , Depravation , and Depression ; Deformity from the pollution , Depravation from the guilt , and Depression from the punishment of sin : I will therefore be glad and rejoyce in the wasting of my flesh , as I would rejoyce in the deliverance from my blemish that most deforms me from my corruption that most deprave●… me , and from my burden that most depresses me : It is a sweet contemplation of Aquinas , ( 12 ae . q. 42. art . 5. ) That spirituall things , the more we consider them the greater they appear , so that we may lose our selves in the consideration of them ( if at least we can be said to lose our selves , whiles we seek and finde our God ) But Corporal things the more we consider them , the less they appear , and vanish by degrees , till at length they are quite los●… in their consideration : So is it with my flesh ; the longer I consider it , the more i●… wasts , and becomes less in my opinion : And therefore it is but reason that the ●…onger I wear it , the more it should wast , ●…nd become less in its own substance , till ●…t length it come to nothing . CHAP. II. The Comforts of the Soul against Death . THere is nothing more profitable for us then to think of death ; yet of all our thoughts that is the least welcome , and the most terrible : for death is the King of Terrors : when nothing else will draw us unto God , that will frighte●… us to him : when nothing else will frighte●… us from our beloved sins , that will mak●… us affraid of sinning : whence it is the wis●… mans advice , Remember thy last end , an●… sin no more : Excellent is the Casuis●… distinction of Articulus mortis verus 〈◊〉 Praesumptus , That there is one point o●… death in Truth , another in Presumption Articulus mortis non intelligitur solus il●… in quo quis moritur , sed etiam ille in quo ●…ori probabiliter timetur , saith Navar. The point of Death is not only that where●… a man doth actually die , but also that wherein he may probably dye ; so that any ●…mminent danger , any dangerous sickness ●…s to be looked on as the point of Death ; Nay , yet further ( according to the Christianity , though not the Criticism of Ca●…uisticall Divinity ; ) there being not one moment of our life exempted from the ●…anger of Death , the point of Death doth 〈◊〉 effect pierce through our whole life , ●…uch more should it pierce through our ●…earts : As many mischiefs as are in the ●…orld , so many dangers ; as many dangers , 〈◊〉 many Deaths : Let this wicked world ●…en have this priviledge , That though it is ●…e worst that ever was to teach a man to ●…e , because its doctrines are so dubious ; ●…et it is the best that ever was to teach a ●…an to die , because its practices are so ●…ngerous : Welcome then all ye mischiefs ●…d outrages of ungodly men , for their ●…es that suffer them , though not for ●…eir sakes that do them ; We can easily ●…sh the one less sin in their doings , ●…t we may not wish the other less bene●… in their sufferings : See the admirable Providence of God towards his Prophet he throws him into prison to keep him from starving , Jer. 37. 21. ( for by tha●… means he had a piece of Bread when many others had not , even till all the bread i●… the City was spent : ) He keeps him in prison , to keep him from being butchered by the sword of the Chaldeans , Jer. 38. 28. Finds out an Ethiopian to be his preserver when the Princes of Judah were his persecutors , ver . 7. ( more charity in one Pr●…selite , then in many Apostates : ) yet woul●… not let Ebedmelech prevail for his enlargement , lest the Prophet should have lo●… his life ( as the rest did , when the City wa●… taken ) by gaining his liberty : Carcer 〈◊〉 obsonio & pro Asylo ; quid ni & mors 〈◊〉 lucro ? When his prison was his Grana●… and his Dungeon his security ; tell me wh●… could be his loss ; for sure Death wo●… have been his gain : Do your worst the●… O ye ravenous Wolves that seek to d●…vour the flock of Christ ; Well , you 〈◊〉 deny them a place to live , but sure yo●… cannot deny them a place to die ; And th●… look upon the troubles and afflictions 〈◊〉 their life , as so many Calls or Summons 〈◊〉 Death : For God saith unto them mo●… particularly , as he did to his Prophe●… Jer. 18. 2. Arise , and go to the Potters House , and there I will cause thee to hear my words : They are sent to the Potters House : that ●…s , they are bid to consider their own frail●…ty and mortality , that so they may the more attentively hear Gods Word ( The Word of Piety and Patience that he is preaching unto them ) and the more benefit by hearing it ; For many a man that will not hear Gods Word in Gods own House , will hear it in the Potters House , when he shall consider that his body is no other but a polished Potsheard ; to day a very weak and brittle , and to morrow , perhaps , a broken Vessel : For Theophilus ( lib. 2. ad Antol. ) gives us this very similitude , As a Vessel in the hand of a Potter when it is faulty in the making , is therefore broken that it may be fashioned and formed again , till he make it perfect and compleat ; So is the Vessel of mans body , broken in pieces by the hand of God , because it is now quite out of order , that it may be formed and fashioned again , and by that means become a glorious and an incorruptible , and an immortal body : wherefore it is not amiss going to the Potters House , not only for Gods sake , but also for our own ; For we need not fear being broken by that hand which alwaye●… mends in the marring : Mans hand often mars in the mending , brings a Deformation instead of a Reformation , but Gods hand alwayes mends in the marring : What then have you else to do in this world , but to live innocently , and to die comfortably , that so you may live in the Faith , and die in the hope of a better world ? The day will come when a little innocency will go further with you then the greatest Patrimony ; therefore keep your Innocency , though you lose your Patrimony : Facile contemnit omnia , qui credit jam se esse moriturum , saith St. Hierom : He that thinks himself a dying man , will be sure to keep himself an Innocent man ; and will rather forsake all here , then carry guiltiness away from hence ; He can easily contemn the smiles of this world , and therefore cannot fear the frowns of it : For he believes that Rule of the Casuist to be true , though not pleasing Divinity , Mortem potius ferre debet quam consentire mortali peccato , That he is bound rather to suffer death , then to consent to any deadly sin ; The reason is plain , for that the death of the body is as nothing to the death of the soul : All death is the privation of some life : The corporal death is the privation of the life of nature ; the spiritual death is the privation of the life of Grace ; the eternal death is the privation of the life of Glory ; yet is the Eternal Death not called the third , but only the second Death ; because the spiritual Death is indeed no other then the Inchoation of the Eternal , and awaits onely the corporal Death to be its completion . Apoc. 20. 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection , on such the second death hath no power : But it hath a power on the rest , though it hath not yet the exercise of that power : The second death hath power on a wicked man whiles he lives , though not the exercise of that power till he dies : Therefore the wicked and ungodly man hath great reason to fear the first , because he cannot but expect the second Death : But whosoever hath his part in the first Resurrection ( and it is our shame if we have not a part in it , for let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity , 2 Tim. 2. 19. ) is blessed and holy , and blessed in that he is holy : His holiness being to him the Inchoation of blessedness , and the life of Grace the beginning of the life of Glory : such a man hath little reason to fear the first death , because on him the second death hath no power , and not having power on him while he lives , shall much less have power on him when he dies : yet do not Divines think it necessary to exempt the most righteous man that is , from the fear of death : They onely think it necessary that he be furnished with comforts greater then his fears : Comforts enough to conquer his fear , though not enough to expell it : Suarez is of opinion , that the blessed Virgin her self received extream Unction , and Fillieucius saith positively , that if you will suppose a man by special priviledge preserved from all sin , yet it will not follow that he should not need extream Unction , because he is capable of the principal effect of it , which is , Confortatio contr●… mortem , a comforting and strengthening against Death : And though many Divines do much doubt whether there be any suc●… aertue in extream Unction as to comfort ●…gainst Death , yet none do doubt but even ●…he most righteous may need such com●…orts : Our Saviour himself had an Angel strengthening him : Thou hast need of more : and blessed be his goodness , he hath given thee more : Thou hast his Spirit , God the Holy Ghost to strengthen thee : Nay , thou hast his death , to comfort thee in thine ; and that 's the onely reason why when Christ himself so much feared death , yet many Christians have willingly embraced it , because death was not conquered to him , but it is now conquered by him to us : yet , Not my will , but thy will be done , is the greatest degree of perfection we can rationally expect , when this bitter cup shall come to be tasted ; For certainly that could not but relish very ill to any mortal palate , had not the Saviour of the world himself tasted it , and by tasting the bitter Potion therein , sweetned the Cup to those that should tast it after him : Solus Christus sensit amaritudinem mortis , in cujus anima omnes vires ac Potentiae fuerunt per speciale miraculum conservatae , saith Gabriel in 3. sent . Dist. 15. Christ alone did feel all the sharpness , and tast all the bitterness of Death , in whose soul alone all powers and faculties were preserved in their full vigour and sense by special miracle ; But we will not argue the case whether the pains of death be most felt in the sensitive or intellective parts of the soul ; and whether they that have the strongest senses have alwayes the strongest pains ; For sure we are , what are the pains of death none do know , but those that cannot come to tell us ; yet we have reason to believe that they are so violent as to be able to shake the tallest Cedar of Libanus , much more the shrubs of Carkemish : To terrifie men of undaunted resolutions , much more such as have too much guilt to have too little fears , or else the Church would never have taught us to pray , O Holy and mercifull Saviour , thou most worthy Judge eternal , suffer us not at our last hour for any pains of Death to fall from thee ; Thou art our Saviour , we cannot fall from thee but we must fall from our salvation ; and the pains of Death will make us fall from thee , unless thou shew thy self our merciful Saviour to sustain us in the hour of Death , as thou hast sustained us all our life . And why didst thou taste the vinegar at thy death , and not till then give up the ghost ? ( John 19. 30. ) but to teach me to pray , O my God , let me not taste the vinegar , when I am to give up the ghost , since thou thy self hast tasted it for me : so saith thy Apostle , Heb. 2. 14 , 15. For he also himself took part of the same flesh and blood , that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death , that is , the Devil , and deliver them who through fear of Death were all their life time subject to bondage : We see here a two-fold effect of Christs death : The one was to conquer the Devil that had the power of Death ; The other was to deliver us that were under the fear of Death , and fled to him for deliverance ; The Devil had the power of Death till he was conquered , and he was not conquered till the death of Christ ; till then he kept the keys of Hell and of death , but then Christ took them away from him , and doth ever since keep them : Apoc. 1. 18. I am he that liveth and was dead , and behold I am alive for evermore , Amen : and have the keys of Hell and of Death : Then let me not fear to pass through the gates of Death whiles my Saviour keeps the keys of it to open the Grave ; Let me not fear to pass by the gates of Hell , whiles my Saviour keeps the keys of it to shut the Gates : Yea , though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death , I will fear none evil , for thou art with me , Psal. 23. 4. Thou art with me to uphold me in that walk that I fail not ; to direct me in that valley that I stray not ; To enlighten me in that shadow that I stumble not ; Christs guidance cannot but afford a very safe conduct , which is not unfitly expressed by these four words , Educit , Deducit , Adducit , Introducit ; He brings out , He brings on , He brings to , He brings in : First , Educit , he brings the soul out , to wit , out of the Body ; for it may not go till he call , and then it must ; O my soul , never be affraid to go from thy body , when thy Saviour calls thee to go along with him : Secondly , Deducit , He brings the soul on , to wit , on the way to Heaven ; And himself ( saith Justin Martyr in Tryphon ) did pray to his Father to guide his soul at his death , that we might know how to pray to him to guide our souls , Psal. 22. 20 , 21. Deliver my soul from the sword , my Darling from the power of the Dog , save me from the Lions mouth : He thus prayed on the Cross immediatly before his death , ( for it is the Tradition of the Church , That Christ said all the 22 Psalm upon the Cross , though the Evangelists mention only the first words of it ) to teach us to pray , when we die , That God , who alone can , would deliver our souls from the Dog and from the Lion , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he would turn away the evil Angel , ( who is compared to a Dog for his impudency , to a Lion for his violence ) least he should catch our souls at their going out of our bodies ; We know the Devil is called the Prince of the Air , and we may be sure he would not let any mans soul pass from earth to Heaven , were not he ready to convey it thither , to whom is given all power in Heaven and in Earth , and over Hell : Thirdly , Adducit , He brings the soul to , that is , to God ; Man when he dies , his body returns to the dust , but his spirit returns to God that gave it ; All spirits return to God at the hour of death , either as to a Father , or as to a Judge , and Christ brings them all to him ; The spirits of wicked men as to a Judge for punishment ; The spirits of good men as to a Father for mercy ; Whence that admirable prayer of our Church for the sick , That whensoever his soul shall depart from the body , it may be without spot presented unto thee through Jesus Christ our Lord ; Christ presents all souls unto God ; but the souls of the impenitent and unbelievers , in the spots they have contracted by their sins ; The souls of those who by Faith and Repentance have laid hold on his Righteousness , he presents without spot : Those souls that are in their sins shall be rejected ; those souls that are in their Saviour , shall be received ; There is no man at that day but will be speechless , who hath not the Eternal Word to answer for him . Fourthly and lastly , Introducit , he brings the soul in , that is into the state of Eternal blessedness , to see and enjoy him who is the blessed and only Potentate , the King of Kings , and Lord of Lords , who only hath immortality , dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto ( unless Christ bring him in ) whom no man hath seen or can see , to whom be honour and power everlasting , Amen : 1 Tim. 6. 15 , 16. No man hath seen him or can see him in this corruptible body , but the Saints now do see him in their incorruptible souls , and do ascribe unto him his honour and power everlasting : Accordingly the Angelical Doctor makes it his business to confute those , who said that the souls of the Saints separated from their bodies , do not come to their bliss till the day of judgement , quod quidem apparet esse falsum autoritate & ratione , which ( saith he ) is apparently false , as we can prove , both by authority and by reason , ( and all the world is not able to afford better proofs , or gain-say them ) 1. By Authority ; for the Apostle saith , 2 Cor. 5. 6. Whiles we are at home in the body , we are absent from the Lord ; and he gives the reason of that absence in the next verse , for we walk by faith , not by sight ; whence it appears , that as long as a man walks by faith , & not by sight , not seeing the divine essence , he is not yet present with God ; but the souls of the Saints when separated from their bodies , are present with God ; for it follows verse the eighth , We are confident , and willing rather to be absent from the body , and to be present with the Lord ; whence it is manifest , that the souls of the Saints separated from the body , do walk by sight , seeing the essence of God , and consequently enjoying everlasting blessedness : 2. By Reason ; for the understanding in the exercise of its operation , needs not the body , but only for some phantasms or representations ; but it is manifest that the divine essence is not to be seen by the help of any phantasm or representation : Wherefore since the immediate bliss of the soul consists in the Vision of the divine essence , it cannot depend upon the body , and consequently the soul without the body may be , and is undoubtedly blessed . Thus Aquinas , 12 ae . qu. 4. art . 5. Shewing himself in this an exact Scholar of the Text , and as great a Master of Reason : And truly i●… we rightly consider the matter , that Christ hath opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers , what can shut it against a believing soul departing hence , but onely sin●… And that cannot shut it , neither for its guilt , nor for its blemish and pollution ; For the guilt of sin is taken away from the believing soul by the imputation of Christs Righteousness ; And the pollution of sin is also daily diminished in it , by the operation of Christs Spirit during life , and quite taken away from it at the hour of death , even at the very instant of its departure ; This is the judgement of some excellent School-men ; So Gabriel in 3. Sent. dist . 15. Animae , in mortis instantia , datur impeccabilitas & impassibilitas . God gives to the soul at the very instant of death , impeccability that it cannot sin , and impassibility that it cannot suffer ; O what a happy instant will that be , wherein we shall be delivered from our sins , and from our sufferings ! And agreeable to this , Alexander Ales our own Country-man of Merton Coll. in Oxford , and Tutor both to the Seraphical and to the Angelical Doctor , gives the distinction of Gratia Baptismalis , Poenitentialis , Finalis , ( Par. 4. qu. 15. membr . 3. art . 3. ) That some Grace ●…s Baptismal , which rules and governs in the soul by vertue of the Sacrament ; some Poenitential , which causeth an imperfect subjection and conformity of the will to God , and this takes away all mortal sin ; And some Final , which makes the will and all its faculties wholly subject and conformable to God , and this takes away both mortal sin and also venial ; But this grace is given only at the last instant of our life ; for which reason happily it is called final Grace , as coming only at the end , only to men departing hence , to fit and prepare their souls for God : For nothing impure or unclean can enter into the Kingdom of God ; and therefore the soul , before it can enter in thither , must be quite purged from all manner of impurity and uncleanness , which is accordingly done ( saith he ) by final Grace ; For though other grace doth conquer sin , yet it is only final Grace that quite expels it ; The soul not being wholly freed from that disorder which it hath contracted from the body , till it again depart from the body ; If this be so , what have I to do , but to long for a happy departure ? that is , to make the best use I can of Baptismal and Poenitential Grace , that my soul may he delivered from the dominion of sin ; and to expect that final grace which shall deliver it from the very inhaesion of sinfulness : To bless God that hath given me grace in life to purge my soul from sin , and that will give me grace in death to perfect my soul in Righteousness : That he parting all sin from my soul , before he part my soul from my body , I may at the end of my weary pilgrimage , lay me down in peace and take my rest ; Lay me down in that peace which this wicked world cannot give , and this tumultuous world cannot take away ; the peace of a good conscience here , of a blessed eternity hereafter ; And take my rest in the bosome of the earth my mother , but in the arms of God my Father , even that Rest of which it is said , Heb. 4. 3. For we which have believed , do enter into rest : A Rest into which neither our disturbance can enter with us , nor our disturbers after us , unless as they have troubled others by their sins , so at length they trouble themselves much more , by their Repentance ; A Rest into which he hath already entred , who is both able and willing to keep us in everlasting rest : A Rest of a quiet , of an uninterrupted sleep ; For so he giveth his beloved sleep , Psal. 127. 2. The Grave is a place of corruption in it self , but to the servants of God it is a place of Rest ; Thence were Church-yards anciently called sleeping places , Coemiteria or Dormitoria , wherein the bodies of the Saints were laid to their last Rest : The Ancients did think fit to name their burying places from the rest , not from the corruption that was to be found in them : Athanasius tels us , that a man may be said to be corruptible both spiritually and corporally ; Spiritually when he sins , as the Scripture saith , They are corrupt , and become abominable in their iniquities ; And Corporally when he dies : which corporal corruption ( saith he ) hath three Names , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Mors , Putrefactio , Interitus ; Death , Putrefaction , and Destruction : The death is when the soul is separated from the body ; The Putrefaction is when the flesh of the body decays ; But the Destruction is when also the bones are consumed ; And he saith , that the body of Christ was subject only to the first corruption , which is by Death , not to the second by Putrefaction , and much less to the third by Destruction ; The like is Damascens Divinity ; ( lib. 3. de orth . fid . cap. 28. ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . This word Corruption imports two things : Either the separation of the soul from the body , or the Total dissolution of the body ; ( for he hath joyned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in one . ) From the first the body of Christ was not exempted ; from the second our bodies cannot be exempt : The body of Christ which knew no sin was subject to the first degree of corruption ; But our bodies that have been all over infected with sin , and defiled by that infection , are also subject to the other two degrees of it . Christ tasted of death , Heb. 2. 9. But we must swallow it down ; He fed on death , for he tasted it at his own pleasure : Death feeds on us , for we must tast it against our wills ; and not only tast it , but also eat it down : Corruption first seized upon our souls , and from thence passed to our bodies ; It was to our greatest disadvantage that it seized upon our souls ; But it is to our greatest advantage that it seizeth upon our bodies : For unless they should be quite destroyed , sin which first caused mortality , would in the corrupt remainders and Reliques of our bodies , it self have a kind of immortality , whereas Righteousness alone is , and ought to be immortal : And therefore it is very probable that those who shall be found alive at the last day , ( of whom the Apostle hath said , We shall not all sleep , but we shall all be changed , 1 Cor. 15. 51. ) shall have a change , not only Equivalent to a Death , but also to a Total Destruction ; For sin must totally be destroyed : And therefore also our bodies that have lodged it , and have been defiled by it ; That there may not be left the least monument of sin in the New World , wherein shall dwell nothing but Righteousness , 2 Pet. 3. 13. And now me thinks I can find a Paradise in Golgotha , ever since my Saviour hath been there ; and bid hearty welcom to those worms which shall destroy that flesh which would have destroyed me ; For I can now safely conclude , that neither in regard of my soul nor of my body ought I to fear Death ; which certainly is not so formidable in it self , as it is generally in the worlds opinion : For if the Rule be true , Nomen quasi Novimen : The name of every thing is that whereby it is best known and discerned ; then by the name of death we may best know and discern the nature of it : And these are the chief Names whereby the Scripture expresseth it , A Sleep ; A Change , A Departure , A Dissolution ; and none of all these Names is terrible ; and why then should the thing it self be so ? But if there be any terrour in the thing , yet we are sure that in the Text there is a comfort greater then the terrour . First , Death is called a Sleep , Mat. 9. 24. The maid is not dead , but sleepeth ; And though wicked miscreants who believed not the Resurrection , laughed at our blessed Saviour for calling death A sleep , yet let all good Christians rejoyce that it is so , and give him thanks for making it so : It is a comfortable Gloss which the third Toletan Council , cap. 22. gives upon those words of John 11. 35. Jesus wept ; For they say , Dominus non flevit Lazarum , sed ad vitae hujus ploravit Aerumnas resuscitandum , Jesus did not weep that Lazarus slept , but that he was again to be awakened to see the miseries , and feel the mischiefs of this wicked world : T was said before , verse 11. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth : And he that said it , having made his death a sleep , was troubled that he should awaken him so soon from his sleep : In vita vigilant Justi , ideo in morte dicuntur Dormire , saith St. Augustine : The good man when he dieth is said to sleep , because he watcheth and waketh all his life ; but a wicked man sleeps all his life , and awakens only at his death : Soul take thy rest , saith the rich worldling ; He lulls his soul asleep : but what follows ? Thou fool , this night is thy soul taken from thee ; Thy sleep shall soon be over , together with thy life , and Vengeance and Death they shall awaken thee ; For hast thou slept all thy life , and wouldest thou also sleep at thy death ? Hast thou slept all the while thou wert here , and wouldest thou also sleep , now thou art going hence ? Hast thou slept when God bad thee awake , and wouldest thou also sleep now that he bids thee die ? No ; Thou mayest not any longer expect rest , ease and tranquillity ; For thou shalt certainly have disconsolation at thy departure , grief in thy passage , and shame at thy journeys end , when thou shalt appear before Gods Judgement-seat , and shalt not be able to give any account at all of thy life , ( no more then the Souldiers could of Christ , Mat. 28. ) for thou wert asleep : Thy Death would have been a sleep , if thy life had not been so . Secondly , Death is called A Change Job 14. 14. All the dayes of my appointi●… time will I wait , till my Change come : Th●… Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , I wi●… wait till I be made again : If death be thy making , Tell me what can be thy marring ? A happy change doubtless , which is nothing but a new making of that which is quite out of Order : And thus saith St. Chrysostome did Symmachus expound th●… words , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 my holy Nativity , or my holy Natur●… come ; The nature which I now have i●… full of corruption , full of unholiness , so that my own flesh is not so neer me as i●… my sinfulness ; O for a regeneration of my body as well as of my soul , that I may be born again in my flesh , as I am in my spirit : Nor is there any thing that can mor●… truly sweeten the thought of death , the●… this consideration , that it is a change ; For we are already in so bad a condition , that we cannot well fear our Change should be for the worse ; And if we be truly sensible of our own condition , it is most sure tha●… our change will be infinitely for the better : For so saith the Apostle , Phil. 3. 20●… 21. For our conversation is in Heaven , fro●… whence we also look for the Saviour , th●… Lord Jesus Christ , who shall change our vile body , that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body ; as if he had said , we find nothing on Earth worth conversing withall , therefore our conversation is in Heaven : we know that our body is now vile and loathsom , and therefore we look for the Lord Jesus Christ to Change and Fashion it like unto his Glorious Body ; Here are two great changes , which the men of this world , that are most given to change , least care for ; A change of the soul from being on Earth to be in Heaven , [ for our conversation is in Heaven . ] A change of the body from Vileness to Glory , [ who shall change our vile body , that it may be like his glorious body . ] Thirdly , Death is called , A Departure ; and so doth Abenezra expound the forenamed word in Job , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaliphathi , my change ; that is , ( saith he ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Halicathi , my departure : For the Jews express mans Birth , as a Coming , and his Death as a Going : So Eccles. 1. 4. One generation goeth , or Passeth away , and another cometh ; Generatio vadens , and Generatio Veniens : The first is put for the Dying , the latter for the living Generation of mankind . And the first Council of Nice , can . 13. speaking of Dying men useth a word that only signifieth going forth , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , De iis q●… exeunt ; And again , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; If any man be ready to Depart hence not to deprive him of that necessary Provision which God hath appointed as hi●… food for his last journey ; meaning the Holy Eucharist ; for though many me●… now account it as nothing worth , yet the Primitive Church thought there was great danger to that Christian soul that went hence without Receiving it , ( and much more without Desiring it ) or they would not have dispenced with all their Ecclesiastical Discipline to restore a sid●… person to the Communion , which they did again deny him upon his recovery , till he should give the Church full satisfaction : But thus we see they looked upon a Christians Dying , only as upon a Going out of his body ; exit è corpore , saith Saint Hierom , of devout Lea , she is gone out of the body , when indeed she was dead ; And what then , though I go out of my self , ( and yet 't is but the worst part of my self ) as long as I go to my Saviour ? why should I not joyfully sing with good old Simeon , Lord , now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace ; since , I have the very same Ground and Reason of my ●…ong that he had , even this , For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have seen thy salvation , Luk 2. 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 do as clearly see thy salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eye of Faith , as he did with the Eye of Flesh ; and so far I have the advantage of him ; he saw himself embracing his Saviour , I can more oversee my Saviour embracing me . Fourthly and lastly , Death is called A Dissolution , Phil. 1. 23. Desiderium habens dissolvi , Having a desire to be dissolved , and to be with Christ : Two very great comforts at once ; the first , That I shall be dissolved ; the second , That I shall be with Christ : Which two being joyned ●…ogether in All true Christians , haply made Saint Cyprian take Saint Pauls Dis●…olution for an Assumption ; for whereas ●…he Apostle saith , 2 Tim. 4. 