The righteous mans hope in his death

THE RIGHTEOVS MANS HOPE IN HIS DEATH.

The Text.

PROV. 14.32. The Righteous hath hope in his death.

NOt to spend time in unnecessary prefacing, because we shall finde matter enough in the words to take up all this little time allotted us: There are two Propositions couched in the Text, to which I shall desire as briefly, and yet as clearly as I may to speak, viz.

• 1. That even Righteous men also are liable to death.
• 2. That the Righteous have hope in their death.

The truth of the former of these is not only a matter of faith, but is evident to sense also, as the Scriptures tell us, * 1.1 It's appointed to man once to die: So we see the wise and the foolish, the righteous and the wicked, both are subject thereto, and in that regard all things come alike to all. The most famous for righteousnesse have yielded unto death. Abraham is ••••nd, and the Prophets are dead, yea Christ himself yielded up the Ghost and died; so that we shall not spend time about the proof of that point, only I shall desire to unfold the severall acceptions of the word death, and see in which of them this is found true, that the righteous comes unto death, and so see the latitude in which this Text may be taken, and then shew whence and upon what grounds it comes to passe that the righteous also die, and so proceed to the next particular.

The word death is diversly used in Scripture: As

We reade of a second death, * 1.2 a perishing from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power, a being thrown into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his Angels: But of this death the text is not to be understood; for this is none of the righteous mans death, it's not appointed for him, nor he for it, nor shall he come into it, nor is it a death in which any hope may be had; this is indeed the righteous mans hope, that he shall not see this death, but be preserved and kept from it, as it is said, Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrecti∣on, for on such the second death shall have no power, Rev. 20.6. And of this, that saying of our Saviour is to be understood, that he that beleeves in him shall not taste death, Joh 8▪ 52.

2. Death is sometimes taken for a more spirituall death, or a death in the spirit of a man only, not in the body, as when men are said, while alive, * 1.3 to be dead, in an evill sense, void of the life of God, dead in sins and trespasses, but of this, this place cannot be understood neither, they that are so dead are not righteous men, but as yet unrighteous and ungodly: But

3. Death is sometime taken in a good sense, for a spirituall death, not in sin, but to a mans self and sin, as when the Apostle saies, Gal. 2.20. I am crucified with Christ, yet I live, &c. Rom. 6.4. We are planted with him into the similitude of his death. And 7.9. When the law came, sin revived and I died: That is, When a man formerly alive to his wisdome, parts, priviledges, righteousnesse after the Law, &c. comes to be taken off from all life in them, confidence springing from them, expectation of favour from God because of them, findes no support, comfort or encouragement from them, sees them all to be nothing in the account of God, and so looses and departs with them all in that regard to enjoy the full grace of God in Christ. Unrighteous men oft times finde life in their own hands, power and works, endeavours, parts, &c. but the man that doth righteousnesse dies to all, that he may live to God, and Christ may be his life: And so he dies also to the world, riches, glo•••• pleasures, treasures of it, and whatsoever is therein, so as not to love, cleave to, and have his life therein, or suck his soul sweetnesse and satisfaction there-from: It is crucified to him and he to it, as Gal. 6.14. He is condemned and cast out by it, and he again condemns and reproves it, and findes no goodnesse or life in the customs, approbation or excellencies of it, So Paul saies of himself, he died daily, 1 Cor. 15. and saies to the Colossians, chap. 3.3. Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in

God. And this death in these severall particulars the righteous man dieth to, and in these dyings also he hath hope; so that this accepta∣tion of the word death, we may understand to he included in this ex∣pression in the Text.

4. The word death signifies also dangers of death to the body, hea∣vy afflictions and distresses, such as bring into eminent dangers of the dissolution of the body and soul each from other, as when Paul said, that God delivered him from so great a death, 2 Cor. 8.9. and that he was in deaths often, 2 Cor. 11.23.

Fifthly and lastly, It is used most ordinarily to signifie the death of the body, the separation made between it and the soul, the laying down of this earthly tabernacle, so Christ was put to death in the flesh, and Abraham and the Prophets died, &c. And in this and the next foregoing sense joined with it, shall I here especially eye and speak to it, It being a clear truth, that the righteous come into many tribulations and deaths or dangers, and at last also lay down their earthly tabernacles, and die in the flesh, 2 Cor. 5.1. and 4.12. Let us now view some reason of this, why they are subjected to, or how they come to yeeld up to such deaths.

The question is, * 1.4 Why and whence it is that the righteous come into dangers and into death?

The answer is, * 1.5 That though they are in their conditions and spirits above death, yet their bodies are subject thereto, from sundry causes; as, If we look upon secundary causes, It is because,

1. They have the same frail natures and infirm constitutions as o∣ther men have, they have and carry about them the seeds and princi∣ples of mortality, righteousnesse leads to peace in them, and to hopes under them, but doth not keep death from them: Yea

2. They have more cause then other men, inasmuch as they have more enemies, Satan stirring up instruments against them, yea and (if God permit) working upon the principles of mortality in them more forceably and violently (as in Job) if by any means he might destroy them, he stirs up the world to hate, reproach and persecute them, so that considering the worlds hating of them and plots against them, it's a greater wonder and more to be admired that they die no soon∣er, then that they die at all, that they meet not with many more deaths, then that they meet with so many.

If we look upon the first and higher causes, then we finde,

1. Sinne in them as well as in others, and that exposeth to death; the body being corrupted with sin, must die that it may be made new

and incorrupt, and that springs from an higher cause yet.

2. The appointment of God, It's an ordinance of his making that mankinde should be subject to death, It's appointed to men once to die, Heb. 9.27. And this ordinance includes and reaches to beleevers as well as others, they being men also, and God would have it so for divers good ends and purposes, as to instance

1. That they might have something to humble them and keep them low in themselves, while they are minded of their sin and sinfulnesse that let in death, and experiment themselves in mortality, frailty and weaknesse like other men, and so are led also to see that they as well as any other have daily need of help from above, that they need a Saviour out of death.

2. That they seeing their own nothingnesse and need of a Saviour might be more earnestly stirred up to accept thankfully, and diligent∣ly seek after and have recourse unto, and exercise faith in the Saviour that God hath freely given to remedy and help them: * 1.6 for the con∣sideration of their later end, and the right numbering of their daies; is a means to make them apply their hearts more heedfully to wisdom, in minding the grace of God and comforting themselves therein against their straits and sufferings, and breathing after the experiments of the power of God in supporting and bearing them up in deaths, and in due season delivering them out of them: Were we not subjected to death and misery in ourselves, we should never so much prize and look out after salvation and help given us in another.

3. That God in Christ might be the more abundantly glorified in supporting and carrying them through deaths and sufferings, and raising them out of them, for his strength is perfected in weaknesse, and his power in infirmities; * 1.7 as thereby it is most eminently put forth: so therethrough also it's most fully and clearly seen and known, and being seen is most acknowledged, as Christ said of Lazarus his death, Joh. 1••. so we may say of the death of all his people, it is that the son of man might be glorified, for it's greater glory to uphold in deaths, and raise dry bones out of death, then to preserve from it: As the resurrection of the dead when mens bodies are wasted, consumed, and the reliques thereof scattered and dispersed, doth more appose rea∣son, and seems more absurd to mans conception then other things, so will it be a brighter demonstration of the wisdom and power of God, and that in which he shall be more admired then in other things. When I have opened your graves and brought you out from them, and put the spirit of life into you (that looked upon your selves as dry

ones, past all hope of life, saith God to the house of Israel, Ezek. 7.11, 12, then shall you know that I am the Lord, then emphatical∣ly, then more fully and clearly, so as to acknowledge and to ad∣mire it and give glory to me, &c.

