referreth it to his glory. Whether we live, we live to the Lord, said Paul, Rom. 14.8. They receive their life thankfully from God, and they live to his glory. Now we say, he hath a thing, that knoweth how to make the right use of it; and thus, because the godly know how to receive their life from God, and to return it again to him. Therefore it is that they have life; yea they have it, because they can readily part with it, at Gods Command, I die daily, said Paul, 1 Cor. 15.31. And this is our Saviours sure Rule, Luke 17.23. He that will lose his life shall save it, and he that will save it shall lose it. You see the way to have life, is to part from it; he hath it, that hath it not; as the Martyrs, who as willingly laid down their lives, as we our garments.
Seventhly, The righteous only live, Because they mortifie and subdue those sinnes that kill our bodies, that take away our lives. Wrath and quarrelling that de∣priveth a man of the peace of his life; now he refraineth his tongue, he is of a meek spirit; whereas anger is like a fire burning in the bowels; and so grief is a waster of the very bones; Worldly sorrow worketh death, 2 Cor. 7. the godly therefore take heed of it, as that which murders the body. So inordinate and worldly cares; we see how such do even devour men; they have so many thorns in their flesh; and what life do such live? Impatience is a sudden Devil possessing a mans soul, In patience possesse your souls, Luke 21.19. A man doth not possesse himself, he is not master over his own spirit that is passionate and furious: So that men in such sins, they live but as those that have been thrown to wilde beasts or serpents to be devoured by them.
Lastly, The godly man only liveth, Because even in the last breathings of this life, his hopes and comforts do most remain. The righteous hath hope in his death, Prov. 14.32. And this hope is called, A lively hope▪ yea the godly die not at all, because all live to God; their very dead bodies, if you regard the Covenant of Grace, and Gods power are alive, Luke 20 38. At that mo∣ment, when all a wicked mans hope perisheth, his life faileth him, his comforts, his friends, all forsake him; then are the godly to lift up their heads, for their redemption draweth nigh. Though they were dead they shall live. Dives had the good things of this life, but doth he not lose all with his soul at his death? Lazarus may say, Soul, take thy ease, when dying; which Dives could not. But
In the second place, How can it be said, that the wicked do not live, when they are said to have their portion chiefly in this life? And David by many Psalmes informeth us, they do not onely vivere, but valere, not onely live, but flourish, Their eyes stick out with fatnesse, yet they doe not live, be∣cause
1. They are dead in their sins: And hereby their faith, their Religion, their Christianity is all dead, as you heard.
2. They do not live, Because they are in a condemned estate, they are ap∣pointed to wrath. As Adam is said to die in the day he did eat of the forbid∣den fruit; and as the Scripture cals some the sonnes of death, or dead men, be∣cause appointed thereunto. Oh this should enter deep into thy heart! As long as thou livest in thy sinnes, thou art a dead man, a damned man, as the malefa∣ctor condemned to die is a dead man, though he live a day or two before exe∣cution.
3. They doe not live, Because all their time is lost, so all the time of a mans unreg••neracy is no life. All those dayes were lost, those duties lost, all that time lost.
4. They make every thing an instrument of death. Their health, their wealth, their honours are all deadly herbs in the pot; their tongue speaks the words of death; their hands work the works of death.
Ʋse of Instruction to the Godly, so live, that your life may appear to be