6. The time ●…f my Dissolution is at hand ; The good Fa●…her recites him , saying , The time of my Assumption is at hand ; not to furnish ●…ur Criticks with a various Lection , for ●…aint Cyprian was not Pur-blind , to read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; nor hath the ●…hurch been so false as to change the reading , but to furnish our Divines with various Exposition ; For Death , as it is Dissolution in regard of the body , the●… is the first Comfort , To be dissolved ; So●… is an Assumption in regard of the soul there is the second comfort , To be wit●… Christ. For the first , let Themistius spea●… ( a Heathen Author ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; we say , Th●… Death is a Dissolution , for the same reason that we call the body a Bond , becau●… it binds , and manacles , and fetters th●… soul ; and who would not be Dissolve●… or Loosened , that is in Fetters and Bonds The wanton desire of imaginarie Liberty hath brought many into Thraldom : A●… 't is a wonder if the serious sense of re●… Thraldom , should not in an ingenuo●… soul , increase the desire of true Liberty Bring my soul out of prison , that I m●… praise thy Name , Psal. 14. 2. v. 7. 'T is Vassalage , a meer Bondage not to prai●… Gods Name ; If others hinder me fro●… praising it , they make me a Bondma●… though they may pretend to have stretch●… not only their Purse-strings , but also th●… Heart-strings , and to have expended 〈◊〉 only their money , but also their blood the Purchase of my Liberty : If I hinder my self , ( whether by my sins , or for my pleasures ) it is I that imprison my self ; And because my flesh cannot but hinder me , it cannot but imprison me : for the service of God is perfect freedom , and therefore the soul cannot be truly free , till she come thither , where she shall do nothing else but serve him . A privative liberty , not to be enthralled in bondage , a Heathen could see in Death : But a good Christian may farther see also a positive liberty , To have his soul and his spirit enlarged , according to that of Psalm 119. v. 32. I will run the way of thy Commandments , when thou shalt enlarge my heart : when the heart is most enlarged , it is most at liberty ; and the heart is most enlarged , when it most runs the waies of Gods Commandments : most readily , because without the sluggishness of the flesh ; most speedily , because without the ●…og and weakness of the flesh ; most incessantly , because without the weariness of the flesh : This is my first comfort in Death , that I shall be Dissolved or Loosened from all my Bonds and Impediments ; and yet this second is far greater then this , That I shall be with Christ : For Saint Paul spake not these words Personally lest I should think that this Personal priviledge was to pass away with himself ( according to the rule of the Law , Privilegium personale transit cum persona ; But 〈◊〉 spake them Doctrinally , that I should believe , what was at that time true Doctrine for his Instruction , and comfortable Doctrine for his Consolation , was for ever to be so to all true Believers , both for their Instruction and for their Consolation : For it is evident , That the Convert-Thief upon the Cross cannot be looked upon as a priviledged person , and yet it was also pronounced concerning him , Dying in the true Faith of Christ , though he had not lived in it , This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise : He was so to depart from himself , as without doubt to be with his Saviour in Paradise , not in Purgatory : Bellarmine himself confesseth , de Purgatorio incertum est : And none ever durst say , That the humane soul of Christ was at all in Purgatory ; But sure we are , That he is not now there , and as sure that they that are dissolved to be with him , cannot be where he is not . I am unwilling to go from this Argument , because I am willing to come to my Death , as to my sleep for rest : As to my Change for Advantage ; As to my Departure from all Inconveniences for relief ; As to my Dissolution from all Impediments for redress : The Eyes of my body are content to be closed , so as the Eyes of my soul may be the more opened : There are two Eyes of my soul , as of my body ; the one of Contemplation , which is as the left Eye ; the other of Affection , which is as the right Eye . When the Eyes of my body are nearest shutting , the Eyes of my soul will be nearest opening ; and from seeing the light of Nature , I shall go to see the light of Glory : As for me , I will behold thy face in righteousness , saith holy David , Psal. 17. 15. teaching me to lie down in this faith ; and again , I shall be satisfied when I awake , with thy likeness , comforting me , That I shall rise again in this Vision ; For if the former part be my faith , the latter will surely be my Vision . I know that I shall part with my dearest Relations , but I also know , that I received them upon this condition , to part with them . And besides , there is none of these but will be infinitely bettered to me , by losing these ; for he hath said it , who is able to make good his word , Mat. 12. 50. Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven , the same is my Brother , and Sister , and Mother . Tell me , if there be any Relations nearer and dearer the●… these ; and tell me , whether these can be so comfortable in Earth , as they are in Heaven . What loss is it then to me , though Death take from me All , while it gives me him who is All in All ? The Spirit of God saith unto every faithful soul ( Psalm 4. 5. 10. ) Hearken O daughter , and consider , forget also thine own people , and thy Fathers house ; so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty ; for he is thy Lord God , and worship thou him . Non est ergo magnum ●…tu obliviscaris & dimittas Populum tuum , & Domum Patris Tui , ut te totum ejus servitio submittas ; Quoniam ipse dimisit Coelum , & se totum dedit , ut tibi serviret ; saith Hugo . He requires no great thing of thee , To forgo thy Fathers house on Earth for his sake , who did forgo his Fathers house in heaven for thy sake ; He was thy Lord , and yet did that to serve thee ; Thou art his servant , and wilt thou stick at doing this to serve him ? But you will say , Herein consists my greatest perplexity ; For I know that I must go to him as my Lord to Judge me , but I do not know how I can stand in that Judgement , that so I may find him my Father to receive me , and my God to save me : But for this , I refer you to another Chapter , as being a Piece of Divinity that most concerneth another world . CHAP. III. The Comforts of the Soul against Iudgement . SECT . I. The terrours of the last Judgement . THere is a time for a Minister to be a Boanerges , a Son o●… Thunder , to proclaim God●… final Judgement against Impenitent sinners , that he may bring them to an earnest Repentance , fo●… that Impenitency is the high-way to damnation : But there is also a time for him to be a Barnabas , a Son of Consolation , t●… proclaim Gods mercies to the Penitent that he may bring them to a lively faith for that true faith is the high-way to salvation . Galatinus reports , That the Jews did use to give a strong intoxicating wine to those that were condemned to die , that by disturbing their judgements , they might have the less terrible apprehensions of their approaching Death ; wresting that Text of Prov. 31. 6. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish , and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts : A miserable way of Comforting was this , to take away the pain , by taking away the sense and the understanding ; To quiet the conscience , by drowning it : Had it not been more mercy in the Jews , to have given the guilty a bitter potion to awaken his conscience , then a pleasing potion to benum and to besot it ? For it is good the soul should weep with Mary , ( John 20. 11. ) when she cannot readily find out Christ , because it is sure , the weeping soul can never lose him : Wherefore it will be requisite , that I first set before your eyes the terrours of the last Judgement , that you may see your sins ; and then the comforts against those terrours , that you may see your Saviour . As concerning the terrours of the last Judgement , they are set down in few words , but many Frights , 2 Thes. 1. 7 , 8. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels , in flaming fire , taking vengeance on them that know not God , and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ ; who shall be punished with everlasting Destruction , from the presence of the Lord , and from the glory of his power , when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints , and to be admired in all them that believe , in that day . Observe the terrible manner of this Grand-Assizes ; The Judge shall visibly come down from heaven , and bring his Posse Comitatus with him , even his mighty Angels , to execute his final Sentence ; which shall be a Sentence for the punishment of sense , [ they shall be punished with an everlasting Destruction ] and for the punishment of loss , [ from the presence of the Lord. ] That is , A Sentence for all punishment that is imaginable , and for more then is endurable : And this Judge shall come down in flaming fire , a Real , a Material , a Corporal , not a Metaphorical , or an Imaginary , or a Spiritual fire ; and this fire he shall bring along with him from heaven , not expect it to meet him from hell , ( that shall lose none of its own former flames , but receive more ) and therewith consume this corruptible and corrupted world , 2. Pet. 3. 7. And after that , throw all the Divels and wicked men into that same fire , and then throw the fire it self , with them , down into hell , there to increase the torments of those miscreants for ever , that had before fire from hell to torment them ; but then they shall also have fire from heaven to encrease their torments . God , as he shall be glorified and admired in his Saints , because of his undeserved mercy ; so shall he also be glorified and admired in those sinners , because of his righteous Judgement : And therefore , though their Judges fire will be so terrible , because of the flame , yet their own sins will be much more terrible , because they alone minister the fuel to that fire ; For the Books shall be opened , ( The Book of Gods Remembrance , and the Book of their own Conscience ) And they shall be Judged out of those things which are written in the Books , according to their works , Rev. 20. 12. Then in both Books shall they see such works Registred , as call for a Judgement worthy of God , because they had not only an Impiety , but also an Impenitency unworthy of man : And as they shall first see those works to their terrour ; so sha●… they after feel them to their torment : no●… a work that had putrefaction and corruption in it , but shall have its worm after it For corruption of sin begets a worm in th●… soul , as corruption of Death begets worm in the body : Vermis oritur ex putredine , 〈◊〉 mordit illud in quo oritur , saith Bonaventure ; A worm is begotten of filthiness , an●… feeds on that which beg at it ; so is the wo●… of conscience , it is begotten of corruption even of sin , the only corruption of the soul & it frets , and corrodes , and gnaws , and bit●… that soul which gave it being . So that there must needs be all manner of terrours , terrours from within , where their worm dieth not ; terrours from without , and the fire 〈◊〉 not quenched , Mark 9. 46. And to all these terrours , we must yet further add this terrible example out of Saint Peter , 2 Pet. 2. 4. For if God spared not the Angels that sinned , but cast them down to hell , and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto Judgement : Here is a kind o●… an imperfect speech , called ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his passion caused him to break off , without making the Inference ; but our own consciences will thus make it up for him ; for if God spared not the Angels that sinned ; much less will he spare men ( the more ignoble creatures ) that would not repent them of their sins ; and if he cast the Angels down from heaven into hell , then surely he will not admit wicked men from hell into heaven ; and if he delivered the Angels into chains of darkness to be reserved unto Judgement , then much more will he deliver those wicked men , whom he hath brought to Judgement , to be cast into that daarkness , where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth ; For there was before an inner darkness in their sin , and it is but just there should be an outer darkness in their punishment . They that before would not see the light , then shall not see it ; for though they shall dwell in everlasting burnings , yet shall they have such fire as shall only afford Heat to scorch them , not Light to comfort them ; For then shall the fire that is prepared for the Execution of Gods Judgements upon sinners , be divided by the Word of the Lord , saith Saint Basil ; All the light that is in it , shall be for the comfort of the Saints ; that is , shall return back to heaven again , from whence it came down , ( as was said before ) but all the Heat that is in it , shall be for the torment of the sinners : So that in heaven shall be all the Light , and none of the Heat ; in hell shall be all the Heat , and none of the Light : ( Saint Basil in his Sermon upon the Judgement to come , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) There will Pashur , that injuriously smote Jeremiah the Prophet , not be Pashur , noble and excellent , but Magor-missabib , fear round about , Jer. 20. 3 , 4. Est enim Pashur idem quod excrescens Princeps , vel scindens seu aperiens locum ; Magor vero Pavor , saith Zegedine : Then shall those who now only make way for their own Greatness , only give way to their own Fears : They that now think they have not room enough to live , shall then think they have too much room to Die. This is so certain a truth , that it is set down by way of History , as if it were already done ; not of Prophesie , as if it were to do , Rev. 6. 15 , 16. And the Kings of the earth , and the great men , and the rich men , & the chief Captains , & the mighty men , and every bond-man , & every free-man , hid themselves in the Dens , and in the Rocks of the Mountains , and said to the Mountains and Rocks , Fall on us , and hide us from the Face of him that sitteth on the Throne , and from the wrath of the Lamb ; For the great day of his wrath is come , and who shall be able to stand ? We may answer , They who now are most likely to fall ; for it is evident , that they who now are a terrour unto others , shall then be a terrour to themselves ; the great men , the mighty men that now engross all , will then think they have too much ; for they will wish the Rocks and the Mountains to fall on them , and think that weight nothing to the burden of their sins : They will desire to be hid from the face of him , in whose presence is the fulness of joy ; and from the wrath of that Lamb , which alone delivereth from the wrath of God ; They will be afraid to see their Redeemer , how much more to see their Judge ? They will not know how to look upon him as a Lamb , such as he is in himself ; much less will they know how to look upon him as a Lyon , such as their sins have made him : They will be terrified at the thought of their neglected Deliverance , and much more at the voice of their denounced Damnation . But I dare not proceed further in these terrours , for fear they should prove greater then the greatest of our comforts , as we are able to receive them , though not so great as the least of our sins , as we have despitefully committed them : For it is not proper to bring a soul laden with sin to a servile , but to a godly sorrow ; not to a sorrow that worketh fear to confusion , but that worketh repentance to salvation : A sorrow that is not without hope , as well as not without fear , and hath hopes as far greater then its fears , as it hath fears lesser then its sins . For a sorrow that is without hope , is but the beginning of Hell-torments ; And it is not safe bringing our souls too near hell-gate , for fear the Devil should lay fast hold of us when we are there , and pluck us quite in : Nay indeed it is not necessary ; for we are bound to believe , that our blessed Saviour Descended into he●… , that he might keep us from Descending thither : All our labour then must be to enquire which is the best way to prevent these terrours , that they may not seize upon our souls ; and if they have seized us , which is the readiest way to expell them . SECT . II. The best way to prevent the terrours of the Day of Judgement . THE best way to prevent these terrours , is to practise what we have been taught to pray , even to lead a godly , a righteous and a sober life ; A godly life , according to Gods Eternal Order , the Order of Religion ; a Righteous life , according to mans external Order , the Order of Government ; and a sober life , according to our own internal Order , the Order of Reason : But because some will the less regard this , or any other sound Divinity , if it be taught them by the Church ( thereby shewing themselves , in one and the same act , no less unthankful to Gods mercy , which gave them a Church to teach them the true way of godliness , then undutiful to Gods Authority , that they will not be taught ) it is necessary to shew how God taught it the Church , before the Church taught it us ; for so saith Saint Paul , Tit. 2. 11 , 12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation , hath appeared to all men , teaching us , that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts , we should live soberly and righteously , and godly or religiously in this present world ; denying ungodliness and worldly lusts : Not Gods Ordinances , Gods Sacraments , Gods Authority , not the undoubted exercise of godliness , making all these by our denyals to be thought ungodliness : Such a denyal as this , must needs be Antichristian , and will justifie Hyppolitus his gloss , who in the Greek word of denying , ( ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ) hath according to its numeral letters , found out the number of the Beast , 666. We cannot deny the exercise of godliness , as if it were ungodliness ; Heavenly practises , as if they were earthly and worldly lusts , but our denyal will help make up the number of the Beast : If we will needs be denying , let us deny our selves : for that denyal will make us live soberly , and righteously , and religiously in this present world ; soberly in regard of our selves , by subduing our Affections to Reason ; righteously , in regard of our Brethren , by subduing our Actions to our subdued Affections ; and religiously in regard of our God , by subduing both our Reason and our Affections to Religion . Thus if we do , we shall not be guilty of any inordinate work , and consequently we shall not fear any punishment , which is but the act of some violated or offended Order , Vindicating and Revenging it self : I say , if we live soberly , and righteously , and godly in this present world , we shall not need live , and much less die in fear , lest any of those orders , under which God hath placed us , should rise up against us to punish and to depress us : But whiles we are under guilt , we cannot possibly be above fear ; for it is the property of all Order , to suppress the contrary Disorder , and consequently to punish it ; and sin being a breach of these three Orders , the Order of Reason , the Order of Justice , and the Order of Religion , is accordingly punished by them all ; And therefore the sinner that hath not his sin forgiven him , cannot be exempted from the fear of all these three punishments ; neither from the fear of internal punishment by the remorse of his own conscience , which proceeds wholly from the Order of Reason , ( for it is from Reason that a man hath a conscience , first to admonish him , and at last to torment him , because he would not be admonished ) nor from the fear of external punishment by the hand of outward Government , which will never leave stretching it self out , till it hath reached the Malefactor , and brought him to suffer according to his doings : nor from the fear of eternal punishment , proceeding from the wrath of God : So nearly doth it concern us to ful●…ill all righteousness towards God , our selves and our neighbours , that we may be exempted from all fear of punishment , either from God , or men , or from our selves , that is to say , our own consciences : This is the best way to prevent the terrours of the Judgement to come , even to keep our selves in the first innocency , the innocency of Obedience ; but because we have all lost this , and do continually lose it , we must therefore the more earnestly follow , that we may the more happily apprehend the second innocency , the innocency of Repentance . For there is no protection against fear , but only innocency ; which since we cannot have by our Obedience , we must seek to him by our Repentance : And therefore it will not be amiss for every good Christian to follow Saint Pauls example , who saith of himself , Acts 24. 16. Herein do I exercise my self , to have alwaies a conscience void of offence toward God , and toward men ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; we may look upon this as Saint Pauls Asceticks ( although here is not one rule concerning a Monastick life ) or as his exercitium quotidianum ; for so Beza , ipse me exerceo , Herein do I exercise my self . His daily exercise was this , to have a conscience void of offence towards God ; which they cannot have who are guilty of superstition ; and a conscience void of offence toward men , which they cannot have who are guilty of faction . Good Lord , how few is the number of those ( in such an innumerable number of Christians ) who have a conscience void of offence , both toward God , and toward men ; since there are so few , who are not guilty , either of superstition or of faction ? Herein a man must exercise by himself , that will exercise himself ; for in such depravations and distempers of the world , what he gets of the company , he may chance lose of the exercise : and indeed , since the exercise wholly concerns the conscience , it is most fit that every man exercise both himself and by himself , and accordingly Catechize his own soul , how far he hath had a conscience void of offence toward God , and consequently in that regard toward himself ( for in loving God , he loves himself , and therefore there is no Text that saith , Thou shalt love thy self , but only , Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self ; for the Text that saith , thou shalt love the Lord thy God , includes in it loving thy self , which cannot be but in relation to God ; And lastly , a conscience void of offence toward men ; every one must examine himself , how he hath observed his Order towards God by Faith and Obedience , in believing his Promises , in doing his Commands : How he hath observed his Order towards his neighbour , by Justice and Charity , whether that Order be Civil or Ecclesiastical ; for he can shake off neither , and therefore must satisfie both : Lastly , how he hath observed his Order towards himself , by Temperance , Soberness , and Chastity , bringing his body under his soul , and bringing his soul under his God ; for he cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , unless he doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; He cannot be wise to be sober , unless he be sober to be wise . Thus he must examine himself concerning all these three Orders , and what he findeth concerning any of them defective in his Obedience , he must labour to make up speedily by his Repentance ; for which cause our Church doth laudably require the distinct rehearsing of all the ten Commandments , and the people after every Commandment , to ask God mercy for their transgression of the same , that so we might be sure to pass by no one sin unrepented ; which they can scarce do , who yet are called to repentance upon more strict terms then we are , since the second Commandment is not in so great repute with them , as to have any Interrogatory concerning it : But he that heartily asks God forgiveness for his transgressions against every particular Commandment , since every sin is a transgression of some Commandment , is sure to pass by no sin whatsoever without Repentance ; for he doth really and explicitly repent of those sins which he knows and remembers , and doth virtually and implicitly repent of all the rest : which is a thing we should all make sure of , since there is nothing but Innocency can arm us against Judgement ; and there is no innocency , but either in obedience , or in repentance : wherefore , it being impossible that any man , conceived and born in sin , should quiet his conscience by the perfection of his obedience , ( for in many things we offend all , Jam. 3. 2. an●… having offended , must fear to be punished it is most necessary that we all labour to quiet our consciences by Repentance : a●… bless God , who though he hath require●… Obedience , yet hath also granted Repentance unto life , ( Acts 11. 18. ) and woul●… not have granted it , if he would not have accepted it : Do then as did that godly Centurion Cornelius , ( a fit pattern no●… only for all military , but also for all sedentary men ) give much Alms to the people , ( for sure if there be not a redeeming , ye●… there is a breaking off sins by Alms-deeds and iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor , Dan. 4. 27. ) and pray to God alway ; that is , be so far from taking away what is another mans , as to be ready to give of thine own ; give of thy substance 〈◊〉 thy Brother , ( for his Poverty hath no●… disannulled his Fraternity ) give thy self to thy God , and it shall be with thee , as it was with Cornelius , thy Memorial shall be with God , thy Comfort with thy self , thy Conversation with an Angel. No ma●… can be exempted from the terrours of 〈◊〉 dreadful Judgement , but he that dares trust God with his soul ; and no man dares trust God with his soul , that is not either Inno●…ent or Penitent : And if you will ask me , ●…hich of these two dares trust him most , 〈◊〉 who my self am laden with sin must say , ●…he Penitent ; For the Innocent offers un●… God his own Righteousness , but the ●…enitent offers unto him his Sons Righte●…sness ; and certainly , he dares most trust ●…od , who offers him that Righteousness , ●…hich he is sure God can least refuse in ●…dgement . SECT . III. The best way to expell the terrours of the Day of Judgement . THE greatest happiness of a Christian , is not to be troubled in Consci●…ce ; but the next to this , is speedily to be ●…livered from all his troubles : He is hap●…st that prevents the terrours of a guilty ●…nscience ; but he is next happy that ex●…ls them : And we have all most need to ●…k after this , for there is guiltiness enough ●…thin the most innocent soul to betray it , ●…d open the doors to let in these terrours , and therefore we must labour to see th●… be faith enough in the guilty soul , to exp●… and thrust them out again . And surely the Doctrine of Justification by Work though it pretend to be a great friend Righteousness , yet is it , in this respect , great enemy to the Righteous , w●… can never attain to that perfection Righteousness , as to be able to stand up his own legs in the last Judgement : The●…fore Saint Paul imputeth our peace 〈◊〉 God , to Justification by faith , Rom. 5. Being justified by Faith we have peace 〈◊〉 God , through our Lord Jesus Christ : 〈◊〉 is a League that cannot be broken , a Pe●… that cannot be disturbed , which is thro●… our Lord Jesus Christ , of whom the 〈◊〉 from heaven said , This is my beloved S●… whom I am well pleased , Mat. 3. 17. 〈◊〉 that voice cannot but speak comfort to according to the Learned Zanchies g●… lib. 4. de Tribus Elohim , cap. 1. 〈◊〉 beneficia iis paucis verbis docet Pa●… Christum nobis Communicari , Dilecti●… Reconciliationis , Adoptionis , seu Reg●…tionis ; Three ( great ) blessings in●… few words doth the Father himself 〈◊〉 us , are communicated by Christ to good Christian ; the blessing of Love ●…e is beloved in himself , we beloved in ●…m ; the blessing of Filiation or Adopti●…n , for he was his Son by nature , we his ●…ns by adoption and grace : And the ●…lessing of Reconciliation , for God is well●…leased with Christ for his own sake , and with us for Christs sake . For , wherefore ●…d there come forth blood and water out of thy side O sweet Jesus ? was it not that ●…he water should wash my soul , and the ●…lood should heal it ? I confess , that I have ●…ierced thee by my sins more deeply then ever the souldiers spears pierced thee ; yet ●…et me still look on thee by a lively faith , that the Scripture may be daily more and more fulfilled , which saith , They shall look on him whom they pierced , John 19. 37. Thus did holy men heretofore look upon thee ; nor had Saint Bernard any other answer to return to the Devil when he accused him , as he supposed , at Gods Judgement-seat , but only this , Fateor , non sum Dignus Ego , nec propriis possum meritis Regnum obtinere Coelorum ; Caeterum duplici jure illud obtin●…ns Dominus meus , Haereditate sc. Patris & merito Passionis , Altero ipse contentus , Alterum mihi donat , ex cujus Dono jure illud mihi Vindicans non confundor ; in vita S. Bernardi , lib. 1. cap. 12. I confess that I am not worthy , nor can I plead mine own merits , why I should obtain the Kingdom of heaven ; But my Lord having a double right thereto , one from his Father by inheritance , the other from himself by the merit of his Passions ; he being contented with one of them , hath given the other unto me ; and I claiming heaven by his gift , cannot be confuted , and much less confounded in my claim . Thus hath Saint Bernard taught me to answer the Devil ; and sure he is too old , too cunning a Sophister to be answered by any Fallacy : There is no silencing him but by a down-right Truth , whose evidence is undenyable , and whose power is unresistable . Nay yet more , Thus hath Saint Anselm taught me to answer God himself , in the form of Visitation of the sick , antiently used in this Kingdom , ( for Saint Anselm that used it , was Arch-Bishop of Canterbury ) who after some questions to the dying man concerning his Faith and Repentance , thus concludes his exhortation , for the quieting and setling of his conscience : ( I will put the words into English , as thinking it most reasonable , that what equally concerns All , should be in a Tongue equally understood by All. ) Therefore still give him , ( that is , your blessed Saviour ) thanks , whiles your breath is in your body , that he was pleased to die for you ; place all your confidence in his death ; commit your self wholly to it , involve your self wholly in it , cover your self wholly with it : And if God go about to Judge thee , say unto him , Lord , I object the death of my Saviour Jesus Christ , between me , and thee , and thy Judgement ; If he say , That thou hast deserved damnation ; then say unto him , Lord , I object the death of my Jesus between me and my evil deservings ; And I bring with me the merit of his most worthy Passion , instead of the merits which I should have had , but alas I have not : Then let the sick man say thrice , Into thy hands Lord I commend my spirit ; and let those that stand by , say so with him ; and let him die securely , for he shall never see the Eternal Death . Thus did the antient Church think it not only comfortable , but also conformable Divinity , That Christ alone should answer all Objections that were made against the soul ; And yet a Church much antienter then this , did believe and teach the same truth , even the Church in the Apostles times , Heb. 3. 