4. That they might not be alwaies under evill, he orders this for their good, as well as for his own glory; for his glory in their good and great mercy and goodnesse it is to them to be taken a∣way from the face of evill, as the phrase is in Isa. 57.1, 2. * 1.8 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉a facie mali: here they live amongst an evill generation of wicked men that vex and disquiet their righteous souls, as the Sodomites did righteous Lot, men that oppose and blaspheme God in his way, truth, spirit, &c. and daily plot and conspire the ruine of the just, and these evill men make the times evill and dangerous, partly by corrupting the truth of God, and bringing in dangerous errours, and partly by their oppressions, cruelties, malice, fraud, and other enormities which provoke God to send plagues, pestilences, famine and sword, and such like sore judgements: for such things the godly mourn and sigh, and their lives are full of bitternesse: now though God see it good to try and exercise his people with these things as in a furnace, yet these are not his peoples portion, out of very love and faithfullnesse therefore he will take them from the face of these evils, either before judgements come, that they may not see and be perplexed with them, as he intimates unto Hezekiah, * 1.9 when he threat∣ned sore judgements upon the people, he would first take him away, and he should have peace in his daies: or else out of them that they be not overburthened with them; here they are tossed too and fro with troubles, hated, reproached, persecuted, wearied out almost with labours and sorrows in and for the Gospel and name of Christ, and for their just conversations with men, and therefore God out of compassion will take them away by death in due season, and give them rest, as it follows, they shall enter into peace, * 1.10 they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightnesse. Should any man be here alwaies continued his life, would be a very unsupportable bur∣then to him, how much more the righteous who have usually a dee∣per share in troubles here then other men?

5. He orders death to them, that putting off this earthly mashy tabernacle, they might be brought to a more full enjoyment of Jesus Christ, and so of himself in him: here their enjoyments of God are lower and more intermixt, they are letted by this bodily grossenesse from seeing or receiving so much of him as their spirits in more spi∣rituall

bodies are capable of, no man can see God and live, and yet the happinesse of the soul stands in the sight and fruition of God, which that they might have more fully, he takes them out of these bodies to his Son, * 1.11 while we sojourn in the body, we are absent from the Lord, we are here as strangers in a forraign countrey, where we have no city to continue in: * 1.12 but when we are taken out of the body, we shall be at home, we shall be nearer to Christ, and have a greater enjoyment of him, whence death is great advantage, to the righteous, and Paul desired it rather then life, I desire (saith he) to be dissolved and to be with Christ, * 1.13 for that is far better for me, &c. For these and such like good and gracious ends, God hath or∣dered death to the righteous, which I have but briefly spoken to, desiring to passe to the main thing in the text, the second thing ob∣served, which is indeed the full expression of the text it self, viz.

That the righteous hath hope in his death. * 1.14

That is, he sinks not under it, but lives in death, his spirit lives when his body dies, he is saved from the terrour of death, by the hope he hath of a better life, and so not only sees not the second death, or comes not into it, but misseth also the sting and bitterness that many through ignorance and unbelief meet with in the first death: he feels a spirituall life in the midst of a spirituall, and in the midst of a corporall death too. When his spirit dies to himself and to the world, so that it findes nothing in the one, nor in the o∣ther to support, comfort or chear him, but sees all in himself pol∣luted and sinfull, his very works of righteousnesse too short, and scanty to cover him from wrath and vengeance, and all in the world vain, yea vanity it self, and full of bitternesse and vexation, in both nothing but death, yet even then in Christ he findes sweetnesse, life, and satisfaction, he findes him living bread, and feeds upon him as the most ample glorious witnesse and manifestation of Gods love, and in feeding there he lives. I am crucified with Christ, saith the Apostle, that is, to himself and to his own best endeavours though af∣ter Law, and to the world with all its excellencies, and yet saith he, I live, and yet that was passively he, not actively, but Christ lives in me, and the life that I live in the flesh, is by the saith of the Son of God, &c. As for other men, take away their comforts in the world, and confidence they have in themselves, and you undoe them, they die, despair and perish, but the just shall live by faith, and so it is with him in the midst of dangers and of bodily death, he hath such a hope as saves, supports him, and bears him up in the worst times and con∣ditions,

he hath hope in death, and in that he hath hope he differs from two sorts of people (as in the nature and quality of his hope he differs from others) from these two.

1. From those that are driven away in their wickednesse with wrath, * 1.15 as in the former part of the verse, such as the guilt of sin in their con∣sciences, and sence of vengeance hurries away to desperation, and makes them like the chaff driven away with the winde, * 1.16 so that they cannot stand in death, when they apprehend Gods hand lifted up against them, but sink down into hell, unbelief and terrour.

2. From those that though they are not so hurried away in a tem∣pest as being past hope, yet when they die, they are like stones, as was Nabal, or as it's to be ferred some do that the people use to say die like lambs, they die without any hope, like senselesse and rea∣sonlesse creatures, that know little more then the beasts, and so have scarce any more either hope or fear in what happens to them, but as they fear not hell or vengeance, so they hope not in God, for hea∣ven or blessednesse: perhaps they say they hope well, because they are senselesse of any thing they should fear, and so hope (they say) they shall meet with no evill, being sensuall like bruit beasts, they see none to be feared or avoided by them: from both these the righ∣teous differ in their death, they have hope in it. But that we might the better understand and make use of what the holy Ghost here propounds to us, I shall proceed in this order to speak to it; I shall

• 1. Explain the terms.
• 2. Confirm the truth of the Proposition, and
• 3. Apply it.
• 1. In the explication, two things would be spoken to, viz.
• 1. What or who is this righteous man, and
• 2. What is the hope he hath in his death.
• 1. Who is the righteous man here spoken of, * 1.17 and what is that which will put a man into the righteous estate here mentioned that is accompanied with hope in death.

A man is denominated righteous from righteousnesse, * 1.18 of which the Scripture mentions divers kindes, as

1. A morall righteousnesse which stands in a just dealing between man and man, so Abimelech asks if God will destroy a righteous nation, Gen. 20.4. he meant a people that had done no wrong to Abraham wittingly, but as God after answers him, vers. 6. walked in that mat∣ter in integrity, doing but what in conscience they thought might be done, &c. and so David appeals to God to judge him according to

his righteousnesse, that is his blamelesse carriage towards Saul, Psal. 7.8. and so many Gentiles have been righteous, that is, just in their carriages towards men, in what they judged to be their duty, but this is not the righteousnesse, nor these the righteous men here spo∣ken of, because this may be consistent with ignorance and enmity against God, it being but a meer humane righteousnesse.

2. A legall righteousnesse or a righteousnesse according to the law of God, and that the Scripture mentions two waies, viz. 1. Ei∣ther that that is so indeed, which stands in a full and perfect perso∣nall conformity to the law at all times, and in all things never, no, not so much as in lust transgressing it, for such righteousnesse the law requires, in that it curseth every man that continueth not in all things that are contained in the book of the law to do them, Gal. 3.10. and in this sense it is that the Scripture saith, * 1.19 there is none righteous, none that doth good and sinneth not, &c. 2. Or that that is judged and dee∣med (of men) to be such, whenas they do but endeavour after the law, and in many things transgresse it, yea, sin against the very end of it, in that they go about to make themselves righteous in and by that which was given them to convince of them sin, and let them see their need of righteousnesse, freely given them of God in the promised seed, This is that Paul cals a righteousnesse of a mans own, which while men seek to maintain they submit not to the righteousnesse of God, (which is in Christ) Rom. 10.3. and which he himself would not be found in, * 1.20 but in that which is of the faith of Christ: a righteousnesse of works in which men from their zeal, blamelessenesse, endeavours af∣ter and performance of duties, do trust in themselves that they are and judge themselves to be righteous, as the Pharisee in Luk. 18.10, 11. that trusted in himself that he was righteous, because he did not as the looser sort, was no Publicane, no extortioner, &c. and because he was strickt for paying tiths and keeping fasting daies, &c. he saies not that he trusted to make himself righteous by so doing, but that he was already righteous, else he should not have so done, this is a seeming righteousnesse, and many that have but this are pure in their own eyes, although they were never washed in and by the appearance of of the grace and and love of God, * 1.21 from their sinfullnesse, never brought into Christ and justified through faith in his bloud, and yet these I confesse may have hope, and walk on confidently expecting happi∣nesse, and thinking this their righteousnesse advangious all their life time, yea, to their death, but yet in death in the very pinch it will fail them, and it will fare with them as with those that they speak of,