6. Whose house are we , if we hold fast the confidence , and the rejoycing o●… the hope firm unto the end . Whose house ar●… we ; that is , all we that are Christians , the whole Catholike Church ; for particular men and Churches are but several stones in this living building ; it is the whole Christian Church that is the House of Christ : And that is his House upon this condition , If it hold fast the confidence , and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end ; as if he had said , By the same means that we are built up in Christ , we are still preserved in his building ; By the same means that we are contained , we are also continued in his House ; that is , by Faith and Hope in him : By holding fast the confidence , and the rejoycing of the hope unto the end : By laying hold on my Saviour , I get into his Mystical Body , and by keeping my hold , I continue in it : The Syriack translation instead of Confidence , here saith , The uncovering of the face , to shew that there is not left in the true Believer , the conscience of any one sin unrepented or unsatisfied , ( through the All-sufficiency of his Saviours satisfaction ) which may make him cover his face , either out of shame , or out of fear to look upon God ; either out of shame , because of his own unworthiness , ( for by faith he hath his Saviours worthiness to make him confident ) or out of fear , because of Gods unplacableness , for by hope he hath a cause to rejoyce , not to fear ; therefore it is said , The rejoycing of our hope : And the same Apostle moreover , gives the reason of this saying , Chap. 4. v. 15 , 16. For we have not an high-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities , but was in all points tempted like as we are , yet without sin ; Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace , that we may obtain mercy , and find grace to help in time of need : What is the hope that we can rejoyce in , but the hope of Eternal Life ? And we have this hope , because we have a great high-Priest that is passed into the heavens , Jesus the Son of God , v. 14. He is passed in before us , to make way for us to follow after him ; Nor ought we to be dismayed at our infirmities , since he is touched with the feeling of them ; for himself was tempted , to strengthen us in our temptations ; that in his strength we should encounter them , and by his strength should overcome them : Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace , &c. Wherein we have set forth the manner and the reason of our going unto God ; The manner , it must be with a holy confidence , in the righteousness of our high-Priest , [ Let us come boldly ] The reason is two-fold , the first concerns our God , because he hath erected a Throne of Grace to pardon us , not of Judgement to condemn us [ unto the Throne of grace . ] The second concerns our selves , That we may obtain mercy and find grace , to help us in time of need : What help so welcome , as that which helps in time of need ? What time of need so much wants help , as that wherein we can neither help our selves , nor have any else to help us , the Hour of Death , and the Day of Judgement ? In this time of need it is , that our high-Priest doth chiefly help us ; he will make intercession for us , when we shall not be able to speak for our selves , at the hour of death ; he will make answer for us , when we shall not be able to answer for our selves , at the day of Judgement : What though the Devils will then busily accuse me , as long as his righteousness shall be interposed in answer for me ? what if my conscience doth condemn me , as long as his satisfaction doth acquit me ? Why should not my soul joyfully say , I will go forth , ( even out of my body ) in the strength of the Lord God , and will mention thy Righteousness only , Psal. 71. 16. Though I dare not go forth in mine own strength , for fear I should fail in my journey , or miscarry at my journeys end , yet I dare go forth in his strength ; Though I dare not mention mine own Righteousness at the Bar of Gods Justice , yet I dare mention my Saviours Righteousness [ I will make mention of thy Righteousness , even of thine only : ] Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus , by a new and living way , which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail , that is to say , his Flesh , and having an high-Priest over the House of God , let us draw near with a true heart , in full assurance of Faith , Heb. 10. 19. Here are three singular benefits , that all they have who have Communion with Christ , to assure them of their entrance into heaven , when they depart from the earth ; The first is , That the door is opened unto them , and they have such a right to enter as cannot be doubted , must not be denyed [ Having boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus . ] The second is , That the way which leadeth thither is a safe way , keeping all from death that walk in it , [ A new and lively way . ] And also , A ready way , such as they may hope to walk in , notwithstanding their infirmities , because he hath made it plain for them , for he hath consecrated it for us through his flesh . The third is , That the House whither they are to go , is wholly disposed and ordered by their high Priest , who both guides them in the way , and is ready to receive them at their journeys end , [ Having an high-Priest over the House of God ] These being the Premises , That the door is open , and we have a right to enter ; that the way is both safe and plain ; that the House whither we desire to go , is wholly ordered by our own high-Priest , who guides us thither , and is ready to receive us there ; what else can be the conclusion but comfort and confidence ? what have we else to do , but to draw near with a true heart , in full assurance of Faith ? A true heart , that is true to its Saviour , by believing in full assurance of faith ; that is true to it self , by drawing near according to that belief : And surely , the Apostles invitation is as urgent for us to draw near to the Church Triumphant , as to the Church Militant , because all power is given to our Saviour Christ , as well in heaven as in earth , Mat. 28. 18. He hath power over the House of God in heaven , as well as over the House of God in earth : And where he hath power of the House , we need not be afraid to enter : For as he hath made the passage for us , to pass from the bondage of sin and Satan , to come into his Kingdom of Grace : So much more hath he made the passage for us , to pass from his Kingdom of Grace , to come to his Kingdom of Glory : And if we have already passed from Death to Life , much more shall we pass from Life to everlasting Life : If we have already passed from Nature to Grace , much more shall we pass from Grace to Glory : For the distance betwixt Nature and Grace is much greater , and harder to be passed , then the distance betwixt Grace and Glory ; for nature scarce affords a capacity of Grace , but grace is the very Inchoation of Glory . Profitable ; If thou wilt not help us for our miseries which we have deserved , yet help us for thy mercies which thou hast promised ; For thy Goodness is more willing to forgive , then thy power is to punish : And thy blood cryeth much lowder for pardon and forgiveness , then our sins can cry for punishment : Thou hast not yet forgiven so much as thou hast promised ; and thou hast not promised so much as thou hast purchased : One drop of thy blood had been a full and sufficient satisfaction for the sins of the whole world , but thou wast pleased to shed many drops of it , to shew that there was satisfaction still left for the sins of many worlds : Lord , hath thy blood satisfied for more sins then we can commit , and shall it not satisfie for those sins that we have forsaken and do detest ? Hast thou purchased mercy for more then do repent , and wilt thou not shew mercy on those to whom thou hast given Repentance ? Hast thou been so long calling us , that thou shouldst at last reject us ? Hast thou so long promised salvation , that thou shouldst at last deny it ? Thou hast purchased Redemption for us by thy blood , thou hast promised it in thy Word ; Thou hast purchased more then thou hast promised , and hast thou promised less then thou wilt perform ? I am thy Debtor for the Purchase , and I owe thee more then I am able , if not more then I am willing to pay : But thou art my Debtor for the promise ; I could not oblige thee by my desert , but thou hast obliged thy self by thy Word , and the Obligation is much the stronger for being of thy making , then if it had been of mine . This is the Obligation that I trust to , the Obligation whereby thou art obliged to thy self , to thine own blood , to thine own truth , Help thy servant whom thou hast Redeemed with thy precious blood , and to whom thou hast promised the benefit of this Redemption in thy Word : Thou wilt Judge me for those sins for which thou thy self hast satisfied , and is it possible that the sentence of thy Judgement should disannual the merit of thy satisfaction ? How comfortable are those words of thine to my guilty soul , The Father Judgeth no man , but hath committed all Judgement to the Son , John 5. 22. For when I look upon the Father , I must needs say of him , Our God is a consuming fire , Heb. 12. 29. He is as fire , and I am as stubble , easily consumed ; my sins have made my soul combustible , which his goodness had made impassible ; Have so much fewel about me and within me , that I cannot but dread the fire : therefore I do most exceedingly rejoyce , that the Father will not Judge me , but hath committed all Judgement to the Son ; For in the Son I cannot but see Flesh of my Flesh , and Bone of my Bone ; And since no man yet ever hated his own Flesh , Ephes. 5. 29. I will not think that the Saviour of man , will be the first to hate that Flesh in me , which he hath in himself ; I will then no longer stagger at those words of the Apostle , That the Lord the righteous Judge hath laid up a Crown of righteousness for them , and will give it to them , and to them only that love his appearing , 2 Tim. 4. 8. For now I my self cannot but love it ; I cannot but love his appearing as my Judge , when my soul doth magnifie him as my Lord , and my spirit doth rejoyce in him as God my Saviour : For to me , being thus prepared and disposed as I ought , it is all one to look for that blessed hope , and to look for the glorious appearing of the great God , and our Saviour Jesus Christ , who gave himself for us , that he might redeem us from all iniquity , Tit. 2. 13. He gave himself for us , that he might redeem us from all iniquity ; and therefore it is nothing else but looking for that blessed hope , to look for his appearing to the compleating of our Redemption . Divines tell us of a three-fold Advent or Coming of Christ to Holy and Religious men ; Adventus ad Redemptionem , Consolationem , & Remunerationem ; his coming to their Redemption , to their Comfort , and to their Reward : His first coming was in the Flesh , when he took on him their Nature ; His second coming was in the Spirit , when he imparted unto them of his grace : His third coming will be in Power , when he will impart unto them his Glory . His first coming was to Redeem them , his second coming to Comfort them , and therefore his third coming cannot be so much to Judge as to Reward them : Himself hath said no less , John 6. 40. This is the will of him that sent me , that every one which seeth the Son , and believeth on him , may have everlasting life : Lord , thou hast opened mine eyes to see thee here by Faith , and wilt thou not hereafter open thy self , that I may see thee by clear Vision ? And what priviledge is it , that I may have everlasting life here , where it is not , if I may not have it hereafter , where it is ? And yet for strengthening my faith , thou hast said much more , to shew that I cannot believe enough of thy goodness , John 3. 36. He that believeth on the Son , hath everlasting life . And again , John 5. 24. He that heareth my Word , and believeth on him that sent me , hath everlasting life , ( it is as sure as if he had it already ) and shall not come into condemnation , ( though he shall be Judged , yet he shall not be condemned in Judgement ) but is passed from death to life . He is already passed from the Death of sin to the Life of Grace , and shall assuredly pass from the life of Grace to the life of Glory : And indeed , what is the summe of the whole Gospel , but the Promise of Eternal life upon condition of Faith in Christ ? This is the Record , that God hath given to us Eternal life , and this life is in his Son , he that hath the Son hath life , 1 John 5. 11 , 12. Have I life , in having thee my Saviour , and can I lose it in having thee my Judge ? O the immortal comfort that my soul enjoyes , to think , that though I have been to my Master in heaven , a far worse servant then Onesimus was to Philemon , not only to run away from him , but also to rob him , yet upon my true Repentance , my Saviour will say to his Father on my behalf , as Saint Paul did to his friend , If thou count me a Partner , ( and truly , he is his Partner in the same God-head ) receive him as my self , ( now he is invested with my righteousness ) if he hath wronged thee , or oweth thee ought , put that on mine account : ( Saint Paul to Philemon , v. 17 , 18. ) O Lord , I owe thee so much , that I can never say sufficiently , and much less may leave off saying , Forgive us our debts ; yet since thou hast already put my debts upon thy Sons account , how wilt thou let them lie still on mine ? Didst thou not punish thy Son , that thou mightest spare thy servant ? Or canst thou in Justice punish the same sin twice , once in my Surety , another time in me ? It was the great necessity of thy offended Justice to punish the sin ; and is it not as great a necessity of thy satisfied Justice , to spare the sinner ? I will not then say , He is to be my Judge , whose Majesty I have honoured , whose mercy I have embraced , whose glory I have promoted , whose goodness I have proclaimed , whose presence I have desired , for if I have done any of these , yet t was not I , but the grace of God which was with me , 1 Cor. 15. 10. And yet for that very cause alone I must needs confess , that those are thrice happy , who have so far been assisted by Gods grace , that they can , not Pharisaically , but Truly say this ; for though it was his meer mercy to give the grace , yet it is in some sort his Justice , both to continue , and to regard his own gift ; So saith Saint Paul , God is not unrighteous , or unjust , to forget your work and labour of love , which ye have shewed towards his Name , Heb. 6. 10. where this is in effect his argument ; He that desists from a just work , justly begun , is unjust ; But God is not unjust ; therefore he will not desist from those good works he hath begun in you , so far as not to perfect them , and much less so far as not to reward them , But I am contented to pretend to no such happiness . This is the immortal comfort of the Righteous ; Let my soul look after the comforts of the sinner , wherein I am not like to have the less remedy , because I am sure to have the more company : I will say then , He is to be my Judge , whose Majesty I have contemned , whose mercy I have neglected , whose glory I have hindered , whose goodness I have denyed , whose presence I have shunned : But withall , he is to be my Judge for those sins for which I have already Judged and Condemned my self ; and will he for these , Judge and condemn me the second time ? This is scarce agreeable with his Justice , much less is it agreeable with his mercy ; For the Apostle saith , If we would Judge our selves , we should not be Judged , 1 Cor. 11. 31. I ask , how should we not be Judged ? not temporally ? that were not to be loved ; For whom he loveth he chasteneth , Heb. 12. 6. And Saint Peter saith , That Judgement must begin at the House of God , 1 Pet. 4. 17. and sure we are , that his love begins there , and comes down to particular men but as they are parts of his Family or Houshold ; we must therefore say , That if we would Judge our selves , we should not be Judged Eternally ; For most universally true , is that Rule of the Civil Law , Favores sunt Ampliandi , all matters of Favour are to be enlarged : Gods mercies if they could be with Restriction , they could scarce be without Repentance ; and what a cruel mercy were this , not to Judge Temporally , that he might Judge Eternally ? I say then , I have Judged my self for all my sins , and therefore believe that I shall not be Judged of the Lord ; that is , not so Judged as to be condemned in the Judgement : For sin , as it must be Judged , so it can be Judged but once : If I have Judged my self for it , I shall not be Judged of the Lord : I shall then be enabled to pray in Faith unto my Saviour , Enter not into Judgement with thy servant , Psal. 143. 2. And I am sure , that praying thus in Faith , I shall find him my Advocate , and not my Judge . Why should I then be dismayed for fear of that Judgement , wherein he is to be the Judge , who at first suffered for me as my Surety , that he might satisfie his Fathers Justice , and my debts : Hath ever since prayed for me as my Intercessor , and will at last Plead for me as my Advocate ? SECT . V. Comforts against Judgement , from the manner of the Judges proceeding . THere is none that is guilty , but the Law will ; none that is innocent , but the Judge may condemn him : what then can be the comfort of a Malefactor , but that he shall have his Tryal by a favourable Law , and by a more favourable Judge ? And this is my comfort against the Judgement to come , That my Judge will proceed to a favourable Trial with me , because according to that Law which will not easily condemn me , and with that mind which will readily acquit me : For I have confessed my sins , and therefore may not doubt but that He is faithful and just to forgive me my sins , and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness , 1 John 1. 9. He is faithful to forgive my sins , because himself hath promised forgiveness ; He is just to forgive my sins , because his Son hath purchased forgiveness ; And how shall he then not cleanse me from all unrighteousness by his Holy Spirit , and seal unto me the assurance of that forgiveness ? And if I be cleansed from all unrighteousness , why should I not be rid of all my fears ? How can I look upon him as an angry Judge , when I have found him a most merciful Father ? If God will not withdraw his Anger , the proud helpers do stoop under him , Job 9. 13. That is , the Angels ( saith Jarhci ) that are the Helpers of Egypt ; for he there takes Rahab for Egypt , ( as indeed it may signifie , ) which we interpret Proud ; And proves out of Dan. 10. 13. That particular Nations have particular Angels , as it were their Patrons in heaven , ready to intercede on their behalf : Some late Divines have unadvisedly enlarged those Patrons , finding out amongst men some tutelarie Saints , which having righteousness over and above to serve their own turn , are able to spare enough to help others : Hence that strange kind of Invocation , O Thomas Didyme succurre nobis miseris , ne damnemur cum impiis , in adventu Judicis : O good Saint Thomas help us , that we be not condemned in the last Judgement ; when alas , the Saints will have enough to do to help themselves ; and the best of them all may say to his Petitioner , If the Lord do not help thee , whence shall I help thee ? 2 King. 6. 27. But be it so , that there may be Phansied such lofty and puissant Helpers , for they can never be Proved ; yet sure we are , that if God withdraw not his anger , even those Helpers must stoop under him ; as it is said , Job 4. 18. Behold he put no trust in his servants ; that is , his Saints , his best servants ; for the Text makes it an universal Negative , admitting of no exception ; and we may not doubt it concerning any man , when we cannot deny it concerning any Angel , as it follows , And his Angels he charged with folly : Therefore if these mighty Helpers cannot in this day of anger help themselves , much less can they help me : If God withdraw not his anger , they must stoop ; and if they must stoop , all that lean and rely upon them , must needs fall . I will then look after such an Helper as may be able to stand himself , and to support me ; for else it cannot be worth my while , and much less worth my Devotion to pray to him for help ; and truly I can find none but the Eternal Son of God , who is able to withdraw the anger of his Father , because he was able to satisfie his Justice ; and yet having him my Helper , it will not be safe for me to argue and dispute , but only to pray and deprecate , as it follows , v. 15. Whom though I were righteous , yet would I not answer , but I would make supplication to my Judge : And what is the supplication that I would make unto him ? Even that which his own holy Spirit hath taught me to make , and will cause him to hear , That he will not be extream to mark what is done amiss , Psal. 130. 2. Lord hear the voice of my supplications ; for what ? even for this , that thou shouldst not mark iniquities ; as it follows , If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquities , O Lord , who shall stand ? But there is forgiveness with thee , that thou maist be feared . This is the favourable proceeding by which I hope to be acquitted ; for why hast thou taught me to believe the forgiveness of sins , unless I may attain what I do believe ? And if I may attain forgiveness of my sins here , how shall I be condemned or punished for them hereafter ? since that is no forgiveness , which either holds guilty to condemn , or holds as guilty to punish and torment : I do then believè that God will proceed in Judging me , not according to the Law which requires an absolute obedience without sin , but according to the Gospel which admits of Repentance for the forgiveness of sins : Thus hath the Doctor of the Gentiles long since determined , Rom. 2. 16. In the day when God shall Judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ , according to my Gospel ; Not according to the Law which will condemn all that have been guilty of any sin , but according to the Gospel which will condemn none but the unbelieving and impenitent sinners : For the Gospel pronounceth sentence of Absolution to all that Believe ; So Mark 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not , shall be damned ; Where damnation is denounced , not for breaking the Law , but for rejecting the Gospel : And again , John 3. 16. For God so loved the world , that he gave his only begotten Son , that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life . The words speak four such truths as the Angels desire to look into , and men can never enough look upon , yet four Miracles rather then Truths . 1. That God who was provoked to inflict Death , should offer Life , and that Everlasting Life . 2. That he should offer it to the world which had so provoked him . 3. That he should offer it , by sending his only begotten Son away from himself into the world . 4. That he should so send this Son as to give him , giving his only Son , the Son of his love , to give life to those that hated him , and more deserved his hatred ; That whosoever believeth in him , should not perish , but have everlasting life . Since then I know that I believe , why should I fear that I shall perish ? Why should I think that I shall not have this everlasting life , which the Father hath promised , the Son hath purchased , and the Holy-Spirit hath sealed ; for I can say , with a thankful heart and a chearful voice , In Te Domine speravi , ne confundar in aeternum , Psal. 71. 1. In thee O Lord have I put my trust , let me never be put to confusion , deliver me in thy righteousness : I pray not to be delivered in mine own righteousness , but in thine ; Deliver me in thy Righteousness O God the Father of heaven , for thou hast promised deliverance ; Deliver me in thy Righteousness O God the Son Redeemer of the world , for thou hast purchased deliverance ; Deliver me in thy Righteousness O God the Holy-Ghost , proceeding from the Father and the Son , for thou hast sealed both the Promise and the purchase of deliverance ; Deliver me in thy Righteousness , O Holy , Blessed and Glorious Trinity , three Persons and one God , for I trust on thy Promise , on thy Purchase , on thy Seal for deliverance : For with thee is the Fountain of life , in thy light shall we see light , ( Psal. 36. 9. ) My soul desires nothing but Life and Light ; for as a Spirit she was made for Life ; as an Intellectual or Rational spirit she was made for Light : And she must go to God for both ; She must go to him for Life , for with thee is the Fountain of Life ; and she must go to him for Light , for in thy Light shall we see Light : And the Life is before the Light , even as Living is before Seeing : The soul cannot work before she sees , and she cannot see before she lives , so that Life is in truth given before the work , and cannot possibly be given for it : And will you know who gives both Life and Light ? Saint John will tell you , John 1. 4. In him was Life , and the Life was the Light of men ; Life and Light both proceed from the Eternal Son of God ; and Life before Light ; I had Life in him , before I had Light from him ; He purchased the Life , before he gave the Light , and therefore sure he hath not given the Light to take away the Life . I know it is said , That we must all appear before the Judgement-seat of Christ , that every one may bear the things done in his body ; according to that he hath done , whether it be good or bad , 2 Cor. 5. 10. And I confess I have done very bad things in my body ; but since my Saviour hath already born them for me , must I still fear to bear them for my self ? Christ is called The Mediator of the New-Testament , Heb. 9. 15. It is not said , The Mediator of the New-Covenant , ( as in other places ) but of the New-Testament ; for a Covenant doth wholly depend upon mutual conditions , which if either partie fail , the Covenant is broken , and made of none effect ; But a Testament is a thing meerly of Grace and Liberality , without any condition ; and so may be fulfilled , meerly out of the goodness of the Testator : And this goodness is the support and comfort of my soul ; I am afraid of the Covenant , and I flie to the Testament , even to that Testament by which I am made a child , an heir , even an heir of God , and joint heir with Christ , Rom. 8. 17. Wherefore I cannot but hope that he will Judge to me the Inheritance which he hath already given me by his own Will and Testament : For I look for him to appear the second time without sin unto salvation , Heb. 9. 28. not only without sin in himself , for he never had any , but also without sin in me and all his members , from whom he hath taken away all : For the death of Christ is doubly beneficial to all true Believers ; First in respect of his Priest-hood , that he hath expiated their sin . Secondly in respect of his Testament , That he hath given them an Inheritance ; I dare not deny the first , the benefit of his Priest-hood ; for he is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world ; And why should I doubt the second , the benefit of his Testament , since he did therefore take away the sin , that he might give the Inheritance ? I confess , that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God , 1 Cor. 6. 9. whether Fornicators , or Idolaters , or Adulterers , or Thieves , or Covetous , or Drunkards , or Revilers , or Extortioners , or guilty of any other kind of unrighteousness like to these ; but my belief is , That I having repented of my unrighteousness and forsaken it , shall no longer be accounted as unrighteous : For so it follows , such were some of you ; but ye are washed , but ye are sanctified , but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus ; and by the Spirit of our God ; In that it is said , ye were such before ye were washed , and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus , and sanctified by the Spirit of our God , it is evident that after your Justification and Sanctification you are not such . Be it then taken for granted , which cannot be denyed , for truth himself hath said it , That every idle word that men shall speak , they shall give account thereof at the day of Judgement , Mat. 12. 36. yet sure , not if they have given an account of it already ; or rather , Christ hath given an account for them , in that they have by a lively faith embraced his All-sufficient satisfaction , and by an earnest Repentance are admitted to it and instated in it : Their sins shall be laid open before the face of men and Angels , as Davids , or as Saint Peters , to the glory of Gods Justice in acquitting them ; not as Sauls or Judas's , to the glory of Gods Justice in condemning them . If it shall be Recorded , ( for it is a Problem of Divinity , that the Text hath not so positively determined , but that learned men think they may abound in their own sense concerning it ) I say , if it shall be Recorded how David and Saint Peter sinned , it shall also be Recorded how they repented : If it shall be declared th●…t Demas did forsake Saint Paul , having loved this present world , 2 Tim. 4. 10. it shall also be declared , that the same Demas did afterwards repent and turn back again to Saint Paul , whiles he was still a Prisoner of Jesus Christ , and then became his fellow-labourer , Epist. to Philemon , v. 24. For without doubt , as much as they shall be terrified at the sight of their sins , so much they shall be comforted at the sight of their faith and repentance . In Christo simul summum Gaudium & summa Tristitia , saith Gabr. in 3. sent . dist . 15. In Christ there was the greatest Joy and the greatest Sadness at the same time , though not in the same respect ; his Joy was from his union with God ; his Sadness was from his union with man , and the imputation of our sins : And possibly ( think some ) it may be so with the best Christians , in that great and dreadful day , when their bodies shall be re-united with their souls , and all their sins represented , whether of Body or of Soul : They may have the greatest sorrow ( say they ) in regard of themselves and of their own sins ; and yet have the greatest Joy in regard of their Saviour , and of his free-grace : Saint Paul prayeth for Onesiphorus , That he may find mercy of the Lord in that day , 2 Tim. 1. 18. Therefore it is probable he shall need mercy in that day , though he shall not need so much as he shall find : And Saint Peter speaks of blotting out sins in the times of Refreshing and Restitution of all things , Acts 3. 19 , 21. that is , at Christs second coming ; for till then there will not be a restitution of all things : And this consideration , though it is not cause enough why the living should pray for the dead , ( and yet without doubt , it is one of the best causes that can be alledged ) yet sure it is cause more then enough why the living should pray for themselves , even after their Justification , and still say , Forgive us our trespasses : For it seems there is some kind of forgiveness , at least a general Absolution , reserved until the day of Judgement . What is it then ? will there be the same terrour to the just and to the unjust ? No doubtless : And this may appear from the very Titles which are given by Saint Paul to the day of Judgement , Rom. 2. 5. And they are three , A day of Wrath , A day of Revelation , and A day of Righteous Judgement . The day of Righteous Judgement doth equally concern all sinners , whether they have been Penitent or Impenitent ; but the day of Wrath concerns only the Impenitent sinners ; and the day of Revelation doth likewise chiefly , if not only , concern them : I say , the day of wrath concerns only the Impenitent sinners , such as after their hardness and impenitent hearts , have treasured up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath : But to those that have faithfully and penitently served God ( for true Faith never yet went without Repentance ) it will be a day of Exultation and Redemption ; he hath called it so , that hath made it so , Luke 21. 27 , 28. Then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud , with power and great glory , sc. to Judge the world : But what then ? must ye therefore ( that have been his Disciples and Followers ) be terrified , as if he were coming to take Vengeance of you ? No , you must then look up , and lift up your heads , for your Redemption draweth nigh : This same day , that is to them a day of Vengeance and a day of Wrath , is to you a day of Redemption , to lift up your heads , and much more a day of Exulcation to lift up your hearts : And so also the day of Revelation , doth chiefly , if not only , concern those who are concerned in the day of wrath ; for , as for the Believers and the Penitent , if there shall be any Revelation of their sins ( for some do doubt it ) it shall be so in order to Gods Justice , as not to their punishment : For the Text plainly saith of them , I will forgive their iniquity , and I will remember their sin no more , Jer. 31. 34. And so again , All his transgressions that he hath committed , shall not be mentioned unto him ; whatever shall be done concerning the Revelation of his sins , shall be done only that Gods Justice may be cleared in his Absolution , not that his soul may be terrified by the Representation . What then , though I shall see , with Ezekiel , a hand sent unto me with a Roul , a dismal Roul , written within and without full of all the sins that ever I committed in Thought , Word and Deed , as long as I shall not see written therein , Lamentations , and Mourning , and Wo unto the sinner ? For Christ Jesus that came into this world to save sinners , will assuredly in the next world compleat that salvation : I will then willingly say with Saint Paul , Quorum primus Ego , Of whom I am chief , 1 Tim. 1. 