Job. 8.13, 14. & 11.20. their hope will perish, and be like the giving up of the Ghost, it will die with them, and so deceive them, when it should stand them in greatest stead, because it was not well bottomed, nor sprung from living lasting principles, their righteousnesse from which it sprung, and on which they leaned, was but a conceit of righ∣teousnesse, an appearing and not a reall righteousnesse approved of by God, and therefore the hope grounded thereupon, will shrink with it, when God comes to touch it: we may say of this righteous∣nesse, and of them that are righteous in it, * 1.22 as the Apostle of the cir∣cumcision and Jew, that are but such in the outside, that is not righ∣teousnesse that is outward in the appearance, nor he a righteous man that is one outwardly: therefore we must go yet a little further to a righteousnesse exceeding this as much as Christ would have his disci∣ples to exceed the Scribes and Pharisees, or else no admission into heaven for them: a righteousnesse indeed which hath Gods accep∣tance, of which we come to take view in the next place, viz. 3. A righteousnesse of faith which is called Gods righteousnesse, an evange∣licall righteousnesse, which the Gospel sets forth and declares, and God freely gives, of which the Apostle Paul speaks very frequent∣ly, as in Rom. 3.21, 22. But now the righteousnesse of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed both by the Law and Prophets, even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all that beleeve: and so in Rom. 1.17. In the Gospel the righteous∣nesse of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith, or the just by faith shall live, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

But what is the righteousness of God that he gives us? * 1.23

It's Jesus Christ himself the Son of God, * 1.24 in whom God gives us justification and a righteous estate, * 1.25 He is the end of the law for righte∣ousnesse to every one that beleeves. Hence the Prophets called him The Lord our righteousnesse; and the Apostle Paul tels the beleevers, that as of God they were in Christ Jesus, so of God Christ was made to them wisdom, righteousnesse, &c. Every one that hath him and is in him (not every one that talks of him and professeth him and cals him Lord, Lord, but he that's found in him) is imputed of God and ac∣counted righteous by him and in him: A righteousnesse this is that will as well rule him righteously that receives it, as present him unto God righteous. Now the way of receiving it, is beleeving; and for that cause partly it is called The righteousnesse of faith, as also because it worketh righteousnesse or causeth us so to work through faith, * 1.26 which beleeving, in its actings towards Christ and God in him, and

in its acting from God and Christ towards man, by Gods love act∣ing it, * 1.27 is called (as I understand) our working righteousnesse or doing righteousnesse, in 1 Joh. 2.29. Every one that doth righteousnesse is born of him: which answers to chap. 5.1. Every one that beleeveth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God, and so in 1 Joh. 5.7. He that doth righteousnesse is righteous, as he is righteous: Which agrees with that in Col. 1.22, 23. To present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight, if ye continue in the faith, grounded and setled &c. That I say is our righteous doing especially as it works towards God, or receiving Christ resteth in God through him, in which respect it is said also to be imputed to us for righteousnesse, * 1.28 or unto righteousnesse, Rom 4.5. Not for any inward merit in our acting it, for indeed it's rather acted in us, but such is the love of God to his Son, that he accepts our beleeving on him, and takes it in as good part as if we had never sinned against him, imputing it unto righteousnesse, that is out of his meer grace and gracious determination so approving it that he looks on us now through Christ, whom we therein beleeve on, and reckons us after Christ who is his righteousnesse. It is true, that it is a righteous thing in it self that we should beleeve the word of God, * 1.29 and there-through beleeve in Christ, set forth therein, and so in God through him, but yet this righteous thing of it self as acted by us or in us, is too weak and low to denominate us righteous with God, or intitle us to Christ his righteousnesse, and make him ours, did not God graciously so reckon of it as to accept it unto righteousnesse or to the intailing Christ upon us to be our righteousnesse. But however that is our righteous-doing to give credit to God and beleeve on Christ, and the not doing so is great unrighteousnesse, that great sin which the holy Ghost will convince the world of, Joh. 16.8, 9, 11. That that makes it a righteous thing to beleeve God, is because he is true and all his words are pure and upright, there is no fraud or pervers∣nesse in him or his sayings, none ever trasted to them and were decei∣ved by them, and thence it is too that unbelief is so great a sin and so unrighteous a thing, because it gives God (who is truth it self) the lie, and makes a liar of him, 1 Joh. 5.10. And so again it is but a righteous just thing for men to beleeve on God in Christ, and the contrary is unrighteousnesse and sin; and why? because he is good and loving, yea love it self, and doth good to men: so as that they have good ground of committing themselves to him, and staying on him, and this in Christ, because he hath in him testified his love to poor fallen mankinde, and Christ hath so wonderfully deserved well

of them, for he came from his Father into the world on purpose to take our nature, and therein bear our sin, and die the death that was due to us, which he also out of pity and good will towards us hath done; and being risen again and ascended up to his father, he is with him the propitiation for our sins, and having received of him all au∣thority and power, yea being filled with all the fulnesse of God, he holds forth himself as a Saviour to men as a Captain and leader rea∣dy and able to save them to the uttermost, who ever submit to him and follow him. Now God having done so much for us, and upon these grounds requiring us to hope in him through Christ and cast our selves upon Christ, its but a most just and equall thing to beleeve on him: and not to trust to one that hath prevented us with so much love and done so much for us, is horrible ingratitude and injustice. But by the way some may cast in this doubt concerning themselves,

Whether it can be made out that it is just and righteous that they in particular should beleeve in him? * 1.30 For there are some so much be∣wilded in pooring upon themselves, that they think it rather pre∣sumption and sin for them to hope in God and beleeve in Christ, then any waies right and just for them, and therefore if their hearts any time begin in consideration of this mercy and goodnesse a little to look towards him and conceive hope in him, they are ready to start back again and say, alas I am such a sinner, I am not so well qua∣lified, I fear it's presumption in me to harbour any such thoughts of mercy in him for such a one as I: Such a one I say might here object and ask me how I can make it good that it's a just thing for him to beleeve in God, and that God hath done so much for him, as doth challenge his hoping and trusting in him?