15. Or with the antient Missal . ( Dominica secunda post Epiph. feria quarta ) Quorum primus Ego Ego sum , Of whom I , I am chief . The earnestness of my Repentance , shall bring me to an often Repetition of my sins ; I will rather add to their number in my confession of them , then diminish from it ; I will rather say , That I am a double sinner , then that I am no sinner : For being a Penitent sinner , that is , one of those sinners that Christ came to save , as I have been chief in the sin , so I shall be chief in the salvation : The more I have seen mine own sins , the more I shall see the salvation of my God : It is a most comfortable observation of Divines , That our Saviour Christ is now here in all the Bible called invisible ; And therefore that Doxologie in 1 Tim. 1. 17. Now unto the King Eternal , Immortal , Invisible , the only wise God , be honour and glory for ever and ever , Amen ; is to be expounded of God the Father , because the Word invisible is in it ; and our Saviour Christ is now here in all the Bible called invisible : And truly , blessed be his mercy , I have hitherto found it so ; for when I have most seen my sins to trouble me , I have most seen his salvation to relieve me : And sure I am , that though my sins should be never so visible at the last day , yet they shall not be half so visible as my Saviour : For I shall then certainly with Saint Stephen see Jesus standing on the right hand of God , Acts 7. 55. I shall see him standing up , as ready to give sentence ; but surely that sentence will be for me , not against me ; For he is not willing to give sentence against me ; but sure he cannot give sentence against himself , that is , against his Word ; For a sentence against his Word , is against himself : His Word therefore being the truth , because it is his Word , who is the truth : Therefore the sentence that shall be given at the last day , can be no other then what is given already , in Gods Word and in mine own conscience ; His Word hath pronounced a merciful sentence , and I must never leave Rectifying my conscience , till that pronounce sentence according to his Word . SECT . VI. Comforts against the last Judgement , from the sentence that shall be pronounced . A Sentence that is resolved on before the hearing of the cause ( though not pronounced till after it ) must needs be the sentence of an unrighteous Judge , and is most like to be the sentence of an unrighteons Judgement ; But shall not the Judge of all the earth do right ? Gen. 18. 25. And how then can we now have comfort from the sentence he will pronounce at the last day , since he cannot resolve upon a sentence before the hearing of the cause , nor can we know before hand what is his resolution ? I answer , The cause is heard here , and the sentence is pronounced here , though many men will not take notice of it ; And that which shall be pronounced hereafter , shall not be a new sentence , but a Publication of the old ; which may not unfitly be called an old sentence , since it hath been twice pronounced here already , once in Gods Word , another time in our own consciences ; For the Spirit of God doth here Judge us in Gods Word ; And the Son of God will not thwart or contradict the Judgement of Gods Spirit , but only ratifie and confirm it : The word that I have spoken , the same shall Judge him at the last day ; John 12. 48. that is , the sentence at the last day shall be but a declaration and confirmation of the sentence that is already spoken in the Word : And haply in this respect it is said , That the Apostles shall Judge the world , not only in regard of their persons , as all other Saints shall Judge it , by approving the sentence of the righteous Judge ; but also in regard of their Doctrine , which shall be the rule of Judgement : Wherefore if we can have comfort from the sentence that is already passed upon us by the Apostles , we may have also comfort from the sentence that will be passed upon us by their Master : And truly , if we be not Hypocrites or Apostates , but true and constant Christians , we may have very great comfort from the sentence that is already passed upon us by the Apostles : A comfort which no partial Judge here can give us , though he resolve to come with omnia bene , and to admit of none but of white suffrages : for in vain doth the spirit of man set it self to absolve ●…hose whom the Spirit of God doth con●…emn : And a comfort , which no unrighte●…s Judge here can take from us , though he ●…esolve to write his sentence , as Draco did ●…is Laws , in Characters of blood : For in ●…ain doth the spirit of man set it self to ●…ondemn those whom the spirit of God ●…oth absolve : For this is the sentence ●…assed upon us by the Apostles , He that ●…elieveth on the Son hath everlasting life , ●…ohn 3. 36. The whole Doctrine of the New-Testament driving at this , That true ●…aith in Christ , as it is not to be supposed without a true Christian life and conversation agreeable to the faith ; ( for it is in ●…ain to profess Christian , and to live Athe●…st , or to act Infidel ) so it cannot but de●…iver the true Believer from the guilt and ●…urden of all his sins : For all the whole Gospel is nothing else but a Sermon upon ●…his Text of our Saviours own choosing , John 11. 25 , 26. I am the resurrection and ●…he life ; he that believeth in me , though he were dead , yet shall he live ; And whosoever ●…iveth and believeth in me , shall not die for ●…ver : Words properly used by the Church , as they were spoken by Christ himself , at the burial of the dead : For they are the chiefest comfort against Death , because they are the chiefest comfort against Judgement : And so hath the beloved Disciple explained them , that leaned in his Masters bosom , and thence got this soul-healing and soul-saving Divinity ; But if we walk in the light as he is in the light , we have fellowship one with another ; and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son , cleanseth us from all sin : And again , If we confess our sins , he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins , and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness , 1 John 7. and 9. Here is the true comfort against Judgement ; for if my soul be cleansed from all sin and unrighteousness , I shall have reason not to dread , but to desire the coming of my Judge : And this Christian consolation cannot be separated from the true Christian Faith , that is to say , Faith in the blood of Christ which cleanseth us : And this Christian Faith cannot be separated from a Christian conversation , walking in the light ; nor from a Christian Communion , we have fellowship one with another : nor from Christian Repentance and Contrition , if we confess our sins : And wheresoever we find this Christian Faith , and Christian Conversation , and Communion , and Contrition , we may not deny the Christian Consolation : For God himself hath said , Comfort ye , comfort ye my people , Isa. 40. 1. They that are Gods people , may not be deprived of Gods comforts : And what are his comforts ? but ( as it follows ) that our warfare is accomplished , and our iniquity is pardoned : The beginning of the pardon , is the end of the war ; her warfare is accomplished , and her iniquity is pardoned , do both speak one and the same comfort unto the soul , do both signifie one and the same peace : Completa est malitia ejus , saith the Vulgar translation , for militia , by a small mistake of the letter , as we may suppose , but none of the sense ; For our malitia is our militia , our iniquity is our warfare ; The Hebrew word here used , signifies not only the work , but also the time of war : And Rabbi David saith , the Prophet here means The time that Jerusalem was to pass in Banishment or Captivity : So that if we joyn the Text and the gloss together , we shall find , that sin is a time of war , of banishment , and of captivity : Of war with God ; of banishment from God : And of captivity , not under God , for he can be no Tyrant , but under the Devil : A sad time certainly , as full of fears and jealousies , as empty of joyes and comforts ; an●… therefore that must needs be a joyful time wherein this warfare , this captivity , thi●… banishment is at an end , because our sin i●… pardoned : To say this , is to speak truly to the heart , which is the Hebrew expression for speaking comfortably : All other comforts go no farther then the ear then the outward man , that his stock is increased , his request granted , his cause advanced ; it is only this comfort that enters into the heart , and revives the inner man , that the time of his warfare , banishment , and captivity are at an end , because his sin is pardoned : And this is the comfortable sentence that is already pronounced in Gods Word , That he pardoneth and absolveth all them which truly repent , and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel : All our labour must be to get this same sentence derived from Gods Word into our own consciences ; And then surely , in the mouth of two such witnesses ( the least whereof is no less then a thousand ) it is no doubt but the testimony will be fully and firmly established : For as the word doth witness the thing infallibly true in it self ; so will the conscience witness it insallibly true to us : The use of a witness is either for information in defect of evidence , or for confirmation in defect of assurance ; and an infallible witness is both these together ; For he gives evidence from his testimony , and assurance from his infallibility : Such an infallible witness is a good conscience , that is grounded and established on the Word of God , and thence collecteth this comfortable sentence ; Whosoever truly believeth and heartily repenteth , shall not come into condemnation ; But I do truly believe , and heartily repent ; therefore I shall not come into condemnation . The major proposition is clear by the testimony of Gods Word ; the minor is clear by the testimony of our own consciences , which can certainly tell us whether we be hypocrites or true Believers ; whether we be Sheep to hear the voice of Christ , and to follow him , that he may give us eternal life , John 10. 27 , 28. or whether we be Goats to follow our own hearts lusts , so to persist and perish in our sins : and the conclusion cannot but follow the premises . Read over the sentence that is set down , Matthew 25. and thou wilt easily , by comparing thine own actions with that sentence , see whether at the last Judgement thou art to be set on Christs right hand or on his left : Thou wilt easily see which part of that sentence concerns thee ; And that part which thine own conscience pronounceth of thee here , thy Judge will both pronounce and confirm hereafter : I hope that with Mary thou hast chosen that good part , and if so , cannot but assure thee , it shall never be taken from thee , Luke 10. 42. For Christ will never reject any man that hath sate at his feet to exercise his humility and patience ; and heard his Word , to exercise his Piety and Obedience : He will never say , Depart from me , to those who here did love his company , and enjoy his communion : And what is their work who are of his communion , but to know , and love , and praise him ? And they that are thus of his communion on earth , can you think he will excommunicate in heaven ? Saint John sets forth this Judgement of the conscience very fully in few words , 1 John 3. 19 , 20 , 21. saying , v. 19. And hereby , ( that is , by loving in deed and in truth , not in word or in tongue , as appears from the former verse , ) we know that we are of the truth , and shall assure our hearts before him ; That is , we know that we truly love him , and therefore may be well assured of his love ; For he that loves is assured of love ; for which cause Beza thus renders Saint James his words , Mercy rejoyceth against damnation , James 2. 13. For he that is truly merciful , hath a special promise to assure him of mercy , that he shall not be condemned in the last Judgement ; and this hard-hearted Age of ours would doubtless much more incline to mercy , if we did seriously consider , that the sentence of condemnation ( Mat. 25. ) is denounced against the unmerciful ; not against the unjust for taking away , but against the unmerciful for not giving ; but yet if against the unmerciful , much more against the unjust ; for as justice is before mercy in order of nature , so is also injustice before unmercifulness ; wherefore though we discourse of assuring our hearts before God more then any others , yet we must needs have a much less assurance of his love , because we our selves know that we do love only in word and in tongue , not in deed and in truth ; as it follows v. 20. For if our heart condemn us , God is greater then our heart , and knoweth all things ; and therefore can and will condemn us much more then our heart ; for this is the true meaning of the words , not ( as they are commonly explained ) That we ought to oppose the greatness of Gods mercy being ready to acquit us , against the sentence of our own heart that is ready to condemn us ; For indeed the words are not spoken to comfort a distressed , but to terrifie a guilty conscience : It being the Apostles intent to perswade us above all things both to get and to keep a good conscience , that we may not condemn our selves , and then we may be assured that our God will not condemn us ; as it follows , v. 21. For if our heart condemn us not , then have we confidence towards God , sc. that he will not condemn us ; For the whole argument in brief is this ; If our conscience now condemn us , God will also condemn us at the last day : But if our conscience acquit us , God will also then acquit us ; the conscience acting Gods part before hand , in condemning the guilty , and acquiting the innocent ; whether they have the first Innocency , that of Righteousness ; or the second Innocency , that of Faith and Repentance : and the same Doctrine is again re-inforced , 1 Iohn 4. 17 , 18. Herein is our love made perfect , that we may have boldness in the day of Judgement , because as he is , so are we in this world : Here is both the good Confidence , and the ground of it , the good Conscience : The confidence is , That we may have boldness in the day of Judgement ; The ground of that confidence is this good conscience , Because as he is , so are we in this world ; for this is in effect the Syllogism : Whosoever is here like him in Piety , shall hereafter be like him in Glory : but we that truly believe in him , are here like him in Piety , therefore we shall also be like him in Glory : He that hath that Good confidence , upon this Good conscience , as he may not be ashamed of his hope , so he shall not be disappointed of it ; for he is sure to stand in the last Judgement , because he hath the Eternal Son of God to support him ; on the one side with his All-sufficient merits , on the other side , with his All-saving mercies : Two such supporters , to which he cannot trust too much , for which he cannot glorifie Christ enough , though he glorifie him world without end . Amen . Deo Trin-Uni Gloria , in secula seculorum , Amen . A sick mans Cordial , composed of three Ingredients . I. Contemplations . II. Ejaculations . III. Devotions . Contemplations on Isaiah 53. Verse 3. O MY Beloved Saviour , wast thou despised and rejected of men , and shall not I learn to despise and reject my self , that I may be like to thee , approved of thee , and received by thee ? Wast thou a man of sorrows , and acquainted with griefs , who knewest no sin ? And shall I , who came into the world with sin , look to go out of the world without sorrow ? Verse 4. Didst thou so patiently bear the griefs , and carry the sorrows that were due for my sins ? And shall not I patiently bear the griefs and carry the sorrows that are due for mine own sins ? How could I have sorrows , if I had not sins ? and why should I not have patience , now I must have sorrows ? Wast thou stricken and smitten of God and afflicted , who wast his only begotten , and most dearly Beloved Son ? And shall I look to escape the scourge who heretofore have been his enemy , and still am his undutiful and unworthy servant ? Verse 5. I will look upon my wounds and maladies , as upon so many cures and remedies ; Upon my bruise , ( for I am all over nothing else ) as upon so much soundness , since both wounds and bruises are inflicted , not as satisfactions for my sins , but as checks and amendments of my sinfulness : For he was wounded for my transgressions , and bruised for mine iniquities ; therefore my wounds and my bruises are not now to pacifie the wrath of the Father , but to make me conformable to the Son : And the chastisement of my peace was upon him ; therefore I will not repine at my chastisement , since I have my peace ; It being indeed but a chastisement to correct the sinner , not a punishment to avenge the sin : And since I am healed in my soul , I will not fear being wounded in my body ; For with his stripes I am healed , and mine own stripes do but make me the more to see the want , and the more to crave the benefit of his healing . Verse 6 , & 7. I have been a sheep in my strayings , for I have turned to mine own waies ; O make me also a Sheep in my sufferings , not once to open my mouth when thou shearest me , clipping off all the comforts of my life ; no nor when thou slayest me , bringing on all the torments o●… my sickness ; no nor when thou slayest me , bringing on all the pangs and horrour●… of my death : That as my Saviour was oppressed and afflicted , yet opened not his mouth ; so I may be kept from murmuring and repining in all my oppressions and afflictions : For I may well be as he was , Meek and Patient , since thou hast laid min●… iniquities on him ; but if I follow not his Meekness and his Patience , I fear I shall again lay mine iniquities upon my self . Verse 8 , & 9. He was cut off from life , whose generation was life ; & what can I expect but death , who had it in my very birth ? who was corrupted when I was generated , and therefore not only in regard of my death , but also in regard of my life it self , must say to corruption , thou art my Father , and to the worm thou art my Sister and my Mother . Who shall declare his Generation ? For he was begotten of his Father before all worlds ; But who shall declare my corruption ? for I was corrupted when I was begotten by my Father , before I came into the world : He was taken away by death , but he was taken away from a mortal , a miserable , and a contemptible life ; so let me be taken away ( good Lord ) from mortality , misery and contempt , to Immortality , Blessedness and Glory . My life hath not left much for my death to take away from me ; Lord let my death take from me all that is left but my Saviour , and let it fully give me him . He was brought to prison that he might be Judged , and he was brought to Judgement that he might be condemned ; and his death was his Release , both from Prison and from Judgement : Lord make my death so to me : make my death my Release from prison ; for whiles I am in the body , I am imprisoned , fettered with the bonds of sin and corruption : But bring my soul out of this prison , that I may praise thy name ; then the righteous shall compass me about ; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me ; ( Psal. 142. 7. ) A most happy Goal-Delivery for my soul , for then the Righteous shall compass me about , and not sinners ; nay more , then I shall be compassed about with Rightousness , who now am compassed about with sins , and that not so much with other mens , as with mine own sins : Thus make my death my Release from Prison , and make it also my Release from Judgement : For thy Son hath been Judged and condemned for me , that I might escape the Judgement of thy condemnation : Lord I ask not that thou wouldest not Judge me ( for after death comes Judgement , Heb. 9. 27. ) I ask only that thou wilt not condemn me when I shall be Judged : And this is agreeable with thy very Justice ( though I wholly appeal unto thy Mercy ) not to condemn and punish the same sin twice : Thou hast already condemned and punished my sins in my Saviour ; O then let me escape thy condemnation and thy punishment : He was Judged for mine Unrighteousness ; O let me stand in the Judgement for his Righteousness . For the transgression of my people was he stricken : Lord thou hast placed me among thy people , and therefore I must believe that he was stricken for my transgressions ; Nay , thou hast brought me nearer to thee , and made me one of thine own Family , having admitted me thy servant : Nay , thou hast brought me yet nearer to thee , and made me one of thine own Inheritance , having adopted me thy child . I deserved not to be among thy people , and I am placed among thy servants ; I deserved not to be among thy servants , and I am accepted among thy children . O then correct me good Lord , as a Father in thy Pitty , to amend me , not as a Judge in thy Fury to confound me : Thou didst redeem me with thine own most precious blood , that thou mightest convert me : And how then wilt thou Judge me , being redeemed with that blood , that thou maist condemn me ? Well may my sins be condemned of thee who art the Righteous Judge ; for I who have been the sinner , and who still am an unrighteous man , cannot but condemn them , and my self for them : But surely thy precious blood can never come under condemnation ; nor my soul , whiles thou lookest upon it as washed with that blood . Thus thou hast given me a pledge of delivering my soul from the terrours of my death by conquering them ; and from the severity of Gods Justice , by satisfying it ; And thou hast also prepared a deliverance for my body : for in that thou madest thy grave with the wicked in thy death , thou hast sanctified the grave as a Repository for my dead body , till my flesh shall be totally wasted therein , and with my flesh , all the sin and wickedness which hath so long dwelt in it , and cannot be destroyed before it : And thou wilt at last raise me from thence after thine own likeness , that I may come from the grave , as thou didst go to it , not having violence in mine hand , nor deceipt in my mouth , nor wickedness in mine heart . Lord let it be thy pleasure thus to deliver me ; Make hast O Lord to help me : Take away all my sin from my soul , and then ( as soon as thou pleasest ) take away my soul from my body : That having no unrepented sin in my life , I may have no unsufferable sorrow in my death ; but may find comfort in it , deliverance by it , and glory after it . Amen . Contemplations on Heb. 12. Verse 1 , & 2. IN my troubles and distresses , either of my body or of my soul , I cannot bestow my time better then in looking about me for help : And in looking about me for help , I cannot bestow mine eyes better then in looking up to heaven ; For my help cometh from the Lord who hath made heaven and earth , Psal. 121. 2. And if I look up to heaven , I shall soon spie there a bright cloud , even a cloud of witnesses , to enlighten me , that I stumble not in my waies for any darkness of my understanding : And if I look up yet higher through that cloud , I shall behold a far greater light , even the Sun of righteousness to enflame me and to quicken me , lest I should sit still , when I am bound to be walking , for the dulness of my will , and the deadness of my affections ; for above that cloud dwelleth he who is the brightness of Gods glory , and the express Image of his person , Heb. 1. 3. Wherefore my sight may not be terminated or bounded by this cloud of witnesses : But through it I must be looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of my Faith , if I desire the comfort of my faith when I most want it , even in the day of my visitation , and at the hour of my dissolution . And indeed , where should a good Christian fix either his eye or his heart , but only on Christ ? And I may here see Christ in his Mystical body , that is , in his Church , the cloud of witnesses ; And Christ in his natural body , that is , in himself , Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith : And the same Christ in either body , destitute , afflicted , tormented . O Lord , how many arguments are here alledged to perswade me to behave my self with great constancy , humility and patience , in those conflicts and agonies which I must expect as a Christian , unless I will renounce communion with Christ , and embrace an unwarrantable and an unprofitable Christianity ? I think there is a Lyon in the way ( as said Solomons sluggard ) ready to devour me ; and I see nothing but briers and thorns in it , ready to intangle my feet , and to tear my flesh ; But God telleth me , it is the ready way to heaven , and the Race that I must run if ever I hope to get thither ; Let us run with patience the race that is set before us : If it be my race , then I must run it ; if it be set , then I cannot remove it ; if it be set before me , then I cannot decline it . And truly I cannot deny but it is set before me by the dispensation of Gods Providence , and the indispensable Duty of my Christian vocation : And therefore I give him hearty thanks , that he hath so plainly shewed unto me the manner of running this race , and the reasons that I have to run it . The manner of running this race is twofold . First , I must forsake my self , and all my selfishness ; that is , all those things to which I have naturally an immoderate desire , and in which I have naturally an immoderate delight ; let us lay aside every weight , and the sin which doth so easily beset us : For what am I , or what is my flesh but a weight that doth beset me , rather then befriend me , even an unprofitable , and an unsufferable burthen ? And what else cometh from me , or cleaveth to me , but only sin ? Which living in me , cannot but work with me , ( Operari sequitur esse , ) and working with me , cannot but defile my purest and my best works . Secondly , I must fix mine eyes and mine heart only upon my blessed Saviour , looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith : Looking to and on nothing else , either within me or without me , but only Christ , whether in the way of my sanctification , for he is the Author of my faith , whereby alone my heart is purified and sanctified ; Or in the way of my salvation , for he is the Finisher of my Faith , whereby alone my soul is saved . It is he that hath brought my soul from Infidelity to Faith , whereby I now see through a glass darkly ; It is he that will bring my faith to a clear vision , whereby I shall see him face to face . The Reasons I have to run this race , are drawn from that grand Topick which works so much upon all the world , that Pelagius thought thereby to shift off Original sin from mans nature , and to put it only on his imitation ; This Topick is the Common-place of example . And first , I have the examples of all those holy men that were before Christ , who through their faith in Gods promises , and constancy in their faith , possessed their souls in great patience whiles they lived , and resigned their souls in great comfort and contentment when they dyed : This innumerable company of Saints , is here called a cloud of witnesses ; and it is such a cloud as must needs at some time or other drop down many cool showers , able to allay , if not to extinguish , the flames of my greatest fiery tryals . Secondly , I have the example of Christ himself ; he is the Author of my faith , he is the Captain of my salvation , that marcheth before me to this battle , instructing me by his Word , encouraging me by his Promises , supporting me by his Assistance , confirming and rejoycing me by his Communion : And this example of our Saviour Christ , is recommended to me in three respects : First , because of its powerful efficacy in working ; for he is the Author and Finisher of my Faith : And he that worketh my Faith , will also make my Faith work this patience : Secondly , from its exact conformity with my present condition , in that no misery hath befallen me , which did not first befall him who made and redeemed me : Nay his Cross was much heavyer , his shame was much greater then mine can be : yet he endured the Cross patiently , defpised the shame couragiously , and by this patience and courage , is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God : Thirdly , from its unavoidable necessity , in regard of my present Obligation : For it is not left to mine own choice , whether I will consider this or no , but I must needs consider the example of Christ , or I cannot be a good Christian. Verse 3. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself , lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds . What though mine own heart be given to contradict this rigid way of suffering ? yet he that is greater then mine heart , hath gone before me in the very same way , and hath passed through far greater contradictions . He looked on the Joy that was set before him , not on the contradictions that were round about him , and he now lives and reigns in his glory , and hath promised that if I do suffer with him , I shall also raign with him , 2 Tim. 2. 12. He is at the beginning of my sufferings , either to inhibit and stop them , that they shall not invade me : or to proportion and stint them , that they shall not overwhelm me : if he shew me not a way to avoid them , he will give me a courage to encounter them : nay moreover , strength to conquer them : and an adversary , though he may be more securely avoided , yet he is more gloriously conquered : He is also at the middle of my sufferings , to encourage and support me in my conflict , lest I should be wearied and saint in my mind , as I cannot but be wearied and faint in my body : he had but a weak Cyrenian to help him bear his Cross , but he himself doth help me bear mine : He had but an Angel to strengthen him , but he sends the Holy-Ghost to strengthen me . Lastly , he will be at the end of my sufferings to reward me : nay he himself , who is now my shield to succour me , will at last be my exceeding great reward to content me : my exceeding great reward in all respects , for exceeding my best abilitie to deserve him : exceeding my best capacity to receive him : exceeding my best activity to enjoy him as he is in his own greatness : Be it then that my affliction is very great , yet sure I am my reward will be infinitely greater : but indeed my affliction cannot be great in it self , it is so only in my opinion : The spirit of truth saith , it is but light and momentary ; For our light affliction which is but for a moment , 1 Cor. 4. 17. It is light , and therefore not great in quantity ; It is but for a moment , and therefore not great in continuance : And well may this light and momentary affliction work patience in me , since it doth work glory for me : Nay a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory : Though it be light and momentary in it self , yet it is weighty and eternal in its reward : For our light afliction which is but for a moment , worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ; whiles we look not at the things which are seen , but at the things which are not seen : for the things which are seen are temporal , ( and so is also the smart and misery which is felt ) but the things which are not seen are eternal ; ( and so is also the glory which shall be enjoyed : ) These are Reasons sufficient why I should gladly follow the Apostles advice , consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners ; for so shall I not be enforced to endure the contradictions of mine own sins , whiles impatience suggests one temptation to me , and infidelity another : For though these two sins are inseparable companions , because there cannot be impatience without some kind of infidelity , yet are they such twins as were Pharez and Zarah , ( Gen. 38. ) They cannot come into my soul , but they will make a breach betwixt themselves ; ( one drawing this , the other that way ) nor can they tarry in my soul , but they will make a breach betwixt my God and me . Therefore the holy Apostle in this case appealeth to mine own conscience , saying , Verse 4. ye have not yet resisted unto blood , striving against sin : thereby calling me to witness against my self , that I am yet far short of my duty in my strivings against sin , because I have not resisted unto blood ; whereas flesh and blood are to be resisted in the first place , as being that weight which doth so easily beset me , and must therefore be soonest laid aside . I ought then in this quarrel to undertake a double strife ; A strife against my self , and a strife against my sins : for whiles I strive against my sins , my flesh and blood will strive against me : And if I do not resist so far as to thrust away my flesh and blood , how shall I thrust away my sins ? If I do not lay aside my self , how shall I do to lay aside my greatest weight ? But least I should not regard this appeal , ( for Appeals to the conscience are often made , but seldom regarded ) in the next place , he appeals to Gods most holy Word ; plainly shewing , how earnestly that calleth upon me to be patient under Gods hand , and zealously enforceth many Reasons for my patience . Verse 5. And ye have forgotten the Exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children : I am called upon to be patient , not as a servant for fear , but as a child for love : He is pleased to invite me by way of exhortation , he might have enforced me by way of command ; yet I may not forget his exhortation , unless I would have him forget my supplication ; for if I regard not his speaking to me as unto a child , how shall he regard my speaking to him as unto a Father ? Wherefore if I desire with joy and comfort to say Our Father ; I must be attentive and obedient as a child ; nor can I forsake the temper of my patience , but I must forfeit the benefit of my ●…iety ; and consequently lose all the com●…orts of my Devotions , which yet alone , in these times of rapine , are left me for my ●…nsequestrable comforters . I may not then neglect to hear this Exhortation , which calls upon me to be patient ; much less may I neglect those Reasons which are alledged for my patience ; and powerful Reasons they are . First , because chaistisement is an effect of Gods love ; for Verse 6. whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth . Was ever yet any man angry with God for loving him ? and why then should I be angry and offended at the effects and tokens of his love ? For thy loving-kindness is better then the life it self , Psal. 63. 3. What then , though thou take away my life by thy chastisement , if so be thou give me thy loving-kindness which is far better ? What is my life in it self , without thy love ? O then take away my life as it is in it self , and give it me as it is in thy love : I desire not to live in mine own life , but in thy loving-kindness . Secondly , because chastisement is a proof of my adoption , Verse 7 , & 8. For what son is he that the Father chasteneth not ? But if ye be without chastisement , whereof all are partakers , then are ye Bastards , not Sons . If I be not one of his Sons , what expectancy can I have of his inheritance ? And if I be not under his correction , how can I be assured I am one of his sons ? Wherefore let me rejoyce for being under the discipline of his chastisement , as for being under the care of his Fatherly protection : And let me be afraid of not being chastised on earth in this mortal life , as I would be afraid of being bastardized from heaven , and declared illegitimate as to the inheritance of immortality . Thirdly , because chastisement is a testimony of my obedience Verse 9. We have had Fathers of our flesh , which corrected us , and we gave them reverence ; shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live ? Would I be accounted an obedient child ? I must shew my self so , not only by my doing , but also by my suffering ; For my active obedience may be very much for mine own sake , because I expect a Blessing ; but surely my passive Obedience is meerly for my Fathers sake , because I know my duty . If therefore I desire to be truly dutiful to my Father in heaven , let me shew him reverence whiles he punishes me , and not only whiles he cherishes me : And let me consider him to be the Father of spirits , and I shall be sure to shew him this reverence ; for I shall never deny him the subjection of my spirit , and much less of my flesh ; I shall be willing to trust him with my soul , and shall not desire that he would trust my soul too long with my body . This the natural man looks on as the high-way to destruction , but the spiritual man knows it is the way to salvation ; for thus did Christ himself pass to life , even by being obedient unto the death : Let me labour to follow his example , for I have no reason to hope to fare better then he did , and sure Iam , I cannot fare worse : Let me accordingly desire to kiss my Fathers hand then chiefly when it holds the rod wherewith he strikes me ; or rather , let me desire to kiss his rod : for it is much better for me , that his scourging should testifie my obedience , then extort it : And if my weak and sinful flesh , whiles it is yet wedded unto my soul , shall deal with me as Jobs wife did with him , and say , Dost thou still retain thine integrity ? curse God and die ; Let me be sure to give her the same answer as he did his wife , Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh ; what ? shall we receive good at the hand of God , and shall we not receive evil ? Job 2. 10. This is the true way , not to bless God and die , but to bless God and live : for so it is in the Hebrew , Bless God and die ; And Jobs wife speaking in that holy language , had her tongue sanctified , though not her heart , in so much that she did not say , Curse God and die , though she meant it , but bless God and die : I say , this is the way not to bless God and die , but to bless God and live , and I may well say it again and again , for so saith the Apostle , Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live ? Fourthly , Because chastisement is a furtherance of my sanctification : Verse 10. For they verily for a few daies chastened us after their own pleasure , but he for our profit , that we might be partakers of his holiness : Good Lord , can I not be partaker of thy holiness , until thou chasten me ! then let thy hand spare me no longer ; for in thus sparing , it will most severely punish me , since there is no greater punishment , either in this world , or in the next , then not to be partaker of thy holiness : Our fathers on earth by chastening us after their own pleasure , and not for our profit , do often make us partakers of their sin , even of that impatience whereby they do either unduly or unmeasurably chasten us ; But our Father in heaven is never peccant either in the manner or in the end of his chastening ; not in the manner , for he takes no pleasure in scourging us , and therefore cannot do it either unduly , or unmeasurably : Not in the end , for he aims only at our profit in scourging , that he may brush away , or strike off some excrescencies of our flesh , or some adherencies to it , thereby to make us partakers of his holiness in a far greater proportion and measure , then otherwise we could have been . Fifthly , Because chastisement is a furtherance of my salvation ; Verse 11. Now no chastisement for the present seemeth to be joyous , but grievous ; nevertheless afterwards i●… yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby . If I look no further then after mine own Joy , it is most evident that I cannot endure , much less desire chastisement ; because that for the present is not joyous but grievous ; but if I look after my Masters joy , I must enter into it the same way that he entred ; he entred into his joy by sufferings , and so must I. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things , and to enter into his glory ? Luke 24. 26. He suffered that he might enter into his own glory , which was undenyably his from all eternity ; and shall I hope to enter into that glory without suffering ? Ought Christ to have suffered , and ought not the Christian to expect suffering ? Surely , it hehoved Christ to suffer for these three Reasons , Propter Remedium Peccatorum . Propter exemplum Virtutum . Propter complementum Scripturarum . For the expiation and redress of sin , by his Merit . For the propagation of Righteousness by his Example . For the fulfilling of the Scriptures by his Obedience . As the Seraphical Doctor teacheth . Now tell me which of these Reasons is not a fit and sufficient ground for my sufferings . Have I not Brethren to be edified by my example , who seeing my patience in the day of my visitation , may also glorifie God in the day of theirs ? Hath not my God a Word to be fulfil●…ed , which hath expresly said , That we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God ? Acts 14. 22. Have not 〈◊〉 my self much sin to be redressed and amended ? For though I will gladly impute the expiation of all my sins only to my Saviours sufferings , yet I may with humility , and ( I hope ) not without some truth , impute the amendment of many of them , to mine own sufferings . The ground hath been tilled , and the tree hath been pruned : And why should not this tilling and pruning yield the peace●…le fruit of righteousness unto me that have been exercised thereby ? I have been ●…ng and often ploughed ( as it were ) ●…nd broken up , and harrowed by the hand of God , and why should I not be somewhat amended and improved by his good husbandry ? I have been long and often ●…ned ( as it were ) in my flesh by his ●…harp knife , cutting off my superfluities , 〈◊〉 make me the less sinful , and the more ●…ruitful : And why should I not bring ●…rth good fruits in due season ? even t●… peaceable fruits of righteousness , or the fruits of righteousness , which bring forth peace , the peace of a good conscience here , and of a blessed Eternity hereafter . Therefore earnestly desiring to walk in this righteousness , I will hope to lay me down in this peace : And at the end of my wearisom Pilgrimage , to take my rest in the arms of Gods Eternal mercy , though now I groan under the hand of his Justice ; For so laying me down to sleep , none shall ever be able to take either me from his arms , or my rest from me . Amen . The sick mans Ejaculations . To the Reader , THese Ejaculations are Eighty in number , and they are like mans years in Moses time , when they come to that same number , full of labour and sorrow ; though this latter age of the world will not let it self tarry so long for labour , nor others tarry so long for sorrow : And they are therefore called Ejaculations , because they are as it were so many dartings of the soul , ( upon some reflexion or thought either of mans misery , or of Gods mercy ) sent up towards Heaven : All aiming at one mark , though from several occasions , and after several waies ; That is , at the rest of the soul in God : Nor may you here look for curious method , but for Religious matter : sometimes you will find the sick mans soul troubled for fear of death ; sometimes almost inflamed with the desire of it ; sometimes bemoaning the disturbance of his body ; sometimes fearing the distemper of his soul ; sometimes affrighted with the thought of Judgement ; sometimes rejoycing against it . If you find any thing to comfort you in your extremity , thank not me for speaking to my self , but thank God for speaking to your soul : And be not troubled that your Passions , like these Ejaculations , are not orderly , so as they be Religious : Trouble and sorrow cannot look after Order , but they must look after Religion : And a sick mans expressions are not so much beholding to his head to make them Methodical and Eloquent , as to his 〈◊〉 to make them affectionate and devout : And God grant your sickness may make yours so . Ejaculations . 1. GRant Lord that I may be dead unto sin , before I am dead unto the world ; that being planted together in the likeness of thy Sons death , I may be also in the likeness of his Resurrection : That like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father ; so I walking in newness of life , may have a comfortable death here , and a glorious Resurrection hereafter . 2. Destroy in me , O God , the body of sin , before thou destroy in me the body of flesh ; that I may be justified from my sins whiles I live , and freed from my sins when I shall be dead : Make me to lie down in comfort , because by my death I shall wholly die unto my sins : Make me to rest in hope , because by my Resurrection I shall wholly live unto my God. 3. Make me to look upon my sickness , ( my tedious and terrible sickness ) as upon thy Visitation , that I may bear it patiently ; Make me look upon my death , as upon my Release , that I may take it comfortably . 4. O thou who wouldst be crucified before thou wouldst be glorified , and didst suffer pain to enter into Joy , make me submit to thy Cross , that thou mayest prepare me for thy Crown : Make me contentedly to suffer with thee in this world , that I may triumphantly reign with thee in the world to come . 5. O Lord I have Judged my self , let me not be Judged of thee , so as to be condemned ; for it is agreeable with thy Mercy to save the sinner , though thou destroy the sin : And it is agreeable with thy Justice , not to punish that sin in me , which thou hast already punished in my blessed Redeemer . 6. O Lord thou didst make thy beloved Son perfect with sufferings , and I cannot hope thou wilt let thy unworthy servant be perfected without them : O then let not my sufferings betray the imperfections of my flesh , but conduce to the perfections of my spirit ; and make me ever willing to suffer , since thou canst and wilt make me perfect by suffering . 7. O thou God of peace that broughtest again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ , that great Shepherd of the sheep , through the blood of the everlasting Covenant ; Make me perfect in every good work to do and suffer thy will , working in me that which is well-pleasing in thy sight , and working for me that which is profitable for my salvation , through Jesus Christ , to whom be glory for ever and ever , Amen . ( Heb. 13. 20 , 21. ) 8. O blessed Jesu , the chief Corner-stone , on which alone is laid for us the foundation of a blessed Eternity ; the Rock upon which thy Church is built , and all our souls relie : Be merciful unto me , and give ear unto my prayers , and to my sighs and groans when I cannot pray : Be unto me a fountain of comfort whensoever my heart is in heaviness , and my body is in pain , that my soul may have continual health , and joy and rest in Thee , and in thy Merits and Mercies for evermore . 9. Lord make me desire the dissolution of my earthly house of this Tabernacle , that I may have a building of God , an house not made with hands , eternal in the heavens ; for I know that whiles I am at home in the body , I am absent from the Lord : Make me therefore willing rather to be absent from the body , and to be present with thee my God ; for in thy presence is the fulness of joy , and at thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore : And make me labour , that whether absent or present ; I may be accepted of thee , through the righteousness of thy dearest Son , my only Lord and Saviour , Amen . 10. Give unto me true sorrow for my sins , that thou mayest give me true comfort in my sorrows : Grant I may have peace in thee , whiles I have tribulation in the world ; and make me be of good chear in all my tribulations ; for thou hast overcome the world , and wilt not let the world overcome me . 11. O Lord Jesus Christ , who hast overcome the sharpness of death , & opened the Kingdom of heaven to all Believers : Make me ●…ot to fear death , since thou hast made that ●…n Inlet into thy heavenly Kingdom : My-sins had shut the gate of Paradise against my soul , but thy Merits have opened it again : O let me earnestly desire to enter in , for thou art gone thither before ●…e , that thou mightest be there ready to receive me , and retain me with thy self for evermore , Amen . 12. Lord when shall this corruptible put on incorruption , and this mortal put on immortality , that in me may be brought to pass that saying , Death is swallowed up in Victory ; O death where is thy sting , O grave where is thy victory ? The sting of death was sin , till sin was expiated : The strength of sin was the Law , till the Law was fulfilled ; But thanks be unto God which hath given me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ , both over my sins and over his Law , in this great contestation : Having imputed my transgressions unto my Saviour , that my sin might be expiated ; and having imputed my Saviours righteousness and obedience unto me , that his Law might be fulfilled : Therefore being justified by faith , I have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ , by whom also I have access by faith into his grace , and rejoyce in hope that I shall at last have access into his glory . 13. O Lord Jesus Christ who art the Resurrection and the Life , be unto me Life in Death ; be unto me Resurrection from the Dead ; and so guide me through Death , that it may be my passage into everlasting Life , there to see , and to bless , and to enjoy thee , who art the Redeemer and lover of souls , and livest and reignest the King of Saints , with the Co-eternal Spirit in the glory of God the Father . 14. My soul truly waiteth still upon God , and still shall wait upon him , for of him cometh my help ; He verily is my strength and my salvation , even in weakness and in destruction : He is my defence so that I shall not greatly fall : And if through mine infirmity I do fall , by his power I shall rise again , and be able to stand fast , being supported through the Merits and Mercies of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 15. O Lord see the blood of thine immaculate Lamb which taketh away the sin of the world , sprinkled on my soul , that thou mayest see no sin in it : And when thou seest that blood , let the destroying Angel pass over me , never to return again ; and let the Comforter come unto me , and remain with me for ever . 16. O dearest Advocate , be pleased to intercede and plead for me , and to answer all the accusations which the Devils will alledge , and mine own conscience will witness against me in the day of Judgement : That I being made the monument of thy Mercy , who am the purchase of thy Blood , may bless and praise thee among thy Redeemed in the Land of the living for ever and ever . 17. O thou Eternal Son of Righteousness , who risest with healing in thy wings , heal thou me , and I shall be perfectly healed : Shew me the light of thy countenance , to dispell all the mists and clouds which now threaten to bring darkness upon my soul : Turn thy merciful eyes towards me , that I may see thy glorious face in thy heavenly Kingdom , where no tears shall dim my sight , no sighing shall interrupt my speech , no fears shall disquiet my heart , and no sadness nor amazement shall disturb or discompose the blessed rest of my soul with thee , the longing desires of my soul to thee , and the infinite delights of my soul in thee , and in thine All-sufficient Merits , and All-saving Mercies for evermore . 18. O Saviour of the world , save me , who by thy Cross and precious blood hast Redeemed me : Help me O my God at all times , but most especially at this time , now I am least able to help my self , or my friends to help me : Intercede for me by thy precious death and passion , in all my distresses , but then most when I shall least be able to speak for my self , at the hour of Death , and in the day of Judgement : Be now , and then , and ever my defence , and make me know and feel that there is no other name under heaven given unto men in whom and through whom I may expect health and salvation , but only thy Name O my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 19. O Lord God , which art the giver of all good things , and never repentest of the good gifts which thou hast given , give unto me health and ease , as long as they shall be blessings from thee , and give me thy grace to desire them no longer : And when thou most takest from me these or any other comforts of this mortal life , then Lord most increase and multiply upon me the joyes and comforts of a blessed Immortality . 20. Lord I am desirous to go out of my self , and out of this vale of misery , that I may come unto Mount Sion , and to the City of the living God , the heavenly Jerusalem , and to an innumerable company of Angels , to the general Assembly and Church of the first-born , which are written in heaven , and to God the Judge of all , and to the spirits of just men made perfect ; and to Jesus the Mediator of the New-Covenant : O thou who hast prepared these immortal joyes for my soul , prepare my soul for these joyes , that being made a Citizen of thy heavenly Jerusalem , I may be able to joyn in consort with the Angels thy first-born there , and with the spirits of just men made perfect since them ; who now both together make but one Quire , and are alwaies singing Hallelujah , and worshiping him that liveth for ever and ever . 21. O blessed Jesus , thou only comfort of miserable and distressed sinners , consider my distress ; Look upon mine adversity and misery , and forgive me all my sin . O thou blessed Mediator betwixt God and man , intermediate for me : Let the unspotted righteousness of thy life , be an acceptable sacrifice for the multiplyed unrighteousness of mine : And let the bitter pangs of thy death , keep from me all the bitterness of the temporal , and much more the pangs and horrours of the eternal Death : Thou didst taste the gall and vinegar when thou gavest up the Ghost ; therefore I beseech thee keep me from tasting it : Thou didst seem to be forsaken of thy God , O let not me b●… forsaken of thee : But grant that I putting my whole trust and confidence in thy Merits and in thy Mercies , ●…ay from henceforth most chearfully serve thee in all holiness and pureness of living , and most faithfully persist in thy service by a resolved constancy , contentedness , and patience of dying ; That I may yet more and more know thee , and the power of thy Resurrection , and the fellowship of thy sufferings , being made conformable to thy death , that so I may attain to a joyful Resurrection of the dead , to give praise and thanks unto thy holy Name , world without end . 22. O thou Eternal Son of God , who didst take upon thee the nature of man , that thou mightest lead a miserable life , and undergo a shameful death ; I beseech thee sweeten unto me all those present miseries of my life , which thou hast already sanctified , in that thou hast born them ; and all those possible horrours of my death , which thou hast already conquered , in that they durst assail thee to bear them : That I who of my self am in death even in the midst of life , may through thee my blessed Saviour , find life in the midst of death , and glory after it , to glorifie thee who art the Lord of death , and the Giver of life , Amen . 23. O holy Jesus thou only Redeemer of souls , who by ' thy death hast overcome death , and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life . I most humbly beseech thee , that as by thy special grace preventing me , thou dost put into my mind good desires of departing hence and of being with thee ; so by thy continual help I may bring the same to good effect , and at last joyfully depart in thy peace , for that mine eyes have seen thy salvation , my heart hath believed it , and my soul goeth hence to enjoy it , and with it , thee my blessed Redeemer , who with the eternal Spirit art most high in the glory of the Father , one God everlasting , Amen . 24. O thou who layedst down thy life for my Redemption , make me ready to lay down my life at thy command ; Teach me more and more to despise the Treasures and the Pleasures of this world , which have in them a double vanity ; that they are transitory ; that they are not satisfactory : As they cannot give me true content whiles I possess them , because they are not satisfactory ; so let them not create in me any discontent when I must have them , because they are but transitory : O make me lay up for my self a stock of Treasure and of Pleasure in heaven , by 〈◊〉 true and lively faith , working zealously ●…or thee , relying wholly on thee , and ●…onging earnestly after thee for ever . 25. Lord where is my Treasure , but only in him that bought me ? who is my everlasting Portion , that only God could give me , and men cannot take from me . And where should my heart be but where my Treasure is , even in heaven and heavenly things ? I will therefore from henceforth live by the faith of the Son of God who died for me , and gave himself for me : And living by that faith , though I may dwell on earth , yet I shall live in heaven , nay in the uppermost part of heaven , even at the right hand of God ; there will I live alwaies with thee , O my blessed Redeemer , adoring thy Excellency , reverencing thy Majesty , loving thine Authority , enamoured with thy Perfections , and joyfully depending on thy Mercy : That though my continuance be still with men , yet my conversation may be with thee my God and Saviour , by love earnestly longing for thee , by hope wholly trusting on thee , by desires stedfastly cleaving to thee , and by delight alwaies rejoycing in thee : So shall my soul , when it departs out of this earthly Tabernacle , be received into thine everlasting habitations , there to bless and enjoy thee , who with the Father and the Holy-Ghost livest and reignest , one God world without end , Amen . 26. O Lord , who hast called to thee all those that travel and are heavy laden , and hast promised to give them rest , have mercy upon me thy distressed servant , who now am in a restless condition : what ease and repose thou denyest unto my body , I beseech thee give unto my soul , that though my flesh doth not enjoy the sweet and comfortable rest of sleep , yet my spirit may enjoy that everlasting rest and repose which is alwaies to be found in thee : O grant that a promise being left me of entering into thy rest , I may not come short of it through my unbelief ; but that by going out of my self and living in thee , I may forthwith enter into that internal rest which is to be enjoyed here in the presence of thy grace , and may continue and abide therein till I shall come to that eternal rest which is not to be expected till hereafter , nor to be enjoyed but only in the presence of thy glory . 27. O Lord God , the God of my salvation , teach me to cry day and night before thee , that so thou mayest still save me : and let my prayer enter in , whither I am not worthy to enter , even into thy presence : Incline thine ear unto my calling , since thou hast inclined my heart to call upon thee : for my soul is full of trouble , and my life draweth nigh unto hell : But draw thou nigh unto my soul , & I shall be delivered from all my troubles ; and though thou hast put my lovers & my friends away from me , and hid mine acquaintance out of my sight , yet let me ever see the light of thy countenance , and I shall not be troubled for not seeing them ; and make me rejoyce in thine everlasting love , and I shall find no want of my other friends & lovers . 28. O Lord I cannot deny , but that having been at enmity with thee , I deserve to be cloathed with shame , and covered with mine own confusion as with a Cloak ; But O cloath me with thy Sons righteousness , and therewith cover my shame and my confusion . I am unworthy in my self to pray for mercy , for Judas-like I have betrayed my Saviour , O make me worthy in his blood , not only to pray for it , but also to obtain it . 29. O Lord my foot hath often slipped , but thy mercy hath hitherto held me up , that I have not fallen into the pit of destruction : Let thy Mercy O Lord still hold me up , and in the multitude of sorrows that I have , or shall have in my heart , by reason of my sins , let thy comforts evermore refresh my soul ; For thou makest me find trouble and heaviness , that I may call upon thy Name ; and I do call upon thy Name , that thou mayest deliver my soul : O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul from death , mine eyes from tears , and my feet from falling , that I may walk before thee in the Land of the living : That I may walk carefully and conscionably before thee , because thou seest all things ; That I may walk reverently before thee , because thou rulest all things ; That I may walk thankfully before thee , because thou givest all things ; That I may walk comfortably before thee , because thou savest all things , and wilt in mercy save me : O let me so walk before thee here in this world , as one that hath a hope to live with thee hereafter , in the world to come : Let my soul awake from the sleep of sin , to give glory to thee , because I trust that when I shall awake from the sleep of death , I shall receive glory from thee . 30. O thou worthy Judge-Eternal , I tremble at the very thought of thy Judgement , and how then shall I tremble at the sight of my Judge ? For mine own mouth doth most grievously accuse me , and mine own heart doth most impartially condemn me , and mine own conscience cannot but set its seal to the justness of my condemnation : But I believe that thou wilt come to be my Judge , who hast already come to be my Saviour , and I therefore pray thee to help thy servant whom thou hast Redeemed with thy most precious blood ; O Lord in thy Justice , when thou shalt be most ready to condemn me , remember the Mercy whereby thou didst come to save me ; and hear thine own precious blood crying out to thee for my salvation , and hear not my grievous sins crying out against me for my condemnation ; for what wilt thou do with thy Mercy , which moved thee to shed thy blood , if thou wilt not forgive sinners ? what wilt thou do with the Merit of thy blood that hath been shed , if thou wilt not save sinners ? O Lord I appeal unto this Mercy which hath promised forgiveness of sins , and to this Merit which hath purchased salvation for sinners , and in this Mercy and in this Merit I cannot but hope to stand in the Judgement . 31. If the Lord himself had not been on my side , now may my soul say , if the Lord himself had not been on my side , when the Devils and mine own conscience rose up against me , they had swallowed me up quick , when they were so wrathfully displeased at me ; Yea the waters had drowned me , and the stream had gone over my soul ; but praised be the Lord which hath not given me over for a prey unto their teeth ; My soul is escaped even as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler ; the snare is broken , and I am delivered ; My help standeth in the Name of the Lord , which hath made heaven and earth ; and which hateth nothing that he hath made . 32. O Lord Jesus Christ , which upholdest all things in heaven and in earth , make me evermore to put my whole trust in thee ; in the state of health and prosperity to trust in thee for preservation ; in the state of sickness and adversity to trust in thee for deliverance and relief ; in all states to trust in thee for grace and benediction : That in the distresses of my body , I may be comforted for the salvation of my soul ; in the distresses of my soul , I may be comforted for the mercies of my Savio●… : Let me submit my soul to thee in piety , by doing righteously , that thou mayest not punish me ; and having failed of that , let me submit my soul to thee in patience by suffering contentedly when thou dost punish me for my sins : Let me not despair of thy Mercy , when I have most provoked thy Justice , that thou mayst in Justice remember Mercy , and in Mercy remember me ; Let me never say in my heart through impatience or infidelity , There is no God : Let me never wish in my heart , through impenitency , that there were none : Let me not say in my heart ●…efore I sin , There is no God , least I sin with greediness : Let me not wish in my heart , there were no God , after I have sinned , lest I sin without Repentance : But make me set thee alwaies before me , both in thy Majesty as coming to Judge me , that I sin not ; and in thy Mercy as willing to save me , that I despair not when I have sinned : And be thou alwaies with me by thy special grace , that I perish not in my sins . O thou which art the joy of Angels , be also the joy of my sinful soul ; speak salvation to me , who can speak nothing but damnation to my self : Be unto my sinful soul sanctification from sin , that thou mayest be to my sanctified soul salvation from death : That I may at last stand with that great multitude who shall stand before thee cloathed with white robes and palms in their hands , to cry with a loud voice , saying , Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne , and unto the Lamb for ever & ever , Amen . 