To which I say, * 1.31 Not that thou maiest know this by thy so doing or beleeving for that would be fallacious, and as to thee dangerous, it being the want of such frames that make thee in this temper, besides that, thou nor any man can througly beleeve in God or be rightly framed toward him, till he beleeves that God hath done so much for him and is so graciously affected towards him that there is good war∣rant for beleeving in him, and this too from divine testimony, not humane conjectures, for faith that's right, comes by hearing, * 1.32 and that hearing by which it comes is of the word of God: To answer positive∣ly then out of the word of God, It's evident by Gods own testimo∣ny there, that there is good ground for thee to beleeve on him, It's but that that his grace and good will testified towards thee doth re∣quire of thee, for all that good will that I spake of before as a good

ground for faith, is testified in the Scripture to appertain to thee: for minde what the Scripture saith in this particular, and thou shalt see it clearly, * 1.33 for it is said that he so loved the world as to give his son (yea for the unjust, * 1.34 ungodly, sinners and enemies, 1 Pet. 3.18. Rom. 3 6, 8, 10.) that whosoever beleeves on him should not perish, but have everlasting lift; that the Son of God gave himself a ransome for all, and tasted death by the grace of God for every one, is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. Well then, if thou beleevest the testimony of God by his Apostles (and surely that is to be credited before what men say) then maiest thou see that this appertains to thee: if thou beest a man or one of the world, then God gave his Son for thee, and the Son of God came down from his Fa∣ther into the world to be a Saviour for thee, and died and gave him∣self a ransome for thee, and is the propitiation for thy sins, this is (thou feest) the language of the Scripture and of the testimony that God hath given of his Son, that he died for sinners, for men, for all, and there is none but will confesse that it's meet that we should be∣leeve Gods saying, as that which is in it self undoubtedly true. Why then it's meet that thou believe him in this particular too, else thou dealest unrighteously with him and givest him the lie? and if thou faiest, ah! but thou wouldst have some sign or token of the truth of this as concerning thee from him in something to be done by him to thy soul before thou canst or wilt give credit to it and judge it true, then dost thou, * 1.35 as that adulterous generation which Christ reproveth seeking signes and tokens, when God himself witnessed in his word concerning him, and if thou shouldst persist in that way, thou maist be given up to delusion to beleeve a lie, and to be drawn from the truth asserted in the word, by lying signs and wonders, such as God sometimes orders to those that receive not the love of his truth that they might be preserved and saved by it; * 1.36 If thou wilt not beleeve Gods word, thou art in a dangerous way of miscarrying. It's a good counsel (that Erasmus gives) in such cases, Desine disceptare, incipe credere, ita citius intelliges, Leave off disputing and questioning about Gods word and opposing thy vain reason against it, offer up thy rea∣son (as * 1.37 Luther advises) as an evening sacrifice, let that be mor∣tified in whatsoever it sets it self against the word of God, and instead thereof do thou begin to beleeve and give credit to what God saith, and so thou shalt soonest come to understand: which counsel I the ra∣ther commend, because it sutes with the word of God it self, it agrees with that of James 1.19. Be swift to hear, slow to speak slow to wrath;

ready to listen what God saith in his word of truth, but slow to be putting in thy glosses and corrections upon it, and slow to wrangle with it or to be offended at what is said therein, and so in Isa. 7.9. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which Tertullian renders thus, * 1.38 Nisicredideritis non intelligetis, unlesse ye beleeve ye shall not under∣stand, God would have us take his word, and then he will let us see the truth and faithfullnesse of his word, Man is apt to look the wrong way, in first desiring to have his reason satisfied before he will beleeve, but if thou wouldest prove and experiment the truth and certainty of his word to thy soul, and have the profitable understanding of it, do thou first receive it and close with it, holding it for true and cer∣tain, and then beleeving it to be true, thou wilt judge it but a meet and righteous thing to commit thy soul to him, and betrust thy self with him that hath prevented thee with so much goodnesse, and de∣clared such love to thee before-hand that thou mightest be perswad∣ed to beleeve in him, and that it's thy great sin and evill that thou art so diffident and distrustfull of him, yea, in closing with that word of his grace, in which he hath testified such love towards thee in Christ, * 1.39 thou shalt in due season finde and feel the power of God put forth to save thee from distrusting him, and so enabling thee with thy heart to beleeve on him, so as it shall be imputed unto thee for righteous∣nesse, Christ himself shall be made thy righteousnesse, and thou ac∣counted and accepted as righteous in him. And now to bring thee a∣gain to the businesse where Christ is so received by faith as that the soul depends upon him, and he becomes it's righteousnesse and pre∣sents him righteous to his father, thence he will be operative in the soul too by his Spirit teaching the soul to walk righteously and act forth righteousnesse, both to God and man. For the faith that so re∣ceives Christ is not a bare dead notionall apprehension of a proposi∣tion sloating in the brain, but such a cordiall closing of the heart with the word of God, as that it closeth with, loveth, prizeth and leaneth on Christ held forth therein, and ascendeth up to God by him, loving, admiring, panting after and cleaving to God in him, the Spirit of life that is in Christ Jesus, working effectually in the soul, and filling it with divine and heavenly vertues and operations, as to devote it self to God for his great love towards it, to expect further good from him, to submit unto him, &c. and so be filled with peace and joy in the ma∣nifestation of Gods accepting it and witnesse thereof bearing to it, with love and charity to men, inward desires of their good, and rea∣dines really to endeavour it as opportunity is offered, as knowing that

God would have them to be saved, and that what Christ hath in his death and sufferings procured into himself, it is free for any to come to him for, whosoever will may take freely of the waters of life, as also that it is acceptable to God that they should so walk towards others, as he hath walked toward them, and indeed faith as it gives a sight to the soul of the glorious grace of God, so is it a means of the souls being transformed through that glory seen, into his similitude, to love as he hath loved, pity where he shews pity, and to delight in that which he delighteth, it teacheth us to deny all ungodlines and worldly lusts, and to live godly, righteously and soberly in this present world, to hold forth the word of life, and work the works that are acceptable to God, and profitable to men, not in any thing to injure or wrong them, but in all things to seek their commodity as occasion is presented to them, that they might glorifie God in the day of their visitation, and be turn∣ed unto God, and every one that so beleeveth the testimony of God concerning Christ in his heart, that he therein receiveth Christ for his wisdom, righteousnesse, holinesse and redemption, and is brought to rely upon him and God in him for pardon, peace, life, spirit, and whatsoever may concern his happinesse, and therewithall is framed to the minde of Christ, to live to him and to God in him, as hath been shewn: he is the truly righteous man here to be understood in the text, one whom God approves and holds for righteous: Every through, cordiall and sincere beleever, he is the righteous man here spoken of, and that is the first thing propounded for explication, who is this righteous man, in opening which I have been the larger, because that's of most weight, and men are aptest therein to be deceived, rest∣ing either in morall or Pharisaicall conceited righteousness, in stead of the true righteousnesse, which is according to God, or else to rest in a form and carcasle of faith, that receives nothing but propositions of truth into the head, but receiveth not Christ into the heart to be it's righteousness, from all which the righteousnesse of God doth greatly differ, & beyond all which kinde of righteous men the man that's truly righteous, doth very much go, as is declared: having cleared that, let us now come to the second thing propounded to be explained and ope∣ned, * 1.40 viz. What the hope is that such a righteous man hath in his death?

In opening that I shall consider this his hope, both in it's

• object, and
• ground.

This hope may be considered according to it's object, and that first Objectum in quo, The object unto which the heart is led and car∣ried, and in which it hath it's expectation, and that is not any vain,

empty creature, either it self, or any other thing in the whole world, for the righteous man is crucified to them with Christ, and knows there is nothing to be met with from them, that can help or satisfie, and that God hath pronounced a curse upon him that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, Jer. 17.5. His hope therefore is set upon God in Christ, from him is all his expectation, according to that of David, Psa. 62.1, 2. Truly my soul waiteth upon God, from him cometh my salvation, and that in Lam. 3.24. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore in him will I hope: God as he hath discovered himself to the soul in Christ, so he himself is the object in which it hopeth, and from whom it expecteth what it hopeth for. 2. The Objectum propter quod, the object for which it hopeth, it hopes for something as well as in something, as to instance, he hopes for support and preservation through death: Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, yet will I fear none ill, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff doth com∣fort me, or support me, Psa. 23.4. Psa. 37.25.

2. The enjoyment of Christ and God in Christ more fully in his Spirit, after the dissolution of the body, thence Paul Phil. 1. I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, 2 Cor. 5.6, 8. knowing that when we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord, walking by faith and not by fight, we desire to be rather absent from the body, and to be pre∣sent with the Lord, the righteous man hopes for a more full enjoy∣ment of Christ then here he was capable of.