33. O Lord , who art so merciful unto sinful man as to vouchsafe to be his Guide and Governor ; and so constant in thy Mercies as to guide and govern him all his life even unto death ; I beseech thee to be my Guide in this my greatest perplexity , now that my body is as it were bitten with fiery Serpents , and my soul dwelleth among Scorpions : Now that torments and tumults are without me , temptations and discontents are within me : O be thou ●…igh at hand , that none of all my outward ●…r inward vexations may either disturb my ●…fety , or betray my innocency : Let God ●…ise in my heart , and let all his enemies ●…ere , that is , all my impatient thoughts , 〈◊〉 scattered : Like as smoke vanisheth , so 〈◊〉 them vanish at the presence of God ; ●…nd my soul be joyful in the Lord , it shall ●…ejoyce in his salvation . 34. O God , thy Charets are twenty thou●…nd , even thousands of Angels , O set ●…me of them compass me about , as they ●…d thy servant Elisha , whiles I am living , ●…nd let others of them carry my soul into ●…brahams bosom when I shall die , as they ●…d thy servant Lazarus : That these thy ●…inistring spirits , which are sent forth to ●…inister for them who shall be heirs of sal●…tion , may also minister for me thy most ●…worthy servant , not only in my sick●…ss , to succour and defend me , but also in ●…y death , to direct and convey my soul ; 〈◊〉 by thy appointment they have brought ●…e to those everlasting mansions , where I ●…all together with them , alwaies behold ●…e face of my Father which is in heaven , ●…men . 35. O Lord , thou hast commanded me t●… break off my sins by repentance ; but I hav●… broken off my soul from thee by sin , an●… widened that breach by my impenitency . Wherefore it is but just that I who have s●… often grieved thy Spirit , should now at 〈◊〉 grieve mine own : For I have often re●…turned to those sins , which by mine ow●… mouth had so terribly accused me , and b●… mine own default so grievously wounde●… me : But I beseech thee to fill my hea●… with Repentance , which I have so ofte●… filled with sin , and let me have that sorro●… here , which may keep me from confusio●… hereafter : For if thy servant Peter we●… three whole daies , nay all his life long , f●… denying thee thrice , out of a sudden pass●… on : What tears , what repentance is nee●… ful to the washing away of my sins , wh●… have so often denyed thee upon deliber●…tion ? If Mary Magdalen wept so gri●…vously for seven Devils , shall not I mu●… rather for seventy seven more unclean sp●…rits ? She was not then thy servant , wh●… she entertained those impure guests ; I ha●… been a long time thy friend , thy brothe●… thy son , and yet have given these thi●… enemies my best entertainment ; She 〈◊〉 ●…ot in the Devils again , after they had ●…een cast out ; but I have swept and garnish●…d the room for them ; make me therefore ●…ood Lord all my life long to wash thy ●…et with my tears , that thou mayest wash ●…y soul with thy blood , and so at last pre●…nt it without spot and blemish before ●…he heavenly Father , in thine eternal and everlasting Kingdom , Amen . 36. Lord let me often find the influence of thy grace in heavenly thoughts , that I may often feel the influence of thy mercy in heavenly joyes : I have many sad and dismal sorrows from my self ; O give unto me true comfort in my Saviour ; let my trouble be in the day when thou wilt hear me , and not in the day when thou wilt Judge me : There is no trust but may deceive me , save only my trust in thee ; there is nothing in which I may not miscarry , but only thy Mercy : O Lord let my trust be so in thee , that though I have miscarried in all the desires , and designs , and delights of this world , yet I may not miscarry in thy Mercy , but may have the joyes and delights of the world to come , through Jesus Christ our Lord , Amen . 37. Be thou exalted Lord in thine ow●… strength , so will I sing and praise th●… power : Thy strength is that whic●… strengthens souls , and thou lovest to shew thy strength in our weakness ; Lord let thy strength be made perfect in my weakness so shall I most gladly rather glory then repine in my infirmities , whiles the power of Christ doth-rest upon me , and my soul doth rest upon thee and thy Mercies in Jesus Christ. 38. O Lord who forgivest the sins of the penitent , and coverest those sins which thou forgivest , I beseech thee to accept my repentance , and to cover all those sins which I desire thee to forgive ; That I may have the blessing of him whose unrighteousness is forgiven , and whose sin is covered : For if my sins should be all discovered to my self , they would fill me with fear ; if they should be discovered to others , they would fill me with shame : And how wilt thou discover them either to my fear or to my shame , since thou canst not forgive them , unless thou cover them ? O then be pleased so to cover my sins here , as not to discover them again hereafter ; so to hide my transgressions in the day of thy Mercy , as not to lay them open in the day of Wrath : Or if thy Justice shall require that all my sins be revealed in the day of the revelation of thy righteous Judgement , let the atonement also for my sins be then revealed , which I have laboured to make , and thou hast promised to accept through the Merits and satisfaction of thy Son and our Saviour , Jesus Christ. 39. O thou who art gracious and righteous , and in thy righteousness teachest the upright the way of innocency , and by thy grace leadest sinners in the way of repentance ; Have mercy upon me thy most unworthy servant , and grant that my great defects and wants of the first righteousness , that of Innocency , may be supplyed by the fulness of the second righteousness , that of Faith and Repentance : And make mine eyes look so diligently to thee , that I may never again want care in looking to my self ; Order my steps in thy Word , and so shall no wickedness have dominion over me : Order my heart in thy Faith , and so shall I have dominion over all my wickedness ; for though my fears shall force me to say , O wretched man that I am , who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? yet my Faith will be able to suppress that saying , and suggest unto me this heavenly comfort and triumph , I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 40. O Lord I am in the midst of many troubles and sorrows by reason of my sufferings , and much more by reason of my sins ; but thou hast promised that the righteous shall rejoyce in the Lord , and put his trust in him , and all they that are true of heart shall be glad , ( Psal. 64. 10. ) O then make me true of heart , that I may trust in thee , and be truly righteous : And give unto me true righteousness , that thou mayst give unto me true joy : There is no true righteousness but the righteousness of thy Son : There is no true joy but the joy of thy Spirit : O thou Father of Mercy , give unto me the righteousness of God the Son my Redeemer , that thou mayst give me the joy of God the Holy-Ghost my Comforter , to be with me and to remain in me for evermore . 41. O Lord thou hast brought upon me so much misery , that I cannot love my condition ; And I have so much sin , that I cannot love my self : Wherefore I beseech thee to fix my love wholly upon thee , that my soul may thirst for thee , and my flesh also may long after thee , in this barren and dry Land where no water is , either to cleanse , or to refresh , or to revive me ; That looking for thee in holiness , I may behold thy power and glory : For my soul cannot truly thirst for thee , till my flesh also long after thee , since whiles my flesh is in love with the profits and pleasures of this life , my spirit cannot but lose the desire , and neglect the pursuit of the life everlasting : O Lord thou hast taken away from me most of the profits , and all the pleasures of this life ; O take from me also the love of it ; That I may not fear to lose that life which I do not love , nor love that life which I am sure to lose : but let me so love thee , as to live in thee , that I may not fear the loss either of my life or of my love . 42. O Lord I am assaulted by vexations without , and by temptations within ; and to whom should I flie for succour but only to thee , who art not so displeased for my sins , but that thou wilt be appeased by my repentance ? O give unto me that repentance which thou wilt accept , and take from me that displeasure which I so fear , Thou canst defend me with thy favourable kindness as with a Shield ; O Lord I ask no other defence , but only this defence of thy Mercy , to defend me from my self and all my sinfulness : to defend me from thy wrath and from all the punishments of my sins : Though thou leave me destitute of all other defence , yet let thy loving-kindness evermore defend me , according to that eternal love wherewith thou hast loved me in the Son of thy love , our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 43. O Lord thou hast hitherto guided me by thy counsel , and thou wilt hereafter receive me with glory : Therefore have I none in heaven but thee , because none else can receive me with glory ; and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee , because none else can guide me with true counsel : O Lord pardon my strayings from thy directions as thou hast been my guide , that thou mayst receive me into thine habitation , and be my glory for Jesus sake , Amen . 44. O Lord make my soul willing to depart and go from hence , because it here dwells among the enemies of my peace ; even among mine own sins and fears , which disturb the peace of a good conscience here , and threaten to destroy the peace of a blessed eternity hereafter : Make me to long for that blessed minute which will restore to me perfect innocency , and will transmit me into everlasting peace ; even that peace of God which passeth all that I do understand , and will fullfill all that I can desire : Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart to this peace , that thou mayest at once deliver me from all my troubles , for his sake who hath shed his precious blood to purchase this peace for me , Jesus Christ the only righteous , Amen . 45. Lord give unto me an earnest repentance to cleanse and purge my soul from dead works , that thou mayest give unto me a true and lively faith , to settle and establish my soul in the light of life . That acknowledging and bewailing mine own demerits and unrighteousness , I may by the Merits and Righteousness of my blessed Redeemer , obtain remission of all my sins whereof I now stand guilty before thy Judgement-seat ; and the assurance of that remission sealed unto my conscience by the testimony of thy holy Spirit ; that I may not be terrified with the thought of death , being delivered from the terrours of Judgement , and having that righteousness interposed in answer for me , which cannot but answer all the accusations of the Devils , and all the attestations and convictions of mine own conscience : O my blessed Advocate , do thou come to plead for me , and then come Lord Jesus , come quickly , Amen . 46. Lord make me daily more and more to see the manifold miseries of my pilgrimage , whereby I am a stranger to eternity , and a so journer with vanity , burdened and clogged with a heavy weight of flesh , and a far heavyer weight of sin : That I may heartily pray to be delivered from all those burdens and miseries , and not be afraid least thou shouldst hear my prayer ; but that my soul providing to return into her own Countrey , may accordingly have longings and earnest desires after the Land of Promise , and after the heavenly Jerusalem , and after thee my God , who there livest and reignest world without end , Amen . 47. Lord make me patiently to undergo this punishment of my body , but earnestly to long for the deliverance of my soul : Make me thankful for that small ease and refreshment thou givest me on earth , but much more for the eternal rest thou hast provided for me in heaven ; grant that though I have affliction in the world , yet I may have peace in thee , and may rejoyce in that peace , for thou hast overcome the world : grant that though I am weak in my body , yet I may be strong in my soul , for thou art the strength of souls : grant that though I find pain and anguish in my flesh , yet I may find joy and comfort in my spirit , for thou art the God of spirits : grant that I may not look on thy hand scourging me with an evil eye , whiles I believe that the thoughts which thou thinkest towards me , are thoughts of peace and not of evil : and that though thou givest me a sad beginning , yet thou wilt give me an expected end ; ( Jer. 29. 11. ) 48. I will bear the indignation of the Lord , because I have sinned against him ; and I may well bear it patiently ( nay rather , take it thankfully ) since it is his great goodness to punish temporally , that he may spare eternally : For he will at last plead my cause , and execute Judgement for me ; he will at length bring me forth to light out of this dismal darkness , and I shall behold his righteousness , and he will not behold mine unrighteousness : Then shall I say with great joy , Who is a God like unto thee , that pardoneth iniquities , and passeth by transgressions , and retaineth not his anger for ever , because he delighteth in Mercy : Therefore he will turn again , he will have compassion upon me , he will subdue mine iniquities , before he suffer death to subdue me ; and he will cast all my sins into the depth of the Sea , before he will cast me into the deep of the earth , ( Mich. 7. v. 9 , 18 , 19. ) 49. Art thou not from everlasting , O Lord my God , mine holy One , and I but only of yesterday , and for a moment ? I shall not die , whiles thou art my Resurrection and my Life ; O Lord thou hast ordained these pains and sicknesses for Judgement , and O mighty God thou hast established them for correction : O Lord let them prove so to me , as Judgements to advise me , and as Chastisements to amend me ; for thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil , and therefore sure of purer hands then to embrace it ; and thou canst not look on iniquity , & therefore sure wilt not encourage it : O then let this thy visitation so purge away all evil and iniquity from me , that thou mayest both encourage my soul in my life , and embrace it at my death , ( Hab. 1. ) 50. O thou the high and lofty one , that inhabitest eternity , whose Name is Holy , thou that dwellest in the high and lofty place , but with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit , to revive the spirit of the humble , and to revive the heart of the contrite one ; be pleased to look upon the great humiliations of my body , and the unfeigned contritions of my soul ; That thou mayst dwell with me , and I may be revived in the spirit , whiles I am daily put to death in the flesh : And do not contend for ever , neither be thou alwaies wrath , least my spirit should fail before thee , and the soul which thou hast made ; for the iniquity of my conversation thou wast wrath and smotest me ; but for the abundance of thine own mercies heal me , and restore comforts to me and to my mourners ; and give unto me true joy and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord ( Isaiah 57. 15 , &c. ) 51. O Lord I have been long cloathed with filthy garmens , even by the corruptions and pollutions of the flesh : And Satan is standing at my right hand ready to tempt me here , and to accuse and torment me hereafter ; But O Lord I beseech thee to say unto Satan , The Lord rebuke thee O Satan , even the Lord that hath chosen his servant rebuke thee : And take away the filthy garments from me , and say unto me , behold I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee , and I will cloath thee with change of rayment , even with the wedding-garment , the righteousness of that immaculate Lamb , the Lord Jesus Christ ; so shall I appear before thee with comfort , stand before thee with confidence , and remain before thee with joy for evermore , ( Zach. 3. ) 52. O Lord thou hast left me a Promise of entering into thy Rest , O let me not come short of it and not enter into it ; But since I have a great high-Priest that is passed into the heavens , Jesus the Son of God , an high-Priest touched with the feeling of my infirmities , let me through him come boldly to the Throne of grace , that I may obtain Mercy , and find Grace to help in time of need , ( Heb. 4. ) 53. O Lord my strength and my fortress , and my refuge in the day of affliction , I desire to come unto thee from the ends of the earth , where I have inherited lyes and vanity , and things wherein there is no profit ; but I beseech thee cause me to know thy hand and thy might , and take not away thy peace from me , even loving-kindness and Mercies , Jer. 16. v. 19 , 21 , & 5. 54. O Lord the Hope of Israel , let no distress whatsoever make me forsake that blessed . Hope which thou hast given me ; for all that forsake thee shall be ashamed , and they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth , because they have forsaken the Lord the Fountain of living waters : O Lord I have often forsaken thee by my sins , yet let me not be ashamed , because I return again to thee by my Repentance ; O Lord I have often departed from thee by my transgressions , yet let me not be written in the earth , because I now at last thirst for thee the Fountain of living waters : Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed , save me and I shall be saved ; so shalt thou be my praise now and for evermore , Jer. 17. 13 , 14. 55. O Lord my soul is heavy , and my body is sick unto the death ; But do thou bring me health and cure , and reveal unto me abundance of peace and truth ; cleanse me from all mine iniquities whereby I have sinned against thee , cause my captivity to return , and have mercy upon me , according to thine infinite mercies in Jesus Christ , ( Jer. 33. 6 , 8 , 26. ) 56. O Lord thou hast added grief to my sorrow , for I have fainted in my sighing , and I find no rest ; yet dost thou forbid me to add sorrow to my own grief , and to say , wo is me now , because that which thou hast built thou hast broken down ; and that which thou hadst planted thou hast plucked up , even this whole Land ; Therefore thou forbiddest me to seek great things for my self , for behold thou hast brought evil upon all flesh , and how shouldst thou not bring evil upon my flesh , which is the most sinful of all ? O then suffer me not to be a seeker of mine own discontents , rather then of thy redresses , whiles I look after great and good things , in such miserable and wretched times , but make me thankful that thou hast hitherto given me my life as a prey unto me in all places whether I have gone , that remembering what thou hast given me , I may not repine for what others have taken from me ; assuring my self , that there is yet another life to come which thou wilt give me , not as a prey that I should fear losing it , but as an inheritance that I should long to possess it in thee and with thee for ever , Amen . Jer. 45. 3 , 4 , 5. 57. O Lord bring my soul out of this prison of the flesh , and the shackles of sin and misery , that I may wholly and entirely give thanks unto thy holy Name for all thy Mercy and great Deliverances , and most especially for this the greatest of all , That thou wilt deliver me from my self , from the burden of mine own flesh , from the bondage of mine own corruption , from the thraledom of mine own body : And wilt set me at liberty that I may do nothing else but serve thee , whose service is perfect freedom , and whose wages are life , and light , and joy , in beholding thy presence for evermore ; for I earnestly desire only those Mercies wherein thou dost infinitely delight , who lovest to shew Mercy to penitent sinners in the Son of thy love , our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 58. O Lord pour not out thine indignation upon me , blow not against me in the fire of thy wrath , but deliver me from this brutish and burning disease ; or if thou wilt in thy Justice make my body as fewel for the fire , yet in mercy deliver my soul from the everlasting burnings , ( Ezek. 23. 31 , 32. ) 59. Grant Lord that I being risen with Christ , may seek those things which are above , where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God ; that I may henceforth set mine affection on things above , not on things in earth ; alwaies remembering that I am dead , and my life is hid with Christ in God , and alwaies rejoycing , that when Christ who is my life shall appear , then shall I also appear with him in glory , ( Col. 3. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4. ) 60. Lord make my tongue sing of thy praises whiles I have breath ; and when I shall be breathless , make my heart bear two parts , to fill up that blessed Harmony ; that my soul may praise thee whiles it is in the state of union with my natural body ; and much more when it shall be in the state of separation from it , and shall be joyned in consort with the holy Angels , and with the beatified spirits : And most of all , when it shall be in the state of re-union again with that same body being made spiritual : That I being at last all spirit , both in soul and body , neither my heart may be wearied in thinking , nor my tongue in speaking thy praises to all eternity , Amen . 61. I will thank thee O Lord my God with all my heart , and I will praise thy Name for evermore ; for great is thy Mercy towards me , and thou hast delivered my soul from the neathermost hell , and wilt receive my soul into the highest heavens , there to give thee thanks and praises for evermore . 62. All the daies of my appointed time will I wait till my change come , ( Job 14. 14. ) Lord grant I may so wait , that I may receive my wages , and that my change may come seasonably , speedily and happily : A seasonable change not to find me unprepared for it : A speedy change to deliver me from the pains of sickness , and from the pangs of death : And a happy change to let me in to the fruition of thy glory and eternal life , Amen . 63. By thine unknown sufferings , O my blessed Redeemer , intercede for me in all my pains and sufferings , that I may find Mercy and obtain Relief : And make me alwaies remember and confess that my sins are far above my sufferings , so shall I suffer patiently ; and that thy Mercy is far above my sins , so shall I suffer comfortably , and hope for a joyful end of all my sufferings . 64. Lord grant that my conversation may from henceforth be in heaven , that my soul may be prepared to go thither , and know how to busie it self there ; that I may with joy look for the Saviour , the Lord Jesus Christ from thence , who shall change my vile body , that it may be like his glorious body , according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself , ( Phil. 3. 2. ) O Lord work that blessed change in my soul , to subdue all its carnal affections by a heavenly conversation , before thou workest that miserable change in my body , to subdue its natural constitution by an unnatural destruction : And according to that mighty working whereby thou art able even to subdue all things unto thy self , in the first place subdue all my sinfulness . 65. Lord speak the word only and thy servant shall be whole ; speak the word of comfort in my distress , and the greatest comfort in my greatest distress : say effatha to my heart that it may be opened to receive thee ; say effatha to the heavens that they may be opened to receive my soul ; yea say unto my soul thou art my salvation , for thou only who art All-sufficient , canst speak unto my soul , and thou only who art All-merciful , wilt speak comfort to it : And though for my sins thou art justly displeased , yet for thine own Mercies thou wilt not long continue in that displeasure ; for thou hast proclaimed thy self to be the Lord , The Lord God , merciful and gracious , long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth , keeping Mercy for thousands , forgiving iniquity , and transgression , and sin : Lord say unto me thy unworthy servant , that my sins are forgiven me , and that I may go hence in peace , for my faith hath saved me , even that faith whereby I wholly trust in the Merits and Mercies of thy eternal Son Jesus Christ. 66. Hear my prayer O Lord , and consider my desire , hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness sake , and enter not into Judgement with thy servant , for in thy sight shall no man living be justified ; And let not mine enemy persecute my soul ; and ( if it be thy will ) let not my disease smite my life down to the ground , nor lay me in the darkness , as men that have been long dead ; But if it be thy pleasure to torment and to destroy my body , yet let not my spirit be vexed within me , nor my heart within me be desolate : But make me so remember the time , and thy works past , that I may be comforted in the time and thy works to come ; that stretching forth my hands and lifting up my heart unto thee , I may lay hold on thee by a lively Faith , Hope and Love , and at last come to enjoy thee by a blessed vision , comprehension and fruition ; And my soul gasping ●…nto thee as a thirsty Land , may be satisfied with the dew of thy heavenly blessings for evermore . 67. O Lord remember that I am the work of thy hands , the image of thy counte●…ance , the price of thy blood ; And have mercy on me as thy work , as thy image , and as thy purchase ; for the paternal bowels of God the Father that created me ; for the bleeding wounds of God the Son that redeemed me ; and for the unutter●…ble groans of God the Holy-Ghost that sanctifieth me , O Lord hear , O Lord forgive , O Lord strengthen me in my sickness , receive me at my death , and acquit me in the Judgement , Amen . 68. Hear me O Lord , and that soon , for my spirit waxeth faint , hide not thy face from me , lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit ; O let me hear thy loving-kindness late in the evening of this life , and betimes in the morning of Eternity , for in thee is my trust ; shew thou me the way that leadeth in the truth , and unto the life , for I lift up my soul unto thee : Deliver me O Lord from mine enemies both corporal and spiritual , for I flie unto thee to hide me ; Let thy loving Spirit lead me forth out of this Land of unrighteousness , and lead me into the Land of righteousness : Quicken me O Lord for thy Name sake , ( and then most , when I shall be nearest death ) and for thy righteousness sake bring my soul out of all her troubles that I may give thanks unto thee , with those blessed spirits which lived here in thy fear , departed hence in thy favour , and now are with thee in eternal joy and glory , ( Psal. 143. v. 7 , &c. ) 69. Deal thou so with me O Lord God , according to thy Name , that in the greatest bitterness of my soul , I may both see and confess that sweet is thy Mercy : O deliver me , for I am helpless and poor , and my body is tormented without me , and my heart is wounded within me , ( Psal. 109. ver . 22 , 23. ) but be thou ease to my body , and joy to my heart in Jesus Christ. 70. O Lord I confess to thy glory and min●… own shame , that when I call to mind the ●…oulness of mine own transgressions , I am ●…shamed ; when I call to mind the exact●…ess and severity of thy Justice , I am afraid ●…o lift up mine eyes to heaven , or to look ●…owards the place where thine honour ●…welleth ; But O look thou down upon ●…e with the eye of pity and compassion , ●…ho am altogether unworthy to look up ●…nto thee with the eye of hope and confi●…ence , and relieve me in my sickness , and ●…eceive me at my death for thine infinite mercies in Jesus Christ. 71. I will alway give thanks unto the Lord , ●…is praise shall ever be in my mouth ; yea my soul shall make her boast of the Lord , ●…or I sought him and he heard me ; yea ●…e delivered me out of all my fear : I had 〈◊〉 eye unto him and I was enlightened , I ●…ave tasted and seen how gracious the ●…ord is , blessed be my soul for trusting 〈◊〉 him , and blessed be his grace for working 〈◊〉 my soul that trust , to rely and depend ●…pon his Mercy for evermore , ( Psal. ●…34 . ) 72. Lord touch my tongue with a coal from ●…hine Altar , to take away the pollution of my lips ; and touch my heart with the immortal flames of thy love , to take away the deadness and dulness of my thoughts ; that both tongue and heart being purged from the filthy dregs of flesh and sin , I may in my greatest infirmities labour to praise thee according to the greatness of thy glories : And because I cannot sufficiently praise thee whiles I am in this corrupted and corruptible body , take my soul in thy due time away from hence , that I may in thy heavenly Jerusalem sing unto thee acceptable and immortal praises for ever and ever , Amen . 73. Righteousness and equity , O Lord , are the habitation of thy seat ; O let righteousness and equity be fixed in my heart , that thou mayest therein fix thy habitation Mercy and Truth shall go before thy face ; O let Mercy and Truth be alwaies in my soul , ( Mercy to forgive , Truth to be for given ) that when my soul shall go out of my body , it may joyfully go before thy face , and rejoyce in thy presence for ever more ; for blessed are the people O Lord that can rejoyce in thee , they shall walk in the light of thy countenance ; Lord thou hast given me the first part of this blessing to rejoyce in thee here on earth , O give me also the second part of it , that when I shall go hence , I may walk in the light of thy countenance hereafter in heaven , Amen . 74. Who am I O Lord God , and what is this my house of clay that thou hast brought me hitherto ? And this was yet a small thing in thy sight , O Lord God , but thou hast spoken also of thy servant for a great while to come , even for the daies of Eternity ; that thou wilt at last bring me to thy self : For thy words sake , and according to thine own heart , hast thou done all these great things , to make thy servant know them and enjoy thee : And now O Lord God , the Word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant , establish it for ever , and do as thou hast said ; for thou O Lord God hast spoken it , and with thy blessing let the soul of thy servant be blessed for ever , 2 Sam. 7. 18. 75. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ , which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope , by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead ; to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled , and that fadeth not away , reserved in heaven for us : O Lord let me not fear being deprived o●… my earthly inheritance by death , whiles 〈◊〉 find in my self the work of this Regeneration , and cherish in my self the hope of this resurrection : But let me ever be kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation , ready to be revealed in the last time , that I may therein greatly rejoyce , though now for a season I am in heaviness through manifold temptations , 2 Pet. 1. 3. That the tryal of my faith being much more precious then of Gold that perisheth , though it be tried with fire , may be found unto praise , and honour , and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. 76. O thou who hast given me the soul of thy Christ and of my Jesus to sanctifie me , the body of Christ to nourish and strengthen me , the blood of Christ to redeem me , the stripes of Christ to heal me , the agonies of Christ to comfort and to refresh me , give me also the wounds of Christ to hide me , that thou mayest not Judge me ; or the Merits of Christ to cover me , that I may be acquitted in the Judgement : O Lord who didst not despise man transgressing and falling from thee , do not despise me repenting and returning to thee ; but as thou hast opened unto me a door of faith and repentance unto life , so shut not that door against me now I am desirous to enter in by it , and to come to thee ; O Lord I believe , help my unbelief : O Lord ●…repent , increase my repentance ; and give unto me that repentance whereby thou wi●…t accept me , and that faith whereby I may receive and embrace thee for ever . 77. The Lord make me faithfully to remember , and thankfully to consider , and constantly to believe , that he who spared not his own Son , but delivered him up for me , will also with him freely give me all things ; or rather , hath already with him freely given me all things that I was capable to receive , and now is enlarging my capacity , that he may enlarge his own bounteous liberality : He is making me capable of receiving more , that he may freely give more : He hath made me capable of receiving himself , his Son , his holy Spirit , by Faith , Hope and Love ; He will now make me capable of receiving and enjoying himself , his Son , his holy Spirit , by vision , comprehension and fruition ; A vision that shall see him as he is in his excellent glory ; A comprehensio●… that shall fully receive and firmly retai●… him ; And a fruition that shall perfectl●… enjoy him , and perfectly rejoyce in him One God , Father , Son , and Holy-Ghost world without end , Amen . 78. Abide thou with me O Lord Jesu●… Christ , for it is towards evening with me and the day is far spent of this my toilsom and troublesom life ; And though my eye be holden that I do not see thee whiles I have sad communications with mine own heart , yet be thou pleased still to tarry with me , and to sit at meat with me , and to bless to me the holy repast of eternity , and mine eyes shall soon be opened to see thee , and my heart shall be opened to receive thee ; And do not vanish out of my sight , till thou hast brought me to see thee in thy heavenly Kingdom , Amen . 79. God be merciful unto me and bless me , and shew me the light of his countenance in my passing through Death , and be merciful unto me , in bringing me to everlasting life : The Lord bless me and keep me , the Lord make his face to shine upon me , and be gracious unto me ; The Lord lift up ●…is countenance upon me , and give me ●…eace : God the Father preserve me in my ●…assage by his Almighty power : God the ●…on guide and direct me by his All-seeing wisdom : God the Holy-Ghost assist and comfort me by his All-sufficient Grace and Goodness , and bring me to everlasting life , Amen . 80. Now the God of hope fill me with all joy and peace in believing , that I may abound in Hope , through the power of the Holy-Ghost , ( Rom. 15. 13. ) And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work , and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdom , to whom be glory for ever and ever , Amen . ( 2 Tim. 4. 18. ) The sick mans Devotions . To the Reader , DEvotion is seldom Cordia●… when it is constrained , and i●… is commonly constrained , when either Fear or Pa●… makes a man devout : For then he may seem to have taken up Sauls resolution , 1 Sam. 13. 12. Therefore said I , the Philistines will now come down upon me , and I have not made supplication unto the Lord ; I forced my self therefore and offered a burnt-offering : So is it too too frequently with those men who neglect the motives and means of prayer whiles they are in health , and leave all their suplications to be made in their sickness , or any other great extremity : for whiles ●…y vainly fear , lest custom should make ●…ir prayers uncordial or undevout , they ●…erably find that compulsion doth indeed ●…ve them to be so : since therefore either ●…tom of praying will steal away thy heart , thou fondly thinkest ; or contempt of praywill harden thy heart , at I flatly averr ; now in good time what thou hast to do ; a phantastical fear is no excuse for run●…g into a real mischief : Whiles thou ●…ishly fearest lest thy heart should be stolen , 〈◊〉 impiously causest thy heart to be harden●… Consider therefore what the Prophet ●…uel hath taught thee to say , and do , in thy ●…resses to thy Maker ; since God hath set 〈◊〉 appointed him to direct and guide thee ●…y Devotions : And do not as Saul did , 〈◊〉 without a Priest , or with a Priest of ●…e own choosing ( perhaps of thine own ●…ing ) offer thy burnt-offering , lest Samuel 〈◊〉 at the end of thy sacrifice , and say unto 〈◊〉 as he said unto him , v. 13. thou hast 〈◊〉 foolishly , thou hast not kept the com●…dment of the Lord thy God , which he ●…manded thee ; this reproof , as it doth ●…rly concern thee , so it will undoubtedly si●…e thee ; for when God hath given thee a sure Guide for thy Devotions , ( even such a Church , as neither the wit of man can prove , nor the malice of Devils can make guilty , either of Faction or of Superstition . ) If thou wilt not go along with this Guide , but wilt needs gad after thine own imaginations , thou dost indeed follow Saul in his sin , and art like to follow him in his punishment ; thou appeasest not wrath , but provokest it ; thou forsakest God , and take heed he forsake not thee : Wonder not then if you find many of Samuels words , that is , much of the Churches dictates , in these Devotions , but know it is because God hath taught Samuel to pray , that he might teach you ; And having taught you to pray by Samuels Devotions may perchance not hear your prayers , ( eve●… as he accepted not Sauls offering ) out o●… Samuels Communion : However you may certainly by this gleaning of some few grapes see what store of good wine was and is in th●… whole Vintage : And I hope you will no●… have good wine , only to see and to look upon but also to tast , and to make good use of it Or confess , it is your own wilfulness tha●… you , ( I will not say , your prayers ) are either Faint or Dry for not tasting it . The sick mans confession of his sins . I Confess unto thee , O Lord God Almighty and most merciful Father , that I have sinned against heaven and against thee , and am not worthy to be called thy Son ; nor to have any portion in thine inheritance , because I have been hitherto so unthankful for thy Mercy , so unreverent towards thy Majesty , and so undutiful to thine Authority : wherefore innumerable troubles are most justly come upon me , and my sins have taken such hold of me , that I am not able to look up , yea they are more in number then the hairs of my head , and my heart hath failed me : But O Lord let it be thy pleasure to deliver me , make hast O Lord to help me , and comfort the soul of thy distressed servant , for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul , gasping for that Mercy and Forgiveness which thou hast promised to Repentant-sinners , for the Merits of thy dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord , Amen . Or this . Almighty God , Father of our Lord Jesus Christ , Maker of all things , Judge of all men , I acknowledge and bewail my manifold sins and wickedness , which I from time to time most grievously have committed by thought , word and deed , against thy Divine Majesty ; provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against me : I do earnestly repent , and am heartily sorry for these my mis-doings ; the remembrance of them is grievous unto me , the burthen of them is intollerable : Have Mercy upon me , have Mercy upon me most merciful Father , for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christs sake ; forgive me all that is past , and grant that I may ever hereafter serve and please thee in the newness of my life , or in the contentedness and patience of my death , to the honour and glory of thy Name , through Jesus Christ our Lord , Amen . The sick mans Absolution or Remission of sins , to be pronounced by himself alone , when he cannot have the benefit of a Minister to absolve him . HAve mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness , and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences ; wash me throughly from my wickedness , and cleanse me from my sins , and absolve me from the guiltiness of all my transgressions according to the Promise of Mercy by thy Word , the Purchase of Mercy by thy Son , and the Pledges of Mercy by thy holy Spirit , made and given to Repentant-sinners , in the name of the Father , and of the Son , and of the Holy-Ghost , Amen . Or this . Almighty God our heavenly Father , who of his great Mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them which with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him ; have Mercy upon me , pardon and deliver me from all my sins , confirm and strengthen me in all goodness , and bring me to everlasting life , through Jesus Christ our Lord , Amen . Then likewise he shall say . O Lord open my heart , that thou mayest open my lips . O Lord open my lips , and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise . O God make speed to save me . O Lord make hast to help me , That I may with a thankful heart and with a chearful voice sing and say unto thee , Glory be to the Father , and to the Son , and to the Holy-Ghost , As it was in the beginning , is now and ever shall be world without end , Amen . Praise ye the Lord ; I praise the Lord. The sick mans Psalm . ( Psal. 6. ) 1. O Lord rebuke me not in thine indignation , neither chasten me in thy displeasure . 2. Have Mercy upon me O Lord , for I am weak , O Lord heal me , for my bones are vexed . 3. My soul is also sore troubled , but Lord how long wilt thou punish me ? 4. Turn thee O Lord and deliver my soul , O save me for thy Mercies sake . 5. For in death no man remembereth thee , and who will give thee thanks in the pit ? 6. I am weary of my groaning ; every night wash I my bed , and water my couch with my tears . 7. My beauty is gone for very trouble , and worn away because of all mine enemies . 8. Away from me all ye that work vanity , for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping . 9. The Lord hath heard my Petition , the Lord will receive my Prayer . 10. All mine enemies shall be confounded and sore vexed , they shall be turned back and put to shame suddenly . Glory be to the Father , &c. As it was in the beginning , &c. The sick mans first lesson . Job 19. 25 , &c. I Know that my Redeemer liveth , and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth : And though after my skin worms destroy this body , yet in my flesh shall I see God ; whom I shall see for my self , and mine eyes shall behold , and not another , though my reins be consumed within me . His first Canticle . I praise thee O God , I acknowledge thee to be the Lord. O praise our God ( ye people ) and make the voice of his praise to be heard . Which holdeth our soul in life , and suffereth not our feet to slip . I will go into thy house with burnt-offerings , and will pay thee my vows which I promised with my lips , and spake with my mouth when I was in trouble . O come hither and hearken all ye that fear God ; and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul. I called unto him with my mouth , and gave him praises with my tongue . If I encline unto wickedness with my heart , the Lord will not hear me . But God hath heard me , and considered the voice of my prayer . Praised be God which hath not cast out my prayer , nor turned his Mercy from me . Praise the Lord O my soul , and all that is within me praise his holy Name . Which forgiveth all thy sin , and healeth all thine infirmities . Which saveth thy life from destruction , and crowneth thee with Mercy and loving-kindness . Praise the Lord O my soul , whiles I live will I praise the Lord , yea as long as I have any being , I will sing praises unto my God. Lord make me so to praise thee here , whiles it is my duty ; that I may exactly know how to praise thee hereafter , when it shall be my reward : For therefore with Angels and Arch-angels , and with all the company of heaven , do I now laud and magnifie thy glorious Name , because thou hast given me an assured hope , that I shall with them hereafter , evermore praise thee and say , Holy , Holy , Holy , Lord God of Hosts ; Heaven and Earth are full of thy glory , Glory be to thee O Lord most high . The sick mans second lesson . John 5. 24. VErily verily I say unto you , he that heareth my word , and believeth on him that sent me , hath everlasting life , and shall not come into condemnation , but is passed from death unto life . His second Canticle . Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for calling me to the knowledge of himself , and to faith in his Son , and to Communion with his holy Spirit : Lord I believe , help thou my unbelief : And grant me so perfectly and without all doubt to believe in thy Son Jesus Christ , that my faith may never be reproved ; and my person and my prayers may alwaies be accepted in thy sight through Jesus Christ our Lord , Amen . Or this . In thee O Lord have I put my trust , let me never be put to confusion ; but rid me and deliver me in thy righteousness , incline thine ear unto me and save me . Be thou my strong hold whereunto I may alway resort ; Thou hast promised to help me , for thou art my house of defence and my Castle . As for me I will patiently abide alway ; and will praise thee more and more . My mouth shall daily speak of thy righteousness and salvation ; for I know no end thereof . O what great troubles and adversities hast thou shewed me ? and yet didst thou turn and refresh me , yea and broughtest me from the deep of the earth again . Therefore will I praise thee and thy faithfulness O God , playing upon an instrument of Musick ; Unto thee will I sing upon the Harp , O thou holy one of Israel , My lips will be fain when I sing unto thee ; and so will my soul whom thou hast delivered ; and ever wilt deliver according to thine infinite Mercies in Jesus Christ. The sick mans Creed , or the Confession of his Faith , by way of prayer . I Believe in God the Father Almighty , Maker of heaven and earth ; Grant me Lord so to believe in thee my Father ; that as a Father pittieth his own child , so I may find and feel that thou art pittiful and merciful towards me . Grant me so to believe in thee as my Lord and my God , that I may find the eternal comfort of being thy servant ; and that as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters ; even so my eyes may wait upon the Lord my God , until he have Mercy upon me . Grant me so to believe in thee as my Father , God and Maker , that I may alwaies rely on thy Fatherly Goodness ; that I may alwaies submit my self body and foul to thy Almighty power , and that I may commit my soul unto thee ( not only in well-doing , but also in well-suffering ) as to my saithful Creator . Grant me so to believe in Jesus Christ thy only Son my Redeemer , that from this Jesus I may have salvation ; from this Christ I may have the holy Unction ; from this thy Son , I may have spiritual adoption . Grant me so to believe in God the Holy-Ghost , that from this God I may be inspired with true godliness , from this Holy-Spirit I may be sanctified , and made a member of the Catholike Church , and both live and die in the Communion of Saints : And that from this spiritual Comforter I may be filled with spiritual comforts and consolations for evermore , even with the immortal comfort of the Forgiveness of my sins , of the Resurrection of my body , and of the translation of my soul to the life everlasting , Amen . Or this . O blessed Lord God , who fillest heaven and earth with the Majesty of thy Glory , and with the Riches of thy Mercy : Let not my sinful soul be empty ; but let me evermore be filled with dreadful apprehensions of that great and glorious Majesty wherewith thou wilt hereafter come to Judge me : And with comfortable apprehensions of that great and gracious Mercy , whereby thou hast already come to save me ; that I may never want grace to prevent and keep me from sinning ; nor Mercy to pardon and forgive me all my sins ; nor the testimony of thy holy-Spirit to assure me of that pardon and forgiveness : That though thou kill me , yet I may put my trust in thee , and even at the hour of death may be able to say with a strong heart , though with a weak voice , I believe in God the Father my Creator , in God the Son my Redeemer , in God the Holy-Ghost my Comforter ; That this my Father will provide for me health and ease , and all other comforts of this world , as far as they shall condu●…e to his glory and to my salvation ; And hath provided for me a Portion and Inheritance in the world to come . That this Redeemer hath redeemed my soul from the bondage of Sin and Satan , and will also at the last day redeem my body from the bondage of death and corruption . That this Comforter will not leave me comfortless , when I most want and most ask his comforts ; but that he will be with me according to his Promise , and will keep me in all places whither I go , ( of sickness , of life , of death ) and will bring me at last to the Land of Eternal rest , for he will not leave me till he hath done that which he hath spoken to me of , Gen. 28. 15. till he hath translated me from his holy Church-Militant , to his holy Church-Triumphant ; And to that Communion of Saints whereof he is the only head , who is the King of Saints : And to that blessed company of sanctified spirits , which have mercifully received the forgiveness of their sins , do earnestly expect the resurrection of their bodies , and do incessantly enjoy the life everlasting , Amen . The sick mans Collect for the Day . O Sweet Jesus , who comest from the bosom of thy heavenly Father , to heal the broken-hearted , to preach deliverance to the Captives , and recovery of sight to the blind , and to set at liberty them that are bruised , shew also these thy Mercies at once and together , in shewing Mercy on me , who am now broken and bruised , and under great blindness and captivity . The eye of my soul is so dim by reason of my sins and of my sufferings , that I cannot clearly see thy Merits ; The hand of my soul is so weak , that I cannot eagerly reach after them , nor strongly take hold of them : Thus am I a captive under miserable blindness and weakness : But shew thou me the light of thy countenance , and that will recover my sight , and release my captivity : For in thy light I shall see the true light everlasting , and in thy countenance I shall enjoy it : O thou Son of righteousness , which knowest not any going down , and gives●…●…fe , food , and gladness unto all things , vouchsase to shine into my mind , that I may not either through the weakness of the flesh , or the assaults of the Devil , any where stumble to fall into impatience or infidelity , or any other grievous sin , but may be able to stand stedfastly through thy supporting , and to walk on constantly in the way of Piety and of Patience , till by thy good guiding and conducting , I may at last come to the life everlasting : As thou still holdest open the eyes of my weak body to behold the light of nature , so be pleased daily more and more to open the eyes of my sinful soul to behold the light of grace , till thou bring me to enjoy the light of glory , there to glorifie and praise thee for ever , Amen . The sick mans Collect for Peace . O God which art the Author of our peace for thine own Mercies sake , but the Author of our troubles only for our sins ; Give unto me thy unworthy servant that peace which this wicked world cannot give , and which this tumultuous and troublesom world cannot take away ; and defend me in all the assaults of my afflictions both corporal and spiritual , that I surely trusting in thy defence , and wholly submitting to thy providence , may not fear the power of any adversity whatsoever , through the might and for the mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord , Amen . The sick mans Collect for Grace . O Lord our heavenly Father , Almighty and everlasting God , which hast safely brought me ( through many dangers , and troubles , and diseases ) to the beginning of this dangerous and desperate sickness , defend me in the whole continuance of the same with thy mighty power ; and grant that herein I may fall into no sin , neither run into any kind of danger , whereby I may become either impenitently sinful , or uncomfortably miserable ; But that all my doings and all my sufferings being ordered by thy Governance , I may alwaies do that which is righteous in thy sight , and suffer that which may be profitable for mine own salvtion , through Jesus Christ our Lord , Amen . The sick mans Letany . O God the Father of heaven , and of all Mercies , have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner : And grant that in the greatest extremities and anguishes of my body , I may find the greatest comforts and refreshments of my soul : Grant that when I am most tormented in my flesh , I may be most relieved in my spirit : That though my loins are filled with a sore disease , and there is no whole part in my body , yet my soul may magnifie the Lord , and my spirit may rejoyce in God my Saviour ; for he hath regarded my low and miserable estate , and he will relieve it . O God the Son Redeemer of the world , and of my sin-sick and sinful soul , have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner ; and take away all my sins , that thou mayest take away all my miseries : As thou hast made me a happy Believer , so also make me a joyful partaker of thy Redemption : and then most especially , when I shall most feel my self as it were swallowed up of grief and destruction , through the pains and torments of my increasing sickness , or the pangs and horrours of my approaching death : Be thou my comfort in distress , my strength in weakness , my health in sickness , my joy in sadness : Be thou my life whiles I am living , and my Resurrection from the dead : that though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death , I may fear no evil ; for thou art with me to conduct me through the dangerous downfalls of that valley ; to direct me through the dismal darknesses of that shadow ; and to sustain me in the dreadful dissolution of that death : O thou who now sittest on the right hand of God making intercession for me , reject me not when I am making intercession for my self ; for through thy death I hope for life ; through thy life I hope for glory ; through thy glory I hope for eternal glory : And in that hope do I now commend my spirit into thy hands , for thou hast redeemed me , O God thou God of truth : And thou wilt save me O God thou God of Mercy , because I have believed thy truth , and do rely upon thy Mercy : Therefore do I wholly resign my self , body and soul unto thee , submitting them both to thy good will and pleasure either for life or death ; beseeching thee to Receive my soul and to Restore my body ; and to grant that I may be able to stand upright in the dreadful Judgement , being supported by the arm of thy All-sufficient Merits and All-saving Mercies , to bless and praise thee O my blessed Redeemer , world without end . O God the Holy-Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son , have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner , and give unto mean assurance of thy Mercy , that thou mayest give unto me an abatement of my misery : O thou which art the Comforter of thine Elect , give unto me daily more and more the heavenly comforts of mine Election ; and in the greatest agonies and distresses of my body , transfix my soul with the most joyful apprehensions and the most firm perswasions of thine everlasting Love and undeserved Mercies towards me in Jesus Christ : That neither the apprehensions of a sad and miserable life , nor the fears and terrours of an uncomfortable death , may ever be able to affright my soul , nor to disturb that sweet peace , res●… and repose which my spirit now hath and desireth to have in thee the God of spirits who givest unto those souls that are o●… thy Communion , the antepast of eternity the blessed anticipation of immortal joy 〈◊〉 O my God , my Stay , my Comforter , unto thee do I flie for the comforts of immortality : Like as the Hart panteth after the water-brooks , so panteth my soul after thee O God : My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God ; when shall 〈◊〉 come to appear before God ? when shall I drink my fill of the waters of life to quench my thirst ? O let my tears no longer be my meat day and night , whiles mine own troubled thoughts say unto my soul , Where is now thy God ? for surely my God is in heaven ; whatsoever pleaseth him that doth he in heaven and in earth 〈◊〉 and though for a while in the evening of this life I have sadness upon earth , yet in the morning of eternity I shall for eve●… have joy in heaven , Amen . O Holy , Blessed and Glorious Trinity three persons and one God , have Mercy upon me a most miserable and wretched sinner , and therefore most miserable and wretched , because a sinner : because I have sinned against heaven , and against thee the God of heaven : But since thou hast given me grace through the confession of a true faith to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity , and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity ; I beseech thee that through the stedfastness of this faith , I may be absolved from all my sins , and also be defended from all adversity , which livest and reignest , one God world without end , Amen . Remember not Lord mine offences , nor the offences of my fore-fathers , neither take thou vengeance of my sins : spare me good Lord , spare me thy most afflicted , but most unworthy servant , whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood , and be not angry with me for ever . Spare me good Lord. From this and all other evil and mischief of my body , from the more afflictive and contagious sin of my soul , from the crafts and assaults of the Devil , either against my body or against my soul ; from the fear of thy wrath , and from the sentence of everlasting damnation , Good Lord deliver me . By thine agony and bloody-sweat , help and assist me in all mine agonies : By thy Cross and Passion , make me conquerer in all my sufferings : By thy precious death and burial , sweeten my death , and sanctifie my grave : By thy glorious resurrection and ascention , raise me up again at the last day , and glorifie me ; and by the coming of the Holy-Ghost give unto me now amidst the torments of my life , and the terrours of my death , the immortal comfort of a blessed resurrection to eternal glory ; And in this my distress , by this thy special assistance help and comfort , Good Lord deliver me . In all time of my tribulation and adversity , which thou hast now sent me : In all time of my wealth and prosperity , if thou shalt be pleased once again to send it me , in the hour of my death , and in the day of Judgement , Good Lord deliver me . I that am a sinner , do beseech thee to hear me O Lord God ; And that it may please thee to rule and govern thy holy Church universally in the right way : And to deliver this thy distressed and oppressed Church from all her sins , and from all her troubles , and to restore her to her former Truth and Peace , I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand , and the Son of man whom thou hast made so strong for thine own self , and so will not we go back from thee ; O let us live , and we will call upon thy Name ; Turn us again , O Lord God of Hosts , shew us the light of thy countenance and we shall be whole , I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to defend and strengthen all Bishops and Ministers of thy Church ; That notwithstanding the manifold oppositions , contempts and persecutions of disobedient and gainsaying people , they may still uphold thy true and lively Word , and thy holy and blessed Sacraments ; and by their preaching , and administring , and their living , and dying , may set them forth and shew them accordingly , I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to be a Father to the Fatherless , whom my sins have helped to make so , and whom my repentance cannot , but thy Mercy can relieve : To be a husband to the widow , a comfort to the comfortless , and to relieve all that be desolate and oppressed , and to shew thy pity upon all exiles , prisoners and captives , especially those that suffer imprisonment and captivity , or banishment for the cause of righteousness , for the Doctrine of a Catholick Faith , or for the duties of a Christian life , I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to have Mercy upon mine enemies , persecutors , and slanderers , to turn their hearts , and to forgive their sins , and to save their souls ; and to make me forgive , as I desire to be forgiven ; and to make me desire to be forgiven , as I stand in need of forgiveness ; and to make my waies to please thee , that thou mayest make mine enemies to be at peace with me , I beseech thee to hear me good Lord , That it may please thee to give us all true repentance , that thou mayest forgive us all our sins , not only our negligences and ignorances , but also our perversnesses and profanesses , and to endue us with the grace of thy holy Spirit , that we may lay aside our own animosities , self-interests and worldly advantages , and joyn together with one heart and mouth to praise thee , and to glorifie thy holy Name , not looking after fond pretences and fading vanities , but looking for that blessed hope , the glorious appearing of the great God , and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ , I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. Son of God , I beseech thee to hear me . O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world , take away my sins also , inwhom alone there is a world of sin ; and grant me thy peace , and have Mercy upon me : O Christ hear me , and as thou camest to redeem me when I was utterly lost , so I beseech thee suffer me not to be lost now thou hast redeemed me . Lord have Mercy upon me . Christ have Mercy upon me . Lord have Mercy upon me . And remember me according to the favour that thou bearest unto thy people ; O visit me with thy salvation , that I may ( once more if it be thy will ) see the felicity of thy chosen , and rejoyce in the gladness of thy people , and give thanks with thine inheritance , through Jesus Christ our Lord , Amen . The sick mans Benediction . BLessed be the Lord God , even the God of Israel , which only doth wonderous things . And blessed be the Name of his Majesty for ever ; and all the earth shall be filled with his Majesty ; and my soul shall be filled and revived with his Mercy , Amen , Amen The Lord Jesus be within me to strengthen , without me to assist , before me to direct , behind me to defend and protect , beneath me to uphold and sustain , above me to receive my soul. Let the power of the Father preserve me , the wisdom of the Son guide and énlighten me , the operation of the Holy-Ghost quicken and revive me in my passage through the gates of death , and bring me into everlasting life . The blood that ran from the wounded heart of my blessed Saviour , which hath purchased for me abundance of grace in my life , of comfort in my sickness , and of hope in my death , wash my soul from sin and from iniquity , that it may be presented without spot or blemish before the righteous Judge of men and Angels , in the Name of the Father , and of the Son , and of the Holy-Ghost , Amen . The sick mans Valediction . LORD I am willing to forsake all to follow thee ; O let me follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth : I willingly forgive all men , and heartily desire all men to forgive me ; that though I came into this world hating my God , yet I may not go out of it hating my Brother : for God ( with whom I hope to dwell when I go from hence ) is love , and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God , and God in him , 1 John 4. 16. I follow after , to apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus . This one thing I do , forgetting those things which are behind , and reaching forth to those things which are before , I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus . The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all , Amen . Phil. 3. 12 , 13 , 14. The sick mans Preparation for his Departure . I am now ready to be offered , and the time of my departure is at hand , 2 Tim. 4. 6. Now therefore I pray thee , if I have found grace in thy sight , shew me now thy way , that I may know thee : that I may find grace in thy sight , and consider that I am one of thy people . And he said , my presence shall go with thee , and I will give thee rest . And he said unto him , if thy presence go not with me , carry me not up hence ; for wherein shall it be known here that I have found grace in thy sight ? is it not in that thou goest with me ? And the Lord said , I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken , for thou hast found grace in my sight , and I know thee by name . And he said , I beseech thee shew me thy glory ; so saith my soul O Lord ; and because no man shall see thee and live , I desire to die , that I may see thee , Exod. 33. 