3. He hopes that God will yet take care of his people and pre∣serve his Church, and carry on his work in the world for the glory of his name, and will not be wanting to his posterity, if he leave any be∣hinde him, Deut. 33.26, 29.

4. His resurrection out of death, and the full possession of eternall glory, which Jesus Christ in the re-union of the soul and body as is at large declared in 1 Cor. 15. and in 1 Thes. 4.16, 17. &c. He that raised up the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, shall also raise up the belee∣ver, and give him acrown of life and glory that shall never fade, where there shall be no mixture of grief or misery with his joy or happinesse, but he shall be fully and for ever satisfied with the glorious enjoyment of God in Christ Jesus, This is the hope that a righteous man hath in his death, the object hoped for. 2. This hope may be considered too in the ground or motive of it whence it springeth, or what that is that gives a man encouragement and boldnesse to hope in God and Christ for such happinesse, yea, even in death when God seems to be about co cut him off for ever, and that is properly the Lord Jesus Christ, as he is the gift

of God, the manifestation of the Fathers love and grace, the Media∣tour and Saviour of the soul, declared to the soul in the Gospel, and received by faith, whence the Apostle stiles him, our hope, Paul an A∣postle by the commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ our hope, 1 Tim. 1.1. and again, Christ in you the hope of glory, Col. 1.28. for it's in the gift of him for and to the soul, that it apprehends the love of God to be such towards it, as that it hath good cause for ever to hope in him, and thus to reason concerning him, If when we were enemies we were re∣conciled unto God by the death of his Son, how much more being reconci∣led shall we be saved by his life? Rom. 5.10. Now because it is this love of God shed abroad into the heart by the holy Ghost, that springs up this hope in God, as Rom. 5.5, 6. therefore the Apostle cals it good hope through grace, that is, sprung up through the apprehension and ap∣pearance of the grace or favour of God towards us (as in another respect, viz. because this grace is declared in the Gospel, and there∣through discerned by us, it's called also the hope of the Gospel, Col. 1.23. 2 Thes. 2.16. a lively hope, that puts lively chearfull thoughts into the soul, and makes it live in the midst of death in expectation of a crown, and inheritance incorruptible and immortall &c, 1 Pet. 2.3. and that grounded upon the resurrection of Christ from the dead) thence it's also a good hope not only because it doth good to the soul, in sa∣ving, preserving and supporting it in trials and afflictions, so as that it saints not nor turns away from God, * 1.41 but is kept in dependance on him, or in that it also purifies the soul, or leads the man to purge him∣self through the grace of God, beleeved, that he may be meet for such a hope or glory hoped for, in the view of which it also gives the soul strong consolation, making it in death to trample upon death, and rejoice over death, because of the glory to be revealed and enjoyed after it, but also it's good, because of the foundation whence it right∣ly fetcheth in all this good to the soul, the ground of it being of that pretiousnesse in it self, and acceptablenesse with God, as doth cause these fruits to spring from it, and put an everlastingnesse into them, the vertue and goodnesse of the righteousnesse of mans hope in God, springs from the goodnesse of the spring and rise of it. The Pharisee hoped for great things from God, Luk. 18.9, 10. as that God would accept him and account him righteous, and deal with him as a righte∣ous man, ah! but his hope was naught, because it sprung from a wrong foundation, it sprung from his own goodnesse and good perfor∣mances, which he conceived to be the effects of Gods love to∣wards him; he knew nothing of love to him in God, before his

good performances to spring them up in him, but he concludes now that God did love him from his good performances, God I thank thee that I am not as other men are; he thought that he could not have been so good as he was, if God had not had speciall and eter∣nall love and favour towards him. But the righteous mans hope grows upon another root: he first heard of and was perswased of Gods love towards him in the promised seed, the gift of Jesus Christ for him while a sinner and ungody, and the belief of this Gods love in him brings him in to beleeve in him and hope in him; he therefore hopes and expecteth that God will support and carry him through death, and bring him to such glorious injoyment of eternall life as hath been mentioned, yea to greater glory then can be mentioned, because he sees and beleeves that he hath already in Christ prevented him with his love, in whom death is abolished, life and immortality brought to light, sin satisfied for, law fulfilled, eternall redemption obtained, God well pleased that man should have eternall life, and to that end hath put it in his Son, and put it upon his Son to bestow and give it to every one that leans upon his grace and submits to be∣leeve on him for it; to which end also he sees in the Gospel, and in his heart beleeves that God hath given his Son infinite glory, power and authority to subdue whatever in the Beleever or without him would hinder him of his glory, appointed him judge of quick and dead, to forgive and pardon all sins to all that by his goodnesse are brought to him; to give them his good Spirit, preserve them in tri∣als, come again and raise them out of death, and make their vile bodies like his own glorious body, and in the issue possesse them with himself and of his own glory, for the effecting all which in and for him the righteous man judges and beleeves him both able and faith∣full, in which hope he is confirmed by the experiments of the divine grace calling and quickning him; and from this free-grace in Christ which brings the soul to do righteousnesse in beleeving on him, and so leads it to the enjoyment of Christ for righteousnesse with God, springs up (in his most dying condition) this hope of the glory and further grace before expressed. And so we have done with the ex∣plication of those two things propounded, and so with the explicato∣ry work about the proposition, It remains that we come next to the confirmation of it.

For confirmation of this point I shall only do these two things.

1. Shew that it hath been so with righteous men in former ages, such as the Scripture mentions, and

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2. Shew that this our deceased Friend and Brother (as others of this place before him) found it so.

1. Scripture instances of the cloud of witnesses produced there∣in prove this to be true, That the righteous hath hope in his death. It mentions a large catalogue of Worthies that lived and died in faith, though they received not the promises. I never see the righteous (faith David) forsaken, Psa. 37.25. Why then? not in death neither, God hath given them hope in that too: How sweet∣ly sung old Jacob when he breaths forth this confession in the midst of his blessings, * 1.42 I have waited, O Lord, for thy salvation. So David when in great danger of death, many conspiring to take away his life, see how his heart then hoped in God, I said, O Lord, thou art my hope, my times are in thine hand, Psal. 31.15.19. And a little before his giving up of the Ghost, how sweet are his expressions, 2 Sam. 23.3, 4, 5. These are the last words of David, David the son of Jesse said, the man that was raised up on high. The anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet Psalmist of Israel said, the spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue, the God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in fear of God, and he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun rises, a morning without cloud, as the tender grasse springing out of the earth, by clear shining after rain: Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure, for this is all my salvation and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. Sweet expressions of assured confidence flowing from Gods love in his covenant with him, whereof Christ is the Mediator, if not rather the summe and contents of it, and yet these were the expres∣sions of a dying righteous man. * 1.43 What should I mention Job whose voice it was in the midst of distresse, I know that my redeemer liveth, and 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 myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me; A glorious triumph over death in the midst of deaths. * 1.44 I shall add no more from Scripture but that of Paul, Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of life, which God the righteous Judge shall give me. All which instances are evident witnesses of this truth, That the righteous hath hope in his death: To which I might al∣so have added the constant confessions and sweet hopefull expressi∣ons of many Martyrs, but I passe them over for brevity, and so come

2. To this our Friend and Brother decased; he was another in∣stance

of, and witnesse to this truth, as all that were eye and ear witnesses of his carriage in his sicknesse will affirm: For though he was known and noted to be a man naturally of a timerous and fear∣full disposition, afraid of dangers, yet such the more abundant ope∣ration of the grace of God in him, in his sicknesse and at his death, he was nothing at all afraid of death, though the king of terrour, nay so far was he from fearing it that it was his desire to be dissolved and to be with his Lord Jesus, which he longed for far above life, even from the begining of his sicknesse, so that some being desirous to pray for him, he would by no means that they should pray to preserve his life here any longer, but that he might go to his Lord Jesus, and be taken from that state of estrangement and absence from him that he was in while in this body, to be at home with him, that he might in his spirit more fully see and enjoy him whom he had seen by faith, or whom not seeing, yet he beleeved in and loved, for that good report of his love in the Gospel declared to him, as he had wrought righteousnesse or done righteously in his life, in receiving the testimony of the Gospel the record of God concerning Jesus Christ, and was not ashamed of it though spoken against and reje∣cted by men, nor of those that brought it, though weak, and vilified by most, so went he not without the fruit of it in his death, the word of God wrought effectually in him both in life and death: In his life time it wrought in him to desire the true and lasting riches, although he was blessed here with a good and large portion of these outward riches, which often prove such snares and intanglements to mens hearts, that they cannot attend to God for the true; yea and whereas commonly rich men are high minded (as it is intimated in that charge given them, not to be high minded, 1 Tim. 6.21.) and prove great hinderances of mens entring the strait gate (because men are apt to swell in their mindes up to the largenesse, yea and of∣ten far beyond the largenesse of their estates, and to despise so low and contemptible a way as the Gospel is) It was not so with him, the goodnesse of God so wrought in him, as for the enjoiment of Christ, he condescended to them of low degree to bear the reproach of Christ with them, and to professe the despised Gospel amongst them: A rare thing to finde a rich estate and a poor humble spirit together, riches and pride and loftines usually accompany each other, and so choaking all motions or desires of goodnesse, that they come not out to perfection, In all this he did righteously, but above all in that he received not only the sound, but the substance of the Gospel,

the truth into his heart, so as to set his hope in God therethrough, and to expect his salvation (as also his brother had done before him, how∣ever opposite at first as many others yet are) which accompanied him to his death as hath been expressed, which hope also suted with the hope of the righteous man in this, that it was founded upon the love of God in Christ to mankinde and so to him. The death, resur∣rection, ascension, mediation of the Son of God for him according to the Gospel declaration, as appears by this ensuing confession of his faith which he penned with his own hand when he first began to grow sick and weak, and caused to inserted into the preface of his Will, whence also as I was requested I copied it out word for word to publish it to you as here followeth.

I bequeath my soul into the hands of God as into the hands of a faith∣full Creator, who hath made heaven and earth and all things therein, and to Jesus Christ the second person in the Trinity, God blessed for ever, who hath redeemed me and all mankinde, for the Scripture that I do faithfully beleeve saith, That he by the grace of God tasted death for every man, and S ^t John saith, That God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. And the same John saith in his Epistle, He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world, and other such like Scriptures which I here forbear to insert: And this I do declare because so many do deny the truth of these Scriptures, and some others deny all Scriptures, and many now in our daies deny the Lord Iesus Christ to be the second Person in Trinity, and so account the written Scriptures as a History, and the mystery in their hearts they give for Scripture: But I do faithfully be∣leeve as it is recorded in the word of God, that that Iesus who died for all men, is risen free and acquit of all that was against them, for to this end he both died and rose again that he might be Lord of all, and is ascen∣ded up on high and hath received gifts * 1.45 for men, to send forth even to the rebellious that the Lord God might dwell amongst them, and that they might come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved, such provision hath God made for all in and through his Son, that be invites all to come, and saith all things are ready, his trible is furnished, and he bids them eat of his bread and drink of his wine that he hath mingled. Thus far is the love of God in his Son set forth to all, and more fully, and of his fulnesse have we all received and grace for grace: And further it is said, To so many as received him, to them he gave power to become the Sons of God, to them which beleeve in his Name: Which makes it plain that

whosoever is found to receive and accept what is declared in the Scri∣ptures of what Jesus hath done for all, it is as much as to say they receive him, that is, to own God for their father in the righteousnesse of his Son, so that he that is Gods righteousnesse is their righteousnesse who presents them in himself unto the Father, and for them be hath a further bu∣sinesse with the father, as in 1 Joh. 2.1. is declared, We have an Ad∣vocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, making good our cause, and not suffering our evils to come up before him; and it is through what he hath done by dying, rising and ascending, and continuall advocating, that I have all my hope, that when I depart this life I shall live with him, according to that Scripture which saith, Because I live ye shall live also, &c.

Thus he exprest himself: In the last expression of which, you have the confession of his hope to agree with what I said before of the righteous mans, that it sprung from a good bottom, the death, re∣surrection and advocation of Jesus Christ, as with that of the Apostle Peter, who saith, God hath begotten them to a lively hope through the resurrection of Christ from the dead: * 1.46 So that as this our Brother did righteously, to beleeve the Gospel of the grace of God, and therethrough to beleeve in God, so had he a good hope in his death, a hope for good and glorious things, and a hope well grounded, And thus we have seen the explication and confirmation; Come we now to the third particular, viz. Application, with which we shall conclude.

You hear, friends, what the Scripture saith, * 1.47 and you have heard severall instances of the truth of it; minde well what ye have heard, minde the Scriptures and minde the end of the just ones, even such as you have had amongst you: The first tels you, That the righteous hath hope in his death; the other hath experimented and proved it, and rejoiced in affliction and death for the hope of the glory which they expected further to be revealed on them. Both Scriptures and their experience commend to us these following instructions.

1. Take notice of the excellency of righteousnesse, and of the condition of a righteous man, how good it is to receive by faith the righteousnesse of God, and how well it goes with them that so do: What is there in all the World to be compared to righteousnesse: We may say of it, as Solomon of wisdom, and indeed it's a high point of wisdom to do righteously in beleeving; * 1.48 The ••••••ch and so thereof is better then the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof better then of sine gold: She is more precious then rubies, y•••• all that thou canst desire is not to be compared to her. She is a tree of lift to all that take hold of

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her, &c. Alas! How empty are the riches and honours and pleasures of this world, in comparison of righteousnesse! they may make a man frolick outwardly in this life (and yet not that neither, except God give health and power to enjoy them) but often times in the midst of that jollity and bravery the heart is sad, the conscience torn and broken, and alas when death comes, and judgement appears at the back of it, then what trembling! then, except the conscience be hardned, seared and grown utterly carelesse, what terrours and pangs of despair torment it! All these things that the world so much prize, are but bread that perisheth: They may perhaps make us a little glo∣rious to the world, but cannot give us peace with, nor hope in God. Riches deliver not in the day of wrath, but righteousnesse (this righte∣ousnesse of faith which is accepted with God for righteousnesse, and so Christ received and beleeved on) delivers from death, Prov. 11.4. That will give a man boldnesse in the day of judgement, while he knows his Judge is his righteousnesse, and will protect him from wrath and vengeance. Oh that men did see the worth of righteous∣nesse, the righteousnesse of God, surely then they would not trifle so much time and strength and talents away, about empty lying vani∣ties, they would not so swell with conceits of themselves, and look so big for a few muddy riches, for a little fading, appearing worldly glory, they would not be so cheated into a contentednesse with some painted shews of righteousnesse, formall devotions, so much religion as may serve them to live in credit with men, and lull their consci∣ences asleep, till they satisfie their earnall earthly desires, no certain∣ly they would count all things but losse and dung that they might win Christ and enjoy him for their righteousnesse: Well friends, how∣ever you may pursue after other things, and blesse your selves in your enjoyments, possessions, ease, pleasures, vanities now, yet there will come a day in which all these appearing deceitfull, you will wish for righteousnesse, you will see then what hath been now shewed you, and what the wise man saith, viz. That the righteous man is more excellent then his neighbour; * 1.49 as he is more excellent in his life, because exalted in Christ and inriched with him and his priviledges, as also because of his spirit in him, conforming him to Christ, and putting something of heaven and heavenly vertues into him, so will he be found more excellent in his death, when his heart shall have hope and rejoicing in God, while other mens sink within them or die like stones, being without God, and without hope to God. Oh that now therefore you would take notice of the excellency of righteousnesse

above all things in the world, that you may not slight it, and so want its sweet and satisfactory usefulness when you have most need of it.