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18. Unto him that is able to keep me from falling , ( into the pit of everlasting destruction ) and to present me faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy , do I recommend my soul , even to the only wise God our Saviour , to whom be glory and Majesty , dominion and power , now and ever , Amen . Epist. of Saint Jude , v. 24 , 25. The Lord shall preserve me from all evil ; yea , it is even he that shall keep my soul. The Lord shall preserve my going out , and my coming in , from this time forth for evermore , Amen . Psal. 121. 7 , 8. The sick mans Departure or Dismission . ARise ye and depart , for this is not your Rest , because it is polluted ; it shall destroy you , even with a sore destruction , Micah 2. 10. Return unto thy Rest O my soul , for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee . For thou hast delivered my soul from death , mine eyes from tears , and my feet from falling . I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the living , Psal. 116. 7 , 8 , 9. There remaineth therefore a Rest to the people of God. Heb. 4. 9. Lord I willingly go out of this world , that I may enter into that everlasting rest , Amen . I have set God before me , he is at my right hand , I shall not fall ; Therefore my heart is gland , and my glory rejoyceth , my flesh also shall rest in hope ; For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell , neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption . Thou wilt shew me the path of life ; in thy presence is fulness of joy ; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore , Amen . Psal. 16. 8 , 9 , 10 , 11. To me to live is Christ , and to die is gain . I have a desire to depart , and to be with Christ. Lord now lettest thou servant depart in peace , that he may rest in hope , rise in joy , and reign in glory , Amen . A sick mans Resignation . Psal. 31. 5. Into thine hand I commit my spirit ; thou hast Redeemed me , O Lord God of Truth . THere is nothing more the duty of a good Christian , then whiles he lives to possess his soul in patience , and when he shall die , to resign his soul in comfort . And indeed , he must possess his soul in patience , that he may resign it in comfort : He must possess his soul in patience , as not being fully contented , much less fully delighted , with his present ●…ndition in this world ; wherein he can●…t but see very much to trouble him , but ●…thing at all to satisfie him : Help Lord , ●…h the Psalmist , ( Psal. 12. 1. ) in great ●…ation of his heart ; and we may gather threefold reason why he is so vexed ; 〈◊〉 the godly man ceaseth , the faithful fail , ●…d they speak vanity : Defectus sanctitatis 〈◊〉 affectu , veritatis in intellectu , sanctitatis 〈◊〉 ●…ffectu , saith Alensis . The defect of holi●…ss in the will , of truth in the understand●…g , of innocency in the action : This is ●…e threefold defect that makes the good ●…ristian possess his soul , not in delight as ●…on choice , but only in patience as upon ●…cessity ; because he wants holiness in his ●…ill , and cannot love God ; because he ●…nts truth in his understanding , and ●…not know God ; because he wants in●…grity in his action , and cannot honour ●…od as he is bound and desires to do . This the reason that he possesseth his soul , not delight but in patience ; and the trouble ●…at he finds in his possession , makes him 〈◊〉 think himself of a Resignation : The ●…ssessing his soul in patience whiles he ●…es , makes him Resign his soul in com●…t when he is to die : And here we have the form of that comfortable Resignatio●… Into thy hands I commit my spirit , thou ha●… redeemed me , O Lord God of truth . I hop●… no man will say , that this set form of th●… Resignation of his soul , doth stint Go●… Spirit , which teacheth him how to Resig●… his own : For sure we are , that he use●… this same form , of whom it is said , G●… giveth not the spirit by measure unto hi●… John 3. 34. And if a set form did not co●…fine the spirit in him who received it not b●… measure , much less can it confine the spir●… in us , who have it measured from him Well may set forms teach us rightly t●… commend our own spirits to God , but the●… cannot possibly make us confine his Spirit . Had there been any such inconveniency 〈◊〉 using of set forms , the Spirit of Go●… would not have provided us so many se●… forms of Prayers and Praises in the Psalm and other parts of the Text : so that no objection can be made against set forms o●… Prayer , as such , which may not be retorte●… to some undervaluing , if not underminin●… of the Scripture it self , the very light o●… our eyes , the breath of our nostrils , and th●… joy of our hearts : We may not then hearken to this objection , above all the rest unless we will say , That the Spirit of Go●… did intend to confine himself : Or the Son ●…f God did intend to confine his own Spi●…it in us , when he absolutely prescribed a ●…t form in his own most holy Prayer , com●…anding it to be said , Luke 11. 2. when ye ●…ray , say , Our Father : nay yet more , un●…ess we will say , that the Son of God did ●…ntend to confine his own Spirit in himself , when he used this very particular form , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Into thy hands I commend my spirit , Luke 23. 46. For it is the very same Greek Text in both places , and the very same translation in the vulgar Latine , though we in English have seemed to make a Verbal , but not a Real difference : And therefore it is evident , that our blessed Saviour by using this set form , hath sanctified it for our use , and taught us thereby how to Resign our souls to him that gave them ; And indeed , the Spirit of God had sufficiently sanctified it before ; so that now we have this Resignation doubly sanctified to us by the spirit , and by the Son of God ; so happy a thing is it for us seriously to consider , and much more sincerely to love it , to give it a place in our meditations , and much more in our affections ; And indeed it doth challenge both ; nothing so fit to busie our contemplations as these words , Into thine hand I commit my spirit ; nothing so powerful to work upon our affections as these words , Thou hast Redeemed me O Lord God of truth : But since good Meditations do produce good affections , and good affections do increase good meditations ; it is manifest that God hath joyned them together , and therefore we may not put them asunder . And indeed the whose verse concerns one and the same thing , considered in it self , and in its cause ; Resignatio , Resignationis causa ; The Resignation of the soul , and the cause of that Resignation ; The Resignation of the soul , Into thy hands I commit my spirit ; The cause of that Resignation , Thou hast Redeemed me O Lord God of truth : The Resignation of his soul is as ours should be , remarkable for its seasonableness , for its fulness , for its willingness , Resignatio Opportuna , Plena , Voluntaria ; It is first opportune or seasonable ; secondly full or plenary ; thirdly free or voluntary : First it is an opportune or seasonable Resignation ; for he was now in great danger , and in greater distress ; Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me , v. 4. He was already partly ensnared , and did fear lest he might in time be wholly entangled in the miseries and mischiefs of this sinful life , if he should retain his soul too long , and that makes him think of Resigning it : He well understood his dangers and his distresses , and that made him look towards his Deliverer , and after his Deliverance : T is not unseasonable at any time to resign our souls to God ; for he may call for them when he pleases , and we ought to be ready at his call ; But it is most seasonable , when we see our selves either in imminent danger , or in irremediable distress ; then it is proper to follow the example of Eliah , 1 Kings 19. 4. He requested for himself that he might die ; and said , Satis est nunc Domine , Accipe animam meam ; It is enough now O Lord , take away my life : It is enough for me in regard of this world , saith R. David ; It is enough for this wicked world ; for I have lived too long to see so much wickedness , and to be able to redress none , and yet desirous to stay longer to help increase All ; Thus far in effect a Jew could go ; but let Christians go farther in their Gloss , and say moreover , It is enough for thy glory , and enough for my salvation : It is enough for thy glory , for thou hast miraculously preserved me in my life ; it is enough for the good of mine own soul , for thou hast made me sensible of , and thankful for thy miraculous preservation : And when can I better desire thee to take my soul , then now it actually hath this sense of thine undeserved Mercies , and this thankfulness for them ? Yet Tremelius , seeking for the reason of this prayer out of the tenth verse , thus pithily enlargeth his Gloss ; Abjectio Tui Foederis , Cultus Tui Destructio , Prophetarum tuorum coedes , & mei persecutio , faciunt ut mortem expetam : That the children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant , thrown down thine Altars , slain thy Prophets with the sword , and seek my life to take it away ; These things that have hitherto made me weary of life , do now make me even desirous of death : Nor may we think so Religious a Prophet would have carried with him the guilt of Impatience , much less of Uncharitableness to his grave : For it was the indispensable necessity of Gods Truth , and the unfeigned zeal of Gods glory , that extorted from him this most grievous complaint ; And indeed , when the true Religion and worship of God is in danger or in distress , though we our selves be in neither , yet is it not fit for us to admit of the comforts of this world ; then if any say , Fear not , for thou hast a Son , thou needest not be troubled that the Philistims have gotten the conquest over Israel , for thou art in a happy condition , thou hast a goodly inheritance , and a Son to inherit after thee ; yet must thou not answer , neither regard it , unless thou wouldest have a weak dying woman rise up against thee in Judgement , 1 Sam. 4. 20. Then must Ichabod be all thy saying , that is , where is the glory ? not where am I , what will become of me , or of my Family ? But where is my God , where is his glory ? For if the glory be departed from Israel , how can a true Israelite desire to abide in it ? Thine eyes are not opened to see thine own and other mens wickedness ; thine heart is not opened to be sorry for it , and to repent of it , unless thou be ready in such a case as this , to cry out and say , Wo is me , that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech , and to have mine habitation among the Tents of Kedar , Psal. 120. v. 4. This was the method of his prayer , who questionless prayed with Gods Spirit , Psal. 119. First , Give me understanding according to thy Word , v. 169. Then , Deliver me according to thy Word , v. 170. till he had a right understanding of his misery , he knew not how to pray for his deliverance : But as soon as he fully saw the one , he could not choose but heartily pray for the other : Resignatio opportuna ; This Resignation of his soul was opportune and seasonable ; that is the first . And as his Resignation was opportune and seasonable , so it was also full and plenary ; In manus tuas ; Into thy hands : as if he had said , I desire to reserve nothing in mine own hands , but do resign all into thine : The Common-Law is very careful that a Resignation be whole and entire , without any reservation : And Navarr tells us , that he that hath anothers Resignation , must be very cautelous in allowing him any thing out of his living , for fear there may be a suspition of a Simonaical contract : ( Potest quotannis Resignanti quid Donare , si id faciat ob Amorem Dei principaliter coram Deo , absque tamen ullo pacto : And again , Gratitudinem erga Resignantem Caute exercere debet , ne praesumatur id facere ob Confidentiam ; ) Will not ehe Law be satisfied without a full Resignation , and do we think God will be satisfied without it ? Or what were it for him to accept of part of thy soul , but to allow himself to be but half a God ? Thou must therefore either Resign all to him , or keep all to thy self : For thou canst not divide the Sacrifice , unless thou wilt divide the Deity : And since thy All to him is nothing , thou canst not give him less then All , but thou must profess him worthy of less then nothing : He hath required All thy soul , and All thy might , and All thy strength ; and it is a most abominable undutifulness , and a more abominable unthankfulness , not to give him what he requires , since thou canst not give him what he deserves ; Therefore it must be a full Resignation , Resignatio Plena ; that is the second . And indeed it will be full , if it be free ; it will be Plenary if it be Voluntary , which is the third condition , Resignatio Voluntaria ; it must be a free and a voluntary Resignation ; [ I commit my spirit , ] If I would reserve any thing to my self , it should be my spirit ; the innermost part of my self , but I also commit that ; and as I commit it into thy hands to dispose as thou pleasest , so I freely commit and commend it to thy disposal : A man may renounce his property upon Compulsion , but he Resigns it properly upon Choice or Election . And so do good men give up their souls to God , freely and willingly , whereas wicked and ungodly men do it against their wills ; Thou fool , this night shall thy soul be required of thee , Luke 12. 20. As if it were taken away by force , not voluntarily Resigned ; which was a great sin in him , that he did not willingly resign his soul to God , who created it ; but a much greater sin in thee , if thou do not willingly resign thy soul to the Son of God who Redeemed it , and who alone can save it ; especially when he himself hath taught thee this form of a Resignation ; whence it was that in the Gospel on Palm-Sunday , the Priest in the Latine-Church was to make a stop when he had read these words , Jesus when he had cryed again with a loud voice , yielded up the Ghost : He was here to pause , and to say his Pater Noster , Ave-Marie , and In manus tuas Domine Commendo spiritum meum , before he proceeded to the next verse ; As if it were Unchristian-like in us not to Resign our souls to our Saviour Christ , when we see him as it were Resigning his soul , meerly to prepare a place for ours : I ask then , Darest thou trust thy soul in thine own hands ? Is it not already much the worse for thy keeping so long ; and will it not still be worse if thou keep it longer ? Canst thou resign it now as pure as thou didst first receive it , and will it not contract the greater impurity , the longer thou deferrest and delayest thy Resignation ? Consider that Saint Paul saith , It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God , Heb. 11. 31. wherein every word hath its weight , a weight too heavy to lay upon thy soul : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , It is the most terrible of all terrours , for it is spoken of death : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , To fall : None are properly said to fall into Gods hands at their death , but they that would needs keep themselves out of his hands during their life : They then fall into his hands , because they did not before deliver their souls unto him ; whereas those that desire to live unto God , do willingly give themselves into his hands , and do still continue in his hands whiles they are here , and so cannot be said to fall into his hands when they go from hence : Those only that go out of his hands in their life , are truly and properly said to fall into his hands at their death : And they find how fearful a thing it is to fall into his hands ; because they find him a living God : He seemed to them as it were asleep before ; and his own good Spirit complaining that he had so long born with such miscreants , useth their own words in his complaint , Psal. 44. 23. Awake , why sleepest thou O Lord ? Nay he seemed to them little less then dead , Psal. 14. 1. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God : It is in the Hebrew , there is no Judges ; if a God to see him ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) yet not a Judge to punish him ; They either thought him as it were asleep in not regarding their wickedness , or as it were dead in not revenging it : But now they find him a waking and a living God : That his eyes are open to see them , and his hand stretched out to reach them : and therefore they must needs be infinitely troubled , that they are against their wills , fallen into his hands . For though King David chuseth rather to fall into the hands of God then of men , 2 Sam. 24. 14. yet is it only in regard of this , not of the next life : In this life he would not willingly fall into the hands of men , of ungodly , unpeaceable , unplacable men , for their tender mercies are cruel , Prov. 12. 10. But in the next life , he would not fall into the hands of God : And it is an admirable observation of Saint Chrysostom upon that plave , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We that are under persecution fall into the hands of men ; but they that are our persecutors fall into the hands of God ; And this of the two is the more terrible fall . O my God , though thou let me fall into mine enemies hands , yet let him never fall into thine : Draw thou near to him in Grace and Mercy , and draw him near to thee by Faith and Repentance : Be thou reconciled unto him , that he may be reconciled unto thee , and willingly give himself into thy hands : For it is so fearfull a thing to fall into thy hands , that I cannot but pray against it , even for my greatest persecutors : I cannot hate mine enemy so far as to wish him that mischief : O then let me not so far hate my self , as to bring it upon mine own soul : Let me willingly commit and commend my spirit to thee every day , that being in thy hands all my life , it may not fall into thy hands at my death : Not fall into thy hands as a Malefactor that fled from thee , to be Judged and Tormented : But be received into thy hands as a child that flies to thee to be pardoned and protected : For when we have said all , and tried all that we can say , this is the only way to be a good Christian , and that according to the first and best patterns or presidents that have been given us of Christianity ; for so it s said of Barnabas and Paul , Men that have hazarded their lives for the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ ; It is more in the original , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; Qui tradiderunt animas suas ; Men that have given or delivered up their souls for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ : He that will be a good Christian , must endeavour to be as ready to deliver up his soul to Christ , as he desires Christ should be ready to receive it : And we are very much encouraged so to do ; for we cannot be so ready to give our souls , as he is ready to take them , which puts me on the second general part of my text , ( for I am willing to form my thoughts upon this argument into a farewell-Sermon for a Vale to the world ) Resignationis causa , the cause of this Resignation , for thou hast Redeemed me O Lord thou God of Truth : Wherein we have indeed two causes ; First the fulness of the Redemption , For thou hast Redeemed me . Secondly , the faithfulness of the Redeemer , O Lord thou God of truth . First , the fulness of the Redemption ; for it had a threefold fulness ; a fulness of Excellency , a fulness of Appearance , a fulness of Redundancy ; which is Bonaventures distinction concerning our blessed Saviour , ( lib. 3. sent . dist . 13. ) Quod est loqui de Plenitudine secundum Excellentiam , & secundum Apparentiam , & secundum Redundantiam : We may speak of the fulness of Christ according to its Excellency , according to its Appearance , and according to its Redundancy ; for Christ had a fulness of Excellency from his first conception ; And he had a fulness of Appearance from the discent of the Holy-Ghost upon him ; for then his excellent holiness was made apparent to all the world , by the testimony of the Father and of the Holy Spirit : And he had a fulness of Redundancy from the time that he sanctified his disciples and servants , by the communication and participation of his holiness : And this same threefold fulness is in this Redemption ; A fulness of Excellency or Perfection in the nature of it ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , hast Redeemed ; A fulness of appearance or manifestation from the Author of it , Thou , thou hast Redeemed ; And a fulness of Redundancy from the subject of it , me , Thou hast Redeemed me . First there is a fulness of Excellency or Perfection in this Redemption from the nature of it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Thou hast Redeemed ; So saith the Master of Greek Criticisms , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . This word is properly used concerning the Redemption of Captives , that are Redeemed with a price : For they that are otherwise delivered then by a price , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , are said rather to be Rescued then to be Redeemed : ( Eustath . in Iliad . a. ) Here is then a Redemption as excellent as the price that was paid for the Captives , and that was the blood of the Eternal Son of God : A price that was infinitely more worth then all the whole Creation both in heaven and in earth , which hath in truth no other preciousness but what it hath from this price ; is no farther precious then as it is sprinkled with this blood . Secondly , A fulness of appearance or manifestation in this Redemption from the Author of it . Thou , thou hast Redeemed ; Thou whom God hath appointed heir of all things , by whom also he made the worlds , and who art the brightness of his glory , and the express image of his person , Heb. 1. 2 , 3. This heir of all things came to make us partakers of his inheritance : The same God that made the world by his Power , and governed it by his Wisdom , Redeemed it by his Mercy : He that was the brightness of the glory of God , and the express image of his person , was pleased to make himself of no reputation , and took upon him the form of a servant , and being found in fashion as a man to humble himself , and become obedient unto death , ( Phil. 2. 7. ) That by his death he might destroy death , and by his rising to life again , might restore to us everlasting life : But that 's the third fulness in this Redemption ; A fulness of Redundancy , from the subject of it ; Me , Thou hast Redeemed Me ; Thou , Me : Heaven and Earth are meet together in the Mysterie ; But Heaven and Hell are met together in the Mercy of this Redemption : God and Man in the Mysterie , but God and sinful Man in the Mercy of it : Me in my Nature was a great mysterie ; but Me in my Sins was a far greater mercy . Thy love did seek me when I did not deserve it ; Thy care did keep me when I did not observe it ; O let neither Love nor Care forsake me now I do desire it : And indeed thou hast promised not to forsake us ; And that is the second Reason we are so willing to Resign our selves to thee , the faithfulness of our Redeemer , O God thou God of Truth : Thou art powerful in thy performances as God , and faithful in thy Promises as the God of Truth : As none can resist thy power in performing , so none may distrust thy truth in promising : It was thy Mercy that made thee promise , but it is thy Truth that maketh thee keep thy promises : Mercy and Truth are together in God , as Cruelty and Falseness go together in man ; Though I have no right to thy Mercy from it self , yet I have a right to thy Mercy from thy Truth ; And thine own Holy Spirit hath taught me to claim this Right , Heb. 13. 5. For he hath said , I will never leave thee nor forsake thee ; He said it to Joshua , yet will have me believe , he said it to me ; for though that promise in its occasion was particular , and concerned only Joshua and those with him , Josh. 1. 5. yet in its document it was universal , and concerned all the faithful servants of God that should be to the end of the world ; for that promise was made to Joshua as Leader of the people , and therefore belonged in common to him and to them , even to the whole Church of the Jews : And by the same reason belongs to us now as it did to them , even to the whole Church of the Gentiles ; For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek , or Gentile ; For the same Lord over All , is rich unto all that call upon him , Rom. 10. 12. If we call upon him as Joshua and the Israelites did , we have the same interest in his promises as Joshua and the Israelites had ; He will be as rich in Mercy to us , as he was to him and to them ; or else in vain hath his Apostle said , For whatsoever things were written afore-time , were written for our learning , that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures , might have hope , Rom. 15. 4. Where is the comfort of the Scriptures if it be not in the Promises ? or what promise can be the ground of our hope like this , I will never leave thee nor forsake thee ? A promise which he made in Mercy , as Lord over All , and therefore rich in mercy to All that call upon him ; But a promise that he keepeth in truth , as being the same Lord over All ; That is , one and the same constantly in himself , and therefore not diverse in his Word , nor in his Promises : O God thou God of truth : As God , thou art a Creditor to All by thy Mercy , All borrow of it , All depend on it , All are obliged to it : But as a God of Truth thou art a Debtor to All , that is , to All that call upon thee ; for the Promise , though it be universal , yet it is conditional . Thou art a Debtor to All by thy Truth : they have an Interest in thy Promise , claim it as their Right , look to it as their Treasure , look on it as their Comfort : Debitor fidelitatis , non Justitiae , God is to man a Debtor of faithfulness , though not a Debtor of Justice : A Debtor of faithfulness , because of his own Word , though he cannot be a Debtor of Justice , because of mans Merit : As he is God , he hath provided Mercy , ( for as is his Majesty , so is his Mercy ) But as he is the God of truth , so he hath moreover assured it : In this assurance did Saint Paul comfort himself , 2 Tim. 1. 12. For I know whom I have believed , and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Depositum meum servare ; God is contented to be our Depositarius or Trustee , to keep that which we commit to him , so it be worth his trust , or fit for his keeping : And nothing is fit for his keeping , which hath relation to this day , or any thing of this world ; but only that which hath relation to that day , or to the world to come : Therefore I may commit nothing else to him as to my Depositary or Trustee , but only my soul , which alone can remain and a bide till that day : And if I commit my soul unto him against that day , he will see it then forth-coming as safe as I can desire , and more safe then I can deserve : This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , The Depositum , Saint Paul speaks of ; And the word used by him is a Noun derived from the Verb used in my Text , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , I will Depose , Into thy hands will I Depose my spirit ; Saint Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , wholly agrees with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , his Depositum with this Deposing ; The thing that he commits to Gods trust , is , his spirit , his soul , which he commits into his hands , as the only Trustee of souls : And it is much to be observed , that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in the Greek Text , is not in the Present , but in the Future-Tense , so that it is to be rendered , not I do depose , or commit , or commend , but I will depose , or commit , or commend my spirit ; to shew to us mans uncessant Dutifulness , and Gods uncessant Faithfulness . First mans uncessant Dutyfulness ; for this act of Resigning the soul , is a continued act ; it is a thing long in doing before it can be well done ; It requires great preparations , greater deliberations , and greatest Resolutions ; And after all our Preparations , and Deliberations , and Resolutions , it is still a motion that is rather in fieri , then in facto esse , rather compleating , then compleated ; that hath more perfection from the time to come , then from the time present or past ; more perfection in the Purpose , then in the Performance ; in the Resolution , then in the Execution ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will commit : No man can so fully Resign himself to God as he ought ; and though our blessed Saviour could and did , yet to teach us this Document of humility , he also speaks as if he had not done it ; for he saith , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as well as David , I will commit ; As if something were still behind , something still more in the Resolution then in the Execution : For though the grace of union in Chirst was infinite , the grace whereby he took his humane soul ; yet the habitual grace was not infinite , the grace whereby he resigned his soul ; But God is infinite , as in himself , so also in his Obligation ; and an infinite Obligation requires an infinite Satisfaction , which to a Finite nature must needs be rather in the Purpose then in the Performance , for which cause our blessed Saviour himself thought fit to say , not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 I do commit , but I will commit my ●…pirit : O Lord let me never think I can ●…o too much , when thine own Son hath ●…ught me that I can never do enough : He said I will do it , when he had done it ; ●…hall I say , I have more then done it , when cannot do it ? Did he speak by way of ●…xtenuation in his works , and shall I ●…hansie a Supererogation in mine ? Did ●…e seem to intimate something less in his ●…erformance then was in his Obligation ; ●…nd shall I dream of Performing more then was Obliged ? O let me never come to ●…at height of Impiety as to neglect my ●…uty , much less to that height of Impu●…ence as to over value it : Let me never ●…y , I Do , or Have done ; but only I will ●…o , accounting it thy greatest mercy to my ●…oul , that thou givest the will to do ; and ●…he greatest security of my soul , that thou ●…cceptest the will for the deed . Secondly , Gods uncessant faithfulness ; for David could not have said , I will commit , by a continued act of giving , if he ●…ad not believed Gods uncessant faithfulness in a continued act of receiving ; Gods faithfulness is as everlasting as himself : And that makes him look upon his trust as never fully discharged , but as alwaies newly undertaken ; And he would have us believe that he is as careful of it , and as faithful in it , as if he did every moment newly undertake it ; for this same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in the Future-tense , which doth shew mans continued act in resigning his soul to God , doth also import Gods continued act in receiving souls that are resigned unto him ; that he is alwaies ready to Receive them , and alwaies as careful to Retain them , and will be as faithful to Restore them : He Receives them by his Mercy , he Retains them by his power , ( non●… is able to pluck them out of his hands , Joh●… 10. 28. ) He will Restore them by his Truth ; And he will Restore them infinitely better , then he can Receive them ; contrary to all other Trustees , who generally Receive much better then they Restore●… Never any man gave his spirit to God in his life-time , though but for an instant , b●… an holy Contemplation or Affection , bu●… he received it again much better then he gave it : How much more shall he that gives him his spirit at his death by a full and free Resignation , receive it again infinitely better at the last Resurrection Wherefore let us pray unto him that h●… will be pleased to make us ready to resign ●…ur souls to him without reluctancie , and ●…areful to resign them without spot or ●…emish , being throughly washed by the ●…ars of our own Repentance , and by faith 〈◊〉 our Saviours blood , that so he may ●…ceive them into his Mercy , and sanctifie them by his grace , and satisfie them with ●…is glory , through Jesus Christ our Lord ●…nd only Saviour , to whom with the Father and the Eternal Spirit , be ascribed all ●…onour and glory , be performed all boun●…en duty and obedience , from this time ●…orth and for evermore , Amen . Quod de te per te loquimur , da transeat ad te , Utque tui simus , nos age , solus habe . FINIS .