2. Be we exhorted to follow after righteousnesse, * 1.50 to imbrace the righteousnesse of faith, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ, the bread of life, and the true righteousnesse that God gives us: Know and be∣leeve friends, that God doth give you righteousnesse in Christ, he hath sent him into the world for you to be your Saviour, hath laid the sin of the world upon him, and he hath born it and suffered death for it, this he hath done for all, therefore beleeve and know it is true for you, and that God having raised him from the dead, hath given him in the humane nature all fulnesse of power and au∣thority, so that he is able to the uttermost to save you, to forgive you your sins, he having died for them, for otherwise, according to the order of Gods proceeding, he should not be able to forgive you, if he had not shed bloud for your sins, * 1.51 for without bloudshedding there is no remission. But know that he, I say, is able to forgive and save you, With him there is forgivenesse that he might be feared: * 1.52 And if the knowledge and belief of it work so with you, as to turn you in to fear him, you shall have that forgiveness with and in you, it shall passe upon you, yea he is ready to receive and forgive you, he cals you to him that he might confer this grace upon you: Let the wicked for∣sake his waies, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and return to the Lord, for he will have mercy, &c. and to our God for he will abundantly pardon, Isa. 55.7. Yea he sent his Son to turn every one of you from, your iniquities, Act. 3 Only he would have you to look to him for it and be saved by him, Isa. 45.22. Now, oh be perswaded to do righ∣teousnesse, seeing righteousnesse is so excellent a thing, and hath so great recompence of reward: Receive the word and grace of God, give credit to the record that God bears of his Son, that he hath gi∣ven us eternall life, and this lift is in his Son: He that hath the Son hath life, &c. That God hath sent him forth to be the Saviour of the world, and he hath given himself arausome for all, and so died and is risen for thee, and hath life is himself for thee to look after and to receive in looking to him, that God in him hath thewed forth exceeding grace towards thee, and be not of a gainsaying heart and spirit wrangling against the word and patting it from thee; Let the unrighteous man forsake his own is righteousnesse, wrong, unbeleeving thoughts, and lay down all the suspitions and contradictions of his own reason against Gods truth, and turn to the Lord to minde, receive, beleeve and close with his sayings, that they being intertained, Christ himself to whom

they bear witnesse, and whom they set forth may be beleeved on, come to and received into the heart, he may be entertained into the fouls affection, desire, delight, confidence, &c. that so he that is Gods righteousnesse provided for us, and given unto us, being re∣ceived and entertained, thou mai'st in him be presented righteous to God, and filled with the fruits of righteousnesse both toward God and men, that so thou having of the spirit of Christ within thee, it may lead, teach, support and comfort thee, and in the midst of dan∣gers, yea and of death it self, fill thee with a lively hope of life and glory: Friends, do righteously in beleeving the word of God, and looking to Christ by faith, be not enemies to your selves by heeding lying vanites, put not away from you your own mercies, run not des∣perately through a spirit of envy or malice, or through worldlinesse, pride, presumption, Atheisme, loosenesse, into your own destruction. What good will you get to your selves in the issue by being wicked, by being envious against the Gospel and grace of God, by quarrelling against and resisting the truth? by scorning, contemning, hating and reproaching them that out of love and good will preach and hold it forth to you, by rejecting the testimony of God, and closing with every vain phantasie by which you think your selves strengthened against it? whom do you fight against in opposing the word of God? is it not against God himself? and is it not against your own good? Do you not endeavour thereby to pervert your own waies? to make his grace and goodnesse questionable as concerning your selves, and so put your selves from having the word of God the ground of your faith, to fetch the ground of it from some blinde conjectures and good conceits of your selves? Oh stand not in your own light, neg∣lect not so great salvation as is set before you, nor rest in such a noti∣on all profession of truth as leaves the soul destitute of the power of truth, such a consent to it and profession of it, as yet leaves the soul unrighteous, brings it not into Christ, nor receives not the power and Spirit of Christ into it. Let not love of the world and worldly vanities keep you out either from attending to and receiving truth, nor from submitting to and walking out in the power of truth, per∣haps you are rich (some of you) and injoy much in the world; you can fill and satiate your selves with the profits, advantages and delights of it, you finde a great deal of satisfaction in your own waies, some in coveteousnes, others in pride, and others in voluptuousnes, &c. But oh! consider the emptinesse and vanity of all these satisfactions, will the world and the things thereof last for ever? is not God e∣ven

now powring out whole vials of his wrath upon it? and is he not staining the pride of all glory, and bringing to contempt all that's honourable in the earth? Is he not marring the form of it, and cast∣ing bitternesse into all the comforts of the earth? and what will your riches profit you, if God come to plead with you, with sword, famine, and his sore judgements? do you think to bribe his wrath, or make an agreement with hell and death? do you think that his hand will not finde you out? or do you think your riches, honours, pleasures, accomodations in the world, will then fill your souls with hope? O no, beloved, these things will then prove more empty va∣nties, you may live as richly and sumptuously and in as great plea∣sure as the rich man in the Gospel, Luk. 16. yea, and perhaps to have as honourable a buriall, and yet the next news may be (that that was his unhappy portion) that you are in hell tormented: what then will all these things you here set your hearts upon advantage you? what will it profit you, could you get and enjoy the whole world, and to lose your souls in the getting it? die like stocks or blocks without God and without Christ, and without hope, or to die howling out with vexation and despair? Alas! what good would all his riches and places, or great funerall, &c. have done this gentleman, if he had died without faith in God, and without the hope of his glory, and so before his body had been interred, his soul had been in hell. Be you willing to follow his steps in owning the truth of God, and the grace of God therein declared, and in so laying down your selves to the Crosse of Christ, and cordially desiring the knowledge and en∣joyment of Christ, that so your end may be as hopefull as his, you may not be afraid of death and faint under it: but hope in it and re∣joice over it, for the righteous man is he that hath hope in his death.

3. To conclude, let me speak one word to you that do follow after righteousnesse, even the righteousnesse of God, you that have received the record of God concerning his Son, beleeved his love, and there∣through are brought to appreach unto him, to have good thoughts of him, and have cast your souls upon him, and set your hope in him, what hath been said may be usefull unto you for your encourage∣ment and consolation, I shall say this to you, my brethren, hold fast your integrity, follow on yet after righteousnesse, * 1.53 be not weary of well doing, nor saint in the way, he that is righteous, let him be righteous still, and be that is holy, let him be holy still: let him continue and increase in holinesse and righteousnesse, serving God in them all the daies of his life: abide in Christ and in his way, attending to the grace of God,

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and submitting thereto to be acted and led thereby, to deny all ungod∣linesse and worldly lusts, * 1.54 and to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world: looking diligently that none fail of the grace of God, that none be prophane as Esau to sell the hope set before him, the birthright gi∣ven you, for a messe of pottage, for any worldly, carnall, transitory va∣nities, take heed of consulting with flesh and bloud, lest you be turned aside from the word of God to other doctrines, or to be corrupted to worldly waies and evils, take heed that the cares of this life, and the deceitfullnesse of riches or love of other things in this world, do not by little and little steal in upon your spirits, to cheak the good seed of the word of God, and so to make you content your selves with a bar∣ren profession of Christ without power and fruitfullnesse: Hold fast your hope and confidence in Christ, * 1.55 and hold fast your good conversati∣on according to Christ, knowing that your confidence hath a great re∣compense of reward, * 1.56 and your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord, in due time ye shall reap, if ye faint not: you have great encouragement in the consideration of what hath been said, to persevere to the death, and not shrink back because of persecutions, reproaches, threatnings, or the fear of death: It is true indeed, you are exposed to the wrath and malice of men, there are many especially at this time, that conspire and plot against us, we may see and hear how they band themselves together, and strengthen themselves in mischief, to root out from the earth, if it were possible, those that fear God and desire to walk with him, it is at such their aim is most, and their envy and all their plots and designs are most against such, persecutions of the tongue you meet with, and should do of the hand too if they might have their will, they thirst after our bloud, and perhaps the sight of this might almost strike a damp into some spirits that have begun to look to God, and make them begin to think of going back again from him: but O my friends, let it not be so with you, you have no cause for all these things to be affrighted: for your lives are not in their hands that are your enemies, they may talk great things, this they will do, and that they will do, cut our throats, knock us on the head, be our deaths, but we see God permits them not to do so; they did so con∣spire against David, but he comforted himself in this, my times are in thine hand, * 1.57 O Lord, and so may we till our times be come, they can do no hurt, as it is said of Christ when they lay in wait for him, and sought to kill him, they were many a time frustrated, and put by, be∣cause his hour was not yet come: though they may have opportunities to harm us, yet God ties their hands, and strikes a fear into their

hearts, not a hair of our heads shall they pluck from off us, * 1.58 till God give them permission, Therefore fear not for the threats of men, nor for the wickednesse of those, that in stead of receiving the grace of God preached by us, seek to reward our good will with mischieving us, * 1.59 plot to destroy us: in doing righteousnesse we have God on our sides who will faithfully protect us, we have seen him many a time befool∣ing them, and sometimes taking them in their own snares, blowing them up when they had subtilly undermined us, and thought to have destroied us. How many times have they thought themselves sure of our downfall! when they themselves have fallen, we have risen and stood upright: though we have been so imperfect in righteous doing, that for our unbelief and follies God might most justly have given us up to their rage, yet such hath been his goodnesse and faithfullnesse to us, that to break us off from our waies more, and to encourage us to righteousnesse, he hath known us in our adversities, and evermore stood by us to defend us, and we have cause to hope in him yet, that whatsoever their hopes and expectations are, however great their power, and however subtle their policies, however strong their con∣federacies and combinations to do wickednesse, God will yet defeat them and preserve us. Well, but suppose he should leave us to their hands, as there may be an hour for the power of darknesse over us, * 1.60 as well as there was to Christ, yet what of that? shall we turn from our righteousnesse? sure there would be no cause for that, for what can they do unto us? They can but kill the body, and the body must die; * 1.61 And though for righteousnesse sake it do not die so soon as probably it might: yet such have all died who (to avoide death) have turned from righteousnes; Neither shall wickednes deliver those that are given to it. And truly, friends, to die in and for righteous doing, is far better then to die in denying it and without it: you see righteousnesse gives hope in death, and delivers from the sting and poyson that some meet with in it: Alas! if you turn from righteousnesse you turn from God, and from Christ, and from hope of eternall life: * 1.62 and what is then to be met with but guilt and horrour of conscience, in death despair, and after death eternall vengeance? what advantage is it to live a little longer in this world, and in the mean time to have the soul dead to hope, and dead to God? Therefore hold fast your righteousnesse, be not ashamed of God and Christ, and of his name and truth, while you cleave to righteousnesse God will be sure to cleave to you and support you, so that death shall be but as a dream to you: the hope your souls meet with in and from God, shall render death little or

nothing fearfull or dreadfull to you, yea, in him your souls shall finde joy in death, God whom ye beleeve on and confesse, will be your God and guide unto death, and his grace embraced by you will fill you with joy and gladness, with peace and quietness in the midst of death, you shall experiment with this our brother, and all the Saints of God that have abidden in faith, and held fast their confidence, the truth of what you have now heard, that the righteous hath hope in his death: For that hopes sake, go on couragiously in the path of righteousnesse, and fear not what persecutions and death can do unto you; Consider what hath been said, and the Lord give us all understanding in all things.

Laus Deo.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Heb 9.17.
• * 1.2

  Rev. 20 6. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Thes 17.8, 9 M••••••. 25 4••.
• * 1.3

  Eph. 4.18. and 2.1.
• * 1.4

  Quest.
• * 1.5

  Answ.
• * 1.6

  Deut. 32.29. Psal. 9•• 11.
• * 1.7

  2 Cor. 12.
• * 1.8

  Mipna barag∣na••. 2 Pet. 2.7.
• * 1.9

  2 King. 2.28 2
• * 1.10

  Isa. 57.••.
• * 1.11

  2 Cor. 5.6.
• * 1.12

  Heb. 13.14. 2 Cor. 5.8.
• * 1.13

  Phil. 1.21, 23.
• * 1.14

  Propos. 2.
• * 1.15

  Pro. 14.3••.
• * 1.16

  Psal. 1.4.
• * 1.17

  Quest.
• * 1.18

  Answ.
• * 1.19

  Rom. 3.10, 11. Eccles 7.20.
• * 1.20

  Phil. 3.8, 9.
• * 1.21

  Rev. 1.5.
• * 1.22

  Rom 2.28.
• * 1.23

  Quest.
• * 1.24

  Answ.
• * 1.25

  Rom. 10.4. Jer. 25.5.
• * 1.26

  Rom. 10.6.
• * 1.27

  Gal 5.6.
• * 1.28

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.29

  Istis duobus 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 Christiana, file que gloriam tribu•••• Deo, & imputatione De•• sides enim firma est 〈◊〉〈◊〉 oportet imputa∣tiontia Dei ac∣cedere. Luth, in Gal 3 6.
• * 1.30

  Doubt.
• * 1.31

  S••lu.
• * 1.32

  Rom 10.14.
• * 1.33

  Joh. 3.16
• * 1.34

  1 Tim 1.6. Heb 1.9. 2 Joh 2 2.
• * 1.35

  M••t••h. 12.33.
• * 1.36

  2 Th••s. 1. 〈…〉〈…〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Parath in R••n. 9.
• * 1.37

  Hoc est juge illud sacrificti vesper•••• ii & matu••…••…um No∣vi Testament••. Vespertinum mortificare ra∣tione•••• matu∣tin••••, glorificare Deu•• lu••h in Gal 3.6.
• * 1.38

  I•• ••o taami•••• K•• lo reamenu. Tertul advers. Marciod 4 c 32
• * 1.39

  Isa. 50.2.
• * 1.40

  Quest. 2.
• * 1.41

  1 Joh. 3.3.
• * 1.42

  Gen 49.18.
• * 1.43

  Act. 13.3 4. Job 19.25, 26, 27.
• * 1.44

  2 Tim 4.8.
• * 1.45

  Or, In the man.
• * 1.46

  1 Pet, 1.3.
• * 1.47

  Application.
• * 1.48

  Prov. 3, 14, 15, 16, &c.
• * 1.49

  Prov. 12.26.
• * 1.50

  Ʋse 2.
• * 1.51

  Heb 9.22.
• * 1.52

  Col. 1.14.
• * 1.53

  Rev. 22.11.
• * 1.54

  Tit. 2.11, 12. Heb. 13.1••, 16
• * 1.55

  Heb. 10.35.
• * 1.56

  1 Cor. 15▪ 18. Gal. 6, 7.
• * 1.57

  Psal. 31.11.
• * 1.58

  Mat. 10 30.
• * 1.59

  Luk. 21.18.
• * 1.60

  Luk. 22 53. Rev. 11 7, 8.
• * 1.61

  Eccles. 8.8.
• * 1.62

  Ezek